I've been looking so long at these pictures of you,

Lina Inverse tugged on the delicate gold chain around her neck, freeing the small pendant from it's place by her heart. She choked down a sob as she remembered how Ameria had handed it to her, speaking on how it was all they could find of his remains.

That I almost believe that they're real.

She shouldn't have been too surprised; his physical form was comprised of a matter that wouldn't remain after death. Not for too long, anyway. She should have known that he wouldn't be around forever, but she hadn't expected him to go so soon...

I've been living so long with my pictures of you,

Her thumb ran over the smooth surface, catching on the secret latch to release the top. The cover clicked open, revealing two of the Heart's Tear gems that fit perfectly into a pair of the settings. The two dark jewels gleamed with flashes of crimson and azure and violet.

That I almost believe that

Sweet, silvery tonese graced her ears, causing a half smile to creep upon her face. The song it sang was infinately precious to her; it was one that he had sung long ago. When she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine him preforming it just for her.

The pictures are all I can feel.

A ripple of heartache sent her smile scampering away, and tears began to seep out from under her dark lashes. This wasn't just his song anymore. Now it was _theirs_, and it bound them together; even beyond the grave.

Remembering you standing quiet in the rain,

There was a soft splash as her tears landed in the tiny hollow where the third, clear gemstone should have been. By some odd twist of fate, the lighter Heart's Tear had vanished the same day she recieved the locket. She could almost see him there, with the stone.

As I ran to your heart to be near;

He had it with him, in the next world. It would guide her to him. Just as long as his spirit traveled, she would be able to find him with their jewel-sealed link.
Wherever we meet again, she thought, I will always love you.

And we kissed as the sky fell in,

She stood up and closed the locket, tucking it back into her shirt as she daydreamed of the reunion they would have. In her fantasy she could feel the touch of his lips on hers, heavenly and sinful at the same time.

Holding you close;

The door shut quietly behind her, and she strode down the hallway. A cold emptiness settled over her as she travled the uninhabited corridor, and it was then that she realized just _how much_ she missed his gentle touch.

How I always held close in your fear.

How long had it been since he last held her in his arms; his cloak encircling them like the wings of an angel? Despite his darker demeanor, there were those moments when his actions spoke a thousand times louder than any words. How many times had he saved her?

Remembering you, running soft through the night;

When had he gone from guardian angel to would-be lover? Had he always harbored emotion for her behind his enigmatic eyes?
Why can't I stop thinking in questions? she added, heading for the temple.

You were bigger, and brighter, and whiter than snow;

The Temple of Ceipheed was a large building of pure white stone, with massive pillars that seemed to reach for the sky. Lina stood at the entrance, pausing as the milky colour reminded her of the angel's sheltering wings.

And you screamed at the make believe, screamed at the sky;

Monks and priestess' alike scattered as she stormed down the aisle, her crimson tresses wild and ruby eyes every bit as hard as their namesake. She stood so that she was face to face with the marble idol of the Dragon King, a vermillion aura growing.

And you finally found all your courage

"Hold it," the resident Knight to the Dragon God attempted to stop the sorceress, who blasted him. The dark flame in Lina's eyes intensified.
"Yo, Ceipheed!" she shouted. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, ya' dumb lizard!"

To let it all go.

"You're responsible for the death of my beloved!" Lina yelled. "He never did anything to hurt you, and one of your stupid knights killed him! Why? Because he was different!"
She whipped out a sharp dagger and her locket, each gleaming in the holy light.

Remembering you,

"Here's what I think of you!" She cried as she slashed the blade over her palms. The liquid life stained her hands as she wrote _his_ name over and over again in blood on the idol, then cast a Dragon Slave to destroy the entire temple.

Fallen into my arms,

Lina collapsed to her knees, oblivious to the servants of Ceipheed who were trying to figure out exactly what happened.
"I will find the Knight who killed him," she addressed the pendant, "and I will make them pay."

Crying for the death of your heart.

Her tears ran silently down her cheeks as she coldly faced the loyal followers of the Dragon God. Her jewel-like eyes flashed with a sad kind of anger.
"Lina?" A gentle voice caused her level of hostility to raise several degrees.

