Location - Final Stretches of Old World
Time - Twenty Years after the First Xion Destruction
"You're a smart and responsible child, aren't you, Meisha?" Her father addressed her as they stood at the door that led out of the damp and dark sewers, although with moss and vines growing around it.
"Where are you going, Mom, Dad?" Meisha, a girl of seven years, her body covered in tattered and worn clothes that had definitely seen better days. She was frail, signs of malnourishment and with a somewhat tired eyes that held no hope for the future ahead,a rare and uncanny expression for a child. She held the ragged clothes of her mother, a woman with the same dark skin with the girl, brown coloured eyes and an uncanny ressemblance.
"We are leaving, Meisha." she answered shortly and briefly, an answer that seemed like she was saving energy from talking. "What about me? I want to go. I want to follow you too" Meisha said, her childhood innocence pouring out which made one come to the fact that she is but a child, one that should definitely not be in such circumstances or location.
"No! You can't walk, Meisha. You are too weak to go the distance with us too!" her mother responded, her eyes that struggled with the decision that was about to be made. "You're a smart child, aren't you, Meisha? So you'll understand us" her father said, repeatedly to himself, convincing himself that what he was doing was correct.
"This world's too cruel for the weak, Meisha…You'd only suffer if we took you and make Mom and Dad suffer too. Mom and Dad still have a long life ahead. We were scientists, people who can lead the world, so we have much more importance than you in the grand scheme" he said with a cold efficiency as he stared down at the poor child, a look that a father should never give to their child, a look that made them seem expendable.
"We will go somewhere safe but you can't come because you will only slow us down and inconvenience us. Daughter, don't you think it would be easier if you took your life instead? So you don't have to suffer? I could help you before we leave" her mother echoed as she watched the interaction, seemingly coming to terms with the decision they had made to abandon their child.
"NO! No!!" Meisha pleaded as she backed away from these people that seemed more monstrous than the Xions that caused havoc on the world. "Let's go." the older woman that had begun to walk away from the sewer called out to Meisha's father.
"Sigh. Bye, daughter. Since you wish to live in such a cruel world, go as you please. If you are able to survive, then that means that the world wants you to live, although I don't think such a thing would happen" He said as he exited the space, leaving a cowering Meisha, her hand and legs clamped together as she rested her back on the damp wall of the sewer as she sobbed, albeit silently.
"Why?! Why would Mom and Dad leave me? Is it my fault?" she murmured, as the silent darkness seemed to cover the whole space, leaving just the lone figure of the crying child, hurt by betrayal, betrayal that was so horrific but they know so little about.
The girl, with a desperation to survive, fed on whatever she could, from the moss growing to the plants that she could remember were eaten by her parents when they were still around. Bit by bit, she regained enough strength to move around and when she did, she ran out of the sewer as she tried to flee her past and the place that made her lonely.
As she walked out of the sewer, she saw the world in its form, the skies covered with grey clouds that seemed to mourn the devastation and destruction, buildings that seems so tall reduce to a mere shadow of what it was once was, bodies littered the streets, some long-dead, others still fresh, their blood painting streaks of red on the cold concrete.
With no destination in mind, unconsciously seeking her parents or anyone at all, she began to walk, bare legged with dead eyes. Her bare feet bled as she fell more times than she could remember, but each time, she stood back up. Her tiny, frail form challenges the harsh and cruel world. She walked, uncaring as she dared the world to stop her.
For four days, she walked, feasting on eating weeds, bugs, whatever her mouth could bear and whatever she could. Until she found her.
A girl.
She walked the graveyard of a world, a broken world, her laughter and joy echoing through the dead streets of the Old World.
An unusual contradiction. A strange occurrence. A defiance so bold to the oppressing atmosphere and the grim world that she stopped and stared at the girl. The girl that brought life into a life like hers.
Location - Wilderness
Time - Before Meisha and Natasha entered Sanctuary
"Hey, daydreamer, you back?" Natasha called out as she waved her hands across Meisha's face, who was in a daze, her eyes somewhere else. "Sorry, what were you saying?" she questioned as she got a hold of her wandering mind.
