-X-

Cera: Rise of The Lost Princess

by: Sorrowful Princess

-X-

- Life is full of surprises; sometimes even more than we could handle.

-X-

-x- Memories -x-

-X-

My eyelids fluttered open and my eyes were met by the emerald green color of the bed sheets. I must've slept while I was crying. I can still feel a few fresh stains of my tears on my face, but most of it was dried and sticking to my cheeks. I tend to move my hand to feel my face, but I found my hand was oddly ahead of my head and when I tried to move it, it felt so stiff. I tried to do the same with my legs, but they were stiff as well. Great. I must've slept in an awkward and uncomfortable position. Stupid me.

I turned my head towards the ceiling and stared at it for a long time, doing nothing and thinking nothing. My mind was plain blank and I could not get myself to think of those things again. I just stared, stared, and stared. But then, my eyes felt bored with the sole sight of the ceiling, and so I shifted my gaze around me, speculating each detail.

I went to fix my eyes on the vase resting peacefully near the door. It's an ancient one, I can tell, because the words written on its body were unintelligible. But the design itself---a mother playing with her child on a clearing, I liked it. It brought me warmth. Warmth emitted by a caring and loving mother towards her child. Warmth which exceeds any amount of gold. Warmth which I would never get to feel anymore.

Sadness swept through me again. I closed my eyes. Strangely enough, no tears came running down my face this time. My eyes must've felt tired with all the crying. Or maybe, I have no tears to cry anymore. Maybe my tears were finally out of supply. I laughed bitterly with my own remark. I'm pathetic.

After a long moment of pondering on how much pathetic I am, I opened my eyes. I touched my cheek, and I must admit: the texture of dried tears on it isn't something I'd want to keep forever. Swinging my legs to the side, I landed them on the cold floor and attempted to stand up. Which I successfully did. Once I'm up, I felt a very painful headache and my vision whirled before me. But it didn't last for long.

When the headache finally subsided, I looked around again. In this room, there were three doors. One was the entrance/exit door, one was on my left, and one was on my right. Hmm.. so, which one to the bathroom? I decided to go to my right since it's the nearest. I walked towards it and stood before it. The door was covered in gold, just like every furniture in this goddamn palace. Paying no heed to its design, I opened the door and went in. I was right. It was the bathroom. I won't evaluate how the freaking bathroom looks like. Just imagine royal palaces' bathroom coated in pure gold. Yep, pure gold. Isn't there anything here that isn't made up of gold?! I wonder.

I went to the corner of the bathroom and opened the faucet (it doesn't look like a faucet but it functions like one). A gush of cool and clean water ran down and I immediately positioned my hands to catch some of the water in my palms. I splashed the water in my face and began removing the dried tears on it. When I was done, I snatched a towel that was folded neatly on my left side and pressed it to my face. I opened the door again and went out, towel still on my hands.

"Princess," a familiar voice called softly and I jumped slightly with the sound of it. I was startled.

I turned my head towards the direction of the voice only to be greeted by the blue-eyed man, which is also the one in command of the whole army. A sudden wave of guilt attacked me when I remembered what I did to him earlier, and it only worsened when my eyes met his. I immediately wrenched my eyes off him and looked away.

"Ruka," I said, acknowledging his presence. But other than that, I did nothing. I remained as still as a rock.

He bowed his head before speaking. "The Denitra wishes to speak with you."

-X-

Ruka led me through the unending hallways. After innumerable turns, he finally skidded to a halt, and I did the same. In front of us was a gigantic door, coated in gold of course, with the image of phoenix in it. It was Cezara, their God. On either side of the door stood two bronze guards with spears and swords sheathed on their side. They bowed before Ruka for he was the Arsonep, and then they bowed before me as well.

"Gruhali," Ruka said, and the two guards instantly moved from their position and opened the gigantic golden door. A flash of blinding light met my eyes and I instinctively raised my hands to my face to cover my eyes. He stretched his arms forward, motioning for me to go inside.

I nodded and went inside without a second thought, him trailing behind. I walked to the center of the room, and I recognized it right away. It was the same place as last night. Up front was the empty throne, while the Denitra stood beside it.

Ruka kneeled before him and he was the first one to speak. "My lord, I have brought Princess Mikan as you have wished."

The Denitra nodded. "Rise," he said, and Ruka stood back up, firm and unmoving.

