Black Talon, as always, awoke before the other two. Even in pack life, he woke up before everyone else. Not that he enjoyed it, of course. It was lonely, waiting for the next raptor to wake up. But, he didn't complain much. Having his friends next to him, even when they were sleeping and silent, was pleasant. He enjoyed the aura that radiated from the ones he was close to- it was comforting.

He watched the other two as he scratched his head with a clawed foot. The air was crisp, and the forest, beautiful, but things were very off. Only once a minute could the sound of a bird be heard- and that sound was short, high-pitched, and subtle. A warning call.

Black Talon shut his eyes. He had heard that call before, at one point right before it happened all those years ago. That sound had never signalled good news. He quickly shook his head. He shouldn't be remembering such silly things now! It was all in the past, he still had his friends, and the last thing he needed was to cloud his judgement with the memory of his trauma. It was completely irrelevant, and he should not fear leaving the comfort of his cave because of the sound a bird made that just so happened to be the same sound he heard when that event played out.

If they don't wake up soon, I'll wake them up myself, He sighed, becoming impatient. He wanted to find Thorn Tooth. If he was all right, then they would all be together again. Even without the entire pack, Black Talon would be happy, because at least he had them. But, what if Thorn Tooth wasn't all right? The other two believed he was, but Black Talon?

I for one believe that Thorn Tooth is more likely either dead or infected rather than alive. But, I know he is strong, and quite smart too. He has a higher chance of survival than Razor Feather, so having hope wouldn't be so irrational after all...

He snorted, staring at Razor Feather and Fleet Claw. It was official- he had had enough of their lazy sleeping. Time to pull them out of their dreams.

He leaned over to Fleet Claw. He had never been good at waking others up, always for fear of getting his nose bitten by an angry raptor. Her face was peaceful, as if the virus had never existed, as if everything was still normal. Sighing, he slowly moved an arm to her reluctantly, and poked her. He flinched back instantly as her eye snapped open.

'Oh. Hello, Black Talon,' she smiled.

'Greetings, Fleet Claw. You okay?'

'Yeah. I just had a dream about the pack... everyone was there...'

There was an uncomfortable silence.

'Please, wake up Razor Feather.'

'Ha-ha, why?' Fleet Claw stretched out, feeling satisfying cracks creep around her limbs and back.

'...I am not very good at waking others up, as you can tell. Please, just do it.'

'Okay, sure!' She giggled, and lightly brushed Razor Feather's shoulder with her hand.

Razor Feather opened her eyes, blinking. 'Fleet Claw? Is something happening?'

'Black Talon wanted me to wake you up.'

'Huh,' she hauled herself up. 'You want to find Thorn Tooth or something?'

Black Talon nodded. 'We should get him back here as soon as possible- don't want him to be alone out there, do we?'

'Wow! You really are a softie!' Fleet Claw commented, and the two raptors burst out laughing.

Black Talon looked away in embarrassment. He was genuinely concerned about Thorn Tooth, after all.

'Okay, okay, we get it! Ha-ha, I actually care, how wonderful, now let's go,' He sighed, and stepped out of the cave, waiting for the others to calm down.

They hauled up their bodies, still snickering in joy, and scurried over to him.

The three went into the forest, with no idea of what was to come.

---

They were in an opening, a small circle of grass surrounded by trees. Looking around, Razor Feather took in a deep sniff from the ground. 'He was here,' she said.

'And? Is he okay?' Fleet Claw asked, hope in her eyes.

Razor Feather sighed, and looked away. Then, slowly, shook her head.

'He has become one of them.'

In the matter of just one second, all the hope in Fleet Claw's eyes faltered. 'You're lying...' she whimpered, staring blankly at Razor Feather.

Tearfully, Razor Feather shook her head. 'No. Thorn Tooth is a viral.'

'You're lying!' She snarled, angrily. 'This is Thorn Tooth we're talking about! He's strong, he is all right! Let me smell it!'

Fleet Claw lowered her head and sniffed, while the other two Acheroraptors watched in silence.

Remaining silent, she raised it back up, a look of disbelief on her visage. She shook her head. 'Something's wrong... this can't be true!' she began to breathe quickly, hyperventilating.

Black Talon instantly understood this was the first time she had truly lost someone very close to her. He knew that sudden denial of the truth all too well.

'This is the truth, Fleet Claw. I'm sorry, but we need to focus-'

'No!' She snarled at him, eyes filled with fury. 'I will not believe it! Not until I see him!'

'We cannot risk the dangers that come with trying to find him,' He replied, quickly. He felt genuinely saddened that Thorn Tooth would not be able to join their battle for survival, but that was how it was- after all, life is built upon gain and loss. As long as he had someone, he was all right. And there was no way he could give the others an emotional reaction- both were incredibly subjective and far too reliant on feelings. They needed someone to stay calm, since if he began weeping, that was all they would do the whole day.

