Queen's Choice

The bright moonlight illuminated the night sky, making its celestial presence known to the people as they trekked under it, most heading towards to call it a day while some had just started their shifts. There were other sorts of activities happening unbeknownst by society, while most chose to ignore it, thinking better than to come close to such an influence.

It just so happens that behind the Dark Moon was a scene that not many would get to see. Queen Akasha was leaning on the wall, her eyes still closed, anticipating more than just a simple punch. Her erratic breathing had settled as she calmed herself down. She stood there, waiting for what felt like an eternity, yet whatever Luna was about to do, it didn't come.

She slowly opened her eyes to see what was holding the enraged barista back, but Luna hadn't moved since her outburst. She still held her fists, but Akasha could clearly see that it was Luna herself that was holding back. The years under Selemene's influence had softened her up, to Akasha's relief.

"You… After all this time… Why?" Luna questioned.

Akasha was slightly confused, not quite understanding what Luna meant. "What do you mean?"

"Ten years, Akasha…" Luna closed the distance, her face mere centimeters from Akasha's. "You left me for dead, ten years ago. And now you show up?!"

She grabbed Akasha by her hair, throwing the Queen to the ground. The Queen's attire made the impact more painful than it should have been, her face cringing in pain as her skin scraped the pavement. Before she could react, Luna jumped on top of her, pinning Akasha down by holding the Queen's neck in hand, her other hand drawn back.

"Why? WHY? If you never showed up, I would've…" Luna's breathing became erratic. "I would've…" all thoughts stopped when she realized that Akasha had barely reacted. "Why aren't you even trying to fight back?"

A sad chuckle escaped Akasha's lips. "I've never been a fighter. You of all people should know that."

"But I'm…" Luna's voice started cracking. "I'm assaulting the Queen… You could have me executed…"

Akasha breathed in a lungful of air. "I'm not going to do that. Go ahead. I'll take everything."

Luna's fist started trembling, the weight of the situation finally dawning on her. Akasha was not expecting Luna to turn out like this. From what she remembered, Luna was never an emotional person, and crying was the last thing she'll ever do. Yet, her she was on top of her, her fist falling as tears slowly streamed down her face.

The dam holding Luna's tears finally broke down. "You… Why? You were the only person I trusted. You and Tresdin." The hand holding Akasha by her neck move to the ground as her other hand covered her eyes, trying to hold the tears in place. "You, leaving me there…"

Akasha brought the barista down to her level, holding her as she cried. Ten years was enough for both of them to be complete opposites of who they were back then. The Scourge of the Plains and the manipulative bitch hiding in the shadows, now a successful barista amongst close friends and a queen and a mother of two. As much as the truth hurt, it was Akasha's decision to turn tail that lead them here.

A decision that shook her heart when she had none.

10 Years ago

The slums of the city stood in disrepair and disarray, a land where dog eats dog as not even the City Guards would step inside, knowing that their kind were not welcomed by anyone. Areas were often contested by rival gangs, as turf wars were events that happened daily. The underground held even more powers that had seldom shown themselves, content with just observing the ordeals that the 'lesser' gangs go through.

And so, through the dirtied streets, a red sedan parked itself in front of a decayed building. A young man in a red hoodie got out of it, turning to whoever was inside the car for reassurance, as he was still uncomfortable with the task that had been given to him. The backseat window opened, a briefcase being held out for the young man to take. Sighing, he reluctantly took the briefcase before heading inside the building.

The interior was in a worse state than the exterior, as most of the walls weren't even there. Foundations were held in place by planks and duct tape, making the young man feel unsafe just being inside it. He bumped into a tanned man as he made his way up, wearing a white shirt with a brown vest and pantsuit. The scarred eye that glared at him showed experience.

"Excuse me." He said, rushing downstairs, no doubt making his way out of the building.

The young man barely had time to respond before he was left alone in the stairwell, deciding on continuing heading upwards. It wasn't long till he reached the top floor, but finding the room would prove to be a task itself. Hearing grunts of pain from the distance clued him on its location, as he made way towards it. Shouts of pain from in the room made him hesitate, but he had a job to do, so he lifted his hand and knocked on the door.

The person answering the door was not who he was expecting; a woman with alabaster skin, wearing only a red bra and red shorts. She looked irritated at his presence.

