Now that it's the weekend… I have time to actually write up this chapter. Plus, schoolwork has gone down to a minimal. Or maybe I'm just avoiding it too much…

Hmm. In any case, yes, Kei is a draconian. As you all knew. No doubt. But -gasp- what is her relation with Gaea? You'll find out. If you review, that is.

Nah, just kidding. I'll keep writing, reviews or no. But thank you for them anyway!

"Eternity Dragons"

Chapter Six – Fulfilled Longing

Falling. The sky above as there is nothing below me. I'm falling. Hitomi has such a funny look on her face. Then again… I'm about to die.

A pink light… just as the fact that I'm about to die comes into focus… a pink light blinks up on the ridge… like a distant star. Sheesh, talking in poetry now? You really are dying.

A strangely familiar feeling fills me. A sensation buzzes down my spine as, out of nowhere, white feathers appear around me. Where did those come from…?

A voice answers. A voice that, I had a strange feeling, caused those feathers. It says… your wings, Harakei. Use your wings.

My… wings? I continue falling, the ground coming ever close as my wings spread out behind me, slowing the speed at which I plummeted. Then the sky, the feathers, all was extinguished as, like a dying bird, I fell, my wings useless to me. Then all was black.

Kei groaned, a strange, yet powerful smell filling her nose. She cautiously opened her orbs of grey, fearful of returning to that awful dream she had of falling. Falling! She yelped, sitting up with wide eyes and looking around just as a hand holding smelling salts moved away.

"Falling!… falling…"

"Kei! Calm down!" Hitomi's green eyes appeared out of nowhere, looking alarmed. "Just relax… you're safe now."

"Eh…" She slowly sat back against what felt like pillows and winced sharply. There was an intense pain in a strange part of her body. There had never been pain there before…

Whimpering softly, she turned slowly to see a pair of white wings extending from her back. One was on the floor, having such a wide wingspan. The other was spread out along a table and just the sight of it made her cringe. This was obviously the cause of her pain. Shifting her legs on the bed that she was sitting up on, Kei tiredly rested her head against the headboard, before she winced once more. There was an immense lump on the back of her skull.

"Hitomi… what happened?"Her grey eyes looked intently at the girl sitting on the edge of the bed while a man in the background went forward to inspect her wing. "Why… what…?"

"Kei… you fell off the ridge, remember?" Hitomi's voice shook slightly. She had been forced to endure 20 minutes of watching her friend struggle with nightmares she refused to wake from. Finally, the doctor had come. And, finally, Kei had awoken.

"That… I remember that. Then what?"

"Then you sprouted wings. Kei, I had seen your wings before. In visions. Like the first time I met you…"

The pale eyes widened. "You… you knew?"

"Oh, no… I had no idea." Hitomi hurriedly shook her head. "Anyway… then you fell into the woods. Ruhm took you to Fanelia. That's where you are, now…"

"And my wing is broken?" She winced slightly as the doctor continued to poke at her wing.

"So it would seem." The Fanelian doctor nodded, looking at Kei with a very serious expression. "I really don't know what to do about that, but I can dress your wounds and that bump on your head."

Kei looked down at herself. The Kamakura Kita school uniform was so ripped, there was little hope for that. What turned out to be more serious were the deep scratches along her arm and legs, which were covered with dry blood. Shuddering, she lay back on the pillows once more. "Alright… thank you. Hey, Hitomi?"

"Hmm? Yeah?" Hitomi seemed startled by the sudden calm in Kei's voice.

"You look exhausted. You should go get some rest, don't worry about me." She even managed a weak smile over the bent back of the doctor, who had begun wrapping her arm wounds.

"But…"

"Or, even better, you could go find Van."

Flushing, Hitomi turned, grabbing her duffel bag. "Alright, no need to tease. Jerk."

Chuckling softly, Kei sighed and stared out of the window to her right. Fanelia. So this was it?

Hitomi went to the room next door, smiling softly. It looked like the room she had been in the first time she came to Fanelia. Seemed like ages ago…

She sighed, dumping the duffel on the floor and collapsing on the bed. Kei was right. She was exhausted. In minutes, she was sleeping peacefully in the same position she had fallen.

