Dream: The Piper

"Don't you remember?" The lady with the fire red hair, curled in tight curls stared at me curiously.

"No," I shook my head trying to recall.

The lady looked complex about my answer. "I could of swore you returned with a red butterfly balloon. It was such a strange sight."

I frowned and returned forward, slouching against the old leather of my seat. I stare at the back of the seat in front of me, trying to recall. It sounds so familiar, like something I have forgotten. The balloon nudged at my memory. The more I thought about it, the more it started to come back images piecing together;

The forest was dark but rays of moonlight filter through the bare winter trees giving enough comforting light through. Stepping down the path that lead deeper into the snow covered forest, I wondered why I was here. Why did I come down? When did I start walking down this path?

I pause my stride, noticing I'm not alone. A silhouette dashes through amongst the branches of the trees, and my eyes can't figure out where the silhouette is, but I know someone is there. A thump resonates from behind, and I turn, startled to find a young man standing there with an arrogant, confident grin on his face. He greets me, holding out his hand with the palm stretched completely open before a snowflakes appear swirling around from a non-existent wind, rising out of the palm of his hand.

My eyes widen, taking a step back away from him. His hair is as dark as the night without any moonlight shining in the sky, his eyes a hypnotic violet-blue that try to pull me deeper into a trance. He stands much taller than my young, child body wearing such a strange outfit. Golds, purples, and dark, deep blues color his outfit but all such fine clothing to announce his status of someone noble. He chuckles, lowering himself to my eye level and beckons me closer, "Come here child."

Hesitantly, I step closer. His voice is smooth, and comforting but something in the back of my mind tells me that its false, its in his nature. He drapes a bright, deep red cloak around my shoulders. Instantly I feel much warmer, I curled my hands into the fabric wanting to warm them so more. He reaches out and takes one of my hands in his own, feeling just how ice cold they were in comparison. He leans forward whispering into my ear.

That's right. I recall walking out of the forest with his guidance but he disappeared the moment I returned to my classmates. Around my wrist, a red, butterfly balloon is tied there to prevent it from flying around. I scrunch my face, trying to remember what he had said to me that night. However, I only draw a blank.

With one more bump, the bus rolled to a complete stop. Grabbing our language from underneath seats and above, we exited out of the vehicle to be greeted with the fresh, sweet air and lush green scenery. Our hotel mimicking an old stone castle with moss, and other over grown plants clinging to the old stone walls trying to reach for the skies.

Inside was a absolutely different. The room I was to share with three other girls was rather a romantic setting. The floor a pure white tile that was tinted a light pink from the reflection of the soft, light see-through pastel pink fabrics used as curtains for the tall windows and shades for our beds. Everything in the room was elegant, feminine, and gave a warm gentle feel. Dropping my bag near the bed I claimed as mine, I brushed aside the fabric in order to get to the puffy, feathered comforter and collapse on top of it.

*

Groaning, I lifted my heavy head and managed to see the back of my roommate just before she disappeared out the door. Frowning, I quickly scrambled out of my bed to follow her. Where on earth would she be going outside in her night gown for?

I continued to follow her out the hotel and down the stone path towards what looked like a huge green house. Huge enough to hold a mini forest which is what it exactly held. My roommate pushed open the glass door and stepped in. Hesitantly, I follow through the left open door and find that she has completely disappeared. Each step is filled with caution as I walk deeper into this contained forest, huddling next to tree trunks when they were close enough, observing the area looking for any signs of my roommate or anyone before moving on. I pause, suddenly feeling like someone is watching and it feels familiar. After a moment, I instantly glance up to see him once again. He's leaning comfortably against the trunk stretched out on a high branch. He's looking down at me amusingly; that confident but arrogant smile stretched across his face.

"Pipers have the power to whisk people away in the dead of the night with their music."

"Each one has their own unique power."

"Children have disappeared..."

"Michael."

My heart jumped with fear and without a second thought I turned my heel and sprinted out of the greenhouse as fast my feet could take me all the way back to my room. He's here.

