Previously in Chapter 1:

Once the Priest said those magic words Van faced her and raised her veil to reveal a beautiful and smiling Hitomi. When they came together for their first kiss as man and wife every nervous muscle in Van's body began to relax. As Van brought his hands up to cup Hitomi's face he leaned forward to press his lips against hers. He felt a moments hesitation, but that all dissolved when their lips met. It was the greatest gift and the sweetest torture.


As Van and Hitomi pulled away from each other all they could hear was the clapping of their friends and family. Then they began to walk down the aisle to their new life together.

Chapter 2: Reception Blues

"Congratulations, you two. Now, Van I expect you to take very good care of my daughter once we leave." said Hitomi's father.

"Of course. Hitomi will have anything she desires; all she has to do is ask." replied the nervous king.

"Well we'll leave you two to the rest of your guests." replied Hitomi's mother and she and her father walked into the crowd.

"You can relax now Van. I will never understand how you can fight dragons, but clam up immediately around my parents." said Hitomi.

"It's only because your parents are more impressionable than the dragons. I'm sure if dragons could talk they would discuss how good humans taste." replied Van laughing. While Hitomi laughed; Van looked at all the people at their reception. He knew his kingdom wanted him to be married, but he never dreamed that so many people would arrive to congratulate him on his future happiness. Even his advisers were participating in the joyful celebration. He was glad that he was able to make them happy for the time being, until they start badgering him about an heir. Then the arguments and threats would begin anew. Van shook his head of his previous thoughts and noticed everyone around them was dancing. That was when Van realized neither he nor Hitomi had danced together as husband and wife. As he turned them towards his bride he was again struck by how beautiful she was.

"Hitomi, have you noticed that everyone in this room has done something that we have yet to accomplish?" asked Van.

"Really, and what's that Van?" said Hitomi.

"Everyone in this room is dancing except for us and this is our wedding."

"You're right. I think that we should remedy this situation right now. I mean after all this is our wedding day." And with that said Hitomi placed her hand in Van's and he led her to the dance floor. Once everyone noticed that their king and queen were on the floor everyone else moved to the side. The musicians began playing a song. The maestro came up with a new song just for this occasion, "Everlasting Love" by Yuko Ohigashi.

When the orchestra began playing Hitomi placed her left hand in Van's right and held her dress with the other while Van placed his hand on her waist. As the couple began the waltz everyone looked at them in awe. Some people couldn't be happier for their king and some wished that they would be blessed by the gods with such happiness. Elderly couples reminisced upon their youth and the way they were courted by their loved ones. Young couples thinking of how their future could mirror their King's. Everyone attending the celebration knew of what the seeress from the Mystic Moon and the King of Fanelia dealt with during the Destiny's War. They knew that without her Gaea would only be a memory this very day, but because of her they are celebrating in their happiness. As the song came to an end, everyone applauded and joined their king and queen on the dance floor as the ensemble began playing "Kimi ga Daisuki" by Dirty Flash Pair.

While they danced Hitomi looked at Van and thought I am so lucky to have found Van. I can't believe how much my life has changed since I met Van.

Flashback

The rain was constantly beating down on her frail body. Although with the way she ran track no one would call her a weakling, no matter her size. She ran through the rain to get to her home. Hitomi Kanzaki stood at an astonishing height of 6 feet which was unusual for many females. She had short honey brown hair and piercing green eyes. Although she did not consider herself a great beauty of the world she did not think she was bad looking either. She was an accomplished student at her school and in her last year of junior high. She was one of the fastest runners on her junior high track team and just recently joined the high school track team. She had everything a girl could want the love of good parents and her best friends, Yukari and Amano. Even though it seemed as if everything in Hitomi's life was calm, it wasn't. It all started when Hitomi's father began working later and later at the office and her mother began constantly throwing herself into her charitable events. Since her parents were hardly around Mamoru slowly began drifting away as well. He began hanging out with the wrong crowd since no one was there to tell him what was right and wrong. As for Hitomi she constantly practiced her running to be in top condition for her track meets. As busy as everyone seemed no one noticed the separation that was slowly tearing them apart. Then one day as Hitomi walked into the house she felt uneasy. She walked towards the kitchen in hope of seeing her mom getting dinner ready. She was unprepared for the two silent immobile people she saw in front of her.

