Yep, I'm back! I've decided that this will be my last chapter, so I'm going to wrap it up. Thanks to Kat, hello, midori318, lily, Lum, Harmony, NinaKat13, Ledopole and Kamikaze for your support.
If you love it........
It was pure bliss, those days I spent with Folken. I had not felt so warm, so safe, for such a long time. He was a very good listener, or at least, a patient one. He even asked me to describe the village where I had once lived to him. I liked being with Folken, I think I loved him very much. Yet, there was a shadow over my happiness. Even after Folken had taken me away from him, I was still worried that Dilandau would do something to me or to Folken. The thought terrified me, and kept me on my guard. I stayed away from Dilandau and his men. If I thought I saw one coming, I'd head quickly in the opposite direction.
Folken was very kind to me, not forceful or demanding. I guess he knew how damaged and afraid my time with Dilandau had left me. He had called me to him one day and asked me to come with him. We left Vione by carriage. "Folken," I had asked, "where are we going?" he said, "Be patient, we will be there soon enough." It seemed we had been riding for ever when he finally signaled for the carriage to stop. We got out, and we went for a walk.
The air smelt so lovely here, like late summer should smell. "It's very lovely here," I said. Folken nodded, he seemed a little hesitant about something. "Folken," I asked in concern, "what is wrong?" Folken looked towards the woods that were nearby and then at me. "Ayami," he said, "I'm letting you go." It was a few moments before what he said actually registered. "What? Why?" "Because I do not know how much longer I can keep you safe. You see, I am not afraid of Dilandau, but I am afraid of what may come, and that could be the fall of the empire. I do not want you there if this did happen." "B-But I don't want to leave you," I said sadly, "I like being with you." Folken nodded with a slight smile, "I like having you near me," he said. "but I would prefer to know that you are safe." He pointed. "There is a village beyond those woods, the people there are very kind. I'm certain they will help you."
He was letting me go. I felt his hand on my face for one last time. I held it with my own hand. "I...I'll miss you." I said. Folken leaned down and kissed me softly. It was even more passionate then the one he had given me when we were on the balcony, but just as pure. "Good-bye," he said when he pulled away. He turned and walked away from me, without looking back. "Good-bye...Folken," I said quietly.
**********************
I wasn't exactly afraid, wandering through those woods. After what I'd been through, it wasn't as if I new nothing of fear or horror. But there was no horror there, only....familiarity. I felt as if I had walked through these woods a thousand times. Odd, since at the time I didn't think I'd been there before. Then I saw them.
Silkus flowers. Remember to get Silkus flowers.... I went over and sniffed the sweet sent. The flowers, the smell. "It can't be..." I thought. I looked around. Yes, the woods were familiar.
I found myself running, as fast as I could in the direction that Folken had pointed me in. After several minutes I came to a very familiar path that led me out of the forest and into a village. The houses were different, and so was the marketplace, but yes, this was it. My home, it had to be. The people seemed oblivious to my presence. There weren't as many as I had remembered, but there enough there for one to be lost among. If there had been survivors than perhaps, just maybe, my family may have made it.
I began to wander through the market place, looking from face to face, until I turned towards where my home had once been. When I got to the place where my home had once been, my heart sank. In it's place where three newer looking houses. I looked at each of them, wondering whether or not my family had moved into any of them. An elderly man passed me, logs in his arms. "Are you looking for someone?" he asked. "I...I used to live here." I told him. "You did?" he asked. He looked at me a little harder and then his eyes went wide. "Say," he said, "aren't you Ayami, Ayami Yugishima?" I nodded. "Well I'll be," he said. "You are alive. You should know your family...or what's left is still in the village. From what I hear, your sister...what's her name?" "Melanie." "Yeah that one, got married. II remember the funeral we had for everyone that died in that fire a year or so ago. I hope this doesn't upset you, but I believe you're buried out there somewhere, in that graveyard that was made." I smiled.
