The night I originally started this I was quite stressed and angry with a few things going on at the same time. I figured Aaeru needed to be angry too, so I began this piece, and finally finished it today. It fits into the timeline when Aaeru is about 8 years old. Enjoy!
She smacked the side of the tree trunk, ignoring the small bit of pain in her hand. She couldn't describe the well of emotions inside of her. She just wanted to lash out. Green eyes glared around at anything nearby. She didn't know what to do next, and so hit the tree again before plopping down beneath it. She found a rock beside her, and picked it up, turning it over and over in her hand. She skipped it across the river, watching it leap three times before sinking beneath the watery surface.
Aaeru rested her head on her knees. It wasn't fair. She hadn't done anything wrong, yet she was in trouble anyway. She only wanted to do try it out; her grandpa wouldn't let her do it otherwise. She hadn't ever seen him that angry before. He had yelled at her and she had run away from him. Why'd he get so angry? she wondered. She'd only wanted to try it out, just once. She thought back to the incident, trying to find the answers to her questions.
She had been instructed to clean and polish the Simile, a task she thoroughly enjoyed. It was the one chore her grandpa never had to remind her about doing twice. She had whistled as she had pumped the water and then heated it over the fire. Unlocking the building, she slipped inside. She placed the bucket on the floor in front of the Simile and then opened the doors the rest of the way to let in the afternoon sunlight.
The sudsy water made her hands quite pruny, but she carefully scrubbed and cleaned the craft, taking her time to get in every nook and cranny. Once she had rinsed off the outside of the Simile, she had opened the hatch and slipped inside, taking a clean rag to dust and polish the controls. As she dusted and polished one of the directional controls, her eye caught sight of the engine starter. If she just pressed that button and began the start up sequence… it wouldn't be long before she'd have it in the sky. Then she could fly again.
It had been a few years since she'd been in the Simile with her grandpa. She couldn't remember much of that last flight now. She only knew her grandpa had told her she was too big to fly with him, and she'd have to wait until she was older and was taught how to fly. She didn't want to wait that long; she wanted to fly right now. She had always wanted to. However, her grandpa wouldn't let her. He said she'd have to train as a cadet and then become a Sibylla, which would happen around the time she was 15. It was simply too long of a wait.
Curiosity got the better of her, and she set her rag down. Looking around carefully first, she checked for any sign of her grandpa. If she remembered right, he was to be harvesting in the field and wouldn't be back for awhile. Her finger hovered over the button, and she wondered briefly if she shouldn't press it. Making a quick decision, she pressed the button, and the Simile began to rumble to life. Her hand then moved a series of controls to unlock the Simile, and allow it to be flown. She was about to pull the hatch down when she caught sight of her grandpa in the doorway, a plate of cut tomatoes in his hand. His face was turning red, similar to the tomato.
"Aaeru!" he shouted, trying to be heard over the roar of the engine. "Aaeru, turn that off this instant!"
Aaeru cut the engine so that she could hear her grandpa. "What?"
"Come down here!" He didn't sound very happy at all. She didn't understand why. She had only started the Simile. She just wanted to see what it was like, just one more time.
Climbing out of the Simile, she jumped down, landing in front of her grandpa. He set the plate of tomatoes on a nearby and turned to his granddaughter. Aaeru looked up at him. "I didn't do anything wrong," she stated again.
"Aaeru, do you remember what I told you about the Simile?"
"Yeah… you said I couldn't fly it until I learned how, but you won't teach me! I want to fly, grandpa!"
"You will when you're older and train to be a Sibylla. Then—"
"No! I don't want to wait that long! I want to learn to fly now! I want to go back in the sky!"
"You will just have to—"
Aaeru didn't wait for him to finish. She didn't want to hear the same story about waiting until she was old enough. She pushed past her grandfather, running out into the open. At first, she ran just to run. She'd turn and try a different direction, until she'd backtracked around and found herself near the river. She'd hit the tree to get rid of some of the pain she was feeling inside, but it hadn't worked.
