Two young girls run through a cloudy-filled forest, and amid those clouds hidden in the sky's upper reaches hangs the full moon's glimmering shine.
The girl running in front looked around the age of 10, with dark skin, silver-colored moon-like eyes, and medium-black hair.
Her hair was neat where her bangs weren't covering her face, and each strand was meticulously arranged in a nice-looking fashion as if someone had been taking care of it.
Other than her hair, Her appearance was seemingly ordinary; there were no scars or any points of concern or interest, but clothing-wise, she wore a short, dirty blue tunic with a silver sash tied around it, plain brown pants, and black boots. On top of her tunic, she had on a brown cloak. Around her neck, she had a peculiar necklace shaped like a crescent moon with a suspicious yellow glow that seemed to react to the moonlight.
The other girl running slightly behind her looked about the same age.
She was of pale white skin, with yellow colored sun-like eyes, though you could only see one of her eyes as the right one had been covered with a cotton pad patch; the patch had two straps attached that were around her ears.
She had medium blonde twin-tails with pretty ribbons attached on both sides of the twin-tails and had a distinct sun-shaped hair clip that glowed blue as it reacted to the moonlight.
Compared to the other girl, she dressed pretty nicely, wearing a beautiful dress while wearing luxurious shoes, and atop that dress was an identical-looking cloak to the brown cloak the other girl was wearing.
But even with that cloak, her overall appearance was like that of a rich girl compared to the other girl, who looked more like someone who lived in poverty.
Though their pursuers couldn't be seen,
Both girls ran urgently as if whatever was chasing them was lurking through the dark forest, waiting for them to slip up or slow down.
Fear and panic were written all over the girl's faces, and that fear overtook any exhaustion either girl felt.
As each step hit the ground, they ran faster and faster, their tiny heartbeats pounding in unison, eyes locked only forward, almost as if they looked even an inch backward. The forest's darkness would consume them, and they would be lost forever, unable to reach their destination.
A few minutes of running passed, and the blonde girl slowed down as exhaustion finally caught up to her body.
"Luna. I'm sorry I can't keep- up anymore.."
As she could slow down no longer, the girl fell to the ground, her body splayed on the ground in exhaustion.
And upon her collapse, Luna stopped running and turned back instantly. Rushing to her companion's side, she got to the ground and started shaking her urgently.
"Come on, Sol, get up!"
"Please, you gotta get up!"
Luna looked around, and all she could see was the forest's darkness, but it was way too quiet; not even an animal, monster, or insect sound could be heard.
Luna hated the silence; it felt wrong and made her uncomfortable and anxious.
She turned back to her partner, who was still out of it due to exhaustion.
She gently rolled her over to be on her front instead of her back.
She listened for her heartbeat, which was pounding loudly which almost matched how hard she was breathing.
Luna knew Sol needed rest; she was never as physically capable as her, and for how long they were running, she was well aware that Sol was pushing herself beyond her limits.
Luna cared deeply for Sol and wanted her to get rest, especially since Luna was the one who forced them into this predicament, but in her mind, she knew they couldn't afford to stay here; if they even waited a little bit to stop and catch their breath, their pursuers would definitely catch up, and it would be over for the both of them.
And the fact that they ran away would lead to a far worse punishment than either had received.
And so, without thinking about it, she put one arm around her legs and the other on her back, holding her high enough and placing her arm/hand in a way that her head was secure and didn't fall back due to her unconsciousness, then she began to pick her up effortlessly.
Once she was in her arms, she began her journey forward.
Walking ever so slightly to make sure Sol didn't fall over.
As she pressed on with Sol in hand, she thought to herself.
"I guess this is the one time I'm glad for how freakishly strong I am; I doubt I could've carried Sol with ease like this otherwise.
Though she is a lot lighter than I expected, I guess she's always been a dainty princess, even though she tries to be anything but a princess who needs my protection…"
"Protection… protect."
Luna looked at Sol's sleeping face; she looked peaceful.
Luna smiled a little, thinking back to a memory of when she was still back in the "orphanage."
Now, the orphanage was huge in both the interior and the exterior; it was almost like an idyllic castle surrounded by a beautiful garden of wonder.
In that garden of wonder were several places that looked right out of a fairy tale and various locations for the kids to explore, but the place where this incident took place was the reasonably big playground area the kids went outside to play in.
It happened on a bright, sunny day, and on this particular day, Luna wasn't playing on the playground but somewhat closer to the orphanage, tossing a ball back and forth to a boy under the shade the building provided.
The boy in question wore a similar tunic as Luna, except it was long-sleeved, whitish yellow, and had a cute pattern of giant sunflowers embroidered around it.
Besides his tunic, he wore plain white long pants with a similar sunflower embroidery (but the sunflowers were much smaller) and sandals.
The boy in question had unique features like his heterochromia, with his right eye being blue and his left being green, his mole under his left eye, his short white hair and his ashen skin made him look like he hadn't stepped in the sun before which he had due to a sun allergy he was born with.
But the most important feature was the little freckles around his face, which Luna used as a nickname. She called him freckles.
The freckled boy held tightly to the ball they had been tossing.
The ball itself wasn't too big, but holding it with two hands wouldn't completely cover it, and it had a softness to it that, if thrown, it would bounce off and not harm you.
As the boy gripped the ball, he brushed his thumbs interchangeably, almost as if he was fidgeting and wanting to say something to Luna, who had been patiently waiting across from him with a curious expression, wondering why he hadn't thrown the ball yet.
