._Aki Ana's Raevan

[Aki Ana]

~reserved~

 

[Aki Ana]

The Soul of Aria d'Pasha

"Please quit fidgeting! They're going to think you're up to something." Aki smiled graciously over Levi's head as the host accepted their tickets and bowed them toward a second door. Overhead, the bright lights of the marquee sparkled. The name and show flickered amid the dazzle.

Aria d'Pasha � Pelleas et Melisande.

Bright dresses and dark suits filled the scattered seats, the vaulted hall filled with the swell of conversation. Aki's hair covered her tapered ears in pinned back waves, sparing the sensibilities of those gathered. Her rich crimson gown was modest in comparison to some of the evening's fashions, Aria always drew a rather progressive following.

Levi followed with a smile, nodding at pretty ladies with diamonds at their ears. His hand dropped from the inner pocket of his jacket at Aki's request, patting away the bottle he'd swiped on the way out of the house. It had been a gift from his 'new sister' Koyuki...so surely it was meant for him as well!

The pair settled into seats at an empty table near the stage. Levi pushed Aki's chair in like a gentleman, just as Raife had coached him. "Thank you! So, are you excited? I hear she puts on quite a show!"

Plucking a grape from the arrangement, Levi popped in into his mouth and shrugged. "Uprah? Hmph." If he wanted to listen to some girl sing, he'd barge in on Elle in the shower. A bunch of people mumbling and tall embroidered curtains was far from impressive.

"Don't be like that, you'll like her!" Pushing the program across the round table, she tapped the picture on the front. A black and white portrait of a girl with pale hair and dark rings of eye makeup gleamed from the cover, reclining in a corset that she was too slender to wear. Aria d'Pasha was embossed gently in elegant script below the photo, along the bottom of the booklet cover.

"Pell�as et M�lisande. is the name if the piece we'll be seeing. Doesn't that sound pretty? A modern operatic view of a classic tale, provocative and sordid.... Hmm." Provocative? Aki's eyes scanned the inner page, brows knitting with a touch of concern.

"Ah, here's the summary! Aria d'Pasha ~ Melisande. Gerard Faucheux ~ Pelleas. Alain David ~ Golaud. Pelleas et Melisande...A tragic fairytale, which recounts the ill-fated love of half-brothers Golaud and Pell�as for the same woman, the enigmatic M�lisande. Haunting and intensely atmospheric, Aria's performance is progressive and engaging, articulating the dream-like inner worlds of the doomed lovers... I lost you, didn't I?" Trailing off, Aki set the program back upon the table with a sigh. Levi had tuned out, too busy ogling flamboyant outfits and smiling at amused young wives.

"You're going to get yourself into trouble, someday..." Flipping a few more pages, Aki scanned the cast list...not recognizing any of the fancy sounding names.

"Mmmhmm." Levi was clearly not listening, too busy making eyes at a red head old enough to be his mother. Reaching the end of the program, Aki was suddenly distracted as well...squinting at the fine line of italic type along the bottom of the page.

"A mature representation of the tangled politics of love. Viewer discretion advised. What? Wait, maybe you-" Lifting her head in surprise as the host paused by their table, Aki watched as a plate of pate', honey drizzled figs, and a decanter of pomegranate wine were all settled onto the table before Levi. The red head waved with a flirty smile that vanished as Aki twisted around to follow Levi's interested gaze.

Sighing, Aki pulled the wine away...much to the disappointment of her son and the watching table. She poured a glass for herself and had just taken her first tentative sip as the lights dimmed. Too late to escort Levi out, it seemed...hopefully it wasn't too risque'.

Music stirred and drifted up from the edge of the stage, the hum of woodwinds and the murmur and call of strings. Conversation faltered and hushed as the music swelled into gentle harmony. Though no speaker could be seen, a voice rose over the music...high and pure and sweet.

"Pelleas' et Melisande'."

A long pause, and the heavy curtains swept silently aside. There, seated upon the edge of a moss covered well, cloaked d'Pasha rested lightly. Her hair was down around her shoulders, adorned with tangled leaves. Lost and frightened, she whispered of her fear...low heartfelt notes that trembled into silence. Melisande', she had but a name. All other memories had fled.

Her savior arrived soon after, a booming voice that made d'Pasha's seem fragile and uncertain. Sipping her wine, Aki winced as he tore Melisande's shift asunder...convinced she was a nymph of the wood rather than a maiden of the flesh. He was wrong. Levi boggled at Melisande's bare chest as Aki let her face settle into her hand.

By the end of the act, Melisande was the wife of Lord Golaud...courted also by his very brother. As the curtains swept shut once more, the last ringing notes fading, applause filled the chamber.

Popping the last bite of bread and pate' into his mouth, Levi clapped as well. He was still bright eyed from d'Pasha's artful teasing, eyes straying to the stage in hopes of the curtains opening once again.

"I told you that you would like her. Behave, please." With silent synchronization, monochromatic wait staff drifted out from the kitchen...bearing dinner platters and cocktails to each table. The program listed 20 minutes for the dinner break. Leaning back as the platter was settled onto their table, Aki selected a plateful to tidbits to sample. Levi waited until she'd served herself to dig in...loading his plate with goat cheese and little herbed puff pastries.

For a few moments, they munched in silence...listing to the chime of flatware upon plates and the delicate music of the orchestra. Levi was indeed minding his manners...he munched at a steady rate, rather than his usual scarfing. The bottle tucked into his sash was pressing horribly against his side, but he had no choice but to ignore it. As soon as he was home it would be safely stashed. Waving one fork at the stage, Levi finished chewing his bite of filet. "Whasser name?"

"Aria d'Pasha. Do you like the play?"

He gave Aki an arch look, rich with amusement. Finally nodding, he stabbed another bite. "Mmhmm. Nabad." Popping it in his mouth, fork upside down as usual, Levi shrugged again. "Cannunnerstaner."

It took Aki a moment to decipher that. "You can't understand her? But she's singing in English! That's part of what makes her unique!" The lad didn't seem to care, and Aki had the suspicion that he wasn't worried about it anyway. This was more eye candy than culture, it seemed.

Sighing, she picked at her dinner...waiting for the lights to dim once more. At least he was enjoying himself!

The second act began quietly, but a minute after the plates had been cleared. Ice clinked in cocktails as the patrons settled in with a hushed murmur. The relationship between Melisande and Pelleas had bloomed, despite her tie to Golaud...and despite the fact there was a young man with his eyes bugging out of his head in the front of the audience.

Aki wanted nothing more than to sink her face into her hands, but kept her chin up despite her embarrassment. Levi earned his share of amused smiles from the crowd...he was being quiet, that's all one could truly ask for. She simply hoped the cameras filming silently for the evening news wouldn't catch his expression. For a moment, Aki could have sworn even Aria herself couldn't help but smile.

That smile vanished as Golaud appeared, wrenching the lovers apart. Aria's voice rose, trembling and impassioned...begging Golaud to spare Pelleas. They were brothers, after all...owing their allegiance to the same lord.

With a sweep of his fist, Golaud disagreed...voice rocking Melisande's pale form. In a truly inspired performance, he denounced Pelleas as lesser. Fate, fortune, and a dying Lord had always favored Golaud, and so would it ever be...he would not deign to see Melisande, his own, in the arms of such a crude man as Pelleas.

The curtain settled once more as the lovers poised to flee, their tryst by the fountain shattered by the jealous Golaud. Finally taking a breath, Levi flopped back into his seat.

He spoke little as dessert was served, watching the curtains puff and sway as a desperate scene change took place upon the hidden stage. Patrons murmured appreciatively in the audience...the tension was delicious, as was Aria's performance. In a desperate effort to impart some appreciation of the actual story in the lad, Aki tried to explain the plot so far.

As the curtains swept aside for the third and final act, Levi was watching closely...finally as engrossed in the story as he was in the spectacle. The mood of the play had changed, however. Dark tangled trees and a moon, high and bright, crowded the stage. The lovers cowered, listening to the approach of thunderous hooves. Melisande sang softly to Pelleas, stroking his hair and begging him not to challenge the enraged Golaud.

As her husband arrived, masked and cowled for the midnight hunt, Melisande threw herself desperately forward. Her final plea rang across the stage...simple and raw as Golaud towered over them.

All that I love
has been taken from me
Why can we not be
what we wish to be?
Ah, too simple
for a learned man to see
I will spell it
Let us be
Let us be!!

As her final note echoed, Golaud pulled forth his bow...sinking two arrows deep into Pelleas' chest in final decision. Sobbing, Melisande fell to her knees. Her husbands face was hidden still, covered by the darkness that had claimed his heart. Drawing his sword with a steely ring, he placed the tip at Melisande's heaving chest...his voice rolling softly through the moon lit woods. Too far, he warned. She had gone too far, no words could erase the shame she'd brought them both. It was love that had brought him here, not revenge.

With a single shove of his sword, Golaud proved that love and freed Melisande from her shame. The metal hitched and slid haltingly through her slender chest...tattered shift stained red as her lifeblood spilled forth. Mouth open in a silent protest, never voiced, finally Melisande slumped gracefully to the side.

Her fingers twitched slowly in the spreading pool of blood, seeking the hand of her fallen lover. An inch short from Pelleas' cold hand, she fell limp with a sigh so quiet the audience had to strain to hear it.

Golaud's prayer echoed over the stage as he murmured a prayer for damned souls, and pressed the same blade to his stomach. As he tensed to join the fallen lovers, the curtains swept shut...sliding through the pool of stageblood that gathered around Melisande's cloaked form.

For a moment, all was silent. Such a tragic ending was common in opera, but a novelty to modern audiences. As that moment of shock ended, the patrons of the theater were on their feet...clapping and talking excitedly to one another.

Grabbing Levi's hand, Aki tugged him to his feet. "Come on!" Snagging her purse from the seat next to her, she led Levi away from the clutter of tables and chairs and hurried towards the edge of the stage.

Following Aki's crimson clad silhouette, Levi glanced around in confusion. "Where?" He had to hurry to keep up...Aki seemed to be in a bit of a hurry.

"To meet Aria! We have backstage passes...let's catch her before she leaves!!" Grabbing Levi's hand once again, Aki showed their tickets to the gentleman at the side door. He motioned them through with a smile, offering Aki a nod and bit of a smile as he gave her a hand up the stairs. Considering how much those passes must have cost, it was the least he could do.

Backstage was quiet, the stage crew waiting until the theater emptied before dismantling the set. Alain David, the singer that had portrayed Golaud, was no where to be seen. Worried that they might have already missed Aria, Aki paused to smile nervously at Pelleas. "Mr. Faucheux? You were amazing. Thank you so much for your performance!"

Gerard Faucheux was still in costume...both prop arrows still protruding from his chest. He was scrubbing at the back of his head with a towel...staining it bright red with the blood he was scrubbing out of his hair. Raising both brows at Aki's compliments, he dipped his head with a chuckle. "Thank you! Thank you so much. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it..." Leaning to the side, still scrubbing at his hair, he chuckled and nodded at Levi. "...and I know you enjoyed it. Let me guess, looking for Aria? She's probably still on stage, winding down. Go on ahead!"

