A/N: right this chapter contains mild language, some nudity and scenes of a sexual nature … lol I sound like a video tape.

Chapter 9 Dead and Alive.

The Crusade was silent and seemed to move very slowly. Allen had not left his room as well as Millerna. The crew talked mainly to themselves about Kari, her brother and Dilandau. Van spoke to Hitomi as Merle slept.

"Hitomi?" Hitomi was sat next to Van in his small room, he looked down at his sword; it had the crest of Fanelia on it, the sword of the king.

"Yes, Van."

"Will you be returning… to your home… after all this is over." Hitomi looked towards her love, that same sadness in his eyes. She had not really thought about her home since she arrived, there had always been other things to keep her mind busy.

"I … I don't know really… I haven't really thought about it." Hitomi sighed "I don't know if I want to go back…" Vans head snapped up and he looked at her surprised, now she had the sadness within her eyes. She continued, "After I returned things changed... they didn't seem right… I tried to get back to normal, and I was alright but after the first few months… well… then things got bad…" Tears formed in Hitomi's eyes, she never realised it made her sad talking about it. Van took her in his arms, and kissed her gently on the head.

"I'm so sorry Hitomi, I never knew, I never had any idea."

"WHAT THE … AHHH... BLOODY FUCKING PIECE OF CRAP…STUPID SON OF A…" Van and Hitomi was taken back to life on the ship as shouting came drifting down the hall, followed buy a loud crash and more shouting.

They decided to find out what was going on as they left the room, smoke filled the hall.

"What's going on?" Allen had emerged, "Someone get a window open." Soon the smoke was gone and they found the source of the noise. Ryden was in the main engine room, the shouting had travelled up communication pipes into the halls.

"What happened?" Allen asked as he climbed down, Van, Hitomi, and the very angry Merle with most of the crew listened.

"I think its broken Schezar." Came Rydens reply.

"What? Not one of the engines."

"No my foot… when I kicked the control box." Allen sighed.

"Gaddess take over from Kio, get him down here… and get someone to get him out." Allen climbed back up the small ladder and began walking back in the direction of his room.

"What about his foot?" Gaddess asked, Allen pondered on this,

"If it is broken you better get the Princess."

"What about me?" Everyone turned to see Millerna stood in the hall way, Merle had gone back to Vans room to sleep, after mumbling something that sounded like: "I hope that bastard has broken his stupid foot, after waking me up, deserves him right." Millerna looked straight at Allen, the crew knew how she felt, it was hard not to know. They also knew that Millerna was jealous of Kari, and hated it when they said that he was still in his room; because it meant he was still upset on her leaving.

"Ryden might have broken his foot, could you look at it for him?" Everyone kept quiet, even Ryden had stopped moaning.

"Would it usually be Karia that would have had a look?" Millerna said this scornfully meaning her words to hurt. Allen ignored her and walked past, her face clearly showing her anger. "Tell me Allen…" He stopped. Someone had helped Ryden out the engine room, and took him to his room; Kio had gone down and taken half the crew- those not doing anything important with him- now all that stood in the hall was Van. Hitomi, Allen and Millerna. "Tell me Allen… How can you love someone when you get hurt every time you kiss?" Van and Hitomi seemed more shocked to hear these words than Allen did. He just stood there his back to them all saying nothing. "I'm sorry Allen." Van and Hitomi were confused what was going on.

"Leave her alone." Allen turned to face Millerna.

"What's the matter Schezar have I pissed you off?" This was no longer Millerna's voice but a chilling, deeper one. The voice laughed "This isn't the most suitable body but it works for now, her mind has been drifting, easy to get into."

"Leave her alone" Allen sounded angry this time.

"Hey Schezar there's a large merchant ship heading this way I think its Dryden." came the call down one of the pipes.

"Looks like we'll have to finish this later Allen Schezar." Millerna collapsed.

