Hello everyone and welcome to the fifteenth chapter of Ignorance.

Good thing, but after this chapter this proper storyline start (After only 70,000 + words) Sorry though if I don't update much in the coming weeks because even though it's the holidays I have a friend that's probably going to be coming over 90% of the time and she'll distract me from writing. I apologise times one thousand in advance.

Hope you like the chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy, Square Enix does.

A name of curse

Months past, and Serah settled into a routine at Pulse scarily faster then she would have liked. Life without the chip in her brain wasn't entirely different, just not quite the same. She remembered things, things from when she was a little kid. Little events and flashes, but nothing that important. She remembered the faces of friends and people she used to know, but for some reason could never really recollect what their name had been. And in time she remembered most of her memories from before her time at Pulse.

She hadn't been anyone special, just a young girl in an institution, but she had been a kind one. Which was a relief, for she was scared that she mightn't have liked who she had been. 'Topaz' hadn't really differed from her former personality at all, but she was perhaps more quick to anger. With both personalities she hadn't been as naive as she may have looked. As Serah her lackadaisical childhood had taught her that nothing ever went quite the way you wanted it to go. And Topaz just didn't hold naive values. She wasn't someone who thought the world was perfect, even if you couldn't see the imperfections, she knew they were there. When Serah thought back over it she guessed that that may of been a throwback ideal of hers from before they inserted the chip.

Her memories of Pulse on the other hand, weren't the same. They had never really come back to her, not clearly at least. She knew the basic summary of them at best. Pulse's scientists couldn't explain why they were like that, for in theory they should be there along with all her others. Maybe not as clear as they once were but certainly there. Though they did skip the possibility, as Fate had mentioned to her in passing one afternoon, that it was just a case of her suppressing them. She wasn't about to argue with that hypothesis, for she didn't really want those memories back anyway. The Pulse memories she could remember were bad enough as it was. She didn't want to imagine having all of them.

Closing the book in her hands Serah stopped her musing. In her personal opinion, her memories were fine as they were, no matter how incomplete, so she saw no reason in worrying over them.

Looking up she spied Fate sitting cross-legged on a wooden chair across from her. They were in Serah's room sitting alone. Fate, like always, was reading. It weirded Serah out how much a girl her age could read. Considering when she was her age her own reading talents could hardly be considered legible. It was one of the downsides of growing up in an institution like she did. Placing her book down on her bedside table Serah had to concede that if there was at least one good thing kids got here at Pulse, it was a good education. Though the many negatives still outweighed the positives.

Pushing stray strands of hair behind her ear, Serah thought of what she could do now to use up her time. The book on the table was as of now finished. It hadn't been a bad book, but it hadn't been one that you couldn't put down either.

Bugging Fang was out of the question, for certain reasons she didn't like to think about. It was why Fate was hiding out in her room as opposed to Fang's. The girl preferred to avoid contact with the other agents. She was too strange to them to associate with her. It brought a sad frown to Serah's face to think about it, but the girl's weird upbringing and her subsequent personality made it hard for her to get along with people. It'd make life hard for her.

Blowing out a sigh Serah sat up against the wall. Tapping her fingers against her thigh she continued to ponder how to pass the time. Sitting up suddenly she made her choice. Getting up off her bed she told Fate, "I'm going to go for a little walk OK?"

Fate nodded and returned to reading her book. Her eyes had reflected the slightest hint of concern. She didn't like going outside the safe confines of her room or that of Serah or Fang's, for more than the reason of her poor social skills. But Serah had yet to comprehend all of them.

Hand on her door knob Serah picked up her jacket from where she had thrown it and put it on. It was a little cold outside of her room.

Walking through the halls with no clear destination in mind Serah caught the eyes of many people staring at her as she walked by. If the whole Cocoon-spying fiasco surrounding her hadn't attracted the curiosities of her fellow agents, then her relationship with Fang had.

Some people had known her before she had been sent to Cocoon and had been forced to go into hiding. They all called her a nice girl, and girl they never thought would dirty herself by giving a minute of her time to a broken agent. So of course to them, she was the one in the wrong. Not that she had done anything. All she had done was extend her friendship to someone who life hadn't been kind to. Not that the token of friendship had been requited but Serah wasn't going to leave Fang's side for something as simple as that. She had never expected friendship of the woman in the first place. If the other agents decided to dislike her for something so little, who cares?

Their opinions of her did nothing to her view of herself. She was who she was and no matter how many bad names they called her, they would never change who she was. A good person, something they were not.

Moving through the halls silently Serah paid no more notice to the stares and drew her jacket closer around her. It was colder than she thought it was going to be.

