Etusko was in the job center, haggling with an elderly woman about precisely how many jars of jam she would get for rescuing her cat out of a tree when she heard the news. The crystal displays in the center, previously only showing PSAs on a loop, most of them muted, sprung to life once more. A news broadcast appeared, showing one of the palace officials in front of the palace, which had been decorated in all black. "Citizens, we have tragic news to announce. Early this morning, their Luminescent Majesty, Princet Hitasku, entered Terill's eternal palace. In a battle against agents of Xander last night, the Princet suffered negative-energy infused wounds, ones even their moon magic could not fully heal. Let us have a moment of silence for our fallen Princet, who shall now be with our god for eternity."
Images of the Princet flashed around the displays, each one somehow showing a different one. Here they were, at their wedding and coronation, here they were, slaying agents of Xander, here they were, greeting the children of one of the southern domes. The center was completely silent, except for the sound of light bell music. As the moment of silence ended, the palace official spoke once more. "The funeral will begin next week, and official mourning will be observed until the end of this month. Those interested in helping direct official mourning ceremonies and events should report to their local temple of Terill as soon as they reasonably can. Thank you."
The crystal screens went back to showing a battle between a moon magician and a demon, and the elderly woman patted Etsuko, getting her attention. "Alright, well, maybe I can give you three jars, but no more."
"Don't worry about it. It's no trouble." replied Etsuko. "Now, um, where is Mr. Flufferkins?"
Mr Flufferkins was not an appreciative kitty. He scratched Etsuko at least three times as she tried to get him from the tree, and when she finally placed him in the arms of his owner, he leaped out of them and ran off. Well, at least she was close to home. She and her grangran lived in the park, in the groundskeeper's cottage. She hoped grangran had already heard about the Princet, because otherwise that would be such an awful conversation to have to have. Grangran loved the Princet. She had a mass-produced portrait of them on her bedroom wall, dressed in their official moon regalia, surrounded by their spectral companions, and would always make Etsuko look up when their official speeches were, so that she could listen to each and every one of them.
Etsuko entered the small cottage, looking around for her grandmother. "Grangran? Um, where are you, Grangran?"
"Here!" Her grandmother was at her altar to Terill, on which a different picture of the Princet had been placed, along with some freshly cut flowers from one of the park's many gardens. So she did know that Princet Hitsaku was dead. Okay. Grangran stood up and clasped Etsuko tightly. "Oh, Etsuko, have you heard the terrible news?"
Etsuko nodded. "I heard."
Grangran was crying, literally tearing up. "What a terrible time for our nation. Princet Hitsaku was so young, too young to die, they were only 67. What will we do without a Princess, what will we do?"
"Don't worry, Gran-gran, Terill will lead us through this, she'll protect us. And anyway, it's only a few months to Terillmas, they'll be able to find a new Princess soon." Etsuko patted her Grangran reassuringly, but she had raised a good point. The most powerful moon magician on Terill was dead. Though they were still protected from Xander by the Moon Shield, there was always worry some powerful servant of that dark god, like his exarch, Illiam, could destroy that shield, if they really tried. They were completely vulnerable to all forms of attack.
But Grangran didn't notice Etsuko's worry, only untensing. "You're right. We'll have new Princess soon. Or Prince, I suppose, or another Princet like our Hitsaku was. Oh, they'll be the sixth in almost 300 years. They keep being taken from us so soon."
"That's the risk a moon magician accepts." said Etsuko. "The price for our power is protecting others from danger and death. If it wasn't them, it'd be so many more others."
Grangran pulled back and idly fluffed Etsuko's hair. "I suppose all those spouses accepted that. Just like you, and your fathers."
The power of Moon Magic constantly weighed on the Magician who wielded it. It made Etsuko always remember that she had a duty. She had accepted it when she had accepted her sword of ice, when Terill's light had flowed through her the first time. "Right. And whoever will be Terill's spouse next accepts it, too."
