So is everybody this lonely when they're in love?
They'll hold onto pain deeper than the shadows?
It's all to make us shine, I just know it…
I love you,
I love you,
I gaze at you with my heart…
I believe in you,
I believe in you,
Even on the coldest of nights.
I call out to you with my tears,
But I don't need any promises…That's the precious strength you've given to me…
Chapter 2: Begging"We're surrounded." The girl Hitomi whispered through clenched teeth, not wanting to give whomever it was surrounding them a reason to attack.
One lone figure stepped forward; reviling that he was some sort of half-human, half-wolf crossover. He was dressed in what looked like a beige tunic and paints. Seeing this creature Hitomi visibly relaxed, taking her hand away from the hilt of her sword.
To Van's relief it turned out that the wolf-man -Ruhm- was a close friend to the Hitomi girl, and that they were more then happy to give the two teens a ride to F-a-n-e-l-i-a. and so that was were they were, seated upon some giant ox.
"Y-You went to the Mystic Moon? So that boy is…" asked the pact leader.
"Yeah, he's one of the people who live there." Came the uninterested reply from the girl.
"Well ain't that somethin'…" the wolf leader said, more so to himself then to either of his companions.
"Excuse me?" Van questioned, "What's the 'The Mystic Moon'?"
Rhum turned his head to the sky and pointed to the Earth that so happened to be in the sky, "That blue moon up there."
"The Mystic…Moon" Van quietly said to himself, then he saw...
Fire!Buildings were being engulfed in flames, buildings he had never seen before. They were made of wood, and the fire was spreading quickly, too quickly.
An invisible giant
Was that what was causing the buildings to catch fire?
A gleam of metal; people dyeing-
"What's wrong?" the emerald-eyed girl asked, shaking Van out of his terrifying vision.
"N-Nothing." Was his reply.
"Now that you mention it, the Mystic Moon's been a lot brighter than usual lately." The pact leader commented. They crested the hill that they were traveling up, and Van couldn't help but to gasp at the sight below them. There nestled between two cliffs was a very large town and at the very back was a magnificent looking castle. "That's Fanelia, young sir."
"C'mon, hurry up! Princess Hitomi's come back!" a five-year–old called to his friends once he spotted who was atop of the Wolf Tribe's ox. The sun had risen as Rhum and his companions made their way down the hill.
"What Princess Hitomi's back?" asked one of the boy's friends.
"Open the gates!" Called one of the guards stationed atop the massive gate, which seemed to dwarf the very large ox that they were sitting upon.
Once inside the gates, Rhum brought the animal to a stop, and the girl just jumped down, not waiting for the ladder to be reattached.
"Lady Hitomi! Lady Hitomi!" Came a shill cry from the crowed, and before Van could even blink, a pink-hared cat-girl, came bounding out of the mass of people, and latched onto said girl.
"Merle!" Came the happy greeting.
"I'm so glad you made it back safely Lady Hitomi…I was worried to death about you…" Said the cat-girl, still showing her glee in a very cat-like manner.
"Cut it out Merle! Everybody's looking!" Came Hitomi's embarrassed plea.
"I'm sorry. It's just that I'm so happy!"
"C'mon, cut it out, Merle!" Hitomi tried again.
"First wolf-men and now a little cat-girl…" Van stated to himself.
"Lady Hitomi? Lady Hitomi. Lady Hitomi…" The crowd parted, revealing four men. The oldest of them was the one who spoke. He had scares across his face, one of which completely sealed his left eye closed. Seeing the new arrivals the cat-girl detached herself from her victim, and disappeared back into the crowd.
As if on cue, Hitomi lifted up the crystal-thingy that she took from the dragon. "I, Hitomi Fannel, have completed the Rite of Dragon Slaying, have returned with a Drag-energist." The men's eyes grew wide at seeing the energist and slowly fell to their knees.
"We four bringabier generals of the samurai of Fanelia, verify this to be true, Princess Hitomi." The generals chorused together, and with the verification of the stone, the crowed then bowed. The effect was like a ripple in a still pond.
"Thanks, everyone." The girl whispered.
'She's a princess?' Van thought, totally astonished.
With the verification of the energiest, plans soon got underway for the coronation that would be held later that night.
