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 When this frame fails me
Will I trust you to carry me through?
I know there's no such thing as safety
but I know what a promise can do.
Will I trust you, will I trust you to carry me through?
I will trust you, cause I know what a promise can do

 –Trust, Thrice

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Chapter Seven: Thrice Promises, Twice Vice

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Validus Hospital, Ancrya, The Lower Elements

Lili Frond shuddered as she followed the nurse down the florescent hallway. Why couldn't they decorate at least a bit cheerier? The atmosphere was enough to kill. She looked down at her pink nails nervously. Why was she here? It wasn't as if she had any relatives who could have gotten that sickness-thing going around. The Frond line was pretty almost extinct, save for maybe a few distant cousins who lived in Atlantis. And they weren't as pretty as she was, and they changed their name to Fin. Or Fern. Something like that. Was one of them sick? Lili wondered. Hopefully it wasn't Daisy. She had been nice, letting Lili try on all of her Alantean clothes. Very trendy, although it made Lili feel like a fish.

The nurse opened the door and wiped a tear away. "I'm so sorry, dear, I know how important  family is to you, and how you are the last of the Frond legacy…"

Lili waved her hand airily away. She got this all the time. Her stomach fell a few notches. Was it Daisy?

"I'm afraid she won't last much longer," said the nurse, blowing her nose. She patted Lili awkwardly on the back and then left her alone in the room.

Gulping a little, Lili drew back the curtain.

Lili gasped with morbid fascination at the sagging eyes, yellowing skin, and the wispy hair of the frail figure in the bed. Mottled spots pockmarked her face and blue-green pus oozed out of large sores, pulsating with a glowing light that occasional sparks flickered in those depths.

Lili stepped closer, half in fear she would recognize who the wraith was, and half that she would not. "Daisy?" she whispered fearfully. The elf's eyes were closed in what looked like excruciating pain. The few strands of the trademark Frond blond hair were drenched in sweat.

"It's me, your cousin. Er. Twice removed? Three times? I don't know. It's me. Lili Frond." Lili gasped this sentence out quickly. Daisy didn't open her eyes.  "The one who went shopping with you that time your father wouldn't let you borrow his credit card. I helped you pick out those shoes you liked."

Oh no. Her eyes were still closed. Lili gasped in horror…was she…dead? She reached out her hand nervously to Daisy's yellowed limp hand on the bed. Lili's fingers grazed the pale digits ever so slightly.

They were burning hot.

The eyes flew open violently, revealing a startling deep mauve. Lili gasped and drew her hand away as if she had just touched poison.

Lili's eyes danced over the abnormal length of the bed and frowned with distaste. "Cerintha," she said, biting her lip. Lili backed away several steps toward the door.

"Nice to see you too," wheezed the figure, "dearest sister."

"Half- sister," Lili responded coldly. "Why are you here?"

Cerintha grimaced and glanced at her surroundings. "Why do you think?" she coughed.

"No," said Lili, her voice shaking but angry, "Why aren't you crawling in the Mud with the rest of your people, halfling?"

Cerintha's eyes narrowed angrily. "Shut up. I don't want to be with your People anymore than you want me here."

"You freak," huffed Lili, sitting down on a hard metal chair and glaring at Cerintha's riveting eyes. She should have inherited them from Mother, not this disgusting abomination.

"So why have you come to visit me on my deathbed, big sister?" Cerintha said gratingly.

"Don't call me that. And I didn't think it was you. If I knew, I never would have come," Lili spat. "I hope you die soon. You never deserved to live in the first place. We should have killed you the awful moment you were born."

Cerintha closed her eyes and leaned back into the bed. "You should have," she agreed softly.

Lili swiveled around in her chair. Did that freak just agree with what she said? Never, never, in her life, had this happened. Her gaze pierced the frail body in the hospital bed. "What did you say?"

Cerintha opened her eyes and Lili was surprised to see that they were wet with unshed tears. "I said you should have killed me," she said bitterly.

Lili's mouth fell open and, realizing this, she quickly closed it. I should say something, she thought. Her mind came up blank, and she stood up to leave, upset and confused.

"Do it now," coughed the voice behind her.

"What?" Lili squeaked.

"You have a gun, don't you?" Cerintha said mockingly.

"What—no—why?"

"Isn't it what you always wanted to do?" she asked sarcastically. "Do it. Now. I dare you."

