A Last Farewell | ARIA and FRIENDS

She had sent out the owls, to those she held dear. Her friends, family. It had taken such a long time to write the note (she had copied the first). She kept forgetting words, or how they ought to be spelled. It was frustrating. Nonetheless, the message had been sent for them to meet her here. And so she waited for them.

Aria knew that she shouldn't have just vanished after school had let out. She should have stayed, yet she hadn't. She had wanted to explore the world a bit, on her own, before it was too late and she would not have the chance anymore. Furthermore, she hadn't wanted her friends... her loved ones... to watch as she slowly faded away - nor had she wanted to see the pain and helplessness they'd undoubtedly feel.

The girl looked worse than ever as she stood there on the shore of the lake. She was sickly thin and pale, where her skin hadn't turned black. Nearly her entire right hand and forearm was black, now, as was the area between her left shoulder and jawline. Half of her hair was black, too. Both of her eyes had turned crimson.

It was nearly time. Aria shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath of air. She could almost feel her elements coming apart. Perhaps, it would have been best if she just went quietly, but she she couldn't. Aria had to say goodbye.

It would be the last thing she did.

Iva was the first one to arrive.

Her clothes were ruffled and mismatched, as if she had just rolled out of bed. An unusual sadness formed in her eyes, a rare sight for the stoic Russian. She clutched the letter as she stood a few metres away, staring in pure disbelief. "Aria!" she shouted, marching over, "What the hell is this? What the bloody hell!?"

She threw down the letter, ducking her head to hide the forming tears. Seeing someone like this made her feel so worthless. So broken. Some one she loved was hurting and she couldn't do a damn thing. "You cannot!"

She hiccuped, a tear rolled down her nose. She knew this was going to happen, really. It was a simple thought. Aria was going to die.

Flicking her head over her shoulder to check to see if anyone else had arrived, Iva then wrapped her arms around the girl, burying her face in the blacken part of her arms.

She wasn't completely crying, yet. That would happen later, she knew. Now, she conveyed all of her unsaid feelings into one singular hug.

Aria turned to face Iva, greeting the girl with a bright smile. Her eyes turned a bit sad.

"No decision," she replied simply. (1) She hugged the other girl back tightly. Aria understood Iva's anger over the situation. It hadn't been long before that she had been angry, too. It wasn't the least bit fair. Her life hadn't even really begun.

"We are..." Aria began, frowning as she tried to remember the word. It was such a simple word. Other words would have to do. "... born of the same, too. Three." (2)



1) She meant 'choice'. "No choice."

2) Sisters; the 'three' was referring to the three of them, "The Silver Trio"

Karma was running.

Her vampire speed had doubled in it's desperation, her hair windswept and crazier than usual. She still had the ashes clinging to her hands and knees from when she'd been kneeling in the wreckage of her house.

She came to a stop a few feet from where Aria and Iva were standing, the letter still clutched desperately in her hand.

"Please." She said, her voice breaking. "Please, sis. Let this be a joke..."

She didn't believe her own words.

Quickly, she wrapped her arms around both of them, hugging them tightly to her. "We're the Silver Trio. We're... we're invincible..." She felt tears welling in her eyes. "We aren't allowed to die..."

Aria regarded Karma empathetically. "Sorry," she said softly. She shifted so that she could hug both of them. Her friends. Her sisters, though the exact word eluded her.

"You... think of me," Aria murmured, trying to comfort them though she was clearly the one dying. "I am not gone." The blonde gave them a gentle squeeze. She had accepted her fate. That did not make it easier - it just meant she had stopped hoping for a miracle that would never come.

Arsen ran, as fast as he could to the lake. The moment he saw Ari's writing he'd been running out of the underground tunnels before he'd even found out where she was.

The letter was still gripped in his hand as he took off through the streets to her final destination. She couldn't die, not yet, not when he was so close to finding out how to save her.

"Aria?" He asked as he came to a stop at her side. "Don't leave me! Not yet, please don't leave me." He cried sagging to his knees and brushing aside her hair, freeing her face for him to look at. "We belong together remember? If you die i can't follow." He frowned.