Images of the Princet flashed around the displays, each one somehow showing a different one. Here they were, at their wedding and coronation, here they were, slaying agents of Xander, here they were, greeting the children of one of the southern domes. The center was completely silent, except for the sound of light bell music. As the moment of silence ended, the palace official spoke once more. "The funeral will begin next week, and official mourning will be observed until the end of this month. Those interested in helping direct official mourning ceremonies and events should report to their local temple of Terill as soon as they reasonably can. Thank you."
The crystal screens went back to showing a battle between a moon magician and a demon, and the elderly woman patted Etsuko, getting her attention. "Alright, well, maybe I can give you three jars, but no more."
"Don't worry about it. It's no trouble." replied Etsuko. "Now, um, where is Mr. Flufferkins?"
Mr Flufferkins was not an appreciative kitty. He scratched Etsuko at least three times as she tried to get him from the tree, and when she finally placed him in the arms of his owner, he leaped out of them and ran off. Well, at least she was close to home. She and her grangran lived in the park, in the groundskeeper's cottage. She hoped grangran had already heard about the Princet, because otherwise that would be such an awful conversation to have to have. Grangran loved the Princet. She had a mass-produced portrait of them on her bedroom wall, dressed in their official moon regalia, surrounded by their spectral companions, and would always make Etsuko look up when their official speeches were, so that she could listen to each and every one of them.
Etsuko entered the small cottage, looking around for her grandmother. "Grangran? Um, where are you, Grangran?"
"Here!" Her grandmother was at her altar to Terill, on which a different picture of the Princet had been placed, along with some freshly cut flowers from one of the park's many gardens. So she did know that Princet Hitsaku was dead. Okay. Grangran stood up and clasped Etsuko tightly. "Oh, Etsuko, have you heard the terrible news?"
Etsuko nodded. "I heard."
Grangran was crying, literally tearing up. "What a terrible time for our nation. Princet Hitsaku was so young, too young to die, they were only 67. What will we do without a Princess, what will we do?"
"Don't worry, Gran-gran, Terill will lead us through this, she'll protect us. And anyway, it's only a few months to Terillmas, they'll be able to find a new Princess soon." Etsuko patted her Grangran reassuringly, but she had raised a good point. The most powerful moon magician on Terill was dead. Though they were still protected from Xander by the Moon Shield, there was always worry some powerful servant of that dark god, like his exarch, Illiam, could destroy that shield, if they really tried. They were completely vulnerable to all forms of attack.
But Grangran didn't notice Etsuko's worry, only untensing. "You're right. We'll have new Princess soon. Or Prince, I suppose, or another Princet like our Hitsaku was. Oh, they'll be the sixth in almost 300 years. They keep being taken from us so soon."
"That's the risk a moon magician accepts." said Etsuko. "The price for our power is protecting others from danger and death. If it wasn't them, it'd be so many more others."
Grangran pulled back and idly fluffed Etsuko's hair. "I suppose all those spouses accepted that. Just like you, and your fathers."
The power of Moon Magic constantly weighed on the Magician who wielded it. It made Etsuko always remember that she had a duty. She had accepted it when she had accepted her sword of ice, when Terill's light had flowed through her the first time. "Right. And whoever will be Terill's spouse next accepts it, too."
The rest of the month was filled with the preperations for mourning, and then the mourning itself. Loud, public, and yet also solemn. Etsuko was assigned by her local temple of Terill to be in the handbell choir, and so she had to learn how to play the handbell, which she wasn't very good at. She had to perform the traditional mourning songs many times that month, every gathering, every official mourning ceremony, every time it was reported that Terill had shed a tear at Hitsaku's passing. And the god did shed many tears. Terill appeared many times via crystal to the people of her moon, but was always silent, in the background of some view of the casket or staring at a portrait of the Princet. She was usually female, though sometimes he was male. Hitsaku had loved Terill just as much no matter what gender they were- it made no difference to them. The genders of the Princet and Prince had flowed, sometimes in sync, sometimes not, much as Terill and Kalev, the dark moon could be seen waxing and waning and generally shifting from Aaia and other planets.
