A Tale Of Tails

Chapter 10

Pain filled Red like how water fills the ocean. It was hard to breathe. He dug his nails into the sand. How could Rare have done this? What did I ever do to him? I only ever did the safest thing. Why am I laying here dying now? How did he even find me? Why? How? Tears burned in Red's eyes. I was only bluffing when I said I would kill him. I could never hurt my own brother like how he hurt me. And now he's killed me. He killed me. Even though he wanted to be brothers again. I should've forgiven him. I shouldn't have held onto the past. I should've forgiven him. I shouldn't matter how awful he had been in the past. Maybe I should've never left in the first place. Maybe I should've stayed with him. Never left our cave. But I had no choice, right? I was scared for my life, but was I right? Would Rare really have killed me if I had stayed? Red's eyes slowly opened. All he could see was blood. All he would smell was blood. And all he could feel was pain. He took a shaky breath. It hurt. All of this is my fault. It's my fault that me and Rare had gotten into a fight. It's my fault that I left our cave. It's my fault that I got Dust and Terror caught by the land-walkers. It's my fault we're far away from home. It's my fault Rare was able to find me. It's my fault that I'm dead. It's my fault that I'll have to be grieved. It's my fault. It's all my fault. I should've listened to Rare. I should've killed myself. Back then no one would have to grieve me. It's all my fault. Red took one last breathe before his eyes slowly closed.

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Darkness

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"Red?" Red's eyes shot open. He was surrounded by a pitch black void. Red looked around, but couldn't see anything. "Red?" Suddenly Rare appeared infront of him. "Rare?" Red whispered. Rare's eyes were wide with fear. "Where are we?" Red asked. "I don't know." Rare shook his head. "I think...I think we're dead." Rare muttered. Red gasped. "D-Dead? We c-can't be..." Suddenly Red was filled with rage. "YOU KILLED ME!" Red hissed. "YOU FUCKER!" Red lunged at Rare, slamming him to the ground. "YOU FUCKER I'LL KILL YOU!" Red screamed. Rare tried to squirm away, but Red's grip on him was too strong. Red's nails dug into Rare's shoulders, hard enough for them to start bleeding. Rare grunted and bared his teeth, and started swiping at Red's face. Red didn't care that sharp nails clawed across his face, he was dead, that didn't matter anymore. "You can't kill me if we're both dead." Rare growled. Red bared his teeth and hissed. God damn logic. Suddenly Rare disappeared and Red was left alone in the black void. Did I... Did I kill him? Red moved up. He could feel the blood covered sand under his back.

Dust awoke to something prodding against his face. He hissed and swiped at the thing. He felt cold scales brush against his finger tips. He shot up and looked around. There was a large pokey lionfish leviathan in front of him. Dust hissed and tried to make himself look large. Suddenly a dead fish slapped his face. Dust scrunched up his nose and shook his head. The fish slowly drifted to the sandy ground. Dust looked up the lionfish monster. "Who are you?" Dust growled. "Te rro or." The lionfish monster answered. Well this is going to get confusing. Dust looked around. He was inside of the Terror's cave. He spotted fingerling Terror laying near the back of the cave. Dust looked around some more, but he couldn't see Red. Panic filled his soul. "Where's Red? Where's my mate?" Dust asked in a panic. The Terror exited the cave, and Dust followed. He saw blood stained sand and started looking around. First he saw the leviathan that had attacked him. Obviously dead, a foul smell coming from him and tail half eaten. Dust looked around some more, then found Red. His blood ran cold. The same foul smell was coming from Red. Dust swam towards him collapsed into him. Tears fell from his eye. His mate was gone. "Red..." Dust whispered mournfully. Dust closed is eye as he tried to ignore the smell of death that surrounded him. He needed to grieve. "dust..." Dust's eye shot open. Red was looking at him. Eyelights and unhealthy dark gray. "Red!" Dust cried. The Terror swam over and helped Red up, eye wide with shock. Red's eyes closed as the Terror lifted him into his arms. Dust and the Terror swam back to the cave. The Terror carefully set Red on the ground, then swam back out of the cave. Dust laid down next to Red and held his hand. Dust took a deep breath. Everything was going to be okay. Everything was going to be alright. Dust looked over at Red. Red had a pained look on his face. Dust pressed his face against Red's neck, trying his best to comfort him. But for now all he could do is wait for the Terror to come back with whatever healing herbs he had used to heal Dust and Terror.