Broken Beyond Repair

Afraid

Art done by yours truly. Please do not copy, trace, or use without my permission.

***

A stifled groan could be heard, breaking the peaceful silence and tranquility of the area. Crunching of the floor was heard as Fell tried to sit up, still extremely sore and lightheaded. When he finally managed to sit up, he glanced around his quarters. He was inside of a white building, and it was also really cold. Fell's first thought was a hospital, but he soon dismissed the idea when a voice broke the silence.

"Fell! Are you okay? You're awake now! Do you feel any better?"

Fell was taken aback by the other version of him being so concerned for his wellbeing. It was strange, the last time he had heard something like that was...

Fell shook the thought out of his mind as he looked up again with a confused glare. "Why the hell do you care?! You're probably just waiting ta throw me out as well, just like your idiot brother has been trying to do!"

Now it was Blue's turn to be shocked. "T-that's not it at all! I just want to help my friend!"

There was that word again. 'Friend'. What did it even mean anyway? Was it like being a slave? No, he hasn't been put to work... yet.. Or is it more like being used? Like fighting for them as they watch from a distance?

Blue watched Fell's face as it morphed into different looks of confusion. He became slightly panicked and tried to talk to him again.

"H-hey, are you okay? You're not saying anything.." His voice trailed off at the end when Fell looked back up at him. To be honest, he was still scared, not of him, but his past. He watched nervously as Fell stared right into his own blue eyelights.

"What.. what's a.. friend?" Fell said, sighing as he finally gave in. He had no idea what it meant and he wanted to know, because this was the second time Blue used that word to describe him.

Blue seemed completely horrified. "You don't know what a friend is?! How could that possibly be?! You have to have had some friends!"

Fell continued to stare, his confused look growing into more of an annoyed one. Blue realized that he truly had no idea what friends were, so he sighed and prepared himself for the topic.

"Okay, so a friend is like a companion, one that you trust and that you want to be around. Spending time with them makes you happy because they're your friend, and they're supposed to make you happy. They also tend to like some of the same things that you like, or will just go out of their way to talk to you in a kind and positive way!"

Blue waited as Fell just blinked, then said a simple "Huh". A strange tension filled the air as Fell tried to process this new information. They both sat in silence again for a while before Blue eventually cleared his throat.

"So, um, do you get into fights a lot? Because when we were trying to patch you up.. we saw.." Blue voice trailed off at the end, he couldn't bring himself to say it. Fell knew exactly what he was trying to say, and though wanting to play it off, his self consciousness made him grab his jacket and wrap it around him tightly, stretching the ends of his shorts down past his knees. A small red glow formed on his face.

"W-what?! The hell, you looked at my b-body while I was asleep?! W-what the hell man?! I-is that like another thing friends do, because if so it's not happening!"

Blue panicked, this was going downhill way too quickly for his likings. He also felt his face grow hot, for Fell was completely right.

"N-no! We just needed to see if you were okay! T-there were scars everywhere so we just wanted to be able to help you!" Blue said back quickly in a panicked voice.

Fell's eyes went wide when Blue finished his sentence, clearly taken aback.

"...You saw.... those?..."

Blue realized that this was worse of a subject than he originally thought. This didn't seem like it was from a fight...

"T-those were just scars from all the battles I've won asshole.. to show 'em who's boss, to say I'm not weak."

"But Fell-"

"I said they were scars asshole!"

Blue wanted to press on but Fell didn't seem like talking. He decided to change the subject.

"Uh, so what's it like being so strong? You must have lots of friends and admirers!"

Fell just sighed. "You just don't get it, do ya? Down here, it's kill or be killed. There are no friends. Everyone is out to get everybody. Everyone is just looking for free EXP, so you get into fights a lot."

Blue looked down. Fell must've had a terrible life, thinking that the only way to live was to be the strongest. Suddenly, he had an idea.

"I know! If you don't have any because of the terrible place you live in, I'll be your friend!"

There was that word again. Friend. Even after the word had been explained to him, he wasn't quite sure he fully understood. How could the word apply to him? I mean sure, hanging out with Blue increased his mood significantly, but still. Was that enough? Sure he didn't want any harm to come to Blue, but that's because he's different than the other monsters he's grown up with. Blue actually reminded him a bit of his brother when he was younger. He tried to shake it from his mind as he felt the sadder memories begin to resurface. He looked back at Blue and resumed the previous conversation.

"Friends? You just met me and you want to be friends? Is that even allowed?" He took a breath. "You know what, whatever. Do whatever you want, I don't care. Just don't make a wrong decision." Fell's voice became low and bitter at the end, causing Blue to flinch. He started to reply hesitantly.

"O-or else w-what?.."

"Y o u ' l l p a y f o r y o u r s i n s ."

Fell's eye flare lit up the white igloo casting deadly red shadows all over the scene. Blue's eyes went wide in fear as he quickly scrambled back from the unstable version of himself. His eyelights were tiny pinpricks that shook in absolute terror. In fact, his whole body shook as he cowered from the sight before him. Blue could feel tears forming around the edges of his eye sockets.

Fell saw this and immediately came to his senses, extinguishing not only the flare, but his eyelights as well. His deadpan look seemed to scare Blue even more as he let out a startled yelp from the sudden disappearance of the light in the room. Fell felt something in his chest twinge at this as he looked away, before getting up and running haphazardly out of the igloo.

Blue wanted to call his name, to tell him to wait, to ask him what was wrong, but he couldn't move. Every inch of him was frozen in utmost terror. As much as he hated to say it, he really was scared of Fell after that incident. He stayed still, not even acknowledging Stretch as he came back in the igloo, rushing to his side and wrapping his protective arms around the shaking body of his younger brother. In most situations, Blue would immediately hug back. But now, Blue couldn't move or say anything.

He was truly afraid...