As the month drew closer to its end, the mourning mood changed. New songs, ones about hope growing from despair, the moon changing from new to full, appeared, and discussion of the new princess begun. There were more moon magicians than ever before on Terill, so many options, and even if only a fraction of them wished to marry the god, that was still so many.
The search would have to be different, and it would have to begin very soon.
As the month drew closer to its end, the mourning mood changed. New songs, ones about hope growing from despair, the moon changing from new to full, appeared, and discussion of the new princess begun. There were more moon magicians than ever before on Terill, so many options, and even if only a fraction of them wished to marry the god, that was still so many.
The search would have to be different, and it would have to begin very soon.
Etsuko had made her decision. She told her Gran-gran one night at dinner. "Gran-gran, I think I'm going to try to join the competition to marry Terill."
The old moonfolk woman beamed with joy. "Oh, Etsuko, that's wonderful news. Your fathers would have been so proud! Oh, and I know you'll make such a beautiful bride."
Etsuko looked down at her rice, now feeling more unsure. "Well, that's considering that I'm even accepted into the competition. It's most likely that my knowledge of moon magic isn't strong enough. Some people have had hundreds of years to train, I'm not that experienced."
Gran-gran patted Etsuko on the arm. "I know you will be powerful enough, Etsuko. Don't worry about others, only worry about yourself. I know that Terill will see your shining love for her, and choose you. That's what she'll be looking for."
Etsuko doubted that. She'd always heard a Princess had to be strong, powerful. A princess had to lead her people, protect them from Xander and all his followers, as well as any new threat that came for them. A princess had to be in complete command of her moon magic, as she'd become only more powerful after her coronation, and she'd need that power to keep everything running smoothly. But, she could at least try! If nobody tried, nobody would marry Terill, and she'd be all alone. Etsuko pulled out a flier that explained this cycle's competition. "They say the search will be different this year. I have until next week to go to a dome they've built especially for the search."
"You'll go right way, Etsuko! Just as soon as I've found you your rabbit."
Etsuko laughed. "Are you really going to find me a rabbit, Gran-gran? That's such an old-fashioned tradition."
"Yes, and how many Moon Princesses has it worked for? You'll have your rabbit, and he'll bring you good luck. You'll be Princess of the Moon soon enough."
Luck. Yes, that was what she needed. Etsuko would need all the luck she could get.
The old moonfolk woman beamed with joy. "Oh, Etsuko, that's wonderful news. Your fathers would have been so proud! Oh, and I know you'll make such a beautiful bride."
Etsuko looked down at her rice, now feeling more unsure. "Well, that's considering that I'm even accepted into the competition. It's most likely that my knowledge of moon magic isn't strong enough. Some people have had hundreds of years to train, I'm not that experienced."
Gran-gran patted Etsuko on the arm. "I know you will be powerful enough, Etsuko. Don't worry about others, only worry about yourself. I know that Terill will see your shining love for her, and choose you. That's what she'll be looking for."
Etsuko doubted that. She'd always heard a Princess had to be strong, powerful. A princess had to lead her people, protect them from Xander and all his followers, as well as any new threat that came for them. A princess had to be in complete command of her moon magic, as she'd become only more powerful after her coronation, and she'd need that power to keep everything running smoothly. But, she could at least try! If nobody tried, nobody would marry Terill, and she'd be all alone. Etsuko pulled out a flier that explained this cycle's competition. "They say the search will be different this year. I have until next week to go to a dome they've built especially for the search."
"You'll go right way, Etsuko! Just as soon as I've found you your rabbit."
Etsuko laughed. "Are you really going to find me a rabbit, Gran-gran? That's such an old-fashioned tradition."
"Yes, and how many Moon Princesses has it worked for? You'll have your rabbit, and he'll bring you good luck. You'll be Princess of the Moon soon enough."
Luck. Yes, that was what she needed. Etsuko would need all the luck she could get.
Author's Notes: Hey, two stories about lesbians in a row. By in a row I mean separated by over a month. Wow! Why did I stop writing? Who knows. I enjoy this revision. Stay tuned for the other parts of this story.
Length: 1141 words
Date: February 2nd, 2015
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