Okay quick note: this is the conclusion. This is the last battle of this story and everything is coming to a close. It's gonna be a long chapter (about 7000 words, hence the very delayed update, so sorry about that), so be sure you've got enough time and space to read this because it's going to be a ride. It's not the end though! Like 2/3 chapters left to close it all up, so get ready, grap some popcorn, leave a vote and lots of comments (pleaaaase) and let's go.
"Get away from my princess, now."
I felt my heart warm instantly the moment he said those words, my pulse dropping as our eyes connected. Obi-Wan stood amidst pure chaos. Stead-vast like a rock, his feet planted firmly on the ground and his blue eyes set in a stern gaze. In some way the moment I saw him I knew it was going to be all right. A sense of peace came over me, so to speak. Even though there was this massive man standing on top of me I was surer than ever. Obi-Wan, master jedi and general of the army of the republic was here to aid me. Yet when Arthas chuckled in response, pressing his foot down onto my chest harder to keep me grounded, doubt arose once again.
"No, Obi! Run!" I yelled quickly, my hand reaching for him even though he was too far away. As a response Arthas used his other foot and placed it on the top of my hand, pinning it to the ground as I yelled out in pain when he pressed his full weight onto it.
"I told you I'd make you watch." Arthas grinned madly. The red glint of his eyes flickered as he moved his hand, commanding his undead soldiers to attack the single man standing in his way.
"Hold on, princess!" Obi-Wan yelled. We watched as Arthas's undead soldiers charged at the jedi. I whimpered when they completely crowded him, shielding him from our sight. In a mad frenzy I started thrashing, kicking, trying to pull him to the ground and burning down everything around us by helplessly flapping my wings on the ground but it was of no use. He simply kept me pinned on the ground, looking down with a smile on his face as fire danced around him.
"The more you fight, the harder it will become." Arthas spoke smoothly, not even in the slightest moved by all my attempts. "It's kind of poetic, don't you think? The more you fight, the more you lose soldiers and the bigger my army becomes. You say you stand for hope but the way I see it, the only thing you stand for is naivety."
"It's a thing called human emotions, you idiot." Instead of struggling against him I glared up at him. "The moment I'm free you're dead."
"Yes, maybe. Maybe you'll finally find a way to die." He shrugged, his eyes drawing back to the mess where Kenobi was fighting for his life. I heard his lightsaber connect with bones almost each second, letting me know he was still there.
"But if you do I'll still have my own life. I'll be like everyone else, vulnerable. I'll still have my own powers and as it is looking right now, they won't be able to defeat me even then. Even if they tried, they would fail because I'll have you." He glanced down again, a devilish grin plastered on his face. "I'll raise your warm corpse to fight for me."
Our eyes connected again as I stilled. He'd raise me from the dead the moment I'd die. He'd not only have me completely under his command, he could also use my own powers against the ones I loved. If my own body wasn't enough to dishevel them, the fire would certainly kill the jedi.
"Oh, you really need to see a therapist, Arthas." I mumbled but the ice-cold fear settled itself inside my heart. "That is fucked up." The whole plan I'd formed was completely useless. I couldn't kill myself but I also couldn't let him go free to destroy the city. Somehow I needed to find a way to be sure that he could be killed the instant I'd die. All I needed was more time.
"Blackwing!" Both our gazes turned back towards the turmoil which, much to our surprise, had died down completely. In the midst of multiple cut off limbs and smoke Obi-Wan stood, his chest heaving up and down as his eyes focused on the dark entity above me. I'd expected anger but his blue eyes were as calm as always, focused on Arthas as his light tunic was covered in dried blood and dirt. "I thought I told you to get away from her, now."
"You surprise me, Kenobi." Arthas almost seemed impressed as he knotted his eyebrows, taking in the dirty, panting jedi carefully. "I'm getting the urge to keep you as my pet." As I moved again to reach out to him, Arthas kicked me back on the ground harshly.
"That's enough." Obi-Wan snarled after he saw me wince, charging towards Arthas in a dash. As he came near my eyes widened, feeling Arthas shift his weight and in a moment's notice I'd grasped his leg again, using the distraction to pull my lower body up, throwing him off of me as I rolled to a stance, glaring up at him as he managed to do the same. Before he could trap me again Obi-Wan had arrived.
