A/N: Sorry this took so long..uhm...yeah. :) i'll start writing again, promise. I think I'm getting crappier as I go on...oh well. Reminder, I'm just rewriting the story with little plot twists and all. Uhm, so yeah. :D Love escaflowne? Me too. Read. I like to make things long. They seem better that way. Untold things makes me uneasy.
[this episode: Blue-eyed "Angel", blue-haired "Strategos", oh yes, fighting and a kiss. But between who?]
Was it all just a dream? Or maybe..or maybe it was a vision! No, she was pretty sure it was real. Upon opening her eyes, the wet grass below her came slowly but surely clear into her view. Each drop clearer and more vibrant than the last, until finally her vision had returned. The shadows swarmed her, and the moon casted an eerie glow arpund her. No, not just the moon. The moon and Earth. Oh, no.
It wasn't a dream, as she had so hoped it to be. Slowly drawing herself up and standing, leaning on a nearby tree, she looked around for Van. He was nowhere in sight. The stars glistened, and added to that surreal glow. The chirping of bugs, and howling of creatures unknown only added to her fear. She, alone on a strange planet with things that wanted to hurt other things, and maybe even herself. She, who had no direction of where to go or who to trust. She. Hitomi Kanzaki, alone, lost, and for the first time in her life- in a sense of dread. Of course, there had been other times when she was lost on Earth, but she knew how to get home. How was she supposed to get home, when home was a planet away? Sensing that Van was not closeby, or that mysterious machine, oh what was it called..Escaflowne?
Escaflowne. What a weird name. Like everything else on this stupid, scary planet. Lost in her thoughts, Hitomi found herself in a grove by a small body of water. She sat down by a tree, underneath the stars in a forest of danger an uncertainty. She cradled herself in her knees and sighed.
"Oh Amano, Yukari. Where am I?" Hitomi despaired, hands fingering the hem of her skirt. Unaware, always unaware of what was around her, she layed back, absorbing in the nights scent of mud and leaves.
Why, oh why was this not a dream? Or a vision, like those other things? Why can't I reach out my hand and everything before my fingertips dissapear, like snowflakes when you touch them? And where, Hitomi asked herself, is Van?
----------------------------------------(Episode Five: A Demons Kiss)---------------------------------------
Van, a native to the land, wasn't so much worried about finding someone to keep him safe, but rather of his homeland. Had everyone gotten out okay? What about Merle? And, he thought as he stood atop Escaflowne, who would attack Fanalia? Fanalia had no known enemies, no resources worth killing for, and the people were not exactly slave material. There was no obvious or apparent reason of why Fanalia, a little country, would be attacked. No, it wasn't a huge place like Asturia, or famous like Freid and all of their allies. It was just Fanalia, a country known of, but nothing worth taking.
So why was it attacked? Van looked around and then up at the sky. Good, he thought, I'm still on Gaea..at least.."At least by the look of the stars."
Still scanning his surrondings, he justified that he wasn't close to Fanalia. There was no smoke in the air, just that crisp night scent of the semi-chilled air and nature. No lights appeared through the thickets in the forest, and there appeared to be no sign of life around him. No sign of..of Hitomi! How could he had so easily put her out of his mind? "Where did that strange girl go?"
He looked around, and sensing that she was not aroud, he hopped down off of Escaflowne, his boots hitting the soft mud with nothing more than a thud. He stood up straight and pondered which way to start looking. Should he take Escaflowne? What if she left..left the planet? He had barely gotten to know her.. It would be unlikely that she was transported off the planet, but at least she would be home and safe. She wouldn't have to know the pain he had, no..no pain of war. No burden of taking care of a country. She came from a strange world. A world so unlike his own. Her world smelled different, and there were no dragons. No doubt the wind blew different there as well. No doubt there weren't slow summer days, but days that were rushed and cold. He cocked his head to the sky, and it seemed that, indeed, the Mystic Moon was still bright.
Maybe she hadn't left. No yet, at least.
He couldn't help but feel relieved, and that feeling didn't go unnoticed.
[Scene II]
Hitomi felt dirty. And cold. And alone. Scared wasn't the first word. Dirty, and disgusting. Sweat had accumalated all over her, and dirt stuck to her legs and hands thanks to the new adhecent. The air sent shivers up her spine, and she couldn't help but close her eyes and lean against the trunk of the large tree. She felt helpless, and very weak. Too tired, and slowly sleep overcame her. Besides, what could she do on a strange world but be helpless?
Amano was there. Sitting next to her, who had woken up. Birds were singing, and it only seemed to be midafternoon. No night sky had appeared, and the glistening of the stars were absent. Birds chirped and whistled overhead, and the warmth was welcomed by Hitomi. She felt awake, refreshed, and most of all safe. There was no fires, no killing, and no boy with wine eyes. She forgot his face as Amano smiled his warm smile. The smile that made you forget where you were, who you were. That hypnotizing smile, with his perfectly straight white teeth, and his warm eyes.
"I was worried about you Kanzaki," he explained with that soft voice of his, full of concern. Hitomi soaked in the settings..the track. She was in her track uniform, and her sweats served as a pillow. "You took quite a fall."
"I guess," she replied, "I guess I was dreaming. It was such a sad dream. (he looked at her with intense eyes) People dying, and a boy...a boy with no past. No past could fit him. He seemed so sad, so alone..."
"Sounds like it was a sad dream." Amano agreed, his hands intertwining with the fall grass. Dead grass. Death? Why did everything lead back to death. The sky, a rich color that reminded Hitomi of champagne. (champagne dream?) Champagne, not wine. Amano was like champagne, with his kindness. Not like the boy with wine colored eyes. No rich wine eyes, only champagne Amano eyes. Eyes that didn't waver with uncertainty, and made butterflies dance in your stomach.
"So scary too. I dreamt of a dragon, a village was burnt too. Smothering smoke." Hitomi continued, her girlish voice strong and clear. Were dreams always this real? She turned to him, and smiled. "I'm so glad you're here Amano."
"Hitomi..." His voice lingered in her head, buzzing and reassuring, like that first high you get.
She opened her eyes, and over her was the scariest thing she had ever seen. Or ugly. She screamed. A large, overly large, fat..fat...oh, who knows! A man? Oh god, oh god, he grabbed her wrist..oh god, oh god, what was he doing? Get him off me, Hitomi screamed mentally, wriggling below his massive weight. He wasn't necessarily strong, just fat. His pudgy hands with claw-like fingernails grabbed her wrist and twisted it. Her hand shot opened with pain and she gasped. He licked his teeth, like when a dog sees a piece of meat. His other hand forced her down, painfully, against rocks and roots. His legs pinned her into that position, and she felt vunerable to this ghastly thing-of-a-man.
"Get off of me!! Stop!! HELP!!" She yelled. He just giggled, and made one noise or another. His glasses, which rested on his large ugly red nose, shimmered. He looked at her pendent, and DROOLED on her. "Stop!! Please, someone!"
The man flew off of her, and she scrambled away from him, taking deep breaths. And before her...before her was an angel.
(((--------(Van during Hitomis attack)------)))
"Hitomi?" Van questioned, as a scream echoed through the forest, his heart racing with a new found fear and anger. "Hitomi!"
He ran, and ran, his boots treading on the hard ground, and the only sounds of his jagged breathing. He had to get to her, she was in danger! What if..what if she died? What if..no, Van. Just get there. Fast. He used his hunting sense to remember which way the scream came from. Left, through that thicket of roses. Tiny pricks scratched at his arms, and blood trickled down his arm. Cold, coppery blood. He didn't care, what care did he? She..wait. Why did he care so much? He almost came to a stop, but fate pushed him on. The air hit his face, stinging him, but he didn't care. He nearly tripped on roots of the old trees. Again, his thoughts were of her.
Why did he care? Explain, you say? Van, no matter how ghastly his behaviour is, how arrogant his ways are- keeps a promise. He had promised to return her, unharmed, to the Mystic Moon. He promised to take care of her, now that he was with nothing. He promised that she would breath Mystic Moon air, and run on Mystic Moon ground. He had promised that she would be safe, and not know what it felt like to murder, or to know death and pain.
Who did he make this promise too?
Himself.
[Scene III]
He appeared out of nowhere. A ghost upon a ghost ship, coming from the mist like an unreal heavenly body sent to protect her. A bird swooped from his shoulder, graceful and slender. His actions were fluid as he approached them. He was a ruby in the feild of diamonds.
"Well, well. Now we attack little girls? What kind of man attacks little girls?" He stood before her, his long hair, longer than her own, cascading down his back. Long, blonde hair. She couldn't see his face, but his eyes, eyes of a bluish hue, glistened. The fat man cowered in fear before him. The man was tall, strong, and thinner than her attacker. Hitomi stilled clung to the tree trunk for dear life. He smirked, with his silkened voice sealed behind pursed lips.
He sauntered, with reassurance, over to the fat man, and whispered his deadly threat of, "Now you'll pay." The man squeaked out something Hitomi didn't catch, but sounded like, "Arren." His gloved arm flew quicker than she could see, into an uppercut, and with such power that the man flew into the air and crashed with a loud thud on the other side of the glade. Her saviour, with his back to her, walked over to see if he was indeed knocked out. And he was. One punch! Hitomi, to scared to be impressed, whimpered. "There, there."
