Chapter Four: Home At Last
A tall tower's shadow loomed over the growing horizon. The golden sun peeked above the ground slowly as if contemplating the thought of whether to rise or not. Land was in clear view now, within a few minutes the group of four would be on foot to the tower of humanity. Cid gazed out at the sunrise, watching the beautiful colors dance across the sky. He effortlessly steadied the wheel of the boat and sighed. He kept wondering about what he would do after this. Should he go back to Tajima and help with the damage? Or stay at the tower to help in the war with Aeris, Cloud and…Mystie. He sighed again.
Mystie, with one hand on her hip, gazed at the crystal sea through her single paned window. They were almost there. Fear arose within side of her. What would they do to her? She had transformed, when she wasn't supposed to.
Yeah? But she could have died; the voice inside of her reminded her. Then what?
I know…Still…What am I to do? Ohhhh. It will be days before they can place me back into human form. The remedy is a tricky bit to make.
HUMAN FORM?! You still had your WINGS! Why not just stay in your original form? Your natural form?
First of all you know that they can't hide my wings. The remedy isn't strong enough for that. The only way to rid them would be to remove them completely. Second off, staying in this…this form, they would find me. And I'd have to go back. Or even worse. One of the hunters…maybe.
She shook the nasty thoughts that had invaded her mind. She knew that people hunted mystical creatures such as herself because of that stupid rarity. The humans and their stupid ness and greed. Well most of them anyways. Her true friends were those at the tower. Rayne, Striker, Cloud, Violetta the towers cook, Cecilia the housekeeper (by will of course) Kekoa the weapons trainer…and all the rest. No more stupid laws. No more stupid, stupid customs. No more stupid restrictions. Freedom was the tower. Well mostly. You couldn't run around blindly in the nude, not that she ever would. Heavens no. But it was more freedom than the faerie lord would ever allow her. She smiled, happy to be home.
Aeris sat up in bed, grabbing her aching side. The feeling of vomit was growing in her throat, this time being unable to hold it back. She quickly turned to the side of her bed, and let it out. The smell was completely unbearable, like a combination of vinegar and wet dog. She forced herself to cough to rid of any extra chunks that might have been lodged in her throat. Her stomach felt a bit better.
Sunlight poured into her cabin spilling warm beams of light around her and the sheets. Slowly she stood, trying to avoid rocking against the ships sway. Breathing through her mouth she placed a sheet over the vomit on the floor and stepped out of her cabin. Before even thinking of leaving to the deck she closed her door as to not let the stench foul anyone else's nose.
The door clicked as she saw Mystie leaving her cabin as well. The faerie stood there wide eyed before knocking Aeris over in a hug that almost woke up her stomach again. "You're alive!" Aeris pulled away and nodded.
"I guess I owe you a thanks."
"Nonsense. It was more Cloud's doing though. He convinced me to. If not for his stubborn persistence you would probably…be…dead." Her eyes filled with tears.
"No no. I heard about your...transformation." Mystie had her cloak on once again hiding her wings but her ears told another story.
"How are you feeling?"
"Er- fine."
"Really? Usually there is a nasty side affect to being revived like that. Inflammation of the stomach. Are you sure?"
"Well…Uh…It hurts just a little now." Aeris gripped her side tenderly. Mystie brought out a green slimy liquid from her side pouch.
"Here. This will help a lot. It takes a few minutes to fully kick in but it will provide temporary relief until you receive treatment from Leah in the ward at the tower." Aeris resisted the urge to let her face wrinkle in disgust, and for her lips to let the words pass, "You want me to drink that gunk?" She extended her hand and allowed the remedy to be placed in her palm.
"Hurry. You will feel much better. I promise." Mystie cocked her head to the side like an irresistible puppy then smiled that smile that Cid would find captivating. Aeris forced a giggle than muttered, "Bottoms up." She uncorked the small bottle then gulped down the goop. She felt her body trying to reject the remedy, but forced it down unwillingly. She gagged before handing the half empty bottle back to Mystie.
"Come." Aeris hacked. "Let us go to the deck for-" she coughed again- "fresh air." Aeris finally managed. Satisfied, Mystie pocketed the bottle and followed her up to the deck.
