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Coming to the world as it is, nearly five years from the last occurance, there is a dark change.

To the side of of Ranine, where the world is stronger than our own; smarter still with their advancements, they suffer even more severely from population loss. True, the doctors have gotten together, as masterful minds taken in the plural are far better received than one alone. And it remains true that the oceans continue to lessen in their aggravation towards life. Perhaps the waves of the ocean want to tolerated life now, after so many eons of being alone.

The sun's rays reach the world from end to end, and yet they have never seen before, the depth of the oceans. The tar which blocks the sun out, is spewed from underwater volcanoes and serves as the poison to any life attempting to survive.

On the other side of the world, the Anex has seemingly conquered all. Their reach takes hold in the native lands of Azlan, Ranako, Blitz, Spirit, and Daliah. Their homes, families and friends have all been demolished and burnt. The Anex is cruel, keeping the children for themselves and enjoying the cruel luxuries that come with owning millions of slaves. Azlan himself and his wife and child are still safe, in the last remaining tribe other than the Anex: the Branches of Elise. They are the only ones that stand between the Anex and complete destruction. The reason for this, is the barrier provided by Unibella, as the sole provider of protection for her people. A barrier that isn't able to be seen but rather felt, a force field as we may rather know it.

The hold of which the world holds on to life, is now weak. Both sides are nearing to their complete death. It is only a matter of a few more years to decide the still unanswered question: which side will die first?

We could hope for the best and say that perhaps they both won't, that maybe a miracle would occur and save the planet on both ends. Sadly, that remains but a fanciful dream.

Rather than a miracle, the world needs direct action. Those that will take the steps forward in the crowd, those that will pause their lives and venture into the unpaven jungles of human problems, those are the people that hold the miracle for life. Those are the people with the staff in their hands, ready at last to lead everyone in the march of victory, singing the songs of joy.

The song has started, but the people are sitting still. All are too shy to stand, none, brave enough to parade onto the dance floor. Maybe we don't all know how to dance. But who taught the very first dancer how to swing his body to manipulate a beauty that is only enveloped in a human movement?

Be brave, they say.

Be braver, the world says.

(back to story line)

Age reference:

Azlan = 26

Nalah = 24

Asarya = 5

Spirit = 19

Ranako = 19

Blitz = 19

Seto = 19

Flicka = 18

Daliah = 16

Winston = 31

Jane = 33

Ella = 34

Ignis = 23

Winston rushed to his door barely dressed when the bell rang, it was ten at night and his shift had ended a while back. In the five years of working under his sister he finally got a position parallel to her own in managing the pharmacy of the hospital.

For the past two years however, he had also been working with Jane. She had ultimately decided to move to Cashur where he worked, since her city of Eastaindale was slowly being abandoned. She began to work as a On-Call midwife and as a full time Psychologist.

Opening the door, dressed in loose scrub pants and no shirt, Winston saw Jane standing with a bag full of folders with pens in hand.

"J-Jane? Oh gosh I wasn't expecting -"

"Yes, I know you weren't, neither was I." Jane said shortly. Her posture tensed slightly but she entered the flat regardless. "You need to see this, I just got word of the new laws passed and it is ridiculous."

Winston rubbed his temples as he threw on a shirt and closed the door. President V. Marinov had been in charge for the past ten years, six years past his time. The only reason for his stay was the atrocity of the human situation that was far more important than re electing office. But whenever things like this were left unchecked for so long, they become out of hand and fall into tyranny. As such, his title as President became something of a joke as he was no longer elected but simply stole the power of the courts.

"What is it?" Winston asked, he sat down next to Jane on the table, keeping a respectable amount of distance.

"Here it reads : As of the newest tally of population was drawn, I, your president, gravely must speak to a new law. Every man and woman must do their share in helping this world survive, this means that there will no longer be offered abortions, contraceptives, or divorces. We are going to place marriage laws on those most compatible sexually and are most likely to have a chance of birthing a child. All born children will be sent and raised in a closed environment outside the parents control and will not be allowed any visits either. This comes from the fear of contamination and attachment." Jane stopped reading as it was clear what she had wanted known was now spoken. She looked at Winston for the first time directly into his eyes. "I was sent your name Winston. We are set for our first ultrasound in three weeks, they won't even let people get married." At first, Winston wanted to laugh, it was just ridiculous, a perfectly planned prank by his sister. But upon seeing the fear and dismay on Jane's face, he realized that it was no joke at all.

"Ok. Shoot. This will be awkward." After saying so, it appeared to worsen the situation, Jane went red and said, "We are not talking about what happened ten years ago Winston. That is in the past and we are leaving it there."

"Ah! Ok ok, I know! But, how do you want this to work? Are we still just going to remember what happened then and just never talk about it, you're a psychologist for crying out loud, you know that it's the wrong thing to do!" Jane seemed to be at a loss for words, she did know. And she had no plausible excuse.

Winston then got up and walked to the kitchen leaving Jane sitting on the table alone. When he returned he held a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"We will need this. Trust me it will be a long night, you want to stay over?" Jane blushed. "I am not sure now. Let's just talk and get it over with." Winston grimaced at the tone but said nothing else while he poured the wine.

