There and Back again

GA1: Right yea... five hours to separate 10 FREAKING CHAPTERS!

SD: O, calm down its not the end of the world...tell you want I'll do the next set.

GA1:...

SD: Sometimes you are so silly!

GA1: -.-

SD: ANYWAYS, enjoy people, the fruits of her hard labor. And please review, review makes her happy, and I need her to be happy or else she won't work for free!

Disclaimer: We, in no way what so ever, own Escaflowne. It is owned by the respected people who wrote it, and thus, paid for its production. Suing us won't get you much. Maybe the cloths off our backs, and that piece of pocky…but you have to fight the dog for it. We do how even own out respective characters, and changes in the plot line.

Spirit Dancer: Aiko, Shiva

Glass Angel1: Ayane, Fira, Merlin, the Providence Children and any other character that I must create for the production of this story.

All rights reserved.

Summary:

Not just an ordinary retelling of Escaflowne. Two girl's wish away their lives of family abuse, only to find their wish answered. Destiny plays its hands hard as these two friends find themselves caught up in a war of a world they barely know, only to be torn apart along the way. Will they be able to overcome their trouble pasts, and save this new world for its own destruction? Or will their pasts become its means of destruction?

Category: Action/Adventure/Romance

Character info:

Aiko & Ayane: 16

Age changes have been made to the following characters:

Dilandau: 17

Shesta & Gatty: 17

All other Dragonslayers: 16

Van: 16

Folken: 26

All other changes will be noted, if not then nothing on those characters have changed for the making of this story.

xVxVxVxVx; same place different point of view

xXxXxXxXx ;scene change

italic; vision

XoX ; Flashback

Chpt. 2 Destiny's Dice

It was the chirping of small birds that woke Aiko up. Her eyes winched, as a headache pulsed in the back of her head. It took her a few moments to focus onto the ceiling. It wasn't familiar to her, for a moment she though that she was back in some hospital, but the memories of what had happen to her that night slowly began to replace themselves in her mind. Allowing herself a few seconds to adjust to the morning light, Aiko began to push herself up into a sitting position using the headboard of the bed to keep herself up. There was a slight pain in her right arm but she ignored it as she came face to face with a teddy bear that sat on her stomach. Its small little black button eyes looked at her half fallen over, Ayane's. She looked to her right, but only found her dress that had been hung up on a line in front of a newly lit fireplace. When she looked to her left, she found Ayane curled up in a chair next to a large, open window. She was wrapped up in a blanket, with her head resting on the windowsill. The sudden creak of the door made her look forward again, as the cat girl's head popped in from the half open door. Aiko ignored her. She probably just wanted to thank her anyways for saving the boy that she had clung to the night before.

Damn…another attempt failed… Aiko thought as she saw the cat move in the corner of her eye. She looked down at her arms, and mentally cursed again. Damn it…... I'm going to have to break the scars again…... The red scars that had been on her arms when she and Ayane had left earth, were now replaced with smooth white line. Something that she was used to seeing. Looking up at the cat girl again, Aiko found her gone and the door closed. A rustling sound drew her attention to the two bags that had surprisingly come with them, and found feline going through them, pouring stuff out when she saw something interesting.

"Hey! Catgirl, don't go through that!" She yelled, and stood up, even though it took her a while. The catgirl was going through a pine green duffle bag. Next to it, laid a black bag. Aiko watched as the thing looked at the compass that she had pulled out of her bag. Aiko's eyes widened. "No! Don't touch that!" The cat girl looked at it again, and threw it behind her, and continued to search through the bag. Aiko picked it up, and sighed. I might as well wake Ayane up…… Merle got bored with the green bag, and started on the black one. "Ayane, you might wanna wake up…." Aiko said shaking Ayane with her left arm. "Come on, Ayane…. cat girl's starting to go through your bag…"

"Five more minutes..." Ayane moaned, as she slightly pushed away Aiko's hand. Merle began to pull thing out of the black bag, looking them over before throwing them aside.

"Wow... You guys have a lot of weird stuff…" Merle examined a curling iron for a moment before tossing it to the floor. The sudden "bang" as it hit the floor made Ayane's eyes pop open, lifting her head she studied the fur ball as she shuffled through her bag.

