A few weeks ago
It was dark. To keep herself level, that's what she told herself. Her hands were shaking, even though they were wrapped up in heavy cobalt gloves. I am afraid, she thought, thinking that the feeble words will help her find courage (like they did in many stories) but they did nothing except make her anxiety and fear rise.
She remembered the words that were said, remembered them with great, bitter nostalgia, even though they were uttered mere seconds ago. Funny how time went so slowly (and so quickly) when you can't control your fear.
The girl remembered every moment of those fateful seconds, the way the man's voice rose and lowered; the girl thought she could recite them in the same way he did. "You have been blessed by the moon spirit," he had said only seconds ago. The princess forgot her reply, but she knew what she had to do, for everyone.
Do you know in stories where the characters make bold statements like, 'I'll kill a man to save her'? But in reality, the moment comes, and you can't. That's the moment. So the princess repeats to herself, 'It's for the good of the people, the good of the world', but her hands won't stop shaking. But she forces herself to open her cerulean eyes, wider than she ever had before, and put her hands close to the water. It's close now. The princess is still afraid, but she forces her gloves off and forces the bare skin to make contact with the white scales. She closes her eyes and collapses, and maybe that's a good thing because one could realize that it's the last time Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe will be next to the ones she loves.
She finds herself alone, yet surrounded by everyone at the same time. She feels afraid, yet feels relief at the same time. The princess looks around and sees the most vibrant of colors, yet nothing at all.
Yue realizes she's not alive, but she never died that night.