Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Returning ❯ Chapter 1: ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne…

AN: Hi, everyone! Here's the next part of Returning. There's a bit more of a plot this time around. Anyway, hope you guys like it.

"Hello?" It was eight a.m., on a Saturday morning, and Hitomi was wondering who ever would be calling her then.

"Hey, it's me. I was wondering, want to go to the mall?" Yukari chirped out.

Hitomi shrugged, a gesture which obviously wasn't seen my Yukari. "I guess so…I have some news to tell you."

"What is it? Come on, tell me!"

Hitomi shook her head. "Nope. You have to wait till I see you. So, meet you at the mall in thirty minutes?"

"Yep. See you."

"See you." Hitomi hung up, and then got ready. She hadn't slept very well last night, which was to be expected, but she was doing okay. Taking a shower helped wake her up even more, and after getting dressed, grabbing a muffin and a cup of tea, she was ready to go and meet Yukari.

* * *

Driving to the mall, she had time to think. She thought over her life, well, what it had been like since she was fifteen, and had returned to Earth. Her life had changed drastically. Not only with her problems, but with other things as well. For instance, her mother for one thing started treating her more as an adult, as if she knew she had changed during her stay in Gaia. At sixteen, she had gotten her drivers license, and her parents had surprised her with a car. It was almost if her mother knew something had happened, which was ridiculous. Of course she didn't…but the feeling was still there.

Hitomi shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, thinking of something else, like her outfit. Tight fitting jeans with a white lacey, see-through blouse and a pale green cardigan over it. She had never thought she would wear a shirt, where you could see right through it to her white bra underneath, but Yukari had convinced her to buy it. And the only way she'd wear it was with a cardigan, or something else over it. Still, she liked it a lot, and it had been expensive. Or her shoes, which were ankle boots, made out of nice well worn leather. They had no buttons or ties, and were just to slip on, with a bit of a heel. The tops were turned out, and they went about an inch above her ankle just like the ones Van used to always wear, except his were brown… No! I will not think about Van! For heaven's sake, I'm getting, married in two weeks. I can't think of him… but the problem was she wanted to.

She tried to focus on something else, the stores she drove past, on the way to the mall. A supermarket, a bookstore, a doctor's office, and a video store, advertising a fantasy game with a man fighting a dragon, which extremely resembled the one Van fought when they first met… Not that again…come, think of something else…food? No, remember the food in Gaia, and how strange it was? No! Animals? The animals were so different there…No! Yukari! There… Her thoughts settled, and Hitomi concentrated on meeting her best friend.

Yukari had been her first friend, and best friend since they were little. It was Kindergarten when they first met, and they had become fast friends. They had no secrets from each other, and she and Amano had been the only ones she had told about Gaia and Van…No! Can't I ever stop thinking of him? I'm getting married! I've moved along with my life! I'm nineteen years-old, about to graduate college, getting married, and moving away with my new husband. This is ridiculous, I have to let him go. And she had made up her mind. The problem was that she wasn't sure how to let him go. But, as she reached the mall, she decided that would have to wait. First she had to talk to her best friend.

* * *

She started towards Yukari's favourite store, Hot Topics, their designated meeting place. The store had everything in it, which could be considered cool, and in, such as clothing, posters of rock groups, plush animals, and other various objects. Hitomi had to admit she liked it as well. As she neared it, she saw Yukari waiting for her, outside the store.

Yukari waved. "Hitomi! Here!"

Hitomi smiled, and walked up to her. "Hi."

Yukari smiled, and grabbed her hand. "Come, let's go, I really want to check out this new CD of the Mystics. It's supposed to be so cool." She grabbed Hitomi's left hand and then froze, as she felt the ring. She brought her hand up to her face, admiring the ring. "Hitomi, is there anything you'd like to say to me?"

Hitomi blushed. "Umm, yes? Bradley proposed last night, and it was so late when we got back that I didn't want to call you up then. And then I forgot this morning."

Yukari grinned. "Nice ring. So, you're getting married. What's the date? And I'm the Maid of Honour, of course…oh, we have to pick out dresses! That'll be so cool! We'll have to stop by the bridal salon while we're here, they have gorgeous dresses." Yukari hurriedly made wedding plans.

