Here is a new and improved version of my old fanfiction (that decided to die on me, courtesy of my muses) Secrets of the Devil. For those of you who enjoyed that other fanfiction, never fear, this one isn't so different, plot-wise. (Character-wise, it is.)

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vision of Escaflowne, or any of its characters. All of that is owned by Studio Sunrise (lucky them). All I own are my own characters. So anyone stupid enough to sue me shall find their tail ends smoking by dinner time.

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Chapter 1: Faces

Van Fanel leaned back on the roof, his arms folded behind his head, his chest heaving as he let out a long, sad sigh. Mahogany-red eyes glistened with sadness as he gazed silently at the two spheres hanging in the night sky, framed by billions of tiny twinkling stars that broke through the blackness. His eyes rested first on the bluish-white sphere that was the Mystic Moon, then trailed to the smaller gray globe at its feet.

The Mystic Moon…

It had only been a few months, but it seemed like ages since they had last been together. He closed his eyes, as an image of the girl's face surfaced slowly in his mind: the wide, sparkling dark green eyes that held so many secrets; the short, fluffy, light brown hair that so many Gaeans found queer and boyish; the rosy cheeks and warm smile that always lit her face; the high, musical laughter accompanied by a gentle voice that soothed him. At first, her voice had been scolding and harsh; then, after time, she grew concerned for him, until finally her voice overflowed with love whenever she spoke to him. Van opened his eyes slowly, a sad smile lingering on his face as his mind echoed her name…

Hitomi…

~You called?~ a voice in his head replied cheerfully. Eyes wide, Van sat up straight suddenly. He came back to his senses when he started to slide off the roof, and grabbed the nearest shilling to keep him in place. He stared at the sky above him, his eyes unfocused… Suddenly, his vision was a blur of blue and pale green…

The next thing he knew, he was standing in front of her. He locked gazes with her mystical orbs, and a warm smile slowly spread on his face. He reached out and gently touched her cheek, his gaze softening as his finger brushed across her smooth skin. He took a step closer, putting their bodies hardly an inch apart.

~Hitomi…~ He just had to say her name; it felt so good to say her name. ~I've been thinking about you. I miss you so much,~ he told her, stroking her cheek softly with one finger. ~It feels like it's been forever since you were last here,~ he continued.

Hitomi laughed—music to Van's ears. ~Oh Van!~ she exclaimed. ~It's only been a few months.~ She smile gently, and cupped his cheek in her hand. ~But it's nice to know you miss me that much,~ she added softly. She buried her face in his shirt, giggling softly. ~You need to smile more, Van. You're the one who made me leave, remember?~

Van winced, before wrapping his arms gently around her. How could he forget that day? It had taken all of his self-control not to burst into tears as the blue pillar of link swept her away. As it was, later that day, in the privacy of his bedroom—or what there was of it, seeing as Fanelia was still under construction—he had curled into a corner and unlocked the door to his grief.

Hitomi looked up at him and tilted her head. ~Van? Remember what you said that day? We can see each other anytime, so long as our thoughts reach each other. You remember that? It still holds true, Van. You have the pendant,~ she reminded him, placing her hand on the pink stone around his neck. ~You know what to do, don't you?~

Van placed his hand over hers. ~Of course I do,~ he said. ~Do you honestly think I'm that forgetful?~ He pretended to look hurt, and she laughed.

Suddenly, her laughter came to an abrupt halt, and she cursed. ~Damn it! I'm sorry, Van, but my stupid brother is calling my name all over the house. We're home alone, and I'm supposed to be baby-sitting him—you know, take care of him while my parents are away…~ she hastily explained, constantly glancing over her shoulder. ~Oh, damn it! I'm sorry, Van.~ She hugged him tightly. ~Remember, I love you.~

~I love you, too, Hitomi,~ Van whispered as she slowly vanished. His vision was a whirlwind of colors again, and he was back on the rooftop of Fanelia castle, staring at the Mystic Moon and her child, shadowed by winking stars. He smiled and closed his eyes. I love you, Hitomi. Slowly, he fell into the pure bliss of sleep, a smile still on his face.

~*~

Delicate, slightly pointed ears pricked forward. A pair of emerald-green eyes slitted in concentration. The switching of a long, bushy tail was the only break in the black cat-girl's stillness. Without warning, she flicked her wrist. A flash of silver, a rush of air, a snap of metal on wood… The knife cracked through the heart of the target, shattering it. She did not blink even once when wooden shards shot off in all directions, a few narrowly missing her body. She stared at the knife, now embedded in the small slab of wood still nailed to the wall. She did not make a sound; even her footsteps were inaudible as she stepped to the other side of the room to retrieve her weapon.

"Well done, Kirra," a deep voice interjected. "You have certainly improved since I last had the opportunity to sneak up on you during practice." The voice was filled with mild tease. Her ears twitching slightly, the cat-girl turned to the doorway, her green eyes fixed on the speaker. A tall, muscular wolf-boy stepped out of the shadows, his white fur streaked with a golden glow in the dim light of the training room. Behind him was a she-dog, with the muzzle of a wolf and the ears of a spaniel. Her fur was a warm, creamy, reddish color, with a white stripe down the center of her forehead.

Kirra narrowed her eyes at the newcomers, the switching of her tail the only sign of her displeasure. In a voice so emotionless it was almost cold, she demanded, "What are you doing here, and what do you want?" When neither of them answered, she pulled her knife out of the remains of the target and held it up in front of her. The dim light cast an eerily red glow on the tarnished steel blade. She never took her eyes off the two canines.

