Happy birthday, Aria Welson

Undine stood up and began walking, her dripping blue hair touching the ground and making it wet.

She suddenly seemed to think of something as she turned around and said, "Don't you all want to say goodbye? Who knows when we will be meeting her."

The four huddled up close to the blond girl and kissed her forehead. They said in unison, "Stay safe Aria. Hope we will meet soon. Goodbye."

17th December, 1778.....

Aria woke up and sat on her bed. She shivered. She had been looking out the window sitting on her bed and did not know when she fell asleep.

She looked out of the window and saw the vegetable patch. A little further, was the back road and then green fields.

"Why do I keep having this wierd dream. I feel like four people are saying bye to me. They want to meet me soon and I do too. But I don't know who they are or where they live." Aria thought as she got up and the bed screeched a little. She looked at the time, 5:30 a.m. She was a bit early today. Aria went into the only bathroom in the house and freshened up. She also bathed and came out wearing a brown shirt and a yellow skirt. The skirt came upto her knees and was the prettiest one she had, but today was a special day, right?

Aria went back into her room and wore a sweater. "And I used to think the fire kingdom was cold." She thought as she closed the window to stop the wind coming in.

Then she sat down and began to comb her hair. It was a very tiresome task. When she was done after about 20 minutes, Aria stood up and looked at herself in the mirror.

Aria was 14 years old today. Of course, no one right now knew about that. The ones who did know about her birthday thought that she was dead, and the ones who knew she was alive did not know today was her birthday.

Aria had grown really beautiful in the past seven years. As per her mother's wish, she had not once cut her hair, which was now really long. It was still a beautiful golden colour and reached down to her thighs. Aria's eyes were still deep black but there was something missing in them. It was probably the shine that was often compared to twinkling stars, which would sometimes reappear when Aria was really happy. Along with these striking features, her straight nose, small lips and jade like complexion was enough for people to stop in their ways and wonder if they had seen an angel just now.

Aria looked at herself and said, "Happy birthday, Aria Welson."

She then took a scarf hung on the door frame and headed out of her room.

As she reached the living room, a woman in a battered dark blue dress looked up. She said, "Good morning Aria. You look really beautiful today. What's the occasion?"

Aria smiled and said, "Nothing mother, I just felt like it. By the way, has father already gone?"

The woman said, "He just left. Here, take this bucket and bring some water from the river."

Aria smiled and walked out the door.