There and Back Again
SD: I hate... health..
GA1: That's what you get for waiting so long to do it.. Got it done in my freshman year.. Haven't had to worry about it since..
SD: Shut up -.-
GA1: : -P
SD: HAHA! But at least we have a three-day vacation!
GA1: Weekend… WEEKEND, not a vacation.. Vacations are where I don't have to do anything.
SD: Then you must not get a lot of those!
GA1: -.- No cruise for you...
SD: Wait! No I was kidding! Don't hurt me!
GA1: A... : ) One year closer to being Seniors. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
SD: Death...to Health...
GA1: -.-
Disclaimer: How many times must we say this for it to get to your heads? We do NOT own Escaflowne, even though we wish we did. So, please don't sue us, we aren't worth the effort. Between the two of us we only have the dirt on our shoes, and the lone brain cell we share. But, we do own our respected characters and changes in 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
XVxVxVxVx : same place different point of view
xXxXxXxXx : scene change
italic; vision
XoX; Flashback
(once again, is being a butt and won't let me keep my separations -.- this is starting to annoy me)
Special Disclaimer: The song that Aiko sings is the English translation of "Tooi Kono Machi de" by Kaitani Naomi. We do not own this song, so please do not sue us…
Chpt. 7 Never Ending Battles
Aiko sat on the small bed at lay on the floor, Allen had put the two of them down here to keep both of them out of trouble. It wasn't much of a room, it smelled funny and there wasn't a window. In fact they were probable in the most lower parts of the castle, explaining the mildew smell. Van was leaning against a bundle of...something staring once again at nothing particular but the floor. Sighing, Aiko undid her chocker to look at the small green pendent on it. He had Ayane's pendent.. But how did he get it?
XoX
"Pendant..? O!" Aiko's hand flew up to the small necklace around her neck, before looking back up at the girl before her. Her long black hair fell down past her waist, its ends tipped blue. She was sitting on one of the benches in the school's courtyard, it was their lunch period and neither of them felt like eating. It had only been a month since they 'met' in the girls' bathroom, and now they seemed to spend a lot of time together at school, well most of the time was in silence. Today seemed to be taking a strange turn for events, the girl in front of her seemed to be a bit more talkative, that and she was dress completely different then from what she normally worn. It would be one of those 'rare' occasions that one would ever see her wear pants, but not to say the least, it was all black. A loose black shirt that was probable two sizes too big for her, and a set of multi-pocketed pants. She also had set her make-up in nothing more then shades of black. The only thing that could cross Aiko's mind was a 'bad day' in which she probably didn't feel like walking around in one of those heavy, bazaar dresses. No one was really outside yet, since food wasn't allowed outside of the cafeteria, no one would be for another twenty minutes. "What about it?"
"Where did you get it from?" Ayane repeated, probably for the third time already. It had caught her off guard the first time Ayane started to speak. Normally at lunch on one of her 'off days' there would be nothing but silence between them. Leaving Aiko to live in her own little world of despair and turmoil, she wasn't really going to answer her though Aiko didn't really feel like talking. She watched as a frowned began to develop across the girl's face. "Well?"
"I...I got it from my mother before she died..." She stared ahead of her, her eyes not looking at anything. She fingered the pendant as her eyes started to tear up.
flash back within flash back
"Here Aiko...I want you to have this..." Aiko's mother handed a 5-year-old Aiko a forest green pendant on a black leather strap. Aiko looked up at her mother with curiosity on her small face.
" What's it for, mommy?" Aiko asked as she stared at the green stone.
Her mother smiled as she patted her on the head.
"I can't be with you all the time. So when I'm not around, and you're lonely, just wear this necklace, and I'll be with you..." Aiko looked at her mother again with a confused face, only this time, it had a twist of fear in it. Aiko's mother put the pendant around Aiko's neck, and smiled. She smiled back, not understanding.
flash back with in flash back ends
Aiko snapped out of her world, and found that she was now sitting next to Ayane with tears rolling down her cheeks. After a while, Aiko looked over at Ayane, and saw the same exact pendant, only it was navy.
