Coming Home, Well, Sort Of Home (Death)

[Miss Fifi]

Axel violently kicked the door open, almost making it fly off the hinges with his force. He had Miriel in tow, not sure where else to take her. When they had been walking down the dark, shadowy stone hallway, all of the guards had turned to look at Miriel with suspicion and amazement. It's as if they've never seen a new guardian before, he thought. Stepping in, he inhaled deeply and swatted at the cobweb that was forming next to the door. The space was so bleak, so depressing; he loved it. It allowed him to feel miserable without having any contradicting emotions.

Pieces of broken glass lay on the floor against the wall from when he had thrown the bottle against it in angst. He had no intention of picking it up. With a sigh, he slumped down into the red lounge sofa that lay against a brick wall. It was the only decent piece of furniture in the entire room. The room was mostly empty except for the chair, a glass cabinet, a piano covered with a white canvas, and an empty bookshelf. There was nothing on the floor except hard cobblestone, and the walls were dusty and dank. He felt it was the perfect place for someone of his disposition to call home, even if it wasn't really a home.

He was just about ready to crash when suddenly he remembered that he had brought Miriel with him. He beckoned her in with a meer wave of his hand, not caring enough to actually look and see if she was there. Too much socializing drained him. The only thing he hated more than Raphael was other people.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel walked in, trying to ignore the stares of the guards. "You would think I had grown another head." She thought as she looked straight ahead, to Axel's back. The place seemed to be well kept, neat and elegant, yet not over done. A slight smile came to her lips. Yes, she could get used to this place. As they took a turn into another room Miril's mouth almost dropped at the stark contrast. Axel..room seemed empty, wanting. "it almost reflects his spirit.. actually it does the job quiet well" Her eyes lingered on the broken glass for a moment, and then the piano. There was a thick layer of dust on the piano cover. Everything about the place seemed harsh and cold, yearning for a different life. "Quite a place you have here." She said softly as she pulled the piano bench out a bit and sat down on it. The place seemed to echo, "death, emptiness, sorrow, pain.." over and over again. How could Axel stand to live in such a place? 'Do you play?" She sensed that Axel didn't really want to talk to much, but she couldn't help herself. The piano had to be here for some reason.

[Miss Fifi]

Axel rolled over on the lounger, his arm dangling over the edge. Smirking, he replied, "I have a feeling this isn't your type of place." With a grunt, he forced himself out of the comfy sofa. He plodded over toward the piano, his heavy footsteps echoing around the room. His wings were folded tightly against his back as he stood beside the piano bench. His fingers ran over where the keys would be if they weren't covered by the canvas. "...Used to," he replied hesitantly with a distant look in his eye. Carefully he sat down beside Miriel on the bench. It creaked with protest.

"I haven't, however. Not for a while..." He hadn't really considered the fact that he had just sat down beside Miriel without another thought. He hoped she wouldn't think anything of it. He clutched the canvas in his fist and yanked it off, letting it fall onto the floor. The piano beneath it was ivory white, the keys slightly yellowed with age. His fingers hovered over an octave until he tentatively laid his fingers down in the place of a C minor. The tune was still perfect, as it had always been. It seemed like it had been preserved for as long as it had been sitting in this corner. Even he did not know how long that had been. It had been here when he was first appointed from a seemingly anonymous donor. Moving his left hand up to the keys, he began to play a familiar melody. It was slow, melancholy, and seemed to hold the past of this room with every note. He couldn't remember the last time he had sat down and actually played, being able to feel the emotions behind the song. He closed his eyes, losing himself in the music. He remembered his instructor always scolding him about that. He was always told that he delved too deep into a song, hearing what wasn't there. He didn't care what anyone else said. He knew what he felt, and music was the only thing that he still held on to from his past. Nothing else was worth keeping.

[»Míríel«]

miriel glanced at Axel as he sad by her, but she didn't think about it. As his fingers began to move along the keys, the grace and precision surprised Miriel. He was so gentle, so kind, yet firm with the keys. Perhaps the piano was pulling out a different Axel than the world knew of. Feeling and emotion seemed to pour out of Axel soul, and find wings with the music.

Her blue eyes searched his face, it had relaxed and was smooth. Every harsh curve, every haunted look had vanished. He seemed like a young boy, innocent. How different he might have been if life hadn't treated him so harshly. As her eyes drifted back to the piano she herself closed her eyes. her mind seemed to be taken back, though the music was melancholy, it brought happy memories. Perhaps this was because the music was mourning for times, memories, that had passed and never could be recovered.

