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“Daddy?” A small voice asked with uncertainty, grey eyes peering through the darkness. She was so utterly lost, not understanding where she was or how she’d even gotten there. “Daddy? W-where are you?” Asked the dark haired girl again, this time with a definite note of fear in her voice. Suddenly, like someone had flipped a switch, a light appeared in the distance. Hope fluttering in her heart that it was ‘Daddy’ calling her home, the girl ran quickly towards it. She didn’t even stop to think that it might have been something other than him that she so yearned for. That it might be something dangerous.

And dangerous it was, yet not in the traditional sense. As the girl passed through the warm, heavenly light the perspective suddenly and dramatically changed. The girl was no longer a girl, but a young woman with hair like a field of lilacs. Yet just as before she was searching for him. Frantic as ever, the woman called out, “Dad? Dad?! Where are you?!” Something was wrong, the fear she’d held prior was because she was frightened, but this fear…this was for her father. It was because she didn’t know where he was or what might have happened to him.

Again the scene changed and he was suddenly there before her, reaching out weakly, gasping for breath. Desperately she ran to his side. What should have been only mere feet felt like miles as she ran. No matter how hard she pushed, the female just couldn’t close the distance between them. She fell to her knees; tears pouring down her cheeks as she cried out to him. “No…please! You promised! YOU PROMISED!”

The image of her dying father faded, replaced once more with the ambiance of the dark. As she continued to mourn, a slow fog began to envelop around her. The smoky veil rolled and coiled, gaining momentum and mass. It rose before her in the shape of a snake issuing forth a low, sinister hiss. Once more the scene changed, but not as dramatically as the previous times. This time it was just the sudden change of the snake, the dark fog immediately resembling something of a person. But the person wasn’t finished, merely a torso suspended in the air. It raised its smoky hand to point an accusing finger towards the purple haired woman. Grey eyes still filled with tears, she shook her head unable to speak.

The figure became very animated then, its arms flailing about most possibly in anger. At least that’s what it felt like. If it had a mouth of which to use, it most likely would be yelling at her then, but for what she didn’t know. It was frightening not knowing what it wanted or what it would do should it not get it. On cue, the being pointed at her again and started to float in closer. There was a glow coming from where its eyes should be, an eerie white glow. She wanted to get away. She had to get away! But found that she couldn’t move her legs. The woman gasped when she found her legs turning to stone. Desperate hands began clawing at them, trying to see if that would stop the gradual progression, but it did no go. She tried to pull herself out, if she could get away then this wouldn’t happen, but again it was no use. “No…please! Please I didn’t mean to! PLEASE!” she cried, but the figure had no ears of which to hear either. Its eyes flashed, blinding her as a blood-curtailing scream rang out.

Ebony flung herself up right, tears still making their way down her clammy cheeks. It was only then that she’d realized she was the one screaming and immediately stopped. Hopefully she hadn’t been too loud this time. Though her neighbors didn’t live especially close to her, they could still hear if someone screamed like she had. Yet by now, they’d probably learned to think nothing of it as she’d explained to them last time it was only a nightmare. ‘Only a nightmare…’ she thought with disgust as she kicked her covers free, making sure her legs were indeed not made of stone before making her way to the bathroom.

Flipping the light on, the British woman immediately turned on the faucet as well. Dull metal eyes watched the water as it leaked down the drain. Nightmares were nothing new to her as she’d had plenty during her stay at the orphanage and then again when Adrian had died. Yet, over the last few years they’d began to decrease in frequency and even not occurring for weeks at a time. Ever since the soul capture though, Ebony had found herself screaming and crying herself out of sleep. Night after night she found herself paired with that fog and the image of a snake, but this was the first time it had included things with her father.

She dipped her hands into the ice-cold water and splashed her face several times in an attempt to calm her nerves. There was no shaking it, no denying it. The dream had her spooked. What did it mean? Had she really been that scared of the basilisk back in the Durem caves? She hadn’t thought so at the time, but now…was it a late reaction to her near death experience? Was Aphismet having this same horrible images plaguing him night after night as well? Ebony didn’t dare call him to ask; in fact she hadn’t gone to see him all week, having made up some lame excuse about a major work project she had to get done. Of course part of it was to keep from having to get the stink eye from Rivener and maybe avoiding being a little bit snubbed by Isikoro even if he tried to cover it up. Still, she wouldn’t know how to raise the question to the white haired chef. Besides if he had any nightmares, wouldn’t he have already tried to ask? Aphi was somewhat prying like that, trying to make Ebony more friend than teacher by asking questions she’d rather not answer and of which she never did.

