There and back again

SD: Ble

GA1: Don't "Ble" me...

SD: Hurricanes are ble, are there anymore coming to get us?

GA1: Does it look like I know?

SD: OF COURSE! You know everything: )

GA1: -.-

Disclaimer: WE do not own Escaflowne; it belongs to the old creepy guys that paid billions of bucks for its production. Therefore, there is no use in suing us for it; all we own is...six pennies, one brain cell, and maybe the broken car in the yard... I think. But we do however own our respective characters and changes in plot line.

Spirit Dancer: Aiko, Shiva

Glass Angel1: Ayane, Fira, Merlin, the Providence Children, and any other character/characters 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

xXxXxXx ;scene change

italic; vision

XoX ; Flashback

Chpt. 10 Destiny's fumble

Pounding, the aching in the back of her head pulsed into her eyes as she slowly cracked them open. Whoever had hit her aside the head with a slug hammer was going to get it. Ayane rubbed the side of her head, only to jerk it back when her hand burned at the touch. She stared down at the small scare that moved down between her middle finger and her index finger the reached down to her wrist. That's right, she helped the blond boy, well that meant that the pervert was still going to get his, and she would spare the blond. It wasn't his fault after all. She took in her surroundings a bit; this place looked like the sick bay with all of the whiteness going on. Sighing she looked over at the chair the sat next to her bed, at least someone had left her bag for her. Shuffling through it with her good hand, she pulled out two white gloves. It was best to hide the scar just in case. After that she slipped off the bed, carefully so not to set anything off. The little pervert was going to own her big time for this one.

xXxXxXxXx

How the hell did Folken know how to open this damn thing? Dilandau cursed as he stared up at the white dragon. He wasn't allowed to be in room when he interrogated the prisoner, so instead of yelling at anyone for his frustration he had come down to the hanger to get a good close look at the thing that threatened the Zaibach Empire. Maybe Emperor Dornkirk was finally losing his marbles or something. This thing was such an outdated guymelef that one Alseides units could probable tear it to pieces in less then five minutes. Still, though, Dilandau's mind fell onto how Folken was able to open the damn thing. Slowly he walked up the stair case to the top.

The thing looked like it belonged in some museum or something, this thing was by no way a threat to Zaibach, Dilandau deemed. He moved his hand along the outer shell of the guymelef. It had to be made out of dragon bone for it to be this texture, someone had put a lot of time and effort into this thing, yet still it was old. Dilandau stopped as he came face to face with the red engerest chamber. This was probable the one thing he liked most about this thing was that red chamber. What had Folken done? He just touched it with his bare hand right? Removing his glove, Dilandau reached his hand up to touch it.

"Hey! Pervert, I wouldn't do that if I were you!" He snapped around by the voice and looked at the girl, Ayane. She stood on the stairs; a few steps away from the main platform, gloves now covering her hands. Her breaths came in rasp and hard as if she had run all the way here from the sick bay.

"Why the hell-"

"Call it a guess, if you touch that something bad is going to happen!" Dilandau stared at the girl for a moment, bewildered. Then he growled, since when did he take orders from girls? He turned around and placed his hand on the engerest chamber.

xXxXxXxXx

"All stations report..." Folken said as he stepped out on to the platform over looking the bridge of the Vione. There were people below him running around from station to station. He needed something to get his mind off of the boy being held in his chambers. His brother, after ten years he had finally seen his brother again. He had hoped Van would listen to him, and join Zaibach, ending this war before it even started. Folken could only hope, for fate was not on his side. Someone was shout things off when the Vione suddenly shook violently. To keep his balance, Folken had to sink his metal claw into the rock face that rose next to him. "What was that!"

"Engines six, eight, twelve and four have reputed!"

"We are losing altitude!"

"Reports coming in, Hanger 5 has been damaged by an explosion!" Chaos unfolded below him as the shift working the bridge tried quickly to make since of what was happening. Hanger 5? That's where the Escaflowne- the thought was left unfinished as the Vione shook again.

"We are under attack! I repeat, we are under attack, the Crusader is boarding from Hanger 7!"

xXxXxXxXx

Aiko looked out the window on the bridge to the floating rocks outside. She had woken up almost an hour before the attack. Allen had deemed that she and Merle would have to stay aboard the Crusader. Merle was sitting down next to her, tail twitching with irritation. When Allen had said that, the cat girl looked like she was about to jump down his throat, the only thing that Aiko was really worried about was that Allen wouldn't find Ayane. Not that he was looking for her too, Van had 'forgotten' to tell him about her back at the fort, 'just in case' Allen couldn't be trusted, but now Aiko wish he hadn't thought about that and had told him anyways. She thought about trying to move the ship closer to the docking bay since it had drifted away. But then Allen would get mad, so...the only way is to jump...but if I missed, then I'd fall tens upon thousands of feet and splatter to my death...A chaotic smile spread across Aiko's face.

