Hello my lovelies! I'm so sorry for the delay, I swear this chapter was going to break me! It's absolutely beautiful here in Canada, summer is in full swing already and I feel like I have to spend as much of my free time outside, and that makes finding the time to write difficult (8 months of -25 to -45 degrees celcius makes a person a bit crazy). Anyways, I hope you guys like this.

The vino was lovely, the taste smooth and just a little sweet. It was so easy to over drink the stuff, a thought which always seemed to sour the drink for her. Her lips curled ever so slightly at the sour note which she knew was just in her mind. It really was a shame, she'd always enjoyed wine far more than whiskey.

The Fanelian ballroom was full of people, the King's guests dressed in their absolute best as they talked and laughed with other members of their own class. An eerily beautiful tune filled the room, the sound almost like that of a cello even though the instrument it came from looked like nothing she'd ever seen. She found herself swaying to the melody, humming it. It resonated with a part of her soul. Neither happy or sad, it simply was.

The neko playing the tune was just as beautiful, the woman's slender physique and golden hair reminded her of another golden haired cat from a lifetime ago. She found herself staring after a while and looked away quickly.

Hitomi took another sip from her glass and let out a content sigh. She'd never felt as relieved and grateful to be ignored as she did now. Apparently the nobility of Gaia found her mildly interesting, but most of her draw came from the bloodlines she seemed to have won over. On her own she was still just a peasant, invisible, and right now that was just fine with her.

Before the war she'd never been a people watcher. The thought of watching others go about their lives had never occurred to her. It was creepy, and she'd been far too engrossed in her own life to care about what other people were doing. After being on Gaia for a while though, discretely watching others had been one of the only ways she'd learnt how to exist in the strange world. Everyone she knew was important here, which usually meant that she went unnoticed and spent a lot of time on the sidelines. She'd learnt a lot that way.

Despite the relatively calm air about the room, many of the guests had begun to fidget slightly. Women played with their bracelets, or the stems of their glasses just a little bit more than normal, and the men shifted noticeably from foot to foot, some looking off towards the large doorways every few minutes. The King was very late.

Hitomi began to smile as she felt a familiar furred hand sneak its way under her arm followed by the additional warmth of a body at her side, but as she turned to look at the pink haired neko her smile evaporated. While most of the guests seemed relatively unphased by the delay in supper, the stress was taking a visible tole on one person in particular.

"I'm sorry kitten".

Large sapphire eyes shot towards her. Merle's fur was standing slightly on end which made the flush of her cheeks that much more noticeable. The poor girl was so stressed that it took a moment for her to register the seer's words. Wavy pink hair bounced as the Fanelian shook her head.

"It's not you," Merle said quickly, her voice shaking just a little. Hitomi raised an eyebrow. "I'm serious. This is just like him; and he did say that if I wanted to host this gala I was on my own". Merle took a large mouthful of vino from her own glass before muttering darkly, "I just didn't expect him to be serious about it".

Those large eyes darted to one of the doors for probably the hundredth time in the last hour. Merle took another heavy 'sip' from her cup that made Hitomi frown. She hated that her arrival was causing so much stress. Especially for someone that she considered family. They stood there for a minute in silence, the content of Merle's glass diminishing quickly. Hitomi could tell that the girl was fantasizing of ways to murder her brother.

"Is it just me or is it weird that Allen's married?" she asked in an attempt to distract her sister from her murderous intentions, her green eyes catching the back of a familiar blonde man. A beautiful woman was attached to the knight's arm, long golden hair falling in loose waves down her back. The woman smiled happily at her husband's side as he conversed with another light haired noble.

"Oh, so weird!" At least she wasn't the only one who thought so. "Melody really is lovely though, you'll like her". Melody? Seriously? "I'll have to introduce you two; I'm surprised Allen hasn't yet".

"I think he's avoiding me".

Merle shifted beside her, bright eyes fixed on her face in a mix of indignation and concern, "What? Why?".

"Male comradery?"

The neko's ears fell flat against her head as her lips pulled into a tight line. Eight years ago she probably would have growled as she mulled over what Hitomi said, but now she simply looked away, her eyes hard and her tail flicking with a decided sharpness. After a moment her hold on the seer's arm tightened. She likely knew that Hitomi was right but couldn't bring herself to say so.

