Ne! How'd you all enjoy Episode One? I hope you all liked it! I'm so
sick right now that I'm staying home and not doing countless other
things I really should be. Yes, I'm being bad. So enjoy this episode
even more because I'm working on it instead of taking a nap, doing
work, or anything else for that matter. Just sit back relax and see
what happens in Fanelia. On with the show! Don't know a word? Look it
up in the index (located on my site)! Check it out:
http://www.studiounmei.org/hitomisama
***********************************************************************
Escaflowne is not mine and never will be. It belongs to a lot of other
companies who's names I can't remember right now. Including Emotion,
Sunrise, TV Tokyo, and distributed by AnimeVillage.com etc.
***********************************************************************
Author: Hitomi-sama
E-mail: hitomi-sama@studiounmei.org
Rated: PG-13 mostly for cursing in English and Japanese

                        The Second Vision of Escaflowne
                           Vision One, Episode Two:
                          The Kingdom of the Dragon

        Shiori pumped her legs, urging her body to run faster towards
the kingdom of Fanelia. Her mother was trailing after her, arms
flailing madly in front of her as she gasped and continued to cry out.
        "Faster hahaue! Faster!" Shiori yelled to her mother over her
shoulder.
        "Fanelia will still be there if you walk!" The woman shouted
between large mouthfuls of air. "Slow down or you'll be entering the
kingdom alone."
        The raven haired girl slowed to a jog and came to a complete
stop. "Hahaue," Shiori began to whine. The woman laughed at her
daughter.
        "I haven't seen you this happy in a long time." She said with a
smile.
        Shiori nodded. "You either, hahaue. Something about you is
different. Your eyes . . . have more life in them . . . they aren't as
sad."
        The woman smiled even more. "I feel so different. So light and
free . . ." She admitted. "Come on," the blond woman said as her green
eyes twinkled playfully. "Let's race to Fanelia!"
        Shiori watched as her mother dashed off. "Hahaue! I thought you
needed a rest! That was a dirty trick! Come back here! Ne! Hahaue!" She
shouted. "I'll catch you!"
        "Ha! I didn't break that track record for nothing!" The woman
shouted. "Nice to see that after all these years I still got it in me!"
She ran for a distance but soon found herself panting and gasping for
air. Her daughter soon passed her up.
        "I get lots of practice running to school from the train
station!" Shiori replied. She stuck her tongue out playfully at her
mother and continued to run.
        "Shiori!!! Matte!!!
        The girl turned around in enough time to see a horse galloping
up the hill she was running across at a frenzied pace. She shrieked as
she realized that she was only a few hoof-beats away from being
trampled on. The rider of the steed yanked on the reins tightly. There
was a loud whiney from the horse who protested by going up onto his
hind legs and then going back onto all fours and stamping the ground
with it's hooves.
        "Daijobu?" Shiori's mother asked as she ran to where her
daughter stood paralyzed with fear.
        "H . . . h . . . h . . . hai?" Shiori stammered.
        "Gomen nasai." Apologized the rider. He was quite a handsome
young man who looked not much older than his early twenties. His blond
hair that hung just below the ears was windblown and his azure eyes
matched the blue of his golden embroidered jacket. His white gloved
hands still gripped the reins of his gray stallion tightly.
        Shiori shook of her shock and became angry as she tried to mask
her fear from the handsome rider. "Watch where you're going!" She
shouted. "You almost killed me!"
        "Gomen nasai." He said once more. "I didn't see you."
        "Neither did I, until your horse was almost on top of me!" She
answered. "Just who rides around like a madman anyway? Oya ma!"
        "Who are you?" Asked the man seated atop the gray stallion in
response. "You aren't from around here."
        Shiori frowned and crossed her arms in front of her. "You can
tell?" She snapped in an irritated tone. Her brown eyes flashed
angrily. "What's it to you anyway?"
        "It just isn't safe for two women to be traveling alone." He
answered calmly, ignoring Shiori's attitude. "Especially since there's
been so much military activity around these parts lately."
