Aeria was slowly regaining her consciousness. She felt the soft mattress against her back, and it felt cool to the touch due to the air-conditioned room. She shifted slightly, and the pillow that she lay on felt soft and gentle against her throbbing head. She lay there in silence for a moment, appreciating the comfort that it gave her. Then she wondered, [i]How did I get here..[/i] Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, but she closed them immediately as the harsh light invaded her eyes. It caused her head to pound, and she placed her right hand over her eyes, putting a little pressure. Little by little, she made an effort to open her eyes again. She blinked from time to time to make herself adjust to the light. She still felt light headed, and her vision was a blur.

Slowly, her eyes scanned the room. She saw Tollank for a moment, before she closed her eyes back shut. "Tol..lank..?" Pain spiked through her head, and she winced in pain. Her memories were a blur, and she tried to trace back to the series of events that had happened, and also how she ended up here. Memories came flooding back in. The chasm, the winds.. her impending death. She was sure that she was at death's door. So how did she end up here? The sudden realization that she didn't see Leon when she opened her eyes brought a shock to her system, causing her eyes to open immediately. She immediately sat up, and she had to close her eyes again when she felt the sensation of spinning. Her head started to throb relentlessly, and she pressed her finger lightly against her temple. 

Her heart rate increased, as the sudden fear crept inside her head. Opening her eyes again, she looked around the room. Her gaze passed Tollank, but she didn't notice his new found sight. Her breathing hitched when her gaze landed on the floor. Laying there, was an unconscious Leon. He was drenched in dried blood, and all thoughts flew out of her head as she stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Aeria's hands started to tremble lightly at the sight, and her legs felt so weak; They didn't want to move. She spaced out for a moment, completely taken in by surprise. By the time that her eyes focused back on Leon, her vision was already blurred by the tears that welled up in her eyes. She didn't realize this until one tear escaped, rolling down her cheek.

Aeria wanted to go to him, but she couldn't move. She tried, but it was futile. She was completely engulfed in fear, and she was too afraid to move. What if he was dead? She wouldn't be able to handle that. She sat there in denial, as she mentally declared that it was untrue. Aeria finally found the courage to go to him. Her feet touched the cold floor, and she shuddered slightly as the goosebumps ran through her body. She slowly got down on her knees before him, and she placed her hand lightly on his. "Leon.." She called out to him softly. She didn't check for his pulse, his breathing, or his heartbeat. He was definitely alive, she told herself.

Her gaze scanned his face, and she could see the new visible scars on his cheeks. Slowly, her gaze landed on the piece of metal that was covering his eye. It took her a moment to realize that his eye was gone. It explained the massive amount of dried blood in that area. She bit her lower lip as it quivered, and she blinked swiftly to stop the tears. She moved her hand toward his arm, shaking it lightly. "Damn it, Leon.. Wake up." Her voice trembled involuntarily. "..It's not funny." She added, as the tears ran down her face. She hated herself for not being able to do anything. Her vision was a blur as the tears continued to fall down from her eyes. But nothing. There was no answer.

Aeria gently placed both her arms on his chest. She leaned her head against them as she buried her face against his chest, feeling utterly hopeless at the moment. Tears continued to run down, dripping down her arm, and soaking Leon's shirt. She could feel her lungs burning, and her throat started to hurt at the weird sensation, like there was a lump inside that blocked the air from entering. [i]It's my fault, isn't it..[/i] She repeated inside her head. [i]It's my fault.. It's definitely mine.[/i] The thought of it brought more tears to her eyes, and she struggled to breath properly. Her head ached even more, and she just lay there as the tears rolled down from her eyes. There was only silence, and she could feel herself growing more tired by the second. "It's my fault.." She said quietly; It barely came out as a whisper. Her gasping came to a stop, and her breathing slowly calmed down. Her eyes felt heavy, and she closed them slowly as she felt herself drifting into a light sleep. 

She dreamed of Earth. The vast mountains and green field, The blue waters that stretched on and on, and the sand that lay by the beach. And then she saw her brother. He was smiling softly at her as he walked over to where she was standing. When she turned around, there was Leon and Tollank as they chattered idly by the beach. For once, she was happy. She had a nagging feeling that all of it wasn't true; That she was just dreaming. In her head, she prayed that it would just continue on this way. She didn't want to wake up, and go back to the harsh reality that was awaiting her. She wanted to stay.