Years ago…

“That will be five copper pieces, dear.”

The baker, Mrs. Opel, spoke softly yet her voice somehow managed to get over the din of the store. Luna smiled up at the woman whose bakery she had been visiting for the past two months. Standing slightly on her toes, she reached across the wooden counter and handed her the money. It wasn’t fair. Arthur was way taller than her, and Mash was growing too. She didn’t like the idea of being shorter than her younger brother.

“Here you go! Thank you!”

Luna spoke as clearly as she could, grabbing the small basket on the counter. She couldn’t help but smile at the smell of fresh bread and sweet jam. The jam was made of apples and honey and was Mash’s favorite. As she looked at the basket, she couldn’t help but notice something extra. Beside the loaf of sweet bread, she saw some cuts of cheese and meat. Luna was about to walk away but then thought that maybe Mrs. Opal had mixed up the order. She turned around and set the basket back on the desk.

“I think this is someone else’s.”

The woman’s reply was a bright smile.

“No deary, I gave you a little extra. With how many times you’ve been here the past few months, I thought it was high time you got a little something bonus. Especially for someone who loves my special jam so much.”

That made Luna smile too as she thought of how much Mash enjoyed it, and she felt like she should tell the woman as much.

“It’s my brother. It’s his favorite.”

“Your brother… Oh, yes, the na-.” The woman coughed clearly stopping what she was about to say. “You’re a good sister for taking care of your brother, but you should really be careful, considering what he did.”

Luna grabbed the basket and stepped back, momentarily stunned by the comment. She wanted to shout at her. Tell her that she didn’t know anything about Mash, but the words stuck in her throat. She had tried that before and remembered the looks everyone had given her. They had pitied her as if Mash was a problem or burden.

Unable to find the right words, Luna plastered on a fake smile and left. It was abrupt, and she couldn’t do anything to make it less awkward. Slipping out of the building she was assaulted by a completely different issue. By now the story of Mash and what he had done had spread throughout their little sector of the city, and she felt like everyone on the street had turned to her. She glanced about and noticed the pity, concern, and fear in them. They were all the same as Mrs. Opal. Luna tried not to think about that and stormed down the street with her head down. It was hard though.

Whispers and watchful eyes chased as she walked down the street. She couldn’t avoid them no matter how hard she tried. The worst part was that the comments weren’t about her. They were about her brother, and they wouldn’t stop. No, if anything, over the past two months, everyone had only gotten meaner. And why the sudden anger, it was all because Mash was just trying to live his life. As if chasing his dream was evil or something.

Never mind that other people killed one another all the time. Never mind that the only reason they cared was because it was an important kid. Never mind that Mash is also just a kid, or that he wasn’t even the one to start the fight. It was all just so frustrating.

Her feet began stomping the ground as she picked up the pace. The cobblestones of the road blurred as tears clouded her vision. It just wasn’t fair. Mash had already been imprisoned and even that hadn’t been fair. It was all the dumb knight’s fault, yet they didn’t get punished at all. They should’ve stopped the fight, but nobody talked about that.

More stares hit her back, and she couldn’t help but feel the stories swirl around her. Why did she have to endure this too? That selfish question made her shiver. Whatever she was feeling it was probably a hundred times worse for Mash. With those thoughts stuck in her head, she clutched the basket tightly. Wrapping her arms around the thing and pushing it against her chest. The sound of wood bending and cracking didn’t make her let up. She focused on the small container of jam and imagined how happy Mash would be at seeing it.

She would love Mash no matter what anyone else thought, even her parents; especially them.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

The Present…

Luna let out a breath that she hadn’t realized she had been holding. That breath seemed to take everything with her. The mark had changed something. All her worries, fears, and responsibilities flew into the air and vanished. She was free to care for who she wanted. To be Mash’s brother without anyone’s judgment or fear. It wasn’t just that though. She wanted to be able to help anyone regardless of who or what they were. Other people had no right to decide who she could or couldn’t heal.

That feeling of freedom dwindled but didn’t vanish. It lingered faintly as the mark fully settled on her, and she knew why everyone feared Mash so much. If he was able to give everyone that experience, then nobody would want to remain chained beneath a god or king. Not ones that felt so petty and selfish. Especially, not after knowing that there was something better.

It had only been for an instant, but she longed to feel it again and knew she wouldn’t remain in the church much longer. Not after that. When she managed to get her next advancement, she would throw away everything related to the god, and just become a normal healer if she could. That way she would at least be free to do what she wanted.

“Well, how do you feel?”

Mash’s question brought Luna out of her reverie. His forehead was creased with obvious worry, so she made sure to give him the biggest smile she could. Despite being a good bit taller than her now, Mash still felt like her lonely little brother. She pulled him into another hug.

“It was amazing! That has to be better than any drug. Not that I would know. Everyone needs to feel that though.”

Luna spoke excitedly while pulling out a mirror to examine the tattoo around her neck. She had three tiny rainbow-colored flowers just beneath her chin. The colors seemed to change subtly, and she definitely liked the design. The rest were larger and they crawled down her shirt. She pulled at her collar and saw that the tattoo reached down her chest to her waist, and she somehow knew that the same thing was on her back. That gave her a moment of pause. It was a lot bigger than she had expected. Before doing anything else, she shifted her focus inward to see what it did.

