Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ On a Wing and a Prayer ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

A/N: Amazing…I finally got off my butt and updated! O_o Sorry it's taken me so long to update. The program I'm taking in college takes up almost all of my time! Plus I had a major case of writers block for this story…but I'm back now! MWHAHAHAHAHA! *cough cough* So anyways, since my finals are in two weeks *gasps* I should have another new chapter up by Christmas….hopefully.

Thanks to Ingrid for her input and beta-reading!! And don't forget to review!!!

Chapter 6

The sweet songs of various birds filtered in through the window of Katia's bedroom early the next morning. The golden rays of sun lit up the calm, sleeping face of Fanelia's newly found princess.

"Ugh, Hitomi it's too early! I don't wanna get up yet." She moaned as she turned away from the windows and tried hiding under her pillow to block out the sound. But instead on obeying her request, the birds only sang louder.

"'Tomi…please don't make me get up yet." Still they kept singing.

"GOD DAMN IT HITOMI!! TURN OFF YOUR DAMN ALARM CLOCK!!" And still the birds kept singing. "UGH!!!"

Katia shot bolt upright in bed, frustration evident on her face. It was quickly replaced however, by confusion and then comprehension. She wasn't in the apartment she and Hitomi had shared for the last two years. Hell, she wasn't on Earth anymore either.

"This bites," she muttered as she sank back down into bed and closed her eyes, hoping that sleep would once again claim her. But one thought took immediate precedence in her mind and caused her to sit up again.

<How did I get here?> she looked around the room in utter bewilderment. Two large doors that led to a balcony were open, allowing a slight breeze to ruffle the curtains and let the sounds of the birds filter in. The dress she had worn lay neatly across the chair by a desk in the corner of the room.

Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of the dress. She quickly pushed back the covers and looked down at herself, though this only caused her more confusion. She was wearing a blue satin night gown.

<Okay, this is creepy. I don't know how I got into this room, AND WHO THE HELL UNDRESSED ME?!> She began to frantically search her memory, looking for answers.

<The last thing I remember is…> Images of Van, Varie, and the scene of her birth flashed through her mind.

She sighed deeply and pulled her knees up under her chin. she slammed her fist into the pillows in anger, but was shocked when a tiny voice in her mind spoke up.

<So why did you leave early?>

Katia blinked, she was either going completely insane, or Gaea was bringing out more latent abilities. she hesitantly replied. <She's been really mopey lately.>

<And that's different from normal how?> The voice scoffed. <She's been mopey ever since you've known her.>

<True enough,> Katia's brow creased in concentration. Why had she gone home?

<Gaea was calling to you,> the voice said firmly. <You felt its call, just as Hitomi did.>

Katia shook her head firmly. <No way, I had no idea that Gaea even existed! I was just worried about my friend.> but the more she thought about it, the more she realized it had been something other than worry.

Katia's body went limp as that thought registered. <Gaea…connected us?> but she shook her head and banished that thought.

"Unbelievable! I'm having an argument with my mind!" she threw the blankets aside and padded her way towards the balcony, but stopped in front of a mirror.

"Just picture them in your mind and push out with your back." she heard Varie say.

Katia stared at her reflection in the mirror. <Well, I never did get to see what they looked like.> She closed her eyes and pictured herself with a pair of angelic white wings and pushed out with her back. After a few moments she opened her eyes and was surprised to see her wings out and shinning in the magnificent morning sun.

<Wow…not even a sting. I guess the more I use them, the more my body adjusts.> A small smile crossed her face. <They kinda remind me of all those angel paintings that are so famous.> She snickered loudly at that thought and pulled them back into her back. <Too bad I'm no angel.>

She turned away from the mirror and walked out onto the balcony. She had to admit, Fanelia was a beautiful city; a jewel nestled among the mountains and surrounded by emerald green fields.

A feeling of pride swelled within her as she took it all in. <This is my home. A country that my twin brother literally rebuilt from the ground up.>

Twin brother…that whole concept still floored her. All these years she had thought she was alone. Now, in this strange new world where her best friend was a war hero, she had found her last remaining relative.

