Act IV, Chapter I
Secrets come to Light
I screamed as I woke for the next several weeks. I screamed and was terrified as I woke, but I could never remember anything that happened in my dreams. The angel on my right shoulder told me it was a nightmare, but the devil on my left told me it was the future that woke me screaming. I kind of hope the angel was right, but since I've never before woken screaming like that, I think the devil was right.
The angel and the devil have been more outspoken lately, they take my attention from people talking to me, by saying rude things (the devil) or gasping in indignation when anyone says something rude (the angel). I kind of hope I'm not as annoying as the angel, nor so mean as the devil. But I hope I'm seen as having more angel than devil in me.
"Mami? Are you listening to me?" Usagi asked one day when the angel and devil were having a heated debate over whether killing was ever justified. The angel said there was never a good reason to so much as hurt another creature, even when they've done worse to others. The devil said that it was fine to kill anyone, as long as they weren't doing anything important (like saving YOUR life). Of course I fell in the middle, I thought that killing someone who has purposely hurt, or killed another simply from the enjoyment of it could be killed, but anyone else had a right to their own existence, and their life should never be taken.
"No, I'm sorry I wasn't listening, I was…daydreaming," It probably wouldn't do to tell her I was listening to two voices which were basically in my head.
"Oh, well I said that I think I figured out what Emma was talking about that day,"
"What day?"
"The day you were listening in on our conversations with Mico. The day you regained your hearing, and met Emma" Usagi answered sounded exasperated. The angel and the devil were still battling it out, but the topic seemed to have changed to the practical uses of magic, both in the past and in the present day when magic is shunned as ignorant.
"Oh, the thing about my court? But I don't think I have all my court, first of all I don't have Prince Michael,"
"Who was Prince Michael?" Usagi sounded excited Perhaps she was hoping to find him.
"The man I ended up setting Elle up with. I was reliving that day in my last life the same day that I met Emma,"
"Anyone else?" There was a sort of feverous glint in her eyes. I think that's what made the angel and devil turn to look at her.
"Umm…Well I guess there was Emalia, but she would come from the future like Emma. Same for Rose, or Jasson Elizabeth maybe? But she was supposed to be killed in the battle where the Dragon tried to take over our kingdom when she thought we would be frail, I doubt she would have been reborn this soon, her power was as great as Malia's, or close. I suppose that Mari could be considered, although during my time she was still rather young, or Michelle, she was generally close to court matters. So I suppose that Mari and Michelle are the only ones to worry about, well other than Michael of course,"
"Who are they?"
"Michelle was the second Immortal, she was very active in court politics, but she killed herself fairly early in my reign. No one's quite sure why she would so such a thing, but she did. In fact Michelle was the one who told Elle about how my locket functioned, and gave it to Elle, so that Elle might in turn give it to me.
"You see my parents were trying to marry me off to a man with great political power so that he might take the throne, and control in my place. My parents didn't think that I was suitable to inherit the throne, because I couldn't control the power I had been born with. But Elle got wind of the plan, and decided to help me escape our father's plotting, she needed help so she turned to Michelle, who as I said was very active in court.
"the other Immortals, Elizabeth and Malia, were a bit more reticent during that period. Elizabeth taught magic to the pages, but didn't participate in any kind of politics at all. In fact she seemed to shun them completely. I think her story is rather sad. Well how she became an Immortal at least.
"Elizabeth was often called the 'Middle Sister' The Immortals were often referred to as the 'Three Sisters', even though they rarely saw each other and had basically no blood relation. Elizabeth was born during an era of peace between Malia's birth, and Michelle's.
"Elizabeth was born with one eye blind, and often went to trouble to hide it when I knew her. When Elizabeth was in her late teens, or perhaps it was her early twenties, she met a young man and fell in love with him. He never really noticed her as a woman, but treated her with the respect that was expected for a mage in training. This man was likewise a mage in training, but was much weaker in the Power than Elizabeth. Elizabeth once revealed to him that she liked him, and would like to be more familiar with him.
"He rejected her. She was so stunned and hurt that she closed off her emotions, and became an Immortal. Her power's physical manifestation was as a small silver broken heart. But it hurt her so much to see it, that she asked Malia to wear it in her hair along with the key to her own power, and any number of other protective charms.
"Malia still wears it in her hair, I think.
"Mari is a completely different story. Mari is a very serious young woman, who is very much in love with her cat. She is actually Malia's daughter, but she didn't know that until Alianne led her group deep into the Hall of Doors, and entered another time period of our world, far back when Malia had a husband. I don't remember him, but I think that when he died it must have hurt Malia terribly. But Mari grew up very slowly. It took her a hundred years to reach the capabilities of a four year old. And so when she was old enough Malia left Mari in the care of whoever was at court at the time, and Malia fled into the seclusion you can find only in the deep mountains, or the deep forest.
"But Malia often came to the capital to check on the state of affairs, and to check on her daughter. Mari was not truly an Immortal, but I think that she must have still been alive, if very old when the world fell. But even if she wasn't she lived long past my last life. In fact at the end of my life she only looked to be around fourteen or so."
"That was a really long explanation," Usagi said in a sort of wondering awe.
"I suppose it was,"
I could feel my headache getting worse. It's strange, my headaches had gone away after I lost my sight, but today I had one again, and it was a pretty bad one. The devil keeps telling me that I'm going to die, but I doubt that she's right.
"Rose?" I was with Lan today. Isn't it funny how many names I respond to so easily?
"Yes?" I hadn't been paying attention. The angel and devil were in the middle of a word game, and I was figuring out the answers as they went along.
