Chapter 1

The first rays of sunlight began to fall over the lands of Albion, the nation blanketed in a thick layer of snow. While a beautiful sight, this was the most brutal winter the nation had endured in decades. Those few who wandered the land had to do so piled with clothing, or run the risk of freezing to death. And yet, Albion endured. It was almost unbelievably cold, and few would willingly be outdoors. A nation could not run on people staying indoors, however. Men and women wandered the land, most notably in the streets of proud Bowerstone.

The largest city in Albion, Bowerstone was ancient. The one-time village had become a bustling city, the capital in all but name. At its center, a truly massive castle dominated the town. The shadow it cast upon the sleepy city was a constant reminder, to those who were less fortunate. That there was something better. Near to this castle, nestled in a small sheltered area between two old buildings, an example existed. Inside a poor shelter, a young girl with brown hair haphazardly tied into pigtails stirred. Blinking her eyes in the dim sunlight that filtered through gathering clouds, the girl sat up and wiped at her watering eyes.

With a large yawn, the teenager stretched her arms, and looked over her shoulder. A sad smile crossing her tired and entirely too thin face.

Her sister. A little waif of a girl, so small and cold. Shivering beneath a thin blanket, the only warmth the sisters had. Their shack was a poor excuse for a shelter, barely worthy of the name. A patched roof, with but a single wall.

Oh, little Sparrow. I wish I could do more.

Every day was like this, the girl reflected. Just another day of shivering in the dark. Eking out a living on the few scraps she could find. Their parents long dead and gone. The other adults in Bowerstone not caring for two orphan girls. It was everything she could do, just to keep them alive. It wore her down. It drove her mad with worry. It made her wish that, just once, magic was real. If magic was real, then they could find a new home.

Find someone to take care of them who wouldn't leave, not like the traders from the last year.

No point in thinking about that, Rose. Magic isn't real. Wishes don't come true. All I can do is keep going. I have to keep going.

Sighing deeply, the girl- Rose -reached her hands down by her side. Buried beneath her edge of the blanket, an old notebook rested. Yellowed and frayed, it was all she had left from the traders. A little gift that she held on to. To keep her letters, and to keep her hope. Resting beside it, a well-worn piece of charcoal. Useless for fire. Perfect for writing.

'I managed to find a nice piece of charcoal this morning, so I can finally start writing again. I still haven't finished putting down the story about the warrior girl who fights snow monsters. Sparrow always likes listening to that one-sends her right to sleep!'

Rose glanced up at the distant castle, a melancholic expression lighting upon her gaunt features. If she could just live in that castle...not just sketch it on her notebook.

'It's not so easy for me. Winter is getting colder, and soon our shelter won't be anywhere near enough. We'll freeze to death if we don't find something better. And the family of travelers who let us stay in their caravan last winter haven't come back this year. It was nice having someone to look after us for a change.'

Was she bitter? Probably. The traders had been nice. They'd given her and Sparrow good clothes and even better meals. It had almost reminded Rose of her parents, what little she remembered of them. Having someone take care of her for a change. She hadn't need to stress or worry about her sister or work hard. She could just let the traders cook the meals and prepare the beds. She didn't need to cry herself to sleep, when she saw her little Sparrow shivering in bed. She hadn't needed to bear a burden that she could never show her sister.

Could have. Should have. Would have.

Pushing the dark thoughts from her mind, she continued to write.

'If only we could find some secret passage into the castle...we're small enough that no one would notice us. We'd be like ghosts, or like mice hiding in the walls. We'd tip-toe out when everyone goes to bed and raid the larder. I bet they have so much food in there, they'd never even notice.

Bah, day-dreaming isn't going to get us anywhere. You have to think of something, Rose. You're the big sister, remember?'

Think of something. Well. Staring at the castle wouldn't get food in their stomachs. It wouldn't make Sparrow stop shivering in her blanket. It wouldn't make Rose look any less like death warmed over.

