“Peter.” Thea’s voice pulled at me.

I refused to open my eyes. Sure, I didn’t really need sleep anymore, but the less you need it, the more you realize, it’s kind of amazing. Peaceful, cozy, and not in the least overrated.

“Peter, something’s up with Luna.”

That got my attention.

My eyes snapped open. I lifted my arm to look at her. Wyrem, what’s going on?

She finished, he replied, proud and smug.

Luna pulsed in that way she did when she was excited; an explosion of shifting, radiant colors lighting up the room. Only slivers of sunlight slipped through the curtain, but they danced off her glow like stained glass.

“Everything okay?” Thea asked, watching me.

I nodded, still focused on my wrist. “She just finished the Harmonic Foundation.”

I thought back to when Thea and I first developed the Spiritual Reservoir method. For us humans, or Unbound, or whatever, it enhanced perception, sharpened our senses. But Luna?

She was something else entirely. A sentient, almost full energy absorber. Would the foundation affect her differently? Would her different elemental affinities change her even more?

“I think we just wait,” I told Thea.

“I wish I could talk to her,” she said softly. “She’s already further than all of us.”

I considered that. Honestly, I did think they’d get along, maybe dangerously well. Give it a few hours and I’d probably become their favorite mutual target for ridicule.

“Maybe someday,” I said.

Suddenly, Luna stopped. Her glow vanished right in sync with my heartbeat.

Luna turned pale gray, emitting no color, no light. Just... still. Seemingly lifeless.

Luna?!

No answer.

Wyrem, is something wrong? Panic bled into my voice as I readied energy, about to push it into her form.

Wait. Do nothing! Wyrem barked. Interrupting a transformation could be bad… maybe. I don’t know, Peter. Just—just wait.

And if something goes wrong?

I felt something like a sigh ripple through him. Some can only go so far, but she’s special. Believe and wait. That's all we should do for now.

My eyes stayed locked on her form, the loop of grass wrapped tight around my wrist. I turned it slightly, revealing the place I’d cut to let her in. My arm was mostly wood now, but there had to be blood flow somewhere; At least, she’d never asked to move.

And then I saw it.

At the base of where she first attached, just barely visible, was a tiny grain, no bigger than a speck of sand. A seed, faintly pulsing in that same familiar rainbow light.

“Peter, is everything okay?” Thea asked again, her voice more careful now.

Luna’s old form began to fall away, softly disintegrating, like dried grass turning to ash. The blade she once was dissolved completely, leaving only that tiny glowing seed behind.

My heart stopped.

Sound thinned in my ears. I didn’t move, afraid now anything could harm her. End whatever was going on before it finished.

Then, the seed twitched.

A single thread, impossibly fine and glistening like turquoise silk, extended outward from the seed. It pressed against the underside of my wrist, and held on. Another followed. Then another. Five in total, arcing outward in an intricate pentagonal pattern on the roots of my arm.

From each of those turquoise laces, new threads bloomed, thicker, deeper purple ones, branching sideways. They curved in repeating arcs, forming a ring of five vibrant petals, each one veined with glowing lines in Luna’s original hues.

Each vein pulsed in its own rhythm, lights shifting in turns. It was mesmerizing. I couldn't help wondering if she was still conscious, and just excited at her own changes, or if this was a physiological response.

Leaves began to sprout next.

A dozen, blade-like leaves, all in soft blue hues, unfolded from the heart of the bloom. They didn’t shoot out wildly, but instead, they followed the curves of my forearm and wrist, layering along the skin like they had always belonged there. Like armor. They shimmered faintly, almost as if ready to move.

And from the base of the petals, flat thorny vines curled outward. Five of them, spiraling gently around my wrist and hand. They wove into each other, layering like a wrap, forming a new band.

The vines tightened once, like a pulse. Then settled.

Luna? I called out in my mind.

Allow some rest. She had made— Wyrem’s thought cut off abruptly.

OWWW! Luna’s voice exploded through me. Holy roots, that was insanely bad. Wait… what’s up with my body?

Are you okay? I probed, worried.

And then came the really concerning part; she answered with my mouth.

“Okay?! My beautiful, grassy, sleek body is gone!” My voice, her words, burst out, loud and indignant.

“Peter, are you—?” Thea started, but Luna wasn’t done.

My head tilted down on its own. “I mean, look at it. It’s… actually… hmm. Not bad, right?” My arm lifted itself, inspecting the new floral configuration. Or rather, she inspected herself using my arm.

LUNA, stop! I begged.

She ignored me.

