Peaches shakes her head and groans.
"Ugh, totes uncool..."
It's...night time? Huh, Peaches thought. She looks around, swamp puddles gurgling, mangrove roots rattling the same. But she realizes what she'd hoped wasn't true: she is alone. Courage is nowhere to be found, not a single soul around. Black-soot shadow shapes creep up around the Snubbull like a morbid fog.
"Helllllo? Courage? What happened…?" Said Peaches. "Last thing I remember was that weird attack. Am I…still in the dungeon?"
Peaches begins to feel wriggly in her fur, something was off. She feels her head, and feels...cloth. Someone retied her bandana. She removes it again, her frizzy head fur bouncing up. Flipping over the bandana, Peaches notices a small paw pattern etched in, a quaint print. Courage's gift bandana. Maybe he tied it back? Peaches waves the bandana before replacing it around her neck, resting the chic ash gray plaid beneath her chin. She ties a simple knot, and huffs. It feels natural.
With the world plunged in darkness, Peaches scuttles on all fours into the unknown. She glances back and forth at the walls of Murky Marsh, its vibrant foliage oozing all the same. The floor beneath her ripples elegantly with every step like a fresh puddle. A cold breeze makes Peaches shiver and grasp her scarf for a moment. She feels the weight of her tired muscles. And yet, Peaches continues forward. She continued on for seconds, which quickly turned into minutes, hours, days even! …Or at least it felt that way.
"Perf. I must be asleep or something, this is weird!" As Peaches speaks aloud, two figures approach from the shadows. She stops and assumes a stance, but drops it. The figures wear no masks, and as they come into view, Peaches' stubby tail nearly wags off. An Audino and a scruffy-gray Meowth appear, apparently unaffected by the gloop the surroundings.
"There you are. We've been looking for you all day!" Maybell the Audino chimes.
"You go on weird dates, girl. I mean, a dungeon? That's something I'd do!" Cinnamon the Meowth adds.
Peaches squeezes her teammates in a bear hug. "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! Why are you two here!? N-never mind, you won't believe all that happened today! The swamp storm, jester jabbing, totes awesome day! Mostly." She pauses to catch her breath, but coughs. "Annnnnnnd it's not…a nightmare…right now? But the dunge…" Her words trail off as she notices her teammates eyeballing her.
Maybell tilts her head. "Uhh, well, you can tell us all about it back home, okay?"
"Especially the 'jester' part. Can't believe Cinnamon missed a fight cuz you're head-over-paws for that boy!" Cinnamon huffs.
"Hey, what I do outside of Roundabout is my business. Anyway, can we get out of here?" Peaches carefully stretches her sore body as she scuttles behind her team. Peaches is exhausted from today's events, hearing her bed calling for her. Everything is back how it should be. Well, mostly everything. "Wait, wait, wait! I forgot about Courage! We gotta find him!"
Suddenly, Maybell and Cinnamon's heads turn instantly, stopping Peaches in her tracks.
Maybell's tone is razor-sharp. "You know, I didn't want to say this until we got back…but that boy's nothing but trouble for you."
"Cinnamon's been saying this. He left you out here all alone, didn't even help you beat that jester 'cause he got bested by a couple of rooks." Said Cinnamon.
Peaches stopped listening at "he left you". "Look, I don't know what your problems are with Courage! He didn't leave me anywhere, I willingly came here with him." She bears her fangs at Cinnamon. "That's funny though. I haven't said anything about the fight. Cinnamon, wanna explain how you know what happened?"
"We ran into Courage the cowardly Vaporeon over here. He kept whining on and on about you demolishing a jester and how much it just huuuurts him to not be around you. What a baby." Cinnamon's words are odd and harsh.
"…What." Said Peaches.
