Silent Flames {#Wattys2015 #JustWriteIt #FreshStart}

-Chapter Eight-

The king took off down the hall, followed hastily by River. The sun had risen to mark the next day, and the king was planning to head off Flame and ask what his plans were for the day. He knew that Flame would lie if he was going to The League to fulfill a part of it, but if he told the truth, he was doing it for him.

Smiling at his perfect plan, the king walked out of the castle and headed over to Flame's house, which wasn't too far away.

Flame was just walking out the door when he got there. "Hello, Flame!" He called. Flame spun around and stared at him, a look of shock on his face.

"What're you doing Ty-I mean Flame?" Maple's voice snapped. Flame winced slightly as she walked out the door too. She looked at him and then followed his gaze to the king. "Oh, er, hello father." She said nervously. The king smiled bitterly. "Hello, Maple dear. Where are you two heading?"

Maple looked at Flame in horror, but Flame's face was suddenly neutral, as if he had made up his mind about something. "Excuse me Maple, I must speak with our...king..." He said, setting his jaw.

The king waited for him, keeping a falsely cheerful smile on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Flame snapped. The king now smiled evilly. "Just checking what your plans are for the day, child." He said coldly.

Flame sneered. "I suppose it's time for me to come clean then?" He asked. The king's smile disappeared. "So...you are in The League?" He asked blankly.

Flame laughed cruelly. "Don't wear that look of surprise on your face. How many things have you done that I've disagreed with?"

A look of fury came over the king's face as he looked at the boy he had trusted with so many of his secrets. And so many of the secrets had probably given The League. No wonder they knew where to hit him, and more importantly, how hard! He had been betrayed!

"How dare you!" The king screamed. Flame laughed again. "Oh, how well I've played my part. I am loyal to no one, Shift, and I'd prefer no one be loyal to me."

"YOU'RE POINSONING MY DAUGHTER!" He yelled, slapping Flame across the face. He heard Maple gasped and turned his furious gaze on her instead.

"How dare you!" He repeated. "I AM YOUR FATHER AND YOU WERE GOING TO BETRAY ME!"

"No!" Maple objected. "I-I just wanted to see-"

"Get out of my sight." The king said, his voice deadly calm. "And never look back. Get away from me. You are a disgrace to your mother."

Tears started to fall from his daughter's eyes, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything anymore.

He turned back to Flame, who was rubbing the side of his face but still wearing his wicked grin. "You do not deserve to have the powers that you were given." He whispered. "So you will no longer have them."

He reached out his hand and grabbed Flame's shirt color. Flame choked and struggled, but his movements grew weaker as the king sucked all of the power out of him and gave it to himself.

Flame gasped once and went limp. The king felt the power stop flowing. He threw the limp body at his daughter's feet, turned, and strode away, River trotting after him like an anxious dog.

~

"FLAME!" Maple screamed once her father had walked away. "FLAME NO! PLEASE! YOU CAN'T-FLAME PLEASE!"

She shook him and listened for a heartbeat and felt for a pulse, but really, she didn't know if these people even had real blood flowing through them. Was their blood their powers? If their powers were gone, did they die?

She dropped Flame and cried into her hands. She didn't really know why she was crying. Maybe it was the sting of rejection from her father mixed with the loss of the only person who had really been a friend in this new and terrifying world.

Maple had no idea how long she cried. She only knew that she was alone. She could feel the ground trembling beneath her, though she wasn't sure if it was just her shaking sobs or something else. But she didn't care. She didn't want to care about anything. Maple hated this world. She hated the way it had taken apart her life, piece by piece.

She felt a hand lay on her shoulder, but she didn't look up, afraid to see who it would be. 

"Hey Maple?" A voice asked. Maple stopped crying immediately. There was no way...

"Hell yeah it's me." Flame whispered. "You didn't think the king would be able to keep me down, did you?"

Maple looked up and let out a small whimper. Flame's face was now scratched in several places, and he looked paler than usual. Blood dripped from the gashes, falling into the snow and making red spots.

And around Flame was a magnificent Maple tree, the sen shining through its frosted leaves, almost casting a spotlight on her and Flames. "How did this happen?" Maple asked. Flame grinned. "Well...I think your love for me kind of stirred some emotions..."

"Oh my God!" Maple laughed, getting to her feet and hugging Flame. She felt him flinch but didn't pull away, too glad he was alive. Eventually, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. 

"You ready to go meet The League?" Flame asked quietly after a moment. Maple pulled away, a hard look in her eyes. "Hell yes I am, and I'm not going to wait to join it. I'm getting back at my father for doing this to you, and I don't care if I die in the process...but are you sure you're alright?" 

Flame smirked. "Don't worry about me, child. I'll be jest fine."
"Alright, then let's get our crap together and go find your friends."

Flame laughed. "That's my girl!" He said, whacking her on the back. "Now, let's go and get ourselves some revenge."

~

A/N: The final chapters will be published today, so get ready for the last updates, and more importantly, a couple plot twists...I've decided to break the chapters into smaller parts, instead of just making one final long chapter. Anyway, grab a box of tissues on something to break, because this one's gonna be crazy.