A/N: This chapter is on the short side since I don't have as much time to write right now. It's also where the general outline I made stops. From then on it's all kind of yolo, so do hold on tight. Not to worry though, I'm very good at winging it when it comes to assignments and life in general so I'm confident for this.

Divinelysweetambrosia6: Because you asked, yes I do want to write more about my other story also, but I need to finish the main storyline for this one first. After that, I'm either going to write a few chapters about what happened before Hitomi came back (Van/ Mermaid, how Kur and Van met, and about the creation of Empress Zita). Not sure what I want to do first yet. Maybe both. Edit: yes this is in reference to your review of ‚Unspoken'.

~~Ispano~~

Hitomi stirred under the arm Van had loosely draped across her. Its weight was comfortingly heavy on her stomach. She had shifted onto her back at some point during the night and his head was closely nestled against the side of hers. Another arm was behind her head under the pillow. His deep, steady breaths were tickling her cheek as she watched his solid chest rise and fall beside her.

Their pleasure filled night was immediately fresh in her mind when she felt her lower body throb and the thought caused her cheeks to grow hot. Hitomi was relieved that Van had had enough willpower to not finish inside of her. She knew this was no guarantee, but it helped her worry less about a possible pregnancy in these dangerous times. Really, they had not talked about the future and any element of uncertainty in their relationship yet. There was no question that they were in love, but Van had carefully refrained from asking her about any possible intentions to return to the Mystic Moon so far.

Hitomi was even more grateful for his hesitation in those regards. It demonstrated honest consideration for the importance she placed on her responsibilities back at home. He didn't take for granted that she would stay here- didn't take her for granted. The school would have found a substitute coach by now, but having left without notice was sure to have risen many questions and concerns in her track team. These thoughts unquestionably made her gloomy, not to speak of what her family would think. It seemed like no matter the choice, she would have to leave people behind in either place.

Van, however, didn't know that she had thought about their relationship extensively already. Hitomi had started contemplating it the day they both confessed their love to each other. There was no place in the universe she could ever see herself becoming completely happy other than by Van's side. All seemed well and easy, but it likely was not going to be. She turned her head carefully so she could look at Van's face.

His lips were relaxed and parted slightly. Disheveled bangs covered his forehead and closed eyes, while dark lashes rested high on his cheeks. She pushed some of his hair away and it caused him to stir and twitch. The muscles on his arm across her midsection and under her head tightened as he stretched languidly.

As he woke gradually, Van reinforced his grip around Hitomi and savored the feel of her soft body next to his. Countless nights and days had been spent thinking about the girl from the Mystic Moon since she left him. Many nights he had spent awake, yearning for her presence. In contrast with finally making love to her, any and all other past sexual roguery on his part meant very little to him.

Van was proud of the pleasure he had been able to cause her. The wonderful woman in his arms had been entirely his then. She had moaned his name in response to his caresses and even returned them in a most intimate way using her mouth. Hitomi's smooth skin radiated warmth as he skimmed his hand up higher to nudge her onto her side so they were facing each other. His garnet eyes locked with hers lovingly.

"Hey. " Hitomi gently greeted him.

The corner of Van's lips curled up into a content smirk. "Hey. " He repeated back to her.

One of her arms was trapped by their bodies, folded up in between them while the other rested low on her hip. Van pressed his own body tightly against hers and captured Hitomi in a soft kiss. She sighed as he rubbed his lips against hers leisurely. Van's hand on her ribcage was caressing her tenderly, the thumb moving back and forth across the side of her breast.

Touching the creamy mound of her small breast made him think again about how different she was. She was special, strong and confident in her body. He had gotten aroused by her already as a teenager, the sight of her lean figure and legs making his young brain spin in wild circles. But it hadn't been just her looks. Hitomi had entirely captivated him, especially with the way she treated him as if he wasn't royalty. She didn't bow or shy away from his temper but met it with equal force. Back then, he had compensated with gruff comments and a standoffish attitude, effectively hiding how much he desired her.

Having her long, lithe legs finally wrapped around his waist as he buried himself inside of her over and over again had been the pinnacle of his cumulative fantasies. His need for her rose again when her hand traced the length of his arm and clamped down on his shoulder.

