Lunar Chronicles fic, oneshot around 2000 words
More Scarlet-centric, even though I normally like Cinder better. Leave a review if you think I should turn this into a story.
Disclaimer: This all belongs to Marissa Meyer. I forgot to say that in my Harry Potter fic
Scarlet felt herself falling, in an eerily peaceful way, before she was jolted awake by a pinch from the petite blonde next to her.
Cress peered at her with her dreamlike eyes, and smiled, one corner of her mouth lifting in a bemused expression.
"Sorry, just looked like you were about to smash your face in on the coffee table" she said, her voice that strange mixture of boyish and sweet. Her index finger idly pointed to the offending glass-topped table in question and Scarlet smiled back at her and heaved a tired sigh.
" Thanks, Cress" she said, voice still caught with a rich French accent "I just have been staying up much too late."
It was true, there was rarely a night when Scarlet didn't climb up onto the roof, still hot from absorbing the day's sun, and lie there. Daring her mind to jump back to the long days and nights on Luna when figments of her imagination tortured her, turning her skin bloody from her nails and her throat raw from screaming. She was grateful for the fact that it was blurred, that she couldn't see the boy's eyes, red with desire for pain. The mother's torn skin when Wolf found her. Everything was blurred except for the moment when he first kisses her, when they are far away, from the cherub-faced demon and his legion of imaginary monsters and the dark cellars hidden behind Luna's glossy exterior.
He had taken her face in his strong hands and carefully wiped coppery, flaking blood from her mouth with a damp cloth and stared into her downcast eyes with his dark, unreadable ones and set his jaw in a firm, square line. He had almost scared her, with that quiet hatred bubbling in his eyes and head, threatening to slip out. She had leaned into his strength, breathing it into her limp body draped across the rickety cot. When she had the courage to look him in the eye for longer than a second for the first time, he took her chin in his palm, then paused, as if to check that it was alright. She nodded, just an inch drop in the angle of her chin, and he leaned in. That was the first time she knew that things would be alright.
Scarlet's dreaming was interrupted for the second time that day when a rowdy party composed of a tipsy looking Thorne with a bewildered Iko on his arm and a lagging Cinder wandered into their shared royal guest house. As Cress leaped to her feet to kiss Thorne on the cheek, she found herself studying Cinder. When Scarlet had first met her, she had seemed like an easy read. After all, the only emotions she ever displayed were anger and bitterness. But over time, she had opened up, grudgingly accepting friendship and companionship from the gang.
"Thorne!"Scarlet heard a startled shriek from the kitchen, followed by a muffled thump. Amused, she rose from the red-clothed couch, and strode to the small, but sumptuous, yellow room. Cinder was laughing, bending over in laughter, at the scene before her. Scarlet realized with a start that she had never seen Cinder really laugh before. Only bitter little chuckles had accompanied her comments before their upheaval on Luna and now that the fighting was over, Cinder had been quiet. Even when she ate dinner with the rest of them, and engaged in conversations, her eyes were hazed and Scarlet knew that she wasn't really there. She had dismissed it, thinking it may just be shock and she would gradually ease into her life. She had yet to be coronated on Luna as Queen, but was still bowed to and referred to as princess. A princess. When Scarlet had first looked on Cinder as a royal, she had resisted the strange, and probably disastrous, urge to laugh. Cinder was about as far from the old era's princesses as you could get. On a good day, she brushed her hair and looked in a mirror while putting it up. On a bad day it was a quickly contrived ponytail as breakfast was being eaten and attire was loose pants. Scarlet had observed her for the first few days after she and Wolf had moved in and saw a distinct lack of options in the soon to be monarch's wardrobe. A confrontation and generous bribe later, Scarlet had dragged her a thrift shop where they would be unlikely to be recognized. After a lot of grumbling, Cinder had purchased some clothing that didn't look like it belonged to a starving artist. (nothing against starving artists)
Craning her neck around the divider, Scarlet herself started giggling at the sight on the kitchen floor. Somehow both Cress and Thorne had ended up splayed on the ground, covered in what looked to be a brightly colored energy drink. Indeed, the jug was lying a few feet away, cap screwed off and nowhere to be found. Cress shrieked and shoved Thorne away from her as he whispered something in her way. Knowing Thorne, something that Scarlet never wished to hear. Iko smirked, then uncrossed her arms to help a sopping Cress up. Scarlet winced in sympathy as she surveyed the pale yellow dress Cress was wearing. No stain remover was going to help that.
