I woke up the next morning feeling incredibly shitty. How could I not? I was pregnant with my ex's child, and I still hadn't told Owen. I got out of bed with a sick feeling in my stomach, trying not to wake Owen as well. He mumbled softly, but didn't stir. I can't describe my guilt, seeing him sleeping there, not knowing that I had betrayed his trust. I was a monster.
I decided to take a jog to clear my head. It didn't work. But as I passed the Visitors' Center Palace, I noticed something alarming. Gunnar was sitting on the front steps, sobbing heavily. Zia held him by the shoulders, looking equally upset. I approached them with worry.
"Hey, is something wrong?"
Gunnar lifted his head and glared at me with a hate that I'd never before seen in his eyes.
"Why don't you tell me, Claire? Where were you yesterday?!"
I sighed.
"I'm sorry, Gunnar. I was kind of dealing with my own thing. It slipped my mind. I didn't mean to upset you."
Gunnar snorted sharply.
"That's not the issue, Claire. What was so goddamn important that you couldn't help your friends?"
I growled.
"I'm not sure I like your tone, Gunnar. And I wouldn't have left you if it wasn't important."
"Nothing is more important than your friends, you selfish bitch!"
I pulled my head back in shock.
"Woah, what the hell-"
"'What the hell' is right! You abandoned us, and it's your fault that he's gone!"
My heart skipped a beat.
". . . Who's gone?"
"FRANKLIN!"
Gunnar burst into tears again. Zia turned to me with a serious look.
"We tried to protect him, but Rand Magnus' stooge cited a law that makes it perfectly legal to capture and breed . . . 'feral herbivores.' With some notable exceptions, herbivorous dinosaurs aren't sentient in this world, and there isn't a legal distinction between them and livestock. Since Franklin's part Sinoceratops, they said that he . . . wasn't legally a person. We tried to tell them that he was human once, but there was no proof, not that they cared. We tried to fight them, and things got messy. They escaped with Franklin."
"No . . ."
"We just got back from a legal meeting with Moonwatcher. She said that there's nothing we can do. She can't change the law without also invalidating the dinosaur livestock industry, which she obviously has a stake in. It's so messed up."
Gunnar whimpered.
"He was counting on me, and I-"
Zia hugged him as he wailed.
"It's not your fault . . . It's not your fault . . ."
My legs felt ready to give in. I sat down, trying to process all of this.
"This can't be happening . . ."
As tears started pouring down my cheeks, Gunnar sniffled, then wrapped his arms around me.
"I'm sorry I called you a bitch. It's not your fault any more than ours. Everything's going wrong, and I-"
I squeezed him.
"We're gonna get him back, Gunnar. I promise. Whatever it takes."
Zia clenched her fists, which crackled with electricity.
"I'm not gonna let an unjust law stand in my way. I'll kill those monsters if I have to."
I wiped my eyes.
"Where are they taking him?"
"Probably to Rand Magnus' ranch. No idea where that is. But Gunnar has contacts. We'll ask around."
"And I'll gather up a team," I assured her, "Who can we count on to help us?"
"Well, Perry's distraught, and I don't think she's going to be able to hold her own in a fight. But if you could ask Eli to tag along, he can negotiate with-"
"Not Eli!"
Zia blinked rapidly.
"What? Why not?"
I took a deep breath.
"With everything that's going on right now, I don't feel right keeping it from you. I'm pregnant, and whatever's inside of me is Eli's. I haven't told Owen."
After a beat, Zia's eye twitched.
"Yikes."
"Yes, yikes. But that's not important. Just don't tell Owen."
"He probably shouldn't be the last person to know . . ."
I drew a painful breath.
"Yeah. But one thing at a time. How do we save Franklin?"
We all shouted in surprise as Moonwatcher landed between us, which was doubly astounding since there was nowhere that she could have jumped down from.
"I can help!"
Gunnar snarled.
"You monster!"
She tossed him aside effortlessly as he charged her.
"I know I'm not your favourite person right now, and as far as the law's concerned, I still can't change it."
"Won't," Zia hissed.
I bared my teeth.
"You told me that Franklin was safe!"
