The hot sun put ripples in the air before your face if you looked off into the distance. Fanelia's constant heat and scorching sun during the summer made it harder to find volunteers to rebuild the country. Often times you could see the king himself hammering nails with the rest of the citizenry. The people who had lived in Fanelia before its destruction, however, had enough incentive. To the untrained eye of the outsider it appeared that the people of Fanelia did nothing besides build. They kept pounding right on into the night if the moons were bright enough.
Lately the Mystic Moon had been a glowing neon globe of swirling blues and whites in the night sky. Most people looked on this as a good omen. After all hadn't the person that had tried so hard to help them come from the Mystic Moon? They all knew every detail of what had happened before Zaibach was destroyed. King Van Fanel had announced it to them in a letter that was sent to all the newspapers of Fanelia, and the world. The scribes of the barely erected kingdom had grumbled about it for months. "He may be the hero of Gaea right now but he doesn't have the might to take pen to paper and write all those letters himself!"
And it appeared that after only a year of heavy construction Fanelia was almost as full of life as it had been before the War. Things were slowing down from hurried business to relaxed satisfaction.
This was a source of celebration for most but not for Van. It gave him too much time to think, and he didn't want time to think about things.
* * *
"Van someday you'll be with her every day. I only wish I were there to tell you myself." Folken Fanel stood from his seat and turned away from his window which went from showing Van arguing with his councilors to milky whiteness.
"We can't leave this place," Naria answered him. She didn't sound terribly upset about it. Why should she? Everything she loved was here. Folken and her sister Eriya. That was all she needed.
She knew it upset Folken that he couldn't be with his brother helping to heal the country, his country, that he had destroyed. Even here in the land of eternal peace it caused him pain.
The scenery around them abruptly changed from a study bathed in golden sunlight from large windows to a peaceful forest clearing, just beginning to turn from red to purple as twilight spread like a blanket. Eriya sat by a pool roughly the size of five people lying down side by side. She looked at her reflection as it swam in and out of focus. She moved a finger around the pool in graceful figure eights. She slowly raised her head at their sudden appearance in the peaceful glade.
"Folken-sama?" she asked. He didn't usually use the ability of instant transport given to the citizens of Atlantis. He preferred to walk, striding deliberately, yet wrapped in the act of reflection.
The pool changed in color and went completely smooth. He spoke a few words and the pool showed a split screen. Van on one side and Hitomi on the other. Both of them were just sitting, as if listening hard and straining their ears to pick up every sound. After a moment they both dropped their heads in resignation.
"I've been watching Van more often lately. I've noticed he has been more silent than usual. I believe this is the problem." He gestured to the pool which was replaying the scene again and again. "He can't reach Hitomi. Communication with each other was suddenly cut off. I can't identify the source of the problem."
"A new enemy has emerged?" Eriya suggested. She stood and walked toward him putting a hand on his arm. "They seek to disrupt the flow of life in Fanelia by affecting their king?" She looked up at him.
"I'm more concerned about how anyone could get the knowledge and power to break the link between Hitomi and Van."
~*~*~
Part 2
Hitomi sat at her desk. A book was open in front of her, which she was not paying attention to. A call from down the hall brought her head up.
"Hitomi! What are you doing in there? Dinner is almost ready!"
"Just a minute! I'm finishing my work!" Hitomi answered automatically. She slowly lowered her head to her work, trying to focus. Her gaze strayed involuntarily to her window, which she always left open now, and further up into the sky. She used to imagine just after she left Gaea that instead of the gray white moon she had always seen she saw the disk of white and blue and green that was Gaea.
But it had been too long for her to take pleasure in such childish imaginings. She could not see Gaea from Earth and she couldn't see Van again. Ever. It must be punishment for her selfishness. Van had duties and she was just getting in the way of his happiness.
"Hitomi? If you don't hurry it'll get cold," her mother's voice floated to her from just outside her door. She stood and opened it, pulling her face into a fake smile that deceived all but those who knew her well.
"I'm coming right now," Hitomi stepped out into the hall, but her mother grabbed her by the arm, gentle but firm, as with everything she did. Her sympathetic expression clearly told Hitomi that she was not fooled one bit.
"Hitomi, believe in what you know. You wouldn't have gone at all if you had no role to play," her mother said softly. Hitomi simply stood and stared, surprised by her mother's words. She believed Hitomi belonged on Gaea?
"Let's have dinner, okaasan," Hitomi took her mother's hand and smiled, genuinely this time.
* * *
"So if everything is generally going according to plan why are we here?" A grim and cold feminine voice floated from the corner of a room, dimly lit by a light hanging on a chain over the center of a large oval table. The other features of the room as well as the people who were sitting around the table could not be seen, as the light only illuminated a small circle on the highly polished oak of the table.
Another voice rose to answer her, this one a man, probably in his twenties. "There is an unknown element. So there was once, so there is again. I'm already working on it."
"What is being done? The unknown element destroyed our predecessors. We can't afford to make Dornkirk's mistakes," a strong masculine voice louder than either of the first. His words were accompanied by the sound of a fist banging on the table.
"Better yet what is the unknown element? The link between the girl from the Mystic Moon and the King of Fanelia has been broken. What is in our way now besides our own fears?!" the first voice questioned with equal strength.
The second voice paused a moment for dramatic effect until he heard the restless shifting of cloth.
"Dilandau is still alive."
~*~*~
Part 3
It fell down on the stones of Atlantis with force. Big fat drops that hurt when they hit your skin. Despite the pain they must have been in most of the citizens had not transported back to their cozy homes and raging fireplaces. They stood crowded in the city square staring up at the angry clouds and falling rain in utter shock and confusion.
Folken stood with his arms outstretched watching the water roll off his arms in trails. In all the time he had been in Atlantis it had never rained even ONCE. <Why did it start now?>
All of a sudden Naria was beside him tugging anxiously on his shirt. He looked at her. Her hair was stuck to her neck in soaked tangles and the look on her face clearly told him she thought this rain was worse than death, and she was saving him from it. She certainly wasn't enjoying herself. He fought down a laugh.
"Let's go," Folken said as he hugged her shielding her partially from the rain. Suddenly they were in his small study where a fire was already going strong in a large fireplace.
"Oh Folken you're back!" Eriya jumped from her chair by the fire and hugged him too, ignoring the fact that he was wet, looking concerned.
