Title: Learning to Love, Chapter 12, Home is where the Heart is
Author: angelwarriar
E-mail: crystaldreamer06@yahoo.com
A/N: Okay, this is chapter 12. (duh!) If you are confused about anything, then let me know in your review or by emailing me! Thanks! I also want to clear up a little misunderstanding that you probably have. You people are probably wondering why I said that the pendant was silver instead of pink, right? Easy! I really don't like the color pink, so I changed it to silver since it's one of my favorite colors, (My fav colors are blue, silver, green, and purple) but here's the thing. It is going to be a dull pink when I introduce it into the story. There's a reason for it, so don't worry. Hopefully, I won't confuse you when I put it in the story!
angelwarriar
===========================================================
Hitomi was helping the maids load their things into suitcases to load onto horses that were going to carry Hitomi, Van, Merle, and Balgus for the three day journey to Ronise. During which time, Dryden was to be over Fanelia. They had all arranged it with everyone, and everything was set and ready.
"Oh, Milady," one of the maids said, "where would you like us to load the medicine kit that you asked Lady Millerna to prepare for you?"
"Put it in with my personal bag, please," Hitomi instructed.
"Yes, Ma'am," the maid replied. She placed the kit inside of Hitomi's green carry bag and continued helping the other maids finish packing.
"We can manage the rest, Milady," another maid said to Hitomi.
Hitomi smiled at her and said, "Are you sure?"
The old maid smiled kindly and shooed Hitomi out of the room. Hitomi decided that since Van and Balgus were in the counsel meeting with Dryden; Millerna, Celena, and Eries were resting in their rooms, and Merle was probably finishing her packing, she would go for a walk. She walked out to the palace gardens. She went on the path that led to the Great War Shrine. She stepped inside the huge door. On the inside it was more beautiful than that of the outside, if possible. There were three graves in the front. They were the graves of Van's family: his father, mother, and brother. There were also flowers of every kind placed all over the place. It was very colorful. In the very center of everything was the legendary Escaflowne that won the Great War. All of this was surrounded by a great wall that reached for the heavens, but there wasn't a ceiling. You could see the sun shining in and lighting everything that it touched. Hitomi then fixed her eyes on the great Escaflowne and stared. It was as if she were in a trace. Suddenly, she began to move forward. She walked to the Escaflowne and gently placed her hand on the pink heart. Her hand went through it. Carefully and slowly, Hitomi went even farther in with her hand. Suddenly, a pink substance began to cover Hitomi's arm, then the rest of her body. Hitomi wasn't afraid, but completely calm. Hitomi closed her eyes and relaxed. When she opened her eyes again, she saw nothing but forest all around her. She looked up and could see the moon shining down on her. She looked ahead of her and the moon beams were marking a path for her. She began to walk forward, following the beams. After a few moments, Hitomi came out of the forest and into an open meadow. The meadow took her breath away. There was a beautiful waterfall with a crystal pond at the end of it. Beautiful flowers and trees were all over the place. The stars were extra bright, as were the Mystic Moon and its child.
"Hello, Your Highness," a female voice said.
"Who's there?" Hitomi said.
A light suddenly appeared. It was green. It was shaped like an oval. Hitomi could only look at it in awe.
"Who-who are you?" Hitomi asked.
"I am Qurin, goddess of Geia, protector of the forests," the being answered.
Hitomi gasped. "What do you want with me?"
"I come to warn you," Qurin answered.
"Warn me?" Hitomi asked.
"Yes," Qurin replied. "You must listen closely. When you reach your destination you must not react a stone heart, but with a heart of flesh."
"A heart of flesh?" Hitomi said. "I don't understand what you mean."
"You will soon enough. Take heed. Things will not always appear what they seem to be."
Qurin's voice faded away as Hitomi's surroundings once again began to change. She was back at the Great War Shrine with her hand rested on the great Escaflowne. She removed her hand, remembering the Forest Goddess's words. She turned her face up to the sky. The sun had set, so that meant that she and the others were about to began their journey. After a moment, she walked out of the Shrine and back toward the castle.
======================================
"My Lord, I must object once more. This is completely ridiculous," Batwar said to Van for the seventh time, at the least.
"It is not ridiculous to want to preserve the peace, Batwar," Van replied for the seventh time as well. "We will be back in a little while."
Van was in a last minute counsel meeting, trying to set everything up for Dryden while Van and the others would be gone.
"Now," Van said, "does everyone understand what will be happening?"
Everyone said yes or nodded their heads. "Good," Van said. "Meeting adjourned."
