Return to Gaea from the Mystic Moon Chapter 25, an escaflowne fanfic

Sorry but due to typos and other things that needed to be edited, this chapter has been reloaded. Sorry for the unconvinced.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Word had quickly gone out that Hitomi was pregnant rather quickly over the next couple of days and every one in Fanelia at least knew by the end of the month. Hitomi was only four months and Van was already giving her orders that she couldn't leave the palace. She sighed as she placed a hand on her stomach and blushed at the thought that she was going to be a mother soon. Five months was still a long ways off but it was still soon enough. She counted how many months she and Van had been married now and realized that it was a little over six. She realized that their baby would be born before their first year anniversary. She sighed again thinking how short of a time they where married before having a baby. She had planned to be married at least a year or two before having a child, but well when you don't have protection well things happen. Her mother would have loved to see her child when it was born, it would be her mother's first grandchild after all. Van had left Hitomi to go on business in Austuria and Fried to tell Dryden and Chid about what was going on here in Fanelia if they hadn't heard already.

To Hitomi it sounded like they where going to war, and Fried and Austuria where both now Fanelia's allies they would be joining as well, especially if Saiya was joining Zaibach as it was rumored through out the Fried kingdom. She sighed as she sat in the chair and looked up at the Mystic Moon. "Earth," She thought sadly as she kept her hand on her stomach. "Mother, father, little brother, Yukari, Amando, what are you all doing now?" Hitomi asked herself as she looked up at the grey sky and watched as clouds roll over her former home planet. She pulled her jacket closer to her and walked back in to her bedroom. The dark clouds quickly covered the sky and then it began to rain. "Van, come back soon." She sighed out loud sadly as she stared out the rainy window.

Van Fanel could see the rain start to fall out side the window of the room to where he had been talking to Duke Fried and Prince Dryden for at least an hour and it was probably even longer then that. 'Hitomi…' Van thought to himself as he glanced out the window once more before he looked back over to Dryden and Chid. 'What are you doing now?' Van asked in his thoughts. 'She's probably running back in to the palace from the rain.' Van thought and a smile came to his face since it seemed like something she would do.

"I have a confirmed letter that Saiya is working for Zaibach now." Chid said suddenly which caught Van's attention rather quickly. "He is currently the grandson of the former emperor Durnkork and is declaring war on our three nations."

"When did you find out about this and what kept you from telling us?" Dryden asked as he was ready to smack the younger child for keeping the information.

"Just before the meeting, I was waiting for the right time to say it, sorry, but you and Fanelia kept arguing." Chid said quietly.

"There is no helping it then." Dryden said with a sigh. "Zaibach will mostly try to retake their land that we took from them after the war and other things as well." Dryden said. "I'm assuming that Saiya is not persuadable?" Dryden asked Chid.

"Here is the letter." Chid said and handed it to his uncle who took it, pushed up his glasses and started to read it silently.

"I see…" Dryden said with a frown on his face. "I am afraid that we have no choice, by law Zaibach had crossed it's agreement and has crossed over in to another's country with out permission as well as declared war."

"Let me see that if I may." Van asked and took the letter from Dryden.

"I need to get back to Fanelia…" Van said stunned as he reread the letter once again.

"Van, we need to figure this…"

"Did you not read the letter Chid? There is no figuring things out! Declaring war is war! You have been through war before in the last great war Chid."

"Why?" Dryden asked.

"Did you not read the letter Dryden?" Van asked forgetting all titles and handed it back to the older man. "Re-read it again."

Dryden re-read the letter again and looked up at Van.

"Chid when is your next air ship to Fanelia?" Van asked hastily.

"In an hour, but we need to…" Chid said but was interrupted.

"Forgive the interruptions, Duke Fried, my country is now at a state of war and my wife is in no condition to handle this. I am well aware that you must have heard the news by now that Hitomi is with child."

"Yes but…"

"Fanelia will defend off her country before Zaibach gets a chance to attack, I will not have my son or daughter have to worry about war when he or she is only a day old." Van said. "If you choose to welcome it or fight it, it is up to you. We are allies and have promised to help one another in battle in any way possible; besides will you let Zaibach attack you're country once again with open arms Duke Fried? Do not make the same mistake that your country did two years ago when they almost completely destroyed it. And you Dryden, you saw what they did to your country even though they where Allies just because Hitomi was there, they broke that treaty and attacked your country on your own wedding."

"The king will not like this, but he will agree, we are at war, and every man able should go." Dryden finally said sighing. "I am not one for such things, but we have to defend our country and our loved ones." This was coming from the man who had abandoned his wife during the last battle for his own reasons, mostly so he wouldn't be caught in the middle of it since he did not know how Millerna truly felt for him at that time.

"Father died because he was selfish to believe that Zaibach would not attack even though you and Allen had come to warn him." Chid said finally. "We go to war as well, us three as allies. Other countries will want to hear about this as well. Keep in touch Van Fanel and I hope that you return home to your wife who is still safe and sound."

"Thank you." Van said as he headed toward the door. "Safe return to Fried, Chid Fried." Van said as he then left and quickly hurried down the halls. He hadn't brought anything with him since he left in such a hurry. When the air ship arrived he couldn't wait to get back home. "Hitomi stay safe until I get there, do not get out of Allen's sight or Setsuna's sight!"

"Queen Hitomi you should be resting." Allen said as Hitomi walked around the palace.

"I'm fine Allen, it's not like I'm sick or anything." Hitomi snapped getting rather annoyed by the blonde hair blue eyed knight. What did she ever see in him anyway? She wondered.

"King Fanel ordered me to look after you while he was gone." Allen protested.

"Since when do you care about Fanelia's business?" Hitomi asked which made Allen step back a bit.

