Disclaimer: Sister Claire is owned by Yamino and Ash, as is the setting and premise of the city featured here. However, most of the characters shown in this fanfiction are my own creation, all but two. One of which is an oc made by another fan, who basically cowrote this whole thing with me and stayed up till ungodly hours of the morning brainstorming. The other is a cameo from a very beloved character from the Sister Claire canon.

Chapter 1

Out of the Blue

Lily opened her eyes.

Her room slowly came into focus as her dream faded. Sawyer's warm body was curled up against her legs in the same spot as last night. The same bird chirped outside her window. Everything was the same. Everything was familiar.

She was home.

She sighed gently, settling herself back into reality, and then slid out of her four-poster.

The sun was just rising and judging by the sounds filtering in through the window, so was the city. She washed and dressed herself in her best clothes. As she checked herself in the large mirror of her bedroom, Sawyer finally woke and stretched on the bed, yawning in a very contagious way. Lily copied him and scratched under his chin where he liked it before making her way downstairs.

Her father was sitting at the table as usual, dressed for another meeting. He had his glasses on and was reading the paper with a scowl. They were still printing news on the attacks in the Upper Rings, even though there was nothing new about them to print anymore.

He looked up from his paper and smiled, but put his finger to his lips, pointing over into the sitting room where her mother was slumped in a chair. She was still in her uniform and completely passed out. Her auburn hair was escaping from her usually tight bun, and her mouth was slightly open.

"Long night," her father whispered. "Grab some pancakes, they're still warm."

Lily sat down at the table and started on the pancakes. When she had finished, their maid came to the table to clear everything away. She retreated upstairs and brushed her teeth, combed her long hair, then got her bag together. She waved to her father as she went out the door.

"Good luck," said her father.

It took Lily a second to remember what she was being wished luck for. Her mind had been on her dream all morning, but now it came back to her.

She had completely forgotten.

She closed her eyes in frustration. She purposefully walked out of the door and waited a few seconds before walking back inside. Her father looked up at her and made as if to say something, but she walked past, muttering that she had forgotten to brush her teeth.

When she got back upstairs, she made a silent gesture to release some steam. Sawyer looked up at her shrewdly and meowed.

Lily breathed through her nose and went about her room, looking for her book. When she didn't find it immediately, she went into her bathroom and turned on the tap to mask her search. She continued, but after two minutes with no success, she began to panic.

Of all the things to lose track of, and on all the days to forget it…

Sawyer got out of bed to help. In this case, help meant climbing onto her back as she crouched under the bed. She let him, she was too busy to care anyway. But when her father's footsteps sounded from the stairs, she straightened up quickly. Sawyer fell from her, his claws scratching painfully down her back and making her wince.

She dashed into the bathroom and pretended to be brushing her teeth as her father walked in.

"Elizabeth?"

"M'in here," Lily mumbled. Her father poked his head in. Lily kept her eyes on the ornate mirror, trying to will her face to look calm and unconcerned, like all the work she had been slaving over for the past year hadn't just disappeared.

Her father sighed. "Looking for this?"

Lily whipped around to look at him. He was holding up a leather-bound book.

Relief flooded her, but a weak smile was all she could manage. The shame she felt at forgetting something as important as her book hadn't left her. Her father was looking at her, not reproachfully, but with that face parents always seemed to adopt when trying to be patient.

She returned to finish brushing her already clean teeth. Her father didn't say anything.

"I know," said Lily once she had finished. "I already know, so you don't have to tell me."

"You don't know what I was going to say."

"You always say it." She knew most of her anger was only for herself, but it felt good to get it out.

"Well… yes but it bears repeating." Her father handed her the book, but before Lily could slip by with it, he placed a hand on her shoulder. She averted her eyes. "Look, you've got talent, and I'm not saying that as your father. I'm saying that as an old geezer who's made his living reading and writing. I've read it," he pointed at the book, "and it's good."

Lily glanced up at him momentarily before going back to stare at Sawyer in the other room. He was climbing up on her dresser, coming close to knocking some of the things off, just like last week when he broke her old—

"—sell yourself short like this," her father was saying. With an effort, Lily pulled herself back to the conversation, kicking herself again for not listening. "You're smart, and it shows. You just have to work at remembering. Write—"

"Notes, mark the calendar, I know." She tried not to sound rude, really she did. It would always cost her in the end. But her father had always been more lenient with her than her mother, so she was safe.

Her father straightened and let go of her. He nodded. "Alright."

"I'm sorry," Lily started.

"No, it's fine. I won't mention it to her."

Lily nodded and left the room without another word. She was at the top of the staircase when she heard her father speak again.

"Elizabeth?" Lily turned back. Her father was peering knowingly at her over his glasses. "Have you gotten anything for her yet?" he said in a low voice.

It took Lily a second to remember that too. "Oh, for… no, I was… um, planning on getting something at the market today. On my way there."

