There are many things that all men, women, children and creatures can see. These things unknowingly unite them. In one way or another, simple acts of seeing the same moon, of feeling the same warmth of the sun's rays on your arms, unites us.
The sky is one of those things. It can be a beautiful sunset-painted sky, or a stormy grey one. It can be a serenely calm blue sky, or a mass of cloudy swirls.
The sky's appearance varies wherever it is, but it is still one part of a whole.
It leaves a question in some minds - if the sky we see is part of a whole, what does the whole look like? Is it as beautiful as this? Could it be darkly angry, or tranquilly peaceful? Could it have gigantic clouds hanging there, moving with the wind? If the part of the sky that we see is part of a whole, are we part of a greater whole?
Who is to say that we are not?
By watching the sky, you can understand life and love and happiness.
Life can not always be calm, like the dusk of day's end is. Sometimes it will be chaotic, like skies in a storm.
But the sky is meant as the painting of the heavens, and many like to study this painting.
On a calm autumn's day, this is the case ...
A small red-haired girl is laying in a pile of multi-colored leaves, staring at the sky. She's wearing a pale blue blouse, and black pants. Scarlet hair spreads out around her small form, as her ruby eyes scour the skies.
All is silent, peaceful.
The girl stares intently at something in the heavens that is visible only to her. She chews her lower lip, and hums a wordless tune.
"Lina! Suppertime!" A voice breaks the stillness, the tranquility.
"Coming in a minute Mom." The redheaded girl calls out, and starts to get up. In mid-action, she stops. Something seems to hold her there, and she looks at the sky for one last moment before getting up entirely, and heading inside to her food.
Behind her, on the pile of leaves is a note, perhaps forgotten.
Perhaps not.
For the note tells the story of a death of one very well loved. The death of the Lord Nikos of the Clan Inverse, beloved husband and father of two daughters.
It is well-worn, and dated back two years. If you look closely enough you can see the places where ink must have run from tears. Where ink still runs from tears that came today.
4 years later
In a forest on a crispy cold autumn morning, 3 voices could be heard.
The owners of these voices were very dissimilar in appearance. One was a tall man, with long blond hair, bright blue eyes and a muscular build. He wore blue armor and a sword hung at his hip. Obviously a swordsman. Next to him, a young girl wearing white travelling clothes with the seal of the Royal House of Sailuun on her wrists and necklace - a Solomon's Seal. She had the zest of life in her step, and her raven locks swung about her head as energetically as she moves. The last of their party who walked slightly ahead of them was by far the strangest. He wore beige travelling clothes, plain except for the fact that they showed signs of much use. He, like the blond-haired man, kept a sword by his side, but it was not as much a part of him as on the other. A hood shadowed his face from view, but if you looked closely enough, you would be able to see blue skin and stones. He was shorter than the other man, but taller than the girl, if only barely. He moved with an air of purpose, every step proclaimed determination.
"Are you sure that she's here, Gourry?" The man with stone skin asked in a voice devoid of emotion.
"Well, Lina did say that she was just going for a walk. Since we've already looked everywhere else, she has to be here, right?" The tall swordsman replied. His voice was warm and happy; innocnt.
"Why did Lina-san leave anyway?" The girl asked.
Gourry answered. "She said that today was a special day for her. She didn't mention why though. I hope she's okay."
"I'm sure she's fine." Zelgadis said gruffly.
The trio moved along the path that wound through the forest silently, occasionally calling out for Lina.
They found her in a small clearing.
She was wearing a different outfit than usual.
Gone was the sorceress' travelling garb, here was the clothing of a young girl that fit the person who wore them. She wore a simple white shift with a black belt cinched around a small waist. Her arms were without sleeves and although it was a cold day, she seemed not to notice the chill.
She was laying on her back, the floor carpeted by many-colored leaves. Her flame colored hair surrounded her, making it seem as though she were bathing in fire.
She was staring at he sky. In her hands was a faded and tattered piece of paper and a single perfect diamond.
"Lina-san?" Amelia tentatively called.
Lina didn't answer.
"Lina-san, what's wrong?" Amelia and the others walked nearer, and stood over their friend.
To their extreme surprise, they saw faint tear tracks running down her cheeks.
Barely moving her mouth, Lina spoke in a voice none there recognized.
"My father used to love watching the sky. He would sit outside for hours, just staring up up up. He loved to see how the sky changed. How much it changed every minute. He would pick out pictures in the clouds, such beautiful pictures. He delighted in stormy nights when rain fell. He loved to watch the lightning strike. He used to stare into that empty blueness at midday. He would stare at the stars and the moon at night.
"Every year, we would come outside together. Every Autumn, we would sit outside, just watching the sky till day died and even then well into the night. Watching the sky. It was the one day no one could intrude upon.
"One Autumn we stopped watching the sky together. I was alone in doing that."
"Why Lina-san?" Amelia asked gently.
"Because he went away to a place where he could be where he always watched. He visits every year on our special day though. Just wait. The time's coming soon. Watch, and wait."
The two swordsmen and the girl exchanged a worried glance. Lina just wasn't making any sense.
But they sat down anyway, and stared at the sky. The would have to wait before going, because everyone knew that you could never force Lina into doing something she didn't want to do unless you brought her sister into it. Or slugs.
They waited for 15 minutes, and Zelgadis was beginning to get bored, when Lina said.
"Look!"
The sky was lit up like a thousand suns.
It lasted for a single second, and then faded away as abruptly as it came.
"That was beautiful." There was awe in Amelia's voice. Lina smiled beautifully.
"Father changes it every year. But he always does something. We can go now."
The four friends left the clearing, to continue with their travels.
Now, every year on Autumn's day, they meet and lay together on the ground, looking at the sky.