Make Oneself
by Skorupi-anon
A sigh escapes my lungs as I stare up at the barren wooden bulletin board. Disappointingly, but not unexpectedly, any worthwhile missions have already been picked off by the other guild members. I only have myself to blame, though. The lobby of the Clover Guild is always at its most packed right after breakfast time, when everybody is clamoring around the bulletin boards to find that day's mission, so I always wait to take a peek at the job offers until after the early crowd disperses. It's a bit pointless, though, as I still can't even read footprint runes by myself, despite my halfhearted attempts at studying the local language. I was never the scholarly type, so progress has been pretty slow. I sigh again, wracking my brain in an attempt to parse the writing on the job notices, but despite my best efforts, I can't understand any of it without the help of a certain someone...
Right on cue, a familiar voice suddenly rings through the formerly quiet lobby. “Good morning, little buddy!” Furret jogs down the nearby stairs and charges straight ahead, wrapping her arms tightly around my waist and lifting me off the ground. She puts so much force into her sudden hug that she nearly knocks me over. “There you go again, getting out of bed without as much as a 'hello'!”
“G-good morning, Furret,” I gasp. “Y-you're crushing me.”
“I can't help it, little buddy,” she says. “You're just too huggable!” Most people are taken aback by my unwelcoming, jagged exterior, but she never seems bothered, not enough to not wrap me up in a bear hug, anyway. Once she's had her fill, she loosens her grip and places me back onto the floor. Ignoring the bulletin board entirely, she asks, “So, anyway, you got any plans? Because if you ask me, today would be the perfect day for a picnic!”
“A picnic, huh.” I'd be lying if I said I wasn't totally enthused, but I don't want to upset her. “Sounds fun, but, we've been out of work for a while.”
Her expression drops slightly. “Oh, uh, yeah, I guess so. But, a picnic sounds a lot more fun, right?” By the time she finishes her sentence, a big smile has already found its way back onto her fuzzy face.
I'm still skeptical. “We haven't had any jobs since we went with Toge a few weeks back. I think we should find work.”
Furret winces a little when I mention Toge's name, dropping her smile for real this time. “Umm. Yeah, that thing with Toge...” She looks around briefly, noting the small handful of other guild members still populating the lobby, before suggesting, “We should talk about that somewhere a little more... private? ...Like, on a picnic! Trust me, I know a really good spot!” She closes her eyes and flashes a toothy grin.
I look away awkwardly when I see her forced smile. Maybe I struck a nerve without realizing. “Alright, alright, fine, we'll have a picnic,” I say. While it's true that Team MLG's lack of guild work has left me feeling antsy for quite some time, I'm willing to keep those thoughts in the back of my mind if Furret's feeling uneasy. Plus, there's no better way to clear up my own feelings of ennui than spending some quality time with her.
“Yay! What are we waiting for, then? Let's pack up and go!” Her voice now filled with genuine cheer, she suddenly picks me up above her head and carries me all the way back to our bedroom in the blink of an eye.
“I can't read, but I can at least walk by myself, you know!”
...
The bright noon sun beams down from directly overhead. A gentle breeze tickles the grass beneath us, along with Furret's fur. She elects to lay out a checkered picnic cloth underneath the shade provided by the trees along the edge of a small forest. It took about an hour of walking to reach our destination, enough time for us both to soak in plenty of sunshine, but not to the point where it became uncomfortable or overbearing before settling down. At first I was annoyed to go yet another day without tackling any requests... but I have to admit, Furret sure does know how to choose a good spot to relax.
Furret takes a moment to tighten the black tie attached to her white suit collar, before producing two apples from a wicker basket. “Eat up, little buddy. I brought plenty of food for both of us!” She takes a large bite out of hers all at once, smiling with delight as she chews on it.
“Thanks,” I say, taking several tiny bites out of mine.
“Y'know, there's no need to be such a reserved eater, little buddy,” Furret mumbles, still in the middle of chewing.
“It's a habit,” I respond. I try to hold back my embarrassment, but I'm not good at hiding it.
“Just teasing, just teasing!” she giggles, having decided to actually swallow her food before speaking this time. Her playful attitude is too infectious for me to hold back a smile of my own.
The walk to our picnic site seems to have lifted her spirits, but the exchange we had earlier today is still weighing on me. I'm not sure if now is a good time, but I decide to steer the conversation back in that direction. “I didn't upset you this morning, did I?”
She opens her mouth to speak for a moment, but no words come out. Her expression fades, and she sighs deeply. “About that, umm... w-well, don't worry, I'm not mad at you or Toge or anything! It's not a big deal, seriously.”
“...I'm not good at these kinds of talks, but if something's bothering you, you can tell me,” I reassure her.
She smiles slightly. “I know we haven't been on any jobs in a few weeks, and it's because, you see... I'm kind of... scared.” She chuckles under her breath, before clearing her throat, her expression becoming troubled once more.
“Scared? Is it because of the incident with...”
“...Team Shogun,” she states bluntly. “Those gold rankers that stopped us in the forest.”
I get a tense, awkward feeling when I hear her say that team's name. “I'm... maybe I acted recklessly.”
“You didn't do anything wrong, little buddy, I know you were trying to protect me and Toge. It's just that...” As she continues her sentence, she struggles harder and harder to find the right words. “They said Toge was an outlaw. And they're a gold rank team! But we took Toge's side anyway... Did we do the right thing?” Her expression becomes visibly more hopeless. “And... we're not... criminals now, are we?”
“Well...”
I have no idea what to say.
“...If it makes you feel better, Toge said they probably wouldn't tell anyone what happened. Something about pride.”
“Probably, huh...” Furret mutters. “That doesn't make me feel much better...”
Crap. Like I said, I'm no good at these kinds of talks. Furret is usually the one being supportive towards me when I'm feeling unsure. Why is it that when the roles are reversed, I can't return the favor?
Neither of us say anything for a while, the only sound being that of the leaves on the trees rustling in the breeze. Eventually, Furret exhales, and says, “Oh, little buddy, I don't mean to worry you. I mean, it's a bit silly of me to be hung up on this still, right? Toge's a great guy, and if he says we're gonna be okay, then I believe him.” Her voice is filled with confidence, but I can't tell if it's genuine or forced.
“Ah, is that so... yeah, you're right. Everything'll be fine. It's been weeks. If Team Shogun really has a bone to pick with us, then they'd have done something by now. And I bet picking on us Clover Guild members is beneath a gold rank team. So, don't worry, okay?”
As soon as I finish speaking, Furret wraps me up in another gigantic hug. “Oh, thank you so much, little buddy! I don't know what I was thinking! I'm so so so sorry if I worried you!”
On one hand, I feel relieved that I was able to cheer her up. On the other, I can barely breathe. “Y-you're w-welcome, but you're choking me again,” I stammer out.
“Right, right, sorry!” She says, putting me down. While she's still right up in my face, she takes the opportunity to adjust the bright yellow bow tie she had affixed to my neck earlier in the day, as it had become crooked amidst her cuddle assault. Then, she steps back and pulls a banana out of the basket, having already finished eating her apple. Meanwhile, I'm still only halfway through mine.
