What Allen said wiped the smile of his face immediately. Gaddess knew that what had been said was true. Of course he knew this coming in here but he got caught up in the moment. Leaning back against a wall Gaddess put his hand under his chin and proceeded to think. There has got to be a way to make getting out of here easier. I mean, if we just had Allen, then we could throw a cloak over him and it would make it much easier. But now we have Millerna to worry about as well.

Pushing himself off the wall, he grabbed a bag from one of the men and pulled out the cloak. “We have one cloak,” he indicated. “Either you or Millerna has to wear it,” he said to Allen. “But the question is, who? People will recognise the both of you and we’ll be stopped immediately.”

Hitomi shivered as she clung to Van. He'd been still since she put her arms him and a sudden fear began to grow inside her. I don't blame him for being angry with me. I'm sure I really scared him. I didn't mean to. God, I'm so stupid! Really stupid! Why am I always getting into these situations anyway? He shouldn't have to be saving me constantly like this. It's not fair. And here I was the one who said I'd protect him. Not much of a guardian, am I?
She closed her eyes and pulled away from him. She lowered her head, "Van, I know you must be angry with me. All I can do is apologize for it. I just didn't know what was happening to me. I swear I'll never scare you like that again..." She listened to the sound of the water dripping from her hair, hitting the ground.

Folken closed his hand gently around the girl’s. Her hand is so soft and delicate. I can feel her trembling. “Fear not Yukari. I promise nothing bad shall happen,” he said reassuringly.

He slowly led her through the forest, holding branches out of the way and making sure she didn’t trip on any roots. When they finally reached where the guymelef was, he stopped. I hope I’m doing the right thing, he thought. I don’t want anything bad to happen to her. He pushed aside the last branch to the clearing he had created for the guymelef.

The moonlight sparkled on the metal, making the guymelef look as if it were glowing.

“This is a guymelef Yukari.”

Yukari listened unwillingly to her company. Mechanical armour???? A floating fortress? What on earth is he talking about? She stopped and pondered over this for a while. Come to think of it, this isn't Earth. It sounds to me like he's talking about fairy land for all I know She let out a deep sigh. After some thought she came to the conclusion that she didn't want to follow him. She felt at great unease with her new acquaintance and thought that maybe she could just run away. Yukari turned around and took a step deeper into the forest. She watched the green leaves turn black as her eyes looked deeper and deeper into the forest. On second thought.... What other choice do I have? Yukari turned around to face Folken and extended her shaking arm to him. She grabbed a hold of his hand and held her breath. I just hope I know what I'm doing.

He floated for what seemed like ages and came to rest on solid ground. The bright sunlight awakened him, and he opened his eyes. He rose from the yellow brick street beneath him and looked around. He gazed at the buildings that filled the valley and the mount bearing a large tree beyond all of which were very familiar to him. A sensation of anxiety began to take hold of him, Home? I'm home...

OOC: Inuki: Hee hee hee ^^
Esca-kun: ;___;

Millerna.
Her eyes were taking the glazed, numb look of one who is overcome by battle. Allen had seen it many times, though it had never troubled him. He had never wanted to see it in her beautiful violet eyes.
"Prin--Millerna..." he said softly. He tilted her chin up, looked into her face. Words abruptly failed him. He couldn't say, It'll be alright --that was a shallow, empty promise. One he had vowed he would not make again. And he couldn't say, I'll protect you-- he had failed to do even that today.
Looking deep into her eyes, he said, "I won't leave your side." The words spilled out of him without thought. They were the best he could give. He hoped it would be enough. For a moment the furious sounds of metal on metal seemed to dim. Her face was so close to his. She was so brave, yet so fragile...
Millerna...
Suddenly Allen snapped out of his reverie. He whirled, sword drawn, and easily blocked the descending blow of a man who had gotten past Gaddess. Eyes icy, Allen parried and threw him off balance. He just barely stopped himself from delivering a killing stroke. Instead he knocked him flat with the heavy hilt of his sword.
He stepped back to Millerna. "Stay behind me," he said to her. Allen moved forward into the melee and together he and Gaddess pushed them back. Gaddess threw him a lopsided grin and Allen found himself returning it. Both of them knew that the other was in fairly bad shape. They fought on regardless. Around them the rest of the crew drove Gatsu's men back from the door. They parted like a red sea and suddenly the tactics of the battle changed. Allen and Gaddess were back to back, with Millerna pressed between them. Gatsu's men were attacking from both sides as the Crusade crew fought their way out the door. The fighting was fast and furious, but the mercenaries were outmatched. Allen felt his mouth twitch. His pride in his ship and his men had never needed to be said aloud. But today he felt it acutely.
They were almost outside the cell now. Allen and Gaddess fought hard and threw back the mercenaries. Allen hurled himself against the door to lock them in. The heavy slam of the wooden door was like a breath of relief.
Allen leaned against the door for a moment, suddenly very weary. The crew surrounded him.
"Good t' have ya back, Boss!"
"We had'em good!"
"Did you see the look on his face? It was great! He never saw me coming!"
"Are you ok, Boss?"
"We showed em not to mess with us!"
Allen gathered himself and stood tall. His eyes went immediately to Gaddess and then passed to the rest of the crew. "Is anyone hurt?"
The men made a collective shrug. Allen nodded.
"We're indebted to you, men. We owe you our lives. And I owe you much more than that." Allen let a fraction of a wry smile pull at the corner of his mouth. Some of the men called out brashly, 'damn straight you do, boss! Then laughter. You owe us nothin but a full keg of beer!
Allen looked over at Gaddess, who was chucking to himself. Then his eyes went to Millerna and his tone became a little more serious. "We may have fought our way into prison, but we all know that getting out is always more difficult than getting in. We're not out of the woods yet."

