At Last I See the Light (Lunar Chronicles Fanfic)

Chapter 17: Revolution

By the time they had reached the gates, morning had already stretched across the sky, consuming the stars and the vast darkness above the horizon. Though the sun didn't help very much with the cool breeze and barley thawed ground.

After calling a hover, Kai, Scarlet and Winter headed back towards the abandoned docks along the outskirts of the city where they had parked the Rampion. Aside from Winter trying to make small talk, or babbling on about the dreams she had the night before, no one said anything. How she was able to sleep so well was beyond Kai.

He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be helpless. To watch as the world around you comes crashing down, and knowing that there was absolutely nothing you could've done. He'd almost forgotten. Then came the blue rashes, the feverish daze, and suddenly, he was reliving the same nightmares that had kept him up for months.

"Hey Kai?" Scarlet called from beside him.

"Hmm?" He mumbled as he turned to face her, the scarring recollections fading into his subconscious.

"Do you think... Wolf seemed a bit... off yesterday?"

"I'm not sure, I didn't talk to him very much."

"I can see it," Winter started, her voice shaking, "The... the blood... it's everywhere. The walls... the walls are bleeding again-"

Scarlet waved a hand in front of Winter's blank, expressionless face. "You good?" But no answer came. Winter, having not had a vision since the surgery, hadn't felt this way since the Revolution. She felt Scarlet's hand reaching for hers, but she knew in taking it, the blood pounding through her veins would surely burst. However, as they reached the Rampion, they all began to see what she meant.

A streak of dark crimson stretched the length of the door, followed by a faintly dying trail leading away from the ship. Most notably, one crisp, bloody handprint delicately placed on the Rampion's exterior. Evidently, someone had beaten them here.

Immediately, Scarlet opened the main ramp and tore through the ship's interior, stopping when she came to the guest room. Over the year aboard the Rampion, helping Cress and Thorne with distributing the antidote across the world, she had come to call this small little quarters home. Not because she felt safe here or anything, or because it reminded her at all of the small life she had back in Rieux. But because this was where Wolf was. This was where they all were.

And yet, all the rooms were now empty.

"They're gone," Kai muttered, flexing his jaw.

"Wow, really? I hadn't noticed. What gave it away? The ominous trail of blood leading away from the ship? You know Kai, I'm not really sure, maybe they're just playing hide and seek? Maybe instead of stating the obvious, we should actually try to do something useful," Scarlet spat in return.

"Well what do you propose we do?"

"I don't know. Just... just shut up and let me think for a second." Scarlet massaged her temples as she tried to conjure up some kind of plan. There was no way of telling which direction they had gone in, as the blood has stopped just a couple feet past the side of the Rampion. Wolf would probably be able to track Kinney or Jacin, but wherever they were, he was likely there with him. Leaving the last system of tracking: ID chip. Of course, there was always Cress, she could give them the coordinates of pretty much anyone on Earth with enough time, but she was still quarantined.

"Do you think there would be a way to get Cress the equipment she needs to track their chips?" Scarlet asked, her brows still taught with concentration.

"Maybe. When the Emperor was in isolation, they didn't allow much technology in, fearing that it would only worry or stress him more, but I'm sure the precautions would be lifted for Cress, especially if she's feeling better," Kai answered, "Plus maybe Thorne can come up with another on of his half-baked plans. They may be rash, but they do tend to work."

"And dire times call for dire measures," Winter chimed in, already turning on her heels to leave the irony-smelling, all-too-familiar bleeding walls.

"Actually, the security team at the palace might be able to help us find them. Given they have tabs on pretty much every citizen of the Commonwealth, they might have the technology and skills we need."

"I'll comm Cinder and see if we should bring anything back," Scarlet added before whipping out her port and typing furiously at the screen.

* * *

As soon as Jacin opened his eyes, the blinding overhead lights swarmed his vision, a metallic taste stuck to the roof of his mouth. Beside him, Iko squirmed, trying to scoot their conjoined chairs closer to the door, but he knew that his dead weight was keeping them both in place.

"What happened?" Jacin asked groggily. As soon as the words left his lips, Iko shushed him and motioned to the door, expecting him to help. "What happened?" he repeated, this time bringing his voice to a whisper. "Where's every... where are we?"

"A couple hours ago you said we were in the Menagerie -wherever that is - and we haven't exactly moved," Iko replied, still trying to move the chair.

"On Luna?!" Jacin practically shouted.

"You tell me. Someone thought it would be kind to disable my tracking system." Iko craned her neck, trying to get a better look at Jacin behind her. "Jacin?"

"Yeah?" he grumbled back. He tried to wriggle his hands loose from the binds strapped to the chair, but they stayed tight. His head throbbed, and he could feel the sticky warmth of blood dripping from his side. With a groan, Jacin looked over his shoulder, and then at the room around them. He searched the back of his mind for the memories of his time on Luna. Without a doubt, this was the Menagerie, but it wasn't like the rest of the building. Not the part Winter liked to visit, at least. From the way the artificial lights glared down from the ceiling, it was almost like they were the creatures being gazed upon.

"Can you see the door yet?"

"Yes, but it's a sliding one, there's no handle on the inside-"

Suddenly the entrance Jacin's eyes were locked on opened, revealing what appeared to be a lunar special operative and a thaumaturge wearing a deep red cloak. One of Levana's close friends, no doubt. However, three familiar faces followed close behind them. Kinney and Rose, both being restrained by Wolf's strength alone. Jacin stilled his mind. He would keep them out.

"They won't know either," Rose cried out as she was shoved towards Jacin and Iko, "He's... he's dead."

"LIAR!" the other special operative roared, swiping her from Wolf's grasp and pinning her to the closest wall. There was already a deep gash through her cheek and the thaumaturge delicately strode over to her, brushing his pale hand across the wound.

"Oh you know full well that's not true, don't you darling," the Thaumaturge cooed. Rose's eyes swarmed with both confusion and fear as he raised his hand.

* * *

After about a half hour, and one long, silent hover ride back to the palace, Kai, Winter and Scarlet had returned back to the medical wing with the equipment Thorne had told them to bring. Though, they weren't exactly sure how a comb and his leather jacket were going to help them find their friends. When they entered, only the doctors and technicians were conscience. Thorne was passed out against Cinder's shoulder, who groaned and made a half-asleep attempt to nudge him away, but Thorne just let out a loud snore and went back to dozing off.

Scarlet, against everyone's better judgment, hurried over to wake them up, while Kai and Winter took the supplies into the lab room to talk over their plan with the doctors.

And that is when the world came crashing down.

Despite the rashes reducing, Cress' fever had yet to break. Not only that, but it was rising. With that one diagnosis, all the fear and dread and worry returned. She was dying. She was dying and there was nothing they could do.

* * *