Chapter 3: True Colours
"Hitomi? Selena? Allen?" Van called out into the darkened hallway. When Selena and Allen hadn't shown up to the Throne Room liked arranged, Van started to get worried and even more worried when Hitomi did come either. He didn't like the look in Allen's eye when he asked Selena to come with him. Deciding to see if they were ok, he got up and walked to Allen's room. When he got to his door, he found it ajar. Not wanting to invade Allen's privacy, Van knocked softly.
"Allen…" Van called from the hall. When no answer came Van stepped into the room.
The room was pitch black but Van could see a limp outline of a man's body.
"WHAT THE HECK? ALLEN?!?" Van cried. He ran over to where a lantern stood and lit it. Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness he saw that it was Allen lying on the floor.
"ALLEN ARE YOU OK?!?! ANSWER ME!" Van yelled as he bent down beside the fallen Knight.
"Ahhhhhhh…" Allen mumbled as he opened his eyes and felt the back of his head. A bump the size of a small rock was there.
"What's going on…Oh-no! Dilandau! HITOMI! " Allen strained to say.
"Allen? What about Dilandau and Hitomi?" Van asked panic seizing him.
'But Selena isn't Dilandau anymore. Dilandau's gone…isn't he?' Van asked himself unsteady.
"Selena turned into Dilandau and he went after Hitomi!" Allen cried trying to sit up. That was all Van had to hear.
"NO! HITOMI!" Van yelled and ran out of Allen's room towards Hitomi's.
'No! I can't lose her again!' Van repeated over and over in his mind.
After feeling like an entirety, he finally reached Hitomi's room only to see Dilandau in a dress carry a limp Hitomi into a Zaibach Gymelef. And screeching something out that he couldn't hear over the gymelef.
"NOOOO!" Van cried and once again and his angel wings ripped his shirt to shreds.
Van ran through the room and jumped into the night sky. The sharpness of the night air took the breath out of him, but he hardly seemed to notice.
He flew towards the flying. All of a sudden it turned around and Dilandau shot a metal claw out at Van. Seeing it just in time Van dodged it, but in the process hit a tree. He hit his head badly and fell to the ground.
"Hitomi..." Van whispered as blackness engulfed him.
***
"LORD VAN! YOUR AWAKE!" Merle cried. She flung herself on top of him, giving him a hug.
"Careful Merle!" Allen said. And then turned her attention to Van, "How are you feeling?"
"Hu…" Van mumbled sitting up with Merle still attached to him. His head was throbbing, but then he remembered Hitomi.
"Hitomi! We have to rescue her Allen! Dilandau kidnapped her!"
"I know. The Crusade is prepped and we having been waiting for you to wake up." Allen said with concern in his voice.
'You better not touch her Dilandau' Allen vowed silently.
"What are we waiting for then? Lets go!" Van said standing up too fast making the room spin on him.
"Oh Lord Van!" Merle cried out, helping him with sit back down again.
"Van maybe you should get some more rest before we leave." Allen suggested.
"No. I'm fine, besides I can rest on the Crusade." Van replied. There was nothing that was going to stop him from finding Hitomi. With Merle's help Van and Allen boarded the Crusade and were off.
"How long was I out for?" Van asked once they were in flight.
"Merle and Katalie found you around midnight just outside the castle grounds and brought you inside. And you were unconscious ever since." Allen explained as they helped Van into one of the spare rooms.
"Then Hitomi has been missing for almost a day." Van mumbled to himself.
"What Lord Van?" Merle asked concerned.
"Nothing Merle. I was just thinking…" Van trailed off as he laid down in his bed as if he were tired. Noticing this, Allen ushered Merle out of the room.
"But someone should stay with him in case he needs help or something." Merle protested.
"He'll be fine Merle. He just needs some rest." Allen said and closed the door. Sighing Merle ran off to find Katalie.
As soon as the door was closed Van got up out of bed. He wasn't tired but faking it was the only way to get the two to leave. All he wanted was to be alone and to think about Hitomi.
Meanwhile….
"Commander, what direction should head in?" Gaddes asked Allen once he entered the bridge.
'Zaibach was destroyed a year ago, so where would Dilandau go?' Allen thought. "We have no idea….wait…Van!"
"What?" Gaddes asked confused.
"Remember when Van was captured by Zaibach a year ago, and Hitomi found where they were hiding by using her pendent?" Not waiting for Gaddes to respond, Allen continued, "Well when Hitomi went back to the Mystic Moon, she gave Van her pendant. So now Van can use her pendant to find were Dilandau is."
"Oh yah, I'll get Lord Van right away." Gaddes said and went off to get the young King.
***
Hitomi groggily opened her heavy eyelids. She saw a figure leaning over her, but everything was still blurry.
"Van…." Hitomi whispered.
"Guess again girly."
Hitomi eyes shot open.
"Dilandau??" She sat up and a wave of pain hit head. "Ahhhhhhh." She put her hand to her head and leaned against the wall.
