The goddess hated the clouds. Centuries had past, and nothing changed up there. Everything was the same. The colors changed sometimes, signaling the start and end of a day. Yet the same sky greeted her every morning. Sometimes she liked to watch over the humans. It gave her something to look forwards to; it made her feel sane.

Lately, she had been watching over one human in particular. This human was the young queen of a kingdom who had just recently inherited her crown. She spent a lot of time in the garden, practicing a type of magic that the goddess had never seen before. This girl was able to summon all kinds of plants, but she was especially good with thorns.

The goddess observed as the mortal girl sat in the garden with a friend. He was short and scrawny, with dirty blonde hair and soft brown eyes. A pang of envy grew in her heart as she watched them laugh together. She so desperately wanted to meet a mortal. Despite knowing that she shouldn’t interfere with the mundane world, she thought that perhaps this was different. This mortal, after all, did own one of Mother Earth’s crowns. The cloud goddess knew the story very well. Her mother had tried to make peace with mortals, but an evil witch had ordered for her to be killed. Mother Earth was able to escape, but not without losing one of the intricate circlets.

The very thought of humans had disgusted her for so long. Why would anyone want to harm someone or end a life? Although she knew little about them, she was certain that they were awful creatures. Why did her mother allow them to exist at all?

Later that night, the mortal was still in the garden. The goddess decided to risk leaning over to see more clearly. She gasped loudly as her crown slipped right off of her head and onto the ground.

The human approached it and picked it up, looking to the sky. No point in hiding now, she thought bitterly as she descended to the ground on a cloud.

“Who are you?”

The goddess fumbled over her words. “I’m no one… ”

“Very funny. I’m Vera, Vera Taniku. Don’t you have a name?”

She shook her head. “What’s the purpose of names?”
Realization dawned on Vera’s face. “Oh my… you’re a goddess, aren’t you?!”

She nervously combed through her hair with her fingers. “Yeah, why… why does it matter to you?”

Vera smiled. “I’ll explain later. For now, you need a name.” She looked up to the moon for inspiration. “Hmm, is Crescent an alright name? It’s the phase of the moon right now, so I figured it would be a good idea.”

Crescent nodded, and so her name was set. “Uhm.. may I please have my crown back now?”

Handing Crescent the crown, Vera spoke once more. “If you’re a goddess, then can you help me with my crown?”

“Well, I don’t know very much about earth magic, I always use sky magic… but, uh, maybe I could try?”

“That’s better than nothing. Meet me here again at the next crescent moon.” She summoned an orchid from the ground and handed it to Crescent as a parting gift before retreating into the palace.

Crescent was left there standing, fully flustered and bewildered. What just happened?  She walked around the garden a few moments later before returning into the clouds. Sitting silently, she allows her thoughts to flood over her like a hurricane.

Who is she? Why didn’t she steal my crown? Can I trust her? Am I going to get in trouble with mother? She was getting a headache, and needed to just calm herself down and wait until the next crescent moon.

Terrence was spending the week at Vera’s kingdom. She’d recently been coronated about a week ago, so they were celebrating together. He loved spending time with her, and considered her to be his only true friend. Being the shy person he was, he could never admit the crush that he had on her. He knew she wasn’t interested in boys, so he decided not to ruin the friendship they shared.

“I still can’t believe that you’re gonna be a king in a few years.”

“Same… I don’t know if I will be a good ruler. I’m scared of my subjects hating me; it’s all so much pressure.”

“Don’t be an idiot, Foofwa,” she muttered with a daring smile. The same smile that Terrence could never stop thinking about.

“You know I hate when you call me that.”
“Exactly. But you don’t hate me, do you? Your subjects will be the same. You could do pretty much anything, and they will excuse it.”

Terrence nodded. She had a point, but his self-doubt remained strong. He never had a positive image of himself; there was always some flaw to be worked on. “Anyway, how has your kingdom been?”

“Oh, nothing interesting. Except the crown, but that’s pretty obvious.”

“Of course.”

Normally, Terrence would have loved to be in Queen Vera’s presence longer, but he needed some alone time. He was laying in one of the many guest rooms, reading a book about earth magic. It really was quite interesting, and he would probably have thought the book was fiction if he had never met Vera himself. Maybe that was why he always felt intimidated in her presence. She had a demeanor of power and dominance. It was no wonder no one dared defy her. This kingdom had become the strongest in the land, ruled by a queen with powers mankind never knew how to use. She was respected and honored by all.

Terrence fell asleep reading with Vera on his mind. He awoke to a loud knocking on his door. “Yes, come in,” he said as he tried to flatten his messy hair.

Musho Taniku, Vera’s father, entered the room. “Greetings. Oh my, it seems I disturbed you. Should I come at another time?”

“No, no, it’s absolutely alright, sir. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence today?”

Musho smiled sheepishly. “Nothing. I simply came to inform you of a status update from your kingdom. Sadly, the news isn’t good. A thief has stolen riches from the treasury.”

Terrence nodded pensively. “Ah, I see. Hopefully we can restore what was stolen. Thank you, sir.”

With a brief goodbye, Musho left. Terrence rolled over and hugged his pillow tight as tears streamed down his face. This is the second time this month. At this rate, we’re going to lose all of our money and worth. His mind was racing so fast that he could barely keep up. How would he be able to keep his kingdom afloat? Would it even last long enough for him to inherit his throne? What would happen to his future subjects?

He wondered how Vera didn’t crack under the stress of the position.

It was the crescent moon. Vera had been dreaming of this day, hoping the goddess would be able to teach her about her magic. Although Vera had found a way to manipulate plants, she wanted to learn how to make it useful. What she had devised so far was to use thorns in a defensive matter. Whenever she summoned them, they were double sided. The thorns were amazing defense, but scarred her skin. Her arms were so badly mutilated from the thorns that she had to wear bandages just to be suitable to be seen. No one seemed pitiful for her, which annoyed her greatly. Did they not realize that their queen was in pain?

She stood outside in the garden, standing in the same place where she and Crescent had last met. A wall of fresh thorns covered the door leading to the garden to prevent anyone from entering unexpectedly.

After a few moments of waiting, Crescent descended from the clouds. “Hello, I’m glad that you came,” she said with a shy smile.

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Vera replied. “I’m just really excited to start practicing!”

Crescent’s eyes averted her gaze. “Sure, just… please don’t get your hopes up. I’m not a good teacher. Firstly, show me what you can do.”

Without hesitation, Vera summoned a large thicket of thorns to surround them both. Crescent shrieked.

“Ah, that’s impressive.” Her eyes fell upon Vera’s exposed arms. “Yet, it seems to take a toll on you. I suppose that’s only fair. Nature always finds a way to keep balance. Still, I do wish it wouldn’t hurt you…”

The thorns returned to the earth with a wave of Vera’s hand. She smiled patiently, waiting for Crescent to continue.

“Now, maybe try something other than thorns. Can you do trees? Rocks? Grass?”

She shook her head, flustered. “I don’t really care about anything else. I want to learn how to make use of what I already know. Perhaps in an offensive manner instead of defensive.”

Crescent nodded grimly. “I don’t see a need for that, but if it’s what you want, then I would suggest trying to summon just thorns, not the vines. This way, they can be aimed as projectiles.”

