- Sound of First Love - ~Rai's Spirits~

[LilacForFirstLove]

You pull back the ivy hanging from the tree branches overhead and enter the hidden glade; immediately the scent of lilac and other flowers assails you, and you can see blooms of purple and pink all around the small clearing. In the air there is a whisper, a rustle, a gentle caress of sound.

In the center of the spacious glade is a large plum tree; fruit hangs from its branches and, even as you watch, a large, round plum falls to the ground and rolls a short ways. It does not smash or break, merely falls, and now that you look you can see that there are similar, whole plums lying around the tree on the grass and moss. Pretty flowers, lilies, mostly, of all colors of the rainbow poke up intermittently from the tall, soft grass.

To the left, near the edge of the glade, is a small, Asian inspired shrine decorated with a gossamer shroud of lavender hue. To the right are the graves, decorated with flowers of all types and colors. Most of the graves still await an inhabitant.

"Hello." A spirit approaches you, her hands and wings folded demurely. "Are you lost?" She smiles at you, a soft expression that brings to mind the tender noise in the surrounding air. "Welcome to Rai's Garden."

She beckons for you to follow, then stops for a moment, turning to offer you another shy smile. "That sound? Oh. That would be the sound of first love. Now, if you'd only follow me, I'll show you around."

 

[LilacForFirstLove]

Kanon is a gentle individual who was shown to Rai by STAR_no_Teru and Yami_No_Ningyo. She promised to keep Rai from being alone. Sometimes she seems to know her guide better than Rai knows herself.

She will speak in Violet. Her name is from the Japanese language: 花 (ka) "flower" and 音 (non) "sound".

~*~*~*~

The two females sat next to one another on one of the boulders that littered the garden. "So..." the black haired one began.

"You do not wish to be alone; is that right?"

"I beg your pardon?" Rai's eyes widened.

The violet haired girl smiled softly. "That is why I am here. You made a wish -- to not be alone -- and I am here to help."

For a moment, Rai was silent. Finally she responded with, "...I don't want to be alone; you're right. But what are you going to do about it?"

"I'll stay with you...And I will stand as a symbol of your love for your Star, and for your friends... As long as you have me...you'll never be alone..."

Rai fell into quiet contemplation again. Just as Kanon thought maybe she'd never reply, the girl whispered, "...Thank you..."

And Kanon smiled.  

[LilacForFirstLove]

Kaleo is a cheerful, laid-back individual who found Rai when she was feeling particularly stressed. He promised to help her learn to relax.

He will speak in Green. His name is from the Hawaiian language: ka "the" and leo "sound, voice".

~*~*~*~

Rai wanted to rip her hair out.

School was being especially hard -- the ring she wanted to make for her mother was explicitly not going well, and she was obviously upset about it. Not only that, but personal problems were starting to get to her and life was just not going as planned. Kanon, terrified by Rai's moodiness, was currently off looking for something to cheer her guide up.

"What do you do when life's getting you down?"

"I don't know," huffed Rai. "I guess I just need to calm down and take things one step at a time.

"Exactly! You need to relax!"

Rai sighed heavily at that, admitting, "I've never been so good at relaxing. I guess I need some help with that." Then it occurred to her that the voice she was conversing with was not familiar to her at all. "Hey, who are you, anyway? Where are you?"

"I am wherever you need me." Rai squeaked in fright as a green and blue adorned spirit appeared before her. "Don't be afraid. It's okay, it's only me." He was grinning widely at her, and somehow, the expression calmed her.

"Who are you, though?" Rai inquired, feeling more at ease and less like ripping out her hair.

The smile on the spirit's face grew wider, and he bowed with a flourish. "Kaleo's the name, relaxing's the game. At your service, miss."

Rai giggled, getting the feeling that not only would things be a lot more laid back from now on, but they'd be more interesting. "And you want to be my spirit?" she asked; Kaleo nodded vigorously. "Well, welcome to the family, then!"  

[LilacForFirstLove]

Echo is the youngest of Hewa and Hono's quadruplets.

 

[LilacForFirstLove]

Verity is an angelic spirit who found Rai at a particularly hard time in her life. She aims to help Rai be true to herself and her loved ones.

She will speak in Blue. Her name means "truth" and is the name of one of the Seven Virtues.

~*~*~*~

[TBA...]  

[LilacForFirstLove]

Lilac is a spirit who found Rai when she was in trouble. She is determined to help Rai heal.

She will speak in Purple.

~*~*~*~


Rai crouched in the tall grass, her long nails digging into her arms and her eyes squeezed shut. It was awful; wave after wave of mental anguish. Frightened, she curled up on herself and fell over onto her side.

Noise. Horrible, horrendous, horrifying noise. It was all she knew now, pain and noise and terror. Her breathing sped up to a wild rate; her heart beat so fast that she thought it would burst.

Then suddenly, warmth. Calm. The smell of lilac surrounded her as well as a pair of strong arms, pulling her close. Rai scrabbled at the offender, who continued to hang on; whispers and humming slowly brought Rai to silence.

When Rai was finally settled down and all was well again, she looked up to see her savior. A beautiful spirit gazed back at her, her eyes gentle and understanding, the eyes of one who knew exactly what had happened. The spirit brushed gentle fingers over the claw marks in Rai's arms and whispered, "You are all right now?"

"Yes," Rai replied just as softly. "Who...?"

"Lilac," came the simple reply. "I'm here to help."

Rai blinked back eyes, tears and fears all forgotten. "Help? You...you know..."

"I know. I know exactly."

For a moment, neither spoke. Finally, Rai curled up in Lilac's arms and silently cried for a while.