A/N:I was sitting in my room, thinking of a new story idea, when I came up
with the notion that maybe Ultimecia did have something to lose in her
defeat, that maybe her domination of the planet wasn't all because of her
anger and hatred for it. I thought, what if she had a daughter? In this
prologue, Squall, Selphie, Irvine, and Zell are seven years old, Seifer and
Quistis are eight, and Ellone is nine years old. Please R/R!
Prologue: Little Girl In Black
"You're not pwayin' by the rules, Irvy," Selphie complained as the small chesnut haired boy began to march his piece aimlessly over the game board.
"This is borrring. I wanna pway outside," he complained back, setting the piece down. "When is it gonna stop waining?"
"It can't just stop, Irvine," Quisty said with much authority. "Wain clouds is made up of a lot of water particles in the sky. They get real heavy until they can't hold waters anymore, then FWOOSH! Nobody can stop it. Right, Matwon?"
Matron walked into the living room, carrying a tray of cookies and nine glasses of milk. "Right, Quisty," she chuckled. "Here's some treats for you while you play, okay?"
"Yay! Cookies!" Zell reached for one but then Seifer grabbed it before he could, cackling with a rude smirk on his face. "HEY! That's mine! Matwon, he took my cookie!"
"Cry baby Ze-ell," he taunted.
"Seifer, don't do that, and Zell, there's plenty more. Share, okay?"
"Kay," Squall mumbled, his mouth full of cookie crumbs and his lips already sticky with chocolate. Ellone handed him a napkin, giggling.
Seifer noticed there was an extra glass of milk on the tray and remembered who it was for. He looked over to see a little girl in the corner his age. She had long midnight black hair and vivid blue eyes flecked with silver. Her skin was pale white and she wore a black dress with long sleeves and a turtleneck collar. She had been brought to the orphanage one night when they had all been sleeping about three and a half years ago. She didn't talk at all, Matron said she was mute, but Seifer was the only one she'd play with. The others kind of ignored her, but then again she pretty much ignored them too. She sat in the corner at the small playtable, coloring. Matron bent over to Seifer and whispered, "Seifer, would you give Luna her milk? She looks a little sad today."
"All right." Seifer grabbed a cookie and Luna's cup and rambled over to where she sat.
"Hi, Luna. Want some milk?" he held it out to her, brushing his shoulder length blond hair out of his face.
She looked up at him and gave him her happy look. She never smiled or anything, but when her eyes looked tranquil and her face relaxed, he knew she was happy to see him. She pulled out another playchair for him, taking the cup gratefully and sipping slowly, her large eyes fluttering in thanks. Seifer broke the cookie in half and gave a piece to her. She chewed on it as she continued to draw.
"Whatcha drawin'?" Seifer asked, looking over at the picture. It was a rectangle, kind of, with eight sticks drawn sticking out on top of it, and a squiggly line straight through it.
"Hey, is that a cake?" he guessed.
She nodded slowly, adding more squiggles and then ovals to the top of the sticks.
"A birthday cake?"
She nodded again, drawing a plate for it.
"Hey!" he smiled broadly. "Today's yoor birthday, isn't it?"
Luna nodded once more, with more vigor and her eyes gleaming.
"Wow. Happy birthday, Luna." Seifer took a drink and noticed she was getting out another piece of paper. She was drawing with a black crayon now. She drew a detailed figure with a dress and wings, and used a yellow crayon for its hair. She added red to the dress, making sleeves and ribbons.
"Whatcha drawin' now? Who's that?" Seifer asked.
Luna paused in her drawing and looked at him as if pondering something. Her eyes stared blankly into his with no expression that he could translate, then returned to the paper.
She was writing at the bottom of the picture in red crayon. Her writing was neat and straight. She slowly wrote out an 'M', then an 'A'.
I.E.M.
MAIEM.
"Maiem? Who's Maiem? A friend of yours?"
Luna stared the picture, then at him, the picture again, and grimaced angrily. Growling, she gripped the red crayon and scribbled on the picture of Maiem harshly until she was nothing but a huge blot of crimson on the paper. Then she picked it up and with another angry noise ripped it in half. Luna then turned her chair to the wall and sat with her back turned to him.
Seifer frowned. Luna hadn't gotten that mad or upset for a while. He pulled out a fresh piece of paper and drew two stick figures, one with long black hair and one with yellow hair, two green dots on the yellow haired one and two blue ones for the black haired one. They held stick hands in the picture, and Seifer finished it by writing SEIFER AND LUNA in really shaky upper case letters and drawing a big yellow sun above them both.
"Luna?"
She didn't turn around. He tapped her shoulder and held out the picture for her to see.
"Look. I drawed yoo a picture, Luna."
Luna turned her head reluctantly to look at him, and saw the picture. She took it in her hands and read the names.
"I'll be yoor friend, Luna. Always. We'll be friends forever. Don't be sad anymore. 'Kay?"
Luna's large bluesilver eyes quivered as she looked at the heartfelt picture. Then she came forward and gave him a squeezing hug.
"S'okay," he encouraged, hugging her back. "Yoo don't have to be sad. You can be happy if you want." Luna pulled away and for the first time, gave the slightest smile.
Just then there was a knocking on the front door. Luna's eyes darted towards the door and widened considerably, and she quickly ducked behind Seifer as if afraid.
Matron went to the door and answered it. Standing on the doorstep were three men, two tall men in white lab coats and a rather short one wearing colorful attire and a large frill around his neck. Seifer felt Luna's fingers dig into the back of his vest forebodingly. He had a bad feeling about the man, too.
"Hello. What can I do for you? Would you like to come in?" Matron asked.
"No, zank you very much," the short man said. "I'm here on very important business. I am Doctor Odine and I haff orders from Esthar to collect two children in your custody. an Ellone and Luna."
"Oh. Well, for what reason?"
"I don't zink zat should be any of your concern, madam." He gestured toward the two men beside him and they barged in past Matron.
"Now wait just a minute! You can't just march in here and swipe them away! They have to gather their belongings-"
"Accomodations have already been made for them," he said calmly as one of the men took Ellone by the arm.
"Matwon, I don't wanna go," Ellone begged. "Don't make me go."
The other man advanced toward Seifer, seeing Luna behind him. "Don't play hero, little boy. Give her up."
"Up yours!" Seifer spat, sticking out his tongue. Luna dashed out from behind him and ran into the bedroom.
"Hans, get her!" Dr. Odine said sharply.
Han ran in and dragged out a very frustrated Luna, clutching something in her hand. She didn't struggle, as if she knew she had no choice.
"SIS!" Squall cried, seeing the other man taking Ellone outside. He already had tears streaming down his face, Quistis held him back with small arms. Matron was beaten, looking at the papers saying they had authority to take them. "Stay back, children. Ellone and Luna have to go."
Seifer watched as they dragged Luna out the door as well. She stared at him with scared eyes, and for a moment fought her way back inside.
"Seifer."
The small blond did a double take as he heard Luna speak. She said it quietly and he almost didn't hear, but she had spoken.
"Seifer," she said louder, waving goodbye, before she was yanked out into the rain.
****
It took Matron an entire three hours to get Squall to stop crying. He'd loved Sis so much and she'd just been taken away.
He stepped out onto the front patio and watched the rain pour down from the sky. He sniffled and felt droplets drip off the roof and land on his yellow shirt. So much had been taken from him. Sis.his parents.he didn't even know who they were. But they'd been taken away too. He hadn't gotten to know Luna that well, but already he could feel the absence of her quiet presence. He knew that Seifer was very upset, anyway.
"I'm all alone," Squall said to himself. "But I'm doing my best...I'll be okay without you, Sis.I'll be able to take care of myself."
In the darkness, all Luna could hear was the sound of Ellone sobbing.
It had been three weeks now. Odine's Lab was a quiet place, with starch white walls and small laboratories and rooms with large machines. For the past three weeks Luna and Ellone had been pincushions for the doctors. They were testing them for sorceress powers, any trace at all. All blood tests had come up negative so far, though really Luna couldn't figure how blood could be involved in the paramagic.
She rolled over onto her back, staring up at the dark ceiling. All Ellone had done for three weeks was cry. She didn't want to be here. It scared her terribly to be here. She wanted to be back at the orphanage, with her friends. Her family. By day she was locked up in a little area where they could gawk behind glass and take notes, by night she laid awake in her small bed and cried to sleep. Luna could barely stand it. She couldn't bring herself to cry. The minute she walked into the lab, the moment she felt those probing doctor eyes on her, the second the first needle punctured her skin to draw blood, something had snapped in her mind. She felt angry at everything. She felt anger towards the doctors, Odine, Matron.
Maiem.
She couldn't stop the anger. It had become almost a natural feeling. She actually enjoyed the feeling because it helped her keep from losing confidence or her composure. Plus, the doctors seemed to sense her ire and tended to stay away from her if possible. The only one who was not affected was the one called Odine. He was actually very intrigued with her poisonous nature. He was on her back constantly, jotting down every move she made and his hypothesis why. Scientists, Luna thought irritably. Foolish men trying to do the gods' work. One day they would meet their fate.
"Sniff.Luna?"
Ellone's sobs had lessened slightly as she spoke her name into the darkness. Luna sighed and answered back.
"Yes, Elle."
Ellone paused. She still had trouble with the fact that Luna actually could talk, and had refused to before, not the fallocy that she had been mute for over a year. "Are yoo scared?"
".No. Not really."
"Why not?"
"I do not know. Maybe I'm too angry to be scared."
"Angry at.me?"
"No, of course not. What did you do?" Luna rolled over to her side. Actually, that was a lie. She was kind of annoyed at her constant tears, though she could understand why. "I'm angry at the men who brought us here. The scientists who suck out our blood and stare at us every day. Aren't you?"
"Sniff.kinda." Suddenly, Ellone giggled. "Yoo know, my Uncle Laguna once said that if I wasn't careful, the monsters would come after me and suck out all my blood. They'd be after me because I was so cute. And then he said if that happened, he'd cwy. I guess he was right."
Luna's thin eyebrows raised in the darkness. That name had triggered something in her mind. "Tell me more about your Uncle Laguna, Ellone."
"'Kay." She seemed to be sounding better now, like the thought of this Laguna cheered her up. "He's not really my uncle. He was a soldier or something like that, Laguna Loire, and one day he got real hurt and he was brought to our village, Winhill. My Aunt Raine took care of him. My parents went away. But Uncle Laguna really liked Raine, and I thought he should marry her and then we could all be together.but then he went away."
".He died?"
"Nope. He went back out to be a soldier again.but then Aunt Raine.died. I went to the orphanage then." Ellone sounded like she was going to get upset again. "Everyone went away and left me alone."
Luna closed her eyes. Laguna.soldier.Winhill.Loire.
We have to get Elle back.!
She opened her eyes again, letting out a breath. "Do not be afraid anymore, Ellone. Your Uncle Laguna is coming for you. He's coming back. You won't be alone anymore."
"How'd ya know, Luna?"
".I.don't know."
Luna paced inside the holding cell. It was made of some kind of blue glass that she couldn't break, the air inside cool and vented. She could see them watching her, but she had gone far beyond caring. Ellone was sitting to the side, crying again. She'd done it less so since Luna had told her her Laguna was coming, but she didn't like the holding cells. She wasn't used to such closed in spaces.
She fingered at the silver chain around her neck. It was what she had run back for in the orphanage, she couldn't afford to lose it. It was the only piece of her past that she had. It was a silver chain, with a silver figurehead of a lioness as its pendant.
"Vat is zat, little Luna?"
She looked up at Dr. Odine, who had walked into the holding cell. He eyed the pendant quite curiously.
"My necklace," she answered sourly. "Though it's none of your business."
