Disclaimer: I give up. Refer to the last 30 chaps for the disclaimer.

Author's Notes: I've got a headache... but here's some cookies for reviewing! throws chocolate chip cookies

Sisters till the End

This is dedicated to Pablo/Cecil because he is such an awesome writer and he has inspired me to go farther. Thank you Pablo/Cecil for your awesome story and your awesome talent!

Chapter Thirty-One: Unwilling to Fall

It was the worst feeling in the world.

Scott cried out as he felt his flesh burning, the stench of it reaching his nose and making him cough. Being burned alive was the worst feeling in the world he was sure. It was like acid was eating away at his skin-a parasite chomping away, tearing at his skin, pulling it away from the muscle, chewing, then spitting it back out on the exposed wound. His voice came at him as if he was in a large room reverberating off the walls, each scream louder and stronger then the last, and each made him sure that he wasn't that loud. Muscles spasmed wildly as if they were trying to crawl away from his bone to escape this torture. His throat was raw and with each scream it rotted away from the acidic-like air. Tears ran down his face like small rivers, burning the already burning flesh, giving his body no relief.

Falling to his knees he pressed his hands against his head in hopes of somehow lowering his pain. It did nothing. He felt the way his fingers touched his skin, how soft and squishy they were, and gasped as brought them away from his face. The skin all over his hands had been stripped away leaving only the muscles and blood vessels left, many of which had burst and were bleeding down his forearms. Fear coursed through him as he gaped at the sight, his brain boiling with the heat, and his heart about to burst. What's happening?

Through the fog of his mind he could feel the others-the Protectors-withering in pain as he was. It was like a distant dream, their pain, and he barely noticed it. What's happening to me-to us? You're dying, Scott. The voice was musical, yet like everything around him burned his body even more. You're dying like you deserve to, you maggot rotten piece of flesh! A sharp pain radiated from his arms and on a whim he looked at them.

His stomach churned unpleasantly and he was suddenly aware of his insides spilling out, sliding down his body and hitting the floor with an unpleasant squelch. Bile burned his throat as his eyes took in the sight of his arms. Small, yellowish-white worms were popping up through his skin and diving back in, slowly eating him away. Every time one disappeared two others would appear, slowly making their way up his arms and to his biceps. Don't you love it, Scott? Don't you love the pain? Everything you do hurts you, even thinking, and best of all, everything I say happens. Isn't it great?

With a jerk, Scott threw up whatever remains were in his stomach. Wiping his mouth, he refused to look at the pile in front of him, the memory of the lumps and unpleasant feeling things that spilled from his mouth still fresh and scolded into the folds of his brain. His body cried out for mercy and his thoughts were becoming disorganized. Your brain is slowly collapsing, Scott. Is it getting hard to think straight? Of course it is. With all this heat it won't be long before you're a burned, empty, rotten shell of nothing. I just hope you're still alive when you feel your brain collapse on itself.

The words made Scott howl again with pain. What are you doing to me? He cried out, though his mouth suddenly felt odd. Like it was hot and cold at the same time, and he couldn't move it. Frowning, he reached up and gently touched it, ignoring the feel of a raw, bloody hand against blackened skin. His eyes widened as he realized that his mouth had clamped down and the flesh had molded together. All of the skin surrounding his mouth was hot and smooth as if he never had a mouth. Anger wielded up inside of Scott like the tidal waves of a tropical storm. No longer did his brain process his body's pain and his vision was now that of a fog. The last seconds before death.

Naru you will not…win! Oh, but I already have, Scotty boy. You lose, and Lord Tandor will rule Gaea!

Power surged through Scott's broken body and with a firm grasp he took a hold of it. He knew Naru could feel it and he knew she suddenly feared him. He would not die, not now, not ever, and certainly not by the hands of an insane woman. I have a job to do, and someone to come home to. You will not win, Naru! He cried, thrusting all the power at the woman.

Somewhere in the darkened chasms of his mind he felt a thought flutter by, faint and light like a wind. I used to think that, too. But it was gone without notice that it had ever existed.