Lili's eyes narrowed in anger and hastily drew out the Neutrino gun from her LEP utility belt and racked up the setting beyond the danger point to kill. She aimed between those violet eyes, her finger resting on the trigger.

"Go on," said Cerintha softly, eyes glimmering with an unreadable expression. "Do it."

Lili's hand shook unsteadily.

"Come on, DO IT!" shrieked Cerintha. "I knew it, you were a bloody coward, too afraid to even kill! You cheap excuse for an LEP officer. Gutless wretch—"

Lili screamed in anger and pulled the trigger crazily. The laser flashed at a skewed angle, ricocheting off an ugly lamp and singing the wall behind Cerintha. Smoke sizzled from the hole.

"YOU! It's always about you, isn't it!" she screamed, waving the gun hysterically. "Why should I do you a favor?"

"I thought you wanted to kill me," remarked Cerintha. "So do it. Perfect opportunity."

"I never wanted to kill you!" Lili said angrily. "I just wished you never were born!"

"What's the difference?" her half-sister mocked.

"You! I can't kill you because Mother…Mother…"

"What about Mother?" asked Cerintha. "What, you want to kill her too for sleeping with a Mud Man?"

"NO!" Lili screamed in exasperation. "She liked you!"

Cerintha raised an eyebrow.

Stinging tears ran down Lili's cheek, ruining her makeup. How horridly unfair that Cerintha always made her so angry, Cerintha with her stupid snooty attitude, Cerintha with the good grades, Cerintha with Mother's eyes—

An odd sound made Lili look at Cerintha. She was laughing. The nerve of her to be amused! "What?" snapped Lili.

Cerintha wheezed painfully. "Don't tell me you were jealous? Of me?"

"Who else?" said Lili, shooting Cerintha a venomous glare. "Mother was always so proud of her little halfling. Oh, look at how well she's adjusting! Look how tall she is! Cerintha this! Cerintha that!"

Cerintha looked at her, amazed. "You really think that is true?"

Lili gave her a withering look. "You never had to try hard to get Mother to be proud of you," she said bitterly.

Cerintha snorted. "The only reason Mother was mad at you was how you treated me! And do you honestly believe you don't fit in? I never wanted to be a halfling. I didn't choose this life! I'm not good enough to be one of the People, no matter how hard I try," Cerintha wheezed laboriously. "I've never had enough magic to do anything worthwhile or get a job even if I do the Ritual every full moon. I'm too big to fit in any of the furniture, and I've never belonged in this world." She coughed up blue-green phlegm and looked up angrily at Lili. "Tell me, do you ever feel that?"

Lili looked at the tiled floor, chagrined.

"Exactly! You had everything handed to you on a silver platter! The Frond family fortune! Elvish blood! No one ever questioned your ability to do a job because you looked funny, because you always looked perfect."

Cerintha paused to breathe, which seemed like it was taking her a lot more effort than before. "When I was banished I thought there was hope in life again. The humans aren't as bad as we think they are. They thought I was just a shorter human with an ear problem. And being half-magic wasn't bad at all." Cerintha smiled feebly and then her voice turned brittle and sour. "Then they came back for me. I was too obvious, they said. They mindwiped all of my friends. The people who accepted me. My family." Her chest heaved with pain and her breaths were short and arduous. "When I came back Mother was dead. And you wouldn't talk to me. I had no one." Cerintha looked glassy-eyed at Lili. "See, sister? My life with the People were unbearable. And then they gave me to the humans. But I didn't belong with them either. So here I am."

 "I'm sorry," Lili said softly.

"You're not sorry," snapped Cerintha. "You've always hated me."

Lily looked into Cerintha's eyes. Mother's eyes. Mother, who had died thirty years ago. "I don't hate you," she said, hoping the tears she was holding in her eyes wouldn't fall. "I'm sorry. I really am."

"So am I," said Cerintha, exhausted. She collapsed back on the bed. Something different shone in her face now. Something like hope, or trust, or maybe just contentment. "Can you do me a favor?" she asked, wheezing painfully.

Lili walked over to the bed and grasped Cerintha's limp hand.

"Kill me."

Lili shook her head, and the tears were falling now, streaking her face and ruining her makeup.

"The medics won't do it. But I know there is no cure. It's better this way."

Lili shook her head once more, her tears falling onto Cerintha's face.

