[Azura Rayume]

Invisible airwaves crackle with life.
Light and ten-don fizzle with the energy.

His voice revererated off the the brilliant walls. The occasionaly passerby turned to look at him, curious.

All this machinery, making modern music
Can still be open-hearted.

Sapphire clawed paws danced on the rim of the great fountian, singing weaving beautifully with the soft spash of water into the basin.

One likes to believe in the freedom of music,
But glittering prices and endless compromises
Shatter the illusion of integrety, yeh!

He hummed along with every musical interlude, eyes closed beneath the stark white mask that matched the marble city wonderfully. His head bobbed in time, tail swishing like a metronome.

Any onlooker would have guessed that the creature was perfectly content, maybe ever overjoyed. But deep down, Valjean was extremely depressed.

The song ended and switched to a more mellow track, better reflecting his mood. Ever since Robin, his quirky Kuhna assistant, had gone to that family reunion with her father, he hadn't been quite the same. To be quite honest, he missed her more than he'd ever missed anyone in his life.

I walk this lonely street,
On the boulevard of broken dreams.
As the city sleeps
And I'm the only one.
I walk alone.

[MythicDusk]

Arwen

Gentle paws stepping across the pale city, heading towards the fountain. There might actually be shadows there. Walking was taking too long, her eyes were beginning to burn. She rolled into a ball slightly and began to do what was in her species name. Roll. Once she arrived at the fountain, she looked up at a Palowokee, she had heard of these creatures, just never seen them.

She winced away from the glaring white mask, her ears laying back and her lip pulling back in a faint snarl. Shew then sighed slightly, spying no shadows, she sat in the small shadow of the fountain. Not that it stopped the burning any. The biolune markings across her bod glew lightly as she winced away from the pain of the sun. Mabye it was a bad idea coming out of her shack to see the big world, as Akkia had put it. But, she had to hand it to the kid. She was right. The place was big.

[Azura Rayume]

My shadow's the only one who walks beside me.
My shadow heart's the only thing that's beating.
Sometimes I wi-

Valjean's singing stopped for a moment. A curious look crossed his face (not that anyone could see it because of his mask) as he noticed a small figure move just off to his right.

He lept gracefully from the fountian's lip, making his way toward the cowering form. He was close enough now to see that it was a Biolune Rollaby. It was strange to see such a creature out in daylight, espcially in such a place as this. He'd only met a few of these pets, and that was in the confines of a crowded rave.

"Hey," he muttered, grinning slightly behind his mask. He hoped his attitude was friendly enough to convey the grin. Curse this stupid mask he was stuck with! It mad meeting people all to difficult. He dimmed his music to a soft hum in the background of the fountian's splashing so he could hear when the creature responded.

[MythicDusk]

Arwen looked up at him, and then winced away, snorting. "Anywhere with Shade, of what you know of?" Her dark, smoggy voice was something that you would of expected of a creature that knew what was in store for her. Her eyes were dark, and she seemed to of lost all hope. Knowing what type of foul creature she was to turn into. She snuggled against the wall of the fountain, trying her hardest to snuggle into the comforting coolness of the shadows. But failing miserably.

[Azura Rayume]

"Hm..." That sure was an odd way to start any conversation. He'd just said a simple "hey." She seemed depressed for some reason, which was also very odd. All the Biolunes at home were so happy and full of life, but this one... she seemed different.

Valjean sat back on his haunches, head tiletd to one side, tail curled around his paws. For a moment, he considered trying that mental telepathy his kind was supposed to have. He immidiatly tossed out the idea. That would invade her personal space far more than he was willing to do. And if she didn't want him to know, she wouldn't say when he asked. "What's wrong?" He voiced the question, a bit satisfied. He perfered this mode of communication than the invasion telepathy invited.

[MythicDusk]

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She scoffed, her small cheek pressing against the white marble. Her back turned to the creature. "How would you act if you knew you were going to be given to Einsor for his experimentations?" Arwen said quietly. Her eyes clouded and gazing at the small shroud of darkeness she had. Every hour of wating was torture. She slowly looked up at the creature. "Sorry, I'm just a bit hot, and it hurts." She sighed lightly. "Could you direct me to the nearest shadowy alleyway, please?" Her voice dripping with venom as her eyes contained daggers. She wasn't really asking anymore, she was demanding.

[Azura Rayume]

Ah! Einsor would explain everything. Any pet destined for that man's cruel techniques was certainly entitled to be downtrodden. "I'm sure I'd act in a similar way to you, my dear." He let the gentelmanly way he usually had slip into his voice again. "As for shade, I don't know of much in this place. It's almost bright enough to make me miss the darkness of that party I attended last night." He shuddered to remember the deranged man who had pursued him through the streets half past midnight, swinging an empty ale tankard as a weapon. "Almost. You could walk in my shadow until we find a cool building for you to spend the day in."

