Hi everyone, here's my new chapter I hope you like it. Thanks to everyone who gave me tips. Well enjoy!!!

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Hitomi went over to where she had tied Windracer to a nearby tree and took off his saddle and griddle letting him move around to stretch his legs. Then she whispered a spell causing some golden sparkles to appear and disappear leaving a pail of oats for him to eat. "Eat up boy, you'll need it," she whispered into his ear as she took out a brush and began to lovingly brush his black coat unaware of Van watching her from his near by tent.

'She seems so calm right now, I wonder what she'll do once we get to the mountain itself, I have to protect her I promised I would and I will,' he thought to himself before unrolling his sleeping bag and going to sleep. An hour later everyone had turned in except for those watching out.

Hitomi got up 2 hours before dawn, she pulled down her tent and bagged it, then set it beside her other bag. After that she went to a nearby lake to wash her face. When she finished she placed her hand into the water and began reciting an enchantment making her eyes and the water her hand touched to turn golden the whole time. She then walked back to the horses and whispered, "Facere tuus cibus nam illa est quid est ad cena hodie," causing a pail of water and another of oats to appear in front of each of the 2005 horses. When they had all finished eating she began to whisper, "Nunc omnis discedo ad migrant tuus casae," while touching the nearest horse to her and within seconds each of the horses except her own, Hope's, Van's, Jason's, and Lisa's disappeared and would automatically reappear in their own stall in the stables. After that was done she started a fire and put some extra meat from the night before with some water into a pot to make broth.

By the time the task was done it was already dawn and she noticed Lisa and Hope's forms begin to move in their tents. 'Lazy idiots,' she thought to herself as she began to walk through the rows of tents and shout for the soldiers to wake up.

'Shut up Hitomi, we're just not used to waking up at ungodly hours of the day as you are,' Hope thought back to her as she got out of her tent, her voice still sleepy. She ran a hand through her silver hair to straighten it out a bit then went to the lake and washed her face with Lisa right behind her.

"Everyone eat up then put up your tents, we'll be heading out as soon as everyone's done so hurry." Hitomi yelled out as she began serve broth to the men.

"Hey where did all the other horses go," Jason asked as he walked up to her to get a bowl noticing that all but 5 horses were gone.

"I sent them back to their stable," was Hitomi's only reply ignoring his quizzical look. The men already knew about some of Hitomi's special powers and were used to things disappearing from one place and reappearing in another, and Hope could only smirk at his stupidity. Jason just sighed and took his food.

After she finished serving the men Hitomi walked over to where she had left her tent and bags and picked up a black belt and put it around her waist. The belt had various daggers and weapons attached to it, all were small enough so they didn't get in Hitomi's way when she moved. Near the weapons were small pouches which had different colored powders in them. A rope was attached to right side of the belt and the royal Anatopian sword on the left side. She then picked up her bag of arrows and slung it around one shoulder and her bow around the other. After that she walked over to Windracer and pulled his griddle over his face and his saddle over his back and then closed the straps, finally she attached a bag to each of his sides.

Once everyone was done she ordered the men to line up in order, "Alright everyone, I'm going to cast a spell that will send each of you to a separate part of the mountain where you will stay for 2 weeks, good luck, and I shall say one more time 'expect the unexpected'," she shouted and then she walked up to the first man in the line, touched his forehead, and whispered a spell causing a silver phoenix with a golden outline to appear on each of their foreheads and then with a burst of green light they all disappeared. By the looks on the men's faces Van could tell they weren't afraid but were anxious to prove themselves to their princess. After all the men were gone Hitomi just stood there staring at where they were standing only moments ago. Hope walked up to her and laid a hand on her shoulder trying to give her support, reassuring her that the men would be ok. But Hitomi just shrugged it away, walked over to Windracer, and jumped onto his back.

"Come lets go," she ordered and waited for them to saddle their horses and mount before turning her own and heading deep into the forest, the others following right behind her.