Nodding in thanks, Aki tugged Levi onward...stepping into the tangled moonlit forest behind the heavy curtains. She was thrilled at the idea of meeting Aria...the price of the tickets had been worth it. Aria was an up and coming alternative star, it seemed...famous for her remakes of old opera and plays. This might be the only chance they'd get to actually meet her in person!

One hand on the bottle tucked into the sash at his waist, Levi suddenly understood. They were going to meet the girl...the pretty lady that had trouble keeping her clothes on! Grinning with sudden excitement, he pushed the bottle into his side so he could jog without it clinking.

"Levi, wait for me!" As Aki's voice reached him, Levi had already slowed. The fake moonlight glittered darkly upon the pool of false blood, casting shadows under the pale form crumpled in the center of it. "Did you find her?"

Raising one hand uncertainly, Levi pointed to the motionless body. Aki caught up with him, smiling as she settled her hands on his shoulders in case she needed to restrain his 'appreciation.' "Where? I don't...."

She did. She saw...Aki followed Levi's motion and frowned at the body lying in the crimson pool. "Why would she...Aria?" Raising her voice a bit, Aki glanced around for the actress. Surely that was jut a dummy, left in case the curtains parted. "Aria?"

One hand tightened, fingers drawing trails in the thick blood. Catching the motion, Aki turned to stare in disbelief...paling as she watched the girl move. "Oh...Elune. This isn't funny! This isn't..."

Aki sank slowly to her knees, ignoring the warm clamminess of the blood soaking into her crimson gown. Reaching forward tentatively, as though she expected at any moment for the woman to jump up over giggling, Aki placed her hand on d'Pasha's shoulder.

The girl rolled limply to the side, the side of her face wet with her own blood. Lips parting silently, she tried to speak...the last of her lifeblood trickling from her breast. The sword rested still beside her, where Golaud had cast it after the curtains closed.

Golaud. Trembling, Aki hunched over the young woman...panting in horror as it all became clear. Aria d'Pasha had been stabbed. Aki herself had watched and clapped...believing it to be a trick of the stage. They'd all clapped....cheering while the girl's life drained away before them. Gasping in low shallow breaths as panic struggled to claim her, Aki did the only thing she could think to do.

There was no time to wait for a doctor. They sat in a pool of blood far larger than one woman should have been able to create. Pressing her hands to Aria's chest, Aki lowered her head and reached desperately for Elune's blessings. She did more than reach....Aki grabbed her powers forcefully and slammed them into the girl's dying body.

Aria's back arched. As the aura around Aki grew, it became slowly visible...manifesting in a nimbus that hovered like a moonrise behind her head. Levi's mouth was open in shock until he fully realized what was going on. She was in trouble. The girl needed help.

Turning to dash for the stage crew, sucking in a breath to yell for help, Levi's feet slid suddenly out from under him. Slipping in the slick blood, he gasped landed heavily on his side...slamming against one of the fake trees. Growling at the pain that shot through him, Levi scrambled to get back up to his feet. He never heard the top click open from the bottle he was carrying.

Sobbing, Aki stared down at Aria as the girl raised a hand. It wasn't helping...she was beyond healing. Aki couldn't even prolong the inevitable. Aria d'Pasha was going to die, and she could do nothing to prevent it. She didn't give up as Aria's hand rose slowly towards Levi, a silent 'no' forming on her painted lips. At that moment, her cloak slipped aside...blood soaked feathers unfurling slowly.

Wings. Broken and tattered, just as limp as she. Aria...had wings.

"Levi, stop." Aki spoke quietly, still cradling Aria's head gently. The boy turned in shock, wincing as the open cap rattled against the side of the bottle. Damn! But why had Aki stopped him?! Slowly, he realized what Aki had seen...two perfect wings, pale feathered and delicate.

"Mik."

Aki nodded. Just like Mikhael's wings. The wings of a muse. There was no other answer...everything swam into focus with sickening clarity. Aria d'Pasha was a muse...one of the blessed few living among the blind. The opera, the message...it all made sense. She was seeing it first hand, the conflict between human and muse that Raife had spoken of. The same conflict that threatened to uproot young Mik's life, and tear him from the world.

Aria had spoken out. She had been silenced. Silenced with a blade, in full view of an audience. Shuddering as she remembered the cameras, filming silently above the audience, Aki put the last piece together. Not just an audience. The world.

"Ah'll get help!" Levi was shaken. He couldn't simply stand and watch the beautiful lady die in Aki's arms. Hands balling into fists, his voice rose and cracked. "Ah'll get summin!"

She shook her head, eyes bright with tears, as Aria's last breath left between blood flecked parted lips. "No, Levi. She's gone. There is no point going for help." Sadness rested heavy and cold within her as she cradled the silent body gently.

"Trouble..."

"No." They wouldn't be in trouble. Aria had been murdered in front of cameras and over four dozen witnesses. The sword lay upon the stage still, heavy and real and blood stained. Whoever the killer had been, whether Alain or a switch, he was long gone. "But there will be trouble if they see this."

Running one hand over the crumpled wing, Aki stood suddenly...scooping Aria's petite body into her arms. Aki was a small woman herself, but no where near as light as the pale and bloodless waif.

Watching in shock as Aki walked slowly across the stage, d'Pasha held gently in her arms, Levi tried to catch his breath. His hip still ached from his fall, and the bottle...the bottle! Remembering it with a jolt, he slid his hand into his sash once Aki's back was turned...working the cap back into place. Following silently, stolen vessel safe once again, Levi hurried to catch up.

**

The moon was high overhead, the real moon...illuminating the immaculate memorial park. Rolling green lawn and quiet marble buildings settled between the trees...a trail of blood washed away by the dew of the evening. Levi sat quietly in front of one such small monument, working awkwardly at the heavy iron lock on the gate.

"Too dark!" Mumbling around one of the lock picks he held between his teeth, Levi switched tools and gave it another shot.

Still clutching Aria to her chest, Aki sighed. She was tired, emotionally and physically...they had to find a place for the body soon or she wouldn't have another chance. "Look, you get that open, and I'll forget I ever saw those. Where did you get them?"

Glancing up, one brow raised, Levi repeated his previous answer and gave the pick another twist. "Tol' ya. Garage sale."

Aki narrowed her eyes at the answer, not liking it anymore the second time. Her fault, apparently...for giving him an allowance and dragging him along to so many yard sales. "Fine. Just get it done."

For the first time since the third act, Levi smiled quietly. The lock snicked open...it was an impressive size, but simple inside. Thanking Raife silently, Levi pulled the chain aside. "Goh. Ah watch."

Nodding her thanks, Aki slipped inside and followed the narrow stairs down. A tomb of pale stone, with a raised marble slab above the final resting place of the deceased. Upon this slab, she laid Aria's body gently...it would take them a long time to find her, if they ever did. The dust and still air told her there had been no visitors for years.

Straightening the woman's arms by her sides, Aki sighed sadly. She'd done her crying, it had been a long journey to bring d'Pasha to this place. Now that it was done, a weight lifted from her. The drying blood that had soaked into her crimson dress itched, and her back ached from the carrying. She needed a bath, a long sleep, and then a serious talk with Levi. Her fingers trailed once more over Aria's white face. "Rest in peace."

As she walked up the stairs, towards the bright moonlight, Aki's limbs were stiff with weariness. Levi crouched in the doorway silently, gaze sweeping the quiet cemetery. Settling a hand on his shoulder, Aki shook her head. "Lock it again, we're done. Let's go home. We'll talk to Raife tomorrow."

Nodding, he turned to do so...working fast. While Aki had been below, he'd wrapped the bottle safely in his sash. It seemed as though the moonlight itself had been trapped in the glass, but he had no time to contemplate an odd glow. The lock snicked shut, anchoring the chains in place, and they hurried once more across the wet grass.

For several long minutes, the park was silent. Dawn was hours away, and the sirens surrounding the theater were muted by the distance. Just as silently, a silhouette appeared against the pale stone....flattened to the side of the cold marble. Impassive eyes watched the pair vanish over the last rise as the chain slid once more to the ground.

Aria's rest would be a short one.  

[Aki Ana]

A New Beginning

For a moment, Aki paused....staring up at the same building she'd entered only once before. Levi stood beside her, scuffing one foot against the ground as he looked anywhere but at Aki. Giving the young pirate a sidelong glance, Aki sighed heavily.

"I'm going to ask, and see if they know what's going on. You stay here...RIGHT HERE...and don't touch anything!" Speaking softly, Aki waited until Levi reluctantly lifted his gaze to meet hers.

Finally, the lad shrugged. He didn't much appreciate being told what to do. After all, he was responsible! Kind of! In a way. A little. Glancing away once more, he tried to ignore Aki as she rustled through her purse.

There was one thing he couldn't ignore, however. The slow sound of paper ripping caused him to whip his head around in alarm, eyes wide in horror. Aki was....tearing money in half! Not just money, a fifty dollar bill!!

Handing the startled boy half of the bill, Aki pocketed the other half. "Stay put, and I'll give you the other half when I get out. Deal?"

Nodding with a slow smile, Levi plucked the torn paper from her hand and stuffed it into his pocket. A deal was much better than an order! Plopping down on the steps, pulling off his head scarf, Levi ran one hand back through his tangled hair and grinned up at his guardian. "Say eh t' Silveh."

Raising a brow, Aki shook her head once more and sighed. "I'll be sure to pass that on. I'll be back, come inside if you need me." Tugging her blouse straight, trying to smooth the wrinkles the strap of her bag had caused, Aki pushed quietly into the front door.

The cool air of the building chilled her, long tapered ears dipping slightly as she shivered. It wasn't cold, but she was more than a little nervous. Within her bag, the bottle was wrapped gently in white cloth. Patting it reassuringly, Aki stepped to the counter to have a look around.

"Hello! Silveh?" She hadn't met any of the other employees...and frankly, didn't know if she'd rather explain the situation to her daughter or to a stranger. It was a bit awkward either way. How exactly did one admit that they were frightened by an unexpectedly glowing bottle?!

"Hmm?" Kyou stood up from underneath the counter when he heard someone's voice, he was looking for blank papers in the reception desk drawers. Holding a few pieces of papers in his hands, he stared at the young lady that had a slightly distressed look in her eyes.

"May I help you?" he asked politely. "I'm afraid Silveh isn't here at the moment..." He placed the papers on the table and tries to straighten his wrinkled labcoat.

Taking a startled step back, Aki blushed instantly...pale cheeks turning shell pink in embarrassment. Tucking her hair behind her ear, a quick nervous gesture, she tried to pull herself together.

"Hi! Hello! My...name is Aki. I have a few...well...questions, I suppose." The blush faded slowly, replaced by a wavering smile. Not knowing where to start, she pulled the bundle of white cloth gently from her bag.

