A few last notes before starting...
niichan: a suffix for someone who is your big brother
hentai: pervert
imouto: what you call your younger sister
ojousan: young miss
hai: Yes
-jijii: "grandfather" or "old man" (respectful)
Part Three: I'm Not Going Back
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"Yuaro! Yuaro-niichan! What do you want for dinner?!" Hitomi, or rather Azae Dika, called out to her 'brother' with a laugh.
She was just coming from the town; their home was just outside of the city of Azae. She had been shopping for ingredients for making bread, but it had taken longer than intended, and it was probably an hour away from the time she usually served dinner.
"Yuaro-niichan!" she called, confusion edging its way into her voice.
A year had passed, since she left Fanelia. Since she ran away from Van and the others; since she left to prevent her vision from coming true. Every day she found herself standing at the city edge, staring in the direction of her beloved's kingdom. Yuaro caught her in act once, but she simply brushed him off saying,
"I just miss my mother, that's all."
She sighed to herself. Still no reply from Yuaro. By this time he usual had come out to give her a hearty greeting. Normally she'd whine about it, but there was nothing like having someone happy to see you home. In fact, at this moment she felt a little disappointed at the fact he hadn't come to greet her yet.
"Yuaro-niichan?!" she called again, upon reaching the house. "Where are you, baka!?"
"Hitomi."
Her eyes grew wide and she gasped, taking a step back as the door swung open. Normally warm brown eyes were hardened, full of anger as she found herself glared at.
"Van...? How did you..."
"Come inside. I think you need to explain yourself," Yuaro's voice came from behind Van before he walked outside as well.. His eyes were concerned, and yet annoyed and uncertain.
(Six Months Prior)
"Yuaro-niichan, stop being such a hentai," Azae scolded, placing her hands on her hips. As usual, she caught him following some pretty girls around. "We're here to shop, not check out the scenery."
"Don't be jealous, Imouto," he playfully replied. "You're still the girl in my heart."
"Please think about things before you say them, Yuaro. You sound creepy," she sighed.
"Ojousan!" Kyuhou, the elder in the city called her. Both she and Yuaro turned to face him.
"Hai, Kyuhou-jijii?"
He came towards them with grace one wouldn't expect from an elderly man. It was as if the years had only been harsh on his skin and not the rest of his body.
"Azae-san, a traveller from Fanelia is here. He is looking for a young woman by the name of Hitomi Kanzaki," he said, sounding slightly winded. "Have you seen a woman by that name?"
SHe froze, and she could feel Yuaro place a hand on her shoulder.
"No woman by that name has been near our home," Yuaro replied coldly.
"I just thought I'd mention it to you. You seem to have so many travellers spending time at your home, I thought maybe she'd come by if she went out this way."
"As my brother said, Kyuhou-jijii. No one by that name has been by here," Azae said softly, looking up to meet his gaze. She had finally pulled herself back together. "But we shall keep an eye out for the young miss."
"You have a good heart, Azae-san. Don't let your brother ever ruin that about you," he said with a nod.
"Hai!"
The man turned and walked away, with that same grace as he had approached her with.
"I'll check the guy out," Yuaro promised, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Don't worry. I won't let them find you."
Present
"Yuaro-niichan, who are these men?" she asked innocently, hoping that she could somehow pull this off.
"Hitomi?! How could you lie like that?! What's going on in your mind?!" Van yelled at her.
One close call six months ago had resulted in her not being found. So why now? Why was she found so suddenly?
"Stop yelling at me!" Hitomi screeched back, rising from her seat to glare at him. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Why did he have to find her now? Everyone could have been safe. "I don't know who you are, damnit! So just leave our property! I have to make dinner!"
"Eeto..." Yuaro watched timidly. Never had he seen her lose her temper like this. And, to a king. She must have not known who this man was. "Why don't you make dinner, Imouto-chan? I'll clear things up with them, okay?"
"Thank you, Yuaro-niichan," she growled, shooting a death-glare at Van before rushing out of the room.
Silence consumed them quickly. The party from Fanelia consisted of Merle, Van, Allen, Selena, Millerna and several of the royal guards. The others were silent, but Van was seeing only in red.
"What the fuck are you doing with my woman?" Van demanded, shoving Yuaro against the wall. "Why doesn't she remember me?! Why is she calling you her older brother?!"
Yuaro took the rough treatment, though he had half a mind to shove back. Hitomi must have been running away from this man. But why, oh god, why did he have to be her hero? He picked up a king's wife. Punishable by death in many nations.
"All I know is that when I found her she was wandering along the paths leading from Fanelia, in fact, she was far enough out to be in Ictau's territory! And all she told me was her name and that she was running away from an abusive husband! Now that I've met him, I don't blame her!" Yuaro spat.
Van froze, his grip on Yuaro losening. He had to be lying. He had to. Why would Hitomi say such a thing? How could she? He had to be lying.
"Liar..." Van breathed. The others still remained silent and unmoving. "Hitomi would never say that! She wouldn't!"
"I did," Hitomi admitted softly. The others silently looked to her.
"Hitomi?" Allen questioned, walking over to her. "Why did you run away?"
"I could let it come true, Allen. I couldn't, never. I don't want to hurt anyone else with my visions. If it happened, it would be my fault... Dilandau was right..." she said softly.
"Dil-Dilandau?!" Van shouted, breathing heavily. "What are you talking about?! He's gone!"
"I heard him... he spoke to me... and I understood his words. They were true. I saw it, Van... you were engaged... without telling me."
He fell silent, dropping Yuaro from the wall.
"What do you mean 'Dilandau told you'?"
"He told me, Van. He told me everything you wouldn't," she looked at him with saddened eyes. "I thought that if I left, I could protect everyone from what I saw. I returned to make sure that you really were okay, and then I decided that it would be best for me to leave."
"Hitomi, what are you talking about?" Millerna asked softly.
"Yeah, Hitomi. Why did you leave so suddenly? In the garden, you seemed happy," Merla added in.
"Everyone has worried about you," Selena said softly.
"Just go. Forget about me and go. Yuaro can take care of me just fine," Hitomi hissed. "Go, and don't look back. Don't come back - ever."
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Mwaii~ There we go. Part three is up now. It doesn't go into much detail, but it's opening up the plot I have planned, and the plot line intended in part four. Well, please be just as patient for the next part. I will have it up sooner than this part (took me what, a year? *counting the dropped account*). Heh, I think it's a pretty good cliffhanger ending. What does everyone do? Just keep waiting and reading and you'll find out. Until then,
- Nekura