by C. A. Sabol
If it had been any good that had come from being away from the palace, Selene thought, it was that she’d been given some time off of her studies. Master Omni, her teacher, was very overzealous in his tutoring. Wondering about that, she turned to face Kadrianne, who had finished all of Aura’s little tasks and asked, “When am I going back to Master Omni?”
“Your study sessions with the Master will resume the day after tomorrow, Your Highness. His Royal Majesty insisted that you go back soon after settling in once again, as you have missed so much in the past few weeks. He did not want you to fall behind,” she remarked. Almost as an afterthought, she added, “It appears that he does not want you to get caught up in the world’s war so much, Highness.”
That figures, Selene thought as she pulled her nightgown over her head. It was nice to be back in her own clothes, she mused. The Medical ward gown felt too much like a burial dress to be completely comfortable. Remembering her manners, she nodded and said, “Thank you, Kadrianne.”
“Your Welcome, Your Highness.”
Soon all the handmaidens were dismissed. Selene was all tucked in bed as Aura headed out the door.
“Sleep well, Your Highness,” Aura said as she waved goodnight.
“You too,” Selene called in return, smiling to assure Aura that she was perfectly content. Aura smiled back, glad to see that her princess seemed to be much more relaxed and happy now that she was back in her own rooms. Once her governess was out of sight, Selene tossed off the covers and hurried over to her door. With her ear pressed against it, she listened carefully as Aura’s footsteps disappeared down the hall. A few moments passed, and then there was nothing to be heard.
“Yes,” Selene triumphed quietly as she turned around and put her back to rest on the door. “Finally, they’re gone.” As much as she was grateful for her companions, she was tired of trying to reassure them that she was okay. And she hated it even more that she had to pretend in front of them in the first place.
She headed over to the window and pulled the curtains aside. The familiar sight was warming somewhat. At Silverton, she had not been able to see as much of the night scene as she had hoped; the skyscrapers blocked the moonlight, and the stars were dulled against the bright city lights.
But now a clear night was in view. Shira glowed at only half-light, while there was only a sliver of Kuro in the night sky. Selene felt drawn to their beauty as she watched the stars twinkle all around. “How long ago it seems,” she murmured, “that the Moonbeam Festival had been here. And now, the festival is gone, and war has come. It seems that morning’s light has only brought darkness of late. I wonder if tomorrow has any hope left at all?”
Selene frowned as she noticed a thundercloud forming in the distance. “I guess there is no hope, then.” The monsoons were coming; a storm was brewing.
THERE WERE EYES WATCHING the princess as she continued to mourn, watching out her window. The bloodshot eyes were sharp and carried the hint of slyness, the deceit of omniscience. The long black robes and scarred skin belied the age of the monster watching, waiting in anticipation, for his time to come.
At last, the time had come where the princess’ light had weakened enough for him to attack and distort her mind; the time for his emancipation from his prison was upon him. In the late hour of the night, this one was in great anticipation.
This one below looked with twinkling eyes at his prey. She was a hard one to get to, but it had made the oncoming victory even worthwhile. After all those years of protection in the palace, she had been freed enough to be corrupted. His dark, wrinkled face looked even more twisted as he grinned.
Long, aging fingers swirled around the dark crystal ball as he watched the picture within. This one was the defiler, the bringer of Death. This one was Obsidian, the great enemy of the Guardian, who had brought the Dark Plague to the world of Sapphira and rejoiced with the iniquity he spread.
Obsidian frowned as he waited, remembering all too well the day that he had been cast away from the Throne of Crystallon. The Guardian had banished him, promising death to him for treason should Obsidian choose not to repent of his evil ways. The dark master smiled as he remembered fleeing into the world of Sapphira, and inflicting the word with the Dark Plague. Such a joyous day it had been, he thought. Now this day would rival it, as he convinced the Princess to forsake the Pure Light she carried; for she, as one of his enlightened children, was a bridge between Crystallon and Sapphira. There was an unmistakable presence living in her, working through her, one he had not felt so strongly in many centuries. As soon as he’d felt the radiance of her light, and the power it held through the hand of the Guardian, he knew that he had been waiting for her arrival; he knew that she was the one the prophecy called for. He sat back and thought of the royals spitefully. They had been the most difficult to corrupt throughout his rule over Sapphira started, though in recent years Obsidian had been able to gain some power over their family. To have this small girl threaten his hold over the entire world was too much for him to bear. He had to try to turn her to his side.
