𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 - 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑇𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙

Chapter 12

     "Saph! I never stopped willing myself to come back! I never stopped believing that we'd be together again! I missed you so much!" Eclipse exclaimed into Sapphire's shoulder. Tears of pure joy streamed down her face.

     Sapphire just seemed very surprised, and didn't move. But then she fiercely wrapped her wings around Eclipse, and started crying all over again.

     "Never, ever, ever do that to me again! You hear me, Eclipse? Promise me you won't ever do that again!" Sapphire cried.

     "What in the name of the stars?!" Solar yelped, running over. She crashed into Eclipse, and put her paws on Eclipse's shoulders. "How are you alive?! You just... you just came back to life!"

     Eclipse nodded. She could tell Solar had been crying, since her eyes were puffy and bloodshot.

FeatherCloud just stared at her in disbelief. Wind hobbled quickly over to her, and SkyChaser rushed over as well.

     "This battle isn't going to win itself!" Eclipse barked, getting to her paws, and feeling a new strength surge through her. "Come on!"

     Even though she knew how weird it must look for someone who was dead a second ago to jump up and immediately fight in a battle, Eclipse led her friends and family into the thick of it.

     She stayed by Sapphire's side for the most of it, but then she darted over to Rowan.

     The LeafWing was pouncing on a particularly big Darkbeast, who was putting up quite a fight. Rowan grabbed him by the scruff, shook him, and flung him at another Darkbeast. The two Darkbeasts were sent tumbling across the ground.

     Rowan smirked, noticed Eclipse, and stood staring at her in shock. While she was frozen, a Darkbeast launched itself onto her back, and clawed at her wings. She roared, and Eclipse sliced at the side of the attacking Darkbeast.

     The Darkbeast fell off Rowan's back, and Eclipse slit his throat as he hit the ground, watching as he faded into sparkles.

     Rowan was still blinking disbelievingly at her as Eclipse slipped into the throng of fighting creatures.    She found a Darkbeast around her age, and felt a little uncomfortable killing him. But she wrapped her wings around him from behind, and slit his throat quickly so that he wouldn't feel too much pain. Then a Darkbeast leapt at her from behind, and wrestled her to the ground. Eclipse wriggled around, trying to get a glimpse of her attacker. She saw the similarity to the Darkbeast she'd just killed, and a snarling face.

     Oops! It's his mother! I'm sorry...

     She kept wriggling around under the furious she-Darkbeast's piercing claws, trying to flip onto her back. But the she-Darkbeast's grip was too tight. She clawed at Eclipse's neck, but before she could inflict too bad of a wound, her weight was knocked off of Eclipse. Eclipse quickly got to her paws, to see a flash of auburn and amber scales, and honey-coloured eyes. Then the mother Darkbeast was lying dead on the ground, and she faded into sparkles.

Brooke stood there, and smiled and winked at Eclipse. Eclipse smiled back.

     "You and your son will be in a better place now, I promise." She touched her nose to the dead mother Darkbeast's shoulder.

     Sapphire came rushing up to Eclipse, with fresh cuts on her chest and cheek. Eclipse touched her nose to the top of Sapphire's head, and led her over to Hailee and Rodin, who were clawing at the eyes of a small adult Darkbeast.

     Hailee squeaked when she saw Eclipse, and Rodin saw her too, but they bit the throat of the Darkbeast at the same time and she faded just before she hit the ground. Only one or two sparkles floated up.