{*Abandoned Memories*}
Prelude ,
{*Fractions of The Past*}
...
A tall, bulky teenager wearing a black hooded robe down to his
feet walks into a dungeon filled with helpless people trapped behind
bars. He walks past a helpless old woman, who mocks his presence.
"You filthy scum! All 13 of you are gonna pay!"
"Watch your tongue, rat!"
" Some day you'll face judgement! I'll see to it!"
"Hah! Foolish rat! This is the organization you're talking to.
We are judgement."
"You're filth!"
The child becomes angry, "YOU, ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS
DUNGEON, ARE HERE FOR A REASON! YOU'RE CRIMES HAVE BROUGHT YOU TO
THIS PLACE, NOT US!"
"WHAT CRIMES? WE ARE FAR MORE INNOCENT THAN ANY OF YOU SCUM!"
Another man, older and wiser, also with a black hooded robe,
walks into the dungeon, maintaining a slight distance away from the
outraged teen."Crixus, For what reason are you yelling at these rats?
Do they need punishment?
He replies with shear anger, and walks past the hooded man.
"Yes boss! Everyone of them. Take their hearts(souls)
immediately!"
The man looked at him with suspicion, "You know we can't do
that. Their souls are still too strong."
The boy turns around,"Says who? Just set up the death sentence
now! I'm sick of seeing their pathetic, dying faces."
"Crixus! Look at me now!"
The child, although hesitance resides within him, chooses not to
disobey."Boss, I...I know what you're thinking. I swear I didn't..."
"Anger. It's an emotion. Don't tell me he's influenced you too."
"Boss, I swear I never said anything to him."
"Fear. Another emotion. Already, you've been infected. Beyond
influence. You are just as much of filth as those in the cell."
"But boss, please, give me another chance. It'll wear off I
promise."
The old lady shouts at them from the cold bars in which she
is locked behind, and wakes up several other prisoners. "HAH! IT'S
THAT KID, ISNT IT? HE'S INFLUENCED EVERYONE OF YOU. EACH ONE OF YOU
SICK BASTARDS HAVE FEELINGS AND DONT EVEN KNOW IT!"
The older member of the organization experiences anger bottlling
up within him, but contains it with excellence. Instead of hollering
at the menacing old lady, he quietly announces to Crixus, "We will set
up the death sentence as soon as possible. This lady, she is right.
She knows way too much. That's why we must remove her and every one of
her followers from life."
Crixus looks at him with puzzled amazement, "But boss, you just
said earlier that..."
The man grits his teeth and whispers in the kids ear, "Listen,
if any other member of the Organization finds out that we have any
form of emotion, you do realize what our penalty is, don't you?"
"Yes, I do, but boss,...
"Good, now go see Xalaband. Tell him that the prisoners on
sector 361 have given up their hearts(souls) and are ready to be put
to death."
"Yes boss" Crixus walks out of the dungeon and onto a large
flight of stairs heading up towards a huge, metal platform. In the
middle of the platform was a cylindrical stand, with a shining blue
aura on top of it. All around the platform was a countless series of
large, metal platforms heading towards other dungeons filled with even
more helpless people being held prisoner. Crixus walks up to the stand
and waves his hand over the blue aura. It then triggers the platform
to float upwards at a slant heading in the direction he was facing.
After a while it stops, and attaches to another platform 4 times it's
size. As Crixus walks onto the other platform, he sees a wall around
it, with 3 metal doors, one door in the middle, and one on each side.
He walks up to the door in the middle and opens it. He sees two men in
black hoods talking to each other, in an empty room containing only
designs along the floor and a plain desk with an antique chair next to
it.
Crixus gulps, and interrupts their conversation."Xalaband, sir,
I have a message from Albaxis."
One of the men leaves while the other walks up to Crixus and
asks, "If Albaxis wanted to tell me something, why would he send such
a low ranking member such as yourself to inform me rather than just
coming here himself?"
Crixus felt pain that he hadn't ever felt before. He could feel
humiliation, but regardless of the matter he answered Xalabands
question carefully. "I don't know, but he sent me either way, now
please sir, let me tell you what he has to say."
"Very well then."
"Albaxis says that the prisoners in sector 361 are ready to
chose to rid themselves of their hearts(souls) because they
can't bear to live with the crimes they've commited.
"Cant bear to live? Hmmmm, sounds foolish. Very well then. We
will grant them their wish. The sentence will begin at dusk tomorrow.
You must inform Albaxis of my approval."
"Yes, sir", Crixus obeys and begins to walk towards the
elevation platform.
