A dark raven-haired boy looked out the window of the small
cottage and stared out at the shimmering lake. The boy was wearing a red
short-sleeved shirt and black pants with a finely furnished sword tied at
his waist. He was sitting in a nice hand carved wooden chair. His face
looked as if he was daydreaming about someone far from his reach. Across
from him a long blonde haired man was standing drinking a glass of water so
elegantly from his cup. He had a fine face and looked as if he was a knight
for the royal court. The door opened and a beautiful young girl stepped
into the little cottage and looked around the room. She gave the knight a
soft smile and then she turned toward the boy at the window.
"Van? Are you all right?" the girl asked. The boy didn't even move a muscle and looked as if he didn't even hear a word the girl had said.
"Van are you thinking about Hitomi?" the girl asked again.
"What?" the boy replied as if he was pulled from his daydream.
"I said were you thinking about Hitomi?" the girl repeated.
The boy gave the girl a small and soft smile and replied, "Yes."
"How long has it been since she left for Earth?"
"Too long Millerna. Too long."
"About a year," the young man sitting across from Van replied as he moved toward them.
"It's been so long. I'm beginning to miss her," Millerna said.
"You and us both Millerna," the man said, "Van do you still have the pendant?"
"Yes Allen," Van said as he pulled the pendant from beneath his shirt and held it in his hands. Allen looked at the pendant and imaged a picture of the young girl that had refused his proposal of marriage. Allen chased the image away and he went on sipping at his water. For a moment or two everything was silent. Millerna went over to Van and put her hand on his shoulder.
"She'll return someday Van. I know it," Millerna said. Van looked up at her and smiled. Millerna took her hand off of Van's shoulder and made her way to the door again. Abruptly, Millerna turned back around just as she was about to open the door.
She faced Allen and said, "Prince Sid wants all Asturian knights to search the forest for anything strange."
"Why?" Allen said as he looked up at her.
"I'm not sure, but it seems important," Millerna replied. Van looked up and looked long and hard at Millerna's face.
"Is it something bad?" Van asked her. Millerna just looked at Van and Van could tell that she didn't know. Allen put his cup down and walked over to the door. Van got up as well and followed Allen. Millerna closed the door after all three of them had gone out and watched as Allen and Van got on a pair of horses and galloped away from the cottage heading towards the forest. A small breeze started up, blowing Millerna 's hair everywhere.
As Millerna held her hair back she whispered, "Be careful." hoping that the breeze would carry it to them.
EARTH:
Hitomi got dressed for her track practice and went outside to wait on the bleachers for her coach. While she was walking out she saw Yukari already waiting out there to watch Hitomi practice. Hitomi smiled to herself and waved at her friend. Yukari waved back at Hitomi. Hitomi took her position on the track and started to stretch. Her coach came out and told the team to get ready to run for ten minutes straight. Hitomi rolled her eyes and sighed. After Hitomi finished stretching she looked up at the sky. There wasn't a single cloud up in the sky. She could feel the heat of the sun beating down on her. A cool slight breeze passed her way.
"Be careful," a small voice whispered. Hitomi stopped looking at the sky and instead looked around her. She couldn't see anyone close enough to her to whisper those words.
"That voice. It sounds so familiar," Hitomi quietly said to herself. Hitomi tried to figure out why the voice sounded so familiar. Hitomi re- looked up a the sky and closed her eyes trying to remember Gaia. Familiar faces flashed through her mind until she saw the face with the familiar voice.
"Millerna," Hitomi whispered.
"Who are you talking to Hitomi?" said the coach. Hitomi looked back down and saw the coach approaching her.
"What?" Hitomi asked.
"I said who were you talking to?" the coach repeated.
"Oh. I was talking to myself," Hitomi said with a little smile.
"Okay. Well get ready to run the ten minutes, we're about to start." Hitomi nodded at her coach and turned around breathing a sigh of relief. Hitomi found her place and lined up with the others. When her coach blew the whistle, Hitomi ran up front. She was running as fast as she could while beating the others at the same time. Suddenly Hitomi saw a white horse running straight towards her carrying a knight on its back. Hitomi stopped running and watched the figure on the horse. Hitomi squinted to see who the person was. When she looked long and hard at the figure she gasped.