Arthas pulled his sword from its sheath from his kneeling position, trying to hit the jedi with one precise sweep as he stood up swiftly. Yet Obi-Wan skilfully dodged the attack, jumping over Arthas while doing a flip, landing perfectly on his feet right behind his back and slicing his saber through his chest in one move.
Twirling the lightsaber around his hand Obi-Wan smiled, going back into a fighting pose as he looked at the perfect straight, red line in Arthas's chest. Yet when the man only sighed in response and black magic began to twirl around the wound, seemingly stitching it back together again, Obi-Wan's sure stance wavered.
"She didn't tell you, did she?" Obi-Wan watched in bewilderment as Arthas turned around to face him, his eyes narrowed and his eyes glowing more fiercely than ever before. The undead army rose again from the ground, the black magic patching the wounds the lightsaber had made back together.
"Obi, I'm serious this time, go." I practically begged. "I need you to get, -"
"Hush, child." Arthas grinned as he closed his fist around my throat, using the force to lift me in the air from a distance. He didn't even spare me a second glance as he scoffed. "She didn't tell you she was linked to me, did she? She didn't tell you she was planning on killing herself the moment she could?" He hissed the last words through his teeth, his eyes flaring furiously. "At least, not before you bonded yourself to her yesterday, am I right? Do you even know how painful it is to lose someone you're connected to?"
Stars covered my vision as I struggled against his hold, flapping my wings to try and loosen the hold he had on me but it was in vain. Through my blurred vision I watched as Obi watched him carefully, taking steps back but remaining in his posture whilst eyeing the ghostly bodies that watched him like a prey. They surrounded us, their red eyes being the only thing we could see through the thick, black smoke.
"It's like having a piece of yourself ripped away from you." The hold tightened remarkably as he growled, stepping closer to Obi-Wan as tears covered my vision. "A piece that you will never find. You'll never be whole again. No, you'll be empty. Just a vessel."
"Obi, run." I managed to croak out as my hands grasped for the invisible hand around my neck.
"They say Sha'hani is the most beautiful promise but in truth, it's the darkest pact you'll ever make." Just before I felt like I'd suffocate his grip loosened and I fell to the ground. It was only so that he could concentrate on something else, I discovered as I tried to catch my breath and watched Arthas narrow his eyes in concentration as his opponent did the same. "I will spare you that feeling. See it as a... mercy."
In one swift motion Arthas had extended his other arm while Obi had been distracted by the other holding the sword. Yet, using his jedi reflexes and the fact he'd been in utmost concentration he managed to dodge the dark magic aimed for his chest, jumping to the side and pushing back with the force with one swift movement.
Arthas stumbled back slightly in surprise after feeling the force used against him. He watched Obi-Wan's eyes which didn't betray a single feeling, all he did was watch his opponent attentively as he fell back in his defensive pose. It was like he was testing him. He'd not even tried to harm Arthas, all he did was defend himself.
"You pest." Arthas narrowed his eyes in annoyance and snarled angrily, yelling and drawing his sword, aiming a powerful strike right at his chest. Obi-Wan managed to dodge it again and tried to land a blow himself, only for his hand to be caught mid-air in the iron grip of Arthas.
In a flash I saw the image of Eric standing before him. The way he'd formed a dagger out of thin air and used it to stab him right in his heart. It was the same attack he'd used to attack him, the same attack that killed the previous king. Fury built up in me, seeing him attack Obi-Wan the same way unleashed a burning heat that exploded from within me in one, big blast. Obi-Wan had felt it coming and used the force to build a shield around him, leaning against the fire as it waved all around him and burned the army of corpses around us to ashes in an instant.
The black smoke cleared only to be replaced by white ashes falling down on us, fires burning all around the marketplace and lighting up the crowded battlefield. Arthas turned back towards me, his hand touching the burned flesh on the side of his body as it healed swiftly. Yet he knew, as I did, that I couldn't kill him.
He'd seem to mock me, lifting his brow and then swiftly moving to attack Obi-Wan once again. "STOP!" I yelled out in anger and dashed towards him, our bodies colliding and flying through the air until his back collided with a wall and went right through it, leaving behind a wake of rubble and dust. "You leave my jedi ALONE!" I unleashed a fury of hits, fire and kicks as I lay on top of him, creating a deeper dent in the surface with each blow.