Thorns appeared in the air in front of Vera. A vine of them still covered her arms, but she didn’t really mind. Flicking her wrist towards the ground so not to hurt Crescent, the thorns stuck in the dirt. She smiled, her emerald eyes gleaming with menace.

“Congrats! That’s… that’s new. I would suggest to keep practicing that, changing angles and quantity. I wish you the best of luck.”

Before Crescent had the chance to leave, Vera suddenly yelped. The door to the garden was opened, and Musho looked at his daughter from across the garden. Vines that were previously covering the door were crudely cut aside. “Oh my, what happened?”

“Idiot, cutting the vines hurts!!!” she shouted in distress.

Crescent ran to Vera’s side, healing her with an unknown magic. Glancing into Musho’s eyes, she quickly disappeared into the sky.

“Who on earth was that, Vera?”

“I… you weren’t supposed to see… She’s a goddess who has offered to help me with my magic. I thought you would be mad if you knew.”

Musho looked at her like she was crazy. “I would never be mad at you for such a thing. Though, I do wish you had told me. I could arrange for her to have a place in the palace.”

“No, no,” she muttered. “There’s no need. Just, please don’t tell mom. She’s so strict about never interacting with spirits or anything like that.”

He considered his daughter’s request for a long while before answering. “Alright. Just please be careful. There is very little known about goddesses, and I don’t want you to be hurt.”

“I know.”

The next day, Vera practiced tirelessly in her garden. Her arms were bleeding heavily, but she ignored it. The only thing that mattered to her was training. She wanted to be strong and intimidating. Her eyes filled with a deep darkness of intensity. The product of her hard work was thorns as sharp as razors which she could control by the thousands. Pain flooded over her as she went inside and into the doctor’s room.

“I’ll be with you in a moment,” he muttered as he sipped his tea at the table. He hadn’t looked to see who had entered the room.

Who does he think he is? “Excuse me, but it’s pretty urgent.”
She watched with a smirk as horror settled in his expression. “Ah, my queen. I’m terribly sorry for my manners. I didn’t realize it was you.”

Vera glared at him, sensing his dread. “Well, I need a bandage.”

“Yes, of course.” He scurried away to grab yarrow powder and bandages. He applied them to her arms with forced care.

“Thanks,” she muttered coldly as she left. He sighed with relief at her exit.

That night in her bed, Vera couldn’t sleep. Her arms ached, and she was too dizzy to do anything productive. It was miserable. She barely even had the energy to reach for her bell.

A knock on her door was her biggest relief. “How can I help you?”

“Is there any way I can be taken to the doctor’s?”

The maid promptly picked her up and carried the fragile girl to the doctor’s room downstairs.

“What is so urgent this late at night?” he asked tiredly.

“It’s the queen. She needs immediate attention,” the maid replied. She seemed genuinely concerned, unlike most subjects.

“Of course, my bad.” He quickly set her down on a bed and gave her poppy seeds to at least give her some rest. The doctor wasn’t sure exactly how to help.

“Thanks.”

Vera awoke with an intense pain in her arms. She could barely move them at all. It was hard to breathe, too.

“How are you feeling?” a bitterly familiar voice asked.

“I- wait, why are you here, Tora?” she muttered with disgust.

Tora smiled with his famous, mischievous look. “I heard that you weren’t doing so well, so I decided to come visit! Plus, your mom asked me to come.”

“I don’t want anything to do with you. Please leave.”

“Now, now. That’s no way to treat an old friend!”

“We never were friends and never will be. Now, please leave!” she was really upset at this point, just wanting some time alone.

“Or what? Will you use some ancient magic on me?” he teased with a daring look.

Instantly regretting the pain, she launched a myriad of thorns at him. They were dulled from her weakened state, but very effective nonetheless.

Tora winced and stepped back in pain. “God, you really like to show off.” He clutched his cheek, where a small gash had opened. Scarlett blood ran down his face.

“Oh dear,” the doctor sighed. “Do you need help?”

“Just a bandage, please,” he replied.

After handing Tora a bandage, the doctor turned to Vera. “Are you alright? Did that open any new wounds on your arms?”

“A few,” she muttered. “Don’t even worry about it. I just want to leave.” Wincing, she gently sat up and tried to stand.

“Miss, I beg your pardon, but you really are in no state to be up and about right now. You really overworked yourself last night, and I think you should take a few nights to rest.”

Muttering something rude about the doctor, she laid back down. “Whatever. Just get that jerk out of my kingdom. He is not welcome here.”

“I’ll be back, Vera. You may hate me now, but there will be a day when you fall for me!”

“I swear to the very earth that gave me this crown that I will plague a war on your kingdom and teach you a lesson,” she spat with a tone of poison.

That night, Vera’s mom visited her in the doctor’s room. “So, how are you feeling, my dear?”

“Don’t act sweet, mother. I am very displeased with you right now.”

“I don’t see why. What have I done wrong?”
Vera glared at her mother with a look that could have turned her to stone. “You know how much I hate Tora. He is a disrespectful little-”

Her mother cut her off. “-He is not. You should learn to like him, as his kingdom is very wealthy. It would be an awful failure if you were never to marry and keep this kingdom at its current size.”

Vera raised her arm to summon thorns, but she quickly put it back down. This pain was unbearable. “Doctor, I want her out of my room. Right now.”
“Oh, I’ll leave. But Vera, sweetheart, you really need a boyfriend. We can’t have no heir after you. You’ll die alone and your kingdom will die with you, mark my words.” She left swiftly.

“Doctor, slight change of plans. I need you to call Terrence and invite him to this kingdom. He lives nearby, so the trip should only take a night.”

He nodded as he summoned a messenger with a bell. “Absolutely, miss.”

When Vera woke up the next morning, she received news of Terrence’s arrival. She smiled. The plan which she had devised was perfect; it would solve her mother’s pestering. Maybe there were a few minor holes in the plan, but that didn’t sway her in the least.

“Hello,” Terrence said as he entered the room. “I heard that you were hurt. Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes. I just used the crown more than I should have at once. It’s worth it though, I’ll have to show you what I’ve learned once I’m feeling better. Anyways, that isn’t the reason I summoned you here. Doctor, some privacy, if you will?”
“Of course,” he said as he exited the room.

“Now, my mother lately has been pestering me about not having a boyfriend. As I think you know, I don’t find any interest in romance. And, I’m sure your father has been bothering you about it as well. I have the idea that we act as significant others in front of them. Of course, we wouldn’t actually be dating, but I think that it would help. And don’t worry about marriage or anything. By then, I’ll be strong enough to lead my palace without someone to help.”

Terrence nodded pensively. “Alright, that is a good idea. We… uh… wouldn’t have to like, kiss in front of anybody, right?”

She laughed at the thought. “No. Would you even mind though?” Her question was purely joking and innocent.

His face went red. “I… I just meant… meant that it’d be different that way.”

“Alright. Also, how has your kingdom been? I forgot to ask you the last time I saw you.”

“Ah. It’s… fine. We could be doing better I guess, but nothing I can’t handle.” His eyes averted her gaze.

“You have always been a bad liar, you know that? I won’t force it out of you though. I just wish your kingdom the best of luck”

“Yeah… you too.”

