Crowned

Arc 1, Chapter 12: Ashes.

TW: Parental Death, Vomit

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Nickel held his breath, struggling a scramble over to Balloon. Still panting from the fight prior he stood over his battered form with a trembling stance. He couldn't do anything about Test Tube since she would die if he touched her. Balloon was the only one he could help, as much as he wanted to help all parties. Perhaps this was for the best anyway. He bore teeth as he turned his eyes to face the direction Fan had ran. The blurred slurry of red and green made him wince in anger. The blood still falling down his face. Damn it... Damn it all! That man hadn't deserved to get away just like that...
His eyes turned back to the one with sizzling wounds still plastered along his body.

"Dear... God..." Nickel trembled, giving a solid attempt to help the other up by getting Balloon to lean on him. His own legs shaky and strained to lift the other. What a disaster.

Balloon doubled over, bile filled his mouth and splattered onto the dead grass below. He had a horrible pain tolerance since most things would kill him instantly. This sort of pain was unbearable. He wished he'd just... Die from his injuries. It was not even like he hadn't sustained death worthy damage. By all means any object sustaining this level of injury should be dead by now. But he wasn't. He had still been alive. Because god forbid anything in his live could be that simple. He felt the warm blood pour down his face. He could taste the blood in his mouth... He felt like he was going to be sick. He tried to put his pain into words, but it came out as an inaudible gurgling from his damaged throat. Singed and pained.

Nickel shut his eyes tightly. And frowned even more. "I-I know... I know bud..." He choked out as a tear slowly fell out of his glowing eye. One unbearable step after the other. It felt like an eternity of a futile effort as the distant building only grew by millimetres. A grunt with every footfall as he forced himself forwards.
Balloon winced and strained as he felt his damaged wings drag against the ground. Each rock, slight indent, or blade of grass felt like a razor stabbing into the blisters which formed on his body. He held onto Nickel for dear life. The pain was too much to think about. Consciousness was barely even graspable.

Mephone looked at Test Tube who was disoriented from the lack of acid, antifreeze to be precise, in her glass. The cracks that been blasted into her began to leak blood trickling down like streams through a forest. "U-uh..." Mephone didn't know what to do. "Life Ring—? You said you're a life guard right...?!" Mephone felt a bead of sweat dripping down his face as he clutched the Jar with Floory in it.

"On it!" Life Ring exclaimed as he pulled out his on hand first aid kit. Which was rather shocking he could even carry the thing. He began to try to patch up Test Tube as best he could. Though it was rather quick and sloppy. The few bandages likely wouldn't suffice for long.

"Mephone! What on EARTH have you brought us into?! I had not signed up for this! How could I be expected to deal with Whatever that was..." Silver Spoon crossed his arms dramatically as if he was a child.

"It is not like the worse has passed... You massive infant of a man..." Candle murmured. Out of character for her usual serene and calm demeanour.

"J-just relax! As soon as this whole thing gets sorted out... I'll uh... Get back to the competition thing..." Mephone frowned, turning away and clutching the jar to his chest.

"You okay?" Floory asked, watching as Mephone4 seemed to internally panic to the point of hyperventilation.

"How can I be okay? I wanted a break from the stress! Not a whole new stressor... What if— he's behind this?! Oh... god..." Mephone4 clutched the side of his head as the fear in his chest boiled over the top.