“An? Can I call you An when we are alone?” Si asked.

  “What if someone overhears?” Luna was concerned, thought for a moment, and then decided. “No, Silly, use my Unio name, Luna.”

  “I suppose you are angry at me? That I didn’t tell you who I am. Could we talk about it?” he probed.

  Luna looked at him. “Right. I am, but Silly, Si, I also didn’t tell you, are you angry?”

  “Not angry. I am not angry at all. I am only disappointed with myself, as I somehow guessed, sensed you were troubled, and yet, I didn’t solve it for you faster,” Si said.

  “You shouldn’t be,” Luna said quietly. “How could you know? I didn’t tell you; you were nice enough not to insist. I appreciated that you didn’t insist.”

  “I have an idea. What if you, from now on, spent all your days with me so you could vent your anger on me for all the things I did? You could torture me and order every day? That would be the best punishment! It would also relieve your boredom!”

  He wasn’t smiling, but Luna could sense laughter in his voice.

  “Silly! I am not angry, not at all,” she said and smiled. “This idea, though, we need to talk it through. What you said yesterday was nice, truly, but Si. It is not a practical solution to the whole situation. I mean—”

  He interrupted. “What if we just escape, find a place, and escape?” Si whispered.

  “… You know, and I know that you know, that it is impossible. Yet so nice of you to say it. Dreaming for a moment. You are you, Si. Silly Si. I am happy that I met you again; I thought it wouldn’t be possible. Who would have thought…”

  She paused for a moment and looked at him.

  Si was smiling.

  “Right, but life, of course, cannot be simple; it has to be complicated,” she continued to speak. “The idea of you going to try this new weapon of yours. I am scared. I always feared for me and Taj; now I am less scared, but to kick me again… life brought you to me, and I am scared that you might be hurt. Though, not that there is something to complain about; I mean, you, being brought to me by life…”

  “Don’t be afraid, Lukai will be there; his plan is detailed; it includes how to rescue me if my idea won’t work. I trust him,” Si said, trying to comfort her.

  “What if Taj helped you and guarded you too?” Luna had a thought.

  Maybe? They discussed it; Taj said that the trap plan was intriguing but incomplete. She decided it was worth asking, first Si, then Taj.

  “Luna? Do I understand correctly that Taj is a real person? Elder from the old times, inserted into this Crystal I saw before on the table?” he asked.

  She remained silent for a moment. She trusted Si, but Taj didn't yet. His notions were correct; he pointed out many small details that didn’t match, and that recently proved to make sense. No, she shouldn’t decide for him.

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  “I would rather let Taj decide what he wants to share,” Luna said carefully. “But, I can say, you are observant.” She smiled.

  “I already perceive him as a person, someone that guarded you and was with you for all these years; he has my respect, no matter who or what he is.” Si stated.

  “Thank you.” Luna was happy.

  “The idea of Taj going with me in some form is applicable. We, of course, need to ask him what is possible,” Si added.

  “So, later, when they will be back from the other arena?” she asked.

  Si nodded.

  “Luna? There is also something I want to clear.” Si sounded serious. “I plan to cancel the alliance contract, the one about our marriage.”

  That was surprising to hear. But also, not really.

  “Right,” she managed to comment on it.

  “So, to explain, I wish to cancel it because I want to go on dates with you, meet with you as people usually do, then propose, and then marry you, just you. What would you say?”

  Si was looking at her now, smiling, but he didn’t sound like he was certain of her answer.

  As if she hadn’t listened carefully and was still processing the previous part about breaking off, but then, suddenly, she understood the meaning of his words.

  “Wait, what?” she gasped a bit.

  That made Si laugh; he was laughing loudly. His dimples showed up; she observed him and felt warmth in her heart. She couldn’t hold her hand; she reached to him and touched his cheek, one of his dimples. Then she flicked his forehead.

  “Silly you, sure I want to; are you sure though?” Luna asked, laughing also.

  “So, I am; I decided already before. I was looking for you,” Si said.

  The silence lingered between them for a while, comfortably, full of joy, as if all were settled, regardless of what the problems ahead. As if at least one thing they knew, and how wonderfully the thing they agreed on, was the most important one.

  They looked at each other slowly. Somehow, Si was getting closer to her, and she was getting closer to him. Then he suddenly asked.

  “Luna, just to ask, you are a redhead, yes?”

  What he asked made her laugh hard. It was so out of nowhere.

  “Does it matter to you?” she asked, still laughing. “I know it is rare, red hair, these days, yet, truly, Si? Really, this?”

  “So, not only. I also like your feet,” he added, smiling, but in a way, she wasn’t sure if he was joking or not.

  He had to be joking, right?

  Right?

  “Silly, truly, if Taj overheard, you would lose another point. I guess? With Taj I am not sure about those aspects—”

  “He doesn’t like me because I hid my identity? Or is there more to that?” Si asked, back to being serious.

  “I think the best will be you two talking. I shouldn’t say what I think he thinks, and also, I would rather avoid a situation when I say to Taj what I think you think. Let’s be reasonable; you two talk and clear things up. From my side, I am not angry, Si; I told you. I can say, and that is truly awesome, that I do not have anything—I mean, anything serious—that I hide from you. What a good feeling it is, Si; it is so rare.”

  When she said it, she felt light—in her heart, in her head, light as never. Truly amazing, as Taj would say.

  Si nodded and didn’t comment on it because she decided to return to the serious topic.

  They somehow derailed from it every two minutes. She smiled, thinking about it. How nice.

  “As I said, talk to him. About us, yes, yes, really, let’s. But now, Si, as you and Lukai plan to go there and fight, I want you to come back alive so you could actually go on dates with me. So, let’s try; let’s test the weapon. Let me show you how it works for me.”

  Si nodded.

  “… Look, I wear this special rubber here. Taj said it is an old thing; I mean, it was invented a long time ago, not that this rubber is a hundred years old. Do you see? I need to take it off… see? Now, my two energies are going to collide; they do not mix. It always feels as if they simply do not like each other. After ten minutes or so, I need Taj to help me. I will tell you what I need to balance it before I start vomiting… why the look, Si? It is quite normal for me… you do not like vomiting people? I can hide? Why the look again? Focus, I do not have many minutes left to show it to you; look, they collided already; see, can you detect it? You nod, good, observe energies flow, look… and now I do it like this—”

  Luna let her energies collide, directing the stream to their left, aimed at the arena barrier, and let it go.

  A moment later, there was a loud bang, as her energies exploded and took the arena barrier down completely. She didn’t notice; she was already vomiting.