If this is a preview of how the summer will be then I look forward to seeing what I end up putting out. This fic pretty much wrote itself, and 1/5 of it was written on my cell phone XD It was originally meant to be one of the original 4 fics I had wanted to do for this series before I started writing more shootoff fics and getting more ideas. There are a lot of things I could possibly address, but this was one of the biggest ones. I'm also pleased because this makes my 100th fic on , just in time for my 9 year anniversary. I'm so pleased about that. At the beginning of this year, I wasn't even sure if I'd get to 100 before the year ended. And now I have finally met that landmark goal. Anyway, enjoy!
Aaeru wiped her brow. She'd spent the afternoon picking the rest of the summer crop of tomatoes. She picked up the last bushel basket, placing it beside the others. It'd been a good growing season from what others had told her. Neighbors also had bountiful crops. She and her grandpa had planted at just the right time this year. She'd ended up taking over most of the gardening for her grandpa, who spent most of his days around the house instead. He tired easily, and often napped the entire afternoon. He often complained of headaches and sore joints. Aaeru felt that he would get better soon and then things would be the same as before. This wasn't the first time it had happened, after all.
She began carrying the baskets to the cellar. It wasn't too far of a walk from the large garden, but the basket seemed heavier with each step. She walked slowly, being careful to mind the steps on her way. It was hard to keep her balance, but she managed to hold the basket steady without falling or losing any tomatoes. Three more repeat trips and she was done. She sighed with relief, exhaustion settling in. Without her grandpa to help, the task of manning the garden became three times as difficult and the day seemed to be twice as long. It was a lot of work for a thirteen year old, but she did it and managed.
Happy but exhausted, Aaeru returned to the house. She looked forward to telling her grandpa about what she'd accomplished. If they could sell all the tomatoes, along with the other crops, they would be set for the winter months. They could relax by the fireplace and he could tell her stories she'd heard many times before. The fire would crackle and keep them both warm as they got caught up in the stories that were so familiar that Aaeru could tell them all by heart. There was nothing better than one of her grandpa's stories. She closed the door behind her and slipped off her shoes, placing them off to the side. When she turned around, she quickly realized something wasn't right. Usually when she returned, the smell of dinner wafted to her nose. Even though her grandpa wasn't at his best, he always made a meal for the two of them to share, and by this time, the meal would be almost finished. She didn't smell anything cooking. What had kept her grandpa from starting the evening meal? He had planned to before she left after lunch, setting out some of the ingredients.
"Grandpa?" she called. "Where are you?"
She wasn't worried just yet. Sometimes he got caught up in other things instead. She headed for the kitchen, wondering if her grandpa had decided to go sit on the back porch. He did some evenings, wanting to enjoy the warmth of the setting sun. He'd smile and tell Aaeru about past sunsets he'd seen or tell of times when Aaeru had done silly things during a sunset. Yes, he must be on the porch.
"Gran--" Her words died in her throat as she entered the kitchen. Her grandpa lay face down on the wooden floor. Rice lay scattered in front of him, the bowl it had been in flipped upside down. He was unconscious, and he wasn't moving.
Wordlessly, Aaeru rushed to his side. "Grandpa? Grandpa!" She shook him, but he wouldn't wake. As she touched bare skin, she realized his arm felt cooler than usual. She rose quickly and ran out the door. She needed to find help. She needed someone who could help her. He was going to be okay. He just needed a doctor. She could find someone who could help.
She ran as fast as her legs could carry her toward the small village they lived near. It was over a mile away, but she didn't let that discourage her. Her lungs burned and yearned for oxygen that wasn't gulp quickly. Fire spread through her calf muscles, but still she continued. She wouldn't let herself stop, couldn't stop.
Arriving in the village, she bent over, catching her breath quickly. She didn't stop long and continued to the residence of the village doctor. She pounded on the door, hoping that someone would be around to answer the door. She hoped that the doctor wasn't on a call because then she didn't know what she could do to help her grandpa.
The door opened after a few seconds of her relentless pounding. The doctor's wife answered the door, surprised to see an out of breath Aaeru on her step. "What in the—"
"Please. My…" Here Aaeru tried to catch her breath. "Grandpa. Something's…wrong. I don't….don't know what… to do!" She looked up, the panic on her face mixed in with the exhaustion of the run she'd just been on. Her face was flushed, and she looked ready to pass out.
Assessing the seriousness of the situation, the wife pulled Aaeru inside, guiding her by the arms. She called for her husband as she made Aaeru sit and drink some cool water to replenish what she'd probably ran off. The doctor entered the room, took one look at Aaeru, and received the story from his wife. He quickly called for horses to be saddled.
It all happened quickly. Aaeru remembered being given the reins to the horse, a creature she'd never rode before in her life. She remember being high atop the creature, and then arriving back home. She'd quickly followed the doctor inside and to the kitchen, where her grandpa still lay. He had not woken up while she'd been gone. The doctor knelt by the older man, checked for various things, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Aaeru, but your grandpa passed away. It looks to be a heart attack. He suffered no pain before he died."
Aaeru looked at him blankly. It was as though she hadn't heard those words. They had no meaning for her; her body didn't absorb them. She shook and trembled. What the doctor said couldn't be true…it wasn't true. Her grandpa was stronger than that… he was tough. He was only sick and would be better soon. It was just a joke he was playing on her before her told her that he really would be okay. She looked up into the doctor's face and saw the emotions played there. She had no idea what they meant, but they didn't look like they were joking. It was only a joke, right? Right?
