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~* A/N Konnichiwa Minna!! I'm back.... wow! Got lots o good reviews, so I'm gonna write hopefully a chapter a day. Enjoy! Please R&R Thanx! BTW, I DO NOT OWN ESCAFLOWNE!!!!! Boy I wish I could...

Hitomi and Van-Fateful Destiny

Chapter 11: Escape from death

A few weeks later, Van had to leave to go to a far away country for business. Hitomi had wanted to go with him, but Van gently reminded her that the people of Fanelia needed her there. Shortly after his departure, Hitomi decided to take a walk in the gardens. However, not even the beauty of the flowers could ease away the guilt she felt.

"You didn't tell him..." Hitomi thought. She was so busy scolding herself, that she didn't watch where she was going and walked straight into Merle.

"MMEEOOW!!! Ouch, Hitomi! What are you doing?" Merle complained.

"Oops, sorry Merle..." Hitomi apologized. Getting Merle angry was not a good thing to do. Merle noticed Hitomi looking a little distracted.

"It's ok... what's wrong? Miss his already?" Merle joked.

"Merle it's not that... well, yes I miss him, but I meant to tell him something..." Hitomi just stopped before she said too much.

" And I'm guessing you didn't tell him? What is it?" Merle leaned in closer.

" Merle, I really should let Van be the first to know." Hitomi wished she had told him.

"What?! Am I not good enough to tell first?" Merle pretended to be hurt.

"No, Merle! It's not that..." Hitomi tried hard not to laugh.

"oh come on! please?!" Merle was practically begging Hitomi. Hitomi just started laughing but stood her ground.

"Oh fine then... you're no fun." Merle whined, then ran off, supposedly attending to something. Hitomi sat on a stone bench near a fountain. Sighing, she placed a hand at her stomach, which at the moment was flat, but would be rounded in a few months time.

"Oh Van..." Trying to look on the bright side of things, Van wouldn't be away for too long... just a few days. Hitomi resolved to tell Van she was pregnant when he returned.

In Takita's Lair

"Mistress Takita, we have some good news for you." Kalad announced.

"Hmm..? Alright then, what is it?" Takita snapped.

"Well, apparently, King Van of Fanelia is away. He'll be gone for a few days, but that would be more than enough time to easily conquer Fanelia as only the Queen is there." Takita just sat there for a moment, then said,

"Good work Kalad. For once, you've done something useful. Tell the armies to head for Fanelia and ATTACK!"

yes, now will be the perfect time for revenge... Takita thought evilly. Yes, nothing would hurt the king more, than seeing his wife murdered.

Back in Fanelia...

Hitomi was listening to a very boring council meeting, though she tried to hide the boredom in her face, the council noticed she was acting a lot like Van. She sat up straight and tried to listen, but in the end she was leaning her chin on her hand, stifling a yawn every now and then. Just then, Allen burst into the room.

"Takita's armies are headed straight for us! They probably knew Van was going to be away!" Allen panted. Hitomi decided to take matters into her own hands.

"Well then, meeting is adjourned. Allen, get the armies ready." Hitomi said calmly. Allen just nodded then ran off.

"I'm going to get Escalamis ready." Hitomi ran the fastest she could to her room, changed into the battle outfit (Tan pants, green shirt, u know that thing.) and then ran to the hangar where Escalamis was waiting. Taking a moment, she looked at Escaflowne.

"Hmm... what if they try to destroy it or steal it?" Hitomi had an idea. Taking the pendant (Which by the way, Van returned to her) she held it by the chain in front of Escaflowne. Using the power of Atlantis, she created a shield around Escaflowne which would be impenetrable as long as she was alive.

"Oh that's some relief..." Hitomi sarcastically remarked.

"Hitomi!" Hitomi looked around and saw Merle shouting at her.

"You'd better be careful! Lord Van would Kill me if anything happened to you!" Hitomi smiled, knowing that was Merle's way of saying, 'Please be careful, you're my best friend.'

"Don't worry Merle! I'll be alright! You have to get inside!! Quick!" Hitomi then turned around to face the battle.

"Please be careful Hitomi... Good luck." Merle thought.

Hours later...

Half the battle was over, and Hitomi was doing pretty well. At times, she was just a hair away from death, but managed to get rid of a threatening soldier.

"Ah... there she is!" Takita smiled evilly as she spotted Hitomi.

" What do we have here? Well now, your 'Highness' where's your King?" Takita snidely retorted.

"GGGRrr.... " Hitomi growled inwardly, and in her anger she raised her sword high and was about to impale it onto Takita. Takita on the other hand, was so busy laughing she almost didn't see Hitomi ready to kill her.

* Van...* Hitomi had no choice... she had to contact Van about this.

*Hitomi? How are you?* Van's voice sounded in her ears.

*Van, there's an attack on Fanelia! Come home quickly!* Hitomi swiftly knocked Takita's sword out of her hands.