Everyone left out of the room except Van, Dryden, and Balgus.
"Are you sure that you want to go through with this, Van?" Dryden asked.
"Yes," Van said to him. "I don't want another Great War. One was more than enough."
"I agree with you there," Dryden said. He sighed. "I'll do my best, Van."
Van smiled at him. "I know you will. That's why I chose you."
The double doors opened. "Milord," a servant interrupted. "The horses are saddled and ready. Her majesty and Lady Merle are waiting for you in the stables."
"All right," Van said. "Thank you."
The servant left. Van turned to Dryden and they clasped wrists. Dryden and Balgus did the same.
"Good luck, my friends," Dryden said to them.
"And to you," Van replied.
Van and Balgus left the room and went to the stables. As the servant had said, Merle and Hitomi were waiting for them there with four saddled horses and an extra horse with supplies. The two women heard Van and Balgus approach and turned around. Hitomi was wearing a dark cloak that covered her green suit that she had worn the other night while fighting the Goluffs. Her hair was braided and hung down her back. Merle was in riding breeches with little braids in her long pink hair. She had it all put together in a elastic band so to keep it out of her face.
"Ready to go?" Merle asked them.
"Yes," Van replied.
Everyone mounted their horse and began their journey out into the night.
====================================
Four hours later, Merle was once again tired of the silence. "Hitomi," she began, "will you tell me about Ronise?"
"Well," Hitomi said, "Ronise is very small. Only two hundred people live there. My Grandmother is the overseer of our village. Collin will become the overseer when Grandmother dies."
"Collin?" Merle interrupted.
Hitomi smiled. "My twin brother. He was born three minutes before me."
"Oh," Merle said. "What else?"
"Well two years ago everyone lived underground. Then one day, Grandmother said that we needed to come out of hiding and we came back up top again. We came back up and founded Ronise."
"Two years ago?" Merle asked. Hitomi nodded her head. "That was during the Great War."
"Yes, it was," Hitomi said. "If my Grandmother had not moved us underground, we would have been wiped out. Zaibach was entrapping seers and using their powers. Anyone who did not comply was killed."
"What?" Van asked, surprised.
Hitomi looked at him with confusion on her face. "You didn't know that was how the machine or whatever it was that scientist-"
"Dornkirk," Merle interjected.
"Oh, yes, that's him. Dornkirk. Anyway, that's how he would power that machine that he was trying to rule the world with. You honestly didn't know that?" Hitomi asked, amazed.
Merle smirked. "Well, you didn't know Dornkirk's name. Everyone else does."
"I'm sure that some people don't know. Dornkirk is such an odd name to begin with. You can't just automatically put it to memory, you know, dearest Merle," Hitomi said.
"Oh, but sweetest Hitomi, I'm sure there are some things that would keep him applied to you, such as starting a war," Merle said sweetly.
"Well--Oh, all right. Fine. You win," Hitomi said, exasperated.
Merle smiled. "Thank you."
Van and Balgus chuckled at the exchange between the two women.
"So, Hitomi," Merle said.
"Yes, Merle?" Hitomi answered.
"Are you happy to be going home?" Merle asked quietly.
"Merle," Hitomi said. "I just left home. I'm only going to visit the place where I once lived."
"So I guess it's true what you said then," Merle said, her voice bright again.
"What's that, Merle?" Van asked curiously.
"Home is where the heart is," Hitomi answered, smiling at him.
Van smiled back at her. "Yes, it certainly is."
===========================================
"She is coming," the woman said to the creature. "I can feel her."
"Yes," the creature hissed. "She will be arriving soon enough. We mustn't underestimate her and her dragon husband. They are very powerful."
"But not as powerful as you, my love," the woman said to him.
The creature reached out and caressed the woman's cheek. "My beloved Sasha, how would I live without you?"
The woman or Sasha captured his hand and kissed his palm. "And I you, my beloved Talik."
"Soon, beloved," Talik said, "soon we will have the ultimate power and we will rule all of Geia together as God and Goddess for all of eternity."
A/N: So whattya think??? I know, I know, if I take this long on the next one, you will kill me!! I am so sorry, but I am having such a hard time on writing these few chapters. Hopefully, the rest will get better!!!
Please review and tell me what you thought.
P.S. Some people had asked me before how Van knew that Hitomi was a seer, well you see at the very beginning Queen Varie called Hitomi the 'Princess of Sight.' That is the title associated with the seers. Van knew that, so that's how he knew that she was a seer. Did that help any at all???
Bye!
Angelwarriar