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The carnage finally comes to an end … or does it? xD

NOTE: Friendly reminder that if you see typos please let me know.

Chapter 95: Ice and Fire

City Streets (Middle level), Casterly Rock, Westerlands

The streets of Casterly Rock were teeming with wights. Even more were spilling through the Lion's Mouth and scaling the incredibly tall walls of the Rock. The only area of resistance visible from the sky was on the main street, but even then, it was apparent that the tide was with the dead, not the living.

Every minute the fighting continued the combined remaining forces of the Westerlands, the Vale, Dorne and the North were being battered backwards, towards the inner castle.

The desperation on the soldiers faces only grew as their ranks were depleted by the relentless waves of wights pushing them to the summit of Casterly Rock.

"Their behind us now too!" Tommen shouted, hacking down a former Golden Company mercenary.

Tywin turned his head to confirm his grandson's words while backing towards the young King. They were trapped now. Between buildings on either side and wights at either end of the street.

Tactically he knew the battle was lost but as long as Tommen was beside him, he still had family he could defend. He still had a purpose to fulfill and fight for.

He opened his mouth to command his men but a glint of gold locked his lips and the sight of blond hair froze him in place.

"Jaime … Cersei," Tywin said looking to the wights coming from the direction of the inner castle.

It couldn't be … but there they were, marching with the army of the dead. Jaime's busted chest armor and the way Cersei's head lolled as they sprinted indicated how they had lost their lives.

Everything went quiet for Tywin and his vision tunneled on his twins as the swarm smashed into the backend of the combined force. He couldn't see them for what they were now – mindless killers – but what they had been to him in their finest moments; the perfect Queen to be and his golden heir. He had thought himself so blessed when he had entered the birthing chamber to see Joanna cradling them in her two arms. Tywin would have given anything to go back to that moment where his hopes and dreams seemed so bright and achievable. To change what they all had become.

So lost in an outpouring of grief at past losses not mourned and glorious futures spurned he didn't hear Tommen's warning shouts or heed the tugging on his shoulder.

The wights of his two beloved children continued to rush at him and he was powerless to defend himself, paralyzed in the memories of what was and could have been.

The two wights were within arm's length when Tommen's blade cut down the shade of his mother and shoved his blue-eyed father to the ground before burying the tip of his sword through the wight's exposed neck.

"Grandfather!" Tommen yelled right in front of him.

Their eyes crossed and the stupor was broken. Tywin raised his sword and started yelling orders at the surrounding Lannister soldiers.

Lord Royce kept an eye on Artys as the young King swiped around with Silver Fang, while Trystane covered his back with quick sword strikes. They were working well, in tandem with each other, which was more than could be said for himself and Prince Oberyn.

Oberyn's spear was deadly whether the Prince was thrusting or arcing it through the air but there had been more than one occasion where Lord Royce had to jump out of the way of the black spear tip. Suddenly Oberyn's relentless attacks stopped.

Lord Royce gave the Prince a glance and noticed his attention was focused on Lord Lannister. The lion lord's sword was at his side and Tommen was shaking his shoulder but the elder Lannister was unresponsive as a crowd of wights stampeded towards them.

Lord Royce saw the moment in Oberyn's eyes when he made the decision to charge and it only took him split-second to react.

He reached out and grabbed the backend of Oberyn's spear dragging the Dornishman back and away from his target.

"What are you doing!" Obeyrn hissed.

"We're here to fight the dead, not add to their numbers."

"We're losing. I'd rather Tywin Lannister falls to my spear than to the dead's claws."

"The battle isn't over! You should concentrate on keeping the ones you love alive, not killing those you hate," Royce said, hoping the mention of Trystane would cool the Prince's thirst for revenge in this moment.

"We've lost! I'll be damned if I die not having avenged Elia and her children personally," Oberyn said, hitting Lord Royce in the stomach with the end of his spear and breaking away from the large man.

"Don't be pig headed, now isn't the time for vengeance!" Lord Royce shouted after Oberyn and made to follow but three wights cut his path off.

Once he had dispatched them, he could see Oberyn had run into a group of wights and had been forced to defend himself rather than continue onto Lord Tywin who Lord Royce noted was now back to fighting with Tommen by his side.

Lord Royce attempted to make his way to the Lannisters but a loud screech and blistering wave of head passed over his head and smashed into the wights coming from the inner castle and a moment later the wights behind him were being obliterated in a blaze of fire too.

He looked up at the roofs of the buildings and saw Daenerys's two smaller dragons climbing on them while unleashing their dragonflames onto the wights at either end of the remaining soldiers.

The dragons looked roughed up with blood dripping down their scales from cuts and deep claw marks but they continued to spew flames onto the street, effectively blocking the wights from advancing on the remaining living men but if anyone thought this would last, they were fools. The wights were already climbing the buildings and with the two dragons' appearance Lord Royce couldn't help but wonder where the third one was.

