AN: I don't own Escaflowne, just a few original characters and the plot.

Chapter 14: For the Ones We Love

Everyone on board the Crusader sat on pins and needles. It was the anticipation of finally finding out who was behind the Dragon Slayers and by the little girl leading them there. Ilya had stood next to Gaddes as he piloted the Crusader to her wishes. Every once and a while Ilya would say to move a direction and the ship would turn to its new course.

Van stayed with Ilya being there for when she came out of her strange trance. The only other members that felt comfortable enough to be near them was Prince Chid as he would come into the room and check on Ilya ever hour. Van felt his heart burn under his shame. As he always did Prince Chid entered the cockpit and sat down next to Van.

"Ilya hasn't changed since the last time you came it. She hasn't even given an order in the last three." Said Van in a monotone voice.

Prince Chid nodded his head. "We are going to have dinner now, would you like me to bring it up for you?"

"Thank you, but I'm not hungry."

"Sir, you haven't eaten all day." The worry in Prince Chid's voice was enough for Van to slightly shake out of his own trance.

"I know today had been horrible for you, but you're not the only one that has lost something dear today. Everyone has lost a close friend and no one it to blame for it."

Van looked over at the little boy completely stunned. "Those were wise words for someone so young."

Prince Chid smiled at the comment. "Thank you sir."

"Chid, please call me Van." Van saw that smile widen when Ilya wobbled in the corner of his eyesight.

"The dragons say we are here." Said a breathless Ilya. Moving quickly, Van caught the girl as her knees collapsed beneath her and cradled her up in his arms. Prince Chid quickly moved to his side.

"Can I take Ilya to her room?" Prince Chid stood next to Van holding his arms out. Van nodded and gently handed the girl over making sure that the prince could handle the weight. Holding her as if she was about to break Prince Chid walked down to the living quarters with his precious charge. Van walked up to Gatti and looked out the window. All he could see were mountains covered in snow and every once and a while a small light could be seen by fires.

"She led us to the Kasher Mountains." Stated Gatti. "Can you trust that girl?"

"If her 'dragons' took her here, than I trust her." Gatti nodded at the king.

"Where should we go from here?"

"I want you to find Lady Serra's fortress. Land nearby enough that we won't be seen." Van left the cockpit and went to the living quarters. Millerna, Merle, and Ilya were all sharing a four person room, the left over bed to be given to Hitomi once they found her. Van found Prince Chid, Allen, and Dryden standing outside of the room.

"Millerna decided that the girl needed to get ready for bed." Said Dryden.

Van knocked on the wooden door. "Millerna, may I come in?"

A few whispered voices and then a yes from the other side came the response. Van slipped himself in the room leaving the others to wait outside. Millerna was just tucking in the blankets around the girl. Looking up she moved to sit on her own bed with Merle to let Van talk.

"Ilya, how are you feeling?"

Ilya looked up at Van with tired eyes, "Sleepy."

"What were you doing with your pendent?" asked Van.

"Talking with the dragons." Ilya looked up with befuddlement. "I asked them to come and follow Hitomi. They followed her here, is there something wrong with that?"

Millerna decided to jump in before Van started asking more questions, "No Ilya, thank you for helping us find Hitomi. You get some sleep now."

Millerna could see frustration written on Van's face, but he didn't persist. Millerna and Van walked out of the room as Merle stayed with Ilya. Closing the door behind, Van ushered everyone into the men's sleeping room. Allen closed the door so his crewmates wouldn't overhear the conversation.

"Ilya took us to the Kasher Mountains." Said Van.

"But how does she know where to go, she could be working with the Dragon Slayers." Spoke up Dryden.

Millerna placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Ilya said that she was talking with dragons who were following Hitomi."

"How-"

"You just have to trust her." Prince Chid had cut off Dryden's question. Everyone looked to the young ruler. The eight-year-old boy sat with his eyes towards the floor and fists clenched. "Ilya has helped us find Hitomi and that is all we need to know."