"And I would care because?" She said to no one in particular. Getting up, she stretched and then froze. Merle looked at her.

"You would care about what? Hey! I'm talking to you!" Merle waved a hand in front of Aiko. Giving up, Merle shook her head and looked out the window.

Scenes of Allen, and the Crusades men flashed before her. Allen was fighting a boy in a black and blue uniform. As other images flashed by, she saw more boys in black and blue uniforms shouting orders. They seemed barely older then she was, a few looks of worry crossed a few of their faces as they split up in the corridors. Then she images changed to Van in a smoke filled room. There's a shadow behind Van in the smoke. A boy in a red and black uniform brings his sword down on Van with a chaotic smile on his face.

Aiko gasped as she came out of her 'stretch' and took off running towards the hanger.

"Aiko Stop! What the hell are you doing?!" Merle chased Aiko all the way to the hanger. "Moron what are you planning to do!"

"I'm going to jump... What does it look like?" Aiko retorted angrily as she stretched her legs a little bit, but then again, she didn't care if she missed.

"But if you miss you'll die! Splat! Flatter then a pancake!" The cat girl yelled at her, short pink hair tossing about from the winds. Aiko looked up at her with a crazed smile.

"And what's your point, Merle?" Still smirking, Aiko got up leaving a stunned Merle in her wake.

"Do you have a death wish or something?" Aiko looked back at the cat girl.

"Yes."

"Are all you Mystic Mooners this weird?" Ignoring her, Aiko ran towards the edge of the hanger and waited till the last second to jump. At first it didn't seem likely that she would make it, but she landed with only half of her right foot on the other side, making her fall down.

"Yes… I made it...wait a minute...DAMN IT!" Pounding the floor hard, she got up, and ran blindly into the floating fortress, trusting in the sudden impulse that urged her on. Running past all of the little duels that were going on, Aiko ran down a flight of stairs, down another corridor or two and then up another flight of stairs. Finally she came to floor with the small labeling plate that said Hanger 5. Well if she got lost at least she knew what floor she was on. She stopped and tried to get her breathing under control while looking around. The room was smoke filled, and to her left she saw Van looking up at something. When she followed his gaze, she saw an older man with light greenish blue hair, and dark maroon eyes. Most of his body was hidden from view by either smoke, or the black cloak he wore.

"Van..."

"Brother!" Van retorted back with anger clearly in his voice. The figure took one of his hands out that held Van's sword, and threw it down to him. Aiko looked at him with shock. That's...That's Van's brother? I didn't even know he had one...The man walked away and disappeared out of sight. For a moment Van stood still, looking up at the catwalk, but a moment was long enough for Aiko to see the shadow moving towards him through the smoke that filled the hanger.

"Van!" Aiko yelled taking the young king out of whatever thought was pulsing through his mind. He looked over at her as the shadowy figure behind him took that moment of opportunity, and jumped out of the smoke. Aiko's face paled. "Van, behind you!" Van turned around, unsheathed his sword, and blocked the whitish silver haired soldier's attack all in one movement. Aiko watched as they fought briefly (for the soldier in the red armor seemed slightly disoriented) until Van swung his sword passed his attackers. Metal met flesh. The Soldier in red grabbed his cheek and dropped to his knees.

"...S-sorry..." Van said as he sheathed his sword again, and ran towards Escaflowne. Aiko ran after him, and muttered a quick "bastard" as she passed him. As Aiko was running towards it, something out of the corner on her eye caught her attention. When she looked, her face paled considerably.

"Ayane!" She shouted as she ran over and tried to wake her up. Ayane was laying half on and half off of the stairs that lead up to the Escaflowne, the only problem with this was it was her upper half that was off the stairs on the hanger floor. There seemed to be a slight bruise on her check, maybe from when she hit the floor. The once white parts of her dress were darkened. She wasn't probable going to be too happy about that. "Ayane! Wake up!"

"Aiko!" Van shouted as he had the Escaflowne kneel down near her. "She's alright, just unconscious. Left her up a bit, and I'll move the left hand under her!" Tears pricked her eyes as she nodded and lifted her up the best she could. Ayane if you die on me...

xXxXxXxXx

They all knelt down around her on the floor of the Crusader's hanger. Merle's tail flicking back and forth behind her, Allen didn't know Ayane was here. In fact no one but her, Merle and Van knew. For everyone else was working on the escape away from the Zaibach fortress to the palace. Still on the bridge of tears, Aiko had to resist the need to shake her awake. The winds battered the open hanger, sending lose strains of hair into her face. After what seemed like an eternity, Ayane's eyes fluttered a bit as she groaned. Aiko's eyes went wide as Ayane tried to sit up.

