Chapter 8: Signal Fire
Warning: The Loud House Netflix Movie spoilers
Also: All my illnesses and other physical ailments have been back with a vengeance so I apologize for the wait...and also apologize if this isn't good lol I just really needed to write it after seeing the movie and reading some Tumblr/Twitter posts about it.
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Luna's lower lip was bruised and mangled from her constant chewing on it. She held up her phone for the twentieth time, took a deep breath, and shut her eyes tightly.
[Come on, Lunes… Sam deserves to know you won't be coming back…and so do Mazzy and Sully,] Luna thought to herself.
She felt her heart rip into her throat again: just imagining their reactions was too much. Luna was just as excited as her family to move to Scotland and live in the luxurious family castle. "Yes! Let's move to Scotland and leave everything! Even our pets" (which now that she thought about it was pretty messed up…) "and all our boyfriends and girlfriends and friends…and family…and…everything…" Luna slowly began to realize how horribly mistaken she was.
Luna was a mess. The joy of having her own room inside an enormous castle and an entire kingdom bowing at her feet was getting less and less exciting every day. To hide her feelings, she focused on getting good at the bagpipe. Music always calmed her and distracted her from her troubles.
Music…playing with The Moon Goats… Sitting on the dirty garage floor infront of Sam and desperately trying to pay attention as Sam excitedly showed Luna some new technique she learned on her bass…but was too distracted by how Sam's eyes would glow when she was excited, the dimple that would appear on her cheek when she did that cute half grin she always did, and how her bangs would frame Sam's pretty face…
Luna looked up at the uniform castle walls. Sam made her feel warm and loved…and safe. The walls, even though they were made of the "mightiest boulders in Scotland," just made Luna feel cold and isolated.
Luna tossed her phone away and picked up the bagpipes again. She needed to take a long walk and play. She got up as she began to blow into the instrument. Luna didn't even know where she was going, but she walked. And as she walked, she saw memories of Royal Woods in her head. In your head, in your head…zombie, zombie… Luna decided to try to play Cranberries music on her bagpipes.
As she attempted to create the music, Luna heard Mazzy's teasings and remembered that one time Mazzy put a sub sandwich on her drums during a show so she could eat and play. She saw Sully smiling and introducing himself and Sam to Luna in the cafeteria. She saw Sam and her big, goofy grin that Luna loved so much. Then she saw them all rocking and rolling at a local concert.
Man, she would do anything to be rocking out with them right now. She blew hard into the bagpipe and then pulled back her head, squeezing the bag and tugging at one of the pipes to create a distortion effect, much like she would do on her axe.
Suddenly, clapping snapped her out of her daydreaming.
"Bravo, Miss Luna! Bra-a-a-avo…"
Luna turned to see the castle's caretaker, Morag, standing by the window. Her normally kempt hair was now a giant crow's nest and the grin on her face looked disturbed. However, Luna was just happy to have an audience again.
"Yes! An audience!" Morag suddenly declared as if she had read Luna's mind.
Then, everything around Luna and Morag melted into grey-colored goo. Luna watched in horror as a large, black puddle formed underneath Morag's feet. The older woman grinned wickedly and raised her arms up. The puddle formed into a black dragon with red eyes with Morag balancing on the top of its head. Luna suddenly realized they were in a theater and she was on the stage. She looked into the audience to see the dragon gathering licking flames in its mouth, Morag cackling like a madwoman, and the Moon Goats seated in the front row. Luna's band glared at her and began slow clapping in a very unimpressed manner.
And then, the dragon spat out its fire.
Luna woke up with a shriek and sat straight up, body covered with sweat. She panted softly and slowly looked around. After a moment, she hung herself over the bed to check to see if she had woken Luan. She hadn't – but Mr. Coconuts seemed to be glaring at her. Luna shivered at the creepy stare and then rolled back onto her pillow.
The Louds were finally back in Royal Woods. Somehow their "Louds never quit" attitude got them all home in one piece. Everyone else in her family seemed fine and happy to be back, but Luna was a wreck. Number one: THEY ALMOST DIED SEVERAL TIMES! Luna was having nightmares every night about being roasted by a dragon or watching her little brother and sister plummet from the sky. Number two: She was a horrible friend and girlfriend for not telling them she had moved to Scotland. She was so ashamed, it took her several days to finally tell Sam, Sully, and Mazzy she was back home. They had planned a get together at Sam's house later today. Luna sighed quietly and rubbed her hands over her face.
