Sound the bugle now // Arabella . Lysander ft. Kenji

Air.

Lysander could no longer find it.

Her breath catches in her throat and a sickening sob left her lips. She knew the cameras were watching, the Capitol, her family, but she did not care. They were far away that the others could no longer see or hear them, so she let the tears roll silently down her cheeks. Kenji probably thought of hr as weak, useless, just like Patricia had been saying all along. But her heart ached for her dying ally. Another person she was unable to save.

One more added to her excruciatingly long list.

When the two were finally undercover she dared herself to turn around, to look at the girl who was broken and bloodied, the girl who was certain to meet Death soon.

They scavenged her like animals, searching through her things as if her body wasn't three feet away. As if she wasn't there at all.

As if they were pretending she never even existed.

Sadness and rage battled inside her. She wanted to reveal herself from their hiding place, to finish the job they had already started, but she knew better. Bella would not want her to waste her life so easily, not even for her. Finally after what seemed like ages the three left. Lysander stood and took a few steps forward, but she was stopped by fingers wrapping around her good wrist.

"Lys-"

She didn't even let him finish.

"I can't let her die alone Kenji."

He wasn't holding on very tight, so it was easy to yank her arm free of his grasp.

"Nobody deserves that."

Without another word she ran back out to the abandoned battle field. The girl, her ally, her friend lay completely still, struggling with each breath she took in.

"Bella. Bella!"

The broken girl began to crawl forward, using the last of her energy to move towards her voice. A trail of blood followed her. It was painful to watch, painful to see her long for the one last thing she could trust. Sobs wracked her body as she grew near.

"Shh. It's okay, I'm here now."

She brought herself gently to the ground next to her friend, ready to hold her until her last breath. But she was not sure if she would ever be ready to let go.

"Ly- Lysander. Please... Don't leave me to die alone."

"I'm not going anywhere."

She brought herself closer to Bella, to give her the comfort of her touch. Gently, she lifted her ally's head and placed it in her lap. Her fingers combed back the loose strands of hair near her face. She smiled softly as she looked down at the dying girl. Lysander had not been there for Hazel in her last moments, her very last breath was taken alone. without someone who truly cared for her. She refused let the same happen to Arabella, she would know that she was loved up until the very end.

"Please can you- you read me, read me this. Please... I... I have to know what she says,"

"Of course Bella."

The paper is crumbled and the writing is smudged in some places from days of being in her pocket, but she smooths out the paper on her knee to the best of her ability.

"Dear my sweet child,"

Lysander's voice catches in her throat. She takes a second to clear it before she begins reading again. She held back any tears that threatened to fall. She had to remain strong. Not for herself, but for Arabella.

"I hope this gets to you. I wanted to tell you that no matter what happens that Matthew and I will always love you. You were a gift we never asked for. Happiness we never knew we needed. Everyday for the rest of our lives we will be so grateful for every moment that we shared with you. From the moment we first saw you in that forest, you were so skinny, so small, I was sure that you would not make it through the night. But you, my dear Bella, are a fighter. A survivor. You, Bella, stole our hearts and we beg you to keep them safe. In the moments you feel so low I want you to remember my smile. In the moments you find yourself slipping remember Matthew's warm embraces.But never forget that it is okay to let go... That Matthew and myself will be okay, we will live on and we will forever have a home for you in our hearts and our home.

Bella, thank you for everything that you have given us. I can never put into words just how important you are to us and I will love you till the end of time.
Until we meet again, if that be next week, or next life time...

With so much love,
-Ellen and Matthew"

A single tear drop lands on the letter, and she quickly wipes it away. Her chest heaves with the effort of every breath she takes, each one becoming more and more shallow as the time passes. She takes her hand and runs it gently through her hair, as if she was trying to put a baby asleep.

"It's okay, Bella. You can go now. It's okay."

Her voice broke on the last word.

Lysander Mae would not be okay.

But she prayed that in the next life Arabella Shirley would be.

Time was running out.

What once seemed like days to live quickly turned into mere hours as she held Bella tightly in her arms. When she volunteered she was invincible, it didn't matter how near Death was, she was prepared for him. But as she held the last of her allies reality struck. Time was running out.

And it was not on Lysander's side.

No one would miss her at home, she knew that. She was the black sheep of the family, her parents were probably thankful she was soon to be expired. Now they didn't have to plot a way for her to mysteriously die, deep down she knew they wanted her gone all along. It would be easier to just lay there and let the next passing tribute finish her off, but Hazel would want better of her.

She wanted better of herself.

The whole time she was convinced that she wanted to come here to die, to save someone's life that was worth saving. As Arabella takes her last painful breaths, Lysander realized she was worth saving too. Cyro. Meredith. Arabella. If she died all their names would die too, and she could not let her allies death be in vain.

Sobs racked the tiny girl's body as she read her the letter from home, her final request. Bella was frail and looked smaller than she had ever seen her, but she did not let go. She could not.

She would not.

"Thank you Lys. It doesn't hurt anymore."

With one last shuddering breath her eyes close and her hands fall. And finally she is still.

No, thank you Arabella."

The tears fall from her eyes, leaving streaks down her cheeks, and one by one they fall onto her dead friend's forehead.

She no longer tries to hold them back.

Kenji's footsteps echo through the empty area as he finally approaches, but she does not dare to look up. Instead, she continues to stroke the dead girl's hair.

"I'm not usually like this. She just reminded me so much of my sister."

Finally, Lysander meets his gaze. The tears have stopped, but her eyes are still bright red.

"I couldn't save her either."

She was tired of being useless. She was tired of failing. She was going to succeed.

Even if her time was almost up.