"So, how'd the two of you end up here?" Luna asks, offering us a seat at the table. She dismissed the others in the meeting to give us some alone time. Even Dwight left the room, apparently intimidated by Luna's command.

"It's a long story, but the short version is that this rabbit has some sort of power that can make us hop between universes. We've ended up on a ghost ship and the planet Alpha Centauri."

"Well, I can't wait to hear the full story."

"What about you? You said you from another universe, too?"

"Yeah, or at least I'm pretty sure. I came from Carmsborough in the early twentieth century, where I found a strange machine on the one-year anniversary of working at a junkyard, pressed the button on it, and was thrown through a portal and ended up here. The device fried itself immediately, and I've been stuck here for ten years."

"That's a really long time. Do you still miss home?"

"Not really. There was nothing for me there. I was just some homeless kid. Here, I immediately found fame, coming from another universe and all. Once we also found out my aura was one-of-a-kind, there was no turning back."

"What does that mean?"

"They've called my aura Lunara, partially because of my name, and partially because I get more powerful with my abilities depending on the phase of the moon. When it's the full moon, I'm pretty much unstoppable."

"That's cool. I made a wall appear out of thin air."

"Oh, that's probably materia, then. It's one of the more common, but incredibly useful and a great tool if you know how to use it. What about your friend over here?"

"We don't know. We only just got here, and I only did it on accident as self-defense."

"Fair enough. Well, give it a shot in here. Just not aiming at me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, use your powers."

"How do we just 'use our powers?'"

"Just think about it. It's pretty much a 'just do it' situation for some people, but for some, you'll have to really go for it. It's hard to explain if you've always just had your abilities before."

Luna steps back, and Holly follows, both going against the wall. I'm not even sure I fully understand. Do I just think about what I want to happen? How will I know if I even can?

I raise my hand and think about the same wall Holly made earlier.

Wall.

Nothing happens.

WALL.

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Nothing.

"Here, can I try?" Holly says. We trade spots, and she raises her hand like I did. A moment later, the wall returns, this time a shimmering gold color. Holly looks excited, but confused.

"Why is it gold this time?"

"What do you mean this time?" Luna asks, also confused.

"last time it was—"

A dark, purple pillar slowly emerges from the ground behind her, sending Luna bouncing with shock. Holly turns around to see, and points. "Yeah, just like that. Except I don't think I did that this time."

Luna turns to look at me with white eyes. "Did you do that?"

I try again in a different spot.

Wall.

This time, a dark purple wall cuts off part of the room, only slightly see-through. Luna looks like she's about to have a conniption.

She leans in for a whisper. "Listen, you two. You can't tell anybody about your power. If they ask what it is, just say materia. Both of you."

"What's happening?" Holly asks.

"She has dark materia, which is essentially the same thing, but with the negative connotations of being a Necromancer. If they find out you were here, they will kick you out on the street. Or worse."

It's always something.

"So what do we do?" Holly asks.

"I guess that's up to you. I would recommend staying here and helping go against the Necromancers, but you're free to roam the streets if you'd like. Since one of you is a Necromancer, you're technically safe from any of their quirks. At least they were nice enough to give couples that immunity."

"Why does everyone assume we're a couple?"

"You're not? Hmm."

I tap on Holly's shoulder and motion for some sort of clipboard on the table.

"Do you mind if we discuss this privately?" Holly asks, turning to Luna.

"Not at all."

Luna steps out of the room, and the door seals shut dramatically.

"Well, at least this is better than being stranded on a completely different planet and being hunted by killer robots." She smiles halfheartedly, as if that were supposed to be any sort of reassurance.

I give her a look.

"Yeah, I know. We have to get back. I'm not gonna trade one apocalyptic scenario for another. We need a generator, and we need it now. So we need to be able to ask for that."

And what if they can't give it to us? I write.

"Well, then, we make a generator. We're a thousand years in the future. Surely they still have access to documents and blueprints and things like that."

And what if they're not willing to help us?

"We convince them to help us. If not them, then the Necromancers. If they need us to help them to help us, then I don't see why not. As long as we can get out of here sooner rather than later."

I guess I don't have any arguments with that. It's not like there's really another choice, anyway.

"Also, why do you think everybody keeps assuming we're a couple?"

I don't know, I write. Maybe we just look like a couple.

"What, the preppy girl in the nerdy girl?"

There's probably a romcom somewhere.

Whatever it was, she seemed almost genuinely confused about it, which doesn't necessarily surprise me. I don't blame her. I could count on both hands the number of days ago it was when she lost... What was his name again? Gary?

"Okay. I think we're good."

Holly opens the door, and Luna approaches. "We have a verdict?"

"We'll stay and help you, but only if you'll help us."

"A proposition? I'm listening."

"You help us get a steam-powered generator to get back home, and in the meantime, we'll fill any role you need."

"A steam-powered generator? Man, I haven't thought about one of those in... well, ten years. But also a thousand. I'm not even sure how to get our hands on one of those. But if that's the deal you want, then we can make it happen. No promises on a speedy generator turnaround, though."

Luna offers her hand out, but Holly pauses to look at me. "I don't think that's good enough. What do you think, Tes? A week max?"

"A week? I'm not even sure I could do a month."

"A week or no deal."

"You know what, done. A week to get you a generator. A week of having a Necromancer on the team is worth more than three people on generator duty."

Holly takes her hand, and I do the same, sealing the deal. Let's hope Luna can stay true to her word, if she even intends to.

"Alright. Now that we're done talking business and you're part of the team, let's get you two a room."