He’d tried so many ways to get inside her mind before, first calling out to her to go to the city, to go to a place of sickness and dreariness, the Gemstone Oasis. He’d even sent her the first son of the Rebel to meet her there. Obsidian’s plan had worked, as the princess had taken to him at once. Even the king had played into Obsidian’s hands, making the boy the princess’ protector. But the Guardian had intervened once more, causing Obsidian’s plan to backfire. The Guardian had taken the memories of the son away in order, no doubt, to protect the princess. Obsidian thought about it sadly, but then deepened his furrowed brow—maybe there was a way to use the boy yet, despite the barrier Obsidian was faced with when trying to enter into the boy’s mind.
His attention turned back to the princess as his crystal ball showed her climbing back under her covers. Obsidian gave a tiny smirk. “Sleep well, Princess ... this is going to be a long night for you.”
It was time to leave his confinement; there was no turning back after leaving. Once he did, Obsidian knew it would signify war between not only man on Sapphira, but war between the Celestial Prison and Crystallon. For a moment he stalled, holding back the demons behind him with a commanding look. A silence descended on the world almost, as the sounds of life faded as death stalked the sky.
Then he cried out, “Go forth, my loyal servants, and contaminate this world until the last of your power runs dry!” Charging forward, his black robes flapping in the wind, the Gateway of Blood that had allowed his voice to call out to the humans of the world, caved under his power, giving him a free reign at last.
His minions of evil flew out with him, scattering in all directions. Obsidian knew that while he and his servants were invisible to the blinded humans, the humans would fall easily under the power of darkness.
As he flew he began to hear already the sounds of havoc and confusion being unleashed down onto the Sapphiran people. A laugh bubbled up inside him chest as he headed for his own destination—the heart of the princess’ dreams.
SHE WAS DREAMING, BUT it was not peaceful. Selene had fallen asleep to find that her dreams were as troubled and as fitful this night as her heart was.
She found herself on her hands and knees, the sand hard and scratchy beneath her. The winds blew hard against her skin, and there was a chill in the air. She squeezed her eyes shut, to keep out the sand. She hugged her arms around her chest, and she felt the seas rolling as the water splayed up onto her from the shoreline.
“What is going on?” she asked loudly, her voice cracking. She looked up to the skies, to find that the sunlight had been covered by a sheet of clouds in the sky. There was no light to dance on the gray waters to comfort her. Some stray grains of sand blew into her eyes, causing them to water. Her dreams had never felt like this before.
A bright light appeared, and suddenly the wind blew easier. Selene wiped the tears from her eyes to find a figure approaching her. Squinting her eyes, she saw th
at it was in the shape of a Pegasus pony.
“Pegasus!” she called out to him, her worry fading as she saw his familiar shape. She took a step towards him, and then stopped as she saw how he was flying toward her. A smile jumped onto her face as she felt the laughter of happiness well up inside of her. Though she had only met him briefly before, she knew that he had come to bring her peace. Selene felt her heart start to race in anticipation, as the storm that she had fallen asleep to ceased to be remembered. The winged horse was almost within her reach.
He stopped and landed a few feet away from her, his wings beating up a little dust cloud from the sand below him. He straightened out and held his stature.
Selene wondered if he was going to come to her completely, or if she should risk approaching him. Not knowing what to do, she hesitantly took a small step toward him. When he didn’t moved, she was encouraged enough to take another step, and then another. When she was just a step away, Selene looked at the Pegasus in the eyes and suddenly stopped, staring.
