CORES FOR MOONS

DISCLAIMER: I don't own LOM even if you force me to say it. That would be a good dream but who says dreams happen in real life. no trouble for me! no trouble for you! no worries...so no letters with subpeonas on them...

A/N: Hey, if you don't like the story then don't read it, no one is forcing you…yeah I know the title is crappy and there is major OOC-ness here so please forgive me. I did not say this was a serious fiction so don't expect…I just placed a chapter to see if someone would want to read it if no one wants to read it then it won't be continued…you may see that this is under the humor/romance section so…you know the drill…

Prologue

Maya woke early on this particular morning; she imagined adventures that she may encounter today and jump off her bed in pure gaiety. Walking down the stairs, she sniffed the air for the scent of breakfast that was not apparently there as it has been every morn. 'Where are those elf-children?' she murmured to herself as she gazed at her dining table. 'Must be in the pet chorale' she thought 'I'm not that hungry anyway; I'll just grab a bite at the local inn in Domina.' She walked straight out of the door and stopped at the landing noticing a shiny red stone on the ground.

'Hello! What's this?' Picking up the stone, she asked herself.

Being in a particularly good mood, she thought of many uses for such seemingly worthless stone and finally concluded 'Hmm…this would do nice as a staff; I wonder if this thing possesses any elemental powers' she pondered as she stared at the stone in utter curiosity. 'We'll soon find out!'

That same morning Maya walked out of her workshop and examined her work; the red stone combined with other materials made a new staff that the yellow haired girl held in her hands. Without noticing, she now stood in her front yard raring to test the weapon. After a few tries, she gave up and concluded that what she made was a total dud 'What a waste!' With no other thought, she sought to sell the staff to a local shop in Domina. 'Might as well sell it… I won't have much use for this anyway.' She shrugged in despair.

She walked pass the giant sign that says 'Welcome to Domina' and toward the weapon shop. She stopped in her tracks when she felt her stomach grumble from the lack of breakfast therefore she decided to have a decent breakfast before parting with the staff. Inside the crowded pub, she sought the comfort of a lonely chair in the corner of the tavern and waited for the fairy girl, Rachel, to serve her. Soon enough, scrumptious food was set before her and so she started eating. With all the fuss about having a good breakfast, Maya did not notice the staff falling on the floor and onto the feet of Rachel, which, by chance, she picked up.

'Hey Maya…' she shyly called 'is this yours?'

'Hmmm…' she muttered with her mouth full. 'Yeah…do you want it?'

'Uhmm…i-if it is not a bother to you….' she stammered as it is in her character to do so.

Having no use for the staff, Maya swallowed and cheerfully looked at the girl…'Of course not! What do you need it for?'

'Uhm…I kind of have a problem but it should not bother you….' She stared at her feet, feeling extremely awkward at Maya's generosity and said 'Are you sure I can have it?'

Standing up and turning away from the girl, she looked back, raised a hand to gesture farewell and happily said 'I already said yes! Put it to good use!'

Chapter 1– Cores, Tako bugs and Lucky days

'Maybe I should go home now and check on the elves' she muttered as she imagined the twins condition if they ever go hungry which seemed gruesome to her. She shivered at the thought and heavily sighed. 'I guess I have to feed them at some point…' Cheering up, she concluded on one thing. 'I'll just go pick some fruits for them.'

As she walked towards her home, she saw two figures – the one with shiny lapis lazuli on his chest paced on the landing while the other with a pearl on her chest watched him. 'Elazul…' she thought as she approached the two.

'Maya, what took you so long.?' Elazul said an obvious glint of urgency and agony as he grasped her shoulders and stared at her green orbs. 'Where is it?'

Maya blinked twice and raised an eyebrow. 'Where's what?'

'The Seventh Moon, Where is it?' Elazul shook her with every word he uttered and squeezed on her shoulders more.