"Hitomi, your mother and I need to talk to you. We've already talked to Mamoru. Please, have a seat."

As she sat down and dropped her books onto the floor she wondered what this could be about. As she quickly replayed everything that was in her mind in the past couple of weeks she tried to remember if she had done something to warrant this behavior. When she came across nothing in her memory, she turned to her mother and hoped that she would be given some clue as to what was going on. But once she looked at her mother's face and saw nothing she realized that something must have happened in order for her mother to look so forlorn and in shock. Her mother who was always calm, usually had a smile on her face unless she was in deep discussion. As Hitomi turned back to her father, he began to speak.

"Hitomi, I just want you to know that your mother and I think the world of you and Mamoru. But it seems like our family is coming apart at the foundation which made us strong: togetherness. With the way that I have been throwing myself into my work lately, I've realized that it's just a distraction against what I really want to do. And since I am no longer satisfied with what I'm doing I, we, have decided to separate temporarily." In all of Hitomi's years she would never have dreamed of hearing her father say the word separation, it just wasn't possible.

Then her mother began to speak, "That's not the only reason, tell her the truth, she's old enough to know. Mamoru, does not have to know, but Hitomi has a right." Hitomi turned to her mother and saw…anger, hurt, and betrayal in her eyes. She wondered what her mother could be talking about. But she was about to find out. As her mother turned to her, her eyes softened and she spoke in that calm and wise voice that Hitomi had known for many years.

"Hitomi, what your father said is true. We have been throwing ourselves into our own individual lives and not spending enough time with each other. Although Mamoru is definitely suffering from our lack of guidance, I am glad to see that you have not gone astray. You are doing well in your studies and we are very proud of you. Unfortunately, as your father threw himself into his work he also had an affair with one of his coworkers." Hitomi's mother left out the part where he was caught and her husband was fired while that woman is getting promoted and messing around with one of the corporate heads in control. Hitomi looked at her father trying understand what her mother just told her and waited. She waited for a denial that would never come. As her mind slowly registered everything that had just happened in this past hour, she realized that the one thing that most people envied her for was the one thing that had so cruelly become tainted and shattered. Although the effect of what had happened was still progressing through her mind, her body felt numb and cold. Within a few months everything changed. Her parents lived in different places. Their lovely two story three bedroom home was rented out because her parents didn't have the heart to sell the foundation that started their once peaceful family. Her father found another job on the other side of Tokyo and moved into an apartment, just like her mother, except she stayed in the same area that was close to Hitomi and Mamoru's schools. Their parents said that even though they were separated they still wanted to be apart of their lives.

As Hitomi and Mamoru began to become adjusted to the new schedule that separated children go through, Hitomi was unable to concentrate upon her studies like she normally did. She spent more afternoons complaining and asking Yukari and Amano why this was happening to her and what did she do to deserve it. Even though Amano and Yukari loved Hitomi to the point that they would do anything for her, they were not sure when the perfect time would be to tell Hitomi that they had feelings for each other. So as a normal afternoon goes Hitomi and Yukari walked home from school, although Hitomi missed her normal home routine, she decided it wouldn't be long before her parents settled their differences and lived in one house again. Hitomi was drifting in and out of the one-sided conversation that Yukari was talking about. It was hard when all Yukari talked about was track, fashion, boys, and the latest gossip.

"Hitomi, did you hear about that party this weekend. We have to go, it will be to die for."

"Kari, you know that I'm not much of a party goer especially now. My mom needs me more than ever to help her out around the house."

"Come on, Hitomi. It'll be fun and besides you need some more fun in your life."

"I have all the fun I need between you and Amano."

"Speaking of Amano. Don't you think it's terrible how he doesn't have anyone to invite to the dance. I mean he's hot, in high school, and has no one go with."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll ask both of us to go with him."

