First off, I'm planning to change the title of the story, but ideas escape. Please suggest a good title if you have one in mind!
By the way, a magnolia is a flower, for those who don't know.
------------------------------
"M-mommy? Where.... where mommy?"
That voice.... what in the....
"Mom's.... mom's not here anymore. She.... had to go somewhere..."
I.... know that....girl.... she....
"Idiot.... Father didn't come.... that.... that lousy piece of..."
Father....?
"I hate you!"
Hate.....? Wait..... that......coffin.... couldn't be. No....no.... MOTHER!!!
****************
Cold hard sweat covered me as I got up from the bed. A dream. Just a dream, I said to myself. And.... a scary one at that. I was panting really hard, and my arms were all shaking like a nervous wreck. That dream was so real, so.... so vivid. Hah. Such things I tried to erase from my mind, but my subconcious still keeps them around like they just happened yesterday. For whatever reason, I really don't know. I pray it's a good reason.
I felt something strange in the air that night. Something was.... different. The air, atmosphere, you name it. It was like I was somewhere else. I looked outside...
"You must be.... Mint?"
The voice surprised me. I looked behind, and saw an old man, maybe in his 60's, with a long beard and worn-out robes looking at me. An aura of majesty surrounded him. Who was he? What's he doing here? How does he know my name? Well, I didn't have to ask anymore.
"My name is... Fayron. Mint, I know why you're here. Looking for the "Faded Tear", correct? I believe you need it to release your friend from Graythorne control.
I nodded in sheer amazement. Wow, first time I met a good aeon, and a rather talented one at that.
"Well, before that, I want you to look outside."
I looked outside. Strange red, blue and yellow colors waved across the night skies. Blood-curdling howls filled the air, mixed with the wails of a crying child, chilled me to the bones. Where the hell were we?
"We are.... in your mind."
My.... mind? What the...
"Let me explain. Years ago, your ancestor, Queen Leraya, tried to use Faded Tear to destroy Graythorne who resided in the mind of her dear friend, Deket. She went through this whole process before I let her use it. You see, the user of the [Relic] must be cleared of all doubt and worry when he or she uses it on the person. Leraya, however, still had doubts when she used it. It was because this [Relic], despite being powerful, had it's defects. She was afraid what the relic would do to him because he was an aeon, and consequently, wasn't able to completely eliminate Graythorne. I decided to this so as to help eliminate all doubt in your mind."
Speechless, I was. This was harder than it seemed.
"I can sense that you once wanted the relic for some other reason. I'm curious. I want to know why, to make sure I'm not giving it to you mistakingly. Please, go through the door."
The door in the cabin opened up, revealing a bright white light in the middle of perpetual darkness. It felt strange. I was attracted to it like a magnet. I looked at Fayron. He beckoned me to go, so I did. I approached cautiously and looked into the light. Before I knew it, I was enveloped in the light, and the world just spun around.
****************
"Mommy! Mommy! Let's go play"
"Okay honey. I'll be just a minute!"
A nice, serene field of flowers. Colorful flowers. The sound of the chirping birds, a laughing child and scent of Magnolias create an infinitely peaceful setting of playfulness. Such a place is a rarity in the world nowadays, but that doesn't seem to be the case in my head. Why that was, I don't know.
"Oh! Hello!"
The little girl approached me with a big smile on her face. She had pink hair in locks and a slightly dirty face. Hahaha...haha. I'm not going to deny it. I knew who this girl was.
"Hi! Watcha doing?"
"I'm playing with mom! Haha, I hope she brings daddy this time!"
Daddy. Dad...
"Mint! Mint, where are you?"
"Here! I'm coming, mom!"
Mom....
"Hey mom, is dad coming out to play this time?"
"Oh, sorry hon! He says he has work to do. He says he'll try to come next time. Sorry..."
".... I see."
The girl and her mom continued to play. There was a sudden change atmosphere. The birds were now singing a melancholy tune. The refreshing magnolia scent disappeared. The child was.... still laughing, a laughter of unreality. It felt like an empty, emotionless laugh. She was obviously faking it, just trying to keep her mom happy, and maybe even herself. All because her dad never came.
Dad.... he never comes anyway. Never ever.
****************
"Mom.... mom?"
"Hey hon! Don't worry, it's just a fever. I'll be okay in while."
"Mom? Where's Maya? Why isn't she here!"
"Don't *cough*cough* get.... get mad at your sister! She also has things she needs to do."
"But But! No! Even dad isn't here! What's wrong with him?"
