“We’ve had this discussion far too many times. We’ve been planning this for months now, it’s too far along.” said a woman. The voice was muffled through the thick wooden doors its owner was on the other side of.

“I know, dear, but…” came a man this time, another one of the room’s current inhabitants.

“You’re having second thoughts?” asked the woman.

“Is this really what’s best?” the man questioned. “I know we think this is the best option, but what if we’re wrong? Maybe the school is safe enough.”

“It’s too dangerous there,” said the woman.

“It’s safer than it is here, and we can go too. There are more places to live there than just dorms for the students. Maybe if–”

“Yarin was murdered by another student. Lilipa was almost killed right beside him. I will not put our daughter at risk by sending her back there. Yes, I will admit that it seems safer than this place, but that is why we’re moving, isn’t it? It was your idea to hop countries. You already have a payment put down on a house, and both of us have already made arrangements with our jobs. It’s too late, Ida. It just is.”

“Lilipa won’t like that answer.”

“I love her, you know that I love her. She knows that. But… At this point, it’s our job as her parents to do what’s best for her.”

“She’s an adult.” said the man.

“Not yet. She turns eighteen in two weeks. We’ll be gone by then, and when she turns eighteen, if she wants to come back, then she can make that decision. For now, however, it’s ours to make, and it’s already been made. If you want, I’ll talk with her later, try to make her understand.” the woman stated.

“I hope you have better luck than me. I’ve been trying that all year.”

“Whether I do or not doesn’t matter. Either way, she’s going, like it or not.”

“I’m just worried that with her… condition, she won't be able to make friends.” said the man.

“She did it here, she can do it there. I’ve had enough of this conversation. We’ve talked, we’ve argued, we’ve battled with each other. The decisions are final. You don’t need me to keep repeating myself here. Now, we should all start getting ready for the party.”

“Lilipa doesn’t want to go,” said the man.

“Again, she doesn’t have a choice. Governor Moon has been good to us, and he invited us as a farewell gift. It would be rude if all of us didn’t turn up for the event.” The woman sighed. “I’ll talk to her.”

“As if that would work.” Lilipa snarled, moving away from the door where she was eavesdropping.

She stuck her hands in the pockets of her coat and left the house. There was a light snow starting up, one of the first of the season. She wore a heavy jacket, a basic long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of denim pants. It was a mature way of dressing, or it at least looked that way on her small body, which resembled that of a nine year old girl. Her black hair was shorter than it had been the year before, now only reaching the center of her back instead of her ankles. Despite the shorter length, it still possessed the three red ribbons she always used to tie it into a sectioned tail. Her eyes shifted from blue to red after a blink, a common, unaware change due to her powers. It was something she hardly ever noticed, unless she actively did it herself.

“Condition.” she snarled, kicking a small pile of snow. “Their decision.” she spat, kicking another one. “How could they think they know what’s best for me if they can’t even agree on something?” Lilipa looked up at the dark sky, watching some of the dark, snow-bearing clouds pass by. “I should be at the festival now.” After a sigh, she shook her head and continued down the road. She had somewhere to be, somewhere especially important on this specific night.

After a while of walking, she found herself entering a graveyard, one surrounded by iron barricades, and had an entrance that matched it perfectly. Decorative iron vines were intertwined with the vertical metal bars, and a sign naming the cemetery hung on either side of the entrance. Lilipa saw a few people already there as she entered, paying their respects to their own deceased loved ones. She felt for them, knowing all too well now how it felt to lose something close to you. It had been a struggle for the entire year, but on this day, exactly one year since losing him, she felt it as if it was fresh again. It was like a new knife had been plunged in the old scar left in her heart, making it bleed once more.

The anniversary of Yarin’s death, coupled with her parents’ seeming lack of concern over her feelings and wellbeing, made for a miserable girl. She had nobody to turn to for help. Ferain was miles away, Kiko was in prison for causing this grief in the first place, and her parents were too busy arguing about where the best place to keep her cage would be. Lilipa approached a shrine not far into the cemetery. Yarin’s body was cremated and his ashes shoved into a vase, which now sat in a wooden box in the middle of a dusty old field of dead people. She grimaced at the sight, finding a sick sort of cruelty in this.

