Destiny's Pawns--~Chapter 18~

[Hitomi Lei]

Some Time Later...


Chid winched as another scram tour through the palace walls. He didn't thing he could take it much longer. Hitomi had been in labor for 14 hours now, and her screams just kept getting louder. He watched as Jako and Merle paced in opposite directions, while Dryden tried to read a book. Ren and Jun set sewing for the baby. Celina was watching the children with Allen, who couldn't bare the screams any longer. They were all afraid for Hitomi and the baby. Chid sighed as he walked over to the window, remembering these last eight months...

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

Hitomi had shut out every one form her life. Chid had watched her pain and almost hated Van. He had almost broken their alliance, but his Aunt had begged him not to.

"What if he comes here and finds Hitomi? No, it's best if he not have reason to visit."

So Chid lived two lives, one attending Counsel summits as Van's ally, and one of watching Hitomi slowly sink deeper into depression. He hated Van for taking this cheerful lady and turning her into a silent mourner.
Then one day, that all changed, Chid walked into the Fanelian palace to find Van weeping in front of an open window facing the Mystic Moon. Though he never said a word, from that day forth, Chid just took pity on the couple that seemed to be destined as star-crossed lovers. Chid turned from he window and went to sit down.


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


Ren looked at the tiny shirt she was making.

"Never has any baby entered the world to such pain." She though.

In the months since Asago's death Ren had watched Hitomi slowly fall apart. She had stopped eating, and would go on long walks in the garden. Many servents had started calling her the Grey Lady, because she seemed so sad. Through it all, Ren had watched over her, just like her Aunt had charged her to in the letter. Asago seemed to know so much, about the baby, and Hitomi. Ren knew that this baby was special, so she vowed to protect it with her life.
Ren sighed as she watched Chid go to the window. All this had hurt him the most. At fist, Ren had though that Chid loved Hitomi, and that?s why he was taking it so badly. Ren learned that it was because he saw Van and Hitomi as his family. During the Great War, Hitomi and Van helped him put aside his fear of failure, and afterwards he lived with Van as both their kingdoms were rebuilt.
Another scream tour the air, and one of Millennia?s nurses ran through.

"It's a breach birth, and Dr. Millerna needs Ren. NOW!" Ren put aside her sewing and followed the nurse into the room calmly.


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


Millerna stood in front of Hitomi, trying to coach her. The baby was half way out; all that remained was his shoulders and head.

"Hitomi, push! Just one good time! PUSH DANG IT!" Millerna yelled again. Hitomi pushed weakly and Ren pressed on her stomached trying to help her.
Hitomi had lost allot of blood, she just didn't have the strength. Millerna knew it was just a matter of time before they both died.

"I'm not losing you both. I refuse to." She started yelling for her surgical interments.

"What are you going to do, Lady?" asked Ren from her place next to Hitomi.

"I'm going to widen the birthing canal just a bit, then I'm going to pull the little guy out myself. You might want to leave. I-I-I.... I don't think I can save them both...." Ren shook her head.

"I will stay." She moved to stand by Hitomi's head; it appeared she had passed out.

Millerna went to work on Hitomi, thinking all the while about the last eight months. The day Hitomi Found out she was pregnant stood out most in her mind. Hitomi had gone hysterical at the news, and almost cut her own wrist. Millerna had saved her that day. She never told anyone at Hitomi's request, but she felt deep sorrow for Hitomi. She watched as Hitomi slowly wasted away, becoming lost in a grey mist of depression. Millerna knew she wouldn't be able to save Hitomi's life tonight, because she had lost the will to live.
Having cut what she though was enough; Millerna slowly slid her hand inside Hitomi. She found the infants head and Neck with one hand and with the other she gently pulled at him. It bothered her that Hitomi didn't scream in pain as she pulled him the rest of the way out. She handed the baby off to a nurse who cleaned out his nose and mouth as she cut and tied the cord. He didn't cry. Millennia?s heart stopped. Hitomi or the baby.... both needed her now. Ren came up and took the baby.

"I have helped the mid-wives before, you help Hitomi." Millerna would have smiled her thanks if the mood weren?t so grim.


