“So let me get this straight… you’ve been speaking to Mira, or at worst something pretending to be her, for the past year, without telling me?”

  I nod silently, both Salka and Lumi looking down at me… well, up or down at me, depending on which it is, since I’m sitting, while Salka is standing to the side, and Lum is sitting across from me.

  “And then, to top it off, you tried to hide it from Salka? The same woman who barely managed to save our lives twice now?”

  Nodding again, my tail and ears wilt down, struggling against the urge to cry. I want to protest, that it was for Mira’s sake, but she won’t hear it. I’m sure.

  After a few moments of silence, she sighs. “Want to explain why?”

  “...” Looking at her, I speak with a lowered head. “...she said she tried and couldn’t speak to you, so instead she came to me. And I… didn’t want to make you feel bad, not being able to see her again when I could.”

  My heart is pounding as I look at the two of them, feeling ashamed and scared in equal measure. Here I am, supposed to be supporting Lulu after the Other, and now I’m here being scolded and interrogated.

  “...look, I get it. It’s a hard spot. But I do wish you told me sooner. …Salka? What do you think we should do from here?”

  Her usual calm expression shifts to a bit of shock. “You’re really trusting me on this one?”

  “Of course… you’re as much a part of this as we are.”

  Letting out a quiet sigh, she nods, put on the spot.

  …

  And after a few moments of tense silence among us, she speaks. “...I say we kill her. Whatever she is now, it can’t be safe. At best, you’d be keeping her around and a beacon for other things like the Others. At worst, she’s a Revenant after all, and she uses you to enter this world and kills us all.”

  My heart races as I speak loud, unable to speak quietly without my tears choking up my voice. “No! She’s still my sister! I can’t just kill her!”

  Lumi turns to look at me, shaking her head. “Yuna, I get it, but it’s to protect you. To protect all of us. She’d want to protect us too.”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Ears and tail sticking up, I swing my arm out. “No! I- I can’t, I refuse! I can’t let her die again- I can’t kill her again!”

  The room goes silent, and my heart is pounding in my ears. After a few, long moments of silence, Lumi speaks again.

  Quiet, reluctant. Sad, too.

  “...okay. We won’t make you. But… if it escalates… if you’re at risk… then we’ll do something… okay?”

  “But-”

  Salka speaks up, a sudden look on her face I’ve never seen before. It reminds me of the one Lumi gives me when she’s upset… in protective big sis mode. “If that’s not acceptable, I’ll go do it now myself. Even if you hate me after, I’d much rather be hated than be mourning your corpses. So take your pick, and I’ll take mine.”

  Clenching my fist, I stand and storm off to my room, slamming the door behind me.

  ‘Stupid, stupid stupid! Why don’t they get it! She’s my sister, I could never kill her! Argh!’

  Dropping onto my bed and curling up into a ball, I scream into a pillow, it becoming sobs after a minute.

  ‘Stupid Salka… she should at least get it… she lost her brother, but I’m the villain for finding my sister? Stupid…’

  Crying into my pillow for a while… I eventually pass out like that…

  Hungry… and feeling alone…

  It’s been a long time since I've felt alone…

  ***

  Waking up in the dream, I don’t even climb out of bed to greet Mira. I just lay there, distant. Detached.

  ‘Damnit… there’s no way she’s not real. She’s Mira, nobody else could be her.’

  Feeling a little body land atop mine and hug me around the waist, I weakly wrap my arms around her.

  ‘...unless I’m wrong… the Lumi copy was faithful, up until a few small things. But… It's been a year, and I haven’t noticed anything… even if she accidentally brought the Other here, it’s fine. I’d risk my life to keep her safe.’

  “...are you okay, big sis?”

  I don’t even look down at her, staring at the starry ceiling and gently rubbing her back. “...the girls… they mean well… but they can be really cold sometimes…”

  Her warm voice is nice, warming me up a bit inside. Thawing me out of this loneliness induced shell, before it could really form. “That’s why you’re the best, you’re never cold! Unlike Lulu, she’s cold… always keeping away the ice-cream.”

  Smiling a bit despite my aching heart, I pat her head. “...thanks. I… needed to hear that.”

  “Hehe, of course. Can we go eat?”

  “...a few more minutes, please?”

  Feeling her head nuzzle into my stomach, I take that as a yes.

  ‘...I won’t kill her unless it’s necessary… but… I know those two mean well. I know Salka means well. She just… she just has a bad way with words. And after Lumi nearly died, she probably blames herself. So… I get it. She feels like I do, but on the opposite side.’

  Closing my eyes and letting out a sigh, I finally untense my muscles. ‘They won’t hurt her unless there’s a reason anyways, so… it’s fine. At least I know everyone cares.’

  ___

  So, what do you think? Should they be moving towards a way to save Mira, or kill her? What would you pick?