He only growled in response, catching my fist in the middle of the air before it could hit his face again. He then tightened the grip and flung me back towards the marketplace where I collided with Obi-Wan roughly and send us both to the ground.
"When Anakin told me you'd fallen for me, I didn't think he'd mean it quite this literally." Obi-Wan said jokingly as he laid on the ground. Groaning loudly we'd tried to get back up, only to see Arthas casually stepping over the rubble about 10 feet away.
"Not the time, love." Huffing I strained to lift myself up on my knees, scratches and blood covering my body and hurting each movement I made. Our eyes widened when we saw Arthas prepare for another attack. Obi-Wan tried to step in front of me but as he prepared himself a flashing light suddenly blinded our vision, followed by loud thunder.
"Aidan." I smiled in relief as I saw him bring Arthas to his knees with one powerful strike of lightning, sending electricity through every one of his limbs as he fell down from the sky, their swords clashing mid-air. His grey wings covered our vision as he landed but the light seeped right through his feathers and soon we saw Arthas flying through the air again by the pure force of it, away from our view.
"I think we've been distracting him for long enough now, right?" Aidan's voice was light hearted as he walked towards us in a hurry, helping me up on my feet and patting me on my shoulder, his eyes flying to Obi-Wan as his hand grasped at the wound in his chest, his eyebrows scrunched together in pain.
"Hopefully, because I don't think we'll hold out much longer."
"Distracting? What are you talking about?" I watched as an assured smile covered Obi-Wan's dirty face and looked back at Aidan. In the background I spotted Arthas flying back towards us, only to have a mess of dark brown and golden feathers collide with him mid-air. Stefan.
"Meet me back at Heroes' terrace!" Aidan yelled over his shoulder before flying back in the air again, joining Stefan in his fight.
"Heroes' terrace?" My eyes followed him through the air. He'd seemed so sure of himself, making me realize that he was still hanging on to the plan we'd made yesterday. "What in Valhalla." I mumbled, knowing that in no way that was going to work but nevertheless quickly unwrapping my wings with the thought that Evelyn would be there. I prepared to follow him into the air but looked back at Obi the last second when my hand had reached for an empty holster. "Do you have my sword?"
He stalled for a moment, but soon recovered said weapon from his pocket, now looking like an innocent small cylinder. As I moved to grasp it from his hold he pulled his hand back. Obi-Wan slightly cocked his head to the side as his fingers clenched around the weapon. "Don't try that ever again, princess." He emphasized the words, his eyes narrowed at me.
"Obi." I whispered, my hands darting to his fist and holding it tightly. Tears formed in my eyes when the same stern look remained and I knew he was mad at me. I knew he was afraid too of what might happen, for he'd seen me try to kill myself just minutes before. "I have no right to ask this of you but... do you trust me?"
"I do." Obi-Wan simply answered, sighing deeply in defeat as he slowly opened his hand. I grasped the sword, watching as the magnificent blade unfolded and shone brightly in the light of the fires around us. Obi-Wan watched me carefully all the while, prepared to use the force to stop me again if necessary.
"Get a gryphon and meet us at the south side of the city, right at the edge of the waterfall." I told him, pointing at the direction he'd need to take as I sheathed my sword, making him let out a sigh of relief. Before I turned around to leave, I continued. "And avoid any crazy 400-year old sith lords!"
"Lyanna." Obi-Wan grasped my hand before I could leave, pulling me towards him and planting his lips right on mine before I could protest. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. Apart from the fact that Obi didn't find it easy to show any affection at all, he'd done it in the middle of the street where everyone could see us. My surprise vanished quickly as I sunk into his embrace, returning the kiss gratefully.
In some way it felt different than all the other times we had kissed. He held me like the world would be ending and that this would be the last time he could ever love a human being. He was desperate yet loving and soothing, his one hand trying to pull me closer even though there was no space left between us. I'd instinctively placed my hand on his hard chest, only to feel his heart hammering against my palm.
