When I Wake, Will I Find You There?
By Scutter
[email protected]
I have made up some characters. They are MINE. All original Sailor Moon characters belong to whatever individuals/ companies own or made Sailor Moon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prologue - Beginning at the End
~~Mina~~
I have often wondered just where this story begins but whenever I
think about it too much, it seems that the beginning and the end were
so similar that it can be hard to tell the difference. So I will
start here, where I sit now in a park.
In a park, by a lake, at the edge of a city, where, a long time ago,
a group of people sat together on a blanket, enjoying the remnants of
a picnic lunch. Well, I say they were sitting, but really, they were
doing anything but that.
"Come on, Chad! Pay attention!" I didn't bother looking round as Rei
verbally abused her boyfriend. Apparently, he had cancelled their
date the night before, and Rei was having some 'pay back' time. She
was lying on the blanket, her legs sticking out into the sun while
her eyes were sheltered by a tree, and Chad was *supposed* to be
feeding her M&M's - part of his punishment of having to fulfil Rei's
every wish during the picnic. Chad has never had the best attention
span, however, and Rei did *not* take neglect lightly. *Sigh*
Lita and Ken had long since left our group, rushing off to join a
game of soccer with a bunch of guys nearby. We were not likely to
hear from them for the rest of the afternoon.
Ami and Greg were, in fact, the only two of us actually *sitting*.
They had out one of Ami's advanced chemistry books, pouring over the
relative benefits of molecular ionisation - I would rather visit the
dentist than read that stuff - but they were happy, so that's what
mattered.
And Serena and Darien, you ask? Well, they were . . . um, perhaps I'd
better not be too descriptive here. They were off a little way, lying
in the grass - well, okay, Darien was lying in the grass, and Serena
was lying on Darien . . . uh, maybe I should just stop there. Anyway,
they were enjoying themselves, if you catch my drift. (And for all of
you with hentai minds, remember, this is a public place!!)
It was barely three weeks since Darien had proposed to a very
stunned, but entirely overjoyed Serena, just after her 19th birthday,
and even though they had been dating for years, being engaged was
still very new and exciting for them. What else can you expect from
people who have been in love for 1000 years??
And me? Well, I couldn't be happier. I was leaning back on my elbows,
pretending to be watching the lake, but actually *ahem* watching
Darien and Serena. I just can't get over how cute those two are
together. They always seem to bring out the best in each other.
Serena tries to be a little more mature to impress Darien, and Darien
can't help letting down his defences whenever Serena's around. He
just melts into a little Darien-puddle. It's *so* sweet.
Okay, so I'm being terribly mushy, but I *am* the Senshi of Love, and
these things get to me, all right? It's not often that you get a
chance to see true love in this world, and seeing it so perfectly
between those two gets my heart racing every time.
Serena used to worry about that. I admit, there were a few times when
I used to watch them a little too closely, and Serena got very
concerned that maybe I liked Darien. But between you, me and the
paper, I can honestly say that that isn't true. He is cute - anyone
would have to admit that - but I've never felt anything more than
friendship for him - it's him *with Serena* that makes me melt. Some
people get high on drugs. I get high on love.
So anyway, here we were, sitting in the middle of a park, having
spent a *perfect* day outside, and right then, I couldn't have been
happier. I was surrounded by people in love, the sun was shining, the
birds were singing, the dogs were barking and . . . and the soccer
ball just landed in the lake. The soccer ball was in the lake and
Lita was ready to deck the guy who had kicked it. The guy was running
scared, and Ken was ready to hold Lita back. Lita was ready to deck
Ken! Ken was too fast, and pulled Lita into a tight kiss. Lita
melted.
I grinned, and sighed. Everything was perfect.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight has always made me a little nervous. A lot of people think
it's very romantic - the fading light, the first faint stars coming
out and the scents of the night wafting in off the ocean. *I* always
found twilight oppressive. The bright sunshine of the day giving in
to the cold pressure of darkness - I don't understand how people can
like it.
It seemed somehow strange that evening, walking home from the park
with my friends. At the time, I couldn't work out why I was so
nervous. But looking back now, I know the reason.
As I watched my friends in blissful oblivion with their boyfriends,
I couldn't help remembering how long it had been since we had had to
unite as the Sailor Scouts, and fight for the safety of our planet.
It had been just over three years now since the last evil force had
been overcome, and even though we no longer relied on each other for
our safety, we were still very close friends.
