Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter! I wanted to submit this on Alfred's birthday but.. things never come out perfectly, you know? But happy belated birthday America! :D

And thank you all who have reviewed, favorited, alerted, and read this! Thank you so much! I appreciate everyone of you! Especially my best friend, EndlessDreaming! I couldn't ask for anyone better! Love to all of you- especially you, Zel! Please enjoy :)


~Chapter One~

Excerpt from Alfred's Journal.

...The first word to describe you... Well, geez there's a load of 'em. I can't even pinpoint one that suits all of you. You are many words that dance on my tongue. But... the first?

Iridescent.

No, seriously, that's how I'd describe you the moment we met. You were just- you were different than the rest. You know how each person has a light? You should, you're the person who taught me that notion. You showed me my own. Anyways, in that moment- I knew. You were bursting with it. That shine- that glow. Iridecent in the light. And I wouldn't change that word for anything. It's not the only thing to describe you though, because if we could sum ourselves in one word then that's just not human. We are many words- the whole damn dictionary. But that's my first thought of you. And I'm still waiting for the last.

I love you.

Now, I just gotta get the courage to say it. Everything just seems perfect and clear on paper... You never needed that barrier.

Today's word is- as so many times it has been used in my life-

Crossroad.

-Alfred


Eleven Year Earlier

Diverse patterns. Morphing Colors. Swirls and twists which cast intricately woven designs. The art museum could not ask for a better piece by the upcoming artist, Sakura Honda. It was a view of the mountain.

Really, it had been done so many times before that it was a muddled drawing to her intense gaze. Her furrowed brows could slightly show that she wasn't very pleased with the outcome of her 'masterpiece'.

True, she had spent tireless amount of hours and work and supplies... but something... something, was missing.

Could she find it?

No, for it wasn't truely in the piece itself with the glistening valley and high peaks of towering mountainsides. It wasn't the perched sun illuminating the darkness in the picture but more in her mind. Clouds filled her cluttered head and threatened to storm. They were darker than the shadows of the ones in the distance on her painting.

In her eyes were the storm and she blew it on paper, canvas, walls- anything to soothe her creativity.

And she had been happy before.

She had glowed and riveted in it. Had shone with inspiration and passionate desires, however, they seemed to vanish. Not suddenly and yet not entirely gone. But there was no spark... no... she couldn't figure it out, but she didn't like pacing around in front of it anymore to find the answer.

"That yours?"

She jumped at the low voice next to her and mechanically turned her head to gaze at the man beside her. He was standing in a comfortable position against the wall with a green spiral in his hand and a pencil placed in his blonde hair. He gave her a bright smile and leaned forward, gesturing towards her painting perched on the wall.

She shifted her gaze everywhere but did not respond.

"I know the look." he waved his fingers towards her, pointing with his pencil.

Sakura sighed and chewed on her thumb, but quickly pulled it away. She had to stop her nerves. She paced in front of it once more, noticing the shapes of the landscape and swirls of intense, vibrant colors.

The man stood beside her, suddenly, and observed the painting closely, his eyes mere inches from the frame. He still wore his grin and adjusted his glasses.

"Well, it's beautiful-"

"Don't say that." Sakura gave him a crossed look and tried to keep her thumb attached to her backside where she could not start the habit.

The man raised his brow at her and looked about like she had told him a ridiculous joke.

"Why? It's true."

"It's... it doesn't have full potential! How can I stand here while people tell me lies of how much they love this when- when it's... it isn't... my best." She leaned against the wall and wondered why she was spilling all this out, but mostly she was trying to calm her breathing. Her eyes circled over the crevices in the walls. Why was everything spinning?

"Hmm. But that's how you see it. Everyone seems to like it since it's up here in the first place, right?" Sakura sighed softly and looked away from his gaze. The man coughed and looked contemplatingly at the piece and back at Sakura.

"But... you know, I haven't been honest."

She glanced at him sideways and pleaded with him to continue with her eyes. The man stroked his chin and paced like she had. His eyes shifted towards her and he gave her a small smile.

"It's missing somethin'." He waved his fingers at it.

She nodded at him.

"You didn't like it."

"I don't."

"No, I mean, when you made it- or painted I guess- whatever- You didn't have your heart in it. Right?"

Sakura lessened her gaze and looked away once more. She hadn't put her heart into something in a long time. It was hard to.

Her fingers were aching and she could feel them go numb. Her head felt... maybe she should... lay down...

And in one instant, there she was- fallen on the polished floor of the art museum in a crumpled heap. Her view grew hazy and the image she could last make out was... was that blue? Yes...there was two circles of... blue...


She could feel something cold against her forehead and furrowed her brows. She lifted her eyelids slowly and could see a ceiling. She looked to her right to see a window looking out to a busy street and to her left were cabinets and a wooden door. She sat up, groaning a bit and placed the bag aside.

Oh.. she had fainted. She knew she should've taken those pills. Or at least eaten this morning and not have stayed up so late finishing a project. How could she be so irre-

"Hey, how are ya?" She jolted at the familiar voice and stared at the person. It was that man again. He smiled at her in a mixture of relief and genuine happiness. Sakura looked back with widened eyes.

She stared at him in shock and scepticism. Who was this man? She questioned with her eyes and he sat up as in understanding of this strange predicament.

