The days passed slowly, it has now been a week since I last saw Darion. I had finally left my depressed, sappy state and left my room; I was done feeling sorry for myself. While I was cooped up in my comfy cocoon, I stole the Eragon series from Arien's room and read them. They were so full of Dragon history, I barely put them down to sleep! A lot of things mentioned in the first book related directly to Luna and I! It was a relief to finally get some answers... even if it wasn't real.
After my Eragon binge, I spent the days with Luna. We avoided the topic of Darion and focused on happier things, like the fact that she could successfully blow fire. It wasn't very big or bright but it was definitely fire and we were both happy about her maturing.
"You're getting so big," I said while stroking her head.
"I feel that we a both growing," she cooed back.
"Are you calling me fat?!," I stepped back and dramatically and slapped my chest to seem offended.
Luna rolled her eyes," Acorn, you look to much into my words. I mean that you are growing up. I grow in body and you grow in the mind."
I smiled," I was being melodramatic, I know what you meant. Thank you." I noticed that I was doing this more and more often: switching between talking aloud and talking through our link. It made me feel like I could speak a different language. "I've have learned a lot about Dragons."
"Yes, you have gained knowledge."
"I know Eragon isn't real but it just fits... nothing else really explains everything."
"Yes but that other land is not real. Where did I come from?"
"Well, dragons aren't real... not in this world at least. You are just a freak of nature."
"I resent that remark."
"A beautiful freak," I smiled.
"I was being sarcastic," Luna rolled her eyes. "Do I look like you?"
"I don't do that," I laughed.
"Yes you do, Acron. You really do," she rumbled with laughter.
"Hey, can we practice the wall thing?"
"I don't see why you are fascinated by it. I like that we open to each other," Luna revealed.
"I know, I like that to but I just want m thoughts to be my own sometimes, you know?"
"I understand. I don't like secrets, but I understand."
I closed my eyes and pictured a wall around my thoughts. Brick by brick, building layers between the outside world and my brain, locking in my thoguths. I could feel Luna on the outside, pushing her way through my defense. I tried to protect them, imagined them in safe with a secure lock, but once again Luna burst through with no effort. I let my breath go and opened my eyes, I could feel a small drop of sweat fall from my face.
"You are getting better , Acorn," Luna admitted.
"Still not good enough."
"It will take practice, but your wall was very thorough and tough, I am just stronger."
"So it this Acorn thing?," I changed the subject. I hated being weak, I wanted be able to have my own mind at least," Is that a nickname?"
Luna chuckled, her whole body rumbling," I like it. It suites you, Acorn."
"I like it too, but you need a nickname ,too!"
"I don't believe I can give myself a nickname, that ruins it's purpose."
"Hmmm... if I'm acorn... maybe you should be...," I thought quietly," I don't know. It's hard to pick a nickname for a dragon..."
She smiled," Yes, it could-" Luna stopped and sat up straighter, her ears perked and alert with wide observant eyes. She did this when she could sense someone else near. We had a few close calls with some hikers and then with me brother coming to get me for supper but she always left before anyone saw her.
"Who is it?," I held my breath.
"I know who it is... but can't remember. They are alone... it's not one of your brothers... it's someone else."
"You don't know anyone!"
"I know this person," she shifted to a crouch.
"You don't know anyone!," I repeated. "You know Arsen, me, and those hiker's scents!
"No!," her eyes narrowed," I know one more,"
Now I could hear the person approach, pushing leaves and stepping on the terrain, gaining ground towards us with every step.
"Luna! GO!" I pushed her away, but she was much stronger than me and didn't budge. Who the hell is it!? Why isn't Luna flying away?! Who else does she know? She knows who it is, but who!? Who else!?
The sound of their approach was getting louder, they're almost here! I was panicking, "Luna! FLY! GO!" She just stayed low to the ground staring at the other side of the clearing with rage building in her eyes! "LUNA!," I screamed desperately.