"Ah, but I make it my bizness, ya?" He continued to eye it. "Ze lioness looks familiar, it does. She has a name?"
".Sekhma." Luna replied. "A Goddess of destruction and domination. You've heard of Griever?"
"I have read up on ze Guardian Forces, ya."
"She's his counterpart. Griever was known to be a influencable spirit. Evil swarmed him easily. When that happened, Sekhma was known to bring him down with merciless viciousness. She was stronger than him, though female. Lionesses are known for their ferocity and might."
"But it iz only a legend."
"Maybe. Maybe not. Legends must come from some factual origin."
Dr. Odine gave her a look. "You know, you are uzing zome fine vocabulary for a girl who iz only eight years old."
"Maybe. Why, you'd rather me speak like a simple child? I will."
"No, no. I am actually enjoying zis converzation. Regardless that I'm having it with an eight year old." He bent down and looked her right in the eyes. "But zere iz zomething about you, Luna. You are different zan any other child. And uzing my scientific knowledge.I vill find you out. So don't try to hide anything, little Luna. It vill be in vain."
"Believe me, doctor," she replied. "What you see is what I am. But I won't be here long. And your day of fate shall come."
"Hmmm." Dr, Odine analyzed her a bit longer, and then left.
"Is.is he gone?" Ellone asked, her hands over her eyes. "Yes, Elle. He has left."
"Good." She uncovered her pretty brown eyes. "Ooh, I hate that guy. He talks funny...." Suddenly Ellone held her head. "Oh."
"What's wrong, Elle?"
"I feel.funny. Tired. I." She dropped to the floor, asleep.
"Ellone? Ellone!" Luna cried. Suddenly a high pitched noise filled her ears, piercing her brain and making her go numb. "Ugh---agghh!" She fell to the laboratory floor, unconscious. ~~~~~~~
A tall man with blonde hair got out of his fancy car, dragging roughly along a little boy to the front door of Edea's Orphanage, and then, ringing the doorbell, got back into his car and sped away, a sour look on his face.
(What's going on.? What is this?)
Seifer stood on the doorstep of the orphanage alone, a small backpack of clothes and belongings strapped to him. His hair was messed and uneven, his face and arms covered in bruises. He was very thin and pale, and only four years old.
(Seifer.?)
The door opened and a woman appeared, with long black hair and a gray-black dress, and kind yellow eyes. She looked out, then looked down and saw him.
(Matron.)
"Oh, my! What happened to you, little one?" she gasped, kneeling down and looking at his dark bruises and black eyes. Never had she seen such an abused child before, and he looked like he was about to drop from hunger.there was a yellow sticky note pinned to his fraying, dirty vest. She plucked it off and read it, shaking her head in sorrow. It read, 'You take him. He's no son of mine.' "My, my.what is your name, little boy?" she asked.
He swallowed. He looked like was even having trouble talking, as if afraid to. ".S.Seifer," he mumbled, trembling.
"Hello Seifer. Would you like to come inside?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, but he cried out and backed away. "Ahh! NO!"
(What happened to him.? He looks terrible.)
"No, no! Seifer, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you ever again, do you understand? You're safe now. Ok? You're safe here, and no one can hurt you. All right?"
(His father.did this to him? So cruel.)
He looked at her a little distrustingly, but then stepped forward. "My name's Seifer Almasy. What's yoor name?"
"My name is Edea Kramer, Seifer. But you can call me Matron. Ok? That's what the rest of the family calls me."
Seifer's eyes welled up with tears. Family? "Matwyn," he said, before running into her arms.
(Don't cry, Seifer. Why does anyone cry? It doesn't change anything.)
"Shh, little darling.don't cry.come on inside. We're all just sitting down to lunch. Wait until you meet the other children! I'll make an extra spot at the table and you eat as much as you want! Would you like that, Seifer?"
"Sniff.yeah."
"Alright, then. Welcome to your new home, Seifer," she said, picking him up and bringing him inside. "Your new family."
(Family.)
(I should've stayed with my family.) ~~~~~~
"Luna? Luna, vake up, girl! Vake up!"
Luna opened her eyes, blinking. She was lying on an operating table, staring up at faces that were staring down, but she couldn't see them clearly in the bright light of the operating lamp. She moved her joints, a little stiff from falling but okay. She sat up. Ellone was on another table, just waking up from her sleep too.
"What happened?" she asked, though she had some idea.
"Vat happened? VAT HAPPENED?! I shall tell you vat happened! It vas amazing! Extraordinary! Groundbreaking!" Dr. Odine was very excited as he spoke. "Ellone just zent your consciousness into the past! You saw the past, didn't you? Vat did you zee?"
"I saw.a friend of mine." In any other situation she would've kept quiet, but in this case she wanted to understand this as much as he did. "In the orphanage I was in. But he was four years younger than he is today."
"AHA! Brilliant! Zis iz vonderful! Ellone, vat did you zee?"
"I saw.the same exact thing," Ellone replied, nervous.
"Spectacular! Ellone sent you both into the past! How intriguing, yes!" He jotted it all down in his notebook. "Vat mysterious power iz zis? I must run more tests! More tests!"
1 Year Later
Dr. Odine's rantings were true. He ran so many tests that Luna could not possibly number them all. He learned that Ellone was able to send people's minds into the past temporarily, and sometimes against her will. The exceptions were that she could only send people into the pasts of people she knew, and only into the past. Plus, there was no way to change the past you were sent into. But just the fact that she was able to accomplish this by way of her own mind was facsinating to Odine.
Luna underwent several tests everyday, but they could find nothing unusual about her except for her attitude and intelligence. Still Odine didn't let her go. He was dead set that she was hiding something and he wouldn't give up. Luna found this very annoying.
Luna paced in her cell. She was alone, Ellone had been sent to another cell nearby so they could run special tests and experiments without Luna's watchful eyes on them. Ellone and Luna had come to be good friends over the year that they'd been here. They talked about how one day her Uncle Laguna would come and save them.
"When do you think he's coming? It's been an entire year now," Ellone had said last night, now ten years old.
"I'm not sure. Soon. Very soon." Luna had said, nine years now. "How do you know all this stuff?"
"I'm not sure of that either. I just get these feelings sometimes. Voices. Presences. He went to the orphanage, I think, looking for you a year ago, but you were gone. And now I feel he's very near. I see him in my dreams." Luna had become very comfortable telling Ellone about her strange precognitions. "He's tall, with long brown hair, wearing a blue jacket and red pants, right? With two friends. A thin one with braids and a massive man with a bandana. Right?"
"Yeah. Those guys are Kiros and Ward. I only met Kiros once though, when I was little." She had whistled in amazement. "Your dreams tell you a lot. Where is he now, d'ya know?"
"Last night.I saw him in some kind of control room, far below a building.a Moomba was there, and an old man.he caused a great ruckus."
"Hee hee! Yeah, that's Uncle Laguna!" she had laughed. Luna gave a rare soft smile.
"But anyway.Luna, when my Uncle Laguna comes, you're coming too, right?"
"Me? I.I don't know. I have a feeling." she had shuddered suddenly. "I have this feeling I'm going to be here for a very long time."
"You can't stay here, Luna! Uncle Laguna and Elle and Luna.we should all be together! Uncle Laguna would like you a lot, Luna. He wouldn't just leave you here. C'mon, Luna. You gotta promise.no matter what happens, we've all got to be together. That you'll come with me."
Ellone had grasped Luna's hands, as if begging. Luna was startled by the move. But then she had realized that the last time she'd wanted to be with a family, Laguna had gone away and Raine had died. If it happened again.
"I promise, Ellone. When Laguna comes, I'm coming with you. We're.we're best friends." The words 'best friends' came haltingly on her tongue.
"Hey, yeah!" she said happily, smiling. "Best friends forever!"
"Yes."
Now today she paced like a hungry lion in a cage, feeling strange in her new clothes. She had outgrown her dress, and now wore black pants and a black turtleneck, and black boots. She'd experienced a sudden growth spurt over the past year, and although she was younger than Elle she was slightly taller. Actually, the clothes were more comfortable and lighter than the heavy skirt, so she really didn't mind. And they were black, her favorite color.
She stopped as she felt a sudden throb in her head, only slightly painful. Then in her ears she heard a round of machine gun fire and breaking glass.
DR. ODINE! Where's Ellone?!
Luna gasped as the voice went away. Laguna! The voices were far away, in another lab near Odine's, but she knew it was Laguna's voice. She wanted to tell Ellone in the next cell, but the blue glass was soundproof and she continued to sit on the floor and cry. The door between the cells was locked.
A few minutes later she heard his voice again, but now he was much closer.
Ellone?! ELLONE!!! Darn, she can't hear me.
Luna looked up. Laguna was peering through the glass of Ellone's cell from the upper control room. His eyes were filled with relief and anxiety at the same time. Then he backed away from the glass for a few moments.
Minutes later the door to Ellone's cell whirred open and Laguna ran in, shouting her name out in joy.
Ellone!
Uncle Laguna! You came!
Laguna embraced her as if she were his daughter, tears rolling down his fair cheeks, tears of happiness. Ellone was crying too, but no longer with sorrow.
Yeah. I'm a little late, but.oh Ellone, I missed you so much.
Luna watched them through the glass, touched by their love. That was family.?
"ELLONE!"
Dr. Odine ran into Luna's cell, towards the adjoining door. He wasn't about to let her get away so easily. "NO!" Luna stepped forward to stop him, but he pushed her frantically to the ground and went to door and started punching in the code.
Luna snarled angrily at being tossed aside and was on her feet in a second, her rage rising faster than she could control. Ellone had to be with her family. And she was going to be, even if Luna paid the price.
"FIRAGA!" the girl shouted, her palms raised instinctively at the scientist.
An enormous fireball hurled itself at Dr. Odine, just as he got the door open. He flew through Ellone's cell and slammed painfully into the wall, too dazed to get up.
"AAAACCK!"
Luna ran in through the open door and looked at the two. Laguna's eyebrows were raised in surprise, Ellone clutched to his waist in shock.
"Get out of here, Ellone. I'll hold him off," Luna ordered.
"Thanks, kid!" Laguna waved at her, then picked up Ellone and ran out.
Dr. Odine staggered to his feet, groaning. His clothes were burnt and his frilly collar was on fire. He screamed as his burned him, then ripped it off and threw it to the ground, stomping on it to put out the flame.
Luna still had her hands outstretched at him, waiting for him to make a move. "I'll do it again, Doctor Odine!" she spat fiercely. "Make one move toward that door and I'll incinerate you!"
Odine stared at her incredulously, blinking, his face covered in soot. His mouth hung wide open in awe. He'd forgotten all about Ellone. He stared at her hands that had spouted fire, her ferocious expression and her glowing bluesilver eyes.
"Go ahead," he breathed. "I know you have the power.Sorceress Luna."
Luna lowered her arms, glaring at him. "What.did you call me?"
"Sorceress," he said again. "You are a Sorceress. No other child could create a spell zat advanced, no! I knew it all along."
"Luna, do you haff any idea vat zis means? I tell you now because you are ze sorceress I've been zearching for. Do you know who Sorceress Adel iz?"
"Yes. She is the current ruler of Esthar. Don't ask me these foolish questions, I am not stupid." Luna sat in her seat, fingering her Sekhma chain. They were in a sub, going Hyne knew where. All Odine had told her ws that it was no longer safe for her to be in his own laboratory.
"No, you are not! I zee zat now. But I, I haff been zearching for a successor to Adel. Zere are so many resistances against her. If zomething vere to happen to her, ze entire country vould run amok! She needs an heir, a descendant if you vill, to take her place in case she iz ever.vell.defeated. Do you understand, Luna? We train you into a powerful sorceress, and if Adel comes to mizfortune, you vill take her place and inherit her vast power and become ze sole ruler of ze largest continent in ze vorld!"