Returning to my apple, I take another nibble, and when I'm finished chewing, I note, “You picked some good fruits, Furret. It's hard finding quality apples around here.”
“No kidding!” she replies, her mouth once again full of food. “Apparently there used to be this place called Apple Woods that was chock full of 'em, but there was a huuuuuuge forest fire some time ago, and ever since, good apples have been really tough to come across. That whole incident happened before I came to the Grass Continent, though.”
“That, uh, sounds like it must have been a pretty big deal when it happened,” says the Phantump, as he helps himself to an apple from the basket.
...Wait, who?
Our souls nearly leave our bodies as Furret and I jolt backwards in shock. Somehow, without either of us noticing, a stranger had invited himself to our picnic.
“W-w-who are you?” I stutter, in disbelief.
“Th-that was the last apple...” Furret cries to herself, exaggerated teardrops dripping from her eyes.
“Er, um, I-I'm, u-uh, I'm sorry,” the lost child mumbles softly. I assume he's a child, anyway. His voice is high-pitched and squeaky. If I had to guess, this kid couldn't be any older than thirteen or fourteen. “I, umm, didn't mean to scare you, it's just, um, I was really hungry and, er, it's just-”
“Oh, you're hungry?” Furret asks. “Why didn't you just say so, then? Dig in!”
The child stares with wide eyes, blinking slowly. “Really?”
“Yeah, really?” I ask rather plainly. “We don't know him. And, he could have at least asked before helping himself...”
“Of course!” she beams. “The more the merrier, y'know?”
“Oh, u-uh, thank you,” the Phantump responds, seemingly taken aback by Furret's generosity. He's only been at our picnic for a minute at most, and yet he's already reduced his apple to just a core. Guess he wasn't lying about being hungry. Bashfully, he rummages through the picnic basket and produces a freshly picked berry.
Deep down, I'm a bit irritated, even suspicious, that a stranger would so brazenly intrude on our conversation... but, he's just a kid, and he seems so shy and hungry that I can't help but feel bad for him. After thinking about it for a moment, I say, “If you're okay with it, Furret, then so am I.” I put on my best friendly face, and continue. “Eat up, uh...”
The poor kid seems uncomfortable and nervous. It takes a second for him to realize I'm asking for his name. “Oh! Um... you can call me, uh... Wispy,” he responds, refusing to make eye contact, and with his mouth full of food. As he polishes off his berry, he brushes his arm across his mouth and wipes his chin clean of the berry's sticky juice.
“Aw! Such a cute name,” Furret coos. Our surprise guest suddenly has a rosy blush painted all over his face. Too shy to handle her praise, he meekly turns to the side, covering his face with his hand in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. I can't help but chuckle a little. In a weird way, he almost reminds me of myself. “Oh yeah, we should introduce ourselves as well! I'm Furret, and this is my little buddy!”
I'm so used to being introduced like this that I don't even notice it at this point. As if reading from a script, I chime in and say, “My name's Smith, by the way.”
Wispy smiles politely. “It's so very nice to meet you, Furret.” When he turns to face me, his expression has changed from a nervous smile to an awkward glare. “...And, uh, you, too.” I swear I hear him grumble something about me being a “creepy-looking guy” under his breath, but Furret doesn't seem to notice. When he shifts his gaze back to her, though, he goes right back to beaming amicably like nothing ever happened.
Feeling miffed that I got off on the wrong foot with him, I try to ease his nerves by asking, “Are you from around here? Because the nearest town is an hour away.”
“Errr... umm,” Wispy mutters, unable to say anything coherent. He looks longingly at Furret, as if asking to be bailed out of having to talk to me. Turns out, no matter how hard Furret tries to pretty me up with accessories like an oversized doll, I can't help but come off as intimidating to others.
“Oh, come on, short stuff, he might look scary, but there's no need to be afraid of my little buddy,” she says, reassuringly. “He's sweeter than... well something really sweet, that's for sure! Now, do you wanna tell us where you're from? Got any family around here that we could bring you home to?”
“Short st-...?” Wispy asks incredulously, raising an eyebrow. He blinks a few times, trying to ignore the new nickname Furret has bestowed upon him, before shaking his head and going back to his typical shy demeanor. “W-w-well, uh, not really, no. I've never lived in a big, uh, town, or anything like that. Just been by myself for as long as I can remember.”
“Sheesh! Sounds scary! You must be a brave little man to be on your own. Doesn't it get lonely, though?” She rubs the shadowy tuft atop Wispy's head with her paw, not unlike an overbearing grandmother ruffling a hand through her grandchild's hair.
He ducks down and sets his head free of her furry clutches. “I'm okay, I promise.” Wispy stops speaking for a moment, lost in thought. “...U-um... if you'd like... I can show you to where I, uh, stay. It's nice and safe.” He gazes at me out of the corner of his eye, and under his breath, mumbles, “The weird purple one can come too.” I tried, I really did, but I guess I'm just not good with kids.
“Great! What are we waiting for, then? Let's pack up and head out,” she declares.
I stand up and step away from the checkered cloth that we had been resting on, allowing Furret to fold it up and stuff it into the basket. “Lead the way, short stuff!” Furret shouts enthusiastically.
“...Stop calling me that, please.”
“You get used to it,” I say.
...
Our newly formed trio steps into the forest, with Wispy as our guide, myself as our basket-carrying packmule, and Furret as moral support. I don't particularly mind being the one carrying the basket, as it isn't very heavy, although I find walking while carrying it square on my back to be a tad awkward. I also don't mind quietly following the other two, as they chat, laugh, and get to know each other. Although Wispy isn't getting along well with me, Furret seems to be growing on him fast. Of course, it's hard to find someone who doesn't become fast friends with a girl as bubbly and upbeat as her. Just hearing her be happy is soothing to me.
The sun is much lower in the sky now than it was when we had left the guild earlier in the day. Its light breaches the canopy and dapples both the ground beneath our feet, and our bodies, with specks of sunlight. I can hardly feel the breeze anymore, as it's blocked by the trees surrounding us, but the shade of the forest is still keeping us cool. With a stomach full of food on a day as beautiful as this, it's hard not to want to take a nap all afternoon. We're too far from home for me to be thinking like that, though. There's still plenty of walking to do before sunset.
In a noticeably more relaxed manner, Wispy clears his throat and says, “My place isn't far from here. Just keep following a bit longer, okay?”
Furret gives an exaggerated salute, and loudly says, “Aye aye, short stuff!” She can't help but burst into a brief fit of laughter immediately after. Wispy responds merely by rolling his eyes with a smirk.
The pathway opens up into a large clearing, the ground littered with countless leaves and sticks. A small number of trees stand tall, yet solemnly, the sun hitting them and casting shadows that stretch a long way across the ground. In the center of the field lies a particularly tall tree, its base being more cluttered with leaves than anywhere else in the clearing. The peak of the tree is dense with foliage, but numerous barren branches jut out around ten or so feet from the ground.
“We're almost there,” Wispy claims. He floats past the tallest tree, beckoning for us to follow with a blank expression.