She laughed. “Oh, I don’t need luck. Once I’m healed up, I have some major changes to make here. People are so disrespectful to me… there needs to be a law against that.”

“If… If you say so.”

Terrence was laying down in his room at his palace. He had visited Vera a few days ago, and received an odd request. She wanted him to pretend to be her boyfriend.  Such an innocent and oblivious girl. It probably didn’t even cross her mind that maybe I like her. Terrence never understood why people labelled her as cunning and cruel. She was an amazing leader, and had a presence that made people listen. Just one look into her eyes was enough to shut someone up. She had a type of beauty that was rare, and not of typical standards. Vera refused to wear anything extravagant unless it was a special occasion, but the simplicity went well with her.

Still, something about her was making him unnerved. She seemed different lately, carrying a sadistic darkness with her. As if she had plans that he couldn’t possibly decipher or understand. Then again, since when have I understood her?

With a sigh, Terrence got out of his bed and walked to his father’s room. He still hadn’t fed him the information he was supposed to. Vera had instructed Terrence to tell his father that they were dating so that the stories would match up if Rita asked.

“Father? I have news that I am yet to inform you of,” he said as he knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

He walked in silently, his head down. His father was a very intimidating person who often lost his temper. Ever since Terrence’s mother passed away, his father was never quite the same. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to tell a very convincing lie. “I wanted to let you know that Vera and I are dating.”

His father smiled. “Very good. It’s about time you find a wife, you will be inheriting the throne soon. And I’m glad she agreed, her kingdom is very rich and powerful.”
Terrence nodded, not quite paying attention. He just wanted to get out of this room. “Well, I’m going to get some rest. Good night father.”

“Good night.”

As he lay in bed that night, waiting for sleep to come to him, he still couldn’t stop thinking about Vera. Something definitely felt off lately. I hope she is alright. It’s just so unlike her to be rude to others; in front of me at least. The way she looked at the doctor was scary.

Terrence heard the sound of bells, gently ringing above him. He looked up to see the strangest sight. A girl with platinum hair was hovering on a cloud, looking down at him. She gasped and promptly disappeared.

“What the…?” He shook his head in disbelief. “I must be running a fever or something. I swear, I’ve been losing it lately.”

He grabbed a cloth bag beside the bed. It was mainly for clothes and a hairbrush, but he also kept a diary inside of it. Carefully, he unlocked the lock keeping the book closed and grabbed a pencil. Terrence often wrote in his journal, and tried to record everything he could. Sometimes he would spend hours just writing away, letting his thoughts spill into the pages. No matter how much he wrote, there was always something more he could mention. Today had a much more interesting entry than most before it.

September 3, year 359X

I saw the strangest thing today. A girl hovering on a cloud above me, looking down on me. I wonder what she wanted. Could she have been spying on me? Or maybe I’m just losing it. With all the stress lately, I guess that’s a more likely explanation. Still, I can’t shake the idea that maybe there is something more to this. I wonder if I’ll see her again; maybe I could ask her about it.

Vera asked me something really weird today. She wants me to pretend to be her boyfriend so that her parents won’t pester her anymore. I can’t say I entirely hate the plan… I just wish it was more than pretend. At least Dad didn’t get mad today. I told him about the arrangement, and he was pleased. It’s always a huge relief when he doesn’t start throwing things. Hopefully he stays calm for a while.

Terrence closed the diary and locked it with a satisfied smile. A few days had passed since his previous entry, and his hands had been itching to write for a while. “Goodnight,” he whispered to himself.

Vera was in the garden, already back to practicing. She barely had enough time to heal her arms, but it was fine. The crescent moon was tonight, and she was excited to meet Crescent again. Even if Vera didn’t want to admit it, she found the goddess’ presence very comforting and peaceful.

Thorn vines were tightly wrapped around her arms. She wasn’t practicing with as many thorns as last time; she didn’t want another visit to the doctor. Still, her eyes stung with tears from the pain. She had gotten very good at hiding just how sharp and painful this was to her. It doesn’t matter. If I want to use thorns offensively, it’s only fair that they should get their revenge in such a direct manner. Everything should be equal, just like Crescent told me.

Out of breath from a long practice, she decided to sit down and watch the sky change color. Vera always loved the sky; its colors were mesmerizing. As the stars began to come out, she started to wonder how long it would take Crescent to come. It usually never took long, but Vera didn’t know what Crescent did when she was in the clouds.

“Hello,” Crescent’s familiar voice spoke. She was standing behind Vera.

A little flustered, Vera turned around to greet her. “Hi! I’m glad you came. Would you like to see the progress that I’ve made so far?”

“Absolutely!”

She smiled as thorns wrapped themselves around her arms. The feeling was so familiar, yet each time she had to resist the urge to cry out in pain. Thousands of thorns appeared in the air, and Vera directed them to the left, careful not to hit Crescent. They landed on the ground once they lost momentum.

Crescent’s eyes grew wide. “Very impressive! Though, if you don’t mind me asking, what do you plan on using this for?”

“Well, it’s really useful for dealing with people like Tora… and it looks cool.”

She laughed. “It definitely is impressive. Besides thorns, is there anything specific that you want to learn now?”

“I was hoping for something I can use to heal myself. My arms always hurt after using the thorns.”

“Well, that’s easy! You can just grow herbs. I mean, you’ll need to do research to know exactly which ones to grow, but that shouldn’t be a problem,” she said with a smile.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. Also…” Crescent trailed off for a moment. “That dress looks really pretty on you.” Blushing, she disappeared into the sky quickly. She dropped her crown on purpose with a small note attached, reading: “I trust you enough to hold this. Just please don’t say it’s yours. I’ll explain why another day.”

Vera’s face was red with fluster. Why did she say that? And more importantly, why’d she drop the crown? Does she like me or something? She shook her head. Thoughts like that were just silly. Vera wouldn’t allow any distractions to stop her from advancing her magic.

Back in her room, the queen rang her bell and requested books about herbs from her maid. The maid returned from the library with a large stack of thick books with yellowed pages and worn out ink.

Vera eagerly flipped through the first book in the pile. She never was the type to read, as she despised being indoors, but she wouldn’t let that stop her. Silently praising her royal advisors for teaching her to read, she read for hours and hours to no end. Maybe reading isn’t so bad. I think I’ve underestimated it.

Although she knew it was getting late, Vera stayed up and read all night. The need to rest stung her eyes, constantly begging her to close them. Once it finally became too exhausting to stay awake, she put the books aside and quickly fell asleep.

“So, who is that girl you were talking to last night?” Rita asked, glaring at her daughter. “A little bird told me that you’ve been seeing her a lot lately.”

Vera rolled her eyes. Her mother always was so obsessed with weaving her way into everyone else’s business. “You’ve had people spying on me again? I thought we already discussed this, mother. I refuse to feel like everything I do is watched by you; it’s creepy.” She scoffed. “And that girl is a spirit I summoned, I was testing what I could do with the crown. She’s helped to teach me how to use it properly.”

“Then why did she have a crown of her own? Only gods and goddesses have crowns.”

“I’m not sure. I’ll have to ask her about that. She definitely isn’t a goddess though, she has a name. The man who told me the story of the crown explained that goddesses can’t give themselves a name.”

Rita nodded carefully. “Could someone else have given her a name, maybe?”

