The cosmos swirled with ever lasting light. The air's heavy mist swirled about him playfully.
Heavenly voices called to him, beckoning for him to join them… to join the dance. In a way he didn't want
to… he didn't deserve to be forgiven. But their reassuring voices said it was okay, that they wanted him
there.
The mist and light started to take form that slightly resembled human beings, one glowing a light blue
while the other blazed a brilliant yellow. Their eyes spoke of peace, love and forgiveness as they offered
their hand to him.
He was unsure of what to do… but found himself unable to stop himself from reaching out to the
beings… these angels.
Just as their fingertips brushed he felt something grab onto his waist; an unseen force started to pull
him back down. The angels' eyes grew wide with fear and concern. The latch onto his wrists but the power
behind the force is too strong as it ripped him from their grasp.
He was now falling, out of the sky, out of their arms… out of that love.
No…
"No!"
~~~~~~@~~~~~~
Tears welded up in her eyes. She had to do something, Van needed her. Hitomi cursed helplessly
knowing she couldn't transport back to Gaea without her pendant.
She held her deck of tarot cards tightly in her hands her favorite card sitting face up on the top of the
pile.
"Please God… I need your help… please," she whispered into the night, a single tear escaping from
her brown lashes and splashing dead center on 'The Lovers'.
Suddenly a bright blue light surrounded Hitomi and she felt herself floating upwards…
~~~~~~@~~~~~~
Light slowly seeped its way into her vision and she squeezed her eyes tighter, refusing to get it up.
Suddenly a high-pitched voice also intruded her slumber.
"Uteri? Uteri, wake up!"
The twelve-year-old girl groaned and rolled onto her side trying to ignore the voice.
"Uteri, I'm hungry, and you promised that we would get something to eat," the voice persisted.
Sighing in defeat the girl opened her eyes giving the eight-year-old girl above her a ruby glare. "
You're right Ella, just give me a minute and we'll go and find something to eat," she replied as she sat up
from the pile of leaves that had served as her bed that night.
" All right!" Ella cheered her strawberry blonde curls bounced as jumped in excitement.
Uteri groaned again, 'This is going to be a long day.'
All of the sudden they were in Fanelia's market place. People rushed by the two girls almost oblivious
to their presence. " Alright Ella remember what I said."
The little girl sighed irritably repeating what she had been taught. " No stealing."
" That's right, now stay close to me and don't wander off," Uteri reminded her companion, who
sometimes seemed more like a little sister. Like herself, Ella had been abandoned by her parents when she
was very young.
But unlike Uteri she had someone who would look out for her and protect her. Uteri's heart ached
with the unbidden reminder of her abandonment. She often wondered what had caused her parents to be so
repulsed that they would just dump her on the street when she was six. But there was no time for 'what ifs'
and 'whys', the two girls had been scraping by with one loaf of bread all month, it was time to get some
more food.
Out of the blue came a panicked cry, Uteri whipped her head around to notice Ella wasn't by her side.
The younger girl was being held by the arm by a young man in his early twenties or late teens, in a
uniform. Grasped in Ella's hand was a beautiful red apple. She cried out trying to kick the young soldier
holding her in a futile attempt to escape.
Uteri's face hardened, she had told Ella that stealing was wrong and would only land her in trouble.
But a wave of protectiveness washed over her making her forget her anger, her only purpose now was to get
the younger girl out of harms way.
"Hey, leave her alone!" she shouted running up to soldier grabbing on to his shoulder. The young
man, startled dropped the squirming child and drew his sword and turned sharply to face his unknown
assailant.
Suddenly there was a sharp burning pain in her chest, pain like she had never felt before, Uteri's breath
was caught in her throat making it almost impossible to breathe. She looked up to the young soldier who
stared horrified at her chest. She followed his gaze down to her chest… there embedded up to its hilt was
the guard's sword, his hand still gripping the end.
The soldier seemed to snap back into reality and quickly withdrew the blade from the girl; he looked
like he may be sick realizing just where his sword had run her through… her heart. Without the weapon to
hold her up Uteri fell to her knees before collapsing on to her side.
Ella screamed in fright before taking off down the dark alley.
