It's here! AHHH! Dude, guys, give a big THANK YOU to Kerapal Bubbles for her wonderful edits as usual, but it's also because of her that the chapter is longer! We are on the cusps of the end. I hope you guys enjoy it! I'll see ya at the bottom! :D

BTW, I changed a little bit in the last two chapters. I realized I hadn't spoken of Hitomi's hurt leg. That's all fixed now and much better. :3

"Now let us begin."

It was all so strange.

She knew who she was and where she was and who everyone around her was, but… but…

It was all so strange.

Her despair, her anger, her fear melted away from the inside out. The warmth enveloped like a thick blanket; ridding her of the chill that had settled in her bones since she had arrived at Grammy's clearing. With the cards in her hands, Hitomi could feel her pulse through her fingertips, slow and hard. A thick persistent rhythm. The figures in the tent were deathly silent. Even Chordata's heavy sobs had subsided in the wake of this pivotal moment.

With her eyes firmly planted on Van's dark orbs, she drew the first card and laid it before him.

Van's present.

"Ace of Wands: The beginning of the end. The end of it all. Whether for good or ill, we are both entering the final moments of our journey together. Time is running out." As the words left her mouth she knew it was true. The clues were beginning to piece together. The foggy past she had been chasing was clearing before her. A path to the end of it all.

The final stage.

She drew another card without a moment's pause. Van's challenge.

"Eight of Swords: Violence and conflict. Betrayal. A treachery has been done by someone you care about-" The heat raced instantly up the back of her spine and into her brain. With a hiss, she closed her eyes as the blood pulsed in her ears. Hitomi gasped in surprise as a light flickered behind her eyelids. A small flame. A tiny candle on a black holder. A hand appeared, writing. The thin, pale fingers moved the feathered quill back and forth, scribing unknown words in a language she recognized from her father's journal:

Fanelian.

A figure, his silver hair falling over his face, was dressed in filthy rags. Her insides churned as she noticed his right arm was missing entirely. His only hand stopped briefly on the paper and he set the pen down shakily. A tear snaked down his pale face.

A tear that matched the tattoo on his cheek. A tear that fell from familiar mahogany eyes…

"Hitomi?"

She heard Van's voice, but couldn't answer. The burning magic sang out instead.

"The lamenting memoirs of the Strategos. Someone you know very well. Someone you believed to have died. Someone who should have died. He was the one who made it all possible for this poison to spread. And once he realized what he'd done, it was too late. He was too late. He was destined to die that day of his Dragon Slaying Ritual, but his life was spared. He was allowed to be seduced by power. He turned his back on his people and his morals. He was the hand that made the poison possible. He is the great betrayer. The unknown phantom."

"What?"

The word was quiet.

The vision of the weeping man left her and she exhaled slowly before opening her eyes. Van's mouth had fallen open and she noticed his large hand was raised as if he had been attempting to touch her. It hovered frozen in the air between them along with the terrible silence.

"You know who I'm talking about."

"N-No…" he breathed out sharply, shaking his head. His dark locks brushed over his cheeks.

"Your brother."

The hand dropped. Through the burning in her body, her heart gave a terrible squeeze as Van's face turned to one of hard disbelief. "You cannot mean… there is no possible way for… for F-Folken… no, he died, Hitomi. He died before-"

"Your brother was the Strategos. He was the first of BE READY. This was your brother's doing because he lived. He destroyed Fanelia. It was too late when he realized his folly. He tried, though. He tried to fix it. He was the one who took apart the Atlantis Machine to stop the Battle of Betrayal. He tried to slay the Emperor of Zaibach. However…it was too late. Too late…"

Not stopping to gauge Van's reaction, she drew the next card and placed it before him. "Your past is The World. You left your timeline and joined another one filled with chaos. The Winged Palace stood a ruin before your eyes. A constant reminder of what should have been yours-"

"Why!?" His breathing was becoming hard and uneven. "He would have come back if he had lived through the Ritual! He would have come home! You are wrong! My brother would never-"

"Don't stop her, pup," Grammy snarled menacingly. Hitomi blinked and her attention focused on Van's tan hand moving towards the cards in her fingers. "It's hard to hear, but this is what you need. You try to stop her now and I'll bite off that hand." Her thin lips lifted to show her sharp yellowing canine teeth glistening in the poor light. Van's eyes narrowed challengingly, but he lowered his arm.

"I knew my brother! I knew him. He would never betray his country! He would never turn his back on us! He loved Fanelia!"

"Yet according to the cards, he's the bastard who razed it to shit!"

"The cards are wrong!"

"They are never wrong!" Grammy roared, her teeth clacking together. "You are facing hard truths, pup. Truths that have been buried underneath piles of lies. What's done is done. This is the past. Your brother joined Zaibach. You must accept this. Accept it and listen to the message behind what she's telling you."

Van sat back sharply as if slapped. "How can you just expect me to accept-?"

"Because she accepted her father's death." The old wolf nodded towards Hitomi, who had paused her fingers over the next card, quietly waiting. "Paper Man was killed by someone she came to trust, yet she's pushing past this for the greater good. You were betrayed by someone you thought was dead. Someone you loved, yes, but you had come to terms with his passing. And I get it. This is your brother. But he is also the monster who set the world off balance by not dying. The cards are telling us he should have died. Your brother surviving was an abomination. This is the message behind the card. You must listen with both your ears and mind. Listen to what the cards are trying to tell you."

