Yubiwa

Verse 3: Vapour Trail

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"When you took off, I was

Watching for a long time as the vapour trail disappeared."

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Okay, this was getting seriously out of hand.

Hitomi Kanzaki scowled as she sat upright in bed, the cotton sheets pooled around her waist creating a coiled effect. The thigh that had been injured was not touching the feather mattress below her, courtesy of the large pillow propping her leg up. Surrounding Hitomi were about six maids, two of them cleaning up the room she was in, another two primping and propping and fluffing just about everything they could see on her bed, and the final two holding trays of food and trying to feed it to her.

News flash: her leg was injured, not her freaking arms!

At the maid's insistence of another bite of food, Hitomi's eye twitched and she growled softly under her breath. She was trying very hard not to order them around and treat them like slaves, but they seemed so scared of disappointing Van and the Wing Goddess in their duties that Hitomi had no choice but to put up with it. And Hitomi didn't mind too much having people wait on her hand and foot (who wouldn't?) other than the whole guilt issue, but there was only so much she could put up with.

As the maids frantically informed her not to move around too much, for fear of spraining her ears, Hitomi finally decided that a little use of authority would not be a bad thing.

"Out."

All the maids froze up, eyes widening at the implications of that demand.

"Lady Wing Goddess-," one of them started, trying to protest until Hitomi shot her a glare and cut her off.

"That was an order." At the very last word, each of the maids stiffened and bowed, shuffling quietly out of the room and closing the door softly behind them. Hitomi heard the click of the door shut, and let out a large sigh, sinking further down into the pillows in relief. Finally, some peace and quiet.

"Hitomi! Are you okay? Why aren't your maids with you? Did they disobey your orders? I'll have them thrown in jail!"

Hitomi groaned, grabbing a pillow blindly with closed eyes and slapping it over her face as the King of Fanelia barged into the room, his trusty right-hand stewardess and foster sister close behind. As Van continued to rant on and on about what he was going to do after he threw the "disobeying maids" into the dungeon, Hitomi grabbed the pillow she smacked over her face and sat up, chucking the pillow straight to sail across the room and hit Van in the face. At that, the king promptly shut up and sent a perplexed expression in Hitomi's direction. She just fixed him with a scathing glare.

"No, they didn't disobey me. On the contrary, I ordered them out of my room." Hitomi told him, emphasising that particular word to convey how detestable she thought it was for her to be giving other people orders like some stuck-up snob. Van's face morphed into one of anxiousness, and he neared her bedside, sitting upon it despite Hitomi turning her nose the other way.

"Hitomi, is something the matter? Are they not feeding you properly?" He asked, panicking a little. Hitomi rolled her eyes, flopping back down onto her nicely fluffed cushions with a huff. She gave him another pointed glare.

"They aren't feeding me." She told him, only realizing her mistake a second later when Van's face darkened. Quickly, so as not to unnecessarily make anyone's life miserable, Hitomi grabbed Van's hand as he made the motion to leave, startling both of them. She looked down to where her hand loosely held his, marvelling at the warmth of his palm. With a slight blush, Hitomi cleared her throat and let her fingers pull back. "Van," at his name, the Fanelian king looked up. Hitomi's lips pursed as she began to twiddle with her own fingers. "I don't like this."

He almost looked ready to pass out.

"W-what?" Van breathed, shooting forward to lean closer to her. Hitomi squirmed in discomfort under his panicked stare. She could see he was going to hyperventilate, and reached forward to cup his face in a gesture of 'this is important, and you need to understand perfectly what I'm talking about'. Not that that was much of a problem, considering he was paying rapt attention to her.

"I don't like this." Hitomi told him once more, taking a hand off his warm cheek to sweep her arm all around her body, motioning to the large, luxurious room she was surrounded in. Van looked confused, opening his mouth to say something until Hitomi placed a finger to his lips to silence him. "My leg is injured." Hitomi said, her heart fluttering a little when Van's face dropped into one of guilt, "but the rest of me isn't." She finished, pulling back to emphasize her point, giving him a full view of her arms. Van looked a little defeated, and Hitomi smiled softly at him. "I'm so grateful to everything you're trying to do for me, but you have to remember that I'm not as fragile as you think I am. And I don't need everything to be done for me."

Van opened his mouth again to reply, but closed it and sighed. "Hitomi, I understand but…" he reached up to ruffle his obsidian hair. "But I'm just worried." Hitomi blushed, smiling gently at him until Ophelia stepped forward.

"Lord Van." She spoke, her voice sounding a little strained. Van righted himself, that blank face replacing the previously concerned one he had on before. It was usually only used when he needed to address some duties as king, so Hitomi sighed and laid back down. Merle made her way to Hitomi, sitting on a nearby chair. The seer assumed Merle was going to be keeping her company (read: guarding her) for the rest of the day while Van went to rule his country.

"I know." Van answered Ophelia, giving an apologetic smile to Hitomi. "I'll come back later tonight to check on you." He told her, and Hitomi and Merle waved him goodbye as he and Ophelia stepped out the door. Hitomi waited patiently for about five minutes (to make sure Van wasn't going to turn around and come back) until she turned to the cat woman with a devious smile.

