Helios looked at the city below him. Since his decision to stay here in Rhodes a day before, the current leaders in the government have seen it fitting to officially announce his return to the general public. Jubilation, in Elsinore and all parts of the country has resulted in preparations for festivals to celebrate the occasion. Even from this distance, all the way at the top of a small mountain, Helios could make out faint lines that were bright banners going up and people rushing through the streets.
Standing by the edge of a stone balcony, Helios turned his attention from the city back to the palace as the a group of guards, all of them members of the First Imperial Battalion, march in a single filled formation of three men as they patrolled the grounds. As the line of guards passed, Helios' mind drifted. Soon his thoughts returned to the reason he was waiting here in the first place.
Laertes had asked to see him earlier in the day and Helios had agreed to a meeting. This comes after his world had been changed when Polonius told him about the death of his family, a family he has no memory of. When he walked into that abandoned wing of the palace, he could feel the past nipping at his sleeves. It was a sensation so strange and compelling that it induced the Guardian of Elysian to briefly (Helios hoped) abandon his post. But the problem now was that Helios felt guilty for staying, and even considered leaving Somnus and going back to Earth several times. However he had already promised Polonius he would stay and now that everyone in this war-depleted country was relying on him to finally set things straight it only made it even harder to disentangle himself from this foreign place. Helios couldn't just abandon those in need; they were after all his responsibility.
His eyes drifting, Helios noticed two maids chattering between themselves. However every once in a while they'd dart their eyes up at the balcony and it didn't take Helios long to realize they were sneaking glances at him. Although he was sure they were trying to keep their conversation private, one of the maids-who was much older than the other and probably a little hard of hearing-spoke loud enough for Helios to catch parts of her discourse.
"…Came back…days ago…none of us…Gods know what…all this time!"
The other maid nodded, then glanced at Helios again. Seeing her eyes approaching, Helios turned his face away and acted as though he hadn't noticed them. The younger maid went back to her conversation and must have said something because the old woman laughed; though to Helios' ears it sounded more like a cackle.
"No, no….it's nothin' like that! But…you said is true…say his majesty is no longer one of us, like…or something and won't…about what's he been up to…so long. Some folks aren't even sure…to trust him to be king…"
At this point Helios turned away from the balcony's edge and glanced back uncomfortably as he walked to the center of the terrace. He felt guilty for spying on other people's conversation but also burned from the woman's words. These were people who couldn't be more different from himself. They may talk freely amongst themselves and feel secure in this land in which they were born but he can't. Though he was supposedly born in this country as well, Helios felt no connections to Rhodes or this planet. He was yanked from one world to another then back to here again, and inside he still felt out of place here despite his acknowledgement that this was his fatherland. Not only that, he can't just announce to the whole of this country all the information about his life in Elysian. If people here found out about his charge then he would have disavowed his oath of keeping the world unenlightened, but if he kept his background a secret people would reservations against him.
"Your Majesty," a valet's voice interrupted Helios' myriad thoughts. "The Minister of Interior and the Captain of the First Imperial Battalion have arrived for their appointment." The manservant said without looking up. This made Helios feel uneasy again.
A few moments later, Laertes and Horatio walked onto the balcony and each of them bowed. Helios looked at these two young men, both of whom were about the same physical age he was. At a glance one could tell the difference in personality between the two. Horatio had a mild expression on his face and his violet eyes were always twinkling, like a person who never truly grew up. His broad shoulders and athletically built body bespoke of his position as the head of the elite First Imperial Battalion and would seem slightly intimidating had his personality been something other than pleasant. Laertes on the other hand, was serious and business. Behind his pair of round glasses, intelligent and shrewd eyes observed with cool and evaluative aim at everything he sees. Helios has yet to see him smile since he arrived here nearly half a week ago.
"Good morning, Sire," Laertes said formally. Helios cringed at the title but returned the greeting. "Since your decision to accept the throne, I have created a list of things that need to be attended to. All of the items are things which require attention immediately or else sometimes soon in the future." He pulled out a parchment of paper that was neatly folded and handed it to Helios.
When Helios opened the sheet, the parchment unfolded and dropped all the way down to his knees. Not only did the length of the list surprise Helios, but the urgent business written in unbelievably neat handwriting did as well.
