Paws in Talons: The Chosen Five

28: Clearings

A little while later...
After some more arguing with Melody on whether they should search for her sibling or not, they finally settled with no. Maybe that wolf wasn't her actual sibling and just some random outlaw that allied with a strange looking dragon. Great.
Now they were preparing to go to the leader to ask to stay together instead of breaking apart back into their packs. Raven was all in did this, as she certainly did not want to become an outcast again.
Raven had already called a hawk over to carry a letter -that Melody wrote- to Moonlight. A small, teeny tiny part of Raven was relieved that Midnight had left. He had caused such a ruckus in the last few days, that maybe it was better that he leave.
To sum it all up: It was a crazy morning.
Now they were walking through the woods to interrupt a Pack Meeting that everyone but her somehow knew about because they were all royals.
She felt a little bit alone, even with Melody trotting along side her. She was the lowest wolf, a hybrid, rumored to bring Death Pack, walking among royals as if she was one of them.
Raven stifled a gasp, they were there already. Twilight seemed to shrink. The leaders of each Pack: Fire, Storm, River, Earth, Moon, and Sun were all talking amongst each other.
"Are we going?" Melody asked excitedly, her tail wagging.

"I'm worried," Moonlight- Moonrise's mate- admitted. "They still haven't returned."

Twilight seemed like she didn't hear Melody's question. Her eyes were fixed on Breeze.
"Is everything alright?" Melody asks Twilight.
"What's wrong?" She asks, her tail slowing to a stop as she turned toward Twilight.
"Breeze." It wasn't really an answer, but that's all Twilight said.
"Uh..." Raven mumbled. "What's wrong with Breeze?" Breeze looked fine, nothing wrong with the Wind Pack Leader's mate.
"Almost everything... for me...that is." Twilight said.
"And what is that?" Raven pushed.
"I'm sure it can't be bad!" Melody adds.
"Well.. one thing... she madly hates me." Twilight murmured.
"Well, we're all here for you. We will make sure that she does nothing to you or says anything bad to you," Melody says.
"Alright. Lets go then." Twilight slightly smiled.
Melody returned the smile, and with a sweep of her magnificent tail, that made Raven's heart skip a beat, she strolled into the clearing. Blizter and Twilight followed. Raven came after, and easily leaped onto a branch next to Melody.
"You're back..." Moonlight exclaimed, "but where is Midnight?"
"Didn't you get the letter?" Raven asks, with a glance at Melody who's eyes dulled. She silently cursed the hawk she had sent out.
"He left. To become a loner." Blizter hissed.
"It's that hybrid..." SunRay growled under her breath, but Raven still heard it.
"Yeah!" Vine agreed, swaying her tail, "The hybrid must've done something to him!"
"Vine," Moss murmured to his mate, "I'm sure that's not true."
"Moss is right. That's not true. Raven didn't do anything." Twilight murmured.
"She didn't do anything!" A tiny River Pack pup that Raven didn't even see jumped out behind Splash.
She had dark blue fur with light blue eyes and cyan royal markings. She was wearing the same jewelry as her mother. The sparkling headpiece almost fell off her head, and Splash adjusted it back onto the tiny pup's head.
"Ripple, silence," Current growled.
Blizter glanced at Raven. Raven held her head up high, she wouldn't let herself become the scared wolf she was at the beginning of the journey.
"How did it go?" Moonrise asked, changing the subject, "About the slaying-the-dragons."
Melody glanced at her mother, SunRay, before gracefully jumping up onto the branch next to Raven. Twilight was looking around the clearing.
"Uh.." Raven began, looking at Melody.
"Well?" Windracer prompted.
Thankfully Melody continued, "These other dragons, big and strong, took out the Dragon King and his guards,"
Moonrise glanced at Moonlight. It was easy to tell that they were shocked.
"I take it that the King was killed, and that the quest is over and you all can come back?" SunRay asks.
"Well.. all except Midnight." Twilight said.
Melody shrank when she spoke his name, and Raven shuffled on the branch to sit closer to her friend.
"Yes, it did all go well," Raven replied, trying to act all royal and stuff. She desperately hoped it was true.
She looked up at her, and blinked gratefully. SunRay looked upset with how close they were.
Blizter then snarled, "I evidently knew not to trust him."
"What's wrong with them being close?" Twilight asked SunRay.
SunRay glared at Twilight, "She's a hybrid!"
"So?"
"Oh not this again!" Splash grumbled, pulling Ripple closer to her. Current looked like he agreed.
Blizter snickered.
Vine grumbled something about it being a miracle that they could still have pups, but Moss silenced her with a glance.
"I think we should all stay together!" Melody announced proudly.
River Pack and Earth Pack looked fine with the proposal.
"I don't exactly think you'll be able to. Midnight is gone.. but I guess it'll be fine?" Windracer didn't seem sure.
"Well it's obvious that Midnight is gone!" Vine grumbled.
"It's fine with me." Wildfire murmured.
SunRay looked tempted to say no, instead she said, "My last surviving pup is leaving me.. All I ask is that you still help out in Sun Pack. You're going to be leader someday, and I must prepare you."
"I will, of course I will," Melody replied with a flick of her tail.
Moon Pack looked fine with the idea. Storm Pack looked.. uneasy but they agreed.
Raven sighed a sigh of relief.
Melody leaped from the tree and nuzzled SunRay, "Thank you," She murmured.
"I don't trust Fire Pack.." Vine whispered to Moss.
"Don't be silly, Wildfire is an amazing leader, and Blitzer will be too," He replied.
Twilight and Blizter were just... chatting there in the corner.
"Look at those two!" Vine growled, she didn't intend for her to say it out loud, "Twilight and Blitzer, they're from different Packs and yet they're together! What's up with that?"
Current and Splash turned to look at her, and tiny Ripple peaked at her, her tiny head lopsided.
Moonrise glared at Vine. "It's obvious they're from different packs, but it isn't a problem.. mostly."
"It'll bring the two Packs closer," SunRay said out of the blue. She seemed... fine with it.
Windracer agreed. Melody gazed at her mother as if she were a new wolf.
"Yes but..." Vine trailed off.
"But?" Moonrise asked.
She shook her flowery head, "I suppose you're right," She spat.
Moss looked relieved, and laid his tail over hers. Moonrise had turned to Moonlight.
Melody trotted back to Raven. She seemed happy. Twilight and Blizter joined them moments after.
"I call this meeting over!" She called happily.
Earth Pack and River Pack nodded before departing together.
"Very well." Moonrise said, "We wish that you have the best memories together."
Wildfire nodded, then Fire Pack was gone.
Little Ripple looked back at them, "Bye!" She called before tumbling after her parents.
Windracer called to his mate, then they were gone. Moon Pack was gone not long after, leaving Sun Pack the last Pack at the clearing.
"Goodbye, Melody." SunRay said before giving her daughter a beautiful red flower. Then she departed.
Melody put the flowers behind her ear, then she walked out of the clearing back to the cave. Twilight and Blizter followed behind. Raven walked alongside her, their pelts brushed. Raven hadn't been so happy in... forever. Melody smiled at her, and she returned the smile.
They did it. They completed the impossible. Now they could all live together happily and still help out in the Packs.

The End!