Right. We need a fire, first. Then I can wake Sparrow up. Maybe I can find some food in a dumpster...

Mind set, Rose carefully replaced her notebook. Well hidden from her sister, who didn't need to worry. The worrying was her job. Standing on spindly legs, Rose leaned down and patted her skirt down. The worn fabric was rough and tore easily, yet, it was all she had. At least it kept her warm. She was thinner than her sister, and even walking to a can nearby reminded her of that. Her joints ached with each step, and her stomach had long since stopped growling and moved to a state of constant ache. Rose couldn't even remember the last proper meal she had.

Everything went to her sister. Little Sparrow. She got the best scraps, while Rose ate just enough to keep her strength.

And I'm not going to get even that, if we freeze to death. Time to find some wood!


"I've told you before, no! We'll never be that hungry!"

Rose stood straight and glared at the man before her. She stood with a strength she didn't really feel, and not just because her body was weak. The man was looking at her with sharp eyes, eyes that roved over her too-thin body. Eyes that promised things she would rather not think about. Eyes that were dark pits. Eyes that she had to keep away from her sister, who stood beside her without a single idea what was going on.

The man, top-hat and raggedy clothes giving him a ruffled appearance, snorted. He laughed.

"Oh, you'll be back, little Rosie. Eventually, you'll come back. Everyone always does. Old Arfur will treat you well."

Fighting down a shudder at his oily words, Rose grabbed her sister's hand and tugged her along. Sparrow winced at her tight grip. Rose wished she didn't have to do that. She never wanted to hurt her sister.

She couldn't stay near that man.

I...I can't let him. I can't give that. It's all I have left, other than Sparrow.

Even as that thought entered her mind, even as Arfur faded from sight and a crowd of people took his place, Rose felt her stomach sink. For all her bravado? For all her disgust? She knew what he wanted. She had known for a long time, ever since she was old enough to get that kind of attention from a man.

She knew now, that if it came down to giving that up, or Sparrow starving?

I'd give it all up. Everything for little Sparrow.

Rose shook her head furiously, desperately trying to get the man's smug face from her mind. She looked, instead, at her sister. Sparrow had quickly forgotten the man. Her attention was given entirely to the crowd before them. She couldn't hope to see past them. Rose couldn't see above the heads before her. Yet, it didn't matter to her sister. Sparrow was still a child.

She was still innocent.

"That's why I've done everything..." Rose mumbled to herself, a smile flitting across her face. Everything for her.

"Rosie..." Sparrow didn't hear those words, instead turning her brown-eyed gaze up at her sister. "I can't see anythiiiinnnggg."

Smile, fragile though it was, firmly in place...Rose nodded her head. "Of course you can't, we're too small!"

Sparrow pouted, "Rosie!"

Giggling a little, Rose leaned down. She was thin and weak, but she could do this, at least. 'sides, it let her keep a good eye on her sister. If she didn't do this, Sparrow would just try and push through the crowd or something. Her sister was too adventurous for her own good, sometimes! And...well. Rose liked doing this. It let her be the big sister. Instead of the one doing everything for both of them.

So, she let Sparrow hop on her shoulders, and climbed back to her feet. She didn't let her wince show. She hid a pain in her back that never quite went away.

"Can you see better now, Sparrow?"

Rose already knew the answer. The excited gasps from her sister told her everything she needed to know. Her smile widened, even as her legs shook beneath her. Sparrow's thin body was entirely too light...and even that was too much. Rose couldn't hold her up long.

She didn't need to.

"Allow me to help you."

Head twisting to the side, her twintails brushing her sister's bare legs, Rose saw a woman in a red robe beside her. A patched and worn red robe, nearly as poor condition as her own clothing. Yet...well cared for.

The woman wearing it?

"Who're you?" Rose asked, a hint of suspicion in her childish voice. No one just offered to help like that. Not in the slums.

Beneath her hood, the woman smiled. "Just a traveler, I'm afraid. I saw you struggling."

