The next morning, Aiden wakes up to the sound of the egg-shaped alarm clock—a cute little device Miller built purely for their pleasure—and is dismayed when they find the bottom bunk to be empty. As they inspect the dorm halls, jiggling doorknobs and listening closely to signs of the usual hustle and bustle, they come to the conclusion that everyone had already left. Glumly, the Pyro heads downstairs, where a whiff of smoked beef and baked bread tickles their nose. Following the scent, they end up in the lounge room, where a vast array of breakfast foodstuffs awaits them. Most of the food is set on the countertop, beside the coffee machine, but baskets of biscuits and fruit center the long table, taken out during formal meetings and set aside for more casual get-togethers.
Sitting on the far end of the table is Jane Doe, munching on a plate of sausages and soggy pancakes. Watching him stab his breakfast with such unabashed enthusiasm, one could easily mistaken him for a child playing with his food. Spotting the Pyro, Jane urges them to sit with him. Aiden timidly complies, and they share a moment of awkward silence before saying anything. "So... You have any idea what's at the fair?" Aiden lets out a muffled "huh?", and Jane shakes his head. "On second thought, don't say anything. I'd rather find out myself." Pause. "Duncan's a good cook, isn't he? He and the other cooks made all this, just the four of them. I bet you'd do well, too. Though I'm not sure if flambés count as cooking." He and Aiden laugh. "I don't think the fair's gonna open for another hour or two, so we've got a lot of time to kill. And since hardly anybody's here, aside from the staff, we've basically got the place to ourselves!"
The Soldier elaborates on his harebrained scheme as he fiddles with the food on his plate. According to his plan, the two of them are to raid the storage areas for equipment, and then sneak into the RED barracks, where they'll sabotage their main water supply and flood the building, forcing them out while they take anything that looks remotely important. While Aiden is curious about what secrets the enemy team might be hiding, they are not certain if resorting to (potentially fatal) high-school level pranks is such a good idea.
In the end, however, they could not access any of the storage areas, due to them being locked down for security reasons. "This is stupid! There's nothing fun to do at all!" Jane sulks as he storms ahead of Aiden, who's distracted by the flowers growing by the park gate. "Well, I guess we can hang around and stuff. But just until the fair opens." Entering the local park, he feels like a fish out of water. Though Jane has gone on many trips with Duncan to the forests at Thunder Mountain, he rarely has ever felt at peace. Being in a place where such peace is an obligation does not relax him any.
Aiden, on the other hand, is a sight to behold. With a bit of urging, he managed to get Aiden to slip out of that fire-resistant shell and put on something nice for once. A full-figured young lady with shoulder-length crimson hair, she looks even younger in the blue-and-red sailor uniform Miller bought for her. Though she tried to put on makeup to cover up the burn scars that mar half of her face, she still opted to brush it over with her bangs, giving her a gloomy appearance. The surgical mask is more for her health than vanity; she finds it hard to breathe otherwise. Though Jane had his suspicions, he never expected her to look so... cute.
"Look, Janey!" Flower in hand, she hurries over to Jane. "Isn't it beautiful?" She thrusts out the flower, and he recoils at the sight of a slimy, wriggling snail hanging on the leaf. The redhead plucks the snail from the leaf and tosses the flower aside. "I think I'll name him Jerry. What do you think, Janey?"
The Soldier winces and trembles even more as she thrusts "Jerry" inches away from his face. "I think you should keep Jerry away from me!"
"Oh. Sorry." She gently puts Jerry down on the ground and watches him crawl away.
As the guilt starts building up inside him, he looks at his nonexistent watch and says, "I think the fair's about to open. We should start heading over. Maybe you can win a goldfish, or even a real life unicorn!"
Her eyes lighten up at the mention of mythical equines. "Really? What're we doing, standing around here? Let's go!" She grabs the sleeve of Jane's blouse and starts running.