"You're safe now, little girl." He said. His voice reminded Hitomi of ice-cream, as weird as that sounds. It was thick and creamy, and familiar. The man donned a blue outfit, with long blue paints and a blue vest,trimmed with gold and golden buttons. He wore a white shirt, with ridiculously poofy sleeves, and a pink bow that seemed to finish the outfit in a masculine way, even with that fru-fru pink bow. And at his side, that reminded Hitomi of wine-eyes, was a sword ina blue hilt. He turned around, and faced her fully for the first time. And before her, was Amano. Amano with long, shimmering blonde hair, and blue eyes. Amano, her Amano..
"Amano.." The man knelt by her, and lifted her chin in his gloved hand, and smiled Amanos smile. "Amano..I'm so glad too see you.I never thought I'd see you again..."
"Huh?" The man asked, before the girl fell foward, limp into his arms. He picked her up, her long slender legs dangling and arms swaying with his movements. "What is she doing out here?"
"Hitom-" a boy appeared from the clearing, with a heavy breathing and grabbed at his sword. "What did you do to her? ( a growl escaped his curled lip) I'm going to kill you if you harmed her.. I'll make you pay with your life."
"Don't be so quick to draw that sword." The man whispered smugly. He turned his back on the boy, who you would recognize as Van. He lets a small sigh and holds the girl closer to him, in a protective yet still gentlemanly manner. Van starts to draw his sword. "Don't draw. You draw, and you die."
"Say what?!" Van asks, shocked. Did he think he was playing around? Van smirks, his skill hidden. He was a samurai, a warrior, and he would not hesitate to take another life. It was easy to do after your first, after all. "You have nothing on me."
"A knight must meet steel with steel." He started to walk away, offending Van in more ways than one. "I don't draw to play with little boys."
He unsheathes his sword, the glowering essence of the blade shimmers in the twilight by the glade. Van lowers his head, raises it again, but with a devilish sort of smile. He couldn't loose. No, he wouldn't loose.
"How foolish." The man said, more bored than annoyed. He took Hitomi gently, and set her down against a tree. She fell limp against it, her limbs in awkward position. Van holds his position, and the man pulls a sword out from his side. He taps it against his gloved hand, and turns to face Van. Van, who was more confident than scared, tossed his head so a few of his locks would be out of his eyes. He lowers his sword to the ground, grips it with both hands adjacent to his side, and charges him. The man, however, knew Van's tactics, it seems, before Van did. With the grace of 1000 ballerinas, he takes a back leap, and flips over a dazed Van. In reaction, Van tries to turn but it is too late. "You're good...but.."
He swings his sword and hits Van in the stomach. Van cringes and throws up a mixture of spit and wine, and crumples to the ground in a fetal positon. "You were too slow. You're too good to be killed, and that is why I hit you with the back-end of my sword."
The man walks over to Van, puts his sword back into his hilt, and picks up Van with ease, throwing him over his shoulder like he was nothing more than a ragdoll. Van hands limp off his shoulder, as the swordsman bends over and looks at the seal on his sword. "Fanalia?"
[Scene IV]
"Two..." he seethes, his voice smooth and sharp, "Two of my Alseides units were damaged by those bumpkin samurai? TWO were damaged, eh?"
A cold wind blew in from the window, and the various candles in the room flickered. Dilandau sat on a throne, grinding his teeth and his lip twitching. Before him, 2 boys around his age, but in blue and black armor, knelt. A couple of feet behind them, 7 were kneeling, with another good 6 stood. All looking the same, but with different haircuts. All in the same dress, all with grim, vacant expressions, and all with their eyes facing the ground. They didn't dare test his patience today. The floor was metallic, and clinked when their leather boots touched it. None of them, though, made a sound now. They were afraid to even breathe now.
It was a Zaibach, another nation like Fanalia but was more advanced and war-like, floating fortress. It actually, in my opinion, looked like an upside down moutain, black and orange, with platforms here and wires there. Windows looked more like divits and crators in the rock, which actually was leva-stone, and the doors were hidden well. Anchors, where the guymellefs were stored, were the only visible entrances. The fortress lumbered slowly over a burning Fanalia, and inside one room was a pissed off Dilandau.
"Step. Foward." Dilandau taps his fingers against the armrest of the chair, then stands. His position is very slack, his weight more on his left side than his right, and his left hand against his hip. The two boys clambered over to him, and he raised his hand. A faint smack echoed through the chamber, and all but Dilandau grimaced. "How PATHETIC! You are a disgrace to the Dragon-Slayer name! And to think...Do you two incompetants want to disgrace my name?"
"We..We're very sorry!" Both stuttered. Their voices were higher than his, and he sneered. These two were supposed to be one of the best! Chesta and Dallet, one with white hair that was fluffy and curly, and the other with straight, longish type of brown/purple. "So sorry, Lord Dilandau."
"I won't repeat myself again," their commander said, his silver hair shining in the fire, "I won't stand for incompetance. Do you understand me? Get out of my sight."
"Thank you sir," they retreated back to the line, and he sighed. Today was not his day. He crossed his gloved arms, the leather squeaking with his movement. The dragon-slayers stood in silence, anticipating. He shook his head, and stormed out of the room. The boys side in relief.
Dilandau wore a grim expression as he headed down the narrow corridors of the fortress. His boots made a slight thud,thud,thud, as he walked through the darkened hallways. He didn't like the closed in-feeling. It caused shivers to ripple up his spine, but he welcomed the cold air that was trapped in there. He couldn't hear anything, and that in itself was a relief. All he could hear was his heartbeat, the thudding and squeaking of boots, and the echoes of his breathing. He turned, and knocked on a metal door, his destination. The door slid open, and he walked in.
"Dilandau," a man said, his voice deep and soothing, " there was no need to burn Fanalia to the ground. I want to see my stealth cloaks used more..wisely."
"I didn't expect you to say such things, Folken," Dilandau laughed his mechanical laugh (not maniacle..), that sounded fake, "after all, you betrayed Fanalia."
The man, whom he was talking to, was the Zaibach Stratigist Folken. His large figure was only amplified with his sorceres cloak on, a black with purple cloak, held together only by a pin shaped like a club like in a card set. He, in his own sense, was beautiful. He donned blue-white hair, that spiked up and out, with a rats tail in the back. His lovely pink-red eyes that burned with passion about everything, especially if it was science. He was smart, oh yes, he had to be. He was tall, and loomed over Dilandau. Beneath his cloak was a secret, but from what Dilandau could tell, his one arm was not quite right... And his signature purple tear, like he was crying for the world, annoyed Dilandau more than anything. He wanted to rip it off and watch him bleed. But, that would have to wait.
"I've got no reason to listen advice about battle," the boy continued, "from an amateur like you, Strategos."
".."Amateur"..Amateur indeed.." Folken chuckled, musing on that thought, as the entered a circular room. He lifted up three pillars in front of a large screen, from the floor. No, no, he seemd to pull them OUT of the floor. "You're too blunt."
"What's this room used for anyways?" Dilandau asked, his obvious boredom showing, as Folken pushed on the stands. Dilandau wanted to get off the subject, and onto something more his style. Gore, fire, anything but his character "flaws".
"Oh that's right..this is your first time here, isn't it?" Folken said, almost absent-mindly and not even to Dilandau himself. Both on uneasy terms, and quick to change the subject with the blink of an eye. Folken stands in the middle of the three pillars, which alignment was more of a triangle. Dilandau stood, off to the side, as an old face blinks on the screen in front of them. It's a fuzzy picture, each pixel is shown, and the man isn't young, or attractive. White hair cascaded down, and ended in odds and ends of curls. His eyes were nothing but purple slits, set in a face of wrinkles. His beard covered his mouth, and Dilandaus eyes bugged out.
"Emperor Dornkirk!" the boy fell to the floor in a clumsy action, his head lowered in respect. Folken, however, held his position, standing tall and the man began to speak in his eerie, distant, scratchy and hoarse voice,
"Folken..the shadow of the dragon that has fallen upon the Zaibach Empire has not dissapeared yet."He wheezes, and Dilandau curiously takes a peak. Folken seemed to understand the mans strange words as he continued, "The dragon escaped Fanalia. Capture it..no matter the cost."
"Of course, your majesty." The wise young man nods, and angrees to his Emperors orders.
"One more thing.." Dorkirk adds, his monitor blinking in and out, "My Destiny Predictor didn't expect the column of light to appear... ...but I sense a shift of power in it. Get rid of the uncertain elements. The dragon is within the border of Asturia. Capture the dragon to revive the legendary power of Atlantis."
What was all of that about? Dilandau questions himself, 'Dragon' again?
[Scene V]
She tossed and turned, in a foreign bed, the sheets tangling themselves in her long legs. The knight watches over, keen and aware that she is dreaming as one word escaped her lips, "Amano."
That same name she called him. Was Amano her protector? Her brother..or perhaps..her lover? Did she have one? Maybe it was that boy, that boy with black hair. He had refused to give his name, and carried the legendary kings sword with the Fanalian emblem. Was he..was he the king of Fanalia? His thought was interrupted as she stirred, and slowly opened her eyes. They were magnificent in the sunlight, the greenish shade of green. "Oh, so I see you're awake."
She didn't say anything. Her eyes wandered to the group of men sitting behind the knight. All ruffagens and scoundrels, maybe theives, sat around an open fire. One, who the knight knew as Reeden was the second to comment, "So the princess awakens."
The room was wooden, and much more open than Fanalian rooms. Much brighter, and dirtier too. She was lying on a bed, and as an automatic action, she backs away, her eyes full of terror. Another one of those..scruffy looking men adds, "Hiya cutie. Didja sleep well?"
