FireLeaf

Chapter Seventy- The End

Leafy blinked awake. Her bed felt weirdly hard and cold. Wait... this wasn't her bed! Where was she? Leafy sat up. She appeared to be in a cave. When she turned around, she saw a green crystal floating above a rock pedestal. On the floor near her feet, a battered red-orange crystal glowed weakly.

Wasn't Leafy supposed to be doing the fourth day of the contest? What was she doing in this cave? Then Leafy noticed a bundle against the wall. They looked familiar...

Leafy gasped in horror when she saw who it was. "Mom! Dad!" She ran next to them.

"No, no!" Leafy's breath came out quick and sharp. Wounds and cuts covered her parents' bodies and their breathing sounded ragged.

"Who did this?" Tears sprung down Leafy's face, falling in a cascade of droplets. The cave echoed as the drops of water hit the floor. 

With a trembling hand, Leafy reached towards her parents' faces. What had happened? Was it her fault? For not checking on them enough? She still remembered the day she set off to this academy. It was only two weeks ago, but it felt like forever. 

Looking at her parent's unconscious forms made her cry louder. But was this just a dream? If this was reality, how did she get here? She needed to get out.

Leafy was about to run out of the cave when she heard a soft gasp. 

"Who's there?" Leafy shouted, wiping at her face.

"I-it's m-me, Firey." came a shaky voice. each word sounded raspy.

"Where are you?" Leafy asked.

"B-behind the s-stone."

Sure enough, as Leafy went around the stone, she saw a small nook that wasn't visible from where she was standing. And there was Firey...

"FIREY!" Leafy screamed. She dropped down next to him and steadied him against the rock. "What happened?!"

"I-it's so g-good to see y-you again." Firey stuttered. He gasped and weakly lift is hand a bit, but he apparently didn't have the strength and set it back down.

Leafy took him in her arms. She didn't even notice his hair burning her skin.

"Leafy, s-stop." Firey said, "D-don't burn yourself."

"I DON'T CARE!" Leafy sobbed, "WHAT HAPPENED? WHO DID THIS TO YOU?"

Then Firey told her everything. From when he saw Shadow in the car, to when leafy was possessed.

"I-I can't believe you didn't tell me." Leafy finally said when she could speak again. "I can't believe I hurt Pin- I hurt you!" 

Firey smiled weakly. "I w-wanted to keep you safe. L-listen, Leafy, our classmates are probably scared of y-you right now. B-be strong, okay? Don't let what they say or do effect you. Keep being happy."

Leafy shook her head. "I'm not happy! You're injured and I can't do anything!"

Firey started coughing up lava, and Leafy gasped and reached towards him.

"L-leafy, leave me alone. I'm dying." Firey gasped. His fingertips were turning black, his hair also draining of it's color. 

"No! Never!" Leafy sobbed.

Firey stopped speaking. His arms, legs, face started turning the color of coals. Leafy shook as his eyes also encased over, turning into black coals. Then he closed his eyes.

"FIREY!" Leafy cried. Firey looked asleep, all the pain went out of his features. 

NO. LEAFY COULDN'T LET THIS HAPPEN.

Leafy rested her hand on his, blinking away tears. She slowly started talking to him, summarizing their years together. She knew Firey couldn't hear her, but somehow, this helped her calm down. Her breathing became slower and she talked to Firey as if she was talking to someone who was actually alive.

After she finished talking, her face streaked with tears, Leafy felt something tugging at her in her gut. She drew on the energy and let it loose. She had a weird feeling that she could bring Firey back. She had too.

The energy expanded, turning into a visible round green ball of light. It sunk into Firey, and his whole body lit up.

"What the-" Leafy gasped, scrambling back. Firey started to transform. His hair turned into flames, flickering like the rest of his brethren unlike before. For the first time, his hair actually looked like fire. The color came back to his skin, and he stirred.

"FIREY!" Leafy cried, "You're back!" But when she reached out to touch him, her fingers burned with the contact. She gasped, clutching her fingers. She tentatively touched his arm. Same burn.

"Huh?" Firey opened his eyes.

"Firey! Thank goodness!" Leafy tried to hug him, but he backed away.

"Firey?" Leafy asked as he looked at her in confusion.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"It's me, Leafy!" Leafy said, motioning at herself.

"Leafy?" Firey asked in confusion, "Do I know you?"