Raptor Girl

Grieving

Owen, Barry and the three remaining Raptors all froze at the soul crushing sound as they all knew what the roar meant causing the three siblings to suddenly stop their own hunts as they bolted in the direction of the roar.

What they saw caused them to freeze in their tracks, shaking their heads not believing what they were seeing. As they all looked at Phoenix resting her head against a non-breathing limp Echo with silent tears as she slowly turned to look at the three remaining siblings. All of them couldn't believe it. Echo was gone. No more teasing. No more tricking her two competitive siblings. No more attempting to sneak up on her eldest sibling. No more cuddles or nuzzles. No more hopeful words. It was all gone.

Shaking his head in disbelief. "No. No, she was fine. I swear she was," Charlie uttered with tears of his own escaping his eyes looking at the haunting sight of his little sisters lifeless corpse. Phoenix just stayed silent curling more around the youngest Raptor watching the siblings with an almost calculating look in her hauntingly painful hallow gaze. 

"I caused this. She told me to watch what I say. I just wasn't expecting this to happen," Delta stuttered around a lump in her throat causing her two remaining siblings to look at her with confusion. 

"What do you mean?" Her two brothers asked at the same time causing the temperamental female to say, "she reminded me that somethings we say will comeback to haunt us. I just didn't expect this to be the result," as they all looked at their youngest sibling who looked like she was just sleeping peacefully against Phoenix. 

Phoenix just stayed silent as she watched her friends react to the loss of their little sister knowing it hasn't fully sunk in. Because if it did, they wouldn't be wanting to talk. They would be wanting nothing more than to watch the light fade from the human's eyes. To watch as they choke on their own lifeblood. To feel as their life drained from them like it had happened for Echo. The only thing they would feel would be an undeniable burning fiery rage. But more importantly Phoenix also wanted to watch the Indominus burn. The Indominus didn't have to do this, she could've just proved to everyone that she wasn't a monster, but instead she enjoys the idea of killing not for survival, but for sport. Although Phoenix and the Raptors couldn't talk, but then again those people deserved it. 

"What happened to her?" Blue gently asked as he looked at the Raptor who still looked at them with calculating eyes. Causing her to tilt her head before she moved just enough for them to see Echo's gaping wound before she quickly curled around the lifeless Raptor again. "Human's did that?" Delta asked with a growl coming from the back of her throat, Phoenix just gave a barely noticeable nod, causing Charlie to ask, "the missile that you saved me from did that, didn't it?" Again a barely noticeable nod. "It's my fault," Charlie said which caused Phoenix to let out a dangerously low snarl as Blue tried to reassure his siblings and Phoenix as he could tell she was feeling incredibly guilty, "it wasn't any of our fault. No one had any idea that this would happen." "Blue's right. It's the human's doing. They did this!" Delta screeched in outrage. "Before we do anything. Let's just stay with Echo a little longer," Blue said with emotion evident in his voice as he walked over to Echo and Phoenix before laying down on the other side of Echo curling around her just like Phoenix was.

Blue felt a large amount of grief because he wasn't going to hear his baby sisters laughter or her optimistic words. He also felt guilty, that he wasn't there for her when she was lying on the ground dying. He was thankful that Phoenix was there as it meant that Echo didn't die alone, cold and afraid in the dark. One thing he felt the most was this dark, dangerous fury. He wanted revenge. He wanted the humans to pay for what they did. He also wanted the Indominus to pay as she was just as guilty because she was part of the reason why his little sister got involved, and now was curled up against Phoenix, looking like she was sleeping. But was she? No! She was dead! Who was he going to lose next? Charlie? Delta? Phoenix? He didn't want to lose anyone else. He would sacrifice himself if it meant protecting the ones he loved the most. But the main thing he wanted, no needed was his little sister back. He wanted to be able to go back to the way things were, when he would act surprised when Echo tried to sneak up on him. He needed to be able to hear her voice one last time, before letting her get out of reach.

