A/N: This story was written in sort of a crazed haze. I woke up one day and needed to write it. Two days later, here it is. There are things I don't like about it and maybe some of the tenses have gotten switched around so feel free to point issues out to me and I'll fix them, if need be. I've read and re-read this thing way too many times at this point and just needed to post it already! There's a lot I edited out so hopefully I got most of the little mistakes.

Basically, this story poses the question: what if Talia had a sister?

And remember, this is from only one perspective. Not everything a character experiences or thinks is necessarily the truth. And with that- happy reading?

And in the Darkness Bind Them

Talia

I.

She was not yet five when her and her mother were lowered into the pit. All she knew was that her father was gone because he had done something Very Bad, that he had been Sent Away and that they were to take his punishment.

Not yet five, just barely able to read the curving lines and sharp angles on the pages of the books in her grandfather's sprawling library, and her last day in the sun had been spent in tears because she couldn't understand why they were being cast into the darkness, why she had to leave her toys and her house and her jaddah and jiddoh.

She remembers clinging tightly to her mother but not being able to wrap her arms around the swollen belly of her stomach. She remembers the sickening sway of the rope as it lowered them down into the shadows and all she could think was-

My sister will never see the sky or the grass or the sea.

My sister will be born with nightmares.

II.

Talia knows her name means lamb but she is not at all meek or mild.

The anguished screams of the mad are her lullaby and she wakes up to the sight of bars over her bed. She grits her teeth and hisses at those who would dare to come close to their crude home. She shrieks like a banshee when hands try to grab at her or her mother or-

Her name means gift, my gift, my sister.

-little Atiya, and she cuts at their hands with broken pieces of stone and wood.

She knows she is growing hard like stone, her heart heavy with fury and despair, but she finds solace in her little doll-like sister.

Atiya is smaller than Talia was at her age and at three years old she has barely uttered a word, even though Talia and her mother and the doctor whisper to her constantly. She is pale and quiet but she smiles at Talia as if she can do no wrong and reaches for her, not their mother, when she is cold or hungry or frightened.

Atiya almost never cries and never complains. She doesn't know what it means not to be hungry, nor does she know the peace of silence or the comfort of warm clothing. She watches Talia with her large blue eyes, darker than their father's eyes, and follows her with noiseless steps as if she is afraid of losing sight of her.

Talia feels like a queen at the look of awe on Atiya's face when she tells her of birds and flowers and clouds, of hot soup and bread, crisp apples and juicy plums. She tells her sister, who is too thin, too small and too quiet, of the day when they will escape and Atiya always tightens her grip on Talia's hand when she whispers-

"We'll be free. I will set us free and we will set this place and all the monsters in it on fire."

III.

One evening, Atiya disappears from sight and Talia nearly goes mad.

She doesn't scream her sister's name because it would alert the fiends beyond the bars that there is fresh meat to be had. Their mother weeps helplessly and the doctor does nothing aside from frown, so Talia knows that it is up to her to bring Atiya back, to keep her safe.

But in the small confines of their cage, there is nowhere to hide, nowhere to go. She looks everywhere but there is nothing but crumbling stone and steel bars. Her sister, her fragile, tiny sister, isn't amongst the dirty rags and broken furniture, and Talia feels the walls of her world collapse.

Atiya is gone for nearly an hour when she suddenly reappears. She grins at Talia and waves and it is as if Talia is consumed with wrath when Atiya tells her what she has done.

She had tucked herself away in a small, almost insignificant hole in the far corner of their home, almost hidden by the cot she sleeps in. Talia finds out later that Atiya had spent nights digging with rocks to make herself a little hiding place, too tight even for Talia to fit into.

Talia is infuriated. Not because Atiya hid from her but because of the rage, the absolute fear, that her absence had caused.

"Never ever do that again, not without telling me," Talia screams. She shakes Atiya by her shoulders. "You don't leave. You don't leave me ever!"

She slaps Atiya with the palm of her hand so hard that she falls to the ground and Talia instantly feels remorse.

Oh, my darling. I'm so sorry.

Atiya is still more baby than child and it's clear that an ugly, horrible bruise will form over her white skin, stretched out tightly over the delicate bones of her cheeks. She looks up at Talia and her mouth trembles but she says nothing.

Before their mother can pull her away, Talia throws herself down, wraps her arms around Atiya and begs her forgiveness. She cries into her sister's hair and promises never to hurt her again.

Even as she is taken away to be punished for striking Atiya, Talia can hear her sister's soft, sweet voice say-

"Sister."

It is the first word Atiya has uttered in months and Talia thinks it's worth the beating their mother gives her.

IV.

It begins to worry Talia that Atiya is getting older.

