|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interesting Conversationalist
|
 Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 8:02 pm
Helios has been wandering a lot lately.
Their sharing game was an interesting and complicated one. During the day, while Rea was awake, the normal high school student was the dominating factor, Helios' consciousness just barely touching the back of her mind, a comforting but ever-there presence. When she had something to say, the thought slipped into Rea's head as if someone had placed it their purposefully; a gentle, unobtrusive thought. Every emotion the reincarnated Guardian of Dreams felt was a gentle suggestion to her own feelings, easily swept away if need be, but just as easily able to manipulate her mood. When she dreamed, the same fell true -- she was in control, but the consciousness was more tangible, held more weight in her mind.
But while Rea slept -- really slept -- the roles were completely reversed. Rea's mind slipped into peaceful dormancy of sleep, subconsciously aware of Elysion and the purgatory linking everyone's shimmering dreams as her mind rested, and the Dream Priest was free to do as she liked. For while Rea's mind needed rest, hers did not: she was a connected yet separate entity.
It was during these times that Helios searched for her.
It had been nearly a month and a half since she had found Black Lady alone in her nightmare, and had successfully managed to kick her out of it when she was through -- something which had never happened before. Uninvited or not, Helios had never been kicked out of anyone's dream, even after she had been reincarnated. She'd stumbled into them accidentally, but it always had been she who had decided when to leave. It had come as a shock in itself. But the shock had quickly subsided, leaving Helios alone in the quiet sub-space to think about everything that had happened, about his Maiden. If anyone could ... it would be his Maiden.
Since that day, Helios had spent every moment she could searching through the Purgatory, searching intently through the millions of star-like dreams. Usually, she spent her time in Elysion, wandering into a dream every once in a while, instantly aware of someone calling. Not recently -- Elysion wasn't close enough. If his Lady called, it could be moments before the signature disappeared, and she wanted to pinpoint it quickly. That meant spending time in the quiet subspace so quaintly named for Dante's series. Tonight, the strawberry blonde Priestess sat weightless among the scattered star-dreams, perched on a shadowed ledge conjured just to give her something to sit on. The night had gone as the other forty two others before it; uneventful, silent, solitary. Her petite chin rested discontentedly on her fist, as it had been for the last immeasurable period of time, gold eyes barely glancing up when a nearby dream flickered promisingly. It was unlikely she would see any sign of the tainted dream -- her Lady had been clear when she had banished her from their previous meeting. She did not want to be found.
If Helios had been any less elegant in her mannerisms, she would have sighed. Depressively.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 8:30 pm
Fortunately for the Dream Priest, tonight was her lucky night. Ray Gordon had vanished from the princess' side as soon as the hospital staff had tucked her into a bed. Without his clever stories and interesting chatter to keep the young woman awake, the drugs given to ease the pain in her chest and legs combined with the expenditure of power in the direction of the Queen of the Negaverse quickly put her under. There hadn't been time to construct her careful mental walls, pinning her dreams behind dark power that Helios couldn't penetrate. Her mind was an open park that the fiery-haired young woman could wander into at any moment.
It was, however, a lovely dream. It was just a small summer glade, a spring burbling from underground into a pool no larger than fifty feet at its widest point. The water was as clear as a diamond, sweet and cold to the taste. Flowers bloomed all around it to add to the sweetness of the air, and it was to the princess, the most beautiful place she had ever seen. And indeed, she was the princess again in her dreams, pink gown flowing off her shoulders and golden sigil blazing its purity from the center of her forehead.
"Helios, you're late."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interesting Conversationalist
|
Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 12:15 pm
It all happened within a fraction of a second. Within an instant of her falling asleep, a pink flash of light appeared in Helios' peripheral vision, startling her from her thoughts. Snapping her head up, she stared at the bright star-like light, a feeling of hope bubbling up in her chest before she could quell it. This was not the dark energy she remembered from those weeks ago, lonely and despairing enough to darken the dreams closest to it. This dream was bright and pure, beautiful by every standard, and although she was not enveloped in complete darkness as she once had been, it shown more brightly than any in its path, showing her the way like the North Star. And she was already moving towards it,
Helios appeared in the glade just a few feet behind her, standing completely silent in the soft grass, pink flowers brushing against her long white dress as the wind tugged on them gently, playing at any strand of hair or length of free fabric it could find. Still, although she had not made a sound, the Dream Priest was unsurprised to find she already knew she was there.