“I doubt it. Now, will you please leave, and stop having people watch me? I hate it so much. I shouldn’t even have to ask you; it should be common sense.”

“Sure. And don’t be so rude to your mother, will you? Don’t forget who gave you that crown.” She left and slammed the door on her way out.

Vera sighed. She was so sick and tired of her mother acting like she could tell her what to do. I’m the queen here, not the other way around. I deserve to say what I want, whether she likes it or not. After applying new bandages to her damaged arms, she headed outside, carrying the books.

One of her maids saw her and offered to help. “Please, miss, let me carry them.” She grabbed the books and brought them outside with Vera.

“Thank you. I wish everyone were as polite as you,” Vera said with a quiet sigh.

“It’s no problem, miss.” She quickly scurried away.

Vera sat down and read, wishing that Crescent or Terrence were there as well. It could get miserably lonely when no one was visiting. Her thoughts wandered and made it difficult to focus on the words she was reading.

Deciding that she should start practicing instead of reading, she put the books aside and tried to remember what she had learned. She knew that poppy seeds could induce drowsiness, and that aloe vera could be applied to wounds. The aloe seemed like it would prove more useful to Vera, so she focused on growing that. A few moments later, a lush aloe vera plant sprouted from the ground. Vera smiled widely, excited to be able to heal herself. Even if this was only a start, she would eventually be able to spend much less time with the grumpy doctor.

Crescent certainly wasn’t expecting a visit from another goddess. It had been centuries since any divine being had interacted with her, since they all tended to mind their own business. Even when she had tried to reach out to them, back when the loneliness and sadness would creep in, they had ignored her. They always ignored her, whether she was crying, screaming, kicking, or silent. She had thought that they couldn’t see her.

Yet here was this goddess, standing in front of her, with an indignant look on her face. Crescent glared right back into her dark eyes.

“Listen. Listen to me, please. Mother Earth asked me to tell you this.” She paused before continuing. “She told me that you have been visiting a mortal girl a lot lately. I know there is not any official rule set for being a deity, but it is common knowledge that we do not interact with humans. You need to stop visiting this girl.”

Crescent’s glare intensified. “And why should I listen to her? What has she done for me besides give me loneliness and misery in the clouds? And now that I have finally found a way to be happy, if she wants to stop me, she will have to kill me.”

The star goddess seemed very displeased, but tried her hardest to force on a smile. “This is more important than you. You are replaceable and unimportant. You can’t throw off the balance just because it is ‘fun’ for you. This girl has one of the Earth crowns. Don’t you remember how it was obtained? A witch harassed and chased Mother Earth. She tried to kill her. And this girl is supporting the crime instead of returning the crown. Why won’t you listen?”

“I don’t care,” Crescent muttered. “I love her.” She turned her back on the goddess and walked away, leaving her with a shocked expression.

Fuming with annoyance, the star goddess retreated to her domain in the night sky. “How could that girl be so idiotic and foolish? The Earth Mother is going to be so upset when she hears about this,” she muttered to herself. “The last time that divinity interacted with humans, they tried to destroy us. Humans are simply too hostile. I still don’t understand why the Earth Mother won’t listen to me and just wipe them all out…”

For the rest of the night, Crescent laid on a cloud, observing Vera’s kingdom from the sky. Vera was in the garden reading. “I wish the crescent moon would come faster,” she pouted.

Crescent traced her fingers through the air, clouds forming everywhere she touched. She wrote I love you. Even though she knew Vera would never see it or notice, it made her feel better to finally express it. From the very moment that she met Vera, she felt an instant connection. Whether it was just her loneliness or something more, she didn’t know, but she never wanted to leave Vera’s side.

I wonder if I could find the moon goddess and ask her to change the phase quicker. It feels like years to wait! I doubt she would, though.

Terrence was visiting again. He had “errands” to attend to in the area, which were actually a made up excuse to spend time with Vera. She didn’t know that he was visiting yet, so he wanted to surprise her. He barely paid any attention to the people he passed in the hall on the way to a guest room. Should I give her flowers? Or would that be too much? Would it be wrong of me to treat her like my girlfriend when we’re alone? We are only pretending to be together, after all. Terrence decided to greet her with no props instead. It’s always been like this, just as friends. A gift would be too much. Or maybe I’m overthinking it? Ugh- I wish girls weren’t so complicated. He shook his head in distress. Maybe it was him who was complicated. Being more concerned with his thoughts more than anything, he didn’t notice Vera until he accidentally bumped into her.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” she exclaimed, flustered. “Oh. It’s you. Well, hey, Foofwa.”

He gave her a glare, smirking to let her know he wasn’t too mad. “Why do you insist on calling me that?”

“‘Cause I know it bothers you.” She giggled.

Terrence knew she meant everything entirely innocently, but he couldn’t help but think she was really cute like this. “Anyway, surprise. I’m visiting again.” He stuck the tip of his tongue out, making a silly face. “I mean, it kind of ruins the surprise that I bumped into you. I planned on jumpscaring you later.”

She gently smacked his arm, smiling. “I HATE when you jumpscare me!! It’s not cool.”

He smiled back. “Well, where were you going that you were in such a rush anyway? You bumped into me.”

“Actually, you bumped into me. But, I was heading to my room. I just got done practicing some magic, and I’m tired. Wanna hang out? I’ve missed you!”

“If you insist, I guess I can,” he replied mischievously. It was hard to hide his excitement, but he didn’t want her to think he was obsessed with her. Vera was just a really fun person to be around, if you could get past her thorns. Both metaphorically and literally.

As they walked the rest of the way to Vera’s room, Terrence thought to himself that they really did seem like a couple. They hung out in each other’s rooms like it was nothing, and they were almost inseparable when they were in the same kingdom. He missed when they were younger and could spend weeks together, without a single care in the world besides each other. Even back then, though, Vera had always said she would never want to kiss a boy. She thought it was silly and yucky. Terrence, back then, didn’t think twice about it. Recently, though, it had been on his mind a lot. There wasn’t anything wrong with her not liking boys; he respected it. He just wished, somewhere deep down, that he could someday be her boyfriend. But, he would never want to lose her friendship over a crush, so he had always kept quiet. Their friendship was sacred to him, since she was the only person who was really nice to him.

“You’ve been quiet. You okay?” Vera asked suddenly.

“Yeah. Just tired too, I guess. I miss hanging out with you. Back before you had a kingdom to run, it was easier to find the time. I understand the responsibility is a lot, though.”

Vera thought for a moment before answering. “I know what you mean. I miss it too. Well, we can hang out all night if you want. I don’t have anything to do tomorrow. Maybe we could grab some snacks and chill?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

Vera fell asleep around 01 in the morning, which was typical of her. Terrence was always able to stay up later, but Vera never could. Quietly, as not to wake Vera, Terrence grabbed his diary and began writing.

September 7, year 359X

Today I visited Vera. Her hair looked so pretty today! I wish I could see her everyday, but distance is obviously a problem. Not to mention my crumbling kingdom. I probably won’t even get to inherit it. Still, I can’t let Vera see that. She would worry and probably try to help. I don’t want to waste her time on me. She has more important things to be worried about.

Vera has been acting a bit strangely lately, though. More scary. Maybe power does that to people. Maybe it sneaks into their minds and changes them. I don’t want power if that’s what it does.