His eyes shut tightly and his hands moved to clasp hard on his thin knees. Through the heat of magic, a fierce aching sting bloomed inside his mind. Through all his hard life, he had one adversary: Zaibach. They were the ones responsible for all of his pain. They were a combined enemy: a whole. But now…

Hitomi pushed against the flow of magic and touched the back of his hand with her fingertips. He jumped slightly as she grazed his skin and he took a sharp intake of breath.

"I see him…" he whispered with his eyes still closed. "I see him writing. He looks… broken…" As he opened his eyes, Hitomi saw a dark, satisfied anger within. "Good."

"Things are not always as they seem, Van," she said quietly. "He tried to do the right thing in the end. He tried to fix it. I'm going to continue, okay?"

Van gave one short nod. Letting go of his hand, she gave him a tiny smile before the magic swirled and overtook her once more. She instinctively placed the next card to form a cross. "Your journey has been long and difficult, but not without luck. Ten of Wands tells me you have met people who are willing to help you, to sacrifice for you. One has devoted her life to you. Another has left behind her friends and family to follow you. Another died to see you escape danger. Another has given you the last piece of your puzzle. And yet another remains in the shadows: hidden and forgotten. But with the good comes the bad. With the luck, a price will be demanded of you. It will come soon."

"A price?" he asked with a deep throaty voice. "What price?"

Hitomi shook her head and pulled another card. Setting it above the cross she'd made, she said, "Four of Pentacles: Your best outcome. The inheritance that was stripped from you could be yours once more. There is a way to send you back to your world. The power you lost can be restored. The world will be born anew and you will awaken on the day of your coronation. All will be well…"

Van was quiet. The veins in his neck were bulging out of his throat.

"Van…" she whispered, keeping the magic from making her draw the next card. "Van, do you realize what this means? The cards are saying there's a way you could go home. A way to send you back. You… you could leave and be a king again and you can rule in peace." Her stomach twisted uncomfortably and her throat tightened. Taking a deep breath to settle a strange, sharp pain that had hit her chest, she forced a small smile on her face. "Is-Isn't that wonderful?"

"Home…" his mahogany eyes stared at the card. The man on the card was smiling happily, the four circled stars surrounding him with rays of sunshine. "I can go home… Fanelia would be as it once was?"

"Yes." She nodded and avoided Grammy's yellow eyes as they slipped to focus on her. Hitomi watched the fierce desire envelope his face and it made her heart hurt. He would leave. He would leave her and go back to his world. He didn't belong here. He wanted to go home. He'd been through so much in this timeline. He was a king. Underneath his wildness, he was a king of a country that had the chance of another life.

All the people he'd thought he'd lost forever...

She was a fool to have this pain throbbing inside of her.

"How? How do I go back?"

"I don't know…" Hitomi's fingers slipped on the deck in her hand and a card fell out – landing on top of the newly formed cross on the ground. Reaching down to get it, Grammy gave a loud, raspy gasp and the bells in her long locks jingled.

"Don't move it! What is the card? What is it?" Her eyes were intense and shining.

Glancing down, Hitomi whispered, "Two of Cups."

A ferocious snort escaped the old wolf. "Two of Cups! Two of Cups! That isn't… no… Let me see that card!" She leaned forward, blocking the lantern's light, and her mouth curled as she saw it on the ground. "Well, I'll be a tit-whelping mongrel. There it is…"

"What?" Van and Bakura asked together.

The magic stirred heavily and Hitomi replied,"Magnetism… a want so deep it can be felt between all the worlds. A tie that binds two souls together in such a way they will always feel one another's presence across countless possibilities… They are a constant. The magnetism of two souls. Stronger than destiny. Stronger than fate. This card is supposed to be your underlying feelings, but it fell, crossing over the best outcome. This means you have two choices. One is home and the other is…" She stopped with a fierce blush spreading on her cheeks.

"Interesting… I've never seen the Two of Cups emerge in a reading, especially randomly dropped from the pile," Grammy continued, sitting forward on her haunches with an ugly grin on her snout. "You have one wonky reading, pup. The strongest card of binding falling accidentally into the mix."

"Binding?" Chordata piped in quietly behind Hitomi and she jumped slightly in surprise.

"Oh, yesss…" Grammy hissed the word. "The Two of Cups represents binds in the heart. Soulmates. Just look at the card, you buffoons."

As one, Van and Hitomi leaned forward to study the card. The card depicted a naked man and woman holding golden chalices towards each other. A long line was drawn between them. The woman was shrouded in night with the moon above her head while the sun was peaking over the man's bare shoulders. The line divided time. Divided them.

The card was bluntly obvious.

Though she felt Van's eyes slowly lift to study her face, she couldn't meet his gaze. All of her hidden confusion about the Ten of Wands was now replaced by a nervous tension. He had a choice. He could go back to his time – when they finally figured out how – or… or…

With an unsteady hand, she picked the next card and laid it to the side of the Celtic Cross. "Your advice along this journey has been stagnant until now. The Wheel of Fortune turns luck in your favor. You have met the right people, have gone to the right places, and now you will find the next piece of the puzzle very soon. But have you got it in you to follow the advice?"

Hitomi placed the next card below The Wheel of Fortune and something like smoke or fog creeped up the side of her eyes. Blinking, she frowned and studied the card. "Temperance tells me that-" she gasped and instinctively leaned forward to grasp Van's shoulder just as the fog raced over her eyes.

"Hitomi, what-"

Van's words were cut short as he was hurled into the impending vision with her.

They sat together in darkness. Grammy, Bakura, and Chordata were gone. The comforting sound of crickets. The foreboding howl of the wind. All gone, and in their place, silence reigned. Her frozen fingers were the only thing anchoring them together.

