((Disclaimer: This chapter contains sensitive material; readers be warned. It contains violence, and suggestive imagery.))

Tears and a Fairy's Tail

Strong Sad led his brother into the jewel room. It was a small space with ruby and pearl tiled floor, and mirrors on all the walls and the ceiling. In the very center of the room was a glass table, like an alter.

When Homestar saw his best friend he slowly perked. "Stwong Bad! Thank goodness..." He stopped, a perplexed look on his face. "Stwong Bad?"

The fire prince breathed out, unable to do much more than just stare. Inside he was practically screaming at the fairy. He couldn't think, other than Homestar had to run. The coldness was swallowing him deeper.

Strong Sad flashed a brief small smirk as he walked up to the fairy on the table. Homestar looked up to the tall cloaked figure with wide eyes. "So, little fairy. You are Homestar."

"Yes..."

As soon he saw he had the fairy momentarily undivided attention he nodded. "You are my brother's friend, yes?"

"Oh, yes, bestest fwiend!" The fairy chirped cheerfully. Then the smile faded and he looked back to his so called friend. "Is he OK?"

A sorrow filled expression formed under Strong Sad's mask as he glanced to his brother. "Unfortunately my brother has to face the dragon very soon. But he's alone in this endevor, and frightened."

"He's not alone Scawy-man." Homestar glared with a determined look. "He has me! Even if I hawve to bweak the tweaty with the dwagons and fight alongside him! He's my only fwiend who's a man, I would to anythin fow him."

The shadow prince feigned surprise. "Oh sweet little forest child.... You mean you would do absolutely anything for my poor soul of a sibling?"

"Fweakin yeah! I'd give my life fow him, and he'd do the same fow me!"

"Would you, say...." Strong Sad sighed, rolling his hand. "For example, give up your tail for my brother's safety?"

"Sure." The fairy chirped confidently, though a little weirded out by the example. As far as he was concerned, as attached as he was to the tail, it wouldn't be the end of the world if he lost it. He'd adapt, he thought.

"Well you see, little one," The shadow prince calmly leaned closer to the fairy. "There's really only one way to protect my brother from the dragon. A fairy's tail can make him invincible.

Homestar blinked, looking over his shoulder to where his tail was swaying back and forth cattishly. "My tail can do that?"

Strong Bad's heart began to race as he tried again to fight the darkness. Its cold grip only got stronger on him.

"That's all it'll take..." Strong Sad cooed as sweetly as he could.

"Well I'd wathew not see him eaten by Twoggy, so he can hawve it if he needs it mowe than me." Homestar looked away as he slowly spoke. He wasn't sure exactly how his tail would make Strong Bad invincible against Trogdor, or any other dragon for that matter. His tail sure didn't do that for him, as far as he knew, he still felt pain. "Make suwe it doesn't huwt much though, OK?"

"Of course... It'll be over quickly." Strong Sad grabbed his older yet shorter brother and pulled him close. He began to whisper in his ear, slipping the knife out of his robes and into Strong Bad's hands. Strong Bad's eyes widened as he heard each layer of the command.

"... Thats how you do it properly. Do it Strong Bad, do it now." Strong Sad finally whispered and stepped back.

Strong Bad turned to the bright eyed fairy and he walked over, each step stubbornly reluctant. He fought against the command until he felt his very spirit exhausted. This was happening and there wasn't anything he could do. He firmly grabbed the crystal of Homestar's tail, pulling it sharply.

The fairy gasped slightly at the surprise snap of his tail. His eyes widened as pain quivered up his spine and he cried out loud and suddenly. With the back of the hand holding the blade, Strong Bad pushed Homestar's wings out of his way and aimed the knife over the base of the tail.

"Stwong Bad not so..." THUCK!

Homestar let out a gasp, barely audible as all his breath escaped his chest. Blood began to rush from the two wounds into a crack that formed from the sudden impact. His body filled with a new kind of pain, like nothing he had ever felt before. It made him sick and numb at the same time. It wasn't just the removed tail, the fairy quickly began to realize, his brain filling with the sound of his heart beat. He curled tightly into himself, his whole form quivering as his breath hyperventilating.