"Damn girl and you get all over my case when I try and disappear!" Aiko yelled at the poor girl. Ayane suddenly coughed and groaned again as she moved her head about. When her eyes opened again, she was staring up at Merle.

"Alright, feline, you have two seconds to hide..." Merle blinked in surprise, and dashed off out of the hanger. Aiko could barely hide the smirk, sometimes she wished she had the way with words like that to make people run without a second thought. Coughing, Ayane slowly sat up and stared down on her blackened skirt. Sighing, like it was nothing, she looked over at Van who held her black bag. Studying him for a moment, Van shifted uneasy by her look, only to be smacked the side of his head. Hard.

"Ow!" was all that came out of his mouth as his hand drew upwards to shield from another attack. Smiling at her accomplishment, Ayane looked over at Aiko.

"So, Miss Smarty Ass, how many times have you tried to kill yourself while I've been away?" Aiko stood there for a second, and then started to chuckle nervously.

"Only twice………which is actually a record compared to back home..." Aiko replied as she sweat dropped. Ayane frowned and then looked back over at Van. BAM! The sound echoed in the room, as he was now on his butt, with his hands covering the top of his head. Ayane had slammed her fist down onto it. Aiko stared wide eyed at the now injured KING.

"Ayane you can't DO THAT..."Aiko said coming to the young king's rescue. "I mean...he's a king...you don't just hit kings on the head like that...even if it is his fault..." She whispered the last part more to herself then to the others in the room.

"So you admit that Van was not watching you?"

"What a minute, is that why you're hitting me? How am I supposed to control whether or not she tries to kill herself." Van yelled in his own defense, and then he looked at Aiko confused. "And what do you mean by TWICE? I only know of the one!" Aiko smiled sweetly...a little too sweetly.

"The second time can't be counted because I had to save your ass..." Aiko said pouting slightly. Ayane just rolled her eyes at her, and lay back down onto the hanger floor. A few seconds later, the sound of foot steps coming down the far corridor made her prop herself up again.

"Van, Aiko are you two... Alright?" Allen started to say as he walked in, long blond hair dancing behind him. But once he saw Ayane, it took him a moment to finish. Ayane blinked at him puzzled as Van sat up again, and then she looked over at Aiko.

"Is that...a girl?" Ayane pointed at him. Aiko quietly chuckled to herself as Van put a hand over his mouth to try to stop chuckling. After a few seconds, Aiko tried to calm down enough to explain the situation to Ayane who looked a little lost…A look that rarely ever crossed the girls face.

"What?" Ayane looked at the two of them. "Was it something that I said?" Aiko stood up, and held her hand out towards her.

"Ayane...that's a guy..." that was all Aiko could get out before she began chuckling again. A chuckle escaped from behind Van's hand as Ayane looked at Allen one more time. Allen, on the other hand while this was happening, was staring at Aiko as if she had lost her mind.

"O... It is?" Van coughed a few times, to push down his own laughter to save Allen some...pride as it was being battered unknowingly by a half awake girl.

"A...Aiko... Why don't you take her to your room..." He coughed a few more times before continuing. "Quickly...Please?" Aiko nodded her head, as she tried to hide a smirk. She took Ayane by the elbow and led her down the hallway, still chuckling. Ayane looked confused the whole time. Once through the door, Aiko tossed her bag onto the table next to hers and plopped down onto the bed, breaking out in laughter again.

"Nice to see I amuse you, Miss Smarty Ass..." Aiko looked up at Ayane, and tried to stop.

"I-I'm sorry Ayane…but it's a rare thing to see you confused." Now that she thought about it… that was the first time that Aiko had laughed that much in years…Rolling her eyes, Ayane looked down at her dress for a few moments as her laughter died away. The frown on her face deepened.

"That pervert...is so going to get it, my dress is ruined!" She shrieked, where as in the hanger she mindlessly dismissed it. Aiko stared at her.

"But a while ago you didn't care..." Aiko said confusion written all over her faced.

"That's because a while ago I wasn't completely awake! O, he's sooo lucky I have an extra dress." She growled as she unzipped her bag and ruffled around for a few things. "Aiko, get off your ass and undo the back of this dress..."

"Alright, alright... No need to get in a fuss about it…" Aiko sighed getting off the bed, and untied the thousands of ribbons on the back. "So...who is this pervert you're talking about...what does he look like?"

