Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowneã...someone else does unfortunately and I'm deeply saddened by that! Oo;

Dedication: Heeeerrreeee's Leia! I'm back! After what, a month or so of Gundam Wing this, Gundam Wing that? *Chuckles and shrugs* Hey, I couldn't help it if I were living in the Gundam Wing world...it's really hard to leave, what with Heero & Duo being introduced into the world. *Mutters* Not saying that Van isn't good enough, hell, he's wonderful! To *Sagittarius Girl* & Taemyr. Thanks a ton for believing.

~One Winged Angel~

By: Lynzi Knight
          Rating: R / NC-17

Chapter 3 – Hold Her Down!

"Hello my friend,
We meet again[LK1] .
It's been awhile,
Where should we begin?
It feels like forever."

          Her dreams were frightening, disturbing and grotesque. She didn't understand what any of them meant. They were new. In her dreams she was seeing the wall of mutilated children and woman all over again, only this time it was worse. Her baby brother, Shiro hung on the front of them. Pins were nailed into his ankles as they were crossed over each other and they were nailed into his shoulders. He hung from the wall, his thick sandy-brown bangs lying across his eyes as his head hung to the side limply. His chest was bare and all he wore were a pair of light brown Khaki pants and dark brown gloves on his hands. Wisps of dry crimson trailed down his chest, dripped off from his bare toes, and dribbled down his chin. His gloves were soaked in crimson and dripped noisily into the soiled ground beneath him. His eyes would never open again. The sea-green eyes that mirrored her own would never see the sun. It was depressing.

            As she stared at her brother's body, far-off in the back of her mind, a sharp pain caused her head to throb uncontrollably. The images in her mind blurred and finally faded to complete blackness. Loud, hoarse screams broke through her nightmares. Her own throat felt hoarse and she began to cough without the control to stop. It suddenly felt hot everywhere and everything felt like it was on fire. The throbbing in her head increased. It were as if her head were the drum and someone decided to take a long, thick stick to her head to beat at it without leniency. She let a wail slip deep from her throat as she threw back her head. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she felt her eyes burn. What was happening to her? Why did she feel like this? She felt as if death had touched its bony finger to her forehead and used that one command on her that would send her crashing into oblivion.

            Die.

            Rough hands seized her by the shoulders. Hard fingers dug into her back and collarbone as her screams grew louder, more sharper. Her wails sounded desperate, full of immense pain that would not stop hurting. Loud, hard voices yelled at her from the back of her mind. She pushed them aside and began to thrash blindly against the hands that tried to restrain her. She felt something hard beneath her. Her leg ached with great pain and shot forth tremendous bouts of pain. The pain that racked her body unforgivingly blinded her. The voices grew louder. More hands seized her body. They pushed her down into the hard thing beneath her. Was it a bed? Where was she? She felt the tears on her cheeks, the pain that caused her body to throb in time with her own heartbeat that was erratic and off the charts. It hurt so much! Why? She lifted her arms and felt her fingers clamp down onto someone's arm. Her nails dug into their flesh and in the distance, she heard a hiss of pain. It was dismissed as she was pushed down harder into the hard board.

            "Do something! Quiet her down!"

            The voices were right in her ear, yet they sounded as if they were vibrating against the walls of her mind just to reach her in the spot where she was.

            "Wake up, Hitomi!" The deep voice was inside her mind. Where was it? Who did it belong to? "Hold her down! Dammnit, Hitomi, open your fucking eyes!"

            She felt her entire body go slack underneath the hands. The throbbing pain went along with her heartbeat and more tears came to her eyes as she just lay there on the board. The hands pushed down on her shoulders and arms before lifting away. One set of hands cupped her face. She felt her head turn slowly to the side. Was she facing someone? Who was holding her face so tenderly, yet firmly? Whoever was cupping her face let out a grunt of pain. The fingers pressed down into her cheeks and relaxed immediately. They were afraid of hurting her! Something caressed her lips and then went down along the bridge of her nose. She absently lifted a hand and placed it over the left hand that held her face. There was a soft sigh of relief.

