The Quest - Two
Title: The Quest
Description: Take 10 college students, some of whom love each other, hate each other, or don't know the others exist. Add some magical powers, some interference from Pluto, and shake well. What do you get? A modern day quest for Endymion and Serenity.
A/N: Current main project. See Author's Notes for Chapter One for disclaimer.
Two
Lita Aronson bit her lip as she looked over her economics homework. She loved her electives, which were in Food and Beverage Management, but the core courses she had to take for her hotel administration degree were killing her. She sighed, putting her head down on her desk.
Finance? Business and hospitality law? Microeconomics? She had never been a star student in high school, and the difficulty she was having with her first-year classes confirmed her fears that she had gotten into Apollo University out of sheer dumb luck.
Her stress was compounded by the fact that she was here on scholarship. If she didn’t manage to score above the minimum GPA, she would be put on probation. That meant no more extracurricular activities, like the kenpo and aikido clubs she had joined. And if she didn’t manage to do better after being put on probation… Well, she couldn’t bear to think about that possibility.
Lita was slogging determinedly through her problem set, wondering why the x’s wouldn’t cancel out like they were supposed to, when she heard a quiet knock at the door. She leapt up, only too happy to escape her misery.
She opened the door to find Trista, the GA for the fifth and sixth floors, standing there. “Hi, Trista!” she greeted cheerfully.
The older woman smiled warmly at her. “Hello, Lita. How are you doing?”
“I’m all right,” Lita said, casting a resigned glance at her homework.
“I stopped by to tell you there’s a Presentation you should attend in Titan Auditorium. It starts in about fifteen minutes.”
“Oh, no!” Lita exclaimed, trying to locate her wallet, keys, phone, and shoes. She came up with one sandal and a five-dollar bill. “I really need to get a planner. I keep swearing I’ll get to it…one of these days.”
Smoothly, Trista said, “Don’t worry, Lita. We have plenty of time - it won’t start without us. And in this case, that planner might not have helped. These things can come up…rather suddenly at times.”
As they stepped out into the hall, she added, “I’ll head over with you. We’re just waiting on Nevan; I sent him to fetch another student. We can all walk over together.”
“Is this event for all the freshmen or something? Or a hotel school presentation? Lizzie’s still in class,” Lita said, anxious that her roommate, Elizabeth Hansford, might miss out on something. The girls had become fast friends over the past two months.
“No, it’s not. Some older students will be there as well. Ah, here they are,” Trista said, her eyes on a tall brunet being trailed by a short blonde girl whose hairstyle was strangely reminiscent of meatballs.
Lita swallowed hard as they approached. Nevan Starre, her RA, was hot enough to make her forget about her lingering crush on Andrew, Lizzie’s older brother. Unfortunately, she didn’t know if he was into her at all, and the unspoken interdiction on hallcest went double for dating your RA.
Sounding unusually stressed, Nevan complained, “I can’t believe they told us about this at the last minute, Trista. And I never got the e-mail about it! When was it sent?”
“I’m just the messenger,” Trista replied serenely. “Come on, we don’t want to be late.”
Nevan grinned at Lita, and she smiled back shyly. To her disappointment, he moved up to walk with Trista as they left Charon Hall, leaving her next to the blonde.
“Hi,” the other girl said cheerfully. “I’m Serena Wallace.”
Lita liked her open, friendly smile. “I’m Lita Aronson. It’s nice to meet you. Hey, don’t you live on the fifth floor?”
“That’s right!” Serena confirmed. “What year are you? Do you know what you’re majoring in yet?”
“I’m a freshman. I’m actually in the hotel school, so I don’t really have a major. How about you?”
Serena shrugged. “I’m a freshman, too. I have no clue what I want to study, though. I was thinking about communications or linguistics, so I’m taking the intro courses for those, but I want to try a fine arts course next semester.”
“Those sound really interesting,” Lita said, thinking that Serena’s classes sounded much better than financial and managerial accounting. Not as exciting as wine tasting or culinary theory, though.
“They’re okay,” the blonde said. “Academics aren’t my strong suit. But your classes must be much cooler! I don’t know many students in the hotel school - do you get to take any cooking classes? I’m horrible at cooking, but I love food!”
Her big blue eyes were shining, and Lita found her smile hard to resist. “Oh, not so much. Most of my classes are in hotel administration, but I love cooking. I want to open my own restaurant one day. I try and use Charon’s kitchen to practice whenever I have free time.”
“Really?! If you ever need a taste tester, count me in!”
Lita laughed, surprised that someone would volunteer so readily to be her guinea pig. “That would be great!”
Ahead of them, Nevan remarked, “They seem to be hitting it off.” He turned his head, as if to take a quick look back at both girls, but he really only had eyes for one of them.
Trista also glanced back, smiling slightly. “They do, don’t they?”
*****
Ami wandered the halls on her way to the auditorium, wondering why the huge, Gothic building seemed so deserted.
Earlier that day, a woman with long black hair had handed her a flier announcing the first meeting of a new pre-med society. Normally, Ami wasn’t much for clubs, but she might pick up some useful advice, and she thought that it would be nice to actually get to know the people in her pre-med classes and maybe have someone to study with. Another voice in her head added that it couldn’t hurt to check out the competition.
The silence of the building was starting to creep her out, and Ami wasn’t usually one to scare easily. The sound of approaching footsteps made her jump, but she was relieved to see another student when he came into view.
He was middling-tall for a guy, with sleek black hair and piercing blue eyes.
“Hello,” she said shyly. “Are you here for the pre-med society meeting?”
“Yes, I am. I can’t remember what room it was supposed to be in, though,” he admitted. Some of his remoteness faded as he gave her a rueful smile.
Ami answered, “I think it’s in Titan Auditorium.” To be sure, though, she pulled the neatly folded flier from her pocket and reexamined it.
“Great,” he said, leading the way. “I’m Darien, by the way.”
“Ami,” she said softly.
“Are you a freshman?” he asked her.
She smiled shyly. “Yes, that’s right. Is it that obvious?”
Darien replied, “Well, it’s just that you’re quite petite.”
“What year are you?”
“I’m a senior. I was invited to speak about the application process.”
Ami thanked him as he held open the door to the auditorium for her. She was about to ask him what schools he had applied to, but she was distracted by the sound of raised voices.
“Why are we the only two people here?” a pretty girl with long, raven black hair demanded. For a moment, Ami thought it was the same girl who had handed her the flier, but she soon saw that this girl was a little shorter and had much paler skin.
She was speaking to - yelling at - a guy with short, tousled blond hair. “How am I supposed to know? I got an e-mail about the classroom change, too. Maybe someone’s trying to prank us.”
“I don’t like jokes,” the girl responded irately.
Ami thought she heard the blond mutter under his breath, “I can tell.”
Just then, the pair noticed her presence. Only the stage was illuminated; standing behind Ami, Darien was nearly invisible. “Are you also in Pre-Modern Japanese History?” the girl demanded.
“Um, no,” Ami answered. “We’re here for the pre-med society meeting.”
“Rei?” Darien asked suddenly from behind Ami. “What are you doing here?”
She turned her head abruptly to stare at him. Her expression was suddenly much more welcoming, but now she seemed even more puzzled. “Darien? I thought my class was rescheduled. What are you doing here?”
“The same thing as she is,” Darien answered.
“There can’t be a club meeting now,” the blond told them, “we’re supposed to have class here.”
“It was rescheduled,” Rei reminded him. “Maybe the professor rescheduled again if he found out that another meeting was going on here, and we just didn’t get the update. I haven’t checked my e-mail again since this morning. Oh, this is so frustrating!”
“Calm down,” her classmate said. “It’s not the end of the world.” Her response was a smoldering look, so he shrugged and said, “Looks like the professor’s not showing up. We should just head out and get the notes from someone who made it to class.”
He headed for the nearest exit, but before he reached it the door swung open to reveal a guy with blond hair and green eyes. “Hey. Is this the nanotech exhibit?” he asked, craning his head to look around the near-empty auditorium. “It doesn’t look like there’s much going on yet.”
“I have no idea,” Jayden responded. “It seems like there’s supposed to be a class, a meeting, and now an exhibit going on here, all at the same time, except there’s absolutely nothing here.”
As he finished speaking, the back and left side doors opened to reveal a tall, imposing guy with platinum blond hair and a blonde with a large red bow in her hair. The blonde took one look at the other newcomer and turned pink. “What are you doing here? You’re not in my cognitive psychology class.”
“I should ask you the same question,” he replied coolly. “I somehow doubt you’re taking Modern Political Thought this semester?”