"It was only rain. You're overreacting."
Eriya started pulling him toward the fire while Naria gave her a dirty look. "It never rained before. I liked it that way," Naria said in a sullen tone that bordered on a whine.
Finally managing to pull Folken to the chair and force him to sit down, Eriya started pulling his shirt over his head. Realizing that resistance was futile he lifted his arms over his head. Naria gave her twin an even dirtier look and bumped her aside.
"You should go get Folken-sama some clean clothes I'll handle this," Naria said smiling pleasantly. Eriya bared her teeth but followed the command vowing to do something awful to Naria later.
She came back with a blue shirt and loose black pants. Folken stood up in a hurry.
"I think I can handle the rest." When he got out of sight he sighed with relief. He had managed to get out with his pants still on. He made a note to himself to go out in the rain the next time he was in the mood.
***
"How could we have caused it? Rain is a force that no one can control," the cold feminine voice sounded again around the large oval table shrouded in darkness.
"Our activities go against the randomness that life is supposed to hold. Because we are trying to force things to go the way we want Atlantis is protesting. The rain is how Atlantis chose to do it," the calculating male voice answered her as before in his calm soothing tone. She was not soothed, however.
"You make it sound like Atlantis is alive," she spat.
"In a sense it is. Luckily not alive enough to interfere with us."
"Speaking of interference what of the unknown element? Have you found a way to get rid of Dilandau?" asked an old male voice, with a commanding tone.
"I never said I would get rid of him. I've found a way to incorporate him into our plans."
~*~*~
Part 4
Dilandau's skin itched with impatience. He couldn't stand just waiting for something to pop into his head. He needed a plan. <I need Dornkirk DAMMIT!>
Dilandau was smart enough to know that he couldn't just walk into Fanelia with a lighter, but he couldn't think of a plan either. <I need some inspiration.> Dornkirk and Folken had been the ones who came up with the major plans. He was a fair enough strategist, but his mind worked moment-to-moment not long term. As much as he hated to admit it he had just been the hand wielding the sword (or in his case the blowtorch).
And what the Hell had happened anyway? He felt...different. He had awoken at twilight last night to find himself in the middle of a forest in a peasant's brown pants and green tunic. Where was his uniform? Where was his Alseides unit? Where was HE?
Dilandau didn't have a single weapon. This bothered him greatly. What if he came upon some one in the forest? He would just have to obtain the information he wanted with his bare hands and pure intimidation.
He put a finger to his chin and smiled deviously. <Perhaps my reputation proceeds me?> Forest dwellers have probably never seen any kind of warrior. He could get by without a problem. He could get food shelter and entertainment all from the same household if he could find the right one...
***
<THIS IS IT!> He'd been wandering around in the woods for what had to be hours and he hadn't come upon even one settlement. He couldn't believe his bad luck. On top of that his stomach was demanding food loudly and painfully. After his stomach growled for the fifth time he sat down for a bit, afraid that the loud noise would attract large unfriendly creatures.
His mind swirled wildly with questions, getting angrier with each step. If he had had a sword he would have butchered something by now. His hands were balled into fists and he was on the verge of a major mental breakdown.
Then a strange light came down from the sky, like he was in one of those corny stories where an angel descends from above to tell him the error of his ways. Ironically enough an "angel" did descend from above but it hadn't come to tell him the error of his ways. Quite the opposite in fact.
Dilandau, still in his haze of rage, grabbed the first thing that came to hand (which happened to be a large stick) and rushed the Riyujinbito man, determined to tear out his entrails with his bare hands.
Unfortunately the young man had been expecting this and at the last minute he jumped into the air and flew out of Dilandau's range. The young man looked highly amused at Dilandau's irrational rage and fruitless attack. Dilandau was not happy about his expression, especially since his shoulders were obviously shaking with silent laughter.
"What do you WANT?!" Dilandau screamed in frustration.
"Maybe I won't tell you if I can't even trust you enough to stay on the ground," at this the man looked at his nails with an extremely smug attitude.
Dilandau screamed in rage, then slowly took a few breaths and waited for his cool calculating attitude to return to him. After several long minutes of silence he spoke. "I would never attack you...if you had anything useful to tell me."
"Good. I assure you I have very important things to tell you about. Let's talk about Dornkirk. You want him back I can tell you how. Interested?"
Dilandau considered this for a moment. <He is helping me but he has not said what I must do for him. Good Samaritans do not exist. Where then is the trick?>
"There is none. By bringing Dornkirk back from his death you help us at the same time," and the young man no longer looked or sounded remotely amused. He was dead serious and he looked very imposing, flying 5 feet above Dilandau's head, and still suspended within the beam of light. He could swear he remembered that light. First on his mind now, however, was just how the man had known exactly what Dilandau had been thinking.
"Do you want to know how to resurrect Dornkirk or not? We don't have all day!"
Dilandau lowered the stick which he had been holding like a sword and curled his lip in irritation at his helplessness. "How then?"
***
Van sat at his desk going through the usual business of the day. Every morning at 8:00am he sat in this stuffy room listening to his advisor lay out the agenda for the day, charting the progress of the reconstruction project, and updating King Van on the actions of his enemies and his friends. One of the philosophies Van had developed; knowledge keeps you alive and prospering.
It promised to be an average day. The construction was going very well, his kingdom was peaceful, and he was miserable.
He'd been having that feeling lately. It was like something important was about to happen and he was helpless to stop it. Not to mention the strange dream he had been having.
He gripped the side of the chair as the memory of the dream came to him unbidden. He was in the forest surrounded by fog so thick he couldn't even see his hand in front of him. A disembodied voice called to him. "Van! They are coming Van. Beware of them for I can't help you fight them. Old enemies will arise and their mission is the same. I will send help to you. Be careful Van." As the words faded, a Riyujinbito man laughed, spreading his wings, he flew above the screaming people of Gaea spread his arms and fire rained down from the sky.
He felt the arm of the chair snap as his grip became too much for it to bear. His advisor closed the scroll he had been reading and looked at the King questioningly.
"Van-sama?"
Van looked up. It's nothing, continue." He waved his hand to punctuate his words. The advisor hesitantly opened the scroll and began reading again. Suddenly he closed it again.
"Gomen nasai Van-sama, but I think I'm coming down with something. Perhaps this business can wait 'til tomorrow?" His advisor looked exhausted and slightly green. Van marveled at his ability to look so convincingly sick on such short notice. He realized immediately that his advisor was offering him a way out without having to take responsibility for it and gratefully he took it.