"We should start heading out to the base I said was close by. I'm sure you can't wait to meet your parents too!" Natasha said excitedly as she clasped Meisha's hands, a smile forming on her face. Looking at he excited Natasha, the pain and loneliness that Meisha had desperately tried to keep within began to leak out.
'What if Natasha leaves me also? What would we become when she has found her family? Was this all a lie?'
They crept into Meisha's mind, whispering of her past pain, her hidden tragedies and the fractured facade she puts up to hide the loneliness and the sadness. "Are you really okay, M? You'v been acting strange since the base discussion came up. Is there a problem you'd like to talk about?" Natasha asked as she looked at her found sister who seemed to be completely out of it.
"I'm okay. Don't worry about me, let's go to the base now" Meisha said as Natasha nodded and after tidying up the few things they had, they began to traverse towards the location of the base a distance that journeying with foot and the constant dangers of the wild animals and the possible threats of the Xions, a heavy burden on their shoulders.
A MONTH LATER
"Hey, we can see the flag now! These signs really helped us find our way to the base. I wonder who placed them" Natasha said as she called out to her companion Meisha as she pointed to the location where the flag used to signify that there was a base there flying above, connected to a flagpole.
"Finally. I was about to give up if we had to walk five more days to reach there, and those signs were really helpful. They were probably placed by the base residents so others would be able to find the base much easier" Meisha commented as she climbed on the hill Natasha was on and joined her as she stared at the flag waving ahead in the distance.
"HALT" A man, with worn clothes, holding an arrow accompanied by some other men who walked out of the hidden quickly surrounded Meisha and Natasha, with hostility present in their voice.
"State your name and affiliation!" One of the men on the ground, likely the leader of the group, questioned the escort consisting of Meisha and Natasha.
"Hey, we're not enemies! We are just here to check for our loved ones" Natasha quickly responded with her hands raised, a sign of her surrender and non-hostility. Meisha also took the same stance as her sister as they waited for the verdict that would be passed on them.
"Nat, did you really do your research before we started to travel to this base? They don't seem too accepting of outsiders" Meisha commented, her voice low as she lectured Natasha on her now common reckless decisions. "I didn't think they would be this hostile!" Natasha argued back, her opinion clearly not carrying enough weight to hide her recklessness from Meisha.
"Hey, stop murmuring back there. Check if they're clean, bring them to the base to meet the leaders," the leader of the group commanded his lackeys who quickly started to perform the order that they were given.
After a routine check, and a quick head shake to the leader to signify that they are not dangerous, Meisha and Natasha, accompanied by the group , began to walk towards the place where the base flag was flying above. "Congratulations, Nat. You have us arrested and life in the hands of these men and their leaders. I feel so happy," Meisha commented as they walked into the base, though the last part of her statement, a bit more sarcastic.
As they walked into the base, crowded and dark, filled with people of all varying ages and nationalities. Some were seated on the ground cramped up together, with limited facilities and supplies, the situation in the base looked so dire and filled with resignation and acceptance. As they walked through the crowd, there were glaring stares filled with indignation and anger, lacking any form of empathy.
"Who are they? New refugees?" one of the women in the crowd asked her companion. "Aye, they were found by the scouts, loitering close to the base so they were captured" her companion answered as they kept on looking at Natasha and Meisha.
"Tch. Should've killed them right there. I don't understand why they brought them to the base" the woman complained, her voice laced with coldness and bitterness against Meisha and Natatsha. "Aye. Will the leader accept them?" her companion questioned.
"Possibly. They're children and girls, two of his biggest weaknesses combined into one." the woman complained as she removed her glance from the direction that Natasha and Meisha were walked off to. "True. Women and children are the future of the world, especially in such a broken world was his speech," her companion recalled as the leader once said as his motto.
While a beautiful sentiment, this motto came with sacrifices, and ideas that not everyone would be willing to make. In this policy, those who are not women or children are a disposable asset and for those who are too old or those who can't contribute much if they occupy space like infertile women, women who are too old also become a liability.
