Disclaimers: I do not own Escaflowne or the characters, only the plot and the characters Ashley, Mary, and Jessica.
Haned Megami soshite Tenshinranman se Kyuui
Chapter Thirteen
"Mary!! Stay away from Dilly's present!!" Ashley exclaimed walking into her room only to stop short when he friend was slowly peeling away the wrapping and folding it nicely. Mary dropped the present in surprise before stuffing it behind her trying to look innocent.
"What present?" She asked, Ashley put a hand on her hips and glared at her, dark violet eyes shining in amusement. Mother figure written all over her if possible, Mary scrunched her nose and played with her red hair nervously.
"It's three days till Christmas, can you wait till then to ask him if you can play with them?" Ashley asked taking the present from behind Mary and re-wrapping them. Jessica came into the room, a hickey clearly showing, she was pouting.
"I don't know how to cover these with make-up like May does." She whined and sat on the bed with her compact and other stuff. Mary giggled and started to do the make-up to try and hide the hickey.
"Oh, let me guess a really tall, handsome and blue eyed blonde wonder slayer gave that to you as an early Christmas Present?" Ashley asked putting the present for Dilandau in yet another hiding spot.
"Oh, I'm sure that wonder would be me?" Gatti stated walking into the room in his slayer uniform, Ashley glared at him and walked over.
"And Pray tell where the hell have you and Viole been for the past two days, not to mention Miguel for two weeks!!" She asked raising an eyebrow. She wore her now traditional tight khaki pants with knee length black leather boots, and a dark violet tunic that laced up at the chest in black string. Her hair left to trail around her as she glared at him through thick black eyelashes.
"A secret mission entitled, get supplies for Ashley and her lady friends or we all die horrible and painful deaths before Saturday." He then presented her with a large bag filled with stuff he had gotten for them.
"Oi, Gatti you all are life savers!!" Jessica exclaimed getting up from Mary's make up job and took the bag from him. Gatti turned to leave only to stop and turn around a bit to look at Jessica again, a slow smile spread across his face.
"Nice hickey." He stated before leaving the room, Jessica stopped short her dark green eyes going cold as she grabbed one of Ashley's pillows and promptly trying to smother Mary with it. Ashley took one look at the 'make-up job' and laughed loudly.
The hickey was outlined in red lip liner with black eyeliner in the inner circle making a smiley face. Ashley fell onto the floor laughing and pointing at her neck trying to gasp out what was so funny. Jessica took one look at Ashley, then went back to trying to murder Mary. Any passer byer would have thought them mad, but if you knew them personally, it wasn't a thought it was a well known fact on the Vione.
"Lord Dornkirk, we should not bring her to this, or them for that matter. Their powers are still suppressed it may cause them to go mentally insane. This must not be taken lightly." Folken finished, some of the Dragon slayers stood behind him and Dilandau.
"I suppose you are correct, you have until the month before the eve of Kurai's sixteenth birthday, that gives you almost two years." He stated and ended the transmission. Folken ran a hand through his hair and sighed, closing his crimson orbs he groaned and heard the shuffling of the slayers feet.
"When do we train them?" Dilandau asked boredly, his voice drawling a bit, he was tired, bored and annoyed.
"Two days after Christmas, we'll train her friends as well, wont draw attention to ourselves." Folken answered and exited the library, his long black robes trailing behind. Dilandau thought a minute before nodding, looking at his men they were anxious to be let off. With a wave of his hand they all left to go their separate ways.
"I wonder if she'll like her present." He murmured to himself and headed to his own chambers for a quick nap.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!" Ashley yelled as she skidded into the mess hall, the large pine tree she and Chesta picked out was decked out in white, gold, and silver ribbons and small knick knacks they all thought looked cute. A pile of presents were under the tree and then some for everyone.
"Merry Christmas Ashley." Folken said from a small table where Mary was sitting sipping a cup of coffee. Some people were anxiously waiting for her to wake up, it was hard not to rip the paper to death.
"Ok, you all listen up!!" Ashley chirped, her dark violet cotton night gown swished as she moved against the metal floor in her bare feet. "Ok, everyone get your Secret Santa present and give it to the person you got when you drew." She smiled as everyone scrambled to give out presents. She grabbed her present she sat on a table, well more like presents and handed the ones on top out. A dark green cloth wrapped in neon green ribbon was given to Jessica. It was a new outfit, she was complaining about not fitting in so Ashley bought her one. For Mary it was wrapped in deep crimson cloth with bright red ribbon, a sword of her own, light enough for a woman but sharp enough to cut through sheet metal, she personally tested that one out.
