Elle got up and walked over to his tall dresser. He counted up from the bottom four drawers and opened the fifth. He shuffled through tons of small boxes and then pulled out a white one. The only wrapped with a thin red ribbon, more thin than the others.

"All those fake ones.." Elle said aloud to himself and took the small box over to his maple desk and pulled out the small chair with wheels before sitting in it. He flipped on his small desk lamp and undid the ribbon carefully and opened the box. He removed a small layer of tissue paper and stared at what lay inside.

A small drop-shapped white stone that hung on a silver chain.

"Mom's necklace."

Elle smiled recalling the story his mother told him when she gave it to him when he was very young.

"She found it in the old church when it was bright summer day.

Even though the whole building was dark and seemed creepy, through one of stained glass windows shown pink and yellow light onto one little spot. As I walked over to it I seemed to be engulfed by the light. When I looked there were two small pink roses and this small pendant in perfect condition. I believe it was God who gave it to me as a blessing for at that time, I was pregnant with you, my sweet Elle."

Elle had put another fake weight into the box and tied it back up, putting it back into the drawer and closing it after turning off his desktop lamp. He lay in his bed, covered up, on his side. The moonlight shown nicely through the window onto his face, the white stone catching the light and itself shinning like the moon.

-----

Vlalan waited until the dead of night. He looked up at his clock, arms crossed behind his head.

Three-thirty AM.

He must be asleep by now, Vlalan figured to himself and got up. In his soft plushie brown socks, Vlalan crept out of his room and opened up Elle's door.

He poked his head in, jaw falling open. The room was filled with a warm soft light pink and white light.

"Holy..." Vlalan whispered.

He walked over and looked at Elle, where the light seemed to be emitting from.

The stone. "The memento."

Vlalan reached to undo the clasp that was around Elle's neck in the back, a side that was exposed. He noticed Elle's soft innocent look.

He can be cute when he's not being so anti-social. Vlalan thought.

A few more moments looking at the innocent face and he straightened up. He walked out of the room without the spoils.

Vlalan walked out onto the veranada just as he saw a black limo pull up. The rearseat window rolled down and an old pale hand came out into the moonlight and motioned for Vlalan to walk over.

Vlalan walked over, quietly opening the gate. "It's odd to see you out of the hosptial, Nine-Nine-Three."

"Don't joke with me young man," an old raspy voice snapped as the hand returned to the darkness. "Did you get it?"

"I said I needed more time."

"Nine-Nine-Seven would have gotten it by now," the voice answered.

"The boy's father? He was weak."

"I can feel your powers loosing their hold," the voice said. "Better be careful or I may start to think that you are too weak, too, to handle this."

Vlalan was silent for a moment. "Is this boy really part of the Melody Organization?"

"He is." The voice answered. "He just doesn't know it. His brother will be keeping a watchful eye on him."

"You want me to get rid of him?"

"If he starts to poke his nose where it shouldn't belong..."

Vlalan nodded.

"But I need the boy alive. He seems to be the only one who can use the power of that stone."

"Memento won't simply work for anyone?"

"No, you fool!" the voice snapped, sounding quite angry. "Memento will only work for those select few and none of us are one- which is why Angelique took it from us."

"I don't think the mother meant any harm--"

"It's the source of our power. You'd think that being near it would make your powers grow? Not while it's in the hands of the Melody Organization." the voice cut him off. "Get me that item or should you like to fall by the wayside like Nine-Nine-Seven did?"

Vlalan didn't answer as the window rolled up and the limo drove off. He looked after it and then walked back into the house, re-locking the front door. He stood at Elle's door for the next half hour in thought and then left to his bed to sleep and think.