Her father nodded, looking like he knew Lily had forgotten again. "Alright. Do you have enough money?"

"Yes," Lily said, this time confidently. "I took out fifty roses from my account. I put it together last night, so I wouldn't forget."

Her father smiled again. "Good. Get along now. When you get back we can go to your favorite restaurant to celebrate."

—

No one really talked to Lily that morning apart from her father. The crowd around her didn't concern themselves with the girl, even the ones who knew her and her parents. The most she got was a few polite nods and a passing smile. She preferred it though; it wasn't everyday she got to walk through the city on her own. It left her free to think endlessly about anything and everything that came into her mind.

She looked up at the marvelously clear blue sky. The spires of the pink and white castle pierced it like arrows and the long flags twisted lazily in the wind. The familiar smell of spring was finally, finally back, and with it a warmth that sent waves of pleasure through Lily as she breathed in the air.

The Blue had always been the most beautiful Ring of the city, and its name could be found everywhere. She never tired of admiring the expertly crafted houses on either side of her, with their painted walls and carved door frames and signs. Each building was a different shade of blue. From every window spilled forget-me-nots, hydrangeas, hyacinths, morning glories, and flowers even Lily still didn't know the names of. The people too; all the sweeping cloaks of embroidered velvet and satin, the hats that rivaled the flowerbeds in their natural flamboyance, the sharp, pristinely kept uniforms of the guards. Even the clean cobblestone street had vague navy hue if you looked at it long enough.

She passed through the marketplace, where finely woven silks from Salvation hung in swathes from the stands of several vendors. The window of one store glittered with gold statues and charms all the way from the Fire Islands. The same cello duo as yesterday was playing outside one of the restaurants, already attracting a crowd. Everywhere she looked she saw signs of last minute preparations for Fête des Mères. There were more flowers and food vendors than normal, and several shops had cards and gift baskets in their windows for mothers.

But Lily decided to stop at a jeweler to buy her present. The bell tinkled as she entered. She looked over the shelves and display boxes full of ornate earrings and rings, inlaid with all manner of stones and crystals. Sapphires large as eggs all the way from Alpinum glimmered in a small basket. Everything was so beautiful, but in the end she settled on a ruby necklace. Despite living in the Blue her whole life, red had always been her mother's favorite color.

Lily paid the smiling woman at the desk thirty gold roses and left the store, slipping her mother's gift into her bag as she returned to the marketplace.

She strained herself not to get sidetracked. As much as she longed to stop at every vendor to see what new wares they had, or stop by the restaurant to hear her favorite cellists, or even talk to one of the vendors and listen to their stories, today was special. Today was important. She had been planning this for so long, and whatever happened today would likely affect her future in the city considerably.

She checked her bag every few minutes, just to make sure her book was still in there. She sometimes did this sort of thing, but her mounting excitement made her doubly paranoid that she had somehow forgotten it again. Better safe than sorry. She also tried to remember if there was anything else she had forgotten. She always had that feeling, but today she was certain. She had everything she needed in her bag. She was sure she had no other errands to do for the rest of the day.

As she made her way out of the bustling marketplace and up the street to the publisher's office, she began to worry, as anyone would in her situation.

What if they didn't like it? What if they simply didn't care enough to read it at all? She had poured so many months and so much care into it. She had read it over so many times she could recite the whole thing by heart now, which was no small feat. The book wasn't short by any means. If they didn't like it, if they didn't take her up, she didn't know what she was going—

Somebody shoved bodily into her and she was pushed aside. She was too slow to react in her preoccupied state and she ended up tripping over her own feet. There was a sudden slash of silver.

She fell on her backside on the hard sidewalk, dazed and shocked. Pulling her hair out of the way, she saw someone racing away down an alleyway, a familiar bag clutched in their arm. She looked down and saw that she was holding the strap. It had been cut.

In that instant, time seemed to slow. She had just been robbed. Someone had actually mugged her. She had never even seen someone get into an actual fight before. The simple truth of what had happened sank in painfully slowly, and as it did, her face drained of all color.

Her book.

She scrambled to her feet and stumbled down the alley. She began to run, her shoes tacking hard against the wet stone. Her heart raced. Her breath came out in gasps as she pumped her arms and charged after the thief.

The strangest feeling flooded her body, sending chills up her spine and spreading to her fingertips. Something she couldn't remember ever feeling in her life. She was afraid. For the first time in her life, she was in danger. For the first time in what felt like years she was running again, and she was running after someone who had a knife and not a care for her well-being. For the very first time, she was doing something that no one had told her to do.

Adrenaline shot through her body, the narrow alley flashed past her as she ran, and an old, musky scent filled her nostrils. It was almost midday, but even so the alley was dark and difficult to maneuver. The thief seemed to know its ins and outs just as much as her. Lily followed the sounds of crashes and curses. She was catching up, her long legs serving her well.

She spotted the thief just as they rounded a corner, and shouted after them, but they whipped out of sight.

