die Natur Weiss allein was sie will (Nature alone knows what her purpose is)
- Goethe
Dawn birdsong awoke Luna. She sat up, stretching with a yawn. Kibou was asleep by her pillow but left him be.
Luna held her breath. I don't hear any work outside… I must be one of the first awake for a change…
The albino was about to get up but...had second thoughts and flopped back to bed, head nearly hitting Kibou, who rolled over. Luna disappeared under her blanket. Kibou shrugged, going back to sleep.
Several hours later, Luna awoke again and lazily rolled onto her back, hair a complete mess. Kibou muffled under her, so she sat up, tossing her covers aside.
Luna shrugged with a guilty smile. "Heh… Sorry for rolling over you."
"Oh, I'm fine, really. Were you having a bad dream?"
"Dream? No, I don't dream. I never dream, ever."
"Oh? I had no idea."
Luna got outta bed, her Kokirish clothing a little damp. "Guess it just means I don't see any magical worlds. Wonder why..."
Luna slid the drapes open, she and Kibou going out. She took a deep breath, taking in the scent of nature. She exhaled, watching the busy, little green children working below.
"Luna, if you feel like staying home, or being alone somewhere, you can do that, too. Don't feel pressured, be free."
"Hm? Oh, ya, of course, but I've been thinking about what Vera said. I want to do something."
"Well, alrighty then."
Luna climbed down, effortlessly as usual. She examined the other Kokiri as they worked, but whenever they look back or greet her, she looked away.
"Hi!" one of the girls happily greeted, Luna nodding at her and moving on, the girl watching her go.
"She's just shy," Kibou remarked as he flew by. The girl looked up at her yellow fairy who said the same thing.
A while later, several Kokiri dropped their tools and approached Luna eagerly, their fairies following.
"Hey, Luna!"
"How are you today?"
"Where you goin'?"
She stopped, staring blankly.
"I saw you kick Vera's butt when she fell into the pond! That was so funny! Ha ha ha!"
"And she didn't even do anything about it!"
"You are very brave, Luna. Vera must be afraid of you!"
Luna pushed her hand through her hair. "Oh, but I am afraid of her. She had to go see Mido. That's why she didn't want to cause any more trouble."
"Oh, yeah right!"
"You're too nice."
"Vera is always a bully, she's avoiding you for a reason!"
"Vera is one of the Picti. Those Picti… they are always aggressive. They work hard and have a hard attitude. We shouldn't talk behind her back," the girl's fairy cautioned, a green male one.
"Well, but the other Picti are not so mean… But ya, backtalk isn't nice."
"I still think Vera deserved to fall in the pond. Luna did a good job!"
"Yeah! Vera needed to be embarrassed, she needed to feel bad for making others feel bad."
A little crowd of Kokiri and their fairies form, curious to see Luna, the new little hero in town.
"Way to go, Luna!"
"You're a real hero!"
"A hero beats the villain everyone wants to see brought down!"
"Ha! Lonely Luna is braver than most of us, that's for sure!"
The kids murmured about Luna's bravery. She snickered, lowering her face to hide her blushing. The attention built the crowd.
"Oh? Luna kicked Vera into the pond?"
"She sure did!"
"Luna must be very brave to stand up against Vera!"
"Hey, well done Luna!"
"Luna's the one who runs away a lot, right? She sure is brave!"
"She heads off alone into the wilderness, just like a real hero!"
As compliments poured, Luna was as surprised as uncomfortable. She looked around as more and more Kokiri flocked to their new hero, all smiling with curious eyes. Their hero kept her eyes down.
How do I get out of this mess?
"Don't worry, this will all be over soon!" Kibou comforted, as if reading Luna's mind.
"Ohhh, I hate being around people…" Luna grumbled.
Kibou sighed. "I know, but...let them be happy."
She looked back at the happy faces all around. I'm a hero?
Luna found an opening and takes her leave, the surprised children watching their hero go, wondering why she left.
"Luna just needs to be alone, doesn't like attention," Kibou remarked.