But in the next moment, the boy finally spoke
"You know, you don't have to keep doing this?"
"Do what?"
"This."
The freckled boy said
"Keep spending every day with me. I know
you'd rather be spending your time with the others."
The boy looked over, turning his body slightly to face the bright sun in the sky, which was somewhat obscured by the roof that was providing the two kids shade
He looked down in disappointment
"If it weren't for my stupid sun allergy, we could be playing with the others right now."
He looked back toward Luna.
"They're probably playing something much more interesting than what we're doing now."
He said as he threw the ball over to Luna.
Luna caught the ball and glanced at the playground; seeing the other kids out having fun, she shrugged and turned back to the boy.
"Honestly, I wouldn't worry so much freckles.
The kids over there play the same thing every day, and it gets dull after a while.
With you, there's something new to do every day," she said with a smile.
"Like?" The boy responded inquisitively
Luna thought for a moment
"Like tossing this ball to each other," she said with a grin of sarcasm before passing the ball back over.
The boy rolled his eyes. "Haha, hilarious. I was serious, you know."
*They proceeded with their cycle of ball tossing as they continued their conversation*
Luna chuckled, happy her teasing worked.
"I know, I know, but I meant what I said. There are so many things to do with you, like reading books, learning new things about nature, and getting to know so much more about the world around me.
You're like an infinite source of knowledge, man."
The boy blushed
"Y-You think so?" he said
"Yeah, and better yet, you're extremely skillful. Like how you know so many skills like knitting, survival, and cooking!" Luna said boastfully
"Even though I'm no good at those things, you were still patient with me.
Hanging out with you is a lot of fun!
Maybe you can't hang around in the sun like the other kids, but those kids don't even know what they're missing over here!".
Upon catching the ball, the boy felt flustered but perked a smile as her genuineness made him happy.
"Thanks, Lu, you always know how to cheer me up, and I'm glad we're friends," he said embarrassingly."
The boy kept the ball in his hands.
"Though speaking of friends, why doesn't Sol join us?
Luna looked over at the big garden a little ways away from the playground, an untouched area closed off from the sounds of the children playing, and in the garden was Sol tending it and meticulously taking care of each plant with care.
Luna unknowingly smiled with a sense of admiration
"Sol?… she loves caring for the plants, so I wouldn't worry about her."
The boy walked over to Luna and looked at Sol for a clearer view.
"But wouldn't she enjoy playing with us? It looks lonely over there."
Luna looked at her meticulously and noticed the loving smile on her face; she sighed happily.
"That's the thing with her; she isn't alone."
The boy eyed Luna. He was perplexed.
"Huh, what do you mean?"
Luna looked out stoically.
"Each plant in that garden is one of her friends, and since no one looks out for them, she has to.
It may sound weird, but she loves caring for people and things, always looking out for them even when no one cares.
And that's part of why… I love her so much!"
Luna looked adoringly at Sol, looking past the world and forgetting her friend beside her.
The boy just stared at Luna, bewildered
"Love her?"
"Like you want to marry her?" He said inquisitively
Luna brought her focus back to the conversation at hand.
"Marry? What does that mean?" Luna asked
The boy thought of a way to explain it to her and referenced a book they both love.
"Like what Van and Lilian did in the prequel to the Land of Gods."
Luna was a big fan of that novel, so she instantly understood what he meant.
"Ohhhh, like that?" Luna thought about marriage; the idea of being together forever with Sol made her cheeks flush red for a second as she lost herself, but she shook her head and regained her composure before the boy could notice.
"Well, I don't know about that, but it's more like I really admire her."
"How so?" The boy responded.
Luna thought for a bit.
"Well, in a sense, she's like the heroine Lilian.
Lilian cares for others deeply, and though she has no power or means to fight, she always does her best to help others. While the hero, Van, is always hung up on the danger of the situation, she charges right in there, helping people recklessly, which causes the hero to admire her.
Sol is similar in that regard; she's always constantly looking out for everyone and taking care of them; she even says the dorkiest things like "No matter what, I'll protect you," and she seems very keen on keeping her word, it's weird, but she finds a way to cheer up anyone. Helping them out of any situation even though she's not that tough, with her, anything is possible, you know.
And to me, because she can do things like that without a second thought-
Luna's gaze became almost intense, beaming with pride
"-makes her so... admirable."
The boy smiled, almost enamored by her genuine admiration for Sol.
"So I guess Sol is your Lilian then?"
"Yeah, I guess so… Luna looked at Sol again, watching her almost trip over a small pebble.
Luna's expression completely changed after witnessing this; she seemed... Angry?
"But though I admire her, her actions also make me… dislike her."
The boy looked at Luna in complete and utter befuddlement, his mouth only opening up to say one thing.
"Huh?" he said aloud, mouth agape.
"Like, sure, the dorky things she says are actually pretty caring and sweet, and she keeps her word, but she always makes careless mistakes and rarely thinks of herself, which causes me to come in anyway and clean up those mistakes.
And when I say she shouldn't worry about protecting me, I'll look out for myself, she gets furious and starts arguing.
If you're going to always act so brave and caring, at least back it up. She's always trying to act so cool when she easily trips over stuff like pebbles; it's so... SO UNCOOL!"
Though Luna seemed angry while talking about Sol, the boy could tell she wasn't actually mad and was ranting more because she cared, and seeing such contradictory behavior caused him to laugh aloud.
