yes, here is the next part and yes, the server is still down on my end. anyways, we...i...left off hanging to the point where hitomi is to be led to the new emperor of the zaibach sect. the beginning of this part is actually quite sweet, and don't flame me allan fans for allan's deranged character, but trust me, there is a reason for all this. enjoy!

~Face to Face with the Advesary
~*Namida No Sora*~

"How are you, Millerna?"

Princess Millerna stood beside Dryden as they watched from a bridge above his men finish up Escaflowne inside Dryden's ship. She straightened despite the fact that she was caught off-guard by him. After all, he was her husband for a brief moment before he went away and try to brushen up his attitude.

Be calm, Millerna, be calm. It's just a simple question. "I am okay, Dryden," she replied curtly. "The palace has dumped me a lot of responsibility here and there and I pretty much have my hands tied nowadays." She hesitated. "How about you? You still go around in your merry little ship."

"My ship is not little," he said huffly, obviously joking. "Yes, as a merchant, you get to see a lot of things, hear a lot of strange stuff, but some days, it can be pretty damn boring. Such as this morning. You get up, you do whatever you gotta do, and you just sit there 'til you reach the next town. Of course, that was all before His Majesty decided to drop by and say hello, that is."

Millerna nodded empathically.

Silence.

"So," they said in unison, and then blushed.

"You first," he said ominously.

"No, you," she insisted.

"I insist---" His words were cut off when suddenly, Allan appeared a shot distance behind Dryden, scowling. Millerna shot upright and Dryden turned to face Allan. "Allan, there is no such thing as a scowling knight aboard this ship, you know. You're wrecking my credibility."

"Am I, merchant?" he snapped back.

"Allan," Millerna stated sternly, her voice rising in hostility.

Now Dryden was confused. Did something happen between Millerna and Allan, enough to get Millerna's blood boiling? Oh, if that Allan guy hurt her in any way, he wasn't going to get off his ship alive..."May I help you, Allan, other than direct some smiley points?" he asked crisply.

"I wanted to state my complaint about you fixing Escaflowne," he said.
Millerna turned away and looked out towards the contruction.

Dryden cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? And why so?"

Allan was growing even more impatient as he crossed his arms brutally. "Don't you get it? The boy's running around and will sooner or later bump into some sort of trouble if he keeps up like this!"

"As I recall, there was some boy his age running around the same way..."

"Grrr...Dryden! You know what I mean!"

"The boy is a king, Allan, you can't deny his request," Dryden stated calmly. "Well, I'm sure you denied many of his, but I am not as resistant as you are, knight. I plan to obey the king. After all, only a fool would be so blind enough not to follow the orders of a king---you may lose his grace as well as his respect."

Allan scowled. "I am still older and wiser than Van."

"Older, most certainly. Wiser? I can't say..." Dryden marvelled. "I don't think it's Van you're really worrying about...I'm sure you've been on his case more than once. I think you're concerned about something related to Van...oh, let's say...Hitomi?"

Allan paused. "Hitomi is in danger."

"And you want to save her?" Dryden asked, the laughed heartily, or at least to mock the knight. "Allan, Allan, Allan...don't you get it? You may save her, but her eyes will always be on His Majesty, the King. Why? Because they are connected. They are meant to be, by what the Fates proclaim. The destroyed the Fate Machine years ago because of what they share...you will always be her friend. Besides, I thought you were over her."

Allan said nothing and stomped off.

"That was not a wise thing to do, Dryden," Millerna said softly.

Dryden leaned on the railing. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked out loud. "But I certainly got a thrill out of pissing the hell out of him today... that's what he gets for the snide comments he made years earlier. But what I want to know is what he did to you..."

"Nothing," she said quickly.

He sighed, realizing he won't get far with asking. He shrugged. "Look, Millerna, if you need to talk...I'm here, okay?" He patted her hands, which were clutching the railing, gently before turning around and walking away towards the wardroom.


Hitomi shivered as she was led to a dark room.

"Your Majesty," the soldier said gruffly. "I have brought you the prisoner."

"Excellent, man," the man replied from where he stood in front of a long table. He was clothed in dark did not turn around to look at them. "You may leave now...your assistance in no longer needed."

"Yes, sir." He dropped Hitomi to the floor and exitted.

Hitomi groaned as she struggled to her feet. "Who are you?"

"Funny, you should ask," the man replied, still facing his back towards her. "I...am the reason for all this."

Great, a man who likes to play riddles, she thought. Life can't get any more interesting than this... "I can tell," she replied smartly, standing cautiously, clutching Van's necklace. "But who are you?"

"I ask the questions here!" he boomed, his voice so loud she tumbled back and slid across the floor on her belly. She winced in pain as her nails clawed the ebony floors to stop herself from sliding any further. With all her might, she pulled herself to her feet, gasping for breath.

The man picked up a card and tossed it back, towards her. She caught it mid-air and examined the car. The Tower...

Flash.

Shuken. "Hitomi-chan? Are you alright? Hitomi? Hitomi!"

Flash.

"Is love stronger than fate?"

Flash.

Feather.

Raindrops from the dark clouds.

Hitomi was now gasping for breath as she dropped the card from her delicate fingers to the floor. She saw the pendant glow for a brief moment before it stopped. She sulked down to the floor, cold sweat enveloping her forehead like a lake.

"I see," the man said, retrieving the card through some form of telekenisis.
Hitomi looked up slowly. "You---You---sick bastard."

"I hardly think so," he replied curtly.

"You---You knew."

"So maybe I did," he responded.

"My friends will...will find me...and when they do...you'll pay," she gasped.

"We'll see about that."


Van went pale from where he sat.

"Lord Van?" Meruru asked gently. "Lord Van, are you alright?"

Dryden and Allan watched in silence.

Van could hear something distant from him, in his mind. He listened carefully; could it be Hitomi? He allowed his mind to slip and think of Hitomi...

Flash.

"Is love stronger than fate?"

Feathers.

Raindrops falling from the sky.

The Tower card slipping from Hitomi's hands.

Escaflowne fighting the dark guymelufs.

"My friends will...will find me...and when they do...you'll pay," she gasped.

"We'll see about that."

Flash.

Meruru was now clasped with Van's arm. "Lord Van!"

"I have to go," Van said, wiping away the cold sweat and getting to his feet. He collected his shield cuffs and pulled his sword in his sheath around his waist. He made his way to the door.

Allan blocked him. "Where do you think you're going?"

Van looked up to Allan. "To save Hitomi."


***I had a fool's confidence/
that the world had no boundaries/
but instincts and common sense/
come in different quantities***
~"Sally's Pigeons" Cyndi Lauper


~End of Chapter
There we go---got up to date with my story, for now. typin up the rest of the story. please R&R!