No, I'm not dead. This chapter was giving me trouble, for some inexplicable reason. It turned out to be a bit longer than usual, but you guys probably won't mind. *g* Thanks to all who reviewed. ^_^ It means a lot to me! Enjoy~~~
Chapter 8: Frissonner dans le Lumiere et Element—To Shiver in the Light and Lifeblood
Her voice, Sephiroth decided with detachment, was heavenly. It hadn't taken him long to reach this conclusion, but it was one that he felt was particularly disturbing. After all, as his nightmares had been quick to remind him, he had killed this girl; in fairness, he should not even be allowed near her purity. Yet…here he was, with her.
Sephiroth had been in the grips of another distorted, torturous dream, weeping tears of blood, when he first heard the echoes of her voice. It was faint, but it was a welcome, melodious change from the usual screams and accusations hurled at him. His chains had chafed him a bit as he shifted, head turning as he searched for the source of the voice. Far, far upwards, past the eternally-burning flames' highest flickers and surrounded by a pale green light, Sephiroth saw a vision of her. Her long chestnut hair, bound back in a loose ponytail, fell about her pale face as she read aloud to him from a book. As Sephiroth focused on her, he realized that the pain around him became a little less intense, the flames a little less searing. And if he really concentrated, he found that he could make out the words.
"And Celesta begged Arell not to leave her, tears streaming down her cheeks as blood poured from her wound. Arell could not speak for his heart breaking, even as Celesta whispered, 'I love you' with her last breath and fell limp in his arms…"
She drowned out the other noises, and the other sights as well, with her sad tale of loss. But it was a different kind of loss than the faceless wraiths that encircled him; this was for love, and the theme of love ran through the whole story. While he himself could not relate, at least it was a diversion from his tortures. It wasn't the story that he struggled to absorb; it was more the sweet tone of her voice and her appearance, a break in his well-earned suffering.
If only for a moment, Aeris could take his mind off his seemingly-eternal torment. The nightmare Aeris, the one with the gaping hole in her chest, seemed to fade away and the real Aeris took her place, reading quietly. Despair welled up in Sephiroth as she finished the book, and he fought desperately to stave off the new wave of memories he could feel lurking over in the shadows. Her voice! As much as it hurt him to see another casualty of his cruelty, he needed her voice. It was the only thing keeping the nightmares at bay…and more than that, it was giving him strength.
The bitingly cold chains fell slack for a second, enough for Sephiroth to shout with all of his might, "Keep reading!" Then his shackles tightened again, so constricting around his ankles and wrists that the skin split and bled. He kept his unnaturally bright green eyes trained on the faint vision of her. Aeris seemed to grow pale and stunned, but soon he saw her disappear and then reappear, her arms filled with books. Sephiroth actually relaxed against his bonds. He exhaled in relief, and thanked the gods who had forsaken him for allowing an angel to grace him, however momentarily.
Aeris read until her throat was hoarse and her eyes teared and blurred from staring at the cryptic texts. She didn't know why she felt so driven to keep going; a strange feeling surfaced in her heart, telling her that this was important. She finished reading the five or so books she had grabbed from her room, and shut the last one with a quiet clap. With weary eyes, she looked up at the sky. The few fluffy clouds were tinged in light oranges and pinks as the sun's gentle slope peeked over the hills. Sunlight poured into the Grove and chased away the night's shadows. The warm golden glow softened everything, even the harsh set of Sephiroth's face; he looked younger, more peaceful, with his silver hair tinted flaxen. She forced her eyes away, instead focusing on her lap.
There is probably no significance to this at all, she decided, but it did feel right to me, to read to him…and it seemed like he felt the same. After all, he did tell me to read more. And we are both Bearers…but what I don't understand is what I'm supposed to do about it! The Planet said the Watchers represent a great danger, but the Planet didn't tell me its will. And Sephiroth won't be a help, number one because he's in a supposedly-eternal sleep, and number two because he probably wouldn't even WANT to help me! He killed me before, and even though his madness was cured by Holy and the Lifestream, I don't think he'd be any fonder of me now. In fact, he probably hates me. I'm one of his captors.
Feeling oddly depressed by that line of thought, Aeris lay down on the grass and resolved not to think about Sephiroth anymore. Physically and mentally exhausted, she leaned back on her elbows and stretched her legs out in front of her, wincing as the stiff muscles creaked. Her mind drifted as her blood flowed through her veins, warming her sleepy feet and hands.
And faintly, she heard the echo of the Planet's call, as it had been before the Watches silenced it.
~It leads to where your mind is enlightened, and is in plain view yet hidden.~ The Planet's voice in her mind was feeble and reedy, and Aeris swallowed hard. ~Sharp silver is needed to free it from the red, flametounges to free the pages, and liquid life to free the words…~
"What does that mean?" She whispered aloud. "I don't understand. It just doesn't make any sense…" Frustration welled up in Aeris's chest, a result of her exhaustion and aches.
