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Sonia’s eyes cracked open with much effort, and a puff of dust and dried skin and saliva came billowing out as she coughed. She wheezed and dry-retched in a painful struggle to breathe. Everything she did emitted constant pain. Her skin cracked open and a strange looking fluid seeped out when she moved her arms. It didn’t take much, and she didn’t have the strength to lift them very high. She couldn’t even speak. All she could do was moan in agony as she struggled to sweep her gaze around the room.

It was comforting to see that Gran was still where she’d left her. An expression of painful worry was sculpted on the old woman’s stony face, her hands held over her heart.

The hall was quiet and dark, and for the first time, she actually properly examined the great hall. Unlike the remarkably beautiful Church in the Sunny City, this one had no carpeting. The floor was polished, but bare. The pews were cracked and faded, with some of them pulled up out of the floor and tossed aside.

“Why did the evil queen choose this church for the king and his family? After realizing that this cathedral is actually modeled after the Silver Queen’s place of worship, it would make sense that the evil que…I think I remember the king calling her Breillia, lets refer to her as such from now on. Breillia obviously became upset about something that had to do with the king and the goddess of light, but what? Maybe the king and the silver queen stopped fighting. I know it has something to do with Sara in some way. Gran had said that Sara was somehow the catalyst for the end of the war between gods. Of course that obviously didn’t last long thanks to Breillia and her selfish schemes. I still don’t know much about all this, but I’m starting to piece at least a little bit of the puzzle together. So far, I know this…

* The King and Silver Queen were fighting, and then they stopped for reasons unknown

* Breillia became furious about something and cursed the royal family as the result of the truce between the king and goddess of light.

“That’s all I know, at least that's all that I think I know. Rumors are just rumors until proven true. So until then, this is all speculation. I don’t really know if it was a truce between the king and the silver goddess, but I do know that whatever happened between them, transformed the god from a demon lord to a benevolent king. Or at least it seems that way. It turns out that he’s still referred to as the Demon King according to Lucy. He didn’t look all that demon like when I was with him, but that could just be the nature of the dream he is currently under. At the moment, he’s still subject to the curse and not in full control of himself. So who knows what he’s truly like. But Gran, if he's anything like his mother, then he should be just as good as he seems.”

Sonia rolled her head in agony back and forth, moaning. There was nothing she could do but to wait until her divine soul naturally healed her flesh, which seemed to be taking a little time to complete. She felt like a mummy coming back to life after thousands of years of sleep

“How long have I been gone, and why is it that I come back looking like a Halloween prop?”

“You know, now that I’m mentally processing all the pieces, I still don’t know how I fit into all of this. Why me? Not that I’m complaining. Jumping through the clouds was actually quite exhilarating. Who would believe me if I told someone that I could do something like that? But still, why did celeste choose me? And how did she find me? She's from an entirely different world. Dimension, even! And, if I’m supposed to be the Silver Queen, what happened to the original? Why did she disappear? There are still some unanswered questions, but what else do I have going on in my life but to play godly sleuth? Am I enjoying myself too much? It’s all been a bit too surreal for my head to be grounded in reality.”

First, divine light started showing through the cracks of her skin, as well as her eyes, mouth, nose, and ears, and then her whole body showed with a bright healing aura. Her brown hair and tan skin was restored, and as the light faded, she was whole again.

“Wow, let’s try not to do that again. How long have I been gone? I thought it had only been a day and a half at least. Would my body really weaken that quickly? That’s nuts! It looks like Twelve hours will be my limit goal from now on.

Sonia hopped down from her throne and slowly paced up and down the length of the hall, deep in contemplation. When she first realized that she was an immortal woman, she thought hard about what her future would look like. To live for an eternity would be meaningless if it wasn’t filled with something that gave her purpose. What would she do with herself, and what kind of person did she want to be?

“Trying to figure out what you wanted to be in highschool was hard enough, but to be a goddess with a clean slate is tough to say the least.”

Sonia chewed her fingernail anxiously. Was the slate really that empty after all? All evidence suggested that she was quite possibly an important deity.

The Silver Queen.

