Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or it's Characters, they belong to their respective owners. I do, however, own Storm and her alter ego as well as Striker and his alter ego and their story line. This has come from the haunted, depraved, tortured darkness that is my mind.

Opera123: Thanks dearie.

Day Dreaming

=Ms. Star's P.O.V=

I sighed softly tugging the pinstriped black suit jacket off and draped it over the counter for a moment, the funeral had been everything I'd expected, people crying, others talking about the loss of Graham and Regina had made sure to show a careful measure of constructed emotion and compassion during her carefully worded speech.

I stood against the counter and leant back on my palms, the edge of the counter digging into them as I let myself sag slightly; I had forgone the wake held at Granny's, I hadn't known Graham very well but we'd often had a drink together and played darts whilst we did. I shifted turning around and grabbed my jacket off the counter before throwing it into the office and took up my usual residence at the piano tucked beside the front door, it was the only thing that had never sold in my shop, no one seemed to want to buy it. I pulled the bench out from under it and settled down lifting the cover over the keys before stretching my fingers and running them carefully over the keys striking a few odd notes and listening to the tune of them before giving a small note and straightened up before beginning to play out a tune I remembered from only god knows where.

I closed my eyes letting the gentle rhythm flow through my fingers and up into my bones before it managed to strike into the very centre of my heart, I increased the tempo for a moment, fingers striking each key with precision as the feeling of floating away started to enter my body, it was almost wondrous at how I could feel so detached from my body while I played the piano, it happened numerous times when I was singing too, like I had truly achieved some sort of peace within my warring mind.

I slowed the tempo, each note drawn out into the next; the flow of the rhythm had become softer. Tears welled in the corners of my eyes for a moment, an overwhelming sadness always struck at this part of the song and I could never understand it, it never made sense as to why it made me sad, I had no ill memories associated with the song. I continued to play, the rhythm only growing softer and slower into a still pause of only half a second, the next bit of the tempo came back harder and louder, the strike of each key was more predominant now, the ringing of each note struck filtered into the air with a brief microsecond of a pause between them.

I opened my eyes, my sight a bit blurry from the tears the clung to them, the worn pattern carved into the wood met my clouded vision, a small scene of a flowers and trees, almost like a forest clearing of sorts. I closed my eyes again picturing it in my mind and relaxed slightly as I began to imagine myself running through the forest, barefoot and free, the confines of the town and my life gone. I felt my spirit lift before letting the notes taper off as the end of the song came.

I sat for a moment with my eyes shut clinging to the scene in my head before slowly opening my eyes and carefully reaching out to brush my fingers over the carvings before shutting the cover leaving my hands resting against the worn woodwork.

I stood pushing the bench back in and stretched slightly clicking the joints in my hands. I made my way over to the counter and took up my spot behind it on the stool before pulling out one of the books I'd begun reading recently and flipped over to the page I'd last read.

A crippling shot of pain flowing up from the scar arching across my chest met with a brief shot of pain that seared across my brain. The visions that danced in front of my eyes were vibrant, not just a dream but clearly a memory, one I seemed to be reliving.

"I think for her service's she deserves a gift"

I moved my eyes from the brunette to the blonde who had spoken. "A gift?"

She nodded as did the red head. "What kind of gift?"

"I think we all know what kind of gift this young one deserves"

I shifted slightly moving my eyes over to the tallest male, his grey eyes settling on mine as I swallowed roughly before the brunette before me moved away to rejoin her group. I watched them curiously as made a circle, hand clasped together in front of them in a sort of praying like motion, I suddenly felt nervous, I had no idea what to expect to come from this.

Chanting began, the air becoming thick as a small orb appeared in the centre of the circle. A flash of lightning filled the air striking the orb as it grew, another striking it not long after and another following it as the orb continued to grow until it seemed like it was about to burst. It quivered and filled with purple liquid, darker shades bleeding into it until a swirl of black entered it followed by a swirl of red.

"He will be unaging, without the ties of his mortal counterparts" The first to speak was the tiny brunette woman.

My eyes slowly took in the scene as the orb pulsed between the group, a crack of lightning hit it traversing into the depths of the liquid blinding me briefly with a flash of white.

"He will be caring and loving, without judgement" The second to speak was the red headed man that I'd saved.

A cooling touch caressed the skin over my chest, the painful wound I'd been left with was beginning to knit together before my eyes, I looked up in shock and watched another strike of lightning enter the orb, a nearby tree falling with a crash to the ground as an excess bolt of energy struck it as it shot from the orb that lit up again.

"He will be a fierce protector and fighter, loyal without question" The tall grey eyed man spoke next.

The colours swirled darker, another flash of blinding light and distant thunder rumbled through the air as it

"He will travel across land, sea and air with ease, without the burden of his fellow brethren" A green eyed man was the next to speak.

The orb flashed white again, the colour lingering before dimming and giving way to the darkness inside the orb.

"He will bear the same colour eyes as his mistress, his coat the colour of the blackest night sky" The last of the group to speak was the blonde.

The orb swirled darker still, the colours finally swirling into black as another blinding flash of light filled the orb.

"Their lives and minds shall be intertwined; his soul intertwined with hers, fashioned from hers," The orb began to throb, red flashed through it briefly as it continued to throb getting stronger and stronger with each passing moment. "They will live as one, for one to die means the others death, together they will live eternal, apart they will live cursed"

The group parted, smiles on their lips as the orb began to pulse faster before finally breaking, a liquid like substance flowing from it as smoke engulfed the area, a shrill whinny cutting through the air as a jet black stallion galloped forth through the smoke and came to a sliding halt in front of me, I fixed my eyes on his as he opened them to reveal blazing red orbs like fires from the depths of the earth.

"He is yours, he will only answer to your commands and will protect you," I looked towards the woman that stepped towards me. "He is one with your soul, a piece of you; no matter where he is or where you are you will both always know where the other is"

I looked towards the stallion wide eyed as he stood trembling before me and slowly raised my hand to place it on his cheek; the warmth of his coat under my hand brought a smile to my lips. "Thank you" I turned to look when I received no answer to find the group gone only the stallion and I standing there in the clearing. I stepped closer to him and wrapped my arms around his thick neck nuzzling my face into his coat before inhaling and exhaling slowly. "So what do you think of the name Striker?"

The book clattered from my hands to the ground before I finally registered a hand lingering on my face and jerked up to see Mr. Gold. I shook my head lightly and quickly picked up the book.

"You looked troubled dear"

"Just day dreaming love," I marked my page in the book and put it down on the counter scrubbing at my eyes. "So what can I do for you?"

"I came here to ask you out to dinner again, the last one was pleasant"

I gave a small nod and rubbed at my forehead in pain. "Sure, where, when and what time?"

"I thought we might get reservations at Franco's, say eight pm next Monday?"

I flipped through my counter calendar for a moment and gave a nod. "Sure thing," I looked up and grinning softly. "Guess my usual attire's not going to cut it then"

"No"

I stood and leant over the counter giving him a wink. "Then I guess I'll have to find something that will really make you take a second glance," I leant onto the counter and pressed my lips to his chuckling softly as I pulled away. "Confirm the details with me when you've got the reservations"

Mr. Gold gave a nod and turned exiting the store, I couldn't help but watch him go and chuckled softly again before giving a soft sigh and settled back on my stool. Now I just have to find something to wear.

Guess who got a drawing tablet! That's right, I did, bought it last week, hopefully it'll help shift the writer's block I'm suffering right now.