Escaflowne - A Girl in Gaia Movie Synopsis

This synopsis is spoiler-intensive. If you don't want to know every detail, don't read!

Gaian goats bounce across a rocky mountainside, trampling on the fossils of dragons. Suddenly a passing airship intrudes on their revelry. The goats' surprise is understandable, because this is one seriously large ship. It has to be big — its cargo is the legendary armor Escaflowne.

Far above the airship, a huge bird sails through the air. A closer inspection, however, reveals that its not a bird at all — it's a man with wings. The wings disintegrate in a flurry of feathers and the man skydives toward the ship at high speed. He lands on the airship's watchtower with a heavy thud and slaughters the guard posted there.

On the bridge of the airship, the commander muses that the armor must be brought to Lord Folken at any cost. Unfortunately for the commander, that cost isn't going to be easy to pay. The skydiver, Van, is working his way through the airship, single-handedly slaughtering the crew. This guy could have wiped out the entire Nazi army in an afternoon. It's four minutes into the film, and already the body count is higher than a Shakespearean tragedy.

Ultimately Van reaches the bridge. The commander stares at him, commenting that he must be the rumored Dragon. Van glares back. "I kill all of my enemies," is all he says in response. Then he takes the commander's head off with a single swipe.

In the cargo hold, Escaflowne begins to crack free of its casing, its heart beating slowly. Van approaches and laughs, delighted to have reclaimed the armor.

The setting shifts to Earth. In a dream sequence, a young Hitomi waits with her parents at a train station. She watches the people go by and then turns to admire her father's watch. The watch's second hand slows and then stops altogether. The world has frozen. Hitomi looks up, surprised, and sees a feral looking young man standing to her left. "Who are you?" she asks. There is no response. Time returns to normal. Hitomi stares at the empty spot where the man had been standing, while her parents try to tug her onto the train.

In present time, a teenage Hitomi sleeps on the school roof. Her friend Yukari sneaks up and awakens her, chiding her for skipping class again. Hitomi tells her about her dream. Yukari shrugs it off. She tells Hitomi that she is having strange dreams because she's bored. She should get a boyfriend, or join a school club. Hitomi rejects these ideas. She's too tired, she says, and her legs hurt.

Yukari notices a letter on the ground next to Hitomi's shoes and goes to pick it up. Hitomi tries to stop her from reading it, but is unable to get it away from her friend in time.

"Dear Uchida Yukari, I am going to die. Bye bye, Yukari. Yours truly, Kanzaki Hitomi."

Hitomi finally manages to snatch the letter away from Yukari and tears it up with embarrassment. Yukari watches her, amused. What was that nonsense all about? No grammar, horrible vocabulary — if Hitomi wants to kill herself, shouldn't leave a stupid note like that! Hitomi assures her that she doesn't have the guts to kill herself. She'll grow old, become a grandmother, and wait for her final day.

A montage sequence begins in which we see Yukari and Hitomi riding the train, shopping downtown, and walking the streets of their city, laughing. Over it, Hitomi gives a monologue. She wonders how everyone else can be so energetic. She's tired all the time. She sleeps to escape, to disappear. But when she wakes up, nothing has changed. No one has even noticed that she was gone.

The train the two friends are riding on suddenly stops due to an accident. Yukari is annoyed, but Hitomi merely looks out the window apathetically. It can't be helped.

Later, Yukari and Hitomi chase each other down a sidewalk, laughing. Hitomi seems happy, but then a bird circling overhead catches her eye. She stops and watches it, hearing a strange, sad song. Yukari asks what's wrong. Hitomi has a vision of a cloaked man standing at the school stadium. "He's calling me," she says.

Yukari, probably wondering if Hitomi is on drugs, decides that its time to have a talk with her depressed friend. As they sit on the stadium steps, Yukari tells her that she's been acting strange, and tries to get Hitomi to explain. Hitomi tells Yukari to stop caring about her. "You're getting on my nerves. I don't like you," she says in a dead voice. Yukari backs away, hurt. She claims that she has an appointment to get to, and runs away.

Hitomi doesn't move. She stares at the ground, berating herself for hurting her friend and wishing aloud that she could vanish. She looks up to the sky and calls out for someone to help her.

Enter Folken. He stands in the center of the stadium field in a black hooded cloak, and reaches out his hand to Hitomi. She's right, he tells her. Everything should vanish. Since she shares his dream, she should come to his world, Gaia, where she can fulfill her destiny. After all, she is the chosen one — the Tsubasa no Kami (Wing Goddess).

Shadows fall over the field as the vision of Folken disintegrates. The Earth rises into the sky, and the field begins to fill with water. Though a normal girl would run screaming from these rather unusual events, Hitomi stands firm. Is it a dream? A vision? Or is this real — will she be able to make her nihilistic dreams come true? The rising water overtakes her, and she falls into the watery blackness.

Meanwhile, on Gaia, a second moon materializes in the sky. On a cliff next to the ruins of an ancient city, the Abaharaki rebels watch the astronomical show from their landship. The Mole Man is particularly pleased, extolling the beauty of this Mystic Moon. But Millerna is worried. She comments that the armor must be cursed if it has these omens surrounding it. Allen does not share her concern. He idly wonders if everyone is in place for the drama that is starting, and smiles.

On the airship, Escaflowne's heart beats. Hitomi appears in a beam of watery light, materializing inside the armor. Escaflowne's heart beats faster, and the armor begins to move. The water drains out of the compartment containing Hitomi, and she looks around, confused by her claustrophobic surroundings. The armor sprouts glowing tendrils than coalesce into a flowing cape. Then it pitches forward and reaches its hand toward the waiting Van.

The rebels can now see the airship approaching. The Mole Man notes that this is exactly what he predicted. Will he be rewarded for his services? Allen reassures him that he'll be paid. The Mole Man begins to express excitement over his coming reward, but is forced to stop when Gaddes bounds into the room and lands on his chest. As the Mole Man tries to wriggle out from under the solider, Gaddes asks his boss if the plan is really going to work. Isn't Allen overestimating Van a smidge? Allen just smirks. Him, Allen, wrong? You must be joking.

Back inside the airship, Escaflowne grabs Van in its fist. Van is unafraid — but the same cannot be said for Merle, who is watching the approaching airship from the ground. "Van-sama, Van-sama, Van-sama..." she chants nervously.

As the airship passes by the cliff, Allen gives the command to shoot it down. Cannons fire from the side of the landship and slam into airborne fortress, causing Van and Escaflowne to pitch around madly, debris raining down around them. Still trapped inside the armor, Hitomi cries out.

The stricken airship crashes to the ground, clearing a wide swath through the abandoned city. Van is able to escape through a side hatch and leaps off of the exploding vessel, rolling down a stepped hill to safety. He looks back at the crash-site firestorm and sees Escaflowne emerge from the flames. "It's alive," he murmurs.

Escaflowne does not appear to be too steady on its feet. It lumbers clumsily down the hill toward Van, tripping and falling as it reaches him. Luckily for Van, the armor manages to land on its hands, balancing precariously above his head. Inside, Hitomi is still clueless. She begs for someone to help her. As soon as she does, the armor casing that encloses her begins to crack. With an organic ripping noise, Escaflowne's chest splits open and Hitomi tumbles out — right on top of Van.

As she looks at Van in amazement and confusion, Hitomi remembers the strange person she saw at the train station when she was younger. This is not the same man, but he seems similar. Who is he?

Van is wondering the same thing about her. He grabs her shoulders and demands to know if she is the Tsubasa no Kami. Hitomi remembers that the cloaked man at the stadium called her the same name — but she has no idea what it means.

