Here is the next chapter everyone! As for Ace and Maybree, we'll see how their relationship goes. Also, glad to see some reviews from you my dear guest, I was wondering where you'd dissapeared to. And thanks fanakatsuki for always reviewing. You both give me so much inspiration!
"A-Are you sure it's ok?" Infinite asked Vanilla. He picked absently at a scrape on his arm.
The rabbit smiled warmly at him. Jay had told her about seeing him in the kitchen and the both of them had decided it would be good for Infinite to get out of his room some. So he was going to eat breakfast with everyone today. "It's perfectly fine Infinite," she reassured him. "I'll be there with you, and if you get overwhelmed we can leave."
He nodded, and the two of them walked to the dining room.
Infinite hid behind Vanilla's skirts as they entered. He was really nervous about this. Surely his family hated him. He'd destroyed so many lives.
Vanilla moved towards a table and he followed her. After she went to get some food, two of Keelie's pups came over to him. The little one, who didn't talk, and the middle one.
They sat on the chairs across from him. "You're Infinite right?" Asked the middle pup after a moment.
Infinite nodded slowly.
"My name is Kinnley, and this is my brother Fortune." He fiddled with his fingers, "are you feeling better?"
The adult didn't know what to say, he simply avoided eye contact.
"We don't hate you," Kinnley said suddenly. Infinite's head whipped up. He looked at the boys, surely they were lying. But he didn't see any deceit on their faces. A small smile slid onto his muzzle.
Fortune grinned at him, wagging his tail.
"What are you two doing over here?!" Keelie screeched. She hurried over and scooped Fortune up in her arms. She held her baby close to her chest and smoothed his hair. Then she took Kinnley by the hand, "let's go boys. I don't want you near him."
Infinite's ears fell back after that statement. Even though her boys didn't hate him, she did. And that hurt. But he didn't blame her. After all, he killed two of her babies. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. He couldn't look at his sister.
"Sorry doesn't bring them back," she growled.
Fortune looked between the two with big eyes. He could feel the tension in the air. His paw gripped Keelie's arm. This was making him nervous.
Kinnley tugged on her shirt, "mama, Fortune needs you to calm down." He knew his brother stressed easily, and that wasn't good for him.
She took a deep breath. Fortune had never had a panic attack before, but had come close. Especially during the war. The last thing she wanted to do was put stress on him.
Without another word, she took her boys and walked away.
Infinite stared down at his lap. He jumped when someone sat down opposite him. The jackal looked up to see Gadget. His ears fell back and he cowered slightly in submission. Gadget had defeated him, so he was the alpha now.
Gadget set a plate in front of him. "Hungry?" He asked.
Infinite didn't say anything. The wolf shrugged and started eating his food. Heavy silence fell over them.
Infinite looked around the room. There were quite a few people there having breakfast. His fur bristled when he saw Shadow. Oh how he hated that hedgehog. His eyes narrowed when he saw him talking to Jay.
Gadget was talking, but he ignored him. Without a word, he stood up and walked over to them.
Infinite grabbed Shadow by the arm from behind and flung him across the room. "Leave him alone!"
Wood splintered as Shadow crashed into a table. A woman screamed. Shadow pushed himself up and quickly teleported.
Blue and gold eyes swept the room, looking for him. He felt uneasy not seeing his opponent.
Shadow reappeared behind Infinite and roundhouse kicked him in the back of the head. Then he grabbed him by the mane and slammed him into the wall.
When he pulled his fist back to punch the jackal in the face Gaia grabbed his arm. "No Shadow stop!"
Red eyes glared at the wolf. But he slowly lowered his fist and let go of Infinite.
Infinite looked up at her. She clenched her fists, shaking slightly. Then Gaia punched him square in the face. He yelped despite himself. "That's for everything." Her voice cracked.
The jackal blinked a few times. He deserved that, and a lot more.
Gaia turned on her heel, and walked away. Even though she still loved him, she knew he wasn't the same man she fell in love with, who Bella fell in love with. Why did it have to hurt this much?
Later that day, Infinite was sitting by a window, looking out. Far in the distance, he could see the desert. His thoughts drifted to what his life was before.
The only time he'd been truly happy was when Bella was his mate. His eyes watered at the memory of her. She'd be so disappointed in him now.
"Hey," Gaia's voice said as she entered the room. His ear twitched, but he did not respond.
She padded across the floor to him. "Finn I..."
"Don't call me that," Infinite said suddenly.
Gaia frowned, his voice was deeper and harsher than she remembered it. "But that's your name."
"Finn died a long time ago." The jackal mumbled. He picked absently at the windowsill.
"How long?" Gaia asked.
He thought long and hard. The silence stretched on for several minutes. "When Kylo died. I think that's when Finn left this world. I'm Infinite now." He turned to look at her.
She took a moment to study his eyes. They weren't the same as they used to be. They were hardened, and full of misery and death. "And who is Infinite?" She asked while taking his hands in hers.
He pulled away, "a monster." His head hunched forward, his mane falling in his face. "I just... I want..." He didn't know what he wanted. "I think everyone would've been better off if Jay just left me. Let Infinite go too."
"Death isn't the answer, to anything. Yours, or anyone else's." She sighed. That was all he knew in his life.
"Keelie hates me now," he said after a while. "I don't really blame her. I screwed up her life."
"Keelie has been through a lot Infinite," the name felt foreign on her tongue, "more than you'll ever know."
"The Ruby showed me a lot of it," he mumbled, "and I just made it worse."
Gaia's chest felt tight. This wasn't the jackal she knew and loved. He was different. Then again they all were. Suffering does things to people.
"You probably hate me too," he said glancing sideways at her.
The thing was, Gaia had tried to hate him. She really did. But she couldn't. Finn was in there somewhere. Deep down, he was still a scared little boy who lost his family. And he'd never recovered from that. That's what turned him into this monster.
"I couldn't hate you," she said, voice barely a whisper, "I won't ever hate you." She reached up to touch his face and he flinched. The wolf drew her hand back. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Hang in there Infinite." Then she left the room, closing the door softly behind her.
Once Gaia was a good ways down the hall she sank to the ground. She drew her knees to her chest and sobbed. Finn was gone. She'd loved him so much, but he wasn't the same person.
If only Bella was still alive. Then maybe he'd be happy. Gaia would gladly give him up if it would mean his happiness. Bella deserved him more than she did anyway.
"Are you ok?" A young girl's voice asked.
Gaia looked up with a few tears in her eyes. The blonde hedgehog girl, Maybree, was looking at her. She was holding a few bags of snacks. "I'll be fine," she sniffed while wiping her eyes.
"Are you sure?" Concern shone plainly on her face.
"Yeah, I think so. What are you up to Maybree?" Gaia asked, wanting to change the subject.
"Ace, Kinnley, and Fortune are watching tv. I'm going to join them. That's why I got snacks." She tilted her head, "do you wanna come too?"
Gaia got to her feet, "no that's ok Maybree, thanks though. I'll see you later. Have fun."
The hedgehog girl grinned, "I will." Then she trotted down the hall.
Gaia sighed and shook her head. She was going for a long walk.