But the memory of the look on his face last night made her cringe. <Hope he'll accept my apology. I didn't mean to be so harsh on…our mother.>

A loud knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts.

"Kat? It's Hitomi. Can I come in?"

Katia smiled and ran to the door, hurriedly throwing it open to reveal her best friend. Hitomi smiled warmly at her and entered the room carrying a duffle bag.

"So how are you doing?" Hitomi asked as she set the bag down on Kat's unmade bed.

"Oh I'm just fine." Katia laughed as she closed the door, an impish grin on her face. "What about you Ms. I'm-going-to-be-Queen?"

Hitomi laughed heartily and sat down on the bed. "I should have known that you'd be poking fun at me about that. And to answer your question," she sighed and hugged herself tightly. "I'm better than I ever thought I could be."

Katia smiled happily and sat down beside her. "I really happy for you Hitomi. You and Van make such a nice couple."

Hitomi laughed and smacked Katia lightly in the arm. "And how would you know? You were with us for what, two hours? Since when did you become so perceptive?"

Katia laughed. "It doesn't take a genius to see the attraction and love that you two have for each other."

Hitomi grinned impishly. "I guess not since you realized it."

Katia mock glared. "Oh don't you start. You aren't queen yet, meaning I can still kick your ass without any consequences."

Hitomi and Katia sat mock glaring at each other for a few moments before they both bursting out laughing. "I'm so glad that you're here Kat." Hitomi said as she hugged her. "I would have missed moments like these."

Katia smiled warmly and returned the hug. "I'm glad I'm here too 'Tomi." She let go and glanced over at the duffle bag. "What's in the bag?"

"Well," Hitomi said as she reached for it. "Since we're both the same size, and since I heard from Millerna that the cloths you came in were ruined, I brought you a pair of pants and a tank top, and Millerna gave me your boots to wear until we get some proper Gaeain cloths."

Katia's face paled slightly. <Millerna told her my cloths were ruined? I wonder if she told her anything else.> She unconsciously reached for the pendant that know hung from her neck.

Hitomi looked at her in concern. "Is something wrong Katia?"

Katia snapped her attention back to her friend. "Huh? No, nothing's wrong. Well…umm…actually…what else did Millerna tell you?"

Hitomi gave her an odd look before reaching into the duffle bag and removing the cloths she'd brought. "Nothing much. She told me that they saw the blue pillar of light and went to investigate, and when Allen and Celena brought you back to the ship, you had passed out and had a cut on you head. She said that she patched it up and then she and Allen told you about Gaea and the Destiny War. She said you mentioned we were roommates, though she didn't know what that meant."

Katia gave a small sigh of relief. <Thank goodness, I thought she told Hitomi about my wings.> she accepted the cloths that Hitomi handed her and walked behind the changing screen. <It's not that I don't WANT her to know about them, I just want to talk to Van first and see what he thinks our course of action should be.>

She walked out a few minutes later, comfortably changed into the white tank top and black pants. "Wouldn't happen to have a hair elastic in that bag of yours would you? I don't feel like having my hair down."

Hitomi laughed and handed her one. "I had a feeling you'd say that, so I brought one along for you."

Katia laughed and stuck her tongue out at her. "Know-it-all." Both of them laughed as Katia quickly brushed her hair and pulled it into a loose bun. That was when Hitomi noticed the pendent.

"Wow…where did you get that?"

Katia grasped the pendent tightly in her hand, her face pale. <Oh crap…what do I tell her!> She turned away from Hitomi, her mind reeling to try and find a suitable cover story.

A sly grin crossed Hitomi's face. "Did Ron give that to you?" Katia stopped dead in her tracks. "I knew it! Oh Kat you must be so happy!" but then she thought about that. "Oh Katia…I'm so sorry that you were dragged into all of this."

Katia turned and gave Hitomi an odd look. "Why?"

"Well, if it weren't for me, you'd still be back on Earth with Ron. A guy you really liked."

Katia laughed and hugged Hitomi. "Nah, I'd rather be here with you 'Tomi."

Hitomi laughed and returned the hug, the subject of the pendants origins forgotten. Katia walked towards the balcony doors, the sight of Fanelia ensnaring her senses.