"I was given this, as a gift. I'm not sure what's going on, but considering how much trouble my daughter is usually prone to getting into, I thought it wise to ask. If Silveh isn't here, perhaps I can show you?"

Unwrapping it slowly, Aki settled the bottle with infinite care onto the counter top. She hoped she didn't get Koyuki into trouble, but it couldn't be helped...there was something very strange going on! "It...was just glass before. Empty and plain. I'm...not sure what happened."

As bad as she felt about what had happened to the spur of the moment gift her daughter had given her, Aki still wasn't convinced it was her fault. It happened not long after that night, that long and heartbreaking night. When she'd taken a look at the bottle again, a few days later, it had been glowing!

Levi claimed to know nothing about it, but the smudged bloody fingerprint told her otherwise. If he had it with him, the night Aria had died...well. This strange glowing reaction could be dire indeed!

Kyou gasped as he saw the bottle Aki unwrapped, it was one of his soul bottles!! And this one had a soul caught in it! Wide eyed, he picked up the bottle and examined it closely, it surely is one of his soul bottles, and not one of those that Jeremy made. Kyou stared at the swirling pink glow in the bottle intensely, these souls will never cease to amaze him. However, he also noticed some red stains on the bottle surface.

He suddenly snapped back into reality as the corner of his eyes caught the white cloth sitting on the counter table.

"Miss... Aki..." recollecting what Aki said just now. "Who gave you the bottle? Is it Silveh?"

Wincing at the look of alarm, Aki clutched the strap of her bag with both hands...pulling it as she tensed. Looking from the bottle to the lab tech, she swallowed and raised one shoulder in half a shrug. "If I say yes...will she be in trouble?"

At the mention of trouble, Aki twisted around...gazing out the nearest window to see if Levi was behaving. Sure enough, he sat upon the curb...tossing pebbles into the grass. Turning back to the handsome lad with a sigh, she finally thought to look for a name tag. "Is it dangerous, Dr...?" She trailed off, raising her eyes to his as she waited for a name.

"Oh!! No no not at all. Silveh won't get into trouble!!" he laughed nervously, the person that would most likely get into trouble in the lab is probably Kyou himself. "Pardon my manners, my name is Kyou, I'm Silveh's uncle." he held out his hand for her for a handshake, like usual. But he paused his hand halfway up when he noticed the lady's hands clutching at her bag's strap. Perhaps it is a better idea to calm her down first.

"I assume Silveh didn't tell you what this bottle is used for when she gave you. This bottle is a soul bottle, it's made out of a special kind of glass called soul glass, which have the ability of attracting wandering souls or souls of creatures that just died." he explained. "The pink glow in the bottle, is a soul that you've caught..." Kyou was a little worried, Aki wasn't aware of what she was doing with the bottle all these time.

"Kyou!" Aki's face brightened as she relaxed...taking the reluctant hand in both of hers as she let go of her strap. "I remember your name! We might have even met, but it's been so long, and I have a horrible memory. It's good to meet you, and I'm glad Silveh isn't in trouble. My little girl is always getting into something!"

Releasing his hand after a gentle squeeze, Aki listened to his explanation....eyes growing steadily wider as her nervousness returned. Soul bottle? Trapping spirits? But what could possibly be in-

Everything fell into place at once. The bloody smudges, Levi's fidgeting. He...had taken her bottle! That wasn't too surprising, he'd done worse in his day, but...that meant...

"Aria." Aki breathed the name softly, sad and dizzy. Slowly, her angst was washed away by something brighter. If this was Aria's soul....

There was hope.

Leaning forward, one seeking Kyou's once more, Aki took a breath. "We...have to do something. If there is any chance at all....oh, that poor girl. That beautiful girl. We have to do SOMETHING! This soul, what can we do? Can we bring her...peace?"

Kyou was surprised at the sudden situation. " 'Your little girl'?? You're... Silveh's mother??" and Kyou's sister in law!! He gasps, he haven't seen his brother since they were young teenagers. It was probably well over 25 years ago that he last saw him.

But more importantly, she seemed to be more concern about the soul in the bottle. "Miss Aki! Please calm down!! And tell me what happened." he walked around the desk and placed a hand on Aki's shoulder, he gave a gentle pat and gestured towards the set of sofas and tables not very far from them. "Have a seat and relax." he smiled reassuringly.

Smiling gratefully, Aki nodded...following Kyou to the sitting area. Slipping the strap of her bag over her head, she set it gently aside. "I'm her adoptive mother, but we rarely make the distinction. It's a small world, isn't it?!"

Small world indeed. Her eyes drifted to the bottle once more, mind reeling with the series of coincidences that brought this all together. Taking a breath, she searched for the right place to start.

"Some of this information is....incriminating. And some of it is dangerous for you to hear. If you would, please....be sure it goes no farther than this room." Waiting for his nod, Aki smiled uncertainly. It would be hard to summarize, but she would try.

"My son Levi, out front there, was with me when Silveh gave me the bottle. Since they're both children I've taken in, I suppose that makes them half-siblings...so perhaps Levi thought the bottle was his as well." That or he was just a sneaky lad by nature.

"A few nights later, we went to a show....a type of modern opera, presented by Aria d'Pasha." She waited to see if Kyou would recognize the name. It wasn't likely, but she'd already received quite a few surprises. "Aria...was not what she seemed. Someone figured that out, and she was stabbed in full view of the audience for being what she was. For saying the things she said. We...thought it was part of the show."

Her voice was quiet, sad and light. Sighing as she remembered it, every detail, Aki squeezed her eyes shut. "By the time we made it back stage, she was dying. It was too late."

Lifting her eyes, Aki smiled the smallest smile. "Levi had the bottle with him, it seems. Id' suspected something, but....not this. What do I do? Where do we go from here?!"

Kyou sat there quietly, digesting what Aki had said. He had heard about Aria d'Pasha before, and also heard some of her songs, once he thought the beauty of her voice was definitely out of this world. But he wasn't such a orchestra music person to know much about her.

After a while of deep thoughts, he finally spoken in a solemn tone. "This is a serious matter..." he raised his head and look around cautiously to make sure no one is overhearing them. He took out a remote control from his pocket and locked the doors on either side of the reception desk, and the front door as well, he caught a glimpse of a young boy sitting outside.

"This is about someone's life we're talking about, a murder had taken place..." he said, "There might even be something bigger behind all this..." he stare at the swirling soul inside the soul bottle he'd been carrying all this while. But the victim is already dead, there are no evidence whatsoever to find out who the murderer is. As reluctant as Kyou felt about delving into such serious matters, he felt sorry about what happened to Aria d'Pasha. Maybe... maybe he could help.

"I am not very sure whether this will work, but I could probably give her soul a new vessel." Kyou said, raising his eyes to meet with Aki's.

Sighing softly, Aki nodded...still carrying a heavy heart. "I didn't mean to drag you into this...if you'd like, I can buy you a bottle of tequila and hope you forget all about it." Smiling at her lame attempt at humor, Aki watched him click the remote. Her brows pushed together in confusion as she took a look around.

Gasping at Kyou's quiet offer, Aki's eyes met his instantly. A new vessel? "I...don't understand. Is there a way to save her? Anything I can do, I will do. I have the funds to cover anything, price is no object!"

Pushing forward, she settled one hand on his arm. "Whatever is needed, please. Please...give her a chance!!"

Her heart was pounding as she watched Kyou's face, the image of Aria vivid in her mind. What if it was possible? What if that blood could be washed away?!

"No, it wouldn't require any fees or price. I just wanted to help!" he smiled reassuringly, placing his one free hand onto Aki's. "I'm not sure whether Silveh told you about this, but I run some experiments of creating children by combining souls and these substances called fel essence. I am sure I could give the soul a new home, a new body to dwell in." and he has the perfect fel essence for this particular soul as well.

"But the chances of her remembering anything of her past are very slim. And you have to take care of her, are you prepared for the responsibility?"

At the news, Aki grasped Kyou's hand...eyes growing steadily wider. THAT was what he meant by vessel! Not a container, like the botttle...but an actual body! She didn't know what a fel essence was, but she had faith in the doctor.

Nodding slowly, Aki gave is careful thought before speaking. "I...am prepared. Even if she doesn't remember, she'll have the chance she deserves." Rising, Aki nodded again...more certain this time.

"Yes. Yes. Let's do it!" Her appreciation shone clearly...there was no need to smother the man with thank you's. Gratitude rested clearly in her tear filled eyes, and for the first time, the weight began to lift.

Kyou felt more relieved when Aki brightened a little, he usually doesn't know how to handle depressed people, especially women. But he thinks he did quite well in the situation this time.

"I'm going to take the bottle of soul into my lab, you're sure you trust me enough to let me do this?" Kyou asked. "Or you wanna follow me into the lab?"

Blanching a bit at the thought of following him, Aki shook her head and smiled. "I definately trust you. Thank you, so much...you are a very kind person Kyou. That's rare these days."

Leaning forward, she gave him a motherly kiss on the cheek...smile firm and bright. She hadn't felt this good since before the incident! Taking one last look at the bottle, she turned to peer at the boy sitting outside the labs.

"I should go, I've taken my sweet time already. Here is my card..." Handing it over after rummaging through her bag to locate it, Aki offered it respectfully with both hands. "...you can reach me at this number or this address. Thank you, a thousand times over." Slipping her purse on once more, Aki refused to look at the bottle again...dizzy at the thought of that tattered and bloody soul that lurked within.

Kyou blushed lightly at the kiss, despite being a flirt sometimes he still felt embarrassed at such pure and sincere gestures. People usually kiss him or praise him because of his looks or they want to gain something from him, not usually because of his kindness.

He stood up and took the card with his right hand, while he held onto the bottle with his left. "Sure, I'll contact you when I have progress." he smiled, putting the card into his labcoat's front pocket. He rummaged in his other pocket for the remote control, he took it out and unlocked all the doors around the lab. "Don't worry too much, just leave it to me."

With one final nod, Aki's smile truly blossomed. So, it seemed this nightmare hadn't ended....it had simply become a new born dream! The last of her despair had vanished. Aria had been murdered, nothing could change that...but she couldn't think of any sweeter outcome than this.

Strolling towards the front doors, laughing quietly at the sight of Levi outside stalking a cabbage moth across the green grass, Aki paused. Turning slowly, she raised her hand in goodbye...eyes bright with faith in Kyou. She tugged her bag into place, and pushed back out into the sunshine.

The door shut quietly behind her. Aki already had the half bill ready as Levi came charging up, handing it over without complaint. "Thanks for waiting, sweetie. I'm proud of you."

Grinning with his usual charm, Levi offered her an arm....just like he had that night at the opera. Nodding her head in gracious acceptance, Aki linked her arm through his with a smile.

She didn't look back. She didn't need to! Aria was safe, and soon Kyou would be calling. Everything was right, once again.  

