Chapter Text
In spite of what lied ahead and consequently, who lied ahead after that, Luna actually felt pretty good about the predicament they were in.
Yes, they did have to walk through a field covered in lava and hot rocks, and yes, they did have to eventually deal with their… “caretaker,” but they still managed to lift their spirit after spending some time with their friends.
They weren’t really afraid of Edmond anymore now that they had their wonderful friends to back them up. They’d be foolish to deny they were still nervous, but any sense of fear they felt for him had long since disappeared.
Their feelings towards Edmond actually mirrored their feelings towards the trek onward as well. While they were certainly still nervous about having to walk across the field and into a volcano, they weren’t scared anymore.
They couldn’t quite shake the feeling that things would go wrong somewhere though. Whether one of them fell into lava, or Edmond would somehow sabotage their happy ending…
Well, it kept their confidence in check.
They didn’t even want to begin to imagine how angry he would be to see them walking back into the airport alive and with new friends. He did try to kill them after all, so they imagined it wouldn’t be a heartfelt reunion.
They recalled when both Jamie and Riley said they’d beat up Edmond if it came to it. While it did humor them at the time, they weren’t entirely certain if those two would stick to their word. They didn’t necessarily doubt that they’d actually do it but… would it even be a good idea? It’d only attract attention and they didn’t really want that. Maybe they could resolve this peacefully instead?
However, if what Riley said was true and that Ms. Evelyn would actually make a scene about them being missing, then hopefully Edmond wouldn’t be there at all.
Luna couldn’t help but crack a smile. They were surrounded by such wonderful people and—
Nobody will ever love you, #&@*$
That wasn’t right. They had at least three people that loved them—at least, they think so—so that had to be wrong!
Also… why did that voice sound so much like Edmond’s? It had his deep growl and all. That sounded way too close to the real deal, sending shivers down their spine. It said something at the end too… maybe a name? Whose name, though? It couldn’t have been theirs, right?
They sighed and pulled themselves out of their head. They had far more important issues to worry about than spiraling into an endless stream of questions. It wasn’t like they were going to get answers anyways.
With their attention re-focused on their surroundings, they noticed everyone had stopped at the plateau once again. Confused, they stepped out from behind the group and joined the others near the edge. When they looked down, they immediately figured why they weren’t making progress.
Somehow, they missed it before, but they noticed that the way down was far too steep to simply walk down. To make matters worse, the drop was significantly higher than the others, meaning they couldn’t just jump or roll down and be fine.
They weren’t really afraid of heights, but they still felt uneasy looking down from the top. They’d been in pretty high places in the past, mostly to evade catching any attention, but—
Nobody would miss you if you jumped.
Luna gasped and quickly jumped back from the edge. That voice’s sudden interjection scared any curiosity and interest out of them.
They resigned themselves to their previous position behind the group. The others probably didn’t need their help anyways since Jamie was good at figuring out where to go.
Speaking of Jamie, it seemed that they were staring directly at Luna. They didn’t say anything, but it was obvious they noticed something was up. Luna tried to feign innocence with a smile, but it was clear that Jamie didn’t buy it. Instead of pursuing the matter any further though, they shook their head and returned to scouting out a route.
Jamie sighed. “Looks like we’re just gonna have to scale down the wall, I’m not really seeing anything that stands out.”
“Well… at least going down is easier than going up, right?” Riley inquired.
“Yeah, I suppose that’s true. Just ‘cuz it’s easier though doesn’t mean we should be reckless.”
“Of course. I know that.”
Luna had to agree with Riley. Going down was easier, and truthfully less scarier, than going up. It took far less energy to do and they did have the reassurance of their friends waiting. Well, assuming they weren’t forced to go first. Nobody would let them do that, though.
“Jade? Luna? You two cool with that as well?” Jamie asked.
Jade hummed and Luna gave a thumbs-up. Jamie stared at Luna for a little too long, which made them uncomfortable, but they ended up disappearing beneath the cliff not long after.
“Hey, uh, one of you two go next. I’ll stay for now to make sure you two get down without issues. I’m assuming Jamie will do the same at the bottom.” Riley then gestured towards the edge.
Luna and Jade stared at each other for a moment, then Jade silently decided they’d go next. Luna was grateful for this, because it meant that there would be an extra person below to catch them and ensure their safety.