Closing my eyes, I let myself be dragged away for a moment, just a small moment, and forget everything that was happening around us. The only thing that mattered was the soft feeling of his lips against mine, the smell of vanilla, the warmth of his chest as he held me and his hand that was drawing tender circles on my wrist. It was like he was the only beacon of light in a sea of darkness and all I could do was worship it and hold on for my dear life.
As he drew back slowly he held my face in his hands, his eyes closed as he placed his forehead against mine and inhaled deeply. "Be careful, my darling." Obi-Wan whispered as he slowly opened his eyes, looking right into mine and stealing my breath away yet again. Gods, I could lose myself in that particular shade of blue.
As I smiled softly and nodded, I reluctantly withdrew from his hold and unwrapped my wings, letting them wave through the sky as I stepped back to allow myself some room for the take off. "Says the man that is bleeding onto my streets." I taunted before flying up, soaring through the sky and letting my wings burn brightly again.
I'd not forgotten about the battle that was still raging on around the city, especially not as I looked down on it from above. Whilst most of his living army had been defeated, the undead gained more and more soldiers each minute as Arthas had foretold. I could see tiny red lights appear in every alley and street together with their ghostly screams filling the air. They charged at the small groups of people who were still living, all huddled together and trying to protect each other from the dead. The former pearly white streets of Eagle's Fall were now red with blood. My people were dying and I needed to end this quickly.
My eyes narrowed as they focused on their destination: Heroes' Terrace. It was a huge square on the edge of the waterfall decorated with multiple statues, a tribute to the heroes of our planet. Right behind it the water fell down for miles, creating smoke that rose behind the statues. As you'd expect in the middle of it all stood Anduin's tribute, looking down on all the others.
Eric used to take little Aidan and me there and tell stories of the past. I remember we hung onto every word he spoke as if it was the only thing that could give us life. Of course, he left out all the details about how Anduin had a sickness of the mind, became paranoid and about how he'd killed his own friend.
Now here I was, burning with the same fire Anduin had all those years ago. Leading an army, a people, as a phoenix. Fighting the same enemy but for a different cause. If only he'd known what his rage would've brought to our kingdom, not only in his time but also for the generations to come. What it would've brought to his own daughter.
"Father." I hung still in the air, at the same level his enormous stone head was. "I wonder, -" His eyes stared back numbly, the golden crown on his head reflecting the flames of my wings. "had you known what would happen, what would happen to you, would you have acted the same way?"
Before I could dwell on it a little longer, hands wrapped around my wings and threw me down to the ground. The flames flew all around me as I collided with the pavement, cracking the surface and creating a small crater. I couldn't even feel the pain as I stood up for the fury hid all other emotions, my eyes focusing on Arthas as he landed right before me, his appearance even more dishevelled than before. Where he had been composed and calm previously, his eyes were in a mad frenzy, his black hair was hanging in loose, damp strands and blood and ashes covered his face while his armor was hanging in fragments.
"YOU." He pointed at me furiously as his whole body trembled with anger, the black magic swirling around him as chaotically as he felt. "Will stay HERE."
"I'm not going anywhere, Arthas." I lifted up my chin in pride, standing confident before the statue of my father. "This is my city. These are my people. I won't let you terrorise them." Taking a few daring steps forward as his snarl diminished, I continued as more and more confidence seemed to fill me up. "I will fight you with my last breath, if I must. I am Lyanna Fireheart and this is my kingdom. I will not let you take that from me, too."
"Fireheart." Arthas broke into a fit of laughter, doubling over as mad tears streamed down his face. "Oh, that is just wonderful, sweetheart." He looked back at me as he wiped away a few tears dramatically. "Congrats, you're the daughter of a maniac." His body swayed from side to side as he paced, his voice rising a few octaves only to drop back down to a low growl. "It's ironic, just like him, -" He moved to a stop, the dark magic suddenly concentrating and thickening around his two fists. "you're alone."
"Think again, dickhead." Arthas turned around swiftly to watch the newcomers land right on the other side of him. He clenched his jaw when he saw Aidan land gracefully, his sword tingling with electricity, as Obi-Wan and Anakin both emerged from behind statues on the right and left side of him. Our eyes connected and even from this distance I saw the adoration in his bright, blue eyes. Obi-Wan smiled broadly only for his gaze to return to Arthas, holding his lightsaber tightly in his hands and holding it before him.
