IF THERE BE THORNS
By Maggie Griffin
CHAPTER 13: Root of Discovery
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Aladdin found himself seated in the throne room with the coming of the evening. Through the large windows off to one side, he could see the first outlines of the moon that would soon rule the sky until the first rays of the sun chased it back into invisibility. He sat with his back leaning against the Sultan's throne, his hands lying limply at his sides, brushing the floor.
His mind was on the events of the day, particularly his conversation with Mechanicles at the Cloak and Dagger. At first, he had paid little heed to the inventor's words, but with the mention of the spirit girl's eyes something inside of him had snapped to attention. He hadn't been sure of exactly what it was that had first grabbed him about it, but as Mechanicles had continued talking, describing the girl to the last perfect detail, Aladdin had felt a creeping sense of dread. A dread that came in like a chill at his back.
Not, sitting limply on the floor, he knew what it was that had shocked him so.
Mechanicles had provided an accurate description. The pallor of the girl's skin, the colour of her eyes, down to the hair he could see peeking out from under the cloak she had been wearing. A dark green cloak.
Just like the one Aini had worn.
The girl, whoever she was, had been a down to the last detail perfect description of their dead friend.
~Maybe she's a lost soul~ He thought to himself.
It was a possibility. He knew that at one point, Iago had raved about a dimension between life and death, where wandering souls stuck in limbo were often trapped, hunted down by an apparition, forever running among those alive, but always alone.
"What if that's happened to her?" He asked himself aloud.
"What if what happened to who?"
Turning, Aladdin saw that Genie had entered the throne room, floating himself over next to him. The Genie rested next to Aladdin, and glanced over towards him.
"Hey Al, who were you talking about?"
Aladdin paused, wondering if it was wise to tell Genie what he suspected. He knew that Genie had been one of those that had taken Aini's death the worst. Next to Sadira, or Abutus. Arbutus had probably taken it worst. Even a year later, the haunting threat, as well as the dangerous tone in his voice stayed firmly in Aladdin's memories.
Yet the idea that Aini had indeed become some wandering ghost was more then slightly disturbing. But it was also extremely possible.
~She died a violent death, didn't she? That counts as a good reason for souls that don't find rest...~ Aladdin thought, his eyes narrowing
"Al?" Genie prodded, now obvious to the fact that something was troubling the younger man.
Aladdin looked at Genie, his emotions obviously present on his face as Genie scowled as he saw.
"I gotta talk to you about something Genie…"
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If the night in the Garden had ever frightened Aini more, if was surely at that moment. The Garden had been mysterious and dark by nature, and now, when the bitterness of loss had eaten it away, the night only multiplied on the dread that a person could feel once inside of it.
A place of happiness had turned into a place of shadows, and as Aini found herself amongst it, she couldn't shake the feelings of fear.
"Ai…?"
Aini looked down, stroking Arbutus' cheek lightly with her hand. He had lain down with her high above the garden, in the gazebo in the sky. Now, his head rested on her lap, his arm wrapped around her waist possessively.
As she looked down at him, his own eyes met hers and he stared up at her, unblinking in the darkness.
"Hm?" She smiled gently, her own arms wound gently around his neck.
"Is it really you? Because…I can pretend it is, even if it isn't…" he trailed off, his voice quivering slightly.
A pained expression crossed her face for a moment, but Ai leaned down, pressing her cheek against Arbutus'.
"It's me….really me….," she trailed off as the blanket of vines covering the gazebo blocked out the final traces of moonlight. Leaning on her shoulder so she didn't end up lying on her injured wing, Aini felt sleep tug at her mercilessly, and finally let it take her for the night.
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The next morning found Aini leaning up against the bottom of the gazebo, her hand making small scratches in the tree's bark as she leaned her body into it with a pained moan.
"Sorry….I'm sorry!" Arbutus stammered, loosening his hold on her injured wing slightly, the same burning liquid flowing from the plant he held in his hands. "…so sorry…," he murmured softly, shutting his eyes for a moment before he opened them and dared continue.
"D…Don't worry!" Aini whimpered, regardless of the searing pain the liquid created as it mixed into her wound.
Arbutus remained silent, his hands working at her wing, pressing the plant against it with the utmost gentleness he could manage, his other hand grasped the underside of her injured wing, which he held up against the broken bone. He reached to the side, bringing up a durable and wide lead, the inside slightly furred. Taking a few finer vines, he used them to hold the lead in place over the broken tip of the wing, holding the liquid in place as well. He tied it gently, careful to not put too much pressure on it.
"Better?"
Aini nodded, tough the pain really had only gotten a bit worst with the burning liquid, but she knew telling Arbutus that would only succeed in worrying him, so she said nothing.
"Ai…," he started suddenly, his voice strained.
Aini turned her eyes up at him. "Yes?"
Arbutus took a deep breath, straightening himself to his full height, towering over her as she lay propped up against the bark of the Gazebo tree. "It's…I….Thank you for saving me, that time…," he trailed off, feeling like a complete idiot for such a lame phrase.
Aini smiled never the less.
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Next, Aini and Arbutus start to re-establish what they once had, while her old friends begin to suspect something very amiss.