Shutting off the water and turning out the light, Ebony made her way back to bed. The bedside clock read 4:15 am. She sighed and sank back down onto the bed, yet not with the intent to fall back asleep. She sat and thought about the dreams. It was hard to remember things once you woke, but she always remembered the snake made of smoke and the feeling like she was trapped. Not being able to breath, like she was dying. Immediately she shook her long violet strands before placing her hands to her face. What was she going to do once that Raevan was born? Would it be as dangerous as its previous incarnation? And if so, how could she care for something that could so easily kill her? Just like in the caves, Ebony felt that her greed had gotten her way in over her head once more.

(Continued via email since Nats can't access Gaia where she is at the moment)

"Yes, that sounds wonderful! Let's go," Sa'ida said rebounding quickly. The genie slipped one arm through her gaurdian's and the other gently linked with the purple haired woman before her. The alternating brilliance of the flowers still danced in her mind. The young Frei found the power intoxicating, but borderline overwhelming. She didn't want to upset the balance of nature, by unleashing the full vibrance of that cascading rainbow of floral beauty.

"Thank you," Natsuki mouthed discretely to her conversation partner. Her eyes had been drawn to the impromptu performance by the young raevan, but it was not without consequence. Many of the gala guests were directing their attention their way, accompanied with lots of pointing and hushed whispering. It's not her fault the young child has more than a mere green thumb. Unlike the caregivers at the conservatory, her little girl had two rainbow thumbs. "There should be some lovely water fountains and sculptures in the garden, too."

With a lazy hand, she allowed a passing waiter to relieve her of her empty glass. Giving her charge's hand a reassuring pat, she motioned toward the sculpture garden.

She stiffened some as the dark skinned girl looped her arm through her own, but eventually thawed and relaxed into it. Even clasping her own hand over the other's in her own reassuring manner. As they passed into the outer area of the garden, Ebony was sure to give their "audience" a meaningful glare. No sooner had they set sights on those ice hardened orbs of hers, than did they made like they were very busy with something else.

"No problem." The Brit mouthed back to the red head. They passed through some glass doors and out into the sunny maze full of buzzing bees and fluttering butterflies. There were even a few birds flying about and splashing around in the fountains. Nature just basking itself in yet another glorious day.

The young raevan was completely oblivious to the tension in Ebony's arm. Always one to quickly rebound, the genie smiled back and forth between the two women. Out of the three of them, Sa'i had the more natural hair color (compared to the fiery red orange of her guardian and the vivid purple of their companion). Her only shortcoming was the lack of anything below the bust line which served as a drawing point. She felt guilty that she was taking the attention away from all the pretty, colorful flowers. After seeing the rainbow tapestry inside the gallery, the young Frei fully intended on nagging and harassing Natchi until they couple plant a rainbow carpet of their own in the garden.

"Ms. Ebony you should come by the cafe sometime!" Sa'ida mused, letting go of both arms and fluttering past the two women.

“Yes, it would be lovely if you do,” Natsuki chimed in, laughing as she watching the Frei pull away as if on autopilot. Reaching into her purse, the cafe owner removed an antique silver card case. Removing her business card, she held it out to her new associate. “You're welcome to come by anytime, Ebony. Drinks and desserts will always be on the house.” Naturally, she said the last part with a wink as-- honestly-- who in their right mind would pass up a free anything let alone all you can eat free anythings! She liked the character the raevan community brought to her cafe, and the guardians who she's met have been nothing short of fantastic, so why not add another name to the VIP list? Business was certainly booming plenty, so the redhead could stand another regular mouth to feed and gossip with.

Sa'ida held her arms out welcoming the garden and offering it a huge hug. She closed her eyes and raised her chin up to the warm sunshine. A die hard sun worshipper, the genie raised her arms up as giving the golden sun and the blue sky it hung in thanks. Pursing her lips together, the raevan began to whistle and unfamiliar tune to herself and her friends of the garden.

