Star Darlings; the Other 12

The Aftermath

Boy did that take a long time to finish. I would have updated earlier, but the school computers don't allow Wattpad for some reason. Weird. Enjoy! The next one would be out soon!

"TAKE COVER!" Nico's voice called from the cave entrance. Piper felt Andrew rushing her to a safer place before a storm of snow nearly buried them alive.

"Adora! Help Piper." Andrew said. "Where's her Power Crystal?"

"Found it!" Adora said, taking the Dreamalite from under her shirt.

"Oww..." Piper muttered as the Power Crystal brought her back. "So this is what Vega went through... ouch."

"BROTHER!" Nico yelled. "He's still in there!"

"What!!?!?!?!" Piper asked, going to the cave. "Oh no no no... Peter! Can you do that spy-wall thing?"

"I can try..." Peter said, his eyebrows scrunched up. "Can't. It's far out of my reach."

Piper. A feeble voice called from below.

Nicholas! Are you alright? Hang in there; we're going to get help!

No, Piper... There's no chance I'll make it.

Don't say that!

It's the truth. The cure worked a bit too well... I'm bleeding and... the air's getting stale. I can feel the world spinning away...

Don't. Concentrate on my voice.

I'm trying... Nicholas's voice said, fading away.

I'm so, so, so sorry I never got to... see you in your full glory...

I'm not angry at you, Pipes. I'm just sad at the fact that I was cured, yet no one can see who I truly am... oh, I wish you could see me right now.

Fight it, Nicholas.

I'm trying...

Then he was gone. Gone. GONE!

"No no no no no no no no no no..." Piper whispered. Around them, cries of dismay sounded from the valleys, mourning his passing into the Afterglow.

"He's... Nico said. "No..."

Piper fell on her knees, sobbing. Vega put an arm around her shoulders, comforting her.

"DAMN IT!!!" Andrew yelled, smacking the side of the mountain.

"He can't be..." Cassie whimpered.

Nicholas stumbled into the enclosed space. There was a tiny, small pocket of air barely big enough to house him, and he was lucky enough for the cavern to spare him.

Nicholas closed his eyes. The world was spinning either from blood loss or the air.

So this... is how I die. He thought. At least I went out protecting my friends...

He slipped away, his body no longer under his control.

So... is this the Afterglow?

No, grandson; It's just a memory I had to pull you into. A voice said behind him.

Before Nicholas was a tall, muscular man with snowy white hair and eyes. In his hands were his blades, unstrapped from his arm.

Grandfather. Nicholas said. GRANDFATHER!

He lunged at him, but only passed through as soon as his hands touched him.

Oh, quit your emotional bs; we don't have time for a reunion.