"You dirty little bastard!"

My mind flickers, sounds going through one ear and out the other. A pulse fluttering through my head.

"Don't you know everything you did? All the lives, of my citizens, you ended!"

"Not too mention the horrible grief you dragged Jesse through!"

"So just get out! You don't deserve to be here!"

My lungs refuse to breathe any faster, my eyelids too heavy to lift. Weary energy wavering throughout my body, not caring enough around me to pay attention. Letting the words slip by me as I just focus on living. I don't have any extra energy to give.

"I promised-"

"So freakin' what? That doesn't excuse any of the things you've done!"

The weak crackly voice gains my attention for a moment before it's squashed by someone's anger. Drifts of urgency and fear and terror and panic and grief whispering into my head. My attention tries to ignore it, focusing on my dull heart. The muscles broken and shattered inside me, burnt skin, broken bones and flesh torn apart. I don't have any extra energy to give to pointless emotions.

"We didn't mean to-"

"Well that doesn't change the fact my citizens are homeless because of you, if they survived from your demon problem!"

"Please-"

"No!" That voice catches me, it's different from the others. It's... the emotions that crackle and snap, they're intensified in my ears. Even then though, I don't have any extra energy to give. I have to focus on breathing. "Don't you know what you've done? Everything you've caused- all of it- don't... Don't you dare play innocent here; that you're hands were bound!"

Wisps of emotion, begging for attention, call out to me. They beg for me to do something, that I must do something. I can't just do nothing, but how can I do something? My body can't handle it, I know it. I don't even want to spend energy on my memory, I can feel my life so delicate in my fingers. Already so many cracks in it, already crumbling, anything else and it'll shatter. I don't have any extra energy to put anywhere else.

That voice cries out again, chaotic without the fury that grounds the others. "You broke Jesse! Everything you did, he blamed himself for it! All the consequences and conflicts you made, he bore the responsibility! He couldn't even sustain his own life! And now who knows when he'll wake up! If he wakes up at all!"

The urge to peel my eyes open grows, emotions and memories beckoning me to them. The past days, which hurt to even think about, unfolding through my mind. I did a lot things wrong, people I couldn't save, people that died when my only intention was to save them. I burnt out all my energy though, I can't give anymore. I couldn't give them anymore.

"So whatever you have to say..." Grief and pain lace through the words, and despite knowing I shouldn't, that I can't, I try to move. "I don't want to hear it, I don't care if you have all the answers to the questions we asked. That doesn't matter, not when our friend is dying and you even said there's nothing we can do now."

My tongue twitches, I'm definitely going to need some water, as I try to force myself up more. Come on Jesse, it's time to get up now. Even if it's just for a bit, just stir life back up again. You can rest later, just get the ball rolling.

"Death doesn't like me, keeps rejecting me." My whisper penetrates the silence, crackling and straining as my lungs work harder just for that wisp of sound. "To be fair, I don't like it either."

"Jesse!" Lots of voices cry out at the same time, my lips twitching up as I try to get my eyes open. My strength already buckling at the simple demands I'm making, but I gotta get up. Okay, physically standing might still be out of reach, but I can open my eyes.

"Oh Jesse, you did it. Not one demon has gotten into Beacontown and all the Redstonians here are recovering wonderfully. Ivor's even been helping everyone heal up." Olivia's utter relief begs for more attention, and the groggy seal over my eyes breaks.

Axel laughs, almost delirious to my ears. "Oh dude, you will not believe-"

I blink my eyes open, Axel suddenly dropping off. Things are a bit blurry, a bit of hair in my eyes, but not terrible. Although do I really want to know why I'm seeing five pairs of wide eyes staring down at me? Maybe since I'm up, I should go back down again. They know I'm alive, I can huddle back down into sleep.

Lukas recovers first, a sad smile as he brushes some of the hair out of my eyes. "Jesse? How do you feel?"

I gulp, my dry mouth not exactly wanting to have conversations right now. "Thirsty."

