Archive of Our Own ^beta

Aurora is floating.

Above her, the wide blue sky stretches far beyond the horizon, the sun warming her gently, like the caress of a benevolent god. The grass rustles, millions of strands brushing against the wind as if the ground itself was taking a breath. A soft hum expands behind her, the waves of sound vibrating the air around her, then recedes, just like waves on the shore. She doesn’t have to turn around to know that the building that towers her is activated, the light blue hue pulsing through the carved out writing in the black stone ; the sounds emanating from the tower gently sway her down to her bones, her feet dancing along to the tune, her and the music deliciously intertwined.

“Aurora ?”

The voice startles her back to her senses. The landscape dissolves around her as she snaps her eyes open, leaving her sat on the soft bench in the music room. She blinks a few times, her mind still full of dreamlike wonders ; she turns her head to gather in the worried look Flora sports.

“Are you alright ?” the other girl says. Aurora stays silent for a brief moment, shaken by the whiplash, her mind still in the garden where she was a moment ago. Then, she laughs, and claps her hands as she saw people do when they went to the opera last week.

"That was fantastic, Flora !" she says, nearly jumping around with glee. She can't contain her joy and wraps Flora in her arms, laughing along as her movement tears a surprised squeak from the other girl. "You are a master in your craft !"

"Oh, well, no, you can't say that" Flora mumbles softly, frozen in Aurora’s arms.

“Yes, I can assure you !” she insists, pulling away from Flora’s embrace. “In my world, I never learned to play music. Most Azran people could sing, and a few of them trained their voice as one would do an instrument, but it was Golems which played for us.” She sighs, the shadow of the past looming over her features as she goes on : “It was the ultimate failure of my people, to consider art as a chore better left to machines, and only good to be enjoyed once it’s finished. They devoted themselves to science and engineering, forgetting to even taste the wonderful sweetness of creation, true creation, the amazing sensation when you make something with your own two hands. They made the machines so that Azran people would never have to do anything again, forgetting than doing, making, creating is what we are here to do. Thinking that life only comes down to enjoying the luxuries of it, rather than truly living, make themselves experience it.”

She shakes her head, as if the movement could dust away the ghost of what has long done collapsing.

“But you ! You spent years training those skills, countless hours poured into perfecting yourself.” Aurora reaches out and takes Flora’s hands in her own, carefully examining her long fingers. Her thumb brushes over the callous on the tip of her fingers, left there by the harp that stands in the opposite corner of the room. She can’t conceal her admiration, to see the craft of the musician carved directly into her body.

“That’s what I admire, above all my people’s creations and science. This dedication to creation, to art and beauty. You understood the true value of life instinctively. You are truly amazing, Flora !”

She looks at the other girl, a smile on her face, so happy to be here with her. She’d never thought that her stay in London would last, let alone that she would make any friends. She was there for a mission, as a guardian, and could not stray away from it. To think that Layton’s soft smiles, Luke’s enthusiasm and Emmy’s restless strength would melt away her stern exteriors better than when she was freed from the ice, never would she have believed it. And to be welcomed back again, once she woke up in this century despite her death back in the ruins, and meeting with Flora, as lost in this town as her, was a miracle. Aurora didn’t believe in faith or destiny, not anymore, but it was a comfort to think that despite everything that happened to her and to Flora, she would have found each other either way. Aurora squeezes Flora’s hands, hoping that Flora feels the same.

"We must try another song ! Here, I'll sing along"

"Wait, you didn't give me the key-"

“Follow my tune !”

The room explodes, fractured by Aurora's voice and Flora's playing calling to them pieces from another world, the walls crumbling down to nothing. She hopes that Flora can feel it, the soft breeze, the hums of the tower. Aurora can never go back to her homeplace, and it is for the better that the Azran’s legacy will never be woken up from its sleep, but knowing this doesn’t shield her from the deep longing she feels sometimes, to go back there and be surrounded by buildings which didn’t yet become ruins. At least, her memory serves as a bridge between the two civilizations, one that is less harmful than the weapons left behind by the Azran.

