Iced Over, Frozen Solid

[Luka]

In the cold, he wandered. The landscape around him was frosted with ice and snow. Everything was in shades of bright white and dull gray. He walked, his bare feet quietly pushing through the top layer of the snow, leaving a trail of footprints in his wake. He had nowhere to go; yet he still walked. What this journey bring him, he had to wonder. Would it be the same as the past, or would it be something different? He had hoped to find that something different here, yet...was he deserving of the peaceful life he yearned for? The escape that his soul needed so desperately?

I...I’ve changed, have I not? he thought to himself. He had begun the road of redemption, hadn’t he? But now he felt empty inside, as if a piece of himself were missing. It seemed like such a long time ago when he still believed there were things worth fighting for. Violence brings nothing, he thought bitterly. Nothing but sorrow. He had given up fighting, given up violence. He had embraced peace, but it still eluded him. He stopped, realizing he no longer heard the crunch of the snow, but the tapping of feet on ice. He had walked straight onto the middle of the lake.

Sitting down on the smooth surface, he laid a hand on the solid water. If I were human, my skin would stick, he thought, lifting it up to look at it. His hand was unharmed; there was not even a hint of the redness that usually accompanied the winter weather for humans. Because I am cold inside, he thought, allowing a small, wry smile to appear on his face. He had found that recently, his main emotion seemed to be apathy. Joy, sadness, anger—everything he felt—seemed only to be a pale, sallow version of what it used to be. Sighing, the faerie stood up. He remembered a time where these feelings had hit him full force in all of its unfiltered glory. Those times were long past. He was uncertain whether he wished them to return. And if he did, there was no way he knew of to do so. That dry smile flickered across his face again. He was trapped in winter, and it was no one’s fault but his own.

[Kira]

There was snow everywhere. The usual landmarks of the school grounds were hidden from view, covered by the white fluff. Most of the students had long since become fed-up with the cold weather, hiding inside the Common Room near the fire. Not Kira, though. She loved the snow, the crisp winter air, the cold. It was that fondness of the season that had lured the girl outside. Aiko walked along beside her, the canine patiently guiding her mistress around hidden obstacles. Kira reached down to pat the dog's head, a smile appearing on her face.

It seemed that she had just exited the warmth of the school, but already she was at the edge of the lake. Kira stopped a few steps onto the ice and Aiko turned to nudge her back toward solid ground. Giving in after a brief moment she allowed the dog to lead her away from the lake, stopping once more a short distance away. There, her smile widened and she flopped onto her back in the snow. Aiko watched, a bit confused, as Kira began to make a snow angel, giggling slightly. Satisfied with her work, she sat up, moving carefully away from the impression on the snow to avoid marring it.

Only then did the idea strike her: ice skating! She didn't have any skates with her, but perhaps she could make due with her shoes. If nothing else, she would have fun attempting to walk on the slippery surface of the lake. Kira moved quickly toward the lake, nearly falling as she stepped off the snow onto the clean, smooth ice. Aiko trotted along beside her, keeping a close eye on the girl in case she should fall. The giggles of moments before turned into all-out laughter as Kira slid on the ice, moving toward the center of the lake.

She was picking up speed, starting to get the feel of moving across the frozen substance, when she tripped over something. Laying sprawled on the ice, Kira's mind slowly put the puzzle pieces together, bringing her to realize it was a person she had tripped over. She hastily pushed herself to a sitting position, turning to face the person.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed frantically. "Are you OK? I didn't realize there was anyone else out here! Really, I didn't mean to trip on you!"

[Luka]

His moment of reminiscence was abruptly shattered as a warm body suddenly collided with him, sending him skidding a few feet towards the shore. Letting out a cry of surprise as the girl stumbled over him, he was left staring blankly at the outstretched figure in the place he had been only a minute before. Remembering hearing a few peals of laughter while he thought, the faerie assumed the girl now on the ice had been the same girl who had been playing in the snow. Frowning, he picked himself up, not slipping despite the ice. He hadn’t expected her to come running onto the lake, much less cause a collision.

A slight buzzing noise ensued as he straightened out his wings, and the fae approached the girl. Nodding to acknowledge the girl’s apology, he spoke dryly. “If I had a mind to trip on a person intentionally, I would have chosen to execute it with slightly more grace.” He extended his arm, intending to help her up, before becoming aware of a dog nearby. The special harness catching his eye, he realized this girl was blind, or at least sight impaired. Wondering briefly why he hadn’t been aware of their presences until after they had practically stepped on him, he sighed mentally. He would find a less populated place to deal with his inner troubles next time. He hated being snuck up on. “I apologize, I was in your way. Please allow me to help you stand,” he added to clarify that he was holding out his hand.

[Kira]

“If I had a mind to trip on a person intentionally, I would have chosen to execute it with slightly more grace.”

Kira blushed at the statement, realizing how stupid she had probably sounded. Tipping her head downward she allowed her hair to fall into her face, hiding the rising heat. Regaining her composure slightly, she reached out, searching for the briefest of moments before finding the proffered hand. Levering herself off the ice she brushed at the back of her pants, listening as several small ice chips scattered to the lake's surface.

No sooner had she gained her feet than Aiko came rushing toward her, nearly knocking her back to the ice. Kira stifled a giggle as she listened to the dog skidding to a halt on the ice, moving back toward her at a slower pace.

"Where were you a minute ago when I needed you?" she chastised the dog playfully, reaching out to grab onto her harness once more. "I thought you were supposed to keep me from tripping over people!"

Blue eyes shifted from the dog to the direction of the voice she had heard moments before.

"I'm Kira," she said, offering her hand. "I really am sorry about that. I don't usually greet people by tripping over them. Apparently I'm a bit of a klutz."

[Luka]

Though the girl tried to hide her face, the faerie could still spot the embarrassment peeking through; even had he not seen it, his natural sensitivity to emotions around him would have alerted him to her reaction. He sighed as he pulled her up to her feet. Perhaps he should not have spoken so quickly.

Hearing a skittering on the ice, he stepped backwards just in time to avoid another collision. The dog slipped past his mistress, nearly knocking her over. Learning from past experience, she trotted more slowly to better keep her footing. The fae shook his head, almost smiling, as the girl chided the dog. Then she turned her attention to him.

He wondered for a moment if those eyes could see after all. The eyes of those without sight sometimes seemed haunting, but they could also express the same emotions others felt. Perhaps the blind could see in a way no others could.

The voice of the girl broke into his thoughts. "I'm Kira. I really am sorry about that. I don't usually greet people by tripping over them. Apparently I'm a bit of a klutz." The fae looked at the girl’s hand strangely. Despite the fact that he had learned much of humans in his travels, he still was not quite comfortable with handshakes. He was used to bowing his greeting and pondered how he was to convey a bow to the girl, Kira.

Extending his arm, he grasped the girl’s hand. “I must admit, it was an interesting way to become acquainted, though not the worst I have experienced,” he said with a whisper of amusement on his face. “I am called Luka. It is a pleasure to meet you.” As he let go of her hand, one might notice something strange; the snowflakes that had adhered themselves to Kira’s glove had not melted.