*Chapter VIII, Answers*
Van was woken up because Hitomi was tossing and turning throughout
her sleep. He guessed that she was having a bad dream.
"Hitomi…? Wake up." Van said as he gently shook her to try to wake
her up.
"Noooo…NOOOOOOO!!! Ah Van!!" Hitomi said as she was finally awake. She looked so tired, and she had huge bags
under her eyes. "I had such a terrible
dream, Van. Fried burned down, but gumelif's didn't do it…it was dragons."
"Its ok, it was just a dream. Don't..." Van said to try to calm her
down, but it wasn't working.
"No! It wasn't just some dream; I think that it was a vision. Oh Van I don't know what to do. I can't let
it happen" Hitomi start to cry. Van had
gathered her in his arms and started to rock her back and forth, trying to make
her fall asleep.
"Shhhh, don't worry. Go to sleep and we'll talk about it later."
"But…I can't let… that …happen…" she had finally drifted off to
sleep because she was so tired. Van let her sleep in his arms, quietly
comforting her.
~*~*~*~
"Mmmm…" Hitomi moaned as she woke up again later that day. As she lay in her bed, looking up at the
ceiling, she thought to herself I can't believe that he loves me…
Looking at Van, his eyes were shut. He look's so peaceful.
"Of course I love you, why wouldn't I?" Van had opened his eyes, to
look at Hitomi.
"I'm glad that you do…wait… I didn't say that out loud." It really
scared her, could her read my thoughts? I wonder if I can read his…she
thought
All you have to do is reach out to my mind. Van hadn't
opened his mouth, but she still 'heard' him.
"Ok stop it, I'm going to get very confused if we keep doing
that. Can you tell me what's going on?"
"How would you like me to tell you… long way or short way?"
"Short for now, then long when the family gets together."
"You died. I guess I had a vision, because I saw your parents and
they said that I could save you by giving you half of my heart. So I did, and I
got half of yours. So they said that we
would share everything…so I guessed that we're linked heart, mind and soul. I'm guessing that we're going to be finding
out a lot more about each other and what we can do. But… I think you might have gotten something else from me too…"
he looked away from Hitomi.
"What?"
"…Wings…" Van had the saddest look upon his face. The last thing that he wanted was for Hitomi
to suffer more than she already has.
Hitomi on the other hand had the largest smile; she was so happy that
she would be able to fly with Van.
"Van, please… I'm so happy that I could have wings, please be
happy. When your sad, I'll be sad and I
really want to be happy, be happy with me."
"I'm sorry Hitomi, I just don't want you to suffer. I love you too much."
"Oh no… Van… if I got your wings…I wonder if you will get visions
too. I hope not, there so
horrible." Now Hitomi looked sad. Van gathered her in his arms, "Shhhh, don't
worry, we'll both be fine.
They both heard a noise, as they turned around they saw Hitomi's
little brother.
"Don't we look cozy, maybe I should tell mother and father that
there's a boy in your bed, I wonder how long you'll be grounded."
"Go away you little pest, who said that you could come into my room
in the first place? GET OUT!!!" Hitomi threw a pillow at her brother while he
was closing the door.
"Is that your brother?"
"Yes, I really hate it when he just come in here with out my
permission. He's usually nice, for a
brother." Hitomi knew she had to word that carefully because she didn't want to
hurt his feelings.
It's okay, I miss him, but I'm ok. I have you now. Van 'said' to her.
"STOP THAT!!!!" She said in
a joking way.
"OK, ok, no yelling at me allowed. I guess we should go down stairs and start explaining. Are you feeling
any better?"
"Much!" she said cheerfully. "But if I stay in this bed any longer, I
don't know what I'll do. Let's go, I'll introduce you to the rest of my
family."
Hitomi lead Van downstairs and into the living room, her father was
sitting reading the newspaper. Her
brother was playing a game on the TV and her mother was cooking in the kitchen.
"Hi dad how was work?"
"Work was fine. You have
some explaining to do." He said in a grumpy voice.
Hitomi knew that this was the way her father showed that he cared
for her, and that he was worried about her. He was probably also wondering whom Van was.
Van was about to jump in for her defense, but Hitomi got to him
first,
'Don't say anything. This is how he shows that he cares. He'll cool off soon, I just have to explain
to him where I was and what your doing here. I'm going to have to tell them the whole story…everything… is that ok?'
'It's fine with me, also long as he doesn't stay mad at you.'
'Don't worry.'
"Mother? I'm going to explain everything now, would
you like to hear too?"
"I'll be right in."
Her mother came in a few minuets later. Her father kept the
newspaper up so that Hitomi couldn't see his face; she knew that he was mad at
her. Kioshi turned off the TV and was
still sitting on the floor. Hitomi and Van took the couch and her mother took
another chair in the room.
Hitomi started off, telling them about when she was 15, and herself
and Amono. Brining up old memories was
hard for Van and Hitomi, but her parents deserved an explication. Hitomi left out a couple parts; mainly the
fateful day, when she kissed Allen, and Van's wings; but the story had only
begun.