Her voice was ancient. Rose had never heard someone sound so old. Yet, her face was young. Rose couldn't see her eyes, but what she could see looked barely older than herself. A young woman who was wearing something so old? Was she...was she like them? An orphan?

Before Rose could hope to question it further, her sister tugged on her hair. Biting back a wince again, the teenager tilted her head up and gave a mock glare towards her sister. Sparrow just grinned down on her, and pointed over the crowd. "There's a trader! He's got a loooottt of stuff, too!"

Stuff we can never get.

Rose didn't vocalize that. She settled for smiling at her sister. "Let me know if you see anything nice, Sparrow. Maybe we can look at it, before we find something to eat?"

Her sister had already stopped looking at her, though. Her wide blue eyes were focused entirely on the trader. As for Rose? Well, Rose turned her identical gaze back to the strange woman. Even as the trader shouted in the background...

"A-ladies and A-gentleman! I have traveled the land accumulating many wondrous objects! And today, for the bargain price of just five gold, you can have one of them!"

...Rose didn't pay him any mind. She needed to know who this woman was. And why her hand was resting on her shoulder, helping her keep Sparrow in the air.

"Don't worry, little one." The strange woman smiled. A thin, barely visible line. "I'm merely here to watch the trader sell his wares. I have no intention of hurting you, or your sister."

Sparrow giggled at the man's enthusiasm, while Rose shifted slightly under her sister's weight. The woman didn't seem bad. Rose just didn't trust easily.

"Why do you want to help us, huh?" The teenager's voice was sour and suspicious. "What are we to you? No one helps us."

A shrug answered her question, and a mysterious smile. "Perhaps I see more than meets the eye. Perhaps you and your sister need a little help. Perhaps I'm just an old woman, who is tired of seeing suffering in this world."

Above them both, Sparrow giggled. Her attention never once left the man, just as Rose never once turned away from the woman. One sister in the heart of childhood, without a care in the world. One sister aged before her time, staring at a woman who still helped keep her standing, despite the pain in her joints.

"...why do you care?" Rose almost whined, unable to believe that she was getting any help. The traders had taken all of her hopes away, when they had left her in the dark.

Beyond the women, beyond the crowd, the trader unveiled his last item. Rose couldn't see it. Sparrow only caught a glimpse.

Both of the sisters turned their heads sharply, when the man's voice carried over the suddenly quiet crowd.

"This small, unassuming box is actually a device created by the ancients themselves! Used by the kings of the Old Kingdom!" The trader shouted in his best pitch yet. "Just turn the handle three times, exactly three, and it will grant you one wish. Remember, just five gold!"

Sparrow shouted excitedly, and probably pointed at the box. Rose shook her head, and carefully moved her sister back to the ground. Why bother getting her hopes up? The strange woman was strange. And staring at her. It didn't matter. There was no such thing as magic. She knew that better than anyone. All of her wishes had never been granted. Why would some box from the Old Kingdom- if it even was -do anything different? It wouldn't. It couldn't. Wishes didn't come true and magic wasn't real.

"There's no such thing as magic."

Saying that aloud, Rose patted her sister on the shoulder. Sparrow had slumped down, and refused to meet her sibling's eyes. She just kicked stones on the ground, even as the crowd dispersed in the distance. The strange woman? She stared at the sisters, and held her hands to her sides. It was still impossible to see her eyes.

Yet, Rose felt as if they were staring into her soul.

"We live in grim times indeed if the young are so bitter to not believe in magic. Most children your age believe eagerly." Her aged voice was rough and coarse now, none of the former warmth remaining. As if she was disappointed in what she had heard. "Truly, I had believed you were different. You are different, though you do not yet know it."

Rose hardly enjoyed being talked to like that. A hint of her anger still remained from Arfur, as well, and this stoked that ember. "Look, I can see your eyes are bad. But that box is rubbish!"

