The Memories

So, this is the 3rd chapter. It's a bit happier, and fluffier than the past few chapters. Rayne's birthday occurs in the winter, on what would be February 9th in AQ. same as mine. Yup, my birthday was last week. So, with that said, I hope you all enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own Rayne, and Lizzie. All others do not belong to me.

Italics, means she's having a flashback.

Another year had past.

For three years now, the Mourner had been wandering around Lore, slaying drakel left and right, whether they were but peasants, traveling alone, or the rich and the warriors, traveling in bands. It didn't matter; they were killed either way.

Many had begun fearing for their lives, and went into hiding, hoping to escape a bloody death. Due to that, the numbers of kills were lessening, but only slightly so. That wasn't the only thing that had changed though. Instead of seeming to attack one place, and move to another, still somewhat close area, the Mourner was somehow now attacking and appearing all over Lore. The squad that was trailing her were trying to keep up, but were having very little luck. Since their first meeting in the forest, Lizzie had had only a few brushes with the team. Other than Gale, she had seen no other members.

As said earlier, the numbers of kills were going down. Not even during the holiday's, both drakel and human, were spared from the news of another slaying. Every week, there was a report of another kill.

Except for one week. It was the week before Snugglefest. No one knew why the Mourner had not struck, except for one person...

The markets were busy, as usual. It was filled with the sounds of loud shouts about the special deals and prices, the low, demanding barks of haggling and trading, and the squawks and calls of animals and livestock being sold. But above all of that, was the sound of music. In fact, an entire group of musicians were playing. There was a whole group of instruments too. The most distinguishable being a flute.

The entire group (that a crowd was now drawing around) was playing around the stand. Most likely, the owner had decided to pay them to advertise his instruments. And it was working, to some extent. The people were now listening to the music, and examining his wares. Only one, however, had purchased so far.

"Thank you ma'am." The shopkeeper said, a grin spreading across his face as he placed his gold into his pockets. The purchaser just nodded, and continued on her way. She paused to watch the band. Not the entire group though- just one person. A young woman, probably in her late teens, with dark hair, who was playing the flute.

As she watched, memories began to flood back into her mind.

"Why am I doing this again?" A teenage Lizzie asked, twisting an orange lock of hair around her finger,

Rayne sighed. "Someone, I believe it was either Trip or Felix, signed us up for musical instrument lessons."

"And...Why are you getting out of this again?"

"Too busy." Rayne grinned sheepishly.

It was Lizzie's turn to roll her eyes. "Doing what?"

"You forget that as well as a Guardian, I still have my duties in Rendd as second-in-command back in Rendd." Rayne said.

Lizzie simply huffed. "I'm a high-ranking knight as well Rayne."

Rayne's smile turned into a look of discomfort. "But you aren't the one being sent off as a delegate." She muttered, hoping Lizzie wouldn't here her. But, of course, she did.

"What!?" Lizzie yelled, bolting into an upright position. Both of them were sitting in a large maple tree, planted within the forest boundary. It was a place that they both enjoyed going to, even at that time in the winter. Rayne winced. "Please don't yell."

"I have every right to yell!" Lizzie said indignantly, her eyes blazing. "You didn't tell me you were being sent away!"

"I just learned this very recently." Rayne protested. Lizzie just scowled.

"Great. Just great. So now I'm stuck doing these music lessons, and you'll be off in..." She trailed off. "Where will you be, anyways?"

"The king wants Sir Tathlin and me to sign a treaty with a neighbouring kingdom." Rayne explained. She hadn't even finished her last word when Lizzie jumped back into her rant,

"In a neighbouring kingdom!" She finished, crossing her arms and looking away. Rayne chuckled in spite of herself, and scooted closer to Lizzie, enveloping the redhead in her arms.

"You've still got everyone else to keep you company." She reasoned, positioning Lizzie so that her own chin rested on top of Lizzie's head. Lizzie sighed, and leaned back into Rayne, careful not to put so much weight on her that they would fall out of the tree.

"I know." She said. "But your birthday is coming up soon, and we should do something, you know? And now it can't happen, because you know how long it takes to get from Battleon to Rendd and back. That's about two week's worth of traveling, even by horse, and it'll probably be longer because of this snow."