"Can I take my daily walk now?"

Merle groaned, knowing she was so getting busted for this sooner or later.

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Hitomi stifled a giggle, seeing Merle peek around the corner with darting eyes, looking out for any nobles who would rat her out to Van… or worse, Van himself! That would be disastrous, not to mention guilt-inspiring on Hitomi's part.

She balanced herself with one hand against the wall as Merle crept back and wrapped an arm around her waist to help her walk. Their "daily walk" usually consisted of a couple of laps in the hallway around Hitomi's room, since Merle dared not venture to a more public place. But recently Hitomi had been pushing Merle to take her farther out, like the dining room or the kitchen for something to eat. Today it seemed like she wouldn't be getting the cat woman to budge though, making her a little disappointed.

They tromped along the empty hallway for a little, Hitomi hopping on one foot because of her injury. The doctor informed her it would take months of bed rest to heal, but when Hitomi woke up at the beginning of the seven days of recovery, she had already gotten bored of lying on the feather mattress. After much persuasion, and an entire day of waiting, Hitomi finally convinced Merle to let her walk for a little bit to stretch her muscles. Needless to say, the activity had become a daily occurrence, not to mention Merle's every day dose of stress.

Hitomi just hummed quietly under her breath as she hopped slowly along with Merle supporting her. It was only after a couple of minutes that Merle's cat ears suddenly perked up, twitching. Her body immediately froze, and she quickly hid Hitomi behind a large pillar in the hallway. When the seer looked like she was going to say something, Merle sent her a quick glare that made her shut her mouth. Mouthing a fast, "stay here" to Hitomi (and including hand gestures to emphasize to the girl that this order was not to be disobeyed) Merle ran around the corner just as Hitomi heard voices come round.

"These bed sheets need to be taken to the linen closet beside Lady Hitomi's room. Lord Van commands all of the Wing Goddess' linens be freshly washed everyday." Hitomi's eyes narrowed as she recognized the voice.

Ophelia.

"Ophelia! What are you doing here?" Hitomi then heard Merle exclaim in astonishment. There was a pause, as if Ophelia was contemplating what to say next.

"I am… directing these new maids as to what their duties are within the castle. What are you doing Lady Merle? Are you not supposed to be watching over Lady Hitomi?" Ophelia answered, genuine curiosity in her voice. There was another awkward pause, in which Hitomi was sure Merle was thinking of something to save her butt. (Both of their butts.)

"Oh, well, um… Hitomi… asked me to… get her a tray of food! She's really hungry." Merle said, just barely able to think of a plausible excuse. Hitomi anxiously waited as another short silence took hold of the two, until Ophelia spoke again.

"I see. Well then, I shall take watch over the Wing Goddess until you return with her victuals." Hitomi's heart sped up a little, her eyes widening. If Ophelia didn't see her in her room…

"No!" Merle exclaimed, most likely catching Ophelia off guard. "I mean… uh… I already left some maids in Hitomi's room to watch over her. She'll be fine; she's a tough girl! But me? Not so much. So can you… um, help me… carry the food?" Hitomi heard Merle say, and sighed in relief when she heard Ophelia agree tentatively. The stewardess was probably suspicious, because when as Merle ever considered herself weak? But all the same, she pushed it to the side and complied with Van's foster sister.

As Hitomi heard their footsteps fade away and saw two maids carrying bed sheets to the linen closet beside her door, Hitomi wondered what she was going to do now! Adjusting awkwardly behind the pillar so she was leaning on it with her back, Hitomi thought better of sitting down because that might alert the maids to her presence and she would get in deep trouble with not only Van but Merle. And Hitomi knew she was more afraid of Merle's temper than Van's.

The seer stifled a little groan as she realized her only entertainment for the next few minutes were the two maids giggling at the linen closet. Her cheeks burned a little as their conversation took a turn to their "King Van". It certainly wasn't good for Hitomi's temper to hear them comment on having peeked in at his daily training and seen his "shining abs of glory". Nor that he was very kind and attentive to everyone he had met, including the women.

'Quite the player, aren't you Van?' Hitomi thought bitterly, pouting and beginning to tune the annoying girl's conversation out. At least, until one particular maid commented on one particularly devastating thing.

"Oh! Too bad too, that he and his stewardess are lovers."

"Yes! I would've been so jealous of any other woman, but Lady Ophelia is just so beautiful and kind… almost like King Van!"

"I know what you mean. She just has this… aura, you know?"

Hitomi's legs gave out on her. She hit the floor with an echoing "THUMP" that alarmed the maids and made them drop all the linens they held in their arms. It was only a second later that Hitomi registered the sharp spike of pain that electrocuted her entire left leg. In her fall to the floor, instinctively the muscles in her legs tensed up and unfortunately the wound at the back of her thigh ripped open. Trails of blood flowed down her leg and pooled around the floor, painting her skin red. The maids had rushed over to see who had been hiding behind the pillar (after much debate that it wasn't some sort of assassin), and screamed shortly when they saw it was the Wing Goddess.

