Date. 04.20.2003
Time. 10.09 pm
Music. "Konstantine" by Something Corporate
Chapter 18
Copyright. I don't own Escaflowne. Or any of its characters. If I did, Van, Gaddes, and Dryden would be chained to my throne and getting me my Diet Cokes.
Author's Notes. This one is definitely going to be a long one to write. Its not that my classes are taking up a whole lot of my time. I've just had this huge writer's block for what seems like forever. I mean, I know everything that's going to happen, but it's the matter of getting typed out on good ole Harry the Tomato here *whacks laptop*. Plus, a lot of my free time is spent searching for apartments for next year or animating. Gah.
The Vision of Escaflowne. Parvulus de Crepuscid
Chapter 18. Always With Me
* * *
For everything that had happened in the past few days, Sellie thought it was quite interesting how remarkably calm she felt. One moment, she was exploring this new world and tracking down her mother with a newfound power she didn't know she had. The next, she was held hostage by her own mother.
It would almost seem like it was just another day in the life of Sellie Fanel.
But when had things gotten to that point? That it felt so… ordinary. It was only how many days ago that she was skipping her studies to go fishing with Darmen and play with Lupin? Now, her eyes have been opened to dragons and ancient powers and family secrets.
And the funny part was that she wouldn't have given a thing in the world to change anything that had happened.
Well, except for the part about her mother being taken away. And whatever was going to happen in this Temple.
They had descended quickly into the Temple's oculus. It was apparent that Ashira was in a hurry to get inside and do whatever she was going to do.
Hitomi was so lost and confused, she noted, as Ashira had lifted them all off of the ground. She knew that in the moment she stared hard into her mother's eyes, she was not all *there* inside. She could sense that a part of her -- a large part -- was entirely missing. From what she gathered with their brief encounter, Ashira had apparently been egging Hitomi on that Van, Sellie, Allen, Celena, and Gaddes weren't on her side.
But why hadn't Hitomi killed her when she had the chance? She had absolutely no recollection of either her or Van, so she could automatically assume that they were her enemies. Sure, having a sharp blade against her neck wasn't the most comforting feeling in the world, but she could have easily slit her throat at any moment.
Why didn't she?
It was obvious that though Hitomi could not remember Sellie's face, there had to be a subconscious memory of her physical presence imprinted into her memories. Funny that she felt no connection with Van, he being her "soul mate" and all.
Sellie sympathized for her mother. They had both received so much information about their lives that they had no idea existed in a short amount of time. Though Sellie wasn't pleased that her parents had kept such secrets from her, she understood where they were coming from. It was for protection.
However, Sellie was fully aware of the existence of Draconians and Atlantis. She just never knew she was apart of it all. Hitomi's memory was completely erased of all knowledge about her life on Gaea. She was starting things anew.
And that fear of what was unknown to her was plastered on her face.
As they descended deeper into the Temple's belly, darkness overwhelmed their features. She had glanced at her father before she lost sight of him and was terrified by his expression. He had no clue on how they were going to get out of this mess.
"Welcome, my fellow Gaeans!" Ashira cried loudly into the abyss. "Welcome to what remains of Atlantis on the Mystic Moon."
Sellie's feet hit something hard as she made impact with the Temple's floor. Ashira had let them down harshly, so her footing slipped a bit. She stumbled momentarily, but was able to regain her balance.
The daylight streaming in from the hole at the top of the structure allowed her to adjust her eyes to the shadows. She could make out obscure outlines of her family and friends, but everything else was swallowed in black.
"Let me *illuminate* your surroundings," Ashira continued. "I'm sure you'd like to see what Fate has in store for you."
As her words ended, a dull light began to fill the Temple's interiors. Sellie's eyes widened in amazement as torches along the thick stone walls ignited themselves in a blazing fire. Their flickering light bounced off of the shadows and allowed her to examine her situation much more closely.
The Temple of Kukulkan wasn't as elaborate as she had pictured it in her head. The room that they were in was cube-shaped, with a very high ceiling leading up to the oculus above. There appeared to be some sort of entrance that could have been used in the days of the Mayans, but it was barricaded with solid stone.
In the center of the Temple, where they now stood, was the outline of a triangle carved deeply into the rock floor with a spherical indentation in its middle. The triangle's shape was repeated, growing larger as it spread across the floor. Three circles sat on the corners of the center triangle, one circle slightly larger than the other two.
"Much better," Ashira murmured, looking around and wiping imaginary dust from her hands. "But what am I missing? Hum dee dum dum… I'm in the Temple, I've got exactly who I need here with me…"
"Just what exactly are you planning to do here, Ashira?" Allen said coldly.
"Silence!" Ashira held up a finger towards him. "Don't take that tone with me, good Knight, unless you would like it that someone here could lose their life due to your unmanageable tongue."
Allen, narrowing his eyes in frustration, said nothing else. As did the remainder of the group.
