Rise of The Guardians 2: Just Like Fire

Chapter 19: Jack

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Previously:

"We're polar opposites Jack. Ice weakens me. If I had been brought here while I was awake, it would have taken longer, but when I was knocked out by Kronos, he deadened my magic. By the time I woke up, I was already powerless. Otherwise I would have melted the entire place. When our power is gone, the remaining magic in our blood is affected by the other element. Basically, I'm getting ice crystals forming in my blood. It's very painful, and the spasms have already started. It's also why I collapsed earlier. I would say I have moments until the next one, and then I don't know how long I have left."

And now:

Well shit. My head reeled from all the new information. "How come I've never heard of this?"

"Because you didn't need to know. You've never liked the heat, so why would you go there or interact with it?"

"Fair enough. So is there a way to stop you from dying?"

"I need to warm up until my magic returns. Best case scenario is not staying in the cold."

I laughed once, sourly, remembering how I couldn't even keep Baby Tooth warm. "Sorry. I can only keep you cold, and I can only make the barrier thicker."

She frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but she hunched over in pain, and groaned, a deep guttural sound from the back of her throat.

I wasn't in any pain and my odd fever from Aria's realm was gone, but I still winced at the sound of her pain. It was a terrible, gut-wrenching sound, and my heart nearly broke realising there was nothing I could do to ease her discomfort. Except...

I peeled off my hoodie, and held it out to her when the spasm, much longer this time faded. "This might help."

Her hands were shaking heavily when she reached out to grab it, and I helped her pull it on when it got stuck around her head.

It was too big on her by far, but she smiled gratefully at me anyway, and wrapped the baggy material closer to her small waist.

I smiled back at her, noticing the way the blue of my jumper contrasted with the purple of her eyes, and made her look, if possible, even more beautiful than she already was.

In the cramped space, I leaned against the cold back wall, letting my head fall back against the ice. Aria crawled over to me before sitting beside me in the same position.

Minutes went past in comfortable silence before Aria spoke. "I never realised that you were into Linkin Park."

"What?" I asked her, confused.

"Your t-shirt is their Hunting Party album cover." She pointed out.

I'm an idiot. "You like Linkin Park?"

"Do I like to breathe? Yeah." She joked. "Favourite song?"

"Castle of Glass." I replied immediately. "Yours?"

She thought for a moment. "I'm torn between Robot Boy and The Final Masquerade."

She grinned at me, but then her face paled. "The jumper didn't work." She managed to get out, before she doubled over and began screaming.

"Shit!" I yelled, reaching out and pulling her towards me. Keeping my arm firmly wrapped around her shoulders, I smoothed the hair out of her face. She was shaking violently, and tremors ran through her muscles. She wouldn't stop screaming.

҉

After the longest five minutes of my life, she finally stopped screaming, and the shaking abated. She buried her face in my chest and I tried to ignore the tiny tingles in my skin radiating from where she touched me.

"I'm sorry." She whispered into my shirt, her voice hoarse and cracked.

Another shudder wracked through her body, but she didn't move away.

My stomach did an awkward flip-flop as she curled in tighter to my side.

I don't know how long we stayed like that. The increasing length and frequency of the attacks meant that there was no more talking, but it didn't matter. I would treasure every moment I got with her.

Suddenly, Aria pushed herself away from me, darting backwards into the middle of the cave.

"Aria? What are you doing?" I asked, alarmed by her sudden movement.

My question was answered when she began writhing on the smooth ice, obviously in extreme agony.

"Aria!" I yelled, rushing to her side even as the violent tremors slowed. She opened her eyes to look at me, the amethyst irises glazed over with pain.

"Jack." She murmured, reaching out to me.

I grabbed her hand, rubbing the cold, silky skin. "I'm right here."

"I'm scared." Her lips barely moved, and I was surprised I heard her at all. Her admission shocked me. She had always seemed so strong, so fearless, that her being scared slightly scared me as well.

"It will be ok." I told her, not believing a word, yet wanting to, no, needing to.

Her face contorted again, and my heart clenched. "Jack." She said, quieter this time.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

I frowned. "For what? I'm the one that should be sorry, for driving you away in the first place."

"No you shouldn't. But I'm sorry for everything. Being such a bitch when we met. Running away, being captured and getting you shut in here too. I thought I was strong enough to beat him, but I wasn't. I'm sorry."

Her eyelids fluttered, and her eyes rolled backwards. She went limp in my arms.

"Aria? Aria, no. Just stay with me. I can't lose you. Just hold on a while longer. Aria? Aria?" I began stuttering her name, over and over. The connection we had was already so strong, like a magnet, and I didn't know what I would do if I lost her.

Slowly, she opened her eyes to look at me. Right through my very soul.

"Thank you." She breathed.

And then she was gone.