Unholy Crusade
Act 2: Breaking Point
Chapter 3: The People of Pine Brook: Selena's Sins, Part 2
((Author's Note & Warning: This chapter is a long one, and deals with some religious issues. If talks of Christianity, untrue statements of Christianity, or negative statments of any religion bother you, I'm sorry. This chapter will not be edited for that, since it is very important with the events. But, to those who don't know me, I have no religion and I appologize for any hurtful statements. And since this chapter is very long, there will be no end of episode bonus this time. There will be one next chapter, promise. Thank you very much, and enjoy this long awaited chapter.))
~~RECAP~~
Cell then walked away from the tent, and up the hill. He stopped at the very top, and sat in the grass. He watched the tent from where he was, watching over Selena as she slept. He bowed his head in respect.
'What a sad and horrible story for any woman to tell.........'
Something that looked suspiciously like a tear was squeezed from one pink eye and trickled down his beak.
'She was only twelve years old.........'
~~~~~~~~
Cell spent early morning up one of the few trees in the plain. It was bountiful with leaves, hiding him almost completely. He could only be spotted if someone was looking for him.
He kept his eyes on Selena's tent, trying to see if there was any movement since he last talked to her. For the last few hours, there was nothing at all.
'She looked on the verge of crying......
'Feh, she's stronger than that. I'll laugh if she cried herself to sleep.
'...............
'I wonder when she'll wake up. Soon, I hope.
'What will she answer tonight?
'Will she spare Pine Brook or let me absorb the villagers?
'I'm curious what she will say.......'
He heard rumbling off in the distance, and looked over his shoulder. He could see a gigantic flock of chocobo running around on the other side of the hill, and were being herded by two people on saddled chocobo.
'Wait a minute.......
'Selena was raised in a village not far from here, right?
'Does that make her a chocobo farming hick like the people here?'
He chuckled to himself.
"Heh, heh. I can't picture Selena as a ranch hand in some Irish hick town...."
*****************
"ATCHOO!"
Selena sneezed herself awake, sitting up in her sleeping bag.
"Aw, don't tell me I'm coming down with something......"
She rubbed her nose on her sweats sleeve, and sighed. She didn't sleep much. In fact, when she did sleep, she had the dream again......
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Selena began to run.
Everything seemed so slow.
Her foot touched the water like it was solid ground.
She began to run across the water, slightly disturbing the stillness of the lake with slow ripples.
She looked down at her feet and stopped running.
The water rippled out from her feet, warping her reflection in the lake.
She looked at the reflection.
Something was odd about it.
As the ripples began to calm, the reflection became clear.
The reflection was not Selena.
It was Cell.
Selena's heart filled with fear.
Her face paled.
Her eyes widened.
Her breath was stolen away.
The reflection did not move.
"No!" she cried, putting her hands to the side of her head.
The reflection put his hands to the side of his head.
"No! This isn't right!" she screamed. "Go away!".
She kicked the surface of the lake with all her might.
The water suddenly burst into strange, sickly yellow flames.
Selena fell into the flames, feeling no pain.
From the flickering fires, human hands, arms, and the faces of skulls appeared.
The skulls were screaming in horror and pain.
The hands grabbed for Selena.
The arms tried to pin her in one place.
Selena tried to struggle out of them, trying to reach the other side of the lake.
The hands scratched her.
The arms pummeled her with lariats.
The skulls tried to bite her.
She swam through the fire as though it was water.
It all felt like strong gravity trying to drag her down into the yellow flames.
Almost to the other side.
"Sakura!" Selena yelled, reaching out her hand.
The tiny hand seemed so far away, yet was so very close.
Selena jumped foreword to grab the hand.
"Sakura!".
Many hands grabbed her and hoisted her in the air.
Hands from the fire.
Selena was plunged into the flames.
She was dragged down, down, down.
She fell into clawing, biting, yellow emptiness.
"SAKURAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!".
All was black.
She could feel herself moving down.
Into the black.
She wasn't falling.
She was being dragged down.
Her hair flowed around her face as though she was underwater.
"Sakura.I have failed you.
I'm sorry."
)))Selena?(((
A voice was calling out to her.
It was loud, and very clear.
And all around.
Selena opened her eyes and saw nothing but black.
"Who's there?" she called.
)))You have failed no one, Selena.(((
The voice came from everywhere around her.
The voice was the black.
"What do you mean?"
)))You have failed at nothing.
)))You are still young and have much to learn.
)))You are a great and powerful guardian.
)))Look inside yourself and see the light, not the darkness.(((
"Who are you?" Selena called into the black.
There was no response.
"Hello?".
The black did not respond.
"Come back!".
She continued to be pulled further and further into the darkness.
She couldn't take it anymore.
"GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
~~~~~~~~~~
"What is up with this dream?" she asked herself. "Why do I keep having it every night? It'd be nice to have another dream once in a while...."
She had just finished getting dressed in her gi and had started tying her hair in a ponytail. She was just about ready for Krillin to stop by and get out of the area.
But then again......Cell was going to attack Pine Brook tonight.....
She felt she had to stay......
.....then she slapped herself in the face.
"How did that get in my head? Me, stay here? Yeah, bloody, right!"
She finished tying off her ponytail and straightening her bangs before capsulizing her suitcases and sleeping bag.
"Okay, now I wait. C'mon, Krillin, let's get the hell outta here."
She waited about two minutes before she heard rumbling close by. She didn't think it was too strange until she felt the vibrations in the ground. She cautiously put a hand on the ground to feel exactly what it was.
It wasn't a steady shaking, it felt more mixed, as though there were hundreds of feet causing it.
Hundreds of feet, pounding together.....
It took some thinking back, but it hit her like a baseball bat.
"STAMPEDE!"
She quickly ran out the tent before a massive flock of chocobo ran over the hill and flattened it. She ran down the hill, picking up momentum, but the giant birds' long strides caught up with her, and soon she was swept into the stampede of yellow feathers, scared squawks, and pounding feet.
Selena tried not to panic; she had been in chocobo stampedes before. She knew all she had to do was hop on one of them and ride it out until the flock stopped. She looked around to see which was the closest to grab, but all of them were moving too fast.
'C'mon, opportunity, c'mon......'
Suddenly, she tripped. She tried to curl up into a ball to keep from being trampled, but that was a bad idea. She was steped on and kicked over by hundreds of clawed feet. She tumbled back up to a stand and tried to run again.
'Ouch...........now what?'
Then, she heard a loud and very high pitched "WARK!" before she was hoisted up by the back of her shirt and placed on a chocobo's back. She was surprised to see it was saddled and reigned already. Taking it to her advantage, she grabbed the reigns and ushered it over to the outside lines of the stampede.
"Yaa, boy!"
"Coo! Coo!"
The bird swiftly followed her command, running through open spots of the flock. Finally, they reached the outside of the flock and ran away from the mass of giant birds. Selena stopped the chocobo at a safe distance, watching the stampede turn from the village and herded back up the hill.
"I owe you one......" she said to the bird, petting its head. It suddenly whistled at her, a few happy notes.
"Fwo-rwo-rwo!"
Selena froze. She couldn't believe it.
"General!" she cried, leaning over and hugging the chocobo's long neck. "I can't believe it, it's you!" The bird also happily cawed, recognizing her. "Oh, I missed you so much, General. Lookit you, you've grown a lot bigger! You've been eatin' good, right?"
She sat back up and rubbed his head feathers, smiling.
"It's been a while, eh boy?"
Suddenly, the happy reunion was broken by a loud cry...
"STOP! THIEF!"
"Eh?"
There was a loud BANG!, and Selena toppled off the saddle. Before she hit the ground, she felt blood oozing from the bullet wound in her chest.
************************
Krillin and Sakura got their stuff packed up and were ready to leave the inn.
"I'm hungry." Sakura moaned.
"I'm sure Selena has something for us to eat later." Krillin smiled at the girl. "So, let's go find her."
"Okay!" the little girl chirped.
She went to the window to look down at the street below as Krillin fastened the suitcase shut.
'Well, so far so good......
'Only the innkeeper was the creepy thing about this place.
'I guess I'll ask Selena if she's sure Pine Brooks was the place.
'It's just a nice, little farming village with nice, little people......'
"Krillin-san, look!" Sakura pointed down onto the street. "Everyone's all together!"
"Huh?"
Krillin went to the window to look. He noticed that a lot of the villagers were gathering further down the street, and they were all a-buzz. Something had happened.
"C'mon, let's go see." Krillin decided. He headed out of the room, and Sakura followed. They found Kirkland downstairs about to head out the door.
"Hey!" Krillin called. "What's going on outside?"
"Chocobo thief, by th' look ove it." Kirkland answered, walking out the door. "It's common 'round heyre."
Krillin followed after him.
"Chocobo thief?"
***********************
Everyone was gathered around the barnhouse where Farley kept his flock. Even Farley himself was having trouble getting through the crowd.
" 'Scuse mey. Pardon mey. Must get thrugh....."
Krillin and Sakura managed to tunnel their way through the crowd to get a better view. Krillin saw Farley heading for the barn, and something else right behind him. It looked like a seven foot tall cat with blue fur and a long horn on top its head; it stood on two legs and was wearing primal dress. It was also carrying a person in its muscular arms.
Krillin recognized the blue feline, and instantly freaked.
"It-it-it-it'sa-it'sa-it'sa-it'sa Ronso!"
"Kitty!" Sakura cheered happily.
"Dangerous kitty." Krillin insisted. "Stay back, Sakura."
'What in the world is a Ronso doing down here? And a mountain Ronso at that...
'Why would a mountain Ronso be on the plains?'
Not noticing the two, Farley opened the barn doors.
"Take 'er inside, Banta." he told the Ronso. "I'll follow ya." As the Ronso, Banta, walked inside the barn, Farley turned back to the crowd. "HOYE! FLANNAGIN!"
"Aye!" a call was heard in the crowd.
"Go in tuu! Shey's hurt baad!"
"Wot?" Flannagin asked, stepping out of the crowd.
"Don't let 'er die." Farley ordered. "You gotta help 'er."
"Alright, alright." Flannagin nodded with a sigh. "I'll seey wot I caan do."
As the village doctor walked into the barn, everyone started pressing Farley for questions.
"Alright, alright, settle down now!" Farley ordered, and the villagers fell quiet. "Well, Banta N I were herden the chocobo like usual, since it's they graisin' time, N then I heard ol' Betsy start squawkin' up'a storm. 'Parently, somethin' in this one tree scared 'er. Well, thaat got th' whole flock ina uproar, N they started stampedin' to th' village.
"I told Banta, I said 'We gotta keep 'em outta th' village!', then we rode after 'em. Just aas we came down th' hill, then ol' General....he bucked me right off, N headed inta th' flock. I was 'bout ta go in the flock meself to stop 'im, but Banta made the flock turn away from th' village before they culd storm it. Then, I notice General a ways away, N this girl was sittin on 'im. I figure to meself "Not anotha theif....", so I pull out me gun, a-callin' 'STOP! THIEF!' and shoot 'er.
"Then, the strangest thin' haappened. I walked ova to General N the girl to see if I killed 'er or nuut, N ol' General threw a bloody fit. 'E stood ova her like 'e waas protectin' a chick froma fox. 'E wuldn't let me neer her. Well, Banta finally came back, N I thought 'Guud, aat least all me chocobo listen ta ol' Banta...' N General bit 'im! Right on his paw!"
The villagers were looking at each other uncertanly. Krillin wasn't sure what that ment, but he knew better than to be cross with a Ronso. Ronso angered very easily, to his knowledge.
