Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Angel ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 9

"You're my what?" Angel whispered.

"You don't remember." Folken looked away.

"I can accept that this is another planet. I can sort of accept that I'm on another planet. But there's no way I can accept that I was born here!" Angel yelled as tears streamed down her face. Rather than shock, Angel was angry. Everyone was telling her things she didn't want to believe and expecting her to just accept it and move on. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?!"

"Angel, calm down." Folken placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Fine." Angel sniffled and wiped her tears away. "Why do you think I'm your sister?"

"I don't think…I know. And it's because of your hair. No one else has hair that colour." He gently reached out and stroked Angel's hair. "And your eyes. They're just like mine."

Angel stared into Folken's eyes and realised it was true. On Earth she had always stood out because of her hair and eyes, and it seemed that, here, they told everyone who she was. "Alright." Angel said. "But how come I didn't grow up here?"

"I have no idea." Folken sighed. "When I was fifteen, you were five, you and Mother had a fight. You weren't able to come to a celebration the next day so you ran away. You never came back. And no one ever found you. If you were on the Mystic Moon, that would explain why."

"Alright. But that still doesn't prove you're my brother. I may have been born here, but I don't remember anything about this place. If you are my brother…tell me something about myself that only he would know."

"I can do better than that." Folken turned his back to Angel and took off his cape and pulled down the top of his robe. "I know you have a secret. I have the same one." The muscles in Folken's back clenched then relaxed. A pair of brilliant white feathered wings slid out from his shoulder blades. "We both share wings."

Angel stifled a gasp of surprise. That was her one secret. Besides her family, only Ebony and Zire knew she had wings. A white feather floated down into Angel's hand and she remembered how her family and friends found out.

Angel had been nine, in grade four. Her family had decided to go on a picnic beside Green Ravine and had invited Ebony and Zire. The group had decided to play soccer before eating and were now wrapped up in the game. Angel didn't notice that she was slowly moving closer and closer to a cliff edge. Ebony kicked the ball to her, but kicked a little too hard and it went past Angel. Trying to kick it back, Angel didn't realises she was about to fall. She jumped up and hit the ball with her head, but her jump had carried her over the edge. As she started to fall she heard her family shouting. This is it. She thought. I'm gonna die. Please, if any god is listening, DO something. Please don't let me die! Angel felt a sharp pain in her back and suddenly her fall stopped. She heard gasps of surprise but didn't pay attention. Angel was too focused on the fact that, instead of falling, she was rising. Soon she was level with the top of the cliff. She felt herself star to fall again and pushed herself forward to fall on the ground. As she glanced up she saw her friends and family staring at her in shock and fear. Angel twisted her head around to look at her back. Her gaze was met with a pair of white wings. They stretched out behind her on the ground. Angel's mom ran forward to hug her. "Oh, my baby. You're alive." Angel looked up at her mom and asked, "What am I?"

"What am I?" Angel asked Folken the same question she had asked her mother six years ago. "What are we?"

"Our mother was Draconian." Folken said as he turned, his wings creating a slight breeze. "We are half. These wings are proof of that. Do you believe I'm your brother now?"

"Y-yes." Angel stood up. "But what's going to happen now?"

"Well, you can stay here…with me." Folken tensed slightly and his wings slid into his back.

"By the way, I'm on Gaia, in the country of Zaibach but…can you tell me anything more specific?" Angel asked.

"I suppose you would like to know a bit more. To start, you're on the Vione…a floating fortress."

" Floating?" Angel screeched. "As in…in the air." A small smile appeared on Folken's face as Angel ran to the window. Looking down she saw that she was indeed floating in the air. Below her was a beautiful scene. Only a sparkling river broke the open green fields. There were no clouds in the sky, giving Angel a clear view of Earth. Down towards the bottom of the window Angel could see part of the fortress. It was black and rock-like. "Okay, just think of this as a giant plane." Angel said a bit nervously.

"A what?" Folken asked confused.

"Never mind." Angel laughed suddenly. "You know, this is probably the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me. Once I get over the fact that I'm on another planet, I kinda like it."

"Yes. It is nice here." Folken laughed slightly. "But, there is the matter of where you will stay."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked.

"Where are you going to sleep? We don't have any extra chambers at the moment. You can stay with Naria and Eriya, if you like."