"It's alright." Rayne said. "You really don't have to do anything."

Lizzie tilted her head back, and raised her eyes, meeting Rayne's gaze."But I wanted to." She murmured.

Rayne heart melted as she saw the sincerity and sadness in Lizzie's eyes. "Well, if you really want to do something for me that bad..." She began to grin again. "Learn to play a song for me on your instrument then, alright?"

Lizzie smiled back at Rayne. Tilting her head back once again, she grasped Rayne's head with her hands and gently pulled her down, twisting her head in a way so that their lips met in an almost upside down kiss. "Okay." She whispered.

Her train of thought was broken as the music stopped. The flutist bowed politely to all who were watching, as they clapped, gold coins glinting as they were tossed through the air and into a basket set in front of them.

They started a new song- a song that rang in Lizzie's ear and mind. It was familiar- very familiar. Lizzie let herself become lost once again, in the music and memories.

Lizzie exhaled her breath, which was visible in the winter air. It had been two weeks since Rayne had left for the other kingdom. She had promised that she would try to get back on her birthday – that very day- but it looked like that promise would have to be broken. It was already sundown, and Rayne still wasn't back.

Lizzie hugged her knees to her chest, trying to keep warm. She sat outside, in their tree. It gave her better view, and helped her relax. While the cold bit at her face and hands, she was willing to endure it, choosing the soothing comfort of the tree rather than the warmth of the indoors.

She sighed, and dropped her legs so they hung over the side of the branch she sat on. Lizzie placed her hand on either side of herself, gripping the snowy bark, leaning backwards and closing her eyes. At that moment, there was a loud whoosh, and a burst of light that she could see underneath her eyelids. Her eyes snapped open in surprise.

Losing her grip on the tree, Lizzie fell backwards. Instead of feeling the pain on impact, however, something- or rather, someone- blocked her fall.

"Oof!"

"Sorry!" Lizzie cried, cheeks immediately flushing red.

"It's alright..." The person groaned.

Lizzie immediately recognized the voice, and looked down, breaking into a wide grin. "Rayne!"

Rayne looked up from underneath Lizzie. "Hi Liz." She said, tapping her fingers on the ground in front of her face. "Uh...would you mind...?" She let the sentence hang, and Lizzie once again flushed. "Oh! Right, sorry."

She rolled off of Rayne. When the brunette sat up, Lizzie threw her arms around her neck, promptly knocking Rayne to the ground once again. Rayne sighed inwardly, and smiled faintly up at Lizzie. The redhead was now on top of Rayne, their noses almost touching.

"Hi." Lizzie giggled, her spirits now considerably lightened.

"Hi." Rayne greeted back.

Lizzie's eyes softened. She tucked a couple of loose strands of dark hair behind Rayne's ear. "I missed you." She murmured.

"I missed you too." Rayne returned. Their eyes remained locked, and unblinking. They knew exactly what the other was saying, without having to say a word.

Lizzie got up, pulling Rayne and herself to their feet. Lizzie scrambled to get back up in the tree, with Rayne following suit. She scooted to the side, letting Rayne come up and sit in the junction where the branch extended from the trunk. Once the brunette was in place, Lizzie slid back down, so she sat pressed up against the young knight.

Lizzie laid her head on Rayne's shoulder. The cold wasn't so bad anymore now that Rayne was back, as clichéd as that may sound. She listened to the wind blowing around them, the light rustling and scratching of bark against clothing, and their even, tandem breathing.

"How did you get back so fast?" Lizzie asked.

"I used a portal."

"You pardon?" Lizzie peered up at Rayne.

"I used a portal." She repeated, twisting her head to look down at the shorter teen.

"And how, pray tell, did you do that?"

"With this." Rayne held out her wrist. Lizzie looked at the watch like device strapped to her wrist. "It's a portal-com." She explained. She fiddled with a few buttons on the side. "You see?" She said. "If I press this one button here, then I can communicate with others with this. And if I use this-"She twisted the knob on the side. "-It creates a portal." Sure enough, a light blue oval of energy had appeared.

"How did you get this?" Lizzie asked, pulling Rayne's wrist closer towards herself and getting a closer up view.