"He is right. Right now, if it is Lady Serra that has Hitomi than Tyrune must be in trouble as well. My friend would never sit for kidnapping anyone." Spoke up Van.

"But his mother worked for Zaibach. Even if he disapproves I don't think he has much of a choice because she won't like us coming without being expected." Said Millerna.

"So we will just prepare a plan to distract her a little bit." Said Allen.

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When the engines of the air ship began to wind down, Hitomi woke up from her brief doze. It wasn't long before a guard came by her cell. He threw a heavy blanket at her once he opened the cell.

"You'll need that outside. Now come on." Hitomi immediately rose to her feet. Not understanding why she would need a heavy blanket for the middle of winter, she soon discovered the answer.

When the guards escorting her opened the door to the outside Hitomi was met with biting evening winds as something cold and wet fell on her cheek. Lifting a hand, a small snowflake drifted downwards to her open palm. A guard shoved her forward through the wind to an opened doorway that seemed to stand out against the white marble. Once inside, the door was shut and she was made to move further on.

The guards took her through winding tunnels and flights of stairs before they came to a set of doors where even more guards stood outside. Hitomi's escort nodded to the guards at the door who in turn hailed those inside. A noise from the other side seemed to be the correct one since the doors were opened and Hitomi was now being ushered into the room alone.

From all the American World War Two movies that Hitomi's father had made her watch, she quickly figured out that she must have been taken to some sort of war room. The dark tapestries that hung on the wall depicted many battles scenes. Maps were strewn about the table in front of her and the chilling silence was enough. There were others in the room beside her. Guards of some sort stood along the wall and weren't fully light by the fire in the fireplace. Sitting in a chair close to its warmth was one person Hitomi was hoping not to see. Lady Serra wasn't wearing a dress and seemed even more threatening in her leather gear. Her coal grey shirt beneath the leather corset gave her eyes a haunting look while the leather corset and pants narrowed her features. The only thing that marred her figure was a white bandage on her face.

"So Lady Hitomi, you finally grace the presence of my home, or should I say girl from the Mystic Moon." Lady Serra gave a devilish smile.

Hitomi tried to cover, "I don't know what you are talking about. My parents were Duke and Duchess Ki-Aijou."

Two figures standing by the wall stepped forward. It took her a while, but Hitomi recognized them as two Dragon Slayers. At Hitomi's apparent discomfort Lady Serra began to laugh. "You see Lady Hitomi I have friends who remember you assisting the King of Fanelia. Now, instead of working for Zaibach, they work for me."

"What do you want from me?"

Lady Serra stood up from her chair and pulled a wine bottle and two cups from the mantle of the fireplace. She poured wine into both and handed one to Hitomi who was hesitant to except.

"Don't worry, it isn't poisoned. I need you."

Hitomi almost dropped her cup, "What do you need me for?"

"These men seem to remember you being able to read Ancient Draconian writing. I need you to read some writing for me."

"And what if I refuse to help." Hitomi stood grounded to her spot reminding Lady Serra of the first time she had seen Hitomi's proud stance.

Another figure moved away from the wall, one that she definitely knew. "Oh, we can keep you here until you are ready to help. Because I can send your little friends on a goose chase for you giving us plenty of time to make you work." Dilandau/Tyrune stood stoically beside Lady Serra.

"I will not help you." Hitomi said with as much pride as she could muster.

Dilandau seemed to get violently angry for a moment before Lady Serra put a hand on his shoulder. "Tell the guards to take our prisoner to the specialty cell in the prison. There she might have more time to realize what she's really up against."

Two guards went to Hitomi's side. One grabbed the cup and put it on the table while the other started to take her out of the room. She looked back as the door was being closed to see Dilandau and Lady Serra laughing at her. The guards once again took her through confusing hallways and down many flights of stairs. As they continued downward, Hitomi noticed it getting colder. She soon found herself walking in a damp hallway that was dimly light. She was pushed through what seemed like a guard station and soon was walking past rows of jail cells. Many at the beginning the cells were occupied by many people, but as they continued forward the occupants became less. They stopped at one cell opened the door and pushed Hitomi in locking the door behind.