The rumors spread at lightning speed, advancing beyond the castle to the whole city. Only then… almost an hour after the two girl had arrived, the news reached the King of Fanelia. Van Fanel.

For the last three months, he had been a firm leader of his recovering country. Most of the homes were rebuilt first, the castle saved for last. But his people had built the royal castle in record time, as eager as they were. Everything had been going smoothly. The rest of Gaea had been adjusting well to the new life. No more wars had broken out.

He saw Hitomi whenever he needed in a vision, as promised. The pendant had stayed silent, and Escaflowne was never used. Then, a week ago…

The news of Hitomi's arrival caught him while he had been assisting with the organization of the new school for Fanelia. A girl had run up to him, grinning widely. "Lord Van, sir, the girl from the Mystic Moon is back!"

"What?" He had stopped dead, staring at her in surprise.

"She's back! And they say that a draconian is with her up in the castle now!"

Without another word, Van had nodded goodbye to the three men he had been working with and took off sprinting to the castle. Hitomi… are you really back?

He ran through the newly built halls, still keeping up his fast-paced run as he dodged around workers and maids, taking steps three at a time, before bursting into the first guest room. "Hitomi?"

"Huh?" Grey eyes blinked back, piercing through his auburn ones.

Van stood awkwardly in the doorway, a strange, black-haired girl with draconian wings spread out behind her staring at him as he stared back.

"Who… are you?" He managed to stutter out in the best king-like voice possible as he stared at her wings.

"I'm Kei…" She was the first to regain herself and grinned. She was looking much better. The jacket to her uniform was thrown over the back of a chair and the sleeves of her blouse rolled up, showing the multiple bandages. A bandage was wrapped around her head as well. "… you must be Van."

"How do you know my name?" His eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Hitomi told me all about you." She smiled weakly.

"Hitomi?" The fierce look disappeared instantly at the mention of her name. "You know Hitomi?" Now that he thought about it, her clothes looked exactly like Hitomi's, if not a little worse for wear.

"We're school friends. We just got here after some vision she had. But she can explain all of it to you. She's next door…"

Next door. She's next door. He turned to go, but was stopped by the girl's voice again. "Van!"

"What?" He paused, glancing back.

"She's missed you a lot. Don't do anything stupid."

He frowned slightly before nodding and closing the door. Next door… he slowly walked to the room over, and even more slowly opened the door. "Hitomi?"

He froze in the doorway once more, his breath caught in his chest as he saw the girl that his dreams had been about for the past three months. There was no reply, as she was asleep. He moved forward, calling her name softly. "Hitomi…"

His voice broke through her slumber, causing her to slowly open her eyes. "Van…?"

"Hitomi." He stood over her, suddenly unsure. That girl said she had missed him. But were her feelings the same? Did she still…

"Van!" The emerald orbs widened from their half-open, sleepy eyed state. She automatically sat up and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. "Oh Van…. I've missed you so much…"

He sat down on the edge of the bed, enfolding Hitomi gratefully in his arms as his doubt faded away. "Hitomi…"

Hitomi held onto him tightly, not wanting to let go. "I was so worried. I thought you were… but you're not, and I'm so glad… oh, Van…" She murmured. As she took a deep breath, she felt Van wince. Pulling back, she looked at him in concern. "What's wrong, Van?"

His brown eyes stared into hers for a moment. The two stared at one another, comparing their memory of each other to the person they were holding onto now.

Van had grown, even in that three months time. Both physically and mentally. He had an air… of maturity about him that had not been there before. Same unruly raven hair, though… Then her eyes traveled to the bandage around his head, along with the cloth wrapped around his shoulder that could be seen going past his usual red shirt, then back to where her old pendant glimmered from where it hung from his neck. "Van?" There was a slight shake to her voice.

He noticed her staring at his wounds and shook his head slowly, looking down slightly to avoid her eyes. "It's nothing…"

But Hitomi… she seemed to have grown so much. Her honey-brown hair had grown already to her shoulders, framing her face neatly. Her clothes were the same, however. But why did she look so worried? Like she has too much on her shoulders.

"Van, tell me what happened." Her gaze was piercing, a mixture of concern and urgency.

"Hitomi, I..." He hesitated, slowly looking up at her once more. She seemed to know that something was wrong. About what happened a week ago… He would have pulled back his arms to properly look at her, but didn't want to let go of her. So, instead, he went into explanation, his deep, soft voice never faltering.

"A few days ago, the castle was attacked in the middle of the night. I went to fight them, but they overpowered me. They got me here…" He took one hand away from her waist to lay his hand over his shoulder, explaining why he had winced in their embrace.

The images of her first, frightening visions… she could see them even as she looked into Van's serious face. The pool of blood… and then… "Then they knocked you out."

He blinked for a moment, lowering his arm to return it to the green-eyed girl's waist, before saying, "How … did you know?"

"I…" Now it was Hitomi's turn to look away. "I had a vision. About a week ago. You… wait! Merle… what happened to Merle, Van?" She looked back at him, her eyes widening.

"They took Merle. I don't know why or where… we've been sending out search parties, and I was planning on leaving to look for her soon."

"Van…" She bit her lip, sensing his pain. She looked away, but quickly turned back at the strange tone of his voice.

"I didn't think… you would come back, Hitomi." He was smiling warmly, ever gently pulling her closer.

"I had to come back… I came back for you." Was it just her, or were their faces getting closer? "I had to come back…"

But you came back with Kei, remember? Kei… oh no, Kei!

Before she could pull away, or speak another word, her lips were closed off by Van's. A lifting sensation filled her as the feeling of affection seemed to last forever, and yet was over so soon. She hadn't been surprised, and it was that fact that caught her off guard. But then again, hadn't she regretted that past week, on how their farewell had only been an embrace? Albeit a painful and emotional one

Slowly, Van pulled away, but Hitomi quickly threw her arms around him with a soft sigh, blushing. "I've missed you so much."

He chuckled softly, "I've missed you too, Hitomi."

They stayed that way for a long time, holding onto each other, but soon enough, Hitomi reluctantly pulled away. "You have to help Kei, Van. Her wing… it's broken."

"Ah yes… her." He smiled slightly, standing and helping Hitomi up.

"Oh? You met her already?" She blinked, noticing that the hand Van had extended to Hitomi hadn't let go of her own, but, once she thought about it, she didn't mind.

"Yes, it seems I did." He opened the door, leading the way out to Kei's room. He turned the handle and they walked in.

The wounded one was perfectly fine, it seemed, as she now sat with her laptop on her knees, typing away. She blinked, glancing up at the door. "Oh, hey Hitomi… Van."

Grinning and shaking her head, she pulled up a seat next to the bed, slowly releasing Van's hand. "You're feeling better, I see?"

The black-haired girl looked up from the computer screen. "I said I would be, Hitomi... you worry too much. Can you believe there's no internet here?" She grinned, going back to typing as Van stood by, confused as he stared at the laptop computer. It was almost as perplexing as the wings that Kei still had spread out.

"So… can Van fix my wing? I mean, he's like me, right?" Kei looked from the Fanelian King to her schoolmate. "Because… the back of my shirt is ripped… and I can't put on another one…"

Hitomi blinked, turning back to look at the boy who she was still overjoyed to see. "Van?"

He moved forward to the propped up Draconian wing. "My mother taught me a few things, I'll see what I can do."

Kei watched in interest as Van closely inspected the feathered Draconian trade mark. Then, he gingerly took it in his hands and snapped a part that had been bent back into place with a sickening click. Kei grunted and grimaced in pain. "Could've warned me…"

He ignored her grumblings. "You can fold them back now. Just let them heal."

"Oh, well… thank you." She grinned, the wings collapsing behind her and disappearing with another flurry of feathers.

"Now…" Van sat down in another chair, looking to both of the girls. "Looks like you two have a story to tell."

I was mildly surprised to have this as a rather short chapter, but … the next chapter will be longer, with the "four" being sent... not to mention Hitomi's and Kei's explanation. So... until next time!