Sparrow's Fall

It was a busy day at the shop. Sparrow was there helping Arania out. Mus was running to the warehouse outside of town to pick up some inventory and wouldn't be back for hours. Allie was out sick with the flu, the poor dear was left sleeping, miserable, with a bag of herbs to help soothe her tummy and give her some relief from the fever. The flow of customers had slowed to one or two when Ari looked up from helping the buxom Mrs. Crabapple try on some new leather snow boots to notice her nearly empty candy dish.

"Pardon me a moment Maryann, I need to get the other pair of boots I mentioned from the stockroom."

Mrs. Crabapple, a very regular customer (particularly when one or more of the Kais were there, she loved watching them, and her husband had no complaint of how she acted after. She did have enough respect for the relationship each had with their ladies to do no more than just watch.) nodded. "Don't forget that suede coat you told me about too."

"I won't." Arania stood and stretched. "Sparrow, be a dear and walk over to Ms. Rich's shop and pick up some chocolate mints for me. We're almost out."

"As you wish my love." He answered with a smile. As he passed her, he paused to pull her into his arms to plant a toe curling kiss on her lips. "I will returns soon Oh Beautiful One."

Ari and Mrs. Crabapple laughed at his enthusiasm and started chatting again as the door swung shut.

Sparrow didn't feel the chill of the air through the thick wool sweater he wore, and enjoyed the walk. He smiled and waved at a couple he had seen earlier that day in the shop, stopping to chat with them for a moment before continuing.

The store was bereft of customers when Sparrow walked in, the familiar tinkling of the bell announcing his presence to Susanna, the lone employee present. She saw who it was and quickly gathered what she knew he was there for, preparing a 3 pound bag of the chocolate mints, complete with advertising wrappers, part of the deal they had made with Arania when she had started purchasing from them. She would recommend the shop and they would give her a hefty discount on her orders from them.

"Sue," Sparrow chimed up as he saw her finish wrapping the purchase. "Will you add a pound of truffles to that? I want to surprise her."

"Sure Mr. Sparrow, anything else?" She was an efficient worker and in no time his order was ready.

"That's all I want today, thanks. Hey, don't forget we're having that sale on kids' clothes, so you come and pick some stuff up for little Kristy."

"You too." Again the tinkling sounded, announcing the arrival of another customer as Sparrow left, large bag in hand.

Being a Kai he couldn't resist, and pulled a mint from the bag, taking the time to savor it as he started walking back to the UFB.

"Hello, sir?" A woman's voice came from a nearby parking lot. "Can you help me, My car doesn't want to start."

"I'll see what I can do." Sparrow set his bag down on the curb, and started walking towards the sports car that sat with its hood open. "Probably just a loose battery cable or something like that."

She was a lovely specimen of womanhood, with waist length black hair. Her eyes glittered in the light from the street lamps, a lovely green, the shade of leaves on spring trees. The black dress she wore under her open leather coat hugged her figure, revealing ample cleavage and long slender legs. Sparrow smiled at her before leaning over the engine, with her peering around him.

When Sparrow hadn't returned by the time MusiKai had gotten back, Arania was a little worried. 'Maybe he just got distracted, or ran into one of his brothers.' She thought to herself, refusing to allow herself to think the worst.

"Miss Arania?" A voice coming from the doorway caught her attention. Standing there was Susanna, holding a large bag from the store she worked in.

"Oh, hi Sue, what can I do for you?" She rose from her chair and walked towards her. Mus looked up briefly from the stock he was inventorying, but seeing the familiar face, he returned to his work unconcerned.

"Sparrow dropped this." Susanna held out the bag to her. "I found it near where I park my car while I'm at work, the lot on the corner of Mantrid and Brizon streets."

"More than 2 hours ago, he said he was going to come straight back because he had a surprise for you."

Sparrow opened his eyes, the bright light shining on him blinding him for a moment before he could adjust.

"Umm, hello, anyone out there?" He called out, trying to turn his head, he found he couldn't.

'Oh dear, don't tell me I've been decapitated.' He thought to himself, moving his eyes to try to see what he could.

His body was still well attached to his head, and oddly he wasn't tied down either.

