Author: Tevrah
Email: [email protected]
A/N: This is the last chapter! Can you guys believe it?! My very first Escaflowne story is complete! I hope you guys enjoy it!!!
***
Chapter Twenty: The Final Battle
Something was wrong.
Van awoke to a feeling of dread. He immediately reached over to find Hitomi. His hand felt only the empty pillow and sheets. Jerking up in bed, he looked around the room in a panic. Where was Hitomi?
He jumped out of the bed and rushed to the entrance. Pulling back the hanging down door, he stuck his head outside to find everything normal.
Coming back inside, he made himself calm down. Hitomi was around here somewhere; he just had to figure out where. The open chest at the end of the bed caught his eye. Panic slowly rising in his chest, he walked over to it and looked at the contents inside.
It was empty.
No! He buried his face in his hands.
Hitomi…
Screams came from outside the hut. His head snapped up and he rushed outside. The people of Welku were running and screaming, all looking for a place to hide.
"Van!"
He turned around to see Merle running to him. "Merle!" He ran to his sister. "What's happening?"
Merle shook her head. "I don't know! I just woke up to hear people screaming!"
"Lord Van!" Balgus called.
Van turned and made his way to where Balgus stood. "What's happening?" he repeated to his general.
"It appears we are under attack," Balgus answered. "Come this way!" He led them through the cave to the entrance of Welku. The elders were all gathered around watching something going on from the outside. Collin was with them.
"There is an army with many weapons out there," Ginoz explained.
Van looked out. True enough, the entire ground and sky was covered with an army. There was no way that Welku would be able to survive an attack from the likes of that. Then he noticed something. "Why aren't they attacking?"
"That's what we want to know," Ginoz said. "They are just sitting there."
Collin's eyebrows drew together. "Maybe…"
"What is it, Collin?" Merle asked.
He walked up to the entrance and hovered his hands over the rock. "Just maybe…"
"Maybe what?" Van demanded.
Collin placed his hands on the rock and gasped in surprise. He stumbled back a moment later. Merle rushed up to him. "Collin!"
"I'm all right," he gasped. "Hitomi…"
"Hitomi what?" Van asked. He grabbed his brother-in-law by the shirt and pulled him up. "Where is she?"
"She's gone!" Collin said. "That's the reason why the soldiers can't get in. Hitomi placed a sort of spell on the mountain that won't allow anyone to get in or out."
Van let go of Collin and turned toward the entrance. He rushed toward it only to be thrown back by an invisible force. The other's rushed to him. "Are you all right, Van?" Merle asked.
"Hitomi…" he whispered. He stood up. "We have to find a way to break her spell!"
"You don't understand," Collin said. "She put the spell to protect the people of Welku while she went to face Talik. She did this to keep everyone safe; she did it out of love. A spell made from love can't be broken."
"No!" Van shouted. He pushed Collin away and started to run to the entrance again. He was stopped by Balgus putting a restraining hand on his arm.
"You mustn't do anything foolish, milord," Balgus said. "We will find a way to get to Milady Hitomi, but you must be level-headed. You must think. No one deserves to die because of emotional actions."
"And besides," Merle added, "I'm sure that Hitomi is around here somewhere. We just have to find her."
"I'm telling you, Merle," Collin said, "she's gone. I saw the light take her away."
"No," Merle denied, shaking her head. Tears made her voice thick. "She wouldn't leave. She promised that she wouldn't do anything…"
"Why would she promise you that, and then leave anyway?" Van asked quietly.
"Because of the baby!" Merle blurted. She slapped her hands over her mouth and looked at Van fearfully.
"Baby?" Van whispered.
Merle nodded and removed her hands, letting them hang down at her side. "She's pregnant, Van, and she promised me that she wouldn't do anything that would put the baby in danger, so there must be some kind of mistake. There just has to be." She felt Collin wrap his arms around her and pull her to him. She buried her face in his chest. She didn't want to see Van's reaction.
Van concentrated on breathing. Hitomi was pregnant. And she was gone. She went to fight a man who wanted her dead. He clenched his fists. Why did she go? "We have got to find a way out of here," he said decisively. "I have to find Hitomi."
"I may know a way," Ginoz said. "There—"
"You brought this on us!"
Everyone turned to see Tyu standing behind them. His sword was pointed at them. "You humans brought this on us! And I will see that you pay!"
He charged toward Van with his sword aimed for Van's heart. Van was too stunned to move. He was suddenly knocked to the ground with a heavy force and landed facedown on the earthen floor. Merle screamed. Everything happened too fast for him to comprehend it all. When he lifted his face, he found Ginoz and Collin restraining Tyu, Merle leaning over Balgus, and Balgus was lying on the ground with blood pooling from the wound in his chest.
