Preparation and Celebration

"Hitomi, its time to get up," Merle's voice called from out side Hitomi's door. Hitomi yawned and looked around, sunlight was coming through the large, low window and shined onto the floor near her bed. "Hitomi?" Merle called again, sounding annoyed.

"I'm up!" Hitomi yelled back as she reluctantly sat up and started to climb out of the warm bed.

"Hurry up and get dressed. When you're ready, come down to Van's private dinning room to eat breakfast, Van, Allen, and Millerna are waiting for you," Merle huffed, and then she left. Hitomi blinked, did she say Allen and Millerna? They were here? She quickly grabbed some clothes from the dresser. She decided on a simple white blouse and a short pleated skirt, kind of like the one she had worn with her school uniform. She took her brush and worked on taming her bed hair. At times like this, she regretted her decision to let her hair grow out... drawbacks like having to fight tangled bed hair. Not that her hair was super-long, but it flowed past her shoulders now. She slipped on some socks and shoes and hurried out... Only to remember... did she even know where the dinning hall was? It had been a long time since she had been here and she wasn't sure the layout was the same after the rebuilding.

"There you are," Merle said as she turned a corner and almost ran into her.

"Sorry, I wasn't' sure where I was going," Hitomi admitted apologetically.

"Oh? Really Hitomi, you think you could remember something so simple," Merle teased, "Well follow me then," the feline turned and walked down the hall to the right, Hitomi followed glancing around, trying to remember the way so she wouldn't need Merle to lead her everyday. It wasn't far and soon they had reached a large doorway, Merle stepped up to it and slid open the doors.

Talking and laughter came from the other room, but it quieted as Merle and Hitomi entered. Van motioned for Merle to bring Hitomi up to sit with them. He, Allen, and Millerna all sat at the table in the dinning room. Usually Van would eat in the dinning hall with his people, but since it was Hitomi's first day here to settle in, he hadn't wanted her to feel awkward in a roomful of hardy samurai and stuffy Fanelian nobles. Besides, he wanted Hitomi's reunion with her other friends to be private.

"Hitomi?!" The question came from a shocked Princess Millerna once the girl had drawn close enough for a decent look.

"Hitomi?" Allen repeated, just as surprised.

"Allen! Millerna! I take it Van failed to mention my being here to you?" Hitomi smiled; glad to see them. "I know he failed to mention to me that you would be here." Hitomi accused the young king.

"I thought I'd leave it as a surprise," Van smiled, sitting back with a smug look.

"Hitomi! It really is you!" Millerna got up and darted over, gathering the younger girl up in a hug, then pulled her away enough to get a good look at her, "You've grown out your hair… and a few other things."

Hitomi blushed at the Princess's comment, "Millerna!" she whined at being embarrassed in such a way in front of Van and Allen.

"Hitomi, you have truly grown into a beautiful woman," Allen took Millerna's place, but rather then a hug; he took and kissed Hitomi's hand.

"Are you back for good, Hitomi?" Millerna asked hopefully. She and Hitomi hadn't gotten on very well at first, mostly out of jealousies over Allen, whom Millerna was in love with, and Hitomi was crushing on. But like Hitomi and Merle, after all they went through, they formed a strong bond.

"I am here to stay this time," Hitomi assured them.

"Come now, breakfast will get cold," Millerna said. She took her seat again, Allen beside her. Hitomi sat on Van's right, and then Merle sat on Hitomi's other side.

"I trust that you slept well," Van asked once everyone was seated again.

"Yes," Hitomi nodded, "might have been because of all the excitement of being back, but I fell asleep with no trouble."

"She must have slept well, she was dead to the world, it was a pain waking her up," Merle commented as she snatched some breakfast.

"So how are things? What has happened with you all after I left?" Hitomi asked.

"Well, I had the word spread that all Fanelians were to return home," Van said, "We've been rebuilding since. It's been a long process, but Fanelia will be as great as it ever was... no, it will be better still."

"Prince Chid has been ruling Fried with help of advisers and I have been acting as his guardian as his mother's sister. He is to be given the official title of Baron of Fried on his sixteenth birthday. Pretty much all the kingdoms and their people have been regrouping and rebuilding after the war," Millerna added.

