Keith stared at Azalea, wide eyed.
She held her arms, her lips pressed together. Her eyes were watery.
"I never wanted to kill Marina. I would rather have died than killed her. Which might have happened if my emotions didn't blow everything up", she said bitterly, "Everyone hears my name, and they run away scared. Everyone I loved turned their back on me, left me alone. No one truly loves me. I'm a monster. You were right."
She tucked the left side of her hair behind an ear, and Keith saw why she always wore the turtleneck. A thick marbled scar protruded from behind her left ear, and ran down her neck where it disappeared under the hem of her t-shirt.
His eyes met hers.
"And I found out the hard way that I have to live with it", she finished.
Keith was shocked.
She did that to herself.
She tried to commit suicide.
Was she that broken over her sister?
Keith looked at Azalea. He no longer saw the Nightmare, but Azalea Violet Korraine. The young woman with a fierce yet gentle look in her eyes.
The young woman who had everything taken from her. Who lost her mother. Who was betrayed by her own sister that she looked up to.
He saw a woman, the daughter of a Galra commander, who tried everything to be normal.
She was electrocuted.
Abandoned.
Neglected.
Beaten.
And yet she could still smile.
She put up her own walls, in fear of being hurt again.
She was lonely in the world.
He wanted to take back everything. To apologize.
To do something for her.
But she quietly stood up, grabbed her jacket, and was about to walk out.
Halfway out of the door, she squeezed his shoulder and gave him a sad smile.
"It felt good to get that off my chest", she whispered, "Thanks, Keith."
The way she said his name.
She really does trust me.
She left with a "Good night", leaving the red paladin in her wake.
The storage closet still smelled like her.
"You aren't a monster", he whispered to the empty air. He wished he'd realized that sooner.
Keith was overtaken by a sudden mission.
He was going to show her that there was still good in the universe.
He felt like it was his responsibility to protect her. To make sure that no one hurt his Azalea again.
Woah, did I just say "my" Azalea?
I'm tired.
I'm delusional.
Right?
CMON KEITH YOU'RE SO CLOSE!!!
Okayyyyyy... about time now.
So close to being Canon,
Yet so far away.
I still haven't decided whether to spare you the heartache, or tear your hearts out at the end off this.
Oh well ;)
UPDATE COMING SOON!!
(Also thanks for reading, voting, and commenting! Love you guys!)
~JM