Reflection
Runaway
Disclaimer: Guess what! Escaflowne doesn't belong to me!! Isn't that amazing?!
Time Frame: The story is set three years after the end of the anime.
Author's note: Ta-daaa! Here's the update!!
Chapter dedication: This chapter is dedicated to
A Karswyll: I sure am "plagued" with that infamousquestion too! Besides,I don't think I would make a gooddeity, so I don't eventry to pretend I was one. - but thanks anyway!
strangedream: Thanks to you too! (but I still think my English could be much better -.-) In my opinion, there's not very much action in this, but I try
InBlack: I proudly present: the NEXT CHAPTER!! Have fun with it!
as a humble"thank you" for the reviews. Hope you like it!
REFLECTION
Part 02: Runaway
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Darkness.
That seemed to bet he main subject of the furnishings in the great room. This cold, overwhelming darkness that surrounded everything and the thick curtains only increased the threatening impression. The figure in the black cloak sitting at the desk that was only illuminated by a flickering lamp either didn't care or failed to take any notice. The man's whole attention seemed to be attracted by a stack of papers spread across the whole desk. With a deep frown, the cold eyes travelled across the lines. The almost graveyard-like silence in the gloomy room was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Enter." The cold voice cut through the still, cold air, obviously irritated at the disturbance. A young man in a dark blue coat entered the room and bowed deeply before he went over to the desk and laid down several documents.
"We were able to fiund object number 006, Foruma-sama."
"Indeed? It took long enough." No emotion could be heard in that voice as the cold eyes eyed the man in front of them.
"I do apologize, Foruma-sama. But the aftermaths of the war hindered our research a little. The documents contain everything we were able to find out so far", he said, pointing at said papers.
"Very well. Now, leave." The man nodded and turned to obey.
"Barn." Foruma's voice stopped him.
"Yes?"
"Prepare the laboratory, and send someone to take the object."
"As you wish, Foruma-sama." Barn bowed once again and left. Foruma was alone again in his silent, dark room, and an insidious smile appeared on his face.
'Soon everything will be as it was supposed to be...'
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She was floating.
Around her was nothing but blue darkness, embracing her. She felt almost weightless as if she was drifting in a place where gravity was insignificant.
'Where am I?' she asked out loud, but her voice drowned in the blue and black darkness that surrounded everything.
Come here... come to me...
A voice inside her head. She looked around, but there was just... nothing. She was alone.
Come over here...
Her eyes narrowed as she tried to recognize anything that could tell her where exactly 'over here' was. Then she saw it.
A light!
So tiny that it could hardly be seen even if she fixed her gaze on it, but it definitely was there. And it pulled her towards it like a magnet.
Don't leave me here all alone...
The light became bigger and brighter with every step she got closer, and the voice became clearer, louder, and now she could hear it outside her head.
'Who are you? What are you? Why are you alone?'
I am alone... have always been alone...
She had almost reached the light now and was able to shadowy recognize a silhouette. But as she got closer it felt as if she had run right against a wall. She couldn't move any further!
Come closer...
'I can't! I can't reach you!' She hit her fists almost desperately against the invisible barrier in an hopeless attempt to make it shatter.
Of course you can... You do search for me, don't you?
Suddenly something pulled her away from the light. She desperately tried to hold on to something that prevented her from leaving the light. She didn't want to leave, she wanted to stay...
Find me... Serena...
Everything went dark.
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"...ena! Serena! Wake up!"
A strong hand shook her awake and she opened her eyes slowly. They seemed to refused slightly to adjust to the soft light of the morning sun. She recognized her brother's blurred shape above her.
"Allen...?" she asked sleepily, her brain still seemed to be half asleep.
"Is everything all right? You shouted in your sleep."
"I did...?"
"Yes... you said you couldn't reache someone..."
"I can't remember anything."
That was a lie. She remembered her dream, but somehow she didn't want her brother to know about it. Why? Her thoughts were interrupted by her stomach's rumbling. Allen laughed.
