Last Battle (X-Men Fanfiction)

Promise Made Promise Kept

Eventually as I romped through the hallways I took flight since I knew it was quicker than walking or even running. I detected the scent of my pups and actually all of the pups in the Game Room. I pushed my way in and saw all of the pups clustered, playing a few different boardgames.

"Starlight," exclaimed Keen as he spun on a chair and the game of chess he had been playing with Poultice fell onto the ground. Poultice growled to himself and clawed at his muzzle a bit. "Sorry."

Keen then sprang from the chair and up to me, touching his nose to my lower jaw. "Are you alright? Poultice said you fainted."

I gave a small nod before I nuzzled Keen between the ears affectionately. "Yeah I'm alright now. Just a bit tired. Could I talk to you, all of you, actually?"

Poultice pricked his ears and I could tell he was tempted to read my mind but he didn't. "S-Sure," he barked before he motioned for everyone else. "Come on, follow me guys."

Thyme and Reed abandoned their game of battleship and bounded over Avery, Feldspar, and Smokestream romped over as they finished their game of Sorry while Sunset, and Echo padded over as they left their Sudoku unsolved.

"What is it," asked Echo as she sat down and pricked her unusually large and keen ears.

I took in a deep breath. Nothing I said was going to make this easier. "Pups I have to go for a while."

Thyme and Reed exchanged a glance. "Go," echoed Thyme in confusion. "When are you coming back?"

"I don't know," I confessed as I looked into her deep green eyes, just like her fathers. They lit in confusion and a bit of anger. She didn't understand the bond of a companion since she didn't have one yet. "It would be a while."

"Why do you want to go," inquired Poultice as he wriggled his claws a bit. "Or would you rather I read your mind?"

I bit my tongue and shook my head vigorously. "Er no thank you," I barked quickly. I didn't need him reading my mind on a daily basis. "Anyway Logan asked me to go."

"So Logan means more to you than us," grumbled Avery as he rolled his eyes. "Figures. You've always liked him better than us!"

"That's not true," I argued as I lowered down to his level but he wasn't listening anymore.

"Then why would you leave," breathed Sunset in a quiet voice. Ever since the battle and nearly giving up her mutant powers she hadn't wanted to get involved. However she had been getting friendly with Smokestream but that could just be being friends. I was glad she was back and she had quickly become one of the family.

I shuffled my paws as I straightened. "Logan is my companion and the older pups here can tell you when you have companion your job is to watch out for them."

"So they are more important than us," cut in Reed as his tail twitched to and fro. "I knew it!"

"No not more important," I corrected sternly. "But it's an important job and we pledge ourselves to them. Wherever they go, we go too."

"Why can't you just stop being his companion," suggested Thyme as she smiled.

Poultice shook his head while Keen gave his pelt a shake. "It doesn't work like that," he murmured gently to her.

Thyme narrowed her eyes in anger before looking to me. "Then go then! If Logan is more important to you than us just go."

I stood up suddenly and let my fur bristle. "He is not more important to you than me. I love all of you very much. It's just that Logan asked a favor. I'll be back. I just don't know how long I'll be away."

"We understand Starlight," assured Poultice as Keen, Echo, and Feldspar clustered in a circle and nodded. They all had companions and understood what it meant to place them above all else.

However Sunset, Reed, Thyme, and Avery had no idea what it was like to have companion. They had friends but a companion relationship is much deeper and stronger. There is nothing that can compare to it. Unless you are in a companion relationship though you don't understand. There was no way trying to explain it to them until they received their own companions.

I smiled at the group gratefully before I looked to the rest of them. "Look I know this is hard. This is hard for me too but I have to go. I'll be back one day, I promise."

"Promise," repeated Thyme as she raised a paw. She seemed a bit more in tune with the idea but I could tell it still startled her.

I stretched out my own paw and locked our claws. "Promise!" I looked to the rest of them, wondering if they wanted to join in.

Poultice brightened and padded forward with his chin raised. He lifted a paw and intertwined his claw with Thyme's and I's. The rest of the pups soon followed until I had no idea who's claws I was hooked around. I chuckled a bit and they relaxed and allowed themselves to laugh.

"I promise that I'll be back," I breathed although I wasn't exactly sure who was listening. "And I never break my promises."