"Really, because I think that there is a girl who would like to go with him to this dance but she doesn't know how certain people will act."

"Well if she really likes Amano then why should it matter what anyone else thinks." Although Hitomi hoped that whoever this girl was Amano didn't have feelings for her. Amano has always been there for me, I just wish he could see me as more than just his friend. Well, patience is a virtue and if I wait long enough he'll notice me. Unfortunately for Hitomi, she unknowingly placed Yukari into Amano's waiting arms.

As the weeks rolled by the trio continued to hang out and enjoy each other's company. Eventually Hitomi overheard Amano and Yukari talking at their favorite hangout spot.

"I don't see why we have to hide from her Kari, that just makes me feel like we're doing something wrong and were not. It's not a crime for us to be together, why do you think that Hitomi would even care about something like that, I would think that she should be happy for us if anything else." As the words poured out of Amano's mouth he saw Hitomi standing behind Yukari's booth.

"What should I be happy about Amano?" As she slid into her seat beside Yukari, she noticed that Yukari's head was hanging extremely low.

"Hitomi, you'd be happy if two friends realized they had feelings for each other, right?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I."

"Well, Yukari seems to think that if we were to begin seeing each other that you would not like it. Now will you tell her that it's not true?" Seeing Amano's face Hitomi realized that Amano had feelings for Yukari and she had feelings for them. As this processed she quickly realized that if she didn't say something soon, she didn't know what would happen.

And then she said something, "Of course I'd happy. I don't know why Yukari would think such a thing. It's not like I like Amano or anything, he's like my big bother. Of course I'm happy." Then she hugged Yukari and Yukari hugged her back because Yukari knew how much it hurt Hitomi to sit there and have Amano's emotions, for another girl other than herself, so open and raw for her read. After their little heart to heart Hitomi made her excuses and left Yukari and Amano to themselves. She walked home alone, to an empty apartment since her mother had taken up a career as an interior decorator and Mamoru surprisingly withdrew away from his short lived bad boy image and indulged in some recreation baseball. Their dad encouraged him to try something more positive and their mother approved that baseball was an alright sport. But Hitomi felt terrible, she lied to her friends she was miserable now that they wanted to start dating each other and every time they're all together she would feel like the third well. After being left to ponder her thoughts alone, Hitomi found herself standing outside of the apartment complex. As she looked up, she realized that this was the last place she wanted to be right now so she walked inside, ordered some take out, waited for it to arrive and left a note on the desk by the door. She walked, for how long she didn't know. Eventually Hitomi found herself at the track.

Over a period of time Hitomi found herself spending more and more evenings at the track. Hitomi began throwing herself into her school work and track, until eventually she suffered bouts of fatigue. Not only that but her scheduled stayed so busy that most of the time Hitomi would skip a meal until eventually she would go an entire day without eating. Four months had passed since Amano and Yukari began dating. School was out and she had passed her exams to get into high school. She hated and envied Yukari, but even though she was always invited to go places with them, she declined some times. It felt as if she were invading on their happiness and she didn't like feeling guilty about her feelings. Although her mother tried to convince her to talk to her like she used to and eat more Hitomi couldn't find it in herself to communicate with her mother on that intimate level anymore. One day as Hitomi was at the track and missing another meal she thought about everything that had changed in the period from last August up until this May. Her parents were separated, Mamoru played baseball, and her two best friends were dating each other. It seems like everyone had done something different with their life except her. She still attended school and ran track, albeit nothing had really changed in her life with the exception of her parents and friends. A few days after Hitomi's, so-called epiphany, she had the vision of the dragon and Van.

End Flashback

As Hitomi's mind reeled back to the present, she realized that she was living proof that no matter what happens things have a way of working themselves out. After her parents initial separation they eventually got counseling and tried to rebuild their marriage. They consoled Mamoru to the point that it seems like he never drifted astray. And herself; she went on an adventure, faced the forces of evil, saved a planet, and married the man of her dreams. Although she would not see her parents the way she wanted to, she would always think of them, and Yukari and Amano as well. Things had turned out seemingly well for every one; and at that thought she smiled.