Calm down. Take deep breaths, and don't get upset. Just…think about it. Think about what it could possibly mean. This is important…the Planet would know. Think…think… Aeris's face scrunched up in concentration. Her fingers curled around the aged leather cover of the book in her lap, stroking the worn hide as she mused over the strange phrase. The rational part of her mind raced around thousands of possibilities, casting away some and considering others, while the illogical side completely drifted, thinking very separate thoughts.
It was by pure luck that she managed to catch one of these stray thoughts, her fingers halting in their dance across the book.
She quickly went over it again in her head. I've got to return these books to the Library.
"It leads to where your mind is enlightened…" Aeris said, her voice hushed. A grin spread over her lips. "I think I know that part now…it's obvious! The Library! You read books to enlighten yourself!" She congratulated herself on figuring out that first bit of the riddle, and even sent a benevolent smile towards the slumbering Sephiroth, although she knew he could not see it.
In a substantially better mood, Aeris gathered all her books and stood up. She undid her loose ponytail and ran a hand through the tangles of her mussed hair. On a low branch of Sephiroth's tree, amidst the elegantly drooping leaves, a little golden bird landed and warbled its song. Then, to Aeris's delight and amazement, the bird hopped down and landed on Sephiroth's shoulder. Its eyes were large, black, and innocently inquisitive as it tentatively pecked at a strand of silver hair.
Aeris giggled. "Little bird, that's not food! And you're lucky that Sephiroth isn't awake, or you would be in serious danger right now." The bird cheeped and cocked its head at her, as though reminding her that if Sephiroth were awake, she would be in danger as well, perhaps the most of all. Puffing up its sunlight-colored feathers, the bird settled down to rest on the great General's shoulder. Aeris regarded the picture, and smiled; this was something she'd never thought she'd see. As she left the Grove and headed towards the Library, Aeris realized why.
Animals were instinctively more intuitive than humans. For reasons unknown to her, animals were very good judges of character. They could perceive, on a deeper level than people, the moral fiber of what made someone who they were. And for as long as Aeris could remember, she had never, ever, seen an animal willingly approach Sephiroth. Of course, she wouldn't have either, if she could have helped the few times she had come in contact with him while living; for Aeris, too, could see into a person's soul. In that sense, she was a creature of nature, like the birds and animals that still roamed the corners of the Planet.
What Aeris had first felt coming from Sephiroth had been what was on the surface: self-assurance, intelligence, authority. But within several seconds, she had seen through his shallowness to his hidden depths, and was sure no one could really fathom what she had seen in Sephiroth. He was different, and he knew it; used and experimented on for most of his life, he finally focused on not how to join the human race…but how to beat it.
Basically, he was lonely.
Even Aeris, a girl incredibly attuned to human character, couldn't be sure that what she had spotted in Sephiroth's eyes was lonesomeness. She had only seen it once, after all. The next time she searched the silver-haired man's soul…well, to put it gently, she couldn't find it. Jenova had completely poisoned his mind, and wrought his once- honorable mettle to her liking. It still drove shivers down her spine to recall his empty, malevolent gaze, and to absorb the feeling of madness from him.
Aeris sighed, and shifted the books in her arms a bit to ease the pressure on her wrists. Unbidden, a gentle thought presented itself. What do you feel from Sephiroth now?
She unconsciously bit her full lower lip, a nervous habit that made her look very cute, and wondered. What do I feel from him? I hadn't even noticed anything amiss…I suppose because there hasn't been anything! It sounds strange, but there's no negative emotions radiating from him at all.
A tiny spark of hope sprang up in Aeris's breast at that; maybe he had been changed for the better. Uncharacteristically ruthless, she quashed it, and resolved to not think about it any longer. The only thing it resulted in was a jumble of confusing thoughts and a headache.
She reached the Library, and skipped up the steps. Her feet, enclosed in brown, soft-soled slippers, made a light skiffing noise on the marble. Sliding open the dark red velvet of the drapes, Aeris moved inside. The interior of the great building was just as she remembered it, the comforting scent of old books and dust hanging in the air. Aeris hugged the books to her chest, and beamed about at the aged surroundings. It was dark inside, the only light coming from down the corridor, from the beautiful stained glass windows. The only sound was the scribbling of a quill on paper. Aeris turned to see Rari, the little old Librarian, hunched over his desk, writing frantically. Mounds of open volumes surrounded his small form.
"Hello, Rari." Aeris smiled. "My, you look busy today."
Rari sent a distracted grin her way. "Yes, little miss, something quite important had come up."
"Oh." Aeris blinked, her large green eyes expressing her confusion. "Well, I've come to return these books I took out." Rari suddenly placed his quill down on the desk and stared at her intently, his black eyes bright through his thick glasses. The weak light gleaned off the lenses, giving him an air of something more than just an innocent question.
"Did you find the information you needed?" He asked, his spindly hands clenched together, almost…pleading. A faint buzzing keened in the back of Aeris's mind, and she felt her heart speed up. When she was alive, she would have known that this was the Planet's way of telling her something was wrong, and that she should tread carefully. But now…that couldn't be it. The Planet had been blocked from her, and besides, what was there to fear here, in the majestic Library with its elderly keeper?
"No," answered Aeris cautiously, struggling to banish her traitorous thoughts. "Mainly just a mess of children's tales and half-finished personal accounts. Nothing important." Rari didn't need to know about her dream-meeting with the Planet.