"Well," Farley continued, "I said ta Banta, 'Thisa weird. I've only seen ol General do this once, N thaat was when I broke me leg N fell. General did wot he's doin' now, N 'E wuldn't let anyone neer me.' Banta got by ol' General anyway, N we brought her baack here. Thaat's when I thought 'General wuld neva protect a thief like thaat, unless shey wasn't a thief in th' first place.' "
"So, who is she?" Kirkland wondered.
"Dunno." Farley shrugged. "But we'll find out. Oh," he gasped, "N one more thin'. Banta N I found 'er tent on th' hill. Got all 'er stuff tuu. So, shey was camped just outside th' village. Dunno why, but I'll ask."
"Tent on the hill?" Krillin scratched his forehead. "Why would...."
'Wait a minute.......
'Oh my God!
'Selena!'
************************
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Selena began to run.
Everything seemed so slow.
Her foot touched the water like it was solid ground.
She began to run across the water, slightly disturbing the stillness of the lake with slow ripples.
She looked down at her feet and stopped running.
The water rippled out from her feet, warping her reflection in the lake.
She looked at the reflection.
Something was odd about it.
As the ripples began to calm, the reflection became clear.
The reflection was not Selena.
It was Cell.
Selena's heart filled with fear.
Her face paled.
Her eyes widened.
Her breath was stolen away.
The reflection did not move.
"No!" she cried, putting her hands to the side of her head.
The reflection put his hands to the side of his head.
"No! This isn't right!" she screamed. "Go away!".
She raised her foot to kick at her reflection...
Then, she noticed the reflection was smiling at her...
It was daring her...
She shook her head...
"Who cares about this?!" she yelled...
She kept running across the water...
She finally reached the other side...
She lowered herself down on one knee to the girl's body...
"Sakura? Are you alright?"...
There was no responce from the child...
Selena shook the girl's shoulders...
"Sakura..."
The face of the child rolled in her direction...
It wasn't Sakura...
Selena recognized it, and froze...
"It's......me?!"...
It was her as a child...
In Sakura's clothes...
Lying in a pool of her own blood...
Selena felt the tears fill her eyes...
"This.....can't be...."...
Selena.......
It was a voice...
It was not a voice of the black...
It was Cell...
She turned to see that he was hovering over the water...
His arms were crossed...
His tail wrapped around his legs, and the syringe resting on his feet...
There was no emotion on his face...
Selena picked up the body, and stood...
"You did this!" she shouted...
No. You did....
"That's a lie!"...
You have failed, Selena...
It was you who killed Yukii...
It was you who killed Derak...
It will be you that all the people of Earth will die......
"THAT'S A LIE! ALL OF IT!"...
Give her to me....
Selena looked down at the girl in her arms...
She shook her head...
"No!"...
Cell hissed at her...
KSSSSSSSSSST!...
The flames rose from the water...
Wailing skulls, bony hands...
The blood rained down from the sky...
Selena collapsed to her knees, clutching the body...
"I'll protect you..." she whispered to it...
She felt the darkness close in around her...
"Don't cry..." she said to the body...
"I'll protect you..."...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Selena soon regained conciousness, and opened her eyes.
'The dream.....
'It changed.....
'What's going on? What is it trying to tell me?'
She looked around her and found herself in a familiar setting. It looked like a house she had been in before. She was on a couch in a large living room. Nearby was a small kitchen, and someone was making hotcakes on the stove.
She tried to sit up, but the pain forced her to lay back down. Just as she touched the bandaged wound, a giant blue hand put itself on her chest. It was tipped with black claws and covered in a light fur. Selena's gaze went up it's arm, and finally to a being. It was a mountain Ronso by the look of it, and that made her eyes widen in fear.
"Wh...what the..."
"Stay down." he quietly commanded.
Selena froze. Although soft and quiet, that voice had a slight amount of power in it.
"Okay." she agreed, nodding. "I...I will."
"Hoye, Banta?" a voice called from another room. "How she doin'?"
Selena freaked, and covered her face in her hands with a whimper.
'Oh God, it's Farley!
'I'm in Pine Brook! How did I get here?'
She took one hand off her face to peek at him. Nope, he hadn't changed at all. Red hair, tanned skin, muscular as ever. And let's not forget that dashing smile to go with it. Banta looked up at Farley, not saying a word. Farley just nodded at him.
"I'll talk to 'er. Here, go check on th' chocoboes for me, will ya? I'll haave lunch ready when ya get back."
Banta took his hand off Selena's chest as he stood up and walked to a barn door. Farley took his place in the opposite chair as the woman covered her face again.
"Are you alright, darlin'?"
"Where am I?! How did I get here?!"
"Hoye, calm down. This is Pine Brook, small liddle village. See, uh......you were on one ove me chocoboes, N I thought you was some thief, lass."
Selena frowned under her hands.
"I was rudely awakened by a stampede of chocobo. I could've been killed!"
"Aye, thaat tent was right in th' middle ove th' hill. Why didn't you go into town N stay at th' inn?"
Selena gasped.
'Inn?
'Kirkland is still here?!'
She quickly made up a lie.
"I don't have the money."
"For th' inn? I'm sure ya do, lass. Say, wot's yer name anyway? I'm Duke Farley."
Selena huffed, taking her hands off her face.
'Well, he only knows the name Shikimi.....
'And I certainly look different than I did when I was twelve....'
"Selena."
"Oooooh, an American?"
Continuing to lie, Selena nodded her head.
"Well, welcome to Ireland, Selena."
"Now, how did I get here? I'm injured."
"Uh.....heh, heh, heh." Farley rubbed the back of his head. "Thaat was me own fault. See, when I though you was a chocobo thief, I shot ya. But, I got th' village doctor ta fix you up, so you'll be fine now."
Selena rubbed a hand over her bandaged wound. It hurt even at the slightest touch.
"So, I got shot?"
"Lucky ta be alive, tuu." Farley nodded. "So, ta say I'm sorry, you caan stay here for a while. Flannagin said you'd be walkin' around as soon as tonight."
Selena shook her head.
"Thank you, but I have to be going. I can't stay here."
"Why not?"
Selena made a sad face, knowing she couldn't tell him.
"I......just can't."
Suddenly, the door burst open.
"SELENA-SAN!"
Selena looked up to see Sakura running through the doors that led from the barn. Krillin was right behind her, walking backwards neverously.
"Nice kitty...." he calmed. "Good kitty.......Good Ronso.......please don't eat me....."
Sakura immediatly went to Selena's side, hugging the girl. Selena winced in pain as she hugged back.
"Easy." she warned. "It hurts a lot."
Krillin then came over to her.
"Oh, man. When I heard it was you, we had to come and see you. Are you okay?"
"Krillin, I was shot in the chest. It just missed my heart by the feel of it. You think I'm okay?"
"Oh, sorry. Hey, at least you're still alive."
Farley looked at the two in confusion.
"You two know 'er?"
"She's our friend!" Sakura insisted.
"Eh.....well...." Krillin tried to come up with a good lie. The last thing he wanted to do was get Selena in trouble. "She's.....an......old friend of ours......and....we were....going to meet up in Dublin! Yeah, we were all headed to Dublin for a get together!"
"You don't have to lie for me, Krillin." Selena insisted. "I didn't have money for the inn, so I let you guys have an inn room for yourselves."
Farley scratched his head in even more confusion.
"What the devil is going on?"
"Uh...." Selena grinned at Farley. "Mr. Farley? I need to talk to them alone for a minute? Can you step outside a second?"
"Well, lemme check on th' cakes, N you all can talk privatly as long as you want."
********************
As soon as Selena was sure no one else was around, she turned to Krillin and Sakura for the bad news.
"Cell is going to attack this village tonight."
"What?" Krillin gasped. Sakura clung to him in fear.
Selena nodded.
"I can't just sit here. We have to do something."
"But......you're still injured." Krillin reasoned. "You can't fight."
"Farley said I'd be okay by nightfall, so my shot wound isn't the problem."
"But still...." Krillin tried to argue.
"What's the problem?" Sakura asked. "You can fight. Right, Selena-san?"
Selena suddenly remembered what Cell told her, and hung her head.
'Selena..........after what you just told me.............I want to know from you......
'Is Pine Brooks worth saving?'
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.
"There's no problem." she insisted. "Tonight, Krillin and I are giving it our all. Sakura, I want you to stay with Farley, okay? He's a gun collector, he can protect you."
Sakura nodded.
"Don't get hurt."
"I'm not worrying about that now." Selena insisted with a smirk. "We'll wait until nightfall before we worry about anything."
********************
Banta grunted in frustration. It was going to rain soon, and the change of weather was upsetting the chocoboes. In fact, they were so upset, they wouldn't let Banta near them.
He was trying to reign them inside their stalls to keep them in their pins, but they weren't cooperating. Banta was getting frustrated. They weren't paying attention to him, and squacking at him when he touched them. The bite General gave him was enough to make him feel errataded, but the entire flock.......
The back door to the barn opened, making him turn his head to see who it was. It was the girl. She was walking around, still bandaged, and rotating her shoulders. She saw the Ronso and smiled.
"Sorry for barging in." she waved. "Just wanted to check the sky outside."
Banta turned away from her with a frown, and went back to his work. Selena walked across the barn to the outside set of doors. She easily pushed them open and looked up at the sky.
"Oh, yuck! It's overcast! What is with the weather lately? Damn pre-fall weather..."
"WARK! WARK!"
Selena looked back inside the barn, to see Banta struggling with a chocobo to put on its reigns. It cawed at him in annoyance and leaned its head away. Banta snarled and growled in frustration. Selena smiled and shook her head.
"Hey, do you need help?"
Banta looked at her a moment.
"You should not be walking." he insisted.
"Hey," Selena shruged, "I feel fine. The doctor said I'd be okay by tonight, and I'm not feeling pain at all."
"You should not be walking."
Selena frowned at him.
"I said I'm fine." She started walking towards him. "Now, I think you need help with that chocobo. Can I try?"
Banta lowered and shook his head, seeing that it was futile to get the woman to do what he said. She was worse than these stuborn chocoboes.....
He stepped aside as she came up to the stable.
"Now, who do we have in here? I don't recognize her...." She looked at the name on the door of the stall. She gasped in surprise. "Lucile? Oh, my goodness, Lucile? Is that really you?!" She stood on her toes and patted the giant bird's head. "Lookit you! Lookit you! You're all grown up! I remember when you were a chick! Wow!" She opened the stall door. "Farley taking care of you? I'm amazed how much General has grown too, and he's an old guy."
Banta watched on in fascination. Selena then took the reigns from the door, and walked into the stall. She made sure the door was secure, then started petting down the bird's neck.
"C'mon, Lucile, you've had to do this several times. We need to leash ya so that you won't accidentally run out of the barn." She attempted to loop the reign over the bird's beak, but Lucile squacked in protest. "Oh, c'mon, girl. It's for your own good. You could get stolen, or eaten by a wolf or some horrible creature out on the plains...."
She froze a moment.
'Horrible creature......
'Like Cell.....
'He's coming here tonight.....
'What am I going to do?'
She shook her head fiercely to get out of her own thoughts. Then, she continued with the dillema with Lucile.
"It doesn't even hurt. C'mon, girl."
The chocobo continued to be stubborn. Selena just looped the reigns on the door, and pulled herself up to the top of the stall to look at Banta.
"Has she always been like this?"
"Yes."
"Well, she obveiously doesn't like being reigned. Chocobo have their own personalities, and they all prefer different things than others do. They're just like people in a sence."
Selena thought for a minute.
"Do you know what her favorite food is?"
Banta walked up to the stall, and easily reached over the stall to pat Lucile's head.
"Green oats."
"Is there a bucket of oats around here?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Can I have that bucket please?"
Banta growled for a minute, then walked to the far end of the barn. He grabbed a bucket filled with tiny oat grains, and walked back to the stall. He raised the bucket to her, but she only grabbed a handful of oats before jumping back down to the ground.
