Ungodly racket pulls Amethyst back from the clutches of sleep.
She opens her eyes, the setting sun blinding her immediately as she does.
The familiar wooden roof greeting as she averts her eyes from the dazzling window.
She slowly makes sense of the noise she's hearing, recognizing it to be Pineapple.
Hissing, meowing, and making all sorts of extremely loud noises.
The cat runs around the house seemingly at random, bumping into furniture and dropping things to the floor.
What is going on?
Amethyst tries to move her legs to the side of the sofa to stand up.
…
Why are my legs not moving?
She tries to move her hips.
Nothing.
Then her back, shoulders, elbows, arms...
Not even a feeling of them being present.
Finally, her neck moves, not just sideways but up too, she cranes it to see the rest of her body still being there, but unable to feel anything from her neck down.
Even then, she’d rather not have felt anything up there either.
Her skull-splitting pain had not ceased, only returned with a vengeance once she had woken up.
Why can I not move!?
Suddenly, the sun shining on her goes out.
Startled, Amethyst turns her head to look out the window.
A large beast stares her down with old faded gray eyes from the other side.
Its long ears shift around vigilantly, the large snout breathing on the window, causing it to mist over.
Pineapple jumps against the window while keeping up the noise pollution and flashing its light at it.
The large beast flinches and retreats, returning the sunset to shine on Amethyst.
I think I saw that beast before, it was chasing after other animals in the dark hall...
GROOOURGH!
A roar overrides the racket made by Pineapple, and the cat falls silent and scoots away somewhere.
Has it come to eat us too?
…
Amethyst tries to remain calm, surely she could still move...
How could she be… paralyzed?
That simply wasn’t possible.
She concentrates on each of her limbs one at a time, each joint, each muscle.
But nothing happens.
Even trying to control her special muscles for directing her blood, unable to get any connection to them either.
The beast roars again and slams against the house and the entire building shakes. Items not yet dropped on the floor due to Pineapple start rattling down.
The small chandelier above the living room table sways and chimes as its loosely hanging decorative glass pieces strike against each other.
The house itself seemed to hold for now.
Come on...
MOVE!
“AhhhhhhHHH!” She cries out in frustration, mandibles in a frenzy, her voice drowned out by the house shaking again accompanied by another roar by the beast.
This cannot be...
Just… move…
…
How did this happen?
Why?
She strained her neck, like trying to pry her body up with just her neck muscles.
Unsurprisingly it made no difference.
How can I ever hope to get back home like this...?
I’m just forced to lay here.
Unable to do anything.
Pathetic and useless.
Amethyst's head throbs faster and faster.
“AHHHHH!”
The pain was intensifying, making her feel lightheaded, her grasp on reality loosening.
I-I can’t take this anymore…
Amethyst shakes her head rapidly from side to side, but it doesn't help, nothing changes. The pain doesn't subside, no clarity, or revelation appears to her.
What even is the point of it all… if living is such agony?
Why did I become sapient?
Just so I would be conscious… of my suffering?
Somebody end this… terrible pain…
Please...
...
I can’t even k-
Please, don’t ever say such horrible things.
Voice?
Is that you?
Hello?
But there is no answer.
***
Frank runs towards his cabin, hearing familiar roars and growls from afar.
Once his home reveals itself from behind the forest’s trees, his assumptions prove to be correct.
A foxbear, half as big as the house, is prowling around, growling, going from window to window, its shoulders slamming on the walls.
He sighs and takes a deep breath as he slows from a run to a slow walk. As long as he didn't act like prey, the gentle, but playful Foxbear shouldn't cause him trouble.
The mountain of fur turns its head towards the sky and sniffs the air, soon turning around to stare at the approaching Frank.
He keeps on calmly walking towards it, his eyes locked to the beast’s dark gray ones.
“Velvet, did you follow my scent all the way here?”
He keeps on his steady approach, unflinching.
“I’m sorry you had to wait so long for me, I know it must be frustrating”
Velvet stares him down and pushes a puff of hot air through its snout.
“You shouldn’t make such a racket, they’ll get the wrong idea about you.”
As he has almost reached the beast, it sits down on the ground to wait for him, he sighs in relief internally.
Velvet whines and lowers its head once Frank is right next to it.
“You know that was very rude of you, yes it was.”
Frank scratches the beast silk smooth fur behind its ear.
“There there, you’ll know better next time to not go scaring my friends like that okay?”
“I bet they’re terrified of you, that’s why they didn’t come out to play.”
He stops scratching Velvet and runs his hand down the rougher mane of its head.
“Now stay here and wait patiently, I’ll be back soon.”
Velvet raises its head again and follows after Frank with its big eyes as he heads for the front door.
I would have expected Amethyst to be out here confronting the beast… has something happened?