"Preparation for Royal Ball, studying, training-". At this point Helios raised a wary eyebrow at the creator of the list. "What does that mean?" he asked suspiciously
Horatio however, was the one who answered "It means that you will be training with me. A king is a man who epitomizes the role of the scholar, the warrior, and the leader. Laertes will be working with you on the scholar and leader part, I will help you with the warrior part." When he saw the look on Helios' face, Horatio forced back a laugh "that means I am going to teach you how to fight."
Helios felt his heart sink. Fighting, despite its necessity at times, was never a focus in his life. It was something the senshis did not something he did. And somehow, Helios had a bad feeling about this…
Laertes cleared his throat and shifted his arm over the folder. "In preparation for the Ball, preparations will began today. I have already scheduled a meeting with the royal tailor and will have a list of the guest in attendance by tomorrow, which will contain the names of some of the most influential names in Rhodes and beyond. There are a few other things I will need to discuss with you this afternoon, I shall send word around noon as to the precise time and place, my secretary will escort you there." Laertes snapped his folder shut, making Helios jump inside.
"That is all I have for now, if there is nothing else Your Majesty needs I shall now take my leave." Helios nodded his permission and with that, Laertes bowed once again and left the balcony.
Helios watched as Laertes walked through the door leading back into the room and disappeared around a corner. "Is he always like that?" Helios said as Laertes' figure disappeared behind the door to the balcony.
Horatio crossed his arms and smiled "Yeah, Laertes is a bit of a stiff and spends too much time stuck in his office but he's not as bad as he looks…when he's not on my case that is." He rolled his eyes "Which he has not been for the last 19 years."
Hearing this Helios couldn't help but giggle. But then something in Horatio's words reminded Helios of something. Helios stared at the world below him and saw the distant object from him, none of which were familiar to him like they were to the person standing beside him.
"19 years…10 years…" Helios let out a long sigh
A tap on the shoulder made Helios turn his head around. Horatio looked at him; an inquisitive look replaced his cheerful grin. "What are you thinking about?"
Helios glanced at Horatio then looked back down. He wasn't one to usually confind his thoughts in others but something told him he could talk to Horatio about the matter on his mind.
"…These people and this place…it's so foreign to me, I can't relate to anyone. I feel frustrated in not knowing, not remembering anything. After what Polonius told me I want to know everything but so far I've learned nothing." Helios admitted solemnly.
Horatio laughed lightly and Helios looked at him curiously. Horatio looked out at the same horizon as the white haired boy and shook his head. "You know, I was really surprised and disappointed when you said you didn't remember us, and it was even worse when you said you wanted to leave and go back to Earth. But now that you are back and here to stay, I'm even more surprised because you are not the same person as I remembered you to be anymore. One fact I will tell you right now is that you were never this angst filled when you were young." Horatio teased and managed to win a weak smile from Helios.
The red haired soldier then turned around, leaning against the stone railing of the balcony and continued "I'm not one to preach, especially not to someone of your standing but I'll say this as a friend." Helios turned his eyes to Horatio as the Captain looked at his purposefully. "You should take your time piecing together your past. It's impossible to bring it together all in one day; you'll probably give yourself a headache. But if you are so eager to find out more, I can help to try and jog your memory a little."
At this Helios looked up, interested "How?"
Horatio smiled mysteriously and motioned with a cock of his head "Come with me, I'm going to show you something."
Curious as to what Horatio had in mind, Helios followed him and left the balcony. They passed through the palace hallways, going down lavish stairways before exiting the main building and into one of the large gardens. Birds chirped and the wind whistled lightly, the sure sign that spring was here as it was in Elysian. Remembering Elysian brought back nostalgic memories. But now the land seemed distant somehow, like Helios had discovered it was hiding something from him. It was an indignant feeling, almost as if a family member had lied to him but Elysian was not a person and Helios have yet to learn enough to place the blame of tweaking with his memories on anyone just yet.
"Here we are" Horatio announced, shaking Helios from his thoughts. Looking around and registering his surroundings for the first time in minutes, Helios realized he was standing at the head of a short avenue connecting an obscure part of the garden to its main path. The short little stone paved trail was about 10 yards long and lined with 4 to 5 tall threes on each side. A thick bush covered the lower part of the tree's trunks, with the bush towering to the height of a man.
"Follow me," Horatio instructed. Helios nodded but was shocked when the tall Captain knelt down and began pushing through the bush. Surprisingly enough, he went in fairly easily despite the uniform and his built. When Helios didn't follow he poked his head back out "Don't worry, this use to be our secret hiding spot when we were kids, no one but the four of us knows about it."
