By.CorvidQueen
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"One size fits you and rather nicely if I do say so myself." Morgana smiled as Anona modled for the blond in the rec room.
Anona blushed, smiling in delight at the fact that the girl had found such a great dress. She paused to look in the only full length mirror located in The Pit, smoothing the flowing lavender skirt of the evening gown, the low back allowing for her wings. It was only twenty-four hours till the dance and as with everything over the past week, there was a subdued excitement. A dark, brooding cloud had settled over The Pit, the "Pyra Question" on everyone's mind. Ever since Anona had met Pyra's "shadow", things had gone steadily down hill. The already standoffish girl had become even more aloof than usual, spending most of her time in the deepest, darkest keeps of The Pit. She had stopped coming to meals and it was a wonder if she ate at all, leaving before sunrise and returning well after dark. When you did catch a glimps of her, she was with either Doe or Dr.Geso, and sometimes even Byron. Any and all subject matter pertaining to their ailing flamethrower was blatantly avoided, though it was obvious everyone was worried. Not just because, oddly enough, Pyra was a big part of eveyone's life, she had the potential to kill them all.
"You are gonna break some hearts girl."
Anona blushed as she turned to face her friend, wringing her hands somewhat embarrassdly.
"Do you think Byron will like it?"
"Of course he will." The blond beamed, a queer expression on her face.
"You could wear sweats and sneakers with holes in the toe and he'd think you stunning. He doesn't see anyone but Pyra."
Anona and Morgana slowly turned to face the source of the bitter outburst. Isha sat, staring back in mortification as a blush creaped to her forehead before draining just as quickly away. Ashen faced, she closed her book sharply and fled the room, leaving Anona and Morgana in stunned silence. Anona looked to the younger teen, eyes demanding, but the blond only smiled in uncomfortable embaressment, faced tinged with red. Anona finally got tired of waiting for an explanation.
"Aren't Pyra and Byron just friends? They say so all the time."
Morgana shook her head, curling her ponytail nervously about her finger, like Pyra was going to storm into the room and turn her into charcoal at any moment.
"Pyra's got......issues. You know that. She, like, gets so hung up on them, that she can't see past them. Byron can, and does, you know what I mean?" She answered after a slight pause, choosing her words carefully.
Anona frowned slightly before taking a seat on one of the couch arms.
"Mmm, did you year that?"
"Hear what?"
"The sound of my bubble being popped."
Morgana blinked, and then doubled over in her laughter, receiving a rye grin from an otherwise unscathed Anona.
"Don't worry, your like, not the first to get sucked in. Isha didn't handle it half as well...as you saw." Morgana said as her laughter died away.
Anona nodded, rolling her eyes as she stood and stretched her wings, tucking an unruly curl behind her ear.
"I'm gonna go change."
Morgana smiled softly, nodding.
Anona rubbed her bare arms as she walked out to the main hall and up the stairs. It was obvious Byron had a thing for Pyra, but she hadn't paid it any attention because they kept insisting they where only friends. At least she hadn't been the only one to have been sucked in by the hydro-kinetic's charm.
"Anona!"
The girl started, nearly tripping up the stairs at the voice that called to her, spinning to look down the stairs. Pyra had collapsed at the bottom, eyes glazed and a light flickering deep within, like fire. She was unnatuarlly thin, skin ashen and pale. Sweat beaded on her forehead and it seemed an effort just to breath. She looked dead.
"Pyra, what's wrong?! What happened to you?"
Anona cupped her wings and floated down the steps to where the girl clung to the rail which had begun to melt.
"Not Pyra." She gulped, shaking her head sharply. "Don't touch me! You'll burn."
Anona pulled back as the stair began to sizzle, forcing the ailing girl to move even though she didn't seem to want too. The banister had begin to bend where she had clung to it, glowing from the heat.
"You're burning up!"
"Literally." Came the very Pyra like response, the smaller girl managing a grin. "She's trying her hardest, but it's a loosing battle. She's getting lost in the fire and I can't hold her hand forever."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Get everyone out. Make sure Byron leaves first." She answered firmly, fire leaping suddenly to her eyes and flickering dangerously. "Go!"
Anona hiked up her dress and sprinted up the stairs, heading up to the third level. It was eerily silent as she half ran, half flew from door to door, desperate.
"Dr.Geso! Doe! Is anyone up here?!"
A door opened and Byron stepped out, catching the panicked girl by the shoulders.
"Whoa, where's the fire?" He asked half jokingly.
"In Pyra, her.....shadow, I think, told me to get everyone out. She was flickering back and forth, I'm not sure which one was talking. She looks bad, everything around her was melting-"
"Make sure the little ones get out." He interrupted, face white and drawn as he hit a button on his watch.
The fire alarm went off almost immediately and he pulled Anona with him to the stairs only to find a fire blazing there already.
"Pyra's down there!" Anona cried. "She was on the stairs!"
"Then she's losing control already. Get out now!" He called, holding out his hands.
Water and fire met violently as he started down the stairs. Anona hesitated before floating after him, catching up to him just as they reached a desolated section of stair where Pyra lay, out cold.
"Don't touch her." Anona warned, startling Byron who snapped at her.
"I told you to go!"
"And she told me to make sure you got out first!" She yelled back. "I've never promised anyone anything before, and by god if-"
"Oh stuff the speech. I'm not leaving her and I'm the only one with the powers to counteract her's. Now get out of here." He finished with a slight smile. "I'll be fine, cross my hear and hope to die."
"You will if you don't leave now."
They looked down at Pyra's strangled voice and Anona quiled for a moment. Blood poured from the girl's eyes like tears and her pupils where lost in a haze of swirling red and orange. Byron looked to Anona and she turned then, running to the conveniently placed window, a blast of water shattering the glass and she leapt through it. Wings spread to the starless dark, the cold night silent as she caught the wind-and then all hell broke loose. A roar in her ears as she was surrounded by fire, gasping for air that was not there, sucked up greedily by the flames that now carried her. She felt as if her skin was melting, hair burning as she was carried upwards by desperate wings. Cold air rushed suddenly, a soothing tide as nearly blinded eyes blurred with tears. She could just make out the fireball that was miles below, incinerating everything within a mile radius of what had been the pit. She hovered, miles above the carnage, a sob tearing through her scorched throat.
"The shadow of anubis is finally free." She whispered before giving over to the pain and the sorrow......
The End
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I finally got to the end! It took me half a month and it sucked horribly. *kicks a rock and frowns*. Well, it wasn't a total failure. Bet you didn't think I would kill Anona off, did ya? Did ya! Pyra was gonna bite the bullet, everyone could see that one coming, and you figure, Byron dies with the love of his life, blah blah blah. Well Pyra got it too ^_^;;;
CorvidQueen