Crossed Fates

Chapter 6: Bolt of Light

The day is ripe, and the waves danced along the shore. Luna's face pressed up against the Inn window.

Luna: "Oooh! I wanna go out!~ I wanna go to the beach, guys!"

Toby: "Meh, I need to chill out today. You two go have some fun."

Luke seems oddly shocked.

Luke: "Nah! I can't just leave you behind, dude. We're a team! Shouldn't we hang out as a team?"

Toby smiles and gives Luke a thumbs up.

Toby: "Just go have fun without me. Wink wink."

Luna: "Wink wink?"

Luke grins at Toby, and Toby grins back.

Luke: "Oh... I get you, Toby. See you later, dude."

Luna: "Well? Aren't you going to get dressed for the occasion? I have my swimsuit with me."

Luke: "Honestly I don't even know if this thing comes off."

Luna: "Can you at least try? Try for me~?"

Luke: "...I'll give it a shot, I suppose."

Luke then attempts to take off his armour. Fortunately, It actually came off. Luke then sighs happily.

Luke: "Finally. That thing probably stinks of cheese now. TOBY! CAN YOU WASH MY ARMOUR IF YOU'RE GONNA LAZE ABOUT?"

Toby: "FINE! JUST THIS ONCE, YOU UNHYGIENIC BASTARD!"

Toby lifts the armour with his wind ability, and takes it away with him.

Luna: "So... Uh... Shall we get changed, O'Paladin?"

Luke: "Sure. Why not?"

Luna winks at Luke.

Luna: "See you at the beach~"

Luna runs off into the girls' changing rooms. Luke sighs and goes into his own changing room.

7 minutes later... at the beach. Luke sits on the sand, wearing some dapper swimming trunks, and a white t-shirt.

Luke: "This world is weird. I've adventured out in the sun this whole time, and not once have I gotten a sunburn."

He sighs.

Luna: "Hey, there you are. Sorry I took so long."

Luke turns around. He looks at Luna. She's wearing a halter top bikini, complete with the skirt. She smiles at Luke.

Luna: "Sun's bright, isn't it?"

Luke: "Err, I guess it is, Yeah."

Luna: "Hold on, Luke..."

Luke looks at Luna's eyes.

Luke: "Hm?"

Luna: "You're the... uh, first guy to... not stare at me."

Luke: "Stare at you?"

Luna sits down next to Luke.

Luna: "Yeah. A lot of guys have called me attractive, sexy... a lot of other weird things too. Like a boytoy."

Luke: "Damn, seriously?"

Luna: "But... you didn't. Are you... not a..?"

Luke: "You've seriously drawn up that conclusion already? The answer is that I'm not a perverted little freak. Sure, you look nice, but I ain't... like that."

Luna looks surprised, she stares at Luke.

Luna: "You... you're not..?"

Luke: "No."

Luna: "Y-You must be lying... J-Just get a closer look-"

She tries to smudge herself against Luke, but he looks away and pushes her back into her original spot.

Luna: "W-Why are you different..? W-Why are you passing up an opportunity like this with an elf?"

Luke: "Because. I said before. I ain't like that, Luna. Honest to God."

Luna's eyes water.

Luna: "I... I..."

Luke: "Woah, don't cry, Luna. I honestly don't want to see you crying. C'mon... We're at a beach. Lighten up, would ya?"

Luna giggles a little bit, she then sighs.

Luna: "You're right... Thanks, Luke."

Luke: "So, should we jump into the sea..?"

Luna: "Hah, you bet! I'm gonna swim to Atlantia!"

Luke: "You mean Atlantis, right?"

Luna: "I mean Atlantia."

Luke: "You're all fucking coo-coo."

Meanwhile... elsewhere...

Shoes press onto the floor of the cave. The echo is very loud. 

???: "Not a single Orc here... Hmph, Glad the brutes aren't here, at the least. But who could defeat Velz? I didn't deal with him for my own reasons, simply because I had none, but..."

The man stops. He looks upon a block of ice that has been burnt through, and he looks at the layout of the area he is in. There's a hole on the ground that was made by a sword. The man kneels down next to it.

???: "Hmm..."

He opens his palm, and shadows emit from his palm into the hole. The shadows come back out, and reveal the shape of the sword. The man looks at the shadow, and he grins.

???: "So... You're a Paladin."

He grins.

???: "I'm one step closer to finding you.

and one step closer to trying to create a stop to all of this."

Back at the beach...

The night sky shines onto Luke and Luna, who are sitting on the sand with each other. They seem to be laughing and enjoying themselves.

Luna: "Seriously? That's awesome. So... is that why you were carrying around that stinky cheese? Even to the freakin' beach?"

Luke: "Yeah, that orc guy dropped it, so I've been taking it along with me as a souvenir. It might come useful someday."

Luna: "Yeah..."

She looks down at her feet. 

Luna: "Hey, Luke?"

Luke looks towards her.

Luke: "Yo."

Luna: "Thanks for today."

Luke: "No problem, Yo."

Luna: "Hahaha... You're awesome, yo."

Luke: "I know."

He grins, Luna giggles and grins back.

Luna: "This day's been great. I've... grown. I used to think that all men were the same. Being an elf is kind of like a curse, if you're a girl, that is. All the other species just want to get to know you, just because we naturally have 'Nice bodies', it's sickening to me."

She takes a deep breath.

Luna: "You didn't even stare at me, Luke. I appreciated that. I think... I think I'm falling-"

???: "FALLING ON YOUR KNEES, AFTER WE DEFEAT YOU, YOU STINKY PALADIN LOSER!"

Luke: "Oh great... Not these guys again."

