Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Runaan had a headache. It wasn't that unusual, he usually suffered headaches after long hours of training. This shouldn't have been different. But it was. It seemed more… insistent. And no matter what remedies and herbs he tried, it wouldn't stop pounding his head. Like a Sunfire hammer was trapped inside his skull and was trying to pounds its way out. 

It wasn't long until the headache turned into a migraine and he began to lose his focus. 

Two days later, the visions started. 

Runaan was in the middle of a fight the first time he saw him. 

A ghost. 

A very beautiful, very attractive ghost.  

He was standing there, between two large trees. His eyes were wide in shock, his mouth had fallen open in a silent oh. 

He got distracted. Of course he did. 

His opponent knocked him down and Rahim, one of his instructors called it off. 

"What's off with you?" He asked. " You're usually the one wiping the floor with my best trainees, you're distracted."

"I.. " Runaan started but didn't know what to say. Rahim was right, his fighting skills were off and so was his reaction time. "I have a headache," he finished lamely. 

He expected Rahim to yell at him, to tell him that an assassin wasn't supposed to leave trivial things like that get in his way. But the older man just patted Runaan in the back and send him home to mediate the headache away. 

Like he hadn't tried that already. Several times. 

Runaan sighting and reluctantly made his way home, debating if it would be best if he had stayed and insisted that he was fine. 

Missing one training session wouldn't hurt, he decided. It was very unlike him but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to care. He just wanted to collapse in his bed and never wake up again. 

"Nice house," said a boyish voice behind me. Runaan jumped, surprised. 

Am I really that off that I didn't hear this strange boy sneaking up on me? 

Runaan rubbed his eyes. The boy was tall, with messy, white hair like all moonshadows and deep caramel eyes. It wasn't the same boy from the woods. 

"You have one second to tell me who are you and what are you doing here before I slip your throat," he warned, getting his knife out and holding it threateningly towards the intruder. 

The boy held up his hands in surrender, surprised but not scared. "Wow, wow, wow, wow. I swear to the moon, mate, I have no idea how I got here."

He looked to be about Runaan's age. And there was something very familiar about him. Runaan just couldn't pinpoint what that was. Did he know him? He surely must. The Moonshine wasn't that big of a village, he must have seen the boy somewhere . Then again, Runaan wasn't really the social type. 

"What do you mean you have no idea? This is my house, get out!" 

The next few seconds were very confusing. 

Runaan saw the boy make for the door, touch the handle, pull. But when the door opened he was the one being outside. 

Runaan blinked. When did he-? How-? 

This was weird. 

He felt like he was about to fall over, his headache getting even stronger. He turned around and froze. 

"I'm losing my mind," he whispered, for he was no longer standing in his living room, but in what looked to be another teenager's bedroom. 

"Now, who’s the one trespassing?" Asked the same voice from before. He was sitting in his bed, legs crossed. Runaan felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

“Come now, calm down, mate. I don’t know who is playing this awful trick on us but we’ll figure it out,” the boy tried to...reassure him?

Runaan focussed on his breathing, in and out. He could do this. He was an assassin to be. This was nothing.

“Who are you?’’ he asked, once he was sure his voice wouldn’t tremble. He would never admit it out loud, but the thought that he was losing it was freaking him out. Runaan was so used to being in control. Even during training. He always knew what to do, how to adapt. That’s what would one day make him a good assassin, a good leader. Now he felt like he was falling down a never-ending spiral and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“My name’s Lain. I’m from the Shadowshire,” the boy explained, ‘’ and you are?’’

“I’m Runaan of the Moonshine. I’m an assassin,’’ he said the last part was technically a lie. He wasn’t an assassin yet . He was still in training. The other boy seemed to catch on it, but he didn’t make a comment. 

‘’ And what do you think is happening, to us?’’ Lain asked, fidgeting with his hands.

“ Somone’s playing a very unfunny prank on us, probably,’’ Runnan said, a little unconvinced himself. “ How do I even know you’re real?!’’ he said accusingly. 

“How do I even know you’re real?’’ The other boy - Lain - shot back.

Runaan seemed to think on it for a moment. “Fair point,’’ he said at last.

“I mean,’’ Lain started and Runaan felt a sudden touch to his left shoulder, “you certainly feel real..” They were both standing by the door now.

Runaan jumped again, mentally cursing himself for how he had suddenly forgotten all of his assassin’s training. 

“ Illusions aren’t supposed to feel that way, are they?’’ Runaan hesitantly asked, moving to put both of his hands on the other boy’s biceps. It felt… natural. Like he had done that before a million times. Like he has known Lain all of his life. He shook his head. 

They looked in each other’s eyes for a while. Trying to figure out if they really knew each other or at have least met before. Runaan found nothing. He was sure he hadn’t seen the boy before in his life. He said he was from the Shadowside. Runaan had heard of that place, but he had never gone there himself. He could ask Lain if he had ever visited the Moonshine but he felt like he already knew the answer. Runaan and Lain lived miles apart, they had very different lives. But somehow, it felt like they were tied together by an invisible force. Like talking to him was the most natural thing he had ever done, even if he wasn’t that good with people.

The sound of the front door opening pulled him back in reality. Runaan was standing in the middle of his living room once again. Lain was gone. 

Chapter Text

Lain was pacing in his room. 

He walked over to the door, turned around, walked over to the bed, sat down, got up again and repeated the same thing for another five minutes. He couldn't decipher the emotions that came over his being nor the thoughts that ran through his head in the speed of a thousand moonstriders. The fact that his head felt like his brain was trying to escape his skull via his eye sockets wasn't helping either. 

Who was that guy? Why did it feel like I knew him? 

Runnan had said he was from the Moonshine and that he was an assassin. Lain didn't know any assassins. And he wasn't sure if he ever wanted to. They were honorable and respectful warriors, but he had heard that they were kinda stuck up. And no more than ten minutes ago, he had one of them in his room. He hadn't come to assassinate him, right? No, of course not. 

The boy seemed confused. And he was two young to be sent on a mission on his own anyway. Most importantly, Lain was training to become a Dragonguard, an Elite Fighter. He could very well hold his own in a fight. 

"By the Moon, Kovu! Move your legs, come on! " 

Lain jumped at the female voice coming from his bathroom. Only that when he opened it, it was no longer his bathroom but a training ring. In it there were two people, both his age. A tall muscular boy and a short very angry girl. 

She didn't seem to acknowledge him and just continued to beat the Moon out of her opponent. Not stopping a second to look at his direction. Lain was in awe. 

When she finally took pity on her opponent – Kovu – she turned her gaze on him. 

"What are you doing here? You wanna have some?" she said, getting into a fighting stance. Lain was compelled to say yes. Moon above, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. 

"Who are you talking to, Tia?" Kovu asked. The girl's head suddenly snapped at his direction, her eyes Sunfire daggers, despite their turquoise colour. So many hues, Lain could have drowned in them. 

"Alright, alright," said the girl's friend, holding his hands up to protect himself from the girl's punches, "I'm sorry!"

The girl – who apparently didn't enjoy being called 'Tia' – stopped assaulting the already beaten up guy and instead fixed him with a cold gaze. 

"Seriously, though, who were you talking to? There's no one there," Kovu gestured to his direction. But he was standing right there, next to them, why couldn't the boy see him? And most importantly, why could she? 

The girl looks at him confused and the back at her friend. She repeated the action a few times. "Are you kidding with me? He's standing right there! Tall with a very weird haircut?" Lain contemplated if he should have been offended. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Maybe you need some rest?" The boy offered. 

"Don't tell me what I need and don't need. I'm fine!" The girl yelled and strode passed him. Lain couldn't help but follow her. 

The girl pretended not to notice until she was somewhere that looked like a locker room. As soon as the wooden door was closed, she grabbed him by the colar and pushed him against the wall. 

"What kind of game are you playing?!" She demanded. 

"I- What? Nothing! I don't know! " He stuttered. He did that when he was nervous. Why was he nervous? This wasn't his fault. He was as lost as the rest of them. 

"What kind of spell are you using?! It must be pretty strong if Kovu can't she through it. What is it?!" She pushed him harder against the wall. An 'oof' escaped his lips. 

"What do you want, woman?! I said I don't know!" He tried to push her away but the girl's grip held firm. 

"I want you to tell me who you are and why are you stalking me!" The girl demanded, her grip becoming stronger and stronger. He could smell her breath from that distance, mooncakes and moonberry wine. She herself smelled of sweat with the distant smell of roses. 

"What?! I'm not stalking you! I don't even know how I got here! The one minute I was in my room playing with my ball, the other other I was in a strange guy's living room and now I'm here!" At that the girl finally let him go. 

"You- You mean you see stuff too?" The girl asked, hesitantly. 

"Yeah.. Weird kinds of stuff.. Like- Like things and feelings and places and-"

"And you have a horrible headache." The girl looked like she came into a terrible realization. She took a few steps behind but remained in a fighting stance, her eyes focused. She radiated 'don't challenge me' energy. Lain was not planning to. Not in a serious matter at least. 

"Umm, yeah, how do you know?" Lain asked, confused. 

"I've been having this terrible migraine the past few days," she admitted, scratching her hand. She seemed to realize a moment later that she had let her guard down and immediately locked her hands to her sides in fists. 

They stood there, staring at the floor instead of each other. Lain finally had the time to observe his surroundings. It was indeed a locker room. Towels, hair brushes and clothes were scattered everywhere. And in the far corner, there were several buckets and what looked like soap. 

"So, what's your name?" The girl asked out of a sudden. It sounded more like a demand than a question. 

"It's Lain. I'm from the Shadowsire and I'm training to be a guard." 

"Really? Me too. Only that I'm from the City of Luna Tenebris. Its a big Moonshadow city, I'm sure you've heard of it. My name's Tiadrin, by the way". 

So, 'Tia' was short for 'Tiadrin', huh? 

