Date. 10.31.2002 (Happy Halloweenie!)
Time. 1.41 pm
Music. "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore
Chapter 13
Copyright. Don't own it. Nope, sir, I don't.
Author's Notes. YAY! It's Halloweenie time! I decided to go as Ed from Cowboy Bebop. We have an entire group going (excluding Faye unfortunately). A lot of people say that if my hair was short I would look exactly like Hitomi. So for a brief period I did. But now my hair is bright red so that is that. If you wanna see pics, let me know. I started writing notes of the following chapters in my art history class. When my professor is showing slides of Classical Greek, I'm scribbling out Chapters 13 through 15. Don't expect all of them to be up any time soon. Finals will soon be upon me and they are going to be killers. Grrrrr. Well, anyhoo, on with the show.
The Vision of Escaflowne. Parvulus de Crepuscid
Chapter 13. Worlds Apart
* * *
The evening dew clung to Sellie's bare feet and the hems of her pants as she cautiously descended down the gangway of the Crusade and stepped onto the grass. Allen had commanded his crew to land in the courtyard of the palace rather than the landing pad on the outskirts of the city due to lack of time. Besides the fact that they still had to get back home, *then* go to the Mystic Moon to find her mother, they had no idea *where* to locate her if Tarn was nowhere to be found.
Why must things always get so complicated?
Most of the crew were in front of her, their stance in readiness for any type of surprise attack from Cassian soldiers. But there was obviously no movement made when the Crusade grew ever closer towards the palace. Still, swords were drawn and eyes scanned all corners for any kind of shadows that could be a possible enemy.
She mindlessly rubbed her pendant and thought of her mother. Where was she at? Had she been hurt by that other woman Ashira?
Would they actually make it in time to get to the Mystic Moon and see her once more?
Van had insisted that she stay inside the Crusade, but she had to exit the leviship. It's constraining me, Dad, she had told him. I can't breathe. She felt claustrophobic within these metallic walls and required the freedom of the outdoors. Van had looked at her wearily, sighed… too exhausted to argue with her, and simply said to stay close to him.
She was glad not having to explain the real reason besides the containment, though she was actually partially truthful. She had this odd sensation that she had to make physical contact with the ground. Ever since she had met Gaea and found out her ancestry, her desire to be one with Nature has increased significantly. With every passing moment upon that ship, panic had swept through her like a wildfire.
Just before the gangway hit the ground, Van handed her a sword. Keep it close, he said. Just in case.
Her grip tightening on the handle, Sellie looked carefully around the surroundings. No sign of the military. The Crusade crew slowly wandered, examining every and any fine detail that could give them any clue to what happened to the Cassians.
Dralion touched the soil lightly as he beat his massive leathery wings, hovering just about the ground. Making sure that he had enough space, he settled down into the grassy area and folded his wings neatly along his backside. He walked over towards them at the leviship, his long neck arched and his sharp eyes around as well.
Sellie had noticed also that her connection with Dralion had deepened. She felt comfortable with him around, just knowing that he would always be there to protect her. During her alone time on the Crusade, she pondered to herself about the dragon's past, about Aerin. He had told her when they first met that his true human love would return to him someday. Then he saw the way he was around her.
Was she truly his returned Aerin?
She shook off the thought and closed her attention in onto what was going on during *this* lifetime.
Reeden and Katz announced that they were going to enter the town outside the walls to see if the people there knew any information.
Sellie sighed loudly. "Dad, no one is here."
Van nodded. "It seems that its just Tarn and his men never returned," he mused. "But where are all the other people? Party-goers, servants, noblemen… did they all leave too? And why would he leave his entire estate unguarded?"
Allen shrugged and looked about the remaining people. "Millerna, Celena, Rouen, Sellie… why don't you go and sit inside for a bit? The rest of you… search the grounds."
"But…" Sellie began.
"No," Van said sternly. "You've had your breath of fresh air. Go inside and sit still so I don't have to worry about you just now."
"But Dad…"
"No!" he snapped. "Go inside."
Sellie blinked back tears of hate and hurt. Van had never raised his voice to her like that before. Sure, when she would sneak off and avoid her studies of politics, he would grow angry with her, but soon cool off and forget what had happened.
He's angry with the current situation, she told herself. It's not you he's mad at. He wants your mom back.
I want her back too… she thought as the salty tears slipped over her cheeks.
She felt Celena's warm hand touch her shoulder and squeezed gently. It soon moved down and took Sellie's own hand and walked her back into the Crusade. Her gesture said everything that she didn't: You know he loves you. Just obey him for this one time.
She silently agreed, but felt the instant strain on her heart with each step she took into the leviship, wanting and wishing she were outside in the environment where she belonged. Maybe this feeling will pass… she thought.
Or, at least, she *hoped* it would.
* * *
The eerie feeling still clung in the air as the small group covered the grounds. Satisfied that no one was hiding and planning an attack, Allen signaled to enter the palace grounds. They entered through the Grand Ballroom where they had eaten dinner the night previous. A chill swept over Van as he realized that this was where he had seen Hitomi with a blade at her throat. That image was permanently imprinted into his memory.
He shuddered and brought his hand to his forehead, stabilizing himself as a wave of nausea flowed through him.
"Fanel?" Gaddes asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You alright?"
"Mmmm…" Van muttered. "Give me a minute. I'm going to my room to get my sword and things."
"You want someone to go with you?"
Van shook his head. "No, I'll be fine." He waved off the others and moved quickly where Tarn's servants had ushered Hitomi and him into their sleeping chambers. He mentally laughed at the thought. They never even got to sleep there.
As he entered the room, he swore he could smell the faint trace of her perfume in the still air. He crossed the room to where she stood at the moment he came bursting in through the door, angry that Sellie was no longer in her quarters. She was changing into her nightgown but quickly brought up her corset to hide herself.
* "Van! What do you…" * she had begun to yell.
They had parted on bad terms, her leaving him with negative energy in the air. Most of it being his energy. He always had troubles controlling his anger and now that Hitomi was gone, he was hiding it all too well. He knew that at any point, the emotion would not be held in anymore and he would explode out.
He just hoped that no one else would be around to see him.
The nightgown was still strewn upon the made bed, a white silky narrow dress with embroidered ivy that she always wore. He touched it gently with his fingertips, remembering times when he would remove it from her and carelessly toss it over his shoulder and onto the floor. He brought it up to his face and inhaled her scent in deeply. She smelt of sweet earth, a mix of floral fragrance and woodsy intoxication. Burying his face into the fabric, he could already feel tears burning away in his eyes.
I will not break down, he told himself. I cannot break down. I have to be strong. Have to be strong for the others. I cannot hide. I will find her.
Instead, he let the tears pour forth freely, letting go of everything.
* * *
Sellie could feel that Celena's cheerfully quick chatter was her attempt to keep the air around the small group positive. Her nervousness wasn't hidden very well behind her bright smile. Still, she had to praise the woman on her trying to make a situation like this seem that everything will be alright.
Even though the chances of actually fulfilling this prophecy looked rather slim.
Celena led them back into the control room and offered to get some sort of edibles. As Millerna and Rouen agreed that eating would be good, Sellie passed on the suggestion. The quick breath of fresh air helped momentarily, but now the feeling of being boxed in had worsened. Even in here, one of the Crusade's largest occupancies, felt like the walls were closing in about her. She held her forehead and shut her eyes tight.
She felt Rouen studying her, though she could not see his face directly.
"Sellie, are you alright?" he asked.
She opened her own eyes and looked into his concerned face. She tried to fake a smile. "Yeah, I'm good."
He shook his head. "Don't hide this away from me, Sellie," he said with a worried tone. "I know you. Something is wrong."
She could not help but smile for real this time. "Alright, I feel a *little* sick."
He shifted over so that he was closer to her and placed his hand over her forehead. She removed her own hand and placed it on his thigh. Noticing that he gulped at the moment when she touched him, she smiled to herself.
"Gods, Sellie! You're burning up!" he exclaimed.
"No, I'm not," she denied as she removed his hand and stood up. "See, I'm…"
A sharp pain entered her heart and another spell of dizziness overcame her as she could feel herself falling. Clutching her chest, she could hear Rouen cry her name as he rushed to her side and tried to catch her. He sounded and felt so far away.
