(Dialogue for Luna helped by Luna-of-Black-Roses)
Whether one passes on or remains is all the same.
That you can take no one with you is the only difference.
Ah, how pleasant! Two awakenings and one sleep.
This dream of a fleeing world! The roseate hues of early dawn!
- death poem of Tokugawa Ieyasu, 1542-1616
Nightfall veiled the world and the carnival began.
The Kokiri wore their costumes and masks, varying greatly in appearance. Their masks resembled animals, Deku Scrubs, skulls, leaves, fruit, or some other design anywhere from spooky and grotesque to cute and funny.
A bonfire nearby the entrance of Kokiri Village roars, some children sitting by the bonfire and playing various musical instruments like flutes, drums and fiddles...polyphonic enjoyment for everyone!
Arranged here and there were baskets of goodies. Although children, the Kokiri even have a few barrels of beer or wine, spouts hissing to fill cup after cup. Many Kokiri enjoyed themselves, even the guards, hunters and the Picti partook in the festival of disguises. The guardian fairies sometimes lost track of who their companion was! They play guessing games on the disguised, too.
One of the Kokiri wore a costume consisting of many overlapping Deku nut halves, making him look like a walking pile of nuts. His mask was an entire giant Deku nut with carved eye sights and mouth. He snuck up on people to boo them until a tipsy Mido pushed him over, he becoming a human drum set amidst laughing children.
"Too bad I didn't push you into the bonfire! You'd make great kindling!" An angry fist emerged from the pile of tied nut shells. Mido gave him a fist bump and drank his wine.
The bonfire burned powerfully and brightly. Smoke and embers saluted the night sky amidst hundreds of fairies, guardians and wild kin sparkling a plethora of radiating colors beneath the stars.
Gödel, the blondie, and the three other Skull Kids came, too, perhaps in memory of someone no longer with them. Two more Skull Kids appeared playing flutes, dressed in similar attire as the others but more yellowish and wearing Skull Masks. The Kokiri didn't mind the company of the undead children. They were also folk of the forest, after all.
Gödel sneezed whilst playing his flute, hat tilting over. He sniffled. A bat flew across the moonlight, soon disappearing into the darkness.
"Boo!"
"Gahhh!" Gödel fell off his seat. He caught his flute and spun around.
The kid behind him took her mask off and giggled. "I scared you to death again, eh?"
"That's really cute, Fado," Gödel nonchalantly mumbled. He shook his flute at her, "Don't make me it you with my flute!"
Chuckling nearby, feeling safe and hidden in plain sight, Luna sat by the bonfire, cross-legged, wearing her costume and mask. Her long white hair matched her mask, trailing down her gown like weeping moonlight and a dead giveaway of who she really was.
She gazed at the flames, mask reflecting the flickering lights. Fire was soothing simply by being.
Luna never saw Kibou anywhere. He probably flew off to be with Nina and his friends. He needs his own life, too.
Oh, wait, she's here... Luna noticed Vera, who didn't wear a costume, instead having applied more color into her skin. Vera drank too much, but at least she was happy, sipping away from her wooden mug of beer, saying incoherent things. The music and murmur drowned out her speaking.
Luna's eyes narrow. I hope you choke on your drink...
"...Well, like, yeah! Why not? That's why you said it! Ha!" Vera mumbled to a boy wearing a Goron Mask, putting her hand on his shoulder. She pulled the nervous boy to herself, forcing him to drink beer until he gagged. She laughed, pushing him over then finishing her drink in one go.
Luna cannot help but think of a few days ago...when Vera hit her. I can't let that go. Yet, Luna also pondered about how she and Vera worked together to save the owlets...only for Vera to let go of the rope and let Luna plummet. She sighed through her mask. If only I was a hero...
Luna went to fetch some snacks. She ate a little here and there, as did several other Kokiri. Luna got a beer.
"H-hih-heee! How's the party?"
Luna lowered her mug, seeing Fado in her Skull Kid costume. Fado lifted her mask, cocking her head attentively.
"Uh, good." Luna drank. I like beer.
"Hah-hah! Good! I think I drank too much, my tummy feels hot and full, but who cares! Hee hee!" Fado drank more then stuffed her face with cupcakes.
Luna's dark blue gown blended with the shadows, allowing her to make a getaway before Fado noticed.
Kibou reappeared, Luna gasping.
"How is everything?"
"I think I drank too much beer," Luna admitted.