"What the @%!#?!" Takita cursed.

"Leave. Leave now, and I will spare your life." Hitomi stated.

"GRrr... fine then." Takita got up and commanded the armies to retreat. Little did Hitomi know that Takita would come back for her.

Van was halfway home after the urgent call from Hitomi.

"Hitomi, please be alright..." Van whispered.

*************************

Hitomi was getting ready for bed, and just wanted to sleep for two days straight. As she settled in, sudden movement caught her eye. A silhouette of woman with a dagger appeared.

"Guards!!!!" Hitomi screamed. Then, before she could react, the dagger was plunged into her chest. Hitomi screamed the most agonizing scream ever.

* AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!* Van could hear the scream from outside the Fanelian borders.

*Hitomi!!* Van cried out.

* Oh Van... I'm so sorry. I-I never told you...* Van could hear her voice sounding farther away.

* You never told me what?* Van was getting quite scared now.

* Van...we have a child. I'm- I'm pregnant.* Van was totally shocked.

"Hurry! Get me to Fanelia as soon as you can!!!!" Van yelled to the coach driver.

Merle ran into Hitomi's room as soon as the scream had sounded.

"Hitomi!! Oh my God!!! Lord Van is going to have my head for this!" Merle shrieked, seeing the dagger in the figure's hand, blood dripping off of it. Merle then recognized the figure.

"Takita!!! GUARDS!!!!!!!!!!!" Merle yelled as loud as she could. Soon the sound of at least 10 guards running brought Takita to attention. Takita realized that she would have to leave or face the wrath of the guards, so she leapt out of the window, only to land in front of Van, who had just come home. The guards outside took Takita down to the dungeons while Van flew up to his bedroom window, where he knew Hitomi would be. He didn't run up the stairs, that would take too much time. He saw Hitomi lying in bed, with Merle trying to keep her awake.

"Hitomi!! Oh my God!!!" Van ran to her side.

"Hitomi you can't leave me! What of our child?" Van cried. "I can't lose my family again!" When everyone heard Van say 'what of our child' they gasped. The queen was pregnant!

"Van...I...Love you...." Hitomi whispered. "I'm so tired Van...I just..." Her body went limp, as her eyes gently closed.

"Hitomi, NO!!!!!!!!!!!" Van wrapped his arms around her, and didn't bother trying to hide the tears running down his face.

In Hitomi's mind, she was falling. Her wings wouldn't work.

"VAN!!!!!" Hitomi cried out, outstretching her hand. Sure enough, a burst of white light appeared, and a man with wings appeared. A firm hand grasped hers. Then she heard him say:

"Hitomi, you can't leave me! What of our child! I can't lose my family again! I love you!" Then Hitomi felt his lips on hers, breathing life back into her.

Back in the real world...

"Hitomi! please come back!!!!!" Van's tears were streaming down his face, and landed on the pendant. Suddenly, the pendant began to glow. The Escaflowne and Escalamis energists began to glow as well. Two balls of light came from the hangar and floated to Hitomi and Van's room. Another ball of light came from the pendant itself. The 3 balls of light concentrated together, making it so bright that no one could see as it went into Hitomi's wound. Hitomi felt her soul returning to her body. The wound on her chest healed and color returned to her pale face. Van still had his arms around her, his head beside hers. A low groan could be heard as Hitomi came around.

"Hitomi!"

"V-Van...? Oh Van!!" Hitomi hugged Van fiercely. "I was so afraid I'd never see you again!" Everyone in the room began to get teary eyed as Van and Hitomi gazed into each others eyes, so they began to clear out. Soon, it was just Hitomi and Van in the room, but they didn't notice.

"Hitomi, what happened?" Van was suddenly stern.

"Takita probably knew that you were going to be away, so she launched an attack on us! I managed to have her leave, but she just came back to kill me." Hitomi also mentioned how she had made a shield to protect Escaflowne. Van was so touched.

"Oh Hitomi..." he sighed.

"Van I was so afraid that I'd never see you again.. or our baby." Hitomi sobbed a little.

"Is it true then? We really have a baby?" Van asked hopefully.

"Yes Van... I didn't tell you before you left because I didn't want you to worry. I was planning on telling you when you returned." Hitomi felt so guilty she began apologizing, but Van didn't care. He was glad Hitomi was still alive.

"HITOMI!!!!" It was Merle. "I was so worried about you!" Merle then threw herself at Hitomi, sobbing.

" Oh Merle.. Don't worry. Everything is going to alright now. You know, it is pretty late... why don't we all get some rest?" Merle nodded, still sniffing as she skipped out of the room. Van crawled into bed beside his wife, and held her tight. He silently was praying to gods for saving Hitomi.

~* A/N: ahh... my poor fingers...lol. well... how was it?! please R&R!!!!