11

Some Down Time

 

It was Tuesday. Five days until the next operation. During their meeting on Sunday, the girls agreed to exchange contact information with Luna so she could communicate whenever. After her date with Aurora, Luna received a message from Chloe about meeting up the following day to practice combat with each other. They met up wearing casual gym clothes at an open field in the park Luna and Aurora had previously walked in. 

“Honestly, I’m surprised you’re the one that initiated this,” Luna said.

“Might as well. You and I both know Kate was making a complete fool of us. If it wasn’t for that sudden power you gave me, we would’ve been goners,” Chole replied. 

“That sister of yours must’ve been trained to be an absolute expert at combat. Are we sure she doesn’t have the same strength enhancements as you?”

“I’d feel better believing she overpowered us with her sword. We actually used to play with lightsabers when we were kids. She’d also always win each time we played so hey, nothing’s really changed. Hehe…ugh.”

“Her swordsmanship will continue to be a problem if we face her again. Let’s make the most of this training.”

“Hell yeah! That’s why I’ve brought this plastic bat for the occasion!”

“Something tells me that’s still going to hurt coming from you.”

Both of them went face to face in multiple matches where Luna would attempt to disarm or hit Chloe, while Chloe would try to do the same towards Luna. Neither of them would use their Curses either. 

The results were incredibly back and forth. Luna would find ways to weave around all of Chloe’s swings and manage to kick her in the stomach. She even managed to jump over Chloe entirely which caught her off guard, and gave her no time to react to Luna’s preceding punch.

On the opposite end, Chloe would occasionally be able to block punches and kicks by Luna, to which she would counter with her bat and land a blow. They continued these back and forths for multiple hours before exhaustion finally hit them. By the end, the two girls were covered in sweat and panting from how much they exerted themselves.

“God, your speed is really annoying, you know that?” Chloe said.

“And your strength is rather obnoxious.”

The two paused for a moment before Chloe gave a hearty laugh while Luna briefly chuckled.

“We should both continue to train on our own these upcoming days,” Luna said.

“That’s the plan. Eventually, I’m gonna be consistently kicking your ass.”

“I wouldn’t expect those results if I were you. Still though, this feels nice.”

“What does?”

Luna looked on towards the nearby mountains. The wind blew against her body as she gently motioned back.

“Being alongside someone who also desires to grow stronger only motivates me further. I’ve never had this kind of competition before. I just think it’s nice to have that myself.”

“You mean like a rival?”

“Is that what you are to me?”

“I mean, I guess I am?”

“Then so be it. I’ll be sure to never let you get the edge over me.”

Chloe grinned, “Likewise, Luna.”

The two girls called it there and went their separate ways. They both were now fairly comfortable around each other. This was the first time Luna ever had a friend with an attitude like Chloe’s, but for now, she was okay with having that. However, any joy she felt from this was quickly stamped away once she remembered that she’d leave this group once this was all over.

***

It was now Wednesday, four days until the next operation. This time, it was Melody that invited Luna to meet up with her. The address she was given led to a rather old looking house in a small neighborhood. She knocked on the front door, and in less than a minute, someone opened it.

“Hello Miss Santana!” Melody said.

“Really, just ‘Luna’ is fine.”

“Aw, but Santana is such a cool last name.”

Cool isn’t the word I’d use for it.

“Did you bring your equipment with you?”

“You can find my belt with all its tools in this bag.”

“Thank you! I’ve been dying to look at these. Follow me!”

As Luna walked through the living room, there was coziness emanating through the old fashioned chairs, tables, and walls, which while not dirty, had markings highlighting their age. They both soon arrived in the garage. It was rather spacious and full of tables with different engineering tools on top.

“This is your house?” Luna asked.

“Nope! This is my grandmother’s place. She’s taking a nap right now. I live in an apartment with my parents not too far from here, but they’re not around often. They’re both usually on business trips.”

Melody opened up the bag and laid out all of Luna’s various items she had in her belt when on the job. She picked out the grappling hook and held it in her hands. It was only a bit larger than a pistol, with a solid grip to it when held in the hands.

“You said you had ideas for a modification?” Luna asked.

“Indeed I did! I think I can add in a slot that would make it easier to refill the rope.”

After their initial meeting on Sunday, Luna sent reports to Aurora and Melody on how they’re side of the heist went. It was here when Luna mentioned that Katherine had severed the rope for her grappling hook. She had a spare rope and hook in her belt, but replacing the rope took a cumbersome amount of time. In the heat of the moment, she would not be able to easily refill her grappling hook if the rope was damaged.