It had felt like a while since Vera had visited Crescent. It was the moon they had promised to meet under every month, and Crescent was a little later than usual. But she came.

“Hey. How’s it been?” Crescent asked. She seemed reluctant and distant.

“Eh, nothing too new. But are you alright? You’re acting a bit differently.”

The goddess ran her fingers through her platinum hair, a sheepish smile hinting at her face. “Well, it’s just… a star goddess visited me and asked me to stop visiting you. I don’t want to stop, but I also don’t feel like getting on Mother Earth’s bad side.”

“Huh? Why?! That’s not fair. You’re not hurting anyone; you’re not doing anything wrong. I don’t understand how it’s a problem.” Vera shook her head, frustrated.

“Me neither.” she paused. “I hope you know I still plan on visiting you. I’m not giving up.”

“Good. Now, wanna see what I’ve learned?”

After Crescent gave her advice and then left, Vera walked back to her bedroom. Terrence had been hanging out with her since yesterday, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy it. She loved Terrence as a close friend, and saw him as someone she would trust with her life without hesitation. The idea of him as anything more than a friend, though, wasn’t something she liked to think about. The two of them had been posing as lovers for the sake of their parents, but it wasn’t meant to be serious.

Suddenly, something hit Vera’s arm, making her quickly forget the thoughts she was so lost in just a second ago. “HEY!” She looked at what had hit her. It was a stuffed animal, one of the few that Vera had kept in her room. “What was that for?!”

Terrence had a mischievous grin on his face. “‘Cause I was bored.”

Vera quickly returned the expression. “Alright. Well, two can easily play at that game.”

The two of them pelted stuffed animals and other small trinkets at each other, laughing. Vera had missed times like these. It was very rare that she had the chance to be childish and free. Her responsibilities of the palace had left her with the expectation of maturity.

“That was fun,” Terrence said. He had flopped down on the floor dramatically.

Vera glanced at him and giggled. “You’re so dramatic. But yeah, that was fun. We used to be able to do stuff like this more when we were younger.”

Terrence suddenly burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?” Vera asked.

“Nothing, it’s just… your hair is a TOTAL wreck right now.” He made a silly face.

Face turning red with embarrassment, Vera put her hands through her hair. “Is it that bad?”

“Nah. You look great, it was just kinda funny.”

“Thanks.”

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, just catching their breath and smiling. Terrence feared that Vera would get bored. What do I say? Should I say something? Is it better to keep the silence? Should I-

“You seem really focused on something. You alright?”

Terrence nodded, forcing a quick smile. “Yeah! Sorry.”

Vera stared at him for a moment. “You know you can talk to me about anything you need off of your chest, right?”

“Of course! And the same goes for you any time. It’s nothing to worry about.”

Crescent was getting really tired of unexpected visits from divine beings. Before her stood a goddess with two crowns, her hair woven with tree branches, her eyes an emerald green. Just like Vera’s eyes, Crescent thought with a tiny smile.

“I thought I made it obvious enough. But you’re still visiting that mortal girl. I’d hate to have to punish you, but it seems like you aren’t listening to reason,” the Earth Mother said with a condemning tone.

“I thought I made it clear that I am not going to stop,” Crescent retorted.

Mother Earth gave her a glare that could kill. “It isn’t about what you want. Your childish desires could end up destroying the entire world as a whole. By interacting with humans, you are proving our existence and cooperation. The last time we interacted with those vile creatures, I lost one of my crowns.”

Crescent returned the glare, determined. She wasn’t going to give up the only thing that had ever brought her joy in life. “Then why haven’t you killed them all? If you are so mighty and great, and they are so pathetic and evil, why haven’t you destroyed them?”

“Balance, as much as it can be a nuisance, is the only thing keeping our world together. If we were to destroy them, there would be no race strong enough to rival us. Should we fight them, it would surely end in destruction. But should they cease to exist, there is no telling what would happen to the world. We can’t just erase creatures in masses.”

Crescent folded her arms in defiance, thinking about mass extinctions in history. She decided not to bring it up. “Me seeing this girl isn’t harming anyone. I’m not throwing off some balance by talking to someone. You’re being ridiculous.”
She took a deep sigh, her hair shifting like leaves in the wind. “By talking to her, you are proving that mortals can talk to gods. Which leads to arguments, and then fights.” She paused. “And don’t act like you have only talked to her. You also have given her your crown. She could kill you at any time!”

“I think she hardly counts as a normal mortal. One of your crowns belong to her, and the powers it gave her are very far from normal mortals. I believe that she’s more trustworthy than any of you, so I trust her with my crown. I drop it all the time anyway.”

“It doesn’t matter what norms she follows. She isn’t a goddess, and that’s that. If you keep seeing her, you aren’t going to like the consequences.”

Before Crescent could respond, Mother Earth disappeared in a cloud of smoke. She tried to hold back the stinging tears, but it was futile. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes full of hurt. She couldn’t believe how ridiculous this was. Crescent only wanted to be happy. Vera made her so, so happy. No one ever listened to her like Vera did. She never had anyone to talk to. So why was the Earth Mother trying to break this apart? Why was this being torn away from Crescent?

No, she thought to herself. I won’t let anyone keep me from the only friend I have ever had in the world. I’ll keep visiting her. Nothing can stop me.

It rained that night, harder than normal. Vera felt the shift, and instantly thought of Crescent.

Terrence was next to her, and noticed it too. “Are you alright?”
A tear fell down her cheek. “Yeah. The rain just reminds me of someone. I’m not even sad… why am I crying?”

Terrence wrapped his arms around her. “Would it make you feel better if I let you call me that nickname for the rest of the day?”

Vera laughed through tears. “Yeah, Foofwa.”

Tora Brand was a hyper boy who lived in a lavish kingdom with all the riches he could ever desire. He had the world at his fingertips. At least, until she became the most powerful ruler in the land. Everything had been going so perfectly for him. He was about to become king, but then Vera Taniku had took throne in her kingdom. Rosae Terra had always been a popular kingdom due to its rich and intricate story, but never had it been this well-known. With Vera being able to use an ancient relic, she had become mythic. Her palace was rumored to be covered in miles of tightly woven thorns, sharper than the blade of the sharpest sword in any kingdom. Tora knew the rumors were true. He often visited the palace, and it took his breath away. There were so many thorns, but so many roses as well. If you could get past the sharp exterior, it was quite breathtaking.

He was visiting the kingdom today, and like every other time, he had wished Vera wasn’t so resentful of him. It’s probably my own fault, he thought to himself with a sigh. Tora always had acted a little rudely to Vera, and she had returned the gesture. He always liked her, not romantically, but platonically. Secretly, he wished she was his friend.

Visiting Vera’s palace always made Tora a little insecure of his own. It was so well established here, and every single townsperson would give up their life if Vera gave word. They saw her as divine. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t see her the same way. Tora hadn’t seen Vera in a while and though to pay her a visit. No, he thought. She’d think I only want to bother her. Especially after last time.

The only side of Vera that he didn’t like was how cold she could be. She either loved with every fiber of her being, or she hated with all of her soul. Sadly, Tora was one of the unlucky few who had gotten onto her bad side. A few years ago, he had asked her to marry him. He knew his mother would be quite pleased if he did; she always wanted him to find some wealthy princess. Vera had obviously rejected him. Ever since then, she never looked at him the same way. There was always a little flame of hatred burning behind her eyes that he could sense. Still, he had continued teasing her.

