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Two knights stood on the bridge, not even ten feet apart. On one side stood a lion, tall and proud, golden armor gleaming like the sun. Across the way stood a solitary moon, the stars gathered beneath her cape. Each stood at the ready, weapons held in a low guard, but neither moved; gargoyles guarding the irreparable divide between the kingdoms.
“A pity.” The lion grimaced beneath his snarling helm, disdain dripping from his every word, “I overestimated you.”
“What are you talking about?” The moon replied with equal venom.
“When you first arrived, I thought you might be worthy of your title; that you took your duties seriously.”
“I do! My duty is—”
“I’m not blind,” The lion growled, “I’ve seen the way you look at your ward. The way you stand closer than you should, how you tighten your grip on your spear so you don’t reach out to touch her.”
“You’re one to talk,” The moon rolled their eyes, “Everyone in the kingdoms knows about your softspot for Kitty.”
“I would serve his head on a platter if my liege demanded it.” The lion snapped back, a little too quickly for the moon to find it believable, “Unlike you, I have not forgotten that I am my liege’s sword first and foremost.”
“I’m not just a knight—” The moon protests weakly, uncertain of her own words. We are people as well, the echo of Lady Katie’s voice encourages, we can exist outside of our title. She emboldens the moon to proclaim, “I am Her Majesty’s friend, as well.”
“Friend? Friend?” The lion balks at the idea, incensed, “You call her friend and dare to want more? You’re going to destroy her, you know that, right? Your avarice will undo you both!”
“I would lay down my life for her.” The moon interjects with a scowl. If anything, their newfound friendship had only solidified her devotion to the Queen-Princess, her sun.
“And that is exactly my point,” The lion stepped forward, his presence looming over the moon despite their comparable height, “The nobility are soft-hearted creatures, you know this. Tell me, Apokuna, do you honestly believe your Queen could survive the death of their friend?”
The moon raised her spear defensively, but could not bring herself to object. The Princess had already lost so much, stranded in a strange land while their home burned. King Ren was almost certainly dead. To lose Apokuna—her one remaining connection to home, her last bastion of safety—it would devastate Her Highness. Still, it wasn’t as if Apokuna could forsake her duty as a Moon Knight, nor could she bear to hurt her princess by pulling away when they had only just begun to grow close. Thus—in order to protect her princess’ radiant smile—the moon had but one course of action.
“Then I won’t die.” They tried to infuse the words with all the confidence they could muster.
“Greed, Lust, and now Pride,” The lion scoffed, “Just how many mortal sins do you intend to collect?” He took another step forward, undaunted as he crossed the invisible line dividing the Red and Blue Kingdoms. It was a threat, a challenge; he was the great lion, the beast come to devour the sun. The moon had no choice but to stand her ground, so they thrust their spear forward to meet the challenge in kind.
Against most opponents, Apokuna would have an advantage—the Moon Piercer had superior reach to most armaments, from swords to axes—but the lion and his Zweihänder were a different beast. The greatsword was nearly as long as her spear, leading to a careful dance of deflections and parries, constantly weaving in and out of each other’s reach. With every slash of his blade, the lion pressed his advance, pushing further into Red territory. Even when she tried to riposte and seize the initiative, the moon could not force him to retreat.
Needing to land a decisive blow, Apokuna vaulted into the air, carried into the sky by the lunar magic of her order. For a brief moment, the moon became a Shooting Star, crashing down upon her foe with the wrath of the heavens. The lion did not try to flee—as a lesser warrior would—but instead braced to take the attack head on. The Moon Piercer broke through the lion’s armor, blood sprayed from his side as its crescent blade carved into him, yet the moon’s fate was already sealed.
The Shooting Star technique was powerful, but left her vulnerable, and the lion had no trouble turning the moon’s momentum against her. In an instant, the moon was thrown down onto her back, the blade of the Zweihänder pressed against her throat as the lion straddled their chest, keeping them pinned down. Crimson eyes widened in fear, knowing she was at the mercy of the merciless. They had failed—as a guardian, as a knight, as a friend—and now the lion would claim her head.
“Do you understand, now?” The lion roared, “A knight unwilling to die can protect no one.”
“Then do it. Kill me.” Apokuna was getting impatient; she had lost, no use in prolonging the inevitable. The lion raised his weapon, half-swording with one hand on the blade and the other on the hilt. However, instead of striking the opposing knight down, the lion leaned in close and carved a nasty clawmark across her face, one that would surely scar.
“You haven’t earned your death.” The lion growled, and the moon could practically see the venom dripping from his words. Or maybe that was just the blood from the wound dripping down onto her eyes. The lion continued to speak, impressing a harsh lesson upon the moon, “Let this scar be a reminder of what happens when you forget your place.”
The lion then left, the moon’s blood still dripping from his Zweihänder. The moon did not move for several minutes, simply watching the sky darken. When the moon finally did rise, they did not return to their princess’ side, but headed for the arena instead. She would need to redouble her training efforts to ensure their sun could continue to shine.