(Chapter 7 dialogue helped by Luna-of-Black-Roses)

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

- Bible, John 15:12


"And where have you been?" a tall girl demanded.

Luna looked up at the tall lass. None of the boys were even up to her shoulders!

The tall girl's eyes, hair and skin were all the same color and tone of bright brown. She was a very outside person, sun tanning her skin over the course of many years, lean and strong by her many adventures.

Her very long, well-groomed, shiny hair hung to her hips as an immense ponytail. She wore tall leather boots that reach her knees. Long leather gloves snugged up to her elbows.

The tall girl's face was heavily tattooed, intricate patterns consisting of intertwining symbols of the Kokiri. The lass's angry face made her tattoos worse.

"Well?" the tall girl asked impatiently, her blue fairy hovering behind her.

Luna took a little bite of her bread, walking around the lass. The tall girl sidestepped in front of her, preventing her from walking away. A few other Kokiri happen to walk by, but they do nothing, afraid of the tall girl.

"Don't you dare just walk away like that! Is that all you do? Just walk away as if nothing happened?"

Luna stood her ground, quietly.

The two stare at one another, sleep-deprived face against tattooed visage.

"You need a bath, kid! You don't even take care yourself. I'm surprised you're not covered in fleas yet. Look at yourself! You stink, you're dirty, your hair is messy, and you're halfway a zombie. How do you not just drop dead?"

"Why are you mad at me? I haven't done anything to you." The albino frowned.

"You're right, Luna! You haven't done anything to me, and you haven't done anything to anyone. You don't do anything. You literally do nothing! You never work, you never clean-up, you don't help anyone… You've done nothing for the community. All you do is take whatever you want and leave whenever you want. And I'm sick of it! So I think it's time someone stands up to you and your selfishness."

"What? Me, selfish?" Luna's temples throbbed.

"Yeah! What work did you do lately? Go on, let's hear it! What work did you do?" The tall girl crosses her arms.

It seemed like an easy question, but Luna realized she didn't have an answer. She looked at Kibou who kept quiet.

"Well, I went out…to scout the Lost Woods…" Luna blurted.

"Pfff…like anyone's going to believe that. You don't deserve to take anything from the granary. You've never did anything to deserve anything."

The fat boy drawing water from the well finished lifting the bucket, brow sweaty. "Nature's bounty is for everyone, Vera." He wiped his brow with his hat.

"Yeah, I know, but still… Someone has to do something about this, this…this parasite," Vera scorned, dismissively waving Luna off.

The insult hit the albino hard.

"Instead of complaining, why don't you help her? Show her how to do things properly," Kibou suggested.

"That's easy, Kibou. She just needs to stop acting like a stupid coward and start helping others work. I'm not expecting her to work hard, that's up to Kokiri like me who can actually handle working hard."

"I'm sure she will try," Kibou assured. "Right, Luna?"

"Yes..." No...

"She damn well better." The tattooed lass briefly pointed at Kibou. "You're her guardian fairy, shouldn't you be the one guiding her? You are supposed to be raising your little pet to be—oh, I don't know, actually useful?"

"You don't know how much I did for her," Kibou replied softly.

A few Kokiri walked past, preferring to stay away from the angry tall girl.

"Well, if that's the case, then obviously you're not doing good enough. Look at her! She's as pale as snow. Her skin and hair look dead. She's skinny. She looks like she's gonna drop dead." Why don't you do your job right?"

"You're just doing everything to put me down," Luna whined, wanting to cross her arms but remembering that she held a loaf of bread. She looked away angrily.

The fat boy gawked, wondering what to do.

"Because you deserve it. You deserve to be put down, parasite." Vera leaned forward with a scowl, towering over the albino.

Luna winced. What should a hero be? Exactly not what I am…

Luna frowned. "Well, whatever. You're the reason I prefer to be out alone all the time, you prick!"

"No, it's not me, it's you. You're the problem."

Other kids watched worriedly.

The veins in Luna's forehead bulge. I hate being the center of attention.

"You know, Luna…if you really do want to run away, you are literally every negative thing I have just said about you, which means my opinion of you will not change. But you don't care. I know that much. That's not gonna stop me from criticizing—no, just being honest—about you, as there's nothing you can do to shut me up. You honestly believe you can just do as you please regardless of consequences. So now, I'm here to bring them to you."

"You're taking this too far, leave her alone," the fat boy complained.

"Oh, I will leave her alone. She definitely needs to be left alone. I hope she stays alone forever. Next time you run off to the Lost Woods, Luna, I hope you get lost and I hope you stay lost. You deserve to be gone. Forgotten, lost forever. You deserve to become a Stalchild."