"What makes you think I'd want to be a ruler?" she spat.
"Oh, do not lie to Doctor Odine!" he said with a sly smile. "Everyone has a desire. Everyone has a destiny. I know zat deep inside you vant to be powerful and strong, and in control. You hate being veak, don't you? It sickens you to think of weakness. And look at you. Nine years old, with ze brain of a genius, ze ambition of a varrior and ze attitude and aptitude of a fearless, fearful sorceress. Zis iz your destiny, Luna. Become zat merciless ruler zat you desire to be. I can help you do it."
Luna paused as she listened to his words. Was he right? Yes, she wanted power. She craved it. Control? Maybe. It sounded well enough. But could she become what she desired? But something told her she had no choice. He'd make a sorceress of her anyway, the only reason he was being so nice was because he didn't want to become Odine la Flambe again.
"Believe me," he said proudly. "Zere iz nothing Doctor Odine cannot do!"
".Very well, doctor. I'll be Adel's.successor. I'll be the most powerful sorceress in the world." She said sullenly.
"Zat's ze spirit, Luna! Ve vill be arriving at ze Sea Lab shortly. Ve all get a good night's rest, and tomorrow ze training shall commence!"
The next morning Luna got up early, before Odine. The Sea Lab was large, and the thick windows showed dark blue water outside, lit up by sublights. The halls were quiet and every small sound echoed off the walls. Luna sighed. She hated this. To be under the control of another person. She knew she was just a toy Odine wanted to play around with. She really didn't want to be a ruler of a continent. She wanted control, but not that kind of control. But she was more or less a prisoner here, and her powers were not that strong yet. She had no choice but to comply. Inwardly she smirked.
So this would become quite an amusing waiting game.
"I'll show you, Maiem," she said to herself in a morbid tone. "I'll make you proud."
"Luna? Vat are you doing up so early?"
She turned from the aqua window and saw Odine standing there. ".I'm sorry, Doctor. I felt the need to explore. And I cannot wait to begin training."
"Oh, if zat iz ze case, it'z alright. She iz a beaut, ya?" he sighed, looking around him. "Zis iz my zecret laboratory."
"Doctor, let me ask you something. Will I have a weapon?"
"A veapon? Vhy? You have your sorceress powers."
"Because, I was thinking.maybe, I was able to do both magical and physical combat...I would be twice as powerful. A sorceress warrior, or somewhat."
"Hmm.You know, I did not zink of zat. Zat iz a very good idea, actually. Yes, you should have a veapon. Good zinking, Luna! Come vith me."
Dr. Odine led her to a room with racks of weapons. "Zis iz vat ve call the, eh.armory. Ve keep zem here in case of emergencies. Find one you like. Zere are many kinds here."
Luna explored the racks. There were a wide variety, from nunchakus to whips, swords to punching gloves. Finally one caught her eye.
It was a gunblade. The blade was deadly sharp and the barrel was well oiled and ready for use. The base was black, the handle black with silver markings of a bloodcross. She picked it up carefully.
"Ah, zat looks like a good one. Ze.uh.Hyperia, I zink. It's a little out of date, and her brother Hyperion's better, but zink it shall suffice, don't you?"
Luna felt the weight in her hands, gripping the handle. It was heavy. But in time, she knew she would adapt. Becoming daring she gave it a few practice swipes. She relished the sound it made as it swung through the air.
"Very good. But be careful not to slice my head off!" he joked, then saw she wasn't laughing. He shut up and they left the armory.
Luna stepped inside the large training arena. It was spacious, and the floor was white. But it wouldn't be that way for long.
"Ready, Luna?" Dr. Odine said from an observing window high above.
She gave him a thumbs up, Hyperia in her other hand.
"Release ze Level 1 monsters!" Odine said to his assistant.
The door on the opposite side of the arena slid open, and from it poured a swarm of blue wasplike creatures, angry and irritated.
"BiteBug," Luna identified to herself.
She watched them fly at her, hungry for human blood. Then she held out her hand and shouted,
"Thundara!"
A web of lightning entangled around the swarm, frying them instantly. The arena was filled with the sound of BiteBugs dropping dead to the ground.
"Excellent! Release ze Level 2 monsters!"
Next came a group of about ten venus flytrap looking creatures, their vines waving rhythmically in the air.
"Grat."
She started to raise her hands, but lowered them. "What the hell?" she shrugged. Raising her gunblade, she lunged forward.
Blood spattered the floor as one by one the Grats were sliced apart and stabbed and shot. Soon she stood over a mound of Grat scraps. Unbelievable, Dr. Odine thought. She was good. VERY good. "Release ze Level 3 monsters!"
The arena echoed the sounds of wild neighing and stomping hooves. A herd of wild horselike monsters with razor sharp horns on their heads came charging at her, ired and raging.
"Mesmerize."
She held out her palms. "Blizzaga!"
Icicle spears conjured from her fingers and flew at the Mesmerizes, killing them all off. Except one. The leader of the herd, a strong, haughty, bucking male dodged the attacks smugly.
"NEEEEE!" The Mesmerize rose up on its hind legs and shrieked out a shrill cry, then flung its head forward. The horn on its head came loose and flew at Luna, who dodged too late.
Slash!
The horn blade cut a stinging, bleeding gash in Luna's left arm, before returning magnetically to its owners head. Luna raised her gunblade, when she came up with an idea. She smirked at the young male, beckoning rudely.
"C'mon, you stupid unicorn freak! Fling that blade my way!"
The Mesmerize became eraged at this egging and flung the blade with all its might. As it hurled at Luna she caught it with precision, ignoring the painful sting as it cut into her palm. She flung it hard back at the unsuspecting Mesmerize. The horn blade sliced through its neck, sending blood to spurt in every direction as the Mesmerize fell and convulsed, writhing in its own blood, then dying.
Odine shuddered as he watched the Mesmerize slowly die. Nine years old, and capable of that? She ignored her arm wound and the fact that her palm was bleeding freely, but waited for the next monster.
He hadn't thought it would come to Level 4.
"R-release.ze Level 4 monster!!!"
Luna watched as the monster thudded out into the arena. There was only one, but she would've been in trouble, had there been more. It was a giant dinosaur creature, blood red scales and black patterns, a battery ram tail, razor sharp claws and bonecrushing jaws. Thirty feet tall, fifty feet long, and a roar to deafen ears.
"T-Rexaur!" Luna cried with morbid joy.
She held out her hands and cast Thundaga. But the magic repelled off its scales and it lunged at her, swinging around and whacking her mightily with its massive tail.
"Oh, Hyne!" Odine gasped.
Luna saw stars. She soared across the arena and slammed hard into the white wall, leaving a streak of blood where she hit. She landed in a crumpled heap.
"Luna! Luna, get up!"
But she made no movement. The T-Rexaur was advancing, ready to claim its kill.
BAM!
The T-Rexaur staggered backward, as if it had run dead straight into an invisible wall. It swung its gigantic head back and forth to shake off the shock. It gave a grunt, confused. "Rrr?"
Odine saw as the T-Rexaur staggered back that a dark purple-black aura had fallen over Luna's body like a protective bubble. Then, slowly, her body began to rise.
But not of her own will.
She was rising into the air slowly, her body limp. A slight humming filled the air as she rose, her torso slumped forward. Then her back straightened as if someone were pulling her up. Her face was covered in crimson blood from a wound hidden somewhere in her midnight hair.
Her eyes opened and they were glowing blue and silver.
"VILE CREATURE!" Luna bellowed, in a voice that was not her own, but deeper, fuller, older, and her own younger voice. Her arm raised the Hyperia and she soared forward at the T-Rexaur and slashed mercilessly into its tender throat over and over.
Blood spilled and covered the once impeccable white floors in spreading puddles as the T-Rexaur's wounds gaped open wide. Luna kept going at the creature, slashing its face and eyes, then delivered the final blow as she plunged the Hyperia into the dinosaur's chest, and twisted the blade to pierce its heart.
The T-Rexaur gave a final roar before dropping heavily to the ground, dead.
Luna's eyes slowly dimmed back to their normal color, and the aura faded away. The hold on her loosened and she dropped to the ground, spread- eagled and seemingly unconcscious.
Dr. Odine immediately took the elevator down to the training arena and ran in, followed by her assistants. What had he done, what had he done?! What if she was dead? What if he got arrested for murder? Oh, Hyne.
"Luna? Luna?!! Vake up!"
They surrounded her, checking her wounds. One assistant was about to check her pupils when her eyes opened, dazed but alive.
"Luna, zay zomething! Are you okay?"
She stared at him. "What happened?" She couldn't remember anything after seeing the T-Rexaur.
"It vas amazing!" He told her all that happened, every detail. When he was finished she looked up at the ceiling and smirked darkly.
"Sekhma."
That night, Luna laid still in her bed. Her first day of training had taken a lot from her, but she would live to see another day. Actually it had been a breeze until the T-Rexaur. But she would get better. That is what training was about.
There is always enough time in the waiting game, she thought cynically.
Her wounds were still sore, but Dr. Odine said that he didn't want her using recovery spells until she regained her strength. Ha. Strength. She had strength. She closed her eyes, concentrating. "Curaga," she whispered.
A soothing wave washed over her body, green sparks of magic hovering over the bed covers before melting into her.
The wounds seemed to wash away, the bandages useless. She took them off, revealing tender pink parts of skin that would go away in a few hours.
Ahh. That was better. She could move now, folding her arms under her head, looking up at the ceiling.
A lot had changed since the orphanage. She had changed.Only a year ago she'd been so helpless and alone.but she quickly changed, adapted, survived. She had had to. Now she wasn't so helpless anymore. She was a sorceress in training, unafraid to kill.
She'd been thinking of other things, too, besides the training and the sorcery and the tests. She thought about Seifer now, ever since Ellone had taken her into the past and she saw him a small boy, abused and lonely. (He was so nice to me, Luna realized. (I never would have known he had a past like that if Ellone hadn't shown me. I guess you never know until.until you know.)
(No one knows about me. Because I haven't told them.)
(They'll go on thinking I'm a overmature girl with an uncooperative attitude.)
(Because they don't know.)
(Seifer.you said we'd be best friends forever. No matter what. That I never needed to be sad again. I could be happy if I wanted to.)
(But I don't want to be happy.)
(But I'm not sad, either.)
(I don't want to feel any of those emotions anymore.)
(Emotions make you weak.)
(To be weak is to be dead.)
(That's what Maiem taught me.)
(That's why I'm still here.)
5 Years Later
Luna, fourteen years old, stood in the middle of the empty arena, her gunblade raised. It was quiet, very quiet. It wouldn't be that way for long.
"Level 30, Proceed!" Odine's cry came from above.
The spacious arena was soon filled with the sound of roaring and stomping. A pack of twenty T-Rexaurs surrounded her instinctively, all of them ten times as strong as the one she had first faced.
She pushed off from the ground, floating without magic but will of her own mind. She dodged between them swiftly, making them ram into each other and anger each other so they fought among themselves. One sent a devastating blow with its tail, but just then Luna swerved abruptly upward and the T- Rexaur hit another squarely in the head. They snarled at each other, then lunged for each other's throats.
She rose up out of their range, spreading out her hands.
Triple.
A green pentagon surrounded her, then disappeared into her.
Blizzaga.Blizzaga.BLIZZAGA!
A swirl of ice spun around her, like a tornado of white, and then exploded upon the T-Rexaurs, who were weak against the ice element.
BLIZZAGA BLIZZAGA BLIZZAGA!!!
Odine whistled his approval as frost began to creep up the observing window. The icicle spears plunged into the bodies of the dinosaur monsters, killing them instantly. It was another Ice Age. Their fallen carcasses were soon covered with ice and snow as Luna continued her merciless barrage.
