Disclaimer: I am not the ruling elder of Lorien. Heck, I'm just a fanfiction writer!

Chapter. 1

The voices came first. Then the numbness of my skin melted away, and I could feel the damp, moist air around me. Then I could see.

I took in my surroundings. I was in a chair, made of blindingly white leather. Then I noticed the metal clasps on my arms and legs, holding me to the chair.

"So…" I heard a voice drawl. "We meet again, Eight." The person who was talking to me loomed into view.

It was Setrakus Ra.

"I hear from Number Five that you rejected my offer to join in the Mogadorians, or, " he looked at me sideways. "Do I stand…" He pushed his face close to mine, staring straight into my eyes. "Corrected?"

I stared back defiantly, "No, you do not. I will never join you Mogs. Not after what Five nearly did."

Setrakus Ra backed away from me and stared pacing around my chair again. "Oh, so the Loriens remember their friends always, so that rumor is true. I wonder… if they want to see their friends again!" And with that Setrakus Ra shrank down and hair shot out of his head. He got fatter and his skin darkened until he was the splitting image of—

Five.

"Five-?" I gasped. The only difference from when I saw him was an eye patch on his eye.

"Yes, Eight. I am afraid… when the ambitious read the book of one who is less ambitious, the more ambitious may… overcome the lesser." He grinned evilly at my shocked face. "Oh, no worries, Eight. I didn't kill The Beloved Leader. I simply drained him of his energy."

It dawned on me that Five probably forced the Mogs to install Setrakus Ra's memories into him and whatever, just like they did to Adam. That was probably the reason behind him acting so much like Setrakus Ra.

"Then why save me?" I asked.

"Because I may not be able to convince you, but I can definitely make you." Five cackled. "You will join us. Join the winning side, Eight! You Loriens can nev-"

"You mean us Loriens, "I spat. "We might not be your friends, we are the same species. You can't just betray us and join our enemies!"

"I am not Lorien ," Five swiftly turned into Setrakus Ra. "But if you will just follow me, I might show you one of my species." Setrakus Ra cackled and strode away as his/Five's telekinesis to drift me behind him.

We walked/drifted along many corridors until we saw a heavily barred cell with one sad-looking, long-haired figure in it.

The figure lifted his head when he heard our footsteps.

"What's with the party, bro?" he said with a tired smirk.

I immediately recognized him, not only from his appearance but also his style of speech, and only one person had that style of speech.

Nine.