Chapter 22: Luna

　　Luna was surprised to find Elena in an alleyway near Goran`s Tavern. Yet, what was more shocking was the red glow of a second person she had never seen before. They held no form, just an outline of shadows and red light.

　　She vanished and plastered herself to the wall, attempting to eavesdrop. If this was some kind of ploy against her or something for the job, she desperately needed to know about it. Elena had gone on too long, not telling any of her plans.

　　She channeled Yelzar, feeling the tranquility wash over her. His memories were not all peaceful, but the man himself was quite the saint.

　　"You should not be here," Elena`s voice.

　　"It`s imperative you receive this new information," a much deeper voice said. She didn`t recognize it, but it sounded empty of emotion.

　　"Fine."

　　"We have him set to appear during the festival. Will both of your assets will be attending as well?"

　　"Yes." She sounded annoyed.

　　"Good, they should stumble into each other."

　　"Why the Festival?"

　　"It speeds up the process. You wanted to be in that palace within the week, right? Well, your boy still has his own mind and holds no rank."

　　"And what of the name?"

　　"Oh? Do you plan on giving me her name in exchange?"

　　"Never."

　　"In that case, get his name yourself. You know how to get it."

　　"That`s too much. You can not expect me to torture someone!" Elena grew much more agitated.

　　"I don`t expect anything. Your end of the deal was already fulfilled," the dark voice said, "besides, you already torture that girl."

　　"That is not torture. I just make her do things. It`s harmless."

　　Luna channeled Yelzar further in hopes of not feeling angry.

　　"You plan to do the same to the boy."

　　"That`s so I don`t have to hurt her anymore," Elena said sadly.

　　There was a pause.

　　"What about your pet?" Elena asked.

　　"He is well. People assume he`s vanished from the Order."

　　"You need to leave. Thank you for the report," Elena paused, "We cannot be seen together."

　　Luna wanted to peek, drain Moonlight to brighten the night, and see who Elena was speaking to. However, if she caught her now, she`d do much worse than force her to split open her arms.

　　"Very well," The deeper voice said. Luna heard a small gust of wind followed by a few sparks. Perhaps the man had walked away?

　　Her theory was confirmed when she heard Elena`s footsteps walking right toward her. Luna refused to move, channeled Yelzar further, and just kept herself cloaked.

　　Elena paused in front of her, "You heard, didn`t you." To her surprise, she didn`t look angry. She just looked sad. Her face had these dark bags under her eyes.

　　Luna said nothing.

　　"Show yourself, I know you`re there." A few moments passed, "I`m not going to hurt you."

　　She`s lying. Yelzar spoke from a memory. Reach within yourself and pull on the powerful piece. Focus on it, and you will be untouchable.

　　She already knew how to vanish. This wasn`t helping. She channeled him further. More memories flooded her mind.

　　Elena reached her hand toward her; how did she even know where she was? Luna began to panic, but Yelzar calmed her with his memories.

　　What is the most potent memory you hold?

　　She thought of Freya, but that wasn`t it, the most powerful memory. . . was when she was with Caden, speaking lovely truths and sharing experiences with each other for the entire night. That was her most cherished possession.

　　"Got you." Elena touched Luna`s stomach. Her hand went through Luna, and the girl tripped, catching herself on the wall. She was unable to touch her.

　　Her sister rose, brushed off her pants, gave her a look, shrugged, and left for Goran`s Tavern.

　　What was that? She thought, experiencing another memory.

　　Ghost walking. It was my own personal spell that I added to the Tigress`s collection.

　　Luna became visible once more - only after she was sure that Elena was gone. The pressure in her chest hurt from exasperating Moonlight. Yelzar slowly faded from her mind.

　　When are you to learn to channel yourself? When will you get your own magic? Was the last thing Yelzar said before she stopped channeling.

　　She had no idea what that meant. What else could she do if she wasn`t pulling power from her predecessors?

　　* * *

　　The next day, Luna began channeling Isabel against her will. She led Erodan through the sewers, and Isabel kept talking in her mind for some reason.

　　Gotta get away. They`ll find me. What was I supposed to remember? I`ve been here before. Why are you here? There were so many fragments of words followed by flashes that Luna found it hard to focus.

　　Just escort Erodan to Felisha`s quarters. She reminded herself.

　　"This place is horrible!" Erodan complained, "Why must you bring me in this way? What about another entrance?"

　　"Caden said this was the safest way. I thought you were a wanted man. Aren`t you afraid assassins will bite you in the butt?" She said, turning around. She stuck her tongue out at him.

