Legend of Diana: Part Three

Part Three – No More Hope

“I feel the hope running low
We never found our way home
There is no more world
The land is gone...”

It didn't take long after Diana left the house until her initial determination to bring the peace to her world started to fade. This was not because she suddenly lacked desire to lead a normal, happy life, but because she realized just how bad the situation in Imbrium was. And the other cities were only doing worse.

She walked to the main square first, the place where she used to spend a lot of time as a child. She used to meet all of her friends here, and then they would sit by the big fountain and observe the groups of boys passing by. One or two of them would occasionally speak to them, making them all burst into loud laughter. Now there was nobody laughing, there was no water in the big fountain, there were no boys passing by. Most of them were fighting in the nearby towns, some defending them, some attacking them. The army of the attackers was much better organized, and the defenders didn't really stand a chance against them judging from what Diana heard about the battles  from those who managed to flee.

Diana remembered someone at that moment. A boy. He was the brother of one of her best friends. She always thought he was slightly too arrogant and cocky, but she still enjoyed his company when they were kids. He often told her that he would marry her some day. Then the war came, and he chose the side of the Lord of the City of Anguis. She didn't know whether he was still alive, but she caught herself hoping that he wasn't. If he was, that would mean that some day he might march into this city, and get the order to kill his sister, his family, his friends. He knew of this possibility when he switched sides, and for his choice Diana despised him. And the sad thing was that he was not the only one who had made such a choice.

But there was no time to think about that now. Diana looked around and saw a few of the older people, probably homeless, resting on the benches around the square. She assumed they were refugees from the nearby cities who managed to escape. The people of Imbrium still mostly had their homes, but if the war continued, this would not last for long. The three Lords which wanted to conquer the entire Moon for themselves would not spare Imbrium, just as they did not spare any of the other cities. Human casualties were also irrelevant to them. Diana had to wonder how such evil people managed to gather a whole army of  followers – was it because their offers were so tempting, or because the people were afraid of them? Whatever the reason, the small armies of the defenders would not be able to keep them away from Imbrium for long, especially as long as each of these small armies had their own general. A bigger, united army might stand a chance, but the Lords of the fallen cities were still too stubborn to accept this, and the ones who still believed they might actually defend themselves didn't even want to think about asking anyone else for help. At least that is what the people said. Diana found this foolish, but also had to wonder how she would ever be able to convince them to do otherwise.

Diana needed to pick a place where she could talk to a larger number of people, to reach as many of them as possible. Normally, the main square would have been the best place for this, but now it was almost empty. Where were the people? The stores were also mostly closed, there was only one left, and it was run by a greedy man who used war as an opportunity to get rich. Diana knew him all too well, he was the one who now had all her pretty dresses, the lovely furniture from her home, her wonderful mirror with a carved frame made of cherry wood. But even this store was almost empty now, there were only a few people there trying to make deals with the greedy old man.

That is when she remembered that her father's library had been turned into a refuge for the homeless after all the books were gone. She imagined that there were a lot of people there now, a lot of those who lost everything and who were sure to welcome her idea of uniting the cities and bringing back the peace. She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and did her best not to think about how likely it was that she would be unsuccessful. The future of her people depended on this.

“Water is all that survived that one
There are no escapes
Gone are the days of mistakes
Our mistakes...“

Nobody paid attention to Diana when she walked into the library. The people here were obviously used to new people coming to the refuge every day. The first thing that Diana noticed was the smell of this place. It smelled of illness and desperation. These people had too little to eat, and almost no possibility to bathe. Some of them were injured. Diana had to assume many of them were seriously ill.

She felt a strong pain in her heart looking at mothers with starved little babies, at children who had almost no clothes to keep them warm, at old people with empty gazes directed at the walls. She also saw a pregnant woman, probably not much older than herself, crying. She seemed to be holding something in her hand, a pendant perhaps. Diana assumed that she lost someone close to her, maybe the father of her child. This brought tears to Diana's eyes. If the situation here was this bad, was there any hope for the people of the Moon at all? Most of the other cities were already gone. Who would rebuild them, with what?

Diana suddenly felt weak and she sat down on what used to be a pretty wooden bench. Her heart was filled with sadness and desperation took over her mind. How could she ever think that she could change anything? These people have lost too much already, how could they ever stand up against the huge army of the three evil Lords – and win? She could preach about uniting the cities all she wanted, but soon there will be no cities left to unite. The spirit of the Moon was being too naive, and so was she.

“Lady Diana?” suddenly she heard someone speak to her. She recognized the voice immediately.

“Doctor Asclepius”” she rose to greet the old man. “I am so glad to see you!”

“What are you doing here, child? This is not a place for a young lady like yourself,” the man said with a worried tone in his voice. “A lot of these people are ill, I do not wish to see you get infected, as well. Why don't you go home?”

“I... It is a long story, Doctor,” she said, suddenly remembering her task.

“You seem very distressed,” the Doctor concluded. “But it is no surprise, if one takes the current situation into account.”

