Prologue: Ten in the Forest
The golden-haired one staggered upright after their insane teleport, trained reflexes causing her to glance around at the seemingly deserted patch of forest they had landed in. Once she was satisfied that they were temporarily alone, she hauled the girl next to her upright. While the action looked harsh, her hands were gentle without the intention of hurting or bruising, and the silver-haired princess looked up at her with absolute trust and faith.
"Listen up, everyone," Mina demanded in Lunari, knowing full well the risk she took speaking the forbidden language on the previously forbidden planet, "our first priority is the Moon Princess. Our mission is to either get to Pluto and seek help there or to attempt to rescue the Queen and the Outers here on Earth, in Elysion." She spat out the Terran names as if clearing a bad taste from her mouth. Somehow, the disgust and resentment in her tone did not match the honey-sweet pitch. Switching to Terran, she said slowly, deliberately, "We will need new names, of course. Selena, you will now be Annamika-new moon, which you are-or will you be." She did not quite meet Selena's-the newly-christened Annamika's-guileless crystal blue eyes, and neither did the other three young women cast their gazes near her. No one knew for certain whether the Queen of the Moon was still alive... "Lita, you will be called Ardice-flowering field. Rei, Isadora-gift of isis. Ami, you are Meriel, the shining sea."
Intense purple eyes, nearly too perceptive, hid their own hurt well as the blonde was caught by their deep and searching look. "And what about you?" Isadora inquired softly. Her next question, although equally quiet, seemed to echo forever and shattered the silence of the still forest. "Who will you be, Mina?"
"Kiora." Before she could explain the meaning of her name, since she was the most proficient in the Terran language (besides Meriel), they tensed when they felt, rather than heard, the presence of other human beings closing in upon them from the edges of the forest.
Without being asked to, Isadora reached out, questing with perfection, to touch their auras and drew back hurriedly. In response to the questioning glances of her companions, she whispered, "There are five men in this part of the forest. They're good-very good-at moving noiselessly and are probably planning to take us by surprise."
Grimly, with a tight smile, Kiora replied, "Well, they aren't going to. How do they feel?"
"Um...it's so strange-almost like our auras but different, so very different. One feels like the whispers of the stars and the wind through the forest in a deep, navy blue light; another is frigid, icy green like the breakers of a stormy sea; the third is all bright silver, but whether it's light or stone based I can't tell...the fourth-the fourth _burns_ a bright azure blue. The last is odd, like a combination of them all but to a lesser degree with each. He feels like the packed dirt under our feet and the clear skies above, like-like Earth personified," the raven-haired woman whispered.
The one next to her had dark chestnut hair, the color of vigorous young redwood trees: brown with a touch of deep red. "When we have the time and safety, you may pursue the study of their persons further, Isa, but we must leave here immediately."
"How? They've already sensed our presence," Meriel pointed out logically, dark blue eyes calm as all her senses rose to maximum alertness.
"I can use the crystal," came the tremulous offer. Selena had never had to use the Imperium Silver Crystal out of her lessons before, and in her mind, the only rightful holder of the crystal could be her mother-who had left the object in her possession when she had shoved her beloved daughter in the middle of the square formed by the Inner Princesses...
"No! You'll die if you exceed your limits, and we have no energy left to support you.. Two teleports in one day will kill you, particularly since the first was from the Moon to the Earth and the second being a blind leap." Kiora's cornflower blue eyes burned with intensity and concentration. She was looking at Annamika but also beyond her, into the distance. It was night and as dark as the bottom of an abyss (a contradiction unto itself), but she was seeking with her powers rather than her eyes. Another thing that made the monarchy of the planets so desirable to Metallia was the powerful magik that ran through their veins. It was particularly strong in the five girls. "They have weapons, weapons of good quality and craftsmanship. The metal calls to me..and so does blood. These arms are beautiful and old, but they have seen many, many kills."