"Balgus?" Van said, moving to kneel down beside Balgus's head.
Balgus's head turned his way, and Van saw the life leaving his mentor and friend. His eyes were slowly growing dim. "L-lord Van," Balgus managed to say. "You must r-rescue th-the queen. She is the savior of the world, b-but she is so fragile. She will protect the world, b-but she needs you to love and protect her."
"Balgus," Van whispered.
"Do not worry, m-milord," Balgus said. "My time has ended, while yours is only beginning. I have been honored to be called your general and your friend. Your parents would have been proud." The light in Balgus's eyes went out.
A tear slipped down Van's cheek. "Balgus?" He grabbed the big man and brought him to his chest, mourning for his friend. Saying goodbye was a terrible thing.
After a few minutes, Van lay Balgus's body back down on the ground and closed the man's eyes. There was no use mourning over an empty shell. Van stood up and took a deep breath. He looked over to Ginoz and Collin, deliberately keeping his gaze from Tyu.
"You said there was another way out?" Van asked Ginoz.
Ginoz slowly nodded. "Yes. It will take a little work getting to, but it should lead you straight out if it isn't being protected as well."
Van nodded. "Show me."
Ginoz handed Tyu over to some other wolf-men and began walking out of the cave beside Van. "You good for nothing humans!" Tyu shouted. "You bring chaos and destruction wherever you go! You will kill us all!"
Van stopped and turned around. There was no emotion in his voice when he answered Tyu. "You say we humans are so destructive, but it wasn't one of us that killed Balgus." He turned and walked away, ignoring the rest of Tyu's insults.
"It's at the back of the village," Ginoz explained. "It will require some climbing and it's barely visible when you are up there on the ledge. Still, it should lead you straight to the top of the mountain."
Van nodded. "I'll find it."
Ginoz led him through the village to the very back. Then they went into a small cave, much like the entrance, only Van and Ginoz had to crouch down to walk. Ginoz came out first, then Van. Van stopped and stared. The room they entered was as big as the mountainside. It was huge. It was completely earthen, but jewels sparkled, giving the room a glow.
"It is this way," Ginoz said. He led Van to the farther side and pointed straight up. "There it is."
Van followed the wolf-man's claw, but didn't see a thing. "All I see is rock," Van said.
"Don't worry," Ginoz said. "It's there. Now when you get there, you'll have to move some of the rock and dirt out of your way so that you can get through."
"All right," Van said. He clasped Ginoz at the elbow. "Thank you for all you've done for us."
"It was an honor, your majesty," Ginoz said. Then he bent down and clasped his hands together.
Van placed his foot in Ginoz's clasped hands and was picked up over Ginoz's head. Grabbing hold of a rock, Van placed his feet and hands in footholds in the mountainside. Steadily he climbed, losing his grip once, but quickly regaining his footing. When he had almost climbed up the entire wall, with his arms quivering and his legs growing weak, he spotted a small hole of light. This was it!
Getting a good hold with one hand, he used the other to move the dirt and rocks from the space, making it big enough for his body to slip through. With the hole a big enough size, Van grabbed the sides and hoisted himself through. He had to make the hole as he went, moving the dirt and rocks to one side. Then he began to encounter snow. He was getting close to the outside of the mountain. That gave him new strength and he began to work faster and harder, until he knocked away a hole to filter sunlight through.
He checked to see if the hole was protected. His hand went against it only to be shocked and knocked back. Van took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He couldn't get through. His mind wandered to Hitomi. He needed to get to her. He wouldn't let her fight this battle alone. He refused to!
Raising his head, he stared at his only means of escape. "I know Hitomi told you to protect us," he said softly, "but I need to protect Hitomi. Please, just let me out. I can't let her die. I need her." Stretching out his hand, he put in one last plea. "Please…" His hand went through. Van sighed in relief.
He wiggled the rest of the way through until he was completely outside. When he stood up and turned toward the hole, he found it covered up with snow. Van smiled. The mountain may have let him out, but that was it. Turning back around, Van planted his feet apart firmly and raised his sword. He cried only one word:
"Escaflowne!"
***
Hitomi pushed open the massive door that led to the inside of the castle. It didn't make a sound. Slipping inside quietly, she looked around. There were no guards. That didn't surprise her. When you were as powerful as Talik, you didn't need guards to keep you safe. Reputation alone was enough to keep everyone away.