Moments later, they reach the entrance gate of the Saxton Fair. Staring at the sea of people causes Aiden to freeze up, but when Jane holds her hand and smiles, all her fears melt away. After showing their passes and receiving their tickets, they make a head start for the attractions. Jane quickly finds his niche in playing the largely reflex- and strength-based games, as he shoots, throws, and whacks his way to victory. While not as strong as her partner, Aiden is no pushover, as her sharp eyes and impeccable sense of timing have given her an advantage at the shooting gallery and even won her a goldfish.
But what really catches her eye is a giant, pink, stuffed unicorn, resting on a stool next to a peculiar-looking man in a turban and robes. "Come, young lass and lad. If the plush mythical equine is what you seek, then that you shall get... if you can pass my test."
Jane steps forward. "Name your test."
"Your name is James Dorian Sullivan, yes?"
For a split second, he falters. "Yes, I think."
"You think? Does that mean you do not know?"
"Yes—I mean, no! M-maybe."
"You boast with confidence, yet you lack it yourself. If you remain clouded by this uncertainty, you will fall." He gestures to the Pyro. "Next." Aiden reluctantly approaches the man. "Ah. Miss Aiden Flynn! Good to see you're in good health. Now, then... Are you scared of anything?"
"I-I... Water. I'm afraid of water."
"It is not water itself you are afraid of. Rather, it is the memories that water forces you to reflect on. From its clear surface, you see the scars of your past, and from the skies, you feel the tears of pain you shed. Do not fear the water. Drink! Swim! Cleanse your mind until it becomes clear and pure!"
Aiden's nerves become more and more frazzled by the man's words, which were unusually accurate for someone whom had only been given a brief hint of her true feelings. Still, despite the eeriness of his cryptic statement, his advice is clear and sound. "Thank you. I will."
A smile creeps up on the man's face. "You passed the test! Here's your prize: a life-size Balloonicorn!" He hands her the plush unicorn, and the two exchange goodbyes and part ways.
"What was that guy all about," Jane asks, still miffed at what the strange man said to him. "He thinks he knows everything. I say he's a load of—"
"Janey, do you think you can give me some water? I'm getting thirsty." Jane cocks his head in confusion, but complies, returning with cotton candy and a bottle of water. "Thanks." She lowers her mask, takes a sip, and smiles. "It's hardly anything, yet I feel like I accomplished something."
"What, drinking water?"
Realizing how silly that sounded, she mutters, "N-never mind. Let's go home." She points at the goldfish in Janey's hand. "Navy Captain Goldfinnigan needs a better home than this plastic bag!"
Jane blinks. "Navy Captain...?" His mouth stretches to a cocky smirk as he holds up the fish bag. "You mean Navy Commander Goldfinnigan, Terror of the Seas!" The two of them laugh as they start moving towards the front gate.
As the sky burn with the colors of fire, they arrive at the barracks, where they drop their new fishy friend into a round, glass bowl they found in the kitchen. After bickering over where to put him, they come to a compromise and leave him in the center of the lounge table, where everyone can admire his sparkling orange scales. (Fish are known for being attractive and relaxing to stare at, especially in places that are dull in the first place.) A little bit later, they climb to the roofs of the BLU fortress and sit together, watching the sun set.
"You know, I really had a lot of fun today," Jane says. "I never expected to enjoy anything that didn't involve lots of explosions."
"There were guns, though," Aiden points out.
"Water guns don't count."
"They do to me!"
"Right, 'cause you're a Pyro. I almost forgot." He chuckles.
Aiden giggles, then frowns and turns her gaze towards the crimson sky. "Janey, do you remember anything about your past?"
Jane glances at the Pyro's half-covered face and shakes his head. "Nada. For some reason, everything before my thirteenth birthday was all a blur. The only thing from it that I remember..." His hand slips over Aiden's, and he clenches it tightly. "... is you."
"That's what I thought." She turns to face him and smiles. "I can't make you remember everything, but I can always try. We'll wish for it together."
"But my birthday's already passed. It's not like we can blow out more birthday candles for the heck of it."
"Then why not wish on that star?" She points at the setting sun.
He hesitates, and then grabs both her hands, clasping them between his own. "Alright. Let's do this." They lean towards each other, their foreheads touching, and they silently spell out their mutual wish as day turns to night.
No comments:
Post a Comment