Bitter Goodbye

This is joint-written. Bittersweet goodbyes offer closure, but not all stories contain such endings. That sudden cutting off, that hollow echo of memory when all sweetness has faded - that is the ending some must face.

 

“…Why do I never just keep my damn mouth shut?” Glide asked, looking up at the enormous castle in front of him, half of it built over the edge of a cliff.

Niqi whistled. “Damn. Makes me want to explore it.”

“I think you guys should wait out here.” Glide said. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Niqi sighed. “If that thing’s still standin’ when you get out, can I explore?”

Glide nodded. “Sure, why not.”

Niqi grinned. “Huzzah.”

“Don’t get yourselves hurt,” Ambree said. “Good luck.”

Glide scoffed. “Us? Hurt? Get real.” He headed through the archway into the castle, Felix close behind him.

“See you guys soon!” Niqi called, and then sat down cross-legged on the ground. “…God, I always hate missing this part.”

 

…

 

“Okay, throne room…” Glide murmured, glancing around. “Let’s keep going, he ain’t in here.”

Felix nodded, clinging to Glide’s arm. “It’s really c-c-cold in here…”

“Just don’t think about it.” Glide smiled. “Soon, we’ll be laying on the beach.”

Felix nodded again, going silent, trying to concentrate on thoughts of the beach.

Glide led the way through the halls of the castle, keeping an eye out for Kalma.

Without warning, the castle began to shake, knocking Felix off balance. Glide hurriedly helped him to his feet. “You okay?”

“Yeah…” Felix breathed. “Thanks.”

“Good. Don’t fall behind!” Glide snapped, leaping across steadily widening holes in the floor as the castle collapsed around them. “We need to get out of here, quick!”

Felix stayed close behind the other Varixian, avoiding the portions of ceiling falling toward him, large enough to crush him if they hit. “Thank god everyone else is outside…”

Glide nodded, skidding to a halt in the seemingly empty throne room. “You said it. Who the f**k builds a castle over the edge of a cliff, anyway?”

Felix reached for his razors, flicking them both open and glancing around. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Glide. Wasn’t Kalma supposed to be here?”

“He is.” Glide said, grasping Magus’ hilt. “Look.”

Felix spun around, staring up at the enormous warrior. The horrid creature was clad in rusted armor, wielding a broadsword and towering over both of the Varixians.

“Felix, I think we might wanna take this outside…” Glide muttered. “You go first, I’ll keep this ugly b*****d occupied.”

Felix nodded, closing his razors and taking off toward the exit.

Glide drew his blade, scraping it against the stone floor, as if he were drawing a line in it. “Cross the line, your a*s is mine.”

Kalma stepped over the ‘line’ Glide had drawn, snarling at him.

“Oh, f**k, that’s the way you wanna play it?” Glide laughed, sheathing Magus. “Follow me, ugly. We’ll settle this outside.” Grinning, the Varixian took off, Kalma hot on his heels.

 

…

 

Glide spun around as he passed through the archway, kicking up a cloud of dust and unsheathing his blade as he faced Kalma.

Felix stepped up, standing beside Glide, razors ready. “Let’s slaughter him.”

Glide nodded. “Don’t get hurt.”

“I’ll be fine.” Felix smiled, leaping forward as Kalma exited the castle and delivering a spinning kick to the side of the warrior’s head. He yelped as Kalma grabbed him by his hindpaw, holding him aloft by it. “Gli–”

Felix’s cry was cut short as Kalma’s broadsword pierced his body.

The warrior yanked his blade free, throwing Felix at Glide, the older Varixian catching him. He stared in utter shock at Felix, completely forgetting the battle. Glide held him close, unable to think of anything else to do.

“I guess…I’m not fine…” Felix murmured, nuzzling weakly at Glide’s chest.

Glide shook his head. “Felix, don’t talk like that. You’ll be okay…”

“Don’t kid yourself, I’m fucked…” Felix said, smiling slightly. “I’m sorry… about that day in the park…”

It was a moment before Glide could reply; he wasn’t quite able to comprehend that Felix was dying. Not now. Not like this. “It was my fault.” Glide finally whispered, in response to the younger Varixian’s apology. “I should’ve stayed faithful. I love you, Ferixiana.”

“I love you, too, Myotis.” Felix replied, his eyes closing. “And I always will.”

Glide leaned down, his movements shaky, and placed one last kiss on Felix’s lips. After a few seconds, he pulled back, laying Felix’s limp body on the ground. As he stood back up, he seemed to glow with dark energy – energy not belonging to Shetani.

Niqi, watching from the sidelines, allowed instinct to take over, and took cover behind a nearby rock. Glancing back at the scene, she saw Glide shed his vest, followed by his fishnet shirt. The rest of Raven’s Nest quickly joined her behind the rock.

