She found the book when she was just a child.

There was a forest practically in her backyard, she would run out and play on warm summer days in her bare feet, chasing fireflies or butterflies through the trees while her parents were out working. She'd run through the creek, or climb the trees, or chase after the deer that ran wild through the woods.

It managed to change one day, she had stumbled deeper into the woods than she had ever gone before. She should have turned back, should have gone home, though it was beginning to turn dark. She was young, young enough to be afraid of what lurked in the dark. She had begun to cry, afraid, alone.

"Oh dear, oh my." A woman's voice muttered, the young child looking up with her eyes blurry from the tears. She was a simple looking lady, with gray hair and a plain dress and apron. She carried with her a woven basket, used to gather ingredients or goodies. "Young girl, are you lost?"

Through tears, she nodded. The woman extended her hand to the child, offering to help her. "Come," She smiled, her face kind yet old. "I shall take you back to my cottage."

She guided the young girl back through the clearing, to a rustic home hidden deep in the trees. There was smoke coming from the chimney, a delicious aroma of stew coming from inside. "Are you hungry?" She asked, the older lady smiling as the child nodded her head.

"Then I shall make you a bowl of stew. Come, sit." She opened the door, inviting the girl inside.

Her home was very rustic, almost medieval, filled with shelves upon shelves overflowing with herbs and spices, books lining the walls like bookshelves in the library at home. A fireplace took up most of the wall opposite the door, filled with logs crackling and popping away, casting a flickering light over all things.

Walking over to the fireplace, she stepped closer to a cauldron, grabbing a wooden bowl and a spoon. "Here we are, a warm meal." She hummed as she dipped the bowl into the stew, then brought it towards the child, smiling. "Eat well, my dear."

The young child was hesitant, though ate slowly, savoring the delicious flavors that filled the stew. "Oh my.." The older lady shook her head, noticing a scrape along the child's knee. "Did you hurt yourself while playing?"

Slowly, the girl nodded. "Here, I'll fix that up for you." The lady smiled, flicking her wrist. Pink colors swirled off her fingertips, sparkling and glowing as it healed the scrapes. Once done, the lady smiled, wiping her hands clean. "Better?"

The young girl nodded in amazement. The older lady smiled, grabbing an old book she had left on the table. She turned towards the child, placing it on her lap. "You seem like a smart young girl." She said kindly, "I want you to have this. It's a very special book. Study it, use it well."

"Okay." The girl nodded her head, causing the older lady to clasp her hands together.

"Well then, off you go. Time to get you home. Just head down the path, and you'll find your way home." She smiled, opening the door and ushering the child outside.

The young girl took a few steps outside, before looking back at the house. Suddenly it was abandoned, overgrown and crumbling. It was as if hundreds of years had gone by, turning the cottage into ruins. And the woman, who'd been kind and welcoming moments earlier, was gone too.

She pulled the book close to her chest as she turned back to the path ahead, as she made the short journey back home.

~•~

Jangler and Enchantress lead LunaLux into a hidden area, blindfolded to prevent her from learning the location of their current base. "Okay, just a few more steps!" The jester insisted, helping guide her into the meeting room.

He pulled off her blindfold, revealing the meeting room filled with a handful of heroes sitting around the table. There was a werewolf-like man with sunglasses, with two others wearing costumes that weren't too notable.

"Everyone, this is our newest member! Meet LunaLux!" Enchantress said to the group, only to be met with a scoff from a hero.

"How do we know we can trust this newbie?" One hero asked, leaning forward in his chair with a scowl across his face. His skin was a darker tan, his costume more simplistic than the other heroes.

He wore a carmine red cloak that went all the way down to his ankles, with the hood pulled over his messy brown curls. His black pants were somewhat torn around the knees, with a utility belt holding many different pouches wrapped around his waist. His boots were heavy duty, though they seemed to have a larger sole for increased height. Along with that, the hero wore a long, thin cloth as a mask. His underneath shirt was gray and rather plain, though more fitting to blend into shadows.

"Calm down, Short Fuse." Jangler said to his fellow hero, who slammed his hands onto the table as he rose out of his seat. His cheeks were flushed with clear embarrassment.

"Come on! It's Nitroblaster, you clown!"

"Jester." Jangler corrected, "And we wouldn't call you that if you didn't have such a short fuse."

"I don't— I'm perfectly calm!" Nitro groaned as he flopped back down into his seat, crossing his arms with a scowl on his face.

"Look, we basically did a magic lie detector." Enchantress explained to the other heroes, "I also checked her city's newspaper. She's been reported to be a 'midnight vigilante', as they describe."

