AN: I noticed a mistake in this chapter so I edited it. I'm glad I discovered it! ^^'

Lapse in Time

Chapter 2: Shades of Green

Hitomi's forest green eyes slowly fluttered open, and she began to look around.

Where am I? she thought.

Carefully she pulled herself up onto her feet and studied her surroundings. All she could see was trees, so many trees. Then memories started flooding back to her.

This must be Gaea!

Hitomi began to walk around, hoping that she was somewhere near Fanelia. She didn't feel safe walking around in the forest alone, and she desperately wanted to find someone she knew before nightfall.

Hitomi hiked through the thick forest for what felt like hours, but it seemed to her that she was getting no where. The sky was already growing darker. She needed to find shelter, now.

"Damn it!" Hitomi cried as she tripped over the surfaced roots of a tree. Quickly she examined her leg, and to her dismay she found a short piece of wood protruding out of it. She pulled it out and threw it to the side and was about to wipe away the blood when a sound caught her attention, the sound of a twig being snapped in half. In seconds Hitomi was on her feet.

"Who's there?" she demanded. There was no answer. "I know someone's there! Answer me!"

From behind an old tree a tall, well built man appeared, pulling a dagger from his belt. More men began to show themselves, all of them carrying some sort of weapon. Out of no where yet another man appeared and grabbed Hitomi from behind and pressed something cold and hard to her neck.

"What's in the bag sweetie?" he said in a mocking tone.

"Please don't hurt me!" Hitomi replied nervously.

"What's in the damn bag!" another man growled. Hitomi was too petrified to speak. "Give it to me then!" The man grabbed the bag from Hitomi and tried to open it, but he was unsuccessful.

"This damn thing won't open!"

"Show us how to open the bag sweetie, and we won't hurt you," the first man said.

"There's nothing valuable in there!" Hitomi exclaimed. Suddenly one of the men grabbed her leg just below her knee. Hitomi kicked him hard with her other leg, but then the first man grabbed it, and then the rest of the men started grabbing at her legs and arms. She let out a terrified scream just as a heavy club smashed into her head, knocking her unconscious.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In another part of the forest, a beautiful white stallion ran swiftly through the trees, it's hooves making a steady beating sound on the forest floor. It's rider held on so tightly to the reins that his knuckles were turning white. He had seen the pillar of light, and knew that could only mean one thing. Someone from the Mystic Moon had come to Gaea, and that person was mostly likely Hitomi Kanzaki.

The rider was none other than Van Fanel, the king of all Fanelia. It had been a year since he had last seen the brown haired tomboy, and in his heart he knew he just had to see her again. Even a glimpse of that warm smile would put his heart at peace.

Oh Hitomi, where are you? he thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Throughout the forest the sound of a rolling cart filled the silent air. A woman of forty was walking slowly, dragging a large cart behind her, which was filled with a variety of food and fine fabrics. Her head was hanging low in sorrow, but for some reason she didn't notice the rigid figure sprawled face down on the ground. The woman's green eyes, the same shade as Hitomi's, spotted it just before the collision.

Once the old woman was back on her feet, she examined the person she had fallen over, hoping that he or she was still alive. Gentle hands grabbed the figure's shoulders and turned it over, revealing the kind, young face of a woman.

"Ranna?" the old woman gasped.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Van's heart was pounding as he frantically searched the forest. He had been searching for hours, and not a single sign of his loved one had been found. Daylight was beginning to grow dim, and Van knew that he would have to head back to the castle soon with or without Hitomi.

"Hitomi!" he called, trying to hold back his tears.

After that moment, everything was like a dream. No, it was not like a dream; it was like a nightmare. Van spotted a strange object lying on the ground. He guided the stallion to the object and jump off swiftly. To his excitement, a closer inspection proved that it was Hitomi's duffel bag.

"Hitomi!" he called again, except this time with excitement. "Hitomi, where are you?"

The following minutes seemed like hours. Van's heart ached, and his lungs burned as he slowly lost his breath. "HITOMI!" he screamed.

It was then that he noticed the tiny bloodstains in the grass….

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In a small cottage near the border of Fanelia, a young woman awoke to a sweet aroma. Her head was spinning, and her mind was blank; she couldn't remember anything.

Where am I? she thought.

The soft sound of humming filled her ears, calming the woman. Her green eyes fluttered open.

Who am I?

Gradually the humming became louder. An old woman with olive eyes and a soft, warm smile entered the little room. She sat herself down on a stool beside the bed the woman was laying on. Her movements were graceful; she reminded the young woman of a white bird that she believed was called a swan.

"I see you have awaken," the old woman spoke, placing a cloth in a bowl of cold water and laying it gently across the woman's forehead. "I was beginning to think that you had died!" The young woman looked at the elder with curious eyes, studying her hair –which was still its original sandy brown- and her softly wrinkled face.

Why do I feel so strange yet comfortable around this woman?

"What's going on?" the young woman spoke. "Who am I? Who are you?"

The older woman chuckled slightly. "I was afraid you had lost your memory, Ranna,"

"Ranna?"

"Yes, your name is Ranna." The woman paused for a moment to breathe, then said, with tears sparkling in the corners for her eyes, "My name is Enila, and I am your mother,"

Yes! I finally finished the second chapter! You know what? This is the first chapter story that I've ever written that isn't humor! Ehehehehehehe! It's like a big step for me! Wooooo! I've never really been good at writing serious stories, but ff.net has really helped me improve my writing so I finally decided to give it a try! I'm very happy with the amount of reviews I've received so far for this story. I usually don't get that many that fast! Thank you so much to those people who reviewed chapter 1!

~Theo G