Hours later Van was walking throughout the city, searching for Hitomi. But with every passing minute his hopes lessened. Up to the moment no one even recognized the name of Hitomi Kanzaki, and the few who did believed she had died along with all her family; there were even some who would refuse to talk to him about such topics, and Van couldn't blame them, it was comprehensible that they didn't want to remember such a horrible past.
Shortly after noon Van heard noise from up, and noticed some dark airships approaching, he wondered if the battle would begin then, but minutes later he noticed that more ships arrived and people descended from them calmly.
"What's the meaning of this?" Van wondered aloud and immediately ran back to the castle.
"Queen Iris!" he called as soon as he entered.
He found her signing some papers.
"Yeah, send Veron to them, he and his men know how to treat this kind of machines. Make sure everyone follows the order of the Orange Code." Iris told Mamoru.
Mamoru nodded taking the papers, he was about to leave when…
"And remember Mamoru." Iris called to him. "Don't take your eyes off them, not even for one second."
Mamoru nodded and walked out.
"What's happening?" Van asked approaching the queen. "I thought you would be in battle now."
"Battle?" Iris asked half-puzzled. "No, hell no. No if I can avoid it."
"Then those ships weren't…" Van began.
"They are." Iris nodded. "Those ships are part from the 'Last Dawn's' float that has landed a couple of miles away from Kizanka."
"But then…" Van was truly confused. "I thought that…"
"We're not going to fight them King Van, is that's what you believed." Iris told him.
"But you told Chid that…" Van trailed off, he was beginning to think there was something really odd with this woman.
"Don't even finish that thought." Iris interrupted him. "I'm not going to betray nor King Chid, nor any one else in Gaea. This people don't represent a menace, yet. They just asked for help with some damages their main-ship received, as well as for supplies, I believe they have almost finished theirs."
"You said they would try to conquer Gaea." Van reminded her.
"I know perfectly well what I said, my king." Iris told him calmly. "But I do not intend to send my people on a battle unless there's no other choice. I've always preferred to settle down things peacefully, talking out, making arrangements, no by swords or any other kind of weapons."
Van couldn't believe what he was hearing. First he was told that an enemy was about to strike, and the Kizanka Queen was putting herself in danger by being the first to face this 'enemy', and now she said they were 'talking out things'. Something just didn't seem to fit in all this. Something was wrong.
Van said nothing else, and he left the castle again in silence, trying to understand.
"It's likely that now you'll doubt me, and you have the right to." Iris murmured to herself. "But I can't explain to you, it's not the time yet."
"At this pace, the time might never come." A small voice told her.
"Then even better, I won't get to break down what little heart and soul he has left." Iris replied harshly.
"You know things could be better, if you just told him what he wishes to know." Her 'conscious' insisted. "If you just told him where the person he's looking for is."
"What do you want me to tell him? That she's buried six feet under the ground someplace on earth? Or maybe she was turned to ashes and is still floating around in the dark atmosphere of what once was our home?" she sighed sadly. "No, I can't. I just can't get myself to do it."
"You hurt him more by not doing so. His hopes fly up, and you know how much the fall hurts."
"I've fallen down too many times. And still one more is coming. One from which I don't expect to get back up."
"You speak as if you were already dead."
"I am. Just as much as the Hitomi Kanzaki the king is looking for."
And without further words Queen Iris left the room in silence.
.---.
Van was again walking around the city, but this time he wasn't interrogating anyone. Just looking around. He noticed that the metallic buildings in the kingdom's borders seemed to be closed, as if they weren't working that day. Many of the shops inside the city were closed too, and very few people walked by the streets.
"So odd. Almost like a phantom city." Van muttered to himself.
It was then that he noticed that after each few yards there was a pole with a strange light. An orange light.
"Even stranger…" Van murmured. "I remember it being yellow just a few hours ago."
Just then hw saw a men walking by and decided to ask him.
"Excuse me." Van called him. "Could you explain me what those lights mean?"
The man could deduce by the question that he was a foreigner, probably the man who some said had arrived in that metallic dragon the previous day; and so, if he his queen's guest there was no problem in answering his question.
"Those are the Code Lights." The man answered.
"Code Lights?" Van asked puzzled.
