Through Fire And Water

The Mad God

*Sorry I'm late lol, time has lost all meaning to me at this point.*

**Announcement: there are only two more chapters after this. I'll be posting both of them next Monday as they are both rather short.**

Even though I struggled to keep up with Ray, something in my body refused to pause for even a moment as I swung my blades at him. He seemed to be blocking my attacks with ease, but the sweat on his brow showed that that was very much not the case.

But I was struggling too. I could hardly breathe. My moves might have been fast, but they were rather weak. Eventually I could only pary and evade as best as I could. He saw my growing exhaustion and used it against me tenfold. I could hardly stay on my feet with his suddenly powerful but slightly sloppy movements. I just barely got away from them in time.

And of course all the while my friends were fighting for their lives. Rey's forces weren't disappearing when struck down, they just pulled themselves back together and continued fighting. My forces could both heal and repair quickly thanks to me, but they were growing exhausted. I needed to dispel the battles below and above me, but Rey wouldn't give me even a second to try. I had to do something - now.

I dodged Rey's strike and stopped moving, starting at him. He, in his surprise, stopped as well. I took the opportunity and used the last bit of energy I had left in my body and disintegrated Rey's forces. It took several more seconds than I thought it would, and by the time I was finished I couldn't feel my extremities. I fell to my knees, coughing up blood like a river. I gasped for air, squeezing my eyes closed as my entire body became racked with pain. I collapsed onto my side, feeling the last drop of my energy evaporate as I sent my own army back to where it belonged. All that remained was Rey, Jaisa, Brian, Anya and I. All of our weapons were gone, including the dagger that Aragorn had given to me when I was only a child.

Rey was screaming above me before a foot hit me in the stomach hard enough to send me off of the massive snow mound we had just been fighting on. I slid down the slope and rolled several times when I reached the bottom, cradling my stomach as I fought to breathe. Tears stung my eyes and rushed down my face, mixing with the blood that seeped ever faster from my mouth. Rey was suddenly on me again, pinning my back to the snow and hitting me in the face so hard I saw stars. My glasses flew off my face, leaving my vision even more blurred. He grabbed my neck and lifted my face to his, looking me so deeply in the eyes that I felt his gaze burning into my soul, branding my very psyche so that I could never forget that moment. But I stared back, because I now knew his true colors. He just wanted to be feared, and I was no longer afraid of him. He grit his teeth and brought his fist back, hitting me in the eye. I felt my cheekbone break upon impact. My eye immediately started swelling and I could no longer see out of it. His rage made the snow around us completely melt.

"WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST SAY YES??" he screamed. "WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST LET ME WIN?? WHY COULDN'T YOU ADORE ME LIKE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO!" He threw me away and I landed several feet from Jaisa, Brian and Anya, who watched in horror. I felt my arm break when it came in contact with the ground first. I couldn't move anymore. My entire body was numb. I felt as if I were actually dying. I didn't mind the thought at this point.

Rey gripped the hilt of his sword and poised it above my throat. I looked up at him, unable to distinguish his face. Despite that, I felt myself relax. Relief filled my bones. I closed my other eye, waiting for the sweet release of death.

Of course Lady Luck decides to kick me while I'm down one last time.

A bright light made me open my eye again. I had to squint. Two blurry figures appeared out of the brightness, stepping forward. From what I could make out, both had eerily similar builds as Rey. Rey, upon noticing them, took several steps back and dropped his blade. The figures moved closer, stopping just inches away from me. Neither looked at me, or anyone besides Rey. I turned my head so that I could see him and watched as he fell to his knees, shaking.

"B-b-brothers," he stuttered, sounding deeply afraid. My fingers twitched at the word. "What are you doing here? How did you -"

"That's enough, Brother," one of them said loudly, cutting him off. His voice was much deeper and more masculine than Rey's. "Your presence on the worlds you have created is strictly forbidden."

"Explain yourself," said the second figure, this one having a certain arrogance to his voice that reeked of intellectual superiority.

"I - I was just -" He stopped, putting his hands on the ground in front of him and lowering his head to the wet ground below him. "Please, my brothers, I can explain all of this! These userpers were trying to take my throne -"

"Had you not revealed your presence to them in the first place," the first of the two figures boomed, "they would not have had to know there was a throne to take." Rey visibly winced in fear. "Your behavior as of late has been nothing short of despicable. This will not go unpunished."

I felt arms go under mine, pulling me back and away from the figures above me. Brian pulled me up against his chest, holding my arms to keep me upright as Jai and Anya came to my sides. Anya rushed to make a splint for my arm out of my destroyed glasses frames and peices of her shirt as Jaisa touched my face, pouring her power into healing me. The pain in my stomach began to slowly diminish as I looked up into her eyes, watching tears fall steadily from them.

"Hey, guys," I said hoarsely. "Are you all okay? You're not hurt or anything?"

Jaisa shushed me. "Of course we're fine, you idiot," she whispered, more tears falling from her eyes. "Stop talking. Let us take care of you for once."

I felt the corners of my lips pull up into a smile. "Okay," I whispered.

"Brothers, please," Rey begged. "Allow me to finish what I've started. Let me destroy all of this. Then I'll start all over again, and I'll never do this again, I swear. Please, no one has to know!"

"That is not our choice to make," said the second figure. "Your fate lies with the Elders."

Rey remained silent as the two figures went to him, grabbing each of his arms and raising him up. He followed without so much as a twitch in rebellion.

I looked up at Rey as they passed. He slowly met my gaze, and then he was angry once again. He ripped himself from his siblings' grasp and went for his sword. I was struggling to my feet as he raised his weapon, coming at me too quickly for me to dodge this time. I stood, ready, and watched him getting closer and closer as if time had slowed.

And then I was being pushed away. I fell into the broader brother and he caught me, steadying me. Then I heard a very distinct and familiar sound that sent shivers down my spine.

Jaisa let out a gasp as the sword was ripped from her stomach.