Scully whirled around to look at Mulder.

"She's your sister?" She was aghast.

Mulder nodded dumbly, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"I can't believe it..." Scully mumbled.

"Even after all you have seen, Scully?" A voice boomed behind them in amusement.

"Who goes there?" Mulder called, holding up his pistol threateningly.

A shroud in the darkness moved towards them, illuminated by a single speck of light; smoked ember. A man with grey hair and a cigarette in his mouth revealed himself from the shadows, calmly taking another drag.

"Who are you?"

He ignored Scully's question, his sights on the man behind her. "Mulder, you must have some recollection." He stated with an eerie grin.

Mulder struggled, shaking away a frayed memory. "I do not know you." He clenched his finger tighter around his trigger, unconsciously fearful. "What have you done to her? What has happened to Samantha?"

With all intentions to harm the man in front of him, Mulder squeezed the trigger. But it was too late. The floors rumbled, the ceilings quaked, the room screeched in agony. With a flash of dull light, the pistol was out of Mulder's hands, smashed to the ground.

Samantha groaned behind them and the room returned to its peaceful state. Scully understood. Whatever machine they had hooked her up to was controlling her, or she was controlling it. Either way, Scully was certain that Samantha was the one who had destroyed Mulder's pistol, his only means of survival.

The Cigarette Smoking Man assuredly stepped closer to the shocked Mulder, staring into his distraught eyes.

"She is mine."

"I am not in need of any assistance, Princess Millerna." Allen Schezar grunted when Millerna made her way over to offer her shoulder to support him.

Millerna smiled. "You are in need, Allen, but you have never been a man to ask for help, have you?"

Allen sighed. There was no use arguing with the precocious Asturian royalty, he was certain of that.

"Van is in trouble and if they have left to do what you suspect they have, I fear for the safety of Mulder and Scully as well. I promised I would bring her home." Allen persisted futilely. If the Asturian royalty were firm, then the Knights Caeli were no less stubborn.

"Allen…" Millerna began to admonish gently when, without warning, they were surrounded by Basram guards.

"Our Senate seeks an audience."

"What is the meaning of this?" Millerna questioned indignantly.

The guards did not hesitate in unsheathing their swords. "You have no choice, Princess."

The sharp cackle Dilandau let out echoed in Van's ears. There was not a single more disgusting sound in all of Gaea.

"What is the matter, King of Fanelia? Have my boys worn you out already? I expected more from you, much much more." Dilandau watched with glee as the Dragon Slayers took to torturing the captive, each turn more harrowing than the last.

Dilandau's grin widened as he witnessed the next implement in the array of devices. Thumbscrews, one of his personal favourites. Slowly yet surely his Dragon Slayer lowered the wooden bar harder onto Van's fingers, each turn of the screw crushing deeper until screaming was the only choice Van had left. It was an unendurable agony.

Dilandau gestured for his men to back down momentarily, stalking purposefully towards Van, his knife in hand.

"Do you know how much I enjoy watching your pain, Van?" Dilandau asked, stone-faced.

Van gritted his teeth in anger, but did not reply to the taunt.

Dilandau traced a line across Van's cheek with the sharp edge of his knife, drawing blood.

"So very very much." Dilandau's finger flicked out, catching a small droplet of blood from Van's face before it hit the ground. He tasted it, relished the iron and copper. "Delicious."

"When I get out of here, Dilandau, you will pay for every scar, for every word, for every one of my people you have slaughtered." Van vowed.

"I do not believe such a day will ever come. Your dear brother has ordered you to use the Escaflowne when Zaibach launches our final attack."

"I will never join you!"

Dilandau smirked. "It is my job to convince you - by any means necessary..."

Dilandau jammed his knife into the thumbscrewer, twisting until the pain in Van's fingers emanated through every single bone and up to the worn out base of his throat.

Folken closed his eyes, willing the cries from his mind.

"Forgive me, brother. It is for your own good."

"Sir?" A Zaibach officer respectfully approached Folken. "Your ship is ready."

"And the fleet?" Folken asked.

"In position. Our allies will be at the rendezvous point shortly."

Today would be the day the Zaibach Empire would finally claim its rightful place as rulers of Gaea.

Folken nodded. "Send out the first wave."

"Princess Millerna, Allen Schezar, so kind of you to join us."

"Not as if we had any choice." Allen muttered.

"The people of Basram have always been allies with Asturia."

"Things have changed."

Millerna's eyes narrowed. "Have changed how?"

The First Elder began to reply, but moved back in deference to another man. A respectable and honourable-looking man.

"Zaibach is the future of Gaea now. All alliances held in the past are moot. The new world order is about to begin and it is your friends who will see to its beginnings."

"Zaibach!" Allen cried. "You sold out your country to those murderers?"

"The decisions we have made only reflect our concern for the safety of our citizens. There is a war coming and we must fight on the right side."

The Basram guards closed in on Allen and Millerna. "I am afraid that if our plans are to succeed, we cannot allow the two of you to interfere any further." First Elder commanded. "Finish them off!"

