Destiny's Pawns---~Chapter 9~

[Hitomi Lei]

Van was to arrive in Fried by the cover of darkness, he didn't want to spread the news aborad. He had wanted to wait for Merle, but the thought that Hitomi could be hurt drove him forward. Van looked around his room on Allen's airship and smiled. This place brought back so many memories, some good, some bad, but all dear to him. He sighed, and looked back down at the writing desk he sat at. The lone candle albra flickering light sent strange shadows dancing across his face. Van rubbed his eyes tiredly and longed for sleep. He was so tired, not since the Great War had he been this tired.

Gaddes walked by the door to Van's room. pausing to knock softly, he waited for Van to grant him entrance.
"King Van?" after a long silence permission was given, Gaddes entered quietly. He saw Van siting with his back to the door. The light from candles cast him in ominous shadows.
"King Van...The boss said to tell you that we've entered Freid airspace." Gaddes saw Van's head move slightly in recognition. Gaddes backed out of the room and shut the door.
He sighed, ?Boy, Hitomi is going to be surprised at the change in you, Van." shaking his head he went to take the wheel from Allen.

@>~~~~~ ~~~~~<@


Hitomi looked around and sighed. They had been hear for three days, and there where still wounded to be treated. She got up and moved to the next woman, her eyes tired and walking with a slight limp from an injury she got in the battle. As Hitomi knelt down she looked at the middle aged woman. She had a terrible gash from her shoulder to her elbow. Hitomi had to hold in the irge to gag at the sight of the flesh that had been rent from the bone. A young girl set beside the older woman, Hitomi took a deep breath and began to look more closely into the wound.
"You've done a good job keeping infection out." Hitomi smiled at the girl. ?Is this your mother?" The young girl nodded. She scooted closer to Hitomi, looking into her mothers wound.
"Will she be okay?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes I think so. "Hitomi finished cleaning the wound, then motioned for Ren to come sew it up. She picked up the tiny girl and moved away from where Ren was going to be working.
"What's your name?" Hitomi asked.
"It's Keiko, that?s my mother Jun. She got hurt keeping that mean man from getting me." Keiko looked over Hitomi's shoulder. "Is she hurting Mother?!" she asked in worry. Hitomi smiled comfortingly.
"No, she's trying to help her. Now I want you to meet a friend of mine." She waved for chid to come over to where she stood with Keiko.
"Chid, meet Keiko. Keiko meet Chid." Chid bowed low toward Keiko. "It's a pleasure to meet you Princess Keiko!" Keiko giggled at Chid's words. Hitomi sighed again, this time in relief. Keiko would be fine, and so would Jun, her mother.

@>~~~~~ ~~~~~<@

Later that day as the sun was coming down, Hitomi sat by the fire resting. It had been a hard day. She felt more than saw some one set down across from her. Some remnet of her power, long buried came forward.
"Lady Asago" she said. This would be the time to get all her questions answered.
"Come with me, Lady Hitomi. "Those were her only words as she rose gracefully to her feet and walked toward the tree line. Hitomi followed slowly, thinking about all the things she had to ask. After they had gone a sufficient distance from the camp, Asago turned toward Hitomi.
"I'll go first," at Hitomi's nod she continued, "How are you here? I myself, witnessed your ascension to the Mystic Moon seven years ago!" Hitomi reached under her shirt and pulled out her pendent, "It was the power of my wish...."

@>~~~~~ ~~~~~<@

Chid looked across the fire at Ren. Beside him Keiko slept with her head in his lap. Jun lay between Ren and Chid, her wound bandaged now. Chid looked at Ren, his eyes roaming over her unusual features. She was pretty with her cat-like looks and silver hair.
"I wonder if your attackers will come?" Chid asked her, in a poor attempt to find something to talk about.
"No, they would never be so bold as to come into the Free Kingdom of Freid." Ren declared with a glint of steel in her cold blue eyes. No one knew, besides Lady Asago and Hitomi, that Chid was the King.
Chid smiled, ?You have much faith, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. It's our last hope." Chid began to say something but Keiko stirred in her sleep and began to cry. Jun sit up.
"Oh no! She's having another nightmare!!" Chid watched as Keiko stiffened and began to thrash about. Ren ran over and pulled Keiko off the ground. At her touch Keiko began to scream. "No, don't touch her. It only makes it worse!!Just call out to her." Jun set up and crawled over to her thrashing, screaming child.
"Keiko, Keiko darling! It's Mother. Keiko calm down, please..." Chid and Ren watched as slowly the child calmed down, until she was resting quietly again.
Chid Looked at Ren then at Jun, who fell back down on her back. ?What happened to cause this child such pain?" Chid asked remembering the nightmares he had after watching his kingdom burn down.
"Her father was an airship pilot in the Great War. He took her with him in the last battle. His ship went down and every one was thought to be dead. She was found in the wreckage. I had recently lost both my child and my husband in one of the battles. So I took in the child and raised her as mine. She has had these night mares scince then." Jun had tears in her eyes as she looked at the fire. Chid got up and moved restlessly around the fire to stand by Ren and look down at Keiko.
"Why must children lose their innocents?" he asked with clenched fist. Ren looked sadly up at Chid, her eyes losing some of their coldness.
"That's life Chid, just life...."

@>~~~~~ ~~~~~<@

"This is our life, Lady Hitomi. "Asago answered calmly.
"So your telling me that all these women lost someone in the War, and now you have united them together to bring down any opposition to the powers that be?"
"Yes, that sums it up. I lost many of my comrades in the war. I was a Zaibach captain. I don't want anything like that to happen again." Hitomi looked at her for a long moment as Asago stood tall in front of her, waiting for her reaction. Hitomi bowed deeply in respect to Asago.
"Until I can get to Van, my Lady, I will serve your cause." Asago put her hand on Hitomi's shoulder to bring her face up, she looked in Hitomi's eyes. Then slowly, she bowed to Hitomi.
"I thank you, Lady Hitomi." An understanding passed between them, and a deep respect began to seed in both their hearts.


@>~~~~~ ~~~~~<@


Jako sighed. For a day and a half they had been travleing, and Merle had only let them stop to change the horses and sleep for two hours. It was time to rest whether she liked it or not. Merle had almost fallen out of the saddle twice, and the last time Jako had almost been to late to catch her. He estimated that they where only a half days journey from Fanelia's capital. It was time to rest. Jako stopped the horses and swung out of the saddle. He pulled Merle off into his arms and looked into her tired face. There were dark circles under her eyes and worry lines creasing her forehead. Merles eyes fluttered opened as she felt Jako pull her from the saddle.
"Jako...."she murmured softly.
"We?re going to rest princess. You just about fell off your horse two times, and I need rest." He kissed her head softly as he laid her on the ground. Then he made up their separate beds (what...You thought...GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE LEMONADE...heheheh)and moved her over. She caught his hand in a surprisingly strong grip.
"I need to get to Van...Hitomi...she's coming...I can...feel...it..." Her grip softened and her hand fell away as she went to sleep. Jako smiled down at her for a moment. Then he laid down and also traveled the paths to blissful rest.

end of chapter


A.N
This chapter was LONG. I can't believe how long it was.

[blackrose]

Okay...wait. Is this Allen's son by the deceased sister of Millerna that was King over (I guess Freid, huh)? Is THAT who Chid is?

o_O

Brain is fogged, and STILL Van has not found Hitomi! **stomps up and down** Gah! And there aren't any more chapters! **sulks**

~Rose