"Hey Hitomi, did you ever tell Yukari and Amano about Gaea?" Katia asked, still facing the city.

Hitomi smiled sadly and shook her head. "No, I never told anyone about Van or Gaea."

Katia gave her a puzzled look and walked over to her. "How come? I mean, you and Yukari have been best friends since you were kids. You tell each other everything."

Hitomi sighed and sat down on the bed. "I'm not really sure why I kept it to myself for all these years. Though I never thought anyone would believe me," she sighed again. "Gaea was something only I knew about. I guess…I kinda liked it that way."

Katia nodded in understanding, a small smile creeping across her face as she sat down beside her. "Yeah, and I'm pretty sure Yukari would have bugged you for every little detail about Van."

Hitomi laughed. "You can say that again."

Katia looked away from Hitomi and stared back out the balcony doors, her hand grasping the pendant again. "Are you upset that it's me here instead of her?"

Hitomi blinked in surprise. "Why would you ask that?"

Katia shrugged and continued to stare out at Fanelia. "I don't know. I just figured that you might have liked it better if your REAL best friend were here."

Hitomi blinked in surprise. "You and Yukari are BOTH my best friends." She took Katia's hand in her own. "Look, I know that you and I have only really known each other for four years, but I feel like I've known you for so much longer." Katia turned to face her, her face an emotionless mask.

<Gaea connected you.> Katia heard the tiny voice say again.

<Maybe it did, but I don't care.> Katia thought, a small smile tugging at her lips. <Hitomi is my friend, Gaea or no Gaea.>

"Thanks Hitomi. You really are a good friend."

Hitomi winked at her. "And don't you ever forget it. Now come on," Hitomi said as she pulled Katia to her feet. "Let's go get some breakfast."

* * *

They were half way to the kitchens when they ran into Merle.

"Oh, hey Merle." Hitomi greeted with a smile. "We were just heading down to the kitchen's for some breakfast. Care to join us?" Katia smiled and nodded her head in greeting.

Merle grinned. "Nah, I already ate, but once you two have finished maybe we could all go shopping for some new cloths! I mean," she looked Katia and Hitomi over. "I don't think you two should be walking around in Mystic Moon cloths." She gave Hitomi a toothy grin. "I wouldn't want you to embarrass Lord Van Hitomi."

Katia's eyes widened and Hitomi shot Merle a narrow eyed look. "Why you…"

Merle burst out laughing. "I'm only kidding Hitomi!" her expression turned serious. "But before you go," she turned to Katia. "Lord Van would like to see you Katia. He said it was important."

Katia blinked in surprise. "Umm…sure. Where can I find him?"

Merle smiled at her. "He's in a meeting with his advisors at the moment. Come on, I'll show you where it is."

"Uh…sure." Katia turned to Hitomi. "I'll meet you down in the kitchens Hitomi. I shouldn't be long."

Hitomi smiled encouragingly. "Sure. I'll see you down there." She said as Merle led Katia in the opposite direction.

"Did he say what he wanted to see me about Merle?" Katia asked once they were out of Hitomi's earshot.

Merle shook her head. "No, he just said that I was supposed to bring you to the council room once I found you. I was kind of hoping you knew what it was about."

Katia shook her head as they continued walking. <Though I think I have an idea.>

She swallowed down the lump of dread that suddenly rose in her throat as the council room doors came into view. She could here some shouting coming from inside, but couldn't make out what was being said.

Merle knocked loudly, and the shouting immediately stopped.

"Enter," Came Van's muffled voice. Merle pushed open the doors and bowed.

"Lady Katia Tsukino is here as you requested Lord Van." she said formally as stood up in front of Katia. Katia stepped out from behind her and bowed low.

There were a few sharp intakes of breath from around the room, but when Katia looked up, she was met with nothing but ice cold glares from Van's advisors. She forced down another lump in her throat.

"We will resume this meeting tomorrow gentlemen." Van said as he closed the folder in front of him and looked hard at Katia. "I would like to speak with Lady Katia in private."

"As you wish Lord Van," said a man from the seat next to him. Katia shuddered involuntarily as the man gazed coldly at her.

