Chapter 13

"Hitomi."

"Mmh?" Hitomi rolled over, the blankets falling over her bare shoulders as her hair pooled along her pillow, her green eyes, half open from exhaustion, flashed towards Van's face expectantly.

He was staring up the ceiling of Dryden's ship, the whole room swaying slightly from the roughness of the ocean outside. When he talked it was to the ceiling, his eyes flickering as if they wanted to turn and look at her. "I'm only letting you do this because you may be the only one to stop him."

She sat up more, putting her weight upon her elbows as she leaned over him, causing his eyes to finally fall on her. "I know, Van." Her voice was quiet, and she watched for a reaction from him, but he turned away, facing the wall now. "You worry about me too much."

He made a noise that sounded cross between a grunt and a sigh and turned to look at her again. "It seems like it's my job now."

She smiled sweetly, and brushed a piece of hair out of his face. "I thought your job was to protect me?"

His eyes darkened as she moved closer to him, bringing one leg over top of him so she was nearly straddling him. "A lot of help I am, Hitomi." He watched as she squirmed around, trying to get more comfortable. "This is a lot different from the last time you were on Gaea."

She nodded. "It is... but..." She smiled again, lazily, her tiredness showing. "You have the sword now. You can help me with that."

She pulled herself completely on top of him now, sitting up and shaking her hair away from her face. "With the sword and Escaflowne you can keep me and the babies safe." She pouted slightly, as if asking a favour.

He opened his mouth to retort, but closed it again quickly, eyeing her carefully. "Babies?"

Her smile disappeared and she just sat there, watching him for a moment before sighing. "Yes... twins."

He sat up, nearly toppling Hitomi off of him until he grabbed her around the waist and held her against him. "You gave in didn't you?" His smile was nothing short of roguish and she found herself blushing as he buried his head in her neck.

"No, I didn't." She protested. "It's Josceline's fault." She pouted at him as he pulled away, watching her with his eyebrows raised.

"Did he tell you to see?"

She shook her head and kissed his forehead causing him to smile. "No... he has the power of dreams and he showed me."

Van looked slightly excited, causing Hitomi to giggle. "Can he show me too?"

"I guess so..." She trailed off, remembering Josceline's withdrawal and the way he had been in the room a few hours ago. "When he feels up to it maybe."

"Boys or girls?"

She ran her hands through his raven hair and pulled him for a small kiss before replying. "Both."

"Seriously?"

She nodded, then gave a small cry of surprise as he toppled her over onto her back and he rolled over top of her, him straddling her now.

"I think we need to celebrate."

She laughed again, raising an eyebrow slightly. "We do, do we? Again?" But as he began to trail hot kisses down her neck and nibble at her earlobes she gave in.

-------------------------------------

"All refreshed are we?" Dryden entered the hanger, watching as Van checked over Escaflowne, still in it's dragon mode running a hand along the small scratch on it's side from the castle balcony.

Van scowled at the other king but nodded. "I'm relieved to be out of the palace, to say the least."

"You made quite an exit as usual I expect." His voice was grave however as he joked and he walked forward, holding out the ancient sword for him. "A legendary guymelef, and now a magic sword." He shook his head as Van carefully took the sword from his grasp, then ran his hand through his long hair. "You never cease to surprise Van."

"Neither does Hitomi." He latched the hilt securely on to his belt again, then returned to Escaflowne.

Dryden chuckled. "True."

Van hoped down from the machine, stepping back a few paces to see it in it's entirety. "I'm going to go and try to find Allen and the others."

The other king nodded. "That would be a good idea... except they're already here."

Van snapped his head around to glare at the king. "And when were you going to tell me this."

"They just arrived, I thought I'd give them a breather before you surprised them with news of your little adventure."

Still glaring Van stalked past him well Dryden hurried to follow in his wake. "How did they get here."

He laughed again. "They stole a boat from the harbour, a small one. The harbour patrol didn't notice until it was too late. They let them go." He shrugged, though Van was ahead and couldn't see the action. "Probably thought they were no harm to the great Celestials anyway." He chuckled. "It's things like that that break a civilization. Like the Dracon-"

He stopped short from the glare that Van was suddenly sending him over his shoulder. "Sorry."

Van shook his head and continued on. "The way things are going we aren't much of a match for them."

Dryden laughed full heartily now as the came to the door of main part of the vessel, but he did not enter. "Did you not pay any attention to what I told you about that sword?"

"You said it was magic." He raised an eyebrow, eyeing the other king with obvious annoyance, switching back to his old attitude, when he was younger. "You'll have to be more specific, Dryden."

He patted Van on the shoulder which only seemed to increase his annoyance more and he stepped a few paces back from the merchant king. "You told me that that sword took off the usurper's arm without even coming into contact with him."