Van backs away from Hitomi and kneels. He explains that he is a descendent of the Dragon Clan, and he will obey the wishes of the Tsubasa no Kami — in other words, her. He will use Escaflowne to eliminate anyone who opposes her will. Hitomi is naturally startled by this statement. She frets that she doesn't understand. This was not exactly what she had in mind when she said she wanted to disappear off the face of the Earth!

As her panic grows, Escaflowne begins to glow. Both Hitomi and Van watch in horror as it disintegrates into a green mist. The mist coalesces into a ball of light and flies away. Van looks up into the sky, upset that it has vanished. While his back is turned, a small pink stone floats down to the ground and into Hitomi's waiting hands. She looks at it suspiciously. What is this thing? And what the heck is going on?

She's not about to get answers from Van. Though he was swearing loyalty to her only moments before, he is now furious. She made Escaflowne disappear! She can't be the Tsubasa no Kami after all! He demands to know who she is and why she was inside the armor. Hitomi has no answer for him. Van prepares to attack.

As Van moves towards Hitomi with his sword, a voice calls out for him to wait. Allen descends from a nearby stairwell and tells Van to leave Hitomi alone — she may prove useful later, and besides, he would hate to see a woman's blood shed. But Van is in a foul mood, and snaps at Allen that he doesn't take orders. Allen just smirks at him.

Van, being the calm, rational animal that he is, doesn't take too well to this silent mocking. He attacks Allen, sword drawn. The older warrior is unfazed, and holds him off with his own sword — one-handed. Van wants to fight? Fine with Allen.

A brief but intense battle ensues in which Van is shown to be the more aggressive fighter, but distinctly less skilled. Allen ultimately knocks him to the ground. Van rises to attack again, but a blade flies into his leg from the sidelines, hobbling him. The knife's owner, Gaddes, tells Van that it's time to stop this silly game. After all, if Allen had wanted to kill Van, he'd be dead already.

Millerna is not nearly as amused by the proceedings as the men are. She stalks down the stairwell and gives Gaddes a piece of her mind. He used his knives on his own comrade! Gaddes fails to see what the big deal is — it's not like he aimed for any vital organs or anything.

On a ledge above the stairway the other Abaharaki rebels, most notably the mischievous Reeden, tease Gaddes for getting yelled at by the "princess" Millerna. Then they notice Hitomi and transfer their attentions to her. Is she even a girl? Her hair is so short! The Mole Man interrupts their jeering to proclaim that the girl must be the Tsubasa no Kami. The rebels could care less. An annoyed Reeden tells the Mole Man to shut up.

Millerna asks Allen if the girl is really the Tsubasa no Kami. Yeah, probably, he says nonchalantly. Millerna is puzzled. The girl certainly doesn't look like a goddess. She kneels down next to Van and asks what he thinks. Still fuming over his defeat at Allen's hands, Van refuses to answer. Instead he yanks Gaddes' knife out of his leg and throws it at his commander's head. Allen doesn't even blink as the knife whizzes by his ear. Gaddes catches the knife and pockets it with a laugh. Hey, if Van wants to try fighting again, Gaddes is more than happy to take him on.

The simmering argument suddenly takes a lighter turn with the appearance of Merle. She is enraged that Gaddes and Allen are picking on her beloved Van. As she runs down the stairwell, she kicks Gaddes in the shins. When she discovers that Van is bleeding, she rants at Allen for always putting Van in danger and swears that she'll poison him someday. Allen just looks at her with amusement. Yeah, sure, whatever.

Everyone's attention finally returns to Hitomi, who has no idea what to make of any of this. Allen, operating on the assumption that she really is the Tsubasa no Kami, welcomes her and requests that she grant the Abaharaki the strength of dragons and the swiftness of wings. Hitomi's response? She faints.

A flashback sequence begins in which we see the inside of a burning palace. A defeated king tells his attacker that it is his own foolishness that caused him to lose the right to the throne. The attacker, Dune, just smiles viciously at this criticism. Then he responds in a cold voice. "I will kill Van with my own hands, Father."

In the present time, an elf-like woman stands on a floor inlaid with dragon bones, singing a sad and ethereal tune. As the song ends, the glowing light around her fades. Clearly her song holds some sort of magical power. The lady turns to look behind her. Down the hallway, huddled up against a glass window, is a figure cloaked in black. The woman — Sora — calls out to him. It is Folken.

Folken looks up. Has the Tsubasa no Kami arrived yet? Yes, Sora tells him — but it seems that she has gone to the other Dragon instead of to him. Folken stands up and removes his cloak. So, the Tsubasa no Kami has appeared before Van, he murmurs. The lady concurs, but adds that she cannot sense the Dragon Armor's heartbeat. This seems to please Folken. As long as the goddess and the armor do not resonate as one, the armor will remain lifeless. This means that they still have time to gain control over the Wing Goddess.

Sora does not appear to share Folken's goals. Do they truly want the power of the Tsubasa no Kami? If the armor awakens, all of Gaia will burn to ashes. Folken will be destroyed as well, the lady says. But the leader of the Black Dragon Clan is not bothered by her premonition. He doesn't care if he burns. In fact, he wants to.

Elsewhere on Gaia, the city of Salace falls to enemy forces. A messenger brings the invaders an offer of surrender. The shogun in charge of the attack is not moved by this gesture. The Black Dragon Clan needs no slaves! Kill them all and burn everything — just as Lord Folken ordered.

From the nearby hills a lone warrior, a hound man, watches the slaughter. The solider wears the armor of the Black Dragon Clan, but it seems strangely out of place on his animal body. He gazes down sadly on the tragedy below. How unnecessarily cruel, he laments. "My condolences," he says quietly to the people of Salace.

The scene shifts to the interior of the Abaharaki landship. Hitomi awakens in a dark, narrow room. Before she can get hear bearings, Millerna speaks up. "Oh, you're awake now," she says. "I was beginning to wonder if you had died." Millerna walks to the far wall and throws open the shades, filling the room with bright light. Hitomi cringes, still completely disoriented and confused by the day's events. As she squirms, she notices that in her hand she is still holding the strange pink gem that floated down to her from the sky. She looks at it for a moment, then shakes her head and starts hysterically chanting that she must be dreaming — all of this must be a dream!

Millerna doesn't suffer fools lightly. She walks up to Hitomi and slaps her, hard. Hitomi freezes for a moment in shock, and then touches her cheek. "That hurt," she whimpers. "Well then," Millerna says with a smile. "It's not a dream."

Millerna drags the unwilling Hitomi to the window. Below them is an uninhabited, lush valley. There are two moons hanging in the sky — no, one moon and the Earth. Hitomi looks around and sees that she is in a giant moving fortress, one pulled by oversized yaks. Not surprisingly, her eyes grow a bit large at the realization that despite its strangeness, this world is very, very real.

Millerna walks away from the window and sits on Hitomi's bed. Well, she asks the gawking girl, did the sunlight wake her up? She goes on to tell Hitomi that she will have to stay with the Abaharaki for a while — at least until they can confirm that she is truly the Tsubasa no Kami.

Hitomi still has no idea what that title means. She asks Millerna to explain. The older woman stares at her in disbelief. "No matter how long I look at you, I just don't see you as a goddess," she mutters. If Hitomi is really the Tsubasa no Kami, she should already know the answers!

Millerna asks Hitomi her name. After introductions are exchanged, Millerna proceeds to explain that she is a member of the Abaharaki — the survivors of the countries destroyed by the Black Dragon Clan. They fight for revenge. Escaflowne is the god of war that the Abaharaki believe will grant their wishes for victory. Millerna relates how a storyteller from Freid once told her that the Tsubasa no Kami would come from the Mystic Moon and revive the Escaflowne armor. And it was from Escaflowne that Hitomi emerged. Is it any wonder, then, that everyone thinks she is the Wing Goddess?