Helios looked apprehensively at the bush but decided to see what Horatio had to show him anyway. Carefully he eased himself through the wall of leaves, which was actually easily passable, for they were in fact broad and soft and only giving a false impression of solidity and impassability. With a hand from Horatio, Helios looked up from where he squatted and saw a towering canopy above him. Suddenly the voices of the birds were amplified and everything seemed even more tranquil than before. The little encircled retreat was plain, with just a soft cushion of grass before the trees the girth of which was so wide that a person can't touch his hands if he were to put his arm around it. But there was a definite sense of peacefulness to this place, like it was a separate plane from the rest of the world.
Horatio patted his dress uniform of dust and leaves, giving his surroundings a sentimental look. "We found this place inadvertently one day. Since Polonius was a friend of your parents, Ophelia and Laertes would often come along with him to the palace by the request of the queen, your mother. Thea-sama loved children and she would never yell at us, not even to a brat like me." Horatio grinned, thinking back to his own childhood.
"Thea…that was my mother's name?" Helios asked slowly
Horatio nodded "Your father's name was Hyperion, and even he dotted on us, though he didn't tend to show it as openly as Thea-sama. If it weren't for his many pardons I'd probably be locked up somewhere for all the trouble I've caused." He chuckled to himself before walking a little down the strip of bush-enclosed hide out. "Once when Ophelia was collecting flowers, she saw a rabbit chewing on the grass. We were all extremely curious and I managed to distract the nursemaid so we could follow it and ended up here. I think you were probably only five years old at the time and I had just been selected as your personal guard in training and brought to live in the palace. That's probably why I got in trouble so much, never had a liking for all the rules and manners like Laertes went on to loving." Horatio recounted, lost in his own nostalgia. "We found the rabbit's nest here and kind of adopted as our pet, we even gave it a name." At this point Horatio flashed a shrewd smile "We named it after you." He said looking at Helios.
"You named a rabbit after me?" Helios looked indignantly at the Captain, whom seeing his reaction, burst out laughing, not that this made Helios feel any better.
After wiping the edge of his eyes and forcing back any more laughter that might want to break out, Horatio grinned, "Actually I didn't name it, it was Ophelia. Since she found it we decided to let her name it. She said the rabbit resembled you."
Somewhere in Helios' head he was comparing himself against a rabbit but things never quite add up and the expression on his face only made Horatio want to laugh again.
After Horatio finally sobered, he sighed and looked around the bushes and trees "We kept that rabbit a secret amongst us, knowing if the groundskeeper found out he'll probably get rid of the poor thing. After you were a little bit older we drew straws to see which of us gets to check on the rabbit that day. Those were the days …until you disappeared…" Horatio lowered his face, gloom passed over his eyes like two bright candles have been dimmed by a sudden strong gust.
From that brief moment, Helios felt an uncomfortable pinch in his heart. Though the Captain did not elaborate, he had a feeling that the events that occurred in the last ten years must have left its mark on Horatio's mind. Having seen some of the worst scenes of destruction during the battle with the Dead Moon Circus, Helios felt sympathetic towards Horatio. Being trust into the arms of chaos at a young age must have deeply affected Horatio. It was apparent just now from his eyes that the ten year long civil war had not been kind to the boy that once shepherded his charge and friends in this hidden playground.
Luckily however, Horatio was a naturally lighthearted person, and he quickly shook off his momentary gloominess and beamed once again at Helios "Does this help?" he asked hopefully.
Willing himself out of his contemplation, Helios focused his mind back to the reason why Horatio had brought him in the first place. But no matter how hard he tried to concentrate, nothing of this place or what had happened played itself out except as a part of a false image created by his imagination. Finally Helios gave up, and said apologetically "I-I'm sorry but no…"
Horatio walked back to Helios and patted him on the shoulder "Don't worry about it, the reason I brought you here was to try and see if it might help you. Even though it didn't it doesn't mean it won't happen. As I've said, you should take this slowly, don't force yourself to remember. If it's still there then you will remember it eventually." Horatio walked pass Helios and parted the bush for him when he looked up and beamed "And if you can't remember the past, you'll have new memories to keep with you."
Hearing this, Helios smiled and felt a bit relieved. He nodded as he reentered the world from the sanctuary of the bush. That was when the conversation he had over heard earlier bumped into his mind again.
"Horatio…may I ask you one more thing?" Helios stuttered
Horatio stopped walking and looked behind him. Helios paused for a moment before he finally asked, "Do you think…that is to say…do you think I've made the right decision in staying here?"