"What is all of this?" She pulled out a small tube of lipstick, and eyed it before licking it. She coughed, and mumbled something before she tossed it aside as well. Ayane slowly stood up and began to walk across the room towards the catgirl. Steel toed boots not making a sound as she walked up behind her, holding the blanket around her so that it wouldn't fall. Merle studied another thing, not realizing that the other girl was up. She tossed the item aside and when about digging another out when Ayane slammed her foot on her tail.

"A!"

"Do you MIND not going thro-" Ayane started to yell, but stopped when the item in Merle's hand when flying through the air towards the fireplace. She stared wide-eyed as the white legging began to burn on contact with the flames. "A! My clothing!" Aiko couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight of Ayane running towards the fire, and watched her leggings burn. Merle thought that then was a good time to leave and started to quietly sneak out the door. Aiko just stood there, her right arm in a sling watching her trying to sneak out while Ayane was distracted by the legging that was now almost burned completely. Aiko tried to smother a chuckle as Ayane turned around and sent death glare after death glare at Merle who was almost to the door. Her hands were balled into fists, as the blanket she had wrapped around her fell to the floor.

"These guys are scary…" Merle murmured to herself as she started to slip through the half opened door. Ayane suddenly snapped out of her train of thought when she realized Merle was getting away.

"Hey! Don't you even think about running, Cat!"

"Ep!" Merle flew out the door throwing it open as she ran, Ayane in pursuit. The chase was short lived, for she froze as she came to the door away face to face with the boy that they had met last night. She stood wide-eye at the boy; slowly remembering that is was in nothing more then her undergarments.

"A!" She slammed the door in his face, and leaned against it. Aiko's smile got slightly bigger, as she sat down back on the bed. Aiko couldn't help it anymore; she burst out laughing. The action was cut off abruptly from the glare steel eyes sent her way.

"Hey, Aya? Will your dad be worried that your not home?"

"Him…worried?" Ayane laughed as she walked away from the door and pulled down her dress. Her hand moved over the fabric of the skirt. "It's kind of dry but oh well..." She walked over to the window to close it, but stopped slightly when something caught her eyes. She studied the empty walkway, looking hard at one of the beams. Something flickered, and the beam looked disordered for a second but then it was gone. Frowning she closed the shutters, but left a small crack between them. Dumping the blanket on the chair, she began another struggle to get the dress back on. "Na, Father's never that observant. He'll see the note of the blackboard every night that he chooses to come home and think nothing of it. The apartment is cleaned, so he won't notice anything about that… The only time he'll probably realize that I'm not there is when he has another piece of clothing he wants me to try on." She tied the ribbons on the back of the dress, and adjusted the front of it before walking to the table. Picking up some of her discarded things, she pulled the other chair back up to the table, and pulled out a mirror from her bag. She also pulled out a smaller back, and unzipped it, pulling out different kinds of makeup. Taking a moment, Ayane straighten out her curls that somehow had managed to stay in tacked throughout the night along with the purple ribbons. Aiko watched her from the bed, as she went about putting the stuff on, looking slightly confused. Ayane looked at for a moment and smiled slightly.

"O, that's right I never told you... My father works for a fashion design company, that's why I have some many bazaar dresses and stuff. A year ago, he "convinced" me to model a bit for the company, that's why ever now and then I'm not at school for long periods of time." She frowned at some thought that crossed her mind as she looked at the mirror, Sighing she looked at Aiko, holding up to lips sticks. "Black or blue?" Aiko shrugged.

"I don't know…I don't know that much bout make-up…but I'd say black, jus because you like that color…." Aiko watched, as Ayane put the black make up on. "Honestly…. I don't understand how you can wear that stuff. I tried once, but I hated it…" Aiko shivered as the memory flashed in her mind. She looked down at her arms again. Above her elbows, were dark bruises, blotching the clear skin like ink. "Why did the damn doctors have to heal me? That would have been perfect…" She said in an angry tone. "Getting killed by an assassin that was meant to kill some boy who has an annoying cat girl for a pet..."

"Um... One, I don't think that catgirl is a pet." Ayane waved her hand in the air; Aiko just rolled her eyes at her. "And Two, that "some boy" you saved… Is really the king of this country. So I'm pretty damn sure that doctor wasn't going to let you die on him…" Aiko's eyes widened at what Ayane said. Before she could say anything, the boy walked in.

