"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward."

Søren Kierkegaard

Epilog:

Same old, same old. The newspapers had long since gone back to reporting a mixture of minor gossip and political news while most people were unaffected by any of these past events. Many still didn't care to even notice or remember, blissfully unaware that 'today' could well be much different if not for a large group of special individuals who had made this future possible.

Hitomi didn't even consider it herself, on this particular day several months later, while she walked through the long hallway that connected The Vision's main building with the recreational facilities. Not to say that she hadn't thought about it many times before today, though. The thought only again crossed her mind when she opened one of the double doors and the distinct smells and sounds of gym greeted her.

Loud cheers commanded her attention to the far corner of the large hall where some people were gathered around two flat, wooden platforms. As she neared the area, a familiar scene came into view. Two guys busy one-upping each other in a friendly lift-off, barbells loaded and bending under the weight of several plates on either side. Of course, one of them was Van and of course, the other one was Kio again.

Being one of the largest guys in the core group, Kio was also one of the strongest and often the poor victim of such contests. At least he seemed to be warming up to the semi-public displays of might in a small circle of friends by now and at his own pace. The thought made Hitomi smile. She smiled even wider when a shirtless Van, face and body strained under the weight, dropped the barbell halfway into the deadlift he was attempting and took a step away from it while Kio executed the lift with the same load easily.

The small crowd groaned while Van shook his head. "I told you folks before you conned me into this again. I got nothing on Kio." He stepped over the barbell and slapped Kio's arm in passing. "Besides, my therapist probably wouldn't be happy if I strained my back over some max out deadlift just for fun," he finished and smiled at Hitomi in the back while stepping off the wooden surface.

Some of the people went to go about their business while others approached Kio with challenges of their own design in mind. The giant scratched the back of his head nervously but seemed to be alright with the crowd otherwise.

Hitomi smiled broadly when Van approached her but took a cautious step back when she noticed that he was quite sweaty and dusted with chalk in various places, including his hands. "W…wait what are you…"

Van decided that he didn't care all that much about the sweat or chalk on himself as he easily caught up with Hitomi, who was half-heartedly trying to back-step away from him. While he cupped her cheek and pulled her into a short but passionate kiss, his thumb left a trace of chalk near her hear. Of course, he wasn't cruel enough to hug her close to his, no doubt, smelly self.

Never let it be said that Van didn't know where to stop. Although, on various occasions before, when they were both in a state of sweat and exhaustion for wholly different reasons, the thought of stopping hadn't crossed either of their minds even once. Remembering such a particular occasion just a few nights before made Hitomi attempt to try and hide a cheesy grin.

A bit reluctantly, Van released her again but chose to remain close, standing directly in front of her still with an inquisitive expression. "What?"

Hitomi regarded him, feigning innocence but her eyes and tinted cheeks threatened to give her thoughts away so she quickly steered off from mentioning anything thid private in such a public space. "Glad to hear you are taking your health seriously and listening to your therapist's advice."

Reaching for her cheek again, Van made an attempt to wipe the chalk off but only managed to smudge it across the side of her face some more. It didn't seem to bother her either way and part of him appreciated Hitomi's complete and utter acceptance of everything that was him. She was really something else. Especially her patience and strength.

The patience part, he was still working on too. What he had definitely been doing well at was trying to not bear all his mental burden alone, slowly but surely forgiving himself and finding peace in his mind.

"Did you get your dress for tonight?" Van asked her.

Hitomi nodded eagerly. "I did. Yukari is so excited to go to this event, by the way. I don't think she has had a chance to dress up in a long time."

"Well, I know the guys are only mildly thrilled to be spending the evening in suits but I'm sure in the company of ladies like her, Merle, and you, they will mind less," Van grinned.

It was the afternoon before a black-tie fundraiser and the event had become so big in the planning phase that the royal palace itself had sent an invitation and opened the gates of one of their ballrooms to them. It was, however, made clear that this was not an event where royalty would be making an official appearance so as not to take away from the main focus.


Hitomi was fidgeting with her fingers again, a habit she'd probably never be able to shake, and looked at herself in the mirror. The off-white wiggle dress with the boatneck made her look unusually mature. She briefly reminded herself of her age and then laughed a bit before a hand reached for her shoulder from outside the mirror's edge.

"What's so funny?" Van asked her while Hitomi faced him. They were in the Fanel residence's foyer, about to attend this event many had so carefully planned over the course of the past months. An opportunity for people to enjoy what they had achieved so far, make new acquaintances, but most importantly to raise funds and encourage more participation from previously uninvolved parties.

Hitomi turned and gave Van a once over. "Nothing in particular. Just…feels unusual to dress like this." When he had looked handsome and respectable already in his uniform, he looked the part even more so now in a simple, black suit and tie.

"Unusual good or unusual bad?" Van asked while combing his fingers through his hair in a useless attempt to straighten it a bit.

Hitomi reached up to brush some of the bangs away from his eyes temporarily. "Not sure yet."

After the sound of a door closing upstairs, Merle was on the way down. She, too, was clad in a cocktail dress the color of azure to match her eyes. Van developed the smallest of frowns when he realized that he'd have to watch out for his sister after some of his friends would meet her for the first time tonight.

As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door. "This should be our ride," Van announced to the ladies.

Merle's eyes widened briefly as she laughed. "What?"

"Oh it's just Kaz," Hitomi giggled.

