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OO OO OO OO

The Unforgiving Blade sliced through the wizenstone. The two pieces lost their light, dull and dark as they fell to the ground.

"Excellent choice!" Humbuggle cheered, a thrill of victory searing Seth's chest. "I see you remember your sister's lesson. Winning doesn't mean taking the prize, not with the Wizenstone.

Seth's victory soured at the mention of his not-sister. Even here he couldn't escape people mentioning her.

She was dead. He'd killed her. They could stop bringing up the traitor. She was not a good person.

He was quick to change the subject.

"Give me my memories back," he said, resisting the urge to tap the deadly blade in his hand.

Humbuggle twirled, swooping into a dramatic bow for Seth.

"But of course, that is the true prize you were after."

Seth sighed as Humbuggle stepped aside, motioning to the large chest behind him. It shook violently despite the chains holding it in place.

"To the victor, the spoils."

Seth stepped forward, ignoring Humbuggle as he vanished from the room.

He'd finally have his memories back.

He sliced his blade through the chains of the chest, not even getting a chance to open it before it burst open.

A whirlwind of memories rose, carrying dust and dirt and shadows with them.

A spiral of chaos clipped him, fear and need and why where what echoing.

He reached out, reached for the memories. They were his.

"Come here," he called.

The memories spiraled up up up, and just when he'd dared to think they would leave, they surged downward.

The force of memories hit him like a train.

Kendra, smaller than he'd seen her, playing a game with him. Reading books to him. Helping him up when he fell. Arguing with him over the last snack. Stealing his games to play them herself. Flushed with a pretty boy.

A man, their dad, his dad, playing sports with him. Sitting in front of the TV with him. Getting hugs. Getting grounded. Getting candies with him.

A woman, their mom, his mom, helping him put together legos. Brushing his clothes off. Patching up his injuries. Giving him a tight hug. Checking he had everything for school.

Going to Fablehaven, catching a fairy, Kendra panicking, crying for him. Opening the window, the house destroyed. Fighting Muriel and Bahumat. Kendra, shining with an army, his relief.

Getting the statue, the ride to Fablehaven, the lessons he learned, sexist Coulter, Coulter falling, getting eaten, escape, finding Kendra. Turning tiny, stealing the key. Fighting the revenant and victory.

The shadows rising, the shapes surrounding him, the voices around him- the fear—everyone was gone gone gone—we need to run, get away, escape—finding the house, bringing back Patton, escape escape—Kendra shining, a wall against the dark.

Kendra dying. Swallowing poison and gone and panic—no no no she can't die—she's dead—the funeral—no she's not dead she's alive we found her she's alive we saved her—the sanctuary, the key there, arriving. Holding hands with Kendra to stare a dragon down. Kendra worried for him, worried for herself. Scared, alone, separated, the giant before them. Arriving at the temple and Kendra arriving as well. Kendra and him holding a shining horn, the dragon falling. The storm raging as they escaped.

The quest, the prize, an arrow in his back. Captured, trapped in a bottle, making a friend, escape. Trying to help, dooming the world. Frantically searching, making a deal, getting Vasilis, arriving at the prison. Fighting the demons, getting injured, watching Kendra—leap high shine bright wings of rainbow light arcing around her—

Becoming head of the sanctuary, finding a new staff, going to the meeting. Being tricked, running, arriving at the castle. The key in his hand, turning the key-

He was on his knees, shaking violently. The memories crashed over him in waves, coming and going and filling him up up up.

He was crying, tears streaking down his face. Why?

He wanted Kendra he realized. He wanted to see her, to hug her, to—

A blade in her chest. Blood pooling on the ground. Pain and horror on her face.

Kendra on the ground.

His blade in her chest.

Her breath fading.

Kendra dead.

Dead dead dead dead-

She was dead.

It wasn't like the Stingbulb, fake death to sneak her away. He stabbed her. Her blood was on his hands.

She was gone.

She was gone for real. Forever. For good.

He killed her.

Seth's blade slid into her chest so smoothly, so easily. His hands snuffed out the light in her eyes.

He was the one to look her (dead) in the eyes, hear her pleas, and end her life.

He took the light from her.

He snuffed out the sun.

A keening noise filled the air and Seth realized it was him.

His chest heaved, tears burning his eyes, wet on his cheeks.

He wailed, sobbing as he realized what he'd done.

Kendra was dead.

He wrapped his arms around himself, his wings folding over him like a security blanket.

He wanted to cut them off.

Kendra should have wings, she was the Fairy girl.