"Here you go, Lucile." she cooed, holding her hand out to the chocobo. "You're favorite treat."
"Coo!" Lucile pecked on several of the grains in Selena's hand. When they were completely gone from Selena's palm, she rubbed the bird's head and beak with both her hands. "Are you in a better mood? Yes, you are." she started to baby talk. "Yes, you are, Lucile. That's so much better." Taking one hand off the bird's head, she opened the stall door. "Okay, I'll take the whole bucket, please."
Banta handed it to her. She closed the stall again. Banta pulled himself up so that he could see what Selena was doing. He watched as she poured everything in the bucket into the trove next to the bird. Lucile lowered her head to eat more of her treat. While the bird was occupied, Selena took the reigns off the door. She slowly and carefully roped the reigns around the beak and head, petting Lucile's head in comfort. Then, giving some slack on the leather cord, she tied the end of the reign to the stall door in a tight knot. Giving the bird some pats on the back, Selena then climbed out of the stall. She turned to Banta with a smile.
"It helps to occupy them with their favorite things, like a favorite food or toy. It helps to calm them down." She smiled at him. "Say, what's your name?"
Following proper Ronso introductions, Banta stood straight and tall, bore his teeth, and pounded once on his chest with a gigantic fist.
"Banta Ronso." he growled. Selena blinked at him in astonishment.
"Er........" Then, she held out her hand. "And my name is Selena. It's nice to meet you, Banta."
Banta stared at her hand, not sure what to do.
Selena half frowned.
"Do you know how to shake hands?"
Understanding, Banta took her hand into one of his own, and shook it once before letting go. Selena smiled.
"How long have you been here?"
"One year." the Ronso answered. "Banta think this village nice place to live."
"It is, I guess." Selena huffed. "So....what brought you down here from the mountains? Just looking for a nice place to live?"
Banta narrowed her eyes at her.
"Banta no come here by choice." he snorted. "No reason why you should ask."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Selena quickly appologized. "I didn't mean to get personal. I'm just asking."
Banta closed his eyes and sighed.
"Banta come from mountain to work. Banta and family need money."
Selena blinked in surprise. To her knowledge, the Ronso had no form of currency whatsoever.
"Really."
"Banta will not say more."
"Oh, ok. So, you work here as a farmhand? I'm sure Farley treats ya well."
Banta just nodded.
Selena smiled as she walked over to General's stall.
"Yeah, he's a great guy. He treats everyone like a brother or sister. And all of his chocobo are like his children. He's proud of everyone here." She reached up and patted General's head, making the chocobo coo. "He's a one- of-a-kind guy, alright."
"You have been here before."
Selena was caught off guard, and she turned her head to Banta.
"HUH?!"
Banta walked up to her.
"You have been here, and you did not want to come back."
"How did....?"
"Banta found your tent, and thought for long time. You did not want to come back here. Why is that?"
Selena shook her head.
"Hey, I didn't ask you why you need money for your family. Why should you get personal with me?"
Banta lowered his head.
"Banta understands. Seven years ago, something terrible happened in Pine Brook. Banta must ask, were you here seven years ago, Selena?"
Selena bit her lip, then lowered her head.
"Yes, I was. But I didn't do anything wrong."
"Banta sees. Banta will not ask anymore."
"Thanks." Selena smiled. She looked back up at General, scratching him under his beak.
'Nice to see that there's someone here who doesn't hate me....'
"Banta?"
"Yes, Selena?"
"Make me a promise? Please don't tell anyone I came here before, okay? They might suspect something, and something even more horrible may happen."
Banta nodded, then spread his arms out and back together with a bow. A Ronso prayer.
"With every breath in Banta's body, Banta promise this secret will never be said."
Selena got down from the stall with a smile, and mimicked his movements for her thanks.
"Thank you, Banta."
**************************
Sundown soon came, tinting the sky and the thunderheads above a dull orange. Selena hung out in the barn still, sitting on a stack of hay, and giving her wound a rest. It was feeling a lot better, but it would ache if she moved too fast or if she stretched too far. It was healing nicely based on Flannagin's medicines (it had to be Flannagin, Selena thought, since he's the only doctor in town), but she didn't want to risk reopening the wound.
She closed her eyes and talked to herself a little.
"Papa used to tell me stories all the time. When it was daytime, he would tell me fairy tailes. When it was nighttime, he'd tell me bed time stories. But when it rained with lightning and thunder, I loved to hear his horror stories.
"I remember one story he told, which was taken from the Cathlic side of Ireland. It was a story about a monster who was created by both God and Satan, and born to serve both their purposes. At night, it would rome the country side, seeking out sinners. The story said that if an unlucky sinning man came across its path, the man was devowered, and the man's soul would be taken to hell. The monster's services made both God and the devil happy. This monster was known as the Soul Snatcher.
"But, the monster met its end in a battle with a rogue angel. Since the angel was also a sinner, the Snatcher couldn't help itself to try and eat it. But the angel killed it, and was punnished by both God and Satan for the slaying. Such a pact between God and Satan was never made again."
She half smirked.
"I'm not a Christian, so I wouldn't know that angel's name. I don't really care either. It's just a story some moron made up to get more people to come to his church."
"Oh, so ya not fond of Christianity, eh?"
Selena looked up to see Farley standing next to her. She froze, then laughed nervously.
"No, no, no, no! Not at all. I respect them, by all means. I go to church sometimes, just to hear the bible stories. But......" she had to sit up. ".......the one's I don't like are the ones who push their religion too far."
"Oh?" Farley raised an eyebrow while frowning.
"Heh. I'm guessing you never heard of John List? Well, he was an American back in the '70s. He murdered his entire family in God's name. THOSE are the types of religious fanatics I don't like."
"I think I see." the farmer nodded. "Well, we don't like slanderers who talk down our way of life. Religion bein' an aspect ove thaat."
"Sorry." Selena sighed, laying back down. "I won't do it again."
"That's alright, lass. 'Scuse me."
Farley walked off with a bail of hay to do some extra barn work. Selena ignored him and closed her eyes.
'A creature that takes the souls of man......
'So, Cell......
'Who made you? God or Satan?'
***********************
Night finally came. The dark clouds covered every star in the sky, and it was lightly sprinkling. Selena stood atop the highest point in the village, the church roof. It was still dark, and the village was quiet. There was almost nothing to be seen or heard anywhere around her, and certainly nothing suspicious. Krillin was standing next to her, looking around as well.
"I don't see anything strange." she told him.
"I don't see anything, period." Krillin shook his head. "But, I don't feel anything either. I'm guessing he's not here yet."
Selena bit her lip.
'Sakura should be fast asleep now. She's safe with Farley and Banta.
'I don't think even Cell would tango with a Ronso......
'Banta could crush the guy with one finger.....er, claw....'
Selena continued to look around, not seeing anything suspicious at the moment. Then, movement below caught her eye. Someone was walking down the street, carrying a candle lantern. Selena watched him, and saw he was heading to Farley's house. The man entered into the barn, where brighter light shined on him. Selena then saw his face and hair color.
'Kirkland? What's he doing out here at this time of night?'
She watched as he walked into the barn, then she checked to see if anyone else is around. She didn't see anyone, so she turned back to the barn. It took a while, but he finally came back out, and with something in his arms. He looked at it a moment in the lantern light before walking back down the street. Selena grew alarmed.
"Oh no....."
Krillin looked at her.
"What's wrong?"
"That bastard!"
She slid down the roof, and carefully dropped to the ground before running after him.
"Selena!" Krillin called to her, watching her run towards the man. "Come back!"
"Let her go, Krillin." a voice behind him suggested. "I can deal with her later."
Krillin slowly turned to the one talking to him, and started laughing nervously.
"Heh, heh....oh great......right when she leaves....."
*********************
Selena caught up to Kirkland immediatly.
"HEY! YOU!"
Kirkland turned to her just as she reached him, and she grabbed him by the collar.
"Wot? Wot's th' meaning of this?!"
"Let her go." Selena snapped at him. "Now!"
"Wot are you talkin' about?"
"Selena-san?"
The bundle in his hands stirred awake, and looked up at Selena. The woman just snarled at Kirkland with the greatest of hatred.
"What do you think......you were doing.....taking a child from her bed.....this late at night?!"
"Uh....." Kirkland stopped short. Selena used her free hand to grap Sakura out of his grasp.
"I swear to God, you haven't changed, you perverted bastard!" she hissed at him. "You're not going to hurt Sakura like you hurt me! You'll never do that to a child again!"
"No bad words, Selena-san...." Sakura tried to punnish, but no one was paying attention to her. Selena then put Sakura down.
"Get back into the house, Sakura." Selena ordered. "Don't let this man touch you again."
Kirkland's eyes widened. He recognized her.
"Sh....Shikimi? Is that you?"
As Sakura ran back for Farley's house, Selena grinned at Kirkland.
"Yep. It's me. And you are Andy Kirkland, the man who took something very precious away from me." She grabbed him even harder. "You took away my life, my future......my frikkin innocence at the age of twelve! Then decided to call me a Pagan witch who made you do it! I could kill you for doing that!"
"No....wait....."
"And now you've gone and made this grudge of mine worse by trying to do the same to Sakura." She leaned his face next to his with a snarl. "I'm not a little girl anymore, Kirkland........I'm old enough to give you the proper punnishment."
Kirkland became afraid.
"Don't......don't kill me, Shikimi."
"I'm not gonna kill ya." Selena hissed. "I'm gonna rip your balls off, you pedafile!"
"No!"
Suddenly, there was a crash of lightning! Then, a thud of something falling to her feet before the thunder rolled across the sky. She looked to see....
"Krillin!"
She looked up the church roof to try and figure out what happened. Lightning lit up the sky, and Cell's figure on the roof. Selena snarled, then quickly kicked Kirkland in the groin before chopping him in the neck.
"I'll deal with you later." she decided to his unconcious body. She turned to Krillin, releaved that he was alive.
"Ow..." he muttered.
"Krillin, can you stand?"
"I....I can try...."
As Krillin got up, Selena looked back up at the church roof. Cell motioned to her with his hand to join him. She helped Krillin to his feet.
"Put this guy in the barn, then come up after me, okay?"
"Huh?" Krillin looked over at the body. "Kirland?"
Selena then headed for the church roof.
**************************
She climbed up easily, and saw Cell better in the dim light. She stood a few feet from him as he crossed his arms.
"Was that him down there?" he asked. "The one that bannished you from this village?"
Selena nodded.
"Andy Kirkland. That's him."
Cell shook his head.
"He's a pity."
A flash of lightning and a roar of thunder passed before either of them could talk. It was Cell who spoke first.
"I asked you a question last night, and I want my answer now."
"......." Selena remained silent a moment.
"So, Selena.......Shikimi.......are the people of Pine Brook worth saving?"
"........"
"If you don't give me an answer, I will consume them."
Selena had already thought on her answer, it was just hard to put it in the words she wanted. Standing straight and tall, with her head held high like Banta did before telling his name, she gave his answer.
"Yes. They are worth saving."
Cell stepped backward in astonishment. He was expecting this, but not with such determination. He put his foot back as he look at her.
"Why do you say that? Didn't they drive you out with torches and pitchforks? Didn't one of their kind take away something you will never get back? Wouldn't they kill you today if you told them who you were?"
"Yes, yes, and yes." Selena answered. "But......they are people, nevertheless. I am a guardian, and I protect the people who can't protect themselves. This includes the people of Pine Brook. Even though they may want me dead, and have gotten the wrong idea of me, I will still protect them. Because, this is what I do. I am one who helps those who would never help me, and side with those who hate me if I must, and I would even fight those I befriend if they wish harm of others."
Cell smiled at her.
"Very well said. However, you are one who talks more than takes action." He took a stance on the roof, and raised his hands.