"I just asked if you would like to go for a walk. You keep furrowing your forehead like you're in pain," Lan was so sweet to suggest that.
"Yes, I have a headache today, so I was sort of wanting to do something," I said with a smile. I don't know if I actually directed to smile towards him, but it was close enough.
Lan helped me up and led me off. I don't know where we went as we walked but eventually I felt the ground give a little under my feet. I stopped and bounced a little.
"Are we in a park or something?" I asked still springing lightly.
"Yes, we are in a small park close to your house," Lan said lightly.
"Ah, I know this place then, I first met you near here right?"
"Yes, it was over to the South of the park though, we're to the north. Here, sit and I'll go get you an ice cream," Lan said leading me to a bench. I reached behind me and found the edge of the seat.
"Okay then," I smiled and sat. I folded my hands in my lap and started listening to the conversation being held on my two shoulders.
"How long do you think it will take?" That was the angel's soft melodious voice.
"I don't think she'll ever figure it out. Nope. Just look at that blank stare. If she was going to figure it out she would have already," That the devil's deep and rough voice, it was almost masculine, but it was obviously a woman's voice.
"No, I think she'll get it eventually, I mean even she can't be that slow…right?" The angel sounded a little unsure.
"Well whatever. Cards?" The devil suggested with rustle of cards being shuffled.
"of course!"
Those two will be the death of me. What were they even talking about? I kind of wanted to strangle them, but I don't think that figments of your imagination will die. That's sad.
"Mami?" A voice asked from somewhere in front of me. It was Lance.
"Yes?" I asked staring forward.
"I thought it was you. I was going to tell you tomorrow in class, but I guess that since you're here and all…well I wanted to tell you that I'm transferring out soon,"
"What? Are you leaving? Why?" I didn't get that, what?
"Well-" He started but he was cut off by a scream. I yanked Mico out of my pocket (he was disguised as a mini pen today, does he get any stupider? I sure hope not).
I reached my hand forward and felt my transformation pen fall into my hand. I lifted it and cried out "Ruby Rose Transformation!" I opened the Mini-Computer in my hand.
"What's up Mico?"
"There was a disturbance of power on the other side of the park. It seems to be stronger, and more concentrated than ever before. This is a different power, and a force to be reckoned with," Mico told me calmly as a slightly pink vision fell over my eyes and smothered the blackness.
I ran with all my might where Mico showed me with subtle (not) clues, the power was coming from. It was to the South-west part of the park, but because of what Lan said earlier I was suddenly reminded of de jévu. I just hope that it won't be the exact same, because Rose intruded at the worst moment.
Between several trees I saw a malicious glow. You might wonder how I know it was malicious, but if you saw it you would know too. It was a glow, but it wasn't really light, I think in a way it was the absence of light. But maybe that isn't right either perhaps the only way you can understand is if you see it yourself, but I hope you never have to.
As I rushed up I saw a young girl in the middle of the light The moment I saw the outline of that dress I knew that my dream had been true, and out opponents really were the same ones we had faced before. You see it was the Dragon.
"Ah little princess. It seems that I'm littler than you this time doesn't it?" She asked in her cute little girl voice. It bugged me.
"Yes, and you were never brave enough to actually face me last time were you?" I pointed out the fact that she had sent assassins and spies to kill me last time.
"You never came after me either," Of course I hadn't. At the time I was a little busy with other things, like a brand new baby, and a slight rebellion in the West.
"I was busy, you weren't a real threat, so I didn't bother. Besides cleaning Emma up was harder than killing you would have been anyway," I said turning my head to the side in that distinctive anime-I-don't-really-care-what-you-say-I-still-think-you're-wrong sort of way.
"That's why you sent a stupid little girl and her boyfriend after me? Because you were cleaning up baby drool? How pathetic," She looked so derisive She started so turn, so I kind of missed dodging the rather large column of purple light that came flying at me. In fact if the Ruby Rose (currently pinned to the front of my uniform)hadn't floated forward and absorbed most of the attack, and deflected the rest I'm pretty sure she would have killed me.
I lifted my hands around the Ruby Rose. It glowed softly as if floated between my fingers.
"Nadilire? Will you focus my power? Instead of suppressing it, could you make it greater, and focus towards her? In fact we can send all that nasty violet light right back to her," I whispered to the red stone. It's color softened and became pink. I unleashed all my rage, all my hurt, everything at the other woman. Nadilire turned black with all the power and sent a pink and gold spray of power at the other woman. The Dragon screamed and escaped into more of that glow that's sort of the absence of light Nadilire expended my left over power to help the plants around me to grow larger. And did they get big.
I turned around cradling the little stone in my hands, and found Elle, Osseus, Lan, and a scout I didn't know looking at me strangely.
"Princess," The new scout said softly and touched Nadilire with a finger. Elle, Osseus, and Lan reached forward and did the same.
Nadilire glowed pink and surrounded us all with a rosy light. When it dissipated It was Princess Elle in the only gown she owned, Queen Hannah in her most formal attire, Malia in the Soft Dress, and King Lan dressed for his position, and I was seeing with doubled vision.
"Malia, you're a scout?" I asked hugging Nadilire to my chest. It was then that I noticed that Mico was gone. I looked down at Nadilire, but it was also Mico wasn't it?
"Of course. What did you think I was going to do with all that power?" Malia asked softly.
"Thank you everyone, for restoring my sight," I looked down to see I was in an elegant dress of simple cut. At the bottom it was a deep blue, almost black, the faded out to white around the V-cut neck, the long loose sleeves got very dark near the ends as well. I guess I was dressed as Queen Rose then. Which one, I couldn't tell you.
"You're back Rose," Lan said softly.
"And so are you…Lance,"