"I hope you like your new roommate Lady Hitomi." The guards sniggered as they walked away.

"Hitomi, is that your name?" A girl crouched in the corner could barely be seen in the dark shadows.

Hitomi moved closer to her not fearing the girl. "Yes, and who are you?"

"My name is Celena Schezar." The blonde haired girl moved off of her straw mat towards Hitomi.

"You're Allen's sister aren't you!"

Celena broke into a huge smile, "Do you know my brother?"

Hitomi crept closer to the girl to see the lack of heat evident in the color of her skin. Still having the blanket around her shoulders Hitomi wrapped both of them up to preserve some heat. "Yes I know your brother. Right now Allen and Van are most likely trying to find me."

"Van?" A hoarse voice called from across the hall. Hitomi thought the voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't see the other person from the back of the cell. Leaving the warmth of the blanket behind, Hitomi went over by the bars.

"Who want to know about Van?"

From the cell across from her a small movement was seen. The person came forward only as far as the chains that held his legs and wrists bound to the wall would let him. Hitomi gasped in surprise at the person standing before her.

"Folken."

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Lady Serra sat at the head of a grandly decorated table. The Dragon Slayers and their leader sat at as her guests. The men were happy to have their fill of good food. Most commented on how much better they were being treated than Zaibach. Lady Serra took the comments as complements.

"This dinner is in your honor gentlemen. You have helped me start the beginning of a new world for Gaea. We shall set this world anew."

A round of cheers came up from the soldiers. Dilandau stood up from his chair and walked over to Lady Serra. He had planned this moment for a while, but was unsure how Lady Serra would react to such an offer.

"My lady, I have something you ask you." The room around them became eerily still.

"Yes."

Dilandau got down on one knee in front of Lady Serra. "Lady Serra, never have the Dragon Slayers truly been bound to one side or another, but merely treated as mercenaries. I agree that Gaea needs to be rid of what has poisoned her waters. As the leader of the Dragon Slayers I would like to bind us to your cause and myself bound to you as your son."

Lady Serra grabbed Dilandau's hands and stood with him having to follow. "I except the offer of the Dragon Slayers. I am also proud to call you my son."

For the first time in her life, Lady Serra hugged her son in the open, or at least the body of her son. Separating herself, she turned to the others. "I'm sorry to make this meal brief, but I need all of the Dragon Slayers to go on another scare trip, see if you can get the king and queen of Astoria distracted. Dilandau and I will be catching up on business."

After the Dragon Slayers left, it was a long time before Dilandau left the room himself. Lady Serra had discussed all matters of her plans with him as well as the duties of being her son. He accepted them without hesitation. Dilandau wanted to be fully apart of the world, not a figment of someone's imagination, and he would embrace it for all it was worth.

Walking into his private chambers Dilandau felt a strong headache beginning to start. But the pounding in his head wasn't the only symptom. He started to feel little pinpricks across his body that started to burn on his skin. Trying to douse the feeling Dilandau went over to his washbasin to try and cool the burning. By the time he got across the room his skin felt as if it wanted to burn off of him. Dilandau was about to put his arm into the basin of water when he looked at his reflection. It was the previous body staring back at him.

"WHAT?"

"You will not take over my body!" the image in the water's reflection yelled at him.

"This body belongs to me now. I will … ahhhh!"

The burning in his skin increased and the temperature made the strong man faint to the floor. Dilandau laid sprawled out on the ground, his mind slowly slipping into unconscious depths.

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Wow, this chapter came out really quick. I hope that I'll be able to put out another chapter soon, but I have a second job now for the summer. But I promise I'll get the next one out soon! Keep up the reviews!

-Nicolle