DISCLAIMER: Final Fantasy 2/IV and all FFIV characters are the property of Square.

As always, reviews and comments are very welcome, also because I'm from Europe and no native English speaker...

I'd also like to thank all the people which read the first part of the story "Trust" and encouraged me to continue writing!

Three sides of the moon

Part 2: Betrayal

Prologue

The Awakening

A water drop from a crystal stalagmite dripped on the face of the sleeping man.

"Wake up!"

The eyelids of the man began to tremble lightly, and a soft moan escaped his lips.

"Wake up..."

Slowly, the man opened his eyes... For a moment he just watched the crystalline ceiling of the cave he was lying in, listening to the quiet, soft voice in his mind:

"Wake up, - it is time..."

"Time? Time for what?" His lips formed the words slowly; his eyes still rigidly fixed to the ceiling. "Is this a dream?"

The voice inside his head ceased, as he tried to sit up. His limbs hurt terribly...

"FuSoYa?" he mumbled weakly, "Is it you?"

There was only silence around him and the dripping of the water...

"Uncle? Why am I awake?"

The man slowly turned his head. In the wall next to him several sleeping people were laying in niches. As he turned around, he looked in an empty one.

"I wonder how I got on the floor," he mumbled, still feeling sleepy and dizzy from his long slumber. He stood up and walked a few steps, his boots cracking the crystal floor slightly, as he suddenly heard a soft hum.

"FuSoYa?" As the man followed the noise, he passed the sleeping place of a very old looking man with flowing white hair and beard. He did not move an inch.

The man raised an eyebrow, then turned his attention to the noise again. On the opposite side of the room stood a mirror...

Cautiously, he stepped up to the device and peered into it:

In the reflection he could see himself: He was a tall man about thirty with long, black hair, which fell freely over his shoulders and was disheveled due to his long sleep. He was slender but looked strong and was clad in black armor that made him look impressive. The man was studying calmly his reflection with his two highly intelligent eyes, which had also a soft touch in them as though they wanted to betray the remaining appearance of the man. Their softness disappeared though, as the man raised an eyebrow, an ironical smile on his lips, nearly haughty. Suddenly the reflection blurred. The man frowned slightly and reached out for the mirror with a slender hand - as his fingertips touched it, the blurring changed slowly to a lush forest. His smile vanished, his expression suddenly a grieving one, and he lowered his gaze as if he was dwelling on memories of the past. He slowly began to trace the outlines of a tree with his finger, his eyes lost in a darkness only known to him, as suddenly his hand went through the mirror like through water.

Before he could pull his hand back, someone, or something seemed to pull him inside it. The man ached as he tried to fight against it, but it was too late - he was already surrounded by swirling magic energies which were filling him, as well. The last thing he perceived before he dropped unconscious was the voice which had woken him up:

"Join us..."