[Aki Ana]

There once was a girl...

Chloe entered the labratory building, a rather large bandage on one of her cheeks and a smaller bandage wrapped about her right hand. She looked rather harassed and urgent, carrying a black suit-case that looked just a bit too heavy for her. She moved towards the back of the area where the sliding doors that would admit entry into the Lab 305, calling out louder than would be usual for her.

"D-Dr. Kyou! Are you here?"

**

"Yes..?" Kyou opened the cafeteria door right opposite from his lab doors, still chewing on the termometer although his migraine had went away weeks ago. Kyou had been staying in the cafeteria near the door, or in the first 'living room' in his lab during working hours. Because he's going to depend on his hearing to notice people visiting the lab. The lab seriously needs some sort of visitor tracking system that could notify Kyou when people visit. Or people should use the mic on the reception desk more.

"Chloe! What's the matter?"

**

Chloe gave a soft sigh of relief at seeing Dr. Kyou, carefully setting the suitcase down on the ground and flipping open the tabs. "Kyou I... I'm sorry, but I accidently... the bottle cracked while I was getting the soul. I don't know when it happened." She took the soul bottle out carefully, gingerly holding it out for Dr. Kyou to see and take if he so chose.

**

"What?! The bottle cracked?!" Kyou gasps in shock. He took the bottle carefully from Chloe's hands, running a finger across the small crack near the bottom of the sphere shaped bottle. "You know, the glass for this bottle is almost half an inch thick... what did you do to the bottle to make a crack like that on it?!"

**

Hurrying down the sidewalk, sweater wrapped close around her, Aki smiled in the crisp air. Finally, the heat had given way....her nose and cheeks were pink in the slight breeze. Burrowing her chin down a bit into her scarf, Aki paused outside the lab doors.

She hoped she'd come at the right time. Levi had been playing the messages on the answering machine...who knew if it had actually been Dr. Kyou that called! With that boy, anything was possible. Sliding her sling bag around to rest against her hip, she trotted up the few steps and strolled to the door.

Aki pulled off her gloves, tucking them into her bag before giving her fingers a quick rub. Pushing the door open and slipping inside quickly, she tried to keep the cold air out and the warm air in. She was so excited, the thought of seeing Aria was enough to keep her spirits up. Pausing for a moment, seeing Kyou had company already, Aki smiled at the pair and wandered towards the sitting area. It looked like something urgent was going on, and she was in no hurry!

**

"Ahh.. w-well.." She clasped her hands together in front of her, giving a sheepish look. "I let the Roc carry it away in a Mock Roc that Julain made for me and covered in girl Roc pheromones... and... then I carried it down a mountain.. I fell once, but I hadn't thought that it cracked. I didn't notice until I got home that it was like that."

She gave another sheepish look up at Kyou before looking anxious again. "Is it going to be alright? The soul won't be damaged will it?"

**

Kyou ran his finger over the crack for a second time, feeling the cool air slowly seeping out from inside. "This may affect your Raevan a little, but don't worry, the soul is still intact within the bottle... shouldn't be too much of a problem..." I hope... Kyou thought darkly.

Raising his sight to the reception area at the sound of main doors sliding open, Kyou noticed Aki coming in. "Come with me." he simply said as he pulled Chloe by the wrist to the reception area, approaching Aki. "I want to introduce you to Miss Aki, she's one of the raevan owners." he whispered to Chloe, "I want you to interact a little with her before you start your job..."

**

Glancing up as the two approached, Aki's smile grew a touch wider...though she felt suddenly uncertain. Kyou was talking, but she hadn't been listening...had she missed the woman's name?

Rising briefly, she offered her hand to the girl, noting the distraught lines that tugged at her features. "Hello! Good to meet you!" They'd been examining a bottle, hadn't they? A...soul bottle. Keeping her lips pressed shut in a smile, Aki didn't ask...she didn't want to pry.

"If this is a bad time..."

**

"Ah.." Chloe nodded to Dr. Kyou, still anxious about the state of the soul and the Raevan that would develop from the mix of them. Her stomach felt cramped tight but she turned and gave a small smile to the woman before her, ready to take the task.

"Hello, Ms. Aki, I'm Chloe Star." She shook Aki's hand a bit shyly. "Oh.. Oh, don't worry." She gave a small, slightly strained smile at the other woman as she let go of her hand. "No need to leave, you must have come for a reason?" She absently reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a small hand notepad and pencil, flipping it open and making a small note to herself that read 'Ms. Aki -'

**

"Now that we've known each other's names, maybe we could proceed into the lab for this grave matter..." he stared at the cracked soul bottle as he spoke. He had been putting his hand over the bottle's crack ever since he's holding it, the cold air feels very confortable but yet at the same time, it gives Kyou an eerie shiver as well. The Roc's soul... Kyou thought, the soul seems to emit a malicious aura through the tiny crack.

"Oh um, and for Aki's case, it's something positively happier." he smiled apologeticly, afraid that he may had brought the entire atmosphere down. "Now if you please, follow me.."

**

"Mhhhnnn.." The sound Chloe made was decidedly distressed. She bit her lip and followed Dr. Kyou, taking a moment to glance over her shoulder toward Aki to be sure the other girl was following.

She couldn't begrudge the other her good news but she did feel a tiny bit of jelousy mix in with the worry and anxiety.

**

Adjusting her bag, careful not to disturb the contents within, Aki nodded and followed. Her eyes had wandered again to the bottle...this time noting Kyou's hand carefully and protectively over it. Chloe's stress was becoming clearer.

The thought of good news warred with her empathy for the other woman. Falling into step beside Chloe for a moment, Aki gave her a small smile of hope. There was little she could say, not knowing the situation. Clutching the strap of her sling bag with both hands, she filed towards the door behind the others.

She'd never seen the inside of the lab before! "Happiness can wait, if there is something urgent that needs taken care of." Her stomach was full of butterflies. She didn't particularly want to wait, but that didn't mean she wouldn't do it with a smile on her face if that was what was needed!

**

With a small beep, the door to the lab opened. The small living room inside smells of lavender, a small burner was placed on a small table on the other end of the room beside the door that leads to the lab. Lately Kyou had taken up aroma therapy to release stress.

Kyou walked across the room and unlocked the door to the lab. He hold the door open for Miss Aki to enter, "Go on, she's inside" he smiled.

**

Glancing again to Chloe, mouth half open in protest, Aki sighed and smiled. Simply nodding, she took a slow step forward. "Thank you!"

There wasn't much else to say. Walking slowly into the lab, breathing deep at the scent of lavender, she stepped inside. Aki raised her eyes and took a look around, letting out her breath and the butterflies with it.

What she saw...was beautiful.

**

"She may look a little different from Aria, because she's 'reborned'..." Kyou said, concerned knitted on his eyebrow. He's worried and was wondering where is Lazarus as well. It doesn't seem to be natural for Lazzie to not be around to corrupt a newborn Raevan. He eyed every corner of the laboratory before deciding that Lazarus is hiding in his sleeping quarters.

"C'mon Chloe, you wanna take a look at Aki's pretty Raevan as well?" Kyou ushered Chloe to enter the labroom too as he stepped inside himself.

**

"Well.. I..." She bit her lip, torn between doing the polite thing and waiting and looking at Aki's new raevan and the anxiousness that had churned into a raging sick swirl within her stomach. "K-Kyou... you said that it was very dire... about my bottle being cracked. I... do you think.. we could do something about it?"

She gave an apologetic look to Aki, her hands extending outward in front of her toward the other woman as if to say 'I'm sorry'

**

Stepping forward, one hand lifting in delight, Aki gasped a small breath. The name on the tip of her tongue was Aria, but....this wasn't Aria! The same beauty and vibrant character still shined, but through different eyes. Those eyes...

"Melisande'."

Aki hadn't quite realized she'd spoken. That same smoldering innocence...the Frei lifted her head slowly, curls drifting back from her perfect face. She gazed at the elf without the slightest touch of recognition...only parted lips and bright blue eyes.

"She is...you are....beautiful!" At Aki's sigh of tremulous contentment, Melisande's smile blossomed. Cheeks tinting pink at the praise, not quite understanding the words but reacting to the tone of admiration, she drifted a bit closer. The spiral of ribbon tugged a bit, bobbing gracefully as the girl moved silently to Aki.

"...Beautiful?" The word was light, rising in sweet tones that barely reached Aki's ears. Tears rising to her eyes, the elf nodded...offering one hand to the girl.

Melisande took it with her own lightly, smiling at the feel of a simple hand clasp. She was vaguely disquieted, as something was nagging at her....but it was a faint and distant sensation to Melisande. Not knowing how to address it, she simply waited...confident the mystery surrounded her would be lifted.

Aki did her best to facilitate. "Melisande..." It would take some getting used to, but the name seemed right. "This is Dr. Kyou, and this is Chloe." Speaking for herself for a moment, Aki squeezed the Frei's hand a bit tighter and gave Kyou another nod. "Thank you." She knew the two had urgent business to attend to, which she understood, but wanted to voice at least that.

"Thank you." The words were soft, murmured thoughtfully...Melisande spoke with a slight accent of a phonetic approach. Raising one hand idly to one of the flowers in her hair, she brushed the petals and smiled.

Peering in surprise at Meli, Aki's smile wavered and spread. Even if it was only impulse...it was kind impulse, and spoke highly of the young woman whose hand she held. Though she had no right to be, Aki was proud.

**

The happiness Aki was feeling shone in her eyes like stars in the night, Kyou was actually feeling very relieved that he had did a good deed for both Aki and Aria. "It's my pleasure.." Kyou smiled sweetly, as he bowed in a gentleman-ly way in front of Aki, "...to serve a beautiful lady such as you."

He stood straight back up and noticed that he's still holding onto Chloe's soul bottle. "Oh no!" he exclaimed as he quickly rushed to the nearest Raevan rank. He opened the hatch and immediately plopped in the bottle. "Chloe, could you hand me your fel essence?" he hold out a hand towards Chloe.

**

Chloe paused, gave a sort of strangled sound of alarm, and shot out from the room toward where she'd left the case that had been holding the bottle, finding the essence still there and grabbing it in her bare hand. She winced slightly at the immediate cold that shot up to her wrist and hurried back, placeing the vial very carefully into Kyou's hand

She watched anxiously as Dr. Kyou incerted the fel essence into another slot, closed it, punched in a number code and pressed a red button.

It seemed as though all tension and anxiousness escaped with her breath as she exhaled deeply, watching a swirling cloud of gray-blue substance enter into the tank. Her body physically sagged in relief, leaning slightly agianst a nearby wall. "It.. It'll be alright now, won't it?"

She was distracted further from her anxiety as her eye caught sight of the lavender beauty that floated, soft curls and ribbons swaying lightly in idle movement from her natural breathing. "Oh...my.."

She couldn't say much more.

