You know what they say. History repeats itself. As long as there are humans in the world, they will continue to make the same exact stupid mistakes they have always made, since the first man threw the first rock at the second man. That day the Rebellion overtook the evil empire, ridded the continent of its oppression, and created a new government, was also the day of undoing.

Sure, peace lasted a good ten or so years. But once some lunatic got ahold of one of the fallen warrior's Imperial Arms, all hell broke loose. Najenda was assassinated, and the rest of her supporters either turned or killed as an example. And once again we're stuck in the same loop. Now, about fifty years after that, I'm born.

The name's Cris. Well, Fredrick Cristor Wellfow, but everyone calls me Cris. You could say I like history. True history. Not the crap they taught us in school. The words of the old and wise, passed down from generation to generation. My little sister, however is quite the opposite. She believes whatever she comes up with in her own mind.

I wrote down everything that I had heard from the elders in our village, in a sort of jumbled history book. Of course, it's not published yet. I mean, all of the major publishers were owned by the Empire, so of course no one would accept my application.

Now, in the year of the second rebellion, I'm finally getting a chance to find my way into the history books. And I'll make sure that the past gets its fair share of acknowledgement. But honestly, how was I supposed to know that?

"Big Brother!"

Shove.

"Big Brother!"

Shove.

"Wake up already!"

I slowly open my eyes, bright light filtering in from my open window. My little sister leaning over me, with a frustrated look plastered to her face. How late did I sleep in this time?

"Get up," She tossed a pillow on my stomach, hard, "Village Elder is sending us off, remember?"

"Village Elder?" I rubbed my eyes and sat up, "Oh, you mean Old Man Poe. Yeah I know."

"Then why-are-you-still-in-bed?!" She hit me in between each word with my pillow.

"Alright, alright! I'm up!" I stood and shook my head of the white stars dancing in my vision. As I did, my sister storms away.

After I finished getting dressed, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I look kind of like my sister, but with shorter, darker hair and no freckles. Also, my eyes are hazel. I was dressed in the common male outfit in our village: tan tie-up short sleeved shirt, and pants made from a level two danger beast's fur. I killed it myself, that's the rule.

Our village hold one of the last original Imperial Arms known to the country. It was called Magna Scriptor. It belonged to Old Man Poe, my Grandfather, and the Village Elder. I remember the first time I ever saw that Arms, when I was around seven years old. It was in a small wooden case, carved with intricate designs of plants and vines.

I had asked Old Man Poe what was inside, and he said it was a secret.

"I like secrets," I had said, "It makes things so much more fun."

I remember him smiling and saying something, but I can't remember it. But I know he showed it to me. But who was observing the other?

Now dressed, I open my bedroom door to see my sister standing there, glaring.

"What took you so long?" She pressed, pushing her pointer finger into my chest, "We leave the village in one hour! Are you even packed?"

I try to keep up with her constant assault on my tardiness, but eventually give up, "Yes I'm packed, can you just let me go eat breakfast?"

She huffs, but doesn't say anything. Instead she storms to the kitchen and starts dishing out our breakfast, "Eat as much as you can, we're not stopping in the town for food."

I sit down across from where she sits, and look to my sides. Our parents should be here. Our father was a general in the Imperial Army, but was killed when his higher ups thought he was giving information to a small band of rebels. Our mother, on the other hand, traveled often and was never home, until one day she and her small group were attacked by a level five Danger Beast.

My sister, Lunora (I call her Luno), had taken up being the mother of the household, and was constantly bossing me around.

"I wish they were here too, Cris," Luno says softly, taking her seat, "But we can't do anything to change that."

I nod, and continue to eat my breakfast.

Luno was popular among the the guys in our village. She had long amber hair, with a light splash of freckles across her face. Her blue eyes reflected the sky like the lake nearby whenever she looked out towards the sky. She wouldn't ever pay attention to anyone but me, even if that was just yelling at me when I wasn't on time for something, but it still made all the guys jealous.

And in our village, incest wasn't completely looked down on, and happened often enough for people to not get disgusted with it. I could never get with my sister, but seeing as to how I'm a terrible smooth talker, I have to keep my options open. Just saying.

After breakfast, Luno and I stand outside the front door of our little home. It wasn't much bigger than two rooms; just a dining room with a kitchen, and a bedroom we shared. We had a bathroom, but was that really worth mentioning?

We stood, trying to soak in as much as we could of our home. There weren't many children, most die of sickness during the winters. Luno and I were some of the last of our age group in the village. All of the people that the winter had left untouched, or at least alive would be at our Traveling Ceremony.

When a child turns sixteen our village, a small group of even smaller homes bunched together called Crestor, holds a Traveling Ceremony and sends them on their way with the clothes on their backs and enough water to last a few days. Seeing as to how my sister and I were born on the same day, one year apart, Old Man Poe twisted the rules and allowed me to stay until Luno became of age.

"Well, Sis," I said hesitantly, not wanting to disturb the utter silence of the small village right in front of us, "I think it's about time."

"Yeah," I heard a sniff and looked over at her to see she had tears running down her cheeks.

"Luno," I started as she wiped her face and tried to stop crying, "Luno. We're coming back. I promise. I'll make sure you do."

She nods and sniffles again. She can act like a hardass all she wants, and can really get on my nerves when she's commanding. But I know that deep down, she's actually really soft. She cries and mours over every child and elder that passes in the winters, and sometimes over danger beasts that we had to kill in order to keep warm. But that's a secret she forces me to keep, with the threat of exposing the fact that I still sleep with a stuffed deer next to me.

Crap…

Luno and I start making our way to the Elder House, the oldest, and largest, house in the village. It's also where all of the elders in Crestor live, and where Old Man Poe makes the rules, and tells the children stories. And where we will be sent off with nothing but the clothes on our back, our survival know-how, water for both of us, and the parting gifts that may or may not be given to us.

We stood outside the Elder House, more wide than it was tall, not wanting to take the last big step.

"Cris, we have to," Luno said quietly, "You and I both know that if we back out," she pauses. She knows I knew the rest.

If we didn't go through with this, we would be killed, or reported to the Empire that we are planning to join the Rebellion as a way to avenge our father.