'Owww! Le' me go!' Maya screeched as she pushed Elazul away from her shoulder, which she massaged to ease pain. 'What Seventh Moon are you talking about?' she stopped for a moment then thought aloud. 'As far as I know there are only six moons!' Maya pointed toward the cloudless sky to prove her point and continued 'and how could I get a moon from all the way up there?'

Elazul whacked the back of Maya's head; irritation got the best of him as he clenched his fist in a comical way to ease it. 'I did not mean that moon you moron!'

Thinking hard, she racked her brain for any memories that could be related to a so-called "Seventh Moon". 'Oh! You must be talking about that red shiny stone I found on my doorstep this morning!' she inched away from Elazul's reach knowing that she might have made a mistake. 'I turned it into a staff and then….' She looked at Elazul's heated face and forced a laugh.

'And then? And then what?' Elazul irritably shrieked, trying to reach for her shoulders again but failed to do so.

Maya thought hard and finally concluded, 'I should not be interrogated like this! I did not do anything wrong!' She stared at Elazul some more and watched him take fast hoarse breaths. Elazul, noticing Maya's continuous stares, took a deep breath to calm his nerves and asked 'What happened to the Seventh Moon?'

'I gave the staff away….what is so important about it anyway?' Out of fear, Maya averted her eyes from Elazul's heated stares.

'The Seventh Moon is the ransom for Florina's core…'

'But I thought Florina was revived months ago!' Remembering the event that happened but a few months ago which led to the revival of the entire Jumi race and her temporary state as a stone statue, Maya screamed at the Jumi who seemed to have calmed down. Elazul looked at Maya in amazement at her naivety and then gave Pearl a hopeful look as if to tell her that she should explain what needs explaining. (A/N: ehehehe…sorry for the confusion ;;;)

Pearl merely smiled and faced Maya in innocent cheer. 'Two weeks ago a giant rabbit person-thing came to the gates of the Bejeweled City.' Pearl gazed into the sky trying to recap the events that happened two weeks ago and then…

FLASHBACK

(A/N: you may notice that Pearl starts staring into the sky; isn't it that that is what characters do when they start reminiscing?)

'Hey!' A giant rabbit that stood on its two hind legs called from the gate. Two women happen to walk pass the gate obviously oblivious to the giant rabbit's calls.

'Oist! You two! Open the gate!' The rabbit called at the top of his voice. 'It's only right to share!'

The girl with an Emerald on her chest slightly turned her head to look at the clamor. Out of curiosity, the girl with the emerald core tugged on the dress of the woman ahead of her who happens to have a fluorite core on her.

'Esmeralda…What's the matter?' the woman with the fluorite core asked the green haired girl.

'Florina…the rabbit he wants to get inside the city…' Esmeralda gazed at the rabbit some more.

'We cannot let anyone in the city…this city is forbidden to all but the Jumi.' Florina reached for Esmeralda's hand and stroked it to appease her after seeing a slight frown from her face. 'But if you see pity in him, we cannot deny him help.' Florina smiled, assuring Esmeralda her sincerity and led the way towards the rabbit.

Cuffing its chest, the rabbit proudly exclaimed. 'Ladies, today is your lucky day for Niccolo, merchant extraordinaire, has finally come to brighten this city with his smiles!'

'And who is this Niccolo of whom you speak?' Esmeralda asked, obviously trying to hide her amusement.

'Very good question my dear lady!' the rabbit chuckled 'He is none other than I!'

'How can we be of some help?' Florina graciously asked.

'Oh! But it is I who would be of some help to you!' The rabbit now known as Niccolo proposed to the two bewildered though amused women. 'Today I brought the greatest deal that anyone would give their limbs away for!'

'Then we must be very lucky!' Esmeralda joshed. 'But everything we could ever need is provided for what can you offer that could be of value to us?'

'That's the wonder of it!' Niccolo placed a hand inside his bag then pulled out what seemed to be an insect that still kept twitching to get free. 'The great Niccolo can give anyone what ever they need even before they knew they needed it! Like for example…' The rabbit raised the bug in the air emphasizing on its horrid bodice. 'This is the Tako bug, something that would prove to be of value to anybody!'