“Whaddya think the place is gonna be like, little buddy?” Furret asks me.
“Couldn't tell y-”
A feeling of weightlessness overcomes me as my surroundings become a blur. A rough, tight sensation grips where the ball at the end of my tail meets its final segment, and I'm launched upwards with incredible force. I shout involuntarily out of surprise. Amidst the chaos, I can hear Furret yelp , but I'm still too shocked to understand what's happening.
For a moment, my head is spinning, but before long, my vision clears up and I'm once again able to process my surroundings. The sky looks unusually green and brown, all of a sudden... wait a minute, I'm upside down! I strain myself to bend upwards and peek at the rest of my body, a task made more difficult by a sudden wave of vertigo, in tandem with a sensation of sharp, burning pain. To my bewilderment, a thick brown rope is tightened firmly around the end of my tail, its other end tied to a tree branch. Having my entire body weight be forcefully supported by my outstretched tail hurts so much, that I can only attempt to lift myself up for a second or so before I give in and allow myself to dangle limply.
Glancing over at Furret, she doesn't seem to be doing much better. She's in the same predicament as me, similarly dangling upside down, except she has a rope tied around her ankle. Her way up must have been rougher, as her bound foot is bent at an unusual angle. I cringe at the sight of it. Like me, she briefly attempts to move around, but she can hardly keep it up for very long before the pain becomes too much for her.
“Furret!” I grunt loudly. “Are you okay?”
“I-is that you, little buddy?” Furret shouts back. Gravity is draping her black tie downwards and in front of her face. She manages to rotate the collar around her neck, an action which simultaneously moves the tie out of the way, allowing her to see again, while also revealing the strained expression on her face. “My foot hurts... and I'm dizzy... but otherwise I think I'm fine!” She sounds worse off than she's leading me to believe. “Where's Wispy? Is he ok?”
A familiar, squeaky voice echoes through the clearing. “I'm down here, you big idiots!” He floats up to us, carrying the picnic basket with him. Now that he's closer, I can see a big, smug grin plastered onto his face. “You guys fell for it so easily!”
“Wh-what are you talking about?!” I yell. “Did you do this?”
“Yup!” Wispy yells back proudly. “And it was super easy, too. You didn't suspect a thing, you big, dumb freak!”
“Wispy...” Furret moans. “Wh-what are you saying?”
He ignores her entirely, his face contorting into a scowl.
Rage begins to flow through my entire body, to the point that I don't even notice the pain in my tail anymore. Oh, so before, he wouldn't even look me in the eye, but now that I'm trapped, he has no problem with insulting me straight to my face? I feel like I'm gonna start foaming at the mouth at any second now. “You piece of... when I get out of here I'm gonna-”
“Shut up,” he barks. “I'll be taking all your stuff now, losers.” Hearing such vile rudeness being spewed out of a mouth with such a childish voice is absolutely bizarre, and it enrages me even more. He glances over at Furret for a split second, before looking away from the both of us. “...Thanks for the meal,” he mutters, before descending and floating away.
Something seemed really strange about that last thing he said. It's as if the smug, cruel attitude was just a facade. At the end there, he seemed almost... genuine?
...Yeah, right. Little bastard was probably just terrified thinking about what I'm gonna do to him once I get out of this trap.
I want nothing more than to explode with rage and go berserk, but deep down, I know it would just be a pointless waste of time. There's not much that can be done right now, anyway.
“You sure you're alright, Furret? Your ankle looks bad,” I shout to her.
She appears dejected. “What... what happened? Why would Wispy do that to us?”
“I don't know,” I respond, “but forget about that. We need to-”
“No, I won't forget about it!” she cries, her voice cracking. “That kid... that kid was way too nice to do something so cruel... he... someone must have put him up to it.”
“Look, just... stay calm, okay?” I plead. “...How about we get out of this mess and catch up to him?”
Furret can only respond with a depressed grunt of indifference. She dangles helplessly from the tree branch, no longer making any effort to move around.
I exhale deeply, struggling to remain calm myself. With an injury like that, I doubt Furret could move around much, even if she wanted to. Looks like it's up to me. I once again contract my muscles and bend upwards, using as much of my strength as possible in an attempt bring my head level with the rope. With considerable effort, I can just barely press my mouth against the rope. Straining myself nearly to the point of failure, I tilt my head and begin scratching the rope with one of my mandibles. If I had more stability, I might be able to saw through it, but as I am right now, it's simply too physically demanding. I finally loosen my muscles and go back to hanging upside down.
As it stands, the situation is hopeless. Doing anything at this point would just waste energy unnecessarily. And, besides that... it feels impossible to keep going when I'm forced to see Furret in despair. With all the blood rushing to my head, it's becoming difficult to think straight anymore, aside from a single sentence, echoing through my mind.
I could free us both if I was stronger.
Before long, I stop trying, and fall silent.
~Meanwhile~
Basket in hand, I float into a secluded corner of the woods and rummage through the two dweebs' crap. Underneath the colored cloth, which I tossed to the side, the basket is filled with berries of different shapes and colors. I help myself to every last one. They should taste good, but I feel so bitter that I don't even enjoy it. I didn't really earn these, did I? I mean, the girl told me I could have as many as I wanted. If anything, these were practically given to me...
No, no no no, I earned these for sure. Those two idiots let their guard down. They should have known I was only hanging out with them because I was tricking them. I outsmarted them. Especially that disgusting purple creep. The look on his face was priceless, he was none the wiser! All their stuff is MINE now. I won!
...Then why do I feel so... empty? No, I gotta stop thinking like that. I don't care. If you let yourself get tricked by someone smaller and weaker than you, then you're a loser, simple as that. That's just how the world works, after all.
I stick my hand into the basket again, hoping to pull out one last fruit, but it's empty, aside from something soft. I grab it and take it out.
In my hand is a gaudy green ribbon. What's this ugly piece of junk doing in here? Whatever. Who knows, maybe it'll actually be worth something. I stuff it into my helmet, descend low to the ground, and lean back against a nearby tree.
I feel mad, disappointed, and upset, all at the same time. I look away from the basket. Just seeing it makes me angry, makes me think of them... of her. What an annoying girl. Where does she get off on calling me short, huh? She must think she's real high and mighty, looking down on me, I bet she only gave me her food to feel better about herself, huh. What a condescending jerk. The way she pat my head like I'm some kind of little kid, like she's my mom or something... and how she was actually listening to the crap I was telling her. So gullible. I don't care. I don't care at all.
I sit in complete silence for a while. I don't care about them.
I really don't...
Without me even noticing, my whole face has gotten hot, and tears are pouring out of my eyes. I wipe my eyes dry with my hands over and over, but I can't stop crying. Winners aren't supposed to cry. I'm supposed to laugh, and brag, and celebrate! So why...?
My vision is completely blurred with tears. The sounds of my own sniffling and sobbing reverberate through my eardrums. Maybe if I sit and mope for a while, I'll get over it. My body's just being dumb, because of my stupid emotions, I tell myself. I guess it must be instinct to want to cry after making some friendly girl miserable.
A girl as kind and generous and sweet as her... and her scary but kinda nice buddy... Nah, I don't care about them.
