Love and Skorn

"Can you help me?" Terra gave back in desperate anger.

"Can I?" He half-snarled, half-smiled back at her with a cynical gaze. "What exactly do you expect me to do?"

"I expect you to help us to get the same rights your people are fighting for. Our children are pawns, used and thrown away as the government sees fit. Neither of our people can win against the governments we face without help.' She breathed slowly, trying to quell the roaring frustration that threatened the success of this assignment.

"Hah. Fighting. As if there is even a fight to begin with." He languidly gestured a hopeless swoop of his hand. "They won many years ago. They made the game, my pretty little birdy. They cannot lose."

His crinkled, snarling smile turned into a somewhat blank expression, as if he was lost in thought...in theories from long ago that had gathered dust and been tucked away somewhere in the back of his mind.

"I...cannot help you. Not very much, at least, no. But I will give you what little I can. If you do something for me, yes."

"What do you want me to do?" she asked hesitantly.