Title: "After Ecbatana"

Author: Baliansword

Chapter: 18, "Arabia"

A/N: This is the last chapter. I hope that you enjoy. Thanks again to everyone who made this possible, especially my muse, for without you there would have been no story.

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The sun shone down on the desert. Blood stained the sand. The dust from the running horses was enough to make any man choke. It did not worry Alexander the Great though, for nothing scared him. He raised his sword and called out orders to the men around him. He then charged out. The fighting was intense, and when he was knocked from his horse he got up quickly.

As he fought he tried to keep all thoughts from his mind. He swung his blade low, cutting men in half. Things had changed it seemed. This war was not like the others. Now, every man he killed seemed to scream out to him as they fell to the ground. They were all the children of a proud pair of parents, husbands, friends to others. Killing was no longer the same. These thoughts were pushed into his head, and he did not see the group of men as they approached it seemed. Hephaestion saw them well though.

"Alexander," Hephaestion cried out as he tore through a group of fighting men. As he did an Arabian managed to cut him deep across the chest. Hephaestion only turned and drove his blade through the man's throat. He then continued, screaming for Alexander all the while.

He reached Alexander, throwing himself upon him to knock him down. It was then that the blade slid into his back. Alexander screamed now, and tried to get Hephaestion off of him. Hephaestion was still stronger than he was, even now, and he held him down. Alexander's screams drew the attention of the Companions and they all made way for this congested area.

Alexander pushed Hephaestion off of him, and in doing so a blade was shoved deep in his chest. He reached out, grabbing a knife from the bloodied ground, and threw it at his attacked. The blade lodged between the man's eyes. He fell to the ground dead. Alexander then looked back down at Hephaestion.

"Hephaestion," he screamed. Hephaestion looked at him, but at the same times his eyes held a far off look. He smiled when he took in the sight of Alexander though. But when he saw the blood spilling from his chest, he frowned.

"Alexander," he said with panic clear in his voice. He tried to sit up, and managed to. He then put his hand over Alexander's chest. Tears began to form in his eyes and he was crying. His tears washed down his cheeks, clearing them from blood and dirt. "Alexander what were you thinking?"

Alexander pulled Hephaestion close to him. "You're the fool Hephaestion. You bloody fool, look at you! You're bleeding far worse than me."

Hephaestion looked down at his own chest. He could see that the blade had done its job. He could see his skin tearing it seemed. He recalled his back being cut as well, but could not see it. His face was paling, but only Alexander could see that. In all truth, Alexander was fairing far better than he was.

"Oh," Hephaestion said as he reached down and touched his bleeding stomach with his hand. He noticed that it didn't hurt. Was it supposed to hurt? Perhaps it wasn't that deep. "I hadn't noticed."

The fighting continued around them as Alexander pulled Hephaestion up. He began to pull him with him through the path that Cassander and the others were carving out for them. When they were almost to where Alexander thought nothing could touch them, an Arabian drove through the Macedonians. Hephaestion saw him first, and pushed Alexander to the ground. Alexander fell, and then turned onto his back just in time to see Hephaestion stop the man's blade with his arm. The blade sunk deep, and when Hephaestion hit the Arabian, Alexander noted that the blade was still stuck deep in his arm.

Hephaestion turned to Alexander, and fell to the ground. Alexander scrambled to him. He pulled him to him, resting his head on his lap, and looked down at him. Tears were filling his eyes. This had been a mistake. He should never have wanted Arabia. He should have stayed in Macedonia and grown old with Hephaestion, watching their children grow.

"Phae," Alexander said through his tears. He noticed that Hephaestion wasn't looking at him. He was looking at the sun instead. Alexander put a hand on his cheek and turned him to face him. "Phae look at me."

"Alexander?"

"Yes," he cried. "Don't do this to me Phae. Don't leave me. You promised, we said we would die together."

"Am I dying?"

"Phae," Alexander screamed as Hephaestion began to close his eyes. The color had drained from his face. He looked as he did in Ecbatana. This was the second time that death was coming for him. "Hephaestion!"

As he screamed it an Arabian broke through the lines and drove a sword deep into his back. Alexander was pushed forward. Blood poured from his mouth. He did not see Cassander brake through the line and lop the Arabian's head from his shoulder. He did not see anything other than Hephaestion. His cerulean eyes had opened.

"Together," Hephaestion whispered as he took Alexander's hand in his. Tears were still streaming from both of their faces. They pressed their hands together firmly and looked at only each other as their eyes began to shut. There could not have been a better way to die.

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Cassander entered the room silently. Olympias looked up from her chair. She leapt up and ran to him, throwing her arms around him. Aryse looked up from her seat as well. She held a young babe in her arms. Her smile fell though when Hephaestion did not enter the room as well. Olympias sensed it to, but she had known, and she looked at Cassander as tears began to fall from her eyes.

He handed her only a rolled piece of parchment. It was from her son, who had won Arabia, and the entire world. But Alexander had done not only this. He had loved. He had lived. He truly was Alexander the Great.