"You say you will protect these people, Selena? The protect them from me, if you can!"
He began to power up. Selena took out her staff and did the same. Their ki began to shake the building, and the church bell moved slowly until it started to toll by itself. Selena and Cell stared at each other intently, ready for one to move.
Even though she resented the people of this village........
.......she wouldn't abandon them to the monster for any reason.
********************
The villagers were awakened by the church bell, and some rushed outside to see what was going on. In the light rain, and the flashes of lightning, some could see two beings doing battle in the air, and on the rooves on several of the houses. Several of the farming men went back inside the house to retrieve any weapons they had. The women and very few children stayed inside and watched from the windows.
Krillin left the barn to help Selena, leaving Kirkland in the house. Sakura, Farley, and Banta watched him leave, as the innkeeper woke up.
"Wot a brave man." Farley sighed about Krillin. "Hey's gonna fight that monsta with his bare hands."
"He's strong." Sakura told him. "So's Selena. They can beat it."
"Wha.....What happened?" Kirkland asked as he came around.
"Kirkland, wot were ya doin out so late?!" Farley asked. "It's gunna rain chocoboes N dogs soon, N they's a monster outside."
"He took me outside." Sakura quickly tattled. "And Selena got all mad and called him a.....'petti-file?' "
Farley narrowed his eyes at his fellow man.
"Andy...."
"I dunno what she's talkin' bout...."
Suddenly, Farley grabbed Kirkland by the throat with one hand.
"You bastaad! Yer at it again?! Didn't I warn ya not ta try it again?!"
Kirkland kicked and choaked as he was being strangled.
"Duke!" he croaked inbetween gasps. "Stop! Listen!"
"Stop it!" Sakura cried. "He didn't hurt anyone!"
"Mr. Farley, stop!" Banta growled.
Farley let go of Kirkland, but punched him in the groin, making Kirkland gasp even more in pain.
Banta walked up to his employeer and stood next to him, just to make sure he didn't act rash again.
"Mr. Farley, Banta cannot understand. What has Mr. Kirkland done?"
Farley closed his eyes and sighed.
"Andy N I knew each otha since we were lads. Andy had a problem growin' up. We discovered 'E haad a Lolita complex. 'E wanted ta marry some liddle girl....... I knew this wasn't good for this God-lovin' man. So, I arranged Andy ta marry a fine woman named Nancy Lockheart. They hit it off well, N were gonna get married.......
"......then, SHE came....."
"Shikimi....." Kirkland coughed. "Reminds me, guess wot, Farley?"
Farley looked down at his friend.
"Wot?"
"That girl......the chocobo thief?"
"Aye?"
"Did'ja know she's Shikimi?"
Farley's eyes almost popped out of his head.
"WOT?!"
"Huh?" Sakura blinked.
"....." Banta looked over at the farm doors, remembering how Selena had helped him.
"Hoye," Kirkland coughed again, "gimme one-o ya guns, mate."
"Wot for?"
"Heh." the innkeeper made a shallow smile. "I'm gonna pay off me sins...."
****************
Selena was finding it harder and harder to concentrate. Cell would have the habit of leaping off one roof and onto another, forcing Selena to jump or use her ki to follow him. It was starting to annoy her. The weather wasn't helping much either. Lighting was flashing more frequently, and the rain was coming down harder. Her clothes were starting to soak in the raindrops, and make her more heavy. Her jumps were coming up shorter and shorter, to the point where she had to grab the side of the rooves and climb up them to get back to fighting Cell.
She also noticed he was doing acrobatics while jumping, doing flips and half twists during jumps. She also noticed he was grinning a lot.
There was no way she could win this fight and he knew it.
They were running out of rooves to jump on, and they were right on the roof of Farley's barn.
Selena finally caught up to Cell, who was just standing up straight and proud while waiting.
"Hold still, dammit!" Selena spat at him.
"No." was his playful answer.
Selena lunged for him, swinging her staff at him. He blocked with one hand and punched her vunerable gut with the other. As she doubled over, he kicked her up into the air. The breath was knocked out of her, so she couldn't retaliate. Cell flew up after her, and tackled her from above. Then, he made a dive with Selena still under him. They impacted on the street, with Selena taking the full blunt.
Cell stood up and crossed his arms as Selena tried to push herself up. She reached for her fallen staff with one bleeding hand, but Cell walked up to it and kicked it away. The woman collapsed with a groan.
"I....can....still fight...." she said softly. Cell shook his head in annoyance. He stomped one foot on Selena's head and put pressure on it.
"I just don't understand you." he growled. "I'm obvieously stronger, smarter, faster, and overall better than you, and you say you can still beat me because 'you have hope.' " He put more pressure down on his foot, making Selena grit her teeth in pain. "How could you have hope when there is no chance at all in succeeding?!"
"I'll tell you that......when you tell me.....why you keep me alive." Selena responded.
Cell snarled.
"Well, you won't be alive much longer, now will you? I estimate that some ribs are broken, and you're lucky that your spine and neck are intact!"
"Feh. You're.......letting me live again....."
Cell narrowed his eyes at her.
"Maybe not this time....."
Selena then grew afraid. Was he serious? Would he really kill her?
"You're bluffing!" she yelled.
"Have I ever lied, Selena?!"
Selena frowned to herself. No, he hadn't. Not once.
"But...." Cell interupted. "I said 'maybe.' I don't know if I should kill you or not. There's been a rise of survivors from my attacks, and I'm losing my reputation as a ruthless killer." He looked down at her, noticing that she wasn't making a sound. "Still alive down there?"
"And kicking." Selena grunted. "And ready.....for another round......if you let me up."
"Heh." Cell smirked, lifting his foot off her. "Get up if you can."
Selena started to push herself up, but collapsed in pain.
'He wasn't kidding....... A rib's broken.....
'.....Maybe more than one rib.....'
"I thought so." Cell shook his head. "Pity. I guess everyone has their limitations...."
"SELENA! CELL, YOU BASTARD!"
Cell looked up to see Krillin charging towards him. The android frowned.
"Again. Pity."
Cell stayed where he was and let Krillin lunge at him. Cell quickly knocked him aside, flinging him into the brick wall of a house. Then walked over to him and tossed him across the street and broke a hole in the barn wall. Cell clapped his hands up and down to clean them of dirt.
"So much for that."
"HOYE, YU!"
Cell turned to see who it was. Just as he noticed he was staring right into the nose of a high-powered rifle....
POOM!
Cell shrieked in absolute pain, staggering over and holding his face tightly. Blood was spilling through his fingers and dripping onto the street. Selena lifted her head to see who it was. A great amount of surprise kept her frozen.
"Kirkland?"
"Got ya covered, dear!" the man winked at her, cocking the gun and lining up his next and last bullet. He turned to Cell. "Hoye, bugga. Leave her alone. Come N take me instead!"
Cell growled at him, taking his hands away and showing that his left eye was completely obliterated.
"Gladly." he growled, marching towards him. Kirkland aimed his gun again and prepared to fire.
"Kirkland!" Selena screamed. "No!"
"Take it easy, Shikimi!" he yelled. "I know I'ma bad man. Jest call this me last good deed for ya."
Selena lowered her head, pounding her fist into the ground.
"Kirkland.....no.....run.....please...."
She refused to raise her head, hearing Cell's stomps grow farther away.
Then, the gunshot......
Then, Kirkland's dying screams......
Then, the rain coming down even harder onto the ground......
Then, silence as loss of blood made her fade out......
******************
Selena woke up in the barn, seeing Krillin hovering over her. Sakura was laying next to her, apparently injured too.
"Hey, good to see you're alright, Selena." Krillin smiled faintly.
Selena turned to him.
"What happened to Sakura.....and Kirkland...."
Krillin frowned and lowered his head.
"Cell got Kirkland." he muttered. "Then, everyone came out and tried to stop him, but Cell just yelled at them to get out of his way and he walked out. Sakura.....got in his way trying to get to you. He kicked her through a house. She's okay. She just hit her head."
Selena put a hand on the girl's head, feeling the bandaged gash. She sat up, feeling her torso protest in pain. She was sitting on the bail of hay she was on earlier. She heard voices outside, knowing that everyone was gathered outside and waiting for them.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"They want us out of here as soon as you woke up." he explained. "They think Cell came because of you."
Selena sighed and stood up, her body shaking in pain.
"They're half right."
**********************
All three headed out of the barn, draped in water-proof cloaks. Farley gave Selena back her capsules along with some food to take. He didn't say another word to her afterward. Selena had packed away the capsule cases and carried Sakura in her arms under her cloak.
Selena and Krillin immediatley met all the villagers standing around the barn. Most had pitchforks, scythes, and other farm tools that could be considered weapons, others carried clubs which were once torches before the rain came down. Selena nodded at them, and started walking. She could tell by the looks in their eyes, they remembered who she was. And without Kirkland here to clear the story, and Farley no longer willing to talk, Selena was still considered a witch.
Some of the crowd parted for her, and let her walk towards the outskirts. She walked slowly, hearing the rain pounding down from the sky. She kept her head down, almost in shame. Why was she brought here? Was was all of this being a burden to her?
'Why do you hate me, God?'
Then, she heard very loud sobbing in front of her. Selena looked up to see Nancy Lockheart Kirkland not moving from the crowd. The widow was crying into Kirkland's stabbed shirt, staying in front of Selena. Selena stopped and frowned. She felt like crying too. Kirkland had died because of her......
Nancy angrily raised her head to Selena.
"Yu brought it here, didn't'ja yu WITCH?! Yu brought it here ta kill us! Yu want us all dead, don't'ja?!"
"That's not true...." Selena muttered. "None of it."
"ME HUBBY'S DEAD COZ'A YU!"
"I'm sorry, Nancy."
"We shuld burn yu aat th' stake! Yu belong in th' depths of hell! YU'RE EVIL!"
Selena screamed, and ran past Nancy, pushing her aside. Selena started sobbing as she ran. Nancy chased after her, as well as the other villagers that started to agree with her.
Selena was crying so hard that she tripped on a loose cobblestone and fell. Sakura woke up and started crying too. Selena hugged her close, knowing that the angry mob was close by and was going to clobber them to death.
'No......please........help.....'
Suddenly, there was a loud roar that wasn't thunder. The villagers looked behind them to see a Ronso charging towards them. Banta jumped clear over them and stood right on the edge of the outskirt. Behind him was the wide open plain, and Selena's freedom. Krillin rushed to Selena's side to help her up as Banta took out a spear. He stabbed the spear into the ground just ahead of him.
"Whoever cross this spear," he called to the villagers, "Banta will kill!" He looked down at Selena and nodded.
Selena gave one last sob before she smiled weakly and got up.
"C'mon, Krillin."
Krillin looked at her in shock.
"But, he said...."
"Come on!"
Krillin walked behind her, nervously. Selena walked until she was standing right next to the Ronso.
"Thank you, Banta." she whispered.
"Go." was all he said.
Selena nodded, and headed off with Krillin by her side onto the plains.
********************
Rather than watching Selena go, Cell watched the people of Pine Brook in disgust.
His eye was blown out of it's socket and he was mad as hell.
He couldn't take it anymore.
As soon as he was sure Selena had left the area, he stood from the church roof down at the people.
"Sinners!" he shouted at them. All of them turned their eyes to him as he glared at them through one good eye.
"ALL OF YOU ARE SINNERS!"
He pounced down to the ground, and ran for them.
Every single one of them would be eaten tonight!
To Be Continued!
Cell: WHAT? NO END OF EPISODE BONUS?!
Masq: The chapter was too long.
Cell: Well, don't make them so long next time!
Masq: Sorry.
Cell: So, when's the next update?
Masq: I'm working on it!
Cell: **chases her** Work faster!
