Dedicated to all the nice people who reviewed my story! Thank you Justine, Sailor Leo, Renee, Blood of Sephiroth, Liz, Fallen Virtue, Aloria, Kyris, Tori and CJ-Chan!! You made my day when you took the time to throw me a comment bone! ^_^ So this chap's for you!
Tomorrow (March 3) is my birthday!! Yay! ^_^ Be nice and write a review for my birthday!
Chapter 3: Un Rumeur sur le Vent—A Rumor on the Wind
"That Aeris girl is weird."
"Quiet! If someone hears that, you're gonna be in so much trouble—"
"I don't care. You know what I heard from Yensith? Every night for the past two weeks, his brother and his wife, the ones who live down by the Grove, wake up to see Aeris standing in front of Sephiroth's Tree in some sort of trance! You've gotta admit, that is pretty damn freaky."
"…yeah, I guess that is pretty weird."
"And get this! Sometimes they say she's humming along really softly, but only when she's in the trance, and there's no music playing they can hear! She just stands and stares at Sephiroth, and sometimes she stretches her hand out like she's gonna touch him!"
"They could be making it up, you know. It's no secret that a lot of Cetra here don't really care for Aeris. I think it's because she's half human, which is reasonable; that is very distasteful. Ifalna never should have married Gast, we all warned her about him."
"We did. And look at how things turned out. Her daughter is a silly little halfling who sleepwalks!" The two chatting young Cetra burst into laughter. Their laughter died, however, when Ifalna Gainsborough Gast appeared.
"Ahem. Excuse me." Her eyes burning coldly, Ifalna strode in between the two gossiping kids, thoroughly shutting them up. Anger seethed in her heart even as her features remained set in stone. She thought fiercely, Stupid little scandalmongers! These young Cetra have no respect for their elders and betters! I wish I could teach them some manners…with the Princess Guard!
She allowed her fury to stew for several more minutes before her thoughts inevitably turned to her daughter. Oh, Aeris. I wish you would tell me what was wrong! Even as she tried to deny what the other Cetra were saying, in her heart she knew there was some truth to it. Every night for fourteen nights now, Aeris had gotten out of bed and walked to the Grove, in a sleepwalker's trance. She would proceed to stand directly in front of Sephiroth's Tree, as it had been aptly named, and move as though to touch him. Every night, she was stopped from placing her hand on his skin by the Cetra who lived near the Grove, or some other change in her environment, such as the snapping of a twig or call of a night bird.
Ifalna attempted to keep the rumors about Aeris from flying wild, but the girl wasn't making it any easier. She didn't spend much time in the City or with the other Cetra; she preferred the company of the beautiful Grove or the windswept Plains to social interactions. She was perfectly happy when she was with Ifalna, but she was always happier when alone. Aeris was quiet, withdrawn almost, and dodged questions about her sleepwalking and Sephiroth with ease.
I don't understand. She's finally freed from all her mortal troubles. She's with me, her true mother, in a land of eternal peace and beauty! What is wrong with her?
Aeris never acted sad. She had only cried twice upon coming to the Promised Land, to Ifalna's knowledge. The first time was when they had met and hugged among the wildflowers, and those were tears of joy. The second time was when Ifalna had summoned Professor Gast's spirit from the Lifestream. Upon meeting her father, whom Aeris had spent even less time with than her birth mother, the young Cetra had burst into happy tears.
That memory brought a smile to Ifalna's face. Aeris had been jubilant to be reunited for Professor Gast, if only for a little while. On his part, Gast couldn't believe how beautiful his daughter had become, and how she had changed from a tiny squalling baby into a sweet young lady. Gast was obviously charmed by her, and he mentioned many times, to Aeris's embarrassment, how proud he was of her.
Then Ifalna frowned. The little family of three talked together of happy times for a small while longer, before Aeris quietly asked if she could talk to Gast alone. Ifalna had complied without question, knowing they had some catching up to do, but now that she thought back to it…there had been something in Aeris's eyes just then.
Something…haunted about them. Uneasy, unsure. Nervous.
Ifalna pondered this, her own eyes clouded over with worry. What did they talk about? Gast looked very puzzled, I remember that clearly, and Aeris looked almost skeptical. I didn't want to watch them too long; that would be rude.
