Episode 2: The Girl From the Mystic Moon
Was it a dream... or an illusion? No, it was real. I went to slay the
dragon, to complete my ceremony to become King of Fanalia, but it was long
that I had to wait to find one, and when one did come, we battled in the
oddest of places. The Mystic Moon. And now that I'm back on Geae, I find
one of it's inhabitants has followed me home.
"We're surrounded." Van noted with a cocky smile. "Very good Ruhm, I didn't even notice you come up."
***
Later, they sat on the back of a yak driven cart. Ruhm was driving with Van and Hitomi in the back. "Y-you went to the Mystic Moon? So, that girl is..."
"Yeah, she's a resident of the Mystic Moon." Van was too tired and had seen to many weird things these last twelve hours, he really was on the verge of shock. The whole concept of going to the Mystic Moon and bringing back a cu- er, a girl was not as grand as it should be.
"Whadda ya know..." Ruhm looked back for a moment to study the girl. Van did the same. She seemed to be dealing with the shock in a more nervous and stiff way. She sat there, hands in her lap and posture rigged, looking around at everything and nothing and... yes... she was shivering slightly in fear.
"Mystic Moon?" Hitomi asked, shrinking a little as she noticed both of them were looking at her.
[She... she actually looks... cute... when she furrows her brow.] a stray thought entered Van's head.
Ruhm points to the sky, trying to help her relax more. "Look. It's that blue moon where you came from."
"Mystic Moon... You mean Earth?"
"Earth, huh? Is that what you call it up there?"
"Yes. And on Earth there are no dragons or talking animal people that can drive carts." she stated, getting back a little confidence, then she realized to whom she was speaking and flushed slightly, apologizing to the men. "N-No offense."
"Chuckle!Sigh. Whatever." Van rolled his eyes, not bothering to contradict the older man, knowing it would do no good to change the man's opinion of the situation
"Now, my price, that you have that off your chest, let us go and 'play' before we have to sit and be pretty during the coronation ceremony, yes?"
"Alright. I guess." they went to the royal practice chambers, where the prince readied himself for humiliation. Only those who are closest to the prince were aloud down this hall, for it was unseemly for royalty to be in public while learning anything.
They begin practice, but Van was doing terribly this day. He was usually better, but what he and Balgus had been speaking of earlier was still bugging him. Van attempted to put it out of his mind, and decided to go all out. He charged Balgus, but was parried off to the side. He really wasn't into this today, and Balgus could tell. "You didn't charge aggressively enough, Lord Van. Attack me as if you're trying to kill me."
"I don't like using a sword to kill someone." Van replied quietly.
"Lord Van, you're going to be the King of Fanelia... ...I want you to get rid of your timidness."
"I'm not going to be the King because I want to. I will be because I am the only one left of my family line. You know I don't care for all that fluff and nonsense of the court."
"Yes... I've noticed. That is the reason, as I recall, that you have always ran around in peasant dress. To avoid such things."
"So why now force me to be what you know I am not?"
"Lord Van." Balgus replied, the tone of his voice proved that they ad been over this millions of times. But he stopped short as he noticed Hitomi looking through the door. "You have a guest."
"I-I didn't mean to interrupt you o-or anything, i-it's just..." Hitomi began, she was blushing at being caught.
"Oh, it's you." Van, too, blushed slightly. He wondered how long she had been there.
"That's why I don't like strangers, because they don't know etiquette." all eyes turned to the cat girl as she walked into the room, swinging something around her finger.
"Hey, you! Give that back!"
"No. Mine now!" and Merle took off running. Hitomi got down in a weird stance (you know, the racing one? They've never seen racers before) before taking off after her with such precision and speed that she caught up... and passed Merle, snatching away the object in question as she did so.
"Brat..." Hitomi sneered as she slowed down to a walk and made her way back to the door, putting the necklace on as she did so.
Merle on the other hand was shocked at such a display, as are the other two, but I'm speaking of Merle here so, she ran to Van for comfort and buried her head in his chest. "Lord Van!" but Van was busy staring at Hitomi.
Balgus walked up to Hitomi. "I heard the story. You saved Lord Van. As soon as the coronation's over, we'll do our best to find a way back to the Mystic Moon."