*

 Dressed in a white dress and pearl jewelry, I stare at myself in the mirror. My chest tightens as I clutch a matching hat, distorting the fabric. With one last look, I tear myself away and down the stairs. Outside I see Taran and the sight of him makes my chest ache and my eyes prickle despite trying to contain my heavy emotions, I walk towards him without a second thought.

At the sight of me, his whole posture changed to relax into aggravation. "What are you doing here? You should be enjoying yourself not bothering yourself with me." He stops as I approach closer, noticing something is not quite right.

I couldn't contain it anymore. Tears flowed from my eyes and a strangled sob escapes my lips. Once close enough, I wrap my arms around his torso, burying my head into his shoulder and hugging onto him as if my life depended on it. "He's here," I cried curling my fingers into the fabric of his jacket. "He's going to take me away. The piper."

I felt him pull me closer, fingers gripping handfuls of my hair. His lips brush the top of my temple before letting me go. His whole body screamed rage as he stormed off leaving me.

*

He bared his teeth threateningly, letting out an inhuman growl. The piper smiled, adorned with another glamour that hid his true face. It was obvious that he felt no threat towards the wolf in front of him or the other wolf that appeared to help support Taran.

Irked at the lack of reaction, Taran lunged gripping onto the piper and tore at him, the other male wolf following the lead.. Lacerations were formed, blood pooled onto the floor and with one last growl Taran gave a final blow. The pipers body fell to the ground with a thump but as soon as it did, everything about him faded away as if he never existed.

The piper appeared on the other side of the room, adorning his true face, and laughing. He gave another smile before disappearing.

*

I'm standing in the contained forest again, staring up at the branches of the tallest tree in the greenhouse. As if compelled, I turn my head to peer over me shoulder to see him standing behind me. He holds his hand out towards me, just like all those years ago.

Midsummer's Eve

The start of summer has begun once again. We all celebrate the coming of the heat, the long days, and intimacy that summer brings. Music fills the night under the endless stars and bodies twirl in a thoughtless dance.

With a simple twirl, the soft earth pulsating against my bare feet filling me with even more energy that hovered in the air. My vision is filled endless masked faces and flowing clothes of every color. Women wrapped in elaborate flowing fabrics decorated with gold embroidery, flowers of all kinds, jewelry and beads to appear more appealing to any potential partners for the night. Men dressed with the same purpose in mind; tunics of light material, exposed skins decorated with colored paints and adorned with various items of the earth; feathers, carved bones, glass beads of earthy tones, and varied jewelry from gold to leather. The various bonfires glowed, casting shadows across every face making identification harder alongside the masks the sat upon cheekbones and only revealing the eyes.

I felt myself being roughly pulled back in mid twirl, crashing into a firm body and strong arms securely wrapping around my waist. Grasping the upper arms of the person who grabbed me, I glanced up to see the identification of who boldly approached me. Dark locks that were half way between curly and wavy covered his head, framing around his face and mask. The mask was painted gold and glistened with gold glitter upon autumn colored leaves and dark feathers. However, familiar dark gold eyes peaked from the mask reflected the fire's glow making them a deeper gold than I normally saw them.

With a laugh, I pressed closer against his body despite the heat of the night and the fire. I was anything but surprise that he found me in the mass of dancing bodies. "Taran," I greeted with a smile before reaching up to wrap my arms around his neck. Even in the darkness of the night, the contrast of our skin tones was striking.With a smirk as a greeting, he effortlessly lifted me from the ground in a bunch of twirls, the white fabrics of my dress trailing after me and lose flower petals falling from my hair. Laughing, I held onto him tighter with my focus on his dark orbs.

My feet finally found the ground noticing that he had withdrew away from the light of the fires towards the darkness of the forest. Filled with adrenaline of the atmosphere, I boldly slipped my fingers into his dark locks pulling his head down to meet into a deep kiss to his surprise.

Midsummer's Eve is a night for intimacy and celebration, and I had my partner for the rest of the eve.

Dream: The Alpha

They were coming.

