𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐖𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐓 ; ahkmenrah

sixteen.

They've reached the main lobby, which is deserted except for the exhibits performing, and Larry claps his hands to gather everyone's attention. "Okay, everybody! Everybody listen up!"

"Hey, quiet!" Luna calls, and immediately the room quiets, paying full attention to Larry and Luna.

"See, I love that you can do that," Larry mutters, then turns back to the exhibits. "I don't wanna make anybody nervous, but the mayor and the governor are both out there, and uh, I'm not 100% sure, but I think Regis Philbin, too."

To Luna's right, Attila gasps. "Reeju Philbo?"

"Yeah, Reeju Philbo." Larry nods, albeit a bit confused. He turns to Rexy, who's excited and wagging his tail. "Okay, Rexy, do me a favor. Watch the tail, okay? There's gonna be open flame."

"Everybody, we're on in twenty, okay?" Luna taps her clipboard, and then grins. "Have fun!"

The exhibits all cheer excitedly. Dexter jumps up and down, screeching.

"Larry. Luna."

Luna turns around to see Ahkmenrah behind them. He has a grave look on his face. "Hey, Ahk, what's wrong?"

Ahkmenrah takes her hand in his. "You'd better come see this."

✦✧✦

Luna grips Ahkmenrah's hand tightly as Larry examines the tablet. "Have you ever seen it like this before?"

Ahkmenrah shakes his head. "Never."

The tablet, once perfectly gold and shining almost like new, now looks like it's rusting from the bottom. A green, almost ethereal corrosion. This near to the tablet, Luna can feel the glow pulsing stronger inside her, but it's different. Almost weakened. She doesn't like it.

"This corrosion," Ahkmenrah continues. "It's never happened before. It's always been exactly the same."

"I wonder what's up with it," Larry mutters, shining his flashlight between the tiles.

"I have no idea." Ahkmenrah pulls Luna closer to him, squeezing her hand. "And to be honest, my father knew the secrets of the tablet better than I did. Unfortunately, he swore he'd never reveal them. He never did."

Luna opens her mouth to ask Ahkmenrah if this has to do with the prophecy (obviously in code, dear reader, since Larry doesn't know), but the green rust glows and begins to spread. Ahkmenrah stumbles into her, and she catches him, but the glow inside her fades just slightly.

"Hey, hey, I got you." Luna holds Ahkmenrah upright, but the look she exchanges with Larry is not at all good. The rust has now reached the first row of tiles. "Are you okay?"

Ahkmenrah blinks rapidly, nods his head. "Yes." He gives her a halfhearted smile. "Yes, I'm fine." But the look in his eyes says We'll talk later.

"Okay." Larry pats him on the shoulder. "Just take it easy out there tonight, all right? You got fifteen minutes till showtime. We'll figure this out tomorrow."

"All right." Ahkmenrah doesn't fully sound convinced.

Larry hurries out into the main hall, and Luna looks up at Ahkmenrah. "Do you think--?"

He nods grimly. "'Words of gold will fade in time'. I believe I know what that means now."

"So this--" Luna points to the tablet, her hands shaking-- "this is going to be what kills you? If I don't pick someone else to die?"

Ahkmenrah bites his lip, but he can't keep it from trembling, and nods. "I think so. That has to be what the prophecy means."

"Ahk..." Luna reaches up, touches his face, feeling the softness of his skin beneath her fingers. "I can't do it."

Ahkmenrah covers her hand with hers, pressing his cheek against her palm, a sad smile on his face. "Darling, I know you can." He gestures to the tablet. "We'll worry about this when the time comes."

"Do you think--" Luna swallows hard, stares down at the floor, looking anywhere but at him. "Do you think the prophecy is telling us to stay away from each other? If I stopped coming at night, if we just didn't--"

"Hey." Ahkmenrah drops his hand from hers, tilts her chin up to face him. "Please don't talk like that. No prophecy, no destiny, not even death could ever keep me from you."

Luna lets out a shaky breath and nods. "I know."

Ahkmenrah pulls her in, capturing her lips in a gentle, comforting kiss. Luna breathes him in, the familiarity of his touch, his mouth, the way he tastes of cinnamon, and for a split second, the prophecy, the tablet, nothing can touch them. It's blissful ignorance.

And then Ahkmenrah pulls away with a soft smile on his face. "It's showtime, my love."

They walk slowly, hand in hand, to the planetarium, everything feeling terribly familiar. Ahkmenrah pauses right at the entrance and takes both of Luna's hands in his, pulling her to face him. She closes her eyes and inhales slowly, preparing herself, then looks up at him.

Ahkmenrah smiles and says, "You look beautiful. And tonight is going to be a success." He kisses both of her palms and then hurries down the hallway past her, to the place they rehearsed.

Luna takes a deep breath, smooths her skirt, and joins Larry at the doors. He looks over at her. "Ready?"

"As ever." She nods, feels the gentle tug of the magic in her stomach. "If you need me to do anything--"

Larry gives a curt nod of understanding, then says, "Cue the music," into his walkie talkie. They start walking the perimeter as the music rises in volume. "And Teddy in three...two..."

The entrance gates open and Teddy and Texas walk out together, elegant and commanding all at once. Luna sighs in relief, stopping next to Larry beside the gates. So far, so good.

"Since 1869, when I was a mere boy of eleven," Teddy begins, and Luna scans the crowd, searching for familiar faces, for unhappiness. But everyone's captivated by how lifelike Teddy is, all eyes are on him, every face in the room turned up in wonder.

Beside her, Larry is mouthing every word of Teddy's speech, gripping his walkie talkie like a lifeline.

"...the constellations." Teddy leans forward over Texas' neck, a sly grin on his face. "I thought you might like to meet them."

"Cue the constellations," Larry mutters into the walkie.

The lights dim and--Luna's breath catches, even though they've rehearsed this a thousand times--all the constellations pour into the hall, leaping and twirling and dancing through the air. Leo lopes across the sky, roaring as he passes; Scorpio spins lazily past; Cancer following close behind.

"Orion, the hunter," says Teddy, pointing at the sky above.

Orion comes to life at his words, and so does an apple, directly atop Dr. McPhee's head. This is one of Luna's favorite parts. Orion pulls back his bow, aims--

A starry arrow pierces the apple, sending glittery stardust in every direction. Luna can't help but smile; it's going so well. Even McPhee looks like he's having fun, which is unusual to say the least.

But then, as usual, everything goes horribly wrong.

✦✧✦

q: how bae is ahkmenrah?

a: 10/10. the most bae.