DISCLAIMER: This story is pure fiction. It has nothing to do with real people, and if similarities do exist, it's either freak coincidence, or the work of some messed-up divine power. Various unhappy, unwholesome things can and will be found within, such as sex, violence, bondage, rape, mental anguish, stupidity, bloody vendettas, chibis, and talking jewelry. If you object to any of these things, it's probably in your best interest to not read this.
Karma
~ Birth of the Sage Commander ~
By: The Sandwich
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Prologue ~Tabula Rasa~
[Springtime, 297 AS, Somewhere in White Lotus...]
A child awoke from a dark sleep, his head foggy and thick.
He lay on his back, deep in a bed, staring up a white ceiling that slowly grew into focus around him. A slow, constant beeping sound engrained itself within his mind, piercing him, confusing him.
"Good morning." A female voice called out to him, kindly.
The child slowly looked around with his blurred vision, movement too awkward for him to quickly do, trying to find the source of the voice. He hardly noticed the wires attached to his arms or chest, his eyes and their search locked in single-minded focus, before they eventually settled on two people, a man and a woman, sitting at the side of his bed.
The man was tall, and had a wiry appearance, light auburn skin and a thin, casual mustache. He wore a small, but kind smile, and a powerful, steadfast stare. The woman was average in height, with long, turqoise hair tied into plaits and a pair of glasses perched on her snub nose. Her skin was a sandy brown, contrasting with the hue of her hair She wore a black tunic and a clean white lab coat, giving him the appearance of a doctor...though something...he knew not what...whispered otherwise. Unlike the man, who sat calmly, the woman seemed to fidget nervously in place, as if unsure of herself, though she, too, carried a smile.
"How do you feel?" This was the man speaking now, a voice steeped in compassion.
The child thought for a moment. What was it he felt? It was so awkward...so strange...as if he were suspended in the sea, neither drowning nor knowing how to swim...
The devices connected to him began to beep faster. Quickly, the woman piped up again. "Calm down, now, it's alright. This place is safe for you."
Safe. Safe was a good state. The boy calmed somewhat at the words, and the woman smiled again.
"You were found lying by the sea about a day ago..." the woman said, sadly. "Can you tell us anything about your self? Your name? Where you're from? Any family?"
Name. My...name. The child's head throbbed. Names are important. Why do I not remember my name...my name...!
"Hey, there now, easy does it. Don't worry about it, you can remember in time." The man said, seeing the boy's face scrunch up in concentration.
"If you don't remember, then you're welcome to stay with us - as family, if you'd like - for as long as you need." The woman said, and the man nodded his agreement. "It's all been taken care of."
At last, the child, so confused, so deep in thought, spoke at last.
"What is a...family?"
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"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."
- Unknown Speaker
Prologue: Tabula Rasa - End