Ok time for Sasha angst! I promise there'll be fluff soon. Just not tomorrow.
Warning: Suicide of a sort, Sasha pushes herself too far suspecting it'll kill her. Also non-explicit gore including a gouged eyeball, Marcy's stab wound, a ripped open torso and some blood.

Sasha is like a barred door. The people inside are safe, but they are trapped.

She is a protector but she hurt the people she was supposed to be protecting, iron hands clutching them too tight. Crushing them under her desire to protect them.

Her eyes burn with tears and a voice whispers in the back of her mind that it wasn't just because she wanted to protect them.

Clutched them to herself because she needed them, but they'd never needed her.

She'd enjoyed having them at her beck and call, never questioning her authority.

Her cheeks are wet, and her hands are red with blood.

I failed

I couldn't even protect them

Heat wells up in her chest, an inferno threatening to burn her from the inside out.

It crawls up the back of her neck, dries the tears on her cheeks.

She sees red, raising her head away from her bloody hands.

Bloody bodies

Marcy with a hole clean through her chest

Anne's limbs twisted around all wrong, torso gaping open

She grips her swords tight, blood dripping from her hands down their blades.

Her hair bursts into flame, and Andrias turns away from the Plantars.

She needs to protect them too

She'll save them if she can't save Anne.

Andrias looks shocked, and she takes advantage of that. A slash to the cheek, another to his shoulder.

She feels strong, stronger than she's ever felt.

The inferno burns inside her, Andrias' blood splashing on her skin is doing nothing to cool it.

The Plantars watch her and she screams at them to run.

Screams at Yunan and Olivia and Grime to follow them.

I'm sorry

I'll protect the people you love

A stab this time, at the base of his spine.

He can't keep up with her, she's moving too quickly, hair burning and swords glowing with a pink that's almost red.

Grime tries to tell her he's not leaving her behind, but she smiles at him with a confidence she doesn't feel.

The fire's in her throat now.

"I've got this Grimesy! Just protect the rest of them. I'll be fine."

I'm so sorry

Andrias slams his tail into her, and she crashes into the wall.

Grime sends one last glance at her and runs after the newts and frogs.

The fire's crawling down her arms, hotter and hotter.

She's sweating, body crying out for relief.

But still she fights, better than ever.

Attack after attack, and it's like a wildfire inside her now, Andrias' blood feeding the flames.

Finally, finally, he starts to give.

His attacks falter, he misses, he stumbles.

She slams a sword through his eye and he opens his mouth.

Whatever sound comes outs, she can't hear it, the fire's roaring hotter.

She glances at Anne and Marcy one more time, and shoves her sword in further. Her arm's in the king's eye up to the elbow, and it feels cool around her flaming skin.

I couldn't protect you

So I'll make sure he can't hurt the people you love ever again

The tears she wants to cry won't come, evaporating before they reach her itching eyes.

The fire races down her arm into Andrias' eye and brain, and his howls drown out Sasha's screams.

She burns with her guilt.