Up deck, Cid was humming happily. "Hey I know that one." Mystie chirped. Startled he stopped humming, red-faced. Aeris sat down, feeling her stomach going through a strange process. Mystie began to twirl across the planks singing, "...you take it so slowly, and yours eyes look so lonely…" Aeris stifled a laugh. Mystie was too much of a character. The faerie jumped onto the railing and continued, "You got a secret I can't keep..." The rest she hummed. Twirling around, her cloak flailed about, flowing with speed against the wind.
Aeris looked up at Cid who, once again, was being hypnotized by Mystie. Oh god. She thought. "Cid…..CID!"
"Hmm? Huh? What? What do you want?"
"I um kinda… threw… up… onmycabinfloor."
"Huh?"
"Thecabinflooriscoveredinvomit."
"Huh? Wh-… are you kidding me? Dammit. Gimme ten minutes." He sighed in anger. Anchoring the boat he hurriedly went down into the cabins. Mystie stopped dancing, sitting cross legged on the planks. "How's your tummy?"
Aeris thought to herself. "Better. Truly. Hey, where's Cloud?"
"Sleeping." She sighed and shook her head. "If he was a bird, there would be no worms left for him."
"And Cid's down there…" Aeris quickly stood, removing her outer clothes except for the torn shorts and halter top. She kicked off her boots, and untied her hair from its violet ribbon.
"What are you doing?" Aeris stood on the rail, balanced like a feline. Catching on to her actions Mystie said, "We have water spigots at the tower. It'll be a few minutes, you don't know what lurks down there! And-"
"What down there?" Aeris pointed to the crystalline waters. Bending her knees she jumped off the boat and dived into the water. Wide eyed, Mystie stumbled to the side shouting, "Aeris? Aeris!" She wasn't visible, yet. Frantic she ran to the other side, eyes outlining the sea. A figure bobbed up, ripples extending over the waves. Aeris started laughing.
"It's not funny! Now get up here before-"
"Before what?" She laughed. "Before-"
Without warning she was pulled into the depths, the dark water encasing her.
"AERIS!!!" Mystie cried in complete horror. Aeris bobbed back up laughing hysterically.
"Just kidding."
Mystie, in pure rage, threw her arm up mumbling, "Waterga." A circle of water blasted Aeris into the air. She hit the deck of the boat with a very noticeable thud. The shot of water settled back into the sea without a sign of disturbance.
"What the hell Mystie? Can't take a joke? Sheesh." She kneeled with a fresh bruise forming on her left upper arm. She rubbed it with great force as if the pain would decay but had no such luck.
"I'm not going to let anything else happen to anyone again. We had war practically with a group of Meika, we got attacked by some shadow like creatures in the woods, and something else that is not to be mentioned out loud. I don't need you to be getting…sea napped if you will. Ok? So please try to refrain from your antics which seem to becoming habit."
"Well, I can't help it ok? I absolutely just love water. You wouldn't have a way to cure this fresh bruise would you?"
"Aeris, I can only perform black magic. Not white magic, which is the healing."
"But…In the woods. Didn't you save me?"
"That is only because I am a faerie. Certain remedy's I was taught but not such things as simple as a bruise." Aeris rubbed her arm again thinking this over.
"You're not gonna have me stuck in some ward are you?" Aeris hated having to lie in bed for days on end with nothing to do. Missing all the action as she thought.
"…Well, Leah might need to run a few exams…" Mystie bit her lower lip.
"We'll see about that…So who are these people I'm gonna be meeting? What are they like?" She began pulling on her jacket and boots as she spoke.
"Hmmm. Where to start? Ok. Striker, well, he's the type that can be playful if the timing is appropriate, but that comes rarely. He has the ability of mind control, he once threw silverware at Cloud because, well, you see Cloud had-"
"Cloud had what Mystie?" Cloud stood at the door with eyes as deep indigo slants, hair not as combed as usual. His sword had not been sewn to his body for once, making him look smaller than that 6 foot plus figure really was.
"Oh! You scared me. I was just telling Aeris-"
"Telling her what?" He interrupted once more.