Act 2: Breaking Point
Chapter 3: The People of Pine Brook: Selena's Sins, Part 2
((Author's Note & Warning: This chapter is a long one, and deals with some religious issues. If talks of Christianity, untrue statements of Christianity, or negative statments of any religion bother you, I'm sorry. This chapter will not be edited for that, since it is very important with the events. But, to those who don't know me, I have no religion and I appologize for any hurtful statements. And since this chapter is very long, there will be no end of episode bonus this time. There will be one next chapter, promise. Thank you very much, and enjoy this long awaited chapter.))
~~RECAP~~
Cell then walked away from the tent, and up the hill. He stopped at the very top, and sat in the grass. He watched the tent from where he was, watching over Selena as she slept. He bowed his head in respect.
'What a sad and horrible story for any woman to tell.........'
Something that looked suspiciously like a tear was squeezed from one pink eye and trickled down his beak.
'She was only twelve years old.........'
~~~~~~~~
Cell spent early morning up one of the few trees in the plain. It was bountiful with leaves, hiding him almost completely. He could only be spotted if someone was looking for him.
He kept his eyes on Selena's tent, trying to see if there was any movement since he last talked to her. For the last few hours, there was nothing at all.
'She looked on the verge of crying......
'Feh, she's stronger than that. I'll laugh if she cried herself to sleep.
'...............
'I wonder when she'll wake up. Soon, I hope.
'What will she answer tonight?
'Will she spare Pine Brook or let me absorb the villagers?
'I'm curious what she will say.......'
He heard rumbling off in the distance, and looked over his shoulder. He could see a gigantic flock of chocobo running around on the other side of the hill, and were being herded by two people on saddled chocobo.
'Wait a minute.......
'Selena was raised in a village not far from here, right?
'Does that make her a chocobo farming hick like the people here?'
He chuckled to himself.
"Heh, heh. I can't picture Selena as a ranch hand in some Irish hick town...."
*****************
"ATCHOO!"
Selena sneezed herself awake, sitting up in her sleeping bag.
"Aw, don't tell me I'm coming down with something......"
She rubbed her nose on her sweats sleeve, and sighed. She didn't sleep much. In fact, when she did sleep, she had the dream again......
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Selena began to run.
Everything seemed so slow.
Her foot touched the water like it was solid ground.
She began to run across the water, slightly disturbing the stillness of the lake with slow ripples.
She looked down at her feet and stopped running.
The water rippled out from her feet, warping her reflection in the lake.
She looked at the reflection.
Something was odd about it.
As the ripples began to calm, the reflection became clear.
The reflection was not Selena.
It was Cell.
Selena's heart filled with fear.
Her face paled.
Her eyes widened.
Her breath was stolen away.
The reflection did not move.
"No!" she cried, putting her hands to the side of her head.
The reflection put his hands to the side of his head.
"No! This isn't right!" she screamed. "Go away!".
She kicked the surface of the lake with all her might.
The water suddenly burst into strange, sickly yellow flames.
Selena fell into the flames, feeling no pain.
From the flickering fires, human hands, arms, and the faces of skulls appeared.
The skulls were screaming in horror and pain.
The hands grabbed for Selena.
The arms tried to pin her in one place.
Selena tried to struggle out of them, trying to reach the other side of the lake.
The hands scratched her.
The arms pummeled her with lariats.
The skulls tried to bite her.
She swam through the fire as though it was water.
It all felt like strong gravity trying to drag her down into the yellow flames.
Almost to the other side.
"Sakura!" Selena yelled, reaching out her hand.
The tiny hand seemed so far away, yet was so very close.
Selena jumped foreword to grab the hand.
"Sakura!".
Many hands grabbed her and hoisted her in the air.
Hands from the fire.
Selena was plunged into the flames.
She was dragged down, down, down.
She fell into clawing, biting, yellow emptiness.
"SAKURAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!".
All was black.
She could feel herself moving down.
Into the black.
She wasn't falling.
She was being dragged down.
Her hair flowed around her face as though she was underwater.
"Sakura.I have failed you.
I'm sorry."
)))Selena?(((
A voice was calling out to her.
It was loud, and very clear.
And all around.
Selena opened her eyes and saw nothing but black.
"Who's there?" she called.
)))You have failed no one, Selena.(((
The voice came from everywhere around her.
The voice was the black.
"What do you mean?"
)))You have failed at nothing.
)))You are still young and have much to learn.
)))You are a great and powerful guardian.
)))Look inside yourself and see the light, not the darkness.(((
"Who are you?" Selena called into the black.
There was no response.
"Hello?".
The black did not respond.
"Come back!".
She continued to be pulled further and further into the darkness.
She couldn't take it anymore.
"GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
~~~~~~~~~~
"What is up with this dream?" she asked herself. "Why do I keep having it every night? It'd be nice to have another dream once in a while...."
She had just finished getting dressed in her gi and had started tying her hair in a ponytail. She was just about ready for Krillin to stop by and get out of the area.
But then again......Cell was going to attack Pine Brook tonight.....
She felt she had to stay......
.....then she slapped herself in the face.
"How did that get in my head? Me, stay here? Yeah, bloody, right!"
She finished tying off her ponytail and straightening her bangs before capsulizing her suitcases and sleeping bag.
"Okay, now I wait. C'mon, Krillin, let's get the hell outta here."
She waited about two minutes before she heard rumbling close by. She didn't think it was too strange until she felt the vibrations in the ground. She cautiously put a hand on the ground to feel exactly what it was.
It wasn't a steady shaking, it felt more mixed, as though there were hundreds of feet causing it.
Hundreds of feet, pounding together.....
It took some thinking back, but it hit her like a baseball bat.
"STAMPEDE!"
She quickly ran out the tent before a massive flock of chocobo ran over the hill and flattened it. She ran down the hill, picking up momentum, but the giant birds' long strides caught up with her, and soon she was swept into the stampede of yellow feathers, scared squawks, and pounding feet.
Selena tried not to panic; she had been in chocobo stampedes before. She knew all she had to do was hop on one of them and ride it out until the flock stopped. She looked around to see which was the closest to grab, but all of them were moving too fast.
'C'mon, opportunity, c'mon......'
Suddenly, she tripped. She tried to curl up into a ball to keep from being trampled, but that was a bad idea. She was steped on and kicked over by hundreds of clawed feet. She tumbled back up to a stand and tried to run again.
'Ouch...........now what?'
Then, she heard a loud and very high pitched "WARK!" before she was hoisted up by the back of her shirt and placed on a chocobo's back. She was surprised to see it was saddled and reigned already. Taking it to her advantage, she grabbed the reigns and ushered it over to the outside lines of the stampede.
"Yaa, boy!"
"Coo! Coo!"
The bird swiftly followed her command, running through open spots of the flock. Finally, they reached the outside of the flock and ran away from the mass of giant birds. Selena stopped the chocobo at a safe distance, watching the stampede turn from the village and herded back up the hill.
"I owe you one......" she said to the bird, petting its head. It suddenly whistled at her, a few happy notes.
"Fwo-rwo-rwo!"
Selena froze. She couldn't believe it.
"General!" she cried, leaning over and hugging the chocobo's long neck. "I can't believe it, it's you!" The bird also happily cawed, recognizing her. "Oh, I missed you so much, General. Lookit you, you've grown a lot bigger! You've been eatin' good, right?"
She sat back up and rubbed his head feathers, smiling.
"It's been a while, eh boy?"
Suddenly, the happy reunion was broken by a loud cry...
"STOP! THIEF!"
"Eh?"
There was a loud BANG!, and Selena toppled off the saddle. Before she hit the ground, she felt blood oozing from the bullet wound in her chest.
************************
Krillin and Sakura got their stuff packed up and were ready to leave the inn.
"I'm hungry." Sakura moaned.
"I'm sure Selena has something for us to eat later." Krillin smiled at the girl. "So, let's go find her."
"Okay!" the little girl chirped.
She went to the window to look down at the street below as Krillin fastened the suitcase shut.
'Well, so far so good......
'Only the innkeeper was the creepy thing about this place.
'I guess I'll ask Selena if she's sure Pine Brooks was the place.
'It's just a nice, little farming village with nice, little people......'
"Krillin-san, look!" Sakura pointed down onto the street. "Everyone's all together!"
"Huh?"
Krillin went to the window to look. He noticed that a lot of the villagers were gathering further down the street, and they were all a-buzz. Something had happened.
"C'mon, let's go see." Krillin decided. He headed out of the room, and Sakura followed. They found Kirkland downstairs about to head out the door.
"Hey!" Krillin called. "What's going on outside?"
"Chocobo thief, by th' look ove it." Kirkland answered, walking out the door. "It's common 'round heyre."
Krillin followed after him.
"Chocobo thief?"
***********************
Everyone was gathered around the barnhouse where Farley kept his flock. Even Farley himself was having trouble getting through the crowd.
" 'Scuse mey. Pardon mey. Must get thrugh....."
Krillin and Sakura managed to tunnel their way through the crowd to get a better view. Krillin saw Farley heading for the barn, and something else right behind him. It looked like a seven foot tall cat with blue fur and a long horn on top its head; it stood on two legs and was wearing primal dress. It was also carrying a person in its muscular arms.
Krillin recognized the blue feline, and instantly freaked.
"It-it-it-it'sa-it'sa-it'sa-it'sa Ronso!"
"Kitty!" Sakura cheered happily.
"Dangerous kitty." Krillin insisted. "Stay back, Sakura."
'What in the world is a Ronso doing down here? And a mountain Ronso at that...
'Why would a mountain Ronso be on the plains?'
Not noticing the two, Farley opened the barn doors.
"Take 'er inside, Banta." he told the Ronso. "I'll follow ya." As the Ronso, Banta, walked inside the barn, Farley turned back to the crowd. "HOYE! FLANNAGIN!"
"Aye!" a call was heard in the crowd.
"Go in tuu! Shey's hurt baad!"
"Wot?" Flannagin asked, stepping out of the crowd.
"Don't let 'er die." Farley ordered. "You gotta help 'er."
"Alright, alright." Flannagin nodded with a sigh. "I'll seey wot I caan do."
As the village doctor walked into the barn, everyone started pressing Farley for questions.
"Alright, alright, settle down now!" Farley ordered, and the villagers fell quiet. "Well, Banta N I were herden the chocobo like usual, since it's they graisin' time, N then I heard ol' Betsy start squawkin' up'a storm. 'Parently, somethin' in this one tree scared 'er. Well, thaat got th' whole flock ina uproar, N they started stampedin' to th' village.
"I told Banta, I said 'We gotta keep 'em outta th' village!', then we rode after 'em. Just aas we came down th' hill, then ol' General....he bucked me right off, N headed inta th' flock. I was 'bout ta go in the flock meself to stop 'im, but Banta made the flock turn away from th' village before they culd storm it. Then, I notice General a ways away, N this girl was sittin on 'im. I figure to meself "Not anotha theif....", so I pull out me gun, a-callin' 'STOP! THIEF!' and shoot 'er.
"Then, the strangest thin' haappened. I walked ova to General N the girl to see if I killed 'er or nuut, N ol' General threw a bloody fit. 'E stood ova her like 'e waas protectin' a chick froma fox. 'E wuldn't let me neer her. Well, Banta finally came back, N I thought 'Guud, aat least all me chocobo listen ta ol' Banta...' N General bit 'im! Right on his paw!"
The villagers were looking at each other uncertanly. Krillin wasn't sure what that ment, but he knew better than to be cross with a Ronso. Ronso angered very easily, to his knowledge.