 “I should be capable enough to add that on. I just need to believe in my own skills!” Melody said. She got to work assembling together a small add-on that would be on top of the gun while Luna sat on a couch in the corner. The way she handled her tools such as her screwdriver with slight unease gave Luna the thought that she wasn’t exactly the most familiar with engineering.

“If this isn’t where you live, then whose lab is this exactly?”

Melody dropped her attention from her work for a moment, “Oh, this was my grandfather’s.”

“Was?” Luna asked.

It was subtle, but Melody’s smile wavered for only a moment. This was enough for Luna to get the picture regardless.

“...Apologies, that was an ignorant question.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s already been half a year. He used to show me around this place all the time and let me see all his inventions. Do you see those two coffee machines next to each other on the table? If you put a mug on either one, it can teleport to the other! Just hit that green button!”

Luna turned towards the coffee table beside her, and she saw the machines for herself. She went over and pressed the button on the one holding the mug. After the machine violently vibrated for a few seconds, the mug appeared in the other machine.

Even with her supernatural powers, this caught Luna off guard. “This technology is straight up Sci-Fi! 

“And over there in the other corner is the invention we’re gonna use as part of our operation. It’s incredibly unstable though. Any more uses and it could bust apart.”

“Well, it’ll be fine as long as we can use it once.”

Melody continued on with her work while Luna relaxed on the surprisingly comfortable couch. She had been spending as much time as possible training. With no plans of stopping, this visit acted as a moment of rest for her.

“Aaaaaaand done! What do ya think?” Melody said as she handed the grappling hook to Luna.

“This looks like it will be a sufficient upgrade. Thank you for your efforts.”

Melody let out squeals of pure excitement from Luna’s compliment.

“Are you okay?”

“Sorry! This is all still just too cool to me. I’m helping out a thief with super powers steal a magical gem from a super corporation! This is all like a dream come true.”

“That’s certainly one way to view this. I imagined you’d have a deeper reason for being a part of this group.” You’re still the one that’s a complete mystery to me, in that regard.

“I joined Aurora’s group because I thought she and Chloe were really impressive, and that hasn’t changed with you.”

“Is that all to it?”

“Well… I’ll keep that a secret.”

“Suit yourself. Can you put everything back into my belt?”

“Of course! One last thing though!” Melody picked up one of Luna’s smoke bomb pellets. “How do you get them to explode?”

“Once enough pressure is applied to them, they’ll immediately burst. Throwing them onto the ground with enough force is enough to-”

“Oh so if I pinch it like this-”

“Wait, no!”

The pellet blew up in their faces. Smoke erupted throughout their entire vicinity. Both girls let the humiliation of this scenario sink in, while they could barely see each other. 

“S-sorry…”

“Just… give it a bit of time and the smoke will dissipate…”

After putting all of her things together, Luna had one more thing to discuss with Melody.

“Listen, I hope you’ve carefully thought about what it means to work with us.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“We’re thieves that are breaking the law and run the risk of getting ourselves either arrested or killed by those who oppose us. I know you’re largely out of harm’s way, but I hope you’ve realized that this isn’t some club for fun.”

Melody enthusiastically replied, “Don’t worry! I may only be fifteen, but I’m old enough to understand what I’ve gotten myself into. This is my choice after all.”

“Should someone your age really be doing stuff like this?”

“Haha! Couldn’t you say the same thing about yourself? I know you’re only two years older than me.”

“How did you learn this?”

“When I hacked into your IP Address.”

If exclamation points could appear over people’s heads, Luna would have a massive one above her at this moment.

“Why did you do that!?”

“It’s how we were able to track you down. How do we think we knew which account to contact for your first job with us?”

“I see… Your hacking skills are quite terrifying. As well as the lack of privacy this group seems to have.”

“Point is! Don’t think I’m being taken advantage of by the others. I’m with you all because I want to be. I know the risks, and I accept them!”

Luna smiled, if only a little bit, at the confidence in Melody’s words. “I’ll believe you in that case. I’ve dragged out our conversation long enough. Have a good day.”

“And a good day to you!”

As Luna walked away from Melody’s house, she thought about the respect she had for Melody. She was a girl that prioritized her desires over the risks that they could bring. Luna believed that she could never be like that. There was too much weighing on her mind for her to share this philosophy, but still, it was nice to see someone who held those beliefs- 

Cut those thoughts there, Luna. Keep this up, and your Curse will accidentally spread to another girl before you know it. Focus on what’s important. 

