Escaflowne, its vision, and the characters that surround it (who are also the center of this story) do not belong to me. They rightfully belong to Bandai Inc, and this story is non-profit and technically doesn't violate any laws. Hell. The doujinshi industry's alive and going. Why can't fanfics?

Seeress
Prelude: A Word

There are already very many Escaflowne fanfics on the world wide web. This is mine. It started out as a desire to write a fanfic about an obsession, but turned out to be very unoriginal. Most Escaflowne continuation fanfics carry the same plot. This fanfic has a lot of aspects that plot, but I, the authoress of it, hope to carry those aspects to a new level. My wish now, on this rewritten version of this fanfic, is to interpret this plot of different conflicts between different forces, human and nature, in my very own way. I hope that, in this process, you might be entertained a little as well. Now I present to you the rewrite of my very first Escaflowne fanfic, which is now a mini-series called Seeress, Part 1 of the Sky of Magic trilogy. Happy reading!

This coming first chapter is dedicated to Kippy-kun, who urged me to continue Seeress. Fueled by that constant nagging, I began on this rewrite that I've been playing around with in my mind since the end of the chapter I last finished in the original Seeress. Whichever one that was, I don't remember anymore. It's been a while. Hope you like it, Kippy. This should satisfy you for a while. Ten minutes, maybe ^^;;;

It's been two years since the war that had changed Gaia forever. The Great War, as it was commonly called, involved a web of complicated conflicts-each with a story of its own-weaved into a global war that began physically [said some] and ended [said others] with the visit of the Seeress. This story tells about the Seeress and the young king of a small country named Fanelia which was almost completely obliterated around the time of this king's coronation.

Separated by space and time, they each lead their own lives, which differ greatly. The Seeress, back in her own home world, leads one of success as a student, an athlete, a daughter, a sister, and as a person. The king, in his rebuilt castle, was working hard at rebuilding his home country, with more success than anyone imagined at first. There was still much to be done, but it was a start.

The prophecy that had long foretold of the Seeress' arrival had been fulfilled. That particular legend was completed. But there was another prophecy, forgotten by man over many years, that had never been told to the ears of modern man. By Chance or by Fate, the famed Seeress and the brave king will fulfill that prophecy as well. And that story goes something like this...

Seeress
One: Break-Out

A small girl skipped happily along the stone-paved road, singing a cheerful song to herself. Holding a bunch of the hem of her thin petticoat in one hand, she held a bouquet of plants in the other. She made a pretty picture.

"Hullo, Rayin," said a friendly old man passing by, "out to pick herbs for your ma again?"

"Yes, Rowen-san," Rayin nodded. "Ma has a headache."

"Well, hurry home." Rowen's daughter, Marelle, four years older than Rayin, replied, pressing a coin into the girl's hands. "Your ma will be wanting that medicine soon."

"Thank you so much, Marelle-chan," Rayin smiled gratefully. "I'll buy something good for ma with this."

"It's nothing at all," Marelle looked down at the small girl with kind eyes. "Your pa was a good friend of my grandpa's when they were still alive."

"Thanks anyways," Rayin insisted, "Bye!"

"Good-bye," replied Rowen and Marelle.

"The poor girl," Marelle said to her father, Rowen. "She must carry so much weight on her small mind."

"She's a good girl," agreed Rowen, beaming at his daughter. "She will do fine."

-

"Van-sama," a messenger boy knelt before a very tired Van, "message from Allen and Cerena of Austria, sir, requesting your audience."

Van sighed, "Granted."

"The message is dated from two weeks ago, sir." The boy recited promptly with a straight face, "Hope you're doing well, Van. We're coming to visit you in about a fortnight and a half. This message should have reached you by then. Cerena and I wish to come and play around with your mind again, you gullible bastard. We're bored. Don't bother with all the formal welcome crap. We'll be okay. See you then."

Van chuckled, "Okay. Thanks." He tossed the boy a silver coin, much more than the standard pay for a messenger, "You may go now."

"Thank you, Van-sama," the boy bowed emotionlessly and ran off. Van-sama was, after all, famous for being quite generous.

-

"Mama?" Rayin pushed open her mother's door with a bowl and spoon in her hand, "Mama? I'm home. And I made your medicine for your headache." There was no reply.

"Mama?" she called out again uncertainly. Moving over to her mother's bed behind the curtains, she dropped on her knees to the floor, eyes blank. But less than a moment later, she was rubbing her eyes and wondering what had happened.

What... was that? She had seen a big room. She was walking through it. And the walls were made of large gray stones. A beautiful carpet was laid over the stone floor, and it led up to the throne. The man at the throne, however, was a blur to her. She stopped in her track, soft carpet underneath her feet, confused. Someone gently pushed her to continue on, and she was back in her own little cottage, medicine spilt on the floor and all.

