(ROUGH DRAFT) Endless Sky ~Elemental Chaos~

Chapter Twentynine

Sunset had overworked herself, all of it catching up overnight. According to Renny, the old cat had already taken her strengthing potion, but it didn't do much.
"She's just so weak!" Renny sobbed, nearly dropping the potion vial as her hands shook.
"Take a deep breath Renny, I'm sure she's just really tired," Lucerne reassured, but Avaro saw the uncertainty in his face.
Renny nodded and shakily opened the portal, Avaro hurrying in first.
The heat was immense, but bearable. He was in a cave, the only light coming from deeper in, casting its red glow onto the walls.
Lucerne and Renny were quick to join him, the alchemist rushing ahead. "This way!" She cried as she went deeper into the cave.
"Wow it's hot," Lucerne commented in a low voice, following Renny with Avaro.
The potion maker turned down another pathway, away from the red glow. The heat cooling quickly.
They reached a large cave, a hole above  where a waterfall was cascading. The lake it created was filled with glowing creatures swimming around.
A group of fire elementals had collected near the water's edge, talking in low voices.
Renny ushered them aside as she reached the cat in the center.
Sunset was on her side, eyes closed as she napped. Either she came her herself, or was dragged here to get a drink.
"Sunset?!" Avaro hurried to join Renny, Lucerne by his side.
Sunset grunted, taking a moment to gather herself up before opening her eyes. "Avaro? Is that you?" She huffed. "And your boyfriend?"
"He's not my-"
"We're both here," Avaro interrupted, his heart starting to sink.
"Heh, Renny's quick," the old cat chuckled.
"What's wrong? Is there anything you need? What can we do to help?" Lucerne asked, almost pleading.
"Nothing, just let me rest," Sunset hissed before closing her eyes.
"I tried giving her a second vial," Renny sniffed, wiping her eyes. "But she just told me she'll die from illness anyways,"
"Damn right, I got sick once. Not again," Sunset coughed, making the potion maker wince.
"Come on now Sunset," Avaro managed to choke out, finally realizing the situation. "You need help, rest isn't enough,"
"I'm over a hundred years old, if I die I die," Sunset meowed, not bothering to open her eyes. "Though I'd expect to die fighting, but I guess I can die at home... Where I belong, all my fellow kind around me," she wheezed out a laugh that stabbed Avaro's heart. He shook his head. "I already lost Mystic... I don't need to loose you too..."
Renny burst into tears, covering her face.
"Sunset! You're coming with us to see Roxxan!" Avaro ordered, getting up.
"When I'm dead," she growled back.
"Leave her be," Lucerne sniffed, tugging Avaro's sleeve to get him to sit back down.
"But we have to do something! We can't just let her die!" He protested, tears starting to leak from his eyes.
"How many times do I have to say this," Sunset groaned. "I'm over a hundred years old, I should've been dead ages ago. If it's my time to go then let me go,"
Renny sobbed even harder.
"But..." Avaro dropped back to his knees. "What about... Renny? And all the elementals?"
"They'll be fine. Renny is an adult and all the elementals are safe," Sunset meowed, her voice getting weaker.
Avaro frowned and looked around, all the fire elementals were sitting, their heads respectfully lowered.
Avaro felt anger, everyone had given up on Sunset.
"I'm not letting you go Sunset!" He snapped, raising his voice.
"Oh yes you are," the old cat growled back, her eyes flickering open slightly. Just to glare at Avaro.
"You can manage without me, you hardly even know me,"
"That's the thing! I will never get to know you if you die!" He cried, blinking through tears.
"Sometimes life is cruel, you can ask Renny for stories anyways," Sunset closed her eyes once more.
"Please... Just stay with us... At least a little longer? To enjoy your new home?" Avaro begged, feeling torn.
Sunset remained silent, as if trying to save her breath.
"Avaro..." Lucerne said quietly, tugging on his sleeve again only to be brushed off.
"Sunset..?" The dragon sniffled, trying his best not to break down.
"I'm tired..." She replied in a low voice.
"J-J-Just r-rest," Renny sobbed, gently petting Sunset's side.
"I am," she huffed, heaving a sigh.
"Sunset..." Avaro felt a knot in his throat. "Please..."
"Just keep the elementals safe," Sunset sighed, her breath becoming shallower. "I didn't do all this for nothing you know,"
"We will," Lucerne promised, Renny nodding.
Avaro remained silent, unable to process. Sunset seemed to notice this, even if her eyes were closed.
"Listen, Avaro," she meowed, grabbing his attention.
"I understand you're not ready to see another person go, especially so soon after Mystic,"
"How did you..?"
"I caught wind of it yesterday," Sunset answered before he could finish his sentence.
"But listen, I could never be more grateful on what you, all of you, did to help me. None of you had to, none of you lived here or were elementals," the old cat made a weak chuckle, her face growing soft. "Yet you helped me anyways... And here I am,"
Sunset opened her eyes, taking one last look at the lake and waterfall ahead of her.
"Back home... With all the elementals safe and sound... I could never ask for anything more,"
Lucerne clung onto Avaro's arm and leaned into it, quietly crying.
"I wish I could've helped the prophets and wild cats more... But they're safe too now, and that's what truly matters..." Sunset took a deep breath, her eyes closing once again.
