Chapter 25: Together

Dilandau's leather gloved fingers tapped impatiently on the Vione's railing as he looked over the peaceful city of Palas, Asturia's capital. "So?" He grumbled miserably. "What did the council have to say about the plan?" He glared down at the city below.

oOoOoOo

"Folken, did you know about this? Did you know that the dragon would be the greatest obstacle in the path to Zaibach's unification… Did you?" The accused stood still as stone facing a half circle of generals seated on benches high above him. "Because of your failures, Emperor Dornkirk's destiny machine as yet to reach its full strength. We need the key before we can finish with all of Zaibach's plans!"

"Indeed…" Dornkirk's face suddenly appeared on the screen behind Folken's back, facing the council. Folken didn't turn to look even as his master addressed him. "You have let the key slip through your fingers one too many times, Stratigose. If the pull between the Dragon and the Key increases any farther… it will create chaos in our ideal future. To prevent such a future from coming to pass, we much separate the two elements."

"Merely separating them will accomplish nothing, Majesty!" Voices began to rise within the small room as the council started to argue.

"I agree. I think we should attack them with all of our forces!"

"Majesty!" One general called out from among the others. "Give us the word and we will attack!"

"That will not be necessary…" Folken raised his eyes to the council. "Rather then stirring up matters more…."

oOoOoOo

"We will go ahead with our plan." Came the cool reply.

Dilandau turned, a smirk on his pale face to replace his frown. Now all they had to do was wait for the Dragon. Then the fun would begin.

'It's taken us nearly two weeks, but we're finally back in Asturia, I just hope the others had the same idea as we did.' Hitomi sighed to herself as the look up at the looming palace overhead.

The horses had barely even slowed down before the inevitable "LORD VAN!" was heard. The joyful shriek was soon followed by a ball of fuzz that hit them hard enough to make their already tired horse stumble.

"Merle!" Van half choked half laughed as the young pink haired cat that hung from his neck licked his face happily. "Merle, your going to make me-" Letting out a surprised cry, Van was dragged down from the horse. Landing on the hard ground with a rather loud thud, the young catgirl still tightly locked around his neck. Hitomi quickly caught the reins when the horse moved to bolt.

"I knew it! I knew it Lord Van! I knew you weren't dead! I just knew it!" She shrieked happily, while continuing her assault on his cheek. The young king patted her back reassuringly, a loving and relieved smile on his face.

"Hitomi!" Millerna's voice rang out as the Princess's slim figure came skidding to a stop in the middle of the street, she leaned her hands on her knees as she tried to regained her breath in a very unprincess like manner. She looked up with a smile. "We were so worried we'd never see you two again. What happened? Are you alright?"

The gleam in Millerna's eyes only told Hitomi that she had a lot of explaining to do later when she got her alone. Hitomi laughed nervously as the princess began to check her over. "Well… it's a long story." Hitomi answered, jumping neatly down from the horse; she had gotten a lot of practise over the last couple of weeks and her back no longer hurt.

"Oh… Merle." Varie's motherly voice caused everyone to turned to the older women. She walked slowly towards the happily reunited friends, her pale blue dress moving around her as she walked. She stopped next to her son, a bit unsure on how to approach. The young catgirl was still clinging to Van tightly, but her sharp blue eyes were looking at the newcomer with curiosity.

"La-La-Lady Varie…" Merle gasped out, quickly looking between Lord Van and the newcomer. She saw the similarities and remembered that smile. "Lady Varie!" Merle jumped into the older woman's arm. 'She even smells the same...'

Van stood back up, dusting off his pants as he walked over to stand with Hitomi, putting his arm around her small shoulders as he watched his mother and adopted sister. An act which didn't go unnoticed by the princess, whose smile only grew wider.

"Shhh... it's alright sweetheart. I'm back now." Varie whispered, rubbing the young catgirl's back soothingly. "And I'm not leaving again." She promised.

"But why did you leave Lord Van?" Merle asked, narrowing her eyes on the older women and stiffening slightly in her arms.

"Now Merle." Van chided his childhood friend. She turned her head to him. "Now's not the time."

"I promise you Merle, that I did not leave willingly." The former Fanalian Queen looked away from the old sadness in the young girls eyes. "Oh! I'm so sorry, how could I have forgotten. Dear, why don't you come here for a minute?" Varie smiled as she called to the young catboy still hiding behind the horses. While everyone looked to Varie, Hitomi made a surprised gasp as two thin arms covered in black fur locked tightly around her waist, a furry face pressed tightly against her back as the young boy hide from view.