“The current situation is  indeed what worries me,” she nodded. “I wish to change it.”

“Don't we all?” the Doctor smiled, obviously not taking her very seriously.

“But Doctor, I think I have a plan!” she argued, wondering why she even bothered explaining this to him, when she herself found it silly in the first place.

“Oh?” he raised an eyebrow. “What plan?”

“Well, I think that the cities need to unite,” she rushed, explaining it with an almost childlike euphoria. “We need to fight against the evil Lords together, and later find a King or a Queen to rule over all the cities together, we need to become one kingdom. Then there would be no need for a war between the cities anymore.”

The Doctor laughed: “My child, has your father told you these stories? You know he is not doing all that well these days, you shouldn't get carried away by such fables.”

“But...”

“Look, Diana, there were attempts to achieve something similar,” the Doctor's patience seemed to fade. “Some of the “good” Lords tried to get the others to help them, but some remained stubborn. And some have become too weak. If you ask me, there is simply no way  your plan would work, if for no other reason – but because everyone would end up fighting over who should be the ruler of this new kingdom.”

Diana swallowed hard, knowing that he was right. She always knew that the plan wasn't a good one.

“It is too late for such plans, my dear, for any plans. The war has lasted for too long, the armies of the conquistadors shall reach Imbrium in a matter of days, maybe even hours. Please go home, my child,” the Doctor said. “And pray that we survive.”

“And did you see
The night wore on
And became the days that never begun...”

Diana's mind was empty, her heart ached as she walked across the main square. She refused to think, as thinking would make her remember the hope she felt when the spirit of the Moon approached her with his stupid, childish plan. Thinking about that would make her feel disappointed and angry. Oh, who was she fooling? She was disappointed and angry. It was not because doctor Asclepius told her that this plan was foolish, really, but because he seemed to refuse any thought of hope at all. Was it really too late? A man such as doctor Asclepius surely knew how bad the actual situation was. Was there really no hope for a better future, for peace? These thoughts brought tears to Diana's eyes, tears of disbelief and resignation.

She shook her head and screamed, trying to scare away these feelings, this anxiety, this hopelessness that tore at her heart. She thought about her parents, about her friends, about the young  pregnant woman from the library. Were they all sentenced to death or a life full of suffering and pain?

She fell on her knees, not caring what those few people on the main square might think. Surely they would not even pay attention to her, it was not unusual to see people break and cry these days. And she felt broken. The spirit of the Moon had given her a glimpse of hope, and then it was taken away from her in a very cruel manner. It was too much. She hadn't even realized how much this war hurt her until now, and it would only get worse as the armies approached Imbrium. She wished to die right there and then, so as to not have to witness anyone who she cared for dying before her eyes.

She somehow managed to come home that day, not really remembering how. She didn't greet her mother who was yet again sobbing at the top of the stairs, she didn't even go into the kitchen to get something to eat. She went directly into her room, locked the door behind her and sat on her bed. It was getting dark outside and the first stars were becoming visible. Strange lights were flickering in the distance, and she assumed it was one of the neighboring cities in flames. Asclepius was right, it was a matter of days when the evil armies would reach Imbrium. Perhaps they all only had a few hours left to live.

“The disappearing day
You know where I'm from
Is the only place that forever stays young...”

“Diana,” someone spoke from behind her.

“Go away,” she said in a harsh voice. “Leave me alone.”

“I... I am sorry. I didn't know... I didn't expect...” Lun started to apologize, but Diana stopped him by turning to look at him with anger in her eyes.

“You are SORRY?! What kind of a spiritual being are you, did you not know how bad the situation out there was? Did you not see how close they were?”

“I am not omnipotent,” Lun said in a calm, yet apologizing voice. “That is why I need you to help me.”

“You have no idea!” she yelled. “They will be here soon. Look! Look through the window! The neighboring cities are burning! Don't you see? In a day or two, I shall be either dead or a slave, too.”

Lun swallowed hard. He knew some of the people were cruel and ruthless, but all this time he refused to believe that was their true nature, he wanted to believe bringing peace would be easy. Diana was right to be angry at him. He expected her to be strong and wise, and he himself was not wise enough to properly help her and guide her, and now she was torn and desperate.

“There is no hope,” tears were running down her cheeks. “No hope. We shall face the same fate as the rest of the cities, death and destruction. It is too late to change that now.”

“Diana...” Lun sat next to her. “I shall find a way. I promise.”

“Make no more promises, spirit,” Diana shook her head. “I don't... I am not strong enough. I can't take any more disappointment.”

“If I found a way, would you do whetever I told you to make it work?” Lun took her hands in his and looked at her.

“I...” she was startled, “I guess so...”

“It might be a lot to ask,” he said. “And you might end up in danger.”

“Oh, and I am not in danger as is?” she laughed. “If you find a way to help me protect my family, I will do anything you ask.”

“Alright,” he stood up. “I need to make some preparations. You try to sleep.”

