The darkness washed away like a wave receding back into the ocean, disappearing from existence as if it had never been. The feeling of contentment immersed in a sense of finality was ripped away before it could be grasped, to be kept as something that belonged, to be cherished and to be held.
Sara gasped for breath as she emerged from the water, vision blurry as her eyes stung from the small amount of light that danced from the flames that burned on the torches lining the walls.
Sara wiped the water from her eyes, clearing her sight as she took in her surroundings with confusion.
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Nyssa had watched as her father submerged Sara's body into the waters of the Lazarus Pit. She clenched her hands into fists at her side, holding her breath as she waited. Clashing feelings of guilt and relief warring through her at the decision she had made. Sara was her weakness and she had finally accepted that fact without remorse. It wasn't a difficult thing to reconcile. Nyssa knew while she may be vulnerable, Sara was also her greatest strength. Her beloved had made her see what it really meant to be human. That realization and newfound understanding gave her a different kind of purpose. It gave her a reserve within herself to pull from when nothing else was left.
Nyssa closed her eyes, sighing in relief when she saw Sara break through the surface of the water. Opening her eyes once again, she could see that Sara looked disoriented and Nyssa rushed towards her to help in any way she could.
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Hollow. Disjointed. Two feelings that completely consumed Sara's entire being. In a rush that almost made her dizzy, memories returned to her in flashes. From her peripheral vision, she saw Nyssa move towards her and it was then she remembered the dagger that had been plunged into her chest.
Her hands flew up to where the wound should have been but there was nothing. No blood, no scar, no damage where there should have been. Only a hole where the dagger tore the cloth and stains of red.
She looked up at Nyssa and questioned, "How?"
Nyssa shook her head, dismissing the question for the moment and held out her hands to help Sara out of the Pit.
Sara allowed Nyssa to guide her out of the water and when she was on solid ground, Nyssa pulled her into her arms.
Sara was taken aback for a moment at the sudden embrace that was so uncharacteristic of Nyssa. It only took her a second before she wrapped her arms around the woman to return the hug.
It was then that Sara noticed Ra's standing away from them, almost tucked away in the shadows watching everything with a scrutinizing stare that made her uncomfortable.
She pushed out of Nyssa's arms and questioned once again with more force, "How? I remember Talia stabbing me in the chest and then there was nothing. I don't know where I was but I had this feeling of tranquility and then suddenly it was ripped away from me and I was here. Where is here anyway?"
Nyssa glanced down at her now damp clothes, silently bracing herself for the reaction she was so afraid to receive with her answer, "You are in Ra's al Ghul's private chambers and you died, Sara. You died in the vault back in Dubai and I brought you here to Nanda Parbat. It is here in this place that we had the ability to bring you back."
Sara gave Nyssa a disbelieving look, pacing away from her as she tried to grasp what Nyssa was telling her. She shook her head, staring at the ground as she repeated her original question with frustration seeping into her voice, "How?"
Nyssa was about to answer but Ra's interrupted, walking closer to the two women as to not raise his voice as he spoke, "The water you emerged from has special properties. Its power known only by a few. I have lived for centuries, Ta-er al-Sahfer, because of these waters. As the Demon Head, I am the only one to have access to what has been named over time as the Lazarus Pit. The very thing that brought you back to life is what has given me the ability to prolong my life beyond that which is possible for any other human."
Sara turned her gaze from the ground back to Nyssa and Ra's. She rubbed her hands together, chilled from the air in her wet clothes. She frowned, brow furrowed as she expressed her thoughts, "There's nothing in this world that's free. I don't believe life can be given back to the dead without a price being paid. What did I pay? I know it was something because I feel different. Something is different inside me and I need to know what. I feel like a piece of me is missing."
Nyssa watched the different emotions cross over Sara's features as she spoke. She could see sadness and pain. Fear and confusion. Her heart ached for what her beloved was struggling to accept. Nyssa put her hand up to stop her father from continuing with his explanation. She closed the distance between herself and Sara once again and took Sara's hands in her own as she tilted her head down to ensure eye contact, "You are the first we have brought back to this world from the void. There have been those before us who have done so and there are warning against such a thing. I ignored it all because I could not be without you. The world would suffer from your absence."
