Return to Gaea from the Mystic Moon Chapter 22, an escaflowne fanfic

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

Hitomi moaned as she tossed and turned in her sleep, Van sat up to watch his wife and tried to wake her only he couldn't. "Hitomi, Hitomi, wake up." Van said as he shook his wife.

"Something, the shadow, that familiar shadow there where two of them, she could see who they where now and suddenly felt their hands on her, pulling her away from Fanelia and Van. 'It can't be, you're dead!' She whispered to one of the shadows and the other one she had met only twice. 'What does Saiya have to do with Naomi?' Hitomi thought to herself as she screamed.

Wings, white angel wings where carrying the all too familiar man that she loved towards her as the two shadows dragged her to a cold endless hell. She could almost feel his warm hand against hers for the tips of their fingers touched. Another familiar shadow from her past ripped out of one Van's wings and Hitomi could hear him scream a long painful scream as she now watched in horror as one of Van's bloody wings was being held by the shadow behind him who was now laughing. "NO!" Hitomi screamed and at that moment seemed to wake up. "Van…" Hitomi said once she caught her breath and stared in to the eyes of her lover. Tears streamed down her face as she now buried her face on to Van's chest.

"What's wrong Hitomi?" Van asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

"A nightmare." Hitomi whispered. "Just a nightmare."

Her tears finally stopped and she seemed to once again have fallen asleep in his arms. Van carefully laid her back down on the bed. A nightmare, he somehow doubted that, he knew Hitomi well enough that a simple thing like a nightmare wouldn't get her that upset, no, it must have been a vision. They where husband and wife for almost a year now and yet, Hitomi still kept things a secret from him, he knew that she was trying to protect him or whatever her reasons where, but he became worried when she excluded him from her. He didn't mind it when Hitomi told him things, her fears, nightmares, and visions, he didn't care how dark or what they warned her about, he just wanted to be told about them. Over two years and something months ago, Van had promised Hitomi that he would protect her no matter what, but how could he protect her from something that he didn't know?

He dried off his chest and shoulder and laid back down next to her and gently stroked her hair, at least she was calm now, he knew that he should have gone back to sleep but he just couldn't help it. A knock on the door caught his attention and he looked down and sighed to see that Hitomi was still asleep. He quickly grabbed a shirt and put it on before he went over to their door and answered it. "Yes?" He asked.

"Sorry for the intrusion milord, but a letter came from Fried."

"Fried?" Van asked.

"The messenger was told that you and only you where allowed to touch it besides the messenger."

"Yes, thank you, I'll be out in a minute." Van said as he pulled a pair of pants out of a drawer not caring what they where and quickly changed his shirt to a decent one or hoped that it was decent since it was dark and he couldn't exactly see what he was putting on. He walked out the door and closed it quickly behind him. "Take me to him." Van ordered in a whisper and the guard led the way.

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Van opened the letter once it was handed to him and would have slammed his fist against something if he only had something to hit his hand against near by him since he was standing in the middle of the room with nothing around him. "Are you sure that this came from Duke Fried himself?" Van demanded the man who had delivered the letter and the man looked at Van somewhat frightened and managed to answer.

"Yes your highness, it did, Duke Fried himself handed me the letter and ordered me to take it to you. I have not encountered anyone besides a few travelers on the road and have not communicated with anyone until I got here. Those where my orders." The man said. "Try to avoid all people as possible until you get to Fanelia."

"Damn it!" Van swore out loud as he read over the letter again. It read.

King Fanelia,

I have tried to investigate you're suspicious earlier this day by sending for Black Tooth (Can't remember his name!) and I am afraid to admit that you where correct that he must have had some misfortune happen that day in Fanelia for he had seemed to be in a hurry to get out of Fried as my men went to arrest him. Saiya is now stripped of any title he has in Fried, not that that is much councle, but I also have my neighboring countries look out for him if they passed in to their country since he stole an airship and has fled Fried. Forgive my slow reaction to this matter.

-Duke Chid Fried-

"You need rest." Van finally said after a couple of minutes. "When was it that Duke Fried sent you?"

"Three nights ago." The man said.

"You can rest here for the night and I'll send one of my men." Van said. "I'm sure that his highness would not disagree." Van said as the man started to reply. "I don't need a messenger dieing from falling asleep on a horse and then end up getting trampled by it or something else."

"Yes your highness." The man said and he wondered If he looked tired as he felt.

"Actually your majesty." One of Van's guards said and Van turned around to face him. "Yes?"

"An airship happens to be going out to Fried tomorrow."

"Well then you can rest here tonight and go by airship tomorrow." Van said not caring. "It is faster then a horse."

"Yes your majesty."

"Take him to a room." Van ordered one of the other guards who started to walk out and expected the messenger to follow him and the messenger did.

Van quickly hurried to his study, the room to where he did most of his work, and grabbed the first blank piece of paper he could find and started to write.

Hitomi woke up to find that her husband wasn't there and wondered what happened to him. She saw that the bedroom door opened a few minutes later and had to squint her eyes at the light coming in to the dark room. "Where did you go Van?" Hitomi asked sleepily and disappointed.

"I had to take care of something, sorry." Van apologized. "I hope that I didn't wake you? It is still a few hours before sunrise."

"No, I just woke up." Hitomi said and wondered what it was that was so important that they would pull Van out of bed for.

"Let's go back to sleep before the sun decides to rise." Van said as he changed back to his pajamas which consisted of nothing more then a pair of shorts and a shirt and got back in to bed.

"What was it that you had to go take care of?" Hitomi asked as she rested her head back on Van's chest.

"Just something that a certain someone couldn't handle." Van replied. "Go to sleep, you need sleep."

"Not as much as you do." Hitomi said smiling.

"Alright alright, we won't get any sleep at all if we don't stop talking."

"Yes Van." Hitomi said and then after a few moments of silence. "Van…"

"Yes?" Van asked with a sleepy tone.

"You can tell everyone about our child tomorrow if you want." Hitomi said.

"I don't think so." Van said. "With Saiya on the loose, I think it would be best to keep that a secret for now until we can't hide it any more. I'll tell a few people that I trust but that's about it."

"Alright Van. What do you mean by Saiya on the loose?" Hitomi asked.

"I'll tell you tomorrow, we need to get to sleep before we're both grumpy and tired in the morning." Van said. "Well me anyway, I'm sure that you know by now that I don't like going with out my sleep." Van answered.

"Yes, sorry, goodnight." Hitomi said and kissed Van on the cheek.

"Good night Tomi, there is nothing to be sorry about." Van replied and the two fell asleep.