A faint smile played on her lips as memories played in her head. She couldn't speak, not now. The music was to moving, to beautiful to stop. Axel seemed to be pouring out his soul, and it was mystifying.

[raphael]

Raphael stomped down the hallway angrily, not even acknowledging the guards that stood posted there. He didn't care about any of them; his eyes were filled with fury for only one person. He noticed the door was already open, a giant, muddy footprint permanently pressed into it. "Careless," he muttered. A sound of a piano sadly playing made him stop a few feet from the threshold. Was Axel actually playing again? He hadn't heard that for years. He was surprised Axel still knew how to play. Quietly he peeked around the doorway, seeing black wings on the bench. No question about who that was. What shocked him, however, was the small frame of a girl with long, light blonde hair.

He took a double take, not believing his eyes. Miriel!? What could he possibly be doing in here with Miriel? Something didn't seem right about the entire situation. He would have marched right in and put an end to this, but the music made him stop. This was the only time he ever saw the gentle side of Axel's twisted soul. It was a rare enough sight that he decided to stay back, if only for a few moments. It seemed as though Miriel was plenty content where she was.

Axel continued on, his fingers coming down on the keys fiercely. The melody picked up speed, became more frightened and rushed. The melancholy and sorrowful elements were still fully in sight. It was just displayed in quite a different matter. It was as if everything was rushed, nothing would slow down. His fingers almost couldn't keep up as they went flying up and down the entire length of the keyboard with subtle glissandos and trills alike.

He was pouring all of his anger and frustration into how he ran his fingers with experience along the 88 keys. Something about it was almost frightening, the way he played with such passion and anger. But it was Axel; his very essence was full of anger and passion. As the piece came to a slower ending, Axel glanced up at the ceiling of this stark space, the frustration showing clearly on his face. It ended with a deep chord, and the trailing off of lighter, quiet notes. Axel could think of no words to explain to Miriel what he had just done. He truly didn't think he should explain anything to her. Leaning back on the bench, he stretched his fingers and then looked at her. Noticing her light smile, he smirked and asked, "What are you smiling about?"

((Finishing here, this post is way too long XD))

[»Míríel«]

Miriel looked at Axel with the light smile turning into a crooked one. "You just play with such passion, it is breathtaking." She smiled at him before her gaze turned to the piano. She touched one of the keys and it's note rang out pure and beautiful. "Makes me wish I could play." She laughed gently as she released the note. Axel had definitely opened up while he played. Perhaps this was how Axel really talked or told his story. Not through words, but through musical notes. The white piano seemed a stark contrast to everything else in the room, and she was slightly amused at the color. She wondered who gave him such a piano.

She had a feeling that she was being watched by someone, or that someone else was nearby. "A funny thought, this whole place is crawling with guards.." She smiled at her foolish thought. Or was it so foolish?

[Miss Fifi]

Axel just stared at Miriel as she commented about his playing. He wasn't one who got many compliments, so he often didn't know what to do with them when he did recieve them. Smirking, he said, "Perhaps you can. I-" He cut off as he felt something, or someone, standing behind him. He stood up and whipped his head around, his fierce gaze meeting the eyes of Raphael. He gritted his teeth in anger and yelled, "And how long were you planning on just standing there?"

Raphael was shocked at Axel's sudden anger. That man's mood could change on a dime, though it was probably mostly his fault. He just answered as calmly as he could, "Until you tell me what you were thinking."

Axel's eyes widened. "What I was thinking is that, unlike you have ever done, I took some action and did what I felt was best!"

Raphael gave him a critical look. "I don't exactly trust your judgement."

Axel's nostrils flared. "Look-" He was cut off by a booming against his chest. Throwing his hands up, he exclaimed, "Oh, wonderful!" He glared at Raphael and then looked back at Miriel. "Get her out of here."

With a look of frustration, Raphael sighed and said, "Okay. Miriel, if you would..." He didn't wait for an answer, taking her gently by the hand and leading her out of the stark room into the hallway. He nodded to Axel and then proceeded to pull the door closed, leaving it slightly ajar.

Without anyone else in the same space, it was much easier to focus on the task at hand. With his scythe in his hand, the black shadowy hands extended from within him, traveling miles and miles off into the distant deserts...