"He *cough*... has more important things he must do. It's... it's all for the good of the kingdom. Nothing's going to happen."
I stood outside the door, listening to their conversation. She lay on that bed, speaking to her child, as if everything was alright. Yet, nothing was right. Something... something bad was gonna happen. She was sick. She didn't have much time to live. But she kept telling a lie to her child, her own child. Her child who devoted her entire life to her mother. Even her child knew what was going to happen to her mother. She knew...
Boy.... did she know...
Maya. Whenever she was truly needed, she never came. But as of recent, she changed. After father became ill she took on the management of the kingdom with flair and poise. She did her job excellently and diligently, never missing on her responsibilities. I guess what happened changed her for good.
......
I knew what I was going to see next. Something.... something I never want to see again. Painful memories. But.... Fayron says I need to see all of this again if he was to give me the Faded Tear. If I need to, then I will. If I need to.... then I will.
****************
"Today.... We mourn the passing of our beloved queen. It is sad to think that a lady of such grace and beauty should die so young. Despite her youth....."
The funeral. Mom's.... funeral. A day I've longed to forget, but ironically would be etched into the deepest recesses of my mind. A moment in my life that would...... bah. What the hell. I.... I don't wanna see this. This is complete bull-
*sob*sob*"Wahhh!"
A crying girl? Under that tree?
"No one! No one loves me!"
She's..... talking to herself.
"They.... always leave... me *sob*. Dad.... Maya.... why? Maya, you....you act like I don't exist. You never have time for me! Why?"
She sobbed some more. Poor thing...
"Daddy.... no, he isn't my dad! He didn't even come to.... to say goodbye to mom! He... he doesn't even care about me!"
......
****************
"So.... what have you seen?"
I couldn't speak.
"Pardon my intrusion, but I've also seen what you have seen in your mind. Now.... can you tell me why you wanted a [Relic] before?"
".... The claim to the throne was the only thing I had left. After.... after Maya and the royal advisors kicked me out, I lost everything I vere had. I.... had no mother, no sister, no kingdom, and definitely no father. I was desperate. I wanted something and someone to call my own. I had that in the form of my mom. But.... she had to die."
The confession of my life. I had it all inside me since I was a little child. Since mom's death my outlook on the world changed. I.... became afraid to love others and grow attached to them. I was afraid that, in this cruel and sinful world, I would just lose people all over again. Whether by circumstance or by the hand of others, I was afraid of it all.
"My father, was never really a father to me. He never had time for me. We grew so distant. When he began to break his promises, I began to hate him. I hated him intensely. My sister too.... was never really a sister to me. As we grew older, she grew too accustomed to herself. She became to obsessed with becoming queen. We grew so distant, to the point of also hating each other."
I sighed.
"Hah. I lost my entire family in the end. I became selfish after that. I wanted the [Relic] above all. I... I didn't give a damn about anything anymore. With the relic, I wanted to own the world! I wanted to make the world a place where I wouldn't feel.... feel lonely anymore. But.... in the process I.... I made hell for everyone else. Then.... Rue came along. He changed my views about the world. With him I.... I felt companionship. Something.... something I haven't felt for years. Something I yearned for all my life."
"But my selfishness got the better of me. In a flash, in an instant, all that I had hoped for came down in to rubble in the fort where I left him. I realized that.... that what I was doing was not the right path to find inner peace. I had no right to get my wants at the expense of others. I wanted to make the world a better place for myself, but my arrogance just made it worse for everybody. Haha.... I'm so pathetic."
I bowed my head as tears dripped onto the cabin floor. I wiped them away with first thing I found in my bag.
It was Rue's hat.
"This.... is all I have left of him. I have one last chance to make it right.... at least with him. I want to see him wear this again. That's the Rue I remember. That's the Rue I want back. And that's why I want your [Relic]."
I sat down by the bed, looking outside. It was the sunrise. A stunning, beautiful orange sunrise.
"Here, take this bracelet. Touch the forehead of the person being possesed while wearing it. Your bodies will fall into a slight coma as your mind enters his. Inside, you'll have to fight Graythorne and kill him. However, you must have a clear and doubtless mind when you fight him, or else you will not be able to defeat his conciousness."
I see. That sounded easy enough.
"However.... You must first eliminate the source of Graythorne's control and power inside the person's mind."
"his source of power....?"
"Yes. He gets his strength from the person's hate. The [Relic] will allow you find that part of him and erase it."
The source of Rue's hate.... It was more than obvious what his source of hate was.