A deep groan escaped Van as her soft breasts brushed across his chest. With a gentle shove, Hitomi pushed him onto his back. He held her smaller form on top of himself carefully as she straddled him. Their kisses continued to be slow and gentle, tongues twisting around each other as Hitomi caressed the muscles on his shoulder and chest.

All too soon she pulled back, eyes big as ever. Hitomi studied the gorgeous man below her. He still looked tired, the faded scars and fresh bruises on his upper body and arms a testimony to the sacrifices and hardships he had overcome for the benefit of Gaea. She touched gentle fingers to the side of his face. If only they could stay like this forever.

Before Van could reach for her hand, she climbed off him and left the bed. "It's time to go see Dos." She mumbled as she slowly picked up her dress and pulled it around herself. Van found his breeches and closed the ties on the front after putting them on. He walked over to Hitomi and placed a hand on her shoulder. Just a moment ago they had been completely content, but now her mood seemed to have changed. Van decided that he finally needed to know something.

When she turned around, a seemingly bright smile was on her face. "Hitomi, I have been wanting... there is something I want to ask you. " His hand slowly dropped from her shoulder and he took both her hands in each one of his. "When this is all over, will you stay? " His thumbs were rubbing small circles on the back of her hands as he spoke. "Stay with me."

Her beautiful face was close to his as he pulled her hands to the left side of his chest, covering them with his. "My heart is yours. It has been for a long time. When Gaea is at peace and when you are ready, will you...marry me? " There it was. He had finally mustered up the courage to ask her. He had put his deepest desire into words, but even despite knowing her feelings, he was nervous to hear the answer. The fast pace of his thumping heart under Hitomi's hands was a testimony to it.

Van's intense gaze was fixed on her. His head was bent down towards her and his deep red eyes shaded by ebony hair were full of hope and longing. He wasn't completely sure what it was that he saw on Hitomi's face. Sadness? Reluctance? Maybe it had not been the right time, but by the gods, he needed to know if there was true happiness to look forward to. He needed to know if there was something else worth fighting for other than the country and people he had been destined to rule.

"When this is all over..." Hitomi quietly said, "...and if... Van... there is nothing I want more." She finally answered, her smile finally reached her eyes too as she spoke these words.

Having heard her answer, Van was able to finally release the breath he had been holding. "Ever since you went into the heart of Zaibach to confront Dornkirk, I knew there was no other woman who could ever rule Fanelia by my side." At this moment, Hitomi noticed with a content smile, he looked truly joyful.

Regardless, her head swam a bit now. Queen of Fanelia...me. I knew this would be part of the deal, but now that he actually said it, it sounds so unbelievable. She thought on this for a brief moment before one of Van's hands cradled the back of her head and pulled her close once more. Their lips found each other in a familiar embrace again.

Veintisiete was already waiting for them when they left their quarters. He seemed excited and animatedly waved his short arms at them. "Follow." He commanded and lead them all the way back to the main building they had come to when they first arrived.

The sleek platform took them back up and through the long hallway where the Ispano laboratories and workrooms were. All the while, the Ispano was raving about how well the automaton had processed the sword skills Van taught him. They were very pleased with how their end of the bargain had turned out. Hitomi seemed to shrink more and more next to Van as they neared their destination, and her shoulders slumped slightly.

When they were lead into a set of rooms off to the side, Veintisiete addressed Van. "You stay here. Stay in teatro." The Ispano pointed at the wall next to them which was made out of thick glass. Behind it, a very sterile looking room was occupied by a flat, metal table and several instruments of unknown purpose were suspended from the ceiling.

Van wasn't sure what this meant, but before he could ask, Hitomi turned to him. She leaned up to place a quick kiss on his lips and said. "I love you. Sorry." She quickly bolted across the room and through the open sliding door, which clanked shut behind her.

Now the dark feelings of foreboding he had been ignoring for days accumulated like a waterfall in his stomach. "No! What are you doing?" He yelled and sprinted to the door, pounding his fists against it furiously. The door didn't budge and neither did Van. Not until he saw movements behind the glass next to him.