The hooded woman glanced over at the trader, her lip curling slightly. "That's what the trader thinks, yes. But you...you have an inkling don't you? You want to believe it is magic."

While she was still on edge, Rose's resolve began to falter. She would never admit it, especially not in front of her entirely too impressionable sister. She desperately wanted to believe.

Except, there was no such thing as magic.

"You really think so?" Even so, she felt the slightest stirring of hope. This woman was strange and knew things she shouldn't. She had helped, if only a little. Maybe...maybe...

The woman smiled thinly, once more. She stepped away, and began walking to merge with the crowd. Her croaking words echoing in the cold air.

"For five gold, you could find out."

Five gold. Five gold.

Glaring at the unfairness of it all, Rose kicked at the ground this time. Her words were filled with enough bitterness that even her little Sparrow noticed, the younger girl gripping her hand tightly. "For five gold we wouldn't go hungry for a week!"

The old woman turned her head away again, "And yet, at the end of that week, you and your little Sparrow would be no closer to your dream, Rose. No closer to the inside of the castle."

With those parting words, the woman continued walking, vanishing around the corner.

Sparrow didn't seem overly worried, even while she held her sister's hand. Rose?

She stared at where the woman had been, eyes wide with shock and a little fear. Her feet were fused to the ground and her body shook. How...how had she...?

How did she know our names?

"Rosie...?" Sparrow spoke up, her voice tiny in the cold air. Mist forming from pale lips, under wide blue eyes. "Do you...do you think we can get that box? If we can wish for anything..."

Rose desperately, truly, wanted to say no. She hadn't been lying. Five gold could feed both of them for more than a week, if they were careful. If she ate less and saved more for her little Sparrow...five gold. Five gold. It could feed them for weeks. She knew some cheaper traders who could give them a full meal for one gold, and Rose could make that last for days. Five gold could feed them for a month.

Sparrow wouldn't go hungry. Rose could build back her strength. They could continue living on as they always had.

As we always do.

Clenching her hand tightly, Rose felt her stomach ache. It was nothing on her heart. Her tired gaze had drifted to the hopeful face of her sister. To Sparrow's shivering, thin, body. Her sister deserved better than this. Rose would do anything for her. Had given up everything.

Was giving this up really any different?

"We're going to get some gold for the music box little Sparrow," Rose spoke, hoping against all hope that she wasn't making a mistake.


In the process of getting gold for the box, Rose found herself staring at a sight that made her blood roil.

"C'mere you little mutt. Imma give you a good treat..."

A neighborhood bully, standing menacingly over a whining puppy. The puppy had welts on his fur, and was cowering away from the boy. The bully's face was split in a wide grin, broken and blackened teeth gleaming in the dim light. He stalked back and forth, twirling a toy sword in his hand. A much larger sword than the one on Sparrow's back. This boy...Rose stayed away from him. She couldn't fight. Little Sparrow tried to fight, yet, she was too young. And Rose would never, ever let her get hurt.

Despite this, when she saw the puppy turn scared eyes to her, Rose felt anger well up in her like a fire. Roaring to life with a crackle and a rush in her ears.

She saw little Sparrow, when she had been hit by another bully.

"Oi!" Rose practically screeched, her body producing a volume entirely too loud for its lithe frame. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The bully turned around, grinning evilly at her. "What's it to you, girly? I'm having a bit o' fun, can't ya tell?"

Rose growled under her breath, stalking up to stare down on the shorter boy. She may be thin, but she was tall at least! "You little...leave that poor dog alone!"

Unfortunately, her height had its disadvantages too. The boy didn't even hesitate. Before Rose could so much as blink, he had jumped up. His forehead connected with hers in a resounding clang.

OW!

Falling to the ground, cradling her head, Rose knew nothing else. Her head rang and her eyes watered. She couldn't think past the pain, even as sounds rang above her. Shouts that she couldn't understand. Dull thumps that didn't make any sense. Blurry images, past the tears and ringing in her ears. Something was happening, and she couldn't even think straight! It was all Rose could do to pull herself into a sitting position, gritting her teeth and groaning in pain. She couldn't see past it.