"Really?" Hitomi was so full of hope, Van wished that she wouldn't be, but at the same time, he was happy for her.
"The samurai of Fanelia don't lie." Balgus told her, proud at the ability to state that truth to the foreigner.
***
Crowds of people tried to watch the ceremony.
"I wanted to see how great Lord Van looks." Merle squeaked.
Van looked over to where she and Hitomi were sitting. He felt his heart jump in his chest. [What's going on with me?] Van's attention was pulled back as the High Priest of Escaflowne approached. Van was presented with the royal sword. "Van Fanel, King of Fanelia. I present this to you as a symbol of kingship."
***
Later, at a tower near the edge of town...
"I'm looking forward to the festival tonight."
"Are you going to ask her to go out?"
"Of course." He saw something in the horizon. "A shimmer...?"
"What ?"
"Noth..."
Suddenly, a arm appears out of thin air and shoots them with some sort of metal claw. It slices through the wall. and vanishes. Footsteps start heading to the city.
"What's happening ?!" Soldier
"What...?! What's coming?!" Bystander. He is stepped on by the invisible things in front of them.
"A...demon...?!" Soldier
Meanwhile, above...
"Hey, what's that?"
"It's smoking over there."
"A fire...?"
A troop comander road up on a horse. "Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Women and children, escape to the mountains in the back! All men, prepare for battle! Let me through!"
"Invisible enemy...?!" Balgus cursed under his breath. How were thy to fight something they couldn't even see.
"Balgus ..." Asona called to his fellow samurai and warmaster.
"Stop the enemy with your Melefs. Luva, Asona, Yurizen...I'm counting on you." Balgus called out orders left and right.
"Sir." was the reply he got from the well trained guards.
Van was a little more than suprised, but when in doubt, ask your warmaster. "What should I do?"
"You'd better go to the Shrine of Escaflowne with our guest, Hitomi." Balgus told him. (I always saw this seen here to show how inexperianced Van was in the ways of fighting.)
"Escaflowne..." Van repeated in a woried whisper. He hated to admit it, but he was afraid og the big war thing. All it did was bring suffering. And he had never pioleted a Gymelif before, melifs yes, but he had head that the larger armor was a little diferent, and this armor was thousands of years old, who knows how diferent it really was?
"Yes. If the worst happens, please escape with Escaflowne." Balgus told him. Van just nodded. Oh, how he hated this idea!
He raced through the crowd to the biwildered and terified looking Hitomi, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. This was, after all, her second day on Geae. He ran up to her, and, feeling oddly bold, took her hand in his own. She jumped at the contact and looked at him for a second as if to try and remember who he was. His heart seemed to sink for a moment, but he brushed it off. "Come on, come with me." he told her.
She let him lead her away from the fight, and up the side of the nearby stairwell. As they ran, he could only think on how much he hated the thing that was doing this to his people.
***
The hidden enemy slauter the defending force, killing the soldeirs with metal and flame alike. Before anyone was the wiser, the city had gone ablase, everything was lost. Balgus looked around him. He had witnised his fellow three High Samurai die by the attack, and knew the contries one hope lay with it's newly appointed King, Van. With that knowlage burried deep in his heart, he turned and fled for the temple where Van had taken that odd girl from the Mystic Moon that he had already fallen in love with.
***
Meanwhile, in a shrine, Van and Hitomi stand. Van cuts his finger on his sword and lets blood go into the energist. He holds it up. "I am the new King of Fanelia, Van Fanel! With my blood, I'm willing to make a contract with you, Escaflowne. Sleeping dragon, awaken now." The room lights up, and a rock above him cracks, revealing a giant Guymelef.
"That's the one from my dream..." Hitomi whispers in awe.
[Her dreams again? What's going on?] The Guymelef falls to the ground. Van places the energist in a jewel on its chest. The cockpit opens and he gets in. "Good." he said, looking over the controls.
"Hey! What're you going to do?!" Hitomi called up to him.
"I'm gonna fight in Escaflowne." He told her matter of factly, getting ready to go. "Alright. It's the same as that ancient book described it. I can pilot it."
"That's Escaflowne..."