Blizzaga Blizza-
"Luna? Luna! You can stop, you killed zem all! Luna, snap out of it!"
Luna stopped, opening her eyes. She saw the iced over T-Rexaurs and looked very satisfied indeed. She slowly descended to the snowy floor, a daring smirk on her face as she sheathed her gunblade. She hadn't even needed it this time. She hadn't a scratch on her.
"Vell done again, Luna. Zat's a record, ya?" he opened the door for Luna to leave. She was done for today.
She saw the door open and grimaced in disappointment. "Oh, come on, Doctor Odine. One more level, I can handle it."
"You don't understand, Luna.zat's it. Zose are all ze monsters ve had left. You'll haff to vait for ze next shipment next veek."
"Next week?" Luna frowned. This had happened before, and everytime she went that long without training her skills got dull. "It'll take that long?"
"Yeah, I know, it'z ridiculous. But zese days.eesh. Come on out and vash up."
"Oh fine." She walked out of there and let the doors close behind her. "Aren't there monsters on the surface, Dr. Odine?"
He stepped out of the observing room. "Of course zere are monsters on ze surface, Luna. Vere do you zink zey come from?"
"Why can't I train up there. I'm sure they're twice as powerful up there, deep in the forests where no one goes. If I could get that kind of training in, I'd be really powerful.
"Luna.you're a sorceress. You just viped out an entire pack of Z-Rexaurs. You don't get much more powerful zan zat."
Luna thought a moment. "What about other people?"
"Vat?"
"Maybe I should train with other people. People actually think about their attacks. They defend. And Doctor, I don't think I'm getting enough training with my gunblade. All you ever let me do is magic."
"Because you are a sorceress! Sorceresses do not uze gunblades. You are very good at it, but paramagic vill come in much more handy later on."
"Will it?"
Odine sighed. "Luna.I need to talk to you. Come vith me so ve can talk privately in my office."
In his office, he sat down in his chair, his face grave. "Luna.I vas informed zis morning that Adel has been overthrown. Zey've tricked her and locked her in a confinement tomb and sent her up into space, so zere iz no vay to receive her power."
"And this is bad?"
".Eh, not really. But you cannot receive her power, so you vill not be as strong as ve expected. But ve haff been zinking, as scientists do." He looked at her. "Haff you ever heard of Mako?"
".Yes. I read about it. It was used twenty years ago, but they stopped making it because it was poisoning the SOLDIERS. Why?"
"Ve haff procured a small sample of it from an abandoned lab up in the mountains of Trabia. It haz been vell preserved and even a little bit of it is powerful. Ve are going to inject you with zis Mako and zee if ve can't, eh.buff you up a little. It is only a little, so it shouldn't hurt you at all.at least ve zink so. But eh, zere's no harm in trying, eh?"
"So I have no choice, you mean."
Odine's face became hard. "No.you don't. You've forgotten, Luna.you are a sorceress, ya, but you are still _my_ experiment. My project. My lab rat. So you vill do as I tell you, as you've been doing for ze past five years."
Luna shot up from her chair, her face contorted in rage. She had pulled her punches from this man for five years, humoring his little experiments, but this was crazy. Mako was dangerous toxic fluid, no matter how you put it. She wasn't going to die for his science.
Dr. Odine only gave her a smug look as she rose angrily, as if knowing she would. Suddenly the sharp sting of a needle injected into her neck, filling her immediately with drowsiness. The last thing she remembered was falling onto Odine's desk, then darkness. ~~~~~~
Ellone stood at the bow of a ship, staring out at the calm waters. She was fifteen now, and she'd changed greatly in appearance but she was still the same old Ellone. She looked depressed.
"Luna.where are you? You promised me we'd escape together. You said you were my best friend. But why did you break your promise?" She shook her head. "No. You helped me escape. But you traded your own freedom.for mine?" She closed her eyes briefly. "Please come back, Luna. I'll still be your friend." ~~~~~~
(Ellone.I'm still your friend.)
(I don't know who I am.)
(I don't know where you are, to find you.)
(I don't know where I am.)
(Huh? Where am I?)
Luna opened her eyes to a slit. Her sensitive eyes touched water. She opened them all the way, and saw where she was.
It was a glass tube. Large enough for her, she floated in the watery blue substance, fresh oxygen coming in through an air hose attached to her nose and mouth. Her stiff limbs were riddled with IVs and wires, and one especially large one connected to her wrist, which she estimated that it was the one for the Mako injection.
Outside the tube, there was a large lab. Many doctors and scientists were bustling around, typing in computers and taking notes. Some stood right up to the glass, watching her and watching the monitors for her vitals.
How's her vital signs?
Fine, just fine.
Good-hey, wait. Is she awake?
Yeah. But don't worry about it. We've got her blood pressure nice and low. She won't be able to move or anything.
Good. Now we wait for Odine's orders. Odine's orders?! Bastards!!! Luna's teeth gritted, but the effort of anger hurt. They were right, she couldn't move. Her body felt numb, sluggish. She felt like sleeping again, but she knew she couldn't afford to. She had to do something, anything.
She saw Odine come in, and near the watery prison. He came right up to the glass, smirking at her proudly. She glared at him, cursing through the air mask. But all Odine saw was bubbles.
Don't be angry, little Luna. Zis iz vat iz best for you.
Luna closed her eyes in seeming defeat.
Prepare ze Mako injection!
But Luna hadn't given up. No. She was letting her anger rise, letting it surge her blood to get it moving again.
Thump.thump.thump.thump.
Odine! Heartless scientist. Using children as lab rats! Sending them through mazes and tests and experiments, for what? To find the perfect sorceress? His perfect toy?
Thump-thump.thump-thump.thump-thump.
Ahh, the feeling in her fingers were returning! She grinned behind the mask, flexing her fingers tentatively. Those men outside were confused at the sudden movement, the sudden life of their monitors.
What the hell.?!
This isn't good. Get the Doctor again!
Pump in more morphine!
Luna watched as the drunkening serum flowed through thin tubes to her right arm. With a laugh she grabbed the tubes and with one swift movement ripped them out of her arm, ignoring the pain. Traces of morphine and blood filtered through the water.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.
Her heart was racing swiftly, her blood shooting through her veins. She pulled out the remainder of the sensory wires and IV's, including the thick Mako tube.
Dr. Odine was back, now panicked. He banged on the glass.
NO! NO! VAT ZE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?!
(Shut up!)
He was suddenly thrown backward by invisible force, as if someone had roughly shoved him. As his assistants helped him up, he noticed that the many instruments and test tubes and beakers around them on the lab desks were shaking and clinking with a will of their own. The lights were dimming and fizzing out.
(Your day of fate, Odine!)
Simultaneously the entire lab exploded in shards of glass and sparks. Fire erupted from the spilled chemicals, and the doctor assistants ran for the door, some on fire and screaming.
NO! Get back, here, you idiots! Luna, stop! You are ruining everyzing!
Luna concentrated on a small crack in the heavy glass of her prison. It was a small, insignificant crack, made when Odine had pounded against it. She took a deep breath and ripped off the air mask, concentrating on the crack.make it splinter, make it web.yes.yes!...it was growing.
Crrrrrrraaaaaassssssshhhhhh!!!!!
The tube exploded and fluid went flying everywhere carrying small daggers of glass. The water flooded the floor, extinguishing the floor around the broken tube. But Luna floated still in the air, the flames of the lab illuminating her pale, grinning features. Yes, she was grinning. Insanely she was grinning. Odine backed up, knowing that he had made a terrible, horrible error in ever taking her from that cursed orphanage in Centra. In ever laying eyes on her. In training her, making her the most powerful warrior-the first warrior-procured by pure science. Teaching her to fight, to draw blood, to kill. That had been his worst mistake.
"What was that, Doctor? I'm.ruining everything?" she descended to the floor, making her way slowly towards him. "But my dear Doctor, that is the point. Don't you see?" Dr. Odine backed away, slipping in a puddle and falling backwards into a desk. He began to crawl backward then, though never leaving eye contact of Luna. She wouldn't let him look away.
"P-please, Luna.after all I've done for you."
"Me? No no no NO, Doctor. You've done this for yourself. For your science. I was just your experiment. Your project. Your lab rat. Well, Dr. Odine, your experiment was a complete success. Are you satisfied with what your experimenting with other people's lives has brought you?"
He staggered to his feet and ran for the door. But before he could make it, Luna rose her hands into the air and with them, using her mind, a large desk. She flung it at the doctor, and it pinned him to the wall, its legs driving into the wall to keep him there.
"You see, Odine, I think I should fill you in on something," she began to talk casually, stepping over broken beakers and other debris to get to him. "I've had this preordained from the very beginning. You were right, I wanted power and control. But did you really think I was going to give it all to you? Did you really believe I was going to let you bridle my power and show it off to all your colleagues and patrons? I think not! Didn't you consider for a second that maybe one day I would do this?"
"I know now," he grunted, trying to move.
"Now is too late." Luna came forward and grasped him firmly by the neck, draing the life out of him. "Say goodbye, doctor. If you have the breath- "
Suddenly Luna gasped as something constricted tightly around her own neck, pulling her backward. She choked, it was cutting off her air and her ability to do magic.she fell to the ground, staring up at them, paralyzed again.
"Are you okay, doctor?" A skinny assistant with thick glasses asked, pulling the desk out of the wall and helping Odine out.
"Could be better. Zank you so much! Vat did you put on her, anyvay?"
"Oh! It's an invention I've been working on, sir.I was gonna show it to you before but then we got busy-it's meant to suppress sorceress powers."
"Brilliant! Vell, it vorked! Hmm, ve should call it an Odine's Bangle, eh?" "Eh.that's sounds okay, sir." "Good, good. Now help me get her to ze sub."
"Why, Doctor Odine?"
"She iz too powerful now. Ve must bring her to ze Sorceress Memorial to be confined."
Luna watched as she was carried out of the sub and into the memorial. She couldn't move or do anything, like she was a soul trapped within a statue. The bangle on her neck was keeping her from moving, even her raging anger could not break through it.
She glanced at all the others they passed as they went deeper into the Memorial. Sorceresses everywhere, in confinement tanks of crystallized substance, frozen in their final moments of animate life. Old women, young women.even children.
And soon she would join the collection.
They placed her in the tank, standing up. Her legs were stiff like they had rigor mortis and the rest of her body was the same, so they just stood her up and crossed her arms over her chest like an Egyptian sarcophagus.
"Sorceress Luna. Descendant of Hyne. We hereby confine thee to the world of peaceless sleep, where thou can harm nothing. Have you any last words?" a man said to her.
Luna swallowed. She had to tell them. Forcing the words through her frozen teeth, she said:
"My.name.is.not.Luna.not.Luna."
"What? What do you mean, that is not your name?"
"Luna.just.a cover.Luna.not my name."
"Then what is it?" the man asked curiously.
"My.name.is.Athena. Sorceress.Athena."
"Just pull ze frickin' svitch!" Odine shouted.
"Daughter.of."
"NOW! DO IT NOW!" he ordered the man. "She iz insane!"
"Ultim-"
He pulled the switch. The tank filled with icy air, which soon turned solid around her. Her throat froze up and she spoke no more. Her eyes were open when the air crystallized around her, her bluesilver irises staring hauntingly into Odine's. After watching her for a few moments, they walked away and left her alone.
She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. It was like drowning. Was this death? She felt her lungs freeze with her last breath, her heart stop. She felt tired, so tired, she cared nothing for the outside.she just wanted to sleep forever.
Athena slept, forgotten deep in the Sorceress Memorial.
(Maiem.)
