Yakumo's idea of training was a bit different than what Luna had in mind.
Returning back to base, Luna felt an immense amount of relief hit her. Sighing, "geez guys, what are you trying to do? Kill me?" she asked them, removing the purifier mask from her face. Walking over to Murasame's area, she placed her sword on the workbench as she removed her Stinger Blood Veil. It felt nice to finally be able to take a deep breath without worry of the miasma, looking down at her hand she could barely feel the faint sting of the countless slashes she inflicted on her own palm to purify the numerous mistles they had come across.
Shrugging his shoulders, "no, but there were a couple of close calls." Yakumo reminded her, placing his weapon on the rack. Even had to admit, it was difficult for them at first to work together in combat, but towards the end they seemed to have found a rhythm that worked. "So, what did you think about the Depths?"
"Besides it being more creepy and unsettling than any other battlefield?" she sarcastically asked, "I have to say I have a lot more respect for you guys taking them on as often as you do." she said.
Hearing footsteps approaching from behind her, she watched Louis place his weapon next to her own. "The Depths are a challenge at times, but it's also a good place to gather materials. I'll have Murasame take a look at what we found, she might be able to reinforce our weapons before we head out again." he explained, before looking at both Yakumo and Luna. "For now, it would be best if we take it easy."
Nodding their heads, Luna pulled the vestige fragment from her pocket. "I should go find Io, maybe it'll be a match for one of the other ones we found." she said to herself. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looked up to see Louis standing close to her. "W-what?" Luna stuttered.
He hated seeing her hold the fragments of the vestiges, Louis knew exactly what she was going to do. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked her. "Last time you restored a vestige you were out for the entire day." Louis reminded her, "it's probably best if you wait a little longer before you do anything else involving the vestiges." Voicing his concerns.
Sitting at the bar, Yakumo sat back as he watched them talk with one another, "good to see those two aren't fighting anymore." Smirking, he turned away.
"Louis, we've been over this." Luna shook her head, "You know why this is important to me."
Taking a deep breath, he knew that she wouldn't change her mind. "Alright, but if it does take a toll on you let me know. We need to make sure that we're prepared for our next expedition." he reminded her, "When you both are ready," he glanced over at Yakumo for a brief second, "we should discuss where we're heading next."
Giving a thumbs up, "sounds good!" Yakumo said.
Nodding her head, Luna silently agreed with him. She could still see the concern in his eyes for what she was about to do, but he respected her decision regardless of how he felt. "Louis…. Why do you always look so sad whenever you look at me?" she wondered, watching him walk toward Coco; leaving her to feel the ache in her heart slowly beginning to grow.
Watching the vestige disperse into the palm of her hand, Luna shook her head. "That was terrible…." She said to herself before looking over at Io. She knew that Io could see the memories locked inside as well, but they never spoke openly about them. The memories in the vestige was one that showed the true definition of misery, at least in her opinion. She could feel every ounce of pain that the Revenant once felt, his sadness and defeat. A sharp pain raced up her arm, making her wince.
She knew she was past her limit, no matter how many times she did it; it was always so taxing on her. Feeling her body ache with exhaustion, Luna could barely stand on her feet. Io supported her, carefully assisting Luna to one of the couches in the lounge. "Are you feeling ok?"
Nodding her head weakly, "yes. I just need some rest," she was barely able to keep her eyes open. Drowsiness clawing at her, the scorching pain in her hand still lingered. But despite how she felt, she knew she did a good thing. After seeing the sorrowful life inside of the vestige that belonged to the nameless Revenant that they had discovered back in the Dried Up Trenches, her body was riddled with pain.
Laying down, Luna fully closed her eyes. The process didn't take too much of a toll on Io to repair the vestiges, but for Luna it was a different story. Each vestige had its own painful memories that were locked away, to experience the pain and suffering over and over again; to some it was unbearable, but to her it was necessary. She was given this power for a reason and she needed to use it.
