25

Restoration Part 6(I’m Right Here)

 

A heartbeat. It was slow, but it was there. Beating at a faster rate as the seconds rolled by.

Luna’s vision cleared up rather quickly. It hadn’t been that long since she passed out in the middle of a conflict, so maybe her body was growing used to it. 

All she could see was the corner of an elevator. Her strength was still taking its time to regain itself, so she chose to hold back on resisting the hand that was lifting her up by her arm. 

Despite the intense grip Dominic held on Luna, he was still doing something strange with his other hand that she couldn’t make out. All she could see was his pistol and some drops of blood falling to the floor.

The elevator beeped, and the doors opened. Dominic dragged her body forward into the massive room. Both Dominic and Luna looked tiny in comparison to its size. There were plenty of massive pipes that were distorted in how they curved. They were connected to both the walls and various large machines. The lights were dim with a blue tint. The air was cold against the skin. There were vents around the bottom of the walls, but the lack of any windows to show the ocean or anything outside of this room made it utterly isolated from the rest of not only the lab, but the world itself. 

Dominic continued to drag Luna until he threw her to the floor. The elevator door had yet to close, but the elevator itself rose back up. Before the doors could close completely, Dominic pointed the pistol held by his bloody hand toward the middle of the elevator. 

A loud bang went off, and the bullet lodged itself in the middle of the shaft. Luna never got a clear view of all this. She was too busy inhaling all the oxygen present in this room. Her lungs had never felt so refreshed.

Done with what he was doing, Dominic focused back on Luna.

“I kept reversing your body earlier so that you’d have some oxygen left. This engine room was out of range of your little EMP blast, so you’ll have as much air as you need to tell me what you know.”

Luna was on her hands and knees while her body regained energy. Her cape was oddly raised. as if she was covering something, but this was so subtle that Dominic glanced over it. His patience ran thin. Pointing his gun at her once more, he sounded more twisted than ever before.

“Go on, what could you have learned about my sister that I never could in all my years alive?”

Not a word came out of Luna’s mouth. It’s as if her body was in a fixed position. 

Fed up, Dominic fired a bullet directly into Luna’s leg to get things moving. The splatter of blood and a cry of pain were expected to come, but that never happened. 

The Luna before his eyes turned into mist once the bullet made contact, and appearing from out of the copy’s cape was the real Luna. With enough oxygen back in her system and her energy restored, she jumped on her feet and threw down a smoke bomb. She vanished once again.

Dominic stepped back. Only a few seconds later did he piece together that in the brief moment he looked away to fire his gun, Luna cloned herself then hid under the cape of her clone.

Dominic made very little effort to hide the irritation in his voice. 

“You must feel like a genius right now, huh? What’s your next move? Escape through the vent? No, these ones are too small for a human. The elevator? Sorry, opening it from down here requires my fingerprint.”

He planned on ending his mockery there, but that last sentence only gave him more fuel. 

“Oh, is that your plan then? To take my prints from my cold lifeless body? You could try, but we both know how that would end, right?”

While Dominic paced around the room, Luna jumped around in the shadows. She hopped from pipe to pipe to survey Dominic, planning out what to do.

As she peeked from behind a pipe to look at Dominic, she suddenly heard motor and mechanical sounds behind her. The sounds became so familiar her instincts kicked in. 

The onslaught of bullets fired themselves into where Luna previously was as she leaped out of the way. Looking behind, she saw several drones fly after her.

“I’m afraid to say it, but your precious girlfriend isn’t here to save you this time. It’d be better to make this quick.”

With her grappling hook, she zipped around pipes and engines as the drones gave chase. Using her spare rope, she tied it to her knife in order to swing it around and strike the drones from a distance. She also coupled this with her clones who were either distractions or threw out knives of their own. 

This dance of dodging and attacking was one Luna grew accustomed to throughout her time as a thief. Bullets kept narrowly missing, but she pressed on, taking out each drone one by one. 

She wasn’t turning into an invincible fighter, but she was becoming skilled with her abilities at an accelerated rate. 

It was this growth that Dominic was failing to take into account. He was bewildered to see her fight so hard against his drones. He pondered where this drive to fight came from when she was so adamant on sacrificing herself previously.

And then, Luna spoke confidently once the final drone went down and she landed on the floor.

“Evelyn loved you.”

Luna’s first words were ones that punched Dominic right in the gut. Frustration shot throughout his body.

“What the hell are you talking about?! Don’t talk like you knew her!”

He fired a bullet. Luna dodged with ease due to his shaky aim. 

“I’ve seen her life with my own eyes. She was heartbroken to have left, but it was her only choice! It was her only way to be happy!”

“How the hell would you know that?! I was the one there! She abandoned me and our family for some peasant women! What else can you call that but selfishness?!”