"He shouldn't treat you like that".

Hitomi wasn't sure exactly which 'he' the girl was referring to but it really didn't matter. Allen had become Van's closest friend since the war and with Merle and Millerna having quite vocally sided with her it made sense that the knight would avoid her, politely, until things blew over. If they ever did. Allen was diplomatic that way.

"He sure likes his blonde M's though," she commented quietly, a slight smile on her face as she felt the neko choke a little on her vino. Merle started to giggle against the side of her arm.

"That's so wrong", the Fanelian whispered behind her hand, her shoulders shaking as she tried to stifle her laughter. Hitomi's smile widened and she soon found herself giggling as well. They laughed against each other for a while, just enjoying the warmth of each other's company.

Hitomi couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed like that. It had been such a long time. After the giggling subsided, Merle nuzzled against her cheek, "I missed you, weirdo".

"I missed you too kitty cat," she whispered back, smiling. She'd never heard the girl purr before. "Oh, I was going to ask. Where are Celena and Chid?"

"Chid said that something came up, but his birthday is in a couple weeks so we'll get to see him then. As far as Celena goes, she doesn't travel much. She's really uncomfortable with levi ships, the poor girl gets panic attacks every time she's on one", Merle's nose twitched a little before adding, "She's also a bit skiddish around Lord Van. Bad memories maybe".

Hitomi frowned. She felt bad for Celena, and for Allen, and prayed for both their sakes that the younger Schezar didn't remember too much. Merle tensed beside her suddenly.

Two sets of eyes shifted towards one of the large doors. Gaddess was talking in a low voice to two familiar figures. Mika was angry, his body language bristling visibly as Varo frowned. Teal eyes caught theirs as the Lord Advisor gave the slightest shake of his head. Merle slumped beside her. Van wasn't coming.

"Well," Merle sighed, resigned, as she downed the rest of her glass. "No point putting things off any longer". She started to pull away but turned at the last minute and grabbed Hitomi's hand. "I'll come find you later, ok?"

"Ya, of course".

Gaddess stopped at their side and Merle fixed him with a mock glare, "You take care of her, got it?"

The dark haired man stumbled back a step, his hand flying up to his chest comically, "Your lack of faith wounds me little princess. When have I ever let her get in trouble?" Merle opened her mouth but was cut off quickly, "Don't answer that".

"Exactly," the neko said, her face breaking into a large toothy grin that showed the full length of her fangs. A moment later she laughed, and then Merle was gone. Hitomi smiled as Gaddess offered her his arm.

"Little Lady".

"Kind Sir".

She took in a steadying breath as they began to follow the other guests towards the banquet hall. What was the saying? Out of the forest and into the flames.

x

Varo let himself sigh heavily with relief. Despite the most glaring issue, he had to admit that supper had gone quite well actually. Even their little seer had done a splendid job conducting herself.

The Fanelian man looked out into the ballroom and surveyed the happy chatter of their guests, his eyes fixed on one in particular. She was a surprising girl, that one. He caught a flutter of soft pink out of the corner of his eye and smiled brightly.

"Your highness," he bowed over his cane to the Queen of Asturia. She pulled her eyes away from the girl as well and smiled gently at him. He'd always liked the young Queen. She knew how to put the lad in his place when she had to; he really did need to ask her for advice on that some day.

"Please Varo, you know Millerna is fine with me", she said. He nodded politely, and wasn't the least bit surprised when her periwinkle eyes trailed back to the woman from the Mystic Moon.

"She's doing so well," the Queen commented happily. "Far better than I was expecting".

He nodded, "Yes, it's quite impressive, isn't it?" The seer had far surpassed his expectations as well. He hadn't known what to expect when he'd found her that morning, covered in dirt and sweat, her eyes showing her pain so openly as they'd discussed her family and her struggles. She'd endeared him to her almost instantly, just with that one conversation. It was no wonder the boy seemed so heart broken.

"I have to admit that I was a little worried," the Queen continued. Her voice seemed almost a bit sad. "Hitomi was never one for 'proper behavior' during the war".

"Sounds familiar".

Lady Millerna laughed gently, "Yes, I guess you're right. They've always been surprisingly similar".

