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Q is captured and nearly broken. She retreats into her mind, but is she really okay? |
| The girl was strong both physically and emotionally. But what about mentally? Perhaps he should try something to do with that. "Bali!" said a voice loudly. Bali noticed how the girl became stiff at the mere sound of his Master's voice. He turned. "Yes, milord?" "Do not underestimate this girl's powers. She may not have used them just yet, but she is more powerful than she looks. The others have chosen her to stop the Chaotic Realmes, so know that she will far surpass you in power. However, if she is to use this power she has, there will be consequences, and she knows this well. The girl seems to be strong, but she has been broken many times before. She well knows what it is like to serve a cruel Master, so do not allow her to disobey in the slightest. I recommend that you start with something moderate. Anything basic will have little to no effect on her. She is equally strong in all the main Dimensions, so do not try to find a weakness. If you cannot break her using the normal method, you may use any means necessary. Remember -- If she escapes, you needn't worry -- with her anklet she will always return to this room. As for you, Q, I know that you can understand what is going to happen to you, so I recommend to you that you surrender. If you do, we may not need to break you. Think about your options carefully, girl. You have no chance of getting out of this alive." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q remained silent, her body still rigid with fear. This Great One had been cast out of this realm and made into an exile. This was the one Great One who used anything other than logic to decide what he would do. This man, Praeliss, was not someone to mess with. How had he gotten to this Realm? His banishment prevented him from ever returning to... oh no. They must no longer be in that Realm! This must be a different Realm -- one that she had only heard of but never been. She knew enough about it, however, to realize how much trouble she was in. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bali wondered how a mere girl could be more powerful than him? If she were able to stop him earlier, when he'd brought her here, why hadn't she done so sooner? Yet his Master was always right -- at least as far as he could tell -- so he would make sure he remembered everything he had just learned about her as well as anything else he might discover. How had his Master known that he had taken her? This wasn't planned, at least not on his part. Perhaps the Master himself had planned this all somehow. Bali wished that he did not have to break this woman -- perhaps he could convince her to surrender. Ah, but the Master didn't seem to think that this would be easy, and he must know a lot more about this girl than him. Still, he still wasn't sure where to start. The Master had said to start with something of moderate level, but she seemed so weak -- what if the Master was wrong and he accidentally killed her? "If you are wondering if what Praeliss said is true then you can stop now. Every word he said was true. Moreover, if you are wondering if this shall be easy, then your answer is no. I may not be able to use magic in the Greater Realms, but I shall not give in to one such as you without one heck of a fight." "Why did you not stop me from bringing you here? And what about what I did to you before that? If you are so powerful, then why did you wait?" "Do you not know? None but the Great Ones and their servants may use magic freely in these realms." "Aren't you a servant of the Great Ones as well? Do you not serve them?" "I am not really a servant. I do not choose to serve the Great Ones; it is merely my purpose in life. I was created to do their will, though they do not quite trust me -- not that I blame them. Though I AM pretty popular elsewhere, you know." Bali was getting annoyed by this girl. For a woman she was pretty confident. She seemed not to care about what was to happen to her. On the other hand, perhaps she was merely trying to distract him... such impudence. Bali grabbed the girl, deciding to start with a basic device that worked on the victim's mentality. That should be enough to convince her that this was not a game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q knew quite well that it was best to appear confident when with a new Master. It was always good to make the person feel as if they had tamed her themselves. Things were so much easier that way. She might be cursed to forever have a Master of some sort, but she did not have to allow them to break her. Besides, there were so very few powerful enough to break her. Few that would want to anyways. This might, perhaps, be one of those times. The timing wasn't at all good for her. She was already weak from her lack of confidence. She might just be depressed enough to give in to Praeliss, no matter what it was that he wanted from her. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q debated whether or not she should act as if this Device affected her. It was so weak that it did not affect her at all. No, she decided. She should try to ignore this guy, or pretend to at least. He was, after all, her captor and torturer. She hoped that she could get all of this over with soon. It was such a bother. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bali had been siting impatiently for the greater part of an hour when he removed the helmet from the girl's head and looked into her eyes. "Howdy!" she told him cheerfully, proving beyond a doubt that the Device had not worked. "Very refreshing that was." Bali pulled the girl up by the hair and moved on to a different Device. This one was slightly more powerful than the last, but it affected both the mental and the emotional Dimensions. Surely, she would show some sign of it having affected her. However, he was wrong. The girl didn't even seem to notice the Device. He moved on to another, and another, just one more. Not even one of the basic Devices worked.. By now, he had decided that she must have been ignoring this all. She really didn't know what was good for her, did she? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q grew bored as the day passed by. Bali had insisted upon trying every single minor Device that he could find even though she acted as if she didn't even notice. By now, he was pretty angry with her. She was going to wake up with bruises in the morning, that was for sure. But it didn't really matter, Bali's brutality affected her little more than the Devices he used. Perhaps her appearance would seem bad, but appearance meant nothing as far as pain went. She could withstand far worse than this without showing any signs of pain. She had had PLENTY of practice with that. But finally, they had moved on to the lowest tier of mid-level torture Devices. These were actually her favorite, since they affected her but in a more positive way than they were meant to. Upon using them on her for the first time, everyone was surprised to see how happy she seemed. If Bali were to continue as he was, she would be able to enjoy almost all of them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The girl had gone through all of the basic Devices, but none seemed to affect her. These weaker Devices seemed to actually make her HAPPY. Maybe his Master had been right when he had said to start with the mid-level Devices. Still, he had to try. Who knew, perhaps one of these would work on her after all. Then he would know her weak point and he wouldn't have to try every single toy in the room. That would take weeks, especially if he included the lesser-used instruments that rarely, if ever, worked. Bali did not understand why his Master had kept them for all these years. Several of them were even broken beyond repair. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bali went to bed that night exhausted. This girl was so tiresome! First appearances could be so deceiving. He had actually thought her to be a weakling, but she had turned out to be a fighter. However, he was not worried. He was in control, not she. He could take his time with her if he desired, drawing out her suffering. She would certainly be broken within the week. He was absolutely sure of it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q opened the door of her cell carefully. Technically lock picking wasn't against the rules she was supposed to follow in this realm. Obviously Praeliss would think she had some grand plan of escape or betrayal or something, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. She wondered what anyone else would do if they caught her sneaking around like this. Probably turn her in to Praeliss. They all either worshipped him, were terrified of him, or both. She was terrified of him as well, but she didn't follow him around like a slave, obeying his every command. She knew that he had the power to force her into such slavery, but he would not. He wanted her either broken or scared, not mindless. Carefully opening the door, Q entered the torture chamber. She'd memorized the layout, so she knew where she was going and did not require a light. She could also use any of her senses to get around -- she did not need to be able to see if she could hear or smell or feel. She quickly set to work with the broken Devices. She knew the ins and outs of these things. She knew how they actually were as well as how they were meant to be. She would not only fix these, but improve them as well. After working tirelessly for most of the night, Q had only been able to restore three Devices, only one of which was actually an improvement upon the original. Just one gift for her new Master that night, but he would surely be surprised to find this waiting outside his door. So she left the Device in front of her Master's door and snuck back into her cell. Oh, tomorrow. Such fun. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upon waking, Bali found that he had an ache in his side. He must've pulled a muscle the previous day. Ah, yes. His new plaything. He remembered that he had another session with her later today. He looked forward to it, but at the same time wished he could just play with another girl -- one who was less self-righteous and more subservient. Hmm... He guessed he should just get on with it. Bali got dressed and everything and, as he walked out his door, Bali noticed something up against the wall. Picking it up, he realized what it was. How had it gotten here? Upon taking a closer look, he was shocked. This Device not only looked brand new, but it seemed a few improvements had been made. He was quite impressed with the handiwork. Who could have done this? He had been searching for someone to repair the old tools for years, but nobody knew how to fix such ancient pieces. He would have to try it out on someone. He doubted it would work on the girl, so he wouldn't start with her. Hmm... Ah, he knew who to play with next. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Q waited for her Master to fetch her, she heard screaming coming from nearby. "Please, Master Balikiho! I haven't done anything wrong! I did exactly what you wanted me to!" "Ah, but you need a refresher course, my dear. It just wouldn't do for you to start forgetting your place, now would it?" "No, milord, you are perfectly right." the girl was resigned to her fate. Hmm... This girl did not sound Mortal. It seemed she was an Immortal of some sort. She had known that the Great Ones had kept prisoners here before Praeliss took over, perhaps they still did. It was logical, after all, and they were nothing if not logical. Maybe she should rethink her plans to repair the other devices. If other people were going to be hurt... but no, they would be punished for their crimes either way. She knew as well as anyone that the isolation could be even worse than the actual torture. She perhaps knew this even better than others, as she had spent years locked up deep underground in a room with no light and very little air. Her only company was the sound of dripping water somewhere outside her cell. Such horrid memories. But no need to think of that now. Nothing in the room would work nearly as well, and the one Device that would was not something to be played with. She doubted that Bali even knew of its existence. Only Praeliss would know how to use such a thing. He would be the only one here who even knew of its existence. Q heard her someone walking towards her. Praeliss. What did he want now? What did he want? As Praeliss opened the door, Q looked away. She would not make eye contact with this man, it was too dangerous. She knew that he would be enraged by even the slightest act of disobedience. He was already close to his breaking point. "Where is your Master?" "I don't know." Praeliss picked her up by her throat. "Where is he, girl? Where is Balikiho?" "I don't know," she said again. Praeliss' grip tightened, but Q remained still. "Tell me, girl. Where is your new Master? I know you that you know. You know who he is, what he is, and where he is. You even know what he is doing! Tell me where I can find him!" Q couldn't resist. "Don't you mean WHO he is doing?" He released her throat. "What did you just say?" "It is not WHAT he is doing, but WHOM." "So you do know where he is! Tell me!" "I truly do not know, milord. I know only that he is with a young Immortal who lives in the cell next to this." "I don't know why I don't just kill you, wench! You should know exactly where your Master is at all times! You know this!" "Perhaps, but how do you suggest I go about doing this, milord? I merely follow your own rules in not using my powers. I have been given no permissions to use them for any reason, and I know the consequences of breaking your rules. Why would I break them without a good reason? Besides that, I can only guess that Bali is my newest Master, I cannot be sure unless either I check on my own or I am told so by you." "You conniving little... You knew when you saw him that Balikiho was your new Master! That's why you did not stop him from bringing you here!" 'Ah, but perhaps I merely did not wish to disobey my Elders and use magic in their realm. To feel the entry into a different realm is a power few can use without magic." Praeliss grabbed her by the hair and pulled her close to him. "You may be able to speak this way to others, but I will not tolerate it, do you understand? You had better learn to watch your tongue or you shall regret it. Allow Balikiho to teach you. I know you'll try to trick him into believing he has broken you, but know that I will never be fooled. I know exactly what you are and are not capable of, so do not try to convince me that you do not know what you are doing. I will break you myself if I must. Do you comprehend this all, Q, or must I repeat myself?" "I understand your meaning, milord," Q told him, defeated. She knew she would do well to heed his words. He was not going to punish her this time, but if she did not take Bali's teachings to heart she would sorely regret it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Praeliss tuned to leave the room. "Come," he commanded, not bothering to look back. Q followed him through the halls to an area of the building that she had not seen before. Eventually they stopped at one of the many doors. Each of the doors looked almost exactly alike. There was only a single, tiny difference in each. This one, for example, had the tiniest streak of red at the bottom. Most would not notice such a thing, but Q had keen senses. This must be how the Great Ones knew the difference between all of these doors. Surely even they would get lost in this Maze were the doors all the same. As Praeliss knocked on the door, Q tried to remember the way back to her cell. Back to the door with the little black spot on the handle, turn left, no right, and continue to the door with the barely noticeable butterfly shaped scar... oh, forget it. She would try to remember it all later on. Her memory was quite good, so she knew that she could find her way back if she needed to. Besides, she doubted that she'd be allowed to wander around on her own. That wouldn't be reasonable. "Coming!" said a voice from inside. Q thought it might be her Master, but she couldn't be sure. When the door opened, she saw Bali, wrapped in a towel and holding a naked woman to himself tightly. Q looked quickly away, yet she could not help but notice that the woman seemed genuinely happy to be there. Ugh -- she must be one of those women who actually LIKED abusive men. "Balikiho -- why are you not attending to the task I have given you?" "Oh, well," her Master sounded nervous. "I didn't think that I had to be there at a certain time and since I was sure she wouldn't try to escape... Did something happen?" "Fortunately, the girl was still in her cell. However, I had something that I wished to discuss with you. I could not find you in the torture room, so I assumed that you might still be in bed. Yet still I could not find you. I went to the girl to discover your whereabouts, but it seems you have neglected to teach her a single thing. She did not know where you were, Balikiho. How many times must I tell you that for this to work out the servant must know where the Master is at all times?" "I hadn't realized that I was..." "Of