Faro POV

No, no, please, no! Sapphire! Sapphire can't die! How would I explain this to Conor? How would he explain it to their mother? Sapphire belonged here in Ingo, she couldn't just… I can hardly think about it. But there she is in my arms, delicate swirls of her blood hanging suspended in the water, her hair gently swirling around her face. Her sea blue eyes lingered on my face, but wandered off to the red around her. Her eyes widened a bit. She must be so scared. I gently tilted her chin back up so she'd look at me. So I could see her eyes. Damn it, where was Elvira when I needed her? "I'm so sorry, little sister," I began, wishing I had Elvira's healing skills. "I'm not my sister; I am not a healer! Be strong, Sapphire, stay with me!"

She has always been so strong. My fingers wind into her thick hair. Little sister… perhaps that wasn't appropriate anymore. She is no longer the little girl she was when we first met. Even now, her eyes are soft as she gazes up at me. She begins to lift a bleeding hand to my face. I know she is going to say her goodbyes, but she can't! She just can't! "Faro-"

Without thinking, I pull her closer to me and kiss her. She shivers lightly in my arms, and I pull away, worried her body is freezing again. But what I see takes my breath away. She smiles lightly, beautifully, and lets her eyes drift shut.

"No! Don't do this, Sapphy, don't say your goodbyes! You're not dying yet! You're staying here with me, do you hear me? Sapphy, please wake up! Open your eyes! Sapphire!" I shake her lightly, but she is limp in my arms. No! I can't lose her!

ELVIRA! I call in my mind, ELVIRA! Where are you? PLEASE HEAR ME ELVIRA! I reach out as far as I can with my mind, screaming for her. Finally, I can barely make out her presence. I can feel an emotion but not a full thought. She is worried, as she should be. Ingo is angry tonight, but it is nothing compared to the fury I feel at the Nanuq, who is probably still floating down to the bottom of the ocean.

I scream again for Elvira, this time projecting it directly at her. She is still too far away to hear my distinct thoughts, but I know she feels my pain! I can feel her pick up speed and now I can pick out a direction too. Even with Sapphire in my arms, I'm swimming as fast as my tail can take me, each stroke bringing me closer to my sister, and Sapphire's chances at survival.

Faro! What's happened? What's wrong? Her mind is filled with possibilities, and I can feel now that she is dragging Conor with her, clinging onto his hand as she powers through the water. I fill my head with the image of Sapphire, her blood spilling out of her, her body weak in my arms. I think of the Nanuq, and it stealing her away from me.

My sister shutters, holding back sobs as she feels some of my pain. She is close now. I gaze down at my Sapphire. "You're going to be okay. I promise."

Conor is going crazy now, seeing Elvira's face and not knowing what is happening. She does not tell him. She doesn't know how. We're going so fast that when we see each other, it's all either of us can do to stop in time before we collide. I still bump into her, which jostles Sapphy. I glance down worriedly, but she only hangs still in my arms. Her face is pale now, almost as pile as the ice. I take her hand, trying to ignore the wisp of blood, that rises from her wrist.

Conor, who is just now swimming up, finally sees his sister. "SAPPHIRE!" he cries, nearly shoving Elvira away to get to her. "Oh my God, oh my God! What happened to her?" His gaze finally tears from her and turns slowly to glare at me. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?"

What did I do to her? It's a good thing I'm holding my Sapphire, because Ingo knows if I wasn't….! "Stop it, both of you! Conor, Sapphire is hurt because a Nanuq attacked them. Faro saved her! Now if I don't do something, she's going to DIE. Conor, she's your sister, it's up to you."

His rage dies down a bit. "What's up to me?"

"Whether or not you want me to do something. Con, your blood is more human than Mer. Sapphire's blood is split equally, down to the last drop. If I use a Mer remedy to replace her blood, it may have… well it may change her blood balance. If she were treated by an Air doctor, it would be the same way."

His face looks pained, as he begins to realize this. I can't help it as fury swallows me. "What are you thinking about? There is no decision to be made! If she doesn't get help she'll DIE! We're wasting time, Elvira, just HEAL HER!"

My sister gently takes Sapphire in her arms, glancing over at Conor one last time. Reluctantly, he nods. I am hesitant to let her go, but I know it is her only chance. As Elvira lays her down on an ice shelf, beginning her work, Conor looks over at me, his arms folded. "Why did you take her here? You know she'll bleed out faster underwater!"

I keep my voice calm and removed, but my eyes and heart burn. "Would you prefer that I let her freeze to death then?" The painful image of her crying on the ice, whimpering as her lips and fingers turned first purple then blue, how she flinched away from the ice that surrounded her... I can't take it.

Conor says nothing. He knows I'm right, but he's too angry to admit anything . He's just as hurt as I am about Sapphy's injuries. Normally I wouldn't say that, with the guilt of not being able to protect her eating me alive, but I knew Conor couldn't take the thought of his sister's blood mixing with Mer blood. If I wasn't so worried about her surviving at all, I might be excited about the possibility of Sapphy staying here in Ingo with me. And I'm sure that's another reason Connor was taking his anger out on me.

I don't feel all that bothered by it though. I took all my anger out on the Nanuq, as I know Conor wishes he could have done. "What is a Nanuq anyways?" He grumbles under his breath.

"I believe you humans call them polar bears," I say, leaning against an iceberg, nervously watching Elvira work. Conor's head was in their direction too. Elvira was bending over her with a sharp shard of ice and some kelp she'd had to dive to get, but… What was she…?

"Well don't watch them!" Conor's eyes are now on mine, angry again. "Elvira has to cut some of Sapphy's clothes off to get to the wounds!"

"Oh," I say turning away. I wonder if I should be embarrassed. Is that something really bad, for humans to see each other without all their clothes? I look down at my own bare chest and wonder if I should feel odd around them. But it must be a Human thing, and I am Mer, so I don't feel so bad.

"If I had only been there…" Conor drops his elbows onto his knees; his hands are claws running through his hair. I know what he means. If only I had been there, I could have fought it off. If only I had been there I could have showed it never to touch my sister. If only I had been there, I could have saved her. If only it were me and not her. I've been thinking this last thought myself. But the Nanuq only wanted her human blood. If Conor had been there it would have gone after him too, but with Elvira by my side we could have taken it before they got hurt. Which reminds me… "Where were you and my sister, Conor?"

He fidgets a little, running his hands through his hair again. "We got separated. We tried to find you both…. We tried so hard. Eventually Elvira said you guys had probably already swum north, and we should keep going. I didn't want to, but I knew she was with you and would be okay… Listen, I'm sorry about what I said earlier… I know this isn't your fault."

I nod, looking away. I can't meet his gaze right now because it IS partially my fault. No, I wasn't the one who hurt her, but I couldn't protect her. I couldn't save her from this pain. I had let her down, and I'd let Conor down… What would I do without Sapphire? I stroke the dublek, thinking of the hair braided together so tightly nothing could separate it. Thinking how they were one and couldn't be told apart. Thinking this how I want to be with her, tied together so tightly we could never be separated. Not by the Nanuq, or by Conor, or by the Air. Suddenly I am very hopeful about Elvira's healing, that it might heal more than just her wounds.