The Grounders (100 Fanfic)

This is War

Caution May cause crying and sadness

Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside as we live

                           -Norman Cousins

It was the same night, but everything changed in that instant. Everything.

If it hadn't been war before it was now.

The Sky People burned down a village. The murdered hundreds. 

And it had been such a good night, Kodiak and I were joking with each other. He was sitting on one of then beds, and I leaned against the one opposite him. I was laughing at a joke he told me. That is is until Colt came into the med-bay. He looked terrified. I had never seen anyone look that scared, and I have seen so many a the brink of death.

It was Colt who told us, and our jokes died in our throats. I covered my mouth with my hand. Kodiak looked pissed. His fists were balled in anger. I think I was in shock for a minute, but my head cleared, I got all my supplies, and put them in a basket.

"Where the hell are you going?" Colt asked. As I put the burn jells in a wicker basket with everything.

"I'm going to help." I answered. Colt looked like he was about to protest, and Kodiak started getting up, "No Kodiak, you need to stay here." I told him putting a hand on his shoulder, making him sit back down.

"So do you Buttercup. We have no idea what the Sky People are planning with this attack." Colt said trying to talk me out of saving people.

"So you solution is to let them die?" I asked Colt. He opened his mouth and closed it. I knew he couldn't fight with me on this. It is my job to save the dying, so that is exactly what I'm going to do.

"I'm going with you." Colt concluded finally. I nodded and prepared another wicker basket with as much herbs as I could fit. And then handed it to him. Colt nodded. He knew what I wanted. 

Then we stared running in the direction of the burned down village. As we ran I prepared myself for the sight that was coming. I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. But nothing could have prepared me.

When we arrived I was taken aback by the pure destruction. Buildings were in heads, they were on fire, and the ground was littered with fleeting flames. But the most disturbing was the people. There were people just strewn around. Some were moaning in pain. Others were disturbingly silent. All had severe burns.

"I'm going to work at healing them. You watch my first patient, and then you go off and help as many as you can. If they are-" I choked on the word, "dead on sight, put a clothe over their eyes." I said to Colt. I didn't like sounding efficient when it came to people's lives, but efficiency here was key. 

Colt, who had been observing the scene with a look of disgust, nodded to my plan. I went to the first body I found. It was a young girl, I checked her pulse, but there was nothing. I closed my eyes. I then ripped a piece of her shirt and put it over her eyes. 

I then moved to the next victim, he was alive. I applied the burn jell over his wounds. He was crying, he was in such pain. I made him sit up and drink something, but he spit it out. "Come one! You have to live!" I yelled at the man. 

He smiled slightly. But I could tell it was pained.

"Nissa, I don't think we can save anyone." Colt whispered. I snapped my head over to him. How could he say that?

"Yes, we can. I know we can." But even my voice wavered. I knew it was a lie, even before I said it.

"Nissa, I think-I think we should just put them out of their misery. All of them." Colt spoke quietly. He then laid a comforting hand on my fore arm. I closed my eyes, holding back tears. I slowly nodded.

I looked at the man and he smiled at me. It was like he was thanking me. I had the nerve to smile. As if it wasn't hard enough to kill someone, now he looks all happy and peaceful.

In the end I couldn't do it. I made Colt do it. He was good. Well as good as you can be when killing someone. He made it quick and painless, so I guess that's all that really counts. 

I choked back a few tears and I felt a hand on mine. I looked past the blurriness of my tears to see Colt was the one holding it. He squeezed it tightly before loosening his grip. I gave a small forced smile and squeezed back. I know he is trying to protect me, and that it was kind of him. Very kind.

"I'm sorry Niss." Colt said softly. I nodded, and we went on to the next one, and the next. We came down with a system, I would make them comfortable, and Colt would put them out of their misery. That is until we came upon one warrior. His face was burned almost past recognition, but his eyes. I knew those eyes anywhere.

"No, no, no. You can't be here. You can't. You're not here!" I screamed. 

Ridge smiled back at me. My best friend since birth, my pranking buddy, my brother he was dying. I could feel the tears that had yet to fall leak from my eyes, I had been so strong, but now everything was was crumbling down. 

"I thought I heard you." Ridge said with a smile. With a God Damn smile. He was dying, in front of my eyes, and he had the nerve to smile. 

"Why are you even here? You shouldn't be here." The words were rushing out of my mouthing, tumbling over each other. I was trying to prove to myself that it wasn't- and couldn't be- Ridge. Just someone who looked like him.

"I was, going to tell you. But you've been so mad at me." He started, and I strangled out a sob, like that was guilt wrenching. "I have a girlfriend. I was thinking of moving to this village.I was going to come and introduce here, but she's gone now." He stopped and spared a look to a body right next to him. I could tell this was his secret girlfriend. "Like I will be."

"No. No. You will not be dead. I won't let you." I said shaking my head back and forth. I latched on to him, hugging his body to mine tightly. 

"Nissa." Colt started, but I shook my head. I wasn't going to let him take away my best friend. "Let him go."

And I did.

And I watched.

I watched as my best friend in the whole world was gone. Gone forever withing a blink of and eye.

I know Colt made it quick. He is that kind of person. Colt then quickly closed Ridge's eyes. But it was too late. I saw his lifeless eyes. How hallow and. . . dead they were.

And that's when it all came tumbling down.

That's when I screamed.

life asked death

"Why do people love me, but hate you?" 

death responded,

"Because you are a beatiful lie, and I am a painful truth."