“You don’t deserve to be here.” she said to the box, and the capped vase within. There was another glass object in front of it, one for setting incense in. She pulled a stick out of her jacket pocket and stuck it in a hole before lighting it. “You would have probably liked a library. That would have suited you better, I think.” She looked up at the shrine and felt her eyes glistening. “I never know what to say when I come here. I don’t even know why I do. It doesn’t make me feel better. It just reminds me that you’re gone. Yet, I can’t stop. And now, I won’t be able to. I’ll be moving soon, going to the Eagle Nation. I don’t know where yet, but it doesn’t matter. I won’t be here. I won’t be able to see you or your family. I won’t be able to see anybody again, not for a long time. I tried to fight it. I tried to argue and to make them understand, but they don’t. I don’t want to leave. I don’t know what to do.”

Her words fell on empty space, and nothing replied to her. All was still and silent, as it always would be.

“For just one second, I wish you could answer me. I wish you could just tell me what to do. But, here we are. You’re dead and I’m alone. You’re such an idiot. Why did you do it? That stupid old man told me everything. You asked to go alone, and he let you because of some stupid reasoning. ‘It’s his battle, so he needs to handle it.’ I called him stupid too. A bunch of idiots. All you had to do was ask, and any of us would’ve helped you. He would’ve helped you, but you were so damn stubborn and prideful and confident. Look where that stubborn trust and worthless pride got you. You said you would never leave me. We were supposed to be partners forever, Yarin.”

Lilipa’s phone began to ring in her pocket. She was reluctant, but knowing her parents, if she didn’t answer, they would have the police looking for her within minutes. She picked up the phone and heard her mother’s voice at once.

“Lilipa, where are you? We looked around the house but we couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“I’m visiting Yarin.” Lilipa said coldly.

“You could have told one of us. Look, it doesn’t matter, there will be time for that later. You need to get back here and change for the party.”

“I’m not going.”

She heard her mother groan over the speakers. “I will not tell you again, Lilipa. You are, and that’s final. Get home, get ready, and do it quickly. We need to leave soon or we'll be late. If you’re not back in fifteen minutes, I’ll have your father go and grab you.”

“I’ll just run away,” said Lilipa.

“And have your dad running around in the cold for hours on end? No, you wouldn’t do that to him. Me, maybe, but not him. Get back here soon.”

“Fine!” Lilipa shouted, before hanging up the call. She cast a final glance at the shrine. “I love you.”

There was no reply, and her words were only received by the freezing winter winds. She intentionally took a slower route home, deciding that any sort of annoyance she could cause her mother was well worth the effort, or apparent lack thereof. After half an hour, she finally made it back to her house, where her father was already dressed in a suit and tie, while her mother was wearing a pearl white dress, and had actual pearls on a choker around her neck. Lilipa stuck out her tongue at the sight of them, feigning a gag as she walked past. Roughly the same amount of time later, she was dolled up in her own dress. It was shorter than her mother’s, but it wasn’t nearly as short as her school skirt. It reached her knees, with its flared bottom half, and the top was tight around the body, but loose at the long sleeves, giving them a baggy appearance. There was a flowery pattern all over it, but Lilipa was sure to change that at once. Using her powers, she made the dress instead turn a dark shade of mourning black.

Before, this would have been a challenge, but she’d been practicing the ability to share her shifting with other objects. Now, changing some clothing’s color was nothing to her, almost like her hair and eyes. Changing the shape was still exhausting, but this would suffice. She left her hair alone, and instead of the heels her mother bought for her, she wore her dirty sneakers instead. Anything she could do to get under that woman’s skin, the better, and when she saw her face after showing off the black dress, she knew it was working.

“Change it back.” her mother snapped.

“No. I won’t do that. I like this color.” Lilipa said rebelliously.

