A/N: It feels so good to be done with school for a little bit…so sorry this took so long to get out! I work in retail and holiday season is pretty much hell for us…that and I'm working more hours than my dad right now ! I'll try to be better in the future but for now, here's the story! Enjoy!

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Key to Atlantis

Chapter Seven: The Princess Afraid of her World:

Traversing across Gaea did not take Hitomi and her band nearly as long as she thought it would. Coupled with Escaflowne's method for travel (flying around four different people despite its not so large frame) and Merle's expansive knowledge of the lands of Gaea, the band made their way out of Maboch without any incident. Now they were on road towards a small kingdom of Zaiboch south of the destroyed Fanelia, a peculiar path which no one questioned because it was the pendant that pointed them in that direction. Hitomi had a few doubts floating around her mind about trusting the pendant absolutely, a few that she was sure some of the others had as well, but she did not voice them in case they would suddenly decide to turn around.

Loric did not want to head anywhere near Zaiboch-he made that clear plenty of times whenever he voiced his worry for Hitomi's safety-and Sari was also apprehensive about trekking into enemy territory, so Hitomi did not want to lose their already shaky agreement with false worries. Deep down, the green-eyed girl knew the path they took was the correct one, trusting her feelings as before, but she could not ward off that pesky feeling of dread that now accompanied her. She heaved a heavy sigh and looked over the slumbering group as they camped out just outside the border of this Zaiboch kingdom they were entering on the morrow.

The only one who did not seem troubled in her sleep was Merle, her wizened face frozen in a calm expression in sleep, and Hitomi smiled sadly at the sight. The cheerfulness Merle exuded was an act, psychology class in high school had taught the girl that much, a defense mechanism used to hide the pain the cat-woman most obviously was in. Everything she ever cared about had been destroyed when this world was thrown into chaos…everything she ever loved…

"She was in love with him," Hitomi whispered to herself miserably, hiding her face by bringing her knees to chest level and resting her head on her kneecaps. "It wasn't just some stupid crush like I thought…it was love. And I took that away from her…and then I hurt him so much when I kissed Allen. Everything she ever cared for is gone and was happy on Earth all that time…it's just not fair! What made me think I deserved him more than she does? At least she stayed….I left because I was afraid of losing what was familiar to me back home…maybe even afraid of what I was feeling. I don't deserve to tell him what I feel, but she does."

"Thinking out loud child?" Escaflowne asked Hitomi in the gentlest voice the dragon could muster. Hitomi looked up and met the maroon eyes with her own tear-filled ones then let out a sigh and wiped those tears away.

"You could say that," she said as she finished and gave the dragon a sad smile. "Just being silly really. Nothing you need to worry about Escaflowne."

"Are you sure child?" the dragon asked back, fixing his eyes on hers and probing the truth out of them. "Because I think you do…I was known to be a good listener for the Fanelian kings of old."

"Not Van?" Hitomi asked with a sardonic smile, then an amused one when Escaflowne answered.

"That boy never spoke about his feelings…much too stubborn to ask me for anything besides strength in battle; one of his less admirable qualities if I may add."

After she was able to force the giggles to subside, Hitomi ended up spilling all of her fears and doubts to the passive white dragon, not excluding the ones she had just voiced to herself. Talking to someone else about these fears actually helped her see just how foolish most of them were; it helped her realize that self-doubt could be extremely destructive if not taken care of before those doubts grew out of control festering inside one's mind.

"I think you now see just how foolish some of these fears were child," the white dragon answered after Hitomi had emptied her mind of all the thoughts swimming therein. "And as to the ones which still dwell in your mind, that fear you have is unsubstantiated. My little one may have had others, who care for him like you care for him, but it was either for the wrong reasons or it was misguided. You should only concern yourself with whom he cared for…and that I know for a fact was and still is you child. Perhaps Merle did love him at one point of her life, but I believe she now recognizes that it was a very different love than what exists between you and him.

"Ever since she was a child, Merle as been scorned and rejected for being one of the beast-people. When she met my little one, he treated her with care and sisterly love, because he too understood what it felt like to be an outcast merely because of being born different. Being deprived of that due to her families' death, she latched onto that and as she grew, she convinced herself that she loved him as more than a brother…but the years have taught her better. She has loved others throughout her life, and as learned what it feels to be loved back as well, so do not think that she still cares for him more than a brother Hitomi…you have plenty to worry about as it is."

"How do you know all this?" Hitomi asked after a moment of silence, dumbfounded that the dragon was aware of so much. "You just came back into contact with her a week or two ago!"

"During the times where she and I have flown together alone, I have come to understand much about her. She, like you, has much on her mind she needed to talk with someone about those things lest she go mad. You and she are not all that different really; perhaps that is why the two of you butted heads constantly your last visit here."

Hitomi merely nodded her head as she played with the grass with a bare foot, not looking up into those great eyes for fear she might go talk about those fears all over again. Neither spoke for a moment longer until a thought and question formed in Hitomi's mind, begging to be asked.

"Why do you call Van your 'little one' all the time? He's not a little boy you know, he'd probably get angry if he knew you called him that."

"I call him my little one because he is just that. I have existed much longer than he has, and he was the youngest king to pilot me to date…I cannot help but feel a small tug of protection concerning him…a tug that has now turned into a pull now that I occupy this form. I care for him very deeply child…that is why I call him my little one…he is just that."

"Oh," Hitomi said finally, digesting the words the dragon had uttered before a small smile of happiness and rebelliousness overtook the frown on her face at long last. "I guess he's my little one too uh?" She started to laugh at the thought of her calling Van that if he was around, Escaflowne obviously finding it humorous as well as it let out an unmistakable growling laugh. She got up after the laughter had left her for the second time that night and hugged the white dragon softly around its sinuous neck.

