(3 months earlier)

Even when all seems lost, just remember my name.

Third Person POV

Phoenix and Rune told their parents they were going to look at waterfalls, and that they would be back late.

Of course, the boys were lying.

They were going mountain climbing.

Their parents warned them many times beforehand that climbing the mountains without an adult or expert was a very dangerous feat, but, being teenage boys, they didn't listen.

This is an instance where the saying; "your actions have consequences" really applies.

***

"We gonna climb all the way to the cliff?" Rune Knight asks his greatest best friend in the whole wide world, Phoenix Star.

"Hell yeah we are!" Phoenix replies enthusiastically. Rune grins eagerly at his reply and the two friends continue their climb up the mountain, towards the dangerous cliff face their parents warned them to stay away from.

"Whew, it's freaken hot." Phoenix announces while sitting down in the shade and grabbing his water bottle out of his bag and drinking a generous amount.

Rune grins at him before sitting beside him and copying.

"It sure is. Must be above 30° Celsius at least." He replies while wiping the sweat off his neck onto Phoenix.

"Ewwwww!!! Ru! You disgusting animal!" He shrieks.

Rune howls with laughter and falls off the log the two friends were sitting on. Phoenix can't help but eventually join in with Rune's contagious laughter.

The two friends quickly end up fallen off the log, laughing so hard their bellies and chests hurt and their eyes start to water.

"C-can't.. breathe.." Rune wheezes between his laughter.

Soon the two cease their laughter and just lay on the ground grinning stupidly at one another.

Rune stands up and helps Phoenix up.

"Come on, we should keep going so we can get home before dark. The cliff is still pretty far." he says.

Phoenix nods and puts his water bottle back into his bag and helps Rune with his.

"Onward march!" He shouts before starting to walk again.

Rune snickers and jogs to catch up, and the two friends make their way to the dangerous cliff face.

A huge mistake was made. They'll soon realise this, but it will be too late by then.

***

The greatest best friends finally arrive at their destination after quite some time wasted with fooling around and getting lost.

"Finally! We made it!" Phoenix announces excitedly and moves towards the edge of the cliff to peer at the world down below.

"Careful Nix, if you fall, it won't be pretty." Rune warns.

"Pshhh, you worry too much, Ru, I'm not even that close." Phoenix replies.

"We're freeeee!!!" Phoenix shouts, and the two boys listen to the echoed words that bounce around the mountain cliff.

Rune moves to stand beside Phoenix.

"Mackenzie Stevens sucks dick for $5 in the cleaner's room!!!!" He shouts, and once again the words echo around the mountain cliff.

The two boys look at each other and grin.

"This is fucking awesome." Phoenix says, grinning.

"You can say that again, Nix." Rune replies, grinning back.

"David Spence peeps in the girls locker room during gym when they're showering!!!" Phoenix yells, and the two boys listen with bated breath as the words echo around them.

"This is so freaken cool, Nix." Rune says breathlessly, looking around in an awed giddy state.

"Aren't you glad we decided to come up here?" Phoenix questions curiously while wrapping an arm around Rune's shoulders and pulling him against his side, hugging him slightly.

"Hell yeah I am!" Rune grins at him. "So glad. We should have come here ages ago."

"Right?? Why didn't we?" Phoenix says.

Rune snorts. "Our parents would have skinned us alive. Obviously."

Phoenix grins.

"Right you are, Ru. As always." He says.

Rune just laughs and playfully slaps his greatest best friend's shoulder.

"Oh! I have another one." Phoenix declares.

Rune looks at him. "Go on then, Nix. Let the world hear it." He grins.

"Natalie Pav is a slut who steals other people's girlfriends and boyfriends, and then breaks their fucking hearts!!!!" He screams, sounding very angry all of a sudden.

The loudness of his words creates more echoes around the mountains, circling around the two boys, seemingly never to be silenced.

Rune grimaces and hugs his best friend tightly.

"If there was one person I could kill and get away with it, it'd either be her, or that Kate bitch." Rune comforts.

