A/N: I am soooo bored, like I could be writing or something but my muses are being reluctant at best. I have another chapter to post on a very popular story but I cant finish is because they just wont.

The King and the Lion Heart

The Score and the Madman

Well, as far as waking up goes… This ranks as just a little bit worse than waking up previously had been- I assumed for some reason that I would safe in my room back home snoozing. I wish I was right about that, as it was I was slowly coming to when I decided that I would just roll out of bed and get in the shower.

So I rolled over, and as I slept in a twin bed usually I could just roll out of bed literally and set my feet on the ground no problem. But when I rolled over this time, I rolled off of a blanket and kept rolling onto a cold hard stone floor. My bed wasn't on the ground, it was high enough in fact that I had to jump a bit to get in- again I'll say that I am short. My floor was also made of wood, not stone. So when I opened my eyes I wasn't too surprised to find myself on the cold hard floor of a room I'd never seen before.

Light flickered oddly and I looked around the dim interior of the room, stone floor lead to stone walls. These walls were only broken but a metal door and a dim light that was placed beside it, to high up for me to reach. There was a slot in the door that was covered by a sliding plate on the other side, and a small window with bars on it. It was cold, and the 'mattress' I'd been placed on wasnt that so much as a sack cloth blanket put in a niche designated as a sleeping area.

Another corner had a rather dank hole into a dark recess and from the smell, that would be the toilet for my time here. My head was pounding again, and I groped for my pouch only to find that it wasn't there, searching my pockets I found that they too were empty. The only conclusion I could come to was that I was in deep trouble, and that this is where the Empire puts people it doesn't like. In retrospect I should have expected this- although I was somewhat confused as I was also lacking my shoes for some reason, and my hair tie. The cell wasnt very big, and I could hear faint sounds in the distance, some of it sounded like footsteps, some of it sounded like machinery, and some of it sounded like screams. I slowly made my way to my feet, taking a good while to regain my sense of balance before I walked to the door, and tried the handle.

It was locked, but one must always try- After all, so many cages are created by our own minds. I shook the thought off moving back towards the 'bed' and sitting down, I was still exhausted and achy, but my dizziness was not present. There was one thing I worried about, my new friends were quiet. Were they even there? I had legitimate reason to worry, Dagger had her eidolons taken from her in Final Fantasy 9, it wasn't outside the norm for summoners to lose their summons.

I took a moment to breath and meditate, something that I didn't do often- so true meditation came slow and reluctantly but even the attempt helped with anxiety, as I'd learned it in my yoga class back in community college. It also helped to pass the time, and for awhile at least I managed to stave off my boredom and impending hunger. My butt grew tired of sitting on the cold hard ground, and I switched positions. This happened a few more times before the door to my cell finally opened, in walked a soldier, and without any further adieu my arm was grabbed and pulled up.

His standard issue gauntlets bit into the soft flesh of my arm as I was dragged, stumbling out of the cell without a word. It seemed like every time I got a good footing I lost it, and the soldier was strong enough that he didn't seem to care. My arm was supporting my weight at this point, and it was letting me know it did NOT appreciate it, eventually after enough twists, and turns to make even me lose track of what direction we were going- I was dragged into another room and slammed into a cold metal chair.

My head smacked the back of it lightly, and I let out cry of protest as my head rang from the blow. I made to stand only to be pressed back into the chair, arms held down as the man strapped them in with leather cuffs. I kicked out, catching him in the knee and he backhanded me in turn- I sat for a moment stunned as mind reeling, this was bad I needed to get out of here. I tensed my muscles and pushed myself to be as big as I could be as he proceeded to strap down both of my arms, and legs before he left again. I let myself sag after that relieved that I could at least work with the slack that I'd bought myself. It wasn't much, but with leather straps I would do what I could.