Not at all.
I jolt upright, my eyes finally dry and my spirits lifted. I'll never grow up if I cry like a baby over something so stupid. Stealing from two random people? Yeah, I bet a really cool adult could steal from anyone and not feel a thing! I wanna be like that. If I keep at it, someday I'll be able to lie and cheat and steal from whoever I want, and get whatever I want, all by myself!
So, I'm over them. Those twerps can hang up on that tree until they starve for all I care. It's their fault they fell for my rope trap anyway. Man, I was so cool back there, it felt so good to tell those dumb freaks off! I'll even keep their basket as a trophy! That way, anyone who crosses me from now on will know what happens to those who mess with me! And, the best part? It'll be so hilarious to imagine the looks on their dumb faces when the monster comes looking for food and sees-
I freeze up completely. Oh no. Ohnonononononono.
The basket falls out of my hands. The only things I can hear are the sounds of the blood rushing through my own body, and the pace of my breathing increasing until I'm full-on hyperventilating. What have I done... what have I done?!
In the blink of an eye, I start speeding back towards the clearing as fast as my body will possibly allow me to. They're gonna die if I don't do something!
~Meanwhile, back at the clearing~
Furret and I have been dangling from the tree for what feels like hours. By now, the sky has begun to turn various shades of red, pink and orange. Neither of us has said a word ever since Wispy left us here. There's simply nothing to say. I've tried my hardest to keep my mind blank, but in such a hopeless situation, it's impossible not to dwell on the negatives. At this point, our only hope is that another guild member notices that we never came home, and that they'll report us as missing. Fat chance on that, I bet.
I'm snapped out of the depths of my despair when I see a figure floating off in the distance. Initially, I pay it no mind, but before long, I notice it coming closer. A small, floating Pokemon with a dark body... for the sake of everyone involved, it had better not be who I think it is...
Unfortunately, my eyes do not deceive me. That smug, half-pint demon really had the nerve to come back!
“You little shit!!” I shout. “If you come any closer then I'll wring off your stupid-”
Furret jolts up with a gasp, cutting me off. “Wispy! Y-you came back!” Some light suddenly returns to her eyes, as if she's been filled with a newfound resolve. If only I could share in that sense of naive excitement.
As the Phantump gets closer, I can see that... tears are bursting out of his eyes? He floats over towards Furret and begins undoing the knot tied around her ankle. Somehow, despite the thickness of the rope and the complexity of the knot, he's able to undo it in seconds. As the knot comes loose, he grabs Furret by her tail before she can start falling, and then adjusts his grip on her. Cradling her gently between his arms, he descends carefully, yet hastily towards the ground, sitting her upright against the base of the tree. I can't believe my eyes. What in the world does he think he's doing?
“Short stuff! You came ba-” Furret tries to express her thanks for being rescued, but he interrupts her, straining to keep his speech clear and coherent through an onslaught of tears.
“D-d-don't s-say anything,” he sobs. To my confusion, Wispy grabs one of the small leaves attached to his stump-shaped head, and with a grimace, he picks it clean off. Then, he stuffs it into Furret's mouth and forces her to chew on it. “This sh-sh-should relieve the p-pain.”
“Hey...” Furret says. “You're right!” Still disoriented, she clumsily rolls over onto all fours, cringing with pain as her bad ankle hits the ground. Yet, to my surprise, she's actually just barely able to walk on it, somehow. “It doesn't hurt anymore! Okay, well, no, it definitely still hurts. But it's not so bad! How'd you do that?”
Wispy ignores her question and flies back up the length of the tree, now eye level with me.
“Pl-please stay still,” he begs.
“Stay still, my a-...” Rather than proceed with threatening him, I instead snap out of my anger and shut up. “...You wanna help us now, huh? What for?” I ask, having difficulty keeping my emotions in check.
“B-because! There's a monster coming soon! W-w-w-w-we need to get out of here right now!” Wispy shouts, panicked. Just as he did with Furret, he begins tending to the knot tied around my tail.
“A monster? What are y-”
Before I even get the chance to ask, the rope comes undone. Except, unlike before, Wispy doesn't see it fit to bring me down gently at all. I fall out of the tree like a rock, crashing into the ground back-first.
“Little buddy! You're alright!” Furret cheers.
I writhe on the ground in pain. “I'll kill that little bastard,” I grumble to myself through gritted teeth. My back hurts like hell, but the relief I feel now that I'm no longer suspended by my tail is so reinvigorating that I can shrug it off for the time being. Or is it adrenaline? Whatever I'm feeling, one thing's for certain: I've dealt with far worse. What's bothering me more than my sore back, though, is the cacophonous buzzing sound that I now hear ringing throughout the clearing,...
Wispy floats back down to the ground again, trying in vain to wipe his eyes dry of tears. “We need to go right now,” he pleads, desperately. “The m-monster is gonna be looking for food any minute now. He's... h-he's gonna... the monster's gonna...” Wispy's voice is riddled with fear, to the point that he can hardly speak. The buzzing has gotten so loud that I can barely even hear him.
“He's gonna what? What monster?” I ask, having to raise my voice for it to be audible.
To my own horror, I find the answer... speeding straight toward all three of us like a missile!
“DUCK!” I shout at the top of my lungs. The three of us go prone and cover our heads in the nick of time. As soon as we all hit the ground, our eardrums are blasted by the sound of something zooming past us at full speed! Dozens of leaves are picked up in its wake, scattering all over before daintily floating back to the ground.
I jolt back up and see the monster flying off into the distance. A giant Heracross has appeared, and is starting to attack!
Furret shrieks with fright. “What is that thing?!”
“It's the monster!” Wispy screams. “Run! It'll kill us!”
“Run? Are you crazy?!” I shout back. “It's too fast! We're sitting ducks if we turn our backs to it!”
The gigantic bug loops through the sky, turning around and reorienting itself.
“You two! Get behind the tree!” I order. “The trunk is thick enough that you can hide behind it!”
“Y-you're gonna fight it? No, stop! Th-that's suicide!” Wispy cries. “You can't fight it! Y-you-you'll be torn apart! Please, just run!”
Furret's voice begins shaking, but she manages to calm her nerves. “Hey, short stuff. I know it looks really scary, but... my little buddy can handle it!”
“What?!” he shouts in disbelief.
“Trust us! He's super strong! It makes me really nervous watching him do something like this, too, but... he never picks fights he can't win! Seriously! He even... he even stopped a gold rank team one time!” Furret beams a huge, toothy grin towards Wispy. The ghost is too terrified to respond, and instead, covers his eyes with his hands and looks away as Furret grabs him and ducks into the cover of the tree.
The Heracross beats its wings feverishly, bracing itself for another charge. I follow suit, planting my feet firmly into the ground. With extreme speed, it once again darts straight towards me, the buzzing of its wings echoing through the air like the melody of a trumpet sounding off a declaration of war. I dive out of the way, hitting the ground with a roll and landing back up on my feet. My back is still sore from the fall I took earlier, and I'm stuck cringing in pain as the dust settles once more.
“He's no match for you, little buddy!” Furret cheers.
