"First day of teaching a class, eh Luna?" asked Nall,
as Luna applied on lipstick.
"Yes," said Luna. "I'm teaching a singing class to
twenty little children."
"To children?! They'll make your teaching career a living
hell."
"I'm sure they'll treat me with the same respect that they
give their parents," replied Luna.
"I'm not so sure, Luna," said Alex. "After all,
children love to make the lives of adults a living hell."
"Is that why we haven't had any children?"
"Uh no. We're still a little young to start a family of our
own."
"Then why did we get married? The whole purpose of marriage
is to start families."
"C'mon Luna. We're still teenagers. Let's wait on the
children thing."
Luna scowled at Alex and turned back to the mirror.
"Hey Alex," said Nall. "Let's make a bet. 500s she
quits after a week of teaching."
"WHAT?!" cried Luna.
"Make it 1000s," Alex said sarcastically.
Luna took it seriously. "You don't think I can do it, do you?"
"No Luna. I--"
"Fine. I bet 1000s that I don't quit! I've got to go or I'll
be late." With that, Luna stormed from the house.
"I wasn't serious," muttered Alex.
"Sure Al. Sure," said Nall.
---
Luna took a deep breath, then opened the classroom door.
Children were all over the place, shouting and laughing.
"Good morning," Luna sang out.
The children stopped what they were doing and stared at her.
"My name is Miss Luna. I'll be your singing teacher."
"What?" said a brown-haired boy. "You can't be a
teacher. Teachers are old, ugly, and smell weird."
"Sure she's a teacher," said a black-haired boy, his
brown eyes filled with mischief. "She matches everything you
said!"
Luna cringed at the laughter and restrained herself from
strangling the boy.
"Take your seats, children," she said nicely. "Class
will begin."
As the students took their seats, Luna noticed a little girl
sitting in the corner, her knees drawn to her face.
"Please take your seat," she told the girl.
"Yeah," said the black-haired boy. "Do something
for once, Chloe, instead of acting like the outcast that you are!"
The room filled with laughter.
"Stop it!" cried Luna. The room fell silent. "Never
ever put down anyone in this class. Is that clear?!"
The class mumbled a yes. Luna walked over to the girl, Chloe, and
knelt in front of her.
Chloe had very beautiful shoulder length golden brown hair. She
didn't look up.
"Chloe," said Luna. "Would you like to sit near my
desk so the other kids don't bother you?"
Chloe looked up and Luna found herself staring into glacier blue
eyes, with no sign of emotion in them.
"Yes," Chloe said quietly.
"Good." Luna led Chloe to the desk closest to hers.
After sitting Chloe in her seat, Luna scooped up a sheat of paper
off her desk.
"When I call your names, raise your hand," she told the
class, and procedded to read off the list. The list contained the
students names and ages.
After reading off the names, Luna discovered that the students
were between the ages of 6 and 9, the black-haired boy's name was
Damion and he was 8, and Chloe was 6, the youngest student in the
class.
"Okay. Let's start with do re me. Sing it like this: do re
me fa so la te do!!"
The children repeated, except for Damion and his little friends,
who sang it all wrong.
Luna counted to ten, then said, "Damion. Alec. Joseph.
Samuel. Please stop goofing off, and focus. Or else you'll have
to stay inside during recess."
And please be good, thought Luna. I don't want to be stuck with
four troublemakers for a half hour.
Damion and his friends remained quiet. As in, none of them
participated. But Luna didn't mind, as long as they didn't act-up.
At recess, Luna was eating her lunch at her desk, and looking
over worksheets in which to hand out to the children when they
came back inside. She heard laughter outside, but paid no
attention to it.
Suddenly, Luna heard Damion shout, "Cry, you wuss!!
We've thrown mud, rocks, and books at you, but you don't do
anything!! You're a freak!! No one likes you!!"
Luna jumped to her feet once Damion had said that he had thrown
rocks. She looked out the window and cried out.
Damion, his friends, and some other students were hitting Chloe.
