It took Luna a long time to caress Theia's hair before Theia calmed down and said, "Is everything alright now?"
She nodded in agreement, wiping her tears on her sleeve.
"Then that's good. Let's go. We still have a long way to go up the stairs, okay?" Theia hugged Luna's chest and nodded, so Luna stood up and began walking.
Now that I think about it, why would the creator leave the book that could kill his own children right in the open? In that tower? Better not to ask; it could hurt too much.
I'll keep it to myself. Not everything really needs an answer.
***
Walking out of the basement with Theia in her arms.
"I think we have explored every room in this palace, so why don't we go to the last place here, okay?""
Theia nodded as she closed her eyes, placed her head on Luna's chest, and her arms went limp.
Going to sleep? Okay. A fond smile touched Luna's lips.
"Okay, let's go," she exclaimed as she walked through the doors outside. She silently walked through the silent grassland; the wind that was present from before was now gone, but Luna couldn't notice it.
***
Luna walked around the tree that held Arbor, Its green leaves were silent, unmoving.
She stopped at the third path, across from the path she had come back from.
Luna looked towards the left, at the fourth path, and only noticed the same port that was from the second path, the one she had come to this place from.
She grinned cheerfully and strolled towards the end of the path, fighting off the urge to run.
***
As the gravel path led over the grassy hill, she stopped on top of it and saw the end of the path: an enormous gate embedded into the side of a hill.
The gates contained snowflakes, fire, a book, a hammer, and eye symbols etched into them.
An urgent curiosity pulled Luna forward, her legs trembling with the urge to run. Yet, she forced herself to walk slowly, savoring the approach, not minding the extra time to get there.
***
Luna touched the door with her right hand, keeping Theia safe with her left arm, and pushed, trying to open it.
The doors glowed around Luna's hand, but the glow faded gradually and disappeared.
Luna tried again, but nothing happened this time. She sighed and poked Theia on her arm, but she didn't respond.
Luna raised her eyebrow and wrinkled her forehead, thinking, Theia?
She placed her on the ground, wriggling her by her shoulders. Luna jolted in place as she hurriedly turned Theia around, her back facing her, and placed her right palm on it.
She poured mana into her body, this time a lot more than she initially did.
Just as mana flowed into Theia, she slowly opened her eyes and pushed herself up from the ground. She looked at Luna and saw her face filled with a frown, her nose bridge wrinkled.
"Thank you," she muttered.
Luna shook her head and spoke up hurriedly, "What happened? Why did it happen?"
Theia stood up and corrected Luna's bangs into place, explaining, "Nothing much. Your mana depleted from my body, and I had no fuel to use to move my body."
Luna looked around Theia's body as if to search for answers but found nothing and asked, "Why?"
"Nothing really important. I used my core as a sacrifice while trying to revive Niv," Theia said with a monotone voice.
"Niv?" Luna asked confusedly.
"A nickname me and Nivaris came up with, due to her complicated name," she said while looking at Luna with the same tone she had.
Luna just looked at her and sighed while taking her into her arms. "Don't worry, I'll find a substitute for that core, in some way."
As Theia heard those words, a small, genuine smile grew on her face before saying, "Okay."
Luna stood up and looked at the gate again, and couldn't help but ask, "Theia, do you know how to get in there? I tried to get in but I couldn't open the gate."
"Mana. Your output of mana is too low," Theia answered as she placed her head on Luna's shoulder, hugging her.
"So I won't be able to get in there for a while, huh? Oh well, I don't mind waiting for a long while… No… I might do," Luna looked away from the doors as she said that and turned away from them. "Anyway, I'll do my best to be able to get there soon enough."
"Or I just have to accept that I won't be able to."
Theia just frowned as she looked at Luna from her shoulders but decided not to say anything, as she couldn't understand the meaning of Luna's words.
Theia plugged her head into Luna's neck and listened to her heartbeat, as she did that Luan walked back through the gravel path back down to the crossroad, towards the arbor.
***
Arriving in front of the arbor, Luna walked across the small bridge and stepped inside. She sat down on the chair by the table, soothed by the surroundings she was, for some reason, fond of.
A thought came into her mind, and she placed Theia on the table. "Theia, I was wondering... whenever your mana depletes, does it hurt?" Luna couldn't look into her eyes.
Seeing that Luna was avoiding her gaze, Theia immediately answered, "Not really. I don't feel anything. Whenever your mana depletes, I just go to sleep. I cannot move, see, or feel anything. I see nothing nor feel nothing; I just exist."
Hearing those words, Luna's gaze fell to Theia, her voice a hushed thread. "I'm sorry."
Theia saw Luna's expression sadden and extended her arm and patted her hand as if to calm her down.
Luna sighed and placed her head on her own thighs.
"Theia," she asked, "do you know how to get back from this place?"
"Yes," Theia answered.
"Then, please," Luna spoke in a mumbled voice, "I want to go back home and go to sleep. I'm tired."
Luna turned her head towards the palace and thought for a while.
"In the palace," Theia responded, "there is a diamond-shaped stone floating. If you take it, you can open a portal to your home."
Luna jolted up and took out the diamond-shaped stone she had mentioned. "This one?"
Theia's eyes opened wide as she saw that Luna was holding the exact stone she talked about. "Yes."
Luna smiled from ear to ear and said, "Let's go back, then!"