Ivor blinks himself out of it, vanishing for a moment as the three others just stare at me, before reappearing with a glass of water. Lukas gently lifting my head and takes the glass before bringing it to my mouth. Where my body rejoices at having the beautiful liquid again, it feels like ages since I've had anything to drink. Water is truly the greatest. Nothing beats it.

Olivia, blurry to my strained eyes, puts another pillow behind me, dumbly moving as she stares at me, and Lukas lowers me back on it. There's something about them, why are the all acting so weird? I know I probably look terrible, but that shouldn't be surprising.

Petra clears her throat. "But do you feel funky at all? Maybe a little off... or uh...."

"Cold." Ivor pipes up, Petra apparently at a loss of words. "Maybe you notice something off, or not there?"

"Huh?" I don't think so, I feel like I've destroyed myself. That my body has been scarred and thrashed to unbearable points, and I don't have much energy to do anything. But I don't feel cold. Unless the screaming urge to sleep counts.

My stomach cramps and folds up, a groan boiling out of me. When was the last time I ate? I'm starving! Water and food, wow, I really must've been pushing it with my fire. I don't think I've EVER felt so ravenous before! And that's saying a lot. Too bad I'm out of fire right now, so hungry.

"Food? Please."

Axel jolts to life at my almost nonexistence whisper, stumbling out of the door. "Okay, yeah, I'm on it. I'll make soup or something for ya pal."

"I um..." Olivia's eyes flicker to Lukas and me, stress and fear fostering and growing all over her. "I think I'll go back out into town again, make sure everything's running fine, c-care to join me Petra?"

Shock wraps around my head, which is getting exhausted again despite the short time I've been awake, when Petra nods distantly as she mumbles. "Yeah... think I'd be better help out there."

The two girls rise, which gives me a good view at the other two. I've been told their names, can't remember through this fog slowly settling down on me, but I feel awkward with them here now. They surely look awkward to be here too.

I open my mouth to ask Petra to take the away, but they already left. Oof, I'm slowing down. But it doesn't seem I'm super needed right now. The demons are being held off for the moment and the citizens are doing good, it's not a terrible thing if I just drifted off again. Right? I just don't have much energy at all, barely enough to keep me awake now. Do I really need to be out there?

"So..." It's a good thing it's so silent, or else it would be impossible to hear me right now. "How long was I out?"

Lukas inhales, but Ivor beat him to it. "Two and a half days."

A jolt of alarm goes through me, and it just as quickly leaves. Man, I must've been, still am, exhausted. I suppose everything's doing alright though, and I could extend that amount. Not by too much, just a wee nap. Won't hurt anything. Things still aren't great, but nothing terrible will happen if I just ooze down into unconsciousness. Let me sleep again, recover.

"Hey Jesse?" My eyes flicker over to Lukas, and while the others are still in shock it seems, he has this air of sadness to him, his words incredibly soft. "You really aren't cold? Does anything hurt? Do you need a potion of healing?"

As if in response, my stomach gurgles at me, but it's kinda hard to feel pain right now. To be fair, it's kinda hard to feel anything at the moment, another reason why sleep is such a alluring idea. I know if I sleep then the mending countless injuries I've managed to gain over the past week could finally heal. But I really don't feel cold, why are they asking?

"Not cold, potion please."

"I'll get on that." Ivor stands, but he pauses in front of the other two, growling viciously at them. "As for you two, come with me. I would like a word."

There's a slight pang of pity for them, but it's soon lost to the fog. Once I get something to eat, my stomach one of the big reasons I'm still awake, I'm sure Lukas won't mind if I fall back asleep. Although I still don't know why everyone was shocked, perhaps he could tell me. What's with being concerned if I'm cold? I might not have any energy, but that doesn't make me freezing cold.

"Why?" I lick my lips, feeling incredibly weak as my lungs have to work harder so I can produce a mere whisper. "Why is everyone so shocked?"

