Hey everybody, welcome back to the story, and the final part of the prologue! I've fixed minor errors in the first two prologues, and added one entry to the encyclopedia about the Royal Guard in Prologue II, so if you want to check it out, feel free to. Also, I've moved the initial spiel at the beginning about the war to the bottom following one of my reviewer's advice and its extreme length. I misjudged how long it was gonna be, otherwise I would have spread it out more. Still, I'm not sure how this compares to the others...Even with rewriting scenes several times I could only be satisfied, not proud. Anyway, enough of my rambling: Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this fic outside OCs and the plot.
Review Responses
Guest: Thanks for the compliment, but the credit for the idea of the Encyclopedia really goes to the user The Fighting Irishman. Don't worry, more will come soon, and I hope I'll at least keep the quality, if not improve it.
alpha1026: Thanks for the compliment, though there are other fanfics better than this currently ongoing (which are the ones who inspired me to take up my pen, er...keyboard and in some cases touchscreen). I do like to plan everything beforehand, so that might be why.
Connor the speling pro: I've addressed your review in PM already, but I just want to thank you again for the feedback.
The door to Lucas's house creaked open slowly and Ninten exited the house at only five in the morning. His body clock required him to be up then so that he can train in the mornings, at least before the castle was overrun. Now he had to continue the tradition; just because he was in the middle of nowhere didn't mean he could afford to slack off.
Still, what he could do was...limited at best. Besides being a pile of lazybones when everyone else was one, he could meditate to help focus his powers better, or he could train physically, despite his injuries. Right now, he was craving physical exercise. He wasn't hungry, so he figured he would wait for breakfast, as per his usual habit.
Right now, he was headed toward the cliff that Lucas mentioned only yesterday since it sounded like the ideal place to train. Even though he couldn't use his Giant Knife out of fear of breaking it, he still brought it within its sheath, figuring that he needed the practice with the weight since he would get it repaired as soon as he could, and he wanted to be in shape when he got it back. Plus, with his bandaged wounds, he should take care to avoid overexerting himself.
Boney was fast asleep, and did not even stir when Ninten walked past. Ninten was kind of grateful, since that dog really liked to needle people for some reason, though he himself wouldn't hesitate to take a few jabs back at Boney.
Ninten gazed up upon the dark sky as he walked towards town square. It was dark, like the world was becoming. For the past week, he could sense the energy around him weakening during his meditations. At first, he thought he was just imagining things. But during one training session, Princess Paula had mentioned she felt it. But by then, it was too late to even investigate; the rebellion was only days away.
Speaking of that, he wondered how the Confederation was faring. Being isolated from the main communication areas in a time like this was inconvenient to say the least, for a Royal Guardsman. But it would do no good worrying; he would set off once his wounds were fully healed and help wherever he can.
Passing through town square and turning left, he soon reached a beach. Personally, Ninten did not really like beaches, mainly because that the sand would fill his shoes and then would mess up the carpeting in the castle, leading to a lecture from one of his superiors on 'making a mess'. Plus, it stuck to his bare feet, which then would create an even bigger mess, which would lead to an even sterner lecture and quite possibly KP duty.
Still, he did like certain types of sushi, as long as they didn't taste too fishy. He'd have to get out fishing one of these days; sounds like something he would enjoy.
Ah, and there it is, the cliff. Ninten examined the landscape and smiled. Not too narrow and it was sturdy enough for some maneuvering. This'll be fun...
Lucas yawned as his eyes fluttered open, gazing upon the ceiling. He glanced to his side. The clock over there read: 5:30. 'Man, I woke up early today,' he mused. He looked over at his father's spot. He was still there, sleeping. But he noticed that the spot right beside him was empty, and Ninten's sheath was gone.
Panicking, he rushed downstairs and looked around. No sign of him. However, he thought of something that might help.
Rushing back upstairs, he grabbed one of the rags that was Ninten's old shirt, and rushed downstairs and burst out of the door.
He dashed over to Boney, crying the dog's name to wake him up.
It worked. "Ugh, Lucas," Boney whined. "Why did you get me up so early?"