The Denitra then shifted his eyes on me. When our eyes met, I shifted uneasily and my eyes faltered to the floor, suddenly finding it interesting. I remembered what he have told me last night and how I have reacted to it. It was utterly irrational and inconsiderate of me. I feel guilty for shouting at him. Suddenly, the headache from earlier returned, squeezing my head painfully. Everything's still a haze.

"I apologize for what we did last night, Princess Mikan. It was necessary." The Denitra interrupted my reverie. He was talking about the way they rendered me unconscious.

My eyes widened with his words. He's apologizing? He's actually saying sorry to me? I should be the one to say that! Compared to what I've done, rendering me unconscious was no big deal.

I shook my head vigorously. "N-No," I stuttered. "It was me who should apologize. After all, I reacted irrationally. I'm sorry for being so inconsiderate. I was just... confused. It was all too much for me to handle."

The Denitra nodded with understanding. His eyes were soft and comforting, silently telling me that everything was all right and there's nothing to be guilty about. He began walking towards me in a slow pace. He stopped in front of me when we are just about eight inches from each other.

"Princess, I know you haven't gotten to accept everything yet, and that you still have doubts about us and about yourself. But if you would just let me, Princess, I'll show you something that would help you clear your mind. It'll confuse you more at first, but I'm certain you'll be able to understand everything in the end." The Denitra said as he looked at me with gentle, fatherly eyes. But I don't get it. What is he talking about?

"What do you mean?" I asked, and in response, he raised his index finger and pressed it on my forehead. I cringed with the feel of his skin against mine. Suddenly, his finger felt so hot in my forehead and I winced. It was painful. "W-What are you doing?" I asked, on the verge of panic.

Leaning closely, he calmly whispered: "I'm letting you claim your memories back."

And just as his words sink in my head, my surroundings abruptly began to dissolve, and in just a blink of an eye, I found myself standing in a middle of a clearing while the sun was way up in the sky. What the...

Where am I?

The place was familiar. I wandered my eyes around me, observing. Trees were everywhere, about 10 meters from where I was standing. They stood tall and firm, and beneath them was the greenest grass I've ever seen in my life. There were a couple of wild flowers with the colour of purple and orange, and some plants I had no name for. A light and cool breeze caressed me and I inhaled its fresh scented air. It was so relaxing. But it didn't lessen the intensity of my questions:

Where am I? And what the hell's going on?!

"Mikan!" a familiar jolly voice called and I whirled around to see its owner.

There, standing just an arm's distance from me, was a little girl with auburn locks and amber eyes. Her long eye-lashes matched the perfect shape of her face, and her pink lips were curved into a childish and innocent smile. Her skin was pale. But her features weren't the reason why I'm gawking at her with wide eyes.

We... we looked very much alike. Same hair, same eyes, same skin, same smile. It was like I'm staring at a mirror! H-How could this be? She's a complete clone of me! W-We're like... twins.

Hey wait, twins? The Denitra said I indeed have a twin. Does it mean...

"Hey, Mikan, why are you staring at me like that? You look as if it's the first time for you to see me. Don't you know? Staring at people is considered rude," the little girl said with mock scolding. Then she grinned. "Oh, I know! You're staring at me 'cause you finally realized I'm prettier than you! I'm right, am I not? Ha! I'm prettier than you!" she exclaimed, chuckling playfully.

I stood there, frozen. W-What's... What's going on? I then felt a light slap on my arm.

"Hey, little sister," the little girl said, her eyes scorching. "Aren't you going to say anything? C'mon, don't be upset! You're pretty, too, believe me. It's just that I'm prettier. Ha-ha."

I was dumbstruck. I don't have any idea how to response! I mean, here I was, just an arm's distance from my twin. My twin!

I blinked. "N-Nikan?" I stuttered, unsure.

The little girl in front of me snorted. "Of course, it's me! Who else would it be? The gardener?" she retorted sarcastically. Then she nudged me lightly on the ribs. "You're acting strange, little sister. And if you continue playing dumb there, we'd never get to play!" she complained, puffing her cheeks.

"O-Oh," was all that I could say. I stared down at myself and my eyes literally bulged out. I am a little girl as well! We have the same height and body size!

