Disclaimer: We do not own Gundam Wing or Escaflowne. So, don't sue us because we are both broke and have no money. Just homicidal tendencies. :l

Author's Notes: Dillandeu scares me. As I am Male, his little DragonSlayer boys scare the bejesus outta me. Oh and in case you're wondering, an EMP pulse destroys electronic circuitry. One is created by detonating a nuke high in the atmosphere.

EscaGundam Part 5 : Trial By Fire

By: BatBarnes

Van Fanel found himself in a mass of confusion. Allen handed Millerna to a maid and ran off. Van was going to do the same, but noticed a very confused Duo Maxwell. He looked lost, but as if he wanted to do something. I wonder if he is as good with a sword as he is with a guymelef? "Duo, would you come here, please?"

"Hey Van, what's going on here??" Duo asked. Van handed him a flat practice sword. Duo took the sword uneasily and looked back at Van's deep expression.

"There will soon be a great conflict. There is noting I can do to stop this. If Allen's sister has really been taken, then we will soon see an enemy of great threat. He will attack without mercy and will do so in an expert manner. I need to see how well your sword arm is." Van stated grimly. He brought his sword in front of his face and angled it down towards Duo. "Hit my sword to begin the duel."

Duo licked his chops and brought up his sword. He held it with a death grip, and Van began to worry. Duo hit Van's sword and then came down with a sloppy overhead attack. Van deflected it and brought the hilt of his sword into Duo's jaw. Duo went down instantly. Van sighed with a deep breath and walked over to help up the fallen pilot. This will not be easy.

Van offered his hand only to find Duo holding an odd piece of metal. It was black and had a hole in the front of it. "Bang! I win!!" Duo chirped. Van looked at him with confusion and concern for his sanity.

"What can you mean? You have no sword, only an odd shard of metal. Does this metal have mager SCIENTIFIC properties about it?" Van asked. He then helped Duo up and the boy held up the metal object. He then pointed it at an urn across the room. There was an incredible noise and fire erupted from the metal weapon. The urn burst into thousands of pieces.

Van looked in horror at the boy. "What in Atlantis' name IS that. It appeared to act like a cannon, but is much too small!" Van had sweat on his forehead. Duo raised a finger and opened his mouth to answer, but the room swarmed with guards. They positioned themselves in a formation that surrounded Duo. "Stand down! He meant no harm to me. He was merely showing me a new weapon of his."

The guards cleared out, each giving Duo the look of death. Van was surprised to see the boy accept the look with a cheerful expression. This boy is strong. He will be invaluable to our efforts. "I appreciate your showing me your hand-cannon, but in the future, please refrain from destroying priceless artifacts. That urn was from the original king of Fanelia." Van stated, not facing Duo, whose face went red.

*-*

Van found Allen in the hanger, preparing his guymelef for action. He had a determined look on his face that told Van that Allen was at war with himself. Van shook his head, knowing it would be hard to deal with a kidnapped loved one. Van walked up to the Schezard and rested against it. "Allen, I know how you must feelbut I cannot allow you to leave on a futile quest."

Allen stopped rotating the left arm's gear and turned to face Van. He sighed deeply. "My Lord I was not going to go after her. I know that would be a foolish jester that would return no reward. However, you know as well as I that there is a great storm coming." Allen's stare penetrated Van's cool exterior to find the secret dread in his heart. He then returned to working on his guymelef.

"Dillandeu" the voice of Van echoed throughout the room.

*-*

Dillandeu looked at Myria with his normal contempt. He knew that she was the head of Zaibach now, but still He did not need her stupid calculations and wit. He wanted only one thing. "Vannn, you just wait. I will have your head on my wall, yet."

"A bit grotesque, but I like it." Myria raised an eyebrow at him. Dillandeu returned it with a large sneer. "Anyway, we'll need a way to immobilize the Deathscythe HELL. Our suits are no match for the destructive power of that monster, but maybe we can get around that. Since we don't have any nuclear weapons, I don't know of any way to create an EMP pulse."

