Bittersweet Chapter 1- 'To the Moon and Back'

Sat at the head of a grand oak table with dishes of fruits, meats and other delicacies laid out as if a banquet were about to take place, a gloomy king's eyes lingered on a single Piscus fruit sitting on a dish in front of his own. To his left sat his faithful companion after all these years, Merle, whose gaze was flickering between her king and her own plate worriedly.

Never before had Hitomi's absence affected him this badly, which was something Merle knew for a fact. Being his only family, the cat girl had been there when all the stuffy members of court and the caring people of Fanelia couldn't. The closest pillar of strength he had to lean on, Merle had been there to hear her king's deepest fears and wishes over the elusive girl from the Mystic Moon, just sitting with him when he had not wanted to talk, or showing her worried nature by wrapping her arms protectively around him when her friend couldn't.

But, in all the time Hitomi had been between visits and Merle had been studying her king, never had he been this bad. At least before he had been trying to cover up the disappointment he felt at her departure by keeping himself busy rebuilding Fanelia's capital.

But, Fanelia was whole again. There was nothing for him to hide behind anymore.

"Lord Van?" Merle enquired from her place at the table, "aren't you hungry this evening? You've hardly eaten a thing…" Her eyes focused on his reaction to her words; a sudden tenseness in his posture as he realised he'd been caught brooding, then he met her eyes for the first time since she'd seen him returning from the forest after Hitomi had left. Blood red still met her gaze, but didn't seem as intense as normal. It was as if some great shadow had fallen over them, extinguishing the light.

Politely he smiled at the cat girl, though no feeling was reaching his lips. He replied, "I'm sorry, Merle. Everything looks delicious, but I just don't feel like eating right now."

A sympathetic smile fell over Merle's youthful features, making her seem even older than fifteen years. "I understand, Lord Van. I miss Hitomi too, but sulking isn't going to get her back any faster," she said as gently as possible to her friend.

Turning his head away, raven black bangs fell over Van's features in a black curtain, making his expression unreadable.

"I know."

Half expecting her king to at least deny the comment, Merle was, to say the least, surprised by his reaction. It was apparently much worse than she had first anticipated.

Searching for some way, any way to lighten Van's mood, a light scraping of wood on wood was heard. Glancing in Van's direction, Merle saw her king standing from his seat at the table to leave.

"I'm sorry, Merle. I'm going to retire early, if you don't mind," was all he said before striding away to the main corridor and out of the dining hall, leaving her all alone.

"Oh, Lord Van…" Merle couldn't help but sigh.

"Excuse me, Lady Merle?"

Twisting her body to look behind her, Merle saw one of the younger council members, Soren, walking towards her whilst looking warily at the exit that the king just took. He was quite tall for his age, at least 24, with wavy golden locks and piercing, green eyes. He was quite handsome, for a human.

Nodding to him that he should approach her, merle's eyes were downcast as she asked him, "Is it ready yet?"

A similar expression found its way to Soren's face as he dutifully replied, "Yes, M'lady. Just as you requested. Would you allow me to let one of the maids deliver it - ?"

"No," she responded quickly. "No, I'll do it myself."

Bowing in agreement, Soren continued, "Very well M'lady. I will fetch it for you, please wait here a moment until I return." And with that, he turned on his heal and returned the way he came.

Merle was lost in her own conflicting thoughts and emotions when Soren finally did return, this time clutching a shapely glass vial of a clear green liquid which seemed to reflect everything in its glistening body.

Handing his token over, Soren's voice whispered, just audibly for the cat girl to hear, "My Lady Merle, are you sure that we should be doing this? I mean, the king - "

"- At the rate this is going we won't have a king anymore", Merle said gravely as she stared at the glass. Thanking Soren for his services, Merle followed Van's footsteps out of the dining room and up several staircases up to the royal suites. Finally stopping just outside Van's room, Merle took a deep breath, hoping that her courage wouldn't fail her.

Knocking on the ornately carved wooden door to no reply, Merle quietly entered the room to see Van sitting in the alcove by a large window which exposed the city below parallel with a view of the sparkling night sky. His eyes seemed distant, as he obviously hadn't heard her enter, and he remained that way until Merle was just a few feet away.

Obviously surprised at her appearance, he asked, "Merle, what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to check on you Lord Van, and to bring you this," she smiled as she extended the vial in her open hands, closing the distance between them and handing it to her king.

Red stared down at the green contents in his palms, then questioningly up at his companion.

"Merle?"

"It's something to help you sleep, Lord Van. One of the council members helped me prepare it especially for you, because everyone can see how tired you are when - " Merle stopped abruptly when she saw the saddened expression that crossed her king's face at the reminder of his tiredness. She hadn't meant to bring that up now, especially when she needed him to drink from the vial…

'I'm sorry, Lord Van,' Merle cried inwardly.

