Broken Wings - Chapter Three
Aralyn awoke in an unfamiliar room. The plain but comfortable bed she was on had a thick, cotton quilt, which was matted around her from her unconscious tossing and turning. The curtains had been drawn, and through them shone a single ray of daylight where the two fabrics did not fully meet. A small lamp was on a table by her head, acting as the sole source of light in the room. Pictures were tacked to the walls. Photographs, decorative paintings, and children's sketches were in no particular order, adding a homey feel to the otherwise bland room.
She slowly uncurled herself, feeling her stiff muscles stretch painfully, sore from disuse. Her recently awakened arms unwound the blankets from her body and she sat up, dangling her feet off the side of the bed. Her head swam, and she promptly laid back down to stop the room's spinning.
Tiny, rapid footsteps sounded from just outside her door. A small head peeked in the room and wide, bright and dark eyes examined her. "Oh, you're awake!" The voice was definitely a child's, and was high and feminine. Eyes sparkling, the little girl skipped into the room, a small stuffed bunny in tow. She reached up and wriggled her way onto the bed beside her, sitting cross-legged and smiling.
"Hi!" she chirped.
"Hello," Aralyn replied, managing a smile though she lacked the enthusiasm the girl had. "What's your name?"
"I'm Marlene," she said. "And you're Aralyn?"
She nodded her head, and that was all the confirmation the little girl needed. "Cloud and Tifa talk about you a lot." She continued. "You and Sephiroth." The comment was made idly, but it hit Aralyn hard.
"What about him? What are they saying?"
"They're just wondering why he attacked you. I mean, I'm not too surprised. This is Sephiroth we're talking about. He wants to make everybody go away."
"Yes," Aralyn mused quietly, sitting up again. "Yes, he does."
"Do you know him?" Marlene asked, her high voice inquisitive and slightly accusing.
Aralyn laughed bitterly. She wished Marlene had asked her a simpler question. Sighing, she simplified the answer into one Marlene would understand. "No, honey," she said as she ruffled her black hair a little bit. "But I know of him. Tell me, what's he like?"
"Bad," Marlene said. "Very bad." She fiddled with her bunny's ears, adjusting them so the fell over the shoulders. When her friend was properly groomed, she turned back to Aralyn. "What's that around your neck?"
Instinctively, her hand flew to the chain. She sifted the thin silver links through her fingers, and then held out the pendant for Marlene to see.
It was an interesting piece of jewelry, clearly made for small girls under the age of eight. About the size of her thumbnail, a very vividly colored rainbow arched between two puffy clouds. Each color was distinct, and the whole pendant had clearly been painted with a layer of glitter over the paint.
"You're a grown up, and that looks like something I would wear." Marlene was very blunt, her tone not the slightest bit apologetic.
"I guess you're right," Aralyn agreed as she ran her fingers over the charm for the millionth time. "But a very dear friend of mine gave this to me, a long time ago, when I was your age. I haven't been able to part with it."
"Oh," Marlene was fidgeting with her bunny again, this time playing with the thin plastic whiskers. The gentle vibrations they made when she flicked them entranced her. She began to hum a playful, childish tune, seemingly unaware that Aralyn was still there. After a minute, Aralyn was able to identify the tune as "My Bonnie".
Downstairs, a door opened and closed, a small bell advertising the arrival further. "Cloud's home!" Marlene shouted, sliding off the bed. "He says you're not to move. I'll bring him up!"
Aralyn wanted to protest, but she wondered what she would have thought if she saw that the grievous wounds on her arms and face had healed. There was no scar, the skin showing no sign of injury. They had disappeared overnight, just as they did every single year.
A/N: Thanks for hanging with me! I appreciate the reviews and I'm happy that someone enjoys my work. As an interesting sidenote, the pictures I mentiond in this chapter do exist! In Advent Children, skip to the scene where Cloud and Tifa wake up in their home. If you time it just right, you can see two pictures behind Reno and Rude. They seem to have been drawn by the children. Look at the one of Cloud.