"What do you want?" she asked him.

He glanced inside, seeing piles of beaten men on the ground, and another still tied to a chair, battered and bruised. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing." She answered. "Just teaching some Nightstalkers who they're messing with."

The young man chuckled, pleased at what the Nightstalkers were going through, before remembering his original task, handing the woman the briefcase.

"What is this?"She asked again.

"Gifts from the Flayed Ones." He answered, smiling all the while. "For the Scourge of the Plains."

The woman raised her eyebrow. "Really? What brought this on?"

"Because we have mutual goals." He told her. The woman laughed, before heading inside again, leaving the door wide open.

With the full view, he got the perfect view, seeing the woman that everybody feared constantly beating on the tied Nightstalker. She wore a red shirt, yet the blood splatters were still visible. With one last punch, she sent the tied man down on the floor with the chair, her expression that of tranquil fury, before disappearing from sight. The woman from earlier appeared once more, handing the young man a different briefcase.

"What's your name?" she asked as he opened it, inspecting what was inside.

A collection of hunting knives, something that the Flayed Ones would love. He closed the briefcase, before meeting the woman's gaze. "Strygwyr."

"Well, Strygwyr. Tell your Flayed Ones that the Scourge of the Plains enjoys the gift."

"Understood." He said, before making his way from the room, briskly walking down the stairs.

The woman then closed the door, her mouth open wide as she yawned, before turning to face the woman of the hour, washing the bloodstains from her hands.

"We're leaving." She said as she dried her hands.

"Why in such a rush, Luna?"

"Nightstalkers will come here, and I'm betting they're not too happy at what I just did." Luna said, earning a chuckle from the other woman.

"Since when do you care about them?"

"Since the odds are against me, Akasha." She answered, annoyed at Akasha's behavior.

"You won't get away with this, bitch." They heard the tied man say, still coughing up blood.

Luna approached him, crouching down to his level, taking a brass knuckled from his pocket. "I think I am, Balanar. Maybe I'll leave you something to remember me by." She said as she pressured the brass knuckle on the middle on his forehead, slowly and painfully dragging it down.

Akasha merely waited at the door with the briefcase in hand as she saw the man squirming in pain by the torture that Luna would usually let Akasha handle. Knowing how pissed off the woman was, especially at the Nightstalkers, Akasha let Luna have her moment of fun.

When she finished, Luna left him, and his brethren, on the floor, moving out of the room with Akasha behind her. They soon made their way out of the rundown building, moving straight to a beat up car, driving off to an empty area.

"What is that?" Luna asked as she drove.

"A gift from the Flayed Ones." Akasha answered as she opened the briefcase.

"Flayed Ones?"

"The heads of the Bloodseekers. They gave us some cocaine."

"What are we gonna do with that?" Luna asked. "I don't like touching that shit."

Akasha shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe we can sell it to one of the families?"

Luna scoffed, rolling her eyes at the suggestion. "Like their kind would even come close to me."

"We don't have to go to them directly." She closed her eyes in thought, thinking of a plan. "How about the Doombringers? They're an underground front for the Angelo Family."

"If you think it'll work." Luna slowed down, parking the car at the side of the road. "Where are they?"

"Some of the Doombringers hang out in the abandoned water park." Akasha smiled, already happy with where the plan was heading.

With that, Luna set off to their new destination.

It wasn't long till they were waiting next to an empty pool for further news, as the Doombringer scouts were waiting for further orders from the Angelo Family. Akasha was almost fidgety with anticipation, while Luna was still, her face black of expressions yet people could see the rage from her eyes. When one of the Doombringers emerged from their makeshift office, carrying the briefcase, Akasha stood up, followed slowly by Luna.

"Well?" Akasha looked almost giddy.

"The Father would like to meet you two personally." Akasha was in glee, even though Luna was uncomfortable with the arrangement. "You can meet him at warehouse 666 at the docks." He said as he handed Akasha back the briefcase.

"Let's go Luna!" Akasha said as she dragged Luna to their car.

"Akasha, something feels wrong about this." Luna protested, still feeling hesitant.

"Trust me, this will work out fine! When have I ever been wrong? My judgments are always spot on."

