Nocturne

☼ Chapter Thirty-Three ~ Aurora ☼

Everything shattered, again. But this time, not with fear or hatred or loss, but with the joy and pain that comes from remembering memories that were not theirs. Even Arun and Surya flinched and gazed blankly and horror-struck into their waking dreams.

The story was not told through the eyes of any human.

The story began in a glade, grass silvered by full moonlight, but no stars shone in the endless abyss above.

She didn't know when anyone else realized what they were seeing. She didn't know when she did, either.

They glided forward, gently and slowly at first. There was a pool, perfectly round and still. But it did not reflect the moonlight.

When they caught its reflection they sped up, almost running speed now.

"Sol!" a voice cried, feminine and high, anguished and angry.

Thud! Crack! Smash!

The walls of Artemis were falling.

She had been asleep, tending dreamily to the oceans and skies far away, on the other side of the Earth. She hadn't seen this, but now she felt it, deep inside her heart.

She screamed, a heartbroken, agonized scream.

HOW COULD HE?

They had fought, yes, but on neutral ground, far away from their cities. Her people had been arrogant, yes, trying to assert themselves above the more physical Solars with their intelligence, but Luna had thought it would wash over, fade away like these things usually did.

She had thought this would end.

She and Sol had fought too, and She had hated Him, even as She needed Him. He insulted Her, waited for Her to wait on Him. He was arrogant, gluttonous, caring nought for Her people, who designed and recorded and thought for both cities. Luna had known He and His people were upset at being used for labour when they were so obviously the stronger, but it was a little matter. It would fall away with time as the Balance restored itself.

She had never imagined He would tell His people to attack.

Not like this, assembling at the city gates at noon, chanting and screaming. They bashed their wicked blades on their hurried shields, and their battering ram slammed into the glistening black wall again.

She was weak.

The moon was still far from gracing these skies. But even if it were there, aiding Her vision and Her power, she would still be largely incapable of stopping the raging horde of Solars.

Human free will was human free will. Not hers. If they chose to listen to her, she could nudge them in the right direction, but these were not her people. They were strong, and this was their strongest time, their strongest effort.

All She could do was wait, and hope that Neoma and Aditya would fulfil their purpose.

The sun set.

The moon rose, and fell.

The stars winked out, one by one.

Aurora fell to the ground, clutching at the dirt as if it were an anchor. All around her she could hear others doing the same, crying out in pain, fear, grief or guilt, or even a combination of the above, or none of them. But the respite did not last long.

She had taken a human form, that of a tired old woman- or possibly a young teenager, just realizing that all her dreams were just those, dreams. She wasn't always sure what the difference was anymore. Was there a difference?