Chapter 28! Sorry, I haven't posted in like three days, I've been busy. Lol I'll explain later on, okay? Now read, you deserve it.

Benjamin stared from his daughter, down to the knife that stuck out from his chest, and in a blink, he disappeared

It was shockingly quick, one moment her father was sitting on his throne, and ten in the next second he was gone, leaving a little poof of air as he left.

"Basturd," Julie mumbled, pulling her knife back from the back of the chair. "Never can stay for anything can he?"

"Julie…" Emily whispered, and her sister whipped around, pointing the knife pointedly at the other girl. "Julie, put the knife down."

"What are you still doing here?" Julie demanded. "He's gone, so why are you sti9ll around?"

"Is he dead?" Emily asked, ignoring her sister's first question.

"I wish." Julie sighed, and started walking down the hall, leaving the older girl behind. "The only way one of them will die is if you cut their name out of the rune stave." Julie shrugged. "Then, they're gone until they get their names carved back. If they do, at least."

"Where are you going?" Emily asked quietly.

Julie paused, laying her hand on the door handle. "To break my friends out of the dungeon before he gets back."

"Friends?" Emily repeated. "You're not the only one, here?"

"He didn't tell you much did he? Julie asked, mostly to herself. "Yeah, me and about seven other people are here, playing his sick little game. So now I have to go break my friends out of the dungeon, got it?"

"Why are you playing? Emily asked, taking a cautious step closer. "Is this why you haven't been home?"

"Yes, now if you tell him about that, I'll kill you." Julie snapped, turning around to glare at the servant. "Maybe I should while I have the chance."

Emily flinched and took another step back. "Why don't you then?"

Julie shrugged, not meeting Emily's eyes. "Because it'll be a waste of my time."

"So you would kill your own sister then?" Emily whispered.

Julie shook her head sadly. "You're not my sister, now are you?"

"You still don't believe me?" Emily asked, her gray eyes pleading with her sister for understanding. For months shed dreamed about what it would be like when they were reunited, but not once had shed ever thought that her sister wouldn't believe that she wasn't really her sister? It never crossed her mind once, but recently nothing really seemed too. "It's only been a few months, and you've already forgotten me haven't you?"

Julie rolled her eyes. "You can pretend your Emily all you want, but that doesn't mean ill be inclined to believe you, you're not her."

Emily sighed, and took a step forward, then another, until she stopped, only three feet away from her sister who was still pointing a knife calmly in her direction. "Why don't you believe me?"

"Because, my sister never would be here." Julie said pointedly. "She never believed in this stuff, she never even gave a second thought to our father. 'He left, that's it Julie' she used to tell me, that's all there is."

Emily flinched again, remembering the countless times she told her sister those five words. For years she tried to push her sister to believe that her father had just simply left, just like shed learned to believe, but shed never expected that he was alive. And an evil shadow ruler who would kidnap his daughters and force them to play one of his sick games. "I…I was wrong…I really was."

"No, you weren't." Julie said wearily. "Because you're not Emily, aright? Stop pretending for god's sake."

"I'm not pretending!" Emily cried. "God, I'm, your sister, I really am Julie. I've been with you all your life, when we were kids and used to play our own version of candy land, holding your hand when we went on the scary rides at play land, watching people outside the windows in the diner. And I was there when dad left, and I held onto you when I called for mom, to take us home. But do you know where I wasn't?"

Julie didn't even blink, but just stare at the girl. He's watched you all your life, Julie. Julie reminded herself. He could have told her anything, don't believe this imposter for a second.

"I wasn't there for you when you told me that you thought dad was taken." Emily whispered. "God, I just told you that you were crazy, that you were just making stuff up so that you wouldn't feel as bad as you did. I pushed you away and told you, you were wrong, and that you should just give up, because he wasn't coming back." She sniffed loudly while tears rushed down from her eyes, and returned to her normal voice, but it wavered with every word. "Then, you were gone. You just left, no note, no phone call, and no one had any idea where you would go, or why. But I did, god I did know and I just kept my mouth shut. I thought that you were crazy, Julie. Burt I was wrong, I was so completely wrong and now, we're both paying the price. It's my entire fault and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Julie."

Julie blinked again, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind, all about Emily. The way she stared into her eyes and told her, point blank that she was wrong and that there was no hope.

Emily looked down at the floor, tears dripping down on the dark tile. "I know you'll never forgive me, but I don't care. I'm glad to know that you're okay, and that you're alive, and that you were right. I was wrong Julie, and I don't care if you believe me that I'm the real Emily. I'm just glad, that you know that I'm-"

Emily's voice was cut off, as someone squeezed her hard, and as she looked down she saw a tangle of dark hair. Julie's knife clattered against the floor as she pulled her arms tighter around her sister, and after a moment's hesitation, Emily wrapped her own arms around her younger sister.

Even if she hadn't imagined this reunion, she was right about the end, they would hug and they would finally be together.

Aw, sweetness. Okay, sorry I haven't posted, first of all, I've had two friends over for the whole weekend and now I just got the computer for an hour so you'll have to deal that its not super, duper long. Sorry. I might post another chapter today, I don't know though, it might have to wait until tomorrow and I'm sorry, I left you all on such an annoying cliff hanger. Lol review please and tell me how you all spent your weekend, while I was playing hooky from writing.