"Don't you dare call me 'Tia'! You saw what happened to the last one that did that," she warned and Lain nodded. He wasn't planning to anyway. He liked 'Tiadrin'. It seemed like a weird name at first but it felt perfect for her. 

An imagine crept into his mind, of them walking along together. They were holding hands,under the light of the full moon,  and he whispered secrets into her ear, his voice blending with the birds and the bugs in the forest. Tiadirn. 

He quickly pushed the weird thought out of his head. But it didn't feel like just a weird fantasy or even a dream. It felt like a memory. Like that's how things were supposed to be. Like that's how things always were. 

But he didn't know her. And he didn't know Runaan. Then how did it feel like he did? What was going on with him? Was he actually starting to lose his mind? Was Runaan right about this being a prank? Was Runaan even real?! 

He suddenly felt dizzy. 

"Hey, you okay?" 

"Yeah, if you ignore the fact that I'm totally crazy, I'm fine. Better than ever actually!" He sassed at her but immediately regretted it. It wasn't her fault after all. Or was it? Was she part of the trick too? 

"Don't sass me," she said in a threatening tone and he nodded again. They stared at each other, her eyes pierced into his like a thousand icicles. 

"I- I should probably get going," he turned to go but the moment he opened the door, he was still in the girl's break room. 

"Don't look at me, you're the one that appeared out of the Blue Moon," she crossed her arms, " you should know how to get back to the wherever you came from."

"I don't even know how I got here," he admitted and sat down on a wooden bench. "One minute I'm in my room back at the Shadowsire and the other I'm here!"

"Yes, you already said that."

Silence again. Lain tried to concentrate on his room. Nothing. What broke the connection the first time? Runaan had just disappeared after a sudden noise. Maybe he should try to surprise himself too? 

"That would never work, idiot." Tiadrin said, exasperated. "How are you even gonna surprise yourself? It doesn't make any sense."

"How did you know what I was thinking?!" His hands immediately flew up to grab his head "Are you reading my mind?!"

"Um, no? You we're talking outloud." 

Was I? How did I not notice?

"Tiadrin!" Someone knocked on the door abruptly, " What are you doing in there? Come on!" He recognized the voice as the boy of before. 

"Comin'," she yelled back at him and the turned to look at Lain accusingly. Lain just stared. "Turn around so l can change," she clarified and he felt his face getting as red a ripe moonberry. He nodded nervously and do just that. He kept his eyes on the wall for at least five minutes, counting the crack in the stone. He tried to concentrate again into going back to his room but it was no good. He was stuck. Tiadrin gently touched him on the shoulder. 

"I guess you have to come with me now, huh?" 

"Well, don't sound so disappointed.." He murmured. 

"Just- don't make noise and don't touch anything," she instructed and gestured him towards the door. Lain made some hesitant steps, his mind racing. Would he just be stuck with her for the rest of his life? Would he be invincible forever? He took some calming breaths before he overwhelmed himself and stepped through the door after her. 

He blinked. 

He was no longer in the training ring. He was back in his room. He looked around worryingly, scanning the room. Everything seemed to be in place. His desk was covered with the usually school books, notes were scattered everywhere and his wardrobe was half open with several clothes and leathers falling to the ground. Everything was under the ordinary and he was alone. Tiadrin was nowhere to be found. Had he imagined her too? 

Lain let out a sigh of relief at the view of his own room. He was home. It was over. 

He collapsed over to the bed, burying himself in pillows. He was done with everything for the day. As he fell into a deep sleep, he tried to chase the thought of Tiadrin away. He wasn't successful. 

Chapter Text

After hours and hours of meditating on his favourite rock, Runaan came to the decision that his best course of action was to just keep his cool. 

There were numerous ways that he could explain the situation. Maybe he just had two many moonberries. Or maybe the spirits were trying to communicate with him. Or maybe one of the herbs he used to calm down his headache had side effects that the person who sold them to him conveniently forgot to mention. 

Whatever it was, there was a natural explanation. Runaan was nothing if not adaptable. He would figure this out. 

He was already feeling better. The headache had subsided and he hadn't seen any visions all day. He was back and running in the training grounds like nothing weird had happened at all. 

That was until he saw him again. 

The ghost, who would soon turn out to not be a ghost, but a boy, just like him. 

He didn't seem to notice him this time. He looked like he was tinkering with something. 

Runaan narrowed his eyes to see what the boy was holding and was so excited about and out of a sudden, he was standing in what looked like a workshop. 

"No, not again!" The boy shouted and almost through the object in his hands. From that distance, Runaan could clearly see that it was some sort of pendant, with a shining runestone in the middle. He got the urge to get closer. 

He watched him work for a little bit. Tinkering with the runestone and getting it the shape he wanted it to be. 

"That's lovely," he decided to break the silence. He didn't know what boy this was or what was happening. But he would never find out by just standing there like a creep. 

The boy sprung from his seat, holding his hand to his chest, the pendant left forgotten on the worktable. He stopped to take some calming breaths. In and out. Then, he slowly turned towards him. 

"Wh- who are you?" His voice was trembling. Runaan felt kind if overwhelmed himself. 

We are all having the same reactions, he realized, are we really all just being pranked?  

The boy's terror surely seemed natural. He looked around like he was looking for a weapon, but he remained frozen in place. 

"Look," Runaan started, "I'm just as confused as you are but I'm sure that if we all just calm down, will be able to figure this out," he was trying to reassure the boy, but he just looked like he was about to have a panic attack. Runaan haven't felt so many emotions all at the same time in years. He wasn't sure if they were his or the other boy's panic could somehow creep into his own mind too. 

"Wh-What do you mean?" The boy asked again, calmer this time. 

"Do you.. Happen to have a headache? Or had a headache, a few days ago?" The boy jolted, moving to grab a hammer from behind him and holding it protectively between him and Runaan. 

"How do you know that?!" He asked with surprising force. 

"I- I had one too," Runaan explained, "and I'm feeling things that I'm not supposed to feel and seeing visions of you and some other guy." He said the last part a little too quickly. He needed to calm down. 

The other boy was silent for a while. Runaan took that time to examine his surroundings. They were definitely is a workshop. There were a table and a chair and numerous tools that Runaan couldn't identify. And a few meters away, there was a forge. One that the boy that stood before him wasn't supposed to use, apparently, judging by the big piece of wood that was hammered on the wall near it reading 'Ethari, stay away from the forge'. It was carved out elegantly, by someone who clearly had experienced being a craftsman, therefore able to use the forge. I bet Ethari is dying to use it one day. He didn't know where that thought came from, but he somehow knew it to be true. 

"I ate a whole Moonberrie cake yesterday!" The boy blurted. Runaan was startled by the unexpected confession, but he gathered himself up quickly. He just looked at him, confused. 

Was this some sort of conversation starter? Runaan was never good with words, he wouldn't know. But weren't they conversing already? 

"I- I'm not supposed to eat sweets before bed. My healers advice against it. But yesterday, I had that overwhelming craving for a Moonberry cake and I couldn't shake it off," the boy started explaining, looking guilty, "So I asked the baker to give me one in exchange for a Moonstone pendant. I'm a craftsman, or I will be in a few years. Pendants usually come easy, but this one just won't behave!" 

Runaan felt frustrated, he didn't know why. This wasn't his problem. But for a moment he felt like he was the one who had spent hours tinkering in this shop. Like he was the one that had made a deal he couldn't keep. 

"Don't worry, Ethari, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Maybe you just need to choose a softer metal, " Runaan offered, although he didn't know anything about craftsmanship and metalwork. 

"I- How do you know my name?" The boy asked, surprised. 

"What?"

"My name, its Ethari, but I never told you that. Have we met somewhere before? It surely feels like we have," he sat back on his chair, seeming more relaxed. 

Ethari. It suited him perfectly. He may have never met the boy before, but now he couldn't imagine him having any other name. This was Ethari, he lived in the Silvergrove and he was an apprentice to the local craftsman. 

But how in the Moon's name did he know that?! 

"If I say that this whole situation is weird, will I sound cliche?" He asked, desperation creeping into his voice. 

"No," Ethari rubbed his hands to his temples, " Because it is weird. And I think my headache is coming back."

He didn't know what to respond to that and he wasn't comfortable just staring at the boy like some creep. He didn't know how to go back to the Moonshine either. 

"Runaan," he said eventually. 

"What?" Ethari asked, confused once again. 

"My name," he explained," Its Runaan."

"Nice to meet you, Runaan!" Ethari smiled up at him. A beautiful, kind smile. Runaan was lost for a moment. He never had anyone smile at him like that. 

He opened his mouth to say something but he was knocked down on the ground before a word could leave his lips. 

"What the-?" He exclaimed. 

"You were just standing there, staring at nothing for a whole ten minutes," Loralai, a girl from his training program came into focus. She was standing right above him, looking and him with big worried eyes. She was older but at least one head shorter than him. How is Garlath's name was she able to knock him off his feet?

"Moon to Runaan? Are you okay? Do you want me to escort you to the healers?" She asked, a little too condescendingly for Runaan's taste. 

"Thank you for your politeness," he said sarcastically as he got up and dusted himself off, "but I'm fine now." 

The girl just nodded and ran off, continuing with her training exercises. 

Runaan had missed ten whole minutes of warm-up. His father would be furious if he found out. He ran along with the rest of the team and managed to do as much as he could to catch up with them before the instructor came back. 

Runaan won all five matches he was in that day. But there was no change. He was not better or worse than he had been in the last few weeks. Rahim told him that he would have to speak with his father about the lack of improvement. 

Runaan knew then that his life was about to become much, much harder. 

Chapter Text

Tiadrin couldn’t sleep. 

Not with all that noise coming from downstairs. It seemed like two people yelling at each other but she was still fuzzy from a restless sleep and couldn’t make out what they were saying. Were her sisters fighting again? 

