Kevin Shiue Hello. This is my first fanfic, so I'd like any input anyone here may have, hopefully constructive criticism. It's the first part of a series of stories I've planned out... so if you like it, I'll write more. Please bear in mind this is still considered a draft, so if you have any suggestions, I'll be happy to consider making the changes. Kevin Shiue ---Story Begins--- The tarot cards still lay, face down, inert, on her desk. Everything had returned to normal after that harrowing and wonderful experience she had in the mythical world of Gaea. After returning, Hitomi had placed them in the upper middle part of the desk, no, a little to the left, where they would never get in the way, yet, serve as a reminder to herself of her new found confidence in self and trust in others. She knew that she would never again need the cards to guide her. School progressed normally, and like every other teenager, she had dreams. However, her dreams she knew for a fact could happen, and indeed, she kept in her heart her promise to return to the lush greenery that was Farnelia... to return to Van. No, she knew herself that she was not prepared for the commitment, that she still had a full life ahead of her; yet, she yearned to see his face again, to be with him. Once she made up her mind, no one would be able to stop her, to stop her from fulfilling her dream, fulfilling her dream of returning to Gaea, some day. It was just any other day, could have been any other day of the week, as far as Hitomi was concerned. She had finished her run at track, and was returning home, tired, but in an upbeat mood. Today was special, though. Yes, she thought, today is the day. For it was the anniversary, the third, in fact, of the fateful day she left and come back from Gaea, transforming from a naive, dreaming girl to the mature, thoughtful woman she was. It had been that quick. Her cards still lay, face down, inert, on her desk. Hitomi entered her room, and feeling warm, opened a window. Except for her experience in Gaea, doing something as inconsequential as opening a window had never affected so much. The cards blew across the table, and half scattered on the floor. Only a few were face up. As Hitomi neared and saw clearly what they were, she gasped. "It can't be, again," she whispered, afraid of what may come, her inner self telling her it was indeed true. The Tower, the symbol of sudden, dramatic change, was face up. ____---Return of Escaflowne ---____ ____---Part 1: Return to Utopia---____ ____---By Kevin Shiue (3/4/97) ---____ Hitomi calmly picked up the tarot cards, and lay them where they had laid before. No, I am not scared, she thought, I am sure the change will be for the better. As she prepared to go to sleep, doubts gnawed at her soul, as she took a shower, brushed her teeth, dried her hair... activities that she did every night like clockwork, somehow, seemed different. Finally, Hitomi went to sleep. But she couldn't. In the blackness of the moonless night, her heart was pounding. Something was different. Because of her insomnia, she put on a light sweatshirt and pants, and went outside. As she stepped outside she noticed a dim mystical light, and as she raised her head to see what it was, she collapsed in fear. In fear of the future, for Hitomi saw Gaea up in the night sky, only shrouded by thin mist. "Why can I see it?" muttered Hitomi, to herself. It's reflected light shined through the atmosphere, a turqoise sphere dotted with white clouds. It wasn't supposed to be there, not visible, for it had been the escape route of the Atlanteans, to escape the brutishness of Earth, to escape to a hidden world, created by their own good thoughts. Hitomi gazed at Gaea, half longingly, half apprehensively, wondering if this was perhaps a chance, or a summons to something terrible. For the first time in three years, Hitomi had a feeling of indecision. She wished she could see Van again, yet, how? Perhaps it was still possible for her to visit Gaea without the help of the pendant she had given him, yet, did she truly want to abandon everything on Earth? As she delved into her heart, though, she realized that, yes, she wanted to go back, and she wanted to stay there. But, her mind told her, "what of your friends here? What of your mother?" They would be worried. "I could always come back," she thought, and reassured, began to dream of Gaea. Hitomi awoke. "Had I fallen asleep outside?" she asked herself. But, no, when she sat up and looked around, she was in the middle of a grassy field, the grass as tall as her waist, dark yellow in color, the color grass is when it dies, and in the distance there were trees, like yet unlike those found on Earth, and Hitomi knew immediately her dream had come true, and she was, in fact, sitting, no, now standing, on the world called Gaea. The sun shone across the distant hills, with the glimmer of dawn. The dew on the grass glittered like diamonds spread across the meadow sprinkled with small