The Untold Story of Texas and Lappland (Arknights)

Shock and Runaway

Shocked murmurs rippled through the crowd. The atmosphere had shifted, the air practically stilling with how silent the stage had become. Texas heard little of the noice. Blood pounded in her ears as her vision wavered. She had not blinked since the moment they stepped into view. Dressed just like the last time she saw them, but instead of the bedraggled clothing and sick skin her parents looked right as rain. Flush with health, expressions stern as they gazed out at the rest of the pack assembled in the crowd. A sword was sheathed at her Father's hip. No sheath could hide the faint glow the Texas family weapons held. It made the reassuring weight of her dual blades that much more comforting.

But it was hard to feel any comfort with her heart beating this fast.

Thump.

THump.

THuMP.

THUMP.

Mom. Dad. How are they here?

How are they alive?

She remembered the last time she saw them. Dallas and Alice had both been ill, terminally so with the Infection. Unlike Lappland, who had lost a good chunk of her sanity back in the early days of infection, her parents had deteriorated at an alarming rate. At first, they tried to hide it from her. She was still a child then —was a child when they died— and they had not wanted her to worry. Parents never wanted the thing that caused their child pain, suffering and fear to be themselves. Well, not good parents. And her parents had been good. Maybe not as available as she always wanted, yet they were loving all the same.

She regretted not getting to spend more time with them. When Dallas and Alice had passed, she had wanted nothing more than for them to return, for their deaths to be a terrible dream. Seeing them now should have been a dream come true. Her heart should be soaring for joy at the sight of them standing alive right in front of her. But it can't be them . . . can it? They died. I was at the funeral. I saw them dead. They were gone. So how are they . . . Her thoughts kept racing in a rapid train.

"Texas. Texas!" A voice whispered harshly. There was a slap to her back, not loud but painful enough to snap her forward a little.

"Gah." She nearly bit her tongue at the jolt. Her head snapped to see Sora staring at her with wide eyes. The same worried expression seemed to be reflected in Exusiai, who was holding the blonde's hand.

"Texas, those are . . ." Exusiai trailed off.

Texas nodded, though uncertainty crept around her spine like a noose beginning to tighten. Something had to be wrong. Her parents were dead. She was there. And yet, how is this possible? This should not be possible . . .

"How are they alive?" The question came from neither Sora nor Exusiai. Texas knew Lappland was being silent for so long because she was just as shocked as Texas felt. The white wolf's mouth was half open, the sharp ends of her incisors poking out.

Are they alive she wanted to ask, but did not dare. At her core a war was playing out. The deepest part of her, where the child who had grown up too soon was held in remnants still wanted this to be truth. If her parents really were here this part of her could rejoice. But the other part of her, far more realistic than idealistic, knew that somehow, someway this was fake. Her parents could not be here when she so clearly remembered them being laid to rest.

"I don't know," she whispered. "I can't explain it."

She really could not. This was all too confusing, the objects of her confusion making her head hurt as they stepped up to speak. Just like all those years ago, their voices easily silenced the crowd. Respect was an easy thing to come by when you were an alpha. It was instinctive for a wolf to want to heed their words. A few of the crowd members were even shedding tears. It's been so long since they've had a real alpha here . . . I'm sorry everyone.