There and Back again

SD: I've done it! I have finished Spirit's Within! That leaves me one up on you!

GA1: ...shut up. I help you out of you're stuck... And the planning for the sequel, not my fault that I have hit a bump in the road on To Tame A Beast...

SD: dancing around and not listening

GA1: glare, and pulls out paint gun

SD: EP!

Disclaimer: Look at me, does it look like I could come up with such a great anime and not have given it a sequel?! I thought so, so therefore neither I nor her own Escaflowne. It was created by those evil people that gave it such a wrong ending. But we do own our own respective characters.

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

xXxXxXx ;scene change

italic; vision

XoX ; Flashback

Chpt. 11 Silent Reassurance

The breeze tossed her hair a bit as she stood on the edge of the hanger looking out onto the passing world. Allen leaned against the door, watching her. Out of the two of them, he would have probable preferred this one over the other. She seemed more... subtle, but at the same time it oddly remembered him of some of the nobles' daughters. Train to been seen but not heard, a pity really the girl probable had a good voice. Van's quick explanation of her didn't touch much about her personality, though the young king had warned him against something, mumbling she had good aim. Whatever that meant, Allen didn't have a clue, but maybe if he talked to her he could unravel some of the mystery. Both the girls' were from the Mystic Moon after all, that was strange enough as it was. But, from the look on her face was that of calculations and planning. Was one of them the bronze and the other the brains? Aiko had already shown she wasn't to be messed with, after throwing Kyo into a wall. Sighing, Allen stood up and started towards her, pushing his long hair off of his face.

"Are you...Ayane?" The girl's head snapped around and looked at him, the moonlight dancing off her pale face. For a moment she didn't answer him as her eyes, hidden beneath black curls', studied him.

"Yes I am, Milord..." Ayane bowed slightly. He definitely liked this one a lot better. At least she wasn't snotty; girls that normally looked like her always had attitudes. "May I ask who you are?"

"Allen Schezar... You don't have to call me 'Milord'..." He laughed at her slightly, and attempted to charm her over with one of his smiles. To his shock, it backfired as the girl just blinked and smiled at HIM. Right, normally he was the one to bring girls to their knees. That smiled could probable bring down a whole army of raging dragons.

"Well then, Knight Schezar, you would happen to be able to tell me where we are going?" She batted her eyes at him, which were now more noticeable. "Aiko's clueless as a mocking bird. She barely pays attention to anything unless it's important to her."

"Well..."Allen started to say, and then found himself at a loss for words. It felt odd to be the one getting charmed over then being the one doing the charming. The girl probable was use to men doing that and had learned how to use it to her advantage. "We are heading for Palace, the capital of my country."

"O... umm... Could you tell me when we would be getting there...? Please?" Another set of battered eyes like that, and Allen would probable find himself putty in her hands. He should have stuck to the other one, this girl was winning at his own game.

"A little after sunrise."

xXxXxXxXx

Ayane leaned back against one of the large windows in the bridge. It was early morning now at they were coming up on the city. She had spent her night walking around the small ship, unable to find a place that did not smell of mildew, and mold. After a while she had ended up once again out on the hanger where she had found the young King. He was sitting up on the steps that lead to his guymelef, holding on to his sword and staring out at nothing. The cat girl, Merle, was sleeping curled up behind him on the platform. Ayane had taken it up to herself to give the boy company, that and stall from having to go back to the room where Aiko was sleeping. Though the boy didn't seem to take notice of her as she sat down next to him. After a few moments he looked at her sideways before taking up staring at the sky. Again, it seemed that she had formed yet another "Don't ask, not talked about" relationship. Van seemed to have a lot on his mind, but he didn't seem to want to talk about it... Though he didn't seem to mind her presence either. Unfortunately for her, Ayane had fallen asleep on the kid's shoulder, something she hadn't been planning on doing. But now she was kind of happy she did. Van had woken her up at sunrise so that she could see them come into Austria. Lucky, before he had wakened the cat letting her be spared the death glares Merle was giving Aiko. Before them were mountains beneath rolling clouds of morning fog. She should probably wake Aiko to see this, but she was afraid that she would miss it. Sighing she looked down at Merle, who was leaning against Van's leg falling asleep. The cat girl didn't seem to have much interest in watching; in fact it was hard to get her up early.

"Hey, Merle?" The cat girl's ears perked up at her name, as she looked up at her. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Depends on the favor... And what I get for it?" Sighing, Ayane slipped her hand into a pocket hidden well away from anyone's eyes in one of the sleeves. Pulling out a small wrapped piece of candy, she held it out to her.

"I'll give you this, if you go wake up Aiko, and tell her to come up here..." Merle snatched the candy out of her hand and sniffed it from a moment as she decided whether or not to do it. Suddenly shoving the thing down the front of her dress she bounded down the hall.