"Yukari, slow down. We're getting married in exactly two weeks from today, the week after we graduate. And here's some more news. We're moving away, a few days after we get married. Bradley took this job, but they'd only let me come with if we were married. It's a great job, though. And we definitely should stop by the bridal salon. Yes, you are my Maid of Honour, and I know that Bradley will ask Amano to be Best Man. As for dresses, we'll see at the bridal Salon." Hitomi finished replying to Yukari's many questions.

Yukari started bouncing. "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Let's hurry in Hot Topics, so we can go to Madame Tresain's Bridal Shop." She pulled Hitomi into the store.

After Yukari had purchased her CD, she pulled Hitomi into Madame Tresain's. They were met by a young woman with her haired swept up onto her head, and wearing a business suit. "I am Annette, the Manager. Is there something I can help you with?"

Hitomi was about to answer, but Yukari beat her to it. "This is my friend, Hitomi. She's getting married in exactly two weeks, and I'm the Maid of Honour. We need dresses, as well as suits, flowers, decorations, a caterer, and everything, but we'll start with the dresses."

Annette eyed Hitomi. "Congratulations. Now, first we have to find a theme, so that we can look for dresses. Any favourite colours? Or a theme you want to have?"

Yukari again answered. "Traditional, with colours we'd both look good in."

Annette raised her brows. "Traditional? So, white dress, tux, and no ancient Roman theme, or Medieval theme? Those are the vogue at the moment."

Yukari thought for a second. "Well, maybe ancient Rome would be a good theme…or Jungle. A jungle wedding would be-"

"-Just the theme you can have when you get married. But, I want traditional." Hitomi cut in.

"But what about Medieval? That would be really cool, and since the traditional wedding ceremony came form that-"

"Yukari, no." Just thinking of Medieval times made her think of Van, and how Gaia was so Medieval like. "I want traditional, and that's it."

Annette, who had been watching the display, nodded. "Traditional it is then. And for colours…Green, a dark green, and…" She studied Yukari, "maybe a dark maroon. Yes…I think that'd be perfect. The colours are dark, so we add some pale blue and pale yellow into the decorations, and we have it perfect. And for dresses, have you got any ideas?"

Yukari was about to speak up, when Hitomi stopped her. "Not really. I just came to kind of look around. I have no idea what would be good."

Annette studied Hitomi again. "We'll start with you, because you're the bride. White, you said. Long sleeves, or short? Wait, this is summer, how about sleeveless?" She made a circle around Hitomi. "Yes, sleeveless, with a bit of a train, and a long veil. Sort gloves, to the wrist. Ribbons, but no lace, edging the dress. Hidden zipper in the back. With heels, not too high, maybe an inch, closed toe." She stood in front of Hitomi.

Hitomi froze at how fast she had gone. "Oh…is that it?"

Annette laughed. "No. I need to see if we have anything in stock…here." She pulled a beautiful dress off a rack, and shoved Hitomi into a changing room. "Try this on." She rummaged through a display of shoes, coming up with heels, and grabbed a pair of gloves, as well as a veil off of a rack. "The veil leave for now, I need to adjust it, but put everything else on."

Hitomi did so, wondering if all this was needed. When she stepped out of the changing room, Yukari gasped. "Oh, that's perfect on you."

Annette was nodding her head. "I agree." She walked around Hitomi again, and adjusted the skirt. "Now for the veil." She pulled out a veil that was a wreath with the white lace training down, and ribbons trailing as well. "I think this should match the dress." She walked over to Hitomi and arranged it on her head. "Perfect."

Hitomi walked over to a mirror, and looked at herself. Yes, the dress was beautiful, and so was everything else. But she was missing the groom she wanted. She shook her head. She was marrying Bradley, and that was that. "It's gorgeous…wow."

Annette laughed. "Yes, it is gorgeous. Now, we have to move onto the bridesmaid dress. There's only one?"

Hitomi nodded, shooting Yukari a glance to keep her mouth shut. "Yes. Yukari's the Maid of Honour, and other than that, that's it. I'm not sure if we're having a flower girl, but if we do, it'll be a cousin of Bradley's, Laura. And for the ring bearer, it'll probably be another cousin of his, Jackson. And my brother will also be in the wedding, not to mention that both of our parents need fitting attire."

Annette had been taking notes, and then looked up. "And you want all of this done in two weeks?"

Hitomi blushed. "Well, yes. He proposed last night, and we're leaving in a little of two weeks, for his new job. It's kind of urgent."