As Ashira continued to mutter (half to herself, half aloud to the others), Sellie quickly slipped Hitomi's pendant she had held in her tightly closed fist back around her neck. She had momentarily forgotten that she still had it in her hand and was glad to feel its familiar weight against her skin. The once-cool stone was now warm and tingling with energy.
Ashira snapped her fingers, breaking Sellie's reverie. "I know! Tarn! The energist, please."
The King of Cassia stepped up from behind the small young woman and produced a small leather pouch. Ashira grabbed it and opened the flap, revealing the same energist that beat within Dralion's jeweled heart in Escaflowne. As she carefully removed it from the carrier, it flew from her hand and landed directly into the half-sphere indentation at their feet. At the second the dragon heartstone made impact with the Temple's floor, the ancient structure began to rumble.
The eighth triangle from the center one surrounding the energist began to crumble and sink below the Temple's stone floor. The outer rings followed the same suit, leaving the first eight triangles as an island in the middle. As each ring fell, an eerie red light from underneath the Temple grew stronger.
"Ha ha! This is it!" Ashira cried with a maniacal laugh. "This is it!" With a wave of her hand, she hastily hovered everyone but she and Hitomi to the torch-lit walls. They landed in a jumbled heap, including Tarn, along with their weapons. Hitomi let out a cry of anguish, but Ashira grasped her hand and forced her into one of the smaller circles. "Sorry about this, but this has to be," she said with a twisted grin on her face as she settled herself into the large circle.
Nothing happened. No reaction from the energist. No transfer of power. Nothing.
* * *
Van was the first to clamber to his feet, while the others struggled to disentangle their limbs from one another. The cascading triangles had stopped, leaving behind the platform where Ashira and Hitomi now stood towering over a giant pit. He crept out to the edge and glanced down, only to be met with an overpowering wave of sulfuric heat.
That's lava down their, his mental voice told him. Don't mess with it. It will burn you through and through.
He backed away, shifting his sight back to Ashira and Hitomi, then to his friends. Unknown to him, Tarn stood next to him with his arms folded and a proud smile boasting on his face.
"This is a historic event," he said to them. "You're about to watch a mortal turn into a Goddess."
Van knelt down and grabbed a sword, not caring if it was his own or not. Tarn saw him stoop, provoking him to draw his own weapon.
"What do you get out of this, Tarn?" Van snapped at him. "What is in it for you for helping her?"
"All the land on Gaea that I want," he replied, smiling.
"Land," Allen said flatly. "That's it? You killed your son for land?"
"No, no," Tarn explained. "Not just any land. *Your* land, Knight. And *your* land, Fanel. My Lady agreed that I could have any kingdom I wanted and combine them with Cassia. Why do you think I had all those conferences with you? I wanted to see if your pathetic countries were worth my while." He looked back across the way. "Cassia will be the only remaining kingdom when I'm through."
"You've gone mad, Tarn," Van said slowly. "You really believe that Ashira will keep her word? She's insane!"
"Maybe," the Cassian replied thoughtfully, then shrugged his shoulders. "Who really knows?" The gleam in his eye and smirk on his lips taunted Van as Tarn shifted his gaze towards the two women in the center of the Temple. But that smirk disappeared and shifted into a frown.
"Why is nothing happening?" he murmured.
Van took his opportunity to inch out closer to the unstable edge and check back on the lava pit below. Another blast of heat hit his face, this time, bringing a sting to his skin. He breathed deep and reached to pull of his shirt.
A hand stopped his own. He looked down to see Sellie, who had remained silent during this ordeal, looking up at him, her eyes surprisingly calm and collected.
"Dad, don't fly over there," she said softly. "You will not make it. You are not allowed."
Van looked at her oddly. "Sellie, I can't sit here and watch her get hurt… or even worse."
"I know, Dad," she replied coolly. "But you are not the one meant to save her this time." She squeezed his arm. "Trust in me. I had a vision of this before. You must let whatever is going to happen, happen."
Allen stepped forward. "Sellie, what did you See?" he asked gently.
She didn't bother changing her eyesight to face Allen. "I Saw fire, I felt heat," she said. "I was on that pillar and I Saw a figure walking towards me. Whoever that figure is, that's the person that will save her and us."
Van took a quick glance at the others. Celena looked frightened but determined, raising her hands in a question-like manner: what are we going to do?
He breathed deep and exhaled loudly, not admitting his defeat, but only his break in the battle to uncover what happens next.
* * *
Hitomi watched Ashira as her emotions shifted from her enthusiasm to rage and frenzy. Ashira, her would-be partner/assistant and the only person who had been helping her throughout her spell of amnesia, had completely morphed into a power-driven lunatic. Her heart stalled when she saw her sweep her hand and mentally knocked that odd group of people, thinking that they were going to fall deep into the chasm surrounding the platform. Thankfully, the madwoman had only transported (not carefully, she noted) to the remaining part of the Temple floor a-ways from where she now stood.