"Lady Wing Goddess!" One of the maids shouted in horror after seeing the blood staining her leg. With widened eyes, she quickly knelt to the floor and grabbed a cloth, trying to stop the blood flow. Without turning to the other maid, she quickly barked, "Get King Van!" and lifted Hitomi's injured leg so she could see the extent of the damage. Without a second thought the other maid burst from her position on the floor in absolute tears from what Hitomi could see through her own blurred vision.

"Really, its no big deal-" Hitomi began, but stifled a cry when she felt the maid press tighter on the wound. Damn that hurt! She accidentally knocked the back of her skull on the marble pillar and cursed. If the maid questioned the seer's vocabulary, she didn't say anything about it.

"This way!" Hitomi heard the shaky cry of the other maid, and sighed as running footsteps rounded the corner. She was hidden behind the pillar, but it didn't help that a single trail of her blood worked its way into open view. The girl from the Mystic Moon absentmindedly wondered how menacing that must've looked to Van, who had shouted her name the second after the maid directed him to the hallway.

"Hitomi!"

Van was there in a flash, sword drawn for any intruders or assassins that might be nearby. The maid tending to Hitomi's leg was quickly shoved aside by the castle's physician (a woman) who ordered Hitomi to turn on her stomach so she could see the damage. Without letting Hitomi make her own decision of how to turn around (not that she could, given the pain was so intense she could hardly think straight), Van immediately gathered her torso in his large arms and moved her so her head was nestled at the crook of his neck. Her legs were being supported by the physician's assistants (who were also female) so Hitomi wouldn't strain the muscles in her thighs and cause further damage.

Hitomi was wearing a long nightgown that day she reopened her wound, and it had to be tugged up to reveal the stab. She didn't get a clear look of Van's face, but she definitely felt his entire body go tense when the cool air of the hallway hit her lesion. The seer couldn't help but wince at the physician trying her best to treat the abrasion and sucked in a sharp breath.

"You're going to be okay, Hitomi…" She heard Van whisper. It could've been directed to her, or it could've been to him but she wasn't sure. So instead Hitomi tightened the arms she had around his chest and pressed her cheek to his, letting her eyes drift closed as she drifted into unconsciousness.

"I am okay Van."

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"Promise me you won't scare me like that again." Van said, fixing Hitomi with a stern glare. The seer rolled her eyes and nodded. It had already been three weeks after the 'incident' in the hallway that nearly gave Van another heart attack, and he constantly reminded her of it everyday. Not that she minded, of course, seeing as they hardly got to spend any time together. But he had to go back to his kingly duties again, which would leave Hitomi feeling bored and restless for another day.

Joy.

"Lord Van, if you wish I shall cancel all your duties for today."

Hitomi's head shot up as she saw Ophelia enter the room with a graceful smile. The conversation between the maids the other day came back to Hitomi, causing the seer to look away guiltily. It wasn't as if those maids weren't right, because they were. It just killed Hitomi to see someone who would be a more suitable match for Van than her and to know that once her mission in Gaea was completed (wiping out the Zaibach rebellions) she would be sent straight back to earth to continue her mundane life. No offence to Yukari and Amano and her family, of course.

"But Ophelia-" Van started, trying to protest only to stop midway when Ophelia held a hand up to stop him. She just curtsied and made a motion to leave the room.

"It would be my pleasure, Lord Van." Ophelia went on like he had not protested, but instead given his full consent plus oodles of enthusiasm. The door closed silently behind Ophelia, leaving Hitomi and Van alone in the room once more. There was an awkward silence that hung in the air for a few moments, until Van turned to Hitomi and perked up like he remembered something.

"Oh! Um, Hitomi…" Van started, seeing Hitomi's eyes urge him on. Gulping, Van reached into his shirt and pulled out the pink pendant the seer had given him so many years ago. "I figured since you were back in Gaea you would… want this back." Hitomi's eyes widened a little but quickly softened as Van's arms moved to signify he was going to take the necklace off. Hitomi reached out with her hand and placed it on top of his to stop him, shaking her head.

"I'll be fine without it. You probably need it more than I do." Hitomi said, chuckling a little. Van opened his mouth to say something about not having a very good sixth sense like Hitomi, but she beat him to the punch. "I don't mean about dousing or anything Van. I'm talking about luck." With a gesture, Hitomi pointed to the pink pendant her grandmother gave her when she was very young. "That pendant is my luck charm, not any sort of mystical item that will strengthen my powers. Luck was its purpose from the beginning, and that's not going to change."

Van paused a little; looking at the trinket that Hitomi had entrusted to his keeping and felt his heart swell with warmth. He sent a dazzling smile in her direction, making her flush at its intensity and make her body throb with a strange need. "Thank you Hitomi. I really will treasure this with all my being." Hitomi gave him a goofy smile in return.

"That was all I needed to hear."

Then they fell into another silence, but this time it was more comfortable and not at all awkward. Hitomi played with the blankets in her hands and Van twiddled with Hitomi's dousing pendant until the king of Fanelia shot up with his jaw slack.

"Oh that's right." Van said, looking at Hitomi with a wide smile. "I thought you might want to see Asturia again so-," He wasn't even able to finish his sentence before Hitomi launched off the bed and engulfed him in an enormous hug. The chair Van sat on tipped backwards from the impact, making them both crash on the floor. Hitomi was kept safely from harm as Van held her tightly to him, so she was breathless with laughter at the prospect of seeing Millerna and Dryden and Gaddes and… Allen.

