Harvest Moon: Magical Memories

Chapter Thirteen:

"Luna... Luna no..." he held on to her hand tightly, wishing for all the world her heart beat would go back to normal, hoping against hope that she would no longer need tubes to breath for her, IV's to feed her. "What's going on? WHAT'S WRONG?" But no one answered as Luna lay dying, beyond his aid.

And she stared up at the sky. Her eyes were blank and hollow. Ashes fell around her from the smoldering trees, clinging to her hair. Her face itself was a pallid gray. Her breathing was shallow and labored as the fumes filled her lungs, pushing out all air and settling itself down in the warm lining, blocking all oxygen travel.

Her eyes remained staring up at the blank sky. Her hand moved on its own accord, making its way to her pocket, grabbing tightly onto a small, shiny stone.

Her hair clung to her face in damp clumps. Her clothes had small holes, eaten away by the ravenous fire. Dying embers emitted sparks, which fell around her, a tribute to her life. Her air rasped in and out of her closing lungs. Her heart thudded against her ribcage. Sweat glided down her ashen forehead, mingling with a tear, and finally falling to the edge of her chin, where it waited on edge, either to fall or be absorbed by her skin. And the world around her seemed to have healed from its spell. A soft mist had entered the world, cooling, calming water. The last sign of a fire, those bright-eyed embers, died away, and the steam from the trees looked like spirits leaving the world that had burned them to the ground.

But Luna's eyes saw none of this. Luna's eyes were overcast and empty. And the mist swirled around her, cleansing the world of the thunderous hate that had occurred only a few hours beforehand.

"Luna!" Terry had returned with help. Everyone had been hiding from the storm. Everyone had shielded their eyes from the darkness. Everyone except one person, the one person who shrugged away from the sun, who opened his eyes to the moon, to Luna.

Kurt made his way to the center of the field. It was as though the world was sobbing for Luna. A gut wrenching, beautiful cry. The birds lay silent, gone from the poisonous air. The animals had fled from the torment that destroyed their lives. The world was silently crying as Kurt knelt next to Luna.

"Luna... I'm so sorry..." He leaned over her, his entire body screaming in silent agony, his spirit feeling the crushing weight of loss. "Luna..." He was afraid to touch her, afraid to know her. Afraid. Had she been afraid? When she was climbing the mountain with him? Had she wanted to run? He gulped down a lump in his throat, his entire body rigid, staring down at Luna, who appeared to be staring up at something completely lost to everyone else. Simply staring, unblinking, unseeing, a gaze that pierced eternity, pierced dimensions, pierced Kurt's heart.

A tear slid down his cheek as his hand glided underneath Luna's own, limp fingers. "I'm so sorry Luna. I'm so sorry." He bent his head, his insides twisting into an unfathomable knot of anguish. "Please..." He laid his head down onto her forehead, tears welling in his eyes. "Luna..."

Another tear ran down his cheek, falling onto Luna's face, washing away a single line of ash. He lifted his head, looking down at her. He was at a loss of how to help her. It seemed she would wash away, her life disappearing into the mist. "Please wake up. I-"...

And then the world split. The mist fell harder around the two, lost in an abyss. The truth burst forth, the rain pounded its fist against the tired earth as everything fell apart.

"I need you, Luna!" He shouted as though no one could hear. His thoughts ranted and screamed one name, willing her spirit to wake up, wanting nothing but to trade places with her. A third tear rolled off his lashes as he lowered his head, and finally,

Luna woke up.

Luna opened her eyes, closed for two long months. The goddess within her woke, braking free from its tomb, and the dimensions welded together. The rain stopped, the world stopped, yet life continued.

And she woke up. She woke up.

Kurt was leaning over her and their eyes met. Her hand tightened around his. Her palm wrapped around the small pebble-sized item in her hand.

But it wasn't Kurt's eyes she was staring into.

It wasn't a fleck of gold she held.

And her hand that held his tightly, wasn't holding onto dreams, wasn't clinging to a phantom.

She looked up into her best friend's eyes.

She held a purple Skittle in her hand.

And she held tightly to his warm hand, and tears flowed from their eyes.

He laughed then, a soft chuckle of broken, never ending relief. "Luna...!" And he lowered himself onto her, real body against real body, and he embraced her, his chest shaking with sobs held back for so long. Sobs of relief. Sobs of gratitude. And he wept. Her body shaking against his; they wept together.

He looked down at her, the same face he had been looking down on for two months. Only this time, her eyes were open, her body was warm. His friend once comatose, had opened her eyes to the real world. Had opened her eyes and discovered she wasn't alone. And he lowered his head and their lips met.

And the two dimensions were one.

Once and for all.