There is no room in their lives to be arrogant, no opportunity for vanity, but Talia looks at her sister's face and feels dread.

Despite the shadows, despite the lack of food and the luxury of toiletries that are becoming more and more like dreams than memories, Atiya is growing up pretty.

She knows the other prisoners notice this too and their taunts, their disgusting words, are now directed towards her baby sister. Talia doesn't care about her own appearance and she shaves her hair under the doctor's careful guidance to keep off lice and other irritations.

Her useless, ineffectual mother though… She keeps her own hair long and insists on keeping Atiya's hair as well.

"I want to be like Talia," Atiya says, on the rare day that she uses her voice.

Talia feels pride that her sister chooses to speak her name and she tilts her chin up and beckons for the child to come to her. But their mother holds her back and shakes her head, running her fingers through Atiya's fine, dark hair. It curls around her cheeks in gentle wisps and Atiya ducks her head, disappointed.

Later, when their mother sleeps, Talia teaches Atiya how to wrap her face with a cloth. Talia's heart aches that such beauty, that her sister's beauty, has to stay hidden. They practice until only Atiya's bright eyes are visible and her mouth and nose have enough room to take in breath.

"Just for now," Talia says, running a light hand over the place where Atiya's brow is hidden, "Just until we can escape."

V.

The doctor, the drug-addled idiot, forgets to lock the door to their cage and Talia runs in panic. She grips her sister's hand so tightly and runs so fast that if Atiya trips then she will be dragged along on the ground.

She can hear her mother's screams and she ducks under the hands of the other prisoners-

Monsters, all of them!

-unsure of where she is going. She only knows that she must protect Atiya, that they must get away at all costs.

Suddenly, strong arms take hold of her and she clutches at her sister, tucking her legs in and wrapping herself around the smaller body.

If they try to take her, if they try to kill me to get to her, I'll break her neck first.

But no one tries to hurt them.

Instead, Talia feels herself being shielded and she knows, with sudden clarity, that they have found a protector amidst the madness.

VI.

His name is Bane.

He is young, maybe only a little past his teens, but he is strong. He and a small group of men keep Talia and Atiya safe from the others and for the first time, Talia can almost believe that goodness outside of Atiya can exist in the pit.

It takes a while for Talia to trust him with Atiya and at first she snarls and scratches at him out of habit when he tries to feed them. But soon enough, Talia can see that Bane would never, ever harm them.

"She is eight," Talia says, when Bane asks how old Atiya is and she knows he frowns because Atiya is so, so small.

"She doesn't speak," Bane says, worried. "It's been weeks. Is she…"

"Atiya only speaks when she has something to say," Talia says fiercely. "She's quiet but she's not stupid. She can hide and stay still so that you can't find her. She's never been outside, she's never felt the warmth of the sun or had a real bed or tasted honey but she's not stupid. Never think ill of my sister or I'll kill you when you turn your back."

Bane smiles at that but has the courtesy to pass a hand over his mouth.

"She is very lucky to have you," he tells her.

Talia smiles back at him only when Atiya steps forward, wrapping her arms around her waist, and looks up at Talia.

Bane helps her wrap the cloth around her face and finds her fresh rags when the ones she has on get dirty. She thanks him by tapping him on the hand and her eyes crinkle at the corners when he tells her she's most welcome. But that look, that expression of complete and utter love, is reserved only for Talia.

"I know that," Atiya says, her eyes filled with adoration.

"Don't you think I know that?"

VII.

It comes in the night, the fever, the raging horrible fire that sweeps through the little girl's body. There is sickness in the air but Talia cares not for the others who have become victims of this plague.

It is only a miracle that Talia does not succumb to it but she knows that, despite the years in captivity, she is stronger and sturdier than Atiya.

Bane rocks her in his arms for hours because Talia's arms are too weak to carry her sister and she watches with increasing horror as the once bright eyes grow glassy and pale skin becomes nearly gray. The days pass and she hears her sister's breath go in and out with great effort. She sheds hot, shameful tears at each shallow rise and fall of her chest.

"Tell me," she says to Bane as he hums a song to soothe Atiya, "tell me she'll get better. Tell me she'll live."

Bane runs a thumb over her sister's sunken cheek but says nothing. Talia knows that he gives up more than half of his food for the both of them but Atiya barely eats now, too weak even to hold her head up for a sip of water.

"You're our protector," Talia says, grabbing hold of his arm. "You have to save her. I can't watch her die. Not here, in this hell. Please save her."

"If she lives through this, she'll be stronger than the both of us," Bane murmurs. Atiya gasps for breath and her eyes flutter at the sound of their voices. She reaches out blindly and he takes hold of her hand, letting her fingers curl around his.