            "Hitomi?" The voice was gentle, soft, loving. "Open your eyes. Can you do that for me?"

            Hitomi felt her eyes slide open slowly. It wasn't bright and wasn't too dark in the room. A pair of dark eyes stared down at her, stared down into her eyes. She blinked, squeezing her eyes shut tightly before opening them up again. She swallowed as she squeezed the hand beneath her hand that cupped her face. The dark eyes closed and a small smile touched full lips as they lowered towards her face. Those lips rested on her forehead.

            "You're back with us. I was afraid that you'd never come back." The voice was the same one that had shouted at her earlier. "I'm glad that you're back, Hitomi."

            "Where am I?" Her own voice was hoarse; her words were barely a whisper. He had heard them clearly.

            Van nuzzled his lips into her hair. "You're with me, safe and sound in Ryn's home. Don't worry, nothing bad can happen to you now."

            Hitomi tried to slowly sit up as she took his hands from her face and held them. "What happened?"

            "Perhaps you'd like some water before we get into a big discuss?" Ryn stepped forward with a glass of water that looked inviting.

            Hitomi's head bobbed up and down like a cork. Ryn handed her the water and Van helped her. Taking large sips, she felt the icy liquid freeze and burn her throat and lips at the same time. It was painful and refreshing all at once. She gently nudged the empty glass away when she had had enough. She lifted her head, her eyes going around the room. She spotted five dark figures looming around in the dim light. She couldn't recognize them. Who were they? What did they want with her now? Didn't they know that she had gone through enough pain already?

            "Who else is here?"

            Van looked over his shoulder and then back at her. "Allen, Merle, Merriam, Ryn's wife and Ryn himself."

            "Oh. What are they all doing in here?"

            "They were worried about you, Hitomi. You were screaming like someone was killing you. What had happened? What did you see?" His eyes were large and full of compassion. "Please, Hitomi, you must tell me."

            "Nightmares."

            "Nightmares," Van echoed. "What kind of nightmares?"

            "Bad ones. Ones that make your bone turn stiff, cause your blood to turn into ice, make your sweat greatly." She buried her face into her hands as she tore them from his hands. "I don't want to ever see it all again, Van, just make it go away."

            "I wish I could, Hitomi. I wish I could." He swallowed thickly. He really wished that he could've been able to see what she had seen. He had been able to feel what she had felt during the time of the nightmares, but that had been all. "I felt it, Hitomi, I just couldn't see it."

            Hitomi shook her head. "You wouldn't have wanted to see it all anyways!"

            "I would've wanted to be there with you to guide you and to protect you." His words were spoken with sincere emotion and feeling. His voice trembling slightly and he hadn't the slightest clue as to why.

            "I don't want you to get involved," the clairvoyant sobbed.

            The king of Fanelia placed his large hands on her trembling shoulders and squeezed them encouragingly. "I'm already involved, Hitomi. I've been involved since I first met you, laid eyes on you on the Mystic Moon. Whether you like to admit it or not, we are linked as one."

            His words confused her. Her confusion turned into frustration immediately and she began to shed more tears. She couldn't speak. Van sighed lightly and sat down on the bed beside her thighs. Wrapping his arms around her, he brought her to him, cradling her body to his. He hated it when she cried like this. He hated it when he couldn't quite understand the things that she went through. A Seeker. That's what everyone called her in Fanelia. Had called her. She was the Seeker of Truth. She saw things no other did. She felt things no other did. She was special to him and special to the whole world.

            "How long have I been here, Van?" She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked around the room at the various faces.

            "You've been lying in this same bed for the past"—he glanced over at her ankle that was bandaged in just a thin wrapping—"six weeks."

            "Why so long?"

            "Well, we have tried to awaken you before, but you didn't respond to most of our calls. For a few days we thought you were dead, but today's incident had turned our minds around quickly into the right path of thought."