Slorethro: "Oh yes! These guys again! The legendary duo!"

Shizune: "Here to defeat you and the... Wait, where's the hybrid? And... SIS? What are you doing on the beach with this guy? Are you two dating?"

Luna: "Oh, don't you start saying shit, sis. I'm trying to have fun. Not trying to get poor. Skedaddle, before I make you work a 9-5, and also snitch on you to the neighbour who's window you broke by throwing stones at it!"

Shizune: "Slorethro!"

Slorethro: "Yes?"

Shizune: "She's been charmed! She's been charmed with his high charisma!"

Slorethro: "We have to snap your sister out of it!"

They look at each other, focused. Slorethro grabs Luna's arms, and Shizune, with all her might, slaps Luna across the face.

Shizune: "Sister! Are you back to your senses..?"

Luna shakes her head.

Luna: "Oh... Don't you worry. I'm back to my senses, alright."

Shizune: "Good!"

Luna: "I have a sense that i'm going to KICK YOUR FUCKING ASS, SHIZUNE!"

Slorethro: "Oh, no you don't! Go, cool rat I found!"

Slorethro throws a rat at Luna. 

Luna: "WHAT THE FUCK? WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THIS FUCKING RAT? DID YOU STEAL ONE OF THE FUCKING VILLAGERS?!"

Slorethro: "No, she willingly accepted me to use her as a weapon."

Luna: "What?!"

Liv: "Woah woah woah! Aren't you those epic guys who saved me from Kinjo? How could you throw me at them, Sloth?"

Slorethro: "For the last time... It's Slorethro, you stupid mouse!"

Liv: "If you know what's the best for you. You'll scram."

Slorethro and Shizune gulp, and they quickly dash away.

Luna: "YOU BETTER RUN! THE NEXT TIME I SEE YOU, YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!"

Luke: "Oh wow. Hey, it's Liv. What's good?"

Liv: "Squeakin' fantastic! Rats think I'm an evil pirate now! Just because most of Kinjo's men are brainwashed by him... doesn't mean that..."

Liv sniffs the air. She then climbs on Luke.

Liv: "I smell something good. Something delicious. What've you got, Paladin?"

Luke: "Uh... Sweaty- I mean... The Holy Cheese."

Liv: "Gimme."

Luke: "Huh? But-"

Liv: "I'm hungry, damn it! Give me the damn cheese!"

Luke: "Okay, okay! Take it, Take it! Damn!"

He throws the cheese onto the floor. Liv then starts to completely mow it down.

Liv: "That cheese was... urk..."

Luna: "Oh, rats! Are you okay?"

Liv: "I... I feel..."

Liv's body starts to shake, and her body seems to inflate a little.

Luke: "Oh no."

Her body then starts changing, and she starts becoming bigger.

Liv: Urkkk!!! Squeaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!"

Her tiny little arms turn longer, her little tootsies turning into actual feet... She's... turning human!

Luke: "I thought I saw crazy... but this takes the cake."

Liv then fully transforms into a human. She lies down face first onto the sand.

Liv: "Mrrrphhgg..."

Luke: "Oh dear."

Liv's body still has some rattish features. She has rat ears instead of human ears, she has whiskers, and she has some fur on her arms and legs. She stands up and boosts her arms into the air, like a madman.

Liv: "Hyahahahahaha! I'm a big guy now! Finally, I might actually be able to do something now! Paladin, Hot sexy elf! Thank you!"

Luna: "Girls say it as well?-"

Luke: "Jesus christ! Second time I've been flashed! Put some clothes on!"

Liv is in her birthday suit. Rats don't wear clothes. And now she's a human. She looks down.

Liv: "Oh, what the hell? I don't care about that, I don't wear clothes anyways-"

Luna covers her mouth.

Luna: "I think you're gonna want to not drag any attention to yourself..."

Luke and Luna drag Liv to their Inn, covering her up with their bodies the best they could. 

At the inn...

Toby: "Hey dudes. Enjoy your date? Also, I cleaned your armour. It's squeakin' clean!"

Liv: "Nice rat pun."

Toby: "Heh, thanks-

Toby immediately notices Liv.

Toby: "Good lord you're naked. Why is this reoccurring?!"

Liv: "Jeez louise! I don't need clot-"

Luna drags Liv away into the girls' changing rooms. Luke and Toby sigh.

Luke: "Well... Thank god."

Toby: "Let's pray to god that never happens again."

2 minutes later... Liv comes back out. She's now wearing a simple t-shirt, and some shorts.

Liv: "Strange. This is like fur, but not fur at the same time. I can take it off whenever I want."

Luna: "I'll try and make you a costume later. So... what did you do as a rat, Liv?"

Liv: "I'm a pirate, damn it! I use water to the best of me ability! I will chop down those with me cutlass, and my portable cannon!"

Luna: "Okay... I'll see what I can do."

Luke yawns.

Luke: "Man, i'm going to sleep. It's been a long day."

He hops into the bed. He sighs. Then.. someone else jumps into the bed with him. It's Luna.

Luna: "Hey... so we only got a room for 3 beds. So I let Liv have one of the beds."

Luke: "Why didn't you just ask Toby to-"

She covers his mouth.

Luna: "Shh... Don't question it, okay?"

He nods. Luna smiles, and joins him under the covers.

Luna: "Thanks for today. Goodnight."

Luke: "Uhh... Yeah... Goodnight."

Liv: "Yarrgh, you're a bunch o' losers."

WALLOP!

Liv: "Ouch!!! What'd I do, assholes!?"

Liv has joined the Peeps! They finally have 4 members on board. The real question? How will Luke and Luna's relationship today further evolve?