They usually didn’t make a fuss that late in the night, they knew she had training in the morning. She needed her rest. 

Tiadrin let out an annoyed groan and covered her head with her pillow. It was no use. The shouting kept becoming louder and louder until she felt like they were right on top of her, screaming mercilessly. The voices were not female. Her sisters had the night watch. She lived in a ground floor, there was no downstairs. 

“I’m sorry! I don’t know what is happening to me, I swear I’ll do better!’’

Tiadrin jumped out of bed.

She was in a treehouse, in what looked like a living room. Only that instead of portraits and paintings, all sorts of weapons decorated the walls. There was also a couch, some chairs and a table but the room was otherwise bare. In the middle of it, stood a father and a son and they both looked furious beyond measure. Tiadrin was suddenly very scared.

“Well, clearly you aren’t trying hard enough!’’ The father accused in a much calmer voice. The calm before the storm? But wasn’t the storm already there?

She wanted to yell at the boy, to warn him, to tell him to get out of there. But the boy stood his ground, tightened his fist and fixed his father with a cold gaze. His eyes reminded her of her own. Turquoise. Her older sister, Mira, had called them the colour of the sea as it blends with the sky. They were he mother’s eyes, only sharper. She tried to push the thought of her mother’s soft eyes out of her head and focused instead on the scene that was playing in front of her. 

“What would you know? No matter all your hard training, you couldn’t save anyone. You couldn’t save her,’’ his voice was dripping venom. An instance of sock passed through his father’s eyes, but the boy continued, without mercy. “ You failed. Miserably. Maybe you were not trying hard enough! ’’ he yelled the last part. 

The father’s eyes turned ice cold. Much colder and terrifying than his young counterpart. For a moment, he looked like he was about to hit him. The boy took a breath, steadying himself, getting ready for impact. Tiadrin held her own breath, afraid of making any sound at all. 

The older figure raised his hand, the impact never came. The boy flinched anyway. 

Tiadrin felt like she was about to cry. 

“Go to your room, my son. Before I beat you shitless’’ he warned in a whisper, giving the boy time to avoid the storm. This time she didn’t waste any time. She grabbed the boy by the hand and pulled him towards what she somehow knew to be his room. She knew there was no way the boy would apologize. There was no reason for him to stay there and make things worse. They walked up the stairs, slowly. Her hand was still in his, squeezing it supportingly. 

She didn’t know this boy. But she had to protect him. She had to. She couldn’t explain why, but she had to. He didn’t seem surprised by her presence. He didn’t even try to pull his hand away. He just stared into the eyes of his father and could drive his gaze away. 

Tiadrin closed the door and made to sit on the bed. It was a plain room, just like the living room with a big bed and a desk and all sorts of weapons scattered around. It looked nothing like her own room. Everything was put away neatly. There was also a wardrobe, full of greens and blues and teals. It was a simple room but luxurious. And even if there weren’t many personal belongings, it could tell her a lot about her new friend’s personality. 

“I don’t spend a lot of time in here,’’ he explained. “Only when I’m sleeping or need a quiet’” place to meditate and my father int home.’’

“Do you want to meditate now?’’ She asked and got ready to leave, even if she didn’t know how.

“No,” he sat on the bed next to her. “ I’m not really in the mood. What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know,’’ she admitted. “It just seemed like you needed my help.’’

“I’m fine,” he insisted, “ But I could surely do without having to deal with all these shit,’’ he gestured vaguely around.

“Ηey, don’t look at me, I’m just as lost as the rest of you.’’ she half-joked.

“So, you’ve met with the other’s?’’ he asked, crossing his legs.

“I’ve met Lain,’’ she couldn’t help but smile and the memory but she didn’t know why,” He was cool, I guess. How many of us are there?’’ 

“Four, I think. There’s you and me. And then there’s Lain and some other boy, Ethari. He’s a craftsman.’’ 

“There better only be us, four. There’s only so much I can handle.’’ She joked again, getting the tiniest of smiles out of Runaan. Joking with him felt like regular past time. Something that she had done countless times before.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore. In a way, I do know these people. 

"So, Ethari huh?" She asked teasingly. She knew deep down that she felt the same way about Lain. A deeper connection. A desire. 

One that she didn't feel for the person sitting beside her. But that didn't make their connection any less overwhelming. He looked away, blushing. Something told her that he didn't do that often. 

"I think I… like him," he said, "I don't know, it’s weird." 

"It is." She agreed. "I'm Tiadrin, by the way, I don't think we properly introduced ourselves." She extended her hand. 

"I'm Runaan," he said, accepting it and squeezing gently. 

"I know." She blurted without thinking. "I don't know how, but I know."

"Wow," Runaan exclaimed. "This is weird."

They didn't talk much after that. They didn't need to. Tiadrin usually hated the silence. She was a loudmouth, she couldn't just sit there and say nothing. That would be awkward. But it wasn't. Not with Runaan, at least. He seemed to thrive in the silence, he didn't really need it to communicate. He did that with his hands and with his eyes. No need for words. 

And they sat, a boy and a girl, miles apart but still closer than ever. Their fingers interlocked. Tiadrin knew she should be sleeping, she had training in the morning and so did Runaan. But she liked Runaan's silence and the feeling of his hand in hers. 

They both needed it. She didn't go back to her room for a while.

Chapter Text

Ethari couldn’t stop pounding his hammer. Who could blame him, really? It was the first time after years that he was all allowed to use the forge on his own! He was working on a pair of daggers, a pretty easy task considering his years of training. Ethari couldn’t care though, he was just happy that he was finally able to truly put his skills in use.

“Excuse me,’’ Ethari was startled by the foreign voice. If it wasn’t for the fireproof runes he had sewn on his sleeves, he was sure he would have burned himself. “Could you please keep it down?’’ 

Ethari turned towards the voice slowly. Of course, he thought. I should have been used to this by now.

The boy that stood before him was a few inches shorter than him. He was a Moonshadow like him, with pale, purple-tinted skin and light brown eyes. Ethari was actually surprised that he had found an elf with messier hair than his. 

“You’re not Runaan.’’ Ethari surprised himself by how disappointed he sounded.. Was I seriously expecting someone else?

Weird-hair-guy raised an eyebrow. “Obviously,’’ he said with a tint of sarcasm.

“Who are you then?’’ Ethari sounded annoyed. He was almost never annoyed. Mostly because he never let anything trivial get him down. But he was annoyed with the guy before him. And he was annoyed with Runaan, for disappearing without a word. And most of all, he was annoyed with himself for missing him so badly. 

‘’Name’s Lain,’’ annoying-guy said. “And now that we introduced ourselves,’’ he continued a little too bitterly, “ Can you please keep it down ?’’

Ethari’s first instinct was to immediately apologize. It was indeed too late in the night. People that lived near the Forge would be right to complain about the noise. This boy, though, did not live near the forge. He didn’t even live in the Silvergrove as far as Ethari knew. And Ethari knew everyone in his small village.

“We haven’t introduced ourselves,’’ Ethari said instead. “I never told you my name.”

Lain had the audacity to look annoyed. Taking a closer look at him, Ethari could tell by the giant bags under his eyes that he was sleep-deprived. Ethari suddenly felt exhausted himself. 

“Sorry,’’ he said apologetically. “I’m just really tired , and I can see that you are too, I’ll stop now.’’

Lain’s scowl softened. “I’m sorry too,’’ he scratched the back of his neck, “It’s just- I have training in the morning, is all’’

Ethari sent him an apologetic smile. “What sort of training?’’ he asked, curious.

“I’ll tell you,” the other boy teased, “ After you tell me your name’’

Ethari pretended to think about it. As if he hadn’t offered to give him his name just a minute ago. “ It’s Ethari,’’ he said after a moment. 

“Nice to meet you, Ethari,’’ the guy extended his hand, “ I know it’s kind of a weird introduction. But everything that is going on these days is.’’

“What is going on?’’ Ethari asked. “You’re not the first hot guy to appear out of nowhere.’’

“Hot guy, huh?’’ Lain teased. Ethari felt himself going red. “So you’ve met Runaan,’’ he concluded. “What about Tiadrin?’’

“Who? There’s more of us?’’ He somehow wasn’t appaled by the idea.

‘’ Only four, as far as I know.’’ Lain went to sit down on a nearby chair. He looked terrible. He obviously needed sleep. Ethari felt guilty about keeping him up, but then again, he wasn’t the one appearing in his room out of nowhere and demanding things.

“You’ve never told me,’’ Ethari begun, sitting down himself, “What kind of training?’’

“Warrior’s training. You know, the usual. I’m gonna become a guard one day.’’ Lain sounded confident. Why wouldn’t he be? He was tall, lean but muscular and he had a weird kind of protective energy coming off of him. He would do anything to protect the people he loved. Ethari was sure he would make a fine guard one day. He thought about telling him that. But Lain smiled at him knowingly, as if he had somehow heard his thoughts. Maybe he had. 

Who knows, with everything that’s going on? Mind readers would be the last check on the weird list Ethari was internally keeping.

“Soooo,’’ Lain started, “It’s getting pretty late. We should probably go to bed.’’

“Yeah. . .’’ Ethari agreed. 

“Hey, check this out,” Ethari didn’t feel the earth sift around him. He didn’t feel anything. He just blinked and he was in an entirely different room. “I’m getting better at this,’’ said Lain with a goofy smile.

“Wow,’’ Ethari exclaimed, genuinely impressed. He was in what seemed to be Lain’s room. It was the first time he noticed that Lain was in his sleeping garments. Ethari could feel the soft fabric on his skin too. He could also feel the change in temperature. It was way cooler than the forge. And he could smell the petrichor after a rainy day. He wasn’t physically in the room but Lain was. He could feel what Lain was feeling.

He had heard of this before. Or read it somewhere in a book. He wasn't sure. But all of this feeling and visiting and understanding each other's thoughts without having to say anything out loud, felt somehow familiar. He didn't feel any differently himself, everything was just more intense since the headache started. Just like in his books. It all starts with a headache, he remembered, then you are no longer just you. 

