Chase
by Angelica S. (Sailor Negaverse)
Email: sailoryaolihotmail.com
Book One: Legend's Beginning
Chapter One: Creation
"Serenity... you are magnificent, you know that?" He said to her. Serena
allowed herself to stiffen. How did he do it? The king of Jurai had sneaked
up behind her again. Trembling slightly, she felt it hard to breathe as he
grabbed her arm painfully, his other hand tracing the bruises that were beginning
to heal. They were deep purple, and looked like angry tentacles against her pale
skin.
She closed her eyes, feeling his body against hers. Her lungs burned
as she struggled to control her breathing. Act calm Serena she consoled
herself. Squeezing her eyes, she felt his hot breath against her neck. How
many days has it been since she woke up, finding herself naked, floating
in blue gel? How many hours had passed since they told her she was a soldier,
a clone? Am I human? she wondered to herself, brooding over matters
to escape his assault. His hands brushed against her hair, which flowed
like liquid silk. He chuckled, sensing her discomfort. He enjoyed making
her cower in fear. He enjoyed his power over his little soldier. But he
didn't like her. She was weak... she was a woman.
Why am I here? Why am I born? her mind continued to shout out questions
as she felt her breathing began to stagger. Serenity. That was her name.
She had a mark on her, however. A number imprinted on her inner thigh. A code...
mc-126. She used to stare at the code in the dark and it seemed to taunt her,
to belittle her, to remind her that she was nothing but a tool. But I'm
JURIAN, her stubborn mind justified. She was a clone, but she was Jurian. She
had blood in her veins. She had a conscience.
You also have microchips inside your body, her inner voice answered
cruelly. The comments hurt, however true it was. Her body was... advanced.
Microchips are implanted inside her to give her alertness and quickness. Her
senses are sharpened to an inhuman extent. She was powerful, her body capable
of doing moves no ordinary human could. Her bones are encased with metallic
alloy that allowed her incredible strength. She was a mutant... an ugly creation
inside a cold lab. She looked at her wrist, longing to rip the metallic cables
from herself. She was human... yet she was also machine. SHE was a paradox, a
living contradiction.
A slap brought her to reality as she reached and grabbed her cheeks,
stunned. She looked at him, her expression like a pathetic little rabbit.
Her pure blue eyes shone, wide and innocent. He grabbed her by the neck and
watched her intently, cold eyes narrowed into slits. She was weak and
lacks confidence. She had a gentle soul. He wanted to laugh at the thought.
The perfect warrior, with a body capable of fighting 20 men and the
brains to decode any machine... was a pathetic little girl. Still...
if properly trained, she could be strong, and heartless.
"Lets begin our lessons, shall we?" He said with a steely voice.
He was no match for her, and he knows it. However, she could not hurt
him, because he controls her. He can make her do whatever he wishes
with a thought. That's the beauty of technology.
He ran a cold finger against her ample breasts, before shoving
her against a wall. No! her mind screamed. She was too afraid to move,
and watched him approach her. Every cell of body froze and she trembled,
feeling panic rise. He stroked her face gently as she squeezed her eyes
shut, bracing herself for the worst.
..........
Endymion laughed happily as he ran across the east Juraian plains.
It was a beautiful place, with the sun streaming its golden light.
The grass shimmered, still wet with morning dew. He could see soft wildflowers
began to bloom, its petals folded against the buds. Endy was glad
to see winter be over with.
The grass was green again, and the spring breeze caused the trees
to sway in the air. Trees. That was what Jurai is based on. Wood is its
most sacred element, forming everything from ships to buildings. But in
the palace, the trees that housed the cities are all controlled, its
structures molded by technology. Here, in the plains, trees thrived in
nature, surrounded by the sea of green grass. He was turning 12 in a few
months and sat down on the emerald carpet, staring up at the blue skies,
observing the fluffy white clouds above him.
Lately, he was getting more and more suspicious. He remember four
years ago when his mother first brought him to this place. Eastern
Jurai was beautiful, with trees and scattered villages. He knew something
was up, but his mother refused to tell him what.
But, he was not stupid, and he had a chilling theory on what was
going on. He didn't want to admit it, but he almost could taste the
tension in the air. Eastern Jurai was "lost territory". It was not marked
in normal maps and is considered forbidden. Why am I here? Something
happened... but what? He dismissed his troubled thoughts and stared curiously
at a little tree sprout. It was rare that a tree would actually have seeds.
Trees of Jurai are mostly old and for one to give a seed was... one chance
in a million. That was why trees are considered so sacred. The young tree
glowed and Endy sat, enchanted by the streams of light beaming from it.
Trees are mystical things, full of power. He placed a finger on the
sprout, and felt power rolling against him. Closing his eyes, he felt
the comfort spirit of the tree wrapped against him. It was a wonderful
feeling as he felt their souls join. Unknown to Endy, the young sapling
and the boy glowed as one as the fields erupted in light.