"Well, I sorta brought you here when you fainted. It was scary as hell, but good thing my sis works here or else I wouldn't know what to do- I've never seen a person do that which is what surprised me and then it was just out of freakin' no where. Why'd it happen?"

Sakura looked away and pressed her fingers against the cold surface of the mat beneath her. He wasn't so bad. At least he had helped. She was about to answer when someone- who very much resembled the man beside her- came through the door bearing a small smile and caring violet blue eyes.

"She's an iron deficiency anemic, correct Sakura... Honda?"

Sakura nodded and shifted her gaze about. The blonde haired woman smiled more and came over to shake her hand which Sakura gently took.

"Hello, my name is Madeline Williams and I admire your work."

"Thank you."

The woman smiled and gestured to the man beside her.

"This is Alfred-"

"The Hero!" he added with a playful thumbs up.

Madeline rolled her eyes and chuckled. "And it's fortunate that he brought you here. Now, I understand that you have low iron and you may need to take pills-"

"I already do... it was just a mishap... I also do not enjoy taking them."

"It seems you may have to, otherwise this could happen again and in a very different situation. I can suggest other pills if you are unomfortable with the current ones you're using."

"No, thank you. I appreciate it, though."

"Alright, well, you're free to go- just remember to take them and fill up on iron. I suggest beans, soy beans, chickpeas- oh and liver as well could help. Also some cereals enriched with iron, although you may have to check the label and... hmm, some egg yolks." Madeline smiled at the small Japanese woman who seemed sort of in a daze.

"Is this helpful? I could provide a list- or you can pick one up on any health stand around here."

"Hai... Thank you."

"It was nice meeting you." Sakura nodded and Madeline began to leave with a wave before stopping at Alfred.

"I'll be home late tonight but there's fish in the fr-"

"Nah, I'll just pick up some-"

"No! Not McDonald's again. Your cholestrol is already bad! Oh, and please stop at the pharmacy for my pills."

"Okay, got it." he rolled his eyes playfully and softly kicked the door shut behind her. He looked back at Sakura and she noticed his pencil was perched in the same place as earlier. His spiral on the plastic chair beside him.

"My sis." he pointed his thumb towards the door and chuckled. Sakura slowly smiled.

"It's nice to have family so close."

"Oh, well, we're not actually blood related- step sibs- but yeah we've been there together through it all." His grin faltered, but he soon jumped up and walked toward Sakura.

"It was nice meetin' you and all- though that might be the wierdest meeting I've had with someone." he held out his hand and Sakura shook it, feeling his firm grip.

"By the way." he leaned back and began to gather his things. "That painting... it didn't have passion. It just- it wasn't there, you know? See, what I'm missing is the inspiration." he held up his journal and Sakura smiled in surprise.

"You are a writer?"

"Yup." he made a popping noise with his lips and grinned. Sakura chuckled and slipped off the counter.

"I would like to read some one day."

"Well, whatever I get finished. Haven't been able to finish a damn thing in... years."

Sakura nodded and reached for her purse on the stool as Alfred pulled open the door. They walked through the narrow halls and felt a bustling yet soothing atmosphere as the sun began to set outside the huge, glass windows.

"Why were you there?" Sakura asked out of nowhere. Alfred swung his spiral at his side and thought.

"At the museum? Well, I thought it would give me something to write about. That feeling- the burst of energy... where do you get yours?"

Sakura walked in silence beside him and could feel his excited aura. He was very energetic in his own.

"I don't know... I try not to think of it too much. When something pops up-it's there. It's everywhere." She smiled and thought of her apartment. She loved the feeling of bringing her destitude of loneliness to a bright place with splashing colors.

"Maybe I should see more of your known 'masterpeices'." He brought up air quotes and chuckled when he saw her small scowl. "No, I mean it. I'd like that."

They made their way through the outside doors and stepped onto concrete, not entirely ready to part ways.

Sakura could see the last rays of gold in the sky starting to shift to a violet red and streaming pink and orange. She adjusted her purse and glanced at the man.

"Well, it was nice meeting you... but ah, I must-"

"Sakura, right?" He asked brightly.

"Hai... Alfred-san correct?"

Alfred laughed happily, his smile reaching up to his sky blue eyes and tipped an imaginary hat.

"Name's Alfred F. Jones ma'am. And I look forward to seeing you more."

With that he left with a huge wave, and a small skip in his step which caused her to smile in amusement.


The streaks of red and gold were now changing to a darker blue and violet as she made her way home. She opened her navy blue apartment door with force seeing as the hinges were slightly frayed and closed it behind her swiftly.

She listened to several phone message from her sister and prepared a small meal near her coffee table- the place where she normally ate. She retrieved a glass of water and her pills and gulped them down, distastefully.

This was her routine. Of course not everyday could be the same but it felt as such.

Today was an exception.

She decided to go out to the balcony and clean her mess. Some of her work from earlier was sprawled about and she softly smiled at it, picking up everything with a sigh.

Just as she was about to turn in, she stared at the night sky. No stars. No clouds. Nothing but an illuminated glow from the city and a raven color boring back at her. She leaned her head against the window pane and could faintly find a trace of blue, the last trace from the sunset.

And loneliness had never felt so intense before.

-Rising Sun-

More to come...

Review if you wish :)