Once upon A December.

Okay, this is my first blood+ fiction, so if it sucks, forgive me? Any advice is good, praise is wonderful, and flames are acceptable. I would love to write stories about Saya's past, but I need ideas! So someone that is reading this and wants me to write something about her past, (whether its continued from a scene shown here or not) please let me know and I more than likely will.

Okay, enough of my rambling!

Saya Otonashi walked through the remains of The Zoo with Haji at her side. He was quiet; as usual, and as was she. Her feet led her to the ruins of what was once her home, and she felt memories rush through her mind.

Dancing bears,

Painted wings,

Things I almost remember.

Flashback

Saya was sitting in the dining room of Joel's mansion, looking at the silverware that adorned the table. She was bored, and for the moment, she felt perfectly comfortable sitting quietly as the servants bustled through the room. Saya wondered why Joel kept these dishes as she played with the bowl in front of her. It was a small one, with bears engraved along the rim. They were all shiny and sat perfectly in place, but only because the dishes had never been used. They were all only for decoration…what's the point of having something you'll never use?

Saya brushed the wrinkles out of her pink dress as she stood, looking around, she sighed softly to herself, and went looking for her only friend, Haji.

Saya walked down the long hallway toward Haji's room; stopping to gaze at the portrait in front of her. It was the most recent of herself and Haji. Haji was taller then her now, and it greatly upset her how fast he was growing up.

She hoped she would catch up to him soon as she studied the picture. They were just outside the mansion, near one of the gardens, with the house as part of the backdrop. She stood at the center of the portrait, with Haji at her right side, half a step behind her, though he was still close to her, and she held his hand. Saya was smiling brightly, and though his was soft, it held as much happiness as hers did. A rosebush was on either side of them, they were pink, like the gown she wore. She noticed on one of them, sat a blue butterfly.

She would've never noticed it if it hadn't been for the beauty of its wings. They were a dark blue at the center, deep and gorgeous, but they gradually grew lighter until the tips of the wings, which were black. She smiled to herself as she thought perhaps she would catch one. Surely keeping something so beautiful in the house wouldn't be a bad thing.

End Flashback

Saya smiled lightly at this memory, for she never could catch a butterfly quite like the one in the portrait, no matter how many people she had made chase after it.

She turned to Haji and took his hand as she led him passed the spot where that portrait had been painted, the bushes were long dead by now, but she noticed something on a tree by where they used to be. A butterfly. She doubted it was the same one, but she couldn't help but wonder.

And a song

Someone sings,

Once upon a December

Flashback

This time the memory that hit her was before she had grown to the age she would be at permanently. She was only seven at this time, and she sat in the center of a canopy bed that was much too big for her. Her black hair was at the middle of her back, and her white night dress was silk, and she pulled up the covers to her chin, yawning lightly. It was getting late, and Joel had come to sing her a lullaby, as he did every night that he could. Sometimes he was busy taking care of things important with that ugly weird guy. What was his name, Am-shmell? Well, he was smelly…

Her eyes drooped as she watched snowfall from her bedroom window, and Joel tucked her in. "Goodnight, Saya."

"Night night…"

End Flashback

Saya struggled to remember what happened to the figure that acted as her father so many years ago, but she couldn't force the memory to come. What did come, however, was a different memory.

Someone holds me safe and warm,

Horses prance through a silver storm

Flashback

At age ten, Saya sat on the window seat in Joel's study, lips pursed in a pout as the snow fell endlessly. How could she play outside when she would be buried just by stepping out the door? Winters here were so dull and unexciting, and Joel knew she didn't particularly like winters. Why did winters have to come anyway? No one liked them. She turned to Joel, who was sitting at his desk, jotting something down in a leather-bound book. "Joel, why does it snow in winter so much? Can't you make it warm?"

He looked to her, closing the book quietly. "Its not supposed to be warm in the winter, Saya. I can't change the weather, though I wish I could."

Saya replied by pouting and crossing her arms. "But winters so useless. All it does is make everyone cold."

Joel sighed. "Its not as useless as you think, Saya. There are plenty of things to do in winter." He stood and took Saya's hand, leading her toward the door. "Come here and I'll show you."

Joel led Saya into her bedroom, and had her dress in warm clothes. Once she was suitable dressed for going outside, he took her to the front door where he picked her up. She looked at him with stubbornness in her eyes. "Do we really have to go out there? I'll freeze."

He laughed as he walked outside. "Nonsense. You've got plenty of clothes on, I'm sure you'll be fine." He brought her to a horse-drawn carriage and set her down on it. The snow had stopped and they would be able to see just fine as they went around the zoo in the carriage. Joel climbed on and sat Saya in his lap. "We're going to do a little sight-seeing." The driver took them over a bridge, across a frozen stream, and passed many trees dusted in snow.

Saya snuggled against Joel's warm body as she view the snowy land. "It's beautiful." She stated.

End Flashback

Saya looked at the ruins of the same bridge they had drove over that day and felt a deep sadness. What had brought her comfort that day was nothing but rubble now.

Figures dancing gracefully,

Across my memory

Flashback

Saya, finally having reached fourteen, stood beside Haji, both were dressed up for the dance Joel was hosting. Saya was much more excited then Haji, but she couldn't help it. It was the annual Christmas ball he held, and she had practiced her dancing all day yesterday in preparation. Unfortunately, Haji was a terrible partner to dance with. He kept getting the steps wrong, causing her to step on his feet. Though he insisted that it was actually her who had gotten it wrong. He was just trying to make himself feel better. …At least, that's what she told herself.

Despite convincing herself she was a good dancer, no one seemed to pay much attention to her. Save for a casual glance in her direction, everyone seemed enveloped in dancing with the people they were close to. So with not a soul coming toward her, she remained a wallflower for a majority of the dance. This was the fourth ball she had been to in which no one cared to dance with her. …And she had only attended four of them.

With a sigh, she watched the girls about her age with slight envy. Though she knew them to be jealous of her for getting to stay at such a wondrous place, she was the one truly jealous, for they all had plenty of young men asking them to dance.

Finally, she let out a deep breath. This wasn't like her at all. Moping around at a time like this, what was she thinking? Who cared if those stuck up men didn't want to dance with her? She had a man more handsome then anyone in the room standing right beside her.

With that, she grabbed Haji's hand, and without asking his permission, dragged him onto the dance floor.

End Flashback

Saya giggled softly and turned to Haji. "Remember the Christmas Ball Joel would throw every year? I can't recall most of them, but I remember dancing in one with you. I couldn't figure out that I was the one that danced terribly. I turned that thing into a disaster, didn't I? Knocking over the refreshments table and all."

He nodded. "I remember. The lemonade spilled all over Joel, and Amshel ended up with a punch bowl on his head."

Saya smiled. "Joel just laughed it off. He didn't mind at all. He was so kind. Unlike Amshel who practically had steam coming from his ears."

Far away, long ago

Glowing dim as an ember

Things my heart, used to know

Things it yearns to remember

Flashback

Saya was laying in front of the fireplace, the fire was dying, barely lit anymore, her head rested in Haji's lap, and two empty coffee mugs sat beside them. Her eyes drifted closed as she watched the last embers of the fire fade, falling asleep with her companion by her; as he always is.

End flashback

Saya walked with him through the rest of The Zoo, her memories coming to her more quickly now.

And a song, someone sings…

Once upon a December…

-.-.-.-.-

Disclaimer: I don't own blood+ or its characters.