"That's enough." The knight interjects, and groans are heard from around the room. "Can't you see she's scared? I don't blame her, waking up to a bunch of ugly mugs as yourselves is quite frightning."
"You're mean boss." Someone chimes in.
"Yeah, we ain't THAT ugly!"
"Except for maybe Pyle!" Laughter roared from around the room. She sighed, taking a breathe of fresh air, and closed her eyes to recollect her scattered thoughts. A breath-taking image, for such a young girl. How can someone cope to such different customs? Hoisted from one way of life to another. God, they didn't even have running water..
"I guess I'm not on earth." Hitomi mutters, through her lips. She all of the sudden was reminded of a movie she loved as a child. The Wizard of Oz. She herself, much felt like Dorothy, and maybe Van was the scarecrow, and this Allen the tinman....oh how delightful that would have been! Poppies will make them sleep, she thought, and mentally giggled. She was so stupid at times, and reopened her eyes to his face, merely 6 inches from her own.
"What's happened to you?" He questioned, pure concern seething from those blue eyes, "You can tell me, if you don't mind. Little lady, as a knight of Asturia, I, Allen Shezar, will protect you. You're a guest at this fort, and as it's commander I vow to protect you. It's my duty as a knight, no, as a man."
"Allen..?" Hitomi questioned him. He smiles, and the foreigner felt awkward. This felt so wrong. Where was Van? Where was he? He was..here, right? He had to be..Please, Van! She didn't seem to interested in his heroic speech, in his vow to protect her. She, no matter how much he looked like Amano, was not Amano. Nor Van. (keep this in mind, a) No me gusta Allen and b) this is a Van/Hitomi fic you baka!) She wanted some wine at that moment. Some rich, wine...reoccuring, caring, lovely, wine eyes..
"Man, how can he spout all of that out without blushing?" Reeden asked, looking at the other guys. The bald one, with an ugly scar, licked his knife, and the fat one with the ugly nose let out a disgusting belch, oh there was the skinny one with something in his hair, oh yes, they were an odd looking bunch alright. And all of their attention was on her and Allen. She felt her heart pounding, 10x louder..how can they not hear it? Was his palms as sweaty as hers?
"It's a gift." The fat one offered, and more chuckles from around the room. Suddenly, the door burst open, and a scruffy man with a poor excuse for a beard came in, and behind him two guards that held a collective hold on..on Van! Hitomis heart raced, and for a moment forgot who she was and he was, and jumped up. She pushed pass the raggamuffin man, and threw her arms around Vans neck. Vans eyes widened as he looked down at her. She was alright! She...she was okay. Goosebumps ran down his arms.
"Van.." she breathed, her hot voice forcing his hair to stand on edge. She nestled her head in the crook of his neck, and choked back a sob. "I'm so glad you're alright! I was so worried! ..I thought..I thought you left me..."
"Hitomi.." He staggered. Aw hell, what was she doing? How was she doing that to him? Making his heart race. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but unfortunatley, were bound behind his back. Maybe that was for the better. Her scent was driving him crazy as is, let alone...
"Oh..I see you know each other?" Allen sighed, standing up and smiling. Van glowered and his lips curled, and his cheek twitched into a snarl. Hitomi closed her eyes, and pushed away from Van to turn around and face him.
"Yes, yes we do." Hitomi answered, giving a reassuring smile. Van bit his lip in attempts to hold back his insults that filtered through his mind. Didn't Allen know to stick his big ugly nose out of business that wasn't his? Vans fingers twitched to hold his sword..for a rematch. There was no way this frillish man was going to downsize him again. There was no way Hitomi would want him, when she could have Van, right?
They, Van, Hitomi and Allen, sat on the deck that gaveway to the room they were just sitting in. Hitomi and Allen sat, actually, on two gothic-iron chairs, Allen leaning on his elbow for support. Van stands behind Hitomi, his arms crossed and another one of his sour faces planted on his features. The girl sat, uneasily, with her knees bent in and her hands resting on her lap.
It was a beautiful day. The sky was the bluest blue anyone had ever seen. White, fluffy clouds drifted, and the sun beated down on them, warming and comforting. It must be spring here, Hitomi mused, yet it's Fall on Earth. Birds fluttered overhead, specks against the atmosphere. From where Hitomi sat, she could see the fortress walls, tall wooden spikes alligned so straightly. The fort sat on a hill of rock and dirt, as there was no grass, but afar was the forest. She could see men from before, taming horses, sparring, and doing their daily activites. Van and Hitomi had just finished their tale, when Allen commented,
"Mystic Moon..? You're telling me she's one of the Moon's inhabitants? Are you saying she resides there?" He asked, his voice crystal clear, perfect punctuation and no words slurred. Hitomi could easily tell that he was a smooth talker, as she had heard his speech from earlier that day. Van scowled, then sighed.
"Yes," he answered, frustrated, "just as I've told you many times before."
"I see," Allen replies, nonchantley and bemused. He picks up a hilt from his side,opens it and reveals the swords crest- the crest of Fanalia. "It must be true if the King of Fanalia says so. Hmm..by the way, what's your name?"
"Hitomi, sir," she answers, (because he obviously knew Van and it was addressed to her), with that Japanese respect, "Hitomi Kanzaki."
"Hitomi.." The knight repeats, savoring the way it sounds, "It has a nice ring to it."
"Allen," Van interrupts before Allen has the chance to hit on her even more, "I apologize for entering your country without notice. So Escaflowne...please give my Guymelef back to me."
"And what will you do when you get it back?" he inquires, watching Van's roller coaster of emotions. He steps foward, and clenches a gloved fist. Will he take -her- back with him, Allen asks himself, or will I take her under my wing? He doesn't seem that interested in her, and afterall she is from that cursed planet. There are many legends stating that the people there are cursed, just like the ancient people of Atlantis. But this girl doesn't look like she'd hurt a fly, let alone be cursed and bring down a wrath of destruction upon my country. The mental battle is broken when Van answers.
"I'll return to Fanalia, " Van explains, his voice full of emotion. "I was attacked by an unknown enemy, and during the battle I was taken to this place."
"It's a waste of time." The golden-haired man tells. Vans mouth falls open, in a shocked sort of notion.
"What?! How..How can that be?!" Hitomi asks for him. They both stare at Allen intently, and the tension in the room built even more.
"Fanalia was burned to the ground. Everything was destroyed." Allen enlightens them. Van staggers back, and leans against the wall, his heart racing and his eyes full of disbelief. Hitomi couldn't believe a word either. It seemed to unreal, to much like a fairy tale. No,nonononononono.
Then her thoughts turned to Van. Then Merle. The blue-roofed castle. The forest. The people. The narrow streets and the small buildings. The dragons. They couldn't be all gone, could they?
"Th-that can't be..you're lying!" Van shouts, the anger in his voice apparent. Hitomi turns her head, and clenches her eyes shut. Maybe if she reopened them, she would be in her room, safe. Tears brimmed her eyes. So much pain in such a short amount of time. Oh what she would do to be taking an exam right now. Or even a hot bath.
Allen sighs. Of course it would be difficult to explain, "I am not lying to you, Van Fanel. A couple of my countries merchants saw it this morning. Everything was burnt to the ground, hell, there was even some smoke and a couple of small fires still present.. I'm sorry for your lost. What happened? If you tell me, I might be able to help you.."
"Van.." Hitomi whispers, reopening her eyes and staring up at Van. In return he looked down, down at tears in those gorgeous green eyes. He closes his eyes, and turns his head from her.
"Fanalia..Fanalia is gone." Van repeats to himself. It didn't sound right- it sounded almost foreign rolling of his tounge. The only question running through his mind was, 'Why?'. Before Van could grieve any further, the walls and floors began to shake. Van grabbed onto the railing and looked to the sky. Above them, in that blue backdrop, three Zaibach Floating Fortresses and other ships, circling above- blocking out the sun. Hitomi squinted her eyes, just enough to catch a glimpse of falling...falling...well, something was falling. Black dots, just barely visible against the blinding orb. She allowed her mind to wander, and for a minute she thought that those black dots, hurdling at them like arrows falling through the sky- they were those giants...those horrible, invisable giants that attacked Fanalia.
"Van!" Hitomi yelped out, her realisation a vital one, "Those are those monsters that attacked Fanalia.."
"Guymellefs! It's Zaibach guymellefs!" One of Allens' men yelled. Van could feel his heart pounding, with each second that they got closer, his heart thumping within his chest. He turned to Hitomi and closed his eyes.
"Are you sure, Hitomi?" Allen asked her, before Van had the chance to speak. He curled his lip into an unpleasent snarl, and gripped the railing.
"Of course! I saw them!" She explained, almost frantic. Didn't he believe her? A thud from the side drew their attention back to the guymellefs. And before Hitomi could blink, they stood there. Soldiers? The rows in which they stood were so straight, like dominos- black and blue- and Hitomi could just imagine knocking on into the other, watching them fall with the grace of ragdolls. From between the two vertical rows, a red figure emerged, with two blue figures behind him, holding up signs- banners, to be more exact. The way the red figure stood, he was no doubt the leader. He looked no older than Van or herself, but seemed a lot more, foreign. He had pale skin, silver hair that gleamed in the sun, and a sort of arrogance. Hitomi could always tell how someone was by the way he/she present his/herself. And he seemed arrogant, sad, lonely, but beautiful. Hitomi just watched.
