"Hurry up, Nova," she looked into my eyes, the faint pain she tried to hide all too visible to me. "Your date with destiny awaits. Only you can stop this needless bloodshed. Don't worry about me, my love. I can heal this just fine."
I looked down, tears falling from my eyes and staining what was left of her once elegant dress, as if I could wash the blood from it. My love, my wonderful, beautiful, gorgeous girlfriend, was dying. Dying at the hands of worthless humans and their bullshit rebellion. Dying for a cause that only fools believed in. But alas, we humans are fools, aren't we? Driven by emotions, fueled by vices. But why did that make her have to die? Why was she to be the sacrifice to their hatred...
"Novalis, come on. We need to get out of here." Astro appeared next to me, about to pull me away before he saw her. "Oh Heavens. Novalis... We have to go. There's nothing you can do for her. Queen Celestina needs you now more than ever, and... There's nothing more to be done here."
I looked up at him, enraged at his dismissal of Lunara's plight. But then I looked back, and saw her eyes had gone glassy and dull. She... She was dead. And the world would burn. Fuck the destiny the oracle foretold. Unite this world, end this hate? How could I? All I felt... Was hatred. But I wasn't strong enough right now. So I did the only thing I could. I summoned all of my magic, fueled by my twisting emotions. I sent myself five years ago, back to before the world erupted, and sent my slumbering consciousness into my younger self. When the oracle told my prophecy, that would reawaken me.
Five Years Ago, before the Death of my Love:
{Today was my big day. I was going to Selene Castle! I mean, I've been there before, but now I was going to meet Lu- I mean, Princess Lunara. I had to straighten myself up though. I had to be professional. It wasn't like I was going on a date. I wasn't even going to think about her that way. She was a princess, and I... I was just another student now, a learner of the stars, magic, and all night-time heavenly bodies. But I would be close to her. Maybe... no, stop those thoughts. I'll botch things up if I think like that.}
Let me introduce myself: my name is Novalis. I'm just a slightly non-average man, with average looks and above-average intelligence. My friends and quite a few women say that I inherited the best of both my parents looks. My hair is a deep black, with a bold streak of white, the same as my mother's. I sighed as I looked in the mirror, noticing my wild mop was unkempt as usual. I picked up my comb, attempting to brush it into behaving. Growing frustrated with its characteristic stubbornness, I decided to gel my hands. With the hair product glistening, I brushed my irritating mane back smoothly, finally taming it.
I looked down to check my skin for dirt. I am a pale white, the same color as the clouds in the sky, but with a strange birthmark crescent on my cheek, which I got from my father. It was emblazoned on my cheek darkly, standing out starkly against my bright skin.
I have black painted nails, which show when I actually bring my long sleeves up so they don't drag on the ground, like they were now. They shimmered slightly in the light, accentuating my long fingers. I looked back into the mirror, glancing at my odd horn as I did so. My horn was a freak accident along with my eyes, and it was a strange gold-flecked silver.
My eyes are the only thing I am proud of, although they were often the cause of malicious teasing, when I was a child. They fluctuated between green, blue, pink, yellow, and teal, much like the Auroran Lights of the coldest reaches of Northern Anzaria. Those lights were the favorite thing that Princess Lunara had created close to home. I was told by my mother that my eyes started changing colors when I was a child, as when I was a child, unable to control my magic, I had casted a spell while admiring the Lights. And my young eyes had absorbed a spell, which the doctors didn't know if it would be permanent. Turns out it was. I am very good at magic, both in the best and worst of timings, and my control over it is tenuous at best.
The last notable trait I had was my Celestial Brand which was a full moon, surrounded by stars, with a telescope cutting through it. I received my Celestial Brand on the day of my graduation from Astrology School, when I graduated with the highest grade in that class.
I had one major vice with my appearance right now, which was my utter and complete lack of fashion, which normally didn't bother me. Lu- I mean, Princess Lunara was a fashion queen, and she always wore a perfect outfit to any occasion. I want to impress her, and right now I was trying to choose between a black suit I wore to funerals and weddings, or a grey suit I once wore a long time ago. That grey suit was one of my favorites, with an accentuating trim of gold flecked silver thread, much like my horn. The body of the suit was dark grey, and the lack of color helped bring my eyes out more. It was my favorite article of clothing, but I HAD worn it on a date. What if Lu- 'I MEAN PRINCESS LUNARA!' knew that? Would she think I was coming on to her? Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair again in agitation, causing it to become messy like it normally was. Panicking, I levitated my brush to myself, frantically straightening my hair. I was going to have to control my nervous habits in front of Princess Lunara.
Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I looked around my room. The comforting blue walls were decorated with pictures of the night sky, all taken from different parts of our world. I had enlarged the picture I had taken of the Auroran Lights, and had incorporated Princess Lunara into the picture using magic to copy her from a picture I had from the day she had first touched my life. She was standing on a mountain in the picture, with her eyes closed and her mane and tail flowing back in the wind. Her wings were outstretched, and the look of peace on her face helped to calm me when I was distressed. Looking at her hanging over my bed, I fell into the trance I always did. My breathing slowed, my eyes became half-lidded, as I imagined that day once more.
Princess Lunara was walking down the road, on an annual parade to honor her solstice, the longest night of the year. It was a night that was devoted to moonlit, romantic walks, soft music, candles, and stargazing. She had closed her eyes, enjoying the scents and sounds of the crowd around her. Each person present had brought a different candle scent to try to capture her attention and earn a place next to her on the float that year. I had brought an unassuming scent: the soft fragrance of moon lilies. I wasn't trying to stand out. I just wanted one picture of her, one immaculate image using the camera my brother had gotten me for my birthday that day, and this was the perfect moment for it.
I had raised my camera, focusing on her, when I was jostled aside by the throng. I raised my camera, focused once more, and was delighted to see her in the same stance, and this time I took the picture. Almost immediately, the Night Guard was upon me, and I watched as black uniformed men surrounded me on all sides and aimed their weapons at me. The Captain of the Guard, a renowned soldier with a reputation of severe punishments came forth to stand before me. He demanded that I hand my camera over, saying I had no right to take any photos if I wasn't a reporter. I reluctantly levitated it into his grasp, and hung my head shamefully as he walked away. A single tear streaked down my cheek and fell with an audible sound to the ground. I was surprised, as I thought I had imagined hearing it, until I noticed the deathly quiet around me.
I warily raised my head, and I saw Princess Lunara standing before her captain, whispering in his ear. He nodded to what she was saying, and handed my camera over to her. She took the most recent picture and held it before her as it developed. I winced, knowing the picture was likely an unflattering and ugly picture. Her eyes narrowed, then widened as she studied the photo. She took another couple pictures from the camera, pictures I had taken of the night sky earlier that night. She smiled at the pictures, and whispered to the captain once more. He nodded, gesturing towards me with his eyes. My own eyes widened as she walked over to me, lifting my candle up to her nostrils, and inhaled delicately. She smiled, her eyes half-lidded, and gave me the flower she had embedded in her hair, which to my shock was a moon lily.
I followed her back to her float, having received the honor that year of standing beside her. When I joined her on the stage, she levitated my camera around my neck, and returned all my photos to me, talking animatedly about how she loved them. She told me she thought I had captured her sky beautifully. She was impressed with the picture I had taken of her, telling me it had an air of tranquility within it, and she said I could keep all of them. I smiled nervously, and stole glances at her when she wasn't paying as much attention to me. She was stunning up close, wrecking my nerves with her gorgeous beauty.
The night eventually drew to a close, and my time allotted to be by her side was almost up. I was stepping down from her stage when she called me. I walked back, curious as to why she called me, and froze when she had asked me if I was interested in astrology. At that time, last year, I had more interest in photography than astrology, but I had said yes. She had been delighted, and her entire face lit up with joy. My heart began to beat faster, telling me that I was falling for her. She then offered to tutor me, which would allow me to take private lessons with her when she started teaching astronomy again this year. I promised to be there.
I have my Brand thanks to her. I had been a blank slate for so long, but shortly after my promise to her, I began to study Astronomy, star charts, heavenly bodies, and various other celestial phenomenon, eventually learning that not only did I love it, I was GOOD at it. I was excellent, really, astounding my teachers with my meteoric rise to knowledge. My Celestial Brand was given to me personally by Queen Celestina the day I had graduated, much to my family's surprise and delight. We had a celebration that night, with festive partying, until a grey suited courier showed up with a letter for me. It was from Lunara, congratulating me for my graduation, and asking me to show up on this date for my first class with her. My parents were excited for me, and my brother kept ribbing me, as I had already made the picture now hanging over my bed.
And now, here I was, trying to figure out what to wear. I decided I was going to take a chance, and wear my grey suit. I fitted my arms through the sleeves, tightening and straightening the cloth over me. I recombed my ruthlessly annoying cowlick, straightening it so as to not look so unkempt. Looking in the mirror, I criticized my appearance, wanting to add an accessory, but not knowing what. 'Ah, that will work.' I placed the moon lily I had preserved into my jacket, letting the delicate flower stick out of the pocket. 'Now I'm ready.' Today was a big day after all; I was going to Selene Castle! I took a breath, and stepped out of my door into the hallway, and into my destiny.
"Hurry up, Nova," my brother shouted from downstairs. "Your date with Lunara, I mean, destiny, awaits!"