Wispy, meanwhile, has curled up into a ball on the ground, the intensity having become too great for him to bear.
I cough, and squint my eyes, waiting for the dust to clear. I look up past the dirt cloud and see the Heracross careening straight down towards me! With only a second to react, I jump backwards at the last moment. It crashes into the ground before me, its landing flinging dirt, dust, leaves, and myself through the air. While I did dodge its charge, I was still close enough to be sent flying backwards, landing on my stomach. I quickly regain my footing and step forward defiantly.
The monster stares down at me with its piercing red eyes, retracts its wings into its dark blue shell, and lowers its body to the ground, like a sumo wrestler preparing for combat. Finally, a fight at my own pace. The anger and frustration flowing through me earlier is very much still present, only, it's no longer directed at the kid. Jumping around and dodging the beast's attacks served as a perfect warm-up. I can finally turn that anger into willpower and determination. I leer at the creature, blood rushing frenetically throughout my body. Finally, some action!
It lowers its head, and begins charging at me once more, but this time, it scrapes its massive, spiked horn across the ground, shoveling up dirt like a bulldozer. Rather than try to dodge, I sprint headfirst towards it! I jump up and over its horn, trying to land on the back of its head, but to my shock, it stops dead in its tracks and forcefully tilts its entire body upright! Stuck in midair, I have no choice but to brace myself as its powerful horn lifts a massive chunk of dirt - and me - flying through the air behind it! The earthy mass smashes me square in the stomach, launching me backwards towards the tree. I land a few feet ahead of Furret and Wispy, groaning and writhing on the ground while half buried under a pile of dirt, before quickly regaining my bearings and freeing myself.
That attack hurt for sure, to the point where my legs even feel a bit weak, but this was actually a blessing in disguise. With how soft and malleable it is, the dirt that the Heracross had scooped up served almost as a cushion for his horn attack, not unlike a boxer's punch being cushioned by his glove. Had I taken the full brunt of its horn straight to my stomach, I'm not sure I'd still be conscious.
“Are you alright, Smith?!” Furret shouts.
“Takes more than that to put me down,” I respond. “Don't worry.”
Even Furret is having a hard time watching. “Y-you can win... ri-”
“'Course I will! If things stay at my pace, that is,” I explain. “I messed up, thinking he wouldn't manage to hit me from that angle. But this isn't over.”
In the distance, I see the Heracross pumping its fists and stomping around, almost like it's celebrating. It doesn't bother me, though. It can showboat all it wants, for I care. I've been afforded precious time, and I plan to use it wisely.
“Hey, kid,” I say to Wispy, who's having difficulty keeping it together. “How did you fix Furret's ankle?”
“M-m-m-my leaves, they, they can, they can relieve pain,” the Phantump stammers back. “J-just a little bit, though. They're, they're not, not magic.”
“Gimme one, please,” I request impatiently.
He puts his hands together and looks away. “B-but it kinda hurts... to... to take one off...”
“That monster is gonna hurt you a lot worse if you don't help me,” I state, my tone now far more blunt. “I'll make it up to you later, so hurry up and do what I say!”
“Okay, okay!” Wispy cries. He winces as he plucks another leaf off of his head. I snatch it out of his hand with my teeth.
“Taking stuff from a kid...? Not cool, little buddy,” Furret chimes in.
“Not a good time, Furret,” I chide, my teeth clenched as I chew on the leaf. She seems to be back in good spirits, at least.
The leaf has a gross, minty aftertaste, but it's the least of my problems. The good part is that I can feel the pain in my tail, chest, and back subsiding somewhat. Strength gradually returns to my legs. I'm feeling far from perfect, but it's better than nothing.
I'm glad Wispy gave me that leaf when he did, as the Heracross seems to have finished its primitive victory dance. Feeling slightly rejuvenated, I dash away from the tree and out into the open to keep the others out of harm's way. Time to meet the monster head-to-head once more.
“I'm the one you want,” I mutter under my breath.
It sprints towards me, head lowered and horn at the ready. It has the advantage in raw power, but I'd be in a far worse predicament if it weren't so predictable. I wait for it to draw closer, and once it's only a few feet away, I swiftly step to the side, like a matador evading a bull, before crouching down and spinning around, colliding my tail against the monster's ankles. It trips and faceplants into the dirt. Before it can scramble back onto its feet, I dive onto its back, biting and scratching with all my might.
However, its armor-like carapace is too smooth and durable for my attacks to have any effect at all. The Heracross opens up its exoskeleton and deploys its wings, which begin fluttering rapidly in my face. I quickly lose my footing, but before it can mount a counterattack, I kick off of its back and skid to a stop along the ground.
Those wings... that might be its weak point. If the armor is too hard for me to pierce, then my only other chance will be attacking somewhere soft and defenseless. My eyes dart around, sizing up my opponent, looking for any other possible gaps in its shell... but I can't find anything else. If I can bait it into deploying its wings again, then slip behind it, I'll have a brief opportunity to hit it where it hurts. Is such a risky maneuver really my best option? If so, then I'm suddenly in a lot of trouble. I may only have one chance to land a decisive blow, and if I miss, it might begin attacking from midair again, which is something I want to avoid at all costs.
Think... there's not much time left... the only other possible vulnerability would have to be...
...the eyes. They're small targets, but if I can blind it, it won't be able to fight back, not very well, at least. Going for the eyes is low, not that I imagine a feral Pokemon cares about honor, but in a fight for survival, winning is all that matters.
The Heracross stomps towards me with reckless abandon. I step forward and thrust my tail forward, preparing to stab into its armor head-on. The monster holds its ground and bares its chest proudly, as if inviting me to have my attack deflected off of its impenetrable exoskeleton. At the last second, instead of committing, I stop dead in my tracks and yank my tail back, send it low to the ground, scoop up a large clump of dirt, then toss it all straight into the beast's face!
It flinches sharply as its eyes are assaulted by countless particles of dust and dirt. Screeching in anguish, it clumsily attempts to wipe its eyes clean. While its guard is down, I dash towards it, leap into the air, and slam the full weight of my body directly into its chest, sending it off its feet and into the ground. Now that the momentum is back in my favor, I press my newly found advantage by running towards the Heracross while it's still down. I jump into the air, ready to attack at point blank...
...But, before I can land, the monster flails its arms wildly, one of them smashing straight into my chest!
I fly through the air and crash into the ground. Looks like Wispy's medicinal leaves can only do so much, as even after eating one, a sensation of searing pain floods through my entire being in an instant. Is this what being hit by a truck feels like? I gasp for air, struggling to remain standing for much longer. In the distance, I can hear the sounds of the Heracross stomping towards me, hungry for vengeance.
The feral Pokemon towers imposingly over my crumpled figure, fuming with rage as it continues wiping dirt from its eyes. It slowly raises one leg, ready to stamp me into the earth beneath its feet.
