Ending: Chapter Eight

Dreaming comes so easily
'Cause it's all that I've ever know
True love is a fairy tale
I'm damaged, so how would I know
I'm scared and I'm alone
I'm ashamed
And I need for you to know
- Damaged by Plumb

"Sparrow, I'm concerned."

"That...?"

"That we will die."

Sparrow laughed quietly, rolling his eyes at his sister.  They had decided to go down by the river today to clear their minds of the events in the pack currently.  Sparrow had a feeling that this entire day was going to be uneventful yet still tiring from the moment that he woke up.  He could just tell.  Getting back on topic from his thoughts, Sparrow asked, "Why will we die?"

Opaque stared at him like he had gone mad.  "We haven't gone hunting in so long..."

Sparrow rolled his eyes.  "I sent the younger wolves out yesterday and they got a... thing."

"...I haven't gone hunting in so long..." Opaque pleaded, beginning to sound the least bit pathetic.  "Please...?"

Sparrow grimaced.  "If it makes you shut up, we'll all go some time soon."

Opaque's eyes lit up excitedly like a pup.  "When?!"

"Like, in a week or two..."

Opaque glared at him, fighting back the urge to bite him.  Instead, she just rolled her eyes in response.  "That's not soon, Sparrow."

"According to yours truly, it is..."

Opaque growled at him.  "Will you stop that?  What is wrong with you this morning?"

Sparrow stopped laughing to himself while his sister ranted as soon as she asked that question.  He turned to face her slowly, his expression suddenly serious.  "That's a very good question," he said thoughtfully, and Opaque scoffed behind him.

"We should go back before you start to scare me," Opaque suggested.  "Well, even more than you already do."

"Well, thanks, Opaque," Sparrow muttered sarcastically.  "Love you too."

Opaque nodded, smiling.  "I know.  Now, are we going to go back or not?"

Sparrow's face fell suddenly, as he remembered something.  Opaque and him had went through another passage of trees while arriving, but in the return they'd have to go through a different place.  They would have to go through the forest if they left, like they did... that night. 

That area of trees was where the battle took place.

That was where there was so much hate, and hurt, and loss, and...

"No!" Sparrow suddenly burst out, and Opaque looked at him questionably.  His eyes widening slowly, Sparrow had shocked even himself with this outburst.  Looking at his sister calmly and as if nothing had happened, Sparrow blinked innocently.  "What?"

Opaque looked sad for a moment, but she shook her head.  "Nothing," she told him.  "Just... we can stay here, if it makes you..." She gulped.  "Feel better."

Sparrow raised an "eyebrow."  "I never said anything about feeling out-of-the-ordinary..."

"I can tell that you did," Opaque broke in, her eyes dark.  "Just... by what you did."

Sparrow didn't respond for a moment, but then finally did.  "...I was just thinking," he said quietly.  "About the night of the battle, and how we had to go through that area of the woods... it would just bring back too many memories.  That's why I haven't been leaving that much, because..."  He swallowed.  "I'm worried something else will happen." 

Opaque looked at him with a small expression of gratitude, but it faded away seconds later.  "Nothing will happen, Sparrow," she told him.  "You shouldn't worry about things like that.  Isis is gone -"

"But that's just her," Sparrow interrupted.  "There were other dangers in this world besides Isis, and... they're still here."

Opaque nodded.  "There are, but you shouldn't think about things like that.  You'll be safe here with us.  Just think about that - there's safety in numbers, and we have that."

"But we won't always have that, Opaque," Sparrow said quietly.

Opaque never responded. 

Sparrow's heart started beating rapidly, and he let out a sigh.  He didn't say anything either, shocked at how he had suddenly said that.  But the most shocking thing about that was the fact that it was completely true.  The pack wouldn't always be whole and alive.  They'd all pass away some day, and Sparrow was afraid of that.  He was afraid of being alone, and afraid of silence, because he felt as if he was alone. 

Opaque finally spoke in what felt like years after Sparrow had spoken.  "...You're right."

Sparrow looked up from the ground, which he had been staring at for the past few minutes.  His eyes slightly wider then what they had been moments ago, he looked at her quizzically, urging her to go on and explain.

"We just... will," the black she-wolf replied quietly.  "There's... nothing we can do about that.  It's just a part of life."  She fell silent after saying the last sentence, biting her lower lip.