Katia shot a pleading look at Merle, but the cat-woman looked just as astounded by their behaviour as she was.

<This isn't going well at all,> Katia thought as the council members filed past her. She moved further into the room and heard Merle close the doors behind her.

"Sit down Katia." Van said as he got up and walked towards the window.

"If it's all the same to you Van, I'd rather stand." She said with a hint of fear in her voice. Van looked at her coolly.

"As you wish," he looked back out the window. "I want to talk about what happened last night."

Katia heaved a sigh of relief. "I wanted to talk with you about that too. What should we…"

"It didn't happen," Van interrupted. "As far as I am concerned nothing that took place in that clearing actually happened."

Katia's heart sank. "What do you mean it never happened? You were there! You saw it just like I did!"

"Did I? How can I be sure that it wasn't some kind of trick?" He turned to look at her and crossed his arms over his chest. "A magic trick of your creation."

Katia's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why would I make something like that up?" she asked coldly.

Van lowered his arms and matched her intense gaze. "I don't know, but I know for a fact that you are not my sister."

Katia could feel her heart begin to shatter, but kept her voice level. "And how can you be so sure of that, My Lord?" she spat out his title as if it were a bitter tasting poison.

"My council told me so. A few of them were on my father's council, and as such were present at my birth."

Katia laughed bitterly. "You're a fool if you believe them rather than your own eyes! Did you forget what OUR mother showed us last night?! Of course they would deny that you had a sibling! It was them who tried to kill me!"

"And yet you survived." Van said coldly. "Tell me, are you really from the Mystic Moon? Or have you put some sort of spell on my fiancée as well?"

Katia could feel the tears welling in her eyes and could do nothing to prevent their fall. "What are you saying?" she asked, her voice cracking with emotion. "You think I tricked Hitomi into becoming my friend?"

"No," Van said as he turned back towards the window. Katia sighed with relief. "I think that she was never your friend at all."

Katia felt as if she were drowning. <Not…my friend?>

"I believe that you saw the pillar of light yesterday and knew your chance to infiltrate my Kingdom had come." He turned back towards her, a triumphant look in his eyes. "So tell me, what country are you loyal to?"

Katia closed her eyes and clenched her fists as an onslaught of emotions assailed her. <Why is this happening? Why is he doing this?> but no answer came.

"Speak!" Van commanded. "What have you got to say for yourself?"

Katia opened her eyes and stared spitefully at the man before her. "I serve no country. My name is Katia Tsukino and I'm from Tokyo, Japan on the Mystic Moon."

Van slammed his fists into the table. "ENOUGH! I will not listen to anymore of your lies!" he shouted angrily.

"I'm not lying!" Katia shouted back. "If it were up to me, I would never have come here! But I did, only to find out that I am your twin sister." More tears spilled down her cheeks as she stared at Van. "Do you think I wanted this? To be taken away from a life that I loved and be dropped into a nightmare?! I had a family! I don't need or WANT another one!"

For a moment Van's face seemed to soften, but it quickly disappeared again. "I want you to listen to me carefully. Go back and tell your masters that their plan has failed. It will take more than a crafty sorceress to destroy Fanelia."

Katia shook her head as more tears slipped down her cheeks. "Can you hear yourself Van? You're talking nonsense!"

Van continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Further more, I want you to stay away from Hitomi. She is no longer your concern."

Katia's face flushed in anger. "She is my friend," her voice was deadly calm. "Therefore she is my concern."

Van walked around the table until he stood eye to eye with her. "If I ever catch you anywhere near her, you and your masters will face the wrath of Escaflowne."

Without really even thinking, Katia balled up her fist and punched Van in the jaw.

Van staggered slightly, a look of shock and surprise on his face as he held his cheek. Katia looked at him coldly before her resolve crumbled and she ran from the room in tears.

Van shook his head. <Okay…that didn't go at all the way it should have.> he sighed and turned back to the window, messaging his now throbbing jaw. <Ow…she's certainly stronger than she looks. Even Hitomi's slaps didn't sting this badly.>

"Lord Van how could you?!" a high voice screamed from behind him. Van whirled around and came face to face with a rather angry looking Merle. "How could you do that to your own sister?!"