"We, of the Zaibach Empire, request that of Asturias assistance." He spoke, his voice loud and flowing like velvet, tattered velvet, "We require fuel, food, and other supplies. You have a minute to comply, or we WILL have to use force."
"The Zaibach Empire is always welcome on Asturia soil." Allen called out, motioning to his fortress of wood and dirt. "Please, come in, introductions are needed."
"You serve your country well." The boy spoke, soundind a bit dissapointed. Hitomi saw him, but did he see her?
[Scene VI] (A/n: IS it me or do I keep adding more and more scenes and much more dialogue? Oh by the way, I love Dilandau..so...hehe...)
Inside, inside the dark, poorly-lit main hall of the Asturian fort, they stood. Allen's men stood on balconys of the split-level, they stood in masses, hunched over, mismatched, ragamuffins. They stood with wandering eyes, with whispers of rumors and of discontent. Whispers of death, and of unrest. A glimpes of silver flashing, a glimpes of blonde, bowing. They stood with murder in their eyes, and uneasiness in their soul. Some were bored, some were excited, some weren't even present. The crowds stood in the darkness, in the uneasiness of this whole situation. And they watched.
Inside, inside the filthy, dark, poorly-lit main hall of this shabby fort, they stood. Dilandau's men stood in straight lines. They stood with their shiny boots together, with their backs straight, and their arms paralell to everyone else. They stood in rows, hardly breathing, their eyes fixated on the same thing. They did not whisper, they did not gesture, they did not even blink. They were like tin-soldiers from the 1940s on Earth, always the same and never changing. (Like Nazis! Hitomi thought to herself, and maybe that boy is Hitler, or Stalin, or Mussolini...) Silver ever-present, silver the only color besides red in their line of sight. They stood with pride in their eyes, but with fear in their soul. Some were dying on the inside, some were ready to die for him, and some couldn't think. The lines stood in the light, and the uneasiness of this whole situation. And they watched.
But Van and Hitomi were neither of Allen's men, nor Dilandau, (or so he introduced himself as). They stood together, behind Allens men, hiding, and waiting. Negotiations over rations have been taking place for at least a half of an hour. Hitomi wanted to see, wanted to hear, wanted to get close and learn. Van told her to pipe down whenever she started speaking. They were way to polite, Hitomi thought bitterly. She furrowed her brown eyebrows and bit her lower lip, trying to stand on her tippi-toes to see the silver-haired "Demon". She couldn't. Finally Van pushed a little way through for the both of them, keeping a protective eye out for wandering eyes over Hitomi.
"H-hey!" Katz, one of Allens men, harshly whispered. Van just smirked at him, daring him to do anything about it. Hitomi stood behind Van, and placed her hands on his shoulders, tapping on of them. Her short fingernails jabbed into a sensitive spot on his exposed skin. He heard her shuffle, and finally she started to speak.
"Hey, Van...are you going to say anything?" She whispered. He shook his head, his locks shaking, and whispered back,
"It would be dishonorly to be so rude. Honestly Hitomi, don't they teach you anything?" Van snorted, in a playful sort of manner. She blushed and stepped down, and muttered something along the lines of 'males!', while tutting. She looked up, and noticed Allen looking their way. Maybe they should keep quiet? Hitomi kept glancing, feigning boredom, over at the boy. What were they saying? Why won't they speak up!? Stupid acoustics!
"By the way, Allen," She could hear him now, his voice drifting, sounding either bored or unamused, "have you seen a strange Guymelef in the area?"
"No," Allen breathed, lying through his teeth. Hitomi saw Van tense at Allen's lies, and relax when he realised (and so did she) that Allen was protecting them. He trusts us? Hitomi asked herself. She tightened her grip on her bag and leaned in to hear better. "Does this have to do with the mobilization of the floating fortresses?"
"More or less," Dilandau explained, concealing secrets. He shifted his weight, but not like he was nervous. Allen, seeing through this act, sneered. He didn't have particular fondness of the Zaibach, or of it's generals. They were different than other generals- they were machines, cold and without hears, without souls. They did as they were told, without question, without reason. No choice....right?
"I heard that Fanalia, you know the small country to the west of here, was attacked," the knight interjected. For a moment, the boys face faultered. Usually composed, pale complexion, red eyes widened, breathing staggard, heart rate up, faulter. Then it went back to its normal way. Allen noticed, Van noticed, and Hitomi noticed. Noone else. The tension of the room was broken.
"That little run-down, small, poor, lonesome, and pathetic country? That BACKWARDS so-called 'country'. Tut," Dilandau nearly chuckled and curled his lips into a snarled smile, "Perhaps it was destroyed by the dragons that seem to wander around there. It's a proper ending for such a...pliable country. Anyway, it's a country full of cowards and their king went into hiding! How silly, how...cowardly. How...Well, whatever, I don't care."
Hitomi could see Van's blood boil, his fists clench and his jaw clamp. She saw his deathly stares as she drew herself next to him. She saw his pain, his hurt, his anger. His pride. She saw the angry tears threatening to spill, the lump in his throat. The mere thought of his people..being at their end. (Were their no survivors?) Then she saw him take a shakey deep breath and sigh. He muttered, in a clear and loud enough way, "Cowards are the ones who don't show themselves in battle."
Well THAT got his attention. The boy who reminded Hitomi of a porcelain doll approached him, his strut more poised yet relaxed than anyone she's ever met. His hand rests on his hips, which seem to sashay as he smiles like the devil. His pointed teeth stick out as his lips curl up. He doesn't stop at Van, however, he stops at Hitomi. Her heart leaps into her throat and by some unknown force, she looks down.
Apparently, he isn't pleased. He grabbed her chin and forces her to look at him. He examines her- her big green eyes with long brown eyelashes, her brown defined (never plucked or shaved) eyerbows, her small full lips, her thin little nose, her brown locks resting against her cheeks, and a blush creeping the way onto her thin cheeks. His eyes narrow, "You have no apparent flaws."
"What?" Van clenches his teeth and snatches at Dilandaus hand. He missed, as to the fact Dilandau removed his hand quicker than Van could grab at him. Dilandau smirks, and turns to Van.
"If I were you," he threatened, his lower eye-lid twitching, "I'd stay out of business that doesn't involve you."
"You touching her involves me," Van snapped back, his defined mouth derranged with anger. He relaxes and laughs, "Zaibach always seems to want things they can not have."
"Van.." Allen bolted over to the three and grabbed his shoulder. Van retensed and glared at the albino, who turned his attention back to Hitomi. As Allen was telling something to Van, Dilandau leaned and whispered to her,
"I've never seen clothing like yours, little girl..Where are you from?"
She chokes a gasp of air into her throat. Her heart pounds- she couldn't tell him. He leans in, and takes a deep breath. Is he smelling me? Hitomi asks herself, tensing at the closeness. Up close, she could make him out clearly. His deep red-pink eyes, surronded by a deep silver/onyx eyelash, flashing silver-white hair, with a tiarra-type head dress. His thinned out lips, pale like the rest of him. He smiles, an evil twisted sort of grin, and continues, "I know I'm gorgeous..."
"Oh you arrogant pig!" Hitomi yells, startling all. All attention turn to the two of them, and it's so unbelievably silent you could hear a pin drop. Oh geez, Hitomi scolds herself, why did I go and say that? Everyone stares at them, and to her suprise- he laughs. A crystal clear, crazy cackle. He throws his head back, places a hand over his face, and laughs. "What?!"
"Van, is it?" Dilandau finally asks, after his fitful laugh (which noone else seemed to join in on). Van nods slowly, unsurely, and approaches them. "Your woman is funny. But you really ought to have her...tamed? Teach her some manners. If someone gorgeous talks to her, she really out to reply with something less...rude. But, they always say that the prettier the girl- the denser."
"Tamed?! HIS?! Rude?! Why I never!" The brunnete fumes, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes aflared with anger. Van, as well, looks suprised and slightly abashed. How dare he..
"Oh, well I just assumed.." Dilandau smirks, noticing their reaction to his comments, and ever-so enjoying them. Oh these two are too easy to make fun of, Dilandau thought,..so they're not together..
"Well you know what they say," Hitomi interjects, her voice full of venom, "Assumed makes an as-"
"Hitomi!" Van hisses, and she blushes and smiles nervously. The atmosphere seemed to change from tensed to easy to...something. Dilandau seemed a bit crazy, and Hitomi thought maybe he was like a crazy genius. He pivots to Dilandau, "Why don't you just get your supplies and leave, Zaibach?"
"After I get what I want." He replies, grabbing Hitomi. Van gasps, and so does the rest of the room. What is he doing? Van questions, I don't like that look in his eye, I don't like how close he is to my Hitomi..wait, my? Van Fanel, he silently scolds himself, now is not the time to be thinking of romantic little notions that are completley preposterous! Hitomi isn't from your world, and just forget it..Just think about killing Dilandau...
"Wh-what are you doing?" Hitomi gasps, watching his every move. He positions himself in front of her, and pulls her close to him. (What is he doing?! Van! Van do something!) Dilandau wraps his clothed, leather arm around her small frame, and pulls her closer. She looks up at him, as he IS taller than her, and he looks down at her, grabbing one of her hands, entangling his fingers with hers.
Van fumes.
Allen falters to move.
Everyone stares.
Hitomi believes that she is completely numb. Why wasn't her body listening to her?
'Van!' She mentally screams. 'Van! Not you! Van...'