Name: Lunaria Stellumbra Class: New-Moon Apostle

Level: 53

Health: 1100 / 1100

Stamina: 800

Mana: 2400 / 2400

Fortitude: 110

Endurance: 63

Strength: 55

Agility: 71

Intelligence: 120

Wisdom: 135

Charisma: 125

Free Stats: 0

Skills: Healer’s Insight, Clean Hands, Purification, Mana of the Moon, Phase Restoration, Moonbeam, Nightwalker, Empathy, Aura of Charity, Lunar Ritual, Blessing of the Beginning

Healer’s Insight: After years of study beneath a healer, you’ve grown to recognize any malady. Investigate another’s injuries and illnesses. Gain specific information regarding any condition afflicting the person.

Clean Hands: Understanding the value of a pure touch, your hands are unable to be dirtied. Your hands are devoid of anything harmful. Dirt and Disease can't stick to your fingers.

Purification: Having never taken a life, never betrayed your ideals, never turned on your family, your soul resonates with a purity that others can only hope for. Share that purity to purify others, healing them in both mind and body.

Mana of the Moon: Your closeness to the moon has improved your abilities. Now, your mana is supplemented by the moon, growing and changing with the phases of the moon.

Current Bonus: x2

Phase Restoration: Knowing the loss of a second, you are able to instantly restore something based on the phase of the moon.

Range: 0 - 100%

Moonbeam: Your connection to the moon lets you call forth its light. Call down a beam of light to push away your foes and heal you and your allies. The light of the moon is as endless as the light of the sun.

Nightwalker: Your attunement to the night lets you see even under the dimmest light. Vanish under the stars and move more quickly under their encouragement. The moon and the stars boost your physical abilities when it is night.

Empathy: You have always been able to see the truth behind a person. Connect with the emotions of those around you.

Aura of Charity: More than anything, you desire to be good. That desire affects the space around you, healing and helping those nearby. Improves mental and physical condition and grants more restful dreams.

Lunar Ritual: A gift from your goddess, you gain knowledge of how to perform rituals that utilize the power of the moon.

Blessing of the Beginning: Having received the Mark of the Beginning by the Chimera of Ends and Beginnings, you have received the blessing of growth, evolution, and freedom. The Chimera’s desire to help and your connection to it has improved the mark’s efficacy. Gain power and purpose as you desire.

That mark was ridiculous, and she was a little mad that Mash hadn’t given her one before. The thought made her turn to the one person who actually did have it. Glancing at Lisa, Luna wished she had some clothes to show off the mark too. Not the whole thing, not with where it was located, but she could reveal a bit more.

“Mash, have you worked on your fashion stuff at all? I wouldn’t say no to a shirt made by you.”

The fact that Mash had a good fashion sense and the ability to design clothes was something most people tended to ignore. Luna didn’t miss it though. Even now his clothes were obviously designed to highlight the subtlety inhuman parts of his appearance. He had a tightfitting black undershirt with a loose white jacket that hung open in the middle. A multicolored snake ran along the bottom of the jacket, in what was probably the most realistic embroidery she had ever seen.

“Oh, right I never gave you or Arthur the blood clothes!”

Mash smacked his forehead while shouting. His storage space opened, and Luna couldn’t help but let out a yelp as she saw inside of it. It was enormous, so big that she couldn’t see where it ended. And it was kind of ominous too, kind of like the entrance to a dark world or something. Was Mash’s world like that?

She tried to picture what his world would be like from what she heard and the few glimpses she had of it. However, those thoughts ended when she saw what Mash pulled out. A plain white shirt was way too big for her or Arthur.

“That’s not what I was thinking when I said clothes.”

Mash rolled his eyes.

“I guess you don’t have to wear it. I mean it’s just clothes that never get dirty and change to be whatever you want it to be.”

After speaking, Mash began slowly dragging his hands back as if to put the shirt away. She quickly snatched it, pulling on the cloth firmly.

“Now, I never said I wouldn’t take it. But just a shirt?”

Mash grinned, displaying his oddly sharp teeth.

“It can become anything. All you got to do is give it a drop of your blood, then just think about what you want.”

“Wait, anything. Underclothes and jewelry too?”

Mash rubbed at the back of his neck, but he was definitely a little embarrassed now. Luna glanced at Lisa who was looking away.

“Underclothes yes, but I’m not sure about jewelry. Give me a second.”

Mash thrust his hand out, and Luna watched a bracelet form over his wrist. It had seemed to come from the sleeve of his jacket, but his jacket didn’t seem any different despite that. The jewelry was more beautiful than almost any she had seen before. Dozens of different gems lined the bracelet giving it an impossible design.

“Mash, you could sell this for like a fortune.”

Luna said the words carefully, and she clutched the shirt to her chest as if it were a grand treasure. Which it actually was. She gazed up at Mash who clearly wasn’t done yet. There’s more? What else could this shirt possibly do? Mash answered her unspoken question.

“You haven’t even heard the best part yet. It actually matches my defenses, meaning that it's probably the best armor in the world now too.”

Luna gasped gazing down at the plain white shirt that had just turned from a priceless treasure to a world-changing artifact. Behind Mash, Luna could see the eager look on Arthur’s face. It was hard to see on his stony face, but She knew how to see through her brothers. She looked up at Mash, and then at Lisa and Arthur.

“Give me a second, I can’t wait any longer.”

She took the shirt and dashed into the nearby woods. There was no way she wasn’t going to wait to put this on.