Confused as to what was going to occur, she slowly knelt down, her eyes never leaving the crazed blonde woman in front of her.
"Stay where you are!" Ashira screeched at her, pointing a menacing finger. Hitomi could do nothing but comply; the powers that she had only tapped into recently were nowhere near what Ashira could do.
Was it true? She found her own mental voice whispering into her ear. That the life that man and his daughter spoke of was her own? She had dismissed them earlier, not knowing what to believe, but now she found herself reflecting on her rash decision. Had she made a crucial mistake that could possibly destroy her real life?
As Ashira screamed and raved at the silent energist, Hitomi took a quick look across the pit towards the others. The dark-haired man was staring directly back at her, pain and anger etched into his soot-covered face. The girl that she had held hostage, Sellie, was also looking at her, a hand held tightly onto her father's arm. They looked as though they were waiting for something to happen.
Waiting for what Ashira had planned all along… she thought grimly. Everything she had been told was a lie. They were not here on an archeological dig. Hitomi could not remember if she had any experience in its studies, but she was well aware that a hefty excavation such as this one required a much larger team then just two people. Her quick thinking mind was already in doubt of Ashira's original intentions.
She moved again, this time, out of her circle. Ashira had caught her movement and glared at her angrily.
"What the hell did I just tell you?!" she snapped. "Stay still!"
Hitomi shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "I am not going to allow this to happen."
Ashira balled her hands into fists, sparks of energy already flying. "Why, you ungrateful little…" she whispered angrily as she stepped forward menacingly.
Hitomi held her hand up, halting Ashira in mid-step. "No, it's you who is ungrateful," she said swiftly. "I don't want any blood shed here." She looked back over across the gap. They had stiffened in position when they saw that she was going to be attacked. "I believe them when they say they are my family. I can *feel* it."
Ashira relaxed and looked at her curiously. "Your… family?" she repeated. She, too, followed Hitomi's gaze, shifting her focus from Van to Sellie.
"Of course," she whispered excitedly. "How could I have been so stupid? She even *looks* like you. The Power of Atlantis must be here… all of it… in order for the transfer to work." She looked back at Hitomi, the smile on her face broadening. "We don't have all of it. You must of… passed some of it on… when you had HER!"
* * *
Van had caught Hitomi's gaze as she looked over at them. She had moved from where Ashira had placed her and held up her hand. Ashira was moving in to attack her, but Hitomi must have stopped her. He tensed up with anger. Although he knew that his love had such strength inside of her that she'd be able to take care of herself, he still wanted to be there to defend her.
Soon, Hitomi was speaking to Ashira, her hand still raised at the younger woman. Ashira's features converted from irritation to confusion as she also looked towards Van. But as her blue eyes altered from his to Sellie at his left, he gradually realized exactly what Ashira's criminal mind was plotting.
She knows… he thought. She knows who Sellie is to Hitomi… she knows she has some of the Power…
But Van was still a step behind Ashira's thinking. Even as he understood what was going to happen next, he was too slow to do anything about it. He watched in horror as Ashira raised her hand towards his daughter and psychically snatch her. Sellie gasped at the sudden pressure surrounding her body as she was yanked from her stance and pulled across the pit.
He had no time to react. His body wouldn't respond to his commands to grab her before her feet had left the ground. Disregarding Sellie's words about him using his wings to fly across, he charged aggressively, his brows narrowed in fury.
"Van, no!" Celena cried. She clamped onto his arm and pulled with all of her might to keep him away from the edge. Allen quickly came to her aid, holding back his other side.
"Let me go!" he shouted, trying to shake them off. He managed to slip his left arm out of Celena's grasp and shoved Allen back with it. The Knight Caeli stumbled back, but was able to stay on his feet.
Van was about to let his wings rip through his skin and shirt when a wall of liquid flame burst from the cavity. He had no choice but to stop, wondering how he was going to get through this obstacle.
The wall of lava and fire had completely encircled Ashira, Hitomi, and Sellie within. It reached the ceiling of the Temple, already darkening the stone and burning the jungle growth.
There was absolutely no way for him to get in now. Furthermore, there was no way for them to get out of the Temple. They were stuck.
* * *
Hitomi had let her guard down the moment she saw Sellie hovering over the lava pit, headed in their direction. Ashira caught her slip and felt the force field holding her back diminish. As she still held Sellie within her mental grasp, she raised her free arm and shoved Hitomi back to her spot on her circle. As she did this, she also noticed Van in the corner of her eye. He looked as though as he was going to try and fly across. Can't have *that* happening now… she thought with a grin spreading on her lips. She released Hitomi and purged deep within her to muster up all of the energy she could possibly handle. She could feel the unbearably hot lava at her control and commanded it to protect them. In a fraction of a second, a wall of magma surrounded them, keeping the oculus above the only means of them escaping.