For once, she was not looking forward to it.
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Luna trudged down the street towards Sam's house. She wasn't sure how she would be able to look any of her friends in the face: she was a coward and a liar. Well…a liar by admission…but still a liar. When she got to the familiar house, she dragged herself up the stairs and went to open the front door. A note hanging from the door caught her eye: 'Luna – meet us in the garage.'
Luna shrugged, sighed, and went back down the stairs. She walked up to the garage door and punched in the code. Luna stepped back as the door slowly began to slide open.
"WELCOME BACK!" Sully's voice cheered.
Luna blinked and looked down to see her friends' feet and legs, the rest of them still being blocked by the slowly opening door.
"Sully! Too soon!" Mazzy's voice hissed angrily.
Sully yelped as Luna heard something being thrown in his direction. She couldn't help but giggle at her friends' antics. To make things less awkward, she ducked under the door and then straightened up. She froze with surprise and then beamed happily at the scene in the garage. The band was standing on the old, beaten-up red couch inside the garage. Behind them, was a huge 'Welcome Home' banner hanging from the rafters that held piles of spare car parts and wooden planks. There was a large table of food with a giant cake in the middle of it.
Luna's joy turned into pure guilt. Her face fell and her eyes began to well up with tears: she didn't deserve this. Before Luna could shed a tear, Sam dive-bombed into her body and squeezed her into a tight hug.
"Lunes! Welcome back!" Sam greeted happily, head nuzzling into Luna's.
Luna gasped for breath but managed a, "Thanks, Luv."
Mazzy joined in with Sully who cheered, "Band hug!"
After a few seconds of hugging, Mazzy pulled away and made a beeline to the food table. "Alright, mushiness over, let's eat!"
Sully raced after her. "Dibs on the orange soda!"
Luna couldn't help but laugh as Sam released her. "What am I, chopped liver?"
Sam put her hands on either of Luna's cheeks and pulled her in for a quick kiss on the lips.
"Don't worry, I missed you," Sam giggled. She put her hands on Luna's shoulders and grinned, eyes bright. "Ugh, Lunes, those pictures you sent us of Scotland! What a beautiful place!"
Sully looked over from pouring himself a cup of soda. "And you saw ghosts and an actual dragon! If I was you, I would have never come back."
Luna gulped hard and then gave him a twisted grin. "Y-yeah…heh…"
Sam did a double-take at how much of the cake Mazzy was currently eating. When Mazzy caught Sam's dumbfounded look, she gave a toothy, cake-filled grin.
Sam took Luna's hand with a grin. "Come on, Lunes. You better get some cake before Mazz eats it all."
Luna let Sam haul her towards the table as Sully's words repeated in her brain like a broken record. Maybe she shouldn't feel so guilty…after all, Sully would have stayed. She looked at Mazzy who seemed half-listening to Sam's "too much sugar is bad for you" speech. Mazzy would have definitely stayed…and probably would have used the dragon to take over all of Scotland…
Mazzy began licking her plate to annoy Sam further. Sam's annoyed expression broke into a huge smile as she laughed. Luna's heart warmed at the sound of her girlfriend's laughter. But still, maybe Sam would've stayed too. Luna nodded to herself: who wouldn't want to stay in a huge castle with its own staff? Who wouldn't want an entire kingdom fawning over them?
…But Sam would have definitely told Luna.
Luna breathed out through her nostrils and picked up a paper plate to cut herself a very large slice of cake. As she cut into the cake, she felt her heavy eyelids begin to drop. A yawn forced itself up her throat and out of her mouth.
"Tired?" Mazzy asked.
Luna looked up blearily. All three of her bandmates were now watching her.
She let out a fake, weak laugh and stuck her fork into the cake. "Y-yeah, sorry… I'm good, though."
Sully grinned. "Are you good enough to tell us about Scotland? You sent us a picture of a dragon…like an actual dragon… Everything I thought I knew was real has been shattered."
Luna smirked. "It's a long story..."
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After the mini-party was over, Luna was sunk into the Sharps' living room couch with one hand on her swollen stomach. She audibly groaned once again. Sam approached her with an eyebrow raised, holding a heating pad in her hands.
