-1Quattuor
Unbeknownst to us lays a deeper meaning of infinity.
She slowly opened her eyes to the light of the sun filtering through the dense mass of swaying trees. With a groan of effort, she sat up and looked around. To her left stood a bird with tattered wings but determined eyes, it scuttled along the ground, flittering its broken wings in an effort to fly. Her heart reached out toward it as her hands pressed against the deep, green, grass. The bird scuttled forward, flapped its wings, lifted off the ground a bit, and then came crashing back down toward the earth after ascending a few centimeters into the air. Virginia stood up and slowly walked toward the bird, whom, surprisingly did not attempt to run away. She stooped down and stretched her hand out toward it. It blinked at her curiously and then, after pondering for a couple of seconds, hopped forward and nuzzled her hand with a hint of confusion. Smiling, she reached out the other hand and stroked its soft, small, head. It chirped happily and looked up at her, its eyes twinkling with amity.
"Are you here all alone, too?" she asked as it hopped into her hand and jumped up and down as if trying to tell her its answer. She frowned a bit and tilted her head to the side, frustrated at herself for not understanding what it was trying to say.
I'm stranded here but I am happy.It seemed to say as it ceased its hopping and looked up at her tranquilly.
But how can I understand you?
We are both connected by circumstance. You are trapped by apprehension and sorrow and I am trapped by the same. My apprehension comes from not being able to fly in a literal sense while your apprehension comes from not being able to fly in a figurative sense. In so saying, our sorrow comes from the apprehension of not being able to fly. After all, what good are wings if one cannot fly beyond these earthly pains? That is why you drift, isn't it; to get away from all of your sorrows and to find a new path that leads not back but forward?
Virginia was it at a lost for words, this bird, a small speck on the great planet of Filgaia, had spoken what she found so hard to voice.
"Yes, but how did you know that?" asked Virginia, watching as the little bird hopped from her hand and settled onto the grass. Slowly the feathers on the bird started to molt and to fly away, circling up in mysterious cyclone that only affected the direct area around the bird. The feathers shattered once they reached a certain point and then sprinkled in a silver shower on the now naked bird. Virginia sat back in awe as the bird started to glimmer and grow in size, its wings folding up around its head and then bursting out in a strong, proud, gust of silver feathers and warm breeze. She closed her eyes as the brilliance reached its pinnacle and covered her face with a trembling arm, waiting for the warmth of the glow to die down a bit.
"I know because I am you but in a different form. We all have forms that are unknown to us. Why do you think that you find yourself longing to be up in the sky? It is not because you are insane or because you're odd. You truly are a bird, a bird that longs for freedom and righteousness. Open your eyes, Virginia, look at what you are." came a slightly older version of her own voice. Virginia opened her eyes and watched as a silver bird, the size of a dragon, looked down at her, its glimmering white feathers shifting with the sunlight as it danced through the trees.
"You're?…" rasped Virginia slowly bringing herself to her feet to stand in front of the majestic bird. The bird's wings flapped with amusement as it tilted its head to the side and chirped a couple of times cheerfully.
"I've been waiting for you, my dear, it has been awhile hasn't it?" asked the bird in its gentle voice. Virginia, at a lost for words simply nodded her head and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"You don't know who I am, do you? Heh, it does not really surprise me, after all, you haven't heard my voice since you were small." chuckled the bird longingly. It was then that reality hit Virginia like a ton of bricks and she gasped as she took a couple of steps toward the bird.
"Mother!" she whimpered, now just a couple of feet from the bird, and looking up in awe at the majestic beauty that stood before her.
"Aha ha ha. Well, I guess you could call me that. I am, in reality, a projection of memory, altered by the depths of your heart and soul. You see freedom, beauty, and mystery in a bird that is free from earthly fixation; hence, you see me as a majestic bird. But enough of that, I am here to convey a message to you." stated the bird, lowering both her voice and her body and locking eyes with her daughter. It was then Virginia noticed that the bird's eyes were the color of a distant sea sprinkled by the moonlight and, for some reason, this comforted her.
But you're just a memory, something I created from my mind, how could you possibly tell me something I don't already know..?
