A Fallen Angel Rises Again 
Author: Penybright 
[email protected] 


(Chapter 1) 
Authors note: All the usual disclaimer stuff applies. I don't own The 
Vision of Escaflowne or any of the characters. Please, please, 
please don't take the poem at the beginning of this story! It is an 
original work written by me. Croik is being kind enough to post this 
story for me, but I just wanted to get some feedback on it. After 
all, this _is_ my first fic! 
A Little background info: This is a "what if"/alternate ending fic. 
It takes place in the episode where Allen gets hurt protecting Hitomi 
from getting hit. The question is: When Dilandau had Van in his 
clutches, what if Allen had never shown up? About the first half of 
this is the episode. Tell me what you think! 


Love's Wings: 
A feather in the dark 
The dark pain so stark. 
Light blossoms in the heart 
One the other's part. 
Death holds no fear 
Carried in a crystal tear. 
The crystal tear a star 
Hope can carry far. 
Hope proclaims the love 
Of the one winged like the dove. 
The feather shinning white 
Revealing it's hidden light. 
A Fallen Angel Rises Again 
By: Penybright 
Chapter 1 
Night cast its shadowy veil over Gaea. Trees loomed up to the 
night sky in shades of midnight and black. The ground shuddered and 
voices drifted on the night air. 
"Van, where are we headed?" Hitomi asked, her pale green eyes 
scanning the night-shrouded forest. 
"The Dutchy of Freid ought to be somewhere around here..." 
Van replied. 
******************** 
Two moons floated in a diamond spattered sky. An ethereal 
mist floated about them, seeming to make them glow. Three objects 
appeared, flying in front of the moons. The foremost was Alsedies 
piloted by Dilandau. 
"What's that?" Dilandau wondered aloud when his reddish eyes 
caught the glint of metal from the forest below. 
******************** 
Hitomi and Merle were sitting on the shoulders of Escaflowne 
as they walked through the night shrouded forest. Hitomi gasped and 
the Escaflowne stopped. 
"Van wait!" 
"What is it?" Van asked concerned, his red-brown eyes filling 
with apprehension. 
"I have a bad feeling about this. I don't know what it is, 
but..." Hitomi trailed off in a whisper. 
"Oh no. Is something there?" Merle asked worriedly looking 
around. She gasped, her blue eyes going wide, as the sound of a tree 
snapping reached her. "It's coming!" 
"Van something's out there," Hitomi warned. 
"Those invisible guys from Zaibach," Van responded, scanning 
his surroundings. 
"They're here. I know they're here. Where are they?" Hitomi 
closed her eyes and began to concentrate. She pictured her pendant in 
her mind, thinking back to all the other times she'd encountered 
their invisible enemies. "Van, straight ahead!" Hitomi cried as a 
guymelef decloaked, loosing tendrils of redish-orange flames. Van 
dodged, just missing being fried to a crisp. 
"Let's go!" Van cried closing the face grate on Escaflowne 
and drawing its sword. "Hitomi, Merle hold on tight." He commanded. 
"To the right!" Hitomi yelled as metal claws came ripping 
towards them. Van dodged, the claws hitting a tree. The tree 
splintered and fell to the ground with a crash. "The rear!" Hitomi 
exclaimed, pointing. Van once again dodged, allowing a tree to take 
his place. 
"What are you doing? You're missing him!" Dilandau said, 
outraged. 
"I'm doing my best, but..." 
"It's almost as if he can see us somehow." 
"Stop spouting nonsense. Just hit him will you?" Dilandau 
said in exasperation. "But try not to kill him okay?" 
"Come on, where are you?" Van wondered aloud as he waited 
anxiously. 
"Huh?" Hitomi mumbled. "Careful Van--- In front!" Hitomi 
blurted out. Van didn't have a chance to dodge and instead, deflected 
the claws with the sword. The claws were deflected by the blade, 
causing sparks to fly as they rushed off in a jumbled heap of metal 
ribbons. 
"We're getting out of here," Van declared, running from their 
attackers. Hitomi and Merle cried out, hanging on tightly, as 
Escaflowne picked up speed. 
"Come back here!" Dilandau demanded, going into flight mode 
to follow Van. The Escaflowne ran through the forest coming to a stop 
at the bank of a river. 
"A river? That's perfect. Hitomi, Merle hop down." 
"What are you going do?" Hitomi asked. 
"Just do it!" Van commanded. 
"Okay." Hitomi responded as Merle and her skittered down from 
Escaflowne's shoulders. "Van!" Hitomi cried as he walked into the 
river. 
"Lord Van!" Merle echoed. 
"Merle, this way!" Hitomi said, grabbing her arm and dragging 
her away as Dilandau and his dragon slayers sped past. The five 
guymelefs surrounded Van in a loose circle, causing violent ripples. 
"They fell for it! Turning invisible won't do them any good 
here, Van said, pleased with his idea. 
