Bouyant Souls

One day, you awaken from your seemingly endless slumber.

How long has it been? You believe you fell asleep when the total collapse of this continent first began to unfold. The wellspring of all energy for this land, the Thunderstone, had been overburdened and could no longer support this place. As for you, you're an intangible object. You are everything and nothing, and so you were also unable to help. You conjured up a mighty hurricane in a desperate attempt to rejoin the quickly splintering continent, but all it did was wreak even greater catastrophe. Seeing your precious land torn asunder was more than you could bear, and so you entered a deep slumber. Together with the cleaved fragments of this precious land, you allowed yourself to descend softly into the abyss.

But that is all ancient history now, and even you do not remember the number of years in which you have existed.

Now, you have awakened and assumed a new form — the Cloud Sea.

The moist air and biting winds are unfamiliar to you, and the calamitous storms brought about by the Thunderstorms are enough to send a shiver down your (figurative) spine. A litany of new friends shows themselves to you: birds in flight, and skywhales... All of it is invigoratingly novel to you, but you are also filled with some apprehension. You have been asleep for a long time, and much has changed, resulting in a world that can sometimes seem strange and unfamiliar to you.

Looking up, all you see is nothingness.

It was not like this before. You remember the days when humans would gather under the night sky, gravid with stars, to gaze at the moon. Now, those celestial bodies of old have been replaced by the tempestuous storms brought about by the Thunderstone. Aetheria is lost, drifting amongst the void.

But the void above you is not unchanging. Flashes of shadows can be seen penetrating through the void at irregular intervals. They could signal a repeat of what happened long ago: a deadly confrontation between mankind and technology in which mutually assured destruction is the only outcome. They could be a mysterious force that has always remained at the periphery of human history, carefully laying out the path for society's undoing. Other than this, there are also the more commonplace sightings on Aetheria: skywhales foraging for food and engaging in play; assault teams from Aerotopia rushing headlong in their search for the Thunderstone; or the children of the forest playing in the mud. One of the shadows projects an image of a group of children.

Curious as to what changes took place during the time you were asleep, you approach the group of children.

The group is rowdy and rambunctious, but amongst all the hooting and hollering, you come to discover that the little girl who is standing separate from the rest is called Edith. You, however, are more interested in figuring out who the little boy is nestled atop a tree branch, munching on fruit. He appears utterly disinterested in the furor that is taking place directly below him.

So does Edith, for that matter. For her, sticks and stones can hardly compare to the trauma she has already endured in her life. Some years ago, Edith and her parents were caught in an airship accident. A skywhale came and rescued Edith, but was unable to do the same for her mother and father. She was taken back to the forest and placed in the care of the tribal chief. Unable to cope with the devastating events that had thrown her life into upheaval, the young Edith turned inwards, and became taciturn. This made her a target for bullies, and so she was subjected to further torment by her peers.

It angers you to see how some things never change; humanity is just as cruel now as it was then.

It would seem the child atop the tree branch is just as disgusted with these oafish bullies as you are. He eyeballs them carefully, readies a half-eaten chunk of fruit and chucks it at the bullies' ringleader. Unfortunately, his aim leaves a bit to be desired.

No, this simply won't do. You blow a puff of air, leading the piece of fruit along and guiding it to its rightful destination: smack dab in the head bully's noggin.

The gaggle of children under the tree frantically disperses as the boy leaps down from the tree.

You watch as he heads directly towards the cliff edge, extends his hand to the pusillanimous Edith, and leads her back in your direction. Suddenly, it hits you: this boy, who played such a formative part in Edith's childhood, was called Xavier.

You can feel everything in the air. You can catch the birds, the skywhales, and Xavier as he leaps from the precipice. Those who are pure of heart always have lighter souls. This makes it far easier to support, to the point where you can even lift the carrier of that soul and, nestling them close to you, allow them to take flight. Xavier and Edith are as pure as can be, and therefore their souls are each as light as a feather.

It doesn't matter where or when, human history will always be chock full of animosity and strife. Aetheria is no exception.

Aerotopia and the forest should have gotten along harmoniously, each cradled in the bosom of the Cloud Sea. However, the Thunderstone and its ever-so-valuable resources have driven a wedge between the two factions. Ever since this great schism, Aerotopia has existed without the blessing of nature's bounty, instead leaning on man-made technology. Meanwhile, those residing in the forest are denied entry, forever destined to remain outside the gates of Aerotopia.

Of course, there were exceptions—those who dared to rebel against orthodoxy and prove that this divide between human society is in fact not insurmountable. And Xavier's parents are among them.

In many ways, their union resembles a fairy tale, although not everything is sunshine and rainbows. The death of Xavier's mother deprived his father of the willpower required to stand up to his formidable family, and so it came to pass that the young Xavier was taken up to Aerotopia by his grandfather, away from the loving embrace of his father and from Edith.

The two adolescents were separated since then, and under your inquisitive gaze, they both embarked upon their own divergent paths.

You just woke up from another short rest, which was in fact long enough that those who used to be children are no longer as youthful as they once were. You feel a stirring in your chest as you gaze downwards, and see that everything is on the brink of total war.

The airship and the mecha trace interweaving arcs through the sky, like shooting stars falling and somehow miraculously rising once again. As you gaze upon the two airborne silhouettes, one of them begins to plummet. Edith, who is commandeering the mecha suit, has scuttled the airship. As the airship disintegrates, the now fully-grown Xavier tumbles out. This is the first time that they have met since they parted so long ago. Xavier regards her with a pained expression that is palpable even to you. It is the look of someone who left their childhood innocence behind long ago.