"Haha, yeah, yeah! He was limping around like a sad lump, I didn't even bother healing him!" Maybell's giggles rings against Peaches' ears. "I dunno what you see in him, he can barely even speak up!" Cinnamon joins in the laughter. Neither Maybell or Cinnamon sounded like themselves. Their laughter twists into mad cackles.
"…You'd better apologize to Courage's face when we find him." Said Peaches.
Cinnamon glares. "Why should Cinnamon or Maybell listen to you anyway? You're just a naive, lovesick girl who'd cower under her object of affection's legs if he wasn't doing it first. Why did we even bother coming out here? You're no leader."
Maybell shrugs. "No idea. Guess I thought it'd be funny to see her sad little face before we leave her here you know?" She sticks her tongue out playfully.
Peaches couldn't find words. This has to be a nightmare, why would her teammates and friends trash her or Courage like this? She huffs and puffs, breathing becoming a chore as her mind is strangled by their words. Peaches opens her mouth speak several times, only for grumbles of rage to erupt instead. Each grumble is met with fits of laughter.
Finally, she takes a deep breath, nearly wheezing from soreness. "I, am the leader of Team Roundabout. I didn't want to make this stupid team, I started it because I thought we could all benefit from it. I thought you two were my friends, my teammates! But what kind of friends meddle and talk about their leader like garbage? Isn't this perf. Even after a long day, I have to deal with junk." Peaches feels her body shake, nearly unraveling. "…You know, he tried to change my mind about it. That this the team is still worth leading. But...A nurse, a martial artist and a girl who can't even believe in herself? Somebody who attaches to the first positive influence in her life just because he gave her the time of day?" Peaches scoffs.
Cinnamon smiles with her eyes. "Ohh, grumpy over here's figured it out! Cinnamon's amused."
Maybell inches closer to Peaches. "Well, that was…something. Anyway!" Suddenly, Maybell and Cinnamon morph into one another, mashing up together into something unnatural. "You're not worth the trouble, hahahaha!"
Peaches jumps back. She wasn't sure they were her real team members in the first place, but their conjoined faces proved her right: Her mind's playing tricks on her. Making her confront her issues in the weirdest way imaginable. Maybell-Cinnamon just cackle on without regard, staring down Peaches like she told a side-splitting joke. Peaches keeps backing away from the blob, and it roars with glee. Her slow retreat eventually turns into a full sprint away from the manifestation, disappearing into the darkness once more. As she finally loses the sound of mad laughter, Peaches slows down to catch her breath. What…just happened? Why? What was that thing? I don't understand, Peaches thought. She stares into the abyss of nothing that made up the night sky, arguing with her mind about what she had witnessed. For a moment, it looked as though an eye was staring back from the abyss. It winks.
"...You're too young." A voice from nowhere scolds.
Peaches' eyes dart back and forth. "Who's there?"
"Man, for a lady named Peaches, you sure are sour, haha!" An annoying voice sneers.
"It's too dangerous, you should stay here and do regular work like your mother." "Ain't you a little too cutesy for rescue team work?" "Leave the hard work to the real heavy hitters, toots."
Peaches gasps. The weird voices aren't just really stupid things people say. They are words she's heard before. She shakes her head. "Stop it!"
"He's not gonna love you. Who would?" Her own voice berates her. "You don't even love yourself. Admit it!"
"Stop talking!" Suddenly, Peaches notices the world around her seems to be larger. She looked down at her paws, which look like they belong to a pup. Her once comfortably fitting bandana now drapes across her entire body. Somehow, Peaches started shrinking, and nearly half of her height disappeared in an instant. Her outside now matched how she feels on the inside: A small, insignificant girl.
Peaches huffs, and yells. Peaches decides she can't rest; tired or not, she's going to find Courage. He isn't the cowardly whelp the fake Maybell and Cinnamon see him as. Courage is her drop of rain on a scorching summer afternoon. Courage is her extra comfy bed in an early morning. Courage is…Courage. She isn't prepared to cut ties with a mon that actually likes her.
