Chapter 9


Being in free-fall with strong gusts of wind wildly spinning his body wasn't as foreign to him as the added weight of the woman in his arms. He hadn't spared a thought about how the additional load of her body would pull him down faster than anticipated.

In the end, it had been the only way to get out of the Flying Fortress relatively unharmed but he had also failed to account for how exhausted he would be after nearly using all his magic during the fight with the red soldier and his brother.

Thoroughly drained, he was plummeting towards the ground together with his strange acquaintance while desperately trying to summon his wings. It was a clear sign for how depleted he really was when they didn't show up at once and he fiercely hoped that he'd be able to gather enough energy before it was too late.

There hadn't been many situations in his 25 years of life in which he had scolded himself as much as now. He knew that he lacked his usual power after all the fighting and that it would be dangerous to leave the Fortress like that. "Ridiculous, reckless son of a … king!" He heard Dryden's voice echo in his head. As if there had been any other way…

Again, he attempted to summon his wings and it took all the willpower to push far enough into the realm of his mind and body to reach the mystic powers within. Finally, he felt the familiar, excruciating pain in his back. Skin ripped as fresh wounds stretched long in the shape of twin-incisions between his shoulder blades and fresh bones pushed their way through while his mouth gaped open in a soundless scream of agony. Only moments later, born from the grotesque pain, white, majestic wings spread wide on either side of him.

Van still spun in the air for a few seconds before catching himself, then adjusted his wings to catch the currents of the wind around him, and not a moment too late. They were already gracing the tops of the tallest trees in the forest below. He tightened his grip on the woman, pressed her limp body against himself and flapped his wings, body aching still and aiming for a clearing or any opening down there where he could safely land. The exhaustion wouldn't allow him to be picky for much longer.

Although he loved the feeling of flying, he likely wouldn't be able to do it again for a long time. Part of it was the thorough exhaustion, another was because there normally weren't a lot of possibilities for him to do so. Anyone who saw his wings would want to try and kill him at once. Not that he would let himself get killed that easily, but still.

While trying to gain a bit more height again, one of his wings cramped and it threw him off balance, the other threatening to do the same as spasms of pain spread from the junction of back and wings through the bizarre extremities as far as the nerve endings reached. He needed to find a safe spot to land. Now. Only pure willpower kept him going as black dots began to dance in his view.

When the fabric of his pants got caught on a particularly tall treetop it jerked him back, almost like the thing had reached out for him purposely. Body shaking from pain, Van tried to steady himself and but there were no more reserves. Involuntarily banking left, he fell towards the first layer of dense foliage below, branches snapping and showering him with pine needles from one tree and dry leaves from another while plummeting lower and lower. Crashing through layers upon layers, their fall was only slowed by his back and wings which were taking quite a beating as they neared the ground.

Van's whole body screamed in pain as the branches grew thicker the lower they went, not snapping anymore but tossing him from side to side like a ragdoll as he bounced once, twice, then one last time before finally dropping to the cold, hard ground where he hit the back of his head for good measure; again.

Groaning, he rolled to the side to get Hitomi's body off him. All throughout the fall, he'd kept her on top of him, shielding her from harm since she had no way to protect herself from any of this. While his head and muscles throbbed, he stared at Hitomi's face near his like in a trance. She was still out cold and he hoped that she wasn't going to wake up right now– it would be too much for him to have to explain his wings before he could get them to dissolve, especially in his current condition.

No one besides his closest companions Merle, Fiore, and Dryden knew who, or better, what, he really was. Van felt a trickle of blood make its way from a wound on his shoulder towards his back. No wonder. He probably had a good amount of random, small cuts thanks to this outing but nothing he couldn't deal with. And deal with it he would, later, when he resurfaced from the vast, black void which his mind was finally yielding to.


Hitomi's body and mind were numb when she regained some consciousness. Even though she desperately wanted to, she simply couldn't wake up completely just yet. The only things she felt were frigid air along her left side and the comfortable warmth of a body on her other. She wondered who it was, holding her so tightly and protectively. After the thoroughly distressing events she had gone through recently, she sensed that she could finally feel safe and secure in those arms.