"Ok!" Van looked at her questionable before looking Ayane. She just smiled at him.

xXxXxXxXx

"Hey you! Wake up!" Merle's voice whined as Aiko felt someone stabbing her side. Mumbling something, she rolled over ignoring the call back to the living. The stabbing came harder. "Hey I said, WAKE UP!" Aiko suddenly sat and smacked Merle hard in the face sending her to the ground.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!!" Aiko screamed, looking around expecting to see her father, but instead saw Merle holding the right side of her face on the ground. "Oh...It's just you..." Aiko stretched before she put her legs on the side of the bed, and looked down at Merle.

"What did you do that for?!!" Merle yelled at her, still holding the right side of her face. Feeling guilty, Aiko held out her hand to help Merle up.

"I...um...I'm sorry 'bout that..." Aiko blushed; feeling a little embarrassed, and hoped that Van wouldn't get too mad at her for giving Merle a red mark that almost covered the entire right side of her face. Merle pushed herself up, and stalked out of the room, still gingerly holding her right cheek. Aiko sighed. This isn't going to be very good...

xXxXxXxXx

Ayane watched the cat girl bounded back onto the bridge, a red mark on the side of her face, with Aiko following in tail. Without a word, as Merle took up her place next to Van again, she handed the girl a few more things of candy. Her 'remorse' for getting her hit. It looked like Aiko wasn't going to have a very good day today. She held back a sigh as Aiko walked up next to her leaning against the window as well. The two of them made the perfect set, all out in black. No one at school would even think twice messing with them when they looked like this. Ayane, for courtesy, handed her one of the hard candies, which Aiko popped into her mouth.

"Alright Gaddes, bring us down out of the clouds." As the Crusade came down, the mountains became clearer. But after the first mountain was beneath them, they were welcomed by the sun dancing off the waves of the sea, glittering over a massive city.

"Welcome to Austria's capital, Palace!" one of the crewmembers said. Aiko watched in silence as the city came closer, and the view became clearer. It had been quite some time since she had seen the ocean. She stared at the ocean as tears started to form in her eyes, but not one fell. Images of her mother, and her father in happier times flooded her mind. A little six year old with short black hair pulled into to pigtails ran down to the water and splashed about. Thinking that it would never end...But it did, only a few days after that, her mother's immune system crashed, leaving her defenseless to even the common cold. The day everything changed. Tears eventually made their way down her pale cheeks. Wiping them away quickly, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. That was ten years ago, and yet it still haunts me like it was only yesterday... Aiko looked at the city to take her mind off of the unwanted things. Someone pulled lightly down on her hand; Aiko looked over at Ayane who was looking out onto the sea. Looking down at her hand, Ayane's hand was wrapped around it, the silent reassurance of comfort.

xXxXxXxXx

"Wow, look at the sea Lord Van!" Merle cried happy as she clanged to his arm. The sea breeze blew around them as they stood out on the airship landing area. Aiko and Ayane stood a bit behind them, Aiko not very interested in the scenery anymore, and Ayane was looking at something else. "Isn't it beautiful?!"

"Yes... This is the first time I've seen it..." He replied to her, a little bewildered. The crew behind them were shouting and yelling about something. Aiko turned her head to look at Ayane, only to see the familiar silver lighter in her hand, and the small red flame dancing over it.

"The sea doesn't seem to change no matter were you are..." Her voice was empty as she looked down at the flame. "The lighter speaks of a disturbance, Lady Smarty Ass... And it's in pink..." Aiko rolled her eyes at the word.

"Whoever made up that color must burn in hell..." Aiko looked at Ayane with annoyance in her eyes. "So Miss Perfect, does the O Holy lighter foretell of anything else?"

"Yes..." Ayane smiled as she shut the lighter again. She turned her head slightly and winked. "My daily fortune!"

"Oh good grief..." Aiko rolled her eyes. She watched as a girl with blond hair and purple eyes looking no older then they rode up on an odd looking horse but then again...they were in a odd little world weren't they? "Great...a blond...in pink...that jus made my day..."Aiko rolled her eyes again as the girl went straight to Allen as if none of them even existed. There seemed to be a conversation that went between the two, not that either of the girls were really interested in it. The blond girl, who was 'Princess' Millerna, seemed to fawn over Allen. Aiko turned her head to look at Ayane as the small 'click' of the lighter reached her ears. Ayane, half consciously was snapping the lighter back and forth unlighting it and lighting it, watching the two before them.

"The knight and the princess... The perfect match..." The flame flickered out, and she hided the lighter down the front of her dress again as Allen took the girl's horse. "Or is it?"

"You there, handmaid, see to Allen's bags." Aiko turned her head again to see whom the Princess Millerna was speaking to, only to find that the princess' eyes were on her.