Behind me I heard the intruder enter the clearing and my heart sank, it's too late! They've seen her!... It's too late. I turned around quickly," This isn't what you-," my voice caught as I saw who the stranger was. "Darion?"
"Alyson," he started walking until Luna let out a loud roar of her distain. Darion froze," I guess I can assume that you told her."
Luna growled in the back of her throat. "Luna! Control yourself!"
"I am," she argued. "If I wasn't he wouldn't be breathing."
"Alyson! I just want to talk! You won't answer my calls or text me back! We need to talk," Darion called from across the clearing.
"Me not answering should have been a sign!," I yelled to him.
"Please, Alyson!"
"How did you even find me?"
"Really!," he said like I was a complete idiot. " I went to your house, they said you werent there and I knew if you weren't there you'd be here! Here with her!"
Luna roared fiercly at Darion who cowered and tok a few step back.
"Low profile, Luna. Keep it down," I reminded.
"But you don't mind me scaring him?"
"Be nice," I walked towards Darion. "Stay here. You are kinda of terrifing and I guess we have to talk." I stood about 5 feet from her and crossed my arms," What is it?"
"She won't attack will she," Darion was looking at Luna.
"Focus! You wanted me, here I am."
"Right," he turned to me," Alyson, I don't want you upset with me."
"Ohh, why yould you think I'm upset with you," my voice drpping with innocence.
"Don't be condisending, Alyson. I... I just wanted you. And only you. I don't want the dragon to get in the way of us," he grabbed my hand.
Luna roared and reared herself like a horse, when she landed, the earth shuddered and birds flew from the trees in search of safer spot to perch.
"Luna!," I yelled balancing myself. " LOW! LOW PROFILE!"
"I HAVE A NAME!," she shouted.
"OWWWWW!," Darion screeched and covered his ears, dropping my hand. " Make it stop!"
"Shut up, Darion!," I whipped my head to see Luna" Calm down! You have to control yourself! You can't hurt him, Luna!"
"Why not! His ignornace towards me is revolting! I want to crush him!" her eyes were flaming with rage.
"NO!," I told her while sending calming emotions and scenery. Her breathing slow from its hard and ragged pace, she sat back and closed her eyes.
"You are right, Acorn. I won't harm him."
"WHAT"S HAPPENING!," Darion shouted. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME!?"
"Darion! Shut up!" Wait? What hapened to him? " What's wrong, Darion?"
"He's just a weak boy! There is nothing wrong besides the mistake of confusing him for a male!," Luna reorted.
"Luna!"
"I'm not weak!," Darion shot back at her.
"Darion!"
"You are weak! Why else would you be so rude as to take upon yourseldf to control Alyson's life!"
"I don't want to control her life," Darion argued. " I just don't want you to ruin it!"
"STOP IT!," I shouted and both of them silenced and turned to look at me. "Darion! You can hear her!?"
Darion's eyes widened and he glanced between me and Luna," I-I-I d-don't know! H-How is t-t-that pos-ssible?," he stuttered, alarmed by what was happening.
"You can hear her?," I repeated like an idiot. "He can hear you, Luna!," I turned to her dumbfounded.
"He can? That is peculiar," Luna was now intrigued. "Can you hear me now?"
"Yeah, I can," Darion said while rubbing is temples. " Fuck! Now I have a migraine."
"Migraine?"
"Its like a headahce times 100. They are super sensitive to light and sound," I whispered.
"Ohh.. so YELLIING MIGHT HURT A LITLE BIT!," she bellowed making my head throb.
I turned to Darion who looked like he was about to lose his balance, eyes wide, and mouth open; it was obious that Luna had affected him.
"Luna!," I tired scolding her but I snickered slightly at Darion, he looked like an idiot.
"Why can I hear her?," he asked.
"I have no idea," I stopped giggling.. "You could never hear her before, right?" Darion nodded in agreement. " It was in Eragon: Shappira could talk to people with her mind, I guess it's not that big of deal, it could happen."