" What's going on here?" a gruff voice boomed before softening at what he saw. "… Oh dear God…"
Uteri now had trouble focusing on the four faces around her, all of them were just blurs. But she no
longer cared; Ella had abandoned her just when she needed her the most… just like her parents. Tears
welled up in the twelve year olds eyes as she accepted that no one really cared. But suddenly the small
gentle voice of a young boy gave her a glimmer of hope.
" Balgus do something, she's hurt!"
The girl turned to the voice and cursed inwardly that she couldn't make out the boy's face, but his eyes
were in complete focus, they were a bright maroon colour and glistened with concern.
" Don't worry we will," the one named Balgus assured the boy before turning to the other soldier that
had just arrived with him.
He whispered to the younger man in hush tones but Uteri could here what they were saying.
"He shouldn't have seen this…"
"What do you want us to do?" the soldier replied.
"I'll lead him away, you take the body and leave it in the forest, it will be gone by morning and we can
forget that this ever happened. Make sure no one sees you."
'No please! I'm not dead, please don't leave me!' Uteri's mind screamed but was unable to show the
men around her that.
The last thing she saw before darkness claimed her was the pair of blazing maroon eyes as they
struggled to get a glance at the wounded girl before being lead away.
"You're going to help her right?" the boy asked.
"Of course we will," the older man lied.
Tears streamed down her cheeks unnoticed by those around her as she felt herself being lifted and
carried away.
'Please,' her mind pleaded, 'Don't leave me alone.'
Uteri awoke with a start. To her right was Thaysis, a slightly worried look was on his face; she
doubted it was for her though.
"Um… I'm sorry to disturb you Captain…but Lord Folken has been restored and is now awake…
would you like to see him now?" the young man's voice quivered nervously.
The woman blinked a couple of times trying to wash away the images of the dream. She clutched at
her chest as the pain from the dream lingered. She looked down to her hand slightly worried by the
feeling there.
Her chest hadn't hurt like this since the operation. She felt every tick of the machine that now acted as
her heart. She forced back the tears that threatened to form and then did the unthinkable.
" Uh, yes… thank you…"
She then got up and purposely glided past him.
'What ever that dream was, it sure shook her up,' he thought silently thanking whatever might be out
there for not having her rip off his head
Heavenly voices called to him, beckoning for him to join them… to join the dance. In a way he didn't want
to… he didn't deserve to be forgiven. But their reassuring voices said it was okay, that they wanted him
there.
The mist and light started to take form that slightly resembled human beings, one glowing a light blue
while the other blazed a brilliant yellow. Their eyes spoke of peace, love and forgiveness as they offered
their hand to him.
He was unsure of what to do… but found himself unable to stop himself from reaching out to the
beings… these angels.
Just as their fingertips brushed he felt something grab onto his waist; an unseen force started to pull
him back down. The angels' eyes grew wide with fear and concern. The latch onto his wrists but the power
behind the force is too strong as it ripped him from their grasp.
He was now falling, out of the sky, out of their arms… out of that love.
No…
"No!"
~~~~~~@~~~~~~
Tears welded up in her eyes. She had to do something, Van needed her. Hitomi cursed helplessly
knowing she couldn't transport back to Gaea without her pendant.
She held her deck of tarot cards tightly in her hands her favorite card sitting face up on the top of the
pile.
"Please God… I need your help… please," she whispered into the night, a single tear escaping from
her brown lashes and splashing dead center on 'The Lovers'.
Suddenly a bright blue light surrounded Hitomi and she felt herself floating upwards…
~~~~~~@~~~~~~
Light slowly seeped its way into her vision and she squeezed her eyes tighter, refusing to get it up.
Suddenly a high-pitched voice also intruded her slumber.
"Uteri? Uteri, wake up!"
The twelve-year-old girl groaned and rolled onto her side trying to ignore the voice.
"Uteri, I'm hungry, and you promised that we would get something to eat," the voice persisted.
Sighing in defeat the girl opened her eyes giving the eight-year-old girl above her a ruby glare. "
You're right Ella, just give me a minute and we'll go and find something to eat," she replied as she sat up
from the pile of leaves that had served as her bed that night.
" All right!" Ella cheered her strawberry blonde curls bounced as jumped in excitement.
Uteri groaned again, 'This is going to be a long day.'
