Chapter 36: In The Arms Of An Angel

Dilandau rushed at the young king. Gritting his teeth, Van quickly drew his sword from the sheath at his hip. Just in time to meet the albino's blade.

Dilandau only laughed in his face. "What's wrong, Van, are you getting tired? Or is this all you've got?" He smirked, pushing harder on their locked blades pushing forward.

Van's boots ground back into the red dirt. "I'm not done yet."

"Oh, is that so?" Dilandau's mocking laugh surrounded them on the now empty battlefield. The battle had moved on; only the sightless eyes of the fallen dead where left to watch the two dancing rivals.

Dilandau spun around, slashing at Van, who blocked again.

Van wasn't going to get anywhere if he only blocked, he had to attack the enemy, not simply defend. He had never run from the enemy before, and he wasn't about to start now.

He moved without thinking, "Arrrgg..." and he bit down the scream as pain spread through his left side as the albino's blade bit into his thigh. He had turned, just as his opponent had, in order to swing his weight into the next blow. All that had gotten him was another wound to slow him down.

The silver haired boy laughed with glee, and the sound sent a chill through Van's blood as he moved to counter, swing his sword high in the sky. Clouds moved in the sky lit by the setting sun, the royal emblem on Van's sword shined in the glowing light.

Hitomi turned her back on the advancing soldiers even as more filled the small platform from the hallway. She turned her attention to the crystal globe hanging from the ceiling. As she looked, it began to glow a faint green, turning to a soft white as images began to appear within its surface. Hitomi couldn't help but think that it looked like a giant round television, but soon her mind was filled only with thoughts of what this strange television was showing her.

The men behind her paused, their weapons lowering as their eyes turned upward.

A tear ran down her cheek as she watched Van take the first blow. Dilandau spit at his face and laughed when it got into Van's eyes.

The king backed off. Dilandau had the upper hand; he hadn't been fighting for hours. Maybe that was why he was so cocky. He was sure he was going to win this fight, but Van wasn't going to let Hitomi down. He had to win this. He took another step back and Dilandau followed.

"Where you going, Van? Are you scared?" Again he laughed. Always with that insane laughter. He was enjoying this wasn't he? Van guessed that Dilandau must have been waiting a long time to fight him one on one.

Van needed to gain the upper hand somehow...

She clasped her hands together in front of her, tears of worry flowing freely down her pale cheeks. 'You can do it Van. Please be strong; you can win this.'

The soldiers behind her had forgotten all about their orders to capture the unwanted stranger. Instead they all starred at the scene playing out above, drawn in to the slowly unfolding drama.

The white feather was more red than ivory now. Time was running out. Van's time was running out!

They moved at the same time, locking swords and matching blows. The fight was slowly taking its toll on the young king, all of his muscles burned, and his joints ached from all the fighting. He just wanted it to end. All he wanted was to be somewhere peaceful with Hitomi. Just her and him under the sun somewhere. Any place without war or fighting.

A sharp pain high in his left tight brought his mind back to the real world and the fight at hand. He couldn't let his mind wander like that! Not now. Or he would never see Hitomi again. But he fell to one knee as his leg gave out from under him.

"Looks like it's time for your nap, Van." The albino general moved with everything he had for a final blow. "AAAAAHHHHHH!" He shouted, lunging at Van with his sword.

It was all Van could do to lift his own.

A small trickle of blood ran down the feather in her mind as everyone gasped at the two figures displayed within the sphere.

Hitomi's eyes widened. "VAN!" Light surrounded her, and in a blink she was gone.

They stood on the battlefield, breathing heavily, their eyes locked. Then as one, they released their swords.

Dilandau stepped back and gave a half laugh, half moan at their situation. He ran one finger slowly down the blade embedded in his chest. "I didn't see this coming..." His black gloved hand ran through his own blood, slowly seeping down his armor. His red eyes started to dull as he brought his fingers to his lips and licked them. He smiled before he collapsed.

Van just knelt down and watched. His mind didn't want to focus. It didn't want to know. But it did. It was getting hard to breath. He looked down at the sword in his own chest. They had run each other through. In one final strike they were both dying.

He sat back and coughed. A trickle of blood running down his chin. The sword must have pierced his lung, he guessed, his mind oddly clear. But where was his life? Weren't you supposed to see your life flash before your eyes before you died? He was dying after all... Wait! Hitomi! What about Hitomi? He had promised her. He had promised to come home. Tears traced their way down his cheeks as light filled his eyes, and he closed them to sweet darkness.

"Van! Please, Van, open your eyes!" Hitomi was holding him now. Gently she cradled his body to hers, not caring about the blood staining her white dress. All she wanted was to see his beautiful amber eyes again. To see him looking at her. "Van don't go, please. I love you, Van." She cried.

It was getting harder for him to hear. He almost thought he could hear Hitomi calling out to him. Of course she would be there for him. She always was.

