Chapter 9

The armor clanked as it was set upon Van's shoulders. He winced as it grazed his wounds.

"You're a fool to be doing this." Allen growled, the knight was standing by the door already prepared for battle.

"a fool for my country." Van replied.

"If you fight without healing first then there will be one less fool running this kingdom!" Allen glared at him, "your country will be thrown into turmoil if you die; you are the last Fanel, Van!"

"And I will follow the Fanel's pride and defend our name in battle!" Van shouted. Allen sighed with frustration.

"What about Merle?" Allen asked. Van's actions slowed but did not stop. "What about Hitomi?" Now Van stopped. "You're her last hope."

"I will not lose."

"You cannot predict that." He shook his head. Allen was nearly hit with the door as it swung open suddenly, effectively ending their argument.

"My lord, you have a guest." The young boy rushed back out the door after bowing. Allen tensed slightly as Dryden entered the room, his long brown hair curling against his green robe.

"Long time no see, Lord Van." Dryden bowed slowly.

"Lord Dryden, a welcome surprise!" Van bowed slightly, his armor preventing a low, more respectful, bow. Allen stayed invisible bye the door. "How did you get here so quickly?" Dryden waved his hand in the air, almost dismissively

"My scientists and inventers built a new airship; this was its test flight." He chuckled, "Millerna was scared stiff."

"Why are you here?" Allen asked, almost cold.

Dryden winked, "because, I have a plan."


Hitomi wheeled herself into her apartment. Just as she shut the door the phone rang. The persistent sound rushed Hitomi as she maneuvered to the phone.

"Hey mom." Hitomi answered.

"You're home, you're safe?" Her mother asked.

"Yes."

"Alright sweetie, just checking up." Hitomi's mother sounded tired.

"Thanks mom." Hitomi smiled.

"Oh dear, I've got to go honey. I'll call tonight." Hitomi could hear her brother's voice in the background.

"Okay, bye mom." Her mother said goodbye quickly and the line went dead. Hitomi sighed and hung up the phone.

She rolled over to her boxes, unpacking things. Smiling she picked up a small statue. It was of an angel that a friend had bought her. Hitomi knew that the man wanted to get into a relationship with her, but back then her head was still in the clouds, on another planet in fact. She put it back gently the smile turning sad as she remembered the heartbreak of the second year without Van. Her eyes stung with tears.

"And now I've possibly lost him." The ache in her chest made her curl in her chair, folding her arms across her stomach. "This is ridiculous." She whispered. Hitomi shook her head, her blonde hair falling and covering her face. "Ridiculous." She cried.


"Dryden!" Allen was shouting at the sky as he fought the man in front of him, chopping madly with his sword at him. "Now would be wonderful!" he grunted against the weight of the man. Finally Allen pushed the man over and stabbed his heart. "DRYDEN!!" Allen roared against the sound of swords.

"Alright, Alright!" Dryden's voice chuckled, coming from the airship hovering safely in the sky above them. "Ready men?" hollers came from the airship. "FIRE!" Dryden and Allen both shouted simultaneously.

Blue was everywhere, it rang in their ears and blinded them. Suddenly it was gone. Heat and flame rushed toward Allen, who turned and fled; other soldiers were not so lucky. Burnt bodies were on the ground everywhere. Some of the men got up, but a very few.

"Pretty effective I'll say!" Dryden called from the airship. Allen was speechless, so much destruction in such little time. "We won't be able to use it again for awhile now though." Dryden warned, "So don't expect it."

Allen heard a scream behind him and he whipped around to block the oncoming sword. Sweat stung his eyes and he was tired.

"Allen!" Van's voice was rough and difficult to hear over the screams of men and weapon.

"Van?" the man facing Allen suddenly crumpled, leaving Van in his place. "What are you doing here? What happened to your soldiers?" Allen looked around him, finally getting a chance.

"They're here." Van pointed west. "Just over there. We finished off our side." The once beautiful fields of Fanelia were covered with bodies and blood. Van's hand moved to his wounds.

"Are you alright? I told you this was stupid." Allen glared slightly at Van.

"I'll be fine."


Hitomi stared off into space while she stirred her soup. It was starting to get colder, winter was just getting to its strongest. She shuddered as she thought of the cold and the heating bill.

Scratching startled Hitomi, nearly dropping her spoon she looked toward her door. A cat mewed quietly. She smiled and left her soup, turning off the heat for a moment. She went to her door and opened it slightly. A white cat stared at her with brown eyes. Hitomi sighed and opened her door all the way, granting entrance. The cat wasted no time and darted inside. Hitomi smiled and went back to her stove shaking her head.

The soup was still warm, Hitomi reached for a bowl and dumped some in; turning on the heat for second helpings. She leaned her head back on the counter as she ate, watching the winter sunset. The bright colors illuminated her room, the gold and reds brightening as the colors deepened in the sky.

