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Moon Rabbits
The construction noise was louder than Lucy expected. A saw whined through something below them while Danny’s dad and his crew worked on the garage.
Danny had set her up in the den upstairs, next to his room. Pre-season was running and she was spending an afternoon on an ancient video game.
“Okay. Walk me through what you think you know.”
“Medieval fantasy. Kingdoms, knights, airships. And then there’s a crystal. Of friendship, I think. Or maybe truth. Something aspirational.”
He groaned. “It’s the Crystal of Light.”
“I was in the neighborhood.”
“You were in a different zip code,” he said. “Alright, from the top. Cecil starts as a Dark Knight—”
“Classic sworn-oath soldier. Follows the chain of command until the order crosses a moral line. I teach this unit every year, Danny. It’s Nuremberg.”
“Did you just compare Final Fantasy to a war crimes tribunal?”
“I compared it to the defense at a war crimes tribunal. There’s a distinction.”
“Can we please just go back to the game? Tell me what’s happening on screen right now.”
Cecil and the blue guy stood in a cave. A dragon filled the top of the screen.
“We’re fighting a dragon.”
“Yes. But—”
The dragon dissolved. The sprite vanished, replaced by a low fog across the cave floor.
“Where’d it go?”
“It turned into mist. So you need to—”
Lucy selected Attack. Cecil swung at nothing.
“STOP. Stop attacking.”
“Why would I stop attacking?”
“Because it counters if you hit it in mist form. You have to wait.”
“You want me to stand in a cave with a dragon and wait.”
“Yes.”
“That is the worst tactical advice I’ve ever heard.”
She attacked again. The screen flashed. Both characters dropped.
Danny screamed into a throw pillow. The hammering downstairs covered it completely.
Lucy had done her homework. She pulled the chair across from Matt and sat.
“So. I hear you had a Cecil moment.”
Matt set his water bottle down. Slowly. “…Excuse me?”
“The whole Dark Knight thing. You were full dark mode, and now you’re going Paladin. Am I wrong?”
“Go on?”
“Danny gave me the full rundown. The redemption arc, the dramatic fight with Darth Vader, the whole thing.”
“…I’m sorry, Darth Vader?”
“You know, Godbert. The big scary guy with a helmet and cape.”
“It’s Golbez, Lucy. Golbez.”
“Fine. Golbez. What does he do?”
“Controls people. Leads an army. Standard world-ending agenda.”
“So he’s Darth Vader.”
Matt tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. Then back at her.
“You studied for this.”
“I took notes.”
“I can tell.” He grinned. “So what’s the game all about, then?”
“You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“You wanted to impress me. Here’s your shot.”
“Redemption.”
He tilted his right hand. “And?”
“Crystals?”
“And?”
“The moon. And… rabbits?”
Matt’s laugh broke open. Not the measured half-sound she’d been getting for months. This one shook through his shoulders, made him press his left hand over his eyes and stay there until it ran out.
“Oh, Luce. You actually tried.”
“I knew you’d be insufferable if I got something wrong.”
“That was the best part.”
She leaned down, close enough that he couldn’t dodge it.
“You’re lucky you’re cute.”
Matt met her eyes. Full smile.
“Not luck.”
There you are.
“Enjoy it while it lasts, Hartfield.” She straightened up. “Next time, I’ll get it right.”
“Prove it.”
She would. And she’d figure out how Cecil destroys the Death Star while she was at it.
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