"ENOUGH OF YOUR IDIOCY! I am going to attack Fanelia with or without your support!" Dillandeu stormed out of the room flinging his cape as he went.

"Perfect," was all Dillandeu heard as he left. He wondered for half a second why she had sounded so damned pleased with herself.

*-*

"You wouldn't know what frequency your Guildemorphs transmit on would you?" asked Duo, who was stuck upside down in his cockpit. Van looked up from Escaflowne's gear exchange and wondered what he was talking about.

"They are Guymelefs. And No, I'm not really sure what you are talking about. Maybe the mechanics can help you. All I know is that I talk and the others can hear me." Van himself marveled that they knew so little about the technology they used. It all came from Zaibach's former ruler, but he failed to share their secrets with anyone. Now, all they could do is copy it, but never understand it.

"That's OK, just start blabbin in the thing and I can pick 'er up with the scanner." Called Duo. Van started to recite the code of the Fanelia knights. Duo called back that he had got it, but Van did not stop. He went through the entire code and then sat silent for a moment. He opened his eyes to see Duo starting at him.

"My apologies, but one does not start the code without stopping." Van returned Duo's stare, seeing pain behind them. "What's wrong, did I say something to offend you, Duo?"

"Naw, I was just thinking. If things had gone a little different when I was young, I might have been more like you. Your honor and courage, I gotta say that I'm impressed by them." Duo replied. He was sitting on the exit hatch of the Deathscythe Hell with his head between his knees. His odd hat was down close to his eyes.

"You would vanquish the God of Death to create another Van? I think that to be most foolish. Who one is has to be determined by what they have accomplished, both good and bad. If you wish to be someone else, you do nothing but dishonor yourself. Duo Maxwell saved Fanelia from destruction, where I once failed." With that Van closed up Escaflowne's cockpit and swung to the ground. "Get some sleep, young hero." Van walked out of the hanger leaving a stunned Duo in his wake.

*-*

It came that night. Van had expected the attack, but it still griped his heart with an icy hand. A bloody messenger from Asturia stammered his way in the door of the main chamber and told Van of an approaching guymelef force lead by a distinctly red Samurai. He then died at Van's feet. Van gritted his teeth and quenched his fist. "Allen, prepare the suits, and wake up Duo. Death has returned to Fanelia."

Van ran to the hanger, seeing thousands of troops prepare for battle. He got to Escaflowne as the ground crew was untying it from its spot on in the great room. He then hopped into the chair and strapped himself in. He closed the cockpit and let the suit tighten around him. He then saw an usually serious Duo run to the great black suit across from Van's. He gave Van a thumbs up, and Van hoped that was a good sign.

"There's undetermined damage to the outer wall! It appears that the suits are cloaked!!" called a young soldier from a lookout tower. The tower was then engulfed in fire. Van's worst fear had been realized, but he let his fear go and concentrated on finding the suits. He had learned long ago that with the help of his bond to Escaflowne, he could see the suits.

"I've got them, it looks like four of those Ninja suits. I can see them with the infrared scope." Duo's voice came over Van's earpiece exceptionally clear. "Here comes the God of Death!!" Van saw the wings of Deathscythe HELL open and the rear of it ignite into a blue fire. Van used his own ability to look at the suits. But, he's not there

"DUO!! LOOK OUT!! IT'S A TRAP!!" Van yelled over the mic. He put Escaflowne into a dead run for the wall. He saw the HELL land and run it's great green scythe into the head of one of the suits. It pointed its shield at another one, and to Van's astonishment, it flew off of it's arm to skewer another suit. The shield spun as it impacted and sent Samurai armor flying.

"Don't worry Van, I got it covered." Duo's voiced chirped over the radio. Then, just as Van had expected, dual columns of fire erupted from the forest beyond. The fire engulfed both the HELL and two remaining suits. Van was up to the wall by now, and he jammed his sword into the ground and used it to jump over the wall. He angled himself away from the fire.

