Do you remember?

[Akuji]

Timestamp: 26th of Winter, 510 AV

It was mid morning, though you couldn't tell it by looking up in the sky. Last night there was a heavy snow storm, and today the snow was thick on the ground and still coming down lightly for now. Akuji walked through a courtyard to look up at the sky. He was glad his silver-blue cloak was thick and warm. He was also glad he had found some time alone. While he typically had no problem helping out the riders near where he lived, he felt like he needed a break for a little while. He stood in the snow for a bit, looking up at the grey sky above. His cloak hid his orange red hair and most of his pale, lithe features.

After standing for a while, just admiring the snow falling, he walked back into the corridors of Wind Reach to get a bit warmer, starting to head back home. As he walked, he pulled the hood from the cloak down, revealing those stunning green eyes. He sighed as he walked slowly a bit bored with his current life. He needed to find a steady job.

[Kellan Lucia]

Breakfast was normal as always. Eating the same things with the same people. Even years after his twin's death Kellan would look over at the Chiet table as if he expected to see his mirror image there. There was no Toran though, only the endless sea red that swam in his absence. There was not time to mourn though. He had mourned enough in the past. The time he had now was his and his alone. Toran had moved on and Kellan had learned to do the same. After eating Kellan decided to head to the Aeries. He had only been away from Alwin for about a bell and he already longed for the bird's company. He had grown quite close to the bird in the past season the two had been bonded. "How are things today Al?" The two could speak telepathically due to their bonded status. Kellan enjoyed this ability although he was still trying to get used to the fact that he was now sharing his thoughts with another being. "Quite fine, thank you Kellan. How was breakfast?" Kellan ran his fingers down the edge of the tunnels as he walked, feeling the volcanic rock against his skin. "It was good. I'm still getting used to being one…" Kellan's thought stopped short as his eyes fell upon a man. He was hooded and seemed to be an outsider. "Al, do you know of any newcomers?" The man had a strong sense of familiarity. It was strange. Kellan never really felt a connection to anyone except Toran and Alwin and yet looking at his man he felt as though he was connected to him. "I saw a hooded man when I was flying earlier. You were eating so I went out to search for food of my own." Kellan watched the man intently, his golden eyes scrutinizing every aspect of him. Why did he seem so familiar? In a moment it was obvious though. The hood that covered the man's face was pulled back and now all could see the bright green eyes that the hood had covered. Bright green eyes and fire red hair. It was not so rare in Inarta but this individual was not like the others. "Toran. No, it can't be! He is dead!" This had happened before over the years. He could have sworn he saw Toran millions of times but this time the similarity was uncanny! For one he looked almost exactly like Kellan. More importantly, Kellan has never seen eyes as green as Toran's in his life and there they were, the same green eyes on a face that looked identical to his own. "Kellan, you need to get closure. You cannot keep going everyday thinking you see your brother. There comes a time where it is time to move on." Kellan was spellbound. He could not even form a coherent thought to speak back to Alwin. This man had to be Toran. The question was, how could he be? Before Kellan knew what he was doing he was walking toward the man. Maybe if he got a closer look he would be able to see that his man was not Toran. The issue was, the closer he got the more the man became his twin. "Man, I need to stop frequenting the Dreaming Lady… I must be hallucinating…" Kellan could not help it any longer. He had to ask this man who he was. There was no way a man could look so much like Toran. He tentatively walked up to the man and gave him an awkward smile. "Hello… uh… You look…" The longer he looked into the man's green eyes the more he knew he had to be Toran. Toran was his twin after all. How would know if he was looking at him. He knew it was crazy but he did not care. He threw his arms around the man. "Toran… I don't know how you are back but… I love you. I missed you so much." Even when he hugged the man it felt like he was hugging Toran. There were not that many people who looked almost exactly like him and were Toran's exact height. "I know it's crazy but it has to be him…"

[Akuji]

Akuji's own thoughts had stopped short when he saw another staring at him. Did he look strange to the other? Or maybe he realized the other was completely different? He swallowed, and then his hand nervously reached up to brush some of his hair back away from his face. It did take a moment, but Akuji did see some strange similarities in the other. When the stranger came closer, it was almost like looking in the mirror.

"Look like what?" He asked. Did this person know him? Akuji was so confused. He couldn't remember anything about the past life he had. He did know that others had pushed him around and beat him up, but he never fought back. This person didn't seem like someone that was going to harm him. Not when he was hugged like that anyway. "Toran?" He said softly as he looked to the one that had his arms wrapped around him. He didn't move, not wanting to offend or disturb the other. He blinked when the other professed that he loved him and how much he had been missed. Akuji couldn't just let this guy think he was someone else. Maybe, he should tell him the truth...

"Pardon me, sir, but... you seem to know me. I'm not sure who this... Toran is. I can only assume he is a loved one of yours that has passed away?" Maybe this could be the way he could find out more about the past.