...:...

Another day, another situation. Serah was walking quietly through the halls once more. Today was another day when visiting Fang was out of the question. Again for a reason she didn't like to voice, always for a reason she didn't like to voice. Fate was hiding out in her room again reading and when Serah had tired of that mundane routine she had once again taken to the halls. Only that this time when she returned to her room afterwards it didn't go quite like it always did. When she opened the door to her room, someone else was there.

Walking into the room Serah's eyes flitted to Fate, but upon seeing that the girl was having no reaction to the man she surmised that he was no threat. Taking a step closer she looked at the man's face and realised she knew him. Hesitating momentarily she said, "You." Her wording was confident but an unsure tinge to it revealed to the man that she couldn't recall his name.

Smiling slightly to put her at ease, he outstretched his hand for her to shake. "Cid." He told her shaking her hand, "I wouldn't have expected you to remember it too well seeing as we've only met once or twice." But that was where his smile faltered.

That was what immediately tipped Serah off that something was wrong, and she no longer felt that he wasn't necessarily a threat. Steeling herself for what might be to come, she asked Cid, "What are you doing here?"

Cid's face took on a somewhat guilty expression. Staring at her square in the eyes he assured her, "I am here on my own free will, I wasn't told to come here. I just thought it would be better if I was the one to tell you this."

"Tell me what?" Serah cut in.

"That pulse want you to return to action." He said wiping his voice of any previous hesitance.

Under his hard stare Serah felt herself struck by fear. Though she kept it off her face and out of her voice, those words scared her. She had taken well to her training yes, much better than she would have thought possible and she was in theory more than well enough to undertake a mission. But failing out in the field last time had cost her dearly. Relationships had been shattered along with her memories, and although new ones had been forged since, nothing could make up for what she had lost. In both her memories and current life. But the worst thing of all which rested in her chest like a frozen icicle. The knowledge that next time such a mistake wouldn't be tolerated, no matter the circumstances.

Taking in a deep breath Serah tried to continue her conversation with Cid as if she wasn't paralysed by fear, but he saw through her blank continence.

"What happened to you last time wasn't your fault; it wasn't you who blew your cover. You were successful in your missions many, many times before you were sent to spy on Cocoon." Trying to give a smile to sooth her over, he took a couple steps towards the door until he was standing by her side. "Just remember that no matter how scared you are, what those men will ask of you is entirely in your power to complete. No matter what you think."

He reached out to grab the doorknob but Serah grabbed hold of his arm before he could grip it. Turning her head so that he was within her sights she asked, "Why are you here telling me this?"

Making an odd sound in his throat, he took a moment to explain. "Because I wouldn't of been here to tell you that tomorrow. Your sister and Fang you see, are people I did, and still do, hold close. And the executive's inconsiderate nature broke your sister and sent her to her death, and left Fang's mentality to crumble to dust in her wake. It would break me to see that happen to you as well, so when they summon you to the higher levels tomorrow and are staring down at you like your some chest piece on a board, please remember what I told you. For the sake of both of us." Pulling his arm out of her grip he gave her a sad smile and took his leave.

Watching the door as it shut behind him, Serah finally turned her eyes on Fate and realised, that not once during the previous conversation had she looked up from her book.

...:...

Wondering through the halls an hour or so after her talk with Cid, Serah found herself wandering closer and closer to Fang's room. She hadn't meant to, but her feet just eventually took her there of their own free will.

But once she turned the doorknob to her door she knew she shouldn't have. Because today was a bad day, and nothing was going to make it good. So she stood just outside of Fang's doorway with the door slightly ajar and stood watching her for a time. Anyone else may have thought she was just sleeping, but Serah knew she wasn't. Closing the door with too much force Serah walked off cursing herself for even allowing herself to come near here. No matter how much she wanted to, or even needed to confide in Fang right her words would of never reached her.

Because just like she was hours ago when Fate had come to Serah's room, Fang was still high, her world dominated by the hazes of Seohilen.

...:...

Tomorrow came, and with it Serah's preordained meeting with the executives. A man came down to lead her to the room it was to take place in. The room he took her to was a small square shaped space in the higher levels of the HQ in which sat two people. Sitting down the man left and the fatter of the two men in front of her introduced himself.

Reaching out his hand for her to take she shook it, "Names Robert Chennix." He intoned. The movement to talk made his fatty chins jiggle, and Serah thought that it made him look like a dugong.

The man beside Robert didn't bother to tell her his name and got right down to business. Tapping his fingers on a piece of paper he held in his hands he spoke up without any buffer. "We want you to go on a spying mission for us."

