Chapter 2: A Songstress' Agony
A light soon overcame the darkness. A lady, lying on the ground, was looking at someone as her tears flowed through her teary eyes. She was looking at a young man also lying on the ground as blood started to go out of their bodies…
A pat somewhere on the shoulders suddenly awakened a young lady. She yawned and stretched her arms from side to side as she tried to get up from her fuchsia colored bed. Rubbing her eyes with her right hand, she squinted at the person who had woken her up.
"Good morning. Having a pleasant dream?" An old man asked.
" Errr… Ummm... Huh?" She replied sleepily.
"Ho ho… Sorry to have awakened you, but it is getting late. The elder summoner is calling us to the shrine."
"No need to apologize, Uncle Maechan. I'll get dressed up. Please wait for me. You know how I'm not used to such assemblies… Sigh…" She began to frown.
"Hoho! You should get used to it soon."
She finally stood up from her bed and went to her dressing room. Choosing the appropriate dress and at the same time, thinking about her dream, she browsed through her wooden closet slowly. However, she was having a difficult time choosing the right clothes; her mind was too occupied by the weird dream she just had.
"Who was that… Guy?" She thought.
Finally, she was able to pick the garment she wanted; it was her favorite. It was her usual lilac colored blouse with ripples all over it. "Pop Star" outfit; that was what she called it. Combing her silky brownish hair, she finally went out of her dressing room.
"Those clothes again. Hehe… I don't understand you young ones, always obsessed with the same clothing. Hah! Kids these days…" Maechan whined.
"But I love this outfit. It's where I'm most comfortable." She explained.
"Carry on carry on. No time for dilly-dallies. We're already late!"
They went outside of her boarding home. Although it was already midmorning, the sun was not shining at all; only the never-ending lights of Zanarkand illumined the whole area. They went on a corner and rode on the mini-cable car, which directed them to the shrine which was blocks away from their area. With the swiftness of their vehicle, in a matter of minutes, they had finally reached the shrine.
They went out and saw the whole area flooded with people. They were no ordinary people, and all of them wore elegant robes and gowns. She was hesitating if she should even enter since she was only wearing a normal outfit.
"What's wrong, Lenne?" Maechan asked.
"Oh… It's nothing it's just that…" She stared at her outfit and started to get red.
"Hoho… Is that it? Don't worry. In times like this, people do not care about what you wear. Besides, you're the prettiest lass in here." He laughed.
"Heehee… Stop flattering me uncle. Fine, I'll go in." She blushed.
They were about walk in when she saw a young man passing by. She looked at him for a while. Her eyes began to widen; she realized that he was the man in his dreams. Not only that, she had seen him somewhere before…
She left Maechan and started to follow the man. Observing his figure intently, she walked slowly towards him. With each passing step, her heart started to beat fast. She wanted to know why she had that dream, why he was in it, his purpose, and his role in her life.
Ever since she was a child, her dreams always meant something. It was as if a vision, a warning, a sign that something would happen. It was the reason why she was considered… "Special". Not all people were gifted with the power to "see" in their dreams, but this "gift" was the reason of her shattered dream.
Finally, the man went to a halt. She had finally caught up to him. She slowly lifted her hands as she attempted to tap the man behind. With a final push, her fingers started to touch the man's shoulders. The man looked behind, stared at her and scratched his head.
"Yeah? Can I help you?" He asked.
"Oh… Ummm… I'm sorry… I thought you were someone else… Ummm… I guess I'll be on my way." She ran quickly at the opposite direction.
Dumbfounded, she went back to the shrine. Everyone had already gone in when she arrived. Sitting on the marbled stairs towards the golden arch of the entrance, Maechan, still waiting patiently, was the only one there. She interrupted him by tapping the waiting Maechan who was mumbling by himself. Maechan looked up and stood up.
"There you are! Where have you been?"
"I'm sorry… I just looked around and lost myself."
"Hmmm… I see I see. The assembly would start soon. Let's enter shall we? Your father is waiting inside."
Struck by what Maechan had said, Lenne froze and could not move. There was something in the word, "father" that had shocked her. Maechan waved his arms on Lenne's face to see if she was okay.
"Lenne? Lenne! Is something wrong?"
"Uh… Huh? What? Oh… Nothing… Father's there?" Lenne asked in a surprised manner.
"Yes. Why? What's wrong? …"
Maechan suddenly stopped talking and gasped. He had realized something that had happened in the past, something bitter. He had forgotten it and suddenly, in a single snap, everything came back to him… He was there, watching, when the events had happened…
It was a cold night not more than three years ago. It was raining really hard, and thunder and lightning struck every where, and their loud clash could deafen the ear of one who would listen. Inside an elegant house, two people were arguing about something as their voices competed with the loud lightning strikes from outside.
"LENNE! That will be the last concert you'll be doing! I simply don't want that to happen to you! What part of the word, 'don't', don't you understand!?" A man shouted.
