NorthernMage here with chapter 8, Released! We're getting closer to the end, with only a few more chapters to go. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

N: NorthernMage doesn't own Pokemon or FTL. What is this, the third time I've done the disclaimer?

Me: Yeah, but it was a choice between Renina, who's already done a fair share of disclaimers, Ghetsis, who just isn't going to get one, and you.

N: Hey, I wasn't complaining.

Released: Ever since they were barely more than toddlers they had known that the day would come when they were allowed outside. But what neither of them expected, was it being only N.

Age:
N: 13-14
Renina: 12-13

General POV

It began out normal enough. Renina lay in bed for a half-second before realising her sudden burst of energy. N's birthday. She scrambled out of bed, and instantly reached under her bed. Pulling out a box, she opened it and checked the present was still in there. N had been complaining about his holoplate randomly turning off, or even just refusing to work at all. So she had saved up every cent she had seen anywhere for the last six to eight months, and the day before, she had managed to get it when they had sneaked out for food, and she had "gotten lost". It was the same type as the one he had now, but it worked. Slipping it under her arm, she went to his room.

When she arrived, N was still completely asleep, his extremely messy hair poking up outside the covers. 'N?' she said, wondering if he was actually asleep. He rolled over towards her, and sleepily looked at her.

'Hi Renina.' he mumbled, before pulling the covers back over him. 'Why're you here?' Wow, Renina thought to herself. He doesn't even remember it's his thirteenth birthday.

'Well, I came here because you know, it's your birthday and stuff.'

'Oh. Thanks.' He didn't move. Renina sighed loudly.

'I got you a present.' This got his attention immediately, and he quickly came over to Renina, and sat up. She passed him the box.

'Happy Birthday.' she said as he tore at the box, anxious to see what was inside. When he opened it, he gasped.

'Renina...how...'

'Is it good?' she asked, a little unsure of how to take his reaction. N nodded, stunned.

'Yeah, but how...'

'I saved for months. It's the same one you have now, but I made sure this one works.' N just kept looking from the new holoplate to Renina and back.

'Renina, this is amazing! I finally got one that works!' he cheered, and Renina smiled to herself. 'Is yours still working?' he asked her. The truth was that she didn't have hers anymore, and that she had used the money from hers to help pay for his, so she shrugged.

'Not really. It's worse than yours.' This was true. Any holoplates traded in were usually broken down for their parts. N grabbed his current holoplate, and deleted everything. He then passed it to Renina.

'Use my old one then.' She nodded and they set up their new holoplates in silence, N silently rejoicing on his new holoplate, and Renina thankful she had managed to make him happy. 'Thanks.' N said suddenly, leaning over and hugging her for a moment.

'No problem.' she replied, keying in her holoplate number. Just as she finished, N's new holoplate beeped, and Ghetsis's name came up on screen with a small text: Come to the main hall alone. There is something we need to talk about.

'What's that supposed to mean?' N muttered. 'He thinks we even trust him anymore?'

'I'm not sure we even trusted him in the first place.' Renina said unhappily. N sighed and stood.

'I better get dressed and do it. See you later.' Renina got up and started to leave.

'Bye.' she called to him as she left.

N was away all day. She tried calling him again and again, but he never picked up. As the sky became dark, she saw two people reenter the senate, lit up by the bright lights that turned on at night. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps go past her room. They entered N's room, and about ten minutes later N came into her room. She moved from the balcony, where she had been looking over Atiris, and saw N. He came and sat next to her. They looked out at Atiris.

'So.' Renina said. 'What happened today?' she prompted, wondering why N was so quiet.

'I went off on my own today.' N said. Renina turned and stared.

'What? With him there and everything?'

'I'm able to now.' N had been glancing at her before, but now he had looked away, and kept his gaze locked on the city. 'That's what today was about. He's finally taking notice of me, and I can leave the senate whenever as long as I come home before 8.'

'That's great! We can finally leave! Took him long enough to let us have some freedom!' Renina said, already planning what she wanted to do.

'Renina...it's just me.' Renina paused, confused.

'What do you mean?'

'I'm allowed out. You're not.' Her plans crashed to the ground, the broken pieces scattering everywhere.