Was it the black-haired man she saw come into the laboratory just before she fell unconscious? Hitomi couldn't be sure until she'd finally be able to open her eyes. Instead, she noticed the strange feeling of another presence in her mind, connected through the link to the pink pendant which hung loosely around her neck.

Noticing the changing winds, she briefly pondered whether it was possible that they were flying but then dismissed the thought immediately. How on Gaea would that be even possible? If she was awake, she'd be shaking her head in disbelief.

Before Hitomi could consider anything else, her mind was already shutting down again, dragging her into deep oblivion once more – only to be awakened again sometime later when a series of impacts shook her. Although the body underneath hers was taking the brunt of it, the arms holding her never let go. Only when they came in contact with what she assumed was solid earth, did their grip on her loosen.

Hitomi must have laid there for a good while, breathing deeply and focusing on the sounds of the night around them before fingers previously paralyzed from the torture in the laboratory finally obeyed her again. Moaning, her eyes slowly fluttered open, only to be greeted with wild, dark hair directly in front of her face.

A big, white feather slowly floated through the periphery of her vision but her attention was solely on the man whom she indeed recognized with a light blush as her mind presented her with memories of their first meeting. How she had unabashedly tried to seduce him to no avail. It had made him all the more interesting already then. But now… He seemed to be out cold because his eyes were shut and his chest was moving under deep and steady breaths. The weight of one of his arms, which was still draped around her waist, suddenly felt like it was going to crush her, so she carefully began to unwind her body from underneath it, upon which he slowly rolled onto his back.

"Oh my….," Hitomi whispered, as her gaze finally wandered further away to check their surroundings. The whole clearing was littered with feathers so white they softly glowed in what little moonlight could reach them through the dense forest. Hitomi frowned in confusion. Where had they landed? She reached out to touch the feather closest to her but as soon as she felt the downy surface, darkness sucked her consciousness into a different reality like a greedy drain.


Hitomi found herself in an unfamiliar town. That alone wasn't something out of the ordinary because she'd never been outside of Pallas before, or maybe she had forgotten about it because she'd been too young to remember.

Scanning the area curiously, she marveled at the homely feeling of the lively streets and market in front of her. Hitomi took in the sight of the small, white stone cottages with roofs in various shades of green which were lined up neatly. They were charming and each one looked slightly different than the other. As she walked along, she noticed the cheerful townsfolk around her. She was about to enter the center of the market square when the idyllic scene began to change rapidly.

Flames consumed the very houses she had just passed and people's carefree faces changed into expressions of sheer terror. Then, Guymelefs appeared out of nowhere. Marching through the narrow streets and as their heavy feet made the earth give under their weight, they left nothing but destruction in their wake.

The heat around Hitomi was becoming unbearable as she stumbled out of the way, the dire situation kicking her into action again. Together with the townsfolk, she ran for her life while letting her instincts guide her in dodging debris falling from taller houses and climbing across rubble which began to block the way. After running for what felt like an eternity, she found herself alone at the end of the long road, in front of a palace. However, what would have once been beautiful to see was already compromised by hungry flames.

The brief pause was short-lived because, beneath her, the ground began to shake when the giant Guymelefs caught up and closed in around the palace. With them was a man who she instantly recognized, perched on one of the metal giant's shoulders.

"The General...," she thought. Blind panic coursed through her when she saw the hateful smirk of his lips.

Just then, the scenery changed. No longer did Hitomi find herself in front of the palace but inside of it. If her memory served her right then it was the throne room. The one she had already seen in her very first of these strange dreams.

Her gaze wandered to the throne on the dais and what she saw was a rather familiar sight. Again, the General stood there, holding a severed head which was dangling by the hair in one of his hands and with a devilish smile emblazoned on his cruel face while looking down at the little boy by his feet.

The child was clutching a sword which was much too big and heavy for his body. Nevertheless, he cried in blind fury and with tears streaming down his face, "I will seek revenge for them, even if it's the last thing I do, brother!"


