Here we go, Book 2! -Luna Ch. 1 "...And that's what happened. Yeah." Luna looked up from her claws, which she had been giving a manicure while telling her story, to take a glimpse at her audience's reaction, and it was exactly as she'd expected: Rue: Amused Kai: Furious Kikyami: Pensive Lloyd: Worried All: Surprised. "Well," Kikyami said at last, breaking the silence, "She could have done a lot worse." "She could've done a lot better too," Kai countered, glaring at Luna. "I mean, she changed the timeline completely. With no regards as to the consequences." Luna rolled her eyes. "In my defense, I totally did HIM," she pointed at her brother, "a favor by taking the role of conduit, as well as the bombardment of visions." "Yeah, thanks so much," Lloyd replied dryly, "Alternate me had better show his gratitude." She stuck out her tongue, then continued her defense. "Look, I get that it may change SOME things, but a lot of the future doesn't depend that much on your visions, if at all. Really, only the stuff with the Blood Moon does, and I'm sure the universe will find a way to correct itself for that." "And if it doesn't?" Kai's fiery gaze was as searing as the power he held. "And don't say it's not your problem. Based on your little souvenir over there," he pointed at the corner of the room, where the prismatic blade leaned against the wall, "I assume you have some nefarious plan to complete back in the other universe. And we all know how much you struggle when things don't go your way." Luna hissed. She hated it when he psychoanalyzed her like that. Before the two of them could go off on each other, Kikyami broke in. "You two can bicker all you want, but in the end, it's up to HER." She pointed besides Luna, and finally addressed the comatose gremlin in the room. Glitch hadn't woken up since they had gone through the portal. Admittedly, it had only been a day, and Luna had been asleep longer when she'd become conduit. She knew it'd be a long time before Glitch would regain consciousness, though. So all she'd have to do was wait, however long it took. "Exactly," she agreed, "Glitch is the one who lives there. Not you, not me. Her. So it'll be her decision when she wakes up." Lloyd nodded. "But I want you to let us know when that happens. From your story, I can gauge she's not done trying to get rid of me- other me, I mean- and I want to try and dissuade her from doing so." Luna groaned, but even she had to admit, it was the best course of action. "Fine. Now go back to the mainland and leave me in my misery." He nodded, and led Kai and Kikyami out the door. "Finally," she exhaled in relief, collapsing on a cushion on the rug, "That was as awkward as ever. Did they grind you like that when I vanished?" Rue sat down beside her. "Pretty much, yeah." She took Luna's hand absentmindedly, stroking it with her thumb gently while gazing at the bed. "How soon until you think she'll wake up?" "I don't know," Luna replied, "She expelled a LOT of energy making that portal. More than what it took me to take in and use the Source Dragon's. So there's no telling how long it'll take her to regain it." "So all we can do is wait, I guess," Rue concluded with a sigh. Luna nodded. "All we can do is wait." And so they did. For five long months, they waited. Between hours of checking for change in Glitch's vitals, they got back into their old routines. Hunting, exploring the island, romantic outings by firefly light, et cetera. But with each passing day, the itch to be free again became more insistent in Luna's body. She felt the spell binding her to the island pulling her down like an anchor, the magical chain flickering into visibility constantly. One night, she found herself trapped in another series of visions. "Yeah, I get it," Luna said through gritted teeth as she watched the pens crumble between her and Glitch's silhouettes' hands, "We're destined to break reality or something. Can you give me a hint as to how to STOP this?" In response, Lunar's form shimmered into view, and the vision faded away, leaving cool darkness in its wake, goddess and mortal alone. Luna growled. "What do you want?" Lunar gave her a half smile. "I think it's more a matter of what YOU want." That stumped Luna. "What *I*--what?" She clenched her fists. "Stop being so cryptic! You CREATED me, at least have SOME sympat--" She paused, realizing something. "Why did you do this to me?" "Well, you know." Lunar shuffled her feet. "I'm a bored teen with no regard for the sanity or happiness of my characters." How one sentence could both melt Luna's resolve and set it ablaze at the same time, she could never fathom. "Wh-so what, I'm destined to SUFFER?" Lunar shrugged. "Depends on how you see it, I guess." "Spirits." Angry tears, unbidden, pricked at Luna's eyes. "You are SUCH a child." She turned away. "Get out of my head." "Luna-" "NOW!" And as soon as she said it, her eyes opened. (continued)
(TvT) From that point on, Lunar didn't interact with her again, but the visions came more regularly, and gradually closer together. By four months back on the island, they were nightly. "Ughhh," Luna groaned after one particularly miserable night. If she was going to be attacked by peeks into the future, shouldn't she at least get more hints each time rather than watching the same thing over and over again? "Morning, babe," Rue greeted as she climbed down to the kitchen. "You want a coffee to get you moving?" "Mmmm," Luna answered, taking the hot mug she was handed and sipping. "Thanks. Can you get those ooze berries we gathered on the stove, medium heat?" "On it." Once the warm, sugary smell started to fill the room, Rue sat down across from Luna, her expression somewhat grave and wholly worrying. "What's wrong?" Luna asked. 'Is Glitch awake? No, that can't be it, it's too quiet... but there's literally nothing else that might be making Rue so serious? Unless it's about me, but...' Rue inhaled, then said, "You know what today is, right?" Luna blinked. "Um. Did I forget your birthday? It IS December, right?" "That's next week, Lu." Rue flicked her wrist. "No, it's the one-year anniversary since we were imprisoned here." "Oh. Yeah." "Lu," she gripped Luna's wrist now, her eyes wild with an almost fearful fire, "I don't want to be stuck here forever. You might outlast me, and even escape someday, but I DON'T want to live out the rest of my life here." Luna nodded, her throat dry. "Okay. I'll try to find a way to escape." "No, you won't just TRY. You WILL. You have to. Even if you have to tear the universe apart to do it." "Why don't you just come with us when we go back to Glitch's universe?" "NO, Luna." Rue had used her full first name. Bad sign. "I want to be free HERE, not in some other reality where I have to relive a whole year of my life without the changes you made to the world." "You think I don't feel the same way?" Luna's voice was rising now, not out of anger, but agitation. Why was she stuck here? Wasn't a year of solitude enough? "But what other choice do we have?!" Rue laughed, like Luna was clueless. "You have the power of a freaking Source Dragon inside you! YOU CAN DO SOMETHING!" "AS I'VE TOLD YOU-" Luna cut herself off. Why was she screaming? Rue had every right to feel this way. "Spirits." She wanted to cry. "Why are we doing this?" Rue's shoulders fell, and she wrapped Luna in her arms. "Because we're fighters. Fighters who can't fit on one tiny island." They hugged for a long time, silent, until Luna shuddered with a long, shaky sigh. "Maybe Glitch was right." "What's that?" "Maybe the best way to deal vengeance is to finish it from the start." || End of chapter 1 || ================== Next: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1374111932 Previous: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1322256607 ================== Characters in order of appearance: Luna Harumi Kai Kikyami Lloyd ================== Chapter 1 written by @Owlfangirl Chapter 1 cover drawn by @Owlfangirl ================== And I thought what I'd already written before moving to this box was long ================== Song: Gods and Monsters (clean) by Lana Del Ray