"This has brought all the countries together. The countries that were not devastated as bad as others have been pitching in supplies to help rebuild their neighbors," Allen smiled.

"That is good to hear," Hitomi smiled and looked around the table, taking her friends all in.

"Basram has been one of the biggest benefactors…" Millerna said dryly.

Allen gave a small, empty smile, "That is because everyone knows they are the ones that unleashed that energist bomb that killed many allied warriors as well as those of Zaibach…"

Merle changed the flow of the conversation back, "Fanelia is almost finished being rebuilt, in these short three years most homes and shops have been repaired better then ever," Some servants came and put a plate in front of Hitomi. They filled it up with some kind of pastry.

"Tell us all about the last three years, Hitomi," Millerna suggested, interested in Hitomi's life on the Mystic Moon. Hitomi gave them a summery, although there wasn't much to tell. Although some of the stuff she mentioned were mundane to her, Millerna asked questions for more details. Even Van and Allen seemed interested in her getting her driver's license and these things called cars.

After breakfast was done, Millerna and Allen excused themselves, and Merle ran off to run some errands. Hitomi had the suspension they were all giving her and Van some time alone.

Van asked Hitomi to join him in a walk in the castle gardens. The gardens weren't as large as the one in Asturia, and it still had a lot of growing to do, some of the trees were still saplings... but they had sand gardens and carefully manicured shrubbery and delicate looking flowers... the garden held a beauty of its own.

"It's not too great now, but one day this garden will be very beautiful, like the ones we had before Zaibach burned Fanelia," Van sighed.

"It's lovely already, and in a few years those trees will be larger and shade some of the more delicate flowers," Hitomi said. She bent over and smelled a blossom. She glance up at Van and found he was just staring at her. She stood up and looked at him. Van had confessed that he had loved her just before she had left for the Mystic Moon. Did he still love her? She wasn't sure and she was scared to ask. She knew he was glad to see her and to have her back, but that could only be because he had missed her companionship as a friend.

"Did you bring dancing shoes?" Van asked seemingly out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Hitomi blinked.

"For the celebration tomorrow, I know you have that lovely dress, but do you have shoes to go with it," Van said.

"Actually now that you mention it, no. I only brought two pairs of sneakers," Hitomi admitted after recalling that besides the tennis shoes currently on her feet, her mom had only packed her a spare pair of street shoes.

"I'll have Merle take you down to the cobbler, maybe he'll have something you can use," Van said. He led her back into the Castle and Van sent a sentry to go look for Merle. A few minutes later the cat girl showed up. "Merle, can you take Hitomi down to the market place and get her a pair of shoes for tomorrow," Van asked.

"Sure Van, I need to pick up some things anyway" Merle smiled, tail weaving behind her. She never minded when it came to running errands for her king.

"Here, this should cover anything he has in the store," Van gave Hitomi a pouch with currency inside.

"Thank you, Van," Hitomi wasn't sure how much he gave her, but the pouch was pretty heavy… he really shouldn't spend on something like shoes… this money could be better spent, she was sure. "Aren't you coming?"

"I am afraid I must attend to a few things," Van admitted with a sigh... he didn't really want to let Hitomi out of his sight, but he couldn't drag her to meetings and other offical business with him, at least not yet... He smiled, "Besides, I know little of women's shoes." Merle lead Hitomi away and Van watched them until they disappeared from sight.

"Here it is, the shoe makers place," Merle said as she dragged Hitomi inside the small shoe shop. Merle had spent most of the day picking up things for the castle; they had a whole cart full. Some of the castle serving men waited outside with their things while they ran this errand. While they were out, Hitomi had noted people decorating their homes and shops, apparently the king's birthday was a pretty big deal for just about everyone.

Hitomi looked around, the whole shop was full of different kinds of shoes and boots and sandals and everything else you can think of along the lines of foot wear...

"Shoe maker!" Merle called, ears perking up as she looked around the shop for him. An elderly man walked out of the back room then, lofting brows at the energetic cat woman.

"Lady Merle? Need a new pair of sandals already?" the shoemaker laughed.

"Nope, I'm not here for myself, King Van sent me to get some shoes for her," Merle jerked her clawed thumb at Hitomi. The man put on some glasses and looked at Hitomi.