It was an effective strategy albeit filled with bloodshed, it does account for those who would be mostly responsible for rebuilding the world from its current position. Not the best plan but it still was a commendable one.
"Who do you think he'll remove this time?" the woman's companion questioned, curiously. "I don't care who it is, as long as it isn't me. But with the way that things are looking, it won't be long before we would be asked to leave the base" she said after making her conclusion after observing.
BASE LEADER OFFICE
"Boss, look what we caught scurrying around. Two little kids" the man who led Misha and Natasha.
A man, older in age but carrying himself with authority and power that someone of his status wielded. His voice straight and rapt but still carrying the desperation and the marks of what it takes to survive in this world.
"Release them and give us some privacy," his tone confirming the point that there was no space for any other opinion. Understanding his signal, all the men that escorted the two girls to the inside base walked out of the door while closing it behind them.
"Now that there's no one to disturb nor make you anxious, can you tell me your name? I'm not a bad person" he said with a more soft and familiar tone, his previous aura dialed down.
"That's what all bad guys say, mister" Natasha commented as she looked at the leader defaintly while Meisha was trying her utmost best to stop her hot headed sister from getting them killed.
"Well…I'm really not a bad guy. And you should learn to respect your elders," he said as he looked at the child who just blatantly called him someone suspicious.
"Uncle, if you want someone to tell you their name, aren't you going to say yours first" Natasha said, clearly intending not to back off while Meisha was now holding her hand a bit more tightly although it seemed not to work on this stupid sister of hers.
"Uncle?! I'm not that old. I'm 27, for your information!" he said in a defense of him being called an uncle. "My name is Tern, the leader of this small base, what about yours, kids?" he questioned as he regained control over his emotions.
"Well, uncle, my name is Natasha and she is my little sister, Meisha," Natasha answered with a bit more flexible tone unlike the guarded tone she had before.
"Natasha. Meisha. They're such nice names. My other question is what little kids like you are doing out alone in the wilderness, with no guardian or adults" he asked, clearly concerned but curious too, something natural, after all, who would expect two kids to be able to survive this long in the wilderness.
"We are looking for our parents! Have you seen them?!" Natasha asked anxiously as she stood up from the seat they both were offered when they came into the room as she stretched herself to reach Tern.
"Calm your nerves, kid. If you don't tell me what they look at, how am I supposed to help you?" Tern asked as he glanced at the two kids patiently.
"Yeah, I'm sorry, I got too excited. I'm looking for my Mum and Dad…" Natasha said as she explained to the leader the features of her parents, although with excitement, hope and anticipation as she clearly noted down what her parents looked like, hoping that this could help.
"There is a couple that look like that in this base. They have also been searching for their daughter so there is a possibility that they're the ones that you're looking for. Although they are not available now so you'll have to wait a while for them to return back to the base." Tern said as he looked at the now excited Natahsa who jumped onto Meisha with tears rolling down her face, her sobs choking the words she tried to say.
"M! I…I..I've found..them. Finally, I've…found them," Meisha held her close as she patted her back gently as she calmed Natasha, albeit her other hands were tightly closed,her face a mixture of both genuine happiness for her sister, and a hidden storm of anxiety and fear.
"Yeah. I'm so happy, Meisha. Let's ask Tern about your parents and check if they're in the base too" Natasha suggested after she got a hold of herself and she remembered that Meisha's parents were missing too.
"Come with me, Nat. There's something that I have to tell you!" Meisha said as she held Natahsa by her hand and led her out of Tern's office into a more secluded area.
"What's wrong with you, M?" Natasha questioned Meisha's strange actions.
"I lied. I lied to you, Nat. My parents aren't missing, they abandoned me. They left me for death! But..but, I didn't want to die. I was scared so I disobeyed their order and tried to live. Then I met you. I..I didn't want you to abandon me too, so I lied to you too. I'm sorry, Nat. I'm sorry so please don't leave me..too" Meisha said as she cried, the last part said in a low tone as she tightly held Natasha as she collapsed on the floor.