Thanks to all those who reviewed and I am so sorry for not updating for so long. I have just been bombarded with homework, school projects, exams, volleyball training, and my English teacher's special training to get me all prepared for the creative writing contest. I barely had enough time to go to the Internet. I am so sorry. Here's the next chapter to make it all up to you. I hope you all like it!

Kayorine- thanks! I really appreciate it

mia-ToOTs- I know I know! I've been busy

yugismpuzzle-Sorry sorry! I got confused and got the wrong chapter out.

SabineballZ-Sorry for the long wait. Here's the next chapter

Carrie21-Thank you!

Onigiri Momoko-Oooookaaaay! I don't get it.

A Blessing from the Sky

Chapter 14: A Reality That Never Happened

Sunrise is always as enchanting as the sunset. People usually define sunset as the start of a new day. However, poetic people define them as new hopes, new beginnings, new lives and so on. Others who are pessimistic define them as new troubles, start of torment, lives lost and many more. However, no matter how you think of it, the view of the sunrise never fails to relax the weary soul.

Except for one person.

Van Slanzar de Fanel stared at the rising sun from his bedroom window. He had been standing there since he had awoken about two hours ago. His body was like a statue, never moving an inch from where he was standing. However, his mind was like a market place, noisy.

He kept thinking about what he saw in Hitomi's mind. He had thought that she was suffering and crying her heart for someone to save her. And he, like a fool who easily believes others, set out to save her. He actually believed that she was in pain.

He was wrong.

He was so wrong. She was there, smiling and laughing like she didn't have a care in the world. She didn't even notice him there, standing and watching her. It had hurt him. It had hurt him to see that he couldn't make her happy. It had hurt him to see that she was happier without him.

He believed that he could make her trust him. And that little incident on the balcony led him to believe that he was one step closer to his goal. She had started talking, really talking. And he had been there, listening to her talk about herself. He would give anything to be able to experience that moment again. But it was too late. No matter how hard he wished, she wouldn't be answering.

Even if she did answer him, it would be unwillingly. She would hate him for taking her away from her happiness. He didn't want that. He wouldn't be able to take it if she hated him.

Unconsciously, his hand clutched the pink pendant. He looked at it with sorrow streaked eyes. He wondered why he was still wearing it. He had no reason to wear it anymore. But it was still there. He couldn't bring himself to put it away. It had become a part of him. Just like her.

He sighed. He wanted to go back in there and talk to her. But he didn't want to be hurt again.

Merle watched from the little opening in the door. Her elegant tail swung to and fro. She had been watching her brother for a while now and the only movement she noticed was him clutching the pendant.

She had never seen her brother so depressed except when their parents died. But even after that, he had still pulled through. However, this depression was different. Though she didn't know the actual details, she had a hunch that it was because of Hitomi's disappearance. She was going to skin the girl alive for what she did to her brother.

With nothing else to do, she abandoned her post and went to Hitomi's room. All of her things were still there. It was like she didn't leave. Merle looked at the bag on the table. She saw that it was opened. She couldn't resist but take a little peak inside. She saw unfamiliar clothes. But what caught her gaze was the book at the bottom. She took the book out and looked at the cover. There was an unfamiliar writing on it. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't decipher it.

Giving up on reading what most likely would be the title, she opened it.

She uttered a low wow on what she saw. On the book were several small paintings of people. One of the images contained four people. She could easily tell that the one standing on the middle right was Hitomi.

There, was something different about this photo though; Hitomi was smiling. She looked so happy. Merle's gaze drifted from Hitomi to the two people behind her. The one on the upper right was a man. He had brown hair and dark green eyes. The one to his left was a woman with light sand colored shoulder length hair. She had kind brown eyes that reminded Merle of the late queen. Last but not the least, her gaze went to the little boy to the lower left. He was holding a white teddy bear with a blue ribbon as a collar.

"She looks so different. I have to show this to Mel," Merle uttered before going to Mel's room. Of course, she would have shown Van first but then she remembered his gloomy mood. She sighed

Please come back, Hitomi. I can't stand looking at Van this way.