Celena and Millerna had entered the chamber and hurried to Rouen's side and took her collapsing body. She heard them calling her name, too, but again, it seemed like they were shouting it from a distance. She could hear herself saying that she needed to go outside just at the moment when everything turned black.
* * *
Darkness surrounded her.
Was she still conscience inside of her own body? She couldn't feel anything in this neutral world -- nothing physical, spiritual, nor emotional. Just… emptiness.
what is this?
this is what will become of both our worlds soon… this is us dying…
why do you say this?
you have such negative thoughts racing through your head right now…
what do you mean?
you have repeatedly been saying to yourself that you will not be able to reach your mother in time… that you will not be able to travel to my sister world and rescue her… things like these are getting you nowhere…
well, what do you expect? you throw this all in my face yesterday and expect me to be all happy and believe in myself? the only other things that i've had to worry about in my life are tests that palos gives me about politics…
i am asking you to believe in yourself…
excuse me?
i *am* asking you to believe in yourself, sellie… you don't… and if you don't believe in yourself, then there is no hope for all of us…
why do you do this to me? i can't take it…
yes, you can, sellie… you *do* have the capacity to believe in yourself… you just won't let yourself…
what are you talking about…
you don't love yourself…
what?!
you heard me… must i repeat myself?
i love myself…
not in the sense that you need to believe in…
i'm not certain i get what you're saying…
it's all a continuous cycle, sellie… at this moment, you do not believe in yourself… you think that you will never see your mother again… you will begin to believe in you when you begin to love yourself…
but I do love myself…
you do, yes… you take care of yourself and make sure that nothing happens to you… but you haven't taken the extra step in completely loving yourself…
and that is?
you have to let others love you, too…
are you talking nonsense, gaea? i know that people love me… my mother and my father…
yes, your parents love you… but they love you as their daughter… I am talking about the love that is formed between two people…
oh, like a man and a woman? soul mates?
exactly… in order for you to love yourself, you must give your heart to the one you love… it is a sign of trust…
are you talking about me and rouen?
ah, i knew that you would understand…
but i do love rouen…
You love him as a friend… you have yet to realize that you are *in* love with him…
and will i discover this moment?
who knows? it happens at different times for different people… but you've known for awhile and so has he that you two are not normal friends… it was the same way for your parents…
really?
your mother realized that she was in love with your father when she was inside the belly of the zaibach empire… it was an epiphany… your father had known much before that, though he was too stubborn to actually say the words…
are you saying that i'm stubborn?
now there you go, putting words in my mouth again…
sorry…
all i am saying is that once you feel comfortable enough that you can give your heart to someone, that will be the moment that you can use your power to its full potential…
is the power of atlantis linked to love?
now you are catching on… now i must let you go… the others are worried about you… and i don't have the energy anymore…
gaea… what's wrong with you?
i'm dying, dear heart…
am i dying too? i can feel something slipping away from me…
what you feel is the spirit of the world dying… that is why you were having the desire to go outside… you needed to be in contact with nature… it's only temporary… for now… the sooner that you go to the mystic moon, the better…
but if i leave gaea, too… won't that make it worse?
it's a sacrifice that we all must make… now, go… go find tarn and get the location of your mother from him… i will send you as soon as you know where she is…
but…
awake!
* * *
* Shhh! I believe that she is waking! *
"Let me see… I think that was a definite eye flutter."
"Her pulse is getting slower. Her heart isn't racing anymore."
"Shit, Van is going to kill me, I swear."
* Calm theeself, My Lady. It was not thee's fault. *
"She's my responsibility."
"Shut up, she's coming to. Sellie?"
The muffled voices silenced themselves as Sellie let out a low groan. As she blinked her eyes, the shadowy figures clarified to reveal Celena, Millerna, Rouen, and Dralion leaning over her. She was quickly aware that she was outside, the dewy grass soaking her back and the night air filling her lungs. She took a deep breath and sighed.
* Child? Are thee alright? * Dralion asked her, his long nose sniffing her just above her head.
"Mmmm… I think so… what happened?"
"You started to faint," Celena said, stroking her loose black hair from her damp forehead. "Luckily, Rouen was able to catch you and call for us. You were screaming something about needing to be outside, it would make you better, then you were out of it. We took you here about ten minutes ago."
Sellie's mind flashed back to her "conversation" in her dream world. "I was dying…" she whispered mindlessly.
"Excuse me?" Millerna asked, arching her eyebrow.
Sellie shook her head. "Where's Dad?" she changed the subject.
"He's still inside the palace," Celena replied. "Reeden and Katz were just here… they went inside to go get him and the others."
Sellie bolted upright, not caring for the blood rush to her head. "Tarn's going to Fanelia! He'll be there soon!"
"Lie down, Sellie," Millerna forced her back to the ground. "You're still not strong enough to be up. Yes, that's what Reeden said. The townspeople are too afraid to go out in fear that they'll invoke Tarn's wrath or something." She looked up to the large draconian face just above her shoulder. "That or they don't want to mess with Dralion here."
"No, we need to go now! We have to get him!"
"We will… we will," Millerna said. "As soon as the others get here. Celena, can you go get some water and I'll get some towels?"
The two women entered the leviship, leaving Sellie leaning against Dralion's foreleg and Rouen still next to her. She struggled to get to a decent sitting position.
"Rouen…" she began.
"Sellie, I was so worried about you…" he interrupted. "I didn't know what I would do if you didn't wake again."
She looked into him, and, for a brief moment, saw a spark behind his eyes. She remembered what Gaea had told her in her vision, that knowing you were in love happened at different times for different people.
Hmmm… maybe I'm starting to realize…
"Rouen, I wanted to say thank you… for helping me,"
A familiar silly grin slowly spread out on his face. "You're welcome," he replied. He took her hand into his and gently rubbed her knuckles. The warmth emitting from his fingers almost gave her strength. She no longer felt fatigued.
Suddenly, Dralion's claw brought both adolescents close to his body. Before Sellie could protest that Rouen was leaning into her, the dragon mentally silenced her.
* I smell someone coming. Someone not among our group, * he said urgently.
Sellie rearranged herself so that she could peek out behind him, examining the area for any kind of movement.
And she saw it.
One of the many doors entering the Cassian palace opened slowly, it making a slight creaking noise as it widened enough for a person to pass through. Sellie was expecting to see a lone soldier protecting his castle, his sword drawn and an evil glare flashing from his eye.
Instead, she saw Quidam, weapon-less and a confused look on his face.
* * *
A burning sensation raced through her core, an energy filled with anger and hurt. Rage? Betrayal? Fury? This emotion had no words to describe exactly what she feeling.
Before she knew what she was doing, she heard Dralion and Rouen crying her name to stop. In a flash, she was now on her feet and across the courtyard, running at full sprint towards Quidam. She found herself shoving him back into the door that he just left, an unfamiliar blade across his throat. He was holding his hands up in a surrendering pose, careful not move underneath her sword.
"Sellie… you're… alive!" he cried.
"Like you really care," she growled.
"How can this be?" he asked. "I saw you fall out the Myriad and…"
"Luck has always been on my side," she replied snidely. "Now, are you going to try my skills at sword fighting? Because I will assure you that I have been trained by my father and the general of his army."
"I'm here to help you, Sellie," he said.
"Are you kidding me?!" she exclaimed, slamming him back into the wall. "After everything that you put my family and me through?"
"Sellie!" she could hear her father's voice shouting in the distance. She simply ignored it.
"That wasn't me," he retorted. "That was my father's work. I was just along for the ride."
"And you didn't do anything?"
"But I did! I told you where your mother was on the leviship!"
"And then you proceeded to kiss me?!" she yelled. "How is *that* helping me?!"
* Sellie! *
He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look, I know what you're probably feeling right now. I felt the same when I lost my mother…"
"I didn't *lose* my mother," Sellie interrupted. "She was taken harshly away from me."
"Sellie…"
The soft baritone voice of her father spoke calmly from behind her. "Sellie, what are you doing?"
"Taking my chance and seizing the moment," she said coldly into Quidam's face, not taking her eyes off of him.
"And this is what you want?" Van asked. "Blood on your hands?"
"That's the only way it'll be better!" she screamed back at him.