Van's eyes widened in surprise. "You knew?"

Merle crossed her arms over her chest and glared. "Of course I knew! It took a bit, but I figured it out. And so did Millerna."

Van looked stunned for a moment before turning away from her. "You were both deceived. Be thankful the council helped me see that." He said in a monotone voice.

"You don't believe that anymore than I do, Lord Van." Merle said gently as she came up beside him. Van just continued staring out the window, refusing to meet her gaze.

Merle sighed at his stubbornness. "You want to know why I think she isn't lying to you?"

"Why?" he asked in the same monotone voice.

"Because Millerna told me what happened when they found her." Merle explained. Van looked at her curiously. "She tried to kill herself."

Van's eyes widened and his jaw, despite the pain, dropped. "She what? How?"

Merle turned to look out the window. "She jumped out of the Crusade's hanger." She turned her eyes back to him. "Millerna said that she was so…upset about being on Gaea, a world that she had never heard of, that she tried to take herself out of it."

Van stared at Merle in shock at the news. <Was I…wrong? Was everything I saw last night…was that all real?> But he decided to press for more details before thinking about that.

"How did she…you know?" he couldn't bear to finish his sentence, but Merle knew what he meant.

"How did she survive?" Van nodded. "Well, Allen wanted to try and save her, but Gaddess wouldn't let him take Scherazade. He knew that the fall would kill Allen as well as Katia."

"So how…"

"Her wings," Merle interrupted. "It was her wings that saved her. They appeared just before she hit the ground and carried her back up to the ship."

"So Millerna saw them? Her wings I mean."

Merle nodded. "Yes, though she didn't realize exactly what that meant at the time. It wasn't until they arrived here in Fanelia, and you and Katia were standing side by side that she realized the resemblance between you."

Van looked at her sceptically. "We don't look alike."

Merle crossed her arms stubbornly. "Oh yes you do. It's just that Katia has a little more of your mother in her."

Van turned back towards the window and thought about that. <Yes…she did remind me of my mother when I saw her yesterday. But…why would my advisors lie to me?>

"You're a fool if you believe them rather than your own eyes!" he could hear Katia say. "Did you forget what OUR mother showed us last night?! Of course they would deny that you had a sibling! It was them who tried to kill me!"

Van brow creased in thought. <Was I…wrong to believe my advisors? Would they dare lie to me about something as important as this?>

"It was them who tried to kill me!"

His eyes narrowed dangerously. <If I find out that that is true and they attempted to kill my sister…they will regret the day they crossed the royal house of Fanel.>

* * *

Katia ran down the halls, trying desperately to put as much distance between herself and Van as possible.

<That jerk!> she thought bitterly. <How could he think that I made all that stuff up! I don't need a new family! I didn't ask for this!> she stopped and leaned against the wall, her lungs burning from the effort of running and crying at the same time.

<And now I've been banished from Fanelia...forbidden to see my best friend. Oh momma…papa…why did you leave me?! All of this could have been prevented if I'd been there! I could have protected you!!> She slammed her fist into the wall as a fresh wave of tears coursed down her cheeks. <It's not fair!!>

She whipped her cheeks and looked around, only now realizing that in her haste to get away from Van she had gotten herself completely lost.

<Oh bloody hell. This is just great, just what I needed.> she thought sourly as she looked around the hallway. A door across the hall caught her attention. <Hmm…this place looks as if it's hardly ever used.> she walked over to the door and opened it.

<Whoa…I thought this was supposed to be a peaceful country?> the room was filled with swords of various sizes, crossbows, and other training equipment. <Well, I guess even peaceful countries need soldiers.> she looked around the hallway and, seeing no one around, walked into the room.

She slid the door closed behind her and began to inspect the various weapons around the room. <This could come in handy,> she thought as she took, what looked like, a katana off the wall. <Van's probably already alerted his guards to arrest me on sight. But there is no way I'll go down without a fight.>

She withdrew the katana from its sheath and inspected it. <I'll say one thing for these Gaeains, their craftsmanship is remarkable.> she lightly swung the sword and could hear it whistle through the air. A satisfied smile spread across her face as she attached the sword to her hip. She continued looking around the room and spotted a tall cabinet in the corner. Curious, she walked over to inspect it.

