Hey! it's Skye. I just wanted to do a oneshot. Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.

Raven Wings

As I kneeled down at the somewhat familiar headstone, I was revisited by the fatal accident that took his life.

"No, Fang, no. Stay with me. Please." A tear slipped from my eye and fell on his chalky white cheek. He gives me his signature smile. Usually I would love it, but this time it's different. His smile is filled with blood. I cry even harder. I don't care that the Flock is here. I don't care that they see me fall apart.

"Shh…Max. Don't cry. Everything's gonna be fine," his fading voice soothes.

I'm overcome with fright, which soon leads to anger. "NO! It's not okay! You're dying and it's my entire fault!" Sobs wrench free of my chest, my face buried in my knees, my shoulders shaking from all the tears. I feel a feathery pressure on my arm. I looked up with tear-filled eyes.

"It's not your fault….I should've paid more attention…." His voice is barely audible now, and he winces with the effort to speak. My heart feels like its being ripped out and stomped on.

"Fang…please," I whispered. His eyes close fractionally, and I thought I lost him. "FANG!! God damn it! Please don't leave me!" a sob catches in my throat as I yell.

His eyes open weakly. I can see the light being drained from them. I start to sob even harder. He can't leave me. He just can't! His breathing is slowing to only a flutter.

"Max," he whispers quietly and grabs my blood soaked hand with as much force as he can muster. It isn't much at all. "Promise me something."

"Anything."

"Promise me…you'll never forget me."

"Promise," I murmured, my voice cracking on the word. His eyes close again. "FANG!!" I gasped; I was being smothered by pain. I couldn't let him die without me telling him how I feel.

"Max…" he whispered, his eyes opening ever so slightly.

I have an urge to speak my feelings, finally. I leaned down and gingerly pressed my lips to his blood splattered ones. He barely responds. I pull back and utter the words that I never thought I'd say.

"I l-love y-you," I say between the tears.

He gives me one last smile. One that will be forever in my mind. "I love you too." Then, his eyes close fully, his grip loosens on my hand, and his body goes limp. He's gone.

"FANG!" I screamed to the heavens. "Fang…" I looked down at the mess. His blood soaked shirt, my blood soaked hands, and the pool of blood beneath him. This was all because of me."Damn myself to Hell," I whisper fiercely. I caused him to die.

As if sensing my agony, the sky opened up and poured. It was also mourning for the loss of a fellow Avian-American. I wail, my tears meshing with the icy cold rain. Angel wraps he tiny arm around my shuddering body.

"Max, you'll be okay." I can hear that she's on the verge of tears. Me and Fang were like her parents. I wrap her in my arms as she sobs into my chest, crying with me. They will never cease. The tears will be forever. Forever etched into my bony cheeks. Never stopping…

Tears were flowing silently down my cheeks.

"God damn it Fang. How could you leave me?" I ask the tombstone.

FANG

1994-2008

A beloved friend,

Lover,

Brother

I tugged on the hem of my black shirt; it was the only thing that I'd ever wear anymore.

"Fang, how could you? You left me alone! I'm always haunted by this sadness that no one can pull me out of. Not even me! They made me come here. They wanted me to come to term with your death. But how can I? You died in my arms for Christ's sake! I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe that you're dead. How could the almighty Fang die?

"I sometimes wonder if that you meant to die. You threw yourself in front of me when the Flyboy shot. You took the bullets. You saved me. But couldn't you save yourself? Did you want to die? Did you want to leave me all alone?

"You were only fourteen, Fang. Fourteen. I'm sixteen. You could be with me now. Did you know how much pain you caused me?

"I only fly anymore. I fly until I fall out of the sky from exhaustion. It's the only way I can be with you. I know you're in the sky flying with me. I can feel your presence. I'm the only one who hasn't moved on. Everyone has pretty much forgotten about you. Except me and Angel. She tries to make me happy, but her effort's wasted.

"If I'm not flying, I'm locked up in your room. I never eat. I can't. It all comes back up. Do you know how much I miss you?

"We destroyed Itex after you died. I was so pissed off; I was a force of Hell. I killed so many people, Fang. They died in my hands. Just like you.

"I have a new power from that. When I'm mad, I can destroy anything with my mind. It's a terrible power. I can't stand it. I want it gone." I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I didn't want to get mad. Tears welled up in my eyes as I knew what I had to do.

"Believe it or not, I don't need you. I know that now. I can finally move on. You're dead, and no matter how much I don't want it to be true, it is. I'm talking to headstone!" I smiled. My first smile in a very long time.

"Before I go, I wanted to say I'm sorry. I was so blind; I didn't know that I loved you until you were dying in my arms. I'll keep my promise. I will never forget you. Hopefully this sadness is gone, and I can be normal again. Not with the Flock though. By myself. I need some time to sort things out, and then maybe I'll come back. But, I know deep down that the choice I'm making is the right one. Hell, maybe I can love again." I was grinning at the obscenity of the thought.

I threw the red rose that I was gripping tightly at the weathered headstone. "I love you. Goodbye."

You know the saying "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's meant to be"? It applies to my situation. If I really do love Fang, then I'm going to have to let him free. But, I know that he will never come back to me. Maybe he will in my heart, but, I know now that he is dead and there is nothing that I could do about it.

I unfurled my wings and leapt up into the crystal clear sky. I felt so free. Free of hatred, pain, and sadness. This could have been what Fang wanted for me. I knew not where I was going, I was just going to let my wings carry me. My eighteen feet wings. The tawny color reflected the sun, making me look like a true angel. My Flock would be proud.

Now that Itex was gone, I could truly start a new life. I could forget living in the past and move on into the future. I know that I will forever be haunted by his death, and the memories of the Flock. But, that's all they will be soon. Memories. Maybe I'll come back. Maybe I can forgive myself.

A genuine smile broke out on my face as I flew over the vast ocean, erasing the years of sadness. I could swear that I could see Fang and his raven wings flying next to me, smiling, making the journey with me. Or maybe it was just a trick of the light.