Dream ♠ oo7

[defector]

There's a woman in front of him, a gun in her hand pointed at him, but he's not focused on that. What she's saying is far more important--that and the broadcast of the colonel behind her. The silver-haired man, in his white uniform, appears as composed as ever as he speaks. Dominic remembers once looking up to that, but now there's only a sense of resentment. He's the one who took him in when his family was killed, the one who allowed him to meet Anemone, but even so Dominic can't view the man with the same respect that he once did.

"The Coralians are invaders! Now is the time to stand up against them!" the colonel shouts to the world. Dread fills Dominic's stomach, especially since he knows from the woman that it's the opposite. Humans are the invaders, and he doesn't question if the colonel knows that. The man has to.

"Then, what he's trying to do right now is an unjust war with the intent of invasion?" he asks, already knowing the answer. What else could he be aiming for?

"Yes... but it won't end with just the Coralians being destroyed," the woman confirms, her face serious but passive, like she's heard this a hundred times by now. Dominic wouldn't be surprised if she had, although the thought makes him wonder just how in the dark he's been the entire time. It's not a pleasant one.

"... What do you mean?" The dread gets worse.

"This planet is the land of Kanan, a long sought refuge for us humans," the colonel continues to say. "That dream of hope will never be broken by the Coralians..."

"Since the Coralians are one with the land," the woman says meanwhile, "the destruction of them would also lead to the death of all life on this planet."

It can't be.

"In other words, Dewey's true objective is... to end civilization by means of destroying the Coralians," she finishes.

And even though a part of Dominic suspects that he always knew the colonel's motives were less-than-moral, ever since he realized the colonel didn't care about Anemone at all, it's still unbelievable. He's served under the man for half his life, and to know that this is what he's been working for all this time is something his mind's not willing to wrap itself around. To know that he's been used as a tool for this for so long--

(The first cup of coffee I ever drank was in imitation of someone I really looked up to)

(Is this person trying to become a god?)

(What is the reason I fight?)

(I am not just some leashed dog)

This can't possibly be. Dominic stares with wide eyes, not sure what to think anymore.

"I promise to definitely rebuild this world, into a world with no hatred and foolishness," the colonel says.

The colonel, he--

(Good boy)

(You failed at being a soldier, Dominic)

On the screen, the man finishes. "A righteous world."

Dominic falls to his knees, because oh god, this is real, isn't it? He's not dreaming, not hallucinating--this is all truly happening. Suddenly, he feels like he's a child all over again, surrounded by the destruction that was once his hometown, in shock. Because, truly, that's the only to describe what he's going through right now.

(Hey there, would you like to come with me? I will show you a righteous world)

With that, everything comes crashing down.

----

[Dominic wakes up, unsure how to feel about this. He got over it like, minutes after it happened but it was hardly one of his happier moments.

And then, of course, it occurs to him that everyone can see this. Great.]

Comments

[unfearful.livejournal.com]

['Taken' isn't quite the word he'd use, but...]

... You could say that.

[solidarity.livejournal.com]

[That's an odd response...]

...Something else, then?

[unfearful.livejournal.com]

[Well, it's not exactly a secret or something that really bothers him, so...]

Perhaps a more accurate way of putting it would be to say that I came to this world through my death.

[solidarity.livejournal.com]

Killed in battle?

[unfearful.livejournal.com]

[Pause]

Yes.

[Considering the circumstances, though, he doesn't regret it. It was a necessary sacrifice.]

[solidarity.livejournal.com]

...Hn.

It's a risk we all take when we enlist.

[unfearful.livejournal.com]

I'm well aware of that, but my death had nothing to do with the military.

[solidarity.livejournal.com]

Nothing?

[unfearful.livejournal.com]

The military wasn't involved in the battle, if that's what you mean.

[solidarity.livejournal.com]

Huh...

[There's always more than one side to a war story, more than two involved parties, and a countless number of external forces acting throughout the conflict. Snake knows that unless Dominic chooses to tell him the entire story someday, he'll never fully understand what any of this means.]

Well, whatever happened, it's all in the past now.

[unfearful.livejournal.com]

I know that.