Author Note: I hope none of you are having too difficult time reading, but darn you Microsoft, you can't pick up my mistakes!
Anyways, I'll probably correct those mistakes I rushed pass in the future. Thank you to the three who reviewed. It's appreciated to know that I have readers who enjoy this work.

Chapter Three: A Way Home

Van stirred awake with a roof over head, bandaged and pained all over. He was lying on mat, makeshift to be a bed. Morning light seem to stream from an open window to enlighten most part of the dim room.

He lolly his head to his right side, and there a strange girl sat. Her back against the wall, hunch over, and her elbow on one knee and hand support her cheek looking more foreign each passing second he stared.

"You're still here?" He ask incredibility when it all clicked together; green eyes, light hair, and strange quirk, but her name escape his memory.

Hitomi nod, her borrowed clothes ruffle when she shift a bit. She decided switching to her left elbow was more preferable. For a long time, he and her locked eyes. He studied her, she waited for an answer.

"You're free to leave." He said in his commanding voice used for his subordinates, thinking that was why she was here.

She thought he was not a bad guy, with saving and all he did a few nights ago, until unnerved by that comment or tone.

"Geese, thanks for your change of heart," Hitomi retrained herself from spatting that part out loud, even clenching her teeth for insurances. She didn't need a permission when or can she go. It just so happen she was scared to go out in woods again to find something else to eat her.

Anyways, Van faced the polish ceiling. He opened his mouth to retort, than stopped. Something held him back but not too long because he went ahead to asked, only just sounding a bit hesitated.

"Was I out long?"

She shook her head, but knew he didn't see, so Hitomi spoke up with all anger disperse for the moment.

"Pretty long,"

"So… Where are we?"

Hitomi ran through her mind once to correctly assets his question before repeat what a lady responds to her when Hitomi had asked too. An unfamiliar land came out of her mouth, "Tribe village Adon."

Just when she finished, the wooden door slid open. Hitomi rise up to greet the person… er… beast-man. Ruhm walked in and nod back to her to sit back down. Hitomi frown, she had to sit another round and tolerate the haughty man again.

"Ai, glad to see your wake sire." he acknowledged Van's waking state.

Van grumbled, Ruhm further told him about his conditions and Hitomi quietly watch the exchanged still unnerved by Ruhm beastly characteristics.

Ruhm nodded absentmindedly, call in a nurse to change Van's bandage. He finally got to thank Hitomi before she got up to leave for taking his watched while he was absent to take a leak. She had done what he instructed her; to ensure Van's concerns and prevent him from further injuring himself.

Hitomi step out to allow them privatises. All under a minute, something rush pass her with a shoved and them yelling at her.

"Watch the tail!"

She turned to apology, almost missing a fleeting image of orange fur. Hitomi thought she recognized her voice too.

Everything about this village felt easy going. Wolves were very social animals despite their reputation to be savage she had believed. Their chats were in depth, showing their intellectual beings. Hitomi felt herself becoming more immense in this strange world.

As the innocent bystander of this village, Hitomi got drag a lot in to doing chores. Ruhm wife must have been mislead when Hitomi agreed to help the lady because she found herself being shove to different possible tasks. Either way, Hitomi couldn't protest. She liked to think these things she did were repayment for food, bedding, and clean cloths.

In her many errands, she had to come across bed-ridden Vanitas a lot. Passing his room was a dread at all the time. Like this time when she was loading laundry on line right outside his window. Vanitas's chauvinistic; his superiority towards her had no limit rather it was about one debate or the weather. Not surprising today, this was what drove her frustrate again.

Hitomi shook her head to think about other things, her mind cleared once her anger frit pass. Her wristwatch beep signalling the time for night, not like she couldn't tell but she had wonder if it was delayed or needs correcting being on a different plain of existences.

The air here also was much cooler then she expected for late spring to be even for the evening. It was also clear that she could make out every single star. Of course, there were unfamiliar ones she had never seen before in her life. The light pollution in Tokyo had always obscured most of it but the brightest stars, so it was a nice change to see them all.

