Author: Katma (kawaiikatma@hotmail.com)
Summary: Hitomi's home, it's been eight years, but she still misses Van. What happens now?
Rating: PG-13 (some violence and romance, but nothing graphic ;-) )
Disclaimer: Hitomi and Van are not mine. I only wish they were. I'm only borrowing them so that I can mess with their lives. Please don't sue me!! I'm a college student (ie, NO money).
A small author's note (gasp!). I don't have much to say this time. Sigh. It's been a very stressful day. This chapter is not hugely changed, but I like what I did with it better this time. Hope you guys do, too. And TennyoAngel, your review made me laugh. Thank you! And thanks to everyone who reviewed (and who hopefully will review). I really appreciate it!
Kat
Chapter 4
Adversaries
"Kenyu!" Van exclaimed, joy lighting up his face. He strode over to his closest friend and most trusted advisor. The tall, handsome cat-man smiled, but there was a hint of grimness to it. His amber eyes, normally light and dancing with mirth, were dark. Shadows lurked in their brilliant depths. Van stopped, surprised.
"Kenyu, what's wrong? What did you learn while you were in Zaibach? Are they rising against us?"
"No, your majesty. They are not. They have no resources, no time, and no men who could attempt a hostile action. They need our help, your majesty. It is awful over there. The children are starving, the city destroyed. Famine is killing them, destroying them."
"Is this all?" Van asked, his brow furrowed. True, this was bad, but it shouldn't have put those shadows in Kenyu's eyes. The two of them had seen much worse while rebuilding Fanelia, and Fanelia's suffering was their own. There must be something else, something very bad.
"Your majesty, I know no facts," Kenyu admitted reluctantly. "I have only heard whispers and coincidences, but I feel they cannot be ignored. They say the Sorcerers are being reborn. Their power is increasing, and they want revenge for the prestige that was wrest from them. And I have heard that people have been disappearing. From Zaibach, Asturia, Freid, and even Fanelia. I don't know what it means, your majesty, but I thought you should be aware."
"The Sorcerers have returned?" Van repeated, disbelievingly. No, oh no. They can't have returned. They were so powerful. How will we ever stop them? Van thought. He mentally shook himself. If he didn't believe in himself and his country, then how could they ever hope to succeed? Van heaved a great sigh.
"Kenyu, we should start preparing for war, just in case. Go talk to General Samei and let's get things mobilized. We are not going to be caught unprepared again."
"Yes, your majesty." Kenyu turned to walk out the door.
"Oh, and Kenyu?"
"Yes, your majesty?"
"Go visit your wife first." Van's serious face broke into a wicked grin. "She has missed you, as have your children."
"Yes, your majesty," Kenyu eagerly agreed. He walked out the door with a new spring in his step. Van watched him go, smiling softly. Kenyu and Merle were perfect for each other. He was glad the two had finally realized it.
Van knew Merle had once been in love with him, but he hadn't wanted to acknowledge it. He had hoped that by ignoring it he could make it go away. Merle was his best friend, and he didn't want to hurt her in any way. A year after Hitomi had left, when Van had gathered the last scattered remnants of Fanelia's people and had begun the arduous task of rebuilding his country, Van had met a young cat-man with a knack for diplomacy yet a blunt honesty about him. He soon gained Van's respect and admiration. Van then promoted him to chief advisor. The young man, Kenyu, immediately formed a bond with Merle. He was her teacher, her friend. He teased her unmercifully, yet taught her how to be a lady. Eventually, their friendship turned to something more. Kenyu began to fall for Merle's innocence and her spark of mischief, and Merle was ensnared by Kenyu's gentleness and quiet wisdom. When Merle was eighteen and Kenyu twenty-four, the two were married.
Van couldn't be happier for the two of them. He only wished… But no. There are some things it's just better not to think about, Van warned himself firmly. Anyway, it was almost time to face the council. He had no business daydreaming in the halls when there was work to be done. He was no longer a fifteen-year-old boy, but a twenty-three-year-old king. What was wrong with him? Shaking his head, Van strode down the hall. As he approached the council room, he could hear the loud voices floating out. Van rolled his eyes. He hated diplomacy.
