Rag Doll, Chapter 20

Next!

Blade's POV

When we arrived at Drake's cave, I saw that it was of a simple design but had a few rooms, a couple of which looked to be hand carved. I pointed this out to Drake and he responded

"Yeah, when I first moved in here about… twenty-four, twenty-five years ago, it was much smaller than this. But I liked it, I checked around to see the whole thing but found that this cave sinks into a mountain. You can't really see the evidence of this from outside because of all the foliage. Emboldened by this, I began to use my horn and Brick Break to expand my cave. I finished it about fifteen years ago. I would have been finished in ten, but I was often harassed by local gangs. Once I got them to leave me alone, I was able to concentrate on my home. I even added a guest room since I liked to help people, and thanks to the local gangs there was never a shortage of injuries."

I looked at Drake questioningly, and Drake saw this and asked

"What?"

"It sounds like you had a troubled past. If I'm prying, please let me know, but sometimes it's good to get pressure like that off your chest."

Drake laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, saying

"Well, you could say I had a troubled past. Things weren't exactly easy growing up during my time. But I never had anyone to tell. I've always been a loner. I was going to talk to Teresa, or Sparkle now, but when I caught her with someone else, my heart hardened. I thought then that I couldn't really tell anybody else. People are cruel, and it seems to me that when you open your heart to others, that's when they'll stomp on it." He sat down, then looked up at Rose and I and asked

"Have either of you any idea what that feels like?"

I shook my head, but Rose nodded, then she seemed struck by an idea. She ran over to and opened the small pack that I had brought along and dropped off by the entrance to Drake's home. After searching for half a minute, she exclaimed and brought out a muddy looking object. Her rag doll. I had forgotten she took it with her.

"What's that, Rose?" Drake asked.

Rose looked up at Drake, then smiled and hid the doll behind her back and walked forward. When she was close enough for Drake to see, she brought out the little doll and presented it to him.

"It looks like a little rag doll…" Drake told her.

Rose nodded, then replied

"It is a little rag doll. But more than that, it's my first friend."

Drake looked confused but interested.

"What do you mean?"

"Back in our society" Rose started "I lived in the slums, the low-class district. We have a high population, and were close-knit. But I was very shy when I was a Ralts. Any attempt to make friends resulted in failure on my part for a while. After my first attempt I was really depressed. My father came into my room that night and told me he had a surprise for me. Then he brought this little doll from behind his back. It was in better condition than it is now, but I've done my best to take care of it. My father told me that I now had a little friend to come home to every night. He still wanted me to try and make new friends, but at least I would have one to look forward to if I failed. I told this doll everything, all my problems, all my hopes and dreams, and I would go to sleep every night comforted by my little friend. Over the years, my mother tried to make me get rid of the doll, but I always got it back one way or another. I just couldn't throw away my first friend, the only one who didn't mock me or tease me or call me names. I managed to find real, living friends eventually, but I kept this doll as a reminder of who I was and what I wished for. And… when the time comes, I want to have children of my own and give this doll to my daughter." Then she hugged the doll close to her chest, tears leaking out of her eyes. I put my arms around her to comfort her. At the sound of a sniffle that didn't belong to her, we looked up to see Drake wiping away tears of his own. He looked at us and said

"I'm sorry, that's just a very touching story, Rose. I guess my heart isn't as hard as I imagined. I hope you do have children of your own and that they are every bit as beautiful as you."

"Thank you" Rose said softly.

Drake nodded and said

"And since you have told me your story, and I know Blade's, it's only right that you should both know mine. Please, sit."

Rose and I moved to the couch that was actually a large carved piece of rock with a few layers of moss over it. It was actually quite comfy. Then we looked at Drake, who was looking into the darkness outside his cave.

"My father was abusive. Every night he would come home and start beating my mother. When he got bored of that, he moved on to me and my siblings. I tried to protect them as best I could, but when your exoskeleton is cracked, it becomes very painful to move."