"Wow. 'Never seen you pig out like that before, Lunes," Sam teased with a laugh. She squatted down and placed the heating pad on Luna's stomach, then grinned up at her ill-looking girlfriend. "What's wrong? You couldn't stand the haggis over there?"
Luna managed a weak chuckle as she rolled her head to look down at Sam. "C'mon, Dude. I'm already feelin' the urge to vom."
Sam quickly stood up and walked backwards towards the dining room. "Uh…lemme get away from you… If you vom, I'm gonna sympathy vom." She turned and disappeared into the kitchen. "I'll make you some Ginger Tea for your stomach."
Luna smiled softly after Sam. She didn't see herself completely jumping on board with Sam's organic lifestyle (especially not the seaweed sandwiches), but Sam's organic cures for minor health issues always did the trick. Luna pulled out her phone to check to see if her parents had gotten back to her about whether or not it was okay to sleepover at Sam's. An "okay" emoticon from Rita answered her question. Then she looked in her photo gallery to look at the pictures she took in Scotland.
Suddenly, Sam was standing behind the couch with a steaming, hot kettle of water. Her eyes glared down at Luna and her face was shadowed eerily.
"So…" Sam's voice was unusually dark. "When were you going to tell me that you were abandoning our relationship…" She held up the kettle, the spout pouring with hot steam. "…Without calling me?!"
Luna yelped and prepared herself for the pain that was coming.
"Do you want honey with your tea?" Sam asked. "Lunes?"
Luna bolted awake with a gasp. She looked around, confused, and then spun her head around to see a surprised and concerned looking Sam standing behind her.
"Oh! Sorry! I didn't know you were asleep," Sam apologized. She paused to look at Luna's pale face. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't have to stay over if you're not feeling well."
Luna snapped out of her sleep daze and shook her head. "No! I'm fine, I'm just…tired." She sighed and scratched the back of her head. "I-I haven't been sleeping well since we got back…lots of bad dreams." She looked away from Sam's eyes that were focused attentively on Luna. "Honestly, I'd rather be here than back at home anyways."
Sam put one of her hands on her hip and cocked it. "I totally understand – you all went through a lot!" She turned and headed back towards the kitchen. "We'll have some tea and then just chill out. Cool?"
Luna nodded. "Cool."
She watched Sam leave and then turned back around to stretch her arms into the air. Luna then rolled her head and rubbed her neck. She heard something drop onto the ground between her feet and looked down to see her phone. Luna leaned over, picked it back up, and then looked at the screen to see a picture of Lincoln in his duke outfit, posing dramatically for a picture.
"Oh yeah!" Luna called to Sam. "I should show Simon the pictures of the dragon too! He likes all that kinda fantasy stuff, right?" She glanced around the empty house. "Where is everyone anyway?"
She jumped slightly when she heard a loud clatter of mugs from the kitchen. Before Luna could ask if she was okay, Sam zipped out of the kitchen with two mugs of tea in her hands and a nervous, toothy grin plastered across her face.
"Oh, uh, they're out," Sam said in a slightly higher-pitched voice than usual as she handed Luna her mug.
Luna took a sip and asked, "When are they coming back?"
Sam turned her head so that her long bangs would conceal her face. "…Next week…"
Luna choked on her tea. "Next week?! They left you here?!" Sam made the noise in her throat that always indicated she really didn't want to talk about something. Luna placed her mug onto the coffee table and took Sam's hand into hers, leaning over to try to get Sam to look at her. "Sam…"
Sam turned to Luna with huge eyes and her lips tightly pushed together. Finally, she blurted out. "Ugh! I'm so selfish! We were going to go on our yearly sailing trip but then you texted me saying you were home and I…" She sighed and looked down. "…Asked my parents if I could stay home to see you."
Luna felt a pain in her chest as if someone had stabbed her in the heart. Sam skipped her family vacation just to see her? And Luna couldn't even call her or even pause to think about Sam's feelings for one moment before agreeing to move to Scotland...for private bathrooms.
