Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny [Part 5]

[angelic1090]

Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny

Previously on Escaflowne: Dreams of Destiny

As Hitomi reveals her purpose on Gaea, and what she must find to Van and Kirei, the enemy has finally decided to make an appearance, just when Hitomi and the others find the first key - prosperity. But it seems that this enemy is not completely unknown... at least not to Kirei...


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Van looked frantically around himself for Hitomi once the blast of light had disappeared. In fact, he was so caught up in looking that it was a few moments before he noticed that the enemy had disappeared. There was something strange about this all. But Van couldn't waste time on that... he had to find her.

Landing Escaflowne, he jumped down, sword drawn, and began to walk quickly to the spot where Hitomi had been before the blast. He called out cautiously, "Hitomi??"

"I'm here Van," a soft voice answered, "please don't worry. I'm fine."

"Hitomi!" Van sighed in relief. "You're alright. What happened?" Hitomi had stepped up so she was facing him.

"That light... it came when I grabbed the key."

"You mean... what my mother told you, what you told me, it was true? It is true?" Van's voice, was, in rarity, full of surprise and shock.

"I guess so..." said Hitomi, looking at her closed hand thoughtfully, before opening it and giving her palm to Van, "see Van? It's a-"

"The silver key..." Van breathed.


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In Asturia

Millerna and Dryden had remarried two years after the end of the Great War, when Millerna realized that she truly did care for Dryden, and he too, also cared for her. They had now been married for three years, and had succeeded the throne of Asturia, thus naming them King and Queen. Together, Millerna and Dryden have brought Asturia into a stronghold economically and militaristically in Gaea. Allen Schezar, Knight Caeli, was appointed as a chief commander of the Asturian army, as seen fit by their Majesties. His sister, Celena Schezar, accompanies him.

"So, Goshem has sent the declaration of war?" Dryden's voice was low, and solemn as he talked to Allen, and the other commanders.

"Yes your Majesty." said Allen, "it arrived yesterday, and since then we have been preparing the units for defense purposes."

"We should attack them first!" yelled an officer, "Or we will meet our destruction by the hands of the Goshemin soldiers!"

"We will not attack them," said Dryden dangerously, "until such time as they have formally made the first attack. Meanwhile, you will prepare the armies for defensive purposes for now. Is that understood?"

"Yes, your majesty," answered the officers in the war room. Then they exited. All except for Allen.

"You must be thinking about more than that, lord Dryden, since when it comes to battles you are usually quite adamant in the fact that you are against them." Allen's wry voice stated matter-of-factly.

"I am, Schezar, but until I see fit to reveal my thoughts, it is of no consequence to you."

Just then, a messenger ran into the room. Allen recognized him as one of the ambassadors sent to Fanelia as part of the invitation to the Alliance meeting in Palas, but why...

"Commander," said the soldier, nodding to Allen, "your Majesty," he said, bowing to the King, "I bring horrendous news from the Fanelian borders. Goshem has attacked the country of Fanelia, without any warning, and has rendered the country in ruins. There is nothing left."

Dryden's face became very still. "Were there many causalties?"

"Only the soldiers that King Van, and Lord Kirei could not convince to escape with the evacuation convoys." The soldier paused. "His Highness and lord Kirei had suspected something, so as soon as they had heard the rumors, the evacuation of Fanelia was ordered."

Dryden grinned wryly in his mind. He couldn't help but see in his mind the young King of Fanelia - the youngest EVER - ordering the evacuation. "Where are the Fanelian people?"

"In Adon, Majesty. It is a valley in northern Fanelia, surrounded by mountains."

"The King?" this was Allen, looking at the soldier grimly.

"From what I have heard..." said the soldier unsurely, "his Highness of Fanelia escaped on the Ispano guymelef, as did his cousin lord Kirei, on his guymelef, the Ikari."

"Was there anyone else with them?" said Allen, thinking of Merle. "A cat-woman perhaps?"

