Another chapter! This story is getting longer than what I anticipated. I thought it was just going to be 18 chapters, but now I

know it will definitely be longer. Lucky you, bad for me. Well, this chapter is a little bit longer, but I hope you enjoy it as

much as the others. I bet you've been waiting for it and want everything to be alright again. Oh, and thank you all for your

reviews. This ones were the ones I liked the most. I thought you wouldn't put anything about Dryden and Millerna, but I'm

glad you did. It will be important in the future, and I'm just glad you liked it.Well, go on and read and review

because your reviews keep me going. If it wasn't foryou, I just wouldn't continue to write. Ok, maybe I would, but I wouldn;t

put half the effort I am.

The pain of loving you

Hurting once more

He heard her scream of utter pain and forgot that he was angry and trying to hate her. All rational thought left his mind as he went to her. He just couldn't stand to hear her suffer. He was by her side in no time. He picked her in his arms and began to examine her. He had thought someone was attacking her when he heard her scream, but now he could see that the problem was something more. When he had picked her up, her head had moved to the side, as if she was a doll. She was as white as snow and wet with sweat. She seemed to be sleeping. Van's eyes narrowed. Should he wake her up? He looked at his surroundings, as if expecting someone to come and tell him the answer. No one showed up to help him, so he was on his own. Timidly, he tried to wake her up. He poked her at her side. She didn't move. Van tried again. Nothing.

"Hitomi?" he whispered in her ear "Hitomi"

She didn't show any signs of listening to him. Van sighed. Waking her up would be more complicated than what he thought.

"Hitomi" his voice was little above a whisper "Hitomi." The girl had to be deaf. She didn't show any signs of hearing him.

"Hitomi" he yelled at her. Her eyes opened abruptly, and Van was able to see the fear that hung in them. She gasped and breathed with difficulty, as if it was the first time she had come in contact with oxygen. Her eyes were unfocussed, and they were darker than they usually were. Her hands reached for him, and when they found him, she pulled him close to her. She buried her head in his chest and started crying. Van hadn't moved since she had waked up. He had been surprised by her actions and the state she had showed when she had waked up. His mind couldn't register all that had happened, but his heart broke when he heard her sobs. Still, he didn't know what to do with the girl in his arms. He had never comforted anyone. He didn't thought he had ever said anything nice to anyone, but he had to do something to help Hitomi. Slowly, as if scared she would object, he put one of his arms around her, his other hand petted her head tenderly. Her hair was soft. It was like silk against his skin. Her body was small, and it fitted his perfectly. Van couldn't believe how good it felt to have her in his arms. It made him feel complete.

"Hitomi, what's wrong?"

She hugged him more tightly, and Van thought she wasn't going to answer him, but then she raised her head and looked him at him but avoided his eyes. She opened her mouth, but words didn't come out of it. She tried again, but nothing happened.

"I don't want to talk about it" she finally told him.

"Please, tell me. I can't help you if I don't know what the problem is"

She looked into his eyes. They were full of concern and worry, and it was all because of her, His whole attention was only for her. She couldn't say no to what he asked for when he was paying so much interest in her.

"I saw…I saw something horrible" she started, but then stopped again.

"What did you saw?"

She lowered her eyes, but looked up when she felt Van grab her hand.

"I saw…it was like I was inside of someone else's mind and body. I felt what he felt and did what he did. He…sacrificed himself for the sake of Asturia. He charged against its main forces and self destruct. I felt my body burn as the guymelef exploded, and my life ended when his did. It was as if I was the one dying. Everything went black, and suddenly, everything stopped. I couldn't move, see, hear, or think. I was just floating in an abyss, and I was so scared to not be able to come back ever again"

Van gently wiped a tear that had fallen when she had finished her tale. He pulled her close to him and held her tightly.

"It's okay now" he told her "You are fine. It was just a dream"

"It wasn't a dream"

Van pushed her a little so he could see her face.

"What?"

"It wasn't a dream. I was so real, I felt like I was there. Van, I think it was a vision"

Van's face turned serious. If it was a vision, then someone important had died.

