She had not dreamt the night before. For some reason this bothered Hitomi. It was not like she woke up that morning and could not remember dreaming; Hitomi knew no dream had come to her. The young woman turned inward to whatever her heart could offer. What�it�could�offer. Hitomi laughed. She just wanted to see him. Van. It was the same desire that she had had for three years. The same since Kanzaki Hitomi had returned to the "Mystic Moon," Earth. They seemed so close, yet so far away from each other. Could she really live the rest of her life not ever being in his arms again? It was not something Hitomi gave frequent thought to, but curiosity did tickle her about one thing. When Allen had kissed Hitomi it had been, soft and, well, rich�experienced. Would Hitomi learn what kissing Van was like? It didn't seem terribly important, but� But could and would Hitomi make the sacrifice she would have to make to physically be with him forever? It didn't seem to be fair exchange. Could she leave one life filled with friends, family, and familiarity? Leave it for a new life with her lover, on world so sensitive to the power of thought and so different then her own? Not that Hitomi didn't have friends and some familiarity on Gaia. Merle, Dryden, Millerna-hime, Eries-hime, Gadis-san, Prince Chid, and, of course, Allen-san. Hitomi still blushed often when she thought of him. Where had life lead them these past three years? Would they even want Hitomi back in their lives? There had been so much pain and suffering�

"Hitomi!" An excited voice called. Hitomi looked up from her cherry soda to see Yukari running towards her.

"Yukari!" Hitomi called back smiling.

The other girl, her long red hair swinging with each hurried step, plopped herself in a chair across the table from Hitomi. Yukari had been clutching the handles to a white shopping bag which she promptly deposited in front of Hitomi upon arrival.

"I decided to give it to you now instead of waiting." Yukari pronounced, swiping the drink away from a startled Hitomi.

"I though we were going to wait until just after the dance�"

Yukari took a sip of the drink and shrugged. "It just seems right to give it to you now."

Hitomi raised her eyebrows, reaching in the bag nevertheless. The tips of Hitomi's slender fingers brushed a solid object resting on the bag's floor. Grabbing it, she retracted her hand to reveal what she found. Hitomi opened her mouth before her mind could mold the words for her tongue to pronounce. It looked like a book, a book with a hard, cream-colored cover with splashes of pale roses. A thin, silver ribbon, tied in a petite bow, held it closed.

"A journal�.oh�thank you so much Yukari!" Hitomi's lips curled up in a smile of genuine gratitude.

Yukari smiled back and nodded. "See, I have one too." She waved a similar journal retrieved from her purse. "This way we can remember everything we want to tell each other about when we see each other on vacations, since we'll be at different schools."

Hitomi chuckled. "Oh, I see. Everything I wanted to know about Amano-senpi�"

Yukari blushed. "Well, sometimes�"

�

Van paced the main hall as servants and guards of the palace scurried around him making final preparations for the celebrations the next day. Something was missing, something terribly important. Van could not shake the feeling. He stopped and looked down at what he had been gripping in his hand. A low, soft chuckle slipped out of Van's tongue. Her, no, their necklace. He held it up against his softly sculpted, tan cheek and closed his eyes. It was her that was missing, of course. The other half of his soul�

For all the aging her body had done, Merle displayed the same characteristic bouncy energy she had when little. "Van-sammmmmmaaaaa!" She proclaimed excitedly as she rushed into the room in a fitting, short, light-tan dress.

Van returned the pendent to its resting place under the folds of his shirt, near to his heart. Then he turned and smiled at the beaming cat-girl. "Merle."

"Van-sama, they're here!"

Van looked at her inquisitively. "Who?"

"Allen-san and Serena-san! And the others are on the way!" Merle exclaimed, grabbing his arm to pull Van down the hall. He laughed and let her drag him away. Merle's charge of energy was contagious.

Distracted by Merle and the commotion in the courtyard, Van failed to notice the faint, brief glow under his shirt.

�

Tonight was the dance. The rippling white dress seemed to whisper as Kanzaki Hitomi turned in front of her mother's mirror. The material hung by twin straps of thin width that slid around Hitomi's neck to embrace in small, limp bow in the back. The dress subtlety curved at her waist and hesitated just above the floor. The young woman had a small, serene smile on her face. Her mother stood behind her shoulder, looking pleased.

"Beautiful." Whispered Hitomi's mother. Hitomi blushed. "You'll catch every eye there." Hitomi turned around to face her mother. The older woman moved forward and embraced her daughter. In a low whisper the mother whispered, "I miss you all ready."