Luna crept up to the edge once more—and really hoped that thought wouldn’t come back—and peered over it. Thankfully, they did spot both Jamie and Jade near the bottom. Though, now that they saw them down there, they realized it was much more of a descent than they initially thought.
It didn’t really change how they felt, but it did highlight the importance of being careful. One wrong move at that height would certainly…
No, it wasn’t worth thinking about the “what-ifs.” They wouldn’t fall. They’ve done this stuff in far worse conditions, especially when they were weaker and more timid a few days ago. They’d be okay. Besides, they had people both above and below them, so they had no reason to worry.
They eased themselves down from the edge of the cliff and began their descent. As expected, going down was far easier than going up, which was good since they didn’t want to be stuck to the wall for long. They felt uneasy being that high up, so the sooner they made it to the bottom, the better.
Once they made considerable progress, they heard Jamie beckon to them from below. “Hey, you two! You’re getting close. Just keep going and we can take a break once you’re down here.”
Luna cautiously turned their head down a little bit and thankfully, Jamie was correct! Beneath them was a massive platform which was considerably closer to the field of lava. Both Jade and Jamie stood in their line of sight and waved.
It seemed like the perfect place to rest as they figured out what to do next. Furthermore, there was a much more gradual slope beyond the platform leading down into the field, meaning they’d likely have an easier time making that final push.
They quickly scaled down the remainder of the wall—
It’d be a shame if you fell and broke your leg.
—and dropped off of it once they were at a safe height to do so.
While they weren’t really tired physically, the sudden debut of the voice today was really getting to them mentally. It was saying a lot of mean things to them and it sounded like Edmond and they just didn’t understand any of it.
They ended up just standing beside Jamie. They weren’t sure why, but just being around them made them feel a little more ease. They wouldn’t have been able to explain if asked, so they were hoping that Jamie wouldn’t mind.
Riley laughed between ragged breaths. “Never… thought you’d get tired, Jamie…” Just like Luna, they reached the ground and dropped from the wall. Almost immediately after their feet landed, they flopped down and leaned against the wall.
Jamie scoffed. “Look whose talking. And, uh, no, I’m not tired. My hands are just getting kinda sore from scaling down so much of this wall. Besides… it’s probably a good idea to take a break before we take on… this.”
Jade suddenly walked by, much to the confusion of both Luna and Jamie, and stared at something far out in the distance. “Hey, uh… any of you see what I’m seeing?”
The other three invited themselves to the edge of the platform to observe what Jade spotted. Luna stared very intently up ahead, but all they saw was the—nope, nevermind, they did see something. It was very hard to make out, but they could’ve sworn they saw the silhouette of what appeared to be some kind of structure.
Jamie sighed in defeat. “Other than the volcano? Nope.” Riley echoed this sentiment.
“I… I t-think I see it…?” Luna stated hesitantly. They weren’t really confident in their assessment.
“Whatever it is, it’s some kind of structure. It might be worth checking out.”
Jamie shrugged. “Well, it is on the way to the volcano, so… I guess it wouldn’t hurt to look out for it.”
“Yeah, agreed,” Riley said. “I’m good to go by the way, so…”
“Cool. Let’s get going then. Jade? Luna?”
Once again, the aforementioned kids responded in an eerily similar manner as they did to Jamie’s question back at camp. Jamie seemed to be quite disturbed by this. Luna, on the other hand, felt quite humored by it.
“Weirdos,” Jamie grumbled under their breath. They failed to hide the smile that crept on their face.
Why won’t you just—
No. I’m not doing any of that! Leave me alone!
Jamie nudged Luna in the side. “Keep spacing out like that and I won’t be the only one to notice,” they muttered.
“Sorry.”
“Stop saying that.”
“So—uh, okay…”
Jamie then pulled Luna along to catch up with Riley and Jade, who had gone down the slope a bit. Fortunately, both of them were too preoccupied to notice that Luna wasn’t present.
They didn’t mind. They’d grown used to being ignored and truthfully, they preferred it over being constantly on edge or bullied simply for existing. The solitude also gave them ample opportunities to plot out how they were getting food for the day and it kept people out of their business.
They didn’t get that kind of solitude around their new friends. They never ended up complaining about it, and by this point, they were glad they didn’t. They felt safe and happy enough around them that they didn’t feel the need to run off and fend for themselves anymore.
