#lonashipping fanfiction

[tuuzik]

Hey, so not long ago I randomly remembered that I had an unfinished fanfic for my teen favourite ship - Gladion x Moon from Pokemon.

I then remembered that there was one reader that was interested in this chaos and weird writing decisions that I made. So I corrected some chapters, deleted some and rewrote it all in just two days. (I have to retake an exam on mechanical engineering, yet I decided to write about pokemon). Anyway, here's the link to my Wattpad. Feel free to stop by and read this... Especially if you love pokemon. Enjoy!

-Tuzik P.s. I have no idea, whose art this is, I just randomly found it three years ago somewhere on pinterest or google and saved on my laptop. So if you happen to know the artist of this pic, please contact me, I'll give the credits.

[clacolu95]

Aether, Love Solutions

Multichapter

Wordcount: 25,151 (Ongoing)

Summary:

Four years after her father's death and moving away from Kanto to the islands of Alola, Moon is beginning to feel like her life is finally taking a turn for the better.

She's got a matchmaking job she's good at, a supportive friend, and the house where she spent her early childhood.

Everything is looking great!... Except for the continuously growing debt of her late father's house, and the fact that Gladion, her direct supervisor, seems to be holding a personal grudge against her.

Gladion Aether, the son of the President of a renowned matchmaking company —and the obvious choice to take over the presidency— has two very well-defined goals in life: He'll find a way to prove himself to his mother, and he'll make Moon's life a living hell.

He'd rather die than work with the female matchmaker for a day longer... Or so he thinks.

When the tables are turned and his position as Lusamine's heir is suddenly at risk, he'll have to choose between two almost equally bad alternatives:

He can either let his sister sit at his mother's chair instead of him, or collaborate with his archnemesis to fulfill the dream he's built his life around.

So much for Moon's life taking a turn for the better.

Click to Read on AO3

[miraimisu]

— In Gold We Trust | [5/7] | The Lovers [Lonashipping Week 2021]

Summary: Decades ago, two children discovered a mine and went home with their hands filled with gold.

Years later, the ambitious duchess of the Aether house decided to uncover a fortune, heedless of the dangers hidden underneath.

And todayー

"So I am a jerk now? Your lipstick on my lips last night speaks a different story."

"I wasted good lipstick on your stupid lying mouth. The least you could do is look grateful."

ーthings have simply derailed just a little bit.

Wordcount: 5,302 words

A/N: we go back to the beginning but with some ✨pizzazz✨

—

Gladion isn't a stranger to dances, galas, and celebrations of all kinds. Lusamine would often arrange ladies he'd dance with, because both of them know he'd never pick a partner of his own volition. He only sticks to this tradition because most of these women are visibly elated to dance with him, and he will accept a stroke of his ego anytime.

This time, however, is different, and he knows exactly who he is going to spend the entire night with.

With a tap on her shoulder, Moon turns around, eyes wide at the man before her. Then, they crinkle as she smirks. "Someone's early. I thought you'd still be sore after yesterday."

He can feel some people side-eyeing him from all corners of the market. He blushes, even though he knows what she's talking about. "Not even five minutes in and you're already making my life a living hell."

"You're the one seeking me out," she says, and he keeps silent because she's right. "Can you talk and walk?"

"I can carry things around too, if you say please."

—

[Continue reading on AO3!]

[pkmntrashcan]

Love Shot [Gladion x Moon]

Lonashipping Week 2020 | Day 1 | Alizarin Crimson

(lowkey depictions of blood and violence given the Assassin AU)

Once the clock struck 11 he could return to her gentle touch, feel the curve of her mouth against his, hear the soothing way she called his name. She probably would chastise him that evening for looking exhausted. He could imagine the the grumbled “you really do need to sleep more, Gladi,” with a perfect mix of concern and disappointment.

She always did look out for him.

He glances to the suitcase in the back.

A million dollars for a low life.

He could take Moon out on a lovely dinner now.

[Continue on AO3]

[sad-goomy]

Tide Pools

Rescued

Gladion isn’t sure how to feel as he watches the Gumshoos open fire on another ship.

On the one hand, they’re taking down pirates, actually helping to protect Alola’s shores as Ilima likes to claim.

On the other, he was once a pirate and he knows how absolutely infuriating Ilima’s smug face can be when he’s winning.