white flowers. Hitomi took in all of this, and reveled in its beauty. "I'm lost," thought Hitomi, and indeed she was. She knew, though, the reason for being here. So she began to concentrate, to concentrate on the one person she had been the closest to, knowing she had divined much here before, and began to move roughly in the direction her heart told her. As she walked, she began to think about the events the night before, and her feet carried her, carried her into the forest, and beyond. The sun was now two thirds across the sky, peaking below bright cotton-like clouds, and Hitomi was tired. She hadn't eaten either. "Van," she thought, "where are you?" As she lay down to take a rest, a glimmer of insight came to her. Using her heart as her guide, she began to walk, again, with renewed strength. Her heart showed her the way, and before dusk she arrived at a familiar yet unfamiliar city. It was Farnelia, risen out of the ruins in the past years. It did not have the walls of yesterday, nor did it have the bustle of the many people... though it was born again, many lives were lost, scattered by the devastating attack by the Zaibach empire three years back. Hitomi walked around town, unsure of where to go next, when, from the lack of food the entire day, fainted from hunger. "It truly is you," said a warm, gentle, quiet voice. "Yes..." Hitomi opened her eyes slowly, and saw a dream. "I am truly glad you have come back, though..." Van stood over her, as she lay quietly. The sun shone through the window. Merlu was there also, and as soon as she could see Hitomi was all right, she pounced her. "You're back," shrieked Merlu, who was, perhaps, almost just as glad as Van to see Hitomi return. Hitomi was also happy, but when she turned to Van, she saw sorrow and seriousness in his face. "What is it?" asked Hitomi. But Van just closed his eyes, sighed deeply, looked towards the floor, and shook his head with the deliberateness of one with great responsibility. Van spoke slowly, with sadness in his voice. "Escaflowne must be revived again..." To be continued... I have a few things to say before this next part, stuff I should have mentioned in beginning of the story. (I've discovered this by reading the two other Escaflowne Fanfics in the archives) First of all... THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS. This story takes place after the end of the series, so there are many references to previous events. Also, if there are any major errors in the text, or if you have suggestions, I'd really like to know...email me at: shiue@andrew.cmu.edu. One last note: The spellings in this work starting from this part 2 are taken from an english article about Escaflowne in ProtoCulture Addicts (except for Merlu) for consistancy. So, Merlu -> Merle, Farnelia -> Fanelia. Also, I've received many helpful comments, and acted on many of them... thanks! Kevin Shiue ---Story Begins--- Again Hitomi had a vision. Like before, it was a vision of darkness, violence, and blood. Like before, it struck so suddenly that Hitomi collapsed on the ground, off the chair, interrupting the mid-day meal. "Are you all right?" asked Van as he quickly rose to his feet and immediately was there by Hitomi's side. Her eyes were glistening, glazed as the vision of a city burning, its citizens fleeing, reached her mind. The melefs were attacking a magnificent fortress in the center of the city as the people valiantly tried to fight back. Yet, they had lost, and had lost badly, for... "Hitomi, Hitomi, are you all right?" repeated Van, with increasing urgency as the time passed. A sigh left Hitomi's lips as she broke out of her trance. "Just another vision, more fighting...," said Hitomi, softly as the breeze outside, and she began to cry, whimpering as Van pulled her close to comfort her. "Hitomi," whispered Van, "Everything will be all right. I'll be here, here always, to protect you..." as he took her in his arms and embraced her deeply. As her tears dried she separated from him a little, and their eyes met, understanding of each flowed from one mind to the other, and they hugged each other, more tightly, again. Abruptly, Van stood up. "I'm sorry, there is much I must do..." and after a brief pause, Van walked quickly out of the dining hall. Hitomi rose to follow, reaching her hand out, about to cry out, when she restrained herself, and reminded herself that it wasn't necessary. "Whatever is bothering him, I'm sure he'll work it out," she thought to herself, and began to walk back to the room she was staying in. Even as she walked back, however, doubts resurfaced, and old images of the carnage and death bothered her. Among those was the worry that Van would not be okay, that he would be hurt badly. ____---Return of Escaflowne ---____ ____---Part 2: Vision Without Light---____ ____---By Kevin Shiue (3/9/97) ---____ Hitomi sat in her room, thinking about her situation, pondering the results, saying to herself "I want to be here, so why do I have