Author's Notes: All the usual disclaimers, I don't have to repeat them for
each chapter, do I? Anything specific here you should know? I'm going to
skip a few filler days, because you don't have to know about every specific
thing that happens. This chapter will have more of the familiar switching
of view points, probably more centered on Daemon. I find it fun to write
about Pluto from someone else's view. Please read and review so I know
whether or not to write more.
Daemon left his rooms, away from the hated bell and the events it signified. He wandered out towards the rose gardens that he had spotted earlier on his first day at Crystal Tokyo. The large hedges cast dark shadows over the ground, and he didn't watch where he was going, wandering at will. He had heard rumors from the servants that no matter where you went in the maze, you always ended up in the middle. That was fine with Daemon. From his window he had seen the center of the maze, a pretty fountain with water delicately misting down into its carved basin. Something was tugging him there, its psychic scent almost like Tersa's, but at the same time tantalizingly different.
He stumbled over a marble step hidden in the darkness. Looking up, he realized that he was approaching the fountain. The water splashed down, its music drifting out to meet Daemon. The light from the moon shone directly done upon the fountain, its white glow reflected back upwards. There was a woman standing on one edge, her long hair blowing back gently in the wind. The moonlight silhouetted her perfectly so it was impossible to see any features. One long slender arm was reached upwards, as if she was trying to touch the moon.
Daemon stood perfectly still so as not to disturb her. After the years, he appreciated his privacy enough so as not to disturb others. But it was too late. His entering the center of the maze was enough to break the spell of serenity. The woman stepped down from the fountain, her arm lowered. She turned to look at him, and the moonlight shown down upon her face, allowed Daemon to identify who it was. For a second, she looked almost ethereal, then the effect faded and he saw who she truly was. "Meioh Setsuna, I did not expect to find you here."
He was almost angry now that the magic of the moment had worn off. Daemon had come here for peace, not to gossip or entertain anyone. But his anger faded as quickly as it had risen, only the warm anger of emotions. He still had some questions which needed to be answered, and now was a good as any time for asking. He turned back to Setsuna, noticing the dried red blood on her hand.
"What happened?" he asked, reaching out one hand to touch hers. He wasn't sure what he meant by the gesture, it was instinctual and he could not take it back. Something had happened to change his attitude toward woman with the meeting of this one person. Perhaps it was because she seemed so alike, and yet so different. His fingers meet Setsuna's, and he fell into a second vision.
This one was more peaceful than the first, a large glowing city. It looked somewhat similar to the Crystal Tokyo he was in today, but something about it seemed infinitely more ancient. The city was almost superimposed upon a large yellow white moon that bathed the whole scene in gentle light. From somewhere near his ear Setsuna whispered, "The Moon Kingdom."
Daemon dropped Setsuna's hand, blinking back into the present. He stared at the white half moon reflection on his hand, watching as it faded away. A tingle of déjà vu ran down his pine, but he shook it off, hiding his emotions away behind a stone mask, the same mask he had worn for a thousand years.
"It was just a reminder," said Setsuna. Daemon wondered what she was talking about, then remembered the question he had asked, seemingly ages ago. "A reminder never to love a rose."
There was something very sad in her voice, an age old yearning not unlike his own. Daemon sat on the edge of the fountain, feeling its chill through his thin trousers. He dipped one hand into the water, watching as it streamed along either side, the coldness numbing his fingers. On a whim he asked, "How old are you?"
Setsuna laughed a hollow laugh that caused Daemon to look up at her. She seemed ageless by appearance, probably around 19 or so. Much younger than he was, even if she was of the long lived races. Only her eyes seemed ancient, sad knowing eyes, garnet versions of those eyes which he would look into hundreds of years from now. She spoke again, her voice bitter, "Old enough."
That was all. Daemon pondered the words and their various meanings. Old enough for what? His thoughts were interrupted by Setsuna speaking again. "You never did answer my first question- Why are you here in Crystal Tokyo?"
Daemon felt none of his prior bitterness, no need to answer with hard, sarcastic mocking words. He was strangely tired and empty inside, needing to be filled up with something though he didn't know what. His voice was flat when he answered, the malice of that first night gone. "I was given to Queen Serenity."
"Given?" Setsuna repeated the words. That didn't make sense, how could he been given to someone? Wait! Setsuna mentally stopped and went back over that last sentence. Something clicked inside her head, but she did not want to believe it. "There have never been slaves in Crystal Tokyo!"
"Maybe not before," replied Daemon grimly, "but there are now."
Setsuna turned to look back at the palace in horror. She got up from the fountain, indignation boiling in her brain. There may be several things amiss is this new Crystal Tokyo, but slavery was one thing she would not allow to continue. She had spent too much of her life as a virtual slave to the time gates to watch another waste themselves in a similar way. She started down the hedges back towards the palace. "One more thing, where are we?"
