Men in dark clothes moved silently through the trees,

scouting for any signs of a mass exidous. These women where

good, the leader thought, for they had been looking for

these so called Freedom Fighters for four days. The only

signs they had found poined toward Freid. The leader smiled

an evil grin. So, freid was it? he would make sure that

dang witch regreted becoming a trader to Emperor Dornkirk's

ideals. he called his men over and pointed back toward

their camp. Tomorrow, They would make their move tomorrow.


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


Hitomi set up and grasp her chest. But even though her eyes

where now open, the night mare kept coming. She could see a

dark cloud gathering around their campsite, it was evil and

smelled of blood. SLowly the shadows began to seperate and

they became like beast.Their fangs barred as they began to

run through the camp, killing everything in sight. When

every one was dead, another shadow came forward, this one

tall and almost regale, but when the moon light caught his

face, Hitomi almost cried in fear. His face was so marred

beyond belief that she couldn't tell if he was man or beast.

THen all the monsterous things began to howl and say,"REIN

FOREVER!!OH BEAST KING!!!" Hitomi was drawn closer to the

scared man as he lefted up a corps.It's head rolled to one

side, and it's lifless eyes staired strate at Hitomi. A

scream tore out of her, it's long anguished cry bringing

Asago and CHid running.

"VAN!! NO NOT VAN!!!"


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



Van set up strate in bed, his pendent glowing brightly

enough to read by. They had been told that chid was away

touring the relm and that he would be back in two days. Van

had been content to wait, but not now. Van threw off the

covers and pulled on the pants he had prevously discarded.

Straping on his sword he racsed off to Allen's room.



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


Allen was awakened by loud banging on his door.

"Allen, somthings wrong!! We have to GO!!" Van threww open

the door, Allen was out of bed and pulling on clothes.

"What is it Van?"

"I don't know...I just know that Hitomi is afraid, and I

only felt a small amount of her fear.She had a vision" Van

walked over to the window and flung it open.

"What are you doing Van?" Allen shouted as Van stood up on

the sill.

"I'm going to find her!" He looked out toward the sky and

held up his pendent.

"Get your airship and fly toward the west toward the border

between Bashram and Freid." Allen watched as Van fell out

of the windows, unlesashing his wings as he fell. The wind

lefted him high into the air, and with great flaps he flew

into the distant horizon. Allen watched for a moment, then

he turned and started to wake up his crew. Van would need

reinforcments.

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


"I'm going for reinforcments!" Chid yelled over the the

thick sound of battle. No one knew exactly how it happened,

but Htiomi had ran through the camp yelling that the enemy

was near. They had barly had time to strap on swords before

the enemy had come raining down upon them. Asago looked at

Chid and nodded. They could hold off the enemy for that

long, they had no other choice.


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


Hitomi fought like never before. SHe had no thought for

oppnate life, just for the lives of the women she

protected. All of the wounded wounded women that couldn't

fight lay behind her, Jun stood beside her welding her

sword in her left hand. Keiko sat with a dagger beside the

women. Htiomi sliced into another man, his rage almost like

that of a cornered anima. His hot breath blazed across her

check for a moment then he fell back wards, away from her.

Hitomi looked up to thank Ren for her help, but Ren was

already moving onward to her next kill. Chid had left what

seem like hours ago. Lady Asago was off leading the women

on another place. Hitomi turned and saw the sword coming

toward her too late. She saw the look of haterd in her

killers eyes and she shut her own tightly. As she waited

for the death blow, Hitomi felt a great gust of wind, then

a death scream, that was not her own. Before she could open

her eyes, she felt strong arms crushed her to a hard chest.

Hitomi fought for a moment then stilled. THis was Van,he

had even wraped his velvety wing around her. Hitomi held on

to Van tightly feeling safe for the first time scence she

had come back.

"Hitomi, help me!!" Hitomi heard Keiko's yell. Hitomi

wriped herself out of Van's arms and turned toward the

child. A man dressed in the old uniform of Zaibach stood

over Keiko. Her mother lay near by, unmoving. At Hitomi's

enraged animal scream, he turned around and looked at her,

then with an evil grin he stabed one of the near by women.

Hitomi gave a strangled cry and sttacked with blind rage.

Van watched as Hitomi killed the man without mercy. A

strange cat-like women ran toward the child and gathered

her up in her arms.

"Don't just stand there!Fight! We all must fight!! You must

fight while I move the wounded!!" Ren screamed at Van. That

brought him to action.He and Hitomi fought back to back as

Ren and another helped move the seven wounded women. Above

the sound of an airship came over head and everyone looked

up as Guymelfs with the crest of Freid and Austria fell

from heaven. Hitomi draoped her sword as she saw the men

retreat into the woods. It was over.





end of chapter.


A.N
This chapter was hard to write. I can't do battle very well. I know it sounded bad but...just use your imagination!! It works every time!!