Updated Vulture Death

She felt a brick in her chest as cats move past her; the fur, the smoke, it was making it harder to understand what was dangerous and what was safe. To understand that they were leaving. The smoke was getting to her and she knew it; with the haze in her eyes and the terror in her gut. Well…feeling fear isn’t a bad thing, but it seems now she hates two of the four elements now. Wonderful. But let’s not think about that, Vul. She tries to push out the last cat she could, the last one she could see. Her legs slacked and she heaved, feeling the soot in her lungs build. Get them out is all she could hear thrumming in her mind. The embers begin sounding like rubbing paws and whisper shouts. She squints when she realizes it makes her feel at home.

Vulturebloom watches the cats in her group go. One tail is gone, two, three, five. They limped and moved and screamed as one strange group. Was her voice a part of it? She didn’t know. But as moved through the flame, she felt her burns pulse in time with her heartbeat. Her steps faltered, but she kept going. She was one of the last shadows now. Especially as the flames lick near her like old friends. Especially as she moved to try and get out. To run, to flee. To avoid the lionesses with every ounce in her body, like they were calling her in.

Until she felt another pelt brush against her, and her step falters again. Another heave, blink and glance over to see who bumped into her. Someone, she didn’t see?

Blue fur, green eyes, healthy…

Her father.

Why…are the stars here to help them? Are they going to get them out of here? Her eyes squint, another heaving breath wracks her form as she notices the others waiting for her. The embers speak to her, as her father runs alongside her. They try to call her home, but as her eyes glance over. She feels her father bump her shoulder. “Eyes up, Vul. Remember you have so much waiting for you.”

Faces appear at the sound of her father’s words. She hears their voices, feels their fur. Would they think she did a good job? She knows Salamander is here somewhere, her Sal. Grown into a fine warrior, and…even under her care. They should have gotten out, they were in group three. They were safe, thank the stars. For some reason, her brain hopes they know she loves them so much, and that they will grow to be a wonderful warrior. Just give yourself some time.

Time can be fickle though. Petalwish waits and waits, and barely gets any hope from it. She feels Petalwish’s fur as if it was the time, they brought Windfall home. None of her kin is here, so they will live another day. Good. She deserves the family she has made. That time will hopefully let her keep.

She then falls to Junco and his family. The ones she looked up to so much, but him most of all. Time…has not been kind to him, and his family in some capacity as well. But she hopes he is happy, even if they haven’t spoken in a while. Just another cat she needs to speak to, to apologize to. She feels his brown pelt and the sun. His purple eyes watch her, and she feels tears brim up. Especially as she gets closer. She’s almost out. She’s almost out. She has to talk to him again, she needs to talk to him again. Just like her sister, she has so much to tell him. Her eyes blink as she feels something else brush against her side. Her other side.

Her sister. Javelina pops up in her mind's eye. And she realizes that she can feel her sister’s tail twine with hers. Like when they were smaller and the world was their oyster. And she…she has so much to say.  To apologize. Her sister needed her and where was she, trying to play hero and be a deputy? That isn’t worth it, not anymore. Those were the thoughts of an apprentice stuck in her head. Wanting to please. The embers crack and she hears her father again.

“You’ll be able to make it up to her, Vul.” And the meaning sets in for her as the flame licks her sides, through her father. Her fur singes and she knows that the bloom will burn tonight. She goes cold, even as it gets hotter and hotter. Like when she had fallen into the flooding tunnels and the water grew warmer even if it should have been colder.

She sees something ahead, her chest heaves and she coughs and oh…god it hurts. But she squeaks out “Please…let them know I’m sorry.” As the shadows solidify, and the light frames them. The people she helped, kept alive. Hopefully, that will be enough for them. She just runs, and runs, and runs.

And then she is a young girl, smaller than she is now, with a strange band of kelp about her neck. Her father calls her over, and she is pulled to him. Running toward her father with a smile on her face.

And something in her tells her that she’s home.