Chapter Nine (BACK TO DAN'S POV)

I felt cold. Everything around me was cold. I opened my eyes. I was laying on a floor, it freezing under my skin. I shivered. Where was I?
The memories of what had recently happened flooded back into my head. Phil and Carrie missing. The cheif knocking me out.
I patted my belt looking for a weapon. Nope. That was gone.
I stood up, seething at the pain in my aching body. Squinting, I attempted to adjust my eyes to the darkness around me. Everything was black, like I was floating in space. A cold dark space. I thouht I heard breathing. Was that my own? No someone else was here.
"Hello..?" I called out cautiously.
A light flickered on in front of me. One single light shining down on the cheif, in his throne. We were in the hall. "Why hello, Daniel. Nice of you to finally wake up." His voice rang with mockery.
"Where's Phil.. and Carrie." I mumbled the words out between my shaking jaw.
"Well wouldn't you like to know?" He smirked. I wanted to reply with something sarcastic, but I couldn't get the words out. His eyebrows went up. "Would you?" He clapped his hands and two lights went on next to him. On his right was Phil, his blue eyes open, filled with terror. He was tied down to a chair, his black hair hanging over a bruised forehead.
"Phil" I whimpered. I wanted to run over and kiss him, hug him, hold him. Anything, but Chris had laid a hard grip on my arm.
"Dan." He whispered hoarsly back.
The other light that had illuminated was on his left, it revealed Carrie. She was in the same state as Phil. Her brown eyes flickered with fear, a large red mark on her cheek.
"Now Daniel." The cheif's green eyes blazed with an unknown emotion. Excitment? Insanity? "I'm going to let you out of this castle, unharmed, with one of your friends. You have five minutes to think about this. Choose who will accompany you, and who will meet their.. untimley demise." An evil grin split across his face.
I was shocked. "You're absolutely insane!" I screamed. I couldn't pick one. Carrie was my really really close friend. There was nothing romantic about our relationship, but I couldn't live without her. And neither could the rest of her camp. But Phil.. he was Phil. As cheesy as it sounds, he is my soul mate. I needed him in my life. Heck, I felt dead even when he wasn't next to me. Imagining him.. him not even alive anymore.. I sank unto the floor, a tear forming.
"Dan!" Phil yelled across the room. "It's ok, take Carrie home, I'll be fine."
I glanced up at him. There were tears in those perfect eyes. I looked over to Carrie. Her copper eyes were threatning to overflow too.
"No." She squeaked. "I know how much you love eachother. Phil told me everything. You can't be seperated."
My eyes went up to the cheif. He seemed overjoyed by the cruelty of it all. I stood up, pulling in a deep breath. "Let them both go! I'll stay."
He seemed shocked by my suggestion, but quickly recovered, putting the smirk back on his face. "Oh my my my. Seems like Danny has given up his fate for you two." Grinning, he nodded at Chris who let go of the grasp on my arm. I instantly ran to Phil.
"No! Dan!" Phil screamed. I pressed my lips onto his.
"Phil." I breathed. "I love you so much." I traced the side of his face with my finger. "You're so beautiful. Thank you for everything. Please don't ever forget me."
His blue eyes starred up at me as he shook his head. "No Dan." He repeated, quiter this time. "I can't go on without you."
"You can. Take Carrie home, make sure she's safe. Live a long and happy life, Phil." Before he could protest any more, I leaned in for another kiss, savoring every second of it. I felt his tears switch onto my face. "I love you so much, and I always will." I whispered into his ear.
"Dan." He yelled as I walked over to Carrie. I grabbing her into a hug.
"Carrie-"
She interrupted me. "No Dan, please. Please just let me die, you and Phil- you need eachother."
"I'm sorry about what happened when we kissed," I continued, ingorning her plead. I had already made my choice. "I hope you understand. You'll find someone who will love you unconditionally, and will be by your side. I'm sorry it couldn't be me. Thank you for everything you've done." I stroked her hair as she cried. "It's fine Carrie. Just don't forget me."
"I couldn't" She muttered hoarsly.