Phoenix lets out a soft chuckle. "You know just the right ways to cheer me up, Ru. Murder sounds great right about now. Fucking bitches. God am I so glad I have you." he says, smiling gently at his best friend while hugging him back.

"We're each other's anchors Nix, we need each other, and we always will." Rune smiles.

The two best friends stand by the cliff edge, hugging and enjoying each other's presence for quite some time before they sit down away from the cliff edge and talk about the things that are going on in their home lives.

"My brother's still doing his drugs, and he started drinking. Dad hit mum last night, and they're both still arguing and can't seem to get their heads out of their asses enough to file for thr actual divorce. It's so annoying and draining." Rune informs the only person he's ever trusted.

Phoenix nods and hugs him.

"If they're not going to divorce, they should at least go to marriage counselling and work out their problems there. No one should raise their hands against the one they loved and married. It's just not right." Phoenix says.

"I know. They won't listen though." Rune sighs. "What about you, Nix? How's home life for you?"

Phoenix grimaces. "My father still hasn't come back home. Apparently he's married another woman, which doesn't surprise me. Mum is still trying to get enough money for us, working almost 24/7, and my sister is still being a little bitch and won't even attempt to help mum. She just throws things and breaks things, and then mum has to try and save up enough money to replace them. She's such an ungrateful bitch. I wish there was more I could do to help mum." Phoenix says sadly.

It's Rune's turn to provide comfort for his friend and he hugs him tightly.

"You give her all the money you earn from working, and you clean the house and do other things around to help and make things easier for her, like doing the laundry and the dishes and cleaning, so she can just come home, eat, then sleep and go back to work. You're a good kid, Phoenix, it sucks we're too young to do much more to help. You know I would give you any money you need, just ask. My parents might be useless, but they're rich." Rune tells him.

Phoenix smiles lightly. "I know, Ru. Thank you."

Rune grins and stands up, then holds out his hand to help his friend up.

"Why don't we scream away our problems some more?" He states, grinning brightly.

Phoenix shrugs and grins back. "Why the hell not?"

The two friends make their way towards the edge of the cliff once again.

"My parents need to divorce because they're fucking toxic assholes together, and my brother is a useless druggie!!!" Rune shouts, clenching his fists and breathing heavily. His echoing words bounce around the cliff face.

The wind blows strangely around the two friends, whipping their hair into their eyes and causing the trees around them to rustle loudly and leafs to fly freely from the branches, before vanishing abruptly.

"What the hell?" The two friends utter in sync.

They look at each other before shrugging in sync once more.

They burst out laughing.

"What even?!" Rune cackles.

"Don't ask me! I'm just as clueless as you are!" Phoenix sniggers.

"Go on, Nix. It's your turn to let loose your problems." Rune says encouragingly.

Phoenix grins before taking a step closer to the edge.

"My father is such a deadbeat asshole! He should be sending child support but he's not! My mother is struggling to support my sister and I financially and it's taking a toll on her! And my fucking sister is a useless whore! She won't even try to help our mum! She's an ungrateful little bitch!!!!" He screams, digging his nails into the palms of his hands and leaving marks.

Phoenix's words echo around the two boys, bouncing around the walls of the cliff. The wind picks up again, swirling around them and making dust fly up into their eyes.

The boys make noises of protest and try to get the dirt out of their eyes.

Suddenly, the ground starts to move.

Part of the cliff cracks, and pieces fall down into the depth of trees and shrubs below.

"Phoenix!!" Rune shouts, getting his attention. "The cliff!!" He points to where the cracks are starting to get deeper.

The ground moves again. More rocks and chucks of the cliff clatter down the face, into the dark unseen, hidden by trees.

Phoenix tries to move off the cracking cliff.

The ground moves more and a huge chunk from under his feet falls into the foliage below.

Rune screams.

The ground under Phoenix's feet gives way and he starts to fall.

Rune rushes over and grabs Phoenix's arm and locks their wrists together, holding onto Phoenix's wrist while Phoenix does the same.