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


A grey mist surrounded Hitomi. Everywhere she looked all she could see was grey.

"Is this death?" she asked, her words echoing loudly.

"No, this is a place between life and death." a voice answered from behind her. She turned slowly to see Folken standing before her, his long ebony wings stretched out.

"Do you play the part of the Death Angel now Folken?" Hitomi asked with mild curiosity.

"No, I have come as Fates messenger. The child you carry is to save all of Gaea one day, but he must have his Mother and Father before he can."

"If your saying I should go back--"

"All I'm saying, Hitomi, is that you must live!" Folken's voice was urgent.

"But I have lost the strength to live." Hitomi looked away sadly.

"So you will wallow in self-pity? I thought better of one of the Great Heroes." Hitomi swung around to face him.

"You don't understand! How could you understand my pain?"

"Oh, but I do. I lost my family, my identity, and my kingdom all in one day. I know what self-pity is. It led me down a road of ruin. Yours is going to kill you." Folken walked a few steps away.

"Let me show you something." Hitomi followed slowly as Folken opened a window like hole in the mist.

"You are looking at what would happen to this world if you die." Hitomi saw a world in chaos. There was no light; every thing she once loved was gone. Earth too had been destroyed. A flash of light came and she no longer saw the destroyed landscape. A small boy with light green hair was being escorted to an ornate gateway. A dark figure was chanting some spell, suddenly a light began to engulf the boy?s small body, and he withered in pain...

"I can't see anymore, Folken." Hitomi's shoulders heaved as she sobbed.

"That was my son..."

"Yes, Hitomi, Your son."

"How can I raise him without Van?" Folken looked her in the eye.

"You are not alone, as we speak 10 people are beseeching every God there is, and then some, for your life. Believe in your friends." Folken began to walk away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Hitomi yelled after him.

"It's up to you m=now, Hitomi. Will you keep your vow and liberate Gaea, or will you die?" With those words Folken disappeared into the mist.


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


Millerna almost fainted when the bleeding stopped. For what seemed like hours after the baby was born she had been trying to stop the bleeding from Hitomi's womb. Then she heard a voice she thought she would never hear again.

"Millerna...?" Hitomi asked, " Is my baby...is he okay?" Hitomi tried to set up. She was too weak.

"Yes, he's fine, thanks to Ren." Millerna smiled wearily.

"May I see him?" Hitomi said trying to stay awake. Ren leaned over the bed and handed the sleeping infant to Hitomi.

"Here he is, Lady Hitomi." Hitomi took the baby into her weak arms, and looked into his face. He had tuffs of light turquoise hair sticking up around his face. Hitomi wondered how this could be; it was almost the color of Folken?s. One wide purple-blue eye opened and the baby yawned. Hitomi felt as if Folken himself was watching her, and maybe he was...

"His name is Folken Asago de Tashii." she said in weary pride.

"Why the sir name Tashii, Lady Hitomi? Why not Fanel?" Ren asked.

"Because, with the birth of my baby, I also had a new birth. I am no longer Hitomi Kansaki de Fanel. From now on call me Libra Tashii." Ren looked at the Queen of Fanelia.

"Yes, Lady Libra." she smiled, " I'll take Folken now." Ren took the baby and went to tell everyone the news. Millerna walked over to Libra.

"I all most lost a dear friend today" She said as she took Libra's hand.

"Yes, you almost did, but I have seen things tonight, things that would have come to pass had I died, and I desided to come back." Millerna couldn't fathom all Libra's words, but then she didn't have too. Chid found them later, both a sleep, with Millerna's hand still holding tightly to her freind. He closed the door softly as the sun rose, filling the sky with colors and the hope for a better tomorrow inside the hearts of ten people....


End of Part Two: The Birth of Libra


A.N. Finally that's over. The next part starts 3 years later. And thats when the true fun begans. Oh and I have the Bios for the characters of this story on my web site...where you can also see some facpics of them too!!
Go to http://hitomis__angel.tripod.com/bios/

_________________
::not the sharpest crayon in the box, are we?::

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Hitomi Lei on 2002-06-12 18:02 ]</font>