"Well," Farley continued, "I said ta Banta, 'Thisa weird. I've only seen ol General do this once, N thaat was when I broke me leg N fell. General did wot he's doin' now, N 'E wuldn't let anyone neer me.' Banta got by ol' General anyway, N we brought her baack here. Thaat's when I thought 'General wuld neva protect a thief like thaat, unless shey wasn't a thief in th' first place.' "
"So, who is she?" Kirkland wondered.
"Dunno." Farley shrugged. "But we'll find out. Oh," he gasped, "N one more thin'. Banta N I found 'er tent on th' hill. Got all 'er stuff tuu. So, shey was camped just outside th' village. Dunno why, but I'll ask."
"Tent on the hill?" Krillin scratched his forehead. "Why would...."
'Wait a minute.......
'Oh my God!
'Selena!'
************************
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Selena began to run.
Everything seemed so slow.
Her foot touched the water like it was solid ground.
She began to run across the water, slightly disturbing the stillness of the lake with slow ripples.
She looked down at her feet and stopped running.
The water rippled out from her feet, warping her reflection in the lake.
She looked at the reflection.
Something was odd about it.
As the ripples began to calm, the reflection became clear.
The reflection was not Selena.
It was Cell.
Selena's heart filled with fear.
Her face paled.
Her eyes widened.
Her breath was stolen away.
The reflection did not move.
"No!" she cried, putting her hands to the side of her head.
The reflection put his hands to the side of his head.
"No! This isn't right!" she screamed. "Go away!".
She raised her foot to kick at her reflection...
Then, she noticed the reflection was smiling at her...
It was daring her...
She shook her head...
"Who cares about this?!" she yelled...
She kept running across the water...
She finally reached the other side...
She lowered herself down on one knee to the girl's body...
"Sakura? Are you alright?"...
There was no responce from the child...
Selena shook the girl's shoulders...
"Sakura..."
The face of the child rolled in her direction...
It wasn't Sakura...
Selena recognized it, and froze...
"It's......me?!"...
It was her as a child...
In Sakura's clothes...
Lying in a pool of her own blood...
Selena felt the tears fill her eyes...
"This.....can't be...."...
Selena.......
It was a voice...
It was not a voice of the black...
It was Cell...
She turned to see that he was hovering over the water...
His arms were crossed...
His tail wrapped around his legs, and the syringe resting on his feet...
There was no emotion on his face...
Selena picked up the body, and stood...
"You did this!" she shouted...
No. You did....
"That's a lie!"...
You have failed, Selena...
It was you who killed Yukii...
It was you who killed Derak...
It will be you that all the people of Earth will die......
"THAT'S A LIE! ALL OF IT!"...
Give her to me....
Selena looked down at the girl in her arms...
She shook her head...
"No!"...
Cell hissed at her...
KSSSSSSSSSST!...
The flames rose from the water...
Wailing skulls, bony hands...
The blood rained down from the sky...
Selena collapsed to her knees, clutching the body...
"I'll protect you..." she whispered to it...
She felt the darkness close in around her...
"Don't cry..." she said to the body...
"I'll protect you..."...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Selena soon regained conciousness, and opened her eyes.
'The dream.....
'It changed.....
'What's going on? What is it trying to tell me?'
She looked around her and found herself in a familiar setting. It looked like a house she had been in before. She was on a couch in a large living room. Nearby was a small kitchen, and someone was making hotcakes on the stove.
She tried to sit up, but the pain forced her to lay back down. Just as she touched the bandaged wound, a giant blue hand put itself on her chest. It was tipped with black claws and covered in a light fur. Selena's gaze went up it's arm, and finally to a being. It was a mountain Ronso by the look of it, and that made her eyes widen in fear.
"Wh...what the..."
"Stay down." he quietly commanded.
Selena froze. Although soft and quiet, that voice had a slight amount of power in it.
"Okay." she agreed, nodding. "I...I will."
"Hoye, Banta?" a voice called from another room. "How she doin'?"
Selena freaked, and covered her face in her hands with a whimper.
'Oh God, it's Farley!
'I'm in Pine Brook! How did I get here?'
She took one hand off her face to peek at him. Nope, he hadn't changed at all. Red hair, tanned skin, muscular as ever. And let's not forget that dashing smile to go with it. Banta looked up at Farley, not saying a word. Farley just nodded at him.
"I'll talk to 'er. Here, go check on th' chocoboes for me, will ya? I'll haave lunch ready when ya get back."
Banta took his hand off Selena's chest as he stood up and walked to a barn door. Farley took his place in the opposite chair as the woman covered her face again.
"Are you alright, darlin'?"
"Where am I?! How did I get here?!"
"Hoye, calm down. This is Pine Brook, small liddle village. See, uh......you were on one ove me chocoboes, N I thought you was some thief, lass."
Selena frowned under her hands.
"I was rudely awakened by a stampede of chocobo. I could've been killed!"
"Aye, thaat tent was right in th' middle ove th' hill. Why didn't you go into town N stay at th' inn?"
Selena gasped.
'Inn?
'Kirkland is still here?!'
She quickly made up a lie.
"I don't have the money."
"For th' inn? I'm sure ya do, lass. Say, wot's yer name anyway? I'm Duke Farley."
Selena huffed, taking her hands off her face.
'Well, he only knows the name Shikimi.....
'And I certainly look different than I did when I was twelve....'
"Selena."
"Oooooh, an American?"
Continuing to lie, Selena nodded her head.
"Well, welcome to Ireland, Selena."
"Now, how did I get here? I'm injured."
"Uh.....heh, heh, heh." Farley rubbed the back of his head. "Thaat was me own fault. See, when I though you was a chocobo thief, I shot ya. But, I got th' village doctor ta fix you up, so you'll be fine now."
Selena rubbed a hand over her bandaged wound. It hurt even at the slightest touch.
"So, I got shot?"
"Lucky ta be alive, tuu." Farley nodded. "So, ta say I'm sorry, you caan stay here for a while. Flannagin said you'd be walkin' around as soon as tonight."
Selena shook her head.
"Thank you, but I have to be going. I can't stay here."
"Why not?"
Selena made a sad face, knowing she couldn't tell him.
"I......just can't."
Suddenly, the door burst open.
"SELENA-SAN!"
Selena looked up to see Sakura running through the doors that led from the barn. Krillin was right behind her, walking backwards neverously.
"Nice kitty...." he calmed. "Good kitty.......Good Ronso.......please don't eat me....."
Sakura immediatly went to Selena's side, hugging the girl. Selena winced in pain as she hugged back.
"Easy." she warned. "It hurts a lot."
Krillin then came over to her.
"Oh, man. When I heard it was you, we had to come and see you. Are you okay?"
"Krillin, I was shot in the chest. It just missed my heart by the feel of it. You think I'm okay?"
"Oh, sorry. Hey, at least you're still alive."
Farley looked at the two in confusion.
"You two know 'er?"
"She's our friend!" Sakura insisted.
"Eh.....well...." Krillin tried to come up with a good lie. The last thing he wanted to do was get Selena in trouble. "She's.....an......old friend of ours......and....we were....going to meet up in Dublin! Yeah, we were all headed to Dublin for a get together!"
"You don't have to lie for me, Krillin." Selena insisted. "I didn't have money for the inn, so I let you guys have an inn room for yourselves."
Farley scratched his head in even more confusion.
"What the devil is going on?"
"Uh...." Selena grinned at Farley. "Mr. Farley? I need to talk to them alone for a minute? Can you step outside a second?"
"Well, lemme check on th' cakes, N you all can talk privatly as long as you want."
********************
As soon as Selena was sure no one else was around, she turned to Krillin and Sakura for the bad news.
"Cell is going to attack this village tonight."
"What?" Krillin gasped. Sakura clung to him in fear.
Selena nodded.
"I can't just sit here. We have to do something."
"But......you're still injured." Krillin reasoned. "You can't fight."
"Farley said I'd be okay by nightfall, so my shot wound isn't the problem."
"But still...." Krillin tried to argue.
"What's the problem?" Sakura asked. "You can fight. Right, Selena-san?"
Selena suddenly remembered what Cell told her, and hung her head.
'Selena..........after what you just told me.............I want to know from you......
'Is Pine Brooks worth saving?'
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.
"There's no problem." she insisted. "Tonight, Krillin and I are giving it our all. Sakura, I want you to stay with Farley, okay? He's a gun collector, he can protect you."
Sakura nodded.
"Don't get hurt."
"I'm not worrying about that now." Selena insisted with a smirk. "We'll wait until nightfall before we worry about anything."
********************
Banta grunted in frustration. It was going to rain soon, and the change of weather was upsetting the chocoboes. In fact, they were so upset, they wouldn't let Banta near them.
He was trying to reign them inside their stalls to keep them in their pins, but they weren't cooperating. Banta was getting frustrated. They weren't paying attention to him, and squacking at him when he touched them. The bite General gave him was enough to make him feel errataded, but the entire flock.......
The back door to the barn opened, making him turn his head to see who it was. It was the girl. She was walking around, still bandaged, and rotating her shoulders. She saw the Ronso and smiled.
"Sorry for barging in." she waved. "Just wanted to check the sky outside."
Banta turned away from her with a frown, and went back to his work. Selena walked across the barn to the outside set of doors. She easily pushed them open and looked up at the sky.
"Oh, yuck! It's overcast! What is with the weather lately? Damn pre-fall weather..."
"WARK! WARK!"
Selena looked back inside the barn, to see Banta struggling with a chocobo to put on its reigns. It cawed at him in annoyance and leaned its head away. Banta snarled and growled in frustration. Selena smiled and shook her head.
"Hey, do you need help?"
Banta looked at her a moment.
"You should not be walking." he insisted.
"Hey," Selena shruged, "I feel fine. The doctor said I'd be okay by tonight, and I'm not feeling pain at all."
"You should not be walking."
Selena frowned at him.
"I said I'm fine." She started walking towards him. "Now, I think you need help with that chocobo. Can I try?"
Banta lowered and shook his head, seeing that it was futile to get the woman to do what he said. She was worse than these stuborn chocoboes.....
He stepped aside as she came up to the stable.
"Now, who do we have in here? I don't recognize her...." She looked at the name on the door of the stall. She gasped in surprise. "Lucile? Oh, my goodness, Lucile? Is that really you?!" She stood on her toes and patted the giant bird's head. "Lookit you! Lookit you! You're all grown up! I remember when you were a chick! Wow!" She opened the stall door. "Farley taking care of you? I'm amazed how much General has grown too, and he's an old guy."
Banta watched on in fascination. Selena then took the reigns from the door, and walked into the stall. She made sure the door was secure, then started petting down the bird's neck.
"C'mon, Lucile, you've had to do this several times. We need to leash ya so that you won't accidentally run out of the barn." She attempted to loop the reign over the bird's beak, but Lucile squacked in protest. "Oh, c'mon, girl. It's for your own good. You could get stolen, or eaten by a wolf or some horrible creature out on the plains...."
She froze a moment.
'Horrible creature......
'Like Cell.....
'He's coming here tonight.....
'What am I going to do?'
She shook her head fiercely to get out of her own thoughts. Then, she continued with the dillema with Lucile.
"It doesn't even hurt. C'mon, girl."
The chocobo continued to be stubborn. Selena just looped the reigns on the door, and pulled herself up to the top of the stall to look at Banta.
"Has she always been like this?"
"Yes."
"Well, she obveiously doesn't like being reigned. Chocobo have their own personalities, and they all prefer different things than others do. They're just like people in a sence."
Selena thought for a minute.
"Do you know what her favorite food is?"
Banta walked up to the stall, and easily reached over the stall to pat Lucile's head.
"Green oats."
"Is there a bucket of oats around here?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Can I have that bucket please?"
Banta growled for a minute, then walked to the far end of the barn. He grabbed a bucket filled with tiny oat grains, and walked back to the stall. He raised the bucket to her, but she only grabbed a handful of oats before jumping back down to the ground.