'Really?' Esmeralda blurted out. Florina realizing the ruse merely sighed at her companion's curiosity.

'Esmeralda, I do not approve of this…' Florina tapped Esmeralda's shoulder gesturing her to ignore the rabbit who continued to smile.

'But Florina, the bug may be useful to us!' Esmeralda now entirely interested with the repulsive bug pouted. 'Right Mister Rabbit-kun?'

'Yes! Of course it is!' Niccolo – incessantly beaming showed no sign of irritation instead his eyes displayed a glint that did not please Florina – nodded gleefully, trying to imbue trust in the other woman with great difficulty. 'I'll give you one in exchange for…' he looked at both women's possession and saw value on the stones on their chest. He reached for Florina's fluorite stone and confidently pulled it off. 'In exchange for this stone' He examined the stone and became oblivious to what was happening to the 'previous' owner of it. Florina, however, fell into the arms of an astonished Esmeralda who was now gaping at the giant rabbit for no apparent reason.

'Florina!' Esmeralda finally grasping reality shrieked catching the attention of all the other Jumis who could hear her.

Rubens instantly ran towards them. He saw Florina in the arms of Esmeralda and a giant rabbit who happen to be holding her core. Out of common instincts, he asked Esmeralda 'Why is he holding Florina's core?'

Niccolo felt a sort of laugh in his throat but only a thin line of smile escaped. His heart did the tango as he felt the core in his hands. What a prize! He thought letting his lips smile even more. I wonder how much lucre I will get for this? Out of the corner of his wide smile, a thin line of drool escaped. Noticing this, he immediately wiped it off with the back of his hand. I'm so excited! Lucre! Lucre! Lucre!

Tucking the core in his pocket, he concluded on the so-called deal. 'Well then! I must be off! Please enjoy the bug!' Niccolo threw the bug on Esmeralda's feet and ran off with the core.

'Wait!' Esmeralda holding her hands up front gesturing him to wait called in vain but he was now nowhere in sight. In her arms, Florina faded.

'We want you to go after FLorina's core…' The woman with the diamond core who stood before five other Jumis calmly commanded a black-haired Jumi in a sand-mantle cloak. His lapis lazuli core glimmered in the middle of his chest. The four other Jumis stood in the room of the Clarius gawking at Diana then at Elazul then back at Diana after hearing the diamond jumi's command.

'But why ask me, Diana?' the lapis lazuli Jumi protested.

'Us' A white dress clad girl interrupted, jabbing hard on the boy's elbow.

Rubbing his shoulders as he inched away from Pearl before she painfully prods him again, he rolled his eyes and reluctantly said 'Us'

'I mean there are better Jumis here than us!' he frantically pointed at Rubens. Rubens sneered allowing Elazul to a large helping of contemptuous facial expressions.

'Of course I'm better than you!' the ruby Jumi known as Rubens brightly beamed while everybody in the room sweat-dropped. 'What gave you the idea that you are better than me?'

'Shut up, ruby-boy!' He raised his fist and manically waved it at Rubens. Being the one of the youngest Jumis, all the other Jumis often underestimated him, which did not please him. Walking towards Rubens, he raised his fist to his face. 'You want a piece of me?' Pearl and Esmeralda grabbed hold of Elazul's arms trying to stop him from doing any 'rash' actions.

'That's enough!' Diana commanded; everybody in the room halted and turned to look at Diana. 'I asked you because no other Jumi knows the whole of Fa'diel better than you.' Diana sighed and calmly closed her eyes. 'If I am not wrong you've seen almost all of Fa'diel with that girl…'

'You mean Maya…' Elazul pulled his arms from the two girls' grip. He paused for a moment…

'Why did he turn quiet all of a sudden?' Esmeralda whispered in Pearl's ear who shrugged. 'I don't know…I think he likes her…'

'Yes…I have…' Elazul crossed his arms and glared at Diana. 'But what has she has to do with me being the one to fetch the core?'

