Hey guys, how are you all? I'm kinda thinking this story is getting boring, so tell me if you think so too! Things should be more interesting later on, with some romance, but I'm not sure if I'm very good at fluff!!! Thank you for all your reviews- and Snarfburgalar(), I agree - the Harry Potter books are great, but the movies and merchendise is complete crap! Enjoy, J.R

Chapter 14- Hope

In just a few days, Hitomi's whole life had fallen apart. Her best friend fighting for her life, a huge and terrifying void in her memory, and now this. A Genetic disease. Could never have been predicted. The words of the doctor echoed on in Hitomi's head. A particulary traumatic situation would have sped up the side effects. No cure. Is that what it was? Was that the reason why she was left so tired all the time, why she ached so badly? No. Deep down, Hitomi knew this couldn't be the answer. She could feel the power, deep inside, though it was just a glimmer of a faintest memory, it would explain everything.but it just wasn't coming. She sighed irritatedly. She hated feeling so ignorant. There must be a way. Like dowsing, for instance. Slowly, she reached for her pendant, and lifted it over her head. She gasped, hardly believing what she was seeing. The necklace in her hands wasn't her grandmother's. But it wasn't hers either. She'd never seen it in her life before. Then how.? Trembling, she turned it over in her hands, carefully taking in the fine gold chain, and the delicate white feather attached to it. "This is too weird," she muttered, closing her hand over it and bringing it close to her chest, to keep it safe. She could feel the love that surrounded it, the importance of it. Her heart ached with a sudden yearning, and Hitomi forced down the urge to cry out in sorrow. What was the point in crying when you didn't even know what you were crying about? It was just the necklace, the love it represented, it made her so sad. 'I'm missing something I've never had. This is stupid,' she tried to reason with herself, in vain. The heart needs no reason. Who had given her this necklace? And where was her old one? Before she even had time to think, a name escaped her lips. "Van." She started, as though waking from a dream. She didn't know anyone called Van! So why had that name slipped past her lips, with such tenderness? Who was this 'Van'? An angel. with hope. But what did it mean? It was reminding her of something .she couldn't quite figure it out .. Maybe mum would know.

"How could you be so irresponsible?!" Mrs. Kanzaki hissed at her husband, who was sitting in the driver's seat. They'd been parked by the hospital for several minutes, but it seemed as though neither had the intention of actually entering. "Honey, I - " "Don't you honey me! One girl dying and now this! All because of you!" She cut in, ruthlessly. "It wasn't my fault!" He protested. "How dare you! You're her father! You were meant to be there for her, protect her! But instead.you left her to die!" Mrs. Kanzaki cried. "How could I have known something like that was going to happen?! And even if I had stayed, do you think I would have made a difference? It would have turned out the same. I know I did wrong -" "You can say that again!" "-but in the long run, Hitomi would have still had the difective gene! One way or another, it would have been activated. She'd still develop this genetic disease, and she and Yukari would still suffer! I'm sorry you have no one to blame so you can feel better, I'm sorry! I can't do anything to protect any of you! I'm sorry! I'm so useless. I try my best and I don't mean to be. I'm sorry. What a father I must be.." He was crying, the anger was gone. Once again, Mrs. Kanzaki was faced with tears. Once again, was she meant to be the strong one? She rested her head on his shoulder, and his arm came around her, like a dead man looking for life. "We're not Gods," She sighed, crying into his chest. "We did our best, but now, in front of this? it makes no difference. It doesn't even matter." She gazed into his sad brown eyes, and inside her own, he saw a glimmer of hope forming. A shadow of a smile crossed her face. ".but we can still try." He nodded, trying to return her smile. Holding each other close, with the tears still falling, they gradually found the strength that would see them through.