Death of Innocence
An FFVIII fanfic by Aisling Yinyr Ngaio
She was gathering flowers when it happened. A presence just exploded into the mind of the vulnerable child, already unsettled with a previous, unexplained encounter with a woman who suddenly appeared in front of her, walking funnily, swaying from side to side, then just exploded in a shower of purple light that went towards her. She never knew light could be so painful, but then, it was PURPLE light. Maybe purple light was different.
And so was this sensation. It felt like her head was buzzing at first, then, it was almost as if another person was forcing her will and body. She tried to move away from the sensation, but it was in her head, and she found she couldn't even clutch her head anymore, let alone make the pain go away.
She felt incredible energy flowing through her, energy that she hadn't previously known of. She felt the energy forcing her arms to extend, coming out of the tip of her fingers. All the while she lost control over her body and will, another presence whispered into her head. A succession of images and feelings kept her company as she gave up the fruitless resistance to this stranger, this "visitor". She saw images of sneers and revulsion. Feelings of hopelessness and fear. Visions of running, always running. Why was she running? Why was she being hunted? Why did nobody want her? What did she do wrong?
This is reality. Nobody can help you.
She gasped as she tried to cry, but the "visitor" won't let her. She was forced to endure feeling after feeling being fed to her, of fear towards the people, anger towards the hunters, hatred... hatred to all who punished her when she had done nothing wrong! So why is this happening to me? People aren't evil... are they? If they aren't, why are they chasing after a poor girl with sharp things? Will it happen to me too? Even if I am good? As her thoughts were engulfed by the presence, power was still surging through her, channelling and focusing...
And then it all suddenly stopped. The crushing presence, the flow of energy, the buzzing in her head. Exhausted, she fell face first onto the flower field, and felt herself disappear into the great black darkness.
It could have been ten seconds later, or ten thousand years later, when she finally reclaimed herself, the feeling of being taken over and disappearing vanished as if a bad dream. But she could not forget the horrifying feelings she'd been shown by the "visitor", of hatred, of pain, of deep, unadulterated evil, but most of all of a lonely, haunting sadness and a determination to never rely on another. Standing up again, she looked over the flower field with eyes now filled with apathy. Raising her hand, she concentrated her mind and suddenly let loose a burst of energy, burning a ten-mile distance in front of her. Adel looked at the hand that had wrought such destruction, and smiled a cruel smile. She won't ever end up as sad as the "visitor". Never.
- Finis -