"Of course not," sighed Rari, taking up his quill again and turning a page in the nearest book. "Of course not." Aeris questioned where to place her books, and Rari waved her away to a wooden cart near the stained glass windows. She gently stacked her returned books in a neat pile on the cart, and clasped her hands behind her back. Her mind wandered back to the next part of the riddle.
The Planet said it was in plain view, yet hidden. Aeris remembered. That means the scroll is someplace I can see. Well, that could be anywhere in here, so that's not going to help me! The next part said sharp silver is needed to free it from the red. Sheesh, how cryptic can the Planet get?
The tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and Aeris felt her muscles stiffen up. What…what is this? I feel cold of all a sudden. She lowered her eyelids halfway, and carefully peeked up from under her thick lashes. From the very corner of her eyes, she could see Rari staring hard to her back, his glasses pushed down to his nose. Her stomach gave a strange lurch, and for a brief moment, she felt her mind blank out completely. Rari's stare grew even more intense, his black eyes very narrow. Aeris internally panicked, as she watched her vision slowly fade away, but instead of darkness, there was an all-encompassing veil of red shot through with gold.
A loud series of thumps caused both of them to jump. Aeris, shaking her head, knelt to pick up the books that had fallen and broken her out of her seeming-trance. Rari blinked and returned to his researching, but a small smile had worked its way onto his mouth, and it seemed too calculating a grin to be on such a kind little man.
Not wanting to disturb him further, Aeris wandered to the far reaches of the Library, where the faint light did not reach. She looked around at the books squeezed on their shelves, with an inch of more of dust covering them, and knew that no one had been here in many, many years. After a bit of rummaging, she found an uneven length of candle and several dry matches lying atop a small corner table. She lit the clipped wick, which spluttered fitfully and then settled itself into a small orange flame. She gripped the bottom of it, with care as not to drip wax on her fingers.
Aeris poked about interestedly, leaning over to read a book's title aloud, or just to wipe away a low-hanging cobweb. It was cool and mildewy back here, in the Library's forgotten archives, and Aeris lost herself in the pursuit of enlightenment. She must have read through a dozen books before one particular novel caught her eye; its spine was a dull scarlet, but she could tell it had once been vivid and luxurious.
She slid the book from its spot on a high shelf and sat down, legs crossed, to flip through it. Aeris's fingers traced the faded gold-foil letters on the front cover, which read 'The Account of Lyra Jorrian on the Constructing and Organizing of the Great Library of the Promised Land' in a very flowery, expressive script.
Now that's a mouthful, Aeris giggled mentally. But still, this must be a very old book to have been around before the Library was!
She opened up to the first page, and was met with what appeared to be sketches of the Library.
They don't do it justice, decided the young woman, and turned the page. There were the Library's preliminary and final blueprints, lists of the materials used in its construction, names of the Cetra involved, and other such interesting but not useful information.
Aeris then came to a page where Lyra Jorrian wrote about the Library's furnishings. Aeris read aloud quietly to herself, getting the feeling that something in the passage was important.
"'It had previously been confirmed that both the inner and outer base of the Great Library would be made of white marble, so all of our furnishing decisions were based around that fact. There would be windows of stained glass, desks, chairs, bookshelves (naturally!), curtains, and whatnot; however, the color scheme had yet to be chosen. The honor of picking colors was bestowed upon me, as Second Taskmaster! After careful consideration, I opted to make the wooden items from dark cherrywood lumber, handpicked and cleaned by our assistants. The stained glass windows will depict legendary scenes from Cetra history when they are complete, which should be in several days. Their colors are being picked out by the glass workers, who know better than I what to use. The trim and embellishments on the ceiling are gold-leaf, not too gaudy of course, and there are several landscape paintings hung at strategic locations on the walls. Yet I must confess, my favorite little extra was the one I designed: the long curtains for the front entrance. I do hate to sound full of my work, but they are gorgeous. They stretch from floor to ceiling, and are made from the finest red velvet. It is like touching crushed rose petals. The brilliant crimson color is so rich, so vivid, so eye-catching, that the others have taken to simply calling it 'the Red'."
It was as if a bell went off in Aeris's head. She quickly reread the last sentence, and a grin spread over her face as realization struck. "The red" from the poem is just the front curtains! They're in plain view, yet hidden! I've been over-analyzing everything…I have to take it all literally! I should have known the Planet's message would be so obvious it'd be obscure!
Aeris snapped the book shut and replaced it on the shelf. She blew out the candle gripped in her hand and slipped it into her pocket, along with the matches. She scrambled from the shadows, unable to contain her giddiness. Her mind was already leaping ahead of itself, and she was drawn into excitement as she pieced out the riddle.
"Sharp silver"…what is something sharp and silver? A knife, or a sword, of course! Aeris frowned as an incessant thought needled her mind.
Her forehead crinkled. Wait…I remember. Sharp Silver was the nickname for…for…Aeris's eyes widened as the terrible truth dawned on her, and the spot just underneath her ribs ached hollowly in memory.
…the Masamune….
Hunched over his desk, Rari smiled.
