Ok sea monkeys! I'm raring and ready to go. And who said the evil would end at the last chapter? Not me. This will go on for as long as I can get ideas for it. So, on that note...

Thank you to all you reviewer-type people. You give me encouragement.

I don't own FFX-2, so don't sue me. I am a very poor student with a meanial day job. I need all my money, so don't take it, please.

Chapter 15: Super-Massive Black Hole

So Muja was impatient. She wanted Mother to come Home. The Bad Man had taken her, despite the best bites and scratches she could give him. Kind One had been hurt as well. She was better now, but her mate was hovering protectively near her. Mother's mate had gone to get the Bad Man and bring Mother Home. It was too dangerous Outside.

As much as So Muja wanted to see Mother, she was afraid Mother would not think so highly of her anymore. She had let Bad Man take her away, after all. There was something really wrong about Bad Man. She couldn't put her paw on it, but it was like he was not quite...human. Thinking about Bad Man made her scared and sad. So she turned to Kind One.

Kind One had made her better after the Bad Man had hurt her. Kind One also stayed near her, for comfort. Whether it was for her or Kind One, So Muja did not know. Stone Face stayed near Kind One and was talking on occasion to some strange humans that were running around like ants in the food room. She wanted them to leave.

A movement from the stairs caught her attention. One of the strange humans was going up the stairs, toward Mother's room. She 'meow'ed loudly and got Kind One to see where the stranger was going. Stone Face became unhappy with the stranger, and he went back down the stairs.

Eventually, the humans left. So Muja was relieved. Now if only Mother would come Home, everything would be good again. She waited on the window sill near the front door. Kind One and Stone Face were cleaning the food room, making it right again. She did not like being around people cleaning. They always made her move when she got comfortable. The sky was dark, but the edge of the world was getting some color. The sun was coming up. This cheered So Muja some what. Mother would be here soon. She just knew it. Jumping down from her perch, she paced the entryway. Soon, she heard foot steps at the door. At once So Muja recognized Mother's step, and heard One Eye with her.

The door opened, and in they came. She let out a jubilant 'mew' and lept into Mother's arms. Mother held her close, stroking her head and body reassuringly. Mother wasn't upset with her. She was still loved and wanted. Purring as though the fate of the world depended on it, So Muja snuggled against her person. Nothing was wrong now. Mother was Home with her and One Eye, and they could all be together again.

She looked up at Mother's face, wanting to see her smile. Mother was smiling, but her face was different. Her eyes looked like they were sunk in black pools on her face and So Muja noticed that her body was shaking ever so slightly. She wanted to comfort Mother, make the dark rings around her eyes go away.

One Eye picked up both her and Mother at the same time, Mother still holding her, and went up the stairs into their room. So Muja did not know why One Eye sometimes went away at night to sleep somewhere else. He should just stay here with her and her person. Mother missed him when he went away. Maybe now he would stay and Mother would stay happy.

She allowed herself to be removed from her person's arms long enough for her to get in and out of the shower. Why humans did this was beyond her understanding. It seemed to be enjoyable to them, like when she sat in the sun all day. When Mother came out, One Eye went in to do the same thing. Mother was sitting on the big cushion, petting her when he came out. They were both wearing the clothes used to sleep in.

After much blanket moving, Mother was asleep in her mate's arms, her back to his chest. One Eye was stroking her hair lightly, watching Mother sleep. He looked tired too, though not as badly as Mother did. So Muja was glad her person had him for a mate. He had saved her from Bad Man and brought her Home. Now they were all safe and sound. Maybe Mother and One Eye would have babies soon. That would be nice. Plus, One Eye could not leave again when that happened.

He fell asleep as well, giving in to exhaustion. So Muja followed his example. Mother would wake up later, and she was so tired. She curled up against Mother and slept contentedly.

Meanwhile...

The cell at the end of a hall in a maximum security psychiatric ward was occupied by a very noisy tenant. Screams and howls eminated from within, enough to disturb the other occupants so much that they would join in the screams. They screamed to drown out the voice coming from the last cell. Nothing seemed to silence him. Drugs simply made him more deranged and sedatives brought on worse ramblings than when he was awake.

He would scream endlessly into the night, stopping only to be punctuated by sobs and pleas for mercy. Then they would start again. It was as though something was torturing the man from the inside, ripping his soul to shreds. No outward mark appeared on his body, but any physical touch sent him into howls of agony.

All of the other assorted lunatics were terrified of the man in the last cell. Not one would go near the door, and most of the doctors and nurses made sure to have very strong orderlies with them on the occasions his cell had to be entered.

Then something changed. For over a month, the man had screamed and babbled endlessly at some monster hidden from the rest of the world's view. Now, there was silence. No words or sounds escaped his lips. Nothing but his heavy, erratic breathing disturbed the air. His eyes were filled with a feverish light, and sweat dripped from his face. He rocked back and forth rhythmically, staring at a point in space with a horrifying smile on his face. The doctors could find nothing medicinally wrong with him. They just left him in a straight jacket with shackles around his ankles.

The silence was unnerving. The man in the last cell knew what was coming. No one else would, not until it was too late. The girl, the one with the golden hair and smile, she would die soon. Mardoc demanded it.

Yeah, I know it's short, but I'm very very sleepy and I wanted to make you feel some suspense. I really don't know what will happen next, so it is leaving me in suspense too. Man am I tired. Stupid job, making me work so much. I pulled like three ten hour days in a row. It sucks. Majorly.

So, I'm going to have lots of free time to write soon, so the story will continue as soon as I get some beauty sleep.

Thanks for reading this. And Mardoc will be revealed soon. Har will be back in the picture too. So please r&r!

tagg