"I made it." Rayne said proudly. Her voice softened, and she looked away, looking much like the shy girl she was when Lizzie first met her. "I made it because I didn't want to be home late for whatever I knew you had planned for me today, even if I didn't make it home in time."

"That has to be the oddest thing you've ever done to show your affection." Lizzie proclaimed. Even so, she pressed a kiss against Rayne's cheek. "You're so weird."

"You love it."

"I know." Lizzie said, smiling. "Now, let's go inside. I've got your presents waiting for you..."

The music stopped again, and Lizzie's thoughts along with it. She brought her hands up, and clapped as the dark-haired flute player. And the rest of the musicians, stopped to take a bow. More coins were being dropped into the basket, but Lizzie didn't join in. She turned and continued on her way. Soon, she was in a different part of the market; but instead of focusing on the sounds, she focused on the smells. There were many different ones, each unique and powerful in its own way. There was the smell of meat, rich and smoky. Just the scent could make someone's mouth water. There was also the scent of herbs and produce. Some cool and clean, some spicy and fragrant. Along with those, there was the smell of dust, metal, and leather, coming from the other stalls and shops that sold other kinds of items- weapons, armour, clothing- and the ground, where with every step anyone took on the unpaved streets, a cloud of dust would come up.

Much like the sounds, some were stronger than over. One of the most prominent, being a sweet one. Not overly so, and not the kind of sweet scent from sugar or candy. It was duller, a more natural one, one that could only come from natural creations. Along with the sweetness, however, was a definite tangy scent. It blended with the sweetness, creating an utterly unique aroma. AT that moment, Lizzie was buying exactly what was causing that scent.

"Come again!" The vender exclaimed, handing Lizzie her bag and a few pieces of gold. Just like she had before, Lizzie didn't say anything, just nodded and took what was being held out to her. The bag that her purchases were being kept in smelled faintly of what was inside of it, and Lizzie was drawn into memories for the 3rd time that day.

"Hey Rayney." Lizzie greeted. Plopping down next to the said teen. Rayne closed the book she had been reading, and nodded. "Hi Liz."

"How did everything go?" The taller girl asked, turning her eyes towards Lizzie. She simply shrugged. "It went pretty well. It wasn't that big of a deal, really- I don't know what all the fuss was about. Sometimes people are incredibly silly, freaking out about every day commonplace issues."

Rayne arched an eyebrow. "You call, 'my neighbour slept with my prize winning cow' a commonplace issue?"

"You know what I mean." Lizzie replied, swatting Rayne lightly on the arm, taking a seat next to her. They were in Rayne's room in the dorms. "That was something they could have solved by themselves."

"Well, I don't know about that Lizzie." Rayne said innocently, looking at her girl with a completely straight face as she said her next words.

"Dealing with bovine intercourse can be a very tricky business."

Lizzie couldn't help but burst into laughter and Rayne couldn't help but smile an all-too rare smile, one that became less rare whenever the redhead was in the vicinity.

"I believe you." Lizzie giggled. "I just wish that it hadn't taken so long to sort it out. I wanted to spend some more time with you, since you're leaving in a few days and whatnot."

"I'll be back in two weeks love." Rayne said. "Hopefully by my birthday."

"I know." Lizzie sighed. "But I miss you whenever you're not around." She admitted, making Rayne smile again, and pull Lizzie into her lap.

"That's an incredibly cheesy line, Ms. Miura."

"I like cheese." Lizzie grinned; waggling her eyebrows in such a comical manner that Rayne had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing out loud. Rayne wrapped her arms around Lizzie, pulling her closer, as she placed a light kiss on the crown of her head. "Dork."

"I'm your dork." The redhead murmured, burying her face into the crook of Rayne's neck, taking in the scent of bathing soaps (Rayne washed daily, unlike other people at the time) mint, and the uniquely Rayne scent. It was clean, refreshing, and it smelled something like the rain itself. Lizzie sighed happily. As odd as it sounded, she could never get enough of that smell. Speaking of smells...

"Oh!" Lizzie exclaimed, hopping out of Rayne's lap. "I just remembered!" Rayne looked bemused as Lizzie reached into her old pack. Her hand touched whatever she was looking for, and she looked at Rayne. "Close your eyes." She instructed.

