Fratly survey's the incomplete group of heroes calmly, making sure his
words sank in. "Understand? She's slightly. . . erratic. I think she'd
freak and make life even more difficult if you let the facts get to you."
Fratly surveys the group.
"Yeah, I know." Confirms Zidane, still ecstatic over this good fortune. "We have to treat her like any other prisoner. Can you just show us where she is now?"
Fratly sighs and yawns tiredly, obviously hoping for more sleep once they left. "Currently she's chained thoroughly, and don't take them off until she's safely in Alexandria. Have you let knights and citizens know of this development?"
Garnet nods. "They'd all freak otherwise. I didn't tell them everything, mainly because we still don't know everything yet, and they've been told the person, whoever it was, that raised them told a bunch of lies and got them thinking everyone here was evil. We'll straighten it out."
Fratly smiles. "Good. I'll lead you to her now."
~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~
"You know, Catalina, there's absolutely nothing to be afraid of." Comforts Uedapainya badly. "No one here or in Alexandria will hurt you in any way." I continue to ignore her, and continue to struggle, determined to get out of my bonds. She told me immediately that Clara's not there any more, having disappeared from plain sight. She probably used a child's trick. Somewhere in my head, the thoughts that there's no hope, no escape, that I'm doomed boom, but I ignore them. If I can get out of my bonds before the idiots from Alexandria come to take me away. Perhaps I can run.
If only these chains weren't so strong, I'd have been out of here ages ago. I have to escape. My life depends on it. If I go to Alexandria I'll be killed quickly, and I'm scared. I don't WANT to be in a prison, a dungeon, or anything else! I want to be home, battling lethal turtles, laughing over one of Clara's feeble jokes. . .
"Here they are now." Comments Uedalayla suddenly, and my heart beats faster still from outright terror. My tail, which was caught under the same bond my arms were, stiffens, hair sticking out as much as I try to hide it: Showing fear tells your enemy they're sure of the kill, letting them know they're boss.
A face fills my vision, and I try to keep the terror from rising in my throat, constricting my breath with the taste of it. I close my eyes briefly, trying to get control of my emotions, then open them so it doesn't give that fact away.
I see a smile on the face of the king Clara wounded so long ago. A quick test of my bonds with his hands, making sure they're secure probably, and he picks me up. I squirm harder in repulsion, trying to get out of the arms that imprison me, away from the chains that lock me in place, and away.
"Hi there," He says, looking down at me, clear cerulean eyes lighting up his face, "You can stop squirming. It might make me drop you." I stare up at his face, and can't think, the voice in the back of my head repeating a fact I always knew but until now never accepted: I'm doomed. I struggle still out of reflex, terror making my limbs turn weak, shaking me inside and out. His smile disappears as he feels this.
"It's all right. We aren't going to hurt you." He comforts me, not knowing my fear comes from the fact that I'm in a position where I can't defend myself. Where I can't run at any moment, face any threat that comes at me. I shake more violently, widening my eyes and looking anywhere but up so no one will see me cry. Cry for my helplessness, cry for my fear, cry because as sure as sure can be I'm doomed for eternity, never to laugh again, forever in custody, a world unknown.
Another, smaller hand wipes my eyes; I close them from the humiliation of being discovered. Will I never be free again? The second person's hands take me, begin to carry me onto ship as the first one's owner opens the way for us. I continue to shake, scared: out of prying eyes view, I could be tortured, killed. Destroyed, alone. Will I ever get out of this? I open my eyes wide, trying to stop more tears from escaping, from eyes betraying my fear. The same hand wipes them, softly, and I just shake harder. I'm scared, though I'll deny it, I'm trembling, I can't hide it, unmasked and shamed, though I feel no regrets. Yes I do. I regret I ever asked that simpering, pus-filled moogle for help.
Above me, where I see the person's face, I know: The queen, a deadly foe. She looks down at me, hiding the light-blue ceiling, and smiles. I continue to shake, as violently if not more. Even if I get out of my bonds, a feat of strength that seems impossible now, I won't be able to get out of the airship, undoubtedly the Invincible, unless one of them clears the way for me.
