My Dark Twisted Fantasy - Chapter 5

I felt uncomfortably stiff as I rolled over on the hard wooden floorboards and hugged the blanket closer to me. Wait what? I opened one eye and surveyed my surroundings. I was lying in front of a fireplace with a blanket covering my shoulders. Someone must have carried me here; I remember falling asleep on the front porch. I sat up and looked around. The cottage consisted of four rooms; two bedrooms, the main room which merged the kitchen, lounge and dining together, and another one that I had no idea what it's for. Even though the place was kind of small, it gave off a safe cozy feel.

"Finally, you're awake."
A woman in her mid-forties set a cup of, what looks like, hot cocoa in front of me. She wore an apron and her sleeves were rolled up. Her blonde hair was tied up into a bun and her sparkling blue eyes and kind grin reminded me of my mother. If only she were. I reached out for the steaming cup of goodness only to realize that my hands were bandaged. I must have cut them when I was pushing the gate open.

"W-Where am I?"
"We're just outside Chaeldar."
"Chaeldar? Where's that?"
"Huh?"
"Don't you know, sweetheart? You're in the Aether." I nearly choked on the cocoa's sugary warmth. Aether? Was this a dream?
"What's your name?"
"T-Tiffany."
"Wait, Tiffany Briel?" How did she know my full name? I nodded slightly. She gasped. "No wonder you don't know where you are. It isn't safe here, Miss."
"Why isn't it safe?"

"Don't you know, sweetheart, the Relnados are after you. You should go back - back where you came from." 'Relnaldos' as in Lucia Relnaldo?
"But how?"
"The Portaillium Shard disappears when you come here, doesn't it?" She muttered to herself.

I watched her flit towards the bookshelf, pull out a book, flip through the pages, and glance at me. "I guess you'll have to stay."
"What do you mean?"
"I shall warn you that the Aether isn't a safe place, especially for you," she said, completely ignoring my question. "While you're here I advise that you don't say what your last name is or where you've come from."

"Okay... wait who are you?"
"Me? I'm Purera de Fleur and you, Tiffany, should go to sleep - we have a long day ahead of us." She took my cup and walked to the kitchen.

I rested my head against my arm and watched the fire crackle. Was there a way to get out of here? It was still dark when Purera woke me. After I bathed, I wore the cloak, dress and leather boots she lent me before heading out.

The rain had cleared earlier this morning and the black early morning sky was dotted with thousands of stars. I yawned as our leather boots sloshed in the mud. My eyes started to droop as we trekked through the dense forest. Some sticks cracked. I froze and looked around. Nope, nothing but I still kept closer to Purera.

"How much longer?" I whispered.
"We'll be there just after the Sun's up." An owl hooted.
"And how long is that in Aether time?"
"Sooner if you stop asking questions."

- Lucia -

No matter how hard I tried to concentrate on reading, I couldn't shove the thing that was bothering me in the back of my mind. Her disappearance pestered me. I was supposed to know about her whereabouts at ALL times. I bit my bottom lip. What is my father going to think of me if he finds out?

No, he won't find out.
"You okay, Lucia?"
"Hope, have you seen Tiffany lately?" I asked. It's been eight days and she's still not back from whatever she's doing. What is she up to?
"No, nothing." She stared down at her book.
"Seriously, you need to stop being sad - it's starting to piss me off. Besides, how could you like a person like her?" I put my book down and got up.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"That's none of your business. Just shut up and keep reading."

I slipped out of the library and into the corridors. I was sick and tired of waiting, it's time for answers, and I want them now. I entered the Administration Building and stopped outside where I needed to be. The Principal's office. And with a twist of the handle, I went in.

"Excuse me! Go out and close the door. Don't you know how to knock, Miss Relnaldo?" Ms Hawk looked startled and that made me feel so much more powerful.
"Pssh as if it would do that."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Apology accepted." She looked at me unamused but I didn't care. "I need answers and you're going to give them to me whether you want to or not. Where is Tiffany Briel?"
"Get out and knock." I knew I was getting on her nerves and she was getting on mine.
"I won't unless you answer one question."

"Lucia Relnaldo." Hmm... time to try a different approach.
"Does Blade Dimitrios sound familiar to you?" Her eyebrow twitched.
"Stop changing the subject and leave."
"What would you do if I were to put a price on Tiffany's head? And does Noctis know?" She leaned back on her leather office chair and thought for a moment.
"How much are you willing to lose for this piece of information?" There was a cunning edge in her voice. Something I haven't experienced before.

"I would risk a lot," I answered.
"Very well then, she's attending one of James' relative's wedding." What a load of bullshit. James doesn't have any relatives that are suitable for marriage here... but he does have a few cousins in the Aether. "I hope this information brings much despair for what you had bargained for. Now get out."
"Thank you, Ms Hawk. I'm sorry that I'd disrupt you. Have a nice day." I walked out of her office satisfied.

- James -

Its humming woke me. I opened the box again. The Portallium Shard's pulse was strong, and it was glowing brightly. A smile spread across my face. It was ready.
"Noctis get up! The Shard's ready!" I shoved a few important things in my bag and ran downstairs into the armory. "Dude! Get your ass up now!"