"The pervert," Ayane retorted as she pulled out a set of black stockings, and a pair of gloves. "Is the ass hole that walked into my room when I was in nothing more then a towel, and had the nerve to kiss me! He's got whitish silver hair and red eyes..." She yanked out a large mass of black and tossed it onto the bed before walking over to the door and throwing it open to look down at Merle. Who had perched herself at the bottom of it to listen in. "Listen cat girl, you're either in this room or get out of here, got me? Now in!" Aiko looked at Merle and then froze.

"Wait...he has...silver hair...and red eyes?" Aiko asked, starting to put two and two together. Merle walked in and jumped up onto one of the chairs listening to them. Ayane slammed the door shut again, and tried to lock it only to find no lock. So instead she grabbed a spare chair and shoved it under the door knob. Walking back over to the bed, stripping out of the one dress, and throwing it to Merle to hold, she looked at her.

"Did I stutter?" Ayane sat on the edge off the bed, kicked off her boots, and began to work of the clips on the leggings she now wore. Not really caring that she was in nothing more then her black lace underwear. "Aiko, pull out my ribbon stringed boots from my bag please." Aiko's eyes widened with joy.

"Yes...She's finally going gothic!" Aiko said happily as she got the boots out of the bag. "It took you long enough...It was strange being the only one in this world who wore all black…" Ayane just rolled her eyes was she took off her last stocking and went to putting on the next ones. Unlike the first ones, that were a plain black silk, this set had a design that would go down the inter part of her legs all the way down to her feet. All Aiko could tell was that it was of some kind of flower, but because of this design, not all of it was made of silk and was quiet easy for Ayane to tear when putting on. Standing up to quickly check them over, the leggings become a second skin. Ayane then turned around, taking off her white gloves to put on a black set on her arms that would go up to the middle part of her upper arms. Aiko set down on the chair in front of the door; she always liked watching this changing process from the pretty 'porcelain doll' to the pretty 'porcelain doll of death'. Watching her move about in her black lace underwear, one could see the finely toned body, a six pack stomach (even if Ayane looked a bit thin sometimes), well toned arms and legs that didn't give off that muscular look at Aiko had. Though one should never underestimate the power that thin, pale creamy colored skin girl had. Adjusting her strapless bra, Ayane undid the ribbons on the front of her black dress. Even though this one looked to be the most complicated dress for her to put on, it was actually the easiest. Pulling it over head, and working her arms into the sleeves, it took her only five minutes to make her head appear again as the dress slipped loosely over her. The front of the dress fell only to her mid thigh and on the back it fell all the away to the floor, with enough fabric left over to make a train. The ends of it had a black lace on it; this was only because of this lace that the dress made it to her mid thigh. The front of the dress was adored in different kinds of lace. Just enough to make it interesting, as Ayane tightened the ribbons, again making a corset-like appearance on the dress. The sleeves of the dress actually came up to her shoulders, barely, this time, and with her hands at her sides, would cover her arms completely. But, because of a cut on the inter elbows, the sleeves would fall away from her lower arms when she lifted them up, thus the need for gloves. The parting end of the sleeves end with the same kind of black lace as the skirt of the dress. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she began to put on her boots. These, unlike most of her others, only made it half way up her shins, and were a lot dressier.

"Merle, since you're the closest; pull out my make up bag. It's the small red one." Merle, who had been amazed by the process of putting on this bazaar dress quickly jumped to her command. But when she tossed the small bag to Ayane she knocked out a folder that was in it the floor. A picture slide out of it, Aiko stared at it for a moment, she knew where it was taken by the bench and the plants that were in it. All of those flowers belong to one place, Ayane's garden that she priced so much. But it took her a moment to recognize that the girl lying out on the chair, in the bazaar jade dress... Was her.

XoX

Aiko plopped down on Ayane's queen sized bed, covered in its dark blue silky sheets. Ayane was struggling out of a new creation that she had, and was working on slipping into a part of black guy jean shorts, and a white spaghetti strapped shirt. Taking the moment to study her room, there was nothing really out of the ordinary here, a night stand, a dresser (which probable had nothing more the billions of different underwear and stockings), a body length mirror, and on the walls, well that weird vine that grew on all the walls around the house. Thus explaining why most of the rooms in Ayane's house never had doors, well all except her 'father's room' but he never really seemed to come home at all. She heard Ayane open the closet door, and so she sat up to get a good look at all the different bazaar creations that lived in there. As she moved some aside to make way from this one, Aiko caught a glimpse of the waist high safe that also lived in her closet. Again, Aiko never asked what was in it, and Ayane didn't answer. It was left alone, if they didn't talk about it, it didn't exist.