And suddenly-

"I write these words to place my terrible transgressions upon something physical. A confessional made of fragile paper. I know this will be burned with my body at dawn. No one alive will read what I have written tonight. Therefore, I write not to beg for forgiveness. I have no one left to forgive me. I only have my corpse-filled bouquet to read my grievances. Bear witness, you skeletal phantoms, to the complete obliteration of my own morality. To the lamenting memoirs of the once proud Strategos of Zaibach, survivor of the First Generation of BE READY, and the right hand to the greatest devil this world has created. I am hoping my execution tomorrow will sedate a fraction of your hellish desire for justice, you hungry demons. Your vengeance will come with my screams at the rising sun."

The voice was deep. A whisper of anguish breaking in and out of his throat. The flicker of candlelight finally emerged from the deep black and Hitomi felt Van shudder against her palm. Together, they turned their heads and the darkness cleared to reveal the thin figure of the man she'd seen earlier in her reading.

Van's brother.

His grayish white hair hung low on his brow – a familiar fringe that Van also had. The cheeks of his face were sunken and boney. The teardrop tattoo under his eye was barely visible among the purple bags under his eyes. His pale hand moved the quill with tight precision despite his trembling shoulders. The rags draped like dangling flesh off his bones. There were moldy bandages wrapped around his torso and left shoulder. His missing arm made him look even more pathetic – more pitiable. The small candle jumped lightly as the man exhaled and continued his quill's journey on a yellowing piece of parchment. The small wooden desk creaked underneath his resting palm as his hand moved. Though his lips never stirred, his words poured into their ears like a verbal narrative.

"A fiery death fits my end. Perhaps I can convince myself in the last seconds of my life that I am back in Fanelia and feeling the fire with the rest of my ruined country. That I died the death of an honorable man defending his throne, his people. That I am not burning in Zaibach, but I am burning in the shadow of The Winged Palace along with my brother. That my spirit is lying beside his. My… my precious brother…"

"Folken, you bastard…" Van hissed. His words fell flat as if the very air couldn't carry them. They were too full of his older brother's confession.

"I missed him when I left for Zaibach. I missed him every day. His smile, his cheer." The man's lips twisted into a terrible sadness. A tear trailed from his downcast eyes and drifted down to cut his teardrop tattoo in half. "The silly way he rebelled against our mother's orders and the tricks he would play on the cooks. He would have grown up so perfectly. A strong, solid man that could have taken on the world and then some. But… but I slaughtered him. I slaughtered my people. I betrayed and razed my country to the ground. All for an ideal. All for an experiment. All for science and the pride of man. All to feed the desires of an old man. I am grateful for the fire tomorrow. Without the medication I created to suppress the serum in my veins, I have not long to live anyway. It is a gift to kill me before this serum rips my body apart from the inside. I die tomorrow in my right mind and not the twisted monster I saw all my brothers and sisters turn into. The last of the First Generation of BE READY… what a laugh. What a failure all of that has been. I have only prolonged the death sentence that awaited me with the failed Dragon Ritual. That is all I do in this life. I fail."

"I am still here," Van said quietly with tight eyes. "You failed yet again."

"I tried to pay some small portion of my penitence in Dilandau. Though I know the transformation – the little girl, Selena – endured, I had thought the serum was perfected. What a fool I was. The serum was still unstable. But Dornkirk, that old fool, thought he had created his angel of death with Dilandau." He shook his head with a bark of dark laughter. "Once again, another failure to add to the list. For she broke it. The little Selena broke the spell upon her mind. I recognized it as soon as Dilandau began to complain of memory loss. I snuffed out the boy's paranoia and sedated his fear of her. I did not understand at the time why I refused to report Selena's slow emergence and Dilandau's increasing mental collapse. I know now. I know exactly why. Because she was like Van. That tiny spark of a fighting spirit inside Dilandau. A soul so determined that not even the terrible agony of those experiments, the all-encompassing madness of the serum, could stop her. I saw Van inside Selena. That boy who awakened the Escaflowne when I failed and defended his land to his death. If he was still here, I know he would be fighting still. He could be doing everything in his power to bring me to justice. No forgiveness. Only determination."

Van's lips parted as if he wished to speak to his brother, but Folken's words continued onward.

"The visions of the Battle of Four Rivers run like clear images upon the waters of my mind. The terrible scarlet that drained into the rivers' currents. And just as my guilt runs red like those waters, I tried my best to put an end to it as my greatest project became my biggest failure of all. The wishes of the world to be granted. The symbol of eternal happiness. And my wish: balance and temperance…"

"Temperance…?" Hitomi repeated the word in surprise.

"I realized it before it was too late. I took up my blade. I spread my black wings and flew to Dornkirk to destroy him, but I should have known… an equal and opposite reaction. He had taught me these laws many times. I was caught in the very fabric of my wish: balance. I moved to strike his body, but my raised blade hit six metal connectors that channeled wishes to the machine. I turned my sword upon the old man once more, but my blade sliced the support beam that tied the machine together. Once more, I tried again, but the machine crossed my path. I know now that the power of my wish was protecting him; shielding him from death. I could not kill him. The balance I so desperately wanted would not allow me to take the life of the man who had saved mine. A life for a life, a death for a death. My wrath for the old man turned upon the hideous mechanism I had helped give birth to. My blade sang with a flurry of sparks. Steam hissed with agony and rage… Dornkirk's cry for guards mingled with the chilling sound of mechanical screams and white noise. One of the pieces I sliced fell upon the old man's frail shoulders and pierced his arm. In an instant, I felt an arrow's sting on my back. The pain was nothing compared to my blackout rage. I continued to swing as Dornkirk's protective shell fell away from his body piece by piece. Another arrow pieced my side as the old man toppled from his chair to the ground. My sword unwillingly dropped from my hand and my muscles froze. My wings tried to catch my fall, but I was weakened. I fell hard to the ground beside the Emperor and the arrow in my side dug further into my ribs. The guard who had shot me left me to bleed as he collected the old man and bits of the machine were carried off. I did not understand what was happening. The world was spinning.

