A Little Research

[Naia]

Naia's sandals made a soft scuffle as she walked through the halls. Her long blue silk tunic was silent against her matching silk trousers. Playing with the end of her long braid, the girl found the room she was looking for. Here were old books that she had longed to read.

While living in India she had heard many stories and legends of heroes and gods coming to the earth. She wished to learn more of them, and since she was forced to be at this school, she decided that she might as well learn something. The viper hidden beneath her scarf adjusted itself softly and she touched it reassuringly.

Running her delicate caramel finger against the spine of a few books, Naia read the titles to herself softly.

"Here you are." She said with a smile, pulling it down. Opening the cover, she began to read the Ramayana, written by Valmiki.

[Darien]

Darien sat in the restricted section of the library, feasting his curiosity with many novels that were forbidden to read by other people. It had only been a few days or so since he had lost the fight to Matt, but he wasnt affected by it mentally. Things happen, and it wasnt his first defeat. He reached over to the table, taking a long drap off the soda straw that was sitting there. The book was Hitlers diary, confiscated and stashed here for safekeeping. While originally written in german, it had been re-translated to english, allowing Darien to delve into its depths.

Then, he heard a small voice.

"Here you are" it said.

Darien frowned. then stood, quietly peeking through the books to see a young girl rummaging through the same section he was. He saw her finger stop on the spine of a book, then, placing his face behind it, waited for her to remove it. As she did so, his face would come into view.

"Boo" Darien said, grinning.

[Naia]

Naia's heart leapt as she saw a face where the book had been. Acting on instinct, her hand leapt to her scarf, touching the viper that rested there. A heartbeat later, she realized that it was just a silly boy who was trying to give her a fright. She smiled gently.

"You gave me quite a fright, boy." Walking around the side of the shelf, she saw him standing amongst the books. It seemed he had settled down here, for there was an open book and some soda.

"What are you doing back here?" The Indian girl asked curiously.

[Darien]

Darien chuckled a bit as the girl jumped, then watched her as she left the small field of vision he had when she drew the book from his shelf. She came around the other side of the casing, and looked over what he had been doing. He was wearing light, faded blue jeans with his normal belt buckel, and on his torso was his white dress shirt, buttoned up except for the last one, and his sleeves rolled up to just above the elbow. He shrugged at her question.

"Just reading up on hitler. How about yourself?"

He thought about it, and with it being the middle of the night, decided he would go for a walk. Maybe, should this girl be interested, she could come as well, it didnt much matter to him. Company would be nice, but it was the fresh air he really wanted.

[Naia]

As she got closer, Naia realized that this boy was much taller than she, and looked quite different. Having lost her memory after waking in an alley in India a few months ago, she had not been around many other people. His fair skin was interesting as well and she wondered if it was naturaly or he just avoided the sun.

Her blue silk clothing rustled as she looked him over, for the viper was adjusting itself. "Just reading up on hitler. How about yourself?" Her brow knit together. Hitler? Who was that? Probably someone from his country, or something of that nature.

"I am reading the Ramayana of Valmiki, it tells the story of the great Rama and his beautiful wife Sita." She informed him for she had noticed that not many people in this country knew of her histories. "So who is this Hitler you are reading of? For his book to be in this section, he must have done something important."

[Darien]

Darien raised an eyebrow.

"You don't know who Hitler is?" He grinned. "Ah, i get it, very funny. Payback for the scare and all. I can take a joke." He grinned. She was short, but had fine features. He wasn't sure of what book she spoke of, since he wasn't familiar with her country of origin. He used his chin to point toward the door.

"You wanna head out for a walk?" He was dying to get out in the air, and with it being such a warm night, the cool air would feel good against his skin. He looked back to the girl, his sharp, Chrystal blue eyes giving a breath-taking stare. It wasn't something he tried to do, it just happened, and he was told his eyes could stop a person in they're tracks with anger, or make them melt with love. Now, it was neither, but his raptor gaze still held the same potency.

He stood, waiting for the small girl to answer his polite offer.

[Naia]

"You don't know who Hitler is? Ah, i get it, very funny. Payback for the scare and all. I can take a joke." He said with a grin. Naia stared at him. So, it was funny that she had no idea who this Hitler was? It wasn't her fault she had no memory. Oh well, he didn't know. Opening her mouth to tell him that it wasn't a joke, that she truly did not know this Hitler, he spoke again.

"You wanna head out for a walk?" With his question came a gaze that would have made a normal person look away. Naia met it, though, and returned it. She was not a person to be easily intimidated, though she did not know why.

