(COMPLETED) The Lunar Chronicles - Winter's Summer

Part 2

Winter had told Scarlet to meet her in the center of town, where there was a water fountain and an assortment of bakeries and hotels all around the square. There were also android parts shops, as this was a farming community and everyone seemed to need a little extra android help sometimes. Androids often fell into disrepair on farms, with sensors being covered with wind-blown dirt and treads being filled with mud and fertilizer.

She saw Winter sitting beside the water fountain from the other side of the square. She had a small gathering of children around her, all looking fascinated at her words. Winter was smiling animatedly, looking like she was having the time of her life. Scarlet caught a few of her words as she got closer.

"And then, Selene took back the power from Levana and became a fair and gracious queen. She made it so there will never again be anymore plague, or attacks from Luna. She has made the world safer for each and everyone of you. And the revolution ended, and they all lived happily ever after."

The children started applauding, looking entranced with every breath Winter took. Her beauty had that effect on people, Scarlet knew. One of them raised their hand, and Winter said "Yes?" Her lacy voice filled the square.

"Why did the Lunars kill my Mommy?" The little girl who had spoken, only seven or eight, was staring at Winter with the largest eyes Scarlet had ever seen. Winter knelt down and offered her hand for the girl to take, and she stepped forward and grabbed it. Winter spoke softly, and it was clear that the words were intended for the child herself.

Scarlet saw her nod her head a few times throughout, and it ended with her giving Winter a hug, which she took with no hesitation.

"Annabell! Annabell, come here now."

A man's voice boomed over the square, coming from behind the crowd of kids. He was tall and had a beard, appearing to be in his late thirties. He looked scared and tired, but most overwhelmingly, he looked mad.

He beckoned to the child with one hand, but she didn't move from Winter's arms. Winter looked back and forth from both of them, eyes never settling. She stood up, forcing the girl, Annabell, to let go.

Annabell walked towards the man, who picked her up and held her on his hip. With his free hand, he angrily pointed at Winter, fury etched in his face.

"You! You stay away from my kid! I don't care what anyone says, Lunars should be killed! They are a danger to everyone! If you had any decency, you would throw yourself in a lake!"

He was shouting at this point, causing every person in the square to turn and watch the action. He reeled back and spat at Winter's feet, and though a few kids gasped, Winter did not flinch. Her face didn't betray any emotion at all.

Scarlet, on the other hand, was livid.

"Hey!" She shouted, marching toward the man. He only briefly looked at her, keeping his eyes glued on Winter, like he thought she would try to use her glamour to make him hurt himself or his daughter. He held her so tight against him, Scarlet could hear her saying "Let go, Daddy. She won't hurt me. Let go."

Scarlet stopped in between the man and Winter, trying to form a sort of shield between them. She knew that it wouldn't work, that there was no shield for words, but she also knew that Winter was not going to argue with this man, that she had too much class, and so the job fell squarely on Scarlet's shoulders.

"You don't get to talk to her like that. If you bothered to spend one minute ignoring all the media's propaganda and talking to her, you would realize that Winter would rather throw herself in a lake then hurt your child! She is not dangerous, and you can't treat her like a criminal just for existing!"

Scarlet felt Winter pulling on her arm. "Scarlet-friend," she whispered, "we don't need to do this. We can leave."

Scarlet shrugged her off. She pointed her finger at the man, very much like what he was doing to Winter before. "You don't talk to her." Scarlet said, before stalking off, Winter's wrist in her grip.

Winter waved at the remaining kids and the man. "Goodbye. Have a good day."

Scarlet waited until they were far enough so that the man or kids wouldn't hear her, then she let go of Winter's wrist and put her face in her hands. She started walking back and forth the length of the Rieux Tavern storefront, one foot in front of the other. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry Winter, I didn't mean to pull you like that. It's just- that man didn't know what he was talking about. And he had no right to yell at you like that!"

Winter placed her hand on Scarlet's arm to stop her pacing. "It is okay, Scarlet-friend. It is not the first time." She smiled serenely, then started walking along the path Scarlet had made, back and forth, back and forth, her hands held out like she was walking on a tightrope.

Scarlet crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, that doesn't make it okay." Winter pinched Scarlet's cheek.

"Ow."

"I'm okay, Scarlet. There is no more blood, my darling Selene is alive and in charge, and I am happy. In fact," she said, eyes glittering, "I am the happiest I have been since my Stepmother has been declared gone and done. Do not worry about me, my mind is now also able to take care of me."

Scarlet felt a pang in her chest. Winter had always been crazy. And she had always needed Scarlet to help protect her from herself. Jacin was, of course, her first person to go to, but there were sometimes in the last year that Winter had called, in the middle of the night, when the demons that no longer haunted her came back.

Linh Garan's device had never stopped working or failed to keep Winter from accessing her gift, but there were times when the weight of the world came down too hard on her frail shoulders. These were new demons, though Winter assured her that they did not control her life.

Scarlet had pretended to be annoyed with her new responsibility, but she had been flattered that she was who Winter had needed. That feeling evaporated.

She swallowed. "I'm glad. Now, do you want to go somewhere? To talk? I know you had something you wanted to tell me."

Winter winked. "And so I do." She walked up to the door of the Rieux Tavern and swung it open.

"Here? We're talking... here?"

"Oh, yes. Your Wolf told me this is where you met. I wanted to give you one more happy memory from this place. So you can have all of your happy memories organized by place. I thought this would be easier for you."

She swept through the doors without any words. Scarlet only hesitated a moment before joining her.