End of Zhishi, The

The End
 * -''by Zhishi

"There is nothing I can do, little sister."

Zhishi smiled softly, reaching a withered and wrinkled hand up to brush the tears from the still young and smooth face of the priestess leaning over her. "We knew this would happen, sister. We knew that you and Zhi would still be young long after I had grown old and turned to dust."

Zhiwu blinked hard, trying to hold back the tears. Zhi reached across the bed to put a hand on her shoulder, though her eyes, too, were shining with moisture.

"Remember when you were so worried because I was too young? When I ran off for adventure and met Blink, and you travelled the whole of Azeroth looking for me to bring me back home?" The tiny gnome's giggles turned into a rasping cough deep within her chest that left her gasping for breath. The dragonling nestled in her long silver hair spilling over the pillow raised his head in alarm at the sound, then nuzzled the wrinkled face of his master with concern.

Zhi smiled. "We were beside ourselves. But, you managed to take care of yourself, then and for the many years to come."

"And now it has come full circle, hasn't it. Dear sisters, you were always there to help me. I sometimes think that it wouldn't have been all that difficult to catch me had you truly been trying." Tthe gnome's blue eyes, still sharp in her advanced age, twinkled merrily. "But, this is something you won't be able to catch me and bring me back from. Not with your Light," she smiled at Zhiwu, then turned her gaze to Zhi "or with your Nature. This is the way of things, even for you elves, now, and I leave having lived days full of adventure, and excitement, and laughter." Her voice softened. "And love. There has always been love. You have been the best sisters anyone could hope for, and my only regret is that in leaving this time, your hearts will be sad, and I won't be able to write you letters to reassure you that I'm doing fine."

Tears flowed freely now from the eyes of both elves. Zhishi raised her aged and trembling hand and lightly stroked the dragonling beside her. "Take care of Blink please. Make sure he gets plenty of melon juice. I still think he will grow into a big, strong dragon one day." She smiled at their nods and sank back into the soft pillows. "Perhaps Elune will let me send moonbeams." Her eyes closed with a final, contented sigh.

The sisters looked at each other silently, then walked through the house, past the scorch marks from countless experiments, past the large hammer that had fallen into disuse of late, past an impossibly small set of armor, and out the door. The night was cool, and the sky was filled with a million twinkling stars. Shining above them all was the moon. Tonight, it seemed the goddess was smiling.

"The stars that shine brightest burn out the fastest," Zhi whispered, putting an arm around the priestess.

"Elune will keep her until our days run out as well," Zhiwu replied softly.

"We will see her again."

The two sisters stood silently, gazing into the brightness of the full moon, feeling its beams carressing them lovingly. A tiny dragonling darted around them, irridescent wings flashing as it seemed to be playing old games with the soft light. For perhaps the first time, the two elves pondered the fact that losing one's immortality had its benefits.