Author's Note:

Howdy! The Tofu of Happiness thanks you so very much for even bothering to read this. I found it rather odd how no one made a Tera related fanfiction, so I figured I'd go ahead and put one together. After combining chocolate, apple juice, and belligerent children, Tera Time was born! ^^ Just to specify, this will be using the F&C version of Adventure Time.

Enjoy the story~

The Guillotine

The harbor was insanely busy, people of all ages and races bustling about their business. Ships loaded with various cargos, captains maintaining their poise and ship hands screaming profanities at each other. A curious black ship waded up to the port, the walkway slowly being lowered. The ship rocked back and forth, its nameplate gleaming in the midday sun.

The Guillotine had a habit of precisely decapitating the all too curious fish and other marine life that swam too close the ship's keel and stern stem. Although helpful in fishing, it's still a rather disturbing thought. The entire bottom of the small black craft was neatly fitted with sharp stainless steel that, when moving, would slice through any surface, effectively avoiding any sudden damages or getting stuck against submerged rock.

An ensemble of Popori scurried frantically about the ship, prepping it for its next use. The expedition ahead for the distant Crucix Islands required the ship in its prime, full of more than capable crew members and the 2 senior students who are to complete it.

A pair of large, fluffy, golden fox ears stood straight atop a head full of long midnight blue hair. Bright silvery eyes watched the activity excitedly, waging a long tail slightly. The Elin looked about riding on top of her caregiver's head. She grinned, her nerves on end, anticipation radiating from her body. Her small fists tightened on the Baraka's teal hood below her.

"Is that it Sully?" she asked, anticipation rising in her voice.

Sully bobbed his head in a nod. "This is where we part kiddo." he replied, gently lifting the full-grown Elin off his head with stony hands. The girl curled in her legs so she wouldn't hit him. He put her down gently, his hand lingering on her head.

The girl sighed, holding his hand by the thumb. "It sucks you can't come with me…I'm really gonna miss you." she mumbled. The Baraka chuckled, his voice vibrating deep in his chest. "You're old enough now Erin. It's your first expedition outside Pora Elinu. The exposure will do you good. I trained my daughter well." Sully winked. "You'll do just fine."

Erin frowned and turned to face him. Her eyes focused on her caretaker's deep blue ones, causing the frown to deepen. Her ears fell as she tackled the 7 foot giant in a fierce hug, burying her face in his torso. Sully grinned to himself and wrapped a gargantuan arm around the tiny girl, his hand resting atop her head. He gently pried her away enough to look at her face. Erin's eyes glossed over slightly as he took her chin, tilting her face upwards. He gave her a warm smile, softly stroking her cheek with a thumb.

"You'll do great Erin. Remember the Goddess is with you always, as I am also." he said, watching her with pained eyes.

Erin gave a small smile and held his palm to her face, nuzzling the warmth in his hand. "….ok Sully…ok…" she whispered.

Sully smiled and held his fist out to her in a brofist fashion. Erin giggled and nudged it with her own, her fist a pebble compared to his, tail flicking.

"Give 'em hell kid. Make me proud."

Erin's smile grew, the mischievous gleam in her eyes returning. "I will. I promise I will."

With a final gaze at her beloved guardian, Erin turned on her heel and bolted for the Guillotine's boarding dock, waving at a red-headed bunny as she approached. Sully sighed, folding his arms and chuckling to himself. "So this is the empty nest syndrome…" His aged eyes closed softly, uttering soft prayers to the gods above.

Erin slowed to a light skip towards the ship as the other Elin came into view. She waved vigorously, her red curls bouncing around her back. Erin grinned as she walked up to her best friend. "Hey Melodi." she said smiling. The bunny's ears twitched upon hearing her name, a pleased smile crossing her red lips.

