Hello readers! I'm sorry that this is a little late. I've been sick. But here it is and I hope you all enjoy it.

I know I enjoyed writing it!


Finaqua was far from the machine we had built. We mounted our grand stallion and began to ride east the long coats trailing behind us. Together we used our memories to wind our way through the dense forest. There was a hard and foul determination surrounding the witch's thoughts. I kept far away from her. The only thing going through my mind was DG. This ride gave me a chance to think a lot about the past. It was after all DG's fault that the witch possessed me. "Your adventures have a way of getting me into trouble," I had said. She didn't listen to me. And here we are. But I didn't' feel anger and I didn't remorse. I remember at one point I had, but the witch had feed on that anger and worsened it. What I felt was a distinct feeling of protection. That's what led me into the cave, my protection of DG. And that is what's scaring the witch, that I would do anything to keep DG from harm.

The witch looked ahead and felt a tug on her heart. Zora was close. She stopped her stallion and dismounted. Zora's body remained in a fetal position her lips hung open. The sorceress looked down at her dear friend. Her lower lip quivering as she held back tears.

"I'm sorry sorceress," the statement brought back her fury.

"Wait for me here," we said in a monotone. "I go into Finaqua alone."

We traveled up the left side of the fork in the road. This part of the forest was as familiar to us as the faces we saw in the mirror. We went down the small hill using the fallen trees as braces. The forest was darker then I remembered. Once we neared the dark place our stride became slower. We both shied away from the dark cave and the pictures that covered the outside wall. How morbid, the witch thought.

"You found the past little sister," I whispered. "What else have you found," said the sorceress. We went back up the small hill and went to the maze that would lead to Finaqua. Our stride grew as we walked farther and farther into the maze. When we appeared at the other side our eyes went wide. Finaqua was as beautiful as ever. The black trees that once covered the region were now gone.

We walked to the gazebo pushed reeds out of our way as we went. A small shallow pot took place of the swing. Our footsteps fell with a clunk on the wood. "You've brought Finaqua back," we stated in a whisper as if mother was close by. We looked at the lake and felt a memory creep into our head.

It's perfect. Our head turned and we saw the rock pile that protected the "perfect rock", was broken apart. We'll save it, for the perfect day. A scowl formed on our face and we slowly tilted our head back and closed our eyes. Magic flowed through our senses as we made time move backwards for the little rock. It came up out of the water and splashed along the water twice before flying back to us. We caught it with ease. The little heart shaped rock was still the same, still perfect. We tossed it on the water and it bounced seven times before it sunk to the bottom. A swirling noise came from behind us and we turned to see my mothers form in the pot. She was talking to DG and thought that we would never hear the message.

"DG. If you're seeing this message then you've over come much on your journey to find the emerald. The emerald of the eclipse contains the power to bring either light or darkness to the OZ. As you know now the evil witch of the dark lives inside your sister. Make haste now, south to realm of the unwanted. There you must find a man named Ahamo. He will help you on the final leg of your journey. To save the OZ, to the Gray Gale, to the emerald," she stopped speaking and disappeared.

I smiled to myself and together we shook our head, "very clever mother."

We needed to think. I needed to think. Ahamo. Father. I can't believe he's still here. I shook my head.

We walked along the shoreline of the lake. "Ahamo… Can't a man just abandon his family and stay gone," the witch said.

"Even the most hated outcast still yearns for redemption in his heart," I said I could hear the adoration in my voice, like when I was a child. I looked down at the reflection in the water. The witch held a different posture then I did. Her arms were held on her hips and a scowl on her face. My hands I held in front of me absently toying with a loose string.

"My mother and father planned this from the beginning didn't they? They know all about us don't they," I turned to the witch like I would my mother.

"They knew and they left you for dead," she said in her scratchy voice. She folded her arms across her chest and turned away. "I on the other hand will never leave you. THINK! Ahamo is a man weak of heart, blinded by emotion, nostalgic, sentimental," she named them off like they were diseases.

I turned my head to look at my old home. "He was so happy here," I said absently.

"That's it! There must be a trace we can follow," she looked around as if she could see above the waters edge. "DG's not the only one who can remember is she."

I walked back from the waters edge and felt the witch join me again. "Remember!" We took a deep breath. "Focus!" Another deep breath. We closed our eyes and were immediately met with a very vivid memory.