Countless attempts on your part in the past have shown that adult souls are perniciously difficult to capture, for they are coarse and unwieldy. Much to your surprise, and excitement, Xavier's soul is still as light as a feather. He is still his old self. You open your arms wide and wait for him to fall into your embrace.

What a tragic thing, to be reunited with a childhood friend on the battlefield. You sigh inwardly at how set humans can be so set in their ways and prisoners to their emotions.

As Edith swoops down to capture the tumbling Xavier, the childhood friends are unexpectedly reunited. Holding his hand, it is as if they are both transported back to that forest where they played as children.

Although you don't have memories of the past eons, you are versed in sensing what is all coming about —

There has been a bitter feud between the Aerotopia and the Forest Tribe for some time now. In an age with an extreme paucity of resources, the two factions have fought tooth and nail to claim the Thunderstone. The people of the Aerotopia could no longer bear to gaze at what they felt was the visibly deteriorated land of Aetheria, and so they turned to the Thunderstone. If they were to harness the stone's power, they could at long last pierce through the void and venture off in search of a new home. In stark contrast, the people of the forest still harbor a deep love for the land of Aetheria, in spite of its pockmarks and disfigurements. They believe that the Thunderstone could rejuvenate both the forest and the entire continent. Thusly, the two lone groups of survivors which should have joined hands and walked together instead found themselves in conflict with one another.

You, as an invisible bystander, witnessed all —

Before he set out, you heard Xavier make a solemn vow to locate the hidden Thunderstone and bring it back to the Aerotopia. As the leader of an assault team, he longed to withdraw his sword from its sheath. You also saw the disgust in his grandfather's eyes when he gazed upon the mark on Xavier's neck signifying he was a member of the Forest Tribe. Xavier lowered his head in shame and covered his neck with a scarf.

Meanwhile, Edith was growing up day by day under the sheltering embrace of the forest. You let out a mournful sigh for the tribal chief who fell in battle; once again, those dearest to Edith were taken from her. At the same time, you were grateful to see that she had resisted those who would condemn her and gone on to activate the ancient mecha suit. She fell from the Aerotopia as a seedling, took root in the forest, and blossomed into a stalwart guardian for that place. Her bravery is remarkable.

The assault team was unsuccessful in their first attempt to locate the Thunderstone, which sent Xavier's grandfather up in the Aerotopia into a furious rage. Xavier knew the punishment that awaited him upon his return.

You wanted to tell Xavier that a child should not have to suffer so greatly. Fortunately, one of the priests in the forest told him everything: his forgotten past, previous events he tried to erase, and the truth he attempted to ignore.

Xavier, who was able to endure all the vagaries of the past, now falls silent and turns to reveal his grief-stricken appearance fully to you. You watch him as he turns and walks towards the cliff face where he once flew in his youth, walking in his own footsteps.

You can feel the yearning to fly away deep down in Xavier's heart. You, however, can also feel the doubts in his heart. He is unsure as to whether he is ready to take flight, for over the cliff side lies a bottomless abyss. You lift up the wind underneath his feet in hopes of helping him achieve his dream, but you know in your own heart that is Edith who must do this.

The friends who were once separated are now reunited. Their friendship is far from over; it is just beginning. With great excitement, you see Xavier take Edith's outstretched hand. At this moment, they are as free as they've ever been. When this child of the forest returns to his woodland homeland, will he respond to the call of the sky? You gaze upon Xavier with gusto and relish, as if taking in a good book.

This warmth, short-lived as it was, did not cause Xavier to lose himself, and he dutifully returned to the Aerotopia after he recovered from his injuries. He had to get the answers from his grandfather himself.

However, you know all too well that his grandfather would not explain anything, and that the blame would fall on Xavier. As you predicted, Xavier's grandfather unveils his true face and, far from explicating anything, instead reveals how laughable he felt it was that Xavier's pathetic father had been delusional enough to attempt and ascend to the Aerotopia to visit him. It was true that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Emotions, restraints, all of these were signs of weakness which only an inferior bloodline could inherit. All anyone from a subpar lineage like his would do was impede the Aerotopia.

When confronted by such naked and aggressive treachery, Xavier is rendered speechless. Without uttering a word, he lifts his head and removes the scarf from his neck, revealing the imprint from the Forest Tribe for all to see.

You are immeasurably proud of the young man's courage and willingness to stand up for himself, and you give him a round of applause.

The ensuing part of the story develops more or less as you expected: Xavier bears the brunt of the blame. There is no hope of him and his grandfather ever reconciling, not after he so flagrantly revealed his true identity. This is of little matter, however, or at least it's certainly not of paramount importance at this juncture. The civilians of the Aerotopia are innocent, and their hopes of finding a new home should not be dashed because of this personal strife.

Although you feel inextricably connected with this world, you feel powerless to stop its seemingly inevitable decline. Many eons ago, you were unable to save the continent, and now history is repeating itself. If mankind wishes to have a future, they must make it themselves.

Fortunately, these aspirations now rest on the shoulders of these two close friends. Two buoyant souls carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders venture towards their destination. They know where they are headed.

As you watch Xavier set down his path, you notice another feather drifting in the storm: Edith. They are both heading towards the same destination: the Thunderstone. All along the way, you feel the almost imperceptible hands of fate closing in on them ever tighter.