course you are her Master! Why else would I have left her with you? Why else would I want you to break her without first attempting to gain information?" Bali bowed. "I apologize, Master. I shall get on that right away," he stood and turned to Q. "Come, girl!" Q walked calmly over to her new Master, her head bowed. Slapping her hard, Bali then commanded Q to get down on her knees and bow before her new Master. Hiding a smile behind her long black hair, she did as she was told. "I expect her to have learned at the basics by the time I return!" With that, Praeliss turned and left the room. Sitting upon her feet, Q pulled her hair away from her face. "Teach me, Master Balikiho," she said mischievously, "Please, tell me how I should behave." Pushing the woman away, he slapped Q viciously. "How dare you embarrass me in front of Master Praeliss like that? Who do you think you are, wench? You are absolutely nothing, you hear me? Nothing!" Q dodged his blows. "Aren't you supposed to be teaching me something? I already know that you have a bit of a temper. I need to learn how to behave. I did ask you nicely did I not?" she pretended to pout. "Stay still!" her master commanded, enraged. Q froze, watching as Master Bali leapt past her. Without moving a muscle, she materialized a large pillow to cushion Bali's fall. Sputtering, Bali asked, "H-H-How did you-- I thought..." "Ah, but you do not fully understand the rules to which I am bound. Without an official Master, I may use no magic at all without first gaining their explicit confirmation of assent. However, as Praeliss has chosen you as my Master, I am now able to use Magic freely, if it I think you'd allow it anyway. You did not wish to fall flat upon your face, did you? Because I am deeply sorry if that was your wish.” Q bowed mockingly. "Humph. Well. I need to bring Carolina back to her cell and we shall continue where we left off yesterday." Again, Q bowed, "As you wish, Master Bali." Bali growled but said not a word. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This girl was getting on Balikiho's nerves. To think that she had dared to get him into trouble! And then she had dared to mock him in front of his servant! He could not allow her to do this. Today he would put all his effort into making this girl learn her place. She was merely a woman -- she had no right to behave as she did! He'd teach her, he would. She'd be begging for mercy by the time he was through. "Stay still and I might go easy on you!" "If you so desire, milord." Q did not move. Surprisingly, she remained still as he beat her with his fists, his feet, and anything else he could get his hands on. She made no noise as she stood there -- like a soft yet sturdy statue. Eventually, he grew tired and decided to bring the girl back to her cell. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q followed Bali through the halls as he brought his slave back to her cell. She kept her countenance blank, knowing she must appear the stoic servant -- at least for now. If Praeliss wanted her to learn the ways of the servants here, then she would need to play the part. Not that she would ever play the part fully -- she would not give in to Praeliss so easily. Yet to see her playing this game would please him, for a bit. However, she would eventually need to change the rules or risk being truly converted. How dreadful that would be -- actually being one of Praeliss' servants. No. She would not allow such a thing to happen. He might be able to find some other way to make her serve him, but she would not do so of her own will. She would make sure that he had to work to get what he wanted from her. After all, he was a most powerful enemy. Perhaps he would defeat her, in the end, -- maybe such a thing was inevitable -- but she refused to go down without a fight. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balikiho had pounded the shit out of that girl, but still she refused to even acknowledge it. He was going for the big stuff next time. That stuff'd break her for sure. But he didn't want to kill her, his Master wouldn't like that. So maybe he should start with the high-level stuff as opposed to the advanced or ultimate levels. Somewhere in the middle should be good. At the very least, she would feel SOMETHING. She wouldn't be able to ignore these babies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An hour later, Bali returned for her and Q found herself in the chamber once again. Thankfully, these Devices were only of the second Tier. Well, in her system, they were the second Tier, but others tended to prefer to make the Tiers more specific. She was relieved that Master Balikiho had not gone insane in his anger. "Ah, so good of you to stay put, wench. Though I suppose you know you wouldn't get very far anyways. This Device here -- I just know it will affect you. It just has to. Even if merely a small amount of pain is exacted upon you, then this will be a success." Hmm... This guy sure was positive after having tried so hard the day before and completely failing to do anything. Nevertheless, she remained silent. She must know exactly what was expected of her, and in order to do that, she would need to undergo training. This was such a horrid situation. Praeliss was probably her greatest enemy, yet she had fallen right into his clutches. She should have known what was happening as soon as she passed the Dimension Barrier. But no, she had just ignored this vital clue, thinking it unimportant. After all, nothing could happen to her under the Great Ones roof. Not without their say so. She hadn't even considered the idea that Praeliss might still be trying to get her. After all, it was such a long time ago that he had been banished. She had barely known him when she saw him doing things that she knew he