Guardian Angel (Guardians Of The Galaxy Fanfiction)

Fighting Back

Ashen lifted her head and forced herself forward. She sniffed the air and scented Dish. She didn't need to scent the air to know that he was ahead of her but he just wanted to confirm it. She sighed heavily and padded forward, her paws feeling numb.

It had been about a moon since Somber's death but it didn't matter. It wasn't any easier to take. Every night Dish would go to the exact same spot and just sob. He wouldn't let anyone near him and Ashen knew that losing Somber was eating him alive. Now though she just wanted to ease his pain and the only way she knew how was to try and speak to him.

"Dish," she barked gently as she shoved her ears forward.

Dish lifted his head a bit and Ashen heard him growl. "Go away," he snapped as the fur along his shoulders bristled.

Ashen blinked her eyes and tried not to show agitation. "Dish I know this is hard," she began but really didn't know how to finish.

"Just please go away," Dish rasped as she heard him sniff and he raised a paw to swipe some tears away.

Ashen turned her muzzle upward a bit. "I'm not leaving," she barked firmly.

"I don't want to talk," rasped Dish as he continued to force the tears away. He realized that Ashen was still behind him and he lowered his head so that it nearly touched his chest. "Talking doesn't take the pain away."

Ashen shook her head gravely. "No, no it doesn't," she confessed as she brought herself forward. She saw Dish's fur bristle a bit and she realized how big he'd gotten. He was now about up to her chest. Soon he would be a large and handsome dog but until then he was still the young pup that she loved.

She sat beside Dish and he continued looking away. "However talking about does help you feel better." Dish just grumbled in his chest fur but Ashen could make out what he was saying. "Somber wouldn't want you to grieve forever."

"Dad isn't here to say that," pointed out Dish in a growl as his lips peeled back in a snarl.

Ashen leaned forward and licked him between the ears. He growled and Ashen thought about retreating a bit but shook her head. This is the same thing she had done when she first found him and she knew he'd feel it comforting in a bit. "Dish I can't lie to you and say that things are going to get better. I don't know that. I do know though that you can't go on living your life like this."

"Are you suggesting I just forget about it," whimpered Dish as his eyes rounded in shock.

Ashen shook her head quickly. "No of course not! You will never forget him and that's certainly not what I want. I want you to be able to function and have a fulfilling life despite your grief."

Dish snarled and rose to his paws and began to prowl, his claws clicking at the ground. "I can't have a 'fulfilling' life here," he sneered and Ashen felt the weight of his words lay on her. "We're held here against our will and tortured and experimented on. This is no way to live!"

Ashen's eyes caught the back of Dish's shoulders. Cybernetic implants gleamed through his fur from his first surgery just a week before. He had had others in the past few days that had been extremely painful. Ashen would have done anything so that Dish wouldn't have had to go through this. Dish never complained about the pain but Ashen could tell from the way that he walked and moved that he was certainly uncomfortable.

"I know Dish," huffed Ashen as she rose to her own paws and plastered her wings against her pelt. "I wouldn't wish my life on my worst enemy but there is nothing we can do."

"There has to be something we can do," argued Dish but he sounded frantic. He was trying to split whiskers with a claw.

Ashen's eyes turned troubled and she wanted to say something but didn't know what. Nothing she said would make their situation better or even bearable. They had to live where they were and the way the Terrans said they had to live. She hated it but she just couldn't bring herself to hate all Terrans. Most Terrans, yes, but not all Terrans were evil. Or so Grenade said.