It reminds Talia of when Atiya was still an infant, the toothless happy little smiles she would give when Talia made faces at her. The memory makes her grit her teeth and want to hit something.

"You said if," Talia says. "You should have said when."

Bane hesitates and then without looking away from Atiya says quietly, "She is very frail, Talia. Even if she were aboveground, it would be a hard battle. Grown men have fought against this and lost."

It is not acceptable.

Talia pushes herself forward and looks down at Atiya's face. They have left it uncovered and her dark hair is matted to her skin with sweat and dirt and tears.

It is the face of an angel. A broken, weary angel but still, nothing of this world.

"I am your sister," she commands Atiya. "You listen to me. You do what I tell you. You get better. You fight. You don't ever leave me, remember? You are not allowed!"

Something bright and alive flares up in Atiya's eyes at the directive and Talia feels relief. Her sister never disobeys her and she will not now, even at her weakest.

More days pass and Atiya gets better but Talia knows the time has come for action.

Atiya will not survive another illness.

She walks with shaky legs now, even when she leans against Talia for support, and stares listlessly at the clumsily-fashioned toys Bane has made for them. The doctor-

Careless idiot.

-tells Bane that Atiya's recovery will be slow, that her body is healing though at a snail's pace, but Talia can no longer watch helplessly as her sister fights with all the effort her little body can muster to simply live. Bane tells her to be patient, that Atiya will stand on her own again.

One day.

I've waited too long. I'll find our father, and then we'll be free of this place forever and you'll see that all the stories I told you about the world above are true.

I'll hear you laugh loudly for once and you won't have to be afraid of being heard. I'll teach you how to yell and run and skip. You'll grow brown with the sun and your belly will always be full.

And you'll never, ever, ever have to hide your face again.

I'll save us both.

Talia knows she must go.

VIII.

Talia leaves the day Bane kills a man.

The man tried to grab Talia while she slept. It is only by virtue of the rags that she uses as a pillow that Talia was able to run to safety, the man having grabbed them instead of her. Bane and his men rip him apart like dogs but Talia knows in her heart that the time has come.

But there is only one way out; only one chance for the both of them.

"I'm going to leave," Talia tells Bane, when the chaos abates. "I'm ready. I have to find our father or anyone who will come."

She tells Bane, "You must help me."

Bane sighs deeply but nods. He looks weary and there is still blood caked under his fingernails. They have spoken of this before and now he no longer argues with her, no longer insists that he go too or that she take Atiya.

They both know if one of them slips, Atiya will have no chance.

"You mean us," Atiya says, stirring from her place in his arms. She looks at Talia and her lips stretch into a wide smile that breaks Talia's heart. The shadows of her illness linger on her face. It has aged her beyond her years and Talia mourns the loss of her little baby Atiya.

Atiya says, "We'll try to climb the wall then. You first and then me after."

When Talia only looks at her, she becomes confused.

"I'm lighter though," Atiya says slowly, studying Talia's face. "Should I go first?"

Bane puts a hand on her back soothingly but Atiya begins to struggle, staring at Talia with growing realization. "You can't leave me-"

"I'll come back, my darling, I would never abandon you to this place, I swear-"

"-here alone, you can't go without me, you can't!"

"-that I'll come back for you," Talia finishes. She reaches for her sister and then stops herself when Bane pulls Atiya back and shakes his head at Talia. "I'll come back for you."

Her sister, whose voice hardly ever rises above a whisper, begins to wail.

"We need to go now," Bane says over her cries. He carries Atiya even as she shrieks in his ear and tries to claw at his face, and hands her over to one of his men to protect.

As Talia begins the long journey up the wall, she hears the other prisoners attack Bane- retribution for the murder of their fellow monster- and she forces herself not to look down or lose her focus.

She is driven by desperation, by hopelessness, by her sister's sure death. If she fails, there is no hope left for her. If she fails, Bane will grow weak someday, the hearts of his men may change with time and her sister will die without ever having lived.

I cannot fail.

Towards the end, as Talia stands up on the narrow edge of rock and looks up at the ledge just beyond reach she hears her sister's voice-

"Sister!"

Talia jumps.

IX.

Talia is twelve when she leaves the pit.

She is nineteen when she comes back.

X.

Her father's men drop down into the hell she once called home and bring death.

Talia fights alongside them, having earned her place in the League of Shadows, and searches frantically for Atiya and Bane. She knows, even as she drives her knife into the chest of one man and slashes at another's throat, that the others are searching too.

He will be around twenty-three or twenty-four, Talia informed the men when they were planning their return. Tall, strong build but slender. Short, dark blonde hair, gray blue eyes. He is handsome, oddly so for a dweller of the pit.