Inner Castle, near Ringfort (Highest level), Casterly Rock, Westerlands, Westeros

Robb, Jon and Grey Wind started to back away as the wights clumsily charged at them. Robb braced himself for the coming onslaught but a wave searing heat forced him downwards to protect his eyes. When he stood back up all the wights were no more than ash. He looked to the sky but there was no dragon.

His eyes caught the flowing red hair and clothes of Melisandre slumped against the wall of a building to their right. They quickly passed into the inner castle courtyard and went to the red priestess.

Jon pressed up against the stone wall and peeked around the corner with Grey Wind at his legs while Robb helped support Melisandre.

"What did you do? Robb asked, taking in the sweat on the lady's brow and the heavy breaths she was taking in.

"I called on R'hllor to help you."

"Robb, we need to get to the mineshaft," Jon stated, still looking around the corner, past the half-destroyed buildings, abandoned carts and floating ash.

Just then a shadow passed above them and Jon heard as much as he saw Drogon land on top of the mineshaft's entrance.

"Great," Jon blasphemed.

"Our aim remains the same," Robb said, releasing his hold on Melisandre and risking a glance at the undead dragon now perched over the cave's opening. "We need to get past it."

"Or we can kill it," Jon said reluctantly.

"How do you propose to do that?"

A grim look settled on Jon's face, "You distract it. I'll flank."

"And what? You'll hack at its legs?" Robb blustered back.

"It's guarding the entrance; it won't move and there is a building beside it I can get to the upper floor and jump on its back. I can pierce its heart with Long Claw."

"I don't like your odds. You'll have to be accurate."

"It's the only chance we have and the more we stand around debating the less time we have to stop the Night King," Jon said testily.

"Fine, but I'm not dying before that fucking dragon does," Robb roared before turning to Melisandre. "Help us."

She nodded in return and straightened from the wall.

"This is such a stupid idea," Robb muttered to himself as he tensed his muscles.

In the next instance he and Grey Wind sprinted across the courtyard and dived behind a stone fountain just as the dragon's blue flames smashed into the front of it. All Robb could do was hold onto Grey Wind and pray the fountain was as strong as the rest of the stone structures in Casterly Rock.

He saw Jon slip away out the corner of his eyes and when the blue flames stopped Melisandre sent out a sword of fire that hit the dragon, pushing it slightly backwards but after a deafening roar the dragon switched targets and blasted the building Melisandre now hid behind. The Red Woman scurried away from the edge of the building as the roof collapsed and debris fell to the ground.

Robb with his back to the fountain and the dragon, looked to his right and saw a line of empty carts, he patted Grey Wind to get his attention and they started their second sprint but this time the dragon was ready.

The blue flame obliterated the carts just as Robb reached them and he was forced to backpedal to the fountain again. He and Grey Wind only just made it back as the dragon unleashed another jet of frozen flame that was battering the only barrier standing between him and certain death.

The dangerous dance would have been over in seconds if the dragon was willing to leave its post at the mineshaft. But it refused to venture more than a few meters from the opening.

Come on Jon! Robb prayed as he heard the fountains foundation cracking behind him.

Robb in that moment thought of his life choices; he regretted many, was proud of some and knew his latest ones had been the most beneficial for the people of the North. He could die with the knowledge he had done everything in his power to avenge the Red Wedding and ensure his people the best possible future. He could face his father and mother in the afterlife with honour and pride.

A terrible sound dragged Robb away from his reflections and he cautiously looked over the rim of the fountain.

Jon was clinging onto the back of Drogon, Long Claw was rammed to the hilt into the back of the flailing beast. Buildings were being smashed apart as the dragon sought to unseat Jon but he held on firm until the dragon crashed to the ground over the mineshaft's opening.

When the Drogon's eyes finally closed Robb rushed over, eyes searching for his cousin frantically amongst the dusty air.

"Jon! Jon!" he called out.

A faint moan erupted behind one of the front legs of the felled dragon and Robb was relieved to see Jon climbing to his feet, holding one arm against his chest.

"You did it!" Robb said, with barely contained disbelief.

Jon, using one hand, pulled Long Claw from Drogon's back, "Yes, but we can't reach the Night King."

Robb eyes went to the ground, there was no path to the mineshaft now. There was no way to move Drogon's body.

"That doesn't matter now," Melisandre said kneeling on the floor with a hand flat against the ground. "We need to leave. This fight is no longer ours to continue."

"What are you taking about? Robb asked.

Melisandre rose to her full height, "The Battle for the Dawn is over. The outcome is fixed now."

Robb and Jon both appraised her with doubtful looks.

"Trust me," Melisandre implored looking between the two men before her dark brown eyes settled on Jon, "You have a greater destiny than to die fighting in a battle that is already finished."

