[A/N]: I'm on a roll today, this is my second update! So after an incredibly long hiatus this is my return present to all of you. Enjoy! R&R
Aya shifted about restlessly in her sleep, jostling herself half-awake. Something inside her told her it was still too early to wake even with no light being present in the room. Aya pulled her small frame into a sitting position. The black void before her sucked in no light for sight. She could only guess at the time. It felt early, maybe five thirty. What surprised her most was her ability to sleep in such a dark and open place. It was far from the comfortable nursery she was so familiar with. Aya squeaked, something warm grazed against the back of her fingers before grasping them. "...Aya?" A groggy voice murmured. "Dio?"
"It's early sleep a bit more." A rumbling sound came from her stomach. "I can't I'm hungry." No sooner then she said that did another rumble hit, this time from him. Aya laughed lightly. "It sounds like you're hungry too." She stood up in the darkness, trying to fix her eyes on where she thought he was the best she could. "Let's go to the kitchen. There's a chicken coop right off the back porch by there. I can make us some eggs." Dio struck a match against the floor and lit the rest of the candle from yesterday. "I can't leave," He said, moving his leg and the heavy chain cuffed to it. Aya paused. "Hand me the candle." He did. She walked out in front of her until she hit the wall, and then started feeling her way around. "What are you looking for?" Dio asked from the darkness. "This is a really big room; this little candle couldn't light it all by itself. So, there must be..." Her tiny fingers glided along the stone until they hit something with a distinct wood grain texture. "Found it!" She lifted the candle up to the torch, trying to light the pitch soaked fabric. A tiny flame jumped from the candle, igniting the torch. Dio covered his eyes from the sudden light. She could see the room much more clearly now. Aya smiled, looking at the foot of the stairs. She turned back to the blonde. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Okay?" He nodded, and she headed up the stone steps.
.:Flashback:.
A young Aya sat at the table quietly reading. The Red-Eyed Stranger was such an interesting book. ' "...He looked about the room wistfully, examining over the contents stacked into high disjointed piles on top of the cluttered desk. 'Oh my, this room seems to need a bit of cleaning' the only item preserved from the dust was-" ' Dr. Drevis walked into the room then, a ring of keys jingling at his waist. "Father, what are those for?" She asked as the doctor poured himself a cup of hot coffee. "They're the keys to the house. I was just replacing some broken locks." Aya watched them bounce about as he moved about the kitchen, getting together mother's breakfast for Maria to take up. He set the keys on a ring high above her head next to the spice cabinet. "Aya if you ever want to go somewhere in the house that's locked, ask Maria to get the keys." He said. "Okay, Father." He was about to leave the kitchen to go back to the lab when he turned. "Aya, some of the doors are locked for a reason though, so you won't be allowed in all of them." And, with that, he left. "Okay, Father..."
Flashback:.
Aya hurried up the staircase with the little candle. When the first few weak rays of early morning light started to push past the darkness, she almost busted into a sprint. With quick feet, she finished off the last bit of step and hurled herself into the natural light. She took a minute, evening out her breathing as she let the feeble rays of sun absorb into her pale skin. She felt much better after getting out of that dank basement. She made her way to the kitchen as quietly as she could. Mother and father would still be asleep, but Maria had the ears of bat. She tiptoed her way across the main foyer before coming to the formal dining room door. She slip passed it and walk into the room, peeking out from behind a wall she made sure, the coast was clear. Quickly, she pushed a chair against the wall and snatched the keys from the loop. She exploded into a run, dashing down the halls as fast as she could and then the stairs, taking those two at a time until she hit the landing. "I found them!" She cried triumphantly; hold the keys like a trophy high above her head. Dio's eye went wide with excitement as she hurried over to him. "Do you think the one to undo these chains are in there?" He asked as Aya began to try to fit the lock to key. "It has to be this is where all the keys to the house are." She passed through the keys quickly those that were too big or too small were instantly discarded as possibilities. "Aya..." She worked furiously trying to fit in every key and growing more frustrated as the former didn't fit, "Aya," but she wasn't discouraged as she set forth at breakneck speed to free her new friend Dio. "Aya, I don't think the keys there..." He said as her small hands placed the last key into the lock. I didn't budge. She tried in vain to wiggle it about in hopes it would pop in place. It didn't move. Utter frustration turned into crushing defeat as Aya gently set the chains down once more. "Aya," She looked down, hiding her eyes behind her bangs, "It's alright. Don't cry." Dio placed his bigger warm hand over hers. She looked up. "I'm sorry." Her voice cracked. She wiped her tears away on the sleeve of her nightshirt. "I'll bring you some food." She said looking back at him. She took in his grimy clothing and disheveled appearance properly for the first time. "I'll get you a fresh set of clothes too." Aya scooped Snowball up into her arms. The blonde leaned forward slightly, scratching the rabbit behind the ears once more. Aya swallowed thickly, keeping her eyes down to the floor. When he retracted his hand, she turned slowly to long stairway once more. "Aya." Dio called. She turned back towards him. "Thank you for trying." Aya tried to swallow the lump in her throat, and forced a smile. "You're welcome." She said quietly, tears building up in the corners of her eyes as she rushed up to the main floor once again.
[A/N]: Love is good and reviews are love. So, review!