Then the twine that held him snapped, but even that sound was drowned in the growing scream of terror and pain. Strong Sad pulled his brother back against the wall, watching in horror and amazement at the glowing fairy. Homestar was outgrowing his binding, his clothing, and even the already crumbling table. He rushed to his feet, stumbling away from the others and crashing into opposite wall. His quickly growing grand wings pressed against the mirror as he slid down it, smearing blood along it and his back. The feeling of hot blood against cold flesh made him cry all the louder until his voice went hoarse. Homestar was blinded by tears and fear; he didn't know what was happening to him.

Strong Bad, despite his weakened inward resistance, stepped towards the now taller than him fairy, blade at the ready. His brother reached to stop him, but stopped, looking away. He had to do this.

Less and less fight in each step, the fire prince made his way over, knife in one hand and still small tail in the other. He loomed over the trembling creature before he lifted the knife and aimed for the chest.

Homestar's eyes shot open and he looked up in petrified terror. The knife came down at him, but instead of piercing his chest it grazed his upper arm and was dropped before it tore his wing. Green returned to Strong Bad's eyes as he stumbled back, dropping the tail as well as he fell to his knees.

Before the fire prince was no longer a fairy, but a young man. He couldn't believe his tear filled eyes. Homestar went from a tiny glowing child like creature to this almost beautiful youth with grand butterfly wings. He still seemed to glow a little, though it was more of a shine of newness rather than a candle like shine. With pale skin, silvery hair, wide black eyes, and thin quivering form it was as though he was just born from the slowly dying light. Strong Bad was compelled to crawl over and wrap his arms around his friend, holding the fairy close under his chin.

"I'm so sorry Homestar...."

"N-no..." came a soft quivering reply from the fairy as Homestar pushed at Strong Bad's chest. He tried to get away, but was too overtaken by the pain to have any strength. Strong Bad growled low. The insect was so scared he didn't even realize the fire prince wasn't himself a moment ago, and only just regained himself.

"Stop it, you not so little moron. I'm trying to help you." Strong Bad held firm to the scared Homestar. "This is going to hurt more, but only for a second!" He first rested his hand over the fairy's shoulder, heating up his magic until he burned the cut closed.

"No! P-please Stwong Bad!" Homestar cried out, continuing his struggling.

Strong Sad shook his head at the sight. He reluctantly tried to restart the control spell. His older brother just threw a green eyed death glare his way. The shadow prince frowned. "You have to finish his off, Strong Bad!"

"Shut up!" Came the retort as a very infuriated Strong Bad shoved Homestar's front against the mirror. "I'm not killing Homestar! I promised to keep him safe, and now that you force me to fail him I'm going to keep him alive until I find someone who can reverse what I've done!"

"Brother I--"

Strong Bad growled, slapping a hand against the bleeding hole where the tail once was. He wasn't going to have his fairy bleed to death, nor was he going to finish the ritual. It was more than Homestar could take and he finally passed out, falling back into the fire prince's grip.

"Brother, please--"

Again the fire prince interrupted with a rough sound in this throat. He took off his cape and tightly wrapped it around Homestar before picking him up and pivoting to the sorrow prince. "You are not my brother! As far as I am concerned I don't know you, and you don't rule me. Open one of the stupid shadow gates and get me to a healer. NOW!"

"I-- I'll send you to Town. Go find Marzipan, she's one of the best healers I know..." Strong Sad stumbled over the words, looking away from his brother. He had never seen such a fury in his older sibling before, even all the times he was picked on by him. Then he noticed the dropped tail. He scooped up the delicate appendage and wrapped it in a cloth before walking over and placing it on Homestar's chest. "Maybe she can reverse the ritual."

Then he opened the gateway. Strong Bad rushed over to the gate, stopping only for a moment before hurrying through.

"Thanks, Strong Sad. Thanks for nothing."