"Dawn has broken. You should go."
Fayron began walking out of the cabin slowly. He went out, and silently closed the door behind him. I could hear him mumble something like...
"Please, fight him, and finally put my brother's hateful spirit to rest..."
I chased him outside to thank him, but as I got out, he was gone. Gone into the eternal white of the fallen snow.
"Thanks.... Fayron."
I walked towards the shed to take my horse. I never would have thought that this little transparent bracelet would be the [Relic] I needed to save Rue. It did have a mystic and enchanting shine to it. It glowed and seemed to flow like a rainbow in the water. Absolutely beautiful.
..... Footsteps?
"Hands up you royal bitch!!"
I held my hands up. I looked behind me. Dammit. A Kileskan soldier. How the hell did they get here?
"Scum!"
*POW*
"Ughuaaaa..... aaah."
The soldier punched me in the stomach. I lurched forward and fell on my knees, spitting fresh blood on his boots. I held my stomach in pain. Still, the worst was yet to come. I could feel it in my bones.
*THUD*
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
He kicked me on my chin, sending me flying a few feet away. I landed on a thin matress of hay, somewhat cusioning my fall. I was already coughing up somemore blood. I tried to reach for my rings and at least cast a healign spell. He went to me and stomped his heel on my left arm, the one in a bandage. The pain was nerve-wracking. I nearly fainted from the pain, but I was able to keep concious during the entire ordeal.
"Chain her up! The master wants to see her!"
More soldiers came from behind him, and picked me up. They searched me for my belongings, taking everything I had. They began tearing up some of my clothes, groping and touching me everywhere they could get their disgusting hands on. My arms were then bound behind me as a soldier slugged me from behind with the handle of his sword.
I was out cold. As my mind and vision began to darken, my heart feared for what would happen to me. I was so close, only to have this to happen. Now with the world dark around me, I began to wonder if this was it. If it was finally the end.
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A rather cliche-esque chapter, but it was the best I could make. Sorry. Please R&R and say what you think!
WARNING: THE NEXT CHAPTER INVOLVES SOME LANGUAGE, SLIGHTLY GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF TORTURE AND A LITTLE SEXUAL HARASSMENT. TECHNICALLY I'M PUSHING THE BORDER TO AN R RATING, BUT IT'S STILL PG-13, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.
By the way, a magnolia is a flower, for those who don't know.
------------------------------
"M-mommy? Where.... where mommy?"
That voice.... what in the....
"Mom's.... mom's not here anymore. She.... had to go somewhere..."
I.... know that....girl.... she....
"Idiot.... Father didn't come.... that.... that lousy piece of..."
Father....?
"I hate you!"
Hate.....? Wait..... that......coffin.... couldn't be. No....no.... MOTHER!!!
****************
Cold hard sweat covered me as I got up from the bed. A dream. Just a dream, I said to myself. And.... a scary one at that. I was panting really hard, and my arms were all shaking like a nervous wreck. That dream was so real, so.... so vivid. Hah. Such things I tried to erase from my mind, but my subconcious still keeps them around like they just happened yesterday. For whatever reason, I really don't know. I pray it's a good reason.
I felt something strange in the air that night. Something was.... different. The air, atmosphere, you name it. It was like I was somewhere else. I looked outside...
"You must be.... Mint?"
The voice surprised me. I looked behind, and saw an old man, maybe in his 60's, with a long beard and worn-out robes looking at me. An aura of majesty surrounded him. Who was he? What's he doing here? How does he know my name? Well, I didn't have to ask anymore.
"My name is... Fayron. Mint, I know why you're here. Looking for the "Faded Tear", correct? I believe you need it to release your friend from Graythorne control.
I nodded in sheer amazement. Wow, first time I met a good aeon, and a rather talented one at that.
"Well, before that, I want you to look outside."
I looked outside. Strange red, blue and yellow colors waved across the night skies. Blood-curdling howls filled the air, mixed with the wails of a crying child, chilled me to the bones. Where the hell were we?
"We are.... in your mind."
My.... mind? What the...
"Let me explain. Years ago, your ancestor, Queen Leraya, tried to use Faded Tear to destroy Graythorne who resided in the mind of her dear friend, Deket. She went through this whole process before I let her use it. You see, the user of the [Relic] must be cleared of all doubt and worry when he or she uses it on the person. Leraya, however, still had doubts when she used it. It was because this [Relic], despite being powerful, had it's defects. She was afraid what the relic would do to him because he was an aeon, and consequently, wasn't able to completely eliminate Graythorne. I decided to this so as to help eliminate all doubt in your mind."