Not until she felt a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking it.

"Rosie...Rosie..." Sparrow, her little Sparrow, sounded so worried.

It was the only thing that could fight past the pain. Her worry about her sister. Rose forced her eyes open, biting back a cry and more tears. Her sister slowly swam into view, not a mark on her. Only a worried frown.

"Sp..Sparrow?" Rose choked out, her words filled with lingering pain. "What happened to...?"

Sparrow's worried frown turned into a grin. The little girl held up her toy sword triumphantly...blood on the blade. "I gave him a good thrashing, Rosie! He didn't know what hit him!"

Blinking, unsure if she had heard right, Rose looked past her sister. And saw the bully, splayed out on the ground. Out cold and not a threat anymore.

How did she-?

Rose didn't question it. She only reached out, tugging her sister into a tight, desperate hug. Sparrow squawked in shock, arms flailing wildly as her sword fell to the ground. Rose didn't care. She felt tears of shame running down her face, and only tightened her grip further.

"Sparrow...little Sparrow..." She babbled, her headache probably taking away whatever worries she had about saying this. "Don't do something like that again, you hear me?! Don't fight someone bigger than you." She couldn't bear to look at her sister's face, settling for resting her head against her rough brown hair. "I'm the big sister...I'm supposed to protect you!"

"But Rosie, I can fight! I can fight better than you!" Sparrow protested, her words muffled from her mouth pressed into her sister's chest.

"I don't care!" Rose shot back, pulling back if only to look over her sister, desperately searching for any injuries. "I won't let you get hurt, got it? I-I-"

The dog was forgotten, and the other kids were forgotten. Rose only had eyes for her sister, begging her to answer. Begging her to understand, what she was trying to say. Rose couldn't see Sparrow hurt. She couldn't live with the idea of her sister getting hurt because of her. She was supposed to keep Sparrow safe. She was supposed to take care of her little sister. She couldn't do that if Sparrow did stuff like this.

She...she couldn't!

Sparrow, young as she was, didn't understand. She only saw that her sister was upset.

So she hugged Rose, and let her shoulder slump down. "Okay...I promise, Rosie. I won't fight bullies again."

Rose smiled and returned the hug, "It's a promise...alright?"

Neither sister said anything else to that. They only held each other tightly, while Rose recovered enough to move. To continue on the hunt for five gold pieces.


It was all a waste. It was all a waste!

That was what Rose had thought, when she had gone to sleep. Sparrow fighting the bully. Sparrow sneaking past drunks and killing bugs. Sparrow holding off Arfur, long enough for Derek the Guard to show up and chase the creep off. Her little Sparrow did so much for her, for her stupid wish. Why did she expect anything else? She knew magic didn't work. She knew that her wishes never came true. Yet, she had still tried. She had still wasted all that gold, on a stupid box that played a stupid tune and then vanished into stupid thin air. If the box was magic, it was only magic that made her want to burn it, if she still had it.

She didn't.

She had gone to sleep, Sparrow cuddled to her side and the stray dog nearby, with nothing to show for their adventures. They wouldn't get this lucky again. People in Bowerstone wouldn't pay them gold for odd jobs again. Not any time soon. On top of that, she hadn't really looked for food either! So they went to bed, hungry, cold and without any hope.

Great idea, Rose. Great idea.

All of that was what she had thought. Until the moment she had been shaken awake by her sister and a barking dog. The moment she had been bundled up in a warm coat, and dragged along towards Castle Fairfax.

Her thoughts had taken a decidedly different turn, at that point.

She had been numb with shock and awe. Unable to comprehend that Derek was standing before her, with a smile on his pudgy face. That he was telling her and little Sparrow that they could go to Castle Fairfax. That Lord Lucien himself wanted to see them. It seemed so hard to believe. That maybe her wish actually had come true. That her and her sister may actually get to live in the castle, like she had wanted. It was impossible, right?