Saturday’s mission.

***

During that evening, Serene pointed out how Luna seemed happier while they were eating dinner.

“I haven’t done anything different,” Luna said.

“I’ve known you long enough to notice when your mood changes,” Serene replied.

 “Is that so…”

“Have you made friends?”

“I’m only getting acquainted with some people for the time being. You remember what I said before about my lifestyle, right?”

“Right. My apologies.” 

You don’t have to apologize for something like that… “I’m going to my room.”

“One last thing before you leave.” 

 “What is it?”

“That incident on the news a few days ago about the building that was broken into, you didn’t happen to be involved with that did you?”

“There’s really no point trying to lie with you.”

“I’m not here to scold. You know this by now, but if you are going down this path, at least you’re not alone at the moment.”

Luna remained silent.

“But there is one thing I want to never forget.”

“And that is?”

“If a situation becomes too dire, you run. Don’t be a fool. Know what you can and can’t handle and act accordingly.”

“I’d like to believe you didn’t raise a fool.”

“Oh trust me, I’m hoping I didn’t.”

“Was that supposed to be a joke?”

Serene chuckled, “Did that not come out right?”

“Half and half.”

With their conversation wrapped up, Luna was ready to head to her room, but a sudden knocking on their front door interrupted that.

“I'll get that,” Serene said, standing up.

Who’d be knocking on our door? It’s probably an acquaintance of Serene or something.

Luna was still curious to hear who was at the door to verify. Her eyes widened as she recognized that soft voice. Aurora was there in the flesh, wearing jeans and a loose purple sweater.

“Hello there, ma’am! Would this happen to be where Luna Santana lives?”

Turning her head, she saw Luna peeking from around the corner.

“Oh! She’s right there!”

So much for me having good stealth skills!

“Is this a friend of yours?” Serene asked.

“Yes. We’ve only recently met.”

“T-that’s right! I came by to bring Luna something.”

“I see. Feel free to come in. You can take it to her room if you two want more privacy.”

“Really!? Thank you so much, ma’am!”

“Hey! What about my permission?!”

Luna was still too stunned from this scenario to prevent Aurora from walking right past her.

“So which of these doors leads to your room?”

“This one right there. I should warn you my room isn’t prepared for any visitors.”

“I don’t mind! Just seeing your room is already exciting enough for-”

Aurora’s confidence was no match for how unkempt Luna’s room really was. It was easy to notice dust on the corners of the floor, there was a messy basket of laundry on the side of her already messy bed, not to mention the unorganized blankets on top. This was topped off with a desk that had tangled wires underneath, and random books and game cases on top.

Luna hung by the entrance with her head facing down, and eyes closed. She was sure Aurora was going to think less of her for living like this.

She was instead greeted by the sound of Aurora crashing on top of her bed.

“Ahhh. This mattress is pretty soft. Better than the stone slab I sleep on.”

This was a bit confusing, but it put Luna at ease. A little bit, at least.

“It’s probably because of the mattress topper I have under the sheet.”

“So that’s what this is! I never knew these were a thing.”

“Why did you come here tonight? You said you had something to bring despite not having a bag.”

“I may not have a bag but there’s this beautiful technology we have known as pockets!”

Eagerly reaching into her pocket Aurora pulled out an item that Luna sharply remembered. 

“Your Sun necklace!? You still have it?”

“Of course I would. Don’t tell me you threw away yours?”

Without a verbalized response, Luna opened her drawer and pulled out a small metal box. Opening it would require rotating the right numbers into the dial, but what awaited was her moon necklace, maintained in pristine condition.

Luna grabbed it with extreme care and held it in the air for Aurora to see.

“I wanted to preserve it, so it’s been kept safe in a box for years.”

“Hmm, maybe I should’ve put mine in a box too. Not like it matters because… I want you to have it.”

“W-why are you giving it to me?”

“Think of it as something to remember me. If we’re going our separate ways, letting go of this should help in severing our connection, wouldn’t it?”

Luna couldn’t argue with this logic. It fell in line with her own end of their deal, but that didn’t change how weird it felt to see Aurora herself making this decision. A part of her began to wonder if this was taking it a step too far. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to have at least a token of their time together? 

“I’ll accept it if you also take my necklace.”

“Huh?”

“It wouldn’t hurt if you reminisced every now and then…”

“But aren’t you the one that said I should forget about you?”

