Once upon a time, (Tag: Starr <3)

[Ai Li-Mei Taisho]

It was a dark and rainy day in New Castle Garvonia, which was quite the change from the warm and sunny days they had previously been having. Ai normally volunteered at the orphanage at least twice a week, but hadn't been able to go for a few weeks. Finally having a free day, Ai decided to go to the orphanage and tell the kids a story. They loved hearing the stories Ai told them as they were usually old fairytales from Japan and Korea that she grew up listening to. Once at the orphanage, Ai quickly made her way to the play room where most of the kids from ages three to ten were sitting.

"Hey guys." She said happily and hyperly, as she usually was.

"Ai!" Thirteen little voices screamed at once.

Ai smiled happily and hugged the four little five year olds and two little three year olds ran over to her. Hugging all of them, Ai felt happy to know that she had made them all happy. "Hey, sorry I haven't been able to get here lately." She told them, feeling guilty that she hadn't got to come and visit them like she used to.

One of the three year olds who were by Ai smiled up at her and patted her arm. "Ai, story?"

Giggling, Ai nodded and looked around. "Is that good with everyone? I haven't told you guys a story in a long time."

A chorus of "Yeah!" and "Yay!" was passed around by the kids.

"Alright then. Go and tell the other kids if they want to hear the story they can come in here." She told the closest ten year old.

Five minutes later after Ai got situated in the center of the room with all the young ones either sitting on her lap or trying to sit as close as they could to her, at least ten other kids from the ages of ten to sixteen came to listen to her story. "Okay, now that everyone's here. What story would you like me to tell you?"

One of the nine year olds looked to Ai and smiled. "How about the story of The Bamboo-cutter's daughter? We haven't heard that one in a long while."

Nodding, Ai situated herself better and laughed. "Alright then. Let's see. A long, long time ago..."

"No Ai, it's 'Once upon a time', not 'a long, long time ago.' You have to tell it right." One of the six year olds said.

Laughing, Ai shrugged. "Sorry, let me try again. Once upon a time." Clearing her throat, Ai began again. "An old bamboo-cutter was going home through the shades of evening. Far away among the stalks of the feathery bamboo he saw a soft light. He went nearer to see what it was, and found it came from within one of the stalks. He opened the bamboo stalk carefully, and found a tiny baby girl. She was only a few inches tall, but as beautiful as a fairy. Indeed he wondered if she were not really a fairy. He carried her home and told his wife how he had found her. They were very glad for they had no child, so they loved her as their own. In a few years she had grown to be a young woman. She was as sweet and kind as she was beautiful. A soft light always seemed to follow her. When the time came to name her they called her The Bamboo Princess, because she was found among the bamboo, and because she was more beautiful than any princess." Ai told the story beautifully, making the proper sounds and using different voices for the different characters. Even a few of the adults who worked around the orphanage came to listen to Ai tell the story.

The children's focus was kept completely on the little teenager. Unusual as it was, they only really ever became this quiet all at once when Ai was telling them a story or if they knew they would get in trouble if they weren't quiet.

"Men say that even now a soft white wreath of smoke curls up from the sacred crown of Fuji Yama, like a floating bridge to that fair city far off in the sky. The end." She finished finally. All the kids cheered and clapped happily, loving that they got to hear the story.

"Ai, do you believe in the story?"

"Ai, is the princess real?"

"Ai, you're tiny, are you the princess?"

Laughing at the questions, Ai answered them one at a time. "Yes, I do believe in the story, but I'm not sure if it's real and no I'm not the princess. She's been given a name, it's Kaguya. She's mentioned in several different books, games, and movies." She told them while bouncing the young child on her knee.

Suddenly, Ai smelt a very certain scent and felt her heart slightly flutter. Getting off the ground and setting the child on her lap down, the young vampire turned around and put a hand on her hip. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Starr." She giggled and ran over to hug her best friend.

ATTIRE click! CREDIT sam ! of Confronting the Faceless. LYRICS Far Away – Nickleback (: NOTES hehehe

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