Chapter Fourteen: A Final Sunrise

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How many special people change?
How many lives are living strange?
Where were you while we were getting high?
Slowly walking down the hall
Faster than a cannonball
Where were you while we were getting high?

Someday you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova in the Sky
Some day you will find me
Caught beneath the landslide
In a champagne supernova
A champagne supernova in the sky

Oasis - "Champagne Supernova"

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Morning, usually an uplifting time of the day. The time where bright new day begins. This, was the complete opposite for Wolf and Serena O'Donnell. It was a depressing time, and one where it would all end. The first to wake was Serena, who had noticed dried tears on the lupines face. She didn't want to wake him, hoping that he was dreaming of them together still. While they may have unofficially split up, she still cared for him, and didn't want to ruin his dreamscape.

She went outside to watch the sun rise like she normally did. It would be the last one with Wolf around, even if he wasn't there to see it. She wanted to cherish it as if it were a childhood possession, making sure she could find a bit of happiness before it all came crashing down.

"It's for the best Serena…" She thought aloud while standing on the edge of the railing. "It'll be okay."

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Wolf and Serena sat on the stoop of their apartment building, looking at the traffic that sped by them. He had waited for this moment for a long time now, and thankfully the dreary weather had cleared up from the previous day. It was exactly how Wolf wanted it.

However, a problem immediately struck the lupine. He wasn't sure how to initiate the conversation leading into this moment. So he decided to wing it.

"So, how's your day been?" He suddenly emoted.

SHIT! Already off to a bad start Wolf, take it easy…

"You've seen me all day Wolf, you should know that I'm fine."

AGH SHE KNOWS SOMETHING'S UP!

"Of course, I just wanted to be sure." He nervously smiled while messing around with his eye patch.

Stop touching that! Jesus man, you're losing it! Keep cool.

"I guess it's the thought that counts." Serena whispered while quickly pecking Wolf's cheek, causing his tail to wag excitedly.

"Well umm, I actually was asking you because…"

Yes…

"I wanted to know…"

Keep it going!

"If you…"

FINISH IT!

He swiftly got on one knee as if it were involuntary and grabbed a box out of his pocket.

"Marry me Serena." He opened the box, revealing a huge diamond ring. Serena jumped up in surprise, hypnotized by the glittery rock.

Nailed it!

"Serena?" He looked concerned as she hadn't answered. She shook her head, trying to snap out of her trance.

"Oh Wolf, of course I will…"

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His eyes sprung open, waking up from his moment of bliss. He wished it had gone further but it was fine with him. It was a shame that it had all been for nothing. He quickly got on a pair of boxers and lazily walked toward the sliding door, where he expected to see Serena preparing to watch the sunrise. Sure enough, it was where she was. She didn't feel Wolf's presence until he was right behind her. His shallow breathing made her want to turn around, but she felt like now wouldn't be the best time for that.

I can't just leave like this, this is too awkward.

"Serena, can't we just enjoy this final sunrise together?" His words were so sincere, and he was right. If they were going to end this violently, it would have already happened. She gave in and let Wolf wrap his arms around her. Their soft fur kept them both warm as Solar began to rise in the East, making the sky turn a radiant orange hue.

"Our last sunrise Wolf…" She mumbled. He didn't respond back and probably didn't hear her anyway. Instead, he turned her around.

"If this is the last time I'm going to see you, can I see you smile?" He began to tear up with each word, as awkward as it was, she was able to crack a smile for him. He replied with the same look and pressed his muzzle against hers. They stood in their embrace for about thirty seconds before breaking themselves free.

"Thank you." Wolf said with tears in his eyes, replacing the dried ones from the previous night.

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Falco stood in the middle of a field as rain poured down on him. He found the location to be oddly familiar but he couldn't seem to put a finger on where he was or why he was there.

"What the fuck?"

Suddenly the sun came out and lit the area in a bright yellow halo, but the rain kept coming. Upon closer inspection, the avian saw that the stars were visible high in the sky, some even brighter than Solar. This strange and alternate universe seemed to be playing with his mind, bringing forth confusion and delirium. It was when he turned around and saw the cliff face up ahead that he realized where he was, a place that he would rather forget.

"Why am I here?!" He begged, falling to his knee's. "I don't want to see this again!"

What he was about to see had apparently been something traumatic and unsettling, it was bringing the avian to uncontrollable sobs. He shut his eyes and covered his ears, not wanting to witness anything.

But nothing came, it was silent and still. Falco looked around to make sure nobody was around. When he felt that it was safe, he got up onto his feet again, seeing that his pants had grown muddy from the rain and began to walk into the unknown.

Why the hell is this happening anyway? He thought. Apparently somebody heard him, because from behind his back came a voice that sounded eerily similar to his own, maybe older.

"To tell you to stop hiding…"

"FATHER!" Falco sprung up from his bed, causing him to fall off of it and onto the hardwood floor. He groaned as he tried to pick himself back up.

"Hide from what?"

There was no answer.

"HIDE FROM WHAT!?" He shouted to the sky. But once again, his plea fell on deaf ears.