"Yes, they show us in which situation the kingdom is." The man explained. "Normally they are green. You see, there are four codes: green, is the normal one, means peace, that everything is okay and we all do our common chores; yellow means we're on alert, under menace of a possible attack, then those who live outside the walls of the capital get inside, and go to the refuges until either the danger passes or we go to war; the orange light is like a second level of alarm, it means that there's a possibility that an enemy is already between us, then those who work on the common technology close their business and go to refuges, and the few who work in the special technology related to the security of the kingdom, or the last inventions must get locked, so the 'suspects' don't find out what we're doing; at last is the Red Code, which means that we're definitely under attack, and must fight."
"But why lights?" Van insisted. "Why not just send someone to tell you the situation of the city?"
"Because if you send someone, they might not reach everyone in time, or things might get worse in their way, and besides if a war shall get going you give the enemy the advantage." The man explained. "But with the lights we all know, and as enemies are foreigners, they don't understand and don't expect us to be prepared already."
'So Queen Iris isn't really a traitor.' Van thought, half-ashamed of what he had thought of her earlier. 'She knows this visitors aren't to trust, and has her people ready for it.'
"And if I'm a foreigner too, why have you told me all this?2 Van asked suddenly.
"Because I heard of your arrival. You're Queen Iris's guest, she would never accept inside her castle someone who wasn't to be trusted. And besides I heard when you were asking about a girl from our planet, from the Earth, or as you call it: Mystic Moon." The man explained. "And also, I'm old, I can see someone to the eye and know if their intentions are good or bad."
"And what do you see in my eyes?" Van couldn't help but ask.
"Concern." The man replied. "For our queen, for the people, for your own, and specially for that young woman you were asking about earlier today."
"You know anything about her?" Van suddenly asked. "About Hitomi Kanzaki."
"I knew her mother: Harumi Kanzaki, a wonderful woman, died tragically when the first KR-47 was fired to our country, along with her husband and many more." The man said sadly. "Yes, many good people died because of those bastards. But anyway, I knew that Harumi's kids had still been downtown when the explosion happened, so they must have survived that one. I don't think any of them was chosen to be on the ship, but even so, after all the confusion there was, many people who didn't deserved it were chosen." He sighed. "And about us, I can't assure you if she was with us when Queen Iris brought us, after all many people didn't believe her when she talked us about Gaea. And if she came here, then you still have to search for her, but don't try with her last name, many of us stopped using them when we arrived here, not important anymore."
Van felt himself as if being appalled after listening to all this. All his hopes for seeing Hitomi again were almost gone.
Suddenly they heard an alarm go off.
"What's that?" Van asked.
"An alarm." The man answered. "Someone has broken into a house or a shop without permission. This is not good."
Without more words the man got away.
Van was about to make his way back to the castle when he saw the man again, this time with Susumo.
"What's happened?" he asked both.
"One of the officers from the 'Last Dawn' tried to break into one of the shops." Susumo answered. "We got it under control but I know something is wrong. I must report it to Iris, she'll know what to do."
"I go with you." Van told him.
He didn't know exactly what but there was something inside pulling him to the castle, something that told him he should be there and help the queen as much as he could.
.---.
Meanwhile in the castle, Iris was sitting on the main-chair of the table in the council-room, while listening to what the General and Lieutenant of the 'Last Dawn' ship had to say.
"We would like to take this chance to see some of your technology my lady." The General said coldly.
He spoke her title with such little respect that Riha, present in the moment, wanted to slice his throat for the disrespect against her queen.
"We've seen the wonderful architecture in your city, and we would love to talk to your architects and workers, learn from you." The man continued. "After all, as I told you we just got away from the destruction of our planet, and wish to start again."
"I understand all you say my lord." Iris said. "But don't think it necessary. My people don't like foreigners to meddle with their work, except when we sell it to them, and that's until it's done."
The man's brow seemed to twitch at the queen's words, apparently he didn't like to be denied what he wanted.
"You know we really must be allowed to see that my lady, or…" the General began.
"Or what?" Iris interrupted him a bit coldly. "Is this a threat general? Because if it is perhaps you should double-check your situation before you speak."
"My lady, even if it is a threat, you have nothing but a small country, no heavy weaponry as we do, and your guard left the room." The General said.
This words got Riha on alert, and in an instant she had her hand on a device on the door.
"Guards!" she cried out.
Seconds later half-a-dozen guards entered the room.
"I suggest you leave my palace, and my kingdom before I run out of patience gentlemen." Iris told them harshly.