The inside of the castle was so dreary, more so than anything she had ever seen before. It truly looked like the home of a monster. She continued walking down the hall. As she turned the corner she had to stop, though. There was only one door and it was at the very end of the hall.
Come to me…Hitomi closed her eyes. She wouldn't rush into a trap. Placing a hand on her stomach where her unborn child lay, she prayed to the gods, asking for their strength, guidance and protection. Then she prayed for Merle and Collin, that they may one day find happiness. Next came the inhabitants of Welku and Ronise. She prayed that they may be able to finally live in peace one day without having to hide themselves from the outside world. Finally she prayed for Van. She prayed that he would forgive her in what she was doing and would live a happy and peaceful life no matter what the outcome of this battle would be.
Opening her eyes she stared at the door in newfound determination. This battle wasn't about just her anymore, it was about everyone she loved. And where her loved ones were threatened, she would fight with everything in her being. Even if it meant her death.
She walked to the massive door and pushed it open. She could feel the evil there. It was like one big circle room, and completely dark. So dark that Hitomi could barely see.
"You've finally made it, I see."
Torches lighted one after the other around the room until the entire room was filled with light. A woman came out of the shadows.
Mother…Sasha Kanzaki stared at her daughter with open contempt. "It took you long enough to get here," she said. "I'd almost given up on waiting for you."
"I don't want to fight you," Hitomi said.
Sasha smirked. "Well, that's too bad, because I have my orders to eliminate you. And I always follow orders."
"Don't you remember me?" Hitomi cried. "I'm your daughter! Why would you fight me?"
Sasha shrugged. "I just do as I'm told. Now draw you weapons." She took out two daggers and held the up.
Hitomi did the same. "Please," she pleaded one last time. "Don't make me do this."
Sasha attacked.
Hitomi parried the blow and circled around. She would try to disarm the other woman.
As if Sasha knew what Hitomi were thinking, she smirked and took another step forward. She began slashing down.
Hitomi went on the defensive. She wouldn't be able to disarm Sasha because she was too busy trying to stop her from killing her own daughter. Hitomi looked for a weakness in the woman's fighting stance. Everyone had one.
There!
She could tell that Sasha was keeping her knees straight instead of bent. Hitomi faked a blow, and kicked her in the knee. Sasha fell down hard. Hitomi kneeled down and put her blade at the woman's throat. She hesitated.
"Hitomi," Sasha whispered. "Please. Don't hurt me. I've been hurt so much. You wouldn't hurt you mother, would you?"
Hitomi hesitated even more. Sasha smirked and lashed out, making Hitomi fall backwards. She leaned over the girl.
"You should have killed me," Sasha said. "Because now you're going to die." Sasha brought her blade up, preparing to strike.
Hitomi plunged her knife through her mother's middle. For a moment everything stood still. Hitomi watched in slow motion as her mother fell back to the ground. Hitomi scrambled up and leaned over her.
"Mother," she whispered tearfully. "I'm so sorry, mother. Please forgive me."
Sasha looked at her daughter with clear eyes. "My little girl," she whispered. "You saved me." She brought a hand up and placed it on Hitomi's cheek. "You're so beautiful, just like I always imagined you to be."
Hitomi was crying and her mother's face was blurry. She wiped her tears and saw her mother's eyes glazing over. "I love you, mama."
Sasha looked at her daughter with tears running down her cheeks. "I love you too, baby." And with those final words, Sasha Kanzaki died in her daughter's arms.
"Mother?" Hitomi said. "Mother!" She laid her head on her dead mother's chest and cried her heart out.
Suddenly she was thrown all the way across the room by an invisible force. She shook her head to clear her blackened vision and looked to the middle of the room. Her father was holding her mother's body close. A mournful cry passed through the monster's lips. He kissed his wife gently. "Goodbye, my love."
He brought his head up and growled at Hitomi. "You killed her!" he shouted.
"It was an accident!" Hitomi cried. Tears were running down her cheeks. "I didn't want to!"
Talik slowly stood and his eyes filled with hatred. "You killed her!" He shot a fireball out of his hand.
Hitomi dodged it just to be bombarded with another and another. He kept shouting at her and cursing her. Hitomi got a sharp pain in her chest every time he said something until it became almost unbearable.
"You murderer!"
That did it. She slowly stood from where she was on the ground and glared at him. "I'm not the murderer!" she shouted. "You are! You kill innocent people, and only take, never giving! Murderer!"
