Fire and Ice

[Sky]

  Axel could hear the girls speak, but his actions had blocked them out. His anger had gotten out of control. He couldn't stop himself. He had completely lost control of his senses. But he didn't mean to. There was blood on his face from where a punch had broken the skin. He shoved Seth to the ground, one hand holding him down, the other about to punch him. The hand that was holding him down was extremely hot. Seth yelled out as it burnt his skin.
     "You're taking...things out of p-proportion Axel!" Seth said through his teeth. "Let's talk about this." Axel brought the fist to the side of Seth's face.
    "Shut up!" Axel yelled. But now Seth had pushed him off and rose off of the ground. As Axel stood, Seth grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the wall. He lifted his fist, ice forming around it, and went to send a punch into Axel's stomach, but Axel grabbed it with his hand and kicked Seth away. He was released from the grip and held out his hand, palm facing Seth's face. Fire was forming in his hand.

  "Axel! Stop! You're going to burn the place down." Seth said. The fire became a spinning wheel, as big as one of the tables. Axel didn't say anything. He merely glared at Seth, preparing to attack him with the spinning wheel.

This wasn't just about Alice anymore. This was about how he was treated by Seth's family all those years. How they treated him worse than dirt. How Seth conformed with his family and helped in making Axel's life worse.

[potter_fan122]

Alice eyes twitched as she watched the fight progress. She had seen countless fights and duels-- plus a few vampire banters-- in her time and she had no problem keeping up with the movement. She wasn`t aware of anything else but the two boys fighting. One thing had been expecting was Axel be the first to use his elemental power. Before she even noticed her hands were raised before her, ready to use her own powers. Then she saw them slow down and she jumped at the chance to get between them.

Alice moved forward and in the next second she was between the two boys. The wheel of fire was less than six inches from her and she could feel the heat rolling off of Axel. Her back was to Seth, and she held out her arms protectively.

"Axel, you have to stop now. People are going to get hurt." Her ice-blue eyes seemed to burn, but not from anger. She was disappointed in Axel. She thought he had really gotten a little better about his anger.

Guess she was wrong.

[purpleraincloud]

Nothing Avalee did could stop them. Jealousy even ran through her as she hear Alice's comments. Axel had loved Alice? They had something? She felt almost betrayed. She felt anger, and tears in her eyes as her love, her best friend, her only friend, Axel bled.  She shook her head sick of it. She hadn't seen him like this. Did she even know him at all? Was this someone knew, or part of the person she loved. She couldn't think straight. She didn't know Seth, but hated violence. Blood was flying and Axel's fire grew large. The fire that had warmed her hands as they walked together on chilly nights. It couldn't ever do something so bad. She was scared of him, and he was about to do something incredibly stupid.

So in turn, she did something incredibly stupid. The fear showed in her eyes as she approached Axel. She took step after step, until she was within reach. Heat flew at her, and made her skin perspire greatly. She laid one hand on his shoulder and took another step. People in the bar must have thought she was an idiot. But she couldn't watch Axel hurt another living being.  
   
"Axel, love, you have to stop!" She said, as calmly as she could. Anxiety, and fear spread through her.She tensed up, ready to be hurt.

[Sky]

Axel pushed Avalee away once her hand touched his shoulder and stepped forward. He brought his hand up and pushed Alice to the ground. ((Sorry if thats a bit of godmodding. =/)) Anger rose up in Seth's body now. How dare he touch his wife? How dare he try to hurt her. Now she and Avalee, and the people here, were at risk. 

    He changed then and there into the giant white wolf and bared his fangs. He jumped on top of Axel and started to attack him, blood getting onto his fur. He had pressed him onto the ground, on his back, the fire disappearing as Axel was bitten over and over again. Slashed by claws and fangs stabbing into his skin. He yelled out, trying to push him away. Seth didn't even realize how much damage he had done. When he had changed back, huffing and standing over Axel, he was covered in blood. And Axel lay on the ground groaning and gasping for air.

What have I done? Seth thought, eyes wide. But he had no other way. His element wasn't any match against Axel. Seth didn't practice enough. Axel was the stronger person despite the difference in muscle. Changing was the only thing he could do. Axel wasn't prepared for it.

[purpleraincloud]

Avalee fell to the ground, eyes wide. Axel had pushed her away. Had pushed her down. And now Seth was killing him. She was so confused. She hadn't believed Axel when he had told her that he could hurt her, that he could lose his temper. She hadn't even considered it.

