Blood Diamonds

I sat in the moist dirt and brushed my lengthy dreadlocks behind me. They were pulled back into two low ponytails. I continued to tend to my garden, currently trying to find the cream of crop as an olive branch. Last night after training Frisk and i…had a falling out. I don’t want them hurt but…they’re so insistent on protecting me i…My hand strays across my plush cap where my furry ears would be. I quickly make sure my respective tail is tucked in before I stand. Smiling down at a near perfect peach in hand. At a movement in the corner of my eye, i turned to the front door. Frisk stood at the door frame their arms crossed. I fidgeted a bit before trotting up to them and presented the peach.

“I uhm… I’m sorry about, about last night…You’re allowed to do whatever I want and I’m…”

I lost myself for a moment, still coming to terms with how weak I am. Frisk l

*dumbass. *

The both of us giggled as we went in our room to pack. Today was finally the day we would venture down into hells gate. If we were super lucky, maybe we would die on impact the both of us never had good lives for one reason or another. Although it was a mess of reasons that led us to this end situation. Frisk an I had known one another for a very long time, but it was only a few years a go we started to live together. It was in the forest near Mt Ebott. We are outcasts. This is the only place we felt safe. Even that was a sort of illusion. The house was literally on its last legs. Even with my mastery over my strange power to fix it up was near futile. Frisk often got sick form runaway mildew and poor air quality. I’d spend days scouring the forest for herbs and plants to balm their colds. Many nights drawing mucus from them. Although on the bright side, my healing abilities grew magnificently. My last record for healing Frisk was 3 days.

Frisk and I would also often get injured. Either it be from hiking, getting into fights stealing food, hunting down food or exploring knew escape routes, I’d always be able to get us back in top condit-

I stopped. Mid-snap of the buckle of my knapsack. My heart started to pound. I caught a whiff of burning wood. I had to force myself out of my shock to warn Frisk.

“W…we have to go! Now!”

Frisk looked to me in fear. Then hurriedly swiped and the rest of their supplies off the dusty bed into their own pack and hoisted it over their back in a fluid motion. Practiced.

*We gotta torch the place *

I shook my head. An uncomfortable unease coming over me every second the two of us stayed in the danger zone that was our house. I signed to them franticly.

“N-no we can’t there’s no, no time! They’re closer than I thought!”

Frisk bit their lip but complied. Snatching my hand and running out of our room and out of the back door. I had never really been a sentimental person except for certain objects, I can’t really afford to be. Although this time felt different. I felt something sink in my chest now that we had to leave the poor excuse for a house. I was the one to go exploring and to find it. It wasn’t much, but i finally did something to help for once. Frisk was always saving my hide. I felt pride in helping towards protecting them, if only for a little while.

This was it. This was the last the towns people had of the two of us. An abomination and a freak by what I could smell, I didn’t dare look back, the amount of fire and gunpowder was easily enough to start a forest fire. They were out for blood. They planned to kill the both of us. The thought urged on my already burning legs to run side by side with Frisk. The pack on my back was horrible to run with, my balance feeling awkward. I already had a few heart attacks from almost falling. I was grateful for my knee braces as I felt the incline of the mountain.

I started to hear shouting. I was going to ignore it until I felt something whizz past me. I desperately thought it to be a stray insect, but I knew the both of I never had such luck. It probably wasn’t going to start now. Frisk quickly signed, *we must split up! *

I looked up to them in a split second of horror but steeled myself. This was our best chance at survival. It wasn’t like we didn’t know the way. I nodded and jumped to the side, then started to sprint.

I didn’t dare look the other way. Panic would take me when i saw their form disappear behind countless trees. I tried to keep myself from sprinting in blind terror. I paced myself until I came up the rock climb. I couldn’t help but hope Frisk already gotten there too. Regardless, I started to make the climb. The cavern wasn’t too far up, but it would leave my body exposed, once the mob found out where i was climbing. I stepped on a bad patch, rocks fell under my weight, but I kept my hold. I mentally cursed, feeling as if I just gave myself away. The rocky space next to I spewed dust crumbling. My heart dropped.

Oh god. They’d spotted me

My body was working overtime with adrenaline pumping through me. I scampered up quickly. A quick, short, noticeable sound ran though me. My leg lost its hold for a second, but I didn’t care. I was much too close to safety to care. The edge getting closer. I keep going willing my limbs to move faster up the cliff. With one last literal and figurative push, I pulled my torso up and into the cave. Tugging my legs up into the safety of darkness, but I wasn’t one to take chances. I rolled deeper into the cavern. I breathed and started to stop the burning and stinging in my chest.

Frisk was agonizing to think about, but I couldn’t possibly help them exhausted, so I sat and thought under the dark high rock ceilings.

The longer I sat and regained my strength, the more a pressure I felt on my calf. Which turned to a burning. Maybe I’d pulled a muscle? It felt different…

I decided against fucking around with it until later. The mob still knew where I and possibly Frisk was. I stood, slugging on my pack and righting my cap and glasses. I pressed on to find my frie-

“Oof!”

I looked up startled at what pushed me back, ready to defend myself but saw only my friend.

“Hhhf Frisk it’s I!”

A shaky hand went to my chest as I signed with one hand.

*don’t get too excited dumbass let’s go*

I started to walk with them. A relieved smile on my face. Then they took my arm pulling it across their shoulders before I could protest, I read

*I know I’re probably tired we still have either a very long way to go or very short let’s do this*

I yield and let Frisk help me walk to the both of our destinations.

It was a short walk. but it was made with brisk albeit wobbly steps. We came up to the bottomless trench. No matter what the two of our tactics to find or hear the bottom, it was fruitless.

Looking down at it now was even more foreboding. I started to wonder how the fall would feel. All that g-force on my body…

With a tug on me, I looked towards my companion.

*y/n we must do this…they may…still be after us. *

They were signing with one hand, but I understood it plainly.

“Alright… we throw our backpacks in first?”

They nodded and the two of us slugged our backpacks over the edge. We stayed by the edge for a while, probably still trying to listen to the packs hit the bottom despite ourselves. After a while, I started to walk back. Frisk stayed by the edge. When I got into position, Frisk still faced the edge. They took a deep breath and turned to face I.

They had a big goofy smile on their face as the signed,

*Lets finally give ’em what they want. *

They spread their arms and held up their chin.

“les gho ta hell”

I decided if the two of us died today, it wouldn’t be so bad if this was the last thing I saw on my lifelong companion’s face.

I quickly blew air from my nose and ignored the burning in my leg. It wouldn’t really matter after this.

I sprinted towards Frisk.

And leapt off the ground, into their arms.

Falling straight to hell.