*I wonder what I do with Primera in all my stories, hm…ideas…well, just to let you know I do know she exists, I just kinda, forget about her, gomen nasai. Now about that idea and the next chapter!*

Chapter Sixteen: China

Her red eyes fluttered open, and her heart stopped when she saw a floating palace. She ran with weary legs toward the palace. She had no idea of the troubles that awaited her.

China

She would see Lantis and Eagle again, Presea and Caldina and Lafarga, everyone. She laughed as she ran through the familiar halls, calling for anyone that might hear.

"Hello? Anyone?" she questioned. "I took a flight from Tokyo just to see you!" she teased. She was so happy she couldn't stop laughing, not even to catch her breath. This was the best she'd felt in a long time.

All the way to New York

"Hikaru," the first person she saw was a smiling Umi and Fuu.

"Umi-chan! Fuu-chan!" she hugged them like it was the first time in years. "How long have you been here?"

"About six days," Umi answered.

"Three for me," Fuu put in.

"Huh?" Hikaru looked confused.

"When we come separately time passes in between each of our journeys," Fuu explained quickly. "We just never knew it because we never came separately."

"Oh," Hikaru nodded and recognized familiar sorrowful faces on the two. Something had taken place while she was falling, something serious. She wondered what it was. She knew it had to be something terrible to have the two down now that they were home.

"Don't worry about it," Umi read her thoughts. "Go find the others, they're expecting you."

She grinned and bounded off, but she would by no means 'not worry about it,' or forget 'it' whatever 'it' was.

I can feel the distance getting close

She felt drawn to the gardens and walked around, enjoying their beauty. She looked up and wasn't surprised to find a slumbering Lantis. She grinned and climbed up to him. "Lantis, Lantis," she called softly, and his eyes snapped open.

"Hikaru," he smiled, and she laughed.

"I'm glad to see you too."

You're right next to me

After long moments Lantis spoke, "I missed you Hikaru."

"I missed you too," she grinned, her old self already, "a lot."

They were quiet, just enjoying one another's presence when Hikaru asked softly, "What's wrong with Umi-chan and Fuu-chan?"

He sighed heavily and jumped down. He gave her a hand to the ground and began carefully, not wanting to upset her. She had lost so much weight…she looked tired too. "Cephiro was threatened, Ferio's rule was failing. The only way out of it was to please the Nobles that threatened him. The only way to do that was marriage."

Hikaru's eyes grew wide and full of resentment as he finished.

"Her name is Natsumi, and the date is set for two days from now. The party that was to be held in your honor is now going to be a reception."

Hikaru's fingers clenched, and she was full of hatred toward this girl she didn't even know. How dare she force this upon Ferio? Then everything came crashing down…Fuu-chan…

She wanted to take Fuu away from it all, away from the pain. She wished there were a way she could end the suffering she knew Fuu must have been feeling. She had a need to speak to Ferio and this Natsumi.

But I need an airplane

Thoughts raced through his mind as he watched her. He couldn't believe she was back, but through all his thoughts of joy and happiness thoughts of jealousy and betrayal ran through him as well.

She seemed oblivious to it all, miles away, lost in her own thoughts. Still, she was here, next to him. He could reach out and… he stopped himself, and destroy his greatest friendship?

I can feel the DISTANCE

As you breathe

"I'm going to see them," Hikaru announced suddenly and took off for the throne room. Lantis followed close on her heels. They passed a few people in the halls, but no one had to ask where they were going because murder flashed in Hikaru's eyes.

"Ferio!" she screamed when she practically flew through the throne room door. Clef was by one side, a young girl on the other.

"Hikaru," his throat caught because he saw her deadly eyes. "How nice to see you back."

"Don't give me that Ferio," Hikaru hissed.

"Ferio, who is this, the last remaining Knight? She's a bit early ne?" the girl questioned.

"Hikaru was the last pillar of Cephiro, her will is the greatest of all," Clef explained to Natsumi who glared and nodded.

"Ferio what have you done?" Hikaru screamed at him, and he walked to her and took her arm, leading her out of the room. Lantis followed and watched the door, to make sure Natsumi didn't overhear or barge out.

"It had to happen," and Ferio forged into a complete explanation in which Hikaru was not comforted, but her anger was lessened.

"Love should come first Ferio," she said quietly, and tears formed in her eyes. "But love doesn't matter to you does it? Fuu-chan doesn't matter to you does she?" Hikaru demanded and sprinted down the hallway.

"Hikaru!" Lantis called after her and sent a deadly glare at Ferio, heading after her.

He found her in the gardens, crying. She was sitting on the stone fountain, and her head was in her hands. "How could he do that to her?" she screamed. "Has Cephiro really changed that much?"

He reached out to her, but pulled back, "I'm not sure."

Sometimes I think you want me to touch you

How can I?

She looked up and tried to see into those intense eyes, "Have you changed so much?" she found herself asking though she didn't know why.

"What?" he was startled by her question, and she laughed.

"Nothing, gomen," she shook her head. "Just ranting in the dark."

When you build the great WALL around you

He thought for a fleeting minute her questioning had more meaning, but then she turned away from his gaze, and his hopes were dashed.

