Another informative chapter with introductions and character development.
The Moon Maiden Artemis
Zaria looked around. It was laborious to turn her head even to do that, for there was resistance in the air, the same kind of resistance that you felt when you were underwater.
She was floating in some mass of verdant magic. She started to breathe, after holding her breath all this time, and was startled when she sucked in liquid. She choked and struggled, but there was no surface to reach. Finally she sucked the liquid into her lungs, and after that it was like she was breathing normally, except underwater.
It's like I'm in liquid healing magic, she thought. How did she get there? Where was she? Then she remembered what had happened to her. She had been running from Zeth and then had felt dizzy . . . and rays of light had seeped into her head . . . their had been a long persistent beep that kept on resounding . . . then she had blacked out completely. And here she was. What was she to do now? She started swimming in one direction, but it led to nowhere. She looked all around herself. There was nothing, except a green background surrounding her. She had to keep moving in slow motion.
"Where am I?" she shouted, to no one in particular. Her voice echoed and reverberated throughout the mass she was in. "WHERE AM I?" she screamed. Yet no one answered, and she was alone in a strange place. She started to cry out of frustration, but the tears didn't roll down her cheeks, they floated off her eyes into the space in front of her, which fascinated her, yet the tears still continued to flow.
"Don't cry, Zaria," a gentle voice said. Zaria was startled. The voice sounded so similar to her own, but so much more melodious and dulcet, while hers was loud and clear. "Who is it?" she asked, frightened.
A figure appeared before her. It was a beautiful majestic woman with hair as black as onyx, darker than the midnight. Her eyes were a glowing aquamarine color, the same color as Zeth's. Yet this woman's eyes seemed erudite, and they glowed with the effulgence of immortality. She was wearing snow-white armor that was intricate in detail, and had moon gems embedded in it here and there. She had translucent green reptilian wings, reminiscent to the wings of a dragon. Her knee-high boots were also white, and had moon gems in them as well. Underneath her armor was a short green pleated skirt. She was wearing metallic white armor gloves that went to a point at her elbow. In her hands were a snow-white bow and arrow that had moon gems scattered on it. The most remarkable feature about her was that on her forehead was a phosphorescent crescent moon, facing upwards so it looked similar to the Cheshire Cat's grin.
"The question is, who are you?" the lady said. Zaria furrowed her brow in confusion.
"Are you . . . Louvia?" Zaria asked hesitantly. The beautiful lady laughed delicately, an onerous feat to perform underwater, and smiled.
"Yes, I am the Princess of the Moon, Princess Louvia."
Zaria gasped. "Then I am one of your descendants," she realized aloud. Princess Louvia nodded.
"Yes. And you are one of the most important ones of my descendants ever to grace this planet, for it is you, and you alone, who will decide the fate of this planet and all who dwell on it on the day of reckoning. Although others may have something to do with it, the choice of whether this particular planet will be saved or not depends on you."
"What?" Zaria asked in confusion. "Me?" Princess Louvia laughed again. Her laughter was euphonious and sounded musical to Zaria's ears.
"Yes, Zaria," she replied. "You are the bearer of Holy, the only force that can stop the Destruction," she continued, and her expression darkened. "The Destruction," Princess Louvia repeated darkly, "is the event that had to come, one way or another. In your reality, it is the Black Hole."
Zaria tried to comprehend what the Princess had said, but didn't want to accept the burden. "But why me?" she asked tentatively.
"Because you are the only one who can use the universal Holy, and you are a Locke, albeit one of the last. Your Holy is even more powerful than mine, for my Holy is only the Moon Holy. You will also be hindered by the continuous attacks of the enemies of Humans that will weaken you and sap your strength. To stop the Destruction, you must invoke the Ultimate Blessing to Banish Evil, but I can not grant you the ability to do so, for it is an ability hidden deep inside you, only to be summoned once to give the universal blessing once. I can only grant you the ability to use Holy, and you must develop your abilities throughout your quest. But, there are consequences for invoking such a mighty power, and if you are not strong enough, then it will be the cause of your death."
Zaria listened intently, and slowly nodded, ultimately accepting her fate. "I understand, Princess Louvia," she said softly. Princess Louvia's gaze softened.
"It aggrieves me to see one so lovely, young, and hopeful have to be burdened so heavily, but it is necessary. You are going to have to make a decision, a very important one. The choice you make is up to you alone."
"What choice?" Zaria asked. Princess Louvia shook her head. "My dear, I can not tell you. I can only tell you that when that time comes, to follow your heart, and heed no one but yourself."
Zaria felt weak in her heart. She nodded. "I understand, even though I don't want to. But how come, if it is destined for me to make an unfortunate choice, that I have been given a second chance to live my life with Zeth?"
Princess Louvia gave her an apologetic look. "Oh Zaria, things are not always what they seem."
"What does that mean?" Zaria demanded. Princess Louvia shook her head again.
"You will know," she said mysteriously. "For now, take my hand."
Princess Louvia extended one delicately gloved hand over to Zaria. Zaria reached out and touched Princess Louvia's hand with her fingertips. A bright green light crawled into her hand, and started enveloping her entire body. It felt so wonderful, yet so agonizing. She was being transported, but not back to her own world yet . . .
* * *
"Whew! That was tiring!" Cat exclaimed, wiping the sweat off her brow.
"Sorry," Zeth replied.
"It's all right, don't worry about it," Adrian inserted.
"Well, here we are in front of Bink's house," Cat said, staring up at the large tree house. "I think last time Bink said something about an elevator . . ."
She put her hands on the bark and tried to use her sense of touch to find the hidden button. "Oh @#$%! Can't find the damn thing!" she swore. She stood there trying to figure out how to find the button. "I know!" she exclaimed. "I'll use my electricity waves! Electro Wave!" she shouted, and a wave of electricity passed through the area. "Oh, I can sense where it is," said Cat, and she went over to that spot. "But I still can't see it . . ." she continued to feel around.
Zeth knelt down beside her and put his hand on the base of the tree. "Ultima light," he muttered, and all of a sudden, everything was in X-ray vision. Cat was successfully able to locate the button, and she pressed it with a flourish. The ground underneath them rose, riding on the air, transporting them up to the front door of Bink's home. While they were traveling upwards, Zeth removed the Ultima Light spell, and everything went back to normal.
The moon was bright in the sky now, and it was in a crescent shape, illuminating white light. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Zeth looked up at the moon and stars. "I'm coming for you, Zaria," he whispered to himself.
A few moments later the elevator stopped, and the three stepped off and Cat went and knocked on Bink's door. Not long after that, Terra herself answered the door.
"Diana, dear!" Terra exclaimed, looking at Cat. "What brings you here at this time of night?"
"I'm sorry to bother you," Cat apologized quickly.
"Oh no, dear, it's quite all right. Have you come to see Bink, dear?" Terra asked.
"Actually, it is my friend Zeth who has come," Cat said, nodding towards Zeth. Zeth bowed his head to Terra. "He must speak to Bink immediately."
Terra nodded understandingly and let Cat, Adrian and Zeth come in. "Go right to his observatory, dears, he won't be sleeping yet," Terra told them. "I'll make you some tea and set up a place for you three to sleep tonight, dears."
"Thank you very much," Zeth and Adrian thanked Terra at the same time.
"Come on, guys!" Cat exclaimed, and she led the way towards Bink's observatory.
Bink was, as expected, observing the stars. "The stars gave me a important message today," he said, acknowledging their presence without turning around. "It's about the moon." He turned to the three abruptly. "Isn't one of your friends a descendant of the Moon Sorceress Louvia?"
Cat stepped up into the observatory. "Grandfather Bink, this is my friend Zeth Lanier, and you know Adrian."
"The one with the all powerful Destruction magic has come to see me," Bink said, his eyebrows raised. "Does this, perchance, have to do with the Moon Princess's descendant? The Moon Maiden Artemis, who will liberate the cradle of humanity from the Destruction with the Universal Holy?"
Zeth raised his eyes. "I do not know if Zaria is the Moon Maiden Artemis you speak of, but I have come to ask you to save her," he said softly. "She is sick, and won't get better, and it isn't a medical condition."
"Let's see about that," Bink said, and he pulled his hands apart, producing a swirl of bluish light. He spread his arms out and the blue light formed into a large floating sphere, and an image appeared on it. It was Zaria, lying in the doctor's clinic.
"Zaria!" Zeth exclaimed weakly.
Bink looked at him and nodded. "This is the physical condition that she is in now," Bink told him. Zeth nodded, gazing at the image of Zaria. The image changed into a verdant swirling mass of light, and Zeth could see the subtle outline of a feminine body, which looked very much like Zaria. "This," Bink said, "is where she really is."
Zeth wrinkled his brow in confusion. "How can she be there? Where is that place?" Zeth asked.
Bink smiled. "It is the entrance to the Moon Kingdom. I believe she is entering the Moon Kingdom right now. After all, she is the descendant of the Princess and Prince of the Moon."
"How did she get there? Why is she there?" Zeth continued to fire his questions at Bink.
"Calm down, son," Bink said. "Her soul was transported there temporarily; she'll be back. As for the reason she is there, even the stars do not know."
"Oh . . . thank you," Zeth said softly. He looked up again. "So Zaria will be all right?" Bink nodded, smiling at him. "Will she be back soon?" Zeth asked tentatively. Bink laughed, his robes bouncing up and down with his mirth. Zeth scowled.
"Don't worry too much, Warrior of Ultima, your significant other will be returned to you soon, safe and sound, though her heart may have changed."
"So Zaria is all right!" Cat exclaimed, and jumped up and down in happiness. Adrian smiled. He turned to Bink. "Thank you, Bink. You have relieved us of a great deal of anxiety."
"I don't think he's feeling that much better," Bink said mirthfully, pointing at Zeth.
Zeth looked up, his eyes dull. "I can't rest until Zaria is back safely in my arms," he said, and turned away. "I know that the stars tell you all, Bink, but . . . I can't help being worried about Zaria."
Bink nodded at him understandingly. "I know. I had young love once, and I know what it's like to have someone be your whole universe," he said, a longing look in his old eyes. Cat gave him a prying look.
"Can you tell us about it, Bink?" she asked curiously. The longing look on Bink's face disappeared.
"You want to hear my story?" he said incredulously. They all nodded, eager to hear about Bink. Bink sighed. "I suppose I can tell you," he began. "Yeah!" Cat exclaimed, jumping for joy.
"Let me start," Bink chastised. "As you all know, I have lived for many centuries, and my story started many hundred years ago, when I was a strapping young elf, insipid and foolish, yet I was considered rather handsome for an elf. Therefore, I held myself with an air that only an elf that knew that he was strong and good-looking would. I longed for adventure, longed for a chance to prove to the world that I could be someone who could help others by fighting. One day, a group of travelers happened to pass by the Forest of the Elves, and they stayed a night in the Ocarina Inn, which happened to be owned by my parents. I was passing through the dining hall thoughtlessly when I saw the group of travelers. They were a fascinating group of people, almost as remarkable as you young folk. I was to find out that they were on a mission similar to yours, except that they failed, and that was what caused the first spark that would lead to the explosions and destruction of life in the Mage War, that was to occur in the next few centuries. Their group consisted of a human man named Vahn, a human woman named Chlorine, two elves from a different continent named Dawn and Eve, a werewolf named Kort, and two fairies named Helios and Luna. No, they weren't twins like Dawn and Eve, for they were not even remotely related. They just happened to be two fairies, each wielding a different power. Helios had the power of the Sun, and Luna had the power of the Moon. They both had gossamer wings and elven ears, for they were fairies.