It’s true that it would be hard to explain how Luna knew all of this. For now, that didn’t matter to Luna. Dream or not, it caused her to reflect on her own experiences, and it gave her some revelations.

“What’s wrong with choosing to be happy? Why should she be blamed for being put in such a scenario?”

Dominic kept firing, but Luna continuously dodged.

“Evelyn was scared to drag others into her life. She thought her life carried too much baggage to ever be loved by anyone. But even so, she accepted that she can be loved, and that it wasn’t wrong to value her needs! The fact that I’m alive here and now is proof of that!”

She threw smoke bombs all around Dominic. Completely enclosing him in smoke and blocking his view.

“What do you think killing me will accomplish? Is that your way of coming to terms with the past?”

“I’m putting the past to rest! Your life has no place in this world, and you know it!”

Luna knew that she wouldn’t be able to knock him out, but she had an idea that was worth trying. Unfortunately, this required getting close to Dominic. She hoped the smoke would give her the element of surprise.

All of a sudden, five Luna approached Dominic at once. It would be a one in five chance that Dominic targets the right one. It was a situation no different from when she first fought Chloe. 

However, luck wasn’t on Luna’s side this time. The second he placed his hand on her head, all of her clones vanished, and her eyes widened.

“A quick trip down memory will bring out the girl I saw previously!” 

Like what he did to Aurora, Luna’s memories began rushing through her brain. The worst moments of her life were all flowing through her brain. 

First it was the sliced up corpses of the guards that attacked her, then Aurora’s tears as she cried, “I’m so scared…” 

Next were the nights she couldn’t sleep from feeling utter remorse and guilt, then it was the fear that struck her heart when Aurora said she was pursuing the Void, followed by her teammates giving themselves up for her as they got captured, it was all put front and center.

All the while, she could her own voice yelling in an endless loop:

I’m a curse! I’m a curse! I’m a curse! I’m a curse! I’m a curse! I’m a curse!

 Amidst this reversal of memories, she could hear Dominic’s yells of malice. 

“Your life was a mistake! All you’ve ever done is hurt everyone you claim to protect! Admit it! You know this is the truth!”

This was almost enough to put Luna in that same mentally weak state as Aurora. 

She could feel her mind slipping into despair, but slowly, her memories began to shift.

This was out of Dominic’s control. Even he wasn’t sure what was happening as his hand was stuck on Luna’s head.

Beyond her most traumatizing memories, Luna’s mind flowed into memories just as important. 

The countless days she spent with Aurora during her childhood still meant everything to her. The kindness Serene gave to her when she found and adopted her supplied a comfort she needed during her lowest points. The passion bursting from Chloe’s words and actions, and the unending joy and support from Melody gave Luna friendships that she never quite had before.

“What the hell is going on?!” Dominic yelled. “This has never happened before! Are you… taking control of your memories!? Your mind should be fixated on the past just like that other girl! 

The yells of Luna calling herself a curse faded away. Instead, another voice took over.

 

“Keep being the moonlight.”

 

Luna and Dominic’s minds returned to the present. His arm flung off of her head out of pure reflex.

Luna shouted with all her heart.

“MY LIFE IS MORE THAN MY REGRETS!”

Activate clones!

Four more versions of Luna appeared in front of Dominic. He could feel the plunge of a knife into his gut before he could react. Drops of blood spewed out, but this was of no concern to Dominic. 

“You idiot. You already know I can just-”

Then another Luna stabbed Dominic, and then another, and then another.

Dominic was prepared to undo all of these attacks, but another Luna also proceeded to punch him viciously. Some of them were even working together to shatter various bones in his body. Luna knew none of this would kill him, but Dominic realized what she was going for.

Her attacks were coming out so fast that his gift was having a hard time keeping up, letting the pain build up in his body! It must’ve felt excruciating.

It was all beginning to blend together so much that when he looked at this hand, he realized he had yet to notice a finger was missing.

Looking towards the elevator, he saw the real Luna booking for it. 

“I’ve had it with your tricks! Uphold!”

Dominic placed his hand on one of Luna’s clones. Vivid clocks floated around him and sped in reverse. 

As opposed to affecting Luna's mind, her actions began to reverse themselves. Not just this clone, every single version of Luna. 

This meant Dominic had to experience every single hit he received in reverse, but this also caused the fleeing Luna to have all her movements reversed without her control, meaning she returned back to Dominic.

You’re kidding me…! Luna thought.

Her best shot at escaping this hellhole was gone. Now she was face to face with him once more with his reversal of time stopping right before she created her clones.

