"My name? My name .."
The inky blackness was a cold place, a place she had experienced before. And yet that memory failed her for some reason, leaving only a slight tinge of familiarity. It seemed that everything was beyond her at the moment, even her own name. The words she spoke were fumbled over, as if they simply didn't sound right.
"My name is .."
She held her pale, slightly blurry hands in front of her eyes, grasping and releasing the stale air. With green, glazed over eyes she stared. Slowly, the girl began to shake her head.
"I .. I don't know."
At that moment, the blackness creeped over her hands, a living shadow that slithered along her skin and left nothingness. She screamed, the sound traveling no further than a foot a way into the swallowing darkness. That very obscurity pulled her in despite her vicious struggles, enclosing around her neck, choking ..
Hitomi flung herself up out of bed, the last scream from her nightmare fading to a whimper. Her unkempt hair was damp with sweat as she pushed it out of her gaze. For comfort, her hand instinctively went to her chest for the pendant that once hung there, forgetting that it was a world away. Hitomi sighed.
The dreams are getting worse, she thought. They feel just like that time .. with the doppleganger.
She pulled the sheets around herself, shuddering. Soft white sheets, the color of angel feathers. Hitomi closed her eyes and pictured Van. It had been three years since their adventures together on Gaea, but she always pictured him as he was at that time. He must've grown a little like I did, she thought. More handsome, perhaps? A warmth spread across her cheeks.
The memory of his scent, the smell of fresh fields, filled her nostrils. The pesky phantoms of her memory were always stronger when she concentrated. Despite wishing to see him, her ability only made her heart ache more. And to know that something was amiss simply drew her back to those dire and bittersweet memories.
A silky softness brushed past her colored cheek. Hitomi looked down and saw a bright, almost luminescent feather on her thigh. Gently, she fingered the edge, only to draw her hand back in pain.
"Ow!"
Clutching her hand, she saw a small drop of blood form where the deceptively sharp feather had cut her. Hitomi's eyes glittered in confusion and worry. Her other hand went to her cheek, smearing blood across her fingers from the unnoticeable cut there.
"Van," she murmured, staring once more at the pristine feather that slowly faded from existence.
The gaping royal hall in the palace of Fanelia was half moonlit and half lost in the shadow of night. At the edge of both worlds sat the king of the war-torn country, sweating and bare-chested from his late night sword training. Sitting at the foot of the throne, the royal blade resting at his shoulder, he gazed with hard eyes towards the entrance of the red-carpeted hall. The ancient rug was the only opulence that the hall could afford at the moment, and Van did not hesitate from giving his wealth to the reconstruction efforts. The new palace was not much architecturally different from the rest of the buildings in Fanelia, except bigger to accommodate the soldiers, court, and servants. The luxury of having a home, no matter what shape or size, was all that mattered to him. As well as the safety of his people.
That very obligation was what was keeping him up lately. Fanelia was vulnerable to any attack, be it from mere brigands or great kingdoms. The makeshift alliances that he struggled to secure were often heated. More than not, the young king was left furious with the ambassadors, or even his own politicians. Fanelia simply didn't have the resources to sacrifice for his people's safety. Sure, the mountains that surrounded Fanelia were rich in ores and energists, but the mere thought of trading these resources for safety was counter productive. Guymelefs were in demand after the Great War with the Zaibach Empire, and Van wasn't one to supply the materials for something that would destroy his kingdom once being given.
Van gritted his teeth. He would have to meet more ambassadors the following day. The greedy eyes and dry washing hands that were common to these serpents bothered him. He would not concede. If it was crops or lumber that they wanted, he would grant their wishes .. but if it was energists..
"Van-sama?"
The young king looked towards one of the side doors to find Merle. The cat girl yawned, her pointed teeth glinting in the light.
Merle bounded over to him and plopped down beside him, asking, "What are you doing up this late?"
"I was just thinking, Merle," he answered, closing his eyes as he bobbed the hilt of his blade up and down on his shoulder.
The girl's eyes turned to slivers. She asked in a coy voice tainted in anger, "About Hitomi?"