        "Nani?" Shiori asked, abandoning her anger and adopting a look
of concern. "What's happening around here? Is there going to be a war?"
        The blond man shrugged. "Possibly. It's been a long time
coming, though. Fanelia's been in such chaos for twelve years since the
king's death . . . all the neighboring kingdoms have been trying to
claim the land as their own . . . there have been lots of skirmishes
because of it . . . but now I'm afraid it's become very serious." He
explained. "Last week the alliance between Azuras and Palas was severed
and I've heard that the Duchy of Fried is bringing in more troops from
as far off as their ally's utopia."
        Shiori was in shock. "That's horrible." She said.
        "The Duchy of Fried," asked the blond woman as she regarded the
young rider, "they aren't still allies with the Zaibach, are they?"
        For a moment, the man's blue eyes were hidden by his golden
lashes. He sighed softly to himself and then gave a grave nod. "That
pact has been in existence for a very long time."
        "The Zaibach . . . chichiue said something about them to me!"
Shiori exclaimed suddenly.
        "No doubt, they are infamous." The man replied.
        "Are the Zaibach after Fanelia?" Shiori asked.
        "They haven't made any direct attempts to secure it. Knowing
what they've done in the past, I wouldn't be surprised if they were."
The man replied.
        Shiori's brown eyes grew determined. "Then we've got to get to
Fanelia as fast as we can!" She said as she took off running.
        The gray stallion galloped and adopted a slow trot alongside
the sprinting girl. "Just what do you think you can do in Fanelia? I
told you it's dangerous. You think I'm joking? What can happen to you
in this field is nothing compared to what could happen to you in the
city!"
        "Thanks for the advice." Shiori shouted over her shoulder, not
taking her eyes off the city.
        "I'm warning you, don't go to Fanelia." The rider said with a
firm tone.
        "I'm going anyway." She replied.
        "You'll be killed."
        "I won't."
        "You're just a little girl."
        "And you're full of hot air and arrogance." Shiori retorted.
"I'm going and you aren't going to stop me." She added. Her raven hair
whipped behind her as she ran faster to try to get away from the horse
and it's rider.
        "Matte! Matte!" Shiori's mother cried as she struggled
breathlessly to catch up with her daughter.
        "Hurry hahaue!" The girl yelled over her shoulder as she
clenched her fists and attempted to gain even more speed. "Hurry! I'm
not staying in this field another second!"
        Shiori saw out of the corner of her eye, the gray horse
disappear and then return once more moments later. The blond rider was
now accompanied by her mother who waved from where she sat, her green
eyes dancing as she smiled.
        "If you're so intent on going to Fanelia, you'll need my
protection." Said the blond man.
        "We don't need anything. What we need is for you to leave us
alone, Oh-High-and-Mighty-Horse-Rider." Shiori snapped.
        The man chuckled forcefully. "I have a name. It's Jared, not
High-and-Mighty-Horse-Rider."
        "I don't care if your name is 'mud' and you're the king of
Gaea!" Shiori retorted. "We aren't as helpless as you think we are!
Furthermore, you don't have to act so . . . so . . ."
        "Gentlemanly." Shiori's mother finished.
        "Yeah, gentleman-" The girl echoed. "Nani? Iie! That's not what
I was going to say!" Shiori became very irritated. She slowed to a jog
and cursed as she crossed her arms. "Shimatta! Baka!"
        The gray horse trotted along with the angry girl. Jared laughed
to himself. "Does your daughter always have such a wonderful attitude?"
        "Not always." Came the reply from behind him. "Sometimes it's a
lot worse."
        "Great." Jared said.
        "Why, you planning to stick around very much longer?" Shiori
asked with a glare.
        He paused a moment and smiled slyly at the girl, his blue eyes
dancing mischievously. "I think I just might." Jared said. He watched
Shiori positively bristle with anger and irritation.
        "Of all the people to meet in Gaea, the first one we run into
is an arrogant, baka, horse-riding know-it-all!" Shiori grumbled to
herself.
        Jared chuckled to himself. "You forgot 'good looking'."