"I want this.." He whispers, pressing his lips against her, closing his eyes. In shock, Hitomi can't move and he pries her mouth open with his own. 'Van!' Her first kiss from a demon. 'Why aren't you doing anything Van?'
[this episode: Blue-eyed "Angel", blue-haired "Strategos", oh yes, fighting and a kiss. But between who?]
Was it all just a dream? Or maybe..or maybe it was a vision! No, she was pretty sure it was real. Upon opening her eyes, the wet grass below her came slowly but surely clear into her view. Each drop clearer and more vibrant than the last, until finally her vision had returned. The shadows swarmed her, and the moon casted an eerie glow arpund her. No, not just the moon. The moon and Earth. Oh, no.
It wasn't a dream, as she had so hoped it to be. Slowly drawing herself up and standing, leaning on a nearby tree, she looked around for Van. He was nowhere in sight. The stars glistened, and added to that surreal glow. The chirping of bugs, and howling of creatures unknown only added to her fear. She, alone on a strange planet with things that wanted to hurt other things, and maybe even herself. She, who had no direction of where to go or who to trust. She. Hitomi Kanzaki, alone, lost, and for the first time in her life- in a sense of dread. Of course, there had been other times when she was lost on Earth, but she knew how to get home. How was she supposed to get home, when home was a planet away? Sensing that Van was not closeby, or that mysterious machine, oh what was it called..Escaflowne?
Escaflowne. What a weird name. Like everything else on this stupid, scary planet. Lost in her thoughts, Hitomi found herself in a grove by a small body of water. She sat down by a tree, underneath the stars in a forest of danger an uncertainty. She cradled herself in her knees and sighed.
"Oh Amano, Yukari. Where am I?" Hitomi despaired, hands fingering the hem of her skirt. Unaware, always unaware of what was around her, she layed back, absorbing in the nights scent of mud and leaves.
Why, oh why was this not a dream? Or a vision, like those other things? Why can't I reach out my hand and everything before my fingertips dissapear, like snowflakes when you touch them? And where, Hitomi asked herself, is Van?
----------------------------------------(Episode Five: A Demons Kiss)---------------------------------------
Van, a native to the land, wasn't so much worried about finding someone to keep him safe, but rather of his homeland. Had everyone gotten out okay? What about Merle? And, he thought as he stood atop Escaflowne, who would attack Fanalia? Fanalia had no known enemies, no resources worth killing for, and the people were not exactly slave material. There was no obvious or apparent reason of why Fanalia, a little country, would be attacked. No, it wasn't a huge place like Asturia, or famous like Freid and all of their allies. It was just Fanalia, a country known of, but nothing worth taking.
So why was it attacked? Van looked around and then up at the sky. Good, he thought, I'm still on Gaea..at least.."At least by the look of the stars."
Still scanning his surrondings, he justified that he wasn't close to Fanalia. There was no smoke in the air, just that crisp night scent of the semi-chilled air and nature. No lights appeared through the thickets in the forest, and there appeared to be no sign of life around him. No sign of..of Hitomi! How could he had so easily put her out of his mind? "Where did that strange girl go?"
He looked around, and sensing that she was not aroud, he hopped down off of Escaflowne, his boots hitting the soft mud with nothing more than a thud. He stood up straight and pondered which way to start looking. Should he take Escaflowne? What if she left..left the planet? He had barely gotten to know her.. It would be unlikely that she was transported off the planet, but at least she would be home and safe. She wouldn't have to know the pain he had, no..no pain of war. No burden of taking care of a country. She came from a strange world. A world so unlike his own. Her world smelled different, and there were no dragons. No doubt the wind blew different there as well. No doubt there weren't slow summer days, but days that were rushed and cold. He cocked his head to the sky, and it seemed that, indeed, the Mystic Moon was still bright.
Maybe she hadn't left. No yet, at least.
He couldn't help but feel relieved, and that feeling didn't go unnoticed.
[Scene II]
Hitomi felt dirty. And cold. And alone. Scared wasn't the first word. Dirty, and disgusting. Sweat had accumalated all over her, and dirt stuck to her legs and hands thanks to the new adhecent. The air sent shivers up her spine, and she couldn't help but close her eyes and lean against the trunk of the large tree. She felt helpless, and very weak. Too tired, and slowly sleep overcame her. Besides, what could she do on a strange world but be helpless?
Amano was there. Sitting next to her, who had woken up. Birds were singing, and it only seemed to be midafternoon. No night sky had appeared, and the glistening of the stars were absent. Birds chirped and whistled overhead, and the warmth was welcomed by Hitomi. She felt awake, refreshed, and most of all safe. There was no fires, no killing, and no boy with wine eyes. She forgot his face as Amano smiled his warm smile. The smile that made you forget where you were, who you were. That hypnotizing smile, with his perfectly straight white teeth, and his warm eyes.
"I was worried about you Kanzaki," he explained with that soft voice of his, full of concern. Hitomi soaked in the settings..the track. She was in her track uniform, and her sweats served as a pillow. "You took quite a fall."
"I guess," she replied, "I guess I was dreaming. It was such a sad dream. (he looked at her with intense eyes) People dying, and a boy...a boy with no past. No past could fit him. He seemed so sad, so alone..."
"Sounds like it was a sad dream." Amano agreed, his hands intertwining with the fall grass. Dead grass. Death? Why did everything lead back to death. The sky, a rich color that reminded Hitomi of champagne. (champagne dream?) Champagne, not wine. Amano was like champagne, with his kindness. Not like the boy with wine colored eyes. No rich wine eyes, only champagne Amano eyes. Eyes that didn't waver with uncertainty, and made butterflies dance in your stomach.
"So scary too. I dreamt of a dragon, a village was burnt too. Smothering smoke." Hitomi continued, her girlish voice strong and clear. Were dreams always this real? She turned to him, and smiled. "I'm so glad you're here Amano."
"Hitomi..." His voice lingered in her head, buzzing and reassuring, like that first high you get.
She opened her eyes, and over her was the scariest thing she had ever seen. Or ugly. She screamed. A large, overly large, fat..fat...oh, who knows! A man? Oh god, oh god, he grabbed her wrist..oh god, oh god, what was he doing? Get him off me, Hitomi screamed mentally, wriggling below his massive weight. He wasn't necessarily strong, just fat. His pudgy hands with claw-like fingernails grabbed her wrist and twisted it. Her hand shot opened with pain and she gasped. He licked his teeth, like when a dog sees a piece of meat. His other hand forced her down, painfully, against rocks and roots. His legs pinned her into that position, and she felt vunerable to this ghastly thing-of-a-man.
"Get off of me!! Stop!! HELP!!" She yelled. He just giggled, and made one noise or another. His glasses, which rested on his large ugly red nose, shimmered. He looked at her pendent, and DROOLED on her. "Stop!! Please, someone!"
The man flew off of her, and she scrambled away from him, taking deep breaths. And before her...before her was an angel.
(((--------(Van during Hitomis attack)------)))
"Hitomi?" Van questioned, as a scream echoed through the forest, his heart racing with a new found fear and anger. "Hitomi!"
He ran, and ran, his boots treading on the hard ground, and the only sounds of his jagged breathing. He had to get to her, she was in danger! What if..what if she died? What if..no, Van. Just get there. Fast. He used his hunting sense to remember which way the scream came from. Left, through that thicket of roses. Tiny pricks scratched at his arms, and blood trickled down his arm. Cold, coppery blood. He didn't care, what care did he? She..wait. Why did he care so much? He almost came to a stop, but fate pushed him on. The air hit his face, stinging him, but he didn't care. He nearly tripped on roots of the old trees. Again, his thoughts were of her.
Why did he care? Explain, you say? Van, no matter how ghastly his behaviour is, how arrogant his ways are- keeps a promise. He had promised to return her, unharmed, to the Mystic Moon. He promised to take care of her, now that he was with nothing. He promised that she would breath Mystic Moon air, and run on Mystic Moon ground. He had promised that she would be safe, and not know what it felt like to murder, or to know death and pain.
Who did he make this promise too?
Himself.
[Scene III]
He appeared out of nowhere. A ghost upon a ghost ship, coming from the mist like an unreal heavenly body sent to protect her. A bird swooped from his shoulder, graceful and slender. His actions were fluid as he approached them. He was a ruby in the feild of diamonds.
"Well, well. Now we attack little girls? What kind of man attacks little girls?" He stood before her, his long hair, longer than her own, cascading down his back. Long, blonde hair. She couldn't see his face, but his eyes, eyes of a bluish hue, glistened. The fat man cowered in fear before him. The man was tall, strong, and thinner than her attacker. Hitomi stilled clung to the tree trunk for dear life. He smirked, with his silkened voice sealed behind pursed lips.
He sauntered, with reassurance, over to the fat man, and whispered his deadly threat of, "Now you'll pay." The man squeaked out something Hitomi didn't catch, but sounded like, "Arren." His gloved arm flew quicker than she could see, into an uppercut, and with such power that the man flew into the air and crashed with a loud thud on the other side of the glade. Her saviour, with his back to her, walked over to see if he was indeed knocked out. And he was. One punch! Hitomi, to scared to be impressed, whimpered. "There, there."
"You're safe now, little girl." He said. His voice reminded Hitomi of ice-cream, as weird as that sounds. It was thick and creamy, and familiar. The man donned a blue outfit, with long blue paints and a blue vest,trimmed with gold and golden buttons. He wore a white shirt, with ridiculously poofy sleeves, and a pink bow that seemed to finish the outfit in a masculine way, even with that fru-fru pink bow. And at his side, that reminded Hitomi of wine-eyes, was a sword ina blue hilt. He turned around, and faced her fully for the first time. And before her, was Amano. Amano with long, shimmering blonde hair, and blue eyes. Amano, her Amano..