a feeling of fear?" She looked around, at the bed with the pink and white sheets, the window and flowered blinds, the old respectable bookshelf in the corner. It was almost the same as the room she had stayed in here before, but she knew it was different. The original building had burned, and this was simply another building built to take its place. There was no way to replace the people, though, since once the people were scattered, killed, they could never be returned to the state of before. She closed her eyes, and fell into deep thought. Again the vision of a city burning, its citizens fleeing, reached her mind. The melefs were attacking a magnificent fortress in the center of the city as the people valiantly tried to fight back. The people suffered, yet the inhabitants of the castle were well protected by blue beams of light that emanated from the castle walls. Yet, they had lost, and had lost badly, for they were outnumbered, outnumbered by a ratio of... "Hitomi?" Van stood outside the open doorway, as Hitomi broke out of her self-induced trance. "Yes?" "I must go to Freid. You remember Prince Sid? Would you like to come?" asked Van, and though he knew it was safer for Hitomi to stay here, his heart longed for her company, and secretly hoped she would join him in his upcoming battle. Hitomi was everything to him, and he wanted to spend as much time as he could with her, until the day of battle came, when the empire that had threatened all of Gaea would be vanquished. He knew that he could die in the fighting, so the time with Hitomi now was precious. He had already planned his travels, to go to lands which, once were on the other side, but had finally seen clearly that Zaibach would violate any treaty, should Zaibach benefit. Van hardened his shoulders, and his mouth formed a hard frown as he thought about what was necessary for him to do.... Truth was, he did not look forward to fighting again... the deaths of the multitudes of people disturbed him, and, even now, the visions of his own near-death still haunted him. But now, there was Hitomi, and her simple presence lifted much weight off his shoulders. There was just something about her. He hoped she would come. "Of course," answered Hitomi, much to Van's delight. She would go anywhere with Van, just to be with him. In the two remaining years that she had been in high school, and the one in university, she had thought about him... not constantly, but in bad times she would dream, dream of being with him, and sharing his experience. Her love had not increased, but had taken new meaning, as her desire for him increased with each passing month, passing day. Now, she was here, standing on the ground of Gaea, in the Kingdom of Fanelia, in the Royal Castle... "I'm actually here. Van's actually here..." thought Hitomi, and she closed her eyes and sighed contently. This would be a nice rest from the monotonous daily routines at school. Of course, she would not and could not stay long, for she could not just skip out on school like this... yet... the last time she had stayed for quite a while, yet returned to Earth before she had left for Gaea... so she would have as much time here as she wanted... here... with Van. Van reached his hand out for Hitomi follow, but when she clasped it there was an object... the pendant. "Please wear it," said Van solemnly. Hitomi did, knowing that it was not just any other piece of jewelry, but a powerful tool... she still had a bad feeling, and desperately tried to shake it off, but to no avail. The two moved into the room, to discuss the upcoming plans. "I'm coming also," asserted Merle, bounding into the room. At least SHE hadn't changed at all, at least, she was still cheery, energetic, though finally she had conceded that Van and Hitomi were better suited for each other. She still loved Van though, and very much, so his three years of depression had saddened her. No longer did she feel the jealousy from the beginning... she had given up, content to be at Van's side, even if the feeling was not, could not ever be returned. Now that Hitomi came back, Merle was pleased that Van had been lifted from his melancholy... yet, she noticed something else was wrong... and she knew that Van was hiding something, again. She hoped that he would tell them what the problem was, so she wouldn't have to force it from him... and with that thought, she snickered. "Eh... Van... what's been bugging you?" asked Merle as she sidled up to Van. "I'll tell you in due time, but we have to prepare to go..." said Van. He didn't want the other two to worry, so for now, it was better his plans were left secret. He disliked hiding, though. However, it was a necessity, now. With his statement, though, Hitomi confirmed that there was indeed something else on Van's mind. "What is he withholding?" thought Hitomi. Again, she had a feeling of dread, and sought to shake it off, with very limited success. She felt only marginally better. The threesome went to