I'm set down, hands let go of me, I'm on a platform, standing on the floor, tied hopelessly, no hope left,
"Shhhhhhhh. Its ok." Says the queen, soft voice scaring me even more. With every passing second the chances of escape less likely, of torture more sure. "We won't hurt you. Calm down." Again the same deadly hand wipes the tears I fight to keep inside, a hand steadying me, keeping me upright. I fight to escape, try to control the shaking that gives the lie to my indifferent attitude. I succeed in nothing, tears still sliding forbidden down my face. Gently she continues wiping them, holding me upright and letting me cry involuntarily, watching every painful moment no matter how I twist my head. In an attempt to look down, avoid her searching stare as she sits next to me, I see parts of the floor change color, to a light, glowing blue from the dark, dull color earlier. At the same instant a hum echoes through the place, continuous rumbles scaring me even more. Too scared even to protest any more as her hand wipes away the tears my eyes cry without I succeed in nothing, tears still sliding forbidden down my face. Gently she continues wiping them, holding me upright and letting me cry involuntarily, watching every painful moment no matter how I twist my head. In an attempt to look down, avoid her searching stare as she sits next to me, I see parts of the floor change color, to a light, glowing blue from the dark, dull color earlier. At the same instant a hum echoes through the place, continuous rumbles scaring me even more. Too scared even to protest any more as her hand wipes away the tears my eyes cry without permission, shaking still harder.
I feel the parts of me that were touching the platform earlier no more, I struggle again, trying not to curse, to show anyone how scared I really am as she picks me up. One-handed she wipes my tears, falling slowly due to protests being ignored. With the other she places me on her lap, obviously to make torturing me easier. I tense up instinctively, trying to stop my tears, trying to prepare myself for the slap that's sure to come.
Instead I hear a voice on the other side of the room proclaiming, forcibly and with a spell behind it, "Sleep." As I fall into voiceless slumber, weights immediately pressing on my eyelids, I wonder what they'll do to me as I lie here, helpless in all ways.
~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~
Clara: Boy, you weren't kidding when you said you got inspiration.
Eika: It's better than the last few chapters. I had trouble writing them.
Clara: This'll be the last for a while, then?
Eika: Nope, I'm still going strong. Review!
"Yeah, I know." Confirms Zidane, still ecstatic over this good fortune. "We have to treat her like any other prisoner. Can you just show us where she is now?"
Fratly sighs and yawns tiredly, obviously hoping for more sleep once they left. "Currently she's chained thoroughly, and don't take them off until she's safely in Alexandria. Have you let knights and citizens know of this development?"
Garnet nods. "They'd all freak otherwise. I didn't tell them everything, mainly because we still don't know everything yet, and they've been told the person, whoever it was, that raised them told a bunch of lies and got them thinking everyone here was evil. We'll straighten it out."
Fratly smiles. "Good. I'll lead you to her now."
~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~
"You know, Catalina, there's absolutely nothing to be afraid of." Comforts Uedapainya badly. "No one here or in Alexandria will hurt you in any way." I continue to ignore her, and continue to struggle, determined to get out of my bonds. She told me immediately that Clara's not there any more, having disappeared from plain sight. She probably used a child's trick. Somewhere in my head, the thoughts that there's no hope, no escape, that I'm doomed boom, but I ignore them. If I can get out of my bonds before the idiots from Alexandria come to take me away. Perhaps I can run.
If only these chains weren't so strong, I'd have been out of here ages ago. I have to escape. My life depends on it. If I go to Alexandria I'll be killed quickly, and I'm scared. I don't WANT to be in a prison, a dungeon, or anything else! I want to be home, battling lethal turtles, laughing over one of Clara's feeble jokes. . .
"Here they are now." Comments Uedalayla suddenly, and my heart beats faster still from outright terror. My tail, which was caught under the same bond my arms were, stiffens, hair sticking out as much as I try to hide it: Showing fear tells your enemy they're sure of the kill, letting them know they're boss.
A face fills my vision, and I try to keep the terror from rising in my throat, constricting my breath with the taste of it. I close my eyes briefly, trying to get control of my emotions, then open them so it doesn't give that fact away.