"Amano.." The man knelt by her, and lifted her chin in his gloved hand, and smiled Amanos smile. "Amano..I'm so glad too see you.I never thought I'd see you again..."
"Huh?" The man asked, before the girl fell foward, limp into his arms. He picked her up, her long slender legs dangling and arms swaying with his movements. "What is she doing out here?"
"Hitom-" a boy appeared from the clearing, with a heavy breathing and grabbed at his sword. "What did you do to her? ( a growl escaped his curled lip) I'm going to kill you if you harmed her.. I'll make you pay with your life."
"Don't be so quick to draw that sword." The man whispered smugly. He turned his back on the boy, who you would recognize as Van. He lets a small sigh and holds the girl closer to him, in a protective yet still gentlemanly manner. Van starts to draw his sword. "Don't draw. You draw, and you die."
"Say what?!" Van asks, shocked. Did he think he was playing around? Van smirks, his skill hidden. He was a samurai, a warrior, and he would not hesitate to take another life. It was easy to do after your first, after all. "You have nothing on me."
"A knight must meet steel with steel." He started to walk away, offending Van in more ways than one. "I don't draw to play with little boys."
He unsheathes his sword, the glowering essence of the blade shimmers in the twilight by the glade. Van lowers his head, raises it again, but with a devilish sort of smile. He couldn't loose. No, he wouldn't loose.
"How foolish." The man said, more bored than annoyed. He took Hitomi gently, and set her down against a tree. She fell limp against it, her limbs in awkward position. Van holds his position, and the man pulls a sword out from his side. He taps it against his gloved hand, and turns to face Van. Van, who was more confident than scared, tossed his head so a few of his locks would be out of his eyes. He lowers his sword to the ground, grips it with both hands adjacent to his side, and charges him. The man, however, knew Van's tactics, it seems, before Van did. With the grace of 1000 ballerinas, he takes a back leap, and flips over a dazed Van. In reaction, Van tries to turn but it is too late. "You're good...but.."
He swings his sword and hits Van in the stomach. Van cringes and throws up a mixture of spit and wine, and crumples to the ground in a fetal positon. "You were too slow. You're too good to be killed, and that is why I hit you with the back-end of my sword."
The man walks over to Van, puts his sword back into his hilt, and picks up Van with ease, throwing him over his shoulder like he was nothing more than a ragdoll. Van hands limp off his shoulder, as the swordsman bends over and looks at the seal on his sword. "Fanalia?"
[Scene IV]
"Two..." he seethes, his voice smooth and sharp, "Two of my Alseides units were damaged by those bumpkin samurai? TWO were damaged, eh?"
A cold wind blew in from the window, and the various candles in the room flickered. Dilandau sat on a throne, grinding his teeth and his lip twitching. Before him, 2 boys around his age, but in blue and black armor, knelt. A couple of feet behind them, 7 were kneeling, with another good 6 stood. All looking the same, but with different haircuts. All in the same dress, all with grim, vacant expressions, and all with their eyes facing the ground. They didn't dare test his patience today. The floor was metallic, and clinked when their leather boots touched it. None of them, though, made a sound now. They were afraid to even breathe now.
It was a Zaibach, another nation like Fanalia but was more advanced and war-like, floating fortress. It actually, in my opinion, looked like an upside down moutain, black and orange, with platforms here and wires there. Windows looked more like divits and crators in the rock, which actually was leva-stone, and the doors were hidden well. Anchors, where the guymellefs were stored, were the only visible entrances. The fortress lumbered slowly over a burning Fanalia, and inside one room was a pissed off Dilandau.
"Step. Foward." Dilandau taps his fingers against the armrest of the chair, then stands. His position is very slack, his weight more on his left side than his right, and his left hand against his hip. The two boys clambered over to him, and he raised his hand. A faint smack echoed through the chamber, and all but Dilandau grimaced. "How PATHETIC! You are a disgrace to the Dragon-Slayer name! And to think...Do you two incompetants want to disgrace my name?"
"We..We're very sorry!" Both stuttered. Their voices were higher than his, and he sneered. These two were supposed to be one of the best! Chesta and Dallet, one with white hair that was fluffy and curly, and the other with straight, longish type of brown/purple. "So sorry, Lord Dilandau."
"I won't repeat myself again," their commander said, his silver hair shining in the fire, "I won't stand for incompetance. Do you understand me? Get out of my sight."
"Thank you sir," they retreated back to the line, and he sighed. Today was not his day. He crossed his gloved arms, the leather squeaking with his movement. The dragon-slayers stood in silence, anticipating. He shook his head, and stormed out of the room. The boys side in relief.
Dilandau wore a grim expression as he headed down the narrow corridors of the fortress. His boots made a slight thud,thud,thud, as he walked through the darkened hallways. He didn't like the closed in-feeling. It caused shivers to ripple up his spine, but he welcomed the cold air that was trapped in there. He couldn't hear anything, and that in itself was a relief. All he could hear was his heartbeat, the thudding and squeaking of boots, and the echoes of his breathing. He turned, and knocked on a metal door, his destination. The door slid open, and he walked in.
"Dilandau," a man said, his voice deep and soothing, " there was no need to burn Fanalia to the ground. I want to see my stealth cloaks used more..wisely."
"I didn't expect you to say such things, Folken," Dilandau laughed his mechanical laugh (not maniacle..), that sounded fake, "after all, you betrayed Fanalia."
The man, whom he was talking to, was the Zaibach Stratigist Folken. His large figure was only amplified with his sorceres cloak on, a black with purple cloak, held together only by a pin shaped like a club like in a card set. He, in his own sense, was beautiful. He donned blue-white hair, that spiked up and out, with a rats tail in the back. His lovely pink-red eyes that burned with passion about everything, especially if it was science. He was smart, oh yes, he had to be. He was tall, and loomed over Dilandau. Beneath his cloak was a secret, but from what Dilandau could tell, his one arm was not quite right... And his signature purple tear, like he was crying for the world, annoyed Dilandau more than anything. He wanted to rip it off and watch him bleed. But, that would have to wait.
"I've got no reason to listen advice about battle," the boy continued, "from an amateur like you, Strategos."
".."Amateur"..Amateur indeed.." Folken chuckled, musing on that thought, as the entered a circular room. He lifted up three pillars in front of a large screen, from the floor. No, no, he seemd to pull them OUT of the floor. "You're too blunt."
"What's this room used for anyways?" Dilandau asked, his obvious boredom showing, as Folken pushed on the stands. Dilandau wanted to get off the subject, and onto something more his style. Gore, fire, anything but his character "flaws".
"Oh that's right..this is your first time here, isn't it?" Folken said, almost absent-mindly and not even to Dilandau himself. Both on uneasy terms, and quick to change the subject with the blink of an eye. Folken stands in the middle of the three pillars, which alignment was more of a triangle. Dilandau stood, off to the side, as an old face blinks on the screen in front of them. It's a fuzzy picture, each pixel is shown, and the man isn't young, or attractive. White hair cascaded down, and ended in odds and ends of curls. His eyes were nothing but purple slits, set in a face of wrinkles. His beard covered his mouth, and Dilandaus eyes bugged out.
"Emperor Dornkirk!" the boy fell to the floor in a clumsy action, his head lowered in respect. Folken, however, held his position, standing tall and the man began to speak in his eerie, distant, scratchy and hoarse voice,
"Folken..the shadow of the dragon that has fallen upon the Zaibach Empire has not dissapeared yet."He wheezes, and Dilandau curiously takes a peak. Folken seemed to understand the mans strange words as he continued, "The dragon escaped Fanalia. Capture it..no matter the cost."
"Of course, your majesty." The wise young man nods, and angrees to his Emperors orders.
"One more thing.." Dorkirk adds, his monitor blinking in and out, "My Destiny Predictor didn't expect the column of light to appear... ...but I sense a shift of power in it. Get rid of the uncertain elements. The dragon is within the border of Asturia. Capture the dragon to revive the legendary power of Atlantis."
What was all of that about? Dilandau questions himself, 'Dragon' again?
[Scene V]
She tossed and turned, in a foreign bed, the sheets tangling themselves in her long legs. The knight watches over, keen and aware that she is dreaming as one word escaped her lips, "Amano."
That same name she called him. Was Amano her protector? Her brother..or perhaps..her lover? Did she have one? Maybe it was that boy, that boy with black hair. He had refused to give his name, and carried the legendary kings sword with the Fanalian emblem. Was he..was he the king of Fanalia? His thought was interrupted as she stirred, and slowly opened her eyes. They were magnificent in the sunlight, the greenish shade of green. "Oh, so I see you're awake."
She didn't say anything. Her eyes wandered to the group of men sitting behind the knight. All ruffagens and scoundrels, maybe theives, sat around an open fire. One, who the knight knew as Reeden was the second to comment, "So the princess awakens."
The room was wooden, and much more open than Fanalian rooms. Much brighter, and dirtier too. She was lying on a bed, and as an automatic action, she backs away, her eyes full of terror. Another one of those..scruffy looking men adds, "Hiya cutie. Didja sleep well?"
"That's enough." The knight interjects, and groans are heard from around the room. "Can't you see she's scared? I don't blame her, waking up to a bunch of ugly mugs as yourselves is quite frightning."
