The Glow Of the Pendant

4/9/05

Van of Fanelia sat in a very uncomfortable chair at a rather quiet table. After Hitomi left from Gaae his country was re-built in a very short time. Fanelia was restored to peace and beauty as it once had been before. But now his mind was blank, he was strangely calm, and he was bored. He looked at Hitomi's pendant around his neck and raised a hand to caress the jewel in his palm. The small ruby-like jewel shimmered in his hand as he smiled. The image of Hitomi came to him almost immediately, he smile, her emerald green eyes, and her short blond hair. Now that she knew he loved her, and she loved him, she was gone…gone back to her world on the Mystic Moon. He gave a huge sigh and collapsed onto the table, folding his arms and plopping his head down into them. Van closed his eyes and thought of Hitomi.

When Van was almost asleep, dreaming peacefully about Hitomi there was a squeal of delight as Merle grabbed him into her arms and hugged him close. "Lord Van! Hi Lord Van! I've missed you!"

"So I've noticed…." He wheezed while being deprived of air from Merle's tight grip.

She jumped back and seemed to bounce around the room in a rather hyper way.

"What shall we do Lord Van? Do you want to play a game? Do you want to play hide and go seek?"

She wagged her striped tail while patiently waiting for Van to say something. He blinked a few times as he coughed in embarrassment.

"I don't really—" But before he could finish Merle grabbed his hand as she sprinted from the room, dragging him along as she cheered on down the hallway.

Before long Van had won 13 games of Hide-And-Go-Seek, and on the 14th time he simply closed his eyes, and saw the pendant swinging back and forth in his mind. And before long the pendant pointed upward and he flashed open his eyes with triumph.

"Found you Merle!" He yelled while pointing up towards the top of the roof, and Merle stepped away from the chimney and leapt through the air and landed in Van's muscular arms. "You found me again Lord Van!" She cried pertly as she liked his cheek with her rough cat-like tongue. He smiled weakly until he replied softly,

"Hey Merle, I'm getting tired of playing can I go—."

"Of course Lord Van! You can leave if you want!" She teased as she leapt down and held her hands behind her back as he turned and walked away.

Soon, Van was standing underneath the giant tree of Fanelia, where no one could reach him; he sat down and leaned his back against the tree with a great moan as he felt his muscles stiffen. He had put in so many hours of sword practice with Allen that he was sore all over. Closing his eyes he saw Hitomi again, she never left his mind, entrancing him with her smile and beautiful green eyes. I miss her…he thought as his throat tightened painfully and the breath was caught in his chest. I miss her so much…I…I want her here with me; I want to see her again…. There was warmth…a soft plushing warmth that soothed his sorrowful pain that clouded his mind. Van slowly opened his eyes and suddenly saw the pendant twinkling around his neck, the gem lifted into the air as it started to glow brighter and brighter until it was a pinpoint of light that shown like a star in the endless sky of Gaae. He raised his hands to protect his eyes as he breathed,

"Hitomi…? Hitomi!"

Little did Van know, that the pendant had granted his wish.