She Sees Shadows in the Darkness
Over Yellowstone, the stars were beautiful at night. That's why she was watching them.
Once, a long time ago, Ax had pointed out his home star. Cassie still remembered which one it was, and she gazed at it for a long time, wondering where Ax was now. If he still was alive at all. And, if so, if he was free, or captive, or even a Controller.
It was the closest she could get to helping him… thinking about him, hoping, and just looking at his star.
She sat, humming on a tune to herself, wondering where Jake, Marco, and Tobias were. They'd gone after Ax, she knew. But that was all she knew.
She strained her ears, and heard footsteps coming up behind her. Slow, a tiny bit clumsy, someone trying to walk silently but simply wasn't made for the task. She smiled to herself.
Strong arms slipped around her and she felt the warmth of a breath at the back of her neck.
"Cass," Ronnie's voice said in a whisper, very close to her ear. "Aren't you getting tired? It's late."
"I could stay up all night, watching the stars," she told him.
"I could stay up all night, too, but I've got a slightly different activity in mind." He bent down, kissed the base of her neck, but when she didn't respond they both sat silent for a few moments. Finally, he said; "You're worried for them, aren't you?"
She nodded, and then leaned back against his chest. "Of course. We fought together for a long time, Ronnie. It makes people close. I lost one of them; Rachel. Ax is probably lost as well. And the remaining three…" she sighed.
"Ax could be alive," Ronnie said, trying to make her feel better.
But Cassie shook her head. "No. Not in our sense of the word, at least."
"How do you know?"
"I feel it. In my heart."
"You could be wrong."
"I hope I am, Ronnie. But I don't think so."
Cassie closed her eyes, leaning back, and almost slumbered off for a few moments, the stars gleaming over her like little diamonds.
Dangerous diamonds.
All of a sudden she was completely awake. Eyes wide open, she pulled free, staring up at the sky, and stood up, shaking.
"What's wrong?" Ronnie asked. "Are you cold?"
Cassie put her hand over her mouth and whimpered, slowly shaking her head.
"Cass," he said and stood up. "What…"
"Rachel died fighting," she said weakly. "I miss her so much. There's a big hole in my chest, every single time I think about her. My throat pulls together, and I can't breath…"
"Yes, but…"
"Please, just listen to me!" she begged, and turned towards him. Her face was streaked with tears. "I told you what I felt, what I know, about Ax…"
"Yes."
"I miss him, you know. I always will."
Here eyes were pleading for understanding, so Ronnie nodded slowly . "I understand that."
"Ronnie…" She took a deep, quivering breath. "I miss the others too."
Ronnie didn't understand for a few moments. He glanced up at the stars. Down at Cassie's face. "Are they dead?"
Cassie nodded. "I'm the only one left. I'm… I'm… I'm all alone."
"No, you're not," Ronnie whispered. He wished he could have hugged her, held her, comforted her, but there was some kind of wall around her. Something that told him to keep back. Something he couldn't have broken through even with a sledge hammer.
"I need to be alone," Cassie said, quenching a sob. Feathers began growing over her, and she quickly finished the morph and took to the sky as an owl.
"Cass, wait, where…"
I'll be back in the morning, she promised, her owl form already melting into the night sky. I just need… oh, god, I need my friends back!
Ronnie knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't be back in the morning. Or the morning after that. She would be going to the only place she could go.
Rachel's memorial.
Except, now it would have to serve for all of them.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Author's Note;
Since the books are a month or so late in my country, I just finished reading #54.
This is a small protest against the cover quote. It says "it will end with five", when it should say "it will end with one". But then again, we don't know what really happens to the crew of "the Rachel", among them Jake, Tobias and Marco, or what really happened to Ax. It can't end LIKE THAT, it's too sad. Kill 'em all off, so she's rid of them, can that be KAA's final Ani-idea?
So you'll have to fill in the blanks for yourself, if you want another ending. I know I want another one.