Her voice had thickened when she spoke of Atiya and she remembers the sheen in their father's eyes as she described the daughter he had yet to meet-

Atiya will be small- likely still as thin as a child even though she'll be sixteen now. Her hair is dark and her eyes are blue, a richer hue than mine or my father's own. She covers her face so only her eyes show.

It had only taken a look for Ra's to know that Talia was his missing child and now she could see her father making his way through the carnage to find Atiya.

Nearby, Talia hears a familiar voice cry in pain- one of her father's men- and she runs towards him to help. He is staggering out of an opened cell, coughing and clawing at his face and she can see bright red rashes blooming over his skin.

"Calm yourself!" she orders him, before rushing into the cell, ready to fight.

What she finds pushes all the breath out of her body. The fighting around her seems to fade into nothing.

My darling.

It is her beloved, her sister.

She is still thin, yes, but Talia was wrong in thinking that she wouldn't grow any bigger than a child.

In her covered hands are traces of powder and Talia understands in a split second that Atiya has done something to the man to protect herself. Not by brute force or by the edge of a weapon but through cunning.

Atiya has grown up.

Talia's chest fills with pride and love and a fierce, angry sort of joy. Sounds and smells bubble up to the surface of her consciousness again and she rushes forward with her arms outstretched.

"Atiya!" she cries, "Atiya, I'm here. I came back for you! Father is here and we came for you!"

Her sister's eyes widen and she jerks back as Talia grabs her and clutches her tightly. She fits neatly in her arms and she catalogs the changes in Atiya, even as she weeps. Talia is still taller than her, still sturdier in form, but Atiya's heart beats more strongly now and her breath no longer rattles in her lungs.

She is drawn away by their father, by Ra's, and she watches as her sister is engulfed in his arms.

Atiya remains silent throughout, staring at them with an almost bewildered expression.

"What is it, sister?" Talia asks, passing her hands over Atiya's face, her cheeks, her lips. Her father checks her arms and shoulders for wounds and the look on his face is beyond words. "Are you hurt? Are you in pain? Did father's man hurt you by accident?"

Atiya shakes her head and then gestures behind her. Talia notes the body lying on a cot in the shadows and realizes that Atiya wasn't just defending herself.

She looks at Talia and then back at Ra's and says in a quiet, low voice:

"Please help Bane."

XI.

Talia learns what she can about the years Atiya spent alone with Bane in the pit.

I tried to reach you as fast as I could, Talia explains to her, on the day they arrive home, the words spilling from her lips like tears. But it took me so long to find father and even longer to find my way back. But I knew you were waiting for me. I dreamed about our future together.

Tell me, darling, tell me everything now.

In her halting, hesitant voice, Atiya tells her.

She speaks of how she had taken care of Bane after the prisoners tore at his face. She had, with the help of his men, watched over him and tried to take away the pain from his disfigurement. She learned from the doctor how to mix chemicals to lessen Bane's pain; she taught herself how to create things that would burn and blister human flesh, blind eyes and fill a man's lungs so he couldn't breathe.

"Bane told me to hide when your men… the League of Shadows, first came," Atiya says. She looks exhausted, wan and weary, but Talia marvels at the gentle curve of her sister's mouth, of the deep, dark blue of her eyes. "But how could I leave him to a sure death?"

Talia hears the words her Atiya doesn't say.

I was ready to die with our protector.

"And my little doll becomes the shield," Talia says with pride. "My Atiya, the brilliant healer. Atiya, the death dealer."

XII.

Clean and fed, Atiya is glorious.

Talia cannot help her joy at the sight of her sister as she moves down the hallways of the compound, and she takes delight in curling her arm around Atiya's shoulders and walking with her through the training yards of their new home.

It took months for Atiya to grow accustomed to the sun, filtered as it is in the snowy climate of the mountains, but now she can walk without flinching away from the light. She still eats too little, forgetting sometimes to take her meals, and hasn't yet stopped being amazed at the soft bed and the clean clothes she's been given.

Yet, while she has her own quarters, Talia often finds her asleep outside her room curled up on the floor with only her sweater for warmth. She knows it's because Atiya is not used to being alone. To not hearing voices or sounds around her at all times.

She is a silent thing, and even the men of the League startle when Atiya seemingly appears out of thin air beside them. Her steps make no sound and she moves carefully, watching everything with the wide, cautious eyes of something that once considered itself prey.

Though she is not trained in the League, she is still of them. Talia and Ra's understand that Atiya would never be strong enough to fight physically but the League of Shadows does not rely solely on physical strength. She is under the shaman's tutelage now, learning how to heal and harm, to soothe and slaughter.

