~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TWO MONTHS LATER~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Folekn, don't go runing off tonight. Stay in the nursery with Keiko." Libra said as she leaned down to kiss her son on the forhead.

"But Mommy!! I wont to see Uncal Chid dance!! I want to go to his birthday." Folekn folded hid little arms and glared at his mother. He looked so much like Van at that moment Libra almost smiled.

"Folekn, this is for grown-ups. We'll all celibrate with Chid tommorow. The twins will be here then, and all your other Aunts and Uncals." Libra pated her sons silken teal hair as she walked to the dorr. Dressed all in black, she had traded her grey hood for one of fine black silk. Her only jewlery was a pendent colored a strange purple hue. at the door she turned and waved at Keiko and her young son. When the door clicked into place Libra took a deep breath. All emotoin drained from her face as she made sure the sword on her hip was latched properly.

Ren steped out of the room next to Libra's, she was dressed in thr robes of an adviser. The robe itself was long and white, with a fine golden material at the neck, sleves and him. Hidden in ehr robes was a sword incase trouble was to come.

"Are you ready?" Libra asked her calmly.

"Yes, I am, but are you Lady?" Ren looked at the woman in frount of her. Libra's eyes were cold and her espression blank. She had changed so much form the idealistic Hitomi Ren had known.

"What do you mean? Of course I'm ready." Libra's voice was cold as she turned toeard the stairway that would take her into the ball room. Ren followed unfazed by her tone.

"You know what Chid said. He will be looking for this "Grey Lady" You'll not be ably to get around meeting him this time."

Libra stoped but didn't turn around. "He will not see me unless I want him to" Then she calmly continued down the stairs.


~~~~~@ @~~~~~


Folken watched Keiko pull a book out of her bag.

"Go play with your toys Folken, I'm going to read." She didn't even glance up as she said this. Folken was about to refuse, then he thought of somthing. Denny had said 'If you want to get away, be queit.' So FOlken went to his toy cornor. Soon Keiko began to laugh at somthing in the book. Folekn rolled his eyes. "Girls" Queitly, he began to creep toward the door. It opened without a sound and soon he was free. Folken almost wished he ahd been caught. That escape had been to easy.


~~~~~@ @~~~~~~


Van sighed in fustration as the man infront of hom gave the news.

"Well, King Van it looks like it could take an hour or two to get your airship back in order." The man had tried, he really had, but Van was already late for Chid's party.

"Look, don't worry. I'm going on ahead. Just bring it to the palace when your done." Van sliped into the forest and removed his shirt. It was light blue with silver piping at the sleeves. He folded it and let his wings gentaly come out of hiding. Van walked a little farther until he was in a small clearing. Then with great flaps of his wings, Van flew toward the capital of Freid.


~~~~~@ @~~~~~


Libra watched as Chid tried to get Ren to dance. She jsut kept shaking her head, but Libra noticed that she wasn't fighting him to much. Libra knew that Chid felt more than friendship for Ren, but Ren still wasnt sure. She sighed again and played with a lock of hair. Van wasn't here yet so her spot in the shadows was safe. Few glaced her way longer than a moment. Libra wondered if Folken was giving Keiko any trouble. Probably...she jsut hoped the girl hadn't broght a book with her, or Folken was as good as gone. Maybe she should check...Libra's eyes found Chid and Ren in the crowd. They were dancing in perfect rythum, despit the looks they were recieving. It was almost as if they could read the mind of the other. She hated to slip away. Libra felt a chill crawl up her spine. She rubbed her arms. Folken....She must go check on Folken....


~~~~~@ @~~~~~


Folken stoped to rest. After climbing so many stairs he had lost count, he finally had goten to the top of the tower. Folekn wasn't sure why he had come to the tower, he really wanted to see the dancing, but somthing was drawing him.
He looked around the room, it was dark and large with a window covering one wall. Folken caould see the Mystic Moon glowing brightly. He staired into it's brightness, wondering about the story his mother had told him the night before. About a girl who had come form that place and about her adventures. He wondered if she had ever came back to marry her prince.


~~~~~@ @~~~~~~


Libra knew before she got to the door that Folken was gone. Even as she pushed open the door she was trying to since his presence in the palace.

"Keiko, he's gone! He's not here!" the young girl jumped up and shut her book guiltly.

"But he's playing right there! Playing...." her voice faded off as she saw that the cornor was empty.

"Go get Ren. Tell her Folekn is missing but not to panic." Keiko nodded as Libra started to look for her son.


~~~~~@ @~~~~~~


Van saw the palace come into veiw. H planed to land in the tower where no one would see him redress. Van quietly flew in and was about to pull on his shirt when....

"Hey, your an angel!!" Van saw the little boy for the first ime. He was around three with light teal hair and purple eyes.

"What did you say?" he asked the boy.

"My Mommy said that my daddy was an angel. She said he couldn't be with us because he was busy. Are you my daddy?" Folken looked up at Van with inocent eyes. Van looked at the boy closly.

"Whats your name, son?" Van asked.

"FOLEKN!" a voice called from the stairs, the small boy's eyes got big.

"I think you've been found, huh?" Van asked.

"Yep. I got to go, Ren's gonna get me!" That name pulled at Van's memery. Where had he heard it before?

A half-cat walked sternly into the room. She never looked at Van as she picked up the boy.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, Now why don't you join the party?" Van rembered suddenly where he knew her from. A memory of Hitomi, the last night they where together, and this girl coming to get her flashed in his mind.

"Wait, who is his mother?" Ren jsut looked at him. Folken spoke up, "My name is Folken Asago de Tashii. My mommy's name is Libra---"

"Did you find him--" a voice spoke from the glom.

"Mommy!" Folken yelled. Van was shocked. It was her voice.

"Lady please go!" Ren handed Folken to Libra. When Lady Tashii saw Van her eyes got big.

Van whispered the one name he thought he would never utter.

"Hitomi...."



end of chapter.





A/N
Ahhhhh....Fate!!! Now the beganing of the end is near!!!