Chapter 24: The Cave part 2 - Life and Death

Jon sat lifeless on the edge of the water, his clothes wet, both drenched in water… and blood. Was this a curse he was born with? To kill those he loved most, to leave them dead in their own blood. Fire and Blood – that is the Tagaryen way. Perhaps I get this curse from them. Jon couldn't help but let his thoughts go dark.

His soul tarnished black, like the vows he spoke and the vows he broke. Maybe that's why I am cursed – the gods knew I'd break my vows. But why punish Sansa. Why leave her children motherless? It's a curse one I wish on no one. Sansa.

His eyes drifted to his wife, she lay pale and lifeless against a red eyed Arya as they held the children against Sansa to feel their mother and sooth them one last time before they wrapped and moved her body. Her red hair like fire stuck to her pale skin – even in death she looks like a goddess.

Jon shivered under his wet clothes, the dirt on his face streaked with silent tears for what he had just lost. He couldn't move, he was frozen, hoping time itself would freeze or even rewind. A gust of wind sent another strange chill down his spine, but this was different. The sound of feet echoed quickly down the hall, quiet and small, like a woman.

Jon turned to see fire red hair, for a moment thinking he saw Sansa. But soon her face morphed into that of the Red Witch Melisandre. She didn't even look at him, feeling a warm breeze as she skirted past him to where Sansa lay with her twins at her pale chest.

"What are you doing here?" Arya asked swiftly, venom and pain laced in her shaky voice.

"Move aside little wolf," Melisandre spoke smoothly. Arya gripped her dead sisters body tighter, not wanting to let her defile it.

"You will not have her," Arya hissed – pulling her sister closer if possible.

"Move aside, please," Melisandre said with eyes that glittered. Arya found herself speechless as she laid her sister in the water, "Jon… come."

"Jon?" Arya questioned standing, small, and wet beside her sister. Jon could see the fear in his little sister's brown eyes, her mouth agape in wonder and worry – full of question.

Jon stood walking silently passed Arya and to the red witch, surprised as she removed her necklace revealing her true self. She looked up once at Jon the prince who was promised and laid her necklace across Sansa's thin pale neck. From the necklace a glow began to take over merging Sansa and her children until they were a blinding light that looked to be of white fire.

"Jon," Melisandre spoke softly in a old crones voice, her strength wavering as she gave her magic to finish her life's mission – bringing her part in their tale to an end, "you must reach inside of them…"

"Do what - ?!" Jon asked appalled and terrified.

"Look deep into the center, you will see what you need to do," Melisandre laid beside Sansa, her life slowly leaving her body.

Jon did as the old woman had suggest, looking into the center of the glowing light – stunned by what he saw. He saw his twins grown. Beautiful and powerful… the last of their kind. Gods reborn into the world to bring nature back to its normal order. With this final act the gods would live on and die within his children, finally ending the cycle of magic in the world. When Jon's children are buried all magic will have ceased from the world. Jon could see something calling to him in the light, and so he reached for it the light. His hands feeling the cold sting of metal as his hand gently grasped it, pulling it from the blinding light.

As the blade appeared from the light they heard a gasp of air, a last call for life, as Sansa flung forward, grasping at the children at her chest. Heavy pants controlled her body as she looked around bewildered. Jon dropped the sword from his hand as he fell to his knees beside Sansa pulling her into his arms, kissing her hair as he felt her sob against his chest. Arya ran to them wrapping her arms around her family, grateful to have them back once more, her sobs loud for one who never cried.

"The Lord of Light's final gift to win this battle, I can feel my magic fading as my lord becomes one with your children's souls," Melisandre spoke softly as the old woman crouched beside the beautiful sword glistening upon the ground. The steel was a blue but in the center, was a fire ember gold, it was the most beautiful thing any of them had ever seen, "and with the Lightbringer comes the lord of lights final gift to his children. His final sacrifice. As long as your children draw breath, the magic in this world will contain the magic of all the gods old and new, it will be your greatest advantage against the Night Kings army."

"It magnificent," Brienne said looking at the blade, she went to touch it but was burned upon contact.

"Jon," Sansa moaned softly, still cradled in his arms, "I saw what is to come, and I am afraid…"

"Do not be, I will make sure I never lose you again," Jon tilted her head so he could look her deep in her eyes, "I will NEVER lose you again."

"It's not me I fear for," she shook beside him, "its you I fear losing. What is coming is far greater then any war ever fought."

"Do not fear, Milady," Melisandre kneeled beside Jon and Sansa, handing Jon the sword, "this will give him the strength he needs. He still has magic on his side even as it slowly bleeds into the young children. This is why the Night King wanted your children so badly, they provided the very thing needed to make this war a fair fight."

"Jon," Sansa whispered closing her eyes and leaning into his chest, exhaustion had over taken her, "I couldn't get to you, I tried but I could not."

"You are here now, Arya take the babes," Jon commanded his little sister, he was grateful that his marriage to Sansa made him and Arya true brother and sister once more, even if only it be brother in law. Arya did as she was commanded, taking the babes and handing one to Brienne. Jon scooped his wife into his arms and held her as he walked her out of the cave and back to the ship he had come on. He sent men to fetch as much of the Valerian steel and dragon glass. They had what they need to prepare, for battle was nearer then they were truly ready for.