Endy was not aware of what was happening outside. He didn't see
his mother watching, crimson lips opened in shock. Her baby... was
glowing! He has the gift! She watched all the other trees around
echo and hum, spraying out little beams of iridescent light to wrap
around the boy, stroking him. They accepts him! The trees acknowledges
him! her thoughts ran through her mind excitedly as she watched,
entranced by the light show.
It was incredible. Endy felt like flying as he shared a moment
with the tree. Suddenly, he was aware of everything around him,
of the activities of the earth below him. ::Open your eyes prince.::
A soothing voice commanded as Endy became aware of his surroundings.
The trees are all glowing... and it was so beautiful, so captivating.
Everything sang with harmony as Endy came in contact with a soft
burst of light.
::My prince... you are the heir, the true heir of this earth!::
It spoke softly, its voice enchanting. ::Listen carefully. Terrible
times are coming, but remember, when you go... be reminded of who
you are! You belong here and you have people to lead. Don't be
broken because true strength comes from gentleness and love, and NOTHING
is more gentle than true strength.:: In a sudden burst of light,
it was all gone.
The wind fluttered through the leaves gently, no trace of the
previous events were found as Endy looked around in disbelief. Realizing
that the sun was already setting, turning the sky into gold and gray, he
stood up and began to leave, but not before he realized that the tree sprout
has now grown to be half as tall as him. What was going on? his young
mind pondered to himself, but he felt deeply peaceful inside. And... for
now... everything was well.
"My Endymion!" A woman's voice called out.
"Mother! Did you see...?"
"Yes! The trees accept you as their ruler."
"I don't understand."
"Come with me. You must learn the truth, now." Endymion followed
his mother, confused, yet shivering with anticipation. He knew she
was hiding things from him. And he knew he was here, in this village,
to escape and hide. But what? Why did they sneak out of the Juraian
palace when he was merely 8 years old?
..........
She concentrated quietly, using all of her powers to launch a
ball of attack at her master. The king laughed, dodging it gracefully.
She hated him. Hated him with a cold fury. Everyday, she would attend
his "lessons", or rather, another beating. But she was getting better,
her reflexes sharper. She knew the king cheats, using simple teleportation
devices to be faster than her.
Someday, however, he will have to actually force her to stop before
getting killed. She longed for that day. Serena grinned in spite of the
numerous cuts on her body. Battling was a euphoria for her, and getting
the rare chance of shoving the little king was even better. You are
only a puppet. You are only a clone. What does the world care? You are
only a tool her voice chided over and over, reminding her that she meant
nothing. They could always make another copy, right? Letting out a battle
roar, she charged.
The king of Jurai watched his little toy achieve the impossible.
Even with teleportation devices, her reflex and brain was able to actually
predict where he was going to be. Amazing... perhaps she wasn't such
a waste after all. Perhaps she will serve me well. The little heathen
have spirit and a lot of determination. Soon, she will be ready for
war and then, I wouldn't give a damn whether she was still alive.
"Sir! Sorry to interrupt with the training, but the generals have
arrived to make battle plans. We can't waste any more time. The young
king is already close to 12," the royal page interrupted.
"NEVER CALL HIM KING!" He shouted back, glaring with contempt. He
grabbed the page's collar by the fist, threatening to kill him. The young
boy trembled beneath him, pulling back as far as possible. Meanwhile,
Serena looked with curiosity. King? Who is this young boy they speak off?
before she got the answers, the king and the page had already stormed off.
..........
"Endymion... this is very hard for me to say. You are... a prince
by birthright. Your father died a week before we escaped here. But you
should be king! However, after your uncle went into the throne, he
wanted to murder us and kill our people's spirit. He is a tyrant," her
mother explained. She grabbed her son's hand and looked into solemn eyes.
He will be handsome... just like the king She gasped softly, choking
with sobs. Grabbing the pot of young roses, she held her son's hand and
unleashed their powers. Before his eyes, the bud rose, arching its head
out of the soil and began to grow at an astonishing rate.
"The power of the trees. In the cities, the tree's energy is
subdued by technology. By... microchips," his mother explained, spiting
out the word 'microchip' with disdain. "Your grandfather was foolish, letting
his advisors do this to Jurai. Our world used to be so different. We
had technology, yes... and we had tree ships, but we NEVER controlled
our sacred trees, forcing them to be our slaves. NEVER! Trees have energy,
they speak as one, with wisdom. They are ancient things, and they
protected this world. The kings are cruel. They refuse to understand.
They wanted power, and wanted to harness energy through the trees. But you
are blessed by them! You have the power of Jurai in your veins."
"Why me? Why not uncle?"
"Uncle's thirst for power destroyed his ability to channel power.
