`*`The Trance Saga`*`
ANTITHESIS
Copyright © Briar Eve K. Sheurmann 2002-2003
Selected characters, events and places © Squaresoft inc.
`*`The Trance Saga`*`
The Diadem Trilogy
*PeRFecT
*Eden Unbound
*Diadem
~ANTITHESIS~
Sempre
~~*~`Timeline`~*~~
Diadem
4045 C.O (Centran Origin)= 0 A.C. (After [Lunar] Cry)
4020 C.0 B. of Odin Viator
4024 C.0. B. of Diadem (Viator)
4030. Rise of the house of Red.
4039. Trance Prophecy realized by A. Viator. D of A. Viator.
4040 C.O. Diadem Trance Quest.
0 A.C. May- 1st Lunar Cry
0 A.C. November. Diadem defiance. Iudicium martyred. Hyne Descent.
Antithesis
976 A.C. Birth of Serenya Lyynyd (Xu)
977. A.C. Winhill virgin b. twins. E. (Leonheart), L (Samah.)
978 A.C. Rise of Sorceress Adel-War begins. L. (Samah) taken.
980 A.C. V. Trepe meets E. Laurentide (Lyynyd-Kramer)
981 A .C. Trance Prophecy realized by G-M Almasy in Lunarimanus
981. B. of Q. Trepe, S. Almasy.
982. B of S. Leonheart, S. (Tilmitt)
982. B of I. (Kinneas)
983. B of Z. (Dincht), R. (Heartilly)
983. Fall of the Hyenite Templar Order, death of M,S Samah by Adel.
985. Conception of Balamb Garden by G-M Kramer, R. Laurentide.
985. E.(Kramer) founds temporary Centra orphanage. E. Leonheart taken.
986. L. Loire/anti-Adel mvmt. Seals Sorceress.
987. Construction of Garden commences. White SeeD ship.
988. Ultimecia makes contact with I.(Kinneas) Transfer of T.K.
988-989. Orphanage separation.
991. Q. Trepe arrives at B. Garden.
994. 1st SeeD graduation.
995. E. (Kramer) sealed.
997. Q. Trepe becomes SeeD.
PeRFecT
999. Q. Trepe becomes instructor. June. Realization of B.Sorceress
999. Release of E.(Kramer), arrival of Ultimecia. D of R. Laurentide
999. Emprisionment of Vigil.
Final Fantasy 8
1000. May. Neo-Sorceress War. 2nd Lunar Cry.
Eden Unbound
1000 November. Diadem returns. 2nd Coming.
Sempre
1982.Ultimecia born.
1995. Ultimecia kills own mother to inherit sorceress powers.
1996.Ultimecia hunts Vigil
2005.Ultimecia discovers elements of time kompression.
2005.Cycle of the Trance complete.
ANTITHESIS
Book 1:
Human Audacity
Chapter 1: The Snuffing Out. (A.C. 980)
The closet was one foot, by one and a half feet by two and a half feet in height- Which meant she'd have to find a new hiding spot by the new year.
Serenya-Lynyyd grew like a weed. . .
and trembled like a leaf.
"You stupid, clumsy cunt- How the fuck could you spill all of my absinthe? Ignorant, illiterate whore- you're useless. Mop up the fucking floor before I shove your face in it and make you lap it up like the bitch you are. Fucking Hyne. . ."
Serenya-Lynyyd quivered like a reed and wiped dewy tears from rosy cheeks. The darkness of the cupboard offered little solace.
"And where are those translations. That She-male is going to be here any moment and if they aren't here, in my hands, she's going to demand a sacrifice- most definitely human. Believe me, woman- I will not hesitate to hand you over to her. And if that doesn't sate her, I'll toss in that immature midget you call a 'daughter'. That girl's just as worthless as the strumpet that bore her. And I know she's not mine. . .Serenya! Serenya! Get your ass out here- come and see your Daddy."
Serenya stood, feet firmly rooted to the dusty closet floor. She could hear her mother weeping.