Chloe was covered in mud, and bruises. She did not cry. She just
stared at the students in shock as they hit her.
Luna ran outside, screaming, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!?!"
Damion and the others stopped suddenly, and faced her, trying to
hide the hurt Chloe behind them.
"Um nothing, Miss Luna," said Samuel.
"Don't lie!!" cried Luna. "I saw what you've done
to Chloe!!" Shoving the children aside, she got a close look
at Chloe and cried out again, for Chloe looked worse up close.
Chloe stared up at Luna, tears finally settling into her eyes.
Luna scooped up Chloe. She glared at the students who caused this.
"All of you are staying after for a full hour. You will do
nothing but sit still. No bathroom passes. Nothing. Is that clear?!"
"That ain't fair, Miss Luna!!" cried Gina, one of the
only two girls involved in this.
"FAIR?! WHAT YOU DID TO CHLOE ISN'T FAIR!! NOW YOU ALL WILL
STAY AFTER, OR FACE THE LEADER OF BURG!!"
As Luna walked toward the school building, carrying Chloe, she
noticed the students who weren't involved off to the side. One,
Angel, Damion's 7 year old little sister was crying terribly.
Luna nodded to her. I'm glad not everyone hates Chole, she
thought.
---
It took Luna a half hour to clean up Chloe and tend to her
bruises. Luckily, a sub was teaching the class while she
straightened up Chloe at her house.
Luna gave Chloe a sunset blue dress. "This was once mine,"
she told her. "But you can have it."
The dress fit Chloe perfectly.
Luna put light blue ribbons in Chloe's hair to replace the ones
that were ruined in what happened. She also gave Chloe baby blue
socks, and midnight blue shoes.
"There," she said. "Good as new."
Chloe looked at Luna for a moment, then threw her arms around her.
"Thank you, Miss Luna," she cried. "No one has
ever done anything so nice for me!"
Luna hugged her back. "What about your parents?"
"I...I'm an orphan. I was abandoned near the town of Iluk.
As an orphan, I never really stayed in the same place for a long
time. It's very lonely."
"Well then we have two things in common," said Luna.
"What do you mean?" asked Chloe.
"I am an orphan as well. Alex's parents took me in when I
was a little girl. So I can't say I share your experiance, but I
to know what it's like to feel empty.
"I'll keep a very close eye on you at recess from now on, so
what happened today never repeats itself."
"Okay. Thanks Miss Luna."
"Let's go back to class."
"Okay."
Taking Chloe's hand, Luna and Chloe walked back to the school
building.
Opening the door, Luna was surprised to see the children were
silent. Mara, the substitute and a close friend to Luna, walked
to them, all smiles.
"They were well behaved," Mara whispered to Luna.
"Some of them are troublemakers. Thanks Mara," Luna
whispered back.
"Your welcome. Bye."
After Mara left, Luna sat Chloe in her seat, then faced the class.
"Okay," she said. "We're gonna work on singing a
song. I'm passing out a music sheet with a song on it. I want you-"
"The teacher sucks!!" shouted someone. Everyone,
besides Chloe, burst out laughing.
Luna knew who said it. She glared at Damion. "You will stay
after an extra half hour, Damion. I will hear no more vulgarity
in this class. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Miss Luna," said the whole class. Damion just
smiled and leaned back in his chair.
"All right class. I will sing the song and I want you to
repeat after me when I'm done." Clearing her throat, she
sang:
When I see, a star in the sky,
I make a wish.
I wish to see,
How dreams come true.
I wish to see,
How long it will be,
Until I can see you.
In my arms,
Or in a dream.
I know,
That dreams will always come true.
And I wish,
To share my dreams with you.
I see,
That one day my dream,
Will come true.
And one day,
So far away,
I hope,
To share my dream with you....
Luna stopped and cleared her throat again. "Okay class. Now
sing."
The class remained silent. Except for a low, but beautiful
singing voice. Luna turned to the person and saw that it was
Chloe.
Chloe was singing, her voice as beautiful as Luna's.
She reminds me of myself when I was her age, thought Luna.