Glide’s roar shook the planet to its very core.

Kalma swung his blade at Glide, but the Varixian simply tilted his head slightly, one of his horns deflecting the blow.

Glide sidestepped another swing, grabbing Kalma’s arm and slamming him to the ground, holding him down with a single hindpaw. Growling loudly, the Varixian ripped Senpuu from its sheath. Holding the weapon high, he flicked the switch on the pommel, the chainsaw blade roaring to life. “For your crimes against the people of this planet…” The Varixian snarled, lowering the blade and slowly cutting off Kalma’s hand. Switching the blade to his other paw, he removed the warrior’s other hand, as well. “For what you’ve done to the eternal souls of those people…” Glide continued, repositioning the blade and taking Kalma’s arm off at the shoulder. He switched the blade once more and removed the warrior’s other arm.

Ambree covered her eyes, unable to watch anymore.

“For what you’ve done to the planet itself…” Glide growled, cutting through both of the warrior’s legs. “And for what you did to Felix!” He roared, holding the blade high and driving it into Kalma’s skull, the teeth lining the blade’s edge still moving. “In the name of Therali, the god of death, you have been judged. You will suffer for eternity.” Going quiet, the Varixian put his fishnet shirt and vest back on, gingerly lifted Felix’s lifeless form, and began the journey back to the boat. Raven’s Nest fell in line behind him, silent.

 

…

 

It was a few hours since the long trek started, and nobody had dared to speak as of yet. Everyone was in a dreamlike state, the shock and confusion masking the reality of the situation they were in.

Then, suddenly, the fact that Felix was dead hit Davis. Hard. He cried out wordlessly, the sound lasting a full ten seconds. It seemed to break through everyone else’s haze as well as his own. Everyone’s but Glide’s.

Tears began to streak Davis’s fur. Sandy consoled him as best as he could. Frowns instead of blank looks now adorned the faces of Raven’s Nest.

After the parade of grief had been going on for some time, Niqi decided to speak up. “Gl–”

“Don’t f*****g talk to me,” Glide snapped, not even turning to look at Niqi, cutting her off almost immediately.

Niqi blinked in shock for a few seconds, and then attempted again. “I was just–”

“What did I just f*****g say!?” the Varixian roared, spinning to glare at Niqi.

Niqi was horrified to see the complete hatred pouring out of Glide’s eyes at her. She shrunk back, unable to move until he turned around and began walking again.

Raven’s Nest trudged on until they had reached the boat again. Nobody even thought of attempting to talk for the remaining hours of the journey.

 

…

 

Even when the mind is overwhelmed and it seems as though it could continue in an endless circle of grief for the whole of eternity, one must still sleep. It’s never a pleasant sleep; not a single member of Raven’s Nest felt refreshed when they awoke the next morning on the boat. Several of them had nightmares. And although Glide was one who sleep would never again come for, the nightmare that he was experiencing in his mind over and over again throughout the boat trip was perhaps the most horrid of them all.

Raven’s Nest talked scarcely, but never to Glide. It consisted for the most part of repetitious grief and consolation.

The hours spent on that last boat trip were pure hell for everyone. There was too much time to think, to dwell, to sit lifeless, unable to move.

When the boat finally landed, all talking ceased once again. Raven’s Nest traveled mechanically to the door they had entered Yochinai through. The action of taking out the Nexus key and opening the door with it was one of the only actions that showed Glide was still having cognitive thought.

Inside the Nexus, it was deathly quiet. For the longest time, nobody spoke, nobody moved, nobody breathed. Then, Glide looked up and began walking. Raven’s Nest followed him.

They all ended up next to a large barrel filled with keys that looked exactly like Glide’s; they were Nexus keys.

Without warning, Glide suddenly grabbed a handful of the keys and hurled them at the rest of Raven’s Nest. “Here!” He yelled, his voice dripping with rage. “Take one! Go wherever the f**k you want!”

Everyone was stunned by his action, unable to respond for some time.

“What are you doing, Glide?” Ambree asked meekly after a long pause.

“I’m breaking up Raven’s Nest. Shetani, boys, you’re with me. As for the rest of you, you can go to any planet you like, but don’t you f*****g dare follow me. Does everybody understand that, or do I have to beat it into your thick skulls?” Glide looked over the rest of the group, a glare his seemingly permanent expression. When nobody replied, he shoved through the middle of the group, stalking off down one of the Nexus’s corridors and out of sight.

It took some time, but Glide’s sons and Shetani eventually followed after him. The rest slowly trickled out of the Nexus, going to other planets with purpose or picking randomly.

Raven’s Nest broke apart permanently as the last Nexus door swung closed.

Reviews

[KEi]

OH SHI-

Felix died.
I actually cried.
No joke.

Glide is NOT HAPPY. I repeat, GLIDE IS GOING INSANE.

:/