She bristled. “Are you implying that I’m too stupid to take a political science course?”
“Not at all. I’m just saying that you don’t seem like the type.”
Before their argument could escalate, Jayden stepped in and said, “Wait, are you guys saying that you expected your psych and polisci courses to meet here today?”
They nodded in confirmation, and he frowned. “Something fishy is going on here.”
“I’ll say,” Rei muttered, still glowering at him, as if the entire mix-up was his fault.
Suddenly, the doors at the back of the auditorium again, and a large group of students came in.
“That’s the woman who handed me the flier,” Ami said quietly. Only Darien and Rei, who had moved to stand closer together, heard her.
*****
Trista’s gaze moved over those assembled before her. Mentally, she checked everyone on her list off, smiling in satisfaction when she spotted Zane. The class and club excuses had worked well for most of them, but Zane had the greatest tendency to skip his classes, so she had sent him the announcement about a nanotech exhibit.
She made a subtle gesture, and the doors locked. Until she chose to open them again, the doors would remain sealed. Calmly, she walked down the carpeted aisle, leaving Nevan, Serena, and Lita behind. She passed Ami, nodding to the wide-eyed girl, and ignored the others as she ascended the stage steps.
“Hello, everyone. I’m glad to see you all here today. Please, have a seat.”
Most of them did so, looking confused, but Rei planted her feet mulishly. “Who are you, and what is going on here?”
Trista smiled at her calmly. “My name is Trista Stevens, and I’m currently a GA in Charon Hall. Now, please take a seat. This may take awhile, and I’m sure you’ll be much more comfortable sitting down.”
She ignored Rei’s protests as Darien found them seats between Ami and Serena, the latter exchanging confused glances with Lita and Nevan.
“The ten of you were chosen to participate in a very special Presentation today,” Trista began, only to be interrupted by Jayden.
“Excuse me, Ms. Stevens. That’s very flattering, I’m sure, but I don’t wish to participate. Good afternoon.” With a backwards look at Rei, Jayden got up and headed for the door he had entered through. When he got there, he found out that he couldn’t open it, even after he threw his entire weight into the task. He turned back to her with a betrayed look on his face. “It won’t open. Why have you locked us in here?”
Serena started to freak out. “Oh my gosh; we’re locked in? Trista, why are we locked in??”
Darien rolled his eyes. “Quiet down, Meatball Head. Freaking out doesn’t help. I’m sure there’s an explanation for this.” With that, he turned his cool gaze on Trista, ignoring Rei’s startled stare.
“Please calm down, everyone. I assure you, you’re perfectly safe. Jayden, I would advise that you take your seat again.” He stayed in place, staring at her with angry eyes. She shrugged and continued, “As Darien says, yes, there is a perfectly legitimate explanation for why the doors won’t open. I merely need a few minutes of your time. Once I have said all I wished to say, you will be free to leave.”
“All of us?” Ami asked.
“All of you,” Trista confirmed with a nod. “And Serena, please stop looking so worried. I’m your GA; I’m responsible for your safety, after all.”
“You are acting awfully weird,” Nevan put in, although Serena looked relieved.
“I mean you no harm. Now, as I was saying, the ten of you were Chosen for a very special task. Before I explain the task, however, allow me to tell you a story.” She paused for a moment, then reconsidered. “Are any of you familiar with the tale of Selene and Endymion?”
Nevan spoke up. “I do. It’s a Greek myth.” At Lita’s impressed look, he tried to look modest and said, “I’m majoring in Classical Studies.”
Ignoring this aside, Trista invited, “Why don’t you outline it for us?”
“Uh, sure,” he said, looking somewhat bemused. His cleared his throat, and when he spoke again, his voice echoed strangely. Ami would have chalked it up to the excellent acoustics of the auditorium, but it seemed that there was something more to what he was saying, something important, something with weight and presence.
“Selene was the moon goddess in Greek mythology. In many of the later stories, she was replaced by Artemis. She fell in love with Endymion, who was mortal and supposed to be either a shepherd or an astronomer. In some versions of the myth, Selene asked Zeus to grant Endymion eternal sleep so he could never leave her. In other versions, Endymion himself made the decision to live forever in sleep so she could visit him every night.”
Trista smiled at him. “Thank you, Nevan. Actually, Selene and Endymion were quite real, although her name was Serenity, not Selene. They lived several millennia ago, but their story is not the same story as the one you just told us. Serenity was the Moon Princess, and Endymion, far from being a shepherd, was her white knight, the Prince of the Earth.”
“I’m not here for bedtime stories,” Rei said scornfully, standing up again.
“Sit down,” Trista commanded, a hint of steel in her voice. To everyone’s surprise, including her own, Rei sat again.
“As I was saying… While they were alive, there was an entire advanced civilization on the Moon. All traces of it have since been wiped from existence.” Her expression turned sad now, and she cleared her throat before continuing, “Serenity was the daughter of the woman who ruled the Moon, a wise and enlightened queen. At the time, the Earth and the Moon were forbidden from interacting with each other. However, Serenity and Endymion managed to meet secretly and fall in love. They carried on their forbidden love affair until a great evil began to invade the solar system. It began with the Earth, but each of the planets fell in turn, until only the Moon Kingdom was left. Endymion managed to escape Earth and seek refuge on the Moon, but even with his help, they were unable to save the Moon Kingdom.”
Ami found herself getting caught up in the story, even though she was skeptical of there being an advanced civilization on the Moon. Surely the astronauts would have found traces of it by now. Serena and Lita were listening with dreamy looks, while Kenton and Rei just looked annoyed.
“The Moon fell, but the queen, Serenity’s mother, managed to seal away the great darkness. To do so, she sacrificed her own life. Her dying wish was that her daughter and her daughter’s love, Endymion, would be able to begin a new life one day, free from the threat of evil. But she knew that such a thing might be impossible, since evil always threatens where there is good.”
All of them shivered at her last sentence. Trista raised her glance from the floor, meeting each of their eyes in turn. “The time has come, now, for the ten of you to find the Moon Princess and the Prince of Earth, who have been reincarnated as mortals in this time, and to release them so they may live in peace, together forever.”
That was when all chaos broke loose.
“I don’t know what you’re on, lady, but that’s a load of crap!” Zane interjected loudly.
“‘Release’ them?” Kenton asked in a tone of deep mistrust. “That sounds an awful lot like killing someone. None of us are going to be a party to that.”
Patiently, Trista said, “No one is going to be killed if I can help it, Kenton. I assure you, releasing the souls of Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion will not kill their mortal incarnations. Now, if you agree to the Quest - and all of you must agree, or there is little chance of succeeding - you will be granted the use of certain powers. Magical powers that will aid you during your pursuit of…the end of the Quest.”
“Magical powers?” Mina asked. “There’s no such thing.”
A mysterious smile teased the corners of her mouth. “Are you so certain?” A second later, Trista pulled a long staff shaped like a giant key seemingly out of thin air.
“Parlor tricks,” Darien said dismissively.
“But there’s no place she could possibly have hidden that thing,” Lita pointed out, eyeing the staff that was as tall as Trista herself.
“It could be an illusion,” Kenton replied.
Trista held out her hand, and a ball of dark green light gathered in it. It stayed there for a few moments, pulsing slowly, until she closed her hand into a fist and it disappeared.
“A mere light show could accomplish the same thing,” Jayden scoffed.
She nodded. “Well, certainly my powers are not very impressive. But I believe, if you need further proof, you should take a look at your watches.”
Ami glanced down at her wristwatch. Its hands were frozen at exactly three o’clock, the time the meeting was supposed to have started. “My watch has stopped,” she said out loud.
From around her, similar exclamations of shock issued forth. “It’s just a coincidence,” Jayden said, although he was starting to look shaken.
“Eight watches?” Serena asked. She and Nevan were the only ones who didn’t wear watches. “All at the same time?”
Zane shrugged. “It could be something about the auditorium. Maybe there’s something here that reacts with our watch batteries.”
Trista smiled again. “Why don’t you check your cell phones? They should be more reliable and…less subject to interference than wristwatches, wouldn’t you think?”
All of them dug out their cell phones, which also showed the time to be three o’clock. When they tried to change the time manually, the displays stubbornly stayed at three o’clock.
“All right,” Kenton said disgustedly. “You’ve got us trapped here, and you’ve fed us some unlikely fairy story. Didn’t you say you’d let us out after we listened to you? What if we just say, you win, we believe you, and you let us out? We all go on our way and forget any of this ever happened. You can’t keep us here forever, after all.”