Hitomi's eyes slowly opened. Her head was pounding horribly and her chest ached, but she forgot all of it when she saw him.
"Van..." she whispered hoarsely and smiled. She pulled herself up to a sitting position and put her arms weakly around the youth's neck, "I wanted to come back. I didn't want to leave you. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to sing...I didn't...

Behind them Escaflowne's energist silently powered down.

OOC: I hope this conclusion is alright ^^;;;;

Escaflowne had been assessing the grim scene for some time now, watching the boy desperately try to revive her.

Even though her spirit is ready to return, her body has passed the point where it can accept her back. The pain of the failed resurrection still stabbed and the edges of his mind, I have to do something, even if I may not have enough power... I have to do something....
He focused everything, all his power and hope into one single thought. He felt the energist on his chest begin to resonate and glow. A pinkish glow enveloped Hitomi. The water receded from her lungs and was pushed up through her throat. It trickled out the sides of her mouth. She then gasped loudly as air was forced back into her lungs and her heart began to beat. Her deathly pale complexion became fuller and more colorful as the pink glow dissipated.
Majesty," Escaflowne's voice echoed, "She was beyond the help of human hands. When she opens her eyes, she'll think that you saved her. You did.

Nariya looked down the hall warily, watching the guards run. She was standing outside the kit's cell, her arms crossed, watching the pandemonium. She threw a glance at her sister. It was quick, quicker than it usually would have been--Nariya wasn't sure just yet what her twin thought of her actions regarding the kit. Nariya herself wasn't sure of them. Her face was deliberately blank.
She moved forward and commanded a soldier to stop.
"What were those shudders in the engines? Where are you going?"
The young soldier stopped and looked almost insolent for a moment. Then recognition passed over his face as he remembered that she was Lord Folken's right hand.
"The prisoner has escaped or is escaping. The Escaflowne is gone and Dilandau is angry. I must go." he saluted her and ran off.
Nariya was slightly uneasy at this information, but as she thought about it longer she grew more angry. Dornkirk had tried to kill both the mystic and the King. He had failed. His great empire could not hold them. Nariya's brief unease quickly turned to anger. He tried to kill Folken-sama's brother while he was gone and unable to protest! He failed in the attempt--but all the same his secrecy must be deeper than I first thought. He would do anything to preserve his plan...his vision. Nariya's eyes unwillingly went to the door of the cell. Even kill her needlessly?
That she would not allow.
Little one, your king is safe for now. I am glad of it. The death of the king would pain Folken-sama. Nariya looked off down the hall, her eyes dark.
Now I must determine how deep Dornkirk's treachery lies.
"Eriya, stay here to make sure no harm is brought to her." At Eriya's questioning gaze Nariya responded coldly, "We may need her later."
Nariya took off down the hall, quickly taking to the network of air vents that went through the Vione. She had explored them all in her youth, with Eriya. She knew them well. But she had never used this one.
Desperate times call for the necessary measures, she thought grimly. She made her way along the shaft until she was in the one in Dorkirk's chamber. She sat back and waited for the fun to begin.