"Thank you... I don't think I could've done it alone. You all really made an old prune happy," she laughed before making a wheezing cough. "Take care of yourselves, alright? You all have a lot to live for..." Her voice trailed away.
Avaro's throat closed up as Sunset grew still, her chest rising one last time.
She was dead.
Renny wailed over her close friend, burying her face into her fur while Lucerne squeezed Avaro's arm.
Avaro remained silent. He felt hollow and empty, staring at the lifeless body of the once powerful old cat. She looked no where near death, yet here she was. Dead.
He knew he was crying, the tears dripping down his cheeks. He let them. There was no point in holding back.
Despite knowing Sunset for only a couple of days, her death hurt Avaro just as much as Mystic's did. He couldn't believe his first thoughts of her was to kill her. That their first conversation was not the best.
He'd grown close to the old cat.
"Renny's known her longer though... She must be devastated," Avaro stared at the potion maker, still bawling.
"Would she be okay..?"
"Renny..." He managed to speak, his voice hoarse. She ignored.
"Let her mourne," Torch's voice meowed. "We'll take care of Sunset's body later. Let her have one last chance to be with her friend,"
Avaro nodded, making tears drop off his face. "Come on Lucerne, lets give her some space..." He said, getting up with the celestial still clinging to his arm. Avaro guided Lucerne away, heading out of the cave and up away from the red glow. He wanted to be outside, sit in the grass and calm down.
Real sunlight shone down from a hole, the duo carefully exiting out of it.
The entrance to the Fire elemental home was a giant crevice surrounded by rocks and giant tree roots. An old massive tree being the stability to keep the crevice from caving in.
There was a clear path out of the rocks and roots, flattened grass from pawsteps. They followed it.
Once out, Avaro went to the closest tree and sat down, Lucerne doing the same.
There was no point in talking, Avaro didn't want to.
"She's in a better place now, she'd lived her life and died fulfilling her purpose, if it wasn't for her and her mother. None of us would've known this place existed," he thought sadly, looking up at the tree and it's leaves. Peacefully swaying in the breeze.
It was unfair. Sunset finally got her home back, finally got all the elementals home, finally got rid of Zeru. And she died before she could enjoy a single bit of it. Died before she could settle and make new friends.
Died before anyone but Renny could get to known her.
Life really is cruel.
Avaro leaned back onto the tree, feeling broken. He'd had no idea how long he sat there, Lucerne on his arm, under a tree shortly after the break of dawn. It could've been an hour, maybe two or even three. He didn't care. Nothing mattered at the moment.
"Avaro? Lucerne?" A small voice called out, Avaro remembering one of the reasons why he was here in the first place. Blaze perked up as she spotted the two, quickly padding over.
"Hey there," Avaro greeted, reached over to pat her head. She purred and nuzzled his hand before flopping down next to him.
"How is it down there?" He asked.
"It's warm and comfortable... But ever since we got here we've been having strange urges to do things," Blaze responded, her purr fading.
"Strange urges? What do you mean?"
"Well for one, we want to take Sunset to the central clearing, where we were when we got here," the elemental meowed, resting her head on Avaro's leg.
"That doesn't sound all that strange," he said with a half shrug, Lucerne still attached to his arm.
"It does when you add how we feel about it. We would feel disrespectful and ashamed if we didn't," Blaze huffed.
"How do you know all this?"
"Everyone was discussing what to do with Sunset, I was listeneing in,"
"Oh... Do you need any help moving Sunset?"
Blaze shook her head. "No, I'm sure they can manage... I only came out here to see if you two are alright,"
"We're fine, it was nice of you to check up on us though," Avaro gave the cat a small smile, the purrs returned.
"How's Renny?"
"Some elementals managed to get her away and comfort her, I'm sure she'll be fine..."
Avaro nodded and sighed, leaning back onto the tree again. Silence following.
All three of them relaxing, letting their worries and sorrows melt away.
Avaro fell asleep at one point, his dreams dark and painful. Mixed with all his friends dying and leaving him.
So much for relaxing.
Noises and commotion pulled him to the real world. He opened his eyes, spotting fire elementals leaving, all of them.
"Come on guys, let's go," Avaro said, nudging Blaze and Lucerne. The cat yawned before quickly getting up, the celestial finally freeing Avaro's arm.
"Oh, they must be heading to the clearing," Blaze mewed, padding off to join the others.
"Alright, lets join them..." Avaro said, getting up while helping Lucerne.
They followed at the back of the group, keeping silent like the rest. Avaro could see a few clustered elementals as well, carrying Sunset.
It made his heart ache, but he knew she was at peace now. Knowing the elementals are safe.
They travelled back to the clearing, deserted but for a few bugs as the sun made the grass glow.
"Are you sure putting her in the sun is a good idea..?" Lucerne whispered, frowning.
"I'm sure they know what they are doing," Avaro murmured back, keeping his eyes on the area ahead.
Everyone stopped, right at the edge of the light. The elementals carrying Sunset continued forward, padding to the center where they placed her. No one said a word, the only sounds were the occasional sniffles and sobs from Renny.
The ones who had Sunset backed away, rejoining the group.
The old cat laid there, looking almost as if she were peacefully sleeping.
Avaro waited, feeling like something was about to happen.
Just then, the ground shook.