I take one last glance up at the Heracross. Tears are flowing down its face, dirt still clinging to the inside of its eyelids. However, as soon as it manages to squeeze one of its eyes open, a high-pitched whistling sound rips through the open air, accompanied by a small yet sharp stick embedding itself firmly into the monster's exposed eyeball. It roars in agony, losing its balance and collapsing onto the ground. Now lodged into the monster's face, the stick begins to glow a faint green hue. Flower buds bloom spontaneously from the piece of wood, and thorny vines slowly begin to encroach across the creature's body, entangling its limbs and restraining it.
Unable to believe what just transpired, I flick my head in all directions, looking for the source of the projectile. Off in the distance, I see none other than Wispy, who has emerged from behind the tree. Even as he stands defiantly, he can't help but sob uncontrollably, his heart gripped with primal fear.
“L-lea-leave us alone, you huge j-jerk!” he cries, his voice shaking.
“The hell are you doing?!” I shout, propping myself back onto my feet.
The monster shrieks, furiously smashing its horn into the ground over and over as it thrashes about. Sluggishly, it grabs hold of the vines and manages to tear some of them away, ripping them apart barely faster than they can regrow. Whatever Wispy just did, those vines that he spawned from the stick are slowing the monster's movements considerably. Incapable of freeing itself completely, the Heracross sprints as fast as it can towards Wispy, who freezes in place like a deer in headlights.
Wasting no time, I pull myself together and follow the feral's example, racing to be the first to reach him. In the nick of time, I slide in front of the young Phantump and brace myself, digging my feet firmly into the ground. Immediately afterwards, the monster arrives and slams his horn down in an attempt to crush me. It takes all the energy I can muster, but I manage to catch his horn with my tail claws, resisting the attack and leaving me and my foe in a temporary stalemate.
Clenching my teeth, I look back at Wispy and growl, “Get away, you idiot, this isn't your fight! You'll get in the way!”
Still frozen, he can only manage to cry, “B-, bu-bu-, but-”
“Now!” I yell, interrupting him.
He yelps, and floats away, returning to his and Furret's hiding spot.
Meanwhile, the Heracross yanks its horn upwards, freeing itself from my grasp, before swinging it down once more. Again, I block the attack with my tail, grunting due to the strain being put on my body. Repeatedly, it hammers away with its horn, pushing me lower and lower to the ground under its weight. One last time, it raises its horn high into the sky, ready to deal the final blow. Now's my chance!
The monster's horn descends, and at the last second, I dash straight ahead, sliding between its legs and underneath its body. It headbutts the ground with immense force, recoiling so strongly afterwards that it loses its balance and stumbles backwards. As it falls over, I steel myself and catch it with my tail, heaving it into the air, where it begins helplessly waving its limbs around, like a turtle flipped over onto its shell.
Struggling to balance the sizeable Heracross properly over my head, I slowly take a few steps back, before breaking into a sprint and accelerating towards the edge of the clearing. A war cry escapes my lungs and echoes through the air. As we close in on one of the trees bordering the clearing, I leap into the sky along with my opponent, allowing the built-up momentum to carry us forward.
“Take this!” I roar.
I flip in midair, and with all of my remaining strength, I chuck the Heracross at full force. The beetle soars through the air with a slight spin, like an oversized dart. It tries to deploy its wings and stabilize itself, but it's in vain, as it's spinning far too rapidly to regain control. The Heracross smashes headfirst into a tree, its horn penetrating the bark so deeply that it sticks cleanly out the other end.
The monster cries out in panic. Its horn is impaled into the tree at a downward angle, causing its body to lie upside down at a 45 degree angle. The vines covering its shell continue to spread at an exponential rate, further impeding its futile attempts at freeing itself.
Meanwhile, I don't quite stick the landing, collapsing face-first onto the ground with about as much grace as a sack of bricks. I want nothing more than to pursue my target and keep fighting, but my body isn't having it anymore. Even just taking a few steps is enough to leave me out of breath. I'm totally spent.
“Little buddy!” Furret shouts from behind, limping towards me with Wispy by her side. “That's enough! We need to get out of here before that thing can get back up.”
“Pl-please, don't try to fight anymore,” Wispy sobs, his eyes dried and reddened from crying.
I open my mouth to protest, but my desire for combat is eclipsed by my exhaustion. “F-fine,” I huff, reluctantly. As the three of us slowly make our way out of the clearing, I look back, and watch as the Heracross becomes nothing more than a small speck in the distance. Before long, it disappears among the shrubbery and foliage of the forest.
~Entrance to the forest~
By the time our group has returned to the site of our picnic, the sun has nearly finished setting beneath the horizon, the full moon rising to take its place. The sky, once colorful and clear, now adopts somber tones of blue and gray, along with the coverage of a few sparse clouds. Millions of stars of various shapes and sizes dot the late evening sky, like a brush covered in white paint had been flicked towards a pitch black canvas. The peaceful glow of the moonlight slightly illuminates the land beneath it, bringing a subtle sense of calm to those of us still awake to experience such a fine night.
Now that we've finally made it out of the woods, we confirm one last time that we've truly escaped danger, before collapsing into a pile atop one another. I find myself buried underneath both Furret and Wispy. Nobody can help but sigh heavily, the stress of the battle with the feral Heracross melting away into the cool nighttime air.
Furret is the first to speak up. “I'm guessing we missed dinner tonight,” she jokes.
A chuckle escapes my lips. “At least we ate our fill of lunch.”
“Um,” Wispy utters, his voice tense and strained. “Thanks for helping me today, but, I should, uh, go now, bye,” he quickly says under his breath, turning around to leave as he speaks.
I crawl out from beneath Furret, and then, gently, but firmly, I place my tail claw on his shoulder. “Explain yourself,” I demand, spinning him around to face us. “What was all that about?”
He shrinks into himself, slouching his shoulders and crossing his arms in front of him nervously, all while refusing to make eye contact.
“Erm... I don't, um...” he mumbles weakly.
“Because I remember you hanging us from a tree and stealing our stuff,” I interject, my expression becoming stern. “If that was a prank, we weren't laughing.”
Wispy doesn't respond. His lips merely wilt into a frown.
I press harder. “Furret got hurt because of y-”
“Come on, little buddy, lay off him!” Furret scolds, sitting herself upright. “No need to get all mean and scary on him, he's just a kid!”
“A kid who tricked us and left us for dead,” I remind her.
As I say the word “dead”, I see Wispy flinch out of the corner of my eye.
“He freed us from the trap! And he treated our injuries, too!”
“Those were problems that HE caused. If not for him, we'd have been home hours ago.”
“We may not be home right now, but at least we're alive!”
“That doesn't mean I-”
This time, Wispy is the one to cut me off. “Please stop fighting,” he begs, raising his voice. “I... I know I caused a lot of trouble for you folks, but... I can, umm...” He trails off, unsure of how to defend himself.
Furret approaches Wispy and crouches down until she's at eye level with him. “What you did to us was very, very bad. You put us in a lot of danger,” she explains calmly, like a mother lecturing her child.
Wispy shamefully squints his eyes shut.
Suddenly, a smile appears on her face. “...But, you understood that, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have come back to save us.”
“B-, but,” Wispy protests. “He's... right,” he says, gesturing to me. “The monster almost k-killed you... killed us... 'cuz of m-me. I'm a bad person.” He's audibly choked up, despite having few tears left to shed.