"A vision of whom?"

"Dryden"

The name told nothing to him, and he looked at her questionably.

"The man that was besides Allen when they brought you to the main hall"

Van's mind searched for an image of that day, and he finally found it. He could remember him vaguely.

"Do you know why you had a vision of him?"

Hitomi thought about the question. Why would she see his dead? In what way did it affect them? True, he was a good friend of hers, and he was king of Freid, but there had to be more to it. It suddenly hit her.

"Van, it means that we are running out of time. If we don't find the Heart soon, more people will have to sacrifice fro others. It is precise that we find the Heart soon"

Van thought about it. He looked at Hitomi. She was still healing from her the injuries she had gain in Glendalough, and he was recovering from the wound Dilandu had given him. In the condition they were, they wouldn't be able to get anywhere. They needed to rest before doing anything else.

"We need to regain our strength" he told her

"My father sacrificed in the same way Dryden did" Van felt the pain in the words she said. "He too died for others." She pulled a strand of hair behind her ear "Is it the destiny of everyone I love to die? Will I die too?" she closed her eyes "I'm just so tired of wars. Why can't we all live in peace?"

"Sometimes you have to fight for what you want. If you want peace so much, don't give up. Keep fighting, and if you lose, get up and fight again. We have to keep fighting until the end, no matter the obstacles"

Hitomi let out a small smile. Since when had he become so wise? She got to her feet.

"Then let's go. We still have a lot to do. I…" she started to move, but the pain from her injuries brought her down. Van caught her, but the movement brought pain to his wound. One of his hands went towards it, as if to stop the pain.

"I'm sore" she told him

"My wound hurts" he confessed. Hitomi looked at him, blinked, and started to laugh. Van wondered if the pain had caused her to go delusional. Hitomi realized the weird way in which he was looking at her.

"It's just that…" she explained "What a pair of heroes we are! How are we going o rescue Gaea if we can't even walk?"

"I think we need to rest. You wanted to go to a town. Well, here's your chance. There's a small one crossing the lake"

"I'm touched that you remember my wishes, but why can't we go to the one on this side if the lake?"

Van became uncomfortable. He tiptoed with the idea of hiding the truth, but decided that it would only make things more awkward.

"I destroyed it"

Hitomi blinked. She had forgotten that he was one of the cruelest mercenaries Gaea had ever seen. She looked into his eyes. Was she seen things? There almost hidden, was the slightest touch of guilt. She was sure than when he had slaughtered the town, that guilt had not been there. He had slowly started to change. Hitomi felt happy. He was becoming a better person.

"The other town is fine" She started to walk towards the camp, but stopped and looked back at him. "I'm glad we are friends again"

Van's features soften, and he followed her to the camp. Both of them dialed to see the red eyes that were starring at them. An evil smile accompanied the blood like orbs. He finally knew the Dragon's weakness.

Dornkirk looked at his reflection on the mirror. Scars and wrinkles graced his face. His hair was beginning to whiten, and his eyes were beginning to become lighter, a sure sign that he was going blind. His muscles were becoming stiff, and his movements were becoming slow and clumsy. He could not go anywhere without his cane. The only part of his body that remained untouched was his mind. It was as clear as it had always been. He turned his back to the mirror. He could not stand to see his putrefied reality for long. He had to fix his problem fast. He would not die. His intelligence could not pass to oblivion just because his body could not stand to live for much longer. The Heart of the Dragon had to be in his possession soon. With its powers, he would be able to live forever, become immortal, and bend everyone's will to his own. He would be able to achieve all his dreams, maybe even make right what was wrong, or what had gone wrong.

Flashback

"Meridian, I love you" a young Dornkirk told a pretty lady with eyes as green as emeralds.

"Isaac, you cannot love. Your heart is becoming black with greed, and your priorities are already changing. All the goodness in you disappeared when you changed it for money and power. Your soul is darkening with greed, and I no longer know who you are"

Isaac's eyes narrowed and Meridian took a step back.

"You speak nonsense" he told her, voice cold.

