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Hitomi stroked Hiran's mane as she waited for the others arrive. She had snuck out early to talk to the horse. Hitomi knew it was silly but she wanted a minute with the horse before they all set out for the levi ship.
Chid, Millerna, Dryden and Inda were to return to their homes. Many of the other "guests'' had already gone home, disappointed by the lack of drama. They had all expected something to happen during the wedding. Tales of Hitomi's first visit to Geae seemed to still be in most people's minds.
Hiran nosed Hitomi's hands, looking for treats. Not wanting to disapoint anyone else Hitomi pulled, what passed for sugar cubes in Fanelia, out of her pockets and fed them to the horse.
"At least you like me." Hitomi mumbled to Hiran, "The councilors seeme to think that it's my fault they have to be out of the Palace by tomorrow morning."
"Ah, so Van finaly dropped the news on the old men, did he?" Came a very happy voice and Hitomi turned to see Dryden walking into the stables with a sleeping Inda in his arms.
"They aren't taking it so well. They realy didn't take it well when Van and I decided that Rori would be the only councilor staying. Rori is the one who validated the first wedding Van and I had. He was the one who saw me crowned." Hitomi smiled weakly at Dryden then added, "I am going to miss you guys."
"We're going to miss you aswell." Dryden laughed, "Chid most of all. He wouldn't stop talking about the lunch you and Van had with him. It's a boost for him, you know. He's only ten and it means a lot for him to have time to be a kid."
"Van and I had a great time with him." Hitomi smiled remembering Chid's animated chatter. He had gone on and on about nothing.
"Are we ready to go?" Van asked as he came through the doors, Chid and Millerna on his heels.
"Yes. Let's be on our way." Millerna smiled and walked over to her horse, "It'll be nice to sleep in my own bed."
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Hitomi didn't mind Chid wanting to ride with her. He reminded her of her younger brother. Only a lot less annoying and more loving.
"You know when we get close to the ships that you will have to get back on your own horse, Chid." Millerna said in rather motherly tone.
"I know, Aunt Millerna." Chid rolled his eyes but kept his voice very respectfull. He wasn't stupid. Millerna rode a few feet behind them so she couldn't see his face but she wasn't deaf.
Van smiled at Hitomi as he moved his horse up next to Hiran. First thing that morning Van had asked Hitomi if she thought it was wierd that he wanted her to ride back with him on one horse.
He had gone on to say that if she didn't want to he understood, but that it would just be the two of them. No one would see and he knew she'd been sleeping badly. It would give her time to rest before dealing with the council more.
That conversation would be the one Hitomi pulled up when she thought about how much she loved her husband. No matter how the country saw him or how others saw him, she was the only one to See him.
Hitomi's mind wondered into the list of all the things she loved about Van.
He always had to be touching her to sleep. Even if it was just his foot against her's. He had a tendency to chew his lip when while reading and place his hand on her leg as they ate dinner. She loved the way he kissed her shoulders, even when she was fully dressed. His smell was addicting and just being near him calmed her nerves.
"What's on your mind, Hitomi?" Chid asked and Hitomi blushed. Chid had his head cocked back so he could look her in the face.
"Was I spacing that much?" Hitomi asked quietly.
"You were thinking about Van, right?" Chid smiled knowingly.
"Between you and me," Hitomi smiled guiltily, "Yea."
After that Hitomi tried to keep her mind on the trip. The air was cool and more than once she had to fix her hood to keep her ears warm.
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Van and Hitomi waved as the levi-ship took off. Once it was out of sight Van moved from his saddle to sit behind Hitomi on Hiran.
"I just feel like being close." Van said into Hitomi's ear as he tied his horse's reins to Hiran.
"Trust me." Hitomi smiled, "I'm not complaining."
Hiran needed little direction from Van or Hitomi. All he had to hear was that they were going home and he turned around and headed down the road that would lead them there.
Leaning back into Van Hitomi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The air was crisp and had a sharpness to it that promised snow. As she exhaled a face flashed in her mind. A face she would never in all her years forget.
Dilandau.
He was calling her. She could feel it.
Instead of fighting the heaviness that came over her Hitomi took another breath and tried to warn Van about what was happening. She didn't know if the words ever left her mouth but she felt him tighten his hold around her waist as Hiran slowed.
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Dilandau moved silently towards the door. He knew these rooms were barely ever used but he was still cautious. The last thing he needed was to be spotted in one of Dornkirk's studies.
All he needed was a minute or less.
Something inside of him was begining to feel thin and faded. It had started shortly after they had returned to Zaibach and it only got worse the longer they were there. He didn't understand it but more than that he didn't like it. It made him feel weak.
Just a few hours ago he over heard Selena talking to the head of the soldiers about their attack on Fanelia. She spoke of all the plans and there had been one part of it that rubbed him the wrong way. It was underhanded even for Zaibach. But then he heard of her plans for him and Allen and knew he had to do something- something before he was too 'faded' to do what he planned to do.