"Thanks for cheering me up Esca," Hitomi said affectionately, using a nickname she had invented to let the dragon know she also cared deeply for it. "Among other things I mean."

"My pleasure child," the white dragon responded as he nudged her towards her bedroll for sleep. "Now get some rest. We have a full day ahead of us when the morning comes, and you will need your wits about you if we are to succeed in whatever challenge may lay ahead for us. Get some sleep child."

The dragon felt something within himself swell when she tossed him one last smile, one that seemed to outshine the stars to him, before she did lay down to rest. He watched her until she fell into slumber, and then for some time afterwards, watching the rhythmic pattern of her breathing and her light brown hair sway with the gentle breeze. He took the blanket meant for him in his teeth and draped it over the sleeping girl to ward off the breeze further, explaining to himself that he did not a blanket and it was silly of them to give him one.

Something clicked in his mind as he turned back around, and he lifted his majestic head to gaze at the stars above and then at the two moons hanging above Gaea in a perfect duo. It was something that was at once so simple and yet so Gaea shattering that it took the dragon a moment to digest the information that had mysteriously revealed itself to him. He shook his great head and softly chuckled at the way fates worked from time…why would a machine refer to itself as one sex or another after all?

"I only hope those Atlanteans know what it is they were doing when they arranged this. And I hope that Hitomi does not hate me when she discovers what I am now hiding from her…"

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Dilandau was in a rage as he tramped up and down the halls of Bras'doch's greatest city palace, Nadde, swearing in the most obscene words at any who tried to calm him down. One of his poor Elitists paid dearly for it, leaving with a severed thumb and forefinger after he tried to placate his commander. He swung open one of the main doors that led to King Valon's main audience chambers, glaring at all the advisors and court members pass him. None knew why he was so angry, but thought it best to avoid the mysterious, bloodthirsty, soldier and let him by without question as he stormed off.

It was De'miraz he was so angry with, he acknowledged as he hurried down to the main chamber, because she not only was making him wait longer than originally because of a mistake she made, but also treated him like a child. Him! There wasn't a man in the entirety of Gaea as less child-like as he…it insulted not only his pride but also every inch of his being that she treated him as such. He had half a mind to cut her down the instant she arrived here in Bras'doch with her Ferra, that would teach her to not slight him for sure, but Dilandau knew that would possibly lead to his own demise. He would not have worried about that as much a week ago, but now with the prospect of finding Van Fanel he suddenly placed much more value in his own life.

He was able to calm himself down some as he thought of the various torture methods he had planned for the filthy half-breed, calm enough to catch the end of an argument between the King himself and his treacherous little whelp. He put a halt to his perverse fantasies as he quietly opened the door to the audience chamber to find an angry looking King Valon facing off with his beautiful, blue-haired daughter. He could tell the two were near the end of their argument, the exasperated face on the old man facing off with the angered one of his daughter, so he decided to end it permanently by waltzing into the chamber as if he had not a care in the world.

"Hello your Grace," Dilandau said in an oily voice had he entered and bowed before the startled monarch and princess. "I heard raised voices and was…concerned. I trust everything is all right."

"Everything is fine Lord Dilandau," King Valon said in a deep, calm voice as he fixed his grey, hawk-like eyes on the albino before him. "I thank you for your concern however. Rynna and I were merely discussing the poverty levels in Bras'doch; she's very passionate about treating all our less fortunate citizens with the proper care after all. She was just leaving though, weren't you my daughter?"

"Yes father," Rynna said in a downcast voice, her purple eyes full of hurt as she looked up at her father before leaving. "Thank you for your audience in this issue."

She swept out of the room quickly as to avoid Dilandau completely and was out the door in less than a minute, her white dress billowing after her. The man turned his ruby gaze back towards the King and took in again the impressive image Valon projected. He stood tall at over six feet tall, and had broad soldiers and strong arms that rested constantly at his hips regally. His deep silver hair was shot through with streaks of black, and he had a hooked nose that gave him a fierce look when his grey eyes were narrowed. Even though Dilandau was renowned as a terrifying individual, the King showed no fear as he gazed back at the maniac.

"To bad she had to leave ever so quickly," Dilandau said with mock sincerity as he stared back at the grey-haired man. "But then again, I'm sure you're happy with that…now no one can actually know what it was you two were arguing over. You're a terrible liar your Majesty, one of the downfalls of being so noble."

"If you have come to threaten me Dilandau," Valon said calmly as pushed himself out of his throne. "Then I am afraid you will fail in that endeavor. You have no idea what it is you are insinuating you know, so please spare not only myself, but yourself as well, the ridiculous menacing."

Dilandau scowled at the King, who was currently pouring himself a glass of rich, red wine from a flask into an ornate goblet with a woodland crest adorning it, but did not show any of the anger bubbling beneath his skin. The King took a long sip of the wine and then smiled coldly at the leader of the Elitists who occupied and terrorized his country.

"I believe you need to prepare for the arrival of the Emperor's Ferra patrol Lord Dilandau," Valon said, locking his grey eyes with the younger man's red ones. "If you are to be prepared to leave with them and hunt whatever it is you are hunting, then you must stock supplies and train your select men harder than usual. My daughter will understand that you must 'duck out' of your assignment to guard her during this time, so do not worry about that. You are dismissed, even though you did not have permission to enter in the first place."

Dilandau gave the King a short and stiff bow before marching angrily out of the chamber, his black boots clicking loudly against the floor as he left. Valon heaved a sigh to himself the moment he knew the wild commander was out or earshot and collapsed back onto his ornate iron throne, fingers rubbing his temple in soothing circles to try and banish the buzzing inside his head. It was hard enough to deal with a rebellious daughter by himself, but to now also have to hide that rebelliousness so she wouldn't be killed for treason? He was getting to old for things like this.

