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(1200 words. NOTE: I realize now that this story has been non-stop bad things for the past 4 chapters (and as the title implies, things only get worse with this chapter). I'd love to mix in a few lighter moments, but I don't know how to do that when one main character is fighting for their life, and the other just lost their best friend and is crushed under the guilt of betraying said best friend. So like. Sorry for all the bad things, I promise there's a happy ending EDIT: I recommend reading this short to give a nice moment of levity with these two: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46531627 )
"Compass, wake up!"
Compass's eyes snap open. Their mom is standing over them.
"The nightmare again?"
Compass nods.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
They shake their head.
"Let's go to the kitchen, I'll make you some hot cocoa."
They aren't in the mood for cocoa. They nod anyway. following Beacon to the kitchen and sitting down at the table.
"Team Bridge and the others are recovering well," Beacon says. "The doctors say there isn't likely to be any permanent damage."
The fact that there was damage at all is what bothers Compass. No one has any idea what happened to change Thorn. Or rather, no one questions the change. They've heard people talking about 'the human finally showing their true colors'. As if the stories don't sound like they're about a completely different person. And of course, people comfort Compass about how hard it must be to 'know the truth' about Thorn.
Beacon finishes the hot cocoa, along with some food, and sits at the table. Compass obediently drinks the cocoa. The breakfast is silent; Beacon doesn't have any more good news, and by now she knows she won't get any conversation out of Compass. Usually Team Arrow is here to tell Compass about their adventures, maybe even get a smile or laugh out of them, but they're still searching for Alice.
The morning goes by as usual; Beacon manages the normal rescue team operations while hearing reports about the search, while Compass stays in their room, reading to pass the time more than to search for information.
Until Team Arrow returns.
By the time Compass hears the news and finds them, the team is in the hospital. They enter the room and find Avalanche and Torch lying in bed.
Avalanche smiles and waves at Compass with their good arm. "Hey Compass, we're back."
Compass rushes to the beds and looks over the team. Avalanche has one arm in a cast, but seems fine. Torch has thick bandages around their leg, and is unconscious. Compass looks at the doctor in fear.
"Don't worry, they're just sleeping. The blood loss wasn't too severe, they'll be okay."
Compass sighs with relief.
"Heh, be glad they're asleep," Avalanche says. "They were screaming loud enough to wake up a snorlax before."
Compass stares at their friends, broken and in pain. They look at all the occupied rooms in a once-vacant hospital. Thorn did this. Their partner did this. Why? Why would they do all this, picking fights, attacking surrendering foes? Is this the same person they went on rescue missions with?
Compass runs. They run out of the room, out of the hospital, all the way back to their house, into their room, onto their bed, and they bury themself under the blankets. Why? Why is all of this happening? What happened to their best friend?! They feel so helpless! They want this to stop! They want to do something to help...
... A few minutes later, the door creaks open. "Compass?" Beacon asks. "I know you're having a hard time right now, but... several rescue teams have more questions to ask you, if you're willing."
... Compass moves the blanket away. "I'll do it." They get up and walk to the door.
"It doesn't have to be now, we can do it tomorrow, or-"
"I'll do it," they repeat, and walk past Beacon.
Once again, the questioning happens at town center. Each question is given a short answer as Compass tries not to think about why these teams would need to know Thorn's feelings about rain, or their work tracking lost people for jobs. Until someone asks a question they can't help but think about.
"Does Alice have any fears?"
The answer begins automatically. "Yes, they're..." Compass remembers, of course; they remember the panic in Thorn's eyes at the booming thunder. They think about how Thorn would feel hearing a noise like that in the wild, with no partner to comfort them. They think about hunters making sounds like that all night, keeping Thorn awake, exhausting them. They think about using the sounds to push Thorn into a trap or ambush, they think about how terrified Thorn would be, how Thorn would wonder 'how did they know,' how Thorn would feel realizing that the only way they could've known is-
"The dark. They're scared of the dark." It was a terrible lie. Anyone who knows Thorn would know they love staying up late. "They're terrified of it. When we were out doing a mission late one night, they were jumping at every little thing. They could barely even sleep without a night light."
"Hmm..." Beacon thinks over Compass's story, and Compass knows for certain they'll be caught. "... Alright, we'll see what we can do with that."
The questioning continues, and Compass keeps lying. They can't betray Thorn, not again. Despite everything Thorn has done, Compass can't bear to hurt them like that again.