"Oh no!" she panicked, but recomposed herself after a moment. "I'd best check on mama first."

"Mama?" she lifted the curtain that blocked the doorway to her mother's room and peeked in, "Are you awake?"

She tip-toed in-her ma didn't quite like it when her daughter bothered her for no reason-and called out to her ma gently again, "Ma?"

Rayin was terrified to find her mother, pale and cold on the bed with blisters and specks of dry blood all over her skin. And Rayin did the only thing that came to her mind.

She screamed.

-

"Only seven, too," she heard someone near her whisper, as if it was a secret, "losing her mother like that."

"It's really such a pity," said another, whose voice did not seem nearly as sad and mourning as her words.

"A tragedy," the first woman agreed with all due drama.

"Enough," a strong, male voice interrupted with the gossip, "where's the young girl," he looked at his scroll, "named Rayin?"

Tear-stained, Rayin's face peeked from behind a curtain that she was clutching at, "Yes, sir?"

"Hello," the nice-looking man looked down at her smilingly, "Nice to meet you. My name is Kan. And I would like you to come with me to meet some special people. Don't worry. We'll take good care of you. And this house will be protected, too."

-

Rayin cried to herself softly as she road in a little horse-drawn carriage. She neither noticed the official sitting across from her in the carriage watching her warily nor the beautiful scenery they were passing by out the window. And they continued that way for more than three hours, across the endless plains and emptiness, until they reached the city.

The city was large and bustling, and Rayin grew fascinated with all the quaint shops they were passing by, and, being the young child she was, she soon forgot about the terrifying scene she had seen.

"Do you like the things they display at the shops?" the man accompanying her asked.

"Yes, sir, I like them very much. What are they, please?"

"Oh, just quaint little things," the official man whom, Rayin remembered, introduced himself as Kan, answered, "Little playthings, mostly."

"Oh," the little girl replied.

"We can take a visit to some of these shops on our way back, if the King allows," Kan suggested. "How would you like that?"

Rayin swallowed nervously, "That would be nice, thank you."

-

The castle, as Kan described, was magnificent. Led by a young and lively maid, Rayin and Kan strolled through the main castle gardens and the beautiful halls before they reached the throne room. Rayin, fascinated with the beautiful places, forgot her fear about going to meet new peopl. The walls were very majestic-looking gray stone, she noted. And the carpet was pretty. The carpet had-

Wait a minute. The stone wall and the carpet that leads up to...

Hasn't she seen this place before? And... wasn't this place a... throne room?

-

"Van-sama," the head servant reported cheerfully with a grin on her face, "the preparations for the accommodations for Sir Allen and Lady Cerena are finished."

"Good," Van replied, "Is there anything else I'm supposed to accomplish today?" he yawningly asked his secretary, who was sitting next to him. It's been a long day of debates and decisions to make.

"You have yet to meet the little girl-Rayin-about her mother's death," his trusty secretary Ren replied.

"Oh," Van didn't look very interested in meeting a girl about her mother's painful death.

"Her mother died of what our doctors speculate as what may be a new form of a disease."

"Oh," Van thought for a moment, "Ah, I guess we'll see what happens."

"Miss Rayin of the Common House," a servant announced.

"Oh let her in," Van replied.

In small stepped, a little girl in what looked like dirty rags sewn together was led in by Kan. The little girl-Rayin, he presumed-clutched onto Kan's hand nervously. And when they got close enough to Van, Kan bowed graciously, while Rayin gave a rather clumsy attempt at a curtsey.

"Your majesty," Kan announced with all due drama, "I bring before you Rayin, daughter of, well, Rayin, who had died recently of an unknown cause. We, the counsel, felt that it was important enough a matter to bring up to Your Majesty, for it may affect the health and well-being of other citizens of this blessed country."

"Your majesty," Rayin murmured to the floor, extremely nervous.

"Hello, Rayin," Van beamed at Rayin, eyes ever so friendly [compared to his previous image of a hot-headed young king of Fanelia, anyway]. "You must be tired from your journey. Gods know I would be. Would you like something to drink?"

Rayin looked up sheepishly at Van, "Well," she admitted, "may I have some water please?"

"Of course," Van replied. A servant brought a full glass of water to her. "Let us speak in the study, it'll be easier for all of us that way."

Eek. The chapters for this fanfics are going to be much shorter than those for Ayashi no Kijutsu, and that's because everything is moving so fast.

Thanks must go to my friends for supporting me so well.

And... what else do I say? Hmm. The plot is really intricate, and I've had this plot going for almost a year now. I am still revising it as I go along, so please comment on how the plot develops. In my opinion, that is one of the two most important things in a story (that most fanfiction lack), the other being character development.

Constructive criticism will be appreciated. I depend on all of you guys SO much for my fanfics.

~Amichan, at 3:49 pm on May 5th, 2002.