"Vahn was a gentle looking young man with chatlin hair, a mixture of golden and brown. Although his eyes were a plain looking gray, his gaze was penetrating, and when he looked at you, it seemed like his pupils were just black holes in swirling masses of gray smoke. His personality matched his appearance, but he didn't seem to have any special abilities, besides his martial arts techniques. He was very good with the fist, as good as your friend Breanna is supposed to be. Chlorine was a vivacious vixen with an aggressive personality, and her hair was a dark shade of green, for her mother was a forest nymph. Dawn was a bright and cheery elven maiden, with a sunlit countenance and joyous disposition. Eve was an obscure and mysterious elven maiden who always seemed to know the answers to everything, yet was as dark and secretive about them as the night. She didn't talk to many people, so I didn't know much about her, except that she might have been omniscient. Kort the werewolf was about as enigmatic as Eve, and I didn't know much about him either. All I knew was that he had some sort of dark history, and he could utilize sorcery. In his human form, he looked rather similar to Adrian. Helios was a fairy whose presence reminded you of the rays of warmth coming from the sun, bathing you in its warm light. He had flaming scarlet hair and wore gold, vermilion, saffron and orange, and his gauzy wings were like woven flax. Luna was a angelic and serene young fairy, and she reminded you of the moon, with her platinum-blue tinted hair and dark cerulean eyes with flecks of platinum in them. Her features were sweet and diminutive. She wore silver, sapphire, amethyst and snow-white apparel, and her gauzy wings were like woven strands of silver thread. She was undeniably radiant, and reflected the effulgence of the moon. She had a calm demeanor, and was very sensible in all situations. The moment I saw Luna, with the moonstone gems shining in her hair, I couldn't help but go and offer my services to her.
"Back then, magic was different, as was many other things. There were many kinds of creatures and crossbreeds that do not exist now. Now, none of the fairy folk have pointy ears such as Luna and Helios had. It turned out that Luna and Helios were the last of their subspecies, and they were expected to be wed when they came of age, but I ruined all that, therefore eliminating any future chance of survival of that subspecies of fairies."
"How'd you do that?" Cat asked, her attention riveted. Bink looked sad.
"Just wait, child. I'm coming to it. Patience is a virtue, Diana. Nevertheless, Luna accepted my offer, and I traveled with the eccentric group. It turned out that they had been summoned by King Sevar to fulfill their duty as Star Warriors. They each had a symbol of stars on their forehead that glowed when their power was invoked. They had been born to keep the continent safe, and if they succeeded in their missions, there would be no heinous revolutions, no unnecessary bloodshed of the innocent, virtuous people of this continent. At the time, this continent was called Sin. Today, it is a nameless continent, but those in other continents call this continent Nova. In my heart, my home will always be Sin, for that was the place where all of my beloved friends lived and existed. It was unascertained whether I was one of the star warriors or not, but I would be able to help them on their quest anyway. Their quest was unknown to outsiders; only a Star Warrior would be allowed to know.
"Luna and I had a unique relationship from the start, for we were kindred souls. Even though Luna knew that it was her onus to marry Helios when the quest was over, she did not love Helios in such a manner, and Helios loved another. Helios and I were quite close. I can still remember . . . when Helios and I were having our heart to heart talks . . ."
"I don't want to marry Luna," Helios admitted, looking down at his hands. Inside, Bink's heart leaped with joy, but externally his expression did not change.
"Why is that?" he prodded gently.
"Because!" Helios burst, "I do not love her! I care for her as a sister, nothing more! And also . . . never mind . . . you'd call me a idiot for my foolishness."
Bink smiled. "You know I would never call you an idiot, Helios," he said. "For you should already know that you are one!"
"Oh, funny!" Helios said derisively. "I know that you take a liking to Luna, Bink." Bink shook his head vigorously.
"NO, I don't," he denied forcefully. Helios laughed his warm laugh, his conduct bright and teasing.
"Don't deny it, Bink," he said. "You can tell me. Whatever feelings we have now won't mean anything later," he said, shrugging.
Bink sighed. "So get to the point and tell me what you want to tell me, because I know you're itching to tell me something, Helios."
Helios grinned. "All right. You know about Dawn and Eve and me, right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I can conceive how you can be fond of her, you two are so much alike," Bink said, nodding.
"No, no, no!" Helios exclaimed, shaking his head. "It's not Dawn . . . it's her twin sister, Eve. Dawn reminds me too much of my own sister, because she looks and acts too much like me! Eve . . . is as mysterious and arcane as the night. I know she's a sharp contrast of myself, but that's what draws me to her! I don't know . . . she's just so distant to me."
"Eve?" Bink exclaimed. "Eve? Wow! Who would've thought? Ha! Well, go for it, Helios!"
Helios grinned mischievously. "Now that I've revealed my deep, dark secret, tell me yours!"
Bink laughed, and shook his head. "Fine. I do have a partiality to Luna. She is a very decent person.as beautiful as the moon in full splendor. Man, I can't believe I'm saying this to you, the very person who has to wed her once this quest is over."
Helios gave him a sympathetic smile. "I understand how you feel," he said softly. Bink gazed at him in surprise; he had never seen Helios with such a calm, gentle, serene expression on his face before. He looked a lot like . . . Luna. Thinking of that made Bink's heart ache. Luna and Helios were meant for each other . . . he shouldn't stand in the way of their destiny. Helios' fascination with Eve would pass, and then Bink would be the only one in the way of their fate . . . he couldn't allow himself to be the one to do that.
"I only wanted for Luna and Helios to be happy," Bink continued sadly. The words choked on his throat and he sat down and took a deep breath.
"But then after a while, it was found out that I was actually a Star Warrior. I was the Star Warrior of Knowledge. I could effortlessly interpret information off of the stars. All the Star warriors began to accept me, to look at me in a different way. I was one of them. Luna was ecstatic. She thought that would make everything that was going on between us all right, but I knew it was not so. I felt so uncomfortable accepting their kindness, for they were all very good to me. You see, I was troubled and confused.and I felt tainted. I felt like I was in the way of what was meant to be. Eventually, Eve warmed up to Helios; it seemed like maybe he was using his sun magic to warm her heart towards him," Bink said, chuckling. Then his expression turned dark again.
"But, then all of our happiness was shattered. We were unsuccessful in our mission, and King Sevar's well-built kingdom fell. It was our fault, for we had overlooked the last crystal that we were supposed to gather, and when the time came we were short one crystal and no one knew about it or where it was. Then it was too late. The hole opened, and then everyone began falling through, falling into other dimensions. The only ones who could possibly have been saved were Helios and Luna, but they sacrificed themselves for me. I can still recall . . ."
"Bink!" Luna exclaimed, grabbing on his hand just before he fell into another dimension. Helios appeared beside her.
"Eve's gone!" he cried, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Help me hold onto Bink!" Luna cried, turning to Helios. Helios reached down and grabbed on Bink's other hand. He struggled to pull Bink up. Luna and Helios fluttered their wings, but there was no use, for the wind surrounding them would blow them away.
"Luna! Helios! Just let go of me and live!" Bink cried, his dark hair whipping across his face. "Be prosperous together and sustain the succession of the fairies!"
He let go of Luna's hand but Luna managed to reach down further to grasp him, and in doing so she slipped down so Helios caught her.
"I'll never let go!" she cried. Her platinum-blue hair flew upwards away from her face. She turned and nodded to Helios who concentrated, and his flaming red hair flew up from his face. The star on each of their foreheads illuminated, and glowed. Helios' star was a fiery gold, where Luna's was shining silver.
"It is important you live, Bink, for you are the Star Warrior of Knowledge, and you'll need to pass on your great knowledge to future warriors," said Luna, smiling gently at him. She cringed as a lapse of pain hit her, and Helios cried out in anguish as well when it reached him. The magic was taking away from their life force. He recovered and slowly turned to Bink.
"Guide the next warriors! For you will live for many centuries, Bink! I will take care of Luna in heaven until we meet you there, don't worry. When the time comes, our paths will cross again!" Helios shouted to Bink as the wind blew stronger and stronger. He then slowly faded into an aura of golden light, smiling softly at Bink.
"No, Helios," Bink lamented, reaching out for his friend.
"We'll always be with you, Bink!" Luna cried as she began to evaporate.
"NO!" Bink shouted, and he grasped her in his embrace. She put her hand on his cheek and a silver tear fell from her eye.
"I'll be here," she said softly, and she faded into an aura of silver light.
"Luna!" Bink sobbed, falling to his knees. The golden and silver light surrounded him, bathing him in its divinity. His body felt rejuvenated and ageless, yet he had lost the two most important people in his life. He didn't know what to do. Where would he go from now? What would happen to him without Luna and Helios?
"And that's why I've lived for so long," Bink said quietly, tears falling down his wrinkled cheeks. "My time is yet to come, for I still have quite a few centuries left. Luna and Helios left me the gift of transitory timelessness for several centuries, although I have physically aged quite a bit," he said quietly.
"Oh my," Cat said, her eyes shining with tears. "Grandfather Bink . . . I would have like to met Luna and Helios."
Bink nodded. "And they would have adored you, Diana, but they are gone now. A few aeons after that, I met Terra. She was the crystal, the crystal that had been missing on that fateful day. I know it's difficult to understand, but we could've sent someone in the future to retrieve Terra, but it was too late. You see, her soul is the sixth crystal of Star. Eventually, she will die as normal humans do. I can't say I adulate her they way I cherished Luna, but she has taken very good care of me over the years, and she still continues to do so."
"So Terra's soul is the crystal?" Adrian exclaimed incredulously. Bink nodded sadly.
"To think that if I had only looked into the future that the stars had foreseen . . . and retrieved Terra . . . then Luna and Helios would have lived.as well as everyone else. But, I failed. And I lost so much to pay for my failure. But then again, if we had gotten Terra, then she would have been killed in the process of retrieving the crystal . . . I just don't know whether what happened was right or not."
Zeth's eyes were sad as he gazed at Bink. "I understand you a little better now, Bink," he said quietly. Bink smiled a small smile.
"I should hope so. Now, go to sleep, and tomorrow go back to Icicle, so when Zaria awakens, you will be there to receive her. Zeth nodded.
"Thank you," he said softly, and left the room.
"Thank you, Bink," Adrian said, and followed Zeth. Cat's eyes overflowed with her tears.
"Grandfather Bink!" she exclaimed, and ran over to hug him, a display of affection that Bink hadn't expected.
Bink's old eyes brightened. "Follow the path you are meant to take, Princess Diana," Bink whispered. He then pulled away and smiled at her encouragingly. "Go, child," he said. "Don't bother waking me up tomorrow, just go back to Icicle where Zeth can be with his Zaria once more."