Why did they call her that? Was she an actual queen? Either way, not only is she worshiped by entire nations, but even gods worship her. Remembering the image of Gran bowing low in her honor was something that made Sonia feel uncomfortable. She didn’t feel like she was worth that kind of attention. After all, she was just a dirty, pathetic waste of space. At least that’s what she was raised to believe.

Sonia liked what the Silver Queen represented. It seemed to her that she was an incredible figure of leadership that took great pride in her role. She loved and was loved.

Sonia sighed. To love and be loved.

“But the Silver Queen was a warrior that fought and earned the respect that’s given to her. I haven’t done anything. I don’t deserve such praise and respect. But,” Sonia turned to face the throne. “I have to go back and see Lucy. She has a curse of her own, and who better to help and guide her than her goddess?” She smirked playfully.

“I want to help her, I want to be there for her. I feel as if we were meant to meet. Didn’t she also say that she had a reaction from praying? Could it be that her prayer brought me there? Is that why I arrived there instead of Celestia?”

Sonia ran to the throne and hopped lightly into her seat. If it was the power of Lucy’s prayer that brought her there, then how could she possibly deny her? No, she had to go back. Sonia willed herself to sleep and before long, she was back in Kalitos.

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Sonia loved the striking beauty of the Sunny City. Everything about it gave Sonia the feel of a European fairytale. From the cobbled roads and the neat bricked buildings, to the people and their busy lives. Early in the morning, the people silently began their day. The shop keepers set up their stalls, while passersbys walked their dogs.

Steam drifted from hot mugs and warm breaths while the sun slowly came into view through the Black Forest trees. The city slowly came to life before her eyes.

Sonia sat on the roof of the Sunny City’s beautiful cathedral, watching as the city roused from its slumber. She sat there, watching and thinking with her knees hugged close to her chest. She hummed a soft tune as she rocked back and forth on her perch.

She imagined the city during a time before war and conflict, before the great battle between gods shook the world. During a time when the city was ripe with rich success. How much more beautiful would this city be if its people smiled and laughed. How lucky the Silver Queen was, to have been able to be loved by such people, from such a city.

“Am I the goddess of this city? Is it true that the Silver Queen often visited this place freely? I can’t wait to see and witness what it must have felt like. I hope, with all my heart, to see it come true.”

The people of this great city never smiled, never laughed or sang. Sonia quickly learned that all the people wore a permanent frown. And especially now when their home is threatened by plague. They toiled and labored for what seemed to be for nothing. They struggled to meet the demands of the black knights lest they give them their children.

“How I wish I could just reach out my hand and wipe away the plague from their land. What should I do? How do I help them?”

Sonia’s slow, rhythmic rocking became more aggressive as her eyes became wet with tears.

“Some goddess I am. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing, but I can’t just do nothing. What should I do?”

Sonia sprang to her feet upon hearing a voice from the window below her. Rushing over to the roof’s edge, she lowered herself down with one hand, and with the other hand, grasped the window sill. It was Lucinda. She was hunched over the bed where Sonia had been sleeping the night before. Lucy felt around the disheveled blankets with worry, thinking that maybe Sonia had snuck out and left her. She called out to Sonia, her voice cracking with heartache.

“Sonia!”

Sonia climbed into the window, surprised at Lucy’s heartfelt reaction to her absence.

“Lucy! It’s okay, I’m here!”

Sonia ran to her friend and threw her arms around her.

“I’m here, Lucy. Please don’t worry. I’m not ready to leave just yet.”

Lucy blushed with embarrassment.

“Sonia, you must think of me as a weak fool.”

“No, of course not!”

“It’s just that, you’re the closest thing I’ve had to a friend in all my life. I’m not ready to let you go.” Lucy cried.

“And neither am I.” Sonia replied, brushing her white hair from her bright pale skinned face, her divine blue eyes twinkled with tears.

“And besides,” Sonia began,“this is the most comfy bed I have ever slept in.” She said, leaning back and fanning her arms out behind her, feeling the mattress beneath her hands.

Lucy looked toward her under raised eyebrows.

“I don’t know what beds you’ve been sleeping in, but that one gives me back aches like you wouldn’t believe.”

Yeah? Well, I’ll take crooked springs over a hard floor any day”

“I’ll give you that.” Lucy laughed.