Apart from two objects in the sky that shouldn't be there, or beast people, and non-existing planet that sharing Earth solar system, this place seemed normal. And then, flicker of Van's insults resurfaced at edge of her mind again as she stared at the moon or moons to be exact. In all their glory, one looming largest and just as brightest was Earth. Her home planet and prickly prince Vanitas called her stupid for falling out from it.

Well, she didn't will herself to be here! One moment, she saw herself plummeting to her death, the next alive and breathing in this twisted afterlife that are inhabited by anthropomorphism and silly boy/prince with a sword while back talking her like he hate her guts over something.

To her, it was all about sequence events. Yuki lecture, leaving early to avoid another confrontation caused her to be stuck in traffic, and deciding to walk home was her choice. Hitomi was okay with all that, but let's not forget that her "death" could've been avoided and prompt her current jammed now.

Okay, she was being melodrama.

"Jerk," Hitomi fume out once out from the rant and back into another, propping her head in her arms with a huff. "Idiot, Moron," Hitomi continued without much difficult, ticking off other possible names for his high-mighty attitude. "Dim-witted" seem to be one too.

Hitomi would have gone on if not the startling fact that there was humanoid cat glaring at her.

Merle hung from the roof ledge and appeared at her window suspended upside down. Her faces scrunch in a sneer, apparently taking Hitomi insults seriously because her anger voice rose, "Are you insulting Lord Van?"

With a yelp of ingenious surprise, Hitomi jump couple of feet away from the window.

"Cause, I'm not going to allow that." It was the same cat-girl that's been stalking her; pink hair, feline quality that included tail, whisker, and non-human ears side of her head where normal human ears would be. Hitomi watched the feline stare down at her the entire time it talked. "I'm watching you."

"Why are you following me?" Hitomi screamed accusingly, she had a dire need to ask for some time now ever since the looming and stalking started. Then Hitomi tilt her head rather puzzle by the girl's familiar feature. Now with a closer inspection, she can distinguish her more clearly, "Do I know you?"

"Don't remember, huh?" The 'cat' hopped from her perch on the window sill and land on all fours of her paws. Her plain dress smoothly followed her steps.

"Name's Merle" Merle paused to lick her paws, sharp-eyed on Hitomi with sour distastes yet observant. "And you're Hitomi."

"You're a strange girl, you know." Apparently, Merle saw Hitomi gapping mouth as invitation to talk more because she commented her attire next. "For starters, you dress weird when I first saw you."

"Also," Empathises her point with a snuff in the air, "… you smell unusual too."

"I'm not weird. I'm the only normal one around here!" Hitomi felt gravely insulted by the girl, before something click in her head when she saw the stripe tail swish behind Merle's garb.

"Hey, weren't you that cat who scratch me?"

"I am 'that' cat. This is my actual form."

Hitomi twitched at the bizarre idea of this cat having more than one form. At first, Hitomi consider Merle to be a joke, but saw the young girl's stern face, and then heave a sigh. Her mind was exhausted from today. She hoped by furiously rubbing her forehead would get the blood circling in her brain again.

"I'm starting to believe more and more that this world is wacked." Hitomi mumble to herself, not taking account of Merle's sharp hearing. Seeing Merle confusion, Hitomi decided to explain her exasperation.

"Up there..." She point out the window to the biggest sphere hovering in the blank canvas that would be the heavens. With blue as the oceans, vast of brown dirt, green, yellow, and such other colours covered the sphere. The roughly edges of urban life were just dots to anyone but her. "...is my home. And I think-"

"Mystic Moon?" Merle gawk in astonishment, excitement leaked into her voice, "You're from the Mystic Moon?" It was an expression that wasn't hateful, coolness, or scorn, but complete devoted interested. Something Hitomi hadn't expected.

Merle began bombing Hitomi with questions, enquiring about what it was like up there and what other strange things her kind does.