"Selmé, I thought I had raised you better than this," he murmured, his voice coming closer. "You should know that revenge is never the way to go. I know you. You have Hitomi's spirit inside you. You love the sword but you hate to fight." Suddenly, a strong hand touched her shoulder and squeezed. "This isn't the path you want to follow. Put down the sword."
She glanced at her father's bare hand on her. She could see so many scars across his fingers, some he had received when he was no older than she was now, while some were more recent. He speaks from experience that you shouldn't take revenge like this… her mental voice whispered. Believe in him… believe in yourself…
She sighed, took one long look at Quidam's glistening and frightened face. Though she wanted to hurt him so badly for what he had done to her, she knew that this wasn't the right way. Slowly, she lowered her sword and tossed it to the ground.
Van exhaled and hugged awkwardly. "Now, concerning other matters…" he said, turning his full attention onto the relaxing boy in front of him. "Why are you here, Quidam?"
Quidam adjusted himself, but seemed to back away from him. "I defied my father," he finally said after what was an eternity of silence.
"Defied? How?" Allen suddenly spoke. Sellie turned around to see the rest of the Crusade crew standing behind Van and her. I was so thirsty for vengeance, I didn't notice anything else, she thought.
He looked at the Knight Caeli. "We got in a fight… shortly after we turned around after…" he paused, staring at Sellie. "…after Lord Van and Lady Sellie *left* our leviship." He looked down at his feet. "I wanted to go back to make sure that Sellie was alright, but Father said it didn't matter… since we were going to leave you out in the desert anyway. I was against it from the beginning. I didn't understand why it was necessary for him to kidnap innocent people while it wasn't even his fight. He said that it was the sacrifices that had to be made in order to expand Cassia. I didn't want that." He stopped again, then picked up after clearing his throat. "So we stopped here and he dropped me off. He said he didn't have the time to deal with me right now and he couldn't bring me along to Fanelia in fear that I may screw up things again."
"Why is he going to Fanelia?" Van urgently asked.
"Ashira told him to go there," Quidam shrugged. "She said it was like the epicenter of energy required to get such a large group to the Mystic Moon. Something about a Drag-Energist, too, that he needed."
"Wait a minute," Van held up his hand to stop him. "He spoke to Ashira?"
"Yeah," the Cassian prince answered. "She gave him this weird-looking radio in his office. She's got one too so they can keep in contact."
"You mean, she's got one on the Mystic Moon?"
"Yeah, with her wherever she is."
Quickly, Sellie formed what appeared to be the same idea her father was thinking in her own head. She glanced over at Van, seeing the glimmer of hope that faintly shone in his dark irises.
"Where is this radio?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm and cool.
"It's in his office… down the hallway in there… he didn't bring it with him on…" he replied, pointing inside the palace.
Van made no hesitation. He brushed past both Sellie and Quidam and opened the door, disappearing into the room. She looked at the others, then hastily followed.
He soon found what he was looking for, remembering the room that Tarn had asked him into when he had suggested the proposal between Sellie and his son. He kicked open the door, not even bothering to twist the knob to see if it was unlocked.
It had remained almost untouched since he had been there the previous night. Papers upon his desk had been shifted slightly, but no real changes. The only problem that was bothering him that there was no obvious machine that could pass as a radio. He began opening up drawers and emptying them out carelessly.
"Where is it?" he shouted at Quidam.
The young boy nervously stepped forward and stooped down just below where the chair would be pushed in and rolled up the small green rug.
"It's underneath the floor here," he pointed out, sticking his finger in a tiny hole and pulling up the wood. "It's his secret hiding place that he showed me only a few weeks ago."
He buried his arms in the darkness and pulled out a simple black-metal contraption. It had a single speaker, a few knobs with foreign writing above each one, and a detachable part with another, smaller speaker on it. He set it upon the desk and stood back.
The small crowd of people circled around the device, staring at it with curiosity. It had a familiar design about it, but looked much more futuristic then any kind of machinery seen on Gaea.
"Have you used this before?" Allen inquired.
"I haven't personally," Quidam answered. "Ashira said that she made some modifications on it and gave it to him to keep in touch. But I've seen Father use it several times. He turned the knobs to this character." He demonstrated the fashion. "Then you push the button on the side of the mouthpiece and talk to her, and let go when you finish speaking so you can hear her response." He tried handing it to Van, but he refused it and pushed away.
"I can't talk to her," he said. "Ashira would recognize my voice and would suspect something was threatening her. She might do something to Hitomi." He went quiet. "You do it."
Quidam's eyes widened in fear. "I can't do it," he whispered.
"You must," Sellie spoke up. "You're the only one who can help us."
He looked up and caught her gaze. His fingers nervously rubbed the mouthpiece as he stared into her.
"Look," she added. "You were saying earlier that you wanted to help us. I would be more than grateful if you can get Ashira's location on the Mystic Moon." She touched his hand, hearing a short intake of air from either Van or Rouen. "Please."
At the simple touch of her fingers to his, Sellie could feel his thoughts. His pulse did not waver as he stared into her, giving no signs of lying. He was truly sincere about this.
He sighed loudly and resigned into an affirmation nodding. Van signaled for everyone but Sellie and Allen to leave the room in order to keep silence. Quidam took a deep breath, then pressed the button. "Ashira? Are you there?"
There was some minor interference crackle as the radio waves traveled across the reaches of space. Sellie held her breath in her lungs as she waited impatiently for a response. Van was getting irritable in his uncomfortable chair. Allen stood against the wall, his arms crossed in his chest, his face showing no kind of expression.
Finally, a voice came back across the radio frequency. A voice that almost stopped Van's heart when he recognized her.
-- "Hello?" -- Hitomi's faint voice spoke through the machine.
Van immediately bolted upright from his seat. "Hitomi!" he yelled. Allen was swiftly by his side, trying to hold him back from taking the mouthpiece from Quidam.
"Shut up!" he hissed at the King.
-- "Hello? Is someone there? Over? -- she continued.
Quidam looked up at both Van and Allen to await further instructions. Allen mouthed "talk-to-her."
Before the young boy could make another interaction, another female voice appeared in the speaker.
-- "Sorry, Hitomi. That must be the work-team calling us. I'll deal with them." --
-- "Oh, alright, I'll be waiting outside." -- With that, Hitomi's voice disappeared, only to be replaced with someone all too familiar.
-- "How dare you call me when she is sleeping directly in the tent, Tarn!" -- Ashira snarled through the radio.
"I'm… I'm sorry, Lady Ashira," Quidam stumbled.
-- "Who is this? This isn't Tarn." --
"No… it's his son, Quidam," he answered.
-- "Where's your father, boy? --
He looked at Van, who had settled himself down. He drew the shape of a leviship in the air.
"He's out in the Myriad, preparing to go to Fanelia right now," he said. "He sent me in here to speak to you about specifics in the next step."
-- "You're in Cassia still? A bit behind schedule, aren't we?" --
"We arrived home late."
-- "Did you have trouble with Fanel or something?" --
Quidam looked up to see Van's face. "No, no trouble at all," he lied, not even flinching once. "Just dropped him off in the middle of the desert, then turned around."
-- "You better leave soon, otherwise, you're going to miss the pickup." --
"Yes ma'am," he replied. "Just need the specifics, then we will on our way."
Ashira sighed. -- "Alright," -- she said. -- "You have to be in Fanelia before sunrise. That's when I'm coming to get you all. Specifically, you have to be in the forest behind the castle where the shrine to Escaflowne is. An air attack will do fine, though you'll have to go done one leviship at a time and may lose some men in the battle. Fanel's army has grown, so I've heard." --
"No problem," Quidam replied smoothly. "Sacrifices will have to be made for the good of the cause."
-- "Right. I'll only be able to take a small portion of your men. I won't be strong enough for the entire army… yet..." --
"Yeah…" he said slowly. Van grimaced at the thought.
-- "…make sure that everyone is ready and aware of what is going to happen. I'm not sure if Tarn had explained it to them." -- Ashira continued.
"Where are we going?" Quidam asked, a little too quickly for comfort.
There was a pause at the other end of the radio. Sellie looked at her father and Allen nervously, in fear that Ashira somehow knew of their plan.
-- "Excuse me?" --
"Sorry, I was just curious where we were going so that the men could be prepared for a certain kind of climate," Quidam answered. "Father asked me to ask you. He said that he has a strange curiosity of the Mystic Moon."
