FicWad

The bloody gash on Faer's front- which she'd had for quite a while- started in the middle of her chest and ran vertically down, going between her breasts and ending mid-stomach. Faer suddenly sat bolt-upright. Her body was completely rigid, her face upturned, her eyes wide and staring at nothing. A shaft of harsh light came from above, filled her, radiated from her. The wound on her chest began to stitch itself closed. Eventually, only a small part of the wound was left- a somewhat circular bit at the very top that was still open and bleeding. Where the rest of the gash had been, there was now only a thin pink scar as a reminder. The blood that had soaked the front of her dress now dissipated into thin air. Then the light went away in a flash, and she collapsed bonelessly to the floor.

Iie and Des rushed to her side. Faer's low-cut dress exposed the small part of the wound that hadn't healed, as well as the very top of her new scar. Faer opened her eyes slowly. "It is good enough," she told Iie. Then she closed her eyes again. The gaping wound on her back was still the same as ever. The back of her dress was ripped open, and it completely exposed the gory slash that was there. Iie looked over Faer, noting all of her other injuries. The hair tie and the jelly bracelet were still around Faer's ankle, and her ankle was a bloodbath as a result. She had pinprick wounds all around her right wrist- those were from the thorns. Blood still ran down her face, and she sported a diagonal cut across each cheek. The palm of her right hand was burned and red. That had happened when her pink flower bracelet had started combusting. She had ripped it off and thrown it to the floor near the chair where Iie usually sat- it still lay there, a melted ruin- but it had burned her hand first. And, of course, there were the seven horizontal slashes that every one of the girls had on her left arm, from just below the shoulder to just above the elbow.

Iie put her hand out, her fingers pointed towards Faer's ankle. Iie closed her eyes, a serene look of concentration her face, and the green hair tie flew from Faer's ankle to wrap itself around Iie's right wrist. Her wrist was immediately mutilated by this act. "This is mine," she said with dead calm, as her wrist dripped blood. "My brother. I am sorry to have let you carry it for me for so long."

Iie calmly walked around to Ilu's dead body. Ilu's body was still in the same position in which she had died. Her left arm was splayed out, reaching away from her, the butterfly plushie still clutched in her fingertips. Iie picked up the butterfly and moved it next to Ilu's body. She then took Ilu's left arm and wrapped it around the plushie. "You're free now," said Iie, "at least of this. So this is how it should be now."

Iie walked back towards Des, eerily serene. "Since when did you become the leader?" Des asked. Des merely sounded amused.

"Well, you haven't been doing much lately," Iie replied. She suddenly became more animated. "Certainly not living up to your middle name anymore, are you?"

"I seem to remember you were the one who objected to me doing so," said Des.

"Well, I've changed my mind, haven't I?" said Iie. "Besides, I thought we were through with that stuff after we left home."

"That's not what it's about, and you know it," said Des. "Well," Des amended, "of course it's about that, but not in the way you're implying."

Iie shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Just...stop hiding. Come out and play."

"You got what you wanted, and it wasn't enough," said Des.

"I knew it would be that way. You knew it. We have to deal. And you're the one who is supposed to be good at that. So be Tai. Please, just...be Tai," said Iie.

"You are the one stopping me, my darling," said Des. "So quit it."

Iie slumped her shoulders and sighed. "You're right," she said.

Faer sat up slowly, and both of the other girls now turned their attention towards her. Faer reached out to grasp Iie's hand. "It's OK," said Faer. "The universe traded us...Ilu's brother for your dark angel."

"It is not enough," said Iie.

"It has to be," said Faer.

"Alright. Alright," said Iie.

"And stop thinking about that brother of yours, Iie," Des broke in. The crystal pendant around Des's neck glowed briefly, as if to highlight her hypocrisy.

"It's me. I know, it's me. I'll try to help you, Des. I'll help you to be Tai," said Iie.

Des gave a long-suffering sigh. "Always one of you three, stopping me. First Faer, then Ilu, and now you, Iie."

"I'm sorry," said Iie. "I'm sorry. Can't you override me? Just try...try to be Tai."

"I have so little strength to fight, because of the three of you. But I will. I'll try," said Des.