"Rosie! Look at all the paintings!"

Yet, Rose found herself standing inside the warm and well-lit castle. Staring at a rug thicker than her blanket, and walls covered in fancy paintings and gold. Something she had never seen in her life. Had never been even close to seeing.

"Sparrow...it worked. Sparrow..." Rose couldn't help the shake in her voice, when she looked over at her wide-eyed sibling. Her little sister, identical blue eyes shining in firelight, stared back. Rose pulled her into a tight hug, finally allowing herself to let go. "It worked, it really worked!"

"You're squishing me, Rosie!" Sparrow complained, past her own laughs of happiness. Neither sister had any attention for anything but jumping up and down, hugging each other tightly.

Rose couldn't care less. "We're in Castle Fairfax, little Sparrow! We're in the castle!"

It was, of course, that moment when an older man coughed behind them. The butler who had lead them in, in the first place. "Indeed, you are in Castle Fairfax, young ladies. Now, if I could trouble you to follow me...?" He gestured towards a distant door, that was suddenly all too close. "Lord Lucien is quite interested in meeting the two of you."

"Lord Lucien wants to meet us?" Rose already knew that, but she hadn't quite believed it. She still didn't believe it.

The butler just nodded, a thin smile on his face. "Indeed. Come along now, we don't want to keep him waiting."

Rose and Sparrow shared a look, before racing along after the man's long strides. He wasn't slowing down for anything. Questions directed at him didn't receive answers. The man was...well. He was like anyone else who was upper class in Bowerstone. To him, Rose and her sister weren't fit to be near him. He tolerated them, only because his Lord wanted them. Why, Rose didn't know. She also didn't much care.

"We're finally going to be home, Sparrow." Rose almost couldn't believe the words, when she spoke them.

Sparrow nodded back, a wide grin on her face. "Home!"

After all, it was what Rose had wished for. Not to meet Lord Lucien, or visit the castle. But to live in it. If the box had truly granted her wish, if it truly gave her a way to make her sister have a happy life, then they would live in this castle. Right?

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Stepping inside Lord Lucien's study was stepping into another world. Rose had never seen so many books in her life. Stacks upon stacks rested upon endless tables. The walls were covered in nothing but the spines of books, stretching up so high she couldn't crane her neck high enough to see the end. The amount of money it would take to have that many books...Lord Lucien must be even richer than she had imagined! Not to mention, the window was massive. The study itself was bigger than most houses in Bowerstone, and it was only part of the castle.

If she and her sister lived here, they'd never want for anything, ever again!

"Children." A smooth voice spoke up, the owner stepping into view. A kind smile directed at the pair. "It's come to my attention that you have some sort of…magic box. May I see it?"

Lord Lucien Fairfax. A tall man, with thinning black hair and thick sideburns. He wore fancy clothing that was probably more expensive than every meal Rose had ever eaten, and he stood tall before them. His smile was genuine and wide, nothing but care in his expression. This wasn't like the woman at the trader, or the butler who had greeted them. Rose felt safe. Lucien was kind and beloved by the people, and right now? He was giving her an expression of care that she hadn't seen on anyone, not even the traders. Not since her parents died.

As for his question, it was an easy one.

"It vanished m'lord. We were winding it up…we made a wish, and it glowed and disappeared…" Rose answered confidently, smiling back at Lord Lucien. He wouldn't be angry, surely? After all, the box was how they got here in the first place!

As if to prove her correct, Lord Lucien merely nodded. Smiling kindly and speaking softly. "It vanished, you said?"

"Yes, m'lord. The man who sold it to us said it was magic."

Lucien nodded, moving away from the sisters. He stood by his table once more, a curious look on his face. His eyes drifting down towards an open book, and back at the sisters. Was there something wrong?