"You are dismissed for the day then. No one can work well when they're sick," Van said standing and to his advisor's surprise shaking his hand. He headed to his favorite place in the castle: the North Tower. It was said to be the highest point in the city, and that suited his needs admirably.
When he reached the tower he just stood against the railing, letting his troubled thoughts be carried away by the wind.
~*~*~
Part 5
"Hitomi! He needs you Hitomi! He's in danger. I'm bringing you to him. I know you'll do all you can." The fog dissipated and she had the brief sensation of falling.
* * *
She jerked upright in her bed and wiped the sweat off her forehead. She shook off her momentary disorientation and looked around her room. Her gaze drifted to her window where, outside, the moon was full and bright. She looked at the clock. It was 1:30am.
Hitomi moaned and flopped back down, knowing she was in for a long night. Her hand searched her throat for her pendant and she sighed. She still forgot sometimes that it was gone. Now she had no way of contacting Van, and he obviously had no desire to contact her. She bit her lip to hold back tears.
She rolled off her bed and stood up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and running a hand through her hair. She opened the door and was surprised to see her mother standing in the hallway, looking at her as if she had been waiting.
"Hahaue!"
"Hitomi," her mother said softly. She stroked Hitomi's hair and sighed. "I know. I understand that you have to go. I'll let you go, but I'm going to miss you."
"Hahaue?" Hitomi gave a soft strangled sob. She hugged her mother tightly. "I can't stand to be away from him. Gomen nasai."
A column of light descended from the sky, reaching into the stars. Hitomi felt herself being lifted. Her mother's hand slid from hers and Hitomi waved with love in her eyes. She could feel it this time. It was for good. Her duffle bag zoomed to her side like a faithful pet, and the light lifted away from Earth's surface, taking Hitomi back to Gaea.
* * *
Fog drifted around the trees, and he could hear the growls and heavy footfalls of dragons. He willed his heart to calm and faint whispers could now be heard, hardly louder than the beating of his own heart.
"Folken. Now is the time for your true life to begin. You must awaken to life. Van needs you."
Folken's eyes snapped open. The first thing he realized was that he was not in his room. The second thing he realized was that it was very cold and the third thing he realized was there were roots poking into his back. He sat up and looked around. It was the forests outside Fanelia. He recognized them right away even in the dark. He was not far from the path, and it was only an hour's walk back to Fanelia.
He scratched his head and was surprised to hear the faint scraping of metal he had hardly noticed before. He looked at his right arm. It was almost as bad as seeing it for the first time those many years ago. His heart gave a jolt of pain, and he choked on a lump that was rapidly forming in the back of his throat.
He was really alive again and it was a cruel shock. He sighed, feeling as though he was carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders. He stood and began walking in the direction of Fanelia.
* * *
It was a beauteously simple procedure. So simple it made him laugh. There was only one thing he needed.
A sacrifice.
Someone who is a source of great emotion. Only one thing remained to be seen, and that was who it would be.
He threw his head back and giggled insanely. He looked toward the horizon and down into the valley of Fanelia.
"Van."
~*~*~
Part 6
Van was back in the dream forest again. It was different now though. He could feel the forest humming with emotion. He looked down at his hands, and they glowed brightly. The light cut through the fog, and in the distance he could see a familiar figure running toward him. Then from the sky came another familiar figure flying swiftly toward him out of the shape of the Mystic Moon.
Before they could reach him another figure emerged from the shadow of a tree. It laughed a high icy laugh and slashed him across the stomach. Then fire rained down from the sky once again and he heard the screams of Gaeans.
***
He woke with sweat soaking him, his head swimming with confusion. He had been so sure the dream would turn out differently this time.
But the dream had been different. He had seen Hitomi and Folken. Something was different about this dream. <Maybe it wasn't a dream at all, maybe it was a vision!> He rolled out of bed and began to get dressed, feeling as if it was going to be a good day. He began to lay out his plans. He had about two hours before he had to meet his advisor, and he would have to use them wisely. They may be the only free time he got.
A slight movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned to meet the amused gaze of his brother Folken, who was sitting on his workdesk with his legs stretched out and his arms crossed over his chest. Van would've laughed at the resemblance to a lounging cat if he hadn't been so surprised that he was momentarily speechless.
"It's good to see you again Van," Folken said as he threw his legs onto the floor and stood up. He walked to Van and embraced him. He looked at Van's face and grinned broadly. "I'll explain later. I think we have another visitor coming."
"Hitomi." Automatically he tried to brush her with his mind and met only blankness as always.
"Don't worry Van. Now let's take a walk. You never know who you might run into."
***
The light had descended a few minutes earlier leaving her alone in the forests of Fanelia. <At least I'm on the path.>
She went behind a bush to change into her school uniform. When she was done she looked down into the vally of Fanelia. It was almost like it had been before. The only differences being the newness and the fact that it was slightly bigger. <Van must have been busy.> Just as she thought this, two people appered on the path. They noticed her immediately.
She stood there wondering what to say when they came within talking distance. One of them began running the second they saw her.
"Hitomi!"
She sheilded her eyes from the sun and realized it was Van who was running toward her. And Folken traveling toward her at a slower pace.
<What am I standing here for?>She started running too, but she didn't have to run for very long.
"Van I missed you so much," she said as they hugged tightly. After a very long hug he loosened his hold on her a little so he could look at her, and they stood like that staring at each other, noticing the differences and similarities since the last time they saw each other.
Folken just stood in the background feeling silly and missing Naria and Eriya. Van bent his head to kiss Hitomi and she closed her eyes.
<Our first kiss ...> Hitomi heard in her mind. Had she been thinking it or had it come from Van? <Or maybe both of us at the same time.>
***
Everything is falling a part. I don't know if bringing them back was enough. If my rebelious children resurrect Dornkirk all is lost. I must stop that from happening.
Information is the key. I will guide them. I will tell them all I know and I will find out more. The world is at stake and I can't let it fall because of my wayward children.
***
"Our plans are set in motion. Only a few things have been left to chance. Now you must tell us the great plan. How will we get out of this place?"
"We need Dornkirk. I've told Dilandau how to resurrect him," the young man's voice seemed to wrap around the table.
"You let all of our plans hang on that lunatic!"