"What's so funny," she said, pissed off thinking he was making fun of her
"Haha, nothing. It's just you always complained about Van's relationship with Lilian; you said it was stupid how he could admire someone who was so reckless, but it looks like you're more like him than you'd like to believe."
Though Luna didn't want to admit it, she could see what the boy meant, but instead of agreeing, she refuted his statement, which only made the boy laugh more, causing Luna immense embarrassment.
As they got lost in their conversation, they didn't notice Sol walking by and getting closer to their location.
Sol was on her way to greet Luna and the boy when a red ball seemingly flew towards her and hit her in the back of the head, landing on the floor.
Though it caused her no harm, the impact could be heard by Luna and her friend, which prompted them to look over at Sol and then lock eyes with the person who threw said ball.
The person in question was another boy a little bit older than Luna; his skin tone was also slightly lighter than Luna's.
He stood proudly with his short, fiery red hair, the same color as his eyes and clothes. He wore clothes similar to Luna minus the sash and looked much stronger than the other kids, making you think he may have held back on his throw.
The boy had a maniacal grin, seemingly content about what he had just done.
"So little Miss Perfect decided to come over from her stupid garden today? I thought those dumb plants were all the friends you had, but I guess I was wrong".
The boy laughed arrogantly, seemingly trying to get Sol mad at him.
But Sol didn't get mad; she just faced the boy confidently
"Well, those so-called "dumb plants" are much more interesting than you'll ever be."
"How could those dumb things be more interesting than me?"
Sol smiled a sly smirk as she had another chance to put the boy's ego to the ground.
"Well, for starters… plants help the environment and have things to offer to nature as a whole, then they're actually nice to look at, and each has their own complexities in how they're grown and how they're taken care of, and they have various uses that benefit the entire world.
"What's your point, Miss Princess? Sounds like a whole bunch of nothing to me," the boy said confidently, having no idea what she was hinting at.
Though Luna didn't quite yet understand what Sol was hinting towards, she called her over to defuse the situation.
"Sol, just leave him alone and come play with us."
But for some reason, Sol didn't respond and just continued on.
Which wasn't like her in the slightest.
"Hmm, let's see when we compare them to you…
You not only have nothing to offer to the environment,
You bring nothing of use besides being mean; beyond that, there's nothing remotely compelling or complex about you.
You're just a big bull-"
"That's enough, Sol," Luna interjected as she grabbed Sol's shoulder, trying to get her to calm down.
Luna looked towards the red-headed boy. "Look, Sol didn't mean those things, she's just a little tired,
But Sol didn't stop, nor did she apologize.
Maybe because she was fed up with the constant bullying, it could have been because she really was a little tired that day, or it could've possibly been because something was weighing down on her, and she took it out on the boy, but whatever the reason was Sol shook Luna off and finished what she was going to say as clear as day and as loud as she could
"YOU'RE JUST A BIG BULLY".
All the kids could now hear Sol, and their attention was directed at her and the boy.
Luna looked at Sol and saw her fuming with anger; Luna and Sol had been inseparable, and they knew everything to know about each other, but she had never seen Sol like this.
She's usually calm and collected, always choosing to ignore the boy's bullying and being nice to him regardless, but all she could see was raw anger and maybe a little sadness and regret behind her eyes.
This left Luna in surprise, and though thoughts of why she would act this way passed through her mind, she didn't have time to give it any thought as there was something more important to see.
Not a single child moved a muscle as they all stood like statues, anticipating the boy's reaction. The silence of the environment around them was felt, and even the chirping of the birds or the blowing of the wind was ignored as no one let out as much as a word.
Luna turned over to the boy to see his face clearly.
The boy was always the loudest in the room, but he said nothing for once. He didn't make a sound but didn't have to, as his face conveyed everything he felt. He seemed shocked; his eyes widened as he had never seen Sol like this, but her words cut through to him, though he couldn't tell if she meant it.
They were sharp, like knives stabbing clean into his chest, and being who he was, he didn't know how to handle his current feelings.
He was so used to oppressing others, but no one ever said anything that harsh, that mean, that hurtful.
The sting of hurt was all he could feel, so he finally broke the long silence and muttered to himself, "If someone hurts you… You pay them back in kind…"
The moment he stopped speaking, all that lay on his face was a quick look of fury as he darted off towards the garden Sol had meticulously taken care of.
No one knew where the boy was heading when he started to go, but as they all soon realized it was already too late, all that was left was a look of horror on all the children's faces as the boy trashed the entire garden in rage, leaving no plant surviving.
All Sol could do was watch as her "friends" were mercilessly destroyed right in front of her, and she could do nothing about it; she stood in shock, and then tears welled up in her eyes. She tried wiping them up, but more and more came each time, and soon, it was a flood, and everyone could see it.
She didn't want anyone to see her like this, so she turned and ran away, briefly meeting Luna's eyes as she stormed off back inside with buckets of tears in her eyes, her voice riddled with sadness.
Luna knew Sol shouldn't have said what she said; no matter what she was going through, her words were harsh, even if they had a grain of truth.
And though the boy was doing something unforgivable, it was in retaliation for what Sol said.
Both their actions were not their fault, and both shouldn't have done what they did, but when Luna saw Sol's eyes, she saw something new.
She saw another face she had never noticed before in Sol.
The face of a little girl who could cry and get angry just like her.