"But singing is my life! I want to become a songstress who brings music to people. Please let me pursue this!" Lenne begged.
"No no… It just doesn't work that way! It has been for generations that at least one member of the family becomes a summoner. You have the potential and I simply won't waste it because… BECAUSE of mere singing!" He shouted.
An old man suddenly interrupted their conversation. It was Maechan, still the same in the past as in the present.
"Ahem… May I interrupt?"
"Yes Maechan. What do you have to say about this?" Her father asked.
"Errr… Why not give the lass a chance? She won't make a good summoner if she doesn't have the heart to become one. She is an excellent Songstress. I will never forget the day I have heard her voice for the first time… Sigh… Simply marvelous!" Maechan explained.
"Am I hearing this right, Maechan? Don't side with her! SHE WILL BECOME A SUMMONER no matter what!"
"IF mother was here, she would not let you do this to me!"
Lenne's mother just died recently, and with her mother out of the way, it was easier for his father to force Lenne what he wanted.
"How dare you!" Her father burst in anger.
Fuming, her father slapped her heavily on the right cheek. Tears flowing, Lenne just ran away and slammed the door shut. She could not do anything. In Zanarkand, filial piety is one of the most important traits among children. No one can simply go against it...
Ever since Lenne was a child, she has always loved to sing and one day dreamed to become a songstress in Zanarkand. Her mother supported her wholeheartedly, but her father, on the other hand, disagreed and thought that it was a senseless dream.
When her mother was alive, Lenne was able to pursue this dream. She was a very popular Songstress during the days. Everyone loved her music. She could have become one of the endless stars in Zanarkand, but, when she turned eighteen, the time when her career was booming, her mother died, because of a terrible illness. From there, her father controlled her every move, her every direction that she has to take. Her career as a Songstress soon started to dwindle and wither away. Forgotten by the people, she started her training as summoner.
"Errr… You still can't forgive him, Lenne?" Maechan asked.
Lenne simply nodded as tears gushed out from her eyes. She had just passed the final test of becoming a summoner recently and in this assembly, her fate as a summoner would soon be foretold. Maechan held Lenne's wrist and escorted her inside the shrine.
They went inside the great assembly hall of the Zanarkand shrine. Everyone was cramped in. Some were excited while some felt stoic about it. Lenne, on the other hand, was the only one who despised the assembly so much. She saw her father walking towards them. He was wearing a richly looking ornament on his head and white robes with the emblem of their religion inscribed on it.
"There you are, Lenne! You don't know how it means so much to me, you becoming a summoner!" Her father said cheerfully.
"… Don't talk to me… Now you have what you want, leave me in peace at least." She said in an angry tone.
"Lenne! Don't speak to me like that! I'm your father!" He shouted.
"Hmmm… Really? Since when? I don't remember you caring about me. All you cared about is your selfish ambitions."
"YOU!?"
He was about to slap Lenne again when Maechan grabbed his hand to prevent him from doing so. On the other hand, Lenne was freely giving her cheek to be slapped.
"You don't have to stop him, uncle, he could slap me if he wants. That's all he can do to me…" She cried.
"Please stop this… We are in the shrine. If you know what's good for your name, then this is not the right actions…" Maechan told her father.
With an angry look, her father dropped his hands and pretended he did not hear anything and went on his way. Soon, the crowd calmed down as their elder summoner appeared. He had a long beard that reached the ground and a headpiece to come with his white robes. Beside her was a woman in her mid twenties. She was wearing an elegant aubergine seductive gown with a slit beside one of her legs and her hair was supported by a tiara.
"Ahem… Attention everyone! As you all know, Bevelle had been at war with us since a year ago. I am here to call your assistance once again… Incoming summoners, I ask you to help us in this all out war initiated by Bevelle. We will not let them destroy our Zanarkand!" The elder summoner roared.
Everyone cheered as he gave this heavy speech. It seemed that all the new comers were in high morale as the elder summoner gave his speech. Everyone was eager to help and was fighting their way through the sign up sheet that would enlist them in another battle that would soon ensue. Lenne, on the other hand, was not ecstatic about any of this.
"Aren't you going to sign up?" Someone asked her from behind.
Surprised, she looked behind to see who it was. It was a woman in green robes with a funny looking celadon colored headpiece on her head.
"Ummm… In a while. I don't want to fight the crowd." She replied.
"Oh I see. My name is Bellgermine by the way. You are?"
"Lenne. You can call me Lenne."
"Ah I see. What a wonderful name."
"You look like an experienced summoner. Haven't signed up yet?" She asked bluntly.
"Oh that? Heeheehee! Yes. I had continued my training before I decided to join the war. Have to have more experience if I want to protect myself and Zanarkand." She cheerfully said.
Lenne wondered why they were all cheerful about this. Is giving life freely so happy a thought? Lenne wanted to find out if what she was doing is right. To find answers, she finally decided to line up and enlist herself to assist in the war. As a summoner, she thought she would do it for Zanarkand and not for the prestige of his demanding father.
