I'm gonna lose you (Plot/Open)

[Zephyr]

I’m taking a ride off to one side
It is a personal thing.
Where?
When I can’t stand
Up in this cage I’m not regretting.

I don’t need a better thing,
I’d settle for less,
It’s another thing for me,
I just have to wander through this world
Alone.

Her head hurt.

That was all Vellani remembered that morning. Sammy usually slept on her chest, and while Gwen was small enough, she slept pressed tightly against Vellani's side, and when she was too big, she slept curled around the girl slightly. This morning, when she woke, Sammy was nowhere to be found. Shifting slightly, she reached out to scratch her dragon's eyeridges as she woke as well. Tailtip twitching, Gween crooned happily. I itch terribly. The girl grinned happily, patting the green's neck lightly before raising herself up to lean against her bonded. " I can tell. Maybe we should oil you today?" The green shivered with delight from her head to her tail, lifting up to rub her itchy head against the girl's arm. Realllyyyyy? Yay! I can't wait. But, I think I should eat first. Where's Sammy? The weyrling realized the firelizard's absence at last. The blonde girl frowned lightly, shrugging. " Dunno. He wasn't here when I woke up. He'll be around later."

I hope. Came Gwen's words as she rose and stretched out her growing body. Sammy hadn't been quite right for a while. It started with him not eating when Vellani offered him food. That wouldn't be too odd, and indeed, the girl thought that her firelizard was just getting food from others. He did that from time to time. When he started losing weight was her first inkling that he hadn't been eating. His gorgeous sapphire hide had even began to lose some of its typical glow. Maybe he was just getting a cold or something. She knew she shouldn't have waited so long, but Gweneveth was a growing dragons. She needed so much of the girl's time. And between the dragon and lessons, she had begun neglecting Sammy, still believing that he was just catching a cold.

When thick mucus started streaming from his nose, and he began to vomit what little he was able to eat, Vellani got really worried. A firelizard bond wasn't as strong as a dragon bond, but it didn't stop Vellani from generally feeling pretty miserable when he was around them. That night, before she went to sleep, Sammy had appeared to them, hissing angrily at the light from the glow that sat near them. Hissing and spitting, he went to his girl's chest and buried himself in her nightgown, whimpering and shaking. Worried and confused, she was determined to take him to the infirmary in the morning. She shouldn't have waited so long. She shouldn't have neglected him. Desire to rush right there in the middle of the night clung to her mind, but she forced herself calm, curling herself around her frightened, pallid little beast and forced herself into a restless sleep.

When she woke up, he was just gone. She could feel him, as she always could, but the bond was tenuous and weak. That worried her most of all. He wasn't being communicative with her at all, and she wished he would. Biting her lip, she dressed quickly, Gwen urging her to please hurrrryyyy, she was so hungryyyy. Finally completely dressed, she left the barracks with her dragon, having to run to keep up with the dragonet's quick strides. Walking to the feeding pens, she smiled widely, joked and laughed with her dragon. She was having such a good time that she nearly forgot about her poor Sammy...until she was waiting at the door of the pen for Gwen to finish eating.

" You great oaf!" She yelled out to her dragon with a smile. " Don't eat too much...I don't want to have to oil you anymore than I have to." That was a lie. She loved spending time with Gwen. Sometimes, she thought she got the only sane dragonet of the bunch. She was sweet where the others were vindictive, even mean. Perinmoth was an exception of course. Gwen was very fond of her blue brother, very fond. She was musing this fact when Sammy suddenly appeared in the air above her, eyes whirling red rage. For a moment, she forgot that he was sick. " Sammy!" She said happily, but he didn't seem impressed. Eyes whirling angrily, he looked to the sky for a moment before creeling to the sky and falling to the ground, landing in a heavy heap on the ground.

Stop before you fall
Into the hole that I have dug here,
Rest even as you
Are starting to feel the way I used to,
I don’t need a better thing
(Just to sound confused)
Don’t talk about everyone,
I am not amused by you.