The wolf-man creature huffed. "We can't be too sure. We have no idea what she's capable of, everything she's told you could be a complete lie."

"Not a very trusting bunch, huh?" Luna muttered underneath her breath. She sighed, before shaking her head. "Okay, okay. I get you're suspicious of me. But maybe this will help prove myself."

Her glowing hair and outfit suddenly began to fade, as if it were melting away. Her hair and eyes returned to their regular, not glowing appearance, while her costume faded into her normal attire. A pair of jean shorts, a white t-shirt, and a black hoodie. "My name is Pearlescent Moon," She said. "I'm here to protect a close friend, and to help protect this city as well."

"Protect a friend, huh?" The wolf creature sniffed the air, a bit curious.

"We'll help where we can." Jangler nodded, "Everyone, why don't we show our trust by revealing our identities to Pearl?"

"Bah." Nitro rolled his eyes, his heavy boots on the edge of the meeting table. "Sounds like a great way to get us killed."

"I'm good with it!" The wolf creature said happily, his tail wagging a bit. Suddenly he began to shrink, morphing from a werewolf to a human in mere moments. If you were to blink, you could have missed it. His sunglasses remained on his face, his long hair pulled back into a ponytail, while he wore a red shirt and jeans, along with black suspenders. "The name's Ren!"

Enchantress snapped her fingers, her mystical appearance as a witch suddenly vanishing in a mystical wind that transformed her into a normal looking civilian. She wore a pink jacket over a plain white shirt, along with jean shorts, and a few flowers caught in her hair. "I'm Stress!"

Jangler took off his comedy theater mask, revealing his green eyes and a few scars that were across his face. "I'm Scar. It's nice to have you on the team."

The other heroes looked to Nitroblaster, who was huffy and pouting. He looked at the others around the room before throwing his hands in the air with a scoff. "Fine! I'm Bdubs. If this girl gets us killed, I'm gonna say I told you so!"

"Come on, Bdubs!" A blonde hero with red eyes laughed a little. He wore dark red pants and black boots, along with a red shirt and black vest. His outfit was mostly simple, though he had a pair of red goggles that sat atop his messy blonde hair. "Don't be so rude! I'm Tango, by the way."

"We have a few more members, but they're out patrolling." Scar, otherwise known as Jangler, explained to Pearl. "You can meet them eventually."

"It's really nice to meet you all." Pearl said with a smile, glancing around the room at the other heroes. "I think we'll work really well together!"

~•~

"And you don't want to talk about it?"

Grian was sitting on the couch across from him, wrapped in a blanket while holding a mug of tea. His eyes were stuck on the floor, so focused, yet so scared. Slowly, the architect shook his head, his face pale and drained of color and life.

Mumbo frowned, seated in an armchair across from his friend. Clearly he was disturbed, he saw something that shook him to his very core, yet the words only managed to come out in bits and pieces. "I'm here," He said, calmly and slowly. "You're safe. Whatever happened, there's no need to be afraid."

"I don't want him to find me." Grian muttered underneath his breath, shaking his head while his hands gripped tighter around the mug that he held.

"Who is he?" Mumbo sat forward a bit, staring at the architect with a firm gaze.

"I don't know," He admitted softly. "But I think he could be connected to someone who wants to hurt me."

His eyes widened a bit. "Grian, someone wants to hurt you?" His friend's voice was filled with concern and horror, though his tone remained soft. He didn't want to startle Grian by raising his voice, as he was already scared enough.

"He—, he hurt me." Grian mumbled, his eyes staring off into space, as if he were in some kind of trance as he spoke. "Highschool. It...It was highschool I think. Don't remember much. Just...flashes. Moments."

"Flashes of what?" Mumbo asked.

Grian glanced up, finally focusing his attention on the mustached man. His eyes were glassy, unfocused, as if he were lost. "Blood. Lots of blood. I-I shoved it all down, wh-..why is it back?" He began to shake his head slowly, "I thought, b-back in Evo, I-I thought he had been there. Watching me. I thought he was coming."

Mumbo stood up, walking slowly to try not to startle the already-disturbed man. He knelt beside the couch, placing a hand on Grian's shoulder. "Who is he? Who do you think is coming to get you..?"

Shaking his head, the architect tried to get up from his seat, still caught in a daze. "I need...t-to pack, I need to go, go before..."

"Grian." Mumbo spoke firm, yet held a calm tone. They locked eyes, and he took in a deep breath.

"S-sorry, sorry." He muttered, shaking his head as he blinked a few times. "I-I-I don't know what came over me."

"Grian, is someone trying to hurt you? Are you in danger?" Mumbo asked, his eyes worried for the safety of his friend.

"I...I don't know anymore."