Folken and Eries Files

______Hitomi walks through the dark and lonely streets on her way back home, listlessly looking up at the stars and wondering, " What could he be doing tonight?" It had been three years since she returned to Earth from Gaea. Three long years wherein communication with Van was scarce. And yet, she couldn’t help hoping…hoping for a day when she would see him again. If she would ever see him again.

______Passing by the track field, she momentarily stops and takes a while just to stare at the dusty track that she used to run on so frequently before and memories of that fateful day when she met Van comes rushing back to her. Somehow, she can’t seem to tear her eyes away from the field, in the expectations that maybe…just maybe a beam of white light would suddenly appear and engulf her into a different world; or if not, it would bring along with it a visitor she had been waiting for so long to see again…

______The field remained empty and sighing, Hitomi turned away and continued heading for home. Boarding the subway she took a seat on the far corner of the shuttle and realized that most of the people sitting around her were couples, all cuddling up to each other to escape the cold. Looking down , Hitomi wrapped her jacket tighter around herself , a tear slipping down her cheek involuntarily.

______Van dismounts from his horse and wipes a hand to his forehead. He had just finished dismissing the rest of the workers after a job well done in building the new temple and he felt his muscles ache with pain from too much lifting. Merle runs up to him, happily licking his face and coaxing him to come inside for dinner. He chuckles lightly and asks her to bring his cloak inside, reassuring her he’d come in presently.

______As the small cat girl leaves, Van looks up at the sky and the image of two beautiful green eyes cloud his mind. It felt like ages since he last saw Hitomi and a wave of sudden longing washed over him like an ocean’s tide. His heart dull and heavy, he wondered what she was doing at that moment. He felt around his neck for the small pendant that she gave him and held on to it tightly, the one thing that seemed to keep his memories of Hitomi a reality, and not just some beautiful dream he had once, long ago…

______Closing his eyes he relived those memories once more. The times that he had spent with her; those brief glances, their being able to understand each other’s feelings and feel each other’s love even in their separation. But that was a long time ago. He couldn’t seem to feel her anymore. And her memory was getting even more and more distant as each day passed. Could it be possible that she had forgotten about him already?

______Walking inside, Van found a few of the court nobles moving around in the dinner hall, greeting each other. He did his best to be polite but the sight of so many couples enjoying around him reminded him too much of Hitomi and how much he missed her. Opening one of the glass doors, he couldn’t help but let a small sigh escape from his lips as he tried avoiding all the happy couples…

______Both of them stare up at the night sky, Hitomi sitting by her window and Van standing out on the balcony. A shooting star crosses the sky and both make a fervent wish that someday they would be able to see each other again…

______Hitomi leans her face against the cool window pane and imagines how it would be like to feel Van’s arms around her once more. Closing her eyes, she tries to pretend that he really is there holding her close, and for a brief moment she could almost swear that she could feel his spirit once more.

______At the same time, Van leans against the railing , his head in his hands and tries to imagine how it would be like to have Hitomi close to him again. Stretching out his arms, he hoped to hug her, only to envelop nothing but the cold night air. But for a brief moment, he realized, that he could almost feel her in his arms, her scent so warm against the cold.

______Raising their heads up at the same time, they both look back up at the stars and whisper each other’s name, hoping one would hear the other. " Van," Hitomi whispers, reaching a hand out to touch the glass softly . " Hitomi," Van whispers almost at the same time, reaching a hand to the stars twinkling above.

So tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back

______Hitomi walks down the hallway, one of the last few days of school, trying to avoid the constant pleas of her schoolmates for a tarot reading just for ‘old times sake.’ " Sorry, but I’ve given that up long ago."
______" Please senpai," a few younger students ask her," We want to know what our future is!" Hitomi firmly shakes her head and continues walking away.

______Yukari approaches her best friend after school , reproaching her for her attitude that morning. " We’re all probably not going to see each other again after graduation, you know. At least they’ll have something to remember you by. C’mon, everybody’s worried about their future now. It would help a lot if you gave them reason to hope…"
______" Well, what if it’s not a good future..?"
______Yukari gave her a look and Hitomi shrugged. " Okay, okay, I’ll do it. But let me practice first. I’m a bit rusty." Opening her bag, Hitomi takes her cards out and starts a tarot reading. " The card of change. This looks good…"

______Hitomi continued on with the spread. Most of the cards looked good but she couldn’t help feeling puzzled with the presence of the card of disruption, opposite the lovers arcana. What could it mean?

______Van galloped off at lightning speed, trying to escape the renegade troop of Zaibach soldiers that were off following him--- hunting him down like they would do a dragon. An arrow whizzed through the air, missing his leg by a few inches but digging deep into the horses flesh instead. Van felt himself being flung over and he hit the ground with a loud ‘thud.’ His body ached with excruciating pain, and the wounds that he had received from the soldiers’ shots a few moments ago reopened themselves again.

It's easier to believe in this sweet madness, oh
This glorious sadness that brings me to my knees

______Hearing the approaching hoofbeats , Van tried to run but found that he couldn’t seem to move a muscle. Wait! He thought frantically as he saw his life spinning around him, I can’t let myself be killed. Not now. Not… Not before I get to see Hitomi one last time! Gathering up what little strength ha had, he stood up and scrambled off, running towards the edge of the woods, stumbling as he ran. Hitomi! Van’s mind screamed out. The soldiers were fast gaining on him but before they could catch up to him a white beam of light flashed in front of them all…

______Just as she was about to put the last card down, Hitomi felt a rush of cold wind flow past her, blowing the cards into the middle of the field, falling into a disarray. Grumbling she walked into the track field to gather them up when a large flash of light illuminated before her, blinding her for a second.

______Opening her eyes, she found herself looking straight into those beautiful, mystic blue eyes that she saw in her dreams time and time again. Van reached an arm out to her and Hitomi stretched her own hand out to hold him when Van suddenly gasped and stumbled forward. " VAN!!!" Hitomi screamed as he fell to the ground, the world growing black around him…

______Van opened his eyes to find himself lying in a hospital bed, the machine clicking away beside him. He turned to see Hitomi’s eyes fill with tears, before rushing to hug him. " I—I was so afraid that I might have lost you for good," she said, tears spilling down her cheeks. " So terribly afraid."

" Of course not. I wouldn’t leave you without saying goodbye, you know," Van whispered as he wiped the tears
from her face.

______" Well, you’re not saying goodbye, if I have anything to do about it," Hitomi said sternly," I’m going to take care of you till you’re all better again, understand!" Van chuckled then nodded, " Yes ma’am!" His face grew serious though as he took her hand and said. " I came because I thought you had forgotten about me and…and I missed you…"

______" I’d never forget you… Van. Not in a million years," Hitomi told him softly, resting her cheek on his chest. " I missed you too…more than you’ll ever know." She looked up to the sky and said a silent prayer of thanks that her wish was granted that they would meet again.

______Unaware of what Hitomi was thinking, Van looked out the window and thanked the stars above for granting his wish and letting them both be together once more…