"Thank you for worrying about me Merle, but I'm fine. Really." Once again, the smile that graced his lips held no emotion as it was directed at his friend.

"I'm sorry Lord Van, but you know me. I just want to take care of you."

'I'm so sorry, Lord Van!"

A slight chuckle escaped his throat as Van placed a hand on the cat girl's cheek, brushing his thumb against her silky fur, something he never would have done before Hitomi had changed him for the better, though at time such as these, she wasn't so sure.

"So, do I drink it all?"

Merle blinked at her king removed his hand to study the glass in his other palm, the liquid sloshing gently inside. Regaining her composure, Merle nodded in agreement.

"And it'll help me sleep?"

"Yes, Lord Van."

Sighing, he glanced up longingly at the object that stood out the greatest against the dark sky with all its shining jewels. Turning his gaze down to the city below, Van murmured something about drinking it later as he stared pensively down at his rebuilt homeland.

Taking that as her queue to leave, Merle watched her king a few seconds longer before stepping backwards, reminding him not to stay up too late, and then retreating out into the hall when she once again received no response.

Feeling the door click behind her, Merle rested her back against the frame.

This was the only way. The only way to save her king and the leader of the rest of the kingdom that surrounded the castle.

She just hoped that he would forgive her if he ever found out.

When Van's eyelids were drooping as often as he had to try to keep them open he finally tore his gaze away from the ever remaining link between his world and hers. The Mystic Moon hung high in the sky this night, its gleaming aura illuminating the vision beyond of houses and trees.

Not knowing how much time had passed since Merle had left, but he estimated at least two hours by the number of lights emanating from the homes below and the colour of the sky, Van finally rose from his spot in the alcove, deciding it was about time he tried to get some sleep. Even that would be demanding, considering that even in sleep he was haunted by the visage of a girl he never seemed to be able to reach.

Stepping over to the crisply made bed, Van was about to pull off his boots when he realised he was clutching something. Looking down to his right hand he saw the vial that Merle had given to him still in his grip. Raising his hand to look at the glass again he noticed that even in the moonlight that filled part of his room he was able to liken the contents of the vial to Hitomi; green, always green.

Pushing the thought to one side, Van released the small cork from its constraint and raised the vial to his lips. It didn't smell particularly appeasing, but if Merle had worked so hard to give it to him, then he wasn't going to disappoint her.

Draining the liquid in one gulp, Van agreed that it didn't taste too nice either, before placing both the vial and cork on a table to his side and then getting to remove his boots, belt and sleeveless red shirt. Pulling the sheets up to his chest and settling on his back, Van clutched the red crystal that still hung around his neck even as he drifted off .

A montage of images met his sleeping eyelids: his mother and father embracing one another, a young cat girl on trying to catch a butterfly, his brother, Folken, pointing out characters in a storybook, a battlefield, corpses everywhere, fire, the Mystic Moon, feathers gliding in the breeze, familiar faces working hard to rebuild Fanelia, dirty and sweaty villagers with huge smiles plastered to their faces, a blue pillar of light descending into the forest, a small waterfall, a sandy haired girl smiling, laughing, crying, blushing, frowning, shivering against his chest, encircling her arms around his neck, staring into his soul, hugging him, kissing him, waving to him, ascending into the sky -

The images came faster and faster until his eyes snapped open, blankly staring up at the ceiling.

Something was calling him. A voice.

Mechanically pushing the covers back, Van rose to his feet in a trance - like state and walked towards the window. As if in a dream, he unlatched the catch and opened it. The voice was louder now, the call stronger than before, tugging at him and pulling him towards the forest.

Turning away from the window he walked robotically towards the door. Opening it without worrying about the noise it created he continued on his way down the corridor and the stairs to a less well known door that led out of the castle. Progressing on his route, Van walked barefoot, unaware of anything around him even as he entered the forest along the dark path. Winding through trees and other plants he finally made his way to the site he subconsciously knew so well. The place where he felt the most company and yet so alone at the same time.

Finally coming to a stop at the spot he had stood in that very same day, Van's eyes mirrored the dark sky as he peered up at the canopy with no sight of alertness present in his appearance.

The call was so strong it was overpowering, it tore him up inside as it pulled and screamed at him. Listening to it with his whole body, he absorbed the cry and swallowed it whole, waiting for its response.

As if from the Heaven's, a pillar of blue light erupted from the sky and descended on Van, consuming him and pulling him up into the night sky.

Woo! It is done:D Chapter 1 is complete! So, please tell me if it's ok and if you have any questions - reviews are always welcome!;P

Hopefully I'll somehow squeeze chapter 2 out of my brain sometime soon... Please bear with me though - if it doesn't get done please tell me off - that'll motivate me!;P