The man and the monster fell back before the assault. The Elder Darkness writhed in agony and fell back into the lake. Since the lake was still boiling over it screamed some more and struggled to escape the waters. The man however reeled back in shock more then in injury. He had managed to escape the main volley before it hit the monster and only got a few tears in his robes. Luna could see a purple glow around the tears and it seemed like it was closing.
The man smiled in a charming manner, “Good job hitting the monster while I was distracting it Luna Star. You aim was impeccable. I’m just glad I could distract the beast long enough for you to attack it. Quickly deal it the killing blow before it can recover.”
Luna didn’t know what she found the most annoying about it. It could be his attitude which he seemed to project out of him all the time. It felt like the thought he was incredibly important and the he needed to be the star even when offering to left Luna defeat the monster. Or it could be that she found him annoying because she was absolutely certain that he was the one who had been watching them. Of it could be that she had been doing just fine against the Elder Darkness and hadn’t needed his help at all.
So she pointed her arm toward the man and the white and blackness began to gather around her again. The man’s eyes widened as he noticed what was happening and that Luna was pointing directly at him. “No, what, I’m your ally. I’m trying to help you.” Luna didn’t pay attention to him and instead the beam was released. The man dived out of the way at the last moment and the beam struck the Elder Darkness which was just beginning to pull itself out of the water.
Luna released the restraints on her power and the beams thickened and pierced through the monster. It writhed and then began to devolve into shards of frozen darkness that then began to melt and evaporate. Then the air suddenly began to warm. It had been way below freezing and now the air was beginning to feel warm again.
The man struggled to his feet. Luna could see his knees wobbling beneath his robed. After he managed to get to his feet he began to laugh. It was the haughty laugh of victory. “Good job Luna. Together we have defeated this most dangerous foe. Until next time. The Prince of the Firmament bids you ado.” Then the man ran toward the tree. He jumped and landed easily on one of the branches and then a second leap put him over the trees and out of sight.
The Prince of the Firmament
How I dislike that man
He never listens to anything that I say
That would be the reason that I dislike him the most
Although there are many other reasons
That never seems to matter to him however
He always seems to rationalize away the fact that I don’t mind attacking him
He always seems to be in the way of my attacks against the enemies
Of at least I make sure to position it that way
He also seems to completely ignore other magic girls
It is like he doesn’t even care that they are there
Blackberry said that he is probably has natural access to magic
Magic that is apparently similar to magical girls
There is also something about his obsession with me
Again Blackberry says it might be resonance
He can feel the great power within me and that it was causes him to act
I however will just chalk it up to insanity and inflated self worth
If he were to just act like a normal person and offer help before thing happened
Then I might have accepted
Or at least I would have considered it
And I probably wouldn’t have shot him
Probably
Chapter 10 - Normal Life
Luna stood near the edge of the lake and the last of the snow began to fall on the ground and the swiftly melt. As quickly as the cold and snow had arrived it was beginning to go away. With the Elder Darkness defeated its sway over the environment was disappearing. Joy stepped out of the lake and Ouroboros returned to its normal bracelet state.
“Who was that?” Asked Joy in wonderment.
“You know as much as I do. Apparently the Prince of the Firmament. He was the one who has been watching us. It gives me a bad feeling.”
Joy looked toward the trees where the Prince had vanished. “Well at least this Elder Darkness has been defeated. And it are less difficult then last time.”
“You two are just more experienced. You know how to use your powers and you are getting better and working together. It is only natural that it was easier this time. Plus this one didn’t have the same kind of power that the last one had.” Said Blackberry. “But don’t let it go to your head. There are Elder Darknesses that are very strong and even the weakest one can kill you if you let your guard down. No relaxing just because you were able to defeat this one.”
Luna nodded in agreement then she remembered something and said, “Oh, Blackberry. There was something I mentioned. Something strange happened before I found the Elder Darkness. I saw a glowing light through the tree and it was that light that led me here. When I arrived I say this translucent girl who was flickering in and out over the waters of the lake. It was her that let me find out where the Elder Darkness was hiding.”
“I see. It is possible that it was natural magic or possibly the partially awakened magical talent of a potential magical girl. Do you have any clues on who they might be?”
