As the rain falls...

[Skye]

There were gray clouds hanging in the sky, hiding the sun behind them like a shield. Rain sprinkled down from the sky, falling over the forest like a mist. Everything was silent, except for the occasional chirp of a bird, coming from a nearby nest. It was quite peaceful...tranquil... Until, a long sigh broke the long silence, seeming to spread through the trees.
A girl sat on a large rock, staring out at the large trees with a far off expression. She had long black hair, wet from the rain, and was wearing a tight black dress, laced and tied. She had made the dress herself, though she didn't like to admit it to anyone. That would just give them another reason to tease her. She sighed again, diverting her beautiful hazel eyes up towards the sky. She stared up at it, as if willing the clouds to vanish. The clouds did seem to be clearing up a bit...that was good.
She brushed a few strands of her long hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. There was a soft mew, coming from her bag, and a small black head poked out, revealing a kitten. The girl looked down with a slight smile and then gently pushed the kitten back inside. "Not yet," she said quietly. "It's still raining..." She looked around, surveying the area. No one was in sight. But then again...who would be out here in the rain, anyway? She seemed to hesitate a moment, still looking around for any sign of people. But, she seemed to decide the coast was clear. She cleared her throat slightly and then began to sing. A beautiful, enchanting melody...filled with sorrow.

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[Sunny]

The rain felt so good on her face. After the nightmare that huanted her a few moments before, this was quiet and peaceful. She unfurled her wings from her back, white feathers contrasting oddly in the gray light, making them a brighter shade. Her face was looking up towards the heavens, she was millions miles away. Going over the dream in her mind, it felt so real, like she had lived though it once before. Sighing she looked away from her so-called home in heaven, her sad blue eyes wandering to the trees. Did she have a family up there upset that she was gone? Was her family looking for her? Or were other angels looking to kill her.

"You will never be able to grace the halls of heaven again...you are now a fallen angel. Fallen out of grace with your people. You are dead to us..."

The voice that spoke was like thunder, echoing though the small cell that was her own. In chains, she lay inside a carving of an old clock. It represented something. But she couldn't remember. She shivered. She pulled her wings closer to her body, the white feathers slightly covering her wet face and hair. Then she walked into the trees, twice the width of any normal tree. They felt like sentries, looking over her as she walked past them, that comforted her a bit. She heard paw prints following, then a brush of course/soft fur. A massive white tiger came up to her side, his golden eyes unreadable in this light. She laid her right hand on his head as they walked through the trees. He never left her side. Glancing back at the entrance she wondered if they were wondering were she had gone...if Aidain or that half-demon were following her.
Glad for a moment alone, she walked on. Her bare foot-steps all about silent as she moved on farthur into the forest. A bell chimed somewhere in the distance, first class started. To bad she wasn't there....the trees rustled in the wind as to disapprove of her choice. She didn't want to go and be teased endlessly by the girls and the guys that were always watching. They made fun of her. Her wings were odd...and her behavior odder. Stepping over roots and fallen branches she paused, a quiet noise drifting to her ears. A voice...singing. She hadn't heard singing since...well she couldn't remember. But she thought that angels had lovely singing voices. Playing with her braid she walked closer to the voice, it was light and full of pain and sorrow. Resting her hand on a tree she peered around it. Sitting on a large boulder was a girl about her age...though totally different from Aidain that she meet earlier.
Avi moved away from her side. His steps silent as he stalked away to hunt some deer or something. She glanced at him, a little sad that he was leaving, even though they went everywhere together, Kahlen thought Avi was more of her overseer than a friend. He was assinged to watch her. But after the events of the past day and her nightmare...it seemed to bring them a bit closer and she was happy about it. She listened to the song, wondering why she had never seen this person before...or heard her sing. She missed music. Even though she couldn't remember what music angels' sang. As the song carried on, her worries faded and the nightmare seemed so far.

[Skye]

Skye continued to sing, comepletely unaware that she was being watched, soft voice becoming gradually louder as she got further in the song. She had a far off look in her eyes as she sang, seeming to be in a different world, one all her own. Her voice was sweet and soft, but sad at the same time, as she sang straight from her heart. And as the rain fell gently, she continued her song...
A tiny black head poked out of her bag again, looking around. The kitten looked up at her, big round eyes watching her intently. It purred quietly, blinking slowly, not seeming to mind the rain. Slowly, it squirmed out of her bag and scooted onto her lap, nestling down into her black dress, ears pricked forward, listening to her song. That was what Skye liked about animals. They didn't seem to care how you acted or what you looked like...they just loved you for you. Now...why couldn't humans be like that too...? Her song became a little softer, as she drifted into more sorrorful memories. She knew that wasn't possible though...humans and animals were completely different, or at least in some ways...
Suddenly, the kitten sat up, tilting its head to the side, staring into the trees. It let out a loud mew and then leapt from Skye's lap, dashing towards the stranger it had spotted watching...
Skye slowly stopped singing, looking around, and coming out of her far-off state...returning to reality. She saw the kitten charging into the trees, headed somewhere which she didn't know. "Ebony, come back!" she called quietly, slowly climbing down from the boulder.

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[Sunny]

Kahlen was transfixed by the song, she had heard nothing like it, well that she could remember. The girl sitting on the boulder in front of her seemed sad, depressed in a way. Sort of like herself. Sighing quietly, so not to distrube the black-haired girl and her song, her light blue eyes wondered to the trees. Flickering back and forth she looked for Avi, who was somewhere hunting. Her hand was still holding her braid, the blue hair coming out of the leather that held it together. Pulling the braid apart, she started to make it again. Her hair was almost to her waist, she liked her odd colored hair...it gave her some originality...and so did the wings. Then it occured to her that it was like a wall was created in her mind, her memories and feelings of past events were locked behind it...and there was no where around it. She would just have to hammer and pound the brick wall until it was no more...and then she could finally remember.
Satisfied with the braid she heard, or should I say rather felt, the approach of the white tiger. He was by far larger then any tiger that she had seen, not that she had seen many. He weighed close to five hundred pounds, and it was pure muscle. His paws were bigger then her hands, he was impressive to look at. But he wasn't just any plain old beast, he was her pair-bond. In other words they shared a special link between minds. He spoke like any normal human, but he was far from normal...he knew things that no living creature should be able to know. He told her he was a messanger from the gods above, here to protect her. She believed him, what else could she do? She was a prisoner here...and she still wondered why. Maybe Tristan would tell her later when he was done dueling with Aidain. Maybe.
She then heard a soft mew coming from the direction of the girl, a little black cat poked out of her bag. Then in a blink of an eye, the cat was racing towards her. Smiling a little she bent down, probably now in plain view of the girl, and scooped the little cat in her arms. Somehow it reminded her of Avi...but why...she only knew him for less then a year. Or did she? Had she known him eariler in her life? Before she was banished from heaven? For a crime that she didn't even know about...or probably remembered. What had she done that was so hanious? So bad that she broke the highest law? So bad that she commited treason? Patting the little cat with her small but strong hands, she felt a little more secure. Avi was standing a few feet away, his mouth gaping open in pant. He had just been hunting, his fiery golden eyes were alive with some power that she couldn't grasp or understand. He was just Avi....yea...just Avi...nothing more.

[Skye]

There was a soft thud as Skye jumped down from the boulder, not taking the time to climb all the way down. She landed in the lush green grass and then quickly scrambled to her feet. She stood where she was for a moment, at the base of the boulder, brushing the pieces of grass and dirt from her dress. Then, she began walking cautiously towards the enormous trees. She was almost certain she had seen Ebony disappear somewhere in that direction. She called the kitten's name softly, as if afraid to attract attention to herself...even though this place was basically deserted at the momemt...or, almost anyway.
Ebony blinked her large curious eyes, looking up at Kahlen. She tilted her head to the side slightly and then reached up a tiny black paw, batting playfully at her long hair. She pushed her little head up slightly, in an affectionate motion, rubbing it against Kahlen's chin. Then, she sank down contentedly in her arms, letting out a loud purr. She could see Skye walking slowly, looking around frantically. And she heard her name being called as well. In response, the kitten let out a loud mew.
Skye looked up at the sound. Her eyes slowly gazed across the land, searching for her kitten. At first, she didn't see Kahlen standing there, she just began to run blindly in the direction she had heard the mew coming from. She couldn't run very fast though, her black high-heeled boots sinking in the damp ground. But, as she got closer, she slowly stopped running and then stopped all together. She stood still, hazel eyes staring out in front of her, widening slightly. Her gaze drifted from Kahlen, and then to the huge tiger that was standing only a few feet away from her. And then her eyes were locked on Kahlen, unblinking. How long had she been there...? And why was she holding her kitten...? Skye was a little over protective of Ebony. The kitten was her closet friend. Her only friend to be more exact. She was almost like a little sister...with fur, whiskers, and a tail. But that didn't really matter...or at least, not to Skye.
Skye blinked slowly and then slowly began to walk towards Kahlen and Ebony. Her steps were slow...cautious, as if she were afraid. And she was, or at least in a way. She wasn't afraid of Kahlen exactly. She was more afraid of what she would do and say, seeing as most people just kicked dirt at her or something. She swallowed, trying to think of something to say. After a long pause she took a small step forward and said quietly, "Oh...I see you found Ebony..." Her voice was soft and quiet, somewhat hesitant, as if she needed permission to talk. Her hazel eyes were no longer directed towards Kahlen, instead they were looking down at the ground, uncertainly...nervoulsy.

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[Sunny]

The girl approached with more then caution, was she really that intimadating? Yes, her wings were large...and feathery...but they weren't supposed to put fear in other's eyes...were they? Sighing she stroked the little kitten, somehow it made her relax like when she stroked Avi's fur. "Ebony is a very pretty name...it suits her." the angel replied to the girl, looking at the black fur as she spoke. Untangling the kitten's claws from her hair, she held the kitten out for Skye to take back. Avi let out a loud mew, he wanted attention too. He had come closer just as the girl had been. He rubbed his head against Kahlen's elbow, saying loudly that she was his. He blinked slowly at the little black bundle of fur. He had ever been that small?

Yes darling...you have.
I wasn't the runt of the liter...truly I was never that small....

he replied not mentioning she had remembered something, that they had known each other since birth. That made him a bit happier. The angel hesitated for a moment, the girl was talking to the ground...as if it would answer her. For once in her life, the life she could remember, she found someone that wasn't making fun of her, instead she found someone that was intimadated by her! This was a big surprise, her blues eyes widened with a little more then shock. She wasn't used to be the brave one...."That was a lovely song..." she said quietly, smiling a little as if to calm her nerves and the girls. She glanced over at Avi, who now stood at her right side, but he seemed to be in another world. Then he looked at her, he seemed to be smiling his eyes light and seeminly to dance.

[Skye]

Skye slowly stepped forward, towards Kahlen. Hereyes were still directed at the ground as she slowly reached out her arms, taking Ebony back from her. As soon as the kitten was in her hands, she pulled her close up against her, wrapping her arms around the small furry body. She cradled Ebony in her arms, talking to her quietly, so that her voice would only reach the kitten's ears. Then, she gently slipped the kitten back into the bag and looked up slightly, eyes flickering from Kahlen to the ground. Seconds later, a small black heard peeked out of the bag again, looking over at Avi and Kahlen with curiosity gleeming it her large eyes.
For a few moments, everything was silent, except for the sound of the rain. Then, as Kahlen spoke, Skye looked up, hazel eyes meeting hers for a second. "You...heard?" It wasn't really a question. It was more of realization that someone had been listening to her. She quickly glanced back at the ground, shuffling her feet nervously. Her black boots were now covered in mud, from the damp ground. She just looked down at the ground for a few moments, not really knowing what to say. Why wasn't this person insulting her...? Why wasn't she making fun of her...? She didn't understand it. Whenever someone had heard her sing in the past they would laugh and make fun of her, telling her how stupid she was. Never had someone actually complimented her! And she was trying to decide if she had heard right... But she knew she had...it was just a bit of a shock, really...
Slowly, she looked up, letting her gaze rest on Kahlen. She bit her bottom lip, a little nervously, and then said, "Um...thanks..." She played with a strand of her long black hair, twisting it around anxiously. She seemed to be unsure of what to say, lost in her thoughts as she looked back at the ground.
But then, Skye looked back up, this time with a little less hesitation. "You really liked it...?" Her voice was still a little hesitant and quiet, but this time she spoke with a bit more of confidence...only a bit though. The expression on her face had changed a little too. The frightened look had disappeared and was now replaced by a look that seemed to suggest that she was a little wary... unsure, but ther was a the faintest hint of a smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

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[Sunny]

Folding her wings so they weren't in her way. Her hand pushing her bangs away from her forehead, she settled with toying with her braid, since the little ball of black fur was gone...and Avi was a little too big to hold. She suffled her bare feet over the pine needles that littered the floor. The nightmare coming back to the front of her thoughts. She desperatly wanted to know what she had done! And why it consittuted banishement! She wanted to rant and rave at this girl, tell her everything about the nightmare, so at least someone knew. But she had just meet her, well the angel had intrupted her singing. But still..."Oh, yes.she replied, looking up from her feet. "It reminded me of...well I really don't remember what it reminded me of..." she rambled muttering slightly, not sure of what to say next. She had heard songs before, but they were trapped behind that brick wall. Sighing she looked to the ground again, more then hestiant to talk anymore. This girl was different, she had never meet a person that didn't make fun of her, that didn't joke about her behind her back. That made her a little more sure of herself.
"The name's Kahlen."

ooc: sorry about the shortness.....

[Skye]

Skye fiddled with the strand of hair until it was in a sort of braid. Then, she began unraveling it, looking at the ground again. Had she heard right...? This girl had actually liked her singing? It was a change...a big change. Or, at least for Skye... It had to be the first compliment she had gotten for years. She slowly let go of the strands of hair, letting them fall back, blowing slightly in the wind. She slowly looked up again, looking at Kahlen. This was the first time someone had talked to someone and not got pushed, yelled at, insulted. It was different. Different, but in a good way.
She seemed to hesitate slightly as Kahlen spoke, a little unsure of what to say, seeing as she wasn't used to having conversations...or really talking to people at all. She hesitated for a moment, and then added, glancing down at the tiny black head, "Well, that's Ebony...as I told you before..." She trailed off and then looked up at Kahlen again. She slowly raised her hand and then held it towards her. "And I'm Skye." The corners of her mouth turned up a little more this time, revealing her sweet smile. Not one of those faky smile she had flashed to so many people before, just pretending she didn't care. But this was actually a real one, something very rare to come from Skye...

[Sunny]

"Oh, it's very nice to meet you Skye. Hmm...This is Avi.." looking down at the white tiger, she patted his head. Avi dipped his head in respect for the girl, his eyes still locked on to the little kitten. thingying his head a bit at the mewing. He was curious, he had never seen something so small. He sneezed, blinking up at Kahlen who shrugged. Grunting he laid down, he had enough of little things, washing his already clean paws was a better idea. Stiffling a laugh, she watched him for awhile than glanced back at Skye. She really didn't know what to say now, clearing her throat she suffled her feet again on the ground. Her hands still playing with the braid. Her wings cramped a bit, so she let them out a tad. Her blue eyes looking up a bit, she decided small talk was the best until they knew each other a bit better or trusted each other. Nodding her head towards the bag and the little kitten that was inside of it she said, "Your kitten is very sweet..."

[Skye]

Skye glanced down at Ebony, who was trying to wriggle herself out of the bag again. She smiled slightly, bending over as she gave the kitten a gentle push back inside. Ebony let out a little mew of protest and popped her head back out. But this time she stayed inside, curious eyes peering around, and her two front paws dangling out. "She is...isn't she...?" Skye straightened up again. "She can have a mind of her own at times though..." She glanced down at Ebony, raising an eyebrow. The kitten tucked her paws back inside the bag , knowing that she shouldn't have ran away from her friend in the first place. She seemed to be smiling, in a way. She twitched her whiskers and then looked over at Avi again, curious eyes watching.
Skye follwed her gaze towards the white tiger. She gazed at him for a moment. He was so beautiful...she had never seen anything like him before. Or, at least not up close like this. His fur looked so soft... She looked hesitantly over at Kahlen and then asked slowly, "Do you mind if I..." She trailed off for a moment, not sure if she should continue. She had learned that asking for stuff was bad, and usually resulted in harsh consequences. Skye bit her lip again, a nervous habit she had picked up sometime in her life. Then, without thinking, she just blurted it out. "Do you mind if I pet him...?" She closed her mouth as soon as the words had escaped. She looked down at the ground again. It must have sounded stupid...and besides, whenever she asked something of someone they would walk away...

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[Sunny]

She raised her eyebrows at the question, a bit surprised. Looking over to Avi, who too had looked up from his cleaning. She c0cked her head, Do you mind? she asked him though there link. It felt like forever before the great cat answered her, She may...as long as she doesn't pull my fur the wrong way.

[/i] he looked back at his cleaning. Kahlen smiled at his answer, "He said you can, but not to pull his fur the wrong way." she said as she turned back to Skye. "I believe he is curious about you....and the little kitten....gods know you are the only person that hasn't made fun of me outright."the words just seemed to fall out, closing her mouth with a slight oops. I mean....I didn't say that you would make fun of me...but a lot of people do...gods...I should just stop talking." she rambled, her mouth forming into a smile, her blue eyes alight with laughter. Avi looked up from his washing, looking at the little kitten again. Wondering if he would be allowed to looked at it a bit closer....he hadn't seen anything that tiny since when Jas was a little cub.....but even she was bigger then this Ebony...his ears pricked forward towards the kitten again.[/color][/size][/center]

[Skye]

Skye's eyes lit up slightly, some of the uncertainty fading from them. She nodded slowly and then began to walk over towards Avi. She took a few hesitant steps forward and then crouched down by his side, looking at him. She slowly reached out a hand and rested it on the top of his head, slowly stroking him. Her touch was soft, gentle. At first she seemed hesitant, a little unsure, her strokes a light and cautious. But, after a few moments, she grew a little more sure of herself and began stroking him a little longer, more confidently.
Ebpny poked her head out of the bag again, seeing how close she was to this big cat. She tilted her head to the side and then stuck out a paw, trying to bat at him, but not being able to reach. She let her paw go limp, dangling and then stretched out her neck a little, sniffing at him curiously. She seemed to smile a little and then let out a friendly mew, kind of like a greeting.
Skye looked up as Kahlen began to talk, scratching Avi gently under the chin. She had found that Ebony loved it, so she thought that maybe Avi would too, seeing as he was a cat too, or...sort of anyway. She saw Kahlen smile and she smiled a little too. "Ohh...it's all right," she said somewhat quietly. "I'm not going to make fun of you." She glanced back at Avi for a moment, still rubbing under his chin. "I know what it's like..." she added softly. "Believe me..."

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[Sunny]

Oh he loved that. He leaned into her stratching, purring loudly his tail thumping the ground in delight. He closed his eyes for a moment, just content to lay here. He opened them slowly looking at the little cat, he growled softly replying to the cat's greeting. His own nose sniffing slightly in that direction. He raised a paw, that was about as big as the kitten, and seemed to want to touch the little thing. C0ocking his head to the side, he grunt as Skye stratched harder, he liked the attention.
Kahlen all about laughed at him, he was so spoiled. So very spoiled. She felt the girl was truly sincere about the not making fun of part. She didn't feel imdimadated about the wings that hung on her back. She bristled when Skye muttered something about beening teased too. "Why would people tease you?" she asked, her blue eyes tranfixed on the girl, her hands on her hips. She was on the bink of anger, though not at her...where people that densed. "I mean you have a lonly singing voice...like an angels...ohh."she stopped, her eyes lost their focus, like she was a million miles away. Then suddenly she kicked the dirt beneath her feet. "Curse them!" she almost shouted, her face bright red with anger, her eyes darting to the sky, even though the leaves covered it up. "What did I do?! Why are you punishing me like this!? What in the seven hells did I do to deserve this!?"
Then her anger turned to a blush, embarrassed at her outburst. Afraid she scared the timid girl with her shouting. But it was a bit frustating to not remember anything about yourself. To be banished from your own people and not know why...or remember why.

[Skye]

Skye avioded Kahlen's gaze, continuing to rub Avi, seeing he liked it. She was silent for a few moments and it seemed to look like she wasn't going to say anything and simply ignore what Kahlen had said. But after a hesitation she said, "Well...They thought I was...strange, how I always dressed in black...how I made some of my own clothes...how I was so shy." She sighed sadly, remembering. "They teased me about it all the time...that only made me worse though..." She trailed off. This girl probably didn't want to hear her life story, so she should just be quiet...
Then, as Kahlen began shouting, Skye flinched slightly. Usually, she would have ran away...But this time she didn't. She kept her hand on Avi, not moving. She looked up at Kahlen slowly, once she had stopped shouting. Skye wasn't exactly sure who or what she was talking to and about...and she tilted her head to the side slightly, realizing it hadn't been at her. A questioning look appeared on her face as she looked up at Kahlen. After a slight hesitation, she asked quietly, "Umm...if you don't mind me asking..." She trailed off, remembering that prying wasn't a good thing. And for Skye if often resulted in more yelling. But, maybe this girl was different...? She didn't seem to think of her as strange. And she even had some things in common with her. So, she went on. "...What were you talking about...? Just now..." There was a hint of curiousness in her face as she looked up at the girl with wings, wondering if she had simply been talking about how people made fun of her...Or something more...?

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