"I said nothing of the sort. You can go back and check. Anyway, I have a solution. You need to prove that Franklin's human, yes? I have a way."
"Whatever legal documents you have, they're going to ignore it," Zia growled.
"You think I'm here because I have a legal loophole? Cute. No, what I'm proposing is a journey to find the rarest of flowers, the Lilylotusdrop. It can change him back. I know for a fact that there's one in Asterpara, but it's in the middle of a geological labyrinth known as the Fetish Isles."
"The what?"
"So named because every plant, creature, et cetera is extremely deadly, but also probably someone's fetish."
I batted my eyes.
"Excuse me?"
"There are vines that bind you in place, carnivorous plants that swallow you whole, deadly berries that make you inflate like a balloon, buff spiders, reptiles with paralyzing tongues, boob trees, things that step on you, hypnotic snakes, feather forests that tickle you to death, wolves that are also rapists, quicksand and miscellaneous goo, poop, and the deadliest creature of all: the crabbypuss."
"Crabbypuss?"
"Also known as the Kraken. It's mostly tentacles, but also fills you with its eggs before eating you alive from the ass out."
Zia made a face.
"Yuck. And why do we need to go to this place?"
"Because it's literally your only chance of saving Franklin without any casualties. The flower is at the center of the maze, and it's the only known artifact with the capacity to change Franklin into a human. I'm afraid that all of the creatures who can transform others in the Isles are hostile."
My jaw dropped.
"There's no way that's a fetish. What kind of a person is turned on by transformation?"
Moonwatcher coughed.
"Probably a weirdo pervert. Anyway, we need to find the flower to rescue Franklin. I'm going to need you to assemble a team, including Owen and Eli."
"Why?!"
"Because Eli is part machine, which could give us an advantage on certain terrain, and Owen is very skilled at these missions, given his military training."
I took a deep breath.
"Alright. If it will help us save Franklin, I'll ask them to come. And maybe when this is over . . . I'll tell Owen. But I don't think that there will be much to tell because . . . I've decided not to keep it."
After a pause, Moonwatcher blinked.
"So just to keep track, our two topics of the day are human trafficking and abortion? That totally seems appropriate for a Jurassic Park FanFiction, and not at all irresponsible, given our track record with sensitive subjects."
After a long silence, her frown deepened.
"Well, if they stayed after the car sex, this probably won't scare them away, but I'm not reading the comments."
She clapped her hands.
"Gather the team, meet me here, and pray that we get out of this unscathed . . . Also, bring pepper spray because, you know . . . wolf-rapists."
And with that, she sprinted away.
***TSJWFKFEW***
The expedition team consisted of me, Zia, Gunnar, Eli, Owen, and of course, Moonwatcher. We gathered by the steps of the Visitors' Center Palace, then stepped through a magic portal into the land of Asterpara. This time, we emerged in a misty swamp. Moonwatcher cleared her throat.
"Alright, folks. Time is of the essence. We'll split up in groups of two and investigate. Right now, we're located in the goo-swamp, so keep an eye out for quicksand and rodents of unusual size. The name doesn't refer to their entire body, by the way. Gunnar, go with Eli up that mountain. Owen and Claire, head that way. I'll partner up with Zia."
My eyes went wide.
"We're splitting up?"
"Of course. This is a life or death situation. Don't you want to rescue your friend?"
I nodded.
"I do, but-"
"Then let's get going. And by the way, there will be a lot of time to talk on the journey, in case one of us has something to say to the other."
She marched away. Zia followed. Gunnar and Eli headed uphill, and the latter gave me a worried look over his shoulder. I tried to ignore it. Slowly, I turned to Owen.
"So . . . I guess we'd better get started."
"Yeah."
I thought he sounded concerned, but I didn't acknowledge it. I trotted away, and Owen tagged along, hopefully unaware that this could turn out to be the worst day of his life.
***TSJWFKFEW***
After crossing a rocky area with animate dildo rocks- an adventure that I refuse to describe in great detail- the terrain became cold and icy, and it wasn't long before we were walking across an endless wasteland that looked just like the Arctic. Owen's hand was still resting on the knife that he had brought along.
"I have a bad feeling that we're about to be attacked by lustful penguins or something."