Well, just *her* escaping.
She turned her attention back to Sellie and placed the girl firmly onto the remaining circle. As her feet touched the ground, the energist in the center automatically reacted and glowed a furious white. An unearthly wind began to whip around them.
Ashira lifted her arms, embracing it all.
* * *
Sellie found herself stuck to the ground. She looked around and saw Hitomi struggling too. She shifted to see Ashira standing still with her arms spread out and her eyes closed.
In front of them, the energist glowed brightly, engulfing the three women in its light. Sellie tried shielding her eyes from the glare, but it was no use.
Suddenly, a bolt of light shot straight up and out of the Temple. Sellie lifted her head to see the beam of intense energy continue into the sky, which (she hadn't noticed) had darkened drastically. Both Hitomi and Ashria looked skyward as well, watching the light with frightened curiosity.
To Sellie's surprise, the light appeared to explode where the stars would ordinarily seem to be. As she watched in wonder, a terrible noise and feeling shook her. It was almost as if the sky was being ripped apart above their heads. She clutched her chest, but continued to watch. A giant tear around the pillar enabled them to see a bright blue-and-green planet beyond the light.
It's Gaea… she thought to her dismay.
At the moment that the thought of her home and planet's destruction was almost at hand, two more identical beams of light shot out from the energist at her and Hitomi. A icy sensation filled her as she felt the energy blast directly through her heart. She could do nothing but suffer through the great pain that overwhelmed her small body. She managed to see her mother holding her chest as well, her teeth grimaced in the devastating hurt.
Something is being taken away from us… her mental voice screamed. It's taking the Power of Atlantis away from you… you must get it back!
Both beams of light retreated back into the energist, leaving Sellie feeling drained of all her strength. She knew that a part of her was gone inside of that dragon's stone, that the voice inside of her head said she needed to get it back.
She found that she could move, but her body screamed at her every time she tried to move her muscles. She felt so sore all over and had the desire to lie down and stay still forever.
No! You must get up! You must fight!
She took a quick peek at her mother, ignoring her mental demand. Hitomi was bent over, kneeling and breathing very hard. She looked up and caught her daughter's gaze, letting out a harsh cough. Sellie winced. She didn't look too good.
The energist pulsated madly, threatening to attack them once more at any moment. Sellie tried to brace herself up and take in another blow. As she predicted, the energist did shoot out one more beam of light, but at Ashira this time.
The young blonde woman laughed like a maniac as her body began to glow the same unnatural light as the energist. But instead of the dragon heart extracting her own portion of the Power of Atlantis, Sellie knew that she was gaining Hitomi's and hers. Soon, she would be invincible.
* * *
Van felt sick as he knelt before his fiery barrier. Not only was his stomach churning in agony, but his heart was throbbing in pain. Within a second, he had lost two of the people that mattered most in his life. Now, a wall of fire was all that separated them and he wasn't able to get through it.
They're not dead yet! Don't give up hope!
He tried to listen as his conscience reasoned with him, but every last shred of hope that he had left the moment that Sellie and Hitomi disappeared from his sight. He was powerless, just a mere Draconian with the ability to produce wings. Nothing that would help his family.
NO! Do NOT give up hope!
He closed his eyes, beginning to believe what his mental voice told him. No… what am I thinking? he asked himself. I mustn't give up… I must trust what Sellie said… I mustn't give up hope…
"I mustn't give up hope," he whispered aloud.
"Van! What's that?!"
Hearing Celena's voice cry out, Van opened his eyes to see light brighter than the fire piercing through.
"The time for My Lady has arrived!" Tarn shouted gleefully. "I will soon have the lands of Gaea and she will control the Mystic Moon! This is the…"
Tarn never finished his sentence, for he was silenced from Allen swinging around and striking him squarely in the face with his sword's handle. The King of Cassia crumpled to the ground, knocked completely unconscious.
"Thanks," Van said without breaking eye contact with the light.
"Don't mention it," replied Allen, a grin spreading on his lips.
But taking out grudges against Tarn wouldn't help him out now. Some sort of supernatural activity was occurring behind this wall, and he had no idea who would come out victorious.
He could only keep his hopes up that his girls were a part of the winning team.
to be continued…
* * *
07.01.2003 UPDATE. Finally! After a 3 month break, I'm back in action. Sorry it took so long but I had to concentrate on the end of my quarter. Though I did very well on my finals, my plans for an apartment ended on a bitter note and fell through at the last minute. It wasn't exactly how I wanted to celebrate the end of the year, but whatever. This chapter was originally going to be one long one, but I decided to split it up into two. Kinda felt a bit odd writing one huge (for me) chapter. The second part should be up later on this week. Expect Chapters 20 and the Epilogue to come out towards the end of July/August.