Unexpectedly, Horatio shrugged. "That's not a question I can answer, after all, I'm not Pythia, the prophetic priestess. Undoubtedly your presence here right now is the only thing that's keeping the two factions from reinitiating the war, so I would say it's a good thing for the country that you decided to stay. But for you personally…I guess the only answer I can give you is that you'll find out over time." He gave the disappointed Helios an encouraging wink. "Don't worry about it. Good or bad I'll be here for you" so saying he gave Helios a hard slap on the back, almost knocking him over.
Defeated by Horatio's blithe behavior, Helios sighed and smiled back, feeling the weight on his shoulder lightened a little.
"Thank you, Horatio…"
In the afternoon, just as Laertes had said, someone came and politely invited the king to join his minister in the Grand Study room. Helios, following the man leading the way, walked into a majestic chamber with tall shelves full of aged books and aesthetic decorations. The afternoon sun was washing into the olive green colored room, adding a touch of warmth to the comfortable atmosphere.
Laertes stood in the middle of the room behind a large table. On the table, Helios immediately noticed, were piles of books that had been carefully organized and placed one atop the other. Helios dismissed the attendant and walked to the other side of the desk.
"What's all this for?" he asked and picked up a random book from the top of one pile and opened it to skim through.
Laertes, with the folder still in his arm, placed a hand on the books and said, "As I have mentioned earlier, this one of the things which needs to be attend to before long. Since you remember nothing of this country or this world, it is essential that you relearn everything you've forgotten. I've compiled some of the things you need to have knowledge and mastery of. This includes such fields as politics, mathematics, oration, geography, military strategy, agriculture, water-management-"
Helios looked up at Laertes from the book he had been going through and closed it. "Actually, I've already studied this one here before."
A stunned silence followed and Laertes only realized he was staring after five full seconds while Helios gave him a weak smile. "This is about the basic principles of economics and I've read something similar while I was on Earth." He added since Laertes was evidently confused.
"I see…" the young officer held his chin for a moment while Helios looked through the titles of the other books. Laertes watched him mindfully until finally, Helios looked back up and a satisfied smile appeared.
"I've read about half of the subjects here already. The only ones I'm lost on are history, geography, and the specifics of government."
At this Laertes narrowed his eyes and frowned. Looking at his sovereign, Laertes couldn't help but ask what's on his mind. "You learned all of this on Earth…just what have you been doing there for the last ten years?" as soon as the question left his mouth he regretted it and apologized.
"I'm sorry, I am in no position to ask such things…"
"No, it's fine…" Helios quickly added. He put the book back down on its pile and lowered his gaze. "I don't remember anyone here and hardly anyone here knows anything about me except you, Horatio, Ophelia and Polonius. And I know everyone is wondering about my circumstances these past years…"
Helios fought within himself to finish the sentence. As priest and guardian he was suppose to keep Elysian a secret, not spread it to the world. But there was no impending threat that's forcing him to swallow his secret right now. It should be all right if he just let on a little about himself. Then, maybe he would be more accepted by everyone and no longer be a mystery and a stranger in his own homeland.
"…That's why I will tell you about them, if you wish to hear it…"
Laertes nodded slowly. Helios took a seat in one of the chairs in the room, thinking about what he was about to say.
"…I don't precisely remember when I went to Earth, because I've always assumed it was my birthplace and my home. But now that I think about it, I realized I don't remember that much."
"You said something about it being your 'post' when we first found you. Do you know why you were there?" Laertes interrupted gently but evenly.
Helios was not prepared by Laertes' question and demurred. He had to be careful not to disclose the fact that he was guarding the Golden Crystal, or else all hell really might break loose if someone with unpleasant intent finds out he had it with him. He had to tell himself to keep details to a minimum but Laertes now turned out to be a lot sharper than Helios had first perceived. He was beginning to doubt his decision of talking to Laertes about himself and wanted to avoid the question but the intensity from Laertes' gaze was pressuring him to reply.
"I'm there to protect Elysian…it was a very important place, the place where dreams dwell." Helios said broadly, hoping Laertes wouldn't ask for any more details but thankfully Laertes only kept his passive expression and said nothing. This gave Helios a degree of comfort and he decided to turn the topic of Elysian to what had happened to him instead since that information was much less confidential and sensitive.
"One day a malicious force managed to invade and I was forced to flee. I was able to receive help from the senshis of Earth and they aided me in saving Elysian. Had they not been there I would not be here today." Helios said, censuring out the more intriguing details.