Valon rose from his throne and walked briskly over to the large window which overlooked the entire city of Nadde, the capitol of Bras'doch, and his scowl retracted into a look of sadness as he stared out over his impoverished nation. He did not agree with Zaiboch's emperor anymore than his daughter did, the taxes and other negative factors causing nearly every major sovereign in the empire to be poor beyond belief, but he knew that outwardly voicing those thoughts was foolish and asking for a death wish.

"I don't know where she gets it," he mumbled to himself as he turned away from the window and started to walk out of the main chamber to his private rooms. "Her mother wasn't nearly so vocal about these things…at least not in public. That child is going to be the death of me if she doesn't learn to act like a princess…she'll be the death of herself if she doesn't learn…"

Valon spoke no more to himself as he trekked towards his own chambers for some well-deserved solitude, his own thoughts left stewing in his mind, and his eyes became unfocused. The sky outside turned a violent gray and he let himself be steered away from his room as one of his personal soldiers mentioned some interesting characters that had been recently caught in his city. His eyes looked back towards his daughter's chambers as passed them, only hoping she didn't hear any of this and did something foolish again.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"I can't believe we are actually going through with this crazy plan," Sari muttered loudly as she slipped on a heavy balaclava that covered everything but her sharp azure eyes. "This is the capitol of a major Zaiboch country and here we are, waltzing straight into town to find someone who for all we know exists only in Hitomi's mind! I want you all to know that when we get caught and are executed for treason, I'm going to say told you so until the noose takes me!"

"Relax Sari," Hitomi said with a smile as she slipped on her own disguise, her makeshift cloak and gloves to hide her hands from sight. "Have a little faith would ya? Loric is going into town first with Merle, posing as respectable merchants, and we'll follow from behind…posing as a Ferra and its servant…you by the way are the servant so I order you to not whine anymore for the duration of this mission."

Loric chuckled lightly as he applied a skin darkening agent to his pale complexion to match the dark goatee and eyebrows Hitomi had already given him with the help of her mascara. Sari merely glared coldly at the green-eyed girl, her blue eyes the only visible part of her face showing because of the balaclava, and stalked away to stand beside the wagon Escaflowne had received to serve as part of Merle and Loric's front as merchants…it even had some goods still hidden inside it.

"We'll be fine," Merle said as she approached the two humans, her own disguise hiding her fur and tail effectively from view of a passerby, her wily grin directed towards the two young adults. "Escaflowne's plans are almost always foolproof after all. I act as Loric's old and senile benefactor and he finds out as much about this 'princess' Hitomi has seen as he sells the goods we have to customers. Once we have some decent information, you and Sari, disguised as a patrolling Ferra and its serf, will make your way towards that big palace I see and get into it. Once in, you'll let me and Loric in, who will be waiting towards the back gate, and we find this princess and maybe kidnap if we need to. Then the dragon will fly down and carry us all out of there and we make our way towards this one-eyed man. Should work…"

"It will work as long as each of you play your part well and without cause for suspicion," Escaflowne rumbled into each companion's head, his eyes showing nothing but confidence as he looked at each one. "And if things should go awry, I will be there to help…although I should be a last resort for I will certainly alert the Ferra of our position."

Everyone, Sari included, nodded their head at the white dragon as he propelled himself into the air with a mighty push and disappeared from sight in the clouds. Hitomi frowned at the gray and gloomy sky above them, hoping rain wouldn't fall because that would ruin both Merle's and Loric's disguises, but sighed in resignation at the thought that at least Escaflowne would be well hidden up there. She finished the last touches on her own costume and stood up to gain the opinion of it from the others; they could not afford a mistake due to a poor costume at this point.

Both Loric and Sari nodded in approval, both just commenting that she keep her hood down at all times and her hands out of sight before going back to their own ministrations. Merle came up to Hitomi and pinned the cloak in certain places so it would not move to reveal her face, which had some makeup on it to look like a Ferra at a glance but if anyone got a good glimpse of her she would be discovered immediately…makeup can only do so much after all.

"Make sure you don't talk unless you must," Merle said seriously to Hitomi as she made the adjustments. "If you have to talk, make sure it's as raspy and deep as you can manage. You should be able to just use your hands though and people will understand to get out of the way…you also might want to rub some more of that trash we have on the cloak too…not that you don't smell bad to begin with, but every little bit helps."

Hitomi gave the cat a sardonic smile as she pulled the hood over her face and allowed Merle to pin that into position as well. "You do think this will work don't you Merle?" she asked with a wavering voice as she tried to make her throat dry so rasping would be easier by breathing quickly without swallowing.

"I think it will in a way," Merle said nonchalantly as she continued to pin. "I don't really care about the dangers, as long as it helps to find Lord Van…I owe him a big hit upside the head for being so stubborn and stupid last time I saw him! You just focus on what's happening now though Hitomi, and later after we have this princess, what happens next. Keep working on making you voice raspy…do you think you can emulate De'miraz's voice?"

"Yeah," Hitomi rasped out, happy by the approving gaze Merle gave her.

"I was wrong about you Hitomi Kanzaki," Merle said with a strange smile on her face as she watched Hitomi straighten up into a stance that De'miraz had taken back in Palas. "You aren't as dumb and selfish as I once thought."

"Thanks Merle," Hitomi said sarcastically as she lowered the hood slightly to look at the older cat-woman before her. However, one glance at Merle's face quickly changed Hitomi's mind about the elder just mocking her with the earlier statement.

