Aria's POV
I was wheezing softly, by entire body feeling cold now that the burning had subsided.
I could taste the blood in my throat and I struggled to swallow, choking slightly.
Alastor's shadow held me close to him, just holding me in his arms as he stared down at me with a soft frown.
Smiling up at him weakly, I chuckled.
"It feels like I've done this before..." I whispered hoarsely, wrapping my fingers around his hand that was situated on top of my wound.
He churred sadly, and pulled me closer to him.
My vision blurred, and I felt like I was getting further and further away, floating.
The shadow suddenly leaned forward, slowly pressing his forehead against mine, and closing his eyes.
I closed mine in return, knowing I won't have the strength to open them again.
'Love you...'
My lip quivered and a few tears slipped past my lashes.
"I love you, too..." I whispered weakly.
Just as I felt like I couldn't hold on any longer, I felt a warm feeling rush through me and gasped. My eyes shot open and I could see Alastor's shadow slowly getting sucked into my wound.
"W-what are you doing?" I stuttered, looking up at him. He brushed my hair back, smiling down at me softly.
Slowly, he disappeared into the wound, leaving me to lay on the ground. My strength returned to me, and I could breathe properly again.
My hand went over my chest where there had once been a fatal stab.
There was a hole in my shirt, but the skin had mended itself.
Did he just...
I closed my fist over my chest and shut my eyes.
"Thank you..." I whispered shakily, then opened my eyes to look up towards the fight.
I couldn't tell what was happening, but I could see shadows swarming around up there.
Looking around, I noticed there were some shadows crawling around on the ground, just watching me.
Pulling myself up, I narrowed my eyes on them.
Then they all backed away, and retreated up to the top of the rocks here everything was happening.
Strange.
My eyes shifted over to a small blob on the floor and I gasped, getting up and limping over to it.
"Zip!" I called, and he chittered weakly. I fell to my knees and pulled him into my lap.
He blinked slowly, and then sighed softly, nuzzling his face into my belly. I pet his head, relieved that he was at least responsive.
Looking back over towards the fight, I could see Alastor now had Xander held back again, but the shadows that were swarming them seemed angry.
"Zip..." I started, and looked down at him, "can you please get me up there again?" I asked him, and he churred quietly before he nodded.
Once again I felt light headed before I was standing up on the rock again.
Alastor's eyes shifted to me and widened, immediately followed by tears filling them.
"Aria!" He called, sounding relieved, whereas Xander saw me and growled.
"How!" He yelled, yanking against Alastor's restraints.
Something was different this time, though, he was acting desperate...scared. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked to Alastor, trotting up to him.
"W-what happened?" I asked, and he chuckled tiredly, running his fingers back over my head before he pulled me forward and kissed my forehead.
"We won..." he said quietly, and then pulled back to look at me.
The look on his face wasn't what I was expecting. It was a bit of a bittersweetness...
I gave him a reluctant smile, shaking my head as my ears laid down, "then why don't you seem happier?" I asked him confusedly.
His brows furrowed and he took a deep breath, lowering onto one knee in front of me so him and I were more level.
"Take that key card I gave you and get out of here..." he said softly, "I have to stay behind..."
"No, no you don't," I said immediately, my voice beginning to crack, "you're coming with me, come on," I tugged him, but he didn't budge. I tugged again, weakly, my bottom lip trembling as I looked into his eyes.
"Aria, baby..." he brushed his fingers over my cheek and gave me a gentle smile, "go...I need to make sure he doesn't get away..."
The cave around us rumbled, and pieces began falling as shadows started rapidly swirling around us. They were mostly around Xander, but they would lap at us every once in a while.
I shook my head, taking a step towards him.
"I'm staying with you," I whimpered, putting my arms around his neck, "wherever you're going, I'm going, too..." I said pitifully.
He pinched his eyebrows together and then closed his eyes and sighed. Using his free arm he wrapped me up in a hug and picked me up.
He turned us slightly, and when he released me, he gave me a tender smile.
"Ok, sweetheart," he said softly, and I noticed his arm was shaking as he desperately tried to keep Xander still. The man in question was thrashing at this point.