Sparrow felt alone again as his sister sat there, her expression blank.  He started to get up, hoping she would say something, but she didn't.  She said nothing whatsoever, not even looking up or her eyes widening with the slightest curiosity.  She just sat there, her head bent slightly towards the ground, tilted forward at a small angle, staring down at the ground. 

Since everything was quiet, Sparrow got up completely and started to walk off, his sister still motionless behind him.  He turned back a few yards away, maybe twenty or so, and Opaque was still there, sitting limply with her head pointed towards the ground.  Sparrow stopped, turning around completely to face Opaque.  He looked at her sympathetically, but she didn't look up.  It was as if she was in a trance, blocking both him and the world out, as if they had never existed.

Finally, Opaque's head rose up a bit.  She met eyes with her brother calmly, and she got up.  "I assume we're going," she said to him cooly after she reached him.  "Even after what you were worrying about."

Sparrow's eyes flashed.  "I was not worrying about anything," he lied.  "Now, let's go and get this over with, please, so I can get back to my den to think."

"About what?"

He shrugged.  "No clue."

They kept on going until they reached the edge of the forest, neither speaking or thinking much about what they were about to see.  They'd be entering the area that the battle was fought, and they weren't prepared for the images that they could see.

Opaque turned to face her brother, looking at him seriously.  "If you don't want to go back yet... we don't have to."

Sparrow shook his head firmly yet uncertainly.  "...No," he said quietly.  "I'm... I'm ready."

Opaque nodded slowly, an unsure expression on her face as well.  The two headed into the trees.

Right as they got into the area, Sparrow's eyes went up directly to the cliff.  The cliff, and below it, was where Blizzard had died... where Sapphire almost died... where he almost died... where Isis had died...

Shaking the thought away, Sparrow immediately had a flashback when his eyes met with the one clear area in the trees.

"Sparrow."

He was with Cascade, Sapphire, Crystal, Opaque, and many of the other wolves in his pack.  But now, they weren't alone.  Isis and the rogue wolves had shown up, and Isis had just coldly said his name.  Her eyes blazed like fire, and Sparrow saw Crystal flatten her ears on her head as she saw her parent's killer...

The flashback ended, and Sparrow tore his eyes away from the empty area of trees.  He saw Opaque was looking around as well, so he continued on, walking over to a smaller tree.

Opaque was fighting Crystal.  Sparrow ran over, attacking Crystal, and Opaque helped as well... Crystal was screaming, clawing at them, fighting them... but she was unsuccessful...

Sparrow blinked quickly, turning away from the tree.  He didn't even want to THINK of killing her right now.  She hadn't deserved to die, he knew.  She was just terrified, as they all were, and Isis had killed her parents.  She had reasons for attacking Opaque, and reasons for escaping... Sparrow walked up to the cliff, traumatized, and began to climb upon the rock.  He slipped, and the flash backs started again.

He was on top of the cliff with Isis, Blizzard, Sapphire, the rogue wolves, and Opaque.  Isis snarled menacingly, her words echoing inside of Sparrow's mind as she spoke.  "I know that you're afraid..." 

Sparrow made it to the top of the cliff, gazing down towards where Opaque was standing.  She was staring up at him sadly, and soon came over to the cliff with him.  Struggling to climb up it, she finally made it, joining his side. 

Blizzard fell.

Sparrow's eyes widened.

Isis lunged for Opaque.

Sparrow shuddered.

He blocked his sister.

Isis had him by the throat.

She was strangling him.

And it was all too real.

"No!"

Opaque's eyes went straight to Sparrow as he yelled out suddenly, his voice echoing through the trees.  He was panting, staring down at the bottom of the cliff, and he slid down it quickly.

"Let's get out of here," he murmured so quietly that Opaque could barely hear him.  "I... I can't take it anymore."

Opaque sighed, her expression full of sorrow.  Her brother was nearly shaking, looking around the clearing nervously, as if he was afraid that Isis could pop out at any moment and kill him.  He appeared so eager to go that Opaque skidded down the cliff as quickly as she could, getting to his side.  "Alright," she said softly. 

The two turned to the left, beginning to walk towards the area where their pack territory was located.  But Sparrow turned around one last time, just to take a look at the clearing.

"Get out," Isis told him with a deathly cold voice.  "Get out."

~ ~ ~

It was night, and Sparrow was dreaming again.

He was in the forest area that he had been in only hours ago, alone. 

It was pitch black. 

He was alone. 