"My sincerest apologies, Maiden," She replied, bowing low at the waist, feathered wings spreading a little as she did so. To any other her voice would have seemed as it always was, calm and soft, unphased by the sudden reappearance of Princess Serenity. But she had always been able to read her so much better. Underneath the polite, serene exterior, there was a slight waver in her voice, whether from nerves or hope, it was hard to tell.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 8:04 pm
Though the gown and sigil was that of the Moon Princess, the body was still distinctly Black Lady Serenity's, and that was truly puzzling for the consciousness. The two were distinctly separate of each other, and it had been the first thing she'd realized as Wiseman's lady - there was no using her Rose Crystal powers as long as she wore her dark body. Apparently, in the dream world, these rules did not matter. The voice of the Priest, rich and feminine, caused Chibiusa to whirl and smile, rushing forward a step or two before pausing a foot or two to curtsy politely with a wide smile.
"You came. I was afraid you would not. I...I wanted to show you this. I didn't know when we'd meet again, but when we did I wanted you to see this place." The undercurrent in Helios' voice made the princess just a bit wary and nervous. The priest was always sure of himself before, but this was a new priest wasn't it? The same soul, a different body, and a conflicted mind? She herself had never been reincarnated, had never died, so was entirely unsure how the process worked. Certainly her Wiseman was not the same as the first, so the soul must be influenced by the vessel. Nonetheless, a white hand reached out of the voluminous pink to snag one of Helios', pulling her through the flowers into the clearing.
"You don't know about it, because it hasn't happened yet. I guess it will not ever happen, this place is not even real." Chibi's voice was touched with sadness for a moment before she continued on. "I made it for my dreams, it was where I would go and be alone. Not very many places to do that, when you are a princess. You would come see me there, only one time or two times, that I remember." Her memories were so fuzzy sometimes, as if the more time she spent in Destiny City, the more Crystal Tokyo felt like it was just one big fairytale.
Really, her manner had changed from the last time Helios and Serenity had met, from the heartbroken young woman to the slightly apprehensive, but cheerful Maiden that would be remembered from before. After all, Chibiusa had a spirit that would not, could not, be repressed. It almost always won out, and tonight, she welcomed the comfort of an old friend and love. "Do you like it?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interesting Conversationalist
|
Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 2:09 am
While the Pink Lady seemed confused by the mesh of what was distinctly both Chibiusa and Black Lady Serenity's, Helios thought nothing of it beyond a momentary flash of memory, of a certain eclipse and a distinct spell that had been cast. The last time he had seen her like this, not exactly like this but close enough, it had been the night he had told her who he truly was. That night, he had not been able to see her dreams, the spell that kept her body older blocking them out like the eclipse had done to the light. Before that, he had merely been Pegasus.
This time was different.
Helios felt herself take a breath as the pink form turned to face her, soft pink material blossoming out like a flower before settling around her ankles once more, a smile brightening across her face. Almost immediately she let out the breath she had been holding, a little feeling of relief fluttering deep within her breast, and the strawberry-blonde girl took a few steps forward to meet her princess, bowing again.
"I will always come when you call, Maiden," she replied quietly, all the calm sureness back in her voice, and she bent to one knee, taking her hand and ghosting her lips against the backs of her fingers. It was a simple gesture, one she offered to all royalty upon greeting, with the exception that it was her forehead she touched to the backs of their fingers, and yet it was reminiscent of a time so long ago. Another age, another time, another life. For both of them, in different ways. But Helios brushed away that thought as she straightened, allowing her Maiden to pull her through the field of wildflowers, talking of the glade she had created. For now, she wasn't the haunted dark woman she had met those weeks ago. She was who she remembered her to be, pure and bright, and her smile was contagious, the corners of Helios' lips curling softly in reply.
"Of course," she replied gently in the voice he used to use, when he had visited her every night, and they had talked for hours about everything and nothing, "Thank you for bringing me here."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 2:28 am
The kiss had brought color to the princess' cheeks, delight at both the memory and the faint hope that he had indeed remembered her. It was a problem for this young woman to be facing the female reincarnation of the priest she had thought of as her prince. She'd assured Wiseman that there was no romantic feeling for this girl, and yet...things were never as easy as they made themselves out to be. It was hard to keep walking after that, to not throw herself into the redhead's arms and wail out her loneliness and pain.
"I thought it might be useful, maybe we could meet here sometimes now too? I...I miss you." Ashamed of herself, the hand dropped and so did the girl, sinking down on the bank of the crystalline pond. Her face was still colored but now with a bit of shame. "I kept you out, after last time, and I'm sorry!" It was blurted out and she sighed, before hugging her arms around herself almost exasperatedly. "I did not want to tell you that though. It must be the drugs they gave me, makes my mind do funny things." The strange moods that so characterized their last meeting had sadly not changed, and it seemed like she flickered from thought to thought, mood to mood like a light switch.