Her tone is suddenly far more upbeat and encouraging. “But it didn't, now, did it? Because you freed us from those ropes, and you warned us about the monster, and you healed us! Would a bad person do any of that awesome stuff?”
No longer trying to justify himself any further, Wispy's attitude sours significantly. “Doesn't matter,” he growls back, before withdrawing again. “I'm evil and I'm a liar and I have to trick people and steal from them 'cause I'm too much of a wimpy loser to get anything by myself... I've always been like this.”
Furret frowns. “Oh, poor Wispy, don't be like that...” She moves closer and tries to wrap him in a hug, but he shoves her away and backs up.
I take a deep breath, then exhale. Even after what we had been put through today, seeing this lonely, damaged child in the depths of despair just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I put my feelings of discontent aside.
“You're not a loser, and you're certainly not a wimp,” I say. Wispy looks at me, confused. “You're a lot braver than you think.”
“Wh-wha-? N-no, I'm not-”
“You are,” I reaffirm. “Remember earlier? When you threw a stick at the monster? I'd have been a goner if not for that.”
“S-so what,” Wispy grumbles. “Anyone can throw a stupid stick.”
“No. I don't mean that you just 'threw a stupid stick'. You exposed yourself to do that. You could have just cowered behind that tree the whole time and waited to be saved, but you didn't,” I explain.
“Somehow, I feel a little insulted,” Furret quips.
Ignoring her sarcastic remark, I continue. “It's because you regretted your actions,” I assert.
Wispy hesitates, then nods slowly, still unwilling to make eye contact.
“Furret's right. You wanted to save us. So strongly, in fact, that you did something that scared you, because it you felt it was right.”
“Exactly!” Furret exclaims. “The fact that you came back to get us down from that tree at all is even more proof! If you really were as weak and scared as you say, you'd have abandoned us without ever looking back. Am I right?”
Wispy stays silent.
Furret goes in for another hug, but this time, he doesn't resist, and instead allows himself to be dragged into her warm embrace.
“We all make mistakes,” Furret says calmly. Hey eyelids lower, and she looks away. “It's what we do to fix them that matters.”
A long silence pervades the air. Eventually, Wispy speaks, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Thank you.”
For a brief spell, nobody says anything. The mood is one of tranquility and peace. Furret holds Wispy in her grasp, both placid and unmoving. Just as she had done for me in the past, Furret has become a sort of savior to yet another lost, vulnerable soul. The last bits of residual anger within me finally melt away, and a jovial grin appears on my face. Just like before, I can see a part of myself in Wispy. Yet, now, that feeling is even stronger.
Before long, the serene atmosphere is blown away, literally, as a cool nighttime breeze flows past, prompting the three of us to shiver slightly in its wake.
Stating the obvious out loud, I say, “Temperature's dropping. I'll find kindling and start a fire.” However, after taking only a few steps, my legs shake so fiercely that I trip over my own feet and fall chin-first onto the ground. Now that the conflict is over and the adrenaline is gone from my system, my body must be remembering how exhausted it is.
“Ow,” I grumble, sardonically.
Wispy reluctantly ends his hug with Furret and floats towards me. “Let me help,” he suggests. “You're in no shape to move around right now.”
Instinctually, I begin to decline his offer, but before any words come out of my mouth, I hesitate for a moment.
“Sure thing,” I say, warmly.
...
Wispy throws the last few sticks and dried leaves that he can find into our small campfire, its modest size providing a suitably comfortable amount of light and warmth. If I had the energy, I might have felled some small logs for us to use as impromptu seats, but unfortunately, we have no choice but to settle for sitting directly on the cold ground, with mere fallen leaves as “cushioning”.
“Hmm...” Furret mumbles to herself with discontent. “If I had known things would turn out like this, I'd have packed some cotton for us to sleep on...”
“It's alright. Doesn't take long to get used to sleeping on the ground,” I assure her, half-jokingly.
“He's right, it's not as bad as you'd think,” Wispy states, matter of factly.
“I don't WANT to get used that!” Furret whines, eliciting a chuckle from myself and our ghostly acquaintance. “...And, hold on, short stuff, don't tell me that YOU have a thing for sleeping in dirt, too? Just one of you boys being weird is enough for me!”
Wispy's eyebrow twitches with slight indignation when he hears her yet again call him “short stuff”, but it seems like he's already given up on vocalizing his complaints about Furret's choice of nickname.
All joking aside, I add, “That is strange. Don't tell us you've been living alone in the wild?”
Furret, who now has a concerned expression, nods along. “Yeah, didn't you mention having a place to stay around here? Do you have a house or something?”
“U-ummmm,” Wispy stammers. “W-well. Uh. I kinda... l-lied, just a little bit. I'm on the move, usually.”
Neither of us respond. Furret and I merely shoot each other looks of unease.
“You're pretty young to be fending for yourself,” I state.
“Yeesh, that sounds rough,” says Furret. “How did you even get out here, then? And how long have been alone for?”
Wispy appears panicked for a moment, as if realizing that he made a mistake, followed by his expression becoming one of regret and distress. “Well, um, you see... I used to live with some... uh, friends. We would go out exploring a lot, all across the continent. Sometimes to some... bad places. The kinds of places that folks are told to avoid so that they don't get hurt, or worse. Even though I always said that I was scared and that I didn't want to go, my friends would tease me, but, they were the only friends I had, so, I had no choice but to follow them.”
“Some friends they must have been,” Furret comments in a depressed tone. “Sounds like they were just bullying you and pushing you around.”
Wispy frowns, and continues. “Well, anyway... one day, we were in this really, really scary spot in the mountains. A lot of strong Pokemon were attacking us nonstop, and I was too afraid of getting hurt to help fight them off, so I just... hid behind everyone else, uselessly. While they were all getting beaten up and pushed to exhaustion. The best I could do was share my leaves, and even though they plucked off every leaf I had, it wasn't enough to heal them...”
Wispy's voice quivers, and he clenches his eyes shut tightly. “And then... after it seemed like... there were no enemies left...”
He flinches, the act of reliving the memory and putting his experience into words bringing him great suffering.
“One of my... friends... the only one left standing, at that point. An enemy came from behind, and... I didn't try to save my friend. 'Cuz I got scared and froze. Even though I tried to warn him, I couldn't make the words come out. I-I didn't do anything... to save him.”
The pace of Wispy's breathing has picked up dramatically. “After that, I woke up in pain, all alone at the foot of the mountain. And I... I haven't seen any of them since. Ever since that day, I've been on my own. I've only survived because of the few things they taught me... settings traps, staying hidden from danger. But... I bet they're probably dead now, 'cuz of me... and the same... almost happened to you two. Both times, I wasn't strong enough...”
Furret drags Wispy in for another hug, her ears now drooping with sadness. “Aww... don't say stuff like that, short stuff. That's just awful, that a poor kid like you had to go through something so scary!”
I'm next to speak up. “It might not mean much right now, but don't beat yourself up. Remember what we told you earlier. You've grown since then.”
