If Only, If Only - Unicorn Wars Fanfiction

Chapter Four: A Fresh Perspective

A couple days more passed. With the way things were going, they had already started to diverge away from the initial timeline that they had stemmed from. Azulin noted this, unsure of whether or not it was actually a good thing that the events of the timeline had altered.

The blue bear sat down in what was considered a small church-like home. Padre- a purple bear with dark glasses stood at the front of the room, holding a book with an eye and some symbols on it.

This made Azulin recoil a bit and shake his head- not wanting to look at it again.

During the speech, he noticed just how... trivial it all sounded. Hearing it again, for the second time- every word felt more and more like some sort of diluted fantasy. Some sort of strange obsession written by someone of the estranged faith back when the book first came into existence.

The blue bear pulled his hand up to his face, shielding his eyes as he looked down at the ground. He couldn't blame Padre for trying to preach what he was taught. Preaching such a thing that had given the older bear faith for such a long time in their dangerous, awful world. These teachings.. Azulin realized that he couldn't call them right or wrong... even if it seemed that there was no eternity or beauty when the prophecy had been accomplished the first time.

His slight jittery-ness was noticed by the father of the Church- called out upon by the purple bear as he adjusted the glasses on his face with a glance of puzzled interest.

"Azulin. What ails you so?" the older bear questioned over the crowd of bears in the church. All of them turned to Azulin, as it didn't take much to find one of the only blue bears in the entire camp. This caused the travelers heart to beat faster in growing apprehension.

"I... I am fine- Padre." Azulin sighed, relaxing. "I did not rest well, is all."

Padre tucked his hands behind his back, before tilting his head. However, there was nothing said for a few moments. After a stent of awkwardness- the purple bear nodded and set down his book before starting to preach to his watchers again.

Eventually, the speech went from calm, to a little bit erratic and chaotic. The speech of the older bear was nothing short of 'inspired' or even 'passionate'. However, the words were drowned in lurking thoughts. Azulin closed his eyes and allowed himself to rest- even if it would be considered disrespectful or un-ideal.

His memories all flooding back. They were something that would forever stain his past. A saturated reminder wrapped in overwhelming sensations of sounds and smells and colors.

The metallic scent of blood, and expended weapon dust. The sound of hooves hitting grass and gravel and dirt- or even the rubber-capped steps of hard-soled boots crashing one after the other sub-sequentially in the sane terrain. The sound of screaming comrades or shrill shriek of dying Unicorns. Crying, yelling, screaming- the sounds of wo'ed soldiers young and old.

This is what these beliefs had done.

They had taken lives away, and ruined families. On both ends- there were so many that had never even gotten to see their relatives before losing them to the cruelty that knew no bounds.

Because, what the book foretold was a prophecy. Not some happy ending, or some complacent miracle. Prophecies were open ended and often disregarded as something that had alternative options of accomplishment. Sidetracked for something that was both irrelevant and and far superior. Prophecies were either cut and dry or they got right to the point.

Ambition often overcame the purpose of such a subliminal quest.

Azulin was wakened by the sound of Padre starting to yell 'Death! Death to the Unicorns!' during his speech. Several more of the bears in the room doing the same chant in tired unison.

The blue bear woke with a start- his eyes wide and wild. For a moment- his claws came out- clenching down into the wood of the chair that he occupied. Gordi had also tapped on the smaller brothers shoulder- in hopes of waking him without causing the other to go into a mixed bout of rage or panic.

The blue bear's hand let go of the seat, just to grasp out at Gordi's shirt in a very sudden gesture- the pink, floppy-eared bear letting go in alarm as he tried to move back from the surprisingly iron grip of his brother.

Only after calming down, did Azulin actually notice that he felt the sensation of choking. His tense body finally relaxing enough to let his skittish brother free of his iron grip. He brought his hands back over to himself, before pulling at the fur on his face. Small scratches appearing where his claws had clenched.

Noticing his brother hurting himself- intentional or not- Gordi had enough concern for his sibling to no longer be so frightened of him- and more frightened for him. He grabbed the others arms and firmly pry the arms away from his face- so he didn't do any more damage- which was thankfully moderate, for now.

"Azulin- stop..!" the exclaim was light, as to not cause a scene- though several other bears were looking already.

Azulin had only worked himself up more- his eyes becoming bloodshot from the stress. His head snapped in the older brothers direction- wild and unfocused. Much like a caged animal.

The first thought was fear- then of escape.

The blue bear yanked his arms away- just to grab Gordi by the shoulders- sinking the thumb-claws into the upper arm of the chubbier bear. A small snarl seeped from his curled lips as his hands trembled where blood started to form under them.

Blood.

The smell of iron, and the color of deep crimson staining pink fur.

Almost like...

When....

Azulin calmed down enough to recognize his brother, looking directly at him with surprise before his vision flashed and he saw the dead version of his brother sitting right next to him again- dark pink eyes and an exposed brain right in his peripheral as blood flowed from his mouth.

Azulin panicked and let go of him, looking at his hands as he struggled to get out of his seat. All of the struggling was held down by Gordi- who wasn't even in pain- yet. He was too worried for his brother to actually be afraid. Whatever this was- had never happened before. His younger brother was erratic and irrational- angry and vengeful.

This sudden emotion of panic and what could only look like a traumatized reaction to such contact.

Eventually- Gordi did lose grip of his brother- Coco and Pandi attempting to also hold him down- as the other bears in the church had dispersed enough for the three to try and get a good grasp on him.

This struggle lead to Azulin falling back in his chair- only saved from cracking his head open on the hard, wooden floors by the instinctual grasp of his older brother who grabbed him by the shirt.

Deep, rugged breaths and clouded vision.

It was almost like he was dying a second time...

As if the first one wasn't enough.

The only thing he wanted was to get away. He wasn't safe to be around like this- he needed the door- outside- freedom.

Open space.

It was only when Azulin swung his arm forward in an attempt to get free- that he stopped himself. His clawed hand nearly contacting with the pink bears face before he stopped himself. His breath growing hitched as his eyes started to well up again.

At this point, the other bears in his unit weren't even mad- or under the assumption he was being an over-sensitive asshole as he usually was. No. They were just as confused and maybe even concerned as Gordi was.

"Azulin..."

His name being called was something that fell on near-deaf ears. The blue bear finally calmed enough to let himself just slump back on the floor.

His name being called a second time was muddled with the loss of his consciousness.

"I'm going to go take him back to his bed... Gordi- go clean your arms. They're bleeding really bad, we can't have them getting infected."

((To Be Continued))