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Listening to some good old songs helped me to type up a lot. Music has helped me a whole lot, aha. Enjoy this chap!

(And oh my gosh, this is 3000+ words)

Notes

- Zodiac stuff

- Royal Positions!

Sphere I

Duchess Blue Takoizu led Princess Yuliana Essie and Earl Red Akagi to Moon's house. The three of them ran in the rain as lightning struck two trees in the nearby forest. Blue told them to not look back.

Rushing up the hill towards shelter, Blue caught Yuliana staring at her. Her eyes were now a shining bluish-green. The line of thunderstorms was coming in vertically and now faster than what Moon had hypothesized. She turned her attention to Red. "Red, you okay back there?!"

"Yeah!"

"Okay!"

Blue looked back at Moon's house. "Blue!" she heard someone bellow.

"Moon?!"

"Hurry! Hurry, you three!"

Yuliana spotted Connie behind Moon in the doorway. "Connie!" the princess cried.

"Yuliana!"

The trio finally arrived inside. Gasping for air, Blue walked towards the rug. Moon lifted it, revealing a trapdoor.

"Go ahead."

Blue glanced at Moon and then back at the trapdoor. She opened it and hopped inside. The duchess was greeted by Sun.

"Hiya."

"Hello," replied Blue. "Wow, this doesn't look like a basement at all."

"What do you mean?"

"Like it doesn't look like those ones in the movies."

"Oh," Sun muttered. "Anyways, feel free to.. wet the beds Moon prepared."

Connie and Yuliana had come down and settled on a couch. Blue looked down at her wet apparels. "Oh right."

The duchess hopped onto a single-sized bed. Moon had climbed down with her book. Red was the last one to come down. He approached Blue's bed and raised an eyebrow. "Tired?"

"Well, duh. You aren't?"

He sat on a bed beside hers. "Nah."

"You took like three showers today."

"Actually four."

"Aha.." she turned her back on him.

"You alright?"

Blue took a blanket from the bed table and covered herself with it. "Yeah. I'm just worried."

"Thanks, Blue."

"You're welcome."

He half-smiled. Moon came over to Red while eyeing on Blue's back. "She deserves a rest."

He made a noise of agreement and said, "Blue explained to me what's happening. The Essies and Novarros."

Moon frowned. "How do you feel about it?"

The earl shrugged. "Confused, mostly."

"And kinda surprised for me," Moon added, fiddling with her fingers. "I'll be confronting the Essies."

"Wait."

"Hm?"

Red handed Moon the letter Blue had stolen. "She had forgotten it, so I took it."

The marchioness smiled. "Thank you so much."

"Welcome."

⇺⇻

A hand reached out and covered the glowing sun. The girl smiled in the shadow of her straw hat and dropped her hand. She lifted her chin and her smile faded.

She was on a boat to the Alola Region and heard news that a storm had approached there. The wind lifted her blonde ponytail a bit as she looked up.

Yellow's phone began to ring. It surprisingly her crush, Red Akagi.

She quickly answered it. "Hello?"

"Yellow!"

"R-Red!" she stammered, rushing to find a seat to relax on. "Are you alright?"

"You heard of the derecho storm?"

"Derecho?! Uh, yeah! I've heard of the storm, but not what type it was."

"Oh, I see," he replied. "Is it true you're on your way to Alola now?"

"Yes."

"You can't come."

"But I have to!"

"Why?" Red queried.

Yellow frowned. "I just have to. I'll have my boat stop at Kalos until the storm passes, alright?"

"Okay, be safe."

"I will!"

He hanged up before Yellow could. Her heart dropped. I have to make it on time.

⇺⇻

Yuliana and Connie both sat awkwardly. Moon's question seemed to be playing in their heads: "What're these letters and the news I'm being a fake about?"

"Who told you?" asked Connie. "About the latter."

"Taiyono, obviously. Admit it, Connie. You know I am."

"We're trying to find our father, okay?" Yuliana blurted out, bursted into tears. "The Novarros are the only ones who actually believe that he's alive and well. You Lumanlans have access to a whole other dimension! He's probably in there!"

"That's crazy," Moon grimaced. "We have no such thing. If you really believe that, where's your evidence?"

Connie blinked and Yuliana frowned. Her bluish-green eyes turned into a dull blue as she replied. "I want to believe, marchioness. I want to believe."

"You want to believe in the notorious Novarro family?"

"You don't know how kind they are."