Even if it stings to step, Peaches keeps on trudging. Even if her heart is heavy with anger and confusion, she keeps on trudging. Even if her shrunken state makes her journey longer, she keeps on trudging. Jogging. Sprinting, on all fours, into the abyss of Murky Marsh. It's time to face reality.
Courage exhales, nose buried in soft swamp clay. An aroma of funk billows around him, familiar yet foreign all the same. Yep, still in Murky Marsh. What kinda attack did that jester unleash, brah? This place is trashed, Courage thought. What Courage sees is no longer the overgrown, vibrant foliage of the dungeon. What's left of the swamp withered beyond recognition, a graveyard of willow branches and wilted orchids. Courage reaches towards a branch, which eerily sways away from his reach, returning to its original position as he retreats his paw. Courage glances around to find that he stands in the ruined marsh all alone, Peaches nowhere to be found. He clears his throat and calls out to her…only for nothing to bellow from him. Not a syllable escapes his lips. He attempts to cough, hearing remnants of his voice, and calls for her again. Nothing.
My voice…must've been bumped my neck, brah, Courage thought. He reaches for his forehead, and feels a familiar cloth. Courage removes his plaid bandana, using his teeth and a free paw to tie it around his left wrist. It's a little big, and dangles off, causing Courage to absorb some of it into his fur. Now, the scarf fit like a wrist band, snug. He digs into his satchel and retrieves the container of clay Peaches had and held it in his mouth. Leaving his voice behind, Courage steps through the wasteland, glancing at split roots and unrooted buds of flora along the way. As his snoot scrunched against the container, Courage thought about the way Peaches smells, hoping it would at least give him something to follow. A powerful waft of lavender eases the foul odor of destruction as he carries onward.
But something's off in the dungeon, more than the aftermath of the jester attack. Though it appeared Courage was in the same room as the dead-end, the staircase leading back through the dungeon is missing, and the room expands much further. He finds himself in an extremely long hallway that stretches for what seems like miles, far enough that Courage can barely make out the end of it. Still, he continues forward, bobbing up and down with the clay.
Click-thump, click-thump, click-thump.
As he kept moving, Courage notices the more he walks, the further the hallway sprawls. It appears to move with him. Still, he keeps walking. Walking, thinking, click-thumping. Note to self, check if you've picked an outlaw mission, or a battle request. Since when do outlaws hang around the end of the dungeon, brah, he berates himself. Courage thought about pulling the mission page from his bag, but keeps walking. Soon, he notices that his worldview seems to shrink a little every few steps. A little more, and the container covers most of his view, prompting Courage to stop and grab it from his mouth with a brown paw…huh? Brown?
Courage looks as if he'd seen a ghost, dropping the container to the side. He stares at his brown paw, twisting his body around to check his brown and beige fur, even tries to slam his tail against the dirt. But bushy Eevee tails only reach so far from the body. I'm an Eevee again!? How, brah! This has to be a dream, what the, Courage screams in his head. His satchel now droops to his side uncomfortably, and his bandana covers his left leg. He nearly stumbles from stepping on the cloth. But Courage the Eevee keeps on moving, placing the clay container haphazardly in his satchel. Eventually, a voice calls out to Courage from ahead. It's barely audible, almost a whisper of a plea. Courage's spine goes stiff. It's a voice that's too...familiar.
"…H-help, please…" the voice whispers. Somehow, the little voice that calls out is his own. Another Eevee lays weakly before him, a reflection of Courage. Except the Young Eevee had been beaten by something, as bruises and tattered fur scattered across its body. Courage tries to ask if he's okay, but his voice continues to escape him. Frustrated, he reaches out to touch his own body, but stops. Another figure walks by, blissfully staring into a rugged notebook of sorts. The figure is another Eevee, much bigger than Courage. Her size reveals her identity.