Dryden allowed himself a SMALL outer smile. "Yes, Van's best friend, the cat-woman. Was she also with them?"

"No. There WAS a lady with them, from what I saw when they flew away. At least from what I thought was them. But the lady, she did not appear to be from here..."

Not from here? But that would only mean that...

"Thank you. You are dismissed," said Allen to the soldier.

The soldier bowed to the King and his commander as he left the room.


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Hitomi was leaning against a tree as Van checked her over. She had explained that all that had happened was her getting knocked down from the blast, but his worry still made it clear to her that he wanted to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"Really Van, I'm fine," said Hitomi, stressing the word fine. "Now let me check over you. You must've been hurt more than I have."

Looking at her indignantly, he was going to say no until he saw the determinated look in her eyes. He sighed. "All right Hitomi. Check over Kirei, first, and then I'll let you check over myself."

"Hmph," she answered, "you just want to make sure I know what I'm doing."

"I'm only trusting you to treat my cousin," said Van innocently, "what could be wrong with that?"

"That your cousin thinks he, himself is fine Van?" Kirei, having recovered from the earlier... shock... said this. "But for your sake, I'll let Lady Hitomi check me over."

"Thank you!" said Hitomi. She looked at him quizically. "You're not that fine. You... it looks like you got sprained somewhere?"

"How did you..." said Kirei openmouthed. He had planned on fixing that himself. But... the lady only looked at him. "How did you know?"

"You're holding your wrist," said Hitomi laughing, "and anyway, I'm a doctor on earth. I get paid to noticed these things."

"What's a doctor, Hitomi?"

"It's... a healer Van."

Hitomi, looking at Kirei's sprained wrist, then appeared to be thinking. Do I have anything that could... "Yes!"

"Huh!" exclaimed Van and Kirei simultaneously.

"Just a minute," Hitomi ran to her bag, pulled out the first aid kit, pulled the Ace bandage out of that and... wrapped Kirei's wrist so it wouldn't hurt when he tried moving it.

"Um," said Hitomi looking at their faces, "so where are we going now?"


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In Asturia

Allen and his comrades (i.e. Gaddis and company) had just finished prepping the Crusade to search for Van and Kirei... and whom everyone suspected was Hitomi, IF it wasn't Merle. They couldn't be sure.

But... if it IS Hitomi than? Allen debated this over in his mind. She HAD cared for him the first time on Gaea... but what now? What would happen if it was really the girl from the Mystic Moon. If it... if it was really Hitomi? They would find out soon.


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Hitomi 'looked' around with the pendant, trying to sense a direction. For another key, or a safe place. Something. They'd been flying for hours now,and she hadn't found anything. The only way they were going was north. She turned to Van.

"Where are we going Van?" Hitomi said this quizzacally, leaning against Van again, getting nothing from the pendant.

"Asturia, I think it's in this direction." Van answered.

"Why? What's in Asturia-" suddenly Hitomi looked down... the pendant. It was...

"Hitomi?" Van had felt her stiffen behind him. What had happened? Something had just changed, of that Van was certain. But what would make Hitomi... "Hitomi what is it?" Van asked this concerned.

"The pendant, Van," said Hitomi excitedly, "the direction you've picked! It will lead us to someone."

"So you're fine?" asked Van, taking into account what she had said before.

"Yes! Van we're going to meet up with someone we know!" Hitomi sounded so happy at this, that Van couldn't help but be happy as well. But amidst all the happiness, there was a sinking feeling.

If... if we are heading to Asturia, and to someone we know... is it... Allen Schezar? And if it is... thought Van, what am I to do?


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Kirei looked at his cousin and Hitomi wearily. The appearance of Rallin had drained him of any energy he might have had, and his wrist had been sprained holding of the sharp blade that was the sword of the black guymelef. Rallin's guymelef.