Time. 10.09 pm
Music. "Konstantine" by Something Corporate
Chapter 18
Copyright. I don't own Escaflowne. Or any of its characters. If I did, Van, Gaddes, and Dryden would be chained to my throne and getting me my Diet Cokes.
Author's Notes. This one is definitely going to be a long one to write. Its not that my classes are taking up a whole lot of my time. I've just had this huge writer's block for what seems like forever. I mean, I know everything that's going to happen, but it's the matter of getting typed out on good ole Harry the Tomato here *whacks laptop*. Plus, a lot of my free time is spent searching for apartments for next year or animating. Gah.
The Vision of Escaflowne. Parvulus de Crepuscid
Chapter 18. Always With Me
* * *
For everything that had happened in the past few days, Sellie thought it was quite interesting how remarkably calm she felt. One moment, she was exploring this new world and tracking down her mother with a newfound power she didn't know she had. The next, she was held hostage by her own mother.
It would almost seem like it was just another day in the life of Sellie Fanel.
But when had things gotten to that point? That it felt so… ordinary. It was only how many days ago that she was skipping her studies to go fishing with Darmen and play with Lupin? Now, her eyes have been opened to dragons and ancient powers and family secrets.
And the funny part was that she wouldn't have given a thing in the world to change anything that had happened.
Well, except for the part about her mother being taken away. And whatever was going to happen in this Temple.
They had descended quickly into the Temple's oculus. It was apparent that Ashira was in a hurry to get inside and do whatever she was going to do.
Hitomi was so lost and confused, she noted, as Ashira had lifted them all off of the ground. She knew that in the moment she stared hard into her mother's eyes, she was not all *there* inside. She could sense that a part of her -- a large part -- was entirely missing. From what she gathered with their brief encounter, Ashira had apparently been egging Hitomi on that Van, Sellie, Allen, Celena, and Gaddes weren't on her side.
But why hadn't Hitomi killed her when she had the chance? She had absolutely no recollection of either her or Van, so she could automatically assume that they were her enemies. Sure, having a sharp blade against her neck wasn't the most comforting feeling in the world, but she could have easily slit her throat at any moment.
Why didn't she?
It was obvious that though Hitomi could not remember Sellie's face, there had to be a subconscious memory of her physical presence imprinted into her memories. Funny that she felt no connection with Van, he being her "soul mate" and all.
Sellie sympathized for her mother. They had both received so much information about their lives that they had no idea existed in a short amount of time. Though Sellie wasn't pleased that her parents had kept such secrets from her, she understood where they were coming from. It was for protection.
However, Sellie was fully aware of the existence of Draconians and Atlantis. She just never knew she was apart of it all. Hitomi's memory was completely erased of all knowledge about her life on Gaea. She was starting things anew.
And that fear of what was unknown to her was plastered on her face.
As they descended deeper into the Temple's belly, darkness overwhelmed their features. She had glanced at her father before she lost sight of him and was terrified by his expression. He had no clue on how they were going to get out of this mess.
"Welcome, my fellow Gaeans!" Ashira cried loudly into the abyss. "Welcome to what remains of Atlantis on the Mystic Moon."
Sellie's feet hit something hard as she made impact with the Temple's floor. Ashira had let them down harshly, so her footing slipped a bit. She stumbled momentarily, but was able to regain her balance.
The daylight streaming in from the hole at the top of the structure allowed her to adjust her eyes to the shadows. She could make out obscure outlines of her family and friends, but everything else was swallowed in black.
"Let me *illuminate* your surroundings," Ashira continued. "I'm sure you'd like to see what Fate has in store for you."
As her words ended, a dull light began to fill the Temple's interiors. Sellie's eyes widened in amazement as torches along the thick stone walls ignited themselves in a blazing fire. Their flickering light bounced off of the shadows and allowed her to examine her situation much more closely.
The Temple of Kukulkan wasn't as elaborate as she had pictured it in her head. The room that they were in was cube-shaped, with a very high ceiling leading up to the oculus above. There appeared to be some sort of entrance that could have been used in the days of the Mayans, but it was barricaded with solid stone.
In the center of the Temple, where they now stood, was the outline of a triangle carved deeply into the rock floor with a spherical indentation in its middle. The triangle's shape was repeated, growing larger as it spread across the floor. Three circles sat on the corners of the center triangle, one circle slightly larger than the other two.
"Much better," Ashira murmured, looking around and wiping imaginary dust from her hands. "But what am I missing? Hum dee dum dum… I'm in the Temple, I've got exactly who I need here with me…"
"Just what exactly are you planning to do here, Ashira?" Allen said coldly.
"Silence!" Ashira held up a finger towards him. "Don't take that tone with me, good Knight, unless you would like it that someone here could lose their life due to your unmanageable tongue."
Allen, narrowing his eyes in frustration, said nothing else. As did the remainder of the group.
