AN: this is a repost of this chapter. I had removed it not knowing if I was going to write the story. I decided to continue the story so re-posting this chap. second chap coming right away. chap 23 of AnD will be out this week some time. I am on summer break now so I will hopefully be writing long as I can keep myself mentally happy hehe.

well hopefully you guys like this ROLU...

To Illuminate the Shadows

Chapter 1

Lucy bolted upright in bed as a scream ripped from her throat and reverberated around her small room. She sat there panting and clutching her blankets to her chest as the nightmare replayed in her terror filled mind. Lucy had not noticed the golden glow that filled her room, or her spirit, until she felt the warm arms that wrapped around her trembling shoulders. She stiffened for a moment, her mind still swirling with fear, before she smelled the familiar smell of sun dried grass and spice. The soothing smell along with the warm arms around her calmed her and she relaxed into the embrace.

After a while, her body stopped shivering and though the nightmare was fresh in her mind, she was able to pull away from the soothing embrace. Lucy looked over to the man who sat next to her and tried to give him a smile that said she was all right now. She had failed in the charade, his frown deepened and the green eyes behind his lightly tented shades expressed his worry.

She opened her mouth to say something but was cut short as the ginger haired man raised his hand and stood up gracefully from the bed. He gave her a soft smile before he said, "Princess, I am going to get you a glass of water." He started to walk toward her kitchen and then said over his shoulder, "Then we will discuss what just happened."

Lucy slowly nodded and watched halfheartedly as he walked to the kitchen and filled a glass of water for her. The glass being pressed in her hand broke her out of stupor. Lucy smiled weakly at her glass as she took small sips. Loke let out a soft breath as he sat on the edge of her bed and looked at her. His brows had drawn down slightly and a small frown pulled at his lips. It had been two months since his Princess had been so upset that she called to him in her sleep. He took a steady breath and after he had slowly released it he said softly, "Lucy, I thought we already got you through this issue about him."

Lucy looked up at her loyal lion spirit; her eyebrows were lowered in confusion. What was he talking about? Then it slowly dawned on her that Loke had misunderstood her distress…

Four months earlier…

Lucy had walked into the guild ready for a day of hanging around her favorite people. She opened the doors and was assaulted with rowdy cheers and calls of congratulations coming from the bar area. Once she got there, she saw what all of the ruckus was for and felt her heart clinch in pain. Surrounded by the whole guild was a pink haired boy with his arm around a small silver haired girl. Natsu had finally told the guild that he and Lisanna were not only dating but that she was his mate. The mate thing was not a shock to Lucy, because a month before they had all learned that dragon slayers picked mates when Gajeel took Levy for his. The shock was that Natsu chose Lisanna and not Lucy. Lucy was sure when she learned of the mating business that Natsu would soon come to realize Lucy was his. So this revelation ripped a hole in Lucy's heart when she found out that she was not Natsu's mate.

For an entire month, Lucy avoided the new couple when at the guild and cried into Loke's chest almost every night. A month later Natsu kept bugging her to go on missions with team Natsu, but she could not get over the fact that Lisanna would be going as well. The heartache, though lessened, was still too painful. Two months after the announcement Lucy finally gave in and went on a mission with Team Natsu again. By the end of the two week mission, Lucy had become really good friends with Lisanna and had Natsu back as her best friend. The hole in her heart was still there, but she realized that it no longer ached for Natsu. For the last two months life may not have been the best, but it was back to fun and crazy. There were times when she felt her loneliness flare up. When that happened she would go to the guild and they would help distract her from the emptiness.

Back to present day…

Lucy let out a ragged breath and said softly, "I am over Natsu, Loke. I'm good friends with Lisanna now and my heart does not ache for him anymore."

"So why did you call out for me in your sleep?" Loke asked softly. His frown deepened as he watched Lucy withdraw into herself when he asked her the question. Lucy's eyes glazed over in fear, her breathing had become rapid and shallow, and she had drawn up her knees to her chest as she hugged them tightly and started to rock in her bed. Loke felt her terror in his chest from the bond they shared and smelled the fear that radiated from her. Lucy was lost in her nightmare and Loke knew he needed to break her out of it and fast. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly while he shouted her name. About a minute later, Lucy's eyes cleared and she sobbed loudly. Loke quickly crawled into bed with her and pulled her to his chest and held her tight.

In between her sobs Loke heard her say, "It has… been … six months … why … now?" Lucy looked up with tear filled eyes and asked in a whisper he barely heard, "Why have they returned now?" She had a white knuckled grip on his jacket. Loke's heart broke when he realized what had distressed his princess so much to call him in her sleep.