"You'll regret this my lady." The general stood next to her, speaking in a language no one but he the two of them seemed to understand. "When your kingdom is in ashes, your people as my slaves, I'll enjoy torturing you."
"F--- --u!" Iris spat at him.
The guards immediately approached, but were stopped when the General threw a small capsule that when breaking let go a cloud of smoke that blinded them for a few seconds. Enough for both men to get away.
"My lady…" one of the guards approached her. "Are you okay?"
Iris just nodded as she coughed a couple of times.
"What shall we do now?" Riha asked her.
Just then the doors burst open, letting Susumo, and Van in.
"Iris!" Susumo cried out as he entered.
Iris just turned to him, it was as if with one look she knew everything he wanted to tell her.
"Riha." Iris spoke. "Go down and declare: Code Red."
Both Riha and the just arrived Yu gasped at this.
"So it is true." Susumo said. "We're really going into war."
"Yes." Iris nodded. "As soon as my brother notices it I expect he'll get all defenses up. Meanwhile Yu I want you to go with the healers, be ready for any possible mishap. Riha, once you've done what I said get to the refuge, okay?"
Both women nodded immediately.
"Susumo, I need you to get Tenkuu ready, then go assemble the army." Iris added.
"You're going to use Tenkuu?" Susumo asked, apparently taken aback by this.
"Yes." Iris said firmly.
"But it was just finished last year, and you have barely practiced in it for a few months." Yu interfered. "You're not ready to go into battle with it."
"I'm not saying I am." Iris said. "But it must be done. I won't let my people defenseless. I won't stand back, seeing them fight, seeing them suffer, seeing them die. Not anymore, not ever again." She looked like she was about to cry but stopped herself just in time. "I won't do that anymore. This people believed me capable of being their queen, I'll go show them why they chose me."
"Please, take care." Yu whispered.
"I will, don't worry." Iris told her.
But Van noticed that something between her words seemed to be a lie, there was something about her going into battle she wasn't telling them. But he just couldn't point out exactly what it was.
Just then Merle burst into the room.
"Lord Van!" she yelled as she arrived. "What's going on?"
"A hell of problems Lady Merle." Iris intervene. "I suggest you accompany Riha to the refuge, there you'll be safe." She turned to Van. "I won't ask you to stand back, because I know you will do no such a thing, I'll just ask you to be careful, I can't be worried about my people, myself, and at the same time about you."
With that she walked toward the backdoor of the room, which led to a secret passageway to the royal rooms.
"You have no need to worry about me my lady." Van told her as she exited.
And maybe it was because of the distance, or some other distraction, he didn't seem to be able to hear her answer:
"I have always worried for you…Van…"
.---.
A while later Van was standing next to one of the columns of the palace. He had seen as Susumo went away to be in charge of the army; Yu had gone to the back of the castle, where the infirmary had been disposed; and after a good time he had finally convinced Merle of accompanying Riha to the refuge.
Slowly he walked to the side of the castle, where he had left Escaflowne.
"Seems we go into fight again." Van said aloud as he approached the metal-dragon.
Just then some strange feeling called his attention, and he turned to the side, in time to see a woman coming out the castle. She was wearing a long-sleeved lavender blouse that reached down to half her thighs, with a dark purple belt around her waist; along with black pants that reached just down her knees and dark boots; also she was wearing gloves in both hands and her hair in a bun. The clothes were pretty and they seemed to bring out her slim and beautiful figure.
"Queen Iris…" Van said, surprised at her change of clothing.
Iris turned to him, as if she had listened him, it looked as if she was about to talk to him when suddenly Van had a very bad feeling; for half-a-second he thought he saw the pink pendant around his neck glow, and he immediately knew something was wrong.
"Beware!" he cried out dashing toward her.
Iris could barely move aside in time, just as Van sliced through a soldier that had been about to stab the young queen by the back.
"Thank you." Iris said, a small smile gracing her lips.
'That smile…' suddenly Van felt something, like a heat pooling somewhere in his chest.
"Are you okay?" Iris asked, worriedly.
"Yes, fine." As Van answered he finally seemed to notice what was happening. Around his neck, the pendant was still glowing dimly, but there was another reaction, it was hot.
'What does this mean?' he asked himself. 'It had never happened before.'
And maybe because he was too occupied trying to analyze what may be happening with the pendant; he didn't seem to notice the surprised and even a bit shocked expression Queen Iris was directing to him in that moment.