Ken left our group fairly soon after we left the park, as he lived
in the opposite direction to the rest of us, and then Greg was the
next to leave, when we came past his house not far from the park.
When we got to the crossroads just near the arcade the rest of us
split up, Rei and Chad heading back to the temple, Ami was going
home with Lita - Lita was cooking up something special for dinner,
Darien and Serena went off together (of course) towards Darien's
apartment and I headed home alone.
But after I had said goodbye to my friends, I didn't go straight to
my apartment. Instead, I just stayed there for some reason, standing
on the corner of the crossroads, staring up at the night sky. Though
I don't like dusk, I actually find the night sky quite beautiful. It
has a distant, protective feel to it, watching the stars so far
away, winking beautifully as if just for our comfort. But there was
something odd about it tonight.
The misty clouds rode high, covering the moon for an instant, and
that's when I saw it for certain. The clouds weren't grey. They had
a sickly purple colour.
Rei must have sensed something, for she turned around at that point,
staring back down the road at me. "Mina?" She took a step towards
me. "Mina, are you all right?" In the back of my mind, I saw the
others had also stopped, staring back at me while I gazed at Rei in
confusion. "The clouds . . ." I began, looking up again.
"MINA!!"
My jaw dropped. Like a whirlwind, a thick purple fog came thundering
out of the sky, encircling me, and from their screams, I knew it had
my friends as well. In a dizzying fury, I was swept off my feet,
tumbling through the air like a rag doll. Pain like lightening shot
through me as bright electricity flashed all around us. My vision
swam in horrific shades of black and red, and in the back of my
mind, I was aware of Chad's distant voice calling Rei's name . . .
~~Rei~~
I don't remember where we woke up, exactly. The months that followed
have become so blurred that I can't tell the difference between that
first dungeon, and all the ones that followed. It was not cold.
That's all I remember.
After I had woken, I peered through the dim light, and saw my
friends around me, all similarly affected. Ami was struggling to sit
up, Mina and Lita were still unconscious, and in the corner, I could
see Darien cradling Serena in his arms, calling to her softly.
"Ami," I gasped.
She looked up at me from behind those frightened eyes, and my heart
shuddered. I scooted across the floor to her, hugging her gently.
"Oh Ami. Are you all right?" I felt her nod, and bit my lip to keep
from crying. Gradually, my friends came to, each of us asking the
same questions of each other. Where were we? Why were we here? Who
had taken us?
It was then that I felt a cold presence watching us, and I looked
around. A grate slid out of the far wall, and a tall figure stood in
the dimness beyond. It did not move for some time, watching us with
eyes we could not see, but my gaze never wavered from its cloaked
bulk in the darkness.
Finally, it moved, stepping closer to the grate, while we all stared
back, defiant.
"A punishment," he began, his lifeless voice sliding through the air
like cold slime, "has never had a purpose if it didn't fit the
crime. And for this reason alone, you shall know what your crime
was. You have been brought here by order of the Reformation. You are
here to be punished for crimes committed against the Reformation by
the late Queen Serenity."
Serena gasped. I heard Darien move closer to her, and then the other
scouts muttered sounds of incredulity, but before any of us could
ask any further questions, the figure spoke again.
"For as long as you are here, you will have no rights, no liberties,
and will obey all orders immediately, or you will be punished. You
will be here," he continued, "until you die."
"Not on your life." Lita was on her feet in rage, her transformation
pen in her hand. "JUPITER POWER" she screamed, holding the pen above
her. But even before the first flash of light had enveloped her, a
tentacle ripped itself out of the wall, snatched the pen from her
grasp, and vanished into the blackness.
"MERCURY POWER!"
"VENUS POWER!"
I watched as my other friends began to transform, then amazement
turned to horror as their transformation pens endured the same fate,
and I caught myself before I fell into the same trap, keeping my pen
hidden. Darien, too, had stopped himself before trying to transform,
and he and I looked at each other. What were we to do?
"Give up your weapons immediately," the tall figure ordered, his
voice emotionless.
"Go to hell," Darien replied, his voice almost as cold as that which
held us captive.
A low grumbling filled that small room, and I felt the wall behind
me begin to move, closing in on us.
"I do not tolerate disobedience, and I have little patience. Give us
your weapons or you will be crushed to death now."
Darien and I stared at each other in horror, but the walls closed
quickly and gave us little time to think. In a fit of panic, I held
out my pen, wincing at it was snatched from me, and Darien must have
done the same with his transformation rose, as the sound ceased, and
we were left in a cramped space.