"Allen," she said. The horse kept on running towards her and Hitomi wouldn't move. Hitomi just stood there and stared. The other runners ran passed her giving her strange looks as they ran. Yukari watched Hitomi just stand there and shook her head.
"Oh no. Hitomi is spacing out again," she sighed. The coach just looked at Hitomi and stared at her for the longest time. Allen and the horse were getting closer. Close enough to run Hitomi over and kill her. The figures then ran into Hitomi. Hitomi could feel the force of the horse running and she could hear Allen's breathing. The figures vanished after passing through her. The forces of the horse made Hitomi fall and as she hit the ground, the force of the ground hitting her head knocked her unconscious. Yukari and the other runners stopped what they were doing and saw Hitomi fall. The coach immediately ran over to Hitomi's side and saw that she was out.
"Someone help me get Hitomi to the nurse's office!" the coach yelled. All the runners came to aid the coach. They carried Hitomi to the nurse's office and laid her down onto the bed that was made for her. The coach and the runners were outside the office waiting for the report on Hitomi's condition. After examining Hitomi the nurse went outside the office and told the coach and the other runners that she would be fine and that all she needed was some rest. The coach was reassured and then yelled at the runner to finish their running before the incident. The nurse walked back inside the office and sat down in her chair. Hitomi lay on the bed and breathed small short breaths all the while looking as if she was dreaming.
Hitomi opened her eyes and looked around her and saw that there were trees everywhere. As she tried to stand up she felt the ground and it was wet like it was early in the morning and the dew had just fallen. Hitomi looked around her and could smell the trees. She looked above her and she could see the vast open blue sky. She looked around the sky and then she saw it . . . Earth.
"What happened? Am I on Gaia?" Hitomi wondered. She looked down at her clothes and saw that she was still wearing her track shorts and her gym t- shirt. Hitomi looked around and couldn't see anything. Hitomi walked just a little bit towards the trees to see if it was real. She touched the bark and could feel the firmness of it.
"I can smell the trees and the air around me and I can also feel the hardness of the trees," Hitomi said to herself. She stopped talking for a while and listened to the forest. She could hear the birds and the many other different sounds around her. In the distance she could hear something pounding on the ground. It was far away so she couldn't hear it all that well, but the sound got closer and closer. The pounding got louder and louder. The sound was near enough so that she could tell that it was from a horse. Hitomi knew that it was coming towards her. The horse was slowing down and started to walk at a slow pace. Hitomi went further to try and get a look at the horse and its rider if it had one. As she walked closer and closer to the edge of the forest, she could see just the shadow of the rider. The sun was shining in her eyes and she couldn't quite make out who the person was. The figure on the horse then got close enough for her to identify. Hitomi recognizing who it was gave a small gasp.
"Allen?" she said enough for the figure to hear. The figure looked at her and his face turned into one of recognition.
"Hitomi?" Allen asked. Allen stopped his horse right in front of her, so that he could see her better. Hitomi and Allen looked at each other, straight into each other's eyes. A slight breeze blew and the leaves swirled around in the air like they were dancing to the breeze. Both stood there looking at each other for a very long time.
Then Allen got enough courage to speak first and he said, "Why don't you come out of the forest and come back with me to Asturia . . . that way you can see Van."
"Van is here?" Hitomi asked quietly.
"Yes," Allen said. Hitomi looked up at Allen and then she turned her face towards the ground. She quietly walked towards the horse and looked up back at Allen. She gave Allen a nod and he helped her up onto the horse. Hitomi was seated in the back and she put her arms around Allen's waist to keep her from falling off of the horse. Allen shifted the reigns of the horse and the horse turned back towards the way that they had come from. Hitomi rested her aching head on Allen's back and the horse trotted off on a slow pace. The ride took only a few short minutes, but it was long enough for her to get some sleep. When they reached the village, Allen gently nudged Hitomi with his shoulder to wake her up. Hitomi lifted her head and opened her eyes. She could see many houses and people walking around. She noted to herself that nothing had changed since she left Gaia and everything was the same. Directly in front of Hitomi was a small cottage. The cottage had a cozy look to it and she almost could sense that Van was inside. Allen was the first to get off and after he got off the horse, he helped Hitomi. He tied the horse to the mast and walked towards the door to the cottage while Hitomi walked silently behind him. Allen opened the door and saw Van sitting at the table doing nothing.