As they gazed in desperation at the surrounding brush and each other, Meriel's soft voice broke through the clearing, cool and direct. "There is no choice but the crystal. We may not all perish if-if one of us stays behind, as an anchor of sorts. It's one less person to transport, and if these men are as gifted as they are made out to be, the anchor could probably distract them for a while. Long enough for the other four of us to escape."
Glaring in her general direction, more out of fear of what she sensed in her friend's resigned voice than anger, Isadora snapped, "And I suppose you're volunteering to be that anchor? Not if I have a say in the matter, Meriel. It's damned suicidal, and I won't stand for it. Not from any of you."
Kiora was about to reprimand her for her hasty words, spoken in Lunari, but the brunette woman's decisive voice cut in first, low and velvety. "We have a duty, Isa. I will anchor." When she was met with furious protests and denial, Ardice retorted, "I am the only possible choice, and we are running short on time, ladies." She smiled around at them sadly. "Must I hurt you all by telling you why? Annamika, obviously, must go. Kiora is our leader, and she cannot be captured any more than our princess. Isa, you are valuable for your aura-reading powers, and in enemy hands, I shudder to think how Terrans would react to your headstrong, tempestuous manner."
"And me, Ardice?" Meriel inquired softly.
"Forgive me for saying this, but you aren't strong enough-and don't spout all this nonsense about how you can be sacrificed. You were already wounded when you tried to bring in the dying. It must be me." She had made up her mind, and there was no swaying inherently stubborn Jovians.
"Very well," the blonde agreed, although her heart cried out at the betrayal of her mind. Before any of the others could continue their vehement disagreement, she grabbed the hands of the two closest to her and thrust forth what power she had left to give. She nearly cried out in frustration when their powers pooled, collected, joined-and fell short. 'We must do this,' she reminded herself, 'and I lead.' Suddenly, brilliant gold radiated outwards from Kiora, energy she had not known she had possessed. Similar blazing colors shot forth: red, green, blue, and finally silver...and the world exploded in rainbows of light as four of the five princesses vanished...to leave one behind.
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The golden-haired one staggered upright after their insane teleport, trained reflexes causing her to glance around at the seemingly deserted patch of forest they had landed in. Once she was satisfied that they were temporarily alone, she hauled the girl next to her upright. While the action looked harsh, her hands were gentle without the intention of hurting or bruising, and the silver-haired princess looked up at her with absolute trust and faith.
"Listen up, everyone," Mina demanded in Lunari, knowing full well the risk she took speaking the forbidden language on the previously forbidden planet, "our first priority is the Moon Princess. Our mission is to either get to Pluto and seek help there or to attempt to rescue the Queen and the Outers here on Earth, in Elysion." She spat out the Terran names as if clearing a bad taste from her mouth. Somehow, the disgust and resentment in her tone did not match the honey-sweet pitch. Switching to Terran, she said slowly, deliberately, "We will need new names, of course. Selena, you will now be Annamika-new moon, which you are-or will you be." She did not quite meet Selena's-the newly-christened Annamika's-guileless crystal blue eyes, and neither did the other three young women cast their gazes near her. No one knew for certain whether the Queen of the Moon was still alive... "Lita, you will be called Ardice-flowering field. Rei, Isadora-gift of isis. Ami, you are Meriel, the shining sea."
Intense purple eyes, nearly too perceptive, hid their own hurt well as the blonde was caught by their deep and searching look. "And what about you?" Isadora inquired softly. Her next question, although equally quiet, seemed to echo forever and shattered the silence of the still forest. "Who will you be, Mina?"
"Kiora." Before she could explain the meaning of her name, since she was the most proficient in the Terran language (besides Meriel), they tensed when they felt, rather than heard, the presence of other human beings closing in upon them from the edges of the forest.
Without being asked to, Isadora reached out, questing with perfection, to touch their auras and drew back hurriedly. In response to the questioning glances of her companions, she whispered, "There are five men in this part of the forest. They're good-very good-at moving noiselessly and are probably planning to take us by surprise."
