Blackened Skies
The sky so high above seemed to be taunting us, as if just throwing it's vast freedom in our faces, knowing it was something that would always be out of our reach. I let out a soft sigh, for though I was content with my fate I knew he was not. For all the love I hold for him, how could I not be content? My eyes slowly trailed downwards, ignoring the fires off in the distance and coming to fix on the only beautiful thing left in this world. I couldn't help but smile when he looked up at me, his eyes entrancing me as they have never failed to do. I kissed his muzzle softly as I held him in my embrace, my own arms and tail keeping him as close as they could ever manage. My smile began to fade as I realized the sorrow in his eyes.
"Don't be afraid. I promised you long ago that I would always keep you safe. You are everything to me, and regardless of what may happen, I will keep you safe."
My heart sank as a tear rolled down from his eyes and through his fur. He clung to me tighter and burried his muzzle into my chest, trying not to cry. I kissed him softly between his ears before gently pulling him a bit further away from me. He looked up at me again, his eyes still watering. I forced a smile and reached a paw up to caress his face softly, trying to give him as much comfort as I could. Just as he began to relax a bit a soft wind blew by us, carrying the scent of blood and cinders. We both knew that our time was growing shorter with every passing second, I took both his paws into my own and gripped them tightly, looking deeply into his eyes.
"I want you to know that I love you more then anything. Without you my life was nothing. For everything I have put you through I am sorry, but I hope you know that not once did I ever wish to hurt you. My life is yours and I..."
I was taken a bit off gaurd as he placed a finger upon my lips, telling me to be quiet. I just looked at him in all his unrealistic beauty, my own eyes beginning to water despite my best efforts. The sky was growing darker as the smell of the flames became even stronger, the smoke now visable over the horizon. He put both of his paws on my face and suddenly pulled me into a kiss. My body lost itself, his lips against my own one of the greatest feelings i've ever felt. He slipped his tongue into my muzzle gently and wrapped it around my own before breaking the kiss. He kept both of his paws softly against my face as he spoke.
"You have never hurt me, nor could you ever. For all the love you have in your heart for me, how could you even think you ever hurt me? And your life is as much mine as my life is yours. I love you just as much as you love me, and you damn well better know that."
I smiled, despite eveything that was going to happen and had already happened, he was still the exact same. And I found comfort in this.
"I know you love me, and I will always remember your love. I will always remember the first time I met you, the first time I talked to you, the first we touched, the first time we kissed, the first time you made me yours. Do you remember that time love? It seems so long ago now."
My smile got wider as I remembered the first time we ever mated. Neither one of us knew what to expect or exactly what to do. It must have been an awkward sight to see at first, but once he slipped inside of me everything just fell into place. That was one of the best nights of my life, if only we could have had countless more but sadly, I knew we would never have a single one. His voice snapped me out of my thoughts as the smell of smoke began to fill both of our noses.
"Of course I remember our first time. I remember every time with you. How could I not?"
I couldn't hold back my tears any longer, I began to bawl. I fell to my knees and clung to my love, his arms now holding me close and comforting me, for a second I found it funny how the tables had turned. I wished that I would never have to leave his embrace, even as the voices came into hearing distance and the air became hard to breathe. I opened my eyes, though I don't remember ever closing them and looked around us. The smoke was already creeping along everywhere and the heat from the flames had begun to raise the temperature. The voices seemed almost on top of us now and thats when I snapped, I don't know what happened but I lost my mind. I looked up at my love and got to my feet. I grapped his arms and stared at him in a way he knew that there was nothing he could do.
"I'm getting you out of here. I don't care how and I don't care where we go but I am getting you out of here."
He looked at me and went to speak but I just started to run. I held on to his arm tighter then I ever thought possible and I ran as fast I could. The flames were now around us, the loose embers igniting nearly everything. The wind had picked up and luckily it was blowing against us so that the smoke was not following us. All I remember after that was running and not stoping, I couldn't say how long but when we finally stopped the voices and the flames were gone, all that remained was us and the blackened sky. I turned around to face my love, he was panting as much as I was and for some reason, it finaly hit me how stupid it was to accept the fate I thought was dealt to us.
"Are you okay? I'm so sorry I didn't stop earlier."
"I'm fine, and no, its a good thing you didn't stop before. I think we got away."
I smiled the widest I think I ever have. I looked over at my tiger and my heart beat calmed and steadied as I caught my breath. For a moment I thought that everything was gonna be alright, that we made it out alright. I looked off into the distance, the place where we had just come from and all I could see was a plume of smoke filling the air. I still don't know what had come over me and made me run like that but it was most certainly for the better. I went to speak but before I could I felt a sharp pain go right through my chest. I placed a paw on the outside of my chest and when I moved it away I could see the crimson, but only for a second as my vision went blurry. The last thing I remember is falling and his voice.
My eyes began to slowly open, I didn't know where I was or what had happened. I went to sit up and couldn't, why not? As my eyes fully opened and I became a bit more aware of my surroundings I looked down and saw my chest bandaged and then everything came flooding back at once. What happened to me? Then it hit me, my love wasn't here and I started to panic. Right as I almost lost it I felt a soft touch on my shoulder and then I heard his voice.
"Rest honey, i'll explain everything later, just go back to sleep."
My mind calmed down at his touch and the sound of his voice. I smiled and whispered "I love you" as I drifted off into sleep.