Instinctively freezing up upon hearing those words Serah tried to open her mouth to say something but the man cut her off, "No need to worry, this mission is nothing like your last one." Though he spoke words of reassurance nothing of the sort existed in his voice.

Handing her the paper in his hands she took it and read over it. While she did the man continued speaking, "We want you to sneak into the house of an important Cocoon executive disguised as something simple. A house hand perhaps, we've been told this particular executive has been looking for one as of late. The exact details of this mission will be finalised the closer it comes to its commencement."

Partly listening to him as she scanned down the page of information Serah took in the most important details. This man didn't live in Bodhum but elsewhere, but he had a holiday house here that he frequented with his family often. Which was where he was now, and would be where she would be set to spy on him

Setting the paper down on the table she let the thinner man take it back. Placing it back on his side of the table he finished what he had to say, "You will be called back here when the details are finalised and given a date when you are to set out. It will be soon so be prepared." Giving her a final nod he gestured for her to leave.

Pushing back her chair she mumbled a feeble goodbye and got out of there. Walking back towards the door she couldn't help but think that the other man's presence there had been unneeded. But even so, Serah thought, despite not adding anything to the conversation it had been him, not the unfeeling man by his side, who had stared at her so much so, like she was just a chest piece on a board. Not even human. Just like Cid had said.

...:...

Fang lay on her bed on her side. Wrapping her hands around her pillow tightly she tried to ignore Fate's presence behind her. The girl had come here without a book today, which meant that her stay in her room wasn't to hide from the stares of the populace like always. This time she had come here with a much more serious topic of thought. But she didn't speak of it, not for a long time. She just sat there, and with good reason. For to speak it was to utter poison into the air, and let it infect all it touched and taint them with sorrow.

Only it couldn't be kept locked up forever. Eventually Fate's eyes settled on Fang and she said without faltering at all, "They're sending Serah on a mission."

Blinking, Fang muttered "I know." And it made her sick to her stomach.

...:...

A day or so Later and Fang found herself in a room with a total of fourteen other agents and five executives. Serah was yet to be sent out.

Twiddling her fingers she tried to ignore the feeling of people staring at her. She hated being sent on missions with other people. She'd always preformed better by herself anyway, even before she started to hate everyone who looked her way. But her own thoughts couldn't change anything; this was a mission that needed lots of people. Experienced people.

"Now." One of the executives spoke up, "In a few days one of the Leaders of Pulse is going into town to conduct a speech to the populace, and it is suspected as we have been told by our spies that Cocoon will attempt to assassinate them or do them any great harm if they cannot. You will be sent out five days from now with them and dispatched to a number of locations surrounding the square that the speech is to take place. Is that clear?"

Most of the agents around the room muttered replies but as Fang saw there were a few more...cynical... agents who didn't bother to. These people were some of the twisted agents who had spent most of their lives if not all of them, working for Pulse. Agents like her, who while not quite right in the head, were deadly with any form of weapon. So in short, just the people for the job.

With the main summary over with from there on in the details of each agents task to carry out was outlined and the small details not to be missed were given out and clarified.

After everything was done and over with all the agents left, leaving all that had to be done was wait for the five days to be up, and their mission to begin.

...:...

On the day of Serah's mission a man came to her room to fetch her. The man she was meant to be spying on lived in the expensive part of town, so even if she was just to go there as a helper she was expected to look her best. She was made to wear a black pencil skirt which she took to with hate because of the way it constricted her legs. And a neat conservative top that went to her elbows.

Finishing up by tying her hair up in a pony tail she followed the man out. He took her into the parking lot and to a slim lined black car. He got in with her to her surprise and closed the door behind them. Though the reason for this was quickly cleared up as he took out a few sheets of paper that had on them some of the important details of the mission and went through them with her one last time.

At the end of the drive the car stopped outside of a gorgeous white two storied house that had a beautiful balcony and an assortment of different flowers and plants flourishing in the garden. Opening the door and getting out, Serah walked daintily towards the front door. But she was only halfway to it when she heard the sound of the car door opening again. Looking over her shoulder she saw the man who had got in the car with her.

Seeing that he looked a little distressed she asked him curiously, "What is it?"

"I almost forgot to tell you, but there's going to be a very important Pulse official here in a few days, so please by careful."

"Oh" Serah mumbled, not seeing what all the fuss was all about. "Ok then, what's their name."

" It's Anima."

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

I'll keep trying to update throughout the holidays but I can't promise you much.

Please review I'll love you for it.

~Claire Kreiss.