Chapter 4: The Final Crack

I don't have much time until... I have to win so I can save him. It's been too short of a time. This is my only chance. I take down every enemy that I come by with efficiency and precision until I make my way to the dark warlock. I have to end this quickly. It's Danny's only chance I won't let him be alone, not when this is my fault. I make the first move. I've never been good at close combat, but I will have to make this work because neither is the dark warlock. He's not paying any attention; this is my chance to end this pointless war. I make my strike. I hit my mark, but it wasn't enough to kill him, but he can't continue, so I try to make another strike. However, Maloney stops my next attack and calls a retreat, but I still try to fight through her. Still, it's useless. She uses a teleportation spell to get them both out quickly.

Once I realize that it's pointless to continue, I run back to Danny. The shield I created earlier falls as I grow closer to see if I'm too late, but it can't be too late. I have to make it on time. Once I'm next to him, I sink to my knees and pull him into my lap. He's not breathing! Tears flow freely down my cheeks. Grey is the only color I see now, and the final crack is getting bigger. Sadness is all I feel. Broken is what I am. Then it hits me. I might have a way to bring him back, but I have to work fast.

I close my eyes, and I see him saying goodbye. I yell, grabbing his ice-cold hand, saying, " Look, I have a way to bring you back, but I need you to stay here with me. I need some time to do an ancient spell. Just stay here with me, please." Then I open my eyes. I look to Ravensha, remembering that the demons have a spell for just this situation, and say I need your help, please. She just nods, knowing precisely what I mean because only a demon can perform this spell. So she holds out her hand and says, "are you sure I have only ever watched the spell, never actually performing it? I don't even know if I can do it right" I just look at her with pleading eyes, so she performs the spell and splits my soul…my heart into two. She put one half back in me then the other in Danny. He starts breathing but doesn't wake up. So I look to jack and say, "can you help me get him onto Midnight?" Jack just nods, smiling, then gets him onto my horse. I just take the reins to lead them home, and the soldiers around us cheer in victory all around me, but it doesn't feel like a win that hit was meant for me, and Danny just took it to save me. This leaves so many questions that need to be answered but not yet because it's time to go home to Moonhaven.

I travel by foot, leading Midnight by the reins for miles until Ravensha says, "you should rest as well, milady you can ride my horse until we make camp" not much of that registers because, by the time I stop, I pass out from so tired.

When I wake up, it's dark, the stars are shining bright, and so is the moon. Then ravensha looks at me and says, " I'm so glad you are alright, princess everyone was so worried about you." Everyone there nearby voices their opinions while looking for Danny to ensure that the spell did work and that it wasn't just a dream that this all wasn't a dream. Then I find him in the medical tent where some of the best elven herbalists are hard at work with many injuries. I work my way through the tent and see Danny there alive and asleep peacefully unharmed. I smile and start crying tears of joy. I sit down next to him, wiping the tears from my eyes. Then he starts to wake up, and he looks at me, saying weakly, "thank goodness you are alright" I smack his shoulder lightly, and I say, "You loof, you made me worry." He says, " and I would do it again if it meant that you would survive. I would run it to the flames over and over again. If it meant that the world would get to see your smile again."

I just sit there, then I say, "I might have a way for you to go home if you are indeed from another world, I can send you home." He then says, "I don't know what I what to do," so I get up, saying, "well, why don't you get some rest? You'll need it. Trust me." Then I walk out of the tent. I walk to find a small clearing for me to train some because my magic is now weak, and I know I won't perform as powerful spells as I used to for battle. I will have to improve my close combat skills and quickly. So I do set after set move after move I have to protect this world, my friends…no….my family. Because this is all I was ever meant for, to fight to be stronger than anyone else, this is my only job, my sole purpose, this is who I am.

It's morning when someone comes to find me, but I'm still trying to get the sets right to get them perfect because that is all I can do to help. I gave up half of myself to save a man I have only know for a few days. However, I still fell for him, so this is all that is left for me to help….I…..am….powerless... weak….broken. All for what? Someone I fell for, how can I be such a fool. And he is even thinking about leaving. I really can't be mad about that though I would do the same thing….wouldn't I.? That's when I finally hear who it is that came to find me. It's Danny. He looks at me and says, "what did you do to save me? Everyone says is saying that you paid a high price." I look away from him, hoping that he cant see right through me, and he continues. "what did you do to save me? They told me that I had to ask you and thank you. What did you do? Please tell me." I try to walk away as my sword dissipates. Before I can get away without answering his questions, he grabs my wrist, looking at me with pleading eyes.

The first color I remember since see Danny's death is blue, the deep blue of his eyes pleading for an answer I don't want to give. His blue eyes would put the moring blue sky to shame, then I look to the sky, and it's just….GREY. Danny then says, "please," that is when I give in and look at him and say, "I had Ravensha split my soul. She used an ancient spell that demons and witches use to have an everlasting bond. If one doesn't have a soul during this spell, then the one who gives half of their soul up lose most or all of their magic. It's a price that I know I was going to pay and….I just…." I look at him, tears starting to fall down my cheeks, and he is just amazed. He just shakes his head smiling, then he says, "let's go get some food."

