Disclaimer:  Sadly, I do not own Escaflowne… I still have the restraining order to prove that.  I do however own the original characters that are mine (hence, the Protectors) and the other characters (anyone besides Scott or the Protectors) are not mine, they are the property of whoever created them, so check the below AN to find out. 

Author's Note:  Sorry for the long delay in chapters, my readers!  I hope you all haven't forgotten me.  I had some problems to help resolve and it took a long time not to mention this performance I'm doing tomorrow.  I have a solo!  Okay, enough ramblings.  Oh yay, the third chapter!  Hehehe, this is where things get interesting people!  Be prepared!   Who's the person from the last chapter and are they alive or not??  Well, let's see.

Sisters till the End

This is dedicated to Pablo/Cecil because he is such an awesome writer and he has inspired me to go farther.  Thank you Pablo/Cecil for your awesome story and your awesome talent!

Chapter Three: Rise and Disbelieve

~Scott's POV~

Ugh…

Am I still alive?

The thought crossed my mind as I came back into a world of vivid colors.  Their brilliant vibes sending my retinas burning as their abusive colors forced themselves into my eyes and made a permanent mark in my brain.  Slowly the colors began to form shapes that were reflected into my brain so I could make sense of what I saw.  At first I couldn't make sense of my world, the colors still swirling together, that was until like some freaked out ride they all melded together into something that was strangely familiar.

The sky was dark blue as if it was made up of the most expensive sapphires in the entire world, all glittering beautifully as the light of the diamond moon reflecting off their smooth clean cut which made them glitter like small lights were alight inside of them.  Never before had I seen such a sky-unpolluted and with a moon so big… I felt like he could just reach out and touch it.  How weird.

That was when I realized why the moon was so big.

Just behind the large diamond-like moon there was another sphere, larger then the first but just barely shadowing it.  From what I saw there was a familiar pattern of white mist upon the blue and green surface of the sphere.  No way, I thought as I recognized the pictures of the planet I called home-Earth.

Oh God, I think I'm going to be sick, was my first reaction.  Then I was hit by the wave of curiosity-damn that stubborn piece of human nature!  It always set in at the time when I wanted to freak out.  Where am I?  Why is Earth hanging in the sky?  Then the final stage of reason set in.  I must be behind the moon… because of that smaller sphere, it must be the moon, since it has craters and all… then that's why I can see Earth, because I'm behind the moon-why hasn't anyone seen this place on satellite yet though?

Furious as my stubborn nature, I tore my head away from the brilliant sky and moons.  The pit of my stomach was turning, like the feeling when you know something is recognizable but can't place it, and my nerves firing with a tingling sensation.  Why was this so familiar?  Why can't I stop but wonder about where I am?  I yelled at myself. 

Did I notice her before?  No, I didn't think I had.  My eyes suddenly caught sight of a vision before me.  Never before had I seen someone like her.  She was so different; I don't know how but there was some sort of aura around her that I could feel-something like when you watch a play on the stage and you can feel the actor's auras as they repeat their lines, that emotion you feel as your heart skips a beat when someone dies on-stage, the same sort of elegance and grace that you feel when you're looking at a piece of old art work.

Now, I was never one to notice girls.  I was always being teased in collage and graduate school because I never looked at girls or even thought about them.  While out at lunch and a total babe happens to walk by every guy in the restaurant would turn and stare while I continued eating.  Was I aloof?  No, just not interested.

So the reason why this girl, for once in my life, caught my attention was a total mystery to me.  It was strange.  I felt different… not only did her aura help with that but just the sight of her made me feel like it was an out-of-world experience.

Her long hair was spread out around her, as if she had been falling before she landed where she was now.  I was sure it must've come down to her waist, maybe a bit shorter, but I could've bet money on that.  Thought the slightly curled ends made me rethink my guess a little I still would've bet anyone that was around.  Her skin was like elephant ivory, pale and luminous as it was exposed to the moonlight.  It was like walking upon a sleeping fairy so peaceful in the night. 

Her eyes were closed and her chest moved up and down as she took in steady breaths of air.  Sure she was all right and no medical attention was needed, I watched her a bit, basking in her aura with a sort of heart-felt pride.  I memorized every line of her elegant face and I was sure that there was nothing I was at a loss for.  She was beautiful.

I was a bit confused about her clothes though-I had never seen anything like them.  She wore tall black combat boots, like the ones the army wore back home but only the actually length of the leg of the boot was taller.  The soles were big and chunky, looking heavy like iron but gave a sort of commanding appearance.  She also wore pants, but I wasn't quite sure on what sort of pants they were. 

They were baggy, hanging off her waist like a parachute does a diver after he has landed, and dark in color.  Stained by mud and dirt I wasn't sure if they were blue or black or maybe even a dark violet, but whatever color hey used to be they were now black by no mistake.  Made of a weird material, like nylon, they hung of her thin frame and held lots of pockets at random places.  I couldn't tell if she held anything in them or how deep they were but they were definitely designed for quick access to whatever was stored there.

Yet what was the most confusing thing was her top.  It was nothing like a medieval tunic or the latest fashion of bell sleeves back on Earth.  It was more like a mixture of tunic, armor, and belly shirt.  It was skin tight starting right above her belly button but proceeded to become looser as it extended up to her shoulders until it was practically hanging off her.    