Through the muffled walls, I heard a second voice. "What about the
girl. The daughter of Serenity? Does she possess any weapons?"
"She does not have the crystal," our captor replied. "We have
scanned her thoroughly."
I shuddered. Of course, Serena would not have her crystal with her.
We had not fought in years, and there had been no need for it. I
imagined where it lay now, nestled in one of her drawers at home, with
no one to guard it, useless to us.
The figure came back to the gate, and I could see a vague flash of
red on his cloak.
"Very well," his voice oozed through the air again. "Then we shall
continue. As I was explaining, before I was interrupted, during the
Silver Millennium, my people had dedicated themselves to the
recovery of the old ways, reviving the art of sorcery, or black
magic, as some call it. In her tyranny, Queen Serenity forbade our
practices. She said they were dangerous. They were, in fact, only a
threat to her own power, and to maintain her own control of the people,
she used the Silver Crystal to banish us to a far realm, a cold,
barren place of darkness, when we refused to give up the old ways."
The voice stopped for a moment, and a sound like laughter seemed to
emanate from it. I shuddered at the sound.
"It is fortunate," it continued, "that the Queen had more enemies
than just us. Queen Beryl also saw Serenity's true nature of tyranny,
and set us free with the power of the Negaverse, in order to assist
her conquest of the Moon Kingdom. *She* was a true warrior. It is a
shame she had to die."
I heard a low growl from the corner, and realised it was Darien. I
could hear my heart pounding below that growl, like it was measuring
the days of my life before me.
"It was Beryl who helped us become the Reformation. When we were set
free, we used the power of the old ways to prolong our lives, so
that we would have time to exact our revenge on the Queen, or on any
of her blood line that survived the war. And so here we are, 1000 years
later, ready to reform your souls into repentance for our suffering."
Darien leapt to his feet, slamming his fist into the bars of the
grate. "I personally swear I will make sure you suffer more than any
creature in creation, you devil."
The figure laughed. "Calm down, little boy," he muttered, as the
grate was again slid closed. "Your brave words will be forgotten
soon enough."
As we were left in darkness, a soft hiss filled the room, and we
were soon choking on a stifling gas.
I grunted as Ami fell against me, unconscious, and I, too, began to
feel the effects of the drug. As I blacked out, I tried desperately
to call out with my powers of telepathy.
"Help us . . ."
I don't know if anyone ever heard me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't know how much later it was when I woke again, but I was
instantly cringing at the pounding headache I had. Bright lights and
loud voices surrounded me, and I suddenly felt myself being lifted,
and held more or less upright, thought I couldn't even try to stand.
"A right pain in the neck, this one is. A fireball for anyone who
wants to break her."
"Fifty!" I heard a voice shout.
"Fifty five" came another.
"Sixty!"
"Sixty five!"
There was a pause. "Any further bids? Going once for sixty five.
Going twice. Sold for sixty five. Next item, a blue haired pretty.
Meek as a spring day, this one . . ."
I was shoved back to the floor, and as I opened my eyes dimly, I saw
the bars of the cage around me. What was happening?
The information slowly seeped into my foggy mind, and I realised I
was at an auction. More than that, I realised I had just been sold!!
It was a slave auction!! I tried to rise to my elbows, to look
around, but when I raised my head, it came face to face with a truly
terrifying sight.
A red cloaked figure came to stand before me, it's head covered in a
faceless red hood. The whole of it's body was covered in a shroud-
like robe, utterly featureless. It lowered it's head to the bars of
the cage, though I could see nothing that resembled eyes in the
masked face.
"Well, Mars. It seems the tables have turned. Just remember this is
what happens when you try to cross the Reformation." A hideous laugh
echoed through my ears, and that was the last I heard for some time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Narrator~~
A cold draft whistled in through the open window and extinguished the
candle on the table, sending the room into almost total darkness.
Huddled over the table, ignoring the breeze, a figure cloaked in
black chanted rhythmically as he stared into a swirling portal. An
image appeared before him, flickering briefly before it cleared, and
held steady. In the image, a young, blond woman appeared. She was
being dragged down a dark corridor, three large guards surrounding
her. They reached a door, and the girl was shoved through it,
sprawling roughly onto the filthy floor. She cried out in pain as she
hit the ground, and in the dim moonlight, the black figure saw caked
blood around her wrists, and dirt smeared on her face. Within his
hood, his eyes narrowed. "Mina," he whispered, his lips rising to a
vicious snarl. "Soon now, my precious. Soon."