Sol could help anyone and would do anything to do it; she had immense bravado and bravery, which Luna greatly respected her for (not that she would ever tell her)
But after seeing this, Luna realizes that despite all her courage, Sol too can cry, Sol too can get frustrated, Sol too needs help, and Sol too can be... ugly.
Luna stood silently, deeply ruminating on her thoughts, thinking to herself.
"You would always shrug me off when I wanted to help you, but now I'm sure... that.. you definitely need me!"
At that moment, the boy confidently walked out of the garden, beaming with twisted pride after wrecking the place Sol had put so much effort into.
He looked at Sol running inside and smiled with that same sinister confidence.
"Look at that! The high and mighty princess can dish out all those harsh words, but once someone destroys her stupid plants, she becomes a crybaby!"
He cackles to himself
"Serves you right, stuck-up princess"
His laughs stayed at the same volume, but each consecutive laugh rang louder and louder through Luna's ears; his cackles infuriated her as she began to stare at the boy more and more intensely, and as her eyes fiercely stared in hatred, something else welled up inside her, almost like a spark that was stirring alongside her malice towards the boy, a small dark energy was growing like a flame inside her heart. But suddenly... it stopped, for some reason, dying out as quickly as it began to rise.
Luna glared madly at the boy as his final laugh echoed through her ear. Luna ran at him full speed as he laughed again, pummeling him into the ground and starting a fight between them.
Amid the chaos, all the kids intervened in the fight, trying desperately to get them off each other, which signaled the freckled boy to get the orphanage workers.
After some struggle, the workers broke the two kids up.
Though the two were banged up and a little bruised, the fight was over faster than it had started.
The two got sent to be patched up, and everyone returned to their rooms.
Night came, and by this time, Luna was already patched up; her bruises were bandaged, and she felt embarrassed after causing such a scene, but regardless, she headed back to her room, where Sol would be waiting for her.
As Luna got to the door, she reached out her hand to the doorknob and hesitated, not sure how to explain the situation to Sol, but also wanting to avoid getting reprimanded for how foolish her actions were.
But then the memory of Sol's crying face popped up in her mind; the tears in her eyes felt vivid and intense, and at that moment, Luna put aside her fears and opened the door.
Luna was invited to a small room with little in it as the door creaked open.
Two beds faced the door with a weird lamp-looking object in between a small drawer that was turned on at the time, providing a light source, and to each side of those beds laid desks that both had little compartments in them that you could draw open to put something in (like a journal or notebook). Both had plain little chairs just right in front of them that stood far from the beds.
The left desk was a little dusty and scratched up. All that stood on top of it was a stack of novels and a cute stuffed bunny that looked roughed up, with the only thing keeping it together being the various sewing patches around different areas of the rabbit.
Despite being worse for wear, the rabbit looked loved and cared for.
The desk to the right looked barely even touched in comparison; it was super clean and neat, and all that lay on top was a sewing machine with various cute-looking threads next to it.
Luna entered the room, looked to the right bed, and saw Sol sitting on the floor, dejected, her eyes puffy from crying. Her knees were up to her face, and her arms hugged them as she faced down, not even reacting to Luna walking in.
Luna stared worriedly; she almost took a step, wanting to go talk to her, till she looked to the left and eyed the stuffed bunny; she smiled and went to grab it from the desk and walked over to Sol.
She sat a little ways from her, plopped down on the floor, crossed her legs, and placed the bunny between her and Sol.
Luna silently faced towards the ground, almost waiting for something, and in just a few seconds, Sol put her head up, locking eyes with the bunny, and then glanced over at Luna with sadness in her eyes, wanting to utter something, but ultimately stopped herself.
Sol pushed the bunny forward and scooted over to Luna, fixing her gaze back forward.
The stuffed bunny was sitting right in front of the two, and Luna and Sol were seated side by side.
Sol finally spoke, breaking the silence.
"I heard what happened… You didn't need to do that, you know; he had every right to do what he did."
Sol's eyes went downward as she spoke depressingly
"It was my fault. You didn't need to get hurt because of me."
Luna stared at the stuffed bunny.
"You know, you had this thing ever since you came here, and despite how much it went through, you always patched it up.
And when I had nightmares or felt scared, you let me borrow it despite how attached you were."
"You always…"
Luna looked over at Sol, still seeing the pain in her eyes, and smiled sincerely.
"You always put your feelings aside to help other people, no matter how you've been hurt in the past, and you faced every challenge and scary situation with a brave heart and a kind smile."
Luna raised her fist and clenched it, fixing her gaze only on her fist. It was beaten up and dirty.
"You helped me when I had nothing and offered your friendship when I needed it the most.
You…"
Luna teared up a little. "Y-You saved me."
Luna's words rang in Sol's ears, and though her expression barely changed, the words were felt in her very soul. It made her… Happy, she smiled a little but raised her head lower, hiding it.
Luna wiped her tears and looked at the wall again, but this time with a gaze of determination.
"What I did may have been dumb, stupid, and crass, but I did it cause you were suffering.
There was something that pained you so much that you took your frustration out on another. I'm sorry for what I did. But I'm not sorry for trying to help you.
So, with that said, I want you to promise something to me."
Luna turned over to Sol now and put out her pinky finger.
"Promise you'll let me help you; promise me that you'll let me protect you; promise me you won't suffer alone anymore."
Sol didn't turn over, but she began crying; her head was entirely up now, and as she wept, she wiped away her tears. Finally, she turned towards Luna and put her pinky out, crossing it.
"I… Promise".