"That is my sister you're threatening." Aidan continued, lifting his sword and aiming it at his head as he walked down the steps towards the terrace, eyeing Arthas as the jedi stalked closer each second. His silver and golden armor was covered in dirt but still reflected the fires from all around us, giving his face a warm glow while his blue eyes remained ice cold. "You might want to rethink your actions." Aidan narrowed his eyes further, only making Arthas chuckle in response.
"Now we may not be 400-year-old legendary warriors who are blessed with all the powers of our entire family, but we are not alone." Aidan halted in his movements, his side facing Arthas while his gaze remained focused on his enemy. "Quite the contrary, actually." Aidan's eyes then darted towards mine, almost nodding invincibly, signalling that our plan would soon be set in motion.
I shook away all the remaining doubts in my head and focused on Blackwing, bending slightly through my knees and watching him as he kept turning around to keep everyone in his sights as they closed in around him. Maybe this plan might not work the way they expect it to, but I could use it to my advantage. I can do it.
"We have more powerful friends than you know." Aidan smiled and then suddenly charged right at Arthas, calling down another powerful lightning strike right before he landed a blow with his greatsword and yelled in vigour.
Everything happened in a daze. I saw both Jedi quickly extending their hands, both grasping one of Arthas's arms with the force and pulling on them, leaving him incapacitated and uncapable to deflect Aidan's blow. I myself charged at him from behind, jumping on his back and taking the syringes from my backpocket, the ones I'd managed to grasp before being kidnapped, and plunged the sedatives into his neck, injecting him with a dose that would put even a dragon to sleep.
"Get off of me!" Arthas managed to overpower the force around his arms, throwing me off his back and in front of him where I almost collided with Aidan had he not sprung to the side quickly. Instead, he managed to grasp my arm and plant me firmly on my feet before he looked back and saw how both jedi regained control over his limbs again but not before he'd managed to yank out the empty needles from his neck.
"Evelyn, now!" Aidan yelled as he called down another lightning strike and sent it through Arthas. He yelled in fury, his whole-body jolting as he tried desperately to break free. Yet, even with all that power being used against him and the sedatives that were running through his veins, he remained standing.
"Hurry!" I turned around to meet her eyes. She stood right on top of the altar, green magic flowing around her hands as she concentrated on Arthas. Her brown hair flew around her face as she narrowed her eyes and frowned, sending a stream of that same magic towards Arthas. I watched, completely mesmerized, as that green mist flew all around us in a circle and flowed through our hair. The bolt had hit him right in his chest and I could already see the brilliant green of the crystal forming around the wound.
"NOO!" Arthas yelled, scrunching his eyes shut as he felt the magic imprison him once again. He tried to free his limbs but the jedi were relentless, pulling his hands to either side and keeping him from moving all together.
"Hold on, Anakin!" Obi-Wan yelled over the noise of the magic as he tried to shield himself from the multiple objects and debris that were being lifted off the ground by the harsh wind. His whole body was being dragged closer by Arthas, his feet shuffling over the pavement as he tried to stay back.
"It's working." I mumbled in surprise, seeing the layer of timeless substance cover his chest and the way he was already weakening. It was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulder. Even though I should've pulled out my sword at that exact moment and do what I was supposed to be doing, all I could do was watch. Watch as I finally dared to hope that I would live. Dared to even think that I was going to make it through and that my destiny wasn't only to become a martyr. I could live, grow old, maybe even have a family in the future. Somehow I even dared to hope that I'd spent it with the exact same jedi that was holding the enemy in place right now.
Yet all those hopes were crushed the moment Arthas found the strength to break free. One shockwave originated from his body as he yelled loudly, sending everyone through the air for at least a few feet. The green magic disappeared in a flash as Evelyn collided with the ground, quickly glancing back up at Arthas.
Without a moment's hesitation, he created a massive black blast and send it towards Anduin's statue, breaking the stone foundation and sending it crashing down to the ground to land on all of us. "Watch out!" Aidan had noticed it before it was too late, wrapping his arms around my waist as I stood there, dumbfounded, and pulling me with him towards safety before the enormous statue could fall down on us.