"Another good question would be just how Dilandau is still in existence. His essence was contained within Celena. I had thought when he transformed back into her, his essence was lost. I assume you know this?" This was a new voice. It was female but very unlike the cold voice heard before. It was gentle, calm, and kind. It makes one wonder what someone with that kind of voice is doing in a room full of such diabolical and evil people.
"You are correct. Dilandau and Celena are two people in the same vessel. When Dilandau became Celena I believe that instead of retreating to the back of her mind or vanishing from existence completely he fled from her body and waited for someone to come along who had a suitable body. Apparently he recently found it and he seized his opportunity, Fate-Altering the person as Celena was."
"I see," the gentle voice paused while she thought this over."Arigato, that bit of information was very useful. A few more things you could make clear to me. Why can't we perform the resurrection ourselves? I don't see why it has to be Dilandau-sama who does it," said the gentle voice.
"It's true, we could go down to Gaea and find a suitable human to use, but the sacrifice has to be one who is a source of great emotion. Choosing a random person would likely lead to disaster. Dilandau has a lot of negative emotions in him and a lot of people he would like to see dead. Considering all this, he is the perfect person to perform the sacrifice," the young man's voice explained.
"Yes. When Dilandau is successful, what then?" the gentle voice persisted.
"I'm beginning to think you're not so eager to join us as you are to spy on us!" the cold feminine voice accused.
"Im just catching up. Remember I only recently joined you, and besides telling me you will escape from Atlantis by altering fate no one has told me how you plan to do it. If you don't mind I'm trying to find out."
"I trust her," the young man added. The cold female voice did not dispute his authority, but her angry sigh revealed that she was not happy about his admission, either.
"When Dornkirk is resurrected he will tell us how to build his Atlantis Machine and we will program it to change the fate of Atlantis," he said.
"And Atlantis will fall from the sky," she said in awed horror. "That could destroy all of Gaea!"
"All here are willing to risk it. We're sick of sitting up here watching the living go about their lives. Isn't that why you came to us?" the young man asked suspiciously. He was starting to regret his trust. Had he been wrong?
"Absolutely. It's just that... I've always been told..." she stammered, trying to think of a lie. She was not practiced at this sort of thing. Apparently she was a natural, because they bought it. She would have to be more careful about remembering who she was.
"Of course, I had forgotten the conditioning. We were all reluctant to break free of the rules at first. You'll come out of that eventually," the young man assured her, sounding relieved. In Atlantis no one was actually alive, so if she were a spy he would've had to figure out how to get rid of her conciousness; her soul. It would have been difficult at best and impossible at worst.
"Now that I've reviewed everything, it must be obvious to everyone that all we have to do is wait for our plans to fall into place. When the time comes for action, we'll know."
~*~*~
Part 7
He would have to go about this carefully. Van was the king and he would probably be in the presence of courtiers and servants all the time. <Probably even when he's sleeping now that his love the bitch from the Mystic Moon is back. Stupid bitch meddling in all of my endeavors.> However there was the possibility that he would find the king alone sometime. Young kings were usually like that, especially those that didn't appreciate having authority and power. They tended to have someplace they went where no one was allowed to disturb them. Van was twice as likely to have a place like that given what he'd been told by the Riyujinbito man about the link between him and his bitchlove from the Mystic Moon.
Thanks to his position as a servant in the palace, where gossip abounded and news spread like wildfire in a dry grass field, he had learned that Van frequented the North Tower and he often took long walks in the forest alone late at night. It was incredibly stupid of him, but it suited Dilandau's needs perfectly. All he had to do was watch carefully from his invisible vantage point as a lowly servant and an opportunity would undoubtedly come.
***
"It's a beautiful day in the forest Van," Hitomi commented absently. She listened to herself say the name. It was so good to be talking to him again. This time she wouldn't leave. They would have the rest of their lives to spend quality time together. <It feels so good to know that.> She tightened her grip on Van's hand without realizing it.
"Are you trying to break every bone in my hand, because I think I just heard a crack," Van said teasingly with an undertone of strain.
She blushed hotly and let go of Van's hand. Folken put his hand to his mouth to muffle the sound of his chuckle.
"I'm beginning to think I should've let you go alone. Then again that's all the more reason to come. You need supervision, and I can't trust you to keep your hands off each other," Folken said arching an eyebrow in their direction and grinning broadly. He'd been smiling a lot lately. He marveled at his own happiness when he still had so much to do. This time was different though, Folken realized. He had people to help him and he knew it. Funny how that made all the difference.
"I do have a better reason for coming though. I have to tell you something serious and everyone's lives depend on you paying attention. I have been resurrected to assist you against a threat to Gaea that will be put into motion by the very man I died to kill. They plan to rebuild his Atlantis Machine with his instructions and unite Gaea and Atlantis. This will undoubtedly lead to the destruction of Gaea," Folken finished, his lips a grim line, his eyes tilted downward refusing to look at them as he sighed. "The war's not over for us yet but none of us have to fight it alone this time."
"We need to know more details in order to stop this! I can't possibly act on what you've told me!" Van tensed all over. <Not again, not now!> "How will they resurrect Dornkirk, and who are they?" <There are so many things I need to know! How could this possibly have escaped the notice of my spies? Why now? They can't be allowed to succeed!>
Hitomi staggered beside him as the force of his thoughts stung her like a blow through their link. She fell to her knees as the ground beneath her feet seemed to tip and whirl. She looked around her to find a familiar and horrifying vision of a barren landscape consumed by fire. she grasped at Van's arm as she looked up at him and saw a bloody corpse. She screamed something incoherent.
"Please no! Don't take Van!" Hitomi screamed again.
Just as she said this, a figure emerged from the shadows of an enormous straggly dead tree with his sword drawn.
"Bye, bye Van!" Dilandau shrieked as he rushed Van, too quickly for him to react or block his enemy's deadly strike.
~*~*~
Part 8
Dilandau's sword came down quick as lightning and Van could not block it in time.
The fact that he was going to die barely had time to register in the instant before Folken raised his metal arm and blocked Dilandau's killing blow.
Dilandau stood frozen in his shock and anger. Then he recoiled from the force of his own strike turned back upon him by Folken's block. Hitomi's arm bumped up against Van's reminding him to take action.
Van pulled his sword out of the sheath as Dilandau made to strike Folken and leaped under Folken's arm.
