Fox: And so begins the next chapter of our lives!

Shadowess: You mean the first.

Fox: No, I mean the next. The last chapter was the first. -grins-

Shadowess: -rolls eyes- Whatever.

Fox: -laughs- Here we go!

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chapter 12: The First Five Years

Five months after Lucian and Aleron had left Pandora, as fall was coming to a close; she gave birth to the first of her twins.

A baby girl with grey eyes, pale skin, and dark wavy hair. She was named Nyssa.

Only a month later, the second twin was born. Another girl with blue eyes, tan skin, light wavy hair, and a tiny pair of pixie wings on her back. She was named Suki.

The two girls were the greatest joy of Pandora's life.

However, the effect of her own hope combined with her immense joy turned out to be a deadly combination, placing her into a deep depression.

The mother could endure, though. The only question was, for how long?

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

After Suki had been born, the sisters were inseparable. If they were to be separated, they would scream and cry as things would break and shatter around them.

When winter turned to spring, Suki's eyes turned a leafy green. As fall returned, Suki's eyes returned to their icy blue until spring again. Nyssa began training her voice on her own.

Suki followed Nyssa everywhere like a puppy. Nyssa was always watching her twin carefully.

Nyssa was always aware of their mother's condition, whereas Suki was entirely clueless.

The girls sat amidst Pandora's lustrous garden when their mother came out to see them.

"Hi, sweeties," Pandora put on a smile for them.

"Mommy, Mommy look!" Suki ran over to Pandora, her tiny wings fluttering, "I picked these flowers for you!" she held out a small bouquet of dandelions and honeysuckle and smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Suki." Pandora kissed her on the cheek, "Nyssa, did you help?"

Nyssa had followed Suki and she nodded, "Suki asked me to. I agreed that it would make you happier."

Pandora barely caught that Nyssa had said 'happier' rather than 'happy'. Her breath hitched as despair clenched in her gut.

Nyssa wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and hugged her gently, "Its okay, Mommy." she whispered.

A tear slid down Pandora's cheek.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" Suki hugged her, too, "Aren't you happy?"

Pandora wiped the tear away, "Yes, honey. I'm very happy."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Two years later...

"Mommy!" Suki wailed as she ran down the dark hallway.

Nyssa sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, "Suki?"

She jumped out of bed and ran to the hall to find her twin.

Pandora was there, holding Suki tightly, trying to calm her.

"Mommy, don't leave! You can't leave us!" Suki continued to wail.

Nyssa sighed, "You just had a nightmare, sister. Mommy won't leave us."

"N-no! It wasn't a nightmare! It was real!" Suki shouted.

"You were sleeping, honey. It had to have been a nightmare, just as your sister said." Pandora continued to comfort Suki.

Suki pulled away from her mother's grasp, "But, that's what I'm trying to tell you! I wasn't sleeping!"

Pandora pursed her thin, drying lips, "My grandmother was a very powerful seer. I wonder if maybe you inherited her power. Tell me what you saw, Suki."

Nyssa came closer to them to better hear what Suki had to say. She gazed at their mother and saw that her condition was worsening. Their mother's cheeks were hollow and her eyes barely held any of the luster they once had.

Nyssa's eyes saddened.

Suki sniffed, "I woke up to get a drink of water, but as soon as I sat up, I couldn't see the bedroom anymore. Instead, the three of us were standing just outside the front door." She burst into tears again.

Nyssa hugged Suki and stroked her hair, "Its okay. What happened next?"

Pandora kneeled almost helplessly beside her daughters, "Please, Suki. Try and calm down. What did you see, sweetie?"

Suki hiccupped and sniffled as she clung to Nyssa, "I - I saw Mommy leave with a sad smile on her face. As you left, I had the feeling that I knew that I'd never see you again." She wailed again.

Pandora lifted the twins into her lap and kissed Suki's wet face, "Don't cry, sweetie. I won't leave. Ever. I promise."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Despite her promise, Pandora could not suppress her despair any longer. The mother found herself frantic to leave and find help and solace from her depression.

Nyssa saw this and strove to keep Suki distracted from seeing it, too. There was hardly anything worse for Nyssa than to see Suki cry.

However, the day came when Nyssa couldn't protect Suki from the truth anymore. Pandora came to them on a cold winter evening just two years after Suki's vision.

"I'm sorry, you two. I have to go away for a while." She said as she smiled weakly. Pandora was withering away. Suki frowned.

"Away? Away where? For how long?" she wanted to know.

"I'm going on a trip far away from here. I shouldn't be gone for very long." Pandora placed a gentle hand on Suki's head.

In the past two years, the twins had grown to resemble pre-teens. Suki's wings remained small, however, still not big enough to carry her through the air.

Suki was not satisfied with her mother's answer, but she remained silent anyway.

"Won't you walk your mother to the door?" Pandora addressed both of her daughters.

They agreed and followed their mother. Just outside the door, Pandora stopped.

"I almost forgot." she turned back to the girls and crouched in front of Suki, "Take this. If you need anything, use it to call your fathers. One or both of them will arrive to aid you."

Pandora smiled, stood, and went on her way again.

Suki looked down to see the object Pandora had pressed into her hand and her eyes widened.

It was the small wooden panpipe from her waking dream two years ago. A detail she'd left out when describing it to her mother and sister.

Suki couldn't breathe. She found herself taking a step forward and yelling, "Mama!"

A sudden force pulled Suki back to the house. She looked back and saw her sister pulling on her arm.

Nyssa's face was carefully calm and blank except for the slight pleading look she gave to Suki.

Suki stopped struggling immediately and jumped to her feet.

"You knew!" Suki yelled, disbelieving, "You knew she was going to leave us!"

Nyssa gave Suki a pained look before casting her gaze downward, "I didn't know when."

Suki burst into tears and ran into the house, dropping the panpipe.

After Suki disappeared inside, Nyssa bent down and picked up the instrument. She stood and gazed at the horizon where their mother had vanished. A single tear slid down Nyssa's cheek.

They would never see their mother again.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Shadowess: That was pretty sad.

Fox: It was, but as is the past that they have.

Shadowess: -nods- But what about Pandora? Where did she go?

Fox: That will remain a mystery for the time being. -grins-

Shadowess: Aw, c'mon! You're killing me here!

Fox: Too bad, so sad! You know the drill, everyone!

Shadowess: Reviews are love not forced! ...FOX!

Fox: Seems I did it again! -says as running away... again- COOKIES WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR FUTURE UPDATES! XD

(Fox: P.S! I would like to take the time to apologize for the lack in updates... Shadowess is still stuck in fighting the dust bunnies.. She says they're too cute, but... Anyway, this chapter was, indeed, a filler. I'm not sure how long the backround stories will be going on, but please just bear with us until Shadowess can pull of killing those damn bunnies. Dust bunnies, that is. Thank you! Ciao!)