Hitomi took a long drink of water from the cup in front of her. She sighed contentedly and leaned back in her chair, hands resting against her full stomach.

"Excuse me," Selena said from the doorway of the kitchen.

"Oh, hi," Hitomi said, a little self-consciously.

"I've heard a lot about you, and I'm so glad to meet you in person." Selena smiled. She approached the table where Hitomi and Aronic sat, and pulled a chair out adjacent to Hitomi.

"I have a lot to thank you for." Selena's sky blue eyes gazed into Hitomi's evergreen ones.

"Me?" Hitomi looked confused, "What did I----"

"Quiet, girl. You've done more than you know," Aronic hushed Hitomi gently.

Selena nodded and leaned forward a bit more. "I don't remember much about the Great War. My brother, Allen, told me that if it weren't for you, we would have never been reunited. For that I owe you my life. Without you…I would have never known…that my mother had died." Selena hesitated and glanced away.

She drew her shoulder back up and flashed Hitomi her brother's heartbreaking smile. "Without you, I would have never known that I had a nephew!"

" Prince Chid?" Hitomi exclaimed. Selena nodded and grinned.

"If there is anything that I can ever do for you, Lady Hitomi, please don't hesitate to ask." Selena said seriously.

"Thank you," Hitomi smiled. "First, you can call me Hitomi."

"There is something Hitomi would like to know, Selena." Aronic began grimly.

"What?" Hitomi inquired, perplexed.

"She would like to know what Dillandua has done with her family."

Selena drew back, aghast.

"My family!" Hitomi stood up in anguish. "Oh, no! No! How could I have forgotten? I've got to----.

Wait… wait…what would Selena know about Dillandua? Selena couldn't know him…she was reunited with Allen after he was transported with the light… Dillandua was on Earth---" Aronic looked quickly at Hitomi.

"You mean…You don't know?!" Aronic demanded, appalled.

"Don't know what?" Annoyance crept into Hitomi's tone.

"Wait, Lady, please," Selena pleaded Aronic. She ran a hand through her hair.

"Hitomi…I was Dillandua." Hitomi stiffened and her mouth dropped open. She began slowly backing up towards the wall.

" But that's not possible," Hitomi whispered. "Dillandua was on the Mystic Moon…"

"Let me explain!" Selena beseeched her. "Dillandua died on the battlefield of the Great War. I was trapped with him, in one body. Dornkirk and the wizards of Ziabach altered our fate, into the perfect killing machine.

At the Great War, he was destroyed, and I was free to go to my brother. Jajuka… Aronic suspects someone used the old ruins of the Fate Alteration device to resurrect Dillandua, so he could attack you and your family." Selena bent her head.

Hitomi shook her head in disbelief, but slowly, slowly her expression changed. She reached a hand out, and gripped Selena's shoulder.

"I am so sorry! It must be so hard for you." Selena gasped in shock at snapped her gaze to Hitomi's. "You're like Folken was, aren't you? You're body was changed also."

Selena couldn't believe it. After all Dillandua had done to Hitomi. All the grief, pain, fear, even her family, and she still forgave her. She even understood and sympathized! Hitomi was too----compassionate to be real. Selena started as she felt a hot tear splash on her hand. Hitomi was crying.

"I'm so sorry. Oh, mom…Hajime…Dad. It's all my fault." You're not the only one who carries the sorrow of the dead, Van, She thought.

(A/N: Notice that was a line from the last episode of the 5th volume of Escaflowne. Van had a monologue. You'll notice that I'm going to use a lot of the unsolved conflicts from the series. You've probably already caught some! ^_^ )

"Hitomi!" Aronic said sharply, "Your family isn't dead!"

"Wha—What?" Hitomi gasped.

"During the War, you felt every man Van killed die—"

"How---How did you know that?!" Hitomi interrupted, astonished.

Aronic ignored her interruption. "You felt whenever Van was hurt. Wouldn't you have felt your family die?"

Hitomi felt behind her and collapsed into a chair. She sat staring for a while, then Selena heard Hitomi breath out, "Alive…"

Aronic suddenly humped in annoyance, "Tell Fanalia's King that it's rude to listen into a private women's conversation!"

Van?

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Allen jumped as Van snapped his head up.

"What is it?" Dryden asked curiously as Van jumped up.

Van could feel his face grow hot with humiliation. He opened his mouth to shrug off their questions, but no sound came out. At first, he hadn't even realized he was still in Hitomi's head. But before he knew it he found himself captivated.

He had smiled when he saw Hitomi and Selena together. Selena had already been converted into one of Hitomi's adoring allies.

He felt her horror when she suddenly realized Selena had been Dillandua. Van hadn't even realized she didn't know! He could have kicked himself for being so thoughtless.

But when he felt all of Hitomi's horror turn into compassion, his heart could have burst with pride and wonder. Hitomi was amazing. There was just no bounds to how good she was. And she was his…

What he hadn't realized is that Dillandua had gotten to Hitomi's family. He remembered so long ago when she had told him about her mother, father, and younger brother. He had just started to mourn their passing for Hitomi, when Aronic had said they might be alive…he felt hope flood into Hitomi.

He had been so shocked his heart must have stopped, when Aronic turned and said, "Tell Fanalia's King that it's rude to listen into a private women's conversation!"

"Van?" Allen prompted.

"We-We should head to the meeting chamber, it's getting late," Van threw out and strode away.

Dryden shook his head in wonder, " Late? We still have more than 3 hours till the meeting. Those soldiers are a strange bunch. We must have been calling him for 5 minuets, and not a twitch. I'll give you one guess at who he was thinking about." Allen snorted.

"Did you see that stupid grin?"

"Like all of his wishes had come true, and he ruled the world?" Dryden smirked.

"Like he would jump off the castle parapet and fly." Allen supplied dryly.

Dryden chuckled, "In this case, he very well could, and we'd be finding feathers for the next week." They headed to the Meeting chamber, Dryden still muttering to himself.

……………………………………………………………………………………

A/N; Hey, I hope you like my new chapter! It was fun to write! This is just the beginning! I think this might be on of the longest fics this site has ever seen! There's lots more to come! The more reviews you guys send, the more inspired I think I'll be!

Disclaimer; Like Always, I hate to disappoint you guys, but I don't own Escaflowne *Tears flood chibi-Bozena's computer terminal T_T

Next chapter coming soon, but while you guys are waiting go to the little button on the bottom of your screen that says review and click go!