Her eyes softened and Hitomi wondered if he's happy now with his sister.

As Van's arms wrapped around Hitomi's body, setting her gently back down on her bed, eyes frantic and worried about any more damage done to her wound, Hitomi decided she didn't care so much anymore.

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The ocean breeze was crisp and clear in the air as Hitomi stepped out of the royal Fanelian leviship. There was a dull throbbing in her thigh that was easily ignored, but still there. She smiled as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the smell of Asturia. It had been so long since she was last here, and Hitomi couldn't wait to see everyone again.

"Hitomi be careful. Your leg hasn't healed all the way yet." Van warned, jumping off the ship to land beside her, body poised for a quick grab if she looked unsteady. Hitomi laughed, stepping forward with a limp in her step. Another month passed since her wound reopened, but with some walking practice Hitomi was feeling better than before. She could walk now, albeit only short distances before she had to sit down. Hitomi was mostly walking with Merle to get places, but when Van could spend time with her, he refused to let her walk at all. Instead, the Fanelian king opted to carryher.

Hitomi willed the blush away, staring at the glittering ocean down below. In her absence, it hadn't changed a bit. It was still a pretty blue, shimmering from the sunlight that was cast upon it. Asturia itself hadn't changed much either, remaining a port town and staying virtually the same as those four years ago (ten in Gaean time). The seer could see the castle that housed Millerna and her sister Eries. A feeling of nostalgia welled up in her as she gazed at the stone palace.

She still couldn't believe so much had happened in such a short time. Hitomi and Millerna, though at ends with each other at first, soon became fast friends to the point where Millerna asked for opinions on dresses. Van began to work his way into her heart at the windmill somewhere in the city, and on a bridge in Asturia was where she got her first kiss. From Allen.

Hitomi reached up, lightly tracing her fingertips against her bottom lip. Now that she thought about it, Allen had been her only kiss. There was that time where Van had almost kissed her, if only Merle hadn't burst in at exactly the wrong time. A little sigh escaped her lips as she continued to stroke her lips with her finger. Van looked at her, his eyes flickering to her mouth and his eyes narrowed. Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist and brought it down slowly. Hitomi looked at him somewhat in surprise.

"Hitomi!"

Van retracted his hand when Millerna came riding up on her horse with a succession of knights following her, Dryden right beside her and Allen and his sister behind them. Hitomi, excited at finally seeing all her old friends again, squealed and threw her arms in the air. She didn't dare take a step forward to start running; her injury probably couldn't stand the pressure.

"Millerna!" Hitomi exclaimed as she neared, not noticing the knights looking at each other wondering how this foreigner could be so informal. Millerna stopped her horse, climbing down and rushing over to the girl she hadn't seen in so long with bright eyes. They both laughed as the youngest Aston daughter collided into the eldest Kanzaki daughter, Hitomi taking a few steps back from the impact. The wound in her leg reacted, sending spikes of pain along her leg and making Hitomi cry out in pain. The older woman immediately backed away, looking a little concerned as Hitomi winced.

"Are you okay?" She asked, gasping a little when Van shoved her aside, his eyes frantic and worried. A few of the knights drew their swords, only to lower them when Allen held a hand up. Van grasped Hitomi around her waist, letting her lean on him for support as she recovered from her temporary attack. The dull throb slowly returned to her leg, and Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief as a cue for Van to let go of her.

Only he didn't.

Hitomi blushed; her head nestled in his chest as he held her for a fair amount of time, asking if she was okay. She nodded, backing away slightly to turn to Millerna. "Sorry," Hitomi said sheepishly, "but I was injured a while back." Millerna's eyes widened, and she pushed Van aside to glare at the seer.

"Injured? And you didn't bother to mention that before I tackled you?" She chided, Hitomi shrinking back and laughing awkwardly. Sighing, Millerna shifted on her feet and cocked her head. "So, where's the injury?" Without asking to, Van spun Hitomi around and pointed to the stab wound on the back of her thigh. Millerna blinked a little, slightly curious as to how it got there but shrugged and motioned to the vacant horses decorated with Asturian saddles.

"Well I brought horses along for you," Millerna said, smiling when Dryden came up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But I don't think riding a horse would be good for Hitomi's wound." Hitomi looked between the two, finally noticing the gleaming ring on the Aston's finger. A soft smile lit up on her face as she swelled with happiness for Millerna. The princess had finally found her happy ending.

Now if only she could find hers.

"Nice to see you again little lady." Dryden greeted, reaching out to pat Hitomi's head. He grinned. "You haven't grown much." Merle, standing beside Hitomi, started to giggle but started to stifle her laughter when Hitomi pouted in her direction. Hitomi's heart beat a little faster when she saw Allen and his sister Celena approach, Allen with his trademark smile on his face.

"Hitomi, it's been awhile." The Caeli knight said, taking her hand to lightly brush his lips across her knuckles. Hitomi smiled at him and retracted her hand, looking to the light-haired girl beside him. Allen beamed when he saw her attention deviate. "This is my sister, Celena." Hitomi bowed to the other girl with a bright smile.

