UnKnown(PUBLISHED)

Thirty

Fay

And so the fighting began, I conjure sharp icicles and freezing gusts, attempting to encase her fiery adversaries in a frosty embrace. Arianna responds with swirling flames and scorching bursts, seeking to thaw the icy onslaught. The battlefield transforms into a dynamic spectacle of steam and melting ice, as these opposing forces engage in a relentless struggle, each determined to extinguish or overpower the other. Meadow and Rylan stood far out of reach, hidden behind a couple of trees that had not witnessed our destruction. Their eyes filled with terror, worry and anxiety.

Was it toward her? Me? Both? Now that they saw the real her, did they still love her nonetheless? My answer was confirmed when Rylan stepped forward as if he was to help out but was pulled back before he could take any more steps. It was understandable. Rylan only knew the Arianna that had her memories erased, not the Arianna that everyone knew here in Andromeda. Despite him being shocked to witness her true state, his love for her was too strong to deny who she really was.

"Make sure you are paying attention to your opponent!" Arianna shouted out. Her arms locked around my neck in a chokehold, her foot kicking forward to bring me to my knees. I glanced over to see the proud look on Rylan's face but it was quickly wiped off as his eyes landed somewhere on her body. Breathing out as best as I could, I conjured up another ice dagger and swung it backwards into Arianna's side. She yelped, releasing her hold on me as she grabbed at the dagger. Now I could see exactly what made Rylan's face turn the way it did.

Arianna was bleeding badly and it wasn't because of our fight. She was injured way before she even got here. I tackled her to the ground, wrapping my hands around her neck squeezing it. Not too much that she struggled but enough to get my point across. Arianna gritted her teeth, melting the ice as she then dug her nails into my arms.

"You won't give up, will you?" Arianna hissed, dragging her nails down on my arms. I only winced but didn't release from her neck. It wasn't like I was going to kill her like this. No. I didn't have to technically kill her. She was killing herself.

"And what about you?" I tilted my head down toward her injuries. Removing myself from her neck, I pinned her to the ground with one hand while I yanked her shirt up with the other. Just as I had thought, the stitches she had received from whoever had reopened and was now oozing with infection. Arianna didn't care about her injuries. She was just as determined to kill me as I was with her. Knowing that she was risking her life to save the people she loved made me laugh. Or maybe she was trying to save herself instead.

"What's so goddamn funny? If you wanna kill me, kill me!" Arianna bucked her hips up in an attempt to throw me off which succeeded. We rolled over on the ground until she was on top, pressing her hips against mine to pin me to the ground. Her hands now pressed against my chest. I could feel the heat radiating off of her but she was also shaking.

This girl. My twin. My other half. She was scared. Despite everything, the Arianna that they knew was still in there fighting for her life. And I almost felt sad for her. Almost. Her facial expression hardened at the realization that she was scared. Scared to die. To leave this world when she didn't get to live it long enough. But I didn't get to either so what does that say about me?

"Why did you do it? Just answer me that, sister. Why?" My voice came out hoarse. All the pent up anger and hatred I felt toward Arianna slowly dissolving into sadness. Of what ifs and what could have been. Even though we looked the same, it was like looking at a stranger. I didn't know this girl on top of me. The girl with the same necklace as me—hanging from her neck. The one who was always there for me. By my side as we trained. We did everything together. There was not a day where we weren't together.

So what happened? Was I not enough?

"You were everything I wanted." Arianna slowly responded, her eyes softening. "Everything I needed but there was no way... no way either of us could have a happy ending. This life we were supposed to live? Complete and utter bullshit."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion before realizing what she meant by that. The fact that there were choices... options on what our life was going to be like. Arianna didn't like any of them. Not a single one. Neither did I. I didn't like the thought of leading our races only because we were kids at that time. It seemed like too much pressure. But knowing if one of us could get our memories erased was even more awful than anything else. But as long as I had her, I didn't mind. After a while, I grew excited about the idea of leading others.

"I thought maybe we could run away. But you were so excited. So damn excited and for what? This life that isn't our choice? I don't want to lead other damn twins. I don't want to be thrown into jail. My memories? Such a stupid rule. For memories to be erased. No. I wanted more than that but I knew.. I knew you wouldn't understand. You would try to stop me. So I made you the bad guy. You. Precious Fay." Arianna was now whispering, her finger trailing down my cheek.

"It was easy, honestly.  You were always so reckless and loud just like an evil person's personality would be like while I was quiet and reserved. No one would believe little ole Fay. Oh no. Not you." Arianna laughed, shaking her head. The anger was back. This is why she did this? Made me the bad guy? Because she wanted to live a different life than what we were grown up to live?

"I would have run away with you. I would have done whatever it was that you were planning. All you had to do was-"

"No!" Arianna tightened her hand around my neck now. I grabbed her wrist with one hand, digging my nails into her this time. Arianna was choking me now. Not the way I was but actually choking to where I was kicking my feet just to try get her off of me. "All you ever talked about was how we were a team. How nothing could ever come between us. This was it. Our life. And you were excited to lead it as long as I was right there with you. But I didn't want it! I didn't fucking want it but no. It was all you ever talked about."

"Are you satisfied with that answer? Does it give you any closure that you so badly was seeking?" Arianna loosened her grip on my neck but all I could do was stare at her. All this time. That was it? I suffered for that? Arianna winced as she pulled the ice dagger out and slammed it into my chest. My eyes widened as the dagger slowly melted from the heat of her hands but it didn't matter. It still pierced me straight into the heart. I didn't have enough time left but neither did she. Her life was coming to an end.

It was like Meadow and Rylan knew our lives were coming to an end. Their footsteps drew near as Arianna fell to the side of me, her hands clasping at her sides in an attempt to put pressure on her wounds. But it was too late. She let herself bleed out too much. And even though the truth was out. Everything spilled on this battlefield. Meadow and Rylan gathered around Arianna, pulling her into Rylan's arms. He pleaded and cried for her to stay awake. That they would get help but by the look on Meadow's face, it was clear that no amount of help was going to work.

"Come on Arianna! We need to go home. It's over now right? So we can go home. Together. You can.. you can tell me all about vampire diaries. Even though I heard it so many times, it's your favorite show. You light up whenever you talk about it. We can even get ice cream. Cookies and cream are your favorite." Rylan cried, holding onto Arianna's bloody hand as he tried to reassure everything. Her. Himself. Meadow. But not me right? No one was holding me while I was slowly losing consciousness.

"Watch my favorite shows..." Arianna's voice came out hoarse. "Eat my favorite ice cream.. do everything..we were supposed to do... when we graduated..." She nodded her head slowly. Rylan's body shook violently as he cried, his face burying into the crook of her neck as he now wrapped his arms around her body. But her eyes didn't remain on him as she passed.

No. We looked at each other as we took our last breaths. 

Authors note: I did it. Guys.. I FUCKING DID IT. I finished my first novel. I can't believe this. I can't fucking believe it. Omg. I don't have words to describe how I feel.  Keep a heads up for maybe... maybe... an epilogue? Maybe. As well as how this book came to be.  Thank you so much for reading. Please don't be afraid to tell me your thoughts. I would love to know.

P.S. yes. I did cry over the ending. I cried so damn hard.