“I could’ve just used Uphold on my finger to bring it back to me, but doing this dragged you right back to me, so really, it’s a net positive.” Dominic took the opportunity to rub salt in the wound. “You're lucky you have wits. Otherwise your Gift would be damn near useless. Evelyn’s offspring couldn’t even awaken powers that are worth anything.”

He was ready to pull out his pistol once more on Luna. She was downright stumped on what to do now. Was there really no way for her to overcome his Uphold?

 

***

 

The elevator beeped and opened up. Inside of it was Aurora. Luna was thrown off seeing her down here, but Dominic’s reaction was the total opposite.

“Step out of that elevator, and you’re dead,” Dominic coldly proclaimed, aiming his gun at her.

Aurora took a deep breath. 

“I’m not scared of you. I’m leaving here with Luna whether you like it or not.”

She stepped forward with her hands pointed towards Dominic. He fired his pistol, but it never hit her. She flinched for a second, but when she opened her eyes, the bullet was frozen in place. Her relief that this worked was overshadowed by her next line of thought.

There’s more I can do, isn’t there?

Aurora lifted the bullet high above her and released control. As she expected, the bullet continued to fire and hit the wall above the elevator.

I didn’t just control the bullet’s positioning, I stopped it in time! I’d only been picking up still objects, so I never noticed this!

Dominic chuckled, “It seems like you finally figured out your ability. If you can pause time on what you control, that’s a pretty hard counter to me. My reasons for what I’m about to do should be self explanatory.”

With no time for Aurora to react, her body reflexively flinched. She felt something pass through her, and when she looked down, a hole appeared in her dress. A growing stain of blood soon followed.

She pressed her hands against her stomach. Her body had been pierced. The source being a single bullet laced with blood floating in the air in front of the stunned girl.

 

***

 

“Aurora!” Luna shouted. 

Though seeming out of nowhere in the moment, it finally explained why Dominic shot a bullet with his blood into the elevator shaft. It would shoot through anyone who tried to come to Luna’s aid when activating his Uphold. The small drop of blood flying off the bullet and back to Dominic’s hand was proof that this is what happened.

Luna was ready to bolt it to Aurora. Her look of distress as she stared down at her wound only heightened Luna’s desperation, but Dominic grabbed her by the arm and attempted to restrain her.

“Get away from me you bastard!”

“You’re not going anywhere! I’ve given her enough chances! Now both of you are going to die here!”

Luna tried to split into two, but Dominic predicted this and activated Uphold on her. She reverted back into having one version of herself. Resisting was pointless. If Luna started to slip out of his grip, he’d simply rewind before she could escape fully. 

They both fell to the ground, but Luna could still see Aurora struggling with the pain. She backed herself against a wall and sat down. Still bleeding out. 

Luna’s eyes were watery. She just got Aurora back. She didn’t want to lose her ever again. Not now. Not ever!

 

It’s okay. Trust me.

 

Almost as if Luna could read her mind, Aurora’s relaxed smile and nod told her everything she needed to know. It was confusing, but the fact that Aurora could make that expression must’ve meant that she didn’t come down here just to die. With how much they wouldn’t accept the other dying on them, it was impossible for Luna to believe Aurora’s smile was one of contentment towards her end.

Dominic saw none of this. He had all his attention on Luna, and he continued to run his mouth. 

“I have lived my whole life alone and it’s all thanks to Evelyn!”

“That’s your own damn fault! Evelyn and I are not to blame for how a man like you turned out!”

“She’s exactly to blame! If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have had to carry on our family’s legacy! While she ran off for her own happiness, I’ve spent years figuring out how to properly spread our family’s gift to the world! The true version of that power you’re so afraid of!”

“You’re wrong!”

A punch to the face pushed Dominic back a bit. “What do you mean by that?”

“This Curse I was born with, it’s true that I’ve been scared of it for years. When I think of the different ways my bonds with others can cause each of us pain, it makes my heart stop, and I hate myself so much as a result.”

Luna gripped her chest tightly.

“But… seeing my ancestor choose to love despite her circumstances, witnessing others accept me for who I am, knowing that even my life matters…”

The tears dripped off of Luna’s face. A reaction like this during their fight startled Dominic. So much so that she was able to keep going.

“I…want to be loved. I want to be in someone else’s thoughts. I want to know what romance is truly like. I want to let the time pass as I enjoy the company of my friends. And maybe one day… I can look in a mirror and smile at the person I’m facing…!”

Letting these words out was as if Luna shattered the barriers oppressing her life.

“My life will not end here. In fact… it’s still only just started.”

The gentle smile Luna made shined brighter than any moonlight ever could.

It was nearly blinding to Dominic, but as he looked at her face, the resemblance between Luna and Evelyn became all too clear to him.

Her smile, it was the same that Evelyn made to him when they were kids. Instead of providing any comfort to him, all it did was fuel his rage.

