Listen, And The Stars Shall Speak

Creative Title

A/N: Dedicated to Fan-Author02 and GrapeShipsEverything for getting the right answer! It was "A little less conversation, a little more action, please." Other answers were probably right, but that was just the one I was looking for.

Rattlesnake is dead, Rattlesnake is dead. The words echoed in Haze's mind, not fully sinking in. She just stood there, frozen. Her mother was dead. Her mother had been killed.

She was dead. Never to be seen again.

Beside her, Dusk watched with a worried expression. He wasn't quite sure what to do. He had never lost someone important to him, thankfully. He didn't know what to say to Haze, or how she was reacting, for that matter. She was eerily silent, not even blinking.

...Maybe I should hug her, he thought to himself. Isn't hugging a form of comfort?

But Haze didn't seem like she was in need of a hug. She didn't seem to be breathing. So, Dusk did the only logical thing that came to his mind.

He waved his talons in front of Haze's face, trying to get her to blink.

Nothing.

"Haze?" He asked, slightly concerned. That broke her out of the trance. And then, it hit. The full reality that Rattlesnake was dead slammed into Haze like a punch to the gut. She winced slightly, and then did the last thing Dusk ever expected her too.

She started to cry.

And Dusk, being the moron that he was, had no idea what the hell to do.

Honestly, he hadn't known that Haze was capable of crying. He had just assumed she didn't have tear ducts or something.

....Okay, maybe NOW I should hug her, he suggested to himself.

Trying to make this as unawkward as possible, he wrapped his arms around Haze, letting her sob into his shoulder.

Now what? He demanded of his brain.

"Um...." He began. "There there?" He offered in what he hoped was a comforting voice, awkwardly patting her back. Haze sniffled.

"You are really awful at comforting dragons, Dusk." She insisted, her voice strained.

"I am not!" He retorted. " I just didn't know you could cry."

"It's not something I do very often," she insisted, wiping the tears from her face. "Like...ever."

"Exactly." Dusk agreed. "I thought you just be angry and go on a rampage." Haze took a deep breath.

"Oh yeah," she commented. "Thanks for the reminder." Without another word, she practically dove down the stairs, launching herself at Fennec before Dusk could even comprehend what happened.

"Haze!" he called, rushing after her.

"You!" Fennec shouted, pinning Haze to the wall. "You're the dragonet that stabbed Prickle!" Haze spat in his face.

"And you know the dragon that killed my mother, and you don't even CARE!" she cried back.

"Fennec, let her go." Coal demanded, grabbing Dusk before he could try anything.

"No." Fennec glowered at Haze. "Someone has to take the blame for Prickle's death. Might as well be her."

"As much as I wish I had ripped out his heart, I didn't kill Prickle."she declared.

"Well, no one cares much for the facts, now do they?"

"I am not letting you kill an innocent dragonet for a murder she didn't commit!" Coal announced. Fennec turned to stare dangerously at his brother. 

"Take your pick, Coal." He offered. "Either she takes the blame," his eyes flicked down to Dusk. "Or your family does." 

Coal hesitated. He had put his family in enough danger for a lifetime. He couldn't bear to do it again. But if he did nothing, then Haze would be killed.

...And enough of Meerkat's family had died because of him.

Dusk looked miserably between them all as he watched his father contemplate his next move. Fennec was staring holes in the back of his skull from the intense glare, so he failed to notice Haze's move.

In one slick motion, Haze slammed her head again Fennec's, dropping out of his grip. She bolted for the door as Fennec let out a cry and started after her. Coal took the opportunity and lunged at his brother, quickly knocking him unconscious. 

"Haze!" Dusk called out, rushing outside. He searched up at the sky, watching as Haze's flying figure slowly disappeared from sight. Where she was going, he had no idea. 

He just hoped the Sting wouldn't be able to find her.