Lithe fingers accepted the small card, glossing light over the fine printed name of Cafe Jubilee. The name rang a tiny bell in her mind, but she wasn't sure from where she'd heard it before. Aphismet perhaps? Whatever the case, Ebony carefully slide the card into her back pocket for safe keeping.

"On the house huh? Well I don't think I could pass up such a generous offer even if I wanted too." She gave a light laugh as they passed slow through the outer garden area. It was much more serene out here than inside, Ebony thought. It reminded her of her greenhouse at home which allowed the Brit to relax into a more comfortable state of being.

She took in all the sights and sounds of the garden, even the rainbow Frei who looked like she'd just floated into heaven. The scene brought a tender smile to the woman's lips. "I see what you mean about Sa'ida and the sun, but...what is that tune she's whistling? It sounds the same as what she was humming inside with the flowers."

“Interestingly enough, I honestly don't know, but she loves to sing. Sometimes, she sings in a foreign language that I can't recognize, so I wonder if it might be from her soul and the previous life she once lived,” Natsuki confessed, turning her stormy gray eyes away from Sa'ida and focusing on Ebony. Hints of wistfulness lingered in her smile as it had been ages since she thought about the djinniyeh whose soul had been reborn in Sa'ida. “I think her rainbow essence mixed with the desert genie makes her a certifiable sun worshipper. Doesn't matter where she is so long as she can dance in the light. She takes such pleasure in the simple nature of things. I quite jealous honestly.”

The young Frei giggled happily as a small blue and green bird perched itself on her outstretched arm. She whistled. The bird replied. Drawing her arm in, she looked at the bird piqued with curiosity. She continued whistling her tune and the bird joined her. It made her so very happy. Like Princess Aurora, she twirled around and around as she whistled her tune. The little bird smelled lemony fresh and cedar sweet like blue cypress. Until now, she had only been able to smell other raevans and some people, so this development was sensation, breaking news!

“Her name is Fairuz! It means 'Turquoise', and she smells so good!” Sa'ida beamed, proclaiming the news to Ebony and Natsuki as loud as raevenly possible. She zipped back carefully, so the little bird wouldn't fly off. The genie in all her excitement, thrusted her arm forward, holding the bird so close that it was practically up her guardian's nose! “Can she come home with us? Please... She said she wants to!”

Try as she may, Natsuki could only look at the little bird and smile. The tiny feathers tickled her nose, but as far she could tell, the bird distinctively smelled of... bird. A smirk traced her lips as she looked at Ebony and winked, “See what you have to look forward to...”

A genie! So that was the other half of the puzzle Ebony couldn't figure out. It was so easy to see the multicolored influences of the rainbow essence that it pretty much took center stage. Yet now with knowing that new bit of information, the Brit could see the influences of the genie in her as well. The sheer design of her clothing coupled with the multitudes of jingling jewelry supplied one with the idea of the girl possibly having stepped out of an Arabian fairytale. "Ah, I see it now." She nodded sagely, then chuckled. "Does she grant wishes then?" Of course the woman was only joking, but it wasn't that far out of an assumption.

Slated orbs grew wide at the sudden flurry of colors assaulting the red head. As the Frei desperately pleaded with her guardian to take home her new feathery friend, the British woman could feel the ice melting from her heart. If her own Raevan turned out to be just as sweet as Sa'ida was, well then it would be very hard for Ebony to refuse them much of anything really. Children always had that effect on the purple haired femme.

"I'll be sure to build my guard now." Smiling softly towards the two, a single manicured nail reached out to gently scritch the bird on the head. How odd that it didn't want to flutter away like most wild creatures tended to in the presence of humans. Was it an ability of Sa'ida's? "So what, pray tell, are you going to do with dear Fairuz here Natsuki?"

"She can grant them, however, I don't think she has much control over that particular power at the moment. I've learned to be very careful to use the "W" word around her," Natsuki confided in the British woman. The redhead could have recounted several incidents in which her young raevan's emerging gift proved to be more trouble than it was worth. She chuckled a bit instead. It would have been rather unfair of her not to warn a future guardian of the possible pitfalls of responsibility. "You could always try it out yourself, and see what happens. Just be careful fo what you wish for."

