"Right." Simple answer to a simple statement.

Yukari looked quizzically at Hitomi. She hadn't said anything, and for the past twenty minutes they've been eating in silence. However, since high school Hitomi's who personality had changed. Yukari wasn't sure if she liked it, but she tried her best to reach to her friend over the last 5 years.

"Right?" Yukari asked quizzically.

Hitomi's eyes met Yukari's. She had been staring at the couple three tables to their left, Love. So simple it seems, you find someone you like, you date, and eventually fall in love. She pondered why in the world she would get dealt the hand of having her forever in a whole other world and never came to the conclusion. She had tried so many times to go back, but she knew she couldn't without the pendant. She would have to wait for Van to call her, but five years, she was starting to lose all hope. There were a million possibilities keeping him from calling her, and she seemed to have grown into a pessimistic state, the only choice she would accept was He doesn't want you anymore.

"I'm sorry, daydreaming." Her eyes met her plate and she continued to eat. She felt guilty, Yukari had tried to make so many attempts to comfort her, continue on the friendship but Hitomi just felt as if her life was on cruise control, and other then turning slightly every now and then, she wasn't sure you had the energy to make her own pace.

"I wanted to ask you to lunch Hitomi, because I have some big news." Yukari couldn't hold back the excitement that came with that statement alone.

Hitomi raised a brow in what seemed to be forced interested. Yukari wasn't great at reading Hitomi's emotions anymore, which Hitomi felt a twinge of guilt, Yukari had been supportive for the last five years. Unfortunately, growing more and more distant but the least Hitomi could do is be interested in what Yukari was saying.

"I'm moving to America, I got into the program" She lifted her hands balling her fist shaking the uncontrollably in front of her.

Hitomi could have been slapped in the face because her jaw dropped in genuine shock.

"Wow…Yukari...That's great! What about Amano?" Of course all of the possibilities swirled through her mind in split seconds. He would go with, or he would finish up his intern ship and go there, any possibility ended in the two being together.

Yukari took a pause trying to find the words to break things to Hitomi. Yukari couldn't place it but Hitomi put a little interest in her and Amano. That always seemed to be the only thing that could bring Hitomi out of her coma, is for Yukari to praise the wonderful Amano and how in love she was. Over five years that changes, she just wasn't sure how to tell Hitomi.

"Well, Hitomi… me and Amano have… grown apart." Simply put, it was the truth and the fact she could say it now without a pull of remorse or sadness meant it really was true.

Hitomi's eyes grew wide "Wha?" she couldn't even think of a full coherent question to follow that statement.

"Well he's been traveling the last 2 years on his internship Hitomi. Every time he would come back it was different, he was changing and I was changing, but we weren't changing together" Yukari fiddled her hands in her lap. It was as honest as she could be, and it wasn't going to help Hitomi to learn that over time and distance people grow apart.

It was like she wasn't listening to Yukari anymore. Time and distance could make people grow apart. Yukari proved it; they were so in love when she came back. Their eyes showed everything when they looked at each other, always holding hands, smiling, and just seemed content with one another's presence. As much as it hurt to see such happiness when Hitomi wasn't, it made her feel better, some way she always thought if she had Van – that's how they would be. If Yukari and Amano – so in love – could grow apart what about Van?

She rose from her seat and stared at Yukari with anguished eyes. Yukari couldn't bring the words to her mouth trying to reach her hand out to Hitomi. Turning Hitomi left the table and proceeded to the door. Yukari shook her head "Why don't you go back Hitomi." There was pity in her voice and Hitomi could hear it. She paused before the door and wanted to say I've tired but the tears would of made a scene.

Yukari watched with regret as Hitomi left the restaurant knowing that would be the last time she was ever to see her again.


The gardens were quiet, the night sky was illuminated not only with the beautiful distant twinkles of stars, but the two moons cascading their bright glows over the lands of Gea. Escaflowne's armor shimmered against the moons – causing a dance of lights around the gardens. It was truly a beautiful sight.

The Fanelian King stared at Escaflowne, with a knot in his chest of memories dancing through his mind. To many If only and what ifs plagued his thoughts alone at night that coming here made his seem a little closer to the past. He had rebuilt his kingdom, Fanelia thrived. The world did seem at a state of peace. Even he could admit that the first 3 years after the Great Gea War, his thoughts never had a lot of time to travel and think. But now, he felt the empty hollow forming in his heart to be increasing.

