Folken watched the hordes barreling down the hill into the holy gravesite. The battalion of Gaean warriors would decimate him and Van. Folken saw his brother courageously reach for his sword, unwilling to back down.
"Van, you must leave, we have no hope of surviving this!"
"What is happening, brother? Zaibach, Basram, Asturia, why are they all after us?" Van parried an attacker and sliced through another soldier behind him.
"The Emperor has been granted his wish. War, chaos, massacre. Political understandings no longer matter to these warriors, only blood."
"Then we have to stop them." Van insisted.
Folken struck out with his own sword, flinching slightly at the impact of it. "We cannot succeed in that endeavour by remaining here and fighting. You need to reach your friends, Mulder and Scully. The Emperor has led them to an abandoned laboratory on the outskirts of Zaibach."
"But what about you, Folken?"
"It is time for me to pay for my sins."
Van refused to believe what he was hearing. He could not lose his brother now, not like this.
"I know that you have already suffered so much, Van, but you must bear the brunt of another loss." Folken's voice was solemn. "Without you, Fanelia has no king. And without Mulder and Scully's help, Gaea has no future. Now go!" Folken accented his point with a slash of his wrist, warding off another of the Zaibach sentry.
Van climbed onto Escaflowne's back, the guymelef already humming to life. It was ready to reach its destiny.
"Folken."
"Van."
"I forgive you, brother."
Folken closed his eyes momentarily, letting the truth of the words flow through him. The only truth that mattered. He was finally at peace.
Van and Escaflowne took off into the air. From the air Van could see the endless horizon of destruction. Gaea had been ravaged. He had to move quickly.
"Where are they? How do I find Mulder and Scully?" Van shouted from the skies.
"Follow the light."
{I understand now, Samantha. The Genesis Method, the ability to move between this world and my own. I have that power. I always have…}
Even in Scully's mind's eye Samantha's nod was almost imperceptible. {You are able to do more than that. I am able to use the Fate Alteration Machine to carry out Zaibach's will, but even I am not powerful enough to stop it once it has started.}
{How? How do I stop it from going any further, when it has already been set into motion?}
{Remember, Dana, how it felt when you first traveled here to Gaea, how it felt when you escaped from the burning land of Fanelia. Use those memories as your guide.}
{…How it felt every time I woke up from my dreams of a land where the Earth would hang in the sky, where men fought with swords and honour, where I would find my truth, my destiny…}
Scully saw Mulder's limp body move ever so slightly.
{Where I would find you, Mulder.}
A pillar of light rose into the sky, bursting through the roof of the building they were in, growing higher and higher until its light enveloped everything around them. Samantha's body still stuck in the Fate Alteration Machine, but her dark glow began to dim as the white light filled the skies.
{Yes, good. You can do it, Dana!}
Scully squeezed her eyes shut, taking strength from Samantha's faith. {For him. For this world. For the people of Gaea and Earth.}
Scully felt lighter, as if she was floating, somewhere far far away. Back home, watching the sun set even as her heart filled to the brim, determination coursing through her entire being. A warm hand in her own. Giving her the faith to fight the future.
The pillar of light grew brighter, flashing through the great expanse of Gaea in a single instant.
Scully fell to the ground, exhausted. The light was extinguished. The laboratory had been destroyed, the Fate Alteration Machine with it. There was nothing left but rubble.
"Samantha!" Scully called out in fear.
"Dana…" Scully turned to find Samantha safe from the wreckage, a conscious Mulder leaning his weight on his sister. Samantha smiled brightly, holding her brother tighter.
"Thank you."
Dilandau looked around the battlefield only to see his men's gazes transfixed on the sky. Fools! What were they doing? Did they not realize that this was the greatest war of their lifetime, that this would be the sweet victory that Zaibach had been working towards?
Yet it was not just the Zaibach soldiers who had been brought to a standstill. The entire field was immobilized, as if waking from a violent dream. What had stopped them? What had changed? And what was this feeling Dilandau felt deep within his soul…this remembrance.
"Have you tired so easily, Dilandau?" Allen mocked, noting his opponent's lack of action.
"Allen…"
Sherazade's sword streaked through the air in one swift motion, catching Dilandau in his moment of disregard. Allen sliced through the red guymelef's left arm, cutting through the metal until the piece fell unceremoniously to the ground.