She gave Folken his gray wrapped present, a set of potions and such, he wanted to become a very wonderful sorcerer and she'd break her arm to help him. After the Dragon Slayers got various things from her, she stepped up to Dilandau who was sitting at a table in his tanned pants and loosely worn beige shirt half open.
She bit the inside of her lip as she held the present out to him smiling a bit. He looked at her surprised before accepting it. He grinned at the largeness of it as he pulled out two small packages wrapped in purple and lavender. Ashley rose an eyebrow as he quietly handed it to her. She smiled and sat on the chair closest to him and timidly opened the top one. He wasn't opening his own present but he kept watching her facial expressions.
"Well, open it faster!!" He exclaimed causing Ashley to jump and grin.
"My aren't we rather impatient." She teased before taking the cloth off and making a funny squeaking noise. Inside was something she didn't think he would ever believe to buy for her. Inside was the most beautiful blue colored liquid she had ever seen.
"It's beautiful..but what is it?" She asked feeling rather stupid.
"It's a perfume, all the rage in Freid." He stated smiling at her, no one seemed to notice they were to busy with their own stuff.
"Awe!! Thanks!!" she exclaimed and opened the second box but it was more rectangular. It was a pendant, held on only a thing silver chain with a tear drop like gem in a clear blue water like aqua color. Her eyes widened and she kept making funny faces and moving her mouth open and closed like a fish gasping for air.
"I take it you like it?" He asked almost hopeful.
"No." She stated and looked up at him, her eyes were a bit misty. "I absolutely love it!!" She exclaimed and practically catapulted herself onto him. Hugging him around the neck her head in the crook of his neck. He grinned and hugged her back.
"I'm glad." He stated as she pulled back blushing, she held out the necklace which he took politely and pulled it around her small neck. She held her hair back as he clasped it so it wouldn't fall off. She looked down at it and smiled.
"Well, then open yours!!" She exclaimed happily grinning as she still sat on his lap she didn't notice that when she was hugging him she totally kept sitting on him. But, not that they minded, but someone else in the room did.
Dilandau smiled and opened his just as carefully as she had, folding the cloth and ribbons as Ashley bit her knuckle trying not to open it herself into smaller shreds. He stopped as he pulled out the sword and the dagger set. Ashley waited as he looked at it and though a moment. Normally he would have killed someone to have given him a new sword or daggers since they were making fun of his choice in weapons. But, this time he didn't do anything but marvel that someone thought about him that much. He looked at Ashley's anticipating face and smiled down at her.
"I love it." He caught himself saying and mentally hoped none of his men saw this. But, he should have hoped the over protective brother didn't see it before he was whisked away by his own love Mary.
"Really?!?" She exclaimed happy, he nodded and she almost squealed if not for the odd looks she would have received. She beamed happily that she didn't screw something up and thought a minute.
'What if he's just setting me up for something?' She asked herself as she watched everyone exchange their gifts. 'But, he's letting you sit in his lap.' A part of her mind told herself as she sat there pondering. Ashley blushed a bit at the thought and giggled to herself.
"What are you laughing about over here?" Viole asked coming over and setting an arm load of presents on their table. Ashley took Dilandau's cup of coffee and drank a bit of it as he glared at her. Giving it back to him she smiled and turned to Viole who smiled at them knowingly.
"So, you guys have anything planned for today?" She asked and smiled at Chesta who was having fun with Jessica and Gatti. She rose an eyebrow as Gatti kissed Jessica on the neck and wished she had that too.
Mary even had someone before her. Made her feel rather pathetic, not that she thought her friends were beneath her. She had been here longer and they had practically just gotten here and they had someone and she didn't. If she could have stomped she would have. She sighed a bit sadly and thought a minute. She thought back to all the things they had done, all the things they had seen, all the things and emotions she felt. Then Ashley realized the stupidest and most obvious thing of all she had been pondering over. She was totally and utterly in and out of love with Dilandau Aboltau.
