A/N: We're four authors of fanfiction.net, who have decided to pull their resources together, and write one fantastic Van/Hitomi story. We are, emily, Marilyn N, Oki Mya, and Phantom Angel. I'm sure most of you know us. Well, here we are, writing a story together. It's one chapter per author, and we're going to tell you at the end who wrote each chapter. We appreciate all comments from you as always, so please don't hesitate to review. What else, hmm…V/H romance, so just sit back and enjoy the ride!!!!!!

Chapter 1 ~ Realisation

"Congratulation, to Ms. Hitomi Kanzaki, who is now the youngest graduate of Yamachia College. Please come up on stage and receive your Valedictorian Award." The man said.

A murmur of agreement and cheers went through the crowd as a young slender woman in a black robe stood up smiling. She had shoulder-length brown hair, slightly darker than the sandy colour that characterised her during adolescence. She walked on stage, with a casual step, almost like she was meeting her friends for lunch.

"I don't know what to say, except it wasn't possible to do this without the help and support of my friends and family. Thank you very much, it was an honour and privilege to be a student of Yamachia College. To my friends, we've survived, and now we can finally embark on the journey of our lives. It's time to flip a new page in the book of life, and begin by writing down our goals." She spoke calmly into the microphone. "And thank you Van. I could have never got this far without your endless support." She thought mentally. "I know you're there, why so quiet all of a sudden?" she asked, and smiled. She just loved it when Van "watched" her. There was that familiar feeling of tingling going through her. That meant that he was there.

"Hmm… you know me so well. We'll talk when you get home. This is your big moment. I knew you could do it. Congratulations… Hitomi." He told her, and closed the connection. However, Hitomi could still feel him there, watching. The lone angel whom for four years guarded her life.

Hitomi smiled at the crowd, and stepped down from the stage. A deafening cheer shook the room. However, Hitomi was oblivious to any sounds. All she could think about was Van. She had been on the Phantom Moon – It was odd how she couldn't think of it as Earth anymore - for four years, completing her education, and succeeding in everything she tried. Her connection with Van had strengthened, and they would chat whenever each of them had time. They used to "watch" each other.

"Watching" was something Hitomi had invented while reading a book on meditation. It would just be when one of them would go into a deep state of concentration, and think of the other. Then, it would be like looking through each other's eyes. Then their thoughts would be much easily transmitted. Hitomi would always know Van was watching her, when she felt a tingly feeling in her stomach. Much like she was feeling now. She had attended his ceremonies, and he had attended hers. Through the years, they had provided endless support for each other.

Hitomi still loved Van with all her heart. So much, that on peaceful night, her heart would ache with longing. To feel him there beside her, to be able to touch his raven hair, to be able to smell that familiar field smell, to be able to hug his lean, yet muscular body. "Is this what I truly want?" Hitomi asked herself. She couldn't know. Right now, the euphoria of being the youngest person to ever graduate from college was still sinking in her head. She had done it. In two years, she had managed to complete four college years. Now, she was on her way to her first job. "Will I be able to stand the forever aching of my heart?" Hitomi asked herself. It was getting harder and harder every day not to pull out that white feather and wish herself to Gaea. "I can't leave my family, I can't leave all I have here. I still want to stay." She decided quickly, and then went to join her friends. In her step though, you could see a hesitation similar to that of a tormented soul. No one that knew her could ever guess the internal turmoil of her nineteen-year-old soul. Not even her family knew what had happened to her all those months. Hitomi said she couldn't remember, and they were too grateful to have her back to question her further.

~~~~

On Gaea, the king of Fanelia broke his connections with the Phantom Moon, and with a loud sigh walked towards the window. It was night, yet sleep was eluding him. Thoughts of the girl living on the silvery orb in the sky were flooding his mind. He had just witnessed her graduation from something called "college". Van let another sign escape his tight chest. "She looked so happy there. How could I ever offer her anything remotely close to what she has there? Why do I keep hoping she'll come back to me? I'm a fool." He thought, and spread his wings.

With slow powerful thrusts of his ivory wings, Van flew to the roof of his castle. Th roof was his "hiding" place. It was where he came to calm his throbbing heart. "Hitomi, how can you ever guess how much I love you? How much I want you to be here with me. God Hitomi, I can't live like this anymore. It's killing me, and it's killing you. I wish you could come back to me, but I can't ever ask that of you. I mean, you love it there on the Phantom Moon. I wish I could stop loving you. Why does it have to hurt so much? Why are you doing this to me? If you'd love me, you'd come back, but you don't! You don't and I can't stop loving you! I hate this!" his heart screamed out.

Everyday, he had woken up with the hope that maybe, maybe he'd find her sitting in the doorway, smiling at him in that same wonderful way he remembered. Everyday he hoped he could smell her smell, and hug her, and just hold her there beside him forever. And everyday, that dream remained nothing but a dream. "That's it Kanzaki. How can you be so unfeeling? How can you not see what I feel for you? I can't believe this! I've waited enough! I'm sick of your games. You're nothing but a Phantom girl, and I live in a real world. No more!" Van's angry heart thought. (however, the connection with Hitomi was closed) "I am sick of your games! I can't stand this pain anymore. You, you may have stolen my heart for four years, but I want it back! No more of you and your ways! That's it! No more!" Van yelled. He then ripped the pendant he had from her, and held it over the rim of the roof. "No more! I don't want to think of you anymore! I don't want to love you anymore! It hurts too much!" he screamed angrily. However, he didn't let the pendant fall. He stuffed it in his pocket, and flew back to his room again. There, (after pulling in his wings) he stuffed it in the deepest corner of his drawer, vowing to completely forget about its existence, and the existence of the girl on the Phantom Moon.

