The Trial of Dreams and Memories (TMM 2)

The Escape...Attempt

Morai appeared in the courtyard, holding the pot of flowers that Maria had given her minutes ago. 

"Oh, hello Morai," Sheridan greeted, almost as if they hadn't fought a few hours before. The claw marks and bruises on her arms and face told otherwise. "Do you remember Lusamine?"

"Yes, somewhat," Morai answered. "You fused with an Ultra Beast and—"

Sheridan cut her off with a sharp cough, but Lusamine chuckled. 

"It's nice to see you after all of this time, hm, Morai, is it now?" she said. "That's a nice name. Please excuse me if I slip up and call you by your old name. Although, you look so different I might not even make that mistake! I'm glad you're still here. Everyone was worried sick after you mysteriously disappeared from our lives for months."

Morai only looked at the Aether Presidant. Lusamine was talking to her both as if she were a stranger and an old friend. 

"Where did you get those flowers?" Sheridan asked, breaking the awkward silence. Morai blushed a little and set them down behind her. 

"Oh, nowhere," she quickly answered. "I've come to make a request."

"Oh?"

"I'd like to reconstruct this garden to my liking," Morai said. "I'll do the work myself, but I'll need materials, of course."

Sheridan was surprised. She thought Morai was about to ask her for blood or some other morbid request in front of the woman who had just supplied her with new employees and money, but this seemed rather innocent. 

"Oh, that sounds like a great idea!" Lusamine said, clasping her hands together. "The Aether Foundation would be happy to help."

Morai cocked her head. 

"The Aether Foundation is involved now, too?" she asked. 

"You and your friends helped me return to good those years ago," Lusamine answered, looking her in the eye. "It would be remiss of me not to lend a hand to you now."

Sheridan's hand slowly and discreetly dropped to the gun hidden under her coat as distaste began to spread across Morai's face. 

"I'm no charity case," she said through gritted teeth, a red glow returning to her eyes. "Were you so bad as a pseudo-beast—"

"That's enough, Morai," Sheridan warned. 

"All of you teeter on the line between good and evil and act as if I'm so bad for falling one way. I could return you to the cold and heartless mother who abandoned her children in an instant. I could—"

"Morai! Let her go!" Sheridan snapped, pointing her weapon at the prisoner, who relaxed and let go of Lusamine's mind. 

"I didn't even realize that I had done it," she said with a sigh. "My apologies, President."

"That's alright," Lusamine quietly said. She had obviously been shaken, perhaps not by the hypnotization, but by Morai's words. 

Morai began to walk back inside but turned around to grab the vase of flowers she had almost forgotten. 

"I see that your work is cut out for you," Lusamine said. 

"Believe it or not, she's gotten better by perhaps the smallest measurable amount," Sheridan said. "Apologies from her are hard to come by."

"I'm afraid poor Lillie will once again be disappointed," Lusamine sighed. "Her and the rest of the group."

Morai continued to the dining hall accompanied by a guard. When the huge double doors swung open to reveal the large, cold room, she saw that a group of Aether Foundation employees were sitting in place of the last batch of nurses that had quit. A smile returned to the prisoner's face. She sat down at her usual spot to make her presence known, then she got up and walked toward the group, leaving her flowers behind.