Rune's muscles burn with the strain of trying to hold up Phoenix and keep himself from tumbling off the cliff face with him.

"Ru.. you can't hold me.. and if you pull me up.. we're both going to fall.." Phoenix pants.

"Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up!" Rune says, starting to get hysterical as tears form in his eyes and fall down his cheeks, one by one.

"Ru.. it's okay.. you have to let go.." Phoenix says softly, while trying to find somewhere to put his feet so he can take the strain off Rune.

"No! Shut up! I'm not letting go! I'm never letting go!" Rune screams, officially hitting the hysterical marker of distress.

Phoenix's foot slips as the place he tried to put his feet collapses.

He starts to fall again, dragging Rune with him.

The two scream in fear, distress and pain.

Rune manages to get his foot into a hold in the cracks in the ground, severely injuring his foot from the strain and suddenness.

"Phoenix!!" Rune screams, trying to keep a tight grip on his best friend, but their hands start to slip.

"Rune! I love you, okay?? Remember what I told you!" Phoenix shouts, his whole body trembling in fear.

Fear of death, fear of leaving Rune, fear of the unknown, fear of what will happen to Rune when he's gone.

"I love you too! But everything's going to be okay! Just hold onto me! Please don't let go!" Rune shouts back, trembling from the strain and fear, fat tears roll down his cheeks.

"Ru, you have to let me go!" Phoenix shouts, as more dirt and rocks fall into the world below.

"NO PHOENIX!!" Rune screams hysterically. "NO!!"

"We have to let go, Ru!" He shouts in reply.

"No! Phoenix Hypnos Star you better not fucking let go of my hand! I swear!" Rune yells.

Both boys sob hard, and struggle to keep a hold of each other.

Rune starts to slip, and his foot bends more, fracturing and almost breaking.

Phoenix's grip on Rune starts to slip, his hands sweat more than a pedophile at a wiggles concert. His body trembles and he keeps trying to find somewhere to put his feet to attempt to climb back up, but he knows.

He knows he won't make it.

"Nix! Don't look at me like! You're not going to die, because I'm not going to let go! Remember that time we accidentally got chained together when we were kids for a week?? Pretend we're chained now! I'm not letting you go! We're stuck together for eternity! Remember??" He shouts. Tears rushing down his dirty face, leaving a wet track.

(A/N: WE'RE CHAINED TO EACH OTHER BIRDS, REMEMBER?? {pls tell me someone gets this})

"You can't leave me..." he whispers loud enough for Phoenix to hear.

"I'll never leave you.. just remember what I always said; Even when all seems lost, just remember my name! I'll always be with you, Rune. Always and forever and ever, I promise. Even if you can't see or hear me, I will always be here for you. I'll always be a memory to you! And I'll always be in your heart!"  Phoenix tries to comfort him.

"NO NIX!-" Rune starts, but it's too late.

Phoenix lets go of his hand.

Rune scrambles to grab his arm with his other hand. He tries to hold him, and use his body to pull him up, but his foot cracks. The bones break.

"Let go, sweet love.. it'll be okay.." Phoenix whispers softly and Rune's fingers slip.

Phoenix falls into the dark abyss below, and becomes hidden by trees.

Rune's wails of despair pierce the air and echoes around the mountaintop causing the wildlife to flee in a desperate attempt to escape the agonised sounds.

He scrambles back away from the cliff just in time to watch the large part he was resting on while holding Phoenix moments before, crack loudly and tumbles down the cliff, crashing into the trees and other rocks on its way, only to smash into pieces when it reaches the bottom.

Rune curls up in a safe area of the cliff and sobs his heart out.

"PHHHOOOOEEEENNNNNIIIIIXXXXXX!!!!!!" He screams, voice thick with anguish and his body trembling violently.

Rune's greatest best friend's name echoes around him loudly, seemingly like it would never end. Once more, the wind picks up wildly, flicking up dirt and leaves and causing Rune's hair to fling into his tear filled eyes.

He screams.