"Actually, I'm still a prince... I haven't been crowned just yet." The two of them snapped around to see Van leaning against the opened door, Merle standing next to him holding her tail. Aiko rolled her eyes again and sat up.

"I'm sorry your majesty…" She said in a semi mocking tone. "I didn't know that you were allowed to listen in to other people's private conversations." She glared at him and fell back onto the bed again to stare at the ceiling. Merle glared angrily at Aiko.

"Who do you think you are? No body talks to Van-dono that way!" She said loudly, her tail now swaying slowly behind her. Aiko rolled her eyes again, and went onto her left side so that her back was facing Van and Merle.

"They don't talk to him that way, because they are afraid of what his pet cat might do to them…"

"Why you little!" Merle started to growl as she walked forward but Van grabbed the back of her dress, making it so that she couldn't move anymore forward. Merle swung her fists in the air as she tried to get closer to Aiko.

"Merle that's enough..." Van said when she finally stopped. The feline made a face at Aiko as she moved back to where she was to start with.

"Alright kiddies, before we get at each other's throat for some dyer reason…" Ayane sighed as she stood up, once again the porcelain doll. Aiko could see Merle nearly coughed at the sudden transformation from the woman who tried to kill her this morning into that. She snuffed down the need to laugh at the cat. "Is there more questions I need to answer, your Highness?"

"No..." He shook his head, and stood up off the door. "I'm just here to…" He paused a few seconds searching for the right word, "extend invitations to this afternoon's ceremony." Aiko looked at Ayane as if they weren't there.

"Great….another 'I have to come and wear a big frilly dress' event that I really don't want to go to….." Aiko complained. The complaint had a hidden meaning that only Ayane caught.

"She'll go your Highness…." Aiko glared at Ayane who just bowed her head slightly. "Even if I have to tie her up to drag her..."

"Alright… There will be a dress maker up here in a little while..." Van nodded back to her as he left with Merle in tow, who just stuck her tongue out at Aiko before leaving shutting the door after her. The second the door closed, Ayane throw something at Aiko, smacking her aside the head.

"Ow! What-"

"I know you have this death wish on you Aiko, but can we please give this new world a try before you try killing yourself?" Ayane crossed her arms. "I mean, come on Aiko, you're away from THEM, and from what I see this is your chance to be spoiled rotten! You SAVED their KING, think about that…" Aiko rolled her eyes in pure annoyance.

"But I don't wanna go if I have to wear a damn dress…I'm glad I'm away from them, but nothing this good lasts forever ya know. We're gonna have to go back sometime." She looked at Ayane, and gave her a glare. "I mean, they would kill to get me back, have their fun with me, then they take me to the hospital, act all worried, and then do it all over again whenever they fucking feel like it!" Aiko looked away from Ayane out the window with tears threatening to spill. Aiko's head snapped to the side, as the stinging sensation pulsed from her cheek. Turning her head she could see Ayane's hand hovering in the air, the look in Ayane's eyes were salmon.

"Get out of your little self pity mode. No one knows what tomorrow holds..." Aiko growled as she stared at the sheets. After a long while, she looked up at Ayane, and gave her a sad smile, but it quickly faded.

"I don't care what tomorrow holds…..its all the same…….they blame me for all their problems, all their hardships. If Matsu's boss yells at her for a problem they are having, she comes home, tells him and then they both beat me with some lame excuse." She looks over at Ayane with sad eyes. "I'm trying Aya………….I am trying as hard as I can, but its not easy……"

"Trying? You're wallowing in self pity, that's not trying. Take a hard look at where you are sitting.." Ayane rested her hands are her waist. "This isn't Tokyo, you're standing in the middle of a Kingdom that wants to honor you for saving their 'to be' King. They are not going to blame you for anything. Van's alive and kicking from what I've seen, so stop with the wallowing and let his people pay you back in their kindness. And besides when do I ever let you wear something horrible?" the corners of Aiko's mouth rose in the slightest degree.