"Well if you actually let me finish my sentence-" She paused. Confirming he was actually not going to interrupt she continued, "I was telling her about the time you...well don't you remember? He went that WHOLE day without-"
"She doesn't need to know about that!" He brutally interrupted.
"Wow you sounded like you could actually do something that was actually fun, that you could be fun." Aeris cut in.
"I still can be!"
"Yeah can be. Mm hmmm." Aeris stifled a giggle when Cloud tried to pierce her with that intense glare.
"Oh you two!" Mystie laughed. "Cut it out. Anyways…Where was I? Oh yeah. Now about Rayne. She is a very serious, respectable person. She is also a worker of the dark arts but way more powerful than I can ever hope to be. She is a jinni demoness."
"Wait…Aren't they supposed to be evil or sumthin?" Aeris asked curiously.
"Well, Rayne…It's a long story. She is but the last of her kind."
"Can she perform white magic too?"
"No." Cloud answered for Mystie. "The people who perform white magic are better known as healers. And that would be Seneca."
"I know what a healer is.." Aeris said darkly. "And why would you have two healers in the first place?"
"Huh?" Mystie said in puzzlement.
"You told me that you had someone named Leopard or something that was going to examine me," Aeris cringed, "so why would you have both Lepprecon and Cinnamon as healers when one should be enough?"
Cloud smirked. "First of all." he started, "its not 'Leopard and Cinnamon', its Leah and Seneca."
"And," Mystie finished, "Leah's more of a nurse, she has no magic skill. She just tends to the people in the ward. Seneca is the healer." Aeris felt a sweep of stupidity come over her.
She stood up and stretched quietly asking, "Where's Cid? He should have been done by now."
"Why? What was he doing?" Cloud asked in curiosity.
"Oh well, you see-" Mystie started without the thought of Aeris perhaps being even slightly embarrassed.
"Shut up!" Aeris shouted without hesitating. Mystie went red instantly, then quickly turned from the both of them.
"I-I'd better go see if he's ok…" With that Mystie went under the deck, without any eye contact from either of them. Cloud gazed at the horizon, not taking his stare off of the Tower. It was so close, but not really. He just wanted to get back and bathe and rest and have a decent meal for once in the last 5 days. He stripped off his gloves and ran his fingers through his greasy hair. Aeris watched him as she calmed down, settling herself down on the seat opposite of him.
"Cinnamon." He mused.
"Yeah ha-ha." She said sarcastically. "Its soooooooooo funny that I forgot to laugh." He smiled weakly. She looked into the pools of water that held his stare, looking as if she would drown in his gaze.
"What?"
She pulled away realizing that she had been staring and mumbled, "Oh nothing. It was nothing."
"Are you-" He shook his head. "Never mind." A thump broke the awkwardness. Cid stumbled across the deck screaming, "GET THE HELL OUTTA MY HEAD!!!!!!! AAHHGH!!!" His hands were gripping his graying hair, eyes wide with anger, pulse swelling. His body swung forward then bent back with screams of frustration.
"WHAT THE HELL?" Cloud started.
"Cid? What in the world is wrong with you?" Aeris walked cautiously over to him, placing one hand on his broad shoulder, using soothing words to calm him. She used the other hand to loosen his grip on his hair so it would not be ripped from his skull.
"Are you ok?" His eyes flickered as he looked at her. His breathing slowed as he began to mumble, walking to the anchor. He continued mumbling, Cloud nor Aeris understanding what he was trying to say. He managed the anchor, than set sail for the land, Both still in complete shock and confusion. Mystie hadn't been seen until they anchored by shore.
When they reached the tower, Mystie hoped to be greeted by warm hugs and friendly greetings, but had no such luck. (It was in her nature to want those types of things). Instead, Cloud was merrily greeted by Cecilia the maid. She had short, straight, black hair and brown eyes. Mystie received a glare and Aeris got a handshake and a:
"You must be the new girl whose supposed to help us save the world, huh?" She was a young girl who was about 10 or 12.
"Yup, I guess so." She looked at Mystie who turned to whistle.
"Well, whether you are here to help us save the world or just help Miss Rayne, you better watch yourself. Don't think I won't know what you will try to pull. Just like the last one..." Cecilia switched her tone from bitter to sweet than took Aeris by the hand and smiled, "By the way. My name is Cecilia. I am the maid here." She gazed at Cloud before turning into the tower, looking him up and down.