Hitomi is overwhelmed by it all. It doesn't make any sense to her whatsoever. Millerna looks exasperated for a moment, but then shrugs it off. Well, in any event, maybe Hitomi would like something to eat? Hitomi declines the offer of food, but it is clear that she does want something. Millerna presses her. Finally Hitomi cracks and humbly asks for some water. She's very thirsty. Millerna laughs. If that's all she wanted, she should have spoken up earlier.

Meanwhile, in the halls of the Abaharaki landship, Pyle, Kio, and Teo are gossiping about the supposed Tsubasa no Kami. Is that girl really a goddess? They've never seen a divine being before. Will she expect gourmet food?

The three are startled by Hitomi's sudden appearance in the hallway, and back away from her in fright. Unnerved by their reaction, Hitomi flees down a stairwell, in the process managing to frighten yet another rebel. Once she has made her escape, she rolls her eyes. "Do I really look that weird?" she wonders aloud.

In the landship's command center, Millerna reports to Allen and Gaddes. The girl certainly doesn't look like she's from Gaia, Millerna admits, but she still seems doubtful that Hitomi is the Tsubasa no Kami. Gaddes grumbles that if the girl really is the Wing Goddess, the Black Dragon Clan will come searching for her.

Allen is determined not to let the Black Dragon Clan take Hitomi. He orders Van to protect her personally. Van glares at him for a moment and then dismisses the order. He doesn't believe that she really is the Tsubasa no Kami. Allen asks if he is afraid, and Van responds with a feral snarl. Completely unperturbed by this nasty gesture, Allen reminds Van that the Escaflowne armor is destined to appear again through the power of the Tsubasa no Kami. And when it does return, it will call for the blood of a Dragonkin. Van, as far as they know, is the only person left with Dragon blood. No wonder he's afraid.

Unaware that she is the hot topic of the moment, Hitomi wanders aimlessly in the bowels of the landship. She's lost. Ultimately stumbling into a stable, she calls out to see if anyone is there. Someone is — Merle. The cat girl isn't entirely thrilled to see Hitomi. What is the strange foreigner doing in Merle's stable anyway? Looking for water? What kind of person comes to a stable for water? She's must be a freak! Hitomi shows some spunk for a moment, snidely noting that Merle is hardly in a position to call anyone strange.

Merle ignores the jibe and throws a bottle of water to Hitomi. Then she demands to know if Hitomi is really the Tsubasa no Kami. Hitomi pleads ignorance. She doesn't even know where she is, much less if she's the Wing Goddess every keeps talking about. Merle calls her stupid, and Hitomi sits down in the hay in defeat. She's getting tired again, she says. Too much excitement. Merle is skeptical. Hitomi hardly seems "excited" to her.

A loud yawn startles both of the girls as the Mole Man rises from a pile of hay. He tries to charm them by saying that their voices remind him of singing birds. Merle is unimpressed, and tells him to shut his trap. The Mole Man ignores the cat girl and sniffs a bit. Is that the smell of a precious stone? Hitomi reaches into her pocket to retrieve the pink gem that fell from the sky. The Mole Man praises its beauty and tells her that she should take better care of it. He then asks her to hand it to him. Merle gawks in total disbelief as Hitomi places it in his hand.

With surprisingly dexterous fingers, the Mole Man shapes a silver attachment so that Hitomi can wear the stone as a necklace. Hitomi complements his metalworking skills. Merle makes a bratty interjection, saying that the Mole Man is also skilled at talking. After all, he is a fortune teller. The pendant is returned to Hitomi and she puts it around her neck, admiring it. All in all, a very touching moment — until the Mole Man holds out his hands and asks for a reward for his services! Merle steps on his outstretched hands and snaps at him that her stable is no place to be bargaining.

Time passes and the Abaharaki landship continues to trudge along. In the stable, Hitomi helps Merle brush the horses. While they work, Merle tells Hitomi about Van's past. When Van was a child, his country was destroyed by the Black Dragon Clan, she says. Now he fights with the Abaharaki, who he met on the battlefield. Yet despite having these allies, Van is still alone, Merle insists. Hitomi doesn't understand. Unaware of the irony in her statement, she comments on how strange it is for someone to try to hide their pain from others.

Merle elaborates on Van's story.

"Van-sama was to become king. Even with his people and his land gone, with nothing to protect, he feels that he has to fight the enemy as long as he lives. That's his destiny, since he was born a king. But he is a very kind person inside. I just know it."

While the two women discuss him, Van is sitting on the back of the Abaharaki landship, watching the clouds go by. He gets up to leave and encounters Gaddes and Reeden in the doorway. Reeden tries to chat with Van about the cute new girl, but Van ignores him. As he walks away, Gaddes mutters that he still can't get used to him. Well, Reeden laughs, he is a king, after all. He has a right to be odd.

Night falls on the landship. Still in the stable, Hitomi sits in the hay next to a napping Merle and gazes at her watch wistfully. Little does she know that on the cliffs above the moving fortress, the Black Dragon Clan's elite force, the Dragonslayers, have come for her. The steel horses stand stoically — their riders, just as tense.

Dilandau looks out over the ravine through which the landship is winding. "Is that it, Jajuka? The 'goods' Folken seeks are inside that thing?" He laughs and turns to a Dragonslayer behind him. "How is it, Chesta?" he asks.

Chesta's eyes grow wide and he tilts his head back, trembling. "I can see her... In the cargo hold... In that hearse, a white-clad girl... I can see her," he intones distantly. The other Dragonslayers look unnerved by this display of psychic powers, but know better than to react.

"A white-clad girl," Dilandau murmurs. From the ranks a hound man pulls forward — the same man who watched the destruction of Salace with such pity. This is Jajuka. He tries to remind Dilandau of their plan, but Dilandau interrupts him. "We just have to capture the Tsubasa no Kami, right? I know, I know. But why not just kill all of them?" The hound man insists that the Abaharaki are not to underestimated. They should be careful not to waste troops, and.... Dilandau stops his speech with a vicious slap, knocking Jajuka from his horse. "The sun will set while you complain," he snarls. "Now let's start hunting!"

On the landship, Millerna watches the approaching warriors through a telescope. "Allen!" she cries. "Enemy attack! Incoming Black Dragons!" The Abaharaki leader remains calm. "Looks like we'll get to Torushina a little late," he says with his now-familiar smirk.

The landship speeds up in an attempt to outrun the attackers, but it is no match for the animal men making up the front ranks. They leap onto the wheels of the moving fortress and detonate the barrels of gunpowder they are carrying on their backs. In the stable, Hitomi's pendant glows, as if trying to warn her about the starting battle.

Immobilized by the animal men's explosives, the Abaharaki fortress skids to a halt, nearly crashing into the rock walls of the ravine. Now the Dragonslayers can truly begin their attack. Jajuka tries once again to remind Dilandau that they only need to capture the girl — there is no need to do anything to the others except confuse them. Dilandau ignores him entirely, and rides ahead.

The Abaharaki try valiantly to prevent the attackers from getting inside the moving fortress, but the battle is a bit one-sided. The horse-riding Dragonslayers are able to cut down the rebels with ease. Heads fly, blood flows, and the screams of the dying fill the air. Gaddes is attacked by two men at once, yet manages to cut them both down. It is clear to see why he is the second-in-command.