[»Míríel«]

Miriel looked at Axel as he offered to teach her. But just as her ever present smile was forming on her lips, the mood in the room suddenly changed. Before she knew what happened she somehow came from the piano bench to outside of the room. "What.. What is going on?" She turned to Raphael and took her hand out of his. "Is Axel alright?" Her eyes were wide with confusion, what was going on. It was as if, for once, Raphael and Axel had actually worked together for a split second, both understood what Axel was about to do, but Miriel, well Miriel was quite lost. Looking around her at the guards that were staring at the two, not quite sure what to take of this young girl that they had never seen before, who was by Raphael. Her head cocked slightly to the side as she gazed at Raphael, a look of questioning on her brow. One hand rested on her hip, and the other she rested on her sword hilt. Not threateningly, just in a relaxed way, for it was actually a quite comfortable position. "What is this place?" She said quietly.

[Miss Fifi]

Raphael gave Miriel a tired smile. "You see, my dear, he didn't want you to be frightened by what it is he has to do. It is a bit of an unnerving sight, seeing him take a soul..." Sighing, he began to pace outside of the chamber as the aura suddenly went dark past the door. "It's begun, he should be finished in a short time." One of the guards kept staring at Miriel, looking her up and down. Raphael struck him with a pinch of electricity, and the guard straightened out. Smirking, he answered her, "This, my dear, is another universe entirely. It is the home of the Guardians, so now it is your home too. Don't worry, you won't have to share a room with anyone. You'll have a place to call your own." He smiled brightly, obviously glad that it was she Axel had chosen to press his judgement on.

There was absolutely no movement in the pitch black tunnel. The spirit that sat beside him was whimpering and whining, her voice choked and devastated. "I...I didn't deserve this! I was just trying to help him, and he ripped me apart! Wh-why?! Why!!!" She was howling with anguish.
Axel laid a hand on her soft fur, trying to comfort her. "Some things.. They simply go unexplained. But I'm afraid you must accept what has happened, for I tell you, beyond this tunnel... That's where your true life awaits." His eyes were soft, not wanting to frighten her.
She snorted in her wolf-like way, glancing up at his scarlet eyes. "[-I suppose you're right... That world, it didn't have much to offer me to begin with. Yes. I'm ready."
Just as she said that, the tunnel went flying by at a blinding speed, until she suddenly vanished into the light. Axel braced himself for the impact as he was flown back through the tunnel, back into his chamber.

He grunted as he was tossed onto the ground. He could never manage a graceful ending. He noticed Miriel and Raphael standing out in the hallway, so after adjusting himself, he stumbled out to the threshold. His gaze shifted between the two, till it rested on Miriel. "Sorry I had to toss you out like that. Not sure if you would have wanted to see what just passed." A hint of amusement was dancing in his normally foreboding, frightening eyes.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel looked at Raphael and her gaze lingered on the door for a moment, but she did not look in. If Raphael was right about this, than she probably shouldn't, not yet at least. So her yes turned from the door to Raphael, a smile came to her lips. She ignored the looks that the guard was giving her, and kept to the conversation. "So this is the place everyone used to talk about... I heard something about a council being held here, but I never expected it being in a different universe!" when he mentioned a room to herself her eyes widened slightly. She hadn't had an actual room for a good while. Her eyes gleamed as she said with child like excitement, "Really?"

Then Axel appeared out of the room, causing their attention to switch to him. A slight nodd answered his apology, "I don't know if i did either.' She smiled at him.

[Miss Fifi]

Raphael smiled with amusement at her childlike excitement. "Yes, of course." He gave Axel a look that hinted something, and Axel nodded slightly in reply. "Perhaps we should go there now..?" Axel began to walk down the shadowy halls, and Raphael beckoned for her to follow.

Axel stalked down the hallways, his eyes straight ahead with a blank expression. He was trying to sense for something that would give off a light aura. He stopped abruptly, making Raphael almost slam into his backside. He whipped around and narrowed his eyes at him. Raphael took a step back, his hands held up in defense. Axel rolled his eyes and tapped the blade of his scythe against the wall. The sound that returned was like the knocking on a wooden door, which is exactly what appeared. "Hm. Interesting," Axel muttered, mostly to himself. His hand gripped the knob and turned, pushing the door open with ease.

Raphael glanced back at Miriel and took a step back, giving her room to enter the room. "Welcome home," he said happily.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel glanced at the two and wondered what was going on for a second. What had xel found, but then before her eyes a door materialized from the wall. When Axel opened it and Raphael welcomed her in her eyes grew wide. This was definitely amusing. Her feet took a step than another, until she stepped inside the room.