Revolution || Narnia Fanfiction || thecallofnarnia & NaturallyNarnian

Chapter 20: Zero Escape

Music, and a song: "Catch Me If You Can" by Jack Wall
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"LILLI!! HOLD ON!!" David screamed over the din of battle as he brandished Starsong, heading into the chaos, towards the Rebels holding his Star Queen captive. He knew it was a trap, he knew they didn't kill her so they could draw him out, but he didn't care. He had to try.

David twirled Starsong in his hand before firing energy blasts into the crowded enemies, trying to blast a path through to Lilliandil. The Rebels gradually drew back, and David barely noticed the difference as he fought desperately. He couldn't tell just how much of a trap it was. The closer he got, the more his Soulcast with Starsong bit back at him- the supercharged magic nullifier was causing it to literally eat away at his soul.

The Zero EMP in question was a massive, amorphous construction of Darkness- sometimes resembling a tree, other times resembling an infinite fractal reaching out into the space beyond, other times resembling a growing spider-web of inky black evil. As David collapsed to the ground, he saw Lilliandil, bound and tied by both rope and tendrils of Darkness, the Zero EMP slowly killing the pair of them unless he could stop it.

He could see the Rebels around them watching, standing there menacingly. David could only take solace in the idea that this was because Mara was watching through them- pausing from her chaos-causing even for a moment- and that she would probably watch him die.

Mara, that vicious bitch, would watch him die.

Lilliandil, his Queen of the Stars, would watch him die.

He swallowed. No, they wouldn't.

He would not die today. Not until he gave his all.

David clawed further, briefly using his legs until he collapsed again, futility evident in his loss of strength as he tried to stab the Zero EMP with Starsong. He knew what he could try, but time and his soul were slipping away.

Lilliandil watched, tears flowing down her face, down the cloth the Rebels had gagged her with, as David tried again, his stab failing as his arm fell slack from the constant drain of energy.

He figured he had one more shot before his soul withered inside him.

David released a scream as he drove the blade into the Darkness with all his strength, piercing the Zero EMP which began to squirm and writhe into different monstrous forms like something out of a nightmare, while David continued to scream as he used the last of his power- his soul- to command the cosmos to consume the construct, and Starsong sang as cosmic energy gradually began to devour it, and with the last of his wits he ordered the stars to fill Lilliandil too, just in case he was too late.

"Until my last fucking breath," David whispered before his eyes closed.

———🎶

The second that Lilliandil felt magic enter her, she removed her binds and gag and took a shuddering breath, rushing closer to David's side, but it was too late. His body lay limp in her arms, her tears begging to fall on her husband's corpse.

Lilliandil wept, and the stars wept with her.

One of the many Rebels, who were all still standing and staring, shocked that David had actually died and their trap worked despite their Zero EMP being destroyed, sounded joyous words to spread to the others.

"The High King has fallen! The High King has-"

Lilliandil looked up from weeping into her Star King's body and immediately commanded gravity to bend to her will, crushing the exalting Rebel in a matter of moments as screamed words were replaced with the sounds of snapped bones, crushed organs, and snuffed life-force.