Starlin groaned exasperatedly.
CAN'T ANYONE STAY ALIVE FOR FIVE ZORPING MINUTES?!??
She couldn't sneak past Marina. That was already out of the question.
The only thing she could to was reach Azalea telepathically.
Azalea wasn't dead. She nearly was, but Starlin had a plan.
If she could convince Azalea to use Nightmare to snap out of her delirium and fight, then they would still have a chance.
If Azalea would cooperate. There was a small chance that she would give up and stay in that afterlife world.
The fire trickled across her arms and up her shoulders. The hybrid closed her eyes as it felt like she was being tossed through the universe.
Azalea answer me-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mrs Korraine tightly grasped Azalea's hand.
"You don't have to hurt anymore", she whispered.
Azalea thought about it.
Warm, relaxing, Oregon.
Home.
Versus having to survive Ferin, Marina, and her own inner demons.
Maybe it would hurt less...
To be finally home with my mother...
To be able to see the sky, the sea...
That's paradise.
"AZALEA!"
To Azalea's surprise, Starlin appeared out of a blazing inferno that appeared out of thin air.
The sixteen year-old sprinted towards her.
"I swear to Zarkon, dearest sister, you need to wake up!"
"Wake up?", she echoed.
"You aren't dead yet!", Starlin exclaimed, "You can still wake up!"
"But I don't want to."
Starlin's jaw dropped.
"You're jesting, right? Please tell me you're merely jesting."
Azalea shook her head. She raised her hand to show Starlin.
"Look. I'm normal here. This is home. I have my mom again."
She paused.
"I don't have to be a monster..."
Starlin slapped her across the face.
"Listen to me! You are not a monster! We can't help that we were born this way! Nothing is normal! There's no such thing!"
Azalea furrowed her eyebrows and turned away from her sister.
Starlin sighed.
"Your friends are dying! Ferin is on his way right now to kill the Red Paladin!"
That got her attention.
Keith-
"What has he done to him?!", Azalea shouted.
"Nothing yet, but Ferin is disguised as you to take him out."
Azalea froze.
Ferin is going to make it look like I killed him...
Starlin grabbed Azalea's shoulders. They looked into each other's dark eyes.
"Sister, you cannot perish like this. You cannot die by the hands of your Earth sister and Ferin."
The older hybrid grit her teeth.
"How can I wake up?"
"The only way you can is to let Nightmare out."
Nighmare-
"No!", Azalea shouted immediately.
"LISTEN! I know you're afraid of yourself! But that's the only way to stop them! Ferin won't be expecting me, so I'll take him on! Marina will have to face you."
Azalea looked at Starlin worridly, "Are you sure you can do it?"
Starlin glared.
"I've wanted to do it for years. All you have to do is let go. Let go of everything."
Mrs Korraine placed her hand on Azalea's head.
"You don't have to go if you don't want to."
Azalea looked at her mother, then at her sister.
This was a chance to avenge herself.
A chance to help Starlin overcome her abuser.
A chance to repay the Galra FOR all the years of pain and mental torment.
All I have to do...
Is let go.
Let go.
She turned back to her mom.
"My family is in trouble", she said, "I can't stay."
Her mother smiled.
"That's my strong baby girl. I knew from the moment I found you in my azalea garden, that you were going to be special."
Azalea hugged her tightly, letting a tear escape silently.
She turned to Starlin. A new, fierce rage pulsed through her body. It felt....
Powerful.
"Let's go."
They want a Nightmare?
I'll give them a night terror...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Who's your least favorite character?
Mine would have to be Marina. I've hated her from the beginning.
Ferin to me is like those hot bad guys in tv shows that you hate to love.
So I don't hate him entirely.