Which is why it would just hurt them that much more when they were forced to part ways. Allowing themselves to be more vulnerable around people they trust just to be ripped away by someone so cruel…
They didn’t get much more time to dwell on that though since the gradual shift in heat came to the forefront of their mind. This shouldn’t have come as a surprise given where they were, but it wasn’t a very welcome change. They were getting tired of the heat after dealing with it in the desert.
They ended up stopping near the middle of the slope since the lava had begun to rise. It soon rose to the point where any paths were closed off from them, at least temporarily. They felt incredibly uncomfortable given their proximity, though they couldn’t tell if that was due to the sudden surge in heat or their anxiety rising. It was probably a combination of the two.
After a few minutes, the lava gradually sank back in the ground. How it did that, they didn’t know. What they did know was that they had to get moving again. They could worry about something like that when they were in a safer location.
“Looks like this is our time to move.” Jamie used their free hand to point at a relatively short pillar in the middle of the field. It was connected to a much larger rock formation by just a chain. “If we can get over there, I saw a chain that’d help us get across to…” They traced their finger along the chain until it reached the bigger pillar. “That hunk of rock over there. Seems like it’d be a good vantage point.”
Luna stared down at the ground where the lava once was. It didn’t seem to leave any trace, but they imagined that it at least had to be hot to the touch. “B-But… won’t the ground be hot…?”
“Probably, which is why…” Jamie groaned. “Look, just trust me, okay? We don’t have time to sit here and whine.”
Luna swallowed a lump in their throat. They were not a fan of that response. “Right… okay…”
“Alright, let’s get over there then!” Again, Jamie yanked Luna along, forcing them to run to keep up.
Just as expected, the ground heated up as they got closer to the pillar. They tried their hardest to fight every urge in their body to just run back and cower in fear. They’ve come too far to start being a coward now. They didn’t want to disappoint their friends or—
They’re already disappointed in you.
If not for the fact they were bound to Jamie, they would’ve just run up ahead. Instead, they tightly squeezed Jamie’s hand. They really hoped they’d get the memo and get a move on.
“Ow, jeez—” They slowed down to try to figure out Luna’s deal, but hissed when they felt the heat on their feet. “Alright, we’ll pick up the pace.”
Even ignoring the introduction of this rude voice, it was probably for the best that this happened anyways. Luna noticed the lava starting to creep back up from the ground, so they likely could use that as an excuse rather than opening up about the voice.
Jamie was the first to climb up the pillar. It seemed that they understood the urgency, considering they made direct eye contact with the lava, so they took no time in checking for a safe spot. Instead, they quickly scrambled up to the top. Nothing crumbled beneath their weight on their way up, and they gave a thumbs-up at the top, so Luna made themselves the next person to go up.
Everyone else followed Jamie’s path and found similar success in their ascent. Once they made it to the top, Luna separated themselves from everyone as much as they could. They weren’t very successful though, since they didn’t have much available space. Maybe they’d get some time to be alone later.
Jamie walked over to where the chain was and stared at it for a moment. They then looked past it and down at the lava.
Jade was bewildered, to say the least. “With the lava still as high as it is?”
Jamie frowned. “Do you… have a better idea?”
“No…” Jade once again observed the gap between the chain and the lava. “Alright, I trust your judgment here.”
“I appreciate it.” Jamie softly smiled, though it quickly disappeared. “Let’s get going then. We’ll have plenty of time to rest and figure out what to do next when we’re a bit higher.”
Jamie grabbed onto the chain and started to climb. They made it about halfway across before looking back. They removed one of their hands from the chain to give a thumbs-up, leaving them dangling by one arm. They had pulled a similar move back in the forest, and like last time, everyone was terrified by the sight.
“Jamie…” Jade growled.
“Jeez, okay!” Jamie returned their other hand to the chain. “I’m going…”
Jade decided to go next shortly after Jamie resumed climbing. Unlike Jamie, however, they didn’t stop to show off. Instead, they crossed the entirety of the chain and never looked down or back until they made it safely to the other end.
Jade and Jamie making it across safely bolstered Luna’s confident just enough to convince them to do it. However, their confidence almost completely faded when they stepped up and saw that the lava had not budged.