“I-...” Wispy starts, before cutting himself off. Through his anguish, he manages to smile, albeit weakly. “Mmm... maybe you guys are right.”
“No need to be so hard on yourself, short stuff,” Furret reminds him. “It's just like I said, we all make mistakes sometimes. It's our responsibility to fix them as best we can.” She averts her gaze and looks into the fire, her expression now uncharacteristically severe and melancholic. “Even if... even if people won't always find it in their hearts to forgive you... you still owe it to them, and to yourself, to see your wrongs righted.”
Her words sound like they come from a place so deep, so dark, so personal, that I'm not sure I'll ever be able to understand it fully, not any time soon, that is. Whatever she may be referring to, it's not my place to pry, so instead, I choose to take her heartfelt words at face value.
However, just as suddenly as she had adopted it, she drops the serious tone and goes back to her usual bubbly demeanor, like a switch has been flipped inside her brain. “But, that's all in the past, you know? Sometimes stuff really sucks, but if you do nothing but dwell on it, you'll just turn into a sad sack! Tonight, you should feel happy, short stuff! For being a tough little cookie who helped show that monster who's the boss, and for getting the chance to meet people as cool as me and my little buddy!”
Wispy smiles and laughs, his mood rapidly improving. He even begins to blush from the praise and encouragement. “You guys are way too nice, I don't des- erm... uh, thank you both very much.”
He clears his throat and composes himself, before proceeding with the rest of his story, his tone of voice now casual and relaxed. “Anyway... ever since all... that stuff... happened, I've been on the move from place to place. That monster from earlier, well, because of it, I've kept a low profile and stayed hidden recently. I was worried that if I moved around too much, I'd attract its attention. So, I've been staying in the forest for a few weeks now.”
Suddenly, his attitude becomes awkward and strained. “A-and, uh that whole thing from earlier, where I trapped you... um, I-I-I hadn't had any food in a few days and I was... really hungry... again, I'm very sorry.”
He looks down at the ground in silence for a few seconds. Then, he slowly reaches his hand into his wooden helmet and says, “Also, um, I lost your picnic basket, but... I took this.”
From within the log-shaped headpiece, he produces a dark green ribbon. Unmistakably, it must have belonged to Furret. I never noticed it in the basket during our picnic, but I certainly wasn't the one who packed it. Besides, I can only think of one person who would inexplicably bring a fashion ornament to a completely unrelated outing.
Sure enough, Furret gasps, and says, “That cute little ribbon! You kept it?”
Wispy looks ashamed. “Yeah. I did. I, um, figured I could sell it.”
Furret puffs out her lips and pouts. “But I thought it looked so nice! Well, it'd make me sad, but I suppose you could sell it off if you really wanted to, seeing as it's yours and all.”
“I'm very, very sor-... wait, it's... mine?” he asks, baffled.
“Sure! At first I was going to give it to my little buddy as a gift...”
I close my eyes and exhale through pursed lips, having long since resigned myself to my fate as Furret's personal dress-up toy. How am I not surprised, I think to myself sarcastically.
“...But, I realized that it would look SUPER cute on you! Here, let me just...” She stands up and gets right in Wispy's face.
“Hey, w-wait, what are you-”
Ignoring his protests, Furret snatches the ribbon from his hands and, with expert precision and speed, ties it snugly around one of his helmet's branches, covering the spot where his leaves had previously been plucked off. After confirming that the decoration is secured firmly around the branch, she gently pulls her hands away from his head, and slowly steps backwards, admiring her work.
“You... look... so freaking adorable!” she coos loudly.
At first, Wispy is blushing until his face is as red as a tomato, but then, he abruptly raises from his spot on the ground and turns away from us. After he composes himself, he meekly glances backwards, clears his throat, and says, “Well, it's a really nice gift, thank you. But a-anyway, I've taken up plenty of your time and kindness today, so, I think it would be best if I just get going now. Thank you so much for everything.”
Furret frowns. “What? Where are you going so soon?”
“Back into the woods.”
“But why? What about the monster? And, won't you need to find more food eventually?”
Wispy breaks eye contact entirely and stays silent for a moment, before shrugging, and stating, “I'll find a way on my own.”
Before he can go anywhere, I stand up and say, “You know, Wispy, you don't need to carry the world on your shoulders.”
He stops, turns back, and cocks his head to the side, confused. “What...?”
I continue. “Don't go off alone. Just stay with us.”
Wispy's eyes nearly bulge out of his head with shock when he hears my proposal. “Wh-what? What are you saying?”
“Hey, that's a great idea!” Furret squeals with delight.
“B-b-b-but, I'd just be a burden,” he argues. “Argh, this is so stupid, you've both done so much just for me, I really don't deser-
“Nonsense,” I rebut. “You have potential. You want to improve yourself. We want to improve, too. Let's help each other. Not like you have much to lose, or go back to.”
Wispy looks unsure. He fidgets his hands together. “B-but...”
Furret says, “I'd have worded it a little more nicely, but... my little buddy is totally right! We'd be super happy to have you on the team, short stuff! Right now, you're just a cute little sapling, but together, we'll help you grow into a great, mighty oak!”
“A-an oak?” Wispy asks, now intrigued.
“That's right! You know, me and my little buddy here used to be on our own before we met each other, too. He's real tough and heroic now, right? But, you know, he wasn't always that way! When I first met him, he was eating dirt and spoiled food just to survive! It was so tragic!”
“What the fuc-”
“And, y'know, I used to travel a lot by myself, and it was lonely, and kinda scary! But ever since we first met, we've been an amazing team! We've come so far together in such a short time. My point is, let us take you under our wing, short stuff, and we'll help you grow into a strong, confident little man!”
Wispy furrows his brow and grimaces with guilt. “Seriously... y-you don't mean any of that...”
“We do,” I say, electing to ignore Furret's unprompted little comment on my past eating habits. For now. “Keep thinking like that, and you'll be a burden on yourself. Trusting people can be scary, but it's worth it. Take it from me.” Before I continue, I flash a cool smirk in Wispy's direction. “And besides... when I took your leaf earlier, I said I'd make it up to you, remember?”
For the last time tonight, Wispy's eyes redden, and tears begin to fall down his cheeks. Finally, he returns to his seat on the ground. Then, he places a hand against the ribbon affixed to his head, rubbing it longingly. Through tears, he chokes out the words, “Thank you both so much. I... I really want to stay with you. You're too kind.”
“Yippee!” Furret cries with joy, embracing Wispy in the blink of an eye and lifting him into the air with another hug. “Team MLG has a new member! So glad to have you as our friend, short stuff! Oh, and of course, we forgive you for everything, and don't you ever think otherwise! Starting right now, you're our new, treasured friend!”
I nod in agreement. Even my stoic self can't help but smile widely with pride and joy. “The three of us will have a good time together, Wispy. Let's do our best.”
He tries to respond, but Furret's herculean hug is compressing all of the air out of his tiny lungs. Through shallow breaths, he utters, “Thank you both... but erm, Furret... pl-please stop crushing me...”
First the ribbon, now this. Man, it sure is freaky seeing this all happen to someone else for once. I close my eyes amicably.
“You get used to it,” I say.