When Van heard the door open, he looked up as he saw Allen walking in and asked, "You didn't find anything either?"
"No," Allen replied, "But I did find something else." Van looked at Allen with a certain curiosity. Allen moved from out of the doorway and let Hitomi through the door. Van watched as she stepped through the doorway and his face softened into a face of denial. Van slowly stood up and looked at her.
Hitomi looked at Van and her mouth opened as she gave a small smile and said, "Hello Van."
"Hitomi," Van said with disbelief. They continued to stare at each other without saying a word. Allen, who had stepped off to the side, began to feel uncomfortable and he moved towards the door. Just as he was about to open it, the door suddenly opened from the outside. Millerna stepped through the door and saw Allen facing her. She gave him a big smile. Allen looked at Millerna for a few moments and then he turned his face away. Millerna's smile faded and she looked at Allen not noticing Hitomi was standing in front of her with her back turned to her. Millerna could tell that something was bothering Allen and she looked around the room to try and figure out what had happened. She saw Hitomi's back but she couldn't recognize her. Millerna stepped aside and walked towards Hitomi. As she got closer, she recognized who the person was and smiled as she went towards the person and gave her a hug. Hitomi knowing that Millerna was there would not look away from Van. Van sat back down and turned his head toward the side as he broke the force that caused them to look at each other.
Millerna looked into Hitomi's face and said, "You're back. I always knew that you would come back, but I didn't know that it would be so soon." Hitomi looked at Millerna and smiled back.
"Neither did I," Hitomi said quietly. Hitomi and Millerna sat down at the table where Van was sitting and talked. As Hitomi was sitting down, she looked towards Van. Van was still staring at the ground. Then he got up slowly and quietly and walked towards the door. Hitomi opened her mouth to say something, but by the time she wanted to say it, he had already walked out the door. Millerna watched Van leave right when Hitomi wanted to say something. Hitomi stared at the door and then turned back around to look at Millerna. Millerna simply looked back at Hitomi with a small and simple smile.
"Hitomi. It's been so long since you left us the first time. Maybe you should spend this time with Van. After all there aren't anymore wars," Millerna explained. The dream about the figure telling her to return to Gaia flashed into her mind again. Hitomi shook her head to chase it away.
"No Millerna. My coming here wasn't just a coincidence. Someone called me here. Something's going to happen, I can sense it," Hitomi replied.
"You really think so?"
"Yes." Millerna looked at Allen and sighed. Then she turned back to Hitomi.
"Still, Van missed you and he's been thinking about you ever since you left Gaia. Spend some time with him. It's the only thing you can do to comfort him," Millerna explained. Hitomi looked at Millerna as she got up from the chair and went towards Allen. She whispered something quietly into his ear and then she headed for the door. Allen walked towards Hitomi, took her hand and kissed it. Hitomi looked at Allen in surprise and then watched him leave. Allen and Millerna left the cottage and went outside. Hitomi sat there for a long time and then she too slowly got up. She walked slowly toward the door and she went outside. The light shone bright and she had to shield her eyes, she looked around the place and saw that Millerna and Allen had left already. She looked around the place to look for Van and she saw him standing in front of the lake. He was looking beyond the lake and it was as if he came out to think. Hitomi put her hands down and walked toward him, trying to think of something to say to him. Finally after a small walk that seemed like forever Hitomi stood next to Van. Hitomi looked at the lake and then she turned to look at Van. She looked at his serious face and then she looked away.
Finally Van's voice broke the silence and he said, "How did you come back?" Hitomi looked at Van and then she looked back at the lake.
"I'm not sure. I was at a practice and then I was transported here," Hitomi explained. Van turned to look at her in the face. He took her chin within his hand and turned her head towards him. Hitomi looked at his face and saw the sadness in his eyes. She leaned her face against his hand and whispered into it.
"I missed you," she said quietly. Van took his arms and wrapped them around Hitomi. He held her tight and it seemed as if he would not let go this time. Hitomi laid her head on his chest and could feel him breathing.
"I'm with you always even if you can't see me," Van said with a small smile forming at his lips. Hitomi closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her.
