Taking a break from Conspirate to write a one-shot, the first one I've done since that (c-r-a-p-p-y) creepypasta. woohoo. Enjoy!
Tangy drew lines in the sand with her stick. She was drawing pictures of Jill, the mayor of Almond. She bit her lip as she remembered her best friend.
"There she is! On the beach!"
Tangy froze and whirled around. Oh god, she thought. They're here! Ugh…gotta run, gotta run…
It was too late.
Francine, Monique, and the leader, Fuchsia, leaped from the cliffs onto the sand.
Oh god. Oh god. Tangy prayed, like she always did, that somehow Jill would leap in to the rescue and save her. It never happened and it never would.
"Here's the wittle kitty! We've been looking for you," Fuchsia said with a smile.
"Want to play a fun game with us?" Monique asked.
"We call it Orange Toss!" Francine finished.
N-N-No!
Words wouldn't come out Tangy's mouth. Could she leap in the ocean and try to swim away? Should she run? No, it was her against a deer, rabbit, and cat, which were already ridiculously fast by nature. Not to mention they'd be angry if she ran.
And they were hungry.
The three pulled oranges out of their pockets and threw them at her face.
"Nooo-o-o-o!" Tangy shrieked as oranges slapped her face.
It was a very long time until they stopped and ran out of oranges. Each of their pockets had been filled to the brim with baskets of oranges, Almond's native fruit. That was four hundred thirty-two oranges. All slammed against her body and splashed against her face. All squished into her neatly combed fur and tangled in her tail. All messy seeds and glop in her mouth and ears.
"We're gonna get some more. Don't move!" Fuchsia called.
It's not over?
Dismayed, Tangy felt tears spring to her eyes for the hundredth time that evening.
"Monique! Me and Francine are going to get some more. Watch her."
"Sure thing, Fush."
Monique stared at Tangy, arms crossed.
Tangy knew she could outrun her. With a blast of terror, she rocketed for her house.
"HEY!" Monique screamed. She chased after her. Tangy charged off, her thin legs running with all their might. She opened the door to her house, slammed it shut, and locked it, instantly turning the sign in front of her house to "Sleeping. Like, don't wake me up, okay?"
A fraction of a second later, there was a thump! against her door.
"Come out, kitty! We're not done yet!"
"Get out or we'll break down the door!"
"We know you're in there!"
"GO AWAY!" Tangy shrieked. She hid under the bed, trembling with terror. She squeezed her eyes shut, but tears trickled from her eyes.
"Where are you going, J-puff?"
"Sorry, Tangy. I'm not coming back for a while."
"What?! How long?"
"…A really long time. See you."
"WHERE are you going?"
"A faraway region called Kalos. You've never heard of it and you'll never go there."
"W-w-what? I want to travel with you too!"
"I'm sorry. I…I'll come back one day. Best buds forever, right?"
"B-best buds…forever. Bye, J-puff…sniff!"
"Don't cry! I'll be back before you know it!"
"I'll wait for you! I'll wait for you and never stop waiting until you come back!"
"That means so much to me, Tangy. I've never had a friend like you before."
"Sniff…don't mention it! Just have a great time in Kukoo or whatever!"
"Hah!…Well…here comes the train. Bye, Tangy."
"Bye, Jill."
She had stepped on the train. She never came back.
Tangy had waited and waited. She was past her breaking point. She promised herself she would wait until the end of the world for her. She would sit through the bullying, through the teasing, through the harassment, for her best and only friend to return.
But she couldn't do it.
It had been too long. She simply couldn't wait. She had used every last resource of willpower she had, but it was all gone.
"I'm sorry…please forgive me…" Tangy whispered, tears trickling from her eyes. She waited until midnight, then snuck out. She went to the town hall. Isabelle was snoring in there (Really? She slept in there?!) and Tangy softly called her name.
"Isabelle?"
"snrrk…hhh…h-huh? Tangy!"
Isabelle sat up and scrambled to organize her desk.
"What are you doing up this late?"
"I'm leaving Almond."
Isabelle paused and tilted her head as if she didn't understand.
"You're…leaving? I thought you said-"
"I'm leaving. I'm leaving tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?! O-oh, alright then…I'll get started on the papers. Let me wake up Nook for you so he can start the demolishing process."
She talked on the phone for a little bit, then handed it to Tangy.
"…Yes, Mr. Nook…Okay. Thank you for building such a wonderful house for me. I appreciate it…You too. Bye, Tom."
Click.
Had she just made the grandest mistake of her life? Or would this choice save it? She would never know.
She snuck back home and fell asleep. The next day she awoke with a heavy heart. She packed slowly, like a robot. She cried for an hour, packed. Cried some more, packed. Cursed the names of Fuchsia, Francine, and Monique. Packed and packed until her house was nothing but boxes, wallpaper, and carpet. She grabbed suitcases and bags until she was ready. Her train was coming at 6AM. She checked her watch; 5:40. Twenty more minutes, she thought. Then she got an idea.
She only had a small amount of time, so she ripped a piece of cardboard from a box and a pencil she, luckily, had in her pockets. She frantically began writing.
Dear Jill,
I promised I would wait until the end of the world for you. I promised, and I don't break promises, ever. But I can't live here anymore. I've been bullied too much. I fear for my life, Jill! I can't live like that! So I'm moving. I'm sorry. Best buds forever, J-puff.
Love, Tangy.
She erased and re-wrote until she checked the time again: 5:57. She only had three more minutes. She flew out her house and off to Main Street, into the post office.
"Hello! Welcome to the Post Office!" Pelly said cheerfully.
Thank goodness it's not Phyllis, Tangy thought before handing her the letter.
"I need this delivered to Jill," Tangy said breathlessly. A shadow passed over Pelly's face as she remembered the mayor. I'm not the only one that misses Jill…
"I have a train coming in one minute. Gotta go!" Tangy puffed, then charged out the door, waving at Penny. She arrived in town and walked into the train station, completely out of breath. A second later, her train arrived. She walked onto it, handed the train driver her ticket, and sat in the backseat.
I'm sorry, Jill. Best buds forever. I'm so sorry…
She got one last eyeful of Almond, and then the train door shut and drove away. Tears fell from her eyes. She stayed on the train for a long time and didn't get off until she felt like she could even think about the word Almond without bursting into sobs. She got off into a town called Crescent.
This is my new home. I have to leave the past in the past.
Tangy stood up straighter.
And look for the future.