Night Shadows

Chapter 4

The group camped through the day and into the next night due to the fact that both Lucy and Lunara had not woken at first light. Natsu hadn't left Lucy's side since he had caught her when she had started to fall to the ground. Wendy had managed to ease his worry by letting him know that it was just exhaustion, Lunara however was another ailment altogether.

Wnedy sat next to the Princess trying to gain some kind of idea of how to help the now silver haired woman. Shadelin was pacing and Dante stood leaning against a tree watching Shade's progress in creating a rut in the ground with worry. The Nether Realm spirit had never seen his friend like this before, not since Lunara's key had been taken anyway. He looked up at the sky speckled with stars, and did a double take. Confused he asked, "Is it supposed to be a new moon tonight?"

Shade stopped in her tracks and looked at the sky intently. "No," she said her green eyes a light with an inner fire. "It isn't supposed to be a dark moon this eve." It was at the end of this sentence that Leo appeared behind Disirion. Shade looked at her elder brother and asked, "What the heck is going on, 'cause I know for a fact that Lunara didn't cast Mungestsu."

It was Loke/ Leo that answered her, "The one who has her key is trying to hide from Lord Disirion's scythe, and they're sucking the life literally out of Lunara."

Once Leo has finished speaking he went directly to Lunara's side and gathered her into his arms at his touch the moon princess's body relaxed and her breathing slowed. Lucy smiled from where she lay in Natsu's arms, not making a sound to let the fire dragon slayer know that she was awake. She knew that something was seriously wrong with the girl she had recently met and come to know, but somehow the lion coming to guard her made her body relax. Disirion spoke then from next to Lucy and Natsu, "He's using his own power to be here, Lucy- san. The Lion has one of the closest bonds with one-sama. He could sense when the moon isn't acting the way it should quicker than anyone else."

Lucy nodded in acknowledgement, making Natsu aware that she was awake, but instead of releasing her like she had thought he would, his arms tightened around her in a protective and possessive manner. "How do we help her with that," Wendy asked in a concerned voice as she sat next to Loke, who still held the unconscious Lunara.

"The only thing that we can do is hope that she wakes soon," Dante said. At the questioning look that Erza threw at him, Dante continued. "If she doesn't wake soon that will be the end of her as well as the moon." At this statement Loke stood with the limp form of the princess in his arms and disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

Once away from the camp where everyone else was, Leo took Lunara to a pool of water, knowing that the element always revitalized her. He set her down gently on the ground and took off her shoes and corset. Then he took off his shoes, tie, jacket and shirt. Once he had again gathered Lunara's sleeping form into his embrace, he waded into the cool water. When he had reached a depth where the water reached his waist, he bent and set his princess in the water. As her body touched the surface of the healing liquid the pool flashed silver at the same time as the full moon appeared in the sky. The moon was in the sky for a dull ten minutes before Lunara stirred. Leo watched her intently as she slowly opened her amethyst eyes. She blinked up at him. "Leo, what happened? What are you doing here?" Then she looked down at herself and noted that she wasn't wearing her shoes or her corset. She then looked back at Loke, who was still holding her, and gave him a look with a raised eyebrow.

Loke looked away from the intent gaze as a light blush took over his cheeks. "I, uh, thought that you wouldn't want your things wet." It was then that she noticed that she was in a pool of water that still shone silver.

"You remembered what to do when the moon darkens out of time. It's been years Leo, I didn't know that you cared even when I-I did what I did." The silver haired girl looked away obviously trying not to cry. Instead of answering her, Loke carried her out of the water and onto the shore where he set her down. He then knelt down in front of her, still without his shirt and took her hands into his own.

"Lunara, you did what you did because you knew what would happen without your key better than anyone else. I may have felt hurt that you would break off our engagement and not give me a reason, but Lunara I've been worried sick about what happened to you since you disappeared twelve years ago." Loke looked intently into the purple eyes before him. "I didn't even take on a contract with a human until I learned about Karen and what she was doing to Aries." He looked away then as he continued to tell her about his banishment and Lucy's help on being able to return there after three years in the human world. The man confessed all his short comings at the feet of his princess.

Once Loke had fallen silent Lunara pulled her gently from his and took his face into her hands. Slowly she turned his head so that it faced her, and then she spoke softly, "Leo, I-I never stopped loving you. I didn't want to break our engagement…but I couldn't, no, I wouldn't put you through losing me that way. I wouldn't make you suffer that way. I couldn't let you stay with me when I knew that I could die at any time."

Loke pulled her roughly into his arms and held her as he spoke, "We'll get your key back, and then see what happens. I'm not letting you go again, not after I found you." The two sat together late into the night until Loke carried her back to the camp putting Lunara back into Wendy and Shade's care, before he shimmered and disappeared back to the Celestial Realm.