Her mission had changed now. At first she thought her gift was just to revive mistiles and blood springs, but things were different. With Io's help she could help restore her friends, give them back their memories, part of their humanity. A renewed hope to get them through each battle. Even if it hurt her, it didn't matter; if it meant giving them back a piece of themselves, to give them some peace and uncover the mystery of their pasts, that's all that mattered to her. It even gave her a chance to see what her friends had gone through, whether it was good or bad, it gave her a new perspective of them.
But one in particular only made her wonder still.
"Louis," everytime she unlocked a vestige one thing always came to her, his memories. Behind those gentle red eyes of his was tragedy, the kind smile masking his pain. She could remember what he said to her the day when she gave him back his lost memories, 'only when I'm engaged in the rush of combat can I close my eyes to the gravity of what I've done.' His guilt had consumed him for so long. He blamed himself for allowing such a devastation to occur, the weight of it still upon his shoulders; she was responsible for returning it to him.
Slightly opening her eyes, Luna could feel a pain strike her heart. Even though he swore he would end the Revenants suffering, he refused to let anyone help him carry the weight of his guilt. She wanted to help him, help lift it off of him to prevent him from suffocating under the actions that occurred. Even after offering to help him, she knew that he wasn't going to allow anyone to carry the blame for what he felt responsible for.
She knew that there was no way he could have known that this would have happened, no one could have. It hurt her to see the look of anguish in his eyes whenever they left the base. For him to have to see the world how it is now, to walk through the rubble and remains of human society and the life that once filled the now blood stained battlefields.
He vowed to end it, to find the source as a way to make amends for one mistake. But to be asked to kill your friend to end their suffering, even Luna couldn't imagine how shocking it must have been to be presented with such a request. The request to put out of their misery to forever resonate in your mind. It was no surprise to her that he could escape it through battle. The rush of adrenaline pumping through your veins, to know any conflict can be your last, a way to break free from the shackles of regret. "Louis…. I promise I'll do anything to help you achieve your goal, I'll do anything to help you."
How she wanted to say that to him when they found his vestige, but she couldn't say a single word to him. Her own consciousness was distracted by the faint sound of her own voice in his memory, to hear her say his name. It may have been coincidence that he could have known a different Luna in his human life, but she swore she heard her voice screaming at him. Pleading for him to run.
Feeling the weariness overtake her, Luna fully closed her eyes again. "No matter the toll on me, I will help you achieve your goal Louis." she said to herself before quickly falling asleep.
The base had been quiet for a while after their return, as Louis made his way towards the board. He knew that most of his team had turned in for the night at this point. Examining the map he could hear the faint sound of someone snoring behind him; glancing over the couch he saw Luna sleeping soundly with a thin white blanket draped over her.
"Io," he knew that Io must have left Luna out here to rest instead of waking her up. "She must have overdone it," he said to himself, shaking his head. The Depths they traveled today were tiring enough, but he couldn't imagine the mental and emotional toll she must have felt after absorbing the vestiges that they were able to restore.
Making his way around the couch, Louis kneeled down beside her, watching her sleep. He carefully brushed the hair from her face, as he gently rested his hand against her soft cheek. The angelicness of her sleeping face, peaceful and serene dreams she might be having, serving as a temporary escape from the world they lived in now.
Louis knew that he couldn't leave her out here, slowly removing the blanket from her he threw it onto the small couch. Picking her up in his arms, Louis was careful not to move her too much as to try and not wake her. "Let's get you to bed," he whispered to her. Her head resting on his chest, he hoped that the sound of his beating heart wouldn't wake her; to him it sounded like a drum was in his chest.
Quietly opening the door to her room, he was grateful that she didn't make her bed today as he gently laid her down onto the mattress. Bringing the blanket up to her neck he could see her eyes wince like she was in pain, "Louis…." She spoke his name.
He was shocked to hear her speak his name while she slumbered, "Shhh, it's ok Luna," he whispered to her. Louis couldn't deny that she looked breathtaking even as she slept, like she was a character in a fairy tale. His hand resting on her cheek, his thumb gently rubbing her soft skin; how he had dreamed of moments like these during his many years of searching. How he yearned to feel her embrace once more and now here she was.