**

"Phew.." Kyou wiped the cold sweat on his forehead with his sleeve. "That should do it for now... you just have to wait for a while for it to emerge then." He turned around towards Chloe, giving her a reassuring pat on her shoulder. "Don't worry too much... but next time, please be more careful with soul bottles..."

**

Aki watched silently as the process was started anew before her. Unconsciously leaning to the side, she was surprised to feel Meli press against her as well. Wide eyed, the two watched and waited, looking surprisingly like kin.

Sighing as Chloe did, Aki finally smiled as the tension in the room seemed to ease. Melisande's cheeks dusted a bit pinker at Chloe's soft words...the Frei unconsciously drifted a bit closer to Ms. Star as her fingers slid from Aki's.

Aki blushed as well, at Kyou's words...remembering her own careless incident with the soul bottle. Blinking as Meli's hand left hers, she watched the girl approach Chloe with a bit of confusion. "Melisande?"

The Frei stopped, as though swayed by Aki's words. Raising a hand, she brushed Chloe's temple like she was reaching for flowers in the woman's hair. Ribbons swaying as she pushed back, Melisande left her with a just a reassuring pat and a ghost of a smile.

**

"I.. I will.. I'm sorry, Dr. Kyou." She felt somewhere between tears and collapse and then...

Her eyes widened as she took a soft breath in, the touch so light and faint that it didn't even cause the edgy lab assistant to startle. Her eyes stayed on the delicate Frei, the faint curve of lips and sway of cloth.

A small smile of her own wearily appeared and she turned to look toward Aki. Now that she was in less of a state of panic, perhaps they could be a bit more chatty. She ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry.. for all the hurry earlier. M...My bottle got cracked, there was danger to the soul in it.."

**

Taking Melisande's hand gratefully once again, Aki shook her head and smiled in relief. "No, not at all! I'm glad everything is okay. He..." Sparing a fond glance for Kyou, giving him a smile that almost dimpled it was so heartfelt, Aki shrugged. "He is good at what he does."

Aria had been given a second chance, and Chloe's hard earned soul was safe. Suddenly, Aki wanted nothing more than to be safe at home...warm tea and soft lights, and the crashing rush of the ocean. "Do you...want to come over for dinner? I understand if you already have plans, but..."

Aki glanced to Melisande to see if the girl concurred. Little more than curiosity shone upon the Frei's face...her eyes still bright and settled upon Ms. Star. "We'd love to have you. Both of you, if you have time, Kyou!" She winked at her brother in law and gave Meli's hand a squeeze.

The doctor looked a bit busy, but Aki wanted to be sure to extend the invitation. Not that he needed one...he was family!

**

"Oh." Chloe had felt an instant liking for this women upon meeting her, but... "I.. I couldn't." She bowed her head toward Aki shyly. "I'm sorry.. thank you, though.."

She gave a small sigh, letting her hands find their way into her labcoat pockets, finding her notebook and taking it out, jotting down the rest of the note she'd taken earlier. 'Ms. Aki - Song/Melisande' She wearily put the utensiles back.

"Thank you, Dr. Kyou... I'm very sorry that this happened, I'll be far more gentle with the equipment from now on. Thank you.. so much." She sighed and turned to Aki and Meli. "Perhaps we'll see each other around again..? I work here, so.. It'd be nice." She nodded shyly - she didn't have many female aquaintences, or friends for that matter. "Goodbye." She waved politely to the other three before turning wearily and heading out of the labratory building, intent only on reaching home.

**

Nodding quietly, Aki handed Chloe one of her 'name' cards...her number, address, and a little portrait all inked in gold. "Goodnight! Another time, definately!"

Leaning over to Kyou as Chloe vanished, Aki gave him a squeeze and stepped back. "I'm going to go as well, and make sure she's safe. Let's talk sometime soon, when you're not so busy. I...really appreciate everything you've done."

Setting one arm around Melisande's shoulders, Aki smiled in farewell and turned to the door. The Frei drifted alongside her silently...eyes lifted to Aki's face as she wondered where they were going. The rush of cold air as the doors opened snatched the thought from her....ruffling her curls and sending a few petals to dance on the wind.

Laughing breathlessly at the chilling gust, Melisande drifted a bit ahead...arms spread as though welcoming the audience of the world. Everything was so open, so clear! Cheeks pink, ribbon coil straining to the east, Melisande folded her arms and tossed a glance back to Aki. Her wings furled, lifting her higher...one hand reaching for Aki's as the elf dashed forward.

"Wait! The wind!" Their hands met, and Aki held her easily...the girl's weight was nothing. She felt only the tug of the wind. Drawing her in close with half a hug, Aki hurried down the sidewalk back the way she'd come. Only this time, she wasn't alone.  

[Aki Ana]

No place like home~

Levi was waiting as Aki rattled at the front door, keys hanging in the lock as the young pirate wrenched the door open. She was late! "Where di-...you...ooooh!" As Melisande peeked out from behind Aki, he trailed off, blue eyes as wide as the Frei's. "Buddy 'ell!"

Melisande blushed, recognizing that flattering tone. Hauling her back gently as the Frei began to drift towards Levi, Aki sighed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "She's brand new, Levi. Give us some time, hmm?"

The lad shrugged innocently enough, eyes still following the lace edging and blonde curls. His eyebrows had disappeared under the brim of his head wrap his eyes were so wide. Still ushering Melisande down the hall, Aki gasped as someone stepped out from a side room.

It was only Elle, one brow raised at the racket. She finished folding the shirt and tossed it on the bed...turning her full attention to Aki and the Raevan. "Ah, who is this?! Is this beautiful girl another child for your wing, Aki?" Her tone was light, she didn't need to wink to show she was speaking in mild jest.

"In a way. This is Melisande! Meli, this is..."

"Beautiful!" Interrupting Aki, the Frei drifted forward...this time, her guardian did not restrain her. Reaching up to cup Elle's cheek gently, Melisande smiled brightly at the taller woman as she slowly bobbed in air. Her word drifted like a whispered note, far richer than a simple utterance.

Elle managed a bit of a blush herself, tipping her head to the side as she grinned. "Direct! Well, thank you, Melisande!"

Those words the Frei knew! "Thank you!"

Sharing a smile with Aki, Elle chuckled and shook her head. "When I say thank you..." She tapped her own chest to indicate. "You say you're welcome!"

These words didn't seem so strange! She gave it her best shot, encouraged by Elle's nod. "Welcome!" She practically glowed as Elle clapped, captivated by the soothing sound. The very center of her seemed to hum, electric with joy.

Aki was smiling, laughing out loud as Melisande spun in a graceful pirouette. "Thank you, Elle! She's certainly a bright woman, let's see if we can't refresh her memory as soon as possible." At the quirk of her roommate's brow, she brushed the unspoken question aside. "I'll explain it all tomorrow...or you can ask Levi for his version instead."

The young scallywag jumped as Aki shot a knowing glance his way, his profile disappearing from the sliver of light in the doorway. Drat! Keeping her smile to herself, Aki held out her hand to Melisande once more.

"Let's get a room ready for you, sweetie. A place to call your own!"

Nodding at the idea, Elle trotted off to the cellar, intent on gathering some cloth and some dried flowers to make Melisande's room feel like home. By the time she arrived, the moon was high and the room in the villa turret was flooded in silver light.

Enchanted, Melisande drifted in without prompting...turning in a slow circle in the center of the empty space. It was lovely, she could see the coast and the sea, the trees and the distant city! Turning bright eyes to Aki and Elle, she clasped her hands at her chest and sighed. "Thank you..."

"Always."  

[Aki Ana]

As it slowly fades...

Head leaned to one side as Elle combed her curls gently, Melisande sighed...eyes fixed on the sunset just beyond the tower window. She'd been given the highest room in the Villa...the view from the turret encompassed a glorious hemisphere of forest, coast and sea. Crisp linen curtains were drawn back, secured with pale ribbons that were stained with all the colors of the fading sun.

"Did that hurt?" Withdrawing the comb gently, Elle smoothed her hand over the back of Meli's head...leaning forward to peer at her face with slight concern.

Blinking as Elle appeared in her field of view, Melisande smiled...cheeks pink and orange with the kiss of dusk. Elle's smile appeared as well, and she went back to combing with a chuckle. "No? Good. Then what was that noise for?"

The young Frei didn't quite understand, but the questioning tone rang clearly. What the pretty girl wanted to know, Melisande wasn't sure....but she did have one thing to share! Raising one finger, she gestured absently towards the radiant panorama beyond the bright windows. "Beautiful..."

Setting the comb aside, Elle nodded...moving forward to settle beside the petite museling. She'd heard a very interesting tale from Aki. If it was accurate, there was more to Melisande than had been shown. Smiling brightly, Elle appealed to the passions that Aria surely bestowed.

Pointing to her own expression, Elle labeled it simply. "Happy!" The tone seemed to help...as soon as Melisande smiled as well, Elle repeated the word and motioned to the girl's face as well. A few moments later, her features crumpled in sorrow. "Sad!"

It was a simple lesson, similar to those on the early morning show with the Butterfly that Nisha seemed so fond of. In Melisande's case, however, it wasn't knew knowledge...it was almost as though the girl simply needed reminded.

Understanding spread across her face slowly. Smiling once more, she struggled to recall Elle's words. "Ha-ppy!" Her eyes clouded, lip trembling expertly. "Saaad."

Laughing in startled delight, Elle nodded...rocking back to sit upon Meli's brand new bed. The Frei had more surprises than that, it seemed. Making a ferocious face, brows knit with rage, Melisande pointed to her own visage. "Hmm?!"

"Mad!!!" Putting passion into her voice, Elle copied the same expression...melting moments later into delighted laugher. "You've got it! Oh, Melisande...it's all coming back to you!"

That might not have exactly been the case, but Melisande didn't object...instead, her cheeks powdered gently pink...curls swaying to hide her face a bit as she ducked her head and smiled. The Frei leaned silently to the side, a simple sway of gratitude that brushed her shoulder against Elle's.

"I'm so glad you're happy here. Do you like your room?" Motioning around at the chamber, now lit more by candles than sunset, Elle's lips tugged up into a smile. "Happy?"

The glow of understanding seemed to light Melisande from within. Clinging to Elle's arm, she nodded in joy...ribbons fluttering as she rose slowly into the air. Drifting this way and that, she ran her hands over every surface...the embroidered bed spread and the polished dresser, the lovely plants and the thin white curtains. Finally settling before the mirror, still nodding, Melisande peered at Elle through the reflection and breathed a sweet word softly. Her hand spread against the glass, covering both her own reflection and Elle's in a tender touch.

"Beautiful. Yes, happy...Elle." There was still something, distant and vague, that she couldn't quite settle...but the comfort of the love and space around her was enough to silence the confusion. Though she had never been here, she knew this place. It had a name...

Nodding silently, Elle only trusted herself to smile. For some reason, it meant so much...for all the loss, and all the blood, an old soul had found a brand new home. Opening her arms to Meli, Elle wasn't surprised that the girl was suddenly there...cuddling into the hug as though there was something vital in the simple embrace. Giggling, Elle gave her a squeeze, amazed at the soft brush of wings against her forearms. Pulling back after a few long moments, she nodded once more.