As the loud crash rang through our ears we tried to cover our heads from the rubble. As that settled too, I lifted my head from the cold ground. "Obi?!" I saw his figure through the dust a few feet away, trying to lift himself off the ground with a load groan.
"I'm okay!" He yelled back, glancing towards his fellow jedi only to see Anakin furiously jumping back to his feet and glance around him. I saw his eyes widening the moment he'd spotted the body of our last timeturner and I felt the fear blossoming in the bottom of my stomach. I was too afraid to watch myself, so instead my gaze remained focused on Anakin. He ran towards her, lifting the chunks of debris from her body and pulling her out from under the rest.
"Please, no." I mumbled as Aidan lifted me back on my feet with his arms wrapped around my chest. I watched as Anakin glanced back up at us, his eyes filled with desperation as he shook his head. My heart sunk. That was it. She was our last hope. There was no time left.
His mad laughter filled the air soon after. Arthas landed right on top of the remaining remnants of Anduin's statue, opening his arms as he bowed slightly before us, watching our dishevelled and desperate faces one by one.
"Isn't this wonderful." He smiled. "All your dirty, little faces, devoid of all hope." He clicked with his tongue, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm just going to say it: I told you so." He jumped down, his massive black wings waving behind him as he did so. "You shot your shot." Arthas shrugged, motioning towards Evelyn's lifeless body as a green, bright orb formed right above her. "Now, it's my turn."
He lifted off the ground without even having to swing his wings, opening his arms again and casting the most powerful spell up until now. Dark mist seeped from his back, forming a dark cloud right behind him which soon condensed into a massive creature, its red eyes almost the same size as Arthas's head and shining as brightly as his red eyes. The dragon roared behind him as Arthas himself laughed manically, looking down at us. "You will feel the pain I felt that day, you will lose everything like I did, you will, -"
Golden wings suddenly distorted the black smoke and collided with Arthas, sending him down back to the ground and pinning him to the ground in one, swift move. "Help me keep him down!" Stefan yelled at the rest of us as he plunged his sword right into Arthas's back and through the pavement. Both jedi immediately sprang into action, using the force to keep him down again as Aidan hurried towards Stefan to aid him.
As they battled I was left there, alone. They had no chance to defeat him. They weren't even trying to kill him anymore, all they were during was prolonging the inevitable and they didn't even know it. Maybe Obi-Wan did, but he was still fighting against the thought with all his might. He never lost hope and he never would.
This was my last chance. I watched them use all their power, all their strength and doing it together. I had never felt more alone. Yet when my eyes focused on Obi-Wan, I knew I had no other choice. His auburn hair hung before his blue eyes, black spots covering his face and streams of blood flowing down the skin while white ashes stuck in his thick beard, his muscles showing through his tunic as he struggled against the force that was Arthas.
"You decide who you're going to be, princess." His voice rang through my head as I closed my eyes and held the sword tighter. They had planned it all out for me. How I would live, how I would die. My mother, Eric, Evelyn too. I never had a choice.
No. Suddenly I felt fury building up. I'm not going to blindly follow a destiny they planned out for me. My eyes narrowed as I opened them. I'm not going to give up all hope just because they told me to do so. Turning around I faced Evelyn's body, watching the echo swirling above her, the green magic lighting the small area around her. I will be my own goddamn woman and I'll make my own path, no matter what they tell me to do.
Gathering all the strength I had left I ran towards the echo, my hands almost closing around the magic before glancing back at the rest. Aidan only then noticed what was happening. His big, blue eyes widened as he unclenched his arm from around Arthas's neck and extended it towards me as his mouth opened for a desperate yell to arise from his throat.
I will fight.
My hands closed around it. The entire world seemed to crash down onto me as a whirlwind immediately formed around us, destroying every statue and sending debris through the air. I felt the power seep through my arms as destruction reigned all around us, felt it burning the skin as it wove its way towards my heart through my flesh. It was too much power. Way too much. I couldn't handle it, I could barely even control it. It seemed to burn every part of me, yet I had no choice but to accept it.