"Since I gave my service to King Van." Allen said.

"Why?" Hitomi asked. "What about Austuria?"

"I am with Austuria and Fanelia." Allen protested.

"How can you serve both countries when you're hardly in one or the other?" Hitomi asked.

"You aren't like the Hitomi I knew." Allen whispered.

"You're right, that Hitomi was naive and didn't know any better." Hitomi said as Allen now grabbed her wrist. "Let go of me Allen, and that's an order."

"Is there something wrong here?" Another voice said which made both heads jerk up.

"Setsuna-San, Allen was just making sure I didn't loose my balance, now weren't you Allen-San." Hitomi asked trying not to let her emotions get in her voice.

"Yes my queen, I was. She nearly tripped." Allen said and let go of her.

"I'll take it from here." Setsuna said sharply. "His highness had sent me as a guard as well for her highness while he was away."

"We'll be fine." Allen said somewhat coldly. "Aren't you the one with the night shift?" Allen asked as he narrowed his eyes on to Setsuna.

"Yes but if her highness wishes I will take over the day shift." Setsuna said and then hesitated. "On second thoughts with your reputation Allen, I think I will keep the night shift. If he troubles you lady, you may always call me." Setsuna said.

"Yes, thank you." Hitomi replied and watched as Setsuna walked away. "I should have let him scold you." Hitomi said rather frustrated at Allen who just looked at her.

"I am Hitomi Fanel now Allen, what was past remains in the past." Hitomi said quietly as they walked down the halls to the dinning room since it was nearly dinner time or at least her stomach told her it was. "Merle!" Hitomi said glad to see the pink hair cat girl who looked at her.

"Man you just keep on getting fatter and fatter." Merle said sarcastically and could feel Hitomi's eyes narrow on her. "And you just keep getting uglier and uglier." Hitomi said playing along and the two girls laughed.

"Are you going to the dinning room?" Merle asked and Hitomi nodded. "I'll walk with you unless if you would rather be alone with Allen?" Merle asked sarcastically which made Hitomi give her a death glare.

"You can come as well, how'd you know that I was going there though?" Hitomi asked rather puzzled.

"This is the only path there remember?" Merle asked and Hitomi could have smacked herself for her own stupidity.

"Sorry I wasn't thinking." Hitomi replied.

Van grabbed his jacket and hurried to the palace, ignoring the protests that Van should wait for a coach to come get him since it was cold and raining. Van didn't care, he just had to get home. By the time he got to the palace to when seemed like hours later, he was cold and dripping wet. People stared at him strangely as he handed his wet jacket to the nearest maid he saw and headed for a place to where he could most likely find Hitomi. "MERLE!" He shouted to the pink hair cat girl who he had long ago adopted as his younger sister as he saw her. Her ears perked up at the sound of his voice.

"VAN-SAMA! You're back!" Merle said as she ran to him and jumped in to a hug.

"I don't have time for this." Van said and the girl looked at him somewhat hurt. "Where is Hitomi?" Van asked.

"We just finished dinner together, I think she went back to your room Van-Sama." Merle said and let go as she could feel the tense-ness in Van's shoulders just by hugging him.

"Thank you." Van said and quickly made his way down the palace.

"Why is he wet?" Merle asked as she now shook off the water that had gotten on to her from Van. "Why is he home so early?" Merle asked herself and then started to wonder if she should follow him.

When Van got to the room he noticed that Setsuna was standing guard out side and didn't even bother to ask. There was a guard standing at every one of their doors and he opened the large door quickly which made it slam against the wall. "HITOMI!" Van shouted.

"Van!" Came a happy voice from their sitting room and Hitomi appeared from behind the door moments later. "Is something wrong Van? Why are you all wet?" She asked and could then feel Van's arms embrace her in to a hug.

"Thank the gods that you're alright." Van said not caring that their door wasn't shut.

"Van?" Hitomi asked somewhat puzzled. "What's troubling you?" Hitomi asked as she ran her fingers through her husband's dripping wet, wild raven black hair. (That was a mouthful to word!) She then wrapped her arms around Van's waist. "You're cold, Van, it's getting to the snowy seasons, you know better to go out in the rain…." She was silenced by a kiss. She allowed him to kiss her with out complaint since she had missed him and knew that he was worried about something. "What's the matter, Van Fanel?" Hitomi asked once the kiss was broken, neither not knowing who had broke it first.

Van went to close the door and let Hitomi take off his wet shirt and watched as she walked to the bathroom that they shared and pulled out a dry towel. "You'll catch cold if you walk around like that." Hitomi said as she started to dry him off. Van almost forgot his troubles and had to smile at his wife and then laughed.

"What?" Hitomi asked and raised an eye brow.

"You're acting like a mother already." Van said with a smile on his lips.

Hitomi stopped and just stared at him and blushed fiercely.

"I would rather talk about stupid things like that but there is more important matters to discuss." Van said. "And I am telling you this before my advisers since you are my wife and queen."

Hitomi could hear the serious-ness in Van's voice and left her hands remaining on his bare shoulders.

"Saiya is the grandson of the former Zaibach Emperor Durnkork." Van said and he could feel Hitomi's hands fall from his shoulders and most likely down to her sides. He imagined the shock look on her face as well. "Saiya sent a letter to Duke Fried saying that he declares war on Fanelia, Fried, and Austuria and that he shall make you his."

Things are finally heating up. It seems as if there might be a second great war. Why is it that Saiya wants Hitomi so much and wow a grandson to the former emperor of Zaibach. FIND OUT ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF RETURN TO THE MYSTIC MOON FROM GAEA! (Sorry I had to do that!) You have no clue how tempting that is. Well REVIEW people. And don't mind me… I'm on a sugar high!