~~~~

That night, after the banquet, Hitomi came home, and went straight to her room. After hours of thinking, she had finally reached a conclusion. Here on the Phantom Moon was not where she belonged. It was not her heart's home. It was not where she felt at peace. Her family, they could manage without her. Hitomi was sure they would understand once she would explain them everything. She was going back. No more aching. Her heart was full of it. It was time to make up for lost time.

"Van? Van, are you there?" she focused and called Gaea.

"Yes, umm… Hitomi, I have something to tell you." He said.

"So do I. Oh god, I'm so excited, this feels so right! I think I'm going to faint. But you go first." She said.

"No that's all right, you can go." He said somewhat quickly.

"That's all right. What I've got to tell you is a real surprise. So you can go first. Come on, hurry! I need to go talk to my parents after!" she urged him.

"Fine. Hitomi, I don't think we should talk anymore. This isn't good for me. It's a daily distraction from my kingly duties. After all, Fanelia needs their king. You're all happy on the Phantom Moon, and I just can't do this anymore. I'm sorry, but I think it's time to move on. It's best for both of us" He said. His heart was throbbing with the intense feelings lurking there. He missed her so much, and all he wanted to do was just blurt out how much he loved her, however, those feelings were locked away based on the remains of an angry fit. The anger he was feeling at the moment took over his whole rationality.

There was silence on Hitomi's end. She was shocked. All these years, she thought he loved, her, and that he'd be glad to see that she finally returned to him. And now, she saw that he'd been only playing a game. Something to amuse him, but now that it was interfering with is work, he was throwing her aside.

"Well, I guess this is good bye." Van said, and severed the frail link that was connecting them.

Hitomi sat on the chair by her desk, tears rolling silently down her cheeks. Then, they began to come faster, and faster, as she realised what happened.

"No, no, I can't believe this. I'm too late. I'm too late. Why, I love you Van!" she slapped the desk with her clenched fist. "Van!" she cried out in anguish. There was no one on the other end to soothe her spirit. The pain enveloped her heart, like a dark cloud, tearing it to bits. Hitomi's body started to shake in small sobs of pain. Then, after a while, anger started to build up in her. For the first time in four years, she looked in the top drawer of her desk. There, were her tarot cards, wrapped in the silk hanky. Hitomi took them out.

