Chapter 20- Second Star to the Right
Lotus had wandered into the training room in a daze, her eyes foggy and movements distracted. Her attention seemed focused on silvery disc in her right hand, and her feet led her unsteadily towards Marie. The little girl had been watching Tyson and Hilary practice, but upon seeing her in such a condition the two had recalled their blades.
"Gazelle, are you feeling okay? You look kinda out of it…" the sapphire-haired boy commented quietly. Even this evoked no reaction. Ice-blue eyes sought out those of sweet chocolate brown. Silently, she placed the pendant around the little girl's neck, leaning foreword and whispering softly in her ear.
"My gift to you, as one I will call my daughter, and one who will follow in my footsteps as a noble Sokaiu maiden…" she murmured, and then drew back, leaving the child confused. She moved to stand on the other side of the stadium, and drew her blade, shimmering white and hues of crystal, from her pocket, attaching it to the launcher and looking up at the small girl with a challenge in her eyes. Marie began to protest, but was cut off.
"Don't argue, Marie. I think that Gazelle knows something we don't."
All were surprised to see Kai leaning against the doorframe, his gaze intent on his wife, worried, maybe, and perhaps a bit fearful. Marie followed suit, attaching Porcelain to her launcher and readying herself for the launch. Rei stepped up to the side of the dish.
"3… 2… 1… let it rip!"
The moment her blade hit the stadium, Gazelle charged. Hues of Ice clashed with that of china, and pulled apart briefly before continuing a brutal attack. Marie dodged as best she could, but… she couldn't handle it.
She was fast.
She was powerful.
She had an axe to grind.
Marie could feel her blade shudder beneath another heavy attack. Again and again she was struck, sometimes lightening fast like a viper, but much of her offense was a barrage that simply drove her back, pressing her into the outside wall without forgiveness.
Things faded.
The world around her was quieter; the clash of blades muted, as were the pleading of the others for Gazelle to lighten up. The vision of objects and people around her faded to black, until it was only herself, her opponent and their blades. Then she saw it. The glow surrounding the pendant that she'd just been given. The silver image of a great winged horse. There was a flash of darkness like light, deep blue and bright pink, and from that pendant emerged that selfsame creature. Marie could see it in all it's glory; it's body wrought of onyx, it's mane and tail the shifting hues of violet and midnight blue that tainted its massive wings, garnet roses woven in it's hair with hooves like diamonds.
"Child, why do you not fight back?" it asked of her softly. She did not answer; awe was a still-powerful force upon her. It laughed; and that laugh was like a whinny or a neigh, just a bit, and definitely feminine. "I will fight beside you; that is why I was given to you, little Marie. Say these words for me…"
/Lotus's POV/
I could see it. I could see that the world around her was disoriented in her eyes and ears. She was so very focused on her pendant, and then the space above the stadium. It was important this moment be between only Marie and Stalagmarose, I was sure. And I could see it.
"Ki nami miri rerani!"
The spell. I knew that the Great Horse had understood my wishes. After all, I too was, in a sense, a bitbeast. I could not help but see that she was growing before my eyes; her stature increased, though she seemed to remain petite, and her wavy, short hair grew, lengthening to flow down her back in waves of raven. A design of red and green jewels stretched across her face, revealing the pattern of a great, blossoming rose. And her eyes opened to look at me, revealing diamond-colored irises; shifting hues of palest color, pink and lavender and gold shimmering on star-fire. And even as great wings of sapphire and amethyst stretched from her shoulders, at first hidden by her hair, I could see a still small fear quaking beneath her surface. She was a child.
She was seven years old.
Yet here, such a child was adorning the wings of a great Pegasus, which were clad in the onyx armor of her kind, and her legs shifted to take the guise of the powerful hindquarters and diamond-plated hooves that were depicted of this beast. Marie was strong not to cry out, for there was an initial pain which would be agonizing to one of such a young age. I continued to grill her blade, hoping that I wasn't going too easy on her; who would know what the consequences might be if I did? She might lose control of herself in so early a stage. But as soon as she came back to reality, and her senses were once again in tact, I recalled my blade, and cast my own spell, moving to catch her as she fainted.