Fleet Claw collapsed, sobbing to herself. Razor Feather watched, tears streaming from her eyes.

'I understand that it is hard to accept that Thorn Tooth is gone,' Black Talon said, quietly, battling against every instinct in his body to cry with them.

'He was one of us! He grew up with us!' Fleet Claw wailed, sniffing.

' I still remember when we first met...' Razor Feather's voice broke.

'You all loved him very much. I did too-'

'Then how can you stay so calm! If you truly loved him, then why aren't you sad??' Fleet Claw snapped.

'I am sad. I-'

'Please, just drop the stoic act! You don't have to be afraid to show when you're sad!' Razor Feather growled, frustrated.

'Now is not a good time to get emotional. Now, please, listen. We all loved him, but this is reality. He is not here anymore. We will never forget him, but if he appears, we must be ready to kill him on sight. Because it won't be him anymore. It will just be another viral.'

Fleet Claw looked up at Black Talon, who watched her with his firm brown eyes.

'Now please, don't give up. We are still here, therefore, we must keep fighting to survive. Thorn Tooth is in a better place, but we are not. So, let's keep staying alive! We can live! All of us!'

Fleet Claw rubbed her snout with her wing, then looked down to the ground. 'I... I'm sorry...' She sighed. 'I just can't believe I'll never speak to him again...'

Black Talon lowered his hand, took hers, and hauled her up.

'It will be okay,' he lied. 'Everything will turn out okay.'

Fleet Claw nodded, not looking him in the eye. He patted her on the back, and mumbled 'good', glad he somehow managed to calm her down. He then strode to Razor Feather.

'You all right?' He asked. She nodded. 'I'll be fine...'

'Good. Now let's head back. We leave to the canyons tomorrow-'

'Did you hear that?' Razor Feather suddenly blurted out. The three became completely silent. Razor Feather's eyes swivelled around.

'He's here! RUN!'

Just as she began to sprint, a huge red blur ran out of the trees, and snapped its salivating jaws onto Razor Feather's foot. She fell with a shriek, and the snarling attacker instantly ran away, disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared. No one had any time to care that it was Thorn Tooth.

'Razor Feather!!' Fleet Claw screeched in horror.

For one moment, Black Talon hesitated. But then, he remembered...

'Fleet Claw! She has to die!' He growled. Razor Feather was in utter shock, not moving. Then, she lurched up, screaming a blood-curdling scream. The two gawped in disbelief as they saw, in front of their very eyes, Razor Feather's skin tear open, and blood dribble out, splattering onto the ground as she began to spasm and moan uncontrollably. Her tail thrashed as she cried in pure agony. Then, tears of blood leaked from her wide orbs, and her teeth pushed outwards, becoming jagged and uneven. She slammed against the ground, trembling and twitching.

Suddenly, Fleet Claw roared and ran to her, just as her eyes changed to the black, yellow, and red demonic look of the viral's. She thrust her clawed foot into the head of her friend, crushing the skull, snarling as liquid red spurted onto her leg. Razor Feather writhed around, mindlessly lashing out her claws, but to no avail. Slowly, she went limp, and Fleet Claw roughly removed her foot, with not even a scratch anywhere on her body.

Everything went quiet. The only sound Black Talon could hear was that of Fleet Claw's heavy breathing.

'There. I did it,' she growled, coldly. Black Talon just stared, not knowing what to do.

'There was nothing else you could have done...' He finally spoke. 'This was the only thing you could do if you wished to survive. I never imagined you to have the strength to commit such an act... You are a true survivor, and you have my respect.'

Fleet Claw stared at him with an unreadable expression. Then, it twisted into one of despair, and she began to weep, looking at the lifeless body of her friend.

Black Talon shut his eyes, holding back tears. He felt a swirling storm of melancholy in his chest, having lost two of his friends. But, he was thankful. He still had Fleet Claw.

'Look at her!' She sobbed. 'I can't believe I just took her life! She was my friend...'

'We need to go back. You are going to need some time to be alone-'

'No. I want to get out of this place! We leave to the canyon now. Let's go back, grab the prey, and head out. I have had enough of this nonsense!'

Black Talon moved over to her, and stared at her without speaking. He patted her on the shoulder, and moved in the direction of the cave.

'Come on, then. Let's head back.'

He couldn't even begin to express how proud he was for her. She was more capable than he had originally thought. She had always been so sensitive, but now, she was learning about what it took to survive, and she was taking it very well. With her, survival could become much easier. With her, he actually had a chance. As she padded after him, he knew- he could trust her. The moment they got to the cave, he would tell her everything about before, and how much their little clan had meant to him when he entered the pack-life.

Suddenly, there was a rustle from behind, and the sound of a surprised yelp while flesh was bitten on.

Everything stopped.

Black Talon's breath faltered.

He must have imagined it, right? It couldn't be...

