Van was to arrive in Fried by the cover of darkness, he didn't want to spreed the news aborad. He had wanted to wait for Merle, but the thought that Hitomi could be hurt drove him forward. Van looked around his room on Allen's airship and smiled. This place brought back so many memeries, some good, some bad, but all dear to him. He sighed, and looked back down at the writing desk he sat at. The lone candle obra filkering light sent strange shadows dancing across his face. vna rubbed his eyes tiredly and longed for sleep. He was so tired, not scence the great war had he been this tired.

Gaddes walked by the door to Van's room. pausing to knock softly, he waited for Van to grant him entrance.
"King Van?" after a long silence permission was given, Gaddes entered quitly. He saw Van siting with his back to the door. The light from candles cast him in omonis shadows.
"King Van...The boss said to tell you that we've entered Freid airspace." Gaddes saw Van's head move slightly in recconition. Gaddes backed out of the room and shut the door.
He sighed,"Boy, Hitomi is going to be supprised at the change in you, Van." shaking his head he went to take the wheel from Allen.

@~~~~~ ~~~~~@


Hitomi looked around and sighed. They had been hear for three days, and there where still wonded to be treated. She got up and moved to the next woman, her eyes tired and walking with a slight limp from an injury she got in the battle. As Hitomi nelt down she looked at the middle aged woman. She had a terrible gash from her sholder to her elbow. Hitomi had to hold in the erga to gag at the sight of the flesh that had been rent from the bone. A yound girl set beside the older woman, Hitomi took a deep breath and began to look more closly into the wound.
"You've done a good job keeping infection out." Hitomi smiled at the girl."Is this your mother?" The young girl nodded. She scutted closer to Hitomi, looking into her mothers wound.
"Will she be okay?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes I think so."Hitomi finished cleaning the wound, then motioned for Ren to come sew it up. She picked up the tiny girl and moved away from where Ren was going to be working.
"What's your name?" Hitomi asked.
"It's Keiko, thats my mother Jun. She got hurt keeping that mean man from getting me." Keiko looked over Hitomi's shoulder. "Is she hurting Mother?!" she asked in worry. Htiomi smiled comfortingly.
"No, she's trying to help her. Now I want you to meet a friend of mine." She waved for chid to come over to where she stood with Keiko.
"Chid, meet Keiko. Keiko meet Chid." Chid bowed low toward Keiko."It's a pleasure to meet you Princess Keiko!" Keiko giggled at Chid's words. Hitomi sighed again, this time in releif. Keiko would be fine, and so would Jun, her mother.

@~~~~~ ~~~~~@

Later that day as the sun was coming down, Hitomi sat by the fire resting. It had been a hard day. She felt more than saw some one set down across from her. Some rement of her power, lokg buried cme forward.
"Lady Asago" she said. This would be the time to get all her questions answered.
"Come with me, Lady Hitomi."Those were her only words as she rose gracfully to her feet and walked toward the tree line. Hitomi followed slowly, thinking about all the things she had to ask. After they had gone a suffeshent distance from the camp, Asago turned toward Hitomi.
"I'll go first," at Hitomi's nod she continued,"How are you hear? I myself, witnessed your assention to the Mistic Moon seven years ago!" Hitomi reached under her shirt and pulled out her pendent, "It was the power of my wish...."

@~~~~~ ~~~~~@

Chid looked across the fire at Ren. Beside him Keiko slept with her head in his lap. Jun lay between Ren and Chid, her wound bandaged now. Chid looked at Ren, his eyes roaming over her unsual features. She was pretty with her cat-like looks and silver hair.
"I wonder if your attakers will come?" Chid asked her, in a poor attempt to find somthing to talk about.
"No, they would never be so bold as to come into the Free Kingdom of Freid." Ren declared with a glent of steel in her cold blue eyes. No one knew, besides Lady Asago and Hitomi, that Chid was the King.
Chid smiled,"You have much faith, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. It's our last hope." Chid began to say somthing but Keiko stired in her sleep and began to cry. Jun sit up.
"Oh no! She's having another nightmare!!" Chid watched as Keiko stifened and began to thrash about. Ren ran over and pulled Keiko off the ground. At her touch Keiko began to scream. "No, don't touch her. It only makes it worse!!Just call out to her." Jun set up and crawld over to her thrashing, screaming child.
"Keiko, Keiko darling! It's Mother. Keiko calm down,please..." Chid and Ren watched as slowly the child calmed down, untill she was resting quitly again.
Chid Looked at Ren then at Jun, who fell back down on her back."What happened to cause this child such pain?" Chid asked rembering the nightmares he had after watching his kingdom burn down.
"Her father was an airship piolet in the Great War. He took her with him in the last battle. His ship went down and every one was thought to be dead. She was found in the rekcage. I had recently lost both my child and my husband in one of the battles. So I took in the child and faised her as mine. She has had these night mares scince then." Jun had tears in her eyes as she looked at the fire. Chid got up and moved restlessly around the fire to stand by Ren and look down at Keiko.
"Why must children lose their inocents?" he asked with clenched fist. Ren looked sadly up at Chid, her eyes losing aome of their coldness.
"That's life Chhid, just life...."

@~~~~~ ~~~~~@

"This is our life, LAdy Hitomi."Asago answered calmly.
"So your telling me that all these women lost someone in the War, and now you have united them together to bring down any opposition to the powers that be?"
"Yes, that sums it up.I lost many of my comrades in the war. I was a Zaibach captin. I don't want anything like that to happen again." Hitomi looked at her for a long moment as Asago stood tall infront of her, waiting for her reaction. Hitomi bowed deeply in respect to Asago.
"Untill I can get to Van, my Lady, I will serve your cause." Asago put her hand on Hitomi's shoulder to bring her face up, she looked in Hitomi's eyes. Then slowly, she bowed to Hitomi.
"I thank you, Lady Hitomi." An understanding passed between them, and a deep respect began to seed in both their hearts.


@~~~~~ ~~~~~@


Jakco sighed. For a day and a half they had been traving, and Merle had only let them stop to change the horses and sleep for two hours. It was time to rest whether she liked it or not. Merle had almost fallen out of the sadle twice, and the last time Jakco had almost been to late to catch her. He estimated that they where only a half days jorney from Fanelia's capital. It was time to rest. Jakco stoped the horses and swung out of the sadle. He pulled Merle off into his arms and looked into her tired face. There were dark circles under her eyes and worry lines creasing her forhead. Merles eyes fluttered opened as she felt Jakco pull her from the sadle.
"Jakco...."she mummered softly.
"We'er going to rest princess. You just about fell off your horse two times, and I need rest." He kissed her head softly as he laid her on the ground. Then he made up their seperate beds (what...You thought...GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE LEMONADE...heheheh)and moved her over. She caught his hand in a surprisingly strong grip.
"I need to get to Van...Htiomi...she's coming...I can...feel...it..." Her grip sorfened and her hand fell away as she went to sleep. Jakco smiled down at her for a moment. Then he laid down and also travled the paths to blissful rest.

end of chapter


A.N
This chater was LONG. I can't believe how long it was. Thanks to the person who how told me they liked my fic!! You know who you are!! This is for you!!!