Cat nodded dutifully and left the room, armed with her new wisdom about Bink. So many people around her had been through so many hardships, and they were still the wonderful people that they were today. She would try to be as strong as them, and she would help her friends save the planet . . . save everyone she loved and cared for, and everyone they loved and cared for. She looked up the glass ceiling into the night sky, almost able to feel the breeze of dusk lightly kissing her cheeks. The stars seemed to flicker iridescently with all their knowledge, and Cat felt proud of Bink, proud that he was the Star Warrior of Knowledge, but even if he hadn't been, she would have esteemed him as her grandfather anyway. She then entered the guestroom prepared and went to sleep, resting for tomorrow, another day.
* * *
"Oh, this place is beautiful, it's the place I've dreamed of all my life," Zaria breathed, taking in the scenery of the Moon Kingdom that was ruled by her ancestors. The silver fireworks in the lovely azure star-speckled sky, the sound of festivity and music everywhere, all the moon people, whom except for their filmy silvery wings looked like normal humans with a cloud of tranquil elegance surrounding them.
Princess Louvia smiled to herself. Yes, she did rule this kingdom, but she wasn't yet the queen. The kingdom did not have a king or queen, only a prince and princess. Oh, how Louvia longed for the day when she would be recognized as Queen of the Moon, but the Moon Goddess Selene had said that she would only grant that once the time was right. Right now, Louvia had to focus on helping her descendant play a major role in either the salvation or destruction of the planet, but preferably it would be the former. She would have to nudge Zaria in the right direction, for this Locke was special. She was the very rare Moon Maiden Artemis, the maiden that would only grace the planet once every universal change. Very seldom was the universe destroyed and started from scratch, so very seldom did a Moon Maiden Artemis appear to stay for a while.
"I'm glad you like my kingdom," Princess Louvia said softly, gazing at the platinum pillars of her palace. "We shall now enter the Lunar Solstice Palace, where Claude is waiting to see you." She used her magic to rapidly teleport herself and Zaria into the palace. They were standing in the Room of the Divine Moon, where Princess Louvia had arranged for Zaria to meet Prince Claude.
"Where are we?" Zaria asked Princess Louvia in wonder.
Princess Louvia smiled. It felt so refreshing to experience the wonders of her kingdom with a fresh pair of young, naïve eyes.
"We are in the Room of the Divine Moon, and Prince Claude should be here shortly."
As if Prince Claude had heard what Princess Louvia had been saying, he promptly entered the room, looking tall, handsome and debonair; everything a prince should be. He was clad in his silver armor and glittering cape, made of purely spun moonlight woven into a heavy cloth that had been draped on his broad shoulders. On his back were the same dragon-like wings that Princess Louvia had.
"Zaria Locke," Prince Claude pronounced clearly, gazing at Zaria. He shook his hair out of his eyes, revealing the crescent moon glowing on his forehead as he gazed at her with an impish look in his eyes. Zaria couldn't stop staring at him. He was one of her ancestors? He was as handsome as Princess Louvia was beautiful, with Zeth's soft burnt honey colored hair, and Zaria's own crystalline emerald green eyes. His features were striking, and Zaria could see much of her brother, Zitan, in him. She finally shook herself out of the enchanting aura surrounding Prince Claude and curtsied deeply.
"I am Zaria, your majesty," she said, her head bowed down. Prince Claude walked over to her and lifted her chin up. She slowly rose, his gaze once more locked on hers.
"Zaria, my child, I have been watching over you for almost a century," he said, chuckling. "You seemed to have had a longer life span than most mortals."
Zaria's facial features softened into an amiable expression. "Yes, your majesty," she replied, feeling unnatural to have such a young and beautiful man call her "child".
"Oh child, do not call me 'majesty'. Just address me as Claude, for I think it would be better than saying Infinity Great Grandfather, wouldn't you say?" Prince Claude said.
Zaria slowly nodded. "All right . . . Claude," she replied. Prince Claude smiled his debonair smile, his emerald eyes twinkling.
"Louvia, does Zaria know why she was brought here?" he asked Princess Louvia. The lovely princess nodded.
"All that is left is to initiate Zaria into the mysteries and secrets of Holy, and bestow on her the power to use it. Zaria understands the burden that has been thrust down upon her, the poor child," Princess Louvia said, stroking Zaria's hair.
Zaria slowly looked up. "Princess Louvia, Prince Claude, can you grant me one wish?" she asked hesitantly.
"Of course, although it is a small favor in exchange of what you must do for the planet," said Prince Claude.
"Well, could you make sure that . . . Zeth Lanier will live happily, no matter what happens to me?" Zaria asked. Princess Louvia glanced at Prince Claude, who nodded.
"I will try my best," he said, "for I know what it is like to be young and in love," he continued, looking over at Princess Louvia with a teasing grin on his face. The princess blushed and turned back to Zaria.
"Zaria, now we must go and start the process of transferring the universal Holy magic and abilities into your body, which will take a while, and will be an exhausting process," she said. "But first, let's all get out of this armor and wear something a little more comfortable, so we look like the royalty we are."
Prince Claude laughed. "Oh no, she's going to go completely overboard with this one," he chuckled, as Princess Louvia whispered a spell and then magic dust spread around the room, and when it reached the three they were elegantly clad and smelled like roses.
Prince Claude was wearing his same moonlight cape, except his wings had vanished and he was no longer wearing armor, but apparel fitting for a prince. Princess Louvia's wings had disappeared as well, and she was garbed in a lovely but simple evening dress. It was a thin-strapped silver gown with a full skirt that reached her ankles, and on her arms were long white gloves that reached up above her elbows. Her long black hair was flowing around her. Around her neck was a lovely moonstone gem in the shape of a crescent. On her forehead her crescent moon shone brightly. Zaria was wearing the same gloves, and same style dress, but her gown was white and purple, starting white at her waist and darkening into a deep violet on its way down to her ankles. The bodice had an intricate purple- on-white design on it, and on her neck was a moonstone as well, but Zaria's was in the shape of a full moon. Set in her lustrous chocolate hair was a glittering frosty diadem. Zaria gasped when she saw all the finery.
"This is what you call comfortable royal clothing?" she squeaked at Princess Louvia. She nodded, laughing. "Yes, and you look beautiful, my child. Beautiful. You look exactly how a child of Claude and myself would look, and you've inherited all the good qualities from both of us. Because you see, both your parents are members of the Locke clan, but so distant that they don't know it."
Zaria gasped. She had never known that before . . . her parents had both been part of the Locke family? Surely her father had known, for his last name was Locke, but her mother . . . her sweet and gentle mother who had passed away when Zaria was only five . . . she was a Locke?
"Don't look so surprised, my dear," said the princess. "The Locke family is quite massive . . . there are hundreds of Locke children out there, in fact, and they don't even know it. Therefore they are not genuine Locke descendants. Many of them are descendants of Claude's siblings, lacking my blood completely. You are one of the most special, for you are one of the purest and you are the Moon Maiden Artemis."
"Um, thank you," Zaria said, abashed, not really understanding what Princess Louvia had said. Here they were, two gorgeous people who looked not much older than herself, talking like they were her parents.
"I shall go and make the arrangements for Zaria's journey back to the planet," Prince Claude said, waving his hand. "See you in a while, Zaria." He then disappeared into thin air.
Princess Louvia reached over to take Zaria's hand. "Come this way," she said, pulling Zaria. She teleported Zaria to a very large, stark white room. In the room was magic dust scattered everywhere in the air. There were heavy swirls of it in some corners. Zaria looked around, confused, and even more so when she saw Princess Louvia disappearing.
"Wait, Princess Louvia!" she exclaimed. "Where am I, and where are you going?"
Then she heard Princess Louvia's voice. "Don't worry, I am right outside, and I can see you. You are in the Magic Invocation Room and I am about to invoke Universal Holy, and it will come into your body, and after that you will wield great power. I am warning you, the experience might be painful, and for that reason there is a mattress to lie down on if you feel uncomfortable."
Zaria looked around despairing and to her relief, there was a place to lie down, but it was no simple mattress, but a glowing canopied bed. She walked over and sat down.
"I shall invoke it now, Zaria. Please, be strong," said Princess Louvia's voice. A few moments later, Zaria could feel the magic dust in the air intensifying immensely, and soon it became so thick that she could barely breathe. She sat there, choking, until the magic dust settled into a large spherical shape of greenish-white light in the middle of the room. The magic dust was swallowed up completely by this mass of swirling white light, which had a bright glow to it that blinded Zaria. She shielded her eyes and squinted towards the light. The light darkened, and became black, and the blackness engulfed the entire room. Zaria became frightened. Was this what Holy was supposed to do? She sat back, shaking. The black became the night sky, and stars appeared, forming the shapes and constellations that were familiar to Zaria, and made her relax a little. Then, the stars started to swirl around, and then sank into a hole in the middle. Everything began to sink into the hole.
"The Black Hole," Zaria whispered, terrified. The hole continued to suck in everything in sight, and it began to suck Zaria in as well. "Help!" she shouted, trying to grasp on something, but everything was going in with her.
"Princess Louvia, help me!" she screamed hysterically, but there was no comforting voice from Princess Louvia telling her everything was under control, that everything would be all right. Zaria was completely sucked in to the hole. Her screams were swallowed up by darkness and she knew no more.
* * *
Zeth was the first one who rushed into the doctor's clinic the next morning, where Zack had fallen asleep in the waiting room. He quickly shook Zack awake.
"Zack, has Zaria come to yet?" he practically shouted as soon as Zack's eyes opened. Zack slowly sat up and focused his drowsy eyes on Zeth. He shook his head.
"I'm sorry, man. Did you bring Bink with you?"
Zeth's eyes clouded over and he shook his head. "No need to, because right now her consciousness is with her ancestors on the moon. She is the Moon Maiden Artemis."
Zack's eyes widened. "Well, I don't even know what you're talking about, so just explain later," he said thoughtlessly.
Zeth nodded again. "Is anyone in there with her?" he asked Zack.
"Yeah, I'm here," said Fuuko, walking out of the room. "The doctor went home so I stayed with Zaria during the night. Breanna went to the inn and Zitan went home."
"Oh," Zeth said insecurely. "Thank you, Fuuko. If you both don't mind, I'm going in to see Zaria by myself. He left the room just as Cat and Adrian entered from the doorway.
Zeth walked towards Zaria's bed, and knelt down beside her and took her cold hand into his. He stayed there, gazing softly at Zaria, until he heard Cat coming in behind him.
"Zaria looks so cute when she's sleeping!" Cat said cheerfully, trying to lighten up the gloomy atmosphere. Zeth gave her a sad smile and turned back to Zaria. The tears that he had been holding back began flooding his eyes, but he wouldn't permit them to emerge.
Zaria! He thought internally. If you won't wake up, I will make you! He then impulsively stood up and picked up Zaria and slung her onto his back. "W-What are you doing?" Cat stammered as Zeth left the room. Zeth continued to walk straight towards the exit.
"What the #$%^ are you doing?" Zack swore as Zeth left. Fuuko ran after him.