Sam slid down into the couch cushion, her hands cradling the mug on her chest. "I feel so guilty. I mean, I figured I go every year and it's always the same sights and stuff we do over and over again. But I never even thought how Simon or my parents would feel. Like…do they think I love you more than I love them? That must hurt. A lot." She tilted her head backwards and tapped her fist onto her forehead. "Agh! I'm a bad big sister and a bad first born child! I'm supposed to set the standard! It's not-"
Sam paused and looked over at the unusually quiet Luna. Luna had her face in her hands, bent forward so her elbows were on her knees.
Sam hesitated for a moment. "…Luna?" She waved her hands. "It's not your fault! It was me being a dumb, selfish teenager."
Luna flung her head away from her hands, eyes filled with tears. "You're selfish?! What about me, Dude?! Me and the rest of the Fam decided we wanted to live in Scotland and I was too afraid to tell you guys so I didn't! I was gonna abandon you and the band for my own toilet and you didn't even think of leaving me for your vacation! How's that for selfish?!"
Sam raised an eyebrow. "What? That's silly, Lunes! Of course you had to stay in Scotland if your family wanted to. What were you suppose to do? Fly back to Royal Woods and live alone in a cardboard box?"
Luna cringed and lowered her head. "B-but I should have called you."
Sam shrugged her shoulders a little and looked away. "Well, I mean, yeah, but…I would've had a really difficult time telling you if I was in your place. Besides, you would have called eventually because, despite what you think, you're a really good person…just a really anxious one."
Luna sniffed. "Thanks, Sam."
They sat in silence for a few moments, avoiding each other's eyes. Finally, Luna scooted over and dropped her head onto Sam's shoulder. Sam used her arm to wrap it around Luna's shoulders as they both stared thoughtlessly ahead.
"Lunes, just so you know…I'm not here to get in the way of your life. I'm here to support you," Sam said quietly, looking down at Luna's face.
Luna trailed her eyes up to look into Sam's sincere ones. She felt her heartbeat in her ears as she felt a burning blush spread across her cheeks. Sam always knew what to say to make her feel better. Luna smiled happily up at Sam, thinking how cool her girlfriend-
Sam grinned. "Was your toilet gold, by the way? I mean, what's the point of living a life of royalty when everything isn't gold?"
-was not.
Luna burst into laughter and lightly shoved Sam's side. "Dude, c'mon, you just said the most romantic thing and you follow it up with that?!"
Sam laughed too. "Sorry! I've been focused on what castle toilets look like since you mentioned it awhile ago."
Luna rolled her eyes with a grin. "Lincoln's toilet was gold, but the rest of us plebs just had to settle for silver ones."
Sam reached out and stroked Luna's hair with a teasing grin. "Aww, poor babies." She giggled when Luna playfully shook her head to get Sam's hand out of her hair and then reached for her tea, but stopped. "Ooo, I'll get some blankets for us and-"
Luna laughed, "Dude, sit. Enjoy your tea."
Sam giggled and picked up her mug. "Sorry. I can't turn off my mom mode sometimes."
Luna watched Sam blow softly on her tea and then take a careful sip. Hundreds of people worshipped Luna and the rest of the Louds in Scotland, but Sam's love and concern for her made her happier than all the "Scotts" admiration combined. She picked up her mug again and went to take a sip, but then paused as a devious smile spread across her face. Luna turned to Sam and looked at her through hooded eyes.
"Y'know…instead of hanging out on the couch like we always do when your family is around…we can go to your room and chill," Luna slowly suggested.
Sam grinned and turned her head to Luna. "You just like my bed."
Luna laughed, "Have you ever slept on a bunk bed? It's like sleepin' on a plank with some cotton on it. Your bed is like a dream."
Sam hummed and smirked at her girlfriend. "Alright, after you drink your tea we can-" She froze in horror as Luna began chugging down her scolding hot tea in large, determined gulps. "Luna, that's hot!"
"AGH!"
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Even though her mouth and throat were now burned raw, Luna lied smugly on Sam's bed: worth it, she decided. She was on her back with her head propped up on a pillow, watching the comedy movie Sam had put on. Luna looked over at Sam who was lying next to her and staring at the television, but seemingly not paying much attention to the movie. Once in awhile, Sam would pick up her phone that was on her stomach and check it with large, worried eyes.
"Now's my turn to say something," Luna said. Sam rolled her head towards her, one eyebrow raised. Luna smiled and playfully pinched and stretched Sam's cheek. "You're not a selfish teenager and don't worry about wanting to stay home."