Speechless, I was. This was harder than it seemed.
"I can sense that you once wanted the relic for some other reason. I'm curious. I want to know why, to make sure I'm not giving it to you mistakingly. Please, go through the door."
The door in the cabin opened up, revealing a bright white light in the middle of perpetual darkness. It felt strange. I was attracted to it like a magnet. I looked at Fayron. He beckoned me to go, so I did. I approached cautiously and looked into the light. Before I knew it, I was enveloped in the light, and the world just spun around.
****************
"Mommy! Mommy! Let's go play"
"Okay honey. I'll be just a minute!"
A nice, serene field of flowers. Colorful flowers. The sound of the chirping birds, a laughing child and scent of Magnolias create an infinitely peaceful setting of playfulness. Such a place is a rarity in the world nowadays, but that doesn't seem to be the case in my head. Why that was, I don't know.
"Oh! Hello!"
The little girl approached me with a big smile on her face. She had pink hair in locks and a slightly dirty face. Hahaha...haha. I'm not going to deny it. I knew who this girl was.
"Hi! Watcha doing?"
"I'm playing with mom! Haha, I hope she brings daddy this time!"
Daddy. Dad...
"Mint! Mint, where are you?"
"Here! I'm coming, mom!"
Mom....
"Hey mom, is dad coming out to play this time?"
"Oh, sorry hon! He says he has work to do. He says he'll try to come next time. Sorry..."
".... I see."
The girl and her mom continued to play. There was a sudden change atmosphere. The birds were now singing a melancholy tune. The refreshing magnolia scent disappeared. The child was.... still laughing, a laughter of unreality. It felt like an empty, emotionless laugh. She was obviously faking it, just trying to keep her mom happy, and maybe even herself. All because her dad never came.
Dad.... he never comes anyway. Never ever.
****************
"Mom.... mom?"
"Hey hon! Don't worry, it's just a fever. I'll be okay in while."
"Mom? Where's Maya? Why isn't she here!"
"Don't *cough*cough* get.... get mad at your sister! She also has things she needs to do."
"But But! No! Even dad isn't here! What's wrong with him?"
"He *cough*... has more important things he must do. It's... it's all for the good of the kingdom. Nothing's going to happen."
I stood outside the door, listening to their conversation. She lay on that bed, speaking to her child, as if everything was alright. Yet, nothing was right. Something... something bad was gonna happen. She was sick. She didn't have much time to live. But she kept telling a lie to her child, her own child. Her child who devoted her entire life to her mother. Even her child knew what was going to happen to her mother. She knew...
Boy.... did she know...
Maya. Whenever she was truly needed, she never came. But as of recent, she changed. After father became ill she took on the management of the kingdom with flair and poise. She did her job excellently and diligently, never missing on her responsibilities. I guess what happened changed her for good.
......
I knew what I was going to see next. Something.... something I never want to see again. Painful memories. But.... Fayron says I need to see all of this again if he was to give me the Faded Tear. If I need to, then I will. If I need to.... then I will.
****************
"Today.... We mourn the passing of our beloved queen. It is sad to think that a lady of such grace and beauty should die so young. Despite her youth....."
The funeral. Mom's.... funeral. A day I've longed to forget, but ironically would be etched into the deepest recesses of my mind. A moment in my life that would...... bah. What the hell. I.... I don't wanna see this. This is complete bull-
*sob*sob*"Wahhh!"
A crying girl? Under that tree?
"No one! No one loves me!"
She's..... talking to herself.
"They.... always leave... me *sob*. Dad.... Maya.... why? Maya, you....you act like I don't exist. You never have time for me! Why?"
She sobbed some more. Poor thing...
"Daddy.... no, he isn't my dad! He didn't even come to.... to say goodbye to mom! He... he doesn't even care about me!"
......
****************
"So.... what have you seen?"
I couldn't speak.
"Pardon my intrusion, but I've also seen what you have seen in your mind. Now.... can you tell me why you wanted a [Relic] before?"
".... The claim to the throne was the only thing I had left. After.... after Maya and the royal advisors kicked me out, I lost everything I vere had. I.... had no mother, no sister, no kingdom, and definitely no father. I was desperate. I wanted something and someone to call my own. I had that in the form of my mom. But.... she had to die."
The confession of my life. I had it all inside me since I was a little child. Since mom's death my outlook on the world changed. I.... became afraid to love others and grow attached to them. I was afraid that, in this cruel and sinful world, I would just lose people all over again. Whether by circumstance or by the hand of others, I was afraid of it all.