I took one of the swords and tied its belt around my waist. I grabbed one for Noctis since the lazy bastard hates waking up in the morning. I rushed into the function room, finding him sitting in his armchair waiting.

"You packed?" He asked.
"All set." Looking closer, he had dark circles under his eyes. "Did you wake up early this morning?"
"Couldn't sleep." I wonder why.

He traded me the mahogany box for the sword. I opened it again for what seems like the millionth time. Its blue glow and its humming filled the silence in the room. Time seemed to slow down as I picked it out of the box. We glanced at each other and nodded. We both held onto the Portallium Shard ready to go back to save Tiffany.

- Tiffany -

I shielded my eyes from the morning sun. Before me were the grand white walls of Chaeldar. I blew a sigh of relief as we went through the gates - we were finally at our destination. A few stray dogs roamed the cobblestone streets and puffs of smoke escaped the chimneys of houses as the city slowly woke. Every single muscle in my body ached. I was tired, irritable and hungry.

"C'mon we're almost there," Purera whispered and pulled me into an empty lane.
She guided me around the sleepy city avoiding the main roads and sneaking through alleyways until we stopped at the back of a building.

We were in what seemed as the shabbiest part of town. A hundred meters away were ruined houses with broken walls and roofs with exposed timber. Glass bottles lay shattered, half-submerged in the dirt laneways and a few crates with rotten vegetables were stacked by the pillory. However, this house was better off than the others. It was still fully intact and had glass panes instead of a hole for windows. There was a small cabbage patch and a few lilacs in bloom.

"Helen? Helen?" She said as she knocked on the weathered wooden door. We waited in silence for a few moments. Who was Helen? And what are we doing here? The door creaked open and we walked inside.

Pieces of fabric laid on the floor and tall bolts of cloth leaned against the wall. In the corner by the window was a table with a sewing machine. On the table were spools of assorted colored thread and a half-finished dress. In the other corner were a few mannequins wearing, I guess, a few of Helen's creations.

"Mom? Who's this?" I turned around to find a girl who was slightly older than I was. She had big brown eyes, a heart-shaped face, thin pink lips and long brownish-blonde hair.
"Helen, this is Tiffany Briel." Helen looked at me stunned and pulled her mother behind the screen.
"T-The Uniter?"
"Hush darling."

"I know you're nice and loving mom, but really? What happens if the Relnaldos find out?"
"She will bring the light to the Aether, pull it out of darkness, darling. She's our only hope. I know that so many innocent lives have been wasted in the Downfall, but I am willing to risk mine to make sure she's safe."
"Mom, I'm not angry at you for hiding her. I'm just shocked that you would bring her to Chaeldar right under Lord Relnaldo's nose!"

"She'll be here just for a while, until Courage, Strength and Loyalty find her." They walked out and faced me.
"Sorry for my rudeness," Helen apologized.
"It's okay."
"You'll be sleeping on the sofa while you're here. I'm sorry that I don't have an extra bed or something - it was just unexpected."
"It's okay, I appreciate it."

I was overjoyed when we had breakfast consisting of date and lemon scones and some tea. I have never scoffed down food so quickly in my entire life.

For the duration of my stay, I worked as Helen's shop assistant - she was a seamstress in Chaeldar. Every day I would clean up, help her measure lengths of cloth, bring her what she needed and make transactions. Every night I would lie on my sofa wondering if there was a way out of here. I twisted the ring on my finger - I haven't had a nightmare for what seems like a month now and I was thankful for that. Even though I didn't have any nightmares, I still had weird dreams that made me wake up with a head filled with questions. Other than the weird dreams were restless nights where I would toss and turn on the sofa and maybe even fall off.

I stared at the wooden planks which made the ceiling. Light flowed through the cracks - it was just after sunrise. I got off the sofa and stretched. I ran a comb through my hair and picked out one of the dresses that Helen had made for me. It was light blue with cute buttons on the pockets. I picked up a few more fabric scraps from Helen's late night sewing sessions and placed them in the scrap bin.

My stomach growled so I waltzed into the petite kitchen in the back and looked in the pantry. There were just an apple and a few stalks of celery - not enough to make a decent breakfast. On the way out, I took my small pouch with the few coins I earned and headed towards the markets.

- James -

I lay gasping on the cold hard ground. Every breath I took made it harder for me to contain the urge to throw up. Bit by bit. Second by second. The nausea waned. Surrounding us was an empty house, the house I grew up in before we left to begin our lives on the surface. Its old warm homey atmosphere was now cold and desolate. Every room was almost stripped bare. I got up, pulled away the dusty white curtains, and opened the weathered shutters. The scent of smoke with a hint of freshly chopped grass filled my nostrils. It was until now, I was finally sure. We were back in the Aether.

Noctis let out a small groan. I turn around to find him on the floor hugging himself in the fetal position. This was definitely going to take a while.

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Author's note

Sorry for not posting for a long time. With all the major yearly exams, things have been hectic! But now with most of the exams out-of-the-way, I might be posting chapters more often.