"Get dressed and come down for breakfast, alright?"
Serena nodded, and her brother left the room.
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The sunbeams shone on the table and shifted when a cloud covered the sun. They were like dancers dancing to a tune only nobody else was able to hear.
Serena's eyes were fixed on those merry sunbeams while she was picking at her food. By now, she wasn't hungry anymore somehow.
"What's up, Serena? Are you not feeling well?" Allen's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"No, everything's all right," she said casually as she absent-mindedly turned her gaze on her brother. She eyes him thoughtfully as she wondered if she should ask him. She had asked him so many questions to this topic already, but the answers had never been satisfying.
What was he concealing? What was kept a secret from her by everyone?
"Allen? Can I ask you a question?" she finally sighed.
"Of course." He looked at her exptectantly. Serena bit her lower lip as she phrased the question in her mind.
"What is connecting me to Dilandau Albatau?"
Allen stared at her. He stared at her for so long that she began to suspect he wouldn't answer at all. But he pulled himself together and smiled at her, slightly insecurely.
"How did you get that idea something would connect you?" he tried to change the topic.
"That's not important. Just answer my question, Allen. What connects us?" She had no intention to get off that subject this time. She finally wanted an answer! She wanted to know the truth, no matter what this truth was like.
Her brother watched her silently for a while before he thought of an answer and answered calmly.
"Nothing."
Liar.
Serena wasn't sure whether it was the voice telling her this, or if she knew by herself that this wasn't true. She shook her head.
"That's a lie." At these words, Allen frowned.
"Why should that be a lie? There's no connection between the both of you."
"Then why do you avoid all the questions I ask you about him? Why does everyone change the topic as soon as I talk to them about it?"
Why does everyone know about it but me?
"You're just imagining things, Serena. We don't know anything about him, that's it."
Serena knew he was lying. She studied Allen's back as he got up and cleared the remnants of the breakfast.
Actually, he didn't look bad. The long hair shimmered in the sunlight, and he was almost always kind. Maybe a bit confining sometimes in his efforts to protect her from everything he considered 'bad', but that was just his way of showing that he cared for her.
But sometimes he went too far in protecting her.
She didn't want to be protected constantly as if she was a little girl who couldn't cope with life on her own. She finally wanted to know what kind of connection was between her and the commander of the Dragon Slayers for she knew for sure that this connection existed. It was one of the few things she was sure of.
And she would figure it out, and if she had to search on entire Gaea for the answer.
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The clattering of hooves resounded with the mountain range as the riders gallopped along. They had been riding for several hours like this, following the directions their superior gave them. The foam flew freely off the horse's mouths and their bodies were soaked in sweat as their riders urged them forward.
The horse's legs trembled from the strain. Now they reached the mountain's edge and the superior ordered to stop. He turned around to face his men.
"According to our informations the object we are to search for is situated in this town. It is to be brought unhurt to Foruma-sama under all circumstances, when necessary by force. Understood?"
The men nodded in unison and the superior turned around again.
"Very well. Now, follow me."
With these words, he mounted his horse, and the group rode down the stony path that led down to Palas.
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Allen sighed.
It was noon by now and he had returned to Fort Castelo long before. Since Serena's return he always came home after his duty was over. He didn't want her to be alone.
She acted strange lately. She would often just sit there and look into the mirror all the time, as if she was expecting to see something in there. She asked im many questions about Dilandau of whom he had only told her that he had been a commander. Just that couldn't have directed her attention on him, could it?
Or had she figured something out?
At this thought, a chill went down Allen's spine. How would she take it in if he told her she had been stuck in the body of a murderer for the past years? Would she feel guilty for the murder Dilandau had committed?
Allen loved his sister. He didn't want her to feel bad, on no account, and if she felt guilty for Dilandau's crimes she would feel bad in any case. But Serena urged him to give her satisfying answers more and more, and he wouldn't be able to continue with changing the topic and telling her things that were only half true for much longer.
