The prompt I did that requested 'Lakkon dying in each the others arms.' Warning for multiple character death.

The adrenaline high was fading. At first, Darkon figured that his cybernetic implants were beginning to fail but by the amount of red that was pooling on the gravel at his feet, it was more likely that he was running out of blood to carry the adrenaline through his system. If Darkon kept moving like this, he would bleed out before the back-up could arrive to help.

But it wasn't just his blood. Laken's arm was slung over Darkon's shoulder and his stomach wound was more severe than Darkon's. It was apparent that most of the blood on the ground belonged to Laken.

Though Darkon couldn't move without bringing himself closer and closer to the brink of bleeding out, he'd get Laken somewhere safe. Even if it was going to kill him, he was going to get Laken home.

"Stop." Laken rasped and Darkon chose to ignore the request.

It was a pebble getting stuck in the heel of his boot that halted Darkon. He slipped and the two of them fell hard on their backs.

The world, as it seemed, wanted things to go Laken's way.

Darkon swore loudly. The pain at his side shot through the rest of his body but the back of his head was cushioned by Laken's shoulder. Still, it didn't give Darkon any hint of relief. Falling like this was the second to worst that could happen next to dying. It was going to take too much out of him to get back up and drag Laken on his back but he struggled.

He fought and thrashed to get up but his muscles were numb with pain and heavier than anything he could imagine.

"Darkon," He heard Laken say his name and felt him grasp his arm. "It's fine. It's—" Laken hissed, feeling his own fragmented implants tear into his skin. "—Can…C-can you go any farther on your own?"

He didn't need to think on anything. Darkon just shook his head. Even if he could make it on his own, he would never leave Laken behind.

The Leader of the Seraphic Paladins turned his head away from Darkon and up at the sky. Up there, it was littered with shining stars instead of bones and chipped pieces of armor. It figured that, past or present, there was always going to be a place better than where they were. It would be out of reach no matter how hard they tried.

But despite that—

"We did make a difference," Laken coughed, his grip on Darkon's arm growing weaker. He could barely tell it was Darkon through his blurring vision. "I'm just…sorry we had to end up here."

Darkon's throat wasn't injured but he couldn't speak without making it hurt.

So, he looked up at the sky.

Conclusively speaking, Darkon had secretly dreamed of this. But those dreams were warmer and they were smiling. The least Darkon could do was try to smile.

"Don't be sorry." Darkon said, leaning his head closer to Laken's. He could have told himself that it was to make sure Laken could hear him but there wasn't any point in lying anymore. Not when he couldn't tell the stars apart from the last flashes of consciousness. "Laken? I need to tell you something. Can I?"

"You—" Laken coughed. "—never need permission."

"After everything I—For all this time…" Darkon's heart throbbed, suddenly lucid enough to remember that this might…it will be the last thing his friend would hear. Laken didn't deserve a final burden.

"Thank you."

Laken's grip on his arm went slack the moment Darkon's words left his mouth.

Surprisingly, Darkon felt his eyes sting. If he closed them, the stinging would stop but then he would stop feeling at all.

Even if it didn't matter, he seared the color of the sky into his mind hoping that maybe, wherever they went after the end, the memory would stay.