"What was that about? And isn't she a little young to be a maid?" Aeris asked.
"Cecilia kind of has a teeny-weeny crush on-" Mystie nodded her head towards Cloud who had his elbow pointing towards the sky, rubbing his neck.
"What?"
Mystie giggled. "It's a long story. Come on. You need to meet the head honcho." She led Aeris into the main hall, followed by Cloud and Cid.
The room was vast, completely made from marble. Ivory colored drapes hung low on the two windows which were as tall as the room itself, giving the hall a touch of elegance. By one of the towers windows was a snow white loveseat and matching chair. The legs of it were made of Mahogany wood. In the center of this room, which made it even more so gorgeous, was a set of parallel stairs, both curving inward towards the center of the room. A crystal chandelier hung from the seemingly high sky ceiling. Every step the company took echoed throughout the room and back again. Both Aeris and Cid were gaping at the sight. Cid especially who spent most of his life in the 'slums'. The door slowly shut behind them. In a sing-song voice the young faerie called out, "Weee'rrrre baaaaaaaaaaaack!" She twirled than did a curtsey with her cape. A set of footsteps rang out, coming from a hallway , lower the stairs on the right.
A tall older woman appeared in a black gown that trailed out from behind her. The tips of her sleeves were silver, the sleeves themselves swallowing her arms and hands (as did the gown do to her body). The top part of her long hair was pulled into a loose bun, the bottom was left down. Her sleek black bangs were swept to the side, completely covering her right eye. Her eyes grey, her lips pulled into an expressionless frown. Mystie squeaked than bowed. Rayne stopped in front of them, hands held at the stomach, hidden. Cloud nodded slowly in respect. Seeing the others, Cid got down on one knee then bowed. Aeris bit her lower lip then nodded slightly.
"I am glad you have made it Aeris. Safely I presume."
"I-"
"I apologize for this improper introduction. I am Rayne. No nicknames. No substitutions. Just Rayne will do. And don't feel obliged to bow to me, when I enter the room-" Cid quickly stood up. "All I ask for is your respect. You don't have to like me but you do need to respect me."
"I am Aeris Lenabourgh-"
"I know who you are and why you are here. But the question is, do you?" Aeris instantly thought that Rayne was not a very nice person. She interrupted, practically demanded respect and from the looks of it, she had never smiled once in her life.
"Well, kinda…but you see- I-" Aeris stopped trying. "No."
"Come with me up to the study, then you can bathe, eat, and rest. But that must wait until after this." She turned, Aeris reluctantly following beginning to actually hate her. None the less, she followed her up the stairs.
"Who was that?" Cid asked.
"Rayne." Mystie said in silence not making eye contact with him. "Cloud, I am going to go look for Striker. He should have been here." She took off down through the center of the stairs through the hallway.
"Should I leave?" Cid asked Cloud.
"Actually now that you mention it we no longer require your services. Not that we ever did…" He began to push Cid towards the door.
"But are you-"
"Yup, positive." Cloud opened the door and shoved Cid out.
"Hey! What about-" The door slammed before his words turned to mumbling. Cloud locked it then smirked.
"Finally."
"Cloud!" A voice rang out from the top of the stairs. A girl suddenly appeared, racing down the stairs.
"Cloud." It was Cecilia. "How was your trip?" She huffed.
"It was fine Cecilia." He kneeled down to her level. "And yours?" She giggled.
"I didn't go on a trip silly!" He smiled at the girl. She blushed. "But I did miss you…You were gone for a gazillion days! And looking for that girl tooBut I did keep people out of your room. (Not that anyone would go in there. Cecilia actually was caught by Striker laying in Cloud's bed) Are you hungry? I can have Violetta make you a sandwich."
"That's ok. I'm not hungry." Actually he was hungry, but he really wanted to bathe first. "I think I will go get cleaned up first." She looked disappointed. Cecilia knew the exact way he liked his sandwiches. But her face brightened when she came up with the idea,
"I'll go get a bath ready for you!" Before he could respond she took off back up the stairs, doing what she had said she would do. He watched her go unaware of the crush she had on him. He felt a twinge of happiness run through him, for that little girl to be smiling.