"I would love to go for a walk." The girl said with a smile, putting the book back through the gap he had used to startle her. She would find it again another time. "First, though, you should tell me your name." She smiled at him and her eyes seemed to dance. "Mine is Naia."

[Darien]

He liked this girl. She hadn't even flinched when he stared at her, where as most people would shrink or walk away. He grinned as she told him her name.

"Beautiful name, naia. Mines Darien."

He turned toward the door, walking over to it and pushing it open. The cool night air hit him, and his eyes closed, taking in the beautiful scent of it. He held it open for her, bowing slightly as he did so with a little grin on his face. Afterward, the door would shut of its own accord as Darien released it. He would walk up beside her on her right side, then look down at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Have you met my friend?" He pointed to her left side, and when she turned to look, there he would be, and a grin would come to his face. The second Darien would grin as well, then wave.

"Hello naia, my names Darien." the second one would say. If she looked back and forth, she would see two smiling Dariens, both of them perfect replica's of the other one. After she spoke, or screamed, or did whatever she would do, The second darien would suddenly be sucked through her, his molecules atomizing as he was pulled into the real Dariens frame. She would feel a slight tingle, nothing more, then if she looked at him again would only find one Darien remaining.

[Naia]

"Beautiful name, naia. Mines Darien."

Inclining her head, Naia walked regally through the door that the boy held for her. He bowed slightly and everything suddenly felt right. The girl didnt know why, but she had always felt comfortable having others do things for her and showing her respect. She knew it was odd and often wondered if something was wrong with her, but that was the way she was. The old woman who had taken her in often said that she must have been a noblewoman in a former life.

"Have you met my friend?" Darien said, coming up on her right. Her delicate brow knit together and she looked to the left. There beside her was the same boy that was on her right. Naia's face lit into a bright smile, she was impressed. This must be his Qi, or he had an identical twin who could move silently.

"Very clever, Darien." She said with a soft laugh. The laugh stopped, though, as the Darien on her left seemed to melt through her and into the Darien on her right. It caused a slight tingling sensation, but nothing more.

"Now that I have met yours, let me introduce you to my friend." Naia hoped that the boy wasn't afraid of snakes as she pulled the viper out of her scarf. The snake wrapped around her arm, trying to get back to the warmth of her neck.

"Do not worry, he will not bite you. I have him well trained." The snake unrwapped from around her arm and nuzzled the girl's face. Placing her hand on Darien's elbow, she laughed, "It seems we both keep strange company." She took her small hand from his arm, Naia was simply a touchy talker. The viper slithered up her sleeve.

[Darien]

Dariens eyes widened in awe as a viper slinked out from her clothes somewhere. He looked it over, not shrinking away in the least, instead coming eye to eye with it. They stared each other down for a few moments, before Darien grinned.

"Thats awesome. I love snakes." She stated that Dariens company was strange, and as she did so another head and upper body came out of his chest, giving naia an indignant look.

"I am not strange. I'm special." The Darien sticking its body out was sucked back in to the real darien, and he grinned. A sudden idea sparked in his mind, and he grabbed the hand of the girl he had been walking with so calmly. He pulled her along, saying "You have GOT to see this" He took her through the trees, until they appeared out by a lake, the same one he had shown Reira from above a day or so ago.

He tore off his shirt, then grinned broadly.

He backflipped into the water, a large splash shooting up from where his body had landed.

[Naia]

So he liked snakes? That was wonderful, so did Naia. Snakes liked her too. She grinned at the boy who seemed to sprout from Darien's chest, laughing jovially. Suddenly the boy grabbed her hand. Before Naia could react, he shouted, "You have GOT to see this" With that he took off, dragging her along.

Naia kept up easily, following him now instead of being dragged. She wondered where they were going, but found out the moment that the thought was formed. A lovely lake appeared before her and Darien released her hand, taking off his shirt. The girl's eyes widened, she had never seen so much skin bared on a man before. Well, she thought she hadn't at least.

Only a heartbeat after having removed his shirt, Darien splashed into the water with a flip. The viper slid out of the girl's clothing, and slipped into the clear water. It was hungry and water meant fish.

She stood akwardly at the edge, unsure of what to do. Though her instincts didn't tell her it would be wrong for her to be in the same body of water as a boy, the people who had found her would have been galled. Besides, her clothes were silk and would not take the lakewater very kindly. She did have a camisole and a skirt on beneath her traditional clothing, but she had never imagined exposing them.

Making up her mind, she would join him if asked, but not before. She sat on the bank, watching him swim. "So tell me about this Hitler." Naia smoke with a charming smile.

