Goodbye Dear Sister.
It was at this moment that Jereez finally completed her circle around the tower and entered the room at the far end. Stopping at the sight of the destruction, she noticed a body on the floor to her left. It was Lauthal, her breathing slow and raspy, her hands cupped at her waist where blood was flowing from a wound.
Lauthal saw Jereez standing there at the same time.
"Sister," she called breathlessly, and Lauthal bobbed down beside her twin, "you must, help, me." Jereez watched her twin for a few moments. This was a moment she hadn't thought would come. Here, her sister the weakened one, and begging for her help. All the times that Lauthal had tried to hurt her flashed through her mind at high speed.
"A perfect sister," she told Lauthal slowly, "would be able to forgive, and forget, and heal you." Lauthal tried to smile thankfully through the pain.
Jereez hesitated sadly, "but I am not a perfect sister, and I cannot forgive, and forget I'm sorry," Lauthal's smile had faded as Jereez continued, "Even if I wanted to, I could not help you, because I do not have the power. Perhaps if you had not limited my supply of fae dust all these years - but you did, and I am weak. I doubt there is any dust here for me to take now, but even if there were, I would not be able to get to it in time to save you." She looked about to leave, then changed her mind.
"You have to tell me one thing," Jereez asked her twin, "why?"
"Why?" Lauthal echoed in pain, mixed with confusion.
"Why," Jereez said, "why all this time? Why all this pain? I cared about you - when we were young." Lauthal drew in a ragged breath and somehow managed to laugh bitterly, then she reached out with one shaky hand and drew Jereez's head closer to her own.
"Because," she said, in a more dark, unpleasant voice, "you had so many friends... everyone loved you - I was just the pretty one." She fell back breathless and Jereez drew in her own breath and nodded. At least now she knew. This time when she rose, she continued on, and walked away leaving her sister behind.
From under the tablecloth of a nearby table, a small fluffy dog whined pitifully and crawled its way out across the body of its owner, bringing its head down sadly.
At the entrance to the Empress tower the rebel army roared victoriously as they defeated the Empress soldiers.