"Lyanna, no!" Aidan's voice rang through the air right before I sent everything, every thought, every emotion, every memory, every damn second I had ever lived towards Arthas. I could only see the brilliant green light as it seeped from me and towards him, draining all the power I had left only to freeze him. I saw him struggle after everyone else was blasted away. He tried to walk towards me, tried to stop me from imprisoning him once again. His steps were slow, as if he was walking through thick tar. From the corner of my eyes I could see both jedi pulling his limbs again, keeping him away from me as best they could.
"Hold on, princess!" Obi-Wan cried out, groaning with effort.
"You.. will... not.." Arthas spoke as he neared, his eyes not seeing anything but the bright green light before him as he felt his limbs slowly start to freeze. The black magic around him was evaporated, only to be replaced with nothing but light. Our eyes connected when he stilled right before me, his fingers just inches from my face as he reached out. I saw the red of his eyes slowly turn to a dark brown, sadness and regret waving through them as they froze. "Survive." As I felt the last bit of energy leaving my body I released it with a surge, a brilliant flash of light exploding all around us as the spell ended.
Then it was all dark.
I blinked a few times, my eyes still blinded by the light until I could see again. My body stumbled and trembled but with the last bit of effort I had left I managed to lift my head to see what I had done. When I did I looked straight into his eyes. They seemed to stare back at me, frozen, numb. His hand was still reaching out but there was nothing left. His entire body was engulfed with the crystal, shining in the light of the fires around us.
"We did it!" Anakin suddenly exclaimed, his voice breaking the silence as he threw his hands in the air in victory. He ran towards the crystal, tapping on the dense material and watching Arthas's frozen body within it. "We did it!" He repeated, turning towards Aidan and patting him on the shoulder as the king only chuckled in response, his eyes filled with relief as he doubled over, trying to catch his breath.
"Finally." Stefan let out a loud huff, placing his fists on his hips. "I was almost starting to dread the moment I'd have to tell my husband how I failed to kill a grandpa."
"I told you we could do it." Anakin bragged, walking towards the commander and tapping his shoulder. "I told you."
"All right, Anakin. That's enough." Obi-Wan chuckled gratefully, deactivating his lightsaber and putting it back in its holster as he took in a long awaited, deep breath. He enjoyed the warm light of the setting sun that only now broke through the dark mist as it ebbed away, exhaling deeply.
When he closed his eyes he suddenly frowned. Something was clawing at his chest. At first it felt like just a few scratches, like from a cat, until they suddenly started to get more violent and deep. He opened his eyes immediately, glancing down at his chest to spot nothing apart from his dirty tunic. Yet that tearing feeling remained, only getting worse each second as if something was clawing at his chest, trying to rip his heart out.
"Princess?" He mumbled quietly, turning towards me slowly as if he expected what he'd see next. "Lyanna!" Before my body could hit the ground Obi-Wan had caught me, slowly dropping my body to the ground as he supported my head carefully.
"Hey, hey now, darling." Obi-Wan quickly shushed the pained whispers that threatened to spill from my lips. His blue eyes scanned my whole body but managed to find no wound or blood, only the dark scales of the armour.
"Obi." My eyes teared up as I looked at him, feeling the last bit of my resolve slipping. My whole body was aching. Everything hurt and I couldn't even move.
"You're all right, princess. I'm here." Obi-Wan whispered as he tenderly placed a strand of hair behind my ear, his thumb softly caressing my cheek. Behind him I could see the others hurrying towards us, their concerned gazes meeting mine as they gathered around. They seemed confused, until they saw the smoke rising from my body and the blood that suddenly streamed down the corner of my mouth.
"We need a medic." Aidan quickly decided, turning towards Anakin and Stefan and pushing them towards the city. "Get a medic, quickly!" They spared me a few last glances, reluctant to leave, before quickly dashing away. I heard Anakin yelling for his troopers while Stefan's wings carried him towards the sky.
"Okay, okay." Aidan quickly knelt down on the other side of me, his eyes darting over my body. "You taught me what to do, right? You, the Valkyrie, taught me how to help people. So, this shouldn't be a problem, right?" I could see the thoughts racing through his head as I turned my face to his, the desperation clear in his eyes as he let out a frustrated sigh.
