Summary: "But he refused to give in, no matter how much it hurt to push through the barrier. The girl. He needed to see the girl." Mono escapes the Signal Tower and confronts Six. One-shot.
A/N: I have not personally played either of the Little Nightmares games, but I have seen them streamed on YouTube and have read through the wiki enough to understand it. That said, there may be some inaccuracies.
Goodbye, Old Friend
Pain tore through him as he fought the power of the Tower. It didn't want him to leave. It wanted him to remain in his Loop of misery forever. But he would not let it do this to him any longer. He had chased after himself and the girl too many times now and it always ended the same; in pain, in regret.
His body glitched against the invisible barrier in the doorway, not unlike the screens of the many televisions within the city outside the Tower. But he refused to give in, no matter how much it hurt to push through the barrier. It was nothing compared to what he had felt inside during the many years chasing after his past, trying to change it.
My name is Mono. I can do so much that others cannot. I am strong. I can escape this place. I will escape this place.
It took a long while before even the tips of his fingers began to break through to the outside world. He cried out through gritted teeth, the agony excruciating. But he would not stop. He could not stop. To stop would mean to give up. And giving up wasn't an option, not anymore.
The girl. I have to see the girl.
His head began to push through the Tower's barrier. It hurt too much to think. But he kept going, even as it felt like his head would explode just like the Bullies' own porcelain ones.
As he broke through the invisible door, he dimly noticed that there was an aura of color around him. It slowly went from a blue-white to a bright pink color. He thought he noticed himself shrinking into one of his younger forms, a little older than when he first entered the Tower with the girl.
When he finally tore through to the outside world, he collapsed to his hands and knees, coughing as the fresh, real air entered his lungs. The nagging glitching of his body came to a halt, leaving him a solid form again. The pain gradually faded and he noted that he could feel again. It had been so long since he had really felt anything. The Tower hadn't permitted him that. But now...he was free.
I need to find the girl.
He stood up, running a hand through his hair and pulling his coat tightly around himself to fight off the cool night air. He looked up, around Pale City. He hated this place. Not as much as the Signal Tower, but he still hated it all the same.
He slowly walked up to a television screen sitting just outside one of the many buildings. He turned the dial on it, watching the static of the screen light up from the darkness. He pressed his hand to the screen and watched as it transformed to show a room on the other side of one of the many other screens in the city.
He stood like that for a long time, the scenes flashing as he tried to spot the girl on the other side of one. For a long time, there was nothing. Just the dreary darkness of the homes and the faces of the Viewers. But still, he stood.
It was the voice behind him that convinced him to lower his hand and turn away.
There, in the rainy downpour, stood a figure in a familiar yellow coat.
It was the girl, just as he remembered her.
His body glitching in a threatening manner, he strode up to her. He was quite a bit taller than she was now, towering a few inches over her head. Her hood slipped off as she tilted her head back to look up at him.
"You left me behind." He accused. "You dropped me and left me to rot in your betrayal. Why?"
Her eyes shone with pity rather than fear. She chose not to say anything, but reached into her coat. A paper bag with two holes cut for eyes was revealed to him.
He narrowed his eyes dangerously at her, bitter of the memories of their past adventures through Pale City and the Tower. "What are you doing here? I can kill you now. I'm stronger than I was when you abandoned me."
She remained silent, holding the bag out to him.
He stared at it, hesitating as the realization of having never heard her voice before hit him. "Can you speak?"
"I can." She straightened up, her dark eyes meeting his. Her voice was almost as gruff as his own, surprising for a female. "But I can kill you too."
"I'm not afraid of you."
"Nor I, you."
"Why did you leave me behind, girl?" He asked, voice hardening again.
"My name is Six." She snapped back.
"Mono." He regarded her coolly. "Why did you abandon me, Six? What did I do to you to deserve such punishment?"
"You held me back from escaping." Six told him.
"We were a team, Six!" He exclaimed, a sudden desperation rising within him. "It should have been both of us or none of us."
"You don't make the rules."
"Don't you remember how many times I saved your life? I deserved at least that much in return. But, no, you left me."
"I put myself before everyone else. That includes you, Mono."
"But we were friends!" He paused, trying to get his emotional glitching under control. "We were, weren't we?"
Six nodded, still as frustratingly calm as she had ever been. "Yes. We were."
"I trusted you." He told her softly.
Her voice finally faltered a little. "I'm sorry."
"Don't you know what became of me after you left me?"
Another nod, her voice neutral again. "The Thin Man."
"Imagine knowing nothing but pain. Imagine being stuck in a time loop, chasing your younger self and the person who betrayed you forever. What would you have done, Six, if you had been me?"
"I would have killed you."
"I imagine you would have. That's something you would do." He growled, whipping around to face the television screen again. His voice softening, he finished off with,"But I'm not like you. Goodbye, Six."
His palm touched the screen and he allowed himself to dissolve into it, transporting away. Far away. Somewhere where he would never see Six again. Somewhere where he could heal. Somewhere where he could live again and be happy. Somewhere where he would never have any problems.
Somewhere where he could be a boy again.