Annette put on a tight smile. "Well, then, you'll have to come in every day then, to get everything done. The dress needs some alterations so it's made especially for you, I need to trim the veil, and then we also need the dresses for the flower girl, both mothers and any other female participant in the wedding. Not to mention that the men are going to need suits, but I assume you are going to rent them?"

Hitomi nodded. "Yes. We talked about it last night. I also need to go to a florist this afternoon, and call the caterer. And Bradley said he'd arrange for the chapel and reception hall. We're doing invitations tonight."

Annette raised her eyebrows. "All right, then. Tomorrow bring in any woman in the wedding party. We'll also do her dress then." She said, motioning towards Yukari. "I'll begin working on your dress tonight, so hopefully that will be done."

Hitomi nodded, and then pulled her cell phone out of her purse when it started to ring. "Excuse me, please." She ducked into a changing room. "Hello?"

The reception wasn't great inside of the changing room, but it was okay. "Hi, Hitomi, it's me." Bradley's voice sounded statically.

She smiled. "Hi."

"Yes, well, I was wondering if we could meet for lunch? Then we can go over details. I managed to get the chapel, and the reception hall. Have you called the caterers yet?"

"No, but right now I'm standing in a bridal shop. I have a dress, and everything I'm going to need. Tomorrow I have to come back bringing every woman who's going to be in the wedding party. Pass that on to your mother for me."

"Will do. So, can we meet for lunch? I'll call the caterer, and you can do the florist."

"Sure…where are we meeting?"

"How about noon at Fernelli's?"

"All right. Bye."

"Love you."

"You too. Bye." And she hung up. Why is it that I can never say 'I love you' to him? He's said it often enough to me, but I can never say it back… and then the realisation hit her. She had learned never to lie, and she had also learned that it was almost down right impossible for her to lie. And saying that she loved him, like that at least, was a lie…right? But then why was she even marrying him? She shook her head. There was no time to think of that now.

Annette smiled as she came out. "Everything okay?"

Hitomi managed a small smile. "Yes, we're just meeting for lunch, and discussing invitations, probably, as well as other things. We're meeting at noon, so I'll have to go in about five minutes."

Annette shrugged. "No problem. All you need to do is come back tomorrow."

Hitomi gathered up her jacket, and Yukari already had hers on. "Of course. I'll be back tomorrow…when?"

Annette flipped through a calendar. "At ten?"

Hitomi nodded. "Perfect. See you there."

* * *

After parting ways with Yukari, Hitomi drove to Fernelli's. She parked her car, and got out, pausing to check herself in the mirror on the way in. It was a habit she picked up from her mother, and now she always did it. She walked in, and spotted Bradley. She put on a smile, and sat down.

Bradley looked up. "Hey. So how did it go?"

She picked up the menu. "Fine. Tomorrow at ten I have to go back with everyone else."

Bradley nodded, and called a waiter over. "I'd like the small steak meal, and a glass of coke, please."

The waiter turned to Hitomi. "I'd like the Salad and Soup bar and…a Sprite."

"Very good." The waiter bowed and took the menus away.

Bradley suddenly turned to her. "Just a Soup and Salad Bar?"

She shrugged. "I'm not that hungry and-"

Bradley finished for her. "-And I don't you beginning to starve yourself again."

Hitomi stared at him shocked. "I am not trying to starve myself again. I'll have you know that I go to the doctor every two weeks, and I'm right where I should be. I'm going to start going once a month now. I haven't starved myself since I was seventeen, you should know that."

Bradley grabbed her hand. "I know, but I can't help being worried. Yukari told me how Amano was supposed to go away, but didn't after he saw what condition you were in. She told me how you disappeared, how your mother said you were sick, and how right after that is when you began to starve yourself. When I came, you were still spending weekends in the hospitable. Don't tell me not to be worried. And somehow I don't think what ever made you starve yourself in the first place ever went away. If you ever want to be fully healed, you have to let it go." He continued on, not paying attention to her shocked face.

"I've been doing some reading, and I went to talk to your doctor. I also talked to Yukari and Amano. They both hinted that they knew exactly what the reason was, but they wouldn't say. All I can guess is that it happened during the few days of school you missed when you were fifteen, when your mother said that you were sick. Something happened n that period of time, and I want to know what. Kids at school said that you used to read tarot cards, and were really good at them. But I didn't even know that you had tarot cards, let alone that you could read them to an extent that they would always tell the correct future. So, I need to know. I'm about to be your husband, and you shouldn't be keeping big secrets from me." Bradley ended, and looked at Hitomi, whose mouth was opened in shock. "Well? Are you going to tell me?"

