Cole's back seem to stiffen at her speech,as he stood facing the fallen basilisk with a wordless defiancy about him,it was as if even listening to anyone's opinion other then his own was an absurd thing to even consider.Wendy had placed Josh behind a wild plant that she hoped wasn't poisonous and was now possibley going to have to try to take down her own brother.She didn't want to fight against him again,all she really wanted in the world was for them to resolve whatever differences they had in good time and be able to live in at least partial peace.But this curse that her father had told her he was crescented with birth was seeming more like a cold,hard reality now and she knew in the depths of her inner being,the only actual way she would win was to try to reason with him.Now that she had seen him in action,she knew how powerful he was.Everyone had always talked about how talented a fighter he Cole had worked to become,it really had not been that she had thought it was a lot of talk,she had just not really payed a lot of attention to it.But now the odds of her winning were frighteningly measurable to her and she felt the effort to save his life culiminating up to this ultimate decision,as well as everyone else's.

"Well?"She probed to him in a tight voice,setting apart her long legs and curling back both her now clenched fist."I'm ready when you are and let me tell you...I wish I didn't have to be ready."

But still he wouldn't anwser her,the only thing he did was incurve his upper body and fold his arms as if he were insecure.Yet,as the world around them was slowly augmentating into more darker hues of blue and the air was starting to feel dank to the point where she felt like it was clogging up her senses,Wendy started to get the idea that if Cole in deed was losing control of himself,he would have more then likely not have done away with her by now.His ability for insensitivity to the ones who found themselves at his mercy,was as egregious as it was for her to feel just the opposite and here he was not doing anything.It made her feel slightly at ease that maybe her brother had taken for at least for the moment,enough control to not act but before she could utter another word,he turned to face her with the most wicked scowl she had ever seen cross his features.He had a grip on his right wrist but looked as though he were losing,as he his shoulders were beginning to judder.Making him appear torn between what do to.

"You..."Cole dipped his head forth and she realised he was struggling to keep a hold on his arm,as it was now pulsating and highlighting a vermilion color in contrast to the orginial purplish,ebony color she had seen that night."You have to..."his words became strangled and even demonic to her,as he finally rose to full height,grasped arm that had begun starting to shake wildly."You have to do something,you have to stop me..."

Suddenly,she felt her muscles work up and get tense when he stared through unrecognisabley,bitterly determined black eyes."C-Cole,"she stuttered slightly,taking a step or two back because to her it was like he was wanting her to do prove something."Why...Why are you looking at me like that?If you're going to attack me,then why haven't you?"

"Because..."He managed to squelch in his normal voice,screwing his lids shut and with only partial conflict,used his left arm to direct his right one up in her direction."Because I want just the opposite of that if you haven't figured it out..."his words seemed to perish but he came back with saying,this time his face and tone becoming completely and utterly deadpan."I want you to end me...I want you to end me so that I won't have to take sides and no one but the one who's been cursed since the day he was brought into the world will have to be gone."

From the way he was talking about himself in the third person to the most impossible task he could have ever hoped to ask her,Wendy felt as though she had sunken somehow into a surreal universe.Where not even the most unusual magic compared to the shock of discovering he wanted her to commit something that was so darkly and humorlessly farcial to her,she wouldn't be surprised if he told her this was all a big pratical joke.But finally,trying to get a hold of herself and upsurfacing from the depths of phantasmagoria,Wendy got a clear look of what he wanted her to do...To face grim reality and stop him before it was too late,to destroy him;when in the beginning her intention was to save him.He was asking her to become what he was but to have a better reason.Or was it?Was the reason why Cole wanted her to do this to him was to stop him so he wouldn't have to put up with what he was born with or was it for the safety of her and for others like her?For those he use to hunt.

"You can forget it."She told him obstreperously,still feeling apt to try and get through to time."That would be the last thing I would think of doing..."her still deep cerulescent eyes from the shadows contrived down upon her narrowed on him,as she stated to him in her calmest voice."Cole,if you would just look at what you're doing now,then you'd see you have more control then you think you do.You can't give up on yourself,I'm not about to myself."

He shot an angered look up at her defiant one and then muttered something mostly inaudible about how stubborn she could be before he thrusted his arm to his chest,almost bracing himself."You don't understand..."his words were still rended by something inside of him that seemed to be fighting it's way to the top,as he moved his head down so to avoid eye contact."If you don't do it,then I'll be what I'd hate most to become,a...you're-you're right about me.I could become just a weapon that the Huntsclan could use but I don't want that.To feel like I don't have a say in my life...to even think about doing anything to anyone if I can't control myself."