“Wow, I was pretty before, but now?” She gasped. “I’ve heard stories about my legendary ancestors evolving into flowers. Ha! I can brag to all those old bags of weeds now!”

“Peter?” Thea asked again, more cautiously this time.

I felt myself turn to face her.

Oh no. Luna!

Oh, let her have some fun, Wyrem mused, completely unhelpful. Maybe this is her new ability?

“Hi!” I chirped, grinning way too brightly.

“Uh… hi?” Thea blinked, clearly thrown off.

“I’m Luna!” I beamed, then shoved my wrist toward her face. “Or, well, this. I’m Luna. A flower now!”

“Oh… um. Is Peter okay?” Thea asked, eyeing me like I might start speaking in interpretive dance next.

“Yeah, he’s just selfish. Doesn’t like when I do this. Even when I defended him last time,” Luna huffed through my mouth.

You nearly got me in serious trouble, I muttered, but stopped resisting. Fine. Let her have her fun.

You’re too passive, she shot back smugly.

“Reeeally…” Thea shifted awkwardly in bed. I couldn’t blame her, it must’ve been weird talking to me like this. Eventually, she found her workaround: stopped looking at my face and started addressing my wrist directly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Luna.” She smiled warmly.

“You know, I spent months in a human body once,” Luna said, still puppeteering my speech. “Still can’t get used to it.”

Thea giggled. “Me too. They’re pretty inconvenient.”

Luna nodded enthusiastically.

“What’s it like being a flower?” Thea asked, her tone soft, almost like she was entertaining a little sibling.

Maybe she was like that with her sister?

“I don’t really know yet,” Luna admitted. “I haven’t tried it yet, but my grass body was awesome. I heard stories of heroes sharpening their blades and roots and—”

“That sounds interesting.” Thea cut in, gently redirecting the tangent.

“Yep,” Luna said, clearly proud. “Sooo, I don’t get it. Why does anyone like Peter so much?”

Yeah, no. I fired a pulse of Beast Force, wresting back control before she could keep going. Thea was already giggling into her hand.

Hey! Luna protested. I wasn’t finished!

I promise I’ll let you talk more next time, I swore.

I want to talk to her again soon, she said.

“Well, he is mostly just funny,” Thea offered.

“Of course I am,” I said smoothly, sweeping my hair back with mock confidence.

Thea blushed a little but chuckled softly. “She’s exciting,” she added. “Like a kid.”

She is a kid, Wyrem confirmed. A talented one.

One: thank you. Two: I am NOT! Luna snapped, the veins on her leaves flaring pink in protest.

Wait… how old is she, really?

When she eventually formed a body, would it look young? Then again, why would she even choose a human form? More likely, she'd go with something more fitting to her, but still self-sufficient, something that could keep pace with humans but still feel like her.

The faster you learn to manifest my true body, the faster we can get her one, Wyrem cut in.

I pushed aside both the implication and the annoying reminder that with more use of my power, he could read my thoughts.

“I think we should head out. I’m excited to meet your family.” I climbed out of bed.

Bristle, who’d been pretending, or maybe actually sleeping, shifted and stood with me.

“Wait, hold up. What?” Thea asked, blunt and wide-eyed.

...Right. Maybe I never mentioned that.

“Should be today,” I said casually. “Meet your sister, maybe your parents too. We might be leaving today or tomorrow anyway.” I scratched Bristle behind the ears as he angled in for attention.

I moved to the closet, thankfully stocked with some clothes. Elric or Miss Star, probably.

“Peter?” Thea called behind me.

I swapped shirts, picking one that hung loose. Started looking for something to match, but not many choices. Black pants or brown pants.

“What’s up?” I asked, distracted.

So dumb. I just can’t see why, Luna muttered.

That’s when I heard it: a faint crackle followed by the hairs on my arm standing on end. I turned, holding up a pair of pants like a shield.

“You felt that now was the appropriate time to bring this up?”

“I only found out last night,” I admitted, backing up. “Aaand… I kinda didn’t think about it.”

Bristle bolted. Like really, bolted. He leapt, grabbed the door handle in his jaws, yanked it down, and sprinted away.

I’d just been betrayed by my new dog, who is smarter than I gave him credit for, but not loyal enough to die with me, apparently.

Thea approached slowly, step by step and I pressed my back to the wall as a spark danced between her fingers.

It flicked out.

I squeaked.

The pain was so... oh, actually. No pain.

The spark jumped across my cheek like a tiny whip and vanished then she leaned in and kissed the same spot. “Just wake me up next time, okay?”

I nodded quickly. “Okay.”

----------------------------------------