Over Yellowstone, the stars were beautiful at night. That's why she was watching them.
Once, a long time ago, Ax had pointed out his home star. Cassie still remembered which one it was, and she gazed at it for a long time, wondering where Ax was now. If he still was alive at all. And, if so, if he was free, or captive, or even a Controller.
It was the closest she could get to helping him… thinking about him, hoping, and just looking at his star.
She sat, humming on a tune to herself, wondering where Jake, Marco, and Tobias were. They'd gone after Ax, she knew. But that was all she knew.
She strained her ears, and heard footsteps coming up behind her. Slow, a tiny bit clumsy, someone trying to walk silently but simply wasn't made for the task. She smiled to herself.
Strong arms slipped around her and she felt the warmth of a breath at the back of her neck.
"Cass," Ronnie's voice said in a whisper, very close to her ear. "Aren't you getting tired? It's late."
"I could stay up all night, watching the stars," she told him.
"I could stay up all night, too, but I've got a slightly different activity in mind." He bent down, kissed the base of her neck, but when she didn't respond they both sat silent for a few moments. Finally, he said; "You're worried for them, aren't you?"
She nodded, and then leaned back against his chest. "Of course. We fought together for a long time, Ronnie. It makes people close. I lost one of them; Rachel. Ax is probably lost as well. And the remaining three…" she sighed.
"Ax could be alive," Ronnie said, trying to make her feel better.
But Cassie shook her head. "No. Not in our sense of the word, at least."
"How do you know?"
"I feel it. In my heart."
"You could be wrong."
"I hope I am, Ronnie. But I don't think so."
Cassie closed her eyes, leaning back, and almost slumbered off for a few moments, the stars gleaming over her like little diamonds.
Dangerous diamonds.
All of a sudden she was completely awake. Eyes wide open, she pulled free, staring up at the sky, and stood up, shaking.
"What's wrong?" Ronnie asked. "Are you cold?"
Cassie put her hand over her mouth and whimpered, slowly shaking her head.
"Cass," he said and stood up. "What…"
"Rachel died fighting," she said weakly. "I miss her so much. There's a big hole in my chest, every single time I think about her. My throat pulls together, and I can't breath…"
"Yes, but…"
"Please, just listen to me!" she begged, and turned towards him. Her face was streaked with tears. "I told you what I felt, what I know, about Ax…"
"Yes."
"I miss him, you know. I always will."
Here eyes were pleading for understanding, so Ronnie nodded slowly . "I understand that."
"Ronnie…" She took a deep, quivering breath. "I miss the others too."
Ronnie didn't understand for a few moments. He glanced up at the stars. Down at Cassie's face. "Are they dead?"
Cassie nodded. "I'm the only one left. I'm… I'm… I'm all alone."
"No, you're not," Ronnie whispered. He wished he could have hugged her, held her, comforted her, but there was some kind of wall around her. Something that told him to keep back. Something he couldn't have broken through even with a sledge hammer.
"I need to be alone," Cassie said, quenching a sob. Feathers began growing over her, and she quickly finished the morph and took to the sky as an owl.
"Cass, wait, where…"
I'll be back in the morning, she promised, her owl form already melting into the night sky. I just need… oh, god, I need my friends back!
Ronnie knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't be back in the morning. Or the morning after that. She would be going to the only place she could go.
Rachel's memorial.
Except, now it would have to serve for all of them.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Author's Note;
Since the books are a month or so late in my country, I just finished reading #54.
This is a small protest against the cover quote. It says "it will end with five", when it should say "it will end with one". But then again, we don't know what really happens to the crew of "the Rachel", among them Jake, Tobias and Marco, or what really happened to Ax. It can't end LIKE THAT, it's too sad. Kill 'em all off, so she's rid of them, can that be KAA's final Ani-idea?
So you'll have to fill in the blanks for yourself, if you want another ending. I know I want another one.