"I speak the truth. No one can have everything. I would have stayed with you forever, but you choose all this" she signaled to the empire Isaac had built through the years, Zaibach.

"I can" Isaac told her firmly, eyes darkening with rage "I deserve to have everything I want. Only I have what is needed to govern over Gaea. Only I know what Gaea needs. You have the power and know the secret of how to rule over Gaea. Give me what I want and rule by my side"

Meridian's eyes filled with tears. She knew she ha lost him forever.

"You offer me the world, but I only wanted you. I loved you, Isaac, but I do not know who you are anymore. I can't follow you in the path you have chosen"

"You are only giving me excuses to not stay with me. I am the same man I used to be, but now, I am wiser. This world needs a leader, and I can be that leader"

Meridian turned to look at Zaibach. It was a powerful empire, but its men were full of hatred and resentment against the rest of the population that resided on Gaea. She could not live in a place like this. She could not live by the side of the one man that could destroy Gaea.

"I won't give you what you want" she told him firmly and turned to leave the room. She passes besides Isaac without giving him a second chance, she grabbed the handle of the door and was about to open the door when she felt something go through her. She gasped as she looked down as saw the end of Isaac's sword.

"May the spirits forgive you" she told him, and then took her last breath. She died in his arms. Isaac took the sword out and let her fall to the ground. For now on, Isaac was dead. He was Dornkirk, emperor of Zaibach.

End Flashback

That had been so long ago, yet Dornkirk could remember it as if it had been yesterday. He had truly loved Meridian, and her betrayal had hurt him deeply. From the on, his life had been devoted to rising Zaibach and finding the Heart. It was a shame that she had not collaborated because she had the powers he needed to find it. He permitted himself a small smile. He was very close to finding it. Once he did, all he had worked for would come true, but most importantly, he would be able to regain his lost love. With the Heart's power, he would be able to make Meridian's granddaughter love him. Meridian had been a great seer, and he was sure that her grandchild would have the same abilities she did. Dornkirk laughed. Yes, Hitomi Kansaki would make a wonderful queen. With his mind and her powers, no one would be able to stop them.

Hitomi smiled as they reached the town. Now, all they had to do was find an inn, and they would be able to get their rest. She would finally be able to have a decent shower, a warm meal, and sleep on a comfortable bed with pillows. Finally, Van had come to his senses. For a moment, she had thought that he would drag her and himself through the whole world with their wounds. She was very happy that he had decided to put his revenge aside for a moment.

You're just a tool…

Van's words still rang in her head. He had hurt her so many times, yet each time she had forgiven him. She would truly like to know the reason why she kept forgiving him. There was just something special about him. Something that made him different from anyone she knew. Hitomi chuckled. Of course he was different. He was the tough warrior that went through life avenging his family. He was the only human, well draconian, that had never looked at her as a woman. He was the only one that didn't thought she was perfect. A sad smile appeared on her lips. He was the only one that wanted nothing to do with her. He was unique.

"We have arrived" she heard him say. She looked up at the inn. It was small and old. It needed repayments in a lot of places, and it didn't look like a place for a lady, but it looked warm, and she was freezing. It would do.

"Okay, let's go inside"

Van dismounted his horse and called a boy. He gave his reins to him and then turned to offer a hand to Hitomi. She gladly accepted it, but when she was about to dismount her horse, her coat tangled itself with the reins. She lost her balance, but instead of landing on the hard floor, she landed on something warm and strong. She looked up and found that she was in Van's arms again. She blushed. He always ended up saving her. She was suddenly conscious of how close they were. She could only concentrate on him, and the only thing that crossed her mind was 'He's close. He's close. He's close"

He held her dedicatedly, as if he was afraid she would break. His bangs fell on his eyes, blocking them from her, but making him look incredibly sexy. His arms were so strong, and one of her hands lay on his chest, giving her an idea of just how well formed he was.

"Are you two lovers?" the boy's question broke her line of thought and made her blush intensified. She freed herself from Van's grasp and shook her head vigorously.