-- "Oh." -- Another hesitation. -- "Right, smart boy you are. Thinking ahead. We are in Mexico… Yucatán, to be exact… at the Temple of Kukulkan in Chichén Itza. So it'll be warm." --
You got that down? Van mouthed at Allen, who was furiously scribbling away on a piece of parchment. The Knight Caeli nodded as he finished the last word with a flare.
"Good, I will relay the information to my father then, My Lady," the young Prince finished saying to the recipient at the other end of the line.
-- "You do that, boy. Tell Tarn I'll be seeing him soon." -- With a click, the radio went silent, Ashira's voice and interference as well.
The stillness remained in the air as Quidam wordlessly hung the portable mouthpiece onto the radio's box. Van leaned over across the desk and took the information from Allen.
"I need to go find Gaea," he muttered as he left the room.
Allen glanced over at Sellie, studying her with his sapphire eyes. He placed a hand on top of hers and squeezed.
"How are you holding up?" he asked gently.
Sellie's eyes shifted over to Quidam, who was staring down at the dead radio. "I'm good," she said unenthusiastically.
"Well," Allen replied, in a tone plainly saying that he did not believe her. "Let's all go outside to see what the next step is."
* * *
Gaea had already arrived by the time that Sellie, Allen, and Quidam had exited the palace. She recognized the large emerald and gold robe that hung from the tiny woman's frame as she stood next to Van alongside the large marble fountain. The rest of the Crusade crew were sitting on the ramp into the leviship, while everyone else remained inside.
She walked over into the conversation as Allen walked Quidam over to the crew. The look plastered on the boy's was fear and confusion to what was to happen next. Sellie didn't know that answer either. Ashira said that she was meeting Tarn at sunrise, which would be in only a few hours to her own knowledge.
Fanelia was a full day flight's away. There would be no way that they could reach her home in time to stop Tarn and go to the Mystic Moon.
"…this is where Hitomi must be…" Gaea was saying as Sellie approached the discussion. Her fingers had touched the rippling water, transforming its translucent plane into a foreign environmental terrain that must have been from the Mystic Moon. On a peninsula jutting into a large bay, a bright light illuminated the spot that Ashira had told them where they were located.
Where her mother was located.
"…now…" Gaea continued. "You are going to have to intercept Tarn's men somehow. They must not reach Fanelia. And you still have to get the Drag-Energist in order to get to Earth."
"How are we going to get there?" Sellie asked, surprising her father with her silent arrival. "I mean, the Crusade can't get us there in time."
"Not a problem," her ancestor told her with a smile on her face. "I need to save my energy in order to get you through the Dimensional Gap, so I can't send you directly there right now. But Dralion can take a small number much faster than a leviship."
"Huh?"
* I can ride the Dragon's Wind, * he answered. * It is a magical strong air stream that allow us flying-dragons and our land-dragon cousins to travel much more rapidly than normal. If we leave momentarily, I can get thee and company to thee homeland just in time. *
Sellie could see the opaqueness in her Mind's eye as these confused thoughts entered her head. "But only to stop Tarn, right? I mean, Gaea said that we still have a few days until the actual destruction of both our worlds."
The Goddess shook her head. "No, Sellie," she replied softly with a grave look plastered on her face. "I was mistaken, as I have already explained to your father." Gaea paused, and Sellie took that second to see Van's anger and fear flash in his eyes. She was suddenly afraid of what her ancestor would say to her.
"I told you that the date of this destruction would take place on May 12, 2016... But that date does not match up with the calendar year that Gaea revolves around. So when I said that that date would arrive in five days, I didn't realize that those days had already passed on Earth." She hung her head low. "It's a side effect of what is happening. I don't know everything. I'm… forgetting things like this that are crucially important. I'm… sorry."
Sellie looked up at her father. "I don't understand," she asked.
Van unclenched his fist slowly. "It means…" he uttered in a low voice. "…that we don't have that much time. That Time on our worlds are different. That May 12, 2016 on the Mystic Moon is actually White, 23rd Moon here."
"The 23rd Moon?" Sellie gasped in realization.
That's tomorrow.
"The Temple that Ashira mentioned…" Gaea added. "At the very top is an observatory that the Mayans used to look at the stars and chart astronomy. It is the center of where the exchange will take place. It is also the only entry and exit to the rooms inside of the Temple where you will most likely find Ashira and Hitomi."
Van nodded his head, though his face still did not show the emotion he was obviously carrying inside. He moved to walked towards the dragon, not hiding his urge to get going very well, but Gaea grasped his forearm.
"Who is going with you to Earth?" she asked. "Dralion can only manage a few people on his back."
With every word that Gaea spoke, it seemed that all hope was rapidly draining from Sellie. Believe in myself, she thought and let out a mental huff. How can I do that when everything is lost?
"I am going," Allen announced. "Though I have pledged my allegiance with one king, I'm sure that he won't mind that I do it for another." He stood next to Van.
"I am, too," Gaddes shouted from the Crusade, standing up and bringing up Celena with him, her arms encircling his waist. "I can't allow my future brother-in-law to go and get himself killed, now, can't I?"
Gasps of surprise and joy escaped from the other crew members as they congratulated the couple. He kissed Celena on the cheek and joined Allen's side.
"Hold up!" Celena barked at him, leaping off of the gang way and butting her way in between her brother and fiancée. "If you think for one minute that I'm letting the two men I love the most leave me, you guys have another thing coming." She faced Gaea. "I'm going too."
Before either man could protest, she stomped on Allen's foot and dug her nails in Gaddes' arm. "If either of you say one word that basically means I'm not going anywhere, you will be sorry you ever laid eyes on me," she hissed.
Gaea looked into the eyes of the four adults and one child, her green eyes sparkling despite her tired-looking appearance. "Alright," she breathed. "As soon as either Van or Sellie grabs the Drag-Energist, I will automatically send you five to the Temple of Kukulkan."
"And Quidam," Van murmured.
"What?!" Sellie cried.
"What?!" Rouen shouted from the Crusade gangway.
Van lowered his voice. "He's only coming with us to Fanelia, not to the Mystic Moon. He could prove useful with Tarn."
Sellie could not believe her ears. Not only is the son of the man who could be destroying her life forever is joining their quest, but her father had stopped her from trying to kill him.
Gaea nodded at him and turned to Dralion. "Can you manage six passengers?" she asked.
The dragon closed his eyes and lowered his head. * Aye, My Lady, * he replied and settled down on the ground for the humans to mount.
Van held out his hand to his daughter. "Sellie, you'll go in the front," he said. "Allen, you go behind her. Then Celena, Gaddes, Quidam, then myself."
It was awkward to sit on Dralion's ridged back once more. This time, there were more people hanging on to her as she held tightly onto his neck. As soon as Van fixated himself at the end, he shouted up to the dragon. "We're ready!"
Dryden, Millerna, Rouen, and the remains of the crew raised themselves to watch the liftoff of the diminished rescue group into the night air. Rouen's eyes remained only on Sellie. When she caught his gaze, she waved goodbye and mouthed the only words she could think of at the moment:
I love you.
Before she could catch his reaction, Dralion had already leapt into the air and was winging his way heavenwards. Sellie clutched tightly to his scales as Celena's arms tightened about her waist.
Dralion let out a roar of joy. * The Dragon's Wind is here and it is stronger than ever! * he cried. * Hang on! *
Sellie was about to shout back to her father, but the sudden blast of air into her face silenced her. As the dragon merged with the current, it seemed that he had elongated and had actually became *one* with the wind.
She could no longer see, just a blur of darkness passing before her eyes. All she knew was that they were traveling at an incredible rate towards what could determine all of their fates.
She just hoped that they would reach home in time.
to be continued…
* * *
EGAD. I didn't realize how long this chapter was going to be. Holy crap Batman!!! It took me a little less than a month to write, since now I've actually had *work* to work on. And finals are next week. Eep. Two tests in anatomy and art history, and an interactive thing for advanced computer applications. This little kat-chan is NOT getting any sleep this weekend.
Since this will be my last update until December probably, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! My birthday is coming up, and I'm going to be a whopping 20 years old! YAY.
This chapter's title comes from the song "Worlds Apart" by Bruce Springsteen.