Fresh, clean oxygen, desperately needed, flowed back into her lungs when Hitomi abruptly awoke back in reality. She found herself in the same, dark forest, her body covered in sweat and reeking of unfamiliar things. She briefly shuddered in response while slowly straightening up and waiting for the last of the fogginess to clear out of her mind.

She propped herself up on one arm but frowned when her fingers felt something strange and soft instead of dewy grass and it made her retract the hand.

Hitomi's eyes narrowed as she focused on the feather, then slowly widened at the sight of the man's face. Memories flashed in front of her like lightning in a storm.

"It really is him, I thought I'd imagined it before…," she whispered, her fingertips lightly tracing his face, careful enough to not wake him up just yet. So she hadn't seen a ghost back in the laboratory and he really had come to rescue her. At least, she wanted to think that he had. But… why?

She knew that he was a member of the Abaharaki rebels who were opposing the supremacy of Zaibach. Had he saved her only to abduct her again for their own gain? How did he know about her importance to the General and where to find her?

All the questions made Hitomi's head pound uncomfortably and she dismissed the disconcerting thoughts for a while. There would be more time later to think about all this. Her ears perked and her throat burned when she heard the quiet and unperturbed trickle of water not far off. She was parched, to say the least, and it was almost like she could taste the soot from the imaginary flames in the back of her throat.

Gagging a bit, the need for water became her first priority now. She needed to quench her thirst and then wash the cold sweat and whatever that smell was off of her body along with the sticky liquid from the pillar she had been submerged in. The foul odor was beginning to make her sick to her stomach on top of everything else.

Hitomi's body still felt a little numb but after a few attempts, she managed to crawl towards the small stream which was neatly hidden between mossy banks and tall stalks of grass. She was breathing heavily as she reached down into the cool water, her muscles protesting as she stretched her arms. With pure relief, she dipped her hands into the refreshing liquid and splashed it onto her tired face. A groan of satisfaction escaped her as she began to wash her arms, scrubbing the remnants of the horrid nightmare in the Flying Fortress off herself.

It wasn't enough. She felt downright nasty all over. She needed to cleanse herself of it as well as she could. Right here and right now. Only sparing her rescuer a short glance, she struggled out of the much too large cloak she was wrapped in.

After discarding the garment, she waded into the narrow stream and sucked in a deep breath. It was so cold! Hitomi stifled a small shriek as she plopped down, smack into the middle of the shallow body of water where it was high enough to at least submerge herself up to the waist. After a few minutes of getting used to the temperature, she quickly scrubbed herself clean as well as she could, even dipping her head under somewhat to get most of the stuff out of her hair.

Once in a while, she eyed the sleeping man suspiciously to see if he showed any signs of regaining consciousness. It wasn't because she was afraid he'd see her naked - after this many years in the business, she definitely was used to that - but she didn't know what he was up to.

A soft breeze, although warm, still made her wet body shiver and since goosebumps were already covering her entire body, getting out of the water and drying herself off seemed like a good idea. Thoroughly invigorated, she was finally able to walk slowly. Using the cloak to towel herself off, she wrinkled her nose because some of the foul odor was attached to it too. It made her not want to put it back on. Still naked, she slowly moved over to the man, kneeling down and inspecting him carefully. Only now did she see his wounds too. Some of them were still bleeding a bit. Hitomi frowned pensively.

She owed him this much, didn't she?

Sighing, she reached for the discarded cloak since it was the only fabric she could use apart from his own, blood-stained shirt and pants. Hitomi tore off a few strips along the hem intending to use them as washcloths and makeshift bandages.

Hitomi soaked the cloths in cold water and then sat down by his side again. Gingerly, she began to first clean the wounds she could reach without moving him too much. While she leaned over him and carefully washed the sticky blood away, her gaze fell upon the pink pendant around her neck which was dangling between them in the air.

A comfortable, warm sensation flooded her body when she focused more on it. What was it and why did she have it? Suddenly, she heard a soothing voice in her mind.