was not supposed to. He had captured her before she could say anything. The things he did to her while she was his captive -- she dared not even think of them. It had been pure luck that the other Great Ones had discovered Praeliss' treachery and come to save her -- and just in time, too. Praeliss had been trying to force her into Union. She remembered it like it was yesterday. He had actually succeeded in a partial Mind Bond -- one strong enough that it could not be reversed easily. The other Great Ones had blocked it well -- she could barely feel it even now. She most definitely had reason to fear Praeliss -- even if he did feel some sort of perverse attachment to her. He would still hurt her. He would still try to break her. After all, the feelings he had for her were, in his mind, a weakness and a liability. Ugh. He was disgusting. If only she had never met him. Then things might be different. It was she that had caused him to first feel Mortal emotions. Just the sight of her had flicked a switch somewhere, awakening his ability to feel. It wasn't until several years later that either of them realized this. No one else knew, and they both wished to keep it that way. The Great Ones knew merely that Praeliss had been "infected," as they put it, with emotion. Hmm, but the Device Bali had chosen was beginning to kick in. This one was supposed to affect the victim's mind -- making them believe that they were feeling pain when they were not. For her it would merely make her feel a very dulled pain from her injuries. Hmmh, yes. Her head was... well, she wanted to describe it as fuzzy. It was a very dull throbbing that gradually got worse. Bali must've cracked her skull or something. She hadn't really thought about it before -- she knew she'd be fine, so her injuries did not matter. Ah! However, the Device was affecting her more than it should. Her head had started to really bother her. No. That wasn't what was causing this. There was a second Device now. This item was meant to cause extreme confusion. Hmm, now there was a third Device. What did this one do? She couldn't think. Something to do with the brain? She felt as her Master put more and more Devices on her, but she grew more and more confused and forgot to keep track of what was going on. Hmm, such a handsome man her Master was. Why hadn't she noticed this before? Ugh! Snap out of it! Don't give in to such weak Devices! Q began to become more coherent. Hmm, Bali had put twelve Devices on her all at once. However, someone else was here too. Hmm... Anyways, most of these Devices were meant to cause confusion, but a few were to increase, or in her case, create, lust. Oh. It was Praeliss. He must know that this wouldn't work so why... No. He wouldn't. Why would he risk it? This couldn't be happening. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Praeliss watched as Q became less and less coherent. Ah, so this might actually work. She was pretty beat up and had lost a lot of blood, so she was very much weakened. This wouldn't have affected her so deeply if she still had any strength left -- these Devices were so weak. He had tried to discard these feelings he had for her. They just weren't logical. She was merely a pawn of the Great Ones. She was nothing more than that. Nevertheless, he had been obsessing over her for several years now. Now, when he finally had her, he had to stay away from her. She must suffer for making him feel like this, but he couldn't bring himself to watch. Hmm, she seemed to be coming around. He supposed he'd have to move to plan two. He didn't care for it, since it was pretty risky, but she gave him no choice. He needed this woman -- and he planned to make her need him just as badly. She was his, only his. He wanted to own her completely -- even her mind. He'd leave it intact, of course, and he wouldn't control her thoughts or anything. He merely wished to know her more deeply. Knowing that she would never tell him all of her greatest secrets, her loves, her fears, he knew the he would have to force a Bond between their minds. It could not be a strong one, as he had hoped, as the other Great Ones had completely blocked the most important Lines, but still, he needed something. Q had noticed his presence. Hmm... He’d need to put her to sleep for this. Otherwise, she would resist, and that would only increase the risk of her destruction. No, she must not know what was going on. Praeliss came out from his hiding place and embraced the still defenseless Q. She fought as he put her to sleep, but he had expected this and was already prepared. Besides, he was stronger than she was. He had never really understood her resistance. She knew that she could not defeat him, yet still she resisted. Why? Why couldn't she just accept her destiny? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q awoke to find herself besides the sleeping body of Praeliss. Carefully, she climbed out of the bed and backed up against the wall. How had this happened? Why was she suddenly in a bed with her most hated enemy? She slid down the wall into a seated position as she realized what had happened. No. No, no, no, no! She began to sob. Oh Gods what had she done? Why hadn't she fought harder? Why hadn't she stopped this from happening? Oh Gods, oh gods, oh gods. She began to panic. How would she get out of this now? Even the Great Ones could not undo this bond! No, no, no. Suddenly Q found herself in Praeliss' arms. She struggled to get away, but his arms remained firmly around her. Giving up, she began to cry harder. Oh no, oh no, oh no. This had to be some sort of dream. Alternatively, maybe one of the Devices had created this elaborate fantasy. Yes, that was it. Still, it felt so real. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Praeliss awoke to find his Mate crying over on the other side of his -- no, their -- room. The Bond showed him the depth of her fear and her pain. His poor little Q was terrified and confused by what had happened. He walked over to embrace her, holding her more tightly when she began to squirm away. He had to be gentle or she would never grow to love him. She was crying so hard that he wished he could comfort her. But how? He was the one who had caused this to happen. Besides, how did one go about comforting another person? He knew so little about emotion, even after all these years. After a while, Q's crying began to subside. She would not look at him, and she shook slightly, but he continued to hold her. When she had finally stopped crying, he brought his hand up and began to run it through her hair. For some reason, she became slightly less fearful. He continued to do this for what seemed like days but was probably only an hour or two. Q had stopped shaking and her body seemed more relaxed than before. Slowly, cautiously, he began to pick her up, stopping at any sign of increased discomfort. He was surprised by how quickly she was giving in to this. He had expected her to fight him every step of the way. He had prepared himself as best as he could. He had taught himself to be more patient, just for her. Bringing her back over to the bed, he laid her down gently, pulling the covers over her and moving towards his chair. She remained perfectly still as he watched her. Slowly, her fear began to dissipate. In its place came shock. This was too much for her to handle just now. Praeliss turned to his desk and began writing a letter to his men still stationed in the Main Greater Realm. It was time. His Mate was safe, so the Main Greater Realm could be brought down. It would soon belong to him. As for his Mate, he would wait for her. She would have to come around eventually. Perhaps he would have a gift for her when she came out of shock. She would be happy to know that she no longer had to act as a pawn. She was to be his wife, dammit. There was no way that he would let anyone hurt her ever again. If anyone so much as looked at her, he would give them to Balikiho. Balikiho was an expert when it came to torture, and he would know exactly how to make them suffer. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Praeliss was acting so strangely. Why was he suddenly being so gentle? And to her, of all people! They were supposed to be enemies, yet he treated her as if, as if. Oh gods no. He'd done it. He'd Bonded the two of them mentally. It was merely one step towards a Mating, but it was definitely the strongest. Slowly, oh so slowly, Q began to see bits and pieces of the world she had created in her mind. It was her safe place. What was happening? She could only come here if she Meditated. She wasn't calm at all, so how was she seeing this? Gradually, the entire scene came into view -- blocking out reality. She knew she should try to stop this, try to somehow reverse the Bond, but she became sleepy. Was this her mind's way of protecting her or something? Ugh. Either way, she'd have to stay here for a while so she could think things through. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It had been weeks since the Bonding, yet Q still lay there in bed, unmoving. Not a muscle had twitched since Praeliss had laid her down, he'd checked. The psychic memory of the room showed not even the slightest movement. This was taking too long. Something must be wrong. Deciding upon what he had to do, he walked into her room and picked her up. Still no movement. Her body was so limp, and somehow lighter than it had been, though he knew she had lost no weight. Carrying her out of the room, he ignored his servants as they tried to speak to him. He was too busy to listen to their reports. They knew what they were supposed to do -- they would not dare skip out on their duties. Ah, but his Mate was more important. He absolutely must tend to her before anything else. Praeliss tried everything he could think of to help Q. The tests he had run told him that she was still there -- whole -- and that she knew nothing of what was going on around her. Yet she was still conscious, somehow. She still could think. She wasn't just dreaming either, he had checked. No, she was somewhere inside there, either hidden, or trapped. He couldn't just sit by and wait for her to return. If the Great Ones had somehow done this to her, they would pay dearly. After a week of preparation, Praeliss was ready to go diving. He'd never thought he'd do this before, diving into someone's brain. Q -- her brain was more... complex, than other brains. She knew both emotion and logic quite well, and she had so many souls inside of her as well. Not to mention everything she had been through in her life. He regretted being a part of that and vowed never to let it happen again. Hmm, well, everything was ready. Here went nothing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I felt a foreign presence in my mind. It wasn't one of the spirits, which I always had with me, but some other sort of being. I'd be sure to keep an eye on this entity, but so far, it didn't seem to mean any harm. It was, in fact, going out of its way NOT to cause harm. Even if it was something evil or dangerous, it didn't matter. It would be removed if it tried to harm anything. I was safe here, in the world of my creation -- my Safe World. Nobody could hurt me here. I doubted anyone could even find me! I'd given up on trying to leave. It was nice here, so peaceful. The presence I sensed earlier seems to have found me. It is directly outside the outer doors and is trying to get in. Hmm, I think I recognize this being. I have seen him somewhere before. Who is he? I suppose I should let him in and find out. Whoever he is, he cannot cause me any harm. I am in control here; he can do nothing I do not want him to. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is just so strange. I am surely lost, but I do not care. I must find her, my darling Q. It has been what seems like days since I first got here. Not much has happened. The locals, whatever they are, don't seem to think of me as a threat, and have not attacked me once since my coming. For the last hour or two, I have been trying to open these doors. They are much more elaborate than any of the others were, and I really think I've found something. Whether or not I will find my mate is yet to be known, but perhaps what is in here will help me to locate her. Ah, what is happening now? I feel dizzy, and tired, so tired. As I woke, I heard a voice, "Greetings, Great One." "Wha... who... where are you?" "I am neither here nor there. I exist everywhere." "What the hell kind of riddle is that supposed to be?" "It is merely the truth, for if I am one, I am all." Someone laughed in the distance. "Uma, I think he's already confused enough! Can't you just tell him?" I turned towards the second voice. Was it really... yes! It was my dear Q! But what was this place and why was she here?" "I do not believe that we have introduced ourselves, Stranger. I am Qua and Uma is, well, it's kinda hard to understand." She laughed again. But no, this was not Q. This being was too radiant, too strong. This being was actually happy to see me. Q could not have changed that much in such a short time, could she? Perhaps time here was different. So why did this girl look so young? Q had never taken on such a young form. She never could. "Q?” I asked, still unsure. The girl laughed. "QuA. It's spelled Q-U-A." You seem so alike... "Yes, but we are not the same person. I think I may have seen you before, but I am unsure where. What is your name, Great One?" I was confused. "I am Praeliss," I started. The girl gasped. "You mean you are THE Praeliss? The reason why I had to pull my Disciple into her Safe World? How dare you! She had little enough hope as it was and you just had to destroy the rest. And to think that you are supposed to be her..." "To be her what?" The girl blushed, "I think I've said too much." "Who the hell are you and whose was that voice I heard earlier?" "I have told you. I am Qua, and the other voice you heard was that of Uma. Uma is a bit new to this whole talking to strangers thing, but she'll get used to it. Eventually you might be able to understand her!" "I am not planning to stay here. I must find my Mate, Q. She is trapped somewhere within her own mind. I am not sure how I got here, but..." The girl laughed. She was really starting to get on my nerves. "What are you laughing at now, girl?" "If you truly wish to find my Disciple, then leaving here is the worst thing you can do. She may not let you in again, you know." "What do you mean 'let me in'?” "I mean exactly as I have said. If you wish to see Q again, you must first prove your determination. You have already done this by finding your way here. Q chose to let you in for exactly this reason. However, if you really want to see her, then you must first prove to me that you will not harm her. I can see that you care for her deeply. As a Great One, you should have no emotions, yet she has awakened those inside of you. This is good, but it is not enough. You have hurt her deeply in the past, so I will not easily allow you to see Q again." "As if you have a choice little girl! I am three times your size! I shall find my Q, and you would do well to stay out of my way!" I began to stomp off. "Oh my," said Qua. "Uma, would you?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Praeliss suddenly found himself lifted off the ground. "Patience, Great One, is the greatest of virtues," the wind told him. "Uma, you can put him down now. I don't think he's going to run off again. "Be still," said the wind, lowering him back to the ground. "Uma? Qua? Where has our guest gotten... oh, hello. Welcome to my world." Was this girl my beloved Q? "It's a bit small," the girl continued, "but we're pretty much the only ones that live here, other than the spirits, of course, but they don't ever come near here because of the barrier. "Q. I thought you were studying." the little girl seemed surprised. "Yes Mistress, but it is rude to keep a guest waiting. I figured that he should be here by now, so I came to say hello. Besides, he WAS wandering around in MY brain, you know. A girl gets curious when something like that happens." The girl, looking strangely like his Mate, had been making her way down a great staircase all the while. Finally, she had reached the bottom. Praeliss thought that she looked to be about 12 and... Yes! This was his beloved! This time he was sure of it! "Hello there, my name is... oh. Praeliss." her smile dropped. "Mistress Qua said you might be coming soon. Are you hungry or anything?" Praeliss looked at Q strangely. "Oh, how could I forget? You don't need to eat Out There. I suppose you haven't been here long enough to see the wonders of this world." Q was smiling again, a big, radiant smile that made him want to smile as well. She had never smiled like this before. Not that he had seen. She seemed happier than she had ever been. But how had this happened? "What is this place?” Praeliss asked. "I have been told so much, but understand so little." "This is my own world. Most of the Souls within me live here, other than the Tangleds, of course. Before this time, I had come here many times, but I never knew how large this place was. For me it was just a little oasis. Somewhere to come relax during Meditation. But this time, I didn't actually need to Meditate.” Q was frowning, remembering what had happened. Clouds began to gather in the shy. "Now, now, that