A/N: Hello friends! I've had this story sitting in my drafts for quite some time, and finally decided to begin posting it! The whole premise of this story came from AZALEA's song "Galaxy Hide and Seek", so I recommend listening to it (particularly just the sound and tone of the music, though the words do kind of match). I hope you will enjoy! xx Cafalla
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Oblation Of The Starlight
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"Counselor Dia, Scholar Hanamaru…do you accept this quest?"
Dia stood still, her heart heavy in her chest at the request by her queen. She stared up at Queen Mari who was seated on a worn throne. The ruler had bags under her eyes, and her skin was pale to the point of being translucent.
She was on her last leg, Dia realized, and this request was her – no, humanity's - last hope.
Their planet was dying and according to the Queen, the only way left to restore life to their home was to find a mysterious ruin that would only reveal itself to the three people who harbored the Azalea stone. After a few days of stewing over the information, Queen Mari decided that the ancient text Scholar Hanamaru had uncovered from the royal library was something that needed to be pursued.
The tome mentioned a mysterious ruin as a storage house of renewed life, whatever that was supposed to mean.
Apparently when the world was destined to cycle in and out of despair indefinitely. The lock needed to unleash this everlasting energy materialized in the form of stones, with the current set housing the name of Azalea. They were entrusted upon birth only to three "chosen ones", so to speak.
Dia was one of them.
The counselor wasn't sure what to think of it all – the Queen had always been rather eccentric and deeply believed in unconventional solutions.
Queen Mari had once thought the answer to healing the kingdom of a sickness outbreak was to give everyone glittery trinkets, because according to her, looking at pretty, shiny things was enough to make anyone feel better. Luckily Healer Riko, the head physician of the castle, was able to work with Alchemist Yoshiko to create a vaccine.
Riko was a kind woman, and while administering vaccinations, also handed out the trinkets Queen Mari had worked on with the help of Artist Chika and Chef You.
The vaccine worked, and many of the villagers held on to and displayed the trinkets from the Queen for years afterwards. Some had even come to request counsel with the Queen to thank her for her gifts to speak of how the trinkets helped them smile, and gave them hope when they thought they would perish from sickness.
While Queen Mari's shiny trinkets didn't exactly physically heal the kingdom, they did heal the hearts of her subjects and safeguarded their faith and trust in her. Dia had to admit the Queen's solution, while unconventional and seemingly useless, had worked out well in an unexpected way.
But that was back when the grass was green and people had a future to look towards.
The solution she offered now in their current hour of despair…well, Dia wasn't so sure it could result in a happy ending.
That was if they were even able to succeed.
The only information they had to go on was from an old tome written by a previous scholar who had presumably been alive during the last cycle of decay. The text was outlandish, if not outright ridiculous, in Dia's opinion.
The planet had started dying a few years ago, and Queen Mari had desperately been working with other kingdoms to find a solution to cease the deterioration of their world.
Time ticked past them; the skies darkened, the farmlands withered, and as fissures cracked open to release monsters in the valleys, civilians from all over began to panic and lose faith in their kingdoms, resulting in dispersal. Communication between the kingdoms ceased when there were no more messengers to send, much less any people left to keep a kingdom together.
All that was left of their castle was the west wing– the east wing had collapsed roughly a year ago from an earthquake. The village around the castle was left in ash from a monster attack, and only the most loyal of subjects remained with the Queen, holed up in what was left of the castle to try and survive.
They had been trying to come up with ideas to heal their planet, rid the monsters, and restore peace, but the task proved to be too monumental, and their efforts had been fruitless.
Or at least they were, until Scholar Hanamaru discovered the worn tome that had sparked hope back into the Queen's eyes.
Dia had read the text herself, and was skeptical to the existence of the ruins, much less that there was something inside them that could restore their planet that currently was resting on its death bed.
The raven haired girl glanced down at her right hand, the one that harbored her Azalea stone. She had been born with the strange blood red stone - the one she recently learned was called an Azalea stone - which roughly resembled a crude looking heart. The stone took up the majority of the space on the back of her right hand, and while it was definitely uncommon to be born with a stone embedded in one's skin, no one really thought much past it.
It was a defining feature at most, like a mole or a scar, and everyone grew accustomed to her being the woman with the stone on her hand.