She then preceded her parents out of the house and to the running car parked in the road. Lilipa saw her parents arguing again, but tried to ignore it as she climbed into the back seat. In fact, in order to help her with that very task, she pulled some wireless earbuds from her small purse and stuck them in, using her phone to play some music. It was some of Anita’s songs, which Ferain had sent her earlier in the year. It surprisingly always made Lilipa feel… homesick? That might have been the right way to describe it. Another way would be ‘nostalgic’ maybe. She and Anita argued and bickered a lot, but really, it was all in good fun. She liked that bratty princess, even if she did always pick on her height.

Her parents were in the car shortly after Lilipa’s plan to ignore them had been enacted. Because of her distraction, she didn’t really notice the length of the trip. She simply listened to the princess’s magical music, and watched the darkening world of the city pass her by through the window. Lilipa never felt attached to this place, but that was amazingly starting to change. Now that she was leaving, she found herself feeling ashamed for not exploring more of it. The building this party was being held within was an overly large, overly flashy hotel. It was a massive building made almost entirely of glass on the outside, and the roof had a slanted, half-circle sort of look, giving the whole thing an unsymmetrical image.

There were two other shorter but similar buildings connected to it through skybridges halfway up the buildings, and another set closer to the top. Lights flashed everywhere on the bottom, like an airstrip of sorts, and large varied spotlights were shifting back and forth as they scanned the exterior of the building. It was like some sort of unnecessary light show, all put on for the sake of advertising wealth. Their car pulled up, and after Lilipa and her parents were hurried from the vehicle, a valet climbed in and drove off. Lilipa watched momentarily before having something snatched out of her ear.

“No earbuds.” said her mother, holding it back out for her to take. “You will be respectful, and pay attention. This is a high-class party that we were fortunate enough to get invitations to. No embarrassing us.”

“Trust me, you don’t have to worry about me.” Lilipa said, taking the black earbud out of her mother’s hand.

Her father handled getting them inside. Once past the entrance, Lilipa knew for a certainty her night was about to be even worse, if that was possible. There were people everywhere. There was hardly an open space to walk where you wouldn’t bump into some sharp dressed figure, all holding conversations about useless topics and worthless compliments. Lilipa turned to her mother and glowered. A small array of light flashed around her as she grew in size. When the light faded, she was about Ferain’s size, just shy of five feet, and still possessing a rather petite body.

“Is this better, Mother? Less embarrassing for you?”

“You know that’s not necessary.”

“Is it not? I thought my condition was a problem for you two.”

“We’re not doing this here, Lilipa. Behave or–”

“Or what? Will I be grounded? Whatever.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Lilipa walked away and grabbed a drink off of a passing server’s tray. She didn’t really care what it was before taking a sip, and after finding out exactly what was in the glass, she cared even less. It was a party, exceptions for drinking were always made at big parties like this. It didn’t take long for her to get lost in the crowd. She couldn't even find a way into the different halls. It was more like she was stumbling through a maze, hoping that after a while, she’d find an exit to it. After an unknown amount of time clumsily making her way around, from one hall to the next ballroom, and eventually somehow ending up in a banquet room, she finally failed to avoid a collision. She bumped into some fit figure after squeezing through a group of three, but before she could stumble back, a hand grabbed hold of her wrist to steady her.

Lilipa looked up and saw a stout man, powerful and thick, keeping her upright. He had shaggy brown hair and steel gray eyes that looked deadly serious. His face was rough, not entirely handsome, but not hard to look at either. His beard was thick, but short, and his head of hair was messy, but contained. It was a contradictory appearance, like a fish out of water, or a bee in a hornets nest, or a dog in a room of cats. All in all, it looked like he just didn’t belong here. His suit jacket was open, his tie was lazily done, and the shirt he wore was untucked from his pants. It was a shaggy look that her mother most certainly would not approve of.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice sounding gruff and uncaring.

“Y-yeah.” she said, regaining her balance and composure. “Thank you, Mr…”

“Mason Roe. I’m surprised you don’t recognize me. Anybody here must know about the campaigns for governor, and I was a contender for the part.”

“I… I never paid it much mind.” Lilipa admitted. “I was busy.”