Hitomi shook her head, clearing her thoughts, and closed her mouth. "First of all, I can't believe you went to my doctor. There is such a thing called patient-client privilege. But you probably looked into my files when his back was turned, am I right?" At Bradley's blush, she continued on.

"And what you said about Tarot card, well, maybe I stopped reading them because I just didn't want to. Or maybe because I got tired of reading them. Or maybe I lost the gift. And for your information, I was sick, at home, in bed, when I missed those days in tenth grade. Ask my mother." She took a deep breath, ad stood up, grabbing her purse. "I am fine, Bradley, I am doing fine, I am not going to begin starving myself, and you will never ever have any idea of what I went through when I was sick, and the years after that. I felt as if my heart was ripped out. I felt awful. You know what?" She put on her jacket. "I almost died. Three months after I got back, I was very close to dying. If I had gone one minute later to the hospitable, I'd be dead. You understand nothing." And she took off, running to her car.

* * *

She didn't know where she was going, she only knew that she was going somewhere away. What Bradley had done was unforgivable. How could Bradley fathom what she had gone through? She had told Amano and Yukari, and though they had been sympathetic, Yukari had admitted that she had no idea how Hitomi could be feeling inside. No one could know. There was a difference from your lover moving across the world, and from your lover being in a totally different world. A huge difference.

Truth be told, Hitomi had been entertaining an idea of telling Bradley everything. She had attempted to tell her mother, but the words never came out. And something told her that her mother might have suspected that something like that had happened. After all, the pendant was her grandmother's. But telling Bradley was different now. He had just betrayed her trust. And the stupid thing was that none of this would have happened if Bradley hadn't complained about her getting a Salad Bar. He knew that a Salad Bar consisted of an 'all-you-can-eat' serving system, where she could keep on going back and back. And she wasn't hungry, well, not very much. What was it any business of Bradley's?

She stopped by a gas station, and bought some chips to munch on. She had lost her appetite, but she knew she had to eat something every meal time. One missed meal could screw everything up, and put her in the hospitable again. She drove along, eating chips as she drove, stopping when she got to a forest, and an area where people could picnic or hike.

She wandered around the trail, thoughts jumbled in her head. Like it or not, I'm marrying Bradley in two weeks. But can I even? I found out last night that I don't love him like that. But being with Van is impossible, and Bradley's the only one who will marry me. And I do like Bradley for the most part, it's just, marriage? And after what happened to day…can I ever have a moment of privacy? He broke into the doctor's files, for heaven's sake. And does Van even remember me? We haven't talked in a year, and the last time before that was six months before. He's a King, and needs a Queen and an Heir, he probably already has one. I just don't know what to do… She found a bench, and sat down, crying her eyes out. Life wasn't fair, and she knew that already. But neither was Fate, when it played games like this. Maybe it was time to read a bit of Fate's plans…no! She wasn't going to take out her tarot cards. She rarely had visions anymore, and she wasn't going to try and play with fate.

She made her way back to her car, driving to the next town. It was four in the afternoon, already, and she wasn't going to have anytime to call the florist. She didn't care.

* * *

The town was known for it's oddities, and there was a small street, with odd, curio shops. Hitomi walked down it, looking into the windows, when she stopped. She felt oddly pulled towards a shop back in the corner, and walked towards it. She wasn't sure why she was doing this. If it was a vision, then things would be different. She had never had such a feeling.

She walked to it, and opened the door, ducking through the blue velvet curtain protecting it from the outside sun. Hitomi blinked, looking around at all the odd, dusty wares. There were candles, incense, dishes, herbs, books, and Hitomi froze. She was standing in a magic shop. There were lunar calendars on the walls, posters of herbs, and a box of tarot cards. She immediately shied away from the tarot cards.

Just then a bell rung, and a woman dressed in long and flowing skirts walked out. She eyed Hitomi. "May I help you?"

Hitomi shook her head. "No…I was just going."

The woman kept her gaze steady on Hitomi. "Why come in, then?"

Hitomi shrugged. "Umm…I don't know." The woman's gaze never left Hitomi's. She blushed and sighed. "All right, to tell the truth, I had a feeling I should come in."