She ran around the corner and a heavy metal pipe came out of nowhere, flying towards her face. Her body twisted and before she even knew what had happened, she had ducked under it, and was off again. Her breath was coming out in gasps and a stitch in her side was burning.

She could see the thief properly now, running ahead of her. It was a girl. She had short, roughly cut golden hair and was dressed in dirty brown clothes. In one hand she held a short silver knife and clutched in the other, the bag. She glanced back at Lily. She grinned.

And slipped.

The thief fell spectacularly, knocking over a metal bin with a crash that echoed deafeningly around the narrow walls. The knife flew from her hands as she landed, but she held tight to the bag. Lily ran towards her, but the thief kicked the bin. It flew back and hit Lily in the shins, causing her to stumble.

The thief scrambled to her feet and ran off again. Lily reached the spot and ducked down, snatching the knife up off the wet ground as she went. She had a feeling she was going to need it. The thought made her stomach curdle.

She skidded around another corner and was met with a dead end and a ladder. The thief was already ten feet up and climbing fast.

Without hesitation, she ran to the wall and began to climb too. The thief was only a few rungs up from her, and she tried to grab at her feet, but the thief kicked back. Her foot connected with Lily's face. Stars burst in her eyes and she felt something break. She slipped down a few rungs and hugged the ladder desperately for a moment as blood spurted from her nose. She spat it away and kept climbing.

The pain was blinding. That was another new thing: pain. Real, actual, painful pain. The worst injury she had ever endured was a bite from Sawyer. Now it felt like someone was pressing a white hot poker to her face.

She made it to the top of the ladder and spotted the thief making her way across the ridge of the roof, her arms outstretched to her side. She wasn't far. Lily covered her nose with her free hand and pulled herself ungainly up onto the beam too.

She straightened up and balanced precariously on the thin ridge. Without thinking, she made the mistake of looking over the edge. She almost stumbled. They were so high up. She wasn't afraid of heights, thank the gods, but… all the same…

She took a deep breath. Focused on the thief. She was shorter than Lily, but moving nimbly along the ridge like she did this every day.

"Gib id back!" Lily called out to her. Her voice was muffled and almost comical.

The thief stopped and looked back at her. She looked momentarily surprised, like she hadn't expected Lily to have taken it this far, but then she grinned. For a moment, Lily thought she would slip again, but she didn't. On the contrary, she stood up straight, stuffing the bag into her shirt.

"If you can keep up, it's yours!"

She turned and began to run along the beam. When she got to the edge, she kicked off the roof and leaped into the air, plummeting out of sight. Lily shouted in surprise and rushed to the edge too. She was scared to look.

But the thief had landed safely on the Barrier Wall that separated the Blue from the Green. The wider, lusher Ring stretched in a curve on either side of her. The rest of the city was laid out below it and the sea beyond sparkled in the bright sunshine.

The thief had gotten shakily to her feet. She looked mostly unhurt, making her way across the deserted battlements without looking back.

Lily swore under her breath. She walked back several paces and crouched, breathing in quickly. She took the short silver knife and slipped it into her belt.

"Hoooo boy. Come on, don't think, don't think, don't think, just—"

She began to run. She had read about this, even written about this sort of thing in her book. It was easy, not a problem. If the thief could do it, then she certainly could too. All she had to do was trust her body. Just run, run, run and—!

She was in the air, flying in an arc towards the wall. In that instant, she glanced down and saw the cold, hard, unforgiving street below her. In that instant, she regretted everything that had brought her to this exact spot.

And then the wall came up to meet her.

She let out a yell. Her feet made contact first. She tried to roll, just like in the stories, but instead she smacked hard against the stone. She ended up rolling, but completely out of control. Her body slammed into the battlements on the other side.

The world was spinning. Her side was screaming in pain. Her face was still hot with blood. She was completely winded and for a few frightening seconds, she had the horrible feeling that she wouldn't be able to take in air again.

She could hear someone shouting, and she looked up through the messy curtain of her hair and saw the thief. She had stopped and was looking back at Lily. She was whooping, cheering her on, waving as if to encourage her.

Lily spat the blood out of her mouth and struggled to her feet. She started to stumble, her stiff limbs protesting by sending shocks of pain throughout her body. She wanted nothing more than to stop moving and cut off all feeling, but the sight of the thief lazily walking backwards along the wall acted like a stimulant upon her.

"You doing alright?" the thief called out, sounding almost friendly. Concerned.

"Neveh beddah…" Lily half spat, half wheezed. There was a vacant space in her mouth where a tooth had been only just recently.

"You look like shit…"

Lily laughed despite herself. It hurt. Moving hurt. Moving was agony. Her side was burning, drenched in something wet and warm. She must have landed in a puddle…

She was feeling dizzy.

Everything was blurry. The world seemed to fade away, or perhaps she was fading away. She didn't seem to feel it when she fell to her knees. Someone was shouting something, the thief perhaps. She couldn't tell.

She couldn't think.