**This chapter was going to be titled: Visions of what might be. But after reading it over again I think the new title fits it better**
The Crusade leaves Freid to head for Thera Utopia, and Allen finds out that secrets are never really kept. Hitomi has a vision showing her one of the possible outcomes of the Prophecy, but also allows Folken to show her the true way. Part of the Prophecy unfolds as the Dragon Becomes
Chapter 29: The Dragon Becomes
As the final preparations are made to the Crusade two small private wedding ceremonies are held at the palace. The quick marriages are another result of the Dragon's Mating Fire. The high priest of Freid performs the ceremonies to unite these couples then documents them in the holy registry. After a small meal, which doubles as a reception it is time to depart for Fanilia.
By custom and out of respect, those of Royal blood, and those traveling with them, leaving the hospitality of the palace must appear at court to request leave from the kingdom. Cheid is dressed in ceremonial attire, a King to be respected even at such a young age. The monks are assembled, and the crew of the Crusade kneels near the entrance door. They enter the throne room in single file. Van Fanel the King of Fanilia, with his new wife, Hitomi, Princess Millerna and her husband Dryden of Astoria followed by Allen Knight of Cale, Amano of the Mystic Moon, and Merle and Nathen of the Cat folk. Each kneels in front of the throne. Cheid is seated in the center of the raised dialyses, to his right is the High Priest of Freid and to his left Princess Aries, his aunt. Cheid raises and speaks.
Cheid: "I Duke Cheid, King and ruler of Freid grant you leave from this kingdom and pray for your safe journey."
He steps down to speak to his friends, offering them his hopes for the quest ahead of them.
Cheid: "Amano I pray for the safe return of your Yukari, My apologies that she was taken while under the protection of my kingdom."
Next he turns to his very special friend Hitomi.
Cheid: "Hitomi, I am sorry to say good-bye at the same time as we again say hello. I remember you once told me that the stars would give you the last of their power, if you wish on them. My heartfelt wish is that you return to my country one day. As the dragon you are now or as a woman, you will always be welcome here as a friend."
Cheid pauses and then turns to Allen.
Cheid: "My father was a great man and a noble ruler. He was loving and wise, though at times hard. He had to be to prepare me for the task of ruling a nation. Allen, he saw in you a great warrior, a knight who loved not only his country, but this world so much to lose honor to protect it. Please Allen, don't die. I have lost two parents in my life, I have no wish to lose the third."
Allen starts to speak, but a motion from Cheid, his son, silences him.
Cheid: "My father told me the truth before his battle at Fortunia Temple. And you Allen once told me to trust my heart, I do. Please save Celena and return, I love you Father."
Cheid turns returning to the platform he takes a hold of Aries hand and leaves the room ending the ceremony. Allen smiles sadly at the two leaving. Why did it take so much for him to finally grow up and realize what he has had before him all this time? He has spent some time with Aries while here, hopefully this time won't be a repeat of the mistake he made with her sister so long ago, but he has every intention of living and returning to marry Aries, if she will have him.
The Crusade is traveling at top speed to Fanilia; the triple eclipse is due tomorrow. The trip has been a quite one, each person with his own thoughts.
Dryden in his research, checking and rechecking the old texts only stopping when Millerna brings food or bullies him to rest for a shot time. Since his conversation with Van about the pendant, he has been looking for, but not finding any references to connect it and the heart of light. In fact he can't find any reference to the heart of light at all. The only reference to the pendant seems to be in the prophecies not yet come to pass. A prophecy of twin dragons, fire and Ice, but this is a future reference, though very intriguing; there is no possible connection to the present situation. Still Van is insistent that the pendant is the key to saving Hitomi.
Allen and Amano have been training; Allen knows that Amano needs an outlet for his frustration at the loss of Yukari. But when Allen feels that Amano is pushing himself too hard, he makes them stop to check the progress of the Crusade, Amano won't be any good to himself or the battle ahead if he is totally exhausted.
Merle and Nathen are as inseperatable as Van and Hitomi. Merle is as ever the optimist; she is planning a happy future for her child and will hear nothing negative.
Van and Hitomi are very quiet keeping to themselves as much as possible, even Goldie has found other places to keep himself as if knowing they need to be alone. They talk for hours, about everything, home, family and Hitomi even tells Van the story of The Dragon Prince and the Stone.
The journey to Fanilia is almost over; between Hitomi's cards and the feelings drawing her to There Utopia she has been able to guide them. She can see the shrine in her mind and feel the presence of Dilandau, the Sorcerers and many Ziabach soldiers waiting there for her. The sun is shining brightly thru the outer windows as Van and Hitomi walk hand in hand down the outer passageway on their way to the galley. They pass Gaddis, greeting him as he hurries on his way down the passage in the opposite direction. Hitomi stops, her hand dropping from Van's grasp and falling limply to her side. Her eyes slowly close as she falls in slow motion, the intensity of the vision coming to her stronger than any before it. Van quickly scoops her up before she crumples all the way to the passageway floor.
Van: "Gaddis help its…."
Van never finishes as the pendant he wears begins to glow and he too slips slowly to the floor. Gaddis turns at the sound of Van's voice to see both he and Hitomi slumped against the passageway wall a soft glow surrounding them. He sprints to the nearest communications tube shouting orders for help.
Gaddis: "Get Millerna here now, Van and Hitomi have collapsed."