Rune Lane Knight screams for the loss of his greatest best friend in the whole world, Phoenix Hypnos Star. He screams from the emotional pain of losing someone so special to him. He screams from the physical pain in his broken foot and sore arms. Body parts that are throbbing painfully from the strain of trying to cling to his best friend.

His best friend, who is now gone.

Rune screams again.

And again.

And again.

Until he can scream no more, his voice is so raw, that when he coughs between sobs, there's blood.

Rune sobs. He sobs and sobs and sobs. Until he has no more tears left to spill on the dark soil.

He then lays there.

Amongst the grass and dead leaves. Covered in dirt.

Unwilling to move, but knowing he has to soon.

Darkness will settle upon the sky in an hour or two.

Rune does not move.

"I wish it was me.." he says shakily, voice hoarse from crying and screaming, though his throat hurts, Rune manages to scream Phoenix's name, one last time.

Even when all seems lost, just remember my name.

Finally, he hauls himself to his feet, careful not to put too much weight on his painfully throbbing broken foot.

Rune slowly starts hobbling his way down the cliff, heading towards where Phoenix fell.

As he gets closer, Rune's eyes fill with tears that run a new track down his dirty cheeks, before falling to the dirt.

After some time of hobbling and stumbling, Rune finds Phoenix's body.

Tears fly down Rune's cheeks as he quickly hobbles towards his greatest best friend, only for him to trip over and have to crawl the rest of the way.

Rune pulls Phoenix's body into his arms and hugs him.

He rocks the two of them back and forth while holding him tightly and sobbing.

"I'm so sorry.. I'm so so so sorry.. Nix.. please forgive me... I should have never let you go... I should have fallen with you... oh my god.. I'm so sorry..." he sobs hysterically, unable to control himself.

Rune holds his greatest best friend in his arms, and rocks the two of them together. He gently places a kiss on Phoenix's forehead and looks into his blank emerald green eyes, one last time, before using two fingers to close them.

A sob breaks through Rune's raw throat and he hugs Phoenix again tightly.

"I-it's all my fault.." he hiccups. "A-all my fault.."

An angry, anguished scream tears through Rune's throat, startling the birds and other animals nearby, causing them to be silenced as the scream echoes suddenly around the mountain.

"Why didn't you just hold on, Nix? I could of saved us! I could of.. i-I could of.. you would still be here.." he starts to sob again.

***

Darkness has fallen not  25 minutes ago, and yet Rune did not move from where he sat, cuddling Phoenix's limp figure.

Rune couldn't let him go. He didn't want to, yet, he knew he had to.

His parents would worry if he wasn't home soon, like he promised he and Phoenix would be.

New tears form in his eyes, but Rune doesn't let them fall.

"I have to bury him.." he says quietly, and looks around for somewhere suitable for his greatest best friend.

After roughly 15 minutes of hobbling around, Rune found the perfect place. A dug out hole, deep enough for Phoenix, surrounded by beautiful, nice smelling flowers and with a giant grass tree situated over it, kind of like it was protecting his body.

(A/N: I couldn't find a non shutterstock picture of this, so you'll just have to deal with it xD)

With great struggle, Rune drags Phoenix's body to the hole and gently lowers him into it.

He then pushes the dirt from the hole back into it, over the top of Phoenix.

Once finished covering his greatest best friend, Rune picks the most beautiful flowers from around the grave and lays them all over the raised soil above Phoenix.

"If only I could have you back for just a little while, then we could sit and talk again, just like we used to." Rune whispers softly.

He clears his throat and stands at the foot of Phoenix's grave.

"Nix.. this never should have happened. You never should of passed away so young. You never should have had to go through that. You should have at least brought me with you. Then we could have been together. It's not fair. I want you here, with me. Like we were supposed to be, forever and ever, remember? When we first made our pact to go through everything together. No one and nothing could come between us. No bitches, sluts, jealous boyfriends, stupid friendships. Nothing. We were an unstoppable force. And now, I'm lost." Rune pauses and sniffles, wiping the tears that started to trickle down his cheeks before continuing.