"No, we're just friends' Van responded for both of them. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at his words. "I want you to feed our horses and take them to the stables. Make sure they get a good rest and are warm through all the night" he threw the boy a bag full of coins.

"Where did you get the money?" she asked him curiously.

"I always have money with me, incase it comes handy. How I got it is not important"

"Fine, don't tell me your secrets" she entered the place without looking at Van, but she regret her decision the moment she stepped on the other side if the door. Everyone inside the room had gone quiet and had stopped doing what they were doing. All heads were turned on her direction. Van came seconds later. He stopped for a second, evaluated the situation, and seemed to find it fine because he grabbed her hand and went towards the bar. Everyone returned to their business, but Hitomi couldn't help but notice that heads turned when they passed. Apparently, van noticed too because he drew her closer to himself. He stopped as they reached the bar.

"Stay here and don't move. I'm going to go see if they have a room" before Hitomi could say anything, he went away. She started to balance on her heels and checked the place out. A fire was running on the chimney, and tables were all around a stage where the musicians were playing. She suddenly felt like dancing, but remembered Van's words and stayed where she was. She looked at the people in the inn. Some were dancing. Others were drinking and playing cards. She had never been in a place like this, and it fascinated her. Something that a man said caught her attention. She moved closer so that she would be able to listen better.

"As I was telling you, that happened a long time ago. Some say that it was the first town that he destroyed" Hitomi realized that they were talking about Van and got a little closer. "He came with the storm, you know. People had been waiting for a storm for a long time, but I bet no one had even dreamed about what would happen to them" the man lowered his voice, giving his story a more dramatic effect. "Yes, he came with the storm one night, and brought death with him. Even the rain wasn't able to stop the fire he caused. He killed everything that moved and no one survived except for one person, a cat girl. Some soldiers from Asturia came for her and took her to their kingdom. The only thing they were able to get from her was that 'the angel had cried'. No one was able to put sense to her words, but from then one, things like this started happening all through Gaea. Soon after, the angel was identified as the Dragon, and wherever he goes, a massacre is sure to happen. The only thing that he leaves behind is a path of blood and a single feather. As for the cat girl, no one knows what happened to her, but every time a storm comes, the people from here get frightened and look at the sky for any signs of the Dragon. They are waiting for him to come and destroy this town too, just like he did with their neighbors. I am not from here, but if I was, I too would be scared to my pants"

The man finished his tale, and his friends nodded their heads solemnly. Hitomi turned to leave. She knew Van had caused a lot of pain, but he had change. And from what she had heard, he had actually been sorry about what he had done. Tears came when one regretted their actions. She would have to ask Merle, the cat girl and her friend, about what had happened when she went back home. She looked at the place Van was. He was discussing something with who she guessed was the owner of the place. She couldn't imagine her Van doing something as horrible as destroying a whole town. He looked normal, and there was nothing that gave him out as a mercenary. He moved between everyone without them suspecting of him. No one imagined he was the Dragon everyone was so scared of.

"They have one room" he told her. She had been so lost in her thought she hadn't seen him arrive.

"Okay"

"Umm, Hitomi, there's one small problem"

"What is id?"

"It only has one bed"

Van grinned as he saw her face. It's not that he was very comfortable about the situation, but he found her expression of disbelief amusing. Odd, that he felt something was amusing. Some time ago, he wouldn't have thought about something been amusing. Been with her had truly changed him. He used to not care about his surroundings unless the enemy was close. Now, he stopped to look at sunset's ad silly things like that. He cared about others feelings, and he no longer felt the desire to kill every living been that crossed his path. Something about her had made him warm.

"I…Van. You get the floor" she told him quickly. He was about to argue with her when her stomach made noises. He sighed. They would fix their bed problems later/

"Let's eat" He grabbed her hand and brought her to the only table that was alone. It was right in the middle of the room. He waved to a waitress.

"What is there to eat here?"

"We only have rabbit, vegetables soup, beer, and water"

"Bring me two soups, the rabbit, a beer, and water" The waitress went away.

"Thanks for asking me what I wanted" Hitomi told him in an irritated way.

