Zaibach marches through the now destroyed Freid.  The castle is ablaze and dead bodies litter the streets
Dilandau:  "Shesta, have you found the Dragon?"
Shesta:  "No, I haven't.  The enemy melefs are almost annihilated.  We've secured the castle."
Dilandau:  "Something's wrong.  It's too easy.  The Dragon isn't around.  That's strange..."
Shesta:  "The main army has entered the citadel."
Dilandau:  "Shesta, the Dragonslayers will stay here."
Shesta:  "But..."
Dilandau:  "Don't make me repeat myself.  We'll wait until the Dragon makes its move."

On the floating fortress...
Soldier:  "Lord Folken, the Dragonslayers have stopped advancing."
Folken:  "Just like you, Dilandau.  We won't be able to obtain the legendary treasure of Freid so easily, will we?"

Spiffy CG panning as Zaibach enters the citadel.  Boris is there, in a guymelef
Soldier:  "There's a survivor!"
One of the Zaibach guymelefs fires and impales Boris (you know, that was just really pathetic ^_^*)
Boris:  "I won't let you have the treasure of Freid!  Prince Chid, please escape safely."
Before Boris bites the dust, he smashes a statue which causes the entire citadel to collapse on top of the Zaibach soldiers
Dilandau: "W... what the...?!"
However, through the falling rubble, Dilandau spots the Freid floating ships making their escape
Dilandau:  "Well done.  We were set up.  A sacrifice?  laughs  They sacrificed their army on such a scale.  Well done!  You're incredible, Freid! laughs maniacally"
Shesta:  "Lord Dilandau!"

On the Freid floating ships, Chid looks on at his destroyed country
Chid:  "The castle... the castle is burning."
Hitomi watches as Chid collapses to the floor in sorrow
Chid:  "Boris... everyone...  Everyone died so we could escape."
Van remembers back to what happened...

Van tries to leave the castle in Escaflowne, but is stopped by Boris
~Boris~:  "Please restrain yourself, King of Fanelia!"
~Van~:  "Boris..."
~Boris~:  "I've come to ask you a tremendous favor."
~Van~:  "I know!  That's why I'm going to protect the gate..."
~Boris~:  "That's our duty!  Lord Van, I'm counting on you."

Back in the present, Van is snapped out of his daydream by
Duke Freid:  "Don't cry!  If you have time to cry, then watch closely, Chid!  Behold Boris and the others, who sacrificed their lives.  This is the fate of those who were born in Freid, and your responsibility as the future Duke!  Don't weep!  You're the Prince of Freid!"
Chid stands up and tries to keep himself from crying any more
Millerna:  "Allen, your eyes seem so sad, looking at Chid.  Chid is yours and Marlene's..."
A sudden flash to what Duke Fried said earlier
~Duke Freid~:  "Chid is my son!"
Millerna:  "Chid and I are the only ones who didn't know..."
Hitomi is looking out the window
Hitomi:  "The castle is disappearing from sight."

Back on the Zaibach floating fortress, the Old Guy is lecturing Folken again
Dornkirk:  "Folken, my fate predictor has made an error.  The object we're searching for is to the west of Godasim."
Folken:  "West...?  Fortona Temple..."
Dornkirk:  "I want to see out ideal future as soon as possible.  The image of our bright future..."
Dornkirk's image fades, and the lights go out (darn power failures :P)
Folken:  "Fortona Temple... the oldest temple in Freid."

We pan down to a temple located in a crater.  There are a bunch of monks sitting around and chanting here as well
Duke Freid:  "The time for our final battle has come.  We must stop at nothing to protect the legendary treasure of Freid.  I came to the last fort, Fortona, to ask you, the Zegu clan, for help."
Kaja:  "We knew.  Our clan exists only for this day.  We will not waste the sacrifice of Boris and the others.  That is the fate of those born in Freid.  Your Majesty, I want to return the sword we're been protecting."
Duke Freid takes the sword
Duke Freid:  "Chid, I'll tell you of the fate of those born in the royal family.  King of Fanelia, Allen, since we're going to fight together, I want you to listen as well."

