A Change of a Lifetime

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat!” Alec yelled. Maybe the world depended on it, he wouldn’t let her do it.

“Come on, Alec, I can’t be selfish. I could save millions, billions even! All for one person’s life. ME! You would want the same.” Maybe she had a point. If the roles were reversed, he would have gone in without a second thought, not caring about anyone else’s thoughts. And once, the roles were reversed, but now… Screw the prophecy. Just some random words spewed out of a random persons mouth. It didn’t change anything. He would not lose her, no matter how cheesy that sounded. He would not.

5 days earlier (and after the drama)

No. Alec could not believe it. After all the prepping and expectations but… Emilia. He turned his head, slowly, remorsefully, to look at the new champion. Well not new, it was her all along. They just didn’t know. Those blue eyes, crystal, almost icy, stared back at him, with understanding and longing.

“Emilia…” he said. Then, with understanding, he launched himself at his master. His guider, advisor, most trustworthy friend.

“Amir! How… could… YOU!” He got a good two punches in before Ramon and Emilia pulled him off.

Watching as he struggled and yelled, frothing at the mouth, Ramon restrained his friend. While he understood his rage, he also understood that the lives of 7 billion trumped the life of one. If that made him a terrible person, he did not care, for there were people he cared about too. His little sister was at home, worrying about nothing worse than her homework. She was only nine and deserved to live, and while Emilia deserved to live too, so did Hannah. He would do anything for his family and everyone else’s family.

“Alec! Calm down! Calm down, it’s ok. Amir probably had his reasons,” he said, pointedly looking at his mentor. “Right, Amir.” He looked guiltily down at the floor. There was something he wasn’t telling them.

“Wait, you didn’t know, did you?”

Amir looked sheepishly up at his students. While prophecies were easy to understand, they could only be deciphered at certain times. How was he supposed to know the champion was Emilia not Alec! Alec, who was almost calmed down (to a degree) rebounded with another wave of anger. Amir did not flinch. Sheepishly, he looked to Emilia. Though he said nothing, his look said everything. Sorry I didn’t know, sorry you didn’t get the actual attention you deserved, sorry we couldn’t prepare, sorry, sorry, sorry. To her credit, Emilia was taking it rather well, despite the injustices she had suffered and was yet to suffer. Next, he looked at Ramon. Such a great student, understanding. He knew that he couldn’t let his sister die, not after he failed his older sister. Such a sad story, the case of Melanie. Her suicide was not his fault, yet he blamed himself. Now all he could do was protect Hannah. Amir understood. While he cared for all his students equally, he acknowledged that the rest of the world deserved to be saved if only at the cost of one life. After all, they were going to let Alec take the blow, why was Emilia so different? He knew the answer of course, but it was easier to ignore it. Finally, he gazed into Alec’s eyes, anger burning behind them, fiercer than a thousand suns. But behind the anger, was betrayal. His strongest student fell apart on the floor, right in front of him.

“Alec…” Amir began.

“Don’t Alec me,” he choked out. “Amir… I trusted you.” Instead of continuing, he just closed his eyes and sat. No tears left to cry.

Emilia watched as her friends and mentor argued and broke down, not saying a word. She felt betrayed and scared but still, she knew something needed to be done. Alec had been trained his whole life training to be the champion of the prophecy, memorising the words, the part, preparing for eventual death. Along with her best friend and eventually lover, she also memorised the words.

A champion born. Child of Susan, born March 10^th will defeat the Salvatore, sacrificing limb and life to save the lives of all.

She touched her prosthetic leg absent minded. Very basic and straight forward. But only yesterday they had found out her mothers name and birthday. Both had been mystery’s before. Orphaned and left outside Amir’s doorstep, she was raised by her mentor. She watched as Alec was raised, peppered with gifts and every desire, preparing for the day he would die. Emilia lived in the background, supporting him but never receiving the same treatment. She was fine, she loved her life, though it would end. Was she scared? Of course, terrified. She was never prepared to the same extent as Alec. She might not want to die, but she understood she needed to. The only one not with the program was Alec. Years raised believing he would be the champion, down the drain. All in a day. One sentence. “Emilia, you’re the Champion.” Once Alec cried himself to sleep, Amir and Ramon left the room, and Emilia slept with him.

When he awoke, Alec didn’t move immediately. He was aware of a weight on him. Curled next to him was Emilia. He thought how he received the attention, the training, the spotlight. Now, no one will know it was her who would save the world. Then it hit, with a sickening squelch to his stomach. How selfish he was being! Emilia was probably terrified and he was acting like a selfish baby. He would protect her at all costs. She would not die. They would find another way. But, the little annoying voice in the back of his head, the one that if he met he would kill, said ‘for the lives of the world, she needs to go.’

Present Day and about two hours later, Villain’s (Salvatore) lair

The first half of the plan worked great. They broke into Salvatore’s lair without a hitch. They all knew what was coming. They found the main hall, throne room. In were the most guards they’d ever seen. And at the throne, Salvatore sat upon his throne, all righteous and terrible.

“Ah, my friends! It feels so long since I saw you guys! I haven’t defeated you since, hmm… last week?” Salvatore cackled to himself. “Little blonde girl, how’s the leg? It’s slimed down a lot! HA!”

Alec growled.

“Awww, did I upset the champion? Did I hurt his girlfriend?” he pouted and mocked. Then the fighting began. Alec started rampaging, slashing at every soldier that came his way, spending no more than half a minute on each. Ramon killed almost as many and the others sent with them fought valiantly. But no matter how many were killed, more just filed in. Emilia new that Alec wanted to prevent her death no matter what, but it seemed that they were losing. She snuck to the back of the throne, hoping not to be spotted by Alec. However, to her dismay, just as she was almost there, he noticed. He fought with double the ferocity of before, clearing a path to the throne. Salvatore looked amused and was prepping himself to stand up and fight dramatically. He was distracted. Maybe the prophecy was just metaphorical. If his attention remained at bay, she could live! She almost made it, too. She was preparing for the final blow when something tipped him off. Alec was looking at her. Following his gaze, Salvatore saw Emilia. Damn you, Alec, Emilia thought. Alec realised to late what he had done. Squelching and a scream. Two sets of blood dripped together, flowing very fast. All at once, everyone stopped but it would not have mattered to Alec. He ran towards Emilia as two thunks resounded around the hall.

“Emilia, I’m sorry, I’m so, so, sorry,” he said, holding the slowly paling girl in his arms.

“Alec, it’s alright. It was you or me. Either way, I’m at peace. The world is safe, you are safe, everyone is safe,” she murmured, reassuringly. Still, he cried. His tears, made small swirling pools amongst the blood.

“Come on, don’t talk like that, you’ll be fine.”

“Yes, I will be fine. It’s you I’m worried about.” It was then that he realised, even in her last moments, she was helping him. She had always been there for him, always comforted him. When he thought he was going to die, he had been prepared. Everyone had supported him. She had been bullied, and punished and unjustly hated. Oh, how the roles were changed and she had never got what she deserved.

“I’ll be fine. I’m so, so, so sorry. If it weren’t for me… if it weren’t for…” he trailed off.

“Oh, Alec, it’s not your fault. It was prophesised. Not your fault… not your…”

He wept, cried, sobbed. His best friend, Ramon, tried pulling him off the corpse.

“No…no,” he choked out.

“Come on buddy, it’s ok.” Alec thought of everything everyone had done for him and how she… she had deserved so much better. Eventually they got him off her and out of the lair. Eventually. Eventually.