In your eyes I saw a future together

You just look away in the distance

"Lantis," she said meekly, "I need to be alone just now."

"Hai," he understood and stood up. He bowed to her and walked briskly from the gardens. She didn't even notice the way his hands seemed to quiver, and she never heard his heart pounding.

§§§~~~

She stared blankly at the table that was set around her. How long had she been sitting here? She seemed to have been here for hours.

China

Decorates our table

The people around her were a blur; she barely heard when she was spoken to.

"Hai." "Ne?" "Oh." Were her normal answers.

They looked worried, but no one questioned.

"Why are they all so depressed?" Natsumi muttered under her breath, and Ferio's hands clenched. Hikaru saw the weak glance Fuu sent him and then how she turned her eyes away from him. Her own heart seized up with her pain.

"Where's Eagle?" she suddenly asked and realized he wasn't there.

She noticed too, the way Lantis' eyes turned away and strayed from meeting hers.

"Eagle disappears for days on end," Presea answered her. "He should be home tonight though; he knew you were on your way," she smiled, and Hikaru gave a weak smile back.

"I'm not really hungry just now," she knew she wouldn't be able to eat much without throwing up and wasn't in the mood for all that just then. "If Eagle gets back make sure he comes to my rooms straight away okay?"

Presea nodded, and Lantis' eyes filled with jealousy that even Hikaru noticed. She shook her head, confused by this. No one was surprised when he got up and left just after the Fire Knight had.

Funny how the CRACKS don't

Seem to show

When he could no longer debate with himself Lantis stood and knocked on Hikaru's door. She came and answered it with tears on her cheeks.

"Lantis," she brushed them away and smiled.

"Hikaru," he answered.

"Come in," she offered the room to him, and he entered. She shut the door behind him and offered another smile. He couldn't give one in return, there was too much on his chest. "Want something to drink?" she offered and looked at the ample supply of drinks there were on a shelf in the other room.

"No, that's okay," he answered, and she laughed.

"Just like you."

His heart was pained, 'Just like me to be not enough for you Fire Knight.'

Pour the wine dear

"Lantis?" Hikaru asked suddenly, wanting to confide in someone.

"Hai?"

"Have you ever wanted to run away from Cephiro?"

He looked at her with confusion and curiosity, "I already did Hikaru."

She nodded, "That's how I feel. I wanted to get away from Tokyo, and now I want to get away from here. I don't understand why there has to be so much hurt in the world. Why can't we just run away and make it all go away? Start over?" she questioned, and her voice was soft and intense.

You say we'll take a holiday

"Pain is a part of life Fire Knight, you take the good and the bad and hope for more good in the end," he explained gently. "I think you have a lot of good coming to you, more here than in Tokyo," the words slipped.

"I don't think so," she shook her head sadly.

"What?"

But we never can agree on

Where to go

"I don't think I can stand Cephiro like this, everything is so different. Everyone is sad here. I don't want to see them cry anymore Lantis," she protested, and tears slipped.

China

"I don't want to see you cry anymore Hikaru," he swiped a gentle hand over her tears. "Didn't you ever think about that?"

All the way to New York

"What?" she asked gently and stared at him as if confused. She was confused and shocked. She had never thought of it like that, and the fact that it was Lantis that pointed it out to her confused her. She had never thought that her tears caused other people pain and the thought made her feel selfish.

He smiled weakly at her, "You just need to take better care of yourself that's all, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. You and the others," bad slip this time, "you mean everything to m-Cephiro."

Maybe you got lost in MEXICO

"Arigato," she said softly and threw her arms around him in an embrace. "I don't know what I would do without you!"

He hugged her gently back and was surprised at the warmth she brought to him. He wasn't ready to let go when she released him. She was blushing softly, and he longed to touch her. His heart leapt to his throat, and he forced his pulse back down. If she noticed…he shuddered to think what it would cause.

You're right next to me

I think that you can hear me

"Gomen," she whispered, "didn't mean to do that."

His heart broke, "It's okay." He almost hit himself, why didn't he say anything to her? Then a name flashed in his mind, 'Eagle.'

"Maybe I should go to bed."

"Yeah," he mumbled and realized suddenly that he was in her room. "Oh, gomen."

She grinned and led him out.

Funny how the distance learns to grow

She closed the door behind her and leaned against it.

I can feel the distance

He leaned against her door and wanted to open it, to take her into his arms. He wanted to feel like that again, to feel her close to him, their hearts beating as one. He wanted to taste her, wanted to touch her…'Eagle.'

I can feel the distance

It made him hate himself for wanting her and hate Eagle for wanting her. It made him hate himself for ever meeting Eagle and hate himself for regretting meeting his best friend. It made his heart ache and his body shake. It made everything he was crumble and tear, and it was the worst feeling he had ever had. As much as he hated to admit it they were growing apart, and he knew why. It was because she had finally realized and didn't want to come between him and Eagle. He loved her for it and loathed himself for driving her away. He wished there were some kind of compromise.

I can feel the distance

Getting close…

*Hope you like it, can you believe it? This is almost finished. One more chapter of depressing stuff and then…*grins* you'll have to find out won't you?*