The Young Eevee rolls his head over, eyes growing wide noticing his cousin. "…R-Racha, help…" But Sriracha the Eevee hears nothing, walking forward without a care in the world. "…R-Racha…" His voice is as weak as his own body. Courage sits in awe and shock, reliving one of the most important days of his life.
The Young Eevee attempts to stand, but stumbles. He lays down on his stomach, adjusting enough to give his head some leverage. Slowly, the Young Eevee inhales.
"SRIRACHA!!" The Young Eevee's Hyper Voice wails, nearly cracking in his desperation. The notebook Sriracha once read scatters like a pile of leaves, sprinkling in every direction. She yelps, startled by the sudden cacophony, but recognized the soft tone hidden in the Hyper Voice. The Young Eevee huffs a few times before fainting from his injuries.
Sriracha runs over to the Young Eevee. "C-Courage!? What happened!" She carefully bites into his mane, dragging his body up against a tree. "Your mom's gonna ring both our necks, bruh!"
Suddenly, both Eevee disappear into dust. Before Courage can process watching his memories, the two reappear, Young Courage's abdomen now wrapped in bandages. Young Courage and Sriracha sit back to back with their ears drooping. A stern faced Leafeon sits in front of them, glaring daggers at the cousins.
"Is this true, Eevee?" The Leafeon's voice is gruff and coarse. "This tall tale your cousin has told? To me, it sounds like she wants save her own tail."
Sriracha solidifies anticipating Courage's answer. Her breathing becomes long deep breaths.
"…Yes." Young Courage whispers.
The Leafeon sighs. "What have I told you about talking like that? Nobody's going to listen to a whisper, child. Speak up!"
He raises his voice a little. "Yes..."
"You say 'yes,' but there is not a drop of confidence behind your words. Your cousin's lie is going to cost her dearly."
Tears stream down Sriracha's eyes. "N-no, auntie, please! I'm not lying!"
Courage shrinks away, unsure of what to do. How could he prove the truth if his mother believes it to be an elaborate lie? He couldn't let Sriracha take the blame for something that was his own fault. So, without thinking, Courage turns his head and tears his bandages. Crimson dries around a tooth shard jabbed into his side. He winces, accidentally bumping the shard with his nose. "I-I…fought off the Feeder before they could do anything. This fang proves Sriracha's right. It-it wasn't her fault, mom. I was in the wrong place and had n-no choice." Courage stands tall, careful to not irritate the wound. Sriracha and the Leafeon gasp, astonished by Young Courage's confidence.
The Leafeon closes her eyes and grunts. "…Sriracha, it appears you have told the truth. You will be punished for not paying attention to Eevee, but be glad it will go no further." She turns to Courage. "Eevee...no, my child. For your bravery, both in the battle and standing up for your cousin, I have made the decision regarding your name. You may choose to accept this name, or come up with one by your own volition. The name you shall have is 'Courage'. A fitting name for you. I pray that this name, if you desire to accept it, suits you well. You've shown that you will help others in need, no matter the cost. My child, what is your answer?"
Young Courage put a paw to his cheek, wet from tears. "...I ac- I mean, I accept the name 'Courage'! Thanks, mom!"
The Leafeon almost smiles, but quickly frowns. "Mother, Courage. You may have a mantle now, but you still must respect mine."
"...Sorry, thank you, mother."
Current Courage steps back; It has been years since he thought about his naming. Courage, a name given to him by his mother, the most stern mon in the village. The quiet, bashful Eevee became a hero overnight, celebrated by several mons for not only defeating a Feeder, but surviving an attack at his age. Current Courage shudders, remembering days where couldn't live normally due to the constant attention. He shudders harder remembering the pain he endured having to remove the tooth from his abdomen. His body never felt the same after removing the tooth. Less...solid.
Eventually, Sriracha went on to leave Timbere Village to discover herself in the world and fulfill her wish to become a Flareon. Though she was saddened to leave Courage behind, she often sent him letters whenever she could. A couple of years passed before Courage himself went on to find himself in life, and his own desires of evolution. Most of all, he wanted to find Sriracha. Courage sighs.