A/N: HOW WAS THAT, HUH?! 30 frickin pages here in Word, in a font 12 Verdana, 9, 931 words. Eep. Please, if you're not too annoyed with the devastatingly long prologue, please go on to chapter one! Thanx!
Prologue: Little Girl In Black
"You're not pwayin' by the rules, Irvy," Selphie complained as the small chesnut haired boy began to march his piece aimlessly over the game board.
"This is borrring. I wanna pway outside," he complained back, setting the piece down. "When is it gonna stop waining?"
"It can't just stop, Irvine," Quisty said with much authority. "Wain clouds is made up of a lot of water particles in the sky. They get real heavy until they can't hold waters anymore, then FWOOSH! Nobody can stop it. Right, Matwon?"
Matron walked into the living room, carrying a tray of cookies and nine glasses of milk. "Right, Quisty," she chuckled. "Here's some treats for you while you play, okay?"
"Yay! Cookies!" Zell reached for one but then Seifer grabbed it before he could, cackling with a rude smirk on his face. "HEY! That's mine! Matwon, he took my cookie!"
"Cry baby Ze-ell," he taunted.
"Seifer, don't do that, and Zell, there's plenty more. Share, okay?"
"Kay," Squall mumbled, his mouth full of cookie crumbs and his lips already sticky with chocolate. Ellone handed him a napkin, giggling.
Seifer noticed there was an extra glass of milk on the tray and remembered who it was for. He looked over to see a little girl in the corner his age. She had long midnight black hair and vivid blue eyes flecked with silver. Her skin was pale white and she wore a black dress with long sleeves and a turtleneck collar. She had been brought to the orphanage one night when they had all been sleeping about three and a half years ago. She didn't talk at all, Matron said she was mute, but Seifer was the only one she'd play with. The others kind of ignored her, but then again she pretty much ignored them too. She sat in the corner at the small playtable, coloring. Matron bent over to Seifer and whispered, "Seifer, would you give Luna her milk? She looks a little sad today."
"All right." Seifer grabbed a cookie and Luna's cup and rambled over to where she sat.
"Hi, Luna. Want some milk?" he held it out to her, brushing his shoulder length blond hair out of his face.
She looked up at him and gave him her happy look. She never smiled or anything, but when her eyes looked tranquil and her face relaxed, he knew she was happy to see him. She pulled out another playchair for him, taking the cup gratefully and sipping slowly, her large eyes fluttering in thanks. Seifer broke the cookie in half and gave a piece to her. She chewed on it as she continued to draw.
"Whatcha drawin'?" Seifer asked, looking over at the picture. It was a rectangle, kind of, with eight sticks drawn sticking out on top of it, and a squiggly line straight through it.
"Hey, is that a cake?" he guessed.
She nodded slowly, adding more squiggles and then ovals to the top of the sticks.
"A birthday cake?"
She nodded again, drawing a plate for it.
"Hey!" he smiled broadly. "Today's yoor birthday, isn't it?"
Luna nodded once more, with more vigor and her eyes gleaming.
"Wow. Happy birthday, Luna." Seifer took a drink and noticed she was getting out another piece of paper. She was drawing with a black crayon now. She drew a detailed figure with a dress and wings, and used a yellow crayon for its hair. She added red to the dress, making sleeves and ribbons.
"Whatcha drawin' now? Who's that?" Seifer asked.
Luna paused in her drawing and looked at him as if pondering something. Her eyes stared blankly into his with no expression that he could translate, then returned to the paper.
She was writing at the bottom of the picture in red crayon. Her writing was neat and straight. She slowly wrote out an 'M', then an 'A'.
I.E.M.
MAIEM.
"Maiem? Who's Maiem? A friend of yours?"
Luna stared the picture, then at him, the picture again, and grimaced angrily. Growling, she gripped the red crayon and scribbled on the picture of Maiem harshly until she was nothing but a huge blot of crimson on the paper. Then she picked it up and with another angry noise ripped it in half. Luna then turned her chair to the wall and sat with her back turned to him.
Seifer frowned. Luna hadn't gotten that mad or upset for a while. He pulled out a fresh piece of paper and drew two stick figures, one with long black hair and one with yellow hair, two green dots on the yellow haired one and two blue ones for the black haired one. They held stick hands in the picture, and Seifer finished it by writing SEIFER AND LUNA in really shaky upper case letters and drawing a big yellow sun above them both.
"Luna?"
She didn't turn around. He tapped her shoulder and held out the picture for her to see.
"Look. I drawed yoo a picture, Luna."
Luna turned her head reluctantly to look at him, and saw the picture. She took it in her hands and read the names.
"I'll be yoor friend, Luna. Always. We'll be friends forever. Don't be sad anymore. 'Kay?"
Luna's large bluesilver eyes quivered as she looked at the heartfelt picture. Then she came forward and gave him a squeezing hug.
"S'okay," he encouraged, hugging her back. "Yoo don't have to be sad. You can be happy if you want." Luna pulled away and for the first time, gave the slightest smile.
Just then there was a knocking on the front door. Luna's eyes darted towards the door and widened considerably, and she quickly ducked behind Seifer as if afraid.
Matron went to the door and answered it. Standing on the doorstep were three men, two tall men in white lab coats and a rather short one wearing colorful attire and a large frill around his neck. Seifer felt Luna's fingers dig into the back of his vest forebodingly. He had a bad feeling about the man, too.
"Hello. What can I do for you? Would you like to come in?" Matron asked.
"No, zank you very much," the short man said. "I'm here on very important business. I am Doctor Odine and I haff orders from Esthar to collect two children in your custody. an Ellone and Luna."
"Oh. Well, for what reason?"
"I don't zink zat should be any of your concern, madam." He gestured toward the two men beside him and they barged in past Matron.
"Now wait just a minute! You can't just march in here and swipe them away! They have to gather their belongings-"
"Accomodations have already been made for them," he said calmly as one of the men took Ellone by the arm.
"Matwon, I don't wanna go," Ellone begged. "Don't make me go."
The other man advanced toward Seifer, seeing Luna behind him. "Don't play hero, little boy. Give her up."
"Up yours!" Seifer spat, sticking out his tongue. Luna dashed out from behind him and ran into the bedroom.
"Hans, get her!" Dr. Odine said sharply.
Han ran in and dragged out a very frustrated Luna, clutching something in her hand. She didn't struggle, as if she knew she had no choice.
"SIS!" Squall cried, seeing the other man taking Ellone outside. He already had tears streaming down his face, Quistis held him back with small arms. Matron was beaten, looking at the papers saying they had authority to take them. "Stay back, children. Ellone and Luna have to go."
Seifer watched as they dragged Luna out the door as well. She stared at him with scared eyes, and for a moment fought her way back inside.
"Seifer."
The small blond did a double take as he heard Luna speak. She said it quietly and he almost didn't hear, but she had spoken.
"Seifer," she said louder, waving goodbye, before she was yanked out into the rain.
****
It took Matron an entire three hours to get Squall to stop crying. He'd loved Sis so much and she'd just been taken away.
He stepped out onto the front patio and watched the rain pour down from the sky. He sniffled and felt droplets drip off the roof and land on his yellow shirt. So much had been taken from him. Sis.his parents.he didn't even know who they were. But they'd been taken away too. He hadn't gotten to know Luna that well, but already he could feel the absence of her quiet presence. He knew that Seifer was very upset, anyway.
"I'm all alone," Squall said to himself. "But I'm doing my best...I'll be okay without you, Sis.I'll be able to take care of myself."
In the darkness, all Luna could hear was the sound of Ellone sobbing.
It had been three weeks now. Odine's Lab was a quiet place, with starch white walls and small laboratories and rooms with large machines. For the past three weeks Luna and Ellone had been pincushions for the doctors. They were testing them for sorceress powers, any trace at all. All blood tests had come up negative so far, though really Luna couldn't figure how blood could be involved in the paramagic.
She rolled over onto her back, staring up at the dark ceiling. All Ellone had done for three weeks was cry. She didn't want to be here. It scared her terribly to be here. She wanted to be back at the orphanage, with her friends. Her family. By day she was locked up in a little area where they could gawk behind glass and take notes, by night she laid awake in her small bed and cried to sleep. Luna could barely stand it. She couldn't bring herself to cry. The minute she walked into the lab, the moment she felt those probing doctor eyes on her, the second the first needle punctured her skin to draw blood, something had snapped in her mind. She felt angry at everything. She felt anger towards the doctors, Odine, Matron.
Maiem.
She couldn't stop the anger. It had become almost a natural feeling. She actually enjoyed the feeling because it helped her keep from losing confidence or her composure. Plus, the doctors seemed to sense her ire and tended to stay away from her if possible. The only one who was not affected was the one called Odine. He was actually very intrigued with her poisonous nature. He was on her back constantly, jotting down every move she made and his hypothesis why. Scientists, Luna thought irritably. Foolish men trying to do the gods' work. One day they would meet their fate.
"Sniff.Luna?"
Ellone's sobs had lessened slightly as she spoke her name into the darkness. Luna sighed and answered back.
"Yes, Elle."
Ellone paused. She still had trouble with the fact that Luna actually could talk, and had refused to before, not the fallocy that she had been mute for over a year. "Are yoo scared?"
".No. Not really."
"Why not?"
"I do not know. Maybe I'm too angry to be scared."
"Angry at.me?"
"No, of course not. What did you do?" Luna rolled over to her side. Actually, that was a lie. She was kind of annoyed at her constant tears, though she could understand why. "I'm angry at the men who brought us here. The scientists who suck out our blood and stare at us every day. Aren't you?"
"Sniff.kinda." Suddenly, Ellone giggled. "Yoo know, my Uncle Laguna once said that if I wasn't careful, the monsters would come after me and suck out all my blood. They'd be after me because I was so cute. And then he said if that happened, he'd cwy. I guess he was right."
Luna's thin eyebrows raised in the darkness. That name had triggered something in her mind. "Tell me more about your Uncle Laguna, Ellone."
"'Kay." She seemed to be sounding better now, like the thought of this Laguna cheered her up. "He's not really my uncle. He was a soldier or something like that, Laguna Loire, and one day he got real hurt and he was brought to our village, Winhill. My Aunt Raine took care of him. My parents went away. But Uncle Laguna really liked Raine, and I thought he should marry her and then we could all be together.but then he went away."
".He died?"
"Nope. He went back out to be a soldier again.but then Aunt Raine.died. I went to the orphanage then." Ellone sounded like she was going to get upset again. "Everyone went away and left me alone."
Luna closed her eyes. Laguna.soldier.Winhill.Loire.
We have to get Elle back.!
She opened her eyes again, letting out a breath. "Do not be afraid anymore, Ellone. Your Uncle Laguna is coming for you. He's coming back. You won't be alone anymore."
"How'd ya know, Luna?"
".I.don't know."
Luna paced inside the holding cell. It was made of some kind of blue glass that she couldn't break, the air inside cool and vented. She could see them watching her, but she had gone far beyond caring. Ellone was sitting to the side, crying again. She'd done it less so since Luna had told her her Laguna was coming, but she didn't like the holding cells. She wasn't used to such closed in spaces.
She fingered at the silver chain around her neck. It was what she had run back for in the orphanage, she couldn't afford to lose it. It was the only piece of her past that she had. It was a silver chain, with a silver figurehead of a lioness as its pendant.
"Vat is zat, little Luna?"
She looked up at Dr. Odine, who had walked into the holding cell. He eyed the pendant quite curiously.
"My necklace," she answered sourly. "Though it's none of your business."
"Ah, but I make it my bizness, ya?" He continued to eye it. "Ze lioness looks familiar, it does. She has a name?"
".Sekhma." Luna replied. "A Goddess of destruction and domination. You've heard of Griever?"