Inside the landship, one of the animal men discovers Merle and Hitomi. He grabs their throats and throws them up against the wall, choking the breath out of them. Hitomi whispers a plea for someone to help her.

The battle continues to go poorly for the Abaharaki. Dilandau leads the charge with a maniacal laugh, obviously enjoying this far more than he should. Gaddes curses that the attackers are too fast to handle. Allen, however, is not put off by their speed. He casually steps off the top of the three-story fortress and falls toward the battleground. The Dragonslayer Migel looks up just in time to see the airborne Allen flying towards him — and is rewarded with a killing stroke the chest. Allen lands on the ground, crouching, as Migel's body topples off his horse. Dilandau sees, and for a brief moment, even looks alarmed.

Van is slaughtering animal men in the hallways of the landship when he comes across an unconscious Merle. He lifts her up from the floor and yells at her to open her eyes. Eventually Merle awakens, and weakly tells him that the enemy has Hitomi. Van is clearly upset. Whether or not Hitomi really is the Tsubasa no Kami, she must be rescued from the Black Dragon Clan.

Van leaps onto one of the Abaharaki's ponies and gives chase to the animal man that kidnapped Hitomi. The battle is still raging outside the landship, particularly around Dilandau, who is gleefully laying waste to everyone within reach. Jajuka curses under his breath that the slaughter is unnecessary. Then he looks up and sees Van and the animal man riding over the crest of the hill. Their mission is complete — the Tsubasa no Kami has been captured.

The animal man and his horse gallop across a semi-active lava flow, Van hot in pursuit. As Hitomi regains consciousness, the man warns her not to move. He promises not to kill her if she remains calm. Fortunately for Hitomi, she doesn't need to fight. Van manages to pull alongside his opponent's horse and yanks Hitomi away from the Black Dragon Clan solider. Both he and the girl from the Mystic Moon fall to the ground.

Van makes sure that Hitomi is all right, and then orders her to stay close to him. The animal man swings his horse around to try and recapture the girl. Van, who apparently knows the warrior, warns him away. "Retreat, Ruukusu," he yells. The man gets off his horse, startled. "Prince Van? Prince Van from Adon?"

Van is not interested in a touching reunion. He demands to know why Ruukusu is helping the Black Dragon Clan. The war on Gaia has nothing to do with the animal kin, Van insists. Ruukusu begs to differ, however. The humans forced his people to get involved. The Black Dragon Clan destroyed their land and took many of their people prisoner. The only way the prisoners will be spared is if Ruukusu and his men are able to bring the Tsubasa no Kami to Folken. "Van-sama!" Ruukusu pleads. "You must give me that girl!" It is a request Van cannot honor. He asks Ruukusu to retreat again, but the animal man steps forward, raising his weapon.

Before Ruukusu can reach Van and Hitomi, a long spear slams into his chest, impaling him through the heart. He falls backwards, instantly dead. Van calls out to Ruukusu, but there is no response. What happened? Where did the spear come from?

It came from Dilandau, it seems. On a hill overlooking the lava flow, Dilandau shakes his throwing arm. "Bad luck, I missed," he says with a jeering tone. "Then again, who cares. One less underling." He begins to stroke his cheek with glee. "Jajuka, we just need to get the girl, right? So I can do as I please with the boy."

Van is furious at the manner in which Ruukusu was killed. He clenches his fists tightly, and a swirl of smoke rises around him. The smoke then speeds along the ground towards Dilandau. The Dragonslayer and his horse rise into the air for a moment — and then the horse explodes into bloody shreds. Jajuka orders the other members of the Black Dragon Clan to stay back. Apparently Van has magical powers, and will not hesitate to use them.

Rain begins to fall, causing steam to rise from the cracks in the lava bed. Dilandau stirs, giggling as he rises unsteadily to his feet. He had forgotten that he was dealing with the Abaharaki. Van must be the Dragon everyone keeps talking about.

From a distance, Jajuka watches his leader with surprise and alarm. How can he be getting back up so soon? Does he have magical powers of his own?

Sensing trouble, Van orders Hitomi to stay behind him. Dilandau circles the pair threateningly as the rain begins falling harder. "Oh dear," Dilandau snickers. "I'm all wet. I hate the rain. It always makes me depressed." He stops his pacing for a moment. "Some of my soldiers died today. The weaklings died, just like that. Oh well. Let's play a bit, shall we? Entertain me."

Hitomi cries out as Dilandau unleashes a wave of telekinetic force. Van reciprocates. As the two battle back and forth, a series of explosions weaken the lava underneath them. Suddenly it gives way, sending Hitomi and two Dragonslayers into a deep underground chasm.

Those of you who have seen the TV series will find the next scene predictable, but it's still enjoyable. As Hitomi falls through the air, she looks up and sees Van falling after her. He reaches his hand towards her as a pair of glowing white wings emerge from his back. Hitomi is in awe. "White wings?" she gasps. She reaches her hand upward and Van grasps it, pulling her to safety as the remains of the lava bed fall around them. Hitomi, still in shock, thanks him for saving her. Van smiles softly. "Hold on tight," he says quietly. "It's about to get bumpy."

Van circles slowly and then lands at the bottom of the chasm. He collapses immediately afterward. Hitomi catches him as he falls, his wings disintegrating. She rolls him over, concerned, and sees that he has been injured during the battle with Dilandau. Blood covers his chest.

In a panic, Hitomi undoes the tie on her school uniform and uses it to staunch the bleeding. She screams for help, but there is no one to hear. Or is there? No sooner has Hitomi given up yelling than a soft voice is heard nearby. "Let him die," it says.

Hitomi looks up and sees Jajuka, holding the dead Ruukusu in his arms. The hound man has left his unit and entered the chasm to retrieve the body of his fallen comrade. He looks at Hitomi mournfully. "Let that young soul be relieved from the sufferings of war. Death was what he sought after. Death is peace." Hitomi refuses to believe him. Why would Van yearn for death? If he was hurting so badly, why wouldn't he reach out for help? He wasn't alone!

Hitomi is determined not to let Van die. "I want Van to live!" she tells Jajuka.

"I will stay with him until he realizes that he is not alone. Until his sadness goes away. I'll stay close to him. Yes... There is no sadness that won't go away eventually. I want to believe that. Like how the rain always stops. I believe that together we will see the blue sky once again."

Hitomi finally realizes that she and Van are similar. He's not so strange after all. Just like her, he isolated himself from others. Just like her, he felt like he had nothing to live for. Hitomi's apathy begins to melt away. She wants things to change — for both of them.

Meanwhile, in the fortress of the Black Dragon Clan, Folken berates Dilandau for his failure to capture the Tsubasa no Kami. He engaged in pointless slaughter rather than complete his mission!

Dilandau cringes, knowing what is about to happen. Folken lashes out with the same kind of psychic power displayed earlier by Van. Dilandau is lifted off the ground and strangled by invisible hands while his arm is twisted in front of him.

"Back when you roamed the barren land with wild dogs, who took you in?" Folken intones. One of Dilandau's finger bones snaps. "Folken-sama," Dilandau cries.

"You command the Dragon's Special Forces," Folken continues. "Who gave you that?" Another finger is broken. "Folken-sama," Dilandau moans. "Folken-sama!"

Folken releases the warrior from his psychic grip and lets him fall to the ground. "Don't disappoint me again, Dilandau," he hisses.

Dilandau looks up, hate in his eyes. He staggers to his knees and strikes at Folken with his own telekinetic powers. Folken blocks the attack with ease and returns it with twice the force. Dilandau's head whips back as he is hit, and he falls backward onto the ground, bleeding from the mouth.