Mean time, Hitomi attempted to answer each questions being thrown while wanting to ask some of her questions since they were on the topic. Hitomi wanted to know what was a Mystic Moon and if she knew a way back there. However, there was no opening for her.

And the strangest question was this one: "Do people get sick there?"

"As in an illness?"

Merle wasn't exactly happy with the answer.

As quickly those questions were shot, they ended. Merle must have caught herself because she withdrew back to her disinterestedness self.

"You're boring," meow the cat, hiding what little interest she had moment ago and ran off.

Perhaps some else was more suitable for Hitomi to ask about this Mystic Moon.

Hitomi made sure to ask. After days spent on Van's recuperating, they left when he was in a half-healed state. Also, Hitomi went back wearing her old cloths again; the uniform which was a white blouse and blue skirt with the school's crest still etched on it.

Ruhm hand gripped the reigns and the other point out for Hitomi the shrouded two moons. His rough voice echo Fanelia's cavern as they trotter through them. A couple wolves were walking beside their ride too.

"See that up there, the blue one. The Mystic Moon is an important identify object in the sky."

"Okay. Is there a way to get up there?" Hitomi didn't miss the chance.

"Like a levi-ship?" Ruhm remarked.

"I don't get it. Why is she here?" Merle interrupted the conversation from the back. She was not happy with the arrangement; otherwise, has been uncanny silence compare to feisty attitude. Merle purplish pupil dilated got smaller when the cart shifted unevenly over another bump. She looked about to chuck out her breakfast, so maybe cats were queasy?

Hitomi and Ruhm sat in front, manoeuvring the oversized yak transport. Van sat behind them looking very concern at Merle. They were comfortably leaning up against hay stack.

Hitomi took the opportunity to brood at Merle's words.'Why was she here exactly?' Was it because what Vanitas had said yesterday may her hope a little bit?

"You're a prince, right?" Hitomi had to confirm it however obvious answer it was. She just needs to ignite their conversation, something to keep Van busy while she was there grabbing stuff from the room. He was looking out the window at the wooden cart outside being stock for tomorrow ridded.

"Your father and mother must be kings and queens."

Perhaps he didn't expected such a question to be asked because she remember how stiffen his shoulders were, yet he wheeze out a replied for her strangely.

Hitomi didn't take note of his sober nature while she unrolling the new bed sheets.

"Yes." Van swallowed a lump. "We're a noble line of royal's family guarding Fanelia."

"Fanelia is your kingdom?"

"It's too small to be a kingdom and too big to be a village or town. It's a small community risen from mountains under the protections of Astrian from an allegiances we form generations ago."

"Hm..." Hitomi hummed compressively to no one particular as if to regard the new bit uninterested information.

"What is your home like?"

"Defiantly different from yours," Hitomi laughed instantly, then sombre when she quieted down. "But it feels ... like a room fill with people. This feeling always makes me lonely. Only recently, I realized how much I took for granted."

"Come with us." Hitomi wonder if he had pity her at the time, if he had invited her out of obligation.

"In Fanelia..." Van started very quietly and didn't bother to look at Hitomi's jaw-dropping expression because he got her attention, "...there may be people who can help you get back home."

It was a generous offer, outbalance his stern and serious character she usually saw, the reason she couldn't decline perhaps.

Hitomi looked over her shoulder to check the other two riders again, busy chatting happily. Van was laughing at one of Merle's joke, until he caught her watching.

"It's not nice to stare, you know" His voice sound impudent like a snip-comment. He must have restored back to his heartless self.

Hitomi's nose scrunches up in distasteful manner, and glare at Van and back to the sky when Merle caught her fierce glare.

"Jerk..." Ruhm sensitive ears swirl at Hitomi's quiet murmur.

"Prince Vanitas is only upset." Ruhm clarify to her, "About his slaying we interfered- it is Fanelia's tradition. It is a practice done alone. Meddling or lending a hand is an insult and Fanelia people are prideful individuals."

"Couldn't he find another dragon slain? There must be bunch of them out there." Hitomi defended.

