Title: The Final Battle Can Not Always Be Won
Author: Pikadaj
Summary: Even the heroes can fall. LACE. Character death.


His cracked lips form a pained grin, his usually white teeth dyed pink with blood. "Crying?" he croaks out before a small cough escapes him, a few drops of fresh blood staining the corners of his already stained lips.
"Silence!" Comes the hiss as trembling hands move about quickly, trying to stop the bleeding without knowing what wound to tend to first. White clothes are no longer white as Ludwig rips off yet another strip of cloth from his mud and blood stained coat, turning it into make shift bandages.
"Hold zis," he demands, his voice not betraying the feelings that can be seen in his wide, panicked amethyst eyes as he stares at the still shape of the other, patches of skin ripped open, clothes turn, limbs broken; the man that always rose above all, broken.
Jace smiles wryly as Ludwig forces him to hold onto the strips of cloth, blood already seeping through them. "It's over."
"Lies!" Ludwig hisses, though he knows he's merely deluding himself. "Sie can still be saved!"
Another cough comes forth as Jace chuckles, "Now who's lying?"
"Sie can't die yet, I have yet to prove zat Sie sind a demon," Ludwig says stubbornly.
Jace smiles gently as he lets go of the cloth, reaching up his trembling hand to cup Ludwig's cheek, streaking the pale skin red. "You stopped trying to prove that years ago, love." His voice is a whisper and it's obvious that every word hurts to speak.
"Zat has nothing to do vith zis!" Tears prickle at Ludwig's eyes as he grabs onto Jace's hand hopelessly. "Sie can't die before I-"
"I love you," the words are barely audible, but Ludwig hears them clearly. "Always have, always will."
Ludwig presses his trembling lips against Jace's hand, firmly squeezing his eyes shut as he can feel a tear run down his cheek. "I don't know vat I should to vithout Sie..." his throat constricts some.
"Live."
Half the word fades away as Jace's voice gives out, but Ludwig can understand it nevertheless. Jace's hand goes lump in Ludwig's voice, blank silver eyes staring ahead unseeingly.
A sob rips from Ludwig's throat as he reaches out a trembling hand to gently close Jace's eyes. He can feel the hand he is holding turn brittle, such a strange sensation, before a fingertip turns to ashes, soon followed by the rest.
Ludwig can do nothing but stare as the man he loves disappears, turning to ashes. His heart crumbles at the same speed Jace's body does.
"Ich liebe dich..." he croaks out before biting his lip and turning his face to the sky, Jace's ashes staining his suit. The sun really picked the wrong day to shine so brightly.