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Chapter 32
Finding Yourself
After resting for another day or so, Aria was fit to travel again, and she was more than determined to find and reunite with her companions. Despite her best efforts to dissuade him, Zark decided to accompany her so as to be her guide and protector, leaving Zarkana under the care of his wife, Lia. The two Instinct Clowns also tagged along; having grown fond of them during her recovery, Aria was a little hesitant about letting them come along, but their optimistic personalities softened her fears. Unable to learn their names - or if they even had names - she gave the two nicknames, and they accepted them joyfully; David for the one in yellow, and Rene for the one in red.
As the quartet made their way through another lush forest, Aria walked beside Zark as she watched David and Rene playfully dart ahead, pointing out everything in sight. They emitted so much joy, that Aria almost forgot that there were still Tartarosions and their hunters on the prowl. She was almost envious of their confidence.
"They're both so happy...they face everything with no fear..." she whispered to Zark as they sat down for a break, watching as David and Rene wandered off every so often. "How are they able to do that?"
"It is part of who they are," replied the magician. "They follow their instincts…stay true to their hearts no matter what. They choose to be themselves instead of changing to be what others want."
"I wish I had that kind of confidence..."
"Seeing how far you've come, I'd say you already do."
"Here maybe...but not at home..." Aria sighed, as she stared at the ground. Zark looked at her sympathetically.
"I understand it's hard to be yourself amongst your peers," he said gently. "Some of us here in Aether go through the same thing. Like Moha Samedi for example; despite the fact people tease him and don't give him the respect he deserves, he doesn't change himself to make them like him. He finds the strength and courage to continue being himself in the face of such peer pressure."
"I'm not sure if I have that courage...or the strength," whispered Aria. The magician in red reached over, and grasped her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze to catch her attention.
"Joy and fear work side by side, Aria," he said. "You can't have one without the other, but you can't let either of them consume your soul completely." He stood up, and walked behind Aria, covering her eyes with his hands. "But...courage is never too far behind them...and if you allow it to lead your path, it will always open your heart to wonder..." He uncovered her eyes, and Aria saw David and Rene hopping around excitedly, gesturing for her to follow them.
"Follow my instincts...let courage lead my path..." she mused quietly. And taking a deep breath, she step forward, and walked after David and Rene as they hurried through the foliage; Zark followed close behind, a smile on his face. The Instinct Clowns led the pair through the forest for a while before they reached a little clearing, and pointed upwards. Aria looked up and gasped, her eyes widening as she saw a small group of Aetherians flying through the air on bungee-like tree vines alongside a flock of birds and a group of monkeys!
Aria had never seen anything like this before in her life. The glittering shades of yellow of the Aetherian's leotards...the faint light from each glowing bird that flew amongst them...and the shimmering multicolored leaves that fell as the monkeys danced in the branches... It was all magical; had Aria chosen not to follow the Instinct Clowns, she never would've seen this spectacle. She looked over at David and Rene as they watched the acrobats fly above, twittering excitedly. A hand touch her shoulder made her jump, but it turned out to be Zark.
"Even when their home is in danger, these roaming Aetherians find a moment to play," he mused warmly. "To dance within the trees is part of who they are. They embrace it...hoping to spread their happiness to the rest of the world so that even through the darkness, there is light." Aria looked at the magician again before returning her attention to the acrobats. There was truth in his words; just watching the Aetherians fly above seemed to fill her heart with hope and renewed optimism...that she would find her friends...and achieve her part in saving Aether. She turned back to face Zark.
"Do you...do you think I have a role here in Aether?" she asked. "Other than the Chosen of the Singer...do you think that I, stranger with no place on Terra, have a place here amongst the other Aetherians?" The magician smiled kindly at her.
"I think you have a great role to play, Aria," he replied, "Both here, and in your home world. You just haven't found it yet."
"Do you think I'll find it?"
