For the Past, Present, and Future Part 3
Rating: PG
Notes: Thankx to all who have reviewed the last two parts! It really means a lot!!
Disclaimer: *snivel, snivel* I don't own them! *Runs away to cry in a corner*
I have finally figured out how to put this in Html format!! Yeah!!
Enjoy!!
Hitomi helped Van to his feet and watched him stiffly walk the few paces down to the river. He unbelted his sword and scabbard from around his waist and set it down at the bank and stepped into the water. He started washing off the soot and grime from his arms, uncovering the many burns and some old scars running down them. Hitomi turned towards her friends.
"Now what, Hitomi?" Yukari tried to keep the venom out of her voice.
"We go to Fanelia, then to Asturia," she shrugged her shoulders as if it were obvious.
Amano spoke up, "You never told us what is going on here. Could you please fill us in?"
Hitomi sighed, not wanting to go into the details that seemed so long ago that they might have been from a past life, but she knew that she must. She told of the events that happened after she disappeared, the events that no one else on Earth had known the full story of. She told of how Fanelia had been burned to the ground, of Allen, Van, Merle, Millerna.
Van listened quietly from the river as he took off his shirt and used it to gently scrub off the spots that remained on his arms, wincing at his sore burns. He noticed that Hitomi left out several parts to her tale, one being, thankfully, his wings, and the other her crush for Allen. Both were for the best.
Amano and Yukari remained silent for awhile after Hitomi had finished relating the tale. "Are you sure he can still be trusted, that he speaks the truth?" Amano said, still unsure of the stranger.
"Weren't you listening?" Hitomi was becoming frustrated.
"People change."
The conversation made Van smile. The two strangers were complete opposites of Hitomi. He supped his hands under the cool water and took a drink, the water soothing his dry throat. Straightening and wringing out his dripping shirt, he splashed out of the river, putting it back on, then grabbed his sword and scabbard and walked over to the sitting trio. "Ready?" he asked quietly.
Hitomi nodded. "Which way is Fanelia from here?"
"Fortunately you were heading in the right direction. We need to follow the river upstream a ways," he turned and started walking, not turning to see if the others were following or not.
Hitomi and her two friends got up off the ground and started to trudge after Van.
After five minutes of walking, Hitomi grew tired of Amano and Yukari's complaints about the strange world and situation that they were in. She walked faster until she was walking next to Van. "Does your city know that you left" Hitomi awkwardly broke the silence.
He glanced over at her, relieved to have her by his side. "I told Merle as I went by her. She should have informed everyone else," he sighed, sad at the current circumstances.
"I'm sorry for loosing touch with you after I had left…"
"Don't be," Van said before Hitomi could speak further. "It takes two to have a conversation."
"I wish that I could have been sent back under better circumstances."
"At least you did get to come back," he said hopefully, speaking to this girl—woman—who he really didn't know anymore. "Do you still predict the future?"
"No. The first vision that I had had in many years was the one when you summoned me here. I haven't even used at my tariot cards nor looked at them in over 5 years now," she paused, remembering. She decided to change the subject from the past to the present situation. "How far away is Fanelia from here?"
"About 10 minutes more away at the pace that we are traveling at." He took a glance backwards at Amano and Yukari. Amano had his arm protectively around Yukari's shoulders. "Are those two the ones I was all those years ago on The Mystic Moon?" he gestured over his shoulder at the couple with his thumb.
"Yes. Unfortunately, when I was transported back that last time, I was taken back in time to before you appeared after that dragon. They have no memory of me being taken at all. I haven't been able to see them much, they have a different schedule at the college…" she drifted into silence once more.
After a few minutes traveled in silence, Van suddenly stopped walking. Amano and Yukari walked next to him and then halted also. "Why have we stopped?" Amano asked, almost dreading the answer.
Van silenced him with a finger to his own lips. He drew his sword and took a few paces forward, the Fanelian Royal Sword held out protectively in front of him. A small movement came from a bush in their path. "Who's there? Show yourself!" He demanded sternly.
"Lord Van?" A small female voice spoke cautiously from the hiding spot, then the bush rustled and a face poked out of it.
"Merle?" Van lowered his sword.
"You've come back!" She dove from the bush after she had gotten over her shock of seeing him and ran on all fours to her friend. She enveloped him in a huge hug that all but cut off his airflow.
"What's wrong? Why aren't you in Fanelia?" he winced slightly from her grip on his burns, but remained silent.
"The Renagerades came back! They are looking for you. You mustn't go back there…."
To be continued!!……