Moral of the Story

Cessna had trekked all this way from the Knights of Eden in record time. Her breath heaved from her body in wheezes. The young fox hadn't stopped for a rest during her scramble across Agrelos. She had come with a heavy heart and news to share. Of course, it was nothing good. Cessna couldn't remember a time where she had carried good news. Stumbling into camp and falling her way into the center of the mess, Cessna drew in a deep breath. The first real breath of air she had felt the entire day. She couldn't cry, there weren't any tears to be had. Cessna couldn't gather the words either. She didn't know how to explain what she knew. At the same time, she wanted to apologize for what she had to tell. None of it was Cessna's fault, but it still felt like it. "Maxine Lial, queen of the Knights of Eden has been murdered. She was killed by her sons," Cessna's raspy, breathless voice broke the silence of the bamboo forest. "Her son, Alexei Lial, has... died. He committed suicide after Maxine died. I-I'm sorry." Cessna cringed away from her own words, lowering her blind eyes to the ground. For the first time, Cessna was glad that her sight was nill. Hearing what she had heard had been bad enough. Her memory was foggy and for that she was thankful. The only constant that Cessna had ever had in her entire life was gone. She was without a mentor and without someone to share a nest with at night. She hated Matthew and Remington for being so selfish to take Maxine from the rest of them. Those who really needed her. There were no goodbyes or closures to be made. Cessna couldn't bring herself to stay in the Knights of Eden and the only other place she could think to go was the Dark Dynasty. Cessna had stayed because of a promise. To stay and watch from the sidelines as her siblings grew up. She had made that promise while she still had had a place to go that felt like a real home in the meantime. A nest that had been her's and her's alone. It wasn't that Cessna didn't trust or like the new leadership, it was that it was new. Geralt couldn't be Maxine, to no fault of his own. Cessna had no doubt that he would be an amazing leader. She couldn't have stayed, however, as much as she would have wanted to. The feelings and grief were too great. Cessna had never been equipped to deal with such strong, overpowering feelings, so the only home that Cessna had ever felt like she had belonged in had dissolved into nothing. She wondered miserably where to go next. There was nothing here for Cessna besides old grudges and uncomfortable silences. She didn't know anyone besides her family particularly well. Cessna didn't even know them that well, she reflected. There was no bond or trust or love. All of that had been broken and given to Maxine in pieces. Finally, the shock settled and the realization sunk in after Cessna had spoken her words. She'd never get to say good morning to her mentor and receive her task for the day. Cessna longed for what had been such a mundane task. She grasped for Maxine's words of praise, the only ones she had ever heard in her life that had meant anything at all. Cessna's mind clung so desperately to the thoughts of sunning herself with Viper and Maxine. There had been moments that she had held on to the idea that Maxine couldn't be dead. Such an earth-shattering thing couldn't be possible. Death wasn't real and it couldn't happen to Maxine. There was so much that Cessna had left unsaid, Maxine couldn't die. But she had and nothing in the world could change it. For the first time since Cessna had heard the news that Maxine had really died, tears flowed from her eyes and stained the fur of her face. She wiped them away gingerly in a vain effort to keep her composure. She knew that the news would be a joy for a good few. Maxine had been a horrible person in life. Cessna had known that, but for some reason it didn't stop her from loving Maxine with every fiber of her soul. She had placed all of her hopes and dreams into Maxine's paws and had been promised prosperity and happiness in return. For a very brief moment, Cessna had everything she had ever wanted: a home and someone who looked at her as someone with potential and a life to live without false expectations and a narrative to push. All of that had been ripped away by selfishness and petty anger. Reflecting on how she had nearly done the same deed as Remington and Matthew was even worse to admit. She wasn't much better of a person than them or Maxine. Perhaps that was why Maxine had loved her in the first place. Cessna had been told time and time again that Maxine was incapable of kindness and her heart was frozen ice, but Cessna would never feel the same. Maxine had never insulted Cessna or made her feel less than. She had praised Cessna and had taken care of her when Cessna didn't take care of herself. The irritable Russian woman had taught Cessna compassion and understanding. She had been Cessna's rock as the young fox's world crumbled into irreparable ruin and disorder. Cessna had learned the value of hard work and patience from Maxine. All of Cessna's interests had been praised and fostered and for that, she would be forever grateful. Perhaps she had been the only one in the world, but Cessna would always be thankful for the time she had spent alongside Maxine Lial and the Knights of Eden. She wouldn't have changed it for anything. Even in death, Maxine was still teaching Cessna lessons. Cessna's only regret was not saying all that she had been saving for the right moment. The right moment had never come and now she had missed her chance. Her only hope was that they would one day cross paths on another plain, that Maxine was watching her now from far beyond Cessna's comprehension of reality. Cessna sincerely hoped to make her proud and she would never make the same mistakes again. She would leave this transaction of knowledge and life with a newfound appreciation, honesty, and the ability to be upfront. Although Maxine's life had expired, Cessna still had her's. Maxine would always be gone, leaving a void in Cessna's life that would never be filled, but at least Cessna would always have the goals that Maxine had left unattained. A small piece of a bigger, grander picture-puzzle that Cessna hoped to one day understand. Perhaps not today, but maybe the next.