"Ohhh poor Hitomi. Do you want your Vannie to come and kiss it better? HAHA!" Dilandau mocked. Hitomi just glared at him, and if looks could kill, Dilandau would be dead.
"What do you want with me?" Hitomi asked annoyed. She was looking around the room of a way to escape. The door is probably locked, so the last choice was the open window.
'When he least excepts it I'll make a run for it.'
Dilandau got up and started walking around the room. Finally he stopped and looked at her, stoking the scar on his check.
"Revenge. Sweet, sweet, revenge on Van."
"Revenge on Van Why? What did he do to you?" Hitomi asked innocently playing dumb.
"See this scar?" He asked, "Van did it. He wrecked my beautiful face!"
'Great' Hitomi thought, 'I'm trapped with a psycho that wants to get revenge over a scar!'
'Hehehehehe…She's starting to get freaked out, perfect!' Dilandau thought to himself.
Taking a deep breath Hitomi asked the question that she was dreading.
"How? How will you get revenge on Van?"
"By taking the one and only thing that means the most to him. Even more than Fanilea…You." Dilandau whispered into her ear.
"What? You're using me as bait?!?" Hitomi asked horrified.
"Mmmm-hmmmm."
"What are you doing to do to him once he comes here?"
"Torture you first in front of him, and then I'll tell him that I will let you go, if he takes your place. And then kill him. And of course I won't let you go." Dilandau laughed.
"Your sick and twisted!" Hitomi cried. This only made Dilandau laugh harder.
Hitomi took this as a chance to escape. She jumped up and ran as fast as she could across the room to where the window was. She was almost there when Dilandau grabbed her arm. Reacting quickly, Hitomi swung around and punched him in the mouth.
"OW!" Dilandau cried and loosened his grip on her arm. Hitomi turned around again and ran the rest of the way to the window.
'I'm going to make it!' Hitomi thought. She pushed the window open all the way and jumped out of it. Luckily for her it was only a two-story jump. She landed on the soft grass and took off running again. She had no clue where she was or where she was going, but as long as it was far away from that insane Dilandau, Hitomi didn't care. A lake was ahead and there was no way around it without it taking more time.
'Ok, threw the lake I go.' Hitomi said. She was just about to dive in when someone grabbed her around the waist and started to pull her back to the direction that she had just came.
"You think that you can get away from me? Think again girly." Dilandau grunted as he pulled Hitomi along.
"Let me go!" Hitomi commanded.
"You see I can't do that because then my trap for Van won't work and then how I'm I suppose to did my revenge on Van?"
'No!' Hitomi thought, 'I'm not going back there!' She struggled against him trying in vain to get away. After 5 minutes of this an idea came to Hitomi.
'If I can get a hold of Selena, maybe she'll turn back. It's worth a try.'
So Hitomi stopped struggling and Dilandau nearly fell over.
"What's wrong girl? Getting tired?" Dilandau asked not caring. Hitomi bit her tongue and began her plan.
"Selena I know that you're in there somewhere! You have to fight him, you can do it! I believe in you!"
"NO! Shut up!" Dilandau commanded realizing what she was doing. Hitomi ignored him and continued,
"Selena you have to fight this! Everyone is depending on you too! You don't have to let him win! You can't let him win!"
"NO!" Dilandau screeched. His grip on Hitomi loosened as he dropped to his knees. He held his head in his hands and his whole body was shaking.
Hitomi took this opportunity to escape. She pulled away from his grasp and was going to run away again, but she couldn't bring her to when she saw Dilandau like that.
'Selena is in there somewhere and I have to help her come back.' Hitomi thought. She kneeled down beside him in the grass.
"Selena?"
Dilandau slowly opened his eyes, and looked up. He smiled and before Hitomi realized what was happening he picked her up and threw her onto his shoulder.
"Wrong again. You might as well stop trying because Selena's gone and never coming back." Dilandau informed her.
"Put me down!" Hitomi cried and once again started struggling.
"Ahhh, this is getting old." He put her down and with one swift move he knocked her out with the hilt of his sword. Hitomi's body went numb and limp and something bright exploded in her head. Almost in slow motion she fell into Dilandau's awaiting arms.
He then again placed her onto his shoulder and started back.
***
"OK, you want me to find Hitomi by dowsing with her pendant?" Van said as he took off the pendant and held it over an awaiting map.
"Yes, that's right Van. Do you think that you can do it?" Allen asked, his eyes watching Van take of the pendant. A flash of jealously shot threw him. 'Hitomi should of given ME the pendant! Not Van.'
"Yes, I'm sure that I can." Van replied. He had already closed his eyes and was moving the pendant across the map. He blocked out everything except for Hitomi. He pictured her when he first saw her on the Mystic Moon, when she rescued him several times, when she left and when he held her when he found her on the Mystic Moon.
'Hitomi –where are you?'
***
When Hitomi woke up, she found her tied down in a chair. She opened her eyes a bit, and saw Dilandau sitting on the window ledge with his back to her. Hitomi closed her eyes again.