"And you don't know how foolish this is! You are the princess of the Kanto Monarchy! You have been trusted by Kanto's loyal citizens! You should know what the Novarros are known for!"

Yuliana hesitantly wiped her tears that had been hanging onto her cheek. Connie put her hands over her eyes in shame. Red wore a sympathetic look. Blue was sound asleep and Sun was lightly snoring on a tan couch.

Yuliana Essie stood up. "I'm sorry."

"Don't say sorry to me." Moon told her.

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to find my father no matter what."

Suddenly, Blue jumped out her bed and held a pocket knife right in front of Yuliana's neck. "Blue!" Red called out.

"Yuliana!" cried Connie.

"I know now.." began Blue, panting. "I know now.."

"Blue," Moon said calmly. "What do you know?"

"Now I know why! Why you want to see my cousin!"

"Why?" Yuliana asked without any sign of fear in her eyes.

"Because of my family!"

Sun was woken up by everything and sat up. "That explains it."

"What do you mean?" asked Red.

"After Blue's cousin's disappearance and his father's death, Blue's father took over as king."

"Doesn't Blue have other cousins?" Moon questioned. "I mean that's her eldest cousin."

"My eldest cousin was the only child. His wife did not have the blood of the Essies," Blue explained. "My other cousins are from my aunts' families."

"Wait, wait, wait," Red said. "If your father is a brother to Yuliana's and Connie's father, how is he not a Takoizu?"

"Essie is our mother's name," replied Connie. "Our father changed his last name to Essie."

"Why?"

Moon sighed and said. "Issues with his

father caused him to not want to be really part of the monarchy anymore."

"But he was a part." argued Yuliana.

"Yeah, yeah, we know, little princess," mumbled Sun. "Anyways, the Takoizus became the ruling family after that and it is obviously angering these two Essies."

"Shut up!" barked Connie.

Sun shrugged in amusement. "It's true."

"My father is the rightful, ugh, king!"

"Yeah, yeah, keep yakking." Sun whispered to himself.

Suddenly, the storm was becoming loud. "It's here!" hollered Moon. "Take cover!"

"We're in a base-."

"Just shut up or die!"

"Dang, mad woman. Okaaaay."

⇺⇻

Grand Duchess Artemis took shelter in an underground room. In the middle of it, there was a hole.

Pressing the button, which was conveniently next to the hole, a structure emerged out of it. Artemis then placed her hand over the carving of the constellation of Taurus. The structure was a sphere that had a belt filled with all of the zodiac constellations.

The grand duchess's touch caused the Taurus constellation to glow. "One out of twelve to go, eh?"

"Two."

She spun around and glanced up at her brother. "Henry!"

"Out of flesh."

"Out of stupidity."

Grand Duke Henry rolled his eyes and asked her, "Anyways, I just touch my zodiac's constellation?"

"You got it," Artemis replied. "I know this is really bad of me as I am your sister, but I forgot what your zodiac was.."

"No worries. You'll see."

Henry followed the belt around and Artemis went behind him. As they passed Leo, "Oh, I thought you were a Leo."

"Nah."

Moon's uncle stopped at Scorpio. His hand wavered around it and then touched Libra. A light came out of it.

"No way. You're not a Libra."

"Apparently I am."

"Hm.. two out of twelve."

"Yup!" beamed Henry.

Artemis frowned. "I wonder if Moon's alright.."

"Moon? She's fine," her brother reassured her. "She's smarter than you think!"

"I hope."

Henry changed the subject quickly,

"You know it's a derecho storm, right?"

A lightning strike was heard nearby. "Yeah," answered the grand duchess. "Moon texted me."

"You see, I think I know why there's a derecho storm here!" said Henry.

Artemis sighed in disgust. "Ugh, not one of your weird theories again."

"No-!"

"No? They are weird!"

"No, I think this will be my greatest theory ever!"

"Right."

"Come on, Arty! Have faith in me this time!" Henry pleaded.

"Fine. Go on, five year-old."

"I've read of myths of the stars predicting natural disasters. What day is it again?"

"The twenty-seventh." Artemis answered without hesitation.

"Okay. Taurus. Man, it's been a week since your birthday."

Henry ran over to the glowing carving of Taurus's constellation. "Huh.."

"What is it, Henry?"

"You know how the constellation Orion is positioned next to Taurus?"

"Yes," she replied. "Orion is shown raising some form of weapon at Taurus, which is depicted as a bull."

"Exactly. Maybe there's a war in the sky!"