"Hey Aiko?"

"What?" She replied as she sat up on the bed, Ayane looked at her and smiled.

"Would you do something for me?"

"Depends on what I'm doing and who's going to see it…" Ayane turned a pulled out this jade dress, it wasn't like the other ones she had. It was kind of simple; the only thing strange about it really was the way that the top was cut, and the funny skirt layer.

"Would you put this on for me? And let me take a few pictures of you?"

"What! Aya..."

"O please! No one's going to see you, and no one will see the pictures! I promise, I just would like a few good pictures of you please?" Aiko sighed; Ayane seemed to be having a bad week and wasn't going to tell her why. Again the rule of 'if not talked about, it doesn't exist.' Whatever it was, she was trying to get it off her mind. Even if it meant tormenting her friend, well if it made her happy. Sliding off the bed, Aiko held out her hand.

"Alright, alright no need to go puppy dog eyed on me." Aiko took the dress. "Let me guess, hair and make up to right?" Ayane smiled at her, for the first time that week, before she danced off to get something.

"Yup, yup. And I wont put to much on I promise! And we'll take the pictures out in the garden!" She sighed as she watched Ayane hope around. At least she wasn't scary anymore.

XoX flashback ends XoX

Aiko's eyes widened as she stared at the picture. Lunging at it, she missed it by a millisecond as Merle picked it up.

"NO!" Aiko shouted as she tried to grab it from Merle, who was looking at it with wide eyes. Suddenly, her eyes went from confused to an evil smirk.

"Wow, Aiko...I never knew you had it in you..." Merle taunted as she let the picture fly to the ground. Aiko's face was priceless as she pushed Merle towards the door, rather forcefully threw the chair aside, opened the door pushed Merle out. Slamming the door behind her, Aiko replaced the chair where it was before all went silent again. Ayane just snuffed a chuckle as she picked up the picture from the floor, and placing it back into the folder before she put it back into her bag. Sitting down in the now empty chair, she began to pull out her makeup along with a small mirror.

"Wow, you don't have to freak out that bad... It wasn't one of the really good pictures..." Ayane sighed as she began to put on her black eye liner. Periodically, she looked up at her angry friend before returning to her task. "Why did you want to know what the pervert look like anyways?"

"Um..."She looked at the door, wondering if Merle was still there. She pulled the chair away and cracked it to make sure. Nope...not a soul in sight. She closed the door and replaced the chair underneath the door knob. "Um...cause that was the guy that I saw at Allen's fortress...and the guy who wanted to kill Van…" And the guy who had your pendant…At this point in time Ayane was at the stage of lipstick, the mix of white and black was sure a change for the better. At least now Aiko wouldn't be the only weird one. Then again, Ayane's other dress made her really stand out around her.

"Is that so?" She didn't really seem interested for some reason, as she leaned back in the chair running her fingers through her hair. Most likely to bring back out her short bangs that no one really knew that she had most of the time because Ayane had a trick to hide them in the rest of her hair. When she sat up, the small curls fell slightly over her steel gray eyes, the perfect image that could strike fear into anything with just the right glance. "Better, Miss Smarty ass?" Aiko smirked slightly.

"Yes...now I don't feel like I'm the only one in this world wearing the color..." Aiko looked at her for a second before being thrown into her own little world. With the conversation put aside by Ayane's attempt to change the subject, there wasn't a point in trying to continue it. She sat down on the bed as Ayane looked at herself in the mirror. The moment of peaceful silence was interrupted when Ayane let out a small cry.

"That little pervert! He took my chocker!" Aiko looked at her with one eye brow raised.

"You just now noticed? Ayane you're hopeless..."

"O shut up and go back into your own little world!" She snarled as she went through Aiko's bag pulling out her small black bear. She pulled the chair out from in front of the door. "You can stay in this stuffy, mildew smelling, little rat hole. I'm going to stretch my poor legs. Unlike you, I've been boxed up in the same room for two days. I need a change in scenery..." Aiko got up and stretched, but then thought better of it, and went over to her bag. Pulling out her CD player, she grabbed two batteries, walked over to the chair by the door, where a semi breeze flew into the room.

"Ok...have fun...I'll be here..." Aiko put on her headset, and started the CD. She missed her roll her eyes as Ayane stepped out the room, leaving her alone once again in the small room.

SD: BWAHAHAHAHA!

GA1: Will you stop stealing my laugh!

SD: But...but...

GA1: -.-

SD: Mwa hah?

GA1: -.-

SD: ...Blah?

GA1: -.-

SD?

GA1: Blah...

Edited: 11/17/06