AN: I'm so sorry for the long wait, I've been busy lately. Anyways, thanks
to everyone who reviewed, and mystical-12, chapter 6 wasn't the chapter, it
was just something I thought I'd add in as a prelude to this chapter. And
for everyone else who's reading, don't worry, I'm going through thoroughly,
majority of the people said to, and yes, I do have a feeling this thing'll
be quite long. Meh.
Miranda walked briskly away from her and Quistis' dorm. She didn't need all this now. She didn't want to face Quistis. Last night was a mistake, she knew that. She hadn't meant to confess everything to Quistis, about - Avy's death. She was still in denial about it, and yet something had compelled her to tell Quistis. It wasn't the first time she'd had that nightmare, but last night was the first time that she had confessed what she had seen in her nightmare to anyone. And it had to be Quistis. Not that Miranda had anything against Quistis, it was just...
'Just what, huh?'
'I don't know just what.'
Miranda frowned deeply as she walked. She had no idea where she was going, all she wanted to do was get away from Quistis.
'You shouldn't have told her.'
'I know I shouldn't have told her, but I already did, it isn't a matter of telling her or not now, it's a matter of what I'm going to do now that it's happened.'
'You know that you've jeopardized the mission now, don't you?'
'Of course I know.'
'What're you going to do about it?'
'That's what I'm trying to figure out.'
Back and forth, Miranda argued with her conscience. She knew she had blown it. Her mission, one that had been handed down to her from her ancestors, was jeopardized because of some unknown feeling that had awakened in Miranda. Her task of protecting the lonely one, and saving the world from another Sorceress' reign, it was all useless now. Miranda, who was supposed to be the last hope for the world against the developing Sorceress, was now the downfall of the world. She couldn't do this. This enormous responsibility couldn't possibly be held up on such skinny 15 year old shoulders.
* * *
"Miranda?"
"Yes Mother?"
"I have a story to tell you."
Miranda looked sadly down at her mother, who was lying on her deathbed in their house.
"I'm listening Mother."
"Have you heard of the legend of the Maidens of Time Miranda?"
"No Mother." Miranda sniffed lightly, a tear escaped from her eye and slid down her cheek.
"The Maidens of Time are young women who have the responsibility of saving worlds in different worlds, in different time periods, from Sorceresses who have gone over to the dark side. Every generation has its own Maiden, each Maiden gives birth to a little girl who will then become the next Maiden. Miranda, I was a Maiden."
Nothing. Miranda didn't know how to react. Her mother, her kind, wonderful mother, was a Maiden. And because of this, she had fought a Sorceress, and been defeated by her, and was now dying.
"Why?" was all Miranda could choke out.
"Why? Because my mother was a Maiden. And since I was, you will be too. We don't have a choice my love, we're born with this responsibility. Promise me Miranda, promise me you will fulfill your duty as a Maiden."
"Mother..."
"Miranda, promise me!"
Miranda tightly clutched her mother's hand.
"I promise."
Her mother smiled gently.
"Then I can finally pass on in peace. Goodbye my love."
Miranda's mother closed her eyes, and drew in air for the last time. Anguish, sadness, horror, loneliness, they all filled Miranda.
"NO!!! MOTHER!!"
She looked at her mother, and suddenly, flashes of Avy's death rushed before Miranda's eyes.
"NO!!"
Miranda fell to her knees, sobbing. She didn't notice the tendrils of magic flowing from her mother's body, and into hers. The powers of a Maiden.
"Miranda..."
Miranda looked up wildly, her mother's voice ringing in her ears.
"Mother?! Mother, where are you?!"
"Miranda, you must protect the lonely one, and help save the world from another Sorceress' reign. Do not let anyone know about your identity Miranda, you must keep them safe..."
Everything swirled around her, and suddenly, Miranda found herself standing in a white, empty space, facing an enormous vortex.
"Go in Miranda, fulfill your duty. Farewell my love."
Miranda sniffed once, angrily wiped the tears away, and with a new resolve, walked through the portal. She had promised her mother, now she would fulfill her promise and her duty.
* * * "AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!"
Miranda ran wildly at the T-Rexaur and swung her Gunblade. With a surge of magical energy, Samurai's Last Wish beheaded the monster, leaving the decapitated T-Rexaur to momentarily stagger around before falling to the ground with a loud 'thump'.
Tears of sorrow and anger threatened to spill out of Miranda's eyes. Why did she have to be a Maiden? Why did her mother have to be a Maiden?
"Miranda?"