"Another failure. He escaped me, that rotten liar. He escaped with the most important part of the machine – the black globe – the channel that listened to wishes. With the damage I wrought, I am surprised if it will ever work again, but the unease in my stomach tells me I failed in this as well. With that part alone, there is a fraction of a chance the machine could live on. And with the wish that it is granting, I know not what will happen to the future. The power of happiness is not something to be granted, but to be worked for. To strive for. If happiness is freely given, there can be only destruction.

"As the guards closed around me, I heard their cries for only a few minutes before a familiar set of blue eyes flickered into mine. She looked like the sunshine and for a moment all I saw was hope. She can save us all. That special, little girl who reminded me so much of my dearest brother. I have given her instruction to kill Dornkirk and destroy the machine for good. She did not want to leave me. She insisted I come with her. But my journey was done. I already felt the cold brush of death's chilling fingers grasping upon my spine. She had to go alone. And that is where she is. She will finish the job. She must. There is no other who can. No other who can stop this wildfire I have begun. What little faith I am granted I give to her. My follies, my sins, my failures are hers now. Perhaps, if she is unable to destroy it, she can get close enough to impress a new wish upon the machine. A wish that will fix this entire world: That Dornkirk never existed in this land."

The gasp was so sharp it almost made Hitomi cough. Folken's hand continued to move and her fingers tightened on Van's shoulder.

"Such a wish would erase the machine. I may have fanned the flames of this wildfire, but there was one before me who ignited the spark. The one that started all of this. With the old man gone, Zaibach would never have grown to the tyrant it is now. I would have died with the Dragon Ritual, as was my fate, and my brother… my brother would be alive. He would have had his chance to grow into the brave, strong king he was supposed to be. But if Selena fails and she is slain before she can save this world - Heavens help us all from the hell that will enfold upon the future of Gaia. Heavens help us all from the demons that will crawl forth from Zaibach's monstrous power."

They watched as Folken set his quill down and placed his head in his one hand. The candle danced on its wick and slowly grew brighter. The flames melted the candle wax and a spark caught on the sleeve of Folken's ragged clothes. The fire spread quickly, engulfing his arm in a wildfire that seared the skin off; showing the grey bone underneath. As the bone crumbled to ash, the fire spread to his chest, his torso, and his head. It consumed him, his flesh melting away.

His lips, which were beginning to blacken and peel away, lifted into the sickening smile of a man who welcomed death.

Her fingers slipped off his shoulder and the world instantly winked back to the quiet tent. Three pairs of eyes were staring at the two of them, each with a mix of questioning thoughts. They both still stared a little past Grammy to where the burning skeleton had been sitting. They hadn't felt the heat, but the image was like a pillar behind her eyes. Every blink was his ashy fingertips, his peeling flesh… his last smile. Hitomi's throat burned and her eyes slipped to Van's disbelieving face. His expression was mixed with several emotions: shock, hate, and empty sadness. His lips were still parted and he looked like he had words on his lips he wished he could say. But what they had just seen was just a shadow, a vision; a brief glimpse of someone he'd thought he'd lost forever.

"Van…" she whispered.

He continued to stare as if in a trance.

"What just happened? You guys suddenly got really still for a few minutes." Bakura's voice was tense and filled with a concern whine. "Are you two okay?"

"I think… I think we just found the reason why we're here," Hitomi answered in a whisper, studying Van's empty eyes. "We… we heard the lamenting memoirs of the Strategos. The cards… the entire tent… it all disappeared and we saw him. He told us his story. How he was the one who started all of this-"

"He did not start it," Van's voice jumped out at her cuttingly and she sat back in surprise. His pupils were dilated and sharp as the blade at his hip. "He was not the one who did this. He tried to… he tried to fix it in the end."

Hitomi was silent for a moment before nodding her head. "You're right, Van. He tried to fix it. He did what he could, but the machine wouldn't let him. He tried to kill Dornkirk, but his wish for balance kept him from even landing a strike on him. Dornkirk had saved his life from the Dragon Slaying Ritual and he owed his life to him. Since he was saved, he couldn't kill Dornkirk. So, he had to send another to fix his mistakes. He sent Sel."

"And she failed to kill Dornkirk and stop the machine. Now, centuries later, here we are to finish what he wanted her to do, right?" Grammy concluded. "Well, this is quite the reveal. My, my, those cards are quite potent."

"How did we have that vision? The last time I spoke with Magic, it said it'd stop giving me visions."

"The right deck of cards combined with the right card at the right time with the right candidate. A ton of 'rights' gave you a trip session. External Influences with Temperance, I see…" Grammy's yellow eyes flipped to the Celtic Cross that lay forgotten in front of them. "Magic may not be able to guide you, girly, but you are holding those cards from another world. Destiny is done leading you. You are leading yourself now."

Bakura's ears perked up. "So we have to destroy the machine."

"Actually, we can't," Hitomi winced lightly. "It's not that simple."