Van's eyes went wide in shock when he saw Hitomi pass him, completely sans clothing. Her soft curves contrasted bizarrely with the hard lines and metal surfaces of the room. "No! What is happening!?" He screamed even more loudly as he now hammered against the window.

I'm sorry Van. I knew you would never agree to let me do this. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. Hitomi thought ruefully as she moved onto the table. Cold metal on the back of her legs made her feel the finality of her decision. She glanced at Van one last time before lowering herself onto the table. He was just as frantic behind the glass as she had expected him to be, fists pounding against it uselessly and face pulled into a grimace of confusion and anger.

The room was soundproof, so she was spared from hearing his furious cries. Everything became even more surreal when a group of Ispano entered. They had also removed their clothing in order to keep the environment sterile.

Even with two camera eyes, Dos looked far from human now. All of the Ispano androids looked the same, with the exception of their eyes. When seeing them with their cloaks, one could think them plump, but it turned out that this shape was created by their wide, round shoulders. Bodies entirely made out of metal, gears, and screws seemed to be modeled after a basic human form, but with disproportionately short legs and a long torso, as well as long arms. The energists which seemed to hold their cloaks were actually embedded into the front of their chests.

The ancient people of Atlantis had created the Ispano as a group of workers. They were artificial beings with the purpose of performing work and carrying heavy things. Their heads were simple ovals which held their lens eyes and the thin filament sensors that looked like whiskers. Between the thin sensors, a perfectly round opening gaped in their heads like a mouth.

So this was why the Ispano cloaked themselves and wore the surgical masks. They were hiding their true looks. No doubt, their grotesque appearance would scare just about anyone. Hitomi was briefly glad for having seen the one or other science fiction movie. It helped her digest what she saw more easily. She reminded herself of the hospitality they had extended towards Van and her and of the discussion with Dos she had had late one night.

The Ispano were not dangerous. This was simply how they were made. The procedure she was about to undergo was complicated. They had managed to engineer carbon-based organisms before, but performing these operations was still far from a routine for them due to the rare occasion of having a subject available. A large risk was associated with them, not to mention the fact that, thus far, there was no way to reverse it.

Van watched in horror as the surreal beings surrounded Hitomi. One of them reached upwards to the cluster of instruments and pulled a long, thin tube topped with a needle from its opening. He punctured Hitomi's lower arm with it and a yellow, synthetic liquid pushed itself through the inside. Within moments, her eyes closed and she was sedated.

"Damn Hitomi! What are you letting them do to you?!" Van yelled. His gloved hands were pressed flat against the glass.

He was reduced to simply watch the procedure. The glass didn't shatter no matter what he did to it, and the doors on either side wouldn't open. No vents or other openings presented a way to escape and reach the other room.

When he threw himself against the glass again anyway, one of the Ispano focused his lenses on him. The creature moved around the table and towards the side of the glass wall. He pushed something on the side and the glass fogged up. Its new, milky surface prevented Van from seeing any more.

"No!" Was all he could blurt out. He sank to his knees and a few angry tears escaped his eyes. He had not felt this powerless in a long time. His thoughts were racing. Hitomi must have known what was in stow for her when they came here this morning. How long had she known? Was this why she came to him last night? He scolded himself for not noticing anything different about her behavior. He should have known, should have sensed that she was troubled.

He continued to blame himself as he settled against the far wall. The only comfort he felt was the scabbard of his sword in his grip. He leaned against the weapon like he always did when brooding, thinking about what to do when he could finally get out of this chamber.

It seemed like an eternity to him before the doors hissed and slid open. An Ispano fully cloaked again, entered and Van sprang to his feet. He rushed to draw his sword and aimed it directly at the Ispano's face. "What did you do to her?" Van demanded heatedly, all sense of reason and diplomacy cast aside.

The Ispano raised his unarmed hands. "Agreement complete. Seeress ready." He simply said. One hand moved in a backward gesture as he stepped aside to grant Van passage. He growled at the Ispano briefly before sheathing his sword and pushing past its form into the room towards the back.

It was a dark room in between the one the procedure had taken place and the teatro he had been waiting in. A sort of preparatory chamber, he concluded. The dimly lit room was just as sparsely furnished as everything else. Hitomi's dress was folded on the workbench towards the side. He scanned the room and finally noticed a pink glow in the middle of the room.