“Yes… That is what I said, but maybe I was too harsh. As long as you no longer see me as someone close, remembering our times together should be fine enough. They’d simply be fond memories and nothing more.”

This all made sense to Luna, but perhaps she was the only person this made any sense to. 

Looking at the necklace with solemn eyes, Aurora murmured under her lips.

“You’re pretty unfair, Luna.”

Luna could barely hear what she said.

“What was that?”

The air would’ve grown thick if not for Aurora’s exaggerated sigh before falling back towards Luna’s bed.

 “I’m just gonna lie here for a moment, whether you like it or not.”

I mean, I have no strong opinions on this.

Luna knew the moment passed to question what she said, and she decided to let it go.

Unsure of what to do next, she laid on her bed right next to Aurora.

“What are you doing?” 

“Sitting on my bed. I believe that’s normal to do.”

“Yeah, true.”

The minutes passed on. Luna wasn’t sure how long “a moment” would last. Time became slower, but not in a bad way. Despite living in this room for several years, being here felt completely different due to Aurora’s presence. 

As a matter of fact, these past few days have been the slowest in Luna’s life. She was used to time moving at a fast pace. Not due to a lot happening in her life. No, it was the opposite. With the days going forward in their repetitive state, so much of Luna's time these past seven years blended together into overlapping memories that had next to no distinction.

Each of these recent days had been more memorable than entire months in her life. It was a lot to take in the more she thought about it, which is why she cut her thought process before it reached an existential level.

It was weird. Luna and Aurora weren’t talking, but laying next to each other was still significant to Luna. Nothing was happening, and yet, it didn’t feel that way.

“Can I verbalize one of my thoughts?” Luna asked.

“Your way of saying things can get pretty silly sometimes.”

I apologize for not knowing how normal people talk!

Wanting Aurora to take her seriously, she softly grabbed her hand. The red cheeks spawning on Aurora’s face let Luna know she had her attention. As for her other hand, she lifted up the sun necklace and looked at it hanging by her hand.

“I’d forgotten how nice it is to be with someone like this. We’re not saying anything, but existing like this… I don’t dislike it. Maybe… more time like this wouldn’t be so…”

As a result of staring into the necklace long enough, the memories flashed in her head once more.

The memory of this necklace around Aurora’s neck as she cried her heart out in utter fear. The sadness in her eyes that Luna believed she was at fault for.

“...Nevermind. Forget what I was talking about.”

Luna let go of her hand almost instinctively.

Aurora saw the look of hesitancy on Luna’s face. As for Luna, she saw how miffed Aurora became as a result. She jumped off Luna’s bed right after.

“That explosion you saw back at the library, it’s what you think it was. I used the same ability as all those years ago. The same as I can control the objects that are near me, I can also disassemble them as if they were being sliced apart.”

“You what?!”

“Don’t get yourself riled up over this. It was my only means of escape.”

“But if you hurt yourself because of what I-!”

“Luna! Your ‘Curse’ is what saved me! What I do with my powers is not your fault! Do you see me as nothing more than a victim of your existence!?"

“T-that’s not what I…”

Luna’s voice trailed off, leading to a silence she became stuck in.

“I don’t resent you at all for what happened back then! If anything, it’s…!” Aurora looked ready to say more, but the gritting of Luna’s teeth, and her tight grip to the bedsheets caused her to stop. 

“Sorry, Luna. I was the one that ended up getting upset…”

“...You have nothing to apologize for.”

Another wave of silence washed over them. Truth be told, Luna would accept that Aurora resented her. She believed that she was too nice to her.

Why would you even be nice to the girl that scarred you because of her dumb ideals?  

To Luna’s surprise, Aurora slapped her hands against her own cheeks.

“Bah! I really killed the mood there, didn’t I? I know exactly what will turn this around.”

“Huh…?”

“I’m gonna head out now. I’ll be missing you, Luna.”

Aurora exited. Luna’s mind was still in a bit of a daze after that. 

“Do you see me as nothing more than a victim of your existence!?” This phrase echoed itself in Luna’s head.

Of course I don’t. You’re precious to me, Aurora, but I fear the ways I could end up hurting you. I don’t care what happens to me. As long as you’re happy… that’s good enough.

During this introspection, Luna could hear from the living room… Aurora’s voice?

“So how did you meet Luna? What’s her favorite food? Any weird habits she has? Is she the overly attached or rebellious type of daughter?”

Luna leaped off her bed and out of her room with the energy she exhibits while on the field.

“Serene! You will tell her nothing!”