"You're mean boss." Someone chimes in.
"Yeah, we ain't THAT ugly!"
"Except for maybe Pyle!" Laughter roared from around the room. She sighed, taking a breathe of fresh air, and closed her eyes to recollect her scattered thoughts. A breath-taking image, for such a young girl. How can someone cope to such different customs? Hoisted from one way of life to another. God, they didn't even have running water..
"I guess I'm not on earth." Hitomi mutters, through her lips. She all of the sudden was reminded of a movie she loved as a child. The Wizard of Oz. She herself, much felt like Dorothy, and maybe Van was the scarecrow, and this Allen the tinman....oh how delightful that would have been! Poppies will make them sleep, she thought, and mentally giggled. She was so stupid at times, and reopened her eyes to his face, merely 6 inches from her own.
"What's happened to you?" He questioned, pure concern seething from those blue eyes, "You can tell me, if you don't mind. Little lady, as a knight of Asturia, I, Allen Shezar, will protect you. You're a guest at this fort, and as it's commander I vow to protect you. It's my duty as a knight, no, as a man."
"Allen..?" Hitomi questioned him. He smiles, and the foreigner felt awkward. This felt so wrong. Where was Van? Where was he? He was..here, right? He had to be..Please, Van! She didn't seem to interested in his heroic speech, in his vow to protect her. She, no matter how much he looked like Amano, was not Amano. Nor Van. (keep this in mind, a) No me gusta Allen and b) this is a Van/Hitomi fic you baka!) She wanted some wine at that moment. Some rich, wine...reoccuring, caring, lovely, wine eyes..
"Man, how can he spout all of that out without blushing?" Reeden asked, looking at the other guys. The bald one, with an ugly scar, licked his knife, and the fat one with the ugly nose let out a disgusting belch, oh there was the skinny one with something in his hair, oh yes, they were an odd looking bunch alright. And all of their attention was on her and Allen. She felt her heart pounding, 10x louder..how can they not hear it? Was his palms as sweaty as hers?
"It's a gift." The fat one offered, and more chuckles from around the room. Suddenly, the door burst open, and a scruffy man with a poor excuse for a beard came in, and behind him two guards that held a collective hold on..on Van! Hitomis heart raced, and for a moment forgot who she was and he was, and jumped up. She pushed pass the raggamuffin man, and threw her arms around Vans neck. Vans eyes widened as he looked down at her. She was alright! She...she was okay. Goosebumps ran down his arms.
"Van.." she breathed, her hot voice forcing his hair to stand on edge. She nestled her head in the crook of his neck, and choked back a sob. "I'm so glad you're alright! I was so worried! ..I thought..I thought you left me..."
"Hitomi.." He staggered. Aw hell, what was she doing? How was she doing that to him? Making his heart race. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but unfortunatley, were bound behind his back. Maybe that was for the better. Her scent was driving him crazy as is, let alone...
"Oh..I see you know each other?" Allen sighed, standing up and smiling. Van glowered and his lips curled, and his cheek twitched into a snarl. Hitomi closed her eyes, and pushed away from Van to turn around and face him.
"Yes, yes we do." Hitomi answered, giving a reassuring smile. Van bit his lip in attempts to hold back his insults that filtered through his mind. Didn't Allen know to stick his big ugly nose out of business that wasn't his? Vans fingers twitched to hold his sword..for a rematch. There was no way this frillish man was going to downsize him again. There was no way Hitomi would want him, when she could have Van, right?
They, Van, Hitomi and Allen, sat on the deck that gaveway to the room they were just sitting in. Hitomi and Allen sat, actually, on two gothic-iron chairs, Allen leaning on his elbow for support. Van stands behind Hitomi, his arms crossed and another one of his sour faces planted on his features. The girl sat, uneasily, with her knees bent in and her hands resting on her lap.
It was a beautiful day. The sky was the bluest blue anyone had ever seen. White, fluffy clouds drifted, and the sun beated down on them, warming and comforting. It must be spring here, Hitomi mused, yet it's Fall on Earth. Birds fluttered overhead, specks against the atmosphere. From where Hitomi sat, she could see the fortress walls, tall wooden spikes alligned so straightly. The fort sat on a hill of rock and dirt, as there was no grass, but afar was the forest. She could see men from before, taming horses, sparring, and doing their daily activites. Van and Hitomi had just finished their tale, when Allen commented,
"Mystic Moon..? You're telling me she's one of the Moon's inhabitants? Are you saying she resides there?" He asked, his voice crystal clear, perfect punctuation and no words slurred. Hitomi could easily tell that he was a smooth talker, as she had heard his speech from earlier that day. Van scowled, then sighed.
"Yes," he answered, frustrated, "just as I've told you many times before."
"I see," Allen replies, nonchantley and bemused. He picks up a hilt from his side,opens it and reveals the swords crest- the crest of Fanalia. "It must be true if the King of Fanalia says so. Hmm..by the way, what's your name?"
"Hitomi, sir," she answers, (because he obviously knew Van and it was addressed to her), with that Japanese respect, "Hitomi Kanzaki."
"Hitomi.." The knight repeats, savoring the way it sounds, "It has a nice ring to it."
"Allen," Van interrupts before Allen has the chance to hit on her even more, "I apologize for entering your country without notice. So Escaflowne...please give my Guymelef back to me."
"And what will you do when you get it back?" he inquires, watching Van's roller coaster of emotions. He steps foward, and clenches a gloved fist. Will he take -her- back with him, Allen asks himself, or will I take her under my wing? He doesn't seem that interested in her, and afterall she is from that cursed planet. There are many legends stating that the people there are cursed, just like the ancient people of Atlantis. But this girl doesn't look like she'd hurt a fly, let alone be cursed and bring down a wrath of destruction upon my country. The mental battle is broken when Van answers.
"I'll return to Fanalia, " Van explains, his voice full of emotion. "I was attacked by an unknown enemy, and during the battle I was taken to this place."
"It's a waste of time." The golden-haired man tells. Vans mouth falls open, in a shocked sort of notion.
"What?! How..How can that be?!" Hitomi asks for him. They both stare at Allen intently, and the tension in the room built even more.
"Fanalia was burned to the ground. Everything was destroyed." Allen enlightens them. Van staggers back, and leans against the wall, his heart racing and his eyes full of disbelief. Hitomi couldn't believe a word either. It seemed to unreal, to much like a fairy tale. No,nonononononono.
Then her thoughts turned to Van. Then Merle. The blue-roofed castle. The forest. The people. The narrow streets and the small buildings. The dragons. They couldn't be all gone, could they?
"Th-that can't be..you're lying!" Van shouts, the anger in his voice apparent. Hitomi turns her head, and clenches her eyes shut. Maybe if she reopened them, she would be in her room, safe. Tears brimmed her eyes. So much pain in such a short amount of time. Oh what she would do to be taking an exam right now. Or even a hot bath.
Allen sighs. Of course it would be difficult to explain, "I am not lying to you, Van Fanel. A couple of my countries merchants saw it this morning. Everything was burnt to the ground, hell, there was even some smoke and a couple of small fires still present.. I'm sorry for your lost. What happened? If you tell me, I might be able to help you.."
"Van.." Hitomi whispers, reopening her eyes and staring up at Van. In return he looked down, down at tears in those gorgeous green eyes. He closes his eyes, and turns his head from her.
"Fanalia..Fanalia is gone." Van repeats to himself. It didn't sound right- it sounded almost foreign rolling of his tounge. The only question running through his mind was, 'Why?'. Before Van could grieve any further, the walls and floors began to shake. Van grabbed onto the railing and looked to the sky. Above them, in that blue backdrop, three Zaibach Floating Fortresses and other ships, circling above- blocking out the sun. Hitomi squinted her eyes, just enough to catch a glimpse of falling...falling...well, something was falling. Black dots, just barely visible against the blinding orb. She allowed her mind to wander, and for a minute she thought that those black dots, hurdling at them like arrows falling through the sky- they were those giants...those horrible, invisable giants that attacked Fanalia.
"Van!" Hitomi yelped out, her realisation a vital one, "Those are those monsters that attacked Fanalia.."
"Guymellefs! It's Zaibach guymellefs!" One of Allens' men yelled. Van could feel his heart pounding, with each second that they got closer, his heart thumping within his chest. He turned to Hitomi and closed his eyes.
"Are you sure, Hitomi?" Allen asked her, before Van had the chance to speak. He curled his lip into an unpleasent snarl, and gripped the railing.
"Of course! I saw them!" She explained, almost frantic. Didn't he believe her? A thud from the side drew their attention back to the guymellefs. And before Hitomi could blink, they stood there. Soldiers? The rows in which they stood were so straight, like dominos- black and blue- and Hitomi could just imagine knocking on into the other, watching them fall with the grace of ragdolls. From between the two vertical rows, a red figure emerged, with two blue figures behind him, holding up signs- banners, to be more exact. The way the red figure stood, he was no doubt the leader. He looked no older than Van or herself, but seemed a lot more, foreign. He had pale skin, silver hair that gleamed in the sun, and a sort of arrogance. Hitomi could always tell how someone was by the way he/she present his/herself. And he seemed arrogant, sad, lonely, but beautiful. Hitomi just watched.
"We, of the Zaibach Empire, request that of Asturias assistance." He spoke, his voice loud and flowing like velvet, tattered velvet, "We require fuel, food, and other supplies. You have a minute to comply, or we WILL have to use force."
