Let The Chaos Continue

Stream

All of the oxygen in the world had disappeared and Stream was dying. Literally dying. Willow was her whole world, and she was gone now.

Gone with the simple, fierce last words of "Over my dead body"

Thistle looked like he was about to shatter into a thousand pieces. His eyes were filling with tears and he couldn't look away from Willow's still form. He didn't even blink.

Stream glanced back at Sirocco, a dull buzzing in her ears growing louder and louder as she watched him slowly stumble to his feet. She had scratched his chest bad enough that he was paling quickly. He'd probably bleed out if they left him. But that seemed like too slow for her liking. Anyone who touches Willow dies.

Sirocco had killed Willow. Big mistake.

"I'm sorry," She whispered as she took the knife out of Willow's chest and stood. Tears were forming in her eyes as she turned to stare at Sirocco.

"I did try to be civil," He panted.

"You killed my wife," She said, her voice surprisingly steady. "Now I kill you." She didn't care if Thistle watched or not. Didn't care what he heard. All she knew was that she ripped Sirocco apart. She destroyed him until the sand was stained red and his filthy remains were thrown into the water for the sharks to come and eat. She threw the knife in too, never wanting to see it again.

It was then that she turned to Thistle, the dragonet looking so much smaller now. He had been so tiny when Willow had brought him home, so starved. But after so much time with them, he'd grown. He'd thrived. The dragonet she faced now looked more like the starved one from the marketplace more than ever now.

Stream didn't quite know what to do with him. Willow had always been the one joining them together. They tried to get along for her and no one else. Stream wasn't the best with dragonets, nowhere near as good with them as Willow had been.

Had. The past tense stung too. She dropped beside Thistle, hugging him as the dragonet broke down and burst into tears. They cried together, and the idea of having to be the strong one seemed more painful than anything else Stream had ever had to do.

What was she supposed to do now? How was she supposed to live without Willow? Willow was the light of her life, all of her happiness and laughter. What was left if she was gone?

And, oh moons, she'd have to tell Willow's family.  Even if it wasn't Stream's fault Willow was dead, they'd never forgive her. They were Mudwings, they stuck so close to each other. Adobe had always warned her that there would be hell to pay if anything happened to her, Cypress had trusted her with Willow, and now, and NOW-

Stream wanted to scream. Scream loud enough that Ander's stars heard her and brought Willow back, but she knew that wasn't possible.

So she just sat there, holding onto Thistle for dear life as they sobbed, and tried to find a way she was going to be able to tell Willow's family what had happened.