Morning Sun - Chapter 10

I felt someone gently shaking my shoulder, trying to wake me. Whoever it was they are making a BIG mistake.
"Time to wake up," a voice whispered and I groaned.
"Piss off," I mumbled and snuggled deeper into the covers. The next thing I knew, someone was blowing in my ear and I was wide awake.
"You stupid homo!" I shouted and glared at Dan who was laughing his head off. Rachel stirred awake as did Zuko. Zuko just looked at Dan and shook his head.
"That is one thing you never do: wake up Rose in the morning," he said in disapproval.

Rachel mumbled something and yawned.
"Everything is ready for your departure," Dan informed me and I nodded. I got dressed in some track pants but Dan stopped me.
"Wear this," he said throwing a dress over my head. I pulled it off and saw it was white with red roses over it. I rolled my eyes and put it on. The dress stopped just above my feet and I wore black sandals. I left my short hair out and just placed a red bow clip on the side.
"Casual yet acceptable," Dan approved and I hugged Rachel goodbye.
"You coming to the coronation?" I asked her and she grinned.
"If that’s ok with you then yes," she answered and I hugged her tighter before leaving in a portal with Dan and Zuko.

If I had to describe Jupiter in one word: Natural. There wasn’t many buildings that were man-made, most were made out of trees. It was a tree-hugger’s paradise!
"Rose," Serena called and we walked up the stairs. The palace was made out of stone and wood, it also looked like it came out of a Star Wars movie or something. I hugged Serena when I saw her and she hugged me back.
"It’s good to see you," I greeted and she laughed. We broke apart and I shook Mustafa’s hand.

"You too, after what we heard about last night…" he broke off and looked at Serena. She just smiled at me as if no one was trying to kill me or anything which wasn’t very reassuring. "We’re just glad you’re safe."
"I’ll be guarding her until the ceremony," Dan informed them and they nodded. Serena showed me around the palace and I got used to the place. I guess you could call it peaceful, if Dan wasn’t following me around that is. At first I didn’t mind it but by the time dinner came around, I was annoyed.

"I think, I’ll be dead before they can kill me," I groaned as I placed my head in my hands.
"It’s not that bad," Serena reassured me and I gave her a look.
"Really? You try having someone follow you everywhere," I said sarcastically and Dan smirked. By the end of dinner I was tired and had a massive headache.
"It’s just a normal one," I reassured Serena before heading to my room. I got dressed in pants and a long sleeved top and left my hair in a small pony tail.
"Why won’t you wear this?" Dan sulked, holding up a long golden nightgown that was a little bit revealing. I rolled my eyes at him as I sat on my bed.

"Aren’t you supposed to be gay?" I asked him and he just mumbled while putting it back. Zuko sat on the bed next to me and nudged my shoulder.
"What’s wrong?" He asked me and I shook my head.
"Nothing," I answered but he knew me too well. He licked my face and I squealed as I tried to push him away. "Stop!"
"Not…until you tell me," Zuko said in between licks.
"Dan!" I cried out and saw him trying hard not to laugh. "What kind of body guard lets me get attacked!"

"Just tell him," Dan said calmly but still looked like he was about to laugh.
"Fine!" I shouted in defeat and Zuko got up. Dan also looked over and they were both looking at me expectedly. I sat up slowly and wiped my face and sighed.
"Lately someone has been leaving me roses," I said quietly and both looked shocked. "White and red ones."
Zuko’s eyes widened and I noticed he looked worried about something. I eyed him suspiciously.
"Zuko…" I broke off as Dan placed his hand on my shoulder.
"Are they dangerous?" He asked me seriously and I shook my head. Both fell silent and I knew something was wrong.
"Tell me now," I ordered and Zuko shook his head while I frowned. "Zuko, you’re supposed to be my best friend."
"I can’t tell you!" He shouted and I was taken back. Zuko has never shouted at me before unless Pokémon was involved. Zuko realized what he had done and looked away.
"You need to find out yourself," he said quietly and jumped off the bed and towards the door.

"How? How can I, when no one will tell me anything?!" I asked as my heart pounded. He didn’t look back at me and continued to the door.
"Tomorrow night is a full moon on earth. Go to the willow tree and speak your name," he ordered and left the room. Dan and I were silent as I took in the words.
"Rose…" Dan started to say but I held a hand up.
"Just go," I ordered and he left the room and I was all alone.
A willow tree…. Where the hell am I supposed to find that? I groaned and laid on my bed.
"Why does everything have to be so hard?" I whispered and closed my eyes.