Panic seized him. His breath caught. She's not breathing. Oh gods SHE"S NOT BREATHING. "Hitomi!" he cried, the panic in his voice echoing across the clearing. With an iron fist Van crushed his panic. Won't help her like that.
His mind raced. What can I do? Balgus...Folken...Father...Varie...what can I do to save her?
The truth of it came to him like a punch in the gut. Get the water out.
How?
Her face is so white. She's not breathing. She can't be dead. She can't be. She can't be. I won't let it happen!
Remember. Remember...there was something niggling in the edges of his mind. Van clenched his eyes shut, clawing at the memory. Balgus!
Brother! Will she die?
Shhh, Van. Balgus is trying to help her.
Will it work?
I don't know. I hope so.
What's he doing?!
I think he's trying to...
Van's eyes snapped open. The method the memory brought crashed in upon him. What if I can't do it right? What if I hurt her by just trying to help her?
Well, a small part of his mind remarked cynically, You can't exactly make her more dead.
Van shoved away that voice, his mouth as dry as cotton. His hands shook as he placed the heel of one hand solidly on her ribscage. Gods he hoped it was the right spot. He placed the other hand over top of it, curling the fingers around the spaces in between the other fingers. Compress the chest... With dread in his heart Van locked his elbows and began. Her chest moved horribly beneath his beats of pressure, but his eyes were glued to her face the whole time. Ten...? It was unbearable--he must be killing her! Van bit his lip and tasted blood. Do it!
At fifteen a small cry escaped him and he threw himself forward to her face. The conviction that she was already gone hammered into him but he didn't stop. He tiled her head slightly and put his lips to hers. They were cold and unresponsive--he almost stopped, his despair clawing at him. But he would not stop. Van filled his lungs-- my life is yours--and breathed into her. Take it, Hitomi! Take my life's breath! Breathe! You have to breathe!
Five more times he breathed for her and five more times she did not respond. Van's jaw clenched so hard it hurt. He went back to the compressions. Each one felt like he was driving a spike into his own chest. Van counted nine and his face suddenly contorted.
"Hitomi," he said in a strangled voice, "you have to wake up. Wake up! Wake up!"
Van didn't have the strength to look in her dead-looking face.
Hoarsely he whispered, "Please..."

OOC: don't know a damn thing about CPR...thanks for the tips, Falken! *notices a cheese-ball rolling by like a tumbleweed* Shoo! Not yet! Not yet!

*Wakes up from the sudden knocking of his room's door and groggily walks/stumbles to his door. Opening it he meets a nervous looking soldier who jumps back a little and salutes him*

"L-lord Dilandau, Lord Dornkirk wants you to meet him in his room for a new mission, sir."

*Slams the door in the face of the soldier and curses* Why now? I need some friggin sleep, I've been awake a day and a half! *Growls and walks to his closet to put some clothes on*

Millerna clung to Allen, with no hope left. Leave him? I-I can't.... She turned her head to gaze at Jasta's frozen, wide eyes, and quickly reburied her face in Allen's chest, taking a long, deep breath. She looked up at the knight with concentrated violet eyes. She took another glance at her friend, and pulled away slightly from Allen.
"Allen...Will... Will we be able to give him a funeral?" He nodded reassuringly, and suddenly a man roared and made his way towards the couple. Millerna instinctively pressed herself to Allen, and waited for the impact of the man. It never came. Gaddes intercepted the man, sword drawn, and swords clanged everywhere, the sound of steel on steel making Millerna realize the life Jasta had led. It wasn't just honour... He had to seperate families... Beat people... Kill men. She and Allen stood a small distance away, watching the action go on. She admired Gaddes' easy smile as he one handedly fought off three men, but her eyes frowned as he suddenly let out a small gasp, clutching his injured shoulder. His smile returned, with a slight remnant of a wince, and he continued to fight. Millerna tried to break herself from Allen's grasp to see if Gaddes was all right, but he held her back. She looked at him, and her eyes met the bloody line on his torso. There's.... Blood everywhere. Death....Everywhere.

Everything was happening very quickly. The men were now trying to fight their way out through Gatsu's thugs. The animalistic sounds of men in battle made Allen's blood pound, but right now he was focused on one thing: Millerna. She was clutching the dead guard to her chest, weeping uncontrollably. Allen's chest felt tight. He couldn't bear the sight of her in such pain.
Millerna... Unthinkingly he went to her, wanting to take her in his arms, to shield her from all this, to touch her face and--A sharp lance of pain went through his heart. Allen stopped dead for an instant, his blue eyes sightless. Marlene she sounds like Marlene mourning like Marlene that night-- He couldn't make himself move, couldn't take her in his arms, every instinct in him screamed against it.
And then suddenly she was Millerna again, not the shade of a woman long dead. This was Millerna and she had come here to save him, come here against all odds to get him. And now she was broken by this death.
"Millerna," Allen said softly, his hands on her shoulders. Her shoulders shook beneath his touch. Allen suddenly took her hard in his arms, not caring who saw, crushing her to him. For a long moment he held her thus, reassuring himself that she was still there, still whole. She sobbed into his chest. He didn't want to let her go.
The sounds of battle brought him quickly back to reality. "There's no time," he whispered fiercely. "Millerna, we must leave him. Come away, we have to get out of here."
He looked up at Gaddess. A weary smile passed over Allen's face. "It's been a rough night," he said. He didn't need to say the rest--his second in command could read him very well: And it could have gotten much worse--if not for you.
Allen looked towards the growing scuffle at the door, his eyes hardening. "Come on. Let's get the hell out of here."