"Iris!" a voice called.
Just then they both snapped out of their respective trances, turning to see Mamoru.
"Mamoru." Iris greeted him. "Where's Susumo? I told him to bring Tenkuu to me."
"I brought Tenkuu." Mamoru told her.
"Why you?" Iris asked.
"Maybe to take this chance to insist you again not to use it." Mamoru told her. "We haven't yet tested Tenkuu in the scene of a true battle. You have had hardly anytime to practice, and fighting has never been your strong-point."
"That's because I don't like to." Iris replied. "But I have to. Tenkuu was made specifically for this situation. You know that even with all the others inventions we've made, there's nothing better than Tenkuu. There's nothing I would wish more than not to fight with it, than not to fight at all, but I have to." She sighed. "I can't avoid my destiny anymore."
"You once said you didn't believe in destiny." Mamoru reminded her.
"Yes, and for that I didn't believe people on Earth capable of destroying their own world without caring about anything, nor anyone." Iris replied a little harder than she intended. "If I had accepted it since before, I might have been able to save more people."
"Things are the way they are for a reason, that's what grandma used to say." Mamoru said. "As she said you would know what to do with the gifts that were given to you."
"I would have thrown them away had I had the chance." Iris spat. "But I couldn't do it, so the next best thing I can do is use them to fight. To try stop and correct the series of mistakes those men are committing."
"And what about your mistakes?" Mamoru asked in return. "When will you worry about correcting your mistakes."
"I don't think there's any time left for me to do such a thing." Iris replied.
Without further talk she jumped over a small plate-like thing that floated besides Mamoru.
Van and Mamoru followed her with the sight as she floated upwards, and next to a metal door.
"Open." Iris ordered. "Password is: Atlantis."
Van was surprised at such a password, but said nothing about it.
Just then the door slid opened, to reveal the most surprising thing Van had ever seen.
"What's that?" he asked amazed.
"It's just like your guymeleths." Iris answered from above. "Just that it works with other energy sources rather than an energist. I really don't like the idea of going around fighting dragons… So instead we use other special energy we created ourselves here in Kizanka."
Then she jumped off the floating-device and into the pilot-cabin of the huge robot.
"Come on Tenkuu." She said as she got ready. "Let's show them what you can do."
When Iris stepped out of the hangar with Tenkuu Van was even more surprised; it really looked like a guymeleth, except that it's features were more defined, almost like those of a human-woman. And instead of seeing the face of the pilot through some gaps in the front, there was a visor made of some strange pink material. Also the movements in it seemed to be more precise and natural, with other guymeleths like Escaflowne or Scherezade they were ruder.
Van stopped admiring the Tenkuu when he felt again a strange sensation, and this time it was followed by the sound of about a dozen little ships arriving.
"They're coming." Susumo said.
"Yes." Iris said through some kind of communication device in her suit. "Shields up."
Immediately Van noticed strange blue shields raising in the back of the castle and one side.
'They are to protect the infirmary and the refuge.' Van reasoned.
After that thought Van remembered he was there to help and immediately ran to Escaflowne and got inside.
"Ok." Iris said noticing him next to her. "Lets go."
In that movement dozens of small ships zoomed past them. In each was standing a man of the army, carrying weapons; it was the 'Floating Legion' commanded by Mamoru, and their transports were some of the latest inventions they had, it included a shield, fire and laser weapons.
On the ground were even more armed men; this time with some guns Van didn't seem to recognize, more laser weapons, this ones smaller though, and some even carried swords.
Van was truly amazed by everything, but this time he had no time to get distracted, he must be alert on the enemy.
Just then a ship, bigger than the rest, got in front, it seemed to be piloted by the General who had threatened Queen Iris a while later.
"As you can see general, we aren't as defenseless as you first thought." Iris told him.
"How could this happen?" the general was confused.
"I always knew you weren't to be trusted, so I sent orders to my people to be ready." Iris explained. "We aren't the best country in technology in Gaea for nothing my lord. We have our ways of doing things. We knew you were coming even before you had even decided to land on Gaea."
"That's impossible." The General said. "All our technology, we can't be located in any radar, no machine can detect us, and we can camouflage with anything."
"You can hide from any existing machine." Iris said slowly. "But not from me… Mr. Verou."
"What!" the man was truly shocked now.