Hitomi gently pulled back, puzzled. Her mother, however, just smiled and shook her head, offering no explanation.

�

Van could feel the warmth. Whether or not it was the wine was the question. Allen, Gadus, Drydan, and Van had been exchanging entertaining conversation across the dinner table for quite a while. Merle and Serene echoed laughter in their own conversation. In the middle of a sentence, Van reached around to scratch a sudden itch on his back.

Serene tilted her head and spoke to the king. "Are you all right, Van-sama?"

Van smiled and nodded. "Just an itch. I think I might have gotten some sort of bug bite on my shoulder."

The young woman smiled. "Perhaps, if it is still bothering you tomorrow, Millerana-hime can make some ointment for it, if she can come."

Drydan nodded. "I think she will, but not Eries-hime. The court often keeps her busy."

The group proceeded to discuss how Astoria was fairing, all except Merle. She, sitting to the right of the head of the table, tilted her head slightly to glance casually around the flickering flame of the burning candle. Yes, she did see correctly. No, wait, �yes�..and then it was gone. The glowing. Merle knew what it was and wondered if Van had noticed. Was Hitomi all right?

A calm silence fell on the group of friends. Van gently twirled his wine class with his thumb and first finger. The smile that had a moment before brightened his face slipped down into a null expression. Van gazed into the smoothly swaying crimson liquid. His seemed filled with thought.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave your enjoyable company." He said abruptly, returning the glass to the table and pushing back his chair. "It's getting late and we've been considerably busy getting ready for the festival. Sorry. You are more then welcome to stay up as long as you like. Unfortunately, I will have to get up early tomorrow." He smiled and stood. "Thank you all so very much for coming. �It really won't be right without you. You've done so much for me and my kingdom."

They all nodded.

"Good-night."

"Thank you. We're honored to be apart of this."

"Yes."

"Sleep well!" Serene added.

Nodding, Van retreated out one of the dinning room's twin doors. When he was out of sight, Merle looked down and let out a gentle sigh. Gadus turned to her.

"Is something wrong?"

Merle looked up. "It's noth.." She began and ended. A moment past before she continued.

"It's gotten harder for him these past few weeks. He doesn't think anyone notices, but Merle knows him. He really misses her. It hurts, even when they see each other in their visions. I wish there was something�"

�

Hitomi watched her classmates dance in each other's arms. A slow, romantic song filled the air. Throughout the night she had consented to dance with various boys, even sharing one dance with Amano-senpai. But none of the slow songs. She just could not bring herself to dance with anyone during the slow songs. So Hitomi sat on one of the comfortably cushioned chairs in one corner, holding a glass of punch. The rippling folds of her milky dress lay carefully around Hitomi. Her gaze came to rest on the door to the balcony that was standing ajar. Without much thought Hitomi placed her glass on the petite table beside the chair and stood up. She followed the wall over to the door and slipped outside. Faint tendrils of music followed Hitomi to the railing of the empty balcony. She sighed and studied the full moon that rested on the ebony night sky.

"Van."

She fell into thought. Their love transcended time and space. They dreamed of each other with literal realism, in and out of sleep. Bound together. But then why did Hitomi feel so alone? Her heart seemed to weep and her soul seemed to scream to be made complete once more. Hitomi's gaze traveled over the city spread in front of her. Could she leave this? Leave her family? Leave Yukari and all her friends? Hitomi looked down at the ground beneath her. Tears began gather in Hitomi's eyes and a single bead rolled down her cheek. After a minute she looked up and her gloved hand quietly brushed the tears away.

�

Van looked out from the rampart at the night sky that stretched before him, the dual moons of Gaia glowing bright. He had not meant to leave so abruptly. If it had been anyone else besides his friends�She was so often on Van's mind. It hurt that he could see but not touch her, hold her. He loved her. He loved her, but how could he ask her to leave her home, her family, her world? Van's eyes began to sting with tears.

"Hitomi�"

�

Hitomi turned and took a step towards the ballroom. Then a faint, unexpected 'ping' caught Hitomi's attention. An ethereal, virgin-white feather appeared in the air in front of her. Slowly, calmly, in drifted towards the ground, kissed by a small whisper of inner light. Hitomi stood watching the feather in a seemingly trance-like state. She knew at that moment he was echoing her wish. At the precise moment the plume brushed the ground an azure-white ring of light spun out from the spot on which the feather came to rest. The light spread out under Hitomi's feet to match the ring frame of the balcony. A wind came up and breathed under her, teasing the folds of her skirt and lifting Hitomi's chin length, chestnut-colored hair. A smile appeared on her face as Hitomi felt herself being pulled up and into the cylinder of light. Higher and higher Hitomi went.