"I mean it Hitomi," Merle said as she started to walk away back towards Loric who was calling her over so they could start their daring plan. "I was very wrong about you…and I want you to know now, in case anything goes wrong in there and we all die, that I'm happy that Van chose you in the end…you're as crazy and stubborn as he is! And I want you to keep looking for him even if anything happens to the rest of us…take Escaflowne and try to find him on your own…he needs you more than any of us after all."

Hitomi was about the protest to Merle's macabre order when she was whirled around and Sari dragged her away. Merle sat down on the cart and Loric dragged it towards the main gate of the city…of Nadde. Both her and the cat-girl held their breaths as the other two showed the papers and goods they had to the main guards about a mile or so ahead, waiting to see those doors open which would signal that the others got in all right. What seemed to take an eternity actually took only a few seconds and the doors opened, letting two odd looking merchants into the impoverished city, and both girls let out a sigh of relief as they rose from their hiding spots and headed towards the city from a different route.

Both girls did not let themselves be seen by any city guards wandering a bit off their own trails, and after a lengthy amount of time, made their way to the older part of the citadel wall Escaflowne had spotted yesterday when he scouted the area for weaknesses. Hitomi followed the instructions the dragon was putting into her head and made her way over to the old and seemingly abandoned pile of broken wagons that lay against old looking wall. Soon enough, Hitomi found the narrow opening that she and Sari could force themselves through, and she smirked to Sari as she showed the small opening into Nadde, capitol of Bras'doch.

"How could they not know about this?" Sari asked as she shimmied and wiggled her way through the crevice, Hitomi following closely behind. "Just think, if their enemies knew about this, Bras'doch would fall so easily! Are all Zaiboch monarchies this stupid!"

"Well Sari," Hitomi answered as the two both stumbled out of the crack and into Nadde. "Who does Zaiboch have to fear? All of their enemies have been destroyed and are now under their control…they have an empire like the Romans on the Mystic Moon did a long time ago. So, naturally, if you have no one to fear, you get complacent and focus your worry and effort on something, usually money matters because empires are notorious for guzzling up resources and monetary assets to fund the large army they use to intimidate people. Whoever rules over this country probably as other worries besides reinforcing older parts of this old wall when his or her empire as the largest army around. They probably never expected two girls to use this to sneak into the city anyway."

"How do you know all that?" Sari asked a dumb-founded tone apparent in her voice and in her confused eyes. "You sound like one of the old military advisors from the clan."

"Oh well…I um," Hitomi stumbled as she turned a bright shade of red underneath her cloak. "When I first got back I um…well I took some military history classes and also a bunch of political science classes as well…you know just in case I ever…well in case I--"

"You took them in case you ever got back to Gaea didn't you?" Sari interrupted in an amused voice, her eyes twinkling at Hitomi in a clever way. "You know, so you could aid Van if you were to ever marry him! You really are hopeless Hitomi!"

"Yeah well…anyway shush," Hitomi said embarrassedly at being caught by Sari. She had signed up for those classes immediately after she returned from Gaea for her junior year, and continued to take them throughout her senior year as well. She had told her parents because she was interested in politics, and frankly, by the end of senior year she was. She had planned on studying political science in college and becoming a diplomat or military advisor for Japan…she had after all seen a real-life war and could draw upon her own experiences.

Originally though, she had taken those classes specifically for Van Fanel…curse that gorgeous smile of his!

Sari immediately sobered up as the two started to make their way through the crowded streets of Nadde's marketplace in search of a very tanned and obnoxious street vendor. Hitomi was surprised by how much her disguise had worked; she was finding nearly no opposition from soldiers who, more often than not, took to turning around immediately the other way rather than ask what she was doing there. She smirked slightly under the shadow of her cloak and continued to allow Sari to guide her, looking to others as if she was gliding rather than walking sightlessly through the streets, looking for people who were disobeying the Zaiboch Empire in some fashion.

The marketplace was a noisy, boisterous place, and Hitomi found herself struggling to listen for Loric's familiar voice as the pair wove in and out of the crowd. After a quarter of an hour had passed without incident, Hitomi felt a slight tug on the hem of her robe from Sari and followed the new direction the cat-girl was heading. Hitomi spotted a dark alleyway to her left and veered off the wait there while Sari went to see if any information had turned up concerning the 'princess' from her vision. The alleyway smelled something awful and reminded Hitomi of one of those cheesy horror movies where the innocent girl has to fight for her life against the crazed murderer, but she didn't feel any kind of fear as she waited silently for Sari. She, after all, was one of those crazed creatures at the moment and they never feared the dark places in peoples' imaginations.

She was in the middle of one of her many fantasies about finding Van when she both felt and heard Sari sneak over beside her once more. "Well?" she asked quietly as she leaned down to hear what the blue-eyed girl said. To anyone passing by, it looked as if a Ferra was receiving information from a spy which in a way was true.

"Nothing yet," Sari replied equally quiet. "There is a princess who lives here…she's the daughter of King Valon, but she isn't allowed outside of the castle. Loric didn't get her name or anything…but he did find out something important. The Elitists are here Hitomi…their commander as well."

"Dilandau!" Hitomi hissed back, her voice already full of dread.

"Yep," Sari answered. "I guess he is this princess's bodyguard or something…she's promised to Emperor Salodin's nephew who incidentally is the Salodin's heir. If she really is this princess from your vision, we my have a bigger issue of kidnapping her than we originally anticipated."

"I don't…" Hitomi began as she clutched the warm pendant beneath her robes as a feeling of light-headedness started to overtake her. "I don't think we are supposed to kidnap her Sari…we are…we are supposed to…get…help from…"

She couldn't finish her thought as another vision clouded her sight and senses for a moment. She saw a sad and slight looking girl around her own age staring forlornly out of a window at a city. Hitomi could recognize the city as Nadde now, but turned her attention back to the girl who was playing with her long, bluish-silver hair. Her large eyes fixed themselves on Hitomi and she found herself gasping at their color.