“Oh, but it doesn’t work that way,” Trista told him. “You all must agree to accept or reject the Quest. If you accept, there are…certain rules. The agreement is binding.”
“So you’ll keep us here until we accept?” Ami asked nervously.
“No, of course not. But you must definitively accept or reject the Quest. Once each of you has given your answer, you are free to go.”
“Well, that’s easy,” Mina said. “We all just say no, and we leave.” She looked around for confirmation, and several heads around her nodded. Despite their agreement, no one wanted to be the first to say “no”.
There was a strange sensation in the air, of their being caught between two very different worlds. In the dark of this echoing auditorium, there was the possibility that magic could be real, that legends could come to life.
Trista’s expression turned mournful. “Where is your sense of adventure? Your belief in the impossible, the wondrous, the utterly fantastic? You are close to giving up the chance of your lifetimes, and believe me, you only get one chance.”
“I believe in hard science, not magic tricks,” Zane offered. Ami and Darien nodded in agreement.
She stepped down from the stage now, and a strange, white light surrounded her. Some of them shrank away, but Serena leaned forward slightly, as if mesmerized. “Very well, then. If the taste of adventure isn’t enough, how about another type of incentive? One hundred thousand dollars. Each.”
A stunned silence fell over them.
“How do you have that type of money?” Kenton asked suspiciously. “Are you wanted by the law?”
Trista gave a merry laugh. “Oh, no. I assure you, I haven’t done anything illegal. I merely do not suffer from the same financial stresses that plague ordinary people.”
She stepped closer to him, and it seemed as if for a moment, they were the only two people in the world and everyone else was frozen. “I imagine that you’d be able to find a lot of worthwhile uses for that money… invest it in stocks or a startup company, for example. Or maybe you’d rather use it to pay off your college tuition so you won’t owe your parents anything?”
His eyes widened before turning hard and cold. “What do you know about my parents?”
“Just an educated guess.”
Kenton said determinedly, “If I need money, I’ll make it the hard way. The real way. With my own two hands.” He gave her a thin smile and said, “I’m sure you if you know that, you’ll also know that my career prospects after graduation are excellent.”
“Of course,” she agreed, “but this - this is for a good cause. And you are fond of good causes, aren’t you? Let me assure you, this is no walk in the park. You will be using all those skills you’ll take to your job and working harder than you ever will be on that job. It will also be much more fulfilling.”
She passed him and moved on to Ami and Darien. “Such an amount would go a long way towards the rather sizeable amount of debt you will be soon be incurring in medical school. I have no doubt you will be able to pay off that debt after some years of practicing, but wouldn’t it be nice to start in the clear, without that worry hanging over your heads?”
She stepped closer to Ami, speaking so Darien couldn’t hear them. “You’ve been lonely for a long time now, haven’t you? Even before college.”
Ami nodded, lowering her eyes to the floor in embarrassment.
“Don’t be sad, Ami. Sometimes, the most precious friendships are ones that are most difficult to form. Look around you. If you choose to accept the Quest, it will bind the ten of you together in a way that can only help, not hurt, friendships. And it will not be just because of the Quest that you become friends. All of you…complement each other in certain ways. In another time, given meetings under different circumstances, you would have been friends, with or without the Quest.”
With a flick of her wrist, Trista froze them in place, leaving them to think over what she had said to them and ensuring that only the one she was currently speaking to would hear her words.
Lita looked up at her wistfully. “I wouldn’t be a scholarship student anymore. And once I graduated… One day, I’d be able to start my own restaurant for sure.”
Trista’s expression softened, and she reached out to touch Lita’s shoulder. “Yes, exactly so. Don’t be so worried, Lita. As you’re thinking, money isn’t everything. But even this sum is a paltry reward in comparison to the service you would be rendering. And as much as you deserve it, you aren’t catching a free break. This is something difficult, something only you were chosen to do, and something entirely worthy of the reward.”
She moved on to the others, one by one, wooing them with the words she knew would bring each of them closer to accepting the Quest. The final decision, however, would be up to them.
At last, she came to Jayden, who looked at her sardonically. “Money won’t induce me to take part in a harebrained scheme like this,” he informed her.
She didn’t look the least bit fazed. “Oh, I know that. I thought you might be one of the most difficult to convince, Jayden Luminar. While you are very close to rejecting the Quest, think about what you’re really saying ‘no’ to. When was the last time you had a true challenge, when you truly stretched your mind and talents to their limit? The Quest will do exactly that.”
“I can keep myself occupied,” he told her, his azure eyes glinting.
Trista smiled at him. “No doubt. You have always had both of your feet planted firmly on the ground, Jayden. And yet, something about that world you’ve abandoned since childhood still calls to you. You think you’ve rejected it utterly, but a part of you still needs to see it disproven. The Quest will help you find out that in fact, the world isn’t as boring and mundane as you think it is, and you will be much happier in this life than you would ever have been without it.”
With that, she walked away from him, her strides long and elegant and precise. She clapped her hands twice, and everyone stood and turned to her, blinking as if they had suddenly woken from a dream. “I will give you a few moments to discuss with each other, and then… the matter will be decided.”
To their surprise, she vanished from view.
“There must be a hidden trapdoor,” Nevan said, boosting himself up to examine the stage.
While he did so, Jayden tried the doors again. “Still locked,” he said grimly.
“Nothing here!” Nevan announced from the stage a moment later.
Mina suggested, “Why don’t we just sit and talk about it? The quicker we come to a decision, the quicker we can get out of here.”
“No one said we all had to say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” Darien reminded her. “Although I can’t fathom why anyone would want to say ‘yes.’”
“Why not?” Serena asked softly, looking up at him with a gaze so hopeful and trusting that it was discomforting. “It could be true. And even if you don’t believe it, it sounds like…fun.”
He frowned at her. “This is real life, not fairytale land, Meatball Head.”
Mina stepped in and said, “There’s no need for name-calling here. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions.”
Serena looked at her gratefully while Zane sighed, resignation clear in every line of his body. “Don’t tell me you want to get mixed up in this, too.”
Mina’s face lit up as she spotted him, and she ruffled his hair affectionately.
“Ouch - no - you’re messing up my hair, Mina,” he whined, ducking away from her hands and trying to smooth it down.
Kenton, who had been silent so far, raised his voice. “Let’s do this in an organized manner. We’ll take turns and state whether we want to accept or reject the Quest.” Although he was unaware of it, he was starting to say the word the way Trista did, adding a certain significance to it. “Perhaps that will satisfy her.”
After some quick discussion, the others agreed.
“Excellent. So we go around - state your name and your opinion on the matter.” He nodded to the person immediately to his right, who happened to be Serena.
“I’m Serena, and I want to accept the Quest.”
Some of the others drew in their breath or opened their mouths to argue again, but Kenton shot them a quelling look. He turned his gaze to the brunette who was seated beside Serena.
“My name is Lita, and I… I think I want to accept the Quest.”
Darien, who was next, said simply, “I’m Darien. I reject it.”
“I’m Rei, and…I want to accept the Quest.”
He swung around to stare at her. “Rei, what are you saying?!”
The dark-haired girl reached out and squeezed his hand gently. “Darien, please calm down. I know this whole thing seems suspect and while I don’t appreciate being locked in here, something is telling me to say yes.
“My grandfather is a priest of a Shinto temple. He has the ability to read signs in the sacred fire sometimes, and as far as I know, they always come true. Before I left Japan, my grandfather told me I would be set a great challenge in my second year away from him. That’s this year.”
Frustrated, Darien said, “He could have been talking about anything! College is a challenge, Rei. It could be your next midterm or interview, or deciding what to do with the rest of your life. It doesn’t have to have anything to do with this!”
Rei shook her head. “I don’t think so. My grandfather told me the choice was mine to make, but that if I accepted the challenge, it would bring me joy beyond my wildest dreams, and a sense of belonging that I’ve never had, all while performing a great and noble deed. I don’t think passing a midterm will do it for me.”
“Fine. I can see I won’t be able to talk you out of this. But if you’re going to do it, then I will too,” Darien said, running his hand through his hair distractedly.
Nudging Lita, Serena whispered, “He sure is chivalrous for a guy with a bad attitude.”
“Very well. That’s three - no, four - for,” Kenton tallied.
“My name is Ami, and I vote not to accept the Quest.” Rei’s words about joy and belonging reminded her of Trista’s, but her faith in the existence of a scientific explanation for everything and the thought of what her mother would do if she allowed herself to be conned into believing in magic were too strong.
“I’m Nevan, and I accept the Quest.” He smiled reassuringly at Lita, who had been looking very nervous for the past couple of minutes.