By Scutter
[email protected]
I have made up some characters. They are MINE. All original Sailor Moon characters belong to whatever individuals/ companies own or made Sailor Moon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prologue - Beginning at the End
~~Mina~~
I have often wondered just where this story begins but whenever I
think about it too much, it seems that the beginning and the end were
so similar that it can be hard to tell the difference. So I will
start here, where I sit now in a park.
In a park, by a lake, at the edge of a city, where, a long time ago,
a group of people sat together on a blanket, enjoying the remnants of
a picnic lunch. Well, I say they were sitting, but really, they were
doing anything but that.
"Come on, Chad! Pay attention!" I didn't bother looking round as Rei
verbally abused her boyfriend. Apparently, he had cancelled their
date the night before, and Rei was having some 'pay back' time. She
was lying on the blanket, her legs sticking out into the sun while
her eyes were sheltered by a tree, and Chad was *supposed* to be
feeding her M&M's - part of his punishment of having to fulfil Rei's
every wish during the picnic. Chad has never had the best attention
span, however, and Rei did *not* take neglect lightly. *Sigh*
Lita and Ken had long since left our group, rushing off to join a
game of soccer with a bunch of guys nearby. We were not likely to
hear from them for the rest of the afternoon.
Ami and Greg were, in fact, the only two of us actually *sitting*.
They had out one of Ami's advanced chemistry books, pouring over the
relative benefits of molecular ionisation - I would rather visit the
dentist than read that stuff - but they were happy, so that's what
mattered.
And Serena and Darien, you ask? Well, they were . . . um, perhaps I'd
better not be too descriptive here. They were off a little way, lying
in the grass - well, okay, Darien was lying in the grass, and Serena
was lying on Darien . . . uh, maybe I should just stop there. Anyway,
they were enjoying themselves, if you catch my drift. (And for all of
you with hentai minds, remember, this is a public place!!)
It was barely three weeks since Darien had proposed to a very
stunned, but entirely overjoyed Serena, just after her 19th birthday,
and even though they had been dating for years, being engaged was
still very new and exciting for them. What else can you expect from
people who have been in love for 1000 years??
And me? Well, I couldn't be happier. I was leaning back on my elbows,
pretending to be watching the lake, but actually *ahem* watching
Darien and Serena. I just can't get over how cute those two are
together. They always seem to bring out the best in each other.
Serena tries to be a little more mature to impress Darien, and Darien
can't help letting down his defences whenever Serena's around. He
just melts into a little Darien-puddle. It's *so* sweet.
Okay, so I'm being terribly mushy, but I *am* the Senshi of Love, and
these things get to me, all right? It's not often that you get a
chance to see true love in this world, and seeing it so perfectly
between those two gets my heart racing every time.
Serena used to worry about that. I admit, there were a few times when
I used to watch them a little too closely, and Serena got very
concerned that maybe I liked Darien. But between you, me and the
paper, I can honestly say that that isn't true. He is cute - anyone
would have to admit that - but I've never felt anything more than
friendship for him - it's him *with Serena* that makes me melt. Some
people get high on drugs. I get high on love.
So anyway, here we were, sitting in the middle of a park, having
spent a *perfect* day outside, and right then, I couldn't have been
happier. I was surrounded by people in love, the sun was shining, the
birds were singing, the dogs were barking and . . . and the soccer
ball just landed in the lake. The soccer ball was in the lake and
Lita was ready to deck the guy who had kicked it. The guy was running
scared, and Ken was ready to hold Lita back. Lita was ready to deck
Ken! Ken was too fast, and pulled Lita into a tight kiss. Lita
melted.
I grinned, and sighed. Everything was perfect.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight has always made me a little nervous. A lot of people think
it's very romantic - the fading light, the first faint stars coming
out and the scents of the night wafting in off the ocean. *I* always
found twilight oppressive. The bright sunshine of the day giving in
to the cold pressure of darkness - I don't understand how people can
like it.
It seemed somehow strange that evening, walking home from the park
with my friends. At the time, I couldn't work out why I was so
nervous. But looking back now, I know the reason.
As I watched my friends in blissful oblivion with their boyfriends,
I couldn't help remembering how long it had been since we had had to
unite as the Sailor Scouts, and fight for the safety of our planet.
It had been just over three years now since the last evil force had
been overcome, and even though we no longer relied on each other for
our safety, we were still very close friends.