Rayne gave her a puzzled stare, but did as she was told. She heard a rustle of something, and the tap of feet against the floor as Lizzie walked back to her. There was a sound, which was something similar to ripping. The dark-haired woman felt something being put in front of her face.

"Smell." Lizzie commanded. Rayne's nose almost twitched as she sniffed whatever it was. It was sweet, sour, and something that couldn't be described. "It smells great." Rayne mused, taking another lungful of whatever it was. "What is it?"

She opened her eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever the delectable scent was coming from. She was too slow though- instead of seeing it, all she saw was Lizzie chewing something, one hand stuffed into a bag. She swallowed, and smirked. "You'll know on your birthday."

"Lizzie...can't you tell me what it was now?"

Lizzie licked her lips and smiled. "Consider it initiative for you to get home faster." She teased, picking up her regular pack and heading to her own room to drop it off, Rayne tagging along.

"Please?" Rayne asked, and Lizzie had to stifle a laugh as she pictured what she knew Rayne would look like behind her. Rayne, the strong, quiet, serious knight she was, whining and pouting like a small child who didn't get what she wanted.

As they rounded the corner and went into Lizzie's room, Lizzie dropped her bag on the floor, and turned around. Just as she thought, thre was Rayne, a pleading look on her face, her bottom lip jutting out slightly in a pout. At the sight, Lizzie couldn't help but cave partially.

"I guess I can give you a taste." She said finally. Rayne stopped pouting, and smiled. "Great?" Her smile turned quizzical as Lizzie didn't give her what was inside of the paper bag. "Uh...where is it?"

Next thing she knew, she was pinned forcefully up against Lizzie's door, with said woman kissing her roughly. And the raven haired girl did indeed get a taste, as Lizzie's tongue entered her mouth. Whatever it was, it tasted a lot like it smelled. It was sweet and a bit tart as well. She racked her brain, trying to think of anything that ever tasted like this.

But before she could start comparing tastes, her taster was ended as Lizzie pulled back. The redhead smiled as she saw the look on Rayne's face. "Enjoy that?" She asked, a smirk forming on her face. Rayne nodded, and moved to try and get another taste. Her efforts were thwarted, when Lizzie stopped her. "Ah ah ah!" She chided. "No more 'til your birthday." Lizzie kept on smirking at Rayne's flabbergasted look. When Rayne moved away from the door, Lizzie opened it and walked out. The chocolate-amethyst eyed woman looked out the door, watching Lizzie saunter down the hall and stairs.

Rayne unconsciously licked her lips, trying to get a hint of the taste that she had just experienced. And when she could not, Rayne was sure of one fact:

She was hooked, and would do anything to have it again.

Her memory faded back into the corners of her mind, as she walked into yet another part of the market. This time, she didn't think about the smells, or the sounds- she focused, literally, on what she could see with her eyes. Clothing was hanging from the roofs of market stalls, out for everyone to see. As well as clothes, there were crafts, trinkets, and all other sorts of things. There were wooden figurines, smoothed down and polished. There were coloured glass objects as well, that caught the light, and sparkled. There were bigger, stone statues, each cut perfectly, as the creator had wanted them to be.

And then there were paintings. Each was colourful, bright, and unique. Now two paintings were the same, and each and every one was beautiful. Some were of inanimate objects- fruit, statues, landscapes- and some were of people- a portrait of a handsome, rich person, the clothes and posture indicating a good upbringing, or, a simple picture of a farmer, the effects of working his land for a living clearly showing in his face.

It wasn't any of those things that captured Lizzie's attention, though. What did were the tools that were used to make such paintings. Lizzie picked up a brush, and twirled it between her fingers, thinking back.

Rayne kept very still. Her hands lay folded on her lap, and she stared straight ahead, her eyes focused on a spot in the distance. Her mouth stayed in a neutral line that was neither a smile, nor a frown. She looked solemn, dignified, and a person in utter control and power.

Suddenly, her nose twitched. Her breath hitched, and she held it off as long as she could, but alas, it wasn't long until-

"ACHOO!"

Rayne sneezed violently, losing her position. A second later, there was a groan of frustration. "Thanks a lot." Lizzie grumbled, stepping away from her canvas, a paintbrush dripping paint held in her left hand. Rayne smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry?" She tried. Lizzie just heaved a sigh, and glared at Rayne. "You should be." She hissed, dropping her paintbrush on a table, not caring about the paint that splattered onto its surface. She glanced furiously back over to the easel. "I was just about to paint your face, too!"