"Good. Welcome home, Melisande."

Home. Yes. That was the word she'd been looking for.  

[Aki Ana]

The way back home.

Shaking his head, Levi pulled the note from the carton...wishing he hadn't learned to read. He had to take out the trash?! He couldn't claim to have missed the note, either....they TAPED it right to his milk! Shutting the door with one foot, he tossed the note in the trash and pinched open the carton...glancing around for a cup. A knock at the door paused his search.

Gentle and quiet, he'd almost missed it. An unmistakable grin crept across his face as he strolled down the hall. Taking a swig right from the carton as he walked, since he had no cup, the young pirate erped, pinched the carton shut, and yanked open the door. "Mik!!"

The early morning light barely illuminated the open porch...the fog wrapping the Villa in heavy white banks. Instead of a petite Legend boy upon his doorstep, however, there was something rather unexpected.

A coil of mauve ribbon, heavy and slow with dew, spiraled slowly. One hand curled shivering over her heart, Melisande's other hand lowered from the door...knuckles as pink as her cheeks. The ample curls of her pale hair had been pulled into waves by the moisture, wet clothes sticking to her trembling shoulders. Though she was obviously soaked and cold, Melisande still found heart enough for a winsome smile.

Levi dropped the milk. Right about then, Aki finally emerged from her bedroom...phone still in hand. "Wasa? I'll call you back!" With a beep, she killed the call and tossed the handset aside...rushing forward and tugging Levi out of the way.

"Melisande! Sweetie, what happened?! Why were you outside?" Scooting the milk aside with her foot, shooting Levi a significant look, Aki pulled her in. The pirate rescued the carton from the floor and trudged sadly to the kitchen. He wanted to visit with Melisande!

Silently, drifting willingly inside, Melisande uncurled the hand she'd hand cupped against her heart. In her palm, a tiny white morning glory fluttered...delicate petals wilting as vitality swiftly faded.

"You were in the garden?! Oh, I must have shut the window to your room earlier! I didn't know you were outside! I'm sorry, Pasha!!" Using her pet name, Aki spoke softly...prompting a shakey pat from the cold Raevan. Pulling her in close, Aki escorted her upstairs to her room...dripping all the way.

A few minutes later, She'd peeled Meli mostly out of her wet clothes...but Aki didn't know if they were integral to her being. The ribbon seemed a pretty permanent feature! Instead, she let the thin wet fabric settle off Melisande's shoulders and around her waist...wrapping a large fluffy towel around middle, and another around her shoulders. A third held her hair up to dry. Squeezing the towel around her middle a bit, trying to dry the clothes without really separating the girl from them, Aki paused to feed another stick into the fireplace.

Meli's high corner room was one of the few with a fireplace. Aki usually relied on space heaters, since the boiler system was a little complex for her. That left the halls cold, but the rooms nice and toasty. "Feel better?!" She rubbed her hands briskly over Melisande's towel caped shoulders.

The Frei nodded, cheeks still pink from her adventure. The morning glory rested in a tiny glass of water, thoughtfully placed there by Aki once she'd gotten the girl dry. "Good. Were you just out there to look at the flowers?"

She knew that word. The roses at her temples peeked out from below the fluffy towel cocoon upon her head. "Yes! They are beautiful! Did you make them?" Her words were light, lifting...carefully chosen as though they were spoken poetry.

"Not 'make'...'grow'! Yes, I grew them!" Nodding happily, Aki was relieved to see Melisande smile in appreciation. She loved learning all the little things there were to know! Especially, it seemed, about communication. The Frei seemed to put great stock in the words she used.

"Thank you. Aki...we see cars, buildings? Yes please?" Drifting closer, taking Aki's hands in her own, Melisande's gaze was hopeful and captivating.

She was so taken but Meli's sweet approach that she'd almost missed the question. "Cars...buildings...town? Would you like to go into town?!"

"Town!" Nodding once, Melisande sank back with a content sigh. That was the word she'd been looking for! Every day, she learned more...Elle and Aki were always so patient! The restlessness, however, had only grown.

Something stirred within her. Melisande had the nagging feeling, especially as the sun began to rise each and every day, that there was something she was forgetting. Something she was supposed to do? A secret she couldn't recall... No. It was something, quiet and bothersome, that she'd almost learned to ignore.

She longed for the day she could speak the words that mattered, and ask the questions that she wished to ask. Until then, she simply smiled...listening and learning from the world around her.

"Certainly! The fog will burn off soon...we can go later in the afternoon, when it warms up a bit!" Autumn had snuck up on them...Melisande had arrived with the last of the summer flowers. Trying to give a simpler answer, Aki nodded once again. "Soon!"

Beaming as Aki agreed, Melisande gave her hands another squeeze and leaned back once again. She was supposed to be relaxing, Aki said...waiting for the tea that Elle would bring!

Almost as if summoned by the thought, the door pushed open to let Elle slip through. Barefoot as always despite the cold stone floor of the hall and stairs, she carried the tea tray with an expert hand. "Hi, Pasha! You feeling okay? I heard you took a stroll in the fog?"

Cheeks tinting pink with happiness at seeing another welcome face, Melisande tilted her head with a smile of greeting to Elle. The crowning towel her hair was wrapped in slid a bit to the side, sliding over a rose and almost obscuring one blue eye. Setting down the tray, Elle pushed it back into place...smiling as Melisande laughed quietly. She'd already had one hand raised to fix it before Elle caught it for her.

Taking a cup from the tray, Aki filled it with a steady hand. The first she handed to Elle with a grateful smile, and the second to Meli. Elle had a lovely knack for letting her blends steep just long enough, and serving at that magical moment when the tea was still hot, but not too hot to drink.

"Thank you, Elle! What tea is this called?" Stringing together a sentence as best she could, Melisande took a deep breath of steam and then a slow sip.

Sipping her own, Elle smiled. "It's chamomile, sweet clover, and white cherry! Do you like it?" The Frei nodded, committing the name to memory as she sipped.

"Well, when we're done, let's get dressed and have some lunch! By that time, the day should be clear and we can head downtown!" She was sure to invite Elle, though she suspected the girl would decline as she usually did. There was something about the bustle and roar that set her a bit on edge.

Sure enough, Elle shook her head a bit, but raised her glass nonetheless. "Perhaps I'll work on a little something for Pasha's room while you're both out. Enjoy, though!"

Laughing as the towel slid slowly once more to shade Meli's face, Aki giggled and leaned over to push it aside. "I'm sure we will!!  

[Aki Ana]

A simple delight.

Peering below the table, Aki sighed...reaching forward to adjust Meli's skirts. A few moments later, a fall of golden curls and a curious face joined her below the table of the ice cream parlor.

"Oh, honey, don't worry...I'm just making sure they fall right!" They'd picked up the skirt at a local vintage shop...it was the only place that still carried the old 'hoop' styles. Melisande watched as Aki tugged at the skirt below the table, smiling brightly at her guardian.

They both sat up about the same time. Meli shook her hair back into place...the curls and ribbons settled perfectly back into order. Aki gave her a wistful smile, and combed her fingers through her own mussed locks. It had to be magic!

Oddly enough, those were the exact same thoughts going through the head of the young man that had just wandered up to bring them their order. His eyes grew wide at the sight of not one, but two petite blondes...shoulders squaring a bit as he stared. He couldn't help but wonder what they'd been doing under the table!

"Here are you...ah...orders! Um..." With a patient nod, Aki accepted her milkshake with both hands...settling it down to the table carefully. With this tray almost empty, the server was able to lift Melisande's treat and set it on the table himself. Scooting it closer to the young Frei, watching as her eyes grew wide with delight, he stammered out the first thing he could think to say. "There you go! I...um...hope you enjoy it!"

Eyes shining at the slender parfait, one finger rising to stroke the creamy colors through the thick glass, Meli peered back up at him with a winsome smile. "Thank you. So much~."

Her words drifted, light and sweet, to fill the space between them. The lad blushed, holding the tray in front of himself awkwardly. Her voice was as gorgeous as she was! Oblivious to Aki's lifted brow, he continued to stammer after Meli's response.

"I...hope it's perfect! Such a lovely woman...ah...deserves nothing less!" He tried a charming grin, but it came across just a bit goofy. Aki sighed.

Melisande, however, was instantly taken. The slightest hint of pink rising to her cheeks, she peered up through lowered lashes and almost whispered her response. "I am...lovely?" One hand lifted gracefully from the table, seeking the lad's fingers where they curled around the tray.

Aki caught Meli's hand before it got there. As lovely as the day you were born. I should know! I was there." The last was directed more at the lad than Meli...the wry tone of a 'mother' creeping into her voice. Lifting her gaze to the server, Aki smiled a bit more firmly. The lad was still trying to babble out his agreement. "Thank you, I think that's it for now."

Nodding, he smiled uncertainly...still looking at Meli, and Aki's restraining hand. He made no effort to leave.

"Really. Thank you."

The growing edge in her voice finally got through to him. Blinking, he nodded...giving the pair one more sheepish grin before taking a step back. "If you...ah...need anything. Either of you..."

Aki settled her old mask back into place...the stony, aloof stare only the Elven races were truly capable of delivering. Nodding once more, the boy turned in a hurry...walking swiftly into the back of the parlor with the tray still held in front of him.

Aki sighed, finally taking her hand off Melisande's. "Some people just don't take hints!"

Eyes wide with interest, Melisande leaned forward. "What is a hint?"

Thinking how best to define, Aki took a sip of her milkshake...glad for the cool taste on just a warm day. "It's...when you want to tell someone something, but you don't want to just come right out and say what it is. Like...when I mention how full the trash is sometimes, when I'm cooking dinner? That is a hint to Levi that he should get up and take out the trash!"

Understanding dawned across Melisande's face, only briefly clouded by further puzzlement. "What hint did we give him?" She followed the lad's path with her eyes, all the way back to the kitchen doors.

"That we didn't want to be bothered!" Taking a scoop of whipped cream off of her milkshake with the spoon, she leaned across the table to offer it to Melisande. The young Frei opened her mouth without a seconds hesitation...she loved being fed!

After finishing the bite, she tilted her head...obviously still thinking. "Thank you!" It wasn't long before she was back on the other subject. "But...he wasn't bothering me!"

"Maybe not, but he would have!" Meli didn't look convinced. Sighing, Aki took a bite for herself...wiping her lips gently with the napkin. "You have to learn that-"

She trailed off, glancing at Meli's face. The girl was riveted, soaking up every word...eyes wide with interest. Aki shook her head, dropping the rest of what she was about to say. It wasn't her place to embitter the young Raevan. "Never mind, some lessons are best learned naturally. "It certainly must be a challenge for you, but you're doing very well." Melisande didn't know what she was doing well at, but she gave Aki a bright smile at the praise and reached across the table to give her hand a squeeze. "I wonder how the others are doing."