' I have to reach Van to tell him not to come without Dilandau knowing.' Hitomi thought. She concentrated and only thought of Van. Maybe she could reach him and send him a sign or something. But she wasn't sure if it would work without her pendant.
"Van can you hear me?"
ON THE CRUSADE
It had been an hour since Van had started trying to find where Hitomi and he still didn't know where.
'I can't give up!' Van vowed. Just then he swore that he heard Hitomi's voice calling out to him.
*****Please note that everything now said between Hitomi and Van can't be heard by anybody else. They are using their minds to talk to each other. *****
"Hitomi? Is that you?"
"Yes Van it's me. But listen, I'm ok but don't come here it's a trap! Please Van!" Hitomi pleaded.
"I can't just leave you there with that scum Dilandau, Hitomi! I don't care if it is."
"No Van please listen to me! You will…." Hitomi stopped in mid-sentence. Her breathing became rapid.
"Hitomi? Hitomi!?!"
Suddenly a high pitch scream filled Van's mind.
"HITOMI!"
"Van…please…." Hitomi struggled to say. Then it all went quiet.
*****Back to the way it was before*****
Van snapped out of the trance he was in.
'Hitomi!' His mind played back what just happened in the conversation.
'I have to rescue her no matter what the cost.' A bright pink light made him look down at the pendant.
'What?' It was glowing and moving in a circle above the out-skirts of Fanilea.
"Allen!" Van called, "I found where Hitomi is!"
Allen, who was resting in his quarters at the time, heard Van's call and excitedly ran to the bridge.
"Where is she?" Allen asked trying to hide his excitement. If Van hadn't been so concerned about getting Hitomi, he would of noticed Allen's behaviour.
"There," Van said pointing where the glowing pendant was swinging, "In a old abandoned Fort just on the out-skirts of Fanilea."
"Gaddes, set course 90 degrees north to the out-skirts of Fanilea." Allen commanded still looking at the map.
"We have to be careful, that's where the dragon nest is." Van said breaking the mood.
"Don't worry, it's nothing that I'm sure we can't handle, eh Van?" Allen joked poking Van in the ribs. Van pulled back,
"This is hardly a time to be joking Allen." And with that Van turned around and walked out the cargo bay where Escaflowne had been loaded, much to Van's displeasure. But in the end he decided that he might needed the great Guymefal to rescue Hitomi. And nothing could compare to her safety. He walked to the front of Escaflowne and put his hand up to the energist. It glowed in response.
"Thank you." Van whispered. He was glad that Escaflowne didn't mind being disturbed from its peaceful sleep and was still willing to help the King of Fanilea. Van jumped off Escaflowne and walked towards the big window that allowed light to come in. The sun was beginning to set over the many hills and mountains of Fanilea. Pinks, blues, and oranges filled the darkening sky. He stood there for a few more minutes while memories of him and Hitomi plagued his mind. The sun had finally slipped from view and the stars had started coming out Hitomi's words rang in his mind, "don't come here it's a trap!" 'What kind of trap?' Van thought carefully. Shaking his head he said out loud,
"I don't care. And as the stars as my witness I WILL save her no matter what the cost."
And as if to seal the vow, Van whispered a poem from the Mystic Moon that Hitomi had taught him,
"Star light, Star bright,
The first star I see tonight.
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have this wish I wish tonight:
That my beloved Hitomi will be safe from harm."
With that Van left the cargo bay.
***
"Where am I?" Hitomi asked the room when she finally opened her eyes. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness Hitomi could see that she was in a cell with only a small window to offer any light.
She looked out the window to see the first star appear. Hitomi knew it was foolish but she swore that the star winked at her as almost reassuring her that everything would be ok. Smiling to herself Hitomi sat up. Pain exploded in her head as her mind played back what had happened.
I had contacted Van and was trying to tell him not to come when Dilandau figured out what I was doing. In rage he shook me bring me out of my trance. My eyes opened to see a pair of blood red eyes staring intensely back at me. He slapped me hard across my face sending me flying to the ground with the chair still attached to me. He cut the ropes that bounded my hands and feet together and jerked me up.
"What the heck do you think that you are doing!!!" He yelled in my ears. When I didn't answer him, he threw me against the wall knocking the wind out of me. I collapsed to the ground trying in vain to breath.
"ANSWER ME!!!!" he screamed crouched down at my level. I had finally got my breath, but before I could answer he drew his sword and drove it threw my right shoulder. I let out a high pitch scream and fainted against the wall.
Remembering her shoulder, she gingerly touched it, making a fresh pool of blood rise. As if trying to swim through fog, Hitomi tried to remember back from her CPR training what to do.
"Apply pressure." Hitomi muttered as her fingers automatically went down to the bottom of her dark blue dress that Merle had given her to wear, and ripped a large piece off. She ripped the material away from the cut and tied the shredded piece of cloth around her shoulder tightly. When her shoulder went numb she hoisted herself up from the cold ground and against the stonewall and waited.
"What am I waiting for?" Hitomi asked the dank cell.
"I thought I told you to shut up!" Dilandau hissed from outside the cell.
