Second chapter was finished sooner than I expected, so I decided to post it right away. It as short as the first one simply cause the story isn't really started yet. Don't worry, I'll run out of ideas soon, and the whole proces of writing is gonna take a whole lot longer.

So, enjoy while it lasts!

Van and Hitomi were standing at the gravesite in the woods behind the castle. Van has just taken out the energist from its slot and Escaflowne fall in a sleep. And the time has come for Hitomi to say 'Goodbye'.

"Here… keep this Van." She said giving him her pendant. Van pulled her closer in a hug. Their last hug.

"I'll never forget you, even when I become old. I'll never forget, no matter what..." a pillar of light appeared as Van holds up an energist and sending Hitomi away. Back to the Mystic Moon.

"I'll never forget!" she repeats her promise once again.

"Hitomi…" it was the only thing Van could say, his voice was braking. He loved her, but had to let her go.

He didn't know that they would see each other again. Sooner than he expected. And in a way no one would expected.

On Gaea, in the land Fanelia a figure was lying on the roof, looking at the sky, at two moons. He was a boy by his age, but a man by all that he had experienced so far. His eyes ware empty as his thoughts wandered through the passages of his memory. And in each memory he could only see one thing, one person.

"It's cold, you should come inside, Van." A gentle voice appeared, but he didn't hear it. He didn't want to hear it. "Van!" she jelled again making him sits and turns to her.

"I'm fine Merle. Go back inside." He answered looking at his concerned friend. It was strange for him how she changed in only six months. It was like she lost a part of her heart too.

"I'm not leaving you with your thoughts alone again. Every time you find time you come here and trouble yourself even more." she sat next to him "I miss Hitomi too, you know."

"I thought you didn't like her?" Van looked at the Mystic moon at the mentioning of Hitomi's name.

"I didn't, at first. But she makes you happy, makes you smile. And if you are happy, I am happy."

"Merle, I…" he didn't know what to say. Merle indeed changed. "Did I made a mistake? Should I ask her to stay?"

"This isn't her world, you know that." Merle knew he was going to ask her that, she didn't even need to see in the future like Hitomi did during the war "But if you had asked her to stay… I think… no, I know she would stay."

Van stood up and walked of the roof on the balcony and into his room. He should rest for the meeting tomorrow, but he couldn't close his eyes. Every time he did he would see Hitomi's face and a wound on his heart would start to bleed.

"Hitomi…Hitomi… Hitomi…" he repeated her name over and over till he fall in a sleep.

Van walked slowly at the meeting he had with a old acquaintance from Asturia. He didn't like Meiden Fassa. He was greedy, always longing for more, but Van had no choice. He couldn't decline Fassa's visit. The merchant's son is after all Dryden, husband of Princess Millerna, and Van knew he owed Dryden a lot.

"King Van, it's an honor to see you again." Fassa put on a fake smile cursing Van inside for ruining his plans. A seer from Mystic Moon would have brought him an envious profit, but no. Van had to rescue her.

"You have asked for this meeting, as I realized, to discuss Zeibach." Van said sitting at the large table in the meeting room.

"Yes. Asturia has tried many times, mostly unsuccessful, to gain indemnity for all the damage they caused on Palas. We thought if Fanelia would joined our claim they would sag." The merchant had a grin on his face. A grin that made Van sick.

"But as I understand they have already paid a grate amount . Isn't that enough?" Van asked knowing the answer. It was never enough.

"But, no, king Van. It will never be enough, not to redeem at the damage they brought upon the people of Asturia."

"I understand. And how much of that amount did came to people of Asturia?"

"What are you implying to?" Fassa pulled back a little, noticing Van isn't as easy as he thought.

"I'm not implying anything. I'm only saying you should leave the people of Zeibach to rebuild their land, or they won't have anything to offer you as indemnity."

"There is always something." He said and stood up "It was nice seeing you again, but now I have to go back where I am needed."

"Yes. And please, greed your son and Princess Millerna from me." Van said politely wishing it was Dryden who came to see him.

"Of course." Meiden Fassa bowed slightly and left leaving Van alone with a new problem on his mind. Will the greed bring another war upon Gaea?