I'm back! Yes, I know it's been a while... sorry.
~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~
I trudge along, the sand glowing white in the pale moonlight, arm aching like all hell. My feet are feathering over it as I run, nothing chasing me this time, but running simply because I can, I know how, and I'm sick and tired of this stupidity. I must be miles away from that little cave by now, and in the distance I can see the very peak of the castle, the very edge of the valley it's in.
I pick up my pace. Not long now. Faster. Faster.
~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~
"Did you notice the stumbling over her words?" Asks Zidane. "She said she almost trusted him, and stumbled over her words immediately after."
"Yeah." Agrees Garnet. "'Do you know how rare' were the exact words. It's as if she's afraid of trusting anybody." The others nod.
"Poor kid." Murmurs Eiko. "Not even I was that far from being civilized."
"We have lots of work to do." Says Zidane calmly. "Let's meet with her one more time before darkening her prison. Michimi?"
"Kupo?" asks the moogle, a bit confused. What was he supposed to do now?
"Could you tell us what she did tell you? A few details?" Zidane's voice sounds pleading, but his eyes are calm.
"Yes, kupo. She said, at one point, that she was raised on another continent, though she wouldn't tell me where."
"Which means that, if Clara ran back to that place, we'll have to get her to tell us where it is before we can find her." Sighs Garnet, rubbing her eyes. This day's just getting better and better, she thinks.
"She also said that she and her sister were raised by who she called 'Uncle', who told them to do this. I couldn't get his real name out of her."
"Could be that she doesn't know it." Sighs Freya, sitting on the floor. "How'd he convince them?"
"He said that every person over a certain age was being brainwashed through something in the food." This gets a few people staring at him, and he ducks his head.
"That's ridiculous!" Exclaims Steiner. "Why, of all the preposterous-"
"If you're brought up believing something, it takes a lot to be convinced otherwise." Reprimands Garnet, voice sharp. "That could explain why only kids were left alive- they were too young to be 'affected by the brainwashing'." His voice takes a bitter tone when repeating what they've learned.
"And also why they refuse to eat, if at all possible. They're afraid they'll be affected by it." Realizes Vivi.
"Great." Sighs Zidane. "This is just what we need."
~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~
I'm sitting on the soft platform, staring through the bars at a wall. I don't need to be penned up, I need to run free! A creak from above causes me to look up, see that I'm being drawn into the little meeting room with the 'world heroes' again. I don't need this, I want to go home! The top of my cage reaches through the trap door, and I struggle not to shake.
Everyone who was there last time is here; except for the rat dung Michimi. They're all in chairs again, trap door locked beneath me, King Zidane unlocking my cage. He smiles at me, and I don't shake this time- concentrating too hard on not shaking to shake, I guess- but my mouth goes dry and I swallow in an attempt not to faint or scream.
"Hello again." Says the queen cheerfully. "We just wanted to see if you felt like talking at all yet." The king swings the door to my prison open wide.
"Won't you come out?" He asks pleasantly. "Please?"
I stare at my knees. I know I need to give some sort of response, so I shake my head quickly. No. Never.
"Fine." Says the princess. "You don't need to. Would you like some supper before we cover you for the night?"
Again, I shake my head. They accept that. My cage is closed, and locked, and something heavy and dark covers it, blocking out all light.
I lean against the side of the cage and sleep where I am, not bothering to get off.
~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~
Yes, I know. Way too short after way too long. I finally figured out how to write it well, and don't expect updates very frequently. But just to let you know, we're nearing the end of F.Y.O. and I hope you've enjoyed it so far.
~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~
I trudge along, the sand glowing white in the pale moonlight, arm aching like all hell. My feet are feathering over it as I run, nothing chasing me this time, but running simply because I can, I know how, and I'm sick and tired of this stupidity. I must be miles away from that little cave by now, and in the distance I can see the very peak of the castle, the very edge of the valley it's in.
I pick up my pace. Not long now. Faster. Faster.
~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~
"Did you notice the stumbling over her words?" Asks Zidane. "She said she almost trusted him, and stumbled over her words immediately after."
"Yeah." Agrees Garnet. "'Do you know how rare' were the exact words. It's as if she's afraid of trusting anybody." The others nod.
"Poor kid." Murmurs Eiko. "Not even I was that far from being civilized."
"We have lots of work to do." Says Zidane calmly. "Let's meet with her one more time before darkening her prison. Michimi?"
"Kupo?" asks the moogle, a bit confused. What was he supposed to do now?
"Could you tell us what she did tell you? A few details?" Zidane's voice sounds pleading, but his eyes are calm.
"Yes, kupo. She said, at one point, that she was raised on another continent, though she wouldn't tell me where."
"Which means that, if Clara ran back to that place, we'll have to get her to tell us where it is before we can find her." Sighs Garnet, rubbing her eyes. This day's just getting better and better, she thinks.
"She also said that she and her sister were raised by who she called 'Uncle', who told them to do this. I couldn't get his real name out of her."
"Could be that she doesn't know it." Sighs Freya, sitting on the floor. "How'd he convince them?"
"He said that every person over a certain age was being brainwashed through something in the food." This gets a few people staring at him, and he ducks his head.
"That's ridiculous!" Exclaims Steiner. "Why, of all the preposterous-"
"If you're brought up believing something, it takes a lot to be convinced otherwise." Reprimands Garnet, voice sharp. "That could explain why only kids were left alive- they were too young to be 'affected by the brainwashing'." His voice takes a bitter tone when repeating what they've learned.
"And also why they refuse to eat, if at all possible. They're afraid they'll be affected by it." Realizes Vivi.
"Great." Sighs Zidane. "This is just what we need."
~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~
I'm sitting on the soft platform, staring through the bars at a wall. I don't need to be penned up, I need to run free! A creak from above causes me to look up, see that I'm being drawn into the little meeting room with the 'world heroes' again. I don't need this, I want to go home! The top of my cage reaches through the trap door, and I struggle not to shake.
Everyone who was there last time is here; except for the rat dung Michimi. They're all in chairs again, trap door locked beneath me, King Zidane unlocking my cage. He smiles at me, and I don't shake this time- concentrating too hard on not shaking to shake, I guess- but my mouth goes dry and I swallow in an attempt not to faint or scream.
"Hello again." Says the queen cheerfully. "We just wanted to see if you felt like talking at all yet." The king swings the door to my prison open wide.
"Won't you come out?" He asks pleasantly. "Please?"
I stare at my knees. I know I need to give some sort of response, so I shake my head quickly. No. Never.
"Fine." Says the princess. "You don't need to. Would you like some supper before we cover you for the night?"
Again, I shake my head. They accept that. My cage is closed, and locked, and something heavy and dark covers it, blocking out all light.
I lean against the side of the cage and sleep where I am, not bothering to get off.
~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~
Yes, I know. Way too short after way too long. I finally figured out how to write it well, and don't expect updates very frequently. But just to let you know, we're nearing the end of F.Y.O. and I hope you've enjoyed it so far.