Read the rest on Ao3

[jooniepertree]

I keep forgetting to post but Hibiscus is finished posting and I just posted Snow, Ink, and Shadows so read it pls thanks bye

[cross-mountain]

Have you considered joining the lonashipping discord? :)

hi nony, i had no idea this existed prior to this message, i had to google what discord is  and I just found the lona community so I might actually join, thanks for the suggestion! :D

[snowrobin-133]

It's Nice To See You Again

DAY 3 OF LONASHIPPING WEEK; TIME SKIP

So you know how Gladi leaves at the end of Ultra Sun and Moon, yeah this is gonna be prompt about how he comes back •3•

ENJOY

-----------------------------------------

Moon's POV

I ran into Gladion a few days after I became champion. I had a crush on him for a long time, I just never had the courage to confess to him. I was planning on confessing to him once I ran into him and when I finally did, he told me something shocking.

"I'm leaving to train in Kanto and Jhoto." He said not looking at me. My jaw drops in shock and I swallowed the tears that threatened to fall and I knew I had to do it now.

"R-really? Can I at least let me tell you something?" I ask and he looked at me confused letting me continue. I let my gaze drop to the ground as I ignored the butterflies in my stomach.

"T-the truth is, I've had a crush on you for a while now. I-I get it if you d-don't feel the same!" I stuttered out quickly while blushing furiously. A few seconds passed before I glance up out of the corner of my eye. He was looking away from me with a hand on his mouth, it also looked liked he had a hint of a blush. I looked back down and took a step back but I felt my hand being grasped. I looked up in confusion to see he had a embarrassed face.

"The truth is..." he paused and I started to freak out in the inside, "I've also liked you for a while. I was planning on telling you too but you beat me to it." He finished and I then smiled and hugged him out of nowhere making both of us to fall to the ground.

He looked down at me as he sat up and hesitently put his arms around me digging his face into my shoulder. We stayed liked that before I ended up letting the tears fall. He lift his head to look at me confused.

"S-sorry, I'm... it's just that I'm going to miss you" I said as I let go of him and held his hand. He pushed my bangs out of the way and put a peck on my forehead. I blushed and he smirked clearly trying to contain a chuckle as I pouted at him.

"I'll be back before you know it." He calmly said as he rested his forehead against mine. We stayed like that for a few seconds before noticing how late it was.

"Oh yeah, I have something for you." He said once we got up. Gladion took out a pokeball and held it out to me.

"In this pokeball is Type:Null. It turns out that they made more than just mine." He explained as I took the pokeball. He also handed me a stack of CDs for Type:Null once it evolved into Silvally. We hugged one last time and I started to walk away before I turned around and kissed him on the lips. He was taken aback but soon returned the kiss. It lasted for a few seconds but I would forever treasure it. As I pulled back I smirked.

"Looks like I got you back." I said slyly and he smirked as well.

"Looks like I'll have to get you back when I come back." He replied. We waved goodbye to each other for the last time and I started to walk back home smiling as I held Type:Null's pokeball.

8 years later

It has been 8 years since Gladion had left and I still was champion. Many things had happened during those years. Hau and Lillie had started dating a few years back and Gladion had finally approved it. Hau had just popped the question and she said yes. They were still planning the wedding and I was excited for them. The Type:Null I had gotten from Gladion had evolved into Silvally and was one of my best pokemon. I was able to talk to Gladion a few times when we both had time but that was it. I accidentally let it slipped that I kissed Gladion and Lillie went berserk on me.

I missed Gladion but waited. That wait finally came to an end as a certain challenger came through the doors.

I was reading a book with Amaya sitting on my lap before I hear the announcement, "challenger is approaching." I got up and took out my pokeball. Once I saw who the challenger was my eyes widened in shock and then to tears. I ran into him and started to cry on him. Gladion returned the hug before whispering in my ear.

"Sorry for being gone for so long." I looked up to him with a smile and shook my head.

"I'm just glad you're back." I mumbled. He had gotten taller and his hair had grown a few inches, but he still kept his bangs. He still wore all black but his emerald green eyes had a warmer gleam to them. His pale skin had also darken just a bit but he still looked pale.

We battled and he certainly had grown stronger. He almost beat me but I managed to beat his last pokemon with my Primarina. We talked for a while before leaving to see Hau and Lillie while holding hands.