"I love that smell! 'Melefs are the greatest! There haven't been any wars lately so I haven't been in one for while." Hurisen, General of the Claw Army, said with ecstasy, as he stretched after a quick warm up in his 'melef. "A tournament in front of the Queen at her coronation…this is gonna be great!"
"Come on, Sir! Don't push yourself! You're not a kid any more!" One of the samurai called to him.
"What the heck am I doing…?" Van brooded, in his borrowed room, in front of the window which looked out onto the courtyard, where the samurai where running around trying to get everything in place for that night's coronation. He wondered when he would be able to get back home…
"Van! Van, Keiko's looking for you! She wants you to do a tarot reading! Van!" Amano called to his friend.
"Yukari…" the black haired youth sighed looking up at the Earth." Then the pink-haired cat-girl just dropped from the roof and onto the window ledge, and started pruning her wrist. "Hey! what's wrong with coming in through the door?" he asked her." She then gave him a death glare. "W-What?" he asked. For he did nothing wrong. He was just unpacking his duffel bag, and had just finished changing out of his track uniform and into his school shirt, blazer and slacks.
"Don't get too familiar with her." She simply said, and seeing the look of confusion upon the visitor's face she explained, "I'm saying, stay away from Princess Hitomi! I don't want a foreigner like you to get too familiar with her!"
"Who says I'm getting too familiar with her?" he defended. She jumped down from the still and went over to see what he had been up to. "What are you— Hey!" he yelled as the intruder started rummaging through his stuff, sending things flying everywhere. "Cut it out, damn it!"
The girl resurfaced holding his pendent, "That's a pretty stone…" She said, in a dazed magpie state. "I think I'll keep It." She then took off…pendent and all.
"Hey! Damn it!" Van cursed and took off after the orange clad cat-girl. "Come back here! You little cat burglar!" Hearing pursuit the said cat burglar dropped to all fours, gaining speed. "I'll teach you to mess with an athlete! Come back here!" He was gaining on her when he passed a door that was slightly ajar, and what was inside caught his attention. "Wait, what was that…?" he stopped to watch.
Inside were the princess and the samurai general who had the scarred face. The girl – Hitomi- was wearing a green V-neck T-shirt, a dark leather skirt that only came to mid-thigh, and matching leather boots that came up to the knee. The samurai wasn't wearing a shirt, revealing the mass of muscle that was his torso, the scares that he had gained over the years were apparently not confined to his face, but where present on his body as well, he wore simple light blue paints, and light leather boots.
Hitomi drew her sword and brought it to a ready position, pointing its deadly tip straight at the samurai. There was a moment of complete silence before the girl charged at her opponent, releasing a battle cry. Just as she reached him, the old samurai drew his sword, and blocked her attack, and sent her sword flying.
"You're not charging aggressively enough, Lady Hitomi! Came at me like you mean to kill me!" the large man scolded.
"I don't like mortal sword combat." She replied, averting her gaze to the floor.
"Lady Hitomi, it's a poor thing for the person who is to be the ruler of all of Fanelia to hold such weak sentiments!"
"It's not like I'm becoming Queen because I want to."
"Lady Hitomi!
"We have a visitor." The samurai said once he spotted Van standing in the doorway.
Van looked around and seeing that the large worrier meant him, he stepped inside. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to snoop."
"Oh, it's you." The princess snubbed.
"Yeah…That's the problem with you foreigners…No manners." Came the cat-girl's voice from outside the room.
"Hey! Gimme back my pendent!" Van demanded, as the blue-eyed cat-girl stood up from sitting on the floor. She accorded to this, and practically threw the pendent at him as she ran passed him into the room. "That little…"
"Lady Hitomi!" the newest arrival cheered, and flung herself into said girl's arms.
"I've heard what happened." The general said to Van. "It would seem that Princess Hitomi owes you her life. After the coronation ceremony, we will do all that's in our power to find a way to return you to the Mystic Moon."
"R-Really?"
"A samurai of Fanelia never lies."
The wolf tribe was headed home after bringing the two teens to the capital city, and after they did some trading with the local merchants. Their caravan sporting new goods that the village would need.
"Weird…Something smells funny, but I don't see anything." Pack leader Ruhm commented to himself, "Must be my imagination."
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Yes it is that time again. Now lets see a show of hands of those who thought that I was kidding about having the intermission.