"The box is of no interest to me. What's remarkable is that you were able to use it." Lord Lucien's voice was still kind, though there was more of a questioning tone to it now. He turned his head back, looking at the girls with a glint in his eyes. "What did you wish for, if I may ask?"

Rose lightly pulled on her pigtail, while Sparrow held her hand tightly. Lucien continued to stare at the siblings, his kind features growing a little harder by the minute.

"Well, speak up. What did you wish for?"

"To live in a castle…like this one…" Rose answered, her face gaining a fresh blush. It sounded so silly, didn't it? A child's wish. But she was still a kid. Besides, she didn't make the wish for herself.

For Sparrow. Always.

"Perhaps that could be arranged," Lucien frowned slightly, as if deep in thought. He turned away from the sisters, gesturing towards the books all around. "I'm working to rebuild…well, I'm working on something wonderful. For which I need individuals with specific talents. If you would please step on the circle, I can discover if you possess these talents."

Circle?

Turning her eyes away from Lord Lucien, Rose looked down at the floor. A strange girl was in the middle of the study, right in front of the window. Some sort of weird marking that she didn't recognize was on it, and it...it seemed strangely familiar? Also, it scared her. A lot. "Um...Lord Lucien?"

With an almost fatherly expression crossing his face, Lord Lucien gestured at the circle. "Don't worry, it won't hurt you. All I require, is for you to stand on it. All your questions will be answered, then."

The two sisters hesitantly walked up the platform. As soon as their feet touched the curious carving underneath them, a brilliant blue light sprang up around the platform. It surrounded them on all sides, cutting them off from Lord Lucien and the rest of the room. It was almost warm, around them. It scared Rose even more, and Sparrow? Sparrow had clenched onto her sister tightly, desperately holding onto Rose's side.

"Rose..." Sparrow muttered, "I'm scared..."

"Don't worry little Sparrow," Rose whispered to her sister, trying to reassure her. Before turning to look at Lucien, asking- with a little more strength than she felt- a single question. "What is this, m'lord?"

"Nothing to worry about, my dear," Lucien distractedly replied. He wasn't even looking at the sisters anymore. His eyes were only for a book on his table, his hands frantically turning pages. "It's true…your blood…you are Heroes. Both of you."

Rose's eyes widened, as Sparrow gasped by her side. "Heroes? You mean like in the old stories?" Sparrow's words were filled with awe, even while fear leaked into them. "Like the Hero of Oakvale?"

Lucien ignored Sparrow's question, and the fact she hadn't addressed him correctly. Instead, he touched the wall of blue light. A wall that turned a shocking crimson, as the Lord pulled his hand away. He hissed in pain, grimacing sharply. If Rose had been worried before, if she had been clutching her sister tightly? She doubled that. Lord Lucien's kind face had taken on a manic look, his sharp features narrowing into flint. He looked mad. The red light didn't help, casting his face into harsh shadow.

"What are you?"

With nothing remaining of his kind, fatherly demeanor, Lord Lucien turned back to his book. He pulled page after page, looking for something. Something that Rose felt she didn't want to know.

"There was something here…"

"What's happening? What's that light?!" Rose cried out, letting her fear overwhelm her. Fear for her sister. Fear for their lives.

"Quiet!" the Lord shouted back, any pretense of kindness long gone. His words continued to become more and more crazed. "You aren't any of the three…one of you is the fourth…"

Lucien sighed after he said that, placing his hands on the table like he was steadying himself. And when his hands came back up...one held an ornate golden pistol. A weapon he pointed directly at Rose.

"What's going on?" the young girl shouted, her eyes going wide at the sight of a gun pointed at her.

"This isn't what I wanted…but nothing must stand in my way," Lucien replied, his hand shaking slightly as he cocked the pistol. "For what it's worth, I'm truly sorry. I had wanted to take you two in...but you see, nothing can stop me. One of you is destined to do so."

Cocking the pistol, Lucien's hand shook. His eyes watered. His aim didn't waver.