"I'm a piece of you. I feel what you feel and see what you see. Until the day you choose to wake the dragon…"

She hastily shook her head and the pendant pulsed in a pink hue as if to reemphasize what she had just heard. Hitomi was still confused about the imaginary voice when the man's face underneath her began to twitch a bit.

".. ngh…" He opened his eyes slowly, only to be greeted with a view he hadn't bargained for. It nearly made him pass out again when not only two beautiful, green, round eyes stared right down at him but also two beautiful, round breasts. The woman seemed to have an angelic glow around her from bits of moonlight which made her appear temptingly ethereal.

Her soft hand cupped his cheek carefully while she spoke to him. "Try not to move too much just yet. I'm taking care of your wounds as well as I can with what I've got."

Van's hand moved slightly in an attempt to touch her, to make certain that she was real but she had already stood up and walked away. His whole body still throbbed and having his magic drained this badly was probably worse than any of the injuries. He just wasn't used to it anymore. He tried to say something to get her to come back but his throat only managed a raspy breath.

Hitomi heard him shift slightly and attempt to speak which only made him cough violently in the end. "What a stubborn guy…," she thought and drenched another strip of fabric in the water.

"Here. Open your mouth," she instructed, then wrung out the cloth right above his parched lips. Cold water trickled onto his tongue and down his throat which made him sigh in relief.

After that, he tried to get up despite his weakened state and her recommendation but failed miserably.

"Hey, I told you not to get up yet. I'm not done cleaning your injuries," Hitomi scolded him and carefully but firmly pushed his shoulders back down with both hands.

Van's opened his mouth in another attempt to speak but the only thing he managed again was a cough. This time though, it was because he nearly choked on his own tongue since he was now even closer to the far too enticing sight her breasts presented him as they were pushed together between her upper arms right in front of his face. Van screwed his eyes shut as a rush of heat shot through his whole body.

"What's the matter? Are you in that much pain?"

Her concerned voice barely reached his ears because the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears was far too loud. Van shielded his closed eyes with a hand additionally and quietly stuttered "… Y-you… are.. n-naked…"

What on Gaea is wrong with me, he thought immediately while also painfully aware of his, by now, burning hot cheeks.

"Oh," Hitomi exclaimed with a look of surprise, noticing the blush on his face and his slightly raspy voice. Normally, men reacted in any way but that. She suppressed the faint traces of disappointment and insult which developed as a response to his reaction. "Sorry, I forgot the cloak. Wait a minute…" With that, she withdrew from his side and he heard her shuffle on the grass while heavy fabric rustled.

Van couldn't help but watch through his fingers then and caught a glimpse of her shapely body before she pulled the cloak around herself. What he saw left his mouth dry. "Oh sh…", he groaned inwardly. She looked just like he'd involuntarily imagined in his dreams, maybe better even. Damn his traitorous imagination. He couldn't even trust himself anymore.

"There, all covered," she said when she came to his side again. Blissfully oblivious to his mental struggles, Hitomi continued to carefully wash the blood off his wounds, her fingers working on various parts of his body during the effort.

Van was becoming frustrated with the way his thoughts were twisting themselves around her and it cost him all his resolve to not lash out verbally or physically in response to her attention. After far too long, she finally finished with what she could reach on his front side. "Can you turn? I think there are also some injuries on your back…," Hitomi asked him.

"Hmm..," he grunted while moving onto his stomach. At least he wouldn't have to look at her then. Not seeing her fuss over him and imagining what her body looked like under that cloak was a great idea right now.

Hitomi watched him with concern, all the while pondering how it was even possible for them to be here on the ground right now when they had been high up in the Floating Fortress before. She saw no means of transportation anywhere close, nothing like a small leviship or something like that. Nevertheless, she didn't want to ask him about it just now. She was indeed curious about it but reckoned there'd be time later still. Maybe, there'd also be time to find out where all the feathers had come from. An injured animal, perhaps?