"Ninten's gone, and there's no sign of him," Lucas responded.
"So? He can take care of himself, even though he's a smartass.'
"Like you're not one?" Lucas teased.
"Shut up. Anyway, you need me to track him?"
Lucas held out Ninten's shirt. Boney sniffed it for a second.
"Okay, I have the scent!" he announced. "Follow me!"
Boney dashed off as fast as he could, leaving Lucas in the dust. "Hey! Wait for me!" he cried as he chased after his dog. Boney didn't even slow down as he barreled through the path into town square and sped toward the beach. Lucas couldn't help but laugh as he ran. He couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun. In fact, this brought him back to the days when he and Claus used to play chase...around...
Just like that, his joy was squashed underneath his regrets and bitter sadness as thoughts about his inadequacy popped up into his head.
However, it didn't take too long for Boney to reach the cliff, and lo and behold Ninten was there...and apparently sweeping the legs out from under thin air.
Lucas's curious look turned to one of exasperation. Of course he would do physical training the day after Lucas wouldn't let him. Lucas coughed to get his attention.
Ninten ceased trying to use his sheath as a weapon and turned toward the duo approaching him. "Hey Lucas, hey Boney, looks like you two are up earlier than everyone else," he greeted.
"And you're doing what I explicitly told you not to do," Lucas growled.
"You do not understand," Ninten retorted. "Training is of utmost importance in the coming battles; I must keep in top shape, unless I become soft for the enemy to pick on."
"And you'll lengthen the time of your recovery!"
"I didn't do anything too strenuous today; only thirty minutes of training. I'm fine."
Lucas's jaw dropped. "Thirty minutes?!" he gaped.
"My normal sessions are typically an hour to an hour and a half, maybe longer."
Lucas shook his head. "Well, let's head back, but I still need to make sure your wounds were not reopened during that," he said.
"Very well."
As the duo walked back, Lucas's thoughts continued to brood on his failures, and on the recent conversation. 'Was it wrong of me to stop him from any sort of physical activity?' he asked himself. 'I was just worried on his injuries, and he provided a good reason...I should have considered that before I snapped at him, idiot.'
Shortly after eating, Lucas headed out with Boney, claiming he needed to purchase something at the town's shop. Since Flint had left by the time they returned from Ninten's training fiasco, the teen in question was alone in the house. However, he quickly spotted a book lying on the table, and decided that he mind as well read it.
It was about a thirteen year old kid named Ness. One night, a meteor fell from the skies and he went to investigate. Turns out, it was the transport of some sort of insect named Buzz Buzz, who informed Ness that Giygas, the Universal Cosmic Destroyer, was going to destroy the world. In order to stop him, he had to gather eight 'melodies' with something known as the Sound Stone and then unlock his true power with it.
His sarcastic mood back, he couldn't refrain but make several remarks (in his head) about the absurdness of the book. However, he had to admit it was superbly written and the strange humor was oddly attractive. It wasn't long before he was hooked into the fantasy novel.
In fact, he was so into it, he wouldn't have noticed Lucas come in if he wasn't so disciplined. "Hi Lucas," he greeted.
"Hey Ninten," Lucas said. "I...wanted to apologize for what happened earlier, and I figured I'd get you something."
Ninten raised an eyebrow. "To apologize you only have to say, 'I'm sorry' and genuinely mean it. You don't have to shower people with gifts and beg for forgiveness."
Ninten instantly regretted his words as Lucas looked down in shame. "I'm not saying that I don't appreciate the gift; I'm just saying for future reference you don't have to get me something to earn my forgiveness."
Lucas flashed a small smile. "Okay," he said as he held out the item in question.
"A baseball bat?" Ninten questioned as he took it and examined it. It was beautifully crafted, with smooth wood and not even a crack or uneven spot that he could tell. "Thank you Lucas, this bat is quite nice. How much did you have to pay for it?"
"About one hundred DP," Lucas answered.
"DP? That's your currency system?" Ninten asked.
"I thought all outsiders used DP?" Lucas trailed off.
"No, but each city-state has its own currency, but nothing like DP," Ninten explained. "Also, before I forget, do you want to train soon?"
