The Rain of Lights

An unusual rumble caused Aaron to open his eyes. The sky was dark, and the lake's horizon was indistinguishable from the night; he had fallen asleep. Aaron heard the rumble again, and dreaded the thought of running the rest of the way in the rain.

Standing up, he was taken aback by how many stars were in the sky. The sky was so clear, constellations even reflected off the surface of the water. Aaron heard the rumble again, and listened carefully as it increased in strength and then faded away.

Curious, Aaron began to move to the water's edge when a deep vibration shook the ground.

Was this an Earthquake?

The trembling continued to shake the trees, and then gradually decreased into the night. Something didn't fit; there were no earthquakes in Tara, and the sounds seemed to be traveling, as if something was passing by. Thunderous tones began again, quietly it swelled, when louder it became, stridently releasing, as the surroundings began to illuminate around him.

A flash of light followed by a ferocious roar knocked Aaron off his feet. Momentarily blinded, he thrashed on the ground while thunder and light rattled his head. Slowly squinting, Aaron was able to make out the ground again when he looked up into the sky.

A fiery light accompanied with earsplitting shockwaves blazed a turquoise trail across the sky. The deafening sound ripped through the air, shaking the branches off trees. As Aaron gained his footing, a barrage of new lights descended all over Tara. Molten ammolite surged overhead, leaving trails of silver and thunder.

The small and insignificant feeling was nothing compared to the deafening roars. Mayhem continued to bombard the sky, illuminating his surroundings with the colors of their trails, when—BOOM—a distinct blast rippled across the lake, and a furious shockwave slammed into Aaron's body.

Extreme contrasts of darkness and light obscured Aaron's orientation. His heart was pounding, and he had to move, but he couldn't tell which way was safe. Running towards the mountains, an irrational sensation of energy and speed began to guide his feet.

Running through the valley trail, a pandemonium of birds were swooping between the trees. There was little to shield him, as brilliant streaks seared through a grouping of trees on the other side of the valley. Wildly tripping over obscurities in the dark, Aaron continued to sprint towards the river.

Is someone attacking?!

Aaron could feel his muscles strain, but his adrenaline pushed him even harder. At the end of the valley trail, a pulse illuminated the split towards the river. Invading with more ferocity, the descending lights changed colors with quick and vehement roars.

A silhouette where the tree line broke meant Aaron was approaching the river; everything in his body told him to reach that spot, when Aaron's surroundings began to illuminate once more. Sliding to a halt over the water's edge, an immense explosion of iron and turquoise rippled through the air. In one frozen moment, Aaron was blasted off his feet and thrown backwards through the woods.

An acrid deafening buzz swarmed in Aaron's head. His right side was all scraped and deep aches hummed all over his body, all Aaron could feel was pain. His clothes had torn where he slid across the rocks, and his only appeasement was not being able to see the wounds.

Stillness returned to the mountains, but the calmness was unsettling. Faint embers burned in the distance, as the sound of the babbling river came into focus. Aaron squinted at the water, but was not sure if he could trust his eyes. The river had split in two, avoiding a mound of new land at its center.

As Aaron stood up, he noticed a strange distortion in the air. It flexed and contracted, shaking his perception of length and scale; almost like distance itself was no longer a constant.

Aaron found himself wading in the water, before he even knew what was happening. He was a secondary observer, while his body was making the decisions. Trudging through the sideways current, ice cold water nipped at his skin, but did not induce any chills or desire for retreat.

Aaron slowly took a step on the newly formed mound at the center of the river. A thick haze of dark blue and silver vapor lingered in the air, when a voice, both quiet and smooth, broke from behind the smoke.

"Lasant…" the tone whispered, "Enta ty."

A young girl smattered with mud emerged from the departing vapors, her long hair parted to uncompromising deep-cut turquoise eyes. Her pale skin was in sharp contrast to the dripping mud, and there were scrapes where her clothes had torn.

Aaron drew in closer, a sense of empathy washing over him, as if her pain was his own.

"Aaron," said the girl.

He froze.

"You're here?" she spoke again.

Aaron was stone silent. He had no idea who the girl was, nor how to respond. He stuttered over his thoughts. Despite being bruised and covered in mud, she was undeniably beautiful.

She broke off her gaze and walked around the mound, continuing to observe the water in the night. Aaron stared at her dumb-stricken and afflicted, when a cold rush of water lapped against his feet. The mound had begun to erode, and the river was retaking its position.

"Come on," said Aaron, reaching for the girl to follow.

Taking her hand, they rushed towards the river side. Aaron's pulse pounded as he pushed through the current. The water stung on his fresh bruises, and required much more effort than he remembered from crossing before. Looking back, he saw the last of the mound being washed away, and held on tighter to get the girl across the river.

The depth began to shallow, and Aaron stumbled on shore, with the girl just behind.

"Who are you?" the girl said.

Aaron looked around, he clearly remembered her saying his name already, but they were alone in the valley. A feeling of unease came over him, followed by a stream of unanswered questions.

Who is this girl? Does she know me? Did I run into danger… the explosion.

"Did I run towards danger?" said the girl. "What was that explosion?"

Aaron turned suspiciously to look at the girl. He could see a slow realization transform over her face, appearing to understand something he didn't. Aaron suddenly felt in danger, like she knew everything about him.

What's going on here?

"What's going on here?!" the girl exclaimed.

This was too much for Aaron. How was she doing this, she wasn't just copying him, she was reading his thoughts. Aaron's adrenaline pumped, and he drew erratic breaths. He just needed some time to think.

"I just need some time to think," she stated.

His panic boiled over, wanting it all to cease, Aaron closed his eyes… STOP!

A brief moment of silence succumbed to the gentle river. Aaron opened his eyes and saw the girl standing squarely before him.

"My name is Aura."