Chapter 32

Ruby City Part 2

Insurgency

"Zenobe!" Zanuark shouted pushing people aside. "What happened to him?!"

Silver Rain shook her head. "The terrorists, they struck again. They must have thought it was Diamond." She explained.

Zanuark lied down, crying into his dead brother's pelt. "You can time travel can't you?"

"Once a year, it will be another four months before my gem will reach enough charge." She informed.

"And we can't track who did it, they were clever enough to use a fabric that is unable to be seen by the Pendulum's eye." Firestar added.

He cried into his brother's shoulder. "He just wanted peace, and then someone had to go kill him in cold blood, accident or not. Why?!" He shouted. "Mom is going to be devastated, her only birth son dead…"

Silver Rain approached, "You can get revenge, only if you stay."

Zanuark looked up. "How?"

Silver Rain, "We have an investigating unit trying to find this Insurgency. We placed a massive fake bounty on Queen Diamond. It must have pushed them over the edge in attempt. Right now, she and the leaders except Firestar and Crystal were sent off to a retreat."

"We could use your added help, for all they know, Diamond is dead. And we'll be delivering the body tonight. But we'll need you alleged power that Firestar claims you have."

Zanuark took a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. "Let's do it."

Silver Rain nodded. "Alright, here's the plan then. A random guard will be outside with a stash of gems worth the most in this kingdom. Zanuark, you'll need to use that ability thing Firestar told me about. It's all you. Me Firestar and Crystal will stay put and make sure no one escapes who goes in. Oh, and when some passes, say "Nice day we're having." If they say, "beautiful, smells like blood." It's them."

Zanuark nodded. "I'd like to see this form for myself though, would you mind showing me?" Silver asked.

Zanuark shook his head. "It takes awful memories to form. I hope you can at least understand that."

Silver Rain fell silent briefly. "Alright, I have a fake funeral to attend in a bit. Time to make some people cry." Silver rain walked off.

"I guess I'm the CO for now…" Zanuark sighed.

"Wrong." Someone spoke up. Charybdis stepped forward. "That would be me."

Zanuark nodded. "Help me carry Zenobe off at least, we need him out of the picture until tonight. Oh, that reminds me. Bring Zenobe tonight, don't ask." He ordered.

Zanuark and Charybdis carried Zenobe's body up. He lied down by the cold body and fell asleep, the star on his forehead glowed slightly.

Zanuark found himself in the cave, people were talking and going on about their business. He saw Pheobe with her pups, Dorian by her side, feeding water from a leaf. She was exhausted. Zanuark padded forward and she looked up. "Zanuark?" She wondered aloud.

"Hmmm?" Dorian was wondering why she said that suddenly.

Pheobe leaned her head up. "Zanuark, is that you?"

Dorian looked confused. "Pheobe, are you feeling alright?"

Zanuark looked at his dad for a moment. "He can't see me, I'm not sure why. I'm asleep right now, well, I think, I am, at the Crystal Marsh. Tell dad just to wait, even if he doesn't believe me, I'll come by and prove I was here. I'm not exactly sure why I'm here, but we're making great progress. We'll be heading for the Sky World soon."

"That's great." Kaisa acknowledged.

"Who are you talking to?" Dorian asked.

"Look, he'll be here, and prove you wrong when he's done." Pheobe smirked.

Dorian shrugged and padded off.

"I hope to be leaving soon though, we've run into a problem at Ruby City and can't leave until its resolved." Zanuark explained.

Pheobe looked up at him, "What problem?"

Zanuark shook his head, "I can't explain right now, I hope to see you soon."

Pheobe nodded. "And I you. Did you happen to tell Kaisa about the pups? She somehow managed to know their names."

"Same way we're talking now."

Pheobe nodded. Zanuark suddenly disappeared from Pheobe's sight. "Zanuark?"

Zanuark woke up seeing Charybdis prod his side. "It's time." He told him.