DG! We jumped at the feeling of it. We closed our eyes to try and remember the rest of the memory. I remembered young DG running towards me, joining me. She grabbed my hand and laced her fingers with mine. My young self leaned towards DG and whispered in her ear. A secret for sisters to share. My eyes rolled into the back of my head. This memory gave me a heady feeling and left my body in ecstasy. DG and I both had dolls and I remember we wanted to leave them for father. We ran towards his work cabin. That's where it is, I thought.

We strode to the cabin. The memory continued in my minds eye. DG and I had entered the cabin and were looking for a place to leave our dolls. I noticed the stand a lantern was on and lifted it up. "Leave them here," I said. "He'll find them. When he comes back with mother." I placed the dolls on the stand. I looked into the window as if I was watching myself from outside my body.

"Do you think father will know they're from us," DG asked me.

"Well he told us to make something he could keep forever. And he taught us how to sculpt clay," I explained to her.

"What if they're touched with our magic," DG suggested.

"Good idea," I smiled at her.

We put out our hands over the dolls and touched the head with the tips of our fingers, giving them a pinch of our magic. I felt tears prick the corner of my eyes, but the witch caught them before they fell and she picked up our head.

"Now he'll definitely know," I said to DG and we grinned. "C'mon!" And we ran out to play.

We walked to the door and it creaked open. I looked down at the dolls' place and saw they were gone. "Daddy," I whispered.

"You love that sappy little token of your daughters love didn't you," the witch said pushing my emotions aside. "I bet you still have it with you. Glowing bright as a beacon."

The witch smiled at her smart realization and she strode back to the waters edge. "Go find the glow," she told to her pets. She opened up the wrap and let them fly from our chest. "Find Ahamo!"

As her pets disappeared we began to make our way back to the company of men. I could see one of the mobats had already found something. A long coat helped us onto our horse and we followed her along side the coast of the lake. She led us to a tall pile of wood. We dismounted and went over to it looking down into what looked like a small makeshift apartment. There on a table were the two sister dolls and they still glowed with a small light.

"Oh daddy," we whispered. I felt a surge of hope run through my being.

We turned back to the men and gathered our horse's reins. "We will hide here," we said aloud. "She'll be here soon."

A servant took the reins from my hand and led the stallion to where he could graze. We stood behind a few trees and waited. Up in the sky the two suns were drawing closer to the moon. And just then a man appeared out of the pile of wood and he helped DG out of the hole. We grinned, turning to the horses. We mounted and paused to see how father would decide to travel to the Gray Gale.

DG walked on the gravel-covered beach a strange contraption in her hands. What is she doing?

As long as she leads us to the Gray Gale it doesn't matter how she gets there, the witch thought to my comment.

She knelt down holding the thing in her hand. She looked frustrated. Father knelt beside her and said something to encourage her. As she focused on the contraption Ahamo left her side and went into the forest. A balloon was in the air, a basket holding father. DG looked up in wonder. She smiled and hurried into the basket with father.

It wasn't until they were high in the air that we began to follow them. The less they heard the more surprise that will be on their face. Seeing their reaction was the witch's only happiness.

We traveled through the night following the small shadow of the balloon. I could feel our heart start to beat faster at the thought of the emerald. Our eyes closed at the very thought that victory was ours as well as the OZ. Just as the suns began to rise over the mountains the balloon floated down onto a hill.

The Gray Gale is there, the witch told me. There was probably a mile between where they had landed and where we were. For the sake of time and sanity we pushed the horses faster.

Father and DG walked out of a door in the forest and ran to the balloon. We dismounted and waited just a second.

"It won't be long until the eclipse," father said. He turned to DG and smiled. "DG you are everything I hoped you'd be. I am so proud of you."

The horses neighed giving our presence away. We smiled he was such an emotional wreck. Father was shocked, his eyes wide. DG looked at me with the same frightened look she had as a child. Father moved in front of DG and took a few steps back.

" 'I'm so proud of you.' My little girl. 'You're everything I hoped you'd be.'" we spoke repeating his words. "Daddy. You old romantic."

With a sweep of our hand he was thrown 5 feet back and shrank down to just a few inches. We pulled him up from the ground and he landed in our palm. "Daddy… I've missed you so much," we said in such a daughterly tone. We looked at his small-terrified form and smiled devilishly. We clapped our hands together and he was gone trapped in a similar prison we put mother in. I was starting to get a little tired of everyone telling DG how 'good' she was.

DG's eyes were wide and her face lost its color. "What did you do to him," she asked.

"He's quite comfortable," we told her plainly. We held out our hand. "You have something for me."