They were deep lavender…and so vibrant they didn't seem as if they could be entirely human. She was a conflicted girl, Hitomi could tell instantly due to her vision state of mind, but she wanted to help her people and others overcome the hardships Zaiboch was imposing upon them. She wanted to rebel against her own country! Hitomi gasped in realization that this girl, this princess of Bras'doch, was in fact the princess afraid and disgusted of her world from that fateful augury on graduation night.

Hitomi opened her eyes to find Sari looking at her worriedly, glancing back and forth to make sure they were still alone. "Sari, are you okay?" Hitomi ventured as she shook away the last remnants of her small revelation.

"Am I okay!" Sari hissed furiously as she drug Hitomi further into the dark alleyway and away from prying eyes. "I'm not the one who went all stiff and zoned out for like five minutes! Anyway, did you see anything worth anything?"

"Yes!" Hitomi exclaimed in an excited whisper. "The princess Loric was told about is the one we need…but I think she'll want to help us Sari! She doesn't like what her empire is doing to the common people…I think she wants to rebel against Salodin and the Ferra!"

"But she's a Zaiboch princess," Sari stated heatedly, as if that automatically made this princess of Bras'doch an evil person. "You can't seriously be expecting to just let her travel freely beside us Hitomi! She'll betray us all!"

Hitomi fixed the cat girl with a look that even the cloaks shadow couldn't hide, her green eyes boring into Sari's. "I thought that you were more intelligent than that Sari," Hitomi said finally with a sad sigh. "Just because a person was born a certain way…or to a certain group or people or race….it doesn't mean that they will automatically turn out like everyone thinks they will. Draconians are not evil monsters, the Beast-folk are not savage and uncouth people, and not all Zaiboch people are natural liars and betrayers. I think Gaea is in a desperate need of this lesson, and if I must, I'll start with the people I'm traveling with."

Sari was silent as she stared back at Hitomi, for once in her life, not able to find a single witty comeback to combat the seeress's harsh but truthful words. She simply nodded to the brown-haired girl after a few minutes silence, showing that she may not agree completely, but she'd trust Hitomi's judgment and interpretation of her vision.

"Right then," Hitomi said, pulling herself back up to her Ferra stance. "Go tell Loric and Merle we're going to go through with our plan…I know this girl is who we need. I'll let Escaflowne know and wait for you here before we make our way towards the palace."

"What about Dilandau?" Sari asked, an uncharacteristic note of fear echoing in her usually confident voice.

"We'll deal with him should it come to that," Hitomi answered calmly, her voice not betraying the fear she too was feeling as the image of a crazed albino entered her vision. "Go, I'll wait here."

Hitomi watched Sari scramble off and placed her hand back over the warm pendant, letting its comforting heat wash over her and calm her nerves. She needed to keep her head if she was going to save Van…and this girl was needed for one reason or another. She settled her mind into that cool and collected girl she didn't know existed until she first came to Gaea and after Sari came back after ten minutes or so, the two started off towards the castle immediately, and to whatever may lay there.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

(A/N: If I left it here I think the flames would fry my laptop ! Ended here originally though but here's the rest!

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

As it turned out, whatever may lie there at the palace turned out to be two overly indulgent palace guards who practically started groveling at Hitomi's robes as she brushed by with a wave of her hand which sent the two portly soldiers out of her sight quicker than she could say "Boo."

Hitomi proceeded into the castle courtyard, passing several more intimidating looking soldiers as she went, but she continued as if she had no interest in them which in turn made those soldiers try to ignore her. Hitomi figured those were the Elitists that Sari had mentioned over and over again, and she cast out her own power to try and see if she could sense Dilandau, but her search proved fruitless. She felt Sari leave her for a minute and then come back with two others.

"What now fearless?" Loric asked Hitomi, using the nickname he gave her when she first agreed to play a Ferra and taking off some of the disguise he had adopted outside.

"Well," Hitomi said as she pulled down her cowl to look at the others each taking off the heavier layers of their costumes. "We find this princess and try to convince her to help us out. Then we all hop on Esca and get the heck out of dodge."

She turned away to look back down one of the back kitchen hallways of the palace so she didn't see the three confused faces at her last statement, but when she turned back to motion them forward, they had all masked their initial confusion well enough. Each of the companions traversed down the hallway sneakily and silently, letting Hitomi pause now and then to consult her pendant to make sure they were going the correct way. More than a few times, Loric or Sari had chosen the wrong hallway in the large palace, but the pendant always sorted them out in the end.

After a few hours of slow moving and lots of duck and covers as soldiers passed by, the companions were beginning to feel a bit weary from their exertions. Hitomi started to feel hunger pangs as she crept along a narrow passageway lined with rich carpet and dimly lit lamps, only then realizing she hadn't really ate anything since early that morning. She shrugged her shoulders and kept on creeping along, determined to not give in to any weakness or temptation until her friends and herself were all out of danger. She was so focused she didn't notice Loric had stopped and was now standing up in the hallway, rigid and one hand placed on the hilt of his sword.

"I think we're being followed," Loric said quietly and calmly as Sari too got up and began listening with her sharp hearing. "Just remain calm and don't make any sudden movem--"

Loric never got to finish his statement as a dozen or so Elitists flooded the hallway and he whipped around to fend them off. Sari also whipped out the short sword she had been training on and started to fight with that and he sharp claws. Hitomi quickly rose, helping Merle up as well, and paused to watch how well both Loric and Sari fought together for a moment before she felt Merle push her back the way they had came.