As Luna remembered those words, the distant memory faded away as she set her focus back to the present situation; not much time had passed while she was reminiscing, and though she was silently moving the entire time, that memory kept Luna in thought like it had a hold over her.
But in her silence, she also thought to herself.
Sol.. Ever since the beginning, you have been there for me.
When I came to the orphanage and had no memories or life of my own, you helped me create new memories and forge a new life; it's cause of you that the other kids accepted me; it's because of you that I can look forward to every day, You were always there for me, you stood up for me, and protected me. It's because of you I am who I am now. So now… let me be the one to shield you from danger. Let me save you like you saved me. I won't allow them to take you back to that horrible place. I will-"
Luna looked over Sol with a fierce expression of determination, nodded her head, and gazed back forward.
"I will be your knight in shining armor and your hero!"
Some time passed after Luna's brave declaration, and she looked over to see a distant light through the forest that looked almost like a clearing.
Seeing they were getting closer to the exit, she looked over at Sol and gazed upon her sleeping face once again with excitement spread across her face.
"We're so close, Sol! Soon, we'll be out of this place and find somewhere safe! No more worrying about their experiments and what they plan to do to us, and… we'll finally live that life we promised.
We'll get our happily ever after!"
Luna looked back to the light, even more, excited and, more importantly, more determined than before.
"Finally, it's almost over…" A jumble of memories of all the children from the orphanage flashed through her mind.
Sad memories, happy memories, bitter memories, memories encompassing all kinds of emotions, but in the end, memories of their friendship and her relationship with all of them permeate through her mind.
She was fond of those memories and, more importantly, those people.
"It's because of the help from everyone that I could make it this far… Thank you guys.
I promise we'll be back to get you no matter what it takes."
As she got closer and closer, joy, anticipation, and eagerness took hold of her.
The relief and excitement to be finally out of the forest was all that mattered, her heart beating faster with every step until it was practically racing.
The end was finally near.
However, in her enthusiasm, she failed to notice the signs all over the forest by this point.
The sound of rustling, the lost equipment on the floor, and the metallic rust-like smell of… Fresh Blood.
As Luna took one more blissful step closer to the clearing of the forest, she heard a loud thud like someone threw something and saw the body of a mercenary now displayed on the road before her.
Luna's heartbeat dipped and, for a second, stopped due to fear; the joyful appearance that had once been over her face was now washed in looming dread, but Luna heard more rustling, and instinctively, she hurriedly took cover behind a big tree, making sure her footsteps weren't heard.
She put Sol carefully down right next to her and laid her against the tree.
Once Sol was secure, she peeked over from behind the tree, watching the situation unfold.
The mercenary was clearly fitted out and geared in black armor with a helmet obscuring his face, but some of his equipment was missing, probably from whoever threw him; he was still alive, but he was unconscious, bleeding profusely from around his arm, and he had slashes and bite marks all over his body, whatever got him was probably a vicious animal or even worse some kind of monster.
As he lay on the ground, the rustling from around the bushes continued, suddenly stopping for a brief moment, and in a few seconds of silence, a large, black, shadowy-looking wolf creature stepped from outside of the bushes, slowly walking towards the man-like it was sizing him up or making sure he wasn't a threat anymore.
It carefully surveyed its surroundings, focusing on the tree Luna hid behind.
Luna noticed the wolf staring in her direction.
The wolf was abnormal in size and appearance; it had tons of scars across its black fur and looked almost otherworldly.
But its appearance wasn't what stuck out; it was its terrifying and menacing presence. Luna did know basic survival skills and how to defend herself, but she knew one confrontation with that thing would spell the end for her.
She slowly tried to get a better look at what the wolf was doing, but she noticed it staring in her direction, and in response, she quickly hid.
The wolf didn't see her, but it could tell something was there.
Luna tried her best to slow her heartbeat and breathing, but the wolf didn't turn its gaze away; It fixed all its attention over to her and started its approach toward her direction, each step putting Luna into an anxious panic and as it got almost close to her position, she nearly closed her eyes in fearful anticipation, but took a look at Sol and then looked beside her to see a small dagger most likely lost from the unconscious merc. Luna took a deep breath, and although scared, she readied herself to use it if the wolf found her; just then, the bushes rustled again, but this time, a slight rustle ultimately took the wolf's attention, and it rushed to the bushes. Though Luna couldn't see much from where she was, a small animal's cry could be heard, and Luna took notice of the beast's withdrawal.
Before she could check if it was truly gone, the wolf disappeared entirely, retreating to the bushes, and soon enough, the rustling stopped.
This prompted Luna to get ready to carry Sol again, but as she got ready to pick her up again, she instinctively eyed the small sheathed dagger several times and hesitantly attached it to her sash.
After that, she swiftly took Sol and headed back forward, using the backs of the trees and bushes to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
Before leaving, she quickly eyed the still unconscious merc with worry as she speedily passed him; looking over the merc, she was perturbed about the dangers ahead and if they would get to escape, but she dissuaded these thoughts for Sol's sake.
After some more time had passed, Luna stood near the end of the forest clearing with Sol in hand.
She thought to herself, happy that their suffering was finally over; she gazed at the land before her and spotted a village in the distance. She smiled, grinning from ear to ear, and softly spoke, "It's over, Sol; we're finally free!". All that was between them and freedom was a few steps forward alongside the last few trees and bushes. As Luna took her next step forward… She was interrupted by the familiar cry of a small animal and then accompanied by a pained howl of a larger beast she knew all too well.