"Van?" Hitomi's soft voice cautiously asked.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the low light and he finally saw her. She was sitting hunched over on another metal table, head hanging low.

Van crossed the distance between them in a few short strides and placed his hands on her shoulders firmly to push her into a more upright position. Her head snapped upwards and then he saw where the pink glow came from. It took his breath away. His eyes were wide open as he took in the change.

"What have they done…" He breathed quietly as he scanned her.

A pink energist, exactly like those of the Ispano, was implanted in her chest. The skin around it was singed, having been cut away with a beam of energy to accommodate the foreign object. It jutted out from atop her sternum in between her breasts. A small, metal filament surfaced on one side and snaked across her skin to where it disappeared back down below her left breast as if reaching for her heart.

A strip of hair on the left side of her head, right above her ear and reaching all the way to the back of her neck, was shaved. The short cropped hair around it was slightly disheveled. Several more, thin, golden cables protruded from the side of her head and the base of her neck. They joined into one and were molded into her skin, trailing around her neck and disappearing into her chest just above her left breast, also boring into her to reach her heart.

Van's hands were hovering above her left ear and the energist on her chest, afraid to touch or in some way hurt her. "How… what is this?" He gasped.

"It powers me…or my abilities to be precise." She explained in a surprisingly unwavering tone. "I feel so strong, Van." The color of her eyes seemed to have intensified. "I… I can't do anything here because there aren't any living organisms except for you and me, but I should be able to control everything a lot more easily now."

Van shook his head slowly as he listened to her state the facts in the most simple and neutral tone. Was she not in pain? Could she not see that they had surgically implanted a number of artificial elements into her? She seemed unshaken by all of it.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I knew you would never agree to this." She stated apologetically.

"Agree?" Van exclaimed breathlessly. "If I had known, we would have never even come here." He growled. "Look what they have done Hitomi!" He reinforced his point by finally covering the energist with his hand.

"Please forgive me," Hitomi said, not breaking their gaze. "I can save Gaea now."

"Thermal bandages." A mechanic voice said behind them, as one of the Ispano who had assisted the surgery now entered the room.

Hitomi obediently reclined on the table and Van took a step back as several white strips of cloth shot out from the sides of it. The thick bandages covered small areas on her thighs and upper body, as well as encasing her beasts and intimates like a base layer of under clothing.

After Hitomi rose, she padded over to Van and looked at him apologetically. "Are you mad at me?"

She had asked him this almost every day since they were here and the fact that she seemed to be worried about his temper in this situation made him feel exceptionally awful. It was Hitomi who was making this sacrifice and she had bravely walked into this procedure without any signs of fear or hesitation. It had not been his choice, but hers.

"I am not…" He finally sighed as he left her side. When he returned, he was holding her red Fanelian dress and held it open for her, so she could slide her arms into the sleeves. She let him help her wrap the dress around her slender form and tie the obi carefully. The soft shoes she usually wore were close by. Dressed again, she looked almost normal except for the side of her head.

Hitomi reached for Van's hand and squeezed it in an attempt to comfort him. "We have to go now. The dragons have begun their attacks across all countries. I can feel it. We don't have much time."

Van was immediately concerned. There was no telling where Kur and Gajeel were at this time. Hitomi and he had been in the Ispano realm for twelve days now, which meant twelve hours had passed back on Gaea. If the mission to rescue Kur's sister had been successful, they could be on their way back to Fanelia now. This meant that Merle and Darriah were still alone and solely responsible for coordinating the defenses. The worry for his adopted sister added on to everything that was on his mind already. Hitomi and Merle, the two most important people in his life, were ready to fight bravely but he didn't know how to protect them. The thought threatened to drive him insane.

Tbc…

A/N: Inspirations for this chapter: Elysium and The Fifth Element.

I considered for a long time about if Hitomi should get an energist that was fully operational by itself, or if Van had to establish a blood pact with her via the pendant, just like with Escaflowne. In the end, I decided to do it this way because Van already sacrificed himself a long time ago. It's Hitomi's turn now.

Teatro – Spanish for theater/viewing room. It's what the Ispano would call the non-sterile room next to an operating suite where others are able to watch a surgery being performed.