Aura - The Pure Truth: Princess in the Mists [2]
Feb 15 00:27:53 2005

"I didn't understand what could go wrong. Our only worry at
the time was the rapid withering of the current Mana Tree.
They do not live forever, and it is up to the women of the
Mana Tribe to represent the Tree of Mana as the source of
all living things in all worlds. As it was, the council
held constant meetings for decisions held only by them, as
I chose to be with my husband and daughter more than my
place of authority. It saddened me that he spent so much
time outside the village, involved in his studies, but I
respected the fact that it was his line of work, and loved
him no less for it."

The dryads, during the tree's storytelling session, had silently
lowered themselves to the base of her trunk, settled softly upon
the earthen floor and looking up with several pairs of enormous
green eyes.

"A turning point rose, during this time; the council decided
that it was I who would replace the then-dying Mana Tree, as
my control over the flow of mana was much greater than any
other woman's in the village. I did not feel that this was
the best of decisions, and I knew that if I accepted it, I
may never look upon my husband or daughter with my own eyes
again. It was a relatively devastating choice, but like my
husband, I was obligated to fulfill my duties as a female of
the Mana Tribe. And so I did. What happened next completely
threw everyone offguard, and I was powerless to do anything
but watch it unfold, from afar."

Something dawned on Aura just then, a previous sighting that
almost seemed to click into place.

"The facility... and that diagram on the wall. It was me..?"

"Your father, the late scientist Arthur Sermons, returned from
a night of work to find that his wife had 'mysteriously'
disappeared. As was custom for the people of our village, we
were not obligated to tell him anything we felt would hinder
our lifestyle, for we knew ours was so different from the
outside world. Giving me up for dead, he took you and fled
the village, returning to the outside world and losing
himself in his studies. I only saw, day in and day out as he
became less and less sane, until..."

Aura shook her head, an attempt at disbelief, physically and
mentally. She tried to take a step forward, but the dryad's
energy boon had left her, and she fell to he knees, a warning
of tears drawing close.

"You can't tell me he.. he did those.. what I saw, on the wall
of that place.. it looked like.. like.."

"I didn't want to believe it. The man I loved, I married, I
called my husband; he had taken our daughter, so overwhelmed
with grief that he was overtaken by his studies of reploids
and reploidkind. With the help of those he worked with, he
took and tried to convert you into one of them. 'In the name
of science', I believe I can still hear him saying. Then,
a blessing it must've been from the Goddess herself; I don't
recall the specifics, but he came to grips with the reality
of what he'd done, and where it would lead him. In an effort
for redemption, he sacrificed his own life in exchange for
your safety, and ultimately the downfall of one of the most
delved-upon experiments at the time. This was as far as I
could remember seeing, for despite my position, I, too, had
my grievances."