She still wasn't sure she understood what her grandpa was talking about. Why couldn't she fly? All she wanted to do was see the sky again. A lone bird flew overhead, and she imagined herself high above the landscape, flying alongside it. She'd control the Simile with ease, guiding it through the sky without a care in the world. It'd be her sky, and no one else's. She'd take the sky and make it her place, her one place to be free.
She stayed beneath the tree for awhile, letting herself calm down. As the sun moved lower in the sky, so did her anger levels. She stood up when her stomach rumbled, figuring she should head home. Maybe her grandpa wouldn't be too mad anymore. Rising up, she walked in the direction of home.
"Grandpa? I'm home," called Aaeru as she slipped in the doorway. She took off her sandals and placed them on the mat beside the door. No reply came back to her, but she heard noises in the kitchen so she headed there.
Her grandpa was busy making dinner. Aaeru could see the plate of chicken, along with some green beans. Her grandpa had just finished the corn to go with the meal. He did not acknowledge Aaeru, even though he saw her. He continued to fix the meal, setting the table.
Something wasn't right and Aaeru sensed this. She sat down at the table and rested her head in her hand. Her grandpa sat down at the table and began to serve himself. Aaeru noticed that once he finished, he began to eat. She waited, thinking that perhaps he would help fix her plate soon. A few minutes went by, and all she heard was the sound of his silverware clinking against the glass.
"Grandpa?"
He gave her no answer, not even sparing her a glance. He picked up his chicken leg and began to eat it instead.
"Grandpa, are you mad at me?" asked Aaeru, beginning to become teary-eyed. She had never had her grandpa ignore her, and didn't know how to react to that. This time, he looked over at her, but still didn't acknowledge her by speaking.
Tears began to fall as Aaeru started to cry. She didn't like this at all. Her grandpa never treated her like this. "Grandpa, I'm sorry!" she blurted. "But why won't you talk to me?"
Her grandfather set down the chicken leg and wiped his fingers on a napkin. He looked at his granddaughter seriously and it was hard for him not to pull her into a hug. However, she had to learn, and he didn't want to make the lesson seem like something stupid and simple. "Aaeru, it's never pleasant when someone won't listen to you. You didn't like it when I didn't listen and answer you, did you?"
Aaeru shook her head. "No."
"Mmm… and that is how I felt when you decided to try and fly the Simile on your own. I wanted you to listen to my warning and wait until you were older. When I saw you trying to fly the craft, I didn't like that. I had thought you would listen, Aaeru."
"I just wanted to fly again," mumbled Aaeru, sniffling.
"You will fly again, but you have to wait. If you are patient, the time you are able to fly will be all the better. If you're impatient, flying won't mean anything to you."
For a few minutes, there was silence. Then, Aaeru spoke up. "Why does it take so long to grow up?"
Her grandpa chuckled. "One of the mysteries of life." He became more serious as he looked at her. "Promise me you'll listen to my warning this time. I hope I don't find you trying to fly the Simile like that again. Promise me you'll wait."
Aaeru didn't want to wait and didn't want to promise that, but she also didn't want her grandpa mad at her and not talking to her. "I promise, grandpa. I won't try to do it again."
"Good. Would you like some dinner? I just picked the corn today and it's very sweet and tender, just the way you like it."
"Sure!" Aaeru passed over her plate and her grandpa loaded it with chicken, green beans, and corn. Aaeru settled the plate in front of her, looking at the delicious meal she was about to enjoy. She looked over at her grandpa, who was reaching for a second ear of corn. "Grandpa?"
"Hmm?" He paused.
"I really am sorry."
"I know you are. Just show me that you really mean it, and I'll know you intend to keep your word to me."
"I will, grandpa! Promise!" Aaeru nodded as she gave her word, fully intending to listen. She hated not being able to fly, but she hated her grandpa being mad at her even more. She had had to make a choice, and she chose her family over her wants, her first step toward becoming an adult.