Aria had pulled away from the girls to face Arsen, her welcoming smile wavering as he spoke. Her brow puckered faintly, not entirely certain she followed what he was saying. Concentrating was becoming difficult.

She reached out her own hand to caress one of his cheeks, black contrasting with his paler flesh.

"Arsen," Aria said softly, smiling again. "Pretty eyes. Ree's... first friend." She shook her head, frowning faintly. "All over. Djinn's blame."

He shook his head, holding back the tears he couldn't shed. "Yes im here Aria." He said taking her into his arms. He couldn't help but crack a smile as she mentioned his eyes. "You're were always prettier." He smiled, remember that first day when she wanted eyes like him. So much had happened since then. A lot of those things he instantly regretted now.

"I'll always be your first friend. I love you Aria and i always will." He said in the faintest whisper into her ear. He lifted his head again to look at her before placing a kiss on her lips just as she had a few weeks ago.

Karma was spyralling downward.

Falling within herself. She couldn't deal. She watched them kiss with a blank expression, and this time, Kama's excuses weren't reaching her ears. Her eyes went out to the lake. It was so pretty today. It would be a good day to die, but Ree was taking that from her too, wasn't she?

Karma almost psyically pushed Kama away from her, hating everything about her other half at the moment. Her sister was dying and she had the nerve to be selfish? Shed probably never see her sister again, and she had the nerve to be jealous about a boy?

She was shallower than ever.

Her arms still felt the weight of Lace. Her only mother. Her heart felt as if a peice of it were missing, lying burnt in her ruins of a house.

Where was Jet? Surely Ree had invited him too? Rhys?

Her tears were nonexistant, now. No use crying yet. Ree was still alive, for the moment. Iva was still alive. Arsen... well, he was dead, but he was there.

But once she lost them, then she could cry. Then she could cry and never look back.

"Ree..." she called softly, not wanting to inturrupt their little moment. They could be together for as long as they wanted. As long as they were happy. "I'll find a way to bring you back." Her eyes stayed on the horizen. I will find a way to keep you from causing more trouble. "We'll be together forever." You will regret the day you claimed what's mine. She clenched her fists, fighting Kama with everything she had.

"It'll be like you never left."

We'd be happier if you never returned.

Rhys was running. How the hell was he supposed to find this place? He had no transportation!

Finally, she stood a while away from the group, hands on his knees and breath lost from his lungs. He had run most of the way, but he didn't care how sweaty he was. Aria, she was hurt.

He pressed forward, lungs contrasting savagly. "G-get off h-her!" he rasped, pushing Arsen away. His fingers ran down her blacken arms, eyes actually showing hurt. Hurt. God, what the hell did her do to him!?

"No. No, this isn't happening," he snapped, "You can't die." He grabbed her jaw, "You die, I die, got it?"

Aria had frozen, stunned. Arsen was kissing her... he said...

And then he was pulled away and Rhys was there. Her Rhys. Her heart clenched at the look in his eyes. "Sorry," she choked out, tears stinging her own eyes. But really, what could she do? It was hardly her fault Djinn didn't make her so she would live; hardly her fault the demon would do nothing to change her fate...

The blonde shook her head vehemently. "No!" Aria exclaimed firmly. She pulled her chin from his hold so she could throw her arms around his neck. "You not be gone, too! Rhys... I love you. You not be gone, too, okay?"

Rhys huffed, wrapping his arms around her. She was his. Only his. His grip was tight, almost painful as he buried his head into her shoulder and let out a single, muted sob.

"God damn, Aria! Why do you have to be so bloody sweet!?" he cursed, letting go of her to wipe his nose. "I don't cry! Ever!"

Not since Mum died, anyway.

"I wouldn't leave, okay? I won't be gone," he mumbled, pulling away to look in her eyes, "Because... I love you, dammit."

Aria grimaced slightly at the painful embrace, but endured it quietly, hugging him back as tightly as she could.

