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Chapter 4: Fire
Van looked out of his window, still thinking about this strange girl. He knew that some people didn't like his father's politics but that someone would try to get into the castle just to tell this... he didn't understand this...
Bringing herself in such a danger? What if he had called the guards, huh? It worried him that he didn't. Sighing, he just closed his eyes, remembering what she looked like.
Green eyes, such beautiful eyes staring at him when she realized that she had been caught. Softly chuckling, he remembered her trying to tell him a false name.
"Hitomi...", he whispered her name and smiled. He liked this name... well, he liked not only her name...
"I'd better try to get some sleep before dawn...", he said, walking towards his bed. He wondered if Hitomi would wake him up again...
***
They saw the fire before they could see their home... or better: what was left from their home. Hitomi held back her breath, her mind yelling at her, yelling something she didn't understood as fear became the only thing she could feel.
"AKI!"
Someone far away was screaming her friend's name but it couldn't be... Then, she realized that it had been no one but herself who screamed. Without thinking twice, she jumped down from the horse's back and started to run towards the flames.
This can't be... please, please... Aki... his leg is broken... if he's in there... Hitomi didn't notice that Ren was behind her, running as fast as he could but she was faster, no doubt. She had always been the fast one.
Though the night was a cold one, she felt the heat coming from the burning house, running even faster. Once she could see the house, she threw all her little weight against the door. The burning wood gave in and she almost fell into the house.
Dense smoke made her cough as she screamed: "AKI! Where are you? AKI?! AKI, where are YOU?" She hurried through the burning house, flames all around her still Aki did not answer. Just when she reached the stairs and wanted to look for him upstairs someone touched her shoulder.
She turned around just to see Ren's face.
"Hitomi, we have to get out of here..."
"But... but Aki... we have to find him... I have to find him!"
How to tell her... if Aki's still in here then he's probable dead...
There was no time to think about this now; they had to get out of here. And if she would not go then he would carry her out of this burning ruin.
He wanted to tell her but she was already going upstairs.
"Forgive me...", Ren whispered as he striked her one single time in the stomach and caught her as she fell senseless. He then carried her out, coughing.
Finally outside, breathing in he looked back and the house collapsed. He shivered though the fire was still burning.
"Just in time.", he managed to say and looked down at Hitomi who was lying on the ground and moving again. He felt guilty for what he had done to her but it had been for her own safety. She would not have left the house until she found Aki...
Suddenly, she opened her eyes.
Ren sat down next to her, thinking about what to say but decided that there was no painless way of telling her that one of their friends was dead.
"Ouch... what happened...?", she said as she sat up. She was confused. Then, the memory of what had happened hit her.
"Why did you beat me up, Ren?! Aki... we have to find hi-", she trailed of as she saw the still burning ruin... breathed in deeply and cried silently.
"Do... d-do you think... he... made i-it?", she askerd, her voice barely a whsipering.
Ren shook his head and Hitomi began to sob. He embraced the crying woman, his mind seeking for words of comfort but he couldn't fine any that would have sounded right. So he just held her till she fell asleep.
***
When she woke up, the sun was shining brightly but she didn't want to open her eyes.
If I keep them shut... maybe I can pretend nothing happened... Nothing happened... no fire that destroyed the darkness of the night...
But she knew she couldn't do that so she forced herself to open her eyes, looking at Ren who was already up. He seemed to be looking for something... maybe a sign so he would knew who had done this...
She swallowed. Never would she be able to go near the ruin that had been her home for 6 wonderful months. Never. She didn't want to see what she could maybe find... she didn't want to see Aki... or what was left from the one she knew as Aki...
She struggled to her feet and stared at the sun, blinked and the said: "Ren!"
He turned around and tried to smile. She was pale and looked awfully bad just like himself.
"You're awake?", he tried to tease her but she shook her head.
"I wish this was just a dream... a really bad one... but it's... what did you find?", she whispered and looked down at her boots.
"I found this.", he gave a small piece of cloth to her and she whinced as she saw the strange symbol on it.
"What's this?", she asked, staring at it and wondering what the symbol meant.
Ren shrugged. "I'm not sure... looks like nothing I've ever seen before. But I found a trace leading back to Fanelia."
"We'll find out! We'll find out no matter how long it'll take!", Hitomi snapped, fearing she would start to cry again if she would not shout like this.
"OK, what are we going to do now?", Aki said, more to himself than to Hitomi.
"We'd better go back to Fanelia, Ren. The ones who did this aren't safe as long as I'm breathing.", she said seriously. Though she felt like crying she stood there and Ren noticed again that she wasn't the girl he met 6 months ago.
Hitomi went already to her horse, looking at him and her eyes seemed to be speaking to him:
"Will you come or not?"
She was serious about this and he felt just the same way. Aki had been one of his best friends; they had shared so many memories and now he was gone. He remembered Aki shouting at him for waking him up in the middle of the night and laughing.