Inside Scott felt Naru crying out to her Lord and he could feel her body burning with the power-his power. More, he thought, more power… To kill the wench… To kill. So he feed her more power and more until he thought he would explode with the effort of feeding it to her. Yet he didn't stop. Still he pushed, the memories and emotions of those he was connected with fluttering across his mind like a chaotic merry-go-round. Faster and faster they went, the more he fed Naru the power. I won' t let you hurt those I love. You will not win. I'll beat you. I'll save Gaea. We'll all live. His voice chanted at him.

Like the prick of a needle on a too-full balloon, Naru was gone from his mind. Stopping, he searched for her, unable to feel her neither inside of him nor around him. Had she died? Where was she? She's gone, Scott, came the voice of Nicole. She's gone.

He paused before looking at his hands. No longer were they the raw, bloody hands that he haunted him but his old, flesh covered hands. His mind was clear as crystal and only the dull throb of the once unbearable pain hung around him. She's gone, he thought. She's really gone. He looked up to see Nicole, Alex, and Kat standing around him in a semi-circle, their auras still aglow. They looked strong, like soldiers about to fight to the death, and reminded him strongly of the samurai. As strong as they looked, he felt nothing like the samurai he was supposed to be, nor the soldier. Instead he felt weak, used, and dry. No longer could he feel the pulse of his power within him. A bitter laugh escaped his lips as his body gave up holding him up.

Upon seeing Scott fall, Nicole rushed forward and bent next to him, pulling his head up onto her lap. "I'm… I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice harsh and scratchy. "I'm so… sorry."

Nicole looked up at her friends with tears in her eyes. "He's dry," she said. "He's used up all of his power."

Suddenly all of the pain they had just gone through seemed like nothing. It was like a small hump in the back roads compared to the long, dark, twisting path they now faced with no light. All of them felt connected to this Second, the one who would save Gaea, the one who would lead them all to salvation. Yet all of them knew that there was no way their connection alone could save the world without his power. His strength.

They had failed and in turn Gaea was going to fall.

"No," Kat said, shaking her head. "No. Scott, I know you're about as unwilling to fall as I am. So, let's not." She strode forward and picked the battered man up, supporting him by herself. Closing her eyes and reaching deep down inside for the ancient magic she still possessed from so long ago, she brought it out. Like a gem being brought out of the darkened hold of a chest, the magic infused itself with her, its glow intense and its power overwhelming. Feeling the tingle in her skin and the electricity flowing through her, she gave a small gasp.

Her eyes flew open no longer midnight blue, but black like the night. Shoving Scott off her, she walked around while he hung, suspended in midair by nothing. Behind her she could hear Nicole gasp and Alex whisper something. "Kat, no, you'll kill yourself!" Alex yelled. "Remember what happened last time!"

"There's another way!" Nicole chorused. "Please Kat, don't do it!"

Their shouts fell on deaf ears. "I'm the only one who can do this," Kat said, and with that took Scott's hands in hers. "No!" It was a chorus that resounded through the white light like a forgotten echo. Nicole and Alex put their arms up in front of their eyes from the light while their voices froze in time. The connection between Kat and Scott was gone leaving them alone in the brightness of the light, leaving them at wonders as to what would happen.

Scott opened his eyes, his heart skipping a beat. He could feel the energy again. What… I still feel weak, what's happening? He looked around and could see no one except for a glowing form in front of him. Don't let go, Scott, Kat's voice whispered in his ear. Frowning he looked more carefully at the form, immediately recognizing it. "Kat? What's… What's going on?" He asked doubtfully. How could he touch his power when he still felt so… dead?

I gave my powers a boost. We're going to finish the ritual, Scott. Together.

Understanding took over him and he knew what he had to do. Yes, the ritual. Concentrating, he did the only thing he knew how to do in his whole life-the only thing that was right, the only thing that was good, the only thing that was selfless. If there's only one thing that I do right in my life, he thought. This is it.

With a nod, he gave his powers to Kat.