Van narrowed his eyes, but nodded. "Yes."

Dryden smirked and opened the door in the main chambers, motioning for him to enter first. "My point exactly."

All eyes in the room turned to watch Van enter with Dryden, both suddenly looking grave as they met the confused and angry glares of the group.

"When were you planning on letting us in on your little plan?" Allen was standing near the window, and he turned from the scene of the ocean to glare at his old friend. "Or did you three not think we were important enough to inform."

Van returned the glare full on. "It wasn't my idea... and it wouldn't have worked if the whole group had gone." He added, sticking up for Hitomi. "It was dangerous, I know-"

"Dangerous!" Allen stepped forward and Dryden made hushing noises, as if there were small children around to awake. "You let Hitomi walk right into the hands of an insane king!" Gadess winced at his captain's raised voice..

Van gritted his teeth together, his jaw set. He wanted so badly to yell at Allen, but held back. It wouldn't help the situation. "She doesn't always need protection, Allen." Though he did not yell, his voice was dangerously quiet and he saw Dryden eyeing him warily from his side.

"Your only saying that because you're doing a lousy job of it." Allen's voice matched his however in a dangerous undertone and his glare was furious.

Selena made a small noise like she was about to interrupt, but before anyone could do anything Van was striding quickly across the room and had the knight pinned to the glass window in a heartbeat, their faces close together, both contorted with anger.

"Don't you dare-"

"Hitomi needs better protection! Your doing a bad job!"

"That's not what you said before!" Van slammed him into the glass again and it rattled ominously.

"Stop, both of you!" Gadess moved forward along with Dilandau and pried the two men away from each other.

Selena was glaring at both men well they settled themselves a good distance from each other, still glaring across the room at one another. "Grow up, both of you! You can't do this now!"

Corilith kept silent the whole time, watching the exchange, but she spoke up now. "The king wants us to fight among ourselves... it is part of the fate he is laying down."

"I don't want to hear about bloody fate." Dilandau was standing of the side now, his arms crossed, glaring at all occupants of the room. "I just want to kick this king's ass and get it over with."

Selena snorted, then looked around the room, just noticing something. "Where is Josceline."

Dryden eyed Van curiously, wondering the same thing. "He hasn't come out of his room since he got on the ship."

"His brother was killed protecting us."

All eyes turned to the door, and Selena raised a hand to her mouth to hide a small gasp that escaped, her eyes showing worry. Hitomi stood in the doorway, watching them all with visibly tired eyes. Corilith bowed to her queen.

"Your Majesty."

Hitomi ignored her, not feeling much to the older women at the moment. "Her older brother Kaiomi was killed by the king when we were escaping."

Van moved from his spot to come and stand beside her, glaring defiantly in Allen's direction, as if daring him to question Hitomi's motives.

"Did you get what you were looking for, Queen Hitomi?" Corilith spoke again, and this time Hitomi turned to her, feeling agitated that she did not seem to care for Josceline. Mages and Celestials didn't care for each other, it was true. But Josceline was her friend.

She nodded, than motioned to the sword at Van's waist. "The sword."

Allen eyed the sword at Van's side with unhidden annoyance. "That thing?"

Dilandau snorted. "It looks like complete scrap metal to me."

Dryden laughed, causing Hitomi to smile and Van to glare at him. The others simply looked at him oddly. "That 'scrap metal' just saved us a lot of hard work." A their enquiring look he continued. "Van used this sword to sever the king's arm off without the blade ever making contact with his skin."

Dilandau made a noise of sceptical disbelieve but Selena, Gadess and Allen were now slightly staring. Corilith watching with a knowing smile.

No one seemed to want to comment.

"The sword was very important to retrieve as you can understand now." Hitomi told them, with a hint of amusement in her tone as she looked from one occupant of the room to the next. "Now... about the mages."

"They aren't coming, Your Majesty." Corilith spoke up again, a anxious look on her face. "I was unable to contact them."

Hitomi looked at her in surprise, then frowned. "I will do it myself than."

The older women shook her head. "It would be best if we didn't get them involved." She did not mention the old witch that approached them, and Selena gave the women an odd look when she noticed this.

Hitomi shook her head and lifted a hand to her temples, obviously both deep in thought and irritated. Finally she spoke again. "And do you think this as well."

Corilith hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, Queen Hitomi. I do."

Hitomi sighed and, aware that all eyes were on her, she walked over to the large glass windows, looking over the rough ocean to the city beyond the harbour. "We need to do whatever necessary. My country is dying."

Nobody spoke.

--------------------------------------------------

AN: hope you like it.

Reviews please! I've been upset with the sudden down slope in reviews for this story. -pout-