The group enters a sealed room in the temple
Merle:  "This feels creepy."
Hitomi:  "What is this place?  I feel some kind of mysterious power."
Duke Freid takes the sword with an Energist on its hilt and thrusts it into the floor.  A phantom image of a winged person momentarily floats up from it.  The Energist glows and projects an image on the wall
Allen:  "That's..."
Duke Freid:  "Yes, it's written in the ancient letters of Atlantis.  The legendary treasure we've been protecting is the power of Atlantis.  Everything is written upon it."
Allen:  "Atlantis..."
Merle:  "What's wrong?"
Hitomi:  "I can... I can see it."
Duke Freid:  "The people of Atlantis controlled the earth, sea, and sky."
Hitomi:  "Because of their great power, they became conceited and proclaimed themselves gods."
Images of the winged people of Atlantis flash by as Hitomi continues
Hitomi:  "The converted people's wishes to power, and governed Atlantis."
Duke Freid:  "However..."
There are images of Atlantis being consumed by flames, and the winged people getting vaporized by the heat.  Atlantis falls...  And so does Hitomi (passes out, rather)
Merle:  "Hey, c'mon!"
Millerna:  "Hitomi!"
Duke Freid:  "Atlantis was ruined because of that power.  So no one could use such power again, the survivors sealed the power beneath Fortona Temple.  The duty of Freid's royal family is to protect the key to the seal.  Chid, do not let anyone resurrect the power of Atlantis.  If you're my son, you'll understand."
Chid:  "Yes, Father."
Merle:  "Hitomi?"
Millerna glances at Allen, who is calmly taking everything in

It is storming.  The Freid soldiers guard the temple.  Hitomi walks into the storehouse and sees Van standing in front of Escaflowne with his arms outstretched
Hitomi:  "Van..."
Van is using the Pendant Method to visualize Escaflowne, perhaps to make it move without him inside of it
Hitomi:  "Van...?"
Van:  "Oh, Hitomi.  What is it?"
Hitomi:  "Allen is looking for you, and I thought you'd probably be here."
Van:  "I see."
Hitomi:  "You look pale.  What have you been doing?"
Van:  "Doing what you told me."
Hitomi:  "Eh?"
Van:  "I apologize... for asking you things like that without considering your feelings at the time."
Flash to last episode
~Hitomi~:  "Don't make me read fortunes!"
Hitomi:  "It's alright.  I was a little hysterical.  That was embarrassing."
Van:  "You told me about something called... dowsing, didn't you?  I was practicing it."
Hitomi:  "Dowsing...?"
Van:  "You told me you can see something invisible if you project it into your mind.  So I've decided not only to use Escaflowne, but to visualize it, so I can improve my control.  I'm not going to just use it, I'll make it a part of me while fighting."
Hitomi:  "Van..."
Van:  "Hitomi, I'll no longer..."
Van sort of cuts off there, then runs off
Hitomi:  "Van..."
Hitomi looks up at Escaflowne, and its Energist glows.  Cue another Vision of Impending Doom(tm)!  Everything is red, and everyone is dead.  It is raining red
Hitomi:  "What...?!"
Duke Freid is standing in the middle of it all.  He turns to Hitomi, lifelessly, then begins to melt ala the Wicked Witch of the West.  Hitomi collapses once the vision has ended
Hitomi:  "Red... red rain..."

Forebodingly enough, it is indeed raining outside...  But it stops and gets all sunny :P  Allen is looking out the window, then sees Chid walking down the hall.  They share a glance, and Allen looks like he's trying to make up his mind to say something.  However, the moment passes, and so does Chid.

On the battlefield, the sun rises.  Thousands of Zaibach troops stand at the ready.  A scout with a scope gives the signal to advance.  The pendant swings, and Hitomi is alerted
Millerna:  "Hitomi?"
Hitomi:  "The battle has just begun."
Pyle:  "Boss!  They've come!  Zaibach's attacking!"
Gaddess:  "Alright, once the third defense line's been penetrated, get Crusade ready.  We'll protect this place no matter what.  Understood?"

Elsewhere in the temple, Merle is praying to a statue
Merle:  "God... you're God, aren't you?  Please protect Lord Van.  Please protect him so he returns safely from the battle.  Please, God, protect Lord Van."