"Zeth, where are you taking Zaria?" she asked in a remarkably calm tone, while Zack was cursing behind her.
"I'm taking her to where we were before," Zeth said softly, as if in a trance. "She will come back to me there." Fuuko shook her head.
"Zeth, you're making a mistake! Her condition might get worse out there in the cold! Please, just bring her back in!"
Zeth shook his head in refusal. "No," he said, sounding very determined. "Goodbye, Fuuko." He continued to walk, leaving Fuuko standing there.
He walked for a long, long time, and he was chilled to the bone, but he kept on walking with the unconscious Zaria on his back until they reached the shelter that they had been in many times during the war. This place was the place that they had spent many cold nights huddling with many others for warmth and comfort, a place where many secrets and stories had been shared. He walked into the hidden shelter in which he and Zaria were the only ones remaining who knew the entrance. In the sixty years that had passed, it had not changed all that much, except that now it was completely abandoned.
Zeth lovingly lay Zaria down on one of the mattresses. Her whole body looked deathly ashen, and her fingers were icy cold. She looked so childlike when she was asleep, even back then. She hardly ever looked like she was a warrior. He remembered . . . even back then . . .
"I'm using as much of my magic as I can, but it won't work," Zaria cried.
"All he needs is some rest, Zaria, calm down," said Galen. Zeth's vision was blurring, and the only thing he could see was Zaria and Galen. They were hovering worriedly above him, and although Galen's tone was calm, his eyes were full of concern.
"Zeth, are you all right?" Zaria asked him. The words echoed in his mind. He opened his mouth to reply but only a groan came out. Zaria tenderly laid a chilled cloth on his forehead, and the heat throughout his body slightly subsided. Galen turned to Zaria and seemed to be exchanging dialogue with her, but Zeth couldn't comprehend what they were saying. Everything around him began turning white.and he knew no more.
Zeth slowly lifted his heavy eyelids open. Zaria was sitting next to his mattress. "Zaria," he said softly, but she didn't respond. "Zaria," Zeth repeated, a little louder this time, but then Zeth heard Zaria snore softly. Oh, she was sleeping. Then he wouldn't disturb her. But why had Zaria fallen asleep there? Was she.taking care of him? She had been by his side all this time? He lay there, watching Zaria in her peaceful slumber.
He made a strenuous attempt to sit up. It was excruciating, and he automatically moaned in pain. Zaria's eyes flew open. "Zeth!" she exclaimed. "You should be resting!" She pushed his shoulders back down forcefully. He gasped as his back slammed on the mattress. "Oh, sorry!" Zaria exclaimed, dismayed. "Zeth, are you feeling better?"
He strained a smile and nodded, although she had just knocked the wind out of him. "Yes, I'm better." Zaria had smiled her sweet smile and started coughing violently. She doubled over and continued to cough. "Zaria, are you all right?" Zeth said in a panicked tone, his concern for Zaria stronger than his pain. He looked around frantically. Where had Galen gone? Zaria tried to nod her head as she continued to cough violently. Zeth quickly got up. "Lie down," he commanded, but then she coughed so hard that she passed out. Zeth picked her up and laid her on the mattress.
Although he was not completely well himself, he watched over Zaria, for she had caught an infectious affliction that was possibly fatal. One moment, she would be tossing and turning with a high fever, and he would lay a cool cloth on her forehead. The next moment, she would be shivering and shaking with the chills, and he would spread another blanket over her. Sometimes, she would go into short periods where she wasn't sleeping, and wasn't quite awake, and Zeth would sit by her side in fear that she would never wake up, but she always did. She remained in that state for a week, but then she eventually got better.
And she would wake up this time as well, Zeth thought fiercely. She would wake up. Although Bink had told Zeth that there was nothing to worry about, Zeth still felt like Zaria was going through some sort of pain, and she might not make it through. "Zaria, be strong," he whispered, grasping her frail hand.
* * *
Zaria slowly opened her eyes. Peachy keen, she thought. For the millionth time, she had no idea where she was. It seemed like she was floating in white space. She sighed and let herself continue to float. All of a sudden she heard the sound of a magic spell being cast and she focused her eyes in the direction of the sound. She saw a sparkling green flash of light coming towards her. It looked like a falling star. It kept on zooming closer until finally, it went through her heart into her body. She cried out in pain, and clutched her chest in agony. She felt like her entire body was on heavenly fire, for it hurt, but at the same time it felt so divine that she knew it wasn't something evil. The pain seared throughout her entire body, but no matter what she did, nothing would relieve it. She cried out, but no one came. Finally, she just let her body slump; the beads of sweat forming on her face and body. She was too tired to continue to struggle although the agony was as fierce as ever. She slowly shut her eyes. "Holy," she rasped before she knew no more.
Zaria was fully awake, but she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. Her body wasn't aching or sore, even after the painful ordeal that she had been through, but she felt exhausted. She slowly pulled herself up and shifted her gaze downward. She was still wearing the pretty dress, and smelled fresh and clean. She groaned, for her head was throbbing.
"Zaria . . . Zaria . . . Zaria . . . are you there, Zaria?" came Princess Louvia's voice. Zaria mustered up all the strength she had left and weakly shouted her reply.
"Yes, Princess Louvia."
The door of the room slowly creaked open, and Princess Louvia was standing there with a worried expression on her face. She saw Zaria and ran over to her.
"Oh, Zaria, you poor dear, was that painful? The magnitude of the power that was attracted into you was wondrously great! I hardly expected that much! Oh dear, that must have been radically agonizing! Zaria, Zaria, are you all right?"
Zaria managed to nod. "Yes," she croaked. She stood up shakily.
Princess Louvia gazed at her. "Such a sweet one, but with such a burden," she said, shaking her head. "Try out your Holy, Zaria."
"How?" Zaria asked, flustered.
"How you use your healing magic, but this time focus on Holy," Princess Louvia replied. Zaria took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She focused on nothing but Holy. She kept chanting it in her head, calling forth the power. The words "Banish Evil" came out of her mouth, and a wave of Holy magic hit Princess Louvia, who stepped back but still received the impact of the powerful magic so she fell down.
"Oh no!" Zaria said, looking aghast. "I'm so sorry, Princess!" she exclaimed, rushing over to Princess Louvia. Princess Louvia slowly sat up. "Whoa," she said. "I mean, WHOA! That was some of the strongest Holy magic that I have ever seen! That was amazing!"
Zaria was confused. "A-aren't you hurt?" she stammered. Princess Louvia laughed and shook her head.
"No, for I am not evil, and I am not fighting you. At any rate, my dear, I am immortal. The beauty of holy magic is that it banishes the evil in an opponent, and makes them give up the will to fight you. In some cases, though, it can completely destroy even the most powerful of opponents, but to do that will take a grand effort from you and might take its toll on your health," Princess Louvia warned.
Zaria breathed a sigh of relief. The Princess was all right, and she had bestowed a marvelous new power upon Zaria. Now, the only thing that they had to do before proceeding to the Northern Crater was to find the last Mage warrior! The future was looking bright. Princess Louvia laughed at Zaria's happy expression. "Zaria, let me take you to see Claude once more then I'll send you back so you can go see your Zeth and all your other friends, all right?"
Zaria turned to Princess Louvia and nodded enthusiastically, her eyes shining. "Thank you, Princess Louvia," she cried gaily.
"Call me Louvia," said Princess Louvia. "You've certainly earned the privilege to do so, and call Prince Claude by his first name, Claude." She gazed at Zaria with eyes full of love. "I'm very proud of you, Zaria." She then extended her hand and Zaria slowly placed her hand in Louvia's, and then Princess Louvia teleported them both to the Room of the Divine Moon where Prince Claude was waiting.
As soon as Prince Claude saw Zaria and Princess Louvia a soft smile appeared on his face. "The wielder of Universal Holy," he said, gazing at Zaria. "Bare your soul to me, Zaria. You have received the power and still have survived. You are indeed a strong one. But, I have one last test for you. It is a challenge to test your courage, and whether you are worthy of Holy, and although I do not doubt it, this test is necessary." Zaria nodded in acquiescence.
"All right then," he said. "Tell me, why is it that you fight? I know that part of the reason you do is to save the world, but everyone has a hidden stimulus, a concealed inspiration. Tell me yours."
Zaria stood there in confusion. What was she to say? She fought for the salvation of the world . . . so that everyone could be happy. Everyone . . . especially her loved ones could be happy. "Think before you answer," Prince Claude warned her, "for you will only have one chance to answer, and the answer must be worthy of the ability to use such a power like Universal Holy."
Zaria continued to cogitate, but she couldn't think of it. Princess Louvia saw her anxiety and decided to help her. "Zaria," she said. "This answer is true for almost everyone. And the answer is not 'revenge', but something else, something important to anyone who has even the tiniest shred of good in them. Anyone who has the ability to love . . ."
Zaria took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Why did she fight? She remembered the image of Zeth, falling down the cliff, his glowing aqua eyes cast upwards in her direction, looking at her with all the love that she had ever wanted or needed. Zeth . . . she fought for him . . . and for everyone else she loved! She loved all of her friends! She loved Zeth, she loved Cat, She loved Zack, she loved Fuuko, she loved Adrian, and she even loved Breanna! Albeit her love for each of them was different, she did love them all, and she would fight to protect them. Her answer was now clear. She opened her eyes and looked Prince Claude straight in the eye. "I fight," she declared, "to protect the ones I love."
Prince Claude locked his gaze on hers for a long, long time, with that perceptive look on his face. In his emerald eyes Zaria could see the pain and joy that he had been through in the past, for everything came to the surface. He was baring his soul to her, in exchange for having her bare her soul to him. During that moment, Prince Claude was vulnerable. Finally the intimate look in his eyes disappeared and then he broke into a smile.
"Yes," he said. "You have answered correctly, child." He walked over to Zaria, holding his regal composure. To her surprise, he bent down and swept her up in his embrace. "I'll be watching over you, Moon Child," he whispered in her ear, and then he slowly faded away into magic dust.
Princess Louvia came up to her with tears in her eyes. She reached out and hugged Zaria as well. "So heartbreakingly sweet and innocent, yet with such a burden," she said softly for the tenth time. "Farewell, Zaria, and good luck. No matter what, do what your heart tells you. If you need the wisdom of the moon, then summon the spirit of the moon with this. You can use it only when there is moonlight nearby," she said, giving Zaria the moonstone around her neck.
Zaria looked up at Princess Louvia. "Thank you," she whispered. Princess Louvia smiled and nodded, and then gestured towards Zaria, and she was once more wearing her armor. Then Zaria could feel herself fading away.
"Goodbye, Moon Maiden Artemis," Princess Louvia said softly, and then lowering her voice so that Zaria could barely hear her, she added, "Beware that one who is close to you is not what they seem. That one is not evil but could corrupt your cycle of life. Take special care."
Zaria then felt herself being transported out of the Moon Kingdom, and back to her world. Goodbye, she thought, hoping that someday she could go back to see Prince Claude and Princess Louvia again, and maybe abide in the heavenly kingdom on the Moon.
Another fantasy element. Lot's of things going on, eh? Please review and tell me when you want me to update!