Delta felt a pain in her chest at the reality that her little sister is gone. Echo was never going to trick her into believing that Charlie was going to beat her at a competition. She was never going to hear her little sisters giggles when she did something mischievous. She felt guilty, that maybe if she hadn't of said what she did, this wouldn't of happened. That Echo wouldn't of suffered the fate that she did. She did feel thankful that Phoenix was with Echo in her last moments, feeling safe with her as she took her last breath. Although she mainly felt the need for revenge on the humans. They are the reason behind all of this. They are the reason the Indominus was created. They're the reason she got out and went on a killing spree. They were the reason why they got dragged into their mess. And now they are the reason why her little sister is dead. Overall she just wanted everything to be back to the way it was. To have her little sister back and joking around with them. She wanted to hear her voice one last time, before saying goodbye.

Charlie was in denial that his playful little sister was gone. He didn't want to believe that the endless tricks and shenanigans were over. He just stared at her lifeless form and thought she was just sleeping despite knowing she wasn't going to wake up. He looked at Phoenix, he looked at his two older siblings and knew this was real. Echo was gone. It was his fault. If he had paid attention to his surroundings then the human might not of even been able to pull the trigger to the missile that's shrapnel and blasts shockwave caused the demise of his sister. Then he felt empty like a part of him was gone. Like all the playfulness he had was no more. He was both thankful and worried that Phoenix was with Echo when she died. Thankful that Echo didn't die alone, in the safety and love of her safe haven. Worried because he knew that this transaction has caused something in Phoenix to snap. Especially considering she hasn't uttered a single word. But then he suddenly felt angry. He felt angry towards the humans. He felt angry towards the Indominus. He wanted revenge. He looked to the stars and could only think of how he wished they never got involved. How he wished, begged, pleaded, to wake up from this horrible nightmare and see the smiling cheeky face of his baby sister. He wasn't ready to let her go. He wasn't ready to say goodbye forever.

They stayed quiet. None of them uttering a single word. None of them wanting to talk. They wanted to stay in their thoughts. In the moment. That way they can pretend that Echo was just sleeping. That they were in the Raptor paddock with Echo using Phoenix like a bed like she usually does. They weren't ready to say goodbye. They wanted just one moment more with Echo before the reality that they were never going to have another moment with her. They were never going to hear her giggles. Never going to be witness to her tackling Phoenix before promptly laying on the female. Never going to be able to watch as she tried to sneak up on Blue. Never going to get to watch as she got Delta and Charlie to compete for some stupid reason.

Phoenix then decided that she was going to talk, "Echo, wanted me to tell you three. To tell you that she loves you," the three Raptors could hear all the raw emotions in her voice, the pain, the anger, the sorrow, the guilt, the numbness. They could hear everything that they were feeling and more in her voice. They tried to hold in there tears, but those words. That Echo loved them. That was what broke them as they all finally mourned, grieved for the sibling they were never going to get back. 

Phoenix couldn't tell them everything was going to be alright. She wasn't even sure it was going to be. She didn't want to lose anymore of them. She just wanted all this pain and suffering to end. She wanted to stop feeling numb. She wanted to go back in time where everything was alright. She wanted to go back in time and protect all of the Raptors, so that they wouldn't have to go through this. So that Echo was alive and playing around. But more importantly she wanted to protect the siblings from this pain. From this hallowing, numbing, burning emptiness inside their chests. No matter what. She'll see everyone that was involved with causing the ones she cares for most in this world to hurt. She'll make sure that they suffered a fate worse than death. That she would see to personally.

That's how they stayed for who knows how long. Grieving for their fallen sister. Fallen friend. They just let themselves succumb to their grief knowing that they couldn't do anything to change what happened. So they all stayed like that, curled around Echo as if protecting her. Keeping her from the cold. Keeping her in reach. Keeping her surrounded by comfort, even if she didn't know it, even if she couldn't feel it. They did.

Only grief has a time limit, before the idea of revenge over takes ones rationality.