Grimly, with a tight smile, Kiora replied, "Well, they aren't going to. How do they feel?"
"Um...it's so strange-almost like our auras but different, so very different. One feels like the whispers of the stars and the wind through the forest in a deep, navy blue light; another is frigid, icy green like the breakers of a stormy sea; the third is all bright silver, but whether it's light or stone based I can't tell...the fourth-the fourth _burns_ a bright azure blue. The last is odd, like a combination of them all but to a lesser degree with each. He feels like the packed dirt under our feet and the clear skies above, like-like Earth personified," the raven-haired woman whispered.
The one next to her had dark chestnut hair, the color of vigorous young redwood trees: brown with a touch of deep red. "When we have the time and safety, you may pursue the study of their persons further, Isa, but we must leave here immediately."
"How? They've already sensed our presence," Meriel pointed out logically, dark blue eyes calm as all her senses rose to maximum alertness.
"I can use the crystal," came the tremulous offer. Selena had never had to use the Imperium Silver Crystal out of her lessons before, and in her mind, the only rightful holder of the crystal could be her mother-who had left the object in her possession when she had shoved her beloved daughter in the middle of the square formed by the Inner Princesses...
"No! You'll die if you exceed your limits, and we have no energy left to support you.. Two teleports in one day will kill you, particularly since the first was from the Moon to the Earth and the second being a blind leap." Kiora's cornflower blue eyes burned with intensity and concentration. She was looking at Annamika but also beyond her, into the distance. It was night and as dark as the bottom of an abyss (a contradiction unto itself), but she was seeking with her powers rather than her eyes. Another thing that made the monarchy of the planets so desirable to Metallia was the powerful magik that ran through their veins. It was particularly strong in the five girls. "They have weapons, weapons of good quality and craftsmanship. The metal calls to me..and so does blood. These arms are beautiful and old, but they have seen many, many kills."
As they gazed in desperation at the surrounding brush and each other, Meriel's soft voice broke through the clearing, cool and direct. "There is no choice but the crystal. We may not all perish if-if one of us stays behind, as an anchor of sorts. It's one less person to transport, and if these men are as gifted as they are made out to be, the anchor could probably distract them for a while. Long enough for the other four of us to escape."
Glaring in her general direction, more out of fear of what she sensed in her friend's resigned voice than anger, Isadora snapped, "And I suppose you're volunteering to be that anchor? Not if I have a say in the matter, Meriel. It's damned suicidal, and I won't stand for it. Not from any of you."
Kiora was about to reprimand her for her hasty words, spoken in Lunari, but the brunette woman's decisive voice cut in first, low and velvety. "We have a duty, Isa. I will anchor." When she was met with furious protests and denial, Ardice retorted, "I am the only possible choice, and we are running short on time, ladies." She smiled around at them sadly. "Must I hurt you all by telling you why? Annamika, obviously, must go. Kiora is our leader, and she cannot be captured any more than our princess. Isa, you are valuable for your aura-reading powers, and in enemy hands, I shudder to think how Terrans would react to your headstrong, tempestuous manner."
"And me, Ardice?" Meriel inquired softly.
"Forgive me for saying this, but you aren't strong enough-and don't spout all this nonsense about how you can be sacrificed. You were already wounded when you tried to bring in the dying. It must be me." She had made up her mind, and there was no swaying inherently stubborn Jovians.
"Very well," the blonde agreed, although her heart cried out at the betrayal of her mind. Before any of the others could continue their vehement disagreement, she grabbed the hands of the two closest to her and thrust forth what power she had left to give. She nearly cried out in frustration when their powers pooled, collected, joined-and fell short. 'We must do this,' she reminded herself, 'and I lead.' Suddenly, brilliant gold radiated outwards from Kiora, energy she had not known she had possessed. Similar blazing colors shot forth: red, green, blue, and finally silver...and the world exploded in rainbows of light as four of the five princesses vanished...to leave one behind.
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