"Well, aren't you a lovely young thing, what kind of footwear are you looking for?" the shoemaker asked.

"I need some kind of shoe that I can dance in and that will match a dark green satin dress," Hitomi said.

"Hmm… let me see your shoe you are wearing now so I can get the size right," the shoemaker said, so Hitomi slipped off her right sneaker and handed it to him, he looked at it and blinked, "What kind of shoe is this? What in Gaea is it made of?"

"It's a Nike... it's called a sneaker, and I think its some kind of rubber and leather…" Hitomi tried to explain.

"Nike? Is that a famous cobbler or something? Never heard of such," grumbled the man as he walked to his shelves and took down a few pairs of shoes. "Try these on," he handed them to Hitomi who sat down on a bench and slipped the shoes on and off.

"I like these ones, but they wont match the dress very well," Hitomi admitted to a pair of lime green slippers. "But then again, who is going to be looking at my feet?"

"How much do you have to spend?" the shoemaker inquired.

"Van gave me this," Hitomi handed him the bag of coins. He poured it out into his hand and blinked.

"This is a lot of money, why would the king spend so much?" the shoemaker asked, peering at her with new interest.

"Because I am a old friend, I guess," Hitomi shrugged, feeling a little uncomfortable now.

"Hitomi, you dimwit, it's obviously because he loves you," Merle stated bluntly, inspecting her claws as she waited, bored already. Sure Hitomi only just returned to them the day before, but the cat saw no reason to sugar coat the truth. Van had been pining for her since she left after all; Merle more then anyone would know this.

Hitomi blinked over at her, then looked down at the floor embarrassed, "I..."

"Hitomi? As in Lady Hitomi, the girl from the Mystic Moon that arrived to help save our whole world from Zaibach?" the shoemaker asked, his brows so high they were touching his hairline.

"That's the one," Merle grinned, a hint of mischief in her voice.

"What did you mean he loves me, Merle?" Hitomi demanded, once she got her voice back, she glared over at the catgirl.

"He has always loved you, he's been so mopey. Especially when the pesky nobles get onto him to select a bride because he needs an heir," Merle explained... all mischief gone as she answered Hitomi frankly. "Whenever it comes up, he always gets a faraway look, like he's pinning for someone. Now I've been with Lord Van my whole life, and I'd know if he got close to some female or another. And the only one that I know for sure he had feelings for was you. I am sure he will tell you himself soon enough... but you have only just arrived, so he's probably waiting to let you get settled... He might also be unsure if you feel the same..." Merle narrowed her eyes at Hitomi "You better not go breaking my Lord's heart or I'll never forgive you." Merle went back to picking at her claws.

"I didn't know all that…" Hitomi admitted… part of her feeling overjoyed, he had missed and thought about her just as much as she did him… but another part felt bad… she had no idea Van had missed her so deeply, he had suffered the same lonely nights she had… "But you probably shouldn't be talking about Van's feeling for him, Merle, they are kind of personal."

"Hmph," Merle rolled her eyes, "If I left it up to you two, you'd be whisked away again before he said anything."

"Well that is good and all, but you still need shoes, and I think I have what you're looking for," the shoemaker went into the back room and a few minutes later her came out with a box in his hands. "I made these for no one in particular, but they are some of my best work," the shoemaker set the box on a table and opened it up; inside were beautiful dark green slippers. They had designs of gold leaves sown into the top of the toe, right in the center of the leaves were a flower design made of emeralds.

"It's beautiful," Hitomi gasped.

"Suited for a princess, and they are just your size," the shoemaker agreed. He put the lid back on the box and handed it to Hitomi, "I want you to have them."

"How much?" Hitomi asked.

"No charge, they are a gift, for helping our king," the shoemaker explained.

"But surely it cost you a lot for the materials to make them," Merle pointed out, having peeked over to see them.

"Yes, but I don't mind and I will have no argument. You had better get back to the castle, it will be night soon," the cobbler walked into the backroom and left Hitomi and Merle to stare after him. They then looked at each other, Hitomi sighed and followed Merle out of the shop.

"I wish there was a way to pay him back," she said as she climbed onto the cart.