"Here you go, Lucile." she cooed, holding her hand out to the chocobo. "You're favorite treat."
"Coo!" Lucile pecked on several of the grains in Selena's hand. When they were completely gone from Selena's palm, she rubbed the bird's head and beak with both her hands. "Are you in a better mood? Yes, you are." she started to baby talk. "Yes, you are, Lucile. That's so much better." Taking one hand off the bird's head, she opened the stall door. "Okay, I'll take the whole bucket, please."
Banta handed it to her. She closed the stall again. Banta pulled himself up so that he could see what Selena was doing. He watched as she poured everything in the bucket into the trove next to the bird. Lucile lowered her head to eat more of her treat. While the bird was occupied, Selena took the reigns off the door. She slowly and carefully roped the reigns around the beak and head, petting Lucile's head in comfort. Then, giving some slack on the leather cord, she tied the end of the reign to the stall door in a tight knot. Giving the bird some pats on the back, Selena then climbed out of the stall. She turned to Banta with a smile.
"It helps to occupy them with their favorite things, like a favorite food or toy. It helps to calm them down." She smiled at him. "Say, what's your name?"
Following proper Ronso introductions, Banta stood straight and tall, bore his teeth, and pounded once on his chest with a gigantic fist.
"Banta Ronso." he growled. Selena blinked at him in astonishment.
"Er........" Then, she held out her hand. "And my name is Selena. It's nice to meet you, Banta."
Banta stared at her hand, not sure what to do.
Selena half frowned.
"Do you know how to shake hands?"
Understanding, Banta took her hand into one of his own, and shook it once before letting go. Selena smiled.
"How long have you been here?"
"One year." the Ronso answered. "Banta think this village nice place to live."
"It is, I guess." Selena huffed. "So....what brought you down here from the mountains? Just looking for a nice place to live?"
Banta narrowed her eyes at her.
"Banta no come here by choice." he snorted. "No reason why you should ask."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Selena quickly appologized. "I didn't mean to get personal. I'm just asking."
Banta closed his eyes and sighed.
"Banta come from mountain to work. Banta and family need money."
Selena blinked in surprise. To her knowledge, the Ronso had no form of currency whatsoever.
"Really."
"Banta will not say more."
"Oh, ok. So, you work here as a farmhand? I'm sure Farley treats ya well."
Banta just nodded.
Selena smiled as she walked over to General's stall.
"Yeah, he's a great guy. He treats everyone like a brother or sister. And all of his chocobo are like his children. He's proud of everyone here." She reached up and patted General's head, making the chocobo coo. "He's a one- of-a-kind guy, alright."
"You have been here before."
Selena was caught off guard, and she turned her head to Banta.
"HUH?!"
Banta walked up to her.
"You have been here, and you did not want to come back."
"How did....?"
"Banta found your tent, and thought for long time. You did not want to come back here. Why is that?"
Selena shook her head.
"Hey, I didn't ask you why you need money for your family. Why should you get personal with me?"
Banta lowered his head.
"Banta understands. Seven years ago, something terrible happened in Pine Brook. Banta must ask, were you here seven years ago, Selena?"
Selena bit her lip, then lowered her head.
"Yes, I was. But I didn't do anything wrong."
"Banta sees. Banta will not ask anymore."
"Thanks." Selena smiled. She looked back up at General, scratching him under his beak.
'Nice to see that there's someone here who doesn't hate me....'
"Banta?"
"Yes, Selena?"
"Make me a promise? Please don't tell anyone I came here before, okay? They might suspect something, and something even more horrible may happen."
Banta nodded, then spread his arms out and back together with a bow. A Ronso prayer.
"With every breath in Banta's body, Banta promise this secret will never be said."
Selena got down from the stall with a smile, and mimicked his movements for her thanks.
"Thank you, Banta."
**************************
Sundown soon came, tinting the sky and the thunderheads above a dull orange. Selena hung out in the barn still, sitting on a stack of hay, and giving her wound a rest. It was feeling a lot better, but it would ache if she moved too fast or if she stretched too far. It was healing nicely based on Flannagin's medicines (it had to be Flannagin, Selena thought, since he's the only doctor in town), but she didn't want to risk reopening the wound.
She closed her eyes and talked to herself a little.
"Papa used to tell me stories all the time. When it was daytime, he would tell me fairy tailes. When it was nighttime, he'd tell me bed time stories. But when it rained with lightning and thunder, I loved to hear his horror stories.
"I remember one story he told, which was taken from the Cathlic side of Ireland. It was a story about a monster who was created by both God and Satan, and born to serve both their purposes. At night, it would rome the country side, seeking out sinners. The story said that if an unlucky sinning man came across its path, the man was devowered, and the man's soul would be taken to hell. The monster's services made both God and the devil happy. This monster was known as the Soul Snatcher.
"But, the monster met its end in a battle with a rogue angel. Since the angel was also a sinner, the Snatcher couldn't help itself to try and eat it. But the angel killed it, and was punnished by both God and Satan for the slaying. Such a pact between God and Satan was never made again."
She half smirked.
"I'm not a Christian, so I wouldn't know that angel's name. I don't really care either. It's just a story some moron made up to get more people to come to his church."
"Oh, so ya not fond of Christianity, eh?"
Selena looked up to see Farley standing next to her. She froze, then laughed nervously.
"No, no, no, no! Not at all. I respect them, by all means. I go to church sometimes, just to hear the bible stories. But......" she had to sit up. ".......the one's I don't like are the ones who push their religion too far."
"Oh?" Farley raised an eyebrow while frowning.
"Heh. I'm guessing you never heard of John List? Well, he was an American back in the '70s. He murdered his entire family in God's name. THOSE are the types of religious fanatics I don't like."
"I think I see." the farmer nodded. "Well, we don't like slanderers who talk down our way of life. Religion bein' an aspect ove thaat."
"Sorry." Selena sighed, laying back down. "I won't do it again."
"That's alright, lass. 'Scuse me."
Farley walked off with a bail of hay to do some extra barn work. Selena ignored him and closed her eyes.
'A creature that takes the souls of man......
'So, Cell......
'Who made you? God or Satan?'
***********************
Night finally came. The dark clouds covered every star in the sky, and it was lightly sprinkling. Selena stood atop the highest point in the village, the church roof. It was still dark, and the village was quiet. There was almost nothing to be seen or heard anywhere around her, and certainly nothing suspicious. Krillin was standing next to her, looking around as well.
"I don't see anything strange." she told him.
"I don't see anything, period." Krillin shook his head. "But, I don't feel anything either. I'm guessing he's not here yet."
Selena bit her lip.
'Sakura should be fast asleep now. She's safe with Farley and Banta.
'I don't think even Cell would tango with a Ronso......
'Banta could crush the guy with one finger.....er, claw....'
Selena continued to look around, not seeing anything suspicious at the moment. Then, movement below caught her eye. Someone was walking down the street, carrying a candle lantern. Selena watched him, and saw he was heading to Farley's house. The man entered into the barn, where brighter light shined on him. Selena then saw his face and hair color.
'Kirkland? What's he doing out here at this time of night?'
She watched as he walked into the barn, then she checked to see if anyone else is around. She didn't see anyone, so she turned back to the barn. It took a while, but he finally came back out, and with something in his arms. He looked at it a moment in the lantern light before walking back down the street. Selena grew alarmed.
"Oh no....."
Krillin looked at her.
"What's wrong?"
"That bastard!"
She slid down the roof, and carefully dropped to the ground before running after him.
"Selena!" Krillin called to her, watching her run towards the man. "Come back!"
"Let her go, Krillin." a voice behind him suggested. "I can deal with her later."
Krillin slowly turned to the one talking to him, and started laughing nervously.
"Heh, heh....oh great......right when she leaves....."
*********************
Selena caught up to Kirkland immediatly.
"HEY! YOU!"
Kirkland turned to her just as she reached him, and she grabbed him by the collar.
"Wot? Wot's th' meaning of this?!"
"Let her go." Selena snapped at him. "Now!"
"Wot are you talkin' about?"
"Selena-san?"
The bundle in his hands stirred awake, and looked up at Selena. The woman just snarled at Kirkland with the greatest of hatred.
"What do you think......you were doing.....taking a child from her bed.....this late at night?!"
"Uh....." Kirkland stopped short. Selena used her free hand to grap Sakura out of his grasp.
"I swear to God, you haven't changed, you perverted bastard!" she hissed at him. "You're not going to hurt Sakura like you hurt me! You'll never do that to a child again!"
"No bad words, Selena-san...." Sakura tried to punnish, but no one was paying attention to her. Selena then put Sakura down.
"Get back into the house, Sakura." Selena ordered. "Don't let this man touch you again."
Kirkland's eyes widened. He recognized her.
"Sh....Shikimi? Is that you?"
As Sakura ran back for Farley's house, Selena grinned at Kirkland.
"Yep. It's me. And you are Andy Kirkland, the man who took something very precious away from me." She grabbed him even harder. "You took away my life, my future......my frikkin innocence at the age of twelve! Then decided to call me a Pagan witch who made you do it! I could kill you for doing that!"
"No....wait....."
"And now you've gone and made this grudge of mine worse by trying to do the same to Sakura." She leaned his face next to his with a snarl. "I'm not a little girl anymore, Kirkland........I'm old enough to give you the proper punnishment."
Kirkland became afraid.
"Don't......don't kill me, Shikimi."
"I'm not gonna kill ya." Selena hissed. "I'm gonna rip your balls off, you pedafile!"
"No!"
Suddenly, there was a crash of lightning! Then, a thud of something falling to her feet before the thunder rolled across the sky. She looked to see....
"Krillin!"
She looked up the church roof to try and figure out what happened. Lightning lit up the sky, and Cell's figure on the roof. Selena snarled, then quickly kicked Kirkland in the groin before chopping him in the neck.
"I'll deal with you later." she decided to his unconcious body. She turned to Krillin, releaved that he was alive.
"Ow..." he muttered.
"Krillin, can you stand?"
"I....I can try...."
As Krillin got up, Selena looked back up at the church roof. Cell motioned to her with his hand to join him. She helped Krillin to his feet.
"Put this guy in the barn, then come up after me, okay?"
"Huh?" Krillin looked over at the body. "Kirland?"
Selena then headed for the church roof.
**************************
She climbed up easily, and saw Cell better in the dim light. She stood a few feet from him as he crossed his arms.
"Was that him down there?" he asked. "The one that bannished you from this village?"
Selena nodded.
"Andy Kirkland. That's him."
Cell shook his head.
"He's a pity."
A flash of lightning and a roar of thunder passed before either of them could talk. It was Cell who spoke first.
"I asked you a question last night, and I want my answer now."
"......." Selena remained silent a moment.
"So, Selena.......Shikimi.......are the people of Pine Brook worth saving?"
"........"
"If you don't give me an answer, I will consume them."
Selena had already thought on her answer, it was just hard to put it in the words she wanted. Standing straight and tall, with her head held high like Banta did before telling his name, she gave his answer.
"Yes. They are worth saving."
Cell stepped backward in astonishment. He was expecting this, but not with such determination. He put his foot back as he look at her.
"Why do you say that? Didn't they drive you out with torches and pitchforks? Didn't one of their kind take away something you will never get back? Wouldn't they kill you today if you told them who you were?"
"Yes, yes, and yes." Selena answered. "But......they are people, nevertheless. I am a guardian, and I protect the people who can't protect themselves. This includes the people of Pine Brook. Even though they may want me dead, and have gotten the wrong idea of me, I will still protect them. Because, this is what I do. I am one who helps those who would never help me, and side with those who hate me if I must, and I would even fight those I befriend if they wish harm of others."
Cell smiled at her.
"Very well said. However, you are one who talks more than takes action." He took a stance on the roof, and raised his hands.
