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*Chapter XIV, Introductions*

(A/N: Hello everybody!!! Sorry it took me so long Forgive me!!!!  I am wondering if I should start another story because I don't think a lot of people like this story.. Or is that just me being stupid…ah well. Well I don't mean to sound like a pain in the a**. I'll shut up now and write the stupid story… sorry. I hope that you'll enjoy this story. ^_^)

~*~*~*~

"Mmmm… Hitomi? Are you awake?" Van asked as he tightened his arms around her. He stayed in her sweet embrace until she woke up. She murmured then she answered him.

"I am now." Hitomi smiled up at him. Suddenly she got up. Totally forgetting that she wasn't wearing anything.

When she realized where they were she became frantic. "Van what are we doing?!?!"

"Umm we…"

"Not that your horny fool. We should be getting to Fanelia. NOW!!! There's about to be a war and we're sitting here sleeping away!!! I can't believe it!!!" Van looked hurt.

After Hitomi got changed and calmed down, she saw Van's face; she walked over to him, and helped him to stand. She wrapped her arms around him, trying to comfort him.  "Van, I truly loved doing that with you –we'll be sure to do it again – but there's about to be a war against the alliance, and we have more important things to worry about. Listen when we have a couple of free minutes, we'll go and find a place where it can be just you and I. Promise. I love you Van with all my heart, please don't ever think that I would regret spending even I second with you. I cherish every second I do have with you. I always will."

Hitomi cupped his face with both of her hands and kissed him passionately.

"I can't believe that I would think otherwise. Forgive me?"

"No. Can you forgive me?"

"Yes of course. Now I think your right, we should be getting to Fanelia, really soon too. Let's go."

They both sprouted their wings and flew to Fanelia.

~*~*~*~

While Allen and Chid were both standing in their guymelef's, waiting for the enemy to attack, they talked trying to get rid of the butterflies in their stomach's.

"Allen…As a friend I have a question." Chid waited for him to answer. They were on a private intercom.

"Yes Prince Chid what is it?"

"I've heard people say that you and my mother were once very close to each other. Is it true?"

"Yes." Allen said after taking a deep breath.

"What was she like? I don't really remember her very much, and I miss her a lot."

Allen chuckled. "She was very smart, and beautiful too. She always hated watching tournaments. She thought that they were pointless, and that somebody always got hurt without a good cause.  And she loved digitalis flowers,* she loved the smell of them when they were in full bloom. I think that there are common in Fried."

"Oh… Your right, I remember always smelling them when I was younger, but I never figured that out till you said it. Thank you. I know have something to remember her by."

Allen was about to say something when he heard a noise.

"It's begun." Chid said becoming very serious. He then turned off the intercom. Suddenly a Zaibach guymelef appeared out of know where. Allen reacted quickly and defended himself from a jab to his head. He took out his sword and ran after the attacking guymelef. He sliced right through his opponent's facemask, but not killing him. Another one came up behind him and tried to stab him in the back but Prince Chid was there to watch his back.

"Thank you Chid, I owe you one."

"Sure. Just protect my country!" Allen sliced another guymelef in the chest, taking out the energist. Allen couldn't believe how much the technology has changed!  I can't believe that they can know fly with their cloaking devices on! This is useless!!! Allen took out another one that was chasing after some men on foot. There were so many of them that he knew that they wouldn't survive without some help. Allen saw some of royal guards were crushed under all the guymelef's feet.  Out of the corner of Allen's eye he saw a red guymelef. It looked more or less like Dilandau's old one, but he's gone. Then Allen noticed that it was spewing fire all over.  It had the same techniques as his worst enemy.

"No it couldn't be. Celena is in Fanelia. How…" His eyes went wide when he saw that the guymelef was coming after Chid. Allen ran to his defense, but it was too late. The red guymelef hit Chid, and the liquid metal went through his back. The guymelef dropped to the ground. Allen's heart stopped.  He couldn't believe that he couldn't save his own son.

Allen felt so much pain running through his system; he charged the red guymelef, going in to kill him. His emotions took charge of Allen. He came up behind him and tried to sever the red guymelef's head, but he had heard Allen coming and turned around to block the on coming sword. Allen couldn't control himself, he shouted, "I'll kill you!! You bastard!!! I won't let you get away with murder!!!" Allen swung furiously at the guymelef's head.

Allen heard a hideous laugh that jogged his memory to the past.

"Allen Shezar! So you've come to fight me again. I don't think you can beat me now. You couldn't even beat me before, without the help of Fanel." Dilandau laughed.

Dilandau had a liquid metal sword in one hand and a flame-thrower in the other.

"I'll get you one way or another!!! I don't care if you were once my sister, I'll kill you!!!" Allen yelled at Dilandau.