Diana nodded, amazed by the sudden seriousness in his voice. She wasn't sure, but she felt like he had just decided to make a sacrifice of some sort, there was some painful determination in his words.

“Um...” she spoke. “One more thing before you go.”

“Yes?”

“You still didn't tell me your name.”

“Oh? Did I not?”

“No,” she shook her head. “You introduced yourself as the spirit of the Moon, but you haven't told me your name.”

“Well, that is because I have none as such,” he admitted. “But I told your mother my name was Lun.”

“Lun?” Diana had to giggle, “How original. I believe everyone knows that the people on Earth call their goddess of the Moon Luna, they often refer to the Moon itself using that name.”

“I know, I know...” Lun sighed.

“Well, at least it is easy to remember,” she tilted her head. “Lun.”

“I guess so,” he smiled, suddenly feeling glad that her mood brightened up a bit. He could only hope he would not disappoint her again.

“Lost at sea
We're lost at sea
I wouldn't know my face if you all were me...”

Diana woke up with a really bad headache the next morning. She had an awful taste in her mouth, and her cheeks burned slightly from all the tears she cried last night. At least Lun managed to comfort her a bit before she went to bed, though he did not make all of her fears disappear.

She sat up in her bad and suddenly felt something hard under her right thigh. She lifted her leg and noticed something shiny in her bed. She was startled and confused, so she removed her blanket to see what it was. It was a crystal, and a pretty big one, attached to a thin silvery chain. She took it in her hand and looked at it, and she suddenly felt pleasant shivers going up her spine, just like the ones she felt when she met Lun in her dream for the first time. She could swear the crystal would glow slightly as she touched it.

She knew it was Lun's gift, and she felt that it was a part of his new plan. She assumed it was important, so she put it around her neck, to keep it safe and close to her. As soon as the crystal rested on the soft skin of her chest, she felt strange warmth inside of her. It was pleasant, it made her smile. She felt strong.

“What is this feeling?” she giggled, “I like it. Is this crystal magical, Lun?”

“It is,” Lun suddenly appeared before her. “You might say it is.”

“Um... could you hear me just now?” Diana was confused.

“As long as you carry that crystal with you, I will always be able to hear you and find you, no matter where you are,” he said. “That crystal is what gives me all of my powers, you might call it a heart of the Moon. Without it, I would not exist, and there would be no chance of life on the Moon.”

“Is it that powerful?” Diana asked with amazement in her voice.

“Yes, but...” Lun sat next to her and looked her in the eyes. “There is something else special about this crystal. If someone else uses it, and not me, then it combines its own power with the power of the user, becoming even more powerful. This crystal can heal and protect, those are its main powers.”

“Wow...”

“Yes, I know it sounds tempting. However, if the user doesn't posses enough energy or uses to much of it, there is a danger that the user will die. Also, should an evil person use it, then this crystal can also bring destruction equal to its healing powers when used by a good person.”

“And this crystal...” Diana looked at it once again, “It will help me protect everyone?”

“This is why I asked you what you would be willing to do,” Lun said. “I do not know whether you are powerful enough to use it. I know that my powers alone would not suffice. So if you have this crystal, it enables us to combine our powers in a way. However, there is this risk that you would lose too much energy in the process.”

“I do not care if I die,” Diana shook her head. “If it will help everyone else live in peace...”

Lun sighed. He expected such determination from her, but he was not sure that he would be able to go through with it. Her honest desire to protect her family and the citizens of Imbrium touched him, and he had to admit that he was also moved by her readiness to help him in his plans.

“Please know that I will do my best to help protect you from any harm,” he said.

“I trust you,” she smiled. “I always feel good when you are close.”

The spirit of the Moon felt sudden warmth in his human form's cheeks. Diana's giggling made him realize that he was blushing.

“I am sorry,” she said. “I just meant that I always feel such warmth when you are close, I feel safe. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable”

“Oh,” he blinked. “Errr... well, that is because of the crystal. It has such an effect.”

“I see,” she smiled. “Will you teach me how to use it, then?”

“I can't,” he replied.

“Um... why?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Because there is nothing to explain,” he shrugged. “When you will have to use it, you will know how to.”

Diana seemed uncertain. She kept staring at the pretty crystal in her hand, as if trying to understand its secrets.

“Are you sure I will know how to use it?” Diana asked. She took one of her braids and put it in her mouth. She always chewed on her hair when she was nervous. Lun found this both amusing as well as slightly gross. He had to laugh at her.

“Don't worry, my lady, you will know how to do it,” he said.

Suddenly, they heard a noise coming from the outside. It wasn't too loud at first, but it seemed to be approaching. Diana rushed to the window, and Lun followed. In the distance they could see an army marching towards the city of Imbrium.

“They are here,” Diana cried.

“It is time, my lady,” Lun took her hand. “Be strong now. I won't leave your side.”

“All we have is all we see
There is no more hope
There are no dreams”

– John Frusciante - “Hope”


… to be continued...