"Oh, OK then."
"Thanks for being yourself, Luna!"
"Bye, Luna!"
Luna's quest remained unfulfilled. Every activity she saw, she didn't like. Other Kokiri sometimes approach her. Asked her if she needed any help. If she wanted something from them. Purposed teaching her their crafts. Every time, Luna shook her head, already exhausted from everything.
"You are quite persistent in finding something you like, hunh?" Kibou asked.
I am not one of them…
"As strong-willed as when you explore the Lost Woods! Ha! That's the Luna I know!"
"Um, yeah..."
Luna found some interest in target practice, observing Some Kokiri shooting slingshots or bows.
"Ah! Maybe your path is not the worker, but the hunter?" Kibou remarked.
"I don't want to hurt anything, but… hunh. Vera's nowhere in sight…"
"So you'll target practice?"
The albino reached the well, the same one from the previous day. Nearby was a stall with wooden cups, so Luna filled one and drank. Several other children relaxed here with food and water, enjoying their break.
"Oo, a butterfly…" Kibou watched the insect flutter about.
Luna sat on the well, one leg over the other, drinking her water. She silently pondered.
Mido appeared, beckoning Luna, but she didn't react.
"Um, Luna…" Kibou whispered. She remained oblivious.
"Hey, Luna!" Mido walked over, finally getting her attention.
Big pink eyes looked back at him over the rim of a cup. "Mmbrbrbrb?" Luna gargled.
"I have something for you to do."
Luna blinked.
"I have a job for you to do. Interested?"
Luna hesitated.
"Well, coming?"
She followed Mido, Kibou behind them...
A field of barley grew among oaks, grapevines spiraling up their trunks and hanging from branches. A few farm tools leaned against a nearby oak, beside a pile of baskets.
"We can get you to do something easy and simple. You have two tasks to do this morning. You will fill up those baskets with grapes, and you will cut down enough grain to make a pile as big as yourself. Choose whichever you want to do first," Mido instructed.
"Wait, I'll be working by myself?" Luna asked.
Mido looked at Kibou. "Yes, you'll be alone for your first two tasks. When evening comes, I'll be back to give you another job, but I will have someone helping you. Take your time, it's not a race. See you later!" Mido left.
Luna crossed her arms, staring at the field and the baskets, wondering where to begin.
"Well, well, Luna… Looks like you got a job to do! I'll be helping you though. I'll pick grapes, you can scythe. I think that's the most efficient plan."
"Well, why don't you scythe and I pick grapes?" Luna and Kibou chuckled.
"If there was a tiny scythe fit for me, I would, one stalk of wheat at a time, just for you. You know how to scythe, right?"
"Yeah, I watched other Kokiri do it. I'm pretty sure I can to."
"Good! You just turn your body with the blade, and don't be afraid of the edge, you won't cut your feet with it."
Luna grasped a scythe, right hand on the grip, left hand on the snath. She twisted herself, swinging away, stalks catching the blade. Luna's second attempt did better—she twirled to the ground.
"Ha! Good swing!" Kibou congratulated.
Luna picked herself up. "OK, so how was that a good swing?"
"I was being sarcastic."
"Oh."
Luna scythed away, Kibou picking grapes, one at a time, flying up and down...piling the grapes into a basket. Kibou's job looked quite odd, but he was happy to help Luna in any way he could despite the inefficiency.
The barley and grapes gradually rose.
I can do this…
"See? You can do this!"
Luna smiled but then frowned. Can he read my mind? Nah.
Luna's scythe caught into stalks. She ripped it out and swung again, barley snagging it again. She swung a third time, blade piercing the ground.
"Wow, good aim," Kibou commented.
Irritated, Luna pulled back and swung hard. The scythe cut through, momentum causing Luna to twirl around, blade almost hitting Kibou. She fell like a drunken oaf. Several Kokiri over yonder—which Luna hadn't noticed—cannot not help but giggle. Luna blushed.
"I did that a few days ago, we all do it."
"Let the scythe do your work for you."
