The Story of Midnight

Chapter 39

"Be careful when you cast out your demons that you don't throw away the best of yourself."
―Friedrich Nietzsche

***

After all that Cloud, the kid, and I have been through, it had to end like this.

Death is only the beginning. I always wondered what that saying meant; the beginning of what? Another life? If this is true, then I hope I will be able to meet them on the other side. But I'm not deserving to go to the place where they've gone. My hands aren't as clean as I thought them to be.

These thoughts surfaced in my mind as I felt the tip of the Commander's sword further pierce my stomach.

An animalistic growl echoed through the night, halting the sword from ending my life.

The crowd suddenly went into a panic as the roar became louder.

A surprised grunt came from the Commander as he was knocked to the ground by some unseen force.

My eyes quickly regained their vision and widened by what they saw. There were two of them and they looked like those animals that hunt and howl in the night. Their eyes were blue, glowing as if there was a fire inside them. Pale yellow fur cloaked their slightly muscular bodies, their ears black. Two long, sharp canines protruded from their lips as twin, black tipped tails snapped around in alertness, their fur abnormally bushy.

One of them had the Commander pinned to the ground; snarling at his face while the other slowly walked up to me and bowed its head.

I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"You really don't know who I am, Silver?" The animal spoke.

A small gasp escaped my lips.

"Dawn? What is this?" I stated, too shocked to ask more.

The two tails were a dead giveaway. She wasn't the little cat that rode on my shoulder anymore.

"This is my true form; Night and I are Guardians sent by Ryszard himself to look after you and Cloud since you two are the ones mentioned in the prophecy." She waved her tails cheerfully.

I could only stare at her in astonishment.

"Y-you knew about Zephyr and..." I trailed off.

She nodded slowly, guilt shadowing her features.

"All this time..." I finished.

I looked over at Night and the Commander as he struggled to get the huge beast off him then back at Dawn.

Anger suddenly burst out of me.

"Why didn't you help me? We could've done something, we could've saved them!"

The blue eyed Guardian stared at me calmly and said, "I will explain but now is not the time."

Her tone told me not to argue with her.

I bit my lip to try to keep my words from being spoken.

Was this really the same bubbly cat that annoyed me? I've never heard Dawn speak in that sort of tone before.

I breathed deeply and exhaled; letting go of my anger.

"So, what now? What will become of him?"

She turned her head towards the two and quietly snarled at the officer; expressing the same feeling I had towards him. Strange how not too long ago I wanted him to take my life.

Maybe I still do.

"He won't remember any of this."

Rage quickly ran through my veins again.