"I believe you will. When you least expect it, you'll find it." He watched as a smile grew on Aria's face. Then he sensed an array of very familiar auras; a majority of them ones that he knew and cared for - and another that he didn't like one bit. A frown crossed his face. "Oh no..."
"What's wrong?"
"I sense your friends are a distance away from us...and there's a Tartarosion heading right towards them...with its hunters...! We have to hurry!"
"Right!" Aria whistled to David and Rene, and gestured to them that they had to hurry. Reluctantly waving goodbye to the acrobats in the trees, the quartet hurried off with Zark in the lead. As she ran, Aria made a silent prayer to herself...hoping that she would reach her friends in time. "Please be safe, my friends...Strongman, Fire Dancer, La Belle, Moha, Dog...Trickster... Please be safe..."
Finding Yourself
After resting for another day or so, Aria was fit to travel again, and she was more than determined to find and reunite with her companions. Despite her best efforts to dissuade him, Zark decided to accompany her so as to be her guide and protector, leaving Zarkana under the care of his wife, Lia. The two Instinct Clowns also tagged along; having grown fond of them during her recovery, Aria was a little hesitant about letting them come along, but their optimistic personalities softened her fears. Unable to learn their names - or if they even had names - she gave the two nicknames, and they accepted them joyfully; David for the one in yellow, and Rene for the one in red.
As the quartet made their way through another lush forest, Aria walked beside Zark as she watched David and Rene playfully dart ahead, pointing out everything in sight. They emitted so much joy, that Aria almost forgot that there were still Tartarosions and their hunters on the prowl. She was almost envious of their confidence.
"They're both so happy...they face everything with no fear..." she whispered to Zark as they sat down for a break, watching as David and Rene wandered off every so often. "How are they able to do that?"
"It is part of who they are," replied the magician. "They follow their instincts…stay true to their hearts no matter what. They choose to be themselves instead of changing to be what others want."
"I wish I had that kind of confidence..."
"Seeing how far you've come, I'd say you already do."
"Here maybe...but not at home..." Aria sighed, as she stared at the ground. Zark looked at her sympathetically.
"I understand it's hard to be yourself amongst your peers," he said gently. "Some of us here in Aether go through the same thing. Like Moha Samedi for example; despite the fact people tease him and don't give him the respect he deserves, he doesn't change himself to make them like him. He finds the strength and courage to continue being himself in the face of such peer pressure."
"I'm not sure if I have that courage...or the strength," whispered Aria. The magician in red reached over, and grasped her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze to catch her attention.
"Joy and fear work side by side, Aria," he said. "You can't have one without the other, but you can't let either of them consume your soul completely." He stood up, and walked behind Aria, covering her eyes with his hands. "But...courage is never too far behind them...and if you allow it to lead your path, it will always open your heart to wonder..." He uncovered her eyes, and Aria saw David and Rene hopping around excitedly, gesturing for her to follow them.
"Follow my instincts...let courage lead my path..." she mused quietly. And taking a deep breath, she step forward, and walked after David and Rene as they hurried through the foliage; Zark followed close behind, a smile on his face. The Instinct Clowns led the pair through the forest for a while before they reached a little clearing, and pointed upwards. Aria looked up and gasped, her eyes widening as she saw a small group of Aetherians flying through the air on bungee-like tree vines alongside a flock of birds and a group of monkeys!
Aria had never seen anything like this before in her life. The glittering shades of yellow of the Aetherian's leotards...the faint light from each glowing bird that flew amongst them...and the shimmering multicolored leaves that fell as the monkeys danced in the branches... It was all magical; had Aria chosen not to follow the Instinct Clowns, she never would've seen this spectacle. She looked over at David and Rene as they watched the acrobats fly above, twittering excitedly. A hand touch her shoulder made her jump, but it turned out to be Zark.