"Then why did Tresdin leave?"

Akasha scoffed. "That bitch couldn't handle our lifestyle. Which is why she's slaving her ass of in the military."

"Akasha…"

"Luna, listen." They stared at each other, red eyes against indigo, as Luna wanted reassurance. "Trust me."

Luna sighed, giving in to the idea and putting her uncertainty behind. "Alright, Akasha. I trust you."

"Good. Now let's go!"

It was midnight when they arrived at the docks, still taking their time in finding the warehouse. When they finally reached it, they saw three red colored vehicles just outside of the building. They got out of the car, walking inside the warehouse, mostly dark as the light bulbs were running out of their charge. It was, for the most part empty; only a few crates lay here and there. In the middle of the room was a table, with a lamp that illuminated the surrounding area.

When they approached the table, the saw armed men in suits and another, much larger man, sat in front of the table, looking pleased at the two women's arrival. He had a bulky frame, wearing a suit with mostly black colors, accented with red and grey. He had a devilish grin when Akasha opened the briefcase, showing him the contents.

"There you go. Just like we agreed." Akasha said, with Luna behind her, still looking uncomfortable.

"Hm, yes." He said as he examined the product, his deep voice shaking Akasha to her core.

"So, can we work something out, Mr. Angelo?"

The man chuckled, standing up and towering over the two women. "Please, call me Lucy." He closed the briefcase. "This is quiet the product. I don't normally take part in these exchanges."

"They were actually gifts, for my friend here." Akasha gestured to Luna, who gave a light nod.

"Ah, yes. The Scourge of the Plains. A pleasure to see. Although you don't look as menacing as I thought you'd be."

"I doubt anything could look menacing compared to your stature, Lucy." Akasha commented, with Lucy giving a bellowing laugh in return.

"Yes, I think we can come up with a deal." The sounds of sirens interrupted him before he could say more.

Akasha looked around, a feeling of nervousness creeping up as the sounds got louder. Luna cursed, the thought that she could've avoided the situation they were in right now.

"What? How did they know?" Akasha asked, to no one in particular. The sound of Lucy's deep laugh got her attention.

"That's because I called them." Akasha's eyes widened, while Luna only held her fists, wishing she had a gun of some sorts. "Did you know, that the City Guards were willing to pay, handsomely, I might add, to anyone that can capture the Scourge of the Plains? I just couldn't resist."

"You son of a bitch!" Luna yelled as she approached him, but a shot from one of his men stopped her movement. She dragged Akasha to cover as the others also started shooting.

"You three, make sure they don't leave." Lucy said as he moved towards the exit.

"Shit, shit shit!" Akasha cursed, not believing the situation she was in.

"Stay down!" Luna said, grabbing the arm of one of Lucy's men as he approached them, grabbing his gun in the process.

She shot him point blank at his thighs, sending him collapsing on the ground, before moving off to a different crate to move the attention away from Akasha. When the bullets followed her, even grazing her shoulder, she started firing back. She couldn't see particularly well in the dark; especially with the glare of light from the lamp; but she managed to catch one of them by his abdomen, bringing him down as he clutched his wound.

Luna then charged straight to the last man, the shots almost grazing her, with one bullet hitting her leg, sending her barreling towards the man, knocking him out in the process. Luna tried to stand up, but settled with shifting her weight on the crate. When she felt the pain recede, she looked around the room.

"Akasha! Let's get out of here!" she called out, but she got no response. "Akasha?"

"Way ahead of you!" she heard from across the building. Akasha had made her way to the other side of the warehouse. Luna was about to move towards her when the doors blew up, sending her to the ground.

"Scourge of the Plains! Surrender now, and we can end this peacefully!" she heard a female voice from outside.

Some of the City Guards were slowly entering the warehouse, and Luna, for the first time, felt herself panic under the stress of the situation. She turned to face Akasha, who looked worse than her.

"Akasha! Help!" she called out, but Akasha stood still. "Akasha, please! I can't move!"

But Akasha was torn. She wanted to save Luna, but the City Guards were already piling up inside the warehouse, slowly descending on Luna's prone figure. Her flight instincts won her internal fight, with her turning her back on Luna and running for her own life. She heard Luna screaming her name as she left the warehouse. Tears were slowly trickling down her face as the possibility that she had sent Luna to her death were laid bare in front of her.

