Author's note: I'm sure that BlueDragonGirl1 isn't the only one who had this question pop in his or her mind while reading the last chapter but yes, I do belly dance. I was with a troop for a while but the teacher was a flake and a bitch so I left and I'm not taking lessons from DVD's I buy from eBay and areas online.

Flame of the Guardians Soul
Chapter Thirteen
The Painting

The warm smell of crêpes awoke Larva from his slumber. Opening his eyes and sitting up he found that crepes wasn't the only thing being served, he saw that someone had brought up eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles, fruit and muffins. "Who brought breakfast?" He asked.

"I did," Ranka, answered, "You best get a shirt on at least, it's nearly nine Aira and Gina will be here soon." She was wearing an outfit similar to yesterday only the shirt was yellow with Hello Kitty on it saying 'if I hear the word cute one more time…'

Larva nodded and sat up, he looked at the food again and saw Shiina had buried himself into one of the fruit bowels, "Either we are going to have to hide you or explained why your fur is pink like cotton candy."

Shiina looked up with strawberry juice on his face, "I want to see the girls for myself, just say I got punch spilled on me or something."

Ichiro munched on some bacon and said, "Maybe we can say we spilled paint on you when you where a baby and it just died your fur that way and we've never been able to get it out." He was wearing the same pants as yesterday but the shirt was of a band named Disturbed with a lot of angry looking people raising their fists in the air.

"That might work," Shiina replied before diving back into the bowel of fruit.

Larva chuckled and stood up, "What time is it anyways?"

Ranka glanced to the clock above the television, "It's ten minutes to nine."

"Damn," Larva said, "there goes my shower."

Sen-Jui turned his head from the window, "You can still get in, Nagi should be about done and he likes cold water so you don't have to worry about that part." He was wearing a pair of dark green jeans and a simple white shirt.

He sighed, "No… but I do have to worry about the shampoo and conditioner."

Sen-Jui nodded, "Yeah I forgot about that."

Ranka smiled, "Relax Larva I thought of that already and got you two other of their tiny bottles."

"I owe you one Ranka," he replied.

She shook her head, "Don't worry about it. Besides after we leave and house cleaning comes we get new shampoo and conditioner. I call it so I may shower when we get back."

Nagi walked out of the bathroom in a pair of dark blue jeans, his hair still a bit damp. "Oh so he is awake," He was looking at Larva when he said this.

A smirk crept on to Larva's face, "I see your eye is doing better this morning."

Nagi glared, "No thanks to you."

Larva walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. God Nagi had a problem with keeping a place clean! He had left the water in the tub dripping; there was soap all over the walls, no clean towels, and water on the floor. What a pig, Larva thought as he turned the water on. The water felt good against him, soft water, better then what he had back home. He found himself thinking about Aira, not sinfully, but just little things.

Aira was not Miyu. He knew that. But he still found himself wrapped up in those eyes. The golden eyes of Miyu were gone and those enchanting emerald eyes had replaced them. Aira had surly put a spell on him with those eyes as Miyu had thirty-six years ago. How did she do it? Why does she have to be so intoxicating in any form she takes? He asked himself.

Though there where differences to see and find in her personality, Larva wondered if he would find her more or less like Miyu as he spent time with her. So far she was more playful, filled out, and grown than Miyu had been when he had met her. Miyu was a child. Aira was a woman. Did the soul plan it this way?

Larva heard a knock at the door, not the bathroom door but the hotel door. Oh god what time was it? He looked threw the curtains and at the clock on the wall. Five after nine so then Aira and Gina had just arrived. Shit and he wasn't dressed! A soft knock came at the door, "Just me," Ranka said, "I'm bringing you your cloths since our guests have arrived." Then he heard the door close. Thank god!

He finished washing himself and then stepped out of the shower and began to dry himself off. Larva looked at the bathroom mirror and wiped the steam-water mix off with a washcloth. He saw his reflection and sighed, he looked like hell, and he wasn't eating enough. I have to change this today, he said to himself. Looking around he realized the comb wasn't in the bathroom, ass hole, he thought, so instead he dried himself with a towel before slipping his underwear and pants on. He opened the bathroom door and walked out, the cold air felt so good on his hot skin.

"Have a nice shower?" Aira asked with a smile on her face.

He smiled, "Yes I did there's nothing like a nice warm shower to start the day." He turned and looked at her, god she was more stunning than last night. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail but she wore a long red skirt with a black hip scarf around her waist, and a black tank top. Nothing too special, but he did see that pentagram around her neck again.

Another smile came over Aira's face, "Like what you see?"

"Well you do look very nice," Larva replied as he put his white peasant shirt.

"Thanks you, you look dashing yourself." Her attention turned to Shiina, "What the fuck?" Larva turned to see Shiina looking at Aira and then he rubbed against her arm, "Um a pink bunny?" She asked before she started to pet his head.

Ranka giggled, "His name is Shiina, we found him like this. They've actually determined it's the tint of his skin that's actually making the fur look pink; it's actually so fine that his fur is so fine it's nearly transparent."

Aira blinked and Gina said, "Amazing that they let you keep him." She too started petting Shiina who looked like he was in heaven.

Ranka nodded, "Yeah, we take him back to the scientist place ever so often so they can check his health and a few other things. We had to give them quiet the amount of money before they would let us keep him, but they do get to dissect him after he dies."

