Whoo hoo! I was able to pen another chapter before the end of the year. Maybe I'll be able to pen the whole thing before the end of next year. LOL!
So here we go, chapter ten. A meanwhile chapter, but one I liked writing a lot. I used this piece to tie up a few loose ends in the story. With those out of the way, we can begin to approach the climax.
R&R. Thanks for continuing to favourite and support this story. Enjoy.
~Dreams under the Crescent Moon
10 ~the sun spark and his moon
The forest shimmered as Pegasus galloped through. The tree's trucks were silver, their vegetation a deep dark blue. The ground was like grounded copper, the flowers and fruits like precious stones. He leaped over rubies, topaz, and amethyst. This was not Elysium. He was running through a dream world but not his. The bio-hybrid plants told him he was in Rini's kingdom, Crystal Tokyo.
But why? Why was he here? How did he get here? He puzzled but continue to run. His legs moved on their own, determined, telling him he needed to be here. There was something he had to see, had to find. The copper ground ended and a marble sidewalk began. Pegasus stopped and closed his eyes, picturing his human form. He opened his eyes and pushed against the ground with his human hands. Even without his hooves, he took ginger steps. Marble seemed all well and good in a shopping malls, but having it replace concrete outdoor dumbfounded Helios. He knew the goal of the kingdom was to progress hybrid bio- technological advances and create structures of natural, hard materials that would withstand the test of time. He however preferred and missed fresh, old fashion soil and grass. Of course, only the land of the palace was subjected to the artificial-bio hybrids, the scouts worked hard now to replenish the planet's life sources.
Helios closed his eyes and summoned his wings. A force, a feeling, a pressure that both pushed and tugged at his chest, telling him to hurry. He was here to see or find something. He winched a little as he felt his wings prickle and grow out of his back. They were large, the length of his body, with great white feathers. He folded them a bit when they painfully nudged against tree branches. He carefully took a few steps forward, then tested his wings by flapping them a bit. He then bent his knees a bit and kicked the ground, summersaulting while flapping his wings, rising high into the sky. He gazed at the tall, crystal pointed palace. Crystal Toyko was a city, mapped out as a large, five pointed star, and at its centre was the Crystal tower. Legend said, the tower was created combine the powers of both the silver crystal and the golden crystal of the King and Queen. Helios flew towards the tower then dropped to the palace grounds.
Helios reached the five star gardens, the one Rini had lead him to before. Curious, he stepped forward wondering what he had missed. He came to a small labyrinth, surrounding a lush green garden of Venus fly traps. Soft, green glowing fire flies floated around the lush leaves of the diamond shaped shrubs. In a five pointed structure stood clustered of different plants, all a stunning shade of green. Cabbage plants, Green Irises and carnations, evergreen bushes, five pointed Green Milkweed with purple anthers, jade plants and bonsai trees. The labyrinth was only three rows thick, surrounding the garden. At t centre of the garden was a shimmering pond. The surface held rich green lily pads with delicate, jeweled pink and yellow lilies. Bright mint frogs hopped on the lily pads, weary of the deep green eels that swam in the lake. They would occasionally bob their heads at the surface, sending vast crackles of electricity. Helios was in Jupiter's garden. Green damsel flies and leaf shaped butterflies rested in pairs on the lily pads, a fire fly, glowing like a still candle floated down for each, while the frogs and salamanders stood watch. The lake continued to spit and spark with blots, but it was calm, like a romantic light show for the viewing pairs Helios smiled, passing through satisfied there was nothing amiss in this Garden.
Some feet away he came to the last unfamiliar garden. It was as if the dusk had not set but laid here to rest for the night. He came to a circle of white Amaryllis Aphrodite, beautiful five petal flowers, with wavy pink edges. They created a wreath that contained the Garden. A den of yellow limestone that glitter with infused Topaz sheltered a family of pale foxes; mother, father and two cubs. The rest of the plants and flowers were planted in a bright, light brown clay soil. There were large, elegant yellow tulips and sunflowers, bunches of pale marigolds, buttercups, yellow roses, and daisies. Stand below each group of flowers stood a miniature circle, of upside down bulb yellow Lady's Slippers. At centre of this garden stood four lemon trees, bearing almond shaped yellow, sour fruit. Each tree held a branch which hung off of a golden-brown bee hive. Most of the chubby bumbles were asleep, but one or two poked out of the hive and flew around. Yellow lady bugs crawled on the leaves of flowers, and pale monarch butterflies fluttered about the patch of milk weed. The path lead within and through the garden was made of bright yellow and orange Citrine stone. Helios trended carefully, particularly fond of both stones. He smiled at the cupid arrow orchids, releasing golden pollen. Princess Venus; garden did not disappoint. All of the love, beauty, and light was here, and nothing appeared to have tainted it. Therefore, Helios moved on leaving the five Gardens behind. He was now approaching the South court yard, facing the small forest and orchards. Again, a gut feeling, a knowledge of urgency told him to keep going. He paused however, turning back, behind him stood a set of white stair cases leading to the veranda, gated by a white column fence, behind it the crystal doors of the back of the place creaked opened, and as if gliding, Neo Queen Serenity emerged.
She glowed like a new glittering star. Her long, ivory tresses fell nearly to the ground, not tied up in her usual buns. From what Helios saw, she was dressed in a satin night gown and a flowing white house coat of pure, heavy silk over top. She placed two hands on the railing, gazing up into the night. Helios slowly hid behind a pillar, but kept his eyes on the lovely Queen. She remained a symbol of everlasting hope and love.