Their swords locked for a moment then Van struck with a swipe from the right trying to get at Dilandau's stomach. Their swords locked again and this time Dilandau reacted first. As his sword swung for Van's throat Van ducked and leapt forward, his sword sliding cleanly into Dilandau's midsection.
His face twisted into a grimace of anger and pain. He opened his mouth to scream in rage and blood dribbled from his mouth. His expression changed to one of pure shock and pain as he dropped his own sword and Van's slid out of his stomach as he dropped to the ground .
<The spell!> The voice of the Riyujinbito man who had come to him before came again to him now in the moments before his death. <Turn his triumph into ours! Use your own death to resurrect Dornkirk!> Could he? Why not? If he could not get revenge then he would make this victory bitter for Van.
"Dornkirk! Rise from the depths I call you! Live again! My death will bring trouble for you Van! You'll regret all you ever did to me!" Dilandau screamed insanely too close to death to feel any pain. He lifted his sword with weak arms. He shoved it into his wound and moved it up. He shuddered, coughed up blood, and died.
As he died a light shot down from the sky and burned his body to ashes. The ashes flowed up into oblivion as the light vanished. An explosion sounded from somewhere far off and the ground shook.
"What was that?" Hitomi asked as she stared up at the flares of light the swirled in the sky, like a flame with no candle under it.
"Is that what happens when some one is resurrected?" Van asked Folken grimly also staring up into the sky.
Folken looked even grimmer as he nodded. "I think we have a problem."
***
Dornkirk was alive, rebuilt from the ashes of Dilandau with a renewed sense of purpose. His plan hadn't worked out the way he thought it would, but now he was young again and he had at least 200 years to reason things out.
These were his first thoughts, as he lay unmoving on the floor of an enormous room that looked like an audience chamber that was in bad need of structural repairs. Many people sat around a large oval table, and a lamp hung on a chain above the center of it. The rest of the room was brightly lit by balls of light suspended in midair and the natural sunlight that filtered in through many large windows on three sides of the room.
He blinked slowly several times and studied the people carefully. None of them he knew. One of the three sitting at the head of the table spoke first.
"Welcome back. I know you've got your own plans but we've got a job for you to do, and we brought you back from Hell so you could do it. You are in our debt and you must heed our orders," the young man said calmly, as if he were commenting on the weather. The young man's eyes studied him closely, measuring his worth.
Dornkirk met his gaze and studied the man as well. He had brown curly hair and white skin, pale as if he had not seen the daylight in weeks. Despite this he did not look withered or unhealthy. He was strong and self-assured, standing up to his full height he was quite tall and very handsome.
Suddenly Dornkirk remembered the tales of how the Atlantians had sculpted themselves into perfect beings. <Could they also bring someone back from the dead?> It was a possibility.
"Exactly right my friend. We are members of Atlantis and you are going to help us get back to the real world," the young man stood over Dornkirk now and his mouth formed a smile that never reached his eyes. He held out his hand, and Dornkirk took it knowing when he did this that submission was the only way to achieve his own ends. <Perhaps their plans even tie into my own.>
"What would you have me do?" Dornkirk asked amiably.
"We need you to draw the blueprints for your Fate Altering Machine. To get out of this place we need that power," this was another of the three sitting at the head of the table. It was a woman thin and gaunt. Her mouth was a thin line and her eyes had a steely glint. She looked as if she had spent her whole life nursing some private hate; frowning from birth.
"I will require privacy and writing supplies. You may not have some of the things required to make this machine work," Dornkirk warned them crossing his arms over his chest.
"Whatever we don't have we can get. Supplies are no problem and neither is privacy. We have a set of rooms already prepared for you with all the necessary things," this time it was the third person sitting at the table who had spoken. He must have been proud of his paunch because his body was obviously not sculpted. The man snorted in response to Dornkirk's thoughts. "By the way I am Galne, this young man here is Jani, and this woman is Rena. If there's nothing else, Jani will escort you to your rooms."
"In that case lead me to them and I'll get started right away."
***
"Are you not happy? Our dreams have finally come to pass," Jani spoke softly to a small woman with long black hair down to her ankles and vivid green eyes. She held a lock of hair and fiddled with it nervously. Every muscle betrayed her tenseness, and she looked as if she were fighting hard against total panic.
The woman looked up at him and searched his face for any sign that his question was not just simple concern. She breathed in deeply and forced herself to relax. <What would be the answer he would most believe?> Remembering what he had said about conditioning she sighed and made her face look worried, which wasn't too hard because she was.
"I just don't know... if what we're doing... if it won't... if it might be the end of us all not the beginning!" she rushed out the rest of her sentence in a hysterical burst of emotions and looked up into his face with silent tears welling up in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.
Jani's expression was one of pure shock. Then his face became dark but still infinitely calm and dangerous. He grabbed her roughly by the upper arms and looked deep into her frightened eyes, the suspicion that she was not one of them rising to the surface of his mind. His expression abruptly changed to one of remorse. He sighed and turned his gaze at the floor, his voice sounding weary for the first time.
"Honestly, neither do I Altasni. Do not be afraid of me, because I trust you still. I know that every one of us has the same fears. For all of us the desire for freedom and the fear of each other has kept us silent. You are new to us, so you don't have the same control," he brought his head up. She was painfully aware of how close his face was. So close their noses almost touched, and she could fell his breath on her face. Her heart fluttered briefly, and she clamped down her emotions, angry with herself for it. <How could I let myself like him? He's my enemy! He's going to destroy the world to achieve his own ends! He's...> she thought of him standing so close to her. <HOW COULD I!>
"So trust me now. I believe this will work with all my heart," having said this Jani made no move to let her go. He just looked at her. <Oh gods let me go PLEASE! Whatever you do don't kiss me. Or maybe... oh let me go please! Please, please!> She groaned mentally as she lost total control over her emotions. her neck began to feel hot and she breathed faster. <How can humans LIKE this! It feels like being roasted alive! But that's such a pleasant sensation in my stomach... oh gods NO!!!>
"Jani-" she started to speak but he cut her off as he placed his mouth on hers. The incredible shock left her numb for a few seconds then she closed her eyes. It felt like she was melting. <I should've never gone human. I wouldn't be having any moral dilemmas right now if I where as I was.> The kiss ended and she stepped back a pace. She wouldn't meet his eyes. Her resolve wouldn't last much longer if she did.