A faint voice caught Hitomi's ear and she looked down. Below her Yukari stood grinning and waving up to her.

"Sayonara, Hitomi! Don't forget us!"

"Never! We will always be together in our hearts and minds! Ja-nye, Yukari!"

�

Van was just preparing to go to back down when a faint, almost musical 'ping' caught his ear. He turned and saw a flicker of a silver glint beside the mystic moon that hung in the sky. Van took a step back, eyes wide, lips slightly parted. A brilliant trial of light skimmed across the heavens towards the vary site where he stood. A breath of wind washed across Van's whole body, rippling his dark hair and leaving Van in a breathless state of expectation. The long cylinder trail of light came to rest a few feet in front of him. Van stood in a daze as the glistening pathway dissolved before him. The young king felt his heart warm and his eyes grow moist at the angelic sight before him. There before Van was his love, her eyes sparkling with an echo of Van's happiness. Both seemed afraid to breathe for fear of braking the dreamlike scene.

Finally all of the mysterious light was gone, and there was just the two of them. Van cautiously brought up his hand as if to touch her.

"Are you real or a dream?�.Is this more then an illusion?" Van whispered.

Hitomi raised her hand to take his, guiding it to her cheek. "Yes. I'm here." Hitomi murmured back. "I want to be with you�forever."

Van gathered her into his strong arms. The two lovers clung to each other in the moonlight.

"Hitomi."

"Van."

They just stood there, content to once again be in each other's arms. Gently, Van pulled back slightly. He looked down into Hitomi's wide eyes and slowly bent his head to meet hers. Their lips met in a tender first kiss that made the years of waiting worth it. Hitomi sank against Van's chest, eyes closed, feeling near content. It was a kiss that was so, Van. Uncertain, yet confident, and most of all, loving warmth. Minutes past. Without a word, Van unexpectedly took a step back. Hitomi caught her breath as the youthful monarch of Fanelia bent down before Hitomi, taking her hands in his.

"I love you." Van said clearly. "More then anything, more than words can convey."

Hitomi blushed and felt her heart begin to beat faster�

"I want you with me, always�"

This time Hitomi knew why. This time would most definitely not call for a slap.

"Please."

She saw her reflection in his eyes. They were both older.

"Will you stay with me, �be with me, forever?"

Hitomi gripped the hands that had united with hers. "I�" Hitomi began "�love you." Then she could no longer contain herself. "Yes, yes, yes, Van." Eyes lowered, she smiled.

Van beamed and swiftly got up. He caught Hitomi around the waist and twirled her around as they both laughed. Their lips met again and Van lowered his bride to the ground. In a abrupt flourish Van lifted Hitomi into his arms and carried her down into the palace. Hitomi sighed, at home in his arms. She rested her head against Van's chest, the sound of his heart beat echoing in her ear, and in her own heart. Van carried Hitomi down the down the dimly-lit stairs and through the silent palace halls. He laughed softly when she yawned, her eyes closing slightly. Van stopped in front of a large wooden door. Carefully shifting his precious bundle, his right hand sought out the cool, metal door handle. With a minute creak, the door opened. Van stepped in the room and moved towards the alluring collection of pillows and plush rugs that lay in a comfortable mass near grand fireplace. There he laid Hitomi down and retreated quickly to shut the door. Van rapidly returned to Hitomi's side to join her by the warm fire. ***

�

Merle knocked gently on the door, sunlight from the near-by window brushing her cheek. Getting no response, she knocked again.

"Van-sama!"

Impatient, Merle opened the door and peaked in. She her breath caught at the sight. A grin formed on her face. Van�asleep in front of the fire with Hitomi in his arms. Merle heard Hitomi sigh and saw the other girl was waking in her lover's arms. Every-so-carefully Hitomi slipped out from under Van's arm and sat up. As she stretched, Hitomi caught sight of someone in the corner of her eye. Hitomi turned her head and beamed.

"Merle..." Hitomi let out in an excited breath.

Unable to contain her natural abundant energy, the cat girl bounced forward. Merle held arms wide open. "Hitomi!!!!!!!!" The two girls shared a long, sisterly hug.