Time. 1.41 pm
Music. "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore
Chapter 13
Copyright. Don't own it. Nope, sir, I don't.
Author's Notes. YAY! It's Halloweenie time! I decided to go as Ed from Cowboy Bebop. We have an entire group going (excluding Faye unfortunately). A lot of people say that if my hair was short I would look exactly like Hitomi. So for a brief period I did. But now my hair is bright red so that is that. If you wanna see pics, let me know. I started writing notes of the following chapters in my art history class. When my professor is showing slides of Classical Greek, I'm scribbling out Chapters 13 through 15. Don't expect all of them to be up any time soon. Finals will soon be upon me and they are going to be killers. Grrrrr. Well, anyhoo, on with the show.
The Vision of Escaflowne. Parvulus de Crepuscid
Chapter 13. Worlds Apart
* * *
The evening dew clung to Sellie's bare feet and the hems of her pants as she cautiously descended down the gangway of the Crusade and stepped onto the grass. Allen had commanded his crew to land in the courtyard of the palace rather than the landing pad on the outskirts of the city due to lack of time. Besides the fact that they still had to get back home, *then* go to the Mystic Moon to find her mother, they had no idea *where* to locate her if Tarn was nowhere to be found.
Why must things always get so complicated?
Most of the crew were in front of her, their stance in readiness for any type of surprise attack from Cassian soldiers. But there was obviously no movement made when the Crusade grew ever closer towards the palace. Still, swords were drawn and eyes scanned all corners for any kind of shadows that could be a possible enemy.
She mindlessly rubbed her pendant and thought of her mother. Where was she at? Had she been hurt by that other woman Ashira?
Would they actually make it in time to get to the Mystic Moon and see her once more?
Van had insisted that she stay inside the Crusade, but she had to exit the leviship. It's constraining me, Dad, she had told him. I can't breathe. She felt claustrophobic within these metallic walls and required the freedom of the outdoors. Van had looked at her wearily, sighed… too exhausted to argue with her, and simply said to stay close to him.
She was glad not having to explain the real reason besides the containment, though she was actually partially truthful. She had this odd sensation that she had to make physical contact with the ground. Ever since she had met Gaea and found out her ancestry, her desire to be one with Nature has increased significantly. With every passing moment upon that ship, panic had swept through her like a wildfire.
Just before the gangway hit the ground, Van handed her a sword. Keep it close, he said. Just in case.
Her grip tightening on the handle, Sellie looked carefully around the surroundings. No sign of the military. The Crusade crew slowly wandered, examining every and any fine detail that could give them any clue to what happened to the Cassians.
Dralion touched the soil lightly as he beat his massive leathery wings, hovering just about the ground. Making sure that he had enough space, he settled down into the grassy area and folded his wings neatly along his backside. He walked over towards them at the leviship, his long neck arched and his sharp eyes around as well.
Sellie had noticed also that her connection with Dralion had deepened. She felt comfortable with him around, just knowing that he would always be there to protect her. During her alone time on the Crusade, she pondered to herself about the dragon's past, about Aerin. He had told her when they first met that his true human love would return to him someday. Then he saw the way he was around her.
Was she truly his returned Aerin?
She shook off the thought and closed her attention in onto what was going on during *this* lifetime.
Reeden and Katz announced that they were going to enter the town outside the walls to see if the people there knew any information.
Sellie sighed loudly. "Dad, no one is here."
Van nodded. "It seems that its just Tarn and his men never returned," he mused. "But where are all the other people? Party-goers, servants, noblemen… did they all leave too? And why would he leave his entire estate unguarded?"
Allen shrugged and looked about the remaining people. "Millerna, Celena, Rouen, Sellie… why don't you go and sit inside for a bit? The rest of you… search the grounds."
"But…" Sellie began.
"No," Van said sternly. "You've had your breath of fresh air. Go inside and sit still so I don't have to worry about you just now."
"But Dad…"
"No!" he snapped. "Go inside."
Sellie blinked back tears of hate and hurt. Van had never raised his voice to her like that before. Sure, when she would sneak off and avoid her studies of politics, he would grow angry with her, but soon cool off and forget what had happened.
He's angry with the current situation, she told herself. It's not you he's mad at. He wants your mom back.
I want her back too… she thought as the salty tears slipped over her cheeks.
She felt Celena's warm hand touch her shoulder and squeezed gently. It soon moved down and took Sellie's own hand and walked her back into the Crusade. Her gesture said everything that she didn't: You know he loves you. Just obey him for this one time.
She silently agreed, but felt the instant strain on her heart with each step she took into the leviship, wanting and wishing she were outside in the environment where she belonged. Maybe this feeling will pass… she thought.
Or, at least, she *hoped* it would.
* * *
The eerie feeling still clung in the air as the small group covered the grounds. Satisfied that no one was hiding and planning an attack, Allen signaled to enter the palace grounds. They entered through the Grand Ballroom where they had eaten dinner the night previous. A chill swept over Van as he realized that this was where he had seen Hitomi with a blade at her throat. That image was permanently imprinted into his memory.
He shuddered and brought his hand to his forehead, stabilizing himself as a wave of nausea flowed through him.
"Fanel?" Gaddes asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You alright?"
"Mmmm…" Van muttered. "Give me a minute. I'm going to my room to get my sword and things."
"You want someone to go with you?"
Van shook his head. "No, I'll be fine." He waved off the others and moved quickly where Tarn's servants had ushered Hitomi and him into their sleeping chambers. He mentally laughed at the thought. They never even got to sleep there.
As he entered the room, he swore he could smell the faint trace of her perfume in the still air. He crossed the room to where she stood at the moment he came bursting in through the door, angry that Sellie was no longer in her quarters. She was changing into her nightgown but quickly brought up her corset to hide herself.
* "Van! What do you…" * she had begun to yell.
They had parted on bad terms, her leaving him with negative energy in the air. Most of it being his energy. He always had troubles controlling his anger and now that Hitomi was gone, he was hiding it all too well. He knew that at any point, the emotion would not be held in anymore and he would explode out.
He just hoped that no one else would be around to see him.
The nightgown was still strewn upon the made bed, a white silky narrow dress with embroidered ivy that she always wore. He touched it gently with his fingertips, remembering times when he would remove it from her and carelessly toss it over his shoulder and onto the floor. He brought it up to his face and inhaled her scent in deeply. She smelt of sweet earth, a mix of floral fragrance and woodsy intoxication. Burying his face into the fabric, he could already feel tears burning away in his eyes.
I will not break down, he told himself. I cannot break down. I have to be strong. Have to be strong for the others. I cannot hide. I will find her.
Instead, he let the tears pour forth freely, letting go of everything.
* * *
Sellie could feel that Celena's cheerfully quick chatter was her attempt to keep the air around the small group positive. Her nervousness wasn't hidden very well behind her bright smile. Still, she had to praise the woman on her trying to make a situation like this seem that everything will be alright.
Even though the chances of actually fulfilling this prophecy looked rather slim.
Celena led them back into the control room and offered to get some sort of edibles. As Millerna and Rouen agreed that eating would be good, Sellie passed on the suggestion. The quick breath of fresh air helped momentarily, but now the feeling of being boxed in had worsened. Even in here, one of the Crusade's largest occupancies, felt like the walls were closing in about her. She held her forehead and shut her eyes tight.
She felt Rouen studying her, though she could not see his face directly.
"Sellie, are you alright?" he asked.
She opened her own eyes and looked into his concerned face. She tried to fake a smile. "Yeah, I'm good."
He shook his head. "Don't hide this away from me, Sellie," he said with a worried tone. "I know you. Something is wrong."
She could not help but smile for real this time. "Alright, I feel a *little* sick."
He shifted over so that he was closer to her and placed his hand over her forehead. She removed her own hand and placed it on his thigh. Noticing that he gulped at the moment when she touched him, she smiled to herself.
"Gods, Sellie! You're burning up!" he exclaimed.
"No, I'm not," she denied as she removed his hand and stood up. "See, I'm…"
A sharp pain entered her heart and another spell of dizziness overcame her as she could feel herself falling. Clutching her chest, she could hear Rouen cry her name as he rushed to her side and tried to catch her. He sounded and felt so far away.
