Soleil, Girl of Light

Chapter 3

"Hey Caretaker, what are these strange fruits?"asked Artemis, looking up to see juicy red fruits replacing the pink blossoms on the tree. Caretaker looked over to where Artemis stood and smiled.
"Those are called apples. They're actually quite rare in this kind of climate." Artemis looked up at Caretaker, then the apples.
"Can we pick them? I mean, it would be a nice change from bread and milk."
Caretaker smiled and ruffled Artemis' hair.
"Of course we can. It would be a nice surprise for Soleil too."he replied.
That afternoon, Caretaker and Artemis picked every single apple off that tree, carrying them back to the hut by threes or fours. Soleil was as surprised as Artemis when she first looked at the fruit, touching its smooth surface with her fingers. When they tasted it, there eyes grew wide. They've never tasted something so sweet before and eagerly munched it down.
Caretaker found a book on their small bookshelf and told them about different plants and animals. Most of them they didn't recognize since they were isolated in the mountain, but the two twins let their imagination run wild. They giggled at some of the pictures in the book for some of them were mythological creatures.
"Caretaker, what's that?"Artemis asked, pointing towards a picture of a black bird. It had a long, gray beak and feathers as black as the night. Caretaker's face grew grim, one of the very few times the twins have seen him like this.
"That is the Bird of Death."he said, reading the description. "It is said that it can change into any living form, including human. This Bird bargains with your life. So whatever you do, do not trust the birds of black..."
The twins were looking at him in a mixture of wonder and terror, curled up together. Caretaker shook his head and went back to his normal self, smiling in apology.
"Sorry kids, kind of gotten carried away there."
"You got scaaaaaary!" exclaimed Soleil.
Caretaker grinned sheepishly, scratching the side of his cheek.
"Well, we should probably call it a night. I can see that you guys are already tired."
Right when he said that, Artemis yawned tiredly and rubbed his eyes. Caretaker smiled and carried the two of them to their beds of skins. He added some wood to the fireplace and lit it up with some flint, lighting the hut with a warm glow.
The twins watched the fire sway back and forth, crackling from raindrops falling from outside.

~0~O~0~

The flock of birds circled Soleil, elevating her into the sky. Her skin was growing darker and darker as she reached out to all of them, turning them pure white and setting them free. Artemis watched in horror as his sister's body started to fall as the last of the birds started to dissipate.
"Soleil!" yelled Artemis as he jumped off the cliff, falling after his sister. He reached out a hand and grabbed her arm, pulling her into a hugging position. The two of them fell through the sky, the white birds surrounding them and watched as they fell. Artemis squeezed his eyes shut, tears streaming out of his eyes and falling alongside him. Soleil laid motionless in his arms, her body as cold as the night as more and more birds circled them.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you..." he whispered, hugging her closer to his body.
"And if I could, I would take you and fly away, hand in hand, with Caretaker."
And then slowly, and ever so slowly, the darkness faded away from Soleil's skin. Artemis watched as his own skin became dotted with darkness. He gasped in pain as he felt a sharp sting in his back. His iris had changed from blue to magenta as black wings sprouted from his back, its feathers thick and soft. Artemis flapped them gracefully and rocketed into the sky, still carrying his sister in his arms. The sun was rising above the dark rain clouds below, making Artemis squint. Its golden rays glistened against their skin, warming their skin.
The white birds were dotting the sky, flying towards the sun. He swerved to the right, avoiding running into a tree and fell down on the wet grass. He laid there, sprawled across the narrow cliff as he saw the faint outline of the apple tree, its leaves swaying in the wind. Artemis' breathing gradually became shallow, the darkness slowly killing him inside. His life flashed through his eyes as he watched the rain fall. The necklaces, the apples, the book, talking with Caretaker and...Soleil. A single tear managed to slip from his eye, adding to the already wet grass. His heartbeat slowed with the beating rain, the sun already peeking from behind the gray clouds. He let out a raspy cough and looked towards his sister, her hair soaked and her eyes closed. Artemis closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh.
"Goodbye...Soleil..." he rasped before darkness engulfed his vision.