Varo nodded again and let himself smile as the Commander of the Crusade wrapped an arm around the seer's shoulders. Gaddess seemed to be whispering encouraging words in her ear because she smiled and leaned into his side for a moment.

The Asturian officer had taken it upon himself to act as body guard, companion and gate keeper between the woman from the Mystic Moon and the rest of the Gaian court. He'd been by her side the entire evening, giving her the advice and comfort she needed to survive the onslaught of questions and idiocy. Good. She needed someone, and he'd always liked the prankster.

"They seem quite close".

The Queen nodded as the Commander let Hitomi go, a nobleman and his daughter introducing themselves to the young woman, "Hitomi and Gaddess spent a lot of time together during the war. Van and Allen were always so busy, I guess you could say that Gaddess was sort of left to watch out for her. I'm happy to see that things haven't changed much".

"Did Van say why he wouldn't come down?" she asked after a long moment.

"No, but I could hazard a guess", he replied wryly. He gave the Queen a sidelong look, she seemed to be watching him as well. "Do you have any idea what happened between them?"

She shook her head, "No. We all assumed that things were fine between them, and it was just a matter of time before Van brought her home. And then suddenly, as if over night, Van was different. Not in a bad way, but he just seemed- a little off". Varo found himself nodding yet again. It had been overnight, and the lad still bore the scars from that day. "The more time that passed without Hitomi's return, the less we asked about her. It seemed too cruel".

The Queen chewed on her lip gently, a less than lady like behavior that both surprised and worried the old Fanelian. After a moment she continued, "I've never seen her like that before. She was almost terrified to face him. And Van, he's just so angry. Something serious must have happened. It worries me".

The Fanelian frowned. He'd gotten the same impression.

There was a slight prickle up the back of his neck just as a familiar presence appeared at his shoulder. It was about damn time. He turned and gave the knight a wink, which gained him a half hearted grimace. He may be old, but he hadn't lost his touch just yet.

"Sir Aldrin," Lady Millerna voice almost cooed. Genish bowed politely to the Queen as she turned her full attention to him. "I just wanted to commend you on your excellent tutelage. Hitomi's handling herself incredibly well given the short time you had with her".

"Thank you, your Majesty," the man bowed again, the slight twitch of his lips the only outward show of emotion. "But as much as I would like to take credit for the seer's manners tonight, I cannot". The Queen's eyebrows rose. "There were a few small things," he continued. "Cultural differences mostly, such as her bow, but over all her previous instruction was quite adequate".

Varo and the Queen of Asturia stared at the Fanelian knight for a few moments. The older man smiled after a while. Well now, their little lady was trained to be just that- a proper little lady. When she chose to be. This made him chuckle to himself. Wasn't that something?

"Oh," Lady Millerna's smile was genuine, but there was a hint of confusion beneath it. "That's wonderful". Something caught the Queen's eye and she sighed, "I'm sorry gentlemen, please excuse me".

When the Queen was gone Varo fixed the younger knight with an expectant look, "Well?"

Aldrin cocked an eyebrow at him, "What do you think?"

The older Fanelian's frown returned. Their King was known for being a very steadfast young man, which as just a polite way of saying stubborn.

X

Hitomi let out a sigh as she pressed her forehead against the cold glass. The cool spring breeze felt amazing as it brushed against her flushed skin and she basked in the momentary peace it brought.

Flanked on either side by heavy red curtains, the window well where she sat was large and deep, more than big enough to accommodate both herself and her voluminous skirts comfortably. The hallway, all but abandoned, was lit by a few low burning candles that lent a soft golden glow to the growing darkness. The thought of drawing the curtains and closing herself off from the outside world crossed her mind more than a few times.

She could still hear the thrum of laughter and conversation from the ballroom, both seemed to have gotten progressively louder the later it became and the more the guests drank. Everyone was having such a good time, and yet all she'd wanted to do was get away.

The ballroom stifling, the number of bodies causing the confined space to become almost unbearable until she'd been forced to excuse herself. She needed some fresh air, which was true, and b-lined for the nearest door and the closest window she could find. She flicked open the latch and instantly felt relief as the constricting grip on her chest lessened. She hadn't realized how over heated she'd been.

