Steps had been taken to ensure that I was left alone. Kaen, he was an idiot. So after he scaled the outside of the ship and dropped into my room from the window, I walked him out cursing and swearing and barred the door. He can almost every hour to talk with me and I was far from listening. Van didn't show up once than god. Celina was the only person I allowed into my room.

"You have not come out for two days. You cannot stay in here all day and night… won't you come out for at least a walk?" Celina was far too nice, but I could almost hear Allen's whispers in her ear.

"No. I won't go for a walk Celina. I won't leave this room ever and be damned to all of them.

"What happened that has made you this furious to not speak with Van or anyone? You have even banned your guardian from your sight.

"He's not my guardian. He's a perverted man who does not get the idea of personal space… anything personal for the fricken matter.

"Have you explained to him that it is so? Meryl was never one to respect others space until she got older and understood humans better… He hasn't been with people very often let alone women. It's to be expected that he would do such as he has, no?" Too forgiving… She was way to forgiving.

"I shouldn't have to explain. If I said I don't like it, he should have stopped. It's as easy as that." Celina smiled to herself and I turned away. She thought this was funny. Her, of all people.

"Then why won't you let Meryl or Millerna? They are woman too, with issues, especially Millerna, with men. She might be able to help…" I doubted it. Meryl was Van's little keeper and privy to his every thought and I didn't want to tell her, Millerna was supposed to me in love with Allen, but she hasn't won him over or anything. No one fricken understood.

"You can let them in, but I'm not promising I will talk to them at all. This is ridiculous… stupid."

It was all I could think about though. First Ragan, then his aid Kaen and now Van. I was a charlatan… and apparently I was thinking about it long enough that Celina opened the door to Meryl. I was hoping she would not have come and that only Millerna would have… guess not.

"Do you know you have half the ship in an uproar? What happened? The entire crew is worried and Van refuses to tell me. Are you hurt? Did something happen to Van?" Meryl's concern startled me. I had the crew worried… they shouldn't be concerned, nothing was wrong.

"Nothing happened Meryl. Don't worry about it…" She scowled and sat down.

"Then why have you locked yourself away from everyone, but Celina? Kaen is driving me, me, insane… he doesn't understand what the problem is.

"He did he tell you?!" I was going to kill him. Skin him alive and wear him as a scarf in some human fashion show.

"Tell me what? What happened? I want to know. If it involves Van I deserve to know." I doubted that she was that privy in his life.

"… It's nothing really… Kaen was being… umm… well. He wasn't minding his own business and he kissed me and it's embarrassing and he doesn't understand and Van found out while I was standing right there because men don't understand that this kind of SHIT ISN'T FOR THE WORLD TO KNOW!"

"I see… You have to understand. People of the beast tribes don't feel the same about love as humans do. We wear out love like a banner. Not much bothers us like it does humans… I think I can explain it to him though… you didn't need to lock yourself up like a martyr though. I'm sure Van didn't care." I slid my head into my hands and rubbed my face. I couldn't help but think to myself 'she doesn't know the half of it…'

"What are you going to tell Kaen?" She smiled and pat my shoulder as she got up.

"You won't understand. It's like him not understanding you. You won't understand this just as much… but it will work."

"If you say so." How does she know I wouldn't get it? She acts like she knows everything. Like hell she does…

I'll come back later once I smooth everything out… and go for a walk. The crew think you are being held captive or something and want to break you out." She laughed and the door swung most the way closed before opening again.

"I got the thumbs up form Meryl. Can I come in?" Millerna stood at the door and I nodded. She had to look over my wounds anyways.

"I heard from outside. You want to tell me the whole story?" She sat down next to me and lifted my shirt a bit and poked at me here and there.

"Van doesn't become silent over little things and he's being just as odd as you are. He doesn't leave his room unless it's to work on Escaflowne here and there. What happened?"

"This is stupid…" I didn't want to talk, but it was driving me insane.

"Those are the hardest things to talk about I find. That and love… Can't get people to talk about that if you have a sword at their throat…" She really wasn't helping at all.

"You know what. Never mind. You got most the story anyways. If you want to know that bad; talk to Kaen. He'll spew everything I'm sure." Jerk. Jerk. Jerk.

"Alright, alright… Well your wounds are healing nicely, but you have to take it easy. Unfortunately for you…" She smiled. "I recommend a few days in bed. You're exhausted still and the wounds could use an easier time healing. Gallivanting across Gaea wasn't the best thing for it… not so soon after." She stayed for a short while and talked with Celina. From the look of it was about Alseides because Celina started to take on a rather stern look whenever it came about. Having doctor's orders to continue hiding in my hovel of a room gave me extra time and I was going to catch up on sleep while I could. There wasn't much else to do anyways.

.

.

.

'Keori? Keori.'

'Mom? That you?' I walked through what I knew had to be a dream. Everything was dark except the path that I walked on and it was only showed me the way once I was close and it disappeared just as fast behind me.

'Keori…'

A door open before me and suddenly I was standing in my living room on Earth. Mother sat with her hands on her lap, sun breaking through the pale curtain that hung from the front window.

