~~~Marion~~~
As the sun goes down...

I gulped nervously, as one of the Garuda - I've forgotten his name - had asked me to come to the roof. I've asked Adalia if it would be a good idea.

"I dunno... he looks okay to me." There was a small hint that she knew what I actually had in mind - a small hint that looked like something between pleasure and happiness.

It was the way he was looking at me. I know that look - the nervousness, the anxiety, and a really small hint of flushing on his face - and could it be... that he is...

He pulled the door to the roof open, letting in warm air into their stairway. It was quite pleasant.

"Are you her sister?" he asked, as we walked side by side towards the rooftop. By now, I found myself blushing, and was convinced that I was actually bisexual rather than homosexual like I had suspected earlier.

"No... she's just a friend." I then recalled how she was the first person I met upon dropping into this world, and the night after the Ninetails fight. "One of my best friends," I added in a whisper. He said nothing, and walked to the middle of the roof and sat down, his wings still.

"Tomorrow starts a harsh morning of training," he began. "Mmost likely it won't even be dawn when you start. Obstacle courses, sparing matches, endurance runs - you can expect each one of these before you get your wings." I looked at him, mouth slightly agape. Did he just said "before you get your wings"? At this, he grinned and flapped his wings slightly. "You don't think you can beat the Naga with out a temporary form of these do you?" He asked.

I said nothing and just stared towards the distance of the Naga's palace. I sighed. "We have been through so much, I figured I might actually be home by now." As I said this, I realized that I have almost forgot what my home looks like. The place... and the faces... I can't seem to remember them at the moment.

Life way back when I was Faiz.

There was a silence before the Garuda nudged me. "I bet this doesn't happen at home." He pointed to the sky as the sun disappeared over the horizon line. There were small ribbons of what I assume was mana appearing in the sky above the town; it was a colourful ribbon of colours of the rainbow, constantly changing from time to time.

"It's amazing..." I gasped.

I then felt his hand touching my cheek, turning\my head away so that I was facing him. He was smiling. "It's the best place to see it, I usually come up here alone at night." He explained, looking straight into my eyes as he said this. "You are the first person I have ever brought up here." He seems to hesitate, before he moved close towards my face.

I then realized what he was doing. He was going to kiss me.

"Um…" I began, pulling myself away from him as I looked up for the right thing to say. He seems to be hurt by this. "I… I think… don't you think this is a little… too sudden?"

He seem to be even more hurt. "Why?" He asked. "Is it because we are different? Is that it? You can't accept my kind?"

"No, no… it's not that… it's just…" My eyes were cast downward towards the floor; I can't look at him right now, not with that hurt look on his face. "It's just that there's this someone… and...…" I know I have said enough. "I… I need to go to bed…" I rushed past him, avoiding his eyes.

"But Marion… I…" the words were cut off as I closed the door behind me. I momentarily slumped against a floor, before I slowly made my way back to my room, laid myself on the bed - before noticing that Adalia was gone.

I sighed, and wondered if I what tomorrow would bring; there's the training thing, and then… he would be there as well… Perhaps… perhaps I should ask Adalia about this tomorrow. Or maybe Moswen… no, that'd be out of the question.

It took me a while, but finally, I fell into a dreamless, fitful sleep.

It was later when I'd wake up that I remembered that I never caught the name of the Garuda.