"That does not matter though, does it? Can't we just sit and talk like we used to? I need a friend, a real friend." Thoughts dwelled momentarily on Prince Hector, Cavalier of the Hollow and were summarily banished. Wiseman also cropped up in her mind, and while he cared, she could not entirely tell him everything that came to her mind. She couldn't articulate so well, but here in the dream realm, language was nothing - Helios understood it all. "Is that bad to say I need you now? I am so confused. I hurt. Isn't that odd? I still hurt, here in my sleep." A hand rested on her chest and the princess shook her head. Sometimes things were so impossible, and burdening the Priest she had loved? still loved? was utterly unfair.
But then, when had life ever been fair?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interesting Conversationalist
|
Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 2:11 pm
"If you call, I will always come," She assured her, letting her drop the hand as the princess knelt by the pool. Despite the calm collectiveness that was such a constant for the Dream Priest, there remained a slight hesitation now, watching his Maiden there so distressed. The awkwardness of one who did not trust herself to do the right thing or say the right words. It had never been this way between Helios and his Maiden. While he had always been formal and slightly shy around others, there had always been two whom he had rarely felt that way around - Endymion and, later, his daughter. Now, however, the reincarnated Guardian of Dreams could not shake the feeling of uneasiness as she watched her, mildly distressed.
She wanted to comfort her. Helios could not imagine the pain she was going through, the inner turmoil and conflicting feelings between what was and what is now. But the fact was that she didn't remember. Not as Small Lady Serenity would. She had no recollection of meetings past the time of Nehelenia, when she had returned to future and he to Elysion. All the visits to have happened -- moments she had stolen away, moments he had reported to the King, -- had ceased to exist the moment he, as well as the rest of Crystal Tokyo, had died.
And one other fact still remained. The Priest was not the same person he use to be. Life went on, and neither Rea nor Helios had been impervious to the other's personality. Distinct presences that they were, it was impossible for them not to retain a little of the other. But even as he was different, she was as well. She, too, had not been unchanged by her 'guardian.' And not just mentally either.
For now, however, she was as he remembered. Entirely.
Helios stayed standing those extra breaths, watching her quietly as she relayed her troubles to the Dream Priest (her ears had pricked at the word 'drugs,'), calculating the situation and the correct course of action before kneeling as well, close but not invasive, delicate hands resting in her lap. "You may tell me anything, Maiden. Whatever you need of me," she said after a time, gold eyes drifting slight to one side, as they had been so wont to do so long ago, when she had been Pegasus, "But I cannot offer you reprieve from your pain. Only offer sanctuary, and company, should you wish it."
A moment's hesitation, her hand lingering midair for just a half a second, and she let it rest gently on one of the princess'.
"I am here for you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 19, 2010 11:40 pm
It was not easy, hearing the hesitation in the voice of her Priest. Helios had always been so sure of things, with a steady direction towards the Right Way and had always made her feel sure of herself in this way. It didn't matter that she might not have originally believed herself his Maiden, he was her special friend and was one of the reasons she had become such a strong senshi. Always she'd fought to look good for him, to show him how lovely and wonderful she was. It was always for Helios, to prove that she was a suitable Maiden for him. Now not only was he not a he, she was not a senshi nor a princess...but still a Maiden. How confusing, how distressing, how absolutely typical of a Moon Princess' life. Nothing was ever the same twice, was it?
The princess had been looking up at her prince for quite some time, eyes strange and distant before they cleared, refocused, and she smiled. Her hand turned over to hold Helios' lightly and she rested her cheek against the hand. It didn't matter right now what body the Priest resided in, he was still the Priest. Everything would be alright again one day, and then they could work out the little problem of gender roles. Beggars could never be choosers, and she was the proverbial Little Match Girl of friendship at this point in her life. "I'm so glad to know that hasn't changed. So many things have, even I have changed. Physically, mentally, almost everything about me has changed, hasn't it?" Red eyes were sad again for a moment, until a slim hand reached over and dipped into the water, causing small ripples.
"It's always like that silly water thing. A ripple makes more ripples until soon there are too many ripples to stop and everything is different forever." Looking back at the strawberry-blond priest, Chibiusa blushed and bit the inside of her lip, as if considering her next words. The blush deepened slower and slower, until again came the rush of words. "You are very pretty now, Helios. Oh! I'm sorry I didn't mean to say it like that! I meant that it's okay that you're not how you were, you're very nice like this too! I mean...oh dear." Embarrassed again, she laughed softly and covered her face with her hands for a moment before peering out through her fingers.
"I'm silly. Mama always said that I had the wrong way of saying things sometimes, I guess some things don't really change. You used to laugh at me about it when we talked, you never scolded like mama and papa and the senshi." Wistfulness crept into her voice, before it was banished with a shake of her head and another laugh, their hands still joined on the princess' lap. Pain or no pain, the relief at finding an old friend and reaffirming their relationship in at least one way was better than strange words and strange lives.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
