Wow! The support I've been recieving is so overwhelming! This is the second best wave I've ever recieved (#1 on this account... bad me dropped the other one cause I needed a break then forgot EVERYTHING about it; changed emails too and the other deleted).

From the reviews that I've been recieving, I can tell that I'm doing a great job making new questions form in your minds and not giving out too much information. I'm actually making my goal I feel so special for doing so.

School makes me tired and lately I can't bring myself to eat too much... bad sleeping at night... bleck. Maybe I'm catching something, ne? Anyways, enough of my personal life and onto Entranced! (Oh, and Ahiru-sama, when she's angry, tends to use some bad language.)

Part Five :: Two in One - Not My Favorite Deal

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Hitomi found herself waking in a strange room, and the first thing she thought of was 'have I been captured?'. It was obviously a medical room, the supplies were strewn about the ground. The next thing to enter her mind was the presence of two other beings in her room: Van and Merle, who as curled up next to him with her head in his lap. If at any point Hitomi would have smiled or laughed at this, she felt no such desire at this moment. In fact, her first instinct was to tear him apart - and she had no idea why.

'Why do I feel so... angry at Van?' she silently wondered, watching him curiously. What had happened? She remembered hearing a voice call out to her, then another voice yell something, and then suddenly darkness. "Va-Van...?"

She called him tentatively, not wanting to stir up anymore of those emotions. He was a good friend, after all, and if she couldn't think of a good reason to yell at him, then why should she? Only, she felt a little terrified of herself. She couldn't control these emotions she was feeling. What did that mean? How could she not be in control of herself? Of her own body? All she knew was that while she was sleeping, those dreams had surfaced in her mind, and a woman who looked very identical to her had spoken to her and said that everything would be okay soon. She didn't know that everything was wrong.

"Van..." she called again softly. She didn't want to, but she could feel herself getting angrier as he didn't stir. Merle's ears did twitch, but she simply shook and continued sleeping.

~ Just go, Hitomi. They're both sleeping so soundly and won't know you're leaving.

"Who... are you?" she asked, taking a glance in every direction.

~ Would you shut up?! Just go before you wake him up, damnit!

Hitomi's eyes narrowed and she just glared at the ceiling. 'If anyone's going to be the cause of them waking, it's you,' she silently hissed.

~ Kami, you're dense! You think I can't hear that?!

She gasped, and jumped back. And in her unusual graceful nature, she fell off of the bed in the process and landed on her butt. She whimpered, but remained silent while she rubbed her sore behind.

~ Kuso... just go to this castle's garden's already, would ya? I don't have all morning to wait for you to get up! Now! Go!

"Geez..." Hitomi muttered.

She stood up and tip-toed out of the room, hoping that this would shut the stupid voice up... who and whatever it was. This world held so many surprises for her that this occurrence actually didn't surprise her much. Still, hearing a voice inside of her head meant that something was terribly wrong, didn't it? Maybe during the whole skirmish that other day she'd hit her head or something. Hit it very hard.

She sighed, seeing the greenery of the castle gardens. There was mo sign of anyone, not a single person. So that meant that there was no one controlling her thoughts to send her into a trap? Or maybe this really was still a trap and for whatever reason they were all hiding. Still, she wasn't letting go of her idea that she'd hit her head and was imagining all of this. That still seemed to be the most probable explanation for this.

~ Good, you've taken us here.

"What do you want with me?" Hitomi muttered, hugging herself at the sudden shock of a cold breeze "It's so cold in the morning..."

"Lady... Ahiru?" a meysterious, man's voice called her. She looked but was unable to see through the thick fog that had just rolled in. Where had it come from? There never seemed to be any traces of fog there before.

~ Don't worry. That's just Kiitsu.

"Who?" Hitomi sounded completely clueless. "Damnit, who are you talking about?"

"Lady Ahiru, it was hard to recognize you in that outfit, and you've cut your hair," he spoke to her in soft tones. "It's been a few years now, hasn't it, my empress? You've grown into a beautiful young woman since I last saw you. You look nothing like a child anymore. And the others are doing well. Kaiou has been growing and he's a smart boy."

"Kai... Kaiou?" she questioned, blinking a few times at the stranger. He was still slightly hidden in mist, but she was sure that he had the same features as Van; the same eyes and the same hair as well. Only he appeared to be years older, and his features were more chisled. "You... I... I'm dreaming, right?"

"Dreaming?" he questioned. He then shook his head. "Something must have gone wrong in the process..."

~ You're damn right something went wrong, Kiitsu!

Hitomi cringed at the voice's tone, but the man, Kiitsu, didn't seem to mind... or hear. Whatever was going on didn't make any sense. Was this really happening? Maybe it was all just a dream. Probably, right? Who would hear voices in their heads if they were awake, uninjured, and sane?

"A-Ano... Kiitsu-san..." she began, but he waved at her.

"Just Kiitsu, Ahiru-sama," he said. "Don't forget, I serve you."

"Forgive me for saying so," Hitomi sighed," but I don't think that I'm the one you wanted to talk to. My name is Kanzaki, Kanzaki Hitomi. I know that maybe you'll think that something's a bit off with me, but perhaps you want the one who's speaking in my mind?"

