Chapter Two

Standing on the balcony overlooking the fields of Asturia, Allen Schezar gazed up at the night sky.  His eyes unerringly fell upon the large blue moon hanging in the sky.  A frown creased his elegant features as he gazed at the Mystic Moon.  His thoughts went immediately to the young girl who lived there.

'Hitomi…are you well?  Are you happy now that you're with your family?' 

He found himself wanting to ask her so many questions…

He hadn't realized he'd get the chance.

Before him, a blue column of light appeared from the heavens, the light shifting and moving with a will of its own.  In the center a figure could be seen.  It appeared to be a young girl suspended in midair until her feet touched the ground.  The light vanished; the girl fell to her knees on the stone floor.

"Hitomi??!!!"  Allen rushed over to the girl, her short blonde hair covering her features as she lay on the stone floor.  Gradually, she raised her head, her mouth opening wide.  "Allen-san?!"

"Hai…Hitomi!"  He picked her up in a bear hug and hugged her tight.  "Hitomi!  It's so good to see you again!  What are you doing here?!"

Giggling, Hitomi hugged him back.  True, it had been two years since she had last seen him, but it felt longer.  "I'm fine!  Everything has been going well and I honestly have no idea why I'm here.  I was lying on my bed at home, sleeping.  When I had this…horrible vision."  She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself as she stepped away from Allen. 

"What kind of a vision?"  Allen asked suspiciously.

"About…about Van…"

"Oh, Hitomi…I had hoped we could keep you from finding out…" Allen sighed, turning his head away.  He was one of the few that knew of the King of Fanelia's condition.  Van refused to go to any doctors.  He had secretly asked Millerna to look over him and she had.  There was nothing she could do.  She couldn't even find anything wrong with him.  He seemed to be in perfect health, but anyone that saw him could see him wasting away to nothing.

"Allen!  What's wrong with him?!  The vision I had was so frightening…he…he died…" Hitomi felt herself on the verge of tears, clinging to Allen's shirtfront. 

"Come, Hitomi.  We have some things to discuss before you go back to Fanelia."  Allen took her hand in his, leading her inside.

*           *           *

Walking into the deserted Guymelef hangar, Celena wrapped the shawl she had around her more tightly.  She had fallen asleep, but had woken not too long afterwards.  Restless, she had dressed quickly and left.

Now she stood in the abandoned hangar, shivering in the cold.  The Guymelef's housed here were mostly for show.  They had been restored to their previous pristine condition and now stood collecting dust.  She stared up at the old Guymelef's, her mind a million miles away.  Life this past two years had been strange.  Even stranger was her desire to come to this place.  Her brother had all but forbidden her to go anywhere near a Guymelef since…

Since she had returned.  That's what Allen called it.  Returning from years of torture and abuse by Zaibach.  She didn't see it like that, however. 

Her feet seemed to have a mind of their own, as she walked through the deserted hangar.   She finally stopped at a large Guymelef.  A cloak seemed to shroud the suit, masking it from sight.  Celena moved towards it, pulling the cloak back.

She fell to her knees, her mind suddenly assaulted with images.  She remembered this Guymelef.  It was the one he had used.  Dark and sinister, it exuded evil.  Was it that this machine was evil and not Dilandau?

Her mind shied away from that thought.  It was more than disturbing.  The impact would be a shock to her civilization.  The thought that a Guymelef was capable of influencing the pilot…

But hadn't that been shown already, in King Van Fanel of Fanelia?  He had bonded with Escaflowne so deeply, that he had obtained his suits injuries.  She remembered the look on Allen's face as he spoke of that time.  Van had nearly died from the injuries Escaflowne had sustained.

Shivering, she stared up at the red Guymelef.  Alseides: that was what he had called it.  His trusted Guymelef, the one who had seen him through tragedy after tragedy.

Unbeknownst to her, a red light engulfed the Guymelef.  It seemed to pulse with need.  At the same time that a blue light surrounded Hitomi on Earth, this red light shot outwards, encompassing the kneeling Celena.

She screamed, her body arching upwards in intense pain.  Agony filled every cell of her body.  It was as if every tissue, every organ, every cell was systematically being split in half.  The pain was like none she had ever experienced in her life.  The experiments the Zaibach Sorcerers did on her were nothing compared to this.

She finally collapsed onto the cold stone floor, shivering.  Her mind cried out for rest, but she willed it to be silent and refused to black out.  What had just happened?

Opening her eyes slowly, every fiber of her body still tingling; she looked around her.  Everything seemed to be the same.  No…wait.  There was…someone here…

Her mind didn't want to register what she was seeing.  It couldn't be possible.  It was all a dream; it had to be…

Reaching out with a shaky hand, she touched the face of the sleeping man beside her.  He was nude, his chest pressed against the stone floor.  His head was turned towards her, eyes closed.  With a suddenness that surprised her, he opened his eyes.

Red orbs stared back at her blue ones, equally confused.  He instantly became wary, staring at her with uncertainty.

"Celena…"

"Dilandau…"

*           *           *

Arriving in Fanelia, Allen led Hitomi down the corridors of the palace.  He had left strict orders for his sister to be looked after and Gaddes had readily agreed.  Taking an airship, he and Hitomi had journeyed all night to reach Fanelia in record time.  Now, after a long journey and much explaining, they had finally arrived.