"I have read up on ze Guardian Forces, ya."
"She's his counterpart. Griever was known to be a influencable spirit. Evil swarmed him easily. When that happened, Sekhma was known to bring him down with merciless viciousness. She was stronger than him, though female. Lionesses are known for their ferocity and might."
"But it iz only a legend."
"Maybe. Maybe not. Legends must come from some factual origin."
Dr. Odine gave her a look. "You know, you are uzing zome fine vocabulary for a girl who iz only eight years old."
"Maybe. Why, you'd rather me speak like a simple child? I will."
"No, no. I am actually enjoying zis converzation. Regardless that I'm having it with an eight year old." He bent down and looked her right in the eyes. "But zere iz zomething about you, Luna. You are different zan any other child. And uzing my scientific knowledge.I vill find you out. So don't try to hide anything, little Luna. It vill be in vain."
"Believe me, doctor," she replied. "What you see is what I am. But I won't be here long. And your day of fate shall come."
"Hmmm." Dr, Odine analyzed her a bit longer, and then left.
"Is.is he gone?" Ellone asked, her hands over her eyes. "Yes, Elle. He has left."
"Good." She uncovered her pretty brown eyes. "Ooh, I hate that guy. He talks funny...." Suddenly Ellone held her head. "Oh."
"What's wrong, Elle?"
"I feel.funny. Tired. I." She dropped to the floor, asleep.
"Ellone? Ellone!" Luna cried. Suddenly a high pitched noise filled her ears, piercing her brain and making her go numb. "Ugh---agghh!" She fell to the laboratory floor, unconscious. ~~~~~~~
A tall man with blonde hair got out of his fancy car, dragging roughly along a little boy to the front door of Edea's Orphanage, and then, ringing the doorbell, got back into his car and sped away, a sour look on his face.
(What's going on.? What is this?)
Seifer stood on the doorstep of the orphanage alone, a small backpack of clothes and belongings strapped to him. His hair was messed and uneven, his face and arms covered in bruises. He was very thin and pale, and only four years old.
(Seifer.?)
The door opened and a woman appeared, with long black hair and a gray-black dress, and kind yellow eyes. She looked out, then looked down and saw him.
(Matron.)
"Oh, my! What happened to you, little one?" she gasped, kneeling down and looking at his dark bruises and black eyes. Never had she seen such an abused child before, and he looked like he was about to drop from hunger.there was a yellow sticky note pinned to his fraying, dirty vest. She plucked it off and read it, shaking her head in sorrow. It read, 'You take him. He's no son of mine.' "My, my.what is your name, little boy?" she asked.
He swallowed. He looked like was even having trouble talking, as if afraid to. ".S.Seifer," he mumbled, trembling.
"Hello Seifer. Would you like to come inside?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, but he cried out and backed away. "Ahh! NO!"
(What happened to him.? He looks terrible.)
"No, no! Seifer, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you ever again, do you understand? You're safe now. Ok? You're safe here, and no one can hurt you. All right?"
(His father.did this to him? So cruel.)
He looked at her a little distrustingly, but then stepped forward. "My name's Seifer Almasy. What's yoor name?"
"My name is Edea Kramer, Seifer. But you can call me Matron. Ok? That's what the rest of the family calls me."
Seifer's eyes welled up with tears. Family? "Matwyn," he said, before running into her arms.
(Don't cry, Seifer. Why does anyone cry? It doesn't change anything.)
"Shh, little darling.don't cry.come on inside. We're all just sitting down to lunch. Wait until you meet the other children! I'll make an extra spot at the table and you eat as much as you want! Would you like that, Seifer?"
"Sniff.yeah."
"Alright, then. Welcome to your new home, Seifer," she said, picking him up and bringing him inside. "Your new family."
(Family.)
(I should've stayed with my family.) ~~~~~~
"Luna? Luna, vake up, girl! Vake up!"
Luna opened her eyes, blinking. She was lying on an operating table, staring up at faces that were staring down, but she couldn't see them clearly in the bright light of the operating lamp. She moved her joints, a little stiff from falling but okay. She sat up. Ellone was on another table, just waking up from her sleep too.
"What happened?" she asked, though she had some idea.
"Vat happened? VAT HAPPENED?! I shall tell you vat happened! It vas amazing! Extraordinary! Groundbreaking!" Dr. Odine was very excited as he spoke. "Ellone just zent your consciousness into the past! You saw the past, didn't you? Vat did you zee?"
"I saw.a friend of mine." In any other situation she would've kept quiet, but in this case she wanted to understand this as much as he did. "In the orphanage I was in. But he was four years younger than he is today."
"AHA! Brilliant! Zis iz vonderful! Ellone, vat did you zee?"
"I saw.the same exact thing," Ellone replied, nervous.
"Spectacular! Ellone sent you both into the past! How intriguing, yes!" He jotted it all down in his notebook. "Vat mysterious power iz zis? I must run more tests! More tests!"
1 Year Later
Dr. Odine's rantings were true. He ran so many tests that Luna could not possibly number them all. He learned that Ellone was able to send people's minds into the past temporarily, and sometimes against her will. The exceptions were that she could only send people into the pasts of people she knew, and only into the past. Plus, there was no way to change the past you were sent into. But just the fact that she was able to accomplish this by way of her own mind was facsinating to Odine.
Luna underwent several tests everyday, but they could find nothing unusual about her except for her attitude and intelligence. Still Odine didn't let her go. He was dead set that she was hiding something and he wouldn't give up. Luna found this very annoying.
Luna paced in her cell. She was alone, Ellone had been sent to another cell nearby so they could run special tests and experiments without Luna's watchful eyes on them. Ellone and Luna had come to be good friends over the year that they'd been here. They talked about how one day her Uncle Laguna would come and save them.
"When do you think he's coming? It's been an entire year now," Ellone had said last night, now ten years old.
"I'm not sure. Soon. Very soon." Luna had said, nine years now. "How do you know all this stuff?"
"I'm not sure of that either. I just get these feelings sometimes. Voices. Presences. He went to the orphanage, I think, looking for you a year ago, but you were gone. And now I feel he's very near. I see him in my dreams." Luna had become very comfortable telling Ellone about her strange precognitions. "He's tall, with long brown hair, wearing a blue jacket and red pants, right? With two friends. A thin one with braids and a massive man with a bandana. Right?"
"Yeah. Those guys are Kiros and Ward. I only met Kiros once though, when I was little." She had whistled in amazement. "Your dreams tell you a lot. Where is he now, d'ya know?"
"Last night.I saw him in some kind of control room, far below a building.a Moomba was there, and an old man.he caused a great ruckus."
"Hee hee! Yeah, that's Uncle Laguna!" she had laughed. Luna gave a rare soft smile.
"But anyway.Luna, when my Uncle Laguna comes, you're coming too, right?"
"Me? I.I don't know. I have a feeling." she had shuddered suddenly. "I have this feeling I'm going to be here for a very long time."
"You can't stay here, Luna! Uncle Laguna and Elle and Luna.we should all be together! Uncle Laguna would like you a lot, Luna. He wouldn't just leave you here. C'mon, Luna. You gotta promise.no matter what happens, we've all got to be together. That you'll come with me."
Ellone had grasped Luna's hands, as if begging. Luna was startled by the move. But then she had realized that the last time she'd wanted to be with a family, Laguna had gone away and Raine had died. If it happened again.
"I promise, Ellone. When Laguna comes, I'm coming with you. We're.we're best friends." The words 'best friends' came haltingly on her tongue.
"Hey, yeah!" she said happily, smiling. "Best friends forever!"
"Yes."
Now today she paced like a hungry lion in a cage, feeling strange in her new clothes. She had outgrown her dress, and now wore black pants and a black turtleneck, and black boots. She'd experienced a sudden growth spurt over the past year, and although she was younger than Elle she was slightly taller. Actually, the clothes were more comfortable and lighter than the heavy skirt, so she really didn't mind. And they were black, her favorite color.
She stopped as she felt a sudden throb in her head, only slightly painful. Then in her ears she heard a round of machine gun fire and breaking glass.
DR. ODINE! Where's Ellone?!
Luna gasped as the voice went away. Laguna! The voices were far away, in another lab near Odine's, but she knew it was Laguna's voice. She wanted to tell Ellone in the next cell, but the blue glass was soundproof and she continued to sit on the floor and cry. The door between the cells was locked.
A few minutes later she heard his voice again, but now he was much closer.
Ellone?! ELLONE!!! Darn, she can't hear me.
Luna looked up. Laguna was peering through the glass of Ellone's cell from the upper control room. His eyes were filled with relief and anxiety at the same time. Then he backed away from the glass for a few moments.
Minutes later the door to Ellone's cell whirred open and Laguna ran in, shouting her name out in joy.
Ellone!
Uncle Laguna! You came!
Laguna embraced her as if she were his daughter, tears rolling down his fair cheeks, tears of happiness. Ellone was crying too, but no longer with sorrow.
Yeah. I'm a little late, but.oh Ellone, I missed you so much.
Luna watched them through the glass, touched by their love. That was family.?
"ELLONE!"
Dr. Odine ran into Luna's cell, towards the adjoining door. He wasn't about to let her get away so easily. "NO!" Luna stepped forward to stop him, but he pushed her frantically to the ground and went to door and started punching in the code.
Luna snarled angrily at being tossed aside and was on her feet in a second, her rage rising faster than she could control. Ellone had to be with her family. And she was going to be, even if Luna paid the price.
"FIRAGA!" the girl shouted, her palms raised instinctively at the scientist.
An enormous fireball hurled itself at Dr. Odine, just as he got the door open. He flew through Ellone's cell and slammed painfully into the wall, too dazed to get up.
"AAAACCK!"
Luna ran in through the open door and looked at the two. Laguna's eyebrows were raised in surprise, Ellone clutched to his waist in shock.
"Get out of here, Ellone. I'll hold him off," Luna ordered.
"Thanks, kid!" Laguna waved at her, then picked up Ellone and ran out.
Dr. Odine staggered to his feet, groaning. His clothes were burnt and his frilly collar was on fire. He screamed as his burned him, then ripped it off and threw it to the ground, stomping on it to put out the flame.
Luna still had her hands outstretched at him, waiting for him to make a move. "I'll do it again, Doctor Odine!" she spat fiercely. "Make one move toward that door and I'll incinerate you!"
Odine stared at her incredulously, blinking, his face covered in soot. His mouth hung wide open in awe. He'd forgotten all about Ellone. He stared at her hands that had spouted fire, her ferocious expression and her glowing bluesilver eyes.
"Go ahead," he breathed. "I know you have the power.Sorceress Luna."
Luna lowered her arms, glaring at him. "What.did you call me?"
"Sorceress," he said again. "You are a Sorceress. No other child could create a spell zat advanced, no! I knew it all along."
"Luna, do you haff any idea vat zis means? I tell you now because you are ze sorceress I've been zearching for. Do you know who Sorceress Adel iz?"
"Yes. She is the current ruler of Esthar. Don't ask me these foolish questions, I am not stupid." Luna sat in her seat, fingering her Sekhma chain. They were in a sub, going Hyne knew where. All Odine had told her ws that it was no longer safe for her to be in his own laboratory.
"No, you are not! I zee zat now. But I, I haff been zearching for a successor to Adel. Zere are so many resistances against her. If zomething vere to happen to her, ze entire country vould run amok! She needs an heir, a descendant if you vill, to take her place in case she iz ever.vell.defeated. Do you understand, Luna? We train you into a powerful sorceress, and if Adel comes to mizfortune, you vill take her place and inherit her vast power and become ze sole ruler of ze largest continent in ze vorld!"
"What makes you think I'd want to be a ruler?" she spat.
