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" Please...please be safe... "
Amidst endless waves of tears, the heartbroken and near-inconsolable Stella lies in Gale's former hollow in the tree, her feathers ruffled and messy, face soaked with tears and warm with a flush. Just hours prior, the world around her was shattered in an instant as the girl she loved had met her brutal and untimely demise at the hands of a volcanic cave-in. The loss weighed heavily on the once lively and exuberant bird, her vibrant feathers now dull with the poison of insurmountable grief leaving her unable to find solace in Gale's death as she was consumed by the cherished memories she held with the girl she loved. The void left in her heart casted a ghastly shadow that eclipsed her vibrant and cheerful personality, feeling limitless guilt as she blamed herself for not being able to rescue Gale in time. The Band tried to cheer her up, but the pain was far too profound for Stella's mind to be deterred from the loss of her beloved partner. If she was just a little faster -- if Poppy didn't hold her back, Gale would be...
" Stella...? " A shy and timid voice chirped up as the pink galah attempted to mask her audible sobbing by making a racket in the hollow in an attempt to make her emotions less noticeable. In doing so, her rash actions end up knocking over one of Gale's mirrors, causing it to shatter. Willow flinched at the loud noise, hearing Stella's cries ring out past the crash of the mirror. Stella couldn't muster up the energy to speak, for her body was exhausted and worn out. She didn't move, simply turning her head to face Willow as she tried containing her weeping to hear what she had to say. "D-Dahlia wants to talk to you. Whenever you can.. " Willow speaks up, stuttering as she feels the pain Stella is going through. With a small nod from what she could muster of her strength Willow would be dismissed and would quietly close the door, leaving her alone. Stella shakily catches a hesitant breath, holding back another flow of tears as another wave of stress washes over her. She wants nothing more than to be with the fallen queen, to bask in her glimmering warmth and have all of her worries fade away in an instant. Consumed by the memories of Gale and what could have been, the pink galah nearly forgot about Dahlia's request to talk to her, as she tightly hugged the pillow on Gale's old bed, falling to another downpour of dreadful tears.
Within the deepest reaches of the treacherous volcano, weak cries sounded out from underneath a large pile of volcanic debris that had crushed the poor bird. The violet-backed starling gasped in agonizing pain, as part of her body was underneath a giant rock that had fortunately failed to crush her. Covered in burn wounds and slice marks that littered and ruined her regal and elegant plumage, Gale had miraculously survived the volcanic cave-in, although left critically wounded. She had a gaping scar going across her eye and forehead, the latter having been split open from a rock as she lied in a pooling puddle of blood, struggling to move out of the rock formation. In the moments prior to the cave-in Gale had foolishly tried to go back to retrieve the Golden Egg, much to the dismay of Stella and the Band, who had come to rescue them both from the fiery depths. Her infatuation for the glimmering relic had cost her dearly, nearly getting killed in the process. She deeply regretted her actions, the horrified reactions of Stella and The Band burned into her mind as she persisted forth, filling her with remorse and tears as she realizes all she took for granted with the relationships of her friends. Against all of her thoughts, she continued to try to wedge out of the rocks, wincing in pain. Everything ached, and her body was drained with the will to go on as streams of lava cascaded around her, their hostile glowing molten rivers threatening to consume her as a deathly exhaustion tore at her body, which was on the verge of succumbing to the might of the volcano. Brighter still was her burning love for Stella. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her, and vice versa for the poor pink galah grieving her presumed death. Panic arising in her with the lava pools continuing to strengthen, she attempts to force herself free, only wounding herself further in her haste. Steadying herself, she caught a deep breath as she felt a reignited sense of ambition -- a mission to make it back alive.
For her sake.