She began to glow a bright gold. Her pendant floated up, bringing her with it until her feet were a yard off of the ground. She felt a pinch in her back and ached to relieve the pressure. Beautiful white wings sprang out and she arched her back. The pain quickly went away. The light surrounding her slowly died until it was only a dim aura surrounding her body. Her wings enveloped her form as her feet touched the ground. And when she brought her head up, Talik felt true fear. Her eyes were a glowing emerald; no other color was to be seen was present. So deep was his fear that he even took a step back. She looked like an avenging angel.
Hitomi palms began to glow with unrestrained power. She was no longer a human. She was a goddess.
The wing goddess.
***
Van stood on the Escaflowne as he maneuvered it in the sky. In the distance he could see a castle top. He could feel that Hitomi was in trouble.
Please be all right, he prayed. Please. I can't live without you. Please be all right.
Forgive me…Hitomi's voice floated by on the wind. Van held back tears.
"I'm coming, Hitomi," he whispered as the castle got closer and closer. "I'm coming."
***
Hitomi fired a blast at Talik through her hands. He dodged and returned fire. They continued the parry of blasts until one of his and one of hers met in the middle and created a large explosion. The two opponents flew back and were knocked against a wall.
Hitomi opened her eyes to see large blocks of stone from the ceiling littering the ground. She looked at Talik across the room. "Why must we fight?"
Talik sneered. "I will have your powers, little goddess!"
Hitomi sighed. "This power is too much for anyone, save myself. Anyone who uses it will become corrupted by it. It happened once, and I will never let it happen again."
Resolutely, she stood up and stretched her wings out. She held her glowing pendant up and whispered, "You bring only destruction. It is time for you to be destroyed." She balled it in her fist and held it tight. She concentrated all of her energy into her hand.
"No!" Talik yelled and began running to her.
The power erupted from her hand and a column of light appeared, enveloping the castle. It exploded through the ceiling. Hitomi's hand began to burn, but she held on as tight as she could. She gritted her teeth together. The light peaked, then died down. Hitomi opened her hand and ashes fell out. The imprint of the teardrop pendant was forever burned in her hand.
The castle began to shake. Hitomi fell to the ground. The walls and ceiling began to fall. Hitomi looked over to Talik and saw a human man lying on the floor. She ran over to him, dodging falling stones. She turned him over.
"Father?"
Talik opened his eyes and his emerald green orbs stared at Hitomi. "Daughter," he said faintly. "Thank you…" He closed his eyes and died.
Hitomi held him to her chest and cried. "Papa…"
"Hitomi!"
She looked up and saw the Escaflowne in the sky. With one last look at her father's body, she stood up. Spreading her wings wide she began to flap them. She was lifted off of the ground and flew up. She dodged falling rocks and stones trying to get to Van. She saw him stretch his hand out to her and she did the same.
Suddenly a flying rock hit her on her wings and she began to fall. She closed her eyes, but was caught in strong arms. She opened her eyes to see Van with his own wings out. He lifted her up and landed on the Escaflowne. Then he flew them away from the scene.
When Hitomi looked back, she saw the entire castle collapse. She closed her eyes and felt Van's arms tighten around her. She buried her face in his chest and began to cry.
It was finally over.
*****
Epilogue: The Gift
Hitomi breathed deeply. She gritted her teeth together as another pain came to her. She groaned.
"Push, milady!" the midwife ordered.
Hitomi pushed as hard as she could, leaning back into the maid holding her up in a sitting position. She let out a painful cry. "I can't!"
"You must, milady!" the midwife said. "You must! Please, just one more push!"
Hitomi gathered all of her remaining energy and gave a final push. A small cry greeted her a moment later.
"You have a son, milady!" the midwife exclaimed. "You have a beautiful baby boy!"
Hitomi was allowed to lean back on the bed and tears of joy and relief slipped out. She closed her eyes listening to her baby's cry, thinking it was the sweetest sound she had ever heard. A moment later, she felt someone take her hand. She opened her eyes.
"Hey," Van said hoarsely.
Hitomi smiled at him weakly. "Hey."
Van looked at the midwife who was holding a small bundle to her chest. She smiled at the royal couple and handed them their son. Hitomi held her baby close and looked at Van. He had on the biggest smile she had ever seen. Hitomi looked at the baby again. He had a tuft of black hair, showing he was going to look like his father. Van smoothed his hand over his son's head.
"Thank you, Hitomi," he whispered. "Thank you for this gift."
Hitomi looked at him and smiled. The baby moved, drawing her attention once more.
Life was beautiful.
That's it, folks! Thanks for every one who stuck with it!! Love you guys! Bye!