[LOG] Worlds Crashing Down, Caving In

[Reeshie Hack]

(This takes place when Maite/Arie was a cub, Oded just grown into his mane)

"AREN!"
A great rumbling shook the land, her paws left the ground, she was jerked about, blackness.
And then it was over.
Aren opened her eyes and choked on the dust that thickened the air and caked her fur in a heavy layer. She was wrapped up in dark, heavy paws. What happened? She'd been at the canyon entrance, though it would take hours still to reach open roguelands. She hadn't been on Time Lord land anymore, but this was one of the best places to find precious stones. Ettore's gift hung around her neck and reminded her that she had been searching for something to give him. Someone had called her name, no, someone had roared it and then there had been such a loud sound. What had happened?

She twisted and found green eyes starting down from a dark face, stark terror still reflecting in them.
"Oded? What happened?" Oded was rogue-born, one of the very few in Galifrey who bore a Time Lord role. Guardians were protectors and reserves, should the war ever reach home. But, when they weren't needed for something like, they were essentially baby-sitters. Oded had become one of the two guardians of the Lungbarrow house, watching over all of the cubs until they reached the age when they would begin their more intensive training. Aren and her brother were almost old enough that they didn't need him anymore, but not quite there yet. Soon, he would devote more of his time to watching her cousins. He must have come looking for her, as this wasn't one of her usual free-times. But why had he grabbed her? And that sound...

She followed his gaze, twisting again so that she faced away from him. The dust was clearing to show-
No. No, no, no.
A wall of rock and rubble rose up before them, high, high, too high and unstable for a lion to safely climb, more than halfway up the canyon walls. She turned, looking over Oded's shoulder to see the canyon thin, the way to the roguelands. The Valley of Time was closed off.
And they were outside of it.
"Gods no..." The words Oded whispered echoed in her heart and burst forth in a cry of utter anguish. Aren turned and buried her face in his mane as she wept. They were trapped, there was no way to get back home. She'd never see Mama or Papa or Jinie again.

But worst of all, she'd never see Ettore again. And he would never have her. That hurt most of all. Mama, Papa, Jinie, the rest of her family, they were strong and had each other. Ettore had no one, she knew that now. He didn't get comfort or strength from anyone, not even himself really. She wouldn't be there to help him anymore. She cared about him, really cared. She'd wanted to grow up with him, to coax those lopsided smiles and soft laughter from him, to sing to him and help him rest, to soothe him when he was hurt. Her paws rose and cupped the necklace he'd given her as she wailed out her pain. He'd never know what had happened, she hadn't even gotten to say goodbye. What would he think when she didn't come back ever again?
She just wanted this to be a nightmare.
"It's not real!"

Oded hugged Aren tightly, rocked her as he tried to calm her down. As quiet as he was, he could feel the tears cutting through the fur on his cheeks. He was cut off from the only home he'd ever known, thrust back into the world he'd hated. Yes, he was born in the roguelands, but it hadn't been a happy existence. His earliest memory was of someone beating him, taking away his name. He didn't even remember what it had been before. Quartin, a Time Lord, had saved him and brought him home, had given him his name, had raised him like a son. Three moons ago, he'd asked Quartin if he could court his niece. Having lost her father, Quartin had been Lili's closest male relative. Three moons and he loved her even more than his infatuation had hinted at. He'd been intending to ask her to marry him in the spring.
That would never happen now.

He'd wanted to be a husband and father someday. Now... He looked down at Aren. For all that she was growing up so quickly, she was still so young. She'd never survive a minute out here on her own. He'd been suddenly thrust into the role of not only her protector, but teacher and parent.
He hugged Aren tight for a moment before shifting slightly.
"I know it hurts, little one, but we can't stay here," he sighed as he stood, setting her on her paws and gently pushing her chin up to look at him. Though she quieted, the tears continued to wash down her face, making trails in the dust that covered her light fur. "We'll be okay. You'll be safe, I swear it."

The safety wasn't what upset Aren, though. She wanted Ettore. Oh, why hadn't she asked him to come away with her? Her parents would have been shocked, and frankly she never did learn exactly where Ettore had come from, if he was just a rogue or a slave, but... She should have begged him to run away and come home with her. She didn't care if he was a slave, goodness, she wouldn't have even cared if he was a Dal'ek, absurd as it was. He hadn't been, of course. He had far too much heart to be one of them.
Once more, Aren pressed a paw to the charm around her neck, pressing it against her heart.
Please... whatever gods are out there, please keep him safe. Please let me see him again someday... With tears still falling down her cheeks and her steps still unsteady, Aren took a few before Oded started to move. Their backs to the only home they'd ever known, the pair of them began making their way into a terrifying new world.