            Allen watched from the doorway. His eyes were trained on Hitomi's face, the tears that left streaks on her flushed cheeks, her lips that trembled. For a moment, he thought about his little sister. Guilt flooded him so fast he had to turn his head to the side and fight it back with tightly clenched teeth.

            "I'm going for a walk."

            Van's head lifted at the strained tone in Allen's deep voice and he followed the knight of Caeli with his troubled eyes. Hitomi sighed heavily and began to wipe away at her tears. The movement jerked him back to where he was, the present, the cruel world that he now lived in. Whatever had happened to it? How did it seem to turn into a dark planet in so little time? He didn't understand that part. Right after she had left him and Gaia, everything had darkened. It was as if Gaia and the inhabitants had depended on her and her powers to guide them into the next time, to protect them.

            "What happened, Van, anybody?"

            "I…don't know what had happened to you, Hitomi, only you know what had happened. Ryn might be able to explain it, but I was…away."

            "Ryn"—Hitomi's head turned in the direction of the King's friend—"what had happened? Had you been the one to find me?"

            Ryn nodded, his beady eyes grave. "Yes, Mistress Hitomi. I had found you by a wall with mutilated children and women back in Fanelia. You were nursing your broken ankle. As to how it broke, I do not know."

            "I was…running away from the wall, or trying to." Her brow furrowed in concentration. "My foot hit something hard and unmoving and I fell to the ground. My leg was then broken before I hit the ground. Before I was attempting to walk away, there was a small voice in the back of my mind. 'Welcome home…Hitomi' was what it had said to me. I didn't understand it until I saw the blue roof of the Fanelian castle for a second time. It was then that I realized I was back on Gaia."

            Van gently rubbed her back. "Yeah, well sorry we weren't able to give you a proper welcoming."

            "No, that's quite all right, Van. Neither you, nor anyone else knew of my arrival. Hell, I didn't even know about it."

            Ryn and Merriam both nodded at the same time. "That is quite true, Van," Merriam spoke up. "Luckily Ryn spotted the column of light while he was out searching for survivors."

            "Did you happen to find any?" Van looked at him.

            "No, Van, I am sorry." Ryn lowered his head in shame.

            "That's all right, Ryn. I didn't expect anyone to survive anyways. It was a strong attack that the enemy had dropped on us. We weren't prepared."

            Hitomi heard the tone of remorse in his voice. "Don't blame yourself, Van. If you didn't know of the attack, then it was not your fault in the first place. It was Dryden's entire fault, from what I was told." She glanced over at Ryn who held her gaze strongly. "Adama Ish, Lig Visha and Balgus cannot be put together, Ryn."

            "I know, Hitomi."

            "Yes, they're all dead. Adama Ish has been dead for over the past ten decades, Lig Visha another twenty decades. How can they get the three swordsmen together to create the Power?"

            "You are the Seeker, Hitomi." Van's voice was soft in her ear. He understood the deal between the three greatest swordsmen. "Seek out the truth, Hitomi, snatch it up and cradle it with your warmth. Talk to it, force it to reveal the truth to you."

            Hitomi stared at him. "I am not this Seeker of Truth that you speak of, Van. I'm merely someone who has frightening visions. They'll haunt me till I'm dead, Van, they'll never stop. Do you not understand that I do not want to see anymore of it? You can't imagine the pain and fear I put up with. I see things other do not. I see things that even you yourself do not see."

            He sensed the distress in her words and stared at her. "It's all right, Hitomi, calm down. Don't go and get worked up on this matter. We do not have to take care of it till later on in life." He was trying to assure her.           

            "For some reason, Van, I do not believe, nor can I believe it." Hitomi's hands reached up to grasp the pendant hanging around his thick neck. Her fingers brushed along his well-defined collarbone and she didn't hear his sharp intake of breath. "This does nothing to seek the truth, Van. Why do you wear it?"

            Van stared down at her. "It reminds me of you. It reminds me of the good times you and I had when we were together before. Do you not remember those times?"

            "I remember them, Van, oh how I remember them." She closed her eyes and felt a shudder touch her body.

            "What is it that you remember about our time spent together, Hitomi?"

