Throughout history, we have trusted those in power to handle their business. To do right by us, the people…and can you tell me how many followed through? Name a couple.”
Aidan paused to think. “I can’t.”
“Neither can I. Usually the ones who strive to serve the people are in small positions of power or are isolated exceptions.”
“So if you were in power, would you follow through? Would you be different?”
“Would you?”
“I would like to think so,” Aidan said.
“And so would I.”
“What if you’re wrong though? What if you uncover nothing and all this does is fracture Lowsunn? Will it be worth it? Knowing that you had a hand in its fall?”
“If everything is as it should be, there should be no reason for a fall.”
Aidan sighed and folded his hands into his sleeves. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in what Bailey was trying to accomplish, it was just that she wasn’t sure herself if there was really anything wrong – she was merely acting upon a hunch. Lowsunn was one of the longest standing communities since Advent, and despite the numerous attempts from the outside world to break into their haven, no one had been able to. With such an army of Yen-possessing individuals at Lowsunn’s disposal, anyone who thought of attacking the village had to think twice.
Was it worth disrupting all of that security just to confirm whether or not the Elders had good intentions? The populace wasn’t stupid. Obviously it was suspicious about how the board got to decide how they should use their personal Yen. But then there was the assumption that it really was for the greater good. After all, wasn’t this the point of having people in charge? To enable them to make the hard decisions that a sole person would struggle to make themselves? Wasn’t this the point of teachers and students? Bosses and employees? Parents and children? So that one could teach the other to make informed, intelligent decisions that would benefit society as a whole?
Still, Bailey had never been wrong when it came to her hunches. They had taught her over the years to trust them far more than people ever had. Perhaps it was better to go along with her instincts until something suspect (if ever) popped up.
“I trust you, Bailey,” Aidan replied after a long pause. “And I hope that you’re right.”
“You’ll see,” she said, her face and body relaxing at the reply. “Now go get ready. Time for you to meet the parents.”
* * *
Anybody peeking outside their window that night could immediately tell that there was a big event going on in Lowsunn – not that anybody was actually home to do so. The village was attending the dance in droves, walking in mobs across the center of town to head to the grand hall, which was situated in the northeast. The dance of Yesterday was the one event of the year where starry-eyed couples and groups of friends could gather with the sole hope that tonight, out of all nights, would be the moment that they could forget about training and worry only about having fun. The music was blaring from invisible loudspeakers, basking the village in its majestic boom. A mixture of trombones and horns, violins and saxophones, drums and guitars blared into the air. The Lowsunn band, having used their Yen to create visual, musical masterpieces, played passionately and loudly. They created streams of colors that circled up into the air, spiraling into a tighter and tighter tunnel until they finally exploded in the night sky, forming a display of fireworks that rocked anyone who dared to sleep. Nothing could take the village’s eyes off the majestic spectacle…nothing, except for the identity of the woman who was on Aidan’s arm.
“People are really staring,” Leah whispered to him as she leaned into his ear. Aidan snickered and glanced around. They were in the midst of a crowd that was heading towards the dance, but all eyes and
Aidan paused to think. “I can’t.”
“Neither can I. Usually the ones who strive to serve the people are in small positions of power or are isolated exceptions.”
“So if you were in power, would you follow through? Would you be different?”
“Would you?”
“I would like to think so,” Aidan said.
“And so would I.”
“What if you’re wrong though? What if you uncover nothing and all this does is fracture Lowsunn? Will it be worth it? Knowing that you had a hand in its fall?”
“If everything is as it should be, there should be no reason for a fall.”
Aidan sighed and folded his hands into his sleeves. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in what Bailey was trying to accomplish, it was just that she wasn’t sure herself if there was really anything wrong – she was merely acting upon a hunch. Lowsunn was one of the longest standing communities since Advent, and despite the numerous attempts from the outside world to break into their haven, no one had been able to. With such an army of Yen-possessing individuals at Lowsunn’s disposal, anyone who thought of attacking the village had to think twice.
Was it worth disrupting all of that security just to confirm whether or not the Elders had good intentions? The populace wasn’t stupid. Obviously it was suspicious about how the board got to decide how they should use their personal Yen. But then there was the assumption that it really was for the greater good. After all, wasn’t this the point of having people in charge? To enable them to make the hard decisions that a sole person would struggle to make themselves? Wasn’t this the point of teachers and students? Bosses and employees? Parents and children? So that one could teach the other to make informed, intelligent decisions that would benefit society as a whole?
Still, Bailey had never been wrong when it came to her hunches. They had taught her over the years to trust them far more than people ever had. Perhaps it was better to go along with her instincts until something suspect (if ever) popped up.
“I trust you, Bailey,” Aidan replied after a long pause. “And I hope that you’re right.”
“You’ll see,” she said, her face and body relaxing at the reply. “Now go get ready. Time for you to meet the parents.”
* * *
Anybody peeking outside their window that night could immediately tell that there was a big event going on in Lowsunn – not that anybody was actually home to do so. The village was attending the dance in droves, walking in mobs across the center of town to head to the grand hall, which was situated in the northeast. The dance of Yesterday was the one event of the year where starry-eyed couples and groups of friends could gather with the sole hope that tonight, out of all nights, would be the moment that they could forget about training and worry only about having fun. The music was blaring from invisible loudspeakers, basking the village in its majestic boom. A mixture of trombones and horns, violins and saxophones, drums and guitars blared into the air. The Lowsunn band, having used their Yen to create visual, musical masterpieces, played passionately and loudly. They created streams of colors that circled up into the air, spiraling into a tighter and tighter tunnel until they finally exploded in the night sky, forming a display of fireworks that rocked anyone who dared to sleep. Nothing could take the village’s eyes off the majestic spectacle…nothing, except for the identity of the woman who was on Aidan’s arm.
“People are really staring,” Leah whispered to him as she leaned into his ear. Aidan snickered and glanced around. They were in the midst of a crowd that was heading towards the dance, but all eyes and
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