That is, until another woman with a stone on her hand showed up.
That woman being Hanamaru, the castle's recently appointed scholar, who currently stood silent at Dia's side.
She was a couple years younger than Dia and had traveled to Queen Mari's kingdom in search of knowledge and refuge. The Queen took an instant liking to the small woman with a foreign dialect, and allowed her to manage the castle library.
Hanamaru had always worn thin leather gloves to cover up her Azalea stone, with the excuse that it helped prevent paper-cuts while shuffling through books and paperwork, so no one ever knew she possessed it. The court had only found out a year after her residency when she allowed her friend, Lady Ruby, to gaze upon the amber star-shaped stone. Ruby had instantly recognized it as one just like Dia's.
Ah, Ruby.
Hanamaru was humble and gentle, and she became a close friend to Dia's dear younger sister, Ruby. Ruby did not currently hold a title within the Queen's court beyond that of a lady, but she had been warmly adopted into their circle after Dia became Queen Mari's right hand woman.
As counselor, Dia helped manage and explain the workings of the things that usually went over Mari's head, such as the finances, politics, and laws of the kingdom. Queen Mari was excellent in being the face of a ruler for the people to love and seek direction from, though she herself often sought out guidance and companionship from her counselor.
Dia loved and respected Queen Mari as her friend and ruler, and she had always remained loyal to the queen's wishes.
That is, until this request.
The text spoke of three Azalea stones holders, and currently there were two that they knew of – Hanamaru and herself. If all three Azalea stones were together, the ruins would open, allowing the stone holders to access and unleash the life force that was said to be within the ruins.
That meant whoever possessed the other Azalea stone was out there somewhere, and Queen Mari had just asked them to go find that person.
It wasn't embarking on a quest to save humanity that Dia was hung up on – she was loyal to Queen Mari and would do whatever the woman asked of her. They had exhausted every outlet, and this was their final chance, no matter how big of a stretch it was. She was skeptical, but willing to give it a shot.
Dia was not willing, however, to leave her sister.
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Queen Mari waited patiently as the two women before her thought about her request. Her attention was caught by a flash of red, and she looked up, spotting Dia's sister hiding behind one of the broken pillars near the entrance to the room.
Ruby's eyes widened as she realized the Queen had caught sight of her.
Mari offered the younger woman an apologetic smile before turning her eyes back to focus on her counselor and resident scholar, neither of whom had yet to notice Ruby's presence.
She knew Ruby had overheard everything, and was surprised that the usually frantic worrywart had remained quiet to watch the scene unfold.
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Ice blue eyes softly regarded solemn amber ones as they weighed their options. Despite not saying anything, Dia could sense the resolve in Hanamaru. The scholar shared the same hesitation towards leaving Ruby behind.
Both women were loyal to their Queen, but were more so loyal to their dearest loved one.
They worried about Ruby's fate if they were to leave – what if the castle was attacked while they were gone?
Luckily no such thing has happened following the initial monster attack, as the beasts tended to dwell out in the fields and forests rather than constantly look for humans to attack. She would be left in the care of the Queen and the rest of the trusted court…but even so, they couldn't leave her alone.
Even though it appeared the world may depend upon them doing exactly that.
Hanamaru's eyes begged Dia to be the one to turn the Queen down.
Dia understood the scholar's wish to stay on her Queen's positive side, and as the older of the two and the one closest to the Queen, Dia knew she had to be the one to speak first.
"Your highness," Dia started, her mouth suddenly feeling dry, "we want to honor your wishes, but I...we, can't leave Ruby."
Unable to meet Queen Mari's gaze, Dia turned to Hanamaru. Her bright amber eyes teared up with anxiety, but she held fast, refusing to let them fall. She could see the younger woman was slightly trembling, and Dia hoped she wasn't doing the same.
They both knew how terrible it was to outright deny their ruler, even if she was a warm and understanding one.
The Queen was silent for a moment as Dia's statement heavy in the air.
The blonde stood from her dilapidated throne and her bright eyes were now trained solely on the girl hiding on the other side of the room.
"What are your thoughts, Ruby?"
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Three heads snapped up at her words.
Dia and Hanamaru whirled around to see Ruby staring with wide doe eyes at their Queen. Her gaze then flicked between her sister and her best friend before she meekly emerge from behind a pillar, her face flushed over having been called out and brought to attention.