Come on now
Don't be shy
But yes, I am going to continue with the intermission, so once again this is the time to go get a snack, drink, or go to the little boys/girls room. Unless of course you are wearing an adult diaper, then this is the time to check to see if you are in need of a new one…
DISCLAIMER: I think that I will start a tally of how many times I can say that I don't own/profit form this, and never will.
(This makes 2)
A/N: I told ya that this was going to be one that will not be updated too frequently, and probably won't till after my other story finishes… But I am alive and am working on this off and on, but I got more of a workload this semester of school, so this has been put on the far back burner.
A special how ya doin' to: mlc, -Sweeping Shadows-, Macky, Inda, Baloney, and Dragon Star16, for being the first people to review and;
Baloney - the reason that Van's last name is Kanzaki in this is because I refuse to give him Fannel, because that would be wrong, have both Van and Hitomi having the same name at the begging of the story. And Kanzaki was kinda available.
-Sweeping Shadows- - please stop slapping yourself. I except constrictive criticism, that's how I learn. And you are right, I should have had more description, it's just I forgot. XP I hope that this chapter is better in that aspect.
mlc- ya, I liked that part too XD
RF (Random Fact): In case you were wondering what Merle rifles through in Hitomi's bag: a pouch, lipstick, compact, cotton puffs, lotion, antiperspirant, pager, sewing set, nail clipper, 2 tissue packs, 2 handkerchiefs, 6 tampons, 6 pain-relievers, 9 cut bandages, student notebook, 4 textbooks, socks, undergarment, 2 sports towels, shoes and shoes bag, t-shirt and shorts, jersey, ("DIscoman") CD player, headphones, batteries, and 2 CDs (including one by "trff"). – escaflowne. Incidentally, a pendulum needs to be over a meter long to swing an entire arc in one second. On Earth, at least ...
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
It was finally time! After twelve years, Fanelia was going to have a Queen again!
Everyone gathered outside the palace walls, except those who were in one of the armies, they were privileged to be in the courtyard, where the ceremony was to be held.
"I wanted to see Lady Hitomi all dressed up…" whined Merle, as she tried to climb on people around her to try and get a better look.
"Hitomi Fannel, Queen of Fanelia." The priest said in his raspy voice, which surprisingly could be heard the witnessing crowd. "I bestow upon thee this sword as proof of thy accession." He held up said sword, like an offering, and Hitomi – wearing a blue kimono trimmed with gold – reached out with her right hand and grabbed the sword.
"I'm really looking forward to tonight's party" commented a samurai, on sentry duty at the front gate, to the other on duty.
"You gonna try talking to that girl?" the other asked.
"Yeah, you bet." He confirmed. Something in the distance wavered. "What was that? Heat weaves?" he asked, as he tried to what was there.
"What's up?" the second guy asked as his buddy was trying to see something against the glare of the sun.
"It's nothing."
Suddenly three long pieces of twisting metal came flying at the two like an eagle's claw, killing them instantly. Then the metal claw spun and completely destroyed the gate, leaving a gaping hole.
"What happened!" asked a unit leader, once he and his unit approached the demolished gate. They could see creators being made, gaining ground toward the city, as if some giant entity was approaching the city.
"What the…? What's coming?"
But nothing was there.
"I-is it a demon?" one of his men asked as they raised their weapons.
BOOM
They had arrived.
"What's going on down there?" a guy asked as a cloud of smoke and dust rose from where the gates used to be.
"I see smoke…" a woman commented.
"Is there a fire?" another asked concerned, because his house was near that area.
"ENEMY ATTACK!" cried a samurai, as he rode up on a horse like creature. "It's an attack! Get the women and children to the mountains behind us!" he reigned his horse around. "All you men, prepare for battle! Clear the road!" he hollered, as he was to report this new development to Balgus.
"An invisible enemy?" The large general inquired.
"Balgus!" Luva, the leader of Fanelia's Tusk army, questioned waiting orders.
"Hold them off with your 'Melef's. Luva, Hurisen, Asona. I'm counting on you." Balgus ordered.
"Yes sir!" they coursed.
"What should I do?" Hitomi asked, coming up to Balgus. This was the first time that Fanelia had to take immediate advisee maneuvers against an enemy attack since the late King, Goau Fanel, Hitomi's father was alive. And she didn't want to make a mistake.
Lives were on the line.
"Take your guest, Lord Van, with you to the shrine."
"The shrine?" she repeated.
