Corrzatz

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As the two circled each other, weapons raised, Joey spit out a bloody laugh. You know you can't kill me Cor, not without killing him.
Cor winced, but he didn't falter - it was too late for that now. He looked into Joey's eyes, pain lancing through his heart, and he lunged forward. The battle resumed.

Joey slowly slumped against the wall, Cor's blade pressed cleanly through his chest.
Hah... didn - didn't think you had it in ya he wheezed. Cor twisted the knife deeper into the heart of his best friend, and didn't answer.
Really Cor, I mean - he gasped for breath Why did you have to do it, why did you always have to...to be the one to save everyone. There was a beat of silence, as the knife worked its magic and cleansed Joey's soul of the shade's ichor.
Finally, he answered. "Because someone has to."
The darkness faded from Joey's eyes, but the dying shade managed a final mocking chuckle. I guess you've won then, Corrzatz.

"C-Corry? Did - did it work?" Joey's eyes were barely open, and his voice was a whisper, but he managed a half-smile as Corry replied: "Yes, Jo, it worked - it's gone." Corry released the blade, and wrapped his arms around Joey, holding him up.
"Ah, guh- good. M' happy..." Joey's words were slurring as his blood - now untainted but severely depleted - pooled onto the floor below them.
Corry's eyes stung, despite his best efforts, and he choked out his next words. "I'm so sorry, Jo, I wanted - I, I tried to find another way. But you - it - was killing people, I had to stop it. But maybe we can still save you, we just have to find a healer. Just try and hold -".
"Corry, pl- please stop" Joey mumbled. "M' glad... it was you." With his last bit of strength, Joey placed Corry's hand back on the hilt of the knife. The tears came flowing now as Corry tightened his grip around his best friend, and the knife he had used to kill him, and he realized what Joey wanted him to do.
"W-wait, wait" Joey took a shaky breath and looked into Corry's eyes. It was the most coherent, the most clear, the most Joey that those eyes had been in months.
Brilliant gold met deep emerald, as Joey sighed "Alright, I'm ready now Corry." The blade slipped out - ending Joey's life as easily as it had saved it.

Corrzatz wasn't sure how long he had kneeled there, in that dusty, blood-spattered room, holding Joey's body and staring at nothing. But he knew that at some point he had gotten up; at some point he had picked up the limp form and taken it outside, entombing it below the ground in typical Light fashion; at some point he had used his power to grow a beautiful plot of yellow wildflowers above the grave; and he knew that during all that time he never released his grip on the knife. When all was done, and he had cleaned the blood from his fur, Corrzatz turned to the sky. And he didn't look back, as his wings took him towards the sun.





We were young once, maybe we will be again some day