Louis didn't notice his body leaning closer to Luna's sleeping form, until he could barely feel their noses touching. Clenching his fist, he stood up, quietly walking away from Luna. Carefully shutting the door, Louis sighed. Leaning against her closed door he realized how close he was to doing it, how he hated himself for what he almost did. "If I had gone through with it, she'd probably be upset with me." He thought to himself, making his way back to his room.
It took every ounce of self control to hold himself back every day. Fighting his wants and needs, despite his wandering thoughts and fantasies of Luna. "She finally comes back to me…. But with no memory of who she is…." But even so, she still acted the same as when they were humans. That part of her was still intact. Louis knew that recalling their past would only make things worse for him, he constantly had to remind himself that even though she didn't remember anything from that time and still wanting to respect her wishes, they were finally reunited again.
Even if it didn't turn out like he hoped it would.
Darkness.
It carried no warmth with it, no sounds traveled in the vast emptiness; just a void of darkness that surrounded her. Luna couldn't tell if she was dreaming or if she was in the part of her mind where she would encounter Cruz, she just couldn't tell. This, much like yesterday, was something she had never experienced before.
There was nothing that would make her feel any fear, nor be on guard regardless of the fact that she was encased in a work of nothingness. She simply floated in the space, not knowing where she was or even caring. She didn't question why her surroundings didn't bother her, or think twice to be worried.
The only thing she felt was calm.
A calmness that she hadn't felt since the day she woke up, it was a rather foreign feeling to her. For so long she had been on edge, thinking that any day could be her last. That she may lose her life either to the swarms of Lost that were slowly devouring their world, or by being consumed by the power that dwelled inside of her.
Light started to cut through the darkness, taking the shape of a door. Her eyes squinted as the blinding light was calling to her, drawing her to it like a moth to a flame. Luna didn't need to do anything, her body instinctively floated towards it. Reaching for the knob her hands grasped it, pushing it open; consumed by the light, warmth enveloped her.
Solid ground beneath her feet, she slowly opened to her eyes as she was surprised by what she saw. The room was a bit bigger than the one that she had back at the base, a light colored wooden desk was covered in organized piles of textbooks and notebooks, a few of which were open. Glancing at the notes that were scribbled along the lined pages she could see that they were notes from research studies and their findings.
Numerous medical books and literature books filled the shelves of the large bookshelf, almost completely. The spines appeared to have marks, signifigy that they had been opened and read often. Looking to her side, she could see the bed was smaller than the one that she had. It appeared that it could fit one person comfortably, a few pillows rested against the headboard, the dark bed sheet didn't appear to be stained or have any signs of wrinkles.
"Where am I?" Luna questioned, she had never been in this room before but for some reason it felt familiar to her like she had seen it once in her life. Footsteps echoed from behind the closed door, she was shocked to hear any noises coming from the darkness that once engulfed her. She knew that she didn't have any weapons on her, just her fists but something inside of her told her that she didn't need to be on her guard. Everything in her body was telling her to just stay calm.
The knob slowly turned, as the door opened. Luna's eyes widened at the sight of Louis entering the room, he gazed over at her "is everything ok?" he inquired, walking towards her.
Nodding her head, Luna averted her gaze down, noticing the clothes she was wearing. A pair of high rise shorts and a shirt that she could feel was a bit oversized on her, the excess was tied into a knot that rested on her lower back. She felt exposed, feeling his gaze had never left her. "Yeah," she answered him.
Her heart started to beat so fast that it felt like it was about to burst at any moment, "why am I feeling this way?" she wondered in her mind, as a strange sensation began to wash over her. The floor creaked with each step Louis took towards her, his hand cupping her cheek, making her look at him, "Louis?" she whispered his name.
"'You sure?" he asked her again, his thumb gently stroking her cheek, licking his lips.
Luna didn't know what to think of his behavior, it was something she could never imagine the Louis she knew to do. He made it clear that he wanted something from her, crossing a line that they had drawn but never spoke about. Luna was shocked by his simple action, to her it was like he was a whole different person, "umm… yea," she barely managed to answer him as she was unable to break eye contact with him, being drawn in by the glow of his green eyes.