"Oh, do not lie to Doctor Odine!" he said with a sly smile. "Everyone has a desire. Everyone has a destiny. I know zat deep inside you vant to be powerful and strong, and in control. You hate being veak, don't you? It sickens you to think of weakness. And look at you. Nine years old, with ze brain of a genius, ze ambition of a varrior and ze attitude and aptitude of a fearless, fearful sorceress. Zis iz your destiny, Luna. Become zat merciless ruler zat you desire to be. I can help you do it."
Luna paused as she listened to his words. Was he right? Yes, she wanted power. She craved it. Control? Maybe. It sounded well enough. But could she become what she desired? But something told her she had no choice. He'd make a sorceress of her anyway, the only reason he was being so nice was because he didn't want to become Odine la Flambe again.
"Believe me," he said proudly. "Zere iz nothing Doctor Odine cannot do!"
".Very well, doctor. I'll be Adel's.successor. I'll be the most powerful sorceress in the world." She said sullenly.
"Zat's ze spirit, Luna! Ve vill be arriving at ze Sea Lab shortly. Ve all get a good night's rest, and tomorrow ze training shall commence!"
The next morning Luna got up early, before Odine. The Sea Lab was large, and the thick windows showed dark blue water outside, lit up by sublights. The halls were quiet and every small sound echoed off the walls. Luna sighed. She hated this. To be under the control of another person. She knew she was just a toy Odine wanted to play around with. She really didn't want to be a ruler of a continent. She wanted control, but not that kind of control. But she was more or less a prisoner here, and her powers were not that strong yet. She had no choice but to comply. Inwardly she smirked.
So this would become quite an amusing waiting game.
"I'll show you, Maiem," she said to herself in a morbid tone. "I'll make you proud."
"Luna? Vat are you doing up so early?"
She turned from the aqua window and saw Odine standing there. ".I'm sorry, Doctor. I felt the need to explore. And I cannot wait to begin training."
"Oh, if zat iz ze case, it'z alright. She iz a beaut, ya?" he sighed, looking around him. "Zis iz my zecret laboratory."
"Doctor, let me ask you something. Will I have a weapon?"
"A veapon? Vhy? You have your sorceress powers."
"Because, I was thinking.maybe, I was able to do both magical and physical combat...I would be twice as powerful. A sorceress warrior, or somewhat."
"Hmm.You know, I did not zink of zat. Zat iz a very good idea, actually. Yes, you should have a veapon. Good zinking, Luna! Come vith me."
Dr. Odine led her to a room with racks of weapons. "Zis iz vat ve call the, eh.armory. Ve keep zem here in case of emergencies. Find one you like. Zere are many kinds here."
Luna explored the racks. There were a wide variety, from nunchakus to whips, swords to punching gloves. Finally one caught her eye.
It was a gunblade. The blade was deadly sharp and the barrel was well oiled and ready for use. The base was black, the handle black with silver markings of a bloodcross. She picked it up carefully.
"Ah, zat looks like a good one. Ze.uh.Hyperia, I zink. It's a little out of date, and her brother Hyperion's better, but zink it shall suffice, don't you?"
Luna felt the weight in her hands, gripping the handle. It was heavy. But in time, she knew she would adapt. Becoming daring she gave it a few practice swipes. She relished the sound it made as it swung through the air.
"Very good. But be careful not to slice my head off!" he joked, then saw she wasn't laughing. He shut up and they left the armory.
Luna stepped inside the large training arena. It was spacious, and the floor was white. But it wouldn't be that way for long.
"Ready, Luna?" Dr. Odine said from an observing window high above.
She gave him a thumbs up, Hyperia in her other hand.
"Release ze Level 1 monsters!" Odine said to his assistant.
The door on the opposite side of the arena slid open, and from it poured a swarm of blue wasplike creatures, angry and irritated.
"BiteBug," Luna identified to herself.
She watched them fly at her, hungry for human blood. Then she held out her hand and shouted,
"Thundara!"
A web of lightning entangled around the swarm, frying them instantly. The arena was filled with the sound of BiteBugs dropping dead to the ground.
"Excellent! Release ze Level 2 monsters!"
Next came a group of about ten venus flytrap looking creatures, their vines waving rhythmically in the air.
"Grat."
She started to raise her hands, but lowered them. "What the hell?" she shrugged. Raising her gunblade, she lunged forward.
Blood spattered the floor as one by one the Grats were sliced apart and stabbed and shot. Soon she stood over a mound of Grat scraps. Unbelievable, Dr. Odine thought. She was good. VERY good. "Release ze Level 3 monsters!"
The arena echoed the sounds of wild neighing and stomping hooves. A herd of wild horselike monsters with razor sharp horns on their heads came charging at her, ired and raging.
"Mesmerize."
She held out her palms. "Blizzaga!"
Icicle spears conjured from her fingers and flew at the Mesmerizes, killing them all off. Except one. The leader of the herd, a strong, haughty, bucking male dodged the attacks smugly.
"NEEEEE!" The Mesmerize rose up on its hind legs and shrieked out a shrill cry, then flung its head forward. The horn on its head came loose and flew at Luna, who dodged too late.
Slash!
The horn blade cut a stinging, bleeding gash in Luna's left arm, before returning magnetically to its owners head. Luna raised her gunblade, when she came up with an idea. She smirked at the young male, beckoning rudely.
"C'mon, you stupid unicorn freak! Fling that blade my way!"
The Mesmerize became eraged at this egging and flung the blade with all its might. As it hurled at Luna she caught it with precision, ignoring the painful sting as it cut into her palm. She flung it hard back at the unsuspecting Mesmerize. The horn blade sliced through its neck, sending blood to spurt in every direction as the Mesmerize fell and convulsed, writhing in its own blood, then dying.
Odine shuddered as he watched the Mesmerize slowly die. Nine years old, and capable of that? She ignored her arm wound and the fact that her palm was bleeding freely, but waited for the next monster.
He hadn't thought it would come to Level 4.
"R-release.ze Level 4 monster!!!"
Luna watched as the monster thudded out into the arena. There was only one, but she would've been in trouble, had there been more. It was a giant dinosaur creature, blood red scales and black patterns, a battery ram tail, razor sharp claws and bonecrushing jaws. Thirty feet tall, fifty feet long, and a roar to deafen ears.
"T-Rexaur!" Luna cried with morbid joy.
She held out her hands and cast Thundaga. But the magic repelled off its scales and it lunged at her, swinging around and whacking her mightily with its massive tail.
"Oh, Hyne!" Odine gasped.
Luna saw stars. She soared across the arena and slammed hard into the white wall, leaving a streak of blood where she hit. She landed in a crumpled heap.
"Luna! Luna, get up!"
But she made no movement. The T-Rexaur was advancing, ready to claim its kill.
BAM!
The T-Rexaur staggered backward, as if it had run dead straight into an invisible wall. It swung its gigantic head back and forth to shake off the shock. It gave a grunt, confused. "Rrr?"
Odine saw as the T-Rexaur staggered back that a dark purple-black aura had fallen over Luna's body like a protective bubble. Then, slowly, her body began to rise.
But not of her own will.
She was rising into the air slowly, her body limp. A slight humming filled the air as she rose, her torso slumped forward. Then her back straightened as if someone were pulling her up. Her face was covered in crimson blood from a wound hidden somewhere in her midnight hair.
Her eyes opened and they were glowing blue and silver.
"VILE CREATURE!" Luna bellowed, in a voice that was not her own, but deeper, fuller, older, and her own younger voice. Her arm raised the Hyperia and she soared forward at the T-Rexaur and slashed mercilessly into its tender throat over and over.
Blood spilled and covered the once impeccable white floors in spreading puddles as the T-Rexaur's wounds gaped open wide. Luna kept going at the creature, slashing its face and eyes, then delivered the final blow as she plunged the Hyperia into the dinosaur's chest, and twisted the blade to pierce its heart.
The T-Rexaur gave a final roar before dropping heavily to the ground, dead.
Luna's eyes slowly dimmed back to their normal color, and the aura faded away. The hold on her loosened and she dropped to the ground, spread- eagled and seemingly unconcscious.
Dr. Odine immediately took the elevator down to the training arena and ran in, followed by her assistants. What had he done, what had he done?! What if she was dead? What if he got arrested for murder? Oh, Hyne.
"Luna? Luna?!! Vake up!"
They surrounded her, checking her wounds. One assistant was about to check her pupils when her eyes opened, dazed but alive.
"Luna, zay zomething! Are you okay?"
She stared at him. "What happened?" She couldn't remember anything after seeing the T-Rexaur.
"It vas amazing!" He told her all that happened, every detail. When he was finished she looked up at the ceiling and smirked darkly.
"Sekhma."
That night, Luna laid still in her bed. Her first day of training had taken a lot from her, but she would live to see another day. Actually it had been a breeze until the T-Rexaur. But she would get better. That is what training was about.
There is always enough time in the waiting game, she thought cynically.
Her wounds were still sore, but Dr. Odine said that he didn't want her using recovery spells until she regained her strength. Ha. Strength. She had strength. She closed her eyes, concentrating. "Curaga," she whispered.
A soothing wave washed over her body, green sparks of magic hovering over the bed covers before melting into her.
The wounds seemed to wash away, the bandages useless. She took them off, revealing tender pink parts of skin that would go away in a few hours.
Ahh. That was better. She could move now, folding her arms under her head, looking up at the ceiling.
A lot had changed since the orphanage. She had changed.Only a year ago she'd been so helpless and alone.but she quickly changed, adapted, survived. She had had to. Now she wasn't so helpless anymore. She was a sorceress in training, unafraid to kill.
She'd been thinking of other things, too, besides the training and the sorcery and the tests. She thought about Seifer now, ever since Ellone had taken her into the past and she saw him a small boy, abused and lonely. (He was so nice to me, Luna realized. (I never would have known he had a past like that if Ellone hadn't shown me. I guess you never know until.until you know.)
(No one knows about me. Because I haven't told them.)
(They'll go on thinking I'm a overmature girl with an uncooperative attitude.)
(Because they don't know.)
(Seifer.you said we'd be best friends forever. No matter what. That I never needed to be sad again. I could be happy if I wanted to.)
(But I don't want to be happy.)
(But I'm not sad, either.)
(I don't want to feel any of those emotions anymore.)
(Emotions make you weak.)
(To be weak is to be dead.)
(That's what Maiem taught me.)
(That's why I'm still here.)
5 Years Later
Luna, fourteen years old, stood in the middle of the empty arena, her gunblade raised. It was quiet, very quiet. It wouldn't be that way for long.
"Level 30, Proceed!" Odine's cry came from above.
The spacious arena was soon filled with the sound of roaring and stomping. A pack of twenty T-Rexaurs surrounded her instinctively, all of them ten times as strong as the one she had first faced.
She pushed off from the ground, floating without magic but will of her own mind. She dodged between them swiftly, making them ram into each other and anger each other so they fought among themselves. One sent a devastating blow with its tail, but just then Luna swerved abruptly upward and the T- Rexaur hit another squarely in the head. They snarled at each other, then lunged for each other's throats.
She rose up out of their range, spreading out her hands.
Triple.
A green pentagon surrounded her, then disappeared into her.
Blizzaga.Blizzaga.BLIZZAGA!
A swirl of ice spun around her, like a tornado of white, and then exploded upon the T-Rexaurs, who were weak against the ice element.
BLIZZAGA BLIZZAGA BLIZZAGA!!!
Odine whistled his approval as frost began to creep up the observing window. The icicle spears plunged into the bodies of the dinosaur monsters, killing them instantly. It was another Ice Age. Their fallen carcasses were soon covered with ice and snow as Luna continued her merciless barrage.
Blizzaga Blizza-
"Luna? Luna! You can stop, you killed zem all! Luna, snap out of it!"