Dilandau swiped at his rival and took off the guymelef's arm. Allen stumbled back a few paces and continued to fight with all his might. Dilandau stuck Allen in the leg. He fell to his knees.

"Allen looks like you can beat me. Hahahaha!!! Not even a Caeli knight can beat me! I'm invincible, I can't die, and I will keep on being reborn when ever I die. I will even haunt you in the realm of the dead. I will see you there!!! Die Allen Shezar!!!"

Dilandau raised his sword and prepared to kill Allen Shezar.

~*~*~*~

"What do you mean that you're my mother…I thought she abandoned me when I was a child. No you can't be her! I won't believe that!"

Merle was so shaken up that tears rolled down her furry cheeks.

"Please. I'm so sorry that I left you. I was taken away. I became a slave, and I fought everyday to try to get away to come back and find you. I'm so sorry." Anana pleaded trying to get Merle to understand.

"I had given up on the thought of ever having a mother, till the Fanel's found me. I know have a family here and I don't need you! Leave me alone!!!" Merle rushed back into the study with everyone else. After a few moments Anana followed, with her gaze upon the ground.

Everyone looked at the both of them, until Gaddis spoke up.  "Miss Anana I'm sure you're tired. Merle do you have some rooms where Miss Anana and Doran rest?"

"NO!"

Everyone was shocked. No one every thought Merle would ever turn two people away into the cold of the night. Lavi spoke up. "Merle I'm sure you don't mean that. Gaddis I think that you should go ask a guard for some rooms for them. It's late and everyone is tired. Come on Merle lets go for a walk in the garden." Before getting a response from Merle he took her to the garden. After Merle, Lavi, Gaddis, Anana and Doran had left Millerna asked Dryden a question.

"I wonder what that was all about."

"It probably doesn't involve us and I don't want to get in the middle of a cat fight. I've heard that they're vicious. Come on dear, let's go to sleep."

~*~*~*~

When Merle and Lavi enter the garden, Merle broke down and started to cry.  Lavi came up to her and cautiously gave her a hug.

"What's wrong Merle?  What did Miss Anana say to you that has made you so upset? Please tell me. I want to help you.  I don't like seeing you sad."

"Lavi, she said... she said that she is my mother.  My mother had abandoned me when I was just a little child.  I was left in a tree to die.  My mother didn't care about me, which is why she left me.  As for my father all I remember was that one night there was a lot of shouting and screaming and running, and my house was on fire, and we ran and ran. I guessed that he died then.  I don't really remember much else.  I can't believe that she would come back after so long and try to be my mother again, that is if she really is. Like I can believe her!!!"

"Hush... don't worry, have you considered what she said?  Did she give you a reason why she came back to look for you, or why she was taken away in the first place?"

"Yes she did... she said that she was taken away to become a slave. And now she just comes back... after so long.  What would master Van do in a situation like this?"

"He might give her a chance to explain her self and try to fix things so that everyone could be happy."  Lavi wasn't happy that Merle always seem to be thinking about Lord Van.

"I just don't understand why she would come back after so long..."

"Give her a chance. She might have a good reason... Come on let me walk you back to your room.  It's getting late and I don't want you to be grumpy in the morning."  He took her hand and walks her to her room, very slowly; enjoying the time he could spend with her.

He really did like her and he wanted to ask her if she would be his mate.  Besides that fact that he thought of her as his sole mate, he wanted more than just the friendship that they shared.

"What are you thinking about Lavi?" Merle asked quietly, still drying her tears.

"You...I mean...I'm sorry..." Lavi stopped and looked down.  He was as red as a tom could go.

Merle laughed.  "Your sorry that you like me? I hope not, because I do like you, I know sometimes it doesn't seem like that, but I really do like you."

Although his face was red he looked into her deep blue eyes letting her know that he did like her more than a friend.

"Merle..." Lavi was really nervous.  They stood outside her door and the guards were doing their rounds, and he thought that this was a private matter, which only he and their friends should know about.

He opened her door and pulled her inside.  She looked slightly started by doing this, but she remained calm.

"Merle, I don't know how to do this, so please bare with me...I have liked you since the day I met you. It was right after the war had ended and you were giving lunch out to the working people of Fanelia. I was one of the working people and I thought that you came only up to me and gave me some food.  I though that you liked me and only me, I was very wrong, but at that moment when you did give me food I felt very special. When I found out that you were giving it out to everyone, I felt like a fool and I also felt jealous.  You looked at me with your gorgeous blue eyes and just that look made me want to work hard and do some other things that I'm not going to say, because they are just too embarrassing, but I promise maybe another time."  Seeing the way she looked at him, made him realize that he was making a fool out of himself.  "Anyways I really want us to be together, like I want to court you, but since Lord Van isn't her for me to ask him, I guess I would just come out and say that I like you, more than a friend.  I just want to be there for you when you need me and help you with your problems.  I really like you so I guess I should stop talking because I guess you think that I'm just a big creepy person, who is stalking you.  I'm sorry for bothering you Merle.  If you want, I'll leave you alone...forever." He lowered his head in embarrassment after emptying his heart to her.