"Luna," he practically sang her name, making her shiver. "How long are we going to keep acting like this?" he inquired, wrapping his other arm around her, forcing her to be as close to him as possible. "Or do I need to be more forward?"
"Be more forward?" Luna didn't know how much more forward he was going to be with her, but judging by how he held her, the look in his eyes she knew that there was no going back after this. An immense yearning began to grow deep inside of her, being so close to him, he held her so gently but with a firm grip. "Isn't this already considered being forward?" She managed to speak.
Luna wasn't sure if this was the same Louis she knew, he looked exactly like him except his red eyes were now green, but they were looking at her in pure desire that it made the yearning grow even stronger than it already was. His gentleman composure was replaced with a brazen carnal hunger that he was barely able to hold back much longer. "Luna, that's not what I asked."
Bringing her hand up to his face, Luna brushed his hair aside exposing his hidden right eye. She didn't care if this was a dream or not; she wanted to satisfy this urge that was slowly starting to consume her. She knew he could see the longing in her eyes that was building inside of her, he rested his forehead on her own, their lips barely touching nearly caused the feelings she felt to almost push her over the edge. "Are we just going to stand like this forever or what?" she whispered against his lips.
Louis closed the distance between them, Luna could feel the slight happiness of his lips against hers. His hand moved from her face to the back of her head; grasping her head, pulling slightly he made her tilt her head back, deepening their kiss. His tongue licked her bottom lip, seeking permission. Luna didn't think twice, granting him approval as he tasted the slick haven.
Luna was lost in the never ending sensations that surrounded her mind, everything around her became fuzzy. Putting her hands on his chest, she broke away. "Louis," he didn't allow her to continue speaking as he pulled her back to him; resumming where he left off. Luna felt as if this was something more than desire, his needs and wants of her were more than what she had expected.
Breaking away from her lips, Luna grasped at his back as he lined her neck and jaw with opened mouth kisses. Moans spilled from her lips, as she held onto him for dear life as it was starting to overwhelm her senses. His teeth nipped at her throat for a moment, before returning back to her red tinted cheeks. Noticing her chest panting, he guided her over to the bed.
Sitting down, Luna straddled his lap as she wrapped his arms around his neck. Lowering her head, she placed a kiss at the corners of his mouth as she pressed her lips against his; relishing his taste. She didn't want this to stop, she wanted to savor every moment that they were like this, wanting more. Looking into his eyes, Luna gasped at the sight of his sudden change in eye color.
His red eyes were glowing intensely at her, the desire that was once there was gone. She couldn't tell what truly lay inside of them, trying to get off of him, she felt his hands grip her hips tightly making her cry out in pain. "Louis what's wrong?" He didn't answer her, as he roughly grabbed hold of her hair; pulling it down to expose her neck fully to him. Luna didn't have a chance to fight as he sunk his fangs deep into her throat.
She wanted to scream at the searing pain that was concentrated in her neck, it was unbearable. She had never felt like a pain like it or even similar, her whole being was being absorbed by the torture. Not a single sound could escape her lips, her eyes watching as the room around her started to crumble apart. Louis's warmth left her, only to be replaced by the cold tightening grip of chains encasing her body. "What's going on!?" her mind questioned, thick blue miasma surrounding her, making it nearly impossible for her to breathe. The tightening around her squeezed her harder than the Despots grasp, her entire being starting to grow cold. "Please…. Stop this…." she begged, closing her eyes.
"Stop what?" the sound of Cruz's voice echoed all around her. Luna's eyes shot open seeing a scene that could only be described as her worst nightmare. Io, Coco, Murasame, Yakumo, even Davis were face down in a large pool of crimson blood. Their bodies riddled with wounds so severe that it was like a beast had nearly torn them to shreds, but not turning to ash.