The ship was Dryden, who thankfully gave them a lift to Palas. Allen explained about Millerna, well kind of, Dryden did not seem interested he was more upset to hear about Kari no being onboard, when his pilot had told him it was the Crusade he had hoped to finally meet the famous Karia Alkia.

When they reached Palas Millerna woke up, she could not remember anything about the trip home, or having her mind and body taken oven by some sort of telepath. She was soon called upon; as her father had been taken ill again and needed to speak to her. Everyone was shown to there rooms where Hitomi soon fell asleep.

Hitomi's dream:

Hitomi was stood in a large hall way the walls decorated with expensive looking paintings, the floor marble perhaps, servants walking round with jugs and plates in there arms. Suddenly shouts came down the hall.

"Hey come here… You can't get away that easy." A little kid came running down the fancy halls; she had long white hair and wore a once clean and pretty dress covered with flowers and lace. A tall and handsome man was walking after her, also dressed to impress. The man came up behind the little girl and scooped her up in his arms, too her dismay of course; though she didn't struggle. He set her down and kneeled in front of her.

"What would your father say if he saw you little Princess?"

The scene changed. Hitomi was stood in grand gardens, the flowers and trees so healthy and beautiful.

"What would your father say?" Hitomi looked towards the couple sat under a large oak tree. A young man sat with his arm round a woman around the same age. He had short black hair, and wore simple clothes. The man was very handsome, and reminded Hitomi ofsomeone; but she could not think where from. She on the other hand had long white hair and wore a very beautiful dress like the one of the child Hitomi had seen. She also wore a crown of flowers on her head all pinks and reds.

"What would he say if he knew? I'm nothing but a servant boy. And you a Princess." He looked down at the woman.

"I don't care, we played together as children, he never cared then, I love you." She kissed the man, "Please don't call me Princess."

"Okay." He laughed, "My beautiful Butterfly."

End of dream:

Hitomi woke with a start. Kari?

Hitomi looked round the dark room; it was very grand; with a balcony of its own. She felt something heavy at the end of her bed and saw Merle curled up, asleep. Hitomi sighed and got out of bed trying her best not to wake Merle. The doors to the balcony were open and she could feel the breeze from outside. The night was warm. As Hitomi looked out in to the court yard she noticed what looked like Allen walking off into the night, Hitomi leaned over the barrier to get a better look. The man turned round, to see if anyone was following and pulled his hood up more to cover his face, as he did this Hitomi saw it was indeed Allen.

"I wonder where he's off to." Hitomi jumped and griped the barrier tightly to stop herself from falling.

"Merle!" Hitomi sat on the floor next to the teenage cat girl. "I thought you were asleep."

"Well I was but somebody woke me up." Merle rolled her eyes.

"Haven't you got your own room?" Hitomi had become annoyed with the little cat girl, the thought that she had not changed crossed her mind.

"Well yes… hey isn't that lord Van." Merle pointed to someone that clearly looked like van.

"He must be following Allen." Merle and Hitomi looked at each other in thought.

The girls were right, Van was following Allen he was not sure where to though, Van thought he was doing a good job at following him though at times he was not sure. Allen often stopped and looked around.

Van followed Allen to the worst part of the Austrian slums, he stopped at a large wooden building which was lightly lit and quite a lot of noise also emitted from the building. There were no windows on the bottom floor and those on the top had been boarded up. Allen walked to the back of the building and knocked on a small wooden door, he never waited for an answer and walked straight in. Van hurried to follow him in, but the door was quick to close. Van slowly walked in, only to be grabbed by the collar, and pulled in.

"Van!" Allen let go of him

"I'm sorry for following you Allen its just I was…where are we?" Van looked round they were stood in a long hall with several doors on all sides and a curtain at the end, music and laughter coming from that direction.

"Hi Allen." Three women dressed in fine silks, their hair in buns and curls came walking out one of the rooms.

"Evening ladies."

"Oh you hear that girls, he called us 'Ladies', you're too good for us Schezar." Said the oldest looking woman in green.

"So Allen, What you doing here?" Said the other in yellow.

"Come to take us up on our offer?" Said the last in blue. The women crowed round him looking for an answer.

"I'm sorry girls, I'm looking for Maria." All the girls moaned.

"Awww… too bad… she's in there" The one in blue pointed down the hall to the curtained off room.

"Thank you girls..." Allen began walking down the hall then turned to address the girls again, "Keep an eye on him you three… and hands off… got that." The girls nodded and took van in to one of the side rooms. Van looked as if he was about to have a panic attack.

Allen walked down the hallway the music and laughter getting louder; as soon as he entered he was forced into a waltz with the rest of the room. He spotted Maria dressed in red at the other end of the room, and began making his way towards her. Maria soon spotted him and waited forhim to make his way through the dancing people.

"What you doing here?" Maria had to almost shout to be heard over the music.

"I came for the key." He shouted back. A man looked over at the two and Maria pushed up close to him. She reached down her top and pushed Allen to the wall placing a small iron key in his back pocket. Maria kissed Allen lightly on the corner of his lips.

"You're bad for business Schezar." Allen snuck out the same way he came and fetched Van.

Van followed Allen to Maria's. As he unlocked the door slight sobbing could be heard coming from one of the rooms. Allen ran upstairs, Van walking having no idea what was going on. Allen opened the door to Kari's room. A woman dressed in a red robe sat at the side of the bed, by the side of another.

"Kari?"

The woman looked up; she had been crying, at a glance you would not have thought that this woman was Kari, but at a closer inspection you could tell. The woman before them both had black and white hair and two scars on her face one on each cheek.

"Allen." Kari looked at the woman in the bed. "She's dead Allen, I was too late." Allen sat next to Kari.

"What about the boys." He put his arm round her and helped her up into the large downstairs room.

Van had been told to leave and return to the palace, as Allen sat down with Kari and a mug of tea. He had left her to sort out a body collector for the young woman, when he returned he found Kari in Maria's room, laid on the bed. Maria's room was the largest in the house it was mainly took up by a large four posted bed covered in red velvet, silk sheets.

Allen sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Kari's hair.

"The body collector told me how Mar died, you couldn't have helped her." She turned over to face him, and sat up.

"I know but, I can't help think…" Allen put his finger over Kari's lips and kissed her.

"Don't worry about that now…I'm… I'm so happy you're ok." Kari looked away "Hmmm…"

"What is it?" Allen smiled, it was like he was hypnotised, "What?"

"You're so beautiful…" Kari half-heartedly laughed, "Its true… you are. You could have any man on Gaea… and yet… you're sat here with me."

"That's because I love you, I said I would be back. I don't want any man on Gaea I want you." Kari touched her past lovers cheek, he took her hand and kissed it.

"Even when I grow old, and you still look as beautiful as you do now."

"Even when you grow old." Their lips touched.

Kari wrapped her arms around her beloved. Allen kissed he bear neck, her soft skin like rose petals.

"Why do I feel these things for you? I love you with all my heart." Kari pulled away. She slowly pulled Allens shirt off over his head and ran her hands over the slight scars that adorned his chest and arms.

He shuddered as her fingers moved across his ribs. They kissed again; Allen placed his hand on Karis face and ran his thumb across her lips.

As Allen looked at his love he saw how pale she actually was, the darkness of her eyes, and the redness of her lips.

She looked so odd in the red robe; something most likely browed from Maria. He gently slipped the robe off her shoulders, just low enough to see the small butterfly tattoo on her left breast.

They kissed this time more passionately as their love for one anther was freed. There was no longer anyone to keep them apart, to hurt them.

Kari sat back so she was in the middle of the large red bed, the robe had become loose and covered very little; Allen leaned over so that he was looking down at his love, he kissed Kari on the lips; then moving slowly his kisses travelled down her body, her neck, her shoulder, her chest, the butterfly. Kari sighed.

They both moved so it looked like Kari was sat on Allen pelvis. Their movements fluid like water. She kissed him again her hands caressing thescared skin, moving down she teasingly undid the belt buckle and zip to his trousers she slowly moved her hands to his hips and slid them off. She smiled at the sight of his dark grey boxers.