When Chloe was done, Luna clapped as hard as she could.
"Wonderful Chloe!" she praised. "Very well done."
She directed her attention to the other students. "Now next
time, I want all of you to participate."
Everyone mumbled a yes.
At the end of the day, Luna sat at her desk and watched the
students leave. She waved at Chloe as she left, and Chloe
returned the wave.
Luna was shocked at the number of students who were still in
their seats to stay after. One, two ,three....
Eight students. Luna noticed Angel standing by Damion's desk.
"You can leave Angel," Luna told her. "You weren't
involved in what happened."
"I know," said Angel, twirling her pale blond hair
around her index finger. Her brown eyes were filled with defense.
"But my big brother is staying after, and I want to share
his punishment."
"Angel," said Damion. "Don't try to get punished
because I did something bad."
"But-"
"Go home Angel. I'll see you there later."
"I....alright. Bye."
"Bye." He squeezed her hand. Angel reluctantly left.
He's a real immature kid, thought Luna. But he's a good older
brother to Angel.
After the hour was up, Luna stood at the front of the room, her
eyes fixed on each child.
"What happened today is never gonna happen again," she
announced.
"Who's gonna stop us?!" yelled Alec.
"If something like this happens again, then none of you will
be participating in the Goddess Festival coming up."
"You can't do that!!" cried Ana, the other girl
involved.
"I can, and I will if any of you ever do that to Chloe or
anyone else again!!! Except for Damion, you are all dismissed."
The children left in a rush.
After a half hour, Luna said, "Damion, you are dismissed."
Damion stood up and walked to the door. Then he turned around and
said, "You may think that you are the authority here, but
everyone will listen to me before they listen to you."
"Keep up that attitude and you won't be a part of the
Goddess Festival," she reminded him. "Besides, Chloe
likes me."
"That's 'cause Chloe is an outcast!! Just like you!!"
With that, Damion ran off.
Luna sighed then gathered up her things and started home.
I wish that Damion wasn't so mean, she thought. To Chloe and to
me.....
---
"So," said Alex at dinner. "How was school?"
"Huh? Oh it was fine," said Luna, biting into her salad.
"Really?" asked Nall. "I heard that some kids were
treating you and this one student like shit."
"Alright! I'll admit it. Some students don't like me or
Chloe but that doesn't mean that I'm gonna quit!!"
"Who's Chloe?" asked Alex.
"The youngest and nicest student in my class."
"Nice. Invite her over sometime."
"I was planning on it."
"Cool."
---
The next couple of days were great. Damion and his friends didn't
bother her. But they did glare at her every time they saw her
with Chloe.
One night Chloe came over for dinner.
"You're Dragonmaster Alex, right," she asked Alex.
"That's right, Chloe," said Alex.
"I'm very pleased to meet you. I've heard a lot of stories 'bout
you. Everyone says that you are the best Dragonmaster there ever
was."
Alex flushed. "Well, is that your opinion?"
"Of coarse, sir. I knew right away when I saw you that you
had a good heart."
"Thank you, Chloe."
"Alex is used to all the comments," said Nall. "Don't
be fooled."
"You must be Nall, right? Miss Luna speaks highly of you. I
can see why, you are a very cute dragon."
"Uh, heh heh. Thanks, Chloe."
"Do you speak highly of Nall?" Alex whispered to Luna.
"I talk of him when Chloe and I discuss pets."
"Pets?!"
"Well yeah. Nall is sort of a pet."
When it was time for Chloe to leave, she curtised and said,
"Thank you for having me over. I...I've never eaten a meal
as good as the one we ate."
"Oh thanks Chloe," said Luna.
When Chloe left, Nall asked, "Was she serious? Or just
sucking up to you?"
"Shut up Nall," sneered Luna. "Chloe is an orphan,
and never really stayed in the same place for more than a month."
Alex smiled. "Well, because of her, I'm having second
thoughts about having kids."
"Why not let Chloe move in with us?" asked Nall.
"That's not up to us. But it sounds like a good idea."
Yes, thought Luna. It does.