Hitomi glance in his direction, not really caring anymore.
"What do you want?" She sneered.
"Nothing. Is it a crime to watch you?" He mocked. That wasn't the real reason why, but there was no way that he was going to tell her that he want to see if her shoulder was ok or not. By the looks of things she knew what to do.
"Just leave me alone." Hitomi sighed turning away from him. When Dilandau didn't response she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come.
***
"Commander we are approaching the site." Gaddes said to Allen. It was in the wee hours of the morning when they finally reached their destination.
"Good bring her down Gaddes over there in the clearing." Allen commanded looking where Dilandau supposedly was.
"What the heck?" Allen cried as the Crusade rocked violently. Then one of the crew scrambled into the Bridge.
"Commander King Van and the Escaflowne just left the Crusade!" He said out of breath.
"Van no!" Allen yelled as if he could hear him. He watched as the Escaflowne, in dragon mood, flew ahead of them into the sunrise.
"Gaddes take us down NOW!"
"Yes sir!"
The Crusade was quickly landed and Allen was the first to jump out. A horse was passed to him and he took off riding hard after Van.
'Van I thought that you'd at least wait till we landed.' Allen thought.
***
Van had stopped by a lake to rest when Allen caught up with him.
"Look Van…I think that I should go in and find Dilandau to reason with him…alone." Allen said out of breath.
Van jumped up from his sitting position.
"No Allen, this is my fight, not yours."
"That's where you're wrong Van. Selena is in Dilandau somewhere and I, her brother, think that if I can reach her she might become Selena again. And also if you go Fanelia's future is at stake."
Van calmed down and silently shook his head. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Allen was right.
"I'll give you an hour and if you're not back then I'm coming in with the rest of the crew." Van said firmly.
"Deal." Allen said shaking Van's out-stretch hand. "We better get going then. You should leave Escaflowne here, it will be too noticeable if you take it any further."
Van shook his head yet again and climbed up behind Allen on the horse.
"Van" Allen said looking back at him.
Van took out the pendant and closed his eyes, concentrating on Hitomi. The pendant in his mind pointed straight to east.
"That way, east!" Van said pointing. Allen turned the horse around and took off in a gallop across the grass where Hitomi and Dilandau had once crossed too.
***
It was until noon when the duo reached the Fort. Stopping the horse, Allen yet Van off telling him to wait here till he came back. He then rode the rest of the way to the entrance of the Fort. Just out side the door, he got off his horse and tied it to a near-by tree.
Preparing himself for the worst Allen walked into the main room. There was a fairly large window that hung open, a broken chair on its side, and blood? Allen's heart quickened and he could guess what had happened. He only prayed that he wasn't to late.
"DILANDAU IF YOU'RE HERE SHOW YOURSELF!" Allen bellowed.
A high voice answered him back,
"Who's there?"
"It is I, Allen Shezar, Knight of"
"Yah, yah, we ALL know, Knight of Caeli, blah, blah, blah…."
Allen's face reddened as Dilandau stepped out of the shadows.
"So, Allen Shezar, what do YOU want?"
"You know perfectly well." Allen's voice dripped with venom.
"Hitomi? Sorry but it's not you I want, send Van and we'll see."
'Mmmmhhh'…that doesn't sound like a bad idea….' Allen thought to himself. 'No it would wreck my plans.'
"I'll make a deal with you Dilandau. You want Van to suffer right?"
"Yes." Dilandau said carefully. He didn't want to walk into a trap.
"Well so do I. See I love Hitomi more than Van EVER will. So the way to make him suffer is to take away the two most important things in his pathetic life. Hitomi and Fanelia."
"I'm listening…." Dilandau said slyly.
"If you hand over Hitomi to me, I'll tell Van that Hitomi's dead. Suffer number one. And then we'll give you Fanelia to do what you please with. Suffer number two. Deal?"
Dilandau eyed Allen intensely. He couldn't believe that theses words were coming out of his mouth.
"I thought that you and Van were friends?"
"HA! Hardly. I told you that I want Hitomi and will kill for her."
After a few more minutes of silence, Dilandau held his hand out.
"Deal." They shook on it and Dilandau showed Allen where Hitomi was.
Hitomi woke to the sound of the barred door being open. Blinking she carefully sat up making sure not to disturb her shoulder.
"Allen?" Hitomi dared to whisper.
"Hitomi! Oh Hitomi are you ok?" Allen asked totally concerned. He crouched down beside her to see her better. Not knowing he placed a hand on her shoulder. When Hitomi cried back in pain Allen saw the wound.
"Dilandau! What did you do to her!" Allen yelled in rage.
"Nothing. I just put her in her place, that's all." Dilandau said.
Biting down on his lip he picked up Hitomi who had passed out.
"Mmmm…Van…" Hitomi cried unconsciously.
"HaHa, looks like your not the one she wants." Dilandau mocked.
"I'll make her like me." Allen vowed under his breath.
