If Only, If Only - Unicorn Wars Fanfiction

Chapter Seven: The Dreaded Venture

((Neaaaar- Faaar- it's my chocolate baaaar.))

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Azulin did not like the sound of that one bit. All of them heading into the forest was where almost everything started to go wrong for real the first time. Closing his eyes, he stopped- planting his hand on the wall as he tried to clear the thoughts from his mind. Dense forest- and the rotten bodies of a bunch of bears at their camp but not before...

He stopped himself, looking into the room where everyone else was setting up for bed. Coco was smoking his last cigarette- reading a magazine that had small trinkets on the cover. Achuchones was looking at himself in the mirror, taking off his typical yellow bow before leaning back onto his pillow with a nightmask covering his eyes.

Sonrisas kept his same typically large smile, even in his sleep. That fact was slightly beginning to creep Azulin out. He probably would have said it out-loud in his last life if he had noticed- maybe it was better that he didn't pay attention until now...

Grimaldo was also another one that Azulin never really paid any attention to. Though it was unsaid- other that Sargento- Grimaldo was the oldest bear out of their little brigade. Grimaldo was about as close to an old man as it got... he was rather quiet unless it was something about controversy. He was rough around the edges- and had scars from the past. Any way it went- Azulin had a hard time remembering what had happened to him from... the last time.

Looking out over all of the sleeping comrades was both a feeling of warmth and a feeling of dread. He knew exactly what was coming... especially if the events that were impending were not stopped.

Letting his eyes fall on the Polar Bear Twins, Azulin couldn't help but look away as his mind drifted to the morning after a night of intense psychedelic mayhem. There in the dew-kissed forest during the early-morning hours, the Twins were discovered. One of the brothers stabbing each other to death, and hanging themselves later out of intense guilt.

Azulin could recall the shock of discovering their bodies the next day. Though, at the time- his only thought was 'why not just hide the body?' He could admit now that... it was him being uncaring and disconnected. Because if they were in the same timeline, and he had done that to Gordi at that time- he probably would have acted like nothing happened.

This made his gut wretch.

Azulin brought his paw up to his stomach, before shaking his head, and trying to eradicate the thought immediately.

He had no choice but to go to bed. He was exhausted. However, that would only make tomorrow come faster- and after that point- almost all of the group would have nothing more than a few 'tomorrows' left.

Walking to his bed, Azulin fell into a restless sleep.

He dreaded what would be starting the second he woke up tomorrow morning.

~~~

The sound of an annoyingly effective whistle woke up the whole dorm of comrades. Sending them scrambling from their beds and to their feet within seconds. All of them stood at the foot of their resting spots, pulling their paws up to their foreheads as a salute to the gray-furred general that walked in the door- followed by Sargento.

Azulin found himself scowling in the black-suited generals direction- his eyes going from tired, to piercing. The general seemed to pick up on this glare of spite and a coarse grin crossed his ugly face as his as his lips curled into a sneer.

"We all love early mornings- do we not, Azulin?" The generals teeth were bared at the younger bear- though the resting expression on the Blue's face was between impartial and spiteful. Sort of like a clumsy mix of the two emotions. Azulin bared his teeth as well, before smiling through it and letting out a stiff chuckle. This chuckle was cold, and dry- giving a couple of the other bears a feeling of tension.

"Oh I know I do." The sarcasm was evident. "I LOVE early mornings..." he straightened his back looking the general right in the face with a firm glare. This glare being met with the Generals face going from mockery to a tinge of offended silence.

"Do you now?" The general leaned down and got face to face with the shorter bear, his teeth curling into a sour, dismissive grit. "Just HOW much to do you love early mornings, Azulin."

Gordi was tempted to drop his salute to try and ease Azulin back down into being calm again. But he decided not to. Azulin had not actually done anything as drastic as he usually would have. He had faith his brother was going to keep himself under control this time... maybe.

Azulin's eyes seemed to turn upwards in a means of amusement, keeping his saluting hand to his forehead, as a means not to break 'formation' as it was called.

"I love smelling the grass in the morning. I love the chirping birds in the lighting sky. I love the smell of rain or the feeling of the sprinklers in the grass outside our barracks. What I love is the serenity we get in the morning. It seems that this morning is lacking in serenity- don't you say? gEnEralL?"

The last word was laced in dripping disgust- butchered in saying just for the point of getting under the others pelt.

The gray-furred general snarled and a small growl was actually heard from him as he drew himself away from Azulin's face. His pride growing sorer and sorer by the second.

"Indeed, Azulin. Indeed." were the only words out of his mouth, before he briskly walked away from the pod of soldiers.

"Sargento. Brief your soldiers and be on your way. You best be teaching your subordinates some respect. We don't wand there to be a fight that happens under our noses- now do we?" The cold glare from the light eyes of the general told everyone that he wasn't fucking around with his threat.

"Yes sir." Sargento saluted again, before letting out a grunt of disapproval.

He looked at all of the bears under his lead, and he shook his head, unsure of where he was going to start.

"Alright men. Let's get started."

((To be continued))