EPISODE NINE
the piggyback.

SHE WOKE up to herself being carried somewhere, she knew it was vecna, however she was too tired and slightly weak to move.

he dropped her on the floor against the window, using his powers to have the vines lift her up into the air, her body was limp and she could barely open her eyes.

"papa is dead!" eleven called out, vecna turned to her with a dark look. "i know what he did to you. you were different. like me. and he hurt you. he made you...into this. he is the monster, henry. not you."

"you're right. you and i, we are different. and papa did hurt me. but he was no monster. he was just a man. an ordinary, mediocre man. that is why he sought greatness in others. in you. and me. hmm?" he reached up to wipe a tear from eleven cheek.

"but in the end...he could not control us. he could not shape us. he could not change us! do you not see, eleven? he did not make me into this. you did." he spoke and eleven widened her eyes.

"at first, i believed you had sent me to my death. to purgatory. but i was wrong. i was somewhere new. i became an explorer. an explorer of a realm unspoiled by mankind. i saw so many things...and one day, i found the most extraordinary thing of all. something that would change everything." he began to explained as eleven watched with wide eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"i saw a means to realise my potential. to transcend my human form. to become the predator i was always born to be."

"it was you. always you." eleven whispered in realisation. "all i needed was someone to open the door. and you did that for me. without even realising it. didn't you? and when you did realise, you chose to resist. so i sought a means to open my own doors. i sought...your power. so, don't you see? once again, you have freed me."

"no." eleven whispered, "you don't have to do this. you can still stop this! please let her go." she begged, he tilted his head.

"it is over, eleven. your friends have lost." eleven let out a sob at his words, and nova blinked slowly, before her eyes closed again.

"there is nothing...nothing you can do to stop this now. hawkins will burn and fall. and remake it into something...beautiful. there was a time when i had hoped to have you by my side. but now, i just want you to watch." he spoke before walking away.

he made his way towards nova, who was blinking slowly, staring at her feet as she sensed him coming toward her. she whimpered slightly as she faced him, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"please don't." she whispered, small sobs escaping her lips as he hushed her, "don't be afraid. try and stay very still."

"no," she struggled, gasping for air as tears blurred her vision, "it will all be over soon."

his hand reached up, hovering over her head as she heard eleven screaming her name. she let out choked breaths, feeling her body lift into the air, even though she was stuck in place.

she faintly heard mike yelling elevens name, and talking to her but she felt she was hallucinating it. after a few minutes, she was in so much pain, it was unbearable.

he grabbed onto her head fully, and she felt as if her bones were breaking...her eyes felt like they were being slowly ripped out, blood trickling down her cheeks as she let out pained sobs, very faintly hearing lucas screaming her name.

and then it stopped.

she felt herself fall back into her real body, and she fell to the floor with a thud. "nova!" lucas screamed. she let out a gasp as she woke up fully.

"nova! nov!" he yelled, cradling her in his arms. she let out a whimper as he frowned.

"lucas! nova!" erica yelled as she ran in, lucas turned to her, "we need a doctor! call an ambulance! hurry, call an ambulance!" he yelled as erica's eyes widened in horror as she saw nova in his arms.

erica rushed off as nova gulped slightly, "lucas?" she called out, "yes, yes. i'm here, i'm here," he whispered as he cradled her.

"w-where are you? i..." she whispered, tears falling from her eyes rapidly. "what? nov, i'm right here." he stroked her hair.

but she was panicking, her heart was racing and she couldn't breath. "i... i c-cant see or...or feel anything." she gasped for air.

"i know, i know. it's okay...we're gonna get you help, okay?" lucas spoke, "just...just hold on."

"lucas, i'm scared. i'm so scared, i'm so scared." she whispered in pain, blood mixed with tears covering her cheeks.

"i know, i know." his voice broke, "i don't want to die. i'm not ready!" she raised her voice slightly.

"you're not gonna die, please hang on!" he begged as she whimpered, "i don't want to go, please, i'm not ready! i don't want to go." she sobbed loudly.