Kioshi sat there amazed, although still thinking that his older
sister was crazy; her mother cried through some parts and she asked a lot of
questions. Her father on the other hand
hadn't said a word since the beginning, occasionally he would ruffle the
newspaper, but otherwise not a sound.
After three hours of story telling, their story was told. The
events of the day had yet to be explained, but the arguing had begun.
Hitomi wasn't physically tired but she was mentally tired. Van hated seeing her like this but what
could he do. Hitomi… would you like
me to continue? I can if you want me too.
'Thank you Van, but it's ok, it'll be over soon. We still have to
eat'.
'It's ok Hitomi, I'll go elsewhere to eat and sleep, if it's too
much trouble.'
'VAN!!! You will be staying here! Don't worry! Now we should
really stop talking like this, my family is looking at me really funny. Don't
worry.'
"Hitomi…is something wrong?"
"No, nothings wrong, I was umm… just thinking sort of…it's one of
those really hard to explain things."
"Please tell us Hitomi." Her mother said.
"Well do remember what happened today, when I was in the bathroom?
Well… umm Van you better explain this, I wasn't really alive to see what was
happening." When Hitomi said that, that caught her father's attention, he
looked really worried.
"Hitomi had stopped breathing – I'm not sure why although – and I
tried to get her heart to start to beat again, and it wouldn't. My mother and Hitomi's grandmother came
before me and told me that I could save Hitomi by giving her half of my
heart. It was the only way that I could
have saved her, so I did. I can't
really remember what happened, but we were both engulfed in a bright light and
lights came form our chests and they traded spots, I guess. Anyways after that all I remember is that
Hitomi started to breathe again."
"You spin a fine tale, but I'm sorry but I can't believe that. That
story is just too obscure to believe in." Hitomi's father finally spoke up.
"But father, why won't you believe in me, I promise you that it's
all true."
"Hitomi, I'm a scientist, I only believe in what I see, if you can
show me proof I will believe in you."
"Father…" Hitomi complained.
'I think that I should show them. Your father asks for some proof, I have to show him. Please… let me.'
'Only if your are really ok with it, I won't stop you.'
"Sir, I do have some proof, but it's
really…startling, but it you need proof, it's the only evidence that I have."
Van stood and took off his shirt, and slowly let his
wings unfurl. He heard gasps and intakes of breath from everyone.
Hitomi saw that he hung his head in shame. She stood up and hugged him,
"Thank you. I know you don't like your wings, but they are so beautiful. I love you."
"He …
has…wings?" her mother stammered.
"It's got to be a trick or something," her brother
said.
Her father gathered his thoughts and then asked, "So
does my daughter have wings also, since you said that you gave her half of your
heart?"
"I think so. I'm sorry sir if that upsets you, but I would do anything to save
Hitomi."
"She already had them." Her mother said.
"What??" Hitomi looked at her mother uncertainly,
letting go of Van.
"Your grandmother was a full Atlantian's, which
makes you an part Atlantian. With half of Van's heart, you are now more than
what you originally were."
"So I always was one."
"Well sort of… I never acquired wings or the sight
ability or anything else for that matter. So I'm not sure how you got visions, I'm sorry I'm not a better help of information,
dear."
"It's ok…" Hitomi said only to calm her mother,
because her mind was on other things.
'Van…I think we should try to get back to Gaia
now. The vision I had…I can't let Fried
burn!' Hitomi
thought to Van.
'It's ok… if you want we, could stay here a couple
of days. I'll try to get a message to
somebody, most likely Allen or Merle. Please don't worry. I think you
should spend some time with your parents.'
'Van…!' Hitomi started to complain.
Van had put his shirt back on after retracting his
wings.
"Van do you have a place to stay?" Hitomi's mother
asked.
"Ummm…not really."
"Then you can stay here, it's no problem. You can sleep in the spare room. I'll go and get it ready."
~*~*~*~
After the long talk with the family, not another
word was said about it. They eat quietly, all thinking deeply.
After supper Hitomi and Van cleaned up the dishes
and decoded to go for a walk.
"Mom, Van and I are going to go for a walk, we
shouldn't be too long. Okay...bye!"
Hitomi grabbed Van's hand and dragged him out the
door, thank fully it was a warm night.
"What was that all about?"
"I just thought that I could show you around…give
you the layout of here and the rules. First of all there are no dragons, animal people, gumelif's, swords or
and fighting of any sort. So you'll
have to keep your temper cool. If somebody insults you, ignore it, remember,
here you are NOT a king, so you can't command anyone to do anything. If you have any questions, just ask…oh no!!!
I sound like a teacher…"
Van had kept his mouth shut while she spoke, 'No
wonder why the people here are so strange! They're all…'
'If you think that I can't 'hear' you, think again!
Don't go and call my homeland people strange! If your wondering, I thought your people were really strange, especially
Merle!'
(*A/N: Ok…the last part in the last chapter (VII,
Plot) was Hitomi's vision. I just
thought that's a bit unclear so I thought I would clear it up. Anyways I hope
that you people are enjoying my fic! Please review! Thank you for all the
reviews so far! They're great!! Bye ^_^*)