The Calm Sea

Ksenia stood on the bottom deck at the back of the ship watching the sea. Her hand rested on the railing, the wind gently blowing through her loose summer. It had certainly been an eventful summer, maybe too much so. It seemed as though as soon as one burden was lifted from her shoulders a dozen more smaller complications settled there. Too many thoughts in her head were fighting for her attention right now, much more than she would have liked. After so many years of hiding it was easy to keep and emotionless mask on her face.

Ophelia strolled along the deck quietly. Too the casual observer it would be easy to assume she was doing what she was always doing - listening for the latest gossip.

But her mind was far to preoccupied with other thoughts to do that. She had almost wished the summer wouldn't have ended. With the end of the summer, came the end of her fantacies.

It was time to return to the real world - and the real world wasn't all that friendly.

Coming to the back of the ship she spotted a familar head. She froze for a moment, unsure what she wanted to do, before realizing she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

Slowly she walked the rest of the distance and silently leaned against the rail beside the girl.

She spent a long moment just staring out at the water, getting lost in its endless surface.

"Its funny," she finally said, tone barely above a whisper, "how so much can change in you're own life, and then you look out at things like this and swear that it has never changed - not even in a thosand years."

Ksenia continued to look at the water as she saw from the corner of her eyes Ophelia coming to stand beside her. "We are nothing compared to the things that have surrounded us. Most people are too full of themselves to notice that. There are those driven souls who wish to shakes the seas or move the mountains, yet they never succeed. The most they could hope for is an echo of their name across the centuries," she stated simply. "Than there are those who are born with blood that is a thousand years old. And they to fulfill obligations that were set to them in the beginning of time. So, yes, the world is quite interesting that way," she said, her voice strong by quiet.

Ophelia continued to look out in front of her as the girl spoke. She was right of course.

After a moment, she shook her head and snorted to herself, "I ran away this summer you know that? How completely childish is that? I ran away."

She hummed to herself, had migrating to the necklace, the string she had strung the ring on, before she stopped herself.

"Though you know, the problem with running away - the problem you never realize as a child. You're problems are always still there when you get back. You can't out run anything - the past... present... future..." the young girl flipped her hair and shrugged. "All different name for the same thing when you get right down to it."

"I was running away from my problems for three years. It was alright once I got used to that way of living," Ksenia said, looking at the sea. "But than more problems seemed to appear. And with that one problem came many more that built on top of it. That's when I stopped running and actually faced them," she stated. "But the problems still do not seem to be going away. As soon as you deal with one another one comes to replace it. But now good things come as well. Not a lot, but at least they come unlike before."

Ophelia shook her head and snorted, "Well that's cause lifes just one problem after another until you meet one you can't deal with and then..."

She trailed off and shrugged.

"You just don't have to deal with the problems anymore."

The view infront of her blurred slightly as she her eyes began to well up with tears, however, she didn't think she felt sad. She just felt....

She was rather tired of everything, and that was the problem now wasn't it?

"Good things?" she raised her eyebrows. "Good Kry-Nia... you deserve good things. I use to think I deserved good things too... once.... but now...."

"Some people are just good at ruining good things."

"You are right," Ksenia said, nodding her head slightly, her face still emotionless. "Life is a challenge that is made up of smaller challenges. All you can do is learn and fight."

"Everyone thinks they deserve good things, but so few people actually appreciate the good things that they have in life. They only realise how good they were when they are gone. Interesting how the world works really.

"Yes. I guess we are all like that in some way. Some people are too ignorant to see themselves as such. Others do see it and do not care, those who think clearly. They are the hardest ones to fight," she said, her tone musing as she looked out at the sea.

"And then of course, sometimes it just seems pointless to fight, doesn't it," she sighed and shifted her weight.

"Not if you're going to ruin them - if you're going to break the good thing, than you don't deserve it at all," Ophelia mused.

She would ruin Art. She knew that. She couldn't do that to the boy.

"If you stop fighting than you are going to die," Ksenia said. "That's how life works," and indeed that was the truth. She still had to fight, fight for herself.

"I suppose that is true in some way. Though we all leave our marks on everything. Some are positive, some are negative, but they are still there," she said as she adjusted a lock of her hair. "You just need to look into the future."

Ophelia inclinde her head. Sure the words were true but... people just stop fighting all the time now don't they? They like it to be covered up everynow and again, but... it is still done.

With no thought about anyone else still around.

"Ah, the future - the murky, dark could be better, but probably won't be future," Phillie cooed. "Do you ever wonder if you can really see the future - believing in seers and all that crud."