"He was a good friend.", Hitomi said as if she was reading his mind.
"Yes, he was a real friend.", he repeated, then turned around.
"Hitomi?", he suddenly asked as a thought appeared on his mind.
"What is it, Ren?" The horses moved slowly, heading to Fanelia.
"Are you aware that we are dancing on flames, Hitomi?"
She didn't hesitate to answer.
"I'm aware of that, Ren. Sure I am. I knew that when I asked you to take me along 6 months ago and that didn't keep me from going with you."
"You're right, little princess. I forget about how brave you are.", he couldn't help but mock her a little. Maybe this would make her stop shedding more tears.
***
"VAN!" A young cat woman screamed as she entered his room, running around as if there was not way of standing still.
"Good morning, too, Merle.", Van offered, not turning around to look at her. He found himself sitting at his window, staring at the forest below as if he was expecting a certain girl with green eyes to appear.
"What are you looking at?", Merle asked as she went to his side, looking out of the window, too. "There's just the forest! It's so boring watching only the trees."
"Hm.", was all she got for an answer and that made her angry.
"VAN! Are you listening to me?", she asked kindly, trying not to shout at him.
"Hm."
That again! Merle couldn't help but breath in and then she screamed:
"VAN!!! COME DOWN FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE!!! LISTEN! I'M TALKING TO YOU!!!"
This made Van stand up at once, looking at her like he hadn't noticed her coming in at all.
"What do you want Merle? It's too early to be this loud, you know."
She smiled at him and asked as if nothing happened before:
"So, what were you thinking about?"
As if I would tell you, Merle., he thought before answering.
"Nothing."
"Ah, come on, Van, I don't believe you!", she screamed looking more than a cat than a woman.
She hugged him, looking at his brown eyes and finally understanding that he wouldn't tell her. He usually acted like this. And then, a thought appeared in her mind but she couldn't believe that this was the right answer to her question.
But... it isn't impossibel... I guess... Argh!, her mind screamed and she almost slapped herself.
"Van... were you thinking about a girl?", she asked, suddenly shy. "Of course you weren't...", she started to laugh but stopped when she noticed that he blushed.
Van felt his cheeks burning and tried not to look at Merle. This was not the kind of thing he wanted to tell her.
***
TBC
A.N.: Oh, this chapter was really hard to write down because of Aki's death and all... I didn't expect him to die when he first appeared in my mind, I guess. * cry *
So, hope you liked it!
Please Review!
Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! You really make me write on as fast as possible with your reviews! Please, review again, please!!!
Chapter 4: Fire
Van looked out of his window, still thinking about this strange girl. He knew that some people didn't like his father's politics but that someone would try to get into the castle just to tell this... he didn't understand this...
Bringing herself in such a danger? What if he had called the guards, huh? It worried him that he didn't. Sighing, he just closed his eyes, remembering what she looked like.
Green eyes, such beautiful eyes staring at him when she realized that she had been caught. Softly chuckling, he remembered her trying to tell him a false name.
"Hitomi...", he whispered her name and smiled. He liked this name... well, he liked not only her name...
"I'd better try to get some sleep before dawn...", he said, walking towards his bed. He wondered if Hitomi would wake him up again...
***
They saw the fire before they could see their home... or better: what was left from their home. Hitomi held back her breath, her mind yelling at her, yelling something she didn't understood as fear became the only thing she could feel.
"AKI!"
Someone far away was screaming her friend's name but it couldn't be... Then, she realized that it had been no one but herself who screamed. Without thinking twice, she jumped down from the horse's back and started to run towards the flames.
This can't be... please, please... Aki... his leg is broken... if he's in there... Hitomi didn't notice that Ren was behind her, running as fast as he could but she was faster, no doubt. She had always been the fast one.
Though the night was a cold one, she felt the heat coming from the burning house, running even faster. Once she could see the house, she threw all her little weight against the door. The burning wood gave in and she almost fell into the house.
Dense smoke made her cough as she screamed: "AKI! Where are you? AKI?! AKI, where are YOU?" She hurried through the burning house, flames all around her still Aki did not answer. Just when she reached the stairs and wanted to look for him upstairs someone touched her shoulder.
She turned around just to see Ren's face.
"Hitomi, we have to get out of here..."
"But... but Aki... we have to find him... I have to find him!"
How to tell her... if Aki's still in here then he's probable dead...
There was no time to think about this now; they had to get out of here. And if she would not go then he would carry her out of this burning ruin.
He wanted to tell her but she was already going upstairs.
"Forgive me...", Ren whispered as he striked her one single time in the stomach and caught her as she fell senseless. He then carried her out, coughing.
Finally outside, breathing in he looked back and the house collapsed. He shivered though the fire was still burning.
"Just in time.", he managed to say and looked down at Hitomi who was lying on the ground and moving again. He felt guilty for what he had done to her but it had been for her own safety. She would not have left the house until she found Aki...
Suddenly, she opened her eyes.
