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From what you can see in the fogged up sky of this dirty little city, the sun has finally set, and the moon was hiding somewhere beyond the clouds of pollution, along with the stars. You sigh, unsatisfied. How could the city get this bad? It's almost unbearable to be there. You don't understand why people would let their home become so filthy. You sigh again, putting your thoughts and questions aside and continuing your nightly walk. Why bother asking questions no one will answer?
You suddenly see a shadow darting into an alley up ahead, the streetlights illuminating the shape of something that looks like a dog. Out of curiosity, you head in the direction of the creature. Perhaps it was hurt and needs help. It looked hunched over and was seemingly limping.
You reach the entrance to the alley and peer into it. Darkness engulfed the most of it. The only visible thing within it are a pair of bright yellow eyes, deep and sensitive. They were so piercingly luminous, it is almost as if they are looking into your soul. You stand there for a moment, a bit frightened of this creature with piercing eyes. Then, as sudden as they came, they were gone, the sound of its claws clicking against the hard concrete as it runs away from you. Whatever it is, it's more afraid of you than you are of it.
Going with your gut instinct, you run after it, into the darkest parts of the city, and the most vile smells smack you in the face. You quickly stop and cover your nose. What was this? A garbage dump? You don't really want to know.
You should not have come here… A sudden but gentle voice echoes in the small, apparently empty area. Your eyes widen as a small female lupe appears in front of you, the strange symbols on her body glowing like a neon green nightlight and lighting the small space you were both in. You look around curiously, almost forgetting the disgusting smell burning the insides of your nostrils. The end of the alley you had followed her in was like a small and smelly cubby hole. But something about it isn't right. There are burn marks everywhere, and any grass or plants that were growing in the cracks of the concrete are dead and wilting. So much so that they were black, like they had been burnt. You then turn your attention back to the small shaking lupe in front of you. Her gentle, pupil-less eyes, looking at the ground. She seems frightened. You are a bit frightened yourself.
But you take a good look at her. Her large fangs, long pointed claws, matted green main and tail, and grotesque black arms protruding from her shoulder blades gave her a look of evil. Something that you'd only see in your nightmares, gnawing on your flesh and skinning you alive. But as you look at her, you see that she is not evil at all. She is merely a freak of nature that is scared of the world that rejects her… The thought makes you frown, and look into her nervous eyes.
Please…, She says suddenly, her voice shaking, leave me alone.
You blink. She seems on the verge of tears. Why is she so afraid? You think to yourself. I haven't even done anything to her.
I'm not going to do anything to you, I promise… You assure her gently. But still she shakes.
It doesn't matter if you promise… All you humans ever do is hurt me, and reject me for being what I am. What they made me… She lowers her head, letting out a small sob, A freak of nature…
I was once a happy young pup, living with my mother, father, and older brother. My mother was a very kind hearted lupess. She held such wisdom and grace, I wanted to be just like her. She was second in command of our pack, my father being the leader. We weren't anything special, just a small group of homeless creatures trying to stay alive, just like any other creature would. And yet, my mother was amazing at anything and everything she did. Whatever it was, she would make it seem so much more graceful and dashing than it really was. And anything she had ever done was for the pack, never for her own needs. I admired her so much for everything she was, and all the great things she would make of herself in the future…
My father was just as amazing and graceful as my mother, just not quite as much so. He was strong, smart, and handsome. Everything you could imagine in a perfect leader. He would protect the pack with his life. He had never lost a battle to any challenger along the way. He taught me and my brother everything we knew, from our first baby steps to very complicated battle techniques. We were masters of any type of fighting style imaginable. But no matter how good we got, we could never defeat him, no matter how intense the training. He would always tell us there were dangerous things in the world, and we needed all the safety precautions we could get. I had no idea at the time how true his words would be for me…
And my brother… my dear brother, Biiff. We were so very close in our childhood. He was my best friend, and I will always remember him as such, no matter how grim his fate may be. I'm not even sure how to describe how close we all were. As a pack. But more so as a family. I was close with everyone in out pack. But my brother, he was incomparable to any of the others. He was my everything. Even the other pups around my age that I played with everyday could not eve come close to his importance in my life. Even if he was 8 years older than me. Age didn't matter to me, nor him. We needed each other…
And then something happened…
Our peaceful lifestyle soon ended after my 13th birthday. We were savagely attacked by the greediest, cruelest creatures to live on this earth. Humans. Xena, Darsh, Koven, all my friends since birth, were all slaughtered alongside their parents by these terrible humans. They brought strange weapons that shot smaller objects quick as lightning into my friends' skulls, small round objects that made loud noises and blew my comrades' limbs clean off their bodies, every violent object you could think of! I didn't know what to do. All the blood and carnage, screaming and panic around me, it was so terrifying. And I could only think one thing: Why? Why should these people have any reason to do this to us?
