A Perilous Pursuit

Disclaimer: None of the characters of Escaflowne belong to me and the idea for this little story came from the wonderful Konstantya so I can't take credit for that either.

Note: Happy birthday, Folken!

Welcome to the last chapter. More detailed notes and acknowledgments at the end of this. But I'd like to start thanking you all for taking the time to read this story and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

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"This is amazing!" Millerna cried excitedly as she ran down the steps of the entrance to the large warehouse that served as a laboratory for Folken Fanel.

He and Princess Eries stared as the young lady practically skipped from machine to machine, eagerly taking in all she could see, and furiously jotting down notes. Folken's eyes widened slightly at all this, unaccustomed to such a flurry of movement in the place where he usually spent hours in silence and solitude.

"Now that you've seen my sister's enthusiasm, Lord Folken," Princess Eries remarked with amusement, noting his shocked expression, "are you, perhaps, having some second thoughts about this?"

"Not at all, Princess Eries," Folken replied, regaining his composure, "but I confess I had not anticipated the extent of her enthusiasm. But it is a small matter. I'm glad you were both able to come."

"As I recall, your offer was difficult to refuse," Eries answered, "and it is always refreshing to see my sister in such good spirits."

"And you, as well," he felt compelled to add but stopped himself. They had not spoken alone since he had invited her to the lab and then abruptly took his leave. The next time he had seen her was when he gave the exact details of the visit and Millerna was present at that meeting as well. To Folken's relief, Eries did not seem to bear any ill-will to him for the strange way he had spoken to her towards the end of their last conversation. There were threads of that discussion that he was reluctant to reopen.

There was still an air of something unresolved about the whole matter for Eries but she would not force the issue until Folken felt himself ready to address it. She could not initiate anything also because she was not sure of what precisely was missing. She had only vague inklings or some suspicions of what was involved but she did not want to dwell on these thoughts for fear of what they may later reveal.

Millerna turned to look up at the pair with a grin and beckoned them to join her. She was reluctant to interrupt any moment the two shared together but her zeal to know more about the lab trumped every other desire. She had only been in the lab for a few minutes and already she felt completely at home.

"Your pupil is eager for her lesson, Lord Folken," Eries reminded him, "it seems like you have your work cut out for you."

"Indeed, it does," Folken said, "but it was my idea, after all. And I intend to see it through. But is there anything you would like to see first?"

"Do not worry about me," Eries reassured him, "I think I shall manage to occupy myself while you explain everything to Millerna. She must be your first priority and I promise that I shall not get in your way."

"You are very kind," he said with a nod of acknowledgement before joining Millerna and beginning to answer the first round of her questions.

Eries found a convenient corner from where she could watch without disrupting the lessons. And though she was not as scientifically inclined as her sister, there were many things in the laboratory that piqued her interest. More than the complex machinery and peculiar devices, the entire workroom seemed to be a reflection of Lord Folken himself. Everything was very organized and every piece seemed to be in its proper place. There were sheets of notes and sketches neatly piled on the desk and crumpled sheets of paper were all properly in the dustbin. The cavernous room was a clean and well-lit area filled with strange and wonderful things.

Eries was not aware, of course, that Folken had taken particular pains to tidy up the laboratory before inviting the princesses. He knew that both were keen observers so he wanted his workplace to look its best during their visit. Not that the lab was ever in shameful levels of disarray. He was too meticulous an individual to allow that. But he had made an extra effort to put everything in order just for this occasion.

In a way, he felt even more exposed than when he bared his chest and arm to both ladies because his life was his work and they were seeing so much of it. He revealed more of himself here than when he took his shirt off. Whether or not they understood what they were seeing, the two princesses were getting a very personal glimpse into his life. Though the sensation was slightly unnerving, Folken realized that the sisters were some of very few people he trusted enough to bare his soul to. It was also somewhat of a relief to be able to share what he spent so much time and effort on with other people who would not judge him harshly for his past mistakes.