"But Hitomi how are you going to make sure that they're going to be ok?" Lisa asked as she brought her own brown mare beside Windracer.

"I've formed a link with each one, so if they're in trouble I have, I guess you could call it, a 6th sense that will let me know. The links aren't very strong, just enough to let me know what they're feeling and doing at a certain moment." she replied before tapping Windracer at his sides to get him to speed up. They rode on silently for the rest of the day. An hour before sunset she stopped in a small clearing that was surrounded by trees that would completely hide them from any possible enemies. She ordered Jason and Lisa to get some logs for the fire and Hope to go hunt something to eat. She completely ignored Van and walked over to the horses to feed them and let them settle down for the night. Van was about to ask her why she was ignoring him when Hope, knowing that it would only lead to another argument, grabbed his arm and led him after her.

Hitomi felt a ping of jealousy deep in her heart for a reason that she couldn't explain and just shook her head and went to feed the horses. 'How could I be jealous I don't give a care about him, he's just another one of those freaking men who know nothing but themselves. Ugh why am I even thinking about him, I hate him. Anyway why should he want me? He has Hope, and he seems to like her a lot since he spends so much time with her and is always laughing when she's around. Shut up Hitomi! Why are you even thinking of that?! Ugh there has to be some way to get out of this marriage' Sighing she pushed her golden bangs out of her eyes and set her mind to finishing her task.

Yet Hope as far away as she was could feel this jealousy deep in Hitomi's heart. Through the previous week she had watched Hitomi closely to see how she reacted around Van. She noticed that no matter how much Hitomi said she hated him, she had accepted him and gotten used to his presence even though she hadn't noticed it herself. Whenever Hitomi let someone into her heart she fought with heart and soul to keep them safe, even if she didn't know it. During that week Hitomi poured everything she had into helping Van, let alone the men, improve their skills to their utmost maximum.

'Hitomi why can't you just trust your heart again, you would have some many less troubles to deal with. It was never your fault,' Hope thought to herself, making sure that neither Van nor Hitomi could hear her. 'I must teach Van how to listen and reply to Hitomi's thoughts and feelings, it just may make things a lot easier on me. I'm sure it would work since she has the blood of the phoenix in her. This may be very interesting.'

"Van keep an extra eye out, tell me if you see anything suspicious or if you hear screaming, there are some of the men near here I can smell them (she still has her good hearing and smelling senses even though she's not in wolf form at the moment) Don't let them see you."

"Ok, wait, hold on, do you hear something?" he whispered before turning around and finding himself face to face with a hideous monster. It had strange red eyes, a spiked brow, grey cladded skin, and a nauseating odor. It raised it's tail and sent it flying into Van's stomach making him crash into a nearby tree.

"It's a Gargoyle, hurry get up and get your sword out!(it's right after sunset)" Hope screamed as she jumped out of the way right before it could send its enormous tail into her side. She unsheathed her sword and slashed into its arm trying to divert its attention from Van to give him a chance to get up and unsheathe his own sword. "Go for the chest, it's most venerable there and don't show it fear for it feeds off it." she yelled as she pulled her sword out of its arm and sent it into one of its mighty wings. Van quickly got up and took his sword out using Hope's attack as a que for his own. While the Gargoyle body slammed Hope into a tree, pulled her sword out of its wing and threw it into the ground, he snuck up behind it and pushed his sword deep into it's humped back and quickly withdrew it causing purplish colored goo that looked a lot like blood to come out. The Gargoyle backed up away from Hope and let out a roar of pure agony. Its eyes turning an even darker shade of red, it stood up high onto its hind haunches and used its large, deadly claw to scratch Van across the chest, pushing him onto the ground. Just before it could tear off his head a recovered Hope sent a large burning white ball of energy into the Gargoyle's stomach throwing it off of Van and into a large rock a few feet away. Breathing heavily(notice she sent a LARGE ball of energy, so it took a lot of her own energy) she pulled her sword out of the ground and quickly ran to his side to help him up when she noticed the 3 long scratch marks across his chest that were beginning to bleed heavily.

