Jinora only saw a glimmer of metal shining in the moonlight before it plunged into Skoochy's chest. He started to fall, only a small moan leaving his lips as he landed flat at Jinora's feet.
"No, no! Skoochy!" was all Jinora could utter as his eyes slowly began to close and his body became lax.
A shriek came from Violet. "Skoochy! My love… I-I didn't mean…"
Jinora fell to the sidewalk, her shaky hands becoming coated with blood as she attempted to slow the scarlet fluid, which was now poring out of Skoochy like a river. It was like a nightmare beyond imagining. Jinora felt like she was seeing everything though an endless dark tunnel, never to return again.
Skoochy's face quickly became pale and his skin started to feel cold as ice. Most would say he was good as dead, but Jinora had to see if there was still a chance. There had to be. She felt his neck and her heart leapt. She felt a pulse, but it was fading… fast.
She looked up and things returning to sharper focus. Rage filled every fiber of her being when Violet started running towards them, tears in her eyes.
Jinora stood up. "Get away from us!"
Violet ignored her, tripping slightly in her attempt to get to Skoochy.
No longer caring about morals, not caring about anything except Skoochy, Jinora lifted her arms up. Violet stopped immediately, her hands going right to her throat as she began to slowly fall to the ground due to the fact she was being deprived of air.
Jinora kept eye contact as she blocked all air from the person she now hated beyond all others. Violet started coughing and gagging, Jinora keeping every ounce of oxygen away from her. After a moment her eyes started rolling to the back of her head. She was no longer a threat, but Jinora didn't stop. Violet attempted to crawl out of the vacuum bubble Jinora had created but she fell to the ground as the last drops of life started spilling out of her.
Violet made one last effort at survival, lifting a pleading hand to Jinora as death began to overcome her. Then the bubble dissipated, and Jinora felt her hands fall to her sides.
Violet gasped for air. After a few quick inhales, she fainted, and lay on the ground, unmoving, though her chest was still rising and falling with life.
Jinora looked away, and turned back to Skoochy, kneeling down at his side. She had been so full of anger, so intent on revenge that she wasted precious seconds she could have used to save Skoochy.
The blood was now spilling out too rapidly to be stopped, leaving little options left. Jinora heard a scream leave her, like it came from another person's mouth. The rage and sadness overwhelmed her. She put two fingers at his neck, to the left of under his chin. There was still a pulse, but it was extremely faint now.
Jinora couldn't stop herself from breaking down despite her best efforts. Then she heard the yells of Korra, hurrying footsteps following her shouts. Jinora's father, Korra, Mako, and almost a dozen police officers came dashing to her aid.
Korra arrived first, coming quickly to Jinora's side, looking down in dismay at the near dead figure of Skoochy.
Jinora looked up at her, barely able to see her through the agony and the tears streaming down her face. "Can you save him!"
Korra seemed to be thinking fast. "Mako, get me water from the house. And you!" Korra pointed to a Police officer. "Go call the hospital. Tell them to send a truck."
Mako and the officer wasted no time disappearing out of sight. Jinora took a moment to look around the street, everything she saw still felt like a long forgotten nightmare. The block was full of police keeping watch and shouting instructions to each other. She only dimly registered the unconscious Violet being cuffed and taken out of sight. Then Jinora saw her father striding towards her.
"What happened, Jinora?" he asked, kneeling in front of her.
Jinora shook her head, feeling newly formed tears spilling out of her eyes. She started gripping Skoochy tight, not wanting to let him go.
Korra came running up. "Tenzin, I don't think this is the time. Jinora, honey, you need to get off him now. Look, Mako has the water."
It took all her will power but she slowly detached herself from Skoochy, feeling broken and lost as his cold hand left hers.
Korra wasted no time getting to work, flashes of healing light coming from Skoochy's chest; Mako and the police constantly bringing her more supplies. Jinora just stood there, feeling like her own life was draining, everything becoming ever more unreal. Jinora's father held her tight as he stared down at Skoochy.
His gaze focused on the bloody knife, still sticking out of Skoochy's chest, which Korra seemed to be healing around. The blood started to dissipate, but his body still growing ever more pale.
"He took a knife for you, didn't he?" Jinora's father whispered so only she could hear.
Jinora said nothing, just shutting her eyes tightly, and embracing her father, sobbing uncontrollably.
It was only a minute later when Korra stopped. Wiping beads of sweat off her forehead. "I've done all I can… it's up to the hospital now."
"What are his chances?" Jinora pleaded while fighting her father's tight hold on her.
Korra averted her eyes. "I-I'm not sure… fifty-fifty… maybe."
Jinora went silent as the hospital truck pulled up, healers dashing out.
He's going to make it.
And she wasn't going to let anyone tell her otherwise. She even ignored the attempts of comfort from Korra and her father. Skoochy always beat the odds, and he was going to this time. He had to!
They gently put Skoochy on a stretcher and Jinora tried to follow them into the truck but Korra pulled her back, holding her arm in a strong grip.
"I know it's hard, but they need to be left alone," she said firmly.
Jinora glared at Korra but slowly stepped away from the truck, watching as the doors slammed shut, the pale form of Skoochy fading away.
Authors note: Well there you go! Thanks everyone so much for 225 reviews, maybe we can get up to 250 before the next chapter? Which may be the last chapter i'm afraid, but do not worry! We still have the epilogue as well.
Also as a last note, happy Jinoochy week everyone! And very many thanks for reading up to here!