#TheOrbitCarol gift for @jpotatowo Notes: * Loona x The Promised Neverland * The ages are slightly changed from real life and also from the series canon * English is not my mother language so sorry for any grammar mistakes * Don’t read it unless you read the first chapter of the manga or watched the first episode of the anime * Hope you enjoy :) The Promised Moon I woke up at six o’clock sharp like usual, but the routine in no way bothered me and I shouted with enthusiasm: — Time to get up guys! Breakfast is waiting! My roommates, varying in both age and gender, didn’t need a second call and jumped out of their beds. Breakfast was a pretty big event, one of our three daily meals when we all reunited and sat together to eat like kings and queens with our dear mother. We couldn’t skip it, and neither anyone wanted to do it. In instants the room became pure chaos, with at least ten people running to get changed and organizing their beds, their loud voices energizing the once silent room. I felt two little arms hug my neck — Good morning, Yerim! Did you sleep well? I turned back to see a small girl smiling at me, and I smiled back. — Yep! I slept like a rock and now I'm starving! Ready for breakfast, Yeojin? She gave me one of her smug faces and pointed at her bed. It was perfectly tidy and clean, and she herself was already wearing our usual white uniform. I petted her head. — Good job! Always the quickest of us all. I really should follow your example — I said while staring at my (still) messy sheets. As one of the oldest children in the house, Yeojin seemed to really value my opinion, even if sometimes I felt that Chaewon or Hyejoo would be much better role models than me. But it was flattering anyways, so I continued petting that small fourteen years-old head. We all lived in Grace Field House, an orphanage. We were not related by blood, but they were still my precious siblings. Mother Yves did not give birth to us, but she still was the best Mom in the world. And I lived here for seventeen years, happy with my always-growing family. When I finished tidying up we ran to the hall, where I found two mischievous-looking boys glaring at me with sparkling eyes. — Hi Mike, Hi Fritz… What are you guys doing? They smiled at the same time and, running up to me, said: — You're it! For a moment I was dumbstruck, watching them get farther and farther from me. I then left out my best evil laugh. — I’m sorry Yeojin, you should go up ahead. It seems that I will find my next meal in another place! Running in their direction, I made the best monster noises I could muster, growling and twitching like the most horrible being possible. I was fairly athletic and they were still just seven year-olds, so I caught them in no time. Hugging them with all my forces while they laughed, I shouted: — Look at this! Delicious little humans for breakfast! I’m so lucky! Muahahaha! Scouting the two troublemakers to the dining hall, they clung to me like cute monkeys and soon my uniform and hair became the customary daily mess. It was in that state that I found Chaewon and Hyejoo, two contrasting individuals who were my most loyal companions. Chaewon was a blonde girl with doll-like features and the aura of a fairy princess or even a guardian angel. Hyejoo was striking with her sharp eyes and black hair, always holding a book. — Yerim! We were waiting for you. Did you sleep well? — asked Chaewon with the same kind smile of always. — If she slept bad and made all that noise, I would be afraid for my ears the day she sleeps well — said Hyejoo with her typical smirk. I gasped. — I slept very well, yes! And I’m not that loud! — Are you sure about that, sweetie? Mother Yves appeared before me, covering her ears. I felt myself blushing furiously under Hyejoo’s amused glare. — Sorry, Mom. She smiled. — It’s okay, I know you don’t even notice the power of your own voice. But it’s time to help me set the table, so no more playing for now, okay? — Understood! In no time we were all seated in our places, thanking the One in the skies for our food. It was delicious, as always: Mom was an amazing cook. Seated in front of me was Minjung, a little girl with a pink bunny in her hands. A wave of sadness washed me for a moment, making me stop eating. It was her last day with us. Of course, as an orphanage, we knew the best blessing we could get was to be adopted. I saw many of my siblings go when growing up, never knowing how to distinguish the happiness from the sadness. She caught me staring and, smiling, asked: — What’s it, Yerim? I put on my best smile. — Just thinking how I’m gonna miss Mr. No-Pants. And you too, of course. Minjung beamed, her eyes shining with the faintest of tears. She was a very affectionate kid and probably could feel my sincerity. — I’m gonna miss you too. But we still have the whole day, so let’s not cry over this amazing food. I nodded and began digging up my food again with renewed enthusiasm. I was gonna make this the best day ever for her, so she could remember us with a smile. -------- Staring at the shining screen, I listened intently to the next questions: — Count the total of cubes in the following composite solid… — Give the 50th term of the following sequence… — Select the figure that corresponds to the region of the cartesian plane described by the following inequality… When we finished the daily exercises, Hyunjin was the first to shout: — Ahh, I’m beat. Many of the other kids followed with their agreement. For sure this was their least favorite part of the day. I generally didn’t care for it that much. Mother Yves soon came into the room with papers in her hand and a pleased smile in her serene face. — I have your scores with me. Yerim, Chaewon, Hyejoo. Congratulations, each one got a 300 again! I smiled at Mom and then looked at the calm Chaewon and the dismissive Hyejoo, feeling very happy for making her so proud. Heejin smiled at us and Hyunjin seemed thoughtful. — They are just one year older then us, how can we be so different from each other?! Heejin didn’t stop smiling at me as she said: — They are special. ------ After the tests we could play outside to our hearts content. We quickly decided to play our favorite game: Tag. — Oh no, Chaewon is it! — said Hyunjin, eyes open wide. — Are you gonna play, Hyejoo? — I asked, looking at the girl with a new book under her special tree. — Nope — she responded, holding her book high enough to cover her face. Soon most of the kids were running further to the woods, myself included. The