Rainbows In The Dark

Chapter 7

Oleander

"Okay, I was not expecting that."

Oleander blinked, comprehending his words. "You killed your father?"

"Yes." Fennec said, his voice wobbling. "I-it wasn't on purpose though... he tried to strangle me and I tripped and..." He looked back at his tail barb.

Oleander covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have asked."

Fennec turned away from her. "It's fine. He wasn't a good person anyway."

Oleander brushed his wing gently and he flinched away from her. "Is that why you don't like physical contact?"

Fennec stared at the ground, his silence speaking volumes.

Oleander wrapped her wings around him and he tensed. "I don't think you're a bad person, Fennec." She whispered.

"I killed my own father... how much worse could it get?" He whispered back.

Oleander felt weirdly comfortable against his warm scales. "I can't answer that... but it's not your fault. It was self-defense."

Maybe it was her imagination but she thought she felt his muscles relax.

"That doesn't really help... how would you feel if you were responsible for your father's death?" Fennec whispered.

Oleander thought for a minute, soaking up the warmth of his scales. "I'd feel horrible. But he was trying to strangle you, isn't that what you said?"

Fennec pulled away from her. "Yeah... not to mention all the other horrible things he's done."

"But you're not like him. I can tell." Oleander smiled at him, admiring a trio of black diamonds behind his ear that she hadn't seen before.

Fennec frowned, unconvinced, and before Oleander could say anything else, a purple flurry touched down in the stadium.

Lavender folded her wings as she came to a stop. "Oleander, we need to leave."

"What? Why?" Oleander glanced at Fennec's inexpressive face.

Lavender pulled a crinkled paper out of her bag. "We're apparently wanted."

Oleander took the paper, which said nothing except having a large print labeled BOUNTY with Oleander and Lavender's faces underneath. Then her eyes caught on the reward on the bottom.

"That... is a lot..." Oleander whispered, looking at the amount of coins that were labeled underneath.

"Well, where do you plan on going? You can't go back to the rainforest, it's too far and you'd have to go past Possibility to get there." Fennec said.

Lavender frowned. "I... might know someone..."

"Wait, can't Queen Thorn do something about this?" Fennec persisted.

"No. It's out of her control. Thorn and Ruby both have some rule over Possibility but if a wanted poster is put out by the sheriff then they can't do really do anything. It's like if Queen Coral sent out a wanted poster for one of her subjects and Queen Glory tried to protect them. She wouldn't have the authority." Oleander explained.

Fennec blinked, as if she just ripped up a scroll and he was trying to piece the sentences back together. "You said you know someone?" He asked Lavender.

"Yes. But I need to talk to Aloe quickly, Queen Glory needs to know that we won't be back for a few days and Sunny's our best chance at getting a message to her." She curled her front claws inward defensively. "I don't know what will happen if I just waltz into the palace though."

"Let me do it," Fennec said. "I'm not on the posters so I'll go talk with Aloe, wait outside the stronghold and I'll meet you there, ok?"

"Fennec," Oleander stopped him with one of her front talons. "Are you sure? Won't this be putting you in danger as well?"

Fennec froze, then looked down at her talons. "I'm willing to take that risk." He said, before walking past her.

Oleander stared after him, some feeling crawling up her spine, a cold that felt empty without warmth of Fennec's scales.

"Princess, should we trust him?" Lavender whispered.

Oleander nodded. "Yes. Let's head outside and hold for him there."

Lavender frowned. "Understood, Princess, let's go."