"Serenya, darling. Stay there. Antonyas- you're drunk. Please, go rest. The mistress will not be pleased to see you in this condition. . ."
"Where are those translations-where are they! She will kill us without them. Where are they?"
"Please, Antonyas. Don't. . ."
A thick smack rang through the halls. Serenya fell to the ground silently, and curled into the fetal position. She swayed back and forth, trying to rock herself into oblivion, but her mother's feeble sniffling caught and held her attention.
"The tomes are in the study where you left them, Antonyas." Mama seethed, but spoke as politely as possible. "Go prepare them for the mistress. Serenya and I will prepare the hall for her eminence."
Another harsh thwap led to a moment of silence.
"Never. . .ever, disrespect me, woman. Now- clean this god-forsaken hole. All my absinthe ruined. .. I was going to kill you tonight with that, bitch. Scrub the counters and floors as well. Disgusting, stupid animals. Serenya! Serenya! Come and help your cunt mother- she doesn't understand how to scrub the floor. Serenya!"
"Please, Antonyas. Let me find her." Serenya's mother's voice was so delicate and beautiful. Serenya lay like the dead.
"I'm going to kill that child."
Heavy footfalls and progressively quiet cursing polluted the air. Then a door slammed and there was silence.
Serenya was dead until she heard the signal. Three soft taps and a whistle. Then, the little girl rose to her feet and stole stealthily from her musty and dark sanctuary.
The dining room was pristine in it's ornamented beauty- oak pillars lined the perimeter of the massive hall and great wooden lintels shot across the ceiling in symmetrical, aesthetic patterns. A series of mythological scenes were depicted in the stained glass windows that lined the far wall, and massive, modern oil paintings hung from the west wall, the glisten of the gold foil brought out by the free standing torches and crystal chandelier. It was truly a hall fit for a king. . .
Or a seditious sorceress' assistant.
The four-year old raised her dark-capped head to watch her mother as she finished mopping the large puddle that blemished the glossy, hardwood floor. Her mother's waist-long, blue black hair bounced with every action and her willowy figure bobbed with the movement of the broom. Serenya studied her young mother's beautiful face- her cheeks were puffy and red, and her large brown eyes glistened with lingering drops of tear, but there was a bold ferocity in her aura. Serenya could feel how strong her mother was- no matter how many times Papa hit her, she would come back stronger and prouder. She was resilient.
"Serenya, sweetheart, would you sweep the ashes from the hearth?" The beatings were taking their toll- Mama's voice sometimes cracked when she spoke, and a pair of bruised ribs made breathing a little difficult.
"Of course, Mama." The child's sweet voice reverberated through the hall and she skipped merrily to the fireplace, which she painstakingly cleaned. She actually enjoyed cleaning it- sometimes she would push the ash into a little pile, then stick her finger in and draw pictures in the blackness. The gray marble of the hearth was stark against the coal dust, and the inverted colors always excited Serenya.
The little brunette brushed the ash into a sack and tossed it into the trash. Then she stood with her mother in the foyer.
"Mama-who is coming today? Who is visiting?" Serenya tugged gently at her mother's garish, Trabian gown. Prying the little hand from the delicate material, Mama took her daughter's fingers in her palm and gave her daughter the most beautiful, confident smile she could muster.
"Empress Adel is here today to see Papa- so you know what this means, my love."
Serenya knew. She would play statue, with an unassuming smile plastered across her cherubic face. The scary lady would enter, take books or potions or whatever from Papa, then leave quickly, as if she hated the very idea of this house.
"Serenya. . .?"
"I know, Mama. I will behave."
"Show your father what a good girl you are- that way tomorrow will be even more satisfying."
Serenya didn't understand her mother, but she didn't have time to ask. Her papa hurried into the foyer from the basement study.
Her papa, Antonyas, was a handsome man. He was older than her Mama, and he had dark red hair and large green-blue eyes. When he wasn't cursing or hitting anyone-when he was sober- he was witty and charming. But he hadn't been witty and charming in months. Storming in with several potions and tomes in hand, he stood beside his wife.