“I think I’m starting to understand this too,’’ he whispered in awe. 

“Care to share with the rest of the class?’’ Lain inquired, unable to keep the yawn out of his voice. For a moment, Ethari was scared that the boy would keel over. 

“Another time,’’ Ethari promised. “Go get some sleep.’’

Lain was about to argue but the scenery had already changed around Ethari and he was no longer in it. Ethari knew that he was too stubborn to leave it for later. So Ethari had taken things into his own hands, forcing his new friend to get his much-needed sleep. He smiled to himself. 

You’re not the only one that’s getting the hang of this.

Chapter Text

Runaan strode with confidence along the stone covered path. With his hands hidden in his fists and his chin held high –like any proper Moonshadow assassin– he scanned the path in front of him with a piercing gaze. No one was around. Good . He only had one very specific destination to spend his lunch break on; the library. Food be damned, I'm figuring out what's happening to me today and I'm putting a stop to it. 

His walk of determination was stopped abruptly, unfortunately for him, before he had reached his destination. 

Where exactly do you think you're going? " His father's voice was ice. The 'question' was clearly a command. Runaan considered not answering but thought better of it. Challenging his father now would not do him any good, it would only delay him further. 

"To the library." He replied carefully. "You said you wanted me to do better, so I am." Came up the quick excuse. "I thought about researching new fighting techniques during my lunch break." He ended swiftly. 

Runaan's father was not amused. He fixed his son with a look of disbelief. "We have plenty of books on that particular subject at home. What would you waste your time going to the library when you could be actually working on your fighting skills." He questioned, keeping his voice cold and even. 

Runaan froze for a moment too long before he forced his brain to begin working again. "Rahim's orders." He said, wishing his father wouldn't care enough to ask his instructor for confirmation. 

His father's fierce gaze studied him for a moment. Runaan stared back with a cold gaze of his own, challenging him to see through the lie and dreading the consequences of him doing so. In the end, his father just sighed and stepped aside. "Very well," he said, defeated. "But I will not tolerate you being late for our personal training again. Finish your little project and come find me in the backyard."

"Yes, father. "Runaan bowed his head respectfully and waited until his father was out of sight. When he finally saw his long white hair disappearing behind a tree, he dared let out a sigh of relief. He wasted no time after that. He turned and strode straight to the library, picking up his pace as he went. 

The library, also known as 'The Tree of Knowledge', was located on the far side of their small village. The Tree stood tall and mighty among the much smaller houses around it. It was actually the tallest treehouse in the Moonshine, the second being Runaan's own home. It's giant tree branches twisted in all directions, making it seem even more ancient than it actually was, and it was – as always – empty. It's only occupant was the old, Lady Gilda, who managed the library. As ancient as the tree itself, Runaan had heard some kids call her once, and twice as grumpy. 

Runaan didn't give any base to the rumours though, he himself had visited the library many times – mostly to dig up some old poetry books – and found the old lady pretty endearing. But the Moonshine was more like a compound, where future soldiers, guards, hunters and assassins trained together and then moved on to another village to do their duty. Along with them lived some farmers, bakers, healers and a few craftsmen. The necessary people to properly run a village. Lady Gilda, though, just wanted her peace. So she decided to move there and manage the local library, knowing very well that few people would be interested to visit. Unfortunately for her, Runaan was one of those people. 

"Hello," he said, bowing his head in respect once again –as it was expected to do when in the presence of an elder. 

"Good evening," the woman replied, not looking up from her book, "I'm afraid we're closed for the day."

"But the moon is not up in the sky yet," Runaan accused. He had come all this way from the training grounds, he wasn't about to turn away now. 

The woman's head shot up abruptly. "Oh, It’s you again," she said and looked back to her book. 'The Huntress and the Moonsiren', Runaan read, tilting his head slightly. "Well, don't just stand there like a marble statue, you know where the pretty books are."

"I would actually ask for your assistance today, I'm looking for something specific." He said as politely as he could master. The woman let out an exasperated sigh. 

"What now?" She demanded, putting down her cheesy romance book. 

Runaan hesitated. He didn't really know how to bring up the subject without sounding totally crazy. And it wasn't like he could pretend that it had something to do with his studies. "What do you know about telepathic connections?" He went straight to the point. 

Gilda gave him a confused look. “Moon druids used to contact each other through meditation. Is that what you mean?" 

It wasn't what Runaan meant. He already knew about Moon Communication. He always wanted to try it with someone but there wasn't any other Druid Descendant – other than his father – to practice with. No one that he knew at least. He had tried it once, hoping that any Moon Druid out there would pick up and answer him but nothing had happened. Or maybe it did? 

No this is different. It somehow feels like… more. More than just communicating from a distance, he could see what other people saw, for moon's sake! 

"No, that's not it," he answered. 

Gilda let out another sigh. "Then I don't know what to tell you, boy. There are some books on the subject in the third section, if you want to take a look." Runaan nodded in thanks and she went back to her book. 

Here goes nothing, he sighed. I hope I'm not wasting my time. 

He took a deep, grounding breath, and wandered further into the Tree of Knowledge. 

He looked around for a little bit, opening and then closing books. They mostly referred to the Moon Druids and their 'special connection to the moon'. Runaan already knew about this stuff, he was a Moon Druid himself. Or at least, a descendant of them. But his father always prided himself in his heritage and had made sure his son was equally as interested in this ancient history. The Moon Druid's had disappeared centuries ago, on the Judgment of The Half Moon. When Luna Tenebris had banished humans to the west and the druids were forced to destroy the Moon Nexus and migrate to the East. Not all of them have made the trip – as they had encountered a group of dark mages on their way – and that was why there were so few descendants in Runaan's time. 

He picked out another book and jumped at the unexpected visitor.

"You won't find anything in that one." Ethari's soft voice said. 

"Why not?" Runaan said back, putting the book down. 

"What we are is not exactly written in history books. Our kind was sure to destroy all records." Ethari explained, his voice smooth. 

"And why is that? What are we?" Runaan asked, a little exasperated by the other boy's mysterious words. 

"Different," he said with a warm smile that reached his eyes. Runaan felt like was about to melt. "Follow me," Ethari prompted and turned around. Runaan felt compelled to follow and he did. 

They were suddenly in a different library. This one was build inside a giant iglazebo. He could tell by the shiny silver walls and the abrupt change in temperature. Ethari led him to a desk made of wood, a book was open inside it. The words were written in an Earthblood dialect, but Runaan was surprised that he could read them anyway. He could read and speak several Moonshadow dialects, along with some human ones, but he had never, ever in his life taken a lesson on Earthblood dialects. Ethari, on the other hand, seemed to be fluent in them. 

“My family has earthblood roots,’’ he explained. Runaan nodded, absentmindedly. He picked up the book to examine it. It was old and dusty - and quite heavy, but he would never admit that. He brushed his fingers through the front -to brush away some dust - and read the cover.

“Ethari,  this is a children’s book.’’ Runaan sounded disappointed. What information could he possibly find on their situation in a book called ‘Fantasy Stories for Children’. It wasn’t even a creative title!

“No, it just looks like a book for children. Look harder, Runaan.’’ Ethari instructed. Runaan furrowed his brows, trying to see through the illusion. This book was clearly written by earthbloods. Why would it have Moonshadow illusions on it? What was it even doing in a Moonshadow library?!

The title shifted behind the illusion, letting Runaan see what was hidden under the surface. The actual title of the old book was a simple word. One that Runaan, despite his rich education in linguistics, was not familiar with.

“Sensates,’’ he read slowly, testing the word on his mouth. “What does that mean?’’

Ethari looked at him with enthusiasm, gently taking the book from his hand and opening on a specific page.

“This,’’ he said, the smile not once leaving his face, “will explain everything.’’

Chapter Text

“I don’t understand,’’ Runaan said, putting the book down. He was used to understanding things with the first try. If not, then with the second or the third. He had read that Moon damned page what felt like a thousand times and still couldn’t understand how it was relevant. Or more like, he didn’t want to understand.

Because according to the book; he wasn’t a normal elf. He wasn’t sure if he was an elf at all or an entirely different species. What he was, was called a ‘Sensate’  what he, Ethari, Lain and Tiadrin had, was called a ‘cluster’. Sensates were born looking exactly like ordinary elves –no matter the race– but formed a dormant connection to their cluster, since birth. That until they were reborn. Then the connection was suddenly awoken by a Sensate of another cluster. Once that happened, there was no going back; you were forever tied to your cluster, emotionally and mentally. It could even get physical when a member of your cluster was ‘visiting’, even when they weren’t really there.

“Is that what we’re doing now,’’ Runaan asked, “Visiting?’’

“Yeah,” Ethari scratched the back of his neck, his enthusiasm slowing burning itself out. “You can actually do that with members of other clusters, as long as you have formed a connection by looking them in the eyes,’’ Ethari explained.

“And what about feeling. . . things, emotions that aren’t really ours?’’ Runaan asked, sitting down after standing up for far too long.

“That is exclusive to the cluster you are born with. Did you know that we were all born the exact same day?’’ Ethari said, the smile coming back to his face with full force.

“This is ridiculous,’’ Runaan breathed.

“It’s amazing! It means for now on we’ll never be on our own again!’’ 

“Exactly!’’ Runaan exclaimed and immediately lowered his voice. He shot Ethari an apologetic look before continuing, hoping it would ease his hurt expression “I kind of like my privacy, is all. How do we make it stop?’’ 

Ethari’s pained face got worse. Runaan couldn’t get used to him looking that sad. He didn’t want to. He wanted Ethari to be happy again. At that moment, that was the only important thing to him. “We can't,’’ Ethari said, “It’s permanent. We’re bound together for now on.’’