"Yes, after you get some rest," Lucas told Ninten.
"And how long should I rest for? One second?"
Lucas scoffed. "No, we should wait an hour. That'll give more time for the sun to come out so we can navigate through Sunshine Forest to a spot I found that I think would be good for that purpose."
"I can agree to that."
Strolling down a trail in the forest, Ninten immersed himself in the wildlife. Back at the castle, he rarely ever got to see any wildlife; the closest being the Royal Gardens. Paula had expressed numerous times about her desire to see the wilderness, but she never could.
Before the coup, Ninten went out into forests a few times, only for learning survival skills and honing them. They certainly came in handy when he was forced to flee, and he hoped that Paula employed the techniques he passed onto her.
Before long, they had reached a clearing. It was perfect; it was deep within the forest, isolated from the villagers, but there were no hostile creatures that lurked here.
Ninten cleared his throat as he turned toward Lucas. "Alright, so do you know what the first rule of a fight is?" Ninten asked.
"Umm...No," Lucas sighed after a moment of thought.
"The first rule of a fight is...there is no first rule."
"What?"
"In a fight, trying to establish rules and regulations is like trying to stop husband and wife from arguing; it's impossible. Now of course, use some common sense: You can't take off any limbs just because some idiot shoved you.
"Now, our first order of business is knowing how to punch. A punch is the most basic of all offensive fighting techniques, and thus is a technique that requires the right application. Now, punch me."
"Wait, what if you get hurt?" Lucas asked.
"If I do, then you have punched correctly," Ninten told him. "Now do it!"
Lucas wound up a punch, and threw it. Ninten simply used one of his arms to push it away.
"Now that is why even the most basic techniques need time to perfect," Ninten said. "Trading speed for power is something you must avoid in a fight, lest you render yourself vulnerable like this." He gestured to their current positions. "There are so many different things I can do to you from here; a punch, a grab, a sweep, a kick...the possibilities are limitless. Do not punch like that unless your opponent is vulnerable or you have a death wish.
"What you should do for a punch is to throw it more or less straight without a windup. Sure it isn't as powerful, but it's a heck of a lot quicker and harder to block." Ninten demonstrated the punch for Lucas, and sure enough, it flew straight. "Now, try it again."
"Fair citizens of Castle Town, please let us be reasonable in discussion," Fassad pleaded, on a hovercraft above an angry mob gathered in the center of the town. On the pathway towards the castle, a line of Pigmasks stood, some of them fingering their rifles, no doubt anxious about what might happen. In reality, Fassad didn't care about the citizens: He just wanted them to submit, which they were not. But his king had instructed him on this diplomatic mission, and he must be followed. "Your new lord only wishes to make what remains of us stronger, and the only way is to centralize the government, replacing the weak monarchy that could accomplish nothing."
"So why does this not have much support?" a random protester cried out.
"How can you measure that?" Fassad asked. "For all you know, you could be surrounded by people like me, and you would not know about it."
"That's circular logic!" another challenged. "You don't know if the people on the far side of town like the way things are or not as well!"
"Oh I do," Fassad grinned. "Deep down, everyone has a desire to follow the strong, and we have provided the strong. All that remains is for you all to accept that fact and follow us to unity."
That had the opposite effect of what it intended. "How can you champion war when the last worldwide one brought humanity to its knees! We're hanging on by our fingertips and you want to start another blood feud? Why don't you help us out first before your 'king' acts upon his greed!"
Roars of agreement followed. Fassad again tried to vainly appeal. "Well, I will not deny that there will be sacrifices, but for every one that dies, it was for a great cause-"
That statement turned out to infuriate the crowd as they started to throw whatever they could get their hands on. Rotten tomatoes, shoes, books, everything including the kitchen sink.
"Now now everyone," Fassad said. "There is no need for such hasty violence. All I ask for is for your-" a pie hit him in the face.
Tense silence followed as the pie fell off of Fassad's face, blank from what everyone could see. A few protesters decided to hightail it out of there before things got worse. Fassad calmly whipped out his communicator and simply said, "Kill as many as you need to. This 'protest' ends here."