But Seth killed her.

She was gone gone gone.

Gone.

Gone forever.

She was gone.

It was because of him. He'd killed her. He took her life. He didn't it mercilessly.

She'd reached out for him, she'd tried to save him. She wanted to bring him home, she wanted her brother back, and he took her trust, her faith in him, and crushed it.

He slipped his blade between her ribs and ended her life just like that.

His throat hurt but he couldn't stop sobbing.

His chest was tight, he was coughing, but he couldn't stop.

It hurt.

She was gone, and it was his fault.

More than his fault.

He'd killed his sister. He killed her when she tried to save him.

He'd believed Ronodin-

He didn't know that she-

She loved him.

She was his sister. She never wanted to hurt him.

She'd never judged his darkness.

He'd picked the one who stole him from her over her.

"Seth Sorenson."

He wanted to say sorry. He wanted to hug her. He wanted to have her back.

Kendra was dead, and it was his fault. She'd trusted him, she'd believed in him, and he'd more than thrown that into her face.

He cried. He buried his face in his arms and wailed.

He'd killed her.

He didn't want to move. He didn't want to do anything. Nothing could bring her back.

Nothing could return his sister to him.

A hand grabbed his arm, tugging him up.

He tried to pull away, but the grip was firm, yanking him along.

He gave up, not fighting the unknown figure. What did it matter? His sister was already dead. It didn't matter what happened now.

He didn't know who was tugging him along, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't see through the tears. His grief blinded him.

He wanted Kendra back.

He would never get Kendra back.

He would never get to see her smile again. He would never get to feel her hugs again. He would never get to hear her lectures on safety again. He would never get to listen to her reading out random lines from her books again. He would never hold her hand to face down a dragon again.

He would never get to do anything with her again because she was gone.

He'd killed his sister.

He'd ended her life.

He was shoved into a cage, he stumbled to the back and sunk down against the bars, curling up on the floor and burying his face back in his arms.

The wings were soft on his arms.

He hated them.

Why did he get such comfort when he'd killed his sister? Why did he get to live when she died?

He couldn't breathe right, his breath in strangled gasps. He was shaking harder. Somehow, he wasn't out of tears yet.

The sweet scent of lavender filled the air, a familiar comfort to him.

His breathing slowed.

His eyes drooped.

His last thought before darkness took him was how Kendra liked lavender air freshener.

OO OO OO OO

Seth was drawn from his grief by Whiner.

"The Sisters have a quest for you," they declared.

Seth stared dead eyed at them.

"So?"

Whiner shifted, "You must complete the quest."

"No."

He didn't care about any stupid quest. He just wanted- he wanted Kendra-

He wanted to have her back.

But he couldn't.

"You must, you made a deal!"

Seth didn't care to imagine what the Sisters would do with whatever his quest was. He was done trying to save the day.

"I won't," he said, his wings tightening around him.

"They will send their knife for you if you refuse," Whiner insisted. "You must-"

"I don't care."

He didn't. He was done with the quests, he was done saving people, he was done wielding powerful artifacts.

He'd killed his sister when trying to do the right thing. He wasn't going to help people he knew were bad now.

If he owed anything to his sister, it was to not do anymore harm.

Everything he did brought harm, so all he could do was nothing at all.

And maybe… maybe the Sister's blade would be a better fate. He wouldn't have the chance to hurt anyone else ever again.

Whiner was gone, Seth wondered if he'd said anything else.

It didn't matter.

He fell back into his grief, longing to see Kendra just one more time.

OO OO OO OO

"My my, such grief. What has made our intrepid hero so sad?"

Seth stilled at the familiar voice.

It was a voice filled with sympathy and kindness.

It was a voice filled with deception.

It was the voice that killed his sister.

He lifted his head.

"Ronodin."

His voice cracked, it sounded dead. It wasn't his voice, and yet… he wasn't himself either. There was nothing left of the Seth he once was, not even his voice.

"What has you so down?" Ronodin cooed gently.

The cold grief burned away. His breath caught not from sobs this time, but from disbelief.

His mind was white, his ears were ringing, all he could do was stare.

What had him so down?

Fury burned through him. His vision red.

Red like blood spilling over the ground. Red like her blood-stained skin. Red like the sun setting behind her fallen form.

"You killed my sister," Seth broke out.

Seth killed his sister; her blood was on his hands. But Ronodin's voice had guided him to that action.

Ronodin clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

"Now, now, Seth. Let's not go around placing the blame where it doesn't belong. I distinctively remember telling you to not kill her. I didn't want her dead, I certainly didn't want you to kill her."