Rallin... thought Kirei, how could you have gone to Goshem. No, you weren't Fanelian, but I didn't care. No one in my - in our - family cared. We were going to be brothers... Kirei shook his head violently. He couldn't think about that. Not now. What was important now was Gaea's fate... and despite how much he WISHED the prophecy of the keys weren't true... it was. He had SEEN the key, he had SEEN the enemy disappear and... he had seen how badly they had wanted it.

Kirei couldn't think about the past now. There was Gaea's future to worry about instead.


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Van finally brought Escaflowne to a stop, in a semi-concealed part of a forest, mainly because Hitomi had said she was tired, Kirei LOOKED like he was about to faint on the nearby Ikari, and he... well Van himself probably could've gone on for hours, but Hitomi had chided him, saying everyone needed a good amount of sleep every knight - even a king who possessed a dragon.

He caught Hitomi as she jumped down from Escaflowne, her bag in tow. He shook his head ruefully. "Hitomi," whispered Van, "do you take that EVERYWHERE on the Mystic Moon too?"

"Hmm? Oh, NO Van. But I have a room to store the stuff that I need there."

"Oh," replied Van, "then why, Hitomi, do you INSIST in bringing it everywhere?"

"Because it's the only thing I have from the Mystic Moon here, and besides, there's USEFUL stuff in it."

"Like what?" Van looked skeptically at Hitomi.'

"Hmph!!" Hitomi bent down to pick up a wooden stick. "Like this!" she exclaimed, lighting the tip of the wood to act as a torch.

"We do have matches on Gaea, Hitomi." Van accepted the torch from her proferred hand. "Now what do you want to do now that we have light?"

"Food!" she answered, smiling at him. "I don't know about you or Kirei, but I'M hungry, and no one's told me how to identify edibles here."

"So you get a lesson," said Van smilingly. Then he turned to Kirei. "Cousin," yelled Van, "we'll be back with something to eat. Don't worry!"

They walked off into the forest, Kirei still at the camp, waiting by the fire, dwelling in his thoughts.


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"Commander!" yelled Reelin [AN, I think that's the name of the watchperson], "There's a camp below us!"

"Goshem?" said Gaddis, still looking ahead.

"No, it's too small. But there are two melefs... and I think one is the Escaflowne."

"Okay, then, Kio, take us in." This was Allen, and, following orders, the Crusade went down.


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They had been walking in companiable silence for a bit now, Hitomi and Van. Sometimes he would pick up a plant, or a nut, or berries, place them in Hitomi's bag, and move on. It took a few more minutes before Hitomi had the courage to speak about what was on her mind.

"Van?" Hitomi's voice sound somewhat timid.

"Yes Hitomi?" Van looked at her with concern. "Is something wrong?"

"No..." she paused. "It's just that..."

"That what?"

"It's been bothering me since it happened and..."

"What is it Hitomi?"

"Did you mean it Van?" she whispered this.

"Mean what?"

"When you said... when you said you were in love with me, back when we were looking for the silver key. Did you mean it?"

"Hitomi," Van answered softly, turning to face her. Suddenly she was in his arms, a tight embrace around her slim body. "Yes."

"Oh Van... I-I-I think that, I think I'm in love with you...too." She buried her face into his shoulder, content that they truly DID feel the same about each other.

Van let himself enjoy the embrace for a few moments. But there was something he wished to do... something he should've done a long time ago... but he didn't. But he fully intended on doing it now. Placing a gentle hand under Hitomi's chin, he tilted her beautiful face up so he could look into her eyes.

"Hitomi," he whispered, bring his own face closer so it was only millimetres away from hers.

"Van..." her breath hitched just slightly. Being so close like this...

"I do love you." Van smiled as he said this. And then he brought his lips to hers. And then they kissed.


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WAII!!! I'm so sorry for not posting in so long! (It's not like I don't have enough chapters to still put on here. If you want to read ahead, it's still on FFN. Under my profile, angelic1090

Please review. My online life is composed of reviews (at least in part)

^_^ Angelic