Chapter 1.

"Hitomi," came a frustrated hiss "Hitomi."
Yukari stared at her best friend with an exasperated look. Hitomi was daydreaming again during warm ups for track practice and Yukari was not going to get yelled at one more time because of it. Even if she was her best friend, there were limits.
Yukari glanced around at the other runners, making sure she was the only one to have noticed Hitomi's lack of attention. The other runners were intensely concentrating on the coach's words. They were, after all, serious athletes. Yukari managed the team with an efficiency born from years of practice.
After Hitomi had received the track scholarship to college, Yukari had applied for the position of the team's manager and had been accepted both for the position as well as to the college. She had not wanted to be separated from her best friend, especially with Amano out of the country attending a university in America. Both she and Hitomi had rented apartments outside of campus and had made the transition to college life happily. While Yukari's major of business was predictable with her background of managing, Hitomi had surprised her best friend by choosing to study astronomy. When Yukari had questioned her about it, Hitomi had just laughed and said, with a twinkle in her eye, that she found the sky interesting and perhaps she would discover a new planet.
Yukari continued to ponder the dilemma that was Hitomi. Since her mysterious disappearance nearly five years ago, about which Hitomi would reveal nothing, she had changed. She returned possessing a confidence that had sprung up overnight. In high school, Hitomi became the team's fastest female sprinter and beat the thirteen-second time that had worried her so much before. Never before a slacker, she had graduated one of the top students in the class. Hitomi concentrated on her studies and her practices with an intensity that puzzled Yukari. Sometimes it was as if she were trying to take her mind off something.
Whatever the distraction was, it did not worry Yukari as much as it perplexed her. Hitomi seemed happy most of the time. She had always been an upbeat and optimistic person by nature. But increasingly throughout the past couple months Hitomi spent a lot of her free time staring into space with a half serious, half sad look on her face, as if she were debating a distressing problem.
Yukari reflected that Hitomi was no longer the bubbly fortuneteller she once knew. A more serious and mature person was taking over, as if her disappearance was a catalyst that started Hitomi's change into a confident grownup. But then again there were moments like this, where she would space off and nothing short of an atomic bomb could bring her back. Yukari mentally shrugged and tried to discreetly poke Hitomi into paying attention.

Hitomi started guiltily at Yukari's last appeal to wake her. She had been having an inner debate with herself about the significance of her most recent nightmare and was completely ignoring the coach. She mouthed an apology to Yukari, who glared at her and stared pointedly at the coach. Hitomi smiled weakly and steeled herself to paying attention to the coach's words as she stretched her calve muscles. He was wrapping up an inspirational speech for the final match of the year and she had not heard a word of it. But she clapped with the rest of the team and got up to pull her sweat pants off for the practice sprints.
After two hours of grueling practice, Hitomi took her place with the other girls at the starting block for the final sprints. She was anxious to get back to her apartment to finish her studies, and, smiling to herself, her daily report to Van, which she liked to think he would hear. The smile faded as she told herself that she wasn't kidding anyone. After so long with no real contact, it was unlikely Van was hearing her report. Still, it made her feel better to do it.
Shaking her head and trying to concentrate again on the moment, she bent in starting position over her sneakers, and listened sharply for the starter's gun. With the blast of the gun, she took off, keeping her arms to her side and stretching out her strides. She began to set her pace and steadied her breathing as she focused on the track before her. Hitomi tuned out all other distractions and was pulling ahead of the other runners when a sudden image of Van sizzled through her mind. The abrupt interruption in her concentration was enough to make her falter, allowing the runner in second to cross the finish line just ahead of her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the coach shake his head and Yukari jump up from the bench she had been sitting on.
Hitomi jogged a lap to warm down and avoid the lecture she knew was coming from Yukari. She tried to calm her mind, which was reeling from the unexpected onslaught of emotion, a mixture of love, confusion and fear. She frowned, worried about him. "Why?" she demanded silently, "Why can't I talk to him or see him! What does the image mean? This is so unfair." Unable to stall, Hitomi headed over to the sidelines to get her bag and face an irate Yukari.
"What was that?" Yukari demanded, frustrated, her hands on her hips. "The meet is this weekend! You can't pull that kind of stunt there! It is the last meet of the year and we are hosting it! Do you understand how important this is to everyone!"
Hitomi regarded her through the sweatshirt she was pulling over her head and considered once again telling her friend about what had really caused her to slow down. Almost immediately she dismissed the notion, knowing that Yukari would think her insane. Also, selfishly, she wanted to keep Van to herself and somehow sharing him with Yukari would change something private. It would turn him from a loving memory into public gossip.
"Ease up, Yukari," the coach said, approaching them. "One race is not the end of the world. I'm sure Hitomi will not disappoint us at the meet. Now get home and finish the homework I am sure you're anxious to do."
Hitomi sighed in relief at the break the coach had given her. Yukari sniffed and turned away, saying as she did so, "Well, your behavior today has at least earned me a chocolate sundae. And a half hour of me talking about Amano without interruptions with your complete attention."
Hitomi grinned at her and agreed. Yukari grinned back, and, arm in arm, they walked off the track.


Van gritted his teeth and refrained from smacking the man in front of him. "Don't kill the messenger," he thought as he steadied his breathing and tried to stop glaring at the man.
Phiat, the captain of the samurai and Van's closest friend, leaned over to him and said, "The other advisors sent him, knowing you would be furious. They figure he was the most expendable should your wrath prove fatal."
Van chuckled at that and the advisor kneeling before him slumped with relief, figuring if the king was laughing, then he wouldn't die. Not that the king had ever executed someone for bringing bad news.
Van took a deep breath and released it slowly. "So the ambassador from Asturia is nearly here. With companions. And is expecting a full royal welcome, I suppose. And why, Argas, wasn't I informed of this earlier?"
"We didn't expect the ambassador to be selected and sent for another month." Argas replied, trembling. "But King Aston chose quickly and sent him immediately. Allen Schezar and his sister, the Lady Celena will also be accompanying Lord Giata, and they should be arriving within the day."
"Allen Schezar?!? Allen is coming with the new ambassador?" Van said, surprised. "Well, this is a nice turn of events. I haven't seen him in over a year." Aside to Phiat, Van murmured, "King Aston must be anxious to get Allen out of Millerna's vicinity now that Dryden has returned to Pallas." Phiat hid his smile behind his hand and cleared his throat nodding toward the Argas, the advisor.
"Shall we prepare the welcome, your majesty?" Phiat asked. Van nodded his agreement and dismissed the young advisor. Argas, relieved at his dismissal, practically ran out of the throne room to begin preparations for the arrival.
Van sat in thought for a moment, his dark hair casting shadows over his eyes and his head resting in his hand. Allen's assignment to the ambassador was surprising, but not as surprising at the abruptness with which Lord Giata was chosen and dispatched to Fanelia. Despite his comment to Phiat, Van feared that there was other form of urgency behind his hasty arrival. Rumors of unrest in the north mountainous regions of Gaea had reached his ears, and he was hoping that was all they would remain, rumors. But with the ambassador's impending arrival, there may be more to them that he wished.