All of the sudden they were in Fanelia's market place. People rushed by the two girls almost oblivious
to their presence. " Alright Ella remember what I said."
The little girl sighed irritably repeating what she had been taught. " No stealing."
" That's right, now stay close to me and don't wander off," Uteri reminded her companion, who
sometimes seemed more like a little sister. Like herself, Ella had been abandoned by her parents when she
was very young.
But unlike Uteri she had someone who would look out for her and protect her. Uteri's heart ached
with the unbidden reminder of her abandonment. She often wondered what had caused her parents to be so
repulsed that they would just dump her on the street when she was six. But there was no time for 'what ifs'
and 'whys', the two girls had been scraping by with one loaf of bread all month, it was time to get some
more food.
Out of the blue came a panicked cry, Uteri whipped her head around to notice Ella wasn't by her side.
The younger girl was being held by the arm by a young man in his early twenties or late teens, in a
uniform. Grasped in Ella's hand was a beautiful red apple. She cried out trying to kick the young soldier
holding her in a futile attempt to escape.
Uteri's face hardened, she had told Ella that stealing was wrong and would only land her in trouble.
But a wave of protectiveness washed over her making her forget her anger, her only purpose now was to get
the younger girl out of harms way.
"Hey, leave her alone!" she shouted running up to soldier grabbing on to his shoulder. The young
man, startled dropped the squirming child and drew his sword and turned sharply to face his unknown
assailant.
Suddenly there was a sharp burning pain in her chest, pain like she had never felt before, Uteri's breath
was caught in her throat making it almost impossible to breathe. She looked up to the young soldier who
stared horrified at her chest. She followed his gaze down to her chest… there embedded up to its hilt was
the guard's sword, his hand still gripping the end.
The soldier seemed to snap back into reality and quickly withdrew the blade from the girl; he looked
like he may be sick realizing just where his sword had run her through… her heart. Without the weapon to
hold her up Uteri fell to her knees before collapsing on to her side.
Ella screamed in fright before taking off down the dark alley.
" What's going on here?" a gruff voice boomed before softening at what he saw. "… Oh dear God…"
Uteri now had trouble focusing on the four faces around her, all of them were just blurs. But she no
longer cared; Ella had abandoned her just when she needed her the most… just like her parents. Tears
welled up in the twelve year olds eyes as she accepted that no one really cared. But suddenly the small
gentle voice of a young boy gave her a glimmer of hope.
" Balgus do something, she's hurt!"
The girl turned to the voice and cursed inwardly that she couldn't make out the boy's face, but his eyes
were in complete focus, they were a bright maroon colour and glistened with concern.
" Don't worry we will," the one named Balgus assured the boy before turning to the other soldier that
had just arrived with him.
He whispered to the younger man in hush tones but Uteri could here what they were saying.
"He shouldn't have seen this…"
"What do you want us to do?" the soldier replied.
"I'll lead him away, you take the body and leave it in the forest, it will be gone by morning and we can
forget that this ever happened. Make sure no one sees you."
'No please! I'm not dead, please don't leave me!' Uteri's mind screamed but was unable to show the
men around her that.
The last thing she saw before darkness claimed her was the pair of blazing maroon eyes as they
struggled to get a glance at the wounded girl before being lead away.
"You're going to help her right?" the boy asked.
"Of course we will," the older man lied.
Tears streamed down her cheeks unnoticed by those around her as she felt herself being lifted and
carried away.
'Please,' her mind pleaded, 'Don't leave me alone.'
Uteri awoke with a start. To her right was Thaysis, a slightly worried look was on his face; she
doubted it was for her though.
"Um… I'm sorry to disturb you Captain…but Lord Folken has been restored and is now awake…
would you like to see him now?" the young man's voice quivered nervously.
The woman blinked a couple of times trying to wash away the images of the dream. She clutched at
her chest as the pain from the dream lingered. She looked down to her hand slightly worried by the
feeling there.
Her chest hadn't hurt like this since the operation. She felt every tick of the machine that now acted as
her heart. She forced back the tears that threatened to form and then did the unthinkable.
" Uh, yes… thank you…"
She then got up and purposely glided past him.
'What ever that dream was, it sure shook her up,' he thought silently thanking whatever might be out
there for not having her rip off his head