Hitomi had been shocked as Allen described to her the latest events.  After she had returned to Earth, according to Allen, Van had thrown himself into the rebuilding of his country.  All seemed well for about a week.  Then Van started to show signs of intense fatigue.  He would tire easily, had intense headaches and mind numbing pain.

Still, he refused to have it treated or even see a physician about it.  Said it was nothing, just stress.  Allen had not pressed, as he knew the young King was indeed leading a very stressful life.  Merle watched over her life long friend, making sure he ate properly and got enough sleep.  But that didn't even seem to help much.

Then for the past two weeks, his advisors had been pressuring him.  They feared Van's death more than anything.  With Folken dead, Van was the only living heir to the throne.  If he died, then their people would fall into bitter civil war.  So they had been trying to convince the young king to marry and have children.

But Van didn't want to marry.  His heart was still too full of Hitomi for him to think of anyone else.  Their words hurt and he shied away from them, from just about everyone. 

Hitomi bit her lip, tears in her eyes.  'How could they be so cruel?!  That cuts into the deepest part of him, his duty.  He would do anything for his country.  And for them to say he was shirking his duty…' Shaking her head violently, she pushed past Allen, intent on finding Van and his advisors.  She'd give them a piece of her mind about this situation!

Rounding a corner, she nearly ran right into a sobbing young girl.  She apologized quickly, and then noticed it was Merle.  "Merle!  What's wrong?!"

"Hitomi?!!!"  Merle pulled back, her tail slicing through the air.  Her eyes widened and her hand drew back.

The slap shocked Hitomi speechless.  This wasn't exactly the homecoming she'd expected.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT!!!!!!  IT'S YOUR FAULT VAN-SAMA IS DYING!!!!!!"  The anguished screams coming from the little cat girl was enough to send Hitomi on her knees.

"Merle…what are you talking about?"  Allen interposed himself between the two, his hand taking hold of Merle's wrist before she could deliver another blow.

Merle growled, twisting her arm free.  She answered his question, but here eyes remained on Hitomi.  "Last night Van-sama vanished.  No one though anything of it, thinking he went out to fly.  I knew better.  He hasn't done that since she left.  I went looking for him and found him near the shrine where Folken-sama and the old king were buried.  He had collapsed, his whole body racked with fever and pain.  He wouldn't wake up, I tried but…he just kept calling her name." 

"Merle…I didn't know…you have to believe me!  I'd never want him hurt, you know that!"  Hitomi pleaded with her friend, hoping the girl would believe her.  Tears fell from her eyes and she clutched Merle's shoulders tightly.  "Take me to him, Merle!  Now please!"

Growling, Merle made to push her away, but stopped at the last minute.  Ignoring Allen's presence, she gazed long into Hitomi's hurt eyes.  After a long moment, she smiled and held Hitomi hard.  "I'm sorry Hitomi!  I should have known you still care about him!  Let's go."  Taking her friends hand, helping her to stand and leading her down the corridor.

"Merle, hasn't a physician seen to him?"  Allen asked worriedly as the three walked down the corridor to Van's chambers.

"Hai, Allen-sama.  But they could find nothing wrong with him.  We even sent a message to Millerna-sama, but she won't be able to get here till tomorrow."  Merle replied, stopping as they came to their destination.  Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and her two companions followed her inside.

The room was large and spacious, as befits a king.  French doors were opened to the night air, the fragrance of roses drifting in from the garden below.  A large canopied bed rested against one wall, curtains surrounding the bed.  The curtains were drawn back at the moment, the covers pulled up as high as they would go.

Van lay in bed, unconscious.  According to Merle, nothing could wake him.  With a cry, Hitomi ran to the bed, sitting on the edge.  What she saw shocked her to the core of her being.

Sweat poured down Van's face, his pallor was as white as the sheet underneath him.  His body shook with chills and pain.  Every so often he would cry out in agony, his body twisting in pain. 

"VAN!!!!"  Hitomi sobbed, reaching out for him.  Her hand touched his feverish cheek, her tears splashing on his face.

At his throat was the pendant she had given him.  It began to glow, surrounding the pair on the bed.  Hitomi cried out his name one more time, clinging to him tightly.  His eyes fluttered open, and his body stilled.  Hitomi looked up, a smiled finally crossing her lips.  "Van."

"Hitomi?"  His voice cracked as he said her name, his lips parched.  She nodded, smiling down at him.  Her hand brushed his forehead, wiping the stray locks of hair from his face.  She blinked.  His fever…only a moment ago it had been raging unchecked.  Now…it seemed to be gone. 

"Hai, Van.  I'm here.  Hush now."  She turned, her eyes filled with happiness.  He was alive!  "Can you get some water?"

"Hai!!!!!!"  Merle rushed over to the dresser, pouring a glass of water from a jug and rushing over to Hitomi.  She spilled nearly half of it in her rush to get back.  Hitomi merely smiled, not scolding her for it.  She could well imagine the relief the young girl felt at seeing her life long friend well.

"Arigatou."  Hitomi accepted the glass of water.  Placing her arm under Van, she raised him, with Allen's help, into a semi-sitting position.  She raised the glass to his fever parched lips and he drank slowly, his eyes never leaving hers for a second.

Merle edged away, coming to stand next to Allen.  He smiled down at her, and tilted his head in the direction of the door.  She frowned, biting her lip.  In the end she nodded, following him out the door.