The Gardenkeeper's Daughters

Natrina- 17

I've been looking for her everywhere. My nose has finally picked up her scent. Past the throne room... Aislyn is sobbing, as usual. Down this hallway... this garden! I know this garden!

A bright white form is silhouetted against the darkness, blue luminous berries revealing a slackened form.

"Lotus!" I run to her.

Her paws are off the ground and several branches of the willow tree are pulled taut around her neck.

"Lotus!" I scream.
Desperately, I jump up and cut the vine, and her limp form falls to the ground. I bite the vines off desperately, their disgusting juice sinking into my neck.

My sister gasps for air as she looks up at me, her eyes blurry with pain and confusion. "Vi-Vivian?"

"You're still alive." I say, pressing into her fur and smelling her all-too familiar scent. "What were you doing?"

"Natrina." she whispers, barely able to move. "What are you doing?"

"I saved you. It's okay. No one will ever hurt my little sister again."

"Natrina..." she whispers, "Please just let me go."
"What are you saying? I can't lose you! You can't die. Vivian and you... you two are going to be mates, right? Think of your whole life! We're practically royalty now. It's all going to be okay."

She shakes her head. "Vivian left. She... portal... all the way into the future."

I can feel my limbs trembling around my sister's almost completely limp body. "Lotus, I'm so sorry."

"Maybe there will be another Keeper of Hope, Natrina. Maybe they'll get to have all of the sweet embraces and moonlit nights I never got with Vivian. Maybe they won't have to lie to anyone. Maybe... maybe..."

"I don't want another Keeper of Hope, Lotus. I just want you. I want you to be okay."

"It's too late for that. We gave up all hope of ever being okay when the garden burned." Lotus whispers. "We're never going to have a garden again. I want to have... flowers. Wildflowers."

"No. We're going to move out of here. I hear that our pack's moving on, but we're not part of them anymore. What if we set up... a huge garden! For the both of us to live in. Maybe even a castle like this one. It'll be the Twin Sisters' Woods, for now and all eternity." I tell her, coming up with the plan as I go along.

"I'd like that." Lotus whispers.

"Me too." I say.

"Me too."