Images flashed through her mind. An incoherent jumble of pain and death and confusion. " Sammy!" She said again, running to him and going to pull him against her breast. The firelizard lashed out at her at the last second, catching her thumb in his mouth and pressing down hard, using his weight to pull her arm towards him and slash at her forearm with his sharp claws. Just as the girl cried out in pain, it laced through the bond shared by her green and Gwen stumbled to the ground, eyes wide with uncertainty and pain. She creeled sadly, then hissed angrily, eyes swirling with shades of red and yellow when she looked over to see her girl in the grasp of the deranged firelizard. Bellowing a roar, the dragonet ran towards them, intent on spitting the beast in half...no matter how much she liked him. And Gwen did like him. Sammy was so gorgeous and loving. The two of them got on almost imminently. Even though Vellani had impressed the firelizard first, there wasn't an ounce of jealousy between them.

They were the perfect family.

Until this.

Gwen ran at the fence, and probably would have rushed right through it to help her girl. NO! The girl screamed in pain, first mentally and then out loud to drive the point home. She felt her dragon's rage well up within her, and she couldn't allow Gwen to hurt Sammy. He clearly wasn't well! " GWEN! GWEN NO!" Blood ran down her arm as the firelizard proceeded to rip it to shreds, but Vellani still didn't want any harm to come to him. She loved him, and she pushed that love towards him, through tears of pain and shock, she pushed a momentous surge of love towards the blue, who suddenly realized that...he loved her too. Chirruping sadly, he let her arm go in an instant, and she fell back, cradling her severely injured arm for a moment.

After he let go, Sammy had pulled himself back, body trembling with the effort. What had he done? He creeled, pressing love and apology into Vellani's mind. He hadn't meant to hurt her, really. He loved her so. He was so sorrrrryyyy. And he was sorry to Gwen. He knew he had hurt her too. The dragonet backed off, dumbstruck. What was she supposed to do? Her mind told her to rip the flit to shreds for hurting her girl, but her heart was telling her to love him as Sammy sent her, too, images and feelings of unconditional love. Crying and covered in blood, Vellani reached out, lifting her weakened and slightly limp firelizard into her arms. He crooned and wrapped his tail lovingly around her wrist, body trembling with sadness and exhaustion.

He loved his girl. He loved her sooooo much. He was glad she wasn't angry with him. He loved her and didn't want her angry with him. But he was hurt and confused. Why hadn't he recognized her? Why had he hurt her? Where was Gwen? He missed Gwen. He hurt sooo much. Everything hurt. Why was his girl bleeding? That wasn't right, she should go get that patched up.

His thoughts started to come out faster and faster, the last one more incoherant than the last. Trembling in pain and sadness, she pulled the firelizard to her breast and wrapped her body around him, shaking and crying. Tears mingled with blood as Gwen padded over and wrapped herself around the girl, crooning lightly. Vellani reached out for the dragon and the green nudged her hand, just as Sammy licked Vellani's face. Don't cry love. I'll be okay. I'm just tired and I hurt terribly, but I'll be okay. You should get your arm checked, that really doesn't look good at all. We should go to the infirmary. Gwen said softly, too softly. Could she feel the little flit's life slipping away by the second? She could certainly feel his pain, and her girl's, and she wanted it to stop...but she no longer wanted to maim and kill. She wanted everything to be okay.

" And it will be okay," Vellani half hissed through choked sobs, her voice oddly determined and a little steely. " You're going to be just fine, Sammy. I promise you that. We'll get you to the healers and they'll fix you right up." And you? The firelizard chirped up lightly, the bond between them flickering and failing. You need to go too. Get your leg patched up. Why was it bleeding again? " And me." She said, her voice faltering. " I'll go too, but I need to make sure you're okay. Promise me you'll be okay." Sammy really wanted to promise her, but he couldn't find the images. Where were they? He struggled in panic, he couldn't find the images to promise her...and he needed to. He needed to! " Promise me! Please!" She sobbed, cuddling him close. Gwen crooned and nudged Vellani. " Gwen. Promise me he'll be okay?"

And the green didn't speak. She sent Sammy feelings of love and comfort and lowered her head to her girl's lap with a heavy heart, trying to soothe the both of them. She didn't speak, because this was a promise she couldn't make.

I’m gonna lose you,
Yeah I’m gonna lose you
If I’m gonna lose you,

I’m gonna lose you,
Yeah I’m gonna lose you
If I’m gonna lose you
I’ll lose you now for good