Van stood at the edge on one side of the gorge with his pure white wings spread open almost covering the area around him. Another person was there, but standing on the other side of the gorge. This person whom Hitomi did not recognize had wings that were black as the night sky and glinted with a hint of confusion and fear. Van and the mysterious figure looked into each other's eyes. Van's eyes were filled with anger and the stranger's was filled with vengeance and hate. They stared long and hard at one another. Suddenly the stranger flew high into the air; Van watched and then followed. Both had swords by their sides and once they met in the air the swords clashed and a great spark was made. The spark landed on the ground and burned the land as a small flame. The more Van and the stranger fought, the bigger the flame became. People screamed and tried to run for cover, but the flame was everywhere. Some people cried and their tears were put to rest by the flame. The flame licked at everything and wherever it passed it would leave the ground covered in red.
Hitomi opened her eyes and looked around her realizing that what she had just seen was another fragment of a bigger vision that she was about to have. Hitomi sighed as Van finally released her from his grasp. Van looked at her and could see the sadness in her eyes knowing that something was terribly wrong.
"What's wrong?" Van asked Hitomi. Hitomi gave a thought to telling Van about her visions and then chased away the idea. She didn't want to worry him even more.
She gave one of her smiles to reassure Van and said, "Nothing. I'll be fine." Van glanced back in the distance and could see Millerna and Allen coming back from their outing. He turned back to Hitomi and looked at her. Hitomi looked back at Van and an image of him with broken wings flashed through her head. Hitomi turned away from him and tried to focus on Millerna and Allen coming in the distance. As they got closer, Hitomi could see a slightly worried look on Millerna's face and a more serious one on Allen's. Van saw that they were coming nearer and turned to focus on them. Finally Millerna and Allen had reached Hitomi and Van. Millerna gave a worried look to Hitomi. Van saw the seriousness in Allen's eyes and knew that something was wrong.
Millerna finally spoke, "Zaibach has risen again." Hitomi looked at her with a sense of shock and Van felt a surge of anger rise in him.
"What do you mean?" Hitomi asked with a slight sense of confusion.
"A new leader has come and is raising Zaibach using the few remains that was left from the last war, " Allen explained.
All were silent as Millerna looked deeply into Hitomi's eyes and said, "Hitomi. If Zaibach is reborn with the same ideas as last time, then there will be another war and this time I fear that it will be one not even you can stop."
"Van? Are you all right?" the girl asked. The boy didn't even move a muscle and looked as if he didn't even hear a word the girl had said.
"Van are you thinking about Hitomi?" the girl asked again.
"What?" the boy replied as if he was pulled from his daydream.
"I said were you thinking about Hitomi?" the girl repeated.
The boy gave the girl a small and soft smile and replied, "Yes."
"How long has it been since she left for Earth?"
"Too long Millerna. Too long."
"About a year," the young man sitting across from Van replied as he moved toward them.
"It's been so long. I'm beginning to miss her," Millerna said.
"You and us both Millerna," the man said, "Van do you still have the pendant?"
"Yes Allen," Van said as he pulled the pendant from beneath his shirt and held it in his hands. Allen looked at the pendant and imaged a picture of the young girl that had refused his proposal of marriage. Allen chased the image away and he went on sipping at his water. For a moment or two everything was silent. Millerna went over to Van and put her hand on his shoulder.
"She'll return someday Van. I know it," Millerna said. Van looked up at her and smiled. Millerna took her hand off of Van's shoulder and made her way to the door again. Abruptly, Millerna turned back around just as she was about to open the door.
She faced Allen and said, "Prince Sid wants all Asturian knights to search the forest for anything strange."
"Why?" Allen said as he looked up at her.
"I'm not sure, but it seems important," Millerna replied. Van looked up and looked long and hard at Millerna's face.
"Is it something bad?" Van asked her. Millerna just looked at Van and Van could tell that she didn't know. Allen put his cup down and walked over to the door. Van got up as well and followed Allen. Millerna closed the door after all three of them had gone out and watched as Allen and Van got on a pair of horses and galloped away from the cottage heading towards the forest. A small breeze started up, blowing Millerna 's hair everywhere.