Van shifted and mumbled something in a sleepy haze. A moment later he rolled over again. Then, slowly, Van opened his eyes.

"Hitomi�Merle�." Van said huskily

Merle grinned took a playful swipe at the rose-colored pendant resting on his chest. "Merle saw it glowing yesterday. Merle felt the warmth. Your love brought you together."

�

Allen Schezar gazed wistfully at the streaks of morning light thrown onto the stairs from the small window. With a slow grace he made his way down the stone stairs. Fanelia had not been the only kingdom rebuilding itself these past three years. The leader of the Heavenly Knights had watched, and helped, the kingdom of Astoria rebuild. Allen frequently visited Fried, itself the barer of heavy losses, man and material alike. The War of Destiny and the events surrounding it had left Allen, like many people, reevaluating his life. After so many years of anguish, he now understood his father. After so many years Allen and his sister were reunited. What happened now that the bloodshed stopped? What happened now that the tears no longer flowed? What happened now that life had found its form again?

Allen stopped in mid-thought, mid-step. There, there before him, staring out the window, was figure that made Allen question reality. She turned and he let out a breath he did not know he had been holding.

"Hit�Hitomi?!"

A petite smile pulled at her lips. A faint rose-flush gave her cheeks a light glow. She took a small step in his direction and spoke. " Hello, Allen-san."

A wave of bewilderment shook Allen. Had she really come back? Before he could say anything, Hitomi moved forward and imparted Allen with a warm embrace. Stepping back, Hitomi smiled and continued to blush. The moment seemed, awkward. A fleck of light caught Allen's eye and looked down at the pendant resting on Hitomi's chest.

"I came back." She said, her smile fading. "I, �I hope it won't cause to many, �problems. I want to stay."

A broad, understanding smile came over Allen's face. He moved forward a moment to return her embrace then said, "Welcome back."

�

The sky overhead had settled into a comfortable foreshadow of night as the crowd watched the rite. A soft murmur of excitement and happiness lay over the people like a warm, heavy quilt. Torches and lanterns had been lit to replace the escaping light. The young king stood tall and proud. An infant breezed teased his ebony hair and fluttered the his fine raiment. Van's gaze remained set on the long path inhabited at that moment solely by an ecstatic feline maiden. A smile curled on the Van's face as he watched his dear friend skipping towards him, flinging blossoms and petals into the air.

The sweet flute that had been until now solitary, was joined by other airy instruments. Their voices filled the air with an aria that stirred a deep sense of timeless happiness and love. The music ended the whispers of the crowd, filling the void effortlessly. Van caught the sound of Alan and the other men beside him drawing in their breath. The king's gaze at once moved away from Merle. Down the path, down the aisle, glided an angle. Her eyes were calm, gentle, and cast forward. A petite crown of modest silver rested on her head, a small bouquet of forget-me-nots, lily-of-the-valleys, and miniature roses rested in her hands. She moved towards Van, closer and closer, flowing in her white gown. His eyes noticed a small blush surface on her cheeks when she looked in to his eyes.

Van held out his hand and Hitomi took it. She stepped up and they faced the priest together. Words on love, life, union, and forever came forth from the clergyman. And then it came time for the couple to speak to one another. Before each other, before the gathered people, under the sky, their promise was made again.

With all my love, I give to you my hand

With all my love, I give to you my hand

To you I pledge my heart eternal

To you I pledge my heart eternal

Unwavering devotion through every breath we take

Unwavering devotion through every breath we take

To you, for you

To you, for you

Only you

Only you

A bond beyond death

A bond beyond death

This contract we seal with our kiss

This contract we seal with our kiss

Upon concluding these words, Van turned and took a ring of twin circlets woven around each other from Drydan. This he slid onto a finger of Hitomi's offered hand. Then she turned and took the ring held my Millerana-hime and placed it on Van's finger. Finally, grasping each other's hands, the two lovers leaned forward and fell into a breathless, timeless kiss.

�

Epilogue

Several days later, as Hitomi was closing the door to the bedroom behind her, she caught a shimmer of light in the corner of her eye. Swinging the door open again, Hitomi looked into the room. Finally, her eyes found the source. In the corner, on top of the wooden dresser, rested what looked like a book � a book with a hard, cream-colored cover with splashes of pale roses. A thin silver ribbon, tied in a petite bow, held it closed.

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