Ten months ago …

It was just after they returned from the Grand Magic Games and the war with the dragons, when Lucy's nightmares began. Every night she would wake screaming in terror. There was not a time when she slept that Loke was not called to her side, usually with her screams still ringing in the room. Lucy would try to stay awake for days at a time, but when her exhausted body and mind finally collapsed—Loke swore that the nightmare were ten times worse.

At the very beginning he knew he loved her with all his heart, and that he wanted her romantically. On the other hand, he also realized that was not how she would ever feel for him and was not what she needed from him. He resigned himself to his fate. He stopped his flirtatious teasing ways around her and became the big brother and confidant that she needed. During the months of terror, Loke remained by Lucy's side. The months it took for her nightmares to subside were very difficult. The only good thing that came of those months was that they had become extremely close. Their bond had become unbreakable. Even if he could not love her the way he wanted to, his life was fulfilled. The relationship of trust they had built completed him more than he imagined it could have.

It took four months for the nightmares to leave her. In all that time not a single one of her nightmares lingered in her mind in any detail, it just left her with the terror from the dream when she woke.

Back to present day…

Loke felt his chest tighten at Lucy's terror filled whisper. He grabbed the back of her head and pulled it tight to his chest. A moment later he was rocking her softly, petting her hair, and murmuring soothing nothings onto the top of her head. Lucy's sobs slowly quieted and she slumped in his arms. Loke stopped his rocking and relaxed against the wall, he continued to stroke Lucy's hair as she slept in his arms. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he prayed that she would be able to sleep without another nightmare.

But neither of them was that lucky…

Lucy's nightmare …

"Protect … the future …" Future Lucy whispered with her last breath in Lucy's arms. The cries of her family rang through the castle's hallway. Lucy's chest ached in sorrow and heartbreak not only for the poor woman lifeless in her arms, but at the wracking sobs from those around her.

The things future Rogue said after that made her chest burn in anger. There was no way she would close those gates if it harmed her world's future!

"Lucy! Get out of here!" Natsu's shout rocked her world and her heart broke more when Loke pulled her away from Natsu as he stood in rage and faced down future Rogue. They ran down the halls away from the fighting mages.

The world swirled and changed locations …

Lucy now was standing before the slowly opening gates. The realization came to her as Crux's information filled her mind. The gate was linked to the time of the dragons! Terror filled her mind and nearly choked her throat. Finally she was able to croak out, "THE DOOR MUST BE CLOSED! THIS INSTANT!"

Everyone around her looked at her like she lost her mind. The terror took a hold of her heart and she shouted once again, "YOU MUSTN'T LET THE DOORS OPEN FULLY!" But it was too late; the first dragon had already stepped through the gate. Lucy's body started to tremble violently; she needed to close the gate now!

She finally reached the mechanism to close the gate and grabbed the handle … but nothing happened … Lucy's heart dropped to her feet, she was not strong enough to close the gate! As each new dragon stepped through the gate she was thrown from the device. Each time she struggled back and tried once more in vain to shut the gate. Still nothing … Lucy's whole body ached from the pain of failing everyone.

Lucy's heart soared with hope when she heard Yukino shout, "… LET'S COMBINE OUR KEYS … USE ALL TWELVE KEYS TO CLOSE THE GATES!"

A wave of relief washed over Lucy as she watched the zodiac's force the gate closed on the dragons that had been trying to breach the gate. That relief was short lived …

Once again the nightmare swirled and changed locations …

Natsu had just destroyed the gates; the dragons were fading from this time line. Lucy watched as Natsu conversed with the fading future Rogue. Lucy's heart ached when she heard the loneliness and hopelessness in the future Rogue's voice when he talked about the shadows that always haunted him. When she heard that he gave into the shadows when Frosch had died, she had made a promise to herself to help prevent that fate for present Rogue. As the nightmare started to fade, his last words rang over and over "In one year remind me to protect Frosch … in a year's time …"

Back to the waking world …

Lucy's sat up and ripped herself out of Loke's startled embrace. Gasping she sat there sweat sliding down her spine sending more shivers through her body. Finally catching her breath, she looked back at her startled Lion spirit. Lucy locked her eyes on his and said in a strangled whisper, "Loke we need to find Rogue!"

She watched as Loke's brows furrowed in confusion, but she did not give him time to argue as she jumped out of bed and started packing her backpack for the journey to Sabertooth's guildhall …