"Maybe I can only talk to the people I want to ripe the thorats out of..?," Luna pondered.
Darion rolled his eyes," Maybe I can hear you because your not as strong as you think you are," he said with venom in his voice.
"You better watch your boy, Alyson, or I will show him how strong I am."
"Alyson won't let you touch a hair on my head, dragon!," he said angirly but softly to not upset his headache.
"Stop it!," I insited. "Both of you!"
"Control your pet," Darion retorted.
"Control your boy!"
"Control yourselves!," I snapped at them. "Darion, can you hear me?" Darion continued massaging is temples, "He can't hear me?"
"That's interesting," Luna admitted.
"What? What's intersting," Darion asked worried.
"You can hear Luna, but can't hear me. I don't think Eragon could communicate with others unless they were Rider's too. I'm not sure, I'll have to go back and reread," I began pacing.
"Oh... yeah, that's wierd," Darion stood again and grabbed my hand as he had done before, stopping my walking. "Alyson, I don't want to rush you. I love you. I really love you and I don't want to lose you, but... things here... with everything," he glanced a Luna," it's just getting wierder and wierder for me. Have you made a choice yet, or do you need more time?"
I looked into his deep, beautiful eyes, they were capitivating and there was a time I could stare at them all day. Now, it was hard to look at him for longer tha a few seconds, he still wants me to pick?! How can I decide?! I should be honest with him... with both of them. I should tell him what I've been thinking.
"Darion...," I started, breaking our gaze," I've been thinking about your... your offer," I phrased it to be as polite as possible. " I love you. I can't help it, I love you so much; almsot too much. But you have to understand that I love Luna too. Luna is... well she is now a part of me, you know? I can't abandon her! I can't abandon you! I love you both too much to make this desicion."
"So you've been up here this past week with her?," Darion asked wihtout skipping a beat.
"Well... no. Not the whole week."
"You would rather talk to her all day then pick up the phone and answer me when I called," he was angry, I could tell.
"Darion! It's not like that, I needed space to make a desicion which I clearly can't. I want both of you."
"I think you did," he said as he turned away from me.
I grabbed his arm," No! No! I can't choose between you! It wasn't fair of you to ask me to do this!"
He swiped my hand away," That wasn't fair! That wasn't fair! You know what's not fair!? Being forced to live with this secret, having to know that this thing," he gestured to Luna," lurks miles from my house. You never asked me if I wanted out of this! That's not fair!"
I cowered away from his harsh voice," Do you want out?," I asked sheepishly.
"YES!," he screamed, his face was red and his eyes were closed. "I wanted out! But now it's too late! You've already chosen her! You want her in your life instead of me! Don't you Alyson?! Don't you!?," he shoke me by the shoulders.
"NO! NO!," I began sobbing. "I want you! I want you! I want you both! Why can't I have you both!?"
Darion eyes where cruel and viscious," Because life isn't fair. I should have known that you would choose her. I could have given you months, years even and you still would have chosen to be with that dragon, instead of me!"
"I can't decide," I cired to him.
"Then I'll decide for you," he shoved me away from him, I stumbled but didn't lose my balance.
Luna roard and charged at him, I could feel her pure ferocity and intent to rip him apart. "LUNA! LUNA NO!," I shouted.
"WHY!? WHY NOT?! HE DOESN'T CARE! WHY SHOULD I SPARE HIM FOR A SECOND TIME!"
Darion hand't moved, he had barely flinched at a 500 pound dragon ready to atack him. "I know you won't hurt me," he says smugly. "Alyson won't let you. You don't have a choice," he turned to me. "I still love you and I'm sorry it ended this way," with that he turned and headed back towards town.
I couldn't hold in the pain, the agony, the pure hatred inside of me; I collpased into the grass crying uncontrolably. Luna didn't say anything, she curled up around me as I laid there sobbing. I cried about Darion, I cried about losing him, I cired about Luna, I cried about how I didn't lose her, I cried about everyhing and I cried about nothing.