"Its nice to finally meet you Celena." She said. Celena bowed in return, a gentle smile gracing her lips.

"Likewise, Wing Goddess."

At hearing the title uttered once more, Hitomi groaned and dropped her shoulders. All the others who knew her personally in the Gaean war ten years ago (four in earth time) began to laugh (or chuckle), easily working they're way into their old comfortable atmosphere. Van was the first to quiet down, looking to Hitomi with a smile.

"Shall we go?" He asked. "You can ride with me." Hitomi shifted a little in the light traveling dress she wore, flushing. Nodding, a knight brought a horse to them, and Van climbed onto the saddle before holding his hand out for Hitomi. The seer would've tried to climb up herself had Allen not reached out and lifted her, placing her on Van's lap without saying a word.

"Ah… thank you Allen." Hitomi said, the knight merely bowing to her.

"I'm more than happy to assist, Hitomi." He answered before gesturing to Celena to follow him back to their horses. Van watched him go, a strange look in his eye before following Millerna and Dryden to the castle when they also got settled in their horses. As they walked along the streets, waving to the fellow townspeople, Allen motioned for Celena to stay in her place and hurried to ride beside Van and Hitomi. A neutral look blanketed his handsome face.

"King Van," Allen started, using the official title as a subtle hint that this was business. Van turned to him, nodding his head to let the knight continue talking. Allen glanced briefly at Hitomi, who was also listening aptly to him. "There's something I need to speak to you in private about once we reach the castle." Van looked forward to the stone castle that housed Asturia's royal family.

"Of course." He answered, and the two left it at that. Allen returned to his rightful place behind the youngest son of Goau Fanel, hands tightening on the flaps of the saddle. Hitomi's eyes tracked him as he moved, before she tensed her fist on Van's shirt and looked up into his crimson eyes.

"Van…" Hitomi began, but was stopped when the Fanelian king looked down at her with a sincere smile. It was the comforting smile that made her heart melt and turned her insides to goo.

"Don't worry about it." He told her, taking one of his hands off his flap and laying it on her shoulder. Hitomi pursed her lips but didn't say anything else. Instead, she allowed him to push her further into his chest and enjoyed the rest of the ride to the castle.

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Two guards stood outside a room with dark brown doors, unable to contain the amused smiles playing across their lips as they listened in on the conversation between the Queen Millerna and King Van. The Fanelian monarch was holding his own against their queen, but it was only a matter of time before Millerna got her way. (Such was the gift of feminine wiles.)

"I don't think it's a good idea." Van said, letting Hitomi lean into him for support as Queen Millerna made puppy eyes at the Fanelian king.

"Oh please Van? Hitomi won't have to walk a lot. She'll be resting in the carriage most of the time because I'm bringing the shop to her, not bringing her to the shop." The blonde persuaded, desperate to show Hitomi around Asturia. Most especially the marketplace, where they could shop 'til they dropped. "And anyways, I'm a doctor. If something goes wrong, Hitomi won't be without medical help." Van looked down to Hitomi, who nodded vigorously at him. She wanted a chance to spend time with Millerna, and to get away from the overprotective draconian (not that she didn't love Van… but he could be so overbearing at times).

"Well… I do need Ophelia to run a few errands for me at the market—"

"Perfect! Let's go Hitomi!" Millerna exclaimed, cutting Van off and grabbing Hitomi's wrist. She slowly helped the seer hobble out of the castle and to the carriage, Van sighing as he watched them go. Ophelia and Merle followed behind soon after, Ophelia already knowing what errands to run for her king. The door to the castle closed, and Van turned around when Allen clapped a hand on his shoulder.

His eyes were hard.

"We need to talk."

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Hitomi smiled, giggling as she watched Millerna bustle around outside. True to her word, the Asturian Queen kept Hitomi locked up in the carriage, bringing her down every now and then so the young woman could stretch her legs. The carriage was slowly loading up with beautiful jewellery and dresses (all courtesy of Millerna). About half of the things there were bought for Hitomi (despite her protests). Merle had already taken off to find some food to eat, but Ophelia was seated in the carriage patiently waiting for her stop to come by.

Hitomi snuck a peek at her doppelganger seated across her very regally. Ophelia's hands were cupped in her lap, and her eyes were closed. It almost seemed as though she was concentrating on something, but what Hitomi wasn't sure. As the stewardess' eyes began to open, Hitomi whipped her head back to look out the window at Millerna. A few of the townsfolk passing by the carriage saw her and recognized her, bowing and whispering "Wing Goddess" in a prayer under their breath. It made Hitomi blush, and she smiled at them.

"They adore you, you know." Hitomi's head whipped around at Ophelia's soft voice. She was smiling lightly, looking out the window in the opposite direction. "In Gaea, you are worshipped because of your precognitive abilities. These people really believe you are a Goddess from the Mystic Moon who has come to Gaea to grant them eternal peace." Ophelia looked at her, still smiling. The seer seemed unsure, looking back out the window to see some of the young children waving to her. She tried to smile, waving back. The children gasped, giggling as they beamed at their parents, proclaiming that Hitomi had just blessed them.

