Sacrificial

Author: Seth
 
"You don't need to do this. Please reconsider. Once you go, there's no coming back." 

Aurora listened to the rain beat a steady tattoo outside the small cave they taken shelter in for the night. She had spent the last hour trying to fall asleep with little success, and the young roujin had finally given up on her fruitless quest for a night of dreams.

Quietly extracting herself from her small, loamy corner, she padded silently to the edge of the cavern and sat down to watch the water fall.

A half hour later found her in the same position and none the sleepier for her troubles.

"It's giving you trouble too?"

Aurora looked up and smiled at Blitz as he came and joined her at the mouth of the cave.

"I'm just having some trouble sleeping," she replied quietly as she gave her head a little shake.

"Don't give me that," Blitz interjected gently. "It's gnawing at you just the same way it's gnawing me." He tapped Aurora's hand as he sat down opposite her.

The tired ice mistress looked down and noticed with a start that her hands had been slowly clenching and unclenching themselves. She didn't know for how long.

"Does it get any better?" The blue-haired Bean clasped her hands together to stop the involuntary movements. "Do you think we're going to end up just like all those poor souls down in Genesis?"

Blitz sighed and ran a hand through his hair, drawing it back as he noticed his palm shaking erratically.

"It… doesn't get better," Blitz admitted softly. "but you get used to it. Kind of," the blue-eyed panthryan sighed, clasping his hands together in a mirror image of his comrade. "And of course we won't end up like the others. That's our job isn't it? To bring an end to this thing?"

Aurora gave Blitz a wan smile before hugging her legs to her chest and looking out into the storm once again.

"I want to go home," the green-eyed girl confided eventually.

"We all do."

Both roujin and panthryan turned in tandem to watch the final member of their trio join them.

"And we will." Inferno finished as he set himself down between his friends.

"But not now," Aurora whispered. "Not unless we succeed."

Both males slowly nodded their assent. Until they succeeded none of them were welcome back. Until they succeeded, all three of them were little lambs sent to the slaughter, penny bets made on the dark horse in hopes that maybe, just maybe they might bring an end to it all.