A/n *throws formalities out of the window* Thank you so so so so much! Yes this means you, pinkflufflybunnyslippers, bluestar, Feye Morgan, Black Earings, Ferai, Sailor Centauri, Arsinonethe XVII, ChibiReli, sprout, Niffer, jg and Candyfloss. A few points though that I'd like to say. Thank you so much Arsinonethe XVII for your comment. It blew me away. Both you and PFBS4eva complimented me on how well I have done to keep the characters, in character. You will not know how long it took me to do that. I've got a HUGE chart of the characters personalities and what their relations are with each other. I told you I would take this fic seriously :P
And to Sailor Centauri, about Merle's character. I do understand that Merle did learn to except, but this fic is before the Destiny War and Merle has not completely excepted Hitomi. And Hitomi did leave for a while (a reason later to be explained) and well that gave Merle another chance to get back with Van. However with Hitomi back, Merle can't be with Van. Therefore equalling one angry cat. ^_^
Betrayal of Hearts
'You could have been yourself'
The smoke cleared, the dust settled
No one knew how many had died
All around there were broken men
They'd said it was safe, they'd lied - Genesis
'That was one hell of a night last night,' Kalise muttered as she yawned, raising her arms to stretch in the warm light that poured in through her window. She snatched her arms back as pain shot through her head. 'And it seems I have one hell of a headache to go with it,' she said, flinching to the pain pulsating in her head.
'Kalise, are you awake?' A voice inquired outside her door, knocking sharply as in haste.
'Yeah, I'm awake Hitomi. Come in,' she replied, sitting up in her bed and wrapping the covers around her in comfort. Hitomi walked in quickly, pulling the door shut behind her and striding over to sit on the edge of Kalise's bed. 'You're already dressed! What time is it?' Kalise asked surprised.
'It's ten o'clock, but don't worry, Van allowed you to get extra sleep,' Hitomi replied.
'That was kind of him, especially seeing as he doesn't really like me much,' Kalise answered sadly.
'You know that's not true. I've talked to you about this millions of times before and Van does like you. He just has his own way of making and showing his friendship, that's all,' Hitomi said in a calm tone.
Kalise looked at her unimpressed by her supposedly reassuring statement and continued a fresh. 'So what happened last night?'
Hitomi looked away from Kalise sharply, remembering what had happened the night before. 'I swore I wouldn't let her remember Dilandau,' she thought, reminding herself. 'You just drank a little too much and I sent you to bed,' Hitomi replied, failing to think of another story further from the truth quick enough.
'I'm sorry, I hope I didn't embarrass you or Van at the dinner last night. I don't know what could have come over me to ruin something so important to you and Van-' Kalise spoke regretfully.
'You didn't do anything,' Hitomi lied, forcing a smile to ease the worried expressions that stained Kalise's face.
'That's a relief,' Kalise breathed out, relaxing slightly. 'Well, I better get dressed. You can stay in here if you want, we're both girls,' Kalise said joyfully, despite the pain of her over drinking last night.
Rising from her cocoon of bed covers, Kalise made her way to her wardrobe at the opposite end of the room, leaving Hitomi to remain seated on the bed. Tugging sharply on the two wooden handles, the doors opened to reveal an adverse range of clothes. On hangers hung stained shirts, a pair of aged trousers and often an exaggeratingly short dress. Passing her gaze to the floor of the wardrobe however, crumpled evening gowns and long elaborate dresses laid uncomfortably. Kalise stuck her hand in to the mess of disguising fine dress wear and pulled out a creased crème long dress, putting it in distaste against herself.
'Oh Kalista, why can't you just get used to the fact that you're a 'Lady' now? You can't wear creased up gowns and expect to look presentable,' Hitomi groaned, exasperated by her own persistent nagging at her friend.
'But-' Kalise tried in defense.
'But neither can you wear clothes such as that,' Hitomi said pointing at a short black dress on one of the hangers.
Kalise looked at the wardrobe sadly and then blushed when her gaze fell upon her black dress. 'It was difficult enough getting enough money from just working as a maid you know Hitomi,' Kalise commented, a sly grin spreading across her face.