        "You know, if you're going to stay, leave me alone. Otherwise,
we won't get along very well." She said.
        The man fiddled with the reins he held in his white gloved
hands. "I don't know about you but I was having fun." Jared's sea blue
eyes sparkled in the sunlight as he smiled down at Shiori. The girl
turned her head and looked away from him. "You try to do a good deed
and this is what you get . . ." He turned around and smiled at the
woman with the emerald eyes. "At least YOU seem appreciative about
this."
        "Oh yes, I am. Shiori is too . . . in her own way."
        "I am not!" The girl added.
        "Shiori huh? Nice name." Jared said to himself. "Sounds really
foreign. Where are you guys from?"
        "Don't tell him anything, hahaue!"
        "Far away." Was all the woman replied with. "How about you?"
        Jared sighed to himself. "Me? I come from Palas. I'm a Knight
of Caeli just like chichiue." He explained.
        "Is he as annoying and arrogant as you are?" Shiori asked.
        The comment was ignored. "I knew a Knight of Caeli once."
Shiori's mother said. Her emerald eyes seemed to focus on a distant
memory as if it were contained in the blue of the sky. "That was a long
time ago."
        "You probably wouldn't know chichiue." Jared replied. The gates
of the city came into view. A troop full of soldiers on horseback were
gathered around a man who stood inside a large robot-like machine.
"Who's army is that?"
        "What is that thing?" Shiori asked as she pointed to the
massive machine.
        "That's a Guymelef." Jared replied. "Looks like Rampant bought
another one!" He rolled his eyes. "I swear, the old coot who runs that
kingdom is only concerned about showing off his wealth and not taking
over Fanelia."
        Shiori crossed her arms. "No one's taking over Fanelia. Not if
I have anything to say about it!" She exclaimed. "I'm putting a stop to
this."
        Jared laughed "Hey, little miss Unrealistic-Dreamer, you're
just a little girl. What do you have that can possibly stop them?
You've got no weapons, no Guymelef, no horse, no authority, and no
brains!"
        She turned around and glared angrily at Jared. "We'll just see
about that." Shiori said in a dangerous tone. "I wouldn't keep jumping
to conclusions if I were you. I may look like a weak little girl . . .
but just you wait."
        "This should be interesting. Shiori verses the army of Asturia
and their Guymelefs. Then if she survives, Shiori battles Palas' army
and their Guymelefs. After that it's Shiori against the Duchy of
Fried's army and the army of their Zaibach allies and all their
Guymelefs . . . I don't know about you but my money's on Gaea. What do
you say? Care to bet on your daughter. Odds are a million to one."
Jared teased.
        "Oh shut up! Shimatta!" Shiori shrieked in a burst of anger.
She calmed down and began to whisper to her mother, who had dismounted
from the gray stallion and stood beside her daughter. "Just do me a
favor, can you do that?"
        "Depends on what it is." Jared said with a toss of the blond
hair that hung slightly over his eyes. "Tell me first."
        Shiori growled in irritation. "Go tell all the heads of the
armies to gather on the steps of the castle, okay? Tell them that
something has come up and it's going to affect them. Can you get them
to listen to you?"
        "I'm a Knight of Caeli." Jared replied, much to the annoyance
of Shiori. "They'll listen to me." He said as he rode off, laughing to
himself.
        "I can't wait to see the look on that knight's face . . ."
Shiori whispered to herself as she watched him leave.
                                ***
        Jared dismounted his gray stallion and stood on the steps of
the palace, crossing his arms as he watched Shiori apprehensively eying
the crowd made of army generals, knights, and even a few gung-ho
merchants. "She's a fiery one, she is." He commented to himself. "A lot
of spunk. Poor kid doesn't stand a chance, though."
        "What's this all about?" Yelled the Asturian commander.
        "What in the name of Gaea is so important?" Demanded a soldier
of Palas.
        "Who called this meeting?" Asked the general of the Fried.
        Shiori took a deep breath, clutched her pendant tightly, and
stepped forward. Her raven hair was gently tossed by the cool wind. The
girl's brown eyes twinkled with confidence despite the hissing and
jeering men.