But this was the decision she had made, and she couldn't turn back on it, running for her dear life like she's never done before, finally making her way out of the docks and into some place safer. She was leaning on a lamppost, catching her breath. Her vision was blurry, her body too exerted as she wasn't always a physical person. When she had decided to move again, she bump a man, sending her down to the pavement.

She was about to yell out her frustration, but it died out at the edge of her tongue when her had cleared up and she saw who it was she actually bumped into.

"Well, well. Look at what we have here." The rough, elderly voice said as he straightened himself with his cane.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" his bodyguard asked, eyeing Akasha.

"I'm fine, ya buffoon. What I want to know is why there's a half naked woman on the ground." Ostarion said.

"I think she was running away from a crime scene." Akasha flinched when the bodyguard said his observations. "Possibly from there." He pointed at the docks, blue and red lights shining in the sky.

"Hm, interesting." Ostarion stared at Akasha, deep in thought, leaving the woman to think of the worst outcomes that would happen. Finally, with a laugh, he turned around, before finally ordering his bodyguard. "Take her with us. We'll see if she's useful."

"What if she's not?" his body guard asked as he picked Akasha up.

"Well, then I guess I'll be doing the City Guards a favor."

Akasha closed her eyes and let the tears flowed freely, thinking that her life had come to an end.

Present

Both women were sitting in front of the dumpster, dried tears ruining their makeup. Queen Akasha's face still had the mark that Luna's fist left. Both were unsure on how to proceed as the atmosphere made it uncomfortable for the both of them. It was the Queen to break the ice first.

"I'm sorry, Luna." She apologized, sounding genuine, unlike her from ten years ago. "I know you probably won't accept it, but that's the only thing I can give you."

"I know." Luna responded, her own voice sore.

"In a way, I should've listened to you. You had a bad feeling about the meeting, and you were right." Akasha wiped her eyes, strained from the nonstop tears.

"You should've."

"But, if you look at it one way… if it weren't for me ditching you, we wouldn't be in this situation, right?" Luna stared at Akasha, the subject at hand still too sensitive. "If it wasn't like that, you wouldn't be here, under the great guidance of the coffee shop's owner. And I wouldn't be here; married to the King, and giving him the offspring he wanted so badly."

Luna's expression was still blank, before a sad sigh escaped her. "Why were you the one that matured first?"

Akasha looked surprised for a brief moment, before laughing at the statement. "Being a mother would do that to you."

They stared at each other again, before Akasha brought Luna into a tight hug, fresh tears still threatening to slip past.

"I'm sorry." She said through muffled sobs. "Nothing I can do now to change the past. All I can do is apologize." Luna returned the hug, her own tears about to burst again. "Ten years ago, all I saw was someone that I had in my hands. A pawn. Now? I just want to have a friend."

Akasha waited, hating the silence between them. But when she felt Luna nod, her heart lighted up, a feeling of joy she's never felt, only rivaled by her children's birth. They sat there, still in a tight hug, before finally standing up.

"How's Tresdin?" Luna asked, surprising the Queen.

"What?"

"Isn't she a commander now?"

Akasha was confused. "Yeah... What of it?"

"I'm sure the commander would've been invited by the King for a special occasion, right?"

At this, Akasha laughed, remembering that very occasion. "Actually, yes. Ostarion did invite her to dinner. She also punched me when she saw me."

"Good. You deserve more punches." They shared a laugh, enjoying the brief moment they're having. "Is she doing anything else?"

"Other than being so tight assed?" Luna laughed, before nodding along. "She's making sure my kids don't end up like us."

"She's always had that moral compass."

"She sure does."

Akasha hugged Luna again, who was taken aback by the surprise embrace.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted a friend, Luna. I've told my kids a lot about you. They'd like to meet you."

Luna sighed, holding Akasha at arm's length. "When things are better between us."

"Okay."

Unbeknownst to the two women, a certain curious part-timer was on the other side of the door, eavesdropping on a conversation that she regretted to listen to. Mirana's disproving look made her feel even worse, as she was dragged by the manager, to contemplate on the things that she ended up keeping a secret.

But, at the very least, now she knows why Luna made the latte.