Runaan buried his face in his hands. Ethari put a hand on his back and patted him gently. Runaan wouldn’t usually accept soft comfort from anyone --let alone someone he hardly knew. But there was something so intimate about it, despite it being a fairly awkward gesture. He had an unexplained desire to kiss the other boy. 

He looked up slowly, his cold turquoise eyes locked to Ethari’s warm amber ones. Ethari moved his hand to Runaan’s left cheek, soft --despite being calloused from the work in the forge-- and warm to the touch. It was early spring in the Moonshadow forest but Ethari somehow managed to carry with him the scent of a summer’s breeze, warm and soft and beautiful. They were so close, their lips almost touching. Runaan was sure he was going to do it. His brain had disconnected itself from his body anyway. There was no one to tell him that kissing random boys he had only talked to twice was not acceptable for a future assassin. Ethari managed to get even closer, his breath smelling of cinnamon. Runaan couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Lips now brushing each other Runaan took the final step and–

“Where am I?’’ Lain’s confused voice drew the boys apart at the speed of a Moonstrider. He was looking around with wide, curious eyes that made him look younger than his actual age – fifteen, if what Ethari had said about them being born at the same time was true –. Runaan wanted to murder him. He was sure he was going to do it if it wasn’t for Ethari’s warm smile at the sight of him. 

“Hello, Lain! You won’t believe what we just found out!’’ 

Runaan fell back on his chair, feeling dishevelled and completely undone, as Ethari explained to Lain, and Tiadrin –who showed up just a few seconds after him– what they were and what was happening to them. Runaan was actually glad the other boy’s attention was no longer on him, after what had happened. He was sure his face looked like an overripe moonberry. 

“Wow, that’s awesome, mate!’’ Lain enthusiastic voice must have been heard through all of the Silvergrove and Ethari immediately shushed him.

“It’s ridiculous!’’ Tiadrin exclaimed in a whisper-yell. She was standing up behind Lain’s chair, prying at the old book from his right shoulder, her arms clasped around the chair’s back.

That’s exactly what I said! Runaan wanted to yell. He shared a knowing look with Tiadrin, relieved that at least one more member of their so-called ‘cluster’ still had their sense of logic intact. 

“This thing explains everything,’’ Ethari said, referring to the book. Runaan had started to loath that thing. Firstly, because everything written in it was not making any sense. And secondly, because everything written in it was actually happening. 

Runaan desperately wanted –no, needed – a break from all of this. 

He was about to bid his goodbyes to his new-found 'best friends' and go jump into a lake to cool down when a hand clapped him on his back from behind. Runaan jumped back immediately, grubbing a sword from his belt and pointing it threateningly at the –generally unfazed– Lady Gilda. 

"Get your pointy toy away from my face, boy." She demanded in a cool tone and Runaan immediately did so, embarrassed. 

"You were standing there staring at the wall for a good hour and a half. Are you okay?" This time she let some genuine concern slip into her voice. Runaan looked around, confused. He was still in the old library, standing between hundreds of books. The Moon was fully up in the sky by then. 

"Yes… Yes, I'm fine," he tried to reassure her. "I was just. . . meditating." He came up with a quick excuse to explain his unexplainable strange behaviour. 

Gilda raised an eyebrow, not buying any of his bullshit. "Meditating? Standing up, in the middle of the library?"

"Yes," Runaan insisted. "This is actually a very good spot. Very. . ." he trailed off searching for the right word "Inspiring." He finished lamely. 

"Uh-huh, " said Gilda in utter disbelief. "Get out of here boy, it’s way past your break time." The woman said and Runaan went cold.  

According to Gilda, he had been standing there for an hour and a half. The Moon was up and his lunch break have been over for at least an hour. Runaan's bones froze with cold realization. He was supposed to be training in the backyard at that time. He had stood his father up. 

Chapter Text

“Who even are you to tell us what we do and what we are ?!’’ 

Tiadrin didn’t mean to snap at the boy in front of her. Especially since he was staring so broken hearted at the place Runaan had stood just a few seconds ago. 

At her words, Ethari seemed to snap out of his daze. He shook his head to clear it and took a better look at Tiadrin. She raised an eyebrow in response.

“I’m sorry,’’ he said politely, “I don’t believe we have met, I’m Ethari.”

He gave her an encouraging smile that seemed surprisingly genuine and extended a hand. 

“Tiadrin,” she said shortly and shook his hand. “I guess we all have officially been introduced with each other. What now ?” 

Both she and Lain turned their attention towards Ethari who just shrugged. Tiadrin had to keep herself from snapping at him again. She usually wasn’t that snappish. Not to people who had done nothing to her. But her emotions were all mixed up. She could feel Ethari’s excitement all around her, Lain’s burning gaze burning against her skin and Runaan’s anxiety from somewhere far, far away. She tried to reach him before she could stop herself. She had to admit that his sudden disappearance had made her worry. And the others felt the same too. But it was no use. Wherever Runaan currently was, he clearly didn’t want them to be there. 

He let him go for the moment. She wouldn’t force a connection on anyone --especially someone who felt the same way about the situation as her. Instead, she focused on the people that were with her, both having the same confused expressions on their faces. For a moment, she found it adorable. Then she mentally slapped herself.

“Sooooooo,’’ said Lain in his most obnoxious tone. “What are supposed to do now, sensate-buddies?’’

“The book calls it ‘cluster-mates’,” Ethari explained. Tiadrin had a very good idea of where she wanted to put that book.

“I don’t care what it’s called,” she stated. “Ugh, I hate this”

She felt her surrounding shift at her outburst. They were no longer at a library or even at her own home. They were at Lain’s. 

Tiadrin took a quick look around, annoyed that despite everything she did find ‘space travelling’ fascinating on its own. The others didn’t even acknowledge the change of scenery. 

“Are you and Runaan having a complaining contest or something?’’ Lain demanded. Ethari ears twitched at the mention of the name. “ I thought you’d ought to be the most adaptable than any of us. Isn’t it part of your job?”

“You are literally a fighter too,’’ Tiadrin exclaimed, slamming her hand on a nearby table. “Why are you putting us in the same category!?”

Lain seemed more annoyed than anything. Like he just could not understand why anyone would not want to be suddenly connected to three other people she had never even met up close. Like she was being the irrational one. 

“You’re not irrational, you’re just--” 

“What?!” She demanded but Lain was at a loss for words.

“Guys!’’ Someone yelled. It was Ethari. Ethari who was sweet and kind and genuine and what in the moon’s name was he doing in the same cluster and three emotionally constipated Moonshadow warriors? He should have been the one complaining. Instead, he was trying to appease them. 

“I think I need some time to think about all of this,’’ Triadin managed in her most calm voice. She gave Lain a dirty look, squeezed Ethari on the shoulder and then she made them both vanish. 

—

Runaan was bandaging his clearly abused shoulder when his reflection in the mirror shifted to someone else.

It had been too much for that day. Too many things to process. And then there was his father with his furious yelling and his excessively rough training and non-stop ramblings about what makes a good assassin–

It was all just too much for now. He couldn’t handle this too.

“Why are you here?!”

Tiadrin didn’t flinch at his hard tone like most people usually did. She just stared at him through her own mirror, eyes unfocussed and bored. She wasn’t fooling anyone. He could tell that she wasn’t alright the same way he was not alright. The red crescents under her eyes weren’t helping her situation either.  

“I would ask you the same thing but we would only be repeating ourselves then,” she answered. “Are you alright?”

Runaan was taken aback by the question. Why was Tiadrin concerned about him when she clearly wasn’t alright? He remembered the first time they met like it was long ago. If you could call two days long ago. They had felt as one then. And he had liked her being there with him, for him. He had accepted comfort that night. And now she was offering it to him again. 

“Are you alright?” He asked instead. Apparently, that wasn’t the right thing to say. Tiadrin detested being coddled just as much as he did. 

“What did I say about repeating ourselves?” she hissed, suddenly furious with him and the world. 

“Sorry,” he murmured and they fell into silence. 

This time it wasn’t a comfortable one. Tiadrin felt the need to break it before Runaan had the chance to fall back into nothingness. “Doesn’t it scare you?” she demanded. “Not being just yourself anymore? Sharing this . . . connection with people you don’t know?!”

She hated to admit it, but she was scared. It wasn’t like she didn’t have friends at home. She wasn’t the most popular but people still respected her and sought out her advice and company. But to share part of her soul with someone? Know the best and worst parts of them and reveal hers in return? 

One moment she was normal, going about her life like everyone else. And the next she was here, staring into eyes that looked so much like her own but weren’t. Feeling strongly about three boys she hardly knew. She wanted to be there for Runaan. And she wanted him to be there for her. She wanted to laugh with Ethari and cuddle away with Lain. Be with them and be them. Understand them and be understood by them. It was terrifying. Overwhelming. 

And it was supposed to be impossible but it wasn't. It was happening and it scared her. 

“An assassin is never scared or overwhelmed,” came Runaan’s voice. “We accept and adapt. Ethari said that there’s no way to change this. What’s the point in fighting it?”

Tiadrin just stared at him. As if that could have somehow made him disappear from sight.It probably could --with enough practise-- but Runaan just stood there. Reciting the same mantra in his head. The one his father had taught him, ingrained in him. What was the point in being scared? Fear could not change circumstances. Actions could. And there was no action that he could take and change this. It was here and it was permanent and was it even that bad? 

“You’re only saying that because of Ethari,” the girl in front of him accused. “You do realize that that’s narcissistic right? You’re basically in love with yourself.” 

Runaan felt appalled by the notion. Surely it wasn't like that. Maybe Ethari's book answers had a section on romantic relationships within a cluster. 

Runaan left the washing room, too exhausted to stand upright anymore and let himself fall down to his hard mattress. “You know it's not like that," he insisted. "And don’t act like you don’t feel the same about Lain.”

Tiadrin seethed like a Sunfire ready to enter heat being mode. She still didn’t contradict him. 