"WH-What?!" Aiko stuttered at Millerna with shocked eyes. Ayane tried to suppress a chuckle by coughing earning her a cold glare from Aiko. "You might be a princess, but I'm sure as he-" Ayane's hand fell over her mouth making it so that her scream was muffled.

"Your highness. My friend is no handmaiden..." Millerna blinked at Ayane for a moment. It was then when Aiko realized why she didn't call her a maid too. Ayane looked the part of someone at least normal in this world. She was in a dress after all, where as she, pants.

"O, with those strange clothing I thought she was..."

"Handmaiden?" Aiko heard Merle chuckle as she whispered to herself. "I'd think more o-" The cat girl didn't get to finish as Aiko stomped on her tail.

xXxXxXxXx

"O, dear god, this place has NO fashion what-so-ever!" Ayane partly shrieked when she saw the dress that Millerna's handmaiden had brought out for Aiko to wear. Aiko on the other hand nearly chocked on her glass of water. She had never seen so much pink and frills in one place at the same time. Shivering just at the site of it, Aiko sent Ayane an evil glance.

"Damn...that dress makes Ayane's huge evil looking dresses seem like nothing..." Aiko commented with an evil smirk in her eyes. "Lady, there is no way in hell I'm wearing that...um...do you have another choice?" The handmaiden just bowed and placed it back into the closet. Ayane just rolled her eyes as she eyed the collection there.

"I feel sorry for Van and Merle for leaving them in the other room with the woman now... You may never know, with this dress section, she may try to putting one of these on Merle!" Sighing Ayane randomly started pulling things out, making a face at it then tossing it aside. "Dear lord, whoever made some of these things should be burned alive for his poor taste in fabric, AND color." They were in a small changing room, behind the door to Aiko's left lead out to a hall that ended in a small sitting room. Millerna deemed that she couldn't go walking around in the clothing that she was in. Someone could think that she was worse things then a handmaiden. Ayane 'deemed' that it was her job that Aiko was put in something to fit her personality. It was more like, 'it'll be a blue day I let someone else pick out the dress to torture Aiko in' mood that had actually kicked in at the suggestion. Aiko groaned.

"Do I have to wear a dress AT ALL?!" Aiko groaned again. "I don't feel like changing into something that's going to cut of my air...ya know...never mind..."Aiko's eyes had a 'somewhat amused' look in them as Ayane went through the closet. Each dress had more pink, ribbons, and frills then the last. Damn...how can she wear something like that? I'd rather be beaten 10 times in a row then wear something like that...the dresses look like torture devises themselves...

"Does this woman have anything NOT in the shade of pink?" Ayane turned after a moment to look at the handmaiden, who herself looked a bit scared of Ayane at the moment. Aiko would be to, if some stranger started tarring through her employer's clothing like that.

"There is one thing-"

"Where?!" Ayane cut her off, and dashed to the area that the woman pointed to. Frantically tossing through several other dresses, she stood up with her back turned to Aiko, studying this new 'torture devise' that she had found. "Um... not to bad, might be a little small around the shoulders... but besides that. It seems to be the best thing in here. What do you think Aiko?" Ayane whirled around holding the dress in her hands. The front of the skirt of the dress spilt in so that white lay under the top black fabric. It did the same on the front part of the dress as well, two 'V' shapes pointed in opposite directions. The sleeves looked like they would not come up over her shoulders, which Aiko didn't mind. The black fabric of the sleeves seemed to bell a bit, and once put on would close around her elbows, and gave away to a tighter white sleeve that had excess fabric on it to make a trail downwards. "I can tie your hair up in white ribbons if you want."

"I don't care...as long as you don't make it look childish..." Aiko looked at the dress, her face giving nothing away. Her eyes however smiled. "Thanks Aya for saving me from that...Merllerna or whatever her name was..."

"Millerna... Princess Millerna..."

xVxVxVxVx

Just how much could one person say before their mouth falls off? Van slumped down in his chair, staring at the small wine glass in front of him like it was the most interesting thing in the world at the moment. Ever since they had sat down around this table waiting for Ayane and Aiko to come back Princess Millerna had been talking nonstop. About what, he had no clue. Merle was too preoccupied with the set of pastries before her to save him from it. Ayane had abandoned him in the right of 'saving Aiko from anything that was a disaster'. Aiko on the other hand had been dragged against her will (clearly this time) to be put into something 'more proper'. Van just thought it was so that Millerna didn't accidentally mistake her for a handmaiden later, and stirring up the anger that Ayane had easily put down out on the airship dock. Allen must have known this princess had a thing for talking nonstop, and had left him here to be tortured for some absence reason. If so, then the knight had some crude sense of humor. Trying to seem interested in whatever the woman was saying, Van forced himself to sit up again. How long did it take to find a dress?!

