"I trust you with my heart. It's no mere part. Protect those I love. I await their return in my precious cove."

Stick figures, messy shapes, and scribbles covered the white walls. Gray sheets with pink hearts on one bed. Animal print on the other. A little green table, chairs, and a little library. A children's bedroom. It was still the darkest coldest room Tiana had ever been in.

Only one thing could warm it, even if just for a little while. A visit from Ali. The warmth from his visits reminded her of the beacons her mother showed her. The ones travelers used to light their way. He was supposed to be younger than her, but he continued to light her way.

She smiled but couldn't help the tears in her eyes. She wiped them away. Ali had to go home. He deserved to be with his own mother and daddy. She loved him, but so did they.

A little, black-haired boy passed through the door Phoe drew a long time ago.

Phoe drew the door when he and his big sister first got trapped in there. She couldn't be sure since he didn't really have the words to tell her so, but he seemed to think if they didn't have a door to let them out, he could just make one. Sadly, a four-year-old's cheerful optimism wasn't enough to get them out of the awful place. Even if he was an adorable little redhead.

That said, only Ali could use Phoe's door. The siblings loved visiting Annie in her room. It was a much-needed break from the awful place even if they were separated again soon after.

They were forced to make visits Tiana despised, too, though. why did the strange boy with eyes like a rainbow love to tormenti her poor little redhead?

Even after all these years, Tiana still had no idea how Phoe's door worked. Her mother, Annie, and Leon hadn't taught her any charms that could explain it. Those weren't the only powers, but what other way could possibly open a magic door?

How Ali got it open was a mystery to her despite being his first teacher when it came to how to use powers. Tiana likely didn't have the knowledge or skill to manage that feat when she was five.

At last, her ten-year-old brother, Alain, ran up and threw his arms around her. He wasn't their real brother, but Alain basically adopted them into his family once he heard their parents had died. Hope we get to meet his parents one day.

"I missed you, Kaze!"

"I missed you, too, Ali." Tiana returned the hug and nuzzled his cheek. "You doing okay?"

He let go. "Yep! Mama took me to get ice cream today!"

Her mouth watered at the milky, sweet memory. "I haven't had that in forever!"

Phoe had tears in his eyes. His lip quivered. "La?"

Ali picked up their baby brother and pretended to toss him in the air. "I didn't forget you, Eni."

The little boy giggled. "Love you, La."

"I love you, too, Eni."

Phoe tugged at Ali's green shirt. He probably wanted it. The little firebird loved anything that was green.

They sat at the wooden table and chairs Annie had gotten Tiana and Phoe a long time ago. The green paint was faded and wearing away. Had it been four years or five since she got them for us?

After they sat down, Phoe crawled into his sister's lap and grinned. "Ti-ni."

She gave him a tight hug. "I love you, too." She looked back at Alain. "What kind of ice cream did you get?"

"Mama got cotton candy ice cream. I've never had it before. Mama likes it, though." He shrugged. "I got chocolate."

Cotton candy ice cream? They made that? That sounded good. Tiana didn't think she'd had cotton candy since she was four or five.

"Don't they make ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate in it?"

He messed with the collar on his shirt. "I was gonna get peanut butter chocolate cuz it was just me and Mama today, but I forgot. Audrey gets mad when I do that cuz she doesn't like it."

"Cho-cho-co-late?" Phoe looked at the pair, head tilted, with his redish-pink baby eyes.

"It's sweet." Tiana smiled. "Isn't our birthday before his?"

Ali nodded. "I'll be eleven. You'd be thirteen, I think..."

She passed Phoe to Ali and grabbed the green chalk. She drew two rows of five circles then drew one more circle under them. That made eleven. She used another different colored chalk and drew circles next to the lonely one. Twelve circles, thirteen circles.

"Yeah, I'd be almost thirteen if I was out there with you."

Ali's cheeks were as red as these pretty flowers Tiana's mother used to grow in her garden. "Oh, great... I added that right."

She sat back down and elbowed him lightly. "You should have a little more faith in yourself."

Ali was so relieved. The young princess thought he'd fall out of the chair if he didn't have a child smaller than he was in his lap.

He gave Phoe a squeeze. "S-she makes me nervous."

"Well, Audrey's not here!" She threw her arms around her little brothers. "You did great, Alain! I promise!"

His eyes looked clouded. If Tiana didn't know better, she'd say he looked like her mother after a long day at work. "I gotta go back to Mama. See ya soon, Kaze."

She squeezed him one last time. "See ya soon."

Phoe crawled into her lap and waved. "Bye-bye!"

It's cold again...

Phoe went back to drawing on the walls. His sister let him do that since there wasn't much else for them to do in there. Annie brought them stuff, sometimes, but they still only had so many things to play with.

Ali had gotten so tall. He was as tall as Tiana. Next time they saw him, he'd probably be taller than her.

The princess was so, so happy to see Ali. Still, she was sad now that he was gone, too. She missed her mother, too, since she was just thinking about her.

***

What did you guys think of Alain and his siblings? Theories? Predictions?

~Shino out!