AoGA House Cup. (Words: 930.)

'As amid the hectic music and cocktail talk/
She hears the caustic ticking of the clock.'

You knew her time would soon run out. She had fought with the powers that be, defying the very laws of time and space.

What for, you think to yourself, musing while staring at her weak form, frail, sleeping.

Even while fading away, she seems like she is in repose.

You feel helpless.

You realise then, her selfless sacrifice. She had gone, at the risk of her own life, to save the broken heart of the girl you thought you once loved, her best friend.

She had forced joy out of grief.

She had saved your own best friend, to save hers from a lifetime of brokenness.

She had fought for the future of others, and she had won.

But at what cost?

That question resonates in your head. Once. Twice. Again and again. Your whirring thoughts feel like bees, buzzing in the confined spaces of your mind.

Stinging.

You simply stand there, looking at her, watching her barely hold on to life.

Her chest rises and falls, her breaths shallow.

You exhale quietly, your breath misting in the cold air of the room.

She had told you, before she left, that she was glad that she had the chance to save her friend's heart; to save them from their misery.

'At all cost,' she had whispered to you, before she jumped into the fray.

She had succeeded, of course, and returned to the Academy.

And now, the consequences were coming back to claim her.

You gaze at her, a forlorn look on your face. She shifts quietly in her bed, still asleep.

Everyone else had chosen to rejoice outside, away from the room where she lay, and where you stood vigil.

To them, their beloved friend had been saved. The star-crossed lovers were reunited. They were cheering in the cold, desolate winter.

You were sure the others were unable to cope with the consequences. They wanted to stave off the bad news, at least for a few hours.

You knew, as she did, that they all wanted respite from the cycle of hurt and pathos that had befallen them. That day, at least, everyone had celebrated.

You did not blame them, but you could not bear to join them, either.

You were different.

You simply continued to stand there, holding her hand.

To you, that small victory was a joyless one.

You remained by her side, giving her still form company.

Grieving quietly.

You knew, as she did. As everyone else did. She had made the right choice.

That choice that would reduce the pain in the denouement of this saga, this drama.

This tragedy.

But that did not stop your heart from aching, all the same.

The chill in the room grows.

As she shivers in the cold, you can do nothing more but offer the warmth of your body. You wrap her tighter into her blankets, and hug her.

You release her, and continue standing by her side, placing your coat over her to make sure she kept warm.

You chance a gaze at her again, even as you move to the window and watch the snow falling outside.

She is now smiling contentedly.

At that moment, you look at the clock on the walls. You hear the sound of fabric against fabric.

You notice that her previously unconscious form is beginning to stir, her eyelids barely opening.

She is surprised you are with her.

You offer nothing more than a shy, sad smile as an explanation.

She looks at you, her once vibrant, violet eyes now dull and misty. Even in her weak state, she sees right through your poorly maintained façade. She stares right into your soul, and sees the utterly shattered heart.

Her cold, frigid mien softens at that moment, as she tears lightly.

You move to hug her again, for a second time that day.

She apologises. You simply tighten your embrace.

You know now, that she is broken, as you are.

You know now that she is human as well.

You were right all this time.

But alas, it is too late.

You can only watch, as she coughs weakly. You know that she is wilting slowly, like a flower without water.

Dying.

Atrophying.

Sighing, you make a promise to stay by her, right until the end.

For the first time in your life, you see her genuinely smile for someone other than her best friend.

She makes a promise in return, to hold on. She tells you she is not that weak. She assures you that she will keep going.

She tries to tell you that things will get better, in her own, quiet way.

You smile warmly, but you can barely hide your grief.

As much as you want those promises to be true, you know that this is simply wishful thinking.

The promises are illusory.

The ticking on the clock is a continued reminder of that.

But for now, at least, you enjoy the time you have with her. All the time she has left.

You know, deep down, that your heart will simply ache more after she leaves this world. You know that you love her, even though she does not realise it.

'Never mind,' you think to yourself.

For once, you tell yourself, you will be selfless in her place. You will offer her comfort when she needs it most, even if it hurts you. Even if you will spend the rest of your days lost, broken, pining for her.

Never mind.

AN: Quote is from Sylvia Plath's Cinderella. I hope Hotaru isn't OOC here. I felt she was, a little.