It must have been an hour now since the two other women had disappeared, and there was still no sign of them. Maybe Van could excuse himself to find them? Right... Merle would probable take the chance herself to get away now that she had eaten every single pastry. He had found himself getting ready to bang his head against the back of his chair or even the table just to stay awake. That was when the door opened again and Ayane stepped into the room, with an annoyed looking Aiko behind her. Something was said between her and the princess, but Van's ears were still tuned out and he didn't hear what was said. Not that he was going to be able to anytime soon, as Aiko stepped out from behind her friend. Van could nearly feel his jaw hit the table. Hair pulled up in white ribbons, and down around her neck she looked quiet different in this dress then the other. For a dress of black and white, it oddly seemed to fit the girl's personality, that and show off a few other things that the dress she had worn to the ceremony had not. There was a small retorted remark between Merle to Aiko that just made color rush to her face. She balled her fist, waving it through the air, as she made some sort of threat. Merle didn't get a chance to answer her back, for he quieted her by pushing her head down with his elbow. His eyes were still on her as Aiko looked at Millerna, listening to whatever the woman had to say now.

Slowly his eyes flickered over to Ayane, who was now standing behind her friend. Van could nearly smack himself for being stupid. There was a slightly strange smile on her face as she watched him; Van became very aware that his mouth was in fact open from gawking at the other girl. Great, Van, now you're gonna get it...

xXxXxXxXx

"Cheek..." Dilandau said as he ran his index finger over the cut on his cheek. How dare that little twerp ruin his face? Then again, Dilandau lightly growled at himself as he gripped down on the armrest of his chair, how could I let him do it? Two days, it had been two fucking days since little boy wonder had escaped, not only with the dragon, but with the damn Mysticer as well! Lets just say, Folken wasn't the happiest of campers later that day. To top it off, the Vione had barely made it to Austria before that damn rotting excuse of an airship made it here. Things were not going very well at this point. The generals were breathing down his throat now for his 'insolents' for letting the damn boy escape. His red eyes turned onto something else to study, trying to get his mind off of what was going on. His slayers were scattered around the main hall, broken off into their respective groups. Third sting were standing around near the door, second string was off to his far right, most of them hidden by the shadows of the room. His Elite were to his right, well most of them that was. Dallet and Miguel were up against the wall, half listening to whatever Viole was saying. Guimel was looking over his shoulder at the second string female soldier as she laughed at something one of the others said. Gatty was not present, and Shesta... Shesta was just annoying the hell out of him. "Cheek..."

"Dilandau-sama, you shouldn't touch the wound like that." Shesta was saying again, probably for the millionth time since they left the sickbay. The nurse had said it wouldn't scare as long as he didn't touch it. Yet, how could he not? The wound burned, burned with his hatred for the damn king. "Dilandau-sama it will-"

SMACK.

The room fell silent as the sound of flesh against flesh echoed in the room. Shesta balanced himself careful against one hand as he used the other to hold the side of his face Dilandau had hit. Irritated and angry, Dilandau glared the boy to hold his tongue; his first-in-command just bowed his head in defeat. Now even angrier, Dilandau turned his attention to his Elite. Where the hell was Folken? They shouldn't been sitting around waiting for the damn king to slip through their fingers again. Who cared if Austria was an 'ally'? It wasn't like Zaibach didn't plan on not invading the country later anyways. He flexed his hand as he loosened his grip on the armrest. This Floating Fortress was starting to turn his mood sour by the moment it seemed. What won't he give right now to be back in the Sarran Province, to be back home again.

"Where the hell is Folken?!"

"He hasn't returned yet from his meeting with King Aston, sir." Miguel said as he turned his head to look up at him. The others remanded silent, they feared to even move when he was in this kind of mood. The Elite on the other hand, seemed relaxed as if nothing was the matter. "He ordered that we were not to leave the Vione under any circumstances."

"What?" Dilandau growled, why the hell was he being cooped up in this hell-hole place? It really wasn't his fault, and it's wasn't like Dilandau was really going to start anything. All he really was going to do... was chop the head off the arrogant little king's head. That was all, really. Maybe that was why Folken wouldn't let him out of this little cage. Did he really still care about his little 'brother' even after he betrayed him, and help Zaibach destroy his homeland? How...pathetic.

"Dilandau-sama!" Gatty's voice cut through his trail of thought as the boy slammed the doors opened into the main room. "The dragon...it's been sighted!"

SD: I think you are having way too much fun with the 'slayers... the poor things.

GA1: Hey don't pity them! Their soldiers not babies!

SD: still... Hugs Miguel plushy

GA1: Eh? Where did you get that?

Edited: 11/17/06