Just how long has Ruby been standing there, listening?
The red haired girl padded towards them, her short half-up pigtails bouncing despite her solemn steps. Dia felt her heart lodge in her throat at the conflicted look on her sister's face.
Everything she did was to protect Ruby, to give her a better life. As the older sister, she always hid the details of her job from Ruby, not wanting her to worry about the stress she had to deal with.
But now…Ruby knew the choice Dia was faced with, and she now knew her sister's answer.
Would Ruby feel guilty knowing her two closest people chose her over the potential revival of their world?
Dia waited with bated breath as Ruby stopped in front of her and Hanamaru.
She met Ruby's gaze, and their matching blue eyes swirled with emotion. The connection only lasted a second, and then Ruby looked to Hanamaru, who let out a small apology and a "zura" before lunging forward to embrace Ruby in a tight hug.
Ruby, normally the one being consoled, was unusually calm. She returned Hanamaru's embrace and gently rubbed her back.
"Please don't worry about me…you need to go."
Hanamaru immediately pulled back, and Dia stared at her sister in awe.
Ruby offered them a sad smile, "I'll be okay here. You heard what Queen Mari said…you two possess parts of the Azalea stone! Hanamaru winding up here and finding that book have to be a sign of some sort."
She reached forward to grab both of their hands – the hands that fostered the Azalea stones. "You two coming together was no coincidence, and I think the book is the answer we had been searching for all this time. There has to be a way to restore life the world, and I think you two hold parts of the key."
Ruby looked from her sister, to her best friend, then up to the Queen. Mari simply watched them with a bittersweet smile on her face.
The last thing she wanted to do was break them up, but what choice did they have when fate brought them together and signaled for them to embark on this mission?
"I know you two love me, and I don't know what may happen while you are gone. I don't want you to go because I know you both will be in danger, but you have to at least try! Dia, Hanamaru…both of you have protected me for so long, I know you can protect each other!" Ruby's voice began to break, and her grip tightened on their hands. "You two have done so much for me, but I have to ask you to do this. Please! Go find the other stone holder and save our world!"
The weight of reality weighed down upon the group.
Silent tears slid down Hanamaru's cheeks, and Dia's stomach did flip-flops.
When had Ruby become so mature?
Perhaps Dia's vision of her sister had been clouded by the fact they were siblings, and she had spent most of her time looking after the sensitive woman.
Maybe Ruby had always been this perceptive, and Dia just hadn't realized it until now.
Her sister never once asked anyone for anything, and here she was asking them to do something so dangerous, so uncertain…with the genuine belief that they could succeed and something good would come of it.
And because Dia and Hanamaru were deathly loyal to the small red haired woman, they would always do anything she asked of them.
Dia met Ruby's gaze evenly, and her voice held the weight of the world, "Ruby…are you sure?"
Her sister nodded as a confident smile appeared on her face. "If anyone can save the world, it's you two."
The conviction in her sister's voice was all Dia needed to hear.
Ruby was so sure in her faith that they should do this, that they could do this - it made Dia feel a renewed sense of duty.
They weren't just doing this for humanity's sake; she was doing it for Ruby, so that she could have the world.
Hanamaru turned to Dia, finally speaking for the first time since having been called to the room, "Ruby's right…we need to do this. I'm not sure if we hold the power to end this and restore the world…but we won't know if we try, right?"
Her lips curled into a small smile as she looked down at the sunshine-colored stone embedded into her hand that Ruby still held. "Maybe that book is just nonsense, but it mentions our stones…that has to count for something, zura."
Dia turned to the Queen, who glided down the steps toward them. The counselor spoke with determination lacing her voice, "We accept your quest. We'll prepare tonight and set off in the morning."
Dia's hand tightened around her sister's, who offered her a light squeeze in return.
Queen Mari stopped in front them, her hands clasped in front of her and eyes shining with pride, "I do not ask this of you two lightly. I understand the journey ahead is an uncertain one, but I believe you both will prevail. I desperately hope this isn't a wild goose-chase, but I'm certain either way you two will find something worthwhile out there."
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A/N: Thanks for your interest! Please feel free to let me know your thoughts so far! :) xx Cafalla