Or so he thought.

He didn't see it coming.

Suddenly, Sparrow was surrounded.

Isis and the rogue wolves were everywhere that he looked as he tried to escape.  But there was no use. 

Isis walked up to him, sneering in pleasure as she watched her son stare at her in horror.  "Good-bye," she whispered, and then she struck him across the face with her claws.

Looking up through blood covering his face, Sparrow looked too late.  The wolves got in closer... closer... in a circle around him... Isis was inches from him...

"It's over."

He didn't know when they started attacking him, but all he could see were their fangs as they attacked.  He tried to fight back... but he was too weak... no... no... it couldn't be happening...

Sparrow managed to barely open one eye to see Dawn's spirit floating above the other wolves, a smile on her face.  How could she be smiling at this moment?  "You'll be safe," Dawn told him.  "You'lllllllllll beeeeeeee safeeeeeee..."

She disappeared.

Author's Note

...:D Tips/suggestions and comments.

Reviews

[נнα&p..]

Okay, first, I wanna tell you that I love you for posting this chapter like 2 days after you posted the last one. I luff you. [nh]
Now, I'm gonna read the chapter. BRB!
Okay, I'm back, and I still luff you.
First, I LOVE that song that you used. I love Plumb. So you also made my day because of that. SECOND: The beginning part of the chapter, where Sparrow nd Opaque were being retarded, was awesome. There haven't been many chapters like that yet in this book, and I LUFF YOU STILL. REALLY. Third: ....The middle/ending of this chapter KILLED. ME. I swear to God, you KILLED ME. It made me SOSOSOSOSSO sad, to think that Sparrow is still worrying about that whole battle-y thing at the end of Finale. It's sososososo sad where he freaked out towards the end, like, "No!" That just killed me. *dies* *zombified* I LOVE YOU. [nh again...] Also when he was like "I can't take it anymore," that really killed me. I was like, dead, for like, the rest of the chapter. This was really depressing, because you said it was gonna be a crack-ish chapter, but the ending and stuff was sososososo NOT. And the dream? That killed me too. Traumatized, much? I LOVE YOU. [nh, for the 3rd f*****g time] xD But seriously. This chapter f*****g KILLED ME. I almost DIED when I read all those depressing parts. I LOVE YOU. AGAIN, NH. D: *dies*

[halflives]

Wait, er, I THOUGHT ISIS WAS DEAD?!?!???!!!! She's not?!
*dies of confusion*

[Rayne~Drop.]

...Damn. Just damn. EVERYONE ALWAYS STEALS WHAT I WANNA SAY WHEN I DON'T READ THE CHAPTER ASAP! ... -.- ANYWAY! Flashbacks = Epicalness. Especially when it involves Sparrow being all freaked out...And...I can't think of anything else. Again, Cheezit and JHaden stoled mai words. -.- XD

[r]

hehehehe. i'm laughing 'cause of Jhaden's review, and she said everything I thought. I REALLY HAVE TO START REVIEWING THE SECOND YOU POST THE CHAPTERS THAT WAY I DONT HAVE TO F*****G WORRY ABOUT PEOPLE STEALING WHAT I WANTED TO SAY!

*breath* Anywhooo: I LOVE THIS CHAPTER. It was adorable when Opaque and Sparrow were at the beginning, but then it was all sad and D: It was awesomeness and I loved it. YOU'RE SO EPICALCIOUSNESS!!! And it was depressing how Sparrow was all sad and shiz in the clearing where they had the battle, and I freaking loveloveloved the flashbacks! it was so cool and awesome and YEAH. and I love the dream at the end where he's all "IM GUNNA DIIIEEE" and then Dawn is smiling and Sparrow goes 'wtf. HOW CAN SHE BE HAPPY?!?" and then Dawn says they'll be safe. ^^ Adorable.

You rock at making angsty, depressing, OMGILUFFEDIT chapters, you know that??? WELL, IF YOU DON'T KNOW IT, YOU SHOULD!! And I luff you [nh] for posting this like 2 days after Chappie 7. SERIOUSLY. IT ROCKS. Now all you gotta do is hurry up and post Chapter 9 AND I'LL LUFFLES YOU MOAR [nh, again]. :D I love this chapter!! Sparrow is so epical how he's always depressed and shiz like that - haha. And I can't wait until Sapphy can walk around and shiz. IT'S GOING TO BE EVEN AWESOMER!! xDDD