"You are one of the few on Gaia who has Dragon's blood running through their veins," Folken says. "Even if it is not pure, it gives you command over magical powers. I had put my hopes in those powers of yours." He pauses, and Dilandau tries weakly to protest. Folken ignores him. "Dilandau, if you want I will bestow new powers upon you. Powers worthy of a Dragon's descendant."

Dilandau is too broken to move, but he manages to speak. "I... want strength..." he whispers, eyes twitching.

Elsewhere on Gaia, in a dark cave, excavators are raising armor from an underground lake. But this is not the missing Escaflowne. This armor is grotesque in shape — bulbous and uneven, and the color of blood. This is the Alseides.

The head excavator turns to his assistant. It appears that Lord Folken's prediction was right. There was another armor located here! The man does not seem particularly pleased about his team's success, however. After a brief moment of consideration, he orders his assistant to report the discovery of the armor to Dryden. The assistant runs off dutifully. The older man turns back to the ominous-looking red armor. "The more I look at it, the more fearful it seems," he mutters.

The view pans out, revealing the location of the excavation. It is directly underneath the center of the city of Torushina.

Word of the excavation's success is quickly passed from Dryden's men to Gaddes. The rebel in turns reports to the news to Allen on the still-crippled Abaharaki landship. Allen seems relatively unfazed by this turn of events. Instead of commenting on the new armor, he asks if anyone has located Van and Hitomi. Not yet, Gaddes says. Well, Allen muses, the search will have to wait. Folken will be heading for Torushina now. As soon as the landship repairs are complete, the Abaharaki will have to hurry in order to reach the city first. Millerna agrees. Surely Van will bring Hitomi to Torushina and rejoin them. That's if they are still alive, of course — but Millerna has faith that they are.

Millerna is right. In a peaceful village surrounded by snowcapped mountains, Hitomi sits quietly in a hut, wearing borrowed clothes. Hitomi thanks her elderly host for her kindness. "The land of Adon does not reject anyone in need," the old woman says softly. Apparently Hitomi has found refuge with the few remaining survivors of Van's kingdom.

Hitomi asks if she may see Van. The old woman tells her that he won't awaken for a long time, but Hitomi insists. She is led to a dark room filled with incense. Inside, a group of animal men are sitting patiently in a circle around Van's painted and bandaged body. Hitomi pauses in the doorway, daunted by the scene, but a gentle old man invites her in. "Do not worry," he tells her. "He has survived the worst. His wounds will take time to heal, but during that time you are welcome to stay in our land." Hitomi looks down at the sleeping Van and smiles.

Time passes quickly in the utopia of Adon. As Van recovers, he and Hitomi become fast friends. One day, while talking together in the forest, Van tells her the real reason that he is fighting the Black Dragon Clan. "My land was destroyed by my brother, a Dragon. Now he leads the Black Dragon Clan. Folken."

Hitomi is surprised. Why would Folken destroy his own country? Van explains, his eyes sad. "In my country, when a king's wife bears children, the legacy is chosen through prophecy. The prophecy did not choose him. It chose me." Hitomi is dismayed to hear that the war on Gaia started over such a petty issue. Van apparently agrees with her assessment. His look turns grim, and he tells Hitomi that his only reason for living is to kill his brother.

Hitomi looks out over the forest. "There was nothing left for me," she says to him.

"I didn't know what to do anymore. To hurt people, to be hurt by them. Such is the pain of life, isn't it? I didn't understand the reason for living. That's why I wanted to vanish. I am like you... That's why I... Can I stay with you? I want to stay close to you."

She kneels next to Van and they sit quietly together, enjoying each other's company.

While the Tsubasa no Kami and the Dragon are resting in Adon, the Black Dragon Clan arrives in Torushina. Airships fill the sky, launching troop carriers. The carriers land heavily, destroying many of the noble city's buildings and landmarks. The citizens of Torushina are forced to hide as the enemy troops fill the streets. Soon Folken's personal floating fortress appears and anchors itself above the city center. In a matter of minutes, the city has fallen. Torushina now belongs to Folken and the Black Dragon Clan.

Back in Adon, Van and Hitomi are preparing to rejoin the Abaharaki. The villagers gather around their horse to see them off. The wolf man Ruhm warns Van that the Black Dragon Clan has captured Torushina. Van is not surprised by the news, and explains to Ruhm that he has no choice but to go there. That's where his comrades are.

The village elder steps forward and prays for the Dragon to be with them on their journey. Then the village children — much too cute for their own good — run up to say good-bye to their "big sister" Hitomi. They beg her to return someday, and one asks for Hitomi to say hello to Merle. Hitomi smiles at the children and thanks everyone around her for their kindness. Then she leans her head against Van's back. The pair rides away.

Torushina is not exactly a welcoming city now that it is occupied by enemy forces. Van and Hitomi run furtively through the quiet streets, trying not to attract attention. Their goal is to reach the pub owned by Dryden, the secret sponsor of the Abaharaki. Van knows that Dryden can tell them where to find Allen.

Hitomi and Van ultimately locate the crowded bar. Hitomi is mesmerized by the dancers on stage — leopard-spotted cat twins, one gold and one silver. As they turn slowly and gracefully, they sing a beautiful song. Van is familiar with the tune because his mother used to sing it to him when he was young. It is an ancient prophecy — the one that foretells the coming of the Tsubasa no Kami. He translates for Hitomi.

The Dragon awakens in the darkness.
With a frozen heart he roars.
If you are close, the Dragon sleeps.
When the wings appear before him,
People's dreams will fill the sky.

Hitomi starts to ask Van about the lyrics, but is interrupted by the arrival of a boisterous, long-haired man — the bar's resident musician. He asks Hitomi and Van if they liked the song that was just performed. Without waiting for an answer, he plows onward to say that they would love to play more popular music, but it's best not to since the city is full of rough Black Dragon Clan soldiers. Apparently the lyrics of the "popular" songs are not terribly kind to the Black Dragon Clan!

Van finally gets a word in edgewise. "We want to see Dryden," he says bluntly. The guest at their table makes an exaggerated show of being confused. Dryden? Who could that be? Van is annoyed at the man. Doesn't he know the owner of the pub? He works there, for goodness' sake!

The musician gives the pair a suspicious look and asks if they are spies of the Black Dragon Clan. Van slams his fist down on the table and denies the accusation, loudly declaring that he is there to find Allen of the Abaharaki. The other patrons look up, surprised by the outburst. The musician, embarrassed, motions for Van to be more quiet. He whispers conspiratorially to Hitomi that the Abaharaki are being sought by the Black Dragon Clan. Hitomi can't help but make an awkward face. Boy, doesn't she know it.

The musician finally decides that it's time to stop playing with his guests. He straightens up and removes his glasses with an exasperated sigh. "Man, you're just like Allen said. His Majesty Van, the Hot-Headed. And this cute lady must be the Tsubasa no Kami. I'm the master of this house — Dryden."

Before Hitomi and Van can react to this rather startling turn of events, a familiar voice cries out: "Van-sama!" Merle comes running to hug her beloved king, rubbing her chin against him and purring that she was worried. At nearly the same moment, a knife thunks into the tabletop from above, with a rose tied to its hilt. The group looks up to the balcony to see Millerna and Allen, along with most of the other Abaharaki. The rebels raise their glasses in a toast, happy to have been reunited with the missing pair.

Later that evening the a secret meeting is held in Dryden's study. Dryden passes on some new information — the Black Dragon Clan magicians have started the ritual that will bring the Alseides armor to life. Gaddes, frustrated, says that once the enemy armor awakens, the war might as well be over. The Abaharaki can't beat that thing!