'He couldn't possibly love me back. I bet my brother just scared him into being civil with me.' She thought and sighed sadly. Standing up she thought she heard Dilandau unconsciously protest as she gathered her gifts and turned to them both.
"Thank you for the gifts…I have to go..get dressed.." She mumbled and left the mess hall ignoring Jessica and Guimel as they watched her leave eyebrows furrowed and eyes a bit strained.
"I'll go.." Chesta offered and left as everyone waited for his return.
Chesta found Ashley in the training room messing with the sword she just bought with Folken's money. She was doing movements she had watched the Dragon Knights do from time to time, almost getting them right. She wasn't a master but pretty good.
Chesta walked in, she was dressed in a pair of black leggings and a tightly white sports bra and knee length black leather boots. Her sword made odd swishing noises as it cut through the air like butter.
"Ashley?" He called out, his innocence always amazed everyone. Ashley stopped slicing and sheathed her sword. Chesta smiled as she approached him, sitting down on the dirt floor she didn't care about the dirt on her pants. Chesta sat down beside her, legs crossed Indian style. She laid down so that her head was in his lap and he stroked her hair affectionately. "You want to talk about it?" Chesta asked her, she nodded a bit troubled, her messily done ponytail shaking everywhere.
"Well, I have a rather odd confession to make, and I trust you enough to tell. Marry and Jessica would either tell their boy toys or try to set it up. I don't want that." She mumbled and played with his black night pants. "See, I'm in love with a man that cannot possibly ever love me back. It makes me sad, I've never loved someone so much, besides Mary and Jessica and they can't exactly help my frustrations." She started. Chesta continued running his hands through her hair as she poured her heart out to him.
"Who is this lucky man?" He asked her even though he knew the answer, everyone knew.
"You promise not to laugh?" She asked a bit nervously.
"Nope, I wont laugh."
"It's, Dilandau…god I totally love him." She murmured staring at the dirt floor no longer playing with his pants. He chuckled softly and yet continued to play with her ponytail.
"You should tell him because I have a slight notion that he loves you too." He said slyly. Ashley got up and looked at him, she smiled at Chesta and hugged him tightly. Pecking him on the cheek she stood up all the way and turned to him.
"Thank you Chesta, you are so sweet!!" She exclaimed and left the room. Chesta smiled and stood up. Now that its settled he could go back to the party.
"Ok, what have you called us here for?" Dilandau asked Folken. He had been itching to just go to bed. He stared boredly at Folken who was stalking around.
"You've been called on a mission to get the Escaflowne. You all leave now, take Jajuka with you." He stated sighing annoyed. Dilandau nodded grinning, able to get revenge on Van for the scar. The Dragon Knights followed their leader to their suits to gather the Escaflowne.
It had been two days and no one had seen or heard from the Dragon Knights. Ashley and Mary dazedly walked through the steel halls and boredly looked for something stupid to do. They passed Dilandau's throne room and stopped as they heard Folken speaking. Pressing their ears to the cracked door they listened intently on the conversation within the room.
"You dare to defy me?!?" Folken exclaimed. "Your mission was to take the Escaflowne without killing anyone." He scolded, and suddenly there was a rather pained moan and something akin to boards cracking.
Entering the room to get a better view they stood in the doorway, before entering as they watched Dilandau squirm in the air while Folken walked towards him clenching his hands. Mary noticed that every time Folken clenched his hand Dilandau moaned in pain. Ashley seemed to notice this as she growled low in her throat and looked at Mary.
"Stop it, you'll break his arm off!!" Ashley yelled running into the room, her white tennis shoes smacking on the steel floor as she ran towards Dilandau. She was dressed in her traditional gray shorts and white tank top. Hair in a high ponytail; since Folken's concentration was breached Dilandau was let off the hook. Ashley ran over to him and cradled his body to hers as she checked him over. He was wide eyed, drenched in sweat, and twitching. The dragon slayers watched her scared out of their wits as Folken growled.
"Get out of here, Kurai." He hissed. Ashley thought a moment, he never called her Kurai anymore, so why now. He must have lost it, Ashley swallowed hard getting angrier and angrier by the moment. Finally snapping her head up to look at her brother she was horrified to see a small violet energy wave crash into Folken sending him through the bolted throne and onto the wall behind it. The soldiers flinched but remained kneeling.
