My writer's block is completely gone, so I'm going after every opening I get. I'm enjoying this story a lot, and I can only hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I'm relying largely on my writing style, filled with description and questions. Well here's the next chapter of On the Rocks, enjoy~!

Panther was left alone in the house as Dante went out to tend to the bar, having had someone covering for him for the past few days. The last thing he wanted was time alone, what with all of his thoughts attacking him at a constant rate.

'Why me…?' came the inner voice of Panther, childish and light… pure, it wasn't the same Panther, he had made so many god damn bad choices in his life… maybe this was his only chance at a peaceful escape… maybe this was his redemption.

He couldn't come up with any way out of it, at least not without losing Dante. Those memories… he didn't know how real they were… they just felt that way.

There was so many times he could've just given up, so many times he could've… no, should've died. Thinking of his past, the past after Dante… "I'm evil… I'm pure fucking evil," he said, his hands rising in front of his face, shaking as he came to a memory of his first kill, the warm flesh and blood on his hands, he could still hear the heart of the cougar beating feebly. He didn't mean it… but it changed him, and now he was about to go survive by killing others…

He had caused so many deaths; he had ruined so many lives… could he do this all over again. The small inner voice gave an answer, 'Yes…' the voice… was it his subconscious? Were these his true thoughts?

Panther's question was answered with the scene from yesterday, Dante's shock when he realized what was going to happen. He'd fight… if only to not ruin Dante's life.

Once this was over… if he survived… he'd fix his wrongs.

"I've spent my whole life destroying peace… it's about time that I uphold it," he whispered to himself, coaxing a small sigh to escape his lungs as the built up pressure had been released just like that.

Now that he had set his thoughts straight, he felt himself desperately yearning for alcohol to send his mind into a dull state, just wanting to feel numb.

His mind went to the fact that Dante owned a bar, and instantly he headed to the fridge. He opened it, immersing his fur into the chill of the fridge as he grasped the bottle, the brown glass cool and damp from the refrigeration.

Panther felt his fur mat to his palms, as he clutched the beer, realizing his hands were shaking a little, threatening to lose grip altogether.

Feverish, the need for the buzz and lack of feeling seemed to rush at him when he saw the beer, instantly popping it open and taking a long drink, the bitter chilled liquid heating his throat as he felt everything feel better all at once. The numb feeling that spread from his stomach to the rest of his body sent him into a serene state of mind, finally regaining a little control, breathing the words out, "I'm pathetic."

The buzz made him feel so much better, and he just wanted to jump for joy as he felt the joy he had only experienced in youth, in purity.

In those moments of buzz, he felt no anger, just joy. As he felt himself come to see an image of Krystal in his head, he wanted to hug and hold her again. He needed her so badly; she was the thing he couldn't get enough of. All of the hate and rage, it had been erased by the dull liquid. He actually felt the fleeting bits of love he had towards the vixen… and how he longed, prayed to brush her cheek with a paw, to see her once again… why couldn't he hold onto her? She was the best thing he ever had…

Krystal was… gone, that rose was the sign that she was done, done for good with him. The pain broke the dam formed by the buzz.

An idea struck him, him chugging the rest of the beer before shattering the bottle on the fridge, leaving a jagged half, while the rest was shards of glass on the floor. Pieces of glass scraped his skin, a single piece holding its ground in his skin as they all fell.

The bottle, he brought the sharp edge to his wrist, pressing down, his skin doing down slightly. A searing pain ripped through him as the dent lifted up, blood with it. The pain made him feel alive made him feel like he could see tomorrow without today… made him forget Krystal.

In one simple motion, he brought the bottle across his dark fur, slicing across his wrist. For a few moments, no sign that anything happened was present, then blood began to pool at the wound, the pain his narcotic, his grace.

He went to place the bottle against his wrist again, but felt himself stopped in mid-air.

It took a few moments, the feline realizing the pressure on his other wrist, glancing back to see Dante's hand. "What are you doing Panther!?" shrieked the fearful raccoon.

"Getting away from thissssssh hell," Panther said, the alcohol making his voice dull and monotonous, the purr gone.

Dante dug his claws into Panther's wrist, careful not to do any actual damage. The nerves in Panther's arm screamed for release, but the alcohol dulled the pain a lot, it taking its toll.

Dante was in luck as Panther got clumsy, losing his grip on the bottle, dropping it. Panther gasped, if it could be called that, as the bottle shattered in the ground.

"Why would you do that Panther?" Dante asked.

"I desssherve to d-die," Panther said, his voice slow in comparison to the usual.

"I'll never let you die," Dante replied, catching Panther as the feline fell. The raccoon felt so scared, the only thing he could will himself to do was hug Panther close as he slumped down, both of them dodging the shards of the bottle. "I can't lose you Panther," he said, a small sob escaping him. This was all they both had, and it was becoming more and more obvious.

Despite the alcohol, coherent words managed to escape Panther's hanging open lips, "I won't, ever."

Panther's inner voice, his subconscious, his purity, it said one word, which made Panther feel his heart skip a beat, panic returning, 'Liar.' Who was that directed towards?

Well anyways, next chapter is the start of the tournament. Hope you enjoyed this. This might get changed to rated M once the tournament starts, so please put this on your alerts so you don't lose it if that's the case. I don't think the gore and cursing is exactly the healthiest thing for a teen. I would know. :P