“I don’t like this either,” he said but he wasn't so sure anymore. 

“You don’t act like it,” Tiadrin said back. 

“Because I’m tired,” he admitted. “We can hate it together tomorrow.”

I won’t be here tomorrow, she tried to convince herself. I'll go to sleep and wake up and all of these will be one big nightmare that just dragged on too long. 

“Don’t count on it,” she said aloud and made her way for her own uncomfortable bed. Before her sisters had a chance to return home and see her,face red, arguing with the washroom mirror.

Runaan understood why Tiadrin was opposed to this. They were the same after all. They valued their privacy and liked hiding behind their well-constructed illusions. But the illusions were falling apart on their own when it came to the four of them. And there was nothing to be done about it. Ethari was right, they were connected . And maybe it was Ethari talking or maybe he was sleep-deprived, but it wasn’t as awful as he originally thought it to be. 

He wished Tiadrin would feel the same. Tiadrin secretly wished it too.

Chapter Text

It had been two days since Tiadrin had learned about Sensates and what that meant for her. What that made her. She wasn't very sure how to feel about it. It wasn't like she could do anything to change it and it wasn’t exactly an intolerable change. She just didn't know how to handle it. And in very unlike 'Tiadrin fashion', she chose to try and avoid the problem, instead of facing it head-on. 

For the last two days, she could feel Lain and Ethari trying to break into her mind, to 'visit' her. But she had stubbornly decided not to acknowledge them –even try to fight them–, convincing herself that if she ignored them long enough they would eventually give up and go away. They did not go away. 

Ethari had decided, after the first few attempts to reach her, that giving her some privacy to properly process things would be the best approach. Runaan hadn't even bothered to try, probably had taken the message from their last encounter. 

But if there was one person with such tenacity to much hers; that would be Lain. 

"Hey, T. How are you doing?" Lain's rough voice had managed to reach her while she was doing squats. She didn't acknowledge him until she realized that he was crouching just a feet away from her, doing the exact same thing. 

"What are you doing?" She asked, slightly weirded out. "And haven’t I warned you about using nicknames?!" She said, with a little more scorn. Lain noticed that she had stopped doing the exercise to look down at him with the most resentful look she could muster, but didn't stop. 

"What does it look like I'm doing, cluster-buddy? My morning exercise routine," he said, matter of factly. "And you told me not to call you 'Tia', not to refrain from nicknames all together." At that, he stopped mid squat to smile smugly up at her. Tiadrin was caught up between the urge to kiss him or to punch him in the face. The punching him in the face part slightly more prominent.

"And you decided to do that here?" She asked, fixing him with a cold look before going back to her exercise. She decided not to make a comment about the new 'nickname'. She wasn't planning to talk to him ever again so there was no reason to scold him about it. 

"Where else would I be doing it? This is my house." The moment the words left his mouth Tiadrin was no longer in her city's gym but in what was a house made of wood. Reality had shifted and with it Tiadrin’s patience. 

"Nope! No way!" Tiadrin jumped from where she was crouching and threw herself at Lain.  They landed hard. So hard it was possible his back had earned a few new bruises. He tried to roll her off of him but she immediately rolled back. They were back at the gym now. He may be tall and strong build but she was stronger.  She held him by his shoulders and pinned him down with such force she was sure she gave him a concussion. For a moment, she felt dizzy herself. Lain took that moment to recover and attempted to throw her off again. This time she lost her balance and her hand slipped from his shoulders. She was laying on top of him, balancing herself on her forearms, her feet planted around his waist. 

Time froze, crystallized. 

They stared out each other, noses almost touching. Her first instinct told her to immediately get off of him and put as much distance between herself and the boy as physically possible. But she found herself stuck there, staring. 

"This is.." Lain begun saying. What?   Uncomfortable? Weird? Unacceptable? " Nice.” he finished. 

"Do you usually find being attacked by strangers 'nice'?" She retorted, sarcastically. She moved her hand to a most comfortable position; right on Lain's forearms, pinning them down above his head to immobilize him, although he hadn't shown any indication to move again.  Unfortunately for her, that required her to lean over him slightly –damn you height difference–, giving Lain a clear view of her chest. He had the courtesy to avert his gaze and tilt his head up so he was looking at her face. 

"You're not attacking me, not really. And you're not a stranger." The last part sent hot sparks through her entire being. 

"I am attacking you, pretty boy. And I am a stranger, you literally know nothing about me!" 

"I want to though," he said with a tiny smile. "Get to know you, I mean. The bond–" She pinned him down hard. 

"There is no bond!" She yelled with disdain. "Its Shadowpaw–droppings. I'm not a Sensate, I do not have a cluster or whatever this is supposed to be. I'm a normal Moonshadow elf and I never asked for any of this!" She noticed that she was crying and quickly sat up, wiping her eyes. She rolled of Lain and sat on the surprisingly soft wooden floor, her hand on her knees. 

"I know," Lain said, "that this is hard. It’s new, to all of us." Tiadrin just shot him a cold look. 

"You don't seem particularly bothered by the whole situation." She crossed her arms. 

"Yes, but I didn't ask for this either. It just happened and I accepted it." He got up from where he was sitting on the floor. "Its really not that bad, Tiadrin. Can't you see all the amazing stuff that we can do? You're in the Shadowshire, a place you would probably never visit on your own. But here you are, sitting on my floor and at the same time sitting on a gym miles away, in the biggest Moonshadow city!" He gave her an enthusiastic smile and looked around him with curious eyes. She felt the sudden change of temperature as the scenery around them changed. "You can feel the warm wood below you, and at the same time hear the tiny raindrops tapping on the gym’s roof. These things may seem impossible, but they are happening. To us. And the sooner you make peace with that, you'll realize the beauty of it all."

Tiadrin looked down contemplating it. Lain was right. They all were. This was happening. And no matter how hard she ignored it, it wasn't going to go away. The only things she could do was accept it and make the best out of the situation. 

"So, what do you think," Lain said, offering his hand from above, a playful grin on his face, "want me to give you a tour of our humble, wonderful village?"

Tiadrin thought about it. It was her free day anyway; she didn't really have anything else to do. The hell with it, she thought. If she was going to spend the rest of her life surrounded by these people she should at least get to know what she’s dealing with. 

She smirked up at him, the movement surprisingly natural, and reached to take his hand. 

Chapter Text

Lain took her to all his favourite places in the village. The fountain near his house, the training grounds for the young assassins and warriors, a small park where they watched little moonshadows play with their pets and with each other. He took her to what he called 'the best bakery in Xadia' and let her choose what baked goods to purchase. 

"Chocolate muffins," she said and then gave Lain a challenging look. She could tell that he wasn't fond of chocolate. He just shrugged and bought her what she asked for, even though she wasn't personally there to consume anything. 

Then he took her by the hand –and she was way too dazed to withdraw it– and led her to the most beautiful place in the village so far. The Waterfalls. 

"Nice view, huh?" He said with a grin. Tiadrin was too busy trying to hold out an excited squeal to do anything but nod. They sat down on the freshly grown grass and the silence stretched between them. 

"Sooo," Lain finally said and then stared at her awkwardly. 

"Sooo what?" She snapped out of her daze. 

"What do you think?" 

I think that all of this is amazing and I'm grateful to you for showing it to me. 

"It's nice," she said. "So what do you want to know about me?"

"Huh?" Lain said, confused. Tiadrin was one more awkward moment away from jumping into the lake. Icy water and the promise of a dark end didn’t sound that bad.

"You said you wanted to get to know me," she explained. "What do you want to know?"

"Ooooh," Lain remembered their last conversation. He looked away in deep thought. "Well," he said at last, "everything."

"Everything?" She echoed. What did ‘everything’ even mean? Where was she supposed to start? Her family, her life goals? Personal quirks? Shouldn’t he already know all that, thought the bond? It bothered her, at first, how she could no longer choose which pieces of information she let out and which ones she kept to herself. But maybe it wasn’t like that. Maybe she still had some sort of control over her own mind.  How many things did she know about Lain? He felt familiar, like she knew him since forever, but what was he like ?

"Your muffins are getting cold." He said, looking at her with an unreadable expression. Unusually for someone -in the words her sister would use- wears his heart on his sleeve. 

“I’m not actually here, you know,” she said back, crossing her arms. “I can’t eat anything.”

Lain tilted his head. A motion that reminded her weirdly of Runaan, although there was something softer in Lain’s eyes. “Sure you can,” he said. “Try it.”

Tiadrin rolled her eyes and took one of the chocolate goods in her hands. She shows Lain’s lip curl slightly in disgust but she ignored him. She took a big bite, holding eye contact -- just to spite him. “It’s good,” she said finally and Lain beamed at her, his face lighting up. Tiadrin had the urge to kiss him and chased ---no, kicked-- the though away. I barely know this boy, she reminded herself. And then she remembered that that was the reason they had come here in the first place. They needed to get to know each other.

But where should she start?

“Tell me about your family, “ he supplied helpfully. She scouted closer --just a tiny bit, mind you-- and started.

She told him about her parents. Well, what she remembered from the little time she knew them. Her mother was a scout, one of the best Xadia had ever seen. She used to venture towards the human kingdoms, always bringing her and her sister weird and new things she found. She was curious, just like Tiadrin herself was. That curiosity got her killed. 

She told him about her sisters. How Mara matched hers and their mother's curiosity. While Irene had taken more of their father's sinister side. She told him about how they fought a lot but still loved each other unconditionally. Just like families do. 

Apparently, just like how clusters do too. 

She was close to tears by the end of it, and she was sure Lain could feel it. 

"It's alright," he said. "You don't have to continue." Not right now, was left unspoken. Lain wanted to hear her talk. He liked hearing her talk. Even though she was sure he had his own family problems. He still sat there and listened. And Tiadrin needed it, in that moment. Needed him . 