"Let's play now!" My twin, Nikan, urged. She began running around the clearing while laughing. "What do you think we should play, Mikan? Ah! I know! How about having a little contest between us? Isn't that great?" she continued on running around, having that cheerful and enthusiastic expression on her face.

I merely nodded.

"Great!" she exclaimed, abruptly stopping. She pointed to a tall, nearby tree. "See that tree over there? Let's see who could lift it higher!" she said as she looked at me with teasing eyes. "The one who loses would have to be the winner's slave for a whole day, alright? And might I warn you, Mikan. You won't beat me. So you better be ready. You'll be my slave, for sure!"

At first, my face made no reaction, but when my slow brain finally began to process and digest her words, horror struck my whole being. What the hell. Did she just say 'lift the tree'? As in make that freaking lumber float in air? What the... She's got to be kidding me! I mean, how are we going to do such thing? We're just kids! It's impossible!

"So, you first, little sister. Show me what you've got!" Nikan said, a taunting look on her face. I stared at her in disbelief.

Oh my freaking holy cow! How am I supposed to do that?! I remained still. Very, very still.

"Hey, why aren't you doing anything? Do it or else you'll lose." she said.

"B-But..." I started, my voice so low.

"No buts, little sister. Or do you want to be my slave?" Her eyes suddenly shone with an evil glint, and I shuddered with the sight of it. I don't think becoming her slave is such a good idea. Just looking at those eyes gives me the chills. Being her slave is well, just with that freaking look on her face, there's no other way to describe it but 'hell'. "If you don't do it in 5 seconds, you'll automatically lose. Ha! I'll make sure you'll enjoy being my slave. I'll give you a bunch of fun tasks. I'm sure you'll love it!"

Love it? I don't really think so!

I suddenly went panic stricken. "B-But I don't know how!" I blurted out, and Nikan simply laughed on that. I mentally slapped myself for stuttering yet again. It was like the tenth time now.

"Silly," she said between laughter. "What are you talking about? Stop pretending you don't know how to use magic, sister. You practice more than I do. Just use your magic. I promise I won't tell Father. And besides, we're all alone here. No witnesses."

Magic? Now I'm even more panic stricken. How the hell am I supposed to use magic? I racked my brains. What should I do?

I took a deep breath. Should I, uh, perform a ritual or something?

'No! That's ridiculous!' my mind screamed.

Should I, uh, sacrifice a small goat?

'No! Hell no!' my mind screamed again.

Should I, uh, eat a freaking live chicken and use its blood as a source of my power?

'Mikan, if you think any more stupid and worthless things, I'll make sure you won't be able to see the freaking sunlight again. Be serious, will you? You have a serious matter to tend in your hands!' my mind scolded.

Huh. I'm being serious here! I just have no idea how to use magic! Oh God, this is crazy! Okay, so enough of this insanity. I have to think of a way here.

Should I, uh, concentrate? Maybe I should focus on the tree. Or maybe I should imagine lifting it. Sighing heavily, I closed my eyes and made a mental image of the tree in my head. I imagined lifting it, floating in mid-air.

Suddenly, I felt a strong gush of wind around me as something hot from within me began circulating in an odd way. I opened my eyes, stared at the tree, and raised my right hand towards it. I began thinking hard of lifting the tree, concentrating. Then, I felt something weird from within me travel throughout my body, to my arms, and to the tips of my fingers. And to my utter astonishment and disbelief, I saw the tree's roots wrench itself from the soil. Soon, the roots were free, and the tree began floating in mid-air, two feet from the ground. My hand felt its weight, and it's no light! But wanting to lift it higher, I raised my hand higher as the tree went higher, as well, in accordiance. Now, it's six feet above the ground. And that's my limit. The pressure on my hand was so great and I couldn't bear to hold the tree any longer. I dropped my hand to my side---releasing the pressure at the process---and the tree came crashing down to the ground with a loud thud.

"Excellent!" Nikan exclaimed, clapping her hands.

I-I... I did it! I actually did it! I have magic! I can't believe this! Oh my gosh, it's so amazing! I stared at my own hands in disbelief. I don't know how I managed to do it. I just did what I thought I must do. How? How come I can use and manipulate magic?

I couldn't think of any reasonable and rational answer other than: It's instinct. Yes, that must be it. With an amused smile playing on my lips, I faced my twin.

"That was cool!" I squealed, feeling all thrilled.