-----------------------------------------

Well how was that?? I hoped you liked this ^-^

Now I have to sleep before I get in trouble lel

Its 1:10 AM btw :3

BAIIII

-Snow

[shima-draws]

Here it is!! The first chapter of Ocean Eyes and Lunar Skies! (That one won the vote, lol)

A basic summary:

When it comes to firsts, Moon and Hau definitely make a lot for him—

Lillie regards him with shock, yet there is a glimmer of understanding in her eyes.

“You like Moon…and Hau?”

—having a crush on both of them at once, though, is probably the biggest first.

Hope you all enjoy! Idk when I’ll update next since I have finals this week but I’ll do my beeeest

[bridoesotherjunk]

Me writing Alola Moon-- okay so these are the parts of canon I like and these are the parts I would prefer don't exist so I'm not writing them. Also me writing Alola Moon-- is this canon? Fuck if I know, they never write enough about the other characters...

[tuuzik]

So it's been a while...

I finally got a free time to update the fanfiction. I added a chapter before "After the hurricane comes a rainbow", since the narrative felt cramped and rushed. I am planning to continue the fanfiction and finishing it (I did start this story three years ago and we're still at the Melemele island...)

So if you're into gen 7 and don't mind lonashipping, welcome to my wattpad page. Hope to receive feedback. Love ya.

P.S. picture from pintrest.

[clacolu95]

Good morning, I love you

Wordcount: 1,742 words (One-shot)

Summary: After waking up by his girlfriend's side, Gladion feels like doing something nice for her.

A confession of newfound feelings might also be in order.

---

“Wake up, Moon”

The gentleness of Gladion’s voice and his hand caressing her hair are the first things that Moon notices as she wakes up.

Her eyes feel heavy with fatigue, and her boyfriend's mattress feels incredibly comfortable underneath her, but she forces herself to open her eyes.

Her eyes lock up with Gladion's, and the shadow of a smile on his lips makes her heartbeat fasten.

“Hey…” She mutters, still half asleep as she sits on the edge of his bed.

Gladion stares at her tenderly, taking her hand in his. Feeling his warmth overwhelm her, she instinctively drifts closer to place a soft kiss on his lips.

His body tenses a little, surprised by the gesture before letting go of her hand. He cups her cheek, leaning forward to reciprocate the kiss and lingering close to her even after their lips part.

She takes some seconds to enjoy the tender, slightly embarrassed look on Gladion’s face from up close. His messy bed hair and his enormous hoodie falling down his left shoulder...

He looks gorgeous like this.

Well, to be fair, Moon thinks her boyfriend looks gorgeous all the time. But she especially loves this side of him that only she gets to see.

The side of him that he only trusts her to see.

“You’re up early. That’s not like you…” She lets out a yawn before moving his messy fringe to the side of his face “Is everything okay?”

He tenses once again under her touch, his gaze dropping to the floor.

“I… Made you breakfast…”

Keep reading on AO3

[miraimisu]

— In Gold We Trust | [1/7] | The Wheel of Fortune [Lonashipping Week 2021]

Summary: Decades ago, two children discovered a mine and went home with their hands filled with gold.

Years later, the ambitious duchess of the Aether house decided to uncover a fortune, heedless of the dangers hidden underneath.

And todayー

"So I am a jerk now? Your lipstick on my lips last night speaks a different story."

"I wasted good lipstick on your stupid lying mouth. The least you could do is look grateful."

ーthings have simply derailed just a little bit.

Wordcount: 4,578 words

A/N: I am back posting on tumblr and it's only to promote my lonaweek hell of a fic /stretches leggy

have nothing to say other than 1. whoever guesses what this AU comes from will get a million cookies and 2. I enjoyed myself enormously hehe :) enjoy! — Gladion is 25 when he meets her, rosy on the cheeks and butterflies in his stomach.

"You dance well despite saying you have never danced before."

She chuckles. "Am I not full of surprises?"

That she is. Meeting Moon has been a spark of fun in an evening as dreadfully boring as this one, strained with etiquette, silent chidings from his mother, and the vacant space left by sister.

He hears people speculate about him, about his mother, about why his sister is nowhere to be found, about the true intentions of his family behind this lavish and lively party.

Moon, however, does none of these things.

—

[Continue reading on AO3!]

[pkmntrashcan]

Line in the Sand [Gladion x Moon]

GladMoonWeek 2020 | Day 2: Haina Desert - Slowburn/Forgotten

“This is worse than the day you and Lillie forced me to go to the beach,” Gladion grumbles as the brush fails to comb cleanly through his hair.

