Natsu seemed to finally catch on as his face went from shock to amaze to admiration to sadness. He stepped forward and hugged her, touching his forehead to hers and whispering, "I'm happy to meet you, Luna."
Luna's eyes watered as he kissed her bright pink hair and gave her a big smile, one she'd ever only seen in pictures and her tears spilled over again. "I am so glad I found you both."
Lucy wiped her cheeks, suddenly aware she had been crying. "Luna, how did you manage it?"
The young girl moved aside her cape and pulled out a pouch much like Lucy's but beaten and torn. "I got all the keys together and"
"Wait, you got all the keys??" Lucy gasped.
"Yeah. Levy gave me yours after she... found out... and ah Yukino had lost hers. After the guild had all been destroyed-"
"All of them?" Wendy spoke up. She was shaking and had tear tracks down her face. Luna seemed to notice her for the first time as well as the others. She nodded sadly. "Wendy. Mirajane. Happy. Pantherlily. Carla. Leo." She said softly. "Out of everyone in this cave, and I'm afraid that means you too, Yikino, only Leo and I are left." She held up her left hand where a red Fairy Tail sign was printed on her skin. "But like I was saying, Yukino had umm not use of her keys anymore so Levy and I searched for them. Levy made it her mission that I would get back to this time to save everyone. She- she didn't make it out." Luna's voice cracked but she surged on. "After that I had to get myself to the castle and activate it. Along the way, I met a few others who helped but I know nothing of if they lived. Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, any magician left. I just showed my insignia like this-" suddenly her mark light with fire and Natsu gasped at how beautiful her flame was "and they helped me."
Lucy hugged her again, tightly, and both girls breathed in deeply like some part of them had been set right. Lucy saw a lot of herself in Luna, but she was so sad her features seemed much older than 12 or 13.
Natsu set his own hand on fire, anger flashing in his eyes. "Luna, whatever you need us to do, we're going to do it. No one will live in that future you come from if I can help it." He was aware of tears in his eyes, but his anger kept them at bay. There was no way Luna would return to that future.
"Thanks, Dad." She smiled. Both Natsu and Lucy noticed she looked a bit more like Natsu when she did.
Part 2 ~Levy