"What're you doing?! Hide yourself now!" Van told her, he didn't know what he would do to himself if she got hurt. One of the invisible enemies entered the shrine. "There you are." Van starts walking in Escaflowne and draws his sword.
"Van, to your left!" he heard Hitomi cry.
"What?!" He was confused by that, but turned to see what she was on about.
"Look out!" She screamed.
From the very direction she said it was at, a metle clay came from no where and shot at Van. Because of the heads up, he was able to block the attack. "You can't escape!" he warned what he seriously believed to be a demond. He swiped at the enemy, revealing it to be a Guymelef. "What?" The Guymelef formed a sword. Van swiped off it's entire arm. Hitomi notices another behind him.
"Van, behind you!"
Balgus arives and chops off the Guymelef's arm. Both teens call out to him in releif. But his reply has no such minor joy. "Lord Van, escape with Hitomi now!"
"I won't show my back to the enemy and escape!" he called. [That would be the cowardly thing to do, and not only can I not stand for that as King defending my people, but what would Hitomi think of such an act?]
"Lord Van!"
Van attacks another one, then blocked its attack. The second Guymelef swipes at him, but Balgus blocks it. "Balgus!"
Balgus knocked it over and stabed the cockpit with his sword. "Lord Van! If you are ever going to listen to me again in the future, do so now! Take the girl and leave!"
Van obediantly knocked over the enemy and picked up Hitomi. "Let's go! Hang on!" Van headed outside and saw the whole city burning. Van felt at that moment like he couldn't breath. Everything he'd ever cared for in life was being put to ashes by these invisible guymelefs. "It's over, Balgus. Withdraw." he gave the order.
"Watch out, Balgus!" he numbly heared Hitomi scream. He turned to see what she was on about and saw another Guymelef shoot at Balgus and kill him. He fell to the ground.
"Balgus!" Van wasn't sure if the cry came from him, or from someone else.
"Lord Van, get out of here with Escaflowne. And someday, revive Fanelia... ...the people of Fanelia..." Balgus called to the young king before dieing.
"Balgus!"
Another group of Guymelefs surround Van.
"No... No... No!" he heard Hitomi crying. She was... scared. He had to get her out of here.
Hitomi's pendant glew strangely and a pillar of light enveloped Escaflowne. The survivors watch on. "Lord Van... Lord Van!" Merle called out at the pillar, crying slightly.
"We're surrounded." Van noted with a cocky smile. "Very good Ruhm, I didn't even notice you come up."
***
Later, they sat on the back of a yak driven cart. Ruhm was driving with Van and Hitomi in the back. "Y-you went to the Mystic Moon? So, that girl is..."
"Yeah, she's a resident of the Mystic Moon." Van was too tired and had seen to many weird things these last twelve hours, he really was on the verge of shock. The whole concept of going to the Mystic Moon and bringing back a cu- er, a girl was not as grand as it should be.
"Whadda ya know..." Ruhm looked back for a moment to study the girl. Van did the same. She seemed to be dealing with the shock in a more nervous and stiff way. She sat there, hands in her lap and posture rigged, looking around at everything and nothing and... yes... she was shivering slightly in fear.
"Mystic Moon?" Hitomi asked, shrinking a little as she noticed both of them were looking at her.
[She... she actually looks... cute... when she furrows her brow.] a stray thought entered Van's head.
Ruhm points to the sky, trying to help her relax more. "Look. It's that blue moon where you came from."
"Mystic Moon... You mean Earth?"
"Earth, huh? Is that what you call it up there?"
"Yes. And on Earth there are no dragons or talking animal people that can drive carts." she stated, getting back a little confidence, then she realized to whom she was speaking and flushed slightly, apologizing to the men. "N-No offense."
"Chuckle!Sigh. Whatever." Van rolled his eyes, not bothering to contradict the older man, knowing it would do no good to change the man's opinion of the situation
"Now, my price, that you have that off your chest, let us go and 'play' before we have to sit and be pretty during the coronation ceremony, yes?"
"Alright. I guess." they went to the royal practice chambers, where the prince readied himself for humiliation. Only those who are closest to the prince were aloud down this hall, for it was unseemly for royalty to be in public while learning anything.