"Keep your sneaky mouth shut, slut, and we'll live through this. Make one false move and I'll kill that ugly little urchin."
"I won't fail you, Antonyas."
"Shut up. Both of you. She's here."
Serenya's papa always knew when Empress Adel had arrived, even before her large shadow obscured the light through the front door. They didn't move- these few moments before the Sorceress' visit were the only times they stood as a collected group- a family. The large, brass handle turned slowly, and the demon-woman entered Serenya's home.
She stood well over seven feet tall- built like an ogress or a giant. Her coarse, flaming hair was clipped short at the front and traveled down her back in a thick, nordic braid. Sharp tattoos cluttered her face and her teeth. . .her teeth made Serenya shudder. They were like puppy teeth- small and sharp and ready to gnash. The sweeping robes fell from her muscular body in loose folds that dragged along the ground behind her in a sort of royal train. Serenya figured that they were probably sheets off someone's king sized bed.
But she kept her thoughts to herself.
"Lynyyd."
"Your eminence." Antonyas bowed low and presented his materials to his employer. The hulking power took them from his quivering grasp and inspected the vials.
"This is not absinthe."
"No, your eminence. It is Admantian- a more subtle and lethal concoction. I discovered it's recipe in the Centran Lunar Cry tome for which you requested a translation. I hope that I was not too brash in concluding that you would want a better version of this potion."
She opened the cork in the vial and sniffed at it.
"It is odorless and tasteless, my lady."
"It will do." Her voice was a dark contralto, and it boomed through the manor with an unhealthy reverb. As if on command, three Estharian soldiers bustled into the room- two politely took the artifacts from the sorceress' hands, while the third deposited two books and series of scrolls in Antonyas' arms. "I will return in twelve days for these translations, Lynyyd." She spoke with a lackluster tone, eyeing the house with little enthusiasm. "That is all" The dark sorceress studied her disciple's face, then dragged her attention from Mama, to the little dark haired girl who watched, totally awed, with an unassuming smile on her face. Empress Adel grunted and sneered. "Charming."
Then she exited back through the front door- her mountain-like form just barely making it through the specially-altered doorframe. Her troops hurried behind her, and slammed the solid, oak door after them. The tension was still thick in the air as all three moved to the front windows to watch the mammoth woman board the sleek, fully-computerized airship. The boarding hold closed and the fiery engines combusted and shot the vessel into the sky. It flew to the south- toward Esthar. . .the land of snuffed out light. And dreams. And hope.
Serenya finally allowed her lungs a breath. Though Sorceress Adel deeply disturbed her, she was slowly becoming accustomed to the Estharian witch. The first time Serenya had seen Adel she had urinated in her spot- the Sorceress had laughed and sneered, but had not punished her. Her papa, however, had whipped her with his studded belt and thrown both Serenya and her Mama outside. They had slept in the storm shelter and barely survived the night.
"Antonyas. . ." Mama began, but she was silence with a swift kick to the stomach. Serenya cried out in alarm as her Mama fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. He kicked her twice more and slammed his fist against her nose.
"Papa, no!"
"Papa, eh? You little bastard- we could've been killed because of you. What were you doing? What were you doing?" He grabbed her and began to shake her violently. "Are you stupid?!?! She would've killed us! She would've killed you! And, you little bitch, I would've enjoyed that. You useless little harpy- those eyes, that smile- you're a conniving bitch just like your mother. A baby slut. Do you think it's funny to put us all in danger? Do you think it's funny to shit the most powerful creature in the universe?!?!? She is Hyne! You don't make fun of Gods, my little baby. And you will learn this. . ." Serenya knew her Papa's look- it was predatory and full of fury. He was going to beat her.
He was going to kill her.
He lunged. Screaming, she ran, but he threw himself on her and slapped her across the face. Her kicking and flailing did nothing save enrage him further. Grabbing her by the throat with one hand, he punched her in the stomach, in the mouth and ripped out a chunk of her soft, glossy hair. The child screamed in pain and cried for her mother. But there was no answer.