"you're not gonna die!" he exclaimed, voice cracking as he sobbed, "please, hang on!"

she sobbed as he shook his head. "...i'm so sorry." he sobbed, cradling her in his arms as she gasped for air, her head tilting back slightly.

"...i promised you so many times i'd always look out for you...it's what i do, nov." he cried, she shook her head, "i let you down and i'm so sorry. please stay with me." he exclaimed between sobs.

"you didn't." she shook her head. even though she couldn't see anything, she reached out and held his face in her shakey hands, pressing his forehead to hers.

"i can't feel you." she whispered, muffled sobs escaping her lips. "i'm right here, nov. please don't leave me. just hang on, i swear, i'm going to fix this."

her eyes closed slowly as he panicked, "nova? nova! no. nova, stay with me. no, no, no. stay with me, nova!" it felt like something was strangling her.

"...i love you, lucas." she let out a breath, "i love you so much more, nov." he cried, rocking her slightly as he held her tight, she squeezed his hand.

"not possible." she smiled between sobs, shaking her head slightly, "good...goodbye." she whispered, he shook his head.

"no! no, no...you're not saying goodbye." he repeated, "lucas...say it now before you don't get another chance." she whispered, feeling the life slowly leaving her body.

"shit...how am i gonna live without you?" he asked, shaking his head. "you can't die." he whispered again.

"you did it before...you can do it again." she whispered, before coughing slightly, "but you better not even look at another girl, stalker." she teased and he shook his head with a pained chuckle.

"never...you'll always be my supernova."

he pressed a kiss on her forehead, holding her back of her head as he cried, even though she couldn't feel it, she smiled tiredly anyway. before her smile slowly faded, "no, no, no! don't go, nova. stay with me."

"erica, help!" he yelled loudly, sobbing into her shoulder as her eyes closed fully, and her tight grip on his hand loosened until he couldn't feel it anymore.

"nova? nova! nova! nova please wake up!" he sobbed, her body feeling limp in his arms, "no, no, no! please stay with me, nova."

"no!" he screamed in agony, rocking her in his arms as he realised she was gone. "nova!" he shook her again.

he looked down at her in his arms, sobs escaping his lips as erica ran back in. her hands went to her mouth as she walked over. "nova..."

erica sat next to her brother, tears falling down her eyes lucas sobbed into her shoulder. "what...what happened?" erica whispered.

lucas didn't reply, instead he simply stared at nova's lifeless body in his arms. footsteps could be heard up the attic, and max, steve, robin and nancy ran in.

"what's going on? we heard four chimes."max asked as she rushed over, before her eyes widened, her hand going to her mouth as a horrified sob left her lips.

the three adults stood frozen in their spots, wide eyes as they watched lucas sob into erica's shoulder. robin looked at nancy, the two girls looking at the teens in horror.

"why isn't she waking up?" max crouched down, shaking nova's body slightly. lucas looked at max and shook his head, a pained look on his face.

steve's hand went to his mouth, shaking his head as he walked over, the two girls following. "no...not nova." he whispered, looking up to try and stop the tears from falling.

max shook her head, leaning down to hug nova's body, "no." she whispered between muffled sobs.

eleven watched in the void, tears rolling down her cheeks as she reached for nova's hand. "no." she began, shaking her head, letting the tears fall.

she sat up, and the girl took nova's hand, squeezing it tight, before saying three words,

"you're not going."

omg...this is the end.

honestly thank you so, so much for all the people reading this. my longest fic yet with fifty chapters !! even tho i started this book only a couple
months ago, writing it has been so incredible and i loved every second of it.

i loved writing her & lucas' relationship, and her and billy's as well! it was a difficult sibling relationship to write, but i loved it and i felt i did good with it, the way they hate each other, but would literally die for each other.

i think sparks will always be my favourite book i've written. it holds a special place in my heart, and so do lucas and nova. as will the wise once said, ,,i'm still waiting for the lova wedding!''

i've loved writing this book so much for the past few months, please comment some of your favourite parts of it—and your least favourite !!

special dedication to 1-800-AYVILO  for adding nova into her fic, wanna be urs, for season 2🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼i love u so much.

i honestly don't want to say goodbye,
but here it is. this is the end of sparks,

well...for now.