Folken bravely got up and came forward again as Ashley blinked, she didn't mean to do that, and while she was thinking about it, how the hell did she do that. She didn't understand and Folken took this time to send his own red energy wave at her. She glared and held up her hand, palm outward as the attack went back and headed straight to Folken.
"Stop it!!" Mary yelled stepping in front of the energy wave and held her own hand out. Once the energy hit her it dissipated and ended. Ashley glared and Mary glared right back.
"Mary, don't get in this." Ashley murmured.
"I love Folken and I'm sorry but anyone who opposes him has to go through me too." She stated trying to get Ashley to see. Ashley growled, glared, and coldly helped Dilandau stand up.
"Fine." She mumbled and let Dilandau drape his arm over her small shoulders. "The dragon slayers are free to go." She stated in a commanding tone. Guimel and Gatti came forward and took Dilandau from her, them leaving but the others staying to back her up in case she needed it.
"Kurai, you must understand what our real mission is." Folken said in a deep monotonous tone that scared her. Mary stood by Folken on the stairs as Ashley stayed in the middle of the room.
"But, our mission is to free Gaea." Ashley stated clearly confused yet still getting angrier.
"No, our mission is to kill everyone and everything, including the planet itself." Folken stated almost cheerfully. "See, the Winged-Goddess has appeared on earth and her wish is just that. You have also appeared, though you are only a fragment of the Winged Goddess of Innocence and Peace." Ashley opened her mouth yet closed it quickly as she thought a moment.
"Who are the others?"
"Ever wondered how your friends got here, it wasn't just their magic, or yours. Gaea was calling them. It was Gaea's will that brought the Goddess together. You are here to make sure the world lives. Though, with you on our side the world would have died for sure." His crimson orbs got a glazed far away look and Ashley blinked.
"I want the world to die as well, but with our powers we can resurrect it to be reborn and start from scratch." Ashley stated her opinion.
"No, if the world is to die it should die and never come back." Mary stated, her voice was far away and not really hers but then again hers. Ashley glared sadly at Mary and her brother.
" You have to join us." Folken stated coming down the stairs and crossing the way to stand before her. Setting his firm hands on her shoulders he stared her in the eyes.
"Let go of me." She said coldly and shrugged out of his hold.
"You must embrace your destiny." He stated. Ashley let out a raged cry and turned around, stalking over to him mad as a bull, she brought her hand back and slapped him as hard as she could. Granted she could have punched him but slaps are more forgivable.
"This is not my destiny or my will, this is what you think it is. I make my own destiny, and no one, I mean no one is going to stop me. Not Family..not even friends." She said this last part directed towards Mary who glared at Ashley.
"I back her one hundred percent." Dilandau stated come up behind her already gathered his composure and everything. The dragon slayers nodded and Folken let out a frustrated scream.
"Leave now, I never want to see you again!!" He screamed.
"You will dear brother, just before we kill you." Ashley swore as they stalked out and to their rooms to pack.
Half an hour later Ashley stood near the Dragon slayers, her entire room packed in a caravan like thing as everyone packed their suits. Guimel was helping Jessica pack her things as she sat there. She and Dilandau had already put their stuff in his leg compartment. Jajuka left for Zaibach's capital that morning to see if there was anything that could help their situation.
"You ready, we've got to clear out of here by midnight." Dilandau asked. Ashley sighed and looked around her room sadly. It was bare now, except the black carpet and dark walls. Sitting on the floor she looked up at him, he was dressed in his armor now and she was dressed in slightly warmer clothes but not heavy ones. They needed to be light incase they ran into trouble and had to move fast.
"Yeah, how's Jessica taking it?" She asked him, Dilandau's eyes flickered to the side a bit before they landed on the darkened sky outside the bay window.
"She's good, a little upset but not much."
"The one thing that scared me…was that I never fore saw any of this. Normally I have like a vision or something stupid right before it happens. But, this time…nothing…it just…happened." She furrowed her eyes together and sighed a bit. Standing up and stretching a bit she noticed that Viole and Guimel were there.
"It's time to go." Viole said, his voice was low. Ashley sighed, it was her fault they all had to leave. She felt awful now, this had been their home and the other dragon slayers were their family. She took that away, well it was her actions that took that away from them, her brother was the one kicking them out.