[MythicDusk]

Arwen was then taken aback. He wanted to help her? She shrugged and nodded lightly. "Alright, but just until we find somewhere for me to rest for the day, at night, I'm going." She said simply, slowly standing and wincing at the glaring sun. Then seating herself back in the shadows. Noticing people were looking at her strangley. Noticing there was no hope in her eyes. she knew she could travel to the deepest parts of Basantha, the dankest caverns, the deepest corners of Tengel, and her owners would find her. She would be dragged to Einsor and she would become a fungal rollaby wether she liked it or not.
Her life would be snatched away, wether she liked it or not.

[Azura Rayume]

Valjean shrugged. "Whatever you say." He positioned himself so that the little Rollaby was neary completely in his shadow. He shot her a sideways glance and smiled to himself. Maybe she wouldn't be so brooding if he tried to cheer her up.

"You know, Einsor can't change who you are. Just what you look like. One of the biggest party animals I've ever met was a Biolune Rollaby like you. Then his human, selfish man that he was, took him to Einsor to make him a Fungal Rollaby. He came back two weeks later, still the life of the party. Sure, he was bigger, but that meant he could dance with more people. He didn't change on bit on the inside, just the outside." He gave a light laugh at the story. Yes, Bernard... That crazy oaf was now a big crazy oaf. "i heard he'll be coming to live with us... I mean, me... soon. Maybe you can meet him then."

[MythicDusk]

Arwen snorted slightly. "But he can change peoples perceptions of me. People see a battleheart, no matter what there like on the inside, there just a creature drenched in blood on the outside. People see a Hollowheart wondering beside it and they wonder why they haven't got anti-bite masks on, why there acting so...so...so....Brotherly towards eachother." She sighed lightly. "So if someone sees a fungal rollaby, there instinct is to chain to the ground and ask questions later." Arwen continued to walk in the palowokee's shadow. Trying to think of other examples from the cove. "Then, it comes to Akkia, the girl deserves better. she has needlemarks up her arm, tranqs. People mistake her for a drug addict and shun her. She deserves so much better."

Arwen sighed again, her shadowy fur twisting in the sligh breeze. Wondering how long the sun would stay up. Wondering how long it was until she could go home.

[Azura Rayume]

"I've met quite a few who think that way." He chuckeled lightly. "Then again, we do have a group of Battlehearts who've made it their mission to kill ideals like that one. Allanon, their leader, adopted a young Hollowheart that the war had orphaned. Havoc's good-natured toward everyone now, even Battlehearts, even though the other dragons killed his family."

Something in the conversation triggered a memory of something Azura had been talking to Havoc about one day. "I heard two of the Peppermint kids started a group for pets like Bernard and Havoc and the Battlehearts. 'Pelt Is Not Destiny,' or something like that. They try and show people that the personality doesn't have to corrospond with the appearance."

[MythicDusk]

"Good for them" She grumbled lightly. Her footsteps were silent as she listened to the gentle music that swelled around the earphones. It must be nice to sleep to. She thought to herself, the music swelling within you, wrapping around your form, rocking you to sleep with its tempo, beat and gentle words. Spiking emotions. She sighed to herself lightly, then looking back up at the glittering mask of Valjean. She sighed again, letting the long, drawn out, gust of breath fall onto her shadowy paws. "I've been rude." She said simply, her cyan eyes looking away from the glittering white mask with a hefty wince. "My name is Arwen." She said gently. Her old, calm, wise and motherly tone entering her voice, after years of hollowness.

[Azura Rayume]

Ah! A name! "Arwen, hm? That's a beautiful name." Valjean nodded, more to himself than the Rollaby. "I don't believe I introduced myself either. My name is Valjean. Now, could you tell me something, Arwen?" He'd finally noticed a chance to hit on his favorite subject. She'd been bobbing along to the music that thrummed dully in his headphones just now. "Do you have a song you like? I'll play it for you if I know it."

[MythicDusk]

"Erm." Arwen said gently, unsure of the question for a second. "Barrowland Ballroom by Amy MacDonald?" She questioned. Shy had always made her listen to it, always made her listen to the scottish woman's husky voice, cheering out the words with glee. Arwen continued to walk in his shadow, every step was careful, as if the ground would snap open and eat her whole at any second.
At least thats how it felt.

[Azura Rayume]

"Interesting choice. Luckily, I've got a collection of Celtic style music." He closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating on the song. The current music stopped abruptly, then changed to the one his new little friend had requested.

His eyes flashed open again, and he looked down at her, again wishing he could have the blasted mask removed so she could see his toothy grin. Maybe he should invest some time into trying to figure out the whole "human form" thing...

"Did I get it right?"