"Wha?? What is this place?"
The grassy field stretched beyond the horizon, up to the blue sky. Only one feature distinguished itself on the horizon line-a great tree. Hitomi approached the tree. As she grew closer and closer, she could make out a figure standing next to it. Her face brightened with a smile and she quickened her pace. "Obaa-chan!" she cried. The figure turned around and Hitomi stopped dead in her tracks. The old woman regarded her with a sad expression. Hitomi felt a hurtful stab of rejection knife through her. "Obaa-chan, what is it? Why are you looking at me like that? Don't you recognize me? It's Hitomi, your granddaughter."
Her grandmother's expression didn't change, "Hitomi-chan, what are you doing here?"
"Well...I-I don't know. What is this place?"
"Hitomi-chan, you have to go back. You don’t belong here. Not yet. Please go back."
"Obaa-chan, I don't understand. I don't want to leave," her eyes filled with tears, "I want to stay with you Obaa-chan. I've missed you so much!"
The older woman's expression turned from sadness to desperation, "Hitomi-chan, you can't stay here! Please go back. It's not your time yet!"
"My time..." the truth hit her full force and her eyes went blank, "I'm...dead... That's it isn't it? I'm dead." Her mind went back, thinking what could have caused it, "I was singing in the water... The water. I must have drowned."
"Yes, you did, my dear. But you can still go back, you must hurry there isn't much time left."
Hitomi lowered her head, "I don't want to go back."
"What??!"
"I don't want to go back to that place. I don't want to go back to that war. I don't want to have bad visions," the guard's mangled body; Allen's torture; Van's death; falling off the horse; all the images came back to her vividly, "I'm tired of all the death! I don't want to be there anymore! I want to rest. I want to be here with you, where I don't have to think about all those awful things! Please let me stay, Obaa-chan, please!"
Her grandmother sighed and walked up to her. Putting her arms around her, she said, "Death is hard on us all, but it is most hard on those who are left behind," she looked up into the sky and a frightened voice filled Hitomi's ears.
"HITOMI! What do I do now? What can I DO? Hitomi!"
"Van..." Hitomi whispered and closed her eyes, "I wanted to make you happy. I never wanted to hurt you..."
"Then will you go back to him now? Or let him believe for the rest of his life that he was too powerless to save you? He will never forgive himself for this, Hitomi-chan, and he will never forget it. You can change all that by going back to him, but you also have to want to go back."
Hitomi moved her eyes to the horizon, "There were times I thought he'd be better off without me and times where I thought he didn't care. But when he saved me from the Vione and told me that he forgave me for what I did, I was so happy. Happier than I have ever been in my life and when we slept in the forest last night, I'd never felt so safe and protected." her eyes moved to her grandmother, "Obaa-chan, I don't want those feelings to end. I keep wanting to feel them again and again almost to the point where I don't care about anything else. Does...that make me selfish?"
Her grandmother smiled, "Love makes everyone selfish, my dear, but we all have the right to be happy. Don't throw your chance and his away. Go back and be happy with him, even if it is only short-lived. For happiness, no matter the length of time is worth every moment."
Hitomi threw her arms around the older woman, "Thank you, Obaa-chan."

“I wish we had time for this Millerna, I really do, but we have to get out of here right now.” Gaddess felt guilty, but they really did have to leave. Kneeling down beside her, he put his hand on her shoulder. “I know he was a great man,” he said. “But we have to get out of here or else we’ll all end up like him. Common,” he said softly. As he got up he leaned forward on his wounded arm and gasped in pain. “Damn!” he cursed. “I forgot about that.” It was still bleeding pretty badly. Ripping the sleeve off his shirt he tied it around the wound tightly. “That should stop the bleeding for a bit,” he said smiling at his intelligence.

Gatsu’s men had blocked the door and were ready for another fight. As for Gatsu, he was huddled against the wall cradling his injured arm. I don’t like the glint in that lunatics eyes… What a creep.

He turned and strode over to Allen. “You’re gonna need a weapon,” he said tossing Allen a sword. “But I only want you to use it if you really need to. The rest of the crew will be protecting you and Millerna as best they can. Besides,” he took a good look at the other man,” you look like you’ve been run over by a guymelef. All bruised and cut up. You’re in pretty bad shape.” Gaddess couldn’t help but wonder at what they’d done to him. They must have threatened to kill Millerna or else the boss would never have let ‘em do that to him. He looked over at Millerna, her tear-streaked face was so sad, and her eyes were still filled with tears.