(WC: 1,023)  

[Reeshie Hack]

(This takes place when Styxx was a cub)

It was the sixth day since the rocks had fallen, since the valley had closed.
The sixth day that Styxx had come, had waited.
The sixth day that Arie had not returned.
Seven days ago, Styxx had given Arie his heart, both in his gift for her as well as emotionally. Yes, they were young, so young and yet each possessed a knowledge, experiences – at least on his end – far beyond their ages. Of course, he hadn't told her, was far too afraid and knew they were too young for such admissions, but that didn't change how he felt. He needed her, wanted her to always be there. He wanted to leave this accursed place, to run where it could just be them. The Time Lords would never accept him, for he was a Dal'ek, and the Dal'eks would never truly accept him for he was flawed, damaged, broken. She belonged with her family, her pride.
And the gods knew the only place in the world he'd ever felt like he belonged was at her side.

He curled up in a small ball and let the tears flow. She was gone, and it was clear that she wasn't coming back. What had he done? Why had she left him?
There were so many things he hadn't said. He should have told her the truth, had been meaning to for so long. She would understand, he knew she would. She couldn't have in the beginning, but now she knew him. She was the only one who knew him. He could have told her, explained that he couldn't be one of them, that he was wrong and in a way thanked every day for it. Having her friendship and affection was far worth all the pain and suffering he'd gone through because of his "curse". He had wanted to hear her say his name, not the lie he'd given her, just once.
He wanted to hear her sing again, to hear her laugh at something stupidly honest he'd said, to feel her curled up at his side while he watched her doze. He wanted to watch her grow, to ask her to run away with him, to save him from this hateful world he lived in and the pain he endured all because he felt, cared.

But she was gone. Gods, why was she gone?
"Please, Arie, I can't do this without you," he whimpered, praying to every god he knew of to bring her back to him.

But, as so many lessons in the past had taught him, if the gods could listen, they would forever turn a deaf ear upon one such as him.


Styxx had been circling his mentor in the practice arena when he'd heard the voices in his head.
Lungbarrow's crumbling. ... No, not that a*****e, his granddaughter's husband or whatever, Torv-something. They say his daughter was killed in the slide. Sentimental fool, just breed more brats, they're fodder anyway. The chill that had shot down his spine had earned him a hard smack across the face, one that sent him sprawling into the dirt. Galen hadn't want to put up with him when his head wasn't in it, any more than he wanted to get the boy in trouble for his lack of focus, so he had sent Styxx out to practice his hunting. He'd have to bring back a hare, nothing else, to show his tracking had improved.

But Styxx couldn't hunt, he couldn't even breathe as he stopped running just outside of the main pridelands.
Arie was in the House Lungbarrow, and her father was named Torvald. While they hadn't talked much about their families, he had at least gathered the names of her mother and father, her family. He knew she had a brother, but their litter was small, it had only been the two of them. Another soldier had said it, sometime in the past few days, no doubt. He wasn't even sure who it had been, there had been several walking about the practice yard, but that didn't matter. The rumor was out and Dal'eks would relish the prospect of one of the Time Lord generals folding in on himself. It wouldn't have been a lie.

Arie... No, she wasn't dead, she couldn't be dead, she just couldn't!
Styxx fell when his trembling legs couldn't support him anymore. His face was bruised from Galen's swat, he could feel his eye starting to swell, but none of that pain came close to the helpless rage burning his soul to ash. That would explain everything, she hadn't left him, she'd been taken from him, by whatever god or beast had caused the damnable slide that had cut off the Valley of Time from the rest of the world. She was gone, she was never coming back, and he hadn't been there to protect her. He was just starting to grow into his mane and yet he felt ready to take on the world, to bury whoever had taken his heart from him.
Because that's what she had been, his heart, and there was no getting it back. He'd kill himself if he thought he could be with her wherever they went when they died, but he didn't even know if that would work. There was no guarantee and... And he just, he couldn't let her be dead. She couldn't be, his broken soul couldn't accept it. She... He would have felt it, he would have known, she was...

She was gone. And she wasn't coming back.
Cubs didn't roar, they didn't have the voice for it yet. But Styxx wasn't a cub anymore, he'd never gotten the chance to be one. Rage and despair washing over him, he let out a harsh cry that sent birds to wing and small preybeasts scurrying away. It stretched on and on until his raw throat cracked and burned. And it still wasn't enough. He could cry out for the rest of his life and it would still never be enough. No one had ever, could ever see him as she did, not before, not ever again.
He was empty and cold, just as his father wanted.

(WC: 1,030)