Later that night Halone saw herself how she was as a child. Big, innocent eyes. Pouting lips. A head full of baby curls.

"Fighting is silly," they chirped up.

"You wouldn't understand," Halone began, "I love it. I love the sadism of it, that's all I need-there doesn't need to be a reason, just blood. Something helpless and powerless to annihilate."

"You're going to get tired from running in circles," the child reprimanded in a singsong voice before they burst out in a fit of high pitched giggles.

"What are you running from?" they repeated the question over and over.

Even as Halone ripped their throat clean out, drenching her in spurting crimson.

Suddenly she was thrust back into the real life, torn out of her dream, soaked in a thick layer of cold sweat. She had a splitting headache, the child's words still rung in her head-tormenting her. She shrugged it off and tried to focus, focusing on on the cold and dark shadow that fell across her form.

She followed the shadow to see a pair of bright blue eyes watching her, kind and caring amidst a sea of dark skin peppered with white freckles like a star spattered night.

"Sky," she breathed breathlessly.

The young girl simply cuddled up to her, "you looked like you were having a bad dream, my daddy used to wake me up when I had bad dreams so I wouldn't be scared anymore."

A heavy sigh of relief escaped Halone's lips, "thank you for waking me up, you're a good girl."

Then she looked to Sky, who's eyes had drifted shut in peace and contentedness, "hey, you wanna hear a story about how brave your daddy was?".

"Yes! I miss him a lot," she admitted, her words tearing at Halone's heart.

Halone recounted her first and final mission with Cloud, the mission where he went to paradise so he could always watch over her before she told her that, in a long time and once she was ready, they'll meet again in paradise.

Sky said she wish he was still on earth but she's happy he's playing in the clouds, adding that she knows he's happy because he makes the sky sunny when he's happy.

Halone said, "that's right," before asking, "want to watch the sunrise with me?".

"Yes, yes!" Sky cheered excitedly, her eyes peeling wide open as she bounded around the cave.

As they sat at the mouth of the cave basking in the dim glow of dusk Shadow approached them, walking out from deeper inside the cave, "what're you doing?" he asked, both turned to face him.

"Watching dawn break," Sky said.

"Cool, can I join?" he asked.

"Of course you can son," Halone beamed, she tucked him into her warm side and watched the sun began to brighten, casting golden rays that illuminated them all, filling them up with wonder and inspiration.

"Life is so beautiful," Halone said, "remember that always."

————

I know my chapters have been so short lately but I just want to get this story done. I'm feeling very uninspired if I'm honest, lately I prefer drawing to writing and you can find my artwork here: https://www.deviantart.com/halonewolf/gallery/

I draw mostly my characters from this story, and I usually give little mini backstories to each piece. So go check it out.

And also with this chapter this story is officially 50% finished. I aim to finish the story by July/my birthday. Here's hoping!