"So I'm afraid I must kill you, before that can come to pass."

Rose shut her eyes, screaming in fear. She heard the sound of the flint fall. The sound of a strike and a flame. Of a bullet shooting down a barrel.

Of Sparrow screaming in pain.

Eyes snapping open, Rose felt her heart stop. Her world shatter. Her entire being fall apart.

"Ro...Rosie...?" Sparrow, her little Sparrow, was at her feet. Blood coated her stomach, and her toy pistol- looking so small next to Lucien's weapon -laying by her hand. "It hurts..."

No...no no nononononononononononononono-

Rose fell to her knees, her hands frantically tearing her skirt. Pushing fabric against her sister's stomach. Sparrow...why? Why had she jumped in front of her? Why?!

"Sparrow, hold on! Please, hold on!" Rose babbled, her voice cracking and breaking. Hot, fat tears rolled down her cheeks. She held her hands on her sister, trying to stop the bleeding. Desperately trying to hold on. "I'll get you a potion, alright? I'll find someone to help you!"

Pain-fogged blue eyes stared up at her, unfocused and unseeing. "Ro-Rosie? I'm sc-scared. I'm scared."

"Sparrow! Don't give up, please, don't give up! I-I-" Rose couldn't form words. She couldn't breathe.

Everything was falling apart. Warmth spread over her hands, stained red with her sister's blood. Sparrow's breaths were wet. She was barely sucking in air. Her face was pale, and her eyes blank.

"Ro-Ro-" Sparrow croaked, her voice fading with each passing second. Her eyes sliding shut. "I do-don't wan-Rosi-"

Silence. Eyes falling shut. Breathing stopping.

Blood red upon her hands.

Her heart broken into a million, scattered, broken shards.

Rose let out an inhuman wail, falling atop her sister's body. She slammed her hands down, trying to get something, anything. Her sister didn't react. Her eyes didn't open. Her cheeky smile didn't return. There was nothing left. Nothing left at all.

"Sparrow...little Sparrow..." Rose mumbled, her voice caught in her throat and barely audible. "Don't go...don't leave me like this. Hey, Sparrow. Don't leave me, you hear? You need to wake up, alright? We need to wake up and go home. You wanted that dog, remember?" Rose's voice grew weaker and weaker, her hair falling in front of red eyes and silent sobs. "I promise, we'll take good care of him. You just need to stay with me, alright?"

Don't leave me all alone.

Don't make me live without you.

I can't do this. I can't do this alone.

I-I-

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so sorry Sparrow please don't leave me all alone please don't-"

The sound of a pistol cocking echoed in the room. Rose's eyes, dead to the world, turned up. Lucien stood above her, a pained look on his face. A grimace of regret. A rictus of sorrow, at what he had done.

"Truly, this isn't what I wanted. However..." Lucien aimed the pistol at Rose, his hand shaking like a leaf. "Nothing must stand in my way." His finger pulled down on the trigger, light flashing from the barrel. "I'm sorry."

Everything went black.


"Hey, she's still alive!"

"Rose? Oh dear Avo, Rose! Come on, we need to get her to the barracks!"

"What about her sister, Derek?"

"Her...oh no. Sparrow?"

"She's dead, Derek."

"...Lucien. The bastard killed her."

"Let's make sure that Rose doesn't die too, alright?"

"She won't die on my watch!"


AN: I live? XD

Um...how to put this...? I haven't really felt like writing?

No, that's a bad answer...

I pretty much retired from writing, honestly. Didn't feel like doing it? I still don't really want to write much. Buuuuutttttt. Fable. Rose. It kinda poked me into writing again?

Or you can blame my brother for this, since he wanted me to do it XD

Either way, another Fable fic. That one new Rose lives/Sparrow dies fic directly inspired it. Maybe I'll keep writing it this time.

(He also helped quite a lot with this, and is posting it on his SV account. I'm posting it here :P)