"Mhm."
"At least, I hope it's penguins, because I can't easily fight off a polar bear."
"Mhm."
"I mean, maybe I could take on one if I got lucky, and I suppose I could always change into a dinosaur, but this ice feels thin in places, and I don't know if that's safe."
"Mhm."
He stopped walking.
"Okay, I can tell that something is wrong. What's up?"
I paused.
"Maybe it's the fact that I almost got burned up by sentient rock-dildo lava-semen? I dunno, it's a mystery."
He shook his head.
"Come on. I know it's something more than that. And if it's worse than . . . the thing with the rocks . . . we're in trouble."
More like I'm in trouble.
"It's nothing."
Owen's face softened.
"Come on, Claire. You know that you can trust me. I'm on your side."
"But what if it's really bad?"
"Is it?"
I didn't reply. Owen gulped.
"Well, if it's really bad, it might be better to tell me now."
"NOW?! When we're facing horrifying, hypersexual monsters?!"
"If anything, that gives us something else to worry about."
I considered his point, but shook my head.
"No, this is bigger than that."
He shivered a little.
"Claire, you're scaring me."
"Don't worry about it."
"I'm very worried. Based on Moonwatcher's comment, you told her already, and if you went to her before me, I can't even begin to imagine how bad it is."
I looked behind me. There was nothing but ice in all directions, and the snow was breezing across it, making delicate golden wisps under the sun.
"Well, think of the worst thing it could be, and I'll tell you if it's better or worse."
Owen considered this.
"Okay . . . Did you cheat on me?"
"No! God, no!"
"So it's not as bad as that?"
". . . Maybe. I don't know."
He turned to face me.
"Wait, how can you not know?"
I tossed my head.
"It's different, okay?! I can't compare the two!"
"Did you do something to deliberately hurt me?"
"No, of course not."
"So whatever it is, you didn't do it on purpose?"
"No, I didn't."
"But it's going to hurt me?"
"Probably."
He shrugged.
"Well, then there's not much we can do about it. But knowing that you didn't do it on purpose makes a difference."
I stopped walking, then frowned bitterly.
"Does it, though? I've been in several situations where you've gotten mad at me for something that wasn't my fault."
"Claire . . ."
"Don't deny it!"
"I won't, but I promise, I'm not going to-"
"How do I know? How do I know that I can trust you, after everything we've been through?"
I felt a wave of guilt as I registered the hurt on his face. He looked away, then took a shaky breath.
"I don't know. I guess eventually, you'll realize that I'm not that person anymore, and you'll be able to trust me again."
"We don't have enough time."
"What, is this time-sensitive?"
"Yes."
"So I'll find out soon?"
"Yes."
"How soon?"
"I can't tell you, or you'll figure it out."
He sighed.
"You know I hate guessing games."
I wheeled around suddenly to go back the way we came, not that I could really tell, since everything looked the same.
"This was a mistake."
"Claire!"
"We need to split up."
"NO! Please, Claire, I promise-"
"Split up to find the flower, I mean. We're slowing each other down."
"Claire, we're in danger, and I'm afraid that if-"
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT FEAR IS, OWEN!"
I stood with a tense posture, shaking with rage. I saw tears in Owen's eyes.
"I do, Claire, because I'm afraid of losing you."
I felt a knot in my throat.
"Well, then be glad that that's all you'll have to deal with, instead of what could come next!"
My arms changed into wings, and I flew away from him. I could hear him calling out to me, and wondered if I'd made the right choice. As I peered over my shoulder, I saw him stumble on the ice.
I felt badly about leaving him, but it was for the best. This way, I could find the flower much faster, and we could leave this dreadful place unharmed. I had no doubt that Owen could handle himself, and right now, I needed to be alone.
I just hoped that the others were having more luck than us.
***TSJWFKFEW***
"And with that transition, we enter the third person," Moonwatcher said.
"I dunno, seems kind of cheap and predictable," Zia muttered.
Moonwatcher tightened her fist around the scrap piece of paper.
"Hey, when you write something of value, then you can talk."
"Mhm, so you think this has value? Is that why you hide sloppy writing under the guise of meta commentary? You know that addressing flaws doesn't excuse them, right?"