Celena and Millerna had entered the chamber and hurried to Rouen's side and took her collapsing body. She heard them calling her name, too, but again, it seemed like they were shouting it from a distance. She could hear herself saying that she needed to go outside just at the moment when everything turned black.
* * *
Darkness surrounded her.
Was she still conscience inside of her own body? She couldn't feel anything in this neutral world -- nothing physical, spiritual, nor emotional. Just… emptiness.
what is this?
this is what will become of both our worlds soon… this is us dying…
why do you say this?
you have such negative thoughts racing through your head right now…
what do you mean?
you have repeatedly been saying to yourself that you will not be able to reach your mother in time… that you will not be able to travel to my sister world and rescue her… things like these are getting you nowhere…
well, what do you expect? you throw this all in my face yesterday and expect me to be all happy and believe in myself? the only other things that i've had to worry about in my life are tests that palos gives me about politics…
i am asking you to believe in yourself…
excuse me?
i *am* asking you to believe in yourself, sellie… you don't… and if you don't believe in yourself, then there is no hope for all of us…
why do you do this to me? i can't take it…
yes, you can, sellie… you *do* have the capacity to believe in yourself… you just won't let yourself…
what are you talking about…
you don't love yourself…
what?!
you heard me… must i repeat myself?
i love myself…
not in the sense that you need to believe in…
i'm not certain i get what you're saying…
it's all a continuous cycle, sellie… at this moment, you do not believe in yourself… you think that you will never see your mother again… you will begin to believe in you when you begin to love yourself…
but I do love myself…
you do, yes… you take care of yourself and make sure that nothing happens to you… but you haven't taken the extra step in completely loving yourself…
and that is?
you have to let others love you, too…
are you talking nonsense, gaea? i know that people love me… my mother and my father…
yes, your parents love you… but they love you as their daughter… I am talking about the love that is formed between two people…
oh, like a man and a woman? soul mates?
exactly… in order for you to love yourself, you must give your heart to the one you love… it is a sign of trust…
are you talking about me and rouen?
ah, i knew that you would understand…
but i do love rouen…
You love him as a friend… you have yet to realize that you are *in* love with him…
and will i discover this moment?
who knows? it happens at different times for different people… but you've known for awhile and so has he that you two are not normal friends… it was the same way for your parents…
really?
your mother realized that she was in love with your father when she was inside the belly of the zaibach empire… it was an epiphany… your father had known much before that, though he was too stubborn to actually say the words…
are you saying that i'm stubborn?
now there you go, putting words in my mouth again…
sorry…
all i am saying is that once you feel comfortable enough that you can give your heart to someone, that will be the moment that you can use your power to its full potential…
is the power of atlantis linked to love?
now you are catching on… now i must let you go… the others are worried about you… and i don't have the energy anymore…
gaea… what's wrong with you?
i'm dying, dear heart…
am i dying too? i can feel something slipping away from me…
what you feel is the spirit of the world dying… that is why you were having the desire to go outside… you needed to be in contact with nature… it's only temporary… for now… the sooner that you go to the mystic moon, the better…
but if i leave gaea, too… won't that make it worse?
it's a sacrifice that we all must make… now, go… go find tarn and get the location of your mother from him… i will send you as soon as you know where she is…
but…
awake!
* * *
* Shhh! I believe that she is waking! *
"Let me see… I think that was a definite eye flutter."
"Her pulse is getting slower. Her heart isn't racing anymore."
"Shit, Van is going to kill me, I swear."
* Calm theeself, My Lady. It was not thee's fault. *
"She's my responsibility."
"Shut up, she's coming to. Sellie?"
The muffled voices silenced themselves as Sellie let out a low groan. As she blinked her eyes, the shadowy figures clarified to reveal Celena, Millerna, Rouen, and Dralion leaning over her. She was quickly aware that she was outside, the dewy grass soaking her back and the night air filling her lungs. She took a deep breath and sighed.
* Child? Are thee alright? * Dralion asked her, his long nose sniffing her just above her head.
"Mmmm… I think so… what happened?"
"You started to faint," Celena said, stroking her loose black hair from her damp forehead. "Luckily, Rouen was able to catch you and call for us. You were screaming something about needing to be outside, it would make you better, then you were out of it. We took you here about ten minutes ago."
Sellie's mind flashed back to her "conversation" in her dream world. "I was dying…" she whispered mindlessly.
"Excuse me?" Millerna asked, arching her eyebrow.
Sellie shook her head. "Where's Dad?" she changed the subject.
"He's still inside the palace," Celena replied. "Reeden and Katz were just here… they went inside to go get him and the others."
Sellie bolted upright, not caring for the blood rush to her head. "Tarn's going to Fanelia! He'll be there soon!"
"Lie down, Sellie," Millerna forced her back to the ground. "You're still not strong enough to be up. Yes, that's what Reeden said. The townspeople are too afraid to go out in fear that they'll invoke Tarn's wrath or something." She looked up to the large draconian face just above her shoulder. "That or they don't want to mess with Dralion here."
"No, we need to go now! We have to get him!"
"We will… we will," Millerna said. "As soon as the others get here. Celena, can you go get some water and I'll get some towels?"
The two women entered the leviship, leaving Sellie leaning against Dralion's foreleg and Rouen still next to her. She struggled to get to a decent sitting position.
"Rouen…" she began.
"Sellie, I was so worried about you…" he interrupted. "I didn't know what I would do if you didn't wake again."
She looked into him, and, for a brief moment, saw a spark behind his eyes. She remembered what Gaea had told her in her vision, that knowing you were in love happened at different times for different people.
Hmmm… maybe I'm starting to realize…
"Rouen, I wanted to say thank you… for helping me,"
A familiar silly grin slowly spread out on his face. "You're welcome," he replied. He took her hand into his and gently rubbed her knuckles. The warmth emitting from his fingers almost gave her strength. She no longer felt fatigued.
Suddenly, Dralion's claw brought both adolescents close to his body. Before Sellie could protest that Rouen was leaning into her, the dragon mentally silenced her.
* I smell someone coming. Someone not among our group, * he said urgently.
Sellie rearranged herself so that she could peek out behind him, examining the area for any kind of movement.
And she saw it.
One of the many doors entering the Cassian palace opened slowly, it making a slight creaking noise as it widened enough for a person to pass through. Sellie was expecting to see a lone soldier protecting his castle, his sword drawn and an evil glare flashing from his eye.
Instead, she saw Quidam, weapon-less and a confused look on his face.
* * *
A burning sensation raced through her core, an energy filled with anger and hurt. Rage? Betrayal? Fury? This emotion had no words to describe exactly what she feeling.
Before she knew what she was doing, she heard Dralion and Rouen crying her name to stop. In a flash, she was now on her feet and across the courtyard, running at full sprint towards Quidam. She found herself shoving him back into the door that he just left, an unfamiliar blade across his throat. He was holding his hands up in a surrendering pose, careful not move underneath her sword.
"Sellie… you're… alive!" he cried.
"Like you really care," she growled.
"How can this be?" he asked. "I saw you fall out the Myriad and…"
"Luck has always been on my side," she replied snidely. "Now, are you going to try my skills at sword fighting? Because I will assure you that I have been trained by my father and the general of his army."
"I'm here to help you, Sellie," he said.
"Are you kidding me?!" she exclaimed, slamming him back into the wall. "After everything that you put my family and me through?"
"Sellie!" she could hear her father's voice shouting in the distance. She simply ignored it.
"That wasn't me," he retorted. "That was my father's work. I was just along for the ride."
"And you didn't do anything?"
"But I did! I told you where your mother was on the leviship!"
"And then you proceeded to kiss me?!" she yelled. "How is *that* helping me?!"
* Sellie! *
He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look, I know what you're probably feeling right now. I felt the same when I lost my mother…"
"I didn't *lose* my mother," Sellie interrupted. "She was taken harshly away from me."
"Sellie…"
The soft baritone voice of her father spoke calmly from behind her. "Sellie, what are you doing?"
"Taking my chance and seizing the moment," she said coldly into Quidam's face, not taking her eyes off of him.
"And this is what you want?" Van asked. "Blood on your hands?"
"That's the only way it'll be better!" she screamed back at him.