Were they the same eyes as before? The ones before had been filled with a crystal fire, a flame that flickered with life. These eyes were dull and grayish white, like the clouds of her dream’s storm.
I wonder if he’s feeling okay? Selene wondered as she tried to reason out why this Pegasus looked so different. She began to feel awkward, just standing in front of him like that. Not knowing what else to do, she began to reach for him like she had before.
Her smile slowly came back as her hand moved closer and closer to the Pegasus’ soft nose. She watched as he made no move to avoid her touch, the confidence in her choice growing with each passing second. When she was an inch away, she broke out into a grin.
She was just about to feel the velvety texture of the Pegasus when, all of a sudden, he turned to stone. Selene jumped back and nearly screamed, causing her to trip over her dress and fall to the ground. She brushed away the hair in her face and looked up again to see that, indeed, the Pegasus was entirely made up of stone. “What?” she gasped. “What happened?”
She was about to get back up on her feet when a voice, different from all other voices she’d known, answered her question.
“He turned to stone, I’m afraid.”
Selene jerked around to find a man, a very handsome man at that, looking intently at her as he sat on a nearby rock. He nodded his head in the direction of the Pegasus. “He is very weak, you know.”
“Pegasus?” Selene asked. She was uncertain about this man. What was going on? She wondered if she could trust this man as she watched him get off the rock and head toward her.
The man looked surprised. “Yes, some do call him that, I suppose,” he muttered to himself more than to anyone else. He stopped a few feet in front of Selene and put his hands in the pockets of his long robes. “It is a shame, really.”
“What’s a shame?” Selene asked, her curiosity growing as she wondered who this man was. He looked respectable, but she did not trust him completely.
The man looked back at her and met her gaze, and then sighed sadly. “It is a shame that he will not always be here. It really is a sad thing.”
“What do you mean, he won’t always be here? And ... just who are you, anyway?” Selene asked. She wanted to know what he knew about Pegasus, but she had to assess this man’s character as well.
The man shifted his weight and smiled warmly at her. “Let’s just say I am a friend for now,” he said.
“A friend?”
“Yes,” he remarked. “I know of this Pegasus quite well, Your Highness.”
“I see.” Selene folded her arms across her chest. “What can you tell me about him?”
The man shrugged. “I can tell you that he’s not to be trusted, Your Highness, that’s for sure.”
She gave him a small smile. “Can I assume that of you as well, friend?” her words had a bite to them. She did not trust him. No one in her dreams would call her by her royal address. How could he possibly know who she was? Wariness was growing in her heart.
He nodded. “I can see that you are smart, and very perceptive, Your Highness. But while I have not given you my name or stated how I can to be here, can you not say the same of your dear Pegasus?”
She did not respond. He had guessed right.
He pushed forward. “I have come to warn you of him, Your Highness. I have come to tell you that you cannot trust him, nor should you. He is dangerous, Highness. He will deceive you.”
Selene looked back at the stone Pegasus, and then looked back at the man, only to find that he had disappeared. Once again, she turned to see the Pegasus and jumped. The man was leaning against the body of the majestic horse, his gaze still focused on her. Selene started to say something, but he held up a hand.
“If I may,” he said. “I wish to tell you something about this winged creature, and how he comes and goes as he pleases, in and out of the dreams of this world. He likes beautiful dreams especially, which would explain why you have no doubt seen him before. He does not say any words of friendship, or of promise. But he has broken the hearts and shattered the dreams of those who wish to keep him with them.”
“But ... he is free to do so,” Selene said in a hushed voice. Logic said that he had the freedom to go where he wanted, but the strange man had struck a chord with her; she did not want the Pegasus to go away from her so soon. She looked at the stone Pegasus and felt her heart ache at the thought of never seeing him, or understanding why he had come to her in the first place. She knew in her heart he was real, there was no question in her mind about that. She believed that he could help her, save her even. But why she felt this she did not know.