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_
Interesting chapter, eh? Sorry it took so long for it to be up, too much homework. So PLEASE R&R!!!!! Thanx. DA^__^
"Hitomi? Selena? Allen?" Van called out into the darkened hallway. When Selena and Allen hadn't shown up to the Throne Room liked arranged, Van started to get worried and even more worried when Hitomi did come either. He didn't like the look in Allen's eye when he asked Selena to come with him. Deciding to see if they were ok, he got up and walked to Allen's room. When he got to his door, he found it ajar. Not wanting to invade Allen's privacy, Van knocked softly.
"Allen…" Van called from the hall. When no answer came Van stepped into the room.
The room was pitch black but Van could see a limp outline of a man's body.
"WHAT THE HECK? ALLEN?!?" Van cried. He ran over to where a lantern stood and lit it. Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness he saw that it was Allen lying on the floor.
"ALLEN ARE YOU OK?!?! ANSWER ME!" Van yelled as he bent down beside the fallen Knight.
"Ahhhhhhh…" Allen mumbled as he opened his eyes and felt the back of his head. A bump the size of a small rock was there.
"What's going on…Oh-no! Dilandau! HITOMI! " Allen strained to say.
"Allen? What about Dilandau and Hitomi?" Van asked panic seizing him.
'But Selena isn't Dilandau anymore. Dilandau's gone…isn't he?' Van asked himself unsteady.
"Selena turned into Dilandau and he went after Hitomi!" Allen cried trying to sit up. That was all Van had to hear.
"NO! HITOMI!" Van yelled and ran out of Allen's room towards Hitomi's.
'No! I can't lose her again!' Van repeated over and over in his mind.
After feeling like an entirety, he finally reached Hitomi's room only to see Dilandau in a dress carry a limp Hitomi into a Zaibach Gymelef. And screeching something out that he couldn't hear over the gymelef.
"NOOOO!" Van cried and once again and his angel wings ripped his shirt to shreds.
Van ran through the room and jumped into the night sky. The sharpness of the night air took the breath out of him, but he hardly seemed to notice.
He flew towards the flying. All of a sudden it turned around and Dilandau shot a metal claw out at Van. Seeing it just in time Van dodged it, but in the process hit a tree. He hit his head badly and fell to the ground.
"Hitomi..." Van whispered as blackness engulfed him.
***
"LORD VAN! YOUR AWAKE!" Merle cried. She flung herself on top of him, giving him a hug.
"Careful Merle!" Allen said. And then turned her attention to Van, "How are you feeling?"
"Hu…" Van mumbled sitting up with Merle still attached to him. His head was throbbing, but then he remembered Hitomi.
"Hitomi! We have to rescue her Allen! Dilandau kidnapped her!"
"I know. The Crusade is prepped and we having been waiting for you to wake up." Allen said with concern in his voice.
'You better not touch her Dilandau' Allen vowed silently.
"What are we waiting for then? Lets go!" Van said standing up too fast making the room spin on him.
"Oh Lord Van!" Merle cried out, helping him with sit back down again.
"Van maybe you should get some more rest before we leave." Allen suggested.
"No. I'm fine, besides I can rest on the Crusade." Van replied. There was nothing that was going to stop him from finding Hitomi. With Merle's help Van and Allen boarded the Crusade and were off.
"How long was I out for?" Van asked once they were in flight.
"Merle and Katalie found you around midnight just outside the castle grounds and brought you inside. And you were unconscious ever since." Allen explained as they helped Van into one of the spare rooms.
"Then Hitomi has been missing for almost a day." Van mumbled to himself.
"What Lord Van?" Merle asked concerned.
"Nothing Merle. I was just thinking…" Van trailed off as he laid down in his bed as if he were tired. Noticing this, Allen ushered Merle out of the room.
"But someone should stay with him in case he needs help or something." Merle protested.
"He'll be fine Merle. He just needs some rest." Allen said and closed the door. Sighing Merle ran off to find Katalie.
As soon as the door was closed Van got up out of bed. He wasn't tired but faking it was the only way to get the two to leave. All he wanted was to be alone and to think about Hitomi.
Meanwhile….
"Commander, what direction should head in?" Gaddes asked Allen once he entered the bridge.
'Zaibach was destroyed a year ago, so where would Dilandau go?' Allen thought. "We have no idea….wait…Van!"
"What?" Gaddes asked confused.
"Remember when Van was captured by Zaibach a year ago, and Hitomi found where they were hiding by using her pendent?" Not waiting for Gaddes to respond, Allen continued, "Well when Hitomi went back to the Mystic Moon, she gave Van her pendant. So now Van can use her pendant to find were Dilandau is."
"Oh yah, I'll get Lord Van right away." Gaddes said and went off to get the young King.
***
Hitomi groggily opened her heavy eyelids. She saw a figure leaning over her, but everything was still blurry.
"Van…." Hitomi whispered.
"Guess again girly."
Hitomi eyes shot open.
"Dilandau??" She sat up and a wave of pain hit head. "Ahhhhhhh." She put her hand to her head and leaned against the wall.