With being so close, Luna didn't want to turn around.
She started running full speed towards the exit, but she was stopped by a loud crash from behind and a group of mercs donning the same colors and armor as the mercenary from earlier heading into the clearing.
They were fully geared and combat ready, making them look intimating and ruthless, but they hadn't noticed Luna yet, so she stopped her movement and tried to run back behind a tree as fast as possible, but was met with a silver dagger thrown towards the tree she was heading for forcing her to lock eyes with the person who threw it.
Luna looked over in anxious fear as she saw the once-menacing wolf gushing with blood pouring from its chest, and the cause of the bleeding was a steel sword plunged somewhat slightly through its chest.
The hand holding that sword belonged to another mercenary.
The mercenary was outfitted with the same colors and masked helmet as the other mercs Luna had seen throughout the forest. However, this one was different; they had an aura of viciousness and intent to kill whoever crossed their path, and their figure seemed feminine.
The merc stood with one foot pressed firmly on the wolf's fur in a show of dominance, looking the heavily panting wolf in its eyes. Its blood decorated the grass below as she held onto her sword firmly, not pushing it in to keep the wolf alive.
The mercenary began to speak, and a muffled female voice came from her mouth.
"You know, I expected more from such a vicious beast. From the description from my employer, I thought you'd have more bark in you!!'"
The woman twisted her sword in the wolf sadistically, which made it howl once again in pain, but the woman did it in a way that the wolf would still remain alive almost like she was torturing it.
She laughed maniacally as she twisted it in more and more, now yelling at the dying beast.
"YOU'RE A MONSTER, AREN'T YOU? STOP PRETENDING TO BE A COMMON ANIMAL AND SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF!!!"
The wolf's pained cry grew louder and louder with each twist, making the other mercenaries watching uneasily and silently terrified.
One of the other female mercs watching from the forest clearing moved slightly, getting ready to stop her, but another merc grabbed her shoulder, telling her to let things play out, which she complied with, much to her displeasure.
All the others watching the sadistic display ignored Luna, focusing only their attention on the brutal display in front of them, and Luna herself couldn't move because of the sheer air of terror the woman's presence exuded; she clutched Sol tightly in horror.
Soon, the beast's breathing grew slow; it started coughing up blood and gasping for air as more blood dripped from its chest and splattered its surroundings.
The woman looked over the wolf from head to toe, and, leaving her sword lodged in, she walked around to the side of where its face was, kneeled down, and looked deep into its eyes.
"Any ordinary beast would've been killed by now. This proves that you and I are the same…
So why? Why did you hold back? Why did you choose not to kill any of us? Not fighting us with the intent to kill will cost you your life!"
The wolf slightly moved its head, pointing behind the merc, prompting her to look back to see a smaller wolf resembling the giant creature before her. It seemed almost tiny compared to the more enormous wolf but not small enough to be easily unnoticed.
Its eyes drooped as it whined sadly, trying to get the giant beast to respond.
But the beast only tilted its head toward the woman, gesturing to her to allow them to say goodbye.
The woman watched the wolf pup silently for a few seconds as it cried out for its parent, paying close attention to its sad expression.
It left her motionless and seemed to cool her temper.
"Go ahead and say your goodbyes," the woman exclaimed as she walked away from the wolf, going the opposite way around it so the pup could run to its parent's side.
They nudged and rubbed their heads on each other tenderly, and the giant wolf eyed the woman as she walked away, giving her a look of gratitude. Though she didn't want to accept the beast's thanks, she begrudgingly nodded to show she understood the sentiment.
With the wolf taken care of, the woman turned her focus to Luna; she walked ever so slightly towards her, eyeing her down, which prompted Luna to slowly pull away and walk backward, though the sheer dread of the woman before she kept her from fully running away.
The woman stopped as she reached the tree she threw the dagger on.
She and Luna had a bit of space between them. It was far enough that Luna could quickly run but close enough that the woman could close the gap on her if she did.
She continued to eye Luna, almost sizing her up, not saying a word to her, which only filled Luna with nervous anticipation, but eventually, soon, the woman put her hands up to remove her helmet.
She clutched the thing with two hands, throwing it to the side, and now her face was visible.
She had jet black shoulder length braids and brown skin, her black eyebrows had a little transparent cut through them, and her left eye had a deep scar through it that reached the top and bottom of her eye, but her eye was perfectly intact; The eye itself was violet-colored, but the other one was bright red with a black sclera, which made her look like a demon. She had a few scars around her face, like her nose and cheek, but the rest of her face made her look youthful. It was hard to tell her age through appearance alone, but overall, she looked rough, like a soldier who's gone through combat.
Her eyes looked deadpan and ready to kill, and her expression looked tired but focused; she looked like she was tired of life and joyless; perhaps the only visible detail of innocence was the freckles spread over her face.
The woman pointed at Sol.
"That girl… I need her."
Luna held Sol tightly with a determined, almost angry expression, letting the woman know she would not give her up.
However, her fear of the threat before her was impossible to hide, even though Luna showed no signs of backing down.
The lady glared at her intensely but soon unexpectedly broke into a laugh, mocking Luna's resolve, which confused her, but she still wasn't willing to give Sol up and was ready for what the woman would do next.
Suddenly, she stopped laughing and gave her a piercing, soul-crushing gaze.
Her expression turned sad momentarily as she began to utter her words.
"You know. You remind me of a certain little girl. She was reckless and stupid, but she had someone she cared for and wanted to protect so badly that they would've done anything to protect them."
