Moonstones

Split Up?

Lunette and Sol sat in silence simply staring at the sky. Sol had awakened her, wanting Lunette to see the beauty of a sunrise from the tree as he'd seen one from the air himself atop Sherwood. Sherwood's flames were usually harmless, only burning whatever he wanted with however much power he willed. It must be wonderful, riding on the back of such a powerful bird, the wind in her hair as she faced the rising sun which promised a new day.

It was a different feeling than that of the moon. While the moon was calming and nostalgic, feeling safe and familiar, the sunrise gave warmth and the sense of adventure along with something new. Lunette enjoyed both sensations, glad to have experienced it before being crowned. It was extra special with Sol by her side.

The sunrise was majestic, the white sky began creeping above the horizon slowly turning the pink, then purple which faded into the everyday light blue. As if pushing back a veil, the sun slowly revealed itself; Lunette had to shift her eyes from the bright light lest she go blind.

"There is a place on the sun with a mammoth telescope that reaches high into the atmosphere. You can sit for days watching the planets rotate around you. You are the heart of the galaxy and all the planets depend on you. The revelation is burdening and yet strengthening. It is why I volunteered to pursue the sunstones so that my home could be worthy to be the heart of the galaxy once more." Sol smiled at the sun which brought a smile to Lunette's face as well.

"I hope your wish can be achieved," Lunette reached over, wrapping her arms around him. Sol turned, hugging her while keeping balance so as not to fall out of the magnificent tree and harm it, and or themselves.

A shimmer of light caught their eye and Lunette pointed towards it. What appeared to be a shooting star turned to Derward as he galloped towards the couple at full speed. Was she in trouble with the Askers? She tried to pull out of Sol's embrace but he refused to move, probably irritated at the untimely interruption.

"Thank goodness you are safe," Derward floated before them midair, not even bobbing like a ghost but standing as if he were on firm ground. The buck was frantically looking around as if searching for danger. A fireball was shooting towards them and Lunette swore it would hit the tree and she would die. It was only until Sherwood's giant wings whooshed open wide to a halt did she recognize him, the strong wind blowing back branches which caught Lunette's hair, tugging at the strands.

"What's wrong," Lunette asked while shielding her eyes. The sun's shine wasn't blinding her but Sherwood's anger heated his flames until she felt as if she were a marshmallow hanging over a campfire, clinging to the stick for dear life. The rest of the company didn't seem affected though.

"I was for certain there would be an attack." Derward stomped one hoof in frustration. Lunette was baffled at how Derward could strike the air.

"He was babbling about some badly dressed guy who has been bugging you," Sherwood flapped his wings in place.

"You mean Jack?" Lunette lowered her arms.

"Oh that was his name," Derward looked upwards in a disgusted manner. "He is worse than Baka." Baka was a male antagonist in a book Gigi was addicted to and begged Lunette to read. While Lunette humored her friend and read it, knowing Gigi would quiz her and ask Lunette's opinion, Derward loved it and asked for Lunette to borrow the remaining books in the series which he'd finished reading within the week and they were each roughly eight to nine hundred pages long.

"I know of which character you speak," Sol's expression lightened. Had he read the book as well?! "He is quite the troublesome boy and his trickery are always foiled by Ting Ting but he is a necessary character. It's too bad he is too stupid and rash for any of his plans to do well."

"This is not a time to be doing book reviews," Sherwood screeched.

Derward cleared his throat. "I fear that your mission here on Earth may not end with the full collection of moonstones if we drag out our searches any longer. Jack serves a man who is after you as well as the moonstones. We must finish your mission with swiftness. There will be no more time for school or midnight rendezvous with your fiance."

Lunette blushed and glanced at Sol who was as red in the face as she was. "Then what do you propose?"

"We beg Sol and Sherwood to help us search. You said the wisdom stone showed you the locations of the remaining stones. With their assistance, they may help to tip the scales of success or defeat. If we wait around too much longer, we give the enemy the advantage, allowing them more time to make the first strike."

"Who is this Jake?" Sol sat up.

"It's Jack," Lunette corrected in a monotone voice. She didn't really feel like the drama of Sol peppering her with questions and demanding information was worth the effort. She came to the realization that she was completely surrounded by troublesome males: Wesley, Jack, Sol and Derward. Sherwood was decent enough. Were it not for Gigi and Janice, Lunette would have probably gone off the deep end by now.

"It does not matter whether it is Jake or Jack," Sol stood quickly, throwing Lunette off balance and almost out of the tree. She gripped the limb for dear life. "I shall not allow for any attempt on your life or your quest!" Sol clenched his fist, staring towards the city, "Just you wait! I am Sol Apollo Firbird, the second prince of the Sun Kingdom, fiance to Princess Lunette Artemis Silver and probably still the heir to the throne of my kingdom. I shall come at you with a vengeance beyond anything you have ever faced before in your measly, puny, inferior, worthless, insignificant lives!"

"Calm down there big britches," Lunette gingerly stood and wrapped her arms around a branch, not as confident in her ability to balance as Sol. "Let's try Derward's plan. Maybe we can get them all in one day, after all, the day just started."

"Good," Derward spoke before Sol could open his mouth, not allowing for any other ideas, "We will divide and conquer. Lunette, tell us where we need to go."

"Um, well," Lunette didn't like how they all stared at her expectantly. She hadn't told them but her visions from the wisdom stone were fading. "I can tell you the general location, not the exact spot. There's one out in what looks to be a field of wheat eight miles out of town to the west just outside a forest and one on the road towards the mountains."

"We will take the field," Sol hopped on Sherwood's back.

"That is an entire field," Derward replied. "It will be hard to find the right field and find the moonstone."

"Oh ye of little faith," Sherwood winked before a gust of wind from Sherwood's wings sent them flying away.

"If I may ask," Lunette glanced at Derward who seemed to have calmed down but still stood tensely, "Why is Jack and his master so important? They haven't done anything serious or very powerful."

"That is where your wrong. Jack had a nigh unbreakable glass cage and held enough magic to resurrect it in seconds. He's meant to capture you or the stones, assuming they were in your possession. How would some humans from Earth know about moonstones and who you are? They could even know about Sol. It would also not be out of the question that, if they know all these things, they may be able to leave the atmosphere, travel into space and launch an attack on the moon or the sun or both. The way they have not revealed themselves openly is cunning and I have felt on more than one occasion we were being watched but it was always in an extremely crowded place. Like Sol, part of me wants to fight but rational says to hurry and collect the moonstones so that we may retreat as quickly as possible before the enemy gains any more knowledge about us and who we are and the power of the stones."

"Then let us waste no time," Lunette jumped on Derward's back and they flew away.