Author's Note: Yes, I'm aware I've done this story... sort of... twice before. But both those times I quit it, took it down, and never finished it. But since then I've reworked and retooled it, and I think this one will be the true sequel to Making Waves. If you have not read the aforementioned story, I suggest doing that being delving any further into this installment. With that said, I'm starting this a bit ahead of schedule, just to get a bit of a head start. I'll focusing my energies on finishing After Dawn, and after completing that project, I will be moving on to another new project, which I will be updating alongside this one. So, don't expect too many, if any, updates to this until After Dawn is complete, which hopefully will not be that long. Without further ado, I give you... Desert Song. Enjoy.

Prologue

It was a somber October afternoon, the sky a variant of grays that seemed to threaten to rain at any moment. A funeral procession gathered in the cemetery, all dressed in black and mourning silently as the priest said a final prayer before dismissing the memorial service. Amongst the crowd of mourners was Aiden Haliburton, who stood stone-faced and grim, all dressed in a black pinstriped suit and white dress shirt with a red and black tie and shiny, polished black dress shoes, his jet black hair cut short, combed and styled, his bangs hanging down in his face as he peered through his rectangular glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose with his watery baby blue eyes. Thunder echoed in the distance, and just as the priest dismissed the service, everyone started back to their cars to head to the funeral reception. As the procession dispersed, Aiden remained with his hands tucked in his pockets, watching as the grave diggers set to work putting his mother's casket into the ground.

A rain drop landed square on Aiden's cheek, running down until it dripped off his chin. Before he knew it, rain began pouring down all around him, and he remained unflinching. Removing a hand from his pocket, Aiden removed the red rose that was pinned to his lapel, and slowly approached the plot in which his mother's casket had been lowered into. Before the grave diggers began piling dirt on top of it, Aiden stood before the hole in the ground, peering down at his mother's final resting place with the rose still in his hand; he kissed the rose, and dropped it down onto the casket. He remained there, staring hollowly down into the hole as the grave diggers began piling sand into it.

As Aiden stood, getting drenched to the bone, someone suddenly stood beside him, opening an umbrella over them to keep them dry, not that it would do Aiden any good now that he was already soaked. A gentle hand wrapped around him, drawing him close as Aiden rested his head on their chest, and closed his eyes as they kissed him on the head, squeezing his shoulder affectionately.

"Come on. Let's get you out of this rain. The others are waiting for us."

Without a word, Aiden followed him away from his mother's grave, and as they walked off, Aiden took one last look back as he wished his mother goodbye one last time.

It was the end of one life, and the beginning of a whole new one for Aiden Haliburton…

Desert Song

Written By

Shadow Kitsune