|| Cracks || Chapter 3 ☾ Arc 1 ☽ ||

Instructions

*SQUEALS* I love writingggggg -Luna Ch. 3 "You're a monster." "Says the guy who's half turned into one. "I wonder what that says about you?" "Stop it." "Stop what? We're all monsters in the end, Red." His eyes burn with fury and terror all at once. He can't hold back for much longer. "Why not just embrace it, like he did?" "Accepting it and embracing it are two different things." "Maybe. But I wonder... "What happens if you and the monster are one and the same?" And this breaks him, a thousand times over. And suddenly the world tilts and laughs become a silent scream. Then the ground is gone. 'He needs to PAY.' "She's awake." Luna's head snapped up from her near dozing-off. Coffee and Oni-Dragon metabolism had eventually failed her, but those words sent adrenaline coursing through her. "What?" "Glitch. She's woken up." Rue nodded at the doorway to the stairs. "Should we...?" Luna rushed past her, moving up the short flight of stairs and flicking the light switch on when she reached the landing. It illuminated a rigid, gloriously upright figure in rosy light. "Glitch?" She started, her eyes finally focusing and honing in on Luna, recognition flooding her features. "Luna." "Hey. How are you feeling?" Glitch rubbed her temple. "Little dizzy. Where are we? Are we...?" "Yep. Looks like I was right," Luna quipped, "You CAN open inter-reality portals on command." "Ha." Luna's peripheral vision picked up movement on the stairwell, and she moved to reveal Rue. "Glitch, this is my girlfriend. Not sure if introductions need to be made or not." The relief in Glitch's expression was replaced with contempt as she took Rue in. "You." "And there's your answer," Rue sighed, "Hi, Glitch. I hope I didn't ruin your life too badly in your universe." "You still ruined Lloyd's," Glitch growled, then smirked. "Although maybe I should thank you for that, on second thought." She turned to Luna. "I believe you failed to mention that 'Rue' is actually short for Princess freaking Harumi." Luna shrugged. "I came up with the nickname a little while back and it stuck for me." "Right." Glitch's eyes dragged back to Rue, full of suspicion and mistrust. Luna rolled her own eyes. "Please avoid heckling my girlfriend. I don't care what you do in your universe, but in mine, you go by MY rules, got it?" Glitch stuck her tongue out in response, and Luna left them to follow through with her promise to Lloyd. The emergency phone rang for a solid twenty seconds before her brother finally picked up. "Yes?" "Glitch finally woke up." She swore she could HEAR Lloyd blinking in bewilderment on the other end. "Um. Who, again?" Luna twirled her lock of white hair in agitation. "The girl from an alternate universe? Who wants to oof her version of you?" "Ohhhh. Right. Her." She pictured him nodding on the other end, only half recalling this event. "Are you not sleeping or something?" "Pretty much, yeah." "Why? What's happening?" As if on cue, a sudden scream sounded out on his end, and Luna jumped, almost dropping the phone. Lloyd's voice became even more resigned. "And that's your reason. Holly Elizabeth Walker, the bane of my existence as of about a month ago." "WALKER?" It HAD been over a year, but... "What else have I missed?!" "We can discuss that later. Kikyami and I will be there within the next few hours." "Aww, what, no Kai this time?" "No. Also, he says--" Another bout of screams drowned out whatever obscenity Lloyd was relaying to her, and didn't stop until he hung up. So that was that. During the wait, Luna cooked up a meal for Glitch, handed her some new clothes (from Luna's own wardrobe), and showed her to the shower. The water was still running (after a whole hour) by the time Lloyd and Kikyami arrived. While Rue went to get Glitch, Luna led them to the dining room. "I told Rue not to tell Glitch it was YOU here," Luna explained as she set out a plate of cookies, "so I'd recommend being prepared for anything." "Got it," Lloyd replied, examining a cookie warily. Soon, Rue walked in, Glitch a second behind her. Her hair was clean and fluffy, her skin smooth. She seemed relaxed and almost content. That is, until she saw Lloyd. The effect was instantaneous. Glitch sucked in a breath, her shaking hands dropping the towel. She was frozen with a myriad of emotions. Lloyd stepped towards her, opening his mouth. And hers stretched wide in a shriek of pain and rage, half robotic. Ethereal wings spread from her back, ripping through her shirt (RIP) as she launched herself towards him. His own wings blossomed from his back, iridescent scales flashing as they carried him high up and above them, the tall ceiling granting such space to do so. Glitch did a double take, craning her neck to stare at him. And then her eyes registered his missing antler, the specks of purple hiding among his green-scaled tail. Her wings vanished as she asked, "Who is he?" "My brother," Luna answered. "My REAL brother." (cont)