"Of course it was!" Nikan replied. "Now, it's my turn. Watch me!"

I nodded. She then turned around, faced the tree, and closed her eyes. And when she opened them again, the tree suddenly began floating with ease. I gasped. How could she do this? She didn't even raise her hand! She was making the tree float with just her eyes! And the most shocking of all was that the tree was fifteen feet high from the ground! It was more than twice the height of what I did!

She is... powerful. That was what I concluded the moment I saw how she manipulated the tree as if she was just lifting an almost weightless feather. She is more powerful than I am. Shocked as I was, my mouth practically hung open, jaw dropping to the floor.

Once Nikan closed her eyes, the tree crashed down.

"He-he. So, how was it?" she asked, a smug smile on her face. "You lost. And do you know what that means?" An evil smiled replaced the smug one as she spoke. "It means you'll be my S-L-A-V-E for one whole day! Ha! I'll treat you real good, little sister. You'll surely enjoy it!"

But before I could respond, my surroundings began whirling before me. Nikan started to vanish, and the trees and flowers shred into black ashes. A strong wind blew, and I shut my eyes.

One moment the wind was blowing hard, so hard that I felt myself being thrown away. But then in the next, everything felt so still. Quiet. Stagnant. Slowly, I lifted my eyelids and was stunned to see that I am no longer in the clearing. Instead, I am standing inside an enormous, bright room.

I looked around me. There were paintings everywhere, extravagant furniture, a thick lime-coloured carpet, and a couple of huge sky blue curtains hanging by the windows. I furrowed my brows. Why did my surroundings suddenly change? Why am I here? And furthermore, what am I supposed to do in here?

I absolutely have no idea.

"Do you like your new room, sweetheart?" a woman's voice suddenly spoke, making me jump slightly. She was by my side.

I looked at her with confusion written all over my face. Just when exactly did she get in here? And where did Nikan go? Why isn't she here with me? New room? What does she mean?

"Why, honey, you look so confused! Is your new room a bit too big for you? But your father preferred it this way, since you and Nikan are quite special." then she winked at me.

Father? She said father? Just who is this woman? Why does she sound so familiar?

I stared at her for a long time, speculating her features. Auburn hair that was about her shoulders, amber eyes, rich red lips, and a fair skin complexion. She had an average height, and she wore a pretty long night dress that hugged her curves perfectly. She was beautiful. But that wasn't the reason why I gaped at her like an idiot.

It was because she looked like...

"M-Mother?" I choked out. She looked a lot like mom! Not the one in my adoptive world, but the real one!

"Hm? Of course, it's me." then she laughed a carefree laugh. "Who else would it be?" she asked teasingly.

I can't believe it! It's my mom! My real mom! I threw myself in her arms, totally overwhelmed with joy.

"Mom... It's really you! I can't believe it!" I hugged her tight.

She hugged me back warmly as she continued to laugh. "Why, sweety, you act like you've never seen me before! We see each other everyday, do we? I didn't know giving you a new room would make you react like this. Dear---" she turned to look at the man behind her. "---I think we should give her a new room everyday. And we'll surely get a tight hug from this cute, tiny cuddler." she said, and the man behind her chuckled.

I looked up from my mother and stared at the said man. Is he my...

"Father?" I asked, my heart pounding loudly.

The man chuckled yet again. He walked up to me, his eyes amused. He stood tall and firm, his body well-built and strong-looking.

"Yes, my princess?" he replied as he touched my nose with the tip of his finger. "Don't I get a hug as well?" he said playfully.

Tears started forming in my eyes and I threw myself in his arms as well. I hugged them both very tightly.

"Father!" I exclaimed happily, feeling his warmth and inhaling his scent greedily. "Father! Father! Father!" I said, overly excited. It was, after all, a first for me to meet and feel him in seventeen years. "Oh, God, I'm so happy to see the both of you!" I hugged them tighter.

They both shook with laughter. "As much as we are, too, little princess," they said at the same time. Father was the first one to break the hug. And he looked down at me with loving but serious eyes.

"I have another gift for you, Mikan," he said.

"Gift?" I repeated, and his lips curved into a beautiful smile.

"Yes, a gift. Here it is," he replied as he took my small hands into his and opened my palm. In it, he placed something hard and warm.