While she proceeded to clean his back, she talked to him about something else.

"Although I'm not sure why you came for me yet, I wanted to… thank you…"

"Whatever," Van mumbled in irritation, still quite discomposed. It was weird not to be in full control of himself. He was a bit surprised that Hitomi was helping him instead of taking advantage of his weakened state to escape.

"Finished!" She declared after a few more minutes of silence and work on his back. "Should I get you some more water?"

Van nodded without making any sound, so she got up to get it for him but by the time she came back to his side, he had already fallen into a deep slumber again.

Hitomi stared at him for a while and finally allowed herself to be overcome by her own weakness again. Hesitating a bit at first, she laid down next to him, one arm curled up to support her head while the other reached out for him and hovered in the air for a second before she traced the profile of his face from the top of his forehead, following the line of his nose and across his lips, down to his proud chin with a single finger. She knew nothing about him or his intentions but she couldn't help it. In his presence, she somehow felt safe. Finding some peace in those thoughts, she closed her eyes and let her fatigue get the better of her, joining him in a faraway dreamland.


"What? This can't be true! The Floating Fortress was attacked above Pallas?" Allen Shezar's outrage rang through the room as his fist slammed down onto the solid tabletop.

His soldiers flinched at the fury in his enraged voice. They had dutifully made their reports about the recent attack, all too well aware of his already foul mood before those news.

"Damn this Abaharaki-scum. If I get my hands on one of these bastards, even all the gods together won't be able to help them…," Allen rambled on.

The nearly empty glass of wine he'd been holding in his other hand shattered into pieces as he flung it at the wall between the soldiers' heads. Red drops of wine splattered onto their faces and stained their armor near the shoulder.

Just after that, a timid knock sounded from the other side of the door.

"What is it!" Allen growled loud enough for the person to hear.

"Knight Caeli… I apologize for interrupting you."

The sound of a soft, female voice caused him to sigh inwardly. He sent the soldiers out and greeted the woman with a more composed façade when she entered.

"Princess Millerna. What can I do for you?" Without hesitating he approached her and took her hand, lightly kissing the back of it.

"I heard about the commotion. Did you know that the Floating Fortress was right above Pallas?"

She snatched her hand away deliberately but politely and looked at him with obvious discontent in her usual, calm voice.

"My dear princess. Wouldn't it be wiser for us to get a hold on the Abaharaki instead of looking for any sign of distrust from amongst our allies? Especially since they were being attacked right in our territory."

The princess held his gaze for few seconds before averting her eyes. "Certainly. You are right as always. Please excuse my distrusting behavior. It only unsettles me that we don't know a thing about them or their plans. Not to mention that they're able to move around undetected by anybody…"

Why was she acting so strange, meddling with things she didn't need to concern her pretty self with? If the king was to hear this, he wouldn't be amused at all. Allen watched the princess, a small tingle of suspicion in the back of his mind which he dismissed again shortly after.

After changing a few more, polite words with the commander, Millerna left his study and wandered through the halls of the castle. The soft hue of early morning light enveloped her as she stopped to look outside through one of the large windows. Her gaze wandered towards the horizon where the sun just began to rise.

Millerna had always been suspicious of the Zaibach Empire. What the commander and her father didn't know, though, was the fact that her betrothed, Dryden, was the head of the rebels who called themselves the Abaharaki.

She had to tell Dryden about her suspicions, even if it meant that she would betray her kingdom. Her heart ached painfully at the thought but there was no other way, it was for the best of Gaea.


A/N:

First of all: Sorry sorry sorry for the long wait but life happens sometimes :( I hope it gets better when it's finally winter (no more caterings and nerve-wrecking work to do...) ;)

This chapter really is nothing like the german version at all (and the longest, so far...). After re-reading it a few times, I wasn't satisfied with it anymore and so - naturally with the help of 40four - I took my time in re-writing it almost completely. Thanks to 40four again for the patience she always has with me :) I really, really love your (beta-)work!

Last but not least: Thanks to all the readers who left a review on the last chapter! :)