"Selmé, I thought I had raised you better than this," he murmured, his voice coming closer. "You should know that revenge is never the way to go. I know you. You have Hitomi's spirit inside you. You love the sword but you hate to fight." Suddenly, a strong hand touched her shoulder and squeezed. "This isn't the path you want to follow. Put down the sword."
She glanced at her father's bare hand on her. She could see so many scars across his fingers, some he had received when he was no older than she was now, while some were more recent. He speaks from experience that you shouldn't take revenge like this… her mental voice whispered. Believe in him… believe in yourself…
She sighed, took one long look at Quidam's glistening and frightened face. Though she wanted to hurt him so badly for what he had done to her, she knew that this wasn't the right way. Slowly, she lowered her sword and tossed it to the ground.
Van exhaled and hugged awkwardly. "Now, concerning other matters…" he said, turning his full attention onto the relaxing boy in front of him. "Why are you here, Quidam?"
Quidam adjusted himself, but seemed to back away from him. "I defied my father," he finally said after what was an eternity of silence.
"Defied? How?" Allen suddenly spoke. Sellie turned around to see the rest of the Crusade crew standing behind Van and her. I was so thirsty for vengeance, I didn't notice anything else, she thought.
He looked at the Knight Caeli. "We got in a fight… shortly after we turned around after…" he paused, staring at Sellie. "…after Lord Van and Lady Sellie *left* our leviship." He looked down at his feet. "I wanted to go back to make sure that Sellie was alright, but Father said it didn't matter… since we were going to leave you out in the desert anyway. I was against it from the beginning. I didn't understand why it was necessary for him to kidnap innocent people while it wasn't even his fight. He said that it was the sacrifices that had to be made in order to expand Cassia. I didn't want that." He stopped again, then picked up after clearing his throat. "So we stopped here and he dropped me off. He said he didn't have the time to deal with me right now and he couldn't bring me along to Fanelia in fear that I may screw up things again."
"Why is he going to Fanelia?" Van urgently asked.
"Ashira told him to go there," Quidam shrugged. "She said it was like the epicenter of energy required to get such a large group to the Mystic Moon. Something about a Drag-Energist, too, that he needed."
"Wait a minute," Van held up his hand to stop him. "He spoke to Ashira?"
"Yeah," the Cassian prince answered. "She gave him this weird-looking radio in his office. She's got one too so they can keep in contact."
"You mean, she's got one on the Mystic Moon?"
"Yeah, with her wherever she is."
Quickly, Sellie formed what appeared to be the same idea her father was thinking in her own head. She glanced over at Van, seeing the glimmer of hope that faintly shone in his dark irises.
"Where is this radio?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm and cool.
"It's in his office… down the hallway in there… he didn't bring it with him on…" he replied, pointing inside the palace.
Van made no hesitation. He brushed past both Sellie and Quidam and opened the door, disappearing into the room. She looked at the others, then hastily followed.
He soon found what he was looking for, remembering the room that Tarn had asked him into when he had suggested the proposal between Sellie and his son. He kicked open the door, not even bothering to twist the knob to see if it was unlocked.
It had remained almost untouched since he had been there the previous night. Papers upon his desk had been shifted slightly, but no real changes. The only problem that was bothering him that there was no obvious machine that could pass as a radio. He began opening up drawers and emptying them out carelessly.
"Where is it?" he shouted at Quidam.
The young boy nervously stepped forward and stooped down just below where the chair would be pushed in and rolled up the small green rug.
"It's underneath the floor here," he pointed out, sticking his finger in a tiny hole and pulling up the wood. "It's his secret hiding place that he showed me only a few weeks ago."
He buried his arms in the darkness and pulled out a simple black-metal contraption. It had a single speaker, a few knobs with foreign writing above each one, and a detachable part with another, smaller speaker on it. He set it upon the desk and stood back.
The small crowd of people circled around the device, staring at it with curiosity. It had a familiar design about it, but looked much more futuristic then any kind of machinery seen on Gaea.
"Have you used this before?" Allen inquired.
"I haven't personally," Quidam answered. "Ashira said that she made some modifications on it and gave it to him to keep in touch. But I've seen Father use it several times. He turned the knobs to this character." He demonstrated the fashion. "Then you push the button on the side of the mouthpiece and talk to her, and let go when you finish speaking so you can hear her response." He tried handing it to Van, but he refused it and pushed away.
"I can't talk to her," he said. "Ashira would recognize my voice and would suspect something was threatening her. She might do something to Hitomi." He went quiet. "You do it."
Quidam's eyes widened in fear. "I can't do it," he whispered.
"You must," Sellie spoke up. "You're the only one who can help us."
He looked up and caught her gaze. His fingers nervously rubbed the mouthpiece as he stared into her.
"Look," she added. "You were saying earlier that you wanted to help us. I would be more than grateful if you can get Ashira's location on the Mystic Moon." She touched his hand, hearing a short intake of air from either Van or Rouen. "Please."
At the simple touch of her fingers to his, Sellie could feel his thoughts. His pulse did not waver as he stared into her, giving no signs of lying. He was truly sincere about this.
He sighed loudly and resigned into an affirmation nodding. Van signaled for everyone but Sellie and Allen to leave the room in order to keep silence. Quidam took a deep breath, then pressed the button. "Ashira? Are you there?"
There was some minor interference crackle as the radio waves traveled across the reaches of space. Sellie held her breath in her lungs as she waited impatiently for a response. Van was getting irritable in his uncomfortable chair. Allen stood against the wall, his arms crossed in his chest, his face showing no kind of expression.
Finally, a voice came back across the radio frequency. A voice that almost stopped Van's heart when he recognized her.
-- "Hello?" -- Hitomi's faint voice spoke through the machine.
Van immediately bolted upright from his seat. "Hitomi!" he yelled. Allen was swiftly by his side, trying to hold him back from taking the mouthpiece from Quidam.
"Shut up!" he hissed at the King.
-- "Hello? Is someone there? Over? -- she continued.
Quidam looked up at both Van and Allen to await further instructions. Allen mouthed "talk-to-her."
Before the young boy could make another interaction, another female voice appeared in the speaker.
-- "Sorry, Hitomi. That must be the work-team calling us. I'll deal with them." --
-- "Oh, alright, I'll be waiting outside." -- With that, Hitomi's voice disappeared, only to be replaced with someone all too familiar.
-- "How dare you call me when she is sleeping directly in the tent, Tarn!" -- Ashira snarled through the radio.
"I'm… I'm sorry, Lady Ashira," Quidam stumbled.
-- "Who is this? This isn't Tarn." --
"No… it's his son, Quidam," he answered.
-- "Where's your father, boy? --
He looked at Van, who had settled himself down. He drew the shape of a leviship in the air.
"He's out in the Myriad, preparing to go to Fanelia right now," he said. "He sent me in here to speak to you about specifics in the next step."
-- "You're in Cassia still? A bit behind schedule, aren't we?" --
"We arrived home late."
-- "Did you have trouble with Fanel or something?" --
Quidam looked up to see Van's face. "No, no trouble at all," he lied, not even flinching once. "Just dropped him off in the middle of the desert, then turned around."
-- "You better leave soon, otherwise, you're going to miss the pickup." --
"Yes ma'am," he replied. "Just need the specifics, then we will on our way."
Ashira sighed. -- "Alright," -- she said. -- "You have to be in Fanelia before sunrise. That's when I'm coming to get you all. Specifically, you have to be in the forest behind the castle where the shrine to Escaflowne is. An air attack will do fine, though you'll have to go done one leviship at a time and may lose some men in the battle. Fanel's army has grown, so I've heard." --
"No problem," Quidam replied smoothly. "Sacrifices will have to be made for the good of the cause."
-- "Right. I'll only be able to take a small portion of your men. I won't be strong enough for the entire army… yet..." --
"Yeah…" he said slowly. Van grimaced at the thought.
-- "…make sure that everyone is ready and aware of what is going to happen. I'm not sure if Tarn had explained it to them." -- Ashira continued.
"Where are we going?" Quidam asked, a little too quickly for comfort.
There was a pause at the other end of the radio. Sellie looked at her father and Allen nervously, in fear that Ashira somehow knew of their plan.
-- "Excuse me?" --
"Sorry, I was just curious where we were going so that the men could be prepared for a certain kind of climate," Quidam answered. "Father asked me to ask you. He said that he has a strange curiosity of the Mystic Moon."