The handles were craved in the shape of Fanelia's royal crest. A wave of spite coursed through her at the sight of it. She withdrew her sword and slashed at the crest. The force of the swing causing the cabinet doors to fly open to reveal…

<Armour?> she looked more closely at it and saw that it was actually a shirt with various armour pieces to go over top. The pendent around her neck gave off a faint blue glow and images of Van flooded her mind. She saw him running through a field chasing a huge dark shape before being swallowed up by a blue pillar of light. She saw Hitomi, Yukari, and Amano standing on the track at their high school, apparently arguing with Van. And finally, she saw Van fighting a huge dragon.

The images disappeared and Katia suddenly knew what this armour was. Van had used it to slay a dragon…that was his rite of passage to become king. He had met Hitomi during his rite of passage.

<Well, now it's my turn to use it.> she thought as she removed the katana from her waist before reaching in and removing the shirt from the cabinet and sliding it over her head. It was a little big, but fit comfortably. She then slid the chest plate and shoulder plates on, tying the straps tightly to make it conform to her figure. The shin guards, gloves, and arm plates came next, and lastly she reattached the katana to her hip.

Underneath the where the armour had hung, she found two small daggers and promptly tucked them both into the back of her pants. Satisfied, she closed the cabinet.

<Now I just have to find a way out of here without being seen.> she started walking towards the door, cringing at the noise made when the armour plates began rubbing together. <Definitely easier said then done.> she thought as she adjusted them and tip toed the rest of the way, trying to make as little noise as possible. She cautiously slid it open and peeked outside. Finding no one, she headed in the opposite direction of where she came.

Her progress was slow, but she eventually found herself back in the hall near her room.

<'Bout time. This place didn't look so big from the outside.> she sprinted the rest of the way to her room and was just about to enter when she heard a commanding voice from the opposite end of the hall.

"Stop where you are!" he shouted at her. Katia stopped dead in her tracks. <Oh crap…I'm caught.> her hand moved to the hilt of her sword. "I demand to know who you are." The guard said as he came up beside her. Katia's mind whirled, but one thought took immediate precedence.

She whirled around and backhanded the guard. It wasn't a particularly hard hit, but the armour plates on her hands increased the force ten fold. The guard went flying into the wall head first, unconscious.

Katia rubbed her now throbbing hand. <Damn…that probably wasn't the best idea.> she pushed open the door to her room and ducked inside. <Have to make this quick. No doubt someone heard that guard hit the wall.> she rushed over to the desk and picked up the chair before running back to the door and jamming it under the handle. <That should give me at least a few minutes.>

She ran back to the desk and grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill.

* * *

"Van, don't you think you should find her and apologize to her? I mean, what if she tells Hitomi what happened?" Merle asked her best friend.

Van sighed and nodded. "Yeah…I guess I should apologize." He looked questioningly at Merle. "But what do we do about her claims? There is no proof to support the idea that she may be my sister."

Merle rolled her eyes. "I don't think we need anymore proof than what we already have," a thought suddenly occurred to her. "But if it makes you feel better, maybe we could get Dryden to have a look at his records. Didn't you once tell me that Fanelia and Asturia once shared records?"

Van considered it. "Yes, but that was a long time ago. I'm not sure when the two kingdoms stopped doing that. It may have been before I was born." He caught sight of Merle's hard expression. "But it's worth a try."

Merle smiled in triumph. "Good, I'll go find Millerna and ask her about it, before I take Hitomi shopping. You go find Katia and apologize to her."

Van's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Yes, and if she accepts my apology…" but he stopped mid-sentence when he heard raised voices in the corridor.

Van opened the doors and walked out of the room with Merle close behind. "What's going on here?" he asked a guard that came rushing towards him.

"Someone has broken into the palace My Lord. They raided the armoury and have now barricaded themselves in the guest wing."

Van and Merle looked at one another in shock before racing towards the guest rooms.

"Merle, find Hitomi and make sure she's safe. I'm going to go look for Katia." Van ordered as they ran.

"Right!" Merle shouted back as she went running towards the kitchens.

