Capítulo 40: Maze Caves (5)
Sly hurried behind Blank. He really looked out of it, his face was pale and he stumbled a few times, but he wouldn't turn back. He had taken the coordinates from Sly and was now flying just above the ground with his wings while the other speed ran below him.
Blank probably would have left them all behind if he didn't keep stumbling in the air and getting confused. Probably a side effect from the potions Sly gave him earlier.
Sly finally took the lead since it would probably be quicker. He headed for the forest north of the caves.
Huh? Sly looked around at all the snow. Just great now it was going to be freezing cold. Did it usually snow this time of year? Eh whatever. The snow had already built up in this area leaving behind a depth of a foot all around.
Cold, Cold, Cold. Sly thought as he hurried along. At least it wasn't still snowing.
Sly followed a small river, probably the same one that fed into the caves, up into the trees. Just a another few bends and they would reach the slight valley where Royal's last location had been. Sly felt a twinge of guilt, he didn't want to see a headless body or whatever other carnage had formed.
Sure he hadn't known Royal all that well, but still.
He glanced at Blank. His face looked as determined as ever. He'd probably end up making his condition ten times worse by being out here.
Oh great. Sly spotted the last bend in the snow and started around it up to the valley.
"It should...….." Sly's voice cut off at the scene in front of him as another wave of guilt flooded him.
Laying just to the left of the valley was a tree with the top half lying on the ground. It had clearly broken off in an unnatural manner. The branches were all bare from the winter weather. As if a person had been leaning against it just a bit ago.
Sly swallowed and moved forward as Blank also immediately lurched forward. Behind him Sly heard Deck crying and he winced again. The snow below the tree had a person sized indentation along with the tracks of several wild beasts.
That wasn't the worst part though, the snow all around the area was covered in blood.
"It's not Royal's blood right? Surely it is some beasts?" Blank practically whispered.
Sly didn't move. He didn't want to test the blood for what it was. He already knew the answer.
Chase leaned over picking up a small amount of the snow and running an analysis of it against Royal's data. Sly couldn't help but stare at the test as if somehow hoping he'd be wrong.
It felt like forever as the swirling loading sign turned in circles. Then it finally popped up green. Sly never thought he'd hate seeing the color green so much. It was a match.
No one said anything for several minutes. Then Blank walked slowly up to the tree and examined a patch of blood on it.
"Test here too. Maybe Royal just got a paper cut or something." He said.
A look of pain crossed Chase's face but he didn't say anything and walked over and ran the same test. A few seconds later it popped up as a match again.
Blank collapsed into the snow with tears streaking down his face as he just stared at the broken tree.
"Little Blue….." Blank's voice was hardly a whisper.
Then Blank tucked his head into his knees and refused to look at anyone or respond to anything for a long while.
Sly started shivering and looked around at the others. The sky had started to grow dark. Deck was curled against him. He had cried for a long time and now just lay limply against him. They needed to get back before someone caught a cold.
Nearby River was looking at the tree from the backside, and Nova and Winter were just watching quietly.
Sly hardly remembered it but he somehow managed to drag Deck to his feet. His worry for Deck and Blank's current state out weighing his guilt over Royal. Then they all started making a slow trek back to their base.
Once they arrived Sly took Deck back to his room and got him snuggled up in some blankets with some hot coco that he wasn't really drinking, but at least it was like a hand warmer. Deck just kept staring blankly ahead.
"I'll be right back okay?" Sly said gently hugging him.
He paused by the door looking over at him. He really didn't want to leave but he also had to quickly check on Blank or he wouldn't be able to get any sleep. Well not like he was going to get any anyway.
He slipped over to Blank's room and poked his head in.
Curled up on his bed Blank had his eyes jammed shut clearly having cried himself out of tears. He was clutching a blue pillow, no wait it was a jacket of some sort. A shadow in the corner moved and Sly glanced over to see Chase make his way over to him.
"Sly." He said quietly.
Sly just gave a slight nod. "You'll keep an eye on him for the night?"
"Of course, he's my best friend."
"Come get me immediately if anything happens."
Chase nodded.
Sly watched Chase vanish back into a shadow by the wall and sit down. From that position he was basically impossible to see unless you knew he was there.
On the bed Blank suddenly opened his eyes muttering "The necklace!" then his whole mood went gloomily again as he muttered "Broken." And another set of tears started down his face.
Sly wasn't sure what to make of that but he just grimaced and left again. Chase would keep an eye on him and Sly didn't want to leave Deck alone for more than a minute.
He returned to see that Deck hadn't budged an inch and his hot coco was still full.
Deck's eyes moved up to meet Sly then went down cast again as he dropped some hot coco on himself.
"Deck!" Sly yelped "Are you okay, you didn't burn yourself!" he hurried over and examined Deck's hand.
Deck was fine, well his hand was fine, Sly wasn't sure he'd call him okay yet though.
"Did you know Royal?" Deck muttered catching Sly by surprise.
"Not well, I wish I had gotten to know him better." Sly replied hugging Deck firmly.
............… ...............… ............….
***{Back in Blank's Room}***
Chase watched as Blank slowly flipped over at one point and punched a pillow. He must have wacked it weirdly since his watch turned on and started playing the clips from earlier.
Blank started watching them with his face so soaked in tears that he could of filled a pool.
They caught Chase's attention as well since he'd only seen part of the first one where Rash first turned into Royal. The next one was Royal fighting Rash. Then Blank changed a setting and Chase realized he must have recorded a lot of the time he was unconscious, or whatever you wanted to call that state.
He watched quietly as several other clips filtered by; one of Royal singing and carrying Blank, One of Royal beating up some kind of bird monster, then Royal destroying the entire base of Team Red members. One particular one Blank kept replying. It was Royal taking off his jacket to make Blank a pillow, and then several more minutes of a shirtless Royal roaming around.
Then to Chase's amazement Blank half hummed/sang a song in a very broken manner.
"If you feel like you will cry, go and catch a firefly, If you want to touch the sky, grow a pair of wings and fly." Then he paused for a moment "And tell me, tell me, what does it mean to you." Then Blank started sobbing uncontrollably again.
Chase wasn't huge on feelings or anything but he felt a slight twinge of guilt over calling RoyalBlue a murdering traitor so many times.
Chase glanced back at Blank wondering if he should go hug him or something, but he also probably just wanted to be left alone. That's how he had been since Chase first knew him.
"I'm sorry, I wish there was something I could do." Chase whispered too softly for him to hear.
Another twinge of guilt formed in his chest.
Sure he hated Royal for managing to get Blank's attention when he had been trying for years and failed then finally given up when Blank showed no interest back. But that didn't mean he wanted Royal dead. Well since he wasn't a traitor anyway. He felt another wave of guilt run through him.
Stupid feelings.
A single tear made its way down his cheek.
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