"Yes, Majesty, should it prove necessary, take the Escaflowne and flee." Hitomi just stared at him, was he serious? Flee a battle and awaken…
"Escaflowne…?"
Then Pandemonium broke out.
"First Calvary Unit, to the castle gate!"
"Guard the western road!"
Running
Running
Everybody was running to the cliffs that surrounded Fanelia, only that Merle didn't want to leave her new Queen. So she fought the tide of swarming people. "Lady Hitomi! Lady Hitomi! I'll stay with you and fight!"
The castle cook, whom has the day off, and was in the crowd out side of the castle gates to witness the coronation, spotted Merle, "What're you doing, Merle! We have to get out of here!" Seeing that the half feline still wanted to help fight where she would only get in the way the cook, picked her up and carried her to the safety of the cliffs.
"Lady Hitomi!"
Man down.
Man down
"Show yourself, coward!" Asona, leader of the Horn Army shouted out of his Guymelef. "Where are you?" Something behind him caught his attention. "Bastard!" he yelled as the enemy's weapon sliced through his guymelef and his mid section. "Only a coward would strike from behind…!" the 'melef fell to the ground, pilot unable to support the massive weight of the suit of metal and gears.
"General!"
"I'm sorry Balgus!" he whispered, as his lifeblood poured out of him.
…
Another man down…
There's the Bastard. Hurzen, the leader of the Claw Army charged the intruder that he had spotted. The enemy saw him coming and fired straight at him, cutting right through his 'melef's cockpit, stopping Hurzen right in his tracks.
"I can't die like --" but alas no mortal can ever hope of ever over coming a loss of that much blood in such a short of time.
They were the Queen's last line of protection. They would fight to the death, as long as their new queen would be safe. Their leader, Balgus Ganesha, one of the Three Master Swords Men of Gaea, they would follow to the ends of the world. His strength was known far and wide, and his strength was famous. He was the only known man who could take down a Guymelef with nothing more then a sword.
A very large sword, where the handle was half the length of him, and should have belonged to a guymelef.
The inside of the shrine was pretty plain. Van was standing in the doorway, unsure if he should enter. On the far wall there looked to be three caskets, and on the floor there was a spiral platform, which the Hitomi girl was standing on. She had shed the large and cumbersome ceremonial robe and was wearing her green V-neck T-shirt, a dark leather skirt, and matching leather boots.
She drew her new sword, looked it over a bit, and pressed her left thumb against the sharp edge. Bright red blood started to drip from the cut digit, onto the energist that she held in her left hand. What surprised Van the most was that it looked like the gem sucked up the blood, like one of those vampires, always thirsty for more. She then raised her hand with the energist, which then started to glow, and said, "I, Hitomi Fanel, new Queen of Fanelia bind myself by blood pact to thee, Escaflowne!
"Thou sleeping dragon, awake!"
At first nothing happened, but then the platform started to move. Around and around, faster and faster, to the point where Van had to look away in fear of throwing up.
Through his closed eyelids, Van sensed a light, coming from the direction where the girl was standing. When he opened his eyes he saw a pink pillar of light starting to surround the girl, who was being –for lack of a better word- caressed by a wind that seemed to be created by the platform. The light continued to grow until it reached the ceiling, where a very large rock hung. How the rock was up there, Van could only guess. Then to his surprise the rock began to break, slowly reveling a white Guymelef thingy.
"That's…That's what I saw in my dream!" Van exclaimed.
He opened hiseyes to find everything on fire. Two giants were fighting each other with swords. One was a magnificent white, the other a blood, blood red.
The girl had lowered her arm, which held the once glowing pink gem to her side and had stepped back to make room for the white mechanical suit of white armor, which fell from the ceiling with a surprising soft sound. The thing landed in a kneeling position with one knee higher then the other. The girl then climbed up onto the raised knee so she was then level to another pink jewel that was in the same spot that a human heart would be. The green-eyed girl then placed the gem that she had retrieved from the dragon and put it in the crystal-heart, which at first looked very solid, but her hand easily went in it, like it was made of JELL-O. The crystal heart began to glow once she had removed her hand, and it began to pulse as if it were truly the thing's heart, and now with the gem and the girl's blood, it could truly come alive."Good." Said the new Queen.
The cockpit opened with a hiss and Hitomi climbed inside, placing her newly in-trusted sword on the floor inside.