            "The war, the thirst for blood in Dilandau's eyes, everything."

            "I see. What about the time you and I spent together alone?"

            "Those times, Van, I'm afraid were scant. You were so preoccupied with having Dilandau's head for the destruction done to your country, that you fought your war more then spending your time with me."

            "I was fighting those wars to spend time with you!" Van pulled away from her and stared at her, his eyes flashing hazardously.

            "I was just in the way, Van at the time, that you didn't spend any time with me. Whatever time you spent with me was a rare thing to hold onto, to cherish. The only times I ever spent quality time with you was either when I was slapping you for your use of words about my abilities or else when we were trying to get away from the enemy so they couldn't hurt me anymore."

            "When they hurt you, Hitomi, they hurt me."

            "Really?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. "But with everytime I hurt, Van, you were right back out on that damned battlefield fighting in your war."

            Van narrowed his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest. "As I had said earlier, Hitomi, I was fighting those damn wars to spend time with you. I wanted to be with you, Hitomi, honestly I did, but—"

            "But your wars and battles always came first." She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. She didn't grimace as she felt the pain shoot up her leg from her still mending ankle. Van, however, felt her pain and became concerned immediately. "I should've known that it was always that then me." She began to walk away from him towards the door.

            Van 's hand shot out and clamped down onto her elbow. He spun her around. He felt her pain again as her ankle twisted. She didn't grimace, her face remained impassive towards her feelings now. "You're still not well to go wandering around. Stay in bed a few more weeks."

            Hitomi's left brow rose in question. She wrenched her arm from his grasp. "Now you worry yourself about me? Well it's a little too late for that, Van, don't you think?"

            "I felt your pain, Hitomi," he hissed under his breath. His eyes burned into hers.

            She was still for a moment or two before she spoke again. "It's really a shame that you start to feel now, Van, it really is." With her last words spoken, she spun back around and limped towards the door. With every step taken, she pushed aside the throbbing and continued on. Van felt the pain, every bit of it and winced for her. What was going on with her? Why was she acting this way? This wasn't the Hitomi who had left him not so long ago. This one was different, but why? What had changed her over the years?

            As she disappeared from the doorway, the king walked over to his best friend and stared at him with a solemn expression. "Keep her in sight all times. I don't ever want to lose her again, do you understand, Ryn? Please, just do me this one last favor." He placed a hand on his friend's arm and squeezed it lightly.

            Ryn looked into the king's sad eyes and nodded slowly. "Count on me always."

*         *          *          *           *

            "You know what is to be done. I don't want any of your feelings towards the girl to go screw up our plan. She will be ours and she will destroy the king of Fanelia with the truth."

            A pair of deep royal blue eyes stared down into the hand device that displayed a repulsive face. Long blonde hair bobbed up and down, swaying to the side from the wind. He understood what his master wanted of him. He didn't want to have to do anything rash, but if it was required, then he'd carry out the job better then anyone else could. His gloved fingers fingered the sides of the hand device called 'a transmitter'. His eyes stared down into those of his masters'.

            "I understand, my lord, but what of the Asturians?"

            "They will be a problem, will they not?" Talons appeared as they stroked what was called a chin.

            "They won't be much a problem once the Seeker is ours. The king of Fanelia will have to wait."

            The dark red eyes of his master flashed treacherously. "No!" he bellowed. "The king of Fanelia comes first! If he does not, you have betrayed us all. Do you understand?"

            The man bowed his head deeply. "Forgive my idiocy."

            "Forgiven."

            "Thanks are with thee. Master, how is it you would like me to apprehend the Seeker as well as the Fanelian king?"

            "Do not destroy the Fanelian king, bring him here, to me. I'll dispose of him myself. As for the Seeker, after we are done our deeds with her, you may do as you please to her."

            "Thanks are with thee, good master."

            "Remember, I want them both here in the palace by the planet's twenty-fifth rotation. Is that clear?" His red eyes narrowed slightly as the talons stroked the chin again that hung down. An earring hung on the left side of the swamp colored green chin. Battle scars embellished the entire twisted face of his master.