"Ah, my guest is awake." From the darkened shadows on one wall a beautiful woman stepped out. She stood nearly as tall as a clone, with silver streaked black hair reaching to the back of her knees. Her shapely figure was hugged by a knee length leather dress, and around her neck was a matching black collar.

"You may call me Shanna, for now. All that matters is that you know you are here until I get what I want from your friends. Don't worry, I have no intention of harming you, I find that the best way to do business."

"What do you want?" He was concerned, he didn't recall ever seeing the woman before, he'd definitely remember her, especially the hair.

"Money of course, my lifestyle isn't cheap, and your friends have more than enough for it. So don't worry, it's nothing personal at all, they just are rich, and I want some of it."

Sparrow wasn't sure what to think, after all the ones out there after them for personal reasons, he's the one to be kidnapped, or Kainapped, for someone's want of money. This was a first.

"I have you paralyzed, and you will remain that way until your ransom is paid. Now, enjoy the quiet."

MusiKai came in from the cold many hours later. He quickly got DiscoKai's attention and they went to Disco's office to discuss whatever Mus had found. They thought they were alone and unobserved, but with how sneaky certain ladies could be, they should have known better.

"I followed the tracks towards Lyekka street, but wasn't able to get further. The license plate belongs to a Shanna Freeborn. Not much I found about her. She's unmarried, nice house, a maid. She's well off, but not as wealthy as your Angel or the lioness."

"Does he know her, or vice versa?" Disco asked, pulling out a map of the town. "Where does she live?"

Mus pointed at the map. "There, according to her, when I asked, they don't know each

other, at least not more than in passing. I was inside the house, saw no sign of him, but that might not mean anything."

"I agree. We'll have to wait until after the ladies are asleep then and do some investigating of our own. Better chances of catching Ms. Freeborn offguard then as well any way."

"The handwriting didn't match hers, but that's easy enough to fake. I agree though, we can check it out after they're asleep, we'll have to make sure to tire them out effectively beforehand."

The tiny unseen fly slipped from the room, shifting back to the form of the blue skinned woman. She brushed her hair back before heading off to find out for herself what was what.

The streets of Kaitown were quiet as she parked her car in front of her store. She had decided she would be continuing on foot from there, she could always take to the air if she had to after all. Pulling a backpack from the trunk of her Mustang, she put her arms through the straps before she set off, her footsteps almost silent on the cement sidewalk.

She knew that it wouldn't be long before the others discovered she was gone. She had to move fast in the small amount of time she had before she would be followed. She knew where she was going.

She had been walking for ten minutes when the first siren hit her ears. A huge firetruck sped past her, lights and sirens blaring their alarms loud and bright into the night. Arania frowned, they were heading the same direction she was.

"No, there's a lot of houses that way." She muttered under her breath, but still, she picked up her pace. She was almost running when three more trucks, followed by an ambulance and four police cars sped by, adding their noise to the cacophony.

When she turned the corner, her eyes widened and she bit back the cry she felt welling up. The house that was on fire was the one she had dreaded it would be.

The faint smell Sparrow had noticed after Shanna left the room grew stronger, and he knew that somewhere, something in the house was on fire.

Quickly the fire grew from inside the walls, the smoke growing thick and black as it consumed paint and wood alike. It's voracious hunger growing with each item it burned.

He could hear nothing now above the crackle and roar of the searing fire. He tried desperately to move, but his arms wouldn't comply, his body was beyond his control.

Arania pushed and shoved her way through the crowd, roughly knocking a man to the ground as she tried to get to the officials to find out what was going on.

"No, this one's a bust, the house is burning." She heard from a woman standing off to the side. She wrinkled her nose, creeping closer to the woman. Something about her set Ari's nerves on edge, and she had her suspicions as to why.

"No, I am letting him burn, he's just a clone anyway, they won't care, they'll think it's someone off the street. The house isn't in my real name anyway." The cold laugh sent a chill down her spine as Arania got close enough to overhear.

"She'll call you back." Arania yanked the phone from the woman's hand and hissed the words into it before tossing it to the ground and smashing it beneath a heel.