"Dammit, Folken! I told him to make a positive impression on the girl, but all he seems to be doing is scaring her more. Nothing he does can ease her fear. At this rate she may leave him for his brother! Well no matter, I still have to most important piece. With this pendant we can resurrect Escaflowne ourselves and then nothing will stand in our way! And if things go the way my telescope shows me, this young girl will be more than willing to help us. Now onto more important matters," Dornkirk hit the commlink on the arm of his chair, "Send for Dilandau, I have a mission for him and his Dragonslayers."
"Yes, Sir!" came the response.
Dornkirk leaned back in his chair with a solemn expression, "Cherish your victory now, Maiden, for it will be your last."

The questions were starting to irritate him. I have to remember that she is alone in a strange world.

“I fly a guymelef,” he explained. “It is like giant mechanical armour. As for the castle, it is a floating fortress in the sky. It is not to far away. If you follow me, I will show you my guymelef. Then I could take you to the castle.” He started to walk into the forest, but noticed she wasn’t following just yet. He turned back around slowly. “I assure you it is perfectly safe,” he said holding out his hand to her. “I will let nothing harm you.”

Van's eyes came open. He was cold. The chill of the early morning had crept into his bones and his skin was covered with gooseflesh.
But that wasn't what had awakened him.
Something is wrong.
Van sat up, a vague sense of unease overtaking him. He looked around, saw nothing but trees and vegitation. He paused for a long moment, his heart beating fast in his chest, and listened. "Hitomi?" No answer. Van quickly came to his feet, his brown eyes dark and going over every detail in the clearing. Where was she? Maybe there wasn't anything wrong. Maybe he was just imagining things. Maybe. Van came to his feet and his eyes caught traces of someone moving away from where they had slept. He didn't know much about tracking, but he knew enough. The sense of urgency came again, like a breath of hysteria. Without hesitation Van drew his sword and charged through the brush. Where are you, Hitomi! Something's wrong, I can feel it, I don't know how but I know it--
He burst through the trees. A clearing, a river, a pool. And standing in the middle of it all--Escaflowne. Van's heart skipped a beat. Where was she? His eyes frantically scanned the peaceful scene, seeing no danger but feeling the urgency reach a fever pitch. Had Escaflowne done something? Where--
Her clothes.
Van was across the clearing an a second. His mind raced. His eyes went to the deceptively calm surface of the pool. No... He threw himself into it, sheathing his sword, fighting the weight of the water. "Hitomi!" he cried. His voice sounded loud and frantic in his own ears. He dove into the water. The cold made him want to gasp. Instead he forced his eyes open and swam deeper into the frigid water. Hitomi! Where are you? Van's lungs were beginning to burn, but he didn't stop. The water was getting colder as he went farther down. He had to find her! He had to get to her in time! HITOMI!
An uncomfortable tight pain siezed his chest. He fought back a sudden rush of despair. Don't give up...
A sudden pale form appeared before him in the growing darkness. He kicked towards it with a sudden surge of energy, hoping againt hope, praying that it was possible--
Hitomi!
He grabbed her, and kicked towards the surface. Got to get her to the top--who knows how long she's been down here---her face is so pale oh gods--
The water's surface seemed too far away, the light seeming to be too ethereal and bright. Van felt himself getting lightheaded, his concentration fracturing. Black spots danced in the corners of his vision. His chest burned.
Hitomi. Got to get her to the surface. Keep kicking! Don't stop. Can't stop.
He kept going, dragging Hitomi's dead weight along with him, his vision clouding, his mind getting less and less coherent. Don't know if I can do it...I can't...
Suddenly his head broke the surface. He gasped hoarsely, sucking in great gulps of air. He could barely keep them afloat. Fighting to keep her head above water, Van dragged her to the shore. He was shivering and within an inch of panic. She hadn't moved.
Not caring about her nakedness, Van laid her on the grass near the shore and roughly took her face. "Hitomi!" he cried, trying to hold back his panic. Her flesh was cold beneath his fingers and it struck a deep fear into his heart. Was she breathing? Was she full of water? She has to breathe!
What do I do now? What can I DO?
"Hitomi!"