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After their heartfelt embrace, Wolf had decided that it was truly time to leave. He couldn't let this control him anymore. He still had so many feelings for her, but he wanted to respect her decision.

" Well Serena, it's time…" He awkwardly uttered while wiping away his tears. She didn't want to respond back, but it felt weird for her to not.

"Do you know where you're going?" She asked.

"Hopefully, if all goes to plan…" The lupine was about to head back inside, but he was reminded of something. He fiddled with his wedding ring until it came loose and put it in her paw. "Serena, I want you to keep this. It would mean so much to me if you did." Now, Serena really didn't want to respond. She knew that if she even attempted, it would bring far too many tears for her to shed, and she couldn't deal with that right now.

With that, he dragged himself into the bedroom to pack some clothing and get himself dressed since he was still only in his boxers. He looked around his old room, trying his best to hold off on leaving for as long as he could, but it knew it would only hurt him more.

"Wolf." Serena stifled at the statement, but he already heard it and turned around to see what she needed. In her paw was the photo that had originally caught his eye when he returned home. The sight tore at him with each moment it was in sight. "Take this…"

Wolf had no intention of taking anything from his home save his clothing. But if she was able to keep the ring, he could at least take the picture. He thought of it as a way to remind himself of the good times, much like he was reminding her with the apartment.

"You gonna be alright?" He mouthed.

"I'll be fine." She responded reassuringly, while giving him a final kiss goodbye. "I won't forget you." Her red hair brushed across his nose, giving off a scent of lilies.

"I won't either…" The lupine went over toward the door, but was once again stopped.

"Do you need your car keys?" He let out a sigh of relief, knowing he forgot something.

"Yeah." He listened as the clanking sound of his keys drew nearer until they were finally in his grasp. Wolf turned around and made one final gaze at his wife, soaking it all in to etch her image into his brain. He opened up the door, and walked into the hall, shutting the door slowly as he did so.

Well Wolf, it's time to do what needs to be done.

He walked toward the elevator and prepared for the worst…

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Erika stirred from her sleep by the sound of a vehicle nearing the beach house she slept in . She swiftly moved toward the windows and saw a black convertible with the hood down. A red racing stripe was also visible on the sides of the car. While she couldn't exactly see who was behind the wheel, the avian had an idea who it was. Her guess was confirmed once she saw a grey wolf exiting the vehicle and eying the property for a minute before approaching the door.

Wolf was surprised to see Erika standing at the doorstep when he arrived. So when she opened the door and greeted him, he decided to figure out some things.

"You must be Wolf." She remarked. "I'm E-"

"Erika, I know, we met at the party." He said.

She decided to drop the innocent spiel and began to speak with growing concern. "I assume you're here for Falco?"

"Is he up?"

"Dunno. In fact, I literally got up moments ago." She looked up toward the loft where his room was. "I could look if you want."

He ignored her offer and began to walk through the home toward the back. He couldn't help but feel that he was in fact awake. He went past the living room that was still filled with all the seascape memorabilia one could imagine, followed by a short hallway that connected to the roomy kitchen. On the opposite end was a door outside to the second floor deck that overlooked the beach. When he looked outside, he saw Falco looking out at the waves while smoking a cigarette. He heard Erika behind him, but she stopped near the door frame that separated the hall from the kitchen.

"Be careful, I can't tell ya if he's gonna snap or not."

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When the door opened, Falco quickly threw his joint out toward the sand and turned to see who he thought was Erika. But when he found Wolf on the opposing end, he felt as though he had been put in quite a predicament.

"I thought I heard someone pulling in…" He said in a condescending way.

"No need to get cocky Falco. I didn't come here for that shit. I need some assistance." It was then Falco could see Wolf's droopy posture and somber face. "Me and Serena broke it off today, and I gave her the apartment. I need somewhere to stay. I know that you're probably still mad and shit but-"

"Erika talked some sense into me last night." Wolf stopped speaking mid sentence, shocked at what he was hearing. "The fight was my fault…I'm sorry…" The suddenness of Falco's apology caught the lupine off guard.

"Umm, okay…this is the Falco Lombardi I've known for years right?" He cocked his head still dumbfounded by the birds sudden change of heart. "And since when have you smoked?"

"Have I ever told you about my parents?" Once again, Wolf was confused at everything the falcon was saying to him.

"No…" The avian let out a sigh and placed his hand out.

"I know you got cigs…" The lupine reluctantly gave him one and allowed him to smoke it. "Thanks, well I think this would be a good time to find a seat, this could take a while…"

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Twenty Years Ago…

Zoness

A much younger Falco was sitting on the beach, waiting patiently for his mother and father to arrive back from their anniversary dinner. While they enjoyed a five star meal, Falco was left with some friends on the beach. However as the sun began to set, the pre-adolescent avian was worried about his parents. They said they would arrive back to pick him up at seven sharp, and half an hour later, they still hadn't arrived.

"What the heck?"

He decided that he should go search for them on his own. Besides, the only way to get to the beach was the single road that would make a complete one-eighty back around so they would run into him anyway.