Before the door closed, another figure emerged. The king, without his mask in a rich, deep navy house coat. He walked towards his Queen, wrapping his arms lovingly around her. Helios was now confused, unless he traveled in dreamscape to Crystal Tokyo, but remained a shadow. Still he hid and watched as the king and queen spoke softly, exchanging short kisses in the night. Helios smiled and slowly turned around, literally tip-toed away, leaving the monarchs to their romantic evening.
He entered the woods slowly, stepping on soft glittering ground. Helios sighed, breathing in the scent of damp moss, the sweet bark of the trees. It had recently rained, he noted, which gave the soil its shine. It felt good to be in the natural woods. He knew it was here where he would find it. The force guided him. The message he's come to retrieve. He kept his wings folded, close to his body, his golden horn stood dull to help keep him hidden in the darkness. There was no path in these woods so Helios tried to steady himself on the uneven ground. The roots of the dozens of trees grew freely, webs of them sticking out on the top soil, crisscrossing, connected to each other and the earth. He was impressed and began to recant his feelings towards the kingdom and its landscaping. The forest was as pure as it could ever be.
He focused on his feelings now, the push and pull of his body to direct him. The pulling was becoming stronger. It grew from the pace of heart beat to the patter of a racing rabbit. Helios picked up speed. He sensed it now, within and outside of him. A stale taste, a hard scent lingered in his mind. This was a malicious. An evil had called him here. He paused and frowned, gritting his teeth. The horn on his head flashed. It was a pulse now, in his body that began in his head and traveled down to his feet. Feeling the pulse inside him, his anger turned into relief. No he sighed, a guide, one of warning was bringing him to the malice. A malice that had somehow made its way to Crystal Tokyo. He unfurled his wings in a snap. The trees whipped passed Helios. His body was horizontal, launched through the woods like an arrow. His target he soon realized was indeed rd. He followed the pounding, the pluses in his body, his heart pointed the way.
He reached a deep part of the woods, where the tall trees had a blue hue. They stood almost turned away from a ditch that cradle broken, fallen tree. Among them was an electric, red flame. It floated above the tree grave yard. Twisting among itself, eagerly burning the wood. He lowered his body and faced his foe.
The flame hissed, and a bolt snapped at Helios, stripping his upper sleeve, burning deep in his arm. Helios replied by shooting multiple golden lights from his horn. He whined but was perked to see the red flame spit and weaken as it was hit by his light. He took a deep breath and concentrated. He raised his hand and touched his horn, then pulled his hand a way, taking with it a strip of light. The light, molded by his thoughts became a sharp, golden sword. With both hands he held the sword, pointed at his foe.
The electric flame was spitting and turning. Claw like hands, three turning into four, molding into five whipped out from the flame. Helios raised his sword in front of him horizontally, bracing for an attack. All five hands stretched out, one or two at a time took turns snapping furiously as Helios. He was able to block the first three but while blocking two hands, he couldn't twist his sword fast enough to get a third hand that reach into his shoulder, melted into a spear head and stabbed through. He bit back an agonizing scream. He lowered his sword, spun it below the hands and sliced. The flames sputter with multiple loud sizzles. It twisted angrily, the arm inside Helios turned into specs and disappeared where the sword had sliced. Running on adrenaline and anger, Helios took aim and threw his sword into the centre. When the sword hit, the flame absorbed it and seemed to give a hollow moan. The flame turned into a golden light and exploded, the light hit Helios, throwing him back.
His mind went black. His body seemed to float. The woods were gone. Crystal Tokyo was gone. Suspended in empty space. In the back of his mind, in the darkness of his eyelids, he saw the dying flame. It had turned golden yellow and was slowly breaking into little sparks. As the flame was disappearing however, Helios noticed the flame had a tail. No, a root. The flame twisted down and outwards, into a long, rope of fire. It was spinning and twisting, like a vines carrying energy that flowed. Somehow Helios mind drifted and his followed the roots as it was disappearing bit by bit. He followed the melting sparks, down, down, down till Helios saw deep, in the earth the soil had a blue hue. There was a great womb in the ground, filled with a massive ball of red, electric fire. Similar to the one he just fought. Claw like hands, stretched out of the flames, the arms seemed to be digging in the earth, to attack another land, to attack multiple lands. Here was the source, beneath a land of rich dark soil, a land Helios knew very well.
The pluses had started again, the ones that had pulled him to Crystal Tokyo. It thumped gently in the back of his mind and pulled him back. He didn't fight it. Instead he allowed it to pull him away from the horrific, mammoth flames. Darkness clouded his eyes, a gentle darkness. In it he saw the tiny sparks of stars, making the dark a deep blue. He floated gently through the night, a cool air lulling his wounded spirit. Yes. He understood now. It had all been through dream scape. The travels, the battle. The visions. Shortly, the sky stopped and began to fade. He felt his body now, his legs felt heavy, his chest rose and fell quickly as he became aware of his breath. He felt a hand rest on his fore head, a warm, gentle, soft hand. The stars were gone and in their place a heart shaped face with sweet crimson eyes gazed at him. Her hair, up in the rabbit ear buns he loved so much, and an anxious smile spread on her face.
"Hey there," Rini said softly.
"Hi," he whispered back. He had so much to tell her, so much to warn. But he held back. His whole journey was a warning, of a threat that was coming, but it ended with a message of hope, and he was staring right at it.
Yes, I did not forget the last two garden in Crystal Tokyo, and I always meant to go back and finish them. They are important, but you'll have to keep reading to find out how.
For now, the stage is set. We've met all the players. I'm gearing up for some intense writing for the next few chapters. And yes, more moments between my favourite SM couple.
Thanks again for reading. Stay tuned for more.