With the foreboding requiem-like BGM "Blaze" starting up at this point, you're kinda clued in that things are not gonna turn out good.  Zaibach's guymelefs slide down the hill.  Escaflowne, Scherezade, and the rest of Freid's army stands at the ready.
Soldier:  "Here they come!"
Zaibach's forces smash through the defense line.  While Van and Allen seem to be holding their own, they alone succeeding aren't enough
Allen:  "They've gotten through..."
Duke Freid, in his own cream-colored guymelef, skewers one of Zaibach's machines
Duke Freid:  "How dare you, Zaibach...!"
Dilandau:  "Out of my way!"
Dilandau slices up one of Freid's melefs
Dilandau:  "Duke Freid!"
Dilandau charges and flattens another Freid melef
Dilandau:  "Don't interfere, small fry."
Duke Freid attempts to charge, but he is blocked.  Dilandau skewers him off-center, and tears off one of his guymelef's arms
Dilandau:  "Not yet!"
He does the same to the Duke's guymelef's other arm
Soldier:  "Your Majesty!"
Duke Freid:  "You bastard!"
Duke Freid's facemask is shattered, and his melef falls
Dilandau:  "I've got you!"
He is about to strike, but Allen gets in the way
Dilandau:  "Not you again, Allen."
Allen:  "Sire, leave it to me for now and withdraw."
However, Allen's not faring very well.  Scherezade's arm gets torn off as well.  Duke Freid watches all this
Kaja:  "Sire, please withdraw to the temple now!"
Duke Freid:  "I've figured it out.  God wishes for the resurrection of the power of Atlantis, and wants the people of Gaea to endure these ordeals.  If so, I'll give it to them.  I'll give the power to Zaibach.  However, the power of Atlantis is the power of people.  Though Atlantis was ruined because of this power, Gaea won't necessarily suffer the same fate.  We will create our own fate.  Our children will lead us to a bright future.  Kaja, I'll leave it to the future generation, and die along with the old ways.  Take care of Chid.  It'll be hard, but he'll get over it, because he's my son."
Meanwhile, the battle between Allen and Dilandau continues.  However, this time Van steps in to save him
Van:  "I'll take care of this!  You look after His Majesty!"
Allen:  "Van..."
Van seems to easily slice and dice the Zaibach soldiers.  However, something weird happens every time he gets hit...  Allen jumps out of Scherezade and sees the Duke
Allen:  "Duke Freid!"
Duke Freid is standing out like a hood ornament in the middle of the battlefield.  He challengingly draws his sword
Duke Freid:  "I am Mahad Nal Freid!  If you want a great achievement, then fight me!  I'm the Duke of Freid!"
Allen:  "Sire!"
Well, since the guy's practically saying "Shoot me!", Duke Freid gets skewered by about a dozen arrows from all sides.  As he falls, he remembers Marlene's final moments
~Marlene~:  "Your Majesty, you forgave me.  I wanted to stay with you longer, because I love you."
Duke Freid:  "Marlene...?"
And so, the great Duke Freid falls dead
Allen:  "Sire!"
Kaja:  "Please wait, Allen!"
Allen:  "What are you doing?  Let go of me!"
Kaja:  "Our battle is over.  That was His Majesty's decision.  Please understand."
Allen halfheartedly struggles for a second, then collapses helplessly

Meanwhile, Van's chopping down Zaibach melefs left and right
Dilandau:  "Is he a demon or something...?"
Folken:  "Dilandau, have the Dragonslayers withdraw.  Duke Freid is dead, and this battle will soon be over.  You can proceed with your duty when it's over."
Dilandau:  "Hmph.  I'll leave that pleasure for later."
Dilandau disappears, while Van stands around in Escaflowne, just looking scary.

The floating fortress once again
Soldier:  "The Dragonslayers are withdrawing."
Folken:  "Good.  Send a message to General Adelphos.  In the name of Dornkirk, we'll talk about a cease-fire agreement.  Chief of Staff Folken has all authority."

Back at the temple, Chid receives the news rather well
Chid:  "Good work, Kaja.  I'll surely carry out Father's will."
Gaddess:  "Prince, we can still fight, as can our Commander."
Chid:  "Thank you, Gaddess.  I'll never forget your friendship.  But this was Father's dying wish.  I'll endure this hardship, and rebuild Freid."
Hitomi:  "Prince Chid..."
Chid:  "You told me that any wish'll come true."
Hitomi:  "Prince..."
Chid:  "I won't cry anymore.  I promised Father.  I'm the Duke of Freid."

Folken, leading the Zaibach troops, lands at the temple to discuss the cease-fire arrangements
Folken:  "I respect your courage, Prince Chid.  Now a meaningless battle has ended."
Chid:  "Folken, you'll keep your promise, won't you?"
Folken:  "If Freid shows us proof of friendship, we won't interfere with the ships, Crusade, until it leaves Freid.  Now, present us with the proof of friendship."
Chid somehow manages to lift a giant sword over his head (maybe it's made of Lithium or some other light metal)
Chid:  "The Duke of Freid, Chid Zaal Freid, gives our legendary treasure, the Sealing Sword, to Zaibach!"

While this is going on, everyone else leaves on the Crusade in peace.  Well, maybe not...
Pyle:  "Boss, we gotta big problem!"
Gaddess:  "What's wrong?"
Pyle:  "The King isn't getting out!  He isn't getting out of Escaflowne!"
Allen:  "What?"
Pyle:  "He sat Escaflowne on the bench, but he hasn't gotten out.  Something's wrong!"

Merle is in the storage room, pleading with Escaflowne
Merle:  "Lord Van, please answer me!  Lord Van!"
However, we see blood slowly dripping from Escaflowne's cockpit.  Inside, still strapped to the controls, Van's hand is motionless, blood dripping from it...