Robb and Jon were still clearly distrustful but there was no way forward so they had to go backwards.

"We can try to reach the men on the street and signal for a retreat, but I don't know how far we'll get with the wights everywhere," Robb said eventually.

Same time …

Deep in the mines of Casterly Rock (Heart of the Rock), Westerlands

"It's done," Leaf said, looking around the circle.

The other five children looked exhausted and were slowly getting to their feet. Leaf did the same and looked upon the spiral patterned painted on the rocky floor. The candles dotted around the rocky cavern and the residual feeling of the ritual they had just performed reminded her of a time before the First Men, a time where they didn't have to hid from man and run from their own creation.

"He's coming," the child closest to her said.

Leaf nodded; she felt the cold draft coming from the darkness too.

"Brothers and sisters," Leaf said as they huddled together touching foreheads. "What we have done will correct the mistake we made millennia ago. It is time for us to leave this world. There is no place in it for us anymore, all we can do is ensure that it will remain when we are gone."

The increasing cold in the underground chamber alerted them to the presence of the Night King. Half a dozen White Walkers stood just behind him.

The Children backed away from each other and moved into wide stances above piles of fire bombs, their hands ready.

Leaf could feel the coming violence but standing face to face with the Night King she couldn't help but remember the moment she had pushed the dagger into his heart, the moment his scared face relaxed and his skin turned blue. She regretted her actions now but at the time she hadn't have thought a greater enemy than the First Men could have existed.

How wrong she had been. How foolish her kind had been to create a solution worse than the problem.

The Night King stepped forward with his eyes focused on Leaf as if remembering her role in his transformation.

"Forgive us."

The Night King's face cocked ever so slightly to the side and he stood still with his hand around the handle of his sword.

"We were desperate," Leaf continued holding the Night King's burning blue eyes, "The very people we had welcomed to our lands were cutting down our Weirwood trees, destroying our ancestors' souls. We shattered the Arm of Dorne, we fought, we called upon the giants and the trees but we couldn't stop them. Man kept conquering and we kept retreating. To save ourselves we needed something stronger than us, something that could drive back the First Men, eradicate them from the very lands they were destroying. We needed you."

The Night King's hand remained on the pommel of his sword and although the expression on his face didn't change, the fact he had paused his advance showed he was listening and understood Leaf's words.

"But the war is finished. Man has won. Our time in this world is over. It belongs to the First Men and the Andals now."

The ground beneath them started to shake, causing the candles to flicker and sparking the Night King back into motion. He released his sword and stepped into the circle. The Children responded by throwing their firebombs and the once dimly lit chamber became a cauldron of light and fire. Shadows danced on the rocky walls as the white walkers engaged the children.

The ground continued to rumble as children were sliced apart and white walkers set on fire until only the Night King and Leaf remained. She could sense the heat building in the chamber, despite the Night King's cold aura, she could feel it flowing all over the chamber and gathering below them.

Leaf stepped into the middle of the circle knowing the Night King would come to her. How could he not? She had turned him into an undying monster filled with the desire to extinguish his own kind.

The flaming ball in her hand was the only source of light now and she watched as the Night King walked up to her with his great sword ready. She didn't move out of the way of the thrust. She had known this would happen, that this had always been her end.

The tip of the sword pierced her small body and burst through her back but still she stood and lifted her head up to the Night King that towered over her.

"I'm sorry," Leaf ground out, still holding onto the fireball in her hand as blood poured down from the wound in her torso.

The Night King only drew his thin lips into a small smile.

He knew just as her that this was their end and he was glad. The deep-seated desire to kill would cease. He would finally die and fade away as he had been born to do.

It was at that moment the lava erupted beneath their feet and coated them in living fire that consumed them both within moments. The entire chamber was quaking as magma filled it and shot up, breaking through the surface to explode above ground near the Ringfort of Casterly Rock and start to spill slowly from the newly formed crater in the summit of the city.

Author's Notes:

Tywin freezes but Tommen to the rescue taking down his own parents (not that he knows Jaime is his father).

It feels good to have the Night King's death done as it was one of the pivotal scenes of this entire story and I'm excited to hear readers' thoughts on it because I think it's a unique ending for the Long Night, at least I haven't read it anywhere.

RIP

Undead Drogon (Killed by Jon driving Long Claw into its back)

For those that wanted Jon to do a cool thing. I think Jon Snow the Dragonslayer is pretty epic and he isn't finished impacting the story yet.

Children of the Forest & White Walkers (Killed each other with fire bombs or ice swords and in the volcanic eruption incurred by the Children's magic)

None of the Children were making it out alive. Their time is finally over. As humans rise, magic tends to die.