They’re playing yet another song, Aurora humming the tune and watching Flora’s hands dance gracefully on the keys when the door opens, Luke barging in. Flora stops the music, looking quizzically at her brother. Aurora can’t help herself and takes one of Flora’s hands on her own, missing the softness of her skin already. Flora startles a little bit, but Aurora doesn’t let go, and turns to Luke.

“Do you want to play with us ?”

“Oh no, I don’t play music, even if the Professor says that a gentleman’s education isn’t complete without a “good grasp at music theory”” Luke says, grimacing a bit at his last words. Seemingly remembering why he came here in the first place, he straightens up.

“The tea is ready ! Would you like to join us ?” He turns to his sister, and raises an eyebrow when he sees she’s not paying attention to him at all. Flora’s eyes are focused on Aurora’s hand, wrapped around her own. She has a pensive expression, her mouth slightly open, completely lost to her thoughts. Suddenly she looks up, woken by the weight of their gaze on her.

“Hum, yes… yes of course, Luke, we’ll come !”

Luke looks at their entangled fingers, then at his sister's blushing face and breaks into a huge grin.

“Oh !” Flora jumps from the bench, leaving Aurora’s hand. The loss of contact pains her, scared she embarrassed Flora in front of her brother.

“Wait here a second !” before she can blink Flora left her side, and she nearly misses the glimpse of her running out of the room. Aurora stays still, unsure of what to do ; a cough draws her attention back to Luke, who is still smiling widely. Aurora returns the smile, albeit smaller than his. Her former role as the Azran guide weighs on her like a heavy cloak, the boy a stark reminder of what could have happened and the danger that once loomed over the world.

“I’m glad you have a good time with Flora” says Luke, coming to sit beside her on the piano bench. Aurora’s smile deepens, the soft music notes coming back to her mind.

“Tell me” continues the boy, a soft giggle escaping him. “Do you like-like her ?” Luke laughs a little louder, hiding behind his hands. Aurora blushes at his words, a startled noise coming out of her throat. She’d never thought about that.

“Hum-”

“Ah I knew it !” the boy cackles with glee, his little feet kicking the air in his excitement, “I’m so happy for you both !”

Luke jumps from the bench, squeaking excitingly. Aurora doesn’t know what to do. Does she like Flora the way Luke implies ? Romantic love is so different in Azran society than here, the act of courting and meeting one another dulled by the constant trail of luxuries and daily enjoyments. It is harder to parse out what her feelings are in London, where every sensation has a name and very delimited borders. She racks her brain for the knowledge she accumulated since her stay here. Does she want to hold Flora ? Yes, she just did, but friends can hug each other and hold hands, it doesn't mean anything. Does she want to kiss her ? Does she want to grow up by her side, linking their lives together until death ? Aurora blushes even more, her mind derailing off side.

“Shhh !” Aurora tries to calm down the little boy, who is still giggling “She might hear you !”

“Why ?” Luke is baffled, as if he’s still discovering how complicated grown-ups are, “It’s obvious she likes you too !”

“Here !”

Aurora startles, she didn’t hear Flora coming back to the room. She looks up at the other girl, who’s looking right back at her, a small blush coloring her cheeks. She is holding a book against her chest, the cover hidden by her hands.

“You offered me the music of Azran, and I’ll be forever thankful to have been trusted with such a gift. I do not have gifts of centuries old civilizations to give to you, but I wanted to share some of my interests as well !”

Aurora takes the book, her fingers passing over the cracks of the old front cover. The book is obviously well loved, some pieces of tape gluing the loose pages that tried to escape and the edges of the covers rendered soft by the constant reading. Aurora looks up at Flora, a smile appearing on her face again. She’s so honored by this gift, she can’t even put into words her gratitude.

“It’s an horror story, but I can tell you which chapters are scarier if you don’t feel like it”

Flora looks a bit skittish, as if afraid her book won’t be to Aurora’s taste.

“It will be perfect, I can assure you”.

Flora’s smile brightens the room ten times more than a ray of sunshine.