"Get out of here Hitomi," Merle growled as she started flinging daggers at the soldiers with an accuracy of a much younger woman, her wrinkled countenance drawn together in an angry scowl as she glared at the soldiers. "Van needs you more than us, get Escaflowne and get out of here!"

Hitomi stared at Merle in disbelief for a moment before she jumped back up beside the cat-woman and yanked the pendant off her neck, holding it in front of her like a dangerous piece of metal. "No way Merle! He needs all of us and I WILL NOT LEAVE ANY OF YOU HERE TO DIE!"

She fired off a jet of blue light from the burning blue pendant at their attackers then in anger, letting the pendant control her actions before she felt a presence she had hoped never to again. She quickly ducked as a sword flung over her head and she tucked the pendant back inside her cloak in a fluid motion to hide it from sight, surprised it did not sear off any of her skin with its burning heat.

"Nice to know you're still as quick as ever Hitomi Kanzaki," Dilandau Albatou drawled as he swept the long sword back to his side and sheathed it, smiling at Hitomi all the while. "However, would you look at you now! No longer that lanky little girl clinging onto Van Fanel like some child with a toy are you? If I may say so my dear girl, you have transformed into a young woman whose beauty could very well rival the late Queen Millerna's."

"Spare me your flattery Dilandau," Hitomi spat as she felt two of the Elitists grab her arms and restrain her, looking back to see her other friends in a similar position. 'This isn't really going as planned,' she thought to herself mournfully.

"Still got that temper eh?" Dilandau laughed as tore the remaining parts of her costume off, as well as those of the others'. "And still showing off those legs? The view is still just as nice my dear."

"You're a pig," Hitomi hissed as her head was pulled back by her hair, an act that displayed the still glowing pendant to the red-eyed man.

"Maybe," Dilandau chuckled as he reached for the pendant slowly with a triumphant smile playing on his thin lips. "I thought this was lost when your precious Van disappeared…he sent it to you? How sweet! Zorbane will be extremely happy to have this Hitomi, he seems to think that Van is still alive as well! What are you going to do when they find him and he's some shriveled old man like his cat-woman there? True love conquers all eh? I think not but then again, you and your lot were always so stu—AHHH!"

He retracted his hand swiftly from the pendant, screaming profanities because it had burned him. Even now, Hitomi could see the skin curling and turning black on the palm that was cradling the jewel when it flared a fiery red. He fixed his maddened eyes on Hitomi and made to slap her when he was bowled over by a huge, white dragon, maroon eyes blazing in anger as he stared at the fallen commander. The dragon spewed a white fire at some of the soldiers before Dilandau scrambled up and pressed a knife to Hitomi's neck, eyes furiously gazing at the still raging dragon.

"I'd stop now dragon," he drawled crazily, pressing the knife further into Hitomi's skin making it bleed a little. "Or else your master's precious whore is going to become my two hundredth and second kill with this knife. That's right…settle down and no one gets hurt."

"Am I expected to trust the words that exit your vile mouth Dilandau?" Escaflowne asked angrily, scaring nearly all the soldiers in shock of a dragon speaking, as he did in fact calm down and stopped attacking soldiers. "You are bar none one of the least trustworthy creatures that has ever walked this planet. What makes you believe I'll trust anything that leaves that tongue of yours?"

"Because Zorbane doesn't want the girl dead dragon" Dilandau answered angrily. "He needs her and that cursed pendant to find your precious king. If you cooperate and let my men capture you, I swear that I will not allow any…unnecessary… harm to come to her while I wait for De'miraz and her Ferra to arrive. You really are in no position to bargain dragon, take it or let my men ravage this beautiful young lady I hold in my arms."

"Escaflowne, don't!" Hitomi gasped as a tear escaped and sped down her cheek.

The dragon stared at her with heavy maroon eyes for a moment before he lowered his wings and allowed the soldiers to ties him down with ropes that he normally could snap with a flick of his head. "I cannot allow anything to happen to you child," he said solemnly to Hitomi alone as she allowed a few more tears to escape her emerald eyes. "But do not fear…for I believe everything will turn out for the better."

The soldiers dragged the beautiful dragon out of the room and Dilandau made a motion to his guards, which resulted in the remaining four to be dragged away and up to what Hitomi knew was a dungeon. She turned back to glare at Dilandau when he stepped away from her and re-sheathed his knife, a promise that she would never let the Ferra use her to find Van plainly stated in her eyes.

"Don't be so sure Hitomi," Dilandau said as he wiped away some of the tears off her cheek before she was taken away to the dungeon towers. He stood silent for a moment watching it all past before his eyes before he lifted his fingers to his lips and licked the tears off. "You'll need a miracle that dear old Van can't provide for you to get out of this one."

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Rynna heaved a frustrated sigh as she gazed out her window to overlook the more destitute parts of Nadde, a city which was still one of the poorest in all of Bras'doch even though it happened to be the capitol. She wished that there was something she could do to try and help all those people besides fume futilely at her father for reform. She tore her gaze away from the city to look back at her own strange, but lovely, reflection.

She looked at herself critically and tried to pull her blue hair back into a tasteful pony-tail at the top of her head, but wisps kept falling out and tickling her face until she let go of her tresses with a humph. Amethyst eyes gazed back at her through the mirror, and Rynna found herself wishing for any color besides the one passed down to her by her mother. Then maybe she might have had some friends growing up, but no one wanted to play with the halfling princess when they could so obviously see her mother's half in her. Frankly, the only thing she thought she received from her father was her stubbornness.

