Hitomi, standing on a beautiful white sandy beach. Everything surrounding her is peaceful. A cool breeze swims through the air blowing through the teary girl's long chestnut hair. The sun not yet risen from that distant point where the soaring sky meets the roaring seas. Hitomi keeps her eyes on that one spot, waiting. Waiting for the magical warmth of the sun to give the Earth back it's life. The sky painted with pinks, yellows and reds while the empyrean clouds float in midair. The clear breathtaking water is just above her ankles and her feet had long ago molded down into the balmy wet sand. She hasn't once missed the sunrise. It was the only time she had to herself. Time to conceive her thoughts for the day, time to try and speak to him again.
Her face looks older than it used too. Her straight hair well grown down her back. Seventeen is her age. Almost two whole years had gone by since that cruel day of departure. She's no longer wearing her usual school-wear but a short beige t-shirt and blue jeans, rolled up to the knees.
Without any notice the sun suddenly peeks out over the outlying ocean. Gazing courteously at the lonely woman making her tear stained cheeks light up. A small but satisfying smile appears on her face as her eyes close and she takes in a deep passionate breath. Her heart is filled with warmth as the sun gives her one moment of bliss. It's the best place to see the sunrise, her and Yukari had rented a small cabin right by the summer sea side.
Thirty minutes pass as Hitomi watches the sun start to soar across the sky. A voice calls from a distance and starts to draw nearer.
"Hitomi! There you are! What are you doing out here all alone?" Hitomi just keeps staring at the horizon. Yukari had found out about Van last year. Hitomi spilled out everything in one breath of desperation, to share with someone her pain. Yukari didn't know what to think. It was an extraordinary story. At first she thought of it as a ludicrous joke, but soon she became worried because Hitomi was actually believing the story she had made up.
"Your thinking about Van again aren't you?! It's been two years Hitomi! You have to get over him. When Amano broke up with me I got over him real fast. I was so mad!" Her eyes turn to anger and she kicks the sand into the water.
"Damn Amano...Anyway's Hitomi! Your supposed be on vacation! Maybe a swim will cheer you up." Hitomi just shakes her head from side to side. They had only been there for three days, but Hitomi just stood in the water everyday, for that small period of time. She would go to bed right after sunset and get up before sunrise.
The stubborn red head attempts the idea again but stops when she notices a single tear fall down Hitomi's pale freckled cheek.
Hitomi speaks with a choking tone from trying to hold the tears back.
"Two years Yukari, two years tomorrow and I haven't heard from him since last year! What if something happened? I don't have my pendant. I can't tell if he's still alive or not!" The two collapse in a warm embracing hug. Yukari rubs her friends back trying to comfort her.
"I'm sure he's just fine. If something had happened, Allen or Merle would have tried to tell you right? Now can you please just attempt to have a good time? I say we go for a good, long boat ride with that cute guy next door!" Hitomi lets out a slightly fake giggle and puts on a good face for worried Yukari. They break their hug and Hitomi quickly wipes the tears from her eyes and smiles.
"Ok Yukari, you win. Lets go, but I'm going to beat you there!" They sprint off to the cabin next to theirs.
"No no no! She's all wrong for Lord Van. Do you really think he wants to marry a snobbish little brat that only cares about money?" A tall cat women screams with her nails out, tail up, fur flying; at an innocent looking short stubby man. Her cute skin tight yellow outfit doesn't match the attitude she always puts on. Her flowing pink hair has grown well past her mid back. Very beautiful to any cat who laid eyes on her.
"That's rather harsh don't you think Lady Merle? I mean, Princess Ilaina isn't so bad. I'm sure King Van will appreciate her beauty and talent."
Merle had it. She knows all those princesses out there aren't right for her brother. Only one person can complete his soul.
"Talent in what? Being a selfish babbling idiot?" With that the fat man runs off terrified. Everyone knows better than to upset Merle. Her tail falls to it's normal place and her hair now somewhat less frizzled. Van had gotten tired of saying "no" a dozen times to his wedding officiators, so Merle took over for him.
"Thanks Merle. How many is that now?" A black haired man laughs in a amusement while coming out from behind a corner. Between the two of them, they must have turned down over fifty princesses.
Merle just puts her hands to her hips while tapping her foot and wagging her tail to and fro.
"Van this isn't a laughing matter! Your going to have to pick someone soon. Fanelia does need a Queen!" He whips the clever smirk off his face and turns his back to Merle.
"I have already chosen. You know that Merle." He can never smile when it comes to Hitomi. She wasn't there with him so what was the point?
Merle just continues her rant, trying to make Van see that Hitomi might not come back.
"You want to marry the girl but your to scared to go get her! She loves you remember! She told you while you were fighting Allen. I don't see why you can't just swoop down there and get her. It's actually very simple you see!" She starts making little drawings in the air with her hands, showing her king how easy it is to fly from one place to the next. She laughs at her own mocking sense, but chokes when Van grabs her hands from they're laughing position.
"Merle that was two years ago! She can't still love me! Especially since I haven't been talking to her. Besides it's a lot easier 'drawn' then done. I never told her I loved her back. It would feel awkward if I told her I love her and she doesn't feel the same way!" Merle rips her hands from Van's and starts to walk down the hall, away form him.
"Well how will you know if you never go ask?"
Van smiles at her and turns his nose in a snobbish sort of way.
"I won't know. That's all. I'll just continue turning down princesses for the rest of my loveless boring life." He crosses his arms and starts to walk the other way.