Slowly, he turned. There, in front of him, was Thorn Tooth, biting down on the neck of Fleet Claw. Thorn Tooth saw him, and quickly ran away, blood dripping from his jaws. Fleet Claw just stood there, watching Black Talon in sheer horror, tears in her eyes.

Black Talon could not move.

Fleet Claw

His friend.

The only thing he had left.

Fleet Claw.

She was going to become a viral.

There was nothing he could do about it.

Her eyes reflected that she understood what had to come next- she looked at him knowingly, with no bitterness or hate. She knew what had to be done for her friend to survive. If she wouldn't make it, then at least he might.

Black Talon was completely frozen.

She watched for a few more seconds, knowing time was not on her side. 'Aren't you going to do it?' She asked, without malice or spite.

No response.

'Black Talon... don't be scared. I am not angry or afraid, I know it must be done.'

He just stared, wide-eyed. Unable to believe what was happening.

'I managed to do it myself... all because of your words. And now, you can't do the same?'

He took a step back.

She sighed, and shut her eyes. She would lose herself any minute now... her mind would go at any moment, but she needed to get out her final words to her final friend.

'Black Talon, please... I know you've been through a lot, but please... keep going!'

She didn't know if he had understood- his eyes were blank, glazed over with pure horror. But, she was satisfied.

She felt a sudden explosion of pain in her head. Wincing, she fell to the ground, completely helpless against the virus taking over her mind and body.

Black Talon blinked, and without a word, sprinted away, abandoning his writhing friend to her fate.

He could hear her screams behind him, but he could only run. Run as far away as he could. His mind had gone completely white, he had lost all sense of rationality. He was listening to his instincts, to his gut- and they told him to run.

He could barely even process his emotions, or bother to keep them inside. Tears were spilling out from his eyes, he could not hold them back. What was he feeling? Despair? Anger? Fear? He could not tell. All he knew was that he had to get out, go back to the cave, where it was safe.

---

He sat on the cold floor, breathing heavily. Slowly, everything returned- the look on her face as Thorn Tooth bit down on her throat. . .

It had to be a nightmare- that was the only explanation. He shut his eyes, covering them with his claws, whimpering in terror- it couldn't be real! When he opened his eyes, he would wake up to see his friends next to him, sound asleep. They would all be okay!

Breath trembling, he moved his hand away from his face, and opened one eye. No one was there. It was just him, alone, with no one around.

Just like before.

Tears dropped out of his eyes, as he covered his mouth, muffling a small squeak of horror.

It was all coming back.

The loneliness, the fear, the pain from before.

He couldn't believe it... it had only been one year. Only one year of him not being alone, not being afraid, and not being in pain. And now, he was right back where he started. Everyone he knew and loved was gone, once more. No force in the world would bring them back.

His stomach felt strange as though it was being twisted. His heart, as though it had been crushed. What was happening in his mind would have been very difficult to explain through words, because for once, he was not thinking- he was feeling. He was feeling a myriad of explosive emotions, fuzzing up his mind.

Quickly, he buried his head into his wing. He still had hope that this was some kind of nightmare- he just needed to block out the cruel world around him. He needed to escape, to go back into the loving wings of Thorn Tooth, Razor Feather, and Fleet Claw. Then, everything would be okay. Then, he wouldn't be alone anymore.

---

'Hey!' Fleet Claw called out to Black Talon. It had been a week since he had joined the pack, and he had integrated rather well.

'Hello,' he greeted. Razor Feather and Thorn Tooth trailed behind Fleet Claw, waving.

'We were wondering if you would like to come with us! We're going down to the waterfall, it'll be so fun'

Black Talon scratched his head. They were rather interesting and pleasant to be around, but he knew that by saying 'yes', he would be showing his affection. He had no intention to show that he was beginning to trust them- a fact that he also was uncomfortable with.

'I'll pass,' He said.

'But it'll be really fun! You're really nice to be around, we'd love for you to come!'

With a small amount of difficulty, which he was sure not to show, he shook his head. 'I'm exhausted,' he lied.

'Aww, that's a real shame! We really looked forward to you coming. Maybe next time?'

---

His eyes snapped open, and he awoke with a start.

He looked around, desperately searching for Fleet Claw and Razor Feather. But then, he remembered what happened, and instantly, stopped. Tears welled up in his eyes.

It... It's reality? How can this be? How can I be alone again? He thought to himself.

It's so pathetic... I dream of them, but for what? They're gone forever, what is the point? It won't bring them back...

Tears leaked from his eyes, spilling onto the floor.

I need to stop... I need to stop crying... it does me no good... I... why do I care so much? I don't want to feel this... I don't want to feel any of this... and yet, I do... I just want to forget everything... everything now, everything before... I just want to disappear. If suffering is all there is to life, if losing all you care about is truly inevitable, then I don't want to exist...

He whimpered, hiding his head in his wings. He shut his eyes. A shape formed before him. Three shapes. His friends.

He did not open his eyes.