As Millerna held her hair back she whispered, "Be careful." hoping that the breeze would carry it to them.
EARTH:
Hitomi got dressed for her track practice and went outside to wait on the bleachers for her coach. While she was walking out she saw Yukari already waiting out there to watch Hitomi practice. Hitomi smiled to herself and waved at her friend. Yukari waved back at Hitomi. Hitomi took her position on the track and started to stretch. Her coach came out and told the team to get ready to run for ten minutes straight. Hitomi rolled her eyes and sighed. After Hitomi finished stretching she looked up at the sky. There wasn't a single cloud up in the sky. She could feel the heat of the sun beating down on her. A cool slight breeze passed her way.
"Be careful," a small voice whispered. Hitomi stopped looking at the sky and instead looked around her. She couldn't see anyone close enough to her to whisper those words.
"That voice. It sounds so familiar," Hitomi quietly said to herself. Hitomi tried to figure out why the voice sounded so familiar. Hitomi re- looked up a the sky and closed her eyes trying to remember Gaia. Familiar faces flashed through her mind until she saw the face with the familiar voice.
"Millerna," Hitomi whispered.
"Who are you talking to Hitomi?" said the coach. Hitomi looked back down and saw the coach approaching her.
"What?" Hitomi asked.
"I said who were you talking to?" the coach repeated.
"Oh. I was talking to myself," Hitomi said with a little smile.
"Okay. Well get ready to run the ten minutes, we're about to start." Hitomi nodded at her coach and turned around breathing a sigh of relief. Hitomi found her place and lined up with the others. When her coach blew the whistle, Hitomi ran up front. She was running as fast as she could while beating the others at the same time. Suddenly Hitomi saw a white horse running straight towards her carrying a knight on its back. Hitomi stopped running and watched the figure on the horse. Hitomi squinted to see who the person was. When she looked long and hard at the figure she gasped.
"Allen," she said. The horse kept on running towards her and Hitomi wouldn't move. Hitomi just stood there and stared. The other runners ran passed her giving her strange looks as they ran. Yukari watched Hitomi just stand there and shook her head.
"Oh no. Hitomi is spacing out again," she sighed. The coach just looked at Hitomi and stared at her for the longest time. Allen and the horse were getting closer. Close enough to run Hitomi over and kill her. The figures then ran into Hitomi. Hitomi could feel the force of the horse running and she could hear Allen's breathing. The figures vanished after passing through her. The forces of the horse made Hitomi fall and as she hit the ground, the force of the ground hitting her head knocked her unconscious. Yukari and the other runners stopped what they were doing and saw Hitomi fall. The coach immediately ran over to Hitomi's side and saw that she was out.
"Someone help me get Hitomi to the nurse's office!" the coach yelled. All the runners came to aid the coach. They carried Hitomi to the nurse's office and laid her down onto the bed that was made for her. The coach and the runners were outside the office waiting for the report on Hitomi's condition. After examining Hitomi the nurse went outside the office and told the coach and the other runners that she would be fine and that all she needed was some rest. The coach was reassured and then yelled at the runner to finish their running before the incident. The nurse walked back inside the office and sat down in her chair. Hitomi lay on the bed and breathed small short breaths all the while looking as if she was dreaming.
Hitomi opened her eyes and looked around her and saw that there were trees everywhere. As she tried to stand up she felt the ground and it was wet like it was early in the morning and the dew had just fallen. Hitomi looked around her and could smell the trees. She looked above her and she could see the vast open blue sky. She looked around the sky and then she saw it . . . Earth.
"What happened? Am I on Gaia?" Hitomi wondered. She looked down at her clothes and saw that she was still wearing her track shorts and her gym t- shirt. Hitomi looked around and couldn't see anything. Hitomi walked just a little bit towards the trees to see if it was real. She touched the bark and could feel the firmness of it.
"I can smell the trees and the air around me and I can also feel the hardness of the trees," Hitomi said to herself. She stopped talking for a while and listened to the forest. She could hear the birds and the many other different sounds around her. In the distance she could hear something pounding on the ground. It was far away so she couldn't hear it all that well, but the sound got closer and closer. The pounding got louder and louder. The sound was near enough so that she could tell that it was from a horse. Hitomi knew that it was coming towards her. The horse was slowing down and started to walk at a slow pace. Hitomi went further to try and get a look at the horse and its rider if it had one. As she walked closer and closer to the edge of the forest, she could see just the shadow of the rider. The sun was shining in her eyes and she couldn't quite make out who the person was. The figure on the horse then got close enough for her to identify. Hitomi recognizing who it was gave a small gasp.
