Sapphire

I'm still breathless from the energy that the words took from me. Faro smiles at me and pulls me into his arms, ignoring the fact that he nearly died a few minutes ago.

I kiss him desperately, trying to make him see how much I need him. He pulls away unhappily.

"Saph...I'm going to have to go away again. I can't be with me, no matter how much I want to. You have to understand that."

I nod, giving up completely. He kisses me again softly but I leave my lips still and unresponsive, knowing that he'll leave soon.

I don't want any more good memories. They hurt so bad when you remember them and know that you'll never experience them again.

"Goodbye Faro. I love you."

My lips form the words and my heart breaks again.

"Goodbye Saph. You know I love you more than anything else in this world."

That hurts, as I know it's a lie.

Faro

"Goodbye Saph. You know I love you more than anything else in this world."

It doesn't sound right, even though I know it's true. I do love her more than anything; I'm just too much of a coward to leave my world for her. My world isn't the same without her, surely that's proof that she's my world, that she's the only thing I need to live.

I love her more than I love Ingo.

And I'm not tied to anyone here.

Mother and Father are long dead. Saldowr has cast me out, saying that a true apprentice of his should never fall for temptation.

Sapphire's my temptation, she's my downfall. My fall into real life, into happiness.

I can go into Air because my mother was like Sapphire, Earth and Ingo mixed. She fell in love with a mer man and turned Mer.

Elvira isn't my true sister, even though our mother is the same, her father is the man that Mother changed for. He was killed in a shark attack; only a year after Mother became Mer.

She gave birth to Elvira whilst being courted by my father. I was born when Elvira was one year old. When I was about 2 weeks old, Mother died.

I was put into Saldowr's care and Elvira was taken into the healer's school. We both grew up believing we were true brother and sister. I found out the truth when I was sixteen, shortly before I met Sapphire. I saw my mother in Saldowr's mirror and learnt she was half Ingo, half Earth.

That was when I first tried going into Air. The first time, it was agony but when I told Elvira and we tried it together, we started getting used to it. Then she met Connor.

Connor told Elvira and I about his sister, Saph. We showed him Ingo. I soon got bored of his company and started to wonder about Sapphire.

So when I saw her following him down to the cove, I climbed onto the rocks and waited for her. I showed her the way into Ingo and fell in love with her.

I got to the point of believing that we were destined for each other. Then Saldowr saw my memories, told me that it couldn't be and cast me out.

Sapphire

He seems lost in thought and I don't want to disturb him. Gently, I cast my consciousness out and try to wriggle past the walls he has around his mind.

He's far too strong and I give up after a while.

"Faro?"

He jumps and laughs at himself.

"Go home, Saph, Connor will be looking for you. I'll see you soon, listen for my voice at night time."

He turns tail and rushes away.

I hurry to do the same and stop Connor from going crazy. But inside, I'm glowing at the promise he made: I'll see you soon.