"Van! Are you ok?" she whispered helping him into a sitting position against a tree trunk.

"A little sore, but other than that fine," he coughed, his voice sounding winded.

"Liar, you're loosing a lot of blood, we've got to get you out of here."

'Oh, we need Hitomi, I can't finish it off by myself and Van's in no condition to fight, agh. Hitomi! Please get over here we need your help.'

'What what's wrong?' came Hitomi's worried voice.

'We've encountered a Gargoyle, and Van's been struck down, I've already used a lot of my own energy so I won't last much longer, please hurry!' Hope practically screamed.

'I'm on my way, keep him at bay until I get there.'

'Ok,' Hope replied before taking a deep breath and standing up. The Gargoyle was beginning to recover from the blast and slowly stood up on its hind legs. 'Here we go,' she sighed and charged at it doing a flying leap into the air hitting him square in the chest and did a back flip landing a few feet away from him her sword ready to strike. 'Ugh, none of my attacks are hurting him, why won't he die?!'

"He will, you just have to know how to kill him," a shadowed figure replied from the branch of a nearby tree. The person jumped out of the tree and landed noiselessly onto the forest floor.

"Hitomi? Is that you?" Hope shouted to the cloaked figure. At the name the Gargoyle's face held a sign of recognition that Van noticed from his position and with a look at the figure so did they.

"Yes," she replied taking her hood off then turning her attention back to Gargoyle, yet not without a worried glance at Van. "You remember me, don't you?" she smirked coming closer with each step until she was only a few feet away from the Gargoyle her eyes turning to a glowing golden color, "The pains and torture you put me through. The whippings and beatings, starving me to no end? You never thought that had I survived did you, you never thought I would even make it out of the mountain? Ha! You thought I was a mere weakling that couldn't survive on her own. Well no longer. Did you ever wonder how I escaped?" she asked, her eyes turning a deeper golden color with every passing second. "Well I'll tell you how, I turned all those burning pains and feelings of anguish into raw energy, power that allowed me to destroy everyone of your pitiful kind. Yet I was too weak to last much longer, but I survived and have been waiting for the day that you and I would meet face to face once again. I've been training and I've finally done what you thought was impossible!" she hissed before green and golden lights began to surround her transforming her into her ultimate form. She noticed the fearful look on the Gargoyle's face. "I've reached the power that was spoken of in the prophecy and I've come to finally destroy you."

"You may try, but I assure you that you won't get any farther than your useless, friends," the Gargoyle finally spoke, the fearful look leaving his grotesque face leaving an even uglier smirk.

"I'll make you eat those words!" Hope shouted, beginning to walk up behind Hitomi.

"Stay out of this Hope, this is my fight and mine only. I've been waiting for so long for my revenge and it's finally within my grasp, you shall not get in my way, I won't let you." she yelled back, forming a force field around her and the Gargoyle.

"Hitomi, what's going on, it's not the real you that's talking, you never liked killing or believed so much in getting revenge, you've changed and I don't like it at all," Hope replied, shocked.

"But my dear Hope, if you only knew. Too bad I don't have time to tell you," she laughed evilly then turned back to the Gargoyle. "Are you ready Exander? You'll not live to see tomorrow."

"We'll see about that," Exander replied before charging at Hitomi.

"Hitomi no, don't do this," Hope screamed running towards the force field, but when she thrust all her weight into it she just got thrown back with twice as much force next to Van. "What is she doing," she whispered.

"I don't know but I want to find out," Van replied. Breathing painfully he steadied himself and tried to stand up using a large rock.

"Van be careful, you've lost a lot of blood already," she warned helping him up letting him lean on her shoulder before turning to the battle between Hitomi and the Gargoyle. "She's changed, that's not the Hitomi I grew up with. Sure she fought in wars and saw death, but she never really liked it, at least I hope not.

"I just hope she makes it out ok," Van whispered pressing his hand onto his chest trying to stop the blood.

"Me too," she sighed sadly.

