Nightmare

Roanoke, Virginia

After leaving Mammoth Cave the next move is to head to North Carolina to find the next Fire Bird Feather Key. After seven long hours of driving the group stopped at a hotel in Roanoke, Virginia to rest for the night. Lara and Phoenix had their own room while Jonah, Darcy, and Otis stayed in another room. Now Lara and Phoenix are cuddling each other in bed watching The Hunger Games on Netflix.

"You know, I think Katniss kind of reminds me of you Lara," said Phoenix as they were watching the scene where Katniss Everdeen practices archery in front of the gamemakers.

"What makes you say that?" Lara raises an eyebrow

"Well look."

They both watch the part where Katniss fires an arrow at the apple which hits the wall.

"See what I mean? You both are good at archery and are badass." said Phoenix

"I guess she does remind me of myself in a way." Lara replied

Lara had remembered reading the actual Hunger Games book when she was a teenager. It is true that Katniss does remind her of herself. Phoenix is right on that. At the same time both of them also went through Hell. Katniss and Peeta survived the Hunger Games and Lara alongside Sam, Jonah, Reyes, Alex, Grim, and Roth were shipwrecked on Yamatai for two weeks. Only her, Jonah, Sam, and Reyes made it out of there. Like how Katniss was dealing with the mental fallout of the Hunger Games, Lara too is dealing with the mental fallout of Yamatai and Siberia which got added to the pile. Looking back on reading the novel itself now in a way, it ended up foreshadowing what Lara had to go through.

Phoenix notices the look on Lara's face. It was the I'm-thinking-about-Yamatai look. Phoenix thinks that Lara is upset.

"Oh no Lara, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I should never have picked this movie," said Phoenix

"No, Phoenix it's okay. I'm not upset." Lara reassured her

"Are you sure? I remember what you and Jonah told me about Yamatai. I was worried I might have triggered a bad memory," said Phoenix

"Phoenix, stop worrying. I know you would never do anything that would intentionally upset me. I'm fine," Lara placed both of her hands on her girlfriend's shoulders.

The two of them looked each other in the eyes and briefly kissed each other on the lips. After that they went back to watching the movie. By the time the movie came to a close Lara had fallen asleep. Phoenix took a moment to admire Lara's sleeping form. She always seemed to be alert even in sleep. Probably a good thing considering the life she lives. Phoenix tucked a strand of hair behind Lara's ear before turning off the TV and joining her in bed.

"Goodnight baby." Phoenix kissed Lara on the side of her head

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Lara woke up to the cold wind. She looked around her surroundings and noticed that she was not in a hotel room. She was at Yamatai. How? She was laying in bed with Phoenix at the hotel! Unless...the years after Yamatai were some cruel dream. No Trinity. No Kitezh. No Divine Source. No Fire Bird's Crest. No Phoenix.

"There's the Outsider! Get her!" Several Solarii came charging toward her.

Lara gets her pistol and shoots at several of them, but they keep coming. Lara continued to shoot at them to the best of her ability until she felt something whack her upside the head.

The scene shifted and she was at the monastery restrained by two Solarii. In the middle of the room were Himiko and Mathias with Sam on her knees in front of them, her hands bound. Mathias walked towards Lara with a sickening grin on his face.

"Did you really think you could stop us? The ritual is about to begin and there is nothing you could do." Mathias gloated

Lara could only watch helplessly as Sam levitated when Himiko's spirit attaches itself to her. After a few moments the energy dissipated and Sam fell to the ground. When Sam got up, or more accurately Himiko, looked around the room.

"Watashi wa mōichido ikimasu." the Himiko possessed Sam spoke

She walked towards Lara with a menacing gaze. Sam would never show Lara such malice.

"Kanojo wa ima watashi no monodesu."

"No. No! Nooo!" Lara screamed as tears streamed down her face. This was her fault. If it weren't for her picking the route through the Dragon's Triangle then she and the others never would've gotten shipwrecked. Then Alex, Grim, Roth, and even Whitman would still be alive.

Then she heard another voice call out to her.

"Lara! Lara! Wake up! Babe wake up!"

Phoenix was nudging Lara to wake up after noticing she was having a nightmare. Lara's eyes snapped open as she shot up startling Phoenix. Lara looked around and realized that she was not at Yamatai. She was in a hotel room in Roanoke, Virginia with her girlfriend Phoenix. Phoenix stared at her with a concerned look on her face.

"You were thrashing around in your sleep, what happened?" Phoenix asked concerned

Lara threw herself into Phoenix's arms and started sobbing.

Oh no. Whatever that nightmare was, it must have been very bad. Phoenix thought to herself.

After a few minutes Lara calmed down to tell Phoenix what had happened.

"I was back at Yamatai. I got attacked by the Solarii and got knocked out and when I regained consciousness I was taken to the monastery two guards restrained me and Sam they...they." Lara's voice broke as she explained the details of her nightmare to Phoenix

"They successfully did the ritual and Himiko possessed Sam."

Phoenix's heart broke seeing Lara like this. She remembered what she and Jonah told her about Yamatai and the mess Himiko put them through with Sam. Phoenix wished she could find some way to get into the Wei Mirror herself and beat the crap out of Himiko for what she put Sam, Lara, Jonah, and everyone else whose lives she has ruined through. All she can do is comfort and support Lara.

"It was my fault. If I hadn't picked out that route through the Dragon's Triangle then we never would've gotten shipwrecked-"

"Don't." Phoenix wasn't going to let Lara blame herself for something she had no control over.

"Phoenix-"

"Lara don't. What happened there wasn't your fault. Did you know the storms were going to get that bad?" asked Phoenix

Lara shook her head no in response.

"Did you know the Endurance was going to be shipwrecked?" asked Phoenix

Again Lara shook her head no.

"Did you know the island was inhabited by a psycho cult and a zombie psycho queen?"

For the third time Lara shook her head no at Phoenix's question.

"You had no idea to know what would've happened and it wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself for it. No one is to blame for that mess, but Himiko. She was the one that got you guys shipwrecked, not you. You helped me get away from my father and stepmother, now let me help you through this. It breaks my heart seeing you upset."

Phoenix tightened her embrace on Lara and stroked her back in a way that calmed and soothed her. They remained in their embrace for what felt like hours. They get out of the embrace. Phoenix framed Lara's face with both of her hands while Lara placed both of her hands on Phoenix's shoulders and they drew each other in for a kiss. Once the kiss ended they rested their foreheads against each other.

"Thank you Phoenix," said Lara

"Let's go back to bed." Phoenix briefly stroked Lara's hair.

Phoenix positioned herself to lay right behind Lara as the big spoon with Lara as the little spoon. Normally when they spoon each other Lara would be the big spoon. Tonight Phoenix is. They both drift off with Lara having a much different dream, one involving her and Phoenix spending time with each other in Croft Manor.

Author's Note: Holy crap I can't believe it has been over two months since I started working on this. I can't believe it has been that long already.

"Watashiwa mōichido ikimasu" = "I live once more" in Japanese

"Kanojo wa ima watashi no monodesu." = "She is mine now." in Japanese

These are the translations I was able to get, but correct me if I am wrong.