Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

“Lucidia, is Cassia here?”

“No she’s out with a friend.”

“A friend?”

“They’re out by the Cassia tree in the forest past the stream.”

“Oh?” Flora asked.

“It’s hard to explain. Cassia, or rather Aero, is regaining her memories.”

“I thought you said-”

“He came.”

“He? The boy!” Flora ran out the door and into the dense trees of the forest. When she came across the Cassia tree she stopped and looked around.

“Flora?”

She turned to see Cassia in the clearing.

“Come meet my new, well actually old friend.” She called happily as Flora entered. “This is Tornado. I knew him back when I lived in the light realm. Can you believe it?”

“How?”

“I came to find this place.” Tornado explained gesturing to the clearing, “this was the last place I remember seeing Aero.”

“It’s true! I remember seeing him here with me. I’ve remembered a lot of other things too. Not everything but quite a bit. It’s amazing!”

“But how are you remembering? Lucidia said there wasn’t a way.”

“He tells me what he remembers and I remember them too. It’s as if I’ve had it all along in the back of my headjust waiting to be found.”

“Are you going by your real name now?”

“Yes.”

“You remember where you came from. Are you going home?”

“Never.” Aero gripped her fists. “I’m never going back there after how they treated Tornado.”

“What happened?”

“I can’t remember. I just know the feeling. Tornado what happened that day?”

“Have a seat.” Tornado instructed from his spot against a tree. A hint of loathing strained his voice as he spoke. “It’s a painful memory so I only want to say it once.”

They sat before him silently awaiting the story.

“I was on my way to meet Aero as I always did when I was thrown down on the ground. They gagged and blindfolded me before I got a chance to cry out. Then the person who captured me bound my hands and ankles.” Tornado looked down. “We were probably around six when this happened.”

“How could anyone do that to a little kid?” Flora shook her head.

“Because I’m dark.” Tornado explained. “My lineage was, how did they say it, tainted?” He raised one of his black feathered wings.

“What happened next?” Aero asked worriedly.

“Well, when they finally let me out we were in the forest. They took of my blindfold and gag but I couldn’t see who had done it because he was hidden beneath a white cloak. He tied my arms to my sides and released the binding on my ankles. He never spoke just pulled me along behind him. I heard voices as the trees thinned. A crowd had gathered in the marketplace.”

Aero gasped, “Oops. Sorry I remembered.”

“You’ll be remembering more soon.” He looked down again taking a deep breath to steady his voice before he continued. “The robed man began to speak to the crowd about a traitor sent by the dark lord to steal information from their princess by gaining her trust. The crowd all seemed to know what was going to happen. I could feel their excitement building as I was dragged through the crowd. They parted for the man as he yanked the rope that bound me pulling me to the ground. I struggled to get to my feet as he pulled me. The townspeople jeered as they kicked dirt at me closing the path behind me forcing me further into the ring.” Aero and Flora leaned in as Tornado’s voice faltered and quieted. “There was a, I’m not even sure what it was, a portal on the ground? The rim shone brightly with a red light and held within a deep swirling darkness. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. It looked like a mix of water and fire, but with the weight of air, yet as dense as the ground we sit on all at once. The darkness was as dark as a night without stars.”

Aero began to shake beside Flora her eyes filled with fear of a sight Flora could hardly imagine. “Aero?” She whispered worriedly trying to comfort her.

Tornado looked up. “Should I stop? Aero, you don’t have to remember if it’s too painful-”

“No. Go on.” She shook herself out of her fear still trembling.

Tornado nodded but cautiously continued. “He . . . he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and held me over the darkness. He addressed me as the spy as the darkness licked at me like cold flames. Then he took off his hood.” He clenched his fists and breathed a sharp hiss.

“Tornado?” Flora asked.

“It was Sebastian! The man who raised me since I was a baby. I thought of him as a father but he . . . I was just a burden. Hated just as I was by everyone else.” He dug his fist into the ground. “Aero was the only one who tried to stop him. She came through the crowd and tried to convince them I hadn’t done what Sebastian claimed. They weren’t convinced so he threw me into the darkness.”

“I didn’t do anything?” Aero asked crying.

“You shouldn’t have but you did.”

“What?”

“You went and jumped in after me not knowing what would happen as the darkness swallowed me up.”

“So then what happened?” Flora asked taken in by the mysterious story.

“Everyone started shouting to ‘change the destination’ and ‘save the princess.’ Through the darkness green began to appear and soon trees also came into view. When the darkness receded we were here. In this clearing.”

“But why didn’t Lucidia bring you home? Why couldn’t Aero remember all this while you could?”

“There was a woman. She was dressed differently, elegant yet earthy at the same time. I don’t know who she was but she was angry. The moment she saw me her face turned livid and told me she would not let me interfere. Aero tried to stop her and suddenly collapsed as the woman held her palm out. Then she did the same to me. When I woke up I couldn’t remember anything.” Tornado explained, “She must have sent me to Avalon while I was unconscious. She wanted to keep us apart.”

“Avalon!” Flora exclaimed, “the kingdom of dreams?”

“Ah . . . yes.”

“How? It’s impossible to find that place!”

“Really? But Queen Mab said-”

“The Queen spoke with you?” Flora asked awestruck.

“She’s the one who took me in . . .”

“Amazing.” Flora sighed. “I wish I could go there.”

“What did the Queen say to use?” Aero asked. “You were saying something about her.”

“She said, ‘you’ll be back when the time comes.’”

“Take us with you!” Flora cheered.

“I’d love to go!” Aero agreed.

“I-I’m not sure it works that way . . .”