"Yes sir," the Pigmask on the other end replied.
Almost immediately, the Pigmask line swiveled their rifles around at the crowd, who just realized how much trouble they were in.
And it was too late to run.
Fassad cackled at the sight of the massacre underneath him. Oh how they had it coming for days...They really should've known better than to try to challenge his liege's authority, and they paid the price for their ignorance.
Still, it was hard to hold himself back with all of this chaos all around him. But sullying his blades with the blood of such weaklings was such a bother to clean. His soldiers could take care of them, and thus his skill wouldn't plummet for when he had to face a real challenge.
Lucas gave one last blow to Ninten during another sparring session, knocking him back. Both stood and panted, their training obviously taking a toll on their endurance.
For the past week, Ninten had relentlessly drilled Lucas on all sorts of basic fighting techniques, trying to get each one at least up to adequate standards. This took hours of each day away from Lucas, training in the arts of defense and attack. Ninten also sparingly gave any sort of compliments, and by the time the training would end, Lucas felt as though he was ready to collapse despite the occasional break. At first, he felt that both duration and lack of encouragement stemmed from the fact that he simply was terrible at it, but as he lay in bed the night before, he realized that the expectations Ninten laid upon him were severely high, if not impossible.
Lucas fully realized at that time that he had no sort of previous experience in things such as this, yet Ninten insisted on his standards, which were far from low. Now that frustration at himself turned into frustration at his new friend, but now was one of those moments that Ninten seemed to be quite pleased given his facial expression and his words.
"You have made tremendous progress over the last several days, Lucas," Ninten began. "You have done very well so far, but now begins the most difficult part of your training."
"My PSI?" Lucas asked.
"Yes," Ninten confirmed. "But first, you must realize how dangerous this will be...One mistake could cost your life. Don't think I'm bluffing; I've actually seen PSI users wind up dead because of their own carelessness and immaturity," he harshly stated. "As such, I will ask for you to follow my instructions very carefully, and not to deviate."
Lucas nodded, though on the inside he was seething. Who was he to demand total obedience on this subject? He had as much right as anyone to question him!
"There are two primary ways to awaken one's PSI Core," Ninten began. "First, we can wait for it to awaken naturally, which could take anywhere from the next moment to years." Crickets chirped. "...The other involves another PSI user jump-starting a core with an infusion of PSI energy. Naturally this is very risky, but I'm afraid this will be a necessity, so bear with me.
"The first step is to meditate, and empty your mind as much as you can. Following that, I will have to enter your mind telepathically, since that is the best place to convey PSI energy to jump start the core. However, I will warn you it will not be a very...comfortable experience, so brace yourself."
"I'm not afraid," Lucas said.
"I hope you're not completely fearless," Ninten muttered as Lucas entered a meditative stance.
Sitting in silence, Lucas concentrated on the sound of his own breathing as well as that of his surroundings. Gradually, his thoughts began to fade as his mind began to clear. Then he felt another presence enter his mind. Assuming it was Ninten, he maintained his meditative position, but what Ninten warned came true.
The PSI energy injected into him felt like it was burning him, to be frank. Fortunately, it did not hang around long enough to cause even more discomfort, instead moving on down the spine towards the heart. It remained there for a second, and then Lucas cried out in pain as he held his chest. It was so sudden, almost like a knife through the heart, except without the cold steel.
However, as quickly as it came, it left. Lucas felt amazed at the new sensation in his body; one of gentle warmth like he was in a hot spring and knew that his PSI had awakened. At last, he could do something to help.
"Well, that went smoothly," Ninten commented. "Hmm...From what I can tell you know PSI Healing; a move that heals things like colds, sunburns, and other minor conditions at lower levels, PSI Lifeup which heals wounds, and PK Love; a move which I am not familiar with."
"Why?"
"I never came across anything like that when I researched PSI," Ninten answered. "It probably is a signature move; several PSI users have them, but given that we don't know anything of it, it would be unwise to try it out before you gain more control over your PSI."
Lucas managed to stifle a small groan, but still looked displeased.