"You can't go yet, you just can't..."

His eyes opened and he smiled. "Hitomi..." He raised his gloved hand to her face, cupping her cheek. Was she mad at him? He had failed... he had failed her again... but he was still happy to see her in his last moments. "I'm sorry... forgive me?" He asked weakly.

"Of course, Van." She wiped away a few tears, holding him just a little bit tight.

"Good... I love... you..." He let out one last shaky breath before going still in her arms, empty eyes still looking up at her face.

"Van" She shook him a little but he didn't respond. Panic gripped her heart. "Van! Please.. No!" The feather was red, she saw it now. The feather was completely red. Van's time was up. She sobbed.

"Noooo...Vaann!" He couldn't be gone. Not him. Not Van. She had come, hadn't she? She was here with him, this shouldn't have happened. She couldn't have been too late.

Child... The pendant around the young King's neck was pulsing softly. What would you give for his life?

Hitomi sniffed. "I'd give anything for Van. Even my own life. He has so much for him here... Fanelia, his family... Merle, Varie... everyone. He can't die!" She looked up at the darkening sky, tears running freely. "He can't..."

Your life child? You are willing to give up your own time to give him back his life? To bring back the one you hold so dear.

"Yes." The answer was simple and fell from her lips.

Then go and get him child.

This was the only place where she could fly. If her mind had allowed, Hitomi would have felt the true glory of flying on her own two wings, but her wings weren't truly real, it was only here in the lifestream of this world that her wings would hold her up; allowing her to hover above the mass of souls that moved below her.

She didn't understand all of her powers yet. Was retrieving lost souls one of them? Or was being able to explore this new light filled world that all souls moved through the limit to what she could do. Either way, she was going to bring back Van. She would give her life for his.

Hitomi dove into the throng looking for him. Spirits flowed about her in a strange and graceful dance, their colors and lights swirling around a central point. It was only when she was close that she could see. She could see who they truly had been.

Smiling faces and groups of people, a women asleep in bed, a father holding his new born child for the first time. These were all happy images. All of their dying thoughts were happy. Many of these souls had died in the war, but in death they were all happy. All peaceful. Did that mean Van was happy as well?

"Van!" She called to the sea of lights. Would she be able to find his light before it reached the end of this road. Before his light entered the core, where it would wait its turn to be reborn so that life could continue on Gaia?

She flapped her wings to build speed.

Where would his soul be? How could she find it among all the others? Would she have to look at each soul on its own? Watching the memories to see if they were his? She didn't have time for that. Time had run out and she needed to find him.

She could do this, she had to. She had to trust her own feelings and this new power. Her power... Her pendant!

With one backward thrust of her wings she came to a stop and hovered. Hitomi closed her eyes. Her pendant, she had used it so many times to see what others could not, to find hidden things. It had never failed her. She cleared her mind and envision the small teardrop gem. It began to sway, and for the first time, she noticed that it moved to the rhythm of her heart. It was her heart reaching out for his.

His unruly black hair, his dark amber eyes, his innocent smile and red cheeks when she caught him looking at her. His face appeared in her mind's eye and she felt wrapped in his presence. It was as if he were right there with her.

"...Hitomi, I'm always in your heart."

The smell of grass and the ocean filled her senses and she blinked at the bright sunlight.

Before her stood Van. He was in his normal red sleeveless shirt, tanned pants, and leather gloves and boots. His back was to her as he gazed out over the cliff at the sparkling sea below.

"Van..?" He turned then. His eyes were very sad.

"I'm sorry, Hitomi," he apologized, then something caught his eye and he blinked, like he was only just seeing her for the first time. "You have wings." He stated, pointing dumbly over her shoulder in a way that she couldn't help but smile at.

"Van, come on. Lets go back." She reached out to touch his arm.

"Back where... to the fighting?" He stepped into her open arms. "Hitomi, I don't want to go back. I hate war, I just don't want to kill anymore."

"But Van... It's over, my angel. It's over." She clung to him. "Dornkirk is dead. It's over now, let's go home."

He pulled back to look at her. "Hitomi?" Even in this dreamland, he seemed to be able to feel the turmoil in her heart. She wanted to spend the rest of her days here with him. Stay with him forever, but she had set out on a mission. She would bring him back.

'Your life child? You are willing to give up your own time to give him back his life?' They would never be able to be together. She had promised her own life for his. Tears flowed down her face and she jumped back into his arms. "Van, lets go home to Fanelia." She clung tightly to her king, knowing that this would be the last time she would feel his arms around her and his heart beat against her chest. She would give up anything for him. Her life, for his.

Van hugged her even tighter. "Hitomi, I love you."

"I love you too, my angel." She cried silently as she kissed him. One last touch of his lips before their small world filled with a hot white light and she couldn't feel his touch anymore.

To be Continued