"What a life," Gina said as she flipped her loose brown hair over her shoulder. She was wearing green shorts and a pink top, "He almost matches the color of my shirt."

"He's adorable!" Aira sounded out.

Nagi sighed, "The rabbit always gets the attention."

Gina giggled, "Aww do you need a hug?" She asked and didn't wait for an answer; she just skipped over and gave him a hug.

"You flirt," Aira murmured under her breath. Larva sighed and picked up the last crepe and started eating it, it was good.

Ranka said, "So where shall we go first today Aira since I'm guessing you are driving?"

Aira nodded, "Yeah I'm the only one who passed drivers ed." She and Gina exchanged annoyed looks, "But I think we can go to the Opera House, by the time we get there it will be open. Then we drive across the town to get to the Aquarium, which will be open by the time we get there. Along the way we can stop for lunch then have dinner later tonight."

Larva nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

Ichiro picked up Shiina and set him on the bed, "Sorry buddy but you can't come with us. No rabbits allowed."

Shiina got a pouty look on his face.

"Aw poor thing, we'll bring you back a carrot or something." Aira said with a soft smile.

Shiina made a happy face after that.

Sen-Jui chuckled, "You made him happy."

Aira shrugged, "What can I say? I'm good with pets.. most pets."

"Most?" Larva asked as he put his shoes on.

"I'm not good with dogs or birds, but I love cats." She gave a sheepish smile.

There are reasons to hate birds, Larva thought, "Well don't worry, I'm not one for birds or dogs either. I find them smelly and annoying."

"Thank you!" Aira said, "I'm happy I'm not the only one!"

Larva chuckled, "Well Aira, why don't you lead the way to your car? I think we best get going before the roads get busy."

Aira nodded, "You're right, Max." She looked at the others, "Let's go." She lead them out of the room and down the hall to the elevator, then to the lobby and finally the parking lot. "My car's a bit on the warm side this morning, so if you want just roll the windows down."

Nagi nodded, "We will, Aira."

Gina spoke out, "Who wants shot gun?"

Larva looked at her, "Shot gun?"

"Okay then you get it," Gina said with a smile before her hand found Nagi's.

Aira looked at him, "well get in the front passenger seat."

Blinking he nodded and opened the door, sat down, and closed the door. He buckled his seat belt just as Aira and the others did the same. Larva couldn't help but look at her, "How big is the opera house?"

"Um I think the building itself is on 7.8 acers of land." She replied as she started the car. A few moments later they were out of the parking garage and out on the streets.

It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining brightly in a clear sky and it just brought a smile to Larva's face. He liked days like this, his friends surrounded days that were just pleasant. As well as someone he was starting to care deeply for. Larva mentally slapped himself, she isn't Miyu so stop thinking like she is and just focus on protecting her as best you can without falling in love for no reason. But he looked at her and was almost mesmerized.

Aira felt his stair and looks at him, "What?"

Larva blinked, "Nothing I'm just looking out your window at the shops."

Aira, "Oh." She replied before looking strait ahead again.

Larva turned to look out his own window and began to drift into his own world as he watched the girls on the streets walking by. Watching them made his remember a few times when he would walks down the streets with Miyu. The way she sometimes looked at other girls with envy, she had told him that sometimes she wished that she was taller, more filled out, prettier. She wanted to be more grown up, she didn't want to be fourteen forever.

"Hey Max," Aira's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Yes?" He said as he turned his head to her.

"We are here." She told him as she pointed to the opera house.

"It's beautiful," Ranka said.

Gina smiled, "Wait until you see inside."

Aira nodded as she parked the car, "Oh yeah, the inside is to die for."

They all got out of the car and Larva walked next to Aira as he looked at the opera house. It looked like it was based off a few he had seen as a young boy in Paris. Not the Opera Popular in the Phantom of the Opera but possibly other's. Then he saw what was playing this month and nearly laughed, it was The Phantom of the Opera.

"How cool!" Gina said, "Look Aira we should get tickets!"

Aira looked at the poster then at Gina, "I'm not spending money like that to sit and watch a musical-gothic-romance with you for you too swoon over fictional characters." She said firmly before she opened the door and kept it open long enough for everyone to get through.

If the outside was beautiful then the inside was breath taking. It was a Victorian design and just decorated with candleholders and angel faces.

"Wow," Nagi said.

"Wow is right," Sen-Jui agreed as he turned around a few times.

"They spent a full two years just making this place and opened it up with one of the older operas, I can't remember the name off the top of my head. But they made over a million dollars on opening night." Aira said as she looked at one of the larger candleholders, this one had skulls on it, "This is the only opera house in the county."

Larva looked at the grand staircase and the painting at the top of it, "Who's that in the painting?" He asked.

Aira looked over, "Ah that's one that was submitted to this place before it opened. They were having a contest for good romantic or tragic paintings and that's one of about thirty that won. But there are two in the painting, not one."

Gina shoved Larva closer to the painting, "Go have a look." She told him.

He sighed and walked up the stairs and looked at the painting. Larva's eyes widened when he saw what it was. A red lake surrounded a person in a black cloak holding a girl with brown hair in a white dress and both of them. It's me holding Miyu the day she was… he couldn't finish his thought, and he looked to the name of the artist and was floored. It was Aira's painting.

Author's Note: Ha! There you go people, you just sit and chew on that for a little while until I get the next chapter up.