"My dear daughter, memories need not always refer to the past, for memories can give hints to the future as well. You see, memories can transcend time and space; for instance, the memory you're making right this second hangs on the brink of both future and past. Do you understand now?"
"I see, but, how is that you can read my mind?" inquired Virginia, although she was sure that she knew the answer.
She's part of my mind so of course she can read it.
"Very astute my dear, you never cease to amaze me with your intelligence. Regardless, now is the time to relay my message. You so often question why you were created only to be alone in this world, right?" flitted her mother's voice to roaring ears. Virginia, at a lost for words, once again simply nodded and bowed her head in almost a shameful manner.
"You were created to learn and grow from what knowledge you obtain. Sometimes I feel as if you refuse to move forward out of fear of losing the memories you hold so dear to your heart, but I am here to tell you not to fear. We will always be here, your father and I, we may not live in the flesh but we do live in your heart. I hear you tell your friends that you want to be strong and carry on for a brighter tomorrow but how can you do that when your heart aches to replay the past? Virginia, you must move on and realize that we no longer affect who or what you become, you must decide that on your own."
"B-but, I… you… I have moved on, mommy, I really have! Just look at what we've accomplished!" spoke Virginia in a proud voice, her eyes watering a bit as she remembered all that she and her friends had went through. Ekatrina once again chuckled and rested a wing lightly on Virginia's head, sending a wave of warmth, love, and nostalgia through Virginia's world-weary body.
"My dear child, I've no doubt that you've accomplished much, that, actually was never a concern of mine. What is a concern of mine is that my beloved daughter is so torn up by past circumstances that she cannot move forward and obtain what is rightfully hers. Have you ever wondered why you lay asleep at night replaying the past mistakes over in over in your head?" inquired Virginia's mother, her voice low, loving, and kind. Virginia felt as the first warm tear spilled down her cheek and splashed lazily on her now outstretched hand.
"I always thought that it was because everything was my fault and those thoughts were punishment for being such a horrid leader." she whimpered; bring her hand up to wipe the tear from her eye. Her mother said nothing but instead lowered herself down further and pulled Virginia to her mighty breast with one gentle wing, lower her beak so that it rest lightly on her daughter's head.
"Oh my dear, sweet, child, you're not a horrid leader nor are you a horrid person. The turn of events that have unfolded before all of you are by no means your fault. They are the product of circumstance and fate intertwined into a bramble of pain and sorrow. No, the reason why you play those thoughts repeatedly in your head is that you simply can't let go of the past out of fear that you may not learn from your mistakes. Sometimes the best way to learn from pain is to let it go, that way you can discover the beauty of joy produced by its polar opposite. See?"
Virginia's tears stopped as soon as they had begun and she slowly pulled away from her mother's breast with a smile on her pretty face.
"I see, mommy, I really do! I guess I need to learn from my past and then let it die, right?" asked Virginia excitedly, her eyes now watering with pride. Her mother nodded her head and the rose to her full height again.
"That's right… Now, about you getting a boyfriend." chuckled her mother, inwardly smiling as her daughter's face flushed red.
"Uh, what about one?" she asked, her eyes darting side to side before looking sheepishly at the ground.
"You want one, right?"
"Do I really have to answer that?" mumbled Virginia, her lips twisted to her side and her right eye twitching a bit. Ekatrina laughed a bit and nodded her great head.
"Of course you do, you have plenty of choices."
"B-but, I'm too young to think about that kind of thing…," whined Virginia, not really wanting to admit that she was attracted to several suitors already.
"Is that so? Well, once you decide, would you mind telling me who you choose?" Ekatrina chuckled as she started to shrink back to a normal bird size. Virginia smiled as she looked down at her now small mother.
"Sure, but only if you promise not to tell anyone.." she laughed, squatting down in front of her mother, smoothing her dress around her knees and offering her hand for Ekatrina to perch on.
Her mother concurred and sat on her daughter's hand, gently scraping her talons against Virginia's hand playfully.
"I suppose so. Are you sure I can't tell Werner that his little girl has found a man?"
Virginia once again blushed, opened her mouth as if to say something, and then shut it again.