Sara squeezed Nyssa's hands, giving her an exasperated look as she started to feel that Nyssa was stalling in her answer. She pulled free from Nyssa's grip and tugged on her shirt as her clothes started to become uncomfortable as they dried. "What were the warnings, Nyssa? I was at peace, I can't even describe it and then it was taken from me…. pulled away in a sudden rush and I just feel hollow now. What am I missing?"
Nyssa looked away upon hearing Sara's words and Ra's answered what his daughter could not, "You are correct. There is a price. The void returned your soul but it is no longer whole and it never will be again. The void keeps a part of you in order to maintain a balance. It has been said that those who return from the dead by the waters will suffer from an uncontrollable desire to kill. For the rest of your days you will have to endure a bloodlust that will consume you if you let it."
Sara suddenly felt confined and had an overpowering urge to get out of the room. The walls felt as if they were closing in on her and she needed to find the freedom of the outdoors as fast as possible. Sara turned to face Ra's fully, gesturing to herself as she asked, "I'm cold and I need to change. May I be dismissed?"
Ra's nodded his consent but held up his hand, stopping Sara from leaving, "I trust that you will not speak of what has happened here tonight with anyone outside of myself and Nyssa."
Sara nodded, knowing it was an order disguised as a statement and was about to turn to leave when Ra's stopped her again, "You will need Nyssa's guidance in the coming days. The bloodlust, should the warnings be true, does not have to define you. It was because of you, Ta-er al-Sahfer, that the Khushu jewel did not end up with The Hidden and by extension, Damian Darhk. You have done well."
"Thanks." Sara replied, forgoing any formality in her answer. She was anxious to get outside where she could breathe. A slow simmering rage was building in her gut at being held back. She did her best to control her breathing and focus when every fiber of her being wanted to unleash her ire on the people in the room. She knew it was the bloodlust Ra's spoke of. She could feel it coursing through her veins. She was cold inside, a vital part of her left behind in death.
She made to leave again and this time Ra's allowed her to go. She had never been to Ra's al Ghul's private sanctuary inside the main structure and it took a few moments to gain her bearings. When she finally made it outside, the cool air hit her skin but she did not feel it. Despite her still damp hair and clothes, the heat that rose inside her so quickly just minutes ago, kept the chill at bay.
She walked in no direction in particular, stopping only when the compulsion to draw blood subsided. It laid dormant now, patiently waiting to be unleashed. Sara leaned her back against a tree and sank down into a sitting position. She pulled her knees up to her chest and laid her head down before closing her eyes, blocking the world out around her.
She could not deny that a part of her was grateful for the second chance at life. She was reborn, further broken inside than before but she refused to relinquish control. Her mind was still reeling from the fact that Ra's al Ghul was hundreds of years old, maintaining his vitality through a pool of water with mysterious properties that extended life and brought back the dead. It was surreal and Sara felt disconnected from reality.
Her thoughts drifted to Nyssa, bringing unwanted tears to her eyes. She held them back, refusing to allow them to fall. She was stronger than that and would not show otherwise. Her lover's confession staggered her and she couldn't focus on any one feeling. She had died to complete the mission and keep Nyssa safe and she could not accept her choice. Sara didn't think she could accept Nyssa's death if there was a way to bring her back if the roles had been reversed. Regardless, there were consequences to what had been done and now Sara had to carry that burden. She did not know how to feel about that. She could see the love in the act but selfishness accompanied it, tainting the gesture. She couldn't even begin to ruminate about the serenity that had surrounded her in the quiet darkness. The surety of forever in the peace it brought her. To have such a gift and lose it without her consent was crushing. She was incomplete now in more ways than one.
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After Sara left his chambers, Ra's turned his attention to his daughter, "You should go after her. She will need your help, the sooner the better. She will also require constant supervision until she is able to control her bloodlust."