"A feeling?" The woman's voice was light. "I see. So a magic worker."

Hitomi shook her head. "No, not at all."

The woman shook her head. "Well, even then, come in. You have an interesting aura around you."

"Aura?" Hitomi asked, following the woman.

"Yes. Every living thing has an aura…green for plant life, brown for earth, orange for animal and human, blue for celestial, and purple normally symbolizes magic. But you have a white aura, which I've never seen." The woman stopped at a table. "Please, sit."

Hitomi did so. "How does one see auras?"

The woman pulled out a stack of something in a black velvet cloth. "Practice. Looking not at the people, but in them. One can see every secret as well, when one wants, and can also manipulate. But manipulation is Dark Magic." She unfolded the cloth, and Hitomi gasped. It was a stack of tarot cards.

"Ma'am, I-"

The woman cut her off. "Shush. Just let the Fates have their way." She lit a candle. "I never introduced myself. I am Madame Trevail. And you are?"

Hitomi bowed her head. "Hitomi Kanzaki."

"Nice to meet you, Hitomi. Now, are you left handed, or right handed?"

Hitomi had already held out her right hand. Though she had only had had her own fortune read twice in her life, both times where when she was very small, she knew that sometimes a Reader would ask the Seeker to hold out their hand, to ensure they were reading the right fortune.

Madame Trevail looked surprised. She hadn't been expecting Hitomi to know what to do, the girl had an intellectual look to her, one that seemed like she wouldn't believe in such things. But instead, Hitomi was cooperating. "Very good, my dear." She laid the card out on the table.

Hitomi held her breath, and willed herself not to look. Unfortunately, Madame Trevail noticed. "Come, dear, look at your cards. I must explain them to you."

Hitomi did so, and stared, as Madame Trevail continued her reading. "A nice childhood, until your fifteenth year. A journey and a love. Then sorrow, turned back by the help of friends, friends that mean very much to you." Madame Trevail then read the future. "A joining, in a marriage, but there is time to stop it. A journey, sorrow, but at the end, joy." She turned over the next card, and Hitomi gasped.

"El Guizido, the Judge…a person will come back to me, in a hard situation." Hitomi broke in, and Madame Trevail looked up surprised.

"You also read the card of Fate?"

Hitomi shook her head. "Not anymore."

Madame Trevail lifted up her head. "After your journey, I see. Your journey meant a lot to you, and so did the love you left behind, your true love."

Hitomi, who had been holding in everything, let it all out. "I love Van, I really do, and I don't feel the same about Bradley, but if I don't marry Bradley, then there's no one else left! I can't be with Van, it's impossible! And he's the one I truly love. I've been tricking myself, trying to believe I love Bradley, but it doesn't work anymore!" Tears streaming down her face, she fumbled for a tissue.

Madame Trevail shook her head. "Don't cry. The Fates have a plan with your life, and you need to let them do their work."

Hitomi nodded, drying her tears. "I know. When I was fifteen, I used to always read the tarot cards. I was well known through out school for doing that. Then I went on my 'journey', and everything changed. When I got back, I decided that I shouldn't play with Fate anymore, that I should just let Fate do her work. 'The future is always in motion'. I haven't picked up, or looked at tarot cards in over four years."

Madame Trevail nodded, and stood up, walking over to a book shelf. "You receive vision, don't you? Your 'feeling' about coming in here was also a vision, right?"

Hitomi shrugged. "I'm not really sure. I sometimes still get visions, but not as often as I used to. But this 'feeling' is new."

Madame Trevail smiled, and pulled out a few books. "I'm going to give you these books, and I want you to read them. One is about reading the Light, one is about your visions, and other things of that calibre, and the other is a beginning course of magic."

Hitomi looked up. "Like saying spells to get it to rain? Hokus Pokus? Or like the Wiccan magic?"

Madame Trevail laughed. "No, not at all! What I mean is using your magical energy around you to do things. Not everyone is born with magic, and the real kind of magic is something one has to be born with. It has to do with auras, and everything. That's why I'm giving you these books." She held out the old books, and Hitomi took them. "They're not in English, but I think you'll manage."

Hitomi flipped through them. "But they are in English."

Madame Trevail looked confused. "That can't be. I had to use my magic to be able to read them. That's another good way to practice magic, is to make everything understandable by reading their magic signatures. With this, one can understand animals, or read water…anything."