Ken left our group fairly soon after we left the park, as he lived
in the opposite direction to the rest of us, and then Greg was the
next to leave, when we came past his house not far from the park.
When we got to the crossroads just near the arcade the rest of us
split up, Rei and Chad heading back to the temple, Ami was going
home with Lita - Lita was cooking up something special for dinner,
Darien and Serena went off together (of course) towards Darien's
apartment and I headed home alone.
But after I had said goodbye to my friends, I didn't go straight to
my apartment. Instead, I just stayed there for some reason, standing
on the corner of the crossroads, staring up at the night sky. Though
I don't like dusk, I actually find the night sky quite beautiful. It
has a distant, protective feel to it, watching the stars so far
away, winking beautifully as if just for our comfort. But there was
something odd about it tonight.
The misty clouds rode high, covering the moon for an instant, and
that's when I saw it for certain. The clouds weren't grey. They had
a sickly purple colour.
Rei must have sensed something, for she turned around at that point,
staring back down the road at me. "Mina?" She took a step towards
me. "Mina, are you all right?" In the back of my mind, I saw the
others had also stopped, staring back at me while I gazed at Rei in
confusion. "The clouds . . ." I began, looking up again.
"MINA!!"
My jaw dropped. Like a whirlwind, a thick purple fog came thundering
out of the sky, encircling me, and from their screams, I knew it had
my friends as well. In a dizzying fury, I was swept off my feet,
tumbling through the air like a rag doll. Pain like lightening shot
through me as bright electricity flashed all around us. My vision
swam in horrific shades of black and red, and in the back of my
mind, I was aware of Chad's distant voice calling Rei's name . . .
~~Rei~~
I don't remember where we woke up, exactly. The months that followed
have become so blurred that I can't tell the difference between that
first dungeon, and all the ones that followed. It was not cold.
That's all I remember.
After I had woken, I peered through the dim light, and saw my
friends around me, all similarly affected. Ami was struggling to sit
up, Mina and Lita were still unconscious, and in the corner, I could
see Darien cradling Serena in his arms, calling to her softly.
"Ami," I gasped.
She looked up at me from behind those frightened eyes, and my heart
shuddered. I scooted across the floor to her, hugging her gently.
"Oh Ami. Are you all right?" I felt her nod, and bit my lip to keep
from crying. Gradually, my friends came to, each of us asking the
same questions of each other. Where were we? Why were we here? Who
had taken us?
It was then that I felt a cold presence watching us, and I looked
around. A grate slid out of the far wall, and a tall figure stood in
the dimness beyond. It did not move for some time, watching us with
eyes we could not see, but my gaze never wavered from its cloaked
bulk in the darkness.
Finally, it moved, stepping closer to the grate, while we all stared
back, defiant.
"A punishment," he began, his lifeless voice sliding through the air
like cold slime, "has never had a purpose if it didn't fit the
crime. And for this reason alone, you shall know what your crime
was. You have been brought here by order of the Reformation. You are
here to be punished for crimes committed against the Reformation by
the late Queen Serenity."
Serena gasped. I heard Darien move closer to her, and then the other
scouts muttered sounds of incredulity, but before any of us could
ask any further questions, the figure spoke again.
"For as long as you are here, you will have no rights, no liberties,
and will obey all orders immediately, or you will be punished. You
will be here," he continued, "until you die."
"Not on your life." Lita was on her feet in rage, her transformation
pen in her hand. "JUPITER POWER" she screamed, holding the pen above
her. But even before the first flash of light had enveloped her, a
tentacle ripped itself out of the wall, snatched the pen from her
grasp, and vanished into the blackness.
"MERCURY POWER!"
"VENUS POWER!"
I watched as my other friends began to transform, then amazement
turned to horror as their transformation pens endured the same fate,
and I caught myself before I fell into the same trap, keeping my pen
hidden. Darien, too, had stopped himself before trying to transform,
and he and I looked at each other. What were we to do?
"Give up your weapons immediately," the tall figure ordered, his
voice emotionless.
"Go to hell," Darien replied, his voice almost as cold as that which
held us captive.
A low grumbling filled that small room, and I felt the wall behind
me begin to move, closing in on us.
"I do not tolerate disobedience, and I have little patience. Give us
your weapons or you will be crushed to death now."
Darien and I stared at each other in horror, but the walls closed
quickly and gave us little time to think. In a fit of panic, I held
out my pen, wincing at it was snatched from me, and Darien must have
done the same with his transformation rose, as the sound ceased, and
we were left in a cramped space.