"Ok, lets go." Dilandau stated Ashley nodded and everyone filed out. Ashley looked towards the showers she learned had curtains her first day there. Smiling she looked again towards Miguel's room … her first night there with the guys. They walked down a few more hallways and turned right into the hanger. Jessica was directing the dragon slayers and prepping them for the landing point. They were going to the outside border of Zaibach.
"M'kay men, suit up!!" Ashley yelled. Jessica looked at her and smiled a bit as Guimel's suit grabbed her around the middle and jumped off the landing.
"God please let this be like a roller coaster…." Ashley mumbled as Dilandau's suit took her up into the air. About fifty feet in the air Ashley gulped and looked around, she looked behind her to see Dilandau staring at her. She winked before turning around, that was when they stepped off the docking bay door and flew through the cool air.
'God this is much worse than a fucking roller coaster!!' Ashley screamed in her mind and nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a slight bit of turbulence. As they neared the ground she could identify dark trees in the night. Dilandau directed his suit to tuck her under its other arm as they crushed through the sturdy trees and landed loudly on the ground. A few more thumps were heard as well as the hissing of their compartment doors opening.
Ashley was lowered slowly, she stumbled a bit before falling on her butt, she was a bit dizzy from falling but would be ok. She looked around to see everyone safely getting out of their suites. Jessica was trying to keep her balance with Guimel's help who was laughing. She heard Dilandau talking with Viole about their tents and sighed, this was gonna be one hell of a trip.
Mary hummed softly to herself as she thought about what happened. She had never seen Ashley so pissed off in her entire life of knowing her. Also she had never seen Folken so beast like and wild. This didn't make sense, but she didn't care as long as Folken was a live and happy.
"Hm, wonder how they're doing…" Mary mumbled to herself entering her quarters. Folken was sitting on the bed in the dark, his robes were draped over a large black straight back chair and his shirt was discarded on the floor. His head was in his hands and he was murmuring to himself.
Mary closed the door quietly and slowly made her way over to him. Sitting beside Folken on the bed, he looked at her when she touched his flesh covered shoulder. He smiled at her but his eyes weren't smiling, they were crying sad tears. Mary bit her lip and her deep orangish eyes softened best they could in a situation like this. She didn't really know what to say, basically, they had both just lost a friend, as well as a sister. Folken had lost much more though, he had lost a pupil, son, sister, and his top dragon slayer men.
"I'm sorry." Mary murmured rubbing his back soothingly as he snorted and glared at the blood red walls. The black silk sheets under his fingertips felt cool to his hot skin. "Besides, I have a feeling we'll be meeting very soon." Mary said in a cheery voice. Maneuvering her body so that she was straddling his waist she pushed his shoulders down so that he was laying down on the bed. His crimson orbs just studied her as his hands snaked around to firmly grasp her waist.
"I know." He murmured and sighed as Mary began to kiss up his torso till finally reaching her final destination; his soft lips. They kissed for a while just laying there together kissing. Mary figured he needed her just as much as she needed him, therefore would give him the moon and sky if he asked.
In a matter of an hour the five dragon slayers and the two girls had the five tents up and a large bon fire ready. Jessica was in charge of cooking with Chesta, Ashley tried to help but miss calculated a piece of flaming meat she tried to get off the roast pit and when she flicked the piece of meat it sailed through the air before landing in Dilandau's lap. He wasn't very happy after having to strip down to his white wife beater and tighty whiteys just to get the flaming clothes off his skin. Nothing serious was burned but damn it was close.
So, Ashley was busy setting up the tent she shared with Jessica. They had made it so that it was long ways and they each got half. One side was full of Ashley's stuff while one side was full of Jessica's stuff. Turning on the last kerosene lamp she blew out the match and smiled. It looked cute and would suffice for right now, and right now alone. But later it would be hard to move again, with the war and everyone heading to attack Zaibach they'd be caught in the middle.
Not that she or the others minded, she just wasn't looking forward to what would have to be done. Shaking her head she sat down on her bed and looked at the picture Jessica had in a frame on her bed. Taking it and studying it she sighed. It was the picture Mary's mom took of all three of them at the fair. They were wearing matching outfits only their tank tops were their respective colors. They all had bunny ears and were bent over each other sloppily hanging on each other for a short balance.