"We can leave some money for him someday," Merle assured her. "If we left it now it would insult him," They made one last stop at a produce stand and Hitomi looked around while Merle put in orders for fresh fruits and vegetables to be delivered to the castle kitchen.

Someone bumped into Hitomi, so she moved, turning to try and get out of the way, and a hand that had been grabbing for the coin pouch Van had given her, grabbed her bottom instead. Hitomi squealed and swung, smacking some guy across the face. The pickpocket stumbled back, stunned, and then ran before anyone in the market place came running to the scream.

"Hitomi! You ok? What happened?" Merle was at her side in a flash, fur on end and ears laid back against her hair. She looked Hitomi over for any harm. Some of the serving men too were on an alert, looking around for whatever danger had made Hitomi cry out.

"Some guy… grabbed my bottom," Hitomi was bright red with embarrassment, and she said the second part in a lower voice only for Merle.

The catgirl blinked, then glared around, "Stupid perverts… Though I bet it was just a clumsy pickpocket snatching for your coins but missed. Well, come on. We'll report it to the men policing the market place, then we need to get back to the Castle," Merle hopped up into the cart and Hitomi got up beside her. The serving man driver shook the reins, making the horses head toward the castle.

Hitomi wasn't very hungry, so she didn't go to dinner; they were going to be eating in the dinning hall with the rest of the castle. Instead she retired to her room early. She sat on her bed and looked at the beautiful emerald slippers. Everyone seemed to think she was some big hero, but all she had been was a terrified young girl who saw things that might happen and tried to keep her friends and herself alive. There was a knock on her door. "Come in," Hitomi called and Princess Millerna came into the room.

"I came to check if you were feeling well," Millerna said.

"Yeah, I just wasn't hungry," Hitomi assured her.

"What is it that you've got there?" Millerna asked looking at the shoes in Hitomi's lap.

"Slippers to go with my dress," Hitomi pointed to the green satin dress hanging on the wall to keep it from getting wrinkled after the maid had pressed it.

"That is a beautiful dress, I haven't seen anything like it," Millerna said almost awed… she could almost be jealous, she had nothing like it…

"Yeah, well Mystic Moon fashion is a little different then it is here," Hitomi admitted.

"The shoes match it perfectly as well, you will look a princess," Millerna grinned, "I better look out or you might outshine me."

"I'm no princess," Hitomi assured her friend.

"Maybe not, but we can make you look like one. Let me help with your hair and make-up tomorrow?" Millerna asked, then she noticed Hitomi had a zoned out look. Her eyes were unfocused and she had a shocked or surprised look on her face. "Hitomi?"

"Huh? Okay, I guess," Hitomi blinked and looked around as if she expected something to pounce on her, she then set the shoes on the nightstand. "Sorry, just thinking."

"Okay… Well, you'll be one the most beautiful maidens at the celebration," Millerna laughed. She then waved and left the room. Hitomi just sat there for a few minutes, and then she got up. Soon she was in pajamas and lied down to bed. She laid there thinking for a while, about how the shoemaker gave her the shoes, and how Merle so bluntly said that Van still loved her and had since she left. Then she thought about the strange thing she saw, it was like the vision she had seen before leaving home. All she remembered was that there were the eyes all around, glowing eyes of some kind of beast. This time there was one pair of human eyes as well… red eyes that didn't glow like those beastly ones around them. They were full of desired revenge and more then a little touch of madness. These thought haunted her until she finally she fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning Merle came to Hitomi's room with he breakfast, everyone was too busy getting everything ready for Van's birthday celebration to eat in the dinning hall that morning. Hitomi ate and opened her window. She saw people running around the castle doing this and that. There came a knock on her door so Hitomi got up and answered it.

"Hitomi, you should start getting dressed," Millerna walked into the room with a bag of make-up and a jewelry box.

"But the celebration doesn't start until tonight I thought," Hitomi said in surprise.

"The ball doesn't, but there is going to be a parade and a celebration in the city as well," Millerna said, "and Van wants you to watch the parade with him."

"Oh…" Hitomi was a little taken aback.

"Now go wash up in the washroom, then get into your dresses," Millerna pushed Hitomi into the restroom. Hitomi took a quick bath and washed her hair and stuff. She dried off with a towel. She came back into the room and dug out her underwear, pulling on her strapless bra that had been packed with her things, and slipped on her panties. She then took her dress from where it hung and with Millerna's help, slipped it on. The dark green satin gown fell into place, hugging her curves in all the right places. Millerna helped to zip her up and looked at her.