They begin practice, but Van was doing terribly this day. He was usually better, but what he and Balgus had been speaking of earlier was still bugging him. Van attempted to put it out of his mind, and decided to go all out. He charged Balgus, but was parried off to the side. He really wasn't into this today, and Balgus could tell. "You didn't charge aggressively enough, Lord Van. Attack me as if you're trying to kill me."
"I don't like using a sword to kill someone." Van replied quietly.
"Lord Van, you're going to be the King of Fanelia... ...I want you to get rid of your timidness."
"I'm not going to be the King because I want to. I will be because I am the only one left of my family line. You know I don't care for all that fluff and nonsense of the court."
"Yes... I've noticed. That is the reason, as I recall, that you have always ran around in peasant dress. To avoid such things."
"So why now force me to be what you know I am not?"
"Lord Van." Balgus replied, the tone of his voice proved that they ad been over this millions of times. But he stopped short as he noticed Hitomi looking through the door. "You have a guest."
"I-I didn't mean to interrupt you o-or anything, i-it's just..." Hitomi began, she was blushing at being caught.
"Oh, it's you." Van, too, blushed slightly. He wondered how long she had been there.
"That's why I don't like strangers, because they don't know etiquette." all eyes turned to the cat girl as she walked into the room, swinging something around her finger.
"Hey, you! Give that back!"
"No. Mine now!" and Merle took off running. Hitomi got down in a weird stance (you know, the racing one? They've never seen racers before) before taking off after her with such precision and speed that she caught up... and passed Merle, snatching away the object in question as she did so.
"Brat..." Hitomi sneered as she slowed down to a walk and made her way back to the door, putting the necklace on as she did so.
Merle on the other hand was shocked at such a display, as are the other two, but I'm speaking of Merle here so, she ran to Van for comfort and buried her head in his chest. "Lord Van!" but Van was busy staring at Hitomi.
Balgus walked up to Hitomi. "I heard the story. You saved Lord Van. As soon as the coronation's over, we'll do our best to find a way back to the Mystic Moon."
"Really?" Hitomi was so full of hope, Van wished that she wouldn't be, but at the same time, he was happy for her.
"The samurai of Fanelia don't lie." Balgus told her, proud at the ability to state that truth to the foreigner.
***
Crowds of people tried to watch the ceremony.
"I wanted to see how great Lord Van looks." Merle squeaked.
Van looked over to where she and Hitomi were sitting. He felt his heart jump in his chest. [What's going on with me?] Van's attention was pulled back as the High Priest of Escaflowne approached. Van was presented with the royal sword. "Van Fanel, King of Fanelia. I present this to you as a symbol of kingship."
***
Later, at a tower near the edge of town...
"I'm looking forward to the festival tonight."
"Are you going to ask her to go out?"
"Of course." He saw something in the horizon. "A shimmer...?"
"What ?"
"Noth..."
Suddenly, a arm appears out of thin air and shoots them with some sort of metal claw. It slices through the wall. and vanishes. Footsteps start heading to the city.
"What's happening ?!" Soldier
"What...?! What's coming?!" Bystander. He is stepped on by the invisible things in front of them.
"A...demon...?!" Soldier
Meanwhile, above...
"Hey, what's that?"
"It's smoking over there."
"A fire...?"
A troop comander road up on a horse. "Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Women and children, escape to the mountains in the back! All men, prepare for battle! Let me through!"
"Invisible enemy...?!" Balgus cursed under his breath. How were thy to fight something they couldn't even see.
"Balgus ..." Asona called to his fellow samurai and warmaster.
"Stop the enemy with your Melefs. Luva, Asona, Yurizen...I'm counting on you." Balgus called out orders left and right.
"Sir." was the reply he got from the well trained guards.
Van was a little more than suprised, but when in doubt, ask your warmaster. "What should I do?"
"You'd better go to the Shrine of Escaflowne with our guest, Hitomi." Balgus told him. (I always saw this seen here to show how inexperianced Van was in the ways of fighting.)
"Escaflowne..." Van repeated in a woried whisper. He hated to admit it, but he was afraid og the big war thing. All it did was bring suffering. And he had never pioleted a Gymelif before, melifs yes, but he had head that the larger armor was a little diferent, and this armor was thousands of years old, who knows how diferent it really was?
