Arrow Lake requiem

She had been up for a while, patrolling and doing absolutely anything to distract herself from the things she didn't wish to think about. Later, as she neared the lake, she caught a hint of Mesa and decided to track him down and check on him.

She found him at the lake, and smiled a little to herself when she realized he was sleeping curled up against Tahani. She couldn't be more thankful for her sister's return, at the very least because right now, she had felt some semblance of peace while she approached the pair; it was the first time she had felt that way since the day Stigmata had died. 

But when she got closer, she realized there was something very wrong and very familiar about her sister's scent. Taki froze, eyes staring down at what she now realized was Tahani's lifeless body. For a few moments, her brain simply refused to believe this was real. Surely she was still asleep, having a horrible nightmare. 

Movement from the corner of her eye startled her, and when she whipped around to look, she realized it was the side of her own chest, rising and falling too fast as she drew in quick, shallow breaths. She took a step forward and touched her nose to her sister's cheek. Tahani? she said, her voice cracking a little. 

Her breathing quickened further, and suddenly everything she had been avoiding came crashing down on her, as if her sister's death had smashed open the top of where she had been hiding everything she didn't want to deal with. 

Tears streamed down her face. This wasn't happening. Hadn't she suffered enough? Hadn't her children suffered enough? Why was she repeatedly forced to continue on without members of her family? Forced to watch them die or fruitlessly search for them? She didn't think she could handle anymore grief; surely she would finally shatter.

Sister, no, she whispered. You can't leave. But she had left. She had come back only to leave again after barely any time together. Eventually, Taki might be happy that her sister's death was, at least, peaceful. But right now, she wasn't seeing anything clearly through her despair.

She tilted her head back and released a sorrowful howl before settling down next to her son and burying her face in Tahani's fur, letting the tears fall freely once her face was hidden. @Sadiq would be here soon, and then she could usher Mesa away from here before returning to bury yet another loved one within the mountain.