"My father, was never really a father to me. He never had time for me. We grew so distant. When he began to break his promises, I began to hate him. I hated him intensely. My sister too.... was never really a sister to me. As we grew older, she grew too accustomed to herself. She became to obsessed with becoming queen. We grew so distant, to the point of also hating each other."
I sighed.
"Hah. I lost my entire family in the end. I became selfish after that. I wanted the [Relic] above all. I... I didn't give a damn about anything anymore. With the relic, I wanted to own the world! I wanted to make the world a place where I wouldn't feel.... feel lonely anymore. But.... in the process I.... I made hell for everyone else. Then.... Rue came along. He changed my views about the world. With him I.... I felt companionship. Something.... something I haven't felt for years. Something I yearned for all my life."
"But my selfishness got the better of me. In a flash, in an instant, all that I had hoped for came down in to rubble in the fort where I left him. I realized that.... that what I was doing was not the right path to find inner peace. I had no right to get my wants at the expense of others. I wanted to make the world a better place for myself, but my arrogance just made it worse for everybody. Haha.... I'm so pathetic."
I bowed my head as tears dripped onto the cabin floor. I wiped them away with first thing I found in my bag.
It was Rue's hat.
"This.... is all I have left of him. I have one last chance to make it right.... at least with him. I want to see him wear this again. That's the Rue I remember. That's the Rue I want back. And that's why I want your [Relic]."
I sat down by the bed, looking outside. It was the sunrise. A stunning, beautiful orange sunrise.
"Here, take this bracelet. Touch the forehead of the person being possesed while wearing it. Your bodies will fall into a slight coma as your mind enters his. Inside, you'll have to fight Graythorne and kill him. However, you must have a clear and doubtless mind when you fight him, or else you will not be able to defeat his conciousness."
I see. That sounded easy enough.
"However.... You must first eliminate the source of Graythorne's control and power inside the person's mind."
"his source of power....?"
"Yes. He gets his strength from the person's hate. The [Relic] will allow you find that part of him and erase it."
The source of Rue's hate.... It was more than obvious what his source of hate was.
"Dawn has broken. You should go."
Fayron began walking out of the cabin slowly. He went out, and silently closed the door behind him. I could hear him mumble something like...
"Please, fight him, and finally put my brother's hateful spirit to rest..."
I chased him outside to thank him, but as I got out, he was gone. Gone into the eternal white of the fallen snow.
"Thanks.... Fayron."
I walked towards the shed to take my horse. I never would have thought that this little transparent bracelet would be the [Relic] I needed to save Rue. It did have a mystic and enchanting shine to it. It glowed and seemed to flow like a rainbow in the water. Absolutely beautiful.
..... Footsteps?
"Hands up you royal bitch!!"
I held my hands up. I looked behind me. Dammit. A Kileskan soldier. How the hell did they get here?
"Scum!"
*POW*
"Ughuaaaa..... aaah."
The soldier punched me in the stomach. I lurched forward and fell on my knees, spitting fresh blood on his boots. I held my stomach in pain. Still, the worst was yet to come. I could feel it in my bones.
*THUD*
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
He kicked me on my chin, sending me flying a few feet away. I landed on a thin matress of hay, somewhat cusioning my fall. I was already coughing up somemore blood. I tried to reach for my rings and at least cast a healign spell. He went to me and stomped his heel on my left arm, the one in a bandage. The pain was nerve-wracking. I nearly fainted from the pain, but I was able to keep concious during the entire ordeal.
"Chain her up! The master wants to see her!"
More soldiers came from behind him, and picked me up. They searched me for my belongings, taking everything I had. They began tearing up some of my clothes, groping and touching me everywhere they could get their disgusting hands on. My arms were then bound behind me as a soldier slugged me from behind with the handle of his sword.
I was out cold. As my mind and vision began to darken, my heart feared for what would happen to me. I was so close, only to have this to happen. Now with the world dark around me, I began to wonder if this was it. If it was finally the end.
------------------
A rather cliche-esque chapter, but it was the best I could make. Sorry. Please R&R and say what you think!
WARNING: THE NEXT CHAPTER INVOLVES SOME LANGUAGE, SLIGHTLY GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF TORTURE AND A LITTLE SEXUAL HARASSMENT. TECHNICALLY I'M PUSHING THE BORDER TO AN R RATING, BUT IT'S STILL PG-13, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.