| Kings and Traitors Chapter 4: The Lost Kitten ~~~ Van slowly got up after being dropped quite roughly while landing on Gaia. He looked around in the moonlight and saw Hitomi. �You okay?� he asked. �Oh, I�m just fine!� Hitomi muttered while rubbing her backside. �I ENJOY being dropped on my butt after flying through space in a beam of light just to get to Gaia so I can attempt to stop another war while risking my life every five minutes while you go almost getting yourself every time I turn my back and- Yukari?!?� �Huh? Oww�.where am I�.?� Yukari was standing up slowly after landing in a patch of tall grass. Hitomi hadn�t noticed her before now, and judging by the look on Van�s face, he hadn�t either. �Y-Yukari?!� Hitomi stuttered, wondering why and how the pendant had brought her along with them back to Gaia. �Yeah? Hitomi�where are we�..AHHHH!!!� �What?! What is it?!� yelled Van, who was already jumpy after Yukari�s �surprise�. �T-t-t-t-the Earth!!� Yukari said as she pointed a shaking finger to the Mystic Moon. �Yes, Yukari,� said Hitomi, trying her best to be understanding. �We�re on Gaia now. What I told you was true. Please believe me.� �B-but I-I was just on Earth�and that guy�that dragon�before�the light�YOU�RE AN AILEN?!� ��� �Umm�Yukari, maybe we should talk�� ~~~ Tiger was still searching the castle grounds when he saw a blue column of light appear in the sky. �That must be Van! Maybe he can help find Merle!! It looked like the light landed somewhere in the middle of Dragon Valley�not that far away�I�d better hurry. Merle could be in trouble! Every second counts!!� ~~~ Erebos glanced out the window and saw a blue pillar of light, just like the one Van left in. �Ah, so the king finally returns. Tonight is the night. I shall soon regain what should have been mine to begin with. With the power of the Heart Stone I shall soon turn the Gaia to darkness. Then I alone shall have the power to rule the universe!!! Mwahahahahaha!!!!� [AN: Sorry, I just had to add at least one evil laugh =�] At the sound of his laugh, full of the purest of evils, Merle�s fur stood on end and the atmosphere in the room suddenly seemed a lot colder. �Van, where are you? I�m scared�� ~~~ As Van, Hitomi, and Yukari slowly trudged back to Fanelia, Hitomi noticed that Yukari was still looking at Van strangely and keeping her distance. �She probably still thinks of him as an alien�,� thought Hitomi. Without warning, there was a loud rustling in the bushes. Van quickly drew his sword, making Yukari jump back even further. �Who�s there?!� yelled Van. �It�s me, Tiger!!� said the cat-boy as he jumped out of the bushes. �You weren�t really gonna slice me with that, were you??� he asked uneasily. �Depends how long it took you to answer me.� Yukari stepped back another two feet, making sure she was out of reach of Van�s sword�just in case� �What�s wrong, Tiger?� asked Van. �Merle�s gone!! Me and Erebos can�t find her anywhere!!� �What?� shouted Hitomi. �What if my vision is already coming true?�did the darkness already get Merle?� �Who are you?� Tiger asked uneasily. �Whoa, be nice Tiger. This is Hitomi. She�s come to help�we think Gaia might be in danger again,� said Van. �Hitomi?! THE Hitomi?? From the Mystic Moon? Who helped save all of Gaia from Zaibach?!� squeaked Tiger. Hitomi blushed. �Uhh�yeah, that�s me I guess�� Yukari whimpered. Hitomi turned around to see what was wrong with her friend. �C-c-c-c-c-cat p-p-p-person!!� �You know,� interrupted Van, �We really should be trying to find Merle. She could be in trouble.� �Yeah, but I�ve already searched the whole castle!! She�s not there!!� �No. She isn�t.� Said a cold voice as a figure stepped out of the shadows. Van reached for his sword but just then a cloud covering the moons parted. ��Erebos?� �Sorry to surprise you, Van,� said Erebos, his tone much lighter and friendlier. �I�ve been searching for Merle ever since Tiger told me she had disappeared. She�s not in the castle, or on any of the grounds nearby. Trust me.� �K, Erebos, if you say so. First thing tomorrow, then, we�d better start a search party for the fields and town. It�s to dark now, and I�m sure some of us could use some sleep.� Said Van, glancing at Tiger, who looked exhausted from searching for Merle all day. �Fine by me,� said Tiger gratefully. �By the way, Van, who are these two?� asked Erebos, nodding to Hitomi and Yukari. �This is Hitomi and her friend Yukari of the Mystic Moon.� �Hmm�,� thought Erebos. �Seeing as it is not just Van and I as I had anticipated, perhaps I should postpone my plan for a better time. But, delay or not, it shall be I who has the Heart Stone in the end.� �Oh! It�s a pleasure to meet you!� said Erebos with a forced grin. �Van, I�d better be going. I have some work to do. See ya tomorrow, ok?� �K, sure Erebos. Goodnight.� As Erebos ran off towards the castle, a bad feeling nagged at Hitomi�s sub-conscious. �I don�t trust him,� she thought. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Chapter 4~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |