This place was different…

The images from her still scattered memories, or were they dreams, remembered the temple of Lady Angela as a very different place. This was still all very confusing to the white haired apprentice but she was trying to understand. The whole story of an explanation had seemed a bit out there for her, I mean a parallel universe torn apart by time? People snatched through the cracks that had appeared in that world and thrown into this one or others, their memories either being erased, suppressed, completely taking over, or having a conflicting battle with the memories already in place in these versions of themselves. It was all so…insane… but in her current condition it was safest if she came under the goddess's care. The magic that had manifested inside of her during the 'transitional period' was out of her control most of the time. Yes the memories, dreams, whatever they were, did help to look upon to try and tap into all that training she had once gone through but it didn't come easy. Nothing ever did though did it…

Currently she had isolated herself in the library, which happened to be empty at the time. She was sitting and hugging her knees as she watched the fish swim lazily beneath her. Her blue eyes were glazed over slightly as her mind was blank as she watched them swim. They were very pretty. She remembered seeing them before, or fish that looked like them. It was in a cave with a wondrous view of a desert, it was part of an oasis, no…it was part of the Earth Avatar Angela Rose's temple. She shook her head to erase the image from her mind and hugged her knees closer. The last few days had been a blur to her, her mind had nearly broken irreversibly. She was mending and coming to terms with the truths of the situation slowly. She had been welcomed at the temple with open arms by the Goddess she had grown up despising and given food, water, and clothes to replace her nearly burnt off ones. It was nothing fancy that she wore but a slightly overly large long sleeve shirt with the arms rolled up to her elbows and a pair of soft cotton pants. She had been given shoes as well but she had lost them somewhere along the way this morning. She had been given a ribbon by the goddess herself to tie back her newly long hair. She couldn't bring herself to cut it in her normal style…because it was also the style she wore…the other her, the one who viewed Lady Angela as a motherly figure and loved her deeply, a love she couldn't escape even across worlds.

She sighed and rested her head on her knees and traced a finger along the unseen ground following one of the fish. She just couldn't make sense of anything anymore. Her life had been flipped upside down, the rules of the world she thought she knew were changing quickly and she didn't know if she could keep up.

Iva was in her room looking at her mound of toys. Nothing to her seemed as special as Winston. She picked him up as she put on one of her many fine dresses. This one was a dark blue that she thought Winston matched perfectly in. She got a bow to tie around his neck but frowned when she realized she could get it. Setting out on a mission to find someone she starting looking all around the temple. It seemed pretty quite today. 

Her mother wasn't there and she couldn't find Drae if he was here. She hugged Winston to her and frowned. “It looks like it is just us and no one wants to play together.” She snuggled him and decided to head to the library. Her red curls bounced as she got to the library and opened the door. She got in and went to the first shelf. She held Winston and looked up. “That's our favorite book Sir Winston!” She found a chair and climbed up onto it. Her little fingers stretched and she pulled a large picture book out.

She jumped down and went to walk to her favorite spot when she spotted the girl her mother had brought home. Holding Winston and the book close to her she got the strength to go up to her. Sitting down she propped Winston up next to her and opened the book. “Once there was a lonely princess.” She looked at the picture and moved it so Lilith could see.

“The lonely princess only had her knight to play with her.” She flipped the page and showed Lilith again. “But there was a sad woman in her library and so the princess thought that the woman would like some company. Cause no one should be alone and sad.” The five year old picked up Winston and blushed. “Can you tie Winston's bow? I tried and I can't do it.. I'm still learning how to do things.”

Her silence and isolation was unexpectedly broken when she heard a small child's voice 

"That's our favorite book Sir Winston!"

The sudden noise and then the scraping of a chair then the light thud of children's feet hitting the floor. She had done nothing more than listen while continuing to watch the fish in silence, perhaps she would go unnoticed? 

Nope

It wasn't long until the child appeared next to her had propped her teddy next to her and started reading, or well pretending to. The smallest of smiles twitched on her lips for a moment as she 'read' her little story. It reminded her other other times, other children of the rose… ones she didn't know if they even existed in this reality. The thought made a lump grow in her throat and a sadness washed over her, all the lives that may no longer exist, all those beautiful smiles, laughs, and vibrant personalities gone forever…

She quickly gave her head a little shake. As she looked her over she knew this had to be one of Lady Angela's children, it was unmistakable. The child held her teddy out to her and asked her for help tying his bow. She smiled softly at the girl and said, "Of course." She let her feet slide down until her legs were straight on the floor and set the bear on her lap. She then put the ribbon around his neck and slowly tied the bow so she could watch to see how. "You make the bunny ears, then the rabbit runs around the tree and through the hole." She inspected her work and straightened the bow before holding the bear out to the girl. "There, Winston looks just about as adorable as you!" She said and let out a little giggle. She couldn't help but feel an immediate fondness for the girl. She couldn't tell if it was because of the childish innocence or something more coming through from her other self or maybe even both. 

"I take it Lady Angela is your mommy? You look just like her." She said and reached out to pet the girl's curls lightly. She looked back to the book and said,"The sad woman in the library welcomed the princess's company and introduced herself as Lil. Then wondered what the princess's name was and if she would like to play."

Iva looked over the bow and listened carefully. With a smile she took Winston and hugged him. "Thank you! Now we match Winston!" She hugged the black bear to herself more and let her brown eyes look over Lilithrie. 

She nodded and gave a smile. "I'm her youngest." She looked happy as Lilithrie looked back towards the book. "Well Lil the princess introduces herself as Iva." She giggled a bit as she snuggled up to the woman. Her red curls mushed against the girl's shoulder as she smiled. "My momma says dad named me that cause its means life." She got really sad for a moment. "Dad died when I was born but Momma tells me stories about him." She got up and offered Lil her hand. "I'll show you."

IT wasn't long before she put the book on a table and took Lil to a small courtyard. It was through double doors at the end of a long hallway. The hallway had windows on either side and you could see out into the ravine from there. Once in the courtyard Iva took her to a small grave. It had flowers around it. "This is my dad." She smiled up at Lilithrie.

"This is one of my favorite places to go when I am sad. Cause I know Dad will listen to me." The courtyard was suspended near a roaring waterfall. It had a stone fence around the edge of it and there were flowers everywhere. "Momma says this was their favorite place to go when she was pregnant for me and that's why he is buried here."

"Iva, life. What a beautiful name and such a fitting one for a princess." She said with another fond smile. When the girl snuggled up to her there was a pang in her heart as she realized that this girl was now bound to her, or more accurately she was now bound to this girl. No matter what version of herself was in control, this girl had taken a hold of her and now she was caught. Guardian of the Children of the Rose. The title from her DeaLuin self rang through her mind and she fully understood the burden of it now. She realized it was not a title she could discard. It was part of her that was etched into her soul and would forever be part of her. This girl, this Iva was now hers to protect whether she wanted the protection or not.

She let the girl lead her to the small courtyard that's beauty was made even more so exponentially by the view of the ravine as well. Her attention had been caught by the view and was only drawn back when Iva spoke again, introducing her father, or what was left of him. Iva had said he had died and from what she knew of Angela she had figured it had been Nathaniel or her husband from Daeluin but no. The name on the grave was one she didn't know. She was curious about who it might have been that Angela had given a child, who had her lover been in this world? How had they died? She hid her confusion and curiosity with a smile and knelt by the grave. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir. I know you can't really respond but hopefully, wherever you are, you can hear us. You made such a beautiful and joyful girl. I just know you'd be so proud of her and her unending kindness." 

She put an arm around the girl and looked around a bit more. It truly was a beautiful place. The flowers and waterfall, the life this place seemed to breath into those that entered was so peaceful and relaxing. She nodded and said, "I can see why it was their favorite place." She looked back to the girl and continued, "Yeah, talking to your parents when sad is a good way to make yourself feel better. Sometimes you just need someone to listen to you when you're feeling blue and things just seem to get better that way." 

There was a buzz beginning in Lil's head that she couldn't explain. The air seemed to get a bit heavier as her magic started to leak out of her slowly. It was different than the last time it had happened though. It didn't feel violent or destructive in nature at all. Her world spun for a few moments and her eyes changed to a rainbow of colors as her magic activated by itself. Suddenly she was seeing the auras of everything and nothing else. The plants had beautiful spectrum of greens, the waterfall was a cascade of every shade of blue that could be imagined. Then there was the grave. It startled her to see an aura coming from the grave. She couldn't even describe the colors but it was feeding the other auras, giving life to this place and giving it the serene peaceful and protected feeling one got when they came here. The rainbow of beauty this dead man gave to the world was astounding. But then she saw Iva. It was like seeing the sun for the first time. She was so bright it burned her eyes, yet so beautiful she couldn't look away. Tears fell down her cheeks as she looked at the girl and her surroundings. She smiled at the girl and touched her face and said, "Your papa is still very much here so I don't doubt he listens to and hears every word you say. He chose well for your name, Iva, life, he gave you life and continues to give life even in death. What a wonderful man. You should be very proud to call him your papa, I know I would."

This way of seeing was starting to give her a headache. She was getting dizzy from the constant swirling of colors everywhere. She steadied herself with her hand on the ground and instantly from where her hand was placed more beautiful flowers popped up and radiated outwards until not a inch of ground wasn't covered in their beauty. This brought more colors to her vision and she closed her eyes. It didn't make them go away but it helped. Focus, control it. Push it back inside. Don't let it control you. With the help and guidance of the DaeLuin mind Lil was able to clumsily suppress the magic slowly. When the outburst had ended she opened her eyes and noticed something different. The two minds she had seemed closer, as if they had started melding together. She brushed this off, wanting to focus on Iva.

She wiped away what tears remained and smiled at the girl. "How did you mama and papa meet? I'm a bit new to this world so I haven't heard the story. Will you tell me?"