Blueheart

OOC: This is in tribute to Abbey. When my cat Tas passed away, I decided that, since I had simmed him in the UFOP world, that Tyr would take him to Ba'ku when he became too old to travel with him, so that he could live forever at least in a fantasy world. Abbey deserves nothing less. ((Ba'ku Homeworld)) ::She'd never liked him. Never really considered him a friend or even a companion. At best, they had tolerated each other, with the occasional attack that had sent her yowling to her protector's feet and him skulking away with his tail between his legs. Now, she spotted those same eyes gazing at her as he put her down. Her legs were unsteady and she swayed on them momentarily as the dizziness and nausea that had been so prevalent lately assaulted her again. Her skin, yellowed from a failing liver and medication, burned momentarily under the warm sun. With a black coat and her white belly, Abbey used to love the sun, taking special pleasure in rolling from side to side in conented comfort in the sunbeam that came through the window.:: ::That is, when HE wasn't around.:: ::After a gentle pat (and what appeared to be a tear from her protector's face), he turned and left, and for a moment she feared that she would be at his mercy again. With no one around, he would surely tackle her, and in her weakened state she couldn't defend herself. Content to bask in the sunlight that seemed to heal her with every breath, she lay down in the field and took in what the sun gave her. Then HE came forward.:: ::She bristled. Even managed a hiss from the mouth that seemed to no longer crave food or her kitty treats.:: ::He gently touched her nose with his, then nudged her gently with his chin. Suspicious, she eyed him, no longer hissing but not issuing any welcoming purrs or displays of affection. Too long had she tormented him. Too many times she had let her guard down only to be attacked a few minutes later. But this time, something was different.:: ::He seemed to understand. He knew her pain. Knew that she was feeling it right now. He seemed to know, with nothing but a touch of the nose, that she'd come here because she had to, because she could no longer be with the protector-just the same as he had two years ago. And, perhaps, because she was a friend, even if he didn't act like it. A constant shadow at his side, a companion that he looked to when the protector was away. They'd shared toys, treats, and a food and water bowl for almost 11 years. That bond, just like the ailing black and white body, was slowly being restored.:: ::Another nudge, and a purr. Abbey looked up and stood, feeling strength returning to her legs. The patches of fur that had been shaved for IVs (much to her annoyance) had grown back and she was her full self again, jet-black fur with an undercoat of brown, with bright green eyes and a pink nose shining in the sunlight. Likewise, Tas was as she remembered him before he'd gotten sick. Orange and white fur, golden eyes, and the most expressive face she had ever seen. They were together again, after seemingly so much time apart, and sitting side-by-side they watched the protector leave. They knew he couldn't stay where they were, just as surely as they knew they would see him again. One day he would return, and there would be no more errands to run or workplaces to attend to. One day, they could pile on him like they had those wonderful, memorable days of the past, purring in contentment and each receiving scratches behind the ears and backrubs. Yes, they would see him again, but until then, each had the other. No longer alone, no longer sick, and no longer in sadness or pain. And the two friends that had never been friends renewed their unspoken bond, forged by love of their protector and his love of them. Together, they trotted into the forest, to explore, and enjoy eternity together.:: =========================== Abbey -and- Tas as simmed by Captain Tyr Waltas Commanding Officer USS DISCOVERY-C

((Yosemite National Forest, Earth)) ::He'd jogged until he was out of breath, and then stopped only to regain it before running again. Certain that he'd distanced himself sufficiently from the Yacht and from Kieran, he finally stopped, chest heaving, and dropped to his knees. Tears spilled from his eyes as he looked up into the dark sky filled with stars, the silouhettes of the trees outlined by the moonlight.:: o O I can't do this again. Not to myself, not to Daisha or the twins. I can't get involved again. It hurts too much.. O o ::Sighing, he sat on the broken stump of a tree that had fallen and died long ago, his eyes reflecting in the moonlight. His sensitive infravision picked up a skulking wolf, far in the distance, and its prey, a small rabbit attempting to remain absolutely still. What the Ba'ku's night-vision did not intercept, however, was the figure that emerged from shadows of the trees and into the clearing. The moonlight danced off of her brown/burgundy-colored hair, her green eyes, and her pointed ears. Tyr gasped as he recognized her.:: WALTAS: Eden.. REDSTONE::Remaining partially in the shadows:: So you blame me for your fear? Did I "break" you, k'diwa? WALTAS::Anger rising to the surface:: Don't call me