Walking down the corridor to one of the open guest rooms, he silently noted all the lavish decorations on the wall. They must be new. There was a time where his palace was just a little richer than hers, just a little better. Now, however, the spotlight was on Vera’s every move.

Just as he was about to open the door to a guest room, he saw her. Vera’s long brown hair was illuminated by the sunlight coming in through a stained glass window, making her look like an angel. She spotted him, and he immediately saw her gaze change into a glare.

“What are you doing here?” she muttered.

“I… was just visiting.” he paused for a moment, a faked smirk spreading over his face. “What is a gorgeous girl like you doing, walking around this boring palace? Shouldn’t you be with your boyfriend?”

It happened so fast that Tora didn’t even realize it until he felt the sting on his cheek. Vera had used the crown to throw thorns at him.

“OW!” Tora exclaimed, touching his hand to his cheek. “I get you don’t like me, but isn’t that a bit much?”

“You’ve harassed me long enough, Tora. I swear… as soon as I get the free time, you’ll definitely want to hire more guards for your kingdom.” She began to walk off.

“Is that a threat?” Tora asked.

He got no answer, and Vera kept walking. A drop of blood fell to the ground from his cheek. “Damned thorns,” he muttered.

Wind was twirling outside, and the kingdom’s weather person predicted a huge storm. A hurricane, he called it. Vera was in her room, looking out from the window, heavy rain obscuring the garden outside. Crescent had expressed her concerns at last night’s meeting, and Vera knew this had to be related. The Earth Mother was angry, and she could only pray that the damage wasn’t fatal.

A scrawny maid with messy brown hair knocked urgently on Vera’s door before entering the room. “Miss, I am terribly sorry to bother you, but it isn’t safe to stay on the upper levels of the palace. Please, let me escort you to one of the bunkers in the basement. We can’t risk you being hurt if the roof should cave in.”

Vera thought for a moment before nodding. “Alright. I do think that it should be safe up here, but I’ll trust the judgement of the weather person. But I doubt he is very accurate, this storm is of a different origin than what he thinks…”

“Do you know something about the storm?” the maid asked, her tone cautious as she began walking.

Vera hesitated. “I just sense it’s… how do I put this… the Earth is upset, I believe. There is no predicting her movements.” She followed the maid down the stairs, looking out the large windows. The storm had begun to kick up, the rain heavier and thunder louder.

“I see. I trust you, of course. Let’s hope she has mercy upon us. I can’t understand why she would be so upset, however…”

When they reached the basement, Vera let out a sigh. “It feels ridiculous, hiding away, while I know that not all of my people can be safe.”

“As the queen, I’m sure you feel that way, but try to relax your mind. It will only hinder you. Your life is far more important than that of the common people here. We wouldn’t know what to do without you.”

She nodded solemnly. They walked in silence for the rest of the way until they reached a large, luxurious door with golden symbols carved into it.

“Bindrunes, for protection,” the maid noted as she saw Vera’s confusion.

She nodded. “I’m assuming this place is old. Nobody that I am aware of uses runes anymore. This place probably has all kinds of sigils and spells in it.”

“Yes, it probably does,” the maid agreed. “Anyway, this is the room.” She handed Vera a key. “Stay safe.” She began walking back upstairs to attend to her duties.

Vera felt the key in her hand and scrutinized it. It wasn’t tarnished at all, so she assumed it was pure gold. If it was pure gold, there was a chance it could have changed shape and might not work. Something about the key made her hands tingle though, and she felt safe. As she unlocked the door, she silently thanked the Universe for the luck. She decided she would have to read up on some basic witchcraft once the storm was over. The room smelled like spice, and there were large crystals placed on shelves. Vera closed the door behind her and explored a bit. There were cabinets filled with dried herbs, enough canned foods to feed an army, and many large jugs of drinking water. Another cabinet contained basic first aid materials. This room felt important, safe, and protected. Upon further inspection, Vera noticed many small sigils engraved in almost everything- the bed, the cabinets, even the walls. Runescripts and bind runes covered every surface the sigils didn’t cover.

“Gosh,” Vera muttered to herself. “Who built these?”

Vera could tell the storm was over. There was no obvious indication of such, but she could just sense it. She heard the maid knock on her door.

“Miss Vera?” she asked.

“Yes, come in.”

The maid opened the door reluctantly, her face grim. “The storm is over, but I’m afraid there is some bad news.”

Heart pounding in her chest, Vera prepared herself for the worst. “Well, what is it?”

The girl looked down at her feet, avoiding eye contact. “Some of the palace was…” she paused. “...damaged, to say the least. And the death count is twenty-nine”

Tears stung at Vera’s eyes. “Twenty-nine, you say? How did this happen?”

“Some people tried to leave the palace to search a better place to stay. They said they would return once the storm was over, but their bodies were discovered just a few hours ago, not far from the palace. One poor boy stayed here in a guest room and a window had broken; he has a deep scar on his cheek.”

As she processed the damage, Vera realized something was wrong. “Wait. A boy, you say? Who was it? What’s his name?” Her heart began to beat faster as she feared who it might be.

“His name was Terrence, I believe. He insisted on staying in the guest room instead of a bunker, he wanted to leave room for other people.”

Vera’s heart stopped. Her dearest friend was hurt from this storm. “How bad is the damage?”

The maid cringed. “Well, the doctor says the wound isn’t infected, but it isn’t pretty.”

“Let me see him.”

“Are you sure, ma’am? It really isn’t a pretty sight.”

Vera snapped. “Yes, I’m sure! Don’t you think I want to console my friend?!”

The maid was stunned. “Yes… sorry… sorry, miss. I’ll lead you there right away.”

As soon as Vera saw Terrence, she knew it was bad. He had a bandage covering the whole right side of his face, and his smile had faded away.

“Oh, hey, Vera!” He said in a voice that was slightly too cheery to be real.

“Hey… I heard what happened. Is it bad?” She reached out to lift the bandage, but he stopped her.

“Yeah. I’d rather keep it covered for now. The doctor says it will leave a bad scar, but I’ll be fine as long as it doesn’t get infected.”

Vera defiantly tried to lift it again. “I could try to heal it.”

Terrence resisted, but Vera got the best of him. She always was much stronger than him.

“It isn’t that bad. I was expecting much worse,” she said when she saw the small gash.

Terrence avoided her eyes. “Yeah, but it looks ugly.”

“Nah, I think it makes you look tough.” Vera said with a smile. “Still, it’s hurting you, and that sucks. I think I can help with that.” She summoned a few vines, and they wrapped themselves around Terrence’s wound. After a moment, they curled up and disappeared, revealing a small scar where the cut was.

Terrence looked in a nearby mirror and his eyes widened. “Vera, how’d you do that?”

“Magic,” she said as she stuck her tongue out to make a silly face.

Crescent and Vera had met again soon after the hurricane. Both of them had a gloomy demeanor due to the solemn situation, not sure how to act.