"Oh, that was so meta . . . and so was that! Anyway, screw you! I don't know why I decided that you were the best partner for this mission."
"Probably because Gunnar hates Eli, Claire has bad news that involves Owen, and you couldn't think of anyone who'd get under my skin more than you."
"Inaccurate. Partly."
"Mhm, so why am I really here?"
"You have electric powers, which could come in handy. I mean, Gunnar and Eli would be pretty useless against stuff like tentacles and vore-monsters."
"Are they gonna run into any of those?"
***TSJWFKFEW***
"AAAAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAAAH!"
***TSJWFKFEW***
". . . Point is, I'd rather have you on my team, just in case we run into something organic and electrocutable."
"Right, but what about things that are immune to electricity?"
"Well, I specifically chose a path populated by monsters. My only concern is the presence of . . . RAPE-WOLVES!"
A pack of slobbering, bipedal canines burst from the bushes, surrounding the pair. The largest one stepped forward, laughing cruelly.
"The majority of rape is committed by people you know, so let's get to know each other, okay?"
"WHY DO YOU HAVE A PICKUP LINE FOR RAPE?" Moonwatcher squawked.
Without missing a beat, Zia erupted into a tangle of electricity, scorching every creature within a ten foot radius. When the dust cleared, the duo was surrounded by charred corpses, some of them twitching. Moonwatcher, hair sticking out on all ends, sighed with relief.
"I am so glad that we dealt with that quickly, because I will literally explode if people have sex with me, and also, we do not need another 'yikes' subject in this chapter."
Zia brushed herself off.
"It's your fault that Franklin got captured in the first place, and as far as Claire is concerned, there's nothing 'yikes' about her choice. It's a tough situation, but I'm gonna be giving her my full support, even if you're too cowardly to admit that it should be normalized."
"Oh, I'm not afraid of that. If I cared what people think, this thing would be fives pages long. But in any case, tackling a subject like abortion could win me a Grammy."
"Grammys are for music."
"Yeah, but they give them out to just about anyone nowadays. Besides, can you even say for certain that they're for music? No one has ever watched the Grammys in the history of the world. Go ahead, ask around. Anyway, I'm a shoo-in, is my point."
Zia placed her chin on her fist.
"Uh, huh. And you think that you're capable of dealing with the subject of abortion in a serious and sensitive manner? . . ."
Moonwatcher scoffed.
"Zia, I take my work very seriously. Now let's please stop dawdling, because we have a full hike through Diaper Canyon, and we won't make it past the Taiga of Mpreg at this rate."
"Oh lord, what's that? . . ."
"A taiga is a type of biome characterized by boreal forests and-"
"No, the other thing."
"Mpreg? It's male pregnancy. Why do you ask?"
Zia pursed her beak.
". . . Let's keep moving."
***TSJWFKFEW***
Gunnar's legs trembled as they struggled to prop open the jaws of a giant monster. The creature's tongue slipped out of its gullet and slid across his belly.
"AGH! WHAT KIND OF WEIRDO ENJOYS THIS?!"
Eli struggled to free himself from a tangle of pulsating vines.
"Oh god, it's no use! This is the end! Before I die, I just want you to know that-"
"Mills, for the love of god, I don't want to spend my last moments listening to your remorseful monologue!"
"But I need to apologize for-"
"No, you don't! It won't make a difference, because I don't care! Instead of trying to be friends with me, just accept that I don't want to be pressured into forgiving you, especially when I'm about to be eaten alive!"
Eli's face fell.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I was making you feel that way."
"Jesus! Stop apologizing and leave me alone!"
Eli nodded.
"Okay."
They went back to holding their uncomfortable positions. After a few seconds, Gunnar turned his head.
"Just out of curiosity, how did you get Claire pregnant?"
"The normal way."
"Really?"
"Well, yeah, but motor oil was involved."
Gunnar blinked.
"You know, it's my fault for asking. But just for the record, that's two reasons you need to start using condoms."
"Three, by my count."
"Jesus Christ . . ."
