Chapter 12

Royal Family

Luna's head hurt, but when her eyes re-opened, the sight of Loch Loud was not the one she left. The snowy backdrop vanished underneath the sudden heat of a spring morning, a beautiful sun above radiating its warmth down upon the world below. A peaceful wind blew by the mighty walls of the impressive castle resting behind her presence, its own design seemingly at its apex, looking bright and full of life.

The rocker realized fast that she had no control here. Only her mind had any sort of say, and even then she was trapped all alone with it. Her eyes caught sight of a beautiful pond right below her leather-booted feet, fish jumping up with glee as the small weeds against the grass lovingly licked at the edges of the water. The sun's reflection seemed so friendly looking back down, that even the body she possessed seemed to be entranced by its beauty.

Speaking of, Luna tried to figure what was occurring, managing to finally see her body's eyes look down upon their chest. They were covered in a thick purple robe, one that seem to conflict with the heat around them. It managed to successfully cover the outfit beneath, but her hands were fully exposed to the world. Clean, and clearly with a history of playing a stringed instrument based on a few well-earned scars against those fingertips. Speaking of, resting against her lap was a strange looking tune-maker, one that seemed like the ancestor to the modern-day guitar. Even after all the hell she's been through, seeing something like it, or anything related to music, was enough to spark her interest.

But who was she, and more importantly, why wasn't she herself? The world looked so... ancient, as she would say. Beautiful vistas against a sky that seemed so pure, before the advent of modern-technology obscured it all. It looked like a land straight out of a fantasy setting, and whoever she possessed, she was happy she was here. Still, the lack of knowing was concerning. She had no way of knowing, and with their body too far from the water to get an accurate reflection, she was left in the dark.

That is, until a young voice called from behind. "Sister! Sister Luna!"

Both Luna's perked up, recognizing the voice well. With a quick turn, the body looked to the back of the castle, where a few knights seemed to be giving up in controlling the newfound guest running towards her. This guest, draped in a very nice outfit befitting royalty, waved his hands proudly in the air, his white hair shining bright against the morning sun. The girl within the person's body looked on in shock. She knew him, but... she didn't at the same time.

"L-Linc...?" Luna thought to herself.

But to the body that shared her name, it was a common sight to see this boy, and judging by the big smile on her face, it was a welcome sight indeed. "Dearest brother! Woah, you seem full of energy this fine morning!"

Luna blinked, before shaking her head. This person was her brother, but... not. She saw him grow closer, and soon the differences were a little more pronounced. Far wavier hair, and the freckles were in slightly different spots; otherwise, aside from the goofy outfit, he was the splitting image.

The Duke. The original Duke from many a century ago. If that's the case, then the sister he was calling out to...

"Is... my ancestor?"

As such, Luna took a back seat as the past Luna stood up, holding her strange instrument within one hand, giving her free appendage the chance to frollick through his hair. "So, what's the occasion, Sir? What got that big smile beaming on yer face?" She asked, hoping her teasing tone wasn't too harsh.

Perhaps it was a little, for the Duke quickly wiped his hair back down. Even still, he kept that face beaming. "Well, what can I say? The Duke with the plan's just ecstatic! Is there any need for explanation, sister?"

Luna's past self laughed, just as soon as some guppies hopped out of the pond. "Heh, of course not, but you usually aren't running amok like this! You're disturbing the fish, you know!" She looked back at the guards, all folding their arms in disappointment. Perhaps a harsh lesson shall befall both of them soon, but for now, she just wanted to bask in her younger brother's youthful spirit. "But seriously, tell me! Mother and Father give you that new crown at last?"

He shook his head, before folding his arms and looking away, eyes closed in that playful teasing manner. "Nope! If you truly want to know, I suppose you gotta guess it right!"

Past Luna scratched her chin, staring up at a roaming cloud passing by. She had to wonder something first, of course. "Out of curiosity, Do the others know then? Or am I the lucky sister today?"

The Duke giggled into his gloved hand. "Well, I contemplated that, really." He skipped in place, looking far younger than his pre-teen age would prove. "In the end, I think I can trust but one sister, and you're the one I sought! So, go on, guess!"

In many ways, Luna's ancestor was proud. She felt a warmth erupt in that cloaked heart of her's. Amongst a massive family like the Louds, even under the bannership of royalty, she was still the one the Duke relied on. If that's the case, then she couldn't screw this up. What could he possibly be hiding underneath that small crown upon his head? She put that instrument of hers down and truly dug her heels in.

"Well... you love the Spring weather now that the snow has gone?"

"Nope, though it is quite lovely out!"

"You're finally getting that pony? Oh, brother, I'm so happy for you!"

"Grr, I keep telling you lot! A horse! It's a horse I seek... and also, nope!"

Well, what else could it be? Perhaps he didn't have to do his duties for the day? Perhaps, but honestly the Duke seemed to enjoy doing his job for the populace, so that couldn't be it. Maybe she was thinking too simply. What if it was something far more obvious, or perhaps, embarrassing? What if he never wanted her to guess it right?