“You utter scum!”

He lunged at Luna, grabbing her by the throat with both hands.

“I think I finally understand why you irritate me so much! Is that you in there, Evelyn!? Have you come back from the dead just to taunt me?!”

“Gah-what are-!?” Luna could barely squeeze words out as he strangled the life out of her.

“I don’t care anymore! Just die! Just die already!”

Dominic could have shot Luna here and now to make it quick, but his actions were irrational. Any logic he had subsided. All Luna could see was a pathetic man desperate to take her life.

I… I bought us enough time. My life is in your hands, Aurora!

Overcome by rage, Dominic failed to realize that Aurora was right behind him.

The wound in her stomach stopped bleeding, and when his eyes went to where she originally fell, numerous bubbles were spilling out of the vent.

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!”

Aurora’s arm had an aura so strong that it was flame-like. With all her might, she pressed her hand onto Dominic’s chest. 

A red glow began to wrap around his body.

“YOU BASTARD! UPHOLD!”

Clocks appeared, but they didn’t rewind. They tried rewinding, but it was as if they were jammed. Dominic was incapable of moving away. Aurora had him in her grasp.

Aurora continuously shouted. Putting everything she had into activating her time-stopping telekinesis. Light was bursting from Aurora’s hand like fireworks. Red, orange, and pink colors shot out.

A Gift that can rewind time versus a Curse that stopped it. An unstoppable force met an immovable object, except the immovable object was slowly budging. 

Cracks formed around the clocks. Shattering bit by bit.

“RESTORATION! ACTIVATE! ACTIVATE, GOD DAMNIT!”

Dominic’s yells were pointless. He couldn’t rewind his body to get Aurora’s telekinesis off him. Her power was jamming his own in place.

He pulled out his pistol and fought against his stiff body to aim it at Aurora.

“You’re not getting away with this you brat-!”

His threat was also pointless, for his firing arm was sliced off in a blink. No blood spewed out. After all, his body was technically frozen in time.

The clocks shattered further.

Dominic only had one last resort.

“Luna Starlight! Stop this girl already!”

Luna was still on the floor, but looked in disbelief at what was even happening. She didn’t even know what to do in this situation.

“Are you going to make the same mistake as seven years ago!? Are you really going to let the one you love most commit murder for your sake again!?”

Luna didn’t respond. She was scared to do anything. The clocks shattered further.

“You’ll never escape your past! You’ll spend the rest of your existence repeating your sins over and over again! Never being more than what you are now!”

Luna didn’t respond. She grew content. The clocks shattered into pieces.

“DO YOU NOT HEAR ME!? STOP HER ALREADY YOU CURSED HUMAN!”

A loud slice echoed throughout the room. Everything went silent for a second after. The next sound to be heard was a body collapsing. When the shock wore off on Luna, she looked at what happened to Dominic.

A body split in half laid on the floor. There was no bleeding, and the halves of his body rested cleanly. Luna waited for his body to rewind and form back together, but that never happened. 

Aurora’s attack not only killed him, but his ability. Without Uphold being there to preserve his body, it turned to dust, and slowly, it crumbled away.

Luna instinctively backed away from this, but more importantly, she turned to Aurora. She was hunched over, taking deep breaths. The red aura from her body fizzled out.

Aurora stared deeply at Dominic’s remains before staring at her own hands. Her eyes were exhausted, but her entire face became apologetic.

Eventually, she murmured out a few words.

“It’s over… It’s all over now…”

Crying ensued.

“I was too scared to lose you again. Please…please don’t hate me…”

She pressed her hands against her face and continued to sob.

The sadness on her face, it was the same sadness that Luna saw when this happened the first time. The core of Aurora’s grief back then clicked for Luna. It was more than just being afraid of how others would hurt her and what she’d have to do to fight back, it was the fear that Luna would hate her. That she would fear the girl standing before her and what she was capable of.

Luna looked at her with sorrow. The last time this happened, she chose to bear the responsibility for herself and ran away from her.

This time…things would be different.

She grabbed both of Aurora’s hands and clasped them between her own, staring into Aurora’s weeping face with a look of faith.

“I’m right here.”

That’s all Luna needed to say. They gazed into each other's eyes until Aurora leaned on Luna’s chest, clinging to her with her entire heart and soul.

Her cries only became louder. Echoing through the room, she let out tears that were suppressed all too long ago.

“Luna… I… I miss when we were together…!”

Luna hugged her firmly. Her own tears dripped down her face, but in a slower manner than Aurora’s.

“I know. Please, take all the time you need… I’m not going anywhere.”

They remained together for a while. Simply existing with each other. Everything seemed like it came to a pause, but they both knew deep down that this wasn’t the case.

Once this moment would come to pass, an unknown future awaited them.