~Chapter 10~

The whole cave echoed with the alarmed cries of the Chao kids. The first to snap into action was Lunara, who crossed the floor toward Shade in two bounds. Tailing her came Blossom, Honey, and Berry. Stara and Memphis lingered behind, eyes wide and scared.

Lunara knelt down beside Shade, two fingers pressing into his neck. A faint pulse nudged her fingers, indicating the injured Chao's dim yet existent life.

Blossom was on the edge of hysterics, nervously shifting foot to foot and shuddering breaths raking in and out of her. Berry was wide-eyed and struck silent. Honey looked mournful. Lunara herself was shaky, her paws trembling barely as her eyes traveled Shade's bleeding body.

"O-okay." She steeled her voice to sound authoritative, " He's…stable. Right now…" Get a move on! He's dying, you idiot! Lunara shook her head fiercely, "Stara! Get your cloak and start tearing it." She ordered. The younger Chao nodded, and let her dark green garment slide off of her. In a few moments, the sound of ripping fabric was heard.

Okay, there's that. Lunara paused, and almost immediately leapt back into action. Whirling to face Honey, she addressed him, "Honey, get some of that moss from the cave walls and get some water." She commanded. Honey nodded briskly and was off.

Lunara stared at Shade, who was very still. His dark fur was tinted red with his life, flowing ever freely from the savage gouges and wounds that covered his body. Lunara stared at a brutal gash on the Chao's shoulder. It looked like he had been savaged by some sort of rabid animal…but what? She leaned closer to Shade to hear his unsteady, rapid breathing, and felt her chest fur brush his.

Lunara caught herself suddenly. Her paws were trembling, her legs shaking, her heart beating with such speed and force, she was sure the pulsing muscle would bash a rib or something. Why was she getting so worked up? No. It's an instinctual reflex to be this way in these sorts of situations. She told herself.

"Here!" Pawfuls of dark green strips of fabric were shoved at Lunara, jarring her from her thoughts. She took them gratefully, and began binding Shade's wounds with the cloth. Some of them bled straight through, and Lunara had to wrap them twice. With some of the leftovers, she folded them together and put her pressure on some of the worst bleeding gouges. The warm blood seeped through the fabric pieces within seconds and was pooling between Lunara's fingers. She ignored it. This was no time to act squeamish.

Blossom was sobbing in the back of the cave, Berry, Memphis, and Stara at her side, trying to calm her down. Lunara scowled. She wished that little brat would just get a grip and shut the hell up. Lunara's paws were stained in Shade's blood, and she was concentrating deeply to listen for Shade's erratic breathing.

"Got it." Honey said, setting down a wad of moss dripping with icy water near Lunara. She nodded,

"Get more." She ordered. Honey was off again without a word.

Lunara kept her paws pressing strongly into Shade, and her pointed ears flattened in dismay as she heard his breath suddenly hitch, "Shade?" she murmured warily. She leaned close to him.

Shade wasn't breathing.

"Oh…damnit!" Lunara growled, removing her paws, "He's not breathing."

At that, Blossom began shrieking, "NO! Shade! Nonononono!"

Lunara stacked her paws and pressed them on Shade's heart, pounding her palms into his chest to jumpstart his pulse.

Honey had froze, he was staring at Shade with worry in his bright eyes.

Berry's eyes were glistening with tears, but she was still attempting to calm down Blossom.

Stara was fidgeting nervously, eyes wide and scared.

Memphis was close to crying, but kept a tough façade about him.

Blossom was wailing to the skies, "He's not breathing!" she cried, "He's dying!"

He's dying.

Lunara glared at Blossom, "Shut up!" she roared, and punched down on Shade's chest, counting with each blow, "One, two, three,four,five…"

Not on my watch.

"Six, seven, eight, nine, ten…"

It was her last option. Lunara just hoped Honey wasn't going to keep haunting her with this…

After pressing his heart, Lunara pried open Shade's mouth, and without hesitating, put her mouth over his. She breathed her air into him, hoping his body and lungs would reactivate.