coverage was better there, and we knew the grounds like the palm of our hands. They were big and vivid, and we could explore them all we wanted, with the exception of two places: the gate to the outside world… And the fence marking the end of the forest, separating us from the Walls. Our world was limited and we knew it since we were babies. We had rules not to go out there for our protection. We didn’t question these rules — why would we? We had everything we needed right here. So none of us ever saw the outside world. I already knew I was the last one standing. It’s what always happens when Chaewon is “It”. It was our battle from here on. I continued running fast, listening to any movements that I could, following more complicated paths on purpose. This time, I was gonna win. ---------- — Why did I lose? — I whined to Hyejoo when the game ended. Chaewon was, once more, the winner. — I’m better at running than her! Hyejoo looked away from the book for a minute and stared at me. — What do you think she has and you don’t? I thought seriously about that for a second. — Calm, composure, maturity, blonde hair… She raised her hand to stop me from continuing. — Tactics. She plans ahead many possibilities before she starts running: how the target will move and how should she respond. The secret is trying to understand your enemy’s head. — All of that for a simple game of tag?! — It’s just simple if you want it to be — said Chaewon, approaching us. — For me, it’s always more fun to think of a plan and see other people do exactly as I predicted. Her smile was angelic even when her words carried a little malice. I looked up, thinking to myself. — Read the enemy’s mind, huh… I got out of my own little world when Hyunjin shouted. — You guys can be beasts, but us simple humans can find ways to fight too! Right, Minjung? The little girl with her bunny smiled. I remembered my promise to myself. — All of us against you three! Are you up for it?! I matched Hyunjin’s grin with one of my own. — Bring it on! -------- Farewells were always sad, but Minjung smiled the most of us all. She tried very hard to make us assured that she would be happy no matter what, and that she would miss us very much. — I don’t know why our other siblings didn’t send letters, but I promise I will! I was never as smart as you guys, but you never made fun of me and loved me. But I have my own dream. I want to be a Mama and have as many kids as Mama Yves has when I grow up, and I will love them as she loved me and I will never abandon them. Her words touched us. Some cried but I tried my best to hold the tears and wear my best smile. With a dream that beautiful, we could never think of holding her back. Minjung said her goodbyes and, hand in hand with Mom, they went out to the night. I was probably just imagining it, but the house felt just a bit too large for a moment. Lost in my thoughts, I entered the kitchen to found a very familiar pink bunny above the counter. — Mr. No-Pants?! How could Minjung forget Mr. No-Pants?! I looked to Chaewon for guidance while she talked to Heejin. — What do we do? — I mean, they already left… — said Heejin with her eyebrows furrowed. — You guys probably still can get to them — intervened Hyejoo, entering the room. — I saw some lights from the gates from the bathroom window. Mom hasn't comeback yet so she is probably still there with Minjung. — Let’s go then — said Chaewon, walking to the door. — Chaewon… — It’s alright, the bunny is really important. We can share the blame together later. I smiled and saw her skillfully unlock the door with some bobby pins, leaving me very impressed. We ran to the gates with all our might, dedicated to not let our sister go to her new home without such a precious friend. The gates were open when we got there, and I saw a truck in reality for the first time in my life. I inspected the vehicle with Chaewon, interested but also in a hurry. — Do you think we should let the bunny in the back so she can fi… The words died in my mouth. I let the bunny go to the floor, my hands suddenly weak. This attracted Chaewon’s attention, and she went to my side, sharing with me the horrifying vision. At the back of the truck was a girl pierced with a bloody flower to her chest, eyes wide in horror, skin pale as a corpse… because that’s what she was now. — Is someone there? — asked a terrible voice. Chaewon made me crawl to the floor and we hid ourselves under the truck. What came from the door was unimaginable. A… creature… with long limbs… terrifying nails… ugly eyes… monstrous build… What… — It looks so tasty — said the monster, taking little Minjung out of the back of the truck. — Human flesh is the best after all. — Yes, but just look, don’t do anything — said the other creature. — That kid is valuable merchandise, something you can’t even dare to eat. Meat from a top-of-the-line farm, meant only for the rich. Farm…? Meat…? Are we… cattle? We lived until now… to be the dinner of a monster? — Gupna? — Nearly finished. — Six years-old again, as the usual… But it looks like we’ll soon be able to harvest some high quality meat in the future, with three seventeen years-old… Prepare the three with full scores for their imminent plucking. I felt my throat close. — Yes… Understood. That is… Mother Yves… voice… ------- — What is this? — asked the demon. Yves saw him bring a bunny from under the truck. A bunny Minjung never brought with her. ------- I ran and ran and ran without ever stopping. My lungs were on fire but I didn’t want to stop, until I stumbled in a rock and fell. Chaewon was soon on my side, but I didn’t look at her. — What was that… WHAT WAS THAT?! Chaewon stared at me, obviously distraught but still trying to comfort me with a hand in my back. — Our lives… Our family… Was it all a lie?! She didn’t respond. I felt tears falling and blurring my vision. — We weren’t a lie but… They were. I crawled to the floor, unable to stop my sobbing. — Don’t worry — assured Chaewon, a determined expression now on her face. — If it’s me, you and Hyejoo, we are sure to escape. — N-no! Our family… I don’t want anyone from our family… To die ever again! Chaewon stared at me for a second. Then she tried her best to smile. — Yes, you are right. We will all escape. I listened to those words and I felt a new resolve strength itself in my heart. We will all escape. Nobody will die anymore. I will read my enemy’s mind, just like Tag. We are not cattle. We will all escape.
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