She

Chapter 44

There was only a darkness. As I expected. I was tired of this. Of these nightmares, of being haunted by my past.

I looked around, no longer scared, no longer expecting hands to pop out of the shadows any second. There was nothing. Nothing except for the faint sound of people yelling.

I felt something grab my arm, almost like a ghost. Then there was a cool feeling on my chest. I listened closely to the sound of the yelling.

"Do something!"

"I'm doing all I can, nothing's helping."

There was the feeling of being shook, or pushed. "She's not breathing... I... heartbeat..." The words began to fade away.

"I'm dying," I said to myself, shocked.

"Yes." I heard a deep voice say from behind me. I turned around. The blue dragon stood before me.

"Azula's lightning struck your heart," another voice said from the other side. The red dragon was standing there, they faced each other, flying in circles around me.

"Poor girl, that one."

"Poor girl?" I furrowed my eyebrows, confused.

"Yes."

"All that pain."

"All that responsibility."

"She's only 14." I thought back to Azula, my last vision of her being her chained up, thrashing against the restraints.

"Betrayed by her friends."

"Unloved by her mother."

"Okay I get it," I said, interrupting them. "Aren't you here for me?"

"Ah yes."

"You."

They circled around a few more times.

"Here you are, dying."

"Our blood is keeping you alive, for now."

"Slowing down the damage."

"But-"

"But there's not enough to save me, is there?" I asked, smiling sadly, looking down. They hummed in response.

I felt something hold my hand. I looked at it to see nothing there. A single tear landed on it.

"However." I looked back up at the two dragons, wiping my eyes.

"There is a way to save you."

"What is it; tell me!"

"We will get there when we get there."

"It's awful selfish of you to be ordering us around."

"Yeah, well, I'm dying, I have the right to be selfish," I growled. "And I didn't come all this way just to be killed off here either. So tell me."

"If we remember correctly."

"A long time ago you did want to."

I closed my eyes. "...Not anymore."

"You have a mighty spirit." My eyes snapped open The blue one faced me as they talked. 

"That's why we help you," the red one said, mimicking the movements of the blue dragon.

"There is one way we can save you."

"But you might not agree to it."

"Just spit it out!" I yelled.

The dragons paused, circling. "We can strengthen what is already inside of you."

"But it will be painful."

"And there is a cost."

"What is it?"

"You must give up your bending."

Unsurprising, every part of this was painful. Of course this last one would be painful too, in more ways than one

"I... what?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"If we use our powers to help you, it will use up almost all of our blood, and we will be gone."

"And your bending too."

"So what will your choice be?"

"I don't know... I always wanted it gone but now that I have the chance..."

"You are unsure." I nodded.

"You can always say no."

"But you will die."

"I... I don't know, I need more time."

"You don't have the time."

"You must make your decision now."

"You can be at peace, and happy."

I sighed, thinking about everything that happened to me in these past months. All of it because of them.

"Happiness is out there," I said, making my decision. "With my family."

"Very well."

The two dragons flew up, still circling each other. They faced down towards me, and opened their mouths. Fire exploded out of it, engulfing me.

"Goodbye, for now, Y/n."