Chapter 155: Children Of Dusk

When she opened her eyes she felt...blank. Devoid of everything, emotion , feeling, purpose -- all of it. She glanced around, unsure of her location or purpose for being there. She simply was. For the briefest of moments she felt as if she was experiencing some sort of deja vu. A word, a thought or even a memory edged the cusp of her mind yet try as she might, she could not grasp it. Even the body she was in felt foreign, strange. She glanced down at a pair of small hands that were not her own and felt disconnected.

Her body was small, and somehow it didn't seem appropriate. A child's body. She was also cold, partially due to the fact that she was naked and the night air was rather cool on her skin. She shivered, and yet at the same time felt no cause for concern. She felt… lesser, less powerful, less dynamic, but it didn't stop her from getting to her feet. The process was unstable, she wobbled as if to teeter back and forth before gaining stability.

*Were my feet always this small?* This was the thought, and it was gone just as quickly as she had it like so many other things. Around her was the familiar visage of dusk. That moment just before the sun rose to shine amongst many things. It was an unmistakably magical moment, she could tell as much. She felt a strange force lingering about in the air as she watched countless orbs hover and float before her.

Whether they were dragonflies, butterflies, or orbs of light she knew not. She reached out her hand to touch one such orb and was immediately filled with an emotion that was her own, yet not. The sensation was brief, it filled her with a strange energy that provided warmth and strength -- and then it was gone. She repeated this several times, her outstretched hands reaching for the lights which gathered about her location. Each time she grasped one it would disappear, as if it was absorbed by her, only to be replaced with a new sensation.

Hope. Envy. Melancholy, a bittersweet sadness, was the overwhelming sensation. And then the lights began to move. So she did as well. She found her hair to be quite long, down to her waist in fact, and blonde with bluish tips. Her keenly perceptive ears were long and sharp, she expected them to be more round and felt surprised as she lifted her hand towards them. Still, this didn't matter much to her in the grand scheme of things -- for she was a child and her attention lied with anything that might capture her attention.

She began to walk, slowly at first until the lights picked up speed. Soon her unsteady steps became strides, and thereafter a dash. The lights sped up, and she along with them until she was running through the environs. A forest, or perhaps a woodland area, dark yet somehow filled with light as the sun continued to rise. As she ran she reached out, collecting the light orbs and found renewed strength flowing through her. She leapt over rocks, logs and dashed through bushes. With each moment she grew more fixated on the swarm of lights which looked more like living creatures with each passing second.

The wind blowing through her hair was exhilarating. The sensation of it against her skin made her want to run more, and even faster. Soon she was running at breakneck speed to keep up-- yet she wasn't tired in the least. This continued for what seemed like an endless time until finally, the swarm of lights stopped. So she did as well.

There, in the distance, was something new. A town, with wooden walls that rose far higher than her. There were numerous people out and about despite the early hour, as if they sought to make the best of every day light second. She stood, stone still for the longest of times, and watched the oblivious folks move to and fro. She didn't feel or think anything in particular as she observed -- that is until the orbs of light began to float upwards.

She suddenly felt...panicked. Her hands reached out, attempting to grasp the orbs, yet now they eluded her grasp. After several misses she began to grow desperate and jumped as she attempted to grab at the lights. She continued this for a time, her determination growing as did the sense of anxiety.

"Child, where did you come from?" A woman's voice echoed. The young girl spun around, as if she'd been caught red handed and focused on the woman's words. There was no understanding to be had, so she took a single step backwards and growled. She clenched her fists, as if she were ready to unleash a powerful spell and swung her hand forth. Instead, nothing happened, just the actions of a young girl displaced by the ember's of death's flame.

"Oh, child. Come. I see now, you're lost." The woman said as she stepped forth, her arms outstretched. The girl shrank back in response, clenching both fists fiercely as she prepared to run -- however something changed her mind.

A lone spark of light fluttered towards the woman and lingered just over her head. There it stopped, as if to say, "this the way". The girl reconsidered her aggression for a moment then felt her hands unclench despite her misgivings.

"It's alright." The woman said softly. Now that the girl looked upon the lady she seemed...old. There were creases in the woman's face and long strands of grey that complimented lesser brown colors. Despite her suspicion there was one overwhelming emotion which came from the woman's direction, comfort.

Upon seeing the woman's eyes, the young girl felt all of her resistance melt away. Still..she felt shy, having acted rashly. Luckily the woman could read her body language and stepped forth, bridging the distance between them.

"Come. Let's get you dressed." The woman said as she led the young girl towards the inner walls of Gardenia.

[End Arc 2]