I have made this AU so elaborate but I have such little written for it. What I do have sure is something. Although this went out of hand as I wrote it. Apparently.
The end of 3rd Life just hits harder in this AU and I just couldn’t resist.
In Avian courting, gifting your partner a feather is one of the biggest declarations ever. “I want to be life mates” kind of big. So the person receiving it either rejecting or accepting it is a huge deal.
As Scar, BDubs, and Grian make their way to BigB’s house, he gently runs a hand over the feather on his necklace. The red life in him only craves destruction, no matter what it hurts, even more now with so many dead. But Scar’s heart forces those desires away, forces away any thoughts of harming a certain avian.
Scar loves Grian, loves him way more then one should in these kinds of games, and, if the feather hanging around his neck means what Grian says it does, he feels the same way.
Scar can already hear the faint chants of blood from those who died. He swallows nervously and looks at Grian who’s confidently leading them. He looks at BDubs, holding the clock in one hand, and his sword in the other. This can only end one way.
Doing this will hurt more then anything before, worse then the creeper, worse then falling into a ravine. They reach BigB’s house as Scar starts his plans. The No Kill Pass is gone, Scar looks over at BDubs, that leaves them with one choice.
Scar looks down at the No Kill Pass in his hands, then up to Grian and BDubs. Grian stares at him, panic edging the desperation in his eyes, the fear. BDubs stares at him, red eyes glinting with chaos and bloodlust.
Scar forces his voice to stay even as he directs the other two, he hates even thinking of this, but it’ll make the end easier. He throws the paper out, keeping his voice even and without emotion.
He hates the betrayal in Grian’s eyes when he blocks Scar’s slash at him even worse. The betrayal quickly changes to anger, sparking with the same strength as red lives have, just like he always was capable of.
Much to Scar’s surprise, Grian only pushes him back, before turning on Bdubs. Scar lets himself stagger back, surprised that Grian isn’t willing to kill him. Scar watches him die to Bdubs’ hand, the sick feeling in him worsening.
Now Grian will want him dead.
The red life energy was always in Grian before, but now that he is a red life? He’ll be unstoppable.
Scar touches Grian’s feather again, heart hurting over what could have been. Maybe in another world they could be together, but only death resides here.
Scar follows Bdubs, silent. He doesn’t have much to say, he knows what’s going to happen. BDubs and him will die, that’s how it’s going to be.
Scar never really cared about winning, turning red made him want to win, of course, but all he really cared about in the end was Grian. The only thing that really mattered to Scar is Grian. Even now.
Scar can see how this will go, Grian will find and attack them. Scar will make sure Bdubs doesn’t kill Grian again, no matter how it happens. And Grian will kill Scar, unaccustomed to ignoring the call of a red life as Scar is. The anger from his betrayal will help with that. Stop him from hesitating.
Scar forces his pace to stay steady, it will hurt less this way.
Even as he claims that’s how it will end, a small voice in his mind is whispering that Grian couldn’t kill him, not again. Scar hates to admit it has a point.
Scar gently picks up the feather, holding it by the quill in his hand. There is one surefire way to get Grian to fully turn against him, one where there won’t be any hesitation.
No matter how much Scar wants this to end easier for Grian, he can never do something like that. He would rather rip his own heart out. He sets the feather down, letting it rest against his chest again. Grian giving him the feather means way to much to him, to both of them. He can’t ruin that.
Scar just wants this to end soon.
Scar looks around the cactus ring, empty handed. So much for all of his plans and hopes.
Grian cares way too much about him. Normally that thought would make him ecstatic, but with the voices whispering right into their ears, it only hurts.
When Scar meets Grian’s eyes, he can see his pain mirror in them. Why did it come down to this? Why does it have to come down to this?
Scar doesn’t fight back when the ghosts say go. He throws punches, sure, but not enough to do anything. Not enough to help him survive, to help him win. He doesn’t care about any of that. All he cares about is that he can’t bring himself to kill the avian he loves so dearly.
Through all his painful planning, Scar never once thought about how much pain Grian would go through from killing him. Maybe he should have as he watches Grian throw himself off the cliff, unable to continue living after killing the man he loves. Choosing death over finding out what happens because he won.
Despite Scar knowing he would never consider himself winning the game if Grian wasn’t there, he never thought Grian would feel the same.
As he watches Grian’s despair as a ghost, he realizes that he never once thought about how Grian would feel about any of this.
Maybe he was the selfish one.
And now he can’t even make it up to him.