"Gentlemen?" Van said softly, walking into the room. The men seated around the long rectangular table fell silent and bowed. "I have made my decision regarding aid to Zaibach. We will send it."
The room positively erupted. Suddenly, a voice was raised loud enough to be heard over the commotion in the room.
"My lord, I strenuously protest this course of action!" cried Yakami. "You are making a foolish error in judgment! We can't trust them! They'll turn on us the moment they have a chance. Now stop this madness before it goes too far!"
"It is not madness. They have no weapons left, no time, and no manpower to do anything against us. They need help, just as we did when we were rebuilding Fanelia. Without the help of Asturia and Freid, we never could have gotten this far," Van stated calmly.
"Then let Asturia and Freid help Zaibach!" Yakami shouted. "We don't have to get involved."
"But there have been rumors of a growing darkness. If these rumors are true, then we are going to need all the allies we can get, including Zaibach. The best way to make allies is to help when help is needed."
"Rumors mean nothing! We are contemplating a very real disaster here! What are rumors compared to a known threat?" Yakami's voice was very loud in the sudden silence. He studied his king's face, searching, then sighed.
"My lord, I have not supported many of your actions. I did not agree with your decision to hire that… abomination as you personal advisor. I did not agree with your decision to not get married and to wait around like a lovesick fool for that girl from the Mystic Moon. In both of those, you did what you chose and I accepted that. I will not accept his, though. I will not put my family at risk again. So I respectfully ask your permission to take my family and leave Fanelia."
Van stared at him, sadness in his eyes. The defection of one of his own advisors, even one he rarely agreed with, hurt. He could, however, understand the man's point of view. Van nodded, slowly.
"You have my permission, Yakami," Van granted formally. He watched in silence as the man walked out. Then he turned to the rest of his advisors. "Would anyone else like to leave? I can understand if you must leave." No one moved. A small smile crept on to Van's face, and the meeting continued.
Much later that night, Van fell into bed, weary to the bone. He hated diplomacy. Even being on the run from Zaibach wasn't as bad as having to listen to my counselors, he thought sleepily. Then, with a final yawn, he let sleep carry him to oblivion and beyond, into the world of dreams.
In his dream, Van saw himself hovering over Gaea. Smoke hung like a pall over the planet. Van noticed that he seemed to be moving closer and closer to the planet. Then he was through the cloud of smoke and could see what caused it. Gaea was in flames. Zaibach burned. Asturia burned. Fried burned. Fanelia burned. Standing in the center of all this destruction was Escaflowne. This was not, however, the Escaflowne Van housed in the temple next to his castle. This Escaflowne was pitch black, and an air of menace surrounded it. Van, who had never feared Escaflowne before, couldn't get rid of the cold, sick feeling of fear in his stomach. Something horrible was going to happen.
His dream became more focused on Escaflowne. He noticed an old woman standing in the huge shadow Escaflowne cast. She surveyed the damage around her with satisfaction. Then she raised a glowing sphere. From seemingly all corners of Gaea, a soft chanting began, carried on the smoky winds. The chanting swelled in intensity until it filled the air. The old woman smiled. She looked up to where Van was and smiled even wider. Then she clenched her hand tightly around the sphere. Escaflowne's eyes glowed brightly for a moment and then Van's entire world blew apart.
Van snapped awake, a battle cry on his lips. He stared uncomprehendingly at the accoutrements of his room and then began to relax. It was just a dream. Something, however, told him it was more than just a dream. A vision? Was Gaea going to be destroyed? Van sighed. Hitomi, where are you and your fortune-telling abilities when I need them? Van wondered wryly. Well, there was nothing he could do about the dream/vision now. He'd ask Kenyu about it in the morning. With that settled, Van tried to fall back into sleep, but sleep was a long time in coming. Visions of Escaflowne, now the bringer of death, chased rest
away until the wee hours of the morning.