"Where did you get yours, Ayane?" Her steel gay eyes looked down at her, somewhat lost in a thought. One, uneased hand touched the small chocker around her neck. She fettled with it for a few seconds before looking back up at the wall that lingered before her.
"It's a family heirloom, from my great-grandmother. It's normally passed down from mother to eldest daughter, but my great-grandmother had no daughter, only a son. She refused to give to it my mother, but in her will she left it to me." Sighing, Ayane leaned back against the bench. "She died three months before I was ever born. I never really knew her but this was the only thing I have to know her by."
XoX
Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, as she stared at the floor. 'No...I don't need to cry... no... I can't cry now...' Aiko thought of ways to calm her down before Van noticed. Then she thought of something, and started to hum to herself. Soon she found herself singing a song that she knew from long ago.
"I loved that song
On the old tape
Little scratches, a faded title...
A blurry dawn.
And so, the day repeats itself
Accompanied by a summer breeze
In a corner of the familiar day-by-day routine
I suddenly meet with loneliness..."
Aiko had her eyes closed, missing everything that went on in the room. Images flashed through her mind, as the words continued to flow out of her mouth.
"Aiko...?" Van's voice snapped her out of her own little world that was when she realized that she had been singing to herself. The expression of worry on his face almost made her burst out in tears. She wanted Ayane back. Being in this new world was alright, as long as she was there, looking over her shoulder to yell at her for doing something stupid. As much as she hated to admit it, Ayane had become her lifeline. Before the tears could start trailing down the sides of her face, a sudden noise echoed in the room, as one of the stones of the floor began to move. As someone pushed it aside, and his head poked into the room, Aiko stared at him in shock.
"Opps, wrong room." Aiko gasped and stood up. She glared at the little head that popped out of the hole.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH...It's the pervert!"
xVxVxVxVx
"I didn't really mean to attack the Miss, really. I was just attracted by her pendent that's all." The mole man said was he led them down the tunnels under the fort that this guy had amazingly been able to make. Unfortunately, the tunnels where to small to walk in so they were all crawling through them, Aiko held her bag close to her. The mole man had found it out in the woods, and was more then 'happy' to return it to her. When she had the chance, Aiko had to remember to look through it and make sure that all of her stuff was all there. At least the mole could help them get to out of Allen's fort, well not that Aiko cared, but Ayane she was on that fortress. Alone, and stuck with that bastard, she needed to be helped. And the only that was going to happen was if that got out of here.
"How far is it?" Van asked, his voice kind of echoed in the tunnels.
"O, just a little more, ah, this should be it." The mole man said as he stopped and tapped his pick against the 'ceiling' of the tunnel. It took it a second but the rock moved aside. The mole man poked his head through. "Yup, here it is!"
xXxXxXxXx
"This is soooo boring..." Dallet moaned as he leaned back against controls of his melef. This was probable worse then bathroom duty, lucky Miguel.
"It's what you get for drawling your dagger.." Guimel's voices chirped over the com. Dallet just growled as he looked again through the scope at the white castle that lay beyond the woods.
"What? The girl tried to hit him! And then she had the nerve to kick him in the shin!"
"Yes, I know Dallet, I wanted to secure her too, but didn't you see the look on Dilandau-sama's face?"
"You mean the 'I found it!" look?" Dallet retorted, why couldn't someone else be on the other side of the com. Guimel was so observant, he picked up on ever little thing that sometimes it could annoy the hell out of you.
"Yup... The dragon is there... The boy next to her was the king of Fanelia."
"You're kidding me? That twerp is a king?"
"Yup.." Guimel laughed. "Now we just have to wait for it to shows its face before Lord Folken will let us retrieve it. So see anything yet?"
"Besides trees and that stupid castle?" Dallet moaned, as he moved the scope about.
"Na, I was talking about the sky. Yes Dallet the castle." Guimel's voice chuckled over the crackling com.
"Nope not a...o wait a minute.." Dallet smiled as he magnified the image of the two guymelef's fighting out in the open area of the castle. "It's the dragon alright... Looks like he's having a little fight with the Schezar..."