I wasn't given much time to do anything really at that point, and I would like to say I was a cool cucumber sitting there doing everything right with a plan in mind. But really I was terrified, my head was throbbing it seemed in time with the flickering torch light, I couldn't entirely think straight, and all I wanted was to be back in my room at home stressing about that ten page paper that was technically due today- I say technically because my brain in its infinite wisdom while jibbering in terror impressed on me that I didn't really know how long I'd been unconscious.

'Thanks' another portion of my mind shot back 'We need semantics right now, I mean it isn't like I'm strapped to a chair in what looks like a torture chamber.'

'Always happy to help.' I sighed at this and took a moment to try and calm down; I tried to center myself and see if I could reach my magic. Calming my mind I slowly began to look for the wispy rushing stuff that I'd deduced to be my magic. It was there, but so little that I almost looked over it at first- It was an easy thing to miss. I wasn't really use to finding magic anywhere, so the entire idea that I was mentally searching for my own magic came back to me as somewhat absurd.

A noise outside of the doorway made me pause and I made myself seem as inconspicuous as possible, a man strode through in a set of armor that looked, well to put it bluntly like a better version of the armor that the last soldier had been wearing. It was made of a brown stained metal, and while the other man's armor was just plain brown- this man's armor bore a golden stripe on the edges. I was going to assume that he was a higher rank, he himself had dark tanned skinned and blue eyes.

But his hair was too short to see under the brown bucket helmet of his, so I didn't even try. He stopped about a foot away from me, he was also carrying something that I at first couldn't make out due to the distance, it was a riding crop. Ummm, okay I didn't know exactly where this was going, but I resolved to say whatever he wanted me to say. Well pending the information did not require any answers about espers. In fact, I had resolved to forget about anything to do with espers. Nope. Espers do not exist.

"Girl," He said voice stern but calm. "Where are the espers?"

I blinked at him, and tried to get my face to only portray my confusion. I was quiet confused mind you, I had no idea where I was. I had no idea how i'd gotten to this place, although there was a vague understanding of they must have brought me here. But that was it, so I answered as honestly as I could.

"I'm sorry, espers- What are espers?" I said, giving him a nervous smile "I don't even know where I a-"

A stinging welt erupted across one of my arms, and I jerked with a cry fighting against my bonds. It felt like setting my arms across the thin edge of a burning pan, I took a deep breath as my eyes began to water.

"This is how it's going to work girl," He said using the end of the crop to tilt my head back. "I will ask questions, and you will answer them truthfully like a good little girl. Or I will be forced to hit you again. And if you dont answer me soon, I'll switch to something more permanent than this little love tap."

I nodded, thinking quickly. Surely there was something I could do with my magic, I knew I didn't have much of it at the moment, but there had to be something. Even if that something was setting him on fire or freezing him in place.

"Now. Where have your Returner friends taken the espers."

"I don't know, I don't know any Returners." And he responded but hitting me with the crop again, this time across the face. Now I need to make this perfectly clear, the face is one of the most sensitive places on the body, it's like this because it is required for so much of our social interaction. As with our hands, touching others faces and having our faces touched is a very personal, very intimate experience. Our faces are always in motion, always telling the world something about our emotions.

So being hit in the face, is a very personal very hurtful thing for exactly that reason. My mind was reeling with pain, and then I was crying and I pressed myself back into the chair as the tears burned down the welt across my face. The bastard was grinning, and I was frightened- but more so then that I felt a deep anger, and I shook as much with it as I did with the fright I was dealing with. I did my best to suppress both, but adrenaline made it very difficult and I felt at the edge of my senses the tingly of magic building. Even if I didn't have much, I knew that another blow would probably cause something to happen- what I wasn't sure.

But magic as Shiva said, responded to one's deepest desires- so it was likely I would light him on fire, or crush him to dust with something.

"Sir," Came a voice from the door.

"What is it, I thought I told you not to interrupt me."

"I know but-"

"But?" He said tapping the crop to his other hand.

"Sir, its Kefka."

"Didn't I tell you to stall him?"

