Mulder's eyes stayed trained on the tall blond man. He was unsure why his life had been spared, though he wondered if the look of determination on the man's face was the reason for his freedom.

They stared each other down.

He finally spoke. "My name is Allen Schezar; I am a Knight Caeli and protector of Asturia." He nodded towards his younger companion. 'This is Van Fanel, the King of Fanelia."

Van eyed Mulder warily. "Are you sure we should tell him, Allen?"

"It's the only way we will ever find my sister."

Mulder's eyes widened. "Zaibach took your sister as well?"

"I don't remember much. All I can recall are flashes, but I know it was them. My younger sister Celena Schezar was taken from me when she was only five years old."

"Samantha." Mulder replied stoically. "Samantha Mulder, my sister."

"And you are Fox Mulder, banished from the village of Arzas, a mercenary." Van added.

Mulder nodded wordlessly, his eyes frozen in silence.

"We can trust him, Van. We have to." Allen's voice was grave.

Van was not accustomed to being defied, especially not by a knight and an outlaw, yet he grudgingly turned his anger away from Mulder. "Fine. Let's head back, then. We have no time to spare."

"You need my help." Mulder assumed.

"No." Allen smirked in reply. "You need ours."

They had finally reached the kingdom of Fanelia. Mulder had never before been to the land and was surprised to see it in its present state. The roads were abandoned and the fields were empty. There were no citizens in sight.

It was as if the kingdom had gone into hiding, preparing for the inevitable trials that were soon to befall Gaea.

"Van-sama!" A voice rang out. "You're alright."

A young cat-girl with sugary pink hair and soft brown eyes leaped out towards Van, wrapping him in a tight hug. The sight was amusing to behold. Mulder smothered a sneer. Some king.

"I'm just fine, Merle. You don't need to worry about me." Van stroked Merle's head affectionately. She purred in appreciation, stopping only once she spotted the intruder.

"Who is this?" Merle demanded. She took a step closer to Mulder, studying him. "He smells odd. I don't like him."

"This is Fox Mulder from Arzas. Fox Mulder the mercenary."

"Mercenary? Van-sama, get rid of him!" Merle's eyes narrowed. "What do we need with this kitsune?"

Van chuckled at Merle's nickname for their unlikely ally as Mulder opened his mouth, preparing his retaliation.

"Enough!" Allen cut in. "We don't have time for this bickering. Van, we need to get moving before it gets too dark."

Mulder shot a questioning look at the others.

"Van-sama is going to finally release Escaflowne." Merle beamed.

"Escaflowne?" The name sounded familiar, like a distant myth.

"Yes." Van's tone was deep, serious. "Tonight is the night I slay the dragon."

The trio headed away from the kingdom, making their way towards the edge of the thick forests of Gaea. Mulder was still unsure what designs Allen and Van had concocted and where he fit within their plans. They had barely spoken since they had left Fanelia. Whatever Van and Allen's motivations were, they were strong.

He was a fugitive and they were royalty; there must have been a reason why they were still keeping him alive. It was a thin line. Mulder's continued existence was the only sign of their trust.

But if Allen's sister had also been taken by Zaibach, Mulder knew he had to remain by their side. Allen was the first person in all of Gaea who had not deemed him as mad, who had believed his story, who had experienced something similar to him. Even if all of the details were hazy, Allen was the only link he had to Samantha.

He had no choice but to push onwards.

"Why is he coming with us, Allen?" Van gritted his teeth in exasperation. "I don't need either of you to slay this dragon. I can free Escaflowne myself."

"We are not taking any chances, Van. You are the last descendent of the Fanel lineage, our only hope against Zaibach." Allen insisted.

"…the last descendent of the Fanel lineage." Van muttered under his breath.

"Look, I doubt my gun will be able to do any damage against a dragon." Mulder joked, hoping to ease the tension. "I am going to need a sword."

"Are you sure you know how to handle one, kitsune?" Van derided, though the faint smile upon his face was not lost on Mulder.

"Here." Allen tossed him a katana. "But you do not step into the hunt unless Van is in dire need." The agitation had returned to Van's face. "He needs to do this." Allen added under his breath.

Mulder recalled tales of the Fanel family. The rumours had spoken of a gallant prince, Folken, who had bravely endeavoured to slay a dragon and follow the traditions of his kingdom. The attempt had cost him his life.

Mulder's thoughts were invaded by the sound of an echoing snarl.

Van unsheathed his sword, his hands trembling as they grasped the hilt.