I shifted uneasily watching lines of them encircle us against a canyon wall. There was no where to run, no where to hide, and they were closing in even further. The wolves paced around, no aggressive motions but tense ready to act when directed.

The little ones wouldn't have a chance. 

With a commend that reverberated against the limestone canyon walls, the wolves transformed. Lifting themselves up onto their hindquarters, morphing into a humanoid form. Majority of them were men, easily identified as fighters, hunters, warriors with their leather armor and muscular forms. A rumble of a growl vibrated from throat but there was nothing I can do. Either become apart of the pack or die. It was as simple as that and there was no way I was going to allow these pups to die.

The men beckond friendly towards the children, who hesitantly stepped forward toward these strangers that they were to call family. I could feel they're flickered glances towards me, looking for permission, for guidance. I could only give a tiny nod of assurance. Instantly the children began inspecting their elders, testing their boundaries, and gravitating towards certain individuals.

The children may need this protection, but I was certainly not going to assimilate without difficulty. My scoff was heard by the closest man standing next to me, an raised eye brow was sent in my direction. I met his gaze, lifting my head higher showing that I had no fear of him or any of the others here. "I am still an alpha, and I won't give that up."

Instantly the man chuckled, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Are you now?"

"Yes," I growled threateningly, narrowing my eyes towards him.

He took a moment, leaning against the staff he was carrying.  There was still a smile plastered on his face, but his eyes had intensified in an examining manner. I met his gaze unwavering, waiting. It felt like their was silence just between us, the noise of the world had been drowned out around us. Then he faltered, pulling back his intensity as if he came to a decision. "I wouldn't mind following you."

Instantly I relaxed a bit. There was no joking or mocking tone from his voice, but truth.

The night had fallen, the twilight spend mostly with the children and this pack establishing a bond with each other. The man followed me everywhere I went, growling at any other in his, -our- pack who laughter at the notion of being a alpha. A young women who barely had any wisdom of the world in comparison to many of the women who dwell within the pack.

That's when I saw him. Instantly I know he was the alpha in this pack, the one who shouted out the commands when we pressed against the back of the canyon. His presence seeped out dominance, demanding respect and unquestioned authority. The way that two men followed him positioned themselves around him as a protectors but also not questioning his strength to take care of himself.

His eyes found mine, and like before, refused to waver my gaze. If anything, I lifted my chin a little higher in defiance. His guards snarled at my act, but a small smug smile spread across his face. He nodded his head in a direction, silently informing me to follow. I step over the dusty, desert red rocks to follow him, ignoring the two guards who stayed in place and the man following me also stood in his place, waiting.

No matter what, I would fight for my place.

The Duck and Happiness

It's over. The credits are rolling by with an image of Fakir by the lake with his quill in hand, and parchments resting in his lap with Ahiru swimming around returned to her original form as a tiny, yellow duck. There was a happy ending for everyone, except the one who saved them all.

Princess Tutu, a beautiful and heart-wrenching animation, of how a duck became a princess in order to save the prince that she loved from the Raven. She loved so much that she was able to become human and was doomed to vanish in a speck of light the moment she proclaimed her love to the prince. However, she was able to transcend her role and save everyone with the hope that glowed pulsed from inside her. Alongside with Fakir, the wordsmith who wrote the ending of the tale through her guiding emotions, they broke the bonds of fate. She saved everyone from the tragic ending that was written to happen. However, in the end the prince loved another princess. He took this princess instead and Princess Tutu, who gave and loved so much, returned to being a duck.

In my opinion, such a beautiful tale with a dissatisfying ending for the heroine. I couldn't help but cry for the fate she choose. She lived but what was left for her?

I was so depressed about the ending. I just kept thinking and thinking until it trailed off into a personal level. Will our fates be similar? It all ready seems very similar. Giving up our lives, repeating centuries of reincarnation, sacrificing life's greatest treasures such as raising a child, being seperated from our most precious people and so much more. And still we haven't reached a goal of being happy, being together.

Will there every be a happy ending for us? For me?

