Hi all, I know that I have kept saying that this part would be out soon, and I am sorry for my procrastination and laziness. Anyways, I decided to pick this up after abandoning it for a year, so we'll see how it goes! I have been planning this ending for such a long time, and I can't wait to share it with you! Hope you love the last, but most certainly not least part of Fire Song. Tags: @Mira Ghosh @Charcat
Chapter 1: Marella
Day by day I sleep, eat, and breathe. I study with Linh, gradually getting better day by day. Even when life is a bore, she always makes it worth living. She is the song in a world without music, her voice a melody in my ear.
What the hell? Have I become some sort of lovesick teenage boy? When did I start talking like this?You know what, I'm going to focus something that isn't utterly stupid right now.
I get out of my bed, and try to not wake Linh as I scurry down the halls of Spritegiving and out into the open forest. It's still dark and the perfect time to be outside. I run up the trail, through the twisting mountains, climbing higher, a spark inside of me firing up. After a minute or so, I stop, taking a breath and gazing at the stars speckled across the sky, mountains and trees like darkness, cutting through the sky. Once the dreams finally stopped, I got the chance to come and see the stars, finally getting to notice the beauty around me. In the distance there appears to be a figure approaching. I rub my eyes, surely it's just a vision, dreams coming back to haunt me. But as they come closer starlight reflecting off their sparkling gown, flowing with a water like quality, I smile. Linh looks ice cold, but still gorgeous as ever. She sits down next to me gazing up at the stars.
"I saw that you weren't in your room." she says. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I like to come out to watch the sun rise."
"I would do the same, except I am not an early bird." she yawns. "And I'm supposed to look after you."
"I'm not five."
"Excuse me, for several months I had to come into your room every night and comfort you because you had bad dreams."
We laugh together. "Fair point," I say in response.
For a moment we just sit there, enjoying the view. I notice Linh, who looks like she's practically freezing to death.
"You're shivering."
"It's nothing–"
"Here," I cut her off by pulling her closer, holding her tight. "Better now?"
"Yeah, thanks."
And just for a moment everything is perfect. The girl I love is in my arms, and for the first time in a long while, I feel truly happy. What more could I ask for?
~*~
Chapter 2: Linh
It was like magic. I wished it could have lasted forever. As Marella and I walk back to Spritegiving, I chuckle to myself, hoping that she won't remember that I can control my body temperature, and I haven't been cold in years.
I have to cherish this moment before I leave. I sent the letter to Mr. Forkle, and all my things are packed. It's probably the last time I will be alone with her. What a strange thing to think about. Day by day, keep questioning my choice in some way or another. But I've made a decision, and all this doubting makes it worse. I have to go.
Before Marella and I leave for Fitz and Biana's Bonfire Party, I manage to slip another light blue note onto the kitchen counter, this one addressed to Marella. I don't bother reading it before rushing to the Leapmaster.
At around 5:30 we make it to Biana's house. Sophie is already dressed in a fitted dark magenta suit, embroidered with lavender roses, that perfectly matches Biana's high waisted regency gown, embroidered with the same roses. As we step into her room, Biana rushes to greet us.
"Hey Linh! " Biana says. "I'll get your makeover started once I finish Sophie. Feel free to take anything from the clothes rack. I curated these items just for tonight. Oh, and hi Mare."
"It's Marella," Marella says under her breath.
"Umm, this is supposed to be a casual thing right?" Sophie says.
"Okay I won't do anything crazy. Just the usual gold eyeliner and maybe some highlight." Biana says, beaming. "You look so pretty with gold eyeliner."
"Thanks, I guess. You're cool." When Sophie says that, Biana's smile deflates a little.
"Anyways, Linh, can I talk to you for a sec?" Biana pulls me into a corner.
"What is it?"
"I didn't want Sophie or Mare to hear this, but Sophie and Fitz, like, just broke up. She hasn't told anyone yet, and I overheard my brother. He's pretty upset, and Sophie's acting... off."
"Wow, I'm sorry for them. That must be hard."
"I didn't tell you this." Biana says holding a finger to her lips. I get the message. I look over at Marella, browsing through Biana's large section of gowns.
~*~
Chapter 3: Marella
I finally settle on a loose fitting orange-yellow dress paired with a black choker and lace up black boots. I'm braiding a small section of my hair when Linh walks up to me.
"Hey could you help me pick out something?" she says, smiling.
"Sure!" It only takes me a minute to find the perfect outfit. It's a fitted off-white dress with gold lace detailing and matching earrings.
When Linh comes out I gasp. She looks gorgeous, as if she's surrounded by a halo of light.
"Wow. You have such an eye for fashion, Mare." says Biana, whisking Linh away to do her up. I finish my own mascara and eyeliner before heading outside to the bonfire.
~*~
Chapter 4: Fitz
Do you know how much getting your heart broken sucks? I don't know what to feel right now. It's so confusing. I hate all of the 'It's not you, It's me' and 'I just need some time for myself right now' bullshit. The worst part about it is that I still have feelings for Sophie.