It had felt like eternity they were on the water sailing back to Dragonstone, even though they were not far, Jon watched Sansa sleep for a very long time, the waves rocking the boat almost lulling him into a sleep, despite the racket on the top deck as they celebrated their victory. Jon observed the warm flush of pink in his wife's cheeks, flash backs of the pale lifeless corpse she previously had been, all pink flushed from her pale cheeks. He watched as her chest rose and fell in rhythm, her red hair dry now but knotted and out of order. It would make sense she would be the one to birth gods no one else could ever be more special or worthy, not to Jon.

Despite the many insistences from others, Jon had not seen or held his children yet, he could no bare to leave his Sansa's side. A knock on the door disrupted Jon's deep thoughts, allowing himself a moment to glance at his little sister. Rugged and wild, but also tender in the way she looked at him, the way she delicately held and protected two little crying babies in her arms.

"I understand your desire to be alone with Sansa, to not leave her side, but these children, YOUR children need to eat," Arya tried to remain unfrazzled as she had looked after the crying twins for what felt like eternity.

"Sansa is asleep," Jon snapped looking from her to his wife.

"She will understand if you wake her," Arya snapped back, "you cannot deprive them any longer. You are a father now too, Jon, not just a husband."

"Arya?" Sansa stirred, waking from the loudness in her sister's voice fueled by her temper.

"Yes, sister, it is I," Arya said walking to her. Sansa slowly sat up, her body aching, for she had been dead and frozen before she was gifted back life. The gift she was to receive for giving a human life to the gods as they made their final sacrifice for the world they fought over. Sansa's eyes watered, but her cheeks lifted with her smile when she looked at the two children in her sister's arms.

"Are they…" Sansa couldn't finish the words, her hands falling to her stomach where she once carried life. She reached out shakily for them, her eyes pricking hot tears as she took first her daughter from Arya, and then her son. Jon got up and walked to her bedside, kneeling beside them, watching as his wife held their children. She looked at him, tears now down her cheeks, "They are beautiful. They are so beautiful."

"They are," he nodded, but his eyes did not leave hers. He didn't need to look at them to confirm her question, how could they not be beautiful.

"Yes, very, and very hungry," Arya hinted, even though the babies had stopped crying when their mother finally held them.

"Of course," Sansa said in horror, how long had they gone without food? Sansa blushed as she looked at Jon and Arya. Arya laughed understanding what her concern was.

"I used to watch mother feed Rickon, I can help you," Arya said sitting beside her sister. Sansa smiled at her sister, how much she had grown, and how close they finally had grown together. "Jon why don't you go take a walk while we work on feeding them…"

"I am not…" Jon began before Sansa interjected.

"It's fine," Sansa said to Arya, she was slightly embarrassed to do this in front of Jon, but she didn't want him to leave her either. Arya helped position both the babies before loosening Sansa's gown and awkwardly helping her sister reveal her swollen breast, Arya continued to help get the little babes attacked as their little mouths frantically moved around trying to locate the source of their food until contact was made with Sansa's nipples. Sansa squeaked and jumped when the first one latched onto her nipple, and not to long after her other child managed to latch on, desperately sucking making little gulping sounds that sounded like gentle sighs.

Sansa looked down at them, her face slowly creeping into a smile as she observed the beautiful children latched to her chest. It was a strange, and slightly uncomfortable feeling, but was also quite exhilarating and exciting. She had dreamed of seeing her babies faces, of holding them in her arms, of feeling their skin against her own. She swallowed deeply trying to hold back more tears, before she looked up at Jon, whose face looked surprised and in awe at what he was witnessing. His hand gently stroked Sansa's face and landed gently first upon his daughter and then gently on his son.

"Sansa," was all Jon could manage to say as he looked up at his beautiful wife. She just smiled at him, understanding his emotions. Finally, the sounds slowed down and eventually came to a stop as they fell asleep in their mother's arms, still phantom chugging here and there. Sansa giggled each time they did it before finally unlatching herself.

"Jon," Sansa finally spoke as she looked to Jon and then to their babies. He understood she wanted him to hold them, but he was afraid, afraid he would break them. Jon hesitated before finally lifting the first one, trying to mimic the way Sansa had adjusted their other child. He looked down at the beautifully small tiny wrinkly creature he had made with Sansa, something he thought he would never do in his whole life, something he thought he would never want. Now he understood what his uncle Benjen meant, and he was sorry his uncle never got to truly experience it.

Jon took the other babe from Sansa so she could rest some more before the babes woke up hungry again. They were so light and little but they felt so heavy to him, as he worried about the father he would be to them. He felt the ship come to a stop as they reached Dragonstone again, the boat rocking abruptly. Now It was time to forge weapons and prepare for the battle ahead of them. Now he had more than just Sansa to protect, he had children to protect now to. Special children, the kind the Night King wanted.

Authors note: Sorry that took longer then planned, I wrote something didn't life it, and then saw a cool video with some theories and then kind of made my own twist of it. I liked the idea that the sacrifice to give them more a fair fight would be to rid the world of magic essentially. All that is magical is used to create the sword to defeat the night king and in return the gods get to form and find a human life along side their children. No more magic will be born into the world, and though while the kids grow their will still be magic, by the time the children pass on, magic will died out as well. Anyways I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and will review review review! They keep me going and thank you to the awesome souls who have reviewed already, you are the real MVPs... soon we will see some of Little Finger again ;)