Artemis put her left hand over her chin. "Now that I look back at my memory on that.. the weapon looked like a chicken leg.."

"It's a club. Anyways, what do you think of my theory?"

"Interesting, but not relevant."

"Hah?"

"Never mind what I just said," she told him. "No matter what happens, we need every constellation on this zodiac sphere lit up."

"Let's list people we can get to touch it!"

"..."

"That sounded weird, didn't it? Oh well. Anyways.. Aries?" Henry asked, taking out a notepad he always carried around with him and a pen.

"I've heard Duke Diamond of the Sinnoh Monarchy is an Aries."

"I've heard Yuliana Essie is one."

"Like hell I would invite her to touch an ancient zodiac structure after finding out what she's been doing."

"I feel bad for only giving Moon two letters."

"Two letters is enough for her to figure it out anyways."

Henry made a noise of agreement. "So.. Duke Diamond?"

"Sure."

"Alright. Skipping Taurus, Gemini!"

"Duchess Blue, Duke Pearl, and Marquess Emerald."

"I've heard the new duchess is here!"

"Hm.. okay." Artemis frowned.

"The duchess it is!" Henry kept his smile.

"Time for Cancer! Earl Gold or Marquess Ruby?"

"Earl Gold. He's closer."

"Leo-."

"Earl Red."

"Right.. um.. Virgo! Shall we get Marchioness Sapphire or Baroness Whitley?"

"Baroness Whitley is closer.."

"Alright! The baroness it is! Skipping Libra.. we have Scorpio! Princess Platinum and Marquess X."

"The princess always comes here once a week. So probably her."

"Okay! Um. Now we have Sagittarius..!"

"No choice but Earl Green."

"We both obviously know who Capricorn will be."

"Moon."

"Moon!" Henry shouted. His sister bursted into laughter. Seconds later, he joined. "Aha.. but seriously, why'd you name her that?"

"Hey, it's a pretty name to me."

"Says the one who's named after the moon goddess."

Artemis wanted to throw something at him at that very moment. "Anyways.. Aquarius?"

"We have Grand Duchess Y, but we do have our sister."

"Ah, Stella! Haven't really had a real conversation with her.."

"Stella's spoiled. That's for sure. But we gotta trust her for this."

"Okay! Pisces?"

"Countess Yellow."

"Alrighty!"

Artemis walked away from Henry and took a seat. Her brother raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the right.

"Arty? You alright?"

"Yes! No. Maybe..?" Artemis said. "I just feel so bad for calling people over just to touch a sphere belt. Especially after a storm like this is happening."

"Arty?"

"Hm?"

"Why are we doing this? Like why is it so important?"

Artemis looked down at her feet.

"The Novarros hid something in this sphere."

"Why can't we break it?"

"I dare you to try."

⇺⇻

"Moon?"

Under the table, the marchioness looked around. "Who called me?"

"Me."

"Who's me?"

"Sun."

"Oh, Taiyono! Where are you?"

"Under one of the beds with Red."

"Okay. Now, Blue?!"

"Present." replied the duchess.

"Er. Where are you?"

"Under the bed next to Red's and Sun's."

"Essie?"

"Here!" shouted Connie.

"Yuliana's with you, Connie?"

"Yes."

"Where are you two?"

"Under a desk. The one by the curtains."

Moon glanced up at pink curtains. "Gotcha. Be right back, going to climb back up there."

"Moon! That's reckless!" warned Sun as he watched Moon emerged from underneath the coffee table.

She reassured him. "I'll be fine. Besides, the storm has already passed us."

"Barely." Sun hissed as he heard the storm roar.

Moon hopped off the basement ladder and took a peek at the window. The storm had spared them.

"It's safe to come out now!" she hollered.

Yuliana, surprisingly, was the first one to come out from the basement. Even when she took Moon's hand, helping her come up, she didn't make eye contact with her. Yuliana Essie was ashamed.

Connie Essie came out next along with Red and Blue behind her. Blue thanked Moon with a hug. "Oh! It's nothing, really."

"Just accept my gratitude, Moon!"

"Okay, okay, I accept."

Blue gave her a cheeky smile. "So may I use your shower and borrow some of your clothes?"

"Yeah! Sure."

"Thanks!"

When Blue left Moon, Sun came out. "Heyo."

"Hiya," she replied. "You alright?"

"Yup. At least I think so."

Moon let out a chuckle. "Ha! You look exhausted."

"I do?"

"Yes you do, Taiyono. Oh.. and also, you have extra clothes?"