When we make it back to camp, the whole atmosphere is different, but still, all I see is grey and Danny's blue eyes; that is it when I realized something changed me that day. I'm just going through the motions. That is all I can do right now. This is because of the way I see the world has changed for the second time. The first time this happened when my village was destroyed, and I lost almost everything for the second time without truly realizing it. My world is changing, and yet it hasn't at all. It's my view on the way I see the world, right? Then someone taps my shoulder and brings me out of my thoughts. I look to see Flahera talking to me. "Mylady Luna, are you alright you seem out of it today?" I smile, saying, "yeah, I think that I'm still tired from the fight, but thank you for the concern." She laughs, saying, "then we will have to pack up camp and go home, and you can rest on the trip there." Then she walks off. I get up to help, but Jack looks at me, sayings, "milady, just rest your faithful retainers can handle something so simple I mean, without you, we wouldn't even be alive today." So I sit back down on the ground. All I still see is grey, everything a dull, boring grey. I don't understand why my perception of the world would change now. Is it because…I know that Danny will leave to go home, that I don't want to get too attached to something that doesn't exist to something that is only deep down in my heart.

When the camp is packed up, we mount our horses, and once I'm on Midnight, Danny climbs up behind me. I look at him, amazed; still, all I can see is the perfect sky blue eyes, but now I can see his blonde hair. The little things that I never really noticed that I always took for granted. Danny then gets my attention by taking the reins from me, saying, "you can rest for the trip. I've been getting proper riding lessons from some of the knights." I respond to him, saying, "thank you, but Midnight doesn't like it when someone else has the reins. She can be very testy when it comes to others." I then gently pat her side, but Danny still doesn't give me the reins, and we ride in silence. For several hours we all ride in silence, some carrying the wounded, others trying to hinder the pain, and none of them realizing that the way I see them all has changed. Then it hits me….I'm becoming like the…the…Dark Warlock.

'Grey, that is all I can see now. The way I see the world has changed. My life has changed. My magic is almost gone, with half of myself gone because I gave half of myself to someone who will leave me, this world, and this shouldn't matter to me. Still, it does because I fell for someone who doesn't want to stay here and wants to go home, and I shouldn't blame him. I would do the same, but it has so many thoughts swirling in my head. I can't focus on anything once we get back to the castle. I can't get any of my royal tasks done. I wish that he would just give me his answer to send him home because I know that is what he will say.'

I'm sitting in my study, trying to get caught up on everything. Luckily since Flahera had talked to her mother about helping us get the crops to grow with her magic, so…that's one less thing on my plate. I'm staring at a piece of parchment, the same one that I have been for some time. Still, the letters aren't forming words that make sentences. By midday, I give up trying to read it, and I go to take a break and maybe get some training done, then I might be able to get some work done. I might get one of my retainers to help me make sense of these words to get my work done before the end of the day. When I get to the training court, Danny is there trying to learn to use a sword. Trying to learn sets that he never knew, so I walk over laughing. I say, " You need to move your feet when you fight, or else even if you do manage to get that set down, you will be killed on the battlefield again, and I can't split my soul to save you again."

Danny then looks down at the ground, confused, then back at me, saying, "you didn't need to do it the first time, you know." I look at him, then grab one of the wooden practice swords and get into a stance, then I go at him, trying to get him to block, and he moves his feet just like I had told him earlier. So I turn to dodge an impossible attack to perform then take out his feet. Then I look at him, saying, " if you want, I can talk to Jack, who is the captain of the royal guard and my retainer, to teach you how to use a sword properly so that you don't kill yourself trying to learn." He then says, " I don't want to be a bother since I still don't know if I what to stay yet." I just walk off. I don't want to have this conversation right now. I just want him to make a choice so I can either cast the spell or not, and I'm not very patient. I have to leave before I lose myself. So I go to the stables to find Midnight hoping that a ride will clear my head…and hopefully, I won't see grey anymore…but I know that it may not be the case. I also hope that I don't become the next Dark warlock; I can't do that to this world.

I ride for what seems like hours until I finally stop. It's….snowing. I look at the sky, and it's grey the snow….grey, the trees….grey, why is everything grey. I look ahead of me, and the dark warlock's fortress is there….grey. When I feel nothing…I feel empty inside…I feel…the darkness and ..the final crack give. I go up to the gate half an army is there, and I just wave my hand. They all fall. I continue to the inside of the fortress, changing my outfit with magic. Once I dismounted my horse, my outfit still changing my dress's length grows until it drags the ground my cloak go to the same length fur growing around the edges of my cloak. My hair falling from being tied up with my usual ribbon. I continue through the fortress until I find the Dark Warlock. I stand before him, and I feel the last of myself leave what's left of who I am going, and I kneel in front of the Dark Warlock, ready to serve him.