"I should have tried harder. I should have held onto you tighter. It should have been me. It should be me in that grave, not you. Never you." Rune pauses again, trying to keep himself together long enough to finish his speech. His speech that only he is hearing.

"I need you here, Nix.." he says softly. "I need you by my side.. just like you promised, all those years ago.. do you remember that? We were chained together, we lost the key to the handcuffs we were wearing, and had to spend a week stuck together in them.. it was a great experience, it brought us closer together, and I learnt so many things about you. Like your fear of the dark, and how you always wear socks to bed, even when it's really really hot. One night, I was struggling to sleep because I had a nightmare that you would leave me.. that everyone would leave me. You kissed my forehead and told me you would never leave me, no matter what. You promised that even in the afterlife, we would still be together." Rune breathes in a shaky breath and rubs his aching heart.

"You promised you would never leave me.. and even when things seem lost, all I needed to do was remember your name.." he says softly.

"Phoenix.. I'll never forget you.. for as long as I live, you will be a permanent factor in my life, just as you would have been before this incident." Rune says softly.

"Goodbye, my greatest best friend in the whole wide world. I love you, and I will miss you dearly until the day I die and join you in the afterlife." Rune finishes as tears tumble down his stained cheeks like a waterfall.

With a loud sniffle and a hoarsely whispered last 'goodbye Phoenix', Rune slowly limps his way back home.

***

After a couple of hours, Rune arrives home, exhausted, depressed, lonely, dirty and in pain.

Rune's broken foot and torn arm muscle could not be compared to the pain he was burdened with in his heart and mind.

The loss of his greatest best friend, severely damaged his heart, and watching his best friend dying, severely damaged his mind.

Rune limps to the front door of his family's house, but he can't find the motivation to knock.

He sits down on the step and a new flow of tears trail down his cheeks slowly.

"Phoenix should be here with me.." he thinks.

"Even when all seems lost, just remember my name." Phoenix's voice echoes in Rune's mind, causing his tears to flow much more strongly, cascading down his dirty, bloody cheeks.

Rune stands up and rings the doorbell, while attempting to pull himself back together to no avail.

Suddenly, the door swings open and Rune's mother's voice pierces his ears when she shrieks in horror at the sight before her.

"Oh my god.. Rune?? What happened??" She asks, quickly pulling him into her arms and hugging him tightly.

"P-Phoenix.." he chokes out, but that's all he can bring himself to say.

Rune's mother holds his face gently and checks him for wounds.

"Rune-baby, tell me what happened, talk to mummy?" She says in her best calming voice, even though she's shakier than a leaf and thinking of the worst scenarios.

"G-gone.." is all Rune can mutter before breaking down into loud, agony filled sobs.

His mother purses her lips worriedly and holds her trembling son's form, unsure of what to make of what he has just informed her off, but knowing it's nothing good.

"Rune's barely cried since he was only a little toddler.." she thinks to herself. "but to see him cry so much.. what he tells me must be true.. Phoenix.. is gone..?" 

"Where is he gone, baby?" She asks gently, rubbing his back in soothing motions that don't seem to be doing anything to comfort her son.

"H-heaven..." Rune hiccups before launching into another series of heart wrenching sobs.

Rune's mother tears up at his words, but her mind runs blank on what to say next.

"How did that happen?" She wondered, "and why is it destroying my son so much? Was he really that close with Phoenix? It seems so.. Rune would never cry this much for just anyone.."

"Oh my god..." she whispers softly. "We.. we have to tell his parents, Rune.."

He just nods, though she doesn't think he was actually listening.

"We'll tell them in person tomorrow. They think he's staying here tonight, I don't want to worry them more.." she says softly.

"That's a bad idea." Is all Rune can think to himself as another series of heart breaking sobs leave his poor raw throat and echo around them, not as well as by the mountain, but just enough..

"Remember my name.." Phoenix's voice echoes softly in Rune's mind, calming his raging thoughts, if only slightly.

"I will.. always.." he thinks.