"Good morning Erin." she replied sweetly, her fluffy tail bobbing with the sway of her hips. A peach-colored pouch was strapped to her hip, full of medicinal herbs from what she smelled. Her healing staff clung to her back securely, a faint glow emitting from the glass pieces. Melodi clasped her gloved hands together, looking expectantly at the ship. "Are you ready for our trip? I'm so excited." she giggled. Erin sighed and looked back to where Sully stood conversing with two high elves. "I guess…I really don't want to leave him behind…" she mumbled. Melodi followed her gaze and smiled softly as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. Erin's ear flicked in response.

"It'll be ok." She said calmly. "Sullivan will be here waiting for you. Besides, you won't be completely alone. I'm here for you and so's Ozzie."

As if on cue, a small black cat-like creature popped its head out of her bag, its large ears perked in her direction. Erin smiled and opened the bag more, allowing it to climb up to her shoulders. She smiled gently stroked the fur on its neck as its skull head gently nudged against her jaw. Her gaze softened at its touch and looked back at Melodi.

"I know."

"All right! Now boarding the Guillotine!" a sailor called out.

Erin's nerves spiked again. "C'mon! Time to go!" she squealed, practically hovering towards the ship. Melodi giggled, holding the fox back by the arms. The two walked up the creaking boards. Erin bolted on the ship as Melodi carefully placed one small foot at a time on the wooden deck. Erin climbed up the sail post beam, hoping to see the port from up high. Watching her, Melodi grinned, a pleased expression on her face. It's been too long since she'd last seen that beaming smile on her best friend's face. Life was hard for her. All because she was born so differently from everyone else...she didn't deserve such a cruel fate.

Amidst the shouting and the heavy roar of the wind, Erin could still hear it. The taunts. The whispers. The slurs. She felt their eyes on her, roaming her body, peering at her like she was some exhibit, condemning her for even being alive. She stiffened at their laughter, her nails digging into the wood behind her. Her ears fell with her bangs covering her eyes.

She hated this.

She hated all of this. All of them.

How could people be so cruel? Her own kind…how could they?

How could they live with themselves knowing what they've done to her in the past? Knowing what they continue to do?

How can they?

Erin sank to her bottom and hugged her arms, her hair billowing in the wind. It made her shiver.

Their verbal lacerations butchered her very being. Their burning hatred scalded whatever mercy she had.

What did she do? What did she not do?

She never asked for this, never asked to born.

She never wanted to be born under the moon insignia. Hell, she never wanted to be born at all.

Why? Why was her life chosen for mutilation?

The Elin cringed at the hearty laughter of the humans and Popori beneath her, all of them huddled around her post and peering up at her, talking among themselves.

They laugh. They always laugh.

Probably debating how they'd kill her in her sleep. Whatever they wanted to do, she hoped they'd do it quickly.

Erin sighed. "There I go again…" she mumbled. Her head rested softly against the wooden beam behind her. Her eyes began to droop, her ears falling limp as she dozed off into a light nap. The sun was high and warm on her skin, shielding her from the chill that wafted from the sea. The boat rocked her back and forth, gently, reminding her of her early days with Sully when he'd cradle her to sleep when she had a nightmare. He wasn't soft in the slightest, but he was warm and gentle. Those strong arms always calmed her down, were always there for her. Erin's small body folded in on itself as she slowly slumped to her side. Soon, the fox fell into a deep sleep, the strange skull creature curling back inside her bag.

Her senses disclosed on her. She didn't notice the gray clouds or the sudden absence of the sun. She didn't notice how violently the ship rocked, or the shouts and terrified cries of the crew members below. She didn't even notice her name being called.

She definitely noticed the bitter cold rain that began to pour.

Erin shot up, her eyes scanning the blackened sky as she made a small gasp in horror.

The moon was out, full and heavy in the starless night.

No…not here…not now…

Erin's body jerked violently towards the railings of the nest. Her knuckles drained of blood as she gripped the edges in intense pain, her nails digging into the rotting wood. She panted heavily, trembling under each tremor that came with her "condition", her head pounding. Erin clenched her teeth and forced herself to stand, stumbling slightly.

She needed to get down. She needed to get down now.

A wave of nausea caused her to buck over the railing, forcing her to shut her eyes and clench her firsts. Erin panted heavily as her watery eyes grazed over the ship deck. Popori and humans alike scrambled across, pulling ropes and shouting commands in their frenzy. Her eyes followed the streak of red hair and white bunny ears.