"Hmm. Very clever," Dilandau mocked. One guymelef shot, 
missing Van. Van attacked, cutting off the claws. Dilandau then 
entered the fray. Van parried once, twice, three times, all the while 
being forced back. 
"Come on! Get him!" Dilandau ordered. Two guymelef shot their 
claws, piercing the legs of Escaflowne, immobilizing it. Dilandau 
shot his own claws. They grasped around the face-plate of Escaflowne. 
His sword melted, enwrapping itself around Escaflowne's blade. 
"Gottcha! It doesn't matter if you can see us or not." 
"Oh no! Lord Van!" Merle cried. 
"Maybe I'll just crush you right here," Dilandau said, 
licking his lips. His claws began to dig into Escaflowne, cracking it. 
"Lord Van!" Merle screamed, attracting Dilandau's attention. 
"Huh?" he muttered looking towards the shore. 
"Van! No!" Hitomi cried out in horror. 
"It's her!" Dilandau spat distastefully, releasing Van. 
Dilandau turned to the river bank, headed towards Merle and Hitomi. 
With his sword free, Van slashed through the claws holding him, 
easily dispatching the guymelefs. He then quickly turned to catch 
Dilandau before he reached the two young women. 
"Dilandau!" Van cried out in anger. Dilandau turned to face 
him, the two locked swords. The combatants fought in a battle of 
complex and fluid movements, blocking attacks and instituting their 
own. It wasn't long before Dilandau managed to disable the already 
damaged Escaflowne. The guymelef collapsed into the river face-first. 
Dilandau went into crazy laughter. 
"I've got you now Van!" he cried insanely. While Dilandau 
wasn't paying attention, Van had escaped from within Escaflowne. He 
stumbled onto the river bank dripping wet, and gasping for air. Merle 
and Hitomi helped him up onto solid ground and he collapsed to his 
hands and knees. 
"You have to get out of here!" he managed to gasp out. 
"Lord Van," Merle said her voice full of worry. 
"Please, go!" Van said shoving her towards the forest. It was 
too late. Dilandau flew onto shore, blocking Merle's possible escape. 
"Van," Hitomi whispered, backing away from the towering 
guymelef. 
"Hitomi, run!" Van commanded as he stood up. 
"I can't," she replied faintly. "There's nowhere to run." 
"It appears as if you have nowhere left to hide Van," 
Dilandau taunted in a sickeningly sweet voice. Van growled angrily, 
not liking this situation at all. 
"Don't you dare hurt Lord Van!" Merle shouted, standing in 
front of Van. The pink haired cat-girl stood defiantly before the 
young king of Fanelia. Dilandau laughed, swatting her out of the way 
easily. 
"Do be quiet you stupid little cat-girl!" 
"Merle no!" Van cried out, horrified as Merle careened 
forcefully into a tree. She slid to the ground in a lifeless heap. 
"Merle!" Hitomi choked out as she began to cry. 
"You're next Van!" Dilandau shouted aiming at Van and 
shooting out his claws. Van lunged to the side, missing most of the 
claws. He landed on the ground with a cry. His left side had been 
pierced completely through. When Van didn't immediately get up, 
Dilandau presumed him to be unconscious and turned to Hitomi. 
"His brother should be along soon to get him. Then I'll 
finally get to kill him!" Dilandau ranted. Hitomi backed fearfully 
away from the deranged young man. 
"And now, it's your turn!" Dilandau fired his claws once 
again, only this time at Hitomi. Hitomi squeezed her eyes shut 
waiting for the pain. It never came. Instead she found herself shoved 
out of the way by someone, who fell on top of her. Hitomi opened her 
eyes to see who had saved her and cried out. Van was lying face first 
on the ground, blood pooling around him, his own blood. Hitomi 
scrambled to his side, picking his head up and laying it on her lap. 
"Van?" she said in a shaky voice as her eyes filled with 
tears. 
"Hitomi?" Van asked, slightly disoriented. Hitomi began to 
cry when she saw the full extent of his wounds. His left side had a 
large gash in it above where it had been pierced. Van's right 
shoulder was cut to the bone, his arm obviously broken. Blood oozed 
from a cut hidden by his ebony hair, and both legs were covered in 
blood. She knew he was going to die. It would only be a few more 
minutes. 
"I'm sorry," she heard him whisper. 
"Why? You have nothing to be sorry for." 
"I'm dying, aren't I?" 
"Oh Van....." Hitomi couldn't answer his question. She just 
couldn't. 
"I'm sorry I didn't get you back to Earth. Forgive me?" 
"I forgive you anything and everything Van." 
"Thank you..." Van closed his eyes wearily. Hitomi cried out 
in agony. 
"Why?" she screamed as a column of brilliant light enveloped 
her and Van. They were both captured in the beam of light that shot 
skyward. Dilandau cursed as his prey vanished. 
"At least Van won't be around to bother me anymore," he 
smirked. 
(c) Penybright