Moon can’t help but giggle though as her head shifts just enough to glance at him. She could tell his skin was sand-bruised, the sun leaving his face and neck awfully pink, and moisture had clearly been sapped out of his usually flawless complexion.

“Hey, you said you wanted to come along!” Moon defends as the comb slowly eases the clumps of sand that had gotten caught in his hair. This wasn't an ideal way to deal with the grimy feeling of sand by far, but they had gotten back to his motel room later than expected and ample time for both of them to shower had come and gone. Yet she finds herself smiling at the audible tsk from him, watching as his eyes fluttered closed in comfort. Silent acknowledgment that Moon was right.

(But when it came to her Gladion seemed to lose more than just Pokemon battles.)

She couldn’t complain though. It wasn’t every day they got to spend time together, and it also wasn’t every day someone offered to join her on her Champion duties.

Today of which involved dropping an offering off for Tapu Bulu.

It warmed her heart, truly, in a way she wished could last forever. But right now as his hair started to return to close enough to normal, she couldn’t help the feelings bubbling inside of her.

The warmth she would get at their proximity. The heat to her cheeks as she hears the content sigh. The smile on her lips as he mumbles, “it wasn’t that bad. Besides,” he pauses, “I didn’t want to push back our dinner plans just because you had this thrown on you last minute.”

'The responsibilities of being Champion,' she recalled sadly sighing to Gladion that week prior--she didn't want to cancel either.

Leave it to Gladion to find the middle ground.

Her hand pauses for a split second, however. She can see his emerald eyes open in the mirror. How they were staring right at her as if trying to signal a deeper meaning to all of this. But Moon swallows down the hope. Clearly, the sun had not only made her dehydrated, but also delusional.

Or so she tried to convince herself… because they were best friends. A feat in itself. And yet it was a friendship both seemed too scared to risk losing.

So like usual, she calms herself down and swallows the emotions she’s known to have been there for weeks, months, years.

[Continue on AO3]

[jooniepertree]

HI SO CHAPTER 22 IS UP AND BOY IS IT A DOOZY

(the meme is me thinking of how y'all gonna respond but also flexing my adoration for bts lmaooo)

[sansvirtuosity]

Glad for the Stitches

More Gladion/Moon everybody! Read on AO3 if that’s your jam! Rated T, nearly canon-compliant Growing Friendship fic with some Emotional Hurt/Comfort (maybe??). Warning for mention of past wounds/scarring.

Things are hectic after the assault on Aether Paradise. Lillie is safe, Nebby is hurt, Lusamine is gone, and no one knows how they should proceed.

But in the chaos, Moon finds Gladion deep within the Aether Conservatory, and the two share a rare moment of understanding. There's always time to stitch up the tears later; sometimes it's better to let the scars show.

A fic about confidence, and helping one another.

“In a perverse way, I was glad for the stitches, glad it would show, that there would be scars. What was the point in just being hurt on the inside? It should bloody well show.” - Janet Fitch

Two days after what Moon and Hau jokingly referred to as ‘The Assault on Aether Paradise’, Moon still found herself hanging around the artificial island, gathering her thoughts and contemplating her next move.

Lillie was safe. Moon, Gladion, and Hau stormed the Paradise after she had been kidnapped from the Aether House on Ula’ula, righteous fury in their hearts. But they hadn’t gotten there soon enough to save Nebby. Lusamine forced the Pokemon to tear open a wormhole against its will, and it sent Nebby into a catatonic state, its form changing into something resembling a chrysalis. An in-between state.

Lillie and Gladion had since taken over the Paradise, and sent for researchers to look at Nebby and figure out what was happening. While they were waiting for answers, they searched for alternative methods to open a wormhole themselves and chase after Lusamine. There were very few leads, with the most promising being little more than ancient island legend, but they were confident that they could find a way to bring Lusamine back and stabilize Nebby.

They just had to take it one day at a time.

In order to clear her head, Moon made her way to the conservatory. It was her favorite place on the Paradise. The enforced peace of the carefully-managed micro-ecosystem seemed to affect her as well, allowing her to let go of any outside stressors and simply enjoy nature for what it was. All the same, she avoided the spot where she’d had her first encounter with an Ultra Beast. It was better not to tempt fate and disrupt the calm with bad memories.