"You say you will protect these people, Selena? The protect them from me, if you can!"
He began to power up. Selena took out her staff and did the same. Their ki began to shake the building, and the church bell moved slowly until it started to toll by itself. Selena and Cell stared at each other intently, ready for one to move.
Even though she resented the people of this village........
.......she wouldn't abandon them to the monster for any reason.
********************
The villagers were awakened by the church bell, and some rushed outside to see what was going on. In the light rain, and the flashes of lightning, some could see two beings doing battle in the air, and on the rooves on several of the houses. Several of the farming men went back inside the house to retrieve any weapons they had. The women and very few children stayed inside and watched from the windows.
Krillin left the barn to help Selena, leaving Kirkland in the house. Sakura, Farley, and Banta watched him leave, as the innkeeper woke up.
"Wot a brave man." Farley sighed about Krillin. "Hey's gonna fight that monsta with his bare hands."
"He's strong." Sakura told him. "So's Selena. They can beat it."
"Wha.....What happened?" Kirkland asked as he came around.
"Kirkland, wot were ya doin out so late?!" Farley asked. "It's gunna rain chocoboes N dogs soon, N they's a monster outside."
"He took me outside." Sakura quickly tattled. "And Selena got all mad and called him a.....'petti-file?' "
Farley narrowed his eyes at his fellow man.
"Andy...."
"I dunno what she's talkin' bout...."
Suddenly, Farley grabbed Kirkland by the throat with one hand.
"You bastaad! Yer at it again?! Didn't I warn ya not ta try it again?!"
Kirkland kicked and choaked as he was being strangled.
"Duke!" he croaked inbetween gasps. "Stop! Listen!"
"Stop it!" Sakura cried. "He didn't hurt anyone!"
"Mr. Farley, stop!" Banta growled.
Farley let go of Kirkland, but punched him in the groin, making Kirkland gasp even more in pain.
Banta walked up to his employeer and stood next to him, just to make sure he didn't act rash again.
"Mr. Farley, Banta cannot understand. What has Mr. Kirkland done?"
Farley closed his eyes and sighed.
"Andy N I knew each otha since we were lads. Andy had a problem growin' up. We discovered 'E haad a Lolita complex. 'E wanted ta marry some liddle girl....... I knew this wasn't good for this God-lovin' man. So, I arranged Andy ta marry a fine woman named Nancy Lockheart. They hit it off well, N were gonna get married.......
"......then, SHE came....."
"Shikimi....." Kirkland coughed. "Reminds me, guess wot, Farley?"
Farley looked down at his friend.
"Wot?"
"That girl......the chocobo thief?"
"Aye?"
"Did'ja know she's Shikimi?"
Farley's eyes almost popped out of his head.
"WOT?!"
"Huh?" Sakura blinked.
"....." Banta looked over at the farm doors, remembering how Selena had helped him.
"Hoye," Kirkland coughed again, "gimme one-o ya guns, mate."
"Wot for?"
"Heh." the innkeeper made a shallow smile. "I'm gonna pay off me sins...."
****************
Selena was finding it harder and harder to concentrate. Cell would have the habit of leaping off one roof and onto another, forcing Selena to jump or use her ki to follow him. It was starting to annoy her. The weather wasn't helping much either. Lighting was flashing more frequently, and the rain was coming down harder. Her clothes were starting to soak in the raindrops, and make her more heavy. Her jumps were coming up shorter and shorter, to the point where she had to grab the side of the rooves and climb up them to get back to fighting Cell.
She also noticed he was doing acrobatics while jumping, doing flips and half twists during jumps. She also noticed he was grinning a lot.
There was no way she could win this fight and he knew it.
They were running out of rooves to jump on, and they were right on the roof of Farley's barn.
Selena finally caught up to Cell, who was just standing up straight and proud while waiting.
"Hold still, dammit!" Selena spat at him.
"No." was his playful answer.
Selena lunged for him, swinging her staff at him. He blocked with one hand and punched her vunerable gut with the other. As she doubled over, he kicked her up into the air. The breath was knocked out of her, so she couldn't retaliate. Cell flew up after her, and tackled her from above. Then, he made a dive with Selena still under him. They impacted on the street, with Selena taking the full blunt.
Cell stood up and crossed his arms as Selena tried to push herself up. She reached for her fallen staff with one bleeding hand, but Cell walked up to it and kicked it away. The woman collapsed with a groan.
"I....can....still fight...." she said softly. Cell shook his head in annoyance. He stomped one foot on Selena's head and put pressure on it.
"I just don't understand you." he growled. "I'm obvieously stronger, smarter, faster, and overall better than you, and you say you can still beat me because 'you have hope.' " He put more pressure down on his foot, making Selena grit her teeth in pain. "How could you have hope when there is no chance at all in succeeding?!"
"I'll tell you that......when you tell me.....why you keep me alive." Selena responded.
Cell snarled.
"Well, you won't be alive much longer, now will you? I estimate that some ribs are broken, and you're lucky that your spine and neck are intact!"
"Feh. You're.......letting me live again....."
Cell narrowed his eyes at her.
"Maybe not this time....."
Selena then grew afraid. Was he serious? Would he really kill her?
"You're bluffing!" she yelled.
"Have I ever lied, Selena?!"
Selena frowned to herself. No, he hadn't. Not once.
"But...." Cell interupted. "I said 'maybe.' I don't know if I should kill you or not. There's been a rise of survivors from my attacks, and I'm losing my reputation as a ruthless killer." He looked down at her, noticing that she wasn't making a sound. "Still alive down there?"
"And kicking." Selena grunted. "And ready.....for another round......if you let me up."
"Heh." Cell smirked, lifting his foot off her. "Get up if you can."
Selena started to push herself up, but collapsed in pain.
'He wasn't kidding....... A rib's broken.....
'.....Maybe more than one rib.....'
"I thought so." Cell shook his head. "Pity. I guess everyone has their limitations...."
"SELENA! CELL, YOU BASTARD!"
Cell looked up to see Krillin charging towards him. The android frowned.
"Again. Pity."
Cell stayed where he was and let Krillin lunge at him. Cell quickly knocked him aside, flinging him into the brick wall of a house. Then walked over to him and tossed him across the street and broke a hole in the barn wall. Cell clapped his hands up and down to clean them of dirt.
"So much for that."
"HOYE, YU!"
Cell turned to see who it was. Just as he noticed he was staring right into the nose of a high-powered rifle....
POOM!
Cell shrieked in absolute pain, staggering over and holding his face tightly. Blood was spilling through his fingers and dripping onto the street. Selena lifted her head to see who it was. A great amount of surprise kept her frozen.
"Kirkland?"
"Got ya covered, dear!" the man winked at her, cocking the gun and lining up his next and last bullet. He turned to Cell. "Hoye, bugga. Leave her alone. Come N take me instead!"
Cell growled at him, taking his hands away and showing that his left eye was completely obliterated.
"Gladly." he growled, marching towards him. Kirkland aimed his gun again and prepared to fire.
"Kirkland!" Selena screamed. "No!"
"Take it easy, Shikimi!" he yelled. "I know I'ma bad man. Jest call this me last good deed for ya."
Selena lowered her head, pounding her fist into the ground.
"Kirkland.....no.....run.....please...."
She refused to raise her head, hearing Cell's stomps grow farther away.
Then, the gunshot......
Then, Kirkland's dying screams......
Then, the rain coming down even harder onto the ground......
Then, silence as loss of blood made her fade out......
******************
Selena woke up in the barn, seeing Krillin hovering over her. Sakura was laying next to her, apparently injured too.
"Hey, good to see you're alright, Selena." Krillin smiled faintly.
Selena turned to him.
"What happened to Sakura.....and Kirkland...."
Krillin frowned and lowered his head.
"Cell got Kirkland." he muttered. "Then, everyone came out and tried to stop him, but Cell just yelled at them to get out of his way and he walked out. Sakura.....got in his way trying to get to you. He kicked her through a house. She's okay. She just hit her head."
Selena put a hand on the girl's head, feeling the bandaged gash. She sat up, feeling her torso protest in pain. She was sitting on the bail of hay she was on earlier. She heard voices outside, knowing that everyone was gathered outside and waiting for them.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"They want us out of here as soon as you woke up." he explained. "They think Cell came because of you."
Selena sighed and stood up, her body shaking in pain.
"They're half right."
**********************
All three headed out of the barn, draped in water-proof cloaks. Farley gave Selena back her capsules along with some food to take. He didn't say another word to her afterward. Selena had packed away the capsule cases and carried Sakura in her arms under her cloak.
Selena and Krillin immediatley met all the villagers standing around the barn. Most had pitchforks, scythes, and other farm tools that could be considered weapons, others carried clubs which were once torches before the rain came down. Selena nodded at them, and started walking. She could tell by the looks in their eyes, they remembered who she was. And without Kirkland here to clear the story, and Farley no longer willing to talk, Selena was still considered a witch.
Some of the crowd parted for her, and let her walk towards the outskirts. She walked slowly, hearing the rain pounding down from the sky. She kept her head down, almost in shame. Why was she brought here? Was was all of this being a burden to her?
'Why do you hate me, God?'
Then, she heard very loud sobbing in front of her. Selena looked up to see Nancy Lockheart Kirkland not moving from the crowd. The widow was crying into Kirkland's stabbed shirt, staying in front of Selena. Selena stopped and frowned. She felt like crying too. Kirkland had died because of her......
Nancy angrily raised her head to Selena.
"Yu brought it here, didn't'ja yu WITCH?! Yu brought it here ta kill us! Yu want us all dead, don't'ja?!"
"That's not true...." Selena muttered. "None of it."
"ME HUBBY'S DEAD COZ'A YU!"
"I'm sorry, Nancy."
"We shuld burn yu aat th' stake! Yu belong in th' depths of hell! YU'RE EVIL!"
Selena screamed, and ran past Nancy, pushing her aside. Selena started sobbing as she ran. Nancy chased after her, as well as the other villagers that started to agree with her.
Selena was crying so hard that she tripped on a loose cobblestone and fell. Sakura woke up and started crying too. Selena hugged her close, knowing that the angry mob was close by and was going to clobber them to death.
'No......please........help.....'
Suddenly, there was a loud roar that wasn't thunder. The villagers looked behind them to see a Ronso charging towards them. Banta jumped clear over them and stood right on the edge of the outskirt. Behind him was the wide open plain, and Selena's freedom. Krillin rushed to Selena's side to help her up as Banta took out a spear. He stabbed the spear into the ground just ahead of him.
"Whoever cross this spear," he called to the villagers, "Banta will kill!" He looked down at Selena and nodded.
Selena gave one last sob before she smiled weakly and got up.
"C'mon, Krillin."
Krillin looked at her in shock.
"But, he said...."
"Come on!"
Krillin walked behind her, nervously. Selena walked until she was standing right next to the Ronso.
"Thank you, Banta." she whispered.
"Go." was all he said.
Selena nodded, and headed off with Krillin by her side onto the plains.
********************
Rather than watching Selena go, Cell watched the people of Pine Brook in disgust.
His eye was blown out of it's socket and he was mad as hell.
He couldn't take it anymore.
As soon as he was sure Selena had left the area, he stood from the church roof down at the people.
"Sinners!" he shouted at them. All of them turned their eyes to him as he glared at them through one good eye.
"ALL OF YOU ARE SINNERS!"
He pounced down to the ground, and ran for them.
Every single one of them would be eaten tonight!
To Be Continued!
Cell: WHAT? NO END OF EPISODE BONUS?!
Masq: The chapter was too long.
Cell: Well, don't make them so long next time!
Masq: Sorry.
Cell: So, when's the next update?
Masq: I'm working on it!
Cell: **chases her** Work faster!