"That's your name, isn't it?" Iris asked. "Sohjiro Verou, General of the Japanese Army, and part of the Alliance, and even if some don't know it, you are also one of the responsible of the creation and detonation of the KR-47."
"That's a lie!" Verou cried out.
"No it isn't, and you know it just as I do." Iris said seriously. "You've lied to all this people, you promised them a salvation, you believed that if you conquered us everything would be fine with you, but no. I, Iris Kanza, Queen of Kizanka, won't let you destroy Gaea as you destroyed the Earth!"
"How can you know about the destruction of the Earth?" one of the soldiers asked.
"She knows nothing!" the General barked. "She can't know because she wasn't there, so she can't say she knows who I am or what I've done."
"You're still speaking lies Mr. Verou." Iris said. "I do know about you and about what you did. And I do know about the Earth and what happened there because I lived there!"
Most remained silent, some gasped, not quite understanding how this was possible.
And just then the General's faced changed, from one of anger to one of surprise, and even slight nervousness, he now seemed to know exactly who the woman behind that visor was.
"Exactly mister." Iris nodded. "I'm one of the many you decided to leave behind on Earth when you made the alliance. One of all those poor persons, condemned to die along with the planet. Just that in my case it was different, I found a way of surviving, of saving myself, as well as some more people. That's why we all know what you did to Earth, and we won't let it happen again, not ever again."
"You're talking b------t!" the man spat at her.
"If I am why do you seem so nervous?" Iris asked in return. "You know I've just pulled off your mask. I've revealed before everyone who you truly are. No one in Gaea will accept you now. No one will accept a bastard that destroyed his own home and now wants to do the same with this beautiful planet."
"I can just kill you, and when other people come here I'll tell them you were the traitor. Royalty has always believed more in men than in women." The General said confidently.
Van didn't know why, but something in those man's words made his blood boil.
"Maybe." Iris admitted. "The difference is, that royalty from another kingdom is already here. Next to me stands King Van Slanzar de Fanel, from Fanelia. He knows who you are, and what you've done, I don't think you'll be able to convince him that I'm a traitor now."
"Even if we have to go against all the armies, my lady. Earth has always had the best technology." General Verou said. "You must know it if you come from there. And five years don't pass in vain, you won't be able to defeat us."
"You know, there's a small mistake in your words, you don't seem to have noticed yet." Iris said. "Many of us are indeed from Earth, and so we too know about all the technology, enough to be able to duplicate most of it. And as you say, time doesn't go by in vain, we've made many inventions ourselves. As I said before, we are not defenseless my lord. If we have to fight you, fight you we will, and believe me, we won't go down that easily."
This seemed to make the enemies doubt.
"No one can defeat my army." General Verou insisted, although he didn't seem so sure of himself anymore.
"Oh but I can, and I will." Iris said seriously.
Van stood in fighting stance, waiting for a signal to begin all.
"But I'm not as bad as you may believe." Iris said suddenly. "I know that you don't have enough resources to survive longer than a few months. So I make an offer to your people. All of those who wish a peaceful life, to work to earn their food and home, to live with us, you'll be accepted, let down your weapons and come with us, I promise there won't be any reprimands against you, as you have done nothing against us yet. It's your only chance."
"What do you think you're doing!" General Verou cried out, enraged.
"I'm giving them a chance, unlike what you did almost six years ago." Iris replied.
Suddenly Van noticed how a man lowered his weapons and turned to them.
"If we go with you, our families will be safe?" he asked.
"I promise, by my honor and life, that no harm shall come upon you as long as I live." Iris said solemnly.
"I accept." The man said.
And after him, many more. They ran by the ground, getting their families out the main ship and to Queen Iris's side before the general could even react.
"No!" he cried out. "Traitors! That's what you all are! Nothing more than filthy traitors! You shall die now! Fire!"
And so, the rest of his army, fired…
Okay, I've received various opinions about this fanfic, while some want me to be more detailed about everything that's happening, others want me to go faster and end this now. I just have to say this: this fic is already finished, and I have to say I'm particularly proud of the way I finished it. I'm not planning on making any relevant changes to it, and if you wish to know there are just three chapters missing. This is a relatively short fanfic. Hope you'll read it through to the end.
On an extra note, I've just published a new fanfic, it's a One Shot, of Inuyasha, I would be really pleased if you read it, it's called "The Trap." Thank you.
See you in the next chapter.