"Carswell! Is this some idea of a joke? I thought at this age, you would have outgrown your silly little pranks!" Cress' voice got shriller and shriller as she yelled at her boyfriend ''you can just go back to that Katie Fallow, for all I care!" With a final decisive exclamation point, she turned on her heel and marched to the bathroom.
"Cress, love! Don't be like that." Thorne rushed after her and Scarlet saw him knock softly on the door and murmur something.
Turning away, Scarlet sighed. Cress tended to be a drama queen and she knew in a few moments the bathroom would be home to Thorne, too. And rather a lot of kissing. This was not the first time "that Kate Fallow" had been brought up. Cinder took a deep breath to still her laughter, and looked over at Scarlet.
"You think that she would be used to it by now, don't you? But apparently not. I think I know enough about Kate Fallow at this point to be her best friend," Cinder said, then tossed a roll of paper towels to Scarlet.
"Can you get that while I mop?" she asked, then gestured to Iko " Iko, will you please, please go run out and get some new...What is that stuff? Ah, never mind, some energy thing?"
Iko frowned at her best friend and assumed an aloof position, arms crossed. Iko had been rather high and mighty ever since she had gotten her newest form. This one had an attractive bob that was an unfortunate pink and eyes that looked darker than any humans ought to be.
"Why can't you go out? My feet are tired." Iko whined, and scowled when Cinder's expression didn't change.
"Iko, dear, you don't have nerve endings. And I get so tired after training," Cinder retorted with the diplomatic tone she was often forced to use on dubious ambassadors. Many wouldn't believe that this was what two planets had been searching for for so many years. Scarlet thought that in moments like these and with foreign monarchs, she had a special voice that was born into her from her royal family line.
Iko grumbled and flicked her hair out in a pretentious sort of way, but complied. Cinder gave a small, self-satisfied smirk, then moved to help Scarlet with the kitchen.
Soon done, Cinder flopped, spread-eagle, on the ground. Scarlet quirked her head at her, shrugged, then followed suit. Moisture sank slowly through her thin shirt, refreshing against the hot summer air.
Cinder suddenly looked over at her.
"Scarlet.. is it getting better?" she asked, face suddenly earnest.
"What?" Scarlet replied, faking confusion
"The flashbacks, nightmares. I don't know. Don't hide from them. They go away eventually. I would know, got 'em every night for a month after Levana fell." Cinder looked down, slightly sheepish after her speech.
" Thanks, Cinder. You're probably right. They are getting better, although I still wake up Wolf most nights."
"Hmm?"Cinder asked, confused.
"Screaming. Or rather undignified shrieks, according to the manly Ze'ev."Cinder snorted.
"But anyways, thanks. I don't think Cress or the men-folk would be willing to talk about it, but you can. Hey, by the way, can I call you Shelly now? You know, the Selene thi…" Scarlet trailed off. Cinder's look was that of a killer cyborg.
"Never mind, never mind. But imagine...Cinder didn't really open up opportunities for nicknames, but Selene, wow the options. But you don't really look like a Selene. It sounds like some chick who spends half the day primping." Scarlet started at the end of her rambles. This was probably the longest and most open conversation she had ever had with Cinder. Princess Selene, heh.
Cinder had lost her murderous scowl, obviously holding back a smile. Just as Scarlet was about to point this out, they heard the front door being opened.
