Decisions

She wanted her sister back. No, she needed her sister back.

Her head felt empty without the familiar part of her that was connected to her twin. Aoife had been willing to come out of her hiding and place herself in the war between the Elders and Dark Elders to find out what had been the fate of her sister.

She rarely admitted it, but she loved her sister.

They were family, and closer than blood could allow them to be. They were identical twins. Even though they hadn't spoken in years-many, many long years, they were both connected to each other.

Aoife had always kept an eye out for her sister.

Unseen throughout the many centuries they were apart, she had watched her sister. Aoife was the eldest, and felt a certain amount of responsibility when it came to Scathach. She felt nothing but envy, watching her sister laugh with friends and train the young humani in the ways of martial arts. She wondered how her sister could mask the agonizing feelings of loss that their fight had created. Aoife often wondered if her sister felt no remorse for what had transpired between them. But, as always, Aoife could feel what Scathach was feeling, and knew that the smiles were nothing more than artificial ways to blend in with the humani. Aoife felt guilt that her sister lived every day with those feelings of misery.

For Aoife had started the fight between the two sisters.

The temptation had been strong, she had known that is was wrong to fall in love with the man her sister devoted her utmost self to. But the heart wants what it wants. She had no control. She betrayed her sister, but what ultimately divided the two was that he had betrayed Scathach back.

Then he died.

Aoife, blinded with love, had blamed her sister- her twin-for the death of the man that they were both madly in love with. She wanted to go back, take back the things that had shaped the breach between the once inseparable sisters. She had allowed her despair to cloud her thinking, and had considered asking her uncle to contact Chronos to bend time and allow her to make amends to her sister.

That way, they could be together.

But her grandmother had stopped her irrational thinking, finding her with unmatched skills and explaining that in all of the strands of time, Aoife had the chance to redeem herself to Scathach. In some, Aoife simply didn't take the chance, in most, Aoife died as a result of the action taken, and in very few, she escaped alive with the love of her sister once more. Aoife had been in high spirits for the first time in years when she had heard that prognosis. For the following decades she had been waiting and watching for the day when that opportunity would come.

Now, on Coatlicue's shoulders, she saw her option.

She would once again see love in her sister's eyes.

As she pulled Coatlicue back into her Shadowrealm, her body was a raging wildfire of pain from the venom of the snakes. Aoife felt the creatures branding her skin with their fangs. For once in a long time, she began to doubt her strength. She set her jaw against the torture she was subjecting herself to. This was her window of opportunity; she couldn't let it slip away. In addition to her personal reasons, she could see that the Earth Shadowrealm would be ravaged by this foul, savage beast if nothing was done to stop it. Aoife took a silent vow to try to stay alive-for the sake of the humani...and her sister. Scathach had been deemed on more than one occasion as the savior of the humani. Aoife realized that her sacrifice would place her among the ranks of her sister. Her grandmother had been correct; she would be able to once again earn Scathach's respect.

She hoped she would get the chance to see that promised love in her sister's eyes.

This is for you, Scathach.

She had made her decision.

Aoife disappeared into the Shadowrealm along with the monster Coatlicue.

A/N : Please R&R!