Now Vera was sitting in her room. She’d spent most of the day laying around, wondering what to do. No ideas came. Something else had been floating around her mind as well. A promise she made to Tora before the storm. She implied that she would do some serious damage to his kingdom, and she had no intention of backing out of her challenge. A sudden smile grew on her face, like the sun creeping into the sky at dawn. Maybe the kingdom was damaged, but her soldiers weren’t. Declaring war at a time of such devastation would prove just how strong her kingdom was. No matter how badly her kingdom was damaged, she would always be able to spare soldiers; always able to bend her people to her will. She never took the time to consider that recovery was important, and that there was no need for her to be so quick to act.

Vera rang the silver bell beside her, and a maid came to her room. It was the same maid who had led her to the bunker during the hurricane. Her messy hair was pulled back into a loose bun. “How can I help you, miss?”

She smiled. “Although you are my favorite maid, I was hoping for a messenger. I have information that must be kept private for now to deliver to our military.”

“Of course. I’ll fetch one right away.” She paused, a grim expression spreading across her face. “We aren’t facing any dangers, are we?”

“No. We are the danger,” Vera said with a mischievous flame in her eyes.

The maid nodded. “I see.” She left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Vera began writing a letter, explaining the situation. She wrote three of them; one for her parents, one for her military leader, and one for Tora. The letter for her parents was to inform them of the situation, and the letter for the military leader was a list of instructions. The letter for Tora was a little different. It listed the reasons why she was upset with him, and that she would only call back her soldiers if he apologized. Vera knew how important Tora’s pride was to him, and knew that he would go to extreme measures to protect it. She was a little curious, and wanted to see if he would let his own kingdom fall before he would admit to doing something wrong. Vera was a little sadistic in this way; she had fun seeing how far she could push a person before she got a reaction.

As Vera wrapped a ribbon around the third letter, the messenger knocked and entered the room. “Perfect timing.”

“How can I help you, miss?” he asked.

Vera could hear the annoyance in his voice, which bothered her. “I was hoping you could deliver these letters. I wrote who they are addressed to on the ribbon. I doubt you’ll need room numbers.”

The messenger sighed, which irritated Vera even more. “Sure. I’ll be on my way now.”

Vines with razor sharp thorns wrapped around the man’s waist seemingly out of nowhere, pulling him closer to Vera. His eyes widened. “What the hell?!”

Vera’s eyes were full of spite. “Next time you are in the presence of someone of higher status than you, be respectful.”

The vines tightened around the messenger, causing the thorns to dig deeper into his skin. Finally, they loosened and then disappeared. The man grumbled at his shirt, which had small tears in it. He only had minor cuts, but was furious. He grabbed the letters and stormed out of the room.

Still not quite satisfied, Vera paced back and forth in her room. “Why are people so rude?”

That night, Vera met Crescent outside in the garden like she had been for months now.

“Hello! I’ve missed you!” Crescent exclaimed.

“I’ve missed you too, it’s been a while,” Vera admitted.

“You seem a bit down, are you alright?”

Vera was a little surprised that Crescent could pick up on that. She was still upset from earlier, but trying to hide it. No one ever saw through Vera’s cold eyes into what she really felt. “I’m alright, don’t worry about me. I just had to deal with a rather irritating person earlier.”

Crescent nodded, her eyes avoiding Vera’s. “I’ve heard that you declared war on a kingdom. I was wondering… why?”

“How’d you hear that?” Vera asked, her eyes narrowed into a suspicious glare.

The young goddess blushed, looking at her feet. “I sometimes watch from the clouds above to see what’s going on in the kingdom. I may have eavesdropped on a messenger.”

Vera gave Crescent an intense glare. “You’re just like my mother. Constantly sticking your nose in other people’s business. I don’t remember why I even liked you in the first place.”

Crescent’s eyes glazed over with tears. “Sorry, I really didn’t have anything else to do… I didn’t mean any harm by it.”

Ignoring Crescent’s apologies, Vera looked in the opposite direction. “Forget it. Are you going to help me, or what?”

“Of course,” Crescent wiped her eyes with her hand, then tried to smile. “What would you like to focus on today?”

Later that night, when Vera laid on her bed, guilt flooded over her. She wasn’t even upset with Crescent, and had no idea why she had gotten so upset. Nothing feels the same lately. Am I even myself at this point? I’ve grown so cruel. The worst part is that I barely even feel bad for any of it.

“Where are our soldiers??! Why are we allowing for this to happen?!” Tora had a headache, and was beyond the point of annoyance. The messenger looked a bit frightened.

“They’re all fighting, sir. Every soldier you have hired is doing their best.”

Tora sighed. “Well they aren’t doing enough! Vera is being childish, wasting resources over a tiny grudge. I seriously can’t believe she would take something like this so far.”

With caution, the messenger tried to address the matter without upsetting Tora. “With all due respect, I believe she said that she would call off her soldiers as soon as you apologized. I am no royal adviser, but considering the condition of our kingdom at the moment, I think it may be wise to accept her terms,” she muttered.

He glared at her, his eyes aflame. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I shouldn’t have to apologize. Vera’s the one being unreasonable.”

She nodded, anger flaring inside of her that she didn’t want to show. “Yes, my apologies. I just fear that by keeping your pride, you will be sacrificing your whole kingdom and status. It is your decision, but aren’t your people more important than your hubris?”

“Hubris? I am not too proud.” He gestured with his hand to the door. “Now, please leave.”

A short while after the messenger left, Tora began to question himself. Was he being too proud? He didn’t think so, but his messengers had always given him wise advice. After all, what good would his pride be when his kingdom was in shambles? Reluctantly, he got out a paper and pen. He began writing an apology letter to Vera, trying to sound as sincere as he could.

The letter laid on his desk for a while as he debated his decision. Tora feared being seen as weak. His door was opened, and the messenger came in once more.

“I know that it is not my job to check up on you, but I was kind of hoping you had changed your mind. I just received news of the battle, and we’re shamefully outnumbered. If our soldiers don’t retreat, chances are that we won’t have any soldiers left.

Tora stared at her, scrutinizing her expression for lies. He knew she was telling the truth, but was still suspicious. “Fine,” he muttered.

She noticed the letter on his desk and smiled. “I see you’ve been thinking. Thank you. I’ll take that.” With a swift movement, she grabbed the letter and skimmed through it. “You misspelled a few words, but it should be fine. Well done.”

“Thanks.”

Fortunately, Vera had kept her promise. Her soldiers were called off within a few days, the only delay due to messenger travels. Tora was glad that his kingdom was still standing, but his pride was greatly hurt. He was going to be seen as a coward by other kingdoms, and he knew that his reputation would forever be tarnished by this. Such a humiliation could even lead to him being the target of more disputes.

It would be an understatement to say that the Earth Mother was upset. Vera hadn’t stopped meeting with Crescent, and she knew there would be consequences, but she didn’t expect this. The ground roared and shifted below Vera’s feet, her eyes wide with fear. “What’s going on?!” she shouted.

A maid quickly rushed out to assist her. “It’s an earthquake. A powerful one, at that. You need to hide before it gets much worse.” Before Vera could respond, the maid grabbed her wrist and ran with her to the first floor of the building. “Crouch under a table and cover your head.”

Vera obeyed, too afraid to say much. The maid seemed so calm and focused. “Where are you from? You seem quite experienced with earthquakes, yet they are so rare here.”

