The Princess and Her Captain

Net-screens and Cable Wires

"Ugh... hey hey... go easy! For your information, this is very difficult!"

Once Cinder and Thorne had retrieved Scarlet and Wolf and brought them on their ship, Cinder decided that she had to immediately begin practicing her Lunar powers if she wanted any chance whatsoever in overthrowing the future empress. After some time, she and Wolf had discovered a way that she could train. Since Wolf was a mutant from Luna's secret army, he was programmed to be difficult to control by just any regular Lunar. And in order to defeat Levana, the evil Lunar queen, Cinder must now learn to somehow defeat Levana's army of canine-human mutants. Cinder therefore had to learn how to control a vast amount of mutants at a time, and having just discovered her power, she had found by practicing on Wolf that it was a huge struggle controlling one mutant alone. That is what they were practicing. Wolf would attack Cinder, and she would have to figure out a way in which she could wrap her mind around his; to control him. Although it was nearly as difficult as trying to snatch a swimming fish clean out of a pond! It was as if his mind were gliding and wading all over the place.

"Cinder, I'm going easy on you. You need to figure out a way... Focus your energy! Come on, Cinder! Don't get distracted." said Wolf, a sympathetic look in his eyes. Wow, how his character would change in and out of battle!!!

It was true, Cinder had been very distracted recently. But who could blame her? She had the entire fate of the Eastern Commonwealth resting on her shoulders, and with Emperor Kai... Kai... No. She could not allow herself to think about him. She was sure he knew what he was doing, in marrying Queen Levana, even though she did not understand it. But she wasn't sure that was exactly what was bothering her about Kai. Although after how he had looked at her in front of the gardens, discovering she was a cyborg, she was completely sure there were no feelings left. She snapped out of it, and continued focusing on her task.

"Alright Wolf, I'm ready! Come at me again." she said, feeling quite confident about herself this time.

"Wow, this is going to be quite entertaining," noted Thorne.

She shot him a quick look, then turned her attention back to Wolf. "I am ready." she said.

His entire demeanour instantaneously changed from gentle and mysterious to vicious and exposed. He lunged at Cinder, and she cringed. She was engulfed in the effort, drowning. Her head throbbing, she focused on Wolf, and entered his mind. She looked around, for anything she could reach, or grasp. She felt beads of sweat trickling down her temples from the effort. She continued to search, and she suddenly was able to grasp on, but weakly and faintly. She could do better. She knew she could. She suddenly forced all of her effort and energy into the task. Her face scrunched from the effort. Her teeth gritted together, she pushed her last ounces of energy into Wolf's mind, and she heard him gasp. She had not wanted to hurt him, although she now had complete control over his mind. It felt good, so good. He was fighting her, but she felt the power, she wanted to keep going. But her success was short lived, since she collapsed, and hit her head, hard on the solid ground. Everything went black.

Cinder landed with a thud. This got Thorne's attention. "Cinder!" he cried out. He rushed to her side, settling down beside Wolf, who was already there. He looked at him in confusion. "You didn't even get near her! How is it possible that she passed out from... nothing?" Thorne asked, cocking his head.

"It wasn't nothing." Wolf replied, giving Thorne a side-glance. He turned his attention back to Cinder, putting two fingers at her neck, to measure her pulse. "She must have passed out from the effort, although she seems perfectly fine, judging from her heart rate. I'm not sure what exactly happened."

"Ah." Thorne said. "Don't you worry, Wolf. I have had personal experience dealing with her odd cyborg problems before. I just know that when she wakes up, she will be quite angry with me. You are dismissed." He flicked a dismissive hand towards Wolf, who didn't move. "Alrighty then," said Thorne. "I would allow you to stay, but you may want to check on your girlfriend. She seems quite confused by the navigation" Thorne stated, nodding his head towards Scarlet, who had her head down, looking at the port-screens. Wolf frowned, then stood up. "Not my girlfriend..." he mumbled under his breath, as he headed her way. Thorne snickered. He turned his attention back to Cinder, who he rolled over, in such a way that the back of her head was visible. He hastily moved her hair out of the way, mumbling under his breath. He then felt a latch. He clicked it, and he felt her head panel open.

"I will never get used to this," he muttered. He grabbed two wires. "Yellow wire to... red? No no, that can't be right... Um... Ah, yes. Blue to red to restart. There." He connected the two wires, then rubbed his hands together, satisfied. "That should do the trick." He closed her panel, then turned her over to her side. He leaned down to her ear, and said, quite loudly: "Cinder, sweetie, it's morning!!!!" She perked up with a start.

"Aces!" she cried, shocked. She turned her head, and glared at Thorne. "First of all, don't you dare call me sweetie ever again!" she exclaimed. "Second of all, you opened my panel again? Haven't I already clarified the fact that I hated that? Do you never learn Thorne? I have told you this thousands- no, millions- of times and you-you just..." She got up, and stormed off in a huff.

Thorne followed her with his crystal blue eyes as she exited the room. As he watched her, the question that had been burning at his thoughts popped up once more. Cinder was worried. She was obviously stressed by all the responsibility that was involved in what she had to do. Defeating an entire Lunar army, destroying the wedding... But Thorne knew that that wasn't all. He was certain there was something bigger that had been haunting her mind. Could it possibly be... No. But could it be about... Emperor Kai?