　　"Don`t patronize me, woman!" Erodan bellowed, "After the riots, the knights seem to respect me much more. The Aberrant Division disbanded a long time ago. I`ve got nothing to worry about. I even have an in for a meeting with the Crusaders."

　　She channeled Isabel further, ripping at her memories. "And what if I assassinate you?" Luna said, hand in front of her mouth.

　　Erodan stopped walking and took a broad stance. "Was that her plan? Lead me down here for you to kill me?"

　　Luna cackled in laughter, "Heavens, no! If she wanted you dead, you`d be dead already." She paused and had to force herself to rip away Isabel`s memories. She couldn`t stop channeling her. Why was she like that? Isabel was her least favorite of the predecessors. "Sorry," she said quickly, "I wish not to kill you."

　　"Pick a personality, for god`s sake," Erodan said.

　　Luna came across a door, opened it, and led Erodan to a ladder. They both climbed up, opened a trapdoor, and entered the main palace. She led him through the empty hallways, up the stairs, passed one single guard, and knocked on Felisha`s bedroom door.

　　Caden opened it an inch and, upon seeing who it was, let them in.

　　Felisha`s quarters always surprised her. Not because they were those of a Royal but because of how large they were. The single room easily had more space than three of Luna`s rooms put together. The walls were adorned with intricate patterns and paintings. The area was entirely too clean, and a large bed covered in curtains was at the back of the room. Some doors led to a balcony and multiple other areas.

　　Each member of the job was there for the meeting, save Ferris. They all crowded around a large table, Solaris by Caden and Elena by Felisha. Erodan took a spot by Elena, and Luna took her spot near Caden.

　　"Thank you all for coming," Elena said, "This will be short, but listen up. The job will be done next week. We need to have everything prepped by then."

　　Elena began to explain the plan, and Luna only heard bits and pieces of it. Honestly, she could not care less about anything her sister had to say.

　　"Erodan will be giving us the go-ahead when he begins the meeting with the Crusaders. That will take place in the palace plaza. From there, the strike team will enter through a window two stories up. Felisha will be there to let us in. She will serve as our guide. Caden will kill anyone who happens to be in the palace, and we`ll drop Felisha off at the library." She put a hand to her chin, "Solaris, were you able to find any of your old crew?"

　　Solaris looked like he`d been awake for days. He glanced at Caden, and the two shared some kind of profound knowledge with each other. "No," he said, "I can raid the vault alone."

　　"Very well," Elena said, "That`s a setback." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "The rest of us will ascend to the top room of the palace. Luna, did you get the registry?"

　　"It`s on your desk at home."

　　"Good, thank you," she smiled, "from today onward, our job is nearly complete. We will see the Sun again. Any questions?"

　　Luna was barely listening at this point.

　　"How do we get out?" Caden`s voice caught her attention. "After the curse is broken, won`t the Crusaders know we are in the Palace?"

　　"Solaris," Elena said sternly, "I assume you can find your own way out."

　　He gave a half-hearted thumbs up.

　　"Good. When we`re done, Felisha will be in her quarters and safe. You and I will be able to teleport with flames, and Luna can vanish."

　　"What about me?" Erodan exclaimed.

　　"You`re offering peace. You`re in no danger; you`re just the distraction. Did you even get that meeting set up yet?"

　　Erodan grumbled something under his breath.

　　"If that`s all, we meet again in a week, outside barracks four," Elena said, "Meeting adjourned, thank you."The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

　　Erodan left first, but before Luna could follow, Elena grabbed her shoulder. "Can we talk?"

　　She frowned. "I have to escort Erodan."

　　"Solaris can do it," she gestured to him, and he went to follow, leaving the room. "Please, let`s talk."

　　Everyone else had left, even Felisha. Yet, part of her knew Caden was right outside the door.

　　"And if I say no?"

　　Elena looked so terribly sad. "Then you may go."

　　"Fine. What." She turned back to face her sister. The door closed, and they stood near the entrance. Luna leaned back against the wall, and Elena sat on the chair with her hands on her head.

　　"I wanted to apologize," she said, looking up.

　　Luna crossed her arms and waited.

　　"I hurt you. I hurt you and it. . . It was a selfish and cruel thing to do. No," she shook her head, "No, it was evil. I`ve been a horrible person these last few months, and the job is almost done. We`re so close, and I need to apologize for that night. My interests are for the world, always, but that was not. It was too far, and I`m sorry."

　　"Okay?" Luna snapped.

　　"Please, sister, listen to me. I`ve done horrible things, and I`m about to do something I`ll regret for the rest of my life. There is a terrible thing that will happen, and it scares me. Today, I`m uncertain. . . and I just cannot leave here today without apologizing to you. I`ve hurt you. I wanted to tell you that I won`t force you to do anything like that again."