that. REDSTONE::Mockingly:: What? K'diwa? Would you rather I called you the human translation? Beloved? WALTAS: You don't have the right to call me ANYTHING. ::Even through the haze of anger, he found himself drawn to her, wanting to hold her again, to feel her lithe frame wrapped around him. He furiously fought down the urge to reach out for her.:: REDSTONE: The great Captain Tyr Waltas, broken by a woman. I was right to leave. You ARE pathetic. WALTAS::Looking away:: I loved you with every piece of me..every bit of my soul I poured into you. And you did nothing but wait for the moment to destroy everything we had. You walked away from me. From them... REDSTONE: And I'll do it again. Goodbye, Tyr. ::His head snapped around in the direction where she'd stood, only to find empty space. His eyes searched the wilderness, only to find what he'd found before-the wolf and the rabbit. Predator and prey. The rabbit was on the run, with the wolf in pursuit. He watched the chase idly, until another voice snapped his head in the direction where Eden Redstone had stood. There, in the moonlight, another form now materialized. This one from the dirt and mud itself, as if rising from the grave. It took form, and Tyr quickly found himself wishing it hadn't. Lieutenant Hammond, complete with her vintage gold-colored command shirt from Kirk's era, stood before him in all of her glory, carrying a fresh bag of guilt for the Captain.:: HAMMOND: It was easy to rid yourself of someone who walks away from you. What about someone who couldn't? WALTAS::Bitterly:: You KNOW why I left. The timeline.. HAMMOND: So you abandoned someone you loved for Starfleet protocol. To preserve the future. What about my future, Tyr? Our future? So the Constellation would have survived...would it have made that great a difference? To wipe out the planet killer together and spend the rest of our lives in each others' arms? Was that worth your precious temporal prime directive? WALTAS: It would never have worked.. HAMMOND::Walking forward, she planted an accusing finger squarely in his chest:: YOU walked away from ME, Tyr. You left me.. ::She walked backward, her form disappearing into the shadows:: to die.. WALTAS::Plaintively:: Please! Wait! ::Silence only greeted him. The Ba'ku lowered his head, tears falling upon the now dew-laden grass. The memories of the USS Constellation and his decision to consign them to their fate, including the woman he loved, tore at him from all sides. A strong yet feminine hand cupped his chin and lifted his eyes to hers. His heart nearly stopped in shock.:: WALTAS: Merigold. ::Merigold Kitiganzibi stood before him, smelling of sandalwood and lavender as she always had, the wind carrying the scent to him like the touch of a lost love. While Tyr had grown older and his hair was now gray, she stood before him in the flower of youth-just as when they'd first met aboard the Constitution. Her powerful form was accentuated in the moonlight, giving her an almost statuesque appearance. Except this statue spoke, and delivered more pain.:: KITIGANZIBI: Ah, the memories of first love. WALTAS::Shaking his head:: YOU walked away. KITIGANZIBI::[...]ing her head curiously, a curl of dark hair escaping to stray into her face:: Did I? Or did you ask too much, Tyr? ::She raised her other hand, holding the wedding band he'd given her. It gleamed golden in the moonlight:: Too much, too soon? You always wanted it all, when you wanted it, didn't you? Never willing to wait until the time was right. WALTAS: The time was NEVER right for you. You never would hold yourself to me. KITIGANZIBI: Blaming others again, Tyr? ::Snorting, she dropped the ring to the ground, where it dissolved into the vegetation around it:: I can see you still haven't grown up after all this time. ::Playfully, she flicked his graying long hair:: You've only grown older. ::She began to walk away as the words cut at him, wounding him from every side and angle. Through the pain and tears he spoke, his voice weak and labored. In the distance the wolf had caught the rabbit and quickly made the kill.:: WALTAS: Y..you killed me.. KITIGANZIBI: I did. ::Turning, a phaser now in hand:: And I would again. ::She fired, the bright orange beam burning a hole in his chest and blasting him off the log. He landed in a heap nearby as pain radiated outward, burning him, consuming him as the wolf consumed the rabbit. An anguished scream was all he could muster before the beam destroyed him utterly.:: ((Yosemite Forest, Earth)) ::He awoke with a continuation of the scream from the nightmare, but quickly silenced himself. He was shaking with terror, and his hand went involuntarily to his chest to feel for the phaser burn. There was nothing but the fabric of his sweat-soaked shirt. Allowing his breathing to return to normal and his heart to slow to its regular pace, he climbed down from the large branch of the tree he'd perched in and stood unsteadily on the ground. He looked about and found the wolf in the distance. The rabbit was nowhere to be seen. Quietly, he returned to the campsite with no firewood, but still bearing a burden heavier than he had left with.:: ============================== Captain Tyr Waltas Commanding Officer USS Discovery