He raced towards the guest rooms, barking orders at various guards as he went.

* * *

Katia had just finished the letter when the guards began banging against the door. <Guess that's my queue to get the heck out of here.> she thought as she quickly placed the letter next to the bag Hitomi had left on her bed.

She ran out onto the balcony and saw that the stables were about thirty feet across from her room and the next railing was only, at most ten feet below hers.

<Works for me,> she thought as she climbed over her railing and lowered herself down to the next ledge. She dropped down and caught the railing, though only just. <Crap…looks can be deceiving.> she thought as she struggled to pull herself up.

She heard a loud bang come from her room and knew that the door had been forced in. She looked down and saw that the ground wasn't too much more of a drop from her current position.

<Tuck and roll.> she repeated over and over again in her mind as she let go of the railing. She hit the ground hard and just barely managed to pull her legs under her as the momentum carried her across the ground.

<Damn that hurts.> she thought wearily as she pulled herself up and dashed towards the stables.

* * *

When Van finally reached the guest corridor and saw some guards throwing themselves against Katia's door.

"What is the meaning of this captain?" he snapped as he reached the group. "Why are you trying to break into Lady Katia's room?"

"The intruder has barricaded themselves in that room Lord Van." The captain explained. "We believe they have taken Lady Katia hostage."

Cold fear swept through Van's body. <This can't be happening.> A few more guards rushed forward and threw their shoulders against the door. Whatever was holding it shut finally gave way and the door flew open. The guards surged forward, swords drawn, with Van right behind them.

The remains of the chair that had held the door shut lay scattered around the now abandoned room. Nothing appeared to have been touched and Katia was nowhere to be seen. Van rushed out onto the balcony and looked around, just barley catching a glimpse of someone running towards the stables.

"STOP!!" he shouted, but they ignored him and kept running. Van pulled off his shirt, climbed out over the railing, and jumped towards the ground, using his wings to slow his descent.

He landed softly and sprinted after the intruder, pulling his wings in as he went. He reached the stable just as the intruder climbed atop one of the horses.

"That is far enough!" he shouted. The intruder looked up at him in surprise and their eyes met.

Van eyes widened in disbelief. "Ka…Katia?"

Her eyes narrowed in defiance. "Going to try and stop me Van?" she laughed bitterly. "You can try, but I guarantee that you'll lose."

When Van made no movement to stop her, she kicked her horse and sped past him. Van could do nothing but stare at the dust rising in her wake. His eyes misted as he considered what had just happened. The hurt and betrayal in her eyes was…unlike anything he had ever seen. <It wasn't supposed to be like this…>

* * *

Katia rode as fast as the horse would carry her. A few of the guards tried to stop her, but they all jumped out of the way when she nearly collided with them. She caught sight of the city gate just as it was beginning to close.

<Oh no you don't!> she thought angrily as she spurred the horse on. she made it through, though only just. The horse neighed in protest as a few hairs from its tail caught in the giant gate; but it kept on going, seemingly understanding the need to get its rider as far away from the city as possible. They kept riding until they reached a small grove of trees about five miles outside of Fanelia.

"Whoa!" she said gently as she pulled the horse's mane lightly. "Whoa, it's okay. You can stop now." The horse slowed to a gallop and carried them further into the small grove, before eventually stopping. Katia patted it gently and dismounted. "Thank you," She said as she stood in front of it and stroked its muzzle. "Your speed saved my life back there."

"That's what you think." A cruel voice snorted. A crossbow bolt whizzed past Katia's ear and struck the horse in the chest. Katia's eyes widened in horror as the horse fell to the ground, dead. She whirled around and came face to face with seven armed soldiers.

"Katia Tsukino, we meet again." The lead soldier said as they removed their helmet. A woman with long blond hair and ice blue eyes met Katia's startled gaze.

Katia's eyes widened in recognition. "Raphine?"

Raphine smiled cruelly. "Glad to see that you remember me, Your Highness."

Katia shouted in surprise as something struck her in the neck. She withdrew a small dart and stared at in it shock as she fell to her knees. She glanced up at Raphine and saw the other woman laughing at her before the darkness consumed her.