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Description

one more light

The dust had barely settled enough for Aspen to catch her breath. They needed to get the fuck out of here, and fast. Some of the cats had already dispersed, bolting off into the trees. Next to her, Annie gave her a sidelong glance, green eyes blazing in reflection of her own.

“Go on after them,” Aspen breathed, “there’s something I need to take care of.” Her gaze was locked on the slender shape of Altair, hunched over and stagnant in the chaos. Annie didn’t say anything to that, but the look on her face pleaded “Don’t do anything stupid.” And with that, she was gone.

Aspen watched her tail disappear into the shadows and began stalking over to Altair, her steps sure and tinged with the fire she felt rising in her chest. Upon her approach, Altair lifted his head slightly, but was still looking down on the much shorter molly. Barely taking in the rest of his features or body language, Aspen’s tunnel vision focused on his squinted yellow eyes, as always. Those damn eyes. Her heart squeezed unpleasantly at how much the young tom resembled his father. That fact never failed to set her emotions off kilter.

“Do you think this is some kind of joke?” Aspen growled lowly, struggling to keep her voice steady. Altair twitched his whiskers and opened his mouth, but was cut short by the red soul’s sharp tongue. “Do you have any idea what would have happened had I not been around to clean up your mess?” Aspen paused a moment to let her words wedge their way under his cold exterior. When he didn’t respond, the gray and white tabby squinted her eyes and moved in closer as if she were about to share a secret. “Let me fill in the fucking blank,” she mewed evenly, “your team mates would have died. My soul partner would have died. You, Altair, would have died.” She spat the last few words with as much contempt as she could muster, but her voice wavered. Deep down, there was a level of responsibility for this cat she could never erase. He’s just a kid, the angel on her shoulder insisted. He’s capable of terrible things, the devil countered.

Still, Altair didn’t speak. His face held the same stoney expression Aspen grew used to from him. Coward. “Nothing? That’s what you have to say for yourself?” Aspen huffed a breathy laugh, “I should have expected this from you. I have eyes Altair, and so do the other Legendaries. I saw what you did… and we don’t take sabotage lightly.” Aspen knew there was a chance that Altair was just unsteady with his new powers, but there was no room for chances out here. Look what happened when she gave Rook a chance.

Finally seeming to break, Altair’s eyes grew wide at the accusation as he fumbled for words. “I– I wasn’t–…. I was trying to save them!” He feigned disbelief well, and Aspen felt no remorse. “I’m trying to make something of myself here, not throw a wrench in your picture perfect plan,” Altair meowed, his voice tight with emotion. Wow, he was good at this.

“Who cares if one more light goes out in the sky of a million stars?” Aspen growled just above a whisper, finality in her tone, “you don’t belong here, Altair. Go home.”

Without speaking another word to the purple soul, Aspen pushed her way passed him and broke for the trees where the rest of the team had disappeared minutes earlier.

For context, Altair misuses his power and puts everyone on his team in extreme danger. Attempting to freeze the monster's feet to the ground, he miscalculates and ends up freezing his team in place, all at the mercy of their enemy. Aspen plays savior, once again reminding Altair how lucky he is to be alive at all.

The family drama never ends.

I'm sorry Aspen I keep making you look bad... trust me guys you'll understand someday

Description

one more light

The dust had barely settled enough for Aspen to catch her breath. They needed to get the fuck out of here, and fast. Some of the cats had already dispersed, bolting off into the trees. Next to her, Annie gave her a sidelong glance, green eyes blazing in reflection of her own.

“Go on after them,” Aspen breathed, “there’s something I need to take care of.” Her gaze was locked on the slender shape of Altair, hunched over and stagnant in the chaos. Annie didn’t say anything to that, but the look on her face pleaded “Don’t do anything stupid.” And with that, she was gone.

Aspen watched her tail disappear into the shadows and began stalking over to Altair, her steps sure and tinged with the fire she felt rising in her chest. Upon her approach, Altair lifted his head slightly, but was still looking down on the much shorter molly. Barely taking in the rest of his features or body language, Aspen’s tunnel vision focused on his squinted yellow eyes, as always. Those damn eyes. Her heart squeezed unpleasantly at how much the young tom resembled his father. That fact never failed to set her emotions off kilter.

“Do you think this is some kind of joke?” Aspen growled lowly, struggling to keep her voice steady. Altair twitched his whiskers and opened his mouth, but was cut short by the red soul’s sharp tongue. “Do you have any idea what would have happened had I not been around to clean up your mess?” Aspen paused a moment to let her words wedge their way under his cold exterior. When he didn’t respond, the gray and white tabby squinted her eyes and moved in closer as if she were about to share a secret. “Let me fill in the fucking blank,” she mewed evenly, “your team mates would have died. My soul partner would have died. You, Altair, would have died.” She spat the last few words with as much contempt as she could muster, but her voice wavered. Deep down, there was a level of responsibility for this cat she could never erase. He’s just a kid, the angel on her shoulder insisted. He’s capable of terrible things, the devil countered.

Still, Altair didn’t speak. His face held the same stoney expression Aspen grew used to from him. Coward. “Nothing? That’s what you have to say for yourself?” Aspen huffed a breathy laugh, “I should have expected this from you. I have eyes Altair, and so do the other Legendaries. I saw what you did… and we don’t take sabotage lightly.” Aspen knew there was a chance that Altair was just unsteady with his new powers, but there was no room for chances out here. Look what happened when she gave Rook a chance.

Finally seeming to break, Altair’s eyes grew wide at the accusation as he fumbled for words. “I– I wasn’t–…. I was trying to save them!” He feigned disbelief well, and Aspen felt no remorse. “I’m trying to make something of myself here, not throw a wrench in your picture perfect plan,” Altair meowed, his voice tight with emotion. Wow, he was good at this.

“Who cares if one more light goes out in the sky of a million stars?” Aspen growled just above a whisper, finality in her tone, “you don’t belong here, Altair. Go home.”

Without speaking another word to the purple soul, Aspen pushed her way passed him and broke for the trees where the rest of the team had disappeared minutes earlier.

For context, Altair misuses his power and puts everyone on his team in extreme danger. Attempting to freeze the monster's feet to the ground, he miscalculates and ends up freezing his team in place, all at the mercy of their enemy. Aspen plays savior, once again reminding Altair how lucky he is to be alive at all.

The family drama never ends.

I'm sorry Aspen I keep making you look bad... trust me guys you'll understand someday