When Aaeru next awoke, she found herself tucked into her bed. The room was dark, as was the land outside. She wondered why she was in bed. Hadn't she been coming in for dinner. And then, like a wave that suddenly breaks, it all came back to her. She heard the words, saw the images in her mind. She drew her knees to her chest and hugged them. What did it mean to her? Death meant… he was gone? He couldn't just be gone like that.
Voices were heard outside of her door and she looked toward them, wondering why someone was around. Her mind didn't register it as an intruder, and she vaguely wondered if the doctor was still around. Someone peeked inside and saw her. Seeing that she was awake, they pushed open the door. She recognized it as the doctor's wife. In her hands she carried a cup that was steaming. "Drink this," she said softly, holding the cup to Aaeru's lips. Aaeru did as she was told, acting on autopilot.
The liquid wasn't too hot and it slid easily down Aaeru's throat. It was warm, and when it pooled in her belly, she felt the warmth began to spread through her body. Her limbs felt heavy, and she made every effort to keep sitting up. The doctor's wife gently pushed her back down on her bed. "Sleep…we'll take care of everything," she whispered. She blurred, and then, Aaeru saw darkness.
Aaeru awoke to streaming early sunlight in her window. She rubbed at her eyes and squinted, not used to the bright light. Sleep permeated her mind still and she couldn't seem to recall anything. She rose from her bed, stretching. The smell of breakfast wafted into her room and she eagerly opened her door, hungry for something too. Racing to the kitchen, she found her grandfather at the table, placing a steaming plate of hotcakes at her seat. "It smells great!" she complimented, sitting down and beginning to eat the large stack. Her grandfather soon joined her.
At first, Aaeru didn't notice the serious look on his face, too busy eating her fill, but she looked up when she noticed how quiet he was. He was eating the pancakes, but very slowly. "Grandpa, what's wrong?"
Her grandfather looked up and gave her a soft smile. "There are plenty of choices, Aaeru."
The random and unexpected sentence confused Aaeru. "Huh?'
"In this world. There are plenty of choices. Once you make your decision, you can never go back."
"I know, grandpa. You told me this before."
"Then you know that you must think hard about what you will do. I know you'll make the right choice, Aaeru. I can't make it for you."
His words still confused her. "What are you saying? I don't have to make any choices. I've still got you."
"You'll make your choice without me. I know it will be right. Remember, you can never go back, only forward."
Aaeru, still confused, watched as her grandpa rose from the table and headed for the back door. He opened it and walked outside. Aaeru pulled herself from her shock and followed him.
"Grandpa! Grandpa, where are you going?" she called as she chased after him. "Why are you acting so funny?"
It was as though he didn't hear her. He continued on a path headed for the river. No matter how hard Aaeru tried, she could never catch up to him. He always seemed to get farther and farther away. This confused Aaeru even more, as he wasn't moving very fast, yet she was running as fast as she could. It didn't make any sense. She paused to catch her breath, and watched her grandfather cross the river.
Trying once more to get to him, Aaeru put on a burst of speed, intent on landing in the river and racing to him. However, mid-jump, she hit…something. It was like a clear wall, one she couldn't see, but it was there. She pounded her hand against him, panic beginning to overtake her. "Grandpa! Grandpa! What's happening… why can't I get to you…. Grandpa…"
Shooting straight up in bed, Aaeru called out for her grandpa. Her room was dark, and the voices were no longer outside of her door. Her hands were cold and clammy, and she was out of breath. She couldn't breathe, couldn't catch her breath. "Grandpa…" she whispered.
Aaeru slipped from her bed, and as soon as her feet touched the floor, she headed for the living room. She opened the door, only to find the fire burning low. Her grandfather was laid out, a serious look on his features. No one was nearby, and Aaeru wasn't even sure if the doctor or his wife were still around.
In a daze, she moved closer to the table where he lay. "Grandpa…" she whispered, shakily reaching out to touch his hand. The cold touch seemed unnatural to her. "Grandpa…" She rested her head on his chest, her body shaking. "Grandpa…" She broke down into sobs, her pain pouring out in her tears. She clutched at his body, holding on to something. She clung in a weak hug, the only thing keeping her from falling to her knees.
Arms wrapped around her shoulders, and pulled Aaeru to her feet. She smelled flowers as someone held her close to them. They rubbed her back, but she could not bring herself to look at anything but her grandpa. Was he really…gone? Was she really all alone. It couldn't be, didn't make sense.
"It was the will of Tempus Spatium…" whispered a feminine voice. "He's in a better place now…"
The words were meant to be soothing, but to Aaeru, they meant nothing. She had never believed in Tempus Spatium, and this was too much. Such a being would never take her grandpa from her like that. Tempus Spatium was cruel… and never would exist for her… it didn't matter. She felt an overwhelming grip on her body, something she couldn't explain, but she felt as though if it overtook her body, she would lose the fight.
A tune began to play and at first, she thought it was only in her mind. It was the most familiar, soothing tune. She realized that it wasn't all made up. She looked up, and noticed the doctor's wife, holding the small round music box. She looked down at it, remembering how her grandpa had played the music box for her when she was smaller and had nightmares. It had calmed her fears then, and now, she felt like it gave her back a part of her grandpa. She reached out and took the box into her own hands, blowing it to continue the tune.
She wandered back to her room, keeping the music box playing. She sat cross-legged on her bed, looking down at the box in the darkness. She couldn't quite explain it, but listening to the tune she felt as though she were flying in a sky different from the one she knew. She closed her eyes, and pictured one of her grandfather's stories. She continued to blow on the music box, keeping it going as she pictured the world her grandpa had spoken of. She flew there, and her grandpa was with her. She couldn't fly without him, no matter what sky they were in. He would always be with her.