The questioning is interrupted as a rescue team returns to town after encountering Alice; a skitty and a pikachu. Everyone rushes to meet them, and though they appear unharmed, the pikachu won't stop shivering in terror.
Under a barrage of questions, the pikachu stutters out "Th-th-they tried to... to k-kill me... I thought I was gonna die, I almost died! I almost died..." Everyone tries to as what happened, but Pikachu just shakes their head and says "No, no, j-just keep that monster away from me!"
The skitty shoos away the crowd and takes Pikachu to their base, Beacon following them to offer aid and ask for any details. The questioning ends early, everyone now talking about the news, talking about what Alice could've done to Pikachu. Compass walks home.
Compass is out on a walk through Tiny Woods when they spot Thorn collapsed on the ground, beaten and bloody. No, no, not again, not again!
They stop and consider their options. Grabbing an oran berry from their bag is no good, there's nothing but knives in there. How about calling for help? No, the others would kill them without hesitation. Can't carry them to safety, either; if Compass didn't strangle them with their grip, they'd carry them to a prison. Or worse. What can they do? How can they help..?
Compass walks over and sits down a few feet away. "Thorn, I... I'm here for you. Please, tell me how I can help you. I'll listen this time... I promise..."
"... compass..?"
"Y-yes? What is it?"
"... come closer..."
Compass gets up and stands next to them.
"closer..."
Compass scoots closer, getting right next to Thorn.
"closer..."
Compass leans over Thorn.
Thorn looks up at Compass with pleading eyes. "compass... do you trust me..?"
"Yes. I swear, I trust you with all my heart."
Thorn smiles. "are you sure... that you should?"
Before Compass can ask what they mean, Thorn's arm suddenly jolts forward. They look down to see a sharpened bone sticking out of their chest. When they turn to look back at Thorn, they see not the face of their partner, but the wicked grin of Alice the Human.
Compass' eyes snap open. They're lying in their bed, drenched with sweat... What are they supposed to do? What can they even... Nothing. Helping Alice means helping a killer, and helping the rescue teams means betraying their best friend. There's nothing they can do. Not anymore. There might have been another way before, if only they had listened. A way to restore the world's balance by working with Thorn, but...
They aren't sure Thorn exists anymore.
If you enjoyed the story, please comment! I love hearing responses to my writing! What was your favorite part?
Chapter 17
Worse"Compass, wake up!"
Compass's eyes snap open. Their mom is standing over them.
"The nightmare again?"
Compass nods.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
They shake their head.
"Let's go to the kitchen, I'll make you some hot cocoa."
They aren't in the mood for cocoa. They nod anyway. following Beacon to the kitchen and sitting down at the table.
"Team Bridge and the others are recovering well," Beacon says. "The doctors say there isn't likely to be any permanent damage."
The fact that there was damage at all is what bothers Compass. No one has any idea what happened to change Thorn. Or rather, no one questions the change. They've heard people talking about 'the human finally showing their true colors'. As if the stories don't sound like they're about a completely different person. And of course, people comfort Compass about how hard it must be to 'know the truth' about Thorn.
Beacon finishes the hot cocoa, along with some food, and sits at the table. Compass obediently drinks the cocoa. The breakfast is silent; Beacon doesn't have any more good news, and by now she knows she won't get any conversation out of Compass. Usually Team Arrow is here to tell Compass about their adventures, maybe even get a smile or laugh out of them, but they're still searching for Alice.
The morning goes by as usual; Beacon manages the normal rescue team operations while hearing reports about the search, while Compass stays in their room, reading to pass the time more than to search for information.
Until Team Arrow returns.
By the time Compass hears the news and finds them, the team is in the hospital. They enter the room and find Avalanche and Torch lying in bed.
Avalanche smiles and waves at Compass with their good arm. "Hey Compass, we're back."
Compass rushes to the beds and looks over the team. Avalanche has one arm in a cast, but seems fine. Torch has thick bandages around their leg, and is unconscious. Compass looks at the doctor in fear.
"Don't worry, they're just sleeping. The blood loss wasn't too severe, they'll be okay."
Compass sighs with relief.
"Heh, be glad they're asleep," Avalanche says. "They were screaming loud enough to wake up a snorlax before."
Compass stares at their friends, broken and in pain. They look at all the occupied rooms in a once-vacant hospital. Thorn did this. Their partner did this. Why? Why would they do all this, picking fights, attacking surrendering foes? Is this the same person they went on rescue missions with?