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I walked around the garden and tried to find a willow tree. Dan, who was walking five meters me, kept an eye for anything was useless in this search. Zuko was conveniently absent and made sure I couldn’t find him anywhere.
"This is hopeless," I muttered and sat down on the grass.
"Giving up already? And here I thought we were going on an adventure," Dan sighed and I glared at him.
"Not in the mood," I told him and looked at a sunflower in the distance. I was too absorbed into the details to notice Dan was gone. I blinked and looked around; I wasn’t where I was before. It looked the same but it felt different.

"Dan," I called standing up. When there was no answer, a dreaded feeling filled me. I heard some movements and summoned my bow and arrows. A bush behind me was rattling and I swung around. I took aim at the bush and waited. A white rabbit jumped out and twitched its ears. I lowered my aim and looked at its red eyes. There was something about the way it looked at me, as if someone sent it to me.

I swallowed before speaking. "Are you here to take me?"
It twitched its ears and ran in the opposite direction. Unconsciously, I ran after it. It ran further and further into the forest and I lost it a couple of times. For some reason it would always wait for me to catch up. God I feel like Alice in Wonderland, where’s the rabbit’s waistcoat then?

I was catching my breath when I saw a huge tree in the middle of the forest. I narrowed my eyes and saw…. No way.

A willow tree.

I stared at it in wonder, at the fact it existed. The leaves were so green and alive, the bark, brown and strong. It was like an artist painted it perfectly in every detail.

"Are you just going to stand there gawking all day?" An annoyed voice asked. I blinked and looked around for the source.
"Is someone there?" I asked but I could see I was alone.
"I’m over here you stupid little girl," the voice replied and I looked up at the willow tree. Staring back at me was the face of an old woman who looked annoyed and cranky. I screamed and fell back onto my ass.
"Why I never! Each generation just keeps getting ruder than the last," the old woman said outraged.

"Y-You talk," I managed to get out. She just rolled her eyes and inspected me with her eyes.
"Yes and I can dance to," she said sarcastically. "Really, you’d think the reincarnation of Gabriella would know of my existence."
This caught my attention. Whatever shock I felt was gone in an instant. I stood up slowly and looked at her seriously.

"How do you know who I am?" I asked and she smirked.
"It’s written all over you," she pointed out and I just looked at her. Her smirk disappeared and she sighed. "You have a question."
"I have a lot of questions," I told her. "And none of them get answered."
A gust of wind went past and neither of us said anything, just staring at the other. It was like some kind of contest of power, who would give in to the other first.

"I cannot answer any, without your name," finally she said after a while.
I frowned. "You already know my name."
"Not your true name."
True name?
Tomorrow night is a full moon on earth. Go to the willow tree and speak your name.
Speak your name.
Your name.
Name.
Something in my head clicked and I looked back at the tree as the word formed in my mouth.
"I am Moonstone." I told her and she smiled.

"Of course you are," she answered and the whole place shifted. The trees were disappearing and were replaced by stars. Soon the only thing left was the tree and myself on a small patch of grass.
"Here unwanted ears cannot listen in," she said and I swallowed, suddenly afraid of what was to come. "You may ask your questions, but remember I cannot tell you everything," I just nodded.
"Who’s behind the roses and the dreams?" I asked her.
"Someone from your past," she answered and I frowned.
"Which past? Mine of Gabriella’s?"

She just smiled at me and placed one of her leaves on my back. I gasped as a warm energy past through me and my wings appeared on their own.
"The answer is obvious," she said and I understood what she meant.
It was someone from my past life.
"Who?" I demanded to know.

"His name was Ural, the angel of hope and flames," she answered and I remembered his warmth through the glass. My face went red as I swallowed the burning desire to see those lilac eyes.
"H-He was Gabriella’s lover?" I guessed. She just looked at me and that confirmed my feelings. "Why do I feel like this then? I’m not her."
"True but your body is similar to hers." She informed me and that did not make me feel better at all. In fact it just made it worse.

"But why is he showing up now?" I asked her desperate to know more.
"That is something, I cannot answer," she said.
"Wh-then how the hell am I supposed to find out?" I shouted and she just looked at me.
"There is an old saying, ‘one must look to the past to figure out the present,’" was all she said before her face disappeared and the forest was back.

"Rose! There you are!" Dan said in relief and checked me for any injuries. I just kept staring at the tree until Dan looked as well. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
I shook my head.

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Dobby's Corner
Wow.... I can't believe I came up with something like this! Can you?