'How are you doing?' I wondered what kind of dreams this was.

'I'm fine, I guess. I miss you. I want to come home.' She smiled slightly and moved her hands to the table. When her hands moved back and away, her tarot cards sat before her stacked perfectly.

'It's hard isn't it? It was hard for me too… but I can help a little. I can help.' Slowly I watched as mother shuffled her deck, she made no sound and she sat down four cards. 'The first is a path you can walk that will taint your choices from here on out. If you follow this path, of the empress, all of your decisions will come back to this one thought, that one thing that you hold some important. The empress is a resolute ruler and represents the body, the senses and love; undying, honest and pure. That does not mean that the choice will be easier for it… the seven of cups denotes just how hard this choice will be and yet how naturally it will come to you. The future I see here is not written, but it is growing stronger and is that natural outcome of your future and do not think that it is set in stone. The future is always changing. It is what you make it. The cups represents a lack of reality, but in a world outside our own, it could make all the difference for you. Keep hold on your dreams and don't let them go. The three of Swords… Awful as it may sound, pain is often necessary in your life. If there was no pain there would be no challenge and life would be ultimately pointless. Pain is a great motivator because it encourages you to surmount obstacles and return your life to the way it was before. The pain may cloud your vision for a time, but it the end it will allow you to see clearly, and to put the past behind you… and the last card is the King of Wands. He not only dispels his own fear but that of others, by ensuring them that they shall succeed. He is not all talk, though; when the going gets tough no one hangs in there longer than he does. The King of Wands has a deep and innate respect for other people, and his compassion extends farther than most people would expect. For a King, he has a remarkably good relationship with the common people. When he is unable to assist by himself, he will empower and enable others to help in his place… it sounds like you are going into war… I have dreamt things. I've seen the sea rise up to swallow you. I've watched you walk through a normal die without seeing the shadows plucking at you were ever you go and I have seen an army with black wings and I've seen Van.'

'I want to come home. How do I come home?' Hitomi smiled.

'I don't know. It was never really clear to me why I came to Gaea and left. I did so much and changed just as much… I love you, honey. I miss you. Be safe… please be safe… and be nice to Van. You are stronger than I was; you have so much going for you. Explain things when they don't understand because they will all help keep you safe…' She looked away of a moment. 'And tell that beast-man to keep his hands off you. Tell him I saw what he did…'

'Mother!'

'He's easy to love… all of them are.' She continued to look at something I couldn't see as if she just couldn't talk to my face about this. 'Be safe. I will try to see you again…'

A giant door swung closed in the middle of the living room and shut out everything. Mother was gone, the sun coming through the window and the tarot cards we gone…

"Let me in… please Celina." I woke up and realized I'd slept long enough that it was dark out. "Celina…"

"What the hell… Millerna?" I got up and walked over to the door and opened it. Millerna was still dressed in her day clothes and she was red.

"I've made a mistake. I'm sorry." Another bang came at the door.

"The blazes…"

"Keori!" I backed away. I don't know who was on the other side of the door, but they ere pissed.

"I asked, not realizing… you said I could ask Kaen so I figured I'd just ask Van and he exploded." I hate everyone on this planet. All of them. "I didn't know what to do… What happened?"

"Keori! You yell at other people for doing stupid things and you talk about that!" I opened the door and tried to shut him up. She didn't know, he didn't know. No one fricken knew and he was about to blab everything. "Y-You told her!?"

"I did not! I didn't say a blasted thing so shut up Van!" He was freaking out.

"I don't believe that you seduced Master Van!" Meryl came around the corner an stopped dead in her tracks.

"Not a word, huh?"

"Meryl!? What the hell!" She said she was going to get Kaen to back off, not dive head first into my personal affairs.

"I what!?" Of for the love of…

"Meryl!"

"Master Van…" Now she knows how to be quiet. Sheepish and everything.

"What did she tell you Meryl? Tell me."

"I didn't tell her a thing! She spoke to Kaen!" Van's face turned red and not from embracement.

"Keori…" Millerna stood at my back and I could only guess how sorry she felt right now. She damn well better feel fricken sorry.

"Oh my god! Listen to yourselves! Fine you all want to know? I'll tell you!" Van paled and Meryl looked away. Celina touched my shoulder to try and get me to stop, but it was done now. "Kaen kissed me, I don't feel that way for him. Van got pissed cause he likes me and I overheard him talking and I hid to avoid ALL OF THIS, But no… I told Meryl to explain to Kaen about PERSONAL SPACE…" I glared at Van. "And she came back yelling at me that I seduced him! You freaked out and got all high and flipping mighty about it and the only one that hasn't heard anything of out peachy little group affair is Allen!" Celina cleared her throat and explained why everyone was looking at me like I was a creature to be pitied.

"…My brother sleeps across from us. Said it was best encase anything happened…"

I turned around and walked back in my room taking Celina with me.

"And that's why I didn't want to talk about it. Because it was no-one's fricken business!"