Luna snickered. "Sure."

Vera hesitated.

However, Vera's words hurt Kibou so much that he flew into Vera's face, jingling furiously. Her eyes narrowed.

"Listen to me, you uptight, tattooed bitch! Sounds like you are the one who needs to be left alone! Looks like you are the one who hasn't been raised right! No matter how much you put her down to make yourself feel better, you will never take away the morals you don't and ever will have!"

"Get out of my face, stupid fairy!" Vera backhanded Kibou, knuckles knocking against him. His wings go numb; he hit the ground.

Gasping, Luna dropped her bread, covering her mouth. Kibou twitched. Many Kokiri stopped whatever they did, the onlookers dumbstruck.

"Vera! You don't hit a fairy!" Vera's blue fairy squeaked. The tattooed lass didn't care, even as she watched Kibou twitch. But...

Vera's cheeks redden slightly, though masked by her tattoos and tanned skin. She raised her chin, about to say something—Luna pounced.

Luna flailed her hands wildly, overly long sleeves flopping everywhere. The pale thing repeatedly struck Vera, but is no warrior. The tattooed lass lowered her shoulders and shielded herself, Luna's flurry bouncing off her defense. Vera just stood her ground, blocking Luna's hapless fists. Irritation fumed in Vera; she uppercut the pathetic pale thing in the jaw.

Luna's lower teeth jerk against her upper teeth, jawbone cracking hotly with sharp pain searing even her sinuses and brain. Her legs wobble. She fell on her bottom, hands clutching the grass, eyes shut, head swaying.

Several Kokiri girls and boys cover their mouths, but one boy chuckled, enjoying seeing something so different for a change. Several Kokiri run over to break the fight, swarming between the two girls like grasshoppers.

Luna breathed hard, shaking. Her heart beat furiously, pumping her blood so quickly her veins heat her up. She sweat down her brow, neck and back, clothes sticking to her sweaty skin. Her albinism really made her blushing cheeks show, her dripping eyes and nose worsening everything.

The albino sniffled, trying to pick herself up, but her shaky, wobbly legs refused movement. She tried again, but rather than get up, instead swat aside the Kokiri offering help. Luna didn't want help, so the Kokiri left her alone.

"How could Vera do that?" a Kokiri girl asked another.

"That was so mean, she's so much taller than her."

"Hitting a fairy of all things!"

"Vera, you ought to be ashamed of yourself!"

Kokiri murmured, Luna trying to get up a third time, and for the third time she failed. She turned away from the fat boy who offered help. She feels something touch her shoulder.

Kibou.

"If you fall down, get up." His tiny hands grasp her shirt, Luna picking herself up.

The albino stood, a little shaky, but at least on her feet. Several Kokiri nearly cheer her success, but she never felt better. Ignoring everyone, Luna walked through the crowd angrily, sometimes shoving. She glared at the ground, trying everything she could not to whimper. She can't hold the tears in. Cheeks and lips heavy, Luna wept. She really doesn't want anyone to see her cry, but feels the acidic staring.

"You're lucky I was wearing gloves," Vera remarked as Luna left.

Some Kokiri follow Luna for a while, but they eventually stopped. Kibou sat on her shoulder but Luna does not react.

"I hope she'll be alright," a boy remarks.

"Yeah, hope so, too."

"She'll pull through."

Head and shoulders low, Luna wiped her face with her sleeves, ignoring everything, feeling gutted. Her home is the last one, farthest from the village. She soon reached a gnarly burr oak, the tree of her dwelling. Luna grasped the crisscrossing ropes and climbs, teardrops rolling down her face.

About thirty feet up, she climbed a branch, walked along it, and reached her home.

A thick curtain, tied to the side, served as the door. She stepped through, Kibou trying to untie the cord of the curtain but cannot. Luna untied the cord, curtain closing, blocking out most light. Luna sighed with relief, comforted by dimness.

Kibou's black light offered minimal illumination to see. He wanted to say something, cheer Luna up, anything...but didn't know what to do. He perched on her shoulder, hoping that maybe his presence provided some comfort.

The albino didn't have much in her home. A bed, beside the wall, just a series of overlapping carpets with a blanket and pillow on top. A few baskets of spare clothes. An ax amid tools. A small table with wooden dishes and cutlery.

Luna sat on her bed, kicking her boots off. Kibou hovered, Luna snuggling under the covers, head disappearing under the blanket. After a few seconds of meditation, Kibou's body phased into Luna's head with a high-pitched jingle, leaving behind fading sparks.

Outside, sunset became dusk. At least the day ended.

Luna sighed. Worst day ever...