"What do you mean? If we destroyed the machine, wouldn't that stop everything?"

"Stop it, but not fix it. We have to put everything back together again. And there is a way." Hitomi glanced at Van again and saw him studying her quietly. "Your brother gave us the answer, Van. The card of balance. It makes sense. Dornkirk has had all this time for his wish to come true. To set the balance right, Folken's wish will have to be granted. The world will right itself and the balance will stabilize." She glanced down at the card of Temperance. "That is how you will go back. We make this wish and you will never be sent here. You will only know being a king. We will all have never met. Everything will be the way it's supposed to be. I'll have my father back, you'll have your Fanelia. Bakura will have Thaioden, Chordata will never go to Zaibach. Balance will be restored…" Even as she said it, the thin sharp pain that had hit her chest before slowly began to drill once more.

"What is the wish?" Chordata whispered behind her back.

The short-haired girl took a deep breath and her hand tightened on the cards for support.

"We have to wish that Dornkirk never existed in this world."

The very weight of those words sent a cold shock down each of their spines.

"Those are powerful words, little bitch," Grammy murmured. "Very, very powerful. Moon Goddess, feel those chills?"

"That's all good, but we have no idea where this machine even is," Bakura injected. "You say that Dornkirk spirited it away somewhere and Sel tried to find it, but she apparently was caught and killed."

"There are two more cards to his fortune," Grammy pointed to the cards in her hand. "Two more that might give us some clues as where to find the machine. Internal influences and what will come to be. "

"That's right," Hitomi agreed. "I can do this if you're up for it, Van. We've gotten a big clue on how to save this world. This is... a relief in a way, you know? We've been lost for so long on what to do. At least now we have a way. There is a way to save everyone."

He was looking behind her head at Chordata. His lips pressed into a thin line, she saw his Adam's apple jump in his throat. Glancing back, Hitomi saw the white cat's amber eyes were on his face. There was a connection happening. A silent communication Hitomi couldn't even begin to fathom. Suddenly, Van let go of a small breath and looked into her eyes.

"I am ready. Let us continue with the reading."

Nodding, Hitomi repositioned her injured leg and settled her shoulders. Drawing a card, she closed her eyes and waited for the succor of Magic to hit her before opening them to see- "Internal Influences might be as triumphant as The Chariot. A place of support and refuge, Chariot also brings a force together. But like The Chariot, it can fall apart in the blink of an eye."

"Ha!" Grammy snorted and everyone turned to look at her.

"Grammy? What's so funny?" Bakura tilted his head in a very doglike faction.

"Did you not hear her, idiot? This card is talking about us!"

"What do you mean?" Van asked.

"We are the support and refuge. We are the group that has gathered around you at the end of your journey - though I've jumped in a bit late." She let out a barking chuckle. "It's asking if we are going to go with you to the end. Follow you into battle, so to speak. Already the cards have foreshadowed danger. And judging from the smell of recent blood on your clothes when you first came here, I'd say you've already had your run-ins with unwanted guests."

Chordata flinched.

"So, are we going to follow you to the end? Are the three of us willing to put our lives on the line for you two? Because we could very well die just like Thaioden." This time it was Hitomi and Bakura who flinched. "We have to make that decision and face the very real possibility that we could lose our lives. This is not a decision that should be taken lightly-"

"I will, without question, follow you to the end of the world and back, Master Fanel and Lady Hitomi," Chordata's unexpectedly determined voice broke through Grammy's explanation. The white cat lady's back straightened and Hitomi got a hint of the fierce warrior that she was long ago.

The soldier.

"Chordata…" Van whispered, his eyes wide.

"I will do whatever I can to save you and help. I would die for you, Master Fanel. I would gladly give my life for you to return home to a world where you are happy and safe. You may not have ruled in this life, but you are a king. My king. And I would serve you forever if I could."

"Well, there's one," Grammy smirked and a feral twinkle hit her eye. "As for me, I could use a little exercise now and again. It's been a while since I've felt the call for the hunt. I will go with you as well. With all this excitement, I wish Mern were still alive. Whenever a hunt began, my mate could always get it up for a quick romp in the bushes-"

Bakura yelped and covered his ears. "Bloody Moon, Grammy! I don't want to hear about your sexual escapades with Grandpa!"

A bloom of hope warmed Hitomi's heart as she watched the old woman cackle and slap Bakura on the back. Grammy would be coming along with them. Not only was she fearsome, but she was also very insightful.

Grammy was an invaluable ally.

"I'm relieved you are coming with us, Grammy. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. I haven't done anything. The last one is you, runt. You coming, too?"

All eyes turned on the small dog-man and his ears dropped to his shoulders. With a hissing whine, he reached back to rub his furry neck nervously. "Well…well, I don't know. I kinda feel like… like… I was forced to come along – not that I'm complaining." He added quickly. "I just… I wish Tristan was still here. He would be much better than I am. There's no way I could be as valuable to you as Chordata or Grammy. I'm not a fighter. I've got my moments, but compared to the rest of you guys, I'm just not good enough. Van and Hitomi, you guys were so good in the play. You didn't even have a script and yet you were able to escape out the front door of Mysstes because you are such fast thinkers."

"Well, a crowd full of drunk people wasn't too hard to please…" Hitomi mumbled softly.

"And Chordata, you are the strongest warrior I've ever met… besides Grammy," he ammended as Grammy's yellow eyes flicked onto him sternly. "I can't fight like that. You guys saw me in that alleyway. I couldn't even get to the car without getting caught. Chordata, you saved my life right then. I don't want you to be distracted from Van and Hitomi in case I get caught again."