the storeroom and packed items that would be useful, including such items as rope, extra food, and other items, and proceeded down the main corridor, footsteps echoing eerily... though there were some people who now lived here, many were still helping to rebuild Fanelia, and find the remaining survivors; there were still a great many who were separated, driven into the forest, and staying there in the perpetual fear the invisible Alseides of the Zaibach Empire, the most ruthless war machines, inside them the most ruthless soldiers. These people in the forests would never return without reassurance that indeed the Zaibach threat was over. Van, Hitomi, and Merle traveled to Fried, on their way to the new capital of Polta. While traveling there on Van's guymelef, Hitomi again had another vision. There was a foreigner at Freid, and he did not come from anywhere on Gaea! "Van, what is the reason we're going to Freid?" asked Hitomi, hoping to find the reason for this mysterious revelation of fate. "Zaibach has become powerful again. Rumors are that another one from the Visionary Moon has replaced Dornkirk, and has given them even more power. It seems again they seek to take over all of Gaea. But, this time, all of the other countries are working together to defeat them. We're going to Freid to arrange with Prince Sid, no, I mean King Sid, the battle plans... and also, they, too, have a visitor from afar..." "Who?" asked Hitomi. "They don't know. The man seems to be from the Visionary Moon, where you're from, Hitomi. Other than that, I haven't been told more." Hitomi saw in her mind's eye the face of an unknown, young man, and he was yelling something, and his body was swallowed by a blue, liquid light. She could not tell whether there was fear on the man's face. Again Hitomi had a vision... To be continued... email: shiue@andrew.cmu.edu for any comments... previous parts can be found on: http://ender.res.cmu.edu/esca/fic1.html --- Story Begins --- Hitomi walked to the door, and opened it. The corridor was dark, so she was blinded by the light that came from within the room... but after a few minutes, her eyes adjusted, and she could see the chamber in which she entered. It was a great hall, with a stainless steel floor and great glass dome. Outside it was dark. Along the sides of this enormous circular hall was a marvel of technology. A circular assembly line had multitudes of mechanical robots, which were building the latest model of melefs on raised platforms that moved about in a circle, coming and going in and out of the middle of the room. Everything hummed as the melefs were filled with the strange liquid metal which made them so powerful. Other than the sound of the automated machinery, it was relatively quiet. Suddenly, sirens went off, and the doors, which Hitomi hadn't seen before, opened, and men in military type uniforms, brandishing guns, came pouring into the room, and walked in an orderly line toward the center of the chamber. Hitomi looked around, alarmed, unsure of what to do, and one of the men spotted her. "You!" he shouted, and walked toward her menacingly. Hitomi shrunk back in fear. "It's time to wake up, we've arrived." "What?" said Hitomi as the scene dissolved around her, revealing a great city, built out of the temple, after the war, with its shining multicolored stone walls rising out of the desert like great gems embedded in rock. "We're approaching Polta... and I see you slept well," said Van, with a warm smile, as they flew toward the rebuilt city. ___---Return of Escaflowne ---___ ___---Part 3: The Haunted Past---___ ___---By Kevin Shiue ---___ "Yes, I remember, now," said Hitomi, as she recalled the events from the day before. Van had taken the energist out of its storage place, hidden in some box in some room, and taken the ruby red gem to the resting place of Escaflowne. There, he knelt and prayed. Hitomi hadn't been there herself, but she had seen everything, as her power of vision was stronger than ever. Van had taken the crimson stone, and inserted it into the larger holding place for it on Escaflowne. A powerful light enveloped Van and Escaflowne, and the two were embraced by matching souls, hearts united as one. Hitomi, too, was connected to Van and Escaflowne, through the mysterious link that came from the pendant, which had come from Allen's father, the links spread out from Escaflowne like a spider, with the web of fate entwined about Van, Hitomi, Allen, and Atlantis. After reviving Escaflowne, Van became one with it, and took Hitomi and Merle in his hand, and they left for Polta. Using this mode of transportation, they had already travelled two days, and the scenery had changed, from lushious forests to spire-like peaks of the mountains, to the jagged desert. Polta was within sight, and it loomed closer and closer, as Escaflowne, now in the shape of a dragon, flew toward the city. Out of deference, Van changed out of Dragon mode, and waited in front of the large city