"There wasn't much to choose for" he responded "Besides, you don't drink beer"

"How do you know?"
"You don't look like the kind of person that drinks beer" She didn't responded, so Van took it as a sign that he had gone the argument. When the food was brought, he started eating like he hadn't eaten in years. He didn't notice the men that had come closer to them until they took Hitomi from her seat. He quickly stood up.

"Let go of her" he said in a dangerous tone.

"I don't think we will be doing that" one of the men told him. He had half a smile on his face. "She is a pretty thing, and she doesn't seem to have much fun with you. With us, she will have tones of fun" He grabbed Hitomi from the other man and brought him close to him, so close that their bodies were touching. Van saw the fear rise in her eyes, and a sudden urge to protect her invaded his body. He just couldn't stand to see her in any other man's arms. The idiot caressed her cheek, and his hand slowly made his way down. Hitomi closed her eyes. Van decided it was time to show these idiots a lesson. In less than a second, he knocked the man out and grabbed Hitomi. He pushed her behind him.

"No one touches her" he told the others warningly. They didn't seem to get the warning because they surrounded them and prepared to fight. One of them went towards Van, but he simply ducked his punch and sent him flying. Another one tried to kick him, but he grabbed his leg and broke it with a quick movement. All the other men backed away slowly.

"Don't ever touch her again" he told them grabbed her hand, and went to the stairs. He didn't stop till they were at their bedroom.

"Are you okay?" he finally told her, after making sure his breath has steadied. He hadn't mend to start a fight, but when he had seen them touch her, and when he had seen the fear in her eyes, he had simply lost it. He couldn't stand to see any other male touch her. The thought that she loved another came to his mind.

"That is why I love Allen and not you"

No matter how many men he fought for touching her, she would go to him, Schezar, in the end. She would marry her, have kids with her, grow old with her, and he would be forgotten. She would never love him. She would never look at him with love in her eyes. She would never be his. He didn't know why, but it hurt him a lot. He wanted to be Schezar so he could be with her. He wanted to be someone worthy of her attention.

"I'm fine. Thanks for rescuing me"

Van forced his voice to be as normal as he could make it when he responded "I'm glad. I think it's time to sleep. You can get the bed"

She put her shoes out and quickly got in the bed. Van grabbed a blanket and started to accommodate himself on the floor when her voice stopped his actions.

"The bed is big enough for both of us. You can get in, if you want to. There's no need for you to sleep on the hard, cold floor"

He looked at her. He could see her cheeks were red. He searched for any signs of uneasiness in her face, but found none. She was just embarrassed at her proposition.

"Are you sure it doesn't bother you?"

She moved her head, and he went to the bed. He got in and went as far away from her as he could. She stayed on her side of the bed, and her eyes slowly closed. Soon after, her breathing became slower, and Van knew she had gone to sleep. To bad he couldn't do the same. Her scent was everywhere, and it distracted him from anything else. She smelled like roses, and she looked so angelical when she was sleeping. Her features were perfect, and the only thing that was missing was her eyes. He longed to see her eyes. He wanted to so much to hold her close to him. An image of her and Allen crossed his mind. He dismissed it quickly, but he didn't dare look at her again. He had to stop thinking about her. She loved another. She was going to marry another. She had no room in her life for him. Van let out a big sigh. This was going to be one long night.

Finished! I passed the last 6 hours writing this thing, and it was going to be longer, but I'm too lazy. You are just lucky I love

you so much. Anyway, next chapter will be…I'm not sure yet, but I have been waiting to write it since I started the story. It's

one of the chapters I've been waiting for, and now I will finally be able to write it. Hope you liked the chapter. I made Van a

nd Hitomi friends again, but poor Van doesn't have a chance against Allen, and they will definitly have a lot more of drak

moments. Oh, and in the next chapter you will find out how Millerna is taking Dryden's dead (or is it death) and Dilandu will

make an appearance, but I'm guessing you already knew that. Well, see you next chapter and review. Oh, and another thing,

if you want a sad story, just look for the oneI used on chapter 12. Beautiful song.