'Oh.' she said in a small voice. 'Well, you can go outside.' she said brightly. 'Any ideas on what you want to do?' N looked to her, a little surprised, and nodded.

'Tons. Did you know there's an entire street full of stores selling food? That's all they sell! The food's awesome as well!'

'I didn't. Are you going to try and eat something from everywhere?' N nodded mischievously.

'I'm gonna eat it ALL.' As N left thinking of how much food he could get his hands on, he heard a sob from inside Renina's room. Soon it became consistent, and he realised that he had made too big of a deal of going outside. It's all we want, and I just went in there and told her I was the only one allowed outside. She wasn't really happy, he thought, she was faking. He nearly went back inside when he grasped the fact he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't fix this situation. So he went to his room, and tried not to think about it.

The next year, N walked into Renina's room the morning of her thirteenth birthday. His hands were empty, he hadn't gotten her a present. That didn't matter this year. They both looked at Renina's holoplate, which was doing nothing. Last year, the message had come at 8:01 am. Now, it was 7:59.

'I swear, if he doesn't let me out...' Renina growled.

'He's so dead.' N completed. Renina looked to him, and nodded once. The clock flicked to 8am.

'He had better be typing it right now.' Renina muttered.

'He won't have it sent if he doesn't.' They watched the clock.

Forty-five seconds...

Thirty seconds...

Fifteen...

Ten...

Five...

Renina flicked to her messages, and pressed Ghetsis's name on the message list. Currently, she had no messages from him. It flicked to 8:01, and they waited. When no message came Renina refreshed, and they started waiting for any messages. After a few seconds, the message arrived: You are now allowed outside of the senate. You must be back by 8pm each night. N stood. 'You get dressed, and I'll meet you just outside your room.'

As she did, she checked her bank account on the holoplate. N had told her that his had had about $500 put in it when he was let out. Hers had only $300. She nearly texted N about it, but decided not to. At least she had something there now.

She went outside her room, and together the two went to the entrance of the senate. While N just walked out, Renina paused at the door. 'What's wrong?' he asked, realising Renina wasn't following and turning to her. She just looked at the line in the ground where the door usually closed.

'Nothing.' she said, following him.

'Oh please.' N said as they walked. 'I know something happened.'

'First time I've ever been out of the senate that way.'

'When we were little we used to go out that way with Ghetsis.' N argued.

'Yeah, but this is different.'

'Well, okay.' As N showed her around the city, she realised something. For most people, this is normal. Going outside, talking to people that aren't your family, it's normal.

That night, Renina stood on her balcony. Instead of bottomless longing, she was filled with content. She wanted to be back out there, but she was allowed outside now. Days like today would keep happening forever. N and herself had dreamed of freedom since they were only about six and seven. Now, seven years later, they had achieved their dream. She'd been envious this past year, when N would just disappear for days. Now she understood why he had. When she thought of how this was nothing special to most people, she remembered when N had come home last year.

'That's what today was about. He's finally taking notice of me, and I can leave the senate whenever as long as I come home before 8.' N's words echoed through her mind. Ghetsis would have to notice them both now, and with notice came the chance that they could stop him from doing things like locking them up, or exiling the Slug. They had a chance now. She turned to see N standing in her doorway.

'He's noticing us now.'

'I know.'

'We can stop him from locking us up, and doing what happened to the Slug. We have a chance.' N smiled slightly.

'We better use it then, hadn't we?' Renina nodded, and in that dark room, the two of them knew that they could do this. It was no longer a question if they were going to stand by and watch.

They wouldn't let themselves be trapped any longer. They had to stand up for themselves. Ever since they had been born, they had been ignored, and that controlled them. 'We'll have to be careful.' N said quietly.

'I know. But if we let him control us by not speaking up, we're as bad as him.'

'We need to know more. Ghetsis' been making sure we don't hear anything he doesn't want us to know. He's been making us into tools.' N muttered, getting passionate.

'N, there's something I think we both need to know.' N looked to her. 'Our mother. Who was she? Was she the same as Ghetsis?' N walked over to her.

'We'll find out.' With those words, the ball was set rolling.