The cheif laughed. "So have you made your desicion?" He was enjoying this. Enjoying the pain. He was so cruel. How could he stand watching this, and not only that but, create it. Force it. I wanted to tackle him. Kill him. He deserved it. He deserved to die a million times. He deserved being ripped from his true love, and to watch them die. If Chris wasn't standing over me, I would have killed him. Right then and there. I would do it with no mercy, but instead, I just nodded. "Only if you never put them in harm's way again."
"Oh I would never." He pretended to be hurt by my accustation. He looked over to Chris. "Untie them."
Chris looked as if he were about to cry, but did what he was ordered. He walked over to Phil. The second the ropes were removed, Phil ran to my side, grabbing my waist.
"I'll die with you." He whispered, holding onto me tightly. My heart broke, shattered, crushed on the ground.
"Phil. I love you. Trust me, I don't want to leave you, but what choice do I have? I'm not going to allow you or Carrie to die. You need to go on and live a happy life, without me."
I could feel him shaking his head into my shirt. "No." He murmured, choked by sobs. I felt a hand on my shoulder. Looking up, I saw Carrie, tears glistening in her eyes.
"How cute." The cheif muttered. "Are you done yet?"
I lifted Phil's chin so that we were eye level. I put our lips together, sure this would be the last time. I didn't want to break apart, but I knew I needed too. One more second, my brain kept repeating. When I pulled back, I opened my arms giving the two of them a tight hug.
"Live for me." I whispered.
"Come on you guys." The cheif said, nodding at Chris. The tall guard hestitated a little, but grabbed hold of me, leading me out the door. I looked behind my shoulder, seeing Phil on his knees, looking at me, tears streaming down his face. Carrie had her hand on his shoulder, probably consoling him.
'I love you' I mouthed.
Chris and I walked through corridoors in an awkward silence. It was terrible, knowing I was literally being led to my death. I didn't know how I would be killed, but it was a scary thought. The two of us continued to walk until we reached a large door that led into a court yard. I realized that soon, I would be breathing in fresh air. The thought called me down a bit, until I remembered it would be my last bit of air I ever inhaled. Chris stopped abrubtly in front of the door.
"I- uh.. I need to" He coughed. I knew what he had to do. I turned around and felt him grab my wrists and tie them together behind my back. He didn't tie it very tightly. It felt like, with a few wiggles of my wrists, I could escape out of it. Was this the same evil and insane Chris that had torturred me in the forest two nights before? This Chris seemed.. sweet? He seemed scared. Scared of hurting me. I decided not to say anything. I appreciated him not putting on more pain with jears and mockery. It was hard enough leaving Phil.
Chris opened the doors and led me outside. It was a long stretch of grass, with the cheif on the right side. He looked ready. Ready for blood. Ready for death. Absolutely sadistic.
I was brought to the end of the long yard, and realized how I was going to die. I was pushed down onto my knees. A man stood on the other side of the long yard with a bow in his hand.
'So this was it.' I thought. I've had a good run, lots of laughs, and some hard times. I was especially thankful that I had managed to find love in my short 23 year old life. I was thankful for Phil, and that I would die for a cause. I saved the lives of the two people I cared the most about. One that I loved dearly, but with no romance. She was strong, beautiful, and caring. I would miss her, but I knew she would find love one day. And the other one. He was someone I loved more than anything. More than anyone. More than my own life. There aren't enough words to descibe how much I love him. He had been -and would still be even if I were dead- my everything. A single tear slipped down my cheek.
I saw the man with the bow grab an arrow and load it in. He pulled back the string. I closed my eyes, ready for it to come. Ready for the world to end in one, short shot. Phil's eyes appeared in my mind and I smiled. Yep. I smiled. Even when my world was ending, my life being drained from me, Phil still could make me smile. And that thought, made me smile more.
Suddenly, I felt someone tackle me. My eyes flew upwards. Shocked, I shook off the loose ropes. Someone had jumped in front of a firing arrow for me? A body lay in a heap next to me. Chis's body. He lay there, the pointed arrow stuck in his chest, a poll of blood sinking out of the wound.
I cupped my now free hands around his face.