Allen walked along the hallways of the palace. He was currently checking if the soldiers were on their station and not sleeping. All the while, he kept thinking about that Hitomi girl. No one would tell him a thing. This really was starting to get on his nerves. He hated not knowing anything. It made him feel like a puppet and not a loyal knight.

All he knew was that Hitomi had disappeared and Van was in his sullen mood. He didn't know the reason behind the two because if someone were in trouble, Van would have help out and not stayed in his room sulking about it. He hadn't seen Van like this before. And it hurt him to see his master and friend like that.

At first, he thought that he should ask help from his childhood friend, Dryden Fassa. He and Dryden were the exact opposite but they were still the best of friends. This was a mystery to everyone because Allen never talked about what bounded him to Dryden and Dryden never talks about himself (he only talks about his merchandise if not women).

Allen smiled as he remembered the letter that Dryden sent to him two days ago. It had said that he and the Princess Millerna were engaged. Actually, he found it hard to believe that Dryden, the sick-minded pervert, would be able to charm the beautiful and intelligent Princess Millerna. But he wrote a letter to Dryden telling congratulations and that he was happy for him anyway.

'Get help from Dryden? Not a good idea,' Allen thought. He idly remembered the last time he had asked for Dryden's help. He shuddered at the memory.

There was this guy that Celena had been secretly seeing. Allen had found out about her late night outings and had asked Dryden to help him get the two apart. Dryden had agreed and Allen had been so relieved. Little did he know what was going on in Dryden's mind.

Allen had been shocked at what Dryden had done the next week. Celena and 'Robert' had gotten much closer. When he asked Dryden what had happened, he just said with his knowing grin, " I thought you said to get these two closer?" Allen had been too tired to yell at Dryden. He had just gone to his room and slept thinking that perhaps tomorrow would be a better day.

'Definitely not a good idea,' he thought again.

He sighed. What was going on? It was as if destiny was trying to keep him from this. How-

SMACK!

".frustrating," Allen spoke as he rubbed his nose. He had somehow collided into a wall. He heard a few giggles to his left. He looked there and saw a few ladies hiding their smile of mockery. He bowed and flashed them his dazzling smile. He walked away from them.

"DAMN YOU VAN!!!" Allen yelled as soon as he was in his room.

Blue eyes revealed themselves from the world of Gaea. Mel sat up from her soft bed. She looked around the room. Was it just her imagination or did she hear someone yell?

"Must be my imagination," Mel though out loud. She walked to the window and saw the sun. It was such a beautiful day. She stretched her weary bones and went to the bathroom. When she went out, she was already wearing a dress from her closet, which Van had so kindly provided. 'Your clothes are too conspicuous. Please wear these,' Van had said to her. She had declined at first saying that she didn't need the clothes. 'Hitomi doesn't have any and she walks around a lot more than me,' She had reasoned. 'She does have a closet full of dresses. She just doesn't wear them. Please take it,' he replied. And without saying anymore, he went out of the door leaving Mel looking at the dresses.

She sat down the sofa and wondered what had happened. Van had come back looking like he had just been betrayed. He didn't even talk to Merle. That was truly disturbing. Moreover, she thought about Hitomi. How was the poor girl holding? Was she hurt? Or is she-
Mel shook her head. She wouldn't think of it. She and Hitomi would go back home together. "That's right," she reassured herself, " Hitomi and I would go back together. Everything's going to be all right."

Though she said that, she had a feeling that something was going to happen. Something big.

Merle knocked on the oak door. "Come in," someone spoke inside the room. The cat girl went inside and found Mel sitting on the sofa, smiling at her.

"Mel, look what I found!" Merle said and sat down beside the old lady. Mel looked at the young cat girl's hands. It was an album. Mel looked at Merle's sneaky eyes.

"That's a photo album. Where did you get it?"

"Here and there."

"Merle," Mel warned.

"Alright! I found it in Hitomi's bag."

"Hitomi would kill you if she found out that you-"

"You mean IF she finds out!" Merle cited.

"Merle, you will return that."

"Oh come on! Don't you want to see the paintings inside?"

"I do, it's just that it's invading someone's privacy."

