back to the beginning

struck with grief abbie's best friend is ever by her side.

The flash Back

no one knows who he was or where he came from, everyone in the house was asleep resting for what was considered a night on lunara. All had be silent and peaceful his father had put the cattle up for the night and his mother had cleaned up the kitchen and had laid there beds out where they were now. Nothing seemed out of place and everything was as it should be, that was until he heard the shifting of the latch on the front door, it had startled him from his slumber. Laying perfectly still his breaths even shallow not giving away that he was awake.

he was a small boy at the time but he wasn't stupid his father had taught him to hunt saying if you gave a man a fish he would eat for a day but if you taught a man to hunt then he would never go hungry. he had taken to hunting and fishing as if it were first nature to do so. and now he was putting some of that to the test. he was to small to fight back but he could use his wits or at least he had hoped he could,

his father apparently had the same idea he hadn't known it but his father had also been awakened by the noise and was slowly creeping up on the stranger. he heard the struggles and then the cries of his father as he was taken out. Neros mother had already been poisoned earilyer that day and was laying dying in his parents bed. the stranger apparently didn't know that the couple had had a child and set the house on fire.

he was stuck up in his bed, he tried to leave his room something was blocking it shut he called out but the fire had roared to life and couldnt be heard over the fire. he was trapped his room didn't have a window the door was his only exit. he screamed out begging for anyone to hear him but there was no one. he took his blanket and got low on the floor covering himself to filter out the smoke. he had resigned himself to die.

that was until he felt the hands of a girl pulling him to his knees and dragging him along the floor crawling towards the exit. towards fresh air. he didn't see her come in so he wasn't sure how she knew he was in there. All he could see was the smoke it bothered his eyes yet she tugged him making him follow her, never letting go of his hand till she was able to get to the hole that led to the next room. And all he could think about was how everything his parents had built was burning down around them. He didn't have time to grieve. The small hand that held his kept him centered, kept him from braking and before he really had time to let everything sink in he was being pulled through a hole in the wall.

As he was placed on his feet he could see the house, the flames licking at the night sky lighting everything up. He sank to his knees feeling weak and helpless as he finally realized that he was alone, and everything he had ever known was gone. Tears slid down his soot covered faced as he silently said good bye to his mom and dad. It was then that he felt it the girl that had saved his life at his side sliding her small hand into his and offering her support, letting him know silently that he wasn't as alone as he thought he was. At ten years old his biggest support and savor had been a five year old little girl with stormy gray eyes that popped out of a ashed covered face. Her hair was flaxen with strikes of black clumped in. her small fingers gently squeezed his, and all he could bury his head against her and cry as hard as he could. It wasn't until the shock wore off that he realized he hadn't gotten away unscratched, in fact at some point in the house he had crawled over something that had sliced open his stomach.

He fell against her, her arms grabbing his shoulders and guiding him down on to the ground his head resting against her shoulder as she supported him while calling to her father. For what ever reason he hadn't been afraid of dyeing it was a sense of peace that came with her presence that left him feeling that way. He whispered gently “ its alright” as he felt and saw the darkness trying to take him. He looked up at her, her eyes held unshed tears and he wondered briefly if they were for him before slipping away.

It was ok if he died now, but why was it ok now when it hadn't been out in the house he had been scared, he had wanted to live. But now it was ok he felt at peace and relaxed, that girl had come for him.......who was that? And as he slowly noticed the throb in his abdomen he opened his eyes, the room was softly lit the sun blossoms sat in glass coverlets giving off enough light that one could see but not harsh enough to be blinding. He was alive, and hunched over her head resting on her arms as she slept was the little girl who saved him still covered in soot her pale skin red and angry in some places where the fire had found her skin.

He looked around the room and closed his eyes again, what was he going to do now he though as tears slid down from the corners of his eyes, and again he felt small fingers squeezing his. He looked down to see her sleepy eyes looking back at him softly. “ its not ok” her tiny voice said “ it not” she got up and ran from the room. What was that about he thought, then he remembered what he had said to her . Did she really understand what he had meant? He closed his eyes falling back into sleep.

It was some time later that he woke to someone talking in the room he again opened his eyes finding a man and a woman talking to each other, “ shhhh hes awake” the man had said as he looked at Nero. “ how are you feeling son ?” the man asked him. Nero just stared at him he looked kinda like the little girl the woman looked nothing like her though. “ where am I?” Nero asked as he tried to sit up but the man held his shoulder to keep laying down. “you need to stay laying down my wife did her best to fix ya up best she could but if you move around you might to more harm then good.........your in our home safe. Your mighty lucky Abbie had one of her sense and was able to get you out I tell you, you must be something for Abbie to go into that fire like that shes pretty special”

Nero just looked around, Abbie was her name “she should have left me there” his guilt getting the better of him. “ no son Abbie saved you, one day you'll find out why but there was a reason, you'll soon find out that she isn't just any little girl” the man said proudly smiling. “ where is she?” Nero asked. The man sighed “ shes in her room crying been like that for the last few hours even here mama can't quiet figure out whats wrong with the girl” he looked heartbroken. Nero looked at the pair “ can I talk to her?”. “ uuuaa I can ask her to come here but I don't know if she will, the tears just don't stop flowing.” said the man as he left his room the woman right behind him.