"I hear Dornkirk's thoughts. He's finished with the blueprints. I have to go." Jani looked as if he didn't want to go. <Staying would probably be a lot more interesting than going.> Jani thought. He took his hands off her upper arms with great reluctance and headed in the direction of Dornkirk's rooms.
<Finally I thought he would never leave! But if I really wanted him to go why do I feel so lonely now that he has? DAMN YOU, JANI!>
She felt sick. Not because he had kissed her. She touched her lips in remembrance, and felt her neck grow hot again. She blushed deeply. <Damn. Damn. Damn.> She had been so sure that the job she was doing was the right thing. Now it didn't seem so right anymore. They were fanatics, they would never give up until they were dead, Jani too.
She felt a growing sense of horror and nausea as she remembered various times she had thought of Jani for no apparent reason, or gotten up in the morning thinking only of seeing him, or stayed awake at night reliving conversations they'd had. <Oh damn. Is this love? how can I possibly feel love? I would not even be alive if it had not been for the will of the Atlantians. I would not be a Riyujinbito like Jani if it had not been for my own wish.
How can a place feel an emotion? I am only Atlantis in my soul. I shouldn't even have a soul. I am only Atlantis. Altasni, ha. How obvious. And pathetic. Damn.>
~*~*~
Part 9
The Atlantis Machine was finished within a day using the power of the Atlantians' will to speed up the process. It was looking very ominous and perfectly capable of doing what it was supposed to do. Altasni looked on as they began to prepare it for travel out to the city square. Galne, Rena, and Jani had planned a big unveiling. They wanted to announce their plans to the Atlantians before they were carried out.
Altasni was still harboring the vain hope that something would go horribly wrong or at the very least Jani would back out of it so she could annihilate the conspirators with a safe conscience. She had now admitted to herself that she was in love with him and strangely thought it would be immoral to kill the first person you ever loved.
She didn't want to calculate the likelihood of either of those events coming to pass for fear of destroying the last shred of spirit she had left in her.<Helplessness is another foreign feeling I don't much like.>
She contented herself with just avoiding Jani and putting up emotional barriers. She also informed Folken of the progress the Atlantians were making with their plan. He was not happy to learn they had already finished the machine. It took Zaibach years! had been his plaintive thought.
Altasni was beginning to regret ever giving the Atlantians so much free will. She had underestimated their ability to become perverted with power. She should've learned after they destroyed themselves! <I was born yesterday!> she thought and laughed at the unintended pun, quickly sobering as she attracted some odd looks. Altasni blamed the fact that she was new then. She also had never had hands-on experience with humans and Riyujinbito. Now it was too late to change it. It was well established custom and she was trapped in this body as well! <Obstacles is another thing I hate about life. Things were so much simpler before.>
***
They've already finished the machine. At this point I think the only thing we can do is hope. The time when we could intervene has passed." Folken, Van, and Hitomi were sitting in one of the dust-clotted studies in the part of palace that had survived the fire and destruction. It was the only way to be sure they wouldn't be disturbed. If nobody knew where they were then no one could come to fetch them.
Van surveyed his surroundings as everybody thought about this statement. Folken had chosen the right study. Van hadn't even known it existed, and he had spent long hours wandering the palace when he was young. No green servant sent to seek them out would be able to find them until long after he had been sent. It might once have been a well-used place frequented by a lord or king many years ago, but often times when an important person died people closed up the studies and rooms they had considered their own. By the time anyone thought of using it again there was too much work to be done to make it livable again so they soon abandoned the idea.
"Perhaps there is some way we can help? Somewhere we can go...?" Van said raising his eyebrows and waiting for Folken to pick up the hint. He opened the channel between Hitomi and himself to allow them to share thoughts. <I saw Atlantis when I went to the Mystic Valley. Maybe Folken can get his...ally to tell him how to get into Atlantis from there. I just can't stand doing nothing.> The agonizing feeling that it was all his fault, gnawed at him, refused to leave him alone. The feeling was forcing him into action. He felt he had to do something, or he would be eaten alive by this feeling.
"Van!"
Hitomi grabbed his arm as she slumped back into a chair. She put a hand to her temple and looked up at him with sad, pained eyes. The beginnings of a headache were pulsing in her head. It promised to be a long and painful one. Her thoughts reeled with Van's suggestion and his unspoken blame of himself for setting off this catastrophic chain of events. <Why do his thoughts always sting me?>
"Hitomi? What's wrong?" Van bent over the chair and tried to look her in the eyes. Her hand was blocking his view of her face and she turned her head down so he couldn't see her.
She already knew the look that would be on his face. Concern would be written in every line.
He pulled her hand away from her temple gently and grabbed her chin, bringing her head up to look into her eyes. But instead of concern she saw in his face and heard in her mind the reverberations of guilt. His eyes begged for forgiveness.
Folken looked down at his feet, slightly embarrassed at witnessing an intimate moment between them and missing Naria and Eriya more than ever before. <There's always suicide> Folken thought bitterly. He fingered his teardrop tattoo and cleared his throat, snapping Van and Hitomi out of what he presumed to be a private conference.
"I assume you mean the Mystic Valley? How will we get there quickly enough to be of any service?" Folken thought he already had a pretty good idea how they would do it, but he didn't want to plant an idea that wasn't already there. The symbolic slumber of Escaflowne had pleased the people immensely. Tangible evidence of the rapidly progressing peace! they'd said. What would the awakening of that ancient war machine set into motion?
"There's no faster machine than Escaflowne anywhere nearby. It will travel even faster if I order it to. It won't be the most comfortable trip for three people, but this is a matter of necessity." Van paused for a moment. "I'm loathe to wake it but..." He let it drop there. Van was still trying to convince himself it wasn't just his eagerness for some action that caused him to immediately resort to Escaflowne. He didn't think he was up to convincing anyone else.
Folken nodded his thoughts confirmed. "We had better go soon. How long will it take Escaflowne? I hear the weather patterns surrounding the valley are very rough."
"We'll be traveling too fast to worry about the weather. If we left five minutes from now I'd say we could be there in... 40 minutes," Van finished proudly. He stood a little straighter and smiled.
"Let's get going!" Hitomi said enthusiastically, as she clung to Van's arm, reminding him strongly of Merle.
~*~*~
Part 10
"Attention Atlantians! Pay attention my countrymen for this announcement will affect all your lives! Listen!"