Remember, only ones of their royal line, the people of the trees, can
receive this power. The people are sad. Here lives all the rebels, people
who wish for change, who wishes for peace. They don't want to watch their
trees suffer. That's why the eastern plains are uncharted. Because we
are banished and forgotten." The young prince's eyes widened and looked
down at his fingertips, which still felt tingly from the earlier power
demonstration.
"How do I do this? How do I have peace?"
"I don't know, my love. When you are older, we'll think of something.
You are the rightful heir. Once you are of age, he has no choice but to
let you be king," her voice was strong, betraying her doubts. It has to
work! Has to! All these people... I can't watch his uncle slaughter them all!
I just can't!
"Mother... I love you." She sat there, stunned at her son's words.
Cupping his face, she looked into his serious blue eyes with a hopeful smile
spread across her gaunt face.
"I love you, too, my beloved. I love you, too."
..........
Serena looked outside in her "bedroom". It was completely made of steel.
She had no furniture except for a mattress. They didn't even trust her enough
to put in a table. Outside, the golden rays of sunlight pierced through
her window, which was held by iron bars. The light permeated her room,
supplying her with a little sunshine.
She felt cold, and empty. Lonely. I'm lonely She got dressed in her
suit of armor and glanced at her reflection against the clear steel walls.
Her image was blurred, but she got the general idea. She was a petite woman,
around 5'5" with soft feminine features. Light blue armor covered most of her
body and her feet were graced by shiny white boots.
Why do I have this dream... every single night? I dreamed of HIM...
a little boy. Why do I feel like I know him? Life was simple for her. She
was a tool, a weapon for Jurai's battle against the rebels. Do she care who
she's going to fight? No. She has no worries. Her mind was already molded
by the king and she have no care for anything anymore. Serena's light blue
eyes darkened with bloodlust. It doesn't matter who. They will all pay and she's
going to enjoy every god damn minute of killing.
Putting her hand into a fist, she punched the steel wall, hearing her
knuckles impact against the strong steel. She calmly observed the damage she
caused. There was a dent, no doubt about it. Narrowing her eyes at the angry
mark she caused, Serena quietly left, her boots clicking against her cement
cell. There was practice left to be done and no time for brooding. It was
just a dream. Just a dream for you to lust upon Still, she had to admit
the young man was pretty hot... for his age. Chuckling coldly to herself,
she continued to the battle room.
..........
::Hello, lovely Terra, you look worried.:: The tree's light glowed
softly in the dark cloudless night. It twinkled, as if laughing at her
quietly. The air was silent and still, and nothing stirred. Terra looked
pensively at the circle of trees. They towered majestically over her,
tall and forbidden, but the curves of their trunks showed gentleness
and the branches hovered over her, nurturing its leaves.
"Tell me what is going on in the outside world! Tell me!" She
demanded, pumping her fist into the air. Her blue eyes glared fire
and they stared up at the trees. "Please." She was desperate for the
answer. Lately, her dreams have been haunted by nightmares of death
and destruction, and of her son, Endymion, lying down in the grass,
dead. She also saw this woman, proud and beautiful, but with bloodlust
in her cold eyes. Terra was not a seer and could not prognosticate the
future, but she could sometimes get little pieces of what is to come.
This time, she saw things that chilled her to the bone. And if the moment
comes, she'll use her power of the trees to protect her son.
::You know the answer already my dear child. You know they are
attacking soon, and that they brought someone with them. You see her in
your dreams. I cannot tell you what the future brings, but your fears will
be realized soon.::
"So we'll all go to hell then." The tree laughed at her bluntness.
They looked at her willowy form, and her clenched fists.
::Rest assured my dear. Have faith in your son.:: The trees knew
of the future. They had seen it in the stars. It was ugly and bleak,
full of death and despair. But there is hope, and with hope, comes
light. Strange how destiny and fate works, pinning everyone's hope on a 12
year old boy. The trees wanted to cry and weep for Terra, for her life will
soon be over, but not in vain. They also mourns for the young blond
who will be her killer.
"So... I will die, aren't I? Don't comfort me, damn it! I just hope
my son will be alright." Terra knew from the sound of the trees that it
was filled with sadness. Besides, she had already seen herself dead in her
dreams. Death does not scare her, but she fear of its results and its
hold on her boy.
::The future is shaped everyday by our actions.:: The tree whispered,
as if trying to convince itself that it wasn't true. That the stars lie.
"I don't concur," Terra said with a trembling voice. She knew of her
fate now, and what is to be done. Silently, the stars twinkled above them
in the dark of the night, peering at the scene before them, watching
as the future unveils.
End of Chapter One
Well, here's Chapter one. This story has actually been around for at least a year now at moonromance.net, but I've just decided to post it here. I'm currently working on Book Two, which is already almost half-way done. Please review and tell me what you think. Even better, go read Reminiscences, my favorite work so far .