"Mel!" she shouted, wincing at the pain in her chest.

Melodi stopped short and turned her gaze towards the nest, her body freezing. "Shit…now?!" she hissed while racing towards the post, her wet hair slapping against her bare back and shoulders. She pressed her hand on the wooden base and looked up at her suffering companion. Murmuring the healer's chant, white light shot up the grooves of the wood, highlighting the beam in Melodi's priestess magic. Erin lay against the rail as the light seeped through the floor and trailed her skin. It cloaked her entire body in a sheer white, emitting a soft golden glow. Erin's head slowly lifted, her silvery irises glossed in relief as the pain receded.

"Thank you…"

The girl allowed herself to slip over the rail.

She righted herself just before her petite boots landed softly on the soles of her feet before a large crowd of gaping spectators. Everyone tensed. Melodi's eyes trailed Erin carefully as the fox stood, her bangs covering her face.

Erin opened her eyes that glowed with heavy moonlight. Curving tattoos decorated her face, teeming gold with bright hues of blue. Her skin became pale as bone and her hair jet black. Her ears and tail became a silvery white, glistening even more so with Melodi's healing light encircling her body.

Everyone seemed to forget the lightning storm that roared above them.

All eyes were on her.

All eyes were fearful, scornful, belittling, judgmental.

The Elin silently groaned. All because of her special "condition".

All because she was born a Moon Child everyone is terrified or really fucking pissed off.

Whatever.

Melodi ran to Erin's side, earning looks of disapproval or outright confusion and shock, placing a hand on her back. "You okay?" she asked. Erin nodded, wiping her hair from her face. It swayed as if gravity no longer held it down. "Yeah…I'm ok." She replied, returning the glares she got from the crew. "That was the roughest one I've ever had. The symptoms normally don't hurt as much."

Melodi nodded with a look of concentration on her face. Erin usually had these bouts when the moon was full, and other nights just left a lingering tingling sensation like when you hit your funny bone. She had waves of pain that only lasted a few minutes and would wear off for the rest of the full moon cycle, much like a girl's cramps. The fox would console her about her pains being normal for her, but the rabbit worried all the same. Tonight's round worried her even more. She could tell Erin was just as nervous by the way her eyes shook though the rest of her stated otherwise.

The fox scanned the crew who in turn stared back at her like she was the Grudge. Some began to huddle in groups and whisper to each other, not even bothering to try to be discreet about it. "That's the omen child isn't it." A buck toothed Popori whispered. "How the hell did that she-devil get up here?" a scruffy red-headed human asked angrily. Erin rolled her eyes as the comments trailed on. It happens all the time, but she still held that small fear in her chest.

Would these people harm me too?

A bolt of lightning struck the ship directly between her and the crew.

The heat seared away any lingering thoughts.

She didn't have time to speculate.

"What n' the hell are you good for nothin' boot lickers waitin' on?! Move your asses, all of ye!" roared the captain. "Ignore the girl and get them bloody sails open!"

The crew seemed to blink away their haze, some struggling to stand after the bolt threw them off their feet. Popori and human alike raced past her, bumping into her shoulders each time. Melodi stayed huddled in a corner near the guest quarter's door, watching with wide, fearful eyes. Erin seemed to snap back to reality and looked around frantically, ears alert and eyes searching for something she could do to help. She ran towards a beam and immediately began to climb, her nimble hands clutching the grooves in the wood. Others slowed to watch her in awe as she gracefully swung her body around the sails.

A fierce wind rocked the ship violently, causing it to tilt frighteningly to the right. The crew pushed on, tying ropes to stabilize the ship's balance. Erin reached the edge of a sail when another bolt of lightning struck the fabric above. The fox yelped in surprise as the sheer heat from the bolt seared her left shoulder, nearly losing her footing. She drew in a sharp breath from the pain when she spotted the blooming fire above her. Her eyes went wide.

She was unable to move.