"Yeah, let the weight and the swing do the cutting. Don't force it."
Keeping a silently angry face, she picked herself up, attacking the grains.
"Need any help, Luna?"
She ignored them.
Kibou swerved, evading Luna's reckless scythe. "We'll be alright, thanks!"
Grunting and puffing, Luna eventually, formed a pile of barley, the scythe dulled and bent, ground pierced all around her.
"Fnnnh… My back and shoulders… If only I could spin with magic and cut everything..." Luna stretched, grimacing. She tossed the scythe and picked grapes. She breathed. "How are you feeling, Kibou?"
"I'm fine, thanks for asking!" Kibou rang. "I love it when you give me attention, ha!"
Luna snickered. "You're too cute to ignore...sometimes."
The baskets gradually filled with grapes.
"Well, that was easier than I thought it'd be!" Luna remarked, looking at the twelve baskets of grapes. She frowned, pushing her back in. "Ow..."
A butterfly fluttered by.
"Hey, I saw that butterfly a while ago… But yeah, work was really easy, hunh? Guess you have some spare time until evening, Luna. What would you like to do?"
"I think I'll go home and take a nap after all that work, but you can stay outside and do whatever you want."
"You won't run—oh, go home? Can I go with you?"
"Ya, sure, that way you can wake me up in case I oversleep for the millionth time."
They headed home.
Luna flopped into bed, not bothering to close the curtains. Sunlight, wind and birdsong welcomed themselves in. Although the Kokiri audibly work outside, Luna fell asleep.
Kibou hovered. Maybe distant chatter is all she needs to feel socialized?
Evening.
Kibou chimed, bobbing over Luna. Her eyes blinked. She looked weirdly at her guardian fairy.
"Awake? It's about evening, we better go find Mido before he gets upset or something."
"Yeah, you're right… I wonder what the next job will be!"
"Exactly!"
Luna hopped outta bed—she groaned, rubbing her neck.
"You OK?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm actually used to being sore, but just...a bit overworked."
Luna and her guardian fairy headed back to the fields, most other Kokiri working away.
Mido and Luna notice each other at the same time.
"Hi Mido, should we go back to the baskets or something?"
"I put them away already, actually. Are you ready for your next job?"
"Of course."
"But Mido, Luna never ate anything since she got up this morning…" Kibou butted in.
"Oh?" Mido's fairy remarked.
"Well, be sure to get something. I'll be back in, like, a little while, gotta go check on someone…" Mido walked off.
Luna went to the granary, walking amidst other Kokiri, unbothered since Vera was nowhere. She took a little basket, putting a loaf of rye bread, fruits, berries and nuts in.
"Do you want something?" Luna asked as she popped a strawberry into her mouth.
"No thanks, fairies eat very little. I get most of my energy from the sun, I think? Our light-based auras absorb most of the energy we need."
"Uhh… Oh?"
Kibou shrugged. "I guess."
After Luna finished her meal, Mido reappeared, not having to do anything to get the message across. Luna put her things away and followed him northward.
"To the Lost Woods?" Kibou asked.
"Yes," Mido and Luna said at the same time, then looking at each other weird.
A large oak towered over other trees. Nearby was a wooden box, covered by cloth. A blue fairy appeared from the shrubbery, hovering near the box.
"Oh, hey Nina!" Kibou called, flying forth.
"Oh, hey Kibou!" Nina flew to Kibou, sparkles flying out their auras.
"Hunh? Did you meet someone?" Nina's girl asked, stepping out of the bushes and noticing Mido and Luna. The two girls looked at each other sternly.
"Alright ladies, this is the job I have for you two!" Mido stated, the angry eyes of Luna and Vera parting.
"What? I have to work with her?" Luna complained.
Mido nodded. "Come here, ladies, there's something very important…" They went to the odd box. "This job will require you both to co-operate. I want the two of you to work together, and both of you will have to work together as a team to get this very important task done."
Nina squeaked excitedly.
The girls stared, wondering what's inside the box…