"She doesn't love you, Serenya. She can't- she's too busy with herself. Nobody loves stupid children. No one can love lazy, useless, draining babies. I never wanted a daughter. Unless you were Adel herself, I could never love as weak a thing as a little girl. Girls are just good for one thing. . ." He ripped her blue satin frock from her skinny little body.
"Please papa, no!" She sobbed, choking on her own tears and saliva. He snarled and covered her mouth with a hand.
"Shut up- you are no daughter of mine! You are no. . ."
There was a sharp clang as the large, cast-iron pan was slammed over the sorceress' aid's skull. His eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped forward, on top of his half-naked child. Serenya, through blood and tears, gazed up thankfully and adoringly at her mother, who kicked her husband to the side and gathered her abused child in her arms. Serenya weakly kissed her mama's bloodied cheek.
"Mama. . ."
"Oh Serenya. I'm so sorry. . ." She cried and held her daughter's bruised and bloodied body against her own. The little girl tenderly stroked her mother's beautiful, inky tresses. She hated it when her mama cried.
"Mama- I'm sorry for making the Empress mad. . ."
"You didn't do anything. You are a good girl!" Her Mama whispered vehemently. "You have always been, and will always be a good girl, Serenya. I will always love you. It's his fault. Not yours. Not mine." The young woman gently put pressure on her baby's bleeding skull. Most of the punches hadn't been too hard- Antonyas had been toying with the child. But she was bleeding and hurting and shaken. And Serenya could be fragile.
"Sweet one-will you give me a moment? I want you to close your eyes, put your hands over your ears and practice that lullaby we were working on last night, okay? I'll tell you when to stop. .."
"Okay, Mama."
She stood tall and defiant above her nemesis- her nymph-like body erect, though badly beaten. She tossed her pot to the ground and grasped her weapon, a weapon she hadn't used in years. A weapon she'd strategically taped to the underside of the divan in the parlor for just such an occasion. The young woman brandished her gunblade, her weapon of choice in her adolescence.
"I have waited for this moment- longed for it even and fantasized about it. I never cared if you hurt me- I was resilient and patient. But only a sadistic monster can harm a child. You repulse me. From this day forth, we will be free of you. As we should always have been. Sometimes, I almost loved you. But those were moments of weakness and gullibility. I have no reason to love you. And neither does Serenya. She is not your child- legally, yes. But in no other way does she belong to you. You have left no legacy- but I hope this act marks the beginning of the end. Of us. Of this. Of Esthar and Adel. Good bye."
She rose the slender blade over the incapacitated body. She had never killed another human. Never. She had always been a preserver of life- animals, birds, trees, fish, children. .. She loved and simply wanted to be loved. She was twenty two and had a four-year old daughter. . .Mama glanced over at her child, who lay curled up with her hands over her ears, humming the slow, modal lullaby they'd been practicing together.
"Before I sleep I say a prayer
To keep Mommy and Daddy always there.
And for them to love me still
Though I know they always will."
Serenya had a beautiful voice- innocent and pure and elfin. Her mother raised the gunblade higher. He would pay for nearly shredding her innocence. He would pay for hurting them for the last four years- the last six years. For tearing them away from society and imprisoning them in the Trabian wasteland. He would burn in hell for the things he said and thought and did. Snarling, she thrust the blade down.
'To keep Mommy and Daddy always there.'
She stopped.
"Damn."
She couldn't do it. She couldn't kill. Not even him. She tossed her blade to the side and wiped the blood from her nose. Then snorted- she knew she wouldn't be able to do it. She knew herself too well. Luckily, she had an alternate plan.
Mama quickly ran to the pantry and found her prize- a bottle of oral moomba tranquilizers. The lithe woman dragged her aching body back to her husband's unconscious form and popped three pills into his mouth. She manipulated his mouth and throat until she felt each one slide down his esophagus. Though she secretly wished for him to choke to death on the large tablets, she was happy enough that he remained unconscious. The pills themselves would keep him knocked out for at least a few days. And that was all they needed.