"Please, sister," she begged.

Lili nodded unsteadily.

Cerintha laid back into the bed and smiled. Lili closed her eyes and pulled the trigger. The hand she was holding then slipped away, lifeless.

"Say hello to Mother for me," whispered Lili, "sister."

A/N: Review. It makes me happy.

A/N 2: This chapter was originally part of an even longer chapter, which was about 11 pages on my computer and about half of my daily journal at school. (I have big handwriting.) So I split it up, yay for you! Look for another update soon, as most of the next chapter as well as the chapter after that is written.

A/N 3: I know that several of you believe that Alanis is a Mary Sue. Yes, she has many clichéd characteristics, and I don't care for her much, but she's in this story and I am not giving up on her. True, I could have written this a lot better with the other character I had in mind, but I am not going to give up on Alanis. Hey. Think of it as a challenge. If I can pull it off, spiffy things will happen. If you have any more input on this you can feel free to drop me an email.

Chapter Eight: The Netherworld Flamingo, Noodlewhip, Mulch, Foaly, and other good stuff going on underground. 

Reviews: Thanks all of you so much for putting in time and effort to write a few words on my story. I really appreciate it. It's what I write for. (Well, partly. Mostly because I want to amuse myself. And hopefully amuse others too.)  If I didn't get everyone, I'll do it now! Three cheers for my spiffy reviewers!

black-knight-1988: Humor, yes, I like humor, but sometimes its not my style. _ Sadly, I'm not as funny as I think I am. Look for more humor in the next chapter. And meanwhile, read the Ivory Files by Nyghtvision. And I'm glad you think Alanis is not a Mary Sue. ^_^

Trinity Day:  I'm glad you're reviewing again. ^_^

Comex again: Well, it wasn't quite so long a wait, but hopefully the waits between the next few chapters will be shorter! ^_^ Hope you liked this one.

The CheezHead: Cheese is so spiffy! Whee! Yeah, it drags. _ Like rope. Well, it was exposition. Now we're getting more plot. I think.  As for the prophecy…yeah, it doesn't sound right with Colfer's line. Probably because it throws the meter off. Yup. Shall change that. And go update your fantabulous story.

ping*pong5:  Yay! I updated. Hehe. I'm glad I got back on track. And yeah, I concur, writer's block and school is very evil. Especially together. And as for Arty remembering…there is a chapter planned called Total Recall. ^_^

FireFilly:  Wow, thanks! Yay! I'm not copying Eoin. ^_^ I like his ideas.

Mystic Unicorn:  If Artemis and Alanis kissed??  O_o Er. And as for the joke…you tried! It was kind of funny. I chuckled. You should come up for your own threat. Like mine is my league of horny toasters.

timerach3: Good stories I like are on my favorites list, and I'm so flattered I'm on yours. ^_^

oracle2335: Interestinger. Hehe. ^_^ Thanks.

Crystal Devine: Awesome! Wow! Thanks. Hope you still think it's awesome.

Booki Mcnerd: Thanks for the spiffy chess site! You rock. As for consistency with Alanis…hm. I changed some of the earlier chapters. I think. I'm glad you think I haven't butchered Artemis. Sadly, he's not in this chapter. But you will see him soon.

Yoda Goody: Yoda is fantabulous too! Thanks for the spiffy words.

LEP: Story Watch:  A better of all the fanfictions…thanks for the lovely compliment, but I beg to differ…I think there are more talented out there than I. Check out my favorites list.

Simply Myself:  To get an Angsty Harry Potter ™ plushie, meet the man dressed as a Chiquita Banana on the corner of 8th and 2nd at midnight. As for the fencing scene unlikely? Hmmm…so are fairies living underground, and Colfer's entire world! Fantasy rocks. Hehe. ^_^

liquid*crystal: Yay! Different plot lines are fun. Thanks for reviewing, and go update Artisan Cliff. *poke*

Nyghtvision: I've updated! Whee! (The next update will come sooner, though. It's all the other stuff. I found this part too long and gave it its own chapter.)

shampoo: Arty is still his slenderiffic self. People who can fence aren't necessarily buff; they have to be agile and fast. And I agree about criminal masterminds looking cooler (especially Artemis) when slender. ^_^

?: Romance? O_o Did I say there would be romance? Thanks for the compliments though and the suggestion about Alanis's MS-ish-y-ness. See A/N 3.