The Moon Maiden Artemis
Zaria looked around. It was laborious to turn her head even to do that, for there was resistance in the air, the same kind of resistance that you felt when you were underwater.
She was floating in some mass of verdant magic. She started to breathe, after holding her breath all this time, and was startled when she sucked in liquid. She choked and struggled, but there was no surface to reach. Finally she sucked the liquid into her lungs, and after that it was like she was breathing normally, except underwater.
It's like I'm in liquid healing magic, she thought. How did she get there? Where was she? Then she remembered what had happened to her. She had been running from Zeth and then had felt dizzy . . . and rays of light had seeped into her head . . . their had been a long persistent beep that kept on resounding . . . then she had blacked out completely. And here she was. What was she to do now? She started swimming in one direction, but it led to nowhere. She looked all around herself. There was nothing, except a green background surrounding her. She had to keep moving in slow motion.
"Where am I?" she shouted, to no one in particular. Her voice echoed and reverberated throughout the mass she was in. "WHERE AM I?" she screamed. Yet no one answered, and she was alone in a strange place. She started to cry out of frustration, but the tears didn't roll down her cheeks, they floated off her eyes into the space in front of her, which fascinated her, yet the tears still continued to flow.
"Don't cry, Zaria," a gentle voice said. Zaria was startled. The voice sounded so similar to her own, but so much more melodious and dulcet, while hers was loud and clear. "Who is it?" she asked, frightened.
A figure appeared before her. It was a beautiful majestic woman with hair as black as onyx, darker than the midnight. Her eyes were a glowing aquamarine color, the same color as Zeth's. Yet this woman's eyes seemed erudite, and they glowed with the effulgence of immortality. She was wearing snow-white armor that was intricate in detail, and had moon gems embedded in it here and there. She had translucent green reptilian wings, reminiscent to the wings of a dragon. Her knee-high boots were also white, and had moon gems in them as well. Underneath her armor was a short green pleated skirt. She was wearing metallic white armor gloves that went to a point at her elbow. In her hands were a snow-white bow and arrow that had moon gems scattered on it. The most remarkable feature about her was that on her forehead was a phosphorescent crescent moon, facing upwards so it looked similar to the Cheshire Cat's grin.
"The question is, who are you?" the lady said. Zaria furrowed her brow in confusion.
"Are you . . . Louvia?" Zaria asked hesitantly. The beautiful lady laughed delicately, an onerous feat to perform underwater, and smiled.
"Yes, I am the Princess of the Moon, Princess Louvia."
Zaria gasped. "Then I am one of your descendants," she realized aloud. Princess Louvia nodded.
"Yes. And you are one of the most important ones of my descendants ever to grace this planet, for it is you, and you alone, who will decide the fate of this planet and all who dwell on it on the day of reckoning. Although others may have something to do with it, the choice of whether this particular planet will be saved or not depends on you."
"What?" Zaria asked in confusion. "Me?" Princess Louvia laughed again. Her laughter was euphonious and sounded musical to Zaria's ears.
"Yes, Zaria," she replied. "You are the bearer of Holy, the only force that can stop the Destruction," she continued, and her expression darkened. "The Destruction," Princess Louvia repeated darkly, "is the event that had to come, one way or another. In your reality, it is the Black Hole."
Zaria tried to comprehend what the Princess had said, but didn't want to accept the burden. "But why me?" she asked tentatively.
"Because you are the only one who can use the universal Holy, and you are a Locke, albeit one of the last. Your Holy is even more powerful than mine, for my Holy is only the Moon Holy. You will also be hindered by the continuous attacks of the enemies of Humans that will weaken you and sap your strength. To stop the Destruction, you must invoke the Ultimate Blessing to Banish Evil, but I can not grant you the ability to do so, for it is an ability hidden deep inside you, only to be summoned once to give the universal blessing once. I can only grant you the ability to use Holy, and you must develop your abilities throughout your quest. But, there are consequences for invoking such a mighty power, and if you are not strong enough, then it will be the cause of your death."
Zaria listened intently, and slowly nodded, ultimately accepting her fate. "I understand, Princess Louvia," she said softly. Princess Louvia's gaze softened.
"It aggrieves me to see one so lovely, young, and hopeful have to be burdened so heavily, but it is necessary. You are going to have to make a decision, a very important one. The choice you make is up to you alone."
"What choice?" Zaria asked. Princess Louvia shook her head. "My dear, I can not tell you. I can only tell you that when that time comes, to follow your heart, and heed no one but yourself."
Zaria felt weak in her heart. She nodded. "I understand, even though I don't want to. But how come, if it is destined for me to make an unfortunate choice, that I have been given a second chance to live my life with Zeth?"
Princess Louvia gave her an apologetic look. "Oh Zaria, things are not always what they seem."
"What does that mean?" Zaria demanded. Princess Louvia shook her head again.
"You will know," she said mysteriously. "For now, take my hand."
Princess Louvia extended one delicately gloved hand over to Zaria. Zaria reached out and touched Princess Louvia's hand with her fingertips. A bright green light crawled into her hand, and started enveloping her entire body. It felt so wonderful, yet so agonizing. She was being transported, but not back to her own world yet . . .
* * *
"Whew! That was tiring!" Cat exclaimed, wiping the sweat off her brow.
"Sorry," Zeth replied.
"It's all right, don't worry about it," Adrian inserted.
"Well, here we are in front of Bink's house," Cat said, staring up at the large tree house. "I think last time Bink said something about an elevator . . ."
She put her hands on the bark and tried to use her sense of touch to find the hidden button. "Oh @#$%! Can't find the damn thing!" she swore. She stood there trying to figure out how to find the button. "I know!" she exclaimed. "I'll use my electricity waves! Electro Wave!" she shouted, and a wave of electricity passed through the area. "Oh, I can sense where it is," said Cat, and she went over to that spot. "But I still can't see it . . ." she continued to feel around.
Zeth knelt down beside her and put his hand on the base of the tree. "Ultima light," he muttered, and all of a sudden, everything was in X-ray vision. Cat was successfully able to locate the button, and she pressed it with a flourish. The ground underneath them rose, riding on the air, transporting them up to the front door of Bink's home. While they were traveling upwards, Zeth removed the Ultima Light spell, and everything went back to normal.
The moon was bright in the sky now, and it was in a crescent shape, illuminating white light. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Zeth looked up at the moon and stars. "I'm coming for you, Zaria," he whispered to himself.
A few moments later the elevator stopped, and the three stepped off and Cat went and knocked on Bink's door. Not long after that, Terra herself answered the door.
"Diana, dear!" Terra exclaimed, looking at Cat. "What brings you here at this time of night?"
"I'm sorry to bother you," Cat apologized quickly.
"Oh no, dear, it's quite all right. Have you come to see Bink, dear?" Terra asked.
"Actually, it is my friend Zeth who has come," Cat said, nodding towards Zeth. Zeth bowed his head to Terra. "He must speak to Bink immediately."
Terra nodded understandingly and let Cat, Adrian and Zeth come in. "Go right to his observatory, dears, he won't be sleeping yet," Terra told them. "I'll make you some tea and set up a place for you three to sleep tonight, dears."
"Thank you very much," Zeth and Adrian thanked Terra at the same time.
"Come on, guys!" Cat exclaimed, and she led the way towards Bink's observatory.
Bink was, as expected, observing the stars. "The stars gave me a important message today," he said, acknowledging their presence without turning around. "It's about the moon." He turned to the three abruptly. "Isn't one of your friends a descendant of the Moon Sorceress Louvia?"
Cat stepped up into the observatory. "Grandfather Bink, this is my friend Zeth Lanier, and you know Adrian."
"The one with the all powerful Destruction magic has come to see me," Bink said, his eyebrows raised. "Does this, perchance, have to do with the Moon Princess's descendant? The Moon Maiden Artemis, who will liberate the cradle of humanity from the Destruction with the Universal Holy?"
Zeth raised his eyes. "I do not know if Zaria is the Moon Maiden Artemis you speak of, but I have come to ask you to save her," he said softly. "She is sick, and won't get better, and it isn't a medical condition."
"Let's see about that," Bink said, and he pulled his hands apart, producing a swirl of bluish light. He spread his arms out and the blue light formed into a large floating sphere, and an image appeared on it. It was Zaria, lying in the doctor's clinic.
"Zaria!" Zeth exclaimed weakly.
Bink looked at him and nodded. "This is the physical condition that she is in now," Bink told him. Zeth nodded, gazing at the image of Zaria. The image changed into a verdant swirling mass of light, and Zeth could see the subtle outline of a feminine body, which looked very much like Zaria. "This," Bink said, "is where she really is."
Zeth wrinkled his brow in confusion. "How can she be there? Where is that place?" Zeth asked.
Bink smiled. "It is the entrance to the Moon Kingdom. I believe she is entering the Moon Kingdom right now. After all, she is the descendant of the Princess and Prince of the Moon."
"How did she get there? Why is she there?" Zeth continued to fire his questions at Bink.
"Calm down, son," Bink said. "Her soul was transported there temporarily; she'll be back. As for the reason she is there, even the stars do not know."
"Oh . . . thank you," Zeth said softly. He looked up again. "So Zaria will be all right?" Bink nodded, smiling at him. "Will she be back soon?" Zeth asked tentatively. Bink laughed, his robes bouncing up and down with his mirth. Zeth scowled.
"Don't worry too much, Warrior of Ultima, your significant other will be returned to you soon, safe and sound, though her heart may have changed."
"So Zaria is all right!" Cat exclaimed, and jumped up and down in happiness. Adrian smiled. He turned to Bink. "Thank you, Bink. You have relieved us of a great deal of anxiety."
"I don't think he's feeling that much better," Bink said mirthfully, pointing at Zeth.
Zeth looked up, his eyes dull. "I can't rest until Zaria is back safely in my arms," he said, and turned away. "I know that the stars tell you all, Bink, but . . . I can't help being worried about Zaria."
Bink nodded at him understandingly. "I know. I had young love once, and I know what it's like to have someone be your whole universe," he said, a longing look in his old eyes. Cat gave him a prying look.
"Can you tell us about it, Bink?" she asked curiously. The longing look on Bink's face disappeared.
"You want to hear my story?" he said incredulously. They all nodded, eager to hear about Bink. Bink sighed. "I suppose I can tell you," he began. "Yeah!" Cat exclaimed, jumping for joy.
"Let me start," Bink chastised. "As you all know, I have lived for many centuries, and my story started many hundred years ago, when I was a strapping young elf, insipid and foolish, yet I was considered rather handsome for an elf. Therefore, I held myself with an air that only an elf that knew that he was strong and good-looking would. I longed for adventure, longed for a chance to prove to the world that I could be someone who could help others by fighting. One day, a group of travelers happened to pass by the Forest of the Elves, and they stayed a night in the Ocarina Inn, which happened to be owned by my parents. I was passing through the dining hall thoughtlessly when I saw the group of travelers. They were a fascinating group of people, almost as remarkable as you young folk. I was to find out that they were on a mission similar to yours, except that they failed, and that was what caused the first spark that would lead to the explosions and destruction of life in the Mage War, that was to occur in the next few centuries. Their group consisted of a human man named Vahn, a human woman named Chlorine, two elves from a different continent named Dawn and Eve, a werewolf named Kort, and two fairies named Helios and Luna. No, they weren't twins like Dawn and Eve, for they were not even remotely related. They just happened to be two fairies, each wielding a different power. Helios had the power of the Sun, and Luna had the power of the Moon. They both had gossamer wings and elven ears, for they were fairies.