Van chuckled lightly. "It's alright, your safe here. These are our friends."

Hitomi had managed to wrangle him around to her front, his head now tightly against her chest. She ran her hands slowly through his black hair. His ears flicked around as he tried to hear every little noise around him. "Sweetie..." Hitomi whispered as she leaned down to rub her cheek against the top of his head in a comforting yet motherly gesture. Throughout their trip back to Asturia after picking him up, Hitomi was the only one he would stay around or listen to but even still he would not talk. He had not said a word since they found him and If he was ever left alone with Varie or Van he would just hide. "They're our friends, you're safe."

A growl rose in Merle's throat as she watched the slightly taller male cat. They had replaced her! She couldn't believe it! They had found someone else to join their little family! But the seething Merle froze the instant his pale green eyes met her own.

"Woki! No faiw!"

Merle's tail dropped and she visibly slumped with a slight sob.

"Merle?" Millerna murmured, placing her hand on the catgirl's shoulder.

Merle sniffled, wet tears in her eyes. "I...You..." She looked up to meet his eyes once more. "Yuki!" She shouted barreling into him on all fours, knocking both him and Hitomi, to the ground.

His eyes stared up at the light blue sky as the young cat girl buried her face in the fur on his shoulder. His thin arms were wrapped loosely around her back. 'Merle...'

"What! You're getting married!" Came Hitomi's excited shriek. "You and Millerna are getting married, Dryden?" Hitomi asked again, this time in a calmer tone. They were in the king's study, and seeing as how King Aston was bed ridden, Dryden had been appointed to run the kingdom till he recovered. Van stood a few feet to Hitomi's right and Allen stood silently across the room. A rich green carpet covered the grey stone floor beneath the large polished hardwood desk the merchant prince had his feet propped upon.

"Well, you know, she's finally seen my worth. You think it's funny?" He studied the slightly confused look on Hitomi's face. "Personally I think I'll make an excellent king. With my great wealth and Asturia's power, Zaibach won't touch us. And you know what; wars aren't always won by strength. You've got to use what's here." He tapped his forehead with his index finger before running his hand through his hair.

"That doesn't matter to them." Dryden looked up sharply at Van's comment. "What they're after is the ultimate destruction of Gaea. How is you being king going to stop them?"

"Oh ye of little faith..." He sighed, shaking his head. His green eyes lifted in time to watch the cold Caeli Knight slowly walk out of the room and Princess Eries stepping to the side to let him pass through the tall doorway. Allen hadn't said a word to any of them then they arrived, and had been very withdrawn from the rest of his crew. Something didn't seem right. Van and Hitomi exchanged a look as the eldest Asturain Princess entered the room.

"They were engaged to begin with, so it's only natural that Dryden become the successor to Asturia's thrown." She looked over at the young King of Fanelia. "Furthermore, in honour of this auspicious occasion we will even let bygones be bygones in regards to your crimes."

"Crimes? Wait one moment..." Dryden exclaimed, straightening in his chair.

"Crimes of Allen's rebellion against his country, and your attack against Zaibach, one of our allies." The princess said coldly, her eyes narrowing on Van.

"You're kidding...?" Hitomi gasped, looking at her in shock.

"After Millerna left with Allen, our father was so worried that he fell ill. It was because Allen took her with him."

"Princess Eries..." Hitomi began. What was she talking about? Millerna had gone of her own free will, and she hadn't even gone with Allen out of Asturia. Things were moving a little too fast to piece together. They had been gone for too long.

"Sister!" Millerna called, standing tall in the doorway, her hands on her hips as she glared at her sibling. "I think we have all heard quite enough."

Eries locked eyes with her younger sister before walking out of the room. Everyone exchanged glances.

"What about this dress? Or do you think you would look better in something with more frills, Hitomi?" Millerna asked as she ducked back into the large walk in closet in her richly furnished room. Her wedding was in a few short days, and Hitomi had to have a new dress for the occasion. Since the other one that Millerna had given her was in no condition to be worn to such a major event, and the dresses that Chid had given her were "not the right style". Millerna had given herself the job of dressing her up for the wedding.

"It's... not the dress that I'm worried about." Hitomi sighed, looking at the floor.