Mina went next. “I’m Mina, and I accept the Quest.”
Zane groaned and said, “Since you don’t have any brothers, I guess it’s my job to keep you out of trouble.” He puffed out his chest and said, “I’m Zane, and I accept the Quest.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Zane, you’re my younger cousin. I’ve been looking out for you since preschool, when the bullies on the playground made you their special target.”
While he flushed beet red, Jayden, who seemed to have been undergoing an intense internal debate, muttered, “You’re all nuts. I’m Jayden, and I reject the Quest.” He crossed his arms defiantly as he looked around at the others, but when no counterarguments materialized, he seemed almost disappointed.
Kenton was the only one left now. Slowly, reluctantly, he said, “I’m Kenton. I…accept the Quest.” He was stunned when the words left his mouth, but for some reason, he didn’t feel that he wanted to take them back.
While Rei and Darien argued quietly for a few moments, Mina, Serena, and Zane went to work on Ami. In the meantime, Jayden looked at Kenton and Nevan curiously. “What’s your story? Why are you guys buying this?”
Nevan shrugged. “I study astronomy and classical studies. There are thousands of stories that are just a little too supernatural in nature, and a little too consistent to be fake. I’ve always wondered whether something like this could be out there, and I figure… it can’t hurt to give it a shot. Besides, I’ve known Trista for awhile. Even though she’s hard to get to know, I believe she’s a good person. She’s very well-regarded, and she’s a serious academic.”
Jayden shook his head. Nevan’s instincts and desire to believe in a little hocus pocus just weren’t going to cut it for him. “What about you, Kenton?”
“Just call me Kent,” he said, grimacing slightly. “Only my parents call me Kenton. I still think the whole thing is very odd, but…the whole stopping time thing really got to me. My watch still says it’s three o’clock, and my cell phone is permanently stuck there.
“I don’t know Trista at all, and I’m certain I’ve never seen her before. But she knows things about me, things that only I could know. There’s no way she could have read some top-secret file on me and pegged me so neatly. It just seems like the answers to figuring this out lie in accepting the Quest.” He smiled grimly. “And I’m not afraid of getting caught up in some kind of hoax. I know who to go to and what to say if this turns out to be bogus.”
The blond sighed deeply. It was more difficult to dismiss Kent’s words than Nevan’s. He glanced over at the others; it seemed like Mina, Serena, and Zane had managed to convince Ami. Rei and Darien had finished their argument, and she walked over to him while Darien sat down by himself, looking grouchy.
As Kent and Nevan left to join the others, Rei raised an eyebrow and asked, “Still holding out?”
“What’s it to you? Our acceptances or rejections aren’t contingent on each others’. If I say no and you say yes, we go our separate ways and life moves on. Besides, you sure changed your mind quickly. Just a little while ago, you were absolutely furious, convinced that Trista was going to blow us up or something.”
Stiffly, Rei said, “I thought she was working for my father. That was before she explained things. Of course I don’t trust her, but her words have a certain…resonance.”
Incredulously, he asked, “Your father plays these types of games with you?”
“That’s none of your business. Anyway, I thought you wanted to be controversial, that you were supposed to be so open-minded. But right now, you just seem very unimaginative and closed-minded to me.” With that, she spun on her heel and walked away.
Jayden glared at her back. “I am too imaginative,” he mumbled to himself. “And I said I was controversial. Groundbreaking. Not a sucker.”
He gave the group a look of deep antipathy, then sighed and walked over to them. “Fine. I’m in.”
“Yay!” Serena squealed, ignoring his sulky disposition, and he started to smile despite himself.
Just then, a burst of light caught their eyes, and Trista reappeared on the stage, smiling at them. “So. I see you have come to a decision.”
Quite a few of their members still looked grumpy, but they all nodded.
“Then I have one more thing to tell you all. Any Quest like this, which promises such valuable returns, involves a certain element of risk and danger. As I said before, I swear that I mean you no harm. However, you may find your new powers startling or even frightening. Things will start happening at the university that you may find alarming, and the magic that pervades these grounds, once awoken, is very potent.”
She looked around at them all very seriously. “Now, I’ll need you to come up to me one by one and tell me your decision. If you choose to accept the Quest, I will touch you briefly on the forehead, and by doing so, transfer those powers to you.”
Kent stepped forward. “I’ll go first. What do I say?” he asked her.
Trista smiled, as if highly amused. “It doesn’t really matter, as long as your purpose is clear and your heart is true. Traditionally, however, the acceptance is phrased as such: ‘I, Kenton Jamison, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.’”
He repeated the words dutifully, and she replied, “I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Lord Kunzite.”
A flash of silver light passed through the minute space between her fingertip and his forehead, and the others gasped or cried out in shock. He stepped away a second later, blinking.
“Are you hurt?” Mina couldn’t help asking.
“No. That just felt…very strange.” He grinned suddenly. “Like sticking your finger into an electric socket, only without the pain, just the energy coursing through you.”
“Great,” Jayden muttered as Mina went up the steps. “Just what I’ve always wanted to feel.”
“I, Mina Barlow, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Venus.”
Mina gasped as golden light drenched her. When she moved away, her cheeks were slightly flushed.
“I, Zane Barlow, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Lord Zoisite.”
A dark green spark leapt from Trista’s finger to Zane’s forehead, and he, too, looked awed as he stepped back and exchanged wondering looks with Mina and Kent. “I hope you were smart enough not to really stick your finger in an electric socket, Kent.”
To Mina’s surprise, Kent gave the younger boy a rare smile. “Of course not. I wouldn’t put it past either one of you, however.”
“Shut up,” she hissed. “You’re ruining the moment.”
The two of them smirked at her but managed to keep their mouths shut for the reminder of the Presentation.
“I, Darien Shields, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Elysion.”
Another gold flash passed between them, but Darien seemed mostly unmoved by this process, keeping his eyes on Rei as she took his place.
“I, Rei Hino, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Mars.”
She closed her eyes as red light washed over her, looking the most peaceful they had seen her all afternoon.
“I, Serena Wallace, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of the Silver Imperium.”
Serena actually smiled as Trista pressed her finger, which was glowing a soft white, to her forehead.
“I, Nevan Starre, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Lord Nephrite.”
A glint of midnight blue passed between them, and Nevan’s expression became as beatific as Serena’s as he stepped away.
“I, Lita Aronson, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Jupiter.”
Another pulse of green light lit up the auditorium, and Lita, whose eyes were shining more brightly than ever, walked over to stand by Nevan.
“I, Ami Ellison, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Mercury.”
Ami closed her eyes nervously, not sure of what to expect. Trista’s fingertip touched her skin lightly, and an amazing warmth spread over her. She opened her eyes just in time to see the blue light receding from view.
Jayden was the last to step forward, his face completely blank as he said, “I, Jayden Luminar, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Lord Jadeite.”
A tiny, pale blue glint jumped between them, so small that it was almost invisible, but too bright to be ignored. When Jayden moved away, his expression seemed almost hopeful.
Zane cleared his throat, breaking the almost-reverent hush that had fallen over them. “So now that we have these, uh, magical powers, do the pretty lights actually do anything? How do we use them?”
Trista favored him with a faint smile. “Yes, they do. I wish I could tell you how to use them, but the learning process is a necessary part of the Quest. The power awakened by today’s ceremony will see that you learn to use your powers when you need them.
“Now, your first task is to find out as much as you can about Serenity and Endymion, for the more you know about them, the more you will know about yourselves, and that is the key to successfully completing the Quest.”
Jayden stared at her. “You don’t really believe there’s anything on these people, do you? What do you expect us to do, check out the library stacks and do a few Google searches?”
“It wouldn’t hurt,” Trista replied, her eyes twinkling. “Before long, you should receive your first clue. It will dictate certain…pairings that would be most beneficial to solving the riddles. I would recommend that you follow the rules.”
“What happens if we don’t?” Mina asked curiously.
“Oh, nothing to be feared. You certainly won’t be punished, if that’s what you’re asking. It just might take longer to come to the end of the Quest than otherwise.”
Before they could ask any more questions, she held up her hand, and they heard a whoosh of air as the doors unsealed. “It’s time for you all to go, now. I can only tell you so much.”
Trista gave them her enigmatic smile again as she added, “Speaking of time, you’ll find that you haven’t missed anything while we’ve been together. For those of you who were informed that your classes were relocated, you may be pleased to know that they have actually been canceled for today. Oh, and…your timepieces should have started working again.”
Lita glanced down at her watch to find that it did indeed read 3:01 pm.