[Darien]

The lake, which had a slight bank around it, was the least stunning sight of any that were in the area. He broke the surface, and swam toward her, hearing her question. He was a little confused, not knowing if she was still messing with him or not. The look on her face told him she wasn't, but he had no clue how to explain the life of a dictator whose views and illness shaped an entire future. He hated Hitler, everything he stood for, but he was awed by what the man had managed to accomplish.

Darien decided, that if she was playing with him, he'd just play along.

"Hitler was a dictator, a man who thought his race was better than all others. He ruled Germany, and, along with his allies, made war with the world, almost winning. He was one of the most evil and powerful rulers of our time." He smiled. "Tell you what, ill tell you all about Hitler, but you have to come in here and take a swim with me first. Deal?" He gestured with his hand behind him, holding his arm out toward the bank opposite them.

"Besides, theres something i want to show you"

[Naia]

Darien looked at her for a moment. Whomever this Hitler was, he was surely a popular person. Naia wished she knew more about history, she must seem such a fool. "Hitler was a dictator, a man who thought his race was better than all others. He ruled Germany, and, along with his allies, made war with the world, almost winning. He was one of the most evil and powerful rulers of our time. Tell you what, ill tell you all about Hitler, but you have to come in here and take a swim with me first. Deal?"

A dictator who thought his race was superior? Sounded familiar, but the name itself sounded completely foreign. Had she perhaps known this Hitler or someone like him in the past? Perhaps in a past life? Pushing those questions aside, the girl also wondered where Germany was. Was it near India?

Standing, she smiled at him, "Alright, I will swim with you, but look away first! I do not wish to get my silk wet." Naia laughed and waited until he had turned to remove her tunic and pants. Folding them gently, she placed them on a rock and added her scarf to the pile. The top and skirt were both of a navy cottony cloth, both skin tight. She wore them beneath the silk in case of emergency and it seemed she had planned ahead perfectly for this night.

Slipping into the water, her toes felt odd in the wet sand of the bottom. Her cloth undergarments soaked in the water and clung to her skin above the water, flowing freely around her body once immersed. The skirt didn't even reach mid-thigh, so it was not restrictive.

Naia could not remember having ever swam, though it seemed so easy she was sure that it must have been something she had partaken of before. The Indian girl cut through the water much like the viper and glided over to Darien, her long braid floating behind her.

"You may look at me now," Naia coo'd, "and what do you have to show me? First the lake and now something else?"

[Darien]

Darien rolled his eyes and turned around, waiting patiently for the girl to get into her swim gear. He hadnt seen her bring anything with her, so he supposed it must be underneath what she was wearing now. He heard her tell him it was okay to look, so he turned around, grinning again as she glided toward him. He gestured by tipping his head in the direction of the bank across from them.

"That right over there. Trust me, the lake is the least of the sights to see here." He would swim over to the bank he pointed at skillfully. He knew how to swim, he was a surfer, he HAD to know how. As he reached the bank, he would take her hand and pull her the rest of the way, releasing her hand once she got to the side. The view was fantastic. if you looked down over the bank, a drop of about a thousand feet awaited you. off into the distance went the woods, and off on the horizon the moons cast a long shadow over them. The stars sparkled magnificently, adding to the beauty of it with theyre over the top performance. a Mountain loomed in the distance, and a wolfs cry could be heard echoing over the hills. The peave alone took your breath away.

He leaned in to naia's ear.

"Welcome to my little slice of heaven" He whispered.

[Naia]

"That right over there. Trust me, the lake is the least of the sights to see here." Naia chuckled softly. He seemed quite excited to have her see it, so the girl paddled after him. She could glide well enough when launching from where her feet could touch, but going through deeper water was a different story. The girl could stay afloat and move around, just not as well as Darien.

He got to the bank first and then moved back for her, taking her hand and pulling her along behind him. Naia was relieved that she had not floundered on the way to this side, it would have been very embarrassing. Climbing up onto the bank to peek at what he was pointing to, Naia's cloth undergarments clung to her slender body.

Her mind wandered back to her viper, she began to wonder where it had gotten off to. Naia's thoughts were cut off, though, as she suddenly saw the view. Her long slender fingers released his as she took it in. Far off was a mountain, and below was a magnificent forest, that seemed to glow from the moon and that stars. Peeking farther, she gripped the ground as she realized that they were reclining on a cliff, if she were to fall it would mean certain death. Raising her face to the sky, the stars reflected in her black eyes, giving them a silverish hue.

"Welcome to my little slice of heaven" Naia registered his warm breath on her ear before she registered his words. It took her a moment, because she was so enamored by what she saw. "It's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." Well, she thought it was anyway, Naia might have seen its equal before the loss of her memory, she didn't know.

"How did you find this place?" She asked as the wolf howled a second time. It must have been successful in its hunt.