Suddenly, all three of the memory manifestations crank their heads towards current Courage, who gasps inaudibly. Their faces twist and contort into dubious frowns. They shake their heads left and right, mocking Courage. His memory self seems to frown the harshest, piercing Courage with guilt.
Their voices, in unison, eerily ring across his ears. "But that's not true, is it? Courage never fought the Feeder to save mons."
The memory beings step closer. "The supposed Feeder battle was a method to prove yourself. A poor one at that." The memories take another step.
Courage tries to scream, but nothing comes out. He knows his Feeder battle didn't happen for the sake of others. Young Courage stood little chance against the Feeder, but fought anyway. A constant reminder of his misplaced bravery paints his abdomen permanently. Current Courage places a paw against the scar, which now stings with fresh pain. All Courage can think of doing is running, running away from his past again. Continue living with a name he believes he never deserved. The memory manifestations morph into an amalgamation of Courage's doubts. Faces of pain and agony growing and writhing at his failures. An eye "smiles" from within the blob of memories.
His voice echoes from the horrific figure. "You're nothing more than a coward, ready to throw his life away if it comes with popularity. Your name is a false blessing. 'Coward' would be fitting, don't you think?" Courage's younger face smiles eerily at him, an eye replacing the mouth.
Courage answers with his actions, the pattering of his feet seemingly proving the manifestation right. He begins to jog, his pace slowly building into a full sprint. His strides grow longer with each step. His speed increasing, more and more. He did not notice that his tiny Eevee body returned to its usual Vaporeon shape as he sprints. Courage continues running blindly into the darkness, closing his eyes away from the outer world's judgmental gaze.
Courage runs and runs, his body becoming strangely slow. He didn't notice his fur becoming a silky obsidian ink, black as the night sky. His snoot becomes featureless and blank, his eyes erased of any personality. Soon, his sprint slows to a crawl when he notices a Snubbull running in his direction. She's smaller than usual, but he recognizes Peaches in an instant. Courage feels his nerves ease up as he takes calculated steps towards Peaches, looming over her tiny figure.
Before she knew it, Peaches met face to face with a strange figure. It moves strange, stepping long, suspicious strides towards her. The figure's body is goop-like, wavering like a strong wind blowing ocean waves. It towers over her, the body of the figure seamlessly stretching into a long tail of sorts. The tail part of its body sways back and forth, almost happy in a weird way. Unsure if this is another hallucination, Peaches decides to try and talk to the figure. As she goes to sit, the figure mimicks her. Why does this shadow-y guy look familiar? Something about that shape, Peaches thought. Without warning, the figure leans in close, staring at Peaches' very being, the lack of eyes sending chills down her spine. It cranks its neck back and forth, mesmerized by the Snubbull who'd thought of running the moment it loses interest. Quick as it leaned, the shadow shoots back into sitting completely still.
Peaches tilts her head as she stares at it. A mouth forms, tearing a orifice into the "face" of the figure. It makes speaking motions, swaying a little as it "speaks". But words do not escape its mouth. Peaches gasps as horrible noise erupts from the obsidian figure, tail wagging like it's enjoying itself. Screams, growls, roars, pleas, all mash together in cacophony soup for its dialogue. Peaches shrieks, backing away from the figure. It tilts its head and stops for a moment, back to bone chilling silence. Peaches' body feels like melting, the terrifying figure haunting her. The figure rises, moving in those same suspicious strides near Peaches, opening its mouth again to "speak".
"G-get away, no!" Peaches cries, barely making it on her feet. "I'll bite if I have to!"