Allen begs to differ. He thinks that they can still win against the Alseides and the Black Dragon Clan, but only if they are able to locate Escaflowne. Millerna gestures towards Hitomi. Why not just ask the Tsubasa no Kami to bring the Dragon Armor back, then?

Hitomi turns to face Dryden and the others. She's still not sure that she really is the Tsubasa no Kami, but she wants to help. She agrees to do everything she can. The Mole Man is thrilled that the old prophecy seems to be coming true. The Tsubasa no Kami will revive Escaflowne and lead Gaia into a new future.

Dryden suddenly interrupts. There's more to the ancient song than what was sung in his pub — a verse no one else ever seems to to remember.

"...And the Dragon Armor will burn and kill everything on this world."

Van is not particularly surprised by this revelation. He stands stoically in the background as Dryden explains to the others that Escaflowne has been revived once before. That time, civilization on Gaia was completely wiped out. As he speaks, Dryden approaches the chair where Hitomi is seated and leans over her. "Did you come to Gaia to destroy it?"

Hitomi has no answer.

Inside the Black Dragon Clan's floating fortress, a solider reports to Folken and Sora. Torushina has been fully occupied, and the Alseides excavation site has been sealed off. The Abaharaki will not be able to interfere with the revival of the armor.

Folken demands that the magicians speed up their work. The solider acknowledges the command and backs out of the room. Even after he is gone, Sora continues to stare straight ahead, her eyes deeply sad. "A new armor. Already you are commanding so many troops, yet you still want more power."

Folken turns to look at her, but does not respond to her comments. Instead he asks if the Tsubasa no Kami is present in Torushina. Yes, Sora admits after a moment's hesitation. Folken seems pleased. "Then you must call her here," he says. "You must help me with your powers."

Sora is resigned to her fate. "As you wish," she says despondently.

Meanwhile, at the underground excavation site, the Black Dragon Clan's sorcerers are busily working to revive the Alseides. They pore over magical books and prod at the organic-looking armor, testing its responsiveness. "Blood of the Impure Dragon," they intone. "Awaken the ancient armor."

Inside the Alseides, Dilandau twitches and moans. The armor is draining the blood from him in order to live.

Jajuka watches the proceedings somberly. He thinks that Folken has gone too far. The few remaining Dragonslayers seem to agree. Their loyalty is to Dilandau, not Folken. Ryuon asks Chesta if there has been any word from the leader of the Black Dragon Clan. Chesta says that there has not. There is a short pause. Then Ryuon boldly declares to his fellow Dragonslayers that he will kill each and every one of the magicians if Dilandau is permanently harmed.

Dilandau is not able to appreciate their loyal sentiments. As the blood drains from him, he moans again, and then lets out a disturbing scream.

A little while later, above ground, the lead excavator and his men notice a distant sound, not unlike slow, heavy, crashing footsteps. They look at one another in alarm. That sound — it's not coming from the excavation site below, is it?

Blissfully unaware of the Alseides' revival, Merle and Van are watching the sunset from a sparsely-furnished room. Beside Van are numerous spear-points that he has carved. He sits quietly, diligently working on a new carving. Merle leans forward and tells her friend that he has seemed much kinder lately. This amuses Van. He gently tosses his latest carving into Merle's hands. It is not a spearpoint, but a figure of a mouse. Merle's eyes grow big. "Van-sama," she purrs.

Van looks straight ahead. "Merle," he says softly. "When the war is over, let's go home to Adon." Merle is beside herself with glee. Van stands up. "This battle will end everything. Eventually I can...." He trails off, but his thoughts are clear. Van is finally ready to experience peace.

That night, Hitomi sits on her bed, remembering Dryden's words: "Did you come to Gaia to destroy it?" A pitcher of water on a nearby tabletop suddenly crashes to the floor. Hitomi rises to clean up the mess, but as she reaches for a porcelain shard, the world around her changes. She hears the ethereal song of Sora. Suddenly she is floating in a blue sky full of white clouds. She looks up to see Sora standing before her. As the seer speaks, the sky slowly turns blood red.

"Tsubasa no Kami, lead Gaia on the road to destruction. Let Gaia's sadness end forever. Let it all end. I beg you, let the sadness of this world vanish. Folken-sama — help him."

The vision ends, and Hitomi stands up with wide, blank eyes. "She's calling me," she murmurs.

A few minutes later, Millerna bursts into Van's room. "Hitomi's gone!" she cries. Van leaps up, alarmed. Millerna is unsure what to do. She has a bad feeling about this.

Van suddenly gets a panicked look. "I can sense his presence! It's Folken!" He grabs his sword and dashes from the room, leaving Millerna and a sleepy Merle behind.

Meanwhile, in the fortress of the Black Dragon Clan, Sora continues to sing her mystical song. Hitomi, wandering the deserted streets of Torushina, is guided to a lonely rooftop where Folken stands patiently. Folken tells her that he has been waiting for her. It is time to end the sadness. He asks her to hand over Escaflowne.

Van runs through the city, trying to catch up to Hitomi before it is too late. Hitomi is stronger than anyone expects, however. She tells Folken that she will not call the Dragon Armor for his benefit. Folken reminds her that she wishes for the end of the world, for all the pain to be wiped out. Hitomi denies that she wants destruction, but Folken presses her. "The fact that you came to Gaia is proof that you follow my calling." He grabs her arm. "Now let us realize the dream together." Hitomi stares at him in fear. "You're just trying to kill Van," she whispers. Folken smiles evilly.

Van suddenly appears and demands that Folken let go of Hitomi's hand. Sora abruptly stops singing, and Hitomi turns to cry out Van's name. The spell is broken. Folken's astral projection fades away, threatening revenge as it disappears. Folken was never truly there to begin with — it was all a vision, amplified by Sora's powers. The real Folken is still on his floating fortress, kneeling next to a window and seething that Van is once again stealing what it is his.

Hitomi and Van have little time to marvel at Folken's disappearance. Suddenly the city of Torushina erupts in explosions and flames. Over the sound of the terrified citizens, Dilandau's maniacal laugh is heard. "It feels so good," he giggles. "My body is burning!"

Dryden watches the Alseides as it wreaks havoc on the city. It finally came out to play, he muses. It is now time for Gaia's fate to be decided. Will it be life or death? Which will the Wing Goddess choose?

The Tsubasa no Kami won't have much time to make her decision. Dilandau has already spotted Hitomi and Van. Ominous, bat-like wings spring from the back of the Alseides. "I have wings too, Van!" Dilandau laughs as he charges towards the rooftop.

The Abaharaki watch the flying armor from the streets below. Allen has no intention of letting the Black Dragon Clan kill his two most important allies. He orders the Abaharaki to shoot the Alseides down. The landship's cannons are fired, and Dilandau's armor crashes to the ground. Unfortunately, it goes without saying that the victory is only temporary.

Hitomi suddenly has a sharp vision of Escaflowne against a blood red sky. She grabs her head and screams. "No! Don't come here!" Van tries to comfort her but she pushes him away. "Get away from me! Van, go away!" Hitomi's pendant begins to glow, and it rises into the air.

The Alseides struggles to its feet and prepares to throw a lance at the Abaharaki. "You vermin!" Dilandau shrieks, outraged at the interfering rebels. "Die!" The weapon slams into the side of the Abaharaki landship, causing it to explode.

Meanwhile, Hitomi's pendant continues to rise and snaps away from her neck, turning into a ball of light. As lightning forks through the glowing sphere, Van pulls Hitomi to safety. The girl from the Mystic Moon screams. "Don't appear!" she pleads.

Despite her wishes, Escaflowne descends in a pillar of light.