She turned away from the vanity and found her eyes staring at the beautiful white dress she was to wear at her wedding to Prince Delanon, the Emperor's nephew, and she felt tears well up in her eyes against her protests. She didn't want to marry a man she had never met before, and certainly not one as cruel as Delanon was known to be; her whole life was charted out for her before she had even been born. The only factor they hadn't considered was her mother…

A loud shout outside her chambers caught her attention and she hurried away from her sleeping quarters and cautiously opened the door of her parlor that led to the hallways of the palace to peek at what was happening. She could see not only soldiers, but also Elitists hurrying down a corridor to the main audience chamber and she found herself slipping on a pair of dress slippers and hurrying after them. Her unbound hair whipped across her face as she ran to where her father held all major gatherings and parties and when she got there, she was met with the surprise of her life.

Tethered and being held by Elitists in the center of the room was a gleaming white dragon!

Rynna found herself drawn to the animal as if she couldn't control her movements, something inside her head whispering at her to move closer. The dragon turned its majestic head in a bird like way and fixed its fierce eyes on her, but they quickly softened and Rynna smiled at how beautiful this dragon was. When her mother was alive, she taught Rynna to respect all forms of nature, so naturally, she grew up to be very connected with the environment of Gaea, and now one of the great beasts of legend was standing before her. She mouthed hello and reached out her hand to pet the dragon, but before she could a voice sounded throughout the chamber that made her blood boil.

"…the rebels are who the Emperor was after, including a man who is sentenced to death for treason in Maboch. Whether or not you believe the fact that the girl is none other than Hitomi Kanzaki or not is up to you, but I am still ordered by not only the Emperor but also Zorbane to take her with us when I depart from the citadel. If you will keep this dragon, which the girl referred to as Escaflowne, here while I am gone, the Emperor would be most pleased. You may punish the others as you see fit."

"Dilandau," her father, King Valon, said in a grave voice. "You are suggesting that one of the young women who sneaked into this castle is none other than the legendary seeress who appeared on Gaea nearly seventy years ago. It is a hard tale to swallow…do you have any proof?"

"She has the legendary Atlantean pendant she used to see the future last time with her," Dilandau said with such insolence that Rynna wanted to slap him for it. "And this dragon seems to be able to communicate because of her. Apparently, she thinks that Van Fanel of lost Fanelia is still alive somewhere and wishes to find him. They were sweethearts after all according to the legends."

Valon seemed to deliberate the information for much longer than a minute or two before he finally said, "If it is the Emperor's wish to apprehend this girl masquerading as the Mystic Moon seeress, then I will not interfere. I will also keep the dragon as you requested until you return. What shall be done with it when you come back then?"

"Well," Dilandau said as he glanced cruelly back at the white dragon who merely stared back at him passively. "I assume that our Emperor will wish it to be put to death. The Zaiboch Empire cannot afford to have such a dangerous beast on their hands after all. What if the Black Rose got a hold of it?"

Just as her father and some of his advisors nodded their heads in a defeated gesture, Rynna gasped and rushed toward her father, yelling loudly, "No!"

"Rynna," Valon said startled as he saw his daughter rush his podium and push Dilandau out of the way. "What are you doing here?"

"You can't let them kill the dragon father!" Rynna said angrily as tears of aggravation and sadness sprang into hey lavender eyes. "How can you let them tell you that such a beautiful creature is dangerous? Look at its eyes, that dragon is more intelligent and feeling than most people in this room!"

"I would control your daughter if I were you your Highness," Dilandau said lowly to Valon, the albino's eyes seeming to glow red in the light.

"Rynna," Valon said assertively but gently. "Stay your words. If our Emperor thinks this creature will be a threat, we must respect his decision. You are embarrassing yourself and me as well with your outburst."

"I don't care," Rynna said dangerously, narrowing her eyes at her father, shocked at her own daring. "This is wrong! How can you let the opinions of one cruel man rule your thoughts? Why must everything worthwhile in Gaea now be considered a threat to the Zaiboch Empire father? When will you once again bec--"

"Enough!" Valon said angrily and loudly, rising from his seat and glaring at his daughter. "You have said enough girl! You shame me with your impudence and ignorance. It is high time you learn your place and start acting like a princess!"

There was shocked silence from everyone in the chamber, surprised by how callously the King had spoken to his beloved daughter, not noticing themselves the look of remorse flicker across Valon's face. Only Dilandau and Rynna saw it, but the latter was angrier at her father for it.

"Mother would be disappointed in the man you have become your Highness," Rynna said coldly as a tear leaked out of one amethyst eye. She turned on her heel and hurried out of the chamber, sprinting as quickly as she could back towards her chambers. Once there, she locked all her entry ways and flung herself upon her bed and sobbed herself into a fitful sleep. Images of her mother and father passed through her vision as she dreamt, images of a happier time in her life that she never could quite reach now. The last thing she saw was a picture of a white dragon tethered in the main courtyard, maroon eyes fixed on her only.

"Rynna, we need your help."

She jolted awake and found that night had descended upon Nadde, the two moons hanging in the sky, almost mocking her captivity with their freedom. Rynna sat in her bed for a moment, mulling over what she had just heard in her head before she made up her mind, still angry with her father and feeling a bit rebellious. She slipped off the formal clothing she was in and slipped on a cream colored chemise along with brown breeches and black boots. She bound her bluish-silver hair back with a leather band and slipped on a pair of black gloves. She last pulled on a brown riding jacket over her ensemble and she looked at herself in the mirror for a minute.

She looked like on of the outlaw women that ran among the black Rose and she smiled in humor thinking these clothes looked better on her than the courtly dresses did. Bending down to tuck in her breeches into her boots she said with a melodic laugh, "All I need is a dagger and an eye-patch, than I'd be a real outlaw!"

