GAIA: Tales After The War of Destiny 
A Vision of Escaflowne Fanfiction

by Derry   [email protected] (Email the author!)
 
Disclaimer: Characters that you don't recognize are my creation but the
rest are owned by Sunrise, TV Tokyo and the creator of The Vision of
Escaflowne.
 

Note: Three years have passed since Hitomi Kanzaki, the girl from the
Mystic Moon, left the world of Gaia.

**********

Prologue

                "It's been three years, Careia.  Why return to that side of the
world now?" asked the old man.  He looked at the tall figure before him,
concern coloring his voice.  He stood by the small window, where the
sun's rays came through and made the room bright.  Dust motes lazily
floated around the cramped bedroom that had been home to one who
never truly had a home anyway.

                The old man continued to vainly convince the silent figure
before him.

                "It's very dangerous, Careia.  They'll probably kill you on sight
if they ever found out you were from Zaibach, or whatever you did for
that crazy old man they called emperor."

                Careia continued to pack, remaining silent throughout his
pleas.

                [She's sure of this.  She has made her decision] Doral thought.
The old man knew there was no use trying to persuade Careia to stay.
When her mind was set, there was no changing it.  In many ways, her
stubbornness was what caused her much grief and pain in the past several
years.

                "Careia, can you please tell me at least why?" begged Doral. 
He watched as she abruptly stopped and straightened. Doral once again
realized how androgynous Careia looked whenever she dressed as a man.
She was tall and slender; her chest bound so as to keep her gender in
question.  Her black hair was cut very short, making her look more of a
man than a woman.  However, a slight tilt of her face, a certain shadow
over her profile made most people who saw her for a second look, think
again.  Wherever she went, Careia androgynous features made her a
target of affections by both men and women.  In all her travels, she did
not return any of their affections.  Her aloofness discouraged people from
doing anything more.  Her silence made her a very mysterious character
which only made her admirers even more frustrated.

                She turned to Doral with a rare smile.  Her black eyes were
solemn and calm.  Within them held a knowledge of things many people
would not even begin to imagine.  Her former life had demanded that she
find the answers to questions personally given to her by the Emperor; in
a way, if Folken was Dornkirk's right hand, she was his left.  But only
three knew of her existence then until she escaped and was ordered to be
killed by the Emperor. She barely left alive.

                Doral absently thought that Careia's black hair needed
trimming again as it covered a part of her face.  He waited as she finally
said, "Doral.  You have done so much for me that I cringe to think just
how I can repay you for showing a kindness so rare towards people like
me.  I have been very fortunate to have met you who was like a father to
me and also the friend I needed most in my time of need.  But... I must
go on."

                She stopped as the door burst open.  She reached for the sword
at her hip, her body tense in readiness to fight.  A small girl, with long
brown hair, came to stand in the doorway.

                "Lavie..." murmured Careia.

                "Careia!  You're not leaving, are you?  You're staying, right?"
demanded the little girl, her voice cracking.  She tried to control the tears
that gathered and failed.  One tear slid down.

                "I...." 

                "Lavie, dear child," began Doral, when Careia did not answer.
He limped toward his granddaughter.

                Careia smiled slightly and walked to the little girl.  She bent
and sat on her heels, looking into Lavie's tear-filled eyes.  "Lavie, I'm
sorry.  I wish I could stay but..."

                "No!  You can't go!  You can't!  I won't let you!"  shouted
Lavie. When all the answer the little girl got was silence and a look of
deep sadness, she felt fear grip her little heart.  "No...  Don't leave me! I... 
I...

                "I love you!"

                Doral watched as Careia's face go still.  For a long moment,
she was rigid with shock.  Lavie's words were not simply a profession of
sisterly love but rather a romantic one. She looked up at him in worry,
who returned the expression.  After a while, she gave a soft smile of
understanding to the child.  She gripped the little girl's shoulders. "Lavie. 
I love you too but one day, you'll forget about me, fall in love with a boy
and live happily ever after, ne?  You just think I'm a boy because I look
like one.  I'm not--"

                "No!  I won't!  I won't fall in love with a boy or forget you."
Sobs racked the Lavie, and her chest felt like it would burst upon itself.

                "Lavie.  Don't make this very hard for me, sweetie.  I won't
forget you--and now, I'm sure you won't forget me.  Now, don't cry.  I
don't like you crying, okay?"

                Lavie tried to be strong.  She stopped crying immediately and
through her arms around Careia's neck.  "Careia, I'll miss you terribly!"

                Doral puta  hand on Careia's shoulder as she continued to
comfort the child.  He gave her a reassuring look.  "Don't worry.  I'll take
care of her."  He paused then added, "I'll make sure no one finds the
Guymelef too."

                Careia returned his words with eyes that showed her deep
gratitude. She blinked away the tears that also began to gather and stood,
releasing herself from the child's embrace.  She walked to the bed,
gripped the small handle of the canvas bag and turned once more to the
two people she knew was worth more than life to her in just the three
years they were together.

                She cruelly turned herself away from her emotions and said,
"Thank You.  For everything.  For understanding."

                Doral just nodded.  Lavie gripped the man's leg and watched
teary-eyed as Careia walked to the open door.

                Voices pierced the quiet morning.  "Asturian merchants!  They
have arrived!"  At the announcement, the villagers rushed out, hungry for
news from the rest of the world, and for the merchant's cargo. Careia
watched the bustle that grew by the minute. Doral knew it would be the
last time she would see such a morning in this village.

                She turned to him again.

                "Are you going with them when they leave at sunset?" asked
the old man.

                "Yes," she replied, looking at the end of the dusty street.  "I
think among all the countries of that side of Gaia, Asturia would be more
acceptable to immigrants.  They were never picky anyway."

                Doral bent to pick up his granddaughter.  "We'll walk you to
the port."  He went out ahead and hollered at the person who announced
the arrival of several other merchants.

                After a while, Careia hefted the bag over her shoulder, a
thoughtful look on her face.

*********

End of Prologue