"OK ok….fine…….jus don't make it all frilly like the ones you wear."

xXxXxXxXx

"O lords, Aiko sit still!" Ayane growled as she held Aiko's face in one hand, trying to apply some blush to her cheeks. After the dressmaker came to take her measurement, Ayane had forced her into the most freezing bath she had ever had. It seemed having a hot bath would take to long, giving that this place didn't have a water heater. Now, here she was in a long dark blue dress. It bared her shoulders much like how Ayane's did, but it didn't have any sleeves. Ayane had managed to get a few blue ribbons of the elder woman, and had worked them into her hair. Now she was trying to get Aiko to sit still a bit to put a little bit of makeup on her. "O, come on Aiko! I know what I'm doing... I'm not going to make you look like some street whore, now be STILL!" Aiko bit her lower lip softly as she closed her eyes, and finally became still, just to get it over with.

"Well, I'm cold! Especially after that bath you made me take…" She said fighting the urge to rub her hands over her bare arms. After what seemed like hours, Ayane finally finished, and Aiko was allowed to stand up. After a few minutes, her cheeks started to itch from the blush. "Now you know why I HATE make-up…" She said scratching them lightly with her tiny nails that she hadn't bitten off yet. Usually she wouldn't have nails, but she was usually too worried to bite them off. Now she was grateful that she hadn't. Ayane slapped her hands away from her face and evened out what Aiko had scratched.

"If you don't think about having it on, you'll be fine, and besides a little makeup brings out the color of your eyes, and puts a bit more color in those cheeks of yours..." Ayane sighed as she sat back and studied her. "My, if we could lose a bit of weight off of you, gave you a boob job, and changed the color of your hair you would be perfect for a modeling job..." Her tone took that of sarcasms to something Aiko couldn't quiet change, but the anger look that blurred passed her face was enough not to ask her about it. Sighing again, she slumped down in her chair. "The guard outside should be able to take you to where ever that ceremony is… I'm going to stay here... I'm exhausted... After all those questions they gave me last night." Aiko rolled her eyes.

"Well, I would have helped, but since I was unconscious, I couldn't." She said as she rolled her eyes. "Have fun sitting here…." Waving her hand at her friend she went to the door and the guard took her to where the ceremony was being held. She watched Aiko leave, the door close behind her before standing up and walking across the room to the bed. Sighing she flopped down on to the bed and stared at the white ceiling. You're not tired and you know it. You just wanted to get out of going.

"Yup..." she sighed heavily, answering her own thought before rolling a bit on her side. If she could get out of a social event, all the better for her. She closed her eyes listening to the shouts coming from outside, periodically falling asleep. When she woke back up, half dizzied, she found herself curled up on the bed with an uncomfortable feeling around her waist as the dress slightly cut down on her blood circulation. Cursing inwardly she straightened out her legs slowly and sat up on the bed. The window was still shut; she could hear the commotion still taking place outside. Rubbing her eyes, Ayane yawned softly, maybe she was tired after all. 'Creak!' She snapped her head up at the sound of someone walking on the wooden floor that came from her left. Turning her head sharply she looked at the now open door. Wasn't that closed? Ayane looked questionably at it as she stood up. Walking over to the door, she stuck her head out to look out into the hallway. She was alone welcome with the fact that no one was there, not even a guard. Sighing, she closed the door, and stared at it before taking a few steps backwards.

"Silly girl…what's got you spooked? No ones o-uf!" Ayane froze as she banged into something behind her. She turned slowly around to look at what she hit, the damp fabric brushed over her legs, making her shiver. As she came around, Ayane found her self wishing she had run out the door. There before her, seeming to float around was the head of a blond boy with blue eyes. His mouth was slightly open, startled.

"A...Ai..." He started to say something, the area around him began to become disordered, and suddenly gave way into a black cloth hat was draped around him, head no longer floating in the air. Ayane took a step back, as her mind slowly began to get over its shook, and the boy moved to grab her.

"Quick Gatty before she screams!"

"A-" A hand covered her mouth with a wet cloth before she could scream; another held her against the person that was standing behind her. Ayane struggled for a few minutes before her vision blurred.

"Shesta..." she heard a voice whisper, as her body went limp. "Grab her bag. Leave the other one. Dilandau-sama is going to be pissed that we didn't get them both..."

SD: Um, yes another master piece of a chapter done. It should get us a few more reviews! Yes this one will do me proud.

GA1: planning Spirit Dancers down fall from high horse

SD: Ummm... what are you going with that pencil?

GA1: O nothing...just writing down evil plot twists that I'm good for.

SD: I...am so dead.

Editing: 09/12/09