        "A girl? Get real!" Someone shouted.
        "Hear me now, no one is going to take over Fanelia." Shiori
announced. "Fanelia belongs to no one but the royal family."
        A man chuckled loudly. "Too bad they're all dead, eh?" The
crowd joined in.
        "You're wrong." Shiori said in as serious a tone as she could
muster. "Van Fanel-sama's heir is still alive . . . and here in Gaea."
        "And I suppose next you're gonna tell us that you just happen
to be his heir." The Asturian commander laughed hysterically. "Don't
waste our time, you little liar."
        Jared watched as the crowd laughed at Shiori. Despite how angry
she had been with him, he felt sorry for her. The crestfallen
expression on her face left Jared speechless with pity. However, that
was quickly replaced with awe as was the laughter of the crowd.
        "I am." Shiori said. "I am Van Fanel-sama's heir, Shiori
Fanel." Before the group of men could begin to laugh and mock her, two
snowy white wings erupted from the girl's back. The crowd was stunned
into silence.
        One by one, the men who Jared recognized as the army of
Fanelia, dropped to their knees, bowing in loyalty. "Your . . .
majesty . . ." They managed to mumble and stammer collectively.
        "The fighting over my kingdom ends now. Go tell the rulers of
your homelands that." Shiori commanded. She watched the crowd slowly
disperse. The girl tried not to chuckle with content as she met each
man's numb awestricken gaze.
        Shiori embraced her mother, wrapping her wings around the
woman's small frame. She wiped a few stray tears from her emerald eyes.
"I'm so proud." The woman choked.
        The girl nodded. She felt two eyes resting on her and looked to
see Jared, still standing at the foot of the steps, his mouth hanging
open as he stood unmoving. Shiori watched as the knight ascended the
steps of the palace, knelt before her, and brushed her hand with his
lips in loyalty.
        He stood and his sea blue eyes were slightly dim with
embarrassment and humility. "I apologize for what happened earlier,
Shiori-hime. I didn't mean to come off as arrogant. I didn't know who-"
Jared was cut off by the smiling winged girl.
        "I didn't want you to know." She replied.
        "So you just wanted to sit back and watch me make a baka of
myself?" Jared asked, feeling a blush creep into his cheeks as he
recalled all the things he had said to try to get a rise out of her.
        Shiori nodded. "Basically." She answered.
        Jared blew air ruefully through his lips. "It figures!" He
exclaimed. "What is it with you princesses anyway? You love letting men
like me make bakas out of ourselves in your presence!" Shiori tried to
contain her laughter. The blond knight smiled and knelt once more. The
winged girl stoped chuckling and watched the man silently as he took
her hand in his.
        "Na . . . nani?" She breathed.
        "Let's start over, okay?" He suggested with a soft, almost
unrecognizable blush. "Shiori-hime, I, Jared Schezar of Palas and
Knight of Caeli, pledge my services and loyalty to thee."
        "Jared . . . Schezar?" Shiori's mother echoed softly to
herself. "Schezar? He's . . . he's . . . Allen's son?!?" She choked.
        Shiori's cheeks took on a similar blush to match Jared's. "And
I, Shiori Fanel, princess and heir of Fanelia, accept your vow of
loyalty and your protection." The blond knight kissed the girl's hand
once more, letting his lips linger a second longer than he had the last
time. He rose to his feet ever so slowly. "Jared?"
        "Hai?"
        "My hand." Shiori said. She saw the man look down to where his
fingers had intertwined with her own. He blushed deeply and quickly
took his hand back.
        "Gomen nasai." Jared apologized.
        Shiori's mother smiled to herself. "Those two are going to get
along just fine." She said as she walked into the palace after glancing
once more at the blushing pair on the steps. "Just fine."
                                ***
        "Sapir-sama! Sapir-sama!" Shouted a fair haired girl-servant as
she ran into the throne room from the balcony of the Zaibach palace.
"Sapir-sama! The troops are coming back! The Guymelefs too!"