　　She`s lying. This is some kind of show of pity, some kind of lie, some kind of trick to make Luna feel bad for her. What does she want?

　　"So, you`re letting me go?"

　　Elena`s face darkened, "No. . . not yet," she paused, "but soon, I promise."

　　"Yeah, right," she scoffed, "what is it you want from me?"

　　Elena looked truly defeated. "Nothing. Nothing at all. However, if I may be so bold, your forgiveness for hurting you that night. I`ve also decided to let you go to the festival. There`s no reason for me to keep you from it."

　　She sounded sincere. Luna had not seen Elena act like this in such a long time, and part of her wanted to accept the apology. The other part of her, however, was channeling Isabel.

　　"You know the one thing you don`t understand?" She took a step forward. "You`re acting as if this was the only time you`ve hurt me." She laughed and uncrossed her arms. "Elena, you have hurt me every single day for as long as I can remember, and you`re apologizing for one outburst?" She bent down to look her sister in the eye. "When someone says you hurt them, you don`t get to decide you didn`t. You just apologize and do better, and they forgive you, and both people move on."

　　Elena`s expression darkened. "How could I ever atone?"

　　"You can`t," she spat, "I want you to know this, sister, I don`t forgive you." She spun around to leave, opening the door. It was just like when she was about to escape the tavern, although now, she was sure she could go.

　　"Luna, please. . . I need you to understand that I do this for the world. The Sun will return, and Isabel`s dream -"

　　"Fuck. You." She spat, then sprinted through the open door.

　　At the time, Luna didn`t want to admit what she saw. She wanted to think her sister still held no remorse, but upon viewing her memories later that day, she realized that she had not been compelled since her arms were cut open. And when Elena sat in Felisha`s quarters, begging for forgiveness, Luna had the burden of remembering the tears that stained her cheeks.

　　* * *

　　A few hours before the festival, Luna hadn`t taken off her mask yet. She sat cross-legged on her bed, with Caden pacing around her room. She had tried to ignore what her sister had said, but she had warned him of what she overheard in the alleyway. He understood, and they both decided to bring a dagger to the festival for protection.

　　After they had properly prepared, Caden disapproved of Luna wearing her glasses to the festival.

　　"Elena said you didn`t need to wear them."

　　"I don`t like not having my mask. I`ll wear glasses. It`s very - Hey!" She complained, pushing away Caden`s hand. "Don`t touch!"

　　He pulled away. "Wouldn`t it be nice to just go out and have nobody recognize you?"

　　"I don`t see what`s wrong with the glasses." She pursed her lips.

　　He put his hand on his hips and tilted his head in such a way that said: Really? You don`t?

　　After a moment, she finally relented.

　　"Fine, I won`t wear my glasses, but you can`t look!"

　　"The whole time?"

　　"Yes."

　　He threw his arms up. "That`s impossible!"

　　She turned her head and pursed her lips, "Then I won`t do it."

　　"Please?" he gave her this goofy smile.

　　Her cheeks grew hot, and she spun around to face away from him. She almost opted not to go at all.

　　"Promise you won`t laugh."

　　"I won`t!"

　　"Promise you won`t make fun of me. . ."

　　"I won`t."

　　She muttered under her breath and slowly removed her mask. She placed it on her bed, then pulled off her cloak. With a deep breath, she stood up and turned around. "Here. . ." she said, "what do you think? Do I look okay?" She glanced up, shifting her feet on the floor.

　　Caden stood, jaw dropped, eyes wide, cheeks red. He had this massive smile as if he were a child on Christmas.

　　Luna almost wanted to cover her face again. Instead, she opted to laugh, as his expression was akin to a puppy who`d just been given their first toy. She held her stomach and laughed.

　　"What?" he asked, turning from her. "Don`t laugh at me!"

　　"I`m sorry!" She was still laughing.

　　He composed himself and glanced away from her, "We should go soon. I`ll let you change. Okay. Uh, yeah." He panicked and left the room in a frenzy.

　　She kept smiling. That was priceless. She knew she`d be looking back at that memory when she needed to smile. She changed into some long pants and a baggy turtleneck shirt. Perhaps today, she can choose to be an ordinary girl instead of the Lady of the Stars.

　　* * *

　　The festival was much larger than she had ever expected. During other years, she`d been forbidden to go. She was never able to see the place in its full glory.

　　It spanned the entirety of Quadrant Two. Handmade bridges with railings were set up between buildings. Staircases and ladders were laid out for people to climb to higher ground. Each rooftop had a different event kiosk with specific products being advertised. Men were shouting about orders and products, children playing, and groups of ladies walking together. It also seemed that many people were on dates here, as she passed many couples holding hands.