Maybe he could do it tonight. He just had to go, just think of her and he could be there. But insecurities brought him back to the original reason he never did go to her for the last 5 years. She wanted to go home. He sighed. There was a lot to do tomorrow, and regardless of the turmoil that ran solid in his heart and conflicted his mind, he would have to place all his emotions away to be the King of Fanelia.

"Van…" the voice so familiar, Merle came around the larger bush at the entrance of the Garden.

A smirk crossed Van's face. Merle, if it wasn't for the distinct differences in their appearance, you could easily say these two appeared to be brother and sister. Merle's ears lowered and she tightened her robe as she approached Van.

"I couldn't sleep either." Her tail flicked with tension. She had grown tall – her features were hidden beneath the thick white robe.

"I was actually getting ready to retire." Van held out his arm inviting Merle in to follow him back up the path into the castle.

"You miss her Van, why don't you go?" Merle was always rather blunt when it came to talking with Van. She never was one to indulge in pointless conversation. She wanted an answer – honestly she just wanted to grab that pendant and go grab her herself.

"You know why Merle, we've had this conversation" Van rolled his eyes, his voice was deep.

Van had grown taller as well over the last five years, his features more manly. Of course his eyes showed the maturity and likeness a man would have 5 years ago. His psychical appearance finally matched. His face has sharper featured, broader shoulders, and his arms thicker. His crimson eyes meet Merles, shaking his head so his onyx hair moved away from his eyes.

"I know Van she wanted to go, but in five years did it ever cross your mind she wanted to come back too?" Merle had had this conversation so many times; she thought she should just write the whole act out and maybe revise it, thinking she needed some new lines.

Van had always told Merle many different excuses over the last two years. Because she's selfless and would do whatever she could for anyone was always the most used one. He was tired of lying, there was really only one reason he never went. He wanted to rebuild Fanelian for one, after which he told himself he would go and see her – tell her Fanelia is worthy of her now, he was worthy. When it came time though, he couldn't feel her – he couldn't "sense" her. He was able to sense her for the longest time, always giving him motivation to move on and hope he would see her one day.

"Merle I can't sense her anymore…" Van always thought this was because she might have moved on – or worse – no longer cared for him. Their connection was lost due to lack of feelings from her for him. It was okay for him to accept though, it had been five years – she deserved to be happy.

Merle opened her mouth with her finger in the air ready to give out her next pre-written answer but the response was not one she expected. This was new he really was losing hope. She figured all the other excuses he had thrown at her were a cover, as they were easy to counter with some logic that he was too self-conscious to see. Van of all people, self-conscious, yes it was true, Hitomi had affected Van in a way Merle thought she would never see.

She lowered her ears and slowly lowered her hand. "Van… "It was all she could muster and she defiantly regretted that it sounded so sad. Merle was quick on her feet, to judge, to argue, but never quick to think how she should deal with the broken heart of her King.

"Just go Van, go see!" Merle couldn't believe that Hitomi would stop loving him either, the thought of it should even be put together, so Merle went to the next thought – something happen to Hitomi.

Van stared at her as if she just wasn't grasping what he saying. He turned and started to walk to the entrance of the garden from where he and Merle had entered.

"Van, look you have to go…" Merle bit her lip wondering and trying to quickly play out every possible outcome of her next sentence but she could play them all out in time. "What if something happen to her?"

It was said, Van was always one for looking into possibilities. Always finding different reasons for the way things were, or how they should be. Which is why Fanelia was so strong, he spent the time rebuilding the entire city, managed to bring treaties to new and old nations alike, and keep those treaties renewed and life on Gae at peace. This is one possibility he never considered. Was he really that naïve to think first that she didn't care for him and that's why his sense for her was waning, that he didn't think that something had happen to Hitomi her care was still there, just she wasn't.

Van hit his knees as the thought wrecked havoc in his chest. It was like the world was pulling him down and probably never going to let him up. Is that why? Really was it, because Hitomi never said it, but he knew she cared, always would care, Hitomi was gentle like that, but to stop caring wasn't Hitomi at all. It was logical, Merle was right. Something had happen, which was worse for him to be plagued with that the thought that she didn't care or even love him.

Merle placed her hands over her mouth. He really never considered it and now Merle could feel the regret creeping into every bone of her being. Am I really THAT stupid? Why would anyone tell someone that! She WAS probably the equivalent to a Draegn. I mean only someone who enjoyed the misery of others could possibly say anything like that, and that's what Draegn are.