"Ohhh poor Hitomi. Do you want your Vannie to come and kiss it better? HAHA!" Dilandau mocked. Hitomi just glared at him, and if looks could kill, Dilandau would be dead.
"What do you want with me?" Hitomi asked annoyed. She was looking around the room of a way to escape. The door is probably locked, so the last choice was the open window.
'When he least excepts it I'll make a run for it.'
Dilandau got up and started walking around the room. Finally he stopped and looked at her, stoking the scar on his check.
"Revenge. Sweet, sweet, revenge on Van."
"Revenge on Van Why? What did he do to you?" Hitomi asked innocently playing dumb.
"See this scar?" He asked, "Van did it. He wrecked my beautiful face!"
'Great' Hitomi thought, 'I'm trapped with a psycho that wants to get revenge over a scar!'
'Hehehehehe…She's starting to get freaked out, perfect!' Dilandau thought to himself.
Taking a deep breath Hitomi asked the question that she was dreading.
"How? How will you get revenge on Van?"
"By taking the one and only thing that means the most to him. Even more than Fanilea…You." Dilandau whispered into her ear.
"What? You're using me as bait?!?" Hitomi asked horrified.
"Mmmm-hmmmm."
"What are you doing to do to him once he comes here?"
"Torture you first in front of him, and then I'll tell him that I will let you go, if he takes your place. And then kill him. And of course I won't let you go." Dilandau laughed.
"Your sick and twisted!" Hitomi cried. This only made Dilandau laugh harder.
Hitomi took this as a chance to escape. She jumped up and ran as fast as she could across the room to where the window was. She was almost there when Dilandau grabbed her arm. Reacting quickly, Hitomi swung around and punched him in the mouth.
"OW!" Dilandau cried and loosened his grip on her arm. Hitomi turned around again and ran the rest of the way to the window.
'I'm going to make it!' Hitomi thought. She pushed the window open all the way and jumped out of it. Luckily for her it was only a two-story jump. She landed on the soft grass and took off running again. She had no clue where she was or where she was going, but as long as it was far away from that insane Dilandau, Hitomi didn't care. A lake was ahead and there was no way around it without it taking more time.
'Ok, threw the lake I go.' Hitomi said. She was just about to dive in when someone grabbed her around the waist and started to pull her back to the direction that she had just came.
"You think that you can get away from me? Think again girly." Dilandau grunted as he pulled Hitomi along.
"Let me go!" Hitomi commanded.
"You see I can't do that because then my trap for Van won't work and then how I'm I suppose to did my revenge on Van?"
'No!' Hitomi thought, 'I'm not going back there!' She struggled against him trying in vain to get away. After 5 minutes of this an idea came to Hitomi.
'If I can get a hold of Selena, maybe she'll turn back. It's worth a try.'
So Hitomi stopped struggling and Dilandau nearly fell over.
"What's wrong girl? Getting tired?" Dilandau asked not caring. Hitomi bit her tongue and began her plan.
"Selena I know that you're in there somewhere! You have to fight him, you can do it! I believe in you!"
"NO! Shut up!" Dilandau commanded realizing what she was doing. Hitomi ignored him and continued,
"Selena you have to fight this! Everyone is depending on you too! You don't have to let him win! You can't let him win!"
"NO!" Dilandau screeched. His grip on Hitomi loosened as he dropped to his knees. He held his head in his hands and his whole body was shaking.
Hitomi took this opportunity to escape. She pulled away from his grasp and was going to run away again, but she couldn't bring her to when she saw Dilandau like that.
'Selena is in there somewhere and I have to help her come back.' Hitomi thought. She kneeled down beside him in the grass.
"Selena?"
Dilandau slowly opened his eyes, and looked up. He smiled and before Hitomi realized what was happening he picked her up and threw her onto his shoulder.
"Wrong again. You might as well stop trying because Selena's gone and never coming back." Dilandau informed her.
"Put me down!" Hitomi cried and once again started struggling.
"Ahhh, this is getting old." He put her down and with one swift move he knocked her out with the hilt of his sword. Hitomi's body went numb and limp and something bright exploded in her head. Almost in slow motion she fell into Dilandau's awaiting arms.
He then again placed her onto his shoulder and started back.
***
"OK, you want me to find Hitomi by dowsing with her pendant?" Van said as he took off the pendant and held it over an awaiting map.
"Yes, that's right Van. Do you think that you can do it?" Allen asked, his eyes watching Van take of the pendant. A flash of jealously shot threw him. 'Hitomi should of given ME the pendant! Not Van.'
"Yes, I'm sure that I can." Van replied. He had already closed his eyes and was moving the pendant across the map. He blocked out everything except for Hitomi. He pictured her when he first saw her on the Mystic Moon, when she rescued him several times, when she left and when he held her when he found her on the Mystic Moon.
'Hitomi –where are you?'
***
When Hitomi woke up, she found her tied down in a chair. She opened her eyes a bit, and saw Dilandau sitting on the window ledge with his back to her. Hitomi closed her eyes again.