"Her Majesty," the dog offered as an answer. Unlike most, these two were not intimadated by the cat-girl's silent threat. They knew her too well. Although cats and dogs are normally not known for getting along easily, these three had grown up in the royal palace together, and were aquainted if not friends. Kirra did not have many friends—at least, not many people whom she would willingly call a friend.

She stared at the dog-girl, and although she was curious, she kept her emotions under her skin. "Her Majesty?" she echoed, lowering the knife. "What would Her Majesty want with us?"

"That's what we're going to find out," the wolf-boy said, cocking an eyebrow. "Are you coming, Kirra? We can't keep Her Majesty waiting too long." He turned and walked out the door, the dog not far behind.

Kirra dropped the knife on the floor, watching as it stuck hilt-up in the wooden floor, wobbling a bit before ceasing all movement. Without a single word, she turned on her heels and strode out of the training room, letting the door bang shut behind her.

~*~

"You summoned me, Your Majesty?" The white cat kneeled on the ground in front of the golden throne; but her eyes remained fixed on the face of the person sitting in the throne: a young tiger-woman with broad black stripes and pale orange fur that seemed to shimmer white in the silvery light of the room. A gold crown sat atop a mass of black curls, and she gazed down her nose at the cat-woman with sharp amber eyes.

"Yes, Adibah, I did," Queen Alakana said, her voice short and crisp. "I have done as you requested; the five should be arriving here momentarily." She narrowed her flashing eyes. "Now I demand to know why these five are being summoned. You haven't explained anything to me yet, soothsayer."

Adibah did not flinch under that sharp gaze; she kept her icy blue eyes on the queen's amber orbs, and rose to her feet. "I cannot explain anymore until they arrive, Your Majesty," she said, ignoring the anger that flashed across the queen's eyes. "But I will say this: I have summoned them to fulfill the destiny that was prophecized at their births."

"Prophecies?" the queen said, knitting her brows.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Adibah paused, and turned to face the double doors. One wrinkled white ear twitched. "And, if I'm not mistaken, some have arrived." To prove her point, the giant doors creaked open, and Kirra and the two canines stepped cautiously into the room. Almost immediately they fell to their knees, their heads bowed. Adibah looked expectantly at the queen.

"Rise, my children," Alakana said, smiling warmly, "and come closer." They obeyed, stepping forward until they were within a yard of the throne. Alakana nodded to each in turn. "Kirra. Urufu. Aurelia." As each looked up at the sound of their name, her gaze softened. Such gentle younglings, these children of my warriors, she thought, with a trace of sadness.

She turned expectantly to Adibah. "Would you care to explain what these children are here for?" she said. Although her tone suggested a request, it was undoubtly meant to be an order. But Adibah smiled and shook her head.

"If you don't mind waiting just a bit more, Your Majesty, we still have two missing," she said, gesturing to the door. "I would prefer to explain the details when everyone has arrived. Ah…and here they come now."

This time, only one of the doors opened, and just enough to allow a tiny crack of golden light from the hallway filter in the silvery glow of the room. A couple of golden feathers floated into the air, as two pairs of eyes, one amber and one golden, peered cautiously around the corner of the door. Kirra found herself turning around to stare at the newcomers, and sniffed the air delicately. The smells that filled her nostrils were familiar, but she could not place them…

Adibah smiled. "There is nothing to fear, my children. Come in," she said, beckoning. The eyes vanished, and, seconds later, a girl stepped into the room. Her skin was pure white, and her amber eyes were slanted. Her floor-length hair was black tinted with silver, and gathered into a twisting braid that trailed behind her. Two enormous golden-brown wings sprouted from between her shoulderblades. Kirra's senses tingled almost painfully, and she blinked in mild shock. A bird-person? There were not many of them in the royal palace, especially since the queen was a tiger.

"And you must be Muniya," the queen said, a trace of surprise flickering across her striped features. "Come in. Do not be afraid."

The bird-girl inclined her head, her thin, silvery-black bangs falling over her eyes. She strode gracefully into the room, drawing Kirra's eyes to her attire: A long silver gown draped gracefully over her body, covering her feet, which, like most bird-folk's, where taloned. She halted when she was beside Aurelia, her head still bowed. Try as she might, Kirra could not get a look at her eyes without being obvious.

"And you come in, too, Nyoka," Adibah said loudly. It was only then that Kirra realized that there was still one unfamiliar scent coming from just behind the door. At the soothsayer's words, a boy stepped into the room. A black-speckled blue tail, tipped with a sharp triangle, like an arrow's head, switched the air behind him. Two thick blue stripes ran down the sides of his green-tinted face. A mass of black hair, streaked with blue, surrounded his face, and trailed down his back in a long, thick tail. His clawed feet raked the ground as he walked, and Kirra was willing to bet the the hands stuffed in his pockets ended in clawed fingers.

The cat-girl blinked. A snake?

"Now that everyone is here, I shall explain why I asked Her Majesty to summon you were," Adibah said, moving to stand in front of the throne, facing the five beast-children. "There is danger afoot—danger greater than any you have known in your lifetime. I, on the other hand, have witnessed the passing of this danger twice. You have read about it in your history books, and the name I am about to give you often stimulates fear and panic." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "My children…the Kalryn's Devil has returned."

~*~

To Be Continued…

I hope to get at least one review before updating the next chapter. So, please, review. It would be greatly appreciated.