'Nothing much…I just like to play with you!' Diana chuckled making everybody sweat-drop some more. Turning serious, she continued her explaining 'Anyway, this means you know more about the outside world therefore most eligible for the mission.'

'Ch! You're just afraid to get out of the city.' Elazul glowered.

'What was that?' Diana feeling his contempt and obvious negation asked, holding out an ear to hear what he has to say better.

'Nothing!' Elazul squealed, frantically waving his hands in front of him. He did not like being forced to do things but he respected Diana.

'Right then! You should go now!' Diana prodded him towards the door allowing the poor boy out of the room.

END OF FLASHBACK

Pearl woke from her dazed expression and then turned to see Maya's expression. 'After that we went to the giant rabbit's usual haunt but then he refused to return the core…'

'He realized the value of the core and refused to return it for the Tako bug.' Elazul sheepishly elaborated as the memory of the rabbit saying 'no' replayed in his mind.

'You were tricked, man!' Maya blurted out, making Elazul look even more sheepish. 'But I still I don't understand why you need that Seventh Moon thing.'

'Well, he told us that he would give us the core back in exchange for something of equal worth…I think he realized the value of Florina's core.' Elazul shrugged and then sighed.

'And since you revived our race, we came to realize the value of our lives. Thanks to you, people stopped referring to us as dirt…' Pearl cheerfully acknowledged cutting in on Elazul's sentences.

Elazul continued Pearl's statement 'since then, only two things are of equal value to our cores; those are the Eye of Flame and…'

'The Seventh Moon…' Trying to thwart Elazul from going after the Seventh moon, Maya unintentionally blurted out. 'Magnolia, the doll, has the two Eye-of-Flames; why don't you just ask for her to give one to you?'

'That would have been much easier but the Eye-of-Flames kept her alive…' Elazul stared into Maya's green orbs and crossed his arms. 'It would be like asking her to die for us…so our other choice is the Seventh Moon…' Elazul gazed up the sky and reminisced his escapade in search for the stone; this time it was his turn to tell his story.

FLASHBACK

Elazul's POV

Pearl clung to my right arm as we walked pass the annoyingly friendly sign that says 'Welcome to Domina'. That was useless! I thought as the argument with the giant rabbit replayed in my mind like a deranged chocobo pretending to be a canary. What could equal the value of our cores?

'Elazul-san…what could equal the value of our cores?' Pearl coincidentally asked; a glint of curiosity in her eyes.

I placed a hand on my own core and thought hard. I realized the value of our core when I struggled to look for other Jumis when our race almost turned to extinction. 'I don't know…maybe another core?'

'But Elazul…that means another Jumi has to die…that's not right…' Pearl feeling fear tightened her grip on my arm, immediately her expression changed from curious to uncertain. 'What if people start hunting for our cores again?'

Bejeweled City

After telling Diana about our meeting with the rabbit, I saw no use for my abilities so I left the other Jumis to decide on their next move. I was about to retire in my own chamber when Esmeralda went up to me.

'I know two things that could equal our cores but I do not think these exist anymore' she told me as she gasped for breath. She showed a sad guilty expression as she clasped her hands together in front of her.

'Why tell me?' I asked her. I blinked twice as I waited for her reply and then added 'Why not tell Diana or Rubens?'

'That's because I trust you!' She told me. Breathing hard, she saw a surprised look on my face and then said 'You were the one who saved our race even when it seemed impossible!'

'I didn't do it alone.' I felt my face heat up with embarrassment as the memory of the whole event with Maya went rushing into my mind like a wild crab running away from some deranged foot trying to step on the little critters; I turned away from her. 'Maya helped me…'

'Please…save Florina' she cried allowing tears to slide down her face. 'It was my fault…this could not have happened if…if…'

'Please don't cry…' I told her as I turned to face her again. 'I'll go look for it…'

'Really?' Her face lit up again as she stated 'The Eye-of-Flame and the Seventh Moon…either one can equal our cores…but the Eye-of-Flame are in the possession of Magnolia which gives her life; the Seventh Moon, however, may not exist anymore but the last place it was seen was in the Mindas ruins…'

'Elazul!' Pearl called from behind Esmeralda. 'Why did you leave without me?'

