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Lost Paradise: The company surround the fallen mecha, trying to get Van out. Escaflowne lies dark and smoking slightly. Hitomi pulls ineffectually at the face grilles, and then her arms pass through the metal, and the glow of the jewel on the mecha's breast fades. Hitomi slumps limply on top of the mecha. Hitomi2 approaches the grey figures of a line of marching dead from the rear, and runs through their lines, shouting, "Van, where are you?" A grey Van is marching with the other dead. As Hitomi reaches and touches him, her arm passes through him and he fades away. Millerna is feeling Hitomi's pulse. She releases Hitomi's wrist and says, "It's stopped." Hitomi is lying on the stones of a great courtyard in what appears to be Atlantis, complete with fine buildings and flying angels. She finds Van, seated beneath a tree, and asks him if he will return. The scene darkens into one of fiery destruction, and the ground starts breaking up as if consumed by a volcanic eruption. Merle shakes Hitomi1 and when this has no effect slaps her on the face, calling out Van's name. Hitomi2 hears, and she and Van ascend a shaft of light, clinging together. Hitomi1 wakes, Escaflowne brightens, and Van climbs out. Dilandau, standing at the rail of an airship, has an emotional crisis, and slumps to his knees, saying that he is alone. Presumably he means that all his handsome companions are dead. Van, practicing sword moves, has an unpleasant red vision of dying boys. Allen talks of an earlier incident when a younger Allen challenged the Fanelian warrior Balgus and was promptly disarmed and suitably chastened. Dryden is in his library with Millerna, trying to find a solution to their urgent problems in the books. Allen seems unimpressed. Millerna says that Escaflowne is the least of their problems. Millerna asks Hitomi if she can talk to her as a friend, and talks about her own feelings for Allen, while saying that she is asking about a friend. Millerna asks for advice, and Hitomi is quite willing to give it. Millerna complains that Hitomi's suggestions are rather heartless. The cat-girl's ears are flapping, and she butts in and asks who Hitomi loves. Hitomi asks what her feelings have to do with Merle. Merle insists on an answer, and Hitomi says that she does love Allen. Asked if she loves Van or not, Hitomi is unable to give a satisfactory answer, except that she doesn't know. Two cat-girls climb into their Zaibach mechas and zoom off to attack the Crusade, causing some panic and confusion. Van launches Escaflowne, but fares rather badly, especially when he realises he is fighting women. He also has that bloody vision of dying boys again. Merle places herself suicidally in front of the downed Escaflowne to protect Van. The cat-girls recollect an incident in their own childhood when one of them tried to shield the other from a mob. Declining to attack another cat-creature, they withdraw. The Guided Ones: A man is seen climbing a cliff. on reaching the top, he sees a figure descending in a beam of light. She is young, and wearing a kimono. On a Zaibach airship, Folken talks with his two cat-girls. The company is on Drysen's airship. Dryden reads from the book written by Allen's father. The conversation ranges over the Mystic Moon, and maboroshi no tani ("the mysterious valley") which is the focus of interest in this episode. On the Crusade. The knife incident is a scene from one of Dryden's books. The story angers Allen, who is struggling with his feelings about his lost father. The scene switches to modern Japan. Hitomi's mother receives two friends of Hitomi. It seems that Hitomi is missing! The mother says that she has dreamt about Hitomi, and that she is well and with someone called Allen. The girl visitor has dreamt of Hitomi too. On the Crusade, they are reading about the traveller, who meets "Isaac". Allen's father' Leon Schezar, knew Dornkirk and was investigating the valley. In Japan, Hitomi's mother shows the visitors a photo album. One picture looks like Hitomi, but in fact it is Hitomi's grandmother, wearing a kimono. On the Crusade, Hitomi has a vision of the traveller - Allen's father - climbing the cliff. She sees her grandmother as a young girl - and this is the person whom Allen's father meets and falls in love with. The two speak briefly before Hitomi's grandmother is pulled back to Earth. Hitomi returns abruptly to her surroundings aboard the Crusade. A brief scene of the Zaibach capital. The Zaibach are also interested in the Valley, which has some connection with the Atlanteans, and with the "Dragon Clan" - Van's ancestors. Dilandau has had a mental breakdown and is strapped to a table, shouting incoherently about Allen Schezar and about to be injected by doctors. Allen storms off, and Hitomi chides Dryden for upsetting him. She follows Allen and speaks to him about his father. Eventually, he thanks her for coming. Van goes to look for her. The Crusade runs into turbulence and scrapes by some floating rocks. In alarm, Hitomi grabs hold of Allen. Van sees them and plainly isn't pleased. Emerging from the turbulence, they sight maboroshi no tani - the mysterious valley. Dryden turns to Allen's book but finds a page has been torn out. The Zaibach airship with Folken and the cat-girls on board is also here; having been alerted by Domkirk. The cat-girls launch in their air / land battle mechas, but as they near the Crusade a great beam of light strikes... |