is enough, dear. Why don't you go get us some of those cookies we made earlier? They should be cooled by now." "Oh, what a wonderful idea, Mistress! I'll go right away." Sadly watching her pupil dashing away, Qua spoke. "We do not speak of what brought Q here. She is not yet ready. She needs more time to heal. You have hurt her in ways that she has never been hurt, Praeliss. It is because of you that I was forced to bring her here. She was breaking in a way that I cannot begin to understand. Here the positive energies have helped her to be herself again, but if she is to remember too much, she may not be able to recover. I have kept her busy so that she has not had more than a moment to ponder over this. She is still fragile, and I do not believe that you should be here. However, if Q herself has allowed it, it might be that, somehow, you may be able to help her recover. You owe the poor girl that much, at least." The small girl stopped speaking as Q brought back the cookies. "You're really gonna love these. They are absolutely amazing!" A table materialized in front of her and, unfazed, she put the cookies onto it and had a seat. Praeliss, sitting directly across from Q, wondered how Q was able to eat these. Moreover, she made them look so delicious too. However, neither of them was able to eat. How was any of this possible? "Go ahead, try some. I know you don't believe me, and I didn't believe Mistress Qua at first, but you really can taste them! These are my favorites. They are called triple chocolate cookie supremes. C'mon, just try one bite. Please? They're really good..." Just to humour Q, Praeliss took a bite of the cookie she was dangling in front of his face. "There, you happy?" Q watched with excitement as Praeliss began chewing. "Oh, wow. These... how..." "My world, my rules.” Q told him. "Though they aren't actually rules, and Mistress Qua makes the rule-rules...,” she whispered confidentially. "Q, let the man finish his cookie!” Qua said, laughing hysterically. The three were silent as they ate the cookies. When they were done, the plates and crumbs disappeared. "So, Praeliss," Qua began. Q became stiff for a moment before relaxing once again... "Let's talk about your relationship with my Disciple." "Your Disciple? Why do you keep calling her that? And why does she call you Mistress when her Master is...” Praeliss stopped when he noticed Qua's look. Taking a quick look at Q to see if she was okay, Qua continued. "As I was saying," she began, "your relationship with Q is a little, shall we say, strained. What I want is for the two of you to forget your differences and have a nice conversation. If Q for any reason feels uncomfortable at any time, she shall be free to leave if she so desires. Magic of any kind is hereby forbidden until the two of you have come to an agreement. You have until 9:00 tonight to talk. After that, you will both need to eat and sleep and your meeting will be over. However, you will both be living under the same roof and neither Uma nor I shall disturb you. Do both of you understand what I have just told you?" "Yes, Mistress Qua," Q replied. "And you, Praeliss?" "But I have so many questions!” Praeliss exclaimed. "Are any of them about the task which I have just given you?" "No, but..." "Then you may discuss them with Q. Uma and I both wish you luck, good night!" "Good night, Mistress Qua," Q said as her mentor began to walk away. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Soooo...” Praeliss began. It had been ten minutes since Qua had left and neither had said a word. "Why did you come here?” Q asked suddenly, looking up at Praeliss. "I came to make sure that you were okay, of course. Why else?" "Right," Q said, not quite believing him. "Look, I really did come here to see if you were okay. Whether you believe me or not is entirely up to you. You have reason to disbelieve me, and I know this. I have been cruel to you in the past, and now you fear me. I won't try to make any excuses for my actions -- what I did -- everything I ever did to you -- was wrong." "No," Q interrupted quietly. "Not everything. You did not force me to do anything. You did not yourself try to hurt me. And, most importantly, you tried to comfort me. You could not have known how close I was to the edge, how hopeless everything felt." She began crying, the memories were just too painful right now. She shouldn't have agreed to this when Mistress Qua had asked her that one day. She wasn't ready for this. But wait, Praeliss was embracing her, caressing her hair and waiting. Waiting patiently, oh so patiently, for her to calm herself down. He sat there, silent and motionless. A rock for her to cry on. But no. He was her enemy. Q tried to push away, and Praeliss was about to let her, when the wind whispered into his ear. "Hold her close and rock her slow. This is how the story goes. And hum to her a song, a song! Something soothing, something calm." Obeying the wind, Uma, he now realized, he held Q more closely. Lifting her into his lap carefully, he began to rock her back and forth. As he began to hum a song, he felt some sort of change. Uma had left, it seemed. This was all up to him now. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q struggled against Praeliss -- weakly at first, but more strongly as he lifted her into his lap. Soon though, she realised what he was doing, and her resistance weakened. She listened as he hummed a song -- her favorite -- in a very soothing way. She gave up on fighting -- Praeliss was a very stubborn man. As she drifted off to sleep, a new star appeared in her sky. Away in the distance, Qua saw a new star and smiled. Q was going to be just fine. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- END OF SHORT STORY |
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