"That clone's mistress you bitch." Arania growled and slapped her, rocking her head and dotting her lip with blood.

"Now, unless you want to explain to the police why you reek of smoke and fire, then you better tell me where he is now." Her voice was menacing, eyes glowing brilliant in the dim light that was cast by the fire burning behind her.

Sparrow could faintly hear the trucks outside as his senses started to dim. He was past the point of feeling the fire that burned all around him, and he was almost floating. In the distant, as he closed his eyes, a glow beckoned to him. His father's voice called to him, welcoming him home.

He tried to reach a hand out to him, wanting to take his hand, to get away from this physical plane, when a voice called to him.

"NO! GO, GET OUT!" He gathered his strength in a desperate attempt to warn her away. "THE ROOF IS CAVING!"

She stood there in the doorway framed in the glow of the fire and looking even more beautiful than he had ever seen her before. Her hair whipped around her as she looked for a way in to the room past the thick oak beam that blocked her path.

"I won't leave you!" She cried. She was desperate to get to him, but the position of the beam and the distinct sound of cracking and snapping above her head held her in place. "Sparrow...nooo"

"Go Ari..I love you....Take care of Blue for me..." There was a roar of breaking beams and the roof collapsed in on the bed where he laid.

The voices around her were beyond her hearing as she was pulled out by firemen and pushed into the arms of someone else. Her eyes saw nothing as she was hurried home.

"I'm not sure, the police called me and had me come get her. She was in that building that burned down."

She didn't hear them as they talked about what happened. She was numb, still in disbelief. Her mind whirling, telling herself it wasn't real, she'd wake up and he'd be fine, nothing really happened, it was all a nightmare. That was when Blue, Feather and Jewel walked in.

His voice broke through her fog. She slowly raised her head and looked at the theta as he stood in the doorway, asking Disco about some toy they saw on the television. Her movement was not unnoticed and the others grew quiet, wanting to ask, but the look in her eyes stopped them.

"Blue..." She murmured softly, rising from her seat and crossing the room. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly in spite of his squirming protests. The sound that came from her echoed in the small room, a wail that came from deep within her core, sorrow, anger, and loss all combated for the leading spot in the pain she expressed now. Tears streamed down her face, soaking through Blue's clothes in a matter of seconds.

Mus and Val looked at each other and rose, pulling her away from the frightened Blue, and Val let MusiKai hold her as he left to help BlueKai change his shirt.

It was many hours later, they all sat still and nearly silent in the salon. The strongest sound the crying from under the blanket in the corner of the room. She had been laying there, curled into a ball since she had managed to sputter out enough words to let them know what had happened.

They were shocked, and Mus left to go find out what he could from the police. He had returned within the hour carrying three things. A paper explaining the cause of the fire he handed to his brother to read, while he gave the small bag with the two remaining items to Arania. She opened the bag and clutched the items to her chest, letting out another soul rending howl, curling herself into a small ball in the corner. She hadn't moved since.

Disco had made the arrangements for there to be a memorial service for their brother the following afternoon, and he walked his Angel to bed, where he held her through the night.

Val, after finding out, offered to tell Blue and remain with him and the other thetas that night. Mus carried his beloved up to their room, where, after he believed her to be asleep, he left her, to prepare the things needed for the service.

Dawn broke the next morning to find the blue one wide awake as she had been since MusiKai had left her side. She had been silent and unmoving, her hair a mass of knots and tangles. As though a robot she rose, taking a brush to her hair, her face blank. She had no more tears within her. She was angry, more then she had ever been in her entire life. Angrier than when her body was dominated by the alien presence that still resided within her. The alien queen felt all of it, and shared in it, pumping her body with adrenaline.

Taking her notebook from her nightstand drawer, she left MusiKai a note asking him to have the others postpone the memorial until the following day. She claimed she could not handle the pain of it, but in reality, she had other things in mind for this day.

She walked down to the kitchen, ignoring Blade's questions, his very presence. She downed a pot of coffee, eating nothing, and left the room, waiting in the lioness's salon. She was angry, but she was not foolish.