"I'm sorry." Rayne repeated, more seriously this time. "But this was bound to happen again, you know? I mean, this is what, my third-"

"Fifth."

"-fifth time fidgeting?" Rayne wrung her hands together. "You know I'm not really cut out for this painting thing. I can sit still for long periods of time and all, but it always seems that in situations like this, I have to constantly keep moving."

"I know." Lizzie admitted. Rayne stood up, and went over to Lizzie, draping her arms round the redhead's waist, hugging her. "You should have picked a different person." Rayne whispered. "I don't think that the people would be willing to admire a painting of me. I don't have the kind of looks for that."

Lizzie whirled around in Rayne's embrace, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Rayne!"

Said woman was taken aback. "Yes?"

"How can you say that?" She asked, her brows drawn together. Rayne blinked. "Wha-"

Lizzie just ignored her and continued."You're pretty Rayne!" Lizzie exclaimed. Her voice lowered to a murmur, as she looked straight into the taller girl's eyes. "You're more than pretty. You're beautiful."

Rayne dropped her gaze, a light blush growing on her cheeks. "That's what you think..."

Lizzie grasped Rayne's chin, and tilted it up a bit, just enough so that their eyes met again. "It's true Rayne. I'm not just saying that either; I really mean it. And if you think that you aren't beautiful..." She moved her hand away from Rayne's chin, and cupped her cheek. "Then you should go see a medic, because something is definitely wrong with you."

"You really think so?"

"Definitely." Lizzie nodded. Her smile turned somewhat manic. "In fact, I can tell you that there are definitely people around Lore who would show you how beautiful you are when you become of age. Even a couple before that..."

Rayne rolled her eyes. "Thanks Lizzie. It makes me feel great, knowing that there are complete strangers who would like to 'show me how beautiful I am' while I'm still not legally an adult."

"Well..." Lizzie traced a small circles on Rayne's shirt, just underneath her collarbone. "Not complete strangers." She said finally, pulling Rayne just a little bit closer.

"What do you mean by-"Rayne started, but she saw how Lizzie's cheeks went pink, and how she didn't make eye contact. "Oh." The redhead sighed inwardly, and counted, slowly, to five.

"OH!"

"Yes, oh." Lizzie quipped, stepping from the embrace and back to her painting, trying to force the blood out of her cheeks. "Resume your position, so I can do the rest of this painting."

Rayne cocked an eyebrow, and walked over to Lizzie, who still wouldn't meet her gaze. Rayne leaned over, staring down at Lizzie, and placed her mouth right next to the smaller girl's ear. "Are you sure that it's the rest of the painting that you want to do?" She asked, chuckling as she practically saw a shiver go down Lizzie's spine.

"You're horrible." Lizzie murmured, closing her eyes, and willing away the urge to grab Rayne by the collar and ravish her on the spot.

"Don't deny, Lizzie." Rayne whispered, taking a quick nip at the woman's ear. She laughed, as she saw Lizzie jump, clearly not expecting it. She went back to her chair, and sat down, immediately resuming her position; same stance, same expression, same everything, not a change in her face. Lizzie took in a deep breath, calmed her jumping insides, and picked up her brush, dipping it into the paint, and brushing it over the canvas.

Some minutes later, she was done. She put aside her brush, and sat back, admiring her work. Rayne got up, and smiled. "At last!" She cheered. "Now, to see what it looks like..." As she neared the painting, Lizzie stood up, and blocked her way.

"You're not seeing this-"

"-until my birthday, right?" Rayne sighed lamely as Lizzie nodded yes.

Rayne pouted. "I'm starting to wish that my birthday wasn't so soon."

Lizzie smirked.

"Well Rayne, you wouldn't have seen it for a while, even if your birthday was coming up. Not after what you just did." And with that, she turned and left, taking her painting with her. Rayne blinked then tore out of the room.

"Hey wait!"

