Van's healing progressed quickly. Hitomi rarely left his side during his recovery, and Millerna began teaching her how to care for his wounds. Hitomi was finally feeling like she was gaining a skill more useful and dependable than her visions. Van was a difficult and frustrating patient though. At first he had been too weak to be able to protest much, but as he got well, it became increasingly difficult to keep him bedridden. Van and Hitomi had more than a couple fights about who's fault it was he was there in the first place.
Daniel stayed close, running errands when asked, and providing a connection to the world outside the sick room as well as eyes and ears in the council that had begun to meet concerning the attacks.
He reported that the council was reticent to believe Zaibach was behind the attacks. Upon hearing this Van became even more determined to recover enough to join the meetings. He was sure he could convince them to at least allow them to investigate Zaibach, but Hitomi reminded him every time that he couldn't get out of bed let alone lead an investigation.
After a couple weeks, Van was well enough to begin building his strength back. Millerna had instructed Hitomi to help Van walk around. After so much time in bed, Van was weak when standing, but Hitomi supported him, and walked him around the room. Hitomi thought Van was still push himself too hard. She was afraid he might do damage to the wound still healing in his side.
One day when he was being particularly aggressive in his exercises, Hitomi confronted him.
"Van, if you work so hard, you might make it worse. It might take longer to heal."
"I need to be part of those talks. I have to convince them we should do something. I want to be able to investigate Zaibach." Van held himself up against the wall.
"I know… but if you push too hard, it might be longer before you are able to." Van didn't want to hear it and shoved his weight off of the wall. He tried to walk towards the door but stumbled halfway there. Hitomi was there in an instant.
Hitomi could see Van's determination. She remembered her despair when she saw him laying on that bed, looking as if death could take him any minute, He was so much better now, so full of life, but she was so afraid of him being like that again…
"Van… I understand you. I understand why you were so mad at me about… about how I got here." Van turned to look at her, distracted, at last for a moment, from his determination. "When I saw you… when I was so close to losing you, I was so mad that you had risked so much just to save me. If you hadn't made it, then I wouldn't want to be here anyway, so… please, take it easy. Zaibach isn't going anywhere… It will be better if you take your time and are fully well."
"Hitomi…" Van lifted himself up with Hitomi's help. His legs were still weak, and his side still hurt. His eyes met Hitomi's. "Okay."
After that, Van and Hitomi seemed to have a new understanding between them. Van allowed Hitomi to guide his recovery until finally he was well enough to sit in on the council meetings. Hitomi, as Ambassador of the Mystic Moon, was permitted to attend as well. All of the delegates from the realms were present. Daniel sat to the left of Van, and Hitomi sat to the right. Millerna was at the head of the consulate table, overseeing the debates and keeping order. The session was brought to order and Millerna indicated to Van that he should bring his concerns to the court.
He stood, with only a little help from Hitomi, and began. "I believe it is Zaibach who is attacking the shores of Asturia." There was a small uproar from these words. Many of the delegates began speaking among themselves.
"Order, please, we will speak one at a time." Millerna said. A delegate from Freid raised his hand and Millerna acknowledged him.
"I am sorry to disagree, Lord Fanel, but this matter has already been settled. We have come to the consensus that it is bandits, or outlaws using discarded technology from the war to attack cities. I know you have been indisposed, but we have already discussed this in depth. I am sorry you were not aware." The delegate sat back in his chair, an air of piety and some disappointment in his posture.
"I know you have discussed it." Said Van. "I am here to tell you that you are wrong. I have been inside Zaibach. I have seen what they can do. I have seen one of these knew guymelefs first hand. It was not a second hand, stolen guymelef that attacked my ship, it was one more advanced than I have ever seen. It is Zaibach only that has the technology for invisibility, and as of the last conflict, they did not have that ability while flying, nore in the water. These are more advanced guymelefs. They are faster. They are stronger, and they have new weapons. I'm telling you there is no way these are left over melefs from the war, these are new. Zaibach is still creating machines of war."
The room was silent. The truth of Van's words hung in the air like a dark cloud.
Finally Millerna stood. "Well… Van. Lord Fanel. What do you propose we do?"