The Dark Road Ahead

I was running. It felt so surreal; that night, that moment.

My lungs were burning for air, my calves screamed at me for running up the mountain without stop. The endless, bright red shrine gates hovering over the old, stone steps. Dim lights laced the top of the gates together allowing some vision of the path, but outside the gate was absolute darkness. It felt like nothing existed outside of the path, only darkness waited.

Oh, how I wanted to stop and breath for a moment, just to catch my breath. Adrenaline pumped through every vein, the thrill of the atmosphere edged me on telling me not to stop. I could feel the spirits encouraging, racing outside the tunneled gates. I could just imagine Inari's fox messengers dashing up their mountain along with the stream of people.

Up I continued, making sure I didn't fall behind my companions. And then we reached the overlook with the morning light parting through the mists revealing the city below. Returning to me to reality. My chest heaved as I stared at the sight, the brand new day arriving with the sunlight filtering through the cloudy sky.

Walking down back the mountain, the darkness had dissolved and revealed the forest that had hid only moments before. Those brief few minutes were one of the best moments I've ever hard. I was all ready wishing that I was reliving it. Reliving the isolation of the path ahead of me and nothing else could touch me.

I have yet to feel another moment like that; where the path was crystal clear despite the darkness, leading me to the brand new day.

Now I sit in the middle of a stone path staring down the road the fades into darkness. There are no lights this time, no gates, no guiding force, no excitement or adrenaline. Just a feeling of dread and unwillingness as I sit there, staring.

Is this my path? A road full of darkness that I know will lead down to war, death and destruction. Even though I am not moving the darkness is crawling forward, and I wonder if there will be a light at the end.

Can we rebuild what was lost?

"Aren't you angry?" He sounds so dumbfounded. It's the first time he's reacted without any passive aggression or indifference since meeting him in this present life. With slightly widen eyes, it's obvious that his tone is genuine.

I stand in front of him feeling bare in my white dress in comparison to the layers of flowing clothes that adorn his slender form. I shake my head. "Not that I can tell. It's possible that she might be but I am not."

I pause a moment, watching his dark sapphire eyes register what I was saying. "To be honest, I got advice from Winter on what I should do. But you knew that, you over heard me mentioning it on the phone earlier." His tiny nod only confirms what I said. "And I am glad that he gave me advice I wasn't expecting. It's been thousands and hundreds of years since the incident. People change, especially after that amount of time. I would like to believe that you feel guilt for what happened."

Reaching out, I take one of his hands. His fingers are long and thin, similar to my own but slightly larger. I lift his hand and press a light kiss on his knuckles before pressing my the side of my check against the back of his hand. "I wish to rebuild our friendship. Winter explained to me fae hold grudges and honestly, I wasn't expecting to have this conversation with you so soon. I was suggested to take it slow, have you trust me as I want to trust you." Lifting my head to meet his gaze, I notice that they have soften. Something I feel like I haven't seen in a long time, a very long time.

"Let me ask you this, do you regret what you did?"

Kuval replies softly after a moment, "Yes." I stare up at him, feeling in my gut that there was something more to his answer.

"You don't fully regret telling him where I was."

"I do not."  He readjusts his hand; removing it from my grasp and holds onto my hand instead. His fingers lightly play with mine as he stares down at them refusing to meet my gaze. "I did not want to see you get married. He said he only wanted to persuade you into helping him. If you got hurt, I didn't mind. I wanted you to hurt the same way I was hurting."

"But you didn't know he was going to hurt me the way he did though, did you?" I vaguely could recall an image of my batter body long ago, how Taran saw me when he discovered my prison. Kuval pauses his motions as if he was recalling the past himself.

"No." There was a brief silence before his thumb start rubbing the back of my hand gently. "When they brought you back in after missing for a week, I thought you were dead. I was horrified but also slightly satisfied. The satisfaction of if I couldn't have you no one would. But...more horrified. In your condition, I was surprised that you were still some how alive."