"No, you don't have to answer that because I'm pretty sure Werner would find out eventually anyway. You know that he's watching us right now, don't you? He's probably laughing his behind off at all of this "girl talk" as he used to call it. Werner was always the type to back off when it was time for that kind of thing. Remember that time when I told you about the bir-"
"M-mother! Now's not the time to bring that up!" sniffed Virginia, her face now a deep crimson. Her mother laughed and then spread her wings, flapping them a couple of times, producing a warm down draft on Virginia's out stretched hand.
"Okay, I'll let it go this time. But, there's one more thing I want to tell you before we part ways for awhile."
"What's that, mommy?" asked Virginia, the blush fading quickly from her face and her eyes gleaming with seriousness.
"You're never alone. We are always right beside you, riding the currents of the wind, perching in trees, or just watching you through the eastern window. Always remember that, okay?" she chirped, flapping her wings and lifting off her daughter's hand with ease. Virginia nodded and watched as her mother flew off into the fading sunset.
Virginia slowly rose to her feet and lifted her head to the now fading sky, her heart gliding alongside her mother's wings. The fading clouds zipped by her head as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to fly up above this one line of infinity, now sure of that she could face anything so long as she believed in herself and her abilities.
Nothing can stop me from protecting those that need protecting! I've severed the chains of apprehension that have bounded me for so long, now is the time to embrace the future, teach the errors of the past to the winds of forgetfulness, and move on to seek things beyond what is shown to me. I'll never be anyone else's fool, nor will I be a fool to myself. Now is the time to fly not fall, now is the time to be free!
Virginia slowly opened her eyes to find herself in her darkened room filled with toys from her past along with rusted guns and a sash from Lamium's robe.
Never again…
Virginia picked up a doll, held it for a moment to her chest, absorbing all of the good memories she associated with it.
Crying alone… No one there… NO! NEVER AGAIN!
She threw it to the ground and caught it on fire with one of her tinder crest.
She sifted her gaze to a frilly diary and walked over to it, her heart beating loudly in her chest.
All that pain… All the nights I waited for daddy to come home… Go away.
She picked it up, with a cry of anguish, ripped it in half, and threw it to the ground too.
You'll never remind me of all of the nights I cried. The days of pointless tears are gone. Today is a new day…
She threw another tinder crest at the diary and watched with a smile as the flames ate away at the pages with a black tongue.
A glint on the bed caught her attention and she made her way over to it, punching a rocking horse's head off as she did so.
No more lying my tear soaked face against its shaggy head and wailing daddy's name. No more, it ends now.
The glint she saw was her father's guns now rusted with time and dirty from lack of proper cleaning.
Sorry daddy, but nothing is forever. She picked up both of the guns, listening as they clapped together with an empty clang with a certain degree of cold fear and sorrow.
I'm throwing away part of my father… I'll forget…
With a hiss, she threw both of the guns out the window listening with satisfaction as the crashed into the shrubbery down below.
Nothing's forever and that's okay. The only thing that is forever is my love for my parents, not their possessions. I will never forget this… The last thing that caught her eye was Lamium's sash, its crumpled, green, material causing her heart to leap into her throat.
No, that's not my fault either. I'm sorry Lamium… She swooped down, grasped the sash tightly in her hand, held it to her chest for a moment or two, tears welling up in her eyes again for a second or two before she threw it too to the ground and set it on fire.
I will not apologize for something that's not my fault.
She calmly walked out the door that led to her balcony and stepped out onto the veranda, looking down and catching sight of her friends, whom were all looking up at her with a reassuring smile on their faces.
"Hey, Virginia, are you going to spend all day up there or what? We need to get going and earn ourselves a living you know!" huffed Jet, although there was still a warm smile on his face.
"Ah, Virginia, don't listen to the part of the punk's sentence about money making, he just wants to see your pretty, smiling, face just as much as Clive and I do" laughed Gallows, wrapping one arm playfully around Jet's shoulder and waving up at her cheerfully. Clive simply laughed and smiled up at Virginia paternally, closing his eyes with merriment and being shoved to the side when Jet stumbled against him in an attempt to get away from Gallows' pawing.
These people… no, my friends, are my future now. It's my job to take care of them and keep them safe.
"Okay guys, I'm on my way down, just wait a sec!" With that, she walked back into her room, gave its burned remains one more look, and then walked downstairs to her friend's embraces and jokes.
I am home now…