You were stone white, so delicate, lost in the cold;

"What do you want, Luna?" She demanded icily, turning to her elder sister.
"What's wrong, Lina? This isn't like you." A second voice, almsot too distant and too familiar to be real, cracked through her emotional barrier of rage and fear.

You were always so lost in the dark.

"I've found someone for you, little sister." Luna murmured, half afraid that the fiery red-head would lose her temper and destroy the truth without first seeing it.
"I want nothing from a Knight of Ceipheed." Lina spat.

Remembering you, how you used to be;

"Lina, please." The anonomous second person's air voice caught her attention, and she spun around to face her new addressor. For a moment, she had thought-- had hoped-- it would be him. Her memory substituted _his_ face over the person's.

Slow drowned you were angels

No matter how demonic he may have been to everyone else, he was always her guardian, ever at her side...
The talisman slipped from her grasp, and hit the ground with a ressonance as the lid clicked open.

So much more than everything;

The silence was nearly tangible until the person who had accompanied Luna stooped to pick up the locket. The slender, gloved fingers paused briefly before clasping around the amulet. The owner of the hand offered her the return of her accessory.

Oh, hold for the last time,

"Lina, you're missing one."His voice was gentle as he referred to the Heart's Tears. She blinked away _his_ face, and found herself looking into the clear cerulean eyes of a young man only about a foot taller than she was.

Then slip away, quietly.

His pefectly ashen skin made his indigo hair tend to lean toward violet in the sunset.
The all but forgotten wind swept a single wisp of his hair in front of his eyes.

Open my eyes, but I never see anything.

"You..." she gasped, drawing back. his right hand grazed her cheek as he threaded the crimson tresses through his fingers.
"Where's your rose, Lina?" He asked, eyes dancing.

If only I'd thought of the right words,

A slight flick of the wrist, and he produced a cobalt rose bud from somewhere behind her neck. She moved in silent awe to touch the tip of the blossom, unable to think of a responsive sentence.

I could've held onto your heart.

She recoiled as the rose rapidly bloomed and changed from blue to blood red.. In the center, like a perfect dew drop, rested the missing Heart's Tear.
Lina let out a strangled squeal of surprised delight.

If only I'd thought of the right words,

"You... You've found it!" She breathed, eyes shimmering like twin stars. "You came back for me?"
"I was never gone," he whispered, "only lost." He plucked the dewlet from the rose, allowing it to catch the full radience of the sunset.

I wouldn't be breaking apart, all my pictures of you.

The sacchrine chimes played their gentle melody as he slid the last stone into place. He was softly singing with it as he placed the talisman around her neck.
"Thank you 'nee-chan--" Lina turned to thank her sister, but Luna was gone.

Looking so long at these pictures of you, but I never held onto your heart.

"I was so afraid that I had lost you forever," she gollapsed against him, relishing the warmth in his embrace. "I was terrified that you would be gone, and all I would have to remember you by would be the locket."

Looking so long for these words to be true, but always, just breaking apart all my pictures of you.

"Shhh, hush. I'm here now," he whispered as she sobbed. "We can be together, now."
"Really?" she was answered with a nod and a gentle kiss.

There was nothing in the world that I ever wanted more

"Lina, I have a very important question to ask you." He murmured a while later, when they both were reclined on a large cushion.
"What is it?" She responded by cuddling closer to him.

Than to feel you deep in my heart.

"It's... It's something I've wanted to ask you for a long time." He continued, wrapping his arms around her waist and pausing to clear his throat.
"Well? Go on." She prompted him with a teasing kiss on the lips.

There was nothing in the world that I ever wanted more

"Ahem. Well, it's ah, like this..." His face flushed with color and he was interrupted by her kiss again.
"Out with it." She demanded.

Than to never feel the breaking apart

"Lina Inverse, will you... will you marry me?" He slipped a ring onto her finger, which she gaped at. It was a delicate gold band, with two gems forming a kind of yin-yang. One dark, one light... both Heart's Tears.

All these pictures of you.

"Silly..." She breathed. "Of course I will, Zelgadis Greywers!"