Jareth's shoes kicked up little dust clouds as he stumbled his way down alongside the highway. There was nothing else in the desert he could see, but the decrepit garage ahead. the only structure rising from the baking land. Mirages appeared on the black tar before him, his t-shirt was sticking to his back, and his long strands of hair were dripping.

Slight drops pattering the swelling and cracking road. His shoes scuffed and his right leg looked like it was going to go anytime soon. wincing he trudged on, throwing his arms around as he pulled his bad leg forward for each stride.

His head pounding as if his brain too were swelling and cracking under the heat from the sun and his breath came in rolling pants and desperate gasps. All he really wanted at this moment was to get under the shelter of the garage's roof.

But before the shadows of himself and the roof found each other across the dirt and sand, another rose up from behind him. He stopped, a gasp escaping his lips once more.

A bead of sweat  slid down a lock of his black hair followed by his eyes, the ridgid determination he previously had to reach that shade a mere ten feet away, now gone. Jareth opened his mouth to speak, only to yell out when from behind a knife dug into his right calf, then a hand grabbed the back of his head and pulled him towards his car. With a loud smack his head was driven into the bonnet of his car, and with a crash it was then put through his driver side window.

The gloved hands grabbed the collar of his jacket, black leather on his white, and pulled him backwards down to the ground. They curled into fists and set to work on his face. each punch contacting with a resounding twack.  Jareth's head was thrown from side to side, his jaw strainging to hold it's position.

Some dozen seconds later the fists loosened out and Jareth was able to spit out the blood and not so resiliant tooth he had been holding in.

Looking up, half blinded by the sun, Jareth grinned, blood trickling down his chin.

"so you made it sis?"

Orchi gazed down at him, her eyes colder possibly than he had ever seen.  From beneath her trench coat she drew Kyet and held in before him. The blade caught the desert sun, and i was as if Orchi were holding some molten steel. As if she plucked it from the very sun above.

"did you ever care about me?" her voice was as flat as the horizon behind her, and just as dead.

"you're my sister Orchi"

"And i guess that was your brotherly love right?"

"Yeah Orchi, that was it" Jareth pulled himself up with his back to the car bumper. a sulky expression had worked it's way to his face, as his fingers had worked their way to a cigarette. Orchi stood motionless, waiting, hands at her side.

Lighting up, Jareth ran a hand through his hair getting it away from his face.

"I took care of you. a fifteen year old orphan no one could understand right? how many single guys on the wrong side of the gate would do that?"  he frowned down at his cigarette where a bloody lip outline was visible.

"nice hook by way. at the end" he gave a chuckle, while messaging his jaw.

"well I always enjoyed punching you Jar" her face still impassive. "and hey that was my last opportunity" the dagger still hung between her fingers. waiting.

"so you're going to kill me now?" amusement thick in his voice.

"you lied to me Jareth"

"Oh &@$^ that Orchi!" he shouted suddenly. "dont give me this 'you broke my fragile heart' crap! I KNOW YOU! better than anyone else i know you!" he roared, rising to his left leg.

"I did'nt lie to you Orchi, i lied to everyone! you're not that special. but you can't say anything to me. because out of the two of us, and we're both about as #**!ed up as specimens comes, you're the one who been lying to yourself!" Jareth spat

"you think I dont understand you? nah I dont by that, Orchi. The reason you risked your life to save me twice wasnt %$*%in payback! it was selfishness. You need someone in this world" he gestered with his cigaretter hand"to understand you"

He stopped an egde coming to the last syllable.

"and I understand that. It was the same with me. but Orchi you've got a problem which you've been hiding too long. and it's festered. I can see it in your eyes Orchi. it's had time to expand and grow. Behind those lips, a demon's tongue stirs. Beneath that coat and all that black, and beneath that pale skin is more, black. all that purulent black, writhing. Even your eyes are no longer yours..."

A droplet slid down his cheek. A tear she knew.

"you came here to kill me for betraying you. you knew me well enough Orchi to know i would. this is no surprise to you."

Orchi twirled the blade in her fingers, her breath coming faster.

"fine" Jareth took another drag on his cigarette before tossing it. "come on"

He rose from the car drew his pistol and tossed that to the side too, before falling on his knees inside Orchi's shadow.

"if it means anything Orchi..." he looked up at her only to have her avert her gaze

"and I can't believe i'm making an apology" he grinned lamentably, "I am sorry I couldnt save you Orchi" he found her eyes this time.

"I'm the same girl I was Jareth"

He shook his head, still bearing that deplorable grin.

"no, you're just the host now" he hung his head for her. "just do it now, come on!"

Orchi looked into the face of a being who truely was her brother in all ways he could have been. she knew he had tried...really. He wasnt perfect, she had indeed known that from the start. but now their eyes met, and she knew she had to end his life then and there. She tried to find it in her to force a shake into her hand. To doubt her resolution, but her gloved hand was steady. Her mind was set.

The smallest of gasps, and Jareth thought she wouldnt do it, his eyes falling in disbelief.

The blade flashed, and before colourless eyes, scarlet flew and spattered.

Once,

twice,

three times.

Jareth fell forward to be caught caught by Orchi. She had fallen to her knees now and his head hung over her arm as she embraced him.

The tears finally came. and when they did, they did not relent. orchi cursed Jareth, she cursed the paretns she never had, she cursed the worlds and then she cursed herself. because jareth was right, he did know her. Perhaps he knew her better than she had.

She fell back to the desert floor, and the creature turning beneath her skin shrieked aloud, as she writhed in the knowledge.

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