Van explained his plans of sending a small group to investigate the borders of Zaibach. He had had much time while bedridden to develop well defined plans. Hitomi had helped him work out the details, while she nursed him back to health. They would take a small leviship to the borders of Asturia and Zaibach, then cross the border on foot and spy on the gates of the city. They would travel all along the border and watch for any movement. Hitomi would be accompanying them to alert them of dangers or invisible guymelefs. Hitomi was glad to know that Van was finally really relying on her skills. He seemed to be trusting her to be at his side.
"The leviship will have to be small. It cannot be noticeable beyond the Asturian borders." Said the delegate from Freid.
"I know." Said Van. "This is why I have one request for my team besides Hitomi." He paused, looked down at Hitomi for a moment, then continued. "I need Allen Schezar."
This caused another stir in the council. There were murmurs of "wasn't he a knights caeli?" and "What happened to him? i thought he retired after the war?" It seemed no one had heard from him since the destruction of Dornkirk. Millerna rose from her seat again.
"I will give you the the location of Allen Schezar. If there is anything else we can do for you on this mission, do not hesitate to ask. Asturia is at your disposal." With that, Millerna dismissed the council.
Hitomi helped Van up from his seat. He put his arm over her shoulders and she helped him down the hall back to his room.
"Hitomi." They were in the hall when he bagan speaking to her. "I need you to do something before we begin this journey…"
"What do you need?"
"I want you to practice with your pendant. I know it increases your powers… I know it has made things possible that normally wouldn't be… I think… I think it amplifies your power on Gaia. I think it is a small version of Dornkirk's fate alteration machine. I need you to work on controlling it's power."
Van was probably right. The first day she put in on after returning to Gaia was the first time she had such strong visions.
"Okay… I can work on that." She said.
"Also… I think we can use it to travel if we have to. Hitomi… when I brought you back, it wasn't really on purpose." Van had stopped walking and was standing on his own.
"What do you mean." Hitomi had believed Van brought her back. He had said so himself, that he had brought her back because she had jumped. What was he saying now?
"I mean… I felt what you did. I had cut off from you, but I felt what you were doing. It was so sudden… I felt it and every part of me cried out for it to stop, for you to be okay. I was wearing the pendant. I wore it every day after you returned to the mystic moon. Even after distancing myself, it was the one part of you I held on to. At that moment, it began to glow, so much that it started to burn. Shortly after, one of my advisers told me there had been a bright pillar of light outside of the city." Van stopped. He was very tense and seemed to be struggling to keep his composure. He turned to face Hitomi. " I thought you were gone. It wasn't until my advisor found me and told me of the pillar that I knew you had made it here. The pendant pulled you here, because of my will. The pendant has that power. Hitomi… I…" Van's eyes were brimming with tears. Hitomi put her arms around Van. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tight. "I thought I had lost you…" They held each other for a moment. Finally Van's hold on her slackened, and he pulled away.
"After that, I started remembering the other times when the pendant transported us. It has brought us between worlds a few times now, but it has also transported us within Gaia. I think, with some practice, you might be able to use it to travel anywhere you want to go." He paused. "And… to transport out of danger." Hitomi understood what he wanted now. He wanted her to use her power to protect herself.
"Okay. I will practice." There wasn't anything else she could say.
Millerna provided Van with Allen's location, and as soon as Van was well enough to leave the Palace, he, Hitomi, and Daniel ventured into the city of Palas to find the retired knight. Millerna warned them that Allen had changed. She said he was so focused on caring for his sister, Celena, that nothing else mattered. He had quit the knights Caeli to care for his sister as soon as the war was over. Millerna had been so glad that Allen found his sister, but Celena turned out to be troublesome for Allen. Millerna didn't not know the details of why. Hitomi remember Celena being sweet and quiet, when she last saw her after the war. She seemed so happy and content to be back with Allen. Hitomi couldn't imagine what trouble Celena could cause.
They approached the small house near the edge of the city that Millerna had indicated. It seemed very normal for a house an ex Knight Caeli lived in. As they approached, Hitomi heard a crash and loud yell from inside. She cast a glance at Van, then approached the door and knocked.
It was a moment before anything happened. The door handle turned, and the door opened to reveal Allen standing in the doorway. His hair was pulled back from his face, and his features were gaunt, but it was him. He stared open-mouthed at Hitomi.
"By the mystic moon… Hitomi…" A smile slowly spread across his face, and soon Hitomi was wrapped in the warm arms of Allen Schezar, ex Knight Caeli. "I thought you would never return to Gaia…"
Van cleared his throat. Allen became aware and quickly released Hitomi from his grip, eyeing Van as he did. He extended his hand to Van in welcome, and invited the party inside.
