Luna's POV
The purple chain around Luna's wrist suddenly blazed with light.
She gasped as images flooded her mind like water bursting through a dam. Ancient words in languages she didn't know. Pictures of people who looked like her and Sunny, but wearing old-fashioned clothes. A terrible darkness spreading across both kingdoms while everyone ran and screamed.
"Do you see it too?" Sunny asked from across the border, his voice tight with shock.
Luna nodded, unable to speak. The visions were getting stronger, clearer. She saw herself and Sunny standing together in a place that looked like both their kingdoms mixed into one. Their hands were joined, and purple light was streaming from them like a river.
Then came the words, spoken by a voice that sounded like wind and starlight:
When shadow rises to devour all, two hearts shall answer destiny's call. Sun and moon must join as one, or both kingdoms will be undone.
"It's a prophecy," Luna whispered. "About us."
But before Sunny could answer, the sound of running feet crashed through the forest behind her. Luna spun around to see Captain Starweaver and six royal guards burst through the trees, their weapons drawn and their faces grim.
"Princess Luna!" Captain Starweaver shouted. "Step away from the border immediately!"
At the same time, golden light blazed from the Day Realm side as their guards arrived on flying dragons. Luna could hear them yelling commands at Sunny, but she couldn't make out the words over the blood rushing in her ears.
"Wait!" Luna called out, raising her free hand. "You don't understand!"
"We understand perfectly," Captain Starweaver said, his eyes fixed on the glowing chain. "The Day Realm has attacked you with cursed magic. Don't worry, Princess. We'll have you free in moments."
"No!" Luna backed toward the middle of the bridge, but there was nowhere to go. "It's not a curse! We saved each other!"
Captain Starweaver wasn't listening. He raised his silver sword, and Luna realized with horror that he was going to try to cut the magical chain.
"Don't!" she screamed.
But it was too late. The captain's blade swept toward the purple light.
The moment his sword touched the chain, everything exploded.
Not with fire or noise, but with pure magic. The chain blazed so brightly that Luna had to close her eyes. She felt a jolt of power race through her body, and suddenly she could hear Sunny's thoughts as clearly as if he were standing right next to her.
Luna! Are you okay?
I think so, she thought back, amazed. Can you hear me?
Every word. This is so weird.
Captain Starweaver was on the ground, groaning and holding his head. His sword lay beside him, the blade cracked in half. The other guards were backing away from Luna like she might explode at any moment.
"What did you do to him?" demanded Lieutenant Moonriver, the youngest guard.
"I didn't do anything!" Luna protested. "The captain tried to break the chain, and it defended itself!"
Through their mental connection, she felt Sunny having a similar argument with his guards. They were accusing him of attacking Luna with forbidden magic, while he tried to explain that they had worked together to fight the shadow creatures.
Nobody was listening to either of them.
"Princess Luna," Captain Starweaver said as he struggled to his feet, "you will come with us now. We're taking you home where the court wizards can remove this curse."
"It's not a curse!" Luna shouted, but more guards were surrounding her. She looked desperately across the border at Sunny, who was also being surrounded by his people.
They're going to separate us, Sunny thought to her, his mental voice full of panic.
We can't let them, Luna thought back. The prophecy—
I know. But what can we do?
Luna looked at the chain connecting them. It was still glowing, and she could feel the magic humming through it like a heartbeat. Whatever this bond was, it was strong. Maybe strong enough to...
Before she could finish the thought, Captain Starweaver grabbed her arm.
The moment he touched her, the chain flared again. This time, instead of knocking people down, it did something much worse.
Images exploded from the purple light, visible to everyone around them. Not the gentle prophecy visions from before, but terrible scenes of destruction. Both kingdoms burning while shadow creatures swarmed through the streets. People running and screaming as darkness swallowed everything.
And in the center of it all, Luna and Sunny stood frozen, unable to help because they had been kept apart.
"By the seven moons," whispered Lieutenant Moonriver. "What is this?"
The visions lasted only seconds, but they left everyone staring in shock. Even the Day Realm guards had stopped trying to grab Sunny, their faces pale with fear.
Captain Starweaver was the first to recover. "Dark magic," he said firmly. "The Day Realm is using the princess to send us threats."
"That's not true!" Luna cried. "Those were visions of what will happen if—"
"Enough!" Captain Starweaver's voice cut through her protest like a blade. "Princess, you are clearly under the influence of enemy magic. We're taking you home for your own safety."
Strong hands grabbed Luna from all sides. She tried to pull away, but there were too many guards. The chain stretched as they dragged her toward the forest, but it didn't break.
Luna! Sunny's mental voice was getting fainter as the distance between them increased. Don't let them take you!
I'm trying! she thought back desperately.
But it was no use. The guards were too strong, and Luna's magic felt weak and confused. The chain was still there, still connecting her to Sunny, but she could feel it straining as they were pulled farther apart.
Through their fading connection, she felt the moment when Sunny's guards grabbed him too. His anger and fear mixed with her own until she couldn't tell which emotions belonged to which of them.
Whatever happens, Sunny's voice whispered in her mind, remember the prophecy. We're supposed to be together.
I won't forget, Luna promised.
Then the mental connection snapped like a broken string, leaving Luna feeling horribly alone.
The guards dragged her through the forest toward home, but Luna barely noticed. Her mind was racing with everything that had happened. The prophecy, the visions, the magical bond that nobody understood.
Most of all, she thought about how Captain Starweaver had looked at her when the visions appeared. Not like she was a victim of enemy magic, but like she was the enemy herself.
As they reached the palace, Luna heard Captain Starweaver speaking quietly to Lieutenant Moonriver behind her.
"Send word to Queen Celeste immediately," he said. "Tell her we found the princess consorting with Day Realm forces. Tell her..." He paused, and Luna's blood turned cold. "Tell her we may need to consider charges of treason."
Luna's heart stopped. Treason was the worst crime anyone could commit against their kingdom. People who were found guilty of treason were locked away forever.
Or worse.
As the palace doors closed behind her with a sound like thunder, Luna realized her night had gone from magical to terrifying in the space of a heartbeat.
She was home, but she had never felt more like a prisoner in her life.