*****
Description: Take 10 college students, some of whom love each other, hate each other, or don't know the others exist. Add some magical powers, some interference from Pluto, and shake well. What do you get? A modern day quest for Endymion and Serenity.
A/N: Current main project. See Author's Notes for Chapter One for disclaimer.
Two
Lita Aronson bit her lip as she looked over her economics homework. She loved her electives, which were in Food and Beverage Management, but the core courses she had to take for her hotel administration degree were killing her. She sighed, putting her head down on her desk.
Finance? Business and hospitality law? Microeconomics? She had never been a star student in high school, and the difficulty she was having with her first-year classes confirmed her fears that she had gotten into Apollo University out of sheer dumb luck.
Her stress was compounded by the fact that she was here on scholarship. If she didn’t manage to score above the minimum GPA, she would be put on probation. That meant no more extracurricular activities, like the kenpo and aikido clubs she had joined. And if she didn’t manage to do better after being put on probation… Well, she couldn’t bear to think about that possibility.
Lita was slogging determinedly through her problem set, wondering why the x’s wouldn’t cancel out like they were supposed to, when she heard a quiet knock at the door. She leapt up, only too happy to escape her misery.
She opened the door to find Trista, the GA for the fifth and sixth floors, standing there. “Hi, Trista!” she greeted cheerfully.
The older woman smiled warmly at her. “Hello, Lita. How are you doing?”
“I’m all right,” Lita said, casting a resigned glance at her homework.
“I stopped by to tell you there’s a Presentation you should attend in Titan Auditorium. It starts in about fifteen minutes.”
“Oh, no!” Lita exclaimed, trying to locate her wallet, keys, phone, and shoes. She came up with one sandal and a five-dollar bill. “I really need to get a planner. I keep swearing I’ll get to it…one of these days.”
Smoothly, Trista said, “Don’t worry, Lita. We have plenty of time - it won’t start without us. And in this case, that planner might not have helped. These things can come up…rather suddenly at times.”
As they stepped out into the hall, she added, “I’ll head over with you. We’re just waiting on Nevan; I sent him to fetch another student. We can all walk over together.”
“Is this event for all the freshmen or something? Or a hotel school presentation? Lizzie’s still in class,” Lita said, anxious that her roommate, Elizabeth Hansford, might miss out on something. The girls had become fast friends over the past two months.
“No, it’s not. Some older students will be there as well. Ah, here they are,” Trista said, her eyes on a tall brunet being trailed by a short blonde girl whose hairstyle was strangely reminiscent of meatballs.
Lita swallowed hard as they approached. Nevan Starre, her RA, was hot enough to make her forget about her lingering crush on Andrew, Lizzie’s older brother. Unfortunately, she didn’t know if he was into her at all, and the unspoken interdiction on hallcest went double for dating your RA.
Sounding unusually stressed, Nevan complained, “I can’t believe they told us about this at the last minute, Trista. And I never got the e-mail about it! When was it sent?”
“I’m just the messenger,” Trista replied serenely. “Come on, we don’t want to be late.”
Nevan grinned at Lita, and she smiled back shyly. To her disappointment, he moved up to walk with Trista as they left Charon Hall, leaving her next to the blonde.
“Hi,” the other girl said cheerfully. “I’m Serena Wallace.”
Lita liked her open, friendly smile. “I’m Lita Aronson. It’s nice to meet you. Hey, don’t you live on the fifth floor?”
“That’s right!” Serena confirmed. “What year are you? Do you know what you’re majoring in yet?”
“I’m a freshman. I’m actually in the hotel school, so I don’t really have a major. How about you?”
Serena shrugged. “I’m a freshman, too. I have no clue what I want to study, though. I was thinking about communications or linguistics, so I’m taking the intro courses for those, but I want to try a fine arts course next semester.”
“Those sound really interesting,” Lita said, thinking that Serena’s classes sounded much better than financial and managerial accounting. Not as exciting as wine tasting or culinary theory, though.
“They’re okay,” the blonde said. “Academics aren’t my strong suit. But your classes must be much cooler! I don’t know many students in the hotel school - do you get to take any cooking classes? I’m horrible at cooking, but I love food!”
Her big blue eyes were shining, and Lita found her smile hard to resist. “Oh, not so much. Most of my classes are in hotel administration, but I love cooking. I want to open my own restaurant one day. I try and use Charon’s kitchen to practice whenever I have free time.”
“Really?! If you ever need a taste tester, count me in!”
Lita laughed, surprised that someone would volunteer so readily to be her guinea pig. “That would be great!”
Ahead of them, Nevan remarked, “They seem to be hitting it off.” He turned his head, as if to take a quick look back at both girls, but he really only had eyes for one of them.
Trista also glanced back, smiling slightly. “They do, don’t they?”
*****
Ami wandered the halls on her way to the auditorium, wondering why the huge, Gothic building seemed so deserted.
Earlier that day, a woman with long black hair had handed her a flier announcing the first meeting of a new pre-med society. Normally, Ami wasn’t much for clubs, but she might pick up some useful advice, and she thought that it would be nice to actually get to know the people in her pre-med classes and maybe have someone to study with. Another voice in her head added that it couldn’t hurt to check out the competition.
The silence of the building was starting to creep her out, and Ami wasn’t usually one to scare easily. The sound of approaching footsteps made her jump, but she was relieved to see another student when he came into view.
He was middling-tall for a guy, with sleek black hair and piercing blue eyes.
“Hello,” she said shyly. “Are you here for the pre-med society meeting?”
“Yes, I am. I can’t remember what room it was supposed to be in, though,” he admitted. Some of his remoteness faded as he gave her a rueful smile.
Ami answered, “I think it’s in Titan Auditorium.” To be sure, though, she pulled the neatly folded flier from her pocket and reexamined it.
“Great,” he said, leading the way. “I’m Darien, by the way.”
“Ami,” she said softly.
“Are you a freshman?” he asked her.
She smiled shyly. “Yes, that’s right. Is it that obvious?”
Darien replied, “Well, it’s just that you’re quite petite.”
“What year are you?”
“I’m a senior. I was invited to speak about the application process.”
Ami thanked him as he held open the door to the auditorium for her. She was about to ask him what schools he had applied to, but she was distracted by the sound of raised voices.
“Why are we the only two people here?” a pretty girl with long, raven black hair demanded. For a moment, Ami thought it was the same girl who had handed her the flier, but she soon saw that this girl was a little shorter and had much paler skin.
She was speaking to - yelling at - a guy with short, tousled blond hair. “How am I supposed to know? I got an e-mail about the classroom change, too. Maybe someone’s trying to prank us.”
“I don’t like jokes,” the girl responded irately.
Ami thought she heard the blond mutter under his breath, “I can tell.”
Just then, the pair noticed her presence. Only the stage was illuminated; standing behind Ami, Darien was nearly invisible. “Are you also in Pre-Modern Japanese History?” the girl demanded.
“Um, no,” Ami answered. “We’re here for the pre-med society meeting.”
“Rei?” Darien asked suddenly from behind Ami. “What are you doing here?”
She turned her head abruptly to stare at him. Her expression was suddenly much more welcoming, but now she seemed even more puzzled. “Darien? I thought my class was rescheduled. What are you doing here?”
“The same thing as she is,” Darien answered.
“There can’t be a club meeting now,” the blond told them, “we’re supposed to have class here.”
“It was rescheduled,” Rei reminded him. “Maybe the professor rescheduled again if he found out that another meeting was going on here, and we just didn’t get the update. I haven’t checked my e-mail again since this morning. Oh, this is so frustrating!”
“Calm down,” her classmate said. “It’s not the end of the world.” Her response was a smoldering look, so he shrugged and said, “Looks like the professor’s not showing up. We should just head out and get the notes from someone who made it to class.”
He headed for the nearest exit, but before he reached it the door swung open to reveal a guy with blond hair and green eyes. “Hey. Is this the nanotech exhibit?” he asked, craning his head to look around the near-empty auditorium. “It doesn’t look like there’s much going on yet.”
“I have no idea,” Jayden responded. “It seems like there’s supposed to be a class, a meeting, and now an exhibit going on here, all at the same time, except there’s absolutely nothing here.”
As he finished speaking, the back and left side doors opened to reveal a tall, imposing guy with platinum blond hair and a blonde with a large red bow in her hair. The blonde took one look at the other newcomer and turned pink. “What are you doing here? You’re not in my cognitive psychology class.”
“I should ask you the same question,” he replied coolly. “I somehow doubt you’re taking Modern Political Thought this semester?”
She bristled. “Are you implying that I’m too stupid to take a political science course?”