The bright colors, too cheerful for her mood, hurt her eyes as she sat in the sunlit salon. She heard everyone wakening, coming down for breakfast, the cheerful chatter of the children, the solemn voices of the men as they descended the stairs and the word spread.

She remained in the room silent as MusiKai informed Disco of the note, in the hall just outside the door of the room where she lurked silently. She was sure she was well out of eyesight. She waited patiently.

Angel and the lioness, with a tray of tea and cookies, walked into the salon quietly, their usual mood of happiness subdued. The lioness looked around, a familiar scent hit her nose, but it was tainted by something sour.

Ari stood silently, her eyes glowing in the dimmer light of the noonday sun. The window shades had been drawn long before by one of the clones who had come in and out without even knowing she was there.

"I'm here." Her voice emotionless and level, her hair hanging limply around her worn face. The bags under her eyes gave away her lack of sleep, her clothes disheveled and the same as she wore the day before. She smelled of smoke and sweat, unbathed, and unkempt.

"I want her....she killed him..." She stated, her voice not changing. "She left him to die...she took him from me."

Ketana and Angel looked at each other as she told them everything that had happened the night before, both of them growing angry over what the woman did. The predatory nature of the lioness came to the front, and they all agreed that she must be found.

Without a single word to any of the Kais, the ladies departed, their first destination the ruins of the house where Sparrow died.

"She's gone. But, I know where she went." Her voice and eyes were distant as she turned and started walking, followed closely. She led them through the streets, weaving around and through the small crowds until she came to a dark house at the end of a residential street. "She's in there, but not alone."

She slowly came to her senses, and looked at them. "Three Kais, alphas, but not fully programmed. They are only guards."

Ketana nodded, pulling her father's sword from its place on her back. "Lets go."

They stalked up to the front door, and in a burst of violet fire, it was gone, shredded wood the only sign there had ever been one. They were confronted by one clone, and then another, their eyes blank and absent.

Ari morphed, pulling herself behind them as a bundle of vines. "I want her, not them."

Angel and Ketana engaged the guards, keeping them busy as Ari walked down the hall, melting into the shadows as the last clone passed her to join the others. She kept going, she could feel her in the house and would not rest until she had her justice.

She was packing hurriedly as Arania burst through the door. From where she stood, Arania could smell the smoke that clung to the woman.

"What do you want?" She flung the words at the intruder. "I won't tell you twice, whoever the hell you are, leave this instant!" With a wave of a well manicured hand she dismissed Arania. Turning her back, she returned to packing. That was a huge mistake.

"HELL!? HELL!! You dare use that word with me." A shriek of fury and anguish erupted from her throat as Arania launched herself through the air. "I will show you hell BITCH!"

The pair landed on the floor with a thud, hair and limbs flying. "You stole him from me! I will make you live all seven levels of the hell you have put me in!"

Arania's hair whipped about her face from an unseen wind as she pinned the raven haired beauty to the floor. A red glow came from her eyes and spread to encompass both women.

After the dynamic duo dispatched the clones downstairs, they made their way up to the bedrooms to find their friend.

Huddled in the corner of the bedroom, a mass of drooling, whimpering flesh was what appeared to be a young woman with stock white hair. She mumbled about monsters, flinching at every noise and movement in the room.

They stepped further into the room, and as they looked to the far side of the bed they found Arania. She lay unmoving, but alive, as the sight of the steady rise and fall of her chest told them.

They shook their heads and bore her back to the car. When they arrived, Angel pulled her cell phone out and called 911.

"Yes, I would like to report the presence of a psychotic woman." She gave them the address and information, to be sure they would find her.

"Oh, officer," She said in her sweetest, most concerned voice. "She was rambling on about a Kai and a house fire. She kept saying she had killed the man. Who am I? I'm just a very concerned citizen sir, I only want to help."

As Angel folded her phone Ketana let out a harsh laugh. Together they got the still form of their friend buckled in safely and left.

As they turned into Haven's drive, a weak moan came from the back seat. "Please..." She whispered, barely able to be heard. "Don't tell anyone..what happened......between...just us..."

