V+O; in the Alternate Universe **Completed**

Chapter 36

There was no time to cry, she had no choice but to remove the ruby encrusted sword from the bear's skull and sprint back into the battle once more. Drawing her dagger in her left hand she slashed and spun, she fought at the edge of the forest. It was Agust who joined her, blood dripping from his arm; O noticed the impression of teeth marks, his abdomen was also covered in blood and realized his puncture had reopened. It was far too loud to talk; they made eye contact potentially for the first time ever and nodded. He held onto her arm and spun her using her body as a weapon. It was a daring move but at this point, go big or go home. Not more than a few minutes later they got separated.

O danced around her enemies making her way to the water, it was fast to see the sea of their green was waning to the sea of red. They needed help. Fighting her way through she came to an old leafless tree at the edge of the water, its bark bone white and cracked. Reaching to touch the water she tried to channel it, but as her concentration broke with the onslaught of attackers so did her control of the water. The silver thread in her arm was burning as if someone had pressed a red hot poker to her skin. She growled with her breath, and it made her heart ache for Coa, but she could not think of him now. Again she cut them down and tried to focus and again more infected appeared. Twice more she tried. Twice more she failed. Feeling exceedingly more grim, there he was, sprinting over to her, bluest black hair whipping in the wind, wet with sweat and curling at the edges. Easily he cut down those who charged him and easily he made his way to her. His blue marks glowed dully against his skin, like they were just below the surface.

"I'm here," he mouthed to her, "do what you must, I've got you." He took her other sword, and slashed at those who tried to break her concentration.

Sheathing her dagger, O zoned out into focus, and called to the water, the water of the river, the water of the sky, the water in the soil, and it began to rise, and falter. She did not have what it took to control them anymore. Not like before. Unbuckling her armour, throwing it aside, she freed her arms in an attempt to connect with the water better, her white undershirt filthy.

The clouds rolled in feebly seeking to answer her call; arm aching with pain from the stitch she pushed though. There was a cough and a grunt, an expulsion of air; she turned to see Tae cough blood, a spear poking through his chest. O caught him with the water, and laying him down back against the tree, the spear poking out of his chest horribly.

"TaehHyung," she whispered. He gripped her hand, coughing more blood.

"You know what you have to do." Blood dripped from his mouth, it spread over his chest like a deadly red flower; "take it, save them." But all she could do was shake her head, blinking tears from her eyes.

"I'm begging you, take it." His teeth were clenched in pain.

And she put one hand to his chest and the other to his face, stroking the freckle on his cheek. His eyes were locked in with hers and he was not afraid, all that was written there was love. He was allowing her to take his magic. It didn't take either of them to know he was dying, now laying in a pool of his own blood. As his eyes began to close she did what he had asked absorbing his life force until the light behind his eyes went out.

Then she screamed, not meaning to release everything she had, the cord in her arm burning up, blood flowing from the wound where it had been. The wind howled as the clouds released the heavens down on them, shards of rain hailed down onto the red soldiers, lightning lashed striking the soil. She had no conscious control over it but not a single one of her people did it strike. She ran, then picking up her sword and V's as she went, no one opposed her now. The field was littered with red clad bodies, as the spiked rain continued to pour down impaling as it went. Whistling a chestnut horse galloped over; she easily mounted the tackless horse mid stride. Knowing where she was going the horse raced off.