Compass runs. They run out of the room, out of the hospital, all the way back to their house, into their room, onto their bed, and they bury themself under the blankets. Why? Why is all of this happening? What happened to their best friend?! They feel so helpless! They want this to stop! They want to do something to help...
... A few minutes later, the door creaks open. "Compass?" Beacon asks. "I know you're having a hard time right now, but... several rescue teams have more questions to ask you, if you're willing."
... Compass moves the blanket away. "I'll do it." They get up and walk to the door.
"It doesn't have to be now, we can do it tomorrow, or-"
"I'll do it," they repeat, and walk past Beacon.
Once again, the questioning happens at town center. Each question is given a short answer as Compass tries not to think about why these teams would need to know Thorn's feelings about rain, or their work tracking lost people for jobs. Until someone asks a question they can't help but think about.
"Does Alice have any fears?"
The answer begins automatically. "Yes, they're..." Compass remembers, of course; they remember the panic in Thorn's eyes at the booming thunder. They think about how Thorn would feel hearing a noise like that in the wild, with no partner to comfort them. They think about hunters making sounds like that all night, keeping Thorn awake, exhausting them. They think about using the sounds to push Thorn into a trap or ambush, they think about how terrified Thorn would be, how Thorn would wonder 'how did they know,' how Thorn would feel realizing that the only way they could've known is-
"The dark. They're scared of the dark." It was a terrible lie. Anyone who knows Thorn would know they love staying up late. "They're terrified of it. When we were out doing a mission late one night, they were jumping at every little thing. They could barely even sleep without a night light."
"Hmm..." Beacon thinks over Compass's story, and Compass knows for certain they'll be caught. "... Alright, we'll see what we can do with that."
The questioning continues, and Compass keeps lying. They can't betray Thorn, not again. Despite everything Thorn has done, Compass can't bear to hurt them like that again.
The questioning is interrupted as a rescue team returns to town after encountering Alice; a skitty and a pikachu. Everyone rushes to meet them, and though they appear unharmed, the pikachu won't stop shivering in terror.
Under a barrage of questions, the pikachu stutters out "Th-th-they tried to... to k-kill me... I thought I was gonna die, I almost died! I almost died..." Everyone tries to as what happened, but Pikachu just shakes their head and says "No, no, j-just keep that monster away from me!"
The skitty shoos away the crowd and takes Pikachu to their base, Beacon following them to offer aid and ask for any details. The questioning ends early, everyone now talking about the news, talking about what Alice could've done to Pikachu. Compass walks home.
Compass is out on a walk through Tiny Woods when they spot Thorn collapsed on the ground, beaten and bloody. No, no, not again, not again!
They stop and consider their options. Grabbing an oran berry from their bag is no good, there's nothing but knives in there. How about calling for help? No, the others would kill them without hesitation. Can't carry them to safety, either; if Compass didn't strangle them with their grip, they'd carry them to a prison. Or worse. What can they do? How can they help..?
Compass walks over and sits down a few feet away. "Thorn, I... I'm here for you. Please, tell me how I can help you. I'll listen this time... I promise..."
"... compass..?"
"Y-yes? What is it?"
"... come closer..."
Compass gets up and stands next to them.
"closer..."
Compass scoots closer, getting right next to Thorn.
"closer..."
Compass leans over Thorn.
Thorn looks up at Compass with pleading eyes. "compass... do you trust me..?"
"Yes. I swear, I trust you with all my heart."
Thorn smiles. "are you sure... that you should?"
Before Compass can ask what they mean, Thorn's arm suddenly jolts forward. They look down to see a sharpened bone sticking out of their chest. When they turn to look back at Thorn, they see not the face of their partner, but the wicked grin of Alice the Human.
Compass' eyes snap open. They're lying in their bed, drenched with sweat... What are they supposed to do? What can they even... Nothing. Helping Alice means helping a killer, and helping the rescue teams means betraying their best friend. There's nothing they can do. Not anymore. There might have been another way before, if only they had listened. A way to restore the world's balance by working with Thorn, but...
They aren't sure Thorn exists anymore.
If you enjoyed the story, please comment! I love hearing responses to my writing! What was your favorite part?
Category Story / Pokemon
Species Pokemon
Size 120 x 104px
File Size 113.9 kB
Listed in Folders
Comments