Lily stood on her balcony watching the others in the court enjoy one of the last few days of the lunar festival. The ignorant souls had been unaware of the things that had gone on during the latter part of what was supposed to be a joyous celebration; the only thing known to them was that she had been attacked and gone missing for a short time and nothing more than that. The worst was unknown to them. Her dearest friends: Aiden, Nadia, Alexander, and Samson had risked their lives to help her; and Aiden and Samson had actually given theirs up for Lily. It was wrong, that she should be here and not be able to celebrate with them, nor will she ever be able to again.
There was a soft noise behind her and she didn't even turn to see who it was. After she had gotten better she realized Aiden, the only one she had actually been able to avenge, wouldn't be there. In fact, she hadn't had much hope of any of her surviving friends being there, either. She hadn't seen them since she killed the sorcerer. Nadia stood next to her in silence for a moment before she spoke.
"If you don't want to be part of the celebrations, then why do you watch? Or, do you want to join, but are afraid of enjoying youself too much and not lamenting a friend's death properly?" She asked. Her voice was soft, seeming to speak more to herself than to Lily.
Lily shrugged. "I don't want to join in. I'd rather watch. It's more amusing to me that way. Besides, I don't think I could enjoy myself properly without missing Samson and Aiden."
"Well, don't you think-"
"Yes. They'd want me to enjoy myself. But I can't, Nadia. Not when they're not here. I want to enjoy myself, but it won't happen. At least not for awhile," her voice was laced with annoyance.
"I know. But you should at least come down. The other guests would like to see you."
There was a few moments' silence before Lily realized Nadia had left. Lily turned and left the balcony herself. If the other guests wished to see her, she couldn't deny them that no matter how much she wanted to. After all, her family did organize the celebrations. She stood in front of her mirror, trying to make herself look presentable. She pulled her light brown hair back into a clip and changed into the black dress that had been put out for her earlier that day. The dress came down to her knees, the sleeves were long and loose and the whole outfit was made of a very light fabric. After she was ready, she decided it was time to join everyone else.
The night was cool and Lily wandered around, talking a little to the people she knew and admiring the few decorations that still stood. But for the most part, she was only half enjoying herself. Even so, she thought, it's more fun than I expected.... She went along with the same plan for most of the night, until she spotted Nadia and Alexander sitting with a few people and talking to someone she couldn't see very well. The two of them seemed rather excited about something and when she moved closer, the other person seemed to become a bit more familiar. He looked much younger than some of the people there that night. His hair was the color of the sky that night, black with a blue tint, and his eyes were such a light shade of grey they seemed almost white.
Lily stopped for a moment and looked at him again. She must surely be imagining things. Otherwise, she was looking at the ghost of Aiden. She looked around for any clue that she was hallucinating. She even pinched herself on the back of her hand. She wasn't hallucinating. There was a ghost visiting, which wasn't entirely unheard of during the last few nights of the festival, but usually most people don't notice them, and if they do, the spirit wouldn't stay around long enough to hold a conversation. Unless....No. Don't be such a stupid girl. I watched it happen, remember? He was killed by the blade of the sorcerer, and then I took that same blade and killed the sorcerer myself. She told herself indiganantly. People don't rise from the dead....
Her thoughts remained on this path until he looked in her direction. Their eyes met and she knew immediately that her friend had never died. He was sitting there, with Nadia and Alexander. He hadn't even bothered to come find her and show that he was okay. At first Lily began to move towards him, but after a few steps, she turned in the other direction, watching Aiden stand to follow her out of the corner of her eye. She was only barely aware of her own movements and didn't realize what she was doing until she was moving through a group of people, almost knocking them over. Lily stopped just inside the doorway of her home, shaking. This shouldn't be true, people didn't come back to life. Sure, it was legend that strange things happened during the last few nights of the fesitval, but never anything like this, and besides, they were all faerie stories anyway.
But...what if...what if he had never died in the first place? That is entirely possible, isn't it?
Lily let out a small gasp when she noticed a faint shadow in the doorway. It wasn't fair, the fact that once she'd had her heart set on things being one way, and then something happening to turn everything upside-down(even though that's how things always went in her life). As the shadow became clearer, Lily moved farther down the hallway and hid just inside the door of another room. She was afraid that if Aiden tried to speak to her things mght be said that shouldn't be. Soft foosteps were heard in the hallway and the door edged open a little. She saw him peek in and whisper her name; asking if she was there, waiting for a reply before turning and leaving the room. Lily waited until she no longer heard his footsteps before letting out a long breath of air. So, it was Aiden. He hadn't died after all. She stood there for a few seconds.