There was silence, and Hitomi blushed. SHe felt so stupid for saying that. She couldn't figure out what had possessed her to say it, either. The perfect thign to do when you meet someone: give them an insane first impression. Needless to say, she didn't feel very smart.

"The one speaking in your mind?" he repeated, then said it again as if he couldn't understand a word she was saying. "Oh... no... this isn't good..."

"What's not good?"

"Shimatta..." he hissed under his breath. "She didn't do it right."

~ Didn't do what right?! Damnit, I did it right! Damnit, let me out, Hitomi! I'm gonna wring his neck!

"Let you out?" he repeated, blinking. She was totally clueless as to what was going on. 'Someone is inside of me? Not to make anything of it, but this is completely weird. And not to mention she can also hear my thoughts, which must mean that she can hear me right-'

~ Yeah, Hitomi, I can hear your thoughts. But don't you think that I'm having a hard time with this as well? Come on, think about it. I've lived my entire life thinking that what's happened in the last three years was real. Then I suddenly come to find out that it was all a dream. And what happened in my life, you only remember as a dream, am I correct? But both happened, I don't know how, but it happened. And since we both have a life time of memories, something really weird is going on, right?

Hitomi nodded and bit her lip. The voice couldn't see her nod, but seemed to know she understood and fell silent again.

"It's always possible that Ahiru's will was very powerful... and she created an actual spirit for herself, not just a personality... but an actual spirit to live in the body... just waiting for the right time," Kiitsu mumbled to himself. "So then... I need to talk with Miko."

He sounded exasperated, and Hitomi just felt drained. Why was this happening now? Why when it could have happened anytime before? But what he was saying didn't make much sense either. If this 'Ahiru' was only an alternate personality of hers, then how could she make herself into a spirit?

"Hitomi-sama, may I please speak with Ahiru-sama?" he requested, looking into her eyes. "Please."

"Hai..." she replied unsurely, looking down. She bit her lip, perked an eyebrow, then looked back up at him. "Um... Kiitsu... I don't know how to 'let her out'."

"Oh... you don't? It should be easy. Just relax, fall asleep. Ahiru will take over after that," he explained.

"Relax... fall asleep...?" She closed her eyes and let the darkness take her. She felt like something passed by her, someone running, almost, then nothing.

She didn't see it, but he could. Her hair grew longer, to her shoulders, and her body grew as well, especially her curves. She didn't change from her school uniform, though. When she opened her eyes he saw two stoney jems, which reminded him of emeralds. He smiled a little, though he made his best attempt not to.

"Ahiru-sama, welcome back," he greeting, bowing deeply. "It is an honour to be in your presence once again."

"Kii-chan!" she squealed, then literally glomped* him, for a lack of a better word. "It feels like just yesterday I saw you last! But knowing what I do know it feels like it's been an eternity!"

"So, how are the both of you taking this whole arrangement?" He became serious. "It's not a dangerous situation, is it?"

"Oh, no. I think Hitomi-chan's still in denile, even though she's just letting things go on as is," she explained. "Beyond that, this is terrible! That stupid girl actually likes Van! I hate this! Tell Miko that she'd better find a way to fix this because there's no way I'm going to end up with that cruel, insensitive bastard!"

"Calm down, Milady." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Before we talk about anything else, why don't I take you out for a walk? I think there's a certain young prince waiting for you outside the castle gates."

She smiled knowingly. He'd broughten Kaiou with him. Of course he had. How could she have not realized that? Miko spoke to her telepathically, and there was a distance limit, so the young cat-woman priestess would have had to be nearby. Kiitsu was in charge of protecting both she and the young prince. He, her son, the future emperor of Andrealine, was waiting for her.

'I hope he's everything I dreamed him to be... my five year old son...'

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Aww... poor Hitomi and Ahiru, ne? Two souls trapped in one body. At first I wasn't sure how I should make the arrangement: 1) two personalities, one mind? or 2) two souls/spirits, one body/mind? In the end I decided on the second. The idea actually came from me watching Ayashi no Ceres; two 'people' in one body, but not the rest of the plot. And if you couldn't figure out what exactly Kiitsu looked like, he's like an older version of Van, think older twenties. Wow, she's just surrounded by 'Van' everywhere she looks. And if it keeps up, will Hitomi be lost?

Believe it or not, there's a hint as to whom the pairing is, but it's not too clear. Actually, there's hints all over the place in this story so far. I love coupling them, but I won't tell you readers a thing! If I did, that's just ruin the story, wouldn't it? And you can't really get hints from Return to Gaea because that's not even close to being finished. Another reason why I don't tell couplings in the summary, it's either obvious or I want to keep people guessing the whole way through.

I saw manga Hitomi the other week. Boy, is she ever different from the anime Hitomi - even their last names are different! I really couldn't belive it! Longer hair, glasses... such a different girl! Well, I din't buy it, I may the next time I'vegot some money, but it may have to wait for one of my newest obsessions: Kare Kano. Simply the best anime I've yet to see or read(manga). I mean, the series uses manga-like parts too much, but it works out in different areas. Hehe, need to get it back from my friend.

In any case, onto the next part which has a coupling of All/Hit (as if you couldn't guess, that's what's in the anime at this point). Until then!

- Nekura