"Can you do better than that," Hitomi smirked doing a flip over Exander and kicking him in his back.

"Well then destroy me, come on kill me." he laughed standing in a position that she would get a clear shot at him.

"Gladly,"

"Hitomi, no you can't do this, you've never killed anyone in cold blood, don't start now," Hope screamed.

Hitomi strayed a look Hope's way, at first Hope saw regret and hopefulness but when she was Van leaning on Hope, not knowing that he was injured, her eyes immediately clouded with anger, betrayal, and hurt, the last two of which were rarely seen on her face, "Shut up and stay out of this." Hitomi yelled then ran at Exander pulling out two daggers and using them to slash him in the sides, but he didn't wince or anything, he only used his tail to grab hold of her and began to squeeze her so tight that her breathing was cut off. Then he threw her hard onto the ground and kicked her hard in the side, throwing her body a few feet across the ground and into a rock causing her forehead to begin bleeding. She quickly got up, wiping the blood leaking from the side of her mouth, and kicked him hard in the stomach. She hit him hard in the back of his legs causing him to fall down to his knees. Backing away a bit she prepared to give him the final blow when all of a sudden she dropped to her knees and grabbed her head as if she was in pain. She soon began to scream in pure agony.

"Hitomi what's wrong, get up he's going to kill you if you don't," Hope cried, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She was about to run towards her when Van placed his hand on her shoulder turning her gaze on Hitomi as she began to stand back up.

"No, you won't get out I won't let you," Hitomi screamed her voice in an odd tone, almost like it was two people's voices combined, her eyes turning into a deep red, and the blood red necklace around her neck began to shine black.

'That's strange, the phoenix stone is never supposed to turn black or else it means that the wearer's heart is no longer pure, something is truly wrong now, I can feel it. Please Hitomi, I know you're still in there, just answer me, I want to help you, I promised I would I intend to keep that promise!" she screamed, sorrow heavy in her heart.

'I'm trying Hope, I am, but she's so strong, it's hard to try and contain her. Ahh,' her voice lurking with pain, 'She's trying to get out, her power has grown so much stronger.'

'Who is Hitomi, Who?!' Hope asked. 'Hitomi! Hitomi!' she screamed when she got no reply.

"What's going on, who's Hitomi talking to," Van asked worriedly, sorrow for her pain evident deep in his brownish-red eyes.

"I don't know," Hope whimpered her expression turning even more worried for her friend than before. Never before had she seen her friend in such pain, and never before had she not been able to help her when she needed it.

"No More, NO MORE!! I won't let you win, all you'll do is cause is pain, that's what you did, if it weren't for you the Destiny War wouldn't have started! I was too weak to stop you but NO MORE!" she screamed to someone that no one could see.

"What! No, it was Dornkirk who started the Destiny War and he's dead, I saw him die myself." Van whispered, shocked.

"You fool, it wasn't Dornkirk who started the war, he only helped to prolong it, the person who did start it was your friend right there," Exander smirked. Van just stood there speechless, but Hope could tell from Exander's eyes that he knew what was going on, he knew that this would happen, that Hitomi would break down like this.

"You, you did this to Hitomi," she accused not paying attention to his comment.

"I did nothing but provoke her," he laughed, "Your friend is in a very unstable state right now, I'm sure your pathetic, dead queen already told you, all that training everyday, and every night, the foolish queen thought that she could prepare her child from what is happening this very minute, Ha! She just wasted her time."

"Shut up I won't have you dishonoring my mother," Hitomi yelled, her clothes changing from her golden armor to a leather skin tight top and pants and then back to the armor. "I won't hear anymore from you, never again," and with that she raised her hand towards him letting an enormous blue sphere of energy erupt from her palm and shoot at him. "You thought you could let her out, but you've lost, it'll take more than that to beat me, as long as I live she'll stay captive." she hissed, her voice going back to its normal tone and her eyes going back to their golden color.

