>>11685099>>11685717>>11685774Moona ran towards her friend, bruised on the floor, her knees spread apart, sobbing quietly, more like a little child than a high schooler.
Moona crouched down and held Kronii's hand. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?". Of course she was hurt; it was plainly visible, tarnishing her skin. But Moona knew that wasn't what actually mattered the most to Kronii, what really hurt her.
Moona looked downwards. The toy had fallen to the floor, the ball joints having been scattered by the impact, the Kanohi having flown all the way over to the end of the hallway. Moona knew what this was. It was the gift she had gotten for Kronii, one of the original canisters all the way from 2001, in mint condition. It was very hard to get. If anything was causing Kronii pain, it was this.
Moona ran across the hallways, picking up piece after scattered piece of the broken Tahu. She put it back together herself, but she noticed something... no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find the left leg. She turned to Kronii. "Do you know where the leg is?"
"...They took it..."
"They really did?! I'll teach them a lesson, then!"
"No... don't get in trouble for me. It's okay. It's just a toy..."
"But it means a lot to you..."
"..."
"Let's just go home..."
"I'll make it up to you! I promise!"
Moona helped Kronii stand up, and they walked down the hall to the exit, orange light strewn upon them...
Ever since then, Kronii had no real interest in playing with Moona anymore. In fact, Moona managed to hack together a replacement leg for Tahu, indistinguishable from the actual thing, by purchasing spare parts and painting them herself. But, even with that effort, Kronii had no interest, simply dismissing her, staring blankly at the teacher, writing down her notes half-heartedly.
Later, Moona approached Kronii during recess.
"Do you want to play together? I don't really know much about this, but I can keep you safe from them."
"I don't care anymore..."
"But it was all you talked about... you even made me watch these cool movies! This was your life! Look! I remember how happy you were when I gave you this for the first time!"
Moona shook around Tahu, only for Kronii to yell at her and slap it out of her hands. Tahu fell to the ground, breaking apart into pieces.
"Stop it!! Why?! Why do you keep asking me to play with these things?! I looked like a child! All it did was make me a target!"
"K-Kronii...!"
"I'm tired of it! I'm tired of being kicked around and having everything I like being taken from me! Stop reminding me of it!! If you gave even half of a shit about me, you'd help me with my studies instead of trying to make me do these embarrassing things! So I can get a job and be a real adult!"
"I... I thought it made you happy..."
"It didn't. Leave me alone."
Moona cowered, grabbing Tahu's scattered limbs, watching as Kronii stormed away in a fury. She couldn't see her face, but she could've sworn her friend was...
Kronii didn't come to school the next day. The teacher was in an exceptionally terrible mood. Korone and her gang were penalized for the slightest infractions. She was even rough with the star students, which was highly unusual. The headmaster poked his head into the classroom, his expression grim, and called out to Moona.
"There's someone who wants to talk with you."
Moona silently walked down the hallway with the headmaster, not even the bird's call to keep her company. She gripped Tahu tightly in her hand, a knot forming in her stomach. Why? Why was she so afraid?
A stern men, wearing a suit, sat her down across from him. He tried to be gentle, initiating small talk and the like, but it didn't work on Moona.
"Get to the point, please..."
"...Sorry."
"Before, well, I talk about anything, I'd like for you to read this."
Moona looked at the torn notebook paper he slid across the desk. Even just scanning it, she knew it was unmistakably Kronii's handwriting.
>I always thought it was kind of silly how everyone writes one of these in movies and TV shows, just felt dramatic to me.
>But because of the way our conversation ended yesterday, I felt like I had to do this so you wouldn't get the wrong idea.
>Moona, I love you the most out of anyone in the world. You did your hardest to make me feel included, like I had a friend. I really appreciate that.
>It must seem really selfish of me. I want you to understand, it's hard to live like this. Live like everything about you is wrong. Like no one even treats or accepts you as human. It makes me ill. I want peace. That's why. It wasn't you, if you have to believe anything I say, believe that. I hope you see what I mean.
>I hope you forgive me.
>When you join me, come talk to me. I want to tell you lots more about Bionicle.
"Kronii was found in her room this morning..."
Moona didn't need him to finish his sentence. She gripped Tahu so tightly her hand began to shake. Tears fell down on the paper, staining it.
"...I should've tried harder."
