A strange warmth hovered over her cheeks. Hitomi slowly opened her eyes to see the bright sunshine at her side. Looking around her, she realized that she was in a bed. Van was passed out in a chair nearby. Hitomi pressed her hands at the mattress below her and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Her gaze followed Van's hair down to his closed eyes. He looked as though he was sleeping for the first time in days. She smiled as his boyish form.

Her feet poked out from the blankets, quietly touching the cold marble floor. "Gah!" Hitomi gasped from the sudden cold. She did not noticed that her shoes and socks were off. Her hands covered her mouth as he face turned to see van squirm a little in his chair. His eyes slowly seeped open, catching her gaze. "Aw, man.." Hitomi frowned as she got out of bed. "Sorry, Van..."

"Hitomi...you're finally awake." Van stretched out his arms and stood. "We were all very worried."

"How long was I out for?" Hitomi asked.

"Four days. Millerna couldn't diagnose anything wrong. We started to think you wouldn't awaken."

"Really? Wow.." Hitomi glanced out of the window. They were in Asturia. Her eyes gazed up at the sky, seeing the Earth and Moon.

"How do you feel?" Van walked over to her.

"Refreshed, actually..." Hitomi said and turned to him.

"Dilandau is locked up in Asturia's dungeons. He'll be there for a long time, I'm sure. That Mole Man can keep him company." Hitomi smiled. "Hitomi...how did you...separate Dilandau from Celena like that?" Hitomi sighed and sat on the bed.

"My pendant reacted with the broken down fate Alteration machine when Dilandau killed you..."

"Dilandau killed me?" Van asked. He looked at himself. "I don't feel dead!" hitomi shook her head.

"My desire for the bloodshed to end stopped time. I was transported to a strange plane where Dornkirk greeted me. He explained to me that in order to change fate, I had to regain my memory and focus on my will to make it the way I wanted. So he helped me regain my full memory of everything that happened here in Gaea. I came back to reality and shifted everything backwards."

Van joined her on the bed, listening to her with shock in his face. "My desires reacted with the leftover magic from inside the Fate Alteration machine. I willed for Dilandau to separate from Celena permanently..and I guess it worked. After that, I remember nothing outside of waking up just now." Her brown hair covered her eyes as she spoke. She ran a hand through it and pulled it behind her ears as she turned and looked over at Van.

"So...so you remember everything now?" Van smiled. Hitomi nodded.

"I do." Hitomi smiled as Van embraced her tightly.

"I'm so glad, Hitomi. I thought I lost you again, even though you were right here beside me."

"You'll never lose me, Van. Not now, not ever." Hitomi whispered. She broke their embrace and sighed. "What happens now?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" Hitomi stood and leaned against the wall beside the window.

"I mean, what happens to me now?"

"What do you want to happen?" Van asked. Hitomi lowered her head.

"I don't know..."

"Hitomi..." van said. The door to the room burst open and Merle came running in.

"Hitomi! You're awake!" Merle grabbed onto Hitomi's chest, nuzzling her face in Hitomi's shirt. Hitomi laughed.

"Yes, Merle. I'm awake."

"Is your memory back?"

"Yep." Hitomi smiled as Merle jumped into the air, landing on the bed. Millerna and Allen appeared from the outside hallway with smiled on their faces. Hitomi turned and waved at them.

"Hitomi! We're so happy to see you up and moving!" Millerna cried.

"You scared us there!" Allen said.

"Sorry about that, everyone..." Hitomi said softly.

"I wanted to thank you, Hitomi." Allen said, walking over to her. His strong arms embraced her in a hug. "Thank you for opening my eyes to my anguish and saving my sister. I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"Your happiness is payment enough, Allen." Hitomi said. Allen let her go and nodded.

"Breakfast is being served in the dining hall downstairs. Why don't we all go and get some food. You must be starving!" Millerna said. Hitomi heard a grumble in her tummy and she grinned.

"Yeah, I guess I am!" Everyone chuckled as they filtered out of the room and made their way down to the dining hall.

Everyone in the castle seemed relieved that Dilandau had been separated from Celena and locked up. People spoke of how peace would finally come to Gaea. Hitomi received much praise from people as days passed. Some even called her a 'wing goddess', on account of how she had wings when she separated Celena and Dilandau. It was strange to be seen as a hero. It also felt a little awkward. Now she had regained her memory, Hitomi remembered her old feelings for Allen. Seeing him married with Millerna stung at her heart a little. And Chid's death hit her hard as well.

Her conversation with Van bothered Hitomi. The obvious question in mind was would she stay in Gaea or go back to Earth. It was such a complicated question. What did she really want? Earth was her home, of course. She had a life there. Family. Friends. But she had those too in Gaea. And someone she loved. Someone she yearned for on Earth, even when her memory was gone. That even made it worse. If she returned to Gaea, would she forget again? Would she convince herself that it was a dream all over again?

A few days passed since she woke up. Hitomi sat at her window in Asturia's castle, gazing up at the sky. At Earth. Her mind grew weary of all the thoughts swimming inside of it. Her fingers tapped against the woodwork around the open window. Suddenly, a furry tail appeared from above, swinging from side to side. Hitomi's body fell back in surprise, falling to the floor. "Ahh!" She cried. Merle appeared in the window and laughed.

"You're so funny, Hitomi!" Merle giggled. Hitomi narrowed her eyes and got back up.

"Why can't you enter a room like a normal person?" She snapped. Merle rolled her eyes and jumped into the room, sitting on Hitomi's bed.

"Because scaring you is much more fun!" The cat-girl retorted and stuck out her tongue. Hitomi sighed as she sat back at the window. "What's been going on? You've been really quiet the last day or two. And Van-sama is worried."

"I'm just thinking a lot."

"About what?" Hitomi looked at her friend.

"About whether or not I should stay in Gaea."

"Oh..." Merle lowered her head. "Must be tough.."

"It is."

"I think you need to stay here," Merle said as she slid off Hitomi's bed. "Forget Earth."

"Merle!" Hitomi sneered.

"Why go back there? You only forgot about us when you did. And you hurt Van-sama so much! He missed you so much that he got himself overworked with rebuilding Fanelia and ruling it. You didn't see the pain in his eyes." Merle started to sniffle.

Pain in his eyes...

Hitomi remembered thinking about that. Before she gave Chid his reading.

"I did see that pain, Merle." Hitomi replied. "I'm just so confused."

"Well couldn't you live here and then visit Earth? Wouldn't that work?" Merle said. Hitomi frowned.

"I...I don't know...I never thought about it like that..." Hitomi wondered. "Where is Van?"

"I think he's out in the castle fields sparring with Allen."

"Take me to him. We need to talk." Hitomi stood up and ran her hands through her hair to make it look neater. Merle grinned.

"Mmkay!" The cat-girl grabbed Hitomi's hand and yanked her out of the room, dragging her out to the castle's field.