Sam rubbed her cheek when Luna released it, not looking very convinced. "But…"
Luna grinned and suggested, "Y'know what? We should spend the day cleaning your house and cooking dinner for them when they get back!"
Sam's glum expression changed into a look of amusement. "Dude, if we tried to cook anything, we'd end up blowing up the house."
Luna laughed, "'Got me there, Brah. But we can ask my dad for some food from his restaurant! And have a welcome back dinner!"
Sam smiled appreciatively and reached out on hand to lace her fingers between Luna's. "That sounds like a good idea. Thanks, Lunes."
Luna nodded, happy she made Sam feel better. They turned their attention back to the movie and watched in silence. After several minutes, Luna found herself fighting sleep again. Her eyes would drag close but then she would snap awake and shake her head. All the sugar from the cake and the other party goods were making her crash hard. She felt Sam's fingers squeeze hers and suddenly, she was out.
And once again, she found herself on stage. She grimaced and slowly lifted her head up, knowing exactly what she would see. And she saw it: Morag, on the same black dragon with piercing red eyes.
"What's wrong, Luna?! Why don't you play something for us?!" Morag mocked in a deranged voice.
Morag motioned down to the seats, but this time, they were empty. Even the dream Morag seemed shocked.
"What?!" she yelped.
"Lunes!"
Luna turned and beamed happily. Sully was on his keyboard. He smiled, lowered his eyebrows in determination, and nodded at her. Mazzy was on her drums. She twirled her drumsticks with a dangerous-looking grin on her face. Luna turned to where she hoped she would see Sam…and she did. Sam was holding Luna's purple axe in her hands with her pink bass strapped around her.
"Catch!" Sam called as she tossed Luna her axe.
Luna caught it and strapped it over herself. She turned her body towards Morag and the dragon. Luna raised her hand into the air and then brought it down to her guitar strings, creating a roaring noise from her guitar. Shockwaves cut into the air and towards the villains, blowing them backwards into a void.
"We did it," Luna whispered in disbelief.
Suddenly, from above, she heard Lincoln calling her name. Luna looked up to see Lincoln with Lily in his arms, floating through the sky. This time, they were now plummeting towards their deaths.
"Luna!" Lily giggled, waving her tiny hands.
"Lunes," Sam whispered besides her.
Luna startled awake and blinked rapidly. She was still on Sam's bed, curled up on her side, with the early morning sun's orange light peeking through Sam's blinds. Luna looked to see Sam facing her, eyelids heavy. Sam's hand was holding Luna's, their fingers intertwined. Luna found herself gazing at Sam; how the light made her light blonde hair seem to glow, how Sam's pupils expanded when she looked at Luna, and the way she cradled her pillow with her unoccupied hand, causing her cheek to squish in a cute way.
"Another nightmare?" Sam asked sleepily.
Luna smiled shyly and shook her head. "Naw, it was a good dream."
Sam studied Luna's face before she asked, "Promise?"
Luna nodded and scooted closer to Sam. Sam released her hand and stretched out her arms to offer a place for Luna to lean into. Luna accepted the light, drowsy embrace and pressed her face against Sam's neck, giving it a light, playful kiss that caused Sam to hum in sleepy amusement. She held still and quiet, listening as Sam slowly slipped in and out of sleep.
Luna, however, was excited from finally defeating her dream monsters. "Sam?"
"Yeah Lunes?" Sam croaked.
"Wanna hear me play my bagpipes later?" Luna asked with a grin. "I brought them."
Sam paused and then pulled away slightly to look down at Luna with a bewildered expression. "Wait…where have you been keeping bagpipes?"
Luna wiggled her eyebrows deviously and said with a giggle, "I'll tell you when you get older."
Luna's grin widened as she watched Sam's heavy eyes squint with thought. It took awhile for Sam to process what Luna just said, but when she got it, she groaned and rolled away. "Dude, gross…don't make me ban you from my room."
Luna laughed, sat up on her knees, and playfully rolled her girlfriend back and forth until Sam retaliated with a pillow to Luna's back. Luna wrestled Sam onto her back, grabbed the pillow from her hand, and then slowly leaned over to kiss her.
As the heat from their kiss flushed Luna's face, she finally felt like a real Duchess.