　　The part that surprised her the most was the fact people didn`t know who she was. Nobody reacted with fear to her presence, and many of the merchants would offer her a sample of some tasty treat or try to sell her some kind of product.

　　"Hello, little lady, care to try our new sun-kissed salmon? It`s fresh from Rehsyh, imported just this morning!" A man at one of the stands called out to her. He was holding a pink fish on a stick and had a cooking fire right by him.

　　It tasted nostalgic, and she was brought back to a memory of Freya giving her fish once. Back then, she hadn`t spoken a single word to her yet, but after she ate, she thanked Freya, and the two began to talk.

　　The festival culminated on this huge stage right outside the entrance to the arena. Multiple dancers in fancy outfits held flaming torches, juggled, and breathed fire. She had lost sight of Caden somewhere in the crowd, so she decided to watch the show instead.

　　It was a dance of flames and embers. They twirled batons, and when the flame was near their mouth, they`d blow on it, spitting fire. They moved elegantly, twisting around each other as the colors of orange, red, and yellow blended together into this gorgeous scene.

　　Every time they blew fire, Luna would gasp.

　　The show culminated in an incredible burst of flames from every actor. It was roaring and hot and beautiful. The light blinded her momentarily, and she was forced to shut her eyes. The climax of the show was that last beautiful blaze, and then it ended; the crowd began to disperse.

　　When she opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was a lovely-looking woman next to her.

　　"A pity," she said, "I quite liked the show." She was taller than Luna and had her dark hair tied back in a bun. She wore green eyeliner and this beautiful military outfit. It was silk with green adornments.

　　"I thought it was great, too," Luna said, a little starstruck.

　　"Oh," she turned, "hello, little cutie."

　　"H-hi," Luna said awkwardly. Her cheeks grew hot. Why was this woman so attractive?

　　The crowd had begun to disperse after the end of the show.

　　"You don`t come out very often, do you?"

　　Luna stuttered, "No, this is my first time here."

　　She thought of something profound to say; the conversation had nearly ended, but she wanted to speak to this woman more. "What`s your name?" It felt stupid to say, but it was polite, right?

　　"Bloom," she said, then leaned in, "I came here to meet you, actually."

　　She instinctively channeled Renna to give her bright confidence. "Me? But you don`t know me."

　　Bloom looked down at her and smirked, "Oh, but I do know you. I`ve been meaning to find you for quite some time, but you`re never around when looking. The other Crusaders hardly let me come out like this." She giggled and covered her mouth with her hand.

　　Luna froze. She felt like a child again. She pulled Renna further, and she was tempted to just vanish and run, but her curiosity got the better of her. This lady was a Crusader? She was safe. She had to be, right? There were plenty of people around.

　　"Oh please, don`t give me that little look," Bloom cooed, "If I wanted you dead, you would have been a long time ago. I just came here to meet you. I`ve always wondered what the Tigress does when she`s not killing my knights. But it`s so hard to get out of those pesky meetings." She pursed her lips; her mannerisms were eerily similar to Luna`s, and despite who this woman was, she wanted to trust her.

　　"Why did you want to meet me?"

　　"I had quite the interesting conversation the other day," said Bloom. She took off in a small walk, taking a circular path around the arena. She gestured for Luna to follow, and at first, she looked around for Caden, but with him nowhere in sight, she released a deep breath.

　　I am capable of being by myself. She thought, forcing herself to stay calm and not panic. She was Luna Rosenthal; she did not need anybody to look out for her.

　　"While discussing politics and other boring things, you came up in conversation. We began to discuss what to do about you. I voted to keep you here, of course," she turned and offered Luna a bright smile, "because you`re just adorable."

　　"Anyways, I`m here to offer you something, a job of sorts. You go around and kill my knights in the name of the vagrant militia, right?"

　　She nodded. For a long, eerily moment, she thought Bloom might be compelling her. Was she in danger? She brought a dagger, just in case, but they were in a crowd. She wouldn`t need it, right?

　　"Well, we want to reform the Sanctuary, but we can`t do that without proper authority over the knights. While we do have that, we need someone to stay there at all times. A warden of sorts. The other Crusaders can`t do it because they all have other things to do." She sounded extremely annoyed when discussing them. "But a cutie like you? I`m sure you could watch over the Sanctuary and ensure everyone is treated fairly."

　　"You want me? We are on opposite sides. What could you possibly gain from this?" Luna said. She chose her words carefully, staying assertive and keeping calm.

