((Note: This post was made possible by the Amazing Fiona! Thanks!))

It had been early in the morning when Nikia had spotted the blackened ruins of what had once been her home on the horizon line. Once she did, she had balked, slowed her pace. Now that it was in sight....she wasn't sure that she wanted to go. That she was willing to see the aftermath. But she did eventually quicken her pace, the distance between them disappearing as they traveled closer. When they reached the charred outskirts of the town, Nikia finally came to a complete stop, and stared at the few shallow husks of houses that had managed to stand, even after the fire had blazed through them. There were simple signs that showed how Nature was taking back what it had lost. Random weeds were sprouted up here and there, along with other plant life and vegetation. There was a sharp inhale of breath, before Nikia pressed forward, weaving in and out of the different charred masses, before she finally stopped, and stared at one of them. Then slowly she sank to her knees in the ashes, and charred dirt. "Here. This was my home." she whispered, fingers digging into the dirt absently.

Fiona stayed at the girl's side the whole time. She let Nikia lead, but she mirrored every move she made so she could be at her side. Naturally quiet, it was her way of showing Nikia that she was not alone. She knelt beside her and looked up at it. "It is a beautiful home," she said softly. She didn't see it for what it is, she saw it for what it was, for the home that had so much love before the tragedy.

"It used to be." she murmured, before she pulled her hand up so that it was eye level, and let the ashes and dirt that she held filter through her fingers. If she concentrated hard enough...she could still hear the screams of that night. Her terror, the blistering heat of the flames that devoured everything in their paths. The...No. That was then. This was now. She had to focus on the now. "It was beautiful. But then it became tainted by death, anger, and that was all consumed by the flames." she whispered, before Amber green hues moved from the ash that filtered through her fingers still, and up towards Fiona. "It used to have two stories." she murmured in addition

Fiona watched the ashes fade from between her fingers and scatter themselves on the ground the the first snowflakes of dirty snow. They sat with such permanence, tainting the ground with their presence. She looked at her and said, "Tell me what the second floor was like. Tell me of your fond memories there."

"It was simple, but homey. Comfortable. I loved this home." she murmured, before she shifted on the ground, and slowly got to her feet. Then she pointed towards what looked to be the charred and broken beginnings of a staircase. "Those used to be the stairs. And right across from them at the Top was my parents room. And to the left of that was my own room, while to the right was my brother's room. " she said thoughtfully, before she pointed to each area respectively. "Mama didn't say it, but I think she loved brother a little more. He got away with a lot of things." A soft smile came to her features, and stayed.

Fiona smiled and laughed to herself. She glanced up at the "rooms" as she pointed and said, "I highly doubt that. Your brother was younger. Your mother needed to give him more comfort and support because he was younger, not because her love was greater for him. She knew that you were strong."

Nikia went quiet, thinking of her words, before she nodded slowly. "Maybe. Maybe not. I know it broke her heart though when they killed him." she murmured, before a thoughtful smile came across her features. "He was always so full of life. I loved him a lot too. I think he was the one thing that was a constant joy here. You couldn't help but be happy when around him." She turned, and strode past the burnt and crumbled stairs, to what seemed to be a room by the kitchen. She kicked absently at what appeared to be a dead table leg. This room. This one was the one that she wished had completely burned without any trace of it left. She wished that the memories it brought had also burned away.

Fiona glided over the debris and followed her around the stairs to the room. She saw Nikia stop at the room. She wasn't going to ask any questions about the house. Fiona knew of the horrors there, and wished she didn't. If Nikia wanted to talk about each room of the house, she would allow her, but she was also going to allow Nikia the silence she needed to sort out the memories for herself.

Her hand moved, all of her fingers curling to meet her palm but her pointer finger, and she pointed haphazardly behind her towards the stairs. "That's where I found my Mama when I came downstairs that night. She was hugging my brother....And sobbing. I think he was dead. I don't know though. I didn't have time to find out either, because I was dragged back and to this room." She trailed off slowly, and let her hand fall back down to her side. "And this..." she feel quiet, her words hesitant now. She steeled herself, forcing the words to bubble out, and form coherent sentences. "This room is where the Raider v-violated me. The only things that were r-running through my head d-during it, was how much it h-hurt....And how much I-I was glad that my mother couldn't see. I was glad she d-didn't have to watch t-that before she died." The more she spoke, the faster her words had flowed, easier in coming the more she spoke.

Fiona put her arms around Nikia slowly and hugged her softly. She spoke warmly as she said, "No one should have had to suffer through what your family and you have had to endure. There are no words, no actions that can bring your family back to you. For that, I am sorry. I'm sorry that I never got to meet your lovely family. But I still get to know them, know their life....through you. Your memories keep them alive." She lightly let her go and looked at her.