"Probably not what you wanted to hear, huh?" She said, gathering back her composure. 

"What, no?!" He exclaimed hastily. "I mean– We're moonshadows! Most of our stories aren't pretty– Not that yours isn't important– I just–"

He was rambling, having gotten the wrong assumption that he had somehow offended her. She gave him a tight smile and brought her palm to his lips to shut him up. 

He made a mumbling, incomprehensible sound and stared at her, brown eyes wide. 

"Lain," she said slowly, "it's alright. I'm sorry for bombarding you with my sad Moonshadow story. I know that's not what you brought me here for." She slowly removed her fingers from his face, took a deep breath and said the words she never expected to say to anyone. "Thank you for listening."

Lain smiled. An incredibly dorky smile that made Tiadrin's heart do laps. 

She got up from the ground, not so sure about the ' no kissing strangers' rule anymore. 

Is he even a stranger anymore? 

She knew the notion would drive Irene crazy. She always had something to say about Tiadrin's chosen company. 

She can't see him anyway, Tiadrin thought absentmindedly, walking closer to the lake. She could feel Lain lingering behind her, but still keeping his distance. 

She crossed her arms and kicked a pebble into the clear, blue surface. 

"How about you, Lain?" She asked. "What about your family?"

She hadn't heard him stepping closer. But his next words were suddenly very close to her ear. It was like reality had shifted again. 

"It's complicated," he said. "I don't wanna talk about it."

She snorted —that was ironic after she had just spilt her guts to him— but didn't push. He'd tell her when he was ready. I'd have to return for that, she realized. Or maybe I could just never leave. 

She wasn't so sure she wanted to anymore. 

She circled him, a mischievous smile on her face. He spun with her, so it was his back that was facing the water, the soft blue of the sky circling him like a canvas. 

Their faces were almost touching. And there it was again. The overwhelming urge to kiss him. To pull him closer, connect. 

She could run from it. She could run from it for the rest of her life. 

But Tiadrin was no coward. And neither was Lain. 

"Are you going to kiss me?" He dared to ask, and she took a step forward so she was standing just a few inches in front of her. Even closer. Impossibly close .  

Not close enough. 

She put her hands on his torso, giving in to the playful side of her. Her touch was light but there was an edge to it. She could hear her heart pumping inside her chest. Trying to escape her ribcage. Or maybe it was Lain's. She couldn't tell the difference anymore and didn't think it mattered 

"Are you ?" She whispered, tilting her head. His eyes twinkled, his face brightening. He brought his face closer, but not daring to touch her, and then–

And then she gave him a little push. 

Backwards and into the lake. It's cold, unwelcoming embrace swallowing him whole.   

Lain face twisted into surprise, his eyes widening and his smile turning into a grimace. He fell with a splash and went under immediately. Gracefully, even, as most Moonshadow elves seemed to manage somehow. 

"That was mean," he said after he resurfaced. But he was grinning, the little playful twinkle back in his eyes.   

Tiadrin grinned and rested her hand on her waist. "You were asking for it," she retorted with a chuckle. 

"That was certainly not what I was asking for," he pouted. 

Tiadrin laughed again, face shining in the sunlight, kicked her boots from her feet, and went in after him. 

She resisted the urge to yell incoming as she went under. Didn't want to seem entirely childish. 

She splashed Lain on impact, his face morphing into one of annoyance. His hair was in his eyes, the little braid he sported had come undone. 

Tiadrin swam closer to him, put her cold hands on his broad shoulders. Her clothes stuck uncomfortably to her skin, getting heavier by the second. But she didn't care. She gave in to the parts of herself that felt fond and brushed the lock of hair out of Lain's eyes. 

He looked at her in anticipation. The question from before hanging in the air between them. 

Are you going to kiss me?  

She did. Putting her lips against her cluster-mate's, tasting sugar and something spicy. They were unnaturally soft –or maybe that was Lain's feeling of her own lips reflecting back at her. 

And she felt it then. Completeness. An unknown emotion till that very moment. She reached out an invisible hand, brushed against Lain's mind with her own. Their souls connecting. Synchronizing. 

Lain grasped at her, with more intensity than she thought was possible. And then she could feel what he could feel. Want, love, urgency. And he could feel what she was feeling. Fondness, connection, curiosity. They were feeling it all. And it was so overwhelming she started crying, salty tears blending in with lake water. 

Lain parted their lips, moved away just an inch. Cupped her face in his hands and stroked her tears away. She liked how they fitted together perfectly. Like puzzle pieces of the same soul. 

"It’s weird," he said at last. 

"What is?" Tiadrin wasn't able to keep the slight tremble off her voice. She felt like she was about to dissolve at any moment. 

"Your lips do taste like chocolate," he joked and Tiadrin chuckled, moving her arms to rest on his shoulders. 

He stared at her, his eyes glazed over, their soft brown, tinted blue by the nature around them. 

She smiled back at him. Her most genuine smile. 

And then she kissed him again. Until both their uneasiness was gone. And all that was left was her new favourite feeling in the world. Connection, and her soulmate's lips on her own.  She had no doubts anymore. She was a sensate. She had three other selves, one of which she was kissing right now. She had let these people in, and with them she was whole.

Chapter Text

“I've read that book," Lain said in an attempt to break the silence. Runaan ignored him. 

"His husband dies in battle in the end," that one was an attempt to be a little shit.  

Runaan shut the book with more force than necessary. "What do you want, Lain? I think I told you to leave me alone." 

"And I think we both know I never listen to you." He replied smugly and went to look out the window, soft brown eyes full of curiosity. Runaan hated the feelings of both annoyance and endearment this particular cluster-mate managed to evoke in him. He also hated being disturbed while reading. 

He was sitting in the corner of the living room, in his mother's old armchair near the mostly unused fireplace. It was a forbidden place for Runaan to be. His father didn't like it when he touched her stuff. But the elf in question was out on a council meeting and it was raining outside –too much for training– and he didn't have any other place to be. 

Lain, of course, had plenty of other places to be. He just deliberately chose 'pestering Runaan' as his new hobby and never missed a chance to show up for a chat. Runaan knew that deep down he was just as lonely but seeking comfort in other people was never his thing. Not until recently. 

"Wow, it's pouring out there!" Lain chose to ignore Runaan’s question entirely and ask his own instead. "Does it always rain like that in early spring?"

Runaan took a moment to think. Usually when it was raining his father would take him out for some special training. He was extra hard on him on those days. It was raining the night she died. 

This kind of storm though was quite unusual. If he didn't know any better he'd say that a storm dragon was having a temper tantrum. 

"No," came his reply. Then he turned his attention back to the –now spoiled– book. 

"I love the rain," Lain didn't seem to be getting the hint. "I always wondered what it would be like being out in the storm like that."

Runaan contemplated sending a memory his way, so he wouldn't have to wonder anymore but thought better of it. Subjecting his cluster-mate to the feeling of being out alone in the cold, not allowed to return home until you got better. That would be pretty cruel. And there were some experiences Runaan would never share. Not even with his cluster.

It was late, he didn't have anything actually important to do for the time being and neither did Lain. And since he was going to be living with these people inside his head for the rest of his –probably quite short– life, it was best not to push them away. Even though it was his first and only instinct when it came to people and Lain didn't make the situation better in the slightest. 

He shut his book once again and for the first time that evening looked up at his cluster-mate. "Want to play a board game?" 

–

They ended up playing cards. Lain turned out to be quite good at it. He beat him five times. "I've been playing this game with my parents my whole life," he had explained. Although Runaan suspected that he had found a way to use their mental link to peek at his cards. 

Runaan was about to call him out on it when it occurred to him that it was getting late and he needed to cook dinner. He didn't want to give his father another reason to be mad at him. Things were already rocky as it were. 

"I could help you with that," came Tiadrin's voice. 

Lain jumped –actually jumped– out of his seat. "How long have you been here?!?"

"Long enough to know that you've been cheating," she sassed him and he went red. Some short of electricity passed between them. Runaan felt like he was intruding but at the same time this was his house and this was his head –if anything they were the ones that shouldn't have had a place there. 

He shouldn't have been that surprised. Tiadrin had made a habit of popping up every time Runaan was in trouble. Even after the argument they had that one eventful night.

"I appreciate your offer, Tiadrin, but surely you have other things to do tonight," he politely refused. He wasn't used to being taken care of and he didn't like being indebted. 

"Nonsense!" She said, "Ethari says that the bond isn't something you can force. If you didn't need me and I didn't want to be here then it wouldn't work." 

Runaan gave a sideways glance at Lain, wondering what that meant about their relationship. 

It seemed like Runaan didn't really have a choice. It wasn't like he could make her go away and the truth was that he could use some help. 

He nodded. 

Tiadrin didn't waste any time. She stormed into the bare kitchen like she always lived there and dragged both him and Lain after her. He'd never seen her that excited. Lain and Ethari were usually the cheerful ones. He always considered Tiadrin to be like him. Quiet and down to earth. 

Apparently, that was all gone when cooking and helping people was involved. 

"I thought you didn't like the whole skill–sharing thing," Runaan was brought back to that time he offered to help her win a match and winced. 

"Not when it's cheating , Runaan," she berated him. 

She was right, of course. But he had really wanted to try it that day. More out of curiosity, if nothing else. This would also be a great opportunity to test how their ‘abilities’ worked. 

He crossed his arms, "Isn't helping me make dinner considered cheating in your book? These are life skills that I should learn to do on my own." At least, that was what father kept saying. 

Tiadrin didn’t even look up from the cupboard. "You're a terrible cook." –she said matter of factly, handing Lain a wooden plaque and a knife– "Besides, you're not on your own anymore.” 

Runaan chose to ignore the insult to his very… acceptable cooking skills and just go with it. There was no point in arguing with Tiadrin –she always won– and he had already agreed. 

"Here, boys, make yourselves useful and cut some vegetables, '' she instructed, handing Runaan a knife. That , he could do. 

