(I had a bad week so now I'm in the mood to write something sad and heart breaking. :) So I'm going to kill off one of my favorite characters. And no one is allowed to get mad at me because she truly is one of my favorites. I used this to explore Isabelle through Simon's eyes. I took some artistic liberties with what 'actually happened' when Simon went to comfort Izzy in CoG and also in a quote that was released on Cassandra Clare's website from CoFA. As bitter as I may seem I just believe in a different kind of Happily Ever After. Timeframe is a year after the end of City of Glass
Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns the original story. I like pie :) )
Simon vaguely remembered coming after Isabelle, she had been angry and was looking for a fight to blow off steam. Isabelle so rarely got legitimately angry so when she did it was like a storm. Unstoppable. Anyone who knew her knew if they were in the way, they better move, give her space. Alec and Jace especially knew to stay away, thinking that Isabelle would simply go for a walk, maybe a couple of drinks and come home when she was in a better mood but Simon would always be the same caring boy who couldn't let someone he cared about walk away from him.
He followed her, followed her all the way to a back alley, watching her hold the blood red pendant tightly as she walked, her body rigid with anger and determination. She turned the corner in a swift, graceful movement to face a demon on the other side. He watched as she faced it head on, standing up against it as it tossed the limp body of a man away. If it could, Simon imagined it would be grinning at Isabelle, daring her to fight.
With a small, smooth flick of her wrist the whip uncoiled itself and before it could blink she had its a claws tightly bound. She quickly tugged and there was a inhuman roar. Blood dripped out, hissing as it burned the pavement. Simon saw Isabelle smirk.
The fight took a turn when the demon managed to curl its remaining claw around Isabelle's waist and squeezed. Simon quickly made a run for her. "Stop." She gasped. "Don't."
Simon froze and glanced up at her. Her dark eyes were set and angry. "I swear Simon, you move a muscle to help me and you're next. My fight, my rules. I got myself into this and I sure as hell will get myself out." The last words came out as a gasp as the demon held her tighter, crushing her in its remaining claw. She tugged one arm free and dug her Seraph blade into the leathery skin of the demon. He screeched, releasing her.
Isabelle dropped onto the concrete, gasping. She fumbled around her, fingers wrapping around her whip and with a quick slash she stumbled to her feet. Blood dripped from her mouth, her white dress was soiled with dirt and blood. Simon felt his fangs come out at the smell but quickly turned away.
When he turned back Isabelle gave a swipe of her whip, wrapping around the torso of the demon. With a final wail the demon cried out before she tugged at the whip and the demon disappeared. Isabelle fell to the ground, her dark hair falling in waves as her arms gave out.
Simon ran towards her, sitting beside her as she panted, falling onto the pavement. Simon shrugged off his jacket, having worn it only to blend in. He didn't feel the cool chill of the night. Isabelle looked up at him, breaths becoming more and more shallow.
"Izzy, c'mon please keep holding on, where's your cell phone. I'll call Alec and we'll get you help soon." She smiled, reaching up to touch his face. Her body was slashed to bits but her face still flawless as Simon had always known it to be.
"Still a stupid... mundane." She breathed, a small smile gently placed on her face. "Tell them, God I hate doing this, tell them... I'm sorry." She whispered, her hand falling to the ground.
"Izzy?" He whispered her name, waiting for her response, begging for one. There was only silence. She just stared up at the sky. Simon placed a cold finger on her eyes, gently closing them. Gold eyeshadow smeared his fingers.
Even in battle... he thought, knowing there had only been one time he had seen her without makeup on.
He stared at her lifeless body. That was all he could manage, just to stare at her. At her pale face, her bright lips, dark eyes. The marks on her skin becoming prominent as her white skin began to pale with the oncoming cold of the night and the heart that had stopped beating. It suddenly seemed blurry, how she had fallen moments before.
It occurred to him suddenly, this is what they feared. This is why when Shadowhunters said goodbye to one another there was so much sincerity in their words, so much intensity in their eyes. They knew it could be forever.
It only occurred to him that he was staring at her, frozen when he noticed the darkness that was so suddenly around him. He forced himself to move, little at a time. Just a finger first, then his hand, finally his legs would hold him so he could pick her up, get her away from this hell, this awful place of fighting and death. Off the battle field for the final time.
Simon recalled a conversation with Clary, vaguely somewhere in his mind. "Even after they die, Simon. They burn their bodies and use their ashes to build the walls of the Silent City. Their remains are expected to fight, to keep protecting." Simon shuddered, holding Isabelle's body tighter at the memory.
Suddenly it was like someone opened the flood gate. Memories hit him hard and quick, of every touch they had shared, every hug, kiss, battle. They had in the past year spent so many intimate moments watching one another, seeing one another in their best and worst times.
She was like a pest. A beautiful, graceful, tough pest but a pest none-the-less, who scooted her way into his life. She spoke to Simon as if he were still an ignorant mundane and tried to change him to fit her own standards but Simon had seen her with all walls down, all pretenses she usually put up to protect herself left to reveal a girl. A beautiful, broken girl who was not as strong as she let everyone believe.
Of course she was strong. She was Nephilim. She was Isabelle. She had taken part in killing any and every demon she had crossed. She was daring and wasn't afraid to take risks but she was always afraid to care, to care about anyone except her family, knowing she would lose them, knowing she had lost them.
Simon had held her as she cried into him about Max, let her kiss him and hold her tight, thinking it didn't mean anything to her, that he was someone safe for Isabelle to go to. Someone like him who wasn't one of her hot faery flings or vampire one night stands was perfect for her at that moment. With him she didn't have to pretend to be tough or hold her own. He thought she still saw him as the mundane who he had used as an excuse to distract himself from Clary while she had used him to pull attention towards her and away from Alec. Out of all of her ex's, he had stayed closest to her. Granted that was because of Clary but he had watched Isabelle and fought alongside her.
He had seen her revealed in her weakest moment. Held her in it when she was ready to face it alone. She was strong enough to burden the guilt Max's death had brought but Simon wasn't sure how far that would break her, so that night he had humored her. Let her kiss him and use him.
After the fight with Valentine he had seen jealousy in her eyes and realized she was feeling real emotion towards him. That beautiful, sinful girl cared about him.
Even so he had also seen her fear of it all. He had let her strip herself away again, so he saw her bare and raw before him. All her rough edges without the painted lines she put on every day so he saw grief, not for her lost little brother but for Jace and Alec and their ability to love. Their stupidity for giving themselves over to love and emotion. It was all foolish nonsense in her eyes.
Simon pulled himself back, touching her face, pulling a strand of black hair away from her lips. He noticed the contrast of her body, all muscle and flesh with painted spiraling marks. He brushed his fingers across her cheek, letting out a breath, knowing he didn't need it, like she wouldn't need it again. They were suddenly more similar than Simon ever wanted them to be. Then he saw an abrupt difference.
As he held her he saw the peace she was in. She had escaped this world where her duty was to fight. She was with her little brother. While he was destined to keep wandering eternally, she was free and could finally rest, her face seamless of anger or betrayal. Isabelle had said her final goodbye.