Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

~Reunion~
~*Namida No Sora*~

In Asturia, Gaea

Hitomi was now standing in the council waiting room of the main building, looking out the window. Asturia was so beautiful; the last time she saw Asturia was...oh, long before the war was over. Now sunshine beamed down from the sky to the city; and somewhere, out there, was the Mystic Moon, her home.

"Hitomi?"

She turned around to see Meruru run up to her arms in a great big bear hug. Hitomi laughed as she said, "Hello Meruru." She had changed drastically; although she was still two years younger than her, her features changed from a child to a young catwoman. Her hair was no longer puffy but more jagged and thinner than usual.

"Hitomi! I thought you were back on the Mystic Moon!" she said.

"Van called me back." Silence. "How is he?"

Meruru's smile faded, and her eyes were now more somber. "I think he'll be okay," she told him. "I haven't really been in there very long...they booted me out straight afterwards." She frowned. "What do you mean, he called you here? How?!"

Hitomi shrugged. "I don't think he really called me here," she told her slowly. "The last thing I remembered when I on Earth before I returned to Gaea, in the battlefield, was the wind blew while I was talking to my friend, Shuken, and then...the wind blew. The tarot cards fell over. Three cards were faced over..." She fumbled in her pocket and produced the three cards and showed them to Meruru. "I...I...I'm very confused, but..."

The door rushed open and in rushed Allen Schezar and Princess Millerna. Millerna had her hair up in a bun, letting the curly tendrils fly off and was in a simple blue dress. Her neck was adorned by a simple gold necklace. On the other hand, Allen didn't change much, except of the more manly jaw and a slight growth of a goatee.

"Hitomi! I can't believe it!" Allan gaped.

"Hitomi!" Millerna said, hugging her dear friend and smiling broadly.

"Allan, Millerna!" Hitomi greeted in return, bowing shortly and smiling at them. It had been so long since she saw them...what? Three years? Seeing the two of them startled her, but at the same time, she wasn't. She also noticed that neither of them wore wedding bands and weren't even making eye contact. Odd. "It's been a long time. Millerna....how are you?"

"Oh, same old, same old," she responded, laughing delightfully.

Meanwhile, Allen's eyes never left Hitomi; they were like a hawk's eyes, watching its prey intentfully, watching her every move. It made Hitomi uncomfortable; what did he want from him? She probably didn't tell him about herself and her feelings for Van...after all, the last time she really was able to talk to him was when he proposed to her...

The talking diminished as silence erupted. Hitomi walked a short distance, to be surprised that Allen followed her to where she stood by the windows. She spun on her heel and looked straight at him. She had forgotten how tall he was..."Allen, what's wrong?"

"I...I'm surprised to see you here, Hitomi-chan, that's all."

She narrowed her eyes. "No, that's not the only reason," she told him gently. "I can see it in your expression, the way you look at me. Why? What's wrong?" The final words came out like a plea of anguish.

He swallowed dryly as he inched closer to her. Closer and closer...Hitomi felt pinned to the wall. She was extremely grateful to learn some self-defence, but even though, she didn't want to hurt him. But his intentions were unknown to her..."To see you again...like this, all grown up..." he said slowly, "it made me realize how much I really cared for you...all these years I've wandered...Hitomi-chan...I..."

The doors opened to reveal the doctor. Meruru jumped up and down, demanding all sorts of questions to the doctor as Millerna joined her, but was ignored. The doctor looked only at Hitomi. "You," he said gruffly. "Your Majesty wishes to speak to you."

Hitomi was led to Van's chambers, which was much of what she suspected out of it; tapestries, curtains, shiny things and polished furniture. There was a four-poster bed that was at the side, a few meters from the window, and there sat Van, fidgiting with his bandages that wrapped his arm, forehead and pretty much all over.

Concern washed before happiness. "Van! Don't take them off! You're hurt!" She rushed over to his side and pried his fingers from his bandages before looking straight at him.

He blinked. "Not my fault the doc tightened them too tight."

She smiled as joy washed over her as she embraced him tightly. "Oh, Van! Thank goodness you survived that fall!" she cried. "Oh, how I missed you...I never thought I'd see you again..." She smiled, breaking the tender embrace as she fought tears of joy.

His blank look was replaced with a broad smile. "Hitomi..." he whispered. He then leaned forward and planted a tender kiss on her lips before embracing her again. "I've missed you so much. I have so much to tell...but you've got to help me get out of here."

"But Van, you're in terrible condition..." she whispered in reply.

"Listen to me, Hitomi, it dosen't matter, the wounds. There's something even worse to worry and deal about then these...there's an army that's attacking the other kingdoms. I joined the fight, in hopes that Gaea might be saved. But they're stronger tha expected...and much more horrifying from the Zaibach soldiers. I hate to pull you in on this; I know you never really liked these battles, but unless we...I...can do something, we're all going down...and Gaea will burn."

"Alright. But I'm coming with you," she told him.

His eyes widened. "Hitomi! I know you don't wanna see all of this, and besides, I don't want you getting hurt all because of me! This is my battle, and I don't want---"

"Van, I'm old enough," she shot back, suddenly on a defensive mode. She then sighed and brushed her hair back. "I'm sorry. Van, I understand you're trying to protect me, but it's alright. Besides, if they ever found out that I let you out all like that...they'd have my head." She smiled. "C'mon. We got to get you out of here.

He smiled. "Okay."


"We have a slight problem, your Excellency," a soldier said.

The man looked up from his works, clad in dark robes lined with steel. He had a ragged complextion; ruffled dark hair, a trimmed goatee, powerful jaw and a set of blazing eyes. He glared at the man carefully; the soldier shivered in fear as he was being examined. "A...slight...problem?"

"Yes," the man stammered, bowing down in fear and nervousness. "It appears that there is a new card rolling around...our sources tell me that a girl appeared and saved the Dragon card from one of my men. We've ran through the history of the last Great War and found out that this is a girl from the Mystic Moon that saved Gaea..."

The man looked back at his cards, laid out on the table. Why, of course... He looked down at the cards, to see that beside the Dragon card was a card he drew out unexpectedly, the High Priestess. Mystery, Potential, an unconsious awareness...to what? Between the two cards, just above, was the Lovers card. Relationship...the Wheel of Fortune was above the Lovers card, the card of destiny, a turning point...

Why hadn't he seen it before?

"I want them found," he rumbled. "And I want the Dragon stopped, destroyed, whatever it is you wish to happen, just ensure that it does. It appears that we have someone meddling with things over his head." He turned away from the door and contemplated in the dark.

"A-And the girl, sire?" the soldier asked.

The man paused. Then he said; "I want you to bring me the girl."

He then lifted the High Priestess.

***Don't know how it came to this/
Just try to figure out what to do/
How can he give you what you need/
You think that I can not?/
You're in a state of mind games/
This seems like a checkmate/
None of us will win/
And I don't think I can wait***
~"Mistake" Serial Joe

~End of Chapter~
Uh-oh...I guess Van and Hitomi's sappy and urgent reunion has been cut short. What's going to happen next? Don't you just hate cliffhangers? Hehehehe...sorry, folks, but it happens on the screen as well. Did some background on the Tarot readings... ^^ Please R&R!