"Ohhh? Heh, well, try eating pickles or sauerkraut, it helps. Other than that, I hope you're enjoying the festival! I know I am!"
"I am." Kibou jingles with joy. "I'll be seeing Axel again at the store, I want to thank him again for his beautiful present!" Luna continues happily.
"Kibou! Over here!" Nina called...
Kibou flew to Nina. "Hi!"
"Hey Kibou, I'm so glad you're b-b-b-better n-n-now. I just w-w-w-w-w-wanted to say sorry for what Vera did to you-oo-ooo and to l-l-l-l-l-l-Luna, I was so scared and shocked when she hit you, and I cried so m-m-much w-w-w-when I heard you got stung by w-w-w-w-wasps," Nina almost cried amidst the eruption of stammering.
"Did you drink a little too much?" Kibou asked.
Sniffling, Nina nodded repeatedly.
"Oh, please don't cry, you'll make me cry," Kibou comforted, hovering closer and holding her hands, softly resting his forehead on hers. A high-pitched, descending whir sounded from her.
"Uhmm, yuh-huh-h fnn, fnn, uhmm..." Nina shook with drunken tears.
"I'm much larger and stronger than most other fairies, I wasn't hurt that much, just stunned. I'm fine now, we're all better," Kibou whispered, then hugged her.
"Sorry, I just, I just, ohhh! I just feel much worse after bad things happen. I just think of you and everything feels horrible."
"I know! Just breathe slowly before you pop like a bubble."
Nina chuckled, aura releasing sparkles. Kibou had a heart of fire, a fire of compassion, one always burning.
Luna went to the Kokiri Shop—no one inside. She took her costume off, hanging the gown and mask in the wardrobe. She took a paintbrush and a little gesso, painting the mask to be smiling.
Later, she went across the bridge to go to the higher level of the village, where the bird nest-like homes in the trees were. She climbed her tree, sitting on a mid branch. She gazed at the faraway bonfire, overhearing the laughter. The music. The playing...
She entered her home, where all the flowers and herbs she collected a few days ago awaited her. She took a knife and went outside. She carved something into a branch, too dark to see, but she finishes. Body tightened, she thrust her knife, leaving it embedded in wood.
Luna climbed down, warm teardrops leaking down her face. Her stomach churned, limbs shaky. Her fingers slipped—she fell, landing hard, legs giving away and she clumsily sat. Luna sniffled, wiping her face with her overly long sleeves. Luna got up and ran. Her heart thumped against her ribs, cold night air chilling her throat and teeth.
Luna didn't know how fast she ran or how far she went, but soon couldn't hear the festival. Everything was like a dream, nothing seemed real. Everything melted into arrays of dripping ink and shadows, yet moonlight guided her through the chasm. She followed the shafts of moonlight shining through the canopy, silvery illumination slowly revealing the natural world anew.
Luna ran. Bushes, twigs and branches slapped her face, flicked against her skin, tugged her clothes—the forest doesn't want to let her go. She left everything behind; anything familiar is a curse.
Moonlight and starlight fade.
Panting, Luna dropped to her hands, face plunging into the grass, little blades prickling her face. She breathed deep, inhaling the cold, raw scent of earth. After catching her breath, she got up, staring at the silhouetted trees, angry visages in their bark. She saw their breath, flowing white like small ghosts, and behind the breath bark contorted and grimaced.
Footfall—the ghastly visages within the trees reform to normalcy.
Alone in the middle of nowhere, Luna's eyes widen cautiously as the footfall neared. Tears rolled down her eyes. "Rosfir? Kuriver?"
The vegetation shook one more time, a figure stepping through—Elmo, covered in sweat, panted heavily, wiping his brow. He didn't wear much of a costume, just a cape and a red scarf for whatever stupid reason. As usual, his guardian fairy is nowhere in sight.
Luna frowned, all emotion gone.
Elmo sighed, then chuckled. "Hi?"
"What are you doing here?" Luna demanded, fists balled, face fierce.
"Oh, I, uh... I saw you run, so I followed you, to see what was wrong, that's all!" Elmo can't catch his breath.
Luna didn't stop glaring.
"I ran after you b-b-be-because I thought Vera hit you or something bad happened! I kept calling your name, but you didn't hear me I guess... I just wanted to make sure you're safe."