She began to focus on Luna's expression. Looking like there was something funny yet nostalgic about it
"As a matter of fact, she had that same disgusting look. That false bravery."
She looked over Luna curiously, obsessing over her current expression like she was analyzing her. "When did she make that face again?"
She said aloud as she pondered.
"Oh yeah." She swiftly grabbed the knife from the tree and pointed it at Luna. "It was right when the person she cared about. WAS CUT DOWN RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER." Her gaze twisted, and she smiled sickeningly, which frightened Luna.
"You see, the thing about that girl is that she could never protect him 'cause she constantly deluded herself. She thought she was strong enough to defend the people she cared about, to succeed, and to save everyone. But in actuality, she was always weak. Always a failure, A DISAPPOINTMENT, AND COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY TALENTLESS!
She was a good-for-nothing monster trying so hard to be human. When in the end, she was an ugly little thing seeking her father's approval but hesitated to kill the man that cut him down."
Her words cut deep, and though she didn't show it, Luna almost sympathized with her.
The woman eyed Luna once more with something in mind. She smiled and sheathed her knife in a small pouch on her pants; she then pointed at her right eye.
"This eye is proof that I discarded my own humanity and morals to get the strength I needed to avenge him, I'm now my complete and honest self, and I no longer care what others think, and all I had to do was kill that miserable girl inside of me."
She glanced over at the pouch on Luna's sash, which was similar to her own
"Though I need that girl in your hands, I'm not a fan of hurting children, so I'll give you a chance."
"Take that knife out of your pocket and kill me."
She left herself in an open stance, goading Luna to attack her. "One fatal hit anywhere on my body should do the trick."
Luna immediately stepped back, her face filled with sheer terror and surprise.
"W-why?" She inadvertently responded
"Why? It's simple, if you're anything like that miserable little girl, I want to give you a chance to prove to me that you can accept yourself and truly become a monster.
That you can become like me."
Luna looked at her, sickened by her statement
"You're insane, I won't ever be like you!"
The woman snickered, "But you already are.
Haven't you ever hurt someone you cared about, haven't you ever felt hopelessly useless, haven't you ever.. wished you could do more for her.
Luna's eyes lit up like a candle
The lady smirked. "Bingo," she muttered as she noticed Luna's expression.
"Attack me right now and abandon your humanity to save your friend and live your precious life together,
Or… don't attack me and continue being human, and I'll rip your friend right from your arms."
Though their mission was to retrieve Sol, even the other mercenaries thought the lady's proposition was insane, especially giving that kind of proposal to a child, but as soon as someone tried to interject, the woman glared at them, completely freezing them in fear.
The woman looked back to Luna, almost bubbly and beaming, awaiting her answer. She gave a sick, perverted smile. "So what do you say?"
The woman's proposal was too good to be true. Luna could get the freedom she wished for and save Sol by killing the crazy lady before her.
Luna didn't truly understand what it meant for someone to die. Still, she knew it would be a lot like that wolf in the distance, slowly bleeding out in pain, struggling to stay alive, and the idea of causing that state to another person sent her into a nervous unease, her mind scrambled with various thoughts as she pondered to herself.
"This could be it. We can be free now! No more fear, no more running, no more struggling. It would all finally be over! So why- Why am I scared? Why am I hesitating? All I have to do is grab the knife and plunge into her. So why.."
Luna's entire body was trembling, and her hands shook.
She tried slowly guiding her hand to the pouch but couldn't.
Her mind darted to a far-off memory that seemed blurry and hazy. It was of an unrecognizable young boy on the floor with a broken arm crying on the floor.
"M-Monster!" He cried out. Several children the same age huddled around her, screaming the same thing: "Monster," "Monster," "Monster," "Monster," "Monster."
Inside her memory, Luna looked frightened, cowering in fear and dissuading their remarks, but they didn't stop.
"Monster," "Monster," "Monster," "Monster," "Monster,"
The voices grew louder and louder
"I'm sorry- I didn't mean to. "A woman came rushing in, pushing through Luna and caressing the child on the floor, her eyes full of sadness and unbridled anger. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY CHILD EVER AGAIN. I WILL KILL YOU, YOU LITTLE-"Luna attempted to stop her from finishing her sentence with dread in her voice. "It was an accident! Please, I didn't mean-"The woman ignored her plea. Luna tried to drown out her voice, but she knew the exact words her lips were uttering:
"M O N S T E R".
Luna stepped back, crying out and trying to reject their notion altogether, but she knew they were right. All she ever did was hurt people; today would be no different.
Soon, another memory flashed, this time more vivid.
It was one of her and Sol. They were inside a room together, both sitting on the same bed.
Luna looked depressed, but Sol just smiled, looking over at her.
"Despite what anyone says, you're not, and you'll never be a monster.
From what I'm hearing, you tried to help someone but didn't exactly know your own strength." Luna's eyes lit up hearing her words. She looked over at Sol with full attention. "It's not your fault." a tear rolled down Luna's eyes, and soon she was back to the current situation, now broken down in tears.
"I can't- do it," she whimpered pathetically.
The woman's expression quickly changed to being devoid of any life; her eyes stared with killing intent. She looked disappointed
"Fine," she said as she began to approach Luna.
Luna tried to move her legs and run away, but the woman's gaze and her current condition left her paralyzed, unable to do anything.
The only thing left for her was to accept her fate.