"At our father's sides, we shall rule all of this," Talia says to her as they walk. "We will cleanse the world and purge evil where it festers. And our children, and our children's children will be heirs to our legacy."

At this, Atiya frowns. "Are you…" she trails off, gesturing to her stomach and Talia laughs.

"Ah, no," she says. "Though there is someone."

She stops and Atiya stops with her, looking curiously at a man that Talia points out in the training circle some distance away.

"Barsad." Talia says his name like a charm. She ducks her head, a trained fighter transformed into a blushing girl. "He is a good man. Loyal. Worthy of my affections. I met him as I searched for our father and he cared for me all that time."

Atiya smiles at Talia. Her smiles are so few and rare that Talia hoards them like a miser and his coins.

"I'm glad, sister," Atiya says earnestly. "You deserve to be happy."

Talia looks back at where Barsad is and sees Bane training beside him.

Bane too has thrived in the League of Shadows. He is a skilled fighter and she's seen him take down a dozen of Ra's men with seemingly little effort. Bane wears a mask to help dull the ever-constant pain but the shaman's drugs have helped him grow big and fast and powerful.

Now that they are all free to live out of the shadows, Talia can see Bane's true potential. In the time since his arrival, the other men have grown to see him as a leader, consider him the de facto head of the League when Ra's or Talia are away. Though he is strong now, able to break a man's back with just his hands, he treats her sister with such delicacy and care it makes something in Talia settle.

And our children, and our children's children will be heirs to our legacy.

She turns back to Atiya and runs her fingertips over her cheek. Talia is considered beautiful but Atiya surpasses her by far. She remembers Bane's face from before, his full lips and his high cheekbones, and smiles when she thinks of how lovely her sister's children will be.

"So do you," Talia says, linking their arms.

It will only be a short time until Atiya is fully a woman but they have time on their side now. Atiya will mature, and then her and Bane will come together as they should, and Talia's dreams of a large family- a legacy, will come to fruition. Atiya will have Bane and Talia will have Barsad and she will never be alone again.

She will be with her sister always.

"You deserve to be happy too."

XIII.

The years pass and Talia secures her place at the right hand of her father. Together, they gather the strongest, most devout men and bring justice to the darkest corners of the world.

Atiya grows, blooms, under her guiding hand. She is now the League's shaman and chemist, helping them craft intricate displays to shock and strike fear into their targets. The men respect her and Ra's is delighted and proud of his daughter's talent.

Yet Talia can sense a growing discontent in her sister.

"We purify so that good can have room to grow," Talia reminds her one day as Atiya works in her makeshift lab. Talia watches her sister's deft hands as she prepares an explosive for the League's next mission. "Without pruning, the weeds will overcome the land. Some things need to be destroyed for the good of the forest."

Atiya pauses and looks up, head tilted to the side.

"You speak of human lives as if they are mere plants," she says. She sighs and looks away, troubled. "Haven't we seen enough destruction? Isn't there enough death in the world without our hand; must we add to it?"

It is an old argument but it reassures Talia. She is the oak and her sister is the flower; she is used to being strong for Atiya.

"You are so soft-hearted," Talia says. She gets up from her seat and reaches out for her sister. Atiya goes to her easily, resting her head on her shoulder. "Fine. I won't speak of our purpose anymore today- I'm sure you get enough of that at meals with father. Let us speak of happier things. Like your future."

She feels Atiya stiffen beside her and Talia runs her hand over her hair as she did when they were still children. "What do you mean?"

"Do you notice how Bane looks at you, my darling?" Talia says, smiling indulgently. "He and Barsad are father's strongest fighters now and yet he follows your every whim and fancy like a puppy. Isn't it sweet, Atiya?"

"I… I don't…" Atiya falters. She draws away from Talia and she is pleased to see that Atiya's cheeks are flushed a bright pink. She looks down at her hands and shakes her head. "He's my friend. Our protector."

"I don't need a protector anymore." Talia watches her sister's face. "But Bane will be yours always. We owe him our lives, wouldn't you agree? We're bound to him because of it. Have you ever asked what would make him happy? What he sees when he thinks of the future?"

"No." Atiya keeps her eyes down and Talia waits a beat before putting her hand on her shoulder and squeezing lightly but firmly. Her shy sister needs encouragement, after all.

Just a little push in the right direction.

"You should. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

XIV.

Dante is one of Ra's new recruits.

Talia hates him.

He is dark-eyed and solemn, slim but quick and deadly on his feet. His family was killed by a group of men, one of which was spurned by his sister, and he is the only survivor of that horror.