---
"That outcast Chloe is getting all the attention,"
whined Joseph.
"She's a Teacher's Pet," said Ana.
"Let's play a prank on Chloe," said Damion.
"What kind of prank?" asked Samuel.
"I've got the perfect prank. You see....."
---
The next day at recess, Luna said, "Chloe? I need to ask you
something."
"Um, Miss Luna. With your permission, can it wait? Gina and
Ana said they needed to talk to me," said Chloe.
"Of coarse. Bye."
Chloe walked outside and toward Gina and Ana.
"Hey Chloe," Ana said sweetly.
Chloe looked at her suspiciously.
"We're sorry for treating you the way we did," said
Gina, looking regretful. "Can we make it up to you?"
"Sure," said Chloe.
Suddenly, she felt a cloth across her eyes.
"Don't worry," said Ana. "It's a surprise."
"But I hear more than just you and Gina."
"It's all of us who treated you badly. We're gonna give you
a big surprise."
Even Damion? she thought.
"Let's go," said someone.
Yep. Even Damion.
They led her through Burg and Chloe started getting nervous when
she no longer heard the sounds of townspeople.
"What happened? Where are we?"
No one answered until she heard the hoot of an owl, and the
sounds of their feet stepping on fallen pine.
"Your surprise is in the forest," was the reply from
Damion.
"Wha-"
"And here it is."
Chloe shrieked as all the students shoved her to the pine covered
ground, and heard their scattering footsteps.
Chloe ripped off the cloth around her eyes and froze in fear.
She was alone. In the middle of the Weird Woods.
Lost completely.
She looked around her frantically, finding only surrounding trees,
and several paths.
Which way did they come? she wondered. Wait...isn't
this forest full of monsters?
She heard a loud growl not to far away.
Chloe felt her heart slam against her chest, and tried to keep
from panicking.
---
Angel confronted her brother once he and the other students
returned.
"Where is Chloe, Damion?" Angel demanded. "I saw
you guys leave Burg with her, and now she isn't with you. Where?!"
"Geez, Angel. Don't have a heart attack," said Damion.
"We tricked her into coming into the Weird Woods with us,
and we left her there! Isn't that funny?"
"WHAT?!" screamed Angel, startling Damion and the
others. "You guys ARE aware that that forest is crawling
with monsters?! I'm telling Miss Luna."
"No Angel!" Damion grabbed her arm. "If you do
that, they might send me away, and I'll never see you again!"
"Wha-" Angel didn't realize that. "I....fine. As
long as she'll be able to get out of there."
"Of coarse. We left her near the entrance."
"Do I have your word?"
Miss Luna called them in.
"Of course. I would never lie to you."
---
"Where's Chloe?" asked Luna. "She was here this
morning."
Nobody looked suspicious. "Gina, Ana. Do you know where she
is?"
"No," said Gina. "Why?"
"Chloe told me that you guys were gonna talk to her during
recess."
"Oh.....um, we never saw her."
"Are you sure?"
"Yep."
Angel was ready to cry.
She looks so worried....Oh I can't hide it anymore.
Angel stood up, startling Luna.
"I know where she is, Miss Luna."
"Really? Where?"
Sorry Damion....
"The Weird Woods."
"WHAT?!" screamed Luna. She fell out of her seat.
"I-"
Damion stood up.
"I'm involved."
"WHO ELSE?!"
"I am," said Alec.
"Me, too," said Joseph.
The others stood up.
Luna leapt to her feet in anger.
"DO YOU ALL REALIZE HOW DANGEROUS THAT FOREST IS?!?!?!
MONSTERS ROOM THERE!!!!! THEY COULD KILL CHLOE!!!"
"It was a joke, Miss Luna," said Gina.
"JOKE?!?! WILL IT BE A JOKE IF WE FIND CHLOE DEAD?!?!?! HUH?!?!"
Everyone was silent.
"Class dismissed." Luna ran faster than she had ever
run.
At home, she got Alex, who was on his day off, out of bed.
She told him the situation.
