Van slowly became aware that he was hearing a voice call out to him from the darkness that surrounded him. It was a familiar voice and it sounded close. The darkness started to recede as he gained consciousness.
"LORD VAN! WAKE UP!"
Van opened his eyes to see the worried face of a pink-haired cat girl looking down at him.
"Merle?"
"Oh Lord Van, you're alright!" Merle practically pounced on him and licked his face.
"Hitomi?" He asked, trying to look around. What happened, he thought. "Where's Hitomi?" Merle frowned and looked over at someone.
"Um, is she supposed to be here?" A musky voice said from behind Van. Van stood up and turned to see his good friend Allen Schezar. Oh yeah, Van remembered, they said they would wait for me while I went to look for Hitomi. Van wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was glad they were there for emotional support.
"Lord Van," Cried a worried Merle, "What happened?" Van seemed puzzled and started rubbing his head. He stood up and looked around. He was back in Fanelia. It was a warm, quiet night. Three horses were nearby grazing.
"Well, um, let's see. I was here with you guys when I used the pendant to go to the Phantom Moon, and I made it! It was dark and about to storm, so I decided to wait until morning to go looking for her. Then, it started raining, but then…Hitomi was there!" Van's face lit up at the memory but it quickly faded as he remembered what happened. His face turned red and his fists clenched. He suddenly let loose a string of profanities. Merle and Allen glanced at each other and shrugged.
"Van! Get a hold of yourself!" Allen said as he grabbed Van's shoulders and faced him. "What happened?" He asked very slowly.
Van told them about the brief reunion and then the sudden bang that tore Hitomi away from him. His shoulders slumped. It wasn't supposed to go like this. For years, Van tried to imagine what it would have been like if Hitomi had stayed with him. The more he thought about it the more he wished it had really happened. But then he started feeling guilty; he was being selfish. Hitomi chose to go back to her family and her life on the Phantom Moon. He couldn't expect her to just give it all up for him. Who was he to ask that of anyone? Van then tried to just forget her, thinking it would be easier that way. But it never worked. Before he realized it, he would be daydreaming about her, whether it was during a council meeting, dinner, or in the middle of the night. He really felt it when he had to attend a ball or a party. He had to be nice and sociable and dance with a few ladies, but he never had fun. He couldn't stop thinking what it would be like to dance with Hitomi, to hear her laugh again, to have her close again….
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He had to see Hitomi again. He had to at least ask her to come back, and even if she said no, then at least he'd have closure and might possibly be able to move on with his life.
At least he had good friends here that supported and cared for him. He looked over at Merle. Over the last couple of years, she had grown in to a lovely, young, cat woman. She had let her hair grow out just past her shoulders and traded in her old clothes for a reliable pair of boots and a longer, yellow and brown dress. She was still very protective of Van, but he didn't mind. She would sometimes rescue him from a boring party or just be there to talk to. She was family.
Years ago, Van had asked Allen if he'd come to Asturia and help rebuild its army. Allen was honored and got permission and the blessing of the aging King of Asturia. Allen now lived in the palace with Van and Merle and was one of Van's most trusted advisors as well as head of the army. Allen still had his long, blonde hair, but now he wore the colours of Fanelia in an outfit similar to what Balgus used to wear.
"Hm…" Allen said, deep in thought, while rubbing his chin. "It doesn't make any sense. Why would Hitomi have been torn away?"
"Could it have been the interference from the storm?" Merle asked.
"I suppose so, I don't know much about it, but it just doesn't feel right."
"What are you trying to say?" Van asked him.
"I'm not sure. I don't want to jump to any conclusions. But-"
"HEY!" Merle interrupted. "Sorry Allen, but I just had an idea. From what Van told us, Hitomi is probably somewhere on Gaea, right? I mean, you saw her shoot up, not down. Well, what if you try to use the pendant to find her?"
Van blushed in embarrassment. "Why didn't I think of that? It's worth a try." He took out the pendant again and closed his eyes in concentration. Everything went dark in his mind as he focused on Hitomi.
Allen and Merle watched as the pendant started swinging back and forth. Merle held her breath. But then Van growled and his eyes flew open.
"It's not working! It's not coming up with anything!" He shoved it back under his shirt.
"Don't get too upset Van. Maybe Hitomi is too far away, or maybe she's unconscious and she has to be awake." Van's stomach twisted at the thought of Hitomi lying unconscious someone, unprotected, in the middle of nowhere. It was all his fault. If he hadn't asked her….
"Snap out of it, Lord Van." Merle said as she stomped on his foot. "Stop worrying about what might have happened and start concentrating on what we can do right now."