What am I supposed to do? I could go face him, but what happens if it all turns out to be useless and short-lived? What would happen then? Nevermind. I know the answer to that one already. I'd go back to the melancholy way I am now. But still....
She took a few steps from behind the door. She looked around carefully before leaving the dark room to go back outside. She was dissapointed that her friends hadn't bothered to tell her something this important.
Before she reached the front door, someone wrapped their arms around her from behind.
"Well....It's about time you stopped avoiding me," Aiden whispered into her ear. Lily's eyes widened and filled with tears at the sound of his voice.
"Go away....."she pleaded in a pathetic voice, shutting her eyes.
"What?" came the confused reply from behind her. His arms loosened a little. Lily didn't really blame him for his surprise; it was hardly the response she was expecting from herself as well.
Well...she had no choice now but to keep along the path she had carved for herself. So she spoke again, this time her voice was a bit stronger, though still quiet. "Why did you come back? When you're around, it always makes so much trouble..."
"I don't understand....." he muttered, letting his arms fall. "What- what are you telling me?"
Lily turned around and faced him. "I know you understand what I'm saying. It isn't all too difficult to figure out."
"Why....why now?"
"Because...." Lily faltered for a second before she continued."Because I was just finally getting used to you being gone again!" she almost shouted.
Aiden looked down at the floor. It hurt him to hear her say that, even though he knew it was true. He occasionally left for long periods of time without notice; he hadn't ever really wondered what kind of toll that would take on her. It was a few seconds before he realized that she had started to speak again and he missed the first few things she said.
".....Anyway, I'm going to go back to the party. Seeing as how you're not listening to me." She turned and headed for the door. She really didn't understand where her sudden hostility towards him came from. Just an hour ago she was wishing that he would come back so she could be happy. Now, she was faced with the opposite; she'd be happier if he wasn't there. She was right, though. When he left, things became easier on her.
As she walked, Aiden grabbed her hand to keep her from moving. "Lil....Wait a second."
"Why should I? So you can tell me you won't leave, and then I'll wake up one day and you'll be gone?"
Aiden winced at her words, but he refused to let go of her arm.
There was a soft noise behind her and she didn't even turn to see who it was. After she had gotten better she realized Aiden, the only one she had actually been able to avenge, wouldn't be there. In fact, she hadn't had much hope of any of her surviving friends being there, either. She hadn't seen them since she killed the sorcerer. Nadia stood next to her in silence for a moment before she spoke.
"If you don't want to be part of the celebrations, then why do you watch? Or, do you want to join, but are afraid of enjoying youself too much and not lamenting a friend's death properly?" She asked. Her voice was soft, seeming to speak more to herself than to Lily.
Lily shrugged. "I don't want to join in. I'd rather watch. It's more amusing to me that way. Besides, I don't think I could enjoy myself properly without missing Samson and Aiden."
"Well, don't you think-"
"Yes. They'd want me to enjoy myself. But I can't, Nadia. Not when they're not here. I want to enjoy myself, but it won't happen. At least not for awhile," her voice was laced with annoyance.
"I know. But you should at least come down. The other guests would like to see you."
There was a few moments' silence before Lily realized Nadia had left. Lily turned and left the balcony herself. If the other guests wished to see her, she couldn't deny them that no matter how much she wanted to. After all, her family did organize the celebrations. She stood in front of her mirror, trying to make herself look presentable. She pulled her light brown hair back into a clip and changed into the black dress that had been put out for her earlier that day. The dress came down to her knees, the sleeves were long and loose and the whole outfit was made of a very light fabric. After she was ready, she decided it was time to join everyone else.
The night was cool and Lily wandered around, talking a little to the people she knew and admiring the few decorations that still stood. But for the most part, she was only half enjoying herself. Even so, she thought, it's more fun than I expected.... She went along with the same plan for most of the night, until she spotted Nadia and Alexander sitting with a few people and talking to someone she couldn't see very well. The two of them seemed rather excited about something and when she moved closer, the other person seemed to become a bit more familiar. He looked much younger than some of the people there that night. His hair was the color of the sky that night, black with a blue tint, and his eyes were such a light shade of grey they seemed almost white.