        The man ran his large hand through his dark green hair, hastily
combing it. His forest green eyes regarded the servant cooly. Rising,
he slowly made his way to the balcony where he saw a handful of robot-
like machines zooming through the air. Sapir turned around so fast that
his midnight black cape whipped around in in a flurry of sound.
        The girl-servant coward at the sight of his icy stare. "Sapir-
sama? Daijobu?" She asked as her voice trembled.
        "Get me Lim." He said softly. "Get me Lim! Get me Lim!" He
repeated twice more as he shouted angrily and slammed his fist against
the threshold of the balcony. "Hurry! Hurry and get me Lim!!!"
        Whimpering was heard as the girl scrambled to her feet and
rushed out the door as fast as she could on the slippery marble floor.
"Hai Sapir-sama!" She cried as her trembling body ran at breakneck
speed out to where the armies were returning to the utopia.
        Sapir growled to himself. "Shimatta." He said as the bass of
his voice rumbled within his throat. "Lim, you incompetent baka, you
better not tell me you were unsuccessful." The man warned to his empty
chambers. "You know how much I want the kingdom of the dragon. It will
be mine."
        The girl-servant burst into the throne room breathless. "Lim-
san is coming." She gasped as she collapsed on the cool polished stone
floor and tried to regain her composure. After a few moments, a man
with fiery red hair that was drawn together in a small ponytail at the
nape of his neck entered. He was dressed in black with his red battle
armor ceremoniously adorning his chest, shoulders, and shins. As he
bowed, his dark red cape rested on the floor.
        "Sapir-sama, you wish to see me." Lim said.
        The emerald man gritted his teeth at the calm coolness of his
general. "Lim," He growled. "Lim, why have you returned? Why have you
returned with our ENTIRE army and ALL of our Guymelefs?!?" Sapir
shouted. "Didn't you understand my instructions?"
        "Sapir-sama, gomen nasai." Lim began. "Something came up." He
stammered. "Something unseen."
        "Something came up? Something came up?!!? What did I tell
you?!? Under no circumstances are you to come back to the utopia until
Faneila is ours! I know you haven't captured Fanelia! Not with all of
our forces BACK IN ZAIBACH!!!" Sapir shouted at the top of his lungs.
"You better have one damn good excuse for me if I'm going to spare your
worthless little life!!!"
        "Your highness, Van Fanel's heir has come to Gaea. I saw her
with my own eyes." Lim explained. "His daughter, Shiori Fanel. The one
known as Tenshi-Hime, the part Draconian, part Gaean, and half
earthling angel princess . . . the daughter of the white dragon."
        Sapir fell silent. His forest green eyes darted back and forth
from Lim to the dusky sky outside the balcony. "She's . . . taken
control of . . . Fanelia, hasn't she." He asked in an unsteady voice.
        "Hai, Sapir-sama." Lim replied.
        The emerald man let out a scream that sounded as if he had been
damned to hell and was currently being dragged through the earth by the
fiery hands of evil itself. "IIE!!! I've spent TWELVE YEARS planning
this whole thing!!! TWELVE YEARS!!! And it's ruined!!! Ruined by a
Draconian cursed weak little Fanelian bitch!!! Shimatta!!!" Sapir
screamed as he slammed his fist into the wall once more. He then kicked
his throne with his boot. "SHIMATTA!!!" A nearby table was overturned.
Dishes fell to the floor and shattered. Sapir picked up some of the
large shards and began to throw them at Lim. "SHIMATTA!!! SHIMATTA!!!
SHIMATTA!!!"
        Lim ducked out of the way. "Sapir-sama . . ." He said in an
attempt to comfort his master.
        "She's going to PAY for this!!! I haven't spent TWELVE YEARS
planning all this for nothing!!! Fanelia is JUST the beginning!!!"
Sapir vowed as he stepped out onto the balcony. Some passers by stopped
at regarded the madman as he shouted and chuckled insanely. "Shiori-
hime, the Zaibach empire has now set it's sights on you!!!"

                        To be continued. . .
                          Next Episode:
                         Invisible Wings

© 2000 Hitomi-sama & Studio Unmei