Ra's begins to train him and Talia can't help but notice that Atiya always manages to be outside when they are there. It would be fine, just fine, if that was all it was. After all, Atiya isn't blind and Talia can admit that Dante, with his boyish good looks, is nice enough to look at.

But what she will not stand for are the moments that happen when Atiya thinks no one notices.

A touch of the hand, a smile, softly-spoken words in a dark corner of the corridor- it all feels like a betrayal.

Talia will not stand for it any longer when she realizes Atiya has taken to locking her door at night.

"He is a good match for Atiya," their father says when Talia demands that he send Dante away. "And he believes in our cause. He has already taken the lives of so many evil men, Talia- why would I send him away? Atiya is a woman now and she is smart enough to know what is best for her."

"It isn't right," Talia snarls, "She is for Bane, she cannot belong to anyone else but us!"

Ra's face hardens then and Talia closes her mouth quickly.

"Do not be mistaken, child- when I look at him, I think of the hell you and Atiya and your mother were forced to endure. I spared his life only because of you."

"Atiya needs Bane at her side," Talia says, softening her tone. "She is weak without him but together they are strong- don't you want that for her? And he deserves her, after all he's done."

"You speak of your sister as if she is an invalid because she chooses not to follow your council," Ra's snaps. "I gave you the freedom to choose your own partner; why should Atiya not have the same freedom?

"But know this above all, Talia. I will not have my youngest daughter forced to carry on with Bane out of obligation. Regardless of what he's done in the past, Atiya does not deserve to be tethered to that thing."

Talia rears back as if slapped. "He fights with all his might for us, on your behalf, and you would call him such things? She would be dead, I would be dead, if it weren't for him."

"And he would be dead now, if it weren't for Atiya," Ra's says calmly. "I believe her debt to him has been repaid.

"Now go, daughter, and don't speak of this to me again."

XV.

For months, Talia watches Bane watch Atiya.

He says nothing of his feelings but she can see the hopelessness in his eyes each time Atiya and Dante appear together.

"You must make your move," Talia pleads with him as he practices with the kama in the weapons room. "Tell her, remind her what is owed to you. Do you not want a future with her? Do you not want her to carry your children? After all those years, she will give herself to you if you would only say the words."

Bane stops and lowers his arm.

He is shirtless and in the light of the moon through the window, Talia can see the sheen of sweat over his thickly muscled arms and back and chest. Even with his mask, and perhaps even because of his mask, he looks like a god or a great hero from a myth.

Her father is wrong. Bane is worthy of her sister. The beautiful Atiya and the warrior Bane.

It is poetry, their coupling- why can't Bane see this?

"And that is why I will never say the words," Bane says. He raises his head to face Talia. "She loves me, even if her heart will never be mine. It is enough."

"You cannot give up!" But even as she speaks, she knows that her dreams of their family are crumbling before her eyes.

I have not worked this hard, I have not endured all of that suffering, just to have my future destroyed by one little boy.

That night, when she lies with Barsad, she tells him what must be done.

XVI.

Weeks later, Dante disappears.

Atiya runs into her father's chambers, disrupting a meeting, when she finds out. Both Ra's and Talia get to their feet when they see the state Atiya is in.

"He's gone!" she says, nearly hysterical, "Father, the men say he never showed up for training this morning and when I went into his room, his belongings were gone. Father, father, did you…. Was it you? Did you send him away?"

Out of the corner of her eyes, Talia sees Bane turn to her.

"Did I do something wrong, father?" Atiya wrings her hands and her eyes fill with tears. "I thought… I thought you approved. Or… or did he leave me of his own accord?"

Atiya looks so young that Talia moves towards her and pulls her close. She is shaking badly and Talia tightens her grip, wanting to make sure Atiya feels secure in her arms.

"No, Atiya," Ra's says slowly. He stares at Talia with his cold, pale eyes and the room seems to drop in temperature. He turns to Bane and Barsad and then back at Talia. "I did not send Dante away. And I doubt he would leave this place without telling you first. No man leaves my purview without my knowledge."

Talia stares back at their father defiantly, even as she runs her hand up and down her sister's back.

"No one can know what is in a man's heart," Talia counters. Ra's narrows his eyes and Talia turns away before he can say anything else.

She leads Atiya out of the room and murmurs in her ear, "He wasn't for you, my darling girl."

XVII.

Ra's begins to keep the three of them- Talia, Barsad and Bane, at arm's length.

He doesn't share his suspicions about Dante's disappearance with Atiya and Talia knows it's because the truth would shatter Atiya's world. Talia plays on her father's pragmatic nature; he would prefer that no discord ruin his house.

Besides, Atiya is the fragile daughter; the one who struggles with the death her handiwork causes. Another shock would only tear her apart.