"My that dress fits you like a second skin." The dress was strapless and was tight around her chest and waist. It then flared out and hung over her hips, the rim almost touched the ground. Millerna handed her, her slippers, and after pulling on some stockings, she stepped into them.

"That dress really makes you green eyes stand out," Millerna observed as she sat Hitomi down in a chair and took to her hair with a brush and comb. Then she pulled the hair on top of Hitomi's head into a loose ponytail. "You lucky, I found a green one in my box that matched your dress," Millerna then put a slender green leather strap with a gold drop with emerald hanging from it, over Hitomi's forehead. It was just like the one Millerna herself usually wore, only Millerna was more partial to a dark pink-red band that had a blue gem. Millerna then let Hitomi's hair down and combed it out.

"Millerna! Are you sure it's all right I wear this?" Hitomi wasn't sure if it were proper. It seemed like something only a princess should wear.

"Yes, not stop fidgeting," she tugged on Hitomi's hair some until she stopped, "Well, I think that you should wear it down, but we can put it up if you would like."

"How about half and half?" Hitomi suggested.

"Okay," Millerna combed the top half and the sides of Hitomi's hair into a half ponytail and left most of the back hair down. Millerna then wrapped straps of cloth into Hitomi's ponytail to make it curly as it dried. She also pulled out a lock of hair on either side of Hitomi's face and wrapped them in cloth as well. "Now while your hair dries lets do your make-up," Millerna said. She turned Hitomi's chair around and looked the girl over.

Millerna eyed Hitomi's strange make-up in the make-up box she had brought from home, but she found it to her liking as she started playing with it. She put a light coat of dark green eye shadow on Hitomi's eyelids, not enough that it stood out, but enough to make her green eyes stand out more. She put a little blush and lip color and looked at her work. "Are your ears pierced?" Millerna asked.

"Yes," Hitomi took a peek of herself in the mirror, Millerna didn't do a bad job at all, but of course she was a princess, she had to know how to make herself look good. Millerna took a pair of gold and emerald earrings that matched the small gem hanging from the green strap on Hitomi's forehead. Hitomi put the earrings on and turned around so Millerna could take out the strips of cloth.

When they were done Hitomi stared at herself in the mirror. Staring back was a girl in a strapless dark green satin dress and beautiful dark green slippers with golden leaves and emeralds weave into them. A girl with her hair pulled into a half ponytail, which was curled in many loose dusty blond spirals, and had two locks on either side of her faced curled, framing it. A dark green strap lay across of forehead, an emerald with gold hanging down, with earrings that matched in her ears, and just the right amount of make-up.

"Millerna, Hitomi, is it ok to come in?" Allen's voice came from outside Hitomi's door.

"Come on in Allen, we could use a man's opinion," Millerna grinned at Hitomi, already knowing that her work was excellent. Allen chuckled at Millerna's comment and pushed the door open and slipped inside. He blinked and stared when he saw them. "So how does she look?"

"That's Hitomi?" Allen lofted a blond brow, "You've grown more then I had thought." Millerna gave him a look since that could almost have sounded perverted.

"So I look okay?" Hitomi asked.

"You look great, you will be the envy of the festival," Allen assured her. "Van asked me to collect you, they want to start the parade."

"Okay," Hitomi picked up the side of her dress so she could walk better and it wouldn't get dirty. Allen offered his arm, which made her hesitant, then awkwardly take it. He smiled back at Millerna, who was just as amused as Allen.

"I'll see you at the festival, Hitomi, I need to go get dressed now," Millerna waved and headed toward her own room. Allen escorted Hitomi to the front courtyard. There were groups of people standing about. Van was standing with his back to the Castle. He was dressed in nice clothes for once, with ornamental armor. An outfit fit for a Fanelian king.

There were some of the samurai around the courtyard as well, they were out of their battle armor and were in dress suits and shinny dress armor instead. Hitomi stepped out into the sunny courtyard and found that the fabric of her dress shimmered in the light. The samurai who had been talking about themselves stopped and watched as Hitomi, escorted by Allen Schezar, walked to King Van.

