Chapter 10

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"Sir! I think we've finally found her!" Said the soldier, who just ran the up the stairs which was the length of a football field.

"And?..." Tapping his fingers on the armrest on the chair, the drum roll sound created grew louder and louder by the second.

"We know she's here on Gaea, but we haven't pin-pointed her location yet. But rest assured, we are continuing the search." This soldier was brave, especially so for having the guts to tell him bad news…

"Good, and hurry up!!" At this, the soldier left immediately, taking some others with him. Paruchi was known to be an impatient man.

"How long till the Fate Alteration engine is ready?" A cold, evil voice enquired. This man was of no human origin; his piercing blood red eyes were hidden under his short, spiky black hair, which held a godforsaken secret.

"Should be ready in the next couple of days, at the most."

"After which, fate should bring them to us. But, to ensure that they don't try to go anywhere, we should give them a present..."

(After much thought) "Hmmm...alright, but make it discreet; we don't want Escaflowne to intervene." His facial expression alone said to them; fail me, and you will pay dearly…

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He seems to be spending so much time with her, I know I shouldn't be, but I feel so jealous of her. So, Shiden's come from Earth, just like me… and unlike me, she won't be judged be everyone, because she seems to know him so well, more than me …They seem so close, at least he's not alone anymore - but what about me? I came here to find Van, as I can't bear to be apart from him, and now this; was it all worth it? Leaving my friends and family behind, for Van?

"Hitomi? Hitomi what's the matter?" Duo's voice was passive, yet she could still hear him.

"…..Nothing….."

"Really? So why do look so sad when Van's with Shiden?"

"I, just feel jealous somehow, because I feel that he's forgetting I'm even here right now." Hitomi sounded tearful, fighting to keep her pain as little gasps of breathing so it doesn't attract any attention. She turned away from Duo to hide it, but not before he saw.

"It'll all turn out for the best, you'll see."

"Yeah." Duo's more interested in my welfare than Van; but he's got his hands full right now. I never knew Duo could be so funny; I seem to be spending a lot of time with him, because Van is so pre-occupied with his current affairs…I think……I think I'm starting to like Duo, but I love Van - don't I?……..

Hitomi's heart was conflicting with her emotions; her mind with her conscience; her voice, with her morals. She stood at the balcony, and looked out at Fanelia; it had finally been restored. All of it. Did Van even miss her, while she had been gone all these years? Does he still love her, now that he's found a member of his family again, no longer alone? With so many questions and hardly any answers to them, it was beginning to make her headache. So, to try and take her mind off things related to Van, she quietly slipped out and took a walk around the palace, and bumped into one of the royal advisors.

<><><>

"What now?" It seemed the obvious question, and she was right. "Where are our parents? Are they here? And where's Folken? Van?....Van?" Her voice seemed so distant, yet so pensive. How do I tell her? That our whole family is dead - she'll want revenge, which isn't possible as Dornkirk is also dead. Oh Shiden....

"Sit down, there's something I need to tell you. Everyone's..... dead, and we're the only ones left. Father died because he contracted a serious illness; Folken went to slay a dragon for the right to be king. But… he never returned. After that, mother went in search of him, but she too didn't return."

"Why?..." It was almost a gasp, barely a whisper.

"I don't know why. But what I do know, is that Emperor Dornkirk has a part in all this. He's the one who gave Gaea the advanced technology that we have; it's all around us. Those things that you saw earlier? They're guymelefs, and are controlled manually by men who step inside them. Dornkirk was determined on world domination, and built a Fate Alteration machine, which can change fate. Folken tried to kill him, and succeeded, but he didn't make it. He died too."

"Emperor Dornkirk...he who gave all and took all...including our brother... in the name of world domination...how ironic." She was barely holding herself together now, rage coursing through her, and she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"I thought I had a family to come back to. Someplace where I belong, a place I could live with the people I love, somewhere to call my own, but to come back to this... " Now she was sobbing, so grief stricken that she couldn't even talk. Van gave his sister a comforting hug, to re-assure her that she's not totally alone, that she still had her little brother, someone from so, so long ago.

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"How are you feeling today?" His voice was full of concern for his sister, but still sympathetic.

"I'm fine Van, really. It was just a lot to take in, that's all, what you told me last night. I thought that, if I could only come back to Fanelia, I would see everyone again, and that everyone was happy, that everything was ok; though in reality, it's not. But I still have you." She gave him a lost smile, a smile so beautiful, Van was convinced that she would have endless marriage proposals by the end of the year when they had re-established who she is.

"So......what are you two up to?"

"Merle!!" This took even Merle by surprise, who hadn't heard of the recent good news. "Do you remember me? I won't blame you if you don't, after all, you were still very young back then."

That voice...why does it sound so familiar? Could it be?....

"Shiden?.... Shiden! I've missed you so much!! It's been so boring without you here! I thought it might be you; when we were little you would only wear trousers - even to special dinner parties; to those, you just wore a fancy pair of trousers. Where have you been?! "

I guess I do stick out like a sore thumb, I mean look at me; not only am I wearing black combats, chunky trainers, a dark green top, and a whitish/grey long coat that reached my ankles, and it does have a fake fur collar.

Do I look odd?

"I've - been away Merle - to the Mystic Moon." Just then, the cathedral bell rang, indicating that it was already noon. So all three of them went down the stairs to meet the others for lunch. But what greeted them wasn't what any of them had prepared for.

"Hey guys listen up! Guess what? Princess Eries is getting married!!" Hitomi cheerfully announced, and the news were as shocking as Shiden's arrival....