"Vahn was a gentle looking young man with chatlin hair, a mixture of golden and brown. Although his eyes were a plain looking gray, his gaze was penetrating, and when he looked at you, it seemed like his pupils were just black holes in swirling masses of gray smoke. His personality matched his appearance, but he didn't seem to have any special abilities, besides his martial arts techniques. He was very good with the fist, as good as your friend Breanna is supposed to be. Chlorine was a vivacious vixen with an aggressive personality, and her hair was a dark shade of green, for her mother was a forest nymph. Dawn was a bright and cheery elven maiden, with a sunlit countenance and joyous disposition. Eve was an obscure and mysterious elven maiden who always seemed to know the answers to everything, yet was as dark and secretive about them as the night. She didn't talk to many people, so I didn't know much about her, except that she might have been omniscient. Kort the werewolf was about as enigmatic as Eve, and I didn't know much about him either. All I knew was that he had some sort of dark history, and he could utilize sorcery. In his human form, he looked rather similar to Adrian. Helios was a fairy whose presence reminded you of the rays of warmth coming from the sun, bathing you in its warm light. He had flaming scarlet hair and wore gold, vermilion, saffron and orange, and his gauzy wings were like woven flax. Luna was a angelic and serene young fairy, and she reminded you of the moon, with her platinum-blue tinted hair and dark cerulean eyes with flecks of platinum in them. Her features were sweet and diminutive. She wore silver, sapphire, amethyst and snow-white apparel, and her gauzy wings were like woven strands of silver thread. She was undeniably radiant, and reflected the effulgence of the moon. She had a calm demeanor, and was very sensible in all situations. The moment I saw Luna, with the moonstone gems shining in her hair, I couldn't help but go and offer my services to her.
"Back then, magic was different, as was many other things. There were many kinds of creatures and crossbreeds that do not exist now. Now, none of the fairy folk have pointy ears such as Luna and Helios had. It turned out that Luna and Helios were the last of their subspecies, and they were expected to be wed when they came of age, but I ruined all that, therefore eliminating any future chance of survival of that subspecies of fairies."
"How'd you do that?" Cat asked, her attention riveted. Bink looked sad.
"Just wait, child. I'm coming to it. Patience is a virtue, Diana. Nevertheless, Luna accepted my offer, and I traveled with the eccentric group. It turned out that they had been summoned by King Sevar to fulfill their duty as Star Warriors. They each had a symbol of stars on their forehead that glowed when their power was invoked. They had been born to keep the continent safe, and if they succeeded in their missions, there would be no heinous revolutions, no unnecessary bloodshed of the innocent, virtuous people of this continent. At the time, this continent was called Sin. Today, it is a nameless continent, but those in other continents call this continent Nova. In my heart, my home will always be Sin, for that was the place where all of my beloved friends lived and existed. It was unascertained whether I was one of the star warriors or not, but I would be able to help them on their quest anyway. Their quest was unknown to outsiders; only a Star Warrior would be allowed to know.
"Luna and I had a unique relationship from the start, for we were kindred souls. Even though Luna knew that it was her onus to marry Helios when the quest was over, she did not love Helios in such a manner, and Helios loved another. Helios and I were quite close. I can still remember . . . when Helios and I were having our heart to heart talks . . ."
"I don't want to marry Luna," Helios admitted, looking down at his hands. Inside, Bink's heart leaped with joy, but externally his expression did not change.
"Why is that?" he prodded gently.
"Because!" Helios burst, "I do not love her! I care for her as a sister, nothing more! And also . . . never mind . . . you'd call me a idiot for my foolishness."
Bink smiled. "You know I would never call you an idiot, Helios," he said. "For you should already know that you are one!"
"Oh, funny!" Helios said derisively. "I know that you take a liking to Luna, Bink." Bink shook his head vigorously.
"NO, I don't," he denied forcefully. Helios laughed his warm laugh, his conduct bright and teasing.
"Don't deny it, Bink," he said. "You can tell me. Whatever feelings we have now won't mean anything later," he said, shrugging.
Bink sighed. "So get to the point and tell me what you want to tell me, because I know you're itching to tell me something, Helios."
Helios grinned. "All right. You know about Dawn and Eve and me, right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I can conceive how you can be fond of her, you two are so much alike," Bink said, nodding.
"No, no, no!" Helios exclaimed, shaking his head. "It's not Dawn . . . it's her twin sister, Eve. Dawn reminds me too much of my own sister, because she looks and acts too much like me! Eve . . . is as mysterious and arcane as the night. I know she's a sharp contrast of myself, but that's what draws me to her! I don't know . . . she's just so distant to me."
"Eve?" Bink exclaimed. "Eve? Wow! Who would've thought? Ha! Well, go for it, Helios!"
Helios grinned mischievously. "Now that I've revealed my deep, dark secret, tell me yours!"
Bink laughed, and shook his head. "Fine. I do have a partiality to Luna. She is a very decent person.as beautiful as the moon in full splendor. Man, I can't believe I'm saying this to you, the very person who has to wed her once this quest is over."
Helios gave him a sympathetic smile. "I understand how you feel," he said softly. Bink gazed at him in surprise; he had never seen Helios with such a calm, gentle, serene expression on his face before. He looked a lot like . . . Luna. Thinking of that made Bink's heart ache. Luna and Helios were meant for each other . . . he shouldn't stand in the way of their destiny. Helios' fascination with Eve would pass, and then Bink would be the only one in the way of their fate . . . he couldn't allow himself to be the one to do that.
"I only wanted for Luna and Helios to be happy," Bink continued sadly. The words choked on his throat and he sat down and took a deep breath.
"But then after a while, it was found out that I was actually a Star Warrior. I was the Star Warrior of Knowledge. I could effortlessly interpret information off of the stars. All the Star warriors began to accept me, to look at me in a different way. I was one of them. Luna was ecstatic. She thought that would make everything that was going on between us all right, but I knew it was not so. I felt so uncomfortable accepting their kindness, for they were all very good to me. You see, I was troubled and confused.and I felt tainted. I felt like I was in the way of what was meant to be. Eventually, Eve warmed up to Helios; it seemed like maybe he was using his sun magic to warm her heart towards him," Bink said, chuckling. Then his expression turned dark again.
"But, then all of our happiness was shattered. We were unsuccessful in our mission, and King Sevar's well-built kingdom fell. It was our fault, for we had overlooked the last crystal that we were supposed to gather, and when the time came we were short one crystal and no one knew about it or where it was. Then it was too late. The hole opened, and then everyone began falling through, falling into other dimensions. The only ones who could possibly have been saved were Helios and Luna, but they sacrificed themselves for me. I can still recall . . ."
"Bink!" Luna exclaimed, grabbing on his hand just before he fell into another dimension. Helios appeared beside her.
"Eve's gone!" he cried, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Help me hold onto Bink!" Luna cried, turning to Helios. Helios reached down and grabbed on Bink's other hand. He struggled to pull Bink up. Luna and Helios fluttered their wings, but there was no use, for the wind surrounding them would blow them away.
"Luna! Helios! Just let go of me and live!" Bink cried, his dark hair whipping across his face. "Be prosperous together and sustain the succession of the fairies!"
He let go of Luna's hand but Luna managed to reach down further to grasp him, and in doing so she slipped down so Helios caught her.
"I'll never let go!" she cried. Her platinum-blue hair flew upwards away from her face. She turned and nodded to Helios who concentrated, and his flaming red hair flew up from his face. The star on each of their foreheads illuminated, and glowed. Helios' star was a fiery gold, where Luna's was shining silver.
"It is important you live, Bink, for you are the Star Warrior of Knowledge, and you'll need to pass on your great knowledge to future warriors," said Luna, smiling gently at him. She cringed as a lapse of pain hit her, and Helios cried out in anguish as well when it reached him. The magic was taking away from their life force. He recovered and slowly turned to Bink.
"Guide the next warriors! For you will live for many centuries, Bink! I will take care of Luna in heaven until we meet you there, don't worry. When the time comes, our paths will cross again!" Helios shouted to Bink as the wind blew stronger and stronger. He then slowly faded into an aura of golden light, smiling softly at Bink.
"No, Helios," Bink lamented, reaching out for his friend.
"We'll always be with you, Bink!" Luna cried as she began to evaporate.
"NO!" Bink shouted, and he grasped her in his embrace. She put her hand on his cheek and a silver tear fell from her eye.
"I'll be here," she said softly, and she faded into an aura of silver light.
"Luna!" Bink sobbed, falling to his knees. The golden and silver light surrounded him, bathing him in its divinity. His body felt rejuvenated and ageless, yet he had lost the two most important people in his life. He didn't know what to do. Where would he go from now? What would happen to him without Luna and Helios?
"And that's why I've lived for so long," Bink said quietly, tears falling down his wrinkled cheeks. "My time is yet to come, for I still have quite a few centuries left. Luna and Helios left me the gift of transitory timelessness for several centuries, although I have physically aged quite a bit," he said quietly.
"Oh my," Cat said, her eyes shining with tears. "Grandfather Bink . . . I would have like to met Luna and Helios."
Bink nodded. "And they would have adored you, Diana, but they are gone now. A few aeons after that, I met Terra. She was the crystal, the crystal that had been missing on that fateful day. I know it's difficult to understand, but we could've sent someone in the future to retrieve Terra, but it was too late. You see, her soul is the sixth crystal of Star. Eventually, she will die as normal humans do. I can't say I adulate her they way I cherished Luna, but she has taken very good care of me over the years, and she still continues to do so."
"So Terra's soul is the crystal?" Adrian exclaimed incredulously. Bink nodded sadly.
"To think that if I had only looked into the future that the stars had foreseen . . . and retrieved Terra . . . then Luna and Helios would have lived.as well as everyone else. But, I failed. And I lost so much to pay for my failure. But then again, if we had gotten Terra, then she would have been killed in the process of retrieving the crystal . . . I just don't know whether what happened was right or not."
Zeth's eyes were sad as he gazed at Bink. "I understand you a little better now, Bink," he said quietly. Bink smiled a small smile.
"I should hope so. Now, go to sleep, and tomorrow go back to Icicle, so when Zaria awakens, you will be there to receive her. Zeth nodded.
"Thank you," he said softly, and left the room.
"Thank you, Bink," Adrian said, and followed Zeth. Cat's eyes overflowed with her tears.
"Grandfather Bink!" she exclaimed, and ran over to hug him, a display of affection that Bink hadn't expected.
Bink's old eyes brightened. "Follow the path you are meant to take, Princess Diana," Bink whispered. He then pulled away and smiled at her encouragingly. "Go, child," he said. "Don't bother waking me up tomorrow, just go back to Icicle where Zeth can be with his Zaria once more."