Through the muffled walls, I heard a second voice. "What about the
girl. The daughter of Serenity? Does she possess any weapons?"
"She does not have the crystal," our captor replied. "We have
scanned her thoroughly."
I shuddered. Of course, Serena would not have her crystal with her.
We had not fought in years, and there had been no need for it. I
imagined where it lay now, nestled in one of her drawers at home, with
no one to guard it, useless to us.
The figure came back to the gate, and I could see a vague flash of
red on his cloak.
"Very well," his voice oozed through the air again. "Then we shall
continue. As I was explaining, before I was interrupted, during the
Silver Millennium, my people had dedicated themselves to the
recovery of the old ways, reviving the art of sorcery, or black
magic, as some call it. In her tyranny, Queen Serenity forbade our
practices. She said they were dangerous. They were, in fact, only a
threat to her own power, and to maintain her own control of the people,
she used the Silver Crystal to banish us to a far realm, a cold,
barren place of darkness, when we refused to give up the old ways."
The voice stopped for a moment, and a sound like laughter seemed to
emanate from it. I shuddered at the sound.
"It is fortunate," it continued, "that the Queen had more enemies
than just us. Queen Beryl also saw Serenity's true nature of tyranny,
and set us free with the power of the Negaverse, in order to assist
her conquest of the Moon Kingdom. *She* was a true warrior. It is a
shame she had to die."
I heard a low growl from the corner, and realised it was Darien. I
could hear my heart pounding below that growl, like it was measuring
the days of my life before me.
"It was Beryl who helped us become the Reformation. When we were set
free, we used the power of the old ways to prolong our lives, so
that we would have time to exact our revenge on the Queen, or on any
of her blood line that survived the war. And so here we are, 1000 years
later, ready to reform your souls into repentance for our suffering."
Darien leapt to his feet, slamming his fist into the bars of the
grate. "I personally swear I will make sure you suffer more than any
creature in creation, you devil."
The figure laughed. "Calm down, little boy," he muttered, as the
grate was again slid closed. "Your brave words will be forgotten
soon enough."
As we were left in darkness, a soft hiss filled the room, and we
were soon choking on a stifling gas.
I grunted as Ami fell against me, unconscious, and I, too, began to
feel the effects of the drug. As I blacked out, I tried desperately
to call out with my powers of telepathy.
"Help us . . ."
I don't know if anyone ever heard me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't know how much later it was when I woke again, but I was
instantly cringing at the pounding headache I had. Bright lights and
loud voices surrounded me, and I suddenly felt myself being lifted,
and held more or less upright, thought I couldn't even try to stand.
"A right pain in the neck, this one is. A fireball for anyone who
wants to break her."
"Fifty!" I heard a voice shout.
"Fifty five" came another.
"Sixty!"
"Sixty five!"
There was a pause. "Any further bids? Going once for sixty five.
Going twice. Sold for sixty five. Next item, a blue haired pretty.
Meek as a spring day, this one . . ."
I was shoved back to the floor, and as I opened my eyes dimly, I saw
the bars of the cage around me. What was happening?
The information slowly seeped into my foggy mind, and I realised I
was at an auction. More than that, I realised I had just been sold!!
It was a slave auction!! I tried to rise to my elbows, to look
around, but when I raised my head, it came face to face with a truly
terrifying sight.
A red cloaked figure came to stand before me, it's head covered in a
faceless red hood. The whole of it's body was covered in a shroud-
like robe, utterly featureless. It lowered it's head to the bars of
the cage, though I could see nothing that resembled eyes in the
masked face.
"Well, Mars. It seems the tables have turned. Just remember this is
what happens when you try to cross the Reformation." A hideous laugh
echoed through my ears, and that was the last I heard for some time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Narrator~~
A cold draft whistled in through the open window and extinguished the
candle on the table, sending the room into almost total darkness.
Huddled over the table, ignoring the breeze, a figure cloaked in
black chanted rhythmically as he stared into a swirling portal. An
image appeared before him, flickering briefly before it cleared, and
held steady. In the image, a young, blond woman appeared. She was
being dragged down a dark corridor, three large guards surrounding
her. They reached a door, and the girl was shoved through it,
sprawling roughly onto the filthy floor. She cried out in pain as she
hit the ground, and in the dim moonlight, the black figure saw caked
blood around her wrists, and dirt smeared on her face. Within his
hood, his eyes narrowed. "Mina," he whispered, his lips rising to a
vicious snarl. "Soon now, my precious. Soon."