A cough pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned, and saw the shopkeeper, eying her warily. "Would you like to buy that ma'am?" He asked, glancing at the paintbrush still in between her fingers. Lizzie looked at what else was placed out, and grabbed a couple of more items, before nodding, and handing them over to the owner, who took them and gave her her items in a small, fancy bag. She walked away from the stall, all the things she had bought held tightly in her arms. She walked throughout the entire market, until she reached a point where all the buildings had disappeared, and a forest had reappeared. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the portal-com. With a twist of a dial and a punch of a few buttons, a portal had opened and she stepped through it.

Where she ended up was far out into the forest. She wasn't even in the forest anymore; she was at the other side, where trees were becoming sparse, and the land was becoming hilly. There was one hill in particular- it was bigger than the others. Also, unlike the others, there was a lone, large tree growing on it. It was a maple tree- hard to find, considering the majority of the trees around were coniferous.

Lizzie ended up stepping out of the portal, right next to the tree. She placed a hand on the cool groves of the bark, before looking out at the sight before her. Another special feature about where she was standing was that it was actually quite close to the coastline. She could see the hills going on for another few metres, before the land sloped downwards, leaving her with a perfect view of the ocean. Lizzie made her way down towards the ocean, going down by a part of land where the drop wasn't quite as steep.

Down there by the rocky beach, there was a cavern. It was far enough inland that when high tide would come it was relatively untouched. Looking on from where she had been before, no one could have seen it, but here, it was very much visible. Lizzie stepped into the cavern. It wasn't too interesting, it wasn't big, and it wasn't deep, but it would suffice for the woman.

A few things of hers were inside of the cave. Her satchel; some food... the black as night armour, the used but well cared for blades and other weapons. Speaking of the weapons, only one of them seemed to have not been used. She picked that weapon up, and some water, and headed back outside, and up to the tree, her bought items still being held in her arms.

Lizzie sat down at the roots of the tree, placing everything down around her. She opened out one bag, and tenderly pulled out what were inside- oranges. She opened up another bag, and took out something else. Lastly, she spread out her paintbrush, paints, and paper.

She took the oranges, and stacked them carefully atop each other, in such a way that they would hold still and not roll over. She then grabbed the paper, paints, brush and water. Quietly, she began to paint. After half an hour went by, she was finished. She set her painting down by the oranges, leaning it against the tree trunk.

Finally, Lizzie took the flute, and raised it to her lips, beginning to play a sweet, haunting tune, same as the one in the market, but slower. Not as rushed, or cheerful as the flutist had played it. Their version was made to please, and entertain- Lizzie's was meant to help her remember. And remember Lizzie did, as her mind drifted away for the last time that day.

"So this is where my surprise is?" Rayne asked, as she was tugged to Lizzie's room in the tower. Lizzie shook her head yes. "Yup! And we won't be disturbed, because I got everyone to promise that they'll either be quiet, or out of the dorms."

"Makes me wonder what you have planned." Rayne commented offhandedly. Lizzie blushed, and slapped her on her arm lightly. "I didn't mean it that way!" Rayne said defensively, as they stepped inside.

While Lizzie's room was usually in some state of disarray, it was now immaculately clean. What little furniture there was (the bed, a table, some chairs) had been pushed off to the side, except for a single chair, situated right in the middle. Lizzie led Rayne to the chair, and sat her down.

'Do you remember how I had the three surprises?" She asked, and Rayne nodded. Lizzie grinned.

"Well, which one do you want first?"

"Mm..." Rayne placed a fingertip on her chain thoughtfully. "The painting." She finally decided. Lizzie rolled her eyes. "I knew you were going to say that...but I was hoping you wouldn't."

Nevertheless, she reached over to the table, and picked up the painting. She placed a hand on the white cloth that covered it, and with a grand gesture, swept the cover off.

Rayne wasn't that big of an art fan, but even she had to admit that Lizzie did a fine job on it. And she wasn't just saying that because she was the subject.

It was incredible lifelike. The different shades that Lizzie had used made it look like sunlight was actually flickering over herself in the painting. Every detail matched Rayne's posture then perfectly, except for one thing. She remembered having a neutral face. Instead, her mouth was upturned in a slight, playful smirk, and her eyes were filled with a teasing quality.

"It's amazing, Lizzie." Rayne finally said. "I know." Lizzie said nonchalantly, trying not to beam. "Anyways...it's onto your next present now." She said, grasping another bag off the table. "And I'm choosing now, because you messed up my plans by choosing the painting, so close your eyes."

