Ella

When I wake up in the morning for a few moments I don't remember anything, I could be anywhere or anyone. I might still be living on the run with Crayton. Of course, when I think of Crayton I remember holding his broken body, then it all comes flooding back and I get to the part where I remember that Setrakus Ra is going to be infront of me for the first time since New Mexico. For a long time now I knew that he didn't want me dead, which is what I had thought at the beginning, that he was trying to single me out and lure me in to kill yet another Loric Garde. Now, I've seen myself in how he sees me in the future and I know that he wants something else from me. I just don't understand why me out of all the Garde? There are so many other smarter, stronger, better garde members than me, so why me? Why won't he leave me alone and just hunt me like he's supposed to?

I turn under the covers and try to fall asleep again, I feel sleepy, but nothing is happening. Like they give me food, they also give me fresh sheets and blankets every day. They give me so many chances to escape, but I knew that I wouldn't get far. They probably have gardes outside. I know that wouldn't have stopped Nine. If I was him I would have used my anti gravity legacy to crawl over the ceiling killing as many Mogs as I could…or if I was Six I could turn and invisible and kill just as many mogs on my way out. Instead I'm just Ella, the unofficial number Ten.

Finally, after dosing off again, the sound of the door opening wakes me up. I get up and slide off the bed as Five floats in just as banged up as he had yesterday. This time someone had come with him. Following him is a woman, but not just a woman, a mogadorian woman. She followed behind him blinking and found me instantly. Her face was expressionless but her dark eyes were so…sad?

"This is Reah." Five introduces. "She made your food and cleaned you laundry."

Reah watches me, looking me up and down like she is studying me. I study her back, she looks kinda old, but I can tell that she was really beautiful once.

"Am I going to see him?" I ask.

Five stands straighter in the air. "Yep, Reah here is going to make you presentable."

I try and look at myself, I look really messed up, my shirt covered in stains and my hair hopelessly tangled. "I don't need to look presentable." I say defiantly.

Five rolls his eyes-but I can only see the one not covered by an eye patch—"Just get cleaned up okay?" Five smiles and actually looks excited. "It's time that you learn about some good stuff."

Yeah, go learn Ella.

I nearly jump at the voice inside of my head.

"Okay." I say in reply to the voice, so relieved to hear it again.

"Alright, just follow Reah. And I hope you know that you can't runaway Ella. Setrakus Ra knows where you are at every second of the day now." Five looks at me affectionately and it sends a jolt right through me. "Just don't do anything stupid." And with that he nods at Reah and leaves us.

Reah is quiet for a moment. She looks a bit scared and I wonder what they have learned and observed about us. I try to be nice.

"Thank you for the food…it was great."

"Yes." She says back in a way that sounds like a 'you're welcome'. "Follow me, we need to get you cleaned up."

She turns to the door and doesn't even look behind her to make sure I am following.

We go into a large bathroom with a very large Shower inside of it. The room is empty except for a hanger on a hook holding a sunny yellow dress. Reah opens a cabinet and pulls out a fluffy white towel and a wash rag. "There is soap and shampoo in the shower, just take your time and relax. There is no hurry for a while."

"Do I have to wear the dress?" I ask.

Reah looks at the dress as she sets the towels down. "It belonged to my daughter, I'm afraid it's the only thing I have that will fit you."

"Where's your daughter?" I ask. Reah smiles softly. "She is away training. So, I'll be outside when you are through."

"Okay." I say as Reah disappears behind the door.

I step out of the shower feeling clean for the first time in a very long time. I brushed my hair out in the shower because otherwise I don't think it could have gotten done. I spend ten minutes drying off and finally I slip into the yellow dress, it's a bit tight but since I don't want to say anything about it I shrink a little bit until I can bear it.

I look at myself and then look away. I look so weak. Reah is waiting outside the door on a chair and I see her fold away her book.

Reah looks at me in the dress and smiles sadly. I wonder if she is thinking about her daughter.

"When am I going to see him?" I ask.

"You should let your hair dry first." She tells me, then goes back into the bathroom.

I feel incredibly frustrated. "Why does it matter what I look like?"

Reah looks at me and I remember that she is a Mogadorian no matter how kind she appears to be. "He is the Great Leader, you should want to show him that kind of respect."

Reah pulls out a hairdryer and plugs it into the wall. "You do know that I am from Lorien right? That me and the others are destined to defeat Setrakus Ra?" I say it because I am confused that she is treating me so nicely even when I am supposed to be the enemy.

Reah only laughs. "You do talk big for such a young child, Loric or not. For now let's forget about destinies and focus on drying your hair."

Reah motions me forward and turns on the hairdryer. She dries my hair and brushes it for about ten minutes until It's dry. I could have done this myself but for some reason I don't mind letting her brush my hair. "That is much better right?" She asks me.

"Yeah." I agree.

Reah gives me a pair of white dress shoes and then leads me to the front of the house. Her place looks really plain, but kind of elegant to with vases of fresh flowers. I see several picture frames too, but I am too far away to look at the faces.
"Do you have pictures of your children?" I ask.

Reah leads me outside and the sun blinds me for a moment. "Not many."

Several Mogadorian children are out in the streets playing with kickballs and fake swords and even fake guns that look just like mini versions of the guns that the Mogadorian born warriors had shot at us in the past. "Do you see them a lot?"

Reah takes a left turn at a street corner and we walk farther down the road. Some Mogs stop to watch us. Several Mogs nod politely at Reah, others look at her with a mixture of fear and respect. Why do they look at her that way?

"I don't see them as much as I used too. They're gone now." Reah tells me sadly.

"Are they…dead?"

I am afraid that I went to far. Reah is quiet for a while.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-."

"My sons are dead." She says bluntly. "All I have left is my daughter."

"Does she ever visit?"

"Yes, usually every weekend."

We arrive at a giant metal gate that blocks out the view from the other side. Reah presses a button and the gate slides open. I wait for her to lead me farther but she doesn't move.

"Aren't you going in?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "This is where I leave you Ella. I am your caretaker while you're here, we will meet again."

"Thanks again, for everything."

She looks flustered at my thank you just like she did earlier. Didn't mogadorians ever show gratitude?

I keep walking down the long stone path taking in the giant mansion ahead of me and the beautiful landscape all around me. Birds chirp and very faraway I can hear children laughing on the other side of the gate. I feel so alone, I try talking to the voice but it's not there. When I reach the door I lift my hand to knock but it's already being open and on the otherside of the door is Five.

"Five? What-."

Five shakes his head. "You're nearly late you know. Come on." I follow him and he is moving so fast that I have no time to take in the massive rooms. Finally he stops at a tall wooden door and I stop a few feet behind him. The door opens and I have to crane my head back to see the Mogadorian's face. Except he doesn't look like a mogadorian. His face isn't harsh and sharp. Instead his warm brown eyes almost smile down at me.

"Who-."

"My dear, I am Setrakus Ra." The man greets me. "Welcome dearest, come and have some breakfast while we talk."

Lemon~Moon

Gah it's been waaaay too long. Sorry guys. :P I'll post the next chapter as soon as it's done.