Song listened to: 'Flashlight' Jessie J, Cover by Megan Nicole.

He wondered into the Garden, nodding kindly at the gentle Gardener as he did, Joshua had returned from wherever it was he had disappeared to exactly one week after Father had returned with Aunt at His side and called an end to the War completely.

It was a slow process, but Joshua was mending what had been broken in the fighting.

The kind Gardener stood from where he was planting the small sapling of a tree, it was the sign of a fresh beginning after such strife, it grown with them as their family regrew. He set a dirt covered hand on his shoulder, dirt clung to the white tunic he wore, and gave a gentle squeeze.

"What you seek is just beyond the crest of the trees, my friend."

He smiled, a small shy thing, at the Gardener and he squeezed his shoulder once more before turning back to his replanting.

'And though the road is long

I look up to the sky

And in the dark I found

I lost hope that I won't fly

And I sing along, I sing along

And I sing along'

Just beyond the trees, just as the Gardener had said, was what he sought after. He stood still, silent in the shade of the trees, watching the little angel twirl around in the bright clearing, dancing freely among the tall grass and bright flowers. Her voice was a breath of fresh air, a Choir angel, and he stood to listen as the melody travelled through the trees on the dancing breeze.

'I see the shadows long beneath the Mountain top

I'm not afraid when the rain won't stop

'Cause you light the way

You light the way, you light the way'

Her eyes opened and he saw the brilliance he hadn't seen since his last visit to the garden, and his breath caught at the sight of them, watching her spin around, braids twirling around behind her. A gentle breeze after a raging storm has passed. He stepped on a branch and it broke her from her self-populated world, spinning around to stare at him wide surprised eyes.

When she looked as though she was going to bolt, he leaned forward, holding his hands up in gentle fashion.

"Wait, wait, it's okay! I promise! I was just listening."

She didn't utter anything in return and so he sat in the grass on the tree line, counting it as a win when she didn't bolt when he looked down briefly to sit, her eyes didn't stray, and they remained just as wide as they were a moment previous.

"I…Thank you." He spoke gently, as if to a frightened cub, and didn't reach beyond the tree line "For freeing my wing from the sword." She stared at him in silence, and he didn't expect her to answer "You're welcome." It was his turn to stare wide eyed at her.

She was young, so so young, her voice was soft and light. It was sweet but held the edge of a blade to it, almost deceivingly soft, and he had no doubts that she could tear an angel down with mere words alone. Thus, was one of the products of war.

"Thanks for not takin' me to the prisons."

He nodded "You are welcome." He leaned forward, leaning with his elbows on his knees "I'm Nisroc. What's your name?"

"I know who you are."

There was still a flighty echo to her tone, in her posture, but she remained where she was and slowly sat down in the grass just feet away from him, in the warm grass and bright flowers. She sat curled in on herself, legs bent under her, arms wrapped around her midsection loosely.

"My name's Akeelah."

"It's nice to finally meet you, little Akeelah." He smiled at her kindly and she returned it with a small shy smile of her own "Thank you for staying with me."

"Can I see your necklace?"

He looked down in confusion and thought dawned on him at the chain that hung around his neck, and the Power nodded as he lifted the pendant up from within his tunic and pulled the chain up over his head. She didn't reach for it as he leaned forward with it in hand, so he set it in the grass between them, watching as he leaned back, and she quick thrust her hand forward to snatch it up in order to retreat back to her spot in quick fashion. She stared at the pendant, large in her little hands, and ran her fingers over the rune etched in the stone.

"What's it mean?"

Nisroc's eyes flitted down to his pendant she held in her little hands, her head turning up, and those familiar brilliant eyes locked onto his.

"Family. It's a rune for family. All of us wear them."

Akeelah nodded and looked back down, running her little fingers over it again, and scooted closer to actually pass it back to him but he shook his head, waving it back.

"Keep it. You fought in battle with us. You are one of our family."

She looked up at him, her hand slowly pulling back, "I'm a Power?"

"A Baby Power.", he held a hand out to here, and she looked down to it quickly, nearly scooting back from it, but she stayed "Here?" she set the pendant in his palm, the chain hanging over the side of his hand, and he leaned forward, as close as he's ever been, and pulled the chain up and around her neck. It was large on her, resting on her lower stomach, and he sat back watching as she looked down at it, braids falling over her shoulders and coming down to frame her face as she did, lifting the pendant up in her little palm to look at it.

The fledgling scooted closer, looking up to meet his eyes, reaching into the front of her robe for her own little treasure, whatever that may be.

"For you."

She held out a little fist and he opened his hand for her to set her treasure into, and he stared in awe when her hand pulled away to reveal a little silver ring, blue stone encrusted in the band, all Choir angels were gifted one when they were chosen for The Choir. He thanked her softly and pulled the second thin chain he wore around his neck up from under his tunic, undid the end and threaded the end through the ring, and it slid down to the bottom when he held it up straight. She watched as he clasped the two ends together and pulled the chain around his neck once more.

"You let me go." She smiled at him again, a bit brighter then the last, and scooted closer and before he knew it their knees were brushing together "You can be in my family too."

"I thank you, little Akeelah, for the blessing even after all the damage I've cause you're family."

Her little fingers hesitantly wrapped around his as she leaned forward to take his hand with her little one.

"You didn't like it, you were sad, I saw it in your eyes."

"And you are brave, the bravest fledgling I have ever met, I saw that in your eyes."

Nisroc lifted her little hand to press a kiss to the back. She smiled at the feeling of the unexpectedly warm lips pressing to the back of her hand in a chaste kiss.

"I was nice to meet you, Nisroc."

"It was nice to meet you, little Akeelah."