Author's Note: In case it is not obvious the tone of this piece should be read as 'sarcastic' and apologies to the Challenge creator as I blantantly ignored the written instructions.

No offense to your process - I merely had a sudden burst of fan frustration.

Kill all your darlings

Don't leave them alive

Slice off their heads

Plunge in the knives

Drive them to madness

Drown them in sin

Maim, stone, torture

Let the suffering begin

And if they're a woman?

Of course there'll be rape

Hunt each lovely down

Don't let any escape

Because pain equals growth!

That must be the way

Thoughtful, quiet living

Never once saved the day

'Tis far better to end them

Let their one shot be it

They're a means to an end

However you see fit

Gods forbid they live on

No one loves an old sap

So kill all your darlings

And don't ever look back

Jessica lunged, burying her sword deeply in the soldier's stomach, wincing as she felt something cut into the back of her leather armour. She whirled around, and quickly ended the offender.

She motioned her men to move forward, entering the next stage of the seige. Queen Bloodshed's terrible reign would end today. Jess wouldn't let her terrorize the world anymore, that was for sure.

She froze when she heard a cry of pain in a familer voice. Her heart went cold, and she rushed in the direction of the voice.

She saw a few soldiers who were still alive, huddled around the unmoving body of a man with steel-blue hair. Tideus.

"Oh no you don't!" Jessica yelled, throwing caution to the wind as she saw the danger her loved one was in.

She tossed her sword to the ground, and used her magic to break the necks of the soldiers. Normally, she wouldn't have the will-power to fuel that much magic, but love does crazy things.

Still fuming, she motioned her men to keep moving, continue the mission, as she kicked the bodies aside. Bloodshed could wait, she was more concerned about the amount of slivery blood on the cobblestone around Tideus.

She knelt down, and rolled his body over. He was still breathing, but it was shallow.

"Tideus," she gently smacked his face. "Get up. I can't bring down Bloodshed on my own."

His strikingly blue eyes focused on her, and he let out a chuckle.

"I don't think I'll be able to help, sorry love."

Jess smacked him harder. "Don't give me that! You promised me we would get married, and live at the foot of the mountain, with your little sister! Are you really going to break your promise to me?!" she asked, shaking.

Tideus' large hand weakly grabbed Jessica's small, calloused one.

"You'll be fine without me. I think I was holding you back, anyway," he reassured.

Jess wasn't convinced. "You weren't! if it wasn't for you, we would've never gotten this far!"

Tears fell down her cheeks. The facade that she had held for years had finally crumbled.

"I love you, Jess. Take care of Alume. Please, take care of her... Keep my sister safe..." he mumbled, before his eyes went blank.

Jessica stared at Tideus's body with wide eyes. He was gone. Really gone. Nothing could bring him back.

"NO!" The young woman shrieked. She grabbed her hair, clutching so tightly to her braids that it hurt. The braids Tideus had done for her before they had started the seige.

"NO! Nononono!" She repeated, over and over again. "The one person who truly loved me...."

She wiped her eyes. Crying wouldn't fix anything.

Her resolve hardened as she got back on her feet. Bloodshed would pay. They ALL would.

The streets would run red with the blood of the queen and her followers before the moon even rose.