"Anyway, it could be any one of four types of PSI: Offensive, support, healing, or miscellaneous," Ninten deduced. "Offensive is as its name suggests; a projectile attack that can be very deadly at higher levels. Support not only assists your allies, but it can also hinder your enemies' abilities. Healing heals wounds and other conditions, while miscellaneous is the rest like teleportation and telepathy."
"Interesting..." Lucas mumbled.
"Anyway, let's start training by meditating at first. As soon as your mind is clear, then try to focus your energy into your hands and leave it there. Don't try anything just yet."
However, Lucas's eagerness to learn PSI combined with his previous frustrations proved too much for Lucas to obey. He no longer cared that he was inexperienced; he was gonna prove himself to him right here and right now.
He was going to do the exact opposite of what Ninten told him to do and use PK Love.
Once again entering a meditative state, he felt the PSI in his core tingling, like it was waking up. He imagined some of it running into his hands, and as he did he felt some of the tingling work its way up to his chest, into his shoulders, down his arms, and remained in his hands. He couldn't resist a peek, and to his astonishment they were glowing lime green.
Falling back in shock, he lost focus to his chagrin and growled.
"It's quite a scare the first time, but you'll get used to it," Ninten said off to the side.
Lucas bit back a growl as he tried again. This time he did not fall back and therefore the glow remained. Now all that was left to do was to figure out how to use it. He tried to imagine what PK Love would be like, and came up with the mental image of a multitude of hexagons rushing out towards their opponent.
With his eyes open, he witnessed the creation of one such hexagon in the palms of his cupped hands. He gasped a little but managed to keep his cool.
Evidently, Ninten had not as he gasped, "W-What?"
Lucas ignored him as he stood up, and thrust one of his palms with the hexagon in front at the sky. The hexagon rapidly expanded, coming close to the size of Lucas's entire body. As soon as it did, a smaller hexagon shot out, followed by another of a similar size, and another. A multitude of hexagons rushed out from the original and towards the sky. It was quite a spectacle, but Lucas was so focused in his task that he could not observe.
Eventually, the attack ran its course and the original hexagon faded away as the flow of them ground to a halt. Panting heavily, he staggered a little bit, and then fell.
Before he could hit, a pair of arms managed to catch him. But Ninten's current look on his face was not exactly one that Lucas wanted to see, probably because it was a mix of astonishment, concern, and anger.
"Are you all right?" Ninten asked.
"I...I'm fine," Lucas groaned. "It just took...a lot out of me, that's all."
"Then what were you thinking?" Ninten snapped. "That was precisely the reason why I told you to meditate. I specifically told you not to use that technique since we knew nothing about it!"
"What gives, Ninten?" Lucas challenged, standing up. "I actually successfully used it, so why aren't you commenting about my deficiencies and strengths?"
"Didn't I tell you I saw PSI users get killed because of their recklessness?" Ninten rebuked, also getting onto his feet. "If your technique got out of control, you could have very well met that same fate, which was why I stressed meditation to learn to control your PSI first!"
"And how is meditation supposed to help?"
"Meditation is supposed to clear the mind to help you focus; this also translates to better control over your PSI. Sure it is possible to do it without training, but the risks are very high."
"Well if that's the case, why have you been pushing me so hard these past several days?" Lucas growled. "You've been so insistent on performing to your standards, despite my inexperience. I could have hurt myself during your training sessions, and did you give a damn about that? No!"
Ninten's face darkened slightly as he opened his mouth to reply. "You are going to be in a battle whether you like it or not; especially if you leave here," he growled. "You don't know what it's like to be in the midst of chaos while your life is decided by your instincts."
"That's no excuse to simply be nonchalant about how I felt!" Lucas snapped, shaking in rage. It was no longer fueled merely by his frustration at this point; now it was drawn from the emotions he bottled up for the past three years, unable to find an efficient release save for arguments, and this was the one in which everything poured out int his words, ignorant to the possible consequences of his running mouth. "You're just as bad as the other villagers! You don't care about anyone other than yourself and the people like you! You...You are just as bad as the Pigmasks!