Nyssa sighed and shook her head in defeat, "Will she ever forgive me?"
Ra's shrugged, "Time will tell. You may have to prepare yourself for an outcome you do not favor. That may be a result of your choice."
Nyssa scowled, angry at her father for always trying to teach a lesson in regard to her decisions, "I am well aware of my choice and what it has brought. I know that my beloved may never forgive me for taking her away from a place she described as peaceful. For the fact that she did not come back whole and the knowledge that I was aware it would happen."
Ra's walked over to one of his many bookshelves and replied over this shoulder as he browsed for a specific selection, "I will see if I can find any definitive information on this."
The tension Nyssa held relaxed somewhat at her father's offer. He never ceased to surprise her with his rare acts of kindness behind his backhanded comments and cold demeanor. "Her eyes. They lost the light that lived there. The light that was unique to her. It held youth, joy, passion, kindness. It held so much more than that. Her gaze was dull…. blank. It was empty."
Ra's hummed his acknowledgement as he pulled an old leather-bound book into his hands from the shelf, "You need to prepare yourself. She may never again be the person you knew. This journal has some old accounts in it that may be helpful. I will look through it and apprise you of anything I learn. It has been a very long time since I last studied these writings."
Nyssa took her leave, anxious to hear what her father may learn and worried about Sara's state of mind. She hurried outside, deciding to go back to the cottage as she had no idea where else Sara may be. Mind preoccupied, Nyssa walked along the old footpath as she had done so many times before. She quickly concluded that she would make the same choice if time turned back and she was presented with the decision again. Sara was stronger than any curse the Pit may bestow on her and Nyssa had faith in that.
She was jerked out of her thoughts when the tolling of bells rang out of over the peaceful quiet of Nanda Parbat. She cursed under her breath as she pulled her bow into her hands. They were under siege and Nyssa knew of only one person….one group that would be bold enough to attack them directly.
Nyssa took off in a run towards their fortifications, thoughts of Sara in the back of her mind. She did not know where her lover was and it worried her. When Nyssa reached their main defenses, she was not surprised to see that Talia and The Hidden had already breached. Talia would know her way around any of their barricades as she had spent her early days there. The league had bolstered and changed its configuration but Talia's knowledge of the area was too intimate to deter this kind of attack.
As Nyssa stopped to assess the scene around her, she caught a glimpse of Sara in the middle of the carnage. Still in the clothes from their mission in Dubai, Nyssa knew Sara had not gone back to the cottage when she left his chambers. Now she stood rooted to the spot as Sara ripped through the enemy.
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Sara had never heard the bells ring out in this place but she knew exactly what it meant when the sound pierced the air. Standing quickly from the ground, Sara took off in a run with her feet bare towards the sounds of clashing metal. It was only when she arrived at the location of the attack did she realize she was unarmed. Looking down, she picked up a sword that lay on the ground next to the dead. She did not have her bo but in this moment, her current weapon suited her in her purpose.
She knew from the clothing and the sheer boldness of the attack that it was The Hidden that was on their land. She knew it was Talia coming for the jewel. Anger overtook reasoning and control. It stole logic and mercy. It blinded her to everything but death. It was punishment she would rain down on the enemy until there was nothing left and she was sated.
The world became a blur as she went on the offensive, her hands slick with blood as she tore her weapon through the bodies of her enemies. She felt whole as she became lost in the moment, moving on instinct, a rush of elation taking over as she struck down anyone who stood in her path.
She was floating in a haze, too far gone to care about anything but bringing death.
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Nyssa took off after Sara, worried she would slip so far into her savagery that she would no longer be able to distinguish a league assassin with the adversary. As Nyssa ran, she struck down those that stood directly in her path but made no effort to join the battle. She needed to reach Sara and she needed to find Talia. She could not allow her sister to escape with the jewel and she wished now that she had claimed her life in Dubai.