But the figure continues towards her, its dialogue becoming hectic. Peaches shuffles back slowly, gaining some distance. Eventually, she finds herself halfway up the dungeon wall. The figure, finally catching its prey, sits calmly in front of her again. Its noise slows to a bellowing growl. But the growl doesn't sound threatening, at least not to Peaches. Maybe it's her scarf, but for a moment, Peaches thought she smelled Liechi berry tarts. Backed in a corner, Peaches shrinks her face into her scarf, causing the figure to lean in. Surprisingly, Scary Face works its magic, as the figure lands sloppily on its back. Between her mighty roar, Peaches gasps. The figure, laying on its back defenseless, reveals its true identity to her.
"C-Courage? Is that you?" Said Peaches.
The gloopy Courage opens his mouth to speak before covering it with dripping paws. He settles with nodding instead.
She gasps. "Oh my goodness, what happened? You totes scared the fur off me!"
Courage recovers, hunching over in shame. His body ripples as he thought about his name. He thought about what the manifestation said to him, and how it is true. He is Courage the coward, and that's what he constantly feels like, a coward that can't even help his best friend fight off bad mons.
Peaches ran with all her might to find Courage. She wanted to make sure he was okay in this mess. She wanted to prove to her false team that he is worth yearning for. She wanted to prove to herself that he wouldn't leave her alone. But what she found was a mon suffering worse than she is, nearly consumed by doubt. Peaches frowns and shakes her head.
She sits in front of Courage with open arms. "What you saw isn't true! This place seems to feed off insecurities or something like that. It's weird...and scary. But I totes believe in you, Courage! Whatevs it is that has you like this, I wanna help you out of it!" She reaches a paw closer to him.
A beam of light erupts from Courage's face, cracking small parts of the inky-form. His eyes are normal again. Swollen with regret-tears, he stares down at Peaches. Courage begins to open his mouth, but closes it.
"I know the strong, encouraging Vaporeon I've come to lo—" Peaches blushes. "Admire is the most thoughtful mon I know. Even when I was being totes annoying to you, you never once got angry with me. And the whole dungeon today! You led for most of the exploring in awful mudslides. You even checked in on me lots! You're not perf, but who is? I know I'm not."
The light extends across Courage's spine, breaking away more of the substance. His fin-like spines perk up, and his tail begins to sway slowly. A tear runs down his aquamarine cheek as he opens his mouth, a long sigh erupting from him.
Peaches fidgets. "So…whatevs bad thoughts you have, I want you to know that I'm here for you, C-Courage! I'd listen to you for however long you need me to!" She cups his paw with her own as her cheeks grow red. She leans in close, and their scarves touch.
The light grows brighter around the scarves. Finally, it covers Courage's entire body, engulfing him in a bright blue hue. The dungeon around the duo begins to breathe with life, the flora no longer decimated by hatred. Light from the moon seems to illuminate the pair as they hold paws. Courage wiggles his body and flashes his usual meek grin at Peaches, who watches in awe. But her surprise turns to a frown as her body shrinks more and more. I…can't do it. I can't tell him. Even after all that, I'm totes blowing it! Please…let me say something! Peaches winces, putting her paws on her head.
Courage gently picks up Peaches in his paws, who had shrunk to the size of a berry. "…Thanks, Peaches. Something from my past was eating me alive. I'm...still not over it, but you being there for me helps me feel better." Peaches sits in silence. "I faced the memory of how I was named. It's a lot to explain, but the gist is, my mother named me 'Courage' because I fought a horrible mon." He twists his body to show his scar. "My scar is a reminder of my decision. I grew up thinking I was never really courageous. Just a dumb kid who wanted to be liked. It almost cost my life." He sighs, then smiles.
"…Anyway, it looks like whatever we were hit with got to you too, huh? You're tiny!" He chuckles.
Peaches shudders, unsure how to reply. "C-Courage…I think your name's perf. But I...you won't leave me, right?"
"…No, of course not. You're my best friend."