Their fingers touched upon his passing of the drink and the two blushed, both finding it strange, and yet familiar.

"So. What the hell went wrong the first time Jane?" Winston began.

"You never listened."

"My hearing was going bad then."

"You never said you loved me."

"I found it hard to attach to people at the time."

"I always ended up doing the housework."

" I worked day and night shifts then." Winston sipped his wine without looking at Jane which proved to be the final straw. "You always make excuses!" Jane yelled angrily.

"Ah!" Winston yelled in surprise when her hands slammed on the table and caused her wine to spill all over him. She smirked a small victory smirk. "I think we have issues Jane." Winston said, angrily dabbing a cloth at his wet and now stained pants.

"No, we don't, you do." With that she got up and made to grab her items.

"Jane, wait." Winston said suddenly. Jane looked at him confused. But her confusion turned into a blank expression as he spoke to her. "I know I was a jerk, and I know I shouldn't have ended things as quickly as I did. I was scared though, I know that isn't an excuse, but when people are scared we do things, normally we wouldn't. I left you because I began to love you."

"That's a queer reaction I would say." Jane said sceptically. Winston walked over to her then, placed his hands (slightly shaking) on her waist and moved close to her, "Jane. I still love you. It is hard for me not to. I want to be with you, but at the same time I am scared to bond forever. I worry that I'll do the same thing as I did when we dated."

Jane scoffed, "What go out and bang a ton of other girls and then come back and tell me you love me? I don't think I'll ever understand your logic Winston." His hands fell down, he moved back, but not much, more out of respect than anything. "Jane, I understand how mad you are at me. But I was a kid then, I was a dumb, stupid, kid. I am still dumb and still stupid, but I'm not a kid and I understand that I can hurt you."

Jane opened her mouth in shock, but not from what Winston was hoping. "After all this time, without any contact, without so much as a message to me concerning my well being. You have the audacity to tell me that you STILL love me?" She pursed her lips into a tight line. Her blue eyes blazed with a dangerous fire but she remained silent. Jane drew herself upwards, straightening her spine and standing taller than before. "Jayson. This is not favorable in my opinion, but I do not want to disobey the law as it will jeopardize my career and my life. I am willing to put up with this but I would appreciate cooperation on your side." Winston nodded, he had tried, that was all he could do.

Jane did not stay that night, and the two of them didn't speak for a while. Ten days before the ultrasound they received a notice.

To whom it may concern:

As part of the new law under the Honorable Mr President V. Marinov. All citizens that fail to copulate by the third week mark or attempt to keep their children will be subject to government punishing and large fines up to 100,000 Roo-que.

The amount to be paid was equivalent to nearly twice the amount in one's familiar money on Earth, thought the term was less popular than the more favored term "rox". Needless to say it was a hefty sum, even for the wealthy among citizens.

Winston walked into his Pharmacy and logged into his hospital profile. He had been overseeing the radiation treatments and as usual was seeing no improvements. The radiation had a horrible effect on people. It whitened their skin to an unhealthy hue, dried their lips and mouths so they wouldn't speak. It took away their sight and hearing so that they were blind and deaf. It slowly took hold of their brain in an uncontrollable damage, starting from the front to the back. Destroying the tissue until it reached the cerebrum, causing death in the end. They body was rendered brainless within a few weeks of infection, the only reason the doctors themselves were not at risk was because they never actually saw the patients. After discovering the cause as a form of alien radiation nearly fifteen years ago, doctors were places as top priority to protect from the dangerous waves. Of course, it was never a fool proof way and most died by their middle forties.

That meant that the line was coming to an end for the doctors. And suddenly, when faced with death head on, Winston never before felt so certain he wanted to live.

It was in this mindset that he began again to recheck on updates of ocean samples and air toxicity, it was possible that the radiation was finally dying down, but it seemed to Winston that the damage was done. Most people presenting to the hospital for ultrasounds were now checked for infertility. Sadly, the increase of infertility did not change the law, nor did it alter the punishments. "TRY" the manuscript said. It was but one word, and yet could cost thousands in rox.

Winston knew now that he wasn't infertile, but he had little clue as to Jane's being. Thinking of her suddenly prompted him to walk to her office.

The child she had found buried was still in a induced coma. For five years now the child lay still, breathing through tubes, and functioning through the buttons of a machine.

Jane was very much attached to the boy and held it as a core belief that he would wake up soon. Winston didn't want to break her anymore than what she was, and the child was most certainly the last and youngest of children born in Ranine as of the last year. The hope was far more rooted in the world than Jane perhaps knew.

Sorry for the sudden end... I absolutely despise this chapter *glares at Winston and Jane*

*Winston* Well gee I mean we tried...

*me* SHUT UP! 

*me again* oof this was just like a huge info dump rather than a chapter... but I'm still trying to work out how to tie in the revelation of Ranine with Anex's land. LOL.... I'll get there. ANYHOOTS. I hope everyone is having an amazing day/night/ .... some fragment of time.... '\('u')/' <33333

Thank you for reading thus far!!! And may the unicorn gods bless your left and right feet.... because... yeah...

STAY HAPPYYYYYYY

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