He was back at that strange land. The magnificent place where it snowed endlessly, with tall mountains bedecked with snow. He stood up and wiped the snow off his body. A few meters away from where he stood, he saw her again. The angel. But it wasn't the one he saw last. It was the Angel that he saw the night he took Thunder for a run, the night he saw her banish a demon. She was staring at him, her face formed into an emotion he couldn't name. Her wings were folded behind her back, her hair as bright as the sun, and her eyes were as blue as the sky even from the distance between them. Her hands were folded in front of her and her white dress disappeared into the deep snow beneath her.
"You",Sebastian said.
"You must know who you are",she whispered and her voice flowed through the air and grazed his ears.
"What do you mean?",Sebastian asked. "Who am I?".
"You are one of us",she said softly.
"An Angel?",Sebastian asked incredulously.
The Angel shook her head but didn't answer him. The snow fell endlessly on them and between them and the wind blew softly over the mountain tops. She turned and stared at the horizon, blurred from the heavy snow.
"Who are you?",Sebastian asked. "Are you from this realm?".
"I am from a place called Paraden",she said. "A place different from your world".
"What's your name?",Sebastian questioned further. He began to inch slowly towards her.
"Aurora",she said softly.
"That's a beautiful name",Sebastian said. "The other night, at that forest. I saw you...you...".
"Do not speak of what you saw",Aurora said. "The time approaches, when you shall know who you truly are".
"Who am I?",Sebastian asked again. He was getting annoyed with the endless mysteries. "Why can't you just tell me?".
"It is not yet time, and I am in no position to tell you",Aurora said. She began to disappear.
"Wait...",Sebastian called as her body faded from sight. Her voice lingered in his head.
"We shall meet again....Sebastian".
Then everything turned dark.
______________________________________________
Aurora gasped and drew in a deep breath as she opened her eyes. She was back in the Garden Of Paraden, seated crossed legged on the ground, wings folded behind her under the sacred willow tree. She just had her very first dreamwalk with Sebastian and it worked out well. The willow tree she sat beneath was bedecked with jewels and it was of great significance. It helped the Angels communicate with the humans through dreamwalking. Aurora took a deep breath and turned to the Angel standing beside her.
"Did it work?",the Angel asked.
Aurora smiled.
"It did",she said. "I can't thank you enough Kalista, for letting me take over from you".
Kalista smiled back at her.
"I know how important it was to you Aurora",she said. "You just have to be careful. You can't let Mother Angelic find out you're communicating with him. He's a hybrid demon".
"He's also an Angel",Aurora said. "He's still one of us. And he doesn't even know it yet".
"What did he say to you?",Kalista asked.
Aurora sighed. "He asked of my name, and where I'm from",she said.
"Did you tell him?",Kalista asked.
"I did".
"Aurora no",Kalista said softly. "You shouldn't have told him".
"But he's just like us",Aurora said with a frown.
"He may be, but he isn't aware. He doesn't even know he's a hybrid demon",Kalista said. "His powers are not unleashed yet. Our kind should be kept hidden from everyone".
"He won't tell anyone",Aurora defended him. Then she sighed. "I told him not to".
Kalista watched her for a while.
"What else did he say?",she asked.
"I told him he needs to know who he is", Aurora said. "You know, gave him hints but didn't tell him outright. He was so confused. He really has no idea, and Mother Angelic says it isn't the right time to let him know".
"Mother Angelic believes his mother, Evaleen would regain her memories someday",Kalista said. "And according to the scrolls of time, she is the only person that can tell him of his true identity".
"I wish he didn't have to be so confused. The secrets surrounding him are so much",Aurora said softly.
"Do you feel attracted to him?",Kalista asked. When Aurora didn't answer her, she walked closer and sat beside her beneath the jeweled willow tree. She took Aurora's hand in hers and looked into her eyes.
"I can understand Aurora",she said. "It is hard to remain stuck in this garden, never getting to mix with other people just because we must keep our existence secret from the humans".
"We could always take human forms",Aurora said. "No one would know. We need to let Mother Angelic know. We can't be stuck here forever. Our future isn't tied down here".
"Even if you succeed in convincing Mother Angelic to let us leave the garden",Kalista said. "You can never be with the hybrid".
"He has a name Kalista",Aurora said softly.
"Alright. Sebastian",Kalista said. "But you do know Angels and Demons can never be together".
"But what about Evaleen and the Demon King?",Aurora argued. "Nothing stopped them from being together".
"And look at the outcome of it",Kalista said. "They had a male child. There have never been a male Pure One. And not only is he a Pure One, he's half demon. The strongest hybrid creature to ever be created".
"Maybe it was meant to be",Aurora said. " Maybe Sebastian is the only one that can end the tyranny of the Demons".
"If it were so, we would see it on the scrolls of time",Kalista said.
Aurora sighed deeply. She didn't know why she felt so attracted to the half demon. She had never come across someone who was so intriguing. And handsome too. He was so beautiful to look upon and it made her blush just thinking of it. She was happy Kalista allowed her take the dreamwalking from her. This way, she would be able to meet him any time. But only in his dreams. And when the time came, she would venture out of the Garden to find him. Without Mother Angelic finding out, of course. She would also need to keep the dreamwalking a secret from her. If Mother Angelic discovered it, it wouldn't turn out well.
Kalista watched the different expression on her sister's face. She knew this feeling. When you met someone who captured your attention and you couldn't just stop thinking about him. But Aurora needed to take her mind of the hybrid demon. It was for her own good.
"I'm worried about you Aurora",Kalista said. "I'm worried you might leave the Garden, just like Evaleen did".
"I'm never leaving Kalista",Aurora said. "This is my home. And I know, these strange feelings I feel for Sebastian will fade. It's just a passing thought".
"Promise?",Kalista asked.
"I promise",Aurora said and smiled at her. The sisters hugged, vowing to always be together.
"Who will you dreamwalk with now?",she asked. "We can't let Mother Angelic find out you no longer communicate with Sebastian".
"I know what I'll do",Kalista assured her. "Just be careful when you dreamwalk. Don't let anyone else find out".
"I won't",Aurora said and smiled brightly. But she had a thoughtful frown on her face when she turned away. She kept thinking of Sebastian, and wondering when she would meet him again.
Not through the dreamwalk.
For real this time.