Van's lips tugged into a minuscule smile that vanished as he said, "I was thinking about politics. These meetings make my stomach turn."
Merle's features softened, her drooping ears a sign of her worry over her lifelong friend. "Van-sama .. what are you going to do?"
Van turned his face from the shadows to look at her. The youth of his countenance aged with the sternness he displayed. His country's losses, these political battles, and even the absence of Hitomi, although he didn't admit it, had hardened him these last few years. Before, he was stubborn and rash, but now those feelings had matured into something more unforgiving, almost callous. The weight of the world had once been on his shoulders, but now, the responsibilities of a king seemed heavier.
"Whatever it takes to keep Fanelia and her people safe."
Merle bit at her lower lip, staring at Van. He has changed so much, she thought. All of this is just too much for him.
She wanted the old Van back, the laughing, caring Van. The Van she had known for most of her life, and the Van that he had become three years ago. Before Hitomi left. Merle's ears drooped even more. Despite her playful hate of Hitomi, she had come to realize that the odd girl from the Mystic Moon was an integral part in Van's happiness. Of course, she knew that Hitomi could come back whenever she wanted. What was keeping them apart, exactly?
"Van-sama?"
The young man was now in the process of putting his bright red tunic over his head. Muffled, he asked, "Yes, Merle?"
"Why .. why aren't you and Hitomi together?"
He pulled the shirt over his head, his thick black hair bouncing back into its original shape. The tight-lipped expression he wore made Merle cringe inwardly.
"Is that all you ever worry about, Merle? Me and Hitomi?"
The rage in his voice was apparent, but he was capable of restraining it with Merle, she noticed. Van rose to his feet and began towards his quarters. The cat girl jumped up, unable to muster the anger behind her worry.
"Van! I was only . you aren't happy without her!"
Van stopped in his tracks, clutching the sheath at his side. Merle took a step forward, her fists balled in front of her chest.
"You .. you aren't the same," she muttered.
The young king lowered his head, and he answered in a low voice, "I am fine without Hitomi. She was the one who taught me that."
He stalked out of the hall, lost into an unlit corridor.
The inky blackness was a cold place, a place she had experienced before. And yet that memory failed her for some reason, leaving only a slight tinge of familiarity. It seemed that everything was beyond her at the moment, even her own name. The words she spoke were fumbled over, as if they simply didn't sound right.
"My name is .."
She held her pale, slightly blurry hands in front of her eyes, grasping and releasing the stale air. With green, glazed over eyes she stared. Slowly, the girl began to shake her head.
"I .. I don't know."
At that moment, the blackness creeped over her hands, a living shadow that slithered along her skin and left nothingness. She screamed, the sound traveling no further than a foot a way into the swallowing darkness. That very obscurity pulled her in despite her vicious struggles, enclosing around her neck, choking ..
Hitomi flung herself up out of bed, the last scream from her nightmare fading to a whimper. Her unkempt hair was damp with sweat as she pushed it out of her gaze. For comfort, her hand instinctively went to her chest for the pendant that once hung there, forgetting that it was a world away. Hitomi sighed.
The dreams are getting worse, she thought. They feel just like that time .. with the doppleganger.
She pulled the sheets around herself, shuddering. Soft white sheets, the color of angel feathers. Hitomi closed her eyes and pictured Van. It had been three years since their adventures together on Gaea, but she always pictured him as he was at that time. He must've grown a little like I did, she thought. More handsome, perhaps? A warmth spread across her cheeks.
The memory of his scent, the smell of fresh fields, filled her nostrils. The pesky phantoms of her memory were always stronger when she concentrated. Despite wishing to see him, her ability only made her heart ache more. And to know that something was amiss simply drew her back to those dire and bittersweet memories.
A silky softness brushed past her colored cheek. Hitomi looked down and saw a bright, almost luminescent feather on her thigh. Gently, she fingered the edge, only to draw her hand back in pain.
"Ow!"
Clutching her hand, she saw a small drop of blood form where the deceptively sharp feather had cut her. Hitomi's eyes glittered in confusion and worry. Her other hand went to her cheek, smearing blood across her fingers from the unnoticeable cut there.