"You are finished, Dilandau!" Allen seethed. "You and the rest of the crumbling Zaibach Empire. It is you who are responsible for the abduction of my sister."
Dilandau stumbled, more shocked by the words than the strength of the blow.
Allen continued, the rage building as the memories returned to him anew. "You will all pay for your misdeeds against Celena."
"Celena!"
Her brother had long blonde hair and kind eyes. She giggled in reply. She gripped his hand tightly and knew that she would never be alone.
Dilandau's melef faltered once more and was soon on its knees, suffering a defeat more harrowing than any war.
"What am I?" Dilandau croaked, his mind filling with disgust and self-hate. The visions came one after another, none making any true sense. He screamed in agony, feeling as if he was being torn apart in two at the very seams. The more he remembered, the harder it was to hold on.
But with Allen's sword positioned squarely at his red melef's throat, it did not matter. His fate was already sealed.
"Mulder, are you alright?" Scully asked, finding herself switching over to doctor mode almost immediately. He seemed stable for now, but she would feel more assured if they got him to safety as soon as possible.
"I am fine, Scully." He gave her a weak grin before turning attention to the one who was carrying the bulk of his weight. "Samantha…" Mulder whispered gently.
"Brother." She replied, pulling him into a full-on hug. "I am safe, because of you."
"Not really." Mulder deadpanned. "I missed all of the fun." He caught Scully's eye. "I do not know how to thank you, Scully. You saved me and my sister. And the Emperor…"
"Is gone." Samantha bristled. "As is his abomination of a machine. The same technology that brought the people of Atlantis to ruins. Only now can we hope that all of Gaea will heed the warning. There are some things in our world and beyond that should not be tampered with."
"And the battle? What happened to everyone?" Scully asked hurriedly. "I can't see anything anymore, the visions are gone."
Mulder scanned the destroyed laboratory in haste. "My melef has been destroyed long ago, but we must return quickly. Scully, can you…?" He pleaded.
"I don't know." Scully had never felt so exhausted in her entire life. It took all of her strength to simply remain standing. But they had to return to the others, ensure that everyone was indeed safe.
They were soon covered by a shadow and looked up to see its cause.
"Van!" Scully rejoiced. Van was safe. He was on Escaflowne and had reached them.
"Van, you are safe." Mulder echoed her relief. "And to think that we were planning on rescuing you." Mulder grinned sheepishly.
Van smiled indulgently. "You have. Now climb on, all of you. We will be able to travel at a quick pace with Escaflowne."
"Yes, we must hurry." Samantha said, her voice lowering in concern. "I fear that something is still wrong…"
"Get out here, you coward! I want to see the look in your eyes when I tear you to pieces." Allen bellowed, his eyes trained on the red guymelef that had fallen before him. It had been far easier than he had expected it to be; he was certain the treacherous Dilandau still had some tricks up his sleeve. Allen would never allow that Zaibach rat to best him.
The torso armour rose, revealing the cockpit of the melef. Dilandau lay within it, looking shaken. Almost as if he had seen the spectre of death.
Soon enough he would, Allen would make sure of it.
"On the ground." Allen demanded. The remaining soldiers had all halted their own battles. They watched the scene before them. Allen, Knight Caeli of Asturia would exact his revenge on Dilandau the elite Dragon Slayer of Zaibach. For all of them. This would be their ultimate victory, the action that would echo through the ages.
If he could never bring his sister home alive, then at the very least he could bring about justice and honour in her name.
Allen raised his sword, hearing the voices ring out around him. Not a single one mattered. They blurred and blended together, losing all meaning. Until he blocked them all out completely.
"Please…" Dilandau whimpered. The most pathetic sight he had ever seen. Allen decided to make his death a quick one; looking at him was causing the bile in to rise in his throat. Dilandau locked his eyes on Allen's, looking up at him desolately. With utter confusion, Allen noticed that Dilandau's eyes were now coloured a calm shade of blue.
The moment of hesitation was more than enough. Mulder swooped in, his sword coming into contact with Allen's.
"Mulder!" Allen's shock was apparent. "You are safe and alive." Allen looked behind Mulder. "Van, Scully… you escaped Zaibach's clutches."
Allen's joyful reunion was soon cut short. "Lower your sword, Allen." Mulder said through gritted teeth.
"What? And spare this tool of Zaibach who has brought us all only pain and suffering? Dilandau abducted Samantha, he captured Van…he killed my sister!" Allen's anger rose up again as he pressed back against Mulder's counter. "If you wish to oppose me then I vow that I will go through you to kill him."
