#tyncelu

The dragonair woman had been stronger, faster, much moreskilled then she had anticipated. Etsuko had been right in fearing such a womanand her strength, and as the pup had fled, the weasel had fought tooth and nailto protect her. The battle had taken its toll, and the last thing the mienshaowoman recalled was the final blow that had finally brought her down into a poolof her own blood.  

Was she dead?

It was okay if she had died. She would accept that fate,knowing that she had fallen protecting something so dear to her. And though sheknew she should feel at ease...Why was there this nagging feeling as if she wasmissing something as the images rewound and played over and over into thedarkness. She struggled to process it all in what she understood as her last momentsuntil suddenly there was a sound that shook her

A high pitched,terror filled scream.

 She awoke with a gasp, eyes flying open as she shot up,startled by the sound that still rang in her ears.  What had that been? Why was it so familiar,and why did it scare her so much?

A hand reached out to settle her back down, gently coaxingher aching body back into the futon  asshe glanced around frantically, very much disoriented. Her eyes fell upon theface of another woman. One that was familiar, and close to her heart. Rikuyoseemed to give her a half hearted smile and gently pat a bandaged hand as ShuHui caught her breath, her agitated heart slowing down gradually. It had beenso long since she had seen her best friend, and though she felt the familiarwarmth of fondness that came every time she was near, there was the feeling asif something was wrong with the shiny mightyena being here.  Something very very wrong, and yet she couldn'tplace it.... Why.

The silence between the two seemed to drag on forever as shewatched her friend, taking in everything from the tired look in her eyes to theway her ears drooped. And when she finally took in a breath to speak, the womanwould bow her head, hiding the look in her eyes as she spoke.

 "Thank you, Shu.... For trying to protect her."

 Her eyes slowly widened as the weight of these words slowlyfell upon the injured woman, the ringing in her ears seeming to get louder asthe final pieces fell into place. The reason why she hadn't felt at ease... Thefeeling of regret and her best friend's expression...

The scream.

She could hear it again, it wouldn't go away as the sourceof it finally became known to the horrified mienshao woman. She could see thepup from where she had once laid, so uselessly in her own blood... As thedragon turned her attention from one target to another. She could hear only thedeafening scream as she reached out a shaking hand in an attempt to stop whatwas fated to happen.

 She could only hear Etsuko's screaming as the blue hairedwitch approached her, and as Shu Hui lost consciousness.

 And now, she lay uselessly once more, in the darkness of hercave home. A mourning mother seated beside her. As she lay, wishing that shehad been the one who died, that was all she could hear.