Moonstones

Wisdom Stone?

Lunette sat on her bed turning the green stone in her hand. It was weird to watch Derward gag it up when she asked to examine it once more. "What is with this stone? Part if it calls to me and another part warns me away."

"It is the wisdom stone," Derward sat like a dog on the bed. "The knowledge it holds is more powerful than all the stones combined which obviously means there is a downside. If you overuse the stone or use it selfishly then you will become like the man we met tonight."

Derward paused before opening his mouth to speak again, "What did it show you if I may be so bold to ask?"

"Many things," Lunette fed the stone to Derward who licked his lips after he swallowed. She wondered if each stone really did have its own flavor. "It showed me where the other moonstones are and gave me an idea about who that Jack's master is."

"If that is so then that means we will run across that fashionably challenged man again and he may play a big part in your life here on Earth for a while." Derward stared at Lunette to the point it made her squirm. "There was something else, was there not?"

"It was about Sol," Lunette bit her nail, her cheeks reddening. "As soon as I saw him I felt this strong, tender feeling inside me. He was as handsome as ever and smiling broadly at small children running to him. When he looked up at me that smile changed somehow and his eyes looked mysterious. It sent my heart fluttering. That was the last thing I saw and I tried to ignore the feeling of wanting to see Sol right away."

"What a confession," Derward looked with a gaping jaw before giving a slight nod, "You called him handsome and that you actually feel attracted to him. I say, that has to be the first time you have opened up to me since you were young. After puberty and such."

Lunette didn't react to Derward's jab. "It was like an old fashion video they showed in film history class, the pictures weren't completely colored and they couldn't focus perfectly."

"Well, there's one thing I do know," Derward tucked his front legs underneath him as he laid down, "the wisdom stone was willingly thrown into space by a king because he felt his wife was overpowering him. It must have hurt his manly pride to have a wife he thought was more powerful and influential and apparently smarter. His subjects rose up against him and slaughtered him. In remorse the queen threw all the other stones into what she thought was oblivion but Earth's gravity drew them closer and they landed here, well besides the ones we found in space."

"Is that why they are all near one another? They were thrown from the same point in the same direction headed to the same destination at the same speed?" Lunette rolled her neck thinking about it more than she would have prior to holding the wisdom stone. What about Sol's sunstones, what was their story?

"The ones we found on Pluto and Saturn probably hit something in their path which sent them spiraling away. It is an interesting theory but, in retrospect, it is not important. What is important is meeting your fate tomorrow with the Askers for getting kicked out of school."

"I'm not sure we were," Lunette collapsed on her bed. Her brain hurt. Did the stone affect her so strongly? Before she could think anymore she was unconscious.

Derward watched the princess's chest rise and fall while he turned the light off with his antlers. He felt like crying which was completely improbable because of what he was. Derward had watched Princess Lunette Artemis Silver grow up to become a strong, beautiful, brave, tender and loving woman that she had not yet realized she was; bu things were being thrown at her that Lunette didn't seem capable of handling recently.

"You have to collect those moonstones," Derward pleaded quietly to the princess in the dark. There was no response.

Derward thought of what Lunette had said. If the wisdom stone revealed where the other moonstones were, perhaps she could reach the deadline her father had set for her. Also, that Jack character was creepy enough as it was but Jack had known where Lunette would go and had spoken highly of his master. Who was his master and what did he want with Lunette? Derward refused to sleep that not, not physically needing it at all. Staring up at the moon, he hoped everything would go smoothly but things never do.