As Ashira continued to mutter (half to herself, half aloud to the others), Sellie quickly slipped Hitomi's pendant she had held in her tightly closed fist back around her neck. She had momentarily forgotten that she still had it in her hand and was glad to feel its familiar weight against her skin. The once-cool stone was now warm and tingling with energy.
Ashira snapped her fingers, breaking Sellie's reverie. "I know! Tarn! The energist, please."
The King of Cassia stepped up from behind the small young woman and produced a small leather pouch. Ashira grabbed it and opened the flap, revealing the same energist that beat within Dralion's jeweled heart in Escaflowne. As she carefully removed it from the carrier, it flew from her hand and landed directly into the half-sphere indentation at their feet. At the second the dragon heartstone made impact with the Temple's floor, the ancient structure began to rumble.
The eighth triangle from the center one surrounding the energist began to crumble and sink below the Temple's stone floor. The outer rings followed the same suit, leaving the first eight triangles as an island in the middle. As each ring fell, an eerie red light from underneath the Temple grew stronger.
"Ha ha! This is it!" Ashira cried with a maniacal laugh. "This is it!" With a wave of her hand, she hastily hovered everyone but she and Hitomi to the torch-lit walls. They landed in a jumbled heap, including Tarn, along with their weapons. Hitomi let out a cry of anguish, but Ashira grasped her hand and forced her into one of the smaller circles. "Sorry about this, but this has to be," she said with a twisted grin on her face as she settled herself into the large circle.
Nothing happened. No reaction from the energist. No transfer of power. Nothing.
* * *
Van was the first to clamber to his feet, while the others struggled to disentangle their limbs from one another. The cascading triangles had stopped, leaving behind the platform where Ashira and Hitomi now stood towering over a giant pit. He crept out to the edge and glanced down, only to be met with an overpowering wave of sulfuric heat.
That's lava down their, his mental voice told him. Don't mess with it. It will burn you through and through.
He backed away, shifting his sight back to Ashira and Hitomi, then to his friends. Unknown to him, Tarn stood next to him with his arms folded and a proud smile boasting on his face.
"This is a historic event," he said to them. "You're about to watch a mortal turn into a Goddess."
Van knelt down and grabbed a sword, not caring if it was his own or not. Tarn saw him stoop, provoking him to draw his own weapon.
"What do you get out of this, Tarn?" Van snapped at him. "What is in it for you for helping her?"
"All the land on Gaea that I want," he replied, smiling.
"Land," Allen said flatly. "That's it? You killed your son for land?"
"No, no," Tarn explained. "Not just any land. *Your* land, Knight. And *your* land, Fanel. My Lady agreed that I could have any kingdom I wanted and combine them with Cassia. Why do you think I had all those conferences with you? I wanted to see if your pathetic countries were worth my while." He looked back across the way. "Cassia will be the only remaining kingdom when I'm through."
"You've gone mad, Tarn," Van said slowly. "You really believe that Ashira will keep her word? She's insane!"
"Maybe," the Cassian replied thoughtfully, then shrugged his shoulders. "Who really knows?" The gleam in his eye and smirk on his lips taunted Van as Tarn shifted his gaze towards the two women in the center of the Temple. But that smirk disappeared and shifted into a frown.
"Why is nothing happening?" he murmured.
Van took his opportunity to inch out closer to the unstable edge and check back on the lava pit below. Another blast of heat hit his face, this time, bringing a sting to his skin. He breathed deep and reached to pull of his shirt.
A hand stopped his own. He looked down to see Sellie, who had remained silent during this ordeal, looking up at him, her eyes surprisingly calm and collected.
"Dad, don't fly over there," she said softly. "You will not make it. You are not allowed."
Van looked at her oddly. "Sellie, I can't sit here and watch her get hurt… or even worse."
"I know, Dad," she replied coolly. "But you are not the one meant to save her this time." She squeezed his arm. "Trust in me. I had a vision of this before. You must let whatever is going to happen, happen."
Allen stepped forward. "Sellie, what did you See?" he asked gently.
She didn't bother changing her eyesight to face Allen. "I Saw fire, I felt heat," she said. "I was on that pillar and I Saw a figure walking towards me. Whoever that figure is, that's the person that will save her and us."
Van took a quick glance at the others. Celena looked frightened but determined, raising her hands in a question-like manner: what are we going to do?
He breathed deep and exhaled loudly, not admitting his defeat, but only his break in the battle to uncover what happens next.
* * *
Hitomi watched Ashira as her emotions shifted from her enthusiasm to rage and frenzy. Ashira, her would-be partner/assistant and the only person who had been helping her throughout her spell of amnesia, had completely morphed into a power-driven lunatic. Her heart stalled when she saw her sweep her hand and mentally knocked that odd group of people, thinking that they were going to fall deep into the chasm surrounding the platform. Thankfully, the madwoman had only transported (not carefully, she noted) to the remaining part of the Temple floor a-ways from where she now stood.
