Chapter 1: The Time of Awakening
He held onto the bow with his right hand, careful so as not to get the bandage that had been wound to cover every inch of the skin, caught in the strings of the cello as he played. Ever so gently he caressed the strings with the bow, creating beautiful music as he calculated his every movement. His eyes were closed, yet he didn't miss a single beat. The music flowed and filled the air around him.
He existed within a cocoon of sound.
As the notes reverberated off of the stone walls, he waited, knowing that at any moment it would happen.
She would awaken, and their search would continue.
It had been thirty years since Saya'd fallen into her usual hibernation, and Haji was eager to see her walking around once again.
Although the only reason that he was there waiting for her to awake wasn't just that he missed her, it was the fact that after waking up she would need to feed on blood.
Her Chevalier's blood.
Haji's blood.
And as her protector, friend and lifelong companion, he was more than happy to oblige and give her what she needed.
Whether it be a lover, a shoulder to cry on, or simply just another hand to hold as she continued on with her fight.
He would be there, no matter what the occasion might be, he would never leave his post as her Chevalier.
That had been his personal promise to himself.
So as the music continued to play on, he waited, waited for the magical moment that would be his and Saya's reunion.
Hour after hour passed, yet the cocoon that Saya had woven around herself as a means of protection while she slept remained intact.
Eventually, just as Haji's song came to an end, just as the last lingering note faded into inexistence, the cocoon's surface rippled, and instantly grabbed Haji's attention.
Gradually a rip in the fabric that made up the cocoon appeared, extending down the center of it, until at last, a gaping hole was all that remained of that side of the cocoon, and in its place, was Saya.
Her eyes were still closed, but she gently shook her head from side-to-side in slight jerky motions, as if she were trapped in a nightmare. Her black hair had become overgrown, and like a vine had found itself wrapped around her arms, legs and torso. She was wearing no clothes, and her hair was the only means of covering her body from Haji's eyes.
Despite all of this, it was Saya's face that Haji kept looking at, a small smile forming upon his lips, and ever so quietly he whispered out to her, "Saya I have missed you so."