"Allen?" she said enough for the figure to hear. The figure looked at her and his face turned into one of recognition.
"Hitomi?" Allen asked. Allen stopped his horse right in front of her, so that he could see her better. Hitomi and Allen looked at each other, straight into each other's eyes. A slight breeze blew and the leaves swirled around in the air like they were dancing to the breeze. Both stood there looking at each other for a very long time.
Then Allen got enough courage to speak first and he said, "Why don't you come out of the forest and come back with me to Asturia . . . that way you can see Van."
"Van is here?" Hitomi asked quietly.
"Yes," Allen said. Hitomi looked up at Allen and then she turned her face towards the ground. She quietly walked towards the horse and looked up back at Allen. She gave Allen a nod and he helped her up onto the horse. Hitomi was seated in the back and she put her arms around Allen's waist to keep her from falling off of the horse. Allen shifted the reigns of the horse and the horse turned back towards the way that they had come from. Hitomi rested her aching head on Allen's back and the horse trotted off on a slow pace. The ride took only a few short minutes, but it was long enough for her to get some sleep. When they reached the village, Allen gently nudged Hitomi with his shoulder to wake her up. Hitomi lifted her head and opened her eyes. She could see many houses and people walking around. She noted to herself that nothing had changed since she left Gaia and everything was the same. Directly in front of Hitomi was a small cottage. The cottage had a cozy look to it and she almost could sense that Van was inside. Allen was the first to get off and after he got off the horse, he helped Hitomi. He tied the horse to the mast and walked towards the door to the cottage while Hitomi walked silently behind him. Allen opened the door and saw Van sitting at the table doing nothing.
When Van heard the door open, he looked up as he saw Allen walking in and asked, "You didn't find anything either?"
"No," Allen replied, "But I did find something else." Van looked at Allen with a certain curiosity. Allen moved from out of the doorway and let Hitomi through the door. Van watched as she stepped through the doorway and his face softened into a face of denial. Van slowly stood up and looked at her.
Hitomi looked at Van and her mouth opened as she gave a small smile and said, "Hello Van."
"Hitomi," Van said with disbelief. They continued to stare at each other without saying a word. Allen, who had stepped off to the side, began to feel uncomfortable and he moved towards the door. Just as he was about to open it, the door suddenly opened from the outside. Millerna stepped through the door and saw Allen facing her. She gave him a big smile. Allen looked at Millerna for a few moments and then he turned his face away. Millerna's smile faded and she looked at Allen not noticing Hitomi was standing in front of her with her back turned to her. Millerna could tell that something was bothering Allen and she looked around the room to try and figure out what had happened. She saw Hitomi's back but she couldn't recognize her. Millerna stepped aside and walked towards Hitomi. As she got closer, she recognized who the person was and smiled as she went towards the person and gave her a hug. Hitomi knowing that Millerna was there would not look away from Van. Van sat back down and turned his head toward the side as he broke the force that caused them to look at each other.
Millerna looked into Hitomi's face and said, "You're back. I always knew that you would come back, but I didn't know that it would be so soon." Hitomi looked at Millerna and smiled back.
"Neither did I," Hitomi said quietly. Hitomi and Millerna sat down at the table where Van was sitting and talked. As Hitomi was sitting down, she looked towards Van. Van was still staring at the ground. Then he got up slowly and quietly and walked towards the door. Hitomi opened her mouth to say something, but by the time she wanted to say it, he had already walked out the door. Millerna watched Van leave right when Hitomi wanted to say something. Hitomi stared at the door and then turned back around to look at Millerna. Millerna simply looked back at Hitomi with a small and simple smile.
"Hitomi. It's been so long since you left us the first time. Maybe you should spend this time with Van. After all there aren't anymore wars," Millerna explained. The dream about the figure telling her to return to Gaia flashed into her mind again. Hitomi shook her head to chase it away.