I did it for you. You will live to thank me one day.

It becomes difficult for her to find time to spend with Atiya but even when they are together, she is withdrawn. She carries herself as if she is made of glass and Talia feels her sister's grief as if it were her own.

But soon Talia is sure Atiya will recover from her heartbreak and eventually turn her once misguided heart towards the man who has always been there for her, who is certain never to leave her side.

For his part, Bane approaches her cautiously and Talia feels at ease when Atiya allows him close.

One day, she steps into the room when Atiya is adjusting his mask for the week and hears them speaking in soft tones. Her sister's back is turned towards her but Bane says nothing when he spots Talia at the door.

There is an IV attached to his arm and Talia knows the routine by heart. Her sister strives to keep the pain away, even when the mask is off. He can endure a few minutes- ten at the most, without the painkiller Atiya makes but any longer than that, he is severely weakened.

There are traces of his former good looks left in his features but his face is ruined. Still, Atiya does not recoil from him as others would and even from a distance, Talia can see the fervent love in Bane's eyes.

"Do you remember the little doll you made for me?" Atiya says as she works. "The one made of burlap and straw?"

"You slept with it in your arms for years before it fell apart," Bane says.

Talia sees her sister nod.

"I used to pretend that if I held it tight enough and wished hard enough, I could go away, leave the pit for a little while." Atiya rubs ointment onto the scars on his jaw and Bane lowers his head so that she doesn't have to reach far. "It didn't work, of course, but it made me feel better. I wish… I wish I had it now. Isn't that silly, that I long for a doll now?"

"Wanting comfort is never silly." Bane reaches up and wraps his hand around Atiya's wrist, stilling her motions. It looks so small in his large hand but she knows Bane is using the lightest of touches. "I would make you a thousand dolls now, if it could take away even a fraction of your pain."

"Do you think he thinks of me, wherever he is?" Atiya asks. "It's been almost six months. Maybe I'm just a distant memory by now."

Bane glances at Talia briefly.

"I would consider any man a fool if he could walk away from you."

Atiya sighs. She pulls her arm back and he releases her easily but then she places her hand, so small and so pale, against his chest over his heart.

"You are my dearest friend, Bane. Thank you."

Talia's heart nearly stops when she hears Bane's soft reply.

"I could be more, if you'd let me."

For a long time, Talia holds herself still even as she wants to rush forward and shake her sister into saying something, anything. But she forces herself not to react, even as Atiya remains silent for what seems like an eternity.

And then, Bane's face seems to change, to grow lighter, as he looks at her sister. Whatever it is that Bane sees in Atiya's face, it's clear what is on his.

Hope.

She moves out of the room on the balls of her feet, feeling lighter than air.

XVIII.

The three of them, along with a small group of men, are sent away for a long time afterwards.

On the surface, it looks as if Ra's is giving Talia a great honor; she is in charge of razing a town that has no hope of redemption. But Talia knows what her father's actions really mean-

He wants to separate us.

Keep Bane from Atiya.

They complete their task but when they come back, they find that Ra's has taken on a new pupil with apparently extraordinary promise.

He orders them to stay out of sight from Bruce Wayne and Talia doesn't dare defy her father in this. They only really differ with regards to Bane, after all, so she obeys him.

One night, she stops at the open door of Atiya's lab and realizes that Bruce is inside with her sister.

Frowning, Talia leans forward and listens.

If he does anything, says anything that interferes with my plans for our future…

"…it's a bad place for me," Bruce is saying. He has a low, raspy voice that grates on Talia's ears. "Filled with bad memories. There's nothing left for me there, to be honest. But part of me… part of me wants to go back. I'm not entirely sure why anymore. The entire city is horrible, filled with corruption and greed."

"I don't blame you," Atiya says. Talia hears the clink of her tools and the sound of bandages being pulled out from their container. "But consider this- I grew up in a very dark place. I had my sister and my mother but we were always in danger. Every day, there was always something to fear. You would have thought it was hopeless growing up there, and it was, really. Yet even in the midst of all that, even in the darkest shadows, I found good. Or maybe it was that good found me."

It is the most that Atiya has said in a long time and it makes Talia jealous. Who is this man who can make her sister speak so freely?

He hisses in pain suddenly.

"I'm sorry. I should have warned you that the antiseptic would sting."

"Don't worry about it. But you were saying?" he says. "You're telling me that good can exist anywhere or something?"

"I'm telling you that the same darkness that can tear people apart, can also bind them together."

Talia hears the smile in Atiya's voice.

"And yes, I'm telling you that good can exist anywhere. Or something."

Bruce laughs and Talia feels something inside of her tighten and twist. She hates the sound of his laughter, especially when it's directed towards her sister.