Viper had been the first to see Cessna's stagger into camp. He had been sitting in his usual spot, colander over his head to hide from the world. As he watched Cessna, he wondered if she had been attacked. She carried herself like a scared, wounded prey animal, searching for somewhere to hide from an invisible danger. Pushing back his strange headwear, the lanky serval rose to his velvety paws and traced the edge of the pond to present himself to the fox. His blue eyes scanned over her heaving sides. She looked as if she was moments from tears, sickness, or some mixture of the three. Her words caught Viper off guard and his first reaction was denial. He shook his head slowly, brows creased with confusion and concern. No, Maxine wouldn't be killed, much less by her own sons, and Alexei would never kill himself, no matter how much he threatened to do so. However, the conviction and emotion Cessna shown told Viper that she was telling no lie. Viper sunk to his belly, gritting his teeth and squeezing shut his eyes until all he could see were stars. He wondered if this was a punishment for having two healthy children that he loved. He had to lose two people in order to gain two new. How cruel. The last time he had seen Maxine was when she had come to see his new children. She had told him "they'll do just fine." Viper knew that Maxine had her doubts about Valentino and it pained him that they were being proven right. For a second, he wondered why Valentino had to be alive while the best and most loyal friend that he ever had the fortune of having died. Viper had gone behind Maxine's back so many times but, despite their differences, they could always count on each other to be there. The second that Viper was alone and needed Maxine, she had been right there to accept him with open arms and promise him the world. Choking on a sob, Viper stepped backward from Cessna, staring at her and searching her face. Everyone he loved was dying or leaving and slowly Viper was being left with Val as his only companionship.

It had been days and days since Rhapsody had last seen Alexei. She had been starting to worry, but she knew better than to do that. He always came back, however long it took. He wouldn't leave her stranded here, because Rhapsody would never do that to him. They had a partnership, surely. Rhapsody poured her heart and soul into Alexei Lial and he returned with demands and meek affection. It was a partnership and it worked for them. Alexei had chased everyone away and Rhapsody didn't make friends because why bother? She had Alexei forever. She had imagined everything, in true Rhapsody fashion. The perfect wedding and family and all. She had done that on lesser occasions, so surely this was the right one? Alexei couldn't be hiding anything from her, because Rhapsody didn't hide anything from him. Seeing Cessna so distraught over something shocked Rhapsody. She had never known her daughter to be anything besides quiet and a tad frigid. They kept their distance from each other, but on this occasion, their eyes met for a brief moment as Cessna delivered her burden of news. Blind hues stared straight though soft brown for a split second before she turned them to the grass. Rhapsody wasn't surprised, as the sickening weight of loneliness settled over her-- shared between mother and daughter in different ways that were so similar-- Rhapsody couldn't find it in her to cry. She had cried enough tears over thousands of other things. In a way, she couldn't help but feeling a bit freed. The grief gripped her heart with such an intensity that she wasn't sure if it was freedom she was feeling or if it was a mirage of sorts. It wasn't about her, it never was. There were those her would be affected more than she was. Rhapsody's feelings were the least of her problems. At the same time, Rhapsody wasn't sure who else she could turn to to help.