Slowly, I lower myself pulling Kuval down with me. Ripples of water spread out from around us as we sat down in the inch leveled water. The water didn't feel cool or hot, just there along with our presence. I pull my hand from his grasp and lightly place my hand on the surface of the water letting ripples spread away from my hand. I like how it feels; not breaking the surface of the water but still feel the molecules pressing against my skin.

"And then you died soon after..."

"I suppose," I reply casually. The death of my first life was still very much a mystery to me. I can not recall any details of the time, eventually I know I will learn the truth but for now I have to focus on other things. Court things, building connections, training my body and mind, and my list goes on.

I sit there for a moment, staring at my hand. The words then came tumbling out of my mouth before even considering them. As if they had to be said. "You know, despite being in this life I... I still love Taran. He's the only one that I've been with in all my lives. Even now, I still do." I glance up to meet his gaze and surprised to see the expression on his face that couldn't be properly described in words. A complex mixture of hurt and anger.

In an instant, I saw a flash of light being reflected from the corner of my eye. My mind screamed knife and I jerked my hand back. Where my hand was previously resting, a silver dagger stood up from the ground, the tip of the blade buried into the ground.

Not knowing when and how he got there, Taran was in a protective crouch. An arm was wrapped securely around my whole waist that had pulled me back as I cradled both of my hands to my chest. His whole form seem to encase my own, my back against his torso, leaning over my head and one of his hands held out stiffly mimicking a claw, revealing his sharp, long nails in a threatening way. His chest rumbled with a low growl as her snarled at Kuval,"You dare harm your queen!?"

Kuval's dark sapphire eyes narrow, expressing his obvious disgust and dislike for Taran. He merely shrug his shoulders lightly as if Taran's words just rolled off of him. With a single graceful, flowing movement he stood and turned away from the both of us to walk away.

"Wait!" Taran's arm tightens around my waist as I reach out a hand towards Kuval as if compelling him to stop. To my surprise, Kuval did pause, peering over his shoulder. "Is there any hope at all? To fix our friendship?" I had to know so I didn't waste my efforts. I want to fix this but this is going to be a two way street, I can not do this alone.

Kuval remained silent for a few moments as if considering his options. "Maybe."

The Rain

I pull the wool cloak closer to my body trying to keep what little warmth I had left in while scanning the area again for signs of him. My once tight blonde curls now hung loosely, heavy with rain along with everything else. The wool cloak weighted down my shoulders, soaking up every ounce of rain water that was possible. The cold numbed every bit of my exposed skin, slowly inching for the skin that was hidden beneath the dress and cloak.

'He'll be here soon.' I keep telling myself the same thing over and over, despite hours having all ready past since the meeting time. I just couldn't pull myself away to return home. Worry nagged at the back of the mind; did something happen to him? What if I go home and just miss him? Is he all right? Did he forget?

I pause my thoughts, stiffening at hearing something in the distance. I strained my ears trying to pick up where the sound was coming from, stepping back closer to the treeline. I couldn't assume it was him; it could easily be someone from the village or neighboring tribe. Or worse, a Roman solider. Glancing on my right, I spotted a figure running in the distant. The figure came closer, and as the details became clearer, I instantly recognized his black mess of hair making my heart leap. Finally, after hours of waiting, he arrived.

Hurrying out of the safety of the trees, I ran to meet him half way no longer caring about protecting myself from the rain nor worrying about anyone seeing us. The longing to be with him easily overcame any worries that I had. Instantly he gathered me into his arms as my arms wrapped themselves around his torso. His hands grabbed fists full of my wet hair and pressed me as close to him as he breathlessly murmured my name, apologizing for not being able to come sooner. I buried my face into the cloak that covered his shoulder feeling his chest heave underneath me. "You're here now that's all that matters." I inhaled deeply smelling the forest on him mixed in with his own unique scent.

He pulled back slightly, releasing my hair to move his hands to cup both of my cheeks. He leaned in without a second of hesitation, sweeping me away with endless, careless kisses. It no longer mattered that we were suppose to be meeting in secret or that it was raining. We would always find a way to be together as we were meant to be.