"Don't you just love being bossed around by her?" Lain whispered at him with a huge grin on his face. 

"I am not sure how I'm supposed to answer that," he muttered. 

Then Tiadrin materialized between them, holding a big, wooden spoon menacingly. She had a light blush on her cheeks. "You know I can hear you, right? I am literally in your head." 

Lain, for his part, managed the best fake–innocent look Runaan has ever seen on anyone. Which of course didn't faze Tiadrin. She hit him lightly on the head with her spoon which made them all wince at the same time. So, I guess violence really isn't the answer when you have to deal with people in your head, Runaan thought, which also earned him a hit on the head. "Get to work," she ordered. 

“Don’t worry,” said Lain. “I’ll tell you all about it later,” he reassured but Runaan wasn’t sure what that was and if he was interested in knowing. Lain just attempted to wink at him with both eyes and went back to grinning like a lovestruck idiot. 

And then it hit him like a flashback. 

The lake, the wet clothes clinging to him and hot lips on his own --and no those were Lain’s lips-- he and Tiadrin and oh. 

That. . . explained some things. 

But how would that even work? And if Sensates could be together, did that mean that he and Ethari. . .?

Double oh. 

Runaan shook his head. Feeling a blush creeping up to his own cheeks. 

“Get to work!” Tiadrin called once again, snapping him out of his internal struggle. He would have to sort it out with himself later. Maybe. 

He rubbed his head where the spoon had hit him. 

"Fine," he huffed, "but if we all wake up with a headache tomorrow morning it will be all your fault."  

She held the spoon slash murder weapon up one more time and they –deciding not to test their luck or Tiadrin for the rest of the evening– went to work immediately.

Chapter Text

Ethari wasn't bored. 

Really. He wasn’t. Big events like this usually sparked something in him. He was an introverted soul but still loved going out and talking with people. The lights, the music, the gleeful smiles all around him. It was one of the best parts of being a Moonshadow. 

But while celebrating the Blue Moon was a big deal to everyone, Ethari's mind couldn't quite settle. He kept thinking about the book, his cluster and most intensely of all, Runaan. 

Ever since he first saw Runaan he felt it. It was like a connection, but more powerful than anything Ethari had ever felt. He knew Runaan felt it too. But he didn't want to rush things in case the other elf got scared away. 

And once he had spent more time with his new cluster-mate, he had only felt the feelings intensify. He couldn't help but think that Runaan was equally hard and easy to love. 

He was dutiful, determined, and loyal. A hard exterior with a heart of gold. But he also had his own demons, like all people did, as did Ethari. And he didn't want anything more than to be there for him. So they could untangle their messes together. 

He was also an assassin. Well, an assassin in training. That didn't bother Ethari too much. He knew that this was the way of their people, and some things just had to be done. 

But he hated that it had to be Runaan. That he'll have to see the softness slowly fade from his eyes with every kill. That he'll have to lie awake at night, fearing for the worst and wondering; will he come back this time? 

Perhaps it was selfish of him. This is what Runaan wanted. He wanted to serve his people and be useful to Xadia. It wasn't just because it was what was expected of him. Runaan just loved Xadia. And he was willing to risk his own life to protect it. 

That was something he loved about Runaan– along with everything else. 

He was brave. 

He wanted Runaan to be here right now. So they could enjoy the festival together and dance under the moonlight. He wanted–

"Ethari!" A loud exclaim snapped him out of his thoughts. 

It was Laila. Another one of the craftsman's apprentices. Specifically focused on weaponsmith. They didn't talk much when they were in the workshop together. She was way too focused on her work and didn't like being interrupted. But she was always friendly with him when they did talk, if only a bit shy. 

"Hey," he greeted her with a small smile. 

"Hi," she returned the smile shyly, "I hope I'm not bothering you, I just saw you standing there all by yourself and thought to come and say hi."

"You're not bothering me at all," he reassured her. "We haven't spoken in a while, how are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. You know, busy with work and all."

"I know," he said absentmindedly. Truth be told, he wasn't at all busy with work lately. He could hardly focus on it, with everything going on. 

"How's Olaa?" He asked as a way to steer the conversation. This was probably a mistake because asking about Laila's girlfriend who was also an assassin in-training only made him think harder about Runaan. 

"They are fine too. Focused on training as always. You know how they can be."

Ethari didn't know. He had only spoken to Olaa a few times. But he could guess, having known Runaan, Lain and Tiadrin. Moonshadow warriors tended to be very intense. 

This only made Ethari spiral faster. He was full-on yearning at this point. 

Just a he was about to reply to Laila, he caught a glimpse in the shadows, deeper into the forest. He would have thought he had imagined it, had it not been for that distinct ping sound that alerted him to the other's presence. 

He nodded at Laila, exchanging more small pleasantries before she too spotted her girlfriend into the crowd. Ethari promised to go talk more later and she went to greet Olaa with a smile and a hug. 

Ethari took a breath, steadying himself, before following the figure into the woods. 

–

Perhaps following a Moonshadow assassin in a forest alone wasn't the smartest idea in any other case. 

But he felt safe with Runaan, even though he wasn’t actually here. 

They met at a small canopy, near the adoraburr Medow, and Ethari couldn't hold the smile from spreading across his face. 

Runaan returned with a smaller, softer smile of his own and let some of his emotions be known through the bond. 

He'd missed Ethari too. 

“Hello,” he said formally. Like they weren’t secretly meeting in the woods during an important Moonsdhaow Festival via a magical link that connected their minds and souls.

“Hi,” he said, breathless. It wasn’t like he like it’s been a long time since he talked to Runaan. Ever since Tiadrin had come around the four of them had gotten closer. But they hadn’t spent much time alone, just the two of them. And as much as he loved Lain and Tiadrin, it bothered him that they kept popping up every time he got to talk to Runaan.

But now was his chance. Now it was just them and the lunablooms, softly glowing around them.

“Shouldn’t you be enjoying your village’s festival?” he blurted and internally cursed himself, for a second fearing that Runaan would vanish again. 

Runaan tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow. “I could say the same to you.” 

Ethari laughed at that, the tension easing from his shoulders. “That’s fair.” 

Runaan’s gaze shifted to the side, to something Ethari couldn’t see. He looked thoughtful for a minute, contemplating.

“I don’t really like crowds,” he confessed, sheepishly. “It’s quiet here.”

Ethari’s heart swell. Not at Runaan’s confession --although he was happy that he trusted him enough to admit such things to him-- but to the feeling that accompanied it. Runaan felt safe with him too. 

He seemed like he wanted to say something else too but decided against it. Ethari didn’t press it. 

Silence settled between them and Ethari could hear the gentle tune of a song coming from the festival. An idea formed in his mind. 

“Dance with me,” he said and Runaan’s eyes snapped to him. “If you want to,” he added quickly.

“I can’t dance,” Runaan protested. 

“We both know that’s a lie,” said Ethari. Runaan was an amazing dancer. He still couldn’t forget the day he discovered that. It was brief, and for a ritual he had probably practised for hours for. But Ethari could only describe it as magical. 

Runaan seemed like he was about to protest again and Ethari got ready to take back his invitation. But instead, he smiled at Ethari, one of his small, shy smiles and extended his hand.

“Alright, then,” he said and Ethari could squill with happiness. 

Ethari took his hand eagerly and guided Runaan arms to rest on his shoulders. He waited for permission from the other elf, before putting his hands on the other’s waist.

They swayed to the tune for a bit. Their surroundings changing around them with every twirl. The moon shining on them along with the lunablooms. Ethari had a funny thought; about how even when they were villages apart, the moon that was watching over them was always the same. But he didn’t share it with Runaan. 

Runaan wasn’t looking at him, but he was calm and felt safe and familiar. Ethari was so caught up in the moment and in the presence of Runaan that he almost didn’t realize they had stopped moving. 

Ethari was about to break the silence when his cluster-mate leaned in, almost taking his breath away. They were so close. There was no longer space between them. Perhaps there never has been. 

Runaan’s eyes were bright, impossibly bright. Ethari could see his own reflection in them, staring at the other boy as if he was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. Perhaps he was. Perhaps. . .

"I guess I should do it before we get interrupted again," Runaan whispered in his ear, still refusing to look at him. 

Ethari let out a breathless laugh. "Do what?"  

Runaan shook his head, a look of trepidation taking over his face. Looked down then up again. A violent blush had taken over his high cheekbones. Somehow, his eyes were even brighter. He was taking too long. And Ethari feared that the moment would pass, taken away by the night breeze never to be seen again. Ethari didn’t want that. He wanted to freeze time. He wanted to stay here with his cluster-mate whose eyes were glowing and brighter than the moon and was looking at him like Ethari was definitely the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. He wanted to tell Runaan to stop being an idiot and actually go through with it but also give him all the time in the world. 

A sigh broke the silence. The moment shifted and both elves run to catch it before the world caught up to them. 

" This ," Runaan breathed, answering Ethari’s previous question. 

He reached slowly, tentatively. Lips slightly parted. Eyes soft and focused. Searching for something. Waiting for Ethari to push him away. And when he didn't, Runaan finally, finally, closed the remaining distance between them. 

The kiss was slow, hesitant. Like taking a breath of fresh air for the first time. Runaan kissed like someone who had only known about kisses from books and accidental glances at couples in the forest. And yet he was exceptionally good at it. He didn’t protest when Ethari took the lead from him, guiding their mouths carefully. They pulled each other deeper and deeper until it was their souls touching and not just their lips. 

They parted up to catch their breath, and Ethari could still see that focused spark in his cluster-mates eyes, but now mixed with something else he couldn’t quite name.

The world had exploded. Like all the little pieces of their souls had scattered around and then rearranged themselves into one single unit. 

Long-distance kisses shouldn't feel this good , Ethari thought to himself. And then he pulled Runaan in again to prove himself wrong.