Rage-clouded vision, Lucas panted has he kept his heated gaze on Ninten. To him, it seemed as though Ninten's face was blank. There was no visible emotion present on it. Lucas wanted a fight, he wanted a release for his emotions, yet Ninten wasn't taking the bait.
Several seconds later, Ninten sighed as he closed his eyes. "You...You are right," he whispered in a barely audible voice. "I criticize them for killing my comrades, yet I have tried to kill theirs. I shudder at the thought of their coup while planning to execute at the same time. I despise them for what their goal is...But I might end up helping them. This war...It turns people like us into monsters, doesn't it?
Lucas...didn't understand what Ninten was saying in his enraged state. But he could clearly see Ninten walk right past him towards the trail leading back to Tazmily.
"Tonight shall be the last night I stay," he said. "Any longer and I'll endanger you all, and bad people like me are needed on the front lines."
"Hey, wait!" Lucas called, but Ninten did not turn around. It was only at that point when Lucas fully comprehended his outburst.
'What have I done?'
Fassad leaned back in his chair, sighing in exhaustion. While what happened in the town square might have been successful, his master had not been pleased with how he handled it, and therefore forbade him from going into the town until further notice.
If this were any other person, he wouldn't listen. But his master deserved the highest respect, so he followed him.
"Commander!" a private shouted as he ran up to him.
"Yes, what is it?" Fassad growled. "Can't you see you're disrupting my musing?"
"We've detected the presence of three PSI users!"
"Ah, we have? Excellent," Fassad grinned
"What are you orders, sir?"
"Where are they located?"
"One is in Onett and the other two located in Tazmily, sir!" the soldier replied.
"Go back to your duty; I will handle preparations myself."
"Yes sir!" the Pigmask saluted and scampered off.
Fassad fingered his twin scimitars. "Well, this might actually be quite entertaining, for once," he muttered as he left the room. He quickly reached the Pigmask communication room and ordered for a message to be sent to the Commander of the unit in the swamps.
"Tell him that he has orders to prepare a small force to search Onett and capture two psychics; he will receive a full briefing in two hours."
That left that town he passed through earlier to him. He was wondering how much the town changed with the Happy Boxes.
Ninten had to admit the mountain was a nice place to see a sunrise as well as he hiked on the trail across it, though he wasn't anywhere near the peak.
He once again got up at five in the morning and headed out almost immediately since the food and water he stocked up was in a bookbag on his side, while his cracked Giant Knife was in its sheath strapped to his back. Even in the hours after the fight, he couldn't bring himself to face Lucas after what happened, and he was sure he hated him. It was best if he left now before things got worse, and he needed to return to the battle. He regretted not bringing the baseball bat Lucas gave him, but he figured the kid needed it more than he did. He wasn't intending on his Giant Knife to remain cracked for much longer.
Speaking of Lucas, he could easily see why he got so upset at him. He admitted that he was pushing Lucas way too hard, especially with no encouragement and few compliments, blinded by his urgency to bring him up to standards. He had to learn how to cope with pressure like that in the future, but he reassured himself that it was understandable given the external dangers that face PSI users. But that wasn't what was bothering him.
The thing that he was brooding on was what Lucas said. He could still hear the words echo through his mind like a broken record. He always viewed himself as halfway decent, given that he was complimented on his integrity and work ethic multiple times in the past, while at the same time this was steered towards the sole purpose of warfare. He tried to reassure himself that he was fighting for what he believed in, and it was worth dying for the Royal Family, especially since he failed another family...
But was he truly a self-centered person after all? Was his core reason to fight only for assurance that he wasn't useless; not out of loyalty? And was his training Lucas motivated by that same reason? Ninten didn't have the answers. In one of the few times in his life, his thoughts were caught in a deadly circle of 'yes, I am selfish', and 'no, I'm not.' Of course, he also recognized that everyone was selfish; he was just wondering how selfish he really was.
'Is there even an answer to this?' Ninten thought frustratingly as he shook his head.
Seconds after that thought, he swore he heard footsteps. A lot of them. Needless to say, given how isolated Tazmily was, that left few options on who could be heading this way.