The mystic's eyes widened, and she moved away from the window, her mouth dropping. "B-but…" she started, flabbergasted at the truth in Ophelia's statement. "How could this happen? I'm just a normal girl!" Hitomi exclaimed at Ophelia, who continued to smile softly.

"Maybe so, but to the rest of Gaea you are their saviour. You are the Wing Goddess." The doppelganger then stood, opening the door to leave the carriage. "I must leave you now, Lady Hitomi. I have errands for Lord Van I must attend to." Hitomi watched Ophelia go from the window after the door closed, her body disappearing in the mass of people surrounding the carriage that carried their saviour. People made way for her, noticing her resemblance to Hitomi and recognizing the noble aura she exuded. But after she passed by them, they merely went back to staring at Hitomi's carriage.

Well… most of them.

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Allen Schezar stepped forward, slapping a manila folder filled with papers on the desk. Van sat behind it, in quite a relaxed stance as his eyes tracked the movement of the papers. Reaching forward, the Fanelian king flipped the folders open and sifted through the sheets, eyes narrowing at the illegible scribbles on the parchment.

"Allen, what are these?" He asked, thoroughly confused. The Caeli Knight smirked, crossing his arms.

"Reports on the Zaibach Rebellions." He answered smugly. Van's eyebrow quirked up, and he looked back down in an attempt to wrestle something out of the writing. Allen continued on, knowing by experience how long it would take to decipher the report. "These were written by a reliable source I gained many years ago and was only able to come into contact with recently." The knight uncrossed his arms, letting one of his hands rest on his sword. Van gave Allen a look that questioned the sincerity of this "reliable source".

"His name is Gadeth. He's Gaddes' older brother." Allen defended. "He was originally part of Zaibach, but defected long before the war started. After Zaibach was disbanded and rumours of the rebellions started going around, Gadeth took up his old uniform again and weaseled his way into their ranks." Van set the reports back on the desk and stood, walking out.

"So what have you found out?" The Fanelian king asked, and Allen gestured to the papers with a teasing smile.

"Didn't you read the reports?" He asked, only to be met with Van's chilling glare. The Caeli knight chuckled, waving a hand coolly. "I jest, King Van." Here, Allen's eyes narrowed and his hand gripped the scabbard of his sword. "Gadeth has been keeping a low profile, so he's stayed mostly in their infantry ranks. The leader is actually a woman, but no one knows her name. They just call her Commander Rose because the colour of her hair is as red as the flower they named her with. All of her instructions are filtered through her vice-commander, a man named Falco."

Van's eyes were cast downward at the ground as he quietly listened to Allen's explanation. He leaned back, sitting on the corner of the desk and raised his head to look at the Asturian. "Has he mentioned anything about their headquarters?" Allen's lips twisted, and his blue eyes flickered away to avoid Van's crimson ones. The Fanelian king didn't think he'd like this particular bit of news, and his eyes narrowed as he waited for Allen's response.

"Before you panic, Van, you should know I have some of my best knights watching over Hitomi and Queen Millerna's carriage—"

"Where is it Schezar?!" Van growled, his vibrant eyes flashing as he leaned farther away from the desk, one of his hands gripping the edge and another tightening around his sword. With the direction Allen was headed in, the draconian had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer to his question.

Allen sighed, closing his eyes and running a hand through his long blonde hair. His blue eyes fixed onto Van's, piercing through them just as his words pierced through Van's heart.

"It's here. In Asturia."

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The pastry shop/restaurant was warm as Hitomi stepped in, the Asturian queen following close by, her hands lifting her skirts up to avoid tripping and falling. A few guards stood watch some ways behind the two women, hands on their swords as they surveyed the room of people. The seer seemed to be in a rush, her own dress held up to prevent any clumsy falls.

"I'll only be a second, Millerna!" Hitomi called, inching into the lavatory and closing the door quietly behind her. Hitomi supposed she shouldn't have drunk so many of those interesting Gaean beverages, but it wasn't like she could refuse Millerna's gifts. The queen was shoving her food left and right, urging her to try them. By now it was taking its toll, and nature was calling rather urgently.

Millerna seemed a bit unsure, her eyes flickering back and forth between the lavatory and the windows. She had caught sight of this vendor who was selling some wonderful bath salts just down the street, but it looked as if the owner was packing up soon. Well… it wasn't that far, right?

"Hitomi! I'll be just down the street. Will you be okay by yourself?" Millerna asked, shouting through the door. Hitomi wouldn't really be alone, as Millerna was leaving one of Allen's knights to guard Hitomi. But it had a similar effect, as the knight would shadow Hitomi from afar to give her space and privacy. The seer didn't need to know that though.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Go ahead; I can catch up." Hitomi reassured, and waited a few seconds to ensure that Millerna left. It was hard to tell because the queen walked like a cat, but the slam of the shop door gave Hitomi all the information she needed. From there, the mystic finished up what she came to the restaurant to do in the first place before stepping out of the lavatory, sighing in relief. Her thigh throbbed slightly, and she limped through the restaurant. Some of the customers saw her and their eyes went wide. Hitomi ignored them as best she could, continuing on. But the confectionaries in the store caught her attention, and Hitomi's sweet tooth could not be denied!