After a few moments and Helios did not go on, hoping Laertes would let him off the hook. There was a slight tension in the room between the vessel and his lord. One knew the other was hiding something and the other knew he was trying to get information out of him. With this understanding the uneasy standstill continued until Laertes made his move. He shifted his weight and drew a long breath. The sun's glare was reflected on his glasses and Helios noticed he now seemed to be thinking about the information he had told him. When he spoke again, Helios was afraid he was going to ask him another question but instead Laertes said, "It was a good thing that we found you. The Earth was unsafe for you after all, just as I believed."
Thinking that Laertes was implying that the Earth was dangerous, he interjected. "No, you don't understand; Earth is not like that! That only happened once and it was centuries ago-"
"Centuries?" a pair of pale blue eyes gazed at Helios questioningly with interest "But you've been gone for only 10 years…"
"I'm not sure but I think the flow of time between here and Earth is different. I've been in Elysian for 4000 years at least but here it's only been 10 but I have aged very slowly there," Helios said honestly, feeling more at lease discussing an issue that will not put his pride as a Guardian at risk.
"Different flow of time…that would explain something…" Laertes said softly to himself and for the first time, eased his face into a soft smile. Helios looked puzzled but the smile was gone from his face in an instant. "Pray continue," he said and Helios groaned mentally because it was back to the old conversation of not letting out too much information.
Helios nodded wearily and went on to talk a little bit more about the mundane things he did during the millennia. Finally, there was nothing more he could tell Laertes without seriously giving away the most illusive secrets he held in his mind and the young Minister of the Interior seemed satisfied with their discussion as well.
"If you don't mind, I think it would be a good to release some of this information to the public." At this suggestion Helios looked like someone had just threatened his life. Seeing this, Laertes restated his meaning. "That is to say, you were kidnapped by outside foreigners with nefarious wishes but their plot failed half ways and somehow they lost track of you but you became lost. We were able to find you, living in a place far from Rhodes and bring you back. This explanation should sooth the public's curiosity."
Helios however, felt otherwise. "But do you not think that sounds a bit too…fantastical…to be taken realistically?"
"That is the most plausible explanation, that or else telling them about your time on Earth." the blonde replied smoothly.
With no good argument against that, Helios consented, but it still left a bad taste in his mouth. More however he didn't like the cold and uncontestable attitude with which Laertes offered him his options. With a long sigh, Helios consented.
"Very well, if that's what you think will be best. But please don't put blame on the other nations, I don't want the population to demand retributions for an act that never occurred."
Laertes considered this "It would sound more probable to place the blame on a group of simple rouge mercenaries who were out for ransom. Whatever the case, leave the matter to me." He straightened his folder and said to Helios "Since you only require the books in the fields you have mentioned, I will have someone sort through the library again and have them delivered to you tonight. I will tell the valet to escort you back on my way out." With that he began to walk away but Helios halted him.
"Laertes…I-I know this is the best way but I don't think it's right to lie to everyone…" Helios said solemnly, his face showing clear signs of discomfort. "It doesn't feel right." He concluded.
Laertes turned back to face his lord, his dark blue uniform matching his equally cool eyes "Sometimes lies are necessary. Telling the truth may make people feel less guilty but it won't keep the people happy and promote unity. It's something that we have to do, it's something this country needs."
Hearing no more objections from Helios, Laertes bowed and continued on his way. When the door closed and he was left to himself, Helios realized something. Laertes was right, he admitted. He had lied to Chibi Usa before and that too was out of necessity. Still, the prospect of intentionally lying to someone made him cringe and Helios could only hope he did not have to do this often. This and Laertes' demeanor also worried Helios. At first he thought Laertes was trustworthy if a little "stiff" as Horatio described him. But the man turned out to be a lot more domineering and distant than Helios expected. Except for that faint smile he caught, he has not seen any other expression on Laertes' face other than annoyance and disapproval or else dead calm. From his words it would seem he wanted the best for his country and he was a true patriot but Helios could not connect himself with Laertes the way he did with Horatio.
A light knock on the study's door announced the arrival of the valet. Helios sighed and left the room of books. Looking back as he left the room, he then realized this was his first decision as a king, and he did not like it one bit.
As night fell, lamps went up around the palace, illuminating corridors and rooms. Maids and manservant passed in the halls, finishing their chores or else returning to their quarters to rest for the evening. In one of the large offices near the ground floor, Laertes remained at his desk as he had for most of the evening, reviewing reports, signing papers, and other activities dictated by his job as the Minister of the Interior.
