"I didn't need a spy." She can barely get the words out. Her shoulders heave and there's nothing to wipe her nose on, but she can't let that stop her. Her eyes sting from all the tears, but she has to sniffle out the apology anyway. This is a thousand times worse than last time. She wishes there was... no, she doesn't. This is what she deserves. No punishments to fall back on, nobody to love her enough to make it better. This time she has to be strong. And honest, the way a princess is supposed to be. Even though, even though it means... "I, I, I didn't need a spy!" Alina's voice quivers. No no no, stay with her Diana! Don't die, you can't die! Alina's fingers are trembling, but she brushes them through Diana's hair anyway, "That was... I, he told me that... I, I! It was... just, j-just something I said to make myself feel better! I thought! I thought if I... I was just, t-too much of a coward. Too scared to even be selfish without an excuse to hide behind. I'm sorry, Diana. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" All the rest of her words turn into choking sobs and horribly ugly sniffles. She sits there, helplessly holding this beautiful, brave, and... dying girl. She can't say she didn't know what Oberon would do. Other than his daughters, did anyone else in the whole world know [i]better[/i] than she did? She can't say she did it for her family. They would have abandoned her if they knew. And even then it takes a special kind of monster to trade one life for another. She can't say she was scared. Diana was around him this whole time, wasn't she? And she still found the courage to face him so bravely that he broke her forever! Because she believed it was for a purpose. Because she trusted her friend to tell the truth. Alina lifts her head and looks miserably at Ourania, looking for the coward's way out yet again. Please, do something! Punish her, save Diana, do [i]something[/i] she doesn't have to watch her friend die in her arms! Just do... just... The... wall? The wall! Argossa! This is still Argossa! "H-hang in there, Diana! I'm going to..." But she pulls up short. Now that she's stopped crying, the only sound in the room is the rotted, bubbling breath of the Garthim standing guard around her. She looks at the wall again and her whole body goes cold. All of that, that rot. Just look what he's done to this place already. If she makes a mistake, then! It's no good. Ourania's plan won't work. Alina is no witch. She doesn't understand the first thing about real magic! Even when she toured the Academy she played hooky in all but one of her scheduled classes, and let's face it even then she spent the entire time doodling adventure plans to go on with Rita. It's hopeless. She's [i]useless[/i]. She cradles Diana against her chest, so careful not to squeeze too hard, and finally finds the courage to look into those infinitely deep blue eyes. They look so glassy now, but even then there's a hardness there, and an anger. Alina can see it all clearly. She's run herself out of tears. That's ok. That's ok, she thinks, go on and blame her. She's sorry, ok? Above anything else, she's sorry that she's so worthless. ...Unless. Something draws Alina's eye to the bag sitting on the table, out of her reach. A wild, fantastic hope fills every corner of her body. Her lights! She may not understand proper witch magic, but if there's one thing she does know it's exactly what her little lights are capable of. She can do it! Here, bolstered by Argossa itself she can..! Be brave, Alina. You're the only one who can fix this. It all comes back to Feloria, in the end. It always had to, right? Sooner or later, she was going to need to pay the price. So many people insisted for so long that she wasn't to blame for what happened to Illumina, and maybe they were even right about it. She was a silly little girl back then who knew nothing outside of tickle fights, what was she supposed to have done? This was the part that really was all her fault. It's only fitting that she answers for it here at the end. She laughs when she looks at them, in spite of everything. It all comes back to Feloria, in the end. Including these throwing knives Asteria decorated her outfit with back then. She's sorry for calling you useless, little knives. The first one clatters harmlessly against the far wall. Just noise to draw the Garthim's attention away from her work, if only for a moment. The second one hurtles right at the bag and glances off of it, leaving a small but superficial tear. Her lights pound frantically against the inside of their prison. Alina takes a deep breath. She's got one more shot at this. She wraps her fingers around Diana's hand, and she throws. The dagger seems to hang suspended in time. She forgets how to breathe or move, nothing more than a helpless doll waiting to be played with. The blade catches on her first tiny tear and rips a proper hole in its side. Then everything happens at once. The Garthim screech, sensing magic. Her lights zip straight forward into her outstretched hand. She closes her palm around Blue. And then all around her, a wall of rainbow light erupts. It's a barrier of pure magic, nothing but a feast for the Garthim, but that's exactly what she's after right now. She needs time, but this can't look like an escape attempt. Oberon is sure to punish her by hurting Diana, instead. She smiles, because that's what a brave princess is supposed to do for somebody who's hurting all over. "It's going to be ok, Diana. You don't have to forgive me, ok? Not ever ever ever. I'm a selfish monster and I don't deserve it anyway. B-but I'm not gonna let you die, ok? And I'm not gonna let you be a cripple, either. Just leave, just leave everything to me..." Oh. She's found more tears after all. Her lights swirl all about her as her body blazes golden once again, but for just one last moment, all she does is cry. "I'm going to miss you," she chokes, "So much. Y-you... you be g-g-good. Ok?" There are lines of rainbow light winding between Alina's hand and Diana's heart. She can hardly see what she's doing anymore, but that's all right. She can hardly miss from this range. She places her palm against Diana's chest and squeezes her eyes shut tight. First is Red. The color of Power that controls physical might. Her gift from Adila that she's only just finally made all her own. How is this so hard already? It's not fair. The room fills with the heat of dragon fire as red light overtakes the other colors for a moment. Alina can feel Diana's body grow cooler, just a tiny bit, as if her fever was being drawn out of her