"Wait!" Snapping out of his stupor, Van called out, "What're you gonna do?"
She got into the alien machine and sat down on the seat provided, "Fight them with Escaflowne." The front panel closed with a hiss. She placed her arms into the controls, which adjusted automatically to her size. "Good, it's just like the ancient texts said…"she tested the response of the controls, forming a fist and lifting the arm. "I can work it!" With that the white machine armor stood up, almost reaching the high ceiling.
"That's Escaflowne…?" asked Van, not really knowing what he was expecting, but his imagination was not disappointed.
The visor on the machine opened and Van could see Hitomi's face. "What do you think you're doing! Go and hide!" something shimmered in the open doorway. "They're here." She muttered to her self, and shut the visor in anticipation of the inescapable fight that was sure to commence. She reached behind her and pulled out Escaflowne's sword, and took a fighting stance.
"Where…? Where is it?" Van thought aloud. Then he saw it, or he thought he saw it, but he knew that it was there. "Hitomi! To your left!"
""What?" she looked, and there was an arm pointed strait at her!
"Look out!" Van yelled as the enemy shot three liquid metal like blades at Hitomi.
Hitomi blocked the attack easily, and sent sparks flying, as metal met metal. She then sliced the weapon, sending blue flames throughout the room.
She charged.
"You're not getting away from me!" she challenged, and slashed at the only thing of the enemy that she could see, the arm, it blocked. The wind from her attack blew back what was hiding the mysterious attacker, "A Guymelef?"
"It's… It's the one of the giants I saw in my dream!" stated a dumbfounded Van.
The enemy guymelef formed a sword with its liquid metal weapon. She attacked again, this time managing to slice off the arm. Van felt more than saw the second enemy enter the shrine. "Hitomi! Behind you!" but he was too late, she couldn't turn around in time to block the attack that was aimed for her. But the attack fell short. The arm of the guymelef had been sliced off by non-other then Balgus. "Balgus!"
"Balgus?" inquired Hitomi as she finished off the first intruder.
"Lady Hitomi! Take Lord Van and get out of here while you can!" Hitomi turned around to look at her long-time friend and advisor.
"I won't turn my back on an enemy and run away!" she then charged at the newest threat.
"Lady Hitomi!" Balgus cried in frustration, as she continued to fight the guymelef. The guymelef raised it free hand and struck at Hitomi. Balgus blocks the attack, standing on Escaflowne's shoulder.
"Balgus?" Hitomi asked, marveling at his super-human like strength. He pushes the attack away and jumps over to the other machine, and thrusts his gigantic sword through the cockpit.
"Lady Hitomi!" he scolded.
"Damn it." The enemy guymelef fell to the ground, pilot dead. She turned and went to pick Van up, knowing that Balgus was right. Like he always is. "We're leaving! Grab on!" she gently picked him up in her free hand, and then ran out side.
Fire!
Everything was on fire!
"All right Balgus… Retreat…!"
The great samurai was struck by the enemy
"Look out Balgus!" Van warned as soon as the flash vision had shown him the great worrier's demise. Balgus turned to look at the strange boy, but all he could see was the approaching blade of the foe. He could not pull his sword, from the guymelef of which it sat, in time to block the attack. The blow struck deep and he lost his balance, landing at the feet of the legionary white guymelef. "Balgus!"
"Lady Hitomi…"the fallen general said using the last of his strength. "Take Escaflowne and flee… And someday… return and rebuild Fanelia…" he could feel death descending, "Reunite the people of Fanelia!"
And so were the last words that the greatest samurai that Fanelia had ever come to see.
"BALGUS!" Hitomi cried, and collapsed to her knees.
The enemy guymelefs appeared around them; they were surrounded.
"No… No! No!" Van chanted to himself. He hadn't been in this world for more than twenty-four hours, and already the one person to show him kindness, had died. And now it seemed that he was going to become someone's slave.
His pendent started to glow…
Their homes were going up in flames. Their army had been decimated. And their Queen could not be found.
Merle stood atop of the cliff, among the other refugees and watched as their livelihood when up in flames.
Suddenly a great pillar of light shot up to the sky. It appeared to have originated from in front of the sacred shrine, where the royal family laid to rest.
Then as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared.
What did this all mean?
Where was Lady Hitomi?
And what about the strange guy?"
"Lady Hitomi… Lady Hitomi!"