"And Grammy, you're… you're Grammy!" he concluded with a wave of his hand at the old wolf. "I guess, what I'm trying to say is: what good will I do besides being dead weight?"

There was an awkward silence that flowed around the tent. No one could seem to think of anything to say.

Suddenly, Van's lips unexpectedly lifted into a small smile.

"You can operate a car. We need someone who can take us where we need to go. I have no idea how to even start one of those… things."

"I never learned how to drive either," Hitomi injected with a smile of her own. "Austuria has an elaborate train system that runs through the entire country. Barely anyone drives at all."

"I can a little, but I wouldn't trust me," Chordata shook her head kindly.

Bakura's ears had perked and he panted happily. "I… am good with cars…"

"Then it's settled, Bakura?" Grammy asked. His nose twitched and he looked into his grandmother's eyes. It was the first time Hitomi had heard Grammy use his name.

"I… I guess I'm in."

Hitomi's smile grew wider. "Bakura, don't think that you aren't good for anything. You were pivotal in our escape from Mysstes. Thaioden trusted no one but you to handle the entire show. You did a really good job. You also packed our bags, set us on stage, and drove us all the way here. Because of you not only have we met Grammy, but we learned how to change the world… Bakura, if that doesn't prove how vital you are, then I don't know what will convince you."

"Now, now, let's not bluster the lad up too much," Grammy snipped, but her eyes were twinkling gently. "I'm proud you are coming along. We will make a wolf out of you yet."

"Thanks, Grammy…" Bakura's blush could be seen through his brown fur.

"I guess we are all in this together now," Chordata said softly. "Can you draw the last card, Lady Hitomi?"

The short-haired girl nodded and turned back to Van's face. As her eyes met his, she noticed something different about them. The dark red ring and the bright mahogany was still there. The sadness and hard stoic shield was still there as well, but… there was a tiny shine to them. Something she hadn't really seen before. She had seen plenty of anger and resentment - even passion.

But never this bright feeling that seemed to fill him up from the inside out.

Hope, her brain supplied. He finally has hope.

Ripping her eyes away before her blush could begin, she reached down for the last card. As her finger brushed over the top, a sliver of dread wiggled sickly in her stomach. Her throat tightened and the magic crept up inside of her. Placing the card on the final spot, the image of single sword stabbing through the sun, her vision wavered briefly and she had to blink several times to clear it.

"The final outcome of the journey is… Ace of Swords. A new beginning no matter what you do. A separation of relationships, of past selves, of beliefs. No matter what, you will have to separate from something. This is unavoidable. There is something you will have to let go."

Immediately, her eyes winked out Van's familiar face.

She was sitting before the ruined remains of The Winged Palace. Dark hanging clouds hovered above the tall turrets; draping shadows over her head. The broken chunks of limestone littered the once beautifully crafted mosaic floors. It stood silent in its terrible beauty. A sliver of fright made her shiver her from head to toe. The wind whistled inside the empty castle; a howling moan sounding like the screams of the dead.

Instinctively, Hitomi's head turned to the right and she saw the overgrown pathway that would lead her to the Guymelef Arena. A push from Magic made her stand. There was no pain in her knee as she walked past the crumbling towers and stepped on the uneven cobbled pathway towards the Arena. The cold wind fluttered her hair and tossed the brown leaves at her feet. The hanging trees, their branches old and heavy, sheltered her way to the magnificent structure. But just as she stepped out, her feet automatically turned to take the grove pathway on the left.

"The Chapellieur. Why am I going to the Chapellieur?" she asked out loud. The chilling silence answered her. Stepping through the dangling branches, she walked the pathway with hard nostalgia filling up inside. She could practically feel Yukari standing beside her; that familiar auburn hair brushed into a ponytail. Her lips curled down with distain and a slight whisper of fear. Hitomi's heart squeezed tightly. Her dear, brave friend. "Is this how Van felt coming here? I can't imagine how hard this must have been for him."

Stopping after a few minutes, she gave a small gasp of surprise. She knew this was the spot. The exact spot that Van had stepped on her shoe. He had taken her foot and knelt on the ground to help her put it back on. His dumb navy hat had been on his head, but she had seen his face. That familiar pressed line of his lips. The thin frame of his body covered by his raggedy jacket and patched up pants. He really had looked like a homeless person to her back then. It was strange how her perception of him had changed so much. In a short amount of time, she had already found his rugged appearance quite handsome, even charming.

Even his long hair was something that was just so uniquely Van, she loved it.

She just… loved it.

Hitomi walked on, her mind full of Van and their journey together. All the fights, the scolding. Her frustration at his pompous attitude. His awful manipulations and using her body language against her. The terrible way he smiled when he knew he was right and she was wrong…

The way he appeared from the shadows to save her. The way he'd always come to save her. Always. That moment on top of Mysstes where she had awoken to his lips on hers. The feeling of kissing him on stage in front of an entire crowd. His arms wrapped around her, supporting her, helping her. It had all changed so suddenly and yet, it hadn't been sudden at all. It had been the little things, the little confessions about his life, the little comforts his presence provided her.

Ace of Swords… separation…

Stepping into the clearing, her mouth fell open at the sight of the Chapellieur. There it was, just as she remembered it. Those collapsed columns and entangling plant vines that had wrapped their way around the structure. The crumbled entrance carved from the mountainside. The short, thick trees that grew in massive clumps of unkempt glory.

To the right.

Her eyes instantly whipped to the right and she took three steps back in surprise.

It was the yew tree.