Those two making it across should’ve instilled confidence in them that they’d be perfectly fine, but in wake of that mysterious voice, all sorts of bad thoughts swirled in their head. What if the chain randomly snapped? What if their hands slipped? What if—
You should try it and—
They decided they were just going to try to ignore the voice. It wasn’t a productive use of their time to listen to something that was constantly feeding them lies. They’ve had a few days to realize they’re worth more than that, so they weren’t falling for it anymore.
“I know it’s scary, but I promise you’ll be safe!” Jade called out to them. It seemed that they had once again drawn attention to themselves. Thankfully though, their hesitance had been confused for being afraid of the lava.
It seemed they weren’t getting out of this, so they sighed and grabbed onto the chain. Rather than looking down, they instead stared directly at Jamie. Maybe if they focused on them rather than the lava, it’d be much easier to do this.
They then hastily climbed across the chain to the other side. The chain was surprisingly stable, though at the same time, they weren’t really the heaviest kid around. They could feel the heat from the lava below them, but they didn’t allow it to stop them in their tracks. The sooner they were done with this, the better.
Once they were above stable ground again, they dropped down from the chain gracefully. They sighed in relief while Jamie softly clapped for them.
“I… don’t have a good feeling about this,” Riley said.
“And… you didn’t bother to say anything until after the three of us went across?” Jamie questioned. “What’s the problem anyway?”
Riley stared at Jamie for a moment then sighed. “I’m a lot heavier than you three. I’m not certain if it’ll hold me.”
“It’s a chain, of course it’ll hold you! I mean, you didn’t have that concern when climbing up rocks and vines, did you?”
Riley hummed. “Yeah, I guess so. Just overthinking it, I suppose.”
Jamie suddenly seemed a bit more empathetic. “Nah, you’re right. This is a lot more sketchy than the other stuff… we can come back if—”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll make my way over now.”
Riley grabbed onto the chain and let it bear their weight. They cringed as it groaned. However, neither it, nor the pillars supporting the chain, showed any signs of breaking so they continued.
However, once they moved forward about a foot, the chain suddenly snapped under their weight. The shorter half simply dangled from the wall while the longer half slammed into the pillar the children were on, shattering the chain immediately.
Luna’s stomach dropped instantly. The one thing that was supposed to keep Riley safe, and had kept the others safe, was now gone. The one adult in their life that actually cared about them was now stranded with no way across. It wasn’t fair! Why them? Why not—
“That’s… not good,” Riley stated.
“Damn it…” Jamie muttered under their breath. “Now what?!” They called out.
“I’m just gonna have to wait for this lava to recede so I can walk across. I don’t really like it, but I don’t exactly have a choice anymore.”
As if on cue, the lava began to recede. Luna wasn’t really on board with Riley’s new idea, so they almost wanted to scout for another way around for them. Before they could though, Riley started descending at the same pace as the lava. It seemed they were that determined to make it across after all.
“Hey, wait a sec!” Jamie called out. They then dug in their backpack and fished out the white lantern they got at camp. “Remember this? It felt pretty good to hold… so maybe it’ll help you out…?” They seemed uncertain of themselves.
Riley seemed confused for a moment, but then shrugged. “I don’t really see how a lantern would help when it’s this hot, but sure, I’ll bite.” They then held out their hands to ready themselves to catch it.
“Alright, here it comes!” Jamie then threw the lantern just hard enough so it’d land in Riley’s hands.
The lantern seemed to ignite itself from all of the motion, revealing a beautiful green ball of light in the middle of it. It seemed to wrap Riley in a very faint green aura, slowly scrubbing away at some of their wounds. Maybe there really was something special with that lantern after all!
“Huh. I guess it does do something,” Riley gawked. They stared at it for a little while before suddenly remembering what they were doing. “Oh, right. I’m gonna make a run for it with this lantern!”
“Okay, well, make it quick! The lava’s not gonna wait on you to take your precious time!”
Riley rolled their eyes and finished making their descent down to the base of the pillar. However, before they could do that, the pit separating them and the children suddenly lit up.
Everyone stared at the light for a moment, unsure of what to do. That moment was enough for a pillar of flame to bellow from it, completely obscuring Riley from everyone’s vision.
And in that same moment, any hopes and dreams that Luna had went up in flames as well.