With a last glance in the mirror to the side, Hitomi regarded the three of them and a flash of memories went through her head. How far they all had come. How well they were doing now. What could possibly make it any better?

The venue was buzzing with people when they got there already and most of the evening went by Hitomi in a blur. She danced with Van, Kaz, and even Kio, then introduced Yukari to the group of guys who all immediately seemed to be hitting it off well.

A keynote speech was held by Dryden and later on, Van saw Merle talk to Millerna, Eries, and Chid. At some point, he caught Eries' eyes and they both looked at each other for a moment until the older woman simply smiled and then turned her attention back to her nephew.

Van found Hitomi on the steps outside the large ballroom with the floor-length windows and glass doors. They were draped with heavy curtains of rich, royal crimson, underlining the royal elegance of the venue. Only a few people were outside and Hitomi, the furthest away from everybody else, stood on the top step, head inclined and watching the moon and its broken twin hanging high above in the night sky.

Hitomi jumped a little when Van sneaked his arm around her waist after quietly appearing next to her. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing much really. Just how happy I am right now. How everything turned out and…how happy I am with you," Hitomi faced Van and beamed at him during the last few words.

The arm around her waist tightened and Van's messy bangs hid his eyes as he seemed to consider something. "About that," he very nearly whispered.

For a moment, Hitomi panicked deep inside. Her heart skipped a beat and an uneasy feeling rushed from the center of her chest through her extremities and into the tips of her fingers and toes. Just as fast as it had happened, it also disappeared. Especially when Van descended a step to stand below her and tilted his head up towards hers.

His chocolate brown eyes were so warm, full of obvious love and promising a loyalty that no words would ever be capable of. "Hitomi," he began to speak while taking both her wrists, then eventually grasped her hands. His thumbs were slowly rubbing up and down, drawing small shapes onto the backsides.

"I know it's not really been that long but I want for you to stay with me, forever. When I'm around you, I'm the happiest guy on Gaea. Your strength makes me the best I can be." He took a shaky breath before reaching into the pocket of his suit jacket.

Hitomi's heart was racing. It all was so familiar although the words were different. For a split second, it was autumn again, but nearly two years prior. It made her waver again, made her insecure, doubtful of not Van but herself.

"I don't want to ever be without you again and that's why, please Hitomi. Do me the honor of becoming my wife," Van finished, holding her gaze as a breeze brushed past their noses, making leaves in planters next to them rustle but not strong enough to break the spell which had made time between them come to a standstill.

Van held a blue, velvet box in the palm of his hand and out of the periphery, Hitomi could see something sparkly. A ring, of course, but it didn't shine nearly as much as the love in his eyes. Love for her, for what they had become. Then, with the next breeze, the doubts were gone, taken away, vanished like the traces of bitter tears on her lips.

With a bright smile, Hitomi finally answered, her heart singing, "yes, Van. I do. It would make me the happiest I've ever been."

They were both so overjoyed at that moment that they didn't know whether to put the ring on Hitomi's finger first or kiss. In the end, they attempted both, fumbling with the box, nearly dropping it, but then eventually succeeding and Van couldn't help but hug and squeeze her tightly, never wanting to let go of this lovely feeling with Hitomi so close.

At some point though, Van did release her somewhat, allowing Hitomi to rest her head in the crook of his neck while she looked at her hand close by and focused on the small, pink diamond he had chosen. How perfectly beautiful and ironic that it was partly the memory device which had brought them both so much pain but ultimately resolution. It was something neither of them would ever forget so the color choice was perfect indeed.

"So…I know you've had a bad experience in the past but..., "Van began to speak again quietly, "…but I'm ready to promise to you right here, right now, that I will never ever change my mind about you."

Hitomi chuckled a bit and squeezed Van's shoulder with the bedazzled hand, "I trust you, Van. We can keep taking it slow. Let's take our time."

Van could only respond by lovingly encircling her waist with both his arms all the while slowly but decidedly shaking his head, wide-eyed, and trying to convey to Dryden, who had appeared on the wide stone veranda already holding the old, traditional scroll to be read on such occasions, that he wasn't needed after all.

The brown-haired man froze in mid-stride, first uncertain but then with a knowing grin on his face and back-stepped it immediately and a bit comically. Given Van's lopsided smile as he stood there with a peaceful looking Hitomi in his arms, there wouldn't be any cause to worry about those two.

It wasn't just because of what each of them had gone through, what they had achieved together, but what they would do with that knowledge, those feelings, and the trust they had built in the future that was to come. For it is only with the knowledge of the past that we can build a better future.

The End

A/N: Well, this is it friends. Thank you for sticking around for this small glimpse into the future of our favorite couple here! There wasn't much more to tell than this last scene I've had in mind for months and no matter how hard I tried, I didn't have any new ideas even now. It was also sort of hard to part with this story. Perhaps that's why it took me so long to write the epilog. Perhaps it's because there is something new on the horizon already.

You may have noticed that this was a lot more light-hearted than the rest of the story.

Part of it is because, well, there was already so much heartache involved and part of it is because I've been thinking a lot about 'King of Anything' and am working on an outline to continue that story as we speak.

So, in the not-too-distant future, I will be continuing KoA. I may tweak the first chapter again and if you bookmark and see me post Ch 2 it may pay off to read Ch 1 again. I'm not completely sure yet how much or if at all I will change anything there just yet. Give it a try, if you haven't already? Should be a fun project.

Until we meet again.

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