He had to tell her the truth before she did something stupid and tried to find answers on her own initiative. What was he supposed to do?
Allen cursed under his breath.
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Serena stared at the sky and watched the clouds roaming across the light blue. The grass she was lying on tickled her at the back of her neck if she moved her head.
If her brother would see her like this, he surely would scold her. A lady didn't lay on grass, least of all if that grass was still the slightest bit damp of the morning dew. And for today was no especially warm or sunny day, the dew hadn't entirely disappeared yet.
Allen. Why was he always evading her? Why didn't he tell her the truth?
She sighed. No matter how many times she asked, Allen would always evade to give her concrete answers. The only one who would probably give her at least partially true answers was probably Dryden Fassa, whom she knew superficially, but she could hardly just ask him. He was travelling around in his merchant ship after all and nobody knew exactly where he was now.
But where else was she supposed to get answers?
Van Fanel would probably know it as well, but she couldn't get to Fanelia so easily without her brother accompanying her. Besides, the people there were busy rebuilding their city. Nobody would have the time or the nerve to answer her questions.
It would be most logical to search for answers where Dilandau used to live – in Zaibach. But how was she supposed to get there? Allen would never allow her to travel there. And if she decided to ride she would need several days – and she would have to go through Dragon Valley. That was dangerous, especially since she knew absolutely nothing about fighting.
What lead her to the question why she had been on a battlefield at the time her consciousness came back.
Serena got up. Even if the trip was dangerous, she had the feeling she was doing the right thing. But how could she get to Zaibach?
If she traveled by airship, Allen would knew it the very second she set foot on the landing field. He would get there instantly and take her back home, no matter how much she protested. She wouldn't get something out of that, so the last choice remaining was riding. Allen had several maps in his study. She was able to read maps, so she would less likely get lost even if she didn't knew the way to Zaibach exactly.
She looked down and looked at the dress she was wearing. Somewhere still had to be the clothes she came back in. Those fitted better for things like this than a dress. Allen had probably put them into his wardrobe, and it was perfectly in her right to take them, after all, they belonged to her, didn't they?
Determinedly, she rose and went back into the house.
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It was dusk already as Allen got home. He was earlier than the last time, and luckily it didn't seem as if it would rain tonight. He didn't feel like getting totally soaked again. He hurried anyway; Serena would certainly already await him. He smiled as he walked, whistling, the way up to Shezar Manor.
But when he opened the door, his whistling died away and he looked around, surprised. The house was so silent that, after the twittering and chirping of the birds outside, one had the impression to get hit with silence. He frowned.
Where was Serena? Normally, she would come down to meet him once she saw him on the way leading to the house. This time that didn't happen, so she was either not at home or she didn't take any notice of it.
Allen bit his lower lip. Not to take any notice of his return was just not Serena's style. She would always come, even if she was angry at him to take him to task. So she had to be away.
"Serena?!" Allen called out, worried. Maybe something happened to her? "Serena, are you at home?!"
No reply.
Cursing, he rushed to the kitchen, maybe the cook was still there. She often stayed a while longer than the other maids, and she would certainly know what was going on here.
But the kitchen was as silent and empty as the entrance hall had been. Allen's searching gaze fell onto a sheet of paper on the kitchen table. He rushed for it instantly; maybe it was a message of Serena?
The hope rising up in him for a second disappeared instantly as he read the few lines on it, written in Serena's neat, round handwriting.
Allen,
it can not go on this way. I need answers to my questions, and for you are not willing to give them to me, I will search for them somewhere else.
Don't worry, I can look after myself.
Serena
Allen's heart skipped a few beats.
"Oh my god." he whispered horrified.
......
... to be continued
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Yeah, that's it for now. What do you think?
The next chapter will probably be uploaded late. I still haven't finished the german original - damn that writer's block to hell!! - and I won't start translatingas long asit's unfinished. Sorry.
Anyway, I hope for some reviews, and I hope you enjoyed reading this story!
See you (hopefully) next chapter!
Cassiel