Some of this pain is soul subjected
But what was I to do
Some of this pain will always stay
Deep and true
Gabriel sat looking out into the setting sun, so many memories rushed through her mind, that for a moment she felt like she was living them, viewing it all again before her eyes.
"Gabriel?" she jumped, it wasn't often someone was able to sneak up on her, but unfortunately when the past came to haunt her, she found herself lost before it.
"Sorry." Kimiko said, stepping towards her. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's fine." Gabriel whispered, shuffling along and patting to the free space on the steps of the temple entrance gate.
Kimi sat down beside her. "I was just thinking, old memories stirred up a bit." She continued.
"Is it Chase Young?" Kimi asked carefully.
"Yes." Gabriel sighed, glancing from the sun to her bound hands on her lap. "We have a…past so to speak."
"I'm guessing you loved him once." Kimi said, not a question, but more of an observation. Gabriel laughed at the girl.
"You are not as blind as the boys." She told Kimi. "But then again, we're women, we think and feel alike." She looked at Kimi, her eyes flaming a bright green. "I loved him once, but now? I don't know."
"When did you know him from?" Kimi asked.
"Before he turned bad." She answered simply. "He broke my heart, and my soul a bit." They sat in silence for a long time.
Kimi finally spoke. "So you still have some caring for him."
"Very perceptive." Gabriel answered. "But what bothers you to come to these gates every evening and gaze into your memories?" Gabreil asked, gazing back at the red tip of the sun, peering over the tops of the forest trees; winking through the branches of the frozen darkness.
Kimi opened her mouth to ask why she thought that, when the thought struck her. She did come here to think, about choices she had made and things she wished to do.
As if reading her mind Gabriel laughed. "Come my young one." She said, standing up. "While the light is still just with us." She pulled Kimiko to her feet and took her arm carefully, leading her into the depth of the wood.
"I found this when I was young, before Chase. I lived around here with my mother before she died, and then I trained here with Chase and the other great Monks." She turned towards the left, heading for a cliff edge; she stopped.
"When my mother died I discovered the full beauty and treasure of this place." Kimi looked out across at the sun, suddenly huge, a half circle of red that blazed through her soul. She felt the heat and the fire that was her element and felt at home.
Gabriel released her arm and walked to the cliffs edge, sat down, swinging her legs over and slowly lowered herself, turning till she was face to face with the edge of the cliff and hung on by her hands, slowly lowering herself down. Then to Kimi's shock, her hands disappeared from the edge.
"Gabriel!" She shouted, rushing to the edge, fearing the worst.
What she saw though stopped her from shouting again. Gabriel was standing on a thin ledge just below the edge of the cliff. "Come on, just lower yourself down till you reach the ledge." She encouraged Kimi. Kimi chewed her lip in worry but followed Gabriel down and dropped down beside her, holding on to the rock edge and looked along at Gabriel who smiled back.
"Just around the bend." She told her. "This ledge has gotten smaller, but should still hold." She explained as they both shuffled along and to an opening in the face of the rocks.
Gabriel slipped into the cave and helped Kimi in after her. The darkness closed around, but Gabriel led her deeper in, promising that it was just a little bit further back. They both grasped the wall and followed it further in, Kimi feeling the fear rise up as she suddenly lost the wall and her hands scrabbled out for Gabriel who she hardly heard just a head of her.
"Gab!" she shouted in panic, but a calm cool hand attached to her clammy one and guided her hand back to the curve of the wall as it twisted almost 90 degrees around.
Then to her surprise she saw the wavering edges of an unnatural light, glimmering against the black wet rocks.
The sight as she turned the last edge of the bend took her breath away. "Welcome to my retreat." Gabriel whispered, her voice carrying like a breeze through the crystallized cave.
As Kimi gazed into the blinding light of the walls, glimmering with a light that doubled off the crystals around her, she saw the good times of her child hood, the times with the monks and the laughter of her life. A gentle hand was placed upon her shoulders and Gabriel placed herself behind Kimi, just holding a head and a bit taller than her. She leaned down and barely whispered into Kimi's ear.
"Here, your best and brightest memories are relived. You can come here to remember the kindness of life, of love, of peace." Her voice carried through the dazed mind of the young dragon.
"However, it is good to reminisce on your good life, but you must look to your future." She moved a hand to wave before Kimi and the images played before the rocks held a beautiful woman who stood with hands a blaze of fire and eyes of great wisdom. "And then around, you can hold the treasures of this world that few ever see." She pushed Kimi down with her till they were crouching down towards a rock, side by side.
Gabriel pushed a hand forward and turned a rock to one side, reveling hundreds of beautiful butterflies that rose up and fluttered around them both. Kimi fell back in surprise and gazed up in glory at the sight that flew around her. One butterfly landed on her hand and then all of them blew out into a fine glowing dust that fell like fine snow around her.
"Feel free to come here whenever you are lonely and I'll try to visit to give you some female company." Kimi looked up at Gabriel, finally seeing her age and wisdom and awed at her.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"No, thank you." She replied. "I have someone to share this with in the worst of memories." They shared a smile and both gazed into their respective memories.
"How does it work?" Kimi suddenly asked.
"It's all the magic of not knowing that makes it more wondrous." Gabriel said, her eyes barely acknowledging Kimi.
"You sound like Master Fung." Kimi laughed.
"Who do you think taught him that bull?" she asked, nudging the girl as they dissolved into laughter.
"Time we left, or the lads will wonder where we've got too." Gabriel eventually said after a time. The pair slowly made their way back out and struggled up the cliff edge in the darkness that had descended.
They made slow progress back out wood but eventually found the path to the temple and up the steps, just in time for the stars to glimmer down on them.
"Enjoy?" Gabriel asked.
"Yes!" Kimi laughed, hugging the older woman.
"No problem kiddo." She answered, leading the way to the dining room, they both walked in just as the food was being dished up.
Master Fung looked up and did not ask questions, unlike all the others.
"Where have you been?"
"What took you so long?"
"Did you bring us anything back?"
The two women shared a knowing look and smirked at each other, averting their eyes to stop from laughing as they settled down to eat.
After the meal the others went to relax and prepare for bed, the night moving along swiftly in the ever-keeping darkness.
Kimi and Gabriel found themselves back outside, sitting looking up at the stars. "Do you think you could ever love him again?" Kimi asked boldly.
Gabriel's eyes unfocused as she went to her deepest emotions, her eyes blazed with an unheld flame. "I think I always have." She whispered sadly.
Kimi sighed softly by her side. "There are neutral grounds between the two sides on certain issues. Shades of gray between the fighting. Maybe you two could find common ground there."
Gabriel just looked at Kimi, thinking over what was said. "Perhaps it is time for bed. You must be up early." She said, hinting for the girl to leave. Kimi rose, sad now that she felt she had distanced Gabriel by asking such personal questions.
"Maybe you're right though Kimi." She stopped and looked at the woman, held in the light of the moon, so fragile that she was barely real, almost a figment of a spirit.
Kimi smiled. "You never know." And then she turned and walked away. She slept soundly for a full night, no longer lonely without someone like her, for she had found her love for the boys and a great sense of belonging with Gabriel, as though two sisters.
Well that's all for now, but I'll be back shortly with another update!
Review please.