"Unfortunately, he cannot be absent from his kingdom long. His injuries took up great deal of time healing."

Ruhm voiced became graver, hopefully out of range of the curious cat and prince, "He must have directed most of his resentment and frustration onto you, unfortunately."

Hitomi nod regretfully at the news. "Just my luck..."

The predicament puts her in the prince's bad side, but it explains his grumpy mood. Deciding this was unfortunate outcome and there was little she could do, Hitomi glanced over at the wolf-mans walking beside the cart instead. In their hands were whirling whistling fan like sticks. She stared at them in wonder as Ruhm chuckled at her interests.

"They're to keep the animals away, like your scary dragon."

Ruhm was unsure where it was coming from. He sniffed the air again, and cover arm over nose at the strong sent of burn fleshes.

"Ruhm?" asked a younger pup, "What is it?"

"...Ugh," Merle flapping her hands in front of her nose to wave off the smell of decade bodies. "I can smell it too."

Van rushed to the front from back, nearly knocking Hitomi off her seat. With squint eyes, he caught the site of black smokes rising skyward closing in. He looked uneasily at Merle then at Ruhm. "Could you go faster?"

With nod, Ruhm told his mans they was going up ahead. He raised the rein and whipped at giant ox.

Once they arrived, all they did was stare at collapsing once marvellous wooden towers and homes. In a fierce explosion, the ground shook as another building fell. The air taste acidity and burnt ashes, flame erupted around Fanelia. Everyone was stun at the devastation, but more so for Van and Merle. They stared at amber flames and smoke in horror. The peace that had been there in the evening was gone at night. Everything and everywhere show nothing but chaos.

Both the anxious Merle and Van jump out of wagon park outside the burning kingdom into the infernal.

"I should make sure my mans are alright," Ruhm needlessly apologies to her later.

Hitomi nod, understand his reason and hoop out, only to wince when one of her stiff leg picketed. She did her best to wave a farewell and thanks with the pain. She step forward, ready to follow in with Merle and Van, but was hold up by Ruhm sudden warning.

"Being from another world… it's a sign of ill omen." He motioned with his free hand to point out her cloths, which contrasted the fantasy-like of Gaia. Hitomi accent would pose a problem too.

"Not a lot of people take it in kindly." She regards his advice carefully; understand to keep her origins a secret. Hitomi watch as Ruhm trotter away. His ox's hooves clatter on the dirt road.

As Hitomi turned to tread up the slope to blazing Fanelia, she remembered that morning when they were preparing their departure at how surprised Ruhm and Merle have been seeing her waiting. Van was already sitting in the cart, minding his own business.

"Hitomi?" Ruhm expected her to stay from the way things had gone for her. Hitomi would have, maybe, if possible of going home weren't so strong.

"Vanitas mention someone there could help me get home." Her back straight and bow, expressing her thanks him for accommodating her into their pack. "And thank you for allowing me to stay but I will be leaving with them."

Hitomi snapped out from the memory. Her pendent flicker, and in an instant debris from the roof came crashing down, the place Hitomi would have been if she had walk a little further. The open ceiling allowed cool air to seep in, but she didn't take notice it. She was busy sweating and coughing. The wooden structure was burning and she was choking on fumes.

Hurriedly, Hitomi secured her pendent back on which must have slipped out from her neck and try climbing over the debris. She continued searching for Vanitas and Merle with squatted shoulder to show her resolvement to the whole world.

While peering over the towering trash of what use to be the ceiling, she found out the other side appear clear and ground levelled. She hopped off on top of her mountain, and landed with wobbly feet before putting her hands in front to stable herself.

Into the inferno once again; the pit of hell, Hitomi called out Vanitas and Merle. Chasing two individuals out of scattering people around the burning streets of a collapsing kingdom wasn't among the smartest she ever done.

As she invested more time searching, the smoke Hitomi inhaled hamper her vision swayed. Screams carried on, which echoed in her head even when she passed out.

Author Note: No commentary, but any opinions for this chapter would be awesome. *nudge, nudge*