I see a smile on the face of the king Clara wounded so long ago. A quick test of my bonds with his hands, making sure they're secure probably, and he picks me up. I squirm harder in repulsion, trying to get out of the arms that imprison me, away from the chains that lock me in place, and away.
"Hi there," He says, looking down at me, clear cerulean eyes lighting up his face, "You can stop squirming. It might make me drop you." I stare up at his face, and can't think, the voice in the back of my head repeating a fact I always knew but until now never accepted: I'm doomed. I struggle still out of reflex, terror making my limbs turn weak, shaking me inside and out. His smile disappears as he feels this.
"It's all right. We aren't going to hurt you." He comforts me, not knowing my fear comes from the fact that I'm in a position where I can't defend myself. Where I can't run at any moment, face any threat that comes at me. I shake more violently, widening my eyes and looking anywhere but up so no one will see me cry. Cry for my helplessness, cry for my fear, cry because as sure as sure can be I'm doomed for eternity, never to laugh again, forever in custody, a world unknown.
Another, smaller hand wipes my eyes; I close them from the humiliation of being discovered. Will I never be free again? The second person's hands take me, begin to carry me onto ship as the first one's owner opens the way for us. I continue to shake, scared: out of prying eyes view, I could be tortured, killed. Destroyed, alone. Will I ever get out of this? I open my eyes wide, trying to stop more tears from escaping, from eyes betraying my fear. The same hand wipes them, softly, and I just shake harder. I'm scared, though I'll deny it, I'm trembling, I can't hide it, unmasked and shamed, though I feel no regrets. Yes I do. I regret I ever asked that simpering, pus-filled moogle for help.
Above me, where I see the person's face, I know: The queen, a deadly foe. She looks down at me, hiding the light-blue ceiling, and smiles. I continue to shake, as violently if not more. Even if I get out of my bonds, a feat of strength that seems impossible now, I won't be able to get out of the airship, undoubtedly the Invincible, unless one of them clears the way for me.
I'm set down, hands let go of me, I'm on a platform, standing on the floor, tied hopelessly, no hope left,
"Shhhhhhhh. Its ok." Says the queen, soft voice scaring me even more. With every passing second the chances of escape less likely, of torture more sure. "We won't hurt you. Calm down." Again the same deadly hand wipes the tears I fight to keep inside, a hand steadying me, keeping me upright. I fight to escape, try to control the shaking that gives the lie to my indifferent attitude. I succeed in nothing, tears still sliding forbidden down my face. Gently she continues wiping them, holding me upright and letting me cry involuntarily, watching every painful moment no matter how I twist my head. In an attempt to look down, avoid her searching stare as she sits next to me, I see parts of the floor change color, to a light, glowing blue from the dark, dull color earlier. At the same instant a hum echoes through the place, continuous rumbles scaring me even more. Too scared even to protest any more as her hand wipes away the tears my eyes cry without I succeed in nothing, tears still sliding forbidden down my face. Gently she continues wiping them, holding me upright and letting me cry involuntarily, watching every painful moment no matter how I twist my head. In an attempt to look down, avoid her searching stare as she sits next to me, I see parts of the floor change color, to a light, glowing blue from the dark, dull color earlier. At the same instant a hum echoes through the place, continuous rumbles scaring me even more. Too scared even to protest any more as her hand wipes away the tears my eyes cry without permission, shaking still harder.
I feel the parts of me that were touching the platform earlier no more, I struggle again, trying not to curse, to show anyone how scared I really am as she picks me up. One-handed she wipes my tears, falling slowly due to protests being ignored. With the other she places me on her lap, obviously to make torturing me easier. I tense up instinctively, trying to stop my tears, trying to prepare myself for the slap that's sure to come.
Instead I hear a voice on the other side of the room proclaiming, forcibly and with a spell behind it, "Sleep." As I fall into voiceless slumber, weights immediately pressing on my eyelids, I wonder what they'll do to me as I lie here, helpless in all ways.
~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~
Clara: Boy, you weren't kidding when you said you got inspiration.
Eika: It's better than the last few chapters. I had trouble writing them.
Clara: This'll be the last for a while, then?
Eika: Nope, I'm still going strong. Review!