DG took a few steps back and shook her head. "C'mon," we urged her. "You don't want to share your shiny new trinket with your big sister?"

"No," DG drew out the one syllable. "You're not my sister."

I felt a little anger seep from my being. The witch was not pleased either. Magic surged through our body and we pulled the emerald from DG's hand. The tiny emerald glowed in our hand. I was sure that our heart was going to stop. It was so perfect and all ours. The sorceress touched it and held it as if it were her child.

"It doesn't look like much… does it?" we said aloud speaking to ourselves. "But it has so much power."

I shuddered feeling the emerald surge through our body. It was so tempting. I tried hard to fight against it. What are you fighting? We have what we want. Nothing else matters, the witch spoke to me.

No! DG! She's what matters!

The emerald is the only thing. Forget DG. Give in to it Azkadellia. And I did.

"Greens not your color," DG said as she lunged for the emerald. We smiled and held out our hand choking her for just a few moments. She coughed when we let go.

"I thought you were dead little sister. Buried in the ground all these years," we said with some sincerity.

"You're not," DG wheezed.

"No. It's where you belong. You look good in marble. Green marble," we smiled and waved our hand over her body sending her somewhere she would never get out.

We turned to face the men. "It's nearly time," we said and mounted our horse. We didn't wait for the men, we urged our stallion into a strong gallop and went back to the castle.

Raynz waited at the entrance for us. "Get the machine ready," we said and walked past him. He nodded and left. We went up winding stairs into our private rooms. My servant walked in and waited for an order.

"Take the emerald and have it put in a necklace," we said hesitatingly handing him the emerald. "Be careful!"

"Yes sorceress," he said holding the emerald in two hands.

We closed the door and began to change into the outfit that would help channel the emeralds power. The outfit we would wear when the OZ became dark. Forever. Once the girls who had helped me into the outfit left we went onto the balcony where in the very middle a platform had been setup to channel the machine's energy along with the emeralds. We walked past it to the very edge of the balcony.

Our eyes closed and meditated on our very close future. "So many years," the witch said aloud.

"And you've finally gotten what you wanted," I finished for her.

"What we wanted," she corrected. Then we were silent and listened to the wind. Soft footsteps came behind us. The servant I sent off earlier came in with a precious box holding the emerald necklace. He opened the box carefully and avoided eye contact keeping his eyes down. We turned to look at the box.

We still could not believe its power or the fact that it was in our possession. The same euphoric feeling that we had when we stole a soul went through us now. It made my head spin and it was difficult to breath normally. We reached out and took the chain and lifted the emerald out of the box. It shone brightly. We sighed with contentment.

"History's about to be repeated," we spoke together. "And this time I'll get it right," the witch said on her own. We continued to stare at the emerald as the servant left. I knew our eyes were filled with the shine of the emerald. We slipped it over our head letting the chain fall at the back of our neck and the emerald fall against our bosom. We held our head high and smiled. The suns were falling closer and closer to the moon. "It's almost time."

"Let's go say hi to mother," I said. She was waiting in another room where we wanted her to watch as the OZ fell into everlasting darkness. I also thought she would like to see father again. But now I couldn't even remember feeling sentimental.

Long coats opened the door as we took small strides into the room one hand over the emerald at all times. Mother turned slowly at our entrance. "Oh! Don't you look pretty," we grinned at her. "Good thing, because I brought you a date."

Behind me the Long coats brought in Ahamo. Mother took in a sharp breath and she sighed her eyes starting to fill with tears. Ahamo rushed to her. "Is it really you?"

They looked at each other with utter adoration. "I've been dreaming of this day," Ahamo said.

"I love you," mother replied just before they shared a passionate kiss. Our lip went up in a snarl of disgust. And I could feel my rage towards them begin to build up further.

"Enough," I scoffed at them. We walked towards my parents and stopped just a few short feet away. Our hand dropped from the emerald and it began to shine again. My mother breath came in short gasps and her eyes wide. Father's jaw set in a tight line and shied away from us.

"Do you know how long I've waited to see that look on your face," we told mother. Tears began to brim our eyes and this time neither one of us tried to stop them. "No phony smile. No brave front. Just pure and utter shock! It may be the most honest gift you've given me mother." I added the last part out of anger.

"I am not your mother," the queen said shaking her head. I could see her holding back tears.

Ahamo shook his head as well and sadness filled his eyes. "Our daughter is really gone?"