"Two sets in my backpack," Sun told her. "I'm letting Red use one."

"I should buy you some extra clothes. Two sets aren't good enough.."

Sun made a shoo gesture. "Nah. I'm alright. I can buy my own."

"I have a weird request — if you don't mind."

"What is it?"

"Hug?"

Sun's cheeks turned a light pink. He had never hugged a girl before; let alone any female - except his mother, of course.

"Oh! Okay?"

Moon read the expression on his face. "I see.. never hugged a girl before?"

"It's obvious?"

"I've never hugged a boy before to be real honest with you."

"So.. uh.."

Moon wrapped her arms around his neck and went in for a hug. Then she said to his ear. "My mother once said that hugging make people feel better."

"She's right." he whispered back.

"She's always right. Anyways, don't let anyone see Zodiacal Keys. Alright?"

But before Moon could let go of him, Sun pushed her back against him. "Wait, what? Is it that important?"

"Yes," she hissed. "I found something really interesting in there."

"Oh okay."

"By the way.. you pushed me really hard.."

Moon drew back her arms and half-smiled. She left Sun in the living room with the Essies.

⇺⇻

"I saw that, Moon! I saaaaw that!"

"You saw what?"

Blue was brushing her hair with the help of a mirror as Marchioness Moon sat on her bed. "I saw that hug!"

"Cool."

"Cool? No. Romantic."

"Romantic?" Moon deadpanned. "No. That's disgusting."

"So! What was that hug for?"

Moon couldn't tell her about her telling Sun to hide her book from plain sight. "Well. He looked a little.. off. My mother said hugs make people feel better."

"What do you mean by off?" Moon could tell the disappointment in Blue's voice.

"Well.. he was unusually exhausted."

"He's your heeeeero~!"

"Shut your mouth."

"Dang. Okay, okay. But isn't he the one that saved you?"

"Eh."

"What's 'eh' for?!"

"Blue. Just stop please."

The brunette gave her a small smile. "Hey. I'm just glad that you seem happier ever since you've met him. You seem more confident and more emotional. It's craaaazy! It's like a new moon!"

"Oh."

"Moon?"

"Was.. that obvious?"

"Heck yeah!"

"Blue. You should be psychologist."

"And you, my friend, should be a doctor!"

"Wanna duel tomorrow?"

"Dunno if I'm gonna stay for tomorrow."

"Hm? Why?"

Blue sighed and hopped onto the bed. "My mother gets worried about me a whole lot and I hate it. I bet Red's been instructed to have me back in Kanto as soon as possible."

"Why is it always Red?"

"Yellow travels and sleeps a lot. Green hates me and does a lot of things.. his way. And Red is happy enough to travel all this way for me."

"And why is that?"

"It's 'cause he's too nice to say no."

"Oh I see."

"Anyways, I do kinda understand about how my mother can be worried about me. I worry about my friends a lot, too. It's a natural thing to me."

A knock on Moon's door sounded. "Who is it?" asked Blue.

"It's us."

"Taiyono? And who's with you?"

"Red."

"Come on in."

Sun opened the door and the two boys entered. "The Essies left."

"Geez, without a thank you to Moon?"

Red tilted his head. "Weeell, Connie told me to say thank you for her. Her sister is pretty bossy."

"I see," Moon said, looking down at her phone. "We need to see my mother."

"Moon?" Sun asked.

"She just texted me to get to her castle immediately."

"An emergency, eh?"

"Presumably."

⇺⇻

Henry nudged his sister. "Hey, wanna hear this new theory I have?"

"No."

"It's Opposite Day! That means yes!"

"What?"

"It's Wednesday."

"Ugh."

"So! I have a theory on that-."

"Mom! Uncle!" a voice interrupted.

Henry blinked. "You sure got here fast, Moon."

The girl was panting along with the others behind her. "Mom said it was urgent."

"Arty! Seriously?"

"I just hate you and your theories," she remarked and then turned to her daughter. "Moon, you remember this?"

She squinted at the zodiac sphere. "Yeah.."

"We're filling it up now. Touch your zodiac."

"Wait," Blue said. "The zodiac sphere actually exists?!"

"Yup!" Moon beamed. "Touch your zodiac!"

Blue went straight to hers and palmed it. The carving of Gemini's constellation glowed. Red did the same for Leo.

"Taiyono, touch yours!"

Sun and Moon touched their zodiac signs at the same time. Both of their carvings glowed up.