Reunion
by, Cony
Chapter 8
"Princess... what are you doing here?"
"Sshh. Not so loud! They are after me."
"After you? Who?"
The Royal Guard of course. I made a mistake, and appeared
in the middle of their quarters."
"You did what?!?!"
"It doesn't matter now. Now listen to me. Do you want to see
Mercury again?"
He was startled, and babbled his answer.
"I...we...you...what?"
"Listen Lord Zoisite, I don't have much time. Do you want to
see her or not?"
Of course I do. It's all I want. To see her again will fill my heart
again. But, quieting his heart, he frowned, and answered, each
word being a dagger in his body: "I already told your friends;
it's none of your business."
"Look, Zoisite--may I call you that? You and I know that you
still love her so stop being so stubborn!"
"No I don't."
"You don't? Then what's this?"
Before he could react, she walked to his night table and
opened the drawer. From inside, she took something, and
showed it to him. "So, will you still deny you feel anything for
her?"
"Give that to me!"
Venus was surprised by his tone, and tossed it to him. Zoisite
took it, and looked at it intently. It was Mercury's picture,
which weeks ago he couldn't break.
"How did you know where this was?"
"I have my ways."
"But, I hid it. I didn't want anyone to find it."
"Love is my second name. Now, do you want to see her or
not?"
Zoisite looked at Mercury's eyes on the picture, and the last
resistance he had broke into pieces. His need of answering
was getting almost unbearable. He tried to stop it by asking
what troubled him:
"But she doesn't want to see me again...."
"Don't worry. I've got that fixed. Have you ever heard of--no,
you haven't. Look. My mother taught me a way of hiding your
true appearance."
"Changing my body?"
"No, just your aura. That way, your shape will change, and
you'll look different."
"And for what use would that be?"
"If no one can recognize you, they'll let you in. Then, the rest
is up to you."
"I still don't believe you."
"Humph! You doubt of my powers? Look!"
Venus stretched her hands, facing him. Her eyes were looking
straight at his forehead. Then, she began chanting some old
Venusian words, which Zoisite couldn't identify. A faint glow
appeared on her hands, and she directed it to him. A thin ray
of yellow light emerged from them, and struck him in the
middle of his forehead. As soon as it did, Zoisite started
feeling strange. It was as if he was being warmed by
something. Like being under the sun. Then, it stopped. He
opened his eyes, which he had involuntarily closed, and saw a
grinning lady Venus.
"It's not bad at all. As a matter of fact, you look very
handsome," said she.
"What do you mean? That's it?"
"Look in the mirror."
He walked up to it, and looked inside. He almost jumped
backwards for what he saw. The reflection showed a man, who
had nothing to do with him. He had green hair, up to his
shoulders. His eyes were green also. It appeared they had
stayed the same. His skin was more tanned than it used to
be. Surprised, Zoisite touched his face. He was amazed as he
saw the man in the mirror doing the same. He grasped a
tangle of his now short hair, and ruffled it. He blinked, but the
figure remained there. He moved to the side, and so did the
reflection.
"It's... it's amazing." Zoisite was surprised. His voice had
changed too. It was almost an octave higher, but pleasant to
hear. Lady Venus smiled, and walked to his side.
"It is. See now? No one will recognize you like this."
"There's something that puzzles me. How come my eyes
keep being green? They are the same as before."
"Well, eyes can't change."
"Why?"
"Simple. According to an ancient Venusian legend, eyes are
the window to people's souls. If I changed your eyes, I'd be
changing your insides too. That way, no matter how powerful a
spell is, eyes always stay as they were conceived."
"Hmm, nice theory. Can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"How will I enter the party? I would need an invitation, and I
don't have one, and he... -he motioned to the mirror- I mean
me... I mean. . .."
Venus giggled at his confusion, and putting a finger on his
lips, silenced him. "You will go as my partner."
"Your partner?"
"Yeah. No one will mess with me, less with my companion."
"But... wouldn't it look bad if then I leave you and go and court
Mercury?"
"Nah. That place is so big, no one will notice. Besides, as
soon as we enter, you may go and talk with her or dance with
her or do with her whatever you want."
Zoisite blushed, and said: "Lady Venus!!"
"Oh, come on. You can't fool me; you never did. When you
two are together, uff, sparks fly everywhere."
Zoisite blushed deeper. He coughed a little, trying to hide his
embarrassment. Venus giggled again, trying not to embarrass
him more. Then, she looked through the window, and saw as
the sun was almost setting. "Ok now, Zoisite. Shall we start
our journey to the Moon palace?"
"Hmm, that's another problem."
"What?"
"You can't go around calling me Zoisite with this appearance.
I'm gonna need a new name."
"True. Name, name, name for you", chanted Venus, as she
walked around the room. "What about Aina?"
"Aina? That's a girl's name!"
"Hmm. Then, what do you think of Murifa?"
What? Where have you seen a human called Murifa? It
sounds like a dog's name."
"You're right. It *is* my dog's name. Then, what about Suki?"
"Suki? It doesn't sound bad, but I still don't quite like it."
"Well Zoisite, aren't we being exigent today? Then you think
of a good name!"
"Hmm, Suki... Sumi... Suri!"
"Suri? You wanna call yourself Suri?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"It's a strange name, but it'll do. Then, shall we go?"
"What? Now?"
"Yeah. We need to prepare everything."
"But, isn't it a bit early?"
"Nope. Look outside." Zoisite walked to the window, and
looked around. Venus was right; the sun was setting,
spreading reds, pinks and yellows everywhere his eye could
reach. He turned around, and said: "I'm ready then." Venus
nodded, and walked to his side. She grabbed his arm, and
entwined it with her own.
"La--Lady Venus... what are you doing?"
"Oh, silly. You don't want your friends to see you like this, do
you? So, I'm just speeding things a little."
"I know but...." "Look, Suri, you'd better get used to this,
because you'll be like this for some time, until we enter the
party at least. Don't worry, I won't try anything, I know you are
already taken. Besides, I need physical contact to be able to
transport both of us to the Moon."
"Gee, sorry. Let's go then."
"As you say." Venus closed her eyes, and in a flash of orange
light, they disappeared from the room, headed to the satellite
over the planet...
(
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