Dragonfire II: The Twilight Invasion

Chapter 32: The Golden City

A knock resounded at the door. Moona slowly opened her eyes, looking up at the ceiling. At that time, she was a young girl lying on the floor for some reason. She couldn't quite remember why, though it hardly mattered. She was in her room, made of a solid white structure with black cloth throughout. She rose to her feet, looking around for a moment. Her room was disorganized, though she didn't really care. She had other things to worry about. She approached the door and opened it. Raime stood outside, along with...a Guard? No...a Noble, perhaps? Her face was obscured. Moona couldn't tell who she was...she couldn't even comprehend what she looked like - yet Raime's words explained it all. "Moona...this may come as a shock, but there's someone here I want you to meet. This is...your sister, Liege Ferris Raiden Zable." He said, "S-Sister? But...I don't have a sister..." Moona responded, "That's what I thought too. Until she came to me with evidence that she is your blood. It's strange...I know. To not have known her for your entire life. But please...be kind to her, okay?" Raime said. Moona looked up at Raiden, trying to look her in the eyes. Only she had too many of them. Or perhaps none at all. No matter what angle she looked at, she couldn't see her face. "Raiden..." She said. All of the sudden, she opened her eyes, realizing it was just a dream. 

She was in her usual room, within her cabin. "...Ah...there's a ceiling I'm more familiar with..." She thought to herself. She got out of bed and took a shower. Afterward, she put on her usual attire. She had ten pairs of it in the closet, so she could always wear it no matter the occasion. Despite this, she had quite a few other outfits to wear. She simply chose not to. After dressing herself, she heard a knock at her bedroom door. The only people who could make it inside her cabin were either trusted deeply by her or allowed in by someone she trusted. And thus, she went straight to it, opening it with little hesitation. Reina stood on the other side, wearing a black hoodie, blue denim pants, and black sneakers. "Y-Yo." She said, "Good morning, Reina." Moona responded. Reina nodded. "U-Uh-huh, it is a pretty nice morning..." She said. She proceeded to shift awkwardly, her own mind stammering over what to do or say. Moona stepped aside, waving her inside. "Well? What are you waiting for? Come on in!" She exclaimed, "Ah! Yes! Inside." Reina responded, stepping into the room. She shook off her hands as if she were trying to wring them out, though they were completely dry. "Just...shake the anxiety off...just...shake it off...like Marin said..." She thought to herself. Moona looked at her as she shook her hands, amused by her odd gesture. "I didn't know you were part dog." She said, "H-Huh?" Reina asked, "Well with all that shaking, I thought you were trying to dry off." Moona answered, "Oh, nah. You know...just...shaking off the dust..." Reina said. Moona nodded. "Right, the dust." She responded. 

Reina returned the nod. "Mhm." She said, "So, what brings you here?" Moona asked, "Well...I...I was wondering if you would like to hang out today. Maybe...just the two of us...if you wanted..." Reina answered, "I would like to, but I'm afraid I can't today. I need to visit Arumi. I'm expected there." Moona said, "Arumi? The land of the Elves?" Reina asked, "Mhm. Ravania's Elven land, anyway." Moona answered, "How come?" Reina asked. Moona walked over to her bed, looking out the window at her onsen. "Despite my best efforts, Albedo refuses to see the benefit of joining us. She's doubted us every step of the way, and she didn't agree to join the Covenant yesterday." She said, "She turned you down?" Reina asked, "She bought herself time. She said she would 'think about it,' which given the situation, means there's little chance of her joining us. We need to prepare for the worst." Moona answered, "So why Arumi, then?" Reina asked, "When my sister spoke of these lands, many years ago, she told me a great deal about the Kingdoms. About how despite their differences, they had maintained peace for a long time. We have already dealt with Arvan, and Illicen rolled over on their back when we defended them. When Zable told me about Ingres, she mentioned that the people there were extremely reclusive...and hostile. And from what I've gathered, that information rings true today. They won't help Celestia if they call for help...but Arumi is unpredictable. They have a new ruler there, the first change in leadership in over five thousand years. They may just come to Celestia's aid if war breaks out, so it's best to deal with them now." Moona answered, "What do you plan to do...?" Reina asked.