Where?
Her eyes finally opened and she looked around the room. The infirmary at the Academy?
"Finally awake?"
Eyes snapped to the side, confirming what her ears had already told her. Terra?
"You really need to get over that," said Terra.
"I..." Hinata said.
"Naruto's in class," said Terra, sitting back in her chair. "I thought we needed to talk."
"T-t-talk? About what?" asked Hinata, sitting up and fidgeting.
Terra studied the ceiling for a few seconds before answering. "I know what it's like to be unsure. To be constantly second-guessing yourself."
Hinata stared at the girl. How could she, as pretty and exotic as she was, understand that?
Terra let out a deep breath. "When I was two years old, a raiding party from the Gestahl Empire kidnapped me from my homeland. For over a decade, I was a slave-soldier. A weapon directed against the enemies of the Empire."
Hinata shrank back, staring at the girl. This being one of her own nightmares due to Cloud trying to kidnap her for her eyes and the Byakugan.
"I grew up with no friends, no family, no life beyond that of a soldier," said Terra, her eyes unfocussed as she stared at the ceiling. "There were a few moogles, other slaves of the Empire, but I wasn't allowed to associate too much with them. Then at about the age I am now again, I caught the eye of the Emperor himself. He wanted to breed me for my powers."
Hinata's eyes were wide and staring at the other girl by this point.
"They outfitted me with a device called the Slave Crown," said Terra, touching her forehead. "It's a device which suppresses your own will. I was forced to do things..."
Hinata found herself actually shivering at that point, this playing into some of her own private nightmares.
Terra shook her head with a smile. "So, yes, I understand what it is to question yourself. To fear. I was always afraid that I would wake up some day, and find I was wearing that device again and the freedom I'd had would turn out to be a dream. I was freed by someone a bit like Naruto named Locke."
Hinata nodded to show she understood when Terra's eyes met her own.
"Now I'm here," said Terra with a smile that looked a little sad. "Naruto needs friends, you know."
Hinata blinked, not understanding.
"You need to stand on your own feet, face your own fears, grab your own future," said Terra. "Know this though: I'm not giving up easily."
Hinata blinked as she tried to work that out, then colored when it fell into place.
"Just so we understand each other," said Terra as she got up.
"So, what's up with her?" asked Naruto as Terra sat back down next to him.
"She has some things to work through," said Terra. "Sparring after school?"
"Sounds good," admitted Naruto.
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(Posted Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:17)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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