The Aeronaut's Daughter

Off alone

(Y/N P.O.V) 

"(Y/N). (Y/N)," Aster's muffled voice uttered in my ear. 

I came too. I opened my eyes and saw his beautiful eyes staring at me. I pushed myself up and as I looked up I saw a tremendous flash of light in the sky. A beacon of light from the northern lights were spiralling down on the slope above our heads, when Asriel had...

I heard gasping from Lyra right near me. We looked at each other, petrified by this certain turn of events. 

The turn of events seemed to unfold more when I heard the sound of snow crunching. Just around a corner, I saw a shadow. 

"Get down," I hissed. Quickly I pushed Lyra behind her rock. I poked up. She watched me. It was Mrs. Coulter. We managed to remain out of sight as she stomped through the snow. We watched as she disappeared. We waited a long while wondering what she and her former lover Asriel were talking about. Then the scrunching of snow came towards us. We remained where we were. Lyra poked up again and I followed her line of vision as Mrs. Coulter disappeared. Then we made a run up the slope towards the cage with Roger's body. In front of us was a door burning bright like the sun. Asriel was not there. He had gone through. Lyra rushed to the cages and I helped her pull Roger out. Aster and Pan stood in front of the cage which no longer imprisoned his beloved daemon. Tears were already streaming down by face. Lyra and I kneeled down on either side of him. His head lay on Lyra's head and she cradled his head. I held onto his lifeless hand. 

"His face is warm," she began to cry. 

"But Salcilia's gone," Pan said sadly. 

"I thought he wanted the alethiometer. I got it wrong. I got it all...wrong. This is all my fault," she cried. 

"We didn't mean for this to happen," Pan consoled. 

"Pan's right Lyra. How could you have known this would happen?" I asked. How was it fair that she had to blame herself for something that wasn't her fault?

"I should have known (Y/N)! I should have never brought him here. I never should have brought you here either! You nearly died because of me!"

"And least you're still alive. I would have rather died than let you get killed out there Lyra. I'm so sorry that this happened," I felt guilt ripping my body apart. I had saved Roger at Bolvanger. Only for him to get cut by her father in the end. It felt like my rescue had been in vain. 

"What happens now?" Aster asked. "What do we do?"

Lyra looked lost. She wasn't sure what to do. 

"We need to find Dust," Pan spoke up. 

I leaned forward. "What is this Dust?" I asked. It couldn't be the obvious dust you find scattered in dirty rooms. 

"Grown-ups think it's original sin," Lyra managed to say with her broken voice. I blinked. "They think it's bad and they imprison anyone who looks into it. That's why they kidnapped children, why they tried to cut you (Y/N). They thought that cutting away our daemons they could free us. But I think they're the ones who are evil. They're the ones who are wrong," 

"We need to find it and follow Asriel Lyra," Pan said. 

"Do we just leave Roger?" Lyra hugged his head again. She didn't want to leave him. "Do you know what this would mean as well Pan. We'd be alone,"

"You're not going after him alone," I declared. 

Lyra still remained hesitant but she managed to hold herself together and look up at me. "(Y/N), I'm grateful for everything you've done. But I can't let you come. I've already put you in enough danger," 

I stared at her. "I didn't come all this way just to let you go off alone. Somehow I'm here for a reason, and that reason is to help you,"

"But what about your dad?"

"He's too far away for me to reach. And how can I abandon you after what you've lost, what you've done for me? I've been on my own much of my life as well, even when I had my dad. You're my friend Lyra Silvertongue. And friends don't leave each other behind. I know he would do the same," 

Lyra couldn't say anything to make me change my mind. Behind her devastated face, I saw a glimmer of reverence. She looked back down at Roger. 

"We're going into the skies and we're going to search for Dust," she cried, giving his cheek a peck. 

"And we will make sure your death is not in vain," Pan promised. 

"I promise you Roger...I will look after Lyra with every breath in my body. No harm will come to her whilst I still stand," I vowed stroking his face once more time. Aster rubbed his head against my fingers.  

Lyra and I settled his warm body down and we stood up gently. We kneeled down and picked up our daemons and looked towards the doorway. I twisted my head to Lyra and saw her determined face still wet with tears. I offered a hand. She took it. We both took a deep breath, and together, we walked into the light.

And that's the end of Book 1. The next one will be called the Boy of Dust and the (Y/N) character will be another OC. Please feel free to send over some ideas of what the next OC character could be like. (Y/N) Scoresby will be in the story but (Y/N) will be addressed as (F/C) for female character either with your name or with your favourite female name. Please, please send some ideas. I would love some inspiration. Hope to hear from you all soon. Thank you so much for your support.