It wasn't long after that her solitude was interrupted by the non too subtle voices of a young couple. Hitomi pulled her eyes away from the view as the pair approached; their attempts at stifled, giddy laughter dying as they spotted her. She forced a smile which they returned before hurrying on their way. She raised an eyebrow as she watched them leave. For the life of her she couldn't remember either of their names, but she was positive that they were married. Just not to each other.

It didn't matter though, it wasn't any of her business. She turned back to the window and the twilight landscape.

Even from the castle's first floor the view of the city below was breath taking. Hitomi felt her gaze soften as the corner of her lips pulled into a small smile. Fanelia had come so far since the war that had razed it to nothing but a pile of rumble and ash. Her heart swelled with pride and love for the strange country that felt more like home than her own.

She wanted nothing more than to tell him how proud she was of the progress he'd made, of the King he'd become. His people adored him, and many of the other nobles admired him even if they found him intimidating. As far as getting to tell him any of this, he'd actually have to talk to her first. That was about as likely as a yerkle sprouting wings, which was needless to say not very damn likely.

"Hitomi?"

The seer jumped a little at the unexpected voice but smiled when she instantly recognised it's owner. Dryden gave her a weary grin as he walked towards her and he sat with a grateful sigh.

"So, how have you been?", the King asked, the fatigue evident in his voice. "I feel like I haven't talked to you in a while".

"Ya, it's been a long time," she tried to sound cheerful but it came out sad. "And I guess I'm ok".

Dryden watched her over the top of his spectacles, his eyes sympathetic, "It's been a hectic couple of days for you, hasn't it?"

"Ya".

"Have you two talked yet?"

Hitomi shook her head slowly. She shouldn't have been surprised, Dryden was always the type of person to get straight to the point. Time was money after all.

"I know you've probably heard this already," the former merchant said after giving her an understanding nod, "But just give him time. You had two weeks to ready yourself for this, he didn't. I think he feels a little blind sided".

"And being blind sided gives him the right to yell and swear at people?" the seer snapped back. She didn't mean to take her frustration out on her friend but he didn't seem to take it personally as his lips pulled up a little at the corners.

"Of course not, but given what happened between you two and everything that he's gone through since you left Van's been rather stoic over the last eight years. That's a long time to keep things bottled up".

Hitomi's eyes dropped to her hands; she was picking at her fingernails absently. It was a habit that she couldn't seem to break herself of no matter how hard she tried. She bit her lip.

"Did he tell you?"

"I think as much as he felt comfortable," was the gentle response. "He doesn't tend to share".

She let out a noise that was more a rush of air than a chuckle. So Dryden knew…something. What exactly she had no idea, but it didn't change what had happened.

"So I'm just supposed to let him vent his frustrations on everyone else and avoid me like a child until he's ready to talk to me? That sounds like a fabulous idea".

"It might not be as bad as you think," Dryden mused. She hadn't raised her gaze but she could feel his eyes studying her. "He has grown up a fair bit since the war".

She let out another huff of air. "This is him grown up?", she pressed as she gave Dryden a dry look.

"You've been gone a long time," the Asturian said pointedly which made her drop her gaze again. When she didn't say anything for a few moments Dryden sighed before continuing, "You know, Millerna's worried that he said something, or did something to-".

Startled green eyes shot up to meet cautious brown ones and she gaped at the man beside her. His words had trailed off but the meaning couldn't have been clearer.

"What? No, it wasn't like that".

"I didn't think so. He was too head over heels for you, and considering what happened with the council and his recent behavior," he trailed off again. "Well, I suppose I'm glad then".

They sat in silence for a little while, each absorbing what the other had said, or didn't say. It wasn't an overly comfortable quiet.

"Did Millerna really think that Van hurt me somehow?" Hitomi asked after a minute. The idea was ridiculous. Dryden shrugged a shoulder, his hands clasped loosely between his knees. He still wore those same oversized style robes he'd been so fond of years ago. Being King hadn't seemed to change him very much.

"She knows he wouldn't hurt you physically. I think she was mostly concerned that he'd said something to chase you away, but to be honest none of us have ever seen him like that," the King's voice was low, almost whispered as he remembered the events only a few nights ago. His brown eyes came up and fixed on her face intently. "None of us have ever seen you like that. You were never afraid of putting him in his place".