Feeling a weight drop onto her, she could feel a thick liquid drip onto his body. Her gaze slowly turned to the cold lifeless body of Louis that leaned against her, "Louis!?" holding him in her arms, the once vibrant glow of his red eyes was gone only to be replaced with a dulled red, that was filled with despair. Lifting her hand, she could see his blood all over it, slowly falling down her forearm. "Stop this! Stop tormenting me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, tears falling from her eyes, hitting his face. "Just leave me alone!"
She hated everything that she had seen, her friends sprawled out before her. The horrible feeling of dread coursing through her veins, "how could you kill them?!" Luna shouted. Slowly one by one, each of them began to fade leaving her behind in a pool of their blood. "You're nothing but pure evil! How?! How could you?!"
Tightness constricted her lungs, making it nearly impossible to take a single breath. Hands to her chest, a weight swept over her body making it nearly impossible to lift her head. Her hair dipping into the thick crimson liquid,, she was forced to look into the pool of blood beneath her, her entire being began to tremble. The whites of her eyes were gone, darkness infecting her eyes. "No! No!"
Shooting up from her bed, panting, a cold sweat covering her body. Her hands searched her neck, but couldn't find any traces of a bite mark or any indentations. Taking a deep breath, Luna tried to compose herself as she realized that it was all in her mind. "What was that?" she questioned.
Pulling her hair back, she could feel the slight dampness on her skin. Her heart raced as she tried to calm herself down. Shaking her head, Luna ran a hand through her hair as she couldn't shake how real her dream felt. Every night those vivid dreams haunted her even after she awoke, they were so real that she wondered if she did truly wake up or not.
But this one was different.
Feeling her lips, Luna could still feel that same sensation in her dreams. How in that very moment, she allowed her worries and fears of the world to collapse for a few seconds of false intimacy. She had fought those stirring feelings now for a while and that dream made her realize how difficult it was starting to become. "No! This is ridiculous! I can't lose myself to some dream made up by whatever is inside of me!"
Getting out of bed, Luna made her way to the door. The cool morning air flowed into her room as the quiet stillness was a sign that the others were most likely asleep, "I need some water…." she muttered to herself, walking down the hallway. Squinting her eyes to the brightness of the morning sunshine that flooded the base, Luna could hear the sound of someone grunting as she looked towards the doors.
His back turned towards her, she recognized his dark messy hair as he counted to himself. She watched as Louis continued to pull himself up the bar, the way his muscles were significantly more defined despite his slim frame. A thin layer of sweat made his fair skin shimmer; the faint scars across his back and shoulders etched into his skin showing the previous injuries he had sustained in combat before.
Dropping from the bar, Louis turned towards the presence giving her a chance to see the defined six pack abs that were a sign of all his hard training. Luna knew that he had to be in good shape considering what they did, but actually seeing him in his current state made her mind feel cloudy. Reaching for the towel that hung off of the railing Louis wiped the sweat from his brow, dropping it around his neck he smirked, "morning Luna, I'm surprised you're up this early."
Luna couldn't find any words, her throat felt dry as she glanced away. "I honestly couldn't sleep…" she muttered, trying to calm herself down hoping that he didn't notice the blush that danced across her cheeks. "Ummm…." she knew she had to change the subject quickly, "just out of curiosity, how did I get into my bed last night?" She inquired, "Last thing I can remember is restoring a few vestiges. I was so exhausted I'm pretty sure I passed out on the couch."
Taking a step towards her, "You did, so I carried you back to your room." He said to her, "I'm guessing you overdid it again, didn't you Luna?" Louis asked her. The light of the morning sun made her purple eyes glow vibrantly as she held her arms behind her back, unable to answer him. "Honestly by now you should really listen to me and take it easy," he jokingly said to her as he could see a smile pulling at her lips. "But if you started doing that, then I'd wonder if it was really you."
She couldn't hold back her giggle, "Oh hush up! Guess it's the best way to see if a fake me ever infiltrated the base." she playfully said back to him, as she quickly noticed how close he was to her. "Ummm…. Anyway! What are you doing? I've never seen you work out so early in the morning." she said to him, before kicking herself mentally. "Nice choice of words, Luna!" she yelled at herself.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, "I'm always up pretty early, no one is usually awake at the same time as me so I usually workout for a bit." He answered her. Looking down at the woman before him, Louis could see that small locks of her hair were glued to her skin. "Did you have a nightmare?" He bluntly asked her as he could see the shock on Luna's face.