Rayne did so. A moment later, she felt a familiar weight drop itself into her lap. Out of habit, she slid her arms around the waist that she knew was going to be there. And indeed it was. She heard the same odd noise, and soon, a sharp, tangy scent wafted through the air. "Open your mouth." Lizzie instructed. Rayne did as she was told, and something was placed inside. She began to chew, and the completely addicting taste filled her mouth. She savoured for as long as she could, before opening her eyes. "What is this?" She asked after swallowing.

Lizzie held up a medium-sized orange sphere, half of its skin and fruit missing. "It's called an orange." She said, tossing the fruit in the air, before catching it and unpeeling the rest of its skin. She broke it into two equal sections, and handed half to Rayne, chewing slowly on her own as she watched the now elder girl wolf it down.

"There's more." She laughed; as she saw Rayne's eyes brighten at the prospect of more of her new favourite fruit. She handed the bag to Rayne, who pulled out another orange and peeled it eagerly.

"And now, your last gift." She said softly. She got up, moved across the floor, and pulled out something from behind her back- a flute.

"The song." Rayne said, her hands slowing to a stop on her orange. Lizzie nodded. She raised the flute to her mouth, flashed a grin at Rayne, and then started to play.

Rayne was surprised at the way Lizzie was playing. Her lessons had only started two weeks ago, and already she had mastered a song. And not just a simple song, either. The one Lizzie was playing was complicated, Rayne could tell. It seemed like the kind of song that even well seasoned flutists might have trouble with. And it hit her-

Lizzie must have been practicing nonstop, just so she could give Rayne what she wanted. Thinking back on it, Rayne was actually joking. Yet Lizzie still did this. All this work and effort just for her.

The music went on, until it came to a slow stop. Lizzie lifted her mouth from the instrument, and looked at Rayne anxiously. Rayne just stood up, and strode over to Lizzie. Taking the shorter woman in her arms, she gave her a thorough, breathtaking kiss. When they broke off, Rayne pressed her forehead against Lizzie's, and smiled the sweetest, happiest smile Lizzie had ever seen on the taller woman's face.

Lizzie smiled back at her, and hugged Rayne as close, and as tightly as she could. No words needed to be said.

Lizzie's memory came to an end, as did the song. She opened her eyes, convincing herself for a moment that the memory was happening. But it wasn't. Instead of being in the arms of her lover on a cold winter night, in their room in the Guardian Tower, she was sitting outside, all alone underneath a tree, in a place where she could stride around, wearing summer clothing.

Lizzie bit her lip and placed the flute on the ground. She then picked up the weapon, and stared at it. It was her Sacred Staff- yet it wasn't so sacred anymore. The aura radiating from it, once white and pure, was now tainted, darkness flooding from parts used to be occupied by pure light. She looked at it balefully, and then placed it lying on the ground.

She then reached around her neck. With utmost care, she pulled of the chain hanging from it, holding it up so that she could see it perfectly. It wasn't so much the chain that was important, but rather, what was hanging from it- Rayne's wedding ring.

Lovingly, she placed it in front of the painting, letting the ends of the chain spiral into a pile, before placing the ring on top. Never taking her eyes off of Rayne's ring, she grasped her own ring, still on her finger. She twisted it off, and placed it, right beside the other ring. The emerald and the chocolate-amethyst gemstones glinted in the setting sun. They were opposites, but they matched. Somehow, the colours completed and complimented each other.

The woman looked at everything she had set by the tree. Then suddenly, it hit her. Lizzie inhaled sharply as reality set in. Rayne was really gone. She had just built a shrine to commemorate her. She wouldn't ever see Rayne alive again. And all she had were memories of Rayne, and the painting she had just created, nearly identical to the one she created years ago.

Lizzie closed her eyes, biting her lip, and digging her nails into her leg. She bowed her head down, her breathing growing more ragged with every breath. She tried to stop it, tried to stop what she knew what was happening, but she couldn't.

For the first time in 3 years, Lizzie broke down, and began to cry silently. And as she cried, her eyes opened, and she traced the painted black hair on the portrait, and whispered but one thing-

"Happy Birthday Rayne."

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