Van is hot; he can feel the heat as a hot wind blows across his face ruffling his hair. As his vision clears he sees Hitomi, she is human again dressed in jeans and a short top, a green glow surrounding her entire body, as she seems to be floating watching something in the distance. He tries to reach for her, but she doesn't move, is she even aware he is there with her trapped in her vision. He looks in the direction she is watching and sees the shrine at Thera Utopia. There is a battle in the background. Allen and Amano fighting unseen foes, the sounds of swords clashing ringing out and echoing from the walls. In the center of the shrine is an empty alter, it's the resting place for the Balance of Light. The fighting stops as Van can see the Green Dragon land in the shrine roaring. He is advancing on the dragon sword drawn, held high above his head in readiness. The Green Dragon rears up bellowing as Van first hesitates, then plunges his sword forward….
Allen is shaking Van as his eyes open breaking his link to Hitomi and the vision. The glow from the pendant fades as Van grasps Allen by the shirt. He is shaking in anger and frustration. He turns on those in the hall his voice almost a growl.
Van: "Dam it! I could see it. Why did you move me?"
Allen: "What?"
Van: "Her vision, I could see Hitomi's vision."
Hitomi can sense Van there with her seeing her vision as she does, and then in an instant he is gone. She is now the lone witness to the events yet to come. The sword comes down slicing the Green Dragon's chest open, but at the same time the pendant Van is wearing starts to glow and his chest bursts open, the fate of the dragon and Van are one in the same. They both fall to the floor, fatally wounded, as all hell breaks loose in the shrine. Hitomi hears the sound of dying all around her, as her friends are one by one struck down in their effort to protect the dying Van. Dilandau approaches, wounded, and covered in his own brother's blood, helped to the dragon by Yukari, who dressed in the uniform of a dragonslayer now wears the same insane look on her face as her lord beside her. He takes a blood-covered sword from Yukari's grasp and plunges it into Van as his laughter echoes thru the shrine. He pulls the sword from Van's lifeless body and moves over to the Green Dragon, triumph shining in his magenta eyes as he finishes the task of killing the dragon and removing its energist. Then he buries his sword deep in the belly of the dragon, making sure that any child inside would also die. A tall man in dark robes emerges from the shadows followed by two others. As they approach Dilandau sinks to one knee, lowering his eyes and holding out the energist to his masters. Lord Lawrence takes the energist, the power he has sought all these years is in the palm of his hand. His hood falls from his face revealing him for the first time. He has short silver hair, with just a touch of the black from his long past youth and gentle brown eyes. He looks more like a favorite uncle than the evil power crazed sorcerer he is. He holds the energist high as it begins to resonate casting an eerie green light through the shrine. So much death, Hitomi can see the bodies of her friends, Allen, Amano, Nathen, and Merle. More bodies lay near the entrance, Dryden, Millerna and Gaddis among them. There at her feet lie the Green and White Dragons, she and Van. The ground starts to rumble then shake violently as the dragons of Gaea begin to rampage spreading fire and death in their wake.
Total darkness again surrounds Hitomi, but she can smell fields as she finds herself sitting on a cliff side, a gentle wind blowing thru the blooming flowers and the sounds of the sea below filling the air around her. It was in this very meadow, on this cliffside that Hitomi had discovered her love for Van allowing her to free her heart and save Gaea from the power of Dornkirk's Atlantis machine. Folken appears before her, a young man, whole in body, with the white wings of an angel. 'Are you willing to sacrifice yourself to save this world?' Tears fill Hitomi's eyes, not for herself, but for Van and for her child. She nods her head 'Yes.' Folken bends to place a hand under her chin, looking into her eyes, he smiles, for he too loves her, for she is part of his brother's heart and soul. 'Let the dragon become, but save a part of yourself, your strength, deep inside the beast. When the time comes you will know what to do for those who love you. For this has been your destiny for time untold, you are the guardian.' Folken reaches out to Hitomi again; brushing back a strand of her hair from her face, he is still smiling at her as he fades away.
Hitomi reaches a hand to her throbbing head as she comes too on the floor in the passageway; Van is holding her in his arms, kissing her face as he quietly urges her to come back to him. She opens her eyes to look directly into his, all the love they feel for each other is reflected in them. Hitomi brushes a soft kiss across Van's lips, and then whispers to him, quietly; the words are for him and him alone.
Hitomi: "I will remember you even when I'm old, how foolish I was then to even leave. I should have stayed with you back then, Van, but never a day went by that you weren't in my heart. It's time now, I don't want to stop it any longer, I am the Guardian, the Dragon becomes."
Her eyes close as the green glow again spreads out from her body. She trembles violently as she starts to grow, to change once again into the Green Dragon. Crewmen run in fear as the dragon grows filling the passageway. Allen and Amano grab Van pulling him away as he struggles to stay there with her. The Green Dragon Trumpets, the sound shaking the very walls of the ship. Blue/green flame shoots from her clawed hand exploding an opening in the outer wall. The dragon leaps thru extending its wings as it clears the ship. It flies away from the ship as the sky fills with dragons.
Goldie flies swiftly from the guymelf bay where he had been sleeping on Escaflowne. He sours down the hall to where a solemn figure is standing, head down, beside a gaping hole in the side of the ship. There are others there too, but Goldie avoids them as they make way for him to leave the ship and join the other dragons filling the skies. He circles as if to leave, but instead lands on Van's shoulder, coiling his tail quickly around his neck to steady his perch. Van turns, startled, to look at the little dragon. Goldie whimpers and buries his small soft head under Van's chin. Together they turn to take one last look out the damaged side of the ship at the Green Dragon flying off in the distance. Van sighs then turns, leaving as he reaches up to stroke the little dragon.
Another part of the Prophecy has come to pass, The Dragon has Become.
Van has lost his love, his wife, Hitomi, she is now the Dragon of the Prophecy, and he Van is the Dragon destined to extinguish it shadow.
What has happened to Yukari at the hands of Dilandau and the Lord Lawrence? It is time to become warriors, and for Van to become the King he truly is. Chapter 30 The Warriors of Gaea