            The blonde haired man nodded, his eyes closing. "I will bid thee fare well, my master. Thou hast been good to thee."

*         *          *          *          *

            Hitomi kept her arms at her sides while she limped through the thick jungle. Vines hung from large trees. They caressed her face and arms as she sauntered through them, pushing her way past other vines and stray plant life. Six weeks ago was the time she had arrived on this damned planet. She lifted her eyes up to the sky and spotted two moons that stood side by side. They both shone brightly against the darkened sky, the twinkling lights flickering in the background. Home. Her home was up there while she was down here on the ground. She longed to be home. Sighing heavily, she brought her eyes back down and spotted Allen behind some thick vines. His hands disappeared into a small pouch hanging at his side.

            She silently approached him, being careful of her leg. Why was he out here by himself? He did say back in Ryn's home that he needed to take a walk. Crickets all around her strung out their forbidden tune on their violin like legs. Fireflies glowed and then disappeared to reappear somewhere else. The light illuminated shadows across her face and across his. Chuckling softly, she snuck up behind him, quietly pushing aside some vines. She couldn't believe that he couldn't sense her! It was truly unbelievable! Extending a hand, she snatched up the pouch from his belt with ease and care and jumped away from him as he spun around and lashed out a fist aimed for her neck. Landing on one foot, she balanced herself until she managed to let her mending ankle touch the moss covered jungle ground. She stared at him, a small smile lifting her lips upwards at the corners. She stared at him with playful eyes. What was she doing? This was Allen, a man who was at least six years older then her!

            "Looking for something?" She hung the pouch by two fingers and dangled it precariously in front of her.

            Allen stared at her, his shock and bewilderment large. "Hitomi, what are you doing out here? You should still be in bed."

            Hitomi shrugged and continued to dangle the little pouch. "So what have you got stashed away in here? I heard you speaking to someone, but I don't see anyone here. Who were you speaking to, Allen?"

            Allen swallowed thickly. Had she heard the whole conversation? If she had heard, she wouldn't be teasing him at the moment. "I was speaking to no one, Hitomi, just myself. I was just venting out anger and frustration, that's all."

            "Oh?" Her left brow rose in question. "Is that a fact?"

            "Yes. Now, can I have my pouch back?" He outstretched a hand.

            Hitomi let it drop through the air before she caught it and spun away from his lunge. "I might like to take a look inside." She turned her back to him and began to walk away from him at a fast pace. Her fingers pried at the small knot.

            Allen pursed his lips and chased after her immediately. If she managed to somehow open that bag, all was lost. "Give it back, Hitomi, it's very valuable and I don't want you to lose it." He came up behind her.

            Hitomi giggled as her fingers found the right bow. She tugged and was stopped short as Allen's arms came up from behind her. The pouch left her hands as her arms were lifted above her head, her fingers pointing the large mass of branches above. She felt his lean, rock hard body pressed into her back as his arms around her neck and waist tightened. Panic seized her fast as she felt his elbow dig into her throat. What was he going to do to her? Something warm and moist touched her neck as it forced to bend sideways. She closed her eyes. There was a sucking sound and she felt her neck tingle as Allen's mouth left it.

            "Allen, what are you doing?" Her voice trembled as she felt his tongue against her neck this time.

            "Just testing. Haven't you wanted to test the water between you and I before? Was it ever this strong?" His lips puckered as he sucked on her neck, drawing in some of the skin.

            Hitomi swallowed. "I…I might have wanted to test these waters before, Allen, but not now."

            "Why not? What's wrong with now?"

            "Nothing, Allen, nothing at all. It's just that there's nothing between us at the moment. Wouldn't you rather wait till there was something there? And besides, Allen, you're six years my year. You're too old for me!"