Grabbing her arm, "I guess you could say that…" she whispered. "But it wasn't about anything in those vestiges if that's what you're curious about…. Just a bad dream…. That's all."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Placing his hand on her shoulder, "you know you can talk to me about those things Luna. It be mentally exhausting doing what you do, so if you ever want to talk please don't hesitate to come to me." He offered her.
Nodding her head, "I know, but I'm the only one who can do this."
Something about those words made his heart sink. Louis could clearly remember Cruz saying the same thing during Project Queen and how he forced himself to stay supportive regardless of what he felt. "You say that, but part of you is still human Luna. There's only so much someone can endure before they finally break."
"Louis…." His hand cupped her cheek, "Is everything ok?"
"Luna, I know you're strong but you can't force yourself to do everything alone. You make it seem like restoring those vestiges doesn't affect you, but I can see it in your eyes that it does." He said to her, "They make you sad, it hurts you to see the tragedies that have befallen those who the vestiges belonged to."
Shaking her head, "Louis…. I knew when I made this decision that I would have to face whatever is inside of them, but I can handle it. Besides…. My human side died probably a long time ago."
"Regardless you're still human, you're not a monster." He said to her, as she locked eyes with him. She could practically feel her heart thumping against her ribs as she the position they were in. His hand was still on her cheek, standing so close together that with every breath she took she could feel her clothed breasts against his chest. "Luna, if you ever want me too, I'll gladly be at your side when you restore your next vestige…. I want to see what you see, I don't want you to feel alone and that you have to bear it by yourself." Her heart melted hearing him speak those words, placing her hand on top of his she smiled
Swallowing, "You…. Y-you'd do that for me?" she asked him.
Leaning down, Louis rested his forehead on Luna's as they slowly closed their eyes. "I'd do anything for you." he whispered. "You may not remember our past, but as long as you're back with me that's all that matters. I'll just make new memories with you, as you are." After last night Louis knew he had to come to terms with that, but that didn't mean that he would hide how he felt about her anymore. Everything was in the past and all that mattered right now to him was the present.
"If we cross this line then there's no going back and I'm okay with that." Luna thought to herself, "Just as long as it's with you, Louis." She felt like she was dreaming again, but she didn't dare open her eyes as she wanted to make the first part of her dream a reality. "There are still so many things that don't make sense, but all that matters right now is how I feel about him."
Their lips so close to touching, time stood still. Her hands lightly on his chest, feeling his heart beating nearly as fast as her own. They both knew that this is what they wanted. The creaking sound of a door opening, followed by a few loud yawns snapped them both from their trance as footsteps echoed from the hallway. They both jumped as they pulled away from each other, as they could see Yakumo stumbling in the main area.
"Uugghhh," Yakumo groaned. "I definitely had a bit too much to drink last night." He said to himself as he rubbed his tired green eyes. He stopped as he could see his two teammates standing close together, both looking down. Though by the red hue on Luna's face, he knew that something had happened. "Ohhh you two are up early." He awkwardly spoke.
"Morning Yakumo," Louis dispiritedly greeted him, glaring at his friend. "Ummm, Luna… I?
"I should go get ready!" Luna quickly stated, "Then we can talk about our next heading. I'll be back." Speaking rather fast, she quickly walked past Yakumo, trying to avoid any eye contact with him as she was well aware of the look of embarrassment on her blushing face as she disappeared from their sights.
Scratching his head, "Did I…. interrupt you two?" He cautiously asked Louis, as he could see his friend looking down at the ground and shaking his head.
"You could say that." Louis muttered to himself.
Shutting her bedroom door, Luna hit her head against the wooden barrier. "Fucking hell…." Taking a deep breath, the burning in her cheeks had yet to fade. "We were so close….fuck."