Chapter Seventeen: Blood and Tears

The Crusade

"There they are boss! Looks like their surrounded in trouble" Reeden shouted to Allen. Allen looked out the window confirming what Reeden had just told him. He would have to act fast in order to save them both and it looked like they had no where to go.

"Move quickly men! Were heading in fast. Prepare for battle" Allen said as he left his station and headed towards the repair deck. Looks like Allen would get another chance with Shin and also he could try to find out what happened to his sister.

The others were told to prep the Crusade for battle. They had a few new addition that were made before they left. There were also new guymelefs units that obtain from Fried.

Battle Field

"No I can't let it end like this Hitomi. I promised I would protect you no matter what" Van said wrapping his arm around her waist and wings sprouted from his back. He quickly flew towards Escaflowne, it was their only choice for survival. He didn't care if Hitomi doesn't remember him, he would find a way to help her remember.

Do I know this boy? Why does he act like he knows me? I don't remember anything about my past, all I know is Shin. Shin told me that he saved me from this king of Fenalia, Van wasn't it? Could Shin of lied to her? Could everything he told her be fake? Hitomi questioned everything as Van flew with her in his arms. Why do I feel so safe when I'm with him? I feel like I do know him but from where? Are we sister and brother or maybe lovers? Hitomi saw Escaflowne as they grew closer. She also knew that they were being chased after by men who wanted to kill them. "Esca… Escaflowne" Hitomi said as if suddenly remembering the name.

Van looked at Hitomi with question. "Do you remember Hitomi? Remember about us about the war?" Van asked as fire came up behind them. Van tried to hold onto Hitomi but the fire burned his arm and his wings, he couldn't hold on. Hitomi and Van fell to the ground a few meters away from each other.

"Hitomi!" Van yelled looking around for any sign of her. His arms and back burned as smoke rose from the field. He couldn't see her, there was too much smoke to se anything.

"Does it burn Van!? I hope so because I'm going to burn you to hell!!" the voice was that of Dilandau's. Van couldn't believe that they brought that pyromaniac back. He quickly go to his feet and started running to Escaflowne. He wasn't that far from it he could feel it. Thanks to the smoke they probably wouldn't be able to find him that easily. Once he got back to Escaflowne he could find Hitomi.

"What happened?" Hitomi asked as she started coughing. She was surrounded by smoke and fire. What was she going to do? One name came to her mind as she looked around. "Van! Where are you?" Hitomi yelled. Why did she yell his name?

Van heard Hitomi scream for him as he mounted Escaflowne. He got in Escaflowne and headed towards where he heard her screams. "Hitomi!?" Van yelled. There was too much smoke to see anything much less a little figure like Hitomi.

"Van I'm here!" Hitomi yelled waving her arm back and forth. Before Van could pick up Hitomi something knocked him to the ground. "Van are you alright?" Hitomi yelled running up to Escaflowne.

"Get back here Hitomi! Why are you running to the man that wants to kill you?" Shin said standing above Escaflowne.

"If he wanted to kill me he would have done it already! Plus Shin I think it's you who wants to kill me!" Hitomi said with hate in her voice. "I think you lied to me Shin. You lied to me about everything! My memories, you stole them!" Hitomi said getting even angrier. Shin turned around facing Hitomi, she looked so tiny standing there in the smoke.

"Well if that's how you feel my dear. I guess I'll have to kill you and your prince!" Shin said pulling arm up and pointing it towards her. Hitomi closed her eyes as she stood in the smoke.

"I wont let you hurt Hitomi!" Van yelled tackling Shin from behind. Gunfire shot as Van pushed Shin to the ground piercing his sword into his guymelef. Shin rolled over knocking Van to the ground beside him.

"Very good Van! I think I'm going to like killing you and your girlfriend" Shin said getting off the ground. "Luck you didn't hit anything major" Shin said walking closer to Van.

"Damn it! Why aren't you moving Escaflowne?" Van said desperately trying to get Escaflowne to move. Van could see Shin getting closer but he couldn't do anything about it.

As Shin got closer to Escaflowne a mysterious looking guymelef stood in front of him. "Allen! Nice to see you" Shin said recognizing the guymelef.

"Van, find Hitomi and get her out of here!" Allen yelled as Shin started to attack him.