***
Through her slumber, closing in on unconsciousness, she hears a voice.
“Amethyst! Amethyst!”
Someone calling for her.
She labors to open her heavy eyelids, and a blurry picture of Frank slowly focuses into view.
He kneels next to the couch with a flushed face and sparkling eyes, his hands placed on her shoulder.
“Oh thank the Goddess, you’re alive!”
Frank exclaims firmly holding onto her shoulder armor, while wiping his eyes with his left hand.
Amethyst turns her head towards Frank.
“Am I…?”
Frank freezes.
“What do you mean, of course you are.”
She looks deep into his eyes, forlorn and panic taking over her expression.
“Frank... I cannot move.”
“What!?”
“I cannot feel anything from my neck down.”
“I-”
“Please help me...”
“I-”
“What do I do?”
“…”
Amethyst calms down, faces away from Frank, and looks towards the ceiling.
“I cannot get back home like this…”
“A- y-yeah...” Frank says interrupting his own words, unsure of what to do, he lets go of Amethyst’s shoulder.
Can I really tell her about it now?
What would that accomplish?
Just further... break her spirit?
“Frank. What... is it?” Amethyst winces in pain mid-sentence and closes her left eye momentarily.
Frank cannot help but hold his own head as he wrestles with his thoughts:
It would only make her more depressed...
Make her mind sink into the dark depths of despair, for her being so helpless…
Unable to aid her kin.
Knowing they won’t live to see a happy tomorrow.
How would she take it?
H-how…
How long will she even…
She looks so-
He looks at Amethyst, her face contorted in restrained hopelessness and pain.
“I-I’ll carry you home if that’s what it takes!”
“But-”
“No buts!” Frank says a little too forcefully.
He wastes no time and starts straining to even slip his arms under Amethyst’s upper back and the sofa, the cold rough armor pressing hard against his hand.
His right arm scoops the four legs up much more easily.
Amethyst stares at him, surprised.
Her elbow blades are dangerously close to his chest, but Frank still squats and tries to lift her with the help of his leg muscles, putting all his strength into it.
He strains and struggles but Amethyst’s upper body only slightly raises above the sofa’s surface, the rest of her body not even budging.
“I- I’m much too heavy... for you” she chuckles softly which gets interrupted by a coughing fit.
Frank wipes a bit of sweat from his brow to his sleeve and gives up on the idea.
“I’m sorry…” Frank looks down upon the floor ashamed.
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“Frank. What is it you wanted to say before…
Did you find out something?
Please tell me...”
…
Can I really-
No, what am I thinking.
Amethyst has the right to know.
It is not my place to hold this information from her.
“Okay…” Frank lifts his head and starts talking with a serious tone.
“The men who run the place where you were imprisoned, sent a ship a little more than an hour ago to Midnight Iris.
Their plan is to capture more like you, capture your... siblings.”
“N-No! B-But why!?” Amethyst’s eyes are terrified and her lips tremble.
“They ran tests on your Mother’s corpse, mainly her blood and the purple compound.
They found out that it could potentially be used to make new spaceship fuel, way more powerful and efficient than the currently existing ones.”
“T-they will... my brother and sisters...” Her eyes start to water.
“I’m really sorry Amethyst. I… I’ll try- No, I’ll stop them! I swear I will!”
Frank’s lips twist in indignation, trying to smile regardless.
Amethyst attempts to answer, but only gets out hoarse coughs, her body starts to convulse violently.
Frank flinches backward to avoid her erratically moving blades.
The convulsions soon stop, Amethyst looking worse for wear afterward.
“I… thank you, Frank. For all you’ve done.
For all your kindness...”
“No… Amethyst you can’t… please don’t…
We're so close to getting you back...”
Amethyst just smiles and blinks her eyes in pain, tear drops are set loose that run through her face and drip down onto the sofa.
“I… don’t know what purpose my life had… why I ended up here.
Why I became aware...”
“Please... Don't say things like...
Like you'll-”
“It could have been worse...
At least... I met you.”
Frank swallows hard and manages to continue speaking:
“I- I'm glad we met too, however brief it was, even if I thought you might kill me on a few occasions” Frank's empty chuckle is turned into a cough by his arid throat.
“I won't forget you.”
“Can I ask... for one more... thing?”
Amethyst’s voice is a low and weak buzz, her head shakes slightly, seemingly uncontrollably.
“Anything.”
Amethyst answers slowly and quietly, with frequent pauses:
“Can you... hold me
hold my head…
I...
I’m so cold…
please…”
“O-of... course,” Frank sniffles mid-sentence, his voice breaking after.
Frank sits next to Amethyst’s head, raises it gently upward, and shuffles his legs below, laying her head carefully back down.
Her head still trembles on his lap, the bone crown on her head prods against his stomach a little, but it doesn’t bother him.