Nyssa knew Talia would not be here in the midst of this chaos. This was the distraction. The way to destroy the obstacle to her goal. Talia would be at the vault where the league protected the things Ra's al Ghul deemed too dangerous to be free in the world. The place where the jewel for the Khushu Idol now resided.
"Sara!" Nyssa shouted once she was close enough to be heard.
Sara stopped and turned to her causing Nyssa to falter in her steps. Her beloved was almost unrecognizable. Eyes distant and clarity absent. She was bloody, breathing hard, eyes cold and detached and unrestrained.
Nyssa stepped forward slowly, bow lowered by her side, clutched in her left hand as she reached out with her right. Sara stared, muscles taut, body ridged as she followed Nyssa's movements warily.
Nyssa slowly stepped forward until she was close enough to speak without having to raise her voice. She dropped her right hand back to her side, deciding that a touch may not be best. "Sara, I need you to stop and come back to me."
Not getting a response, Nyssa continued, "You are stronger than this. Do not let the need that is rushing through you take over. Do not let it win. Hear my voice and fight it."
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A familiar sound gave her pause. She stopped at the feeling it gave her and the recognition of her name being called. It was a voice that she would recognize instantly, no matter the circumstance. She turned, her gaze landing on the woman she cared for more than her own life. She wanted to turn away again, to keep moving forward with the almost uncontrollable desire that coursed through her but the words spoken to her gave her pause.
She could hear the undeniable confidence beneath the barely restrained desperation when Nyssa pleaded with her. Nyssa's words touched her and she struggled to push down the urge that now lived inside her.
She dropped her weapon, the blade making a dull thud as it hit the ground. Sara looked down at her hands, the blood that covered them starting to dry.
Sara looked up at Nyssa as she dropped her hands limply by her sides, the swiftness at which she dispatched her enemies haunting her, "I couldn't stop. I couldn't. I didn't just kill them, Nyssa, I enjoyed it and I tore them apart. What's wrong with me?"
Nyssa shook her head, grabbing Sara's arm to nudge her along as she started to lead them to the vault, "Nothing that cannot be helped if it is wanted. I did this to you, Sara. I will not rest until I make it right. First, we need to stop Talia from taking the jewel."
Sara pulled her arm away from Nyssa's grasp as she worked to clean her hands on the front of her shirt, "Talia knows where it is? I don't even know where it is."
"Talia is Ra's al Ghul's daughter. She knows everything about Nanda Parbat and the league. My father and I are the only ones that know where the league stores items collected on missions, other than Talia and Saracon." Nyssa said as she hurried them along.
Sara nodded, keeping her eyes forward, shame stopping her from looking at Nyssa, "Thank you…. for stopping me, I mean. If you hadn't, I don't know what I would've done. It was almost like being blackout drunk. I remember bits and pieces but everything is pretty much blank."
"Of course." Nyssa replied, a feeling of awkwardness falling over her at her lack of response. She didn't know what to say that would comfort Sara, her words coming up short when they were really needed. She knew Sara felt shame and guilt with what had happened. She did not conceal it well. Nyssa lacked the experience required in this moment to really give Sara what she needed.
As they entered the main sanctuary from an entrance Sara was not familiar with, she asked curiously, "If the league is collecting and storing such powerful stuff, why wouldn't you guys move it when Talia and your brother left here? I mean, it would've stopped them from coming here now, right? If they didn't know where everything was."
Nyssa sighed as they walked hastily down a corridor that was leading them gradually underground, "It is protected by runes that were put in place centuries ago. You must know the proper phrases to deactivate the runes and gain entrance safely. We could not move them as we did not know how such a thing was devised. That information was lost over the ages."
Sara chuckled softly, attempting to lighten the mood despite the seriousness of the situation, "Magic runes. That's the last thing I thought I'd hear you say. Then again, you did just raise me from the dead so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. I swear, the longer I hang out with you, the crazier things seem to get."
Nyssa didn't have time to reply as they came upon two dead league members in the passageway where they had been posted to watch the entrance to the vault.