She placed a hand along his jaw. "I... I come back! Hm?" The girl looked to Karma, Arsen and Iva, nodding wildly to get them to agree with her words. If there was a way, they would find it, wouldn't they? "Somepath, I come back! You..." Aria's brow furrowed deeply as she worked to find the right wording, meeting Rhys' gaze once more. "You... can't die. No die.

"No die..." Aria turned to each of them in turn, crimson eyes pleading and bright with tears. No dying...

That was only Aria's role to play.

Iva rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands, murmuring prayers underneath her breath. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. What did Aria ever do to deserve this? Nothing. Bloody nothing. If anyone should be spared for this fate, it should be her. Not Iva. Not Karma. Not Arsen.

"You will come back," she agreed, her lie shaking. She had looked already, even asked her father with no prevail. "You will come back and be in the Trio again and we will all be alive and well!"

He growled as Rhys pushed him out the way. Who did he think he was pushing him? He'd make him pay later, he wouldn't start something which would cause Aria distress. Instead he got to his feet and went to stand beside Karma, taking her hand. He knew this was hard for her too, seeing as she was the one to take care of her when he'd been too selfish to care.

Karma looked downward, her eyes going to their hands.

Kama purred. Mine.

Karma ignored her, squeezing his hand gently. She smiled at Aria, her eyes watering. "Iva's right." She said. "You will come back, and we'll be the Silver Trio again." A single tear fell, and she ignored it. "We'll throw a huge party, just for you."

Her words hurt him

The brightness and clever spark was absent from her eyes, and it drove Rhys wild. She was fading before them and he couldn't do a single thing to stop it. He could only dry his own tears in an attempt to regain his pride.

Rhys nodded, wiping away her tears rimming her eyes with one hand and holding her close for the last time with the other. Faint images flashed before his eyes, ones he didn't even know he thought of. Aria and him. Marriage. Hell, even kids. He hated to admit it, but he was Aria's.

And death couldn't change that.

"No matter what, I'll be waiting for you," he whispered, leaning in for a final kiss. His lips brushed hers gently before he murmured, "Forever. Through death,"

Aria gave Iva and Karma a grateful smile for their words. Her closest friends; her... sisters. They would be okay without her, wouldn't they? And Arsen, too - Arsen was half-demon, and he had Karma. Arsen would be alright.

But Rhys... Would Rhys be okay? All she could do was hope, and she didn't even have long to do that.

She savored the embrace, the kiss, a set of tears tracking her cheeks despite the fact he had wiped them away a mere moment before. In her brief life, she had begun to expect so little. Aria had never felt very important, in her own right; she was a tool and nothing more. She did as she was told, when she was told, and then she simply existed, until she was needed for something else.

Then, she had met Rhys. She had gotten to know him... fallen in love with him. He had made her feel special, wanted. And Aria had wanted to spend forever with him.

"Forever," Aria murmured in return.

Stepping back, she gave them all a brave smile, tears still streaking her cheeks. Her gaze settled on each of them in turn, coming to rest on Rhys.

"Farewell." The word was spoken softly, a gentle, lyrical whisper. Then, the girl burst into brilliant flames, their light burning out almost as quickly as they had began, leaving a shimmering cloud of dust that dissipated in their wake.

A gasp was ripped from her throat as her only sister disappeared, the flames beautiful and monstrous, made worse by the part of her cheering. She wrapped an arm around her waist and turned, her movements fast and vampiric, unchecked, as she buried her face in Arsen's chest, her arms wrapping around him. A sob was wrenched from her chest and she shivered, shaking uncontrollably. The only thing missing was the tears. She refused to cry. Ree would come back. She knew it. She would find a way back to them, for better or for worse.

She was sisterless.

His eyes widened as the thing he loved the most took his perfect match away from him. He'd always thought as fire as something he could control but never had he imagine it would be the reason he'd lost someone.

He caught Karma in his arms and held her head against him. Now all he could do was stare at the ashes that once were the girls, he'd been too selfish to care about.