C'mon…c'mon…

…

Shade had felt distant from everything. Half of him could feel his body, half of him felt like his conscious was sunken deep into black water.

It seemed peaceful, even if strange, abnormal, until unearthly screeches scalded him from all senses.

Shade flinched, the horrible sound and vibrations raking him over, snagging his heart in place. He curled up, unable to flee. The sounds…they were getting louder and louder. Shade wanted to add his own scream to the horrible vision. Just end it…make it stop… he pleaded. There was just too much pain. Too much pain, too much hurt…too much…

Shade was still on the floor of this strange void, when he felt something gentle yet strong wrap around his torso. Eyes still closed, body still limp, Shade let himself be hoisted from the ground.

What was it? Was he in the Transition? Was he being carried to the afterlife, the Land of the Dead? Was his time, his short time, finally up?

Was he finally…letting go of himself?

A feminine voice spoke to him, "Be very brave, Shade." She said, "Be very brave for what lies ahead…"

Shade may have opened his eyes to see who was carrying him, but he caught nothing more than a white flash. His eyes closed, and the world flashed gray, then white, then…

Awake.

Shade's eyes flew open, and what he saw were indistinguishable blurs and streaks of different colors. His entire body was burning, throbbing…he shifted, feeling uncomfortable. Someone said something, but it was muffled and quiet. Shade sighed, letting his gaze wander unconsciously.

…

"Alright." Lunara muttered, "He's breathing again."

She had to k-…to use the mouth-to-mouth method three times before he heard the air rush into the weak Chao's lungs. Lunara felt wiped out from the anxiety that had sapped her strength, still shaking with fear and cold. She let herself settle down.

Blossom, who had finally stopped caterwauling, looked at Shade, "He'll…be okay right?" she murmured in a rusty voice. Lunara looked wearily at her. The lavender Chao looked ruffled, and her eyes were red with dark streaks under them. The Dark Chao female looked back at the life she had saved.

We're part of his team now…that's it.

Lunara found herself silently staring into Shade's glazed, unfocused eyes as they traveled the room, not recognizing anything. She nodded slowly, "Yeah…he's….okay for now." She muttered. She blinked, touching Shade's unnaturally warm arm, "Need to keep a watch on him though. A fever's already set in." she said grimly.

Blossom opened her mouth to volunteer watching, but Lunara went on, cutting her off, "I'll watch. The rest of you are probably exhausted." She stared firmly at Blossom, "Get some sleep. We need everyone at a hundred percent for whatever might happen."

Blossom didn't argue. Memphis and Stara were stunned silent, but their expressions looked glad to be offered some sleep. Berry nodded, and Honey passed Lunara another couple wads of wet moss.

…

Cold, silvery shreds of moonlight filtered their way into the cave. To keep warm, everyone was sleeping close together, and a comfortable wave of body heat and warm, sleepy breaths chased the sharpest chills out of the air.

Lunara sat with her back against the wall, not caring about the cold stone piercing her fur and back. Her eyes wandered from the cave mouth, and then to Shade.

The Dark Chao was asleep, although Lunara could see it was fitful. Pain was edging the corners of Shade's dreams, fever sending him the most vivid nightmares…Lunara winced, almost sympathetically. She touched his arm gently, and Shade's twitching and whimpers quieted. He coughed dryly, and Lunara reached over, grabbing a pawful of soaking moss. She drizzled the ice water into Shade's mouth, slightly lifting his head so he could swallow easier. Shade's sleep was a little more peaceful.

Lunara sighed, tipping her head back until it touched the wall. She felt her eyelids grow heavy…

Can't let Shade die...stay awake…can't go on without a leader…

Lunara's senses dimmed against her will, the world fading to nothing in her gaze. Just as her conscious was about to plunge into a tempting sleep, she wondered…

Was it the whole group who couldn't cope without Shade…

Or just her…?

…No…