"To what do I owe this visit, My Lord Fanel. Please, be at home. I can't offer much, but what I can is all yours." Allen glanced suspiciously at Daniel.
"Allen, may I introduce Daniel Evelyn, one of Asturia's premier ambassadors. He has been more help to me since getting here than I could have asked for." Van nodded to both Allen and Daniel. Hitomi had the thought that Allen and Daniel were not as similar as she had originally supposed. Daniel was taller, and more graceful. Hitomi didn't think she could imagine anyone more graceful than Allen, that had probably been the reason they seemed similar initially.
The party sat around the table in Allen's kitchen, as Allen pour cups of water for everyone.
"well, why is it you have come to my humble dwellings."
Van leaned forward. "You have heard of the attacks on the Asturian coast?"
"Yes."
"I believe they are Zaibach."
Allen stopped what he was doing and stared at Van.
"I believe Zaibach did not die with Dornkirk. The council of Asturia has given me leave to investigate."
"You are as direct as always. What do you want of me?" Said Allen.
"Allen, there is no better swordsmen and no better leviship pilot that I know. We need you on this mission."
Hitomi heard a sound from the neighboring room, and footsteps approached the kitchen.
"Allen, where did you go?" Celena appeared at the door of the kitchen in a long white nightgown.
"It's okay, my sister. We have guests, you remember Van and Hitomi." Allen's tone was so comforting when speaking to his sister, it reminded Hitomi of how one speaks to a small child. Celena had been kidnapped as a child, perhaps in her mind, that's still who she was.
"Yes… Hitomi, I remember." She looked at Van and Hitomi and smiled.
"Alright Celena, go on back to your room. I will be there soon." Celena smiled sweetly, then turned and left the kitchen.
Allen turned his attention back to Van.
"I can't." He said.
"What?" Van was taken aback. "But we need you!"
"Celena needs me!"
"She could stay at the palace, Millerna can look after her, Allen…"
"No! You don't understand…" Allen seemed to be deflating under the weight of whatever his experiences were. Hitomi stood up and walked to Allen. "You don't understand…"
"Allen… of all people, you know you can trust us. What's going on?" Said Hitomi.
Allen glanced at Daniel.
"We trust him." Hitomi said, seeing where Allen was looking.
Allen sighed heavily. "Celena.. she is… not always so sweet…. she has… there were… consequences from her treatment by the Zaibach empire. Dilandau isn't gone." Allen seemed wholly defeated.
"But… the fate alteration machine was destroyed. When that happened, weren't she and all the other experiments returned to normal?" asked Van.
"Yes… but she spent so much time as Dilandau. Her mind is split, Her body doesn't change, but part of her mind is still Dilandau. There are days I have to tie her down because she thinks the war is still going on and I have her as a captive." Hitomi could see tears welling up at the corners of Allen's eyes. Allen put his face in his hands. "So you see… I can't leave her at the palace… I can't leave her."
"So we'll bring her with us." Van stood up.
Allen looked at Van.
"Allen, we need you. If anyone can handle Dilandau it's us, let us help you, and come with us." Van extended his hand to Allen and waited.
Slowly, Allen seemed to take in what Van was offering. "But…"
Hitomi chimed in. "Allen, it's okay, we're all here for you. Help us, and we will find a way to help Celena."
Finally, after a moment of thought, Allen reached out his hand and clasped Van's. "Okay. Together."
Hitomi stood in a courtyard in the center of the palace with her pendant out in front of her. She focused her mind on the pendant and on a spot some distance away. She wasn't sure how to go about practicing having visions, but if she could transport herself to close places, she hoped she would slowly be able to transport to farther and farther places. She wondered if someday she would be able to easily travel between Earth and Gaia…
"Have you had any success?" Daniel entered the courtyard from the eastern archway.
Hitomi relaxed. "Not yet. I think I can almost feel it. In the past I have always activated it accidentally, and at times when I have been very upset."
"Perhaps it will work when you need it to than." Daniel sat down on one of the benches in the courtyard and gazed up at the sky. "Is it really true that that sweet girl is the leader of the dragonslayers of Zaibach, Dilandau?"
Hitomi was a little surprised at the question. "Yes… I mean… She is the girl that Zaibach turned into that monster."