"Vannnnnnn!!" a chilling voiced called out. Van paid no attention and charged the forest. He jumped into the air and brought down his sword. It was deflected by a Samurai flanking Dillandeu. Van used the remaining force of his descent to drive Escaflowne's knee into the Samurai's energist. The suit fell to the ground, lifless. Van brought up his sword to bear on the dual flame Samurai.

"Duo!! Are you alright? Report!!" Van yelled in the mic. He still had his complete concentration on the demon in front of him. He realized he couldn't attack to kill, due to the fact that Allen's sister was trapped inside a madman's mind. Dillandeu swayed back and forth, taunting Van with his Samurai.

"Oh, I'm sorry Van. Did I kill ANOTHER one of your friends? I guess it sure doesn't pay to befriend a curse like you!" Dillandeu called out. He then started laughing hysterically, and Van felt the rage inside of him start to break free. He brought up his sword by his shouder and pointed it directly at the red Samurai. When he was about to lose control and rip through the heart of the demon, he saw another demon. Out of the great flames that had engulfed Duo walked the Deathscythe Hell. It had its wings fully extended and the only feature that could be made out was its pulsing green eyes that thirsted for vengeance.

"H-HowAre you truly a D..Demon??" Dillandeu's voice had lost all it's confidence and was replaced with horror. The Deathscythe continued to approach slowly. Its scythe reignited and it held it up to bare on the red guymelef. Van saw that Duo meant to rip the suit apart, and that he had to stop him.

"No Duo!! Don't kill him! That's Allen's sister in there!! Listen to me Dammit!!" Van yelled. He then saw the Deathscythe charge Dillandeu. Dillandeu tried to avoid the strike as hard as he could. The scythe ripped the arm off of the guymelef, and it fell to the ground. Van realized he had no choice. He ran at Duo with all his might. Duo raised the scythe high into the air and the green eyes of HELL looked down at the fallen Samurai. Dillandeu screamed as the scythe came hurtling down at him. Van and the Escaflowne hit the side of the HELL with all of its inertia and the scythe hit the ground a mere meter from the red suit. Both the Escaflowne and the Deathscythe HELL fell to the ground.

Van looked over to see Dillandeu transform and take off into the night. He got his suit up and turned to see the Deathscythe HELL holding its scythe directly above Escaflowne's head. "Strike me down if you must, but I had to protect my people until the end. Even if she is now Dillandeu, Allen's sister is one of my people. Do as you will" Van threw down the sword of Escaflowne and waited. The great scythe of green sputtered and went out.

"Yeah, whatever. I guess I lost it back there. Sorry Van." Duo's voice filled Van with relief.

*-*

The hanger was full of damaged guymelefs and injured soldiers. Allen had told him that they had lost 7 guymelefs and 50 footsoldiers. This was less than the Zaibach casualties, but Fanelia would not win a war of attrition. He looked at the Deathscythe HELL, which had little more than carbon scoring on it. Truly an amazing machine. It's pilot had been silent since they had returned. Allen had nearly punched him, and while others applauded his efforts, others looked at him with contempt.

Van walked over to him, and started to say something, but was cut off. "We've got an injured civilian out here!!" called a scout. Van and Duo ran out to the field to find an injured girl. She was about Van's age and had staggering long blondish-red hair. She was beautiful, no doubt about it. Van caught her in his arms, noticing a gash in her mid-section. She looked up at him with piercing green eyes. Van's heart jumped into his throat.

"I'm sorry to bother you, my lord. I was injured in the fighting outside Astruia. I beg you to take me into your kingdom." She said in a weak voice. Van could tell she was losing consciousness. He cleared the hair from her face.

"Of course, my lady, but praytell, what is your name?" Van asked. She opened her eyes one last time.

"Myria"she said as she fell into unconsciousness.

To Be Continued!