Instinct

“And now, after two wins… Kangaroo of the SandWings!”
Kangaroo paced forward, the bright sands blinding him for moment. But this was not his beloved desert. 
This was war.
The cheering of hundreds of SkyWings deafened him, and when his senses finally adjusted, he saw who his opponent was. I should have known, he growled internally. A lithe SandWing waited for him, barbed tail twitching impatiently. 
He saw when she saw him. “Of course it’s you,” she muttered. His heart leaped, and Kangaroo extended a wing to her. She did too, but pulled back before they could have any contact. 
Mirage inhaled, and to Kangaroo’s shock, lunged. 
“What are you doing?” He roared, as she scratched at his neck. 
“We’re in an arena, Kangaroo!” She yelled over the shouts of the audience. “We have to fight, or we’ll both die!” 
Kangaroo shoved Mirage away and scrambled backwards. “It doesn’t have to be this way! We could-”
“Yes it does!” Mirage screamed, tears staining her beautiful face. She jumped at her mate, pinning him to the bloodstained sands. 
“Please don’t do this,” Kangaroo begged. “Please, we can get out of here, and neither of us has to die!” 
“Are you kidding?” Mirage hissed. “Have you seen the champion?” Kangaroo winced, remembering scorched scales and fiery screams.
Mirage raised a talon, preparing to rip out Kangaroo’s throat. On instinct, he kicked at her stomach, sending her flying away from him. The crowd roared. 
Mirage smiled grimly, taking a regretful step forward. 
“I thought you loved me!” Kangaroo yelled, dashing to the other side of the arena. 
Mirage turned her head. Her eyes were wet, and her jaw trembled. “I do,” she whispered, almost so quiet that Kangaroo didn’t hear her. 
Against all his survival instincts, Kangaroo took a step forward, and then another, until he and Mirage were snout-to-snout. Her breath was warm and smelled of coconut and meat, an odd combination that Kangaroo thought was wonderful. “I do love you, Kangaroo.” She placed her claws on his. “And I wish it didn’t have to be this way.” She pulled back, and as confusion rippled through his scales, Mirage opened her mouth and released an army of flames. 
Kangaroo screamed, fire licking at his face and horns and frill. He rammed his head into the arena sands, killing the flames. 
Nearly immediately, Mirage was there, pouncing on Kangaroo’s wings and pinning him in one smooth motion. He managed to flip himself onto his back. Mirage’s eyes were wild and sad and resigned all at the same time. 
“Please,” Kangaroo pleaded, past reasoning. “Please, Mirage, if you love me-”
“No,” Mirage murmured. “I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me.” Her venomous tail twitched towards Kangaroo’s chest, and with one last fearful glance, he watched as it plunged into his heart. 
“I’m sorry,” Mirage whispered, as the world went black.
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Completed)
Category:Fanfictions (Canon)
Category:Genre (Tragedy)