Leaf & Night King (Killed by the Volcanic eruption)

I'm not sure how the NKs death will be received to be honest but for me I never imagined one of the 'human' characters be able to kill him as he has been depicted in the show. The NK is superhuman fast and strong so for any fighter (Arya, Hound, Jaime, Jon, Robb, Artys etc.) to get a lucky stab on him just didn't feel realistic.

My explanation for Azor Ahai (and my tease in Chapter 90) is that he was just a legendary hero and stories upon stories over the years have built up a prophecy that, sadly in my story, was never going to come true in the form of a human character specifically for Azor Ahai. I believe the dormant volcano that is Casterly Rock can be argued to fulfill 6 out of 7 of the requirements of being Azor Ahai in its own right which is better than Arya (eye roll).

Part of the reason why I wanted to stage the Long Night at Casterly Rock as oppose to anywhere else, other than the obvious defensive advantages, was that it could feasibly be a dormant volcano that the Children could erupt with magic. I wanted it to literally be Ice vs Fire.

I always thought that the desire to kill all life came from the Children's magic as they created him to kill their enemies so that was his entire drive and over the years the Night King developed his own control and wanted revenge on the Children too but he could never shake his magically induced primary drive to kill. So, in the end he wanted to die just as much as he was being driven to kill.

Reviews:

Antares Graceford – Glad I can provide an entertaining distraction but don't get into trouble! Thanks, her death just clicked in my brain and I was like it has to happen as I knew I wasn't fulfilling the Azor Ahai prophecy. Who let the Sands Snakes out will be revealed in Chapter 97 ;)

Ksyushangel – Lol I think I get the gist of your review :P If Jorah and Cersei had stayed in the vault they would have survived *sigh* it was a mistake for sure on Daenerys's part but not one that most others wouldn't make. Nah, reading is cool! Tyrion's best friend is the crossbow he sleeps with it now lol. Oberyn is still kicking but it certainly isn't to do with his bloodthirsty (but frankly understandable) attitude.

Supremus85 – It's just Tywin left on Robb's list now. Jon was useful in this chapter and is a dragonslayer but he isn't Azor Ahai. Oberyn is so beyond pissed already and he doesn't know he isn't a father anymore … I have already written the reveal on the Sand Snake mystery so I'm excited for that update to go live.

Ser Dorito of Aisle 13 – I don't think Tyrell bannermen would follow a Vale Lord but Lord Royce is certainly a very good commander. I was going for poetic so glad you noticed. I agree that a Targ loyalist or Crown loyalist getting the NK kill would have been bad for the clash coming later but as you know now that didn't happen and none of your picks killed the NK either but I hope the way he died made sense/was good for you.

Guest (commented 27/02/2021) – Yeah it was similarish. Her death was earned sure, for me it was important how, where, and by who she died though. Daenerys still has Daario, Grey Worm, Oberyn, her Dothraki bloodriders, Viserion and Rhaegal but she does have a habit of picking up allies.

Guest (commented 28/02/2021) – Thanks, when I was planning and I rethought Cersei's death it was a bit of a light bulb moment! You mean for Joanna? Perhaps.

Tohka123 – Thanks, I was going for shock and surprise in the beginning then a nitty gritty finish with how the Loreza and Obella died. Kenna isn't a traditional fighter but she is someone that has a killer instinct and doesn't go down quietly.

NightlyRowenTree – Your welcome, and honestly, I am aware of the new series but I haven't really checked it out. Will probs do that closer to the time of release. What are your thoughts on it?

BlackWatcher1234 – Well all those mentioned are still kicking around so nothing is beyond the realms of possibility at the moment. Harsh on Tyrion, he isn't book or show Tyrion anymore. He is firmly working for House Lannister as he feels more a part of his family now with his relationship somewhat repaired with his father and the goal of securing Tommen's kingship as well as the knowledge that he would rule over Casterly Rock while Yohn/Jorge are still children. I wonder what his reaction will be to the news of his elder siblings' deaths :(

DannyBlack70 – Excellent, she deserved a horrifying death in my opinion based on her actions in this story.

Daphne Ackerman – Aw thanks! Yeah, characters die in this story, especially when their contribution to the story is done. I think a few of my readers desire that outcome for Dany too. Robb and Kenna did get together in Chapter 88 but it isn't exactly a stable relationship right now. I mean yes Tywin is like thirty years older than Kenna but that isn't beyond canon e.g Jon Arryn/Lysa Arryn and their personalities actually match each other really well.

QueenErynn (commented on Chapter 1) – Thanks for reading! Well, he wasn't technically married. The Ironborn took Alyssa before the marriage but this kidnapping is, in my story, the reason why Benjen left for the Wall. Happy reading!

Shadow Wolf 15846 – Thanks :D

Next Up: Alliances are torn asunder; new battle-lines are drawn and the Last War begins.

If you are enjoying this story please *Toss a coin to your writer, Oh valley of readers* and review, follow and favorite!