***TSJWFKFEW***
"-which is why the Muppet Babies timeline is actually split into two parts, the first being the 2018 version, and the second being the original, which actually comes later since Summer Penguin attempted to stop the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, thus removing herself from- Hang on, what are the cameras doing here?"
Zia looked around.
"Cameras?"
"You can't see them. But they're supposed to be with Claire right now. Guys, I specifically instructed you to leave for this part. You can't just make stuff up as you go along. We have a script to follow. Insert Jurassic Park 3 joke here."
She paused.
"Oh wait, that wasn't dialogue. I was supposed to- Look, nevermind. Just find Claire, okay?"
***TSJWFKFEW***
I felt the familiar pain of chilled fingers as I plodded across the ice. Unfortunately for me, there was no shelter nearby, although it wouldn't have been very helpful, given I couldn't stop to rest. I needed to find the magic flower for Franklin. More than anyone else on this mission, the burden was on me.
I know that I have a propensity for self-hatred, but today was worse than usual. It was my fault that Franklin was gone, and I had lied to Owen about something very important. Well, I suppose I hadn't lied to him, exactly, but I had kept so much from him that it certainly felt that way. It seemed as though everyone around me was getting hurt, and once again, I wondered if I'd be better off leaving them.
I stood up on two legs to hold my hands under my arms. Being capable of both quadrupedal and bipedal motion was sometimes a blessing. As I took a step forward, however, I heard a deep crack. I froze in place, quills bristling. As I began to shift my weight, the ground suddenly collapsed beneath me, and after a long tumble, I thrashed around and eventually found myself wedged in what appeared to be a narrow corridor that ran vertically through the ice. My back was pressed against one side, my legs the other, and the only thing keeping me in place was the force of my muscles. Shaking, I peered over my shoulder to see what lay beneath me. There was water, dark water, and nothing else. I was stuck about halfway down, and if I fell in, I'd probably freeze to death. Not that I was doing so great up here either. I was shaking fiercely, both because of the cold and because of the stressful pose I was forced into by the narrow chimney. I couldn't spread my wings to fly out, since it was too narrow, and I could feel myself beginning to slip. Legs shaking, I leaned forward and tried to jab my horns into the ice for leverage, but to my horror, I realized that my warm breath was melting the ice under my paws, making it wet and slippery. I pulled my head back. The heat of my body wasn't doing me any favours either, but at least my paws would (in theory) sink into the ice and become more steady . . . before falling off due to frostbite.
All I could hear was the whistle of the wind above the crevice. It was still howling wildly, and the white noise of the thing made my situation all the more unbearable. I was cold, alone, and afraid.
My legs were aching now. I knew that I couldn't hold on like this forever. Sooner or later, I was going to lose my strength. I tried to think of a way out, but panic was overcoming me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
You'll get through this. Just stay calm. Think.
A shiver crossed my scales as another noise joined the howling wind. It sounded like a moan. Maybe it was the shifting ice, or . . .
Something moved beneath me.
In the ice-cold water at the base of the tunnel, a dark shadow surfaced. My eyes went wide as a set of tentacles snaked up the hole, reaching for me. They stopped a good distance away from my tail. It couldn't reach. The slimy appendages disappeared into the water once more.
My slow exhale was interrupted by a sudden impact. I dug my claws into the ice, but I was already sliding down. I managed to get a grip, but the creature slammed its body into the ice again, and a large crack shot between my legs. I gasped as a chunk of ice flew past my shoulder, falling into a rotating set of teeth that now filled the hole. The creature had obviously stuck its tentacles to the ice surrounding the base, and was now ramming its head against it in an attempt to make me fall. The falling ice chunks seemed to upset it though, and it dove down, probably temporarily.
One of my legs slipped, and I quickly put it back in place. I could feel my strength leaving me. I wouldn't last much longer.
"Help . . ."
My voice came out raspy and weak. I knew that it was pointless to cry out, but the feeble quaver of my tone only confirmed this fact, and I started to cry. This was the end for me.
"Claire?"
My eyes shot up to the light above. Owen was peering down the hole.
"Owen! You found me!"
"Yeah, not easily. The hole was a big clue. Hang on, I have a rope."
He started to move away, but I called out to him before he got far.
"Owen, wait!"
His face appeared again.