“Ah, yes, it is true ... but Princess, would you keep him here if you could?” the man asked, causing Selene to look up at him with confusion in her gaze.
“I doubt I could if I wanted to,” Selene responded.
“Then I will help you,” the man said coaxingly. His hand reached up to do what looked like pet the horse’s head, but a moment later, in the blink of an eye, a bright red bridle appeared on the horse. There was a small strap attached that he held in his hand. The man smiled.
Selene watched as he extended his hand with the strap in it toward her. She silently stood there, unsure of what to do.
“There you go,” the man said, still holding the bridle strap out to her. “Take it, and you will have control over Pegasus. He will stay in your dreams for as long as you like. He will be yours, and nothing and no one will be able to take him away from you.”
Selene just stared at the strap still. She wanted to get to know Pegasus, but ... still, if she took control of him, to tame him, she would be altering who he was to make him be something else. And even if she just kept him in her dreams, then what would he think of her? Nothing good, I’m sure, she thought. I want to be his friend. I want to get to know him, but I don’t want to take his freedom away in the process. It would be wrong.
She looked back up at the man’s eager expression and was suddenly suspicious. Why would this man, who she had never seen before in her life, want to help her? It was true that he seemed to know her, but she could not trust him. She stepped back. “No, I don’t want to do that,” she said. “I would rather like to make friends with him. He would not even like me, much less respect me, if I started ordering him around. He has chosen to come into my dreams on his own terms, and that is how he should leave them ... regardless of how much I might wish otherwise.”
The man’s face lost his smile, and suddenly grew twisted and ugly. His hair faded to white and then receded away to nothing, his eyes grew dark and blood-colored, and his robes, once bright and shinning, grew to a dirty black, beginning to billow with the fury of his anger. “You fool! You little fool!” he shouted at her. He advanced on her, towering over her, his true identity revealed. Obsidian smiled a cruel smile, and then laughed. “You simple little child! How foolish you are indeed, to have outwitted the master of evil. But you will regret that you did not follow my advice, littl
e girl! You will see that your darling Pegasus will leave you yet!”
He pointed to the statue of Pegasus, and a stream of red lightning burst from his hand. The lightning struck the statue and blew it to dust. “No!” Selene cried out. “Pegasus!” The winds were blowing fiercely once more, catching the statue’s dust and sending it towards Selene. She grabbed at it, trying to gather what she could. It was futile, however, for the dust disintegrated in her hands as she held it. “No!”
Obsidian threw his head back and laughed his cruel laugh once more. “You sad child,” he whispered ominously. “There will come a day when you will see just what you gave up!” He straightened and charged toward her, ready to lash out an attack.
Selene tried to duck, but before she could move away from Obsidian’s advancing form, there was a sudden flash of light in the sky. A brilliant white Pegasus materialized in the sky, chasing back the clouds and bringing forth the iridescent sunlight. Selene and Obsidian both shielded their eyes from the sight, Obsidian disappearing as he made his escape out of her dream.
The winds ceased, the seas calmed, and there was light in her dreams once more. Selene looked up at Pegasus, speechless in wonder. “Oh!” she awed in wonder at the beauty of the real Pegasus as he descended from the sky.
He set down gently in front of her, and she could see the familiar crystal fire blazing in his eyes. She smiled up at him, and it seemed to her that he smiled back.
She wondered if she should say something, but he said something before she could get any words out. His mouth never opened, but she could hear the words as surely as he’d whispered them in her ear.
Looking down at her, his eyes filled with delight. “I want to be your friend, too.” The soft-spoken words echoed in her mind. His voice was deep and rich, as beautiful to her as a symphony of music. She nodded. It was all she could do for the moment, she was so astounded. Then Pegasus looked up into the sky and she could hear him tell her, “I had best get you back now. Your friends are worried.” She looked up at him in confusion for a moment and then he nodded down to her. “Be still and know, my precious one, that you can trust me.” He nudged his nose against her hand reassuringly.