AN: This one took a little longer to get out. Fanfiction.net was having problems. Unless that was my computer.... Anyway, thanks for the reviews so far! Keep them coming! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!





Chapter 6: The Search





Everyone in the castle of Fanelia woke with a lot of concern. A guard had said that Allen and Hitomi had left the night before for what, Allen had told him, was to be a short horse ride. When the servants went in to fetch their queen for breakfast, it was realized that she was missing. Everyone was growing very concerned and not sure of what to do. The king was away and they had to handle this on their own. They decided to send some men from Fanelia's army out to look for both Allen and Hitomi. They were to search the country far and wide and were also to get all other countries to close their borders until they found them. Some of the advisers sent messages to all the different palaces in the closest countries to see if maybe they had heard anything from Hitomi or Allen, but their was nothing. After a whole day of searching, they realized that it was time to contact Van. The top adviser would get a messenger to fetch him and come home to help find her and in case of her being dead or eaten by the dragons that roamed the planet.

Van was sitting in a meeting, being very bored. It had only been two days or so and he already missed Hitomi. He was trying to concentrate on the words being said, but just couldn't do it. He wasn't interested in this, and had a bad feeling. When he was asked to talk a little about Fanelia and it's well being, it took him a few minutes to clue in. He finally did so and gave his statement. Everyone at the meeting was very impressed with his accomplishments and the new country was also very happy to. They had faith in the king that he would be able to help them as they did for him a few years before this. The meetings continued for the rest of the day.

Afterward, Van had found himself becoming quite tired. HE decided to call it a night and went to his room in the castle. He nestled in his bed and prepared to sleep. Something didn't feel right though. HE couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew that something was out of place. He thought that he was thinking crazy nonsense, so he gave up on the flowing thoughts that boggled his mind and closed his eyes drifting off to sleep.



**********Van's Dream*****

"Help me please! Some one please help me! Take me from him!"

He knew the voice and tried to follow it. He knew those cries so well. It was the cries of his beautiful wife and she was in trouble. He tried to reach her, but his feet would not let him move. He tried to talk to her, but his mouth wouldn't open. He tried to move his hand to reach out to her's, but something stopped him. His hand shot back to him and he was thrown from the cries.

The next thing that he saw, was Allen carrying a child. It looked so familiar though. It looked like Van. The child had his hair and his eyes. She was so beautiful to him. It was a little girl. Allen had looked so in love with it though. What was all of this suppose to mean. What was happening?

As the dream continued, he found himself looking at his beautiful Hitomi once again. Accept this time, she was holding the child and her and Allen were talking about how beautiful she was. She leaned over and gave the child to Allen. That's when he saw it, the look in Hitomi's eyes. She was not happy at all. She was longing for something else. What was she longing for though? Why was the child there?

In the next scene, he saw himself standing all alone. He saw it then. The little child was reaching from behind a wall. She was reaching for Van. It all clued in to him at that one moment. Hitomi was with Allen and that was his child, not Allen's. He tried to reach for the child, but Allen came in and took the little girl.

*******Reality********



Van woke up with a start. This was a really horrible dream and he didn't even know why he would have such dreams. He tried to figure it out, but just couldn't. He felt as if he was turning into Hitomi, by having such strange dreams. He had realized that he couldn't sleep any longer, so he decided to go for a walk outside in the dark. He put his shoes on and began to leave when someone rushed toward him. They looked Fanelian and very concerned. When the messenger reached Van, he almost ran in to him.

"Van... I mean... King Van. You have to come home now. Your queen is missing and no one can find her. She left with Allen yesterday before dusk. He was carrying her on his horse. He said that they were going for a ride or something like that. When we woke up this morning, she was gone! We just hope that she isn't dead or eaten. Please sir, you must come now. Your people need you there."

Van was taken back by this person's words. He was in shock. Maybe his feelings, his dream that he had just woken from meant something. He knew what he had to do. He was going to wait until the first light of day and travel home. He didn't want to travel at night because of the creatures that roamed the land. If his wife truly was dead, he would have to be careful to not get himself killed to.

"Thank you good messenger. I will tell everyone here tomorrow morning that I must leave. I have to find her on my own. I would ask that you stay here tonight so that you don't get hurt in anyway. It was nice of you to travel here in such late and dark conditions."

"Oh, it was no problem sir. It is part of my job. I would be happy to stay the night here though."

"Good then, we will be on the road in the morning."

It had been almost two days now. Two days that Hitomi was stuck in this small cabin with a man whom she didn't love at all. She was now getting very upset and tired and wanted Van back. She would close her eyes and think of all the happy memories that they had shared together. He thought of how much she missed his sent and the way that he would hold and kiss her so soft and sweet. She longed for it. She would start asking herself questions like "Will he ever find me? Will anyone even realize that I am gone? Does he not care? What will people think? Does he still love me even though I have been taken from him?" The questions wouldn't stop. At that point of her closed eyed thinking, she would come to the conclusion that he was not coming for her and she would have to get to know and learn to love this Allen character who claimed to be her and Van's great friend. Why couldn't she remember him though? Why did he seem so strange if she knew him? She wasn't sure, but she tried to just hold on to the thought that Van may reach her. It was her last hope. She would open her eyes again and sit there, so still. She had been tied up now for a day and a half and she hated it. If this person loved her, why would he tie her up? She didn't understand any of this. Part of her was beginning to miss earth. Things almost seemed simpler there sometimes. She missed her parents and her best friend Yukari. She often wondered about her. Did she miss Hitomi? She wasn't sure, but at this point in time, Hitomi missed and wanted her to appear out of the sky and save her.

Van knew he wasn't going to sleep at all now, so he sat watching the clock very closely. Finally he saw the time and ran to talk to the other king. He found him in the castle hallway.

"Van, what are you doing up so early? Usually the guests sleep much longer because of the length of our busy days."

"Yes sir, I understand that. I must leave early though. Last night I received a message that my country was in trouble. Apparently, my wife has gone missing and is nowhere to be found. She may be in danger and I must go find her. I need to be there for my people. There is no one in the country right now that can run it and I can't leave it all on it's own. I am sure that you understand why I am doing this?"

"Oh yes, I totally understand the need for you to leave. It is fine with me. If you need anything, we would gladly help you if we can. Thank you for being here and for your assistance in the coming months. We gladly appreciate it and I will send a messenger out to Fanelia with other information that you may need. Now my young king friend, go and find your wife. I hope things work out and the girl is safe. I see how much she means to you and if it were me, I would be doing the same."

"Thank you so much. Good luck with the rest of your meetings. Sorry once again for leaving like this."

"Not to worry. Be on your way."

With that, Van shook the other king's hand and was on his way. He hurried his horses and reached Fanelia by night fall. His trip went rather smoothly. He was glad for that. He went in to the castle to see if there was any word from anyone else about Hitomi. There was nothing. He decided to go where he would not send his army. He was going to look for her in the forest. He had a feeling that was where she was.

He rode off in to the night. He went in to the forest and looked at everything. At first, he saw nothing. Then something caught his eyes. It was a small cabin and he approached it with caution. He reached it and knocked on the door. Allen heard the knock and answered it to find a very angry looking Van.

"Where is she?"

"Who?" Allen said in shock.

"My wife. I know you have her hidden somewhere. I seen it in a dream."

"Ummm Van, I don't think so. You are starting to sound like Hitomi. You really do miss her don't you?"

"Yes and I know you have her. I know it so let me the hell in right now!"

"Now now, don't be like that."

"She is my wife! I will do as I please to find her!"







To Be Continued.....