Daniel had been observing Celena while getting Allen and Celena settled in to their rooms in the palace. Allen refused to be separated from Celena, so they were given adjoining rooms.
"Please… don't think me insensitive for saying so, but I find it hard to believe that Allen is the great Allen Schezar that piloted Scherazade into battle. He seems broken."
Hitomi had seen it too. Allen did not have the confidence or gallantry that she remembered. He seemed tired, and he cared about nothing other than the wellbeing of his sister. Would he really be an asset to their mission? Hitomi immediately felt bad for thinking such things about Allen.
"And Celena… I know she has been through a lot, but she seems so distant. She seems sweet, but empty, like she doesn't quite see all of us." Daniel leaned forward and sighed.
"I know what you mean…" Hitomi walked over and sat beside Daniel. "I didn't get to know her much after the war. I left so quickly… but you're right. She seems very far away."
While transporting Celena and Allen to the palace, Celena had clung to Allen the entire time. Every loud sound made her jump, and every new person made her nervous. She was nice enough and sweet enough, but she also seemed very fearful. She depended on Allen for everything. Allen said she had no memory of being Dilandau, not before nor after the war. She had no memory of any of the times Dilandau took over her mind.
That night Hitomi was woken from her sleep by the sound of screams. She sat up in her bed and listened to make sure it hadn't just been a dream. The screams, followed by a crashing sound, were coming from down the hall. Hitomi pulled on a robe and rushed in the direction it was coming from. She stopped in front of Allen's door. She could hear a low female voice yelling, but she couldn't make out what she was saying.
Hitomi knocked, and the room went silent. "Allen, it's just me, is everything okay?"
"Hitomi, it's alright, everything is under control." Hitomi heard some more rustling from the room.
"Hitomi… I know that name…" The low female voice was saying. "I remember that name…"
Hitomi heard another yell from the room, and heard Allen grunt in pain. The door swung open, and Celena was standing in the door in her nightgown with a crazy look on her face… no… it wasn't Celena at the door…
"Ah yes… I remember your face too. It's that interfering bitch Dornkirk wanted so much!" She laughed hysterically, and threw Hitomi over her shoulder. "After all this time Allen, you are slacking! You've given my my escape!" Celena raced out into the hall carrying Hitomi over her shoulder.
"Allen!" Hitomi called.
Allen was at the door and following, but he was hindered by pain. The commotion was starting to bring other guests out of their rooms. Guards raced down the hall and formed a blockade at one end. Van race into the hall, sword in hand.
"Van, don't, it's Celena!" Hitomi yelled.
"Who's Celena… I am Dilandau, leader of the dragonslayers of the empire of Zaibach! I will not be stopped by a few Asturian guards." Celena raced forward towards the guards. They tried to block her way, but as she reached them, she attacked with a strong kick. The guards wouldn't attack while she was still carrying Hitomi. Celena rammed her free side into another guard, causing him to drop his sword. Celena quickly retrieved it and stood at the ready. Van was there before her.
"Let Hitomi go. I wont let you leave with her." His sword was raised.
"Van Fanel…"
Allen finally caught up to the action. "Van… don't hurt her, it's Celena."
"I know, but at the moment she has a sword, and I assume, as Dilandau, she knows how to use it. She has Hitomi." Van's focus did not waver.
"Van, how nice it will be to get to finally kill you!" Celena lunged at Van.
Van block Celena's sword and brought his own around to try and disarm her. Celena was too fast. She parried Van's attempt.
"Van, stop! You're still injured! I'll be okay!" Hitomi yelled. "Dilandau, the war is over! You don't have to fight!"
"Lies!" Screamed Celena, as she brought the sword down on Van. He blocked and leapt to the side, avoiding a second blow. "Dornkirk will reward me for bringing this girl! The war has only begun!" Celena let out another war scream, then there was a crash from behind her and she collapsed to the floor, sending Hitomi tumbling as well.
Millerna stood where Celena had just been, holding a broken Vase. "Allen, I'm sorry…"
Allen rushed to Celena's side and lifted her into his arms. Millerna inspected her head and followed as Allen carried Celena back to their rooms. Van rushed to Hitomi's side and helped him up.
"Van, your side… are you okay?"
"It hurts, but, I'll be fine. I'm more worried about Allen… What are we going to do?"
"I don't know."