"I have to anchor it in the ice. I'll be back soon."
"No, you don't understand! I have to tell you something!"
"Is now really the best time? . . ."
"No . . ."
"Then it can wait."
Before I could stop him, he disappeared. I heard a smashing sound, and after a few seconds, he returned.
"Okay, I'm gonna toss the rope down now."
It landed heavily on my snout.
"Sorry."
"Owen . . ."
"Just grab it. I know you can do it."
"Owen, I'm pregnant."
His eyes went wide. After a long pause, he swallowed.
"Okay, this is definitely not the time to be discussing this-"
"It's not yours. It's Eli's."
He stared down at me for a long time.
"So . . . what do you want me to do with that? Jesus, Claire, just climb up here."
"You should cut the rope."
"WHAT?!"
"I don't want to live. Cut the rope."
He frowned.
"So you think that little of me, huh?"
"Then I'll let go myself."
"Claire, I swear to god, if you try that, I'll jump right in after-"
I pulled my feet against my chest. As I plummeted, I heard Owen cry out. I flipped around, but my descent was suddenly halted. Hanging upside-down, I looked up to see Owen changed into a dinosaur and biting down on my tail. His body was so large that it was stuck in the hole, but by my estimate, he wasn't tall enough to be even partly past the surface, which meant-
"We're both gonna die!"
He frowned at me through a mouthful of tail.
"Mhm."
"Oh my god, Maisie's going to be an orphan!"
"Wew das yur fauld, isnid?"
I felt my heart sink.
"No, no, no, no, no . . ."
"And jusd fur der recurd, um nud mad dud yur prugnt. Bud dis . . . dis is nod ogay . . ."
I covered my face.
"I've ruined everything!"
"I agwee."
"I'm sorry . . ."
He sighed.
"Wew, I'm asso ubseb dud yu din'n drusd mer."
"That I didn't trust you?"
"Yer."
"Well, that's my fault, too. I should have just told you, even if it meant the end of our relationship. I guess if that was something you'd leave me over, then we shouldn't be together at all."
"Bud I werndernd."
"Well, I know that now, but . . ."
I flinched as something wet hit my back. I turned my head, expecting to see the ice melting around us, but instead, I saw tears flying off Owen's face. My stomach dropped.
"Oh, no . . ."
Slowly, he reached down, grabbing my tail from his mouth, and held me with both arms instead.
"My teeth were getting sore."
"Is that why you were crying?"
"Oh sure, my girlfriend just attempted suicide because she thought that I would dump her over being pregnant with someone else's baby, and I'm going to die knowing that my child will be left alone, but what really upset me about this situation was DENTAL PAIN."
I shrunk, whimpering lightly. Owen sighed and closed his eyes.
"Forget it. I'm not going to spend what little time I have left yelling at you."
"You could just drop me, you know . . ."
"What good would that do? . . . Besides, I still love you, so-"
"Really?"
"Well, I didn't dive down here out of hate . . ."
After a beat, he sighed.
"I should have thought it through, not that I had the opportunity. I was so sure that I could catch you in time, but now we're both screwed."
I started sobbing.
"Owen, I know that it doesn't make a difference now, but the fact that I'm so fucked up isn't your fault. If you had just let me drop, I wouldn't blame you, because me being alive makes everything worse."
He gave me a firm squeeze.
"Come on, don't talk like that. I wouldn't have tried to save you if that were true. I know you're going through a lot, Claire, and you don't always make the best decisions, but I understand that even if it seems like you don't care about me sometimes, your self-destructive habits don't reflect the way you actually feel."
"But I hurt you."
"Well, yeah, the things you do hurt me sometimes, but . . . Well, I'm sure you remember how I was actively hurting you before, thinking it would help. That was on me. I did it because I thought that I needed to fix you, but it only made things worse. I think about that a lot, and how things could have gone differently."
"What do you mean?"
"Well . . . Can I tell you a story?"
"Seems like the perfect time, considering we don't have a lot left."
He sighed.