"Yes, but-"

"Im already here you utter waste of space." Said an unfamiliar voice, although it came from the face of a man whom I could never mistake for any other- a face that was oddly calm until he caught sight of me. "Did I not say that she was off limits until we ran some tests you buffoon!"

"Sir, it is important that we find the espers before the Returners-"

"The Returner-maggots don't have the gall to step foot in Vector let alone raid a factory that they can't get into."

"But she-"

"Is no longer of your concern," He said this time more than a bit upset, I thought he was being more reasonable then he should be- I mean for Kefka. "Now leave before I decide to use you as charcoal. I'm tired of your face already, maybe I'll send you to play with my little fire-bug?"

The man gulped before scrambling out of the room like a rat, and I… Well I just sat there crying, and trying to get myself to breath properly. I could feel Kefka's eyes on me but I couldn't stop sobbing, or shaking I was pretty much caught up in my fear at the moment, and I only broke from it because something touched my face. My head shot back, smacking again into the back of the chair- Gah, oh sonofasailor. My head resumed throbbing- not that it ever stopped truly and I all but rolled my eyes- I am my own worst enemy sometimes.

A snort filled the air even as a pair of soldiers stepped into the room, Kefka was looking at me with a nasty smile and I felt my fists clench. I was still crying, but I was also trading this man stare for stare. He wasn't a very physically imposing figure- he was only a bit taller then myself, but his presence was what scared people. He had a the air of a nervous animal, always about to strike and a crazed stare to match. Although he might grow still, might look at you smiling, he always seeped a manic energy that I was all too familiar to.

Although, back home it was usually only something you found in people who have done drugs for an extended period of time; it is possible to talk to them for a time, as long as you stay calm, and avoid speaking about something upsetting. Kefka as I knew him was a complete psychopath. I don't think this version of him strayed too much from the original, although his clothing wasn't spot on I'll say- it was still a bit overwhelming to be face to face with a man my mind insisted was fiction.

"Such pretty eyes," He said quietly and I blinked. "Tell me girl, what do you know about magic?"

"I- Magic?" I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself "It doesn't exist right? Its just a story."

"Magic does exist," He said with a sneer. "I don't need to establish that. What I would like to talk about is the espers."

"I don't know about any espers," I said grumbling in the back of my head at the still silent entities that should have been in the back of the head.

"No, you don't do you." He said with a fake sympathetic voice, "You have no idea about it at all. I'll accept that. But what I would like to know is this. Did you know that magic leaves a mark on its user? It different for everyone, and not always as visible as well, my magnificent self."

"I.. No." I said, I didn't know this. Although it did make sense, in this world the Triad created espers by accident, they'd been humans who'd been caught in the warring magics, and so turned and twisted becoming something entirely different, that magic users of the human variety might acquire unique traits was not unlikely.

"Tell me, what color would you say your eyes are."

I blinked at him before answering."Green"

Of course they were green, what kind of question was that? Something about the maniacal look he gave me made me shiver.

"Your eyes are a lovely shade of lavender, my dear." He said patting me on the head, and it dawned on me that I'd made a horrible mistake. Something I am sure was written on my face. He turned to the soldiers addressing one."Bring me my case, I want Cid to run some samples."

"Sir," One saluted before leaving. Kefka turned back to me, placing a hand on one of my arms a moment passed and I felt an odd tingling.

"Hmmm healing is such a bore," He said picking his hand up. "But I suppose I can't let something mar a pretty face, and a potentially useful one."

He pressed his finger to the welt on my face, I'd always been one to shy away from touch, this was intrusive and unwanted. But if I shied away, he would probably know I disliked him and while I definitely did not like him- having him know this would mean he would have the upper hand, and if he had the upper hand- which he did physically, then I would have nothing. No, I would keep my emotions on the pleasant scale.

I would not let on that I was going to be rebellious, not until I was certain that I could get away. Time passed and the soldier returned, Kefka barked at him for taking so long as he drew a needle from his case and approached me. I tried to wriggle, but he clamp a hand down on my wrist with a pithy 'dont struggle'. He drew blood, and I'll spare you the details as anyone who has had blood drawn wouldn't want to recall the details, let alone share them unless it was for halloween or some such nonsense.