"I hate you! I hate you! Why did you ever give me this gift? Why did you ever take me to Gaea? How could you? How could you break my heart like this! I hate you!" she screamed at them. Then, with a shaking hand, she looked in her pocket, where her friend's lighter was. Hitomi had forgot to return it to her. The slowly, one by one, Hitomi burned each of the 78 tarot cards in the deck, every time, thinking she was burning off more of her pain. As she watched them burn, one by one, Hitomi felt as her heart was returning to her. It was slowly mending back. Finally, the last card. The card she had purposely left for the end. The Lovers. Slowly, she brought the flame closer, and closer to it, until one of the corners caught fire. Hitomi smiled, as she watched the card burn, and turn to ashes. "Van, there's my love for you. There is, burning away. It will all be gone, by the time this all burns. All of it. I hate you, I can't believe you've led me on for so long. I can't believe this. It was all a game. You cheating rat. Well, I was going to come back, but I'm glad I let you go first. I DON'T WANT TO LOVE YOU ANYMORE!" she thought. The flame had burned almost half the card. Hitomi watched it consume more and more of it.

"Hitomi! Are you ok? What's that smell?" a voice came from outside her door. Quickly, Hitomi extinguished the flame.

"Nothing mom! Umm… it's some perfume my friends gave me!" she said quickly.

"Ok honey, you should rest up, you have a big day tomorrow." Her mom said, and opened the door to peek into her daughter's room.

"Ok mom." Hitomi turned around and smiled.

"Were you crying?" her mom asked.

"A little." Hitomi confessed.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, thanks a lot mom, see you in the morning." Hitomi said, and hugged her mom. After Mrs. Kanzaki left the room, Hitomi went back to the desk, where the half-burned card lay. She took out the white feather she had from Van, and put it over the card. Then, she lit the lighter again. Hitomi just stared at the feather, and the card, not daring to bring the flame close to them. "Oh Van, I hate me! I hate me for loving you so much when you don't give a damn!" she thought. The lighter dropped to the ground, and Hitomi quickly took the feather and the card, and shoved them in the farthest pocket of her suit. In her rage, she didn't care where she shoved them, as long as she shoved them somewhere. Then, she picked up the telephone, and dialled a number.

"Hello, Remy? This is Hitomi. Yeah, I know it's one o'clock, but I was wondering, do you want to have lunch with me tomorrow? That's great. One o'clock it is!" she said. The telephone then clicked into place, and Hitomi tucked herself in bed.

~~~~

(Three years later)

Hitomi was standing beside the tall windows of her office, looking outside on the grey city. It was summer, but surprisingly, this was a foggy cold day. Big rain droplets fell from the menacing clouds. "Hmm, this city's as grey as my heart." Hitomi thought, then turned with her back to the window. Today, unpleasant memories of her past were taking their toll, by replaying in her memory.

"Ms. Kanzaki, there's someone here to see you!" the intercom announced.

"Send them in." Hitomi said and sat down at her desk.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and revealed the tall stature of a young man. He had brown, almost black hair, and chocolate eyes.

"Remy!" Hitomi exclaimed surprised.

"Your lunch date is here!" she said smiling at her.

"Right, just a minute! Let me get my coat!" she said, and headed for the clothes rack, not before placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

"Well, I had planned something else, but how about the small ice cream shop in the lobby. It's a pretty ugly day outside." He suggested.

"Sure." Hitomi said, and smiled.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing." Hitomi told him.

"Come on, 'Tomi, I know something's wrong. What is it?" he asked her.

"Oh nothing, I'm just thinking of old friends. But that's what they are, nothing but old friends. So, you had something to tell me?" she asked him as they were calling the elevator.

"Yeah, I actually want to ask you something." He said and leaned closer to her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Gaea was burning once again. There was an old evil back there, and no one knew how to stop it. Everyone was dead. Gaddes, Merle, Allen, Millerna, Dryden, Van. Van, he was sitting in the middle of the burned castle, face down, with his wings open and sprayed with red blood. He tried to get up, but his strength failed him. He spat out some blood, and tried again. "You'll never win!" he said. "Gaea shall punish you." He whispered. "Hahha, the mighty Van Fanel is down. I've waited a long time for this!" a maniacal voice came from somewhere.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"No, no, it can't be!" Hitomi whispered. "I'm dreaming this. No, I don't want to. Nothing should ever happen again!" she shook her head in denial.

"Darling, did you say anything?" Remy asked.

"No, no, I thought I saw something, but it was nothing."

By this time, the elevator had stopped its descent, and Remy and Hitomi stepped out. They ordered two ice creams, and sat down at a table by the window.

"I have something for you." Remy said as Hitomi was quietly eating her ice cream.

"Oh?" she asked.

"Yeah, here." He said, and out of his coat brought a small blue velvet box. He slowly opened it, to reveal the most delicate ring ever. It was made out of platinum, and in the middle, was a delicate diamond heart, along with two other smaller diamonds. "For you." He said.

"Oh Remy, you shouldn't have. I couldn't." she said shaking her head.

"Wait, you didn't hear all of it." he said. "Hitomi Kanzaki, will you marry me?" he asked her.

At that moment, it was like Hitomi's world just shattered in front of her. She blinked in surprise. "I didn't know Remy was this serious. Do I love him? Oh, what am I going to do?" she wondered.

"It's ok, you can think about it for a while." Remy said, when he didn't see any response from her.

"Thank you, it's all so sudden, I don't know what to say." Hitomi stammered. She looked outside the ice cream shop's window, and it was like the grey city had lightened a bit. She saw pure white feathers falling down from the sky, and in a small ray of light –which had managed to find its way past the clouds- she saw her angel, with his hand extended towards her. Hitomi's eyes filled with tears, as she continued to look outside the window.

"'Tomi, what's wrong?" Remy asked her as he saw her quietly crying.

Hitomi didn't say anything. She got up from the table, and ran out of the ice cream shop, into the rainy street.

The feathers were now falling like snowflakes. They danced in the air, and upon slowly touching the ground they slowly disappeared. Hitomi made her way through the rain, and the feathers. Oblivious of the car honks she was getting, for she was now in the street, she kept on walking to the ray of sunshine, where her angel stood, with his hand still extended towards her. She put her hand in her coat pocket, and took out the two objects there. A half-burned tarot card, and the pure ivory feather. Her only reminders of her true love.

"Stay out of my life! I can't believe you would be back at a time like this! I don't want to go back! Not after the way you treated me. I don't care if your Gaea burns straight to hell. It doesn't matter!" she screamed.

The angel extended his hand further. Hitomi was transfigured by the calm on his face. "He knows I care about Gaea. He knows, but I don't want to go back, or do I? I'm still mad at him. How could he?" her mind was racing with thoughts of everything she had felt up until today. Finally, coming back to reality, Hitomi screamed in terror as she saw the headlights of the big truck coming closer, and heard the desperate honks of the driver. Just then, the white pillar of light came down on her, whisking her away from the danger.

