*This Story begins almost a year after Hitomi returned from Gaea.
Chapter One: The Calling
"Get in your cells!" the guard yelled at the inmates. They walked into their cells with no complaints. There was a new inmate. He was young looking with blond hair and green eyes. He looked beat down and scrawny like he's been beat half his life. That wasn't far from the truth.
A dark haired older man sat down beside him. "So what are you in for?" he asked. He took out a cigarette and lit it up and looked at the young inmate.
"Murder" the young man answered leaning back against the cold dirty wall of the cell.
"Same here. Three counts. They never give fair trials here. My names Frank. What's yours kid?" he asked taking another puff of his cigarette.
"My name is Shin. Shin Tsume. I'm not like you, if that's what your thinking. I killed for revenge and retribution unlike other people who kill to steal, and for greed" Shin said as he got out his own cigarette.
Frank smiled and pulled out his lighter and lit up Shin cigarette. "Sounds like you've had a hard life kid" he said putting his lighter back in his pocket.
Shin was on death row. They were playing with him never giving him the date of his execution. It could be tomorrow for all he knew. How could people be so cruel? But that's all Shin ever knew was cruelty and hatred.
While Shin was working in the fields the guards suddenly beat him down to the ground. They pulled him out into the back of the prison where the prisoners are executed. It was time for Shin to die for his crime.
He was placed in front of a row of men with guns. They planned to shoot him to death. Shin was just thankful that it was a quick way out. He had heard that some men are hanged and could be there for hours before they died. The guns raised and pointed towards Shin. Only seconds before Shin would die a pillar of light shone upon him and everything went black.
In bed Hitomi laid asleep when she was suddenly awoken by something. Hitomi looked around for the source of her sudden awareness. She saw the shoe box that she had put away long ago had spilled out onto the floor. She walked over to clean up the mess and she noticed her tarot cards. One laid face up. It was the tower card, the card of distant separation. "No. Not again" Hitomi said as she quickly put her cards away.
When Hitomi returned from Gaea her life started anew. She tried to move on, but something held her back from having any relationship. When ever she came close all she could think about was Van. The first couple of days were a nightmare. Hitomi couldn't sleep because when ever she closed her eye all she could see was Van. Her love for him never faded but her image of him, smell of him, touch of him did fade.
The weather seem to be different this year. It was always raining but that wasn't a problem for Hitomi because it matched her mood perfectly. Something didn't feel right. Someone's feeling have been reaching Hitomi and disturbing her in her sleep. Hitomi often wakes up from horrible nightmares that seem to be someone's past, but who's?
The news said that the weather is due to changes in the Earths gravitational pull from the sun. It was one of many explanations, but it seemed the most reasonable. Some places in the world were taking this as a sign from the Gods.
"Hitomi! Wait up for me!" Yukari yelled from behind Hitomi.
"I'm sorry Yukari. I guess I wasn't paying attention" Hitomi said as she stopped and waited for Yukari to catch up.
"Hitomi! What's been the matter with you lately? You said you were okay with me being with Amano, right?" Yukari said with concern in her eyes.
"No Yukari. I'm fine really and I'm happy that your with Amano. It's just that something's missing in my life. I feel incomplete" Hitomi said trying to give her best explanation of the problem.
"I bet it's just the weather we've been having lately. When the sun comes back were going to the beach. Just you and me. We'll have tons of fun."
"Sure Yukari!" Hitomi replied trying to give Yukari her best smile. Hitomi parted with Yukari and was on her way home.
Hitomi was walking across the bridge and she suddenly stopped and looked out into the water. She leaned against the railing resting her head in her arms. "Van I miss you. I want to see you. When I close my eyes your image is fading more and more every day" Hitomi said to herself as a tear rolled down her cheek.
The ground suddenly started to shake and Hitomi had to hold on to the railing to keep her balance. It was an earthquake and this one seemed to be worse than all they others. "Something's wrong! Something's not right!" Hitomi said as she saw a building collapse.
The earthquake had finally stopped and Hitomi regain her balance. "What's going on? It feels like the world is being torn apart" Hitomi said as she looked up into the sky. Hitomi stood in shock. "Gaea? But how can I see Gaea? I've never been able to see it before. It must be related to all the strange phenomena that seem to be going on" Hitomi said as she ran home.
Gaea could now be seen by all people on Earth. No one could explain it, but that didn't stop people from panicking. Some people said it was the end of the world, Armageddon.
Hitomi was being called back to Gaea. Gaea was the source of all the chaos that has been happening. Hitomi feared that if the problem wasn't solved soon the world would be seeing its last days.