"Chris?! Why did you-"
"Dan. Listen. Everything you and Phil stand for-" He wheezed a bit. "Everything. It's what I want to die for. What the cheif does, its all wrong. Please fix it. Phil had it right. These birthmarks" He nodded towards his shoulder weekly. "they don't define us. Please don't forget that." Chris sighed and slowly closed his eyes.
"Thank you." I whispered. "I'll never forget." A tear reached the bottom of my jaw.
I looked up. The entire courtyard was silently stunned. Chris? Chris Kendall? The toughest, and most heartless person gave his life for an Atova? His enemy? I saw the cheif, his face pale scared. I saw Carrie and Phil. They were standing behind the door. I hadn't noticed them when I had entered. I saw hundreds of guards. They all just seemed shocked.
I stood up, feeling a slight breeze run through my hair.
"That's right!" I yelled loudly, with as much confidence as I could put into my shaky voice. "You heard right. Chris said it. 'These birthmarks don't define who we are'. Just because I have a snake imprinted into my skin doesn't mean I am good, evil, trustworthy, dependent, sneaky, straight. It doesn't mean that I can't love, or achieve greatness. No less does it mean that I'm a hypocrite, or if I'm intelligent. This is all discrimination, and it's wrong. This coward," I pointed to the cheif. "He's built up a pyramid and put himself at the top. For twenty years, we have been fighting! I can barely remember peaceful times!" I ran over to Phil, dragging him to where I was standing. "This is Phil Lester. AND I LOVE HIM! Yes he's a Hious! And he used to take care of me before this terrible war started. Back when he could wear sleeves over his shoulder because these birthmarks didn't matter." Phil smiled and blushed, a bit embarrassed. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, and stepped in front of me.
"Yeah. We love eachother, and anyone who thinks that's wrong for the soul purpose of some marks on our shoulders can deal with it. Because I love Dan Howell, birthmark and all, I can't live a moment without him in my life!" He shouted into the crowd filled with, still, stunned guards.
I glanced over to Carrie. She had tears welled up in her eyes, a smile tucked onto her face. She started to clap, and soon everyone was. Everyone except the cheif. He was attempting to sneak out.
"Someone grab him!" Carrie yelled. The cheif got as far as the end of the yard before two guards tackled him, pinning his hands against his back.
"Let me go! I demand you." He screamed.
"We don't take orders from you." One guard spat.
"BUT I'M THE CHEIF!"
"You don't deserve that title." Said the other red-suited man, as the pair dragged the 'once cheif' out. The crowd errupted with applause.
"Dan." Phil breathed into my ear. "I can't believe it. You did it!"
"No. We did it." He pulled me into a kiss. It was long and beautiful, his warm lips pressed up against mine. I thought back to a few minutes ago, when I had thought I would never feel something so sweet as this moment. The crowd cheered again.
When we pulled away, Phil whispered into my ear. "A wise and very attractive man once said: 'Sometimes things are broken. We can either choose to complain about it, or attempt to glue it back together'."
"I wonder who said that." I smiled, as he rubbed his nose against mine.
I brushed some fringe out of his eyes. "I don't think I've ever told you, but your eyes are perfect."
Phil blushed, and leaned in for another kiss. I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him, swaying from side to side. Everything in that moment was completely perfect. Phil's hands now on my cheeks, his lips connected to mine.
"I love you so much." He whispered. And I nodded, never wanting to let go.

A/N IMPORTANT TO READ: THIS IS NOT THE END.. well sort of.. An epilogue will be coming, along with a BONUS CHAPTER (10) from Chris's POV, explaining why he changed his perspective on Dan and Phil, in case you were confused :) Thanks so much to everyone who had read, reviwed, followed, and favorited, it srsly is amazing and means a lot! ALMOST 600 READS OMG! SPECIAL THANKS TO: wonderfulfun SHE BETAREAD HALF OF THIS STORY AND HAS TAUGHT ME SO MUCH! *love* ALSO: I am considering writing a sequel to this... I don't know, I'm just really proud of this story, and I don't want to let it go! I'll definitely be writing more -mostly really fluffy one-shots and such- and I have an idea for a new chaptered so STAY TUNNED. I wove you all! *kiss* BYE *for now* MUHAHAHAHA