"Come on, Serenya. Let's keep quiet now." She picked up her poor, achingly beautiful child, who gazed up at her with large, golden-green eyes. Mama kissed Serenya's cheek softly. "Are all of your favorite things packed up like we talked about? The 'Just in case suitcase'?"
"Yes mama. Everything except my blankie and my Ruby-dolly." The child whispered softly, snuggling against her mother's shoulder.
"Alright then- we'll just run on up and gather our things, then we're going to go on an adventure. . .would you like that?"
". . .is Papa coming?" Serenya asked, glancing down at the form strewn across the floor. Her mother began to ascend the stairs, forcing the body out of view.
"No. He's not." She replied.
"Good. Because I don't love him anymore."
Her mother said nothing to this. She didn't know what to say. . .because she agreed.
They gathered their packs and some rations and water. Serenya and her mother had planned their escape over a year ago, but the factors had never been in place. Antonyas had never been drunk enough to overwhelm and Mama had never been so incensed and healthy to act on it. And the timing was crucial. They had twelve days before Adel returned. Since the original plan had been to kill Antonyas, they would have needed a substantial amount of time to properly hide themselves. Instead- the bastard was tied to a heavy lounge chair in the foyer with industrial strength rope and wire. If he didn't waste away from dehydration or choke on his own blood, his employer would find him in twelve days. Which gave Serenya and her Mama a decent amout of time to escape.
After washing up and binding their wounds, the two 'women' finalized their departure.
They bundled up tightly- it was Trabia and November. The weather was deadly and unyielding.
"Serenya? Are you ready? Do you feel alright?"
"Every minute makes me feel better, mama."
"Do you want to say goodbye to papa?" Mama whispered, glancing toward her bound husband. The little girl simply shook her head.
"No. I want to leave."
"Then lets."
They left the lights on, the candles burning- Mama hoped for the house to set fire. He had snuffed out their inner lights- it would be appropriate for him to be consumed by such a fire.
Serenya tried to trudge through the snowy dunes, but her sore body and short legs hindered the pace. She held close as her mother picked her up in a piggy-back carry and they braved the stormy night.
They only had half a kilometer to find their way through before they found the final element of their plan. One of the snowy dunes was larger and more rotund than the others. After dropping Serenya gently to the surface, they brushed off the layers of snow that had culminated on top of the blue tarp. Then Mama unveiled their saving grace- a snow machine.
"I've been coming out here every morning before Papa wanted his breakfast just to make sure it works." She smiled to her daughter as they climbed aboard. Mama slid the key in the ignition and turned. The machine purred and growled, pleased to be finally used. Serenya sat in front of her mother, protected by her parent's strong embrace and a tiny, masked helmet designed to keep out the frigid, Trabian wind. Mama gunned the motor with a grin and, without a moment's of hesitation, sped off.
They left everything behind but their lives.
For hours they drove in silence- Serenya slept most of the time or nibbled on bits of jerky and cracker. Mama broke the silence finally.
"Sweetheart?"
"Mama?"
"We're going to have a new life. A better life. So I think we need new names. . .Do you think you can pick some out for us?"
"Is this a game, Mama?"
"No, sweetheart- we're going to go to another country so we need new names. So think- what is your favorite name in the whole world? Think really hard about it, because once we choose, we can't change them again. Can you think of anything?"
The little girl thought about it really hard. She thought about it for two hours. Her mama remained silent, figuring the child to be asleep.
"Xu."
"Sweetheart? What was that?"
"My name is Xu."
"Like where the animals live?"
"No. Just. . .Xu. Like the letter."
"Alright Xu. It's a beautiful name."
The little girl twisted her neck to look at her mother.
"What are you going to call yourself Mama?"
The young woman paused and answered thoughtfully.
"Edea. My name is Edea."
"Mommy
Edea."
"No, Xuey- we're going to a different country now. I want. . .I need you to call me. . .matron. Call me matron sweetheart."
"Matron."
After that, Xu slept peacefully in Edea's arms.
~`*`~
ANTITHESIS