The Adventures Of Mint & Coco

15: Revenge Will Not Be Accepted (Coco)

I walk through the forest, kicking leaves angrily. Niko trails behind, obviously aware that I am angry.
I growl, kicking a stick.
"How can Mint betray me? Doesn't she know how much Raven loves her? Doesn't she know how much I love her?" I say aloud.
I think of Shadow and feel my blood heating. Those empty blue eyes... What does Mint see in him? I absently take my arrow pendant in my hand. I may not be able to ask Luke and Raven to join us, but I can warn them. A tail brushing my arms brings me out of my thoughts. I look over. Niko looks at me, his brows furrowing as if he's... studying me. I stare back equally. Gone is the girl who blushed every time a boy looked at her. This journey has changed me. And it has changed Mint too... I look down, feeling the tears start to swell. I blink them back, thinking about how she had pushed me aside like I was nothing; acted as if she didn't even know Raven. I clench my fists. Niko's soft voice makes me look at him. "I know how it feels to be betrayed by someone you love." He begins. He sits down on a log. I sit down beside him. He looks ahead, into the trees. "Shadow wasn't always this way. He used to have a good heart. It turned bad when our family died. He changed so much." His voice falters, and I lay my tail across his back. "I hope that your best friend can make him see that what he's doing is wrong." I feel a sudden surge of anger. I get up and start walking away. "I'm sorry Coco, I didn't mean..." I whip around. "No one can change Shadow. Not even Mint. Not even you." I snarl. I flatten my ears and start running.

The tears come, and I let them fall. The wind cools my damp face. I collapse on the ground. I sniff and wipe my tears away. Niko walks past me and stops, a lock of brown hair falling in his eyes. I look into them, the same color as Shadow's, but not as cold. I try to ignore the faint fluttering in my stomach. Luke is the one for me... Isn't he? I shake my head. I get up and walk past him. "We're going to warn Raven and Luke," I say without looking back. I'm stopped by the sound of beating wings. I look up. A figure outlined by the sun descends to the ground. "Luke..." I whisper. He folds his wings and looks at me. I walk towards him. "You... you left me. Why? I thought..." "Shh." I interrupt him. I wrap my arms around him. We stand there for a while. Niko clears his throat. I pull away from Luke and look at him. His face is pained, as if he's... hurt. I look back at Luke. "You and Raven have to get as far away as possible. Shadow is going to kill you both," I say. Luke doesn't speak for a moment. I look back at Niko. Then Luke says, "Well, that's quite a development. I nod. "We have to tell Luna." he says. "Who's Luna?" I ask. Luke smiles saying, "She's just the leader of a bird mutant tribe." I hear Niko snicker. I glare at him. He covers his smile with his hand. We will have to travel to the Tribe of Flying Souls." Luke runs his fingers through his hair. "We'll have to create an army. We cannot afford to lose any people." He spreads his wings. Niko stops him. "Wait," he says. "What?" Luke asks. Niko looks at me before saying, "We're coming with you."