"It's the wedding, isn't it?" The princess glanced over her shoulder, then turned away. "It's okay. He's rich, he's smart and he's handsome. I know he will make me happy." Millerna turned around with a deep blue dress in her hands. "You've missed a lot Hitomi, a lot of things have changed since you and Van disappeared." She winked as she handed the younger girl the dress. "A lot of things." She said with giggle and a knowing smile, causing Hitomi to blush.

Hitomi looked at the dress in her hands with little interest. "It's not like that between Van and I... we're just good friends." She said as she moved behind an ornate screen to change when Millerna pushed her in its direction.

"Oh really? I saw the way you two were looking at each other." The princess sighed happily, clapping her hands together like a love struck youth. "It's love, you two just haven't said it out loud yet."

Hitomi tripped into the dressing screen. "Millerna! No! We're just friends." She struggled with the sleeves of the dress. "Besides... Van doesn't think of me that way..."

"What was that last bit, Hitomi?" Millerna asked with a sly glint in her voice.

"Nothing. And what about Allen? I though you were in love with him." Hitomi came out from behind the screen in the long royal blue dress. White lace lined the neckline of the blouse and the bottom hem. The dress clung tightly to her curves. She turned to look at herself in the mirror.

"That's none of your business! Anyways, he's changed." The princess sat down on the window seat, her face turned away from her friend. 'Not only does he only have eyes for you, Hitomi... but something is very wrong about him...'

"Oh... alright." Hitomi looked down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"Hitomi..." Millerna looked out over the sun bathed city. "I'd like you to do a reading for me. Tell me my future..." The princess asked, not only to change the topic but also in hopes of stilling her fears that she might be making the wrong decision marrying Dryden.

"I...I..." Hitomi clasped her hands together in her lap. "I'm sorry but..." She looked down again. "I don't have my tarot cards with me right now. I'll do it later, alright?" With that Hitomi ran out of the room, dress and all.

Hitomi sat with her head bowed and dress neatly tucked under her on the steps of the large fish fountain near the outskirts of the city. The small city square was quite and the sound of the water smoothing. She felt like an idiot for how she had acted and for running away. Millerna was going through a tough him. She was a horrible friend. She sighed.

"Hitomi?" Van stood a few feet away, a large worn bag over his shoulder. "Hitomi, what's wrong?" He asked, coming closer then he noticed her unshed tears.

"Oh, Van." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and a faint smile. Her heart suddenly feeling a little lighter.

She followed Van in silence through the narrow city streets as they made their way slowly from the city. Van had been given use of an old granary to store Escaflowne in. Dryden thought it was best to keep Escaflowne out of the city in case Zaibach came looking again. They didn't want to endanger innocent people again if fighting broke out. The granary and windmill stood on a tall grassy hill that looked over the sprawling capital.

"You make yourself sick?" Van asked still a little unsure of himself.

"I'm such a jerk... I play nice, but I butt into everybody's business..." Hitomi kicked her legs back and forth as she sat on the edge of a high wooden platform next to Escaflowne in the storeroom, eyes focused on the ground far below. "I'm such an idiot... I just don't want people to keep using me... I'm not some kind of tool."

"No... You're not." Van said as he walked to where he could look up at him from the ground below.

She looked away with another sigh. "I am... Huh?" She caught the strange brown fruit that Van threw up to her. Van rip the top off of another and take a sip of the jusices inside. Leaving the rest of the fruits at the bottom of the stairs, he slowly walked up to join her. "Here..." He took the fruit carefully from her hands and opened it for her, sticking a thin piece of straw into it before handing it back.

She took a sip and cringed as a strong taste. "Aaahh... It's sour. What are these?" They kinda looked like giant pears.

"They're Piscus." He gotting back up and walking over to Escaflowne at the edge of the platform. He set his drink to the side and picking up the large metal file the size of his arm. Moving onto Escaflowne he began to work slowly at sharpening his guymelef's massive sword. "Do you feel any better now? If you go out with that nervous look on your face, something bad will happen to you." His long black bangs fell around his eyes, hiding them as he concentrated on his work.

"Huh?" She looked at Van's back as he worked. What was he getting at? She watched him work.

"It's certainly not like you to get depressed, is it?" He continued.

'He's trying to make me feel better.' She realized with a soft smile. She heart fluttering.

"Hitomi?"

"Yes, Van?"

"Hitomi, I... I want you to stay with me... From now on that is..."

Her Piscus slipped from her fingers to fall to the floor below, landed with a soft hollow thud.

To Be Continued