Part 2 of Reincarnation, Major Character Death warning kinda- also some angst

Peter's metal boots clanked as he strode into the hall next to his companion, Bucky Barnes. Something did not feel right, something was off, but Peter could not, for the life of him, realize what was wrong. See, he was known among the other knights as having a sort of sixth sense (an attribute that had almost gotten him charged as a witch on multiple occasions) that indicates danger. Of course, his senses had also gotten him infamous for never knowing what the danger sense was contributing to. He once had the sense and almost scared his whole battalion half to death, but it was only after the battle ended with no injuries or death that Bucky tripped over a tree root and broke his elbow.

It's not always reliable.

But one thing was for sure, it was ringing and Peter was unsure what was about to happen, but it would not be good. Bucky stayed close to his side, never leaving him alone, always a meter or less away. They had messed up on a really important quest to take over their enemies land, and their monarch had sent a messenger with words of cruel amusement. So now they stood, in the castle, scared for their lives.

Soon their monarch came out, a queen with wicked beauty, a stunning red gown the shade of blood draped around her, and a shimmering silver circlet with a moon pendant splayed across her forehead. She was the definition of beauty. Everything about her screamed stunning, and everyone around her was entranced if it wasn't the malicious smirk etched on her lips then Peter would have thought her benevolent.

She raised her goblet filled with wine and stared at Bucky and Peter. "Let us drink to a battle lost, but a war soon to be won."

Blank-stared servants came around and basically forced goblets of alcohol into Peter and Bucky's hands before just as quickly disappearing. The monarch eyed the duo in anticipation as the two both took a long sip of their respective goblets.

It wasn't until much later that night, with the dinner party in full swing topped with dancing and boisterous laughter, that Peter even realized the world was spinning violently in such a way that was not due to the alcohol. He managed to look over to Bucky to see he was not doing much better. (A/N play song)

He attempted to walk over to Bucky but only to trip over his own two feet and come tumbling to the ground. 

Is this how I die?

Peter lay there, getting laughed at by the noblemen who surrounded him, not even making a move to help him up. He knew there would be a price to pay after the battle was lost, but he didn't think it would be this. Dying on the floor of the castle through a poisoned chalice he had drunk on his own accord.

It was not until Bucky came crashing to the ground, his own poison finally taking its grip on his body, that Peter stared into the ceiling and wondered, How did I live? He remembers every moment, everyone spent fighting a battle that wasn't truly his, every second walking aimlessly through the woods searching for the next confrontation, a sword strapped to his sword, sworn to loyalty to the very monarch that would kill him for a single mistake despite his countless victories.

Was I kind enough? He couldn't remember his friends, his family, only battle. He had heard that at Death's door you see your entire life flash before your eyes, yet the only thing he could see with his eyes now closed, was battle, war, blood, god, so much blood. Did he ever stop to smell the flowers? To look up into the night sky and count the stars? He couldn't remember... He couldn't remember anything but reaping pain.

A humming sounded from beside him causing Peter to sleepily open his eyes to see an empty dining room, empty from everyone except his comrade, Bucky Barnes. "You know... I heard once that we are all asleep until we fall in love... I wish you could have had that, to be woken up, instead of cursed to this." Bucky's lips, a sickly shade of white, "I expected this for me, I did some terrible things, I don't deserve to wake up, to be loved." He was shaking, his entire being shivering as he stared at Peter fro his spot on the ground.

Peter, who also felt his own body start to shake as the poison continued its slow crawl through his system. His own lips, chapped and white from illness as his life was taken from him, Peter stretched out his own arm for his friend, reaching and stretching for something just out of his reach. Please, if there's a god out there, please let us wake up, in another life, let us learn to wake up and live a life free of this hell.

And with that he woke up in the laps of his teacher and a medic, both frantically checking him for anything that could have attributed to this fainting spell. Ned hovered over his shoulder, cautiously searching the surrounding area for any threat that could have gotten Peter to pass out.

Peter just laid there, not quite grasping the questions being thrown at him, just laying there and remembering the castle that was around him, remembering dying. Sitting up, which was both a simultaneous relief and bother to the medic, who was happy Peter was awake and moving, and scared he had a concussion and therefore should not be moving, Peter looked around. Despite the warnings of the medic, Peter got up and almost ran to the spot he remembered as the dining room, the spot where he had fallen.

He sat there, and looked around, almost envisioning himself back in the castle with Bucky laying at his side. And Peter sat there and thought; he was there until Ned and MJ worriedly helped him to his feet and back to their hotel. Later that night Peter sat at his hotel's window and stared at the stars.

Ned, who hadn't left him alone since the whole fainting incident, sat beside him, quietly reading a book. Peter, who spoke for the first time since he had woken up in the castle ruins. "I read once that we are made of dust and ashes- stardust to be specific," Peter whispered to Ned as he looked up to the stars and tried to remember everything from this lifetime, trying to find anything that could erase the gory memories of his past.

Ned just looked at his friend in concern and asked, "What happened today, Peter?"
Peter suddenly turned and looked at his friend, "Simple: I died" Thoughts of Aunt May, of Ned and MJ, Tony, the rest of the Avengers, of Bucky, his friend who he had met again in this life, and he knew what Bucky had been talking about that lifetime ago. "And then I woke up."

-=-

I did not proofread this but hope it's good. I have been addicted to Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 so have a piece inspired by that, it's probably a little jumbled sorry about that.

Have a good weekend,
-SecretsInMyHead