"Oh, must be Wolf!"Scarlet squealed and found herself smoothing down wild locks of hair. He always said that he loved her even at six o'clock on a Monday morning, but Scarlet, for the first time, cared about how she looked around a boy. Man, rather. And she was pretty sure she didn't just like him. She had fallen for Wolf much too fast, but it seemed that he had fallen for her even faster. The two weren't "ring on the finger" engaged, but Wolf swore he would marry her whenever she was ready. In her humble opinion, twenty was a tad too young.
"Scar?" Wolf's questioning voice rang through the house "I brought along a visitor. Prince Kaito."
Scarlet slyly looked over at Cinder and stifled a laugh at her readily prepared glare. The whole gang, well, mostly Thorne, constantly teased her about "Kai" and their supposed friendship. She also noted with pleasure a slight flustered air about Cinder.
Wolf appeared through the kitchen entryway, and strode to Scarlet. Her heart swooped as it always did as he kissed her lightly, no matter how many evenings he had come home and performed the same ritual. Prince Kai followed him, hands folded before him as he edged in behind Wolf. Apparently he had snuck out once again, as he was wearing a simple jacket and jeans. He flashed a smile at Scarlet and Cinder, and gave a small bow that looked out of context in his casual dress.
"Ms. Benoit. Cinder," he said, still beaming. Scarlet prodded Cinder at the familiar usage of her first name. She knocked her back with her elbow as she smiled back a little too enthusiastically to Kai. Scarlet gave a slight comical pinwheel movement of her arms before regaining her balance. Kai and Wolf both adopted puzzled expression before shrugging.
"Ah, Cinder, I'm glad that you're here. We must discuss stage two letumosis vaccinations in the Northwest side of the neighborhood that's adjacent to the old market. It seems that some citizens are being unruly and have started picketing. They're convinced it's all a Lunar mind trick." Kai finished his monologue and shot a hopeful look at Cinder."It will take only a minute, if you can spare some time?"
Cinder shrugged and replied" Sure, I don't have anything to do."
Wolf looked at her reproachfully." Cinder, try practicing how to respond to foreign ambassadors elegantly more often. Kaito would be good practice."
Cinder did not deem a response necessary, and simply twisted her hair into an untidy bun as she beckoned for Kai to follow her out of the room.
Wolf pecked Scarlet one last time on the cheek before searching the cabinets.
"Any good news?" Scarlet prompted, hoisting herself onto the marble counters. Wolf was currently, as a member of the Royal Guard, working to better mesh the people of Luna and Earth. So far most of the work was breaking up riots and convincing the public that Lunars weren't nearly as bad as the legends claimed.
As Wolf snacked on half a leftover chicken (the boy still hadn't lost his appetite), Scarlet told him of the most recent cases in court. Most were for the murderous thaumaturges that had slaughtered Earthens and Lunar traitors alike, although a few were for " well meaning Earthens" who had taken their planet's safety into their own hands. Scarlet, and she herself did not know how she had gotten into it, was a leader in many of these.
" Hey, does it seem like the Emperor and our lovely queen-to-be have been gone for awhile?" Scarlet mused, and Wolf looked at her over his shoulder.
"Yeah, that's weird. Kaito said that it would take but a minute. Maybe it he forgot something in their last peace council," Wolf said, putting away his freshly washed plate.
"You have no imagination, dear," Scarlet said, giving him a wicked grin.
"What are you impl…" Wolf started to ask, but was stopped by a violent hushing from Scarlet. She was stealthily creeping to the balcony, which was right off from the front hall. Slightly behind, he missed the moment where she jumped out at them with a fake yell of shock. He did, however, see the end result.
Kai and Cinder were pressing themselves against the bars, in an apparent effort to get as far away from each other as they possibly could. Kai was a brilliant red and Cinder looked like a ghost. Scarlet was laughing hysterically, a hand covering her smile. Because that was when she knew that they would all be ok.
However, it was Thorne's reaction she really lived for.
"I told you!"
Thanks for reading. Remember to drop a review if you want me write a Lunar Chronicles story!:)