[ 30. All I ask and 31. Blame me. Maybe you can use these in joining the Kill Lukas Club with your character and my own? ]

ASKFIREBENDERGILBERT

((Oh boy Just in time I need to vent.:'D

So if the battle had gone a little differently…))

The attack had come out of nowhere. Gilbert had always had his suspicions of the impending assault, but he had not anticipated the gravity, nor the numbers that had aided his fears.

The battlefield was not meant to be here.

It baffled him how it had been so peaceful just hours before. He had heard children playing, and citizens gossiping and boisterous laughter booming from pubs. He had seen performers dancing, coins being thrown into little shoes and cups as thanks for the efforts. He had smelled delicious foods sizzling on fires and teas brewing just as well in homes and joints. He had felt the sun on his skin, accompanied by a gentle breeze that brought promise of a light rain later, which he always enjoyed.

But now all he heard were the cries of women and children, he heard the barked orders of fathers telling their children to run. He saw performers running, fighting to help others, discarding the coins that they had worked so hard to earn. He smelled smoke and earth and burning homes. He felt cold and hot all at once, battling against every earth nation recruit that had come to lay rain of death upon he and his people.

Blasting yet another wall of rock down with his own attacks, the general disposed of his opponent, and turned to another. The ache in his bones that came from fighting non-stop was starting to set in, and he could feel the rain starting to fall on his parched skin.

"Look out!" He heard the familiar voice cry out behind him, but turned just in time to see the rainwater warp and twist into a whip, that collided with the earth soldier just before he had brought his fist down upon the General.

"Lukas! What are you doing here? Get out of here!"

"I am not going to abandon these people!" Lukas growled, fighting on with his unique form of bending. He was quite glad for the rain that was beginning to fall much heavier upon them. And Gilbert was quite impressed to see that he was using up so much of that rain that it didn't affect his bending much at all.

"You're as stubborn as your brother." Gilbert shouted back, taking on yet another. It seemed that they were endless, coming in ironic waves of stony-faced men. Lukas didn't even blink at this.

"Have you seen him?" He asked, letting his back touch Gilbert's own as they stared down the circle of soldiers.

"He was defending the castle. I don't know anything else, I'm sorry." Gilbert growled back, not losing any eye contact. "He can take care of himself though."

"I know, that's why I'm worried. Because he'll take care of everyone else too."

That was true. But there was no time to ponder upon the fate of a mere guard when the fate of the palace and ultimately: the Nation were at stake.

The battle grew heavier, the soldiers around them fell with sheer exhaustion and labour. Lukas had departed to get the groups of children and those unable to fight to safety, but had promised to return, much to the Albino's dismay.

His breath was laden, and his muscles were sore. Gilbert knew that if they didn't get some sort of surprise attack in, they were doomed. The citizens that had helped in battle had mostly been taken captive, and he had seen many of his men die at their hand. But he refused to let that fate grasp him with it's stony, cold fingers. No, he had to get home, he had to make sure he was safe.

As he turned from on fight to his next, Gilbert's eyes froze upon the sight of a great boulder coming right at him. Wait- no. It was a downright avalanche of stone that would kill him upon impact. He was not an idiot. No amount of fire could stop that. No amount of strength could allow him to jump over it and no amount of willpower would keep him alive.

It was funny, almost, how long that split second seemed to be. It felt like, and maybe it was the truth, Gilbert had only blinked, and suddenly he had been shoved to the side by a great strength that could only come by an entire body being thrown at him. He flew backwards, limbs outstretched as if he were reaching back to the fate that had almost met him. His eyes were as wide as saucers…

and there was no mistaking that blonde hair that was there for only a split second, or the great fall of icicles that suddenly fell from the sky and hit the soldiers from above.

The General slammed against a wall, splintering the wood and nearly crashing right through it. Not a most pleasant feeling, but far better than being crushed by a fall of stones. He coughed and struggled to his feet, but found that he may have broken or cracked a bone in his arm.

However, he ignored the horrid pain and found himself, somehow, dashing towards where the great stone avalanche had collided. He collapsed to his knees and started sifting them out of the way, as if he were on some sort of automatic response system. He didn't worry about the soldiers, the gruesome sight of men impaled by icicles was indication enough that none of them were going to attack.

Finally, he revealed an arm, and then a torso, and then a head, another arm and two legs. He pulled the man out of the pile of stones and laid him flat on the ground in front of the home he had been smashed into.

His arm was at a funny angle, and his chest looked as if it had been crushed inward. That couldn't be healthy. His head was covered in red life and his eyes were morbidly open, staring into nothingness,

Leaning down, the albino put his ear over Lukas' chest, listening and feeling for any sign of breathing or a heartbeat. Panicking, he sat up again and smacked the man's cheeks gently, then shook him, careful not to hurt him more. He put his fingers up by his nose, to see if he could feel breathing.

It was faint, but it was there.

"Lukas! You idiot, snap out of it! Come on! We'll get you to a healer and then we can get you home! Matthias will be worried you know!"

No response was given. Lukas just remained laying on the ground, and the only indication that he had maybe heard Gilbert was the tiniest shift in his eyes towards the man. But the gaze was still unseeing.

"Lukas! I don't ask much of you, all I ever say is to stay out of trouble and you go and do something like THIS! Come on! listen to me for once in your life!" The invincible General's voice cracked slightly, as he shook the man below him. Lukas didn't move, but just kept staring in his general direction. Gilbert grew unsettled by this, not wanting to keep eye contact, but forcing himself to. "Speak Damn it!"

Lukas shifted his arm, the one that wasn't broken, but was still bloody, and gently touched the soldiers leg. Gilbert snapped his vision to it for a split second before snatching the hand up in his own two. "That's good! Keep awake and we'll get you some help-"

"N-o. Gil." Lukas' voice was quiet. That was wrong. He wasn't ever loud, or boistrous, like his brother. But he was never this quiet.

"I'm sorry." Gil blurted, feeling the tears slip from his blurry vision. He hated this. He hated it all. Why? "It's all my fault- I!"

"Yer… more important." Lukas sighed, closing his eyes. Gilbert let out a panicked gasp.

"No! You're not going to close your eyes, that's an order! Come on Lukas!"

Lukas' lips turned up in a small, weak, bruised smile.

"Heh- sorry. I can't… obey…"

And he died.

—

((Shoot that was worse than I thought it would be. :/ But hey! Do I get a T shirt and Muffins now?))