Cat nodded dutifully and left the room, armed with her new wisdom about Bink. So many people around her had been through so many hardships, and they were still the wonderful people that they were today. She would try to be as strong as them, and she would help her friends save the planet . . . save everyone she loved and cared for, and everyone they loved and cared for. She looked up the glass ceiling into the night sky, almost able to feel the breeze of dusk lightly kissing her cheeks. The stars seemed to flicker iridescently with all their knowledge, and Cat felt proud of Bink, proud that he was the Star Warrior of Knowledge, but even if he hadn't been, she would have esteemed him as her grandfather anyway. She then entered the guestroom prepared and went to sleep, resting for tomorrow, another day.
* * *
"Oh, this place is beautiful, it's the place I've dreamed of all my life," Zaria breathed, taking in the scenery of the Moon Kingdom that was ruled by her ancestors. The silver fireworks in the lovely azure star-speckled sky, the sound of festivity and music everywhere, all the moon people, whom except for their filmy silvery wings looked like normal humans with a cloud of tranquil elegance surrounding them.
Princess Louvia smiled to herself. Yes, she did rule this kingdom, but she wasn't yet the queen. The kingdom did not have a king or queen, only a prince and princess. Oh, how Louvia longed for the day when she would be recognized as Queen of the Moon, but the Moon Goddess Selene had said that she would only grant that once the time was right. Right now, Louvia had to focus on helping her descendant play a major role in either the salvation or destruction of the planet, but preferably it would be the former. She would have to nudge Zaria in the right direction, for this Locke was special. She was the very rare Moon Maiden Artemis, the maiden that would only grace the planet once every universal change. Very seldom was the universe destroyed and started from scratch, so very seldom did a Moon Maiden Artemis appear to stay for a while.
"I'm glad you like my kingdom," Princess Louvia said softly, gazing at the platinum pillars of her palace. "We shall now enter the Lunar Solstice Palace, where Claude is waiting to see you." She used her magic to rapidly teleport herself and Zaria into the palace. They were standing in the Room of the Divine Moon, where Princess Louvia had arranged for Zaria to meet Prince Claude.
"Where are we?" Zaria asked Princess Louvia in wonder.
Princess Louvia smiled. It felt so refreshing to experience the wonders of her kingdom with a fresh pair of young, naïve eyes.
"We are in the Room of the Divine Moon, and Prince Claude should be here shortly."
As if Prince Claude had heard what Princess Louvia had been saying, he promptly entered the room, looking tall, handsome and debonair; everything a prince should be. He was clad in his silver armor and glittering cape, made of purely spun moonlight woven into a heavy cloth that had been draped on his broad shoulders. On his back were the same dragon-like wings that Princess Louvia had.
"Zaria Locke," Prince Claude pronounced clearly, gazing at Zaria. He shook his hair out of his eyes, revealing the crescent moon glowing on his forehead as he gazed at her with an impish look in his eyes. Zaria couldn't stop staring at him. He was one of her ancestors? He was as handsome as Princess Louvia was beautiful, with Zeth's soft burnt honey colored hair, and Zaria's own crystalline emerald green eyes. His features were striking, and Zaria could see much of her brother, Zitan, in him. She finally shook herself out of the enchanting aura surrounding Prince Claude and curtsied deeply.
"I am Zaria, your majesty," she said, her head bowed down. Prince Claude walked over to her and lifted her chin up. She slowly rose, his gaze once more locked on hers.
"Zaria, my child, I have been watching over you for almost a century," he said, chuckling. "You seemed to have had a longer life span than most mortals."
Zaria's facial features softened into an amiable expression. "Yes, your majesty," she replied, feeling unnatural to have such a young and beautiful man call her "child".
"Oh child, do not call me 'majesty'. Just address me as Claude, for I think it would be better than saying Infinity Great Grandfather, wouldn't you say?" Prince Claude said.
Zaria slowly nodded. "All right . . . Claude," she replied. Prince Claude smiled his debonair smile, his emerald eyes twinkling.
"Louvia, does Zaria know why she was brought here?" he asked Princess Louvia. The lovely princess nodded.
"All that is left is to initiate Zaria into the mysteries and secrets of Holy, and bestow on her the power to use it. Zaria understands the burden that has been thrust down upon her, the poor child," Princess Louvia said, stroking Zaria's hair.
Zaria slowly looked up. "Princess Louvia, Prince Claude, can you grant me one wish?" she asked hesitantly.
"Of course, although it is a small favor in exchange of what you must do for the planet," said Prince Claude.
"Well, could you make sure that . . . Zeth Lanier will live happily, no matter what happens to me?" Zaria asked. Princess Louvia glanced at Prince Claude, who nodded.
"I will try my best," he said, "for I know what it is like to be young and in love," he continued, looking over at Princess Louvia with a teasing grin on his face. The princess blushed and turned back to Zaria.
"Zaria, now we must go and start the process of transferring the universal Holy magic and abilities into your body, which will take a while, and will be an exhausting process," she said. "But first, let's all get out of this armor and wear something a little more comfortable, so we look like the royalty we are."
Prince Claude laughed. "Oh no, she's going to go completely overboard with this one," he chuckled, as Princess Louvia whispered a spell and then magic dust spread around the room, and when it reached the three they were elegantly clad and smelled like roses.
Prince Claude was wearing his same moonlight cape, except his wings had vanished and he was no longer wearing armor, but apparel fitting for a prince. Princess Louvia's wings had disappeared as well, and she was garbed in a lovely but simple evening dress. It was a thin-strapped silver gown with a full skirt that reached her ankles, and on her arms were long white gloves that reached up above her elbows. Her long black hair was flowing around her. Around her neck was a lovely moonstone gem in the shape of a crescent. On her forehead her crescent moon shone brightly. Zaria was wearing the same gloves, and same style dress, but her gown was white and purple, starting white at her waist and darkening into a deep violet on its way down to her ankles. The bodice had an intricate purple- on-white design on it, and on her neck was a moonstone as well, but Zaria's was in the shape of a full moon. Set in her lustrous chocolate hair was a glittering frosty diadem. Zaria gasped when she saw all the finery.
"This is what you call comfortable royal clothing?" she squeaked at Princess Louvia. She nodded, laughing. "Yes, and you look beautiful, my child. Beautiful. You look exactly how a child of Claude and myself would look, and you've inherited all the good qualities from both of us. Because you see, both your parents are members of the Locke clan, but so distant that they don't know it."
Zaria gasped. She had never known that before . . . her parents had both been part of the Locke family? Surely her father had known, for his last name was Locke, but her mother . . . her sweet and gentle mother who had passed away when Zaria was only five . . . she was a Locke?
"Don't look so surprised, my dear," said the princess. "The Locke family is quite massive . . . there are hundreds of Locke children out there, in fact, and they don't even know it. Therefore they are not genuine Locke descendants. Many of them are descendants of Claude's siblings, lacking my blood completely. You are one of the most special, for you are one of the purest and you are the Moon Maiden Artemis."
"Um, thank you," Zaria said, abashed, not really understanding what Princess Louvia had said. Here they were, two gorgeous people who looked not much older than herself, talking like they were her parents.
"I shall go and make the arrangements for Zaria's journey back to the planet," Prince Claude said, waving his hand. "See you in a while, Zaria." He then disappeared into thin air.
Princess Louvia reached over to take Zaria's hand. "Come this way," she said, pulling Zaria. She teleported Zaria to a very large, stark white room. In the room was magic dust scattered everywhere in the air. There were heavy swirls of it in some corners. Zaria looked around, confused, and even more so when she saw Princess Louvia disappearing.
"Wait, Princess Louvia!" she exclaimed. "Where am I, and where are you going?"
Then she heard Princess Louvia's voice. "Don't worry, I am right outside, and I can see you. You are in the Magic Invocation Room and I am about to invoke Universal Holy, and it will come into your body, and after that you will wield great power. I am warning you, the experience might be painful, and for that reason there is a mattress to lie down on if you feel uncomfortable."
Zaria looked around despairing and to her relief, there was a place to lie down, but it was no simple mattress, but a glowing canopied bed. She walked over and sat down.
"I shall invoke it now, Zaria. Please, be strong," said Princess Louvia's voice. A few moments later, Zaria could feel the magic dust in the air intensifying immensely, and soon it became so thick that she could barely breathe. She sat there, choking, until the magic dust settled into a large spherical shape of greenish-white light in the middle of the room. The magic dust was swallowed up completely by this mass of swirling white light, which had a bright glow to it that blinded Zaria. She shielded her eyes and squinted towards the light. The light darkened, and became black, and the blackness engulfed the entire room. Zaria became frightened. Was this what Holy was supposed to do? She sat back, shaking. The black became the night sky, and stars appeared, forming the shapes and constellations that were familiar to Zaria, and made her relax a little. Then, the stars started to swirl around, and then sank into a hole in the middle. Everything began to sink into the hole.
"The Black Hole," Zaria whispered, terrified. The hole continued to suck in everything in sight, and it began to suck Zaria in as well. "Help!" she shouted, trying to grasp on something, but everything was going in with her.
"Princess Louvia, help me!" she screamed hysterically, but there was no comforting voice from Princess Louvia telling her everything was under control, that everything would be all right. Zaria was completely sucked in to the hole. Her screams were swallowed up by darkness and she knew no more.
* * *
Zeth was the first one who rushed into the doctor's clinic the next morning, where Zack had fallen asleep in the waiting room. He quickly shook Zack awake.
"Zack, has Zaria come to yet?" he practically shouted as soon as Zack's eyes opened. Zack slowly sat up and focused his drowsy eyes on Zeth. He shook his head.
"I'm sorry, man. Did you bring Bink with you?"
Zeth's eyes clouded over and he shook his head. "No need to, because right now her consciousness is with her ancestors on the moon. She is the Moon Maiden Artemis."
Zack's eyes widened. "Well, I don't even know what you're talking about, so just explain later," he said thoughtlessly.
Zeth nodded again. "Is anyone in there with her?" he asked Zack.
"Yeah, I'm here," said Fuuko, walking out of the room. "The doctor went home so I stayed with Zaria during the night. Breanna went to the inn and Zitan went home."
"Oh," Zeth said insecurely. "Thank you, Fuuko. If you both don't mind, I'm going in to see Zaria by myself. He left the room just as Cat and Adrian entered from the doorway.
Zeth walked towards Zaria's bed, and knelt down beside her and took her cold hand into his. He stayed there, gazing softly at Zaria, until he heard Cat coming in behind him.
"Zaria looks so cute when she's sleeping!" Cat said cheerfully, trying to lighten up the gloomy atmosphere. Zeth gave her a sad smile and turned back to Zaria. The tears that he had been holding back began flooding his eyes, but he wouldn't permit them to emerge.
Zaria! He thought internally. If you won't wake up, I will make you! He then impulsively stood up and picked up Zaria and slung her onto his back. "W-What are you doing?" Cat stammered as Zeth left the room. Zeth continued to walk straight towards the exit.
"What the #$%^ are you doing?" Zack swore as Zeth left. Fuuko ran after him.