Cloud wondered through the streets of Notron on a mission when he heard screams of a group of people in the forest. He ran in to see that a spindra had killed four people and pierced their bodies on lower branches. It was working on the 5th, a girl, trying to grab her with its front legs. He ran in without any regard for his own safety and stabbed the creature. The creature wasn't fazed but it did turn its attention away from the girl and focused on him. He quickly pulled out his sword from the belly of the hideous creature, covered in blue blood. Spindra's bodies were made up of mostly armor, and he couldn't remember its one weak spot.
The spider jumped forwards knocking him over. He got up, kicking the spider with both legs, into the air. The girl continued to scream and wail, but behind the comfort of the tree. The spider lunged again, this time sinking its fangs into his left arm, squirting Cloud's blood into its own eyes by mistake. It screeched pulling away, using its pinchers to try and clear its view. That's when it hit him. The weak spots on Spindras were the eyes. Furious, the spider attacked blindly. Even though it was unable to see, the spindra had excellent ability by smell. It whipped its body back and forth bumping trees, searching for Cloud's scent. It found him, now up in a tree. Cloud was gripping his wound. He could feel the poison rush into his veins but the safety of the little girl was too important to him. Children always were to Cloud. The Spindra raced up the tree snapping its jaws, wanting to taste the humans blood. Revenge for ruining its dinner. It thought of Cloud as a before dinner snack. He waited until Spindra was a foot lengths away. Spindra could smell that scent, it being stronger than ever. The smell of dying human. It leaned back, ready for the lunge that was to kill Cloud. When it did it was like a bolt of lightning. But Cloud was somehow quicker, he was expecting the spider to lunge. He pierced it in its left eye with his sword. It screeched than fell.
Cloud swung down from the branches, the Spindra on its back twitching. Just in case, he planted his sword into its jaw, through its head. It gave out a final shriek before its legs curled into its body. The girl cautiously came out from behind the tree and said between sobs, "I-is it g-gone?" Cloud walked over to her and kneeled.
"Is that your family?" She threw herself into his arms sobbing. The girl was Cecilia. He embraced her, knowing the pain from losing people so close to you. He stroked her hair as she continued to sob. He looked up at the four bodies, hanging limply from the branches. There were two adults, her parents, he thought. The fathers face was hidden, but blood dripped from his lifeless body just the same. And the woman, her mother, had to have been very attractive. Before all this. He shivered. The mothers eyes were still open. She looked like she had been crying. But something seemed wrong. Something seemed not normal about the way she was. Her middle was ripped open, and something was hanging from her insides. Then Cloud figured it out. She had been pregnant. Sure enough he could make out an unborn child hanging from a cord. It didn't even look human, the way it swayed in the breeze. The body was deformed, an arm missing. He looked away, not liking the picture of the mother and her baby, dead on a branch, dripping crimson blood, shedding unseen tears, swaying with the wind.
The other two bodies must have been her brothers. One was on the branch backwards, the other upside down. His legs bent over him. All of them were dead, some missing parts, all dripping blood. That devilish crimson liquid. He looked away, allowing Cecilia to stain his shirt, allowing her hot tears to seep through the material. Cloud was a changed person when it came to children. The only one who could explain this was the Fayth. He got his compassion from his mother, whether he knew her or not.
The two were there for a long time until her eyes were dried up for the night. No matter how bad his urge was to eat or how sore his legs became, he continued to sit there, comforting the child. When her breathing became steady he pulled her away asking, "Do you have any other family?" She shook her head, eyes swelling with tears.
"We w-were out for a re-relaxing picnic to celebrate Dan-Daniels 5th birthday. It's tr-tradition in our fam-imly, and out of nowhere this big spi-spider came out and-and…" She couldn't finish. Instead a new flow of tears came, streaming down her blotchy face. Cloud picked her up and began to leave the woods. She cried herself to sleep in his arms, he took her to the tower.