"Yes. If the worst happens, please escape with Escaflowne." Balgus told him. Van just nodded. Oh, how he hated this idea!
He raced through the crowd to the biwildered and terified looking Hitomi, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. This was, after all, her second day on Geae. He ran up to her, and, feeling oddly bold, took her hand in his own. She jumped at the contact and looked at him for a second as if to try and remember who he was. His heart seemed to sink for a moment, but he brushed it off. "Come on, come with me." he told her.
She let him lead her away from the fight, and up the side of the nearby stairwell. As they ran, he could only think on how much he hated the thing that was doing this to his people.
***
The hidden enemy slauter the defending force, killing the soldeirs with metal and flame alike. Before anyone was the wiser, the city had gone ablase, everything was lost. Balgus looked around him. He had witnised his fellow three High Samurai die by the attack, and knew the contries one hope lay with it's newly appointed King, Van. With that knowlage burried deep in his heart, he turned and fled for the temple where Van had taken that odd girl from the Mystic Moon that he had already fallen in love with.
***
Meanwhile, in a shrine, Van and Hitomi stand. Van cuts his finger on his sword and lets blood go into the energist. He holds it up. "I am the new King of Fanelia, Van Fanel! With my blood, I'm willing to make a contract with you, Escaflowne. Sleeping dragon, awaken now." The room lights up, and a rock above him cracks, revealing a giant Guymelef.
"That's the one from my dream..." Hitomi whispers in awe.
[Her dreams again? What's going on?] The Guymelef falls to the ground. Van places the energist in a jewel on its chest. The cockpit opens and he gets in. "Good." he said, looking over the controls.
"Hey! What're you going to do?!" Hitomi called up to him.
"I'm gonna fight in Escaflowne." He told her matter of factly, getting ready to go. "Alright. It's the same as that ancient book described it. I can pilot it."
"That's Escaflowne..."
"What're you doing?! Hide yourself now!" Van told her, he didn't know what he would do to himself if she got hurt. One of the invisible enemies entered the shrine. "There you are." Van starts walking in Escaflowne and draws his sword.
"Van, to your left!" he heard Hitomi cry.
"What?!" He was confused by that, but turned to see what she was on about.
"Look out!" She screamed.
From the very direction she said it was at, a metle clay came from no where and shot at Van. Because of the heads up, he was able to block the attack. "You can't escape!" he warned what he seriously believed to be a demond. He swiped at the enemy, revealing it to be a Guymelef. "What?" The Guymelef formed a sword. Van swiped off it's entire arm. Hitomi notices another behind him.
"Van, behind you!"
Balgus arives and chops off the Guymelef's arm. Both teens call out to him in releif. But his reply has no such minor joy. "Lord Van, escape with Hitomi now!"
"I won't show my back to the enemy and escape!" he called. [That would be the cowardly thing to do, and not only can I not stand for that as King defending my people, but what would Hitomi think of such an act?]
"Lord Van!"
Van attacks another one, then blocked its attack. The second Guymelef swipes at him, but Balgus blocks it. "Balgus!"
Balgus knocked it over and stabed the cockpit with his sword. "Lord Van! If you are ever going to listen to me again in the future, do so now! Take the girl and leave!"
Van obediantly knocked over the enemy and picked up Hitomi. "Let's go! Hang on!" Van headed outside and saw the whole city burning. Van felt at that moment like he couldn't breath. Everything he'd ever cared for in life was being put to ashes by these invisible guymelefs. "It's over, Balgus. Withdraw." he gave the order.
"Watch out, Balgus!" he numbly heared Hitomi scream. He turned to see what she was on about and saw another Guymelef shoot at Balgus and kill him. He fell to the ground.
"Balgus!" Van wasn't sure if the cry came from him, or from someone else.
"Lord Van, get out of here with Escaflowne. And someday, revive Fanelia... ...the people of Fanelia..." Balgus called to the young king before dieing.
"Balgus!"
Another group of Guymelefs surround Van.
"No... No... No!" he heard Hitomi crying. She was... scared. He had to get her out of here.
Hitomi's pendant glew strangely and a pillar of light enveloped Escaflowne. The survivors watch on. "Lord Van... Lord Van!" Merle called out at the pillar, crying slightly.