I took my hand back, opened it, and stared at the thing he gave me. It was a beautiful necklace with a small green stone that shone brightly. Emerald.

"W-What is it?" I asked my father, curiosity getting the better of me. He then took the necklace from my hand and put it on my neck. I raised my hand and touched the stone with wonder.

"Did you like it?" he asked.

I smiled widely. "Yes, father. I like it very much! But what is it? I get the feeling that it's not just an ordinary gem."

"Very well, Mikan. It truly isn't, " Father replied. "It's a tiny shard taken from the legendary stone, Cerica. You know what Cerica is, right?"

I nodded. "A very powerful thing?"

This time, he was the one who nodded. "Yes," he replied. "I gave Nikan the same thing earlier. I just want you to keep this. It will be of help to you in times of great need. But---" he looked intently into my eyes. "---you should never use it in the wrong way, alright?"

Again, I nodded.

"Power is sacred," he began. "But in truth, power is merely just power. The person who holds it is actually more powerful, and it's up to him to decide how such thing is to be used."---he placed his hand on top of my head---"Just remember, Mikan, that power is not everything. It can help you gain great things, but it can never give you what only a pure heart can."

Those words were true. I know they were. And I believe them. Warmth engulfed me the moment his wisdom reached out to my soul. How could he do that? How could he reach and grab someone's soul with just his words? I stared at him with awe. This... This strong-willed and loving man is my Father. And I feel so lucky and honoured to be his daughter.

"Yes, Father," I said. "I will always remember."

A look of satisfaction and faith crossed his face. "I know you'll never fail me, my Princess. I know you never will." And with that last word, he bent down and planted a soft kiss on my forehead, all the while squeezing my shoulders lightly. Mother gave me a sweet kiss on the cheeks and together, they walked off the room. Just before they close the door behind them, I heard my mother whisper:

"Have a nice sleep, sweety. Good night."

I smiled. "Good night, Moth---" But I didn't get the chance to finish my sentence for everything around me---chairs, tables, vases, paintings, bed, pillows, walls, the floor I'm standing at---all of them were suddenly pulled into a distortion, making everything seem so twisted and deformed. The details of the room got muddier and muddier by the second, until everything disappeared into darkness.

It's happening again. My surroundings were changing for the third time now.

At first, I didn't understand anything at all. Why does this happen? Why is this happening to me? Those questions kept bouncing on my head since the very moment my surroundings suddenly changed places and stuff. I met my twin, Nikan, as a little two year-old girl, and I got to talk to my parents right after that happened. Everything... I now understand.

These... These are all a figment of my memory. All of these had already happened way back in the past. And with the help of the Denitra, I slowly am beginning to gain my memories back. Yes, my memories. That's why the Denitra had said 'I'm letting you claim your memories back'. He is making me witness for myself what kind of life I had back then.

Suddenly, images of my childhood flashed in my head in a fast-forward mode. I saw my chamber, the place I used to play at, the things I used to play with... I began to intake moments that I had with my family, information and basic knowledge about the kingdom, and a few people I have met here in my three years as a young princess. All of them were light, happy memories.

I began to take it all in... accepting every single fact there is about my life. Everything... and it made my whole being complete.

And then the images changed. It doesn't seem like peeking on my own eyes anymore.

I saw blood, death, dead bodies everywhere. I saw the cruelty of man and the side wherein you could feel nothing but pain and suffering. It was then that I realized that this memory is no longer mine. The Denitra himself was showing me his side of the history. I saw the Miura guards, their armor, their flag, the way they killed our own men. I saw how cruel their eyes looked, and how they evilly laughed while they kill all the innocent women in the palace.

My eyes were wide open as the revelation before me unfolds. I saw how utterly merciless and heartless they are. And I don't have any idea how to take that in.

The next images that came through my mind were the most painful and grudging of all. It was also the memory which were packed with even the tiniest detail.

I saw this very room with my Father and Mother. The King of Miura barged in with a lot of soldiers behind him and they began attacking my Father and Mother. Father protected Mom until he can no longer protect himself. He was shot by an arrow in the arm and blood was streaming down to the floor, making a pool of red liquid. The King of Miura drew out his sword and pierced Mother in the stomach, all the while drawing cuts all over her face, destroying it until her pretty face can no longer be identified. Father, tears swarming on the boundaries of his eyes because of hatred, charged towards the King of Miura but due to his condition, he ended up crashing to the floor. Laughing, the King of Miura went to him and grabbed a fistful of his hair. He leaned close to Father's ear and whispered:

"So much for your beautiful Queen. What a waste."