Jani stood in the center of a hastily erected stage with the veiled Atlantis Machine and his two co-leaders Galne and Rena. He fought for the crowd's attention and won easily. Jani had that kind of effect on people, Altasni decided. When Jani wanted you to listen you did, it couldn't be avoided. He had charisma even by the heightened standards of the Riyujinbito. <Even right before the whole world is going to be destroyed I can't stop thinking about him! That bastard!>
The crowd quickly grew silent, stirring restlessly, looking curious, but not afraid or even alarmed. <Then again, what do they have to fear? They're dead!>
Jani waited for their curiosity to reach the boiling point, and when he judged the time was ripe, he spoke.
"We are in the land of the dead; called heaven in some places. All of us have gone through life and remained good, or we have redeemed ourselves before death. But many of us died before we got a chance to really live. Now we are forced to watch the living go about their lives. All we have is memories of what was and visions of what could be if we were still living. This world we're in is a poor substitute for life. Is this any way to be? Are we happy here? Really happy?
"The creators of Atlantis were teasing us! Like dangling an apple just out of reach of a starving man! Who among us deserves that kind of cruelty? None! But we don't have to take the torture anymore! The answer is here!"
Four men came up on either side of the veiled machine and pulled off the canvas
***
Naria and Eriya watched the canvas float to the ground in lazy ripples. It seemed like forever before it hit the ground, unveiling the Atlantis Machine that they knew so well.
Their stomachs fell in unison as they realized what this meant. Another one of their homes destroyed, along with everyone else's. No more lucky breaks, for them or anyone else. <We must stop this!> The thought echoed in both their minds. They knew what they were going to do about this.
"Sister, are we feeling lucky?" Naria asked with a small grin, happy in part to be back in action.
"I believe we are. The question is are they feeling luckier than us?" Eriya said, positioning herself into a fighter's crouch. Her claws and teeth were bared and her thoughts were grim, yet she too displayed a smile.
"There's only one way to find out," Naria answered her. They linked their thoughts, ready to think and act in unison to defeat their enemies. "Sister, what is after the afterlife?" Naria asked.
"There's only one way to find out," Eriya replied, grinning wickedly as they readied for their sneak attack.
* * *
"Turn on the Machine, Galne!"
"Nooo!! Die traitors!" Chaos erupted in one section of the audience to the left of the stage. Two figures blurred onto the platform, motions so perfectly attuned that they were barely distinguishable from each other. One gold and one silver.
"Galne lookout!" Rena shouted a warning but too late. The two figures fell on him, slashing his throat before he could even turn around to see what the danger was. Galne fell, choking and gasping out his last breaths.
"Galne!" Rena screamed in rage and leaped at the two figures with no weapons but her bare hands.
Naria and Eriya swiped her out of the air with two powerful arm movements made as one. She landed up against the side of the machine.
Suddenly things began to whir and move as the machine was activated. <Of course she would have to fall on the switch.> Altasni thought in silent horror, frozen in place by fear and twisted fascination. <What will happen to Galne?>
An enormous but highly centralized explosion split the air, obliterating Galne's shriveled remains and the righteous leopard twins. The Atlantis Machine was shot back by the force of the explosion parts of it flaming and smoking, but it still worked.
Altasni began to feel confused and hazy, like she was floating above her body, swaying in an unfelt breeze, drifting downward.
"Atlantis is falling," Jani whispered in awe and horror as he realized what he had done. Atlantis began to break a part and shift causing fires to break out and buildings to crumble. He was to blame for all of it. He caught Altasni as she fell, looking as if she were about to faint. "Altasni? Snap out of it! Everything has gone wrong Altasni!" <It's all my fault. The risks weren't mine to take and now I've killed us all.>
"Help me Jani. My power is diminished because of my human form. I need more power. Give me your power and I will forgive you for what you have done," Altasni said in a faint whisper that sounded as if it were quickly dying. What was she talking about? <She's delirious.>
"No. Take my hand and put it over your heart. I'll do the rest." He hesitated. "You said you trusted in me."
"Altasni..." <Al-tas-ni? At-lan-is? No Atlantis! Could it be?> "Okay."
He put her hand over his heart and abruptly his stomach fell. His perception of the screaming Atlantians, the fires, the beautiful stone buildings breaking apart in chunks, as Atlantis shifted, and began moving toward Gaea. His mouth went dry, and he lost sense of temperature and touch. Spots formed in front of his eyes, and the sounds of crashing stone, raging infernos, and screaming people, faded from his ears. His energy drained away, and everything went black.
~*~*~
Part 11
Hitomi's mind was the first to know of the destruction. She heard screams and crashing buildings as if from far away; she felt a hot breeze blow on her face. She breathed in and choked on ash, tasting the grit in her mouth.
The most horrifying thing about this not quite vision was what she felt. She felt the terror and horrible pain of the Atlantians. Her skin seemed to grow tight as it was drawn into her, her body ready to break apart with the pressure of it. She gasped with the effort of keeping it inside. She doubled over in agony, squeezing herself tightly to contain the power of their pain, her eyes squinted shut.
"Hitomi! What's happening?" Van turned to see what was wrong. He could feel the reverberations of what she was feeling through their link but nothing clear cut. All he could feel was her panic and a brief sensation of pressure.
"Van! Pull up quickly!" Folken spun him around and Van took hold of the controls just in time to pull away from the looming mountain peak, higher than the others and surrounded by clouds.
It was dangerous flying here. One small lapse in alertness could very well be one's last. Van's actions weren't fast enough and Escaflowne's tail smashed into the peak. They began a crash course toward the Eastern wall of the Mystic Valley. Van found Hitomi huddled in a corner. <I can't lift her like this!> Van began to pry at her arms, which were wrapped tightly about her abdomen, but she wouldn't budge. All her muscles were tense and her skin was feverish.
"Van we can carry her," Folken said, moving to one side of Hitomi and beginning to lift her while Van quickly moved to her other side to help. Just an instant before Escaflowne hit the hard granite of the mountain, Folken and Van spread their wings. Their downward course (not straight down more like diagonal) ended abruptly as they struggled with their burden, trying to get Hitomi to the relatively safe ground.
Hitomi became unable to handle the pain any longer. It surrounded her and overflowed into Van. His body twitched in response and he went limp, half-concious, leaving Folken to support the weight of three without assistance. Folken struggled in air for a moment until gravity forced the three of them swiftly toward the forbidding mountain.
