As the pair crossed the roaring river, they noticed a figure waiting for them on the other side. Her scarlet red hair blew in the fierce wind, almost in a heroic way. Too bad she wasn’t a hero. They gray sand coated my unprotected feet. If I had known that she would be here- he’d have brought his sword. His sister hands slipped into his, making him feel uncomfortable. He’d never really held anyone’s hand before, being the bad guy. Now he was holding his shaking cold 13 year old sister. Her black hair was a night sky stolen of stars. It was as though her hair took all the darkness in the world to form tiny lines of beautiful.

He glared at the scarlet haired girl. Behind him he heard loud gasping and a tangle of repeating falls. “Dang it, I thought she died…” he sighed. “What?” His sister face was full of shock. “Shade, I think that guy needs mental therapy,” a blonde girl with a stained white dress stumbled and put her hand on his shoulder. He stopped trying not to show the turning red of his cheeks. He looked back at the scarlet girl, but the space were she was standing was filled with emptiness. He scolded himself. He knew what was about to happen. Even though he knew the princess would never like him back, even though Shade didn’t know he was her brother, he jumped in front of Zoe. A blade stabbed into his stomach. “Run…” he whispered to them. “No I’m not-“ Zoe tried to say but Shade interrupted her. “Let’s go,” she grabbed Zoe’s hand and ran to the exit.

He watched as their shadows disappeared from sight. He fell to the ground. The scarlet haired girl stood over him. “Why did you do that?” she asked with a surprisingly soft voice. She took out a golden berry and handed to him. He swallowed the bitter berry, trying to think of an answer. “I don’t know…” he couldn’t tell her. Even she didn’t know what he did. Why he was really doing this. He got up, the pain in his stomach not gone, but different. “Let’s go then. We’re so close to getting your father back.” He flinched as the words came out of her mouth.

He walked with her to the exit wondering if Rose would understand. As they exited the cave, he picked a black rose from the ground. The rocks of the entrance fell so no one could get in or out. He knew in the end he would have to make the choice. His sister or the person he loved most.