"Uh, I'm still not exactly used to the whole animal-person thing." Angel said nervously.

"Well, you can stay in here. With me." Folken gestured to the room.

"No offence, but, this looks more like Frankenstein's lab than a bedroom."

"Whose lab?"

"Just a guy from a book."

"Oh, well…is there anyone you've met who you'd like to stay with?"

"Well, " Angel put a finger to her lip thoughtfully. " There is one guy. Chesta. He was really nice to me."

"Chesta?" Folken asked surprised. "That's one of Dilandau's Slayers."

"That's what Naria called him." Angel said. "What does it mean?"

"The Slayers, Dragonslayers, are an elite force led by Dilandau."

"An elite force. Like…an army? And Dilandau. You don't mean that `Lord Dilandau' guy who hit me." Angel questioned.

"He hit you?" Folken asked angrily. "Is that why you were on the floor?"

"No," Angel said as she sat back down on the bed. "It wasn't the hit. It was more the shock of feeling the hit."

"Well, if you want to stay with Chesta." Folken shrugged. "He lives with the other Slayers in the barracks. I trust him with you, but I'm not sure about the others."

"Oh come on." Angel said as she stood up. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

" Alright." Folken sighed. "If you're sure. Follow me." Folken started to leave but Angel stopped him.

"Uh, have you, by any chance…seen my bag? And jacket?" She asked.

"Yes. I had your jacket cleaned and both it and you bag brought here." He walked to the other side of the room and picked up the blue and white bag and jacket. "Here they are."

"Thanks." Angel pulled her jacket on and slung the bag over her shoulder. "Now, lead on."

Folken lead Angel out the door, through halls and down a flight of stairs before coming to a hall with six doors, three on each side. He politely knock on the last door on the left and waited for an answer.

A tall boy with light brown hair and blue eyes answered the knock. He was dressed in the same style of pants as Chesta and Dilandau, but instead of armour he only had a sleeveless dark blue undershirt.

"Lord Folken." The boy quickly snapped to attention.

"Yes," Folken said casually. "Is Chesta here?"

"Uh," the boy seemed surprised. "Yes sir." He stepped back to allow Folken and Angel entry. As Angel passed he raised an eyebrow, his only outward sign of surprise, before returning to the bed.

As she entered, Angel got her first look at the room. It was relatively small with only three bunk beds, one dresser and a small window on the wall to the right of the door.

Inside four other boys were gathered around one of the beds playing cards. Angel recognised Chesta immediately. He was the only one in the room still wearing his armour, although it was undone in the front, allowing Angel to see his green undershirt. The other boys were in the same style of pants as Chesta and Angel guessed they were part of the uniform. One boy had brown shoulder length hair and brown eyes and, when he saw Angel, looked rather embarrassed. He was the only one in the room without a shirt. Another also had brown hair, but it was shorter. His blue eyes narrowed slightly as he saw Angel. He was wearing a black t-shirt type of undershirt. The last boy had bright green eyes and curly pale blond hair that reminded Angel of a sheep and had a yellow sleeveless undershirt on. All four boys scrambled to attention as they saw Folken.

"Lord Folken." They coursed.

"Chesta, please come here." Folken ordered.

The nervous boy quickly ran to Folken. "Yes, sir."

"I believe you know Angel. She has told me that you have be kind to her since she arrived and wishes to, until a chamber can be prepared for her, stay with you." Folken looked down at the boy.

Chesta looked at Angel surprised. "It's alright with me, but I'll have to ask the other's."

"Of course. Go ahead."

Chesta ran back to the bed and quickly talked to the other boys. They talked in whispered so Angel couldn't here them, but from the expressions on some of their faces, not all of them were open to the idea of her staying with them.

"Come on Chesta." Angel muttered under her breath. "Please let me stay."

Soon Chesta walked back to them. "I cleared it with the others. They said she can stay."

"Oh, thank you Chesta." Angel squealed as she hugged him. "Thank you so much."

"Yes, well." Folken gave a slight cough and Angel let Chesta go. "Angel, will you be alright here. Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine. Thanks."

Folken knelt down and hugged Angel. "Anything for my little sister." He said and left, leaving Angel and the boys in the silent room.