“Not at all. I’m just saying that you don’t seem like the type.”
Before their argument could escalate, Jayden stepped in and said, “Wait, are you guys saying that you expected your psych and polisci courses to meet here today?”
They nodded in confirmation, and he frowned. “Something fishy is going on here.”
“I’ll say,” Rei muttered, still glowering at him, as if the entire mix-up was his fault.
Suddenly, the doors at the back of the auditorium again, and a large group of students came in.
“That’s the woman who handed me the flier,” Ami said quietly. Only Darien and Rei, who had moved to stand closer together, heard her.
*****
Trista’s gaze moved over those assembled before her. Mentally, she checked everyone on her list off, smiling in satisfaction when she spotted Zane. The class and club excuses had worked well for most of them, but Zane had the greatest tendency to skip his classes, so she had sent him the announcement about a nanotech exhibit.
She made a subtle gesture, and the doors locked. Until she chose to open them again, the doors would remain sealed. Calmly, she walked down the carpeted aisle, leaving Nevan, Serena, and Lita behind. She passed Ami, nodding to the wide-eyed girl, and ignored the others as she ascended the stage steps.
“Hello, everyone. I’m glad to see you all here today. Please, have a seat.”
Most of them did so, looking confused, but Rei planted her feet mulishly. “Who are you, and what is going on here?”
Trista smiled at her calmly. “My name is Trista Stevens, and I’m currently a GA in Charon Hall. Now, please take a seat. This may take awhile, and I’m sure you’ll be much more comfortable sitting down.”
She ignored Rei’s protests as Darien found them seats between Ami and Serena, the latter exchanging confused glances with Lita and Nevan.
“The ten of you were chosen to participate in a very special Presentation today,” Trista began, only to be interrupted by Jayden.
“Excuse me, Ms. Stevens. That’s very flattering, I’m sure, but I don’t wish to participate. Good afternoon.” With a backwards look at Rei, Jayden got up and headed for the door he had entered through. When he got there, he found out that he couldn’t open it, even after he threw his entire weight into the task. He turned back to her with a betrayed look on his face. “It won’t open. Why have you locked us in here?”
Serena started to freak out. “Oh my gosh; we’re locked in? Trista, why are we locked in??”
Darien rolled his eyes. “Quiet down, Meatball Head. Freaking out doesn’t help. I’m sure there’s an explanation for this.” With that, he turned his cool gaze on Trista, ignoring Rei’s startled stare.
“Please calm down, everyone. I assure you, you’re perfectly safe. Jayden, I would advise that you take your seat again.” He stayed in place, staring at her with angry eyes. She shrugged and continued, “As Darien says, yes, there is a perfectly legitimate explanation for why the doors won’t open. I merely need a few minutes of your time. Once I have said all I wished to say, you will be free to leave.”
“All of us?” Ami asked.
“All of you,” Trista confirmed with a nod. “And Serena, please stop looking so worried. I’m your GA; I’m responsible for your safety, after all.”
“You are acting awfully weird,” Nevan put in, although Serena looked relieved.
“I mean you no harm. Now, as I was saying, the ten of you were Chosen for a very special task. Before I explain the task, however, allow me to tell you a story.” She paused for a moment, then reconsidered. “Are any of you familiar with the tale of Selene and Endymion?”
Nevan spoke up. “I do. It’s a Greek myth.” At Lita’s impressed look, he tried to look modest and said, “I’m majoring in Classical Studies.”
Ignoring this aside, Trista invited, “Why don’t you outline it for us?”
“Uh, sure,” he said, looking somewhat bemused. His cleared his throat, and when he spoke again, his voice echoed strangely. Ami would have chalked it up to the excellent acoustics of the auditorium, but it seemed that there was something more to what he was saying, something important, something with weight and presence.
“Selene was the moon goddess in Greek mythology. In many of the later stories, she was replaced by Artemis. She fell in love with Endymion, who was mortal and supposed to be either a shepherd or an astronomer. In some versions of the myth, Selene asked Zeus to grant Endymion eternal sleep so he could never leave her. In other versions, Endymion himself made the decision to live forever in sleep so she could visit him every night.”
Trista smiled at him. “Thank you, Nevan. Actually, Selene and Endymion were quite real, although her name was Serenity, not Selene. They lived several millennia ago, but their story is not the same story as the one you just told us. Serenity was the Moon Princess, and Endymion, far from being a shepherd, was her white knight, the Prince of the Earth.”
“I’m not here for bedtime stories,” Rei said scornfully, standing up again.
“Sit down,” Trista commanded, a hint of steel in her voice. To everyone’s surprise, including her own, Rei sat again.
“As I was saying… While they were alive, there was an entire advanced civilization on the Moon. All traces of it have since been wiped from existence.” Her expression turned sad now, and she cleared her throat before continuing, “Serenity was the daughter of the woman who ruled the Moon, a wise and enlightened queen. At the time, the Earth and the Moon were forbidden from interacting with each other. However, Serenity and Endymion managed to meet secretly and fall in love. They carried on their forbidden love affair until a great evil began to invade the solar system. It began with the Earth, but each of the planets fell in turn, until only the Moon Kingdom was left. Endymion managed to escape Earth and seek refuge on the Moon, but even with his help, they were unable to save the Moon Kingdom.”
Ami found herself getting caught up in the story, even though she was skeptical of there being an advanced civilization on the Moon. Surely the astronauts would have found traces of it by now. Serena and Lita were listening with dreamy looks, while Kenton and Rei just looked annoyed.
“The Moon fell, but the queen, Serenity’s mother, managed to seal away the great darkness. To do so, she sacrificed her own life. Her dying wish was that her daughter and her daughter’s love, Endymion, would be able to begin a new life one day, free from the threat of evil. But she knew that such a thing might be impossible, since evil always threatens where there is good.”
All of them shivered at her last sentence. Trista raised her glance from the floor, meeting each of their eyes in turn. “The time has come, now, for the ten of you to find the Moon Princess and the Prince of Earth, who have been reincarnated as mortals in this time, and to release them so they may live in peace, together forever.”
That was when all chaos broke loose.
“I don’t know what you’re on, lady, but that’s a load of crap!” Zane interjected loudly.
“‘Release’ them?” Kenton asked in a tone of deep mistrust. “That sounds an awful lot like killing someone. None of us are going to be a party to that.”
Patiently, Trista said, “No one is going to be killed if I can help it, Kenton. I assure you, releasing the souls of Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion will not kill their mortal incarnations. Now, if you agree to the Quest - and all of you must agree, or there is little chance of succeeding - you will be granted the use of certain powers. Magical powers that will aid you during your pursuit of…the end of the Quest.”
“Magical powers?” Mina asked. “There’s no such thing.”
A mysterious smile teased the corners of her mouth. “Are you so certain?” A second later, Trista pulled a long staff shaped like a giant key seemingly out of thin air.
“Parlor tricks,” Darien said dismissively.
“But there’s no place she could possibly have hidden that thing,” Lita pointed out, eyeing the staff that was as tall as Trista herself.
“It could be an illusion,” Kenton replied.
Trista held out her hand, and a ball of dark green light gathered in it. It stayed there for a few moments, pulsing slowly, until she closed her hand into a fist and it disappeared.
“A mere light show could accomplish the same thing,” Jayden scoffed.
She nodded. “Well, certainly my powers are not very impressive. But I believe, if you need further proof, you should take a look at your watches.”
Ami glanced down at her wristwatch. Its hands were frozen at exactly three o’clock, the time the meeting was supposed to have started. “My watch has stopped,” she said out loud.
From around her, similar exclamations of shock issued forth. “It’s just a coincidence,” Jayden said, although he was starting to look shaken.
“Eight watches?” Serena asked. She and Nevan were the only ones who didn’t wear watches. “All at the same time?”
Zane shrugged. “It could be something about the auditorium. Maybe there’s something here that reacts with our watch batteries.”
Trista smiled again. “Why don’t you check your cell phones? They should be more reliable and…less subject to interference than wristwatches, wouldn’t you think?”
All of them dug out their cell phones, which also showed the time to be three o’clock. When they tried to change the time manually, the displays stubbornly stayed at three o’clock.
“All right,” Kenton said disgustedly. “You’ve got us trapped here, and you’ve fed us some unlikely fairy story. Didn’t you say you’d let us out after we listened to you? What if we just say, you win, we believe you, and you let us out? We all go on our way and forget any of this ever happened. You can’t keep us here forever, after all.”
“Oh, but it doesn’t work that way,” Trista told him. “You all must agree to accept or reject the Quest. If you accept, there are…certain rules. The agreement is binding.”