Allen was still weak, he was unarmed and he was certain Millerna was in no better shape to fight. They were vastly outnumbered.

The gates of the Basram Senate burst open.

"Reinforcements have arrived, boss!" A voice rang out as a crew of raffish motley men stormed the grounds.

"Gaddes!" Allen exclaimed.

Gaddes grinned. "Right on time, as usual." His voice grew serious. "Princess, make your way back to the Crusade, quickly. You need to return to Asturia as soon as possible."

Allen noted the tremor of Millerna's hand. He held it in his own to steady it. "I will escort you back." He locked eyes with her reassuringly. "We will not let Zaibach win."

Encouraged, Millerna took to leave, but not without leaving a few choice words for the Basram Senators.

"If what you say is correct then there truly is a war coming. But we shall see soon enough who is truly on the 'right side'."

The Well-Manicured Man pursed his lips. "Yes. We shall see, Princess."

Van shut his eyes, fearful of what wretched place they had dragged him to now. He would never allow his will to break, but the torture was beyond anything he had ever experienced before. Dilandau had no conscience, no soul. Especially where he was concerned.

Van sucked in a breath as he realized he was being watched. Two pairs of eyes glowed in the darkness, staring at him.

"Who is there?"

Two catgirls, older than Merle – one silver and the other gold – emerged from the shadows.

"Who are you?" Van tried again.

"I am Naria and this is my twin sister Eriya. We work for your brother."

Van's arms clenched in his shackles. Folken had sent specialized warriors to finish the job.

"I will never fight for Zaibach. Never!" He seethed.

"Van-sama…" A voice called out.

"Merle?" Van turned from relieved to outraged. "What have you done with her?"

"Nothing, Van-sama, they have not harmed me." Merle appeared before him, concern lighting up her eyes.

"There is no time for frivolous reunions. Time is short." Eriya unlocked Van's restraints with a single claw.

"You must find Folken before it is too late." Naria persisted. "You can stop this."

"My brother means to kill me, he will not listen."

"No." Merle said. "Folken has only been trying to protect you, to save you from Zaibach."

Van did not and could not believe it. His brother was a traitor and had betrayed their people. There was no other explanation.

"It is irrelevant how you feel about your brother, but you need to be swift. Find Folken and he will tell you where to find Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Save them. Do not allow Zaibach to corrupt their souls." Eriya explained.

"Mulder and Scully? Why do I need them?" The confusion compounded with every passing moment.

"They are the last hope for Gaea."

"Your Escaflowne is being held in the docking bay. Get there and go find Folken. Do not hesitate, King of Fanelia." Naria demanded.

"Thank you." Van turned to leave.

"I am coming with you, Van-sama!" Merle said, only to be held back by the older catgirls.

"It is too dangerous. You will only slow things down further." Naria chided.

"We will keep her safe until your return." Eriya promised.

Merle knew that they were right, that she would only get in the way, but she feared for the future, for Van's safety.

Van knew her fears; he could see it clearly in her eyes. "Do not worry about me, Merle. I will be fine." He gave her a lopsided smile.

"Van-sama!" She clutched him, holding him tightly in her arms.

"Take care, Merle-chan…" He was lost to the darkness once more.

"Whatever you do, don't let that kitsune and his strange girl suck you in!" She screamed after him. "…Come back to me Van-sama."

"There is no use in resisting, Mulder." The Cigarette Smoking Man took another drag. "Samantha will not allow me to come to any harm."

"What have you done with her?" Mulder bellowed, unarmed and unhinged. This man had taken his sister and he could do nothing to bring her back. He was helpless.

"She is but one piece in the puzzle. Samantha is able to power the Fate Alteration Machine, and through her I am allowed to see our future. The future of all things."

"My sister is not some tool to be used by Zaibach!"

He ignored Mulder. "The future is still in motion, but the players are falling into place. All that is left is the Dragon…and the One from the Mystic Moon." His eyes trained on Scully.

"You can never take her, I will not allow it!" Mulder hurled himself at the Cigarette Smoking Man in sheer anger, unwilling to lose another to the machinations of Zaibach. No sooner had he struck out before the room filled with a dark light. Samantha's eyes glowed pure white as she infused herself with more power, leaving her brother brutally injured and barely conscious. Not a single hair on the Cigarette Smoking Man's head had been touched.

"Mulder!" Scully cried, rushing to his side.

The Cigarette Smoking Man shook his head at the pitiful scene before him. "I had warned you, Mulder. You cannot harm me." He dropped his cigarette to the floor and crushed it with his foot.

"I don't know who you are, or what you want from me…" Scully started. "But I can't help you. I won't!"

"You do not realize your importance yet, but you shall be the saviour of Gaea. Zaibach will be victorious and the secrets of the Genesis Method will be mine."

He was crazy. This was crazy! It all was just a dream, it had to be. Scully had never been this unsure of herself before. But the solid weight of a lifeless Mulder cradled in her arms spurred her to believe. She had to believe that this was real. And that she could stop this.

Somehow…

The Cigarette Smoking Man gave her a thin smile. "And now, Scully… you will take me to the Mystic Moon."