"Both of your daughters are gone," I told them without the witch's help. We turned our head away from them so I could hide the tears I was creating. I don't feel for you… anymore I thought.

Mother's tears fell now. "DG is dead!"

"Your little girls quest has ended," we stated simply. "As your royal line ends today. In darkness. Permanent. Darkness."

"Sorceress. The eclipse," a servant said. We turned our head and nodded. We looked at my grieving parents one last time before we turned and left.

"Go to Raynz. Tell him so start the machine," we said and the servant was off. We waited on the balcony. Up in the sky the suns were starting to become covered by the moon.

We stood at the base of the platform on the balcony. "I want no interruptions once it begins. After 500 years I want this moment to be… perfect."

"Forward light pulses are at 100 percent. All we need now is power," Raynz said his voice crackling from the radio.

We turned to face the front of the balcony and lifted our arms as if the entire OZ was watching. We are the rulers now, we said to them. There was an explosion at the west wall and we smiled when there was a second one at the south wall. "The resistance is giving me a fireworks display," we giggled.

Down below the long coats were scrambling like little ants trying to find the source of the explosions. We could hear a few more loud booms come from the other side of the machine. We ignored them and walked onto the platform. Our magic was beginning to run like a wildfire in our veins. It's time.

"Let it begin," we said.

A beam of green light appeared out of the platform only a few seconds later. We stood and focused on pointing the energy at the moon. I couldn't begin to explain this power. It was beyond the power of good and evil something so strong it broke the binds of the natural world.

"Azkadellia," a small voice said. DG stood in front of the platform. "There's still time to stop this!"

"Look up," we told her. "The power of the emerald is about to lock the eclipse in the sky and bring permanent darkness to the OZ. A fierce new world is awakening."

DG shook her head. "No! Listen to me my sister! This is not what you want!"

Me, just me looked down at DG. I was almost convinced but the witch pulled me back. Remember who protected you!

"Your sister is dead," she spoke for me with her own scratchy voice.

"No," DG said. She tried to get on the platform but the witch raised her arms and pushed her away and she flew off the balcony. The emerald is our future. Your sister is the past. Leave it be.

I nodded and pushed my energy with hers. Then the beam began to fade and go on and off like a flickering lamp. We looked down. "Why are we losing power," we yelled.

This moment was supposed to be perfect!

Calm yourself! I'm sure power will be on in a second. Then just as if I willed it to the beam was solid light and shooting straight at the moon. We sighed relieved. And soon we watched as the OZ was darkened.

"Finally. Permanent darkness… It's over," we sighed looking at the purple moon. "I won."

"Two little princesses dancing in a row," a soft voice began to sing. We looked down to see DG climbing back over the stone railing of the balcony.

"Spinning fast and freely on their little toes. Where the light will take them no one ever knows," she continued throwing herself over the railing. Once she was safely on the ground she sang, "two little princesses dancing in the wind. Spinning fast and freely on their little toes. Where the light will take them no one ever knows. Two little princesses dancing in a row."

I shook my head back and forth unsure of what was going on. I looked her up and down as I remembered mother singing me the nursery rhyme when I was little. The witch was beginning to feel a chill crawl up her spine as she realized what she was doing.

"Do you remember that time at the cave? When you remembered what all those symbols meant," she asked her voice cracking from held back tears.

I remembered. "It's the picture language of the ancients," I had said. The memory echoed through my head. I looked around trying to avoid eye contact with DG. No… This was me. Wasn't it?

" 'Your adventures have a way of getting me into trouble' that's what you said. 'Your adventures have a way of getting me into trouble'," DG repeated tears falling down her cheeks.

My eyes went wide at the memory. I was protecting you DG.

STOP! She left you for dead. I'm still here. Still your friend. The witch told me.

DG began to crawl slowly towards the platform. "Do-do you remember my spinning doll? How we—how we made it fly together? Concentrate," she was telling me.

"Just concentrate Deeg," I told my little sister holding her hand. I remember DG's smile when that doll went flying. It was so bright. I began to smile before the witch caught me and turned it into a frown.

Forget her! The witch yelled.

DG continued to crawl closer like a child. "And do you remember the bear? How scary it was and you stood up. You were so brave. It made me want to be brave!"

Our lower lip began to tremble as I tried to smile and the witch tried to frown. I remembered that. Yes! "Just hold my hand Deeg. Just hold my hand! Nothing can hurt us if we stay together," I told her. The bear had scampered away I recall. The corner of my mouth went up.