Van started to feel his chest constricting and his breathing seemed to be more effort to do. The thoughts of loosing Hitomi sent his head into an ache and his body into shivers. Merle shot across to Van, closing the 50 foot gap between them, and she caught him from falling completely to the ground.

"Van, Van!" Merle said lowly seeing his eyes were closed – he collapsed. His breathing labored and heavy, he was defiantly alive.

What had she done? What was she going to do, Van couldn't handle this information – she had to find out if Hitomi was ok, but how. Her gaze focused on the pendant that seemed to have a dull pink shinning to it. That's it she would go see if Hitomi was ok!

The plains were quiet, rolling hills of nothing but white flowers unorganized over the hills, to be popping anywhere the saw fit through the wildly high plan grass. Mixture of green's, gold's, and cream's filled the wonderful sight for miles and miles. Hitomi stood and wasn't sure where she was. She couldn't recall where she was a second ago but she had a strange feeling she wasn't here.

Quickly the thought eluded her, her urge to run through the landscape prevailed, kicking her shoes off she darted ahead. Her light blue dress seemed to flow effortlessly with her and she exhilarated herself running through the tall grass with her arms out to her sides touching the tips of the long plain grass as she passed.

It was beautiful; her attention looked into the wonderful blue sky. Mystic Moon she heard an echo in her head. It was her voice but it was as if it wasn't her thought. Like a whisper on the breeze, that picked up a caught the bottoms of her dress with slight force. A large thrumming seemed to vibrate the ground, and what she only could describe as a steady clank of metal hitting together in a rhythmic beat came from every direction. She wasn't sure if she should turn and run the way she came or go forward to the next hill, didn't seem as if there were any taller than the one ahead, so she maybe would be able to see something.

Urgency had suddenly creeped into her mind and she sprinted with haste, the careful jot from earlier had disappeared. The top of the hill came a lot sooner than she expected and she stood at what seem to be utter chaos below. Masses of what just seemed to be black surrounded a city that she thought she recognized. Built in the seclusion of a large mountain while the city seem to cascade out of it like a waterfall all the way to the base where a large wall hugged to keep the city safe. It was Fanelia again the voice in the breeze whispered in her ear.

The metal clanging moved towards this breath taking city below. Her sight scanned the scenery even moving to see the large black objects that caught her attention to the left. Levi ships – large ones, a more modern in style. The sails were green with something of what seemed to be two large half moons with a serpent in the middle as a crest on each sail.

"This might be a possibility" A deep baritone voice startled her to jump. She didn't feel immediate fear as she turned to see a large reptilian eye blink. The eye alone was the size of her head – with a black pupil and golden sunset hues swirling around. She stood stunned as the head of the large reptilian pulled away from her and lifted his head far above her with his long graceful neck. Dragon Hitomi thought. Hitomi had only seen a couple in her time on Gae but he had to be the biggest one. He was red – like crimson, with what seemed to be a metal flake coating his scales, causing the sun to dance golden shines off his body.

Still fear eluded her – at least fear of this dragon before her. A sense of calm eased her; his appearance stunned her for sure.

"A possibility?" Hitomi turned her gaze to the city below and the hordes of what appeared to be armies massing their way to that beautiful country. Hitomi wasn't sure but she almost felt as if the dragon had a blanket over her, because she couldn't imagine how she was calm, she could feel the sadness and fear in the back of her mind, but it didn't break to her cool and collective surface.

"You know what this is, don't you... Winged Goddess." He flicked his tongue in a reptilian manner; his voice emphasized the praise to her referenced name.

"War… But I thought it was over." Hitomi again gazed at the city without remorse, without fear, sadness, or panic.

"It is, Winged Goddess, you should of never left, fate and destiny are yours to do as you choose – but Gae needs you. You see, fate and destiny are like threads spun together – attaching at the start and at the end. Cut one thread – a possibility of how things could go – jump to a new thread – but the ending is the same." His face met her with a stern gaze.

A moment she pondered the words – things seemed slower. Time, thought, and movement seemed to go slower. She thought that if she could drink Novocain this would be its effect. She gazed at the city again, questions slowly came to her. It almost seemed as her time in this pace was almost to an end, so she should probably choose wisely at what she asked.