“So you’ll keep us here until we accept?” Ami asked nervously.
“No, of course not. But you must definitively accept or reject the Quest. Once each of you has given your answer, you are free to go.”
“Well, that’s easy,” Mina said. “We all just say no, and we leave.” She looked around for confirmation, and several heads around her nodded. Despite their agreement, no one wanted to be the first to say “no”.
There was a strange sensation in the air, of their being caught between two very different worlds. In the dark of this echoing auditorium, there was the possibility that magic could be real, that legends could come to life.
Trista’s expression turned mournful. “Where is your sense of adventure? Your belief in the impossible, the wondrous, the utterly fantastic? You are close to giving up the chance of your lifetimes, and believe me, you only get one chance.”
“I believe in hard science, not magic tricks,” Zane offered. Ami and Darien nodded in agreement.
She stepped down from the stage now, and a strange, white light surrounded her. Some of them shrank away, but Serena leaned forward slightly, as if mesmerized. “Very well, then. If the taste of adventure isn’t enough, how about another type of incentive? One hundred thousand dollars. Each.”
A stunned silence fell over them.
“How do you have that type of money?” Kenton asked suspiciously. “Are you wanted by the law?”
Trista gave a merry laugh. “Oh, no. I assure you, I haven’t done anything illegal. I merely do not suffer from the same financial stresses that plague ordinary people.”
She stepped closer to him, and it seemed as if for a moment, they were the only two people in the world and everyone else was frozen. “I imagine that you’d be able to find a lot of worthwhile uses for that money… invest it in stocks or a startup company, for example. Or maybe you’d rather use it to pay off your college tuition so you won’t owe your parents anything?”
His eyes widened before turning hard and cold. “What do you know about my parents?”
“Just an educated guess.”
Kenton said determinedly, “If I need money, I’ll make it the hard way. The real way. With my own two hands.” He gave her a thin smile and said, “I’m sure you if you know that, you’ll also know that my career prospects after graduation are excellent.”
“Of course,” she agreed, “but this - this is for a good cause. And you are fond of good causes, aren’t you? Let me assure you, this is no walk in the park. You will be using all those skills you’ll take to your job and working harder than you ever will be on that job. It will also be much more fulfilling.”
She passed him and moved on to Ami and Darien. “Such an amount would go a long way towards the rather sizeable amount of debt you will be soon be incurring in medical school. I have no doubt you will be able to pay off that debt after some years of practicing, but wouldn’t it be nice to start in the clear, without that worry hanging over your heads?”
She stepped closer to Ami, speaking so Darien couldn’t hear them. “You’ve been lonely for a long time now, haven’t you? Even before college.”
Ami nodded, lowering her eyes to the floor in embarrassment.
“Don’t be sad, Ami. Sometimes, the most precious friendships are ones that are most difficult to form. Look around you. If you choose to accept the Quest, it will bind the ten of you together in a way that can only help, not hurt, friendships. And it will not be just because of the Quest that you become friends. All of you…complement each other in certain ways. In another time, given meetings under different circumstances, you would have been friends, with or without the Quest.”
With a flick of her wrist, Trista froze them in place, leaving them to think over what she had said to them and ensuring that only the one she was currently speaking to would hear her words.
Lita looked up at her wistfully. “I wouldn’t be a scholarship student anymore. And once I graduated… One day, I’d be able to start my own restaurant for sure.”
Trista’s expression softened, and she reached out to touch Lita’s shoulder. “Yes, exactly so. Don’t be so worried, Lita. As you’re thinking, money isn’t everything. But even this sum is a paltry reward in comparison to the service you would be rendering. And as much as you deserve it, you aren’t catching a free break. This is something difficult, something only you were chosen to do, and something entirely worthy of the reward.”
She moved on to the others, one by one, wooing them with the words she knew would bring each of them closer to accepting the Quest. The final decision, however, would be up to them.
At last, she came to Jayden, who looked at her sardonically. “Money won’t induce me to take part in a harebrained scheme like this,” he informed her.
She didn’t look the least bit fazed. “Oh, I know that. I thought you might be one of the most difficult to convince, Jayden Luminar. While you are very close to rejecting the Quest, think about what you’re really saying ‘no’ to. When was the last time you had a true challenge, when you truly stretched your mind and talents to their limit? The Quest will do exactly that.”
“I can keep myself occupied,” he told her, his azure eyes glinting.
Trista smiled at him. “No doubt. You have always had both of your feet planted firmly on the ground, Jayden. And yet, something about that world you’ve abandoned since childhood still calls to you. You think you’ve rejected it utterly, but a part of you still needs to see it disproven. The Quest will help you find out that in fact, the world isn’t as boring and mundane as you think it is, and you will be much happier in this life than you would ever have been without it.”
With that, she walked away from him, her strides long and elegant and precise. She clapped her hands twice, and everyone stood and turned to her, blinking as if they had suddenly woken from a dream. “I will give you a few moments to discuss with each other, and then… the matter will be decided.”
To their surprise, she vanished from view.
“There must be a hidden trapdoor,” Nevan said, boosting himself up to examine the stage.
While he did so, Jayden tried the doors again. “Still locked,” he said grimly.
“Nothing here!” Nevan announced from the stage a moment later.
Mina suggested, “Why don’t we just sit and talk about it? The quicker we come to a decision, the quicker we can get out of here.”
“No one said we all had to say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” Darien reminded her. “Although I can’t fathom why anyone would want to say ‘yes.’”
“Why not?” Serena asked softly, looking up at him with a gaze so hopeful and trusting that it was discomforting. “It could be true. And even if you don’t believe it, it sounds like…fun.”
He frowned at her. “This is real life, not fairytale land, Meatball Head.”
Mina stepped in and said, “There’s no need for name-calling here. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions.”
Serena looked at her gratefully while Zane sighed, resignation clear in every line of his body. “Don’t tell me you want to get mixed up in this, too.”
Mina’s face lit up as she spotted him, and she ruffled his hair affectionately.
“Ouch - no - you’re messing up my hair, Mina,” he whined, ducking away from her hands and trying to smooth it down.
Kenton, who had been silent so far, raised his voice. “Let’s do this in an organized manner. We’ll take turns and state whether we want to accept or reject the Quest.” Although he was unaware of it, he was starting to say the word the way Trista did, adding a certain significance to it. “Perhaps that will satisfy her.”
After some quick discussion, the others agreed.
“Excellent. So we go around - state your name and your opinion on the matter.” He nodded to the person immediately to his right, who happened to be Serena.
“I’m Serena, and I want to accept the Quest.”
Some of the others drew in their breath or opened their mouths to argue again, but Kenton shot them a quelling look. He turned his gaze to the brunette who was seated beside Serena.
“My name is Lita, and I… I think I want to accept the Quest.”
Darien, who was next, said simply, “I’m Darien. I reject it.”
“I’m Rei, and…I want to accept the Quest.”
He swung around to stare at her. “Rei, what are you saying?!”
The dark-haired girl reached out and squeezed his hand gently. “Darien, please calm down. I know this whole thing seems suspect and while I don’t appreciate being locked in here, something is telling me to say yes.
“My grandfather is a priest of a Shinto temple. He has the ability to read signs in the sacred fire sometimes, and as far as I know, they always come true. Before I left Japan, my grandfather told me I would be set a great challenge in my second year away from him. That’s this year.”
Frustrated, Darien said, “He could have been talking about anything! College is a challenge, Rei. It could be your next midterm or interview, or deciding what to do with the rest of your life. It doesn’t have to have anything to do with this!”
Rei shook her head. “I don’t think so. My grandfather told me the choice was mine to make, but that if I accepted the challenge, it would bring me joy beyond my wildest dreams, and a sense of belonging that I’ve never had, all while performing a great and noble deed. I don’t think passing a midterm will do it for me.”
“Fine. I can see I won’t be able to talk you out of this. But if you’re going to do it, then I will too,” Darien said, running his hand through his hair distractedly.
Nudging Lita, Serena whispered, “He sure is chivalrous for a guy with a bad attitude.”
“Very well. That’s three - no, four - for,” Kenton tallied.
“My name is Ami, and I vote not to accept the Quest.” Rei’s words about joy and belonging reminded her of Trista’s, but her faith in the existence of a scientific explanation for everything and the thought of what her mother would do if she allowed herself to be conned into believing in magic were too strong.
“I’m Nevan, and I accept the Quest.” He smiled reassuringly at Lita, who had been looking very nervous for the past couple of minutes.
Mina went next. “I’m Mina, and I accept the Quest.”