Those who had watched finally understood, I was sure.
/Normal POV/
Lotus, in all her phoenix glory, caught Marie before her body hit the ground, lowering her gently to the floor and pillowing her head on her great, armored wings. She stood again, though, and moved towards the two children cowering behind her mate. Her voice, in this form, could only emerge as sweet coos and chirps, with the occasional twitter, but she reached out to them, making these comforting sounds as best she could.
"Daijobou; I'm okay still. I promise that nothing is wrong. I know I'm strange, but I promise that I won't hurt you."
The noises were soft enough, so it seemed, that the boys' fears were swayed. Marcus's blue eyes glittered in frightful wonderment as he stepped forward, hands fisted protectively against his chest. He stopped, though, just out of her reach.
"G- Gazelle-neisan?" he questioned hesitantly. She smiled and nodded. He stepped a bit closer, and before he could protest she swept him into her arms, embracing him tightly, running her clawed hands over his hair in a loving, parental gesture. He did struggle, and the sudden movement had caused Toby to shirk yet further from her, but after a moment he calmed, and looked up into her eyes wonderingly, curious, and not altogether unfriendly. She looked up a second later, a bit alarmed, when she heard the younger brother cry out, but relaxed again when she noted that it was only from surprise at finding that Kai, too, was such a manner of creature as they had seen in her.
"Gomen ne; I wish that you weren't so frightened of us."
They, of course, could not understand this creature-speech. But as they each embraced one of the children, they could feel them relaxing as they murmured softly in that strange language that only they and fellow birds could understand. It was a soft mood; she was glad they had not totally rejected them after seeing this true self that lay hidden beneath the surface. She looked up, her eyes catching her mate's, a tacit agreement quickly made.
From now on, these were their children, and nothing was going to stand in their way.
Within the hour, though still in her sleep, Marie had reverted back to her human form, and again her stature had decreased to that of her seven-year-old body, the wings and all other attributes of the dark-crystal Pegasus disappearing, save the changed hair and rose pattern on her face. Kai had moved her to the room that had been prepared, though along the way we'd come across Jo-Jo and had to explain the concept to him as well. She lay, even now, sleeping atop the deep blue coverlet, though Lotus could sense her breathing changing, anticipating her inevitable awakening. Lids slid open, revealing again those beautiful opal-diamond eyes darted about the room as she shot up to take in new surroundings. She calmed, and her eyes wandered slowly back to Gazelle, who was perched comfortably on the window seat, eyes watching the dreary rain-fall paint the world in a grayscale of watercolors. This was what she'd grown up seeing.
"Gazelle?"
She cocked her head back, an eye glancing over her shoulder innocently. She child untangled herself from the covers, and when her eyes unconsciously landed on the mirror across from her, she stopped, taking in her new appearance in wonderment. When she neither moved, nor continued her question, the Pheonix child turned to her more fully, watching as the little girl cocked her head this way and that, slowly examining her new features.
"You are unafraid of the change?"
The child nodded.
"Good. I would hate to think I had adopted you only after putting you through a trauma you could never forget," she finished, giggling girlishly as the child turned to look at her, an amiable smile slowly appearing on her face.
"It's pretty…" she murmured. Gazelle turned and looked outside again. Had Marie seen her face at that moment, she would've noticed a beautiful light burn brightly in her eyes for a split second before she turned.
"Hora, Marie-chan! Mitte!" she called softly, motioning the child to the window. She pointed up. "See there? That one star?" The child nodded. "That is one of the gateways to the Sokaiuan world. To the light realm, directly, I think. Ne, Dychirea?"
She could feel the bird confirm.
The Second Star to the Right.
AN: Yes, it's back again~ Show me love. Don't forget to review. Only 3 chapters to go~!