"No Millerna. My coming here wasn't just a coincidence. Someone called me here. Something's going to happen, I can sense it," Hitomi replied.
"You really think so?"
"Yes." Millerna looked at Allen and sighed. Then she turned back to Hitomi.
"Still, Van missed you and he's been thinking about you ever since you left Gaia. Spend some time with him. It's the only thing you can do to comfort him," Millerna explained. Hitomi looked at Millerna as she got up from the chair and went towards Allen. She whispered something quietly into his ear and then she headed for the door. Allen walked towards Hitomi, took her hand and kissed it. Hitomi looked at Allen in surprise and then watched him leave. Allen and Millerna left the cottage and went outside. Hitomi sat there for a long time and then she too slowly got up. She walked slowly toward the door and she went outside. The light shone bright and she had to shield her eyes, she looked around the place and saw that Millerna and Allen had left already. She looked around the place to look for Van and she saw him standing in front of the lake. He was looking beyond the lake and it was as if he came out to think. Hitomi put her hands down and walked toward him, trying to think of something to say to him. Finally after a small walk that seemed like forever Hitomi stood next to Van. Hitomi looked at the lake and then she turned to look at Van. She looked at his serious face and then she looked away.
Finally Van's voice broke the silence and he said, "How did you come back?" Hitomi looked at Van and then she looked back at the lake.
"I'm not sure. I was at a practice and then I was transported here," Hitomi explained. Van turned to look at her in the face. He took her chin within his hand and turned her head towards him. Hitomi looked at his face and saw the sadness in his eyes. She leaned her face against his hand and whispered into it.
"I missed you," she said quietly. Van took his arms and wrapped them around Hitomi. He held her tight and it seemed as if he would not let go this time. Hitomi laid her head on his chest and could feel him breathing.
"I'm with you always even if you can't see me," Van said with a small smile forming at his lips. Hitomi closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her.
Van stood at the edge on one side of the gorge with his pure white wings spread open almost covering the area around him. Another person was there, but standing on the other side of the gorge. This person whom Hitomi did not recognize had wings that were black as the night sky and glinted with a hint of confusion and fear. Van and the mysterious figure looked into each other's eyes. Van's eyes were filled with anger and the stranger's was filled with vengeance and hate. They stared long and hard at one another. Suddenly the stranger flew high into the air; Van watched and then followed. Both had swords by their sides and once they met in the air the swords clashed and a great spark was made. The spark landed on the ground and burned the land as a small flame. The more Van and the stranger fought, the bigger the flame became. People screamed and tried to run for cover, but the flame was everywhere. Some people cried and their tears were put to rest by the flame. The flame licked at everything and wherever it passed it would leave the ground covered in red.
Hitomi opened her eyes and looked around her realizing that what she had just seen was another fragment of a bigger vision that she was about to have. Hitomi sighed as Van finally released her from his grasp. Van looked at her and could see the sadness in her eyes knowing that something was terribly wrong.
"What's wrong?" Van asked Hitomi. Hitomi gave a thought to telling Van about her visions and then chased away the idea. She didn't want to worry him even more.
She gave one of her smiles to reassure Van and said, "Nothing. I'll be fine." Van glanced back in the distance and could see Millerna and Allen coming back from their outing. He turned back to Hitomi and looked at her. Hitomi looked back at Van and an image of him with broken wings flashed through her head. Hitomi turned away from him and tried to focus on Millerna and Allen coming in the distance. As they got closer, Hitomi could see a slightly worried look on Millerna's face and a more serious one on Allen's. Van saw that they were coming nearer and turned to focus on them. Finally Millerna and Allen had reached Hitomi and Van. Millerna gave a worried look to Hitomi. Van saw the seriousness in Allen's eyes and knew that something was wrong.
Millerna finally spoke, "Zaibach has risen again." Hitomi looked at her with a sense of shock and Van felt a surge of anger rise in him.
"What do you mean?" Hitomi asked with a slight sense of confusion.
"A new leader has come and is raising Zaibach using the few remains that was left from the last war, " Allen explained.
All were silent as Millerna looked deeply into Hitomi's eyes and said, "Hitomi. If Zaibach is reborn with the same ideas as last time, then there will be another war and this time I fear that it will be one not even you can stop."