Raindrops were falling on my face. It was the first gloomy, rainy afternoon we had in a week, and for a brief few seconds upon waking up I didn't know any of this.

I didn't even know I woke up. No warning, no signs, one moment just boom - conscious again, eyes open again, staring up at murky grey clouds. My poor corneas were not exactly used to being waterboarded first thing in the morning so just imagine my daze those first few seconds.

Scrambling up in the mushy, icky, muddy dirt, half-drenched, sputtering rainwater from out my lips all the while blinking back my regular vision from ocean-view.

Same bed of grass, same ring of trees all around, everything was as it was last night… but right then, the scene in my mind was far elsewhere. I must confess, little baby Ria was not something I expected even in my dreams to ever think about.

It was hard to imagine her ever being little, I always had in my head that Ria was always the way she was from the dawn of the universe.

Never considered her having to ever take her first steps, or learn to fly with her wings haphazardly. Of course, she didn't just pop into existence willy-nilly… she had to have been created… had to have had a parent.

And if my dreams weren't just dreams after all… then I suppose that wasn't the case anymore. Torem Ignis… just another piece to the thousand-piece puzzle that was Ria.

Bad enough that he appeared out of nowhere so out of the blue, but then I didn't even get to know what the hell happened to him after knowing who the hell he was to you?

You're really not making yourself easy to solve one bit, Ria…

I'm more wet now. Rain really wasn't letting up.

Sera was a blurry figure in the corner of my eye. Apparently, she took first priority when it came to rainfall… settling snug under a tree, thick foliage mostly sheltering her from getting drenched… meanwhile me, and the unconscious phoenix were left out in the open to brave nature's natural shower.

As usual, her eyes scowled 'good morning' at me. Was about to greet her back in return, but then from under her violet cloak, poke a small, sniffing pink nose… and a set of thin, white whiskers.

Mrs. White… right, I almost forgot about...

Right, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. For once, I decided to take those words to heart, and opted to do as I do in vehement silence.

Since she wasn't going to be of any help to me, I alone dragged Ria underneath the closest tree I could find.

Sera kept staring - didn't veer away even for a moment.

Did I think it was strange? Yes. Was I going to call her out on it? No. Don't think my throat would survive another one of her impromptu bony massages.

I decided to just leave… yeah, just like that. Didn't say nothing, didn't do nothing. I made the entire process as easy as I could for her. If anything, she should be thanking me.

So why the hell was she growling at me every time I tried to disappear from her line of sight?

"What?" I spat out quick, whirling around to face her after hearing her loudest, sternest yet. "Am I breathing wrong? Walking wrong? What are you pissed off about this time?"

She raised a finger, her bright amber eyes like daggers, and swung it over from me towards Ria. Now I'm not that well-versed in speaking fingers, but I have a feeling that means, "Why is she still asleep?"

No wonder she was looking so irritated.

"You tell me," I nudged at her. "You're Enstar's favorite little lady, aren't you? She's making things a lot more difficult than it has to be."

Sera tilted her head. The silent gesture of 'How do you figure?'

"I'm shut out of her dream, I'm diving into memories now trying to get back in, it's going to take a while, I think..." I explained further. "So we're gonna be meeting with each other a lot more than we would both like. Unless, you got a better way of doing things?"

With a dismayed soft little grunt, the lady of violet shook her head.

"In that case," I began to walk again, eyeing the dim orange glow to the side one last time. "Same time, same place."

I found Ash a little while later as drenched as I was, unperturbed, unbothered… even greeting me with a smile upon catching sight of me emerging out all sticky and stained.

"Good morning, Master," She said, bowing, her hair cascading down with the grace of a wet sponge.

I blew dribbling droplets from out my lips again, returning the smile. "This is a good morning?"

"As good as it'll get, all things considered," She replied, then subtly-not-so-subtly shifted her gaze over my shoulder. "I… presume Mistress Ria is still…?"

"For the time being."

Following that, and after walking our way under the rusty cylindrical cover of the nearest bus stop, I had Ash caught up to speed on the latest things I've uncovered in my time under.

Ria's childhood years. It felt weird recounting them. They weren't my memories, but I saw them, felt them like they were… lived them like they were.

There were so many questions I had.

Torem Ignis, just who really was he? What was Ria to him? A daughter? An experiment? Why'd he called her the successor to humanity? Whatever the hell does that even mean anyway? And more importantly… how did he end up dying?

The memory slideshow ended so abrupt like the snap of a finger. I don't know if it's because I ran out of time, or if that was all Ria wanted to show me. Either way… I'm literally being hung out to dry here.

"Guess I'll only get some answers tonight," I spoke out loud, resigning myself to the wait. "Not like I got a choice, anyhow."

"Don't you?" mused a doubting Ash, staring up at me at bench side. "As I understand it, isn't Lady Irene a close acquaintance to Mistress Ria? I surmise that she should know more about the topic. If you're really that curious…"

"She's avoiding me."

"Why?"

"I don't know why, but she's got a reason, and that reason's keeping her far."

"Well, why not ask her yourself what that reason is while you're at it?" Ash said in that same matter-of-fact tone. "I doubt any reason could keep her away if you bring up your reason why you need her."

True. Ash spoke wise and rational. I was on the fence at first… but after hearing her out, she's got me nudged over on one side. I'll start small, a text message. If that doesn't work - a phone call. If still no good… I'll think of something.

After everything that's happened, don't think I could ignore my curiosity for long anyway. One way or another, all roads lead to her. We need to have a one-on-one talk.

But first… I need a shower.

Sleeping's hard work.