~~~~

Hitomi woke up on the soft moss of a forest.

"Great, I'm back. I wonder where I am." She said.

"Hello! Who's there?" she heard a young woman's voice.

"Over here!" Hitomi called. "Oh shit, I shouldn't have done that. What if it's a murderer?" she thought.

From behind some trees, a tall slender cat woman appeared. She had orange skin, and pink hair, and it looked like she was an older version of Merle.

"Hitomi?" she asked.

"Merle?" Hitomi called out.

"Hitomi! It is you! I'm so glad you're back! Now we can fix everything! Everyone's going to be so happy to see you!" Merle ran over to where Hitomi was standing. The two young women hugged, and then Merle lead her over to the palace.

"Just wait until everyone sees you! Oh I'm so glad you're back!" she kept on chattering all the way until the gates.

"Yeah…" Hitomi agreed unenthusiastically. She didn't think she was ready to face Van yet.

However, that moment came sooner than Hitomi would have liked. By the front gates, stood a young slender man. He had unruly raven hair, and chocolate eyes. He was much taller than Hitomi remember, and also more muscular. There was no doubt in her mind that that was Van. He looked so handsome with the light of the setting sun brushing past him.

"Merle! What was that?" he asked the cat-woman as she approached. Apparently, they had sent out search parties for whatever the blinding pillar of light brought.

"Oh Lord Van, we have a visitor!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah? Who?" Van asked. You could see a shadow of sadness lurking in the back of his eyes.

"Look for yourself." Merle said and stepped aside, revealing Hitomi.

Van's regretful look became pure steel. "What are you doing here?" he asked her.

A/N: Well? How was it?? did you like it! Comments, read and review. By the way, the idea with Hitomi's nickname being Tomi, was an original idea my good friend, and co-writer Marilyn N. got. There, so please don't kill me. All is present and accounted for. The rest is mine. To all the readers out there, this chapter was written by Phantom Angel. Stay tuned for chapters from my other friend-writers.