Miranda whipped around to find Quistis standing tentatively behind her.
"Yes?" she ground out impatiently.
Quistis looked uncomfortably at Miranda before replying, "I got a phone call, it's about your father."
Miranda walked briskly away from her and Quistis' dorm. She didn't need all this now. She didn't want to face Quistis. Last night was a mistake, she knew that. She hadn't meant to confess everything to Quistis, about - Avy's death. She was still in denial about it, and yet something had compelled her to tell Quistis. It wasn't the first time she'd had that nightmare, but last night was the first time that she had confessed what she had seen in her nightmare to anyone. And it had to be Quistis. Not that Miranda had anything against Quistis, it was just...
'Just what, huh?'
'I don't know just what.'
Miranda frowned deeply as she walked. She had no idea where she was going, all she wanted to do was get away from Quistis.
'You shouldn't have told her.'
'I know I shouldn't have told her, but I already did, it isn't a matter of telling her or not now, it's a matter of what I'm going to do now that it's happened.'
'You know that you've jeopardized the mission now, don't you?'
'Of course I know.'
'What're you going to do about it?'
'That's what I'm trying to figure out.'
Back and forth, Miranda argued with her conscience. She knew she had blown it. Her mission, one that had been handed down to her from her ancestors, was jeopardized because of some unknown feeling that had awakened in Miranda. Her task of protecting the lonely one, and saving the world from another Sorceress' reign, it was all useless now. Miranda, who was supposed to be the last hope for the world against the developing Sorceress, was now the downfall of the world. She couldn't do this. This enormous responsibility couldn't possibly be held up on such skinny 15 year old shoulders.
* * *
"Miranda?"
"Yes Mother?"
"I have a story to tell you."
Miranda looked sadly down at her mother, who was lying on her deathbed in their house.
"I'm listening Mother."
"Have you heard of the legend of the Maidens of Time Miranda?"
"No Mother." Miranda sniffed lightly, a tear escaped from her eye and slid down her cheek.
"The Maidens of Time are young women who have the responsibility of saving worlds in different worlds, in different time periods, from Sorceresses who have gone over to the dark side. Every generation has its own Maiden, each Maiden gives birth to a little girl who will then become the next Maiden. Miranda, I was a Maiden."
Nothing. Miranda didn't know how to react. Her mother, her kind, wonderful mother, was a Maiden. And because of this, she had fought a Sorceress, and been defeated by her, and was now dying.
"Why?" was all Miranda could choke out.
"Why? Because my mother was a Maiden. And since I was, you will be too. We don't have a choice my love, we're born with this responsibility. Promise me Miranda, promise me you will fulfill your duty as a Maiden."
"Mother..."
"Miranda, promise me!"
Miranda tightly clutched her mother's hand.
"I promise."
Her mother smiled gently.
"Then I can finally pass on in peace. Goodbye my love."
Miranda's mother closed her eyes, and drew in air for the last time. Anguish, sadness, horror, loneliness, they all filled Miranda.
"NO!!! MOTHER!!"
She looked at her mother, and suddenly, flashes of Avy's death rushed before Miranda's eyes.
"NO!!"
Miranda fell to her knees, sobbing. She didn't notice the tendrils of magic flowing from her mother's body, and into hers. The powers of a Maiden.
"Miranda..."
Miranda looked up wildly, her mother's voice ringing in her ears.
"Mother?! Mother, where are you?!"
"Miranda, you must protect the lonely one, and help save the world from another Sorceress' reign. Do not let anyone know about your identity Miranda, you must keep them safe..."
Everything swirled around her, and suddenly, Miranda found herself standing in a white, empty space, facing an enormous vortex.
"Go in Miranda, fulfill your duty. Farewell my love."
Miranda sniffed once, angrily wiped the tears away, and with a new resolve, walked through the portal. She had promised her mother, now she would fulfill her promise and her duty.
* * * "AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!"
Miranda ran wildly at the T-Rexaur and swung her Gunblade. With a surge of magical energy, Samurai's Last Wish beheaded the monster, leaving the decapitated T-Rexaur to momentarily stagger around before falling to the ground with a loud 'thump'.
Tears of sorrow and anger threatened to spill out of Miranda's eyes. Why did she have to be a Maiden? Why did her mother have to be a Maiden?
"Miranda?"
Miranda whipped around to find Quistis standing tentatively behind her.
"Yes?" she ground out impatiently.
Quistis looked uncomfortably at Miranda before replying, "I got a phone call, it's about your father."