Summer Garden

Luna

Luna blinked feeling something drip on her face. She felt panic. She felt horror. She sat up suddenly, and felt arms wrap tightly around her, holding her. She struggled to breathe, struggled to understand.

She remembered... She remembered dying. Slipping into the void.

The lifestream was gone.

She frayed and fell apart, piece by piece.

She shivered, breathing shakily, and then looked at the person holding her. Looked into those tear-filled red eyes, and then buried her head in her chest without hesitation, letting out a howl. Her hands grabbed the back of Claven roughly, pulling against her as she let out the pain. She'd died. She'd actually died. She'd been erased from reality. She'd ceased to exist.

This was what mortality felt like.

What every mortal experienced, eventually.

Nothing in her lifetimes had prepared her for that. Nothing.

A hand stroked her head gently and Luna paused, feeling instantly calm. Not as if anything was made better, but that it didn't matter as much anymore. She knew she was going to be okay. She relaxed into Claven, her fists unclenching and pulling Claven into a cuddle.

"I'm sorry."

Luna glared up at her for breaking the moment, "I've got you. That's what matters. So shut up."

Claven shook her head, "No. It's not okay. I... I lost control. I murdered people I was trying to protect. I killed the refugees. I hunted them down... I tried to kill Trei. I tried to kill Summer. I... There is no part of me that is okay. There is no part of you that should have anything to do with me. I... I just stayed to say goodbye. You'll never have to see me again."

"Fuck you." Luna growled angrily, sitting up on her knees, "You think this is what I want to hear after I'm goddamn resurrected?"

Claven looked down, balling her eyes out and Luna grabbed her hand, "If you think I'm ever going to let you go, you're an idiot. I'm the hand behind the goddamn Gardia Massacre, Claven. I killed more children than you have ever met. I know exactly what it is like to fuck up so much you wished the universe would let you die. I'm a mass murderer. I tried to push you away once, Claven. Because I know how much of a monster I am. You didn't let me. Why?"

The red-haired Fae shrugged uncertainly, "Because... Because I love you."

Luna slapped her gently, barely touching her face, making Claven look up at her in surprise, "Is your love worth more than mine?"

The Fae just shook her head, biting her lip as tears dripped off her chin and her nose began to run.

Luna wrapped her legs around Claven's waist and put her arms around her neck, "I love you, you utter idiot. I'm not letting you go, not for a damn excuse like this."

It was Claven's turn to burst out howling.