He caresses her purple hair, gently petting her head, his other hand holding the side of her head, his skin brushing against her soft cheek.
Amethyst's formerly flopped, almost folded in two, antennae straighten a little as a result.
“Thank... you...
You are... so warm...”
The shaking of her head subsides.
Amethyst looks up straight into Frank’s copper eyes, her curious and beautiful light blue hybrid eyes filling with moisture.
Frank cannot help the flood pouring from his eyes too.
This… this can’t really be happening…
Why does it always happen to me?
Frank wipes a rolling tear from Amethyst’s soft cheek, her skin is freezing cold.
“Frank…”
She struggles to keep her eyes open, her eyelids twitching, a tender smile on her trembling lips.
“A-are you there?”
She speaks as her irises’ azure color fades and turns to black.
“I-I’m right here,” He says gently and caresses her gray cheek, keeping himself from panicking over her eyes' sudden transformation.
“Frank…
Where did you go?” Her mandibles vibrate weakly and start retreating back inside of her mouth.
She slowly closes her hybrid eyes, fighting against her eyelids, but her efforts are in vain as they close regardless.
A final singular tear separates from her lashes, rolling down her cheek and colliding with Frank's embracing hand.
“Amethyst!”
Frank shouts and hugs her head.
She no longer reacts to Frank’s voice or touch, her smile fades from her dark lips.
“Amethyst!”
Useless.
“AMETHYST!!!”
Futile.
Frank closes his eyes and a river starts pouring, its raging rapids flowing onto Amethyst’s face in large streams.
A single petal disturbed by his tears separates from the orange flower on her head and flutters toward the floor.
Pineapple sits there under the table, still and silent, it follows the petal with its eyes as it floats down.
It lands on the Solarophone’s nose, its whiskers twitch as it closes its eyes, as if taking part in the mourning.
I… I don’t even know what happened to you…
Why did it have to turn out like this again!?
...
Why…
Why?!
I will find out what happened to you…
Protect your family, your kin.
This will be the last time... Intergalactic won't get away with this.
Rest well Amethyst…
Frank opens his eyes, Amethyst’s are still closed, their faces so very close now.
He blinks his eyes as his vision blurs, setting loose large teardrops that spread over her face.
He straightens his back and wipes his eyes to the back of his hand in a large motion.
Frank lifts Amethyst’s head carefully like a priceless artifact that could shatter from the slightest bump and he inches away from under her, lying her head back on the couch.
Frank stands up and takes one more look at her, staring longer than intended, searching, pleading for any signs of life on her face.
Any minuscule, movement of her arms, legs, anything.
For what feels like forever, he gazes upon her, but there is no sign.
He slowly drags himself away from her and grabs his backpack from the coat rack and starts packing, canned food, tools, rope, supplies, anything he might possibly need.
The banaorange from the table too as well as his laser rifle, strapping it on top of the backpack.
One more thing.
The most important one.
He picks up the dark purple bone, still lying there next to the kitchen sink, alone.
I’ll carry you home, you’ll see, lay you to rest in your home soil...
Let’s go Amethyst, we have your brothers and sisters to save, you’ll get to meet them again.
He quickly rubs his eyes, misty once more.
“Pineapple, are you coming with?”
The cat runs up to him immediately.
“Thanks. I can use all the help I need. Just know it will be dangerous.”
He exits through the door with the cat, the foxbear still waiting outside.
It sits on its six legs, only four of them touching the ground.
Velvet emits a low and sad whimper as they approach, Pineapple keeps its distance.
“Velvet, want to join me in my quest for justice?”
The big creature looks at Frank intently.
“Can you give us a lift to the facility, as fast as you can.
You can either join us after or do whatever you want, free your brethren, help other animals whatever you wish.”
He addresses Pineapple and Velvet, resolved, gazing upon the purple bone:
“As long as we live, we are free to choose whatever we want to do, I won’t force either of you to do this.”
The Foxbear stands up on its six legs again and looks at Frank expectantly.
“Thanks, big guy, I knew we saw eye to eye.”
Frank slips the bone into his backpack and climbs on top of the large foxbear, its long fur and stubby legs assisting in the climb.
He holds on tight to the fuzzy and thick mane.
Frank glances to see Pineapple running ahead already, opting to use its own four paws instead.
“Let’s go!”
Velvet roars and starts trampling towards the facility.
I’m sorry I have to leave you like this, but every second counts, they have already left for your home...
I must catch up to them as soon as possible.
You would understand, I'm sure.
Frank thinks and beams an ephemeral smile to the orange-lit evening sky.
***
Inside the log cabin, in the shimmering sunshine, the body of Amethyst lays still and alone.
Without complaint or protest, patiently waiting for their return.