"Don't worry," I said, "I'm very much alive. Could you tell me where I could find my sister?" The man, who had attended the wedding, said he believed that she was living at the other end of the village, strangely enough, not far from where I was "buried ". I tried to follow his directions as best as I could. I came to a house standing alone, not far from the graveyard. There was two girls sitting in the yard, a little younger than myself. They both stood as I approached. "Hello," said one girl, "who are you looking for?" "Melanie, Melanie Yugishima. Does she live here?" "Marion," said the girl to the other girl, now standing, "Go inside and tell Melanie she has a visitor." The other girl obeyed, regarding me curiously as she did so. "I'm Ivione," she said turning back to me, "are you related to Melanie? Because you two kind of favor."
The other girl, Marion came back out, Melanie behind her. She didn't say anything right away, and neither did I. What do you say to someone you thought was dead? "Hi," I said uncertainly. "H-Hi," she said. The two girls looked at us. "Is that it?" said Ivione. Melanie and I both laughed at this, I guess we were both embarrassed by our awkwardness. We let it go, and hugged each other. I was home again.
**********************
"What happened to you? Where did you go? Didn't you know we missed you like crazy?" "It's good to be home," I said, "but I can't answer everything at once." Everyone laughed. My sister had married a man in our village and her last name was now something I couldn't hope pronounce. The two girls, Marion and Ivione were being looked after by her husband. They along with Melanie, Mama, and half the village it seemed, were all cluster around me. I was the only one it seemed, who had come back from that awful night, after being considered dead for over a year. Now everyone wanted to hear my tale of adventure and survival.
"I...don't know where to begin," I said quietly, after being asked to tell my story. "Just start from as far back as you can remember," said Melanie. I closed my eyes for a moment. I heard it. Laughter. "I remember laughter," I said opening my eyes. "Pure laughter. My own, but especially the laughter of my sister Melanie. She loved flowers and she loved spring...."
The End
*****************
Yes, I borrowed that end as you began angle from the Outsiders. Thank you again to all my wonderful reviewers, you guys are great. I may have a sequel to this in the future, especially if one is in demand. But for now, Adios! BP
If you love it........
It was pure bliss, those days I spent with Folken. I had not felt so warm, so safe, for such a long time. He was a very good listener, or at least, a patient one. He even asked me to describe the village where I had once lived to him. I liked being with Folken, I think I loved him very much. Yet, there was a shadow over my happiness. Even after Folken had taken me away from him, I was still worried that Dilandau would do something to me or to Folken. The thought terrified me, and kept me on my guard. I stayed away from Dilandau and his men. If I thought I saw one coming, I'd head quickly in the opposite direction.
Folken was very kind to me, not forceful or demanding. I guess he knew how damaged and afraid my time with Dilandau had left me. He had called me to him one day and asked me to come with him. We left Vione by carriage. "Folken," I had asked, "where are we going?" he said, "Be patient, we will be there soon enough." It seemed we had been riding for ever when he finally signaled for the carriage to stop. We got out, and we went for a walk.
The air smelt so lovely here, like late summer should smell. "It's very lovely here," I said. Folken nodded, he seemed a little hesitant about something. "Folken," I asked in concern, "what is wrong?" Folken looked towards the woods that were nearby and then at me. "Ayami," he said, "I'm letting you go." It was a few moments before what he said actually registered. "What? Why?" "Because I do not know how much longer I can keep you safe. You see, I am not afraid of Dilandau, but I am afraid of what may come, and that could be the fall of the empire. I do not want you there if this did happen." "B-But I don't want to leave you," I said sadly, "I like being with you." Folken nodded with a slight smile, "I like having you near me," he said. "but I would prefer to know that you are safe." He pointed. "There is a village beyond those woods, the people there are very kind. I'm certain they will help you."
He was letting me go. I felt his hand on my face for one last time. I held it with my own hand. "I...I'll miss you." I said. Folken leaned down and kissed me softly. It was even more passionate then the one he had given me when we were on the balcony, but just as pure. "Good-bye," he said when he pulled away. He turned and walked away from me, without looking back. "Good-bye...Folken," I said quietly.