Melisande nibbled her lip, watching Aki take another bite. She still hadn't touched her own treat. Finally, she summoned the courage to ask. "What...are others?"

"You know, the other Raevans! The others, like you! I haven't met them either, but I hea-"

"Like me?!" Aki blinked. Melisande had never interrupted her before! Obviously shocked, Melisande stood...her skirt settled at an unnatural angle against the chair. Glancing about to see if anyone noticed, Aki also rose and settled a hand on Meli's shoulder...guilding her back 'down' to her seat. She wasn't embarrassed of Melisande's unique form, much the opposite! Some people, however, were violently closed minded. For that reason, Aki herself often wore her hair pinned back in soft waves, covering her conspicuous ears.

It occurred to her slowly, with a sudden settling of guilt in her stomach, that Aki had never told Melisande that the Raevan project was an ongoing situation. All she'd mentioned was that Melisande was 'special'...it hadn't occurred to her that she'd been denying the girl a sense of kin. "I...yes. Like you, in a way. From the same place, and same process! But-"

Again Melisande interrupted. "I want...them!"

Aki pondered that statement. "You want to meet them? To go visit?"

The Frei nodded, eyes wide and earnest. Her voice rang sweet and clear as she pushed again from her seat...drifting slowly upwards. "Yes! To meet them! To see them, to touch them! I wish to go and I want to know-" Her words began to rise, swelling with sweet melody as she poured her desires forth. Only when Aki raised a hand did she trail off, the dulcet words dying on her lips.

Taking a breath, Aki tried to clear her head. She'd never heard Melisande so excited, but there was something about her words. A melody had formed, growing and glowing behind each breath. There was something about it, a subtle pull that almost had Aki convinced that she should drop everything and take Meli right away to see the others. For a single moment, she'd been close to being enraptured by something so simple as a few breathed lines of verse.

How very strange.

Lowering her hand slowly, half surprised the entire parlor hadn't spontaneously burst into a full out musical, Aki nodded in slight reassurance. "Be still, Pasha, be still!" It was a hard thing for her to say. She knew there was nothing else the girl would like more than to be free to sing and love and explore the world around her....but judging by the surprised faces of the neighboring tables, this was not the time.

"Melisande?"

"Yes, Aki?"

"Your parfait is melting."

Instantly distracted, the Frei settled back down into her seat with a gasp and a floof of skirts. Peering with obvious concern as the cherry slid slowly to the side, she plucked it from the top of the luscious dessert and lowered it gingerly into her mouth. The young waiter had just stepped through the kitchen doors, heading to their table with the check, as she pulled it gently back out from between her lips.

He turned on heel, and marched straight back into the kitchen...blushing all the way to his collar.

Aki sighed. "Finish quickly, sweetie. It's time to go." She had calls to make, if a visit was to be arranged...and there was no point in teasing the poor lad any further. Taking the last few sips of her milkshake, Aki rested her chin on her palm and watched Melisande melt with sweet delight.

At least some things were still simple.  

[Aki Ana]

More than meets the eye...

Raising up onto his tip toes, Levi chewed his lip absently....staring into the tower room with wide and shining eyes. Melisande was brushing her hair, singing quietly to herself. Her shoulders were bare, painted with the colors of the sunset.

Sighing silently, resting his head to the side against the door frame, Levi looked from the coil of crimson ribbon to the glow of the hidden rune. She was so...pretty! Hair shading his dancing blue eyes, Levi's grin spread wide and wistful. Her hair was the perfect color of gold, which was by far his favori-

"LEVI!"

The young pirate nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning around into a crouch at the sharp whisper. Elle was at the base of the stairs, one hand on the sconce...eyes blazing with indignation. Motioning with one firm gesture, she pointed down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

Despair washing over him, Levi opened his mouth to protest...snapping it closed at a warning growl from Elle. Risking one last glance, he nearly froze in his steps as Melisande turned...curves silhouetted perfectly against the brilliant orange sky. Sighing again, he shook his head in regret and slogged down the stairs.

A few moments later, he found himself at the table with Elle...watching her back glumly as she lifted the kettle on the heat. Slumped in his chair, wishing he was still up in the tower watching Melisande brush her hair, Levi finally glanced up as Elle set two steaming tea cups on the table.

"Trouble, eh?"

"Trouble? More like an impromptu lesson. Levi..." Taking a moment to sort her thoughts, Elle cradled the warm cup with both hands...pausing to blow a curl of steam from the surface. "What you were doing is not a respectful thing to do! You-"

"Wha?! I lookit you! Yer lubly!"

Brows furrowing a bit as she was interrupted, Elle's concerned features finally melted into a wry smile. "I know, and I told you I didn't have a problem with that...but I can't speak for Pasha. Levi, you have to understand, she's a child."

Unconcerned, Levi took a sip of his tea...shrugging as he gulped it down and gasped out steam. "Yah? Me too!"

Once again, Elle's brows drew together. Levi was trying to frustrate her, she damn well knew it. His flippant attitude was charming, as long as it was directed elsewhere. "Levi, she's innocent! Do you understand what I mean? It's nice that you admire how pretty she is, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to sneak around and peek at her! It's disrespectful! Wait until she's learned about the world, and then she'll let you know how she feels on her own. The first time she catches you, at least. So, are we clear?"

Finishing his tea in one more pull, setting it down with a clatter, Levi pushed away from the table and shook his head. The braid he'd worked into the side of his hair whapped against his cheek, dark locks shading his eyes at the gesture. "Nope. S'okay though! No worries, eh?"

Elle raised a brow, obviously a little miffed at being blatantly disregarded. Then again, a pirate was a pirate...and logic was rarely the way to get through to one. "Fine. You know, I kind of guessed that would be the answer. I guess if it's NOT okay, you'd know, hmm?"

Pausing, one hand on the kitchen doorway, Levi turned back with both brows lifted in surprise. Nodding happily, he offered Elle a twinkling grin. So, she understood after all! "Yup! I...hey. HEY."

Though his eyes got steadily wider, the room was growing blurry...light fading gently into a warm wash of pure color as Elle's blend took effect. Hands outstretched, Levi staggered back towards Elle...mouth hanging open in shock. "Ah...canna see! Ah BIND!"

Pulling an entirely different tea blend from her cup, Elle set it on the saucer with a small smile and took another sip of her own tea. "You're not blind...if you were blind, all you'd see would be darkness. Guess it's not okay after all, eh?" Using his favorite inflection, Elle rose out of her seat gracefully as Levi wandered closer...the lad bumping into the brown blur of the table.

"Ah wanna see! 'Nuff!"

Finishing her tea, Elle stepped deftly around the bumbling young scallywag and delivered the dishes into the sink. She'd wash them later, this was too good to miss! It wasn't that she enjoyed being cruel, but... "I'm here to teach, Levi...not to condone voyerism. Something tells me this will be a valuable lesson indeed...on many levels! Enjoy. When you've learned said lesson, come find me, and I'll do what I can to get you fixed up."

Strolling past the boy, collecting breakable objects from shelves and counters as she went, Elle padded barefoot out of the kitchen. Levi, meanwhile, grumbled and cursed...bouncing slowly around the kitchen as he searched for the door. "Aww...bloody hell!"

Calling back over one shoulder, Elle put a smile in her voice. "Keep cursing like that with Melisande in the house, and the same thing that happened to your sight will happen to your tongue!"

Suddenly, the kitchen was quiet, punctuated only by a crash as Levi found the fridge. Elle slipped through the door that lead down to the cellar, pulling it firmly shut behind her. It wouldn't do to have the lad trip, after all. A lesson was one thing, bodily harm quite another.

Finally plopping down on the kitchen floor, Levi sighed...pulling his knees up against his chest and stubbornly waiting for the tea to fade. He never heard Melisande approach...how could he? Her ribbon trailed gracefully above the stone floor.

Pausing for a moment behind the lad, she dimpled into a smile...cheeks blushing the faintest pink. She'd heard the argument between Elle and Levi, and although she appreciated the other woman's protection, it wasn't necessary. She'd know Levi was there from the moment he crept up the stairs!

Sinking downward, the glow from her rune moving across the grey stone floor in a spreading pool of luminescence, Melisande wrapped her arms gently around Levi from behind.

For a moment, he stiffened...one hand raising to feel for the face over his shoulder. As his hand touched Meli's soft curls, he relaxed with a smile...snuggling back into her gentle embrace. Ha! If only Elle could see him now!

Petting the hair away from Levi's eyes in a fashion that was either innocent or sisterly, Melisande lowered her mouth to hover beside the pirate's ear. She wasn't mad, not at all...why would people have been granted such lovely forms if they weren't meant to be seen? She loved the admiration the boy so freely offered...it warmed her to the core, and her rune grew a touch brighter.

Quiet and heartfelt, the words began to rise...not a song of her own, but one she remembered from the music box Aki often left on for her at night. Sweet tones caressed through the boy's hair, an offering far sweeter than a forbidden peek.

"Time moves a summer wind~
I can see your face again~
Was it such a tragedy
Being you ... Being me?

Smoke clears, the pictures fades~
but I stay back in yesterday~
All the strangers come and go
All of them will never know..."

Still petting the soft golden curls, Levi stared at the wash of color that surrounded him...purples and oranges, browns and pinks. From below, Elle listened as well...smiling gently as the sweet tones filtered down through the Villa. Perhaps Melisande understood more than she'd given the girl credit for.

At the very least, her compassion spoke highly. She understood very well the wish to hold someone close...and at the thought, a face rose within her mind. This was not her time, however. She was here to guide, to aid...not to indulge, despite the desires that swelled around her. Not yet, anyway. With a nod, Elle shut the vent...leaving the two to their moment. This was a lesson for them all, it seemed.  

[Aki Ana]

 

[Aki Ana]

Divine

Wiping the sweat from her sunkissed brow, Aki stretched in the unseasonably warm air of the bright autumn afternoon. The ground below her knees was mostly dry, it had been days since the last rain. Her garden was doing well, despite that...she tended it carefully, and make sure each and every plant had the water and shade it needed.

Plants weren't the only things in need of shade, it seemed! Aki blinked as the sun fled from her shoulders, a blessed cool settling over her like a breeze. Glancing up with half a puzzled smile, Aki's true smile blossomed as she found herself staring up into the domed shelter of a delicate parasol. The light filtered pink through the pale fabric, dappling her face as the trim shifted and fluttered in the breeze. "Pasha! Thank you!"

Melisande nodded happily, curls bobbing as she blushed at Aki's gratitude. Holding the umbrella a bit higher to shade them both from the sun, the young Frei peered down at Aki's work...smile fading with a look of polite interest.

"What are you...making?" She sank slowly downwards, the ribbon that comprised her lower body coiling elegantly under her. Meli peered with curiosity at the disturbed soil Aki had been weeding, watching the bugs scurry with only a tiny wince.