Nyssa clenched her jaw, Talia was already here. She looked over at Sara and it finally registered that she was unarmed. Nyssa pointed at a sword on the ground that belonged to one of the dead assassins and Sara nodded before swooping down to pick it up.
Nyssa had her bow at the ready before she whispered something in a language Sara did not understand. The blue glowing shield that covered the mouth to a vast cavern disappeared, and Sara knew that was the barrier from the runes Nyssa had mentioned.
They entered cautiously as Nyssa led them through the mouth of the underground natural cave that served as a safe haven for the secrets hidden from the world.
Sara's eyes grew wide as she looked around at the sheer number of items stored on old wooden shelves for as far as she could see. She shouldn't have been surprised considering how long the league had been operating, but she couldn't help but be impressed and a little curious by the collection.
Sara swept the area visually as she whispered, "How're we supposed to find her in here?"
Nyssa didn't answer as she continued walking silently towards a section of shelves that Sara could only assume held the jewel for the idol.
Before they could reach the area, Talia stepped into view from between two shelves and stood with arrow nocked to bow, smirk firmly in place.
"Is this not interesting? You had a fatal wound delivered by my hand…. but here you are. It seems my dear sister is playing with things she does not fully understand." Talia said, eyeing both woman with caution.
Nyssa had her bow raised as well, arrow at the ready as she responded, "What does it matter to you?"
Talia chuckled, "Your beloved here is now forever cursed. I am going to assume she did not agree to have her soul ripped from beyond and forced back into her body. I have a feeling you did this on your own, Nyssa, damning the consequences it would bring to her."
Nyssa stepped further into Talia's path, blocking her from making any kind of clean escape as she spat out, "You know nothing!"
Nyssa, in a fit of anger, pain and utter hatred for the woman that took her love away, let her arrow fly. Talia easily leaned back and dodged it completely before letting go of her own which Nyssa knocked away with a simple swing of her bow.
Sara watched as both women traded a few more shots, none hitting their intended target. She slowly stepped away and then closed in on Talia's left flank, sword at the ready.
Talia glanced the movement to her left and launched an arrow in Sara's direction. It was easy for Sara to maneuver around it and the shot never came close to piercing her body. As Talia was distracted, Nyssa nocked another arrow and released it, the projectile hitting Talia in the right side just under her ribs.
Talia cried out, at look of surprise on her face as she saw she had been hit. She dropped her bow, both hands flying up to tend to the wound as she dropped to her knees. Her breath came out short and fast, shallow and strained, indicating a possible punctured lung.
Before Nyssa could do anything more, Sara closed the distance to Talia, sword pulled back before she plunged it into Talia's body, the weapon running all the way through her. Sara withdrew the sword as she knelt and placed it on the ground as she wrapped her arms around Talia and gently laid her down.
"Where is the jewel?" Sara demanded as Talia looked up at her in amusement.
Nyssa placed her bow around her shoulder before crouching down to begin searching Talia for the coveted item. Talia looked at Sara with glassy eyes, "I do not have it. You see, I was also the distraction. The jewel is gone. It is now in the possession of The Hidden as I kept the two of you occupied."
Nyssa cursed under her breath as Sara inquired, "Who has it?!"
Talia coughed, her skin damp with sweat as blood continued to flow from her body, "The league will never get to it in time. We won. It does not matter who has it. Once the idol and jewel are reunited, hell will come down on the league."
Sara could feel the now familiar rage starting to rise inside her as she looked to Nyssa for answers, "What do we do now? We need a name or something! Help me."
Nyssa sighed, she knew Talia would never give them the information they sought. Her wounds were fatal, leaving them no time to interrogate her properly. She could see Sara's lust for blood rising to the surface as Talia taunted them with her last moments in life.
Nyssa turned her attention to Talia and reached out, snapping her sister's neck, ending any further antagonistic remarks she would try to inflict on them.
Sara let go of Talia's limp lifeless body as she stood up slowly, her eyes full of confusion as she looked at Nyssa, "Why did you do that?"
