The Fate of Three

Epilogue

It was a beautiful day, one of those that seemed to be taken straight from the pages of a fairytale. Birds chirping, flowers blooming, sun shining; spring had finally arrived after the long and cold winter. It should have been a pleasant day, but even though Neoma's death had been a month ago Blaze still felt it was to soon to be happy again.

Her hands shook as she walked toward the border. The truce had held, though most steered clear of the opposite town. Blaze felt the same most of the time, but she made an exception for visiting her sister's grave. She had been buried at the border, rightfully resting in both Yin and Yang. Beneath her name it read "princess of Yang, soldier of Yin," it was a reminder of the bond that binds the towns together. The last name upon the stone was that of the queen, not the one she had taken from her adoptive parents, whom had barley even bothered to come to the funeral.

Blaze looked down at her hands, they where still jittering. One of them held a sandwich, it wasn't for her. Both of her hands where red, dry, and raw. She had taken up the nasty habit of rubbing them and washing them even when they where clean. She swore she could still feel and smell the blood on them. Finally the headstone materialized out of the shade of the cherry blossom tree that stood over her grave. As always, their was already someone there, leaning against the tree.

Amon, she knew his name well now. They where acquaintances, Blaze decided, not friends. She didn't think they could ever be friends, not with Neoma's murder weighing so heavily on Blaze's shoulders. She did however pity the boy. He looked more dead than alive. His eyes where sunken and glassy. The pale skin that covered his body was stretched tightly across his bones, his ribs nearly visible even under his shirt. He seemed to emanate sorrow, like if you stayed near him for to long you to would be sucked into he despair that was evident in his dark eyes.

He hardly ever ate, slept, or moved about of his own free will these days. Zannia had to watch over him day and night, trying to keep what was left of the damaged boy alive. But she had only managed to make him eat enough to stay alive and sleep enough that he had the energy to walk to Neoma's grave every day. Zannia clearly cared deeply for Amon, everyone but Amon seemed to see that. She hardly ever left him alone lately, out of fear he may hurt or even try to kill himself. Amon looked like he didn't have the energy or ability to do even that.

"Hey," Blaze said and cleared her throat to let him know she had arrived. Today he was reading, it was some sort of old leather backed book.

"Hey," he rasped in his weary voice, placing the book to the side. 

Blaze sat down by his side, handing him the sandwich, not that he ever ate it. As she did this she noticed there was a rare glint in his eyes. She had seen it once before, it was a mixture of insanity and hope. Last time she had seen this they had parted ways particularly angry with each other. Amon seemed to be holding onto life under the delusion that he could bring Neoma back. Blaze wanted that as much as him but she was sane enough to be able to identify the impossibility of it. He had insisted he needed her help because of her Phoenix like powers, because Phoenix have the power of rebirth. Blaze had told him he was being ridiculous and stormed off, she didn't want to see him get his hopes up on nonsense only to be crushed again.

"How are you?" Blaze asked carefully.

He shrugged, "No better, but no worse I suppose."

"I guess that's all we can hope for until more time passes," Blaze sighed.

"I don't want time to make it better," Amon whispered, "I always want to miss her this much, that way I know it was real, what we had."

Blaze sighed, he was wise beyond his years, and she didn't particularly like it. It made her want to leave and go hang out with Xavier, who could always make her smile with his immaturity. "What's that book?" 

"It's," he stopped abruptly, "never mind, you'd only get angry again."

Blaze shook her head, "She's gone, and you know it."

"You don't know that for s-" Amon started to argue but stopped as Blaze put a hand an his shoulder and looked him straight in the eye.

"She's dead, Amon."

Amon's face crumpled, and he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the tree. "I know," his voice was even shakier than usual, "but I have to cling to something."

Blaze looked at Amon's thin frame as he leaned against the tree. She attempted to imagine when they had first met, and the second time they met and he attacked them. She tried to recall how he had been her enemy. She tested the idea of him really being capable of all the things he was accused of at what was supposed to be his execution. But she couldn't believe any of it, there was no way she could bring her self to see him as anything more wicked than the heart wrenchingly depressed looking boy he appeared to be now.

 Quietly she bit her lip and looked at him as a single tear forced it's way from his eyes. A moment later though his body stiffened. Then he lurched forward, his eyes flying open. They glowed with a distant power. She was already expecting it when he opened his mouth and began to speak in an older sounding voice.

Another prophecy.

It wasn't over yet.

There's gonna be a sequel! :D I went back and forth for a while whether I wanted one or not, and I've decided to write at least one more book. (I just love these characters XD)

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you everyone that has read and put up with my slow updates and my annoying author's notes XD 

And again a HUGE thanks to Yunru28 who gave me the story idea in the first place! (though I think we can both agree the plot has come a long way from the original)

So keep your eyes out for the sequel? It won't be out for a bit and I, uh, don't have a title yet so... o.o'