“I imagine so, if the running of this country didn’t concern you. Little did you know, that race was more important than anything in your young life, girl. Too late now, however, so bygones are bygones. You are?”

“Huh?” asked Lilipa.

“Your name, girl, what is it?”

“Oh. Lilipa. Lilipa Nierro.”

“Ahhh, the Nierro girl. I heard you were shorter.”

“A clever trick, I assure you,” said Lilipa, smiling. “I can do all sorts of tricks. Jokes aside, who did you hear that from? It’s strange that you know of me, but I don’t know you.”

“Not so strange. I’ve had dinner with your parents before. Your mother worked in the campaign office before recently resigning. I went to her originally to help run mine. Instead, she chose Moon’s, but that is understandable.”

“How come?”

“He has money, he has support, and he’s human. I’m a wielder, and right now, wielders aren't so popular, are they?”

“No, not so much.” said Lilipa. “I… What are you doing here? The current governor is hosting the event in honor of his victory. Isn’t it in bad taste to invite your competition after they lost?”

“Yes, I say that it is.” said Mason, before shaking his head. “Moon’s style, I’m afraid. He’s a rather cunning sort of asshole. Likes to rub dirt in your eyes, and then kick more in there once you’re on the ground. This is just him getting his kicks in. I assure you though, it won’t last long. I–”

“Ah, Mason.” came a soothing, smooth tone. Lilipa looked over and saw Governor Moon approaching them, wearing his usual white suit and black tie. “Good to see that you came.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” said Mason Roe, eyeing him venomously.

“How about your lovely wife?”

“Divorced years ago, I’m afraid. I’m sure you already knew that though.” he said, smiling painfully.

“Has it been that long already? You should find yourself somebody new. I have a colleague, a Mr. Emming, who has two lovely daughters. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind sparing his eldest. In a couple short years, she’ll be graduated from one of our top military institutions, and will be–”

“I’m quite alright, Moon. I don’t need you selling some wayward child to me. Not my cup of tea anyhow.” His watch beeped, drawing his attention momentarily. “I’m afraid I must leave you two.” He then turned to Lilipa. “It was nice meeting you, Nierro. I hope we get the pleasure again.”

Mason hurried off, seemingly talking to himself, though before he vanished, Lilipa saw that he had something in his ear, which must’ve been an earbud of some kind. She turned to walk away but the governor quickly stopped her.

“You’re Lucielle’s daughter, yes? She was a driving force in my campaign, and I suspect a prime reason as to why I won.”

“Good to hear.” said Lilipa, feigning both a smile and a care.

“Yes, she really was a valuable asset to the team. You see, people believe that I despise the wielders, and while my campaign has been mostly biased towards the human audience, I must argue against those unrighteous claims. In fact, I have a plan in motion that will affect you and your generation most of all.”

Lilipa was faking an interest, but upon hearing that, she shifted her attention. “How so?” she asked.

“Well, as it stands, wielders must serve in times of conflict. Anybody from the ages of fifteen and up have to fight, but that’s just ridiculous, don’t you think? We have trained soldiers for a reason, both humans and wielders at that. I asked myself, why bother enlisting children when we already have an army? Means to say, I’m in the process of abolishing that stipulation. If I can get it passed, forced conscription will be a thing of the past for your kind, and most definitely your age group.”

“Why tell me this?” she asked.

“Because, you’re a wielder, yes? I want you to know personally that I value your people, and what you’re capable of. I am on your side, just as much as I am on the side of the human populace.” There was a chiming bell that rang out over the speakers momentarily, which seemed to intrigue Governor Moon. He looked out at the crowd, a serious leer in his gaze, before he looked once more at Lilipa. “I must run, Ms. Nierro, but I promise we will speak again.”

She watched the man hurry away, looking as if he was trying to keep himself unnoticed by those around him. This confused Lilipa, who knew that he was the host of the event. For him to stalk away like didn’t sit right with her.