' I have to reach Van to tell him not to come without Dilandau knowing.' Hitomi thought. She concentrated and only thought of Van. Maybe she could reach him and send him a sign or something. But she wasn't sure if it would work without her pendant.
"Van can you hear me?"
ON THE CRUSADE
It had been an hour since Van had started trying to find where Hitomi and he still didn't know where.
'I can't give up!' Van vowed. Just then he swore that he heard Hitomi's voice calling out to him.
*****Please note that everything now said between Hitomi and Van can't be heard by anybody else. They are using their minds to talk to each other. *****
"Hitomi? Is that you?"
"Yes Van it's me. But listen, I'm ok but don't come here it's a trap! Please Van!" Hitomi pleaded.
"I can't just leave you there with that scum Dilandau, Hitomi! I don't care if it is."
"No Van please listen to me! You will…." Hitomi stopped in mid-sentence. Her breathing became rapid.
"Hitomi? Hitomi!?!"
Suddenly a high pitch scream filled Van's mind.
"HITOMI!"
"Van…please…." Hitomi struggled to say. Then it all went quiet.
*****Back to the way it was before*****
Van snapped out of the trance he was in.
'Hitomi!' His mind played back what just happened in the conversation.
'I have to rescue her no matter what the cost.' A bright pink light made him look down at the pendant.
'What?' It was glowing and moving in a circle above the out-skirts of Fanilea.
"Allen!" Van called, "I found where Hitomi is!"
Allen, who was resting in his quarters at the time, heard Van's call and excitedly ran to the bridge.
"Where is she?" Allen asked trying to hide his excitement. If Van hadn't been so concerned about getting Hitomi, he would of noticed Allen's behaviour.
"There," Van said pointing where the glowing pendant was swinging, "In a old abandoned Fort just on the out-skirts of Fanilea."
"Gaddes, set course 90 degrees north to the out-skirts of Fanilea." Allen commanded still looking at the map.
"We have to be careful, that's where the dragon nest is." Van said breaking the mood.
"Don't worry, it's nothing that I'm sure we can't handle, eh Van?" Allen joked poking Van in the ribs. Van pulled back,
"This is hardly a time to be joking Allen." And with that Van turned around and walked out the cargo bay where Escaflowne had been loaded, much to Van's displeasure. But in the end he decided that he might needed the great Guymefal to rescue Hitomi. And nothing could compare to her safety. He walked to the front of Escaflowne and put his hand up to the energist. It glowed in response.
"Thank you." Van whispered. He was glad that Escaflowne didn't mind being disturbed from its peaceful sleep and was still willing to help the King of Fanilea. Van jumped off Escaflowne and walked towards the big window that allowed light to come in. The sun was beginning to set over the many hills and mountains of Fanilea. Pinks, blues, and oranges filled the darkening sky. He stood there for a few more minutes while memories of him and Hitomi plagued his mind. The sun had finally slipped from view and the stars had started coming out Hitomi's words rang in his mind, "don't come here it's a trap!" 'What kind of trap?' Van thought carefully. Shaking his head he said out loud,
"I don't care. And as the stars as my witness I WILL save her no matter what the cost."
And as if to seal the vow, Van whispered a poem from the Mystic Moon that Hitomi had taught him,
"Star light, Star bright,
The first star I see tonight.
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have this wish I wish tonight:
That my beloved Hitomi will be safe from harm."
With that Van left the cargo bay.
***
"Where am I?" Hitomi asked the room when she finally opened her eyes. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness Hitomi could see that she was in a cell with only a small window to offer any light.
She looked out the window to see the first star appear. Hitomi knew it was foolish but she swore that the star winked at her as almost reassuring her that everything would be ok. Smiling to herself Hitomi sat up. Pain exploded in her head as her mind played back what had happened.
I had contacted Van and was trying to tell him not to come when Dilandau figured out what I was doing. In rage he shook me bring me out of my trance. My eyes opened to see a pair of blood red eyes staring intensely back at me. He slapped me hard across my face sending me flying to the ground with the chair still attached to me. He cut the ropes that bounded my hands and feet together and jerked me up.
"What the heck do you think that you are doing!!!" He yelled in my ears. When I didn't answer him, he threw me against the wall knocking the wind out of me. I collapsed to the ground trying in vain to breath.
"ANSWER ME!!!!" he screamed crouched down at my level. I had finally got my breath, but before I could answer he drew his sword and drove it threw my right shoulder. I let out a high pitch scream and fainted against the wall.
Remembering her shoulder, she gingerly touched it, making a fresh pool of blood rise. As if trying to swim through fog, Hitomi tried to remember back from her CPR training what to do.
"Apply pressure." Hitomi muttered as her fingers automatically went down to the bottom of her dark blue dress that Merle had given her to wear, and ripped a large piece off. She ripped the material away from the cut and tied the shredded piece of cloth around her shoulder tightly. When her shoulder went numb she hoisted herself up from the cold ground and against the stonewall and waited.
"What am I waiting for?" Hitomi asked the dank cell.
"I thought I told you to shut up!" Dilandau hissed from outside the cell.