Luna thought about it trying to remember any details of the girl. “She was shortish I think with hair in pigtails but she still looked about the same age as me or possibly a year younger like Joy. She had glasses and it looked like she was wearing some sort of print pajamas. I don’t think I can any more details then that.”
“Around the same age as us? Would it be possible that she goes to the same school as us?” Said Joy
“I suppose. There are a couple of other schools but ours is the closest one to the park so that is probably the best place to start searching however. I don’t remember anybody who goes to our school who looks like that.” Luna shrugged, “However that doesn’t mean too much. I miss school a lot and there are lots of people that I don’t know. It is possible that I have met someone like that but don’t remember. That sort of thing happens.”
“Yeah, I can’t think of anyone matching that description. If she is a student at our school that is a bit unusual. I know I lot of the people in the school and I can’t match any of them with her. I guess I will have to ask around and see if anyone knows her.” Said Joy.
“I’ll do that too. If she is a student there then somebody will know who she is.” Said Luna.
“I don’t think she is a student at your school.” Said Blackberry, “I already checked out your school remember. If she has magical girl talent then I would have sensed her when I checked out the people there. That was why I visited your school that time after all.”
Luna considered that briefly, “That is a good point. There are reasons why she might go unnoticed by you however. She could have been absent from school that day for example. While you are probably right we could check out our school first just to be certain. After that we will expand our search to other schools.”
Blackberry nodded, “Alright. Now we should head back home. We had a lot of searching ahead of us and you both will need your rest for tomorrow. It is already rather late.”
Luna nodded, “Blackberry, make sure Joy gets home safely. I’ll head back by myself.” Then with a could light steps that functions light magical leaps she was leaving the park. Not long after she was on the balcony outside her room. She had left it unlocked when she left so that she would be able to get back in this way. She entered the room and collapsed on the bed. She was pop and flash of white and black and she was back in her regular clothes. She was exhausted and she lay on her bed not moving to tired to even change her clothes.
It was a while later when Blackberry entered through the window that she hadn’t bothered to close. He jumped on the bed next to her and said in a concerned voice, “Are you alright Luna? You look worse then usual.”
Luna groaned and said, “I’m trying to sleep. I’m simply exhausted. Is there such a thing as being too tired to sleep because that is how I feel.”
“Your reserves of energy must be almost empty. Considering everything you did I’m not surprised.”
“I didn’t do that much.”
“Sure you did. You kept your energy going full tilt all of tonight. It was what kept you warm during the freezing weather and what kept your from boiling to dead when Joy and you drove the Elder Darkness out of the lake. You pushed lots of your energy into Joy to accomplish that as well. Not to mention you used your black-light beam three times. If you don’t pace yourself you are going to burn yourself out.”
Luna through a pillow at Blackberry. “Stop lecturing me and let me sleep. I’ll use all the energy that I want. It is mine to use after all.” She groaned a few more times and then finally managed to escape into the world of sleep.
Blackberry still stood there and after a minute he said, “Yes, it is yours to use but I wish you would use it a little wiser. It will matter when you mean one of the Shadowed Souls. I hope you will be ready by then.”
Hours later Luna was roused from her torpor by the bleeping of her alarm clock. It was a poor abused thing that never managed to catch a break. This time was no exception and Luna hit the poor clock to make it shut up. It dutifully did. Blackberry however wasn’t going to let Luna snooze her way through the day so he jumped on top of the bed and scratched at her.
“Will hitting you stop you from waking me up?” Asked Luna in her grumpy voice.
“Wasn’t it you that said we should search your school for that girl. I don’t want to hear you complaining about your own plan.”
Luna glared at her clock and Blackberry with hate before pulling herself out of bed. Her hair was tousled and it looked like she had just gotten out from a train wreck. “I’m going to quit being a magical girl if it keeps up like this. Or at the very least demand a raise.”
“Earth to Luna, you must still be out of it. After all I don’t really have anything to pay you in the first place.” Said Blackberry.
“No wonder this was a rotten deal. At least I got magical powers out of it.” Luna then proceeded to change her clothes and dress in something more appropriate to go to school it. She even remember to grab her bag which she thought contained all of her school books. The she headed out the door and began walking to school. Her uncle’s apartment was conveniently located only a few blocks away from the school so walking was never very difficult, when she decided to go at all.