Eventually the restraints on my arms and legs were removed, and I was picked up by one the soldiers with little ceremony and carried out of the room following after Kefka. We didn't move back to the cell that I'd come from, although why I was uncertain. I was too busy feeling drained- both mentally and physically to do much of anything but lay there and I was not happy about it, but it would suffice for now.

I was eventually left in a rather nice looking room, on an actual bed. But I don't remember much about how I got there, as I once more took an interlude into the land of unconsciousness. I was happy to say that there was food left on a tray for me, and I devoured it without hesitation. Thankfully without having to move all to much, as even sitting up was alternatively painful and exhausting, barely stopping to chew as I devoured more in one sitting then I usually ate in a day. It was actually a fairly normal looking breakfast by our worlds standards. Eggs, toast, bacon, and lots of it- if you ignored the eggs being twice. I uh, didn't even realize I had an audience until one of the guards in my room clapped slowly after I burped.

Situational awareness -15. I blushed of course, wiping my mouth with a napkin and massaging my shoulder. It was still sore, I moved it around to see if it would hinder me at all. It would be painful for awhile, but still mobil. I made to slide my feet over the side of the bed, my tired abused feet. The guards that had been stationed at either side of what I could see now was a door, moved as soon as my feet hit the ground stepping out and calling to someone. A moment later a pair of women came in wearing similar dresses.

Both gave somewhat disapproving looks as they moved across the room, one went through a door on the far side, and another made her way across the room to a wardrobe made of dark wood. Her hair was blond and swept up into no nonsense bun, the other seemed her opposite, but I hadn't gotten much of a look of her before she'd disappeared behind the other door.

The blond woman looked into the wardrobe selecting something- a gown before setting it beside me and grabbing white undergarments from drawer at the bottom. Both items were collected, and I was herded into the room that the dark haired maid was in. A bathroom, bright white and grey stone- I was assuming marble made up square tiles on the floor. In a corner there was something that looked like a stall, and in the opposite corner stood a large marble basin filled with water.

I was in due time stripped of every garment I owned and shoved into the tub, I only managed to ward off their 'helping' hands for a bit before being scrubbed like a floor and left to soak. Ugh, and my shoulder was feeling the abuse; although the warm water felt good on my sore muscles, the many scratches I'd collected were not pleased about the scrubbing and hot water, but the stinging did eventually faded into a dull throb.

It gave me time to think, and I couldn't help worrying; I had no idea what was going on, the espers were still quiet in my head, and I'd somehow garnered the attention of a manic. I would be stupid not to worry. Before I could prune up the maids came back and ushered me out of the bath, pulling on undergarments that were laced up rather than fitted like common underwear. Then over it went petticoats and then a white dress, then a dove grey overdress that reminded me of something my sister might wear.

My sister- Oh god, what must she be thinking by now? I'd been gone for two-three days, that I could count; she must have been at her wits end- My mother wouldn't be as worried because we were away at college, and they always expected that one of us would go off to 'Sow wild oats' or something. But I and Felisha were always together, to the point that we even had the same classes; some people might say we were co-dependent, and it might be true but life was always easier when you had someone to watch your back. I missed her desperately right now, and I was afraid that she would be so worried about me.

She might even think I'd been kidnapped or dead, I didn't want her to worry, I didn't want any of this to be happening; but for now, there was nothing I could do. I would just have to take it one step at a time, if the espers were still with me, they would let me know. And if they weren't well, I would have to plan accordingly.

First things first, I needed to get out of here- wherever here was. That was becoming an all to common goal for me; it was like some stupid creepy pasta, you get out of one trap only to find yourself in another. I should probably find my stuff, as I kept finding myself sans possessions, my sword would be paramount, as I had no other weapons and so no other means of protecting myself when I was out of magic. Which I was, I had my swiss army knife, but that didn't really count as a weapon and I didn't have it on me.

