Heart Of Darkness • Legacies

32 | legend of the phoenix

Hope and Monica approached Ruby and Rafael, looking impatient. "What did I miss?" Hope asked them. "Rafi was just about to tell me what happened to him." Ruby explained before Monica ordered, "Alright Raf, spill."

"So, to catch you up... Landon and I took MG home." Rafael began as Monica scoffed, while Hope snapped, "What!?"

"We didn't want to leave MG behind! But it was getting late...,and we knew I had to get back before I turned and.." Rafael trailed off. "And what?" Hope asked impatiently. "We... we didn't make it back on time, Hope."

"Fuck.." Monica blurted.

"My transformation was beginning, I told Landon to take MG and leave... but suddenly we heard a growl in the woods.. and then we ran." Rafael continued. "Did you see what it was, Rafi?" Ruby asked, as Rafael shook his head in frustration, "I.. I don't know!"

Hope spoke up now, "Raf, whatever you saw is what made you like this. Did the monster hurt Landon?" She demanded. "I don't know!! I don't know!" Rafael panicked, feeling overwhelmed by all of the questions.

Monica sighed as the trio fell silent. Ruby tried to comfort her twin. "Raf, do you remember where the woods are?" The blonde asked, as the werewolf nodded, "I.. I think so."

"Okay, then. That's where we're going." The vampire decided, as she got to her feet.

❤︎

Ruby, Monica, Hope and Rafael approached Alaric and Kaleb, who had found MG. They looked down at the vampire, finding him in terrible shape.

"Oh my god— what happened to MG!?" Ruby asked, as Monica stood next to Kaleb. "MG has a werewolf bite." Alaric explained as the Montgomery's mouth fell open, thinking about how fatal a werewolf bite was to a vampire.

Rafael looked down at MG, "I bit you—" He blurted out in realisation. Ruby looked back at Rafael in surprise, "What?!". MG then cried out, "This is all my fault! Raf I'm so sorry."

Kaleb and Monica both frowned at the Greasley. "What? Sorry? What are you sorry for?" Monica asked MG. "He's the one who should be sorry! He's the fool that bit you!" Kaleb huffed, before he tried to go after Rafael, though Ruby stood in front of him quickly as she glared at the vampire. Kaleb glared back at Ruby, but doesn't try to go after Rafael again.

Rafael's breathing hitches before he freaked out again, "I remember now!" He blurted, as everyone faced him. "The elixir! His face! I remember who the monster was!"

Rafael then continued to explain everything, how they took MG to see his Dad. How MG ended up hurt and hit Landon, causing the Kirby to bleed. MG, being a ripper, couldn't stop himself and fed from Landon, taking every last drop of blood.

Landon was dead.

Ruby burst into tears now, struggling to breathe as her crying instantly turned into sobs. Monica caught the Waithe in her arms as she went to fall to her knees, and held her. Hope stood frozen, processing everything, as tears filled her eyes. "I did it. It was me— I'm the monster!" MG cried out, the hurt evident in his voice, as he couldn't control himself.

Alaric looked to Rafael, "When you finished your turn, you bit MG. Watching Landon die was too traumatic, too human, so you reverted back and it scrambled your memory." He put the last pieces of the puzzle together.

Rafael shook his head before he walked off. "I don't want to remember this." He decided, as Ruby broke out of Monica's arms and ran over to her twin. "Rafi, where are you going?" She asked. "Away from MG before I finish the job!" He growled as Kaleb frowned. "Hey!" He called out.

"Landon's body is out there. I'm gonna go find it." Rafael replied, before he and Ruby left the group. Monica and Hope shared a knowing glance, before they quickly left to go after the twins.

Finding Landon's body, the twins stiffened, processing the sight before them. They held onto eachother as they sobbed uncontrollably. "Oh my god!" Hope blurted out upon seeing Landon's body. Monica stopped, her eyes widening at the sight.

Kaleb and MG walked over as MG instantly looked incredibly guilty as his eyes fell on Landon's cold, dead body. Rafael glared MG down before he started to storm towards him. "Rafi! No!" Ruby called out, taking his arm. Rafael turned back to his twin in surprise. "Landon wouldn't want this, he would want us to be better."

Rafael looked at his twin, as his face crumbled again. He suddenly pulled the pinkette in for a hug. Ruby embraced her twin back, as he cried.

"Uh.. am I still delusional or do ya'll see this?" Monica blurted. The twins broke apart and turned to Monica, who was looking at Landon's body. Their eyes averted to their foster brother, whose body was smoking. It then erupted into flames.

"Oh my god!" The Montgomery boomed, before vampire speeding a couple metres away from Landon as she didn't want to burn. "What is happening to him!?" Rafael asked in a panic. Hope tried to put out the fire with magic, but it didn't work. "I don't know what is going on— I've never seen anything like this!" Alaric admitted to the group.

The flames suddenly disappeared, leaving a charred looking Landon. Ruby stepped towards Landon to walk over to him but Alaric stopped her. "No not yet.. I don't think it's over." He admitted to the pinkette. "What's not over?" Monica asked, as she moved to stand beside Ruby.

"We've been wondering if he's supernatural. We have our answer."

Monica, Ruby, Rafael, Hope, MG and Kaleb all looked at Landon's body, not following what Alaric was saying. They watched as the ash on Landon's body suddenly cracked, before completely shattering. Landon's hand was revealed, then his other hand. The Kirby then sat up taking the entire group by surprise, including himself. "What's going on" He asked.

"You ever heard of the legend of the Phoenix?" Alaric asked in realisation.