I kept my eyes on Alastor, holding onto him tightly. He looked back at me with a gentle expression, and brushed my hair back with his fingers.
Pulling me forward, he laid a gentle kiss just above my brow bone. My breath caught in my throat and he lingered there for a moment.
Then he pressed his forehead against mine, hovering over my lips. He closed the space, kissing me tenderly. The kiss was soft and sweet, and when he pulled away I chased him, just wanting to be close to him.
"I need just one more favor..." he whispered shakily against my lips, and a tear fell from my lashes as he pulled me into a hug.
"Please don't forget how much I love you..."
My eyes widened and I pulled away from him, staring into his eyes. Everything felt slow as the shadows around us whipped and moaned angrily.
Before I could say anything else I felt his hand against my chest and he shoved me away from him. When he'd hugged me earlier...he moved us to the edge of the rock we were standing on.
I started to fall.
Gasping, I reached out towards him. He wore that same sad smile, and quickly receded as I fell.
"No!" I screamed right before I felt several pairs of arms around me.
"I gotcha, baby..." Angel's voice whispered by my ear, and I was breathing heavily as I watched the swarm of shadows open into a vortex.
I struggled against Angel, staring up at Alastor.
Hot tears burned my eyes, and I started sobbing.
"You bastard, you fucking bastard!" I yelled up at him, my words coming out as pathetic cries as I fought against Angel's arms.
"You promised you wouldn't leave me again, you promised!" I screamed, "you fucking promised, you liar!" I wept, and Angel threw me over his shoulder, beginning to run away from the swarm of shadows.
I didn't even notice he'd taken the keycard from me, my eyes were locked on Alastor.
He stared down at me, his smile quivering as a single tear fell from his eye.
"Alastor!" I cried, reaching out towards him as I screamed his name through my heavy sobs, "please don't do this to me, I'm begging you!" I pleaded, my words barely even coherent anymore.
Angel's hold on me tightened, and suddenly we were in the hotel lobby.
I got one last look at him, his form now far away from me.
And the door snapped shut.
Alastor's POV
My throat felt tight as I watched the door close, her heartbroken screams getting cut short.
And with her she took my heart...
My hand went up to my chest and I finally lowered my other arm, releasing Xander.
He coughed and suddenly I felt hands on my shoulders.
I was spun around roughly, met with the wide eyes of nothing but a terrified child.
A madman.
I guess I have no room to talk...
"What have you done!" He cried, squeezing my shoulders. The shadows were whipping around us, slowly consuming both of us into the void of darkness.
Nothingness.
I chuckled, grabbing him by the arms and pulling him closer to me.
"I'm simply ending what you started, my friend!" I laughed, my smile stretching wide across my face. The tears burning my eyes were nothing compared to the relief I felt now that I knew she was safe.
She is safe.
The entire room groaned, making Xander's eye dart around, watching as his lair fell away, piece by piece.
He was trembling, tears brimming in his one good eye as his face fell into a distressed frown.
"Do you have any idea what you've done!" He anguished, and I widened my smile threateningly.
"I know exactly what I've just done." I responded lowly, making his gaze widen.
"But you'll die, too!" He pleaded with me, trying to make me stop this in some way.
Even if I wanted to...there's no reversing what I've done.
There's no reversing this.
All I could do was laugh, shaking my head as he trembled in front of me, clutching my arms.
"No, no...my friend, we are not dying," I chuckled, gaining his full attention. His lips parted as he stared at me, hair whipping around both of our faces as the shadows slowly pulled us closer to the darkness.
"This is much worse than death..." I continued, staring him deeply in the eyes, digging my claws into his arms, "where we're going it is quiet...dark...lonely."
"There will be not a soul there, not one single soul aside from us, so please..." my voice lowered into a deep growl as I yanked him closer to me, "tell me, my friend..."
My eyes sunk into my head becoming black pits with piercing red pupils, my smile stretched ear to ear.
"Are you prepared for an eternity in the void with me?"
His expression turned horrified and he began to scream but it was cut off as the last of the shadows consumed us, erasing us both from existence.