Zanuark nodded and got up. "Get Zenobe's body to the site. I'm going ahead to meet with the others." Charybdis nodded and Zanuark bounded off.

Zanuark bounded off into the night to his location where he sat and waited patiently. A few hours went by and he was beginning to doubt anyone would appear. The night would soon fade into day, and there would be no chance of bring Zenobe back for four months. Zanuark stood up after he finally gave up waiting. He stopped when he heard paw steps coming. Many paw steps.

A few figures appeared, and then a few more. "A nice day we're having." The guard said.

"Beautiful, smells like blood." The figure up front said.

The guard tossed a heavy sac to the group. The front picked up the sac and looked inside. "What is this?!" He exclaimed. "There is nothing but rocks in here! It's a trap, scatter!" He shouted. The group turned to run but Zanuark stepped in front. Of them.

"You aren't going anywhere, you dirty brother killers…" Zanuark growled.

They were laughing at him. Zanuark growled, his form being visible in the faint light of street lights outside the alley he stood in.

His star glowed once more, and the beast came out, roaring loudly across the city. The insurgency ran in the other direction of the alley. They were stopped by Crystal, Silver Rain, and Firestar. Firestar erupted into flames and kept them back.

Zanuark's heavy footsteps let the insurgents know he was upon them. He pushed the insurgents to the side and stuck his paw on the leader. He'd fall on his side and Zanuark held him down by his head. "Zenobe, bring him now." Charybdis would come around the corner dragging the corpse of his brother.

Zanuark began to put pressure on the leader's head. He screamed in agony. "What are you-?!" His head being smashed in caused everyone to stare wide eyed. How easily Zanuark just crushed his head. Crystal turned around to throw up.

The mist rose from the leader's body and flowed into Zenobe, his wounds sealing and soon causing him to wake. Zanuark's form faded and he looked down at Zenobe. The insurgents ran, and Silver Rain and Firestar stood horrified. Crystal ran off to the palace.

"Zanuark, is that you?" He asked. His vison was still blurry.

Zanuark looked up. "I need to go, I need to myself." Zanuark ran off. Zenobe tried to get to his paws but collapsed immediately.

"Zanuark wait!" He shouted. The sun began to rise and light filtered into the alley. Zenobe turned to find the blood splattered head on the ground.

Firestar landed beside Zanuark. Firestar spoke up. "That was some seriously scary shit back there." Zanuark remained silent. "Do you want to talk?" He asked. Zanuark remained silent. "You're scared, scared of loss. Scared of losing some dear to you. Kaisa. Is that here name?"

He hit the hammer on the nail. Zanuark began to cry into his shoulder. Firestar's wing extended out and around Zanuark. "I don't want to lose her, I don't want to kill anyone, and I don't want to fight someone in cold intension." He cried.

Firestar looked at him. "I have a respect for you, and its hard for people to do that. It's easy to be my friend, but hard to earn my respect. I can tell you never wanted to kill the insurgent, but you needed it to bring back Zenobe. It's an honest love, even to the ones you aren't related to. A strong sealed bond that won't be broken. I'm going to head back, come if you wish, but I'll visit every day till we set off." Firestar lifted his wing and walked away.

Zanuark stood looking on. The thought of permanently losing Kaisa scared him, tormented him, every waking moment of not being able to keep her safe terrorized him. He was vulnerable, scared. His one true weakness was not being able to aid his beloved. It had gotten the best of him before. The arbok bite that left him in a coma. Devastated, unable to see Kaisa, slipping into madness.

Zanuark saw the unit approaching. Silver Rain was escorting Diamond. Zanuark ran to the group. "Hey guys." He noticed Crystal more towards the back. "Hey, Crystal, are you alright?" She turned her head avoiding eye contact. "Anyone…" Zanuark fell silent and stopped walking. After a moment, Zenobe noticed Zanuark wasn't following.

"Zanuark, come on, let's get a move on!" He shouted.

Zanuark slowly began to catch up. He felt abandoned finally.