Zane groaned and said, “Since you don’t have any brothers, I guess it’s my job to keep you out of trouble.” He puffed out his chest and said, “I’m Zane, and I accept the Quest.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Zane, you’re my younger cousin. I’ve been looking out for you since preschool, when the bullies on the playground made you their special target.”
While he flushed beet red, Jayden, who seemed to have been undergoing an intense internal debate, muttered, “You’re all nuts. I’m Jayden, and I reject the Quest.” He crossed his arms defiantly as he looked around at the others, but when no counterarguments materialized, he seemed almost disappointed.
Kenton was the only one left now. Slowly, reluctantly, he said, “I’m Kenton. I…accept the Quest.” He was stunned when the words left his mouth, but for some reason, he didn’t feel that he wanted to take them back.
While Rei and Darien argued quietly for a few moments, Mina, Serena, and Zane went to work on Ami. In the meantime, Jayden looked at Kenton and Nevan curiously. “What’s your story? Why are you guys buying this?”
Nevan shrugged. “I study astronomy and classical studies. There are thousands of stories that are just a little too supernatural in nature, and a little too consistent to be fake. I’ve always wondered whether something like this could be out there, and I figure… it can’t hurt to give it a shot. Besides, I’ve known Trista for awhile. Even though she’s hard to get to know, I believe she’s a good person. She’s very well-regarded, and she’s a serious academic.”
Jayden shook his head. Nevan’s instincts and desire to believe in a little hocus pocus just weren’t going to cut it for him. “What about you, Kenton?”
“Just call me Kent,” he said, grimacing slightly. “Only my parents call me Kenton. I still think the whole thing is very odd, but…the whole stopping time thing really got to me. My watch still says it’s three o’clock, and my cell phone is permanently stuck there.
“I don’t know Trista at all, and I’m certain I’ve never seen her before. But she knows things about me, things that only I could know. There’s no way she could have read some top-secret file on me and pegged me so neatly. It just seems like the answers to figuring this out lie in accepting the Quest.” He smiled grimly. “And I’m not afraid of getting caught up in some kind of hoax. I know who to go to and what to say if this turns out to be bogus.”
The blond sighed deeply. It was more difficult to dismiss Kent’s words than Nevan’s. He glanced over at the others; it seemed like Mina, Serena, and Zane had managed to convince Ami. Rei and Darien had finished their argument, and she walked over to him while Darien sat down by himself, looking grouchy.
As Kent and Nevan left to join the others, Rei raised an eyebrow and asked, “Still holding out?”
“What’s it to you? Our acceptances or rejections aren’t contingent on each others’. If I say no and you say yes, we go our separate ways and life moves on. Besides, you sure changed your mind quickly. Just a little while ago, you were absolutely furious, convinced that Trista was going to blow us up or something.”
Stiffly, Rei said, “I thought she was working for my father. That was before she explained things. Of course I don’t trust her, but her words have a certain…resonance.”
Incredulously, he asked, “Your father plays these types of games with you?”
“That’s none of your business. Anyway, I thought you wanted to be controversial, that you were supposed to be so open-minded. But right now, you just seem very unimaginative and closed-minded to me.” With that, she spun on her heel and walked away.
Jayden glared at her back. “I am too imaginative,” he mumbled to himself. “And I said I was controversial. Groundbreaking. Not a sucker.”
He gave the group a look of deep antipathy, then sighed and walked over to them. “Fine. I’m in.”
“Yay!” Serena squealed, ignoring his sulky disposition, and he started to smile despite himself.
Just then, a burst of light caught their eyes, and Trista reappeared on the stage, smiling at them. “So. I see you have come to a decision.”
Quite a few of their members still looked grumpy, but they all nodded.
“Then I have one more thing to tell you all. Any Quest like this, which promises such valuable returns, involves a certain element of risk and danger. As I said before, I swear that I mean you no harm. However, you may find your new powers startling or even frightening. Things will start happening at the university that you may find alarming, and the magic that pervades these grounds, once awoken, is very potent.”
She looked around at them all very seriously. “Now, I’ll need you to come up to me one by one and tell me your decision. If you choose to accept the Quest, I will touch you briefly on the forehead, and by doing so, transfer those powers to you.”
Kent stepped forward. “I’ll go first. What do I say?” he asked her.
Trista smiled, as if highly amused. “It doesn’t really matter, as long as your purpose is clear and your heart is true. Traditionally, however, the acceptance is phrased as such: ‘I, Kenton Jamison, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.’”
He repeated the words dutifully, and she replied, “I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Lord Kunzite.”
A flash of silver light passed through the minute space between her fingertip and his forehead, and the others gasped or cried out in shock. He stepped away a second later, blinking.
“Are you hurt?” Mina couldn’t help asking.
“No. That just felt…very strange.” He grinned suddenly. “Like sticking your finger into an electric socket, only without the pain, just the energy coursing through you.”
“Great,” Jayden muttered as Mina went up the steps. “Just what I’ve always wanted to feel.”
“I, Mina Barlow, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Venus.”
Mina gasped as golden light drenched her. When she moved away, her cheeks were slightly flushed.
“I, Zane Barlow, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Lord Zoisite.”
A dark green spark leapt from Trista’s finger to Zane’s forehead, and he, too, looked awed as he stepped back and exchanged wondering looks with Mina and Kent. “I hope you were smart enough not to really stick your finger in an electric socket, Kent.”
To Mina’s surprise, Kent gave the younger boy a rare smile. “Of course not. I wouldn’t put it past either one of you, however.”
“Shut up,” she hissed. “You’re ruining the moment.”
The two of them smirked at her but managed to keep their mouths shut for the reminder of the Presentation.
“I, Darien Shields, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Elysion.”
Another gold flash passed between them, but Darien seemed mostly unmoved by this process, keeping his eyes on Rei as she took his place.
“I, Rei Hino, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Mars.”
She closed her eyes as red light washed over her, looking the most peaceful they had seen her all afternoon.
“I, Serena Wallace, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of the Silver Imperium.”
Serena actually smiled as Trista pressed her finger, which was glowing a soft white, to her forehead.
“I, Nevan Starre, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Lord Nephrite.”
A glint of midnight blue passed between them, and Nevan’s expression became as beatific as Serena’s as he stepped away.
“I, Lita Aronson, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Jupiter.”
Another pulse of green light lit up the auditorium, and Lita, whose eyes were shining more brightly than ever, walked over to stand by Nevan.
“I, Ami Ellison, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Mercury.”
Ami closed her eyes nervously, not sure of what to expect. Trista’s fingertip touched her skin lightly, and an amazing warmth spread over her. She opened her eyes just in time to see the blue light receding from view.
Jayden was the last to step forward, his face completely blank as he said, “I, Jayden Luminar, choose to accept the Quest and pledge to fulfill it to the best of my ability.”
“I confirm your acceptance, and grant you the powers of Lord Jadeite.”
A tiny, pale blue glint jumped between them, so small that it was almost invisible, but too bright to be ignored. When Jayden moved away, his expression seemed almost hopeful.
Zane cleared his throat, breaking the almost-reverent hush that had fallen over them. “So now that we have these, uh, magical powers, do the pretty lights actually do anything? How do we use them?”
Trista favored him with a faint smile. “Yes, they do. I wish I could tell you how to use them, but the learning process is a necessary part of the Quest. The power awakened by today’s ceremony will see that you learn to use your powers when you need them.
“Now, your first task is to find out as much as you can about Serenity and Endymion, for the more you know about them, the more you will know about yourselves, and that is the key to successfully completing the Quest.”
Jayden stared at her. “You don’t really believe there’s anything on these people, do you? What do you expect us to do, check out the library stacks and do a few Google searches?”
“It wouldn’t hurt,” Trista replied, her eyes twinkling. “Before long, you should receive your first clue. It will dictate certain…pairings that would be most beneficial to solving the riddles. I would recommend that you follow the rules.”
“What happens if we don’t?” Mina asked curiously.
“Oh, nothing to be feared. You certainly won’t be punished, if that’s what you’re asking. It just might take longer to come to the end of the Quest than otherwise.”
Before they could ask any more questions, she held up her hand, and they heard a whoosh of air as the doors unsealed. “It’s time for you all to go, now. I can only tell you so much.”
Trista gave them her enigmatic smile again as she added, “Speaking of time, you’ll find that you haven’t missed anything while we’ve been together. For those of you who were informed that your classes were relocated, you may be pleased to know that they have actually been canceled for today. Oh, and…your timepieces should have started working again.”
Lita glanced down at her watch to find that it did indeed read 3:01 pm.
*****