“I come from a different country. My family moved here in hopes of better conditions. Earthquakes occurred almost every month, and the weather was unpredictable.”

She nodded. The sound of glass breaking, porcelain shattering, and other indications of destruction rang out from nearby rooms. Conversation helped to calm her down, so she decided to keep talking. “It sounds like an awful place to live. Surely there was some sentiment to the place, though. Do you ever miss it or wish to go back?”

“Sometimes,” she admitted. “I like it very much here, but we had to leave all of my friends behind. There isn’t much news about what has happened to them, and sometimes I wonder about it.”

“If you’d like, I could arrange for a trip for you to visit them. Once the earthquake is over, of course.”

The maid’s eyes lit up with hope. “I’d like that.”

Loud crashing and shattering sounds came closer and closer as the building began to give in. The ceiling above them fell, filling the air with dust. Vera could only see a glimpse of red before her eyes went dark.

She thought she was dead because everything was so quiet. Her ears were ringing, and she didn’t feel the need to breathe. Suddenly, though, she was pulled back into consciousness.

Vera let out a gasp, her lungs empty and hungry for air. Rubble was all around her, making everything dark and crowded. She frantically kicked, displacing the debris and letting some light in. She stuck her head through the opening and looked up, realizing she was trapped five feet deep. “Help!” she cried out weakly. But nobody heard. The maid was eerily silent, and Vera couldn’t see her anywhere. She must be trapped under debris.

At least, that’s what she thought for the first few minutes. But soon enough, a glowing figure appeared above her, hovering on a cloud. “Crescent?”

Crescent smiled, her eyes filled with pity. “You look like you could use some help.” She reached her hand into the hole, pulling Vera up. “It isn’t over yet, but at least I can try to keep you out of trouble.”

“Thank you,” Vera whispered. She kissed Crescent on the cheek without thinking.

Crescent beamed, blushing. Even in the midst of the chaos, she was able to see the good in the situation.

The two of them walked forward in an attempt to find steady ground. Around them, walls crumbled and people yelled in confusion. Vera walked by a mildly damaged mirror and noticed blood running down her cheek from a wound on her head, but decided to ignore it. Suddenly, everything went blank again.

Dirt was in her eyes, and the taste of blood was in her mouth. Vera coughed, unable to breathe. She tried to recall what happened. Everything had seemed normal, when suddenly something collapsed. Probably more of the roof, Vera thought bitterly. Air and sunlight weren’t as far away as the last time, Vera found to her surprise. There was only a thin layer of debris blocking her from the surface, so she easily stood up.

“Vera? Oh gosh…” Crescent walked towards Vera, sympathy spilling from her eyes in tears. “Are you alright?”

“I don’t think anything is wrong. Is something wrong? Is it bad? Just tell me now; be honest, I don’t mind.” Vera began to panic. She couldn’t feel any pain in her body, but she was still in shock.

“No, no. It’s just…” she trailed off, looking into Vera’s emerald eyes. “I can sense something is definitely wrong. Nothing external, just a… a feeling, if you will. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

A sigh of relief escaped Vera’s lips. “Good. Now, we should get out of here. It feels like the initial tremor is over, but you never know what can happen anymore.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

They ran out of the palace through a missing piece of the wall. If anyone else had survived and made it outside, they didn’t see them.

“That was insane.”

“Certainly,” Crescent agreed. “You’re really lucky to be alive. Very few survive earthquakes like that.”

“Yeah. My stomach kinda hurts, is there any way we can sit down somewhere?” Vera asked, suddenly aware of a dull pain.

Crescent nodded, sitting down on the bench with the least damage. “Of course. You sure you’re alright?”
“Mhm!” Vera muttered, though with each passing second, she began to doubt it more and more.

“I’M SO HAPPY YOU’RE ALIVE OH MY GOODNESS I THOUGHT YOU DIED!!!” Terrence yelled. He had come to visit an hour after the earthquake because it had affected his kingdom as well. “Your kingdom isn’t in the best shape, but it can be fixed. Also, whose this?” He pointed to the goddess with platinum hair who was hovering on a cloud.

“Woah, calm down. That’s Crescent, a friend of mine, and I’m fine,” Vera replied. She was lying in the doctor’s patient bed, though no one else was there.

“How come you’re laying in vines and flowers? Not that I mind, I’m just curious.” Terrence asked, ignoring the answers to his previous outburst.

“Ah, I’m just in a little pain. More shock than anything. It will subside.” Vera paused, twirling a vine around her index finger. “You should go back to your kingdom. As glad as I am to see you, it isn’t much like a king to leave while his kingdom is suffering a tragedy.”

Terrence smiled. “You know that I’m not king yet.”

“Well, you would be a very good king! Start practicing for it, Foofwa.”

Once Terrence had left, Crescent lingered for a little while before deciding to return to the clouds. “I’m still worried about you, but Mother Earth might want to speak with me. It’s best that I prepare in case she does. I’ll return later tonight.”

“Alright. I wish you the best of luck!” Vera smiled, ignoring the searing pain spreading through her body. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure she would survive long enough to see Crescent ever again.

As minutes ticked by, Vera slowly felt the life creep out of her. She had once read about internal bleeding in a medical book and knew that it wasn’t worth trying to fix it. Any doctors that were still alive probably didn’t know how to treat it; very few did. The only thing left to do was wait. A bitter smile spread across Vera’s face as she began to talk to the comforting silence.

“It’s kind of ironic. I could save myself just by claiming that crown that Crescent gave me, yet she is the one person I care about enough to give my life up in exchange for hers.”

Everything around Vera was turning black, and she knew that her last moments were now.

“Vera?” asked a familiar voice.

It was Crescent, she had returned. Vera smiled, knowing that the last thing she ever saw would be Crescent.

“I know this may seem sudden, but I love you. Thank you for showing me that the world has more to offer than pain.”

“I… I feel the same way… I never knew you did too. But, you’re not going anywhere, are you?”

Vera’s eyes closed, a faint sense of bittersweet happiness still on her face. “Goodbye,” she whispered with her last breath. The vines wilted, leaving nothing but the hollow sting of death and tears running down Crescent’s pale face.

Mother Earth, although very fierce, is also very merciful. She saw Vera in her final moments and decided to take pity on her. A single rose, as red as blood, sprouted from the ground besides Vera’s body. The soul of the queen still lived, and would continue to live on through flowers for centuries. Crescent became the caretaker to the garden at a sacred shrine built in Vera’s honor, where she often spoke to her.

“I still miss you,” she whispered. “Even after these years, I can’t tear myself away from this garden.” Tears fell from her eyes like they had many times before.

“Look at me, getting emotional over this. Damn it, I miss you so much!” she laughed sorely, silently cursing the world for her sorrows. Suddenly, a hand was placed on her shoulder. She looked up into the pained eyes of Terrence.

“You aren’t the only one who misses her,” he said shyly.

Terrence eventually grew to be a doctor who specialized in internal bleeding, and he saved the lives of thousands. Crescent always admired his work, but strictly kept to the garden. Every crescent moon, she prayed silently to the night sky.

“I wish Vera were still here, not as a flower, but as the way she was before all of this.”

She never directly got her wish, but she still always had the flower to remind her of a deep love she could never forget.