"Zeth, where are you taking Zaria?" she asked in a remarkably calm tone, while Zack was cursing behind her.
"I'm taking her to where we were before," Zeth said softly, as if in a trance. "She will come back to me there." Fuuko shook her head.
"Zeth, you're making a mistake! Her condition might get worse out there in the cold! Please, just bring her back in!"
Zeth shook his head in refusal. "No," he said, sounding very determined. "Goodbye, Fuuko." He continued to walk, leaving Fuuko standing there.
He walked for a long, long time, and he was chilled to the bone, but he kept on walking with the unconscious Zaria on his back until they reached the shelter that they had been in many times during the war. This place was the place that they had spent many cold nights huddling with many others for warmth and comfort, a place where many secrets and stories had been shared. He walked into the hidden shelter in which he and Zaria were the only ones remaining who knew the entrance. In the sixty years that had passed, it had not changed all that much, except that now it was completely abandoned.
Zeth lovingly lay Zaria down on one of the mattresses. Her whole body looked deathly ashen, and her fingers were icy cold. She looked so childlike when she was asleep, even back then. She hardly ever looked like she was a warrior. He remembered . . . even back then . . .
"I'm using as much of my magic as I can, but it won't work," Zaria cried.
"All he needs is some rest, Zaria, calm down," said Galen. Zeth's vision was blurring, and the only thing he could see was Zaria and Galen. They were hovering worriedly above him, and although Galen's tone was calm, his eyes were full of concern.
"Zeth, are you all right?" Zaria asked him. The words echoed in his mind. He opened his mouth to reply but only a groan came out. Zaria tenderly laid a chilled cloth on his forehead, and the heat throughout his body slightly subsided. Galen turned to Zaria and seemed to be exchanging dialogue with her, but Zeth couldn't comprehend what they were saying. Everything around him began turning white.and he knew no more.
Zeth slowly lifted his heavy eyelids open. Zaria was sitting next to his mattress. "Zaria," he said softly, but she didn't respond. "Zaria," Zeth repeated, a little louder this time, but then Zeth heard Zaria snore softly. Oh, she was sleeping. Then he wouldn't disturb her. But why had Zaria fallen asleep there? Was she.taking care of him? She had been by his side all this time? He lay there, watching Zaria in her peaceful slumber.
He made a strenuous attempt to sit up. It was excruciating, and he automatically moaned in pain. Zaria's eyes flew open. "Zeth!" she exclaimed. "You should be resting!" She pushed his shoulders back down forcefully. He gasped as his back slammed on the mattress. "Oh, sorry!" Zaria exclaimed, dismayed. "Zeth, are you feeling better?"
He strained a smile and nodded, although she had just knocked the wind out of him. "Yes, I'm better." Zaria had smiled her sweet smile and started coughing violently. She doubled over and continued to cough. "Zaria, are you all right?" Zeth said in a panicked tone, his concern for Zaria stronger than his pain. He looked around frantically. Where had Galen gone? Zaria tried to nod her head as she continued to cough violently. Zeth quickly got up. "Lie down," he commanded, but then she coughed so hard that she passed out. Zeth picked her up and laid her on the mattress.
Although he was not completely well himself, he watched over Zaria, for she had caught an infectious affliction that was possibly fatal. One moment, she would be tossing and turning with a high fever, and he would lay a cool cloth on her forehead. The next moment, she would be shivering and shaking with the chills, and he would spread another blanket over her. Sometimes, she would go into short periods where she wasn't sleeping, and wasn't quite awake, and Zeth would sit by her side in fear that she would never wake up, but she always did. She remained in that state for a week, but then she eventually got better.
And she would wake up this time as well, Zeth thought fiercely. She would wake up. Although Bink had told Zeth that there was nothing to worry about, Zeth still felt like Zaria was going through some sort of pain, and she might not make it through. "Zaria, be strong," he whispered, grasping her frail hand.
* * *
Zaria slowly opened her eyes. Peachy keen, she thought. For the millionth time, she had no idea where she was. It seemed like she was floating in white space. She sighed and let herself continue to float. All of a sudden she heard the sound of a magic spell being cast and she focused her eyes in the direction of the sound. She saw a sparkling green flash of light coming towards her. It looked like a falling star. It kept on zooming closer until finally, it went through her heart into her body. She cried out in pain, and clutched her chest in agony. She felt like her entire body was on heavenly fire, for it hurt, but at the same time it felt so divine that she knew it wasn't something evil. The pain seared throughout her entire body, but no matter what she did, nothing would relieve it. She cried out, but no one came. Finally, she just let her body slump; the beads of sweat forming on her face and body. She was too tired to continue to struggle although the agony was as fierce as ever. She slowly shut her eyes. "Holy," she rasped before she knew no more.
Zaria was fully awake, but she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. Her body wasn't aching or sore, even after the painful ordeal that she had been through, but she felt exhausted. She slowly pulled herself up and shifted her gaze downward. She was still wearing the pretty dress, and smelled fresh and clean. She groaned, for her head was throbbing.
"Zaria . . . Zaria . . . Zaria . . . are you there, Zaria?" came Princess Louvia's voice. Zaria mustered up all the strength she had left and weakly shouted her reply.
"Yes, Princess Louvia."
The door of the room slowly creaked open, and Princess Louvia was standing there with a worried expression on her face. She saw Zaria and ran over to her.
"Oh, Zaria, you poor dear, was that painful? The magnitude of the power that was attracted into you was wondrously great! I hardly expected that much! Oh dear, that must have been radically agonizing! Zaria, Zaria, are you all right?"
Zaria managed to nod. "Yes," she croaked. She stood up shakily.
Princess Louvia gazed at her. "Such a sweet one, but with such a burden," she said, shaking her head. "Try out your Holy, Zaria."
"How?" Zaria asked, flustered.
"How you use your healing magic, but this time focus on Holy," Princess Louvia replied. Zaria took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She focused on nothing but Holy. She kept chanting it in her head, calling forth the power. The words "Banish Evil" came out of her mouth, and a wave of Holy magic hit Princess Louvia, who stepped back but still received the impact of the powerful magic so she fell down.
"Oh no!" Zaria said, looking aghast. "I'm so sorry, Princess!" she exclaimed, rushing over to Princess Louvia. Princess Louvia slowly sat up. "Whoa," she said. "I mean, WHOA! That was some of the strongest Holy magic that I have ever seen! That was amazing!"
Zaria was confused. "A-aren't you hurt?" she stammered. Princess Louvia laughed and shook her head.
"No, for I am not evil, and I am not fighting you. At any rate, my dear, I am immortal. The beauty of holy magic is that it banishes the evil in an opponent, and makes them give up the will to fight you. In some cases, though, it can completely destroy even the most powerful of opponents, but to do that will take a grand effort from you and might take its toll on your health," Princess Louvia warned.
Zaria breathed a sigh of relief. The Princess was all right, and she had bestowed a marvelous new power upon Zaria. Now, the only thing that they had to do before proceeding to the Northern Crater was to find the last Mage warrior! The future was looking bright. Princess Louvia laughed at Zaria's happy expression. "Zaria, let me take you to see Claude once more then I'll send you back so you can go see your Zeth and all your other friends, all right?"
Zaria turned to Princess Louvia and nodded enthusiastically, her eyes shining. "Thank you, Princess Louvia," she cried gaily.
"Call me Louvia," said Princess Louvia. "You've certainly earned the privilege to do so, and call Prince Claude by his first name, Claude." She gazed at Zaria with eyes full of love. "I'm very proud of you, Zaria." She then extended her hand and Zaria slowly placed her hand in Louvia's, and then Princess Louvia teleported them both to the Room of the Divine Moon where Prince Claude was waiting.
As soon as Prince Claude saw Zaria and Princess Louvia a soft smile appeared on his face. "The wielder of Universal Holy," he said, gazing at Zaria. "Bare your soul to me, Zaria. You have received the power and still have survived. You are indeed a strong one. But, I have one last test for you. It is a challenge to test your courage, and whether you are worthy of Holy, and although I do not doubt it, this test is necessary." Zaria nodded in acquiescence.
"All right then," he said. "Tell me, why is it that you fight? I know that part of the reason you do is to save the world, but everyone has a hidden stimulus, a concealed inspiration. Tell me yours."
Zaria stood there in confusion. What was she to say? She fought for the salvation of the world . . . so that everyone could be happy. Everyone . . . especially her loved ones could be happy. "Think before you answer," Prince Claude warned her, "for you will only have one chance to answer, and the answer must be worthy of the ability to use such a power like Universal Holy."
Zaria continued to cogitate, but she couldn't think of it. Princess Louvia saw her anxiety and decided to help her. "Zaria," she said. "This answer is true for almost everyone. And the answer is not 'revenge', but something else, something important to anyone who has even the tiniest shred of good in them. Anyone who has the ability to love . . ."
Zaria took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Why did she fight? She remembered the image of Zeth, falling down the cliff, his glowing aqua eyes cast upwards in her direction, looking at her with all the love that she had ever wanted or needed. Zeth . . . she fought for him . . . and for everyone else she loved! She loved all of her friends! She loved Zeth, she loved Cat, She loved Zack, she loved Fuuko, she loved Adrian, and she even loved Breanna! Albeit her love for each of them was different, she did love them all, and she would fight to protect them. Her answer was now clear. She opened her eyes and looked Prince Claude straight in the eye. "I fight," she declared, "to protect the ones I love."
Prince Claude locked his gaze on hers for a long, long time, with that perceptive look on his face. In his emerald eyes Zaria could see the pain and joy that he had been through in the past, for everything came to the surface. He was baring his soul to her, in exchange for having her bare her soul to him. During that moment, Prince Claude was vulnerable. Finally the intimate look in his eyes disappeared and then he broke into a smile.
"Yes," he said. "You have answered correctly, child." He walked over to Zaria, holding his regal composure. To her surprise, he bent down and swept her up in his embrace. "I'll be watching over you, Moon Child," he whispered in her ear, and then he slowly faded away into magic dust.
Princess Louvia came up to her with tears in her eyes. She reached out and hugged Zaria as well. "So heartbreakingly sweet and innocent, yet with such a burden," she said softly for the tenth time. "Farewell, Zaria, and good luck. No matter what, do what your heart tells you. If you need the wisdom of the moon, then summon the spirit of the moon with this. You can use it only when there is moonlight nearby," she said, giving Zaria the moonstone around her neck.
Zaria looked up at Princess Louvia. "Thank you," she whispered. Princess Louvia smiled and nodded, and then gestured towards Zaria, and she was once more wearing her armor. Then Zaria could feel herself fading away.
"Goodbye, Moon Maiden Artemis," Princess Louvia said softly, and then lowering her voice so that Zaria could barely hear her, she added, "Beware that one who is close to you is not what they seem. That one is not evil but could corrupt your cycle of life. Take special care."
Zaria then felt herself being transported out of the Moon Kingdom, and back to her world. Goodbye, she thought, hoping that someday she could go back to see Prince Claude and Princess Louvia again, and maybe abide in the heavenly kingdom on the Moon.
Another fantasy element. Lot's of things going on, eh? Please review and tell me when you want me to update!