Endless Sky ~New Beginning~

Chapter Twentyseven

Stunned silence.
One by one, each person realized or confirmed what OStar had just said, knowing for sure now, that not everyone had made it out alive.
Avaro erupted first.
"WHAT?!" he cried in disbelief.
"I'm sorry! I should've done something, but I didn't know what to do!" OStar sobbed, shaking her head. She remembered standing there, watching as Mila was winning. She did nothing to help the purple cat.
"Mystic's... Dead...?" Estella mewed quietly, not fully believing it.
"Mila was going to kill me! Mystic came in just in time to save me, but it didn't take long for Mila to overpower her!" OStar continued, hoping they would understand. "I didn't want any of this..."
The smiles of relief were long gone, replaced by horror, pain, and anger.
Avaro was fuming, glaring at OStar with narrowed eyes.
"Why were you even here," he hissed in a low voice.
"I-It's my old home, I was going to look around to see if I could get some answers..." she slowly replied.
"Alone? ALONE?! IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT?" Avaro screamed. "WHAT ARE WE? ROACHES? MYSTIC WOULDN'T HAVE DIED IF YOU HADN'T DECIDED TO GO SOLO!"
"Avaro!" Lucerne gasped, shocked.
Charlotte winced, Rual turned to OStar. She was petrified.
"He's right, Mystic wouldn't have died if I hadn't come here in the first place," OStar thought as she stared at the albino dragon. His friend was trying to pull him away, calm him down before he erupted once again at her. Roxxan was quiet, surprisingly not angry. Instead, the robot was thoughtful, mixed with sorrow, Estella was crying next to her. Of everyone, only Avaro seemed to be angry, but OStar couldn't read minds. She had no idea who else was silently blaming her for being the reason Mystic died.
"Guys listen, getting mad isn't the solution," Rual finally spoke up. "We should worry about Mystic and what to do with her, not why OStar was here; she's only known us for a little over a week anyways," he shook his head at Avaro. "She's not obligated to bring us. Besides, OStar was most likely trying to keep us out of her issues," the shifl added finally, making OStar feel better. Avaro glared at Rual but didn't say anything. He only looked away and stormed off with Lucerne trailing after him. The two didn't go far before stopping, just out of earshot.
"It's alright OStar, Mystic was close to him. Give him a bit of time to grieve," Rual told the white cat when they were gone.
OStar made a small nod, still feeling horrible and hollow inside.
"Do you... Know where Mystic is right now?" Roxxan asked, prying herself away from Estella.
"I think so," OStar squeaked, not really looking forward to seeing Mystic's motionless body again.
"Lead us to her, then. I'll get Avaro and Lucerne," Rual said before walking off to the pair.
OStar blinked at the remaining friends, shivering before getting up and briskly walking away. She heard the others moving to follow but she kept her fast pace. She didn't want to talk to them at the moment. Maybe she would later, once Mystic was taken care of and everyone was back at home.
As OStar walked, she planned what they were going to do. She would need to take the prophet to her old home, where the elementals were. That's where her funeral would be and where she would be buried.
It made OStar's chest tighten with pain as she imagined the many cats, looking down at their dead friend. Animals or not, they still thought like humans. They could feel grief and mourn the loss, she just hoped they wouldn't blame her.
Avaro and Lucerne were still far behind, Rual talking to the others as they walked. OStar was grateful to the shifl for sticking up for her, but she still felt at fault for Mystic's death. The least she could've done was try and shove Mila off, not wait until after she killed to attack.
"It's too late now, there's nothing I can do but make sure Mystic is properly remembered," OStar silently told herself, looking ahead. Despite everything looking practically the same, she knew where to go. OStar felt as if there were still houses and trees around her, a neighborhood. It was simply... invisible, but still there.
It was strange, feeling the familiar world around her, yet having no idea what it was at the same time.
How did this place collapse? Why?
OStar prayed she wasn't the reason.
In the distance, a small purple lump had started to fade into view, having remained in the same spot as OStar and Mila had left it.
Behind her, the voices started to fade off, one by one. Each person noticed the new shape in the distance and grew quiet. If anyone hadn't believed OStar's claim that Mystic was dead, they did now.
As they got closer, the body became more visible, as well as the blood. Most of it had dried by now, sealing the wound on Mystic's neck. A part of OStar knew that moving her would break that seal.
She slowed down now, letting the others walk ahead to inspect the unmoving body. Avaro dropped to his knees and cried out a sob by his fallen friend. OStar didn't feel the need to join. She had only known Mystic for a day as opposed to the others who had known her for much longer. Besides, Mystic wouldn't have died if OStar had been able to do something.
So, instead of joining, she sat down at a distance and stared at the pitch-black ground.
"What do we do about the box?" she tried sparking up a conversation with her magic halves.
"Inspect it," Cat replied simply.
"Doesn't feel right at the moment..."
"Then later, after the whole pointless ordeal with Mystic,"
OStar's fur bristled as she hissed, shutting away Cat. She'd rather talk to Pargenti, at least she would provide some kind of sympathy.
"Let them have their moment," the little cat purred in her mind, making OStar's fur flatten as she calmed down. "They will take care of Mystic, just rest for now... I believe you need it..." she continued quietly. OStar sighed and lay down on her belly, tucking her paws in under her.
Rest.
Rest was all she wanted. While the others were around Mystic, OStar found herself slowly drifting off into slumber.