Hitomi shrugged, and flipped to the first page. It was the title page.

"A Beginner's Guide to Practical Magic

by Malitha Arbane

Published in Year 453 ad Atlantis, the twentieth year of King Aldric's Reign.

Asto---- Ga---"

Hitomi read the script out loud. "The place is missing, and the year is odd."

Madame Trevail shrugged. "That book is extremely old, and I don't know where it came from. Rumour has it that it came from another world."

Hitomi looked up quickly. "From another world? That could be…yes, it must be! See that Asto-? That could mean Astoria. And the Ga- could be Gaia! And I think there was a King Aldric of Astoria. And 453...that was about three hundred years ago, because Gaia is now on year 765, I think…and with the language, that also makes sense."

Madame Trevail watched Hitomi closely. "Well, my dear, then you should definitely have the books. If you can read them, and you know where they're from, then please take them."

Hitomi held them in her hands. "Are you sure? I mean, I just don't want to take your books from you."

Madame Trevail shook her head. "I insist, my dear. You seem to be familiar with that world. There was a woman who came in a few years ago, wearing such an odd, old fashioned dress. She could read the books as well, but didn't take them. She said she didn't need them, that she had already learned her magic. She never told me where she was from, but she left this coin." Madame Trevail reached into one of skirts, and pulled out a coin. She laid it on the table.

Hitomi looked at it closely, and froze. The coin read:

"One Gold,

Kingdom Fan---

Year 756

Interchangeable at any Golden country."

Hitomi froze. "Could this say Farnelia? The coins in Gaia had the same writing on them, and they used golden coins. And 'Golden Country', I think it was Van, or maybe it was Allen, or even Millerna, who said that the Golden Countries were the fifteen countries in Gaia which were part of the Gaian Council."

Madame Trevail smiled. "I do not know my dear. Through my magic I know that we are not alone in this universe, and that the woman was from somewhere far away. All I know of her was this coin she left behind, and her name."

"What was her name?" Hitomi was almost breathless.

Madame Trevail smiled. "She was dressed elegantly, like a queen. She had long, green hair, and blue eyes. Her name was-"

"-Varyie." Hitomi cut in, knowing who it was. Varyie Farnel, Van's mother, the only pure Draconian left, who was thought dead, but Hitomi wasn't very sure if she really was, or not.

Madame Trevail raised her brows. "So you know her?"

Hitomi blushed. "I've met her before, and I know her second son very well, and I've met her older son."

Madame Trevail nodded her head with understanding. "This second son, he is the love you left behind on your journey, am I right?"

Hitomi bowed her head. The blush on her cheeks gave her away. Madame Trevail smiled. "No worries, my dear. We never finished your reading, but I don't think we need to. You already know what Fate has in store for you, through your visions, and your love is strong. You have the power, love and will to conquer anything that comes into your path."

Hitomi nodded, and stood up, gathering her jacket and purse. "Thanks, Ma'am." She started towards the door, holding her books.

Madame Trevail walked her to the door, and smiled after she left. "Adne was right, she did come."

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Madame Trevail shut the door, and locked it. It was now after six, and no one else should be coming in. She dusted the candles, and blew them out, all except one. The one candle she left burning was a dark blue taper candle, and burned steadily all day long. It was never to be put out, and only was to go out by itself,, which hopefully wouldn't happen for hundreds of years. The Candle of Time, it was called, and fit the name perfectly. It had been burning ever since the beginning of time, and would only go out when Time was finished, and the world it had been made in was finished, destroyed.

After checking on The Candle of Time, she walked into the back room. Madame Trevail wasn't her real name, but to tell someone your real name meant that evil forces could use it against you. It was better to use another. She went to a box in the corner, and pulled out candles, setting then in the pentagram star shape. Placing a golden dish with one lock of hair in it in the middle of the pentagram, she brought out a piece of paper and a quill. She lie the candles, and the Calling began.

"Adne, Adne, come to me." A shape of a young woman appeared in the middle of the circle. She had golden brown curls, and would be quite pretty if she wasn't just a spirit. The spirit looked to be about twenty, though in real life she was in her late sixties. A spirit was all that it was, an echo of the person, their 'real' self, unhindered by age or the world.

"Tess. You called." Tess was part of her real name, but not all, same as Adne was only part of Adne's real name.

"I did. She came to me today, and told me that a feeling brought her here."