Dilandau slipped into the room and lit a candle. The place hadn't been touched. Everything was as he remembered it from four years ago. Not a single chair or table had been moved out of place.
That just made things easier for him. Dilandau walked across the room to the furthest corner and found what he had come looking for.
The Mirror of Sight. One of Issac's greatest inventions. It let him watch over his armies and communicate orders to those who were ment to hear them. This was of course all before the Fate Machine. Dilandau had only been told about the Mirror once when he had asked Folken why it was always covered.
"To keep anyone from loosing their mind. Gazing into the Mirror and using it is addicting. It sucks energy out of it's user to highten it's power." Folken had walked past the covered thing without so much as a glance in it's direction.
As Dilandau approached it he realized why Folken didn't look at it. Even shouded as it was there was a pull that came with looking at it full on. As if it wanted to be used.
Carefully he pulled the black covering off the Mirror. The images swirled, tring to find the one that Dilandau wanted to see before settling on dirt road where Dilandau saw a horse with two riders. He knew who it was and almost sighed in relief. That hadn't been hard and he didn't feel drained by the Mirror at all.
Getting a better look at Hitomi took some time, but when he finaly saw her face he concentrated on what he wanted to say.
Trouble. Three thousand armed men. You are the target. Take you down and Fanelia falls. Don't fight. Hide. Take Van with you. You were right, only death awaits me. Take care to escape. Spies. It's more than just your life they want to end.
He wanted to say so much more but the Mirror had a tight hold on him and even full sentences were beyond him for the most part. It was the communicating that drained him.
I'm the target? came Hitomi's gentle voice, Why?
Your child- will change Geae.
Dilandau forced his eyes down to the dark material still clutched in his hands, hands that had become thin and vieny. If he didn't break the connection he would faint and surely be found there.
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Hitomi had managed to say, "Vision." before her body had gone rigid. Van had had a hard time keeping her in the saddle but without having to worry about Hiran getting spooked he was able to put all of his attention on his wife as she began to whisper, her eyes wide and unseeing.
Hitomi blinked, her head full of buzzing and the ever constant humming
"You ok?" Van stroked the side of her face, "What did you see?"
"Dilandau." Hitomi took one slow breath and then another, forcing her body to relax, "Zaibach will attack with 3,000 men. I don't know when. He didn't say. He sounded like he couldn't breathe."
"Why would he warn us?" Van asked, instantly thinking it was a trap.
"Because he knows the truth of what they will do to him." Hitomi turned to look at her husband, "He also said the we musn't be there when the army strikes."
"And why should we hide?" Van was growing more and more suspicious.
"Because our child will change Geae. That's what he said. It makes sense now." Hitomi felt how tense Van's arms had become, "They are going to target me because we are going to have a child, Van."
"What?" Van looked down at her, his body slumped "Now?"
Hitomi shrugged, "Why else would they wait so long to attack? Fanelia's heir is on the way. Killing us would make them happy but to also kill the heir at the same time..."
"You're sure?"
"No." Hitomi laughed, "But Tar has been acting funny around me, and this humming does feel like it's coming from inside of me most of the time."
Van smiled slowly, "We're having a baby?"
"Maybe." Hitomi smiled, "I'm still not sure."
"Well then there's only one person to ask." Van kicked Hiran into a fast trot.
"Who?" Hitomi held on, surprised by the sudden movement.
"Tar."
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"Dear Lady," Tar said from his perch atop Van's throne, "I'm surprised it took you so long to figure it out. The humming has been driving me insane." he watched as Van and Hitomi kissed, all smiles and hugs.
"Is that why you haven't been slipping into our room anymore at night?" Van asked.
"Well that and I wanted to give you some time alone." Tar smiled knowingly, "If I were you I would be thinking up names and telling everyone I had ever met the good news."
Hitomi squeeled and threw her arms around Tar's neck, pulling him off the Throne, "You are better than any test I could have taken back home."
"We are both Dragons." Tar smiled, curling around her arm before launching himself out of reach, "Male's don't usualy have the sense to know but I've always been a bit different."
"Thank the Gods." Van smiled at Hitomi, "Now, don't you think there's someone we should be on our way to see?"
"My mother!" Hitomi slapped her hand to forehead, "We have to go right now." she said and headed for their room.
"She'd kill us if we waited so much as an hour to tell her, so yes, now sounds good." Van waved back at Tar before following his wife out of the room.
He had alot to think about but everything would have to wait. For now he would be happy about becoming a father. Zaibach would have to wait for the time being.
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A/N: Short, I know but it took forever just to get this out. I'm going in circles, nothing new. I will try to get another one out before Scott comes home for X-Mas vacation.
I hope you all are happy. You've been asking for it and here it is- They're gonna have a baby. :)
One more thing, my b-day is in 15 days! I'm gonna be 21!