Whitestar was only half listening anxiously to the chittering between the two humans, his ears perked in the direction of the door.
The sound of blaring alarms could be heard faintly across the Den and Whitestar's nerves were still on edge from the flight back to the room, every little noise making his head swivel.
He glanced back at Alyssia and Austin, shifting anxiously at the looks that kept crossing the hunters face as Alyssia read the papers he'd brought back. Blood stained the small files and the human's shoulder was still slick with the thick liquid.
I should heal him, the Icewing thought, looking away.
Why don't I just do it? I did it for Alyssia.
But Alyssia was also dying, Austin is fine. For the most part.
But he's still hurt.
But he used her.
And helped us in the end anyway.
Whitestar let out a low growl as his thoughts tussled mercilessly through his mind, his shifting becoming more agitated the longer he sat there listening, thinking.
"Whitestar,"
He jumped, his head snapping around at Austin's voice.
"Eclipse was bought by the one named Tobias. He was a part of the rebellion so I'm assuming that she got out with him."
Whitestar felt his shoulders droop with relief, his wings brushing the ground.
She escaped.
He let out a long breath, feeling as if he had been holding it for days.
She's safe.
Three moons, she's safe.
"We need to leave like now."
Whitestar looked down at the human and gaze a firm nod, glancing back up at the other dragons. HIs gaze settled on Blackout.
"I know you want to find the other Lunarwing, but I don't think it's safe. We might be able to come back for her, but for now, we have to leave."
@Yukiko
@Harmonylight
@Bella the Chicken Lover
Blackout ground his teeth together. He knew he couldn't blame Whitestar, it had nothing to do with him or anyone really, but after all this time?
So close but so far.
A flash of anger flooded his veins. He wasn't sure if it was at anyone else, himself, or this whole stupid situation, but he wanted to roar in frustration.
He didn't even know why he wanted to find this dragon so much. But in that one moment, when they truly spared each other, it was the first moment of clarity he had ever really felt.
"Crap." He muttered, avoiding Whitestar's eyes. He knew the Icewing must be questioning why this was so important, and Blackout was kinda desperate to find the answer to that question too.
But he knew the answer wouldn't come without that Lunarwing.
"Whitestar.... I can't."
Something inside him broke slightly as he finally realized what he had to do.
He had to leave the others.
These others he had truly felt a bond with, he had to part from? They were the only true friends he'd had.
It probably wouldn't feel like such a big deal if he could ensure that they would all make it out alive. He glanced at all the rest, his heart sinking.
"I want to stay with you all, badly. So badly," Blackout said, turning his head to look at Whitestar again. "But I've put my own mission on a hold for everything else. I know it's probably gonna be stupid, but I
have to find her. I can't explain it really, but- yeah... so..." He trailed off awkwardly.
He'd never had to-
Never
got to say goodbye to anyone.
"I want to stick with you all. In a way, I have to. But sometimes the stupid choice really is the best one. I have to-" He snapped his jaw closed, realizing he was starting to ramble.
"Sorry. I can't understand why I feel a pull towards her. I just do. And honestly, I have to do something."
Suddenly, the brain-fog he was feeling seemed to thin, and he realized something. Before he could stop himself, he was saying it aloud.
"I lived my whole life in a questioning state; I'm willing to die for some answers."
For her.
He shook the thought off. He hadn't ever even gotten to talk to her, unless they were going to count the one time when he was about to kill her.
As he glanced around him, realizing the others could hear, he second-guessed himself.
Maybe he shouldn't? Maybe he should stay? Things could clear themselves up and maybe he could ignore the questions-
"I'm coming with you." Bamboo's voice piped up from where he was sitting.
Blackout jumped slightly and he whipped his head around to stare at the Rainwing.
"Uh- you don't have t-"
Bamboo stood slowly. "I don't have anything to stay for, do I?" He said, looking directly at Blackout.
Blackout inhaled sharply. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Apple's shoulders tense up. The pointed comment had definitely hit her hard.
Bamboo avoided looking anywhere but at Blackout. His heart pounded. He couldn't really say he liked leaving his sister, but honestly, how could he stay with her? He had seen how she was when talking about someone who was dead.
Apple, in her corner of the room, forced herself to breathe deeply. She knew why he was doing this. He didn't want to be near her anymore.
Bamboo then did something that surprised both Apple and Blackout, and possibly anyone else who was paying attention.
"Apple, I still love you. One argument won't stop that. But maybe we need to give each other space to breathe."
Apple swallowed. "Yeah. Maybe we do." She looked down at her claws. "You're an idiot," She said to her talons, and knew Bamboo was giving her a rueful grin.
"Yeah." Bamboo acknowledged. His smile slid away again. "I don't forgive you though. It's one thing to be angry at me, but not to be so casual about death."
Apple looked up quickly.
"I never asked you to forgive me- I don't need your forgiveness nor do I
want it." She said flatly, staring at him. She knew she was lying, and she knew he could probably see it.
But really, she was mad at herself for being so casual about it.
So mad she didn't want to admit it.
If she said something, she was admitting how painful the whole situation was. It would open a can of worms.
And she wasn't ready for that.
As soon as Apple said it, though, she regretted it. She saw Bamboo's greenish eyes darken momentarily, and his bubbly demeanor that she was missing so much, seemed to lock itself away again.
"You know this could be the last time I ever see you?" He said, a stony expression settling on his face.
Apple blinked. When she was so dismissive about it all, she didn't really think about that.
"Oh. I-"
Bamboo cut her off. "No, it's okay, 'cause clearly it didn't matter enough for you to remember."
Before anyone could say or do anything, before Blackout could intervene, before anything else could happen, Apple got up, walked over, and put her wings around Bamboo.
"We gotta figure this stuff out." She said, her words muffled in her twin's shoulder. Her own shoulders shook with suppressed tears.
"I know. But we can't ignore it all anymore." Bamboo sighed heavily. He hugged her back and they remained that way as Blackout stood watching, his jaw dropped.
The two backed away, staring at each other.
"I'm still leaving." Bamboo breathed, seeming to look off into the distance.
"I'm not stopping you," Apple said, fixing him with a worried gaze. She turned it to Blackout.
"Keep this idiot safe, okay?"
Blackout nodded. He wasn't sure he was even going for half this time, but now he had to.
For more reasons than he could count. "I will."
He looked around. Now it was settling in.
He was going to have to tell them all goodbye.
And if they weren't careful, this could be the last goodbye.
But his heart stood strong.
He was determined it wouldn't be.
It
wouldn't be.
this week I’ve begun getting back into hobbies and stuff, one of the big ones being writing!!! I work 11-7 tmrw so I won’t be on til the evening again, but I can’t wait!!!