Nyssa stood up as well, "She was never going to tell us, Sara, not in the time she had left. She was provoking you and I would not have it."
Sara scoffed, shaking her head, "What gave you the right to decide that for me?"
Nyssa reached out for Sara but she stepped out of reach. Nyssa pushed down the hurt the rejection caused and answered, "Nothing, Sara, not under normal circumstances, but it is different now. Now you have a bloodlust that can be easily brought to the surface. I did not want to see Talia push you to that point."
Sara looked down, her hands stained once again with blood. The sight was becoming all too familiar to her. She cleaned them on her already soiled shirt as best she could before changing the subject, "I guess we should check and make sure the jewel really was stolen."
Nyssa nodded before she led them through a small maze of shelves. When they arrived at the place the jewel was supposed to be stored, the vacant space they both stared at was all the answer they needed.
They left the vault in silence, Nyssa reactivating the runes before they continued up the corridor. Once they arrived at the entrance they used earlier, Nyssa said, "I need to brief Ra's al Ghul on what has happened with Talia and the jewel and get an idea of what we lost during the battle outside."
Sara sighed, fatigue catching up with her quickly, "I'm going home."
As Sara started to turn away, Nyssa reached out stopping her as she blurted, "I am sorry."
Sara tilted her head to the side in confusion, "For what exactly?"
"Everything." Nyssa replied quietly, letting her hand drop away from Sara's arm.
"Vague much, Nyssa?" Sara replied, as she leaned against the tall solid wood door.
Nyssa winced at the verbal exchange, the awkwardness between them uncomfortable, "May we talk when I return to the cottage?"
Sara looked down at her bare feet, grimacing at how they bled from running on uneven ground, "Sure."
Nyssa wanted to say more but was at a loss for words. She just stepped back, a wordless indication that their conversation was over.
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Sara laid her head against the back of the couch, the emotional and physical exhaustion from recent events catching up with her. Without looking, she placed her empty cup of tea on the side table before tucking her arm back against her body.
She hated the tea they used for healing but she knew it was the only way to quickly heal the wounds on her aching feet.
She cracked her eyes open when the door to the cottage opened, Nyssa returning from speaking with her father.
"How'd it go?" Sara asked as Nyssa carefully removed and stored her quiver and bow.
"He was not upset about Talia's death. Not as a father or as a leader. He was not worried about retaliation considering The Hidden had already attacked us openly. He is angry the jewel was taken from us. He considers it an embarrassment and he is worried about the consequences." Nyssa replied as she slowly lowered herself down on the couch next to Sara.
"How can he not care about her death? She's his daughter!" Sara exclaimed, amazed at the reaction Nyssa described.
"She stopped being his daughter when she fled from here with my brother. My father's personal attachments are almost non-existent." Nyssa stated candidly as she watched Sara carefully.
"What's the next step?" Sara asked, ignoring Nyssa scrutinizing gaze.
"He is sending scouts to The Hidden to assess the situation. He will decide what the best course of action will be when they return with their report." Nyssa said as she got up from the couch and started to undress.
Sara shook her head and chuckled humorlessly, "You know it's too late, right? The idol and jewel will've already been brought together by the time his scouts return. We're behind and are forever playing catch up."
Nyssa was aware of the truth in Sara's words, "I know, but we still need to try. I am going to clean up. I will be right back."
Sara nodded as she closed her eyes once again, Nyssa's soft steps barely audible as she left the room. Sara didn't realize she had dozed off until the dip in the couch woke her up. She opened her sleepy eyes to see Nyssa sitting next to her.
"I did not mean to wake you up." Nyssa said as she turned to face Sara fully.
Sara shook her head and sat up on the couch in an effort to shake off her fatigue, "It's fine. You wanted to talk anyway."