Wendy swallowed hard,knowing that he was still convinced he had to battle with himself but needing to know so greatly...knowing that it was a riskful question and yet she couldn't make another move if she didn't know for sure."Cole..."she inquired him,her voice weak and unsure but her heart blazened."If the Huntsman hadn't told you the truth about me that night...when he had nearly slain me...would you have...I mean,I know you could have if you wanted to be w-"

"No,"he cut her off brusquely but when he raised his gaze up to her it was expressed by something she had never seen him show her and that was pain,his blackened eyes like windows,allowing her to see how much he was suffering from not having hardly any dominance over himself."No...I would not have.But I'm also not like you are,Wendy.I'm not kind-hearted and generous.I'm intelligent but I am about as ruthless as they come.Listen,I know it's hard for you to do this but you must.I always believe in returning the favor,so don't protest and just do it.Do it,take you're friend and leave right now.The sooner,the better and you can forget about it."

Wendy shook her head,still refusing to give in."I'm not going to do it..."she told him firmly but inside she felt a sinking feeling,for he had just let her witness some of his inner tempest and she was ignoring it,trying to make him see how foolish this was."Coleton,this is only happening because you're letting it...because you're believing it.If you're plan all along was to put me in this postion...then,I don't...I don't think you could be more cruel and self-centered even if you-"

"Please."He doubled over again,as a word he had never bothered to utter in his life sizzled out of his lips."You've got to,Wendy.I don't want to fight a war I know now that I can't win..."he hesitated only a moment and when he looked up at her again,she thought he was wincing but upon further inspection saw that he was staring at her pleadingly,trying to make her understand."I can't win.Don't you get it?I've tried and tried...I always thought I had my own say in life but things don't always turn out how you expect them.Wendy..just do it and get it over with.I don't want to feel like this anymore.I don't ever want to not be able to feel like someone or something else is controlling myself but me.The longer you grope,the harder it's going to be.So do it now."

"Cole..."she began affinitely,a saddened expression crossing her milky features as saw how much he wanted to be rid of being bound to his curse,how much he wanted to be free.But she could never bring herself to do this impossible task,she wasn't who he was."You're my brother.I..."

"And you're my sister."Cole managed in a small,harmonious voice,without looking up at her as he had to keep an iron hold on his entire arm now."It's going to spread soon,Wendy.I get that you're uncomfortable with this but you're the only one who can do it.."his words fell flat."Do it to me."

She watched as he knelt onto one knee,surrendering himself over to her,knowing full well this would be extremely difficult for her and she understood suddenly...he was using her for his escape,his actions at the moment were not something he had just came up with over night.As Wendy felt the connection they shared start to burn inside of her,she clearly understood his methods...he had saved her that night partly because he had wanted to pay her back for letting him go;the other part had been because he had just naturally not wanted her to die.But at this moment she knew he was mostly doing this so he wouldn't have to make a decision,he didn't want to lose control of life,he'd rather die then be enslaved. Wendy had to do something but as she felt her eyes starting to turn moist,she felt the grips of desperateness rise in her.I won't hurt him...I will not let this mark take away his life...she noticed when she looked at him again,that his right arm was suspended before her as he was nearly losing control and before he could make a move to clout her,she recalled his mark being the thing to control him and not giving a second thought to the consequences of her actions as it was that kind of behaviour that had nearly gotten her slain before,Wendy felt the air push against her arm as she brought back her claw and without hesitance,slashed it down violently and having her eyes closed;Wendy heard the spliting sound of bone and the shriek that found it's way up from her brother's throat.Hot,flaming tears trickled down her round cheeks and she would have collasped onto the ground to sob but someone caught her arm as she completed her turn and into their arms.What have I done?

"It's alright,Wen."Josh's reassuring voice met her ear,as she transformed back down to her normal state and she sensed others gathening around her brother."You did injure him but from the looks of it,I think he's gonna be..."his soothing words trailed off,as she moved her face deeper into his chest,trying in vain to assimilate his confidence.Please say I only did it enough...just not all the way.Oh gawd,please,say I didn't...Her choked tears soaked into his shirt,as the waness of the beginning of twilight set in,falling on the three teenagers and the small collection of dragons.

To Be Continued...

A/N:Yes,he lives.LOL.Um...I have a surprise next chapter,it's good don't worry.Until that time then.

LP