Merle stops, turns and stomps her foot to the ground.
"Oh go jump off the balcony!" She storms off and adds one last comment before turning the corner. "I'll never understand men!"
Van snickers and continues on his way out of the castle. He pauses in the light of the giant doorway.
"Two years tomorrow Merle. You can't possibly know what I'm going through." The truth is, Van would give anything to see his beloved again. He would die for Hitomi but he wouldn't be able to stand letting her go again. He would rather be eaten by a dragon. She belongs on Earth and he belongs on Gaea.
After hours of fishing and boating, Hitomi is sitting in a cozy little room with her two friends; Yukari and the cute guy next door, Jordan. They're sitting at a varnished wooden table which is covered in playing cards. The room is dimly lit but bright enough to see everything in it. A couple of shelves rest against the walls, full of different books. Jordan is staying with his parents on the lake. He had invited Hitomi and Yukari in because his father and mother had gone out dancing until morning. Yukari is and had been flirting with the Australian brown haired boy with bright blue eyes, ever since the boat ride, but he had his eyes on Hitomi.
For the third time that night the dazed girl had her mind on other things than the topic of conversation.
"So Jordan. Where are you from? I mean, Jordan isn't exactly a Japanese name." Yukari gives him a small wink. She hasn't had a male companion since Amano. She wasn't telling the exact truth about getting over him so fast.
"Well actually, I was born in Australia! You should go there someday. It's actually quite amazing. We have a lot of Roo's down there, not like the few you have in zoos." Yukari looks puzzled. She has no idea what a Roo is. Jordan notices her muddled face and quickly answers her question before she can pose it.
"A Roo is what we call Kangaroos where I come from. I only moved here a year ago so I haven't quite lost the abbreviations yet." She quickly gives him a grin and nods her head. She's so pleased to be talking to Jordan, since she's been anti-boy for a couple of years.
"Oh no! Don't worry about it! I think it's kind of cute! Don't you think Hitomi?" Her green eyes still fixed on absolutely nothing, Hitomi doesn't hear Yukari's question. She feels a sharp pain shoot through her leg when Yukari kicks her under the table.
"Ow! Yukari! That hurt! I-I mean, yeah your fromm A-A.....Oh gosh! I'm sorry. I must have been daydreaming again. Bad habit." Yukari just gives her a frustrated look.
"Australia Hitomi. He's from Australia." Hitomi's dark eyes turn wide and bright suddenly like she had just been awakened from a deep sleep.
"Your from Asturia? I've been there! It's such a beautiful country. Have you ever been to Fanelia? Or wait, how did you get to Asturia anyway?" He just looks at her with his jaw almost reaching the ground.
"What the hell is this girl talking about? Is she insane? I wonder why I like her so much...." He thought to himself. Hitomi sits on the edge of her seat waiting for answers to pop out of his mouth. Then the conversation slowly replays in her mind. She sits back down comfortably trying to hide the blushing color of her cheeks.
"I'm sorry...I-I mis-heard you..." She says in a soft quiet voice.
They become a painting, no one moves or speaks. Jordan is still sitting there in shock, Yukari is scolding Hitomi in her mind.
Yukari finally breaks the deadly silence and grabs Hitomi by the arm.
"Well, Hitomi and I must be going off now. Wayyyyy past our bedtime! We'll see you tomorrow Jordan. Bye!" She pulls Hitomi out of the tiny little cottage all the way inside they're current residence. Yukari slams the door on the way after their both inside.
"I really like him Hitomi! You ruined it! Now he thinks we're just some crazy teenagers going around the world talking about places that don't exist!" Tears start to form in Hitomi's tired puffy eyes. Yukari realizes what she just said...
"Hitomi! I didn't mean it like that! I know Asturia and Fanelia exist. It's just, well, sometimes I wish you'd just stop talking about it!" Hitomi picks up some shorts and storms in her room. She comes back out a few moments later wearing the shorts and heads for the door.
"Where are you going Hitomi? It's almost one in the morning! You can't just run off!"
Hitomi doesn't even turn around but the words manage to scamper from her mouth.
"I'm going for a run!" An aggravated raspy voice is what Yuakri receives in return. Yukari decides to just let it be. Hitomi always goes for a run when she's feeling down. After coming back form Gaea, she hadn't given up track. She still loved it just as much as before, she strived more and worked harder.
"What a day...building, building and more building. Oh well, Fanelia is finally almost finished. I just wish she was here to see it with me." Van takes a long sigh before thinking to himself again.
"What am I doing? I can't keep going like this! I'm going to rot with depression. I just have to accept she's not coming back. Sure she loved me....She could still love me...I should talk to her. I need to tell her!" He grabs the pendant that's strung around his neck and closes his eyes tightly. A few seconds pass and he grunts with frustration.
"No. I can't. Well, I should get some sleep. I'll try again tomorrow."
Left foot, right foot, running, breathing, heaving, left foot, right foot. She just keeps running. Her face red from exhaustion and her chest starting to burn from the long distance she has been running. She finally stops to catch her breath. She doesn't know how long she had been running but she knows she exhausted. All around her are trees; tall trees, fat trees, abridged trees and scraggy trees. It somehow looks familiar, but it can't be, this is her first time at the lake. She just shrugs it off.
"I should get back it's getting late. I'll walk, I've had enough weariness for the day." She doesn't notice two moons looking down on her from above.