White pupils surfed the area, obviously seen against the black around them. Mercutio sat under the flow of one of the streams coming from the Crying Idol. One of his favorite hobbies, bathing. He observed the little stream flowing through the tall grasses and poppies, growing wider until finally reaching the Pond. Little plants swayed in the gentle current. This place was peaceful.

Someone caught his eye. A stag? No... No, a doe. She seemed familiar though, but he knew he had never seen a doe like her. His hidden brow furrowed. He rose to his hooves and strolled out onto elevated dry land, shaking off the excess water.

The doe stopped a little ways away from him. Mercutio stared at her, raising an eyebrow. Butterfly pelt and Deer of the Dead antlers. A soft, gentle face stared back at him. But what intrigued him the most... was her eyes.

Mercutio glanced down at his reflection, looking at his own eyes, then returning to the doe. Her eyes were exactly the same. He blinked. She blinked. The pause continued until a few minutes had passed, in which Mercutio finally bowed to her.

"Good morrow, miss." He said, eying her half-heartedly.

"Good morrow, sir." Her voice was soft and quiet, very lady-like. It seemed to match her face quite nicely.

Mercutio flicked an ear, "Thou talk'st in the same tongue as I?"

"It appears so."

He blinked again. "Where is thy home, then?"

"A..." She paused. "... I know not, anymore..."

"Thou knowest not."

"Nay."

"Trifles. Thou hast no memory?"

"Well, yes, sir. I do have memory."

"Of what, pray tell?"

"... Thou would'st think me foolish."

"Nay, nay! Come come, reveal thy secret." He was getting a little impatient.

"A... A little town... Just to the side of a city. I remember not the name of the town..."

"A city, thou sayeth?"

"Aye."

"Name it."

She looked up, blinking for a minute. "Pardon?"

"Name it. Name that city of which thou speaketh."

"V... Verona, sir..."

"... Verona..." He repeated. He stared at her. "Thou knowest me?"

"Aye... Aye, I know thee..." She offered a faint smile, "Thou art Mercutio..."

Mercutio's brow furrowed again. He let out a sigh, looking at her pictogram. His black eyes widened. It was... her?

"C.. Cerelia?..." Mercutio whispered.

The doe's orange face brightened, "Aye, aye! 'Tis me, 'tis me! Mercutio!"

"Cerelia!" Mercutio let out a huge smile, and they jumped around each other, laughing.

"How long it must have been! I had not lain eyes on thee since..."

"Since thou fled."

Mercutio blinked, deeply buried memories starting to resurface, causing a pang in his heart. "Aye..."

"Mercutio, Mercutio... Thou hast not an idea how much I have missed thee! Though we quarreled yes, but... What must thou expect from blood?"

"Indeed... Forgive me, Cerelia.. It seems I have forgotten thee... The new life I had found... Buried my memory..."

Cerelia looked at him, glancing down, then returning to him. "I would... expect so much... Was it so grand, Mercutio? So much so... that thou would'st forget us? Thy own family..."

"'Twas not my real family... But such strong friendship it... felt like family... Aside from thou and I."

"Of course."

"Aye, I am afraid so... So much adventure and happiness... 'Twas easy to forget of such a wretched home."

"'Twas easy, yes... Hast thou forgotten thy second home, then?"

Mercutio shook his head, "Nay. Nay, Verona was so filled with wonderful memories, it... 'twill always be remembered."

Cerelia stomped a hoof, "Aye, aye! Thou forgetteth thy true home, but keeps memory of the other! Is family so unimportant?"

Mercutio threw his head up, glaring at her. "My true home was the other! That filthy pit of a home was no home to me. Why dost thou think I left?"

"But Mother and Father-"

"Silence thy tongue!" He looked away, anger starting to rise up from his horrid past. "They were not our parents, no! Thou only labeled them as such to keep thy sorrow and loss of our real parents from growing too large! I knew better, and that is why I left! Mother and Father, the true Mother and Father, were dead and gone. There was nothing left for me there."

"Thou talk'st of nothing!" She glared at him, tears of anger forming in her odd eyes. "Thou... Thou talk'st of nothing..."

Mercutio seemed to calm down. He turned his gaze to her again. "Ay, me, fair sister... Memories of home had been forgotten... But memories of thee, Cerelia..."

She looked up, blinking. "Yes?..."

"Memories of thee... Were still alive... My conscience plagued me so for leaving thee... My own... My own younger sister..."

"Mercutio..."

"Romeo, Benvolio, the house of Montague... All were mere distractions... Dreams plagued my mind, questions of where thou was, what thou was doing, how thou was fairing... I wanted to go back and see... But..."

Cerelia crept closer to him, listening intently. She waited for him to finish.

"My dearest friend, Romeo... Had caught himself in a disastrous web of lies and love. 'Twas only right for me to take part... He was like a brother to me. And still he is."

"And?..."

"I was... slewn before the chance to return ever arised..."

"S..." She tilted her head sorrowfully, "Thou had been killed by the edge of a blade?"

"Aye... And this rival of mine walketh the Forest as we speak. He..." He blinked, suddenly realizing something. "How... hast thou..."

"How had I come here?"

"Aye..."

She looked down, terrible memories coming back to her. "My body had been infested... Rotting from the inside out. My skin had burst, torn by the seams... And thus my life was ended..."

"Cerelia... Thou perished by disease..."

"How I ended up here, I know not... I doubt thou dost either. Why I am here... That I know not as well."

"Not one of us knoweth why... Not one... I had expected after-life... Had it been Hell or Heaven, 'twould not matter. All I would know is that there was something beyond... But nay. We had been taken here, to live again. I know not why thou would be here... None of my business concernest thee. What goes on is betweeneth the Montagues and the Capulets."

"Which side dost thou lie?"

"Montague, dear sister. I suggest you do the same. The only Capulet I have seen is the one who slew me. More Montagues had been coming here, perhaps they are the ones who deserve this peaceful haven!"

"This rival... Dost thou still hate him?"

Mercutio sighed, thinking for a moment. "I should say... Nay. Some days he bares a playful smirk and a kindred spirit. Other days his temper flareth up and he demandeth constant battle. I dare to say that he has improved... His haughtiness has gone down considerably."

Cerelia smiled, glad to hear her brother doing so well anyway. "What beeth his name?"

Mercutio looked up at her, raising an eyebrow, and asking in a droning, curious voice, "... What is he to thee?"

She shrugged, "It matters not."

"Tybalt."

She nodded, "Tybalt... I may have seen that face before."

He stepped forward, "Hast thou?..."

"Aye. But perhaps not." She winked at him, and offered a smile. "Come... I wish to know about thyself... What thy life was after leaving us."

Mercutio smirked, stepping over to her. "Of course, my sister. I should like to know about thy life as well. Come, I know of a wonderful place to sit..."

They walked off, towards a patch of purple flowers with a great sunbeam in the middle. The butterflies floated about softly as they sat in the warming rays, talking of their past in the other world.

Of course, this peace would not last long. These siblings had a mean rivalry between them. As if Mercutio didn't have enough rivals...

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fail c:

just needed to introduce her XD i should probably sleep now 8D