Blackberry felt it this time. She felt the claws tearing into her and opening a horrible wound in her stomach. She gasped, but no scream was left in her throat. Blood gurgled in her mouth as she tried to hurl a final insult, but no sound came up. She could do nothing. She couldn't attack, she couldn't fight back, she couldn't defend.

As Kera stepped away, her body relaxed, as if knowing that the fight was finally over. She was unrecognizable - her feet torn to shreds, the feathers on her wings all gone, her head and belly mangled beyond repair.

As Blueberry moved closer, a bit of spirit returned to her body and she struggled to move, fire lighting in her dull eyes. She let out a strangled hiss as she tried to climb towards the moose, but her body failed and she flopped on the ground. Instead, she glared at the wolf. "Don't....touch...him...I...am Blackberry....Terror of...the Caves! We....will...get you...for this..." Her voice was hoarse and quiet. She smiled, her eyes clouding over. "Sleep with one....eye open...wolf...we'll be coming....for...you...."

But then her eyes went dark and her head fell to the ground. She twitched once and was still.


___________________________________________________________

Hear my honk.
Why are you listening to my thoughts? Get out of my head!

tags: @Kera @Blueberry
notes: here

Everything was a blur. The wolf telling Blueberry off, telling him how horrible the goose was. And Blackberry, giving final threatening words. The wave of tears before was nothing compared to what came now. Blueberry's face turned a dark brown with wet tears as he collapsed in behind Blackberry, laying his head softly over her neck.

"I hate you, you idiotic wolf.
I HATE YOU! You killed her, she was my only friend. She taught me how to take care of myself!" He screamed, his voice hoarse and terrifying. The calf looked down at Miss Blackberry, his eyes closing. He couldn't bear to look at her like this. It was just wrong.

"Blackberry, I care about you. Please don't die. You can't die! You're my only friend, and.... and... I need you!" He cried, his voice strained now. He had forgotten about the wolf, she didn't matter at the moment, what mattered was staying by Blackberry's side.

"I know sometimes, you were really mad and angry and mean, but I also know how much you care. When you called me Blueberry, I knew you cared. And it didn't matter that you went right back to being mean and rude the next morning, 'cause I knew you were just trying to be tough! But being tough, it's gotten you killed. Blackberry, if..... if you make it.
If you can hear me. If you ever wake up, don't be tough to impress. I can't lose you." Berry cried, his voice barely above a whisper. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. He could only cry, and continue to breathe, even though he didn't want to.


___________________________________________________________

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Kera @Blackberry
notes: Poor bb :(

This time, Kera did not speak. She did not reply to Blackberry's taunts-- hell, they might even be her final words --she only watched Blueberry with a flicking hear, head low and snout crinkled as she growled.

The moose hadn't listened to her either, it seemed; he hadn't picked up that birds were all manipulating betrayers-- like Nemean, but worse --but he did seem... upset. Kera was upset, herself-- but in a different way. She was still angry, both with the goose and herself.

She stayed a while. She listened, silent bar the gentle growl. Even though this was her place, it felt wrong to be here, to remain and listen, but what was she meant to do? Some short distance away was her nest; her belongings. A part of her wanted to turn and grab them but it would take time and she didn't want to let on to where it was, in fear that the moose might destroy the topaz before she could fix it. The Dog had said, afterall, it was a hero.

The half-grown wolf bristled briefly, then shook her fur out. What was she meant to do? How is it that a damn bird could have a friend that cared so much about her? Kera tried to put herself in the moose's place but she couldn't imagine it. How would she feel if the Eyes returned and killed Giggle, or if something had killed Rift and she found him somewhere, alone and bleeding?

She shook herself a second time. Giggle. She had to tell Giggle about the lights and about the storm and the naked cat. She could return for her belongings-- for now, she did not belong.

Without looking back, Kera turned and ran.

@Blackberry

exit kera

Somehow and somewhere, Blackberry heard the moose's tears. She heard the moose's lament and felt the wolf leave the area. Her heart broke in two and her consciousness dissolved into pain and fear. Fear of the black tide that was swarming around her. Fear of what was to come. And fear that it wouldn't.

Meanwhile, the still body of Blackberry shuddered, as if the earth below her had shaken. The gem on her head seemed to glow slightly as a thin shell began to form around her body. It grew and got thicker until her entire form was wrapped within a deep blue crystal, just like that of her birth, but streaked with red. Her body curled as it closed tightly around her body, keeping her safe and just barely alive.

Within the crystal, her consciousness flooded back as her body began to heal. All she felt was pain and when she realized she couldn't move her body, she screamed silently to the infinite void. She screamed because she could not move and she screamed from the pain. And so she continued screaming amidst the growing darkness as her body lay silent within the chrysalis.

*exit Blackberry

BLACKBERRY IS NOW IN HER CHRYSALIS AND WILL EMERGE ON MARCH 15

Blueberry dried. He cried and laid there until Blackberry was enveloped in a crystal shell, much like the one he had hatched out of. Was she healing? Was this what she would become, a rock? WOuld she be reborn? Blue had no idea, but he felt a glimmer of hope.

"I will protect you for as long I a remain here, Blackberry." He whispered to the chrysalis as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

-exit Blueberry