"Van," she murmured, staring once more at the pristine feather that slowly faded from existence.
The gaping royal hall in the palace of Fanelia was half moonlit and half lost in the shadow of night. At the edge of both worlds sat the king of the war-torn country, sweating and bare-chested from his late night sword training. Sitting at the foot of the throne, the royal blade resting at his shoulder, he gazed with hard eyes towards the entrance of the red-carpeted hall. The ancient rug was the only opulence that the hall could afford at the moment, and Van did not hesitate from giving his wealth to the reconstruction efforts. The new palace was not much architecturally different from the rest of the buildings in Fanelia, except bigger to accommodate the soldiers, court, and servants. The luxury of having a home, no matter what shape or size, was all that mattered to him. As well as the safety of his people.
That very obligation was what was keeping him up lately. Fanelia was vulnerable to any attack, be it from mere brigands or great kingdoms. The makeshift alliances that he struggled to secure were often heated. More than not, the young king was left furious with the ambassadors, or even his own politicians. Fanelia simply didn't have the resources to sacrifice for his people's safety. Sure, the mountains that surrounded Fanelia were rich in ores and energists, but the mere thought of trading these resources for safety was counter productive. Guymelefs were in demand after the Great War with the Zaibach Empire, and Van wasn't one to supply the materials for something that would destroy his kingdom once being given.
Van gritted his teeth. He would have to meet more ambassadors the following day. The greedy eyes and dry washing hands that were common to these serpents bothered him. He would not concede. If it was crops or lumber that they wanted, he would grant their wishes .. but if it was energists..
"Van-sama?"
The young king looked towards one of the side doors to find Merle. The cat girl yawned, her pointed teeth glinting in the light.
Merle bounded over to him and plopped down beside him, asking, "What are you doing up this late?"
"I was just thinking, Merle," he answered, closing his eyes as he bobbed the hilt of his blade up and down on his shoulder.
The girl's eyes turned to slivers. She asked in a coy voice tainted in anger, "About Hitomi?"
Van's lips tugged into a minuscule smile that vanished as he said, "I was thinking about politics. These meetings make my stomach turn."
Merle's features softened, her drooping ears a sign of her worry over her lifelong friend. "Van-sama .. what are you going to do?"
Van turned his face from the shadows to look at her. The youth of his countenance aged with the sternness he displayed. His country's losses, these political battles, and even the absence of Hitomi, although he didn't admit it, had hardened him these last few years. Before, he was stubborn and rash, but now those feelings had matured into something more unforgiving, almost callous. The weight of the world had once been on his shoulders, but now, the responsibilities of a king seemed heavier.
"Whatever it takes to keep Fanelia and her people safe."
Merle bit at her lower lip, staring at Van. He has changed so much, she thought. All of this is just too much for him.
She wanted the old Van back, the laughing, caring Van. The Van she had known for most of her life, and the Van that he had become three years ago. Before Hitomi left. Merle's ears drooped even more. Despite her playful hate of Hitomi, she had come to realize that the odd girl from the Mystic Moon was an integral part in Van's happiness. Of course, she knew that Hitomi could come back whenever she wanted. What was keeping them apart, exactly?
"Van-sama?"
The young man was now in the process of putting his bright red tunic over his head. Muffled, he asked, "Yes, Merle?"
"Why .. why aren't you and Hitomi together?"
He pulled the shirt over his head, his thick black hair bouncing back into its original shape. The tight-lipped expression he wore made Merle cringe inwardly.
"Is that all you ever worry about, Merle? Me and Hitomi?"
The rage in his voice was apparent, but he was capable of restraining it with Merle, she noticed. Van rose to his feet and began towards his quarters. The cat girl jumped up, unable to muster the anger behind her worry.
"Van! I was only . you aren't happy without her!"
Van stopped in his tracks, clutching the sheath at his side. Merle took a step forward, her fists balled in front of her chest.
"You .. you aren't the same," she muttered.
The young king lowered his head, and he answered in a low voice, "I am fine without Hitomi. She was the one who taught me that."
He stalked out of the hall, lost into an unlit corridor.