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The marketplace was bustling with activity. Most of it was financial, people buying and selling, but on this particular day there was another type of activity running amuck through the streets of Asturia's marketplace. It appeared in the form of Fanelia's king and a Caeli Knight bursting through the marketplace's otherwise peaceful activities.

"Van! Van, slow down!" Allen Schezar, Knight of the Caeli called as he weaved through the crowds of people to catch up to the Fanelian king. He was able to calm Van down after breaking the news of the rebellions, but suddenly the draconian was up and running again, his eyes wide with panic. The knight still didn't know what it was, but it was something bad. With the way Van's shoulder blades were twitching, Allen guessed it was something very bad.

The blonde grit his teeth, slowly gaining on Van. He spotted one of his soldiers nearby and called out to him.

"Private!" The soldier jolted, facing Allen and saluting him. Celena's brother didn't bother with formalities, motioning to Van. "Follow him!" Allen called just as Van sped past the private. The Caeli knight's eyes narrowed when he saw the beginnings of a protest, and knew he needed to stop being so lenient with the new recruits. "That's an order, private!" He roared.

The blonde was satisfied to see his soldier dash off, eyes wide with panic as he raced after Van. The Caeli knight quickly increased his speed, passing by that little restaurant with no apparent interest in it just as a certain seer stepped out, cleaning her fingers of confectionary goodness.

"Huh?" Hitomi mumbled, her forest green eyes tracking the Schezar's movement as he sped away. They led to Van, who had stopped in front of Millerna and was speaking harshly to her. Hitomi wondered why Van was there, and she made her way closer to the scene of two monarchs having a very heated conversation. She wasn't very close when she began to fully hear what they were saying, so they must have been shouting very loudly.

"I don't know where she went! Maybe you should keep better track of your subordinates, King. Van." Millerna growled out, poking Van in the shoulder to emphasize his title as Fanelian sovereign. The draconian didn't seem fazed, and his hand clenched tightly into fists.

"Never mind," Van dismissed, his eyes narrowing to shoot cold glares at Millerna. Quickly, the Fanel began to unbutton his top, throwing it aside to let his accursed wings burst out of his back in a flurry of white feathers. "I don't have time for this. Ophelia could already be dead because of those rebels and I'm not going to waste time arguing with you." He left Millerna with her jaw dropped before taking off into the sky, muscles tensing every time his wings flapped. As he flew high into the sky, Hitomi could almost see the trail of vapour left in his dust.

A few of his white feathers drifted down, and her lips quivered. Ophelia was that important to him? She was so important that he wouldn't think twice about letting everyone see the wings he abhorred ever since he was a child? It made her wonder what kind of place she had in his heart anymore. After she helped stamp down the Zaibach Rebellions, would she no longer have any place on Gaea?

Would she no longer have any place in Van's heart?

It was a while before Hitomi noticed the hot tears that dripped down her pale face. She touched them lightly, feeling the wetness between her fingers and stifling a sob. A trail of feathers was still drifting lazily to the floor, and Hitomi wanted so badly to reach out and grab one of them. She wanted to hug it so tightly between her chest that it would meld with her body and become a part of her. But now Hitomi wondered if she was allowed to touch them at all.

Stumbling backwards, adrenaline started to race through her body and Hitomi couldn't feel the burning pain in the back of her thigh as she turned tail and ran, never to look back.

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The room was dank and smelled stale, but Ophelia didn't mind. Chained to a wall, Ophelia had more things to worry about than simply the sensations assaulting her. There was the gnawing in her stomach that begged for food, and the man that had just entered the room, holding a flashlight right in her eyes. The sudden brightness caused stars to dance in her vision, but Ophelia refused to give her captor the satisfaction of knowing she was suffering.

His steps were loud in the room, echoing against all four corners of the walls and every nook and cranny in Ophelia's head. They were steadily drawing closer, and Ophelia sat up in order to show him he didn't intimidate her. But the truth of the matter was that she was virtually defenceless, and this man could do anything and everything he wanted to.

It sent mental shivers up her spine, as he grew so close she could smell the cologne wafting over his body. His face was shadowed, but Ophelia raised her head and glared up at where she assumed his eyes would be.

"And you are?"

He paused, probably considering whether or not to answer her. Ophelia waited patiently, though the angry red lines on her wrists would not. He shifted slightly, and Ophelia heard metal clinking against one another. She tried not to shake, because that metal sounded an awful lot like bullets falling to the floor.

"Falco."

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...

Hitomi didn't know how long she had been running for, but she only stopped once her adrenaline wore off and the consequences of her actions came slamming back into her. It came in the form of utter and complete agony ripping through her thigh, which buckled weakly and caused Hitomi to slump against the wall. She was breathing heavily and trying not to scream out in pain despite all the nerves in her body begging her to.

It was quite a while before the sensation dulled to a mild throb in the back of her thigh, and Hitomi was ready to get up and go back to the castle, only to realize that she had no idea where she was. The alleyway was empty, not to mention dark because of the black night sky. A few stars glittered over her head, and Hitomi could see her home planet from where she sat.