　　"Simple. We get a reformed sanctuary; the city is less chaotic. And you`re perfect for the job." She smiled broadly, "And nobody could stand against you," she giggled, "Well, besides us."

　　"I don`t really have an answer for that."

　　"Oh, of course," Bloom chimed, "that`s okay. We couldn`t possibly have you accept or deny our offer immediately. We`ll meet again soon. But think about it, and if you do this for us, I`ll gladly teach you more about your magic. . . and the Tigress."

　　She had said Tigress twice now, and Luna was still lost on what that actually meant. Her predecessors speak of a primordial entity that lives within her this way, but were they the same thing or different? She glanced away, pausing near the back entrance of the arena. "I`m still not -"

　　Bloom was gone, vanished into thin air, it seemed. Or perhaps she just moved so quickly that Luna didn`t process it. Why had that happened? It was nothing like talking with Elena. Bloom obviously didn`t lie or keep things from her. She was just honest, and for some reason, Luna trusted her.

　　A hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality. She spun around and grabbed their wrist.

　　"Hey! Relax, it`s just me." It was Caden.

　　She wasn`t sure why; perhaps it was the stress from being confronted by a Crusader or her channeling of Renna, but she was furious with him. She clenched his wrist tightly, "You left me."

　　"I did no such thing! There was a large crowd of people!"

　　She glared angrily at him.

　　"Oh, please. Don`t give me that look. If anything, you left me! You should be looking out for me, you know. I mean, you`ve kicked my ass what like twelve times?"

　　She smirked and let him go. "I`ll make it thirteen If you abandon me in a crowd again. What if I got lost?" She was mocking him. Really, she was fine.

　　"Lost? Don`t play that card! You know the city better than anyone!"

　　She began to walk away, and he followed. He had this face that said: I was freaking out because you were more than five feet away from me. It was sweet.

　　"I`m only teasing," she said, "but judging from your face, I would say you were worried about me."

　　His cheeks grew hot, "Absolutely not."

　　"Were you calling my name in the crowd? I think I heard it," she smiled, "Luna! Oh, Luna! Whatever will I do without Luna`!" She put a hand to her head dramatically.

　　Caden`s face was red with anger and embarrassment, "That is not what I sound like!"

　　"That is not what I sound like!`" she mocked.

　　She threw her head back and laughed, catching a glimpse of the big smile on that stupid boy`s face. She couldn`t help it; she was happy.

　　They walked around the festival for quite some time until the clouds began to take back their light, and the tip of darkness descended on them. They explored markets, bought items, and watched fireworks, and all the while, Luna could not stop smiling. She had finally begun to feel like a person.

　　The entire mood of the night shifted when the two were tackled by a girl. She tumbled into them and knocked Caden over completely. Luna barely managed to pull herself out of the way. The other girl was a Shrine Cleric. Her hood had come off in the scuffle.

　　Caden rose, helping the girl to her feet.

　　"Please! You must help! He`s after me!"

　　Caden scrambled into his "knight" demeanor and immediately jumped into action. "Let`s get you safe, who is after you? What`s happening?"

　　"The devil," she spoke so softly. She turned and pointed down the alleyway. This must be what Elena was talking about earlier.

　　A man was slowly wandering toward them. He wielded a sword that scraped against the pavement, sending sparks rippling through the darkness. She pooled Moonlight into her eyes and saw the man clearly.

　　"Is that your guy killing Shrine Clerics?" asked Luna.

　　"What? No. Jasmine was killed by Elena," he said, "I have no idea who that is. This must be what you overheard, right?" He turned to the girl, "Let`s get you to safety. He won`t hurt you."

　　"What about your friend?" the cleric said, pointing to Luna.

　　"Oh, her? She`ll kick his ass, probably."

　　Luna untucked her shirt and pulled one of her daggers from its sheath. She had only brought the one and kept it underneath her shirt just in case.

　　The man grew closer. Caden ran off. Luna took a few steps forward.

　　He wore this dark-tattered cloak and hood. His body armor looked like that of a Crown Knight. He paused at the edge of the alleyway, peering upward at the arena that rested behind them.

　　"You are not my enemy." His voice was shaking. Perhaps he felt afraid or lost.

　　"Is that so?" Luna said. She channeled Renna further and took her fighting stance, "You seem very adamant about chasing girls around, and that is not a good look for you."

　　"I only do what he demands. I have no authority," he paused, then pulled off his hood, "You know what that`s like, don`t you? I can see it in your eyes."

　　The man was someone Luna recognized, someone she had seen many times before. His slicked-back black hair and scar over his nose gave him away. It was Vance.