"Even when their home is in danger, these roaming Aetherians find a moment to play," he mused warmly. "To dance within the trees is part of who they are. They embrace it...hoping to spread their happiness to the rest of the world so that even through the darkness, there is light." Aria looked at the magician again before returning her attention to the acrobats. There was truth in his words; just watching the Aetherians fly above seemed to fill her heart with hope and renewed optimism...that she would find her friends...and achieve her part in saving Aether. She turned back to face Zark.
"Do you...do you think I have a role here in Aether?" she asked. "Other than the Chosen of the Singer...do you think that I, stranger with no place on Terra, have a place here amongst the other Aetherians?" The magician smiled kindly at her.
"I think you have a great role to play, Aria," he replied, "Both here, and in your home world. You just haven't found it yet."
"Do you think I'll find it?"
"I believe you will. When you least expect it, you'll find it." He watched as a smile grew on Aria's face. Then he sensed an array of very familiar auras; a majority of them ones that he knew and cared for - and another that he didn't like one bit. A frown crossed his face. "Oh no..."
"What's wrong?"
"I sense your friends are a distance away from us...and there's a Tartarosion heading right towards them...with its hunters...! We have to hurry!"
"Right!" Aria whistled to David and Rene, and gestured to them that they had to hurry. Reluctantly waving goodbye to the acrobats in the trees, the quartet hurried off with Zark in the lead. As she ran, Aria made a silent prayer to herself...hoping that she would reach her friends in time. "Please be safe, my friends...Strongman, Fire Dancer, La Belle, Moha, Dog...Trickster... Please be safe..."
Chapter 32, in which Aria's journey in Aether continues as she begins her search for her friends. Leaving Zarkana, she is guided by Zark, and the two Instinct clowns she has befriended. During their search, Aria voices her personal feelings about not belonging in her world; in turn, Zark advises her to just be herself and not change just to gain approval from others. Watching a group of Aetherian acrobats performing in the trees gives our heroine some confidence. However, as they watch, Zark detects that Aria's companions are not too far away from their current position, but are also in danger. Our heroes race off to find their friends, but will they make it in time? Stay tuned!!!
A/N: So sorry for the long delay! Had a lot happening and completely burned out!
Zark's words of confidence to Aria are based off of one of the quotes from the Cirque du Soleil movie, Journey of Man, during the bungee act - which is basically what Aria was watching: "I learned that joy has a friend called fear...but my faithful instincts showed me that with fear comes courage; and courage has another friend called...wonder."
David and Rene (the two Instinct clowns) are named after David Shiner and Rene Bazinet, who are both clowns, once worked in together in a two-man show, and have worked with Cirque du Soleil. David Shiner wrote and directed the Cirque show, Kooza. Rene Bazinet is the clown act creator for Cirque's Saltimbanco - their oldest touring show - and was also the character Frac in the movie based off of Cirque's Alegria.
I do not own anything except Aria, everything else belongs to Cirque du Soleil.
A/N: So sorry for the long delay! Had a lot happening and completely burned out!
Zark's words of confidence to Aria are based off of one of the quotes from the Cirque du Soleil movie, Journey of Man, during the bungee act - which is basically what Aria was watching: "I learned that joy has a friend called fear...but my faithful instincts showed me that with fear comes courage; and courage has another friend called...wonder."
David and Rene (the two Instinct clowns) are named after David Shiner and Rene Bazinet, who are both clowns, once worked in together in a two-man show, and have worked with Cirque du Soleil. David Shiner wrote and directed the Cirque show, Kooza. Rene Bazinet is the clown act creator for Cirque's Saltimbanco - their oldest touring show - and was also the character Frac in the movie based off of Cirque's Alegria.
I do not own anything except Aria, everything else belongs to Cirque du Soleil.
© 2012 - 2024 Thalia-Dawnbringer
Comments16
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I really hope she can reunite with her companions again.
But I am sure you won't let her travel without them, my dear.
I can't wiat for the next chapter! ... Well, I can. Don't hurry
But I am sure you won't let her travel without them, my dear.
I can't wiat for the next chapter! ... Well, I can. Don't hurry