Arianne Venura: A Wildcard Week Short

Alpha Belt
Mortal Realm
Venura Residence
2015

Ever since she was a child, Aria loved the sound of booming thunder and lightning striking the sky. Unlike other children, she didn’t cower at the noise and instead sat up, waiting for the next peal to happen. Her parents had told her that the sound of thunder merely came from God bowling up in the heavens, and the mental image stuck with her. Until now, she always wondered if the Big Guy was hitting strike after strike or if he missed every turn.

On another hand, she loved lightning because of how beautiful the jagged line in the sky was. She adored how it remained there for a split second – a number of frames – until it disappeared completely. She also loved how it struck without making noise, how a single burst of power could be so illuminating yet gone without a trace.

She was fascinated until her fourth year where they studied electricity in Physics. They studied currents and resistances, power and such. The entire Senior class studied the types, how it went, how it happened. They discussed so much about electricity that Aria’s notes became filled to the brim.

(She aced the topic and was proud.)

The girl didn’t realize until she was older, but that was one of the indictors which proved that she really was meant to be a Lightning Original.

Aria was a ball of energy throughout the years; even more so after having a Grande-sized cup of coffee. She was a spike of energy, something that happened so sudden and fast that no one knew how she shifted from quiet and reflective to bouncy and talkative. Aria could talk at fast speeds which left others blinking; at her best, she got idea after idea after idea which would make her scribble into her notebook with an unreadable handwriting.

That was when she was at her best.

When she struck, she struck hard and left an impact. Aria wasn’t the type to go quietly when required – so there she was, making impressions and leaving impacts here and there. That was what she liked.

Lightning was quick. It didn’t mess around, it wasn’t the type to linger too long. It was straight to the point and powerful in its’ own way. How the power was used, however, could either lead to good results or bad.

Aria had her bright moments.

Aria had her dark moments.

In the darkest, she struck and crashed hard. Aria’s crashes were a different kind compared to her shining moments; when she crashed, it was quick and she tended to quickly fade way into the background, not preferring for anyone to see her that way. She was bright. She was a flash of light. She was Lightning – there was no such thing as Lighting that flickered. It was either she was there or she wasn’t. So at those moments, she wavered and stayed down.

When Aria crashed, she became what Lightning struck, not Lightning itself. She sizzled, she burned, she burned out. It took a long time for her to get back up, and more often than not, she was not unscathed.

Lightning tended to started fires which would blaze and burn. They were fast and nearly unspottable, with only those of clear eyes able to catch a few seconds of lightning raining down from the heavens. Usually, the only thing left in its wake was fire, burning and destroying and everything related to destruction.

She didn’t want to be a cause of destruction.

So with her crashes she thought: I can’t strike anyone down.

She proceeded to strike elsewhere, making sure that no one got hurt. Making sure that no one would burn because of her. Making sure that if there was anyone who would get hurt, then it would only be her. There was no need for any additional casualty, after all.

After years of enduring such, those who asked why she preferred that would merely get a tired smile and a shrug in response.

To put it simply: no one should get hurt because of me.

Aria then resolved to be the good part of lightning – the light bringer, the blazer, the burning passion. She slapped ideas into people’s heads, slapped people with motivation and made sure her words were sent with the right amount of passion. She sought to electrify in a good way; she wanted to be the best she could be.

Upon meeting her Watcher, Miles Gabriel had revealed a lot to her.

“Attached to lightning storms?” he asked.

“I – yes,” she started, but he interrupted her.

“Energetic?”

“Most of the time–”

“When you crash, do you tend to burn out?” Aria merely blinked and Miles took that as a yes, looking as if he was ticking off boxes in his mental checklist. With that, he gave her a mildly crooked smile. “Lightning Original confirmed. I guess you really are Aria Venura.”

“And why wouldn’t I be?” she demanded. Miles merely laughed and ruffled her hair, Aria rolling her eyes and soon cooling down.

Lightning, she had thought then. That really does explain a lot…

With the confirmation came happiness but at the same time her fear of hurting others increased. The more she feared, the more she put in to avoid others seeing her at her worst state. Miles noticed. He definitely noticed.

She had tried to stop him, but Miles reiterated that as her Watcher, it was his duty to help her as much as possible. The sparks and the drive to strike him down came yet she shielded herself away, not wanting to hurt –

“Jesus, Aria. I’m Forest. I’m suppost to absorb the impact, remember?” she remembered him extending a hand to her. “Trust me on this. The only person who will get hurt is you, if you keep pushing it away.” She still hesitated and Miles gave her a look, forcing her hand into his hand holding it tightly.

That was when she gave.

At that, the sky rumbled and lightning struck despite it being early evening and not a stormy season. Lightning struck over and over while Miles remained silent, pouring over her thoughts while she let herself discharge.

It took time.

When the process finished, Miles looked barely a tinge exhausted. He gave her a confident smile of his own. “What did I tell you?”

“You’re an idiot,” she croaked, and jerked her hand away to shield her face. “You’re stupid for doing that.”

“But do you feel better?”

Aria said nothing else and he smiled more.

Since then, he became her confidante. At the same time, Miles convinced her to confide to others as well – to increase the bond she had with other people. Aria was dubious at first, thinking that Miles was already enough – but he made her think otherwise. “You already have a friend who’s willing to listen.”

Someone popped into Aria’s head and she shook her head vehemently. “You have the wrong person,” she insisted. Miles gave her a hard look.

“Do you honestly think Storms and Lightning don’t go together, Aria?”

That alone was enough to convince her, and Miles watched from the side, happy to see that his Assignment definitely looked on the happier side now that she followed his advice.

Aria shifted on her bed.

The day was ending soon.

The week was going to end soon.

She closed her eyes not to sleep but to reflect. In rare cases, the Lightning in her calmed down and instead sent waves of thought spiralling throughout her. The constant buzzes kept her mind active; it was her Element’s own way of helping her recover from her latest crash.

The short-haired girl clutched the pendant of her necklce, feeling the smoothness of the stone. Her feelings settled. Her thoughts settled. Nearly everything settled, including the energy within which was waiting to burst.

The week had been long and full of fear so far.

She regretted it, mostly. She regretted the crash –

But it was no longer the time for regret and she knew that well.

She could hear Miles turning the pages of a book. Both of them were giving each other the quiet time the other needed. Miles gave her time to think and Aria gave him time to relax. Deep inside, Aria also knew that she was giving someone else time as well.

In her mind came a flickering image of lightning striking.

The very same lighting broke the shackles which kept her down. She found herself sitting up, and Miles turned his head towards her.

“Feeling better?”

“I think I am,” she admitted. He gave an approving nod.

“That’s really good.”

Time to be the lightning everyone needs.

The kind which starts a burning inspiration – not a burning disaster.

Judging by the pleased look in Miles’ eyes, she knew that he heard.

And she intended to be just that.