Nautica sat in the clearing thinking. She was calming herself after her meal. She had her usual music blaring in her ears ask she lay there in the grass. Her eyes were shut and she was taking in her surrondings. Her face was calm and peaceful as she sang quietly:
In sleep
he sang to me,
in dreams
he came . . .
that voice
which calls to me
and speaks
my name . . .
And do
I dream again?
For now
I find
the Phantom of the Opera
is there -
inside my mind . . .

It was her favorite soundtrack. In the hundred seventy-two years she had been alive, The Phantom of the Opera had always been her favorite. It helped her through the hard times. As she lay there calmly, she let everything go until she heard something in the distance. Her ears stung with the sound of the noise. She breathed in to find the scent but could not get one. Her eyes snapped open and she shut off the music. She moved to her feet so fast that she if someone would have been watching they would have just seen a blur. Nautica went ridgid as the sound of feet walking and twigs snapping came again. It was like ice and it made her spine stiffen.

No one is usually ever in this clearing. she thought to herself. Was this a friend or a foe? There was no use standing here waiting for something to find her, so she set out. She pushed back some shrubbs as quietly as she could and tiptoed her way out of the clearing. Nautica wasn't in the mood for games today and she would not stand for someone sneaking up on her when she was vonerable. She was on the hunt for whatever was in the distance, and there was no stopping her now. She was like a bomb, her impatience ticking, ready to explode.

Sing once
again with me
our strange
duet . . .
My power
over you
grows stronger
yet . . .
And though
you turn from me,
to glance
behind,
the Phantom of the Opera
is there -
inside your mind . . [/COLOR]

Again it was the time of night where Hikari usually came out and ventured into the forest and did crazy things like be out at this time of night. She still had her usual weapons on her, her guns at her thigh straps and her sword. No she wasn't a hunter or a rogue, just plain old human who knew how to fight. Survival was what she fought for so if she was attacked, Hikari would fight back. That was what she had her weapons from.

So now she was wandering, walking, and tredging on leaves and sticks when she heard singing. The voice was soft and she could hear what was being sung. So she walked closer, the words were more clearer even though it was still soft, it was a female voice. Phantom of the Opera? She had good taste in music. Suddenly the voice stopped, and there was a sound of rushing. Did she leave? Some company would have been nice. Hikari went into the clearing and looked around. Her hands were loose at her side, showing that she wasn't reaching for weapons.. yet.

"Who could be out here at this time?"

Last time she was out this late, she met someone who actually wasn't she thought to be so hopefully her luck was the same tonight.

Nautica turned at the change in sound. It was coming from the clearing from which she was just standing. It was a human female. This one is bold to be out this late she thought to herself. She pondered her decision to return to the clearing or not. A human was harmless, she probably wouldn't hurt her unless she attacked. She wasn't thirsty because she had just eaten, so there was no temptation either. She trudged back to the clearing and stood next to the girl. "You nearly made me have a heart-attack," she said quitely, " You should not sneak up on people, especially me at this time of night. What are you doing out here anyways?" Nautica asked. It was probably none of her business but Nautica was always kind of sneaky. She always had to know what was going on.

Nautica tried to seem as human as possiable. She did not know if this human knew about the existence of her kind. Some people thought that it was just a myth, that vampires were made up. Yet, there she was, in the flesh. She could see the girl was packing weapons and wondered wheather this was a good idea after all. She did not feel like fighting tonight. She didn't know if she was strong enough to kill if she had to. Her heart was still in her throat and she was cautious to keep her fangs in. Nautica definately did not want anyone to get the wrong idea tonight.

Footsteps could be heard now and Hikari turned around to see another girl. She couldn't tell if she was human or vampire or werewolf, but that was why she had the weapons. You could never know who or what you could encounter in the forest. Hikari gave a bow in apology for scaring her.

"Sorry about that, I didn't think anyone was here besides me.."

Why was she here? What, can't someone go out at night and enjoy scenery? That was something Hikari did when there was nothing else to do.

"Just going around, looking at scenery. And probably being a fool for coming out at night, especially because I'm human."

She was lectured at before for coming into the forest and the clearing, but who cares? It was her life, she could do whatever she wanted.

"So what about you? Why are you out here?"