Moon Light

-1:10 P.M.-

--Lia's Perspective--

"We've been running for a while, where is Moon going to show up?" Dani asked me. I've never seen her so seriously adamant about killing somebody. Although, this was Moon that was the person we had to kill. Destroying her would mean the end for Orion.

"Why are you so adamant about killing her, Dani?" I asked her. Dani ran alongside the soldiers we ran with. We were told not to engage unless we absolutely had to so we could preserve our stamina. While we ran, we scanned every area to find out where Moon would be. Eventually, we returned to the courtyard that we were once at before being kidnapped to the coliseum. This area was familiar. The fountain in the middle, the strung-up wires floating through the town with lights, and the throne room dead ahead.

If the soldiers kept running along the path, we'd eventually reach the docks, but taking a sharp right would put Dani and me near the throne room... and near Moon, who was sitting with her back turned to us at the fountain.

"Dani! Let's go!" I yelled out to her. Dani caught a glimpse of Moon and slid down the glacier, falling into the courtyard with a harsh landing. She didn't falter for a moment; she was serious.

"Ah! It's Lia! It's been such a long time!" Moon said to me. She pushed her body up off of the fountain and looked at Dani and me.

"Oh, you look intimidating. Nice to meet you, my name is Moon, but several people in this city call me Moonlight." She clarified.

"I'm Dani." Dani quickly said.

"What do you mean people call you Moonlight? That isn't your name?" I asked her. She shook her head.

"No! Moonlight and I are two different people... well, it's a long story, care to listen?" I nodded at Moon's question. I told Dani to sit on the fountain while we listened. We had time... I hoped.

"Make it quick. If you don't surrender, we'd have to kill you." I told Moon.

"Orion was a kind man back when I was first introduced to his ranks. He kidnapped me from my home deep in the swamp and brought me back here. He told me I reminded him of his dead wife Moonlight. So, I asked him about it." Moon began her story.

"Moonlight had done a lot of horrible things during her time, apparently. She had a kid with Orion, Nathan. Orion and I had a child as well, Aegis. Nathan is thought to be a troubled child because of his genes with Moonlight. She was the perfect, innocent wife who ruined the lives of hundreds of thousands of people on this Isle. That's how the story is told. Orion, on the other hand... clarified everything." She explained. I was intrigued. Orion wasn't always bad?

"Orion and Moonlight brought peace to this Isle together. Since Zeal wasn't on it and nobody could command Orion around, he put up this way of life where everybody could compete and live the lives they were always meant to... until Zeal and Nova returned to this Isle. They killed his wife and sent Orion on a mission to destroy the civilization Nova and Zeal were building down on Earth. Orion had extreme prejudice against Humans, but never against Arkians. His slaves were all Humans, except a few. The Humans are under us Arkians, as he would say, so he enslaved them because they would only fight back and die with no real meaning to their lives. They're creatures who run on hate for one another that society can't have if we're meant to progress. I pity the souls who have to die in this war for such a childish reason brought up by a Human." Moon said. She was referring to Tavian.

"And? You still wanted to enslave us, and kill Sky. What's the good part about that?" Dani asked Moon. Her tone was starting to match Sky's when he was angry at something.

"I don't believe neither of us did anything wrong. We'll always be struggling for power, especially when two White Stones like Sky and Orion fight for something like freedom. You have the same goal as us, but you're naïve. Do you think once you sail over to the Isle made of Glass on the other side of that ocean your problems will be solved? Your problems are only just beginning. By killing yourselves here, you destroy your chances there. It's come to my understanding that you both are here to do exactly what I frown upon: You're here to kill me." Moon turned to Dani and me while saying her response to Dani.

"That doesn't answer my question. You tried to enslave us when you said you guys don't enslave Arkians. We're all Arkians, and we have another White Stone, why couldn't you have treated us better so we could work together?!" Dani was starting to raise her voice now.

"Hey... calm down there, Human... I don't think you understand how tough it is to work together when two figures with that much power exist together. When Orion scouted him on the bay full of ice, he told me that Sky was a kid he would have to kill. He didn't look happy about it, but a White Stone who fights his fate of death is the biggest threat known to man. If you don't believe me... look at how many are dead now. All but three of the original seven have all perished since he awoke and fought his death. Now, the Isle is being sent into permanent ruins because he fought so hard for his life. And now, Orion has to get involved. I'm sorry, young ladies, but I can't let you get to Orion. If you don't surrender... I'll have to kill you both." Moon said, ripping out her katana from her hip and looking at Dani and me with blood-lust in her eyes.

"You can try. Lia, let's do this." Dani followed Moon's movements and I joined in as well. It was officially time to secure the win in this war.

"I wonder how sad Lily would be when she finds out you died, Lia," Moon told me.

My entire world froze around me as I digested what she said, remembering my time with Lily in my village before it was all burned to the ground. Shamefully, I was distracted and the katana in Moon's hands swung up my face, cutting through my right eyebrow and forcing me to dodge backward.

I held my right eye in pain as blood seeped down my face. She didn't cut out my eye, but not paying attention for a mere second was enough for her to get a strike like that in?! Are we truly in over our heads? I can't think straight because of what she said, and unfortunately, Dani was keeping her too engaged in fighting to answer any of my questions. Then, I guess I should get serious too.