Lukas sighs, the sadness around him, the grief, almost suffocating. "Your eyes Jesse, that's why."

Lukas lets his soft words go, his face falling. I'm still a bit curious though, and my stomach really doesn't want me to sleep without eating. Besides, what's the worse that can be happening with my eyes? They've glowed, turned yellow and blue, and have even been mixture of those things. It can't be that bad.

"What's wrong then?"

"They're..." His own eyes flutter shut, a sigh blowing through his nose. "You're eyes are gray Jesse, only the faintest traces of green left."

I blink, but ultimately shrug it off. Why would the others be so sad about this? My eye color changes pretty rapidly. No biggie, although it doesn't seem like Lukas has come to the same conclusion.

"Hey, don't be so down. It's probably because of the brunt spirit thing, I'll heal and my eyes will go back to normal." That was a lot words for my lungs, but Lukas's suffocating sadness has lifted just that much. At least I did something rather than stew in this misery before falling back asleep.

"Do you really think so? But you're not cold-" His eyebrows scrunch together, lips pursed in thought. "Actually, we can test this. No more moping around."

His hands, arms, his whole body begins to tremble the closer he brings his hands to the end of my shirt. He must want to look at the mark, but why does he look so worried. I wish I could figure it out, but, I don't know, the answer just isn't coming.

Lukas huffs, and although it took him time for him to bring his hands there, he quite violently just pushes the shirt open as if he can't wait any longer to see. I just hope that for whatever reason seeing the fire mark will calm him down.

A strangled cry bursts from Lukas as he whips his hands back, gasping and giving me a chance to see... a huge scar on my chest. In the shape of what was once the fire mark.

It's gone.

"I knew it." I drag my eyes to Lukas, his mouth muffled with his hands while his blue eyes sparkle. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. I felt it, I felt it and I tried to ignore it. You- I guess even that fire couldn't keep up with you huh?"

"No, guess not."

I'm not sure what I should be feeling, or if I should be concerned that I'm not feeling much of anything. No wonder I can barely move, or that my thoughts are just kinda coasting on topics not too important. It's only my body providing energy, and well... I pretty much trashed my body. Multiple times. I'm not cold and I have no energy, my fire's gone.

Suppressed sobs lurch inside of Lukas. "I'm sorry Jesse, I- I should have done something, anything, to make sure you couldn't be possessed. I should've-"

"It's not your fault." Consciousness begins to wear thin again, even with the hunger, although I do need to eat. That's so painfully obvious now. "But do me favor?"

"Yeah... yeah of course, anything." Lukas's sadness drifts in my mind, Lukas is still devastated. I don't want him to be sad, he doesn't deserve that. But it's just so hard to keep my eyes open.

"Two actually. Just be happy, because it's still not your fault. And, if the soup is edible, please try to give that and the potion to me when I'm asleep."

A distorted chuckle hiccups out of him. "Yeah, okay, I'll check Axel's cooking for you."

"Thanks." I smile, a small thing, but I let sleep spring up. It only takes a few seconds for it to ensnare my thoughts and feelings, covering it all up in darkness.

****

So, if I told you ended it here, would you be mad? Since it does kinda seem out of no where compared to the action last scene, so I can understand that. But hey, this was the original point where I was going to end things. Now, now there's too many loose ends for me to want to do that. SO, not happening.

Anyway, happy or sad about the loss of the fire? It wasn't inherently good or evil, since whenever it did anything it was just a... physical intensification of Jesse's feelings and instincts. Some parts got really intense, but if it wasn't for the fire, Jesse would kinda sorta be dead right now.

So thoughts? I'd be happy to hear your opinions on it, if you want share that is.

Man, I'm just kinda rambling down here in my author's note, aren't I? The chapter's kinda short, important and short, so I feel like I have the room to ramble a bit. Well, rambled. I'm out of things to say now.

I guess that's it then, since even with his fire gone now, Jesse's problems haven't exactly gone away yet. See you next week with that chapter!