But they didn't smash against the unyielding rock killed on impact. The worst they suffered was the inward pain they had already been feeling. All three of them were suspended in a column of light, just inches from the craggy rock.
Folken, the only one conscious enough to see let alone register what was going on, was shocked to notice they were not the only ones suspended in this light. A whole country's worth of people and the country to follow them, also floated in the light, moving steadily downward, jerking occasionally as if keeping the land and people from falling to the ground and being destroyed was an enormous effort.
Two people floated at the head of it all, not far from where Folken and his companions were. One of them he immediately recognized as his ally, his informant, Altasni.
The light emanated from her, and though he knew she would have had no trouble generating this enormous amount of power if she were in her natural form, he knew that her human body seriously limited her powers. He saw the shriveled and drained body beside her and knew that some one had made an enormous sacrifice for the good of everyone. These were desperate times and they called for desperate measures. Or acts of redemption.
"Hold on Altasni. Once the column reaches Gaea everything will be okay," Folken whispered fiercely. At least he hoped so. What else could he hope for?
Two sc reams brought his attention back to Van and Hitomi. They had both gone unconscious. White waves of power rippled from them and were quickly sucked into Altasni like water being sucked down a drain. The chunk of land plummeted for a split second while Altasni converted the power into something she could use and then resumed its steady decline with renewed strength and speed.
There was a crash as Atlantis hit the floor of the Mystic Valley and a roaring sound as it sank in until the cobblestones of Atlantis were level with the floor of the valley. Folken fought down a hysterical urge to shout "Land ho!"
The column of light faltered and disintegrated leaving a lot of the citizens to fend for themselves in terms of landing, which was okay because all members of Atlantis receive wings upon entering (even Naria and Eriya, cool huh?) Un fortunately for Folken he had two people to support along with himself. He felt gravity start to weigh them down again, but Van and Hitomi were suddenly ripped from his grasp in a new column of light as he was swept up in still another and transported to the ground below.
***
Folken's mind clicked on suddenly, like turning on the light's in a dark room. His eyes did not open, his ears did not hear, he was trapped alone in his own mind.
<Not quite alone Folken. As your ally, I have some favors to ask of you in return for my much-needed information. I brought Atlantis down safely, and kept it from destroying Gaea. My people are alone in this world now with no one to teach them how to live again and no one to lead them.
<This problem must be remedied and I don't have the power to do it myself after bringing Atlantis down safely and transporting Hitomi and Van back to Fanelia where they will be out of harm's way. You must lead the Atlantians as their king. That is the price I ask for my priceless information and help. Lead them.>
<I can't do that. I can't lead them well. I can't deal with all of their problems and their fears and their hate.>
<You'll learn. You're already well on your way. And as you learn from them, teach them. Teach them love. I promise you they can learn.>
<But can the rest of the world learn to love them? Can we all coexist? Or are we destined to destroy each other?>
<There's only one way to find out.> He heard Altasni laugh and FELT her smile, like a bubble of happiness.
<That reminds me. There are two certain catgirls who deserve a reward. They gave themselves in an effort to save Atlantis and Gaea. I kept them safe for you; now I command that you marry Naria and Eriya. I think that will please them, don't you?> She smiled again, but the bubble popped as she remembered something else.
<There is one more thing I have to ask of you. Take the body that lies next to mine and bury it in an honored place.> He got the impression of tears. <Write on his monument: The greatest way to honor those who have given themselves in times of pain and grief is to make sure it never happens again.>
<Who was he?>
<Some one I loved.>
He opened his eyes to her fading words <There is no destiny.> A crowd of people stood around him in a wide ring, seeing he was awake and giving him his room. A man, bolder than the rest, stepped forward to help him sit up. His movements were awkward and he looked uneasy, as did the rest of the crowd.
"Are we alive?" the man asked Folken desperately, for all the world like a frightened child.
Part 12-Epilogue
"No, no! Move it over there where it's needed!" Folken stood in the center of the square supervising the building. It seemed more like directing traffic to him, but it made people feel better to know there was some one called a supervisor that they could go to when they wanted to ask questions.
Unfortunately for Folken, they all just adored asking questions, preferably when it was most inconvenient for him, or so it seemed. He had never dreamed that grown men and women could be so dependant on other people.
Then again they were all more like newborns in adult bodies. Being dead meant a huge transition. Things like moving and breathing aren't done the same way when you're dead (and sometimes not done at all, because dead people obviously don't need to breath). There were also some things people wanted to know that he was rather uncomfortable to explain, particular things about certain activities that were better explained by books with lots of graphic diagrams that used long scientific words that meant dirty things.
Besides learning to live again the Riyujinbito also had to reconstruct their city, which was almost completely destroyed by the explosions and subsequent fires that started when Atlantis began to fall (or crash)..
Peace always started with reconstruction, Folken noticed. He would make sure this peace lasted for a long time.
***
Van stood in his study, fiercely impatient, pacing from one end of the room to the other. He pulled the curtains on the window back, just a bit to get a look at the crowd of people that were gathering outside the palace.
Not just directly outside he noticed. He could see brightly colored specks dotting the steep hillside that bordered Fanelia, like flowers. There might have been enough room for everyone, but people from Asturia, and every other major country in the world for that matter, wanted to be there when their war hero got married.
"Explain to me why I'm here and not with Hitomi? Shouldn't we be agonizing together?"
"She explained to us that it was an Earth custom. The groom is not allowed to see the bride before the wedding. If he does it's supposedly bad luck," Allen Schezar answered soothingly. He sat in a chair at the table that served as a desk and conference table, relaxed as he always was when others needed calming. He was a rock that other people leaned against, drawing on his strength.
"I asked Folken for advice. After all he just got married to two very strong-willed women. He should know all about it, right? He didn't tell me anything useful though, just that he was going to be here," Van said, a little annoyed.
"Let me guess, he told you to relax, right?" Allen said with a smile.
"Yeah. As if I can just relax on my wedding day. Relax!" Van snorted indignantly.
"Well, you can't blame him for trying to help. Soon the wedding will be over and you'll be able to relax," Allen said, sinking into his chair.
"I wasn't really intending on relaxing right after my wedding," Van said turning bright red.
"Aaah, I see," Allen replied dryly with raised eyebrows.
The End
