40 An Orphanage A Flame

Diana ran as fast as she could up the unsteady and already a flame staircase fire licking at her boots. As her hair flows like a river it just barely misses the flames trying to ignite it.

As she reached the landing her legs buckled beneath her causing her to fall to the ground coughing hard.

'Damnit the smokes getting me sooner then I expected,' she thought 'but I can't stop now, no one deserves this, I won't let the children left in here die.'

Staggering to her feet she ran towards the sixth door to on her right covering her nose and mouth with her left hand. Without thinking Diana gripped the door handle with her right "Ahhhhhh!"

'It feels like I'm holding the fire itself,' Diana thought as her hand recoiled burn mark's seared into her hand. 'Only one thing to do then,' she thought as she backed up. Before barreling into the door making it burst into splinters.

Inside huddled by the window hankerchiefs to their noses and mouths she found two sets of twins one set of boys the other of girls. Tears streaming down their faces.

"It's ok," Diana said hand over her mouth and nose "I'm here to get you out your safe now."

"Really?" the shorter girl with pigtails asked.

"Really, but first I need to know if theres anyone else here," she replied.

"T-theres only two babies left there on the third floor as far as we know everyone else got out," the taller boy with circular glasses replied.

"Ok then let's get you out of here," Diana replied.

"But my sister can't walk," the pigtails girl replied as Diana looked she saw a burn on the girls left leg.

"Ok then help her onto my back," Diana instructed bending down, in less then two minutes the girl was on Dianas back gripping tight. As Diana held out her hands the two boys gripping her right causing rivers of pain to shoot up her arm and the little girl grabbing tightly to her left.

They took of down the corridor as pain surged through her leg, her hair just missing the grip of the flames as smoke filled her lungs. Dianas eyes becoming teary from all the smoke.

"Are you okay?" the girl gripping to her back asked as Diana kept coughing while they ran down the stairs.

"Yes I'm fine," she replied as they reached the door she saw the others holding Alex and Liam back but as they approached she saw the two men break free and run towards them. "You three, see those men running towards us?" she asked and they all nodded back "run to them as fast as you can."

They let go of her hands and ran towards them Alex continued towards Dians as they ran towards Liam.

She heard the door frame cracking from the flames as they engulfed it like a ravenous beast devouring its meal.

'There's not enough time,' she thought 'Unless....'

"Do you trust me?" Dians asked the little girl turning her so she was now infront of Diana's face.

"Yes, absolutely!" she replied.

"Ok then," Diana replied "I need you to let go of my neck," as she said this Diana removed her arms "ALEX!" Diana called over her shoulder, grabbing his attention.

"CATCH!" after that she threw the little girl at him just as the door frame cracked she leapt backwards Alex catching the girl in his arms.

"DIANA!" they all called out.

Without another word she took off running up the stairs coughing and wheezing with every step tears stinging her eyes like acid.

An electric pain shooting through Dianas right leg from the arrow wound on her thigh. Just as she reached the last step she lost her footing hitting the ground hard.

'I can't stop...' she thought with determination coughing harder and harder. Curling into a ball as pain surged through her body her throat burning as Dians eyes stung from the tears at their edges threatening to spill.

'I'm so sorry Alex I can't keep going, I can't move.' Diana thought 'I've let you down I can't save anyone I'm so, so sorry.'

Just as she was about to give up Diana saw Alex' ruby eyes ,hotter then the fire closing in around her, piercing through her entire being.

"Your not like anyone else I've ever met. You throw yourself into battle to protect others no matter the risk to your own life." Alex' words resonating harder then anything else alongside his ruby eyes.

'I can't give up now, I can't let any of them down not now, not after I've come so far. Especially not Alex, he was the only one to believe in me when no one else would,' Diana thought.Clawing herself up from the floor, sweat flowing down her as the fire moved in.

The sound of babies crying filling her ears as she limped over to the door. Slamming into it with as much strength as she could muster and sending splinters flying. Coughing profusely she stumbled over to two cots which stand side by side where two babies lay. One rapped in a sky blue blanket, light brown hair beginning to grow, his ebony eyes full of tears running like a river. In the cot to his right rapped in a cotton candy pink blanket is a baby girl tiny ginger curls growing from her scalp. Hazel eyes full of panic, tears running like waterfalls down her cheeks.

"It's ok little one's I'm here now," Diana said gently trying her best to smile as she picked them up one in each arm.

'We can't get out the door so the only way left is the window,' Diana thought 'but from this height I'd need someone their to catch me.'

"I'm just going to have to trust someone will be there," Diana said allowed as the floor began to break beneath her and the ceiling began to cave in. "No time left," she ran over to the closest window covering the babies heads, from the smoke and to make sure no glass hits them, she kicked the window with her good leg.

