Hi

Hi!!! I know I said I'd write more after my AP tests are over and right now APs are only half way through but I just couldn't study so I figured I'd put out the next chapter.  Now for a little recap

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"Hitomi! Answer me!"  Van reached Hitomi's side and found her unconscious. 

From behind him he heard a raspy voice, "All debts have been paid."

Van turned to see a Dragon Slayer getting ready to slice Van in half.

*~*

Now on with the story.  Oh and I forgot to put these before I think but here it is…

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne nor its characters.  Please don't sue, you can't get much for a magic pebble these days as you could way back when.

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          Van froze, his eyes caught in surprise as the Dragon Slayer had his sword raised above his head.  It seemed to go in slow motion, the sword slowly coming down to hit Van.  Without thinking, Van grabbed his sword and unsheathed it in time to block the blow.  Van pushed upwards and knocked the attacker back.  Still on his feet, the Dragon Slayer was obviously surprised that Van could react so fast.  Before he knew it, Van was charging at him.  Thrust! Parry! Block!  Clearly the Slayer was skilled but Van seemed to have the upper hand…until he swung and found himself only hitting air.  The Slayer had taken all his strength and jumped up above and over Van.  His back now exposed, Van couldn't turn in time to stop the sword from hitting his back and severing him in half.

          But Hitomi could.  She had awoken in time to see Van fighting another man in completely black armor.  She saw the assailant jump over Van.  By that time Hitomi stood up and grabbed the nearest weapon she could find.  Hitomi ran and hit the Slayer at the base of the neck with a very large stick that she found on the ground before he could kill Van. 

          Van turned in surprise to see Hitomi standing in the place of his attacker who was now on the ground out cold.

          "Thanks!" was the only appreciative word that came to mind for Van.

          Hitomi, surprised that she could even hit a guy hard enough to knock him out gathered her wits about her in time to feel herself get dizzy and faint, barely registering in her brain what her eyes could see.  Van's worried expression as he grabbed her.

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          Thump, thump, thump.  What is that? Thought Hitomi before she recognized that it was a heart beat.  Her heart beat.  She was in the water.  A bright light filtered through her eyelids.  Slowly, Hitomi opened her eyes to see the moon shining ever so lovely above her.

          "No!"  Hitomi jerked her head up and saw that she was in the ocean still.  Not far she could see Yukari's house with the white picket fence.

          "It couldn't have been a dream…" sobbed Hitomi as she swam towards the shore.

"I held him in my arms, it was real.  IT WAS REAL!"  Hitomi registered that she was in denial and that now she was in the real world once again.  She shut her eyes from the harsh reality before her and heard her name being called.  Slowly the dark world dissolved as she opened her eyes and saw Van's lovely face above her.  Hitomi sat up and felt a wave of dizziness hit her.

"Easy there Hitomi," Van grabbed her shoulders to steady her.  Hitomi's breath was shallow and Van was worried about her.

"It was a dream, I didn't return to the Mystic Moon."  Hitomi let a long sigh out and leaned into Van's shoulder. 

A blush crept up Van's face as he noticed how Hitomi was leaning so close to him and that he was surrounded by most his army in the medical tent.

"Hitomi, are you feeling better?"

"Hmm? Yeah I am.  What happened?"

"You fainted after clubbing that guy.  By that time Asturia's forces caught up to us.  Victory was assured after that.  Most of the Dragon Slayers were not seasoned fighters."

"Van?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm tired.  Take me home please."

"As you wish."  Hitomi drifted back to sleep and didn't hear Van whisper, "my love."

*~*

Van took Hitomi back to the forest where he set Escaflowne to rest once again, in the same exact clearing where they said their goodbyes last time.  Van took out the energist as he did last time.  De ja vu Van thought.  Hitomi was thinking the same thing.  Van came to Hitomi and hesitantly looked into her eyes. 

"Do you want to stay this time?"  Van held his breathe waiting for Hitomi's reply.  She didn't, she started towards him but a blue light appeared in the sky and descended.  Hitomi stepped back in time to avoid being hit by it.  The light, bright blue, separated the two and Hitomi saw Van filtered through the blue light.  His shirt now purple, his eyes almost purple as well.  The light, it's back, do I follow it and leave?

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Merle was laying with Kireko waiting for her to fall asleep and take her nap when she looked out the window.

"No!" She ran to the balcony to see the tower of blue light emanating from the woods where she saw it 8 cycles ago headed straight for the Mystic Moon.  She held her breath thinking Hitomi can't leave us again.  Can't leave him again!

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Allen was preparing Asturia's forces for departure.  He turned and saw the column of blue light once again.

"No," he whispered, "no, how can it be back?"

Hitomi still stare at Van through the blue light.  Her eyes wide open, almost as large as the gap the light had made between the two.

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BWUHAHAHAHA I think I'll be evil and leave you all hanging.  Honest, the next chapter will be the last, the epilogue.  Anyways R/R is greatly appreciated; I need all the comments I can get so I know how to improve upon my writing.  Thanks for reading this and listening to this insane author.

Can anyone help me here?  I'm have italics in my story but when I upload it to ff.net the italics and colors don't show up.  It worked in the past with my other chapters but not this one or the one before it.  Can anyone explain that to me please?  I'd really appreciate that.