"But how can I be sure? How can I be sure that our friendship's real? All my life, I've been doubted. I was expected to be perf all the time since I was a pup. But when I wanted to do things my own way, I was doubted even harder. And it made me feel so small. So...insecure." She tears up. "So even now, with all the time we've been spending together, I fight with myself. I fight, convincing myself that our friendship is just you having pity on me. How can I be sure that you even like spending time with me? I-I…" Tears drip down her scarf as she rubs them from her eyes.
Courage breathes deeply. He shuffles his feet, spine the most tense it has ever been. "I love you. That's how you'll know. I'm not sure how far that love reaches, whether it be our friendship, or something more. But I know that I love you, Peaches."
Peaches grows twice her size as her jaw drops, no longer a berry-sized Snubbull. "W-what?" She couldn't believe her ears. Was this another weird illusion?
"…Third time's the charm, I guess, heh. I-I love you, Peaches." His confidence shrivels into awkwardness.
Again, Peaches grows twice, nearly her normal size. "I-I…Courage…"
Courage places Peaches down and raises his bandana tied-wrist. "And I've decided! Our scarves are a symbol of our bond!"
Peaches, wiping away tears, is back to her normal size. The dungeon around the duo shined brightly, the shadows of Murky Marsh vanquished back into the unknown. Team Orchid face one another with soft expressions.
Peaches wheezes softly. She couldn't believe what her ears heard. Even so, she knows Courage's words are genuine. He wraps her in a gentle hug. "I l-love you too!!" She wriggles in his hug, planting a kiss on his nose. Courage repays her kindly with a forehead-kiss. The moonlight shines brighter over the pair, cathartic to their pain. Despite their injuries, their hardships, and their fears, Peaches and Courage were able to face their realities. Their embrace ends quickly as it began, nerves finally reaching the pair.
Peaches glances around. Though they are out of the Reality Realm, the night made it difficult to see in the swampy biome. The travel back could be horrible. "So…how do we get home?" Said Peaches.
Courage stretches his hind-legs, placing a paw on his chin. "…I usually can't do this by myself since all my stuff would drift away, but I can swim through the swamp water." He smiles nervously. "You'd just have to hold onto the satchel and stuff, and I can carry you through the water."
Peaches puffs her cheeks. "Wait, you could've done that earlier and didn't say anything!?"
"…Well, it's kinda tiring, and as you saw earlier, I don't do great in big dungeons. I think I'm well enough to get us out of the swamp, brah."
"Oh, totes. Yeah, let's do it!"
"…Alright, but first…" Courage digs in his satchel, retrieving an orb before handing the bag to Peaches. "Let's get to the entrance. And maybe have a snack. I really want a snack. How long were we in there? Hours?"
Peaches smiles, adjusting her bandana. "Hehe, no idea, Courage! I'm just glad today's almost over. I totes wanna lay in bed for like, three days, snd dream of spending more time with you~" She places a paw on Courage as he raises the Escape Orb high into the air. A flash of white engulfs the pair.
"…Me too, Peaches."
Notes: Hoo! I thought I got rid of older story elements, but this chapter had a lot! Especially on Courage's end. I wanted to make it clear that Courage was more susceptible to Reality's self-hatred damage, which is why he becomes a blob of incoherent noise. I also made Peaches' insecurities more known (symbolized through her shrinking), since the chapter incidentally gave Courage a much stronger focus. I also mostly kept the "confession" scene the same, because I find it more realistic to confess feelings like that. These characters have a decently long history not shown in the story proper, but even people who've known each other for years don't get together that easily.
Courage's memory scene is much stronger, and now references my drafts for his standalone story...that I may or may not write. So, if Feeders sounds weird...well, it kinda is.
(Old Notes) Woo! This chapter had a ton of revisions and changes, I am so glad to get this chapter done! I checked my notes for this fic, and apparently, Peaches and Courage as a pair currently have the most story written for them as of this chapter. I'm really glad that this emotional chapter finally bloomed!