A/N I know that my stories are fully of spelling and grammar mistakes and I hope you will forgive me. I kind of put these stories up in a hurry and I don't really have time to go over them for errors… Damn homework! Why do teachers give so much work on holidays! *spot light appears on Angel* Why are they so cruel to me… Ah well I had to give it a try! I'm no actor but I'm glade you guys like this story *Sniff* Thanks Speaker Of The Spirits, Kat-Tastrophe, animecrazy and the rest of you! When I'm finished this story I'm going to have credits! Cool eh? Well see ya later!

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Chapter Eighteen: A Larger Plan

Crusade

"Where's Van? He was supposed to get Hitomi and bring her back here!" Allen said once he dismounted his guymelef. Allen looked at his men who were covered in ashes as they adverted their eyes. "Did you see Celina? Did you find any sign of her?" Allen continued to question his men, as they look ashamed.

"No boss, there was no sign of your little sister but we saw the red guymelef. That could mean that they turned her back into the pyromaniac, Dilandau" Kio finally said as he let out a sigh afterwards. The crew had never seen Allen so angry and worried all at once. Allen leaned his head back and let out a loud sigh. Allen looked at his men and then departed towards his room.

As Allen walked the long hall he sideway glanced out the window to see the forest burning as smoke reached to the skies in great clouds. "I wanted you to be safe and happy my dear sister, but now look what has come to pass. Once again you are taken away from me… I hope you are safe as well as you, my dear Hitomi" Allen said to him self as he walked into his room. He needed time to calm down and think clearly so that he could find a way to save his sister.

The Western Forest of Godeshen

~*~ Hitomi's dream ~*~

"Hitomi… Hitomi…" echoed throughout her head. A soft voice was calling her but it was too dark to see any thing. Hitomi couldn't even see herself it was so dark. Hitomi felt cold and alone as she stood in the darkness.

"Who's calling me?" Hitomi shouted as she moved forward into the dark. As Hitomi moved forward she tripped and fell to the ground but something caught her before she could hit the ground. She looked up to see an illuminating figure holding her with a smile on her face. "Have you been calling me?"

"Yes, I and the rest have been calling to you" she said as she helped Hitomi to her feet. Hitomi looked at the girl for a long moment as she stood there with a smile on her face.

"Do I know you? I feel like I know you, but I can't remember. Every time I try to remember, everything goes black," Hitomi said as the girl's eyes widen as they looked at her. Hitomi thought that she may have upset the girl but then the smile returned to her face.

"Your memories are here, you just have to fight to remember."

"Fight to remember? I remember that from somewhere, but where?"

"Good, see you can do it. Just follow your feelings. Your feelings led you back to Van and they will lead you to your memories."

"Oh yes, that boy Van. I felt something when he said my name but what was it?"

"Hitomi… Hitomi…" a male voice said as Hitomi started to talk about Van. Hitomi saw an image of him about her. Soon she was somewhere else. She was falling surrounded by rock that were falling around her. Her hand instinctively reaches for him as he came closer to her. Wings sprouted from his back and he took her hand and pulled her close to him. He was so warm and he smelled like a field of grass.

Hitomi was pulled back to where she was before. She was standing in front of that girl with the smile. "What was that?" Hitomi asked as she soon noticed she was again surrounded in darkness.

"A clip from you past. That actually happened to you a long time ago" she said then continued. "It's up to you to find your self."

~*~ Back to Reality ~*~

Hitomi was suddenly awoken by a loud sound that came from behind her. She sat up quickly and turned around to see who or what was coming towards her.

Hitomi saw that it was only the boy Van. He had a pile of wood in his arms that he was carrying back for the fire. He looked at her for only a second and when Hitomi looked down at herself she knew why. Her shirt had been taken off and all she was wearing was her bra and a makeshift bandage. That's when she felt the pain in the side of her stomach. She remembered that she had been shot.

Hitomi looked around for her shirt and she noticed that it was hanging off the side of a tree. There were faded stains of blood on it that suggested that Van must have washed it for her.

While Hitomi was getting a good look of the area Van had sat down beside her and was looking at her. A sad smile came across his face. Hitomi wondered why he looked so sad. "Why do you look at me like that?" Hitomi finally asked breaking the silence that seemed to last an eternity.

"Your eyes don't look at me the same way they use to. You look at me like I'm a stranger but the fact is, were not," Van said as he turned his head to look off into the distance. He was looking towards the lake that seemed very placid like there was no life in it.

"I'm sorry I can't remember you Van" Hitomi said taking his hand and placing it on her face. "I do feel like I know you from somewhere, but it feels as if I remember you from a dream I can't remember."

When Hitomi took his hand he felt his heart swell with love for her but he knew that he was just a stranger to her. Van looked at her with loving eyes as his eyes trailed down to look at her arm, when he noticed a mark of some sorts on her arm. Van took Hitomi's hand and pulled it closer to him. He moved her arm around so that he could see the marking clearly. "Do you know what this is?" Van asked Hitomi as he traced the marking on her arm.

"No, when I woke up it was just there. It's a bit faded from when I last saw it."

"This must be the reason why you forgot everything… That means there maybe a way for you to remember" Van said with hope in his voice. "We must return to the Crusade and figure out what this symbol is."

"I'm glade to see that you're happy. For some reason I felt pain when I saw that look on your face," Hitomi said with a smile. Van was glade to hear her say that. He knew that deep down she still loved him like she did before. Van leaned forward and gave Hitomi a little hug, so that he wouldn't worsen her wound.

Van walked over to the tree and grabbed her shirt. He walked back and wrapped the shirt around her as he picked her up. Hitomi put her arm around his neck to support her self as he carried her to Escaflowne. She leaned her head onto his chest and took a deep breath. He was warm, smelled like a field and his heartbeat was so calming to her. When he put her down she wish that he would just hold her like that forever.

As they flew back to the Crusade Hitomi never once stopped looking at Van. She wanted to remember everything about him. She wanted to remember the love they shared. She wanted to learn why she felt the way she did around him. Shin was wrong about Van. 'Van just wanted me back; he didn't want to kill me.' It was a nice feeling to be wanted.

Godeshen Palace

"Damn it! They all got away!" Dilandau said pounding his fist into the table that made the glasses that were on top of it crash to the floor. Reed looked unpleased as he saw how Dilandau was reacting. A smile crossed Shin's face as he looked at the two.

"What are you smiling at? You're a failure! You didn't even finish of Van or Allen!" Dilandau said continuing to break everything in the room. Reed peered over at Shin whose smile only grew larger.

"Your wrong Dilandau. In fact, everything is going according to plan. You just sit and wait," Shin said giving Dilandau a devilish look that could turn fire into ice in a matter of seconds. Dilandau raised his eyebrow, as did Reed as he said this.

"You had something bigger planed the whole time. I should of known."