"The Zaibach Empire is always welcome on Asturia soil." Allen called out, motioning to his fortress of wood and dirt. "Please, come in, introductions are needed."
"You serve your country well." The boy spoke, soundind a bit dissapointed. Hitomi saw him, but did he see her?
[Scene VI] (A/n: IS it me or do I keep adding more and more scenes and much more dialogue? Oh by the way, I love Dilandau..so...hehe...)
Inside, inside the dark, poorly-lit main hall of the Asturian fort, they stood. Allen's men stood on balconys of the split-level, they stood in masses, hunched over, mismatched, ragamuffins. They stood with wandering eyes, with whispers of rumors and of discontent. Whispers of death, and of unrest. A glimpes of silver flashing, a glimpes of blonde, bowing. They stood with murder in their eyes, and uneasiness in their soul. Some were bored, some were excited, some weren't even present. The crowds stood in the darkness, in the uneasiness of this whole situation. And they watched.
Inside, inside the filthy, dark, poorly-lit main hall of this shabby fort, they stood. Dilandau's men stood in straight lines. They stood with their shiny boots together, with their backs straight, and their arms paralell to everyone else. They stood in rows, hardly breathing, their eyes fixated on the same thing. They did not whisper, they did not gesture, they did not even blink. They were like tin-soldiers from the 1940s on Earth, always the same and never changing. (Like Nazis! Hitomi thought to herself, and maybe that boy is Hitler, or Stalin, or Mussolini...) Silver ever-present, silver the only color besides red in their line of sight. They stood with pride in their eyes, but with fear in their soul. Some were dying on the inside, some were ready to die for him, and some couldn't think. The lines stood in the light, and the uneasiness of this whole situation. And they watched.
But Van and Hitomi were neither of Allen's men, nor Dilandau, (or so he introduced himself as). They stood together, behind Allens men, hiding, and waiting. Negotiations over rations have been taking place for at least a half of an hour. Hitomi wanted to see, wanted to hear, wanted to get close and learn. Van told her to pipe down whenever she started speaking. They were way to polite, Hitomi thought bitterly. She furrowed her brown eyebrows and bit her lower lip, trying to stand on her tippi-toes to see the silver-haired "Demon". She couldn't. Finally Van pushed a little way through for the both of them, keeping a protective eye out for wandering eyes over Hitomi.
"H-hey!" Katz, one of Allens men, harshly whispered. Van just smirked at him, daring him to do anything about it. Hitomi stood behind Van, and placed her hands on his shoulders, tapping on of them. Her short fingernails jabbed into a sensitive spot on his exposed skin. He heard her shuffle, and finally she started to speak.
"Hey, Van...are you going to say anything?" She whispered. He shook his head, his locks shaking, and whispered back,
"It would be dishonorly to be so rude. Honestly Hitomi, don't they teach you anything?" Van snorted, in a playful sort of manner. She blushed and stepped down, and muttered something along the lines of 'males!', while tutting. She looked up, and noticed Allen looking their way. Maybe they should keep quiet? Hitomi kept glancing, feigning boredom, over at the boy. What were they saying? Why won't they speak up!? Stupid acoustics!
"By the way, Allen," She could hear him now, his voice drifting, sounding either bored or unamused, "have you seen a strange Guymelef in the area?"
"No," Allen breathed, lying through his teeth. Hitomi saw Van tense at Allen's lies, and relax when he realised (and so did she) that Allen was protecting them. He trusts us? Hitomi asked herself. She tightened her grip on her bag and leaned in to hear better. "Does this have to do with the mobilization of the floating fortresses?"
"More or less," Dilandau explained, concealing secrets. He shifted his weight, but not like he was nervous. Allen, seeing through this act, sneered. He didn't have particular fondness of the Zaibach, or of it's generals. They were different than other generals- they were machines, cold and without hears, without souls. They did as they were told, without question, without reason. No choice....right?
"I heard that Fanalia, you know the small country to the west of here, was attacked," the knight interjected. For a moment, the boys face faultered. Usually composed, pale complexion, red eyes widened, breathing staggard, heart rate up, faulter. Then it went back to its normal way. Allen noticed, Van noticed, and Hitomi noticed. Noone else. The tension of the room was broken.
"That little run-down, small, poor, lonesome, and pathetic country? That BACKWARDS so-called 'country'. Tut," Dilandau nearly chuckled and curled his lips into a snarled smile, "Perhaps it was destroyed by the dragons that seem to wander around there. It's a proper ending for such a...pliable country. Anyway, it's a country full of cowards and their king went into hiding! How silly, how...cowardly. How...Well, whatever, I don't care."
Hitomi could see Van's blood boil, his fists clench and his jaw clamp. She saw his deathly stares as she drew herself next to him. She saw his pain, his hurt, his anger. His pride. She saw the angry tears threatening to spill, the lump in his throat. The mere thought of his people..being at their end. (Were their no survivors?) Then she saw him take a shakey deep breath and sigh. He muttered, in a clear and loud enough way, "Cowards are the ones who don't show themselves in battle."
Well THAT got his attention. The boy who reminded Hitomi of a porcelain doll approached him, his strut more poised yet relaxed than anyone she's ever met. His hand rests on his hips, which seem to sashay as he smiles like the devil. His pointed teeth stick out as his lips curl up. He doesn't stop at Van, however, he stops at Hitomi. Her heart leaps into her throat and by some unknown force, she looks down.
Apparently, he isn't pleased. He grabbed her chin and forces her to look at him. He examines her- her big green eyes with long brown eyelashes, her brown defined (never plucked or shaved) eyerbows, her small full lips, her thin little nose, her brown locks resting against her cheeks, and a blush creeping the way onto her thin cheeks. His eyes narrow, "You have no apparent flaws."
"What?" Van clenches his teeth and snatches at Dilandaus hand. He missed, as to the fact Dilandau removed his hand quicker than Van could grab at him. Dilandau smirks, and turns to Van.
"If I were you," he threatened, his lower eye-lid twitching, "I'd stay out of business that doesn't involve you."
"You touching her involves me," Van snapped back, his defined mouth derranged with anger. He relaxes and laughs, "Zaibach always seems to want things they can not have."
"Van.." Allen bolted over to the three and grabbed his shoulder. Van retensed and glared at the albino, who turned his attention back to Hitomi. As Allen was telling something to Van, Dilandau leaned and whispered to her,
"I've never seen clothing like yours, little girl..Where are you from?"
She chokes a gasp of air into her throat. Her heart pounds- she couldn't tell him. He leans in, and takes a deep breath. Is he smelling me? Hitomi asks herself, tensing at the closeness. Up close, she could make him out clearly. His deep red-pink eyes, surronded by a deep silver/onyx eyelash, flashing silver-white hair, with a tiarra-type head dress. His thinned out lips, pale like the rest of him. He smiles, an evil twisted sort of grin, and continues, "I know I'm gorgeous..."
"Oh you arrogant pig!" Hitomi yells, startling all. All attention turn to the two of them, and it's so unbelievably silent you could hear a pin drop. Oh geez, Hitomi scolds herself, why did I go and say that? Everyone stares at them, and to her suprise- he laughs. A crystal clear, crazy cackle. He throws his head back, places a hand over his face, and laughs. "What?!"
"Van, is it?" Dilandau finally asks, after his fitful laugh (which noone else seemed to join in on). Van nods slowly, unsurely, and approaches them. "Your woman is funny. But you really ought to have her...tamed? Teach her some manners. If someone gorgeous talks to her, she really out to reply with something less...rude. But, they always say that the prettier the girl- the denser."
"Tamed?! HIS?! Rude?! Why I never!" The brunnete fumes, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes aflared with anger. Van, as well, looks suprised and slightly abashed. How dare he..
"Oh, well I just assumed.." Dilandau smirks, noticing their reaction to his comments, and ever-so enjoying them. Oh these two are too easy to make fun of, Dilandau thought,..so they're not together..
"Well you know what they say," Hitomi interjects, her voice full of venom, "Assumed makes an as-"
"Hitomi!" Van hisses, and she blushes and smiles nervously. The atmosphere seemed to change from tensed to easy to...something. Dilandau seemed a bit crazy, and Hitomi thought maybe he was like a crazy genius. He pivots to Dilandau, "Why don't you just get your supplies and leave, Zaibach?"
"After I get what I want." He replies, grabbing Hitomi. Van gasps, and so does the rest of the room. What is he doing? Van questions, I don't like that look in his eye, I don't like how close he is to my Hitomi..wait, my? Van Fanel, he silently scolds himself, now is not the time to be thinking of romantic little notions that are completley preposterous! Hitomi isn't from your world, and just forget it..Just think about killing Dilandau...
"Wh-what are you doing?" Hitomi gasps, watching his every move. He positions himself in front of her, and pulls her close to him. (What is he doing?! Van! Van do something!) Dilandau wraps his clothed, leather arm around her small frame, and pulls her closer. She looks up at him, as he IS taller than her, and he looks down at her, grabbing one of her hands, entangling his fingers with hers.
Van fumes.
Allen falters to move.
Everyone stares.
Hitomi believes that she is completely numb. Why wasn't her body listening to her?
'Van!' She mentally screams. 'Van! Not you! Van...'
"I want this.." He whispers, pressing his lips against her, closing his eyes. In shock, Hitomi can't move and he pries her mouth open with his own. 'Van!' Her first kiss from a demon. 'Why aren't you doing anything Van?'