Fortune 18-Find Me and I Will Take You Far Away

Star took a moment to look at her surroundings. This was definitely the place that her visions had told her Hitomi and Van had been, but where could they be now? She tried the pendant again, hoping it would show her the way. But the jewel did not move, hanging there glowing ever so faintly from the distant presence of the teenager's cousin. The girl sighed and pulled the necklace over her head, hopefully it would show her the way, if not she would have to run on pure instincts, almost never a good idea in her case.

The two boys looked at her, their own worry increasing as they watched her brows furrow in frustration. "We'd better get going, we need to find them as quickly as possible."

"Why though?" the question had remained at the back of Blai's mind and finally he let it out. He had been wondering it for a while, sure Star had said that Hitomi and his father were in danger but certainly they were out of its reaches now…

The girl gave him a condescending look and Blai glared back angrily, he did not like being treated that way. "Because, moron," –moron? Certainly she could think of something better than that—"Van is the only one who can pilot the EscaFlowne, or do you not know the rules to your city's own Guymelef?"

"Of course he doesn't," Chid cut in before his friend could find a way to make things worse, "Van never used the EscaFlowne, he was sure that it would never be needed again. Why should he have bothered to tell his son if the EscaFlowne was to be kept in peace?"

Star shrugged, she hadn't thought of that. But still, one should know a bit about one's own things, or so she believed. "Unless you can think of another way to get the EscaFlowne back to the ruins of Fanelia," Blai grimaced despite himself, "we need your father." The girl whispered something to Aiichirou and set the creature on the ground. It looked curiously up at her before taking off at a run. "This way!" Star shouted, following her 'brother.'

"We have to get there before they do," Van said for the thousandth time.

His companion sighed and sat down on the ground, she was tired after so much excitement, and then there had been that strange light. The light that brought her to Gaea, the light that brought Van to her that first time so long ago. "I know that, Van," she said, "being impatient isn't going to help us get there any faster."

Van stopped as well and looked down at the woman while running his hands through his dark, naturally messy hair, "I know. I just…" He didn't need to say any more, Hitomi understood completely…probably understood better than the king himself.

"They're around here, I know they're around here!" Star yelled in frustration as she continued running after the cat-creature. The other two didn't answer, though they suspected correctly that even if they did the girl would not have heard them. She was lost in her own world, something that only her cousin seemed able to do to her…something that both boys wanted desperately to be able to do. To mean so much to her, but…well, there were a lot of 'buts.'

The creature came to a sudden halt and mewed reproachfully when Star tripped over it. "What is it?" Chid asked, as if he would have been able to understand what Aiichirou's motives were any way. For some reason, it seemed that the only one who could understand it was Star and her companions had no idea why, though she seemingly did. After all, Aiichirou was her beloved brother. "What is it?" Star echoed when she got back onto her feet and brushed the dust and dirt off of her clothes.

The creature mewed again and Star laughed as she pulled a twig out of her hair. "Really? They're right over there?" she sprinted forward and out of sight of the two boys.

The tension completely lost between them, Blai and Chid looked at each other and broke out into laughter. People were strange that way, they were so confused that they couldn't help but laugh at the other's confusion, and at their own. "They're right there!" Star yelled cheerfully when she had returned, "Come on!" She grabbed Blai by the arm and pulled him through the trees, Aiichirou and Chid close behind.

Sure enough, there sat Hitomi, speaking intently to Van. When they caught sight of the other three, they, too broke into hysterical laughter. Relief, maybe? "I can't believe you guys found us!" Hitomi said, bringing her cousin close and looking her over. "You look a little worse for wear," she said taking in the sight of leaves and twigs in her cousin's long black hair and dust and cuts all over her clothes.

Back to her usual self, Star pushed her cousin away and scoffed at her. Blai smiled at the sight, he knew that she was as happy to have found the two of them as Blai and Chid were. "How did you find us?" Van asked his son, forcing his gaze off Hitomi and Star.

"Aiichirou," the young prince told his father as he pointed a finger toward the cat-creature which was now cleaning himself thoroughly. Van raised an eyebrow but did not inquire further as he looked to the sky, the sun was setting and already the two moons were appearing in the sky.

"We should get to sleep soon," he said and Hitomi nodded, adding, "I have a feeling we have a long trip still ahead of us." Star said nothing but followed the Fanelian king's gaze to the sky and after a moment she sat on the ground with her back against a tree and fell asleep. Blai looked around at the others, the excitement must have really tired them all out because despite the fact that it was early, they were all asleep and he, too, was feeling sleepy.

"You belong here, with me," someone said. Star looked around, it was dark, complete darkness that surrounded her and threatened to suffocate her. Suddenly the world flashed and a bright white light engulfed her. Someone stepped out of the light but Star could not see the person's face. It was familiar, so familiar…so comforting, yet disturbing. It was the voice of someone who had died and come back to haunt her, of that she was certain.

"Who are you?" Star asked, she seemed to be asking that question a lot lately.

The person shook his or her head, "You know who I am in your heart," what a strange thing to say, "and you belong by my side." That was most likely true, it sounded true to Star at least.

Another voice, "Find me," find me? Find who? Who was it? "I am here," where here? That was fairly vague…

"Find me," said the person before they disappeared, "we are both here, you know where to go." Yes, yes I know what I have to do, thought Star. Yes, she knew where she had to go.

Star's eyes fluttered open and she stood up, she knew where she had to go. She soaked in the sight of her friends one last time before she got up and turned her back on them…before she ran away.