'Well, you don't need it now Kalista. You no longer need to work for money as all is already provided for you,' she replied bitterly and unamused. Looking at the rumpled dresses at the bottom of the wardrobe, she continued. 'Go send these clothes to washed again and ironed. Then you'll throw away those rugged and distasteful clothes which you pride enough to put on hangers.'
'But Hitomi, they remind me of when I was living it rough,' Kalise pleaded.
Hitomi glared sharply but her auburn eyes soon softened. 'You can keep some of them, but get rid of that black dress.' she said coolly.
'Why are you acting so motherly like anyway Hitomi? You're not usually like this,' Kalise paused as she watched Hitomi's eyes flicker sharp again. 'I'll just go and get something presentable on,' she continued in haste, her words falling over each other.
Turning back to her wardrobe abruptly, Kalise grabbed a pair of tight brown trousers and a plain baggy blouse. She held the clothes up against herself, and turned back to Hitomi who sat fumbling with the bottom of her old school skirt, which she always wore for casual wear. 'This look okay dear?' Kalise asked.
Hitomi nodded, more out of gladness than anything else that Kalise had picked something half appropriate to wear. Kalise quickly retreated into the bathroom, throwing her bedclothes off as she went. Hearing the bathroom door slam shut, Hitomi moved from the corner of the bed to the balcony. Pushing the glass door open, she walked out.
The sweet enveloping scent of flowers drifted towards Hitomi, taking small wisps of her hair to flight. Moving closer to the balcony's edge, she leaned over to the rail. Below Merle ran around the courtyard, Van chasing not far behind.
'I thought that once I found you Merle that you would hide again. Not run around like a wild cat,' Van yelled, half laughing half in exhaustion.
'Why Lord Van I am a wild cat. And the exercise is good for you. Your enemies aren't just going to stand still for you to kill them,' she replied sarcastically.
'I don't care, I cant run anymore,' Van answered lazily, falling to the soft lush grass at his feet.
Hitomi chuckled lightly to herself, amused at how out of practice Van had become since the peace negotiations. Concentrating his mind to find Merle was now becoming a laborious task, his mind was often adrift thinking of other more worldly issues.
Looking across the courtyard, Hitomi could feel Merle's eyes on her. Her sweet little cat eyes bored into Hitomi with corrupt hatred and anger. Hitomi felt tears sting at the back of her eyes giving into the provoking gaze of the small cat below.
'Hey Hitomi,' Van called, looking up at Hitomi who stood motionless on the balcony above.
Hitomi didn't even look down; she couldn't look at Van anymore without knowing that Merle would condemn her for every move towards him she made.
'Hitomi?' Van called again confused, his eyebrows furrowed and his deep auburn eyes concerned.
Taking one last glance at Merle, Hitomi left the balcony pulling the glass doors shut behind her. Looking at the balcony doors as if longing to walk out and see Van, Hitomi began to cry. What Merle had said last night shouldn't have upset this much, she and Merle always had the disagreements, but this was different; Merle might have been right.
The brown haired girl reached into her pocket, pulling out a handkerchief. Calming her crying and her burning tears, she turned around as she heard someone move behind her.
'What's wrong Hitomi?' Kalise asked, her arms outstretched as she pulled the now sobbing Hitomi towards her.
'It's nothing,' Hitomi lied in between sobs. Kalise was good friends with Merle and Hitomi would never want to pit her against the feline.
'Come on Hitomi. I'm not letting you get my clothes wet from your crying just so you can tell me that nothing's wrong. You know that you can tell me anything, I'm you best friend Hitomi and I'm here for you when you need me and mostly when you don't,' Kalise said, looking down at Hitomi who had now stopped sobbing.
'Alright, I'll tell you,' Hitomi muttered, pulling back from Kalise.
'Good,' Kalise replied with a smile. Moving towards her bed, Kalise patted to a space next to her for Hitomi to sit. 'Now what is that has made you so unhappy,' Kalise said in her usual motherly tone she took towards helping people.