door. They did not wait long, for then the doors opened, instantaneously, almost as if the people of Polta expected them. Slowly, as Escaflowne, Van inched through the massive doorway, and walked through, revealing a bustling city with thousands of citizens, all looking up in wonder at a marvel of the Ispano civilization. The people formed a large multicolored fluid that enveloped the main street and the side alleyways... it seemed that everyone had gathered to meet them. Suddenly, a gong sounded, and the crowd quieted. Through the silence, down the main street, in between the entranceway and the rebuilt castle, was an entourage, approaching them, in greeting. The procession consisted of a child riding on a large elephant, surrounded by older, scholarly looking people. It was King Sid, followed by his advisors, come to welcome the King of Fanelia. Sid was now three years older, and those years made a big difference. He was no longer the chubby-faced child from three years ago, since he had grown healthily, and grown tall for his age. As he saw Hitomi his eyes lit up in recognition, sparkle of which could rival that of sunlight. Through the silence, the two looked into each others' eyes. As time seemed to stop, and Hitomi's heart beat seemed to be the only sound that echoed through her ears, she noticed that he had happiness, but also fear in his eyes. His smile was genuine, but masked a greater emotion of anxiousness. Van gently took Merle and Hitomi, and set them on the ground, and himself leapt down, gracefully, from the guymelef. Sid, too, was helped down from the elephant, and motioned for his advisors to stay back, and he walked up to Hitomi, Merle, and Van. Van knelt down on one knee, and motioned for Hitomi and Merle to do the same. As they did, Sid placed his palms together, held his fingertips to his chin, and bowed deeply. "I'm glad you came," said Sid, "There's someone I think you'd want to meet. But, I'm not being polite... please come with me to the castle. We have much to talk about." Van returned to Escaflowne, and Hitomi and Merle joined Sid on the elephant, as the entourage made its way to the castle fortress at the center of Polta, the new capital of Freid. The key to Atlantis had been returned here, but there was no reason to guard it anymore, for Atlantis had been truly destroyed, for good. The key now served as a memento, a reminder of what misguided feelings would cause. The ruins of Bhuddasm, too, would serve as a memento, as Sid had decreed that it would be left as a grave, and, indeed, those with loved ones who had perished in the war would go back and pray there, among the spirits of the dead, to wish them a happy reincarnation, if they hadn't yet gone. Sid, during these three short years, had made wise choices, as Hitomi had predicted before, and was very well liked by the people, even admired, despite his tender age. And with his leadership, combined with the positive emotions of the people, the Freid Kingdom was rebuilt completely, and quickly: the scars of war had mostly been erased. However, as one war began to fade from memory, another one loomed in the horizon. This, the people didn't know. What the people didn't know was that the Madowshi of the Zaibach Empire had chosen a new leader, who would forward the science and technology at an ever increasing rate. The Zaibach Empire would again be the instigator of peace... by simply conquering the rest of Gaea, and in that process, killing thousands of people, devastating lands beyond imagination. It would all be fueled by feelings. And science would prosper, in its perverted twisted way, as no life would be sacred in the Madowshi's hunger for experiments, human experiments, among others. This Van did know, as communications between the new Alliance had increased as reports of new weaponry, new tools of war leaked out of Zaibach. He did also know, that the foreigner from the Visionary Moon had something to do with this, and would soon answer to the questions of the Alliance. What Van didn't know, he would find out, today, with the questioning of the prisoner. His mind was distracted, though, by something else... as he could not take his heart, his mind, off Hitomi. He remembered how much she was disturbed by the war three years ago... and he did not want to see her hurt again, but as King he had a responsibility: in addition to protecting Hitomi, his position commanded him to protect the citizens of Fanelia, and more globally, maintain the peace of Gaea. Had it been that long that the lessons taught to them by the awakening of the Utopia Machine were forgotten? Had it been so long that people hungered for war? Van knew the answer was no. A new element had entered the fate of Gaea, and unfortunately, it would change the face of Gaea forever, if not stopped. "Van, what's wrong?" asked Hitomi, as they followed Sid down the long corridors of the castle-fortress, going to meet with the other leaders of other nations. Van snapped out