=^.^= 

A Fallen Angel Rises Again 
By: Penybright 
[email protected] 
Epilogue 

When Van opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar 
room. At first he thought it a dream, but his pain was all too real. 
Van had a pang of apprehension, then one thought blocked everything 
else out. 
"Hitomi," he declared sitting up painfully. Van threw back 
the sheets that were covering him and wobbly got to his feet. He then 
staggered over to the door, wrenching it open. Using the wall for 
support, Van began to stumble his way down the corridor. 
"Van?" 
Van turned to see who had spoken to him. It was a young woman 
with pale blonde hair and soft violet eyes. 
"Who are you? he demanded. 
"It's me, Princess Millerna." 
"I must have know you. You'll have to excuse me if I don't 
remember you clearly," Van replied scrupulously. Millerna walked 
towards him, taking his arm and placing it across her shoulders. 
"You probably want to see Hitomi," she said, helping Van down 
the corridor. Millerna stopped in front of a door and knocked. The 
door was opened, and Van staggered in. Hitomi was lying on a bed in 
the far corner of the room. Sitting at her bedside was a man with 
long blonde hair. The man was holding Hitomi's hand, and raised his 
blue eyes to see who had entered. Jealousy flared inside of Van when 
he saw Allen holding Hitomi's hand. 
"Van," Allen greeted. "I see that you've finally decided to 
wake," he said quietly. 
"I found him staggering down the corridor Allen," Millerna 
informed the knight disapprovingly. 
"How is she?" Van asked, walking over to Hitomi's bedside. 
Hitomi's face was ghostly pale and her breathing even, but shallow. 
"All we can do is wait now," Millerna said in a sad voice. 
"Can I... have a moment alone with her?" Van asked somberly. 
Allen gently placed Hitomi's hand down and stood up. Millerna nodded 
and the two exited. Van sat down in the seat Allen had been 
occupying. He tenderly picked Hitomi's hand up, raising it to his 
lips. Van gently kissed the back of her hand, then rested it against 
his cheek. 
When half an hour had gone by, and Van had not come out of 
the room, Allen and Millerna went in to see if something was the 
matter. A small smile crept across Millerna's face when she entered 
the room. Allen merely shook his head in amusement. Van had fallen 
asleep while holding Hitomi's hand. It was a very sweet sight. The 
upper half of Van's body was propped against the side of the bed, his 
head resting at Hitomi's shoulder. Van's hand loosely held Hitomi's, 
their fingers intertwined. Allen started over to get Van and Millerna 
stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. She shook her head, tugging 
him along with her to the door. 
******************** 
Hitomi opened her eyes lazily. She blinked several times to 
clear her foggy vision. She could feel the wound in her side burning 
painfully as pain thundered in her skull. She looked cautiously at 
her surroundings, surveying her quarters. She looked to her right and 
saw Van asleep there. 
"Van," she whispered hoarsely in a stained voice, twitching 
her fingers. Van groaned and groggily opened his eyes. Hitomi could 
see a glaze of pain in his eyes. She watched him as he sat up, and 
understood why. Van's entire chest and torso were covered in 
bandages. The bandages swathed around his right shoulder and down his 
arm, which was still in a splint. 
"What... happened?" 
"I don't know. Apparently, we are under the care of Allen and 
Millerna," Van responded to Hitomi's question. 
"Then we're safe," Hitomi sighed. 
"Hitomi... How are you feeling?" Van asked softly. Hitomi 
grimaced. 
"I'll live," she responded. "I guess everything is going to 
be all right now," Hitomi said wistfully, gazing into Van's eyes. 
Van's expression softened from one of worry, to one of affection. 
Hitomi reached her hand up, brushing Van's ebony hair out of his 
face. Van caressed the side of her face, tracing her jaw line with 
his thumb before pulling her to him. Hitomi could 
feel Van's warm breath lingering on her lips as he gazed lovingly 
into her eyes, drowning in a sea of green. Van slid his hand to the 
back of Hitomi's neck and closed the gap between their lips. He 
kissed her softly and tenderly, cherishing this moment. Hitomi closed 
her eyes in contentment, and this time neither of them passed-out. 
Van finally pulled away, leaving them both breathless. 
"Thank you," he breathed, kissing her lightly on the nose. 
"For what?" Hitomi asked bewildered. 
"For helping me remember who I really am," Van whispered, 
before pulling Hitomi into another long, tender kiss. 


~ This is the end for this fic, but I have left it open for sequels. 
Who knows! Maybe one of these days I'll actually get around to 
writing one!! 

~*~ "There is no end, only a new beginning." (I have no idea who said 
this, but I know it's a quote from somewhere...) 

(c) Penybright