Double Rainbow

Torch-8

I wait there for a minute in the moonlight, staring off into the distance. She's gone. She's really gone. I put one paw out, and scream for her until my throat is raw and bleeding.

I walk away, sad and alone.

Sprtiz and Avery wait under the willow, smiling anxiously. "How did it go?" Avery says, sleepy, but a twinkle in her eye.

I break down, crying."She's gone." I murmur finally. "I showed her the scars, and she remembered me and freaked out and left."

"Remembered you? What aren't you telling us here?" Spritz growls, confused as I am and annoyed.

"She... left?" Avery whimpers.

"Yes, she's gone. Listen, I knew her in the Factory. She was ordered to kill me by an Obsidian who Cherry (my fellow prisoner) and I trusted. She rounded on us, and then the Obsidian said something, and she stopped. She let me go and told me how to escape.

When she came here, she forgot me, and... I didn't tell her anything. I know, it was a horrible thing to do, but I just... didn't want her to leave. After I showed her, she yelled something about it all being her fault and how she had to leave before she killed me and then this Obsidian tracker thing glowed in her paw and then she was gone."

Spritz and Avery stare at me for a while. "What the heck?" Spritz says. "You never told me anything about this!"

"You never told me you knew her! Torch, this is the type of thing we need to know! What are we going to do if we can't trust you?!"

I hang my tail and flatten my ears, being as submissive as possible. "I know and I'm sorry. Well, for now, all you need to know is that the Obsidians are coming and we need to get out of here."

Avery begins to cry. "This is home. This is everything. Torch, what happened?"

"IT'S ALL MY FAULT! I DON'T DESERVE TO BE ONE OF THE IMPERIAL THREE. I GET IT! NOW JUST GO! LEAVE ME!"

Spritz wraps his tail around me, reassuring. "Listen, we've all had our share of bad days. This is just a very, very, very, veeeery,"

"Cut it out!" I snap.

"Okay, it's not a good day."

I snort.

"Well, we're all not sure why we were chosen. So I say we split up and find out why we represent love, determination and leadership."

"Split up?" Avery looks forlorn.

"Only for a month. At the end of the month, we'll know what we're doing and go save the world. Sound good?"

I nod, a lump forming in my throat.

Avery shakes her head, crying. "We can't just... where would I go?"

"I planned out an adventure for each one of this, but... I feel like I don't know you anymore, Torch. So I'm not sure. Avery, you could go back to your tribe and stop the war!"

"I almost killed myself saving one Canira. What if they hate me because I have a horn and wings?"

"Don't worry, I believe in you." Spritz presses his paw to her chest, a confident smile on his face.

"I'm going home to do something I should've done a long time ago. Torch..."

I look as Spritz, trying not to look weak. His tail swishes, the cold metal looking extremely sharp on his forehead.

"Stay safe." he says, and he walks away into the shadowy darkness of the rest of the world.

"Avery," I say finally.

"What?"

"I'm going to ask Natrina about... well, you know. My quest. My destiny. Now that your wings are better, all you have to do is find a good cloud or whatever and get an Eagle Canira or some other all Canira that can break Mach 1 and have them fly you home."

"Torch, I'm scared. What if I fail?"

"You won't fail, you're part of the Imperial Three. Plus, you're one of the sweetest, bravest Canira I know. Now get out there and stop a war!"

Avery opens her wings and soars into the clouds, leaving me alone. I turn my back to the willow tree, and just for a minute I see the black stone glow.

Ignoring it, I walk away into the night air. It's lonely on my own, even lonelier than at the factory. Even there, I still had Cherry Blossom. Now I am completely and totally alone. "You're never alone." says a voice, someone I can't believe is still up.

Riana looks over at me, smiling. "Let's go to Natrina. Together."