When tears cleared, Baz went to the window and saw a light in his tower dorm room. It grew brighter and pink. Though he could not see the shadow, he could feel the eyes of a crazed lover staring him down. "He's in our dorm room," Baz said.

"What are we going to do?" said Penelope.

"I mean, what can we do?" said Baz. "We need to go to him before he burns the tower down."

"It's obviously a trap." Said Agatha.

No one said anything. They were all very aware that the tower was the breaking point. Whether it was for them or Simon was for them to wander about as they left the Mage's office and made their way to the dormitory.

"So that's how you've been entering the dorm," said Baz.

"What do you mean?" said Penelope.

"I always wondered how you managed to get past the magic into the boys' dorm."

"How'd you know I was in there in the first place?"

"Simon doesn't leave purple hairs."

They all smiled a bit and the tension if only for a moment was leavened. Still, there was little to be relieved about. They had no idea what Simon was about to do. While they all suspected that Simon would never hurt anyone in his state, and to their knowledge, he hasn't exactly, they did not know what he was thinking. What was the spell doing to his mind that was turning him into such a terrifying force of nature, tearing through their school? How desperate was he really?

Slowly as they made their way up winding steps to the tower, a pink glow poured through the stairwell, brighter and darker, rising and falling as the three of them made their way to a door right at the top.

"It's open." Agatha hissed.

"What can you see?" said Penelope.

Agatha peeked around the corner, ever so slightly fingers clutching the wall when an arrow came whirring past her. It slammed halfway through the wall before any of the three could see it coming. They jumped back. The tops of Agatha's fingers were bleeding and she could do nothing but stare at it, shocked but absent-minded. This is what happens only when I involve myself in Simon Snow.

"Fuck." said Penelope.

"Baz?" Simon called from the dorm room. His shadow was clear against the light in the room and it splayed out into the hallway. He knew he'd heard something in the stairwell. And was quick to shoot the arrow. Simon took his back to the wall where his shadow wouldn't be seen.

"Baz, I just want to talk." He loaded another arrow. This time he wouldn't miss.

A voice came from below the stairs. "Simon, I can hear your bowstring." Simon swiveled to the door entrance. "Is that vampire hearing?" said Simon, "I bet you can hear my heartbeat from up here."

"Of course, I can, love. I always will no matter the distance." Simon squealed. Baz was such a romantic. Even when his life was kind of in danger. How sweet. Simon thought he might be mad or disgusted by the bow. Maybe he felt differently?

Maybe they were really meant for each other?

No, Simon couldn't get his hopes up. "Simon, I missed you at the dance. Why'd you leave without me?" Simon shot another arrow through the wall, this one left even larger cracks than the first. That was pandering. "OH, don't act like you didn't run off first with Penelope the second you found out what I was doing. Don't lie to my face like that." Tears pooled in Simon's eyes. Of course, while Baz was still without the blessing, he would never see things the way that Simon did. He just needed the nudge.

"In fact," said Simon. "I wouldn't be surprised if Penelope was with you as well." Simon leaned his head out the entrance of the door. Ever so slightly could he hear her whispering? "I knew it," said Simon. "I knew you'd bring her. Since I'm at least going to try to be honest, I knew that you've been planning with her on how to stop me and I also know damn well that neither of you knows how to do that."

He readied another arrow. "Okay, now come up slowly and I promise we won't have to continue this. You either come up here or I swear to Hecate I will not leave this god awful tower alive."

Silence.

"Baz, please. I love you and I don't want to live without you. Understand that."

There was a hesitation, and then some whispering. "Promise that we all get to come up safely and you won't shoot us down with the arrow." Penelope.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Because the second we get hit by the arrow, we'll pass out. I can't tell if it's a design flaw in the bow or if it's intended, but we'll get a concussion or worse if we fall on these stairs."

Simon lowered the bow. He hadn't thought of that. It must have been fate that Baz was not instantly killed on the stairs.

"Okay, fine."

He left dropped the bow and left the doorway. "Wait a minute? Who do you mean all?"

Agatha came up first from the stairs, bleeding hand covered protectively in the other. The fireplace was pink. Maybe a spell, maybe an additive. She and Simon stared at each other as she entered the room. He was pale as if all the blood had leaked out of him. His eyes were heavy and tired. She realized then that he'd used makeup or maybe magic to hide the effects of the love spell.

Then Baz came up and Penelope, right on his heels blocking him from any arrows. Baz quickly defaulted and ducked behind her.

"Simon," he said. "I love you, but please don't do this."

