Good Gone Bad
Lilly Water opens her eyes slightly, trembling with the effort, trying not to break down and cry. "Be strong, my beloved pups. Be strong and make mama happy." Feeling her life seeping away, she licked them one last time, her tongue cold and dry. She breathed in, and then her eyes dimmed and slid closed. A mist arose from her, spinning up and melting though the cave roof.
Ice looked at her mom oddly. "Mommy, why are you acting weird?" She pauses, whining. "I don't like this game!" She prodded Lilly Water's body and jumped back. "Momma! You need to be warmed. You feel like ice." Her eyes well up in tears. "Momma. Stop! Get up and play with me! Momma!"
Her little eyes wide with fear, she backed up and bumped into the wall. Tears sliding onto the ground, she shook her head. "No. No." She closed her eyes. "Wake up! It's just a bad dream!" She hesitantly opens her eyes, then snaps them closed again when she sees her mother, her expression hardening. After sobbing for a few seconds, she stops. Her claws slide out and she opens her eyes, head still held low, eyes glowing. "Strong." She growled, flexing her muscles. "I'll be strong momma. I'll make you happy." Her expression angry, tears slid down her face, her eyes still glowing with pain.
Fire stared at his mother's body, eyes and mouth wide with shock. He slid to the ground, jerking occasionally from sobs, forcing themselves out to be free. He shook his head and got up, dragging himself over to Ice and standing by her so she could lean on him.
Ice looked at him angrily. "I can do this on my own!" She turned back around, shaking.
Fire jumped back, his tear stained face betraying his shock. "B-but… Ice!"
Ice whirled around. "Leave me Alone!" She growls.
The next day, Ice woke up to see her brother curled up next to her, his sides rising and falling in a troubled sleep. Pulling her lips over her teeth in a growl, she wondered. 'We're all alone now, who could punish me?' She leaped up, snarling, her white fur tangled and dirty. She didn't know how to take care of herself, since she was still a pup, only one year old.
Fire looked up sleepily, then jumped up, fur bristling, and yelled, "Ice! Stop it!"
Ice snarled, "I told you to leave me alone!" She jumped for him, latching her small puppy claws into his back.
Fire yelped and fell over, crushing Ice under him. He started to cry as Ice clawed at him. "Let me out, you pup! You'll never be strong enough for mom!" Ice breathed in his face.
Fire rolled over, his blood smeared all over Ice's pelt. He cried, "Yes I will! We can be strong and good together!"
Ice leaped for him again, yelling, "Good is weak! Mom wants us to be strong!" She landed on him again, this time crushing him on the ground.
Fire howled in pain and struggled under her, his blood flying around the cave. He stopped, sighed, and whispered, "I'm sorry Ice, so sorry…" He bit her hind leg as hard as he could, whimpering sorrowfully.
Ice howled in pain and hopped up, watching the blood trickle down her leg. She yelled, "Out! Go out and die, for all I care, Fire!"
Fire looked at her, shocked. "What?" He screeched.
Screaming, "Go away!" Ice charged for him, tears suddenly pouring from her eyes.
Fire gasped and fled from their birth cave, leaving bloody footprints in the grass, tail between his legs.
Ice collapsed on the ground and cried until she fell asleep, laying in her and her brother's blood.
Fire ran blindly, tears and blood marking his trail. He looked up and yelled in frustration. He had lost everything, had nothing to gain. He felt immense pain in his paw, and then tried to keep running. As it crumbled under him, he howled and tumbled down a cliff. Hitting the ground, he was knocked out.
He woke to the sound of murmuring voices. His stomach rumbled as he smelt food. He opened his eyes to see a golden pup. She gasped, stumbled back, and then fell. Lying there, she screamed, "Momma, he's alive!"
Fire's ears rung at her loud voice. He winced and looked around. He was at the bottom of a drop-off, lying near some cactus. He saw a black she-wolf with grey paws. "Sun Ray, are you sure?" She whispered, sniffing him.
The pup, who's name must be Sun Ray, scrambled up and barked in her smooth voice, "Yes, mom. He opened his eyes.
Fire sighed and scrambled up and tried to sit. The mother gasped. Sun Ray huffed, "See mom?"
As Fire put his weight on his left paw, it exploded it pain. He yipped and fell back. The mother sat by him and said soothingly, "You stepped on a cactus. I've pulled out the spikes, but it'll be sore for awhile."
Fire nodded, then rolled over and mumbled, "Great. How can this get any worse?" He looked over his side to see a cave, obviously Sun Ray's birth den. A brown pup with a golden neck emerged from the shadows. "Momma?" He called, his voice frightfully deep. "Has the pup awoken?"
The new pup intimidated Fire. He laid his ears against his skull and thought, 'It just got worse.'
The brown pup saw Fire move and walked over to him. "Where's your mom? Do you have siblings?"
The mother sighed, "I told you not to ask that, Lion."
Lion rolled his eyes and sat down. Sun Ray smiled sheepishly. "Uh… what's your name? I'm Sun Ray, he's Lion," She pointed to her brother, then to her mom. "That's Dawn."
Fire nodded. Sun Ray was nice. "I'm Fire. Nice to meet you."
Sun Ray smiled, "You too. Call me Sun."
Fire nodded and saw the look on her eyes. He sighed, preparing his answer.
Sun sighed. "Where are your parents?"
Fire sat up, keeping off his sore paw. "My mother died. She was hurt, and then had us."
Sun couldn't help but gasp. "I'm so sorry! Wait, us?"
Fire lay back down and turned over. He didn't want to talk about Ice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sun put her ears back and step away. He sighed as a tear ran down his cheek.
Eventually, it got dark and he sensed Dawn and her pups go into the den. He eventually fell asleep, his paw painfully twitching.