Father's eyes blazed with rage and attempted to attack but to no avail. The King of Miura laughed again for he thought it was such a pathetic sight. He raised his sword and cut off Father's right arm. Father winced in pain and The King of Miura enjoyed it a lot. He then cut off Father's left arm and Father let off another wince and bloodcurdling scream.

Tears stared forming in my eyes. The sight of my Father having both of his arms cut was too much to handle. Blood was all over the place and the scene was completely terrifying and traumatic.

The King of Miura cut off his right leg, then his left. Can you imagine how utterly pitiful my Father looked like having no arms and limbs? Father was almost dead. But the King of Miura still wasn't satisfied with what he did to my Father. Laughing triumphantly, he raised his sword up high and exerted all of his force into plunging it to Father's chest. The sound of the sword piercing through my Father's flesh was deafening, and the blood gushing out of my Father's body was something that I could not bear to watch. I tried closing my eyes but even if I closed my eyes, the images were still flashing. The King of Miura took out his sword from my Father's heart and plunge it one more time, harder this time.

My father was already dead but he was still killing him. He was treating my father's dead body like an animal. He was killing him over and over again. When the King of Miura had finally stopped stabbing my Father, he stepped on Father's face and laughed.

"What a piece of junk you are, King Izumi," he said insultingly and then he kicked my Father's body out to the corner like a garbage. My father's dead body landed pathetically, as blood continued to spread within him. It was a very mortifing scene, but to him, it was the most entertaining thing he had ever seen in his life. The death of Cera's king was the biggest achievement he had ever achieved. He raised his palm, and in it, fire ignited. He muttered some unintelligible words and in a flash, Father and Mother's body began to burn, as well as the curtains hanging loosely on the walls. As fire began to spread out, he once more looked at my Father and Mother with an insulting and triumphant look. He turned his head to the direction of the door and left as his laughter boomed through the whole place.

Then, the images came to a halt, and I was back to the room with the Denitra and the Arsonep.

The Denitra took his finger back and stared at me, not saying a single word. I didn't look at him. I couldn't bring myself to look at him nor even move an inch from where I was standing. My knees feel so feeble and weak, and my chest seemed as if it was burning into a crisp.

No one uttered a single word. It was as if the gods had taken away our ability to speak. Silence had divoured us. Completely.

I had remembered everything. Every single detail of my life here. Every single detail of my Father and Mother's death. I could still hear the sound of the sword as it pierces through my Father's flesh. I could still hear my Mother's screams when the King of Miura destroyed her face. I could still see the look on their faces, the blood, Mother's bloody abdomen, and my father's deformed and mangled body.

And I could still see… the damned face of the King who slaughtered my parents like animals.

I was trembling. I couldn't control it. I don't know why, but my right hand suddenly made its way to my neck and moved on its own as if it was searching for something. And to my utter astonishment and disbelief, my hand had made contact of something small, hard, and---blazing hot. Something delicate and powerful. I can hardly believe it myself, but without a doubt, my hand had made contact... with the necklace my Father had given me.

When and how did it appear? I just can't think of any possible answer. My mind was all over the place, and I think my brain had been frozen beyond recovery.

Something wet came running down my cheeks and I raised my other hand to touch it. I felt the moisture of it, and as if I hadn't seen anything like it before, I stared at the droplets of tears in my hand, eyes bewildered. I am crying. Again.

I am so confused. Even more confused than before. There's just so much to think. So much to consider. So much to meddle with. So much to feel. Just so much. And it's making me exasperated. Various kinds of emotion flared inside me, and I couldn't comprehend them at all. However, of all those emotions, one practically surged the strongest. I am not quite sure what it is, but what I am do sure of is:

That King...

I want him...

...dead.

-x-

to be continued...

-x-

A/N: Oh, how are you all? Thanks for the reviews. So, did you like this chapter? I know .. I was too cruel in this chapter. Any comments or reactions?

Please review.

Thanks for reading!

Til next time... I'll update when I get enough reviews to motivate me, I guess. Well then, Ja! Thanks again!

Lovelots,

-Eurice-