As Moon walked the trails through the conservatory and mentally ran over the Legend of the Flutes again, she couldn’t help but notice that there were a lot of areas off of the trails that Aether could improve. Seating was scarce, and the lack of any proper observation decks within the artificial forest left Moon feeling like she was unduly disrupting the Pokemon who lived there.

Moon went off the trail nonetheless, and wove her way through the sweet-smelling trees with Decidueye following close behind. The rest of her Pokemon were already off in other parts of the conservatory, along with Hau’s team. It was a well-deserved vacation for all of them after the stress of Lillie’s kidnapping.

Through a break in the trees, Moon could just make out a clearing that held one of the rare seating areas. Almost every seating area she’d run into so far was just a cluster of backless cement benches arranged in a circle around a fountain, and Moon was sure this one would be the same. She pushed through the brush and into the clearing, and found that while she was correct on almost every assumption, this area also contained something unexpected.

Gladion sat alone on one of the stone benches, with his back to her.

He hadn’t heard her come through.

He wasn’t wearing his jacket, and Moon noted how much smaller he looked without it. She couldn’t help but think of the way a Masquerain used the patterns on its wings to scare off predators. He wasn’t so different. The thought made Moon’s heart ache. She saw the way Lusamine casually dismissed him and Lillie. She knew exactly where he was coming from now, where all his hurt and anger originated, and it felt wrong to have that advantage over him. He looked especially vulnerable out of his jacket and just in a plain t-shirt, and the last thing Moon wanted was for him to catch her staring.

She motioned behind her at Decidueye to head back through the trees, not breaking eye contact with Gladion, and then took a few steps backward. But Decidueye either hadn’t caught her signal, or had ignored it entirely, because she ended up backing directly into her Pokemon, and in a flurry of movement he panicked and sent the bushes rustling with a flap of his wings.

Gladion turned around to look at her, and Moon reluctantly accepted that her attempt at stealth failed miserably. She sighed, and raised a hand in greeting. To her surprise, he waved her over. She turned around, half expecting to see someone else behind her. But it was just Decidueye, giving her a narrow-eyed look for startling him.

Moon cleared her throat and walked over to Gladion, confidence bolstered by the knowledge that Pokemon battles in the conservatory were expressly forbidden. But she knew in her heart of hearts that whatever he wanted couldn’t be good.

When he came into full view, she saw that he had his jacket in his lap, turned completely inside-out, and he was currently finishing up a row of stitching. He didn’t even look up at her again after he waved her over. He was focused on his hands, and mending the relatively smallish tear that ran close to, but not along, the seam that ran down the side of the jacket. He paused his stitching to gesture for her to join him on the bench beside him.

Moon watched as Decidueye jumped up to the edge of the fountain and leaned in to take a drink, before she did as Gladion asked and sat down next to him.

His stitches were clumsy, but he did them quickly. Moon found it incredibly interesting to watch. What was more interesting to her, though, was Gladion’s bare arms.

She’d never seen them before, and probably for good reason.

There were scars, thin and pale, that crossed over his arms in various places. They were few, but they could be found all the way up the length of his arms, indiscriminately.

These weren’t self-inflicted, Moon realized with relief.

Most of them looked like they were just minor wounds that weren’t treated soon enough to avoid scarring. But there was one thick, rough-looking pink scar that stood out, and it ran all the way from his elbow up into the sleeve of his shirt. Moon couldn’t guess how high up it went, and she didn’t care to find out. It must have been a very nasty wound. A scar like that wasn’t without a story, and Moon held no illusions that she and Gladion were close enough for her to bring it up.

Moon wondered if Lillie knew.

Gladion caught her staring from the corner of his eye just as he finished up his last stitch. He made a show of tearing the extra string off with his bare hands, and then turned to her. He gathered up his jacket in his hands and turned it about until he found another tear. It almost went the entire circumference of one of his sleeves, threatening to take the whole arm of the jacket off of he didn’t take care of it soon. He considered the tear for a moment before pinching the ends of the fabric together and holding it out to Moon.

“Hold on to this so it stays even.”

Those were the first words he’d spoken to her since she found him. Did he call her over just so she could help him mend his jacket? Something about the absurdity of the situation made Moon laugh, and Gladion shot her a glare.

She swung her leg over the bench so that she was facing him directly and motioned for him to do the same. With great reluctance and not less than two dramatic, heaving sighs, Gladion adopted the same pose. He placed the jacket in-between them and held out the sleeve to her again. Moon took it carefully, making sure the fabric held the same position while Gladion adjusted the thread in his needle to give him more to work with. It didn’t look like he had enough string to finish the length of the tear.