"He can move right now. I put a new little device on his guymelef that leaves him immobile" Shin said with a smirk on his face as he pulled out his sword. Van was shock that there was such technology that could leave a guymelef immobile. He would have to find it and remove it so that he could find Hitomi and get away.

In the distance Hitomi could hear people yelling in pain and gunshots being fired. What was going on Hitomi though as she realized she was lying on the ground. Her head hurt like she was hit by a ton of bricks, no make that two tons. Hitomi tried to get up but she felt so dizzy from the smoke.

"Damn it! Where could it be?" Van said in frustration as he looked for the device that Shin placed on Escaflowne. Must be tiny if he couldn't see it Van though as he saw something red glowing. "That must be it!" Van said as he took off the shin red jewel off Escaflowne.

Van got back into Escaflowne and started to look for Hitomi where he last saw her. The smoke was getting worse and if he didn't get her out of there soon the smoke would kill her.

Allen continued to fight with Shin in an evenly match battle. "Where's my sister Celina? I know you took her now were is she!" Allen said in anger as he block another swing from Shin.

"Celina? Was that the girls name? I don't remember her but I do certainly remember her screams of pain" Shin said as he pushed Allen to the ground.

"Why you" Allen said as he moved quickly and tripped Shin to the ground. Allen's anger was getting the better of him Shin noticed as he got up to his feet.

"Time to test the new toy" Shin said pressing a button on the side of his sword. Allen hatred blinded him of everything. He charged Shin with all him might and when there swords clashed electrical energy shot from Shin's sword into Allen's. The electrical current was conducted in the metal and it was soon electrocuting Allen.

Allen scream in pain as he was electrocuted. He had never felt anything like that before in his life! "You coward! You hide behind your technology!" Allen said as Sherazad kneeled to the ground.

"I just want to make sure that I win this war Allen. You do understand that I had to test it out on someone and who better to test in on" Shin said raising his sword to strike Allen for the last time. With the rest of his strength Allen blocked Shin attack with his sword.

"Boss lets get out of here!" Kio said to Allen as he saw how weak he was. Kio quickly pulled Allen away from Shin and they headed back to the Crusade.

"Hitomi! Hitomi! Where are you?" Van yelled walking into the thick screen of smoke. "Please Hitomi say something!"

Hitomi opened her eyes again and everything was blurry. She could hear that boy calling her name again. Hitomi tried to get up but she felt a sudden pain on the side of her stomach. She held it for a few seconds and when he hand came up she could see that it was covered with blood. Was she shot? Was she dieing?

"Van!" Hitomi tried to scream but she was to weak to scream and it hurt to do so. Her throat was burning because of the smoke. How much longer could she hold out for. Hitomi felt her head spin again and she felt like she was going to be sick. She could hear her name being called over and over again by Van.

As Hitomi black out Van saw her lying on the ground and started to worry. Her eyes were closed and she was unmoving. He quickly swooped her up and started running as fast as he could to a safe haven. He only hoped that Hitomi would be alright. As he took a sideways glance at her he noticed blood dripping from the side of Escaflowne's hand.

"Please Hitomi hold on! I don't want to lose you again!" Van said turning Escaflowne into the white dragon. He flew deep into the forest and landed on the ground by a small pond.

Van quickly laid Hitomi on the ground and saw that her clothes were covered with blood. "Oh my god Hitomi hang on! Just hang on!" Van yelled as tears started flowing down his face. He couldn't let her die like this!

Van put his head on Hitomi's chest to listen for a heart beat. He was relieved to hear a faint heart beat but the blood was still flowing from her body. He has to find out where it's coming from and stop it. He hated to do it but he took off Hitomi's shirt and searched for the wound. He found it on the right side of her stomach.

Van quickly did his best to put pressure on it to slow the bleeding then he would need something to patch it up with. Hitomi groaned as he put his two hand over the wound and put pressure on it. He was glade though that noise assured she was alive but for how long?

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*Sooo sleepy… I've been writing all week! My head hurts and now I have to go back to school on Monday! I need sleep… I hope you guys like this chapter. I always say that don't I? Well it's all for you guys! I hope you know that! Thanks again for all the nice reviews! I love to hear what you guys think! I'm glad I haven't got any bad reviews yet! Anyways tell me what you think about this chapter? Tell me what you think should happen next? Just tell me anything! Anyways I love you all and goodnight!