My life has changed. Several seasons have passed since I left my home, and the world has changed. It's now the color grey that is the world that I now know. This world is all I have left. This darkness is all that is left of me; the Dark Warlock is the only one I can serve now. Then I hear him we're in his war room. We are going to end this war without the stones help. This how the world ends; the me before would have never seen this coming….but….the me back…was…weak. Once the plan is set, we leave to prepare for battle. I move to my old home where the last of my past will be killed.

Once we set off for the battle, I ride next to the Dark Warlock, the new grey world at my mercy, the world mine to destroy or rule whichever I choose; I just have to eliminate my past. We ride, and the Dark Warlock's voice rings throughout as we go through the woods. " Luna, are you ready to officially become one of my generals to eliminate that pesky past of yours?" I look to him with a grim smile saying, "more than ready. This world is nothing but a pain. My past….a nuisance. It needs to be destroyed" I create a ball of moonlight in the palm of my hand. The castle gate starts to come into view, my old home, the past is a blur of color, the kind I miss and no, the present is….grey….dull…boring….grey.

We set up camp upon the outskirts of the village. The generals and I sit around the fire as the underlings do all the work. The world I knew is gone. I don't remember when I lost my grasp on it, but when I did, I lost my being my purpose. The night goes by in tactics of war for the battle to come. I miss most of the conversation on the plan for tomorrow's battle. When they are done, we all go to our tents for the night, but I just lay there awake in my tent. I get up to go wander the old lands. My wandering leads me to the riverbank, which I use to clear my head to get my thoughts straight. When I get there, Danny is there standing in the moonlight. I stop, but a twig breaks under my foot.

Causing Danny to turn around when he sees me, he smiles, saying, "where have you been?" I look at him coldly. Saying, "look, I'm not the same person I was before I left," Danny grabs my wrist as I turn to leave. He pulls me closer, looking into my eyes, still the only color I can see his eyes' blue sky color. I respond, "I suggest that you run. Run as far as you can as fast as you can because what is to come is a reckoning that will destroy this world, and no one can stop it, not even you." Then I break free of his grasp once I do. I leave without saying a word, but Danny yells, "I don't know what happened to you, but I'm going to save you, and I will stop at nothing to do so." I look behind me, and I see Danny in color, his blonde hair, the tan color of his clothes, the black of his shoes, the red in his cloak. It almost makes me cry for the first time in several seasons. I walk away. I have no regrets about leaving. He was going to leave me anyway….right?

When dawn comes, I get ready for battle, and so do the other generals. I grab my cloak and throw it over my shoulders and mount my horse grab the reins, and she tries to throw me off for the first time ever. Once everyone is ready, we march on the castle. We ride the underlings pillaging the village townspeople screaming, children crying and dogs howling. We advance all the way to the castle, and the Dark Warlock looks to me, saying, "bring the reckoning, my child." I hold out a hand, several balls of light form around me, then I say, "drawrof." The lights fly fast towards the gate. Once they hit the wall crumbles to the ground. Then I see him, Danny, everything grey except him.

The soldier's clash. I jump off my horse once I get close to the castle. I walk through the battle ignoring everyone else in battle. I then hold my hand out, and a sword appears in it. I stand there, walking towards Flahera. I go to strike her down, but Danny is standing in the way, defending her. Then he moves, twisting to get behind me. I'm trying to move to block his next attack, but he's faster. He grabs my wrist and pulls me to his chest, locking me there. I can't move, and if I use my magic, then I'll end up getting hurt in the process. So try to twist out of his grip, but he refuses to let go. Then I say, "let go. This world has to be destroyed" then he says, " no, it doesn't. I don't know what happened to you or why you left, but you need to stop. This is your home, and you're leading an attack on it you need…" I interrupt him, " why do you care what does this world means to you your going to leave it to leave me." I hear him laugh. Saying, "Luna, I made my decision long ago. I just wasn't sure if I was thinking straight. But now I know I am. I was never planning on leaving. Why would I?" The battle is raging on throughout the field as he continues. "I want to stay here with you. I don't ever want to leave you. I know you realize what you were trying to that day on the river, and…..I feel the same way. Please don't make me do something I will regret." Then slowly, the grey leaves and the color returns. I feel my true self coming back and returning the person who I am met to be is back. I look at him. The color is back; I look at Danny. He's looking down at me smiling, then he kisses me, and the world around us seems to just freeze. I look to him, saying, "I need your help. I'm not sure if it will work, but it's our only chance were two halves of one soul, mine soul. I have to fix my mistake, but I need help." he just nods his head I take his hand. I say a spell. " thigilnoom emo cot su," then the moonlight staff appears in our hands. I wave the staff, and the Dark Warlock's men all get hit, causing them to flee. Once the battle is over, the soldiers surround Danny. My mother walks through them, saying, " arrest her and take her neckless. She will be powerless without it."