Her fingers danced across ivory keys. The soft, slow, striking of the keys drawing the attention of the guest. Slowly, the room started to quiet till the only sound was the crisp notes of the grand piano.
Everyone's eyes focused on the brunette in the blue dress, her small hands putting on a play for the men and woman of the ballroom.
As it started out, the song was light and slow, the dominate high notes played by her right hand, supported by the soft, low, notes played by her left. The sound was something out of a young girls' music box, the notes sharp and deliberate.
The audience watch her, some smiling, others secptical as to why she was so important. As pretty as the sound was, it was nothing particular.
Bruce watched as well. Having done a little research on the woman, he knew the 'magic' was when she closed her eyes. When she lost herself in the music.
He didn't have to wait long before he, along with everyone else in the room, understood why.
A little faster in the tempo, keys started to roll, a light sound as the right hand still led. The brunette closed her eyes slowly, her body relaxing, her hands dancing as if on their own across the keys.
With just her hands and the piano, the woman managed to transport the entire audience to a different world.
Most of the guests closed their eyes, the rest staring off, their minds in the world she was creating.
Bruce watched in awe for a moment as he saw her capture the minds of everyone there, till the music started to pick up once again.
The woman threw herself into her playing, both striking and rolling the keys, a perfect sound that rang out clear as if the piano itself was falling under her spell.
Bruce couldn't help but close his eyes and fall into the music. As he did, he found himself in the world of his memories, he parents again before his eyes. He was a happy and smiling young child again, playing with his parents. Alfred was beside him with a smile as he watched him play with his parents.
Suddenly, the woman's left hand started taking over, rolling in deep, low, keys. Young Bruce frowned as the keys slowed and he found himself back in that alley, his parents beside him, the mugger in front of them.
The dark notes slowed and Bruce watched in horror as the man pulled his gun out. His lips moved, but he heard nothing but the low sounds of the piano. The world goes dark for him for a few second before the keys start sounding more urgently, left hand still dominate, but the right slowly starting to make itself known.
The keys started rolling up the scale, growing loud and urgent and suddenly, his father stepped in front of him and attacked the man. A shot in the sound of a sharp, high, key, sounded and Bruce's eyes widened.
The sound started to slow again. Her right hand took over again, her left assisting to soften the sound.
Young Bruce blinked, eyes wide. He stared at his father's back for a moment before his bright blue eyes drifted to the mugger as the music slowed again to a crawl.
Just as the music started again to roll up the scale, slow and in light strikes, Bruce felt his heart soar. The man was on the ground, whimpering and shrinking away from his father who stood over him, the gun gone from the man's hand.
Slow as the music, the man turned and young Bruce's eyes widened. His jaw dropped with each slow, sharp strike of the keys.
It was him.
The man that had stopped the mugger wasn't his father, but Bruce himself. The older version gave him as soft smile as the keys started to slow to an obvious stop, making the world around him fade. Just before the final cord faded, just before his vision vanished, he caught a glimpse of her parents over his other self's shoulder.
His blue eyes shifted to them just as they started to fade, and image that would burn forever in his mind, thanks to the woman behind the keys of the piano.
Standing side by side, they smiled at him, a single phrase ringing out beyond the growing silence around him.
"We love you...Bruce."
Darkness.
It took Bruce a moment to realize that his eyes were closed. He opened them and looked at the woman who caused his vision. She sat there, eyes drifting across the crowd, hands folded softly.
Bruce took a moment to scan the crowd as well and he saw that, though a little slower, the others looked as if they had done the same as him. As if they had fallen into their own world, with the guidance of her music.
Bruce looked up as he felt eyes on him. Brown met blue as they stared. She gave him a soft, understanding, smile. She subtly made a gesture to him, wiping under her eyes.
Bruce frowned, but did as gestured, wiping softly under his own eyes. He started upon feeling something wet and warm under his fingertips.
He was crying.
Staring down at his hand, he saw the telltale glisten of the water on his fingers.
With wide blue eyes, he looked back up at her. She met his startled gaze with a small, sheepish, smile and couldn't help but giggle, hiding it behind a small fist.
Applause.
Both man and woman jumped as the crowd burst into sudden applause, breaking the two of them from their own little world.
The brunette composed herself quickly and slid gracefully from her seat, standing and bowing to the crowd, a soft, content smile on her face, joined by a dusting of pink on her cheek.
She walked down the stage and up to the crowd, where she was instantly surrounded.
Bruce watches her, unable to help himself as he smiled softly, noticing her flustered appearance as she was confronted by the people.
"Master Bruce?" The british accented voice of his butler sounded behind him. Bruce didn't turn to face him as he answered.
"What is it Alfred?" he asked. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the older man came up beside him. Both men stared at the woman.
"If I may, what did you see, sir?" Alfred's eyes went to the young man, though he didn't turn his head. He noticed, with a smile, the soft, far away look in his eyes.
Bruce looked again at the woman as she started to fidget all the more, her face flushed. Feeling pity for the woman, he walked to her, but not before answering his butler.
"My parents." Alfred smiled as he watched Bruce approached the woman. His eyes fell upon a portrait of the Waynes hanging in the ballroom.
"He's starting to understand." Alfred's eyes fell on the young pianist, smiling.
"I think this young miss will finally be able to help you, Master Bruce." he muttered as he turned and walked off to tend to the guests.