The sensation Anise felt while she dove into the power within the Dragon. Almost every time she did so previously, she felt nothing but emptiness. A few times she felt an inkling, or a sensation of the Dragon's presence. She could barely describe the vastness of the Dragon, and it amazed her to no end. Suddenly, she felt something draining away from her. She could not define it, but whatever it was she knew it was important. She knew she could not stop it.

Regardless, she had to do what she had to do. 

[quote][i]I know you, Anise Sinclair. You think I haven't heard every damn word you've said since you got here? I [/i]am [i]this island. Let me get one thing clear, girlie: you're a fraud. Everything you believe is a lie.[/i] She shrugged, her stony mouth turned in a smirk.[i] Not that it matters. I'm kinda sorry you gotta die like this, but at least you'll be buried alongside your beloved Dragon.[/i][/quote]

Anise was about to respond when she realized that the Spirit Egg was fading. There was barely anything left of it when she caught it. Her mind began to frantically work out what was the reason behind this. Was this the thing she lost? Her instincts told her that it was only a part of what was lost. Then the great beast of the Dragon's body tore itself from the mountain, eyes glowing with a blue light. Then she connected at least some of the dots.

Her eyes widened with a slight panic and she reached out towards the Dragon. "Wait, you aren't ready yet!" Her voice was drowned out by the rumbling of the mountain falling apart around her. Then the Dragon shifted and a massive stone fell towards her. She flinched immediately and realized she was much too exhausted to jump out of the way.

A moment passed. Then another. She looked up to see the boulder was now nothing but dust. She then looked to see Peck wielding a sword. An absolute joy washed over her. Through the fatigue and emotion, somehow Anise found herself embracing Peck. She had no idea how she found the strength to get there. That did not matter though. All that mattered to her is that for now they were alive. 

She looked up at him with a warm smile before her fatigue took her into darkness. Everything had taken its toll.

[hr]

There was darkness ahead of Anise, but behind her there was light. Even though she knew she had never seen this room before she felt something familiar about it. She blinked her eyes and there was Peck standing in front of her, but this Peck seemed empty. Hollow. She blinked again and then she saw herself wrapped around him in a black dress wearing her crown. The crown she had left behind in Riverforde. Something about this other Anise felt dark and dangerous.

Anise defensively postured. "Get away from him."

Dark Anise leveled a cool gaze upon her. "Oh, but I can't. We are near him right this very moment. In fact I am the one that pushed you to embrace him." She chuckled. "I couldn't deny us the pleasure. After all we've been through we deserve that much."

Anise's face turned pink and she shook her head. "No. There's no way you did that." She knew she was lying to herself.

Dark Anise grinned and let out a short loud laugh. "How adorable. You know the Lady of Stone was right. You [b]are[/b] a fraud. You've been lying to yourself ever since you shoved me into that cold dark abyss with the Spirit Lantern. You aren't the Lady of Light. You aren't even powerful without your adoptive mother there to help you the whole entire way."

Anise's eyes widened as she realized exactly who she was staring at. "No! I destroyed you! You can't be here!"

Dark Anise glowered at her. "Wrong! You banished me. You don't have the power to destroy a piece of yourself even with the help of Mother." Her expression calmed. "That's alright though. You did what you had to survive. I would have destroyed us, but I've had time to calm down. Time to think. Time to watch. I've even helped you from time to time." She extended her arms as if to embrace her other half, but did not move forward towards Anise. "I forgive you for what you had to do for us. I even thank you for putting me in time out for these last couple of days."

It was at this time that Anise noticed the nightmare-version of Peck had vanished and it was just the two of them standing there. She glanced around the half-dark half-light room as she hesitated to respond to Dark Anise. She felt conflicted. She knew Dark Anise was not lying to her -- something deep down told her that. However, she knew that this part of her was more than willing to kill especially since that part had taken the Spirit Lantern's taint from its last bearer. The fact that she was forgiving of being locked away only confused Anise further.

"Why should I trust you?" Anise decided to put her doubt out there.

Dark Anise dropped her arms. "You know what I say is true. I am a part of you. Separated, yes, but we are connected." She paused to let that settle in. "You need me and I need you. We can only get so far through determination and faith. Without me guiding your instincts on occasion you would have died long ago. How else could you have made your Light Rune? You needed that little push of fury I gave you."

Anise clenched her fist and stepped towards her dark half. "I made that on my own."

Dark Anise raised a finger causing Anise to halt. "You wouldn't have gotten there without me. That frustration. Your carving the rune into your hand." She embraced herself. "The passion." Her arms settled back to her side as she closed the gap between her and her light half. "You, and you alone have too much [i]restraint[/i]."

Anise balked. She had always felt she had done what was right, but as much as she wanted to disagree her dark side's words rung true. She remained silent while letting the words settle.

"You are weak," Dark Anise continued. "That is okay. To become strong one must first be weak. First you need to stop relying on the power of others such as Mother. You also must stop lying to yourself! We are Princess Anise Sinclair, sole heir to the throne of Riverforde not the Lady of Light. If you want to become a Spirit of this forest then become something you [b]are[/b] don't try to take up the mantle of something you aren't. The Spirit Egg leaving us may very well be a blessing for if you want to truly be a service to our adoptive mother then we must grow into our own."

Anise's blue eyes met with Dark Anise's red. "What do we do now?"

Dark Anise's hand cupped Anise's cheek. "[b]We[/b] become whole again."

"Yes."

With that Dark Anise kissed Anise directly on the lips and embraced her. Slowly the melded into each other and the darkness of the room swirled together with the light. Anise felt as if something that had long since been missing had come back to her as emotions she had not truly felt for the last few days tore into her. Passion. Rage. Ambition. Greed. Pride. The sensation was terrifying and glorious. She felt the truth she had denied herself so blindly burn steadily into her mind. She knew what she was, and what she would become.

[i]Wake up, we have much work to do, Princess.[/i]