"I'm from Earth, How can I be a part of Gaea?" Hitomi thought it was a legitimate question. How is it that Gaea needed someone from another planet, sure she could see the future – more so on Gae than Earth. But she wasn't from this place, she didn't belong here – or she would have been born here.

"Have you forgotten? The Mystic Moon was where the Draconian race started. They made Gae. In their own greed and selfishness – they completed a selfless act in the end. The inhabitants have long forgotten their origins and become the race known as the Humans. But that still doesn't affect that they were Draconians." The dragon turned his head and looked behind him. Hitomi followed his lead, turning around to see where his intense focus was.

Before her stood beautiful white column leading into what she would compare to a great Greek city. All the building carved from a glazed marble with pictures forming the columns of great battles won. White brick seemed evenly laid to form wide roads through the city – just as the building no imperfections anywhere that her eyes could see. Shadows seemed to move everywhere – descending from the sky – as Draconians flew with over head.

"Before Atlantis came to its horrible demise and Gae was born – Draconians had talent such as you. Seers some may call them, others called them prophets. They could see glimpses into the future." The scene before them slowly smeared away and a slowly another started to appear.

As it appeared, she could see a circle of white marble columns stretched to the taller ceiling carvings of mighty dragons seemed to dimensional pop out and crawl up to the opening in the temple. With the sun beaming through the open roof the onyx black floor glistened, as if it was clear coated in a metallic sheen. One woman sat in the center of the temple with her back to Hitomi and the large dragon. Her long light brown hair seemed a silky curtain of curls as it hung loosely down her back. Beautiful arched wings folded to her back.

Hitomi walked to the lone figure in the center of the room. She could hear the dragon following as his long ivory claws clicked against the floor. Hitomi rounded to feel a sense of knowing in this Draconian woman. As she stood in front of her the resemblance to her was almost appalling. Older – more defiant – features sharper, less round that hers. Her eyes were closed and she seemed in a state of completed serenity.

Her eyes shot open, with a stunned look. Hitomi jumped back at what appeared to be a startled reaction. Her emerald eyes were giving Hitomi a sense of Déjà vu.

Hitomi didn't notice the long scroll or quill in front of the Draconian until she bent over and started writing with a sense of urgency. Hitomi stepped forward to see if she can read the writing.

Guidance will prove unhelpful,

Dragons will bow to her,

Man-kind will enslave her,

Blood of destined will not be able to control her,

But she it.

Visions must not be trust,

To those with will power weak,

Beyond the land of the moving trees,

They will come,

To destroy all and claim her.

Take her heart,

Or her darkness will overcome all.

Hitomi blinked. She shook her head and looked at the dragon that seemed to have the knowledge she needed. "Why always in riddles?" She didn't understand. Couldn't they ever just tell people what happen if they seen it.

"From one who doesn't know the events lead up to it, or why it happens, just that it will happen, can only speak in riddles." It made sense she tried to process. There had been times in her vision that something happen because she tried to prevent it from happening – instead of not doing anything. It was a riddle. To do or not do, but her visions never spanned a future beyond a day at most. Never years, decades, or in this case centuries?

Hitomi couldn't help but reread the elegant writing again.

"Your time is waning Hitomi, we must leave." The Dragon closed his eyes and Hitomi mimicked unsure of how exactly to leave somewhere you appeared in without a choice.

Again, opening her eyes, she stood on the hills, but below was no mass battalion heading to the beautiful city below, no Levi ships hovering above to ensure that whatever the land battle didn't take care of, and death from above would ensure victory.

Just the sight of a flourishing city, traders coming and going, and the small dotted figures stretched all along the road that wind to the hills following behind the mountain.

"You need to go back Hitomi." He voice stern, it made her heart skip a beat as the thought of going back to Van.

"How, I don't have my pendant." She touched her neck at the empty space where the pendant used to lay. For the longest time occasional she thought she felt it move, or somehow settle on her skin. Like a ghost, haunting her smooth skin.

The Dragon didn't answer he simple crouched down and then launched himself in the air, gaining altitude. Higher and higher he pressed, and to Hitomi his figure became smaller and smaller. She turned and gazed at the city and wondered how she would get back. The anxiety that seemed to have been numbed away with the dragons' presences started to creep to her. She could sense her worry growing, the fear of what was to come, and the panic that she couldn't get back.

"VAN!" She screamed and lurched down the hill and blackness ensued.