"How can you say that?" pleaded Simon. He frowned. "This is the ultimate act of love. This is us. Together."
"No, Simon. That is a spell. That is not you."

Simon closed his eyes and pink light glinted off of the tears that shed. "I really hoped that you wouldn't do this. I really hoped that you were with me all this time because you wanted to. Because you loved me. All of me. Even if I couldn't do magic. Even if I had flaws. Even if I didn't have anyone else to go to."

"You had me!" said Penelope. In a volume that shocked everyone, including herself. But she did not lose momentum. "And I'm sick of you acting like you never had anyone." She stepped away from Baz and locked onto Simon's eyes as she neared him. "I have loved you since the day I met you. You're my best friend and I have done all I can to protect you and give you the love that you deserve."

"You don't get it!"

"I know I don't Simon!" Her voice softened. "I know that I don't understand. I know that I couldn't understand. But I love you anyway."

Tears drained one after the other from Simon's eyes. They dripped on the floor with Penelope's. She wrapped her arms around him. "Penelope, I need him."

"Simon, you've so much more love than you realize." He crumpled into her arms. The tension left his body, but his hands were still firm on the bow.

"I can't be alone again. Every summer, everyone goes home to the people who love them and I get sent to the fucking orphanage. I can't- I can't-"

"Oh Simon," Baz said as he took a few steps closer. "I understand,"

Simon said nothing as Penelope pulled away. "I lost my mother. She was the only person that I have ever loved and opened up to. Until I had the chance to be with you." Simon still said nothing and made no gesture other than his grip
tightening on the bow. What if Simon did not believe Baz and instead did not trust that Baz actually cared.

"…I want to see you on the pitch when I'm practicing again," said Baz. Simon's head turned a bit. "I want to see you staring at me from across the room and what you're thinking of me. I want us to have classes together again and I don't think that we can do any of that if you do this. I want to be fully conscious of how much I love you and why and I can't do that if you do this.

"I know we don't have the longest or the greatest past, but I want to have an amazing future with you and- and I've seen so much of what I used to love about you destroyed with this spell. I can't let you keep doing this."

"No." Simons's voice was like a toddler's when they have to leave their friend. "No?" said Baz. "No!" said Simon. He turned to Agatha and armed the bow. He aimed it as if it were a weapon again instead of the ultimate act of love. "Simon!" Penelope shouted. She tried to take the bow away from him, but he dashed from her to another side of the room. "What are you doing here?" said Simon "I know very well you don't love me."

Agatha was not scared. And instead, she tossed a look at her bleeding hand. Then she looked back at Simon. Not angry, just- disappointed. "Simon," she said. Her voice was soft. "I have always loved you."

"Bullhshit," Simon whispered.

"I have always loved you. Even if it hurt me time and time again." She dropped her hand, and for the first time, everyone else in the room realized the blood that had trailed behind her, her dark red hands. She raised them, and Simon's eyes were drawn to them, how well they blended into the dark of the room when not brightened by the firelight. "And it certainly has." She started to take slow steps up to him. he did not drop the bow. "None of us love you because you're easy. Absolutely not. We love you regardless of the challenges. That is more true than anything that bow will give you."

Simon's vision was clouded by tears. He sniffled and snot ran down his face, but he did not lower the bow even if it trembled in his hands. "Simon put the bow down. If you shoot Baz with that you'll be losing one of his best qualities," she said. "I mean, each one of us decided that we would do whatever we could to help you because we love you and no other reason." Simon dropped the bow again out of one hand and took a seat on his bed. He said nothing. And for a few seconds, the whole room would not move an inch.

Slowly, Baz and Penelope sat on either side of him, letting him keep the bow in his lap as he stared at it. Reluctantly, Agatha was the last to come to the bed, sitting on the corner with her back to him.

At last, Simon spoke. "If I ended this here, you have to be there when I wake up." Of courses were echoed by Penelope and Baz, but Agatha stayed silent. "Especially you, Baz," he said. "Promise me you'll give me a chance." Baz nodded.

Simon wanted to kiss him so badly, enjoy what he had while he could. Honestly, he could not tell what memories he had of Baz were real and which may have been distorted by the spell, but he hoped that when he was 'whole' again, they could be together again. Still, he does not touch Baz, lest the spell reels him in again. Simon knows that this may be the clearest moment he has.

He stands up with the bow and clear panic flashed through everyone's eyes as he lifts the bow before he shatters it over his knee.

Simon collapses to the ground.

He can feel the arrow inside him now, but the clarity hurts worse. So much that he cannot think or feel anything as his vision turns black.