She watched as the two Cetra from before passed by her, sniggering and throwing furtive glances over their shoulders.
That's it! I'm finding my daughter, and I'm getting to the bottom of all this!
A slim figure in a pale yellow sundress sat alone.
Aeris sighed and allowed the wind to ruffle her unbound chestnut hair. She was laying in the middle of the Plains, a place she found herself visiting more and more in the two weeks she had been in the Promised Land. It was perfect for an afternoon of flower picking, or bird watching, or even simple contemplation…which was what she was doing now. Her eyes were closed serenely; her sooty eyelashes casted shadows upon her rosy cheeks. Golden shoots of wheat and wildflowers of every color swayed around her, their stalks rustling and making a rough sort of melody…
Green eyes snapped open, alert and almost frightened. Aeris stayed completely still for several minutes, straining heard to catch any hint of a tune.
Nothing.
She exhaled the breath she didn't know she had been holding, and relaxed once again. Her face, normally open and smiling, was tense and guarded. This isn't how I pictured my afterlife…constantly worrying that I'll be entranced by music that only I can hear, seeing Sephiroth nearly every day, keeping things from my mother, being ostracized for being different…I think I miss being alive. At least then, I knew what I had to do, and why I was doing it. I don't know anything anymore.
Aeris watched the fluffy white puffs of clouds float lazily overhead. When she was out here, alone and not remembering, she could almost forget her unhappiness. Two birds darted about each other, a duo of red streaks against the deep blue sky. Their calls lingered long after they had vanished, and because of that she almost missed a low, sonorous whisper that called out to her.
Aeris…Aeris slowly, terrifyingly, became aware of another presence in the Plains with her. She stood and turned around, searching for what she knew was there...watching her. The presence, although invisible, was almost positively malevolent, and the air nearly hummed with its power. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up.
Aeris…Her heart started to speed up in its beats. "Who's there?" Her voice sounded weak and shaky even to her own ears; apparently the phantom speaker thought so too, and laughed mockingly.
You fear me, don't you, Aeris?"Whoever this is, you had better stop right now!" Aeris shouted heatedly, her trembling hands belaying her nervousness. She set about looking for a weapon, but the Plains were bare of sticks, rocks, even pebbles.
You fear me because you are like me…you are different like me…"What?" Aeris looked perplexed now. "Like you? What are you talking about?"
You remember…Gast told you the legends. You know of what I speak.
She remained uncomprehending for another moment; her face became pale, and her eyes stood out like two great viridian gems. "Those aren't true! They aren't! He even said that they've lost a lot of their meaning! You're lying to me!" Aeris clapped her hands over her ears to block the voice, but the echo of his laughter rang on and on.
One day you shall belong to me!"Aeris…Aeris. Aeris!" There was a touch on her shoulder. The young Cetra woman screamed and jerked away, reeling as though burned.
"Aeris, it's me!" Ifalna shouted, confused and extremely upset. Why was her own daughter cringing away from her, staring at her with vacant eyes? More questions to be answered, and Ifalna wasn't sure she wanted to know what laid beneath Aeris's eyes. Ifalna's sharp voice cut through the fog in the young woman's mind, and she looked up.
"…Mother?"
"Aeris, we have to talk." This strange little episode had only strengthened the elder Cetra's resolve to figure out what was going on. Aeris blinked, then placed her hands in her lap demurely, as if nothing was wrong. Ifalna leaned forward and put hers over Aeris's gently clasped ones.
"Aeris…you have to tell me what's wrong. I know something's been weighing on your mind, and by you just keeping it all inside isn't helping anyone! Whatever it is, I won't judge you. I only want to help you, Aeris, you're my daughter and I would do anything for you…" Ifalna's eyes were glittering with unshed tears. "Please tell me!"
Guilt pressed down on Aeris like an a set of weights hung around her neck. How could I have been so selfish? Here I am, feeling sorry for myself, and all the while I'm hurting my mother! All she's done is watch over me, and care for me, and love me, and I've paid her sacrifice back by acting like a spoiled little child.
She hesitantly met Ifalna's eyes again, and made her decision.
"I'll tell you the truth."