Aki shook her head, pointing to the pile of discarded greenery. "Not making anything aside from room! Some plants grow easier than others, and will take over the whole garden if you let them! If you want to have variety, and all the different flowers and foods we love so much, you have to make room for them to grow!" Pulling another hunk of milkweed from the bed, Aki shook the rich dirt from the roots and tossed it aside.

The Frei's smile brightened as she considered this, finally nodding happily. Adjusting the parasol once more, spinning it a bit to cast dancing bits of shade across Aki's face, she tried to explain her understanding. "It is the same, with the words we sing. Though they are all beautiful, if they are too like the words of others, we must cast them aside."

Rocking back onto her heels, Aki nodded...impressed at Meli's analogy. Her lips parted to respond, but she fell quiet as Pasha took a slow breath. When Melisande sang, it was nothing like the musical scenes in movies, where people danced and the words all rhymed. Instead, it seemed so natural, as though the words had been waiting to be given breath until that very moment.

"I have no answer for you
My love~
Only a path we may take

There is nothing to forgive
My dear~
And everything to accept

The sun is yawning lower
My sweet~
The clouds are so proudly stained

Watch the fireflies dancing
My darling~
Open your eyes while you can..."

Hands clasped gently around the curve of the parasol handle, Melisande drifted slowly upwards...the spiral of her crimson sash uncoiling as she raised. Eyes drifting closed, Aki listened as all fell into stillness, as though the trees and leaves, the surf and wind, the world itself wished to hear her song as well.

Before her eyes closed completely, a tiny speck of light drew her eye. It did not break the spell that Pasha had woven...instead, it seemed a part of it so natural that for many long minutes, Aki would not question it. One firefly, two, now three flickered and bobbed in the shade of the tree...emerging as clouds hid the face of the sun behind a thin veil of brilliant white.

"Soon the light will have vanished
I know~
The path will find us instead

So trust your steps as they fall
We can~
And we both shall find our way."

As the last pristine notes rang across the garden, the sun broke through the clouds once more. Breath flooded into Aki, she hadn't realized she'd been holding it...and she gazed upward as the wisps burned off in the light. Suddenly, the day was bright once more, and the shade at the base of the tree was empty. The fireflies had gone with the last of the melody, and they were alone in the garden once again.

Aki rose, forgetting to brush the dirt from her palms and knees as she faced Melisande. Pasha bobbed before her in silence, just an inch shy of Aki's height, and smiled up at her guardian with radiant beauty. She noticed that Meli always seemed just a hint shorter than those she spoke too, perhaps it was unconscious, since the Frei could float higher than Aki could jump. Still shaking her head in amazement, Aki raised her hand to caress Meli's face, but her stained fingers fell short.

"Every time I hear you sing, it is sweeter than the last. I...have no words to thank you with, Melisande."

"You have them, and have given them to me! There is no kinder compliment ever spoken." Bobbing forward, breeze pushing her flaxen hair from her face, Melisande settled a light kiss upon Aki's cheek. Something thrilled through her, something far more refined than embarrassment or desire, and Aki swept back a step as her mind whirled with confusion.

Melisande watched carefully, but no concern showed upon her face. Only sublime understanding settled upon her features as she smiled at Aki, hair pulled to the side as the breeze from the ocean changed direction.

Her heart beat in a steady rhythm, though it felt as though it should be racing. A coolness had settled within her, soothing the heat from the sun that battered at her fair skin, as soothing as a moonlit pond...

Moonlit. Aki's eyes lifted to Pasha's slowly. The breath of Elunae, her guide and goddess. That was why Aki hadn't recognized it...the only time she'd felt the touch of Elunae's blessing so strongly was under the light of the clearest moon. Shivering as the wave of exaltation ebbed from her, Aki tried to cling to the last of the precious thrum.

For many long moments, they simply stared at one another. The gathering of the clouds and the dance of the fireflies had been forgotten...instead, Aki considered the being before her carefully. Her hands itched to rise, her body to sway as she performed her devotions, but there was no moon, and Pasha was no goddess. Nor was she a Maiden, Aki felt no such aura from her, and over a century of training in the Temple had taught her to look for that and more.

No, Pasha was just Pasha, same as she'd ever been. Was this the power of a muse, then? Aki shook her head in her own silent thoughts, and walked slowly forward to take Meli's hands once again. It didn't seem to be such, perhaps it was the essence that the soul thrived upon, the odd vial that supported the soul of Aria d'Pasha.

No surge thrilled through her as her hands closed around Meli's. Only a gentle squeeze, as though the Frei knew what she'd experienced, and silently willed her to accept it with grace. Suddenly, Aki did just that, and returned the smile with a full heart.

"Thank you. You are an angel, Melisande."

Pasha shook her head, curls going wild as her cheeks tinted pink. Lips curving into a tiny sweet smile, she leaned forward to whisper in Aki's ear with a smile. "I am not an angel, Aki...but I am blessed to be with you." Just as quietly as she had arrived, Meli drifted from the garden...trailing one hand along the bright roses that twined up the corner of the crumbling stone Villa.  

[Aki Ana]

[reserved for PD with Chloe!

In progress: http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11186367&page=1 ]  

[Aki Ana]

[-Reserved for summary of sleepover-]  

[Aki Ana]

Truth

Setting the kettle on the heat to warm, Aki yawned...the back of one hand covering her mouth as she stretched. She was a bit tired this morning, she'd stayed up talking to Melisande for most of the evening, out on the balcony...

Glancing towards the tall french doors as she thought back, Aki paused in mid yawn. A flutter of pink ribbon? Stepping to the side to get a better view through the glass, Aki found herself staring at Pasha. She was back on the balcony again?

Leaving the water to heat, Aki shuffled that direction...tugging her robe closer around her slender frame as the chill from the glass echoed. Opening the door, Aki poked her head out...ears brushing either side of the gap as she tried to keep in what warm air she could.

"Pasha? Honey, isn't it too cold to be outside? Come have some breakfast first!"

Arms folded over the edge of the balcony, Meli had been staring out at the rolling sea...chin propped on the cross of her arms. Rolling her head to the side, she tried to summon a smile for Aki, but none appeared. Vague trails of pink wound down each of her pale cheeks...smudges of her pretty eyeliner that had been ruined by tears.

Stepping out on the balcony, door wide open and forgotten behind her, Aki approached slowy. "Pasha? Melisande...have you been out here all night?!"

Meli nodded, a few petals drifting from her roses, and turned her face back to the sea. The Villa faced west, to capture the sunset...in twelve hours or so, she'd be able to watch the sun sink into the waves again...

Letting one hand settle on the girl's back, Aki simply stared. Meli was so cold to the touch, and her ribbon was limp, spiraling listlessly. Aki realized that the balcony was littered with petals, and only the buds at Melisande's temples were in good repair.

This wasn't good.

Wrapping her arms high around the young Frei's torso, Aki scooped her up and marched back inside. For a moment, Melisande didn't know what to do...wrapping her arms around Aki's neck in startled shock. She'd never been picked up before! It wasn't something worth resisting, though, so the Raevan simply watched as Aki hurried them both across the kitchen.

The slam of a door echoed from somewhere else in the Villa, and the sound of barefeet could be heard upon the stone. By the time Aki reached the bottom of the stairs, Elle was there...wide eyed at the concern she could feel rolling off of Aki, even through feet of solid stone.

For a moment, the two women stared at each other...Meli's eyes closed once again as she settled her head against Aki's shoulder. "Elle?" Aki said quietly, holding the Frei gingerly.

"Yes, Aki?!" Elle's tone was urgent. Obviously, something was wrong, and the empath waited for Aki's orders.

"You're naked."

A few more moments passed. Finally, Elle glanced down...the thin crown of branches in her hair clacking as they shifted. So she was...but that hardly seemed like the biggest issue! "I was sleeping. But...something was wrong...!"

Nodding, Aki brushed past Elle towards the steps to the tower, still holding Melisande against her. "Not [that wrong. Melisande didn't sleep last night, she's been out in the cold. After you get dressed, would you draw her a bath in the tower?"

Genuine concern crumpled Elle's features, instead of just the empathic echo of Aki's worries. "Of course. I'll bring up the tea as well." The little pot had just started to whistle upon the stove as Elle hurried back the way she came...bare bottom twinkling as she ran.

Thankful that Levi was at Mik's house, Aki sighed and trudged up the stairs.

~

Ten minutes later, Melisande had sunk to her chin in the warm bath water, and three cups of steaming tea rested on the tray over the sink. All the curtains were thrown back, letting the morning light into the Villa's tower. This was Meli's room, after all...decorated with all the lovely gifts and twining fabrics that Elle and Aki had given to her.

Pasha's eyes were closed, and her head was back against the edge of the antique clawfoot tub. Aki and Elle sat nearby, both wearing robes and sending slightly envious glances towards the bath. It was cold inside...it was hard to imagine how Pasha had survived the night out!

"What's wrong with her?" Elle spoke softly, her words only meant for Aki. As best she could tell, the Frei was asleep anyway.

"I don't know, Elle. She's been upset ever since that sleep over. She won't talk about it." Lifting her eyes to the empath, Aki quirked her brow....obviously asking 'can't you tell me?'

Shaking her head, Elle sighed. She couldn't read the girl well at all...Meli's emotions had always been jumbled, as though they were in a different language. It was like that, sometimes, with other types of beings. Strong blooded races, like elves and humans, were far easier for the empath to work with. "I'm sorry."

Aki simply nodded. She was sorry as well. Offering Elle her tea, and taking one cup for her own, the elf sat for a while in silence...glancing occasionally at Pasha, who was finally resting. A few minutes passed as they sipped, warming from the inside out.

"I think I'll have to take her to the lab. Would you-"

"I'll watch the others, for as long as you need. Take a few days, maybe Pasha just needs to get out of the house." Reaching across the divide to squeeze Aki's hand, Elle tried to send her a surge of comfort. Aki nodded, letting their hands part.

"Thank you."

Finishing her tea, Elle nodded as well, and stood slowly. "Hand me her clothes, and I'll get them washed. To be honest, I wasn't sure they actually came off!"

At that, Aki laughed...handing over the pile of bright Pasha colored clothes. "I wasn't sure either, actually. But from the chest up, she seems like a perfectly normal girl." Her eyes settled on Meli's still face, a pink petal plastered to the girl's wet cheek. "A perfectly normal, sad, girl."

Smile fading, Elle lowered her eyes back to the clothes. Poor Melisande, she was such a delicate soul! Surely, if anything horrible had happened, one of the other guardians or attendants would have mentioned it. Whatever it was, it seemed personal for Melisande.

Watching Elle leave, Aki waited until the door clicked. Her roommate's footsteps faded down the stone stairs, and Aki turned her attention back to Melisande's peaceful sleeping face.

"Pasha?"

The Frei's eyes opened almost instantly, silently meeting Aki's. Obviously, she hadn't been as asleep as she looked.

"We need to talk."