That was probably the best day of her life. Putting the picture down Ashley curled up on her bed with a white pillow and cried into it. Muffling the sound she cried for a few minutes before falling asleep, everyone sat outside eating and wondering why Ashley the food lovely psycho didn't come out when they called her.
"There's smoke down there." Gaddes called out, Allen came forward and looked through the periscope. Zooming in on the ground below he could make out a few figures dressed in dark suits.
"They're Zaibach soldiers." He called out, Hitomi sighed and looked at Van who hadn't been the same since that Ashley bitch had been there.
"Should we investigate?" Van asked suddenly interested.
"Yes, we should try and find out why they are on the outskirts and not within Zaibach." Allen stated, glaring out the window and sighed.
"Fine, lets land this thing in that clearing and take our men down there." Gaddes instructed the crew. Some ayes sounded as the ship began to descend from the heavens and towards the earth below. The ship shook as it landed and gave one final creak signaling the ladder door had been lowered and is ready for the scout party to depart.
Allen's little scout party walked towards the groups just in time to see a half naked girl run after another half naked girl. The place was dead hot so naturally everyone wore light clothing but these girls were bare foot, wearing short shorts, and odd tops with strings and showing large amounts of cleavage. The violet haired girl who's hair was in a high bun dripping and sopping wet as was the other one laughed highly as she tried to grab the smaller and much faster jade haired girl with her hair in a high ponytail.
"That's Ashley!" Van hissed and came out of the clearing just as Ashley swiveled again to catch her friend. They both laughed and kept chasing each other, Ashley tagged the girl and the girl turned to slap Ashley back. That was when Ashley turned around and stopped, she stared at Van a moment before blinking and running at him at a fast pace.
"Oh my god Van!!" She yelled and hugged him tightly, Van ignored her wetness and hugged her tightly to him, both rocking back and forth. She pulled back and noticed the scout party.
"What are you all doing here?!?" Chesta yelled coming over to them. Ashley smiled at Chesta and he stopped near them.
"Van, meet my friends, Chesta and Jessica. Chesta…Jessica this is Van, my brother, and his friends." Ashley introduced them still hugging him only standing on his left side.
"Well, nice to meet you again Princess." Allen stated through a tight jaw, Ashley chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, so nice to see you again finesse boy!!" She exclaimed. He growled at the name as Merle laughed her tail off. If anyone could annoy the pretty little ass off of blonde wonder knight then they were perfect in her book.
"What are you all doing here in the woods?" Van asked, slowly the group moved to sit on the logs they set around the burnt out fire. Ashley sat on the grass as Van sat on the log. She was situated between his legs and leaned back into him, her arms resting on his knees.
"Well, to tell you all the truth, Ashley and Mary over heard Folken torturing Dilandau for some reason and she went in to help break up the unnatural torture. She got mad at Folken and accidentally sent an energy wave into Folken. Folken sent one right back at her and she reflected it, Mary stepped in front of it and caused it to dissipate. Folken told Ashley their real original plans and she didn't agree. Mary agreed with the plans and Folken tried to tell Ashley it was her destiny. She got mad, slapped him, and he got pissed and kicked all of us off the Vione." Chesta summed it all up, Van hugged Ashley from behind and she closed her eyes. After waking up this morning with a head ache from occasionally crying in the middle of the night she wasn't about to have another head ache.
"Well, what was their original plan?" Allen asked from his perch diagonal from them watching the brother and sister intently.
"Their plan was to use the Winged-Goddesses wish to destroy the entire world, without bringing it back. But, since we were fragments of the Winged Goddess of Innocence and Peace, we were to destroy the Winged-Goddess and either keep the world as it was, destroy it, or destroy it and bring it back." Ashley replied. She looked from each person before looking at her hands. The only Dragon Slayer there was Chesta the others were hunting for the time being.
"But, Hitomi's the Winged-Goddess…" Merle stated.
"We know this, its our destiny to destroy each other for the good of mankind on both Earth and Gaea." Jessica murmured.
"Yeah, yeah, but in the mean time how about we…play a game?!?" Ashley proposed jumping up. All the while smacking Van in the nose with her hand as she jumped up. Standing there she surveyed the group still thinking of a suitable game to play with them.
Note: Omg…it's done..after a year..Xey you better like this damn it..lol Please R&R!!!
~Koori~