[Kellan Lucia]

The man who Kellan was convinced was Toran reacted strangely to his embarace. He pulled back and looked at the man. It had to be Toran. He knew his own brother! The man denyed even knowing the name Toran though. "This has to be him." Kellan looked at the man and looked right into his eyes. One could say the eyes were the window to the soul but in this man's eyes there was confusion. On one side they were the same bright green as Toran's but they looked lost and confused. Possibly even a bit ignorant. Of course not in the way that the man was dumb. He just looked like he was new, almost as if his mind had been feverishly erased. Kellan decided to play along though. "I'm sorry. I must have mistaken you for someone else. You look exactly like my twin brother. Of course, he was stabbed to death. Anyway, I'm giving you an extremely strange introduction. If you actually do not know me I am Kellan, Kellan Lucia. What would your name be? I'm guessing not Toran?" He laughed and a looked at the man. "The similarities are unbelieveble. What is going on?" The senarios rolled around in Kellan's head as he thought of all the different ways his brother was standing in front of him. Was he a ghost? No, ghosts would not be visible and he would not have been able to hug him. A dillusion maybe? Possibly he was just going insane after all these years? Yet again, he hugged the man so he could not be a dillusion. He looked at the man stumped and decided to ask another question. "Where did you come from if you don't mind me asking? I have not seen you around here. I mean I am sure I would have noticed a man who looked almost exactly like me walking around here." There had to be some other explaination. A random man who looked exactly like you did not just show up one day. It could happen on a very rare chance but could this really be that rare of an occurance? Kellan was not exactly a lucky man. He was not unlucky on that count as well. He just was not one who luck favored often. Yes he was lucky enough to get an eagle but not many other things had been too lucky. His brother had died and he stopped speaking to his parents. There had to be something more at work and Kellan would find out what.

[Akuji]

So that was what had happened then? Akuji made a mental note. For now though, he still didn't remember, but he wanted to.

"Pleased to meet you, Kellan Lucia. My name is Akuji." He bowed his head respectably. He also listened to the other's question intently, biting his lip. It seemed to be that he was going to have to reveal his true form to Kellan. "Well, I can't really say exactly where I'm from, but.. I'm an Ethaefal. I can only assume that I look like your brother, Toran because... I was him in my previous life? I don't remember much from back then." He smiled a bit, hoping the other would not be opposed to that explanation. "I have... just recently arrived here."

Akuji stood there, nervous as this was really the first person that he had spoken with here. Maybe, the other would tell him more about his past.

[Kellan Lucia]

Could it be possible? Kellan had only met one Ethaefal before. A sweet girl named Lyra. She worshiped Syna with such beauty and had a way with her quiet words to match. Kellan had not seen Lyra around lately which put a curt frown on his normally happy face. He had taken quite the liking to the child of the sun. He looked at this man, Akuji as he claimed to be called. He did not look anything like Lyra had. Of course he could not expect him to. He was a man not a woman like Lyra! He seemed to be missing somethings that Lyra had though. He did not seem to glow with the omnipresent light of Syna like she had, nor did he have the beautiful glass-like horns that she had. "Did his horns fall off?" He wondered looking at the man. When Akuji made a comment about Toran Kellan had an idea. Maybe showing this Ethaefal the sights that he often saw with Toran would jog his memory. He thought back to Lyra who had been quite secretive about her past life. He reminded himself to be more conscious of that with Akuji. No attempts to dig into the man's life like he had done with his past Ethaefallen friend. "Well maybe if we take a walk though the city we will see something that might job your memory. You do look like an Inarta so there is a good chance you were from here. Here being Wind Reach of course."

[Akuji]

This Ethaefal didn't look anything like Lyra. This was mainly because he worshiped Leth. He had only been coming out during the day so he would not draw attention to himself at night by being so different.

Akuji smiled at the other when he offered to show him around, just like Toran use to. "That sounds like a good idea. It would be nice to know what actually happened." He brushed his fingers through his fiery hair. He was still a bit nervous around others, but he was starting to warm up to Kellan. He seemed nice enough, and may have even known him in his past life. He was happy to meet someone that could help him learn more. "Where shall we go first?" He asked cheerfully.

[Kellan Lucia]

Without even thinking Kellan knew exactly where to take this... quite familiar looking man. The Courtyard of the Sky would be their first stop. If anything was going to remind this man of his past life (if he was truely Toran), it would be the Courtyard of the Sky. It had been the place the two brothers had spent the majority of their more enjoyable moments togather. "Does the Courtyard of the Sky sound good to you? He stopped and laughed at himself. "Oh yeah, you've never seen it." He waved for the man to follow and he headed toward the Courtyard. As they walked Kellan began to question the man. He wanted to see if there were any similarities between this man and his deceeced brother. "So, what was it like... being up in the Ukalas?" Kellan could not even imagine it. Of course he was plauged by cronic tunnel vision dealing with places that weren't Wind Reach. Maybe it was because he had never been anywhere other than Wind Reach. Possibly it was because he was just dead set on loving his home city to the death. What ever it was, it did not let him know much about other places. "It must have been very different than here."