I gave Esmeralda a reassuring look. 'Don't worry…I will find the Seventh Moon.'

Mindas Ruins

I stared at the carvings on the very top of the temple; Truth be told, it was beautiful if it was not old and ancient–like. Anyway, I'm here on a promise to find something that's considered gone. Sometimes I think I'm becoming very gullible.

I examined the carvings that depicted a dragon of some sort with red eyes…Wait! The eyes… could be it! I reached for the eyes and pried it off with great difficulty but after a few minutes, it finally came off. This should be it!

I examined the stone, which felt warm for a brief moment, some more before placing it in my pocket.

Thud!

'Owww!'

I looked at my attacker, which just stood there like a rock; actually, it was rock, which started shaking along with all the other rocks around. Before I knew it, I was running for my life from a whole tidal wave of rocks that I must have triggered by taking the red stone; behind me were flowerlings and sproutlings also running for their skins though they did not have skins, anyway, we all ran for our lives.

I squinted and saw the gates of the ruins in sight. I was almost there when an ugly red flowerling overtook me and took with it the Seventh Moon!

'Damn it!' I cursed it, waving my fist at it. 'Give that back, you moron!'

A rock hit my head again causing me to lose sight of the stupid flowerling that took the stone. DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!

I finally reached safety. Surely, no avalanche of rocks could get me from here. I assured myself. I found myself surrounded by monsters and flowerlings that once inhabited the ruins; from there, I searched for the idiotic plant thing that stole my stone.

Red…red…red I repeated in my thoughts as I scan the area for a red flowerling and there it was, about to leave the ruins! Oh, man!

I went after it with great difficulty for all the other flowerlings were now trying to block my path and another group of monsters were pulling on my cloak. They must be protecting the Seventh Moon.

'Shit!' I continued on cursing them as I tried to pry my cloak off their grip. 'Let me go stupid monsters!' Pulling my sword out, I threatened the monsters with it as I watched the red flowerling run out of my sight.

DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! I tightened my grip on my sword and frantically waved it at the monsters. After a few fits and uncontrolled curses, the hideous creatures finally released me. Panting and gasping for breath, I kept my sword away and intended on searching for the red flowerling. Where did the stupid flowerling go? The same thing continued on my head frustrating me more and more by the minute.

'Where's my stone, you stupid plant?' I red flowerling hung from my grasp; it was wriggling to get free but my grip was stronger than ever.

'Lemme go! I don't know what you're talking about!' I pulled my sword out and threatened the plant some more. Seeing the shiny blade, it wriggled some more.

'Oh! You know what I'm talking about now spit it out! Where's my rock?' I pointed the tip of my sword on its neck though I don't think it had a neck, anyway I pointed it where I thought the neck was if it had a neck…

'Put that down!' trying to push the blade away, it now tried jerk me with its itsy-bitsy legs. 'I don't know where your rock is! The onion took it away!'

'Onion?' Setting the plant free, I repeated it. A series of thought spun in my head as I tried to remember for any onion-like creature.

'Owww!'

Before running for safety, the plant took a rock and aimed it at my knee.

'Damn stupid plant…' Massaging my knee, I glowered at it.

'Oh it's you!' the onion-boy growled trying to suppress the urge to hurt me. 'What do you want from me?'

What is this thing's problem with me? I don't remember doing him wrong…I effortlessly thought but deliberately forgot it.Ignoring his tone of voice, I commanded it 'Give me the stone the flowerling gave you!'

'First of all, I have a name and it's Duelle!' Pointing his miniature spear, it scowled at me.

'Second of all, why should I tell you that I gave the stone to a boink?' it told me without realization of what it said.