Heh, only one thing could be humiliating to a boy his age. A mischievous grin broke out on her face.

"Hm... could it be that, perchance, you've fallen in love?"

The Duke, busy doing his happy dance, suddenly stopped at hearing the guess, quickly darting his head away as a crimson glow appeared across his face. Arms folded, he did his best to look as manly as ever. "W-What? I, uh... whatever could you mean? Fall in love? Hah! You... you know our other sister is the jester, correct?"

He may deny it, but that smile revealed all. Her little baby brother finally found someone at last. All the others in the family, even darling little Lily, found somebody to attach to (though for the infant, a stuffed bear would have to do). Honestly, it was only she who had nobody, and for many reasons, she liked to keep it that way. Still, her brother didn't deserve to be in this annoying exclusive club, so to think he actually found a dame who stole his heart made her own swoon.

"Brother, there's nothing to be ashamed of! My, I'm proud of you! Oh, you are quite the catch, you know? Just make sure you treat her right!"

The Duke sighed, shaking his head as he admitted defeat. "All right, all right... yeah, I... I fallen in love with somebody. Just... promise me you won't tell any other sister about what I say! I know how you all become with news such as this!"

Luna's ancestor giggled. "Heh, yeah. Romance is just so fun, you know? Ah, to think my little Duke is finally reaching high. Well, go on then."

He looked at her befuddled. "Go on what?"

"Tell me about her! What's she like? She friendly? Kind? Maybe the adventurous type?" She looked down at her instrument. "Good at music?"

Each question furthered the glow on his face. "Well... I don't really know what to say, to be honest. I... well..."

The way he spoke showed off disappointment. A tone that made his sister a little concerned. Another finger pressed down on her chin. "Hm? Oh, is there... is there something off with her?"

"She's normal, don't get me wrong! It's just... well..."

The musician hoped it wasn't the case, but she had to try. "Are they, well, an enemy? A foreigner? Listen to me, brother, you know father and mother won't mind. They think romance is natural, no matter who it is you fall for!"

Words were truthful, and he knew it, but in the end he shook his head. "It's... complicated."

"Oh, a boy then? Brother, I know how people may think, but-"

"No, not that either! It's... even more complicated..."

What the heck could be even more complicated then that? It's hard deciphering a young boy's thought process, but in the end, maybe he just wasn't ready to reveal the details. A person from a different clan, or perhaps an enemy nation, or maybe even another young lad: it didn't matter to her. She bent down and placed a hand upon his shoulder. He tensed, but soon lessened once he saw her friendly gaze.

"Never fear, okay? You know you can tell me, and no matter the answer, I won't judge. You're my little Duke. You can trust me, okay?"

Even if he was still shy, the Duke couldn't deny his sister. She was always good at prying through his stubborn heart, and this morning was no exception. With a sigh, he smiled back. "You... promise me you won't be caught off-guard?"

"A promise is a promise, brother!"

At last, another sigh, before he summoned the courage. "Well... you see, the one lady that stolen my heart is-"

"E-Excuse me..."

Both siblings panicked at the sound of an interloper. Both quickly pivoted towards the pond, where on the other side of the shore, a sudden presence was made. A young boy, completely naked and covered in scratches from horrific branches he encountered, looked at them both with shriveled eyes. Everyone looked shocked at the scene, frozen in time as the guppies fled deeper into the water.

Luna's ancestor gulped, eyeing the guards who slowly approached. "W-Who are you? How'd you get over here?"

The boy didn't respond, instead holding out his hand. "Please... I need... I need..."

With that, he fell down, too weak to stand any longer. The girl looked in concern, before seeing the Duke run to his aid. She tried reaching for him, but he was much too fast for his age. "Woah, wait, Brother!"

"He needs help! Come, sister, we need to give him aid!"

She didn't know what to do, but in the end, he was right. The Louds were still a royal family, and thus they had to play it safe against spies and other sorts of problems that may arise. Even then, her brother and herself shared that common goal: a person requires aid then they shall provide it.

And thus, she stood to her feet and ran over, all while Luna felt her spirit leave her ancestor's body. She looked about confused, before seeing another figure stand over the boy. Unlike him, however, this one didn't seem to belong in the scene.

Heck, if she didn't know any better, it looked like...

"Rorrim? Wait, what's...?"

Her doppelganger shook her head. "You must survive, Luna! Sister, please! Don't let them win!"

Who? What? But why did she bother questioning? As soon as she tried to speak, the world was overtaken by light, and once more, she was thrusted far, far away.

FROM: A letter written by a royal guard for Loch Loud

"It's getting tense again. Those bloody Savino savages... do they not know they will never win? We have a flying reptile on our side, for the Duke's sake! All they have are footsoldiers and their fancy cannons. True, they are formidable, but for a kingdom as small as ours, we are far more prepared to fight then they will ever be. It pains me to think we have to go to war again, but it seems the King believes this time, compared to the others, is personal. Can't ascertain the reasons, but then again, I'm not one to ask."