[BEING REBOOTED] ASOA II: A Hum of Insanity || MSM

Chapter Six : Struggling

Eldoris stands up when Laizard completes with crafting a tiny tombstone for poor little Suri. There may be not a body in the ground, for Suri was never found, but it brings the family a bit at peace to have it there, especially now that they can visit it whenever they want to, even if the real Suri was slowly decaying into bones underwater somewhere.

Laizard kneels down before the little grave she made and began to sob in grief. Eldoris crouches down beside her and gives her a comforting hug, nuzzling his metallic head into the hair of her fur. His attention is focused all on her, because he can't bear to look at the grave without tearing up more than he is already.

Volare soon joins the two in comforting eachother and wraps his arms tightly around Laizard and Eldoris. But Eldoris could sense that Volare was grasping on Laizard tighter, but that was to be expected from him.

Eldoris brings his hand up to Laizard's cheek and he comfortingly squishes it, something he normally does when she is not in the best mood. And just like always, this seems to put Laizard a little bit more at ease as her sobbing grows soft.

Volare looks up at his brother and gives him a mixed expression of relief and sadness.

Eldoris returns the glance, and he mouths that they should just do their best to be there for each other, especially Laizard, for she seems to be taking this loss way worse than any other party involved.

Volare nods in response and continues to pamper the distraught purple Kraigon, bringing her into a soft embrace as Eldoris pulls back from the two and looks up at the sky for a moment to recollect himself from becoming a teary mess.

"... It's okay, hun." He heard Volare whispering to Laizard while he keeps her close to him while she wept and whimpered.

"Suri..." Laizard breathed with depression.

Just hearing the shaky voices of his brother and his partner causes Eldoris' eyes to water as he covers his face to hide the tears.

Why did this have to happen?

Eldoris continues to think and bargain with himself about how he had wished Suri would have just stayed home and never went to the disaster.

If only they had just stayed home at Air Island. If only I had just been fast enough to catch them...

Suddenly, he hears an angered shout from Laizard. Whipping his head around, he sees the purple Kraigon raise to her haunches and open her mouth, a faint color of orange slowly started to glow from her throat and before Eldoris or Volare knew it, a gust of fire shoots from her maw, which catches a nearby tree on fire.

Eldoris' eyes widened as he jumps up and dashes to the enflamed tree and stomps on it to put the fire out.

"Laizard! Why did you do that?" Both Eldoris and Volare ask her.

Laizard's ears lowered as she had a face of slight regret. Her head hung low, averting her gaze from the two Epic Wubboxes.

"W... We know you're upset, dear. But please, don't go setting islands on fire, okay?" Eldoris said calmly, gently placing his hand on the Kraigon's shoulder.

"I know... I just- it was- I- it was just the heat of the moment, okay? I had too much frustration bottled up..." Laizard stammers, trying to explain herself.

Volare hushes her quietly, hugging her tighter. He wraps his wings around her body now, offering her some more comfort.

"Is that smoke I smell?"

Eldoris' eyes widen a bit when he hears the feminine voice of what seems to be a nearby Werdo. He turns to the direction of the voice and sees Parlsona with her head tilted.

"Parls! Sorry about that. You see, uh, Laizard, uhm, she lost, er, Suri..." Eldoris begins awkwardly.

"Wait— what?!" Parlsona forms a face of disbelief. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry..."

"Yeahhh, and she unintentionally set a tree on fire, but it's okay, I put it out."

"So, Suri is dead?" Parlsona asked with a tone of disbelief.

Eldoris nodded, a look of grief in his emerald-green eyes.

"I... send my condolences... do you guys need anything? Snacks? Water?"

"Thanks, but... no thanks, we're good. Just... distraught."

"I see. Well, get better soon, you three... Quake and Skitter too. Oh, do they know?"

"Yes. They're devastated."

"Aw... poor kids. Well, I'll see you lot soon. Take care."

Parlsona then began walking away.

Eldoris sighed. He looks back at Laizard and Volare, kneeling down beside Laizard and joining the embrace him and his brother are giving their traumatized partner.

"Can I... be left alone, please?" Laizard mumbled in between sobs. Her muscles were very tense, they felt like they could pop her skin, which made Eldoris worried for her mental, and even physical stability, but if it's what she wants, he'll respect her requested space, and so will Volare.

The two Epic Wubboxes separate themselves from the Kraigon and they began walking away slowly until they were at a comfortable enough distance for Laizard.

"I don't know what to do, El." Volare began, his tone shaky.

"Me neither."

"It's just, why? Why did Suri have to die? Just why? I thought I was gonna have a happy family with a Kraigon I loved but no. Suri, the cutest monster in the world aside from their adoptive brothers, had to die. They're dead, Eldoris! And there's nothing I can do about it and it makes so fucking angry!!"

Volare's outburst left Eldoris rapidly blinking for what felt like a minute, as he tried to process everything his brother spat out full of a grieving rage.

"I... I know, Lare. But it's just how life is, it's cruel... oh what the heck? No, no. This is all my fault; I can't keep blaming nature for every tragedy. Oh, Galvana, I- excuse my language, but I fucked up so bad, Vol. If only I had been faster and caught them, they would've..."

As Eldoris trailed off, Volare began to sob once more as he threw his arms over his brother tightly, a little too tight, but Eldoris didn't care. Volare cried on Eldoris' shoulder like a madman. It was piercing Eldoris' non-existent ears because of Volare's loud voice, especially when he's yelling, which in this case, he's crying so loud, he's just screaming with tears flooding in his goggles.

This didn't stop Eldoris from crying with Volare, though. He was just as upset as his brother was, if not worse. He missed Suri, and he felt responsible for the death of the young Kraigon because of how unaware he is at times.

Just the thoughts of this made Eldoris angry and sad at the same time. He wants to punch something, so bad, maybe a tree, but at the same time, he just wants to dig a hole in some sand and cry in it.