Adne thought for a second. "A feeling? Yes, that could be. I'm afraid that she'll lose her visions if she doesn't nurture them."

"I gave her three books. She passed the test, she knew where they were from."

Adne nodded, her form sweeping over the table in an invisible wind. "Good, she will learn them, that I am sure. But hopefully it won't be too late. As I speak, Dra is working on bringing her here."

"But you are there, you can protect her."

Adne shook her head. "Tess, forget not that I am old, and my powers are weakening from being with Dra so long. If I could free myself of my chains, I could escape, and my magic would replenish itself. But to escape, I need help, and if she were here, then she'd also be put in chains."

"But what does Dra want in the first place?"

"The Power in the amulet. Dra wishes for all the power, and, if he were to get it, he'd be unstoppable."

Madame Trevail raised her eyebrows. "I thought Dra already was unstoppable."

Adne shook her head. "Not yet. Dra is powerful, but not unstoppable. A strong Will and Love would defeat Dra."

Madame Trevail finally understood. "And she has both."

Adne nodded. "Yes, but Dra doesn't know that. Her Love and Will make her immune to Dra's magic."

"Then she could help you escape!"

Adne shook her head. "No, she could not. She could free herself, but she couldn't escape with me, for she could not free me."

Madame Trevail bowed her head. "What are we to do, then?"

Adne stayed floating. "That I myself do not know. Wait. Call me every night. I will watch. I am needed now. Farewell." She disappeared from the spot.

Madame Trevail shook her head. Adne was an interesting person to say the least, and a very wise and powerful sorceress. She always left Madame Trevail with a feeling of oddness, whenever she left. Adne had helped teach her about the power and responsibility of magic, and had become a good friend.

She sighed, and blew out the candles, going up a rickety staircase to her living quarters. Hopefully Adne could be saved.

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"And so we agreed, and thought it would be a good idea for Your Majesty to invite the various royal and noble families in Gaia, and have a big celebration, in one month." Daris, Van's Royal Advisor said, shooting Van a look.

Van looked up. He hadn't really been paying attention, and he knew that Daris for one would be on him if he knew. "Of course, sure, do what you want."

Daris got a smile on his face. "Of course, Your Majesty, I will write immediately to King Wren, and tell him you agree to your engagement with his daughter."

"WHAT?" Van jumped up. "I am not marrying that Princess." He looked around, when he realised that his Council had burst into laughter. "What is it?"

Daris shook his head. "You really should be paying attention. King Wren does not want you to marry his daughter, seeing how she's seven years old. The real point was that you weren't paying attention."

Van stared at him suspiciously. "Then what did I agree to?"

"In one month Farnelia and you are hosting a ball, consisting of every royal family, and most noble families." Daris said, smirking.

Van's eyes widened as his mouth dropped open. "Every family?"

"Every family that accepts the invitation. I assume most will, especially those with unmarried daughters."

Van shook his head. "You, Daris, are evil."

Daris shrugged. "All in a day's work. I suggest you start the servants cleaning." He walked out of the room, and the rest of the Royal Council followed after him, stifling their laughter.

Van sat there and kept shaking his head. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Deserve what?" Merle said, crouching in a chair. Merle might have been eighteen, but she still did sometimes act as a kitten.

Van shook his head. "Oh, nothing. In a month every single royal, and probably most noble families are going to come visit us, especially if they have an unmarried daughter who's old enough to be married off."

Merle started to clean her paw. "I see. And what's wrong with this?"

"Maybe the fact that the palace has to be turned inside out, everything has to be cleaned, and I'm going to have tons of unmarried women running around, trying to get me to fall in love with them. Do you think that might be a problem, Merle?" Van's sarcastic ness wasn't lost on Merle.

"All right, I guess that'd be a problem for you." She changed paws.

Van then got an idea, and smirked. "Oh, you know, I need someone to entertain all of them, and I think you'd be perfect."

Merle stopped in mid lick. "What?" She jumped up.

Van smirked. "You heard. The guests need entertainment, and I'm also sure some have brought small children with, who need to be played with. I think the job would be perfect for you."

"But they'll pull my whiskers! And my tail!" Merle said, horrified.

Van shrugged. "Well, there's something else you could do."

Merle looked up at him, eyes wide. "Please, Highness, tell me!"

"You can keep all the eligible princess and noble women away from me." He smiled, and walked out of the room.

Merle stared after him. "What?"