"Why did you follow me!? Why can't everyone just keep themselves to themselves!? Why can't everyone just leave me alone!? Why are you even here!?" Luna turned to and fro whilst lifting her shoulders and clenching her fists. Her breathing intensified and she glared at Elmo. "Why are you here? Why are you here!? Why are you here!? WHY ARE YOU HERE!?"
Elmo stepped back.
Luna's eyes darted around randomly at those strange faces of twisted bark and foliage, those horrible things morphing anew.
Elmo wondered what Luna stared at. He looked around though saw nothing.
Provoked by those shadowy visages of evil, those evil things, that hateful vegetation, the stupid shadows... Luna slowly turned her head back to Elmo. Her unblinking eyes were bloodshot as the twilight illuminated them.
Elmo moved his arms. "I only ran after you be-be-b-because I thought you w-w-w-were hurt! I-I-I-I thought something b-b-bad happened!"
Luna's ferocious look remained, the veins in her temples bulging. "I am hurt! I am hurt by people like you who can't mind their own business! I want to be free, not get stalked by a, a, a—" Luna gesticulated frustrations, "a fat boy running through the forest!" Her words hurt him.
He did not know what to do or say. His head and shoulders drop, he's defeated. "But, but, b-b-but, I th-th-th-thought you w-w-w-were happy! You l-l-looked so happy! I was happy for you! I-I-I, I just wanted to—"
"NO!" Luna screamed, wild-eyed, white eyebrows furrowed, the veins across her forehead pulsating. "I was just pretending! This entire time! Just pretending! So that I could disappear!" She breathed through clenched teeth. "I...I can't do this anymore..." Blood surged up her forehead and the rage returned. Her head snapped upright, face red, veins bulging.
Luna was done with pretending. She had enough, she needed to release the surge of emotions within her, the ones she contained ever since she first tried to convince everyone of her acceptance. This was it, no more games, no more dishonesty—the end of the line. She wanted to be free, free of them, free of these thoughts, and she didn't care anymore about Kokiri or anything else in this damn forest. She perhaps fully convinced the other Kokiri that she liked them, making it easier for her to flee, yet here she was, her plans working after so many years. But she cannot keep pretending, not now, not ever.
Elmo was blocking her freedom, being in the way despite not literally being in her way. And she needed to get her emotions out or else she felt she would explode, the veins in her temples throbbing harder as dizziness clawed at her, her big eyes tired and angry, her heart beating with greater fervor. She just had to go away...and Elmo read her face perfectly.
"Luna..." Elmo's head lowered, he didn't know what to do. He raised his chin—Luna suddenly stood before him, shaking with suppressed rage. Her dark, pronounced eye bags and bloodshot eyes gave her a ghoulish visage. After a few uncomfortable seconds, she punched him across the jaw. He toppled over, whimpering.
"Luna! Uh, uh, uh-uh-uh-uh, L-L-Luna... I just w-w-wanted you to know that I care about you, we all do. The festival, it's—"
Luna leaned over. She cocked her head, neck cracking, her vicious expression pausing. Her neck cracked again as she cocked her head the other direction. "It was all for me, right? Wasn't it? The entire carnival was dedicated to me, just to make me feel better about myself, right? I already knew that, and I hate it! I hate all of it!" Luna stomped, clawing her head. "I hate the festival! I hate this forest! I hate this place! I hate my home! I hate kids! I hate fairies! I hate everyone! I hate everything! I hate my life! And I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! I hate you!"
Elmo sat up, face leaking with tears.
Luna paused mid-pounce, bloodshot eyes locking onto him, her teeth gritted. "I want to hate this place! I want to hate everyone! I want to hate those fairies! I want to hate you! I want to hate! I want to hate you and everything you've done and everything this place has done!" Luna repressed screaming through clenched teeth, taking rapid breaths through them, now quite the little demon to behold. "And most of all, everything I hate is nothing compared to how much I HATE MYSELF!"
Luna's words came as such a shock to Elmo that he just lied there, petrified.
Luna inhaled while leaning back, rage fading, and paused. Her eyes widened. What did I just say? Tears rolled down her face. She wiped them away and looked at Elmo like a caring angel.
Elmo weakly picked himself up, wiping his own tears. "Luna? You're not..."
With a huff, Luna stomped away angrily, swatting at things in her way. Elmo just watched her go.
Luna stopped and spun around. "Don't you dare tell anyone you saw me, or else you will never see me again!" She darted off into the shadows, the rustling and her footfall going silent.
Elmo never felt so alone in his life.