Van starts to walk toward the Dragon Armor, but Hitomi grabs his arm and holds him back. "Van, don't go near it," she begs.

Van will not be dissuaded — he must don the armor in order to stop the Alseides. It will be all right, he tells her. After all, he has the Tsubasa no Kami on his side. He climbs into the cockpit and looks up. "Escaflowne! Take my blood!" The young king is quickly encased in a tight-fitting shell. Large, spiked drills bore into his neck. The armor's heart beats rapidly, glowing with each pulse. Outside, Hitomi watches in fear as Escaflowne labors to its feet.

From a distance Millerna, Merle, Kio, and Reeden watch the rise of the Dragon Armor. "Escaflowne," Millerna says with awe. "It came back after all." Merle doesn't look exceptionally impressed with the god of war — she's too worried about Van. She gazes up at Escaflowne, afraid for her friend inside.

Van slowly guides Escaflowne down from the rooftop and through center of a nearby building. His steps are at first awkward, then more sure. Dilandau smiles with glee as he sees the Dragon Armor approach, and prepares to do battle.

Hitomi follows Escaflowne closely as it thunders towards the Alseides. Millerna, afraid she might come to harm, tries to drag her from the scene of the impending fight. Hitomi resists — she doesn't want to leave! She's worried about Van!

The Alseides forms a spear with liquid metal from its arm. Escaflowne has no liquid metal, but it has something better. The armor reaches behind itself to grab a bone-like protrusion on its back — a sword's hilt. With a grotesque sound and a significant amount of blood, Van rips the handle free from the armor's back and holds it in front of his chest. The hilt opens up and a long, metallic blade sprouts forth. Now the Dragon Armor is ready to fight. "I'll take you down!" Van yells to his opponent.

Dilandau is not intimidated. He threatens to cut Van to pieces, and then lashes out with a wave of telekinetic force. Van returns the volley. The two armors clash viciously, closely matched in both strength and skill.

Millerna and Hitomi watch the carnage. "It was you who summoned it," Millerna says to her friend. "Now you're just going to have to trust Van not to destroy the world." But it's hard for Hitomi to have such trust when all of Torushina is being laid to waste! As Dilandau and Van battle, the city is being decimated.

Escaflowne begins to gain the upper hand, and Dilandau panics. The upper portion of the Alseides morphs into a new weapon for him to use. "Burn!" he cries as the Black Dragon Clan's armor belches a stream of fire. Engulfed in the flames, Van is forced to step back. "Burn to the bones!" Dilandau screams.

It is an unfortunate choice of words. Van remembers the stench of charred bones all too well. He begins to hyperventilate as he remembers how his own country was burned to the ground. The castle in flames, his mother lying dead on the floor.... He has a vision of a younger Folken holding the severed head of his father. "You must not run from a battle," the head says to Van. "Even if a Dragon's King is your opponent, fight! Fight!"

With a scream of pure hatred, Van forces himself through the Alseides' firewall and blocks the flame-thrower with his armor's hand. Dilandau thrusts the Alseides' spear into Escaflowne, but misses the cockpit. Now he is weaponless, and at the mercy of Van's rage. As he bashes his sword into the Alseides again and a again, Van shrieks that he will kill Dilandau. He manages to tear away a large chunk of his opponent's armor with a grotesque, wet sound. The Alseides falls backwards.

If Dilandau was panicking before, now he is positively terrified. He cries out for the pummeling to stop, but Van only repeats his vow to kill him. Escaflowne plunges its sword into the shoulder of the Alseides and leaves it there, pinning Dilandau to the ground. Then Escaflowne rips the Alseides' spear out of its back and turns the weapon back on its owner. "I kill all my enemies!" Van yells as he thrusts the spear into his enemy. The Dragon Armor steps forward onto the Alseides' chest and begins forcing it in. It is clear that Dilandau will be crushed within moments.

The violence has now gone too far. Escaflowne is the god of war, and when the source of its lifeblood — its pilot — becomes consumed by thoughts of destruction, so does the armor itself. Escaflowne's heart stops beating and turns a dark, ominous gray. Inside, Van gasps as blackness spreads across the body of the Dragon Armor.

Taking advantage of the sudden confusion, Dilandau makes his escape. He leaps out of the Alseides, ripping tubes and needles from his body in desperation. As he flees, he looks back at the black Dragon Armor standing over the streets of Torushina. What is that thing?

The Abaharaki look on in horror. Dryden, on the other hand, appears almost amused. "So that's the Dragon Armor's true form!" he says with fascinated glee. Only Hitomi seems to remember that there is a person inside. As she looks up at Escaflowne, she quietly speaks Van's name.

Black Escaflowne proceeds to lay waste to the Black Dragon Clan airships above Torushina, raining lightning down upon them. But enemy and ally are now considered one and the same. After it finishes destroying the ships, it begins assaulting the city itself.

In the one remaining Black Dragon Clan stronghold, Folken's floating fortress, Sora stands obediently as her master steps forward. "So," Folken muses out loud. "It ended up becoming one with Van instead of me." But it doesn't matter — Black Escaflowne will clearly destroy all of Gaia. Folken will still get his wish.

Sora does not seem to share his confidence in the outcome. "I can sense the pulse of the Tsubasa no Kami," she says. "Her will is strong, and it will reach the Dragon. Willpower — it has the strength to change the world."

Folken frowns at her. Will? The very source of will is anger and hatred! It won't change the world, it will destroy it! He stares at the seer, annoyed. "Don't you understand? No wonder all of your kind have perished," he says cruelly.

Lightning strikes outside, and Sora's hurt yet forgiving face glows in the cold white light. "Pitiful Folken-sama," she murmurs sadly. Even at a time like this, she can think only of him.

The people of Torushina watch in fear as Black Escaflowne strides through the city. The Mole Man, perched on a small ledge, wonders if the Dragon Armor will destroy everything.

Hitomi bravely steps forward. "I have to go," she says quietly. Millerna tries to stop her, but the Abaharaki hold her back. If the Tsubasa no Kami wants to go, let her go. What difference can it possibly make now?

Hitomi makes her way through the city ruins. "Van," she pleads as she approaches the armor, "Answer me! Is this the end? If so, let me at least see your face once more. Look at me!" She spreads her arms wide and Escaflowne comes to a halt in front of her. "Stay close to me, Van," Hitomi pleads. The armor reaches forward to crush her. "Van!"

This time, Van hears. He pauses for a moment, and then, as if remembering a dream, speaks her name. Escaflowne's heart glows with a bright light that swallows both of them.

In a pastel vision, Hitomi floats through the air. Van is there as well, walking with his back to her. As she watches, he grows younger, turning into a child and then disappearing altogether. She hears the sound of a little boy crying and runs toward it, calling Van's name. In front of her, a tree appears. "Van! Where are you? Are you there?" Hitomi circles the trunk of the tree, looking for the crying boy, but he is nowhere to be found. "Where are you?" she repeats desperately.

Finally she hears his voice, though she still cannot see him. "Stop caring about me," he says. Hitomi refuses. "Come to me, Van. Don't let me be alone!" She begins walking away from the tree and into a nearby field, still searching for her friend. "I can't go back," she hears him say. "I can't escape fighting! You don't understand! I'm all alone!"

Hitomi looks up at the sky. "But I'm all alone too," she whispers. She remembers her friend Yukari, and how even her support was not enough to give her the will to live. Hitomi does understand.

"Isn't it painful to be alone? Isn't it difficult? It was the same way for me. But if we're together, at least we'll have each other to hurt. Maybe the time will come when we'll have to part again. But even then, it won't really be the end, will it?"