Confused as to what was going to occur, she slowly knelt down, her eyes never leaving the crazed blonde woman in front of her.
"Stay where you are!" Ashira screeched at her, pointing a menacing finger. Hitomi could do nothing but comply; the powers that she had only tapped into recently were nowhere near what Ashira could do.
Was it true? She found her own mental voice whispering into her ear. That the life that man and his daughter spoke of was her own? She had dismissed them earlier, not knowing what to believe, but now she found herself reflecting on her rash decision. Had she made a crucial mistake that could possibly destroy her real life?
As Ashira screamed and raved at the silent energist, Hitomi took a quick look across the pit towards the others. The dark-haired man was staring directly back at her, pain and anger etched into his soot-covered face. The girl that she had held hostage, Sellie, was also looking at her, a hand held tightly onto her father's arm. They looked as though they were waiting for something to happen.
Waiting for what Ashira had planned all along… she thought grimly. Everything she had been told was a lie. They were not here on an archeological dig. Hitomi could not remember if she had any experience in its studies, but she was well aware that a hefty excavation such as this one required a much larger team then just two people. Her quick thinking mind was already in doubt of Ashira's original intentions.
She moved again, this time, out of her circle. Ashira had caught her movement and glared at her angrily.
"What the hell did I just tell you?!" she snapped. "Stay still!"
Hitomi shook her head. "No," she said firmly. "I am not going to allow this to happen."
Ashira balled her hands into fists, sparks of energy already flying. "Why, you ungrateful little…" she whispered angrily as she stepped forward menacingly.
Hitomi held her hand up, halting Ashira in mid-step. "No, it's you who is ungrateful," she said swiftly. "I don't want any blood shed here." She looked back over across the gap. They had stiffened in position when they saw that she was going to be attacked. "I believe them when they say they are my family. I can *feel* it."
Ashira relaxed and looked at her curiously. "Your… family?" she repeated. She, too, followed Hitomi's gaze, shifting her focus from Van to Sellie.
"Of course," she whispered excitedly. "How could I have been so stupid? She even *looks* like you. The Power of Atlantis must be here… all of it… in order for the transfer to work." She looked back at Hitomi, the smile on her face broadening. "We don't have all of it. You must of… passed some of it on… when you had HER!"
* * *
Van had caught Hitomi's gaze as she looked over at them. She had moved from where Ashira had placed her and held up her hand. Ashira was moving in to attack her, but Hitomi must have stopped her. He tensed up with anger. Although he knew that his love had such strength inside of her that she'd be able to take care of herself, he still wanted to be there to defend her.
Soon, Hitomi was speaking to Ashira, her hand still raised at the younger woman. Ashira's features converted from irritation to confusion as she also looked towards Van. But as her blue eyes altered from his to Sellie at his left, he gradually realized exactly what Ashira's criminal mind was plotting.
She knows… he thought. She knows who Sellie is to Hitomi… she knows she has some of the Power…
But Van was still a step behind Ashira's thinking. Even as he understood what was going to happen next, he was too slow to do anything about it. He watched in horror as Ashira raised her hand towards his daughter and psychically snatch her. Sellie gasped at the sudden pressure surrounding her body as she was yanked from her stance and pulled across the pit.
He had no time to react. His body wouldn't respond to his commands to grab her before her feet had left the ground. Disregarding Sellie's words about him using his wings to fly across, he charged aggressively, his brows narrowed in fury.
"Van, no!" Celena cried. She clamped onto his arm and pulled with all of her might to keep him away from the edge. Allen quickly came to her aid, holding back his other side.
"Let me go!" he shouted, trying to shake them off. He managed to slip his left arm out of Celena's grasp and shoved Allen back with it. The Knight Caeli stumbled back, but was able to stay on his feet.
Van was about to let his wings rip through his skin and shirt when a wall of liquid flame burst from the cavity. He had no choice but to stop, wondering how he was going to get through this obstacle.
The wall of lava and fire had completely encircled Ashira, Hitomi, and Sellie within. It reached the ceiling of the Temple, already darkening the stone and burning the jungle growth.
There was absolutely no way for him to get in now. Furthermore, there was no way for them to get out of the Temple. They were stuck.
* * *
Hitomi had let her guard down the moment she saw Sellie hovering over the lava pit, headed in their direction. Ashira caught her slip and felt the force field holding her back diminish. As she still held Sellie within her mental grasp, she raised her free arm and shoved Hitomi back to her spot on her circle. As she did this, she also noticed Van in the corner of her eye. He looked as though as he was going to try and fly across. Can't have *that* happening now… she thought with a grin spreading on her lips. She released Hitomi and purged deep within her to muster up all of the energy she could possibly handle. She could feel the unbearably hot lava at her control and commanded it to protect them. In a fraction of a second, a wall of magma surrounded them, keeping the oculus above the only means of them escaping.