-- "Oh." -- Another hesitation. -- "Right, smart boy you are. Thinking ahead. We are in Mexico… Yucatán, to be exact… at the Temple of Kukulkan in Chichén Itza. So it'll be warm." --
You got that down? Van mouthed at Allen, who was furiously scribbling away on a piece of parchment. The Knight Caeli nodded as he finished the last word with a flare.
"Good, I will relay the information to my father then, My Lady," the young Prince finished saying to the recipient at the other end of the line.
-- "You do that, boy. Tell Tarn I'll be seeing him soon." -- With a click, the radio went silent, Ashira's voice and interference as well.
The stillness remained in the air as Quidam wordlessly hung the portable mouthpiece onto the radio's box. Van leaned over across the desk and took the information from Allen.
"I need to go find Gaea," he muttered as he left the room.
Allen glanced over at Sellie, studying her with his sapphire eyes. He placed a hand on top of hers and squeezed.
"How are you holding up?" he asked gently.
Sellie's eyes shifted over to Quidam, who was staring down at the dead radio. "I'm good," she said unenthusiastically.
"Well," Allen replied, in a tone plainly saying that he did not believe her. "Let's all go outside to see what the next step is."
* * *
Gaea had already arrived by the time that Sellie, Allen, and Quidam had exited the palace. She recognized the large emerald and gold robe that hung from the tiny woman's frame as she stood next to Van alongside the large marble fountain. The rest of the Crusade crew were sitting on the ramp into the leviship, while everyone else remained inside.
She walked over into the conversation as Allen walked Quidam over to the crew. The look plastered on the boy's was fear and confusion to what was to happen next. Sellie didn't know that answer either. Ashira said that she was meeting Tarn at sunrise, which would be in only a few hours to her own knowledge.
Fanelia was a full day flight's away. There would be no way that they could reach her home in time to stop Tarn and go to the Mystic Moon.
"…this is where Hitomi must be…" Gaea was saying as Sellie approached the discussion. Her fingers had touched the rippling water, transforming its translucent plane into a foreign environmental terrain that must have been from the Mystic Moon. On a peninsula jutting into a large bay, a bright light illuminated the spot that Ashira had told them where they were located.
Where her mother was located.
"…now…" Gaea continued. "You are going to have to intercept Tarn's men somehow. They must not reach Fanelia. And you still have to get the Drag-Energist in order to get to Earth."
"How are we going to get there?" Sellie asked, surprising her father with her silent arrival. "I mean, the Crusade can't get us there in time."
"Not a problem," her ancestor told her with a smile on her face. "I need to save my energy in order to get you through the Dimensional Gap, so I can't send you directly there right now. But Dralion can take a small number much faster than a leviship."
"Huh?"
* I can ride the Dragon's Wind, * he answered. * It is a magical strong air stream that allow us flying-dragons and our land-dragon cousins to travel much more rapidly than normal. If we leave momentarily, I can get thee and company to thee homeland just in time. *
Sellie could see the opaqueness in her Mind's eye as these confused thoughts entered her head. "But only to stop Tarn, right? I mean, Gaea said that we still have a few days until the actual destruction of both our worlds."
The Goddess shook her head. "No, Sellie," she replied softly with a grave look plastered on her face. "I was mistaken, as I have already explained to your father." Gaea paused, and Sellie took that second to see Van's anger and fear flash in his eyes. She was suddenly afraid of what her ancestor would say to her.
"I told you that the date of this destruction would take place on May 12, 2016... But that date does not match up with the calendar year that Gaea revolves around. So when I said that that date would arrive in five days, I didn't realize that those days had already passed on Earth." She hung her head low. "It's a side effect of what is happening. I don't know everything. I'm… forgetting things like this that are crucially important. I'm… sorry."
Sellie looked up at her father. "I don't understand," she asked.
Van unclenched his fist slowly. "It means…" he uttered in a low voice. "…that we don't have that much time. That Time on our worlds are different. That May 12, 2016 on the Mystic Moon is actually White, 23rd Moon here."
"The 23rd Moon?" Sellie gasped in realization.
That's tomorrow.
"The Temple that Ashira mentioned…" Gaea added. "At the very top is an observatory that the Mayans used to look at the stars and chart astronomy. It is the center of where the exchange will take place. It is also the only entry and exit to the rooms inside of the Temple where you will most likely find Ashira and Hitomi."
Van nodded his head, though his face still did not show the emotion he was obviously carrying inside. He moved to walked towards the dragon, not hiding his urge to get going very well, but Gaea grasped his forearm.
"Who is going with you to Earth?" she asked. "Dralion can only manage a few people on his back."
With every word that Gaea spoke, it seemed that all hope was rapidly draining from Sellie. Believe in myself, she thought and let out a mental huff. How can I do that when everything is lost?
"I am going," Allen announced. "Though I have pledged my allegiance with one king, I'm sure that he won't mind that I do it for another." He stood next to Van.
"I am, too," Gaddes shouted from the Crusade, standing up and bringing up Celena with him, her arms encircling his waist. "I can't allow my future brother-in-law to go and get himself killed, now, can't I?"
Gasps of surprise and joy escaped from the other crew members as they congratulated the couple. He kissed Celena on the cheek and joined Allen's side.
"Hold up!" Celena barked at him, leaping off of the gang way and butting her way in between her brother and fiancée. "If you think for one minute that I'm letting the two men I love the most leave me, you guys have another thing coming." She faced Gaea. "I'm going too."
Before either man could protest, she stomped on Allen's foot and dug her nails in Gaddes' arm. "If either of you say one word that basically means I'm not going anywhere, you will be sorry you ever laid eyes on me," she hissed.
Gaea looked into the eyes of the four adults and one child, her green eyes sparkling despite her tired-looking appearance. "Alright," she breathed. "As soon as either Van or Sellie grabs the Drag-Energist, I will automatically send you five to the Temple of Kukulkan."
"And Quidam," Van murmured.
"What?!" Sellie cried.
"What?!" Rouen shouted from the Crusade gangway.
Van lowered his voice. "He's only coming with us to Fanelia, not to the Mystic Moon. He could prove useful with Tarn."
Sellie could not believe her ears. Not only is the son of the man who could be destroying her life forever is joining their quest, but her father had stopped her from trying to kill him.
Gaea nodded at him and turned to Dralion. "Can you manage six passengers?" she asked.
The dragon closed his eyes and lowered his head. * Aye, My Lady, * he replied and settled down on the ground for the humans to mount.
Van held out his hand to his daughter. "Sellie, you'll go in the front," he said. "Allen, you go behind her. Then Celena, Gaddes, Quidam, then myself."
It was awkward to sit on Dralion's ridged back once more. This time, there were more people hanging on to her as she held tightly onto his neck. As soon as Van fixated himself at the end, he shouted up to the dragon. "We're ready!"
Dryden, Millerna, Rouen, and the remains of the crew raised themselves to watch the liftoff of the diminished rescue group into the night air. Rouen's eyes remained only on Sellie. When she caught his gaze, she waved goodbye and mouthed the only words she could think of at the moment:
I love you.
Before she could catch his reaction, Dralion had already leapt into the air and was winging his way heavenwards. Sellie clutched tightly to his scales as Celena's arms tightened about her waist.
Dralion let out a roar of joy. * The Dragon's Wind is here and it is stronger than ever! * he cried. * Hang on! *
Sellie was about to shout back to her father, but the sudden blast of air into her face silenced her. As the dragon merged with the current, it seemed that he had elongated and had actually became *one* with the wind.
She could no longer see, just a blur of darkness passing before her eyes. All she knew was that they were traveling at an incredible rate towards what could determine all of their fates.
She just hoped that they would reach home in time.
to be continued…
* * *
EGAD. I didn't realize how long this chapter was going to be. Holy crap Batman!!! It took me a little less than a month to write, since now I've actually had *work* to work on. And finals are next week. Eep. Two tests in anatomy and art history, and an interactive thing for advanced computer applications. This little kat-chan is NOT getting any sleep this weekend.
Since this will be my last update until December probably, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! My birthday is coming up, and I'm going to be a whopping 20 years old! YAY.
This chapter's title comes from the song "Worlds Apart" by Bruce Springsteen.