"Don't panic, Luna," assured Alex. "Chloe is smart.
She won't die so easily."
"But what if she does?!" wailed Luna. "I'll never
live with myself!!!"
"You are not responsible," said Nall. "Those
students are."
Alex got into his Dragonmaster armor. "We mustn't waste any
more time. Let's go!"
At the forest, they heard a shrill scream.
"Chloe!!" screamed Luna. She darted into the forest
ahead of Alex.
"No Luna!! Wait!!" cried Alex, but she kept running.
At the very center of the forest, Luna found Chloe.
Chloe was surrounded by three giant-sized wasps.
"Chloe!!" shrieked Luna.
Chloe saw her. "Miss Luna!!"
Alex appeared beside Luna.
"Sword Dance!" he did countless slices at one of the
wasps. He did the same thing to another one.
But before he could use Sword Dance on the other wasp, it did an
attack on Chloe, stinging her in her shoulder, with its stinger.
Chloe screamed in pain, and then passed out.
Alex did the Sword Dance on the last wasp, at the same time, Luna
scooped up Chloe.
"Let's go Alex!!" she screamed. "I think Chloe's
been poisoned!!"
They got a lot of staring as they entered town.
She's so small, thought Luna. She could die any
minute....
Luckily, when they reached home, Luna did a song to rid Chloe's
body of the poison.
"Is she gonna be alright?" asked Nall.
"The poison is gone, but she is in great shock. I'll do a
special healing song for her."
All the children involved were being questioned.
After Chloe settled into a peaceful sleep, things seemed to calm
down.
Luna didn't want to leave Chloe's side, but she wanted to
confront the children involved.
All the children involved were at the schoolhouse, awaiting their
fate.
Angel was talking to Damion as they waited.
"You lied, Big Brother," said Angel. "You said
that you left her near the entrance, not deep in the Weird Woods."
"I.....I'm sorry, Angel," said Damion. "I didn't
want to worry you."
"Yeah, and Chloe was hurt. Thanks a lot."
"Look Angel-"
He didn't finish because Luna entered the room and Angel left
without saying goodbye.
. Luna went to the front of the room and glared at all of them.
"You were all warned about this. Now you will all face the
consequences. Neither of you will be a part of the Goddess
Festival. At all. You will stay in your rooms while the Fesitval
goes on. Is that clear?"
No one said anything.
Luna stormed from the building not saying any more.
Later that evening, they got a visit from Angel.
Alex answered the door.
"Um hi," said Angel. "I'm Angel. Um, I've got
these flowers for Chloe."
Alex smiled. "Thank you, Angel." He took the flowers.
"I'll give these to Chloe when she wakes up."
"Thank you, sir. Bye." She walked away, all smiles.
Meanwhile....
Luna sighed with relief when she saw Chloe's eyes flutter and
then open.
"Hi Miss Luna," she murmured.
"Oh thank Althena you are alright," said Luna.
"I'm sorry for worrying you." She closed her eyes, then
opened them. "I remember....you wanted to ask me something."
"Chloe, how would you like to live with me and Alex? Not
just temperarily, but permanately."
Tears filled Chloe's eyes. "I....I would love that... Miss
Luna..."
"Hey. Call me Mom."
"Mom...." Chloe threw her arms around Luna.
Luna hugged her too, glad that Chloe would always be with them.
---
The leader of Burg agreed with Alex and Luna's question about
them asking if Chloe could live with them.
And the Goddess Fesitval was a blast. Luna and the remainder of
her class sang four songs. And Luna and Chloe sang a song
together while Alex played the ocarina.
During the Festival, Damion was talking to Angel in the students
boarding house.
"Please talk to me, Angel," he pleaded.
"Why?"
"I....I'm sorry for lying to you. Chloe is alright, so
please talk to me!"
"Fine. What do you want to talk about?"
"I'm gonna change. I'll get quite a scolding from Mom and
Dad once we go home to Reza. But once that's over, I'm gonna be a
new person. I hope Chloe will forgive me..."
"Well, say your sorry to her."