As the extra fabric folded over to make sort of a scarf, the sleeves became skintight once again and ended in bell sleeves which covered her hands.  Over the black material there were strange pieces of fabric that sort of glittered.  They were placed over her upper arms, forearms, and on her stomach.  I started to reach out to touch the piece on her stomach, utterly confused as to why fabric would glitter, when suddenly her hand came flying up and grabbed mine.

~Zorya's POV~

            I lay there in the beautiful moonlight and just relaxed my body. I couldn't believe I had actually done it.  I, Zorya Aradia Belok, actually controlled the sacred Dragon's Eye, the most powerful tool in all of Gaea.  My destiny now lay in front of me, the one I was to fulfill with him. 

            He lay next to me, peacefully sleeping, still not aware of where he was or what was to happen to him.  I could've laughed at the naïve way he slept, flat on his back, chest open for anyone who wished to kill him, no chance of survival…

            That was, if I didn't decide to take him in.  My destiny was that of two paths, one with or without him… I still had that choice.  I knew it would be coming up very soon.  Was it pity that I felt for him jut now?  No, it was the slow ebbing of the future coming into my senses.

            Suddenly I heard him wake from his slumber.  Did I really hear him?  Of course not, I knew by the way I felt the soft grass beneath me shift slightly, his soft sigh of waking from a peaceful sleep, and the way I sensed his reaction as he stared up at the sky.  Stupid fool, I thought as I let him go through his scenario, cursing the naïve moron.  Did he really think that if he was seconds from death he would wake up and everything would be a dream?

            After some time had passed I felt him shift his gaze onto me.  Oh, damn him.  You don't look at me, I thought, trying to keep my face totally blank.  No one ever looks at me.  His gaze shifted over me but there was something light to it, not like those hard stares that made you uncomfortable, it was almost like he wasn't trying to stare.  Still, the act made me angry. 

            I felt his gaze rest on my face for a while and this bothered me.  What was he doing?  It wasn't like I could just open my eyes and ask-I was supposed to pretend to be asleep.  After that his gaze shifted to my stomach and I knew he was taking in my clothes.  Probably wondering how he can get them off, the bastard, I thought.

            Slowly his hand began to reach out towards me.  Without thinking I reached out and grabbed it, crushing his wrist within my powerful grip.  Startled, he looked down at me to see that my eyes were open and my face was a mask of controlled iciness.  I could just read the thought going across his mind, "so her eyes are dark sapphire… like the midmorning sky…"

            "Move away," I hissed, my voice low but carrying a powerful tone.  I released his hand and found that he moved away.  I watched him as he lay there, looking at me.  Finally he asked the obvious question.  "Who are you?"  He asked.

            "You need not know that information just yet," I said as I sat up.  "We must move."

            "Well, I'm sorry, but I sort of need to know because I can't just call you "girl" or "hey you"."

            I rolled my eyes.  I still had my choice but I wasn't sure if this was the time when I was to take it.  Just get him to the village, I thought.  "Fine, but whisper it to anyone but yourself and you will find yourself dead in seconds."

            "O-kay, touchy."

            "It is Zorya, Zorya Belok."

            "Well, Zorya, it's very nice to meet you.  I'm-"

            He was cut off and I hauled him to his feet and started dragging him from our spot.  I knew that others were out to get him so we couldn't stay for long in one spot.  Poor dog, doesn't even know how important he is.  "Whoa, hey!  What's the deal?"  He asked.

            "I know of your name, Scott.  Now move, we cannot stay here long."

            "Why?"

            "You will know when you need to."     

            I released his hand and he followed behind me, his legs pumping fast to keep up with my pace.  Inside I sighed-could this really be the person who was to change Gaea?  I didn't know but I wondered if maybe there was some connection…

            "So he's finally come," said a woman from the shadows.  She watched as the woman and man walked through the field below her.  She gave a devilish grin as an idea popped into her head.  "I'll just follow them and then report back," she said as she followed the retreating forms with her eyes.  "I'm sure Tanon won't be too upset with me, especially if I find out more then what he knows."  With that she disappeared.

*~*~*~**~*~*~*

            Kat walked the halls of the Vione with Nicole and Alex at her side.  "I don't know, you guys, we really don't have the authority to do this," Alex said.

            "Screw authority."  Replied Kat.

            "Kat, hold up.  I mean, I know this is all part of the plan but you can't just go busting into there and take whatever you want."  Nicole said, trying to talk sense into her friend.

            "How come other people can do that?  I'm sick of being excluded so we're going in there and getting what we need."

            "Yo, slow down.  What if we get into trouble?"  Alex asked.

            "Then we get into trouble.  They can't do anything to us, Alex, so stop worrying.  We're not their soldiers.  We have more power then they'd ever dream of.  Therefore, we don't answer to them."

            Nicole only shook her head.  She just hoped her friend wasn't doing something she'd regret later.

Author's Note:  Ooo, yet another cliffhanger!  Who's the stranger in the shadows, what's up with the Protects, and why is Kat all in a huff about something?!  So many questions!  Well, that's the third chapter people so I hope you liked it!  Review and you get the fourth chapter faster and possibly some answers too…

~The Shadow That Takes Form as a Kat~

~~ShadowKat~~