Nyssa clenched her hands into fists, an attempt to stop fidgeting. She was nervous, a feeling she was not accustom to. She was a leader, someone people feared and respected. Here with Sara, she was just a vulnerable woman with fears, hopes and thoughts of the future. Nyssa could see the toll the last forty-eight hours had taken on her beloved and decided to be blunt, "Are you angry with me for what I did?"
Sara was silent for a long moment, biting her bottom lip in contemplation before replying, "I'm confused, Nyssa, not angry. I can't say I'm not grateful for this second chance but it feels like I came back broken. More so than I was before."
Nyssa let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding before asking, "What is confusing you?"
"Everything! Where was I and what am I now? My soul is fractured…broken. Ra's said the void kept a part of me. I'm a monster now. I have no control. You've seen it! Why did you bring me back knowing what I would become? I was in a place of peace but now I should be locked away for everyone's safety, Nyssa. Who knows what could set me off. I'm not safe to be around." Sara said, her voice rising with agitation as she spoke.
Nyssa looked at the wall behind Sara, unable to meet her gaze directly, "I do not know where you were or what you felt but I do not believe you are broken. Nothing could break you, Sara. You may have come back changed, but you are not a monster and I will never lock you away. My father is trying to find more definitive answers but until then, I can only tell you what I know to be true in my heart. I love you. That is why I brought you back. It was selfish and I thought only of myself…. that I could not be without you."
Sara moved until she was able to make eye contact with the woman next to her, "I love you too, Nyssa, and that's why I think I would've done the same thing. It's why I'm not angry. How could I be if I would take the same action? I just feel different, like something is missing and it scares me. What I did today to our enemy was beyond anything I ever thought I was capable of. If Ra's can shed some light on this, it would make me feel better to have some answers."
Nyssa tentatively reached out and took Sara's hand and when she didn't pull away, Nyssa felt encouraged, "I will help you, Sara. We are off any league business until we understand what happened when you came back. You will learn to control the bloodlust inside you. Do not be scared. I have no doubt you can resist the urge that now rises in you given enough time."
"It was selfish, Nyssa. You were right about that. It was also dangerous. You had no guarantee what would happen. I won't lie, you ripped away the peace I was granted in death and I'm having a hard time dealing with that. I'm not angry though, Nyssa. I'm not. If our roles were reversed and I knew about the Lazarus Pit, I would've brought you back. I couldn't imagine this world without you in it. I couldn't imagine my life. It would be empty and that would compel me into the same decision. I just need time." Sara said as she squeezed Nyssa's hand in reassurance.
Nyssa thought about Sara's words and finally relaxed for the first time since Dubai, "I will give you all the time you need. Anything you require is yours, you just have to ask. We can even leave Nanda Parbat if you want to get away from here. We can stay at one of the monasteries. If my father learns anything new or anything happens, he would alert us by messenger. We would not be any further than a day's travel."
Sara smiled softly at the suggestion, "I think I would like that. Can I think about it?"
Nyssa nodded as she got up from the couch and pulled Sara up with her, "Of course."
They started to walk to their bedroom before Sara hesitated, her reluctance stopping Nyssa in her tracks. She turned to Sara, concern etching her features, "What is it, beloved?"
"I killed your sister, Nyssa. That has to bother you on some level." Sara said as she stared at their entwined fingers.
Nyssa leaned in and kissed her cheek before pulling Sara into her arms. She whispered softly in her ear, "She killed you first. I had no love for her and I dealt the final blow, not you. Do not let that worry you. She stopped being my sister long ago. Now let's go to bed."
As they broke apart and entered the bedroom, Sara asked, "How many did we lose in the attack?"
Nyssa smiled at Sara's concern and acceptance of the league as she replied, "We lost ten. The Hidden lost three times that amount."
Sara nodded as she slipped into bed, "Now we worry about Damien Darhk and what he wants with the idol. Shit, what he can do with the idol!"
Nyssa laid on her back as Sara turned into her, resting her head on Nyssa's chest, "No, we do not worry about Damien. Ra's will worry about him. We will focus on you. Tomorrow and the days after until you feel whole again and the light that lived in your eyes returns once again."