Hitomi licked her dry lips as she stared at earth and the moon. The seer wondered how her family and her friends were doing. Were they worried about her? Did Amano propose to Yukari yet? So many questions ran through her head, and Hitomi realized with a little heartache that she would never discover the answers to them.

It made her think. Was giving up everything she had ever known all that smart a decision? The only reason she came to Gaea was because of Van, and yet she discovers that her place in his life may have already been filled. She hasn't exactly been seeing any visions concerning the Zaibach Rebellions either, so why was she still here?

Hitomi sighed.

She already knew the answer to that.

"Van…" Hitomi murmured. Sighing, the seer supposed she should get back to the castle before she freaked Millerna and Van out anymore. Wincing at the dull pain in her thigh, Hitomi used to the wall for support as she got up, turning around to take a few steps to what she thought would be the direction of the Asturian Palace.

A few steps were as far as she got before everything went black.

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"Shit!" Van cursed, slamming his fists onto the table. Millerna observed him with tired eyes, but showed no sign of fear when her large table groaned and creaked under the Fanelian king's abuse. She merely stood beside her husband, hands folded neatly in front of her and eyes flickering the floor below her. Despite her seemingly stone cold posture, Dryden could see her clasped hands quivering.

"There's no need for profanity, King Van." Dryden said, his hands tucked into his robes as he watched the ruler pace back and forth across the room. The Asturian sovereign was undeterred when the draconian's eyes whipped to his, burning with the intensity of the sun. His body was thrumming with restrained anger, and that restraint was like an elastic band being stretched until it was so thin it snapped.

"Hitomi is missing!!" He shouted, so loud that a few of the crystal vases in the room shivered. "My Hitomi, who can hardly walk is out there right now because of a few… trinkets!" Millerna flinched at her, biting her bottom lip and ducking her head further into her chest. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she summoned all the willpower capable in her to stem the tears from leaking through her eyes.

"I've already sent out all the men I possibly can to find her." Allen said, stepping in. He was calm and unruffled as well, except for the thin line of his lips. "Both Hitomi and your stewardess."

Van grit his teeth, running a hand through his hair to try and placate himself. Merle sat in a chair and watched Van pace the room again, her legs cushioned to her chest. She almost looked like a little girl again, her eyes shining in sadness and worry as they tracked the Fanelian king's movements around the room. But Merle wasn't a girl anymore; she was a grown woman.

The cat woman stretched her legs, placing them silently on the floor and perking her ears up just as Gaddes spoke up.

"I don't understand. What would the Zaibachian's want with a simple stewardess?" The soldier contemplated, his two fingers rubbing the stubble on his chin. "I mean, sure, she's workin' for good ol' Van over here, but that's about it." Van stilled in his furious pacing, and Merle shivered when she saw his eyes darken.

"Could they know…?" Van whispered to himself, and it was only through Merle's sensitive hearing that she was able to pick up on it. Her eyes darkened also, and a part of her was terrified at the thought of the rebels knowing Van's horrible secret, but she knew better.

Merle shifted to her feet, catching the attention of every person that inhabited the room. There was a determined gleam in her eye as she stepped forward, a hand on her hip as her lips pulled into a sneer. Had none of them known any better, they could've easily mistaken her as a woman raised in luxury and nobility. But in reality, this façade of hers was just a persona built upon ten years of enduring sneers and scorn from every Fanelian aristocrat (excluding Van) that she had encountered. And it was this persona that she drew upon now, encompassing her in confidence and a detached cruelty.

"Idiots." She scoffed, teal blue eyes darting from one form to another. "Use your brains a little, why don't'cha?" Her tail flicked in annoyance as she crouched, her hands flat on the floor in front of her. She could smell the confusion in the air as eyes looked from her to one another; the questions appallingly clear.

"Merle, I don't understand." Millerna said, speaking up for the first time since Hitomi's disappearance. Merle, feigning exasperation, fingered a lock of her pink hair as she looked up at the ceiling. It was very plain, only the mouldings on the wall having any sort of interest to her sharp eyes.

"Who's the saviour of Gaea? The "great and almighty" Wing Goddess that's come here from the Mystic Moon?" Merle heard Van whisper Hitomi's name quietly to himself, but it almost seemed to echo through the entire room, resounding in all of their bodies as Merle's head dropped back down to eye them all in a very cat-like way. "And who did Ophelia remind you of when you first laid eyes on her?"

"Hitomi." Allen spoke up, his hand gripping the scabbard of his sword tightly. Millerna gasped, her hands clutching her upper arms with a ferocity she didn't know she possessed.

"A case of mistaken identity." Merle stood.

"Bingo."


A/N And the third chapter is out! I'm currently proof-reading and editing the fourth and fifth chapter, but don't expect the next chapter until I've finished the sixth chapter. I know I'm withholding the chapters from you, but I'm trying to make sure that I'm absolutely satisfied with every chapter so that I can give you the best of what I can do, so please understand and bear with me.

That being said, I hope you enjoyed the third verse! The Zaibach Rebellions aren't a big incident in this fanfiction. It will end by the next chapter.

Thank you for being patient! And remember: reviews help me work faster! : )

Snowflake Flower