"Please be there," Diana wished jumping through the cracked window. Back facing the ground to protect the babies as they fell the wind surrounding them. The orphanage falling down flames burning high into the sky.

Squeezing her eyes shut as she hugged the babies close to her chest. Dianas hair flying around her covered in dirt and soot and she doubts she looks any better then her hair. Exhaustion trying to drag her into its abyss 'No, not yet not until their safe!'

Just as she braced herself to hit the ground believing this was the end and her dream would die with her. Waiting for the pain to surge through her....but it never came.

Instead Diana felt herself fall into someone's arms strong and steady around her. Refusing to let go she'd never felt anyone hold her with such care as if wanting to keep her safe and protected to shield her from the world. At the same time knowing they can't keep her away from it all and yet still wanting to find a way to protect her from all the pain shes ever felt. No one's ever held her like this before. Never made her feel so safe.

A warmth flooding through her chest like nothing she'd ever known before. Slowly Dianas eyes began to open to see his eyes boring into hers.

"You recklace idiot," he berated a slight smile at the edge of his lips as he held Diana closer.

"I-I saved t-them all...." she said smiling up at him.

"Yeah, yeah you did." he agreed smiling down at her as the last walls of the orphanage came crashing down sparks flying all around them.

"DIANA!" she heard them all yell as they galloped towards them tears in their eyes.

"You idiot!" Maddy cried.

"Your so stupid!" Crystall seathed tears streaming down her face.

"You haven't changed at all," Liam commented.

"N-not true," Diana coughed.

"Oh yeah tell me then, how have you changed?" Liam dared.

"Isn't it obvious? I have friends now," she replied.

"Jerk!" Kylo blurted starting to cry.

"You can't just say that after you made us worry like that!" Hunter cried.

"I think you hit your head," Liam joked.

"Shut it," Diana shot back, before coughing harder in Alex' arms.

"Diana! Are you alright?" Alex asked moving her so she's in a sitting position.

"I-I'm...." before she finished she began coughing again ".....fine....."

"No one here believes you for a minute." Hunter commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Here, let us take them." Crystal said as she and Maddy took one of the babies each.

"We'll go take them over to get checked up," Maddy said as she and Crystal took off.

"H-how are the other c-children?" Diana asked trying to catch her breath.

"They were fine when we left but we'll go check on them now," Hunter replied as he and Kylo took off to check.

"I'm going to go check on the orphanage staff and then on Luna," Liam informed "take care of her."

"I won't let anything happen to her," Alex promised as Liam rode off. Diana curled up closer to Alex, as she began to start coughing harder.

"Sssshhhhhh it's ok," he whispered as he rubbed her back gently. "You really don't have any concern for your own well being if it means you can save someone else, do you?"

"I'd r-rather save them at m-my expense then let them s-suffer," Diana replied as she started coughing slightly again.

"Here," Alex said taking the lid off his water flask that he grabbed out of Solis's satchel.

"Thanks," Diana replied reaching out her shaking hand burn marks seeming deeper then before.

Alex carefully put her hand back down on her lap holding her back "Open your mouth," Alex instructed and instead of arguing she just did as she's told, to tired to fight back.

Alex poured the water into Diana's mouth slowly, giving her a chance to swallow it. "Is that enough?"

"Yeah," Diana replied curling up closer to him.

Ripping off a piece of his top Alex poured water onto it and lightly cleaned the burns on Dianas right hand "Ahhhh," she hissed.

"Sorry, I know it hurts." Alex apologised before rapping her hand in another slice of his ripped top.

"Its fine," she replied.

"That should be good for now you'll need to get it seen to when we get back though,"

"Sure," Diana agreed but she can tell Alex guessed she probably won't, he'll probably drag her there later.

"Hold on," Alex said before he kicked Solis' side after awhile they ran into Hunter and Kylo "I'm going to take Diana back to the castle, can you tell the others?"

"Sure thing, we'll help out here as much as possible." Hunter replied.

"Yeah, we'll tell the others and then when we're done we'll bring Luna back to the castle for you," Kylo agreed.

"Thanks, I'll send some more knights here to help once we get back," Alex replied.

"Thanks," Kylo smiled back.

"Be safe on your way back," Hunter warned.

"Ok, but you better be safe as well," Alex replied before heading to the palace, coughing slightly Diana curled closer to Alex' chest.

"I'm so tired...." she mumbled.

"Then get some sleep, I won't leave your side until you wake up." Alex promised and Diana's heart began to melt.

Slowly she let sleep take her but unlike all the other times she feels safe and protected as if a veil has been put over her shielding her from all her hurt and pain.