Emily stood, uncomfortably biting her lip before looking back at Mello, pulling her hood up as she did, mumbling, "Are you sure that its really ok that I go visit him?" Mello looked up at the iron archway that read "Cemetery" as if he was reassuring himself that they were at the right place before looking at her, a bit indifferent, a bit worried…for Emily and her heart as she looked at him, waiting for his answer. "It's fine. Go ahead…I'll be waiting in the car with Matt…" He muttered as he turned away, looking back and watching Emily walk away, into the graveyard as she started to look for certain headstones, apparently finding them successfully as she stopped in front of the three tombstones and pulled out a pack of incense sticks. She fumbled with the lighter that Matt gave her for a moment or two before glancing back at Mello as he joined her and gently helped her light the incense, watching her carefully deposit the sticks and offered a silent prayer to each grave. Mello looked over each headstones' inscription, quietly reading them. Lily Sharpe- loving mother, faithful wife, March 22, 1967-December 31, 1993. Arthur Sharpe- loving father, respected teacher, faithful husband, January 4, 1963- December 22, 1991. And then…
Beyond Birthday- beloved guardian, keeper of Death,? /?/? -January 21, 2004. Mello glanced at Emily as she knelt in front of this particular grave, asking her, "What was Beyond like?" Emily slowly looked up at him, smiling bitterly as she mumbled, "Mello, before you ask that, you should at least know what I know about him…and that's a long story."
"So?" "So…I guess you want to hear it…huh." "Yup." " Well…I guess…it was in…New York, I think, where I met him…since I transferred there to live my foster parents…it was winter…December, I think and maybe a few days after getting burned…I ran away from home for my first time…and that's when…I met him."
Emily closed her eyes, sighing as she let herself speak the words of her story, letting herself slip into third person as she continued…wondering if Beyond could hear her now.
Beyond Birthday stood at the entrance of an alley, wondering what Fate was planning as he spied a little girl, a child who hadn't seen her 5th summer yet, huddling in between trash cans, blowing on her hands, whimpering and quietly crying as she rubbed her arms, scratching at them through the thin fabric of her coat. He cocked an eyebrow, but he took a step towards her, taking a step as each moment passed by, took a step in her direction until he towered over her, wondering why he just didn't look at her as just a name and a life full of numbered days. That was when the girl looked up at him, her clear blue eyes reminding him of an undisturbed pond, a description contradicting the feelings and thoughts that flashed and flickered for a brief moment- thoughts and feelings that was surrounded by fear, hurt, pain…and a determination to survive, determination that glinted and glowed.
The child stared up at him, scared and yet…in awe as she ceased crying, her mouth silently agape. He looked her over coldly, surprised when she, sensing him doing so, lifted her arms from her pockets, holding them parallel to her shoulders as she turned 90 degrees, pausing before she turned 90 degrees again. He recognized this behavior right away- it was what an orphan did, hoping to be chosen because of their appearance or their health. He remained silent, as did she, as they stared at each other, the cold winter New York air causing the 4 year old's breath to come out as little white puffs as she shoved her hands into her coat's pockets, shivering and maybe whimpering as she closed her eyes, perhaps wincing as well. She reached up and cautiously took Beyond's hand, both of them unsure of her actions, both of them wondering why she wanted to hold his hand. As she reached for him, her sleeve rode up, revealing scars that almost made Beyond freeze in shock as he now knelt to her height, the child looking at the bandages that he started to unwrap, watching the gauze she had tried to swathe her arms with fall into the snow as she stared with Beyond at the scars caused by knives, glass and fire. She gazed up at him, her eyes begging him not to spare her arms another glance, that she was alright, that she only wanted someone to belong to. He sighed, wondering why he wasn't tempted to kill her, or even walk away as she hugged onto his leg, whimpering, scared as he heard a man and a woman scream at each other from the apartment far above his head.
He understood her fear immediately, knowing now that the owners of the screams had inflicted this pain on her…and now…he resolved to be the one to end that pain.
He glanced at the child, muttering, "What's your name?"
She said nothing, only looked up at him and slightly frowned, before shaking her head no when he asked, "You can't talk?" Her eyes finished the short explanation that her headshake started- "I'd talk if I wasn't afraid."
Strangely, he found himself understanding the child, knowing that at times, he'd been too afraid to talk, to reveal just how smart he was, to reveal himself to the other children at Wammy's…this girl was just like him…. Still…she was only an innocent child…someone to remain nameless until her time to shine came.
Beyond sighed and muttered "I'll call you 'Nameless' for now, then…." He patted her head and, against his better judgment, picked her up, shocked as the girl snuggled into his chest, sighing as she held onto him, her hands reaching up to touch his face and to pat his shoulder, almost as if she was trying to comfort HIM. Beyond looked at her, still surprised as he felt his mouth's corners pull up and quirk into an awkward smile, amazed that the girl returned the smile before she yawned and let her blue eyes close as she snuggled into him some more, sighing as she molded into this arms perfectly. She was as weak , as gentle and as small as a little porcelain doll, her black hair forming loose ringlets around her milky face as she looked like an angel…all while snow fell. Beyond knew that the snowflakes should be cold…but he felt nothing but the little girl in his arms…He smiled again, staring down at the exhausted girl, muttering, "You deserve to sleep, Nameless. Don't worry…I'll make everything ok for you..." His grip tightened around the girl as he mumbled, determined, "I promise, Nameless- you're going to be ok…"