Gladion noticed her concerned look, and said, “I don’t need to fix the whole thing right now. Just enough so that it won’t completely come off. I’ll finish it some other time. And I just need you to hold it while I start it. After that, you can leave if you want.”

Moon nodded and scooted closer to him so they could reach each other in the middle without trouble. They were close enough that their knees were touching, and in some cruel, ironic twist of fate, it left Moon feeling profoundly open and vulnerable. He leaned over, found the side he wanted to start on, and wrapped his whole hand over her thumb and forefinger, holding her steady while he poked the needle through the fabric to begin his first stitch.

Moon exhaled a shaky breath and tried not to look directly at the boy in front of her. He was being uncharacteristically calm, and she had no idea what could set him off and turn him into the Gladion she was accustomed to.

“Why are you doing this out in the conservatory, anyways?” Moon asked under her breath.

She’d meant for that to stay safely within her thoughts, but when the corner of Gladion’s lip upturned in a slight smirk, she realized her mistake.

Gladion said nothing, his concentration now almost entirely on his sewing, but gestured with his head towards the woods.

Moon followed the movement and saw that far off in the distance she could just barely make out Gladion’s Type:Null raking his claws down a tree, like a Meowth would a scratching post. It startled a laugh out of her, and Gladion’s smirk widened into what would be called a hesitant smile on anyone else.

“I bet the Aether employees are getting a kick out of that,” Moon said, trying to play off of Gladion’s sudden show of positive emotion.

“He’s already taken the bark off of two other trees,” Gladion stated matter-of-factly, as though that wasn’t incredibly impressive considering how thick the trees surrounding them were. “It’s better that he gets this out of his system while he’s here. Otherwise…”

He trailed off, refocusing on his hands, and his stitching. Moon tried to let it go, but she thought back to the scars that covered his arms, and she had to ask. The curiosity was just too much for her to bear.

“Otherwise,” she nodded towards his arms, “that happens?”

He froze, and guiltily looked away from her and turned his gaze towards Null. His hand stayed firmly on Moon’s.

“It’s not his fault. He doesn’t understand his own strength most of the time. But he’s getting better. This one,” he vaguely gestured with his elbow, with the arm that bore the worst scar of them all, “I got the very first time I sent him out to battle. He panicked, and I was in the way.”

“It looks bad.” Moon pointed out, not really knowing what to say.

“It was. I was told I’m not supposed to carry anything over forty pounds. Ever.” He rolled his eyes and chuckled in a self-deprecating sort of way that made Moon’s chest grow tight. “But it’s alright. I’d take a dozen more scars if it meant I’d still have Null as a partner.”

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned his faraway gaze back to his sewing. He was running out of string, and his movements were even less precise than before.

“I didn’t mean to make you listen to my sad backstory.” He said, quickly glancing up at her from beneath his lashes, “Or make you help me with my jacket. Or…” he swallowed thickly and released Moon’s hand. She let him take the jacket from her, and he finished off the last of his string on his own. When he finally continued, he kept his gaze firmly on the needle in his hand. “I didn’t mean to drag you into my family drama. Lillie was my responsibility, and I messed up. Lusamine was my responsibility, too. I should’ve done something sooner, on my own.”

“You couldn’t have known. Besides, I’m actually really glad I’m able to help; I honestly care about what happens to Lillie. And-” And you, she wanted to say, despite your attempts to fight me at every turn. Instead, she settled with, “And well, if you’re so uncomfortable with the thought of me helping you, just pretend I’m doing it all for Lillie.”

Gladion said nothing at that. He just got up and stepped over the bench before turning his jacket right-side-out and pulling it on. There were still plenty of tears to be mended, and the ones he did fix were painfully obvious, even in the relative shade of the forest. But with the jacket back on, he became the Masquerain again, trying to scare her off by looking more intimidating than he was.

To Moon’s surprise, he offered her his hand. He didn’t look at her, but he waited patiently.

“I suppose it’s better than going it alone.” He said, to no one in particular. “Lillie’s lucky to have a friend like you.”

I’m lucky to have a friend like you. The words went unspoken, but Moon heard what he was trying to say.

She took his hand, and he helped her up.

Together, they left the conservatory, ready to chase a legend.