Flashbacks of her tortured childhood ruptured in her mind, unwelcome memories clouding her eyes.

She was frozen to that one spot teetering over the edge. She could fall any time soon, but it that didn't matter.

The fire devoured the dense cloth and began eating away at the sail's beam. The rain didn't seem to have any effect on it at all.

It took the roar of thunder and the sharp fangs of Ozzie to bring her back.

Erin swung her body around the beam and flipped off, landing next to steering wheel. Ozzie's fur bristled on his back, its eyeless sockets glaring at her. Erin gave him a quick scratch behind the ears. "Thanks buddy." She said. The bone creatures merely huffed and slunk back into her bag with its head poking out. The girl's focus returned to the redhead she held so dear, searching desperately for any sign of her.

Then she saw it.

A bent ear beneath a pile of burnt wood.

"Melodi!" she cried, racing towards the pile.

The ship shook again, throwing Erin to the ground. The fox landed on her side and looked back up to the sky. Her gaze locked on a peculiar sight.

The moon was…growing…

Erin could only stare as waves of an unfamiliar pain shot through her body, forcing her to cringe and ball her fists in tight protests of whatever was happening to her.

In all her years of being a moon child, Erin had never felt such agony.

Her stomach clenched itself. Her chest swelled with terrified screams, but the sheer intensity rendered her speechless. Her throat became dry and tight. Her body suddenly felt like lead, trembling helplessly under the power of whatever god who summoned such a sensation.

The boat rocked again, tossing her to the edge of the railing. Her back pressed against the soaking wood as she scrambled to find something to hold. Further away, she could see Melodi clinging to the to the staircase bars, her hair plastered to her small face as she watched the clouds roll angrily.

One more throw and the ship would definitely sink.

Erin cursed silently as she forced her leaden body to move. Once hoisted on the rail, she pushed herself forward, dashing for the other side, dodging falling debris with fire clinging to it. She maneuvered herself effortlessly around the bodies of men who failed to stabilize themselves, never slowing her pace. Melodi stretched out her hand while hanging on the rail with the other.

Her fingertips barely grazed Erin's wrist when the ship bucked forward, sending them both over the edge of the boat…

…and into the bitter cold darkness of the water.

Erin's snapped open, the glow from them acting as headlights. She swam for the surface fearing for the small creature's life in her bag, using falling pieces of wood to push herself up.

She nearly broke the surface when a pair of cold heavy hands clamped down on her legs.

Startled, she looked below her, seeing nothing but darkness. But when she attempted to move again, the hands remained and held her firmly underwater. Panic began to build in her chest as she scrambled to release the creature in her bag. Ozzie darted away in a flurry of black and pale blue mist, pulling itself on a floating piece of wood. He stuck his head back in the water with a confused look on his face, wondering why his owner didn't swim to safety with him.

Erin struggled frantically, her chest beginning to ache with stale air.

The hands remained.

Erin reluctantly released a few bubbles, eyes closed.

The hands remained.

She released the last of her breath. Her chest tightened in pain, begging for her to inhale.

The hands began to pull.

She couldn't hold it anymore. Her mouth opened against her will, sucking in a flood of water into her lungs. Her chest burned severely, unable to reject the icy water that bombarded her airway. She couldn't cough even though she tried. She felt heavy, immensely heavy, water pouring rapidly down her throat.

So this was it then? This was it? Here life ends here?

Images of Sullivan flashed through her mind. She could still hear his hearty laughter, his resonate, soothing voice, see his deep blue eyes that held no pupil but so much love and fatherly affection. Even now encased in the cold darkness, she still felt his warmth. She could feel his gaze that no one but her could decipher. Those eyes that told her everything she ever questioned and reassured her fears.

Those eyes began to close as her gaze faded.

Erin stopped struggling and her body fell limp.

She felt weightless now.

The hands dragged her further into the black depths waiting for her.

Maybe it's for the best…

And there's chapter one. Took awhile because of school and whatnot, but chapter 2 is already half done. Hopefully by the end of the week it'll be up and active. Thanks for reading!~ :D