**********************
I wasn't exactly afraid, wandering through those woods. After what I'd been through, it wasn't as if I new nothing of fear or horror. But there was no horror there, only....familiarity. I felt as if I had walked through these woods a thousand times. Odd, since at the time I didn't think I'd been there before. Then I saw them.
Silkus flowers. Remember to get Silkus flowers.... I went over and sniffed the sweet sent. The flowers, the smell. "It can't be..." I thought. I looked around. Yes, the woods were familiar.
I found myself running, as fast as I could in the direction that Folken had pointed me in. After several minutes I came to a very familiar path that led me out of the forest and into a village. The houses were different, and so was the marketplace, but yes, this was it. My home, it had to be. The people seemed oblivious to my presence. There weren't as many as I had remembered, but there enough there for one to be lost among. If there had been survivors than perhaps, just maybe, my family may have made it.
I began to wander through the market place, looking from face to face, until I turned towards where my home had once been. When I got to the place where my home had once been, my heart sank. In it's place where three newer looking houses. I looked at each of them, wondering whether or not my family had moved into any of them. An elderly man passed me, logs in his arms. "Are you looking for someone?" he asked. "I...I used to live here." I told him. "You did?" he asked. He looked at me a little harder and then his eyes went wide. "Say," he said, "aren't you Ayami, Ayami Yugishima?" I nodded. "Well I'll be," he said. "You are alive. You should know your family...or what's left is still in the village. From what I hear, your sister...what's her name?" "Melanie." "Yeah that one, got married. II remember the funeral we had for everyone that died in that fire a year or so ago. I hope this doesn't upset you, but I believe you're buried out there somewhere, in that graveyard that was made." I smiled.
"Don't worry," I said, "I'm very much alive. Could you tell me where I could find my sister?" The man, who had attended the wedding, said he believed that she was living at the other end of the village, strangely enough, not far from where I was "buried ". I tried to follow his directions as best as I could. I came to a house standing alone, not far from the graveyard. There was two girls sitting in the yard, a little younger than myself. They both stood as I approached. "Hello," said one girl, "who are you looking for?" "Melanie, Melanie Yugishima. Does she live here?" "Marion," said the girl to the other girl, now standing, "Go inside and tell Melanie she has a visitor." The other girl obeyed, regarding me curiously as she did so. "I'm Ivione," she said turning back to me, "are you related to Melanie? Because you two kind of favor."
The other girl, Marion came back out, Melanie behind her. She didn't say anything right away, and neither did I. What do you say to someone you thought was dead? "Hi," I said uncertainly. "H-Hi," she said. The two girls looked at us. "Is that it?" said Ivione. Melanie and I both laughed at this, I guess we were both embarrassed by our awkwardness. We let it go, and hugged each other. I was home again.
**********************
"What happened to you? Where did you go? Didn't you know we missed you like crazy?" "It's good to be home," I said, "but I can't answer everything at once." Everyone laughed. My sister had married a man in our village and her last name was now something I couldn't hope pronounce. The two girls, Marion and Ivione were being looked after by her husband. They along with Melanie, Mama, and half the village it seemed, were all cluster around me. I was the only one it seemed, who had come back from that awful night, after being considered dead for over a year. Now everyone wanted to hear my tale of adventure and survival.
"I...don't know where to begin," I said quietly, after being asked to tell my story. "Just start from as far back as you can remember," said Melanie. I closed my eyes for a moment. I heard it. Laughter. "I remember laughter," I said opening my eyes. "Pure laughter. My own, but especially the laughter of my sister Melanie. She loved flowers and she loved spring...."
The End
*****************
Yes, I borrowed that end as you began angle from the Outsiders. Thank you again to all my wonderful reviewers, you guys are great. I may have a sequel to this in the future, especially if one is in demand. But for now, Adios! BP