The office was sparingly furbished since the available walls were lined with shelves, holding files and books. Laertes sat in the back of the office, his solid oak desk like a fortress, solemn and unyielding like its user. A fountain pen rested with other writing instruments in a gold penholder, which sat beside a small pile of documents.
With his legs crossed, the blonde read a report in the light of the twin lamps sitting on his desk. He had one hand holding the report while the other lied on the arm of the chair. The shadow of his figure flickered slightly every once in a while, moved by the few tiny puffs of wind that have managed to sneak into the room. His white shoulder band of office created its own thin shadows, creating thin strips of pale gray on the otherwise pristine white length of cloth.
"Hey," Horatio unexpectedly poked his through the door of the office. Laertes said nothing for a while as he finished the report while Horatio invited himself into the room. At last Laertes sighed and slapped the report down on his desk.
He gave his old friend an irritated look "For the hundredth time, please remember to knock before you come in."
Horatio held up his hand and pretended to count. "Nah uh, the 258th time. I've been keeping track."
Laertes let out an exasperated sigh and leaned back in his chair, which creaked softly. "So you've been talking to him huh?" Horatio asked, resting his hand on the edge of the desk.
"Yes, I did…" Laertes answered
"And?" Horatio inquired
Laertes perched his lips and touched the tips of his fingers together "I've found out a little about what he's been doing, I'll gave it to you in a written report-"
"Laertes…" Horatio eyed him with a warning look
Laertes gave in and scowled at the lack of proper procedure, "Fine, I'll tell you then." He turned his chair and came face to face with Horatio and recounted to him the things Helios told him earlier in the day.
After the narrative ended, Horatio nodded. "The guy didn't have a easy time while he was gone…I was hoping he wouldn't have to see the kind of things we saw."
"Someone coddled and protected will not make a good king." Laertes stated flatly.
"Yeah but still…he spend more than 4,000 years by himself, that's one hell of a long time to be by yourself. Even with books and stuff I'm surprised he's still sane after all that time!" Horatio contemplated "my God, 4,000 years…"
"I was thinking about that too," Laertes admitted, crossing his arms "When I spoke with him I had this strange sensation in the back of my mind. It was when he told me that the flow of time is different between that world and ours that I realized what it was."
"And that is?"
"He's grown up." Laertes said softly.
Horatio's eyebrows shot up but then his face eased into a smiled. "Hmm…You're right. When I look at him now I can't believe I'm looking at the same seven-year-old that played with us when we were kids. Kind of makes you feel like an old man huh?" Horatio laughed and rubbed his head in embarrassment. "But it's good to talk about the past sometimes, even though he might not remember anything."
Laertes suddenly tensed and pushed himself forward from his chair "You didn't tell him about that did you?"
Horatio shook his head and looked away. "No, it's too soon to tell him about it. Besides, they're only getting to know each other again…"
"Yes…we should give them time..." Laertes sighed in relief and eased himself back into the chair.
Horatio nodded pensively when a soft voice floated into the room. Turning his attention to the song, Horatio smiled knowingly "The Nightingale is singing tonight."
In a room in another part of the palace, Helios looked up from the book he had been reading. The musical voice was drifting through the night air and though he could not make out the words, Helios felt his mind relax at the aria. Walking away from the bed he had been sitting on, Helios opened one round window and focused on the mysterious music. Rather than finding the source of the singing Helios opted to enjoy the melody from where he stood. Helios closed his eyes then opened them to look down at the city at his feet. It was at that time that he heard a few faint stanzas sailing in the wind, calling:
O fate, the heavens
Stay my memories for me
Affix them to the soul.
Gazing and searching,
On the wings of eternity,
Do you know what you are looking for?
A/N Well, this is act is mainly for the development of characters and relationships. I have mixed feelings about this act since I didn't want it to sound cliché or cheesy. The little song at the end was written by me and not copied from someone else's work. By the way, I won the Mirrored Dreams' Summer Theme contest! Which is really cool since I've never won anything like this before. And now I have some character sketches from this fanfic posted on Mirrored Dreams. You're welcome to take a look; they will give you a good idea of what my original characters look like. To find Mirrored Dream type in "mirrored dreams" in Google and select "Mirrored Dreams version 5.0 'The Rain'". The sketches are posted under Fandom, then under fanfictions that will have a link to my penname. BTW I've also added two additional pieces of fanarts based on this story, it's also on the same page.