Wiping the feeling of Gatsu's lips from her own, Millerna collapsed into Allen's arms.
"Thank you Allen... Thank you Gaddes... Thank you everyone" she breathed. She leant her head against Allen's shoulder for a moment, breathing in and out, and shutting her violet eyes almost painfully. Then something registered deep within her. "Jasta!" she said suddenly, and ran over to the injured man's side. "Are you awake?" Millerna asked urgently, bringing Jasta's head to her lap. She brushed the hair away from his blue grey eyes, and slowly one of his eye lids opened.
"Princess..." he wheezed.
"I'm so sorry" she whispered. She noticed a strange sensation on his fingers, and slowly removed her fingers from his head, his head still on her lap. Dark red liquid stained her fingers, and her breath caught in her throat. "I had no idea... I didn't know they had... They had gone that far..." she murmured, a tear trailing down her pale face. He started to convulse, and she brought him closer to her. She lowered her head to his and kissed his forehead. "Please... Stay... For me." Jasta smiled weakly up at her.
"Are you alright Princess?"
"Not if you're dead! Jasta, don't speak... Save your energy"
"Princess, my duty is done. I am no longer needed here."
"Jasta! You're my only true friend... Jasta..." she wept. The young man's eyes grew wide, as he started to shiver.
"I'm sorry Princess" he croaked. He blinked from the tears that were falling onto his face from Millerna's wide violet eyes. Then slowly, he no longer blinked. He stared up at her, the windows to his soul blank. Agitatedly, Millerna hugged his body fiercly, hiccuping furiously. She could no longer hear anyone else. It was just a blur.

'You're a fine lady now, Princess Millerna' a young man had said.
'And you'll make a fantastic guard, Jasta.' she had beamed. 'Stay with me forever, Jasta? You're my only friend around here.'
'Forever, Princess. I swear with my life.'

Burying her face into Jasta's chest, Millerna wept, entwining her fingers with his.

Hitomi's beautiful voice filled the whole forest.

Dies irae, dies illa
Solvet saeclum in favilla.

Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quando judex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus!

Escaflowne stirred from his slumber, What is that? That-That's the incantation to resurrect me. Why is she singing it now? I haven't told her the time is right yet. What is she doing? The blackness around him vanished, showing him a clear view of Hitomi. He saw the blank expression in her eyes. A feeling of dread settled inside of him, She's gone into the trance. She won't stop until she's finished....

Tuba mirum spargens sonum
Per sepulcra regionum,
Coget omnes ante thronum.

Mors stupebit et natura,
Cum resurget creatura,
Judicanti responsura.

Liber scriptus proferetur,
In quo totum continetur,
Unde mundus judicetur.

He called out to her, "Maiden, please stop. The time for this is not right yet. You can't summon me now; we're not powerful enough! Hitomi! Stop! STOP!" His words had no effect, she continued to sing.

Judex ergo cum sedebit,
Quidquid latet apparebit.
Nil inultum remanebit.

Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?
Quem patronum rogaturus,
Cum vix justus sit securus?

Escaflowne braced himself as the familiar force took hold of him. But the sensation that came along with it was far from the pleasant feeling it had once been. He felt as though he was being consumed by fire. His consciousness being attacked at all sides by horrific pain. He cried out in agony as the white light enveloped him. The column of light formed in the sky and the guymelef appeared before her.

Rex tremendae majestatus
qui salvandos salvas gratis
sale me, fons pietatis-

She had begun to feel a burning sensation deep in her abdomen. The unseen force had kept it at bay, but it had begun to push itself to the forefront of her mind. When the white guymelef appeared before her, the pain increased exponentially. Her breath caught in her throat and she covered her mouth. The force released her and the pain hit her full force. Her eyes rolled back in her head and darkness enveloped her. She fell backward into the water, sinking deeper and deeper.

[OOC: Ž„‚ÍŽ€‚É‚½‚­‚È‚¢! ;_;]

Hitomi pulled back and looked down once more. The youth's chest rose and fell slowly, his breathing deeper than before, Looks like he's fallen back to sleep again. Hitomi sighed. Oh well, they'll be plenty of time for that later. She looked up at the sky. An orange glow was beginning to appear over the horizon. This is about the time of morning I'd be waiting for the train to take me to school. An acute wave of sadness passed over her. Yukari... Are you waiting there now all by yourself? She shook the thought from her mind, I can't think about that now. I'll go crazy if I think about the past. This is my home now and I have to get used to it. Suddenly a thought occurred to her, A bath always made me feel better when I depressed about something. Maybe I can find some water around here...
She tried as gently as she could to disengage herself from Van's embrace. It was tighter than she had expected. When she tried to pull his arms apart, they only strengthened their hold on her. Damnit, Van. All I want to do is take a bath. I'm not leaving you. She smiled warily, I guess this is cute in a way. But... She slid down through his arms and rolled out from underneath the jacket, You're not stopping me from taking a bath. She stood up and looked around. He said that Freid was just through this forest and over that mountain. I wonder if there'd be any water at the forest's edge near the mountain. Like a waterfall or something.
She started off through the woods. She hadn't walked to far when she thought she heard the sound of running water. Hitomi parted the trees in front of her and smiled. A small clearing of trees lay before her and in the middle a stream leading into a pool of water. She ran over to it and undressed, leaving her clothes near the edge. She inhaled sharply when she dipped her foot in the water to test the temperature. Wow that's cold. Well I should be lucky I found this in the first place. Here goes nothing... She ran into the water and submerged herself. She burst out of the water, "COLD!!" Hitomi smoothed her hair back and wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. She decided it would be best to keep moving, in order to stay warm. Running the water over her shoulders she began to hum to herself. The notes came easily to her. At first they were random, but then they slowly developed into a melody; a melody she had heard long ago. She felt a strange sensation fill her body and an unseen force taking control of her mind. Her pupils dilated and her arms fell limp at her sides. She looked down at the water, which no longer reflected the early morning sky. Thousands of tiny stars sparkling against the background of a midnight sky shone back at her. She raised her head and began to sing...