When her old boyfriends had hit her she could cry, and scream, and they would apologize and she would forgive them. And the cycle would start again. And she would never break the relationship off. She was always dumped, even when she should have been the one mistreated. He hadn't hurt her very bad physically, but mentally it changed a few things, but not all. 

But this was different than the others. She didn't care if Axel hit her. She ran to him again. He was on the floor still, right after Seth had jumped off. Blood was everywhere, including all over her hands. She was just trying to clean off his face. "Axel?!" she yelled at him. If Seth tried to hurt him again Avalee, even with her weak magic, would stop him.

"Axel?!" She shouted at him again. She didn't care if he didn't reciprocate the feelings to the same extent as him, she loved him.

[potter_fan122]

((I`m okay with you doing a tad of godmodding there, Sky. =D It`s all good. And by the way, don`t do it yet, please. Alice has something to say.))

Alice had expected Axel to step down, to pause, to do something that would show that he was lsitening. Instead he pushed her roughly to the ground. She landed hard, not expecting the floor to suddenly crash into her and knock her breathe from her lungs. This was the first dangerous situation she had been in since becoming human, and she had absolutely no clue what to do. Before she could just use her supernatural strength to push people apart, or break their bones when they resisted. Fighting had been easy when you were the tougher and couldn`t die. Now she was defenseless.

Before Alice could get up and try once more the get Axel`s attention Seth changed to his wolf form and jumped on Axel. Alice moved-- again-- faster than she thought, and was suddenly standing.

"Seth, no!" She shouted before she could stop herself. What if he got hurt? What if Axel used his fire to burn Seth? There wouldn`t be anything he could do about that. She stood, frozen, until Sethmoved back. He was covered with blood but visibly unharmed. She lurched forward and put her hands against Seth`s chest, looking him over to make sure he really was okay. He didn`t seem to be hurt physically, but there was something in her eyes.

-Axel. What about Axel?-

Alice couldn`t lie to herself, part of her still loved Axel. He had taken her in when she needed someone most and really had kept her alive. He had kept her alive for Seth, and she needed Seth. Seth was her life now, but that didn`t mean Axel deserved to die. Alice looked Seth in the eye, unable to see that her irises were cold black and her skin was pale and about half the temperature of the others in the room.

Without hesitating she let go of Seth and moved over Axel, kneeling next to him.

"Excuse me. I know what I`m doing." She said softly to a young girl who was yelling Axel`s name quite loudly, pushing her hands away. The rest of the bar was silent, and everyone in the room was watching them.

Alice moved practiced hands over Axel`s chest. The coppery scent of his blood didn`t bother her, which it would have if she had still been all vamped out. She pressed her right hand over his heart, feeling both his heartbeat and putting pressure on a puncture wound that was bleeding quite a bit. Looking over the rest of him-- his torn clothes and bloody body-- she knew that there was a very small chance of him living if he didn`t get healed and more blood soon. She shook her head and looked at his face.

Somehow, that was the least-injured part of him. There was a long slice along his cheek, but that was it. Blood ran from the cut into his har and ear. Without thinking Alice moved her hands to cup his face, wishing she had healing powers. Where was that one woman who used to work next door that could do almost anything with magic? She could have helped him, but now.... she didn`t want to think about that.

"I`m sorry. I`m so so sorry. I didn`t mean for any of this to happen, I hope you know that," she whispered, running her fingers of one hand through his hair. Her hands were coated in blood, but she hardly noticed.

"I never meant to hurt you," she added as tears filled her eyes.

[Sky]

Axel's eyes were closed tightly as he pressed his teeth together. He tried to get up but he couldn't. When he moved, more blood just leaked from his wound. He lifted his hand to her cheek and wiped the corners of her eyes.

  "You're crying." He said softly. "How...how is that...oh." He realized suddenly that she wasn't cold to the touch and she wasnt reacting badly to the blood. His breathing had become a little ragged.

  "Tell me...something." He whispered. "Did you...ever think th-that maybe I was better off for you...than him?" His eyes went to Seth, who stood there watching.

[potter_fan122]

Alice lifted her hand so it touched his, lacing their fingers together. What would she tell him? He was dying, the least she could do was tell the truth. Even if Seth didn`t like it.

"I didn`t think that he was going to come back. I thought that he was done with me, maybe I did something, I didn`t know. When he was gone... I thought that you were the best thing that could have happened to me. You brought me out of my depression and saved me from myself." She thought back to the night where she had asked Axel to kill her. She didn`t want to live any more if she couldn`t have Seth, but Axel showed her that there was another way than suicide.