“That was wei–”

Lilipa’s words were swiftly cut off by a deafening explosion. There wasn't only one either. Once the first one had fired off, a handful more of them joined it. People were screaming, though that could hardly be heard over the chorus of raining debris and booming detonations. Lilipa found herself crouched down, huddling beside a table as the room was filled with smoke and ash. People were groaning nearby, and she knew that those were the lucky ones. The air was heavy with the nauseous fumes of powder and the disturbing aroma of roasting flesh. Blood was also heavy in the air, and everything around her was filled with such a thick haze, it was nearly impossible to see even ten feet ahead.

“Mom? Dad?” she croaked hoarsely, having inhaled too much of the smoke already. She coughed twice as she started walking forward. Several steps later, she was hoisted off of her feet by another sudden discharge. Lilipa rolled across the ground, her dress smoking and burned away, but for the most part, her skin was unharmed. The disintegrating fabric revealed that her body was mostly covered in dark scales that rippled in the fiery, hazed atmosphere of the interior. Her hair had been singed, like the dress, but that didn’t matter right now.

“Go!” she heard a voice scream.

She looked towards it and saw three men running inside the building. They had hoods to hide most of their face, while the rest of it was hidden beneath a bandana that was pulled up over their mouth and nose. Their clothing was indistinguishable from an average hoodie and jeans. Lilipa watched one run towards a pleading family that was trapped beneath some rubble. The hooded man blew up in their faces, leaving nothing behind, and causing Lilipa to hide her face to avoid taking any damage from the incoming debris. She saw another rushing towards more fallen people, but she hurried to intercept them. Her scaled hands grew large claws as she slashed out at the man. She then kicked him away before clawing him in the chest again.

The man did fall, but he only smiled before glowing brightly. Her eyes went wide and she tried to get away, but it was too late. The man went up in a ball of fire that radiated outward quickly and powerfully. She blacked out for a moment. When she came to, she was underneath a massive support beam from the ceiling, and there was the wreckage of decimated tables and scattered chairs all over. It looked like hell, or some sort of apocalypse. It looked like a nuclear bomb had been dropped, and this was the aftermath. She tried to move, but her body was pinned.

“Gahhh!” she screamed, forcing her body to rise, and while it did partially lift the board holding her to the floor, her arms gave out. She hit the ground again, breathless and in pain. Her dress was only a collection of tattered ribbons, and the fireproof scales she had given herself were mostly gone, revealing red patches of skin. Some of them were bubbling still, while others were nothing more than some minor burns. She began to cry as she tried again to free herself. Tears started rolling down her dirtied cheeks while she used every bit of strength she could muster. “Ahhhhh!” she screamed and sobbed, but it was all for nothing. “Mom! Dad!” she howled. “Moooom! Help! Help me.” she cried, trying to get out again, but this time, the wood didn’t move.

Lilipa felt herself growing faint, and the pain in her body was becoming more and more apparent with each passing second. It was only a matter of time before she would fall unconscious. She had to get out. She tried one final time, and this attempt proved just as fruitless as the last. She fell to the floor, pressing her forehead against the tile, silently praying for somebody, anybody to help her. Her mother, her father, Yarin… anybody. Everything faded then, leaving her in a pit of darkness.

When Lilipa woke up again, she wondered if she had died. There were bright lights overhead, and as she was coming out of her stupor, their blurry image was all she could make out. However, when things began coming into clearer focus, she found herself laying in a hospital bed. There were machines beside her, beeping and showing her vitals. Her ruined dress was replaced by a blue gown. The tufts of hair that fell around her head were a light shade of brown, though they quickly changed into a dark black hue.

“This brings back too many bad memories.” she groaned, looking around again.

She recalled how it felt to wake up after the ordeal with Yarin and Kiko. Weeks had passed since the murder, and it took her nearly as long to wrap her head around things once she woke up. She couldn’t help but wonder if this time would be the same. How long was she gone after this incident? What happened to the world while she was out? Where were her parents? She heard a nearby door hiss open, and her observations revealed to her that a doctor had walked in, accompanied by Governor Moon, who was wearing a much dirtier suit that also had its own collection of burned away patches. He looked as if he’d gone through the fires and explosions like everybody else. Judging by that, she couldn’t have been passed out for too long.