Hitomi sighed softly and opened an eye. She felt his arms embrace her tightly. She smiled happily into his chest, Looks like he's not going to flip out after all. Maybe things are going to be different now... Maybe it wasn't just the moment....
She slowly lifted her head and looked down at his face. I was right. He and Dai do look the same, the only difference is that Dai is older, just like Yuri looks like me and is older. Dai's personality seems much tamer and controlled to me though, not as explosive as Van's. But maybe that's age and experience. She smiled to herself, If that's the case, I'd really like to see the man he'll become... He looks so peaceful, so at ease. I haven't seen him like this since I first came here. I'm glad to see it now... All I want to do is make him happy... That's all..
She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against his.

[OOC: More cheese to join the party.]

I'm not...about to take orders...from YOU... was one of Van's last coherent thoughts. He could feel a sudden surge of weakness hammer into him, dislodging Escaflowne's hold on his body. Hitomi was holding him, saying his name, sounding concerned...but as Escaflowne's consciousness trickled out of his body, Van's went with it. His body was too weak, it had taken too much punishment in the past few days. The strength of Escaflowne's will had been the only thing keeping it going.
Van's grudging admiration was still tinged with anger, but now it also had a tinge of guilt.
'Her love has always been and always shall be for you....'
Escaflowne...your feelings...were they always like this? Always unrequited...always forgotten...? Were you always...left behind?
But this is my life and I won't let anyone control my destiny. Not Zaibach, not Folken, and definitely not you. This is my life. And suddenly everything went dark. But Van felt oddly safe...as if someone was watching over him.
Hitomi...

The sleep of exhaustion was deep and heavy. Van caught bare flickers of dreams but they were intangible and slipped away from him. He didn't really care...he was safe, protected....
For now.
Van's eyes slowly came open. The light was the pale, watery grey of the dawn. It was morning. His body had stiffened during the night--all the aches from yesterday were back again with vigour. But those pains were dwarfed by the warm weight on top of him. Without any thought he knew who it was.
She was pressed up close to him, her head resting just below his chin. Sometime during the night her hand had spread on his chest, which was bare. The sensation of her hair and her soft breath on the flesh of his chest sent shivers up his spine. Who knows what she would think of him now? There was no way he could match Escaflowne's...assertiveness. Van felt a slight flush colour his cheeks at the remembrance.
For some reason, he couldn't be angry with Escaflowne right now. Maybe later he would, but not now. It was almost like the beginning of something...something new and special. For the moment, this time was simply between Hitomi and himself. And it was the best feeling in the world.
Van closed his eyes again, for this one moment letting himself forget his other troubles. His arms came up and wrapped around her, holding her close to him. He held her tight, for a moment their hearts beating as one. And he thought suddenly, very clearly, in a voice that was his and yet not: You are mine and I am yours. Forever...

OOC: *sighs happily* Why, hello, cheese. I was wondering where you had run off to... ;P

Gaddess met Millerna’s gaze then watched as she bent down and kissed Gatsu. Oh god! What is she thinking?! No, is she thinking?

In that brief moment he was distracted. He had missed the guy behind the door and was to slow to react. The man lunged out and his sword cutting deep into Gaddess’ shoulder. A gasp of pain escaped him as he twisted in reaction to the assault. He slammed into the man, sending him sailing through the air. The man hit the wall with a loud crunch then slumped to the floor.

His sword arm now unusable, Gaddess was forced to fight with the other. His men had disabled the guards in the hall and were now making their way into the cell. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he made his way towards Allen and Millerna. Upon reaching the two, Gaddess was forced with the decision to help Millerna first or Allen first. He started toward Allen. About to bring his sword down on the shackles that bound Allen, he saw a flash of steel beside Millerna. Gatsu was going to stab her. Gaddess reacted fast and turned to bring his sword down on Gatsu. A cry of pain echoed over the sound of steel on steel as Gatsu’s hand was severed from the rest of his arm. One of Gaddess’ men ran forward, kicking Gatsu out of the way. The rest surrounded Allen, Millerna and himself, creating a protective barrier.
“You two look like you could use some help,” he said smiling at the two.