of his reverie, and hugged Hitomi closely, whispering "Nothing is wrong, at all..." and his face burned red with emotion, with feeling. Yes, having Hitomi here would be a distraction, but perhaps a welcome one. As Sid, Van, Hitomi, and Merle approached the meeting room, several of Sid's advisors, in addition to two servants, approached them from the opposite side. "Please, let me show you your room" said one of the servants, motioning for Hitomi and Merle to follow. Van entered the meeting room with Sid, as slowly other representatives from other nations gathered. "Van," thought Hitomi, "I'm afraid for you..." "...but I'm sure you'll be fine," she added, as her mouth turned up to a smile, in an attempt to be cheery, but Van's sober face stuck in her mind, and inward she was not entirely convinced everything would be all right. Sid, too, seemed troubled. As Hitomi walked with Merle and the woman leading them, she mulled over her situation. Yes, perhaps it was nice to be back, but what of all the gloom that seemed hang over everyone she saw. Van hadn't told her anything. "If you truly love them, you must..." Hitomi was again enveloped by the black, dark, void, facing a reflection of her grandmother, whose spirit again reminded her of her shortcoming. But she did not hear all that was to be said, for... "Hitomi!" shouted Allen. "Allen?" said Hitomi, "Allen! You're here! I'm so happy to see you again." Hitomi ran ahead, to Allen Shezar, the former Tenku knight, who was now in Polta because? "I'm here as an ambassador," said Allen, who otherwise hadn't changed at all. "Drydem chose me to represent Asturia, for which I'm proud to represent, since Drydem has led us well. So, you've come back to visit? That's nice..." and Allen took Hitomi in his arms, and looked solemnly in her eyes. "I have to tell you something..." "Allen! It's time..." shouted Van, peeking around the corner, right outside the meeting chambers. And Allen left. Again Hitomi was torn. What was it that Allen had wanted to tell her? What was it that made him that serious? Hitomi would have a long time to ponder this in her room, where she now stood, directly outside, looking in. "Hitomi?" asked Merle, "are you all right? You're making that funny face again." "I'm fine, really," answered Hitomi, as she plopped down on the bed to consider her circumstances. She loved Van, but she still very much had feelings for Allen, yet... the emotions were beginning to be confusing again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ That night, Hitomi could not sleep, and though she spent part of the night gazing out at the double moons in the sky, she had but one regret for coming back to Gaea, and that was, that all of her previous feelings were coming back, and with that, all of her previous fears. "Why now," she asked herself. "Why must I come at a time like this?" At that, she finally slept, and fell into a deep sleep, and dreamt disturbing dreams... The city burned, its citizens fleeing. The melefs were attacking a magnificent fortress in the center of the city as the people valiantly tried to fight back. The people suffered, yet the inhabitants of the castle were well protected by blue beams of light that emanated from the castle walls. The light beams, though, were indiscriminate in reaching targets, hitting both the melefs of the enemy and other buildings in the city. Pandemonium ruled the city, but inside the fortress the people were calm. They continued to plan, as they watched their "experiement" in progress, and knew that they had nothing to fear. Emotions were an interesting study. The inhabitants of the city, though, did not know they were the subjects of the experiments being carried out. They just fought for their lives. Yet, they had lost, and had lost badly, for they were outnumbered, outnumbered by a ratio of... "No! Why won't the fighting stop! Why must I see? Why?" Hitomi awoke screaming, waking Merle in the process. "What's the matter? You're always saying that, you're always saying that, and I don't know what's going on. It's so frustrating!!" shouted Merle, who then flopped over and fell back asleep. "I'm sorry, Merle," said Hitomi, and she considered what her visions, her visions without light, were about. Nothing made sense, as her mind tumbled and twisted from the turmoil in her soul. Something was wrong, but no one had yet spoken of it, not in full, anyway. Dissatisfied, Hitomi returned to her restless sleep. And indeed her sleep was restless, as she dreamed that she had her hands tied behind her back, blindfolded, and Hitomi, in her darkness, was being taken somewhere, somewhere unfamiliar. And indeed, when Hitomi awoke, all she saw was blackness. As she opened her mouth to scream, a foul smelling rag was stuffed into it, gagging her. "Do not resist, and no harm will come to you," said the voice. "Work with us, and no harm will come to you." "Allen! Van! Someone please help me," Hitomi screamed in her mind. To be continued...