DG stood and held out her hand. "Hold my hand, nothing can hurt us if we're together," she cried.

The witch's fury at me and my sister kept me from taking her hand. In our mind she was choking the life out of me. We were going to share this Azkadellia. But now I see what a mistake you are!

I scratched at her hand and tried to pull away from her and reach for DG. Her face was contorted in anger as DG held out her hand. "Take it! Take it! Take my hand," she begged me. I looked down at her hand and suddenly we were our old selves from a time when I was just me.

"I'm sorry I let go Az," young DG apologized. My young self looked down in confusion and anger, tears brimming her eyes. I looked up at DG's eyes my lips quivering.

"I'm scared," I told her.

"I'm here! And I'll never run away again! Take my hand," she cried hearing my voice. She pushed her hand closer to me.

I cried. The muscles in my arms were flexing but the witch held me back with a crushing force. "No!" The witch yelled changing to her true form for a moment before changing back to me. "You're talking to the wind girl!"

"Take my hand," DG ordered, her voice strong.

Tears came faster now as I fought harder and harder against the witch. I need to do this, I told myself. I pushed my energy into my hands. Grab her hand!

"No," the witch yelled at DG.

"Take my hand," the young DG said. I cried looking down at it. My hand started to move just ever so slightly and I kept pushing forward.

You were wrong witch. I don't need you. You need me. And I feel sorry for you. Then my hand touched DG and a light began to glow, brighter then even the emerald. And there was pain. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth as the witch was pulled from my being. I felt the tattoos on my chest press into my skin and burn like fire.

My body changed from the witches to mine and we both screamed in agony. DG gave one hard tug and pulled me from the witch. I tripped over the platform but DG caught me. The witch was in shock from the pain but she recuperated in a flash.

"Have the little bitch! I care not. For the heavens do my bidding," she said triumph in her voice as she looked up to the sky. She noticed that the beam coming from the machine was no longer green. The witched looked down and saw that the emerald was not on her body, but that it was on Azkadellia's.

"The emerald," she croaked. "Give me the emerald!"

I touched the emerald with my free hand and shook my head. I could feel our bond grow and the light brighten.

"Give me the emerald," the witch said as she began to grow in size and she yelled in rage. "Give me the emerald!"

I looked up at the witch and my eyes widened. I squeezed DG's hands tighter, "Hold on!"

"I'm not going anywhere," DG replied.

I could see the witch's hands begin to glow and then fire shot out of her hands at DG and I. But our magic created a force field and her magic was stopped before it could get to us.

"I won't let go," DG said to me. I licked my lips nervously. The witch's magic kept pushing down on the force field but it never passed through. Somewhere in the back of my mind I could feel the witch's fury even though we were in two separate bodies. It still burned.

"Hold on," I told DG.

The witch's fire stopped in a second and she yelped in pain. The light from the machine was dimming and the witch was down sizing. Where her feet would be was a puddle that grew in size as she fell down. And then she was gone.

DG and I looked down at the black pile of ooze. I was speechless. The witch was gone. I'm free, I told myself. I'm finally free.

"She melted," Dg stated. We turned to face each other. DG's blue eyes sparkled and she held her arms out for a hug. I smiled and wrapped my arms around her. I closed my eyes and held her tight. I'm free, I sighed. We let each other go and turned to look up at the moon. The suns would come back. I knew it. We walked back to the room where I had left mother and father.

I opened the door and walked slowly into the room. My gaze went from the floor to my parents. Mother stayed in her place. I could see the same shock on her face as before but this was a much happier shock. Father walked towards me. He knew it was me, his eyes showed it. I smiled shyly and looked at my dad.

"My Azkadellia," my mother said bracing herself against the wall. "Is it really you?"

She sighed. My father embraced me and pressed his lips to my forehead. "The witch is gone… It's over," I whispered. I hugged him back. It felt good to be loved again.

"DG!" my mother called as DG entered the room. DG ran to mother and they hugged each other tightly. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

My mother cried and I could see silent tears fall down DG's face. "Welcome home," my father said to me.

We walked over to mother and DG. And we hugged as a family. DG left our little group when her friends entered the room. She smiled at them. Together we went out onto the balcony to await the suns to shine on the OZ. I stood next to mother and DG stood next to father.

Then the moon moved and light shined more brightly on the OZ then ever before. We all smiled simultaneously.

"That's the OZ I remember," DG said softly. "I'm so glad to be home."

The thought hit me. I was home.