Last Battle (X-Men Fanfiction)

Forgive But Never Forget

"I want you to bring my brother back."

I felt as if my heart dropped into my stomach. My stomach churned and I felt like I was going to vomit. I opened my mouth to say something but I had no words and to my horror nothing came out. I looked at my paws before I looked up again at Poultice and realized he hadn't moved. He was still staring at me with hard eyes and with his muscles rippling, ready to run.

"You know I can't do that," I murmured once I finally managed a choking sound from my throat. "I would do though anything to bring him back."

Poultice sniffed and curled his lip in anger. "People always say that but they never mean it. Mirage is dead and he's never coming back, I know that." He shook his head vigorously. "It doesn't mean that I have to like it."

He turned and limped toward the door. I pushed it open with his head before he slipped out of the room and left the rest of us speechless. I lifted my tail a bit as I looked to Logan and the Professor. "Can you watch them for just a little bit," I asked hopefully but I doubted either of them would argue.

"We'll help," offered Keen as he looked to Echo who nodded in agreement.

"Er yeah! We can play a game," she offered as she bounded toward one of the Professor's cabinets and pulled out a car deck. She bounded toward my pups and dropped the deck. "Let's play Black Jack 21. Who wants to go first?"

I dipped my head before I bounded toward. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see it was Logan. I plastered my ears against my head, worried about what he was going to say. "Be careful," he chided me. "Poultice isn't on your side right now and death of a loved one can be horrific. Don't push him to much and don't say anything that you'll later regret."

I dipped my head. "Thanks." Once Logan lifted his hand from my shoulder I darted forward. I stretched out a wing and opened the door. I slipped out and bounded down the hallway in the direction I thought that he went. I sniffed the air and detected Poultice's scent, coming from Bobby's room at the other end of the hallway.

I adjusted my path and bounded to the student's end of the hallway. I found Bobby's room and knocked, mostly to make sure Bobby wasn't in there. "Leave me alone," came a muffled reply and I took a rigid step back.

"Poultice it's Starlight," I called back, hoping he might want to speak to me if he knew exactly who it was.

"I can read minds," growled Poultice and I could imagine his fur bristling in rage. "You don't think I knew who was outside the door."

I frowned and bit my tongue as I tried to think of something not stupid to say. "Er of course Poultice. I just want to talk."

I heard Poultice grumble and mutter things that I really didn't need or probably want to hear. He strode toward the door and opened it gingerly with one of his wings. I finished opening up the door with my muzzle and I pushed forward. Poultice turned and stalked toward his bed. He curled before he laid down and looked up at me with puffy eyes. I knew that he had been sobbing in his room alone.

"So what do you want to say to me," asked Poultice as he looked up at me impatiently. "Bobby and Rogue's date can't last forever."

I shook my head to clear it. "Er yes of course," I murmured quickly before I shuffled my paws. "I wanted to see if you're alright?"

Poultice sniffed and swiped a paw under his nose. "No I'm not really alright," he confessed as his pupils darted around in his eyes.

I let out a hefty sigh. "Poultice I had no idea that you were still angry at me," I confessed as I hung my head.

Poultice's eyes widened. "Then I must have done a great job at hiding it," he growled, half to himself. "I don't want to always be angry at you Starlight but I feel as though I have no choice. You killed my brother and even though I tried I can't forgive you. I'm sorry."

That wasn't something I wanted to hear. However I acted as though it didn't bother me. I just dipped my head in understanding. "I know it's hard Poultice. I don't think I could look the wolf in the eye who killed my mother without killing them. You haven't had that urge, have you?"

Poultice cracked a smile and shook his head. "No...not at all. I'm just confused about why it had to happen. What did Starbound gain from taking him?"

"I'm not sure," I breathed as I licked my paw before I drew it over my ear. "I never know why Starbound takes those we care about the most. I do know that he's in a happier place and I also know for a fact that my mother is watching over him."

"I just wish I could see him one more time," confessed Poultice as he sunk into his nest, sniffing wrenchingly again. "You know to tell him how much I love him and miss him and tell him things that are happening."

"I know exactly how you feel," I empathized. "I don't even remember my mother and I just wish that I could see her."

"Do you think she's taking good care of my brother," asked Poultice as he lifted his head and a tear ran down his face. I leaned forward and licked the tear from his cheek.

"I know she is," I assured him and that was something that I could positively know was certain.

"Starlight," asked Poultice as he turned his head away before he looked back to me with unblinking eyes.

"Yes Poultice," I asked as I sat down heavily and smiled at him, wondering if I was making him feel better or worse.

"C-Can I still act like you're my mother," he stammered as he shuffled his paws. "I mean I know you're not but you've always been there for me and you didn't slice me open when I released all of my rage on you a few heartbeats ago."

I leaned forward and licked his cheek. "Of course Poultice. I respect what you said and I understand why you said it. Families always love each other but they don't always like each other. I'm glad you finally expressed yourself. That may be why you have so much anxiety."

He suddenly darted forward and pressed his head into my chest fur. "I just miss him so much! I want him back."

I murmured gently and tried to calm him down with gentle strokes of my tongue. "I know you do and if I could do anything to bring him back I would. I would die just so that he could come back."

Poultice pressed closer against me. He whimpered harshly and I let out a billowing sigh. I suddenly had a great idea. "I have an idea," I gasped.

Poultice took a step away from me and he looked up with his eyes still skittering. "What?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow at lunch," I told him, knowing it would take me a while to find what I was looking for.

"Okay," Poultice barked, as he raised a paw and swiped his tears away before sniffing again. "Then I'll see you tomorrow at lunch."

I dipped my head before I strode over to Poultice's bed. I tried to fix it up a bit when I felt something hard under it. I stuck a paw under the bed and pulled out a picture frame. I turned it over and saw a picture of Mirage and Poultice. They were smiling with their ears perked. They looked at their happiest and I hadn't seen Poultice this happy since.

"Is this the only picture you have of both of you," I asked, not even sure when they could have taken the picture.

Poultice nodded before he strode forward and took the picture gingerly from me. He tucked it back under his bed and leaped onto his bed before curling again. He yawned and looked to the window. "It's almost dark. If you don't mind I think I'll try to sleep. Maybe I'll see Mirage with your mother in Starbound."

I rumbled and nodded. "Alright well sleep good and don't forget tomorrow at lunch."

Poultice nodded before he rested his head on his paws and if I could I would have asked Starbound personally to have Poultice see his brother just once more before Starbound called Poultice home.