~Standard disclaimer applies... see earlier chapters for more specific details.

Chapter 3

Toto, I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore...

~*Tony*~

*What a rush! I don't think my head has spun this much since Brad got me drunk at on my 21st birthday! What the heck happened anyways? My retinas are burning from that bright light, and I see that annoying floating spot of light on the back of my eyelids... good grief, I managed to avoid as many pictures as possible today just to avoid that stupid floating spot... okay Tone get a grip, your getting off the topic at hand.

I feel a warm breeze and the grass tickles my arms. The moment I bother to open my eyes I come face to face with that dumb spot again. Blinking I concentrate harder to only to find myself staring up at the stars. I've never seen so many stars it's amazing... the earth, it looks phenomenal, and the moon is so bright...

WOAH! BACK UP SEC!

I rub my eyes... nope, still there. It's definitely not the floating spot! So that leads me to another point. Now, I may be over analyzing here, but if you live on a planet you shouldn't be able to see it in the sky, right? Well that could only mean...

I glance around quickly and find Ara to my left still unconscious.

This is Gaea...

I don't know how long I just sat there, but I certainly don't remember thinking anything. I just... sat there. Sat there, that is, until I hear a groan; then I just sat there and stared at Ara.

"Tony?"

She glanced at me and I just stared...

"Tony? Are you all right?"

Sitting in silence for a while I finally responded, "You know, when you told me that story earlier I believed you weren't crazy, but I didn't really BELIEVE you! Now..." I fell to silence once more.

She looked shocked for a moment and then her gaze jerked to the sky. A large grin spread across her face, and her eyes lit up with joy.

"Gaea... I made it..."

~*Aravase*~

* I'm not sure if I want to cry, laugh, or just fall over dead... okay, okay! I'm sure I don't want to die, but beyond that I'm unsure. I finally made it back to Gaea... but, how? I honestly thought that wishing on a star was about as useless as blowing out all those candles, but who am I to question fate when it seems that everything is going my way. That kind of stuff is left for when everything is going wrong and all you can do is sit around crying anyways.

...Surely I must be dreaming...

"OUCH," I glare at the offending source of my pain. "What did you do that for?"

"What?" Tony smiled as innocently as a guilty person can. "You said you were dreaming, but that pinch was real enough wasn't it?"

I gape at him... I hadn't realized I said that out loud... "You sure are taking this well."

"Surprised? Didn't we just spend the past couple of hours going over this whole Gaea scenario? If you think this place is so great then I have no reason to doubt you, that is now that I know I don't have to cart you off to the loony bin!" He said, ruffling her hair.

Surely I must be turning into a fish for once again I found my mouth falling open, "You did NOT touch my hair?"

"Maybe I didn't... or maybe I did!" he countered.

I tackled him and we wrestled a bit, just like we did when we were young. I couldn't help acting so juvenile; I have wanted to come back so badly, it's been such a long time, and I was so relived to be back.

After we had settled down, and lay panting in the grass my traitorous mind began to worry again...

Where am I now, which way is Fanelia, and how the heck do I find Van?