As the woman walked, she could briefly sense a certain air around Luna change, like her fear was manifesting something… she ultimately shrugged it off and continued her approach; just then, a menacing voice could be heard, "Stop."
It said, which stopped the woman in her tracks as she focused on the voice in the distance.
Out came an old-looking man accompanied by a younger-looking man; their appearance was both obscured by robes, but the younger-looking man was focused solely on the large wolf; he didn't see the pup as it was already gone by the time he walked over.
The older-looking man focused on the merc and Luna; he sauntered to be close enough for them to see and hear him.
"And you are?" The woman scowled.
Before the man even spoke, Luna's stomach turned as she vaguely knew this man and knew what his presence meant.
"Who am I? Let's say... I own a particular establishment and could be your future employer."
The woman laughed at his statement, but before she could even say anything, he summoned an ungodly amount of gold from thin air, which landed right in front of her.
"This should be more than what the other guy was paying you, right?"
She raised her eyebrows and gave the man her full attention.
"What do you want, old man."
The man raised his arm and pointed in Luna's direction.
"Those two. You see, they ran away from my certain establishment, and to be brief. I need them back."
The woman eyed Luna and Sol.
"I see," she smiled. "Guess it's your lucky day after all, girl; you get to be with your friend now; what a lucky turn of events for you."
And just like that, Luna's suspicions were proven true; what she feared the most was going to come to pass; her fear turned into complete dread, and a mix of emotions enveloped her as her thoughts went haywire.
Regret: They would have left peacefully if she only did what the woman said. They would've been okay if she didn't even take Sol and run away.
Rage: if she didn't delude herself with notions of saving Sol, they wouldn't be in this situation
Terror: they would be forced to go back to that awful place and be stripped away from each other forever. She might be punished, or they might, even worse, do something to Sol.
Sorrow: Sol would've been taken away, and she can do nothing for her.
And finally… DESPAIR
"You can't take her away from me…" Luna muttered in panic
The woman looked at her funny. "Who said I was taking her away? You're both going-"The woman noticed that same air from before; nothing changed in the little girl physically, but something was definitely happening.
"No, You can't take her!" Luna screamed.
Her focus wasn't on the woman anymore, and she almost seemed to be talking to herself, which made her look crazed.
All the faces in front of her disappeared. She saw many memories of her and Sol together, and finally, the only one she could see in front of her was the old man and his disgusting smile.
A mix of emotions swirled inside of her. Everything she had ever felt paraded her mind until all that was on her face was pure malice and hatred. She looked at the old man and thought of ripping his limb from limb and hearing his screams of hopelessness.
A familiar dark energy slowly surrounded her, but this time, it was visible, and it gradually raged, stopping everyone entirely in their tracks.
Eventually, her energy created a strong wind, slowly pushing everyone away except for the woman in front of her and the old man.
For the first time, the woman looked shocked as she tried to keep from being pushed away.
"What the hell is going on?" She yelled out
But somehow, the old man looked unsurprised, maybe even satisfied with what was happening; the winds blew over him, but he did not budge.
Luna's silver pupils turned bright blood red like they were hungry focusing only on their prey, and the sclera around both her eyes turned completely black; her teeth became razor-sharp fangs that could shred anyone to shreds, and her fingernails became claws hoping to gouge out her victims, large horns sprouted around her head like a demon, and her body was slowly covered by the same dark aura like some shadow being.
"I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HER! NOT AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN!" As Luna spoke, it was like the devil itself mixed with her own voice.. the energy around her became stronger and stronger. The black shadow was almost completely consuming her; she looked like a monster, a demon,… something far worse. A Devil.
Luna's consciousness was slowly fading into her mind, and her actions soon would not be her own; she looked at the man with complete and utter fury like she was ready to go on a rampage at any moment, but just briefly, she looked at Sol. She wanted to shed a tear, but she couldn't. Her body was not her own anymore. She had one final thought: "I'm sorry, Sol." The shadow now completely eclipsed her, and the last of her consciousness faded away…
Now, all that was left was a sea of darkness; nothing of the outside world could be seen anymore.
"Am I dead?" Luna wondered.
Her body floated in the sea of darkness as she looked to be sleeping. She looked like her usual self, and her pendant seemed glowing in bright, warm yellow rays.
"What happened?" Just then, her memories flashed.
The wolf, the woman, the old man, and finally…
"That's right… I couldn't save you… I'm useless, after all… A failure through and through… I tried so hard to not be what they said I was, but in the end, I was anyway… I'm sorry, everyone…" her eyes began to well up, and a streak of tears dropped from her eyes, falling slowly into the infinite darkness.
"I'm sorry… Sol, I said I would protect you, but I couldn't keep that promise after all".
Memories of her life went through her head. She saw her friends at the orphanage, Sol, things she couldn't remember until now, and finally, a baby girl being held up in Luna's arms, smiling at her with Luna smiling in kind, and two other people were in the background, a man and a woman.
Luna didn't know who these people were, but the memory felt nostalgic, and the people in it felt important, but it didn't matter now as she sunk through the blackened sea and her memories began to fade from her.
All she could remember was Sol's face, and that final memory comforted her as she accepted her fate slowly submerging
"I really am a monster after all... An ugly, unlovable monster... Maybe monsters like me... don't deserve happiness... Maybe.
I don't deserve happiness.
That happily ever after?
Maybe it was just an impossible dream anyway. Goodbye, Sol," Luna said as she finally sank deep into the sea, never to be seen again.