Lily stopped for a moment and looked at him again. She must surely be imagining things. Otherwise, she was looking at the ghost of Aiden. She looked around for any clue that she was hallucinating. She even pinched herself on the back of her hand. She wasn't hallucinating. There was a ghost visiting, which wasn't entirely unheard of during the last few nights of the festival, but usually most people don't notice them, and if they do, the spirit wouldn't stay around long enough to hold a conversation. Unless....No. Don't be such a stupid girl. I watched it happen, remember? He was killed by the blade of the sorcerer, and then I took that same blade and killed the sorcerer myself. She told herself indiganantly. People don't rise from the dead....
Her thoughts remained on this path until he looked in her direction. Their eyes met and she knew immediately that her friend had never died. He was sitting there, with Nadia and Alexander. He hadn't even bothered to come find her and show that he was okay. At first Lily began to move towards him, but after a few steps, she turned in the other direction, watching Aiden stand to follow her out of the corner of her eye. She was only barely aware of her own movements and didn't realize what she was doing until she was moving through a group of people, almost knocking them over. Lily stopped just inside the doorway of her home, shaking. This shouldn't be true, people didn't come back to life. Sure, it was legend that strange things happened during the last few nights of the fesitval, but never anything like this, and besides, they were all faerie stories anyway.
But...what if...what if he had never died in the first place? That is entirely possible, isn't it?
Lily let out a small gasp when she noticed a faint shadow in the doorway. It wasn't fair, the fact that once she'd had her heart set on things being one way, and then something happening to turn everything upside-down(even though that's how things always went in her life). As the shadow became clearer, Lily moved farther down the hallway and hid just inside the door of another room. She was afraid that if Aiden tried to speak to her things mght be said that shouldn't be. Soft foosteps were heard in the hallway and the door edged open a little. She saw him peek in and whisper her name; asking if she was there, waiting for a reply before turning and leaving the room. Lily waited until she no longer heard his footsteps before letting out a long breath of air. So, it was Aiden. He hadn't died after all. She stood there for a few seconds.
What am I supposed to do? I could go face him, but what happens if it all turns out to be useless and short-lived? What would happen then? Nevermind. I know the answer to that one already. I'd go back to the melancholy way I am now. But still....
She took a few steps from behind the door. She looked around carefully before leaving the dark room to go back outside. She was dissapointed that her friends hadn't bothered to tell her something this important.
Before she reached the front door, someone wrapped their arms around her from behind.
"Well....It's about time you stopped avoiding me," Aiden whispered into her ear. Lily's eyes widened and filled with tears at the sound of his voice.
"Go away....."she pleaded in a pathetic voice, shutting her eyes.
"What?" came the confused reply from behind her. His arms loosened a little. Lily didn't really blame him for his surprise; it was hardly the response she was expecting from herself as well.
Well...she had no choice now but to keep along the path she had carved for herself. So she spoke again, this time her voice was a bit stronger, though still quiet. "Why did you come back? When you're around, it always makes so much trouble..."
"I don't understand....." he muttered, letting his arms fall. "What- what are you telling me?"
Lily turned around and faced him. "I know you understand what I'm saying. It isn't all too difficult to figure out."
"Why....why now?"
"Because...." Lily faltered for a second before she continued."Because I was just finally getting used to you being gone again!" she almost shouted.
Aiden looked down at the floor. It hurt him to hear her say that, even though he knew it was true. He occasionally left for long periods of time without notice; he hadn't ever really wondered what kind of toll that would take on her. It was a few seconds before he realized that she had started to speak again and he missed the first few things she said.
".....Anyway, I'm going to go back to the party. Seeing as how you're not listening to me." She turned and headed for the door. She really didn't understand where her sudden hostility towards him came from. Just an hour ago she was wishing that he would come back so she could be happy. Now, she was faced with the opposite; she'd be happier if he wasn't there. She was right, though. When he left, things became easier on her.
As she walked, Aiden grabbed her hand to keep her from moving. "Lil....Wait a second."
"Why should I? So you can tell me you won't leave, and then I'll wake up one day and you'll be gone?"
Aiden winced at her words, but he refused to let go of her arm.