A bit later she appeared in the door frame cleaned up and bandaged up her hair pulled back in a tight pony tail and wearing a long dress that had frilly lace over the shoulders. “ your names Abbie right?” he asked. She nodded but didn't move or offer anything else. “ your dad said you where crying, girls shouldn't cry over stupid things” he said. Abbie stomped her foot “ it wasn't stupid you idiot, and its not ok, I found you, I can't lose you” she looked at him angrily. He just stared, he could have sworn that for a minuet there that last bit of what she had said sounded almost adult.

She looked down “its not ok to leave”. He could tell she was holding back more tears “ stop being a cry baby I'm right here you dummy” he said. She looked up at him stomping her foot again she yelled “ I am not a cry baby” then left the room. He sighed and smiled, he now knew what he was going to do. But as he thought about it he looked himself over, the little girl had bandages all over her arms and hands and who knew where else but he hadn't been burnt. He had only been sliced open.

~ back to present~

He stood up, looking at her she was everything he would ever want and his whole being knew that he belonged at her side. He took a deep breath and held out his hand, it was time to tell her the reason he had been looking for her “ come on Abbie your mother needs you........its about …..your father”. He saw her shoulders sage at the mention of her father.

“ of course” she said as she slipped her hand into his, her eyes meeting his as he pulled her to her feet. They were the palest gray he had ever seen. The whole family had been struggling with her fathers declining health and now that he had been bed ridden for some time his body had seemed to slowly begin to shut down. It was hard on Abbie but she has remained strong or as strong as she could, it was a lie to say that she wasn't hurting bad inside that at night she would wake up crying because there was nothing she could do.

She started walking towards the house her hand slowly slipping from his, and he watched her walk away, and again he wanted badly to wrap her in his arms and never let her go it pained him to see her in so much pain.

Abbie climbed the stairs to her small home and slowly made her way towards her fathers bedroom, her mothers stricken face only confirmed what she knew the signs had all been there and now the time had come she just prayed that she was strong enough for this. Her mother greeted her “ Abbie..”. Abbie held up her hand stopping her mother before she could continue as she looked at the woman “ its alright mom, its time we both knew it would happen,” she took her mother in her arms and hugged her for a long moment then slowly let go and went into the bedroom.

Seeing her father laying there it tore at her heart, he looked so weak and tired, she was happy his suffering would be at an end but it hurt that she was losing him. She walked over to the side of the bed and gently sat down taking her fathers frail hand in her own. “ daddy” she said softly. His hand was cold and bony. He opened his eyes and smiled the best he could “ little Abbie” she choked on a sob trying to hold back and be strong. Weakly he spoke again” its time.....but you knew that baby didn't you” he tried to laugh but ended up coughing “ you always knew things that you shouldn't being Lady Luna and all....... your mama and I always knew you would be something special to this world and you've only ever proven me right baby....i couldn't be a prouder father” he patted her hand as she broke out in tears unable to say anything “ shhh now baby you take care of your mama for me alright, don't waste no more tears on this old man”. She threw her arms around him sobbing again him, he smoothed back her hair “ come on now Abbie your going to make this old man start blubbering like a big old baby” he said taking a deep breath. She let go wiping her eyes “ knowing things before they happen doesn't make it any less painful daddy, I love you so much and it hurts knowing I am losing you” she said through more tears.

“ I know but your not the only one losing me, your mamas going to need you now more then ever and so is Lunara, I get to die knowing that I helped create such a beautiful creature, its time to say good bye baby I love you .” he petted her hair as a tear rolled down his cheek. “ its not goodbye daddy, I love you” she tried hard to stop the tears for her father but she managed to smile through them before running from the room.

She didn't know where she was going and she didn't know who she was passing or running into she simply just wanted to get away from everyone she was a blur of hair and material as she ran past them. She was trying to out run all her pain and she was unable to do so. She could hear someone calling her name but she couldn't stop running even though she knew that she should. It wasn't until she was jerked to a stop and pulled against a hard well of muscled chest that she really started to break down. She sagged against who ever it was that was holding her closer taking in all the comfort and support that they offered.