Hitomi's gaze fell again and her shoulders sank with it. She'd been absolutely terrified to face Van, and she still was, but not for anything he'd done. It wasn't his fault.

"I think she's just looking for a reason that would explain why you weren't here," Dryden continued slowly. The corner of his lips curled but the smile held no warmth to it. "The last few years have been rough on everyone, and I know she would have appreciated having someone to talk to".

The agony in the King's voice pulled at her, the edges of her vision narrowing. He reached out a hand and laid it on top of her own. The physical contact sent a bolt of electricity through her, images flashing across her mind's eye.

A dark bedroom, the curtains pulled shut even as bright sunlight tried to pierce through around the edges. Millerna curled on the bed in the fetal position, heart wrenching sobs racking her slender form as Dryden smoothed her hair and whispered gently to her. Two women stood in the corner of the room, their eyes turned away. One clutched a bloody sheet to her chest.

People lined the Asturian canal, the King and Queen stood on the dais where they'd been married. The sky was grey. A little white box was gently laid on a barge covered in flowers. Millerna tried to hold back her tears as the barge began to drift away. She took a step after it, and then another, tears streaming down her cheeks. A chorus of yells erupted as the Queen flung herself into the water. She was waist deep before Dryden caught her. She fought him, thrashing and crying loudly until they both fell back into the canal. Her wails cut through the sky as the heavens began to weep with her.

Hitomi sucked in a breath as the vision ends as abruptly as it had started. It had only lasted a heartbeat for her, but the pain she'd felt had been immeasurable. The edges of her eyes stung and she could feel the tears forming as she looked into Dryden's sad, gentle face. She knew it had happened, but her heart broke for them all over again.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here", she whispered. He smiled, the gesture genuine even if it did nothing to lessen the pain on his face. He squeezed her hand gently.

"You're here now, that's what counts". The Asturian King stood, still clutching her hand as he leaned down and placed a light kiss on the top of her forehead. There was a little more warmth to his smile when he pulled back. "We're glad you're back, all of us. He just doesn't see it yet".

X

"Your highness".

"No".

"But-"

"I said no", the King fixed them with sharp hard eyes from beneath his long bangs. Varo sighed inwardly. He could almost hear the strain of Mika's leather armour as the old goat swelled with barely contained anger. When was he going to learn that lecturing only made the boy more irritable?

Mika stepped closer to the desk, his chest puffed in a strange act of intimidation. "Are you seriously going to let some pretty faced little tart keep you from your duties?", the idiot snapped. The dark haired young man behind the desk leaned his weight deeper into the wood beneath his hands and fixed the general with a glare that would make the bravest of men cower. Idiot was being too kind.

"It would be wise to choose your next words carefully, general", the King snarled between gritted teeth the tone was low and dangerous. His anger seemed to swirl off of his skin in almost tangible waves. If Mika didn't back down soon he was going to have his throat ripped out, and thankfully the old man seemed to sense it as well. He stood there, calculating his options, and finally bowed before storming from the room. Varo frowned as the door slammed shut.

Van straightened slightly, his shoulders relaxing as he ran a hand through his hair. The King of Fanelia, no…the boy, the boy he'd known from the time he was an hour old, the orphaned young son of one of his best friends, the boy he'd helped raise to be a strong warrior, looked exhausted. Frustrated. Down trodden. Varo watched him with sad eyes. To him Van would always be that gentle young boy, but secretly he worried that they'd beaten too much of that gentleness out of him.

"Your highness," he began and watched as his King's odd red/brown eyes pulled away from the book laid out on the desk to regard him. Van's young face was drawn, but far less ominous than it had been. "I believe what Garrison was attempting to say is that as Fanelia's King you have certain obligations-"

"I am well aware of my obligations," the young man interrupted. He held Varo's gaze for a moment before hiding his eyes behind his bangs. That was something that hadn't changed in almost twenty years. His shoulders slumped as he added bitterly, "I know them far better than anyone else". Van finally sighed and straightened to his full height, his arms folded across his chest.