"Crixus!"
He turns around, "Yes sir?."
"After you find Albaxis, I want you to look for Xelabus. Tell him he
is not welcome to participate in the sentence. He has already begun to
lose my trust. There is no telling what he might do next."
"Understood." He begins to leave the room. As Crixus walks
towards the floating elevator, he hears the door slam shut behind him.
"Hmmm, Xalaband must be real busy," he wonders. As he takes the
elavation platform and reaches the 361st sector, he hears another
conversation going on around the corner, and the voices sound all too
familiar. He hides behind the corner of the dungeon and eavesdrops on
the conversation.
" What could we possibly accomplish? There are way too many
prisoners. We couldn't save them all.
"I know it seems hard but we can do this. Organization Xlll is
already falling apart as we speak, and If we can't save them all then
we need to save enough people to show that we mean business. Holding a
jail that kills people just for the sake of obtaining power. It's
wrong, and I'm glad you finally realize that just as i do Celest.
Just because this organization has no emotion does not mean we should
be at loss with our morality.
"Youre right, Xelabus. No, you're always right. It just
surprises me that you didn't end up being the leader of this
Organization, you know? You would have made a great leader."
"Celest, know matter how hard I try, Xavier will always have
that lurking power over me. After all, he is my older brother. It's
just sad that things have to come to this. I wonder what he'd be like
if he actually had emotions."
"Xelabus, he'd be just like you, I know it. It's because he has
no emotion that he leads us. It's funny, because I can see a little
bit of emotion in every member except for him. I guess that's what
makes him so powerful. So, uhh, are we gonna save these people or what?"
"We have to think of a plan first."
Crixus becomes slightly edgy and begins to feel a wave of
emotions slowly circulating throughout his body. He thinks to himself,
"No! I'm becoming a softy. I've been around them too long! I must
hurry!" He then walks up to Xelabus, pretending he didn't hear the
conversation. "Xelabus, I have strict orders to inform you of the
death sentence that will be held at dusk tomorrow."
Both Xelabus and Celests eyes widen with horrid surprisement.
Xelabus releases his own tension and calmly answers, "Why so
early? Normally they tell us of these kind of sentences a week before
it actually happens."
Celest puts her hand on her chin and looks intently at Xelabus,
as if signaling a change of plans. She announces while looking
straight into his eyes, "Strange."
"Oh, and Xelabus, I was told that you were not allowed to go to
the death sentence, otherwise the punishments would be severe."
Xelabus and Celest exchange glances again. They each know
exactly why he is unable to go. He answers to Crixus, "Then it Is
already decided. I won't go", he lies.
"Okay then, I will let both Xalaband, and Xavier know that you
have accepted their disapproval of your participation." Crixus begins
to leave.
Xelabus, on the otherhand, isn't finished with the
conversation."Hey, Crixus. Come here a second."
He listens, and walks towards the two. "What is it?"
"You need to cheer up. You're just a kid ya know?"
Crixus retaliates, "You and your girlfriend need to mellow down
a bit. The Organization does not welcome those with emotion."
Celest invades the conversation, "Not made for those with
emotion? Crixus look at yourself. It's because of this organization
that you're like this. You're hurting yourself Crixus, and most of
all, you're not a monster. Not like them."She pauses for a second, "If
you'll just let us..."
"ENOUGH! I've heard enough from you two! Your feelings are
indescribably sickening. You are both scum of this world, the scum
that this organization means to free this world from. You're lucky you
are still a part of this Organization."
Xelabus retaliates, "Youre lost Crixus. We can help you. Don't
you realize that Organization XIII was a big mistake right from the
beginning?"
"Xelabus, the Organization is fine. It is you that is the
mistake."
"Cmon Crixus! You are a good person. Don't you see that what you
are working for is working against you? They don't care about you, not
like we do."
"I have nothing left to say to you Xelabus, only that it is
imperative that I announce to everyone in the Organization that both
of you have disgraced their name. The two of you are scum, and shall
be punished severely, and imminently." He begins to walk away.
Celest cant bear his ignorance any longer. "CRIXUS! Don't you
realize what YOU are doing? These are innocent people. They aren't
scum. They are innocent people with hopes, and dreams. They have
families to live for, and all this Organization cares about is power?
Your turning yourself into a monster just like them. I know there is
good somewhere inside you."
Xelabus interrupts her, "Crixus, if there's anything you need to
know it's this. An Elder once told me, True evil, true ignorance lies
within those who care not for others, but for themself."