Luna stopped, opening her eyes. She saw the iced over T-Rexaurs and looked very satisfied indeed. She slowly descended to the snowy floor, a daring smirk on her face as she sheathed her gunblade. She hadn't even needed it this time. She hadn't a scratch on her.
"Vell done again, Luna. Zat's a record, ya?" he opened the door for Luna to leave. She was done for today.
She saw the door open and grimaced in disappointment. "Oh, come on, Doctor Odine. One more level, I can handle it."
"You don't understand, Luna.zat's it. Zose are all ze monsters ve had left. You'll haff to vait for ze next shipment next veek."
"Next week?" Luna frowned. This had happened before, and everytime she went that long without training her skills got dull. "It'll take that long?"
"Yeah, I know, it'z ridiculous. But zese days.eesh. Come on out and vash up."
"Oh fine." She walked out of there and let the doors close behind her. "Aren't there monsters on the surface, Dr. Odine?"
He stepped out of the observing room. "Of course zere are monsters on ze surface, Luna. Vere do you zink zey come from?"
"Why can't I train up there. I'm sure they're twice as powerful up there, deep in the forests where no one goes. If I could get that kind of training in, I'd be really powerful.
"Luna.you're a sorceress. You just viped out an entire pack of Z-Rexaurs. You don't get much more powerful zan zat."
Luna thought a moment. "What about other people?"
"Vat?"
"Maybe I should train with other people. People actually think about their attacks. They defend. And Doctor, I don't think I'm getting enough training with my gunblade. All you ever let me do is magic."
"Because you are a sorceress! Sorceresses do not uze gunblades. You are very good at it, but paramagic vill come in much more handy later on."
"Will it?"
Odine sighed. "Luna.I need to talk to you. Come vith me so ve can talk privately in my office."
In his office, he sat down in his chair, his face grave. "Luna.I vas informed zis morning that Adel has been overthrown. Zey've tricked her and locked her in a confinement tomb and sent her up into space, so zere iz no vay to receive her power."
"And this is bad?"
".Eh, not really. But you cannot receive her power, so you vill not be as strong as ve expected. But ve haff been zinking, as scientists do." He looked at her. "Haff you ever heard of Mako?"
".Yes. I read about it. It was used twenty years ago, but they stopped making it because it was poisoning the SOLDIERS. Why?"
"Ve haff procured a small sample of it from an abandoned lab up in the mountains of Trabia. It haz been vell preserved and even a little bit of it is powerful. Ve are going to inject you with zis Mako and zee if ve can't, eh.buff you up a little. It is only a little, so it shouldn't hurt you at all.at least ve zink so. But eh, zere's no harm in trying, eh?"
"So I have no choice, you mean."
Odine's face became hard. "No.you don't. You've forgotten, Luna.you are a sorceress, ya, but you are still _my_ experiment. My project. My lab rat. So you vill do as I tell you, as you've been doing for ze past five years."
Luna shot up from her chair, her face contorted in rage. She had pulled her punches from this man for five years, humoring his little experiments, but this was crazy. Mako was dangerous toxic fluid, no matter how you put it. She wasn't going to die for his science.
Dr. Odine only gave her a smug look as she rose angrily, as if knowing she would. Suddenly the sharp sting of a needle injected into her neck, filling her immediately with drowsiness. The last thing she remembered was falling onto Odine's desk, then darkness. ~~~~~~
Ellone stood at the bow of a ship, staring out at the calm waters. She was fifteen now, and she'd changed greatly in appearance but she was still the same old Ellone. She looked depressed.
"Luna.where are you? You promised me we'd escape together. You said you were my best friend. But why did you break your promise?" She shook her head. "No. You helped me escape. But you traded your own freedom.for mine?" She closed her eyes briefly. "Please come back, Luna. I'll still be your friend." ~~~~~~
(Ellone.I'm still your friend.)
(I don't know who I am.)
(I don't know where you are, to find you.)
(I don't know where I am.)
(Huh? Where am I?)
Luna opened her eyes to a slit. Her sensitive eyes touched water. She opened them all the way, and saw where she was.
It was a glass tube. Large enough for her, she floated in the watery blue substance, fresh oxygen coming in through an air hose attached to her nose and mouth. Her stiff limbs were riddled with IVs and wires, and one especially large one connected to her wrist, which she estimated that it was the one for the Mako injection.
Outside the tube, there was a large lab. Many doctors and scientists were bustling around, typing in computers and taking notes. Some stood right up to the glass, watching her and watching the monitors for her vitals.
How's her vital signs?
Fine, just fine.
Good-hey, wait. Is she awake?
Yeah. But don't worry about it. We've got her blood pressure nice and low. She won't be able to move or anything.
Good. Now we wait for Odine's orders. Odine's orders?! Bastards!!! Luna's teeth gritted, but the effort of anger hurt. They were right, she couldn't move. Her body felt numb, sluggish. She felt like sleeping again, but she knew she couldn't afford to. She had to do something, anything.
She saw Odine come in, and near the watery prison. He came right up to the glass, smirking at her proudly. She glared at him, cursing through the air mask. But all Odine saw was bubbles.
Don't be angry, little Luna. Zis iz vat iz best for you.
Luna closed her eyes in seeming defeat.
Prepare ze Mako injection!
But Luna hadn't given up. No. She was letting her anger rise, letting it surge her blood to get it moving again.
Thump.thump.thump.thump.
Odine! Heartless scientist. Using children as lab rats! Sending them through mazes and tests and experiments, for what? To find the perfect sorceress? His perfect toy?
Thump-thump.thump-thump.thump-thump.
Ahh, the feeling in her fingers were returning! She grinned behind the mask, flexing her fingers tentatively. Those men outside were confused at the sudden movement, the sudden life of their monitors.
What the hell.?!
This isn't good. Get the Doctor again!
Pump in more morphine!
Luna watched as the drunkening serum flowed through thin tubes to her right arm. With a laugh she grabbed the tubes and with one swift movement ripped them out of her arm, ignoring the pain. Traces of morphine and blood filtered through the water.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.
Her heart was racing swiftly, her blood shooting through her veins. She pulled out the remainder of the sensory wires and IV's, including the thick Mako tube.
Dr. Odine was back, now panicked. He banged on the glass.
NO! NO! VAT ZE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?!
(Shut up!)
He was suddenly thrown backward by invisible force, as if someone had roughly shoved him. As his assistants helped him up, he noticed that the many instruments and test tubes and beakers around them on the lab desks were shaking and clinking with a will of their own. The lights were dimming and fizzing out.
(Your day of fate, Odine!)
Simultaneously the entire lab exploded in shards of glass and sparks. Fire erupted from the spilled chemicals, and the doctor assistants ran for the door, some on fire and screaming.
NO! Get back, here, you idiots! Luna, stop! You are ruining everyzing!
Luna concentrated on a small crack in the heavy glass of her prison. It was a small, insignificant crack, made when Odine had pounded against it. She took a deep breath and ripped off the air mask, concentrating on the crack.make it splinter, make it web.yes.yes!...it was growing.
Crrrrrrraaaaaassssssshhhhhh!!!!!
The tube exploded and fluid went flying everywhere carrying small daggers of glass. The water flooded the floor, extinguishing the floor around the broken tube. But Luna floated still in the air, the flames of the lab illuminating her pale, grinning features. Yes, she was grinning. Insanely she was grinning. Odine backed up, knowing that he had made a terrible, horrible error in ever taking her from that cursed orphanage in Centra. In ever laying eyes on her. In training her, making her the most powerful warrior-the first warrior-procured by pure science. Teaching her to fight, to draw blood, to kill. That had been his worst mistake.
"What was that, Doctor? I'm.ruining everything?" she descended to the floor, making her way slowly towards him. "But my dear Doctor, that is the point. Don't you see?" Dr. Odine backed away, slipping in a puddle and falling backwards into a desk. He began to crawl backward then, though never leaving eye contact of Luna. She wouldn't let him look away.
"P-please, Luna.after all I've done for you."
"Me? No no no NO, Doctor. You've done this for yourself. For your science. I was just your experiment. Your project. Your lab rat. Well, Dr. Odine, your experiment was a complete success. Are you satisfied with what your experimenting with other people's lives has brought you?"
He staggered to his feet and ran for the door. But before he could make it, Luna rose her hands into the air and with them, using her mind, a large desk. She flung it at the doctor, and it pinned him to the wall, its legs driving into the wall to keep him there.
"You see, Odine, I think I should fill you in on something," she began to talk casually, stepping over broken beakers and other debris to get to him. "I've had this preordained from the very beginning. You were right, I wanted power and control. But did you really think I was going to give it all to you? Did you really believe I was going to let you bridle my power and show it off to all your colleagues and patrons? I think not! Didn't you consider for a second that maybe one day I would do this?"
"I know now," he grunted, trying to move.
"Now is too late." Luna came forward and grasped him firmly by the neck, draing the life out of him. "Say goodbye, doctor. If you have the breath- "
Suddenly Luna gasped as something constricted tightly around her own neck, pulling her backward. She choked, it was cutting off her air and her ability to do magic.she fell to the ground, staring up at them, paralyzed again.
"Are you okay, doctor?" A skinny assistant with thick glasses asked, pulling the desk out of the wall and helping Odine out.
"Could be better. Zank you so much! Vat did you put on her, anyvay?"
"Oh! It's an invention I've been working on, sir.I was gonna show it to you before but then we got busy-it's meant to suppress sorceress powers."
"Brilliant! Vell, it vorked! Hmm, ve should call it an Odine's Bangle, eh?" "Eh.that's sounds okay, sir." "Good, good. Now help me get her to ze sub."
"Why, Doctor Odine?"
"She iz too powerful now. Ve must bring her to ze Sorceress Memorial to be confined."
Luna watched as she was carried out of the sub and into the memorial. She couldn't move or do anything, like she was a soul trapped within a statue. The bangle on her neck was keeping her from moving, even her raging anger could not break through it.
She glanced at all the others they passed as they went deeper into the Memorial. Sorceresses everywhere, in confinement tanks of crystallized substance, frozen in their final moments of animate life. Old women, young women.even children.
And soon she would join the collection.
They placed her in the tank, standing up. Her legs were stiff like they had rigor mortis and the rest of her body was the same, so they just stood her up and crossed her arms over her chest like an Egyptian sarcophagus.
"Sorceress Luna. Descendant of Hyne. We hereby confine thee to the world of peaceless sleep, where thou can harm nothing. Have you any last words?" a man said to her.
Luna swallowed. She had to tell them. Forcing the words through her frozen teeth, she said:
"My.name.is.not.Luna.not.Luna."
"What? What do you mean, that is not your name?"
"Luna.just.a cover.Luna.not my name."
"Then what is it?" the man asked curiously.
"My.name.is.Athena. Sorceress.Athena."
"Just pull ze frickin' svitch!" Odine shouted.
"Daughter.of."
"NOW! DO IT NOW!" he ordered the man. "She iz insane!"
"Ultim-"
He pulled the switch. The tank filled with icy air, which soon turned solid around her. Her throat froze up and she spoke no more. Her eyes were open when the air crystallized around her, her bluesilver irises staring hauntingly into Odine's. After watching her for a few moments, they walked away and left her alone.
She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. It was like drowning. Was this death? She felt her lungs freeze with her last breath, her heart stop. She felt tired, so tired, she cared nothing for the outside.she just wanted to sleep forever.
Athena slept, forgotten deep in the Sorceress Memorial.
(Maiem.)
A/N: HOW WAS THAT, HUH?! 30 frickin pages here in Word, in a font 12 Verdana, 9, 931 words. Eep. Please, if you're not too annoyed with the devastatingly long prologue, please go on to chapter one! Thanx!