CounterPart

15 | I can help

No matter how hard he pummeled the rocks with his fists, Squid couldn't shift the fury that overtook him.

Stupid self righteous dragonets. Bam.

Stupid Hazel. Bam.

Stupid earthquake. Bam.

After a while, his claws kind of hurt. And that's when the sadness and hopelessness would creep in again, flattening him like a ton of bricks.

Father is gone... Really gone... He was the only one who truly loved me.

Now I've got no-one. They all hate me.

I was being such a stuck up idiot, wasn't I...? Sunny was right, they were all right. Arrrgghh, and it's so ANNOYING! Why can't I just be like them?

Squid let out a long suffering sigh and slumped down against the walls, spreading his wings hopelessly. What was the point, really, if he was beyond redemption? He wasn't hungry. He couldn't go back in there anyway, and face all of them. I hate them.

And so he was back where he started again.

Thank goodness Flame and Umber weren't here. What they'd say to him if they saw him like this! They'd never let him forget. Ever.  He hated them too. Why did everyone have to be so irritating? Why did life have to be so -

His thoughts were interrupted by footsteps - light, cautious footsteps approaching his cave. Squid bolted upright, scrambling to sweep the sticky tears off of his face, and look boldly out at his Clawmate approached.

But it wasn't Flame, Umber, or Ebony. It wasn't even Flicker.

It was Sunny.

Squid growled lower than he ever had, staring her right in the eye but not saying a thing. She looked nervous, fine. She had just shouted at him. She looked like she didn't want to be here. Which was FINE, because neither did he. And she looked... Sympathetic... But that couldn't be right.

"Squid." She said quietly, stepping a few paces forwards. "Can I come in?"

"No." He snarled.

"Okay. I'll just stand here."

Why was she so compliant? Was this really the same dragon that had just SHOUTED AT HIM, EMBARRASED HIM, EXPOSED ALL OF HIS WEAKNESSES -

"I'm sorry."

Squid's entire world froze. Not just a brain freeze, his body went rigid as if suspended in time, and all of his thoughts just packed their bags and left. No-one, no-one, had EVER said that to him before. Least of all a Dragonet of Destiny.

"W-what? Why? What?" Squid stammered, completely speechless.

"I said I'm sorry." She choked. Sunny looked close to breaking down too. "I never meant to..."

"You did mean it. You all meant it. Don't pretend. I was being a spoiled brat, and there's nothing you can do about that." He huffed.

"No, Squid... It's not your fault." She sighed.

"Are you kidding? Of COURSE it's my fault! How is my personality NOT my fault?" He snapped.

"Because your DAD just died, and I was so blinded by annoyance that I didn't even stop to consider how you weren't affected!" She shouted back at him. Squid had never heard her so loud before. Maybe he should start paying attention to these things.

He didn't argue. Squid just slumped further against the wall, dragging his wings painfully over his face in an attempt to hide his cloudy eyes. Sunny moved a little further into the room, and he didn't protest. He was too focused on not appearing weak.

Maybe he just needed to drop that. Just for a little while.

Squid let a strangled sob break out of his body, and he curled over so that he didn't have to face her as he spoke, ever so quietly, his words barely more than a whisper.

"He was the only one who really loved me. No-one else cared one bit. All of my 'friends' were happy to see me go. Morrowseer always thought I was just a tool, and he was ready to replace me." He shivered, trying to hold back tears. "Father made me feel special, he made me feel loved. You don't understand what it's like to have that stripped away."

After a too-long moment, Sunny responded. "You're right, I don't." She muttered softly. Comfortingly. Squid didn't exactly want her to go away, but he wasn't sure how he felt having her here too.

"I deserved that." Squid said plainly; matter of factly. "I deserved all of that. I'm an idiot, go on, say it."

"I won't." Sunny shook her head resolutely. "Because you're just acting like anyone would in your situation."

"And you know that because of all the other miserable failures you've studied?" He snarled, suddenly defensive again. But as soon as the words had come, hopelessness crept back in and he dragged himself sorrowfully up to his hammock and laid there. His cheek pressed against the cold reeds, and he wondered if he could just sink into nothingness and disappear.

"My life is a mess. Everyone hates me, my father is dead, I'm not going to be welcomed back in the Sea Kingdom and I have no-where to live. Face it! I'm beyond change!" He started to laugh deliriously. "You hear that, Morrowseer? Guess what! You've RUINED my life for me!" Squid kept on laughing, oblivious to Sunny's fearful expression.

By the time he stopped and looked back on his outburst, it was no longer funny. Just downright terrifying that life could take a hold on him like that.

But Sunny was still there.

"Hey, Squid..." She whispered. "I don't think you're a failure. And... I want to help you."

"What?" He turned to face her, a look of incredulouty written on his face.

"I can help you, Squid. I believe you can change."

No, he couldn't! He'd just spent hours driving that into himself! Why did this feel like a bucketful of light being poured into his world again? WHAT was happening to him?

"H-how?" He stammered. "I don't know how to be... How to be good. Like you."

There. He'd said it. So what?

"It's not really something you learn. But it's something you can pick up. I can make them believe you're not as bad as you used to be." Sunny lowered her voice kindly. "Maybe I can be your second chance."

Squid's heart seemed to be thrumming against his chest with the speed of a motor. Not just at the thought of redemption... No, no, what was this?! But Sunny looked kind of pretty in the moonlight. Who was he kidding, she was gorgeous. The moonbeams fell on her golden scales, lighting her up like a mini sun.

The sunlight in his abyss. Bah, that just sounded sappy.

"I'm sorry too. Sunny." The first time he actually said her name... And it felt right. "For calling you a hybrid. For insulting you and your friends. I can't believe you still want to help me."

"I'd do anything to help anyone in need." She vowed defensively. So it wasn't exclusively him... Why was that such a let down? Hey, he was getting another chance! Be grateful, Squid! That's what a good dragon would do - that's what Sunny would do.

"So, uh. When do we start?" He grinned sheepishly.

Sunny smiled like a million candles, offering her claw to help him up. "As soon as you like."

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EATEFFHGJDSAGAFHHH --

Your StarvioletFury has stopped working. Cause of malfunction: happiness overload.

Is this my favourite chapter I've written so far? Yes. Yes it is.

Also, I've seen a lot of 'ship armies' about.... Now that some of y'all are actually, like, SHIPPING Sunsquid, would it be worth thinking about a Sunsquid army?

Anyway, next chapter will be in the PoV of someone.... uNexPeCtEd

~ Star out