Disclaimer; Aly, Jeis, and Kia belong my stupendous twinny-twin, whose birthday I simply could not wait for to write this.

Claimer; Chieko DOES belong to me. Yay!

Anthem in Gold

The moment Kia was born, Aly knew that Jeis could not be told. It pained her to do so, but she had left the Dragons with her newborn daughter and assistant, Kira, to earth. Jeis could not know. It would ruin everything that he had strived for.

She was simply looking out for her partner.

The night they left, it rained. The Black Dragon of thunder, however, was not present in the rain-making. She was instead taking shelter in the small cottage that belonged to a friend of the family, one Amaya Chieko. Chieko herself was not present, but Aly knew she wouldn't mind. She hoped, at least.

A brilliant flash of lightening woke the baby. She cried in sync with her mother. Kira didn't comfort them, though; it was not her place. She would follow Alyana Ryukuro-Nari, Black Dragon, wherever she would go, but she was not a form of comfort.

Three days into the week, and food was sparse. Kia was fussy, Aly was restless, and Kira was going insane. Their only savior was gone for Heaven knew how long, and they didn't dare emerge from the cottage. Aly knew of the subtle barrier Chieko had placed around her home. She knew it couldn't keep out one who had their mind set to get in. She also knew that, for the time being, they were locked in.

And so when the odd, colorful whisp of a girl had made her way into the cottage, cursing weakly about a ripped cloak and an idiotic lover, she was greeted with unrivaled warmth. Suffice to say, she was most definitely surprised, for it had been many, many years since she and the woman crushing the breath out of her lungs had met.

After a tearful explanation, though, when all was revealed, she was more than willing to share her abode. Not that she had a choice, nor the heart to turn a mother and child away anyway...

Becoming reattached to someone has lasting affects on the heart, and so when he eventually found them three years later, fortune had made it so that Alyana and Kia had disappeared for the day. And Chieko was free to unleash whatever irreplacable anger that had built up for the youkai. She would reveal nothing, and instead recieved a few lacerations unto her back for many inital attacks on his person. He left with a heavy heart and a wounded shoulder and Aly returned to a torn 'sister' who refused to speak.

Yet somehow, she knew.

And when, but three months later, when Chieko had left on another of her nightly escapades from the evasive 'man in black' that had captured Aly's friend's soul, his presence had made itself known in the small garden that Kira had tended.

He found her with the young hanyou girl clutched to her chest, a glare evident on her face.

For every step he took her way was one she retreated until he could only reply on his speed for proximity. She struggled, of course, but between them lay a sleeping child, their sleeping child, and so she could do nothing but stare coldly.

But when he spoke, words soft and low enough to make her legs turn to marshmallows, and when tears made themselves known to the moonlight... She could no longer speak words of refusal.

Because, in the end, their song-- their golden anthem-- was enough to remind her of the everything and nothing that they were. That he could never forget. That she had tried to.

It was all that they were.

Some say love, it is a river that drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed

- Fin -

Lyrics: The Rose, by Leanne Rhymes.

I'm not completely aware of all the facts of the Dragons, or any of WT's plans. However, if she ever writes a full story, I can officially say that I wrote her first fanfic. -fistair-
Aly is her character from our RPG. I don't expect anyone to have read this. Really. But when WT becomes a famous author, I shall be her #1 fan. Already am!
Good luck, WinterThunder!! I'm always rooting for ya! (It was such a struggle not to put any of Kishi-sensei's characters in here! XD)

-Bya