Ducking behind a nearby boulder, he peeked around it and gasped in horror at the sight of columns of Pigmasks marching down the trail. There could be a number of reasons why they were coming this way, but their destination was clear, regardless of their purpose.
Using 4th-D Slip, he easily managed to slip away undetected and barrel down the path, hoping to reach Lucas before it was too late.
The initial assault took everybody by surprise. After a fierce orbital bombardment, the alien soldiers landed in the designated points and began to cut down anyone in sight, civilian or military, government official or factory worker, adult or child. The majority of their troops landed in Asia, where the majority of the human population was concentrated.
Within a week, Siberia was evacuated, China was decimated, Southeast Asia was practically wiped off the map, and the other continents only fared better because they didn't have to deal with as many soldiers.
However, within the year Asia had fallen, the only survivors hiding in small tribes in the forests. Europe and Africa were next on the hit list. Within a year, Africa had suffered the same fate as Asia and Europe was reaching its breaking point, though at this point half of Giegue's total forces were lost.
It was at this point when PSI emerged from humanity. In the Battle of Salt Lake City, George and Maria, both nearly seventy at this point, became the first confirmed PSI users as they assisted repelling the assault. In Europe, PSI users held the line at Berlin, and half of the remaining alien armies were lost in another three months of combat.
Giegue pulled his forces back to their fortifications, marking the end to the first of the PSI Wars despite the lack of a peace treaty. Orbital bombardments continued, but with so many of their troops decimated, Giegue had to pull some of the crews from the ships off to serve in the army.
The second war didn't really accomplish a whole lot except the deaths on both sides. In the third war, humanity actually went on the full offensive for once, and decimated much of Giegue's remaining forces.
Giegue angrily took to the battlefields of North America, and confronted George, Maria, and several other PSI users in the final battle of the North American campaign; the Battle of Las Angeles. The human forces managed to trick Giegue into a trap, and disappeared in the middle of the battle, though at a terrible cost.
Without Giegue's leadership, the alien forces, numbering less than one hundred thousand at this point, took to the stars and fled for home, licking their wounds.
George was instrumental in assisting in rebuilding in North America, despite the death of Maria. He used his powers to rebuild the cities and heal the land as much as he could.
But not even he could prevent the divisions that plagued each city now.
Communications and industry were practically nonexistent after the war, and therefore each city had to rely on itself. They could no longer stay as a unified nation (well, what was left of them), and most split apart. The ones that didn't simply stayed in Confederations or tiny nations. But no one knows what remains of Asia and Africa, the two 'lost' continents.
END PROLOGUE
So yeah, that ends off the prologue for now, with the longest chapter so far. So we leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger for today, and next chapter will not only feature the first real battle scene I've written outside the beginning (I don't really count that), but also the beginning of the first of three arcs. However, it may take a little longer to get out because I'm new to fight scenes, but I hope to give it high quality. So, see ya next time!
PSI Encyclopedia
KP Duty: Kitchen Patrol. These guys are typically the ones who get into trouble and have to do all the dirty work. They wash the dishes, take out the trash, tackle infestations, you get the idea. Naturally, very few people want to get into trouble after going through it once.
Royal Gardens: A giant garden kept in front of the castle, they are renowned throughout the Confederation for its beauty. From flowers to vines to trees...all of it is well kept and maintained so that the tourists and inhabitants of the castle can enjoy it. The monarchy might not be powerful, but they damn sure know how to put on a good show.
PSI Signature: Like DNA, no two PSI users are exactly alike. This is manifested in their signature, allowing them to identify themselves when necessary. Unlike DNA however, it changes slightly with every new PSI technique learned, but that change typically only makes the signature marginally more powerful.
Onett: Another small town not even fifty miles north of Tazmily, and far more advanced than it. All they have blocking them is a forest, though it is linked to the far more prosperous town of Twoson by road, meaning Onett is often a stopping point for travelers. Two of their main features are two large hills: One of which has a meteor, and another which serves as their worst nightmare...if the creatures in there decide to attack. Otherwise, they just attack anyone who enters the cave which leads to the top.