She was already rounding the first bend before Daemon called after her, "This is Terreille!" Then he was alone in the garden.
Daemon left his rooms, away from the hated bell and the events it signified. He wandered out towards the rose gardens that he had spotted earlier on his first day at Crystal Tokyo. The large hedges cast dark shadows over the ground, and he didn't watch where he was going, wandering at will. He had heard rumors from the servants that no matter where you went in the maze, you always ended up in the middle. That was fine with Daemon. From his window he had seen the center of the maze, a pretty fountain with water delicately misting down into its carved basin. Something was tugging him there, its psychic scent almost like Tersa's, but at the same time tantalizingly different.
He stumbled over a marble step hidden in the darkness. Looking up, he realized that he was approaching the fountain. The water splashed down, its music drifting out to meet Daemon. The light from the moon shone directly done upon the fountain, its white glow reflected back upwards. There was a woman standing on one edge, her long hair blowing back gently in the wind. The moonlight silhouetted her perfectly so it was impossible to see any features. One long slender arm was reached upwards, as if she was trying to touch the moon.
Daemon stood perfectly still so as not to disturb her. After the years, he appreciated his privacy enough so as not to disturb others. But it was too late. His entering the center of the maze was enough to break the spell of serenity. The woman stepped down from the fountain, her arm lowered. She turned to look at him, and the moonlight shown down upon her face, allowed Daemon to identify who it was. For a second, she looked almost ethereal, then the effect faded and he saw who she truly was. "Meioh Setsuna, I did not expect to find you here."
He was almost angry now that the magic of the moment had worn off. Daemon had come here for peace, not to gossip or entertain anyone. But his anger faded as quickly as it had risen, only the warm anger of emotions. He still had some questions which needed to be answered, and now was a good as any time for asking. He turned back to Setsuna, noticing the dried red blood on her hand.
"What happened?" he asked, reaching out one hand to touch hers. He wasn't sure what he meant by the gesture, it was instinctual and he could not take it back. Something had happened to change his attitude toward woman with the meeting of this one person. Perhaps it was because she seemed so alike, and yet so different. His fingers meet Setsuna's, and he fell into a second vision.
This one was more peaceful than the first, a large glowing city. It looked somewhat similar to the Crystal Tokyo he was in today, but something about it seemed infinitely more ancient. The city was almost superimposed upon a large yellow white moon that bathed the whole scene in gentle light. From somewhere near his ear Setsuna whispered, "The Moon Kingdom."
Daemon dropped Setsuna's hand, blinking back into the present. He stared at the white half moon reflection on his hand, watching as it faded away. A tingle of déjà vu ran down his pine, but he shook it off, hiding his emotions away behind a stone mask, the same mask he had worn for a thousand years.
"It was just a reminder," said Setsuna. Daemon wondered what she was talking about, then remembered the question he had asked, seemingly ages ago. "A reminder never to love a rose."
There was something very sad in her voice, an age old yearning not unlike his own. Daemon sat on the edge of the fountain, feeling its chill through his thin trousers. He dipped one hand into the water, watching as it streamed along either side, the coldness numbing his fingers. On a whim he asked, "How old are you?"
Setsuna laughed a hollow laugh that caused Daemon to look up at her. She seemed ageless by appearance, probably around 19 or so. Much younger than he was, even if she was of the long lived races. Only her eyes seemed ancient, sad knowing eyes, garnet versions of those eyes which he would look into hundreds of years from now. She spoke again, her voice bitter, "Old enough."
That was all. Daemon pondered the words and their various meanings. Old enough for what? His thoughts were interrupted by Setsuna speaking again. "You never did answer my first question- Why are you here in Crystal Tokyo?"
Daemon felt none of his prior bitterness, no need to answer with hard, sarcastic mocking words. He was strangely tired and empty inside, needing to be filled up with something though he didn't know what. His voice was flat when he answered, the malice of that first night gone. "I was given to Queen Serenity."
"Given?" Setsuna repeated the words. That didn't make sense, how could he been given to someone? Wait! Setsuna mentally stopped and went back over that last sentence. Something clicked inside her head, but she did not want to believe it. "There have never been slaves in Crystal Tokyo!"
"Maybe not before," replied Daemon grimly, "but there are now."
Setsuna turned to look back at the palace in horror. She got up from the fountain, indignation boiling in her brain. There may be several things amiss is this new Crystal Tokyo, but slavery was one thing she would not allow to continue. She had spent too much of her life as a virtual slave to the time gates to watch another waste themselves in a similar way. She started down the hedges back towards the palace. "One more thing, where are we?"
She was already rounding the first bend before Daemon called after her, "This is Terreille!" Then he was alone in the garden.