            Allen's arm left her waist. His hand snaked over her abdomen that was stretched and his fingers caressed the underside of her left breast. She felt the nipple tingle and then rise to attention as his fingers touched the aureole section over her shirt. His lips moved higher up, his tongue darting past puckered lips to stroke the sharp backside of her jaw where the ear and jaw met. He felt her heartbeat accelerate a tad and it excited him to know that he was turning her on very quickly. Hitomi swallowed and tried to squirm against him, but it was no use, no use at all. He had the strength and the power over the control of the matter while she remained helpless. What else was new? She was normally helpless in situations such as these.

            There was a soft sound that echoed in her mind and she realized that it had come from her. Another moan sounded from her as his tongue stroked the sensitive part underneath her earlobe. Allen took his hand from the underside of her breast and slid it downwards along her flat and stretched abdomen. His fingers skimmed over private territory and he felt her go tense. His fingers stroked the top area where it hunched over and disappeared between the junction of her legs. His long, experienced fingers slid over the slight hump and disappeared from sight. With the heel of his palm, he pushed her lower half back against his front lower half. He growled in his throat at the contact that her butt made as he pushed it against his large stiff, swollen masculinity. He felt her back arch, her head pushing back into his shoulder. Hitomi turned her head towards him and his lips found hers immediately. Her mouth was like a flower to him, her tongue that one thing that collected the juices for the bees. He was the bee.

            His tongue attacked hers with much fever, much demand. He felt her beginning to relax, to open up to him without difficulty, at last. He stroked her through the scant fabric of her panties. Hitomi felt suddenly glad she had worn a knee length t-shirt. As she relaxed, feeling her limbs turn into jelly, something frightening and gruesome flashed before her eyes quickly, the screams of pain, the howls of anguish ringing throughout her mind as if thunder had struck down inside her mind. She tried to dismiss it, but the more she tried to dismiss it, the more it played, over and over again. With everytime it played, she began to make out the shapes more easily, the people involved, the clothes they wore. Red shirt and black hair. Brown hair and a white dress that looked like a robe of some sort.

            The person with black hair was bent over someone, that someone being the one wearing the white dress with brown hair. Lightning flashed before her closed lids as Allen's fevered tongue touched the roof of her mouth. Another image appeared and disappeared. The person with black hair now had their head thrown back. Their mouth was open as if meant for him or her to be screaming out. In pain, anguish? The person with black hair held the person with brown hair to their heart. The unknown person with brown hair was soaked in crimson, their head turned in towards the man's chest. Their identity was hidden. Their arm lay outstretched at their side, the long, slender fingers relaxed as they lay there in the mud. Something pink gleamed as more lightning flashed overhead followed by enormous bouts of thunder. Who were they? They didn't seem familiar to her in any way. How come?

            Lightning flashed once more. The image changed. Hitomi screamed out at the image that was in front of her now. The man with the black hair stared straight at her; his eyes were dark, shadowed as they glared at her accusingly. What had she done? What had he lost? He held a hand extended towards her, a finger pointed. Something pink glittered as it swung from side to side. It hung from his blood-smeared hand.  What did it all mean? Hitomi tore her mouth away from Allen's and pushed him away from her. His fingers slid out of her panties as she stumbled forward. She landed on the moss-covered ground softly, her body tingling wildly from the magic he had done to her with his fingers and mouth. She sat there trembling uncontrollably while the tingling wasted away into nothing. She hugged her arms to her chest and tried to think of what the images had meant, what they had been trying to say to her.

            Allen stared at Hitomi's trembling back. What had happened? Why did she push him away like that? Had it been something he had done that she didn't like? He continued to stand there staring at her in puzzlement until Ryn stepped forth from the shadow's of the vine's and crouched down in front of her. Hitomi lifted her eyes to meet Ryn's as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Tears blurred her vision and she closed her eyes against the sting of them. Reaching forward with an arm, she clutched desperately at his brown shirt while an untamed sob entered the air around them. Ryn understood. He wrapped his arms around her and scooped her effortlessly into his arms. He cradled her body to his as he turned away from Allen without a single word and headed back to his home. Van wasn't going to be too happy about what had just happened.

            To Be Continued…

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'"  [LK1]Creed – My Sacrifice [Nice song, pretty sweet…^^;]