The cat mewed again and jumped on Hitomi's lap. "Hey Angel." She stroked the cat as it purred in her lap. Angel turned her head to stare at Hitomi again. The brown eyes looked intelligent, almost as if the cat would start talking any minute. She shook her head, taking another spoonful of the soup. Today had been a long day if she was thinking that her new friend could talk. Angel mewed again and yawned. Hitomi yawned as well, suddenly feeling tired. She rolled to her couch and placed her soup on the end-table. She hefted herself up, falling on the soft cushions. Angel jumped on top of her as she lied down, situating herself on Hitomi's stomach. The cat vibrated on her stomach, making Hitomi giggle at the tickling sensation.

Sleep.

She yawned and stretched her arms. She wasn't looking forward to therapy first thing in the morning.

Sleep.

Hitomi's eyelids became too heavy for her tired mind to control as they drifted shut.


Van's hair stood on end as Dryden's machine fired one last blow. His muscles ached as he swung his sword. Weariness flooded Van but another sensation; one of warning came with it. He looked around, almost all the soldiers were gone, fleeing from the new weapon. He spun when he thought he heard a cat. Van shook his head, what would a cat be doing here? He winced at a sharp pain down his arm. Blood stained his tunic but there were no tears in the cloth.

"What?" Van cut off his sleeve, inspecting the claw marks.

Hitomi shouted in surprise and pain as Angel clawed her arm. "What?" Hitomi couldn't see very well. Angel looked grey. With a jolt of shock Hitomi realized why. "Oh crap." She whipped her head around and found her kitchen on fire. "Oh no, oh no." She reached for her chair but missed and fell to the floor.

"Angel!" Hitomi grabbed the white kitten and hugged it to her chest. "I'm sorry kitty." She almost had to laugh at her helplessness.

"I wish I could've died on Gaea." Hitomi shut her eyes, willing herself to blackout.

Van lifted his eyes from his scraped flesh in time to see a bright beam from the sky. At first he thought it was Dryden's machine firing again but it was too far into the woods.

"Hitomi," Van took off, running as fast as he could, ignoring the pain and stiffness.

He whistled, high and shrill, for his horse. With no sign he continued, thinking it was dead but he was pleasantly surprised to find it waiting on the edge of the beam's destruction, clearly alive. He ran with it for a few paces then mounted smoothly.

The edge of the forest was quiet compared to the middle of the battlefield he had just come from. Rumors were that some of the enemy forces were camped in clearings here. If that were true, Hitomi was in great danger. He urged his horse faster, feeling it slow in fear. "come on, come on." He rose in his seat, trying to see better over the horses head.

"Hitomi!" She was lying unconscious on the ground. A white cat nudged her softly, mewing for attention. Van jumped off his horse, rolling to her side. "Hitomi, come on." He lifted her head, hearing her struggle for breath. He bent his head, listening for the familiar feel of her heart. "Hitomi don't do this again." The thump was sluggish and quiet.

"Van!?" Allen's voice called from the entrance of the forest.

"Allen, get help!" Van nearly choked on his words. "She's dying!" He held back, fighting the sting in his eyes.

Hitomi felt light in his arms as he carried her to his returning horse. "Steady." He whispered to his horse. He lifted her up on the saddle and followed quickly. "Go!" Van kicked the stallion hard to get a fast start.

"Stay, Hitomi, stay with me." He whispered into her ear. The gates of Fanelia grew larger as he rushed his horse at them. The gates opened a sliver, enough for him to get through as he flew past. For once, ever since the battles had started, he wished the castle was closer to the gate.

Hitomi bounced against Van, He held her waist to try to stop it.

The town was quiet and almost no one were in the streets. Van grimaced at the impact of the evacuation.

"Van what happened?" Allen rode beside him.

"There was a fire in her home." Van hugged Hitomi close. Allen stared at Hitomi then glanced behind at the battle.

"Van!" He was surprised and alert as Allen drew his sword. There was a large beast following them, pure white.

"Wait Allen!: Van turned his horse sharply, sliding a little on the rock. Van was too late. The beast leapt and knocked the Allen off his horse

"Stand down knight." Van rushed over, drawing his sword. Van saw that the little white kitten was no longer litte. The cat had grown rapidly into a white tiger.

"Impossible!" Van whispered amazed. "You're a shifter!" Van lowered his sword. "Your kind hasn't been seen since the fall of the Draconians." Allen looked at Van then the beast.

"You are alive aren't you?" The Tiger stepped off of Allen slowly. "Greetings my fellow kin." The tiger bowed slightly and Van bowed back. "My people did much the same as yours, they fled to the mystic moon quickly." The Tiger started walking. "We must hurry, Hitomi was in the flames too long."

"You don't actually believe that beast is a shifter do you Van?" Allen grumbled as he mounted his horse.

"Yes, I'm sure of it." Van ran back to Hitomi and the Tiger.

"We don't have much time." The Tiger jumped on the horse, shrinking in midair. Van nodded and mounted. Quickly they rushed to the castle again.


A/N: GAh!!! this really sucks. Well nobody's perfect. i tried to hurry but i just hit the wall again, the next chapter should be better and easier to write. i suck at battle scenes...Well hope you liked it. Review please!