She was running after him, something one of the men had said upset him, though he didn’t show it.
“Dai?!” She ran beyond the camp to a wooded area nearby and found him leaning against one of the trees, “There you are,” she gasped trying to catch her breath.
“Forgive me for leaving so abruptly. It was rude to leave you without excusing myself,” he said absently while looking off into the trees.
“You didn’t offend me, Dai-san. I know there are some things about the past that one doesn’t wish to discuss.” She walked up to him and laid her hand on his arm, “Are you alright?”
He took her hand in his and smiled, “It’s very kind of you to worry about my feelings. I appreciate it,” he sat down with her on the ground. He took a deep breath and began,” I was born on one of the Empire’s outposts. My parents died when I was five, during a raid from a neighboring country. My father was a relative of the reigning emperor of the time and I was then sent to live with his son’s family. The family had two boys and the oldest son was my age. His name was Derek. When I lived with them, Derek and I became fast friends. We were inseparable; we did everything together and soon a deep bond formed between us. Once we grew up, I went off to join the army and he assumed the throne of the Empire. I rose rather quickly to the rank of general, many said it was because of my talent, but others thought it might have been Derek’s doing. He was a great support to me and I put all my efforts into winning those battles for him. He was the one who gave me Escaflowne; the very first weapon of it’s kind. ‘Nothing but the best for my brother,’ he told me and I used Escaflowne to fight with as well,” he smiled ruefully, “When I’d come back on leave, he’d arrange for me to fight in the stadium. He’d send all kinds of horrible weaponry at me, but nothing could stand a chance against Escaflowne. Then he’d fall all over me afterward and compliment me on how well I could use it.”
“He seemed quite taken with you,” Yuri smiled jokingly.
She thought she saw a shadow pass over Dai’s face, “Yeah, you could say that,” he continued, “The fighting began to take its toll on me. The more I’d tour the battlefields, the more destruction I would see. We caused needless and horrible losses. Our methods were becoming inhumane and…..disgusting! I tried to convince Derek of this but he wouldn’t listen. As long as we were winning he didn’t care what methods were implemented and he ordered me to fight on. As I did, I began to lose myself. I forced my feelings deep inside of myself and I became cold and impassive. I would have been lost if I hadn’t met Ruuh. That boy saved me and helped me to renew my purpose in life. And then I turned my back on my brother. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do.”
He lowered his head and looked at the ground. Yuri wrapped her arms around his one, “Thank you for telling me, Dai,” she murmured softly.
He looked at her and asked, “What about you?”
“Me?”
“Your family, back on your world.”
“Oh. I’ve been married for three years now. I have a little boy who’s three. My husband is out on a military campaign.”
“Is he a soldier?”
“Koujurou?” she laughed, “Oh, no. He works with a scout and makes maps of terrain so the army can plan attack strategies. Before the conflict he made astronomical maps. I kept trying to get him to put Gaea on them, but he doesn’t believe it exists. Apparently I’m the only one who can see this place.”
“I was married once,” Dai said rather absently, “She was a daughter of another general. I had heard that she was in love with one of her father’s troops and he didn’t approve. When the boy was killed in battle she sunk into a deep depression. After he met me he offered her hand to me. Perhaps as a way of brightening her spirits. I accepted the offer and we were soon married. She was a pretty woman, very pleasant and polite. She did everything that was expected of her and I did everything that was expected of me. That was the way we existed. I would have given my life for her, but only because honor would have demanded it. I did try but I couldn’t make myself love her and I know she didn’t love me. A year later she told me she was with child. I think that was the first time I was ever truly happy. But there were complications with the pregnancy and she and the child died a few days later after she gave birth, “ he paused for a moment, “I remember her apologizing to me for giving birth to a girl. How funny she'd think that, when I did actually want a girl.”
“Dai… I-I don’t know what to say,” Yuri’s brow furrowed with concern.
He looked her in the eyes, “Just tell me one thing. Are you happy?”
Yuri was visibly taken aback by the question. Happy? Why of course I’m happy…Aren’t I?
Dai immediately looked away. Yuri thought she saw a light pink staining his cheeks, “Forgive me, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that question. It was inappropriate.”
He stood up with her, “We should be getting back,” he put his hands on her shoulders and said resolutely, “Lady Yuri, I promise I will get you back home. No matter what it takes.”
“Thank you, Dai-san,” Why am I shaking? Has that question of his and his reaction affected me more than I realize? And why is it when I look at him, I feel apprehensive of the future. That something may happen between us that shouldn’t. She looked at him for a long moment, He’s so handsome, so strong. Oh, Kami-sama, is it already too late?

Hitomi walked towards them through the trees. The two figures seemed frozen in time. She reached out her hand and touched the general’s face, “Van… It’s you. It was always you…”