Van gave her a weak smile. She was right.
"Allen," she continued, "what were you about to say before I interrupted?"
"Instead of guessing what happened, we should talk to someone who might be able to tell us what happened." Van and Merle looked at each other and then back at Allen in anticipation. "I've been keeping in touch with Millerna and Dryden, and I remember hearing that Dryden bought some damaged equipment from the ruined capital of Zaibach. He was going to fix it up in his spare time. He might be able to use it to tell us what happened to Hitomi"
"We should go right now!" Van said excitedly.
"All the way to Asturia on horseback, I don't think so." Allen said. We'll go back to the palace and take a ship to Asturia. It will be faster that way. I'll ride ahead and get it ready."
"No, let me go Allen!" Merle cried. "Lady and I have been running in the mornings, so we'll get there really fast." Merle stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled. One of the horses heads shot up and trotted over to Merle. Merle jumped on and the two of them headed off towards the palace.
Van and Allen watched her disappear in to the night. They rounded up their horses and then headed off.
"Van?"
"Um?"
"Was Hitomi glad to see you?"
"I think so. I couldn't believe it. I was there for only ten minutes when I heard someone crying. I got up from where I was sitting against the tree and walked around. There she was, crying her eyes out." Van flushed at the memory of Hitomi in those short shorts and that small t-shirt. It was obvious that she had grown into a beautiful young woman. "Then, she must have heard me. As soon as she recognized me, she ran straight into my arms."
"It sounds like she was happy to see you."
"Yeah, I guess so. I just wish I knew what had happened. I mean, how did she know I was there?"
"You can ask her when we find her. Come on, let's go." Allen kicked his horse in to a run and Van followed.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Where am I? What happened?
Hitomi woke up to find herself lying on a cold, stone floor. She slowly got up and looked around. She was in a small, dusty room, with a little light coming in from the bared window on the door. She saw a few chains attached to the wall and breathed a sigh of relief when she realized no chains were attached to her. I just was just dumped here? She walked over to the door and tried to open it. It was locked. She looked out the bars but she couldn't see anything out there.
She sighed. She was a prisoner.
Oh God, it really happened, she thought. Van was really there! What the hell happened though? Where am I and who locked me in here? What happened to Van? Is he okay?
Hitomi stretched out her sore muscles. Her hair fell in her face and she realized she had lost her hair tie somewhere. She shivered. Her pajamas were still a little damp and now dirty, thanks to the great housekeeping. How long have I been out? She started scanning the room, looking for anything of interest. Soon she gave up and just walked around, trying to warm up.
She couldn't stop thinking about Van. He was so handsome. She could still picture the way he looked in the rain, his wet hair falling into his face, his tall, muscular body. And when he held her! She actually giggled with excitement at the memory. What a time for those kind of thoughts Kanzaki! She told herself.
Just then she heard the lock click open and the door opened with a creek. Hitomi spun around and shielded her eyes from the sudden light coming from several torches.
"Well, you're finally up! It's about time." Hitomi saw the outline of a man in a long coat. Where had she seen that before?
"Well well well, Ms. Kanzaki, you sure have changed since we last meet."
"What…?" Hitomi started to say. Then the man came close enough for her to see his face. She stepped back and gasped. It was Dilandau.
"Ah, so nice of you to remember me." He said as he continued to move closer. He had the same white hair and crazy eyes, but he too was older. He was still wearing his old, red, dragon slayers uniform.
"But you're…you…."
"Frustrating, isn't it? I could tell you all about if you wanted me too." Dilandau then quickly grabbed her head and planted a kiss on her lips. Hitomi's eyes flew open as she snapped out of her shock and pulled away. She slapped Dilandau as hard as she could. She stood there breathing heavy as he turned his head back to face her. He had a twisted, evil smile, and before Hitomi knew what was coming, he hit her across the face and she fell to the ground.
"You bitch! No one treats me like that! Chain her to the wall!" Two goons came in and dragged Hitomi over to the wall. They forced her into a sitting position against the stone wall as they chained her hands above her head. She glared at Dilandau. "Maybe this will force some manners out of you." He sneered.
"You're not worth the dirt I'm sitting in, pig!" she said. Dilandau came over and looked her in the face. His cold, calculating eyes were watching her, almost penetrating into her being. Hitomi started to get scared. He grinned again and grabbed her hair and slammed her head in to the wall. It hurt. Hitomi started seeing stars as she realized she was about to black out. She kept them open long enough to watch Dilandau and his men leave.
"Oh Van…." She said as she slipped into darkness.