Comforted by Kalise's soothing voice, Hitomi told her about what Merle had said last night to her in the courtyard. 'And it's really bothering me Kalise. I'm sorry, I don't mean to bitch about your friend like this,' Hitomi apologised, looking down at her restless fingers.
'It doesn't matter hat I think of Merle but there's something more to this Hitomi isn't there?' Kalise asked, her eyes looking inquiringly at Hitomi. The brown haired girl looked up at her, but Kalise continued before Hitomi could think of an answer. 'Usually your not bothered by any of Merle's little digs at you, why should it bother you so much now that your crying about it? Please don't say you believe that ball of fur and her assumptions about you,' Kalise pleaded, hope that she was wrong staining her voice.
Hitomi looked back down at the floor. That was it, she believed Merle. She began to cry again and an arm wrapped about her shoulders, pulling her closer in to Kalise's body.
'You came back because you love Van, right?' Kalise asked, her forest green eyes starting to smudge. She had never seen Hitomi cry before. She was always so much stronger than she was and it hurt to see Hitomi cry. Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, Kalise realised Hitomi still sat silent. 'Hitomi?' Kalise pleaded again beginning to panic.
'Kalista, I honestly don't know,' Hitomi said calmly, pulling herself away from Kalise and standing up. Walking towards the glass balcony doors, Hitomi looked out at the courtyard where Van still lay on the floor with Merle tugging on his arm to get up.
'What if Merle is right Kalise?' Hitomi asked, looking blankly at the tearful Kalise. 'Life was going bad on Earth. Being here on Gaea had brought me such adventure and then when I went back to the adverse life style back on Earth, I couldn't cope. Of course I was happy to be back home with my family, but they didn't want to believe me about where I had been for so long. Eventually when they out up with my excuse, they asked me why I didn't come back sooner,' Hitomi said, tears rolling down her emotionless face. 'They told me I didn't return because I didn't love them. They thought that they were never good enough for them. So I left Earth,' Hitomi muttered monotonously.
Kalise looked at her blankly. She had never thought about why Hitomi had come back; she had always thought it had been for Van. 'So you came back because your family rejected you,' Kalise asked, her voice masking her shock. Hitomi nodded, seemingly unable to talk anymore.
'But you didn't return just because life was good here and you knew Van would crown you with luxuries,' Kalise inquired again, trying to sort her thoughts about it.
'I would never do that Kalise,' Hitomi replied. For a second, Hitomi looked as if she were looking inwards but her gaze soon returned back to Kalise. 'So maybe Merle wasn't completely right. But Van was never my top priority for wanting to return. I still don't know if I love him Kalise,' Hitomi cried out, confusion and despair was now written across her face.
Kalise couldn't bare the pain anymore. Getting up from the edge of her bed, Kalise made her away across the room to embrace the tormented brown haired girl.
'No Kalista,' Hitomi commanded, causing Kalise to pause in mid embrace.
Kalise looked at her, looking for a sign in Hitomi's face that would tell her what to do. Hitomi's lip trembled as tears returned in full flow.
'I'm so confused Kalise,' Hitomi whispered.
Watching Kalise as she moved forward to fulfil the embrace, Hitomi dodged her and ran out of the room. All she wanted to do was run; down the corridor, down the stairs, through the hall, in to the reception, out of the palace gates and into the streets of Fanelia.
A/ n so ok, I was nearly in tears when Hitomi wouldn't answer Kalista's question. And I have to admit that the whole running thing was pretty cool. Now this is a little bit naughty, Hitomi has come back to Gaea (before Destiny War) and she doesn't even know if she loves Van. So which reason is it that she came back? Despite Merle being a complete an utter bitch at the moment, I do love her so she isn't going to disappear from this fic. Well thank you for reading, and please please review. It's really annoying when people read your fic but don't review. Even if it is a flame.
Lady whitewolf
xXx
ladywhitewolf_inabluemoon@hotmail.com
Btw a glance over my other story The winged angel or the fire beast will be much appreciated. It isn't as well written as this fic, but it's just a quick and easy read. Thanks!