Seth shook his head, Ronodin was a liar. He was a trickster. He wanted to manipulate Seth into-

"You have so much cruelty in you," Ronodin mused, pushing off the wall, "to kill one who did you no wrong, despite being told not to do so. You embody what the world thinks of the dark."

"You-" his voice caught, his rage burning out as his grief rose up once more.

Ronodin leveled him a pitying look, "I gave you a tale in the hopes that you would stand by me, perhaps even convince your sister to our side. The only lies present were the ones relating to your relation to your sister, even those were misdirection. You used the tale to justify killing an innocent."

Tears were back in Seth's eyes as he warred between raging at Ronodin, raging against the dying of the light Kendra held, or sinking down and knowing that it was his blade that killed her.

That he'd ignored Ronodin trying to direct him not to.

That Ronodin may very well have tried to prevent Seth from killing his sister.

But if that were true… if that were true then it was for nothing in every possible way.

It wasn't Ronodin's fault.

It was his own.

He was the one who ignored the instructions.

He was the one who killed her.

He did it.

His blade.

His hands.

"Oh Seth," Ronodin murmured. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Shut up," Seth croaked.

"I had plans for Kendra," Ronodin sighed. "It's a shame you decided to kill her."

"Shut up."

"And now you've signed your own death sentence as well, making you useless as well."

Ronodin shook his head as tears fell down Seth's cheeks once more.

She was gone.

But he would be gone too soon.

Was that a mercy? Was that a curse? He didn't know what would happen with his death, he didn't believe in any Gods.

Would he see her again? Would she hate him? Would he-

He didn't know what would happen.

But he knew that he couldn't do what the Sister's wanted.

He couldn't go to Ronodin.

He had no one and nothing to rely on.

All he could do was hope he didn't mess anything else up in his last moments.

Death was what he deserved for leaving his sister on the ground.

Dead.

Dying.

Broken.

"What did you want?" Seth asked.

Ronodin shrugged, "Nothing really. I was coming to pick you up… but I get the feeling you won't come with me. And with the Sister's after you, it would be foolish to bring you with."

Seth looked away, burying his head in his arms once more.

Fingers carded through his hair, making him jerk.

"I wish you the best for the remainder of your time," Ronodin murmured. "I truly am sorry for your loss."

Seth said nothing as he heard the sound of Ronodin walking away. His steps clicked on the floor, echoing down the hall.

Seth drew himself together, then slumped in his seat.

There was nothing left to do but wait.

OO OO OO OO

Seth died swiftly, a blade in his heart. His blood pooled on the ground much like his sister's did.

His wings stained red.

The sky was dark, a new moon invisible in the sky.

Only the stars watched as he breathed his last, burning all the brighter for the lack of sun or moon in the sky.

The war ended in dragon fire and death, the skull destroyed. The dragons roared their victory to the stars from which they came and breathed freely for the first time in an eternity.

Ronodin sat on his throne in the Fairy Realm, fingers twirling the crown that brought life to all, and smiled.

OO OO OO OO

Oh sister mine, I'm sorry so
You had nothing but love for me
You stood by me in all I could be
And yet my hands struck the final blow

I remember now, horror slowly dawned
Your light, so bright by my side
Forever gone, you have died
It was my hands, hands Ronodin conned

Perhaps grief is not my right
I looked you in the eye and said
"You deserve this" and you spilled red
You had no chance, no time to fight

I picked a side, a side in the dark
My tears now cruel, sparkling like you do not
Grief and pain ache, pain my actions wrought
I thought it grand, removing your spark

This cruelty I have given, sun setting behind
You breath stilling at long last
It was a victory if any asked
But now I fall to my knees and beg in my mind

Come back to me, sister mine
I'm so sorry, please I believe you now
I want you home, if you would just allow
Sister mine, please, send me a sign

War has called, the Sister's made a demand
But my grief is unending and I stand aching
There is nothing I can do, my strength breaking
If only the loss I'd been able to withstand

Now I stand grieving beneath the stars
With all dark, even the moon's light gone
Even the heavens mourned the loss of the dawn
Mourn oh Moon, this is the Sun's memoirs

And with the light gone, my heart cold
With the demands ignored and the threat given
I sit with wings folded, enemies forgiven
And wish one last time, for her arms to hold

OO OO OO OO

Come yell at me on my tumblr: FairyQueenOfTheDragons
Come chat with me on Discord: h-t-t-p-s: / / discord. gg / TYe6zbm