He somehow convinced Rayne and Striker to let her stay. Stating she had no family, and told the horrid story of how her family was murdered by a Spindra. Cecilia had insisted to do something for them for the kindness of their hearts to take her in. So she decided to help organize the tower, not that they needed it, but they couldn't tell the poor girl otherwise. She kept to herself most days in the beginning. Only smiling when Cloud happened to pass by. Otherwise talked to no one. He was happy that she had finally come over that traumatic experience. It had been 5 months or so now and Cecilia was happy. Cloud went up to his room, removing his weapons and stretched out on his bed, waiting for the chirpy child to come tell him his bath was ready.
Rayne and Aeris were relaxing in the study which was furnished in a shade of lighter blues. The drapes were droopy, a sky blue and the furniture a pleasant pale blue. Aeris sat in one of the chairs with nice fluffy pillows, Rayne stood by the window. "How much do you know?" She began.
"Well, I was told that you knew my parents. That you were old friends. That you wanted me to help you fight off Jhaku. Help form an army. Stuff like that."
"Right and wrong. Why did you agree?"
"Revenge."
"That is it? Well. Let me clue you in. First how much do you know about Jhaku, so I know where to start."
"I didn't even know that he was alive again."
"I guess I should start from the beginning then. Before you were born your parents had lived here at the tower. They were pretty young, a bit younger than you. Djose was beginning to crumble into complete chaos, Jhaku growing stronger with different stones and runes, using them as a guide, getting people from towns to join him under his command. If they didn't they were killed, so most did out of fear. Others chose to fight and every one of them died. He was getting extremely powerful, wanted to rule the planet. He had an army of people with the souls drained from them. Almost zombie like but not exactly. He wasn't very trustful so that's why his army didn't have their own thoughts, their own emotions. Most were told to kill their families and did.
"However, not all stones and runes were in his power. The ones he did not have were those hardest to come up with. The Amulet of Seven Winds, Humanity, and the Sun rune. The Amulet of the Seven Winds was safely hidden among the faeries, their home still not known to this day by anyone except for the faeries themselves. And that includes Mystie. The Crystal of Humanity was and is hidden here, but there is no way he could get in. This Tower is protected by a very strong and hard to conjure spell, that keeps those that are deceitful and evil out. And last is the Sun Rune, which no living person knows where it is hidden. The last time anyone had seen it as when Lady Ruby stole it from the town of Vanuatu. Since she has died, nobody's seen it since.
"At this point the only one who would be able to defeat Jhaku was that person who could wield the Light of the Heavens. And this time, fate chose a woman for the first time. Usually, the Light would choose a man, but I guess you could say we were both cursed and blessed.
"We had this person fighting with us, but there was a problem. When the Light was used, they would die instantly, being reincarnated into another person, who would be eviler than the first that was defeated. It was a never ending cycle. We were trying to come up with a way to rid of the evil without that person dieing too. Then we came up with this.
"Since the bearer of the Light was female, we figured that if she were to have a child, that child would have a pure soul. But only if that child's father had the blood of a man who once before bared the Light as well. Whether it be grandfather, or someone way back when. You see, a pure soul would not be able to be reincarnated into another evil person. And the ability of the Heavens would be passed down from them into that child."
"Well, if that's the case, why is Jhaku alive again today?"
"Please. Try not to interrupt." Aeris glared daggers at Rayne.
"When the person had the child, a lovely baby girl, she grew too attached and refused to have her girl's purpose on this planet to be killed. She eventually ran away with her husband and was never seen from us again.
"Two years had passed of Jhaku living on, without being stopped. We did everything in our power to try and stop him, but without the power of the heavens, we got nowhere. When we thought that we had finally lost, the light user revealed herself and used what was left of her power to defeat Jhaku, giving Djose another twenty years of peace."
"What does this have to do with my parents. And what about the child? The one who was to rid of him again?"
"Patience. Now Jhaku didn't know about the pure child and still doesn't. He believes that this will be the final battle and ironically, if things go to plan, it will. We have assumed that he is in search of the Sun Rune and will steal anything else valuable trying to get to it. He is a gluttonous demon and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The weeping of a child nor the love of a woman could stop him."
"I just don't get it. What does this have to do with my parents?"
"Aeris, the girl that was given the gift of the heavens, the one that will end the cycle, that child was and is…you."