"Lavi, I think that you're really sweet cat but I also think that your right, not only are you making a fool out of yourself, I do like you and I also think that we have a future together.  And I don't want you to leave, because I also like you. And I'm glad that you told me.  Thank you Lavi, what you said really means a lot to me. Oh ya, I don't think that Lord Van would mind, because if he did, I would talk to him, and also I think Hitomi would side with me too. Not to mention that you talk to much."

"Oh, I guess I got a little to ahead of myself, sorry.  I guess then I should let you go to sleep, because as I said before, I want a nice kitty tomorrow not some grumpy cat.  I will come by for breakfast tomorrow, if that ok with you?"

"Oh course.  Good night Lavi, sleep well."  Merle got up on her tippy toes and gave him a small kiss on his check.  She decided that she liked being in his arms so she wrapped her arms around his waist and tail around one of his legs.  She then felt his tail rub up against her's.

"Good night, Merle I hope that you have a dream filled sleep."

"Mmmm ummm.... Good night, see you in the morning." Lavi left her standing in the same spot with his scent still around her, she giggled like a schoolgirl as Hitomi once called it, then jumped into bed, awaiting dreams about Lavi.

~*~*~*~

Hitomi started to become very tired, but she didn't want to tell Van, she knew she had to keep going.  Her wings had become very tired, and were starting to slow down and she found herself suddenly dropping to fast.

Van had his mind on ways he could prevent another war from happening. Suddenly a white blur was falling right in front of him.  He looked up to see if Hitomi was all right, but she wasn't there.  He looked down at the dropping figure and noticed that it was Hitomi.  He folded his wings and plunged after her as fast as he could.  He flew under her and caught her in his strong arms.  He saw that she was unconscious, because she had pushed herself too far, and was going to have to have a small talk with her about pushing herself too far.

It was about an hour later when he reached to the boards of Fanelia.  He flew a bit faster, because he was really tired and needed sleep.

"Hang on Hitomi, we're almost home." He softly whispered into her ear.  In the distance he saw his castle and flew directly to his balcony window. They finally arrived, and Van was so happy that Hitomi was stay and become his wife and the rule of Fanelia aside himself.

When they entered his room, he put Hitomi on his bed and took off her shoes, and took off his shirt and shoes and crawled into bed beside her and fell asleep.

"Good night my love.  I will see you in the morrow. Sweet dream Hitomi." He gently kissed her on the check and drifted of in a dream filled sleep.

~*~*~*~

The next morning, a servant came into the King's room to make sure that it was clean; no matter if he was even on this planet, it was her job to make sure that his room stayed clean.

When she came in she saw that the bed was unmade and there were people sleeping in it!

She was terrified and let out a blood-curdling scream that must have awoken that side of Gaia.  Van instantly woke up reaching for his sword, which wasn't there.  Hitomi woke up to afraid that they were being attacked or something.

"What's going on here!?!?" shouted a voice from the hall. When that voice entered the room he saw that his King had returned with somebody else. Instinctively he bowed.

"For give me your majesty, we didn't know you returned.  My lady Hitomi, it is also good that you have returned with his majesty.  We are sorry for disturbing you, we will leave now."

Van sat there totally dazed and confused.  He had no idea to what had just happened.  His mind still wasn't awake, from the abrupt awakening.

Hitomi was now wide-awake from the scream.  When she looked over at Van's face, he looked so tired and appeared to be falling asleep right there.

"Van, can we go back to sleep for awhile?"

"Ya sure I guess, the entire castle now knows that we're here, so we won't be getting as much sleep, so...let's just go back to bed." Van yawned.

"You are so cute when you're tired. Good night….or morning Van." She put her arms around his upper body and snuggled up to him and slept again, not caring how or when she came to be in his bed.

Only seconds later another shrill awoke them once again.  "MASTER VANNNNNN!!!!!!!"  Merle had ran into his room and jumped on the bed. Merle then noticed that Hitomi was there with him.

"HHIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTOOOOOOMMMMMMIIIIII!!!! I'm soooo happy that you came back with Master Van!!!"

"Merle I thought at least by now you would have grown out of that stage of attacking Van."

"Nope!  This time are you staying for good?"