The huge tree that she had stood at with Yukari long ago. The small intertwining branches that had grown so thick together that she couldn't make out which one began and which one ended. The foreboding feeling crept up the back of her neck. She swallowed down a thick bile that hit her throat and took a step closer to the tree. She had felt it before. There was something here.

Something important.

A squeaking voice filled her mind. It was the voice of the tour guide, Mr. Heepie.

"It probably would have burned longer, but thankfully, Zaibach caught wind of what was happening to the small country and – as an act of good faith for such a grievous tragedy – she rose on the wings of comfort to take care of the scattered citizens, help rebuild, and, eventually, stabilize Fanelia for the better. Since the last of the royal family was killed during the Rebellion, Zaibach stayed for three hundred years to establish the first layout of what would become a stable oligarchy - which was some extremely radical thinking at the time for a monarchical world, but more on that later. These three days are set aside for the timely arrival of Zaibach and the three centuries she worked to save Fanelia from utter disaster. Now, let me give you a brief overview of what we will be seeing today…"

Her own voice took over. Hitomi's breath caught in her throat.

"A yew tree is usually found in graveyards. Despite the thickness in size, it's actually comprised of several small twisting trees all growing together. For some reason, they grow in a circle, making a hollow center. It is said that long ago, people buried their dead in yew trees so that their soul could live on to overlook the spirit realm. They believed the yew was a direct link to Gaea's life-force. It was an ancient custom. It was only for those they considered gifted with wisdom."

Her vision flickered to the old house Van had taken her to after he had rescued her from Zaibach. On his table there had been several stacks of thick books. But it had been one stack in particular that had caught her eye. It was about the vegetation growing in the regions of Fanelia. She had wondered why he had such random books like that, but… but…

What if it hadn't been random at all?

"Things are not always as they seem."

The voice had come from behind her. With a small cry, she whipped around and found a wide set of clear blue eyes staring back at her. It was a young girl, her face gaunt and skin pale as snow. Her bright blond hair was short and fell in waves around her head. Armor the color of blood draped heavily on the girl's thin shoulders, but she bore the burden almost proudly. Her back straight and tall, Hitomi could see a weird resemblance to Van. Her determined thin lips and the steadfast expression in her eyes.

Hitomi's hands lifted to cover her mouth in shock. This was…

"Sel…"

The girl tilted her head almost in amusement. "I am Selena Schezar. I am Dilandau Albatou. I am one and yet I am distinct. Whole and yet half."

"Why are you here?" Hitomi whispered through her fingers.

"The Ace of Sword called to me."

"Called to you?"

"Being separate of yourself is something I know quite well. I heard its call for me and I came here. To the place where it all began. To the place where it all will end."

"What? End?" Hitomi's heart was beating so hard and fast it was hurting her chest. She could feel her blood pulsing with the adrenaline. "Do… do you know where the machine is? The Fate Alteration Device?"

A tiny smile lifted Selena's lips and she gave a small nod. "I do. When Dornkirk left Zaibach after The Battle of Four Rivers, I tracked him down. He traveled northwest. Here. To the land of the dragons. The attack on Fanelia had been the beginning of it all. The forefront of all his plans. His men were stationed here. The 'symbol of goodwill' upon the Fanelian people. Fanelia was in ruins. Destitute. They needed the aid Zaibach provided. Dornkirk was like a savior to them. And to him, they were a shield against people like me. People who knew the truth. People who were hunting him."

"There were others?"

"Not many. Most were survivors of The Battle and had heard Zaibach might have been a part of the brainwashed slaughter." Selena's blue eyes flashed a weird crimson and her eyebrows clenched together as if in pain.

"Are you alright?" Hitomi asked concerned.

Closing her eyes, Selena shook her head before continuing, "My beloved friend, Jajuka, tried to spread the word in Guitoma of Zaibach's hidden agenda, but I do not know what became of him."

Hitomi gave Selena a small smile. "He fathered a wolf tribe. Because of his descendants, I am able to be here and speak with you."

"That is a relief." The crease between her eyebrow faded and she looked up at Hitomi with blue eyes filled with gratitude. "He was my one true friend. I made him leave me when I went after Dornkirk. I knew the Fate Alteration Device would be too much to constantly transport. No. It had to be in a stable spot. And this was the place Dornkirk had fled to. Dornkirk had no idea I had survived the battle. He never saw me coming. I was on my own, living on the outskirts of Fanelia in the Arzaz Forestlands. I waited for a time to strike. The Zaibach Embassy to the southwest of the city was constantly covered with guards. I crept in and out of the city in the moonlight, trying to find a way into the Embassy. I had been spotted only a few times; not enough to raise alarm. Just when I had learned of a secret way in through the tunnel system, I overheard a rumor that Dornkirk was soon to pass away. He arrived late in the night by a floating fortress. And I was waiting for him.

"I found the Fate Alteration Device in the control room of the Embassy. Though it was just a fragment of what it used to be, it still worked. The black globe of channeled wishes continued its stirring spin. The nearness of the machine stirred my other self inside me. He wanted to break free. He felt the call of his wish being granted. His wish of death. I could barely hold on to him.

"And that is when Dornkirk came through the door."

"No," Hitomi gasped.

Selena gave a solemn nod. "Dilandau flew out of me and my control was gone. I know not what happened until I felt a blade in my belly." Her gloved hands grasped her stomach as if she was feeling the sword right then. "I looked upon the destruction my other self had caused. Dilandau had killed over twenty men and Dornkirk's bloody scalp hung from my fingers."