Rose looked at him with avid horror, while I sat there feeling sick. My parents were idiots, yes, but they never struck me. And I knew that Rose's parents would never hurt her like that.

"If any of us stepped out of line, it was a guarantee of at least ten minutes of beating. After about thirteen years of it, I had had enough. My mother was always weak due to raising us and getting beaten night after night. My siblings were still young, but even around strangers who meant nothing but good, if they so much as raised a hand, they would burst into tears and run away. I hated my father for the damage he had done. I started training myself when I was eight, and after five years I felt like I was ready to take him on. But I wouldn't be satisfied at simply defeating him. He had beaten us every night for as long as my siblings were alive, me for most of my life, and my mother shortly after she had me. No, winning against him wouldn't be enough. Even if I won, things would go back to the way they were, except worse. I didn't want that. I knew there was only one way to stop him."

"No…" Rose said.

"Yes, you're sitting in the presence of someone who killed his own father for reasons to protect his family. I may be a murderer, but I do have my own values and ethics. Shortly after I killed my father, I packed my things and told my mother she and her children wouldn't have to suffer anymore. I said goodbye and never looked back."

Drake looked at us now, scrutinizing our reactions. I was unsure what to think. He was a murderer, but for the reason of protecting his family.

"But still, to kill your own father…" I thought. But then a voice inside me said

"Isn't that what you threatened to your own father? Except you also threatened to torture him, and laugh if he screamed."

I looked up at Rose, who was crying silent tears, then to Drake, who had his face closed off. I stood and told Drake

"You had a rough past. I understand that. However, this does not change the fact that I still want you to join us."

Drake's face brightened up considerably, and he asked

"Really?"

I nodded, then said

"You are the first friend we have made since we left the society, and you killed your father to save your family from further abuse. I can respect that, even if I do not entirely agree with it."

Drake let out a sigh of relief and sat back in his chair. He looked up at me and said

"Thank you, Blade. Your words have lifted a heavy burden that's been resting on my shoulders since I was fifteen years old. I will happily travel with you two, and when we reach this city, I want to settle down and start my own family. Even as you two might be doing."

With that said, we decided it would be a good time to go to bed and wake up early tomorrow. Rose and I went into the guest room and saw a bed that was made in the same manner as the couch. We lay on the bed together, not worrying at this point since we were no longer part of the society. Rose placed her head at my shoulder and I held her close as we peacefully fell asleep.

Rose's POV

When I woke up, I saw that Blade wasn't by my side anymore. He was really insistent about his training. I stretched my body and sat up, thinking about what I had heard last night. I told myself not to judge Drake's character based on his past, only on what I had seen from him already. It really was amazing that he told us his story after having only known us for about a day.

I exited the room and found Blade and Drake already up and getting ready to eat breakfast.

"Good morning" they both said to me, and I replied in kind. We sat to eat, then started talking about our plans.

"The first thing I want to do is get some bigger packs" said Blade.

"One month's worth of food will not fit in those packs alone. Plus we have our own supplies in there. We need more room."

Drake nodded and said

"I have some packs stored away in my room, I'll bring them out when we're finished here."

We soon finished eating, and when the dishes had been cleaned and stored away, Drake went into his room and brought out two more packs that were bigger than our biggest pack.

"Okay, those are perfect" Blade said to him.

"Now we just need to go pick up the food for our trip, and then we can be on our way" Drake told us.

We headed out the door to his cave and Drake turned to it for one last look before he left it forever. Then he turned and said

"Follow me."

After a couple of hours, we reached a somewhat lively forest market that was teeming with pokemon. We gathered food from various places, packed it away, then left to find the poke human city.

Okay, I admit this chapter was a little short, but I want to keep the actual traveling altogether. It made little sense to start their journey now and try to continue it next chapter. Anyway, review and tell me what you liked. Or disliked. Heck, just write some reviews.