"I loved you, and part of me still loves you, Axel. Don`t you ever forget that," she breathed. Instinctively she had leaned closer to him, and now her bangs were just brushing his forehead. "Are you in pain?" -I can make it stop, if that`s what you want.- Alice sent the second part of the message to him only. The rest of the bar didn`t matter now, not even the crying girl that had been shouting his name mattered. Axel was dying, and it was her fault in part.

[Sky]

Axel put his arm around Alice and pulled her into a hug. He held her there for a moment.

  "No." He said into her ear. "I need to speak...to her." He let his arm slide off of Alice's back and hit the ground with a thump. "And Alice, I-I'm sorry. This isn't your...fault. It's mine. Just mine."  He closed his eyes again. "Avalee. Please." He called for her. He needed to talk to her. He needed her touch.

[purpleraincloud]

Avalee was shaking as Alice worked. Her heart beat faster than normal. Her hands were covered in Axel's blood and all she could smell was the blood. She keeled there stunned as he hugged Alice and they whispered to one another. She felt another small tear at her heart. So easily jealous, Avalee was. Her eyebrows pushed together, anxiety almost overcoming her. Tears slipped out of her eyes and rolled slowly down her cheek. The pub was so silent. People were watching. She hated being stared at.

Finally he asked for her. She wiped most of his blood off of her hands and onto her skirt and shirt. She was sweating and blood was on her skin especially her hands. "Avalee. Please." She heard her own name.

"Axel, love I'm here." She whispered, drawing close. She held both of his hands, and pressed her ear to his chest, needing to hear his heartbeat.

[Sky]

His heart was slowing down. His hair stuck to his face with sweat mixed with blood. He felt Avalee take his hands, press her ear to his chest where she could hear the last beats of his heart.

  "I'm so sorry. I'm so...so sorry if I hurt you. I-I need you..to know that...while I did love her, I still love you. I can't help..how my heart feels. But its feelings for you are...they're stronger Avalee. Honest." He squeezed her hand as he dealt with a surge of pain. "I'm sorry you had to see that. That...fight. I don't know what happened. I don't...I lost control. Every-thing that I've ever felt. Everything I've...ever...experi-enced and all of the hurt I've been...put through. That was what you witnessed. You saw my pain...through my fire." He kissed the top of her head. 

"Do you understand?" He whispered.

[purpleraincloud]

"Axel, I understand everything! You are the best thing that has happened to me! You have brought nothing but happiness to my life. If I had only met you years ago! We have to get you to hospital!" She looked around, for help, picking her head up off his chest. "Someone?! Do something!" she screamed at everyone in the bar. She applied more pressure to his wounds. She had to do something.

"Axel, don't leave me." For this last statement she was whispering to how only they could hear. Tears spilled over. She kissed his bloodied cheek. 

[Sky]

Axel smiled.

  "You were the best thing that happened to me. And...be strong. Okay? I'll always...always...watch over you." He lifted her chin so that he could kiss her, and kissed her as passionately as he could. He looked to Seth. "I'm sorry man." Then he closed his eyes and felt his breathing become slower. It was harder to breathe now.
 
   "Avalee. I love you. Don't...forget." 

And that was that. He was gone.

   Seth bowed his head, felt the whole pub staring, and put his arm around Alice.

[purpleraincloud]

"No." Avalee simply whispered at first. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" She began as a whisper, then started yelling. "NO! Axel please don't" She knew she was yelling at a dead body. She hugged him. A man in the pub, who felt pity towards her, tried to pulled her off. She yelled back at them "Get the hell off of me!" She knew Alice and Seth were standing over them, but in her mind it was just her and Axel. In her mind they were hanging out at the Quittich pitch. They were still at dinner in Hogsmead, they were still out by the lake, they were in love.

"I love you Axel, please don't!" She whispered into his ear.

[potter_fan122]

Everything in front of Alice was blurred by her tears. The room felt hot and stuffy around her, and she could hear people breathe and whisper. Sudden discomfort overtook her when she heard Axel say his last words. It felt like a cloud had exploded in the room, and there was no displacement of particles. Something. It felt heavy. She couldn`t take it anymore.

She pushed away from Seth, not caring what he or anyone else thought of the movement, and pushed her way to the door. Well actually, since she was still covered in blood, people moved for her. When she reached the door she slammed her hands into it, making it fly open. She didn`t go outside, but she didn`t need to. The air around her seemed to sigh in relief, like it had been under pressure too.

Alice stood there for a second, able to see before the tears kicked in and began to flood down her cheeks. Her Axel, her savior and angel was gone. Sure, she had her god in Seth, but she wouldn`t even be here if it wasn`t for Axel.