"Zaibach's technological prowess is even greater than I imagined," Millerna exclaimed in wonder as Folken showed her various tools and devices he used in the lab and explained their functions.

"This is but a taste of the Empire's full power," he recounted, "because these are all that we could salvage from the wreckage of the Vione. But that was just one of the fleet of flying fortresses the Emperor possesses, not to mention the huge factories and guymelef hangars all over the land. Sometimes Zaibach felt more like a gigantic laboratory than a country. Metal walls were everywhere and we almost never saw the sun so long did we spend in the confinement of our laboratories. So you see, all advancement comes with a price."

"Indeed," Millerna remarked, "I think the best approach to anything is moderation. And if a country could strike the right balance between developing its technology and the other aspects of life, it would be truly invincible."

"You're absolutely right," Folken said with admiration, "and this is where Zaibach is potentially at a disadvantage. The Emperor has been so obsessed with a single-vision plan of the future that he failed to take into account the unpredictability of human reactions. I do not think he expected an alliance such as yours to form so quickly and to openly oppose him."

"Neither did he expect that you would join forces with us to try and defeat him," Millerna added, "and for that we are grateful."

Folken nodded in acknowledgment. The moment of gravity passed and he continued to answer Millerna's technical questions while the young princess took notes voraciously.

There were various components of Zaibach guymelefs stored in the lab even though Folken was not using them in his research. Some of the prototypes also survived the attack on the Vione and were more or less still functional. These items proved to be of interest to both princesses though in different ways.

Millerna focused on the defensive capabilities of the guymelefs and on the strength of their armor. She wanted to see how much more equipped models like the Alseides or Oreades were to protect their pilots from vicious attacks. Her recent adventures had given her some experience on the field and just remembering the damage Van sustained when Escaflowne was smashed up was enough for her to find ways by which to improve the Asturian guymelefs. She wasn't fond of the war, of course, but she still wanted to see her soldiers better protected from injury.

Eries had similar concerns but she was also fascinated by the cutting edge communications devices Zaibach possessed as well as the stealth cloaks, which had given all of Zaibach's guymelefs a distinct advantage over those of the rest of the world. She did not find it surprising that it Lord Folken was the one who refined the invention of this feature in guymelefs. He, of all people, understood the benefits of concealing one's self, in more ways than one.

Since Millerna was engrossed in sketching one of the guymelef components, Folken directed his attention to Eries, who was browsing through some copies of reports, which Folken had left on his desk. He approached her and she looked up with surprise.

"I apologize if I am prying inappropriately," she said politely, "I have not opened anything that has been closed. I have only been reading what you have left exposed here."

"It is no trouble at all, Princess Eries," he reassured her, "you are certainly welcome to read or touch anything that is lying around here. That is the point of this whole visit, after all, and I do not want you to be bored at all. Please feel free to ask me anything you want to know."

"Thank you," she replied, "I shall bear that in mind should I see something confusing."

She added to herself that some of what she wanted to know did not exactly concern reports and machines from Zaibach. But she was not sure if she dared ask him any of that.

So she simply asked about the functions of some of the portable communications devices Folken had managed to salvage from the Vione. He was only happy to demonstrate how to use them even if they had been too waterlogged to work. Eries was content to learn how these small devices would have worked had they not been damaged. Folken seemed at ease discussing technical matters with her because these were relatively safe subjects. He was not sure how he would act if she ventured beyond academic inquiry but to his relief, she did not, and they were able to pass the time together rather pleasantly.

Eries made sure not to ask too many questions so that she did not deprive her sister of Folken's attention and knowledge. But Millerna smiled at her and silently reassured her sister that she did not mind not being Folken's pupil for a few minutes. In fact, Millerna was delighted to see her sister and former prince of Fanelia deep in discussion, even if it was only about the intricacies of Zaibach communication patterns. They were not smiling but given their similar dispositions, this was to be expected. They were not the type of people who displayed happiness through mirth. Millerna knew them both well enough to note the subtle differences in their expressions and seeing how they both looked less severe than usual, she knew that they were certainly enjoying each other's company.

