TW: Death, violence. Do not read if you can't handle it. You have been warned. ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ Aiko followed the arguing voices. She knew that Benicia liked to spend time in the forest when she was upset, and from what Spider had told her...she was upset. Nevertheless, she was glad she had followed her hunch. Of course, she was faster than Spider, since she was smaller and he was somewhat hurt, so she made it there first. And thank goodness she did, because she arrived just in time to see Mara lunging at a terrified Benicia. "STOP!" Aiko howled, lunging forward and knocking Mara back. She stood defensively in front of Benicia, huffing. "Aiko?!" Benicia gasped, terrified. "N-no! You have to go! You can't beat her!" "Watch me," Aiko said. She took in a deep breath, glaring at Mara, who reared onto her back legs, ready to slash at Aiko's throat...until a voice stopped her. "That's enough!" Mara snarled, spinning around to face Spider, who had come out of the shadows, covered with scratches. He glared at Mara. "You won't kill ANYBODY else on my watch, Mara," he snarled. "You might've gotten away with killing my sister, but you sure won't kill me or my friends." "Oh really?" Mara sneered. And then she spun and lunged for Aiko. But Aiko knew what she was doing. She knew that Mara /wanted/ her to dodge so that she could kill Benicia. And Aiko wasn't going to let that happen. So she stood and took the blow to her chest, not a sound coming from her. "AIKO!" both Benicia and Spider howled, horrified. Aiko gritted her teeth and pushed Benicia out of the way of harm, sending her towards Spider as Mara lunged, trying to jump over Aiko to reach Benicia. Aiko jumped forward quickly, snagging Mara's tail in her teeth and jerking her back viciously. Mara crashed into Aiko, but Aiko quickly got up, bouncing back in front of Spider and Benicia to protect them from any attack. "You're a real nuisance, aren't you?!" Mara snarled at Aiko, who stood still, even with her chest practically torn open. "If nuisances will protect their friends literally to no end...then yes. Yes I am," Aiko panted, narrowing her eyes. Mara bared her teeth, then lunged once more, this time directly towards Aiko. Aiko rose to meet her, teeth bared. They crashed. Teeth snapped. Growls and yelps sounded. And there was a heavy thump. "Aiko," Benicia gasped, horrified. Mara lay at Aiko's feet, very still. But Benicia could see that there was still some breath in her. So she was still alive. Yet Aiko...was on the verge of death, cuts and bite marks all over her body. She let out a little whimper, stepping towards her friends, before she collapsed. Crying out, Benicia and Spider rushed towards her. "No! No, no, no! Aiko, you can't die!" Spider pleaded. "Not when you saved my life in the cavern! Not when you just saved us again! And you're still so young...." "I...might be young, but I did what I wanted most," Aiko huffed, smiling up at her friends. "Besides...I'm apart of the Order of the Rey. I'll be...reincarnated, anyways. You just...have to look...for me." "But Aiko!" Spider cried, not ready to let go of his friend yet. She shook her head, drawing in a shuddering breath. "It's okay...just...let go. This battle was won, okay? Remember...the rest have to be...stopped." Then she closed her eyes, letting out a final, shuddering breath. Spider and Benicia stared at their broken friend, speechless. And then Benicia whispered, "Sure, the battle was won, but at every cost...."
Story by me. Art by me :) Song is Atlantis by Seafret. CW