Eventually I was herded to a vanity where my long brown/blond hair was brushed out, and pinned up into a bun that was beyond anything I might be able to do on my own, it was also painful; I thought hair pulling was something that women only did when they were fighting, but oh how I was wrong. I fidgeted with it, trying to tug it so that it was at least a little less painful, and for the rest of the day I was left to my own devices with an exception of the time when servants brought lunch and dinner.

My room was well furnished with soft chairs, and a large bed- there was a fireplace opposite of the bed, on the same wall as the doorway to the bathroom but it was unlit. The walls on either side were hung with paintings, one a scene of a group of men hunting an unusual animal, the other a scene of a forest clearing. The primary color of the room was a ruby red; shelves with expensive looking knick knacks littered the room and there was a set of floor length windows that continued from this room into my bathroom, I looked out I realized I was on the second floor of the building at one point, really all I could tell was that there was another floor above this, and whatever type of building I was in it was built around a central courtyard.

One would probably expect this courtyard to consist of flowers and greenery like one of those old castles, but it did not; instead there was what looked like a docking bay, with large metal monsters of differing shapes and types. Magitek armor?

"Magnificent isn't it." Said a male voice behind me and I jumped, it was getting somewhat late now and the sun was hanging low in the sky, just touching the horizon. I turned slowly, in an attempt to keep myself from tripping over the long skirts of my dress Kefka stood behind me, a bit too close for my comfort and I wanted to step back but couldn't because of my dress. Be nice, be nice, be nice- I kept telling myself as I gave a nervous smile.

"G-good evening," I said quietly.

"And a fine evening to you, little mage." He said with a smile that reminded me of a cat who'd gotten exactly what it wanted. My hands gripped my skirts tightly, and I forced my fingers to release the light material. "How has my little ice user been fairing."

"I dont.."

"Know what Im talking about?" He finished for me and the look on his face turned from somewhat normal to a twisted grin, a hand crept up and wrapped itself around my neck lightly. Not tight enough to strangle, but tight enough to be uncomfortable. "Silly little ice-fairy trying to hide away, but you fail to notice that I too possess powers."

With this he held up his other hand, heating blooming as fire came into being before being flicked almost carelessly at the fireplace.

"But the question is, how did you happen to gain these powers- And don't deny it. The tests Cid ran have confirmed the presence of magic, it even confirmed that your blood was in the process of recovering magic." He said waiting for an answer. But I had no means of response, if I told him the truth the jig was up, and none of the lies I could come up with would be practiced enough to hold under scrutiny. What about half truths- Didn't Shiva say that I already had magic? I could go with that, I guess.

"I don't know." I said quietly before adding. "I've just always had it."

He threw his head back and cackled releasing my neck.

"Fantastic. Absolutely fabulous. Let Leo's dogs fume, and Celes troops fumble. I have another mage-borne." He put a hand in his pocket before pulling something out. "You've said exactly what I wanted to hear. And for that I'll give you something you might want back."

With this he held out the small item, and I accepted the item. It was my shell fossil, from the trip I and my sister had taken with our friends. I gripped it and held it close to my chest. It was only a small thing, but it was precios now because I had nothing else from my sister. He couldn't have picked a more sentimental item, and he probably had no idea.

"You give me what I want," Kefka said quietly, "And I'll give something in return. You disobey me…."

He trailed off and rewarded me with only a dark look before turning to leave. I didnt say anything, I didn't call him on it, but my determination to leave was only further enforced by this. It was a method of control, and I recognized it I could mistake it for kindness, but that would be exactly what he wanted. No, it would be a mistake to grow complacent in this place. That was for certain.

A/N: Having Kefka talk to a relatively normal person is weird, FYI. Im trying to express him as not just being mad but erratic, and unpredictable as he is portrayed in the game. It would leave anyone unsettled, and confused. An Fea is no exception. She's wrong footed and scared enough as is without add a mad clown to the mix.