The chapel was serene in the bright light from morning as the residents of Haven walked in. Sitting at the front of the chapel was a painted portrait of Sparrow, done by Blue. Laying before the picture was the protoport found by the police in the ashes of the house. Diamonds spelled SK on the lid to the port, a gift from his beloved.

The brothers filed in one at a time, their faces solemn, some with prototears in their eyes as they found a seat in the pews. Angel and Ketana each walked in with their loves. For once there was no arguing over who would walk with the lioness, she was between both of them. Blue came in with Valerian, the other thetas already sitting with the others. Their mood was subdued, they sat silent and unfidgeting in the seat. Even their minds could comprehend what had happen, and they felt the sorrow that the others radiated.

Finally Mus walked in with an arm around Arania. She wore black, her eyes the same color of her dress, reflecting the dark mood she felt inside. The speakers in the hall started to play music softly.

My Time On Earth
By Billy Gilman

My time on Earth
Long as it seems
Is just a moment
In the grander scheme of things

A short refrain
Of life's endless song
Sung only once
And then we're gone

My time on Earth
Each breath I breathe
Is one more chance to share my love
With those around me

We come and go
Like shooting stars
The truth be known,
That's all we are

The more that I know
The more I can see
The older I grow
The more I believe
It's not the length of the life
Or the depth of the grave
In the end we'll be measured
By the love that we gave

So my time on Earth
On fate depends
But all that happens
In the space from end to end

Depends on me
And choices I face
For better or worse
They're mine to make

The more that I know
The more I can see
The older I grow
The more I believe
It's not the length of the life
Or the depth of the grave
In the end we'll be measured
By the love that we gave

So my time on Earth
Will be well spent
And when I leave this world
I'll leave with no regrets

I'll live and love
For all its worth
'Till I live out
My time on Earth

She tried to walk all the way. Her heart thudded in her chest, loud and hard enough the Kais could hear it above the song that played. Her eyes looked straight ahead, her back stiff. But the picture is what did it. As she saw the picture, and what laid at the base of it's frame she collapsed, Mus was close enough to catch her before she hit the ground.

Her legs were weak, but she was awake as he carried her to the front and sat with her. Tear streamed unhindered down her cheeks as she looked at his picture. Through her mind went all the times they spent together, the laughter, the love they made at night.

Each brother rose, telling of the times they had spent together, memories of friendship and kindness he had shared with them all. She had requested that it be family only, a minister or preacher wasn't needed, there was no body to be interred.

She couldn't help but smile as Blue talked, he was closer to Sparrow than any of the others had been. His love and admiration of his brother was so pure and innocent. Her heart broke again to think that he would have to know this pain. Her love was different, but as strong, and she knew the pain he was going through, this wasn't the first time she had lost someone she had cared about. It never got any easier.

After the others had grown silent, she rose and walked to the front, a hand tenderly brushing the face in the picture as another song started to play. Her voice mixed with the music as it sounded through the hall.

Nobody told me
It could ever hurt so bad
I'm having to learn the hard way
Now that you're gone
It's hurting me more
Than any pain I've ever had
And I don't know how I can go on

Nobody dies from a broken heart
Give it time, and your dreams will start again
I know love can tear you apart
But nobody dies from a broken heart

Everyone tells me
It's gonna take a little time
Before you find your heartaches

Slipping away
I know you mean well
And they're just trying to ease my mind
But it doesn't help to hear them say

Nobody dies from a broken heart
Give it time, and your dreams will start again
I know love can tear you apart
But nobody dies from a broken heart

There's nothing anybody's gonna say
That'll talk me out of feeling this way
There's nothing anybody else can do
To take away my love for you

I know they mean well
And they're just trying to ease my mind
It doesn't help them to hear them say

Nobody dies from a broken heart
Give it time, and your dreams will start again
I know love can tear you apart
But nobody dies from a broken heart

She never turned from the picture as she sang, her voice shaky and unsteady as her tears fell to hit the metal of the only part of him left. She draped a necklace over the frame, hooking it on a part that stuck up at the top. The pendant dangled just above the hair of the man in the picture, a diamond sparrow.

She knelt in and kissed the face, before she fell to her knees weeping while everyone returned to the house, leaving her alone with MusiKai and the picture.