"At this point it depends on how much sleep I get, especially with you around!"

"So that's means that you're staying!!!! YAAAAA" Merle had been bouncing up and down on the bed, not knowing that she was still jumping on Van.

"Aghh!" Van moaned.

"Opps, Sorry master Van, I'm just so happy that you've come back! Come on let's go and eat breakfast!!!  Hurry get changed and come down!"

"Merle we're not across the courtyard so you don't have to yell!" Van said as he was trying to get out of bed.  Unfortunately his feet were tangled in the sheets and he fell off the bed, face first on to the ground. "This is not going to be a fun day!"

Merle and Hitomi were both laughing at the picture of a King face first on the ground.

"Van having fun down there?" Hitomi asked as she crawled over and looked at Van laying on the floor.

"No!" Van grabbed the rest of the sheets and pulled both Hitomi and Merle off the bed and onto the ground with him.

"Now I'm having fun!" he said with the largest grin on his face.  Hitomi picked up a pillow and threw it at his face, and doubled over with laughter.

Van and Hitomi were engaged in a massive pillow fight when they heard Merle laughing.  They automatically stopped and went after Merle.

"Hey no fair, this is your people's fight, not mine!" Merle ran out of that room very quickly, while shouting at them to get ready.

"I guess we had better get ready now.  Come on your majesty get up!" Hitomi stood up and offered her hand. He took it, but pulled her back down.

"Not yet."  He said right before he kissed her.

Hitomi broke apart.  "Van we really should get going. There are more important things to do right now than make out, as the war.  Come on let's go and say good morning to everyone."

"I guess you're right, there's time to have fun later…now's later…" Van went to grab her again but she got away.

"I'm serious Van. Later!" she put on her coat and left the room.

"I will never understand her! Women!!!"

"I heard that, your highness. I'm hungry, I'll meet you down stairs in the breakfast room. Hurry up." Hitomi said while running out in the hall.

Van grumbled and got ready and chased after Hitomi.

~*~*~*~

After Van and Hitomi eat breakfast alone, since it was almost noon, then went to the garden to greet everyone.

Hitomi saw almost everyone.  Millerna was talking to Celena, Merle was talking to a cat-man. Gaddis, Dryden, a small boy and a older cat-woman were also talking.

Hitomi suddenly stopped. Van noticed that Hitomi had stopped and turned around to look at what was the matter.  Her face was very pale.

"Hitomi, what's wrong?…Hitomi?  Are you okay?" Van asked worried.

"It's them."

"Who?"

"Who's that sitting with Dryden and Gaddis?"

"I'm not sure, why.  Do you know them from somewhere or something?"

"They were in one of my visions and… I have to know who they are."

Hitomi walked over to them. "Hello Dryden, Gaddis.  It's good to see you again."

"Hitomi! It's good to see you too."

"Little lady, I'm glad your back.  Wait are there any reason why your back?" Gaddis said.

"I don't mean to be rude, but who are these people."

"Hitomi this is Miss Anana and Doran.  I found them on the way here.  Why?"

"It's nice to meet you Miss Anana and Doran. I'm sorry for being rude I thought that your were somebody else."

"It's okay Lady Hitomi.  I'm pleased to meet you."

"Hello Lady Hitomi, my name's Doran."

"Hello Doran.  How are you?" Hitomi said with a big smile on her face.

"Good."  Doran looked behind Hitomi and saw Van.

Doran stood up and ran over to Van.  "Daddy?" he yelled.  Doran kept running over to Van.

Van was caught off guard by this and almost fell over.  He looked so shocked.  Hitomi ran after Doran and up to Van.  Doran grabbed Van's leg, and hugged it.

"Van is there something you never told me?"

"Uhh no, I mean I've never seen this boy before in my life." He said quietly so that the boy couldn't hear him.

"Daddy look, I've been practicing!" Doran said with the happiest face in the world.

Suddenly wings sprouted from Doran's back.  Everyone was shocked.

"Oh my!  He's a Draconian! I thought that there were no more of those on Gaia." Anana shouted.

"So it's is true!  You are the one I saw in my vision!" Hitomi gasped.

"Boy, what is your name?" Van asked quietly.

"Don't you remember me, daddy?  My name's Doran."

"That's my father's middle name."  Then it hit him.  "Folken!"

~*~*~*~

 (A/N: * More commonly known as Fox Glove.

**Anyways can anyone guess Who Doran is?? I guess no one really guessed that Anana was Merle's mother.  Well I hoped that everyone liked this chapter. Once again, Sorry it took me so long to put out, but it's almost exam time, so I won't be able to write, read and review anything for a very long time, sorry!!  I hope you liked it!! ^_^  Thanks for reading!!! Oki Miya)