The further he went, the more hopeless he felt. Not a single speck of light was showing in the distance and the day was growing shorter by the minute. Falco had grown weary and sat himself down by the road.

Up in the distance, a light finally showed. It wasn't until it got closer did he realized that it was actually his parents car. He waved at it frantically to try and get their attention, however when it approached, he noticed it's erratic swerving and that there was only one person behind the wheel. He turned sharply in the direction of the bird and took aim. Luckily the avian was agile enough to get out of the way, and jump into the thick grass on the side of the road. Before he lost sight of the car, he could see it had bounced off of a few large rocks on the edge of the road, hopefully whoever it was behind the wheel thought that he had hit him and moved on.

Fear stuck Falco like a spear hitting its target. Afterward, he could hear that the car was slowing down and finally come to a stop a few hundred feet ahead of him. This was when he popped out of the grass and checked to see what was going on. In the distance he saw a large chameleon jump out of the car and pop open the trunk, where muffled screams seemed to be emanating.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He screamed while laughing maniacally. The creature grabbed something from out of the trunk, which he found out moments later was his own parents, still wearing their formal attire, and bound by duct tape on their mouths, wrists, and legs. Falco put his hand over his mouth so he wouldn't attract any attention from this mystery man.

"Before I go any further." The chameleon stuttered. "I want to thank you for the ride. It'll fetch me a pretty penny." He immediately followed his remark by forcefully moving the two of them over toward the thick grass on the side of the road. Falco carefully navigated his way toward them. Eventually, he found himself outside of the grass and in a large field that overlooked the seascape. His parents were now situated at the edge of the cliff that if they fell off of, would easily lead to a watery grave.

"First thing's first." The psychotic lizard uttered, fumbling something out of his pocket. Falco couldn't see what it was, but it seemed to be something big.

Moment's later, a loud bang shattered the silence. A red laser briefly appeared before making contact with Falco's father. It struck his head at point blank range, killing him instantly. The avian fell to the ground, twitching like mad before falling over the edge of the cliff. Falco's heart split in two as the image was comprehended. He dare not speak a word however, he felt so vulnerable at that very moment. Unable to save his own family. If he did try, he would more than likely fail. He could hear a loud crunch followed by a small splash as his fathers lifeless body smashed into the boulders below, and then the sea where he would be lost forever.

The mother was still alive however, but on the inside she wished she were not. Her ear piercing screams were only stopped by the tape on her face. The creature kicked her down to the ground and began to pummel her with his foot.

"SHUT UP YOU CUNT!" In the middle of the blows, the tape came undone and her screams were becoming noticeable.

"STOP IT PLEASE!"

"I HAVE A CHILD!"

"NO MORE!"

The gurgled words would forever be etched into Falco's mind. As the pleas for mercy finally died down and were replaced by the sound of constant bludgeoning, the avian began to cry. His parents lives had been taken from him. But the sound never stopped.

CRUNCH!

CRUNCH!

CRUNCH!

Over and over…

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"Falco…w-why didn't you tell us?" Wolf had begun to smoke a cigarette now, feeling extremely down from the story.

"Because I hid my feelings away." His remorse was bleeding out of his voice. "That's why I've always had that tough guy persona. I hide my depression deep down to make myself feel better."

"Damn…"

"That's not even the tip of the iceberg."

"It's not!?"

"They caught the man who killed them about a week later. Apparently it was a random act without much of a motive. The fucker only got spared due to winning the insanity plea. He stayed in the place until his death about five years later." Wolf stopped him from saying any more.

" What was his name?" He said with fear in his eye. Falco knew he wouldn't like what he was about to hear.

"Cham Powalski…" Wolf buried his face in his paws, realizing that it was his former teammate's father that had killed Falco's parents. It all made sense now why they were rivals. Leon wished to finish off what his father had started. It wasn't exactly avenging his death, but it was probably in his fathers best wishes.

"I'm…sorry."

"It's not your fault, you didn't know. I could understand why Leon never told you. I just hope he rots in that cell of his like his father." Falco retorted coldly.

"I hope so too."

There was a long period of silence, only broken by them exhaling the smoke from their cigs. Falco looked toward the kitchen window and saw Erika staring at them nervously. She had no idea what they were talking about but it was obvious to her it was troubling. She didn't want to intrude though, so she just stood there, sipping a glass of water.

Finally, the silence was broken.

"So Falco, are we cool?" He showed a somewhat awkward smile, trying his best not to look hostile, especially in his fragile state.

"Yeah, and you can stay in the other couch bed where Erika sleeps." This brought up another thought in Wolf's head.

"So, are you two dating?"

"Nah, she doesn't have anywhere to stay so I'm letting her crash here." Wolf snickered at his response.

"Hey, do you want the couch or not!?" He playfully retorted. "Come on, lets go inside. We still have a lot of shit to talk about…"

Authors Notes:

WE'RE HALFWAY HOME! Fifteen chapters down, fifteen to go. I hope that you have enjoyed this first part of the story. If you have, please do review it and tell me what you think.

Until next time...