Hitomi looks out over a sparkling sea, the wind blowing gently. "I'm right here, Van," she says softly.

On the edge of the seaside cliff, Van appears, and slowly stands. Hitomi smiles, and steps forward to greet him.

Back in the real world, Escaflowne returns to its original color, its heart once again beating strongly. It crashes forward and morphs into a giant dragon. Van and Hitomi are perched together on its back, looking down at in awe. "This is Escaflowne?" Hitomi asks. Van smiles at her. "The wings come to those with a strong will," he explains cryptically. Hitomi returns the smile. "I'll stay with you, Van."

As Escaflowne rises into the air, Sora gives her master a warning. "The Dragon grew wings. It's coming for you, Folken-sama."

Folken stands with his back to the seer. "Sora," he says, an unexpected kindness in his voice. "You are free now. You can leave this fortress and go anywhere you want to." He strides across the hall, his footsteps echoing on the inlaid floor of dragon bones. "Van is coming — and the Tsubasa no Kami. I will draw the Goddess' sympathy. In the end, the Dragon Armor is seeking me after all. It still wants to destroy the world."

Sora watches him walk away. "I will stay here," she calls out after him. "I will see your death with my own eyes." Folken pauses, and then smiles. "A seer's prediction?" he asks with a dismissive tone. "It's true. I will die. I will destroy this world, and vanish along with it." Without turning to say good-bye, Folken leaves.

Below the floating fortress, the citizens of Torushina and the surviving Black Dragon Clan soldiers watch the Dragon Armor flying through the air. "A white dragon," they gasp. "Is it real?" One soldier's eyes grow wide. "Tenkuu no Kami," he says with awe. "It's the God of the Heavens, flying towards Lord Folken!"

The dragon circles Folken's fortress gracefully, and then lands softly on its surface. "He's here," Van says. "I can sense him."

Folken steps forward out of the mist. "I've been waiting, Van, last king of the Dragonkin." Van stands on the back of Escaflowne and vows to make the sadness stop. The noble sentiment irritates Folken. He knocks Van off of his lofty perch with a blast of telekinetic force.

Hitomi leaps off of the dragon's back and runs to Van's side as he struggles to his feet. "Even if you destroy all of Gaia," Van tells his brother, "Your sadness won't go away!" Folken is not moved. What would Van know about sadness? After all, he is the very source of Folken's frustration with the world!

Folken lashes out psychically at Van, who blocks the assault with an outstretched hand. Ultimately the Abaharaki warrior collapses to the floor in exhaustion. Hitomi begs Folken to stop, but he ignores her. "To kill you with my bare hands was always my true desire," he says to Van. "Now, Dragon King, fight me!"

Van struggles back to his feet. "No," he declares firmly. "I won't fight anymore." Folken looks at him with disdain. "Fine," he says. "Then you can die right there." Hitomi realizes what is about to happen and throws herself over Van to protect him. Folken's vicious telekinetic attack hits the pair with such force that it explodes upwards through the roof.

As the dust settles, Van shakes Hitomi's shoulders and calls her name. She looks up at him. "I'm OK," she reassures him. Despite the force of the attack, they're both all right. Folken looks at them coldly, hatred etched on his face. "That poor man," Hitomi says to Van. "I was like him once. I didn't understand other people's pain and sadness. I kept insisting that I was all alone."

Folken addresses Hitomi for the first time since the dragon brought them to the fortress. "That is why you came here," he states. "You followed my call."

Hitomi stands up, determined to put an end to the senseless battle. "I'm not like that anymore. Don't you understand? Van's pain, Van's suffering, Van's sadness — they all exist because of you!"

The look on Folken's face is unreadable. "This world is full of sadness. Only death can break this cycle of fate," he intones. In the distance, Sora slowly approaches, appearing gracefully out of the mist. "That is why I sought this end," Folken continues. He pauses briefly, and then makes a chilling declaration. "I threw away my wings with my own hands."

Hitomi looks at him sadly, tears in her eyes.

From the shadows behind the leader of the Black Dragon Clan, a figure emerges — Jajuka. "Folken-sama, now it's time for my wish to come true!" he boldly declares. The hound man dashes forward, sword drawn. Folken spins around and rips off Jajuka's left arm with a quick telekinetic strike. As he does so, he realizes that Jajuka has a second sword in his right hand. In slow motion, he draws his own blade and slashes Jajuka through the heart.

As she draws near, Sora sighs. It is unclear if it is from sadness or relief.

Jajuka staggers away. "That is for everyone you trampled upon," he gasps. Then he falls backward, dead.

Folken slowly turns. Jajuka's second sword has been firmly thrust into his chest. "Retribution," he murmurs. He tears the blade from his armor and falls to his knees. Van calls out to his brother, but Folken tells him not to come near.

In a wine-colored memory, Folken recalls the mountains of his homeland — and the joyful cry of his little brother. "A call I always cherished," he whispers with a smile, and then collapses as the death he wished for finally arrives.

The lights of the floating fortress flicker out, and the structure begins to crumble. To the surprise of Hitomi and Van, Escaflowne begins to disintegrate, turning into greenish wisps of light that rush away from them and towards Sora. "You two should be leaving," she gently chides them as the light curls around her. "Now that Folken is no more, this place will not last long. You must fly away from this abominable fortress with your own wings."

Hitomi takes a step forward, hypnotized by the tendrils of light that wind around Sora's frail body. "You are..." she trails off.

For the first and only time in the film, Sora smiles. "I am going to stay here with Folken-sama," she says cheerfully.

As day breaks over Torushina, Folken's floating fortress falls from the sky, crashing into the city center with a dramatic spray of debris.

White feathers begin tumbling down in an ethereal snowfall. Millerna and Merle are surprised, but the Mole Man is not. He looks up from his ledge, admiring the beautiful sight. "It's the Dragon," he says firmly.

The people of Torushina look around in wonder, as do the Abaharaki. Gaddes holds his hands up as though feeling for rain. Allen stands motionless, gazing at the heavens with awed eyes. "The Tsubasa no Kami," he whispers. Dryden emerges from his home and joins the other citizens of Torushina in the streets. Everyone looks to the sky. High above, they see a winged boy with a girl in his arms, gliding gently through the feathered snowfall.

Outside the gates of Torushina, Dilandau reins in his horse. "Eh, it looks like the Black Dragon Clan's empire crumbled after all," he says nonchalantly. "Where to go now? Well, I guess wars are fought everywhere." He turns briefly to look behind him. "Let's go!" he calls as he spurs his horse into a gallop. Gatti, Ryuon, and Chesta follow dutifully.

Later, in Adon, Merle sings with the village children under a tree. She smiles and then turns to look at the surrounding hills and mountains. There, Van and Hitomi are walking together, enjoying the peaceful scenery. At the summit of the tallest peak, they watch the sunset.

"Hey, Van," Hitomi asks quietly. "How long do you think I can stay here?" Until the Mystic Moon calls her back again, he answers. He will stay by her side in the meantime. Hitomi thanks him. "We'll always be together, right?" Van turns to look at her and smiles.

High above, a bird circles. As the sun slowly sinks below the mountains, Sora's song begins to echo faintly. "I can hear her singing," Hitomi whispers, eyes wide. "I can hear it." She steps forward to the edge of the mountain. As Van watches in awe, glowing wings spring from Hitomi's back. A flock of white birds swirl around her, singing joyfully. Then the singing stops. Van blinks, stunned, and then smiles sadly. When the view pans back, Hitomi is gone, and Van stands alone, feathers slowly raining down around him.

High in the evening sky, the Mystic Moon fades away. Hitomi has gone home.

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