"I've brought Lady Hitomi, Lord Van," Allen said formally with a hint of mischief in his voice. Van turned around to greet them and found that he couldn't find his voice. He along with most of the people in the courtyard just stared.

"Hi Van, you look nice today," Hitomi said to brake the silence, feeling uncomfortable with all the eyes on them.

"You look beautiful," was all Van could say, but it was enough to make Hitomi blush. Van had known Hitomi was a lovely woman and would look great, but she looked as good, if not better, then any princess or noble lady he had ever seen standing there before him now.

"Aren't you going to be late for the parade?" Allen grinned.

"Oh yeah," that snapped Van out of his trance. He offered Hitomi a hand to help her up into the carriage they were going to ride in. Hitomi took his hand and hoped in, when she was seated Van himself got inside and the coachman started toward the city. She saw Allen standing there with a grin waving them off and sighed.

It was only a few minute ride to where they were going to watch the parade, it was a quiet one, but Van kept looking at her when he thought she wouldn't notice. It made her smile and blush some. When they arrived, Van helped Hitomi out of the carriage and led her to a balcony that over looked the main street of Fanelia. They sat down just as the first of the parade participants started marching along below them. The first float wasn't far behind, or men playing musical instruments. The floats were built on top of wagons and were pulled along by horses and other animals.

"What does that float represent?" Hitomi asked as an angel made of flowers rolled by.

"That is a tribute to Varie Fanel, my mother," Van said. Then a float with a statue of a man holding a sword passed below them. "That is for Goau Fanel, my father."

"That one is supposed to be Folken…" Hitomi said, not needing to ask… The third float had a man with a metal gauntlet that covered his arm from fingertips to shoulder, and he wore fake black wings… He wasn't being betrayed as a villain though… Much to Hitomi's relief, but more like a tragic hero. Van merely nodded.

"What about that one," Hitomi pointed to a float that had two kids about 15 stood on the float along with a little white cat girl. The boy had messy black hair and wore clothes like Van's usual attire, and the cat girl stood on the bottom of the float near the boy's feet, the boy holding a sword and doing his best to look regal. The other girl was sitting on a mound that was in the center of the float, she had short blond hair and wore a strange outfit covered in stars and crescent moons. In her hand she held a pendent.

"That is a tribute to you Hitomi, the girl is you and the boy is supposed to be me and the cat girl is Merle. It is supposed to be us during the war with Zaibach. Like I said, you are a legend to the people of Fanelia," Van looked at her as she watched the float go by in awe.

Van watched her… she was so beautiful, kind, and caring. She had saved his life so many times, sometimes even endangering herself in doing so; his trust in her was absolute. His people already loved her, and most only knew of her. Although he would never have admitted it, he had hoped deep down that she would somehow come back. He turned his attention back to the parade when Hitomi looked over at him to ask another question.

When the parade was drawing to it's end, Van and Hitomi headed down to the streets where a street party was happening. Van hooked his arm around Hitomi's so they would get separated. Merchants were giving away free samples and selling goods and everyone waved and bowed to Van as they pasted by. As Van and Hitomi walked down the street, they came upon the cobbler that had given Hitomi her lovely slippers. Hitomi explained what happened to Van and he walked over to the man, with Hitomi at his arm.

"Good-day Shoemaker," Van said as they walked up.

"Oh, King Van!" the shoemaker bowed. "How can I be of service?"

"I don't need anything today, thank you. I just wanted to thank you for your kindness to Lady Hitomi," Van said. The shoemaker stood up and looked at Hitomi.

"My, you look stunning, M' Lady Hitomi," the shoemaker awed.

"Thank you, Shoemaker. I wish you would let me pay for the slippers," Hitomi added.

"No, no, no, they were a gift," the cobbler insisted, smiling.

"We must return to the Castle, good-day to you, Shoemaker," Van led Hitomi away and headed toward where the carriage waited. Once they got inside, the carriage took then back to the castle, where people were arriving for the celebration.

Royalty from the surrounding kingdoms, Fanelian nobles and their families, and close friends of Van all come for the birthday celebration. Along with many beautiful young women; who were hopeful of Van's notice. Van wasn't looking forward to that part.