Well, just *her* escaping.
She turned her attention back to Sellie and placed the girl firmly onto the remaining circle. As her feet touched the ground, the energist in the center automatically reacted and glowed a furious white. An unearthly wind began to whip around them.
Ashira lifted her arms, embracing it all.
* * *
Sellie found herself stuck to the ground. She looked around and saw Hitomi struggling too. She shifted to see Ashira standing still with her arms spread out and her eyes closed.
In front of them, the energist glowed brightly, engulfing the three women in its light. Sellie tried shielding her eyes from the glare, but it was no use.
Suddenly, a bolt of light shot straight up and out of the Temple. Sellie lifted her head to see the beam of intense energy continue into the sky, which (she hadn't noticed) had darkened drastically. Both Hitomi and Ashria looked skyward as well, watching the light with frightened curiosity.
To Sellie's surprise, the light appeared to explode where the stars would ordinarily seem to be. As she watched in wonder, a terrible noise and feeling shook her. It was almost as if the sky was being ripped apart above their heads. She clutched her chest, but continued to watch. A giant tear around the pillar enabled them to see a bright blue-and-green planet beyond the light.
It's Gaea… she thought to her dismay.
At the moment that the thought of her home and planet's destruction was almost at hand, two more identical beams of light shot out from the energist at her and Hitomi. A icy sensation filled her as she felt the energy blast directly through her heart. She could do nothing but suffer through the great pain that overwhelmed her small body. She managed to see her mother holding her chest as well, her teeth grimaced in the devastating hurt.
Something is being taken away from us… her mental voice screamed. It's taking the Power of Atlantis away from you… you must get it back!
Both beams of light retreated back into the energist, leaving Sellie feeling drained of all her strength. She knew that a part of her was gone inside of that dragon's stone, that the voice inside of her head said she needed to get it back.
She found that she could move, but her body screamed at her every time she tried to move her muscles. She felt so sore all over and had the desire to lie down and stay still forever.
No! You must get up! You must fight!
She took a quick peek at her mother, ignoring her mental demand. Hitomi was bent over, kneeling and breathing very hard. She looked up and caught her daughter's gaze, letting out a harsh cough. Sellie winced. She didn't look too good.
The energist pulsated madly, threatening to attack them once more at any moment. Sellie tried to brace herself up and take in another blow. As she predicted, the energist did shoot out one more beam of light, but at Ashira this time.
The young blonde woman laughed like a maniac as her body began to glow the same unnatural light as the energist. But instead of the dragon heart extracting her own portion of the Power of Atlantis, Sellie knew that she was gaining Hitomi's and hers. Soon, she would be invincible.
* * *
Van felt sick as he knelt before his fiery barrier. Not only was his stomach churning in agony, but his heart was throbbing in pain. Within a second, he had lost two of the people that mattered most in his life. Now, a wall of fire was all that separated them and he wasn't able to get through it.
They're not dead yet! Don't give up hope!
He tried to listen as his conscience reasoned with him, but every last shred of hope that he had left the moment that Sellie and Hitomi disappeared from his sight. He was powerless, just a mere Draconian with the ability to produce wings. Nothing that would help his family.
NO! Do NOT give up hope!
He closed his eyes, beginning to believe what his mental voice told him. No… what am I thinking? he asked himself. I mustn't give up… I must trust what Sellie said… I mustn't give up hope…
"I mustn't give up hope," he whispered aloud.
"Van! What's that?!"
Hearing Celena's voice cry out, Van opened his eyes to see light brighter than the fire piercing through.
"The time for My Lady has arrived!" Tarn shouted gleefully. "I will soon have the lands of Gaea and she will control the Mystic Moon! This is the…"
Tarn never finished his sentence, for he was silenced from Allen swinging around and striking him squarely in the face with his sword's handle. The King of Cassia crumpled to the ground, knocked completely unconscious.
"Thanks," Van said without breaking eye contact with the light.
"Don't mention it," replied Allen, a grin spreading on his lips.
But taking out grudges against Tarn wouldn't help him out now. Some sort of supernatural activity was occurring behind this wall, and he had no idea who would come out victorious.
He could only keep his hopes up that his girls were a part of the winning team.
to be continued…
* * *
07.01.2003 UPDATE. Finally! After a 3 month break, I'm back in action. Sorry it took so long but I had to concentrate on the end of my quarter. Though I did very well on my finals, my plans for an apartment ended on a bitter note and fell through at the last minute. It wasn't exactly how I wanted to celebrate the end of the year, but whatever. This chapter was originally going to be one long one, but I decided to split it up into two. Kinda felt a bit odd writing one huge (for me) chapter. The second part should be up later on this week. Expect Chapters 20 and the Epilogue to come out towards the end of July/August.