"Fine." Damion stuck his head out the window and saw
Chloe.
"Hey Chloe!" he cried. She turned to him. "I'm
sorry for the way I treated you!"
Chloe smiled and nodded.
"She forgives me," he told Angel.
"Good."
"Now go down there and have fun. Don't be up here for my
sake."
"I.....alright. Bye."
"Bye."
***
"Miss Luna! I mean, Mom!" said Chloe. "Damion just
apologized to me!"
Luna smiled. "I knew he would, hon."
Angel ran over to them. "Hi! How are you?"
"Fine," said Chloe. "Mom and I are gonna sing."
"Cool. I'm happy for you!"
Luna and Chloe sang the Lunar theme while Alex played the ocarina.
In your dreams,
Magical thoughts.
All things are real,
Unless you dream they're not.
In your dreams,
Love is the plot.
Carried on wings of hope.
Each of our souls,
Intertwine when we do.
Instantly we see it,
the time to grow and be it.
When everything is pinned on a hope.
Let rise the dreams of your heart.
That innocent youth,
Careless and kind.
Free to roam the breeze in love.
Only when two brilliantly shine as one.
Everyone cheered. Luna never felt so happy. Neither did Chloe.
"You were great!" cried Angel.
"Thanks Angel," said Chloe.
"Um Chloe?" Angel suddenly looked shy. "Um, Damion
and I have to return to Reza tomorrow. Um....can we be penpals?"
Tears filled Chloe's eyes. "Of course!" cried Chloe,
hugging Angel.
---
Angel wasn't Chloe's only penpal. Violet, Quin, Lily, and Faith,
some other girls in the class asked Chloe to be her penpal.
Chloe was living the life a normal child should live. With the
people she loved.
One night, she said to Luna, as Luna tucked her in, "Mom, I
got a letter from Angel today. She said that she wants to visit.
Is it okay?"
"Of coarse, hon," said Luna, smoothing back Chloe's
hair. "G'night hon."
"G'night Mom. I love you."
Luna felt her heart melt. She loved it whenever Chloe said that.
"I love you too, hon." She kissed Chloe on the forehead
and sang a goodnight song:
Sleep, sleep, sleep,
My darling.
For the day that comes,
Will keep you shining.
Sleep, sleep, sleep,
My child.
And the night will bring you
Such sweet dreams....
Chloe fell asleep. Luna kissed her forehead one last time, then
exited the room.
Nall was asleep on the rug near the burning fireplace. The front
door was open, and Alex was sitting on the porch, staring at the
stars.
Luna went out and sat beside him.
"Hey Alex," she said. "What are you thinking about?"
"Well," said Alex. "We haven't visit Kyle and Jess
or Nash and Mia in a while have we?"
"Not really."
"Let's visit them sometime. They've yet to know that we've
adopted a wonderful little girl."
"And now we have a family."
"And Chloe has made me think differently about having
children."
"She had better. I would've feared that you didn't want the
one I'm carrying now."
"What do you..." Alex stared at Luna in shock. "You're
with child?"
"Yes," said Luna. "I went to the doctor today, and
he told me so. I'm at least five weeks pregnant."
"Wow," Alex murmured, pulling Luna into his lap. "I'm
gonna be a father."
"And you and Nall still owe me 1000s."
"Did you have to bring that up now? You ruined the moment."
"Uh huh. You always seemed to ruin the moment, Dragonmaster
Alex. Remember how every time I tried to get you to kiss me, you'd
change the subject and talk about being a Dragonmaster?"
"Uh.....I don't remember. Let's just stop talking and enjoy
looking at the stars."
"Whatever, hon. But I'll go by your wish."
As Luna relaxed in Alex's arms, she thought, I'm pregnant. I'm
married to a Dragonmaster. And I've got a wonderful adopted
daughter. This is everything I could ever want. Then she
stopped thinking and snuggled close to Alex, both staring up at
the stars.
The End.
Note: Besides the Lunar theme, all the songs were created by
yours truly. And all the chlidren and Mara were created by yours
truly as well.