"Their love lives forever through you."

It took her several moments, before she responded, hand moving and followed by arms to wrap around her in response. Her hug felt good and warm. It chased away the mental monsters that were plaguing her mind. She inhaled slowly when Fiona pulled back, and nodded slowly. "I know there's nothing that can bring them back. It's something that I came to accept a while ago. " She let her hands fall to her side when Fiona pulled back. "And that's why I remember them everyday. " she said thoughtfully. "It's one of the only ways I keep them alive."

She smiled and said, "You will never die. They will be in your heart forever. A parent's dream is to keep the love of their children. You give your parents a wonderful gift."

She shifted, and tilt her head up to peer up at Fiona as she spoke, before she nodded slowly. "But they're not here to see it. But....I'm certain that they can feel it. There are times when I feel as if they're with me. And it makes me feel good. Warm and comfortable. " She let her eyes wander once again, slowly dancing over the remains of what used to be Chemin. "I miss the celebrations. It wasn't just the family and close friends that celebrated a birthday, or a marriage...or new birth. It was everyone. It was amazing."

Fiona looked at her and said, "You only see the clan you miss. You do not see the clan of which you have become apart. The coven is certainly a strange group of beings from every walk of life, but they stick together. They help each other, throw wild parties, love hard, teach each other...much like your clan. The coven may not seem like much, but we are certainly our own littlevillage, filled with love and loss and hope." She smiled.

Once more, she fell silent, listening to her words, and her explanation, before she beamed a grin at her. "You're right.It may be different from what I grew up on, but it's still like it. There's still the feeling of family." With out a moment's hesitation, she turned, and slipped away from the room she had been standing with in, and stopped at the beginning on the stairs, before she turned towards Fiona. wondering if she was following.

Fiona was slightly startled by the girl's eagerness. She quickly turned and followed her, then looked around at the house. She could feel the love in it, not the pain. She turned to Nikia and asked, "I would like to offer your family a blessing to put them at peace....and to ask your parents blessing for you to return with me and be a part of my family." She smiled at her.

Those words had Nikia's face contorting into a look of surprise, before she nodded slowly. "I...I'd like that. And I'm certain that they would too." she murmured, before she dropped into a crouch, and from there knelt. Slowly her eyes closed, and she smiled softly. Being closer to the ground gave her a sense of stability, and she felt like she might need that. Fiona could sit with her or not, it was up to her.

Fiona remained standing. She bowed her head and closed her eyes. She softly began to sing. Nikia couldn't understand the Irish words, but she could feel the power behind them. The banshee's voice filled the house, but was not any louder than her naturally quiet tone. The words seemed somber and sad at first, with anguish and pain lacing through the words. Within the next few verses, the melody became hopeful and content, something that would ensure happiness . The banshee's voice then seemed to then fill the village as she sang such a beautiful song, it didn't even seem like words anymore, but angelic vocalizations. Fiona finished her prayer on an uplifting tone that made the village seem like it sat in Heaven itself. She opened her eyes and turned to Nikia.

Fiona's voice, when her soft melody filled the house, she shivered, It sounded eerie in a beautiful way. The wordswere incomprehensible to her, but she could catch the meaning just by listening to the under tones of emotions. Within the first verses of the song, the pain that was weaved into it seemed to hit her like she had run into a wall reminding her of all that she had lost in one quick moment. Then....it shifted to the second verse, and happiness slowly enveloped her, reminding her silently of everything that she had to be joyous about now. And when Fiona finally finished, she slowly opened her eyes, and tilted her head back so that she could peer up at Fiona. Her eyes were bright, as if be was going to cry, and was trying not to. She stayed silent for the longest time, before she finally spoke. "That was gorgeous." she whispered, before she rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand.

Fiona offered Nikia her hands to help her to her feet. She smiled and said, "I certainly can not take credit for it. I was never much of a singer. I think this gift of song comes with the rest of my....talents," she sighed. "If I can do nothing else, I can bring solace to the dead....and the ones they left behind."

"But still It was so beautiful. And haunting, but in a good way." she murmured, before she moved to reach for Fiona's outstretched hands, and pulled herself to her feet, up off of the ground. Then without warning, she stepped forward, and enveloped her in a hug.

Her eyes widened by the surprise and she quickly hugged her back. She wanted to let Nikia take as long she wanted for the hug, and she wanted to allow her all the time she needed to stay at the village and at her house.

She stayed like that for a while, her face pressed into her shoulder, before she finally pulled back, and glanced up at Fiona. She....finally felt at peace, and it felt good. A soft smile turned up the corners of her lips. "Can we go home now?" she murmured softly.

Fiona smiled and kissed Nikia on the forehead, nothing but a light and gentle brush of lips over skin. "Of course."