• Ai skipped through the village of Glasswater, in reference to the crystal clear lakes around it in various places. Her long blonde tresses bounced against her shoulders, the green gown she wore swayed from side to side. Embroidered in it were pink flowers, and her waist and for arms were belted with golden braids. Dried daises were woven into her braid, her lips painted pale pink as usual. A silken green necklace from the Bards hung around her neck, various green beads extending from it. From her ears hung red gems, and as she skipped and spun they sparkled in the sun.
    She sang about her appointment with a childhood friend in Latin, speaking about his long journey away from home, and how she longed for his embrace once again. Many a man swooned as she walked by, her beautiful voice carrying across the village. Her pan flute hung at her side on golden braid, her lute strung to her back with leather.
    She found the cafe Ion had mentioned in his letter, a small little place were most of the market men took rest and drank their fill. She scanned the crowd content to find Ion, her eyes staring at each and every face. A waitress came to her, and spoke kindly.
    "A man has requested you be seated with him milady, is that alright?" She asked Ai, smiling and bowing slightly in respect to Ai's status. She was well respected among the woman, as a way of repaying her for taking the men off their hands after their work was done.
    Ai tilted her head to the side, as a waitress spoke to her kindly. Her ears twitched, listening contently as the woman spoke. She walked with the waitress as she was lead to the table, her lips pursed as she tried to be quiet and respectful among the rows of village people.
    A few said hello, knowing Ai from the various market places she liked and from listening to her music. She had been taught by a bard, so many came to watch her on the hills in the morning. Her eyes darted to the side, a familiar aura catching her senses. They widened at the site of her friend, Ion.
    He was perched upon his chair with dignity as always, his high standard among the villagers making him more apparent. Only now he was much older, more handsome, more mature than from when they were just children. Both had been off studying. Ion with the mage's and wizards so he could perfect his already wondrous manipulation skills at the time, and Ai with the bards so her time would not be spent only longing for Ion to return. Even then, she returned a full two years before Ion had.
    She bowed her thanks to the waitress, sitting down at the table. She blinked, her lips parted slightly. She was at a loss of words, she'd almost forgotten what Ion had looked like. Even now, that didn't matter. They were both almost adults, and they'd both changed since before. Ai's long blond hair grew even longer, her chest began to fill out, and her curves started to take place. Although, as her body matured, her cheeks still remained full and childish. Her mother often teased her, and said she looked much like a squirrel. Ion, on the other hand, had grown up much more quickly. His face had grown handsome in his manhood, his height now towering above Ai's. His muscles were apparent beneath his clothes. The only thing that resembled his childhood in him that Ai could recall, were his mischievous and playful eyes. She wondered if her eyes had stayed the same too.
    Now she started to feel embarrassed, she was gawking at him, scanning his body without saying a word. He probably thought she was weird, or maybe she had grown mute as she grew up. She parted her lips to speak, but words could not escape, at least not the ones she wanted to tell him.
    She blinked, mouth gaping like a fool. Her eyes watered and she started to cry hard, her eyes covered by her fists as she wiped the tears away. She couldn't help it, she was a child at heart. "You're r-really back." She managed, breathing in sharply over and over, sort of in hiccups. "You came back t-to me." Ai cried to him. People turned their heads, for many had never seen tears from Ai's eyes, or heard sobs from her. They'd only seen smiles and had only heard sweet songs of the blue jays and dandelions. She only cried in secret. Not even her mother knew she wept every night in her bedroom, longing for the return of Ion. Waiting for the return of her best friend, and her first true love.
    She looked up at him, and he smiled kindly, his chin resting in his palm as he stared at Ai. She blushed when he extended his free arm forward and brushed a tear away from her eye with his thumb. Ion smiled warmly, blinking slow and handsomely as he looked at Ai, and they stared into each others eyes for a while in the reunion.
    "It's nice to see you, you've grown up into a beautiful young woman." Ion smiled, chuckling as he brought his hand back. He slouched a little, giving off more of a homey feeling than the hard feeling of a straight back and cold stare.
    "You too." Ai smiled, blushing and looking to the side. She tucked her hair behind her ear. Ion chuckled, and she immediately knew why. "Not into a woman! I mean you're really handsome." She blushed dark red, realizing she was standing up and shouting indignantly. Everyone chuckled and she sat down, embarrassed.
    Ion leaned forward again and wiped the paint from her lips, his touch making Ai melt a little inside. She stared at him sleepily, blinking and wondering what he was doing. "You don't need make-up, you're flawless." He grinned and stood up. He was even taller than she expected, so she stood up slowly. He looked down at her and smirked, trying not to laugh as she blinked up at him. "How tall are you?"
    Ai felt embarrassed, she'd already made a fool of herself and they'd only been together two minutes. Ion lifted her chin and smiled. "Come on now." He spoke kindly, and Ai's lips opened a little, trying to say something. Again though, the words she wanted to tell him could not be found. He smiled kindly, taking her hand and walking her away from the cafe.
    She followed him, and everything around her seemed to stop. She could only hear the sound of his feet on the clay as they ran, hand in hand, one behind the other. Her memory shifted the scene to when they were young. To when Ion was ten and Ai was six. The year before he had left, and when they had played together. They would run hand in hand like this, Ai always had been slower than Ion, and always shorter. She pictured them as children again, and her eyes began to water. Ion looked back at her, and she was his face as it was ten years ago. He smiled and his eyes shut tight, like always. His laugh rang through her ears, and she smiled through her tears. Caught up in the happiness of the moment, she didn't realize they were on the hill underneath the peach tree where they had met. Ion pulled her hand back behind him, pulling her close as he leaned over her. She was brought up by his arm around her waist, and their lips pressed together. She closed her eyes, her body going limp as he held her.
    "Ai?" He spoke softly to her as their lips parted. His forehead rested against hers and she blushed, still wobbly in his arms. He pulled her head into his chest and embraced her. Ai wrapped her arms around him and smiled, rubbing her cheek on his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I love you."
    Ai smiled, and closed her eyes tight. The words she had been longing to tell him finally became clear to her, and she parted her lips. "I love you too." She grinned.