* * *

"Majesty, hand me that saw please." A carpenter motioned towards it, and Van grabbed it. Even though the Capital City had been completed years ago, there had been a small fire at an inn, and it needed to be repaired.

Van did so, and continued nailing the boards in place. "When should this be done by?"

The carpenter thought for a moment. "A day? It's lucky it didn't burn to the ground. Then it'd take probably a week. But since all we have to do is replace a wall, and part of the roof, it should be fine."

Van nodded. "Wonderful."

The carpenter sawed for a bit, and then passed the board to Van. "Pardon me for asking, Majesty, but why are you helping? We could probably have managed it without your Majesty, though it probably would have taken longer. When we hung that sign on the Gates, we didn't expect you to come and help."

Van shrugged. "First of all, I had nothing to do. Second of all, it helps me escape Merle, who's probably after my head, third of all, you said so yourself that it would take longer with out me, and fourth of all, because this is my country, I can't very well just ignore it. You hung a sign asking for help, and it's my duty to help my people." He nailed the board in place.

The carpenter shook his head. "You really are a legend, Majesty."

Van shrugged. "I don't think so. I'm just a King who cares about his people." He nailed the last board in place. "There. Finished. Is there something else that needs to be done?"

The carpenter looked around, and looked at the roof. "The roof needs to be repaired, but it's hard to get up there, and it's unstable. We're going to make a harness, to get someone up there."

Van thought for a second. He knew what he could do, but he was hesitant about doing it. Revealing his wings to the entire town was not necessarily a good idea, but if it was the only option… "Thatch, is it possible to even make a harness?"

The carpenter shrugged. "I don't know, Majesty. We'll have to see, in any case, we won't get it finished today." He nodded towards the sun, where it was slowly setting.

Van looked, and saw all the people sitting on the side, everyone who had been staying at the inn. "And what are you proposing to do with all these people?"

Thatch sighed. "I don't know, your Majesty. I suppose they'll have to sleep inside here."

Van eyed the building. "But it isn't finished yet."

Thatch shrugged. "There ain't any other place."

"The palace. We have more than enough rooms there, and I can also work on getting this roof fixed."

Thatch stared at the King. He wasn't originally from Farnelia, actually, he had come here after the Great War, when his old town was destroyed. Now he worked in the Capital with his own shop. He had seen the King before, and knew that he was just, kind and an excellent ruler. Not to mention that he was a hero of the Great War. But a king offering his own palace to a bunch of peasants? And planning on fixing the roof by himself? "Your Majesty, are you sure? There are quite a lot of people who need food and shelter."

Van shook his head, and held up a hand, stopping Thatch's protests. "I will contact the servants, and they will have as many rooms ready as needed, and dinner will be prepared right away. And while everyone is settling in, I will go and finish the roof. What must I do?"

Thatch scratched his head. "Well, if you're sure, then these shingles need to be nailed on to these slabs of wood, which need to be nailed onto the black tar paper which covers the frame."

Van nodded. "So first Tar paper, then wood then shingles?"

Thatch nodded. "Yes-"

"Then go back to the castle…has anyone a piece of paper and something to write with?" Van asked, buckling a tool belt around his waist. Paper was handed to him. He scribbled something down. "Give this to the servant at the door, and he will arrange everything."

Thatch took the note, and had all the people follow him, reading it.

"Miles,

Please prepare a feast for all these people, and have rooms made up. The inn collapsed and everyone who stayed there needs a place to spend the night.

Van de Farnel,

&King of Farnelia&"

Thatch shook his head in amazement. King Van really was an amazing king.

* * *

After watching the people walk away, Van made sure the coast was clear, and then sprouted his wings, grabbing the tar paper. He flew up to the roof, and began working. It wasn't a very hard job, but it was time consuming, and Van knew that if he didn't have wings, the job would take a lot longer.

He finished nailing the tar paper down, and then grabbed the boards, flying back up. He was glad he was alone, and had some peace. In the palace, he was never truly left alone. There was always someone nearby, and he was always on call. Here, he was alone with the inn, the air and the stars. He looked up, and saw the Moon of Illusions. What I would do to have her standing next to me right now."

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All right, this has been finished for a week, okay, more than a week, and I finally decided to post it. I'd like to thank Marisa for beta-ing for me. Anyway, I have the third part done, and am working on the fourth. So, I hope you liked it. Please review.

-Jennie 8/30/2002