"I made it perfectly clear before any of this began that I wanted nothing to do with this gala. I feel that it is a pretentious and unnecessary drain of resources that could be put to better use elsewhere, but I relented only for the sake of my sister. I relented with the strict understanding that I was expected to neither proceed over nor attend any of the events should they keep me from more pressing matters".

"And you feel that your attention is currently directed to such things?"

The King's brow furrowed for a moment before he gave a short, "Yes".

The old man watched him for a time, also weighing out his options. Stubbornness and temperamental nature aside the Kings instincts were usually quite keen and his logic sound. If he felt that his time was better used as it was now then there was most likely a good reason.

"Very well my Lord", Varo eventually said, bowing over his cane before making his way for the door. Besides, ones safety was not worth an unnecessary argument.

Once in the hallway he noticed the soft ruffle of fabric from down the hall. He recognised the dress instantly and smiled.

X

She was lost. Well, about as lost as a psychic can get which just meant that she had no idea where she was or where she was going. For most people that was a bad thing, for her it was usually just a temporary inconvenience. Right now it was exactly what she wanted.

Hitomi's mind was still reeling from the intensity of Dryden's memories, the absolutely excruciating pain that had coursed through her. The loss. The despair. It had been years since she'd been pulled into a vision with such force and intensity that she'd lost all sense of the world around her. She'd always been able to feel things in her visions, the heat of the flames, the searing pain of the person dying in front of her, their anguished cries. Those things had scared her, but they paled in comparison to what she'd just experienced.

She couldn't return to the ballroom after the vision, not that she'd really been intending to anyways, but the thought was simply laughable after what she'd seen. She'd learnt how to put on a brave face when it was necessary, she'd learnt how to smile even when she wanted nothing more than to scream and cry and flail, but she knew that all of her control would evaporate the moment she saw Millerna's pretty face.

So she'd let her feet blindly carry her…somewhere. Where ever here was, it was quiet. Dark. The stone hallway was abandoned and lit intermittently with a few lanterns hanging on the walls. She'd been curious and a little surprised the first time she'd noticed the energist lamps, each one possessing a shard of dragon's heart that was suspended within the same pliable glass-like substance Escaflowne's energist chamber was made of. That meant that this was probably a new part of the castle.

Hitomi came to a stop. It was eerily quiet, the silence closing in on her as small flashes of her friend's shaking form still played across the back of her eyes. She shook her head. She needed a distraction, something else to occupy her mind with. She pushed out with her gift and saw the pendant swing in her mind.

She let her feet move again, following the swinging of the pendant down another abandoned hallway until she came to a rather non-descript wood door. She pushed it open with only mild hesitation, her feet carrying her slowly inside. The first thing she noticed was the sent of old books and a lit hearth. The second was the heat. It was warm, and just a little humid. The room beckoned to her, wrapping her in a welcoming cocoon that drew her further inside.

Her fingertips found the warm wood grain of the bookcase at her shoulder and she let her fingers trail along its edges as she turned to the outer edge of the room, her eyes devouring the collection of books and carefully stacked parchments as her fingers slowly trailed along spines and edges. A sensation nagged at the back of her consciousness, gently asking for release and she opened herself up to it.

Not every book or scroll brought an image but there were a few as she went; an older grey-haired man in Fanelian styled robes hunched over a large desk, a dark-haired woman reading by fire light to a young child. Hitomi smiled as her eyes continued to roam across the collection, the flashes of images blending so seamlessly into her own sight that she barely noticed the interruption. She'd learnt years ago how to divide her consciousness, her left brain continuing to see and interact with the world as it was while her right brain registered the images. It had been difficult at first but almost getting hit by a car mid vision had been good incentive to learn.

The warmth of the room was soothing, the only light coming from the fireplace at the centre of the wall closest to her. A tall backed leather chair was pulled close to the hearth and looked well worn and comfortable. Her fingers grazed the edge of a large book and an image flashed behind her eyes that made her gasp. His dark hair was unmistakable.

"What are you doing?"

And then suddenly...GRANDPA! If anyone understands that reference, internet high five! For everyone else, sorry :). I know, cliff-hanger... and poor Millerna and Dryden. I'm so awful. Anyways, thank you so much for everyone who's reviewed, you know who you are! I really appreciate all the love and support and I swear I will do my best to respond to everyone personally. Lots of love! Ta-ta!