"Listen, I've been wondering- why are you even here?" he asks. "I'm beginning to sense that Ra's philosophy, and by extension Ducard's, doesn't exactly mesh with your point of view."

Talia knows that Ra's has veiled himself under false pretenses, that Gotham is his next target, but she is curious to hear what Atiya will say in response.

There is silence and then she hears Bruce say, "You don't have to answer, I was just-"

But to her surprise, Atiya cuts him off.

"I'm here because I believe that good can exist anywhere."

XIX.

It all falls apart when Atiya sees one of the men using Dante's sparring blades.

Barsad had been careless; he'd forgotten to remove everything from his pockets after the night they dealt with Dante and in the compound, there is little that isn't shared between the men because they are brothers.

Talia can tell the moment her sister recognizes her old lover's weapons and she suddenly feels powerless to stop Atiya as she demands answers from the other man.

"I got them from Barsad," he says, confused. He holds them out, two small, delicate blades, and Atiya grabs them, cutting herself in the process. "Does it belong to you, little shaman?"

Shock makes Atiya's face grow pale and she staggers backwards, and would have fallen to the ground if it weren't for the man's quick reflexes.

When Talia reaches her, she looks down at Atiya's face and knows… She knows her baby sister has connected Barsad with Talia.

"My darling," Talia rushes out. "My beloved, you have to understand that -"

"Dante wouldn't leave them behind," she says, in an odd, emotionless tone. She stares at the blades in her hand, at the blood that is slowly trickling from her fingers. "They belonged to his father- the only thing he had left of his family. He said he would die before they left his side. Why did Barsad have them? Why did he-"

"Atiya, listen," Talia says, feeling panic sweep over her. She tries to make her voice stern and harsh so that her sister will obey her as she always did. "You listen to me! We are going to walk inside and you'll sit down and I'll-"

"He's dead, isn't he?" Atiya finally looks back at Talia and her face crumples into something ugly and accusing. "You murdered him."

The other man blinks, surprised and then looks at Talia with a frown.

"Shut up, you foolish little girl," Talia snaps. She grabs her sister's arm and jerks her to the side, away from the man and begins pulling her back towards the doors. "You can barely see beyond your own feet. Don't you think I always have your best interests at heart? Don't you understand that I know best how to keep you safe?"

Atiya tries to dig her heels in and pull her arm back but Talia is stronger and she drags her sister along. They are almost to her quarters when Ra's blocks her way.

"Let go of your sister," he says in a quiet, angry voice.

"This has nothing to do with you," Talia says, digging her fingers into Atiya's arm. She draws in a sharp breath and tries again to pull her arm away. "This is our business."

"I'll tell you one more time, Talia. Let your sister go."

Talia bares her teeth. "This is none of your concern."

Ra's steps forward and pushes Talia against the wall roughly. The shock of it, the disbelief that her father could lay hands on her, loosens her grip on Atiya's arm.

Her sister twists away and runs down the hallway.

Atiya runs away from Talia.

"Father," Talia says, looking at him balefully. "Look what you've done."

Ra's face gives nothing away.

He says, "You've brought this down on yourself."

XX.

Talia is sent away again and when she comes back, Atiya is gone.

She insists on knowing where she's gone but Ra's only shakes his head.

"This was to be a safe haven for you and your sister," he says. "But you've destroyed that."

"She's out there, by herself," Talia protests. "Let me find her. I will beg her for forgiveness and she will come back. Do not abandon her to the wilderness. Please father, show us your mercy."

"Just as you have done? Shall I show you the same mercy you showed Dante, your brother in arms?"

Ra's raises a brow and leans back in his chair as he regards Talia across the table. Bane and Barsad stand in the shadows, flanked by the rest of the League.

"Atiya goes with my blessing and she did not share her destination with me. Even if you try and follow her, she's been gone weeks. Your sister has a talent for disappearing when she doesn't want to be seen. Leave her be for now. She will return if she chooses to."

"You've sentenced her to death then," Talia spits out. "Without me or Bane to protect her. She'll die alone and it will be just as it was in the pit, when you abandoned us-"

"Enough!" Ra's slams his fist down on the table.

Talia falls silent as Ra's looks up, past her. Her heart sinks with dread as she realizes he is looking at Bane.

"I am done with this." He points a finger at Bane. "This centers all on you! Your face is a reminder of all that I've lost and I am done seeing it. The darkness from where you came has turned one of my daughters into this selfish creature and has driven the other one away.

"You leave this place tonight or your life is forfeit."

Next part: Atiya's POV. Gotham and its reckoning. A reunion and a goodbye.
Thanks for reading/reviewing! =)