I don't think people get how hard it is to be Fitz Vacker. Sophie's Golden Boy. Alden's Son. No one actually gets the pressure. I have to be the perfect everything: telepath, brother, son, and for a while I thought that I could be the perfect boyfriend.
Well, sometimes life sucks. We can't all be perfect at everything we try, like stupid Sophie Foster. Stupid, beautiful, Sophie Foster. Formerly my stupid, beautiful, Sophie.
I can't keep going with this internal monologue in my head. I need an escape.
~*~
Chapter 5: Keefe
While the bonfire burns in my peripheral vision, sparks casually flying into the air and bursting into fireworks (courtesy of Marella), there is only one girl I'm looking at.
"Did you hear that Sophie and Fitz broke up?" Dex says. His voice drags me back into reality. Or into another daydream if what I heard is true.
"What?" I say.
"Yeah, I'm not sure where I heard it, but from how they're acting tonight, you can definitely confirm that." Maybe reality just got a little better. I finally take my eyes off Sophie, and look to see that Fitz is sitting on the other side of the bonfire, hunched over, nothing more than one of Tam's shadows.
"Umm... I'm kinda bored. Do you guys wanna play a game or something?" Sophie asks.
"Like the human game truth or dare? That was pretty fun the last time we played it." Biana adds.
"Sure, maybe spin the bottle? It's a human game that teens play."
"What's that?" Linh asks.
"It's where you sit in a circle and there's a bottle in the center. When it's your turn, you spin the bottle and you have to kiss whoever it lands on."
"That sounds fun." says Marella.
"Yeah, this could either go really badly or really well." Crap, did I say that outloud? I turn away in embarrassment.
"I'll go grab a bottle!" Biana says, running inside. After a minute or so, she comes back with a small bottle of lushberry juice which we pour into the fire. And just like that the game's begun. The first few rounds are chill. Marella kisses Dex, Linh kisses Biana, Tam and Fitz kiss, but when it gets to my turn I am a little nervous.
When the bottle lands on Sophie, I thank fate.
The kiss is better but nothing like what I expected. It feels so right, but yet there's something off.
"Sophie are you drunk–"
"Shh..." she cuts me off with a finger to my lips. "Just shut up and keep kissing me."
"Oka–" she pulls me in before I can finish the word.
In the background I hear Tam mumbling "Get a room" and some people laughing, but none of that matters anymore. After I pull away for a moment, I see Fitz storming off. He can storm off all he wants, because I'm kissing Sophie Foster. Sophie Foster is in my arms and I'm kissing her. But I can't get rid of the feeling that something's off. This time I pull away for good.
"What's wrong?" she says trying to kiss me again.
"Sophie you're drunk. I can't do this."
"Keefe..."
"Sophie, you can't go home like this. Grady and Edaline will be furious."
"They'll be fiiiine..."
"Sophie, I'll take you to Shores of Solace. My dad won't even notice."
"No, I'll take her." says Biana. "She can stay with us."
"You have to deal with your brother."
"But–"
"Biana, I got this."
Biana sighs. "You know I'm really pissed right?"
"Understandable. But I'm going now. With Sophie."
I scoop Sophie up into my arms and carry her to the outside of Everglen. I take one last look at Biana and the bonfire before leaping Sophie and I to safety.
~*~
Chapter 6: Linh
Sometime during Sophie and Keefe's makeout session, Fitz storms off into the woods.
"I'll go check on him," I say, running into the woods. It takes me a minute or so to catch up with him.
"Are you okay, Fitz? " I say gently.
"Obviously not," When he turns around I see tears running down the sides of his face. "Do you know how much it sucks. Watching the girl you love kiss your best friend? It fucking sucks. And it feels like I just keep searching for something and all that's there is pain. The worst part is that they might be perfect for each other. He could be better for her than I ever could be. What we had just could have been pointless."
His words trigger something in me. I start to cry. "I love someone. And I had to betray them. And seeing them kiss someone else," I think back to the memory of Marella and Dex, kissing and giggling."It hurt deeper than any wound."
In that very moment Fitz takes my face into his hands and kisses me. "I–I'm sorry." he stammers. "That was uncalled for."
"No. I think we both need this." I kiss him back.
~*~
Chapter 7: Marella
It takes me a minute or so to find Fitz and Linh in the forest.
"Linh–" I call, but I am stopped shortly by the terrible sight in front of me. There is Linh and Fitz, kissing, arms wrapped around each other.
"Fuck." I run away as quickly as I can, but the image of Linh and Fitz seems to be burned into my mind, as if my tears have stained my eyes. Only once I get back to Spritegiving and crumple down on the floor do I see the light blue envelope addressed to me.
When I open and read the letter, I cry, for this wound is more painful than any kiss.
Dear Marella,
Our time at Spritegiving has been many wonderful things. But I'm afraid that my time here has come to a natural stopping point and I must go. Our story has come to the end, so I must say goodbye. Goodbye Marella.
Sincerely,
Linh Song
Estimated Reading Time: 9 min, 54 sec