"We'll see Princess or should I say Phoenix," he laughed before being disintegrated into millions of pieces and blown away in the cooling wind. Hitomi's eyes changed back to their green color before she fell to the ground unconscious, a green light surrounded her and the armor changed back to a white shirt long-sleeved with a black leather vest over it and black leather pants with knee high boots. The force field that surrounded her disapeared.

"Come on let's get back to camp, we'll see what happened when she wakes up," Hope sighed to a still shocked Van. He slowly walked over to Hitomi's unconscious form and painfully but gently picked her up into his muscular arms. He was careful to avoid her many wounds. She looked so venerable and helpless tucked into the safety of his arms. They walked silently back to camp, never uttering a word about what had just happened.

When they walked into the camp they were met with Lisa and Jason's worried looks, "What happened!" Lisa demanded when she saw her leader, princess, and friend unconscious with cuts and wounds all over her body, and her future king bleeding from his chest.

"You'll find out when Hitomi wakes up, right now we have to clean her up and take care of her wounds. Jason start the fire and cook something to eat. Lisa go get some clothes, water, healing herbs, and bandages. Van could you place Hitomi in her tent?" Hope ordered, obviously tired by the nights events. Van went into the tent and gently placed Hitomi on some blankets. He walked out and let Hope in to change Hitomi into some loose fitting clothes so it would be easier to tend to her wounds. After she was finished she let him and Lisa in. Taking the things from Lisa she set them on the ground beside her and began to mix various herbs together. "Van, take some cloth and start cleaning the blood and dirt off her wounds. Lisa mix the Monibaone and Lisen together and rub them onto the wound on her head." she quickly told them before taking the mixture she made and began to apply it to the wounds as Van cleaned them up. He gently pushed away her bangs and began to clean up the scratches on her face. He could feel his heart break at the pained expression that was clear on her usually proud face, he felt like killing the person who did this to her all over again. If only he hadn't underestimated the Gargoyle, if he had only seen the claw they could've won and Hitomi wouldn't be in this position.

"It's ok Van it wasn't your fault, not many people ever meet a Gargoyle and live, they never stand a chance. For never before was there a monster as awful as a Gargoyle." she tried to calm his anger while bandaging up the wounds on Hitomi's arms.

"There was one before, Dilandau, he killed 1000s of humans and creatures." Van replied quietly, recalling all the deaths he had seen all in one year. But one question still bugged him, why had the Gargoyle said that Hitomi started the Destiny War.

"But he's dead," Lisa chipped in, finally understanding what they were talking about. Pushing her black hair out of her violet eyes she sat back inspecting the large scar on Hitomi's forehead. "There all done," she sighed.

"Good, all her other wounds are done as well. Now Van take your shirt off so we can take care of your wounds. Van listened and after a few minutes his chest was bandaged up, as well as any other of his and Hope's bruises. Standing up Hope walked to the door of the tent, "Come on let's go get something to eat, I just hope Jason didn't burn down the camp," Hope laughed sadly and walked out with Lisa right behind her. Van just sat beside Hitomi and held her limp hand in his callused hands, gently rubbing her soft palm.

"I'm so sorry Hitomi I should of protected you in some way I could have saved all this pain, but no I was too weak," he whispered bitterly.

"You weren't weak, you never were," a weak voice replied.

Van quickly raised his head and could have sung with joy when he saw sparkling emeralds staring back at him. Not paying attention to what he was doing he quickly pulled her into a tight hug. At first he felt Hitomi stiffen, but after a few seconds relax and let him support her, for the first time in her life she let someone else be her pillar of strength, let someone else see her helpless.

She was scared by the warm feeling that quickly shot through her body like wildfire, the feeling of his skin against her own, his breath on the nape of her neck that sent a tingling sensation through her. Never before, since her mother's death, had she been held like that by someone and she was truly confused by why she didn't pull away and tear his head off for even touching her. They sat like that for what seemed like hours, she leaning onto his bare, muscular chest with her head laying on his shoulder, he with his arms around her holding her tightly, and his head buried in the nape of her neck.