Hitomi glance in his direction, not really caring anymore.
"What do you want?" She sneered.
"Nothing. Is it a crime to watch you?" He mocked. That wasn't the real reason why, but there was no way that he was going to tell her that he want to see if her shoulder was ok or not. By the looks of things she knew what to do.
"Just leave me alone." Hitomi sighed turning away from him. When Dilandau didn't response she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come.
***
"Commander we are approaching the site." Gaddes said to Allen. It was in the wee hours of the morning when they finally reached their destination.
"Good bring her down Gaddes over there in the clearing." Allen commanded looking where Dilandau supposedly was.
"What the heck?" Allen cried as the Crusade rocked violently. Then one of the crew scrambled into the Bridge.
"Commander King Van and the Escaflowne just left the Crusade!" He said out of breath.
"Van no!" Allen yelled as if he could hear him. He watched as the Escaflowne, in dragon mood, flew ahead of them into the sunrise.
"Gaddes take us down NOW!"
"Yes sir!"
The Crusade was quickly landed and Allen was the first to jump out. A horse was passed to him and he took off riding hard after Van.
'Van I thought that you'd at least wait till we landed.' Allen thought.
***
Van had stopped by a lake to rest when Allen caught up with him.
"Look Van…I think that I should go in and find Dilandau to reason with him…alone." Allen said out of breath.
Van jumped up from his sitting position.
"No Allen, this is my fight, not yours."
"That's where you're wrong Van. Selena is in Dilandau somewhere and I, her brother, think that if I can reach her she might become Selena again. And also if you go Fanelia's future is at stake."
Van calmed down and silently shook his head. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Allen was right.
"I'll give you an hour and if you're not back then I'm coming in with the rest of the crew." Van said firmly.
"Deal." Allen said shaking Van's out-stretch hand. "We better get going then. You should leave Escaflowne here, it will be too noticeable if you take it any further."
Van shook his head yet again and climbed up behind Allen on the horse.
"Van" Allen said looking back at him.
Van took out the pendant and closed his eyes, concentrating on Hitomi. The pendant in his mind pointed straight to east.
"That way, east!" Van said pointing. Allen turned the horse around and took off in a gallop across the grass where Hitomi and Dilandau had once crossed too.
***
It was until noon when the duo reached the Fort. Stopping the horse, Allen yet Van off telling him to wait here till he came back. He then rode the rest of the way to the entrance of the Fort. Just out side the door, he got off his horse and tied it to a near-by tree.
Preparing himself for the worst Allen walked into the main room. There was a fairly large window that hung open, a broken chair on its side, and blood? Allen's heart quickened and he could guess what had happened. He only prayed that he wasn't to late.
"DILANDAU IF YOU'RE HERE SHOW YOURSELF!" Allen bellowed.
A high voice answered him back,
"Who's there?"
"It is I, Allen Shezar, Knight of"
"Yah, yah, we ALL know, Knight of Caeli, blah, blah, blah…."
Allen's face reddened as Dilandau stepped out of the shadows.
"So, Allen Shezar, what do YOU want?"
"You know perfectly well." Allen's voice dripped with venom.
"Hitomi? Sorry but it's not you I want, send Van and we'll see."
'Mmmmhhh'…that doesn't sound like a bad idea….' Allen thought to himself. 'No it would wreck my plans.'
"I'll make a deal with you Dilandau. You want Van to suffer right?"
"Yes." Dilandau said carefully. He didn't want to walk into a trap.
"Well so do I. See I love Hitomi more than Van EVER will. So the way to make him suffer is to take away the two most important things in his pathetic life. Hitomi and Fanelia."
"I'm listening…." Dilandau said slyly.
"If you hand over Hitomi to me, I'll tell Van that Hitomi's dead. Suffer number one. And then we'll give you Fanelia to do what you please with. Suffer number two. Deal?"
Dilandau eyed Allen intensely. He couldn't believe that theses words were coming out of his mouth.
"I thought that you and Van were friends?"
"HA! Hardly. I told you that I want Hitomi and will kill for her."
After a few more minutes of silence, Dilandau held his hand out.
"Deal." They shook on it and Dilandau showed Allen where Hitomi was.
Hitomi woke to the sound of the barred door being open. Blinking she carefully sat up making sure not to disturb her shoulder.
"Allen?" Hitomi dared to whisper.
"Hitomi! Oh Hitomi are you ok?" Allen asked totally concerned. He crouched down beside her to see her better. Not knowing he placed a hand on her shoulder. When Hitomi cried back in pain Allen saw the wound.
"Dilandau! What did you do to her!" Allen yelled in rage.
"Nothing. I just put her in her place, that's all." Dilandau said.
Biting down on his lip he picked up Hitomi who had passed out.
"Mmmm…Van…" Hitomi cried unconsciously.
"HaHa, looks like your not the one she wants." Dilandau mocked.
"I'll make her like me." Allen vowed under his breath.
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Interesting chapter, eh? Sorry it took so long for it to be up, too much homework. So PLEASE R&R!!!!! Thanx. DA^__^