"Allen, stop it!" Scully cried. Had the effects of the Fate Alteration Machine not worn off? Allen's fury seemed…supernatural. Was the machine truly that strong?
"There is no end, only death."
Samantha placed a hand on Scully's shoulder. "Stay strong, Dana. You must not lose your faith."
"Samantha, stay back." Mulder warned, seeing his sister take another step closer to the fallen Dilandau.
"Samantha?" Allen whispered in disbelief.
"Yes, Allen Schezar. I am returned. And there is more that you must learn today. Your sister Celena is not dead."
"What?" Allen lowered his sword slightly. Scully could feel the tense energy dissipating slightly and her faith began to once again strengthen.
"She is alive." Samantha helped Dilandau to his feet. "Dilandau is your sister."
Everyone looked on in shock as they took in the sight before them. Dilandau looked… different. His eyes no longer held the glow of hellfires but rather the calming colour of a sea breeze. His face was not shaped in sharp edges but gentle and innocent curves. There was no more rage in this person standing before them, only guilt and fear. Loneliness.
"You are not alone anymore, Celena." Samantha promised.
"I am scared." Celena shivered. "I miss my brother."
"As do I." Samantha admitted, pulling the other young girl closer. "But you have me and I have you."
Celena's shivering abated. "Where are we? Why have they taken us? Will we ever go home?"
"I do not know…"
xxx
Samantha could hear Celena's cries. The tests were painful and endless. She watched tears spring forth in the other girl's eyes.
"Celena, hold my hand. It will be alright."
"Promise?" Celena whimpered.
Samantha curled her fingers around Celena's. "I promise. You are not alone."
xxx
"This one, Samantha. She could be useful to us." A man with a cigarette in his hand ordered in a gruff voice. "Bring her to the elite laboratories. She is not meant to be a lowly Dragon Slayer. Her potential calls for so much more…"
The Zaibach guards nodded, dragging Samantha from the cold, hard quarters she had grown to call home.
"Celena!" Samantha called out, fearful.
"Samantha!"
That night the tears from Celena's eyes were unstoppable.
She was rightly and truly alone.
"Do you remember?" Samantha asked.
"I…I do." Celena's eyes blinked rapidly as if she was adjusting to a new source of light. "The Zaibach scientists, they tested on us, used us for their experiments. They made me forget who I was, who you were, Allen." She recalled.
"They put us in pairs, to keep us from being too frightened. Our bond was strong, Celena, amplified by the effects of the experiments." Samantha nodded, starting to remember more herself. "And when they discovered that I had the ability to power the Fate Alteration Machine they even took me away from you."
"Celena?" Allen repeated, his heart in turmoil. He had almost beheaded his own sister? "I cannot believe it!"
"Brother… if you can forgive me then maybe I will begin to forgive myself." Celena spared a guilty glance Van's way, the memories of their most recent encounter clear in her mind.
Scully watched the tension release from Van too as a calm light rolled off of him in waves. He understood what losing a brother could do to you. Van knew the kinds of evils Zaibach had dabbled in. Innocent lives had been manipulated and morphed. He could try to give Celena another chance. It was what his brother would have wanted.
Van pushed himself to give Celena a thin pardoning smile. "I need to find Merle and head back to Fanelia. There is a lot of work yet to be done."
"And I to Asturia." Allen agreed, supporting Celena alongside him.
"Where does that leave us, Scully?" Mulder turned to find her no longer at his side. Where had she gone?
Scully closed her eyes, the visions returning to her. She could see everything, every last casualty, every single life that had been lost.
"You wandered off without a word." Mulder muttered nervously, coming up behind her. As if she would vanish without a moment's notice.
The fear was not entirely unfounded.
But Scully had too much else on her mind to worry about the future, about how much time she had left here in Gaea.
"So many deaths, Mulder, so much destruction…" Scully pushed back the tears that threatened to fall. She had never seen anything this horrific before. "If only I had stopped the Fate Alteration Machine sooner, if only I had known I could have saved so many lives. So many people…"
Mulder's face reflected only compassion and understanding. There were no regrets. "No, Scully, you saved us. You saved us all…because you believed."
Mulder reached out and held Scully's hand, holding it tightly in his own until the sun set in the sky, bringing an end to another day in the land of Gaea.