Chapter Ninety Four

And promise me one thing, Loki."

"What's that?" Loki asked.

"Promise me that you'll never let me forget that." Rissa said. "Make sure that I never give up on my family. Ever."

Say something I'm giving up on you.

I walked out onto the battlefield, my sword grasped at my side. All around me, sword clashed, people screamed, and it all fell away.

I said nothing. I heard nothing. I merely walked forward, to my destination.

Isabelle and I gazed into each other's eyes. We less the seven feet apart.

All around us, the battle raged on, the hurricane it was. And we were the eye.

I'll be the one if you want me too.

She tightly held on to her knife while I held my sword by my side.

"Why?" Isabelle asked.

Anywhere I would have followed you.

I closed my eyes and looked down at my feet.

"WHY?" she yelled.

Say something I'm giving up on you.

"I did it to keep you safe-" I said.

"Bullshit!" she replied. "You did it because you're a selfish bitch."

And I…am feeling so small.

My next reply was cold. "I did it for your protection – for our entire family's protection. The Doctor is dangerous. I was going to find a way to join him and make it safe for us. But you had to watch the kids. Because you were the only one who could do it."

It was over my head. I know nothing at all.

"You should have taken us with you from the start," Isabelle said.

"I should have done a lot of things," I said. "I should have kissed Tommy Benson. I should have made friends. I regret a lot of things, Isabelle. But I don't regret going with the Doctor. And I don't regret my plan. Plus, it was never supposed to spin this out of control. He can time travel for Pete's Sake. We were supposed to go back to minutes after I left."

And I…will stumble and fall.

"But you didn't," Isabelle said icily.

"But I didn't," I said, sighing. "I never meant to hurt you."

"That didn't stop you, did it?" she asked.

I'm still learning to love. Just starting to crawl.

"Isabelle. You're family," I said.

She gave me a look like she had just realized something. "No," she said slowly. "I'm not. You're not my sister."

Say something I'm giving up on you.

"Isabelle – please – let me help you," I said.

"I don't need helping," she said. "This is who I am."

I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you.

"I love you," I said. "You're my family. My big sister."

And anywhere I would have followed you.

Please. I thought. Please just say the right thing.

Say something, I'm giving up on you.

"If you want to win this war, you'll have to kill me," she said.

And I…will swallow my pride.

"I can't do that," I said, backing up.

"It's you or me," she said. "Kill me, or die."

You're the one that I love, and I'm saying goodbye.

She charged for me. And I closed my eyes, and I lifted up my sword and swung it.

Say something I'm giving up on you.

I jumped as her blood splattered across my neck. I felt her head fall off her body and land at my feet, with her body tumbling after.

I dropped my sword, falling to my knees. I didn't open my eyes.

Say something…

Sister…goodbye.