AN: Sorry about the long wait...again. Tennis season's over now, so I should have more time to write! Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
Stefan POV
Stefan stood in the clearing, still discussing his brother's possible fate. What would they do? How could they save him if he was in a trap? Shinichi had proven himself. He was a good villain, if nothing else. Unfortunately, as he thought about these issues, he failed to notice the more pressing issues that surrounded him. Stefan was still lost in thought when something hard and sharp pierced his back. He heard Elena scream. Then, he was on the ground. He choked on dirt and grass for a few moments before managing to roll onto his side. Then, he felt the pain. Humans didn't know the pain of a simple piece of wood. To Stefan, it was a hundred times worse than a knife. Waves of pain rippled through his entire body. The stake seemed to be in deep. He put his hand to his back, but it was no use. He couldn't reach it. Finally, accepting the fact that he would not be taking part in this particular battle, he looked up. What he saw was far from comforting. They had truly been surrounded. His friends were fighting for their lives. Stefan focused on Elena. She was doing quite well. She had her Wings. He smiled. Good, as long as Elena survived, all wasn't lost.
Everything was becoming blurry. Things looked prettier that way, blurry. It was as if a fog had descended over the world. His first thought was Damon ((AN: I know he didn't have that power in the books, but I liked it. Sue me.)). Then, he realized that Damon was human and no longer had that power. With a pang of sadness, Stefan realized this might be the end. There was a stake in his back. He didn't know how deep it was, or what it had hit, but it was incredibly painful. In fact, at this point, Stefan wouldn't have minded dying. At the very least, the pain would stop. He coughed up something. Spitting, he realized it was blood. That probably wasn't a good thing.
Stefan looked back toward the battle. Elena had fended off her own group of teens and was now helping Matt with his. Meredith and Bonnie were working together. Talon and Saber had shown up to help Sage. All in all, it looked like the good guys were going to win. Smiling, Stefan lay back. If this was it, he was glad his friends would survive. But, what about Elena? Would she miss him if he passed on? Or, would she go running into his brother's arms? Assuming they found him, of course. Did anyone even notice that Stefan was still down?
There was a shout and Stefan closed his eyes. He didn't want to see who'd fallen. He had given up on himself, but the thought of the others' survival helped calm his nerves. Stefan had died before. But, the last time, it hadn't felt like this. There was a hand on his forehead. Whose hand was it? He tried to open his eyes, but he didn't have the strength. He only wished he could say good-bye to Elena.
"Stefan? Stefan? Open your eyes! Wake up! Please!" That was Elena's voice. But, it sounded so far away. Again, the hand on his face. And…something…wet? Something was dripping on him. Absentmindedly, he wondered what was broken. Suddenly, he remembered something crucial. Elena! She was the hand. And, the wetness was her tears! Oh, how sorry he was that he had to leave her. But, there was something important he had to say before he left. He sat for a few more seconds, gathering the last of his energy. This was it. He forced his eyes open.
"Elena," he rasped. "Tell Damon…I'm sorry." He hoped she heard him. "I love you." He managed to choke out. It was difficult to speak because of the blood in his mouth. He couldn't turn over to empty it. It was suffocating him. It was a good thing vampires didn't need to breathe or he would've been gone a while ago. There was a warm and comfortable darkness spreading through him. Stefan realized he was very tired. Picturing Elena's face, sans tears, he let the darkness fill him up.
Elena POV
She'd managed to fend off her own attackers. The Wings were quite useful in a battle such as this. Though the possessed children had Dark magic on their side, Elena used the Light. Looking around, she saw that Matt was in trouble. He had nothing but his fists. She rushed to his side. Fighting next to Matt felt good. But, she noticed something odd. Where was Stefan? After he'd fallen, she had assumed he had stood and joined the battle. But, looking around the clearing, there was no Stefan. Finally, she saw his limp form on the ground where he'd fallen. How had she not realized? He'd been staked in the back, but it hadn't looked deep. Then again, what did she know about stake wounds? With a last look at Matt, she sprinted to Stefan's side, tears already streaming down her face.
"Stefan? Stefan? Open your eyes! Wake up! Please!" She was panicking. He couldn't leave her, not now! She brushed his hair away from his forehead. He didn't seem to notice. Then, quite unexpectedly, he began to speak. Like Elena when she died, Stefan had a last request. And, Elena would honor it if it killed her. He wanted her to tell Damon he was sorry! At this, Elena began to sob.
"I will, Stefan. I promise, I will." She said. Before her eyes, Stefan stilled. Gone. He was gone. Brushing his hair back once more, Elena kissed his lips one last time. Then, she stood. They had killed him. The kitsune had killed her Stefan and she was going to make them pay. Turning around, she ran full tilt into the battle, fighting with her every ounce of strength. She was a formidable opponent. She was slowly working off her anger. But, they were losing. Despite Elena, they were outnumbered. There were simply too many teens for them to handle. Each time one fell, another one sprung from the trees. Elena stopped. Why did it matter? They were going to die. And, she would never be able to tell Damon what Stefan had told her. Then, there was a disturbance in the trees. More? Elena thought. But, what jumped out of the brush was not at all what she'd expected. Mrs. Flowers and Dr. Alpert! And, they had the Post-It notes! Surprisingly agile for older women, they raced around the clearing, marking friends with some and foes with others. Finally, the possessed teenagers scattered. Obviously, they didn't want to be anywhere near the clearing. With the fight over, Elena's anger ebbed. Stefan was gone. That in mind, she sank to her knees, sobbing once more.
AN: Didn't see that one coming, did you? Haha. Review!