“So what’s on the agenda today?”

Lucy threw a bundle of clothing at her.

“After you put these on, we’ll run some errands around the city. Since Grandmother is ill, she can’t go shopping on her own. I hope you’ll like what she picked out for you. I told her your favorite color was blue.”

She unfolded the bundle to reveal an elegant white and blue hooded gown, and after slipping it over her head, she learned that the hood was lined with a soft veil that obscured the face just enough to hide her eyes.

“It’s perfect!”

She rushed over to the mirror, eager to examine her new appearance. It was honestly plain in its design, with long white sleeves and three blue buttons on the white top half, and a light sky blue colored bottom that flowed modestly at her ankles. She pulled over the hood and smiled widely at her veil-covered reflection. The hood itself was form fitting, which stretched over her head comfortably. She couldn’t see her face or her striking blue eyes beneath the light blue fabric. It was truly perfect.

“I bet you nobody will even remember the dress’s original purpose. This dress used to be worn by those who served within the church, long ago. With it, you’ll be able to walk among the people without the fear of being judged. My grandma also said that you’ll most likely encounter the opposite. She thinks that you may even gain the attention of the boys who’ll see you as mysteriously elegant.”

Lucy held out her hand.

“Shall we go?”

“Certainly.”

Sonia knew that at night, her skin had a glow to it that would’ve been obvious even with her new clothes, during the day, however, it was hardly noticeable. She imagined she must look a bit eerily pale, but otherwise no one seemed to care, which was relieving.

For the better part of the day, they had spent walking the streets from shop to shop, purchasing the necessities Lucy’s grandmother required. Lucy held the bags of goods while Sonia led her by the arm.

Once the sun had reached its peak and casted its golden rays through the clouds, the light that caught the giant crystal starburst atop the lighthouse sent gentle sparkles of greens and blues throughout the city, which shimmered and danced on the building walls and cobbled roads. Sonia had never seen anything like it or even read anything close to it in the books she read the time she spent home alone. She loved it here. The Sunny City was a fitting name. Although, the people were a different story.

The streets were full for the most part, with people coming and going, but Sonia couldn’t tell if the people were busy with work, or if they wandered aimlessly with no purpose. Nobody smiled, not a single one of them. The sight of the city’s pitiful state, broke Sonia’s heart. And again, the feeling of helplessness came over her as she was forced to walk past the dispirited, broken people.

“The people, what would it take to make them smile? What would it take to light up their eyes with happiness?”

Lucy halted abruptly, and thought for a moment, squeezing Sonia’s hand tighter as she struggled to say it.

“The lighthouse.”

“What?” Sonia asked, looking up at the massive structure in the distance.

Lucy’s enchanted metallic blindfold glinted in the sunlight. A tear fell from behind it.

My grandmother told me that the lighthouse would light up whenever the Goddess visited the city. It is said that when it is fully lit, the light can be seen by all the cities in Pheiren, and people from all over would come to see her, even other gods. But, the gods have abandoned us, and none of them answer our call. If the lighthouse was lit, I’m sure it would give the people the hope they need to smile again, for a short time, at least. We still have the plague and the black knights to deal with.

“I see. Then why don’t we light it up? The lighthouse, I mean.”

“We can't.” Lucy said wearily. “Do you think that I haven’t thought of it? Unfortunately, there’s no way to reach the top. It is literally a tower with no doors to enter and no stairs to climb. No one has ever been up there, except for the Goddess. The lighthouse hasn’t been lit in over five hundred years. There isn’t anyone left alive who has seen its glorious light. If only we could light it, I’m sure it would wake the people from their depression. I love my people and my city. I would do anything for them. If only I could find a way to climb the tower walls.” Lucy sniffled and took in a deep breath. There wasn’t a single moment when she hadn’t thought of her people and their pain.“Hey, there’s a place I want to go before we head back. A place that serves very fine tea. Would you like some?”

“Oh, yes! I’ve never had tea before.”

“Wonderful.” Lucy’s voice lightened and her demeanor rose with delight as they set off toward the teahouse, where Lucy’s favorite person serves her favorite cup of tea.