'A boink?' Running off, I repeated the same word three times. Maybe I should stop repeating what other people are saying…

'Boink!'

'Damn it! Not again!' I became frustrated, as this has been the third time I asked the same Boink that kept teleporting me further down the cave.

I ran up to it again this time, intent on staying more than thirty feet away from it. I have to get that stone back!

'FOR – THE – LAST – TIME, WHERE – IS – MY – ROCK?' I asked it, trying to hide my impatience.

'Boink!' It squealed as light enveloped me again. Bullshit! Not again!

I was plummeting towards the ground again but this time It did not send me further inside the cave. This time, it sent me to a junkyard of toys.

'How'd I get here?'

'Boink!'

'No! I don't want to go!' I told it as I ran away from it.

I stopped at an archway of toys and gasped for breath. Stupid Boink! Sending me to places I don't want to go!

Where am I? Well, I might as well look ahead. Maybe the giant pig is up to something…

I followed the path of toys while meeting a few rogue ones. After some time, my walking led to a dead end.

Stupid Boink! I blamed the boink in my head as if all that can do anything to change.

'It is not everyday I meet with Jumis.' Someone said from behind, its voice was cold, sending shivers on my skin.

I turned around to see but no one was there. 'Who are you? Where are you?'

'Down here you dope!' a doll hardly reaching the height of my knee called. 'I am Magnolia.'

'Uhm…' I stared at it. I've never seen a doll move like it was alive so I became stunned. 'YOU'RE A TALKING DOLL!'

'Yes, I understand that…' It sweatdropped. 'Why are you here?'

The bottom of my lips quivered in odd amazement. 'YOU'RE TALKING DOLL!'

'ALRIGHT ALREADY! I KNOW THAT! NOW, WHAT DO YOU WANT?' It peevishly growled.

I shook my surprise off and pretended that I was talking to another normal being that could not understand normal language so I stated each syllable as clearly as I could. 'I – AM – LU – KI – ING – FO – OR – AY – RE – ED – STO – OWN'

'Are you mocking me?' It asked me as he rolled his eyes in irritation.

Realizing that this doll is perfectly able to talk, I became comfortable with it and concentrated on asking my question. 'I am looking for a red stone. Have you seen it?'

'Finally! Yes, I've seen it but I gave it away to someone who could use it…' Magnolia stated.

'Where is it?' I asked her, hoping that this time it would be much easier.

'I gave it to Watts but he told me he did not have any use for it so he concluded on giving it to his apprentice.'

'Apprentice?' I repeated again blinking more than usual.

END OF FLASHBACK

THIRD PERSON POV

Elazul woke from his daze expression finding Maya staring at the sky as well.

'Why are you staring at the sky?' He asked her.

'Well the two of you were staring at the sky so I got curious.' Maya said in a matter-of-factly way.

Thump!

'Owww! What you do that for?' Maya growled as she rubbed the back of her head. Pearl merely giggled.

'Never mind that! Anyway, I went to Watts to ask him who his apprentice is and he said it was you and the stone was on its way with some Pelican! When I got to the Pelican, it said the rock was already on your doorstep. Pearl was waiting for me in the tavern and from there we made our way here.'

'Man, today is not your lucky day, is it?' Maya concluded as she nodded with affirmation. 'I gave it to Rachel this morning.'

A/N: that's the first chappy! hope you like it! hope you like it nod nod yes yes well now that I'm here I want to explain that there will be romance in here…soon…that is if anybody likes to read this….and wants it continued…well for me to continue this I should Atleast have 2 reviews! I know I'm a bit arrogant but I don't want to waste time doing things other people don't even like…after all I live to make other people happy!now don't be shy and review! Please don't hate me for making elazul a bit, lets say, off…but I did say there is major ooc-ness here…oh yes! before i forget! i just want to say that i will revise this story soon...ehehehe...i'm almost done with it anyway this is for the sake of everyone who will read this and likes reading it...and for seo for sayaing i should do so...