"The dragon is near."

Van rushed into the woods, vigorous and unrelenting. It was time.

Van could hear the trampling shudders of the creature grow nearer as he raced deeper into the thicket. His sword was poised and ready. Suddenly, he noticed the flash of a giant tail ahead of him. He circled around a large tree, finding a clear view of the beast.

It stood at almost twenty feet in height, with scaled wings and ferocious demon eyes. Each fang in its mouth splintered off in a different direction as its large slithering tongue lashed out aimlessly. It was a monster unlike any other.

In one lumbering motion, the dragon twisted to face Van, its insidious tongue inches from his face. Its jaws opened wider and Van could feel the beginnings of pure heat emanate from the depths of the dragon's belly.

"Van!" Mulder shouted out, knowing what was coming next. The fire from a dragon's breath would be fatal. Mulder levelled his sword and moved to help the King of Fanelia, but Allen held up his arm, blocking Mulder's path.

"Van will be fine." Allen said solemnly. "Leave him be."

Mulder watched in horror as harsh flames enveloped the forest, billowing out from the dragon's mouth. As the smoke cleared, the trees remained singed; the damage was severe. Yet, in the midst of the ash, Van stood poised. Completely unharmed, he held an unfurled metallic shield above his head.

Despite Van's small victory, Mulder found himself clenching his teeth in anger. "This is foolish!"

Allen gave Mulder a sidelong glance. "This is the way of a warrior."

"This relentless murder and needless death, what purpose does it serve? Killing harmless creatures, are we no better than Zaibach?" Mulder seethed, his fear and anger mixing into a potent fuel.

Without warning, a bright pillar of white light descended from the skies near Van and the dragon. The vision was blinding. Mulder and Allen shielded their eyes, unable to withstand the magnitude of the sight.

Van glanced at the strange phenomenon a moment too long. The dragon had already recovered and his swift tail struck out at the young king, knocking him roughly to the ground.

Allen and Mulder returned to their senses and noticed their injured comrade. They hastened to his side, but what they found was not what they had been expecting.

The dragon was gone. And a woman with strange clothes and mesmerizing eyes stood silently with Van lying at her feet.

The woman's eyes widened as Mulder and Allen stared back at her in shock. Where had she come from?

"Who are you?" Allen demanded, regaining his wits. He eyed the woman suspiciously. "If you have been sent here by Zaibach you will not leave alive."

"Zaibach?" She questioned. "What are you talking about?" She eyed the men's swords warily. "Where am I?"

"Your naïve façade won't fool me, spy!" Allen bellowed as he menacingly advanced on the woman.

Mulder stepped in front of the Asturian knight. "Allen, calm yourself! She may not be –"

Their voices were hushed as they heard a rustling in the trees. They all stopped talking, stopped moving.

Mulder saw the woman's eyes cloud over momentarily as she seemed lost in a trance. Suddenly, abruptly, she shifted back into consciousness and shouted out in alarm.

"Behind you!"

They all turned around to find the dragon lunging at them once again. Mulder's breath was caught in his throat as he realized that he was too late. He could see the creature's deadly claw reaching for him. This was the end.

"Yaaaaa!"

A slice of metal cut the dragon's leg off in one fell swoop. Van had acted quickly, his sword still in hand. Van's breathing was laboured, but his strike was powerful. With another plunge he sent his sword deep into the dragon's stomach.

The dragon had been slain.

Soon enough, Van Fanel, the new king of Fanelia, held the drag-energist in his hands. The orb pulsated with a comforting glow. A sign of his valour, his perseverance and his royalty. The remains of the dragon faded into oblivion before their eyes.

"What is going on here?" The strange woman asked, bewilderment apparent in her voice.

"My name is Fox Mulder." Mulder explained, shooting a harsh look at Allen, warning him to keep his distance from the girl. "This is Van Fanel of Fanelia and Allen Schezar of Asturia."

She stared back at him blankly, so he pressed on.

"If you are not from Zaibach, please, tell us where you are from."

The woman paused for a moment, taking in her surroundings, yet she did not answer his question. She examined each of them, one by one, as if their appearances could somehow explain her predicament. She shook her head in disbelief, but instead of voicing her skepticism, her blue eyes met his.

"My name is Dana Scully. And I don't understand any of this. I don't know who you are or where I am or what I am doing here. All I know is that this isn't my home. My home is up there." Scully pointed up to the elusive blue globe that hung in the sky.

The Mystic Moon.