and into the air. The Garthim pound and nibble on her wall, which swirls with six colors of the rainbow. Her red crystal goes dull, and drops to the floor with an empty clack. Next comes Orange. The color of Prowess that controls physical skill. This little light's been with her since the very beginning. Such an aggressive fellow, but so playful. And as loyal as any princess could ask for! Haha, there's so many memories she wants to cling to right now! Like, haha, how Shazari used to always swing for Orange first whenever they would duel, because she thought it would make Alina worse at swordfighting. The 'cheating light', she called it. It's saved her life so many times, Alina's completely lost count. Goodbye, friend. And thank you. Her orange crystal goes dull, and drops to the floor with an empty clack. Now it's Yellow's turn. The color of Wisdom that controls magical might. Another newborn, barely given any time to share adventures with her princess. The color all her other lights turn to when they're scared, so they can find the courage to be heroes in their own right. And, and born right here, remember? The last time Alina came to Argossa with this same betrayal hanging over her heart. The light born directly from her love for Rita. The proof she can't cling to anymore. Farewell, little one. You've been such a wonderful helper. Her yellow crystal goes dull, and drops to the floor with an empty clack. Next is... next is Blue's turn. The color of, the color of Chivalry that guards the innocent. Where would she even be right now without this light? How many stupid plans has it protected her from the consequences of? It... haha, oh no she's laughing again. What is wrong with her? But it's just so! She... she had her armor shaped just after she'd fled Illumina. Maybe a month or two before she approached Hobling Keep about the possibility of forging Pearlion. She'd stumbled across a small refugee camp and spent two entire weeks with them before guilt finally dragged her away. They made that beautiful armor as a gift for their princess! To keep her safe! And in the entire time since... Blue you silly light! It hasn't let a single thing put a scratch on that armor! Even once! Thank you, you beautiful idiot. Thank you so much. Don't worry about her anymore, ok? The blue crystal goes dull, and drops to the floor with an empty clack. She's already reached Indigo? It's all happening too fast. The color... of Daring. That. That controls... technical skill. You know, maybe more than any other color, this one was probably the hero of the Labazaar. After all, it's the light that figured out how to properly channel her grappling beam technique. Alina couldn't have grabbed the Caduceus without Indigo's help. She might never have even made it to the heart of the labyrinth before succumbing to the curse of Mittens if she hadn't had this clever friend helping her navigate the mazes and the pitfalls. Maybe the Nightmare Roc would have just tossed her down that pit and had done with it. But she made it. Everyone's alive today because Indigo was there for her when she needed it. And now... now it. N-now she's done needing it. That's all. That's all. Thank you. And sorry. Goodbye. Alina's wall is a tattered wreck that can barely hold the Garthim at bay anymore. But it still shines with two colors of the rainbow. The indigo crystal goes dull, and drops to the floor with an empty clack. Well then, that makes it Violet's turn. Beautiful light. Precious light. The color of Adaptability that controls fine manipulation. When she was a kid, you know, just a stupid little kid, Alina thought her Violet was the dumb and useless light. It didn't do anything! It just copied what the other lights could do, but weaker! She thought maybe it was just there to round out the set because having a full rainbow was important for a Princess-Promised. She never... hated it, but they never quite bonded, either. Not until she broke, and lost her first Red and Yellow. That's when, after all her other lights became confused, scared, and adrift, that she realized how special Violet really was. They practiced together for months and months and months, shaping keys and lockpicks, knives for cutting food, blankets when it got too cold at night, little birds when the walks got too lonely. It could do so much! She'd never known! So much time she'd wasted neglecting it. So many regrets. They didn't have enough time together. But now... there wasn't any more. Don't... hey, little light, don't cry. Don't cry, ok? Good girl. The violet crystal goes dull, and drops to the floor with an empty clack. That's all of, that is, six is... enough. Right? Alina can't be a princess anymore if she doesn't have a light. Gold isn't hers to give, because it's not hers to keep. If she, when she gives it back to Mommy, then... maybe she'll name Jess her successor. It'll... it'll be... oh, Green. She's so sorry! The color of Compassion that controls the art of healing. But more than that it's also, did you know? When little Alina first got her lights, none of them would listen to her. They practically tried to dart off on their own every chance she got. She could hardly sleep because every time she tried they'd all sneak off and hide all over her room. The only one she could get along with at all was Green. So in a way, you could say it was her first light. The one that eventually brought all of the others to her. Her favorite, even though she's not supposed to have those. And also... the light to suffer in Feloria, just like Diana is now. The light that became Alina's eyes after her guilt robbed her of her own. Little healer, warmest hug, oldest friend. Precious little Green. Oh, she's so sorry. She's so sorry for how everything turned out. But you're needed, now more than ever. Your friends will be so lonely without you. Alina's hand flinches just slightly, only for a moment, before she presses it back down firmly. The green crystal goes dull, and drops to the ground with an empty clatter. Alina's wall is hazy and indistinct. Colorless. It drifts apart like mist, and the Garthim crowd back in around them. But there's no more magic for them to feast on right now. Gold has hidden itself in Alina's breast, and seven hollow crystals roll listlessly to gather at Diana's feet. The pair of them are still chained to the wardrobe, just the way they were left. Ourania is still sitting in her chair, staring more intensely than ever. Alina is still sobbing and holding Diana close to her. Everything's just the way it should be. "Be ok, be ok, be ok, please please please, be ok..."