She made her way untroubled down to where the dragon was tethered and found three Elitists guards surrounding the dragon, two of which were nearly sleeping. She crept forward a bit closer, low to the ground like she saw the young soldiers practicing to due out on the terrace sometimes. When she was close enough, she made a clicking noise to try and get the dragon's attention and sure enough, it worked like a charm because the next thing she knew, all three of the soldiers were down on the ground, obviously unconscious based on their positions.

Rynna hurried over to the waiting dragon and hurriedly cut off the ropes binding it with one of the soldier's blade. The dragon unfurled its great wings once free in a silent manner, looking so beautiful it put a smile on Rynna's face, and then fixed its maroon eyes on her like it had in the chamber earlier.

"Thank you princess. Now, if you don't mind, we need to go and rescue the rest of my companions who Dilandau captured while we were trying to get to you today."

Rynna was about to ask the dragon that it could talk when she realized how silly that sounded and instead opted for, "You were looking for me? But why, I'm nothing special, just the disobedient daughter of a cowardly king."

She knew how bitter she sounded, but she couldn't keep the words from tumbling out. She felt the dragon lift her lowered face with its wing and stare at her face intently before saying in its mysterious manner, "Well princess, someone up in that prison tower thinks you are something special…and I find myself agreeing with her more and more. It took a great amount of courage to speak your mind today in that chamber, much greater than you yourself give credit for. I know you are dissatisfied with the way things in Gaea are going, ad I offer you a chance to help change it. However, you must be as brave as you were earlier today if you choose to help and come with us."

"Go with you?" Rynna asked almost to herself, her head and heart flooded with emotions. "Does that mean I'd never see my father again? Would I ever come back to Nadde or Bras'doch at all?"

"Perhaps yes and perhaps not. If you choose to come with us, you will be branded a traitor against the Zaiboch Empire and will face untold dangers. However, if we succeed in our journey, we may be able to rid Gaea of the Ferra and evil once and for all. We have foreseen that we will need your aid to bring about a better future, but I will not force you to undertake this dangerous journey without your consent."

"She really is Hitomi Kanzaki the seeress isn't she?" Rynna asked in an amazed voice and when the dragon nodded its head she plowed on. "And you really are the legendary Guymelef Escaflowne! Are you truly looking for King Van Fanel as well?"

The dragon nodded again, an amused look in its eyes as she whispered to herself how his story was one of her favorites. She looked conflicted as the pros and cons flashed before her but the dragon felt relief when she faced him with a determined look on her face.

"I think that it is about time that someone show Emperor Salodin just how wrong and depraved he is. I know I should probably think things like this through more, but I can't just wait around anymore and wish that things are going to change. My mother would have gone off to fight, so that's just what I'm going to do. So Escaflowne, I guess you have my help so let's go and free the rest of your friends!"

Escaflowne looked at her kindly and allowed her to climb up on his back, which she did in a fluid motion. "Are you sure you wish to do this Princess?" the white dragon asked again to make sure she was positive about helping them out. "You could anger your father by this and also potentially outcast yourself from him."

"My father needs to learn that you need to fight for some things," Rynna stated in a quiet voice as she screwed her eyes shut while Escaflowne pushed off into the air. "I can't live knowing that I could've done something to help all these people and just decided not to because I was afraid of what my father might say."

"That and I suppose you don't want to marry the nephew of the man causing most of this pain by using the Ferra?" Escaflowne asked in a wily tone as he paused and let her open the window to her own room so she could gather a few more things and money they would no doubt need as the journey progressed.

"That too," Rynna said with a genuine smile on her face as she disappeared into her room. It only took a minute or two when she arrived with a sack of gowns and other clothing in one hand and a rather large pouch of money in the other. She climbed back on Escaflowne and the two sped off into the sky towards the towers that she pointed out as the dungeon ones.

Escaflowne didn't even bother with subtlety this time, simply crashing right through the wall and immediately killing the four Elitists that were guarding the four cells. Rynna slid off the dragons back, hurried over to the opposite wall, retrieved the keys, and unlocked each of the cells as quickly as she could. First a young man with bright blue eyes, then two cat-people (one older and one younger) were released, and last was a girl about her age with the brightest green eyes Rynna had ever seen. The girl looked into her eyes and gave a smirk as she grabbed her hand and ran towards the waiting white dragon.

"My name's Hitomi," the girl said even though Rynna had already figured that much out. "I'm guessing you're the princess of Bras'doch."

Rynna just nodded as she also clambered up on the white dragon along with the other four people, marveling how it was able to hold so many people in the air. She didn't wonder about that particular feat for to long as Escaflowne pushed off into the air and away from the castle just as the shouts of soldiers could be heard from the tower. Sitting behind the young man, she gripped his waist tighter as the dragon climbed higher into the sky as the cat girl and Hitomi spoke to the dragon about something. She glanced behind her to see the older cat woman looking at her with a smile and mouth hello to her before she turned her attention back towards the front.

"Where are we going?" the young man she was holding asked in an annoyed voice. "And how long will it take to get there?"

"We're heading for Draboch Loric," Hitomi answered with a slight laugh as Escaflowne went into a slight dive to avoid an air current. "Formerly known as the Duchy of Freid to find a one-eyed man clothed in blood. Then it's off to Atlantis to find Van like my vision told me."

Rynna didn't catch the rest of the conversation, so caught up in the exhilaration of pulling off a successful rescue mission to really care about the rest. All she knew was that now she was headed somewhere to help people, and she was charting her own life.

That was all that mattered as the sun started to rise for the new day.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

A/N: Okay, real ending this time! That one was a doozy, 33 pages man! Well I hoped you all liked it! Please review people, it helps me on the inside ! I'll try to be better about updating the next one…it's a good one I promise, but it's also a bit sad! Until next time, Adieu!

Osco