“Will she be okay?” asked Moon.

“Yes, she’ll recover. It will take some time, but she’ll be back on her feet soon enough.”

“And her parents?” The doctor remained silent for a while. “I see,” said Moon. “When she wakes up, can I speak with her in private? I… I invited them there, I feel partially responsible.”

“Governor, you could have no way of knowing that an attack was coming.” said the doctor.

“I should have suspected. I was there, I gathered important people for the campaign as well. It was a prime target for Mason. I had my suspicions, but I never would have guessed they were accurate.”

Lilipa felt herself sinking again. She dreamt of her parents, she could recall that much once she woke up. She felt guilty, remorseful, but that didn’t matter now. What mattered now was figuring out what was happening. She had to make sense of everything. She sat up in her bed and started pulling the needles out of her arm. She didn’t feel fully healed, but she felt better. Her scaled armor seemed to have worked against most of the possible damage. She noticed some bandages around her arms, and she felt them under her gown, meaning they were wrapped around her body, but besides for what she assumed to be burns, she felt fine enough. Lilipa swung her legs out from under her sheets and sat on the edge of the bed.

That was when her door opened again. Governor Moon was walking in, but he stopped abruptly once he noticed that Lilipa was awake.

“Thank goodness that you’re okay.” he said, walking to her bedside.

“My parents?” she asked. It was her first priority. She had to find them, had to talk to them, but the look that Moon gave her instantly shattered those prospects.

“I’m sorry, Lilipa. Your parents are… They were killed in the attack. I’ve been trying to find a softer way to put it for hours now, but I have been unable to do so. Sometimes, the blunt truth is the best alternative. Do you understand?”

“I do.” she said, looking grimly towards the floor.

He sat beside her on the bed and took one of her hands. “Your mother was kind to me during our work together. If not for her, I would not be in my current position. Of course, that means she would still be alive, but nevertheless, the future of the Sakura Nation owes a lot to your mother’s work. I would like to offer some form of repayment for that. You… You don't have anywhere else to go, do you?”

“No.” she said softly.

“I’d like to offer you a place with me. You can join my staff, and you can have a room at the house. It’ll be a job, a place to live, and you’ll be well taken care of. I may have future positions for you as well.”

“I… I don’t know.” Lilipa said, feeling her eyes burning.

“I’ll give you some time to think on it. Don’t make a hasty decision. Anywhere you want to go, anything you want to do, I’ll help support it. I just want to do what’s right by you, Lilipa.”

“I heard you mention Mason Roe to the doctor.” she said softly.

“I’m not certain, but I believe he’s responsible for this. He left moments before the explosions, you saw him. Plus, there’s been rumors that he’s behind the rogue attacks as of late. Whether he’s the original leader or not, I’m not certain of that either, but… I think it’s safe to assume he’s the mastermind behind this stunt, trying to wipe out myself and my staff. Once we were out of the way, Mason would have a free walk up to the podium, and he could finish this war.”

Lilipa looked down at her tiny, youthful hands. She clenched them into fists, gritting her teeth and narrowing her eyes furiously. “I hate it.” she said. “I hate all of it. I hate being like this. I hate losing people. I can’t do this anymore.” She buried her face into her hands. “I just want it all to end.”

“You don’t want to be a wielder anymore?” he asked.

“I don’t want wielders at all. They took everything from me. It made my life a living hell since I was five. I’m tired of it.”

“It’s the anger speaking,” said Moon. “Get some rest, think on my offer. If you truly wish for things to change, I believe you can do a lot of good with me. Just think about it.” He left her, the door closing behind him with a faint hiss.

Lilipa unclenched her fists, changing her body to look older. She reverted back in only a few seconds, unable to keep up the energy it required for the change. “I hate it.” she growled wearily, tearfully, angrily.

Things would change, she would be sure of that. She would go through any lengths it took to make the world a different place… a better place. With that vow in her heart, she rose, got dressed, and met with Moon in the lobby. Her change would start with him, and so, that night, she left with him, leaving her past and grief behind in that hospital. All of her attention now was on the future, and what would inevitably come with it.