By Another Name (Editing)

The End

I'm sorry for anyone who read the epilogue, I may have accidently put it in first. But thanks to Nikki for pointing it out. So I'm going to delete the epilogue and re-upload it in a but. Again I'm really sorry.

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When I woke up I was lying on the ground with someone’s jacket for a cushion and a blanket covering me, exactly the same as the first time I'd woken up in the camp.

I was dark and faintly I could hear the fire crackling gently.

I opened my eyes and looked towards the flame. They were all sat round the fire, silently staring at it, even Keiko.

I tried to sit up, but the pain behind my eyes reared up again and I fell back onto the dirt.

I must have made some noise because when I opened my eyes again they were all around me.

"Back up a bit" said Crow, waving them away. "How are you?" he asked once he was satisfied that they were far enough back. Of course as soon as he looked away they moved straight back again.

Smiling slightly I said "Okay, head aches if I move though"

He did exactly the same test on me with the pencil as he had before.

"Take it slow, you're concussed."

I nodded then started to push myself up slowly this time. Ice and Crow helped me into an upright position and I shuffled toward the warmth of the fire. Carefully I began to pull out the extensions they’d put in my hair, throwing them on the fire one by one, till I had my short hair back.

We were all silent for a long, long time then quietly Crow said, "We need to vote on a new leader"

Ice, Angel and me nodded resignedly, but Cub shock his head.

"Statics our leader!" he protested

"Cub-" tried Angel

"No! Don't tell me he's dead! I know that. But you can't just replace him, like he was never here at all!" he yelled and stormed off, and sat down well out of the fire light, staring into the night.

Angel made to go after him, but I lightly touched her arm and held her.

"Leave him, he needs some time to think"

We sat and stared into the fire, watching the flame. Static had been right. Fire is beautiful and graceful, but it can only last as long as there is wood to burn.

Looking up, I saw that Ice had the tracks of silent tears running down his cheeks, but I pretended not to notice. Slowly I got up and went to Cub.

I didn't say anything as I sat down beside him, and he didn't look at me but he did twist his body slightly towards me.

Together we watched the moon rise higher, it was only slightly less than full, missing the smallest of slivers. Strange that only three days had passed since I'd lost my bet with him. The bruises from my last training bout with Static already starting to heal.

I didn't say anything, just left a hole of silence for Cub to fill.

"Why didn't you save him?" he asked quietly.

I bit my lip, trying to answer as best I could.

In the end I gave up and simply said "I couldn't think of a way to."

"You should have thought of a way"

"Maybe. I did my best and it just wasn't enough to save him"

"If it had been the other way around he would have saved you" he accused me turning to face me

"Perhaps, I don't know" I acknowledged.