Last Hope [VERSION I]

|09|

--Edited (4/2/16)--

"Sometimes you have to go through darkness to get into the light."

||Leona||

"Crap." I muttered as I looked off into the fiery explosion. Men flew in the air and landed on the ground with a hard crunch. They were just lifeless bodies now. Nothing new, though.

I turned my head away and looked to my left. There sat Rilynn, covering her head. Her ginger hair was messily parted to her right side. Dirt covered her face and hair, much like mine had been. Tears trickled down her cheeks and puddled onto the dirt floor. Her heavy breathing would normally have gotten us killed if it hadn't been for the sound of explosions covering it up.

"How are you guys doing over here?" Tristan said casually as he tiptoed towards us, blood stains over his chest and covering most of his sword. The sound of another explosion went off in the distance.

"What are you doing over here?!" I lectured in the quietest voice I could muster. "You could have been killed! Go back to your base!"

He smirked his famous heart stopping smirk "I had to see if you guys were ok."

"Does it LOOK LIKE I'M OK?!" Rilynn cried. At moments like this I questioned why she became a soldier for Erwyn, our country, in the first place.

"Tristan. You. Could. Have. Died."

"But I didn't." He held up his sword. "See this? I spilled some Teran blood." Tristan beamed.

I sighed in annoyance. "And where's Elliot?"

"Uh."

"Tristan."

"Sorry, sorry. Somewhere... over the rainbow."

I ignored the hidden meaning and proceeded to ask "Where is he?"

"Over there." Tristan pointed with his sword. At the exact same moment, another explosion sounded and exploded at the exact area he pointed.

My heart stopped.

I got up frantically and tugged Rilynn's hand. "We need to get up now."

Rilynn refused to follow me as she cowered in fear. I repeated what I said, but Rilynn just sat there and cried.

Five seconds passed and I've already had enough. "Fine." I gave up and ran in the direction Tristan had pointed to. If she wouldn't help, I'd have to do it by myself.

I followed the trail of bodies and blood. Bodies of my acquaintances and my enemies lay in a bloody mess all around from the explosion. But I never stopped to grieve, I had to find Elliot.

Tristan followed not far behind, clutching Rilynn's hand. How he managed to get her up, I wasn't sure. Probably flirted with her somehow. Tristan was quite the flirt.

"Elliot!" I cupped my hands to my mouth and called.

"Elliot!"

No response.

I turned to the two. Rilynn stopped crying but her face  and eyes where bright red. Tristan has a confused look on his face and turned around in all different directions.

He wasn't here.

"Elliot!" I shouted on more time. My throat was sore.

Oh no.

"I'll go search over there." Tristan announced, pointing to the left with his blood stained sword. "You and Rilynn go to the right."

I wasn't to fond of the idea of splitting up, but we didn't have much of a choice. I nodded my head and ran to the right as fast as I could.

My armor was weighing me down and I could barely keep it up. I slowed down and started panting. A deserted dark land surrounded me.
Nothing in sight besides the stars that concealed the night sky.

"Elli!!" Rilynn tried to shout, but her voice was shaky and it barely escaped her lips.

I fell on my knees and panted. My head was spinning and my throat was dry. Fuck
the war. Fuck explosions. Fuck Tera. And fucking hell, where was Elliot?

I looked down at my hands. Dirt and scars painted my brown skin like it was a canvas. My eyelids flickered and a light blinded me.

I felt myself fall onto the cool ground and pass out.

The last thing I heard was Rilynn scream.

||Ace||

My right hand grabbed Thana's hand and my other swiped the paper from her and threw it on the floor. Her eyes and eyes were red and she began to sob.

"No... shit. Its not what you—"

"If you want to kill me, go ahead." She looked down at the ground. "It's ok. I'd rather be."

My eyes widened. "Its not what you think." My heart did this weird thing......and a sad sensation came over me.  "Just let me explain."

"There's nothing to explain, Ace."

I turned around to Ruby and Nico. The same sad look on there faces, the same I imagined I had.

Gulping, I turned back to her.

She was looking at me, tears making her eyes glossy and shiny. How many times has this girl cried in the past few days I've known her? How many times has she cried in her whole life? From this moment foreword, I never, ever, wanted to see her cry again. Or have me be the reason why.

"We have something we need to tell you."

~~~

"Revenge." Thana repeated the word after I said it. "That was your plan...?"

My head sagged. "Yep."

"And Ruby and Nico tagged along?"

"We did." Ruby shook her head. Nico looked off into the distance, ignoring what was going on most likely.

"No offense, but that wasn't well thought out."

"And I've put years of thought into this."

Thana someone managed to smile.

I didn't expect for this to be her reaction. Not in a billion years. But here she was, the princess, laughing at my idea. Maybe we did gain a new member.

"Well." Thana said "Lovely you wanted to kill me. Kind of upset about it, not going to lie..."

Honestly, who wouldn't be?

"But I want to help you."

I looked up, not believing what I just heard. Had my ears deceived me?

"What?"

"I want to help get revenge too. Not by killing me of course, but rather her. She needs to pay for all those years of suffering and torment."

I heard a happy squeal from behind me.