Kari edged herself off the bed and stood with her back to Allen. She slowly undid the tie to browed robe. Allen stood as the robe fell to the floor. Allen came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her bear waist; he kissed her neck once more.

Kari turned so she faced her blonde lover. She kissed him this time more strongly, his tongue massaging hers, his hands moving down her waist, hers down his back finding the rim to the dark grey boxer-shorts.

As dawn began to brake, Allen woke, Kari wrapped in his arms, her head resting on his chest. He looked at his sleeping love and remembered their love-making of the night, how different it was from times before; the way they felt, the way they were; it was just so different. All that mattered now was Kari; how she felt; how she was. Kari meant the world to him; she was all he had left and she was all he needed. He smiled and kissed her gently on the forehead.Allen slowly edged off the bed trying not to wake her. He dressed quietly, looking now-and-again at the sleeping princess.

As he walked out the room closing the door silently he noticed Maria sat at the small table downstairs a mug in her hand. She stood as he came down the stairs.

"Maria when did you arrive home?"

"Ages ago…" She did not look happy," You're lucky Schezar that I didn't bring any work home with me. Oh! But that would have been so fun to explain" Maria walked forward as if she was addressing someone "'I hope you don't mind if we use a different room tonight… sounds like my old friend the ex-Knight's fucking 'The Bringer' again."

"Maria!" Allen was appalled by the manner in which she had said that.

"I'm sorry Allen…Look I'm happy for the two of you but…Now… You could have picked a better time to make up."

"It's not like I planed this all… I never even knew she was back."

"I know…it's just after everything that's happened…" Maria was finding it hard to get the words out. It had been a shock for her for Kari to appear on her doorstep out of the blue, she had heard about what happened in Freid. Little did they know but Kari was sat at the bedroom door in her red robe listening in on their conversation.

"So what you planning on doing Schezar?"

"STOP THERE ARMED MEN!" With a large crash and several shouts men came running in through the back and amazingly enough the front door. Three men grabbed Allen and two pushed Maria back. Kari came running out the bedroom door.

"What's going on?"

"Don't worry Miss. We have him now." Said one of the men closest to the stairs.

"Let me go… What have I done…?"

"Shut up you!" Another hit Allen over the head with his unsheathed sword.

"Hey! What do you think your doing?" Kari was half way down the stairs.

"Look Miss. This man is wanted for murder." Maria and Kari gasped alike.

"Murder. How is that possible? He hasn't left the sight of anyone for months." Maria barged her way through the soldiers.

"We're not talking about a matter of months Miss. More the matter of years." Said one stopping Maria getting any closer to Allen. Kari gasped and everyone turned to look at her. Allen had not put up anymore of a fight since he was hit over the head.

Kari whispered under her breath "Gelguran."

Kari dressed and managed to catch up to the men taking Allen away she asked why a case so old had been taken up. The man she asked told her that the son of the man Allen had killed wanted revenge, and that he had chosen this time because he thought people would never have believed his words against those of a well respected Knight.

When they arrived at the dungeons the men were told that "he" wanted to look into the eyes of his fathers' killer. Two men held Allen and pulled his head back as a robed man walked forward. He dropped his hood.

"I want you to pay."

"No!" Kari gasped as Allen was dragged away a look of horror on his face. Zaron.

Zaron walked forward towards Kari, but stopped half way. Now he was horrified, but this didn't last long as a scowl appeared.

"Jhono." Zaron walked away without saying another word. Kari did not know what to think by Zarons words till a shadow fell over her. Kari turned to see who it was stood behind her.

"Father!"

A/N: this is where it gets very interesting...i guess...all i can say is things start happening a lot faster now...please review even if its a flame

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne or anything to do with it. But i do own Kari n a few other ppl that turn up like poker n maria(the list is very long ish) so plz dont use them wiv out asking (y ne one would i have no idea)