"I should remember what to do!" He exclaimed before turning back to look at the direction the others had disappeared off to. "What do I do?" Aidan continued in a soft whimper after he had turned back. He seemed afraid to touch me, his hands hovering above my body and desperately trying to find anything, anything that he could try to heal.
"Aidan." I managed to grasp his hand, squeezing it gently. He couldn't help, I knew. The power of the orb was slowly destroying me from within. I had taken too much. I had taken that which hadn't belonged to me and now it was killing me from the inside. It was battling with the other that resided within me, time against fire, destroyer against destroyer. The power was tearing through my flesh with each passing second, destroying everything in its wake.
"It's okay, Aidan." I supressed a sob as I looked at him. "You... You keep our people safe, okay?"
While Obi-Wan swallowed the lump that was growing in his throat and bowed his head, Aidan only shook his head in disbelief as his eyes widened. "No!" He yelled angrily, jumping back on his feet. "No, I'm going to get you help, okay?!" He pointed at me, unwrapping his grey wings behind his back. "You HOLD ON. Okay?!" Aidan waited for me to respond but when I didn't, only looking at him sadly, he led out a small noise of protest and darted off in search of the impossible.
Sighing deeply, I leaned back, my eyes fluttering closed as I laid my head against Obi's warm chest, his arm holding me tightly against him. The pain seemed to eb away slowly. "Did I do it again?" My voice was hoarse as I spoke, my eyelids feeling heavy as I fought to keep them open.
"Do what, my darling?" Obi-Wan whispered as he continued to tenderly stroke my cheek, leaning his head against mine. I could feel his warm breath fan out over my face, the soft thumping of his heart against my fingers. I tried to picture us back in bed the night before, enjoying each other's embrace, forgetful of what the morning might bring. How ignorant we had been but how beautiful it was.
"Do the impossible." I whispered, letting myself sink deeper into him. Everything was a daze, like I was surrounded by water and drowning slowly. So, I concentrated on his steady heartbeat, counting each beat attentively as I'd done a million times before.
"You did." Obi-Wan softly chuckled in response but couldn't stop the sob that ripped through him. He swallowed again, wiping away his tears and laying his hand back on my cheek again, drawing my head back towards him so I'd look at him. "Stay with me, princess." He tried to look stern but the tears betrayed him as they rolled down his cheeks and fell down on my own.
"It's just a scratch." Smiling softly I gazed up into his eyes, slowly lifting my hand from the ground and placing it on the side of his face as a smile played on his lips, my thumb tracing the edges of his bottom lip, trying to memorize the way he looked.
"I'm sorry." I whispered as I brushed away his soft, auburn hair. My muscles protested and then gave up all together, my arm falling back down numbly at my side. Obi-Wan shook his head, closing his eyes and letting the next tears escape as he leaned down, pressing our foreheads together.
He couldn't muster out any words, I knew. I felt the strength he took in trying to keep himself strong, composed. I could feel the hurt he was feeling and I hated myself for doing this to him. I never wanted to hurt him yet in the end I did, and I did so terribly.
My jedi. Holding me as I passed away slowly. I'd always imagined that I'd go out in the middle of a battle, trying to save a poor soul from death. Somehow I had managed to die in the arms of the one I loved after saving the entire kingdom. It wasn't bad. I could die knowing that I had become more than I ever dreamed of. All the power I had gained didn't mean a thing. All that mattered was that I could leave behind a better world for those I loved. They would be safe.
My vision blurred as I tried my best to take one last glance at him, smiling softly with the thought that he would be the last thing I'd see. I was content, somehow, even as the power was still destroying me from within.
"Thank you, Obi-Wan." I whispered slowly. "For believing in me."
"Lyanna? Hey, Lyanna!" His voice seemed to be miles away. "Lyanna, stay with me." Something seemed to shake my vision but I couldn't quite place it. It all seemed to melt together. Everything was a daze. "Stay with me, Lyanna."
In the last few moments I saw only his blue eyes looking down at me. Just like many times before, I felt like I'd drown in them. Only this time I actually did. I was pulled into them and soon I was surrounded by an entire ocean.
"Lyanna?! LYANNA!"
"She's here, HURRY!"
I'm sorry. - Hands you some tissues and chocolate- Please don't kill me. I've got some last chapters to write.