Little Fairuz whistled and chirped happily as Ebony's fingers rubbed his tiny feathers. He flapped his wings lightly before lifting off of Sa'ida's arm. With a few quick beats of his tiny wings, he perched on the purple haired woman's shoulder, clearly indicating his support of the case. If he could speak, he would pretty much have said, 'yeah, listen to this chickie!' Not that Natsuki needed much convincing, but he still wiggled his little bottom and danced on the woman's shoulder.

"Well, I guess we could expand on the house a bit, and put up a bird house outside your window," Natsuki mused, drawing out the approval process as slowly as possible. Raising an neat sculpted eye brow at Ebony, Natsuki smiled in defeat. In this scenario, she should have known 'Auntie Ebs' would be in cahoots with the genie. The Frei didn't even have to beg, cheat or steal, and she managed to get a partner in crime. "He can't stay in a cage though, Sa'i. A wild bird like this needs to be able to remain free, but he can call our home his, too."

"Yippeeeeeeee~!!" Sa'ida squealed, throwing her arms around Natsuki's neck and hugging tightly. The excited Frei giggled and thanked her guardian repeated. The redhead threw her head back and laughed, as laughter was always contaigous with sunny Sa'ida around. "Now you have to come and visit us and make the garden, Ms. Ebony! We need to make it pretty for Fairuz and you, too!! We can play with the water... and plant flowers.... and oh... Natchi we need a bird bath because birds don't use people showers... right?"

Ebony gave a distracted nod towards the cafe owner's comment on Sa'ida's wish granting ability. It was hard to keep focus when you had such a vibrant personality like the rainbow Frei's. Besides, the little turquoise bird was all sorts of adorable as it basked in the Brit's pettings before happily making a perch of her shoulder. The violaceous woman gave a hearty laugh towards the bird's excited mannerisms on the subject at hand. Just the way it wiggled its bottom like a dog would wag its tail was just too cute.

She watched quietly as Natsuki debated about keeping the bird, yet Ebony could see she wasn't about to say no really. The red head just didn't want her charge to think she would get absolutely everything she asked for without at least some resistance. Though it was all worth it to watch the genie glee in jubilation while squashing the breath from her guardian.

Ebony chuckled again before helping Fairuz back to Sa'ida's shoulder. "My punishment for allying with the child I suppose, but I will take it in stride Natsuki." She gave a sly grin, not at all sorry for helping the girl and her new pet. "Perhaps when my Raevan is born we'll come by the cafe and you can show it that garden of yours. For now it's starting to get late and I still have some errands to run before day's end. It was lovely meeting with the both of you. I do hope we meet again very soon."

"Ebony, it's not a problem at all. I'm the same way, so you better watch out," Natsuki giggled, pushing some hair from her face and tossing a wink. It had been a while since the cafe owner had the opportunity to spend time with people her own age, as parenthood (though she constantly cringed at the thought of that word) had taken what little free time and energy she had left over. Looking forward to a second meeting, entertainment ideas and menu items already began churning in the everlasting hostess' mind. Admittedly, she didn't want the mysterious British woman to leave, but she too, knew all too well the obligations of being an adult. The last thing she'd want would be having her charge wear out the guardian to be before her own blessing arrived. "It's been a pleasure chatting with you, I think we'll need to have find a babysitter and have a girls night once you get the hang of paren---- guardianship, Ebony. Call me anytime!"

At the mention that Ebony would soon have another being like Sa'ida, the young Frei's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Did you hear that, Fairuz?! Ms. Ebony is going to have someone like me, too, soon! Isn't that neat!? I hope we can all meet them soon, Ms. Ebony," the genie beamed hopefully as chirped back and forth with the little bird. Deep mauve lips puckered in a shortlived pout, as Ebony informed them of her impending departure. If it wasn't completely obvious, Sa'ida was already a fan of Natchi's new lady friend, and could hardly contain her excitement. Lacing her tan fingers together, almost shyly, she looked up at the woman with wide green eyes. "I hope your raevan will want to be my friend, Ms. Ebony, and I hope you and Natchi become good friends, too!"

The cafe manager and the Frei waved friendly good-byes. Just the prospect of new friends to entertain made the pair quite excited.