As tears streamed down my face, I ran to find my family. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to them. I could barely grasp the fact that half my pack was already dead. If I were to lose all of them, I would surely die. But I couldn't find them anywhere!
Then I was trapped and taken away. While all my friends, family, comrades, everybody were left behind to die. I couldn't stop my tears. I was so scared. I had no idea the pain and agony that was awaiting me at that horrible place.
They treated me like a tool. Constantly jabbing me with needles and injecting uncountable amounts of different liquids into my body. Some making me writhe in pain, others putting me to sleep for days at a time. They all changed me, the way I looked as well as the way I felt about my life and the cruelty of the world. Any reaction to a chemical you could think of, I've went through. I wished for no one else to ever experience the pain, agony and pure merciless torture I went through for those few months.
I spent my nights, mourning for my lost family. I only hoped and preyed that they made it out safely and were still alive, living a normal life again. But there was always a nagging feeling in the back of my mind, telling me that I was wrong, and that they were dead…
Later that week, to my complete and utter surprise, I was reunited with my dear brother. They were running low on cages, so coincidently, they put him with me because we were of the same species. I barely recognized him at first, they had done such horrible things to him. He had told me I didn't look like all that and a bag of chips myself. That had been the first time I laughed since I was taken away…
Even in all the pain both of us were in, we couldn't help but be ecstatic about being back together. I asked him about mother and father. I was right about them, they were dead. I missed them terribly, but even so I could only smile and cry of joy knowing I still had my big brother. We could at least have the luxury of suffering together.
A month later, my brother told me about the plan he had come up with. He thought it out so precisely and so cautiously, I had no doubt in my mind that it would work. But still, I worried. I couldn't handle being separated if we were caught, or even worse, if one of us were killed. He kept reassuring me though, saying that it would work, and that he would protect me with his life, and get me out by any means. This only made me worry even more…
Finally, the day to put our plans into action came. Things didn't go the way they were planned…
All it took was for me to trip and get caught again. It should've stayed that way. But of course, my big brother had to be a hero and save me… I made it out, but my brother… He sacrificed himself to keep me safe. I never forgave myself for that day, and I know I never will… He told me to run, to get out while I could and leave him. He said he'd catch up, he promised me he'd find me later.
He broke his promise…
After escaping the lab, I went into hiding. There was a city nearby, just as hideous and disgusting as myself. I hid among the shadows during the day, only daring to come out in the middle of the night, when there was less people. Who knew how these regular citizens would react to my grotesque being? I didn't want to find out, so I did what I could to stay hidden.
My body was like a living acidic substance. Anything I touched died and melted. If I were to directly touch another being, they would surely die. I never wanted to hurt anybody or anything, but my body thought otherwise. The only part of my body that didn't affect another being were the mutations growing out of my shoulder blades. They had grown into claw-like features that are now a part of my body. I couldn't risk the humans finding out about me. I know their kind. They would never accept a mutant like me into their society.
I also know those horrible people that took me away back then are still after me, even to this day. But I will never let them get me. I can't let my brother's sacrifice be in vain. I won't. There will never be a day that passes that I don't think of him… wherever he may be, no matter how horrible the condition he is in, if I were ever to find him, I would stay by his side. He and I would be all we would have. But until then, if it ever were to happen, I have nothing…
But I will continue to search for him, like I have all these years. I'll keep believing he's somewhere out there, searching for me too, and that someday, somehow, we'll be together again. I will forever keep holding on for him, until the ends of the earth and beyond. And I will find him…
Sound the bugle now - play it just for me
As the seasons change - remember how I used to be
Now I can't go on - I can't even start
I've got nothing left - just an empty heart
I'm a soldier - wounded so I must give up the fight
There's nothing more for me - lead me away...
Or leave me lying here
Sound the bugle now - tell them I don't care
There's not a road I know - that leads to anywhere
Without a light I fear that I will - stumble in the dark
Lay right down - decide not to go on
Then from on high - somewhere in the distance
There's a voice that calls - remember who you are
If you lose yourself - your courage soon will follow
So be strong tonight - remember who you are
Yeah, you're a soldier now - fighting in a battle
To be free once more - Yeah, that's worth fighting for
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