He held her tightly against his chest, his heart braking seeing her like this, he knew what she was going through but he also knew that she was strong enough to get through this she just needed to know that it was ok to do so, she didn't have to pretend that she wasn't braking inside and the her heart wasn't being torn from the walls of her chest while being forced to watch. He was there to hold her and hide her, allow her the weakness that everyone was granted.

He stroked her back as he took them to the ground kneeling before her as he eased her down. Letting her take all the time she had needed. Abbies mothers had alerted him to what was going on, he had gone to the house to make sure she was alright but had been shoved aside as she ran past him in her pain. She had been there to catch him when he had felt like there was no world left to hold him together . She had been the one to help him build his world back up, and while doing so had been unaware that he had placed her in the center of his world and at some point began to worship the ground she walked on, at the center of his world was his heart. And at the moment his heart was in pieces because she had just lost something she had valued in her life.

“ abbie” he spoke in hushed tones, her shoulders shook as more tears flowed, she couldn't speak even if she wanted to. She just curled up in the grass crying her eyes out her head laying on his leg as he gently rubbed her arm letting her know he wasn't going anywhere. And that was all she needed , so they sat there her sobs the only thing filling the silents and he was ok with that she was so thankful for that.

Nero thought back, he had been watching Abbie walk up to the house and her mother had approached him from the side. “ her father isn't going to make it” the older woman's makeup was smeared and her eyes puffy and red. He looked at her “ thought he was getting better?” he hadn't thought any different, abbie hadn't said anything about her father to him. But then she probably wouldn't not wanting to bother him with her problems. “ his health has been declining for some time now. Shes been trying to take it in stride and keep a smile on her face but, I am afraid this time there is no cheerful pep talk that is going to help here.” she looked at Nero sad and worried “ her father and her are vary close so you can only imagine what this is going to do to her.” she spoke as a tear slid down the woman's face.

“ i'm.......sorry but I need to go” he didn't wait for her to respond, he took off running up to her house only to be shoved aside by a blur what he assumed to be her fleeing body. So he ran after her catching up quickly. He was able to grab her wrist and swing her around, she crumbled in his arms into a pile of tears and bitter heart ache, her whole body was shaking from tears.

After sometime she fell still her shoulders no longer shaking and the tears no longer flowing she was silent. Ever so gently he pushed her hair from her face and saw that she had cried herself to sleep, exhausted from the pain she was feeling. And he knew that the tears would only continue in the morning when she woke. Softly he brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek, still wet from all the tears. He sighed glad that she was able to take some peace for now and hoped that she would dream of only the sweetest pleasures that brought her joy and made her eyes sparkle with life.

Her stillness allowed him to really look at her, not that he didn't have her every feature memorized, her slumber allowed him to see a different side of her he had only ever gotten to but a handful of times. She looked so out of place in this world as if she wasn't really supposed to be apart of this land yet her being here made so much sense. She brought with her the presence of peace and understanding, she carried with her the love and the hope that kept everything from falling apart, and she did all this while struggling with her own inner problems and never complained to anyone, not even him. She was like a fallen angel that didn't belong but was seeking out a place to call her own while trying to help those around her in need, risking her own well being to take care of the needs of others. He smiled down at the sleeping woman, she was so strong and she didn't even realize this, he wished she could see her self from his point of view.

He gently stroked her cheek, what was he going to do with her he thought to himself. Slowly he moved and managed to angle himself enough to pick her up without waking her, he carried her to his small house, it wasn't anything special just a cabin but it was enough for him. He laid her on his bed and covered her up letting her sleep as much as possible, her heart ache could wait a few hours more to return he thought as he knelt down to stack some wood in the fire place. Eternal night meant eternal chill so he tried to keep the fire going when he could his cabin was often colder then he would like it to be.

The fire started and the large room slowly heating up he moved to the front door to sit out on the porch and look up into the sky. He would give the sleeping woman her privacy and he could reflect on all that he would never be allowed to have. He sighed as he fell into his favorite chair and propped his feet up on the support beam while crossing his arms over his chest. He wondered what kind of man everyone thought he was, it had taken some time but it he had proven his worth to the village and they had accepted him with the help of Abbie. The woman had never given up on him and was there to defend him and support him when others tried to make trouble for him. She was the only reason he had stayed, he wanted her to be proud of him even though she was so much younger then he was she was always there to protect him. All he wanted now was to return that favor and to show her she meant so much more to him.

He closed his eyes, wondering how all this was going to play out. Was he going to get the girl in the end or was he going to find himself rejected and alone. If she rejected him he wasn't sure what he would do. He sighed again, there had to be more to this life then just wishing upon a star that was never going to do anything to help him in the first place.