"You killed him!"

"I did."

"But Grammy told me you failed."

"I failed to destroy the machine. I barely escaped, leaving a trail of blood for the canine men to follow me. I lost them in the underground aqueducts. Floating, weightless. I was found by an innkeeper who took me in and tried to nurse me back to health. He told me through my sinking sleepless nights that Dornkirk had been killed and they were holding a private burial at the Chapellieur. He was to be buried with the highest honors. Planted so that Gaia may know his wisdom for many more centuries."

Hitomi's face whipped to the large yew tree standing before her. "He's in there…" She gasped in realization.

"I knew I had only a few more days to live."

Hitomi jumped slightly as Selena's voice came from right beside her ear. The girl had moved closer without taking a single step. She stood right at Hitomi's back staring that the tree quietly.

"The wound was too much for me. I left the kind innkeeper and traveled as best as I could back to the Embassy. It took me two days, but I finally found my way back to the room of the Fate Alteration Engine. And it was gone. It was all gone." Selena's blue eyes stared hard at the tree, a glowing red hate reflecting from her pupils. "And there was only one place it could be. I knew I was going to die, but I refused to die without trying. My armor was back in Arzaz. I needed the strength of Dilandau, my hated other self. For the first time, I tried to speak to him. I kept the pain of our wound from his mind. He was cowering, fearful of my strength. I told him that we needed to work together. Two separate entities becoming one. He needed my determination and I needed his focus. For one thing Dilandau never lacked was the glorious hunt for prey. One single prey. Together, as one body, we left the city and gathered our armor. Our magnificent red armor. He was excited and I was excited with him. We entered the city through the aqueducts once more and I led the way to the palace. I let him take the reins once we left the sewer tunnel and he made easy work of the ten guards standing there. He successfully slipped over the gate that branched off the Winged Palace from the rest of the world. Once safely hidden in the shadows, we hurried down the same pathway you just walked. It was a much trickier journey than yours. Much of the debris hadn't been cleared from the Rebellion. Large collapsed pillars and broken limestone made it difficult. Dilandau scaled it with precision though. He didn't feel the pain like I did.

"We stopped as one. Right where you are standing. Dilandau took hold of the right hand and I struggled to take the left. Together we pulled apart the fragile trees that had just been planted around him.

"And there he was." Selena's eyes flashed red and she took a staggering breath. Her blond curling hair straightened into wisps of white-grey. Her shoulders broadened and her height grew several inches.

A boy's voice spoke from her lips. "There he was. And the machine was there. And I felt its power grab hold of me as soon as I looked upon it. I turned against her and fought for the body. She was weak. So… pathetically weak. The machine was granting my happiness, my wish. Selena slipped away and I took the body, fully and completely... me. She was gone. And in that one blissful moment, I felt a terrible burning agony in my stomach. I hadn't known we'd been hurt! I hadn't realized she'd kept a wound from me! I didn't know! The body I'd finally gotten was dying! It was too much! Too painful!"

"Selena!" Hitomi cried and caught the boy's shoulders as he slid to the ground panting. His head rested on the ground and his red eyes stared at the cloudy sky above their heads. "We had set out to do something, but I couldn't remember what it was. Selena was gone. And… and I missed her in that final moment." A tear slipped from his red eye. "I wanted her back for I was alone now… but I too was slipping away."

His eyes slid to blue.

"We were so close."

Within a blink of an eye, the tent was back and Hitomi sat before Van and the Celtic Cross once more. Her mouth was open and her eyes were spilling with tears. Van's hands were on her shoulders, his face close to her own. Without a second thought, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his neck. The Celtic Cross scattered apart as she struggled to get closer, clinging to him. His hands wrapped firmly around her body and held her gently.

"What happened to you?" he whispered as she tried to control her trembling. "You were not responding."

"It was frightening, Lady Hitomi." Chordata's gentle hand was on her back.

"I s-saw it. I saw t-the Fate A-alteration Device. I-I know…what t-to do," she stuttered through her tears. With only minor breaks, she told them everything she saw in the vision. Throughout the entire retelling, Van's arms never let her go. The Winged Palace. The Guymelef Arena. The Chapellieur. The voices. The memories. And then the spirit of Selena and Dilandau, telling her their last days of life. And lastly… the yew tree.

"I was there. We were both right there. The whole time… it was hidden in plain sight. We had to go a world away to land right back where we began." Hitomi grabbed a bit of Van's green shirt and wiped her eyes.

Bakura sat back with a loud exhaling breath. "I guess… I guess we know what to do now. We gotta go back."

"Yes," Van's voice was dark. "Back to where it all began. Back to Fanelia."

Annnnnnd there we go. Just to answer a question I got from Arienhod in the last chapter: Yes, I did have all this planned in the very, very beginning. I put those little flashbacks in because those were very hard-to-find hints of where the machine might possibly be... oooo... imma sneaky one... ;)

Here's a lovely note from the lovely Kerapal Bubbles:

-Beta's note: HOLY CRAP WE DID IT STUFF IS GETTING REAL GUYS AAAAAAHHHHHH. Mad props to blue, guys. Let's give it up for her awesome writing. Come on, guys, YOU IN THE BACK WHY ARE YOU NOT ON YOUR FEET. There we go. Standing ovation.-

Dawww... I'm glad you guys have loved the story as much as me.

It's been a very fun journey, but it's not over yet! How will they make it back to Fanelia? How does Van feel about potentially leaving this world to go back to his own? When will they EVER just get it over with and confess to each other?!

Stay tuned, my sweeties!

blue...