"Hope he kicks his ass. God that guy was an eye swore. To much blond hair in one place."
"Well, don't go betting on him just yet Guimel, looks like he's getting his ass kicked. Think I should help him a bit?" Dallet smiled as he took up the controls for the right arm of his melef, and carefully aimed the small crima claw.
"Sure, just do it when I'm out reporting to Dilandau-sama, and don't let anyone see you." Guimel chuckled again as he turned off the com system. Dallet just smiled.
"Ya, ya..." He released the small claw. "Don't get a too inflated ego from my helping, King of Fanelia."
XxXxXxXxXx
Aiko watched from the sidelines as Allen and Van fought each other in their own guymelefs. Allen had the upper hand ever since the battle began. Aiko was hoping that Van would win at the last moment, but it didn't seem that way. Watching Van and Allen fight reminded her of when her father and stepmother fought...just without the swords and the giant machines. Allen had forced Van back so much that the white guymelef fell on its back.. Aiko couldn't take it anymore. She ran out to where the guymelefs were fighting, to run between the two giants holding out her arms.
"STOP IT! Please...stop..." A lone tear made its way down her cheek as she looked at Allen's cockpit. "I don't want you two fighting anymore. Please...just stop it..." lowering her arms, she looked back at Van with sad eyes. Turning around once again, she looked at Allen. The guymelef that Allen piloted fluttered for a moment.
"Fighting... The never ending struggle..." Aiko's eyes widened at the sound of the voice that spoke but not the words. Turning her head slowly she looked at the crowd of Allen's men, oblivious to what they were saying. Standing among them unseen was Ayane. Her curled hair fluttered a bit in a wind that wasn't really there.
"Ayane...?" Aiko whispered as she watched Ayane lifted up her hand; something shimmered as it hit the sunlight, her lighter.
"Burn..." Aiko heard the small click of the lighter, and the small flame flickered. She felt the wind that that tossed Ayane's hair, but this time it fed the small flame and become a snake as it shot through the air towards her wrapping her in flames. "Burn!" Aiko shielded her face against the coming flame and she screamed.
Aiko lowered her arms and gasped at what she saw. The whole courtyard was on fire. There were Guymelefs, and people in clumps on the ground. Some of the Guymelefs were on fire. It was Fanelia all over again. Aiko stepped back, but stopped when she stepped on a persons arm. Aiko jumped back in horror as she looked around trying to find Van. Heck she would even be happy with Allen, but no one was around. Everyone and everything was dead or dead and on fire. Aiko stared at the scene and shook her head. Then she heard laughter. She couldn't see anything, but she heard it, and she felt the earth quake. Then she saw them...the same mechanical demons that burnt down Fanelia. She shook her head in shock as the red demon came closer to her.
"Why!...Why must everything be burning...Why must everyone fight?" She asked herself before collapsing.
"The never ending battle..." Aiko's head snapped up to look into Ayane's face. Her vacant steel gray eyes looked down at her. "...begins..."
"Aiko!" Van shouted, as he shook her. Aiko snapped out of her trance to stare up at his worried face. She was lying on the dirt ground; the Escaflowne was on its back were Aiko last remembered seeing it. She could hear Allen jumping down from his guymelef. The murmurings of his men barely reached her ears. "Aiko? Are you alright?" Aiko looked at Van.
"The battle..." She whispered to Van, not even noticing that Allen was there, the tear's trail glistened on her face. "The...battle...the never ending battle...begins..." The sweet darkness of unconsciousness swept over her, blacking out the world.
xXxXxXxXx
"..begins..." Her hand flicked the small lighter shut, and Ayane found herself staring once again at the small mirror on the table. The small black curlers lay all around it just like she left them; the small incense was half burned away. "What... just happened? Aiko?"
SD: Um... chapter seven already? GA1, You need to start working on the next ten chapters we only have three more left to edited before we run out of segregated chapters...
Ga1: -pilled under paper- Yea.. I noticed that...
SD: Good! You get to work on those while I go out to see a movie! –walks off-
GA1: WHAT?
Edited: 11/16/06