"They are both too careful," Millerna thought with a sigh as she watched them continue their conversation about the development of stealth cloaks, "and I think they are both so afraid of going forward despite the obvious connection they share."

She understood their apprehension and yet she was frustrated by it. She longed to see something good emerge from this complicated situation but she knew it would be wrong to push them into something if neither felt ready for it. She only wished that there would be no deterrents other than their internal misgivings.

After some time, Folken and his visitors found themselves occupied by separate sections of the laboratory. Millerna was excitedly sketching a medical apparatus she wanted to replicate when she had the time. In another corner, Eries was engrossed in a book on the political history of Gaea which Folken had lent her. And Folken himself was at his desk, taking advantage of the "lull" in activity to note down some suggestions both the princesses had given him. They all spent some time in this manner in a serenity they rarely enjoyed when doing their duties.

Every now and then, one of them would look up from his or her activity in order to steal a glance at the others.

Eries watched Millerna hard at work and broke into one of her rare smiles. She was beginning to allow herself the pleasure of being truly proud of her little sister and it was more uplifting than she had expected. She had learned that she had to cherish such moments since they were made more precious by being in difficult times. Somehow, everything became tolerable.

Unbeknownst to her, Folken had paused from his note writing and was gazing discreetly at her. He saw the source of her joy and felt a hint of gratification for having helped bring about an improvement in the sisters' relationship through such simple actions. Eries' warm and sincere smile was more than enough reward for him.

Millerna, for her part, also took a quick break from her endeavors to check on her companions. Eries had turned back to her book but retained a pleased expression on her face. Millerna smiled since she seldom saw her sister so relaxed and content. Then, the younger princess turned her gaze to Folken who had not yet stopped staring wistfully at her sister. Millerna's grin widened at this because it was the confirmation she needed for her theories. She resolved to do everything in her power to produce some favorable results from all this.

They continued this way until it was time for them all to return to their duties. They had been enjoying themselves so much that it felt like the hours had flown by. The princesses rose to take their leave and thank Folken once more for his invitation. Not knowing when she would have another opportunity like this, Millerna bombarded the scientist with one last round of questions. While Folken was patiently providing answers, Eries took one last look at the laboratory, and as she did so, something caught her eye.

In a small corner of one of the desks, almost hidden in the shadows, was a something small and soft, almost an anomaly in the laboratory's completely spotless state. Eries felt inexplicably compelled to take a better look at it. Folken and Millerna were too busy finishing their discussion to notice Eries bending down to pick up a single, black feather.

She stared at it for a few moments and something about it sent a shiver down her spine. Her gaze instinctively turned to Folken who had his back to her and she was at once filled with foreboding. She knew he would be able to explain this but she already dreaded the answers. So she discreetly inserted the feather between the pages of the book he had lent her and decided to keep everything to herself for the time being. She was afraid that the truth would be revealed soon enough.

-FIN-

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That's a wrap, folks!

At least for now.

This story was supposed to be a simple one-shot about Millerna geeking out over Folken's arm but it evolved into this little monster with moments having a greater impact on the characters' relationships than I had initially intended. But it has been a fun ride and there is so much to work with. I wanted to keep this section still centered on Millerna's scientific endeavors and its repercussions on the other characters.

But given how some groundwork has been laid for other things such as the sisters' relationship, and something between Folken and Eries (because I could not resist), I am definitely planning a sequel, if anyone is interested. There are some unresolved issues here that go beyond a pursuit of science and medicine so I felt that I needed to start a new story to further explore these. I already have a few chapters in mind so please let me know if you would like to read a sequel. I will try to get it up within in the next few weeks.

For now, however, I must thank you all for reading and thank you, particularly, to everyone who has left a review: banryuu, Sincerity, and Konstantya.

I must thank Konstantya as well for providing the inspiration for this little adventure. It may have gotten out of hand so I apologize but it was a lot of fun to work on, that's for sure.

Thank you again and until the next story!