Ren sat down next to her, thinking about what to say but decided that there was no painless way of telling her that one of their friends was dead.
"Ouch... what happened...?", she said as she sat up. She was confused. Then, the memory of what had happened hit her.
"Why did you beat me up, Ren?! Aki... we have to find hi-", she trailed of as she saw the still burning ruin... breathed in deeply and cried silently.
"Do... d-do you think... he... made i-it?", she askerd, her voice barely a whsipering.
Ren shook his head and Hitomi began to sob. He embraced the crying woman, his mind seeking for words of comfort but he couldn't fine any that would have sounded right. So he just held her till she fell asleep.
***
When she woke up, the sun was shining brightly but she didn't want to open her eyes.
If I keep them shut... maybe I can pretend nothing happened... Nothing happened... no fire that destroyed the darkness of the night...
But she knew she couldn't do that so she forced herself to open her eyes, looking at Ren who was already up. He seemed to be looking for something... maybe a sign so he would knew who had done this...
She swallowed. Never would she be able to go near the ruin that had been her home for 6 wonderful months. Never. She didn't want to see what she could maybe find... she didn't want to see Aki... or what was left from the one she knew as Aki...
She struggled to her feet and stared at the sun, blinked and the said: "Ren!"
He turned around and tried to smile. She was pale and looked awfully bad just like himself.
"You're awake?", he tried to tease her but she shook her head.
"I wish this was just a dream... a really bad one... but it's... what did you find?", she whispered and looked down at her boots.
"I found this.", he gave a small piece of cloth to her and she whinced as she saw the strange symbol on it.
"What's this?", she asked, staring at it and wondering what the symbol meant.
Ren shrugged. "I'm not sure... looks like nothing I've ever seen before. But I found a trace leading back to Fanelia."
"We'll find out! We'll find out no matter how long it'll take!", Hitomi snapped, fearing she would start to cry again if she would not shout like this.
"OK, what are we going to do now?", Aki said, more to himself than to Hitomi.
"We'd better go back to Fanelia, Ren. The ones who did this aren't safe as long as I'm breathing.", she said seriously. Though she felt like crying she stood there and Ren noticed again that she wasn't the girl he met 6 months ago.
Hitomi went already to her horse, looking at him and her eyes seemed to be speaking to him:
"Will you come or not?"
She was serious about this and he felt just the same way. Aki had been one of his best friends; they had shared so many memories and now he was gone. He remembered Aki shouting at him for waking him up in the middle of the night and laughing.
"He was a good friend.", Hitomi said as if she was reading his mind.
"Yes, he was a real friend.", he repeated, then turned around.
"Hitomi?", he suddenly asked as a thought appeared on his mind.
"What is it, Ren?" The horses moved slowly, heading to Fanelia.
"Are you aware that we are dancing on flames, Hitomi?"
She didn't hesitate to answer.
"I'm aware of that, Ren. Sure I am. I knew that when I asked you to take me along 6 months ago and that didn't keep me from going with you."
"You're right, little princess. I forget about how brave you are.", he couldn't help but mock her a little. Maybe this would make her stop shedding more tears.
***
"VAN!" A young cat woman screamed as she entered his room, running around as if there was not way of standing still.
"Good morning, too, Merle.", Van offered, not turning around to look at her. He found himself sitting at his window, staring at the forest below as if he was expecting a certain girl with green eyes to appear.
"What are you looking at?", Merle asked as she went to his side, looking out of the window, too. "There's just the forest! It's so boring watching only the trees."
"Hm.", was all she got for an answer and that made her angry.
"VAN! Are you listening to me?", she asked kindly, trying not to shout at him.
"Hm."
That again! Merle couldn't help but breath in and then she screamed:
"VAN!!! COME DOWN FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE!!! LISTEN! I'M TALKING TO YOU!!!"
This made Van stand up at once, looking at her like he hadn't noticed her coming in at all.
"What do you want Merle? It's too early to be this loud, you know."
She smiled at him and asked as if nothing happened before:
"So, what were you thinking about?"
As if I would tell you, Merle., he thought before answering.
"Nothing."
"Ah, come on, Van, I don't believe you!", she screamed looking more than a cat than a woman.
She hugged him, looking at his brown eyes and finally understanding that he wouldn't tell her. He usually acted like this. And then, a thought appeared in her mind but she couldn't believe that this was the right answer to her question.
But... it isn't impossibel... I guess... Argh!, her mind screamed and she almost slapped herself.
"Van... were you thinking about a girl?", she asked, suddenly shy. "Of course you weren't...", she started to laugh but stopped when she noticed that he blushed.
Van felt his cheeks burning and tried not to look at Merle. This was not the kind of thing he wanted to tell her.
***
TBC
A.N.: Oh, this chapter was really hard to write down because of Aki's death and all... I didn't expect him to die when he first appeared in my mind, I guess. * cry *
So, hope you liked it!
Please Review!
