A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed, I couldn't have done this without you and I'm really glad you liked it. Finally, I'm getting this epilogue up before I head on over to Northern Ireland to tell the locals to stop bombing each other. You guys are so great!
Epilogue
I did die on the battlefield. I died to my old self and was reborn a new person. Not Colubra, not Sara. I am anew, but I know that Sara was the one who sacrificed herself so that I could live. She truly was one of compassion. She had stopped me from killing, so she really did have control, I guess that is how she took all the pain, she took over, she took control to die. I don't know how you can decide whether or not you should die or not, but I think you know when the time comes.
I was ready to die. For I had nothing to live for.
***
She walked down the streets of Fanelia, children ran in front of her laughing and chasing each other. The sounds of hammering and sawing, of women telling the husbands to be careful on the roof; the sounds of a rebuilding nation. A truly great kingdom, with a truly great king. If they knew who she was, she'd be dead, but instead she walked with invisibility and hidden identity through the streets of Fanelia. She tried not to think about the fact that she had caused all this pain. She finally got to the palace and went to the forest behind.
The leaves seemed like thousands of emeralds, twinkling in the wind in a never ending span of colours. The breeze and birds sang to her. Spring, just like on earth, was a time of rebirth, renewal. It seemed to affect everyone in Fanelia. She found the place her feet had led her, but she stayed concealed behind a large tree. She saw the faces clearly, they'd be etched in her brain forever. Their love, she was jealous hers had been taken away so unjustly.
"Hitomi…" The light was so bright, it triggered the memory of so long ago she wasn't sure if it had really happened to her. She squinted to focus and saw the shape of the young girl seem to float in the whiteness. Then it was gone, and so was she. Van hung his head, she noticed her firm determination not to shed a tear.
She took a step into the clearing. For the first time she noticed the giant behind him, the Escaflowne sitting, dormant. He looked up, alert. She walked towards him and stopped.
"Van. I…" she didn't know what to say. Neither did he. After what seemed like hours, he spoke.
"Who are you." He didn't ask because he didn't know.
"I'm not sure. But I'm not the person you met on the battlefield." He clenched and unclenched his jaw in frustration, avoiding her glance.
"You don't belong here." She nodded, the realization that she would never belong on Gaea because of her history. And she wasn't about to get a welcome party from Van either.
"I came…to tell you I'm different. I'm not Colubra, nor Sara. I'm…new." She couldn't cry, she was too afraid to. "I have been torn from everything I had in this world." Van was silent. "But I don't want your sympathy nor pity, for I know I won't get it. Half of me died on that battlefield." She paused. "The better half, but, she left me with something I can't explain, and it's healed me. I was so broken, and yet now I feel reborn. Alive again." She wiped her eyes to keep them dry. "She died, for me. She knew I was sick, and somehow, she knew that her last, and most extensive action was to show love for me. That healed me. I still don't remember my childhood, maybe she could see into my past better than I could, and knew that was all I needed. There are, some very bad people on Earth, Van, and some very bad people on Gaea; I know, I was one of them. But Sara, and Hitomi, they showed me a form of unconditional friendship and love that I just can't explain. Please, Van, I guess what I came here to tell you is, never let that example Hitomi set be forgotten, in your country, in your world. For any planet needs a saviour, and example to look up to, and to mimic so that there will be generations of good people. I wasn't affected until it was too late, until people had to die because of me. War is not, and has never been, the way to peace." She didn't notice the tears streaming down her face, she just had to make sure Van understood her. "Never let Fanelia forget her, as I will never forget Sara." Van sighed and smiled.
"I won't." She smiled, they were, once again, just a boy and girl, the burdens their fates had chosen for them to care for were for a split second lifted. "What will you do now?"
She withdrew her sword, it shining in the dim forest surroundings. It was only beautiful when it wasn't in combat. She blinked back images of the blood it had spilled. She raised it high, noticing the perfect reflection it cast, she noticed the image of her neck, the base had something blue, small a circular. She peered closer into the reflection to see the small blue snowflake at the bottom of her neck.
"I thought I had nowhere to go. That everything that had loved me and everything I loved was gone." Images of Folken and Dilandau tore at her heart. "But I still have some." She remembered her brother, yes, she still had a brother, and her friends. Sara, in part had died, but her soul lived on in unison with Colubra's, changing it and perfecting it. "Van, one day I will return, to pay my respects. Raise your country to greatness again." She was filled with joy once more and stared at the aged face of the boy before her.
"I wish to go home." The trees rustled and the blue sky seemed to open up, the air around her seemed to transform into pure light. She felt lightheaded and soon looked down upon the small clearing in the forest where Van was waving her off.
***
She blinked as the bright light dissipated to darkness, which soon transformed to reveal a familiar face staring down at her.
"Sara? Sara! She's waking up!" The blurry head vanished and was soon replaced by three others.
"Oh my gosh! Sara!" The blue sky above her told her she was outside, and when the puffy, red jacket of Claudia scooped her up in hug, she knew she was home. "I thought you were dead!"
"You were unconscious! Girl, you hit the tree almost straight on!" Lauren's concerned face was washed with relief.
"You're so stupid! Why did you go down on your stomach!?" Katie was more pissed off that I had hurt myself than anything.
"What-what day is it?" I finally muttered, feeling a splitting headache I never remembered getting. Memories of when I first left came back. Didn't they remember seeing me go up in the bright light?
"Saturday. Don't you remember?" Lauren chided. She laughed. She would be just fine. They thought that something had happened that didn't, the power of the wish. And now she was back with those she loved. First thing she planned on doing now that she was back on earth; see her brother.
"I'm home."