"Whatever you say, but you're still going to see the paintings."

"You're as stubborn as your brother and by the way, those little paintings in there are called photographs."

"I know.what's a photo.what was it again?"

"A photograph. It's a picture made by a machine."

"Really? You have stuff like that from where you came from? And what's a picture?"

"Yes Merle and a picture is kind of like a scene."

"That is so cool! Before I forget, let's look at the paintings."

"Photographs or pictures."

"Photographs or pictures. Right! Whatever!"

Mel smiled. Kids nowadays, she thought. Merle opened the album to the first page. Mel saw pictures of Hitomi and (most probably) her family and friends. As Merle turned to the few last pages, Mel noticed that Hitomi had finally stopped smiling. The last pictures contained only Hitomi and she wasn't smiling in all of them.

"I wonder what happened to make her lose her smile." Mel wondered out loud.

"I don't know but she sure matches Van's sullen mood."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, ever since Van got back from the garden yesterday, he's been in this kind of mood."

"Mood?"

"Yes. He doesn't even want to talk to me and I- Mel?

Merle didn't get to finish her statement because Mel had already stood up and was walking to the door.

"Mel! Where are you going?"

"To knock some sense into that stupid boy!"

The cat girl watched as Mel set out in a dignified manner. Merle sat there on the couch, a little confused by the old woman's sudden change of attitude. She looked at the album. She sighed and walked out of the room. Better get this back to where it belongs, she thought as she made her way to Hitomi's room.

The door slammed open and Van looked at the person standing on the doorway. Mel walked over to the balcony not caring that she was in the king's room and-

SLAP!

Van's eyes widened. He looked at Mel with bewilderment. He saw Mel's anger in her eyes. Angry, at him? But why?

"Why didn't you get Hitomi?" she started.

"I did."

"And?"

"She didn't want to come back."

"That's not true!"

"It is! And I saw it!" He flared, his temper getting the best of him.

"What exactly did you see?"

"I saw her, with three other people! And you know what? She was happy! It's like she didn't have a care in the world!"

"That's it?"

"What do you mean that's it?! How could you possibly know what I feel?"

"I know exactly what you're feeling! You feel betrayed, you feel hurt, and you feel alone."

Van looked at Mel. His eyes full of pain.

"It hurts doesn't it? Seeing someone you love happy without you?"

"."

"I know how you feel because I've already gone through that."

"."

"But you shouldn't give up! Look at Hitomi! Although she completely masks her face, she cannot hide what is in her eyes. You saw it too didn't you. Her pain. So much of it just waiting to explode and destroy her."

"I want to help her."

"Then why don't you?"

"Because I fear that when I go there, I might."

"See her happy with someone else?"

"Yeah."

"It's just an illusion."

"What?"

"Whatever you will see there is all just an illusion created by Hitomi herself."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw some of her pi-paintings. Van, a portion of them had her family in them. When I saw the last few paintings, it only contained her. The Hitomi that didn't smile."

"."

"Van, something happened to her that made her the way she is now. I don't know what it was but, she needs help Van. She can't face her past all by herself. She needs YOUR help."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to go and wake her up. I-I want you to go and bring her back to us. I-if you fail to do it," she continued, her voice breaking, "she'll be lost to us, to you, f-forever."

Van continued to look at Mel. He blinked a few times and then, he smiled. A real smile. He wiped the tears that were streaming down Mel's face with his thumb.

"I'll get her back this time."

"WHO ARE YOU?"

Don't you remember us?

"I don't know any of you."

Oh my poor darling. Don't you remember your family?

" No.it can't be. You're all supposed to be dead."

No, were not. We're alive. So very much alive.

"This is not real."

It's real dear.

"Just a dream."

This is the truth.

"Stop."

So.

"Stop this."

So you should.

"P-please."

stop dreaming of a reality that never happened.

There we go! How was that? Again, sorry for the very long wait. I'll try and get the next chapter done within two weeks. Suggestions are welcome.

Next chapter: "I don't know what to do anymore."

"..."

"I'm so alone."

"No.you're not. I'm here for you.always and forever."