"Okay, so I had this uncle who was an alcoholic. Around the time he was starting to reach the end, I remember my mother- who was his sister, obviously- trying really hard to save him. I heard her yelling at him over the phone. 'Why are you doing this to me?!' she said, 'I've done everything I can to help you, and you don't even care!' And I remember feeling angry too, because in my mind, it should have been easy for him to just stop, especially when we were trying to help him as a family. The last time I saw him was on the bus. I was on my way home from school, and I guess he was on his way home from the liquor store, but maybe that's just my own theory. Anyway, he said hi to me, and we had a really short, friendly conversation, just as though nothing was wrong. I got off at my stop. And then he died, leaving behind two kids. My mother went on and on about how he was selfish, how he loved to drink more than he loved his kids, but I knew that it wasn't true. He didn't enjoy drinking. It made him miserable. And he loved his kids. People don't drink themselves to death or commit suicide out of selfishness. It's tempting to think about our own pain as helpless bystanders and wonder why someone can't simply overcome their struggles on our behalf, but we forget that we're not the only ones suffering. It's not a matter of strength, or of love overcoming all obstacles. Mental illness isn't something that you can just stop having on a whim. It's like asking someone to heal faster from a stab wound by just 'trying really hard.' We like to pretend that the mind is totally under our control, but it's just like any other part of the body. We can use it to a certain degree, but when we're fatally wounded, it takes more than willpower to save us. And I keep thinking about how my mother blamed him, how she accused him of not caring. I understand why she felt that way, but lashing out like that did nothing except show him that she thought of him as the enemy. I don't know if he could have been saved, even if he was given love and support, but at least he wouldn't have died knowing that the people he loved thought so little of him. It's the easiest thing in the world, pretending that we could overcome anything if we were in the same position, but realistically, there are some struggles that we can't even begin to imagine, and attributing it to weakness is dishonest. So I don't think less of you for any of this. I'm angry and upset, but I also know that you wanting to end your pain doesn't mean that you don't love your family. I haven't been good to you, Claire, and even if it wouldn't have made a difference, I just wish that you could have died knowing that I love you more than anything in the world."
I stared up at him through tears.
"Owen . . . I do . . ."
I leaned forward, and we kissed. But suddenly, I felt a tug, and the tunnel was filled with light. Owen was being dragged up by his tail. I covered my mouth.
"Our friends! They came back for us!"
But when we slid onto the ice, we didn't see any of our friends. A large, yellow dinosaur waved at us cheerfully.
"Hi!"
I blinked.
"Oh, I thought you were one of our friends . . ."
"Wow, that would have been a lot more emotional! That was a beautiful speech, by the way, and-"
"Sorry, who are you?"
She put her hands on her hips.
"How quickly they forget! I'm Robin. Robin Smith. I used to be the most beloved dinosaur of all, until the other you showed up. Suddenly, all the kids wanted a Claire stuffie for Christmas, and everyone forgot about me."
"You're talking about the other me? The one who died?"
"Yeah!"
"So . . . why save me, then?"
She snorted.
"Well, I'm not gonna let you die just because you stole the spotlight. And besides, people die and come back all the time. I've been dead more times than I care to remember, but I'm too marketable to kill off for good."
Owen cocked his head.
"I don't understand any of this."
"Ack! What's so hard to understand? I followed you through the portal in secret, got lost and fell into the sea, stayed afloat on a weird swirly shell, then washed up on the icy shore and found you dangling in a pit!"
"You fell into the sea? How?"
"I didn't see the cliff. Stop hassling me!"
I looked up at Owen, who shrugged. We both turned as footsteps rattled the ice. Gunnar, Moonwatcher, and Eli slid to a stop in front of us.
"Claire, I read that you were in danger and- Oh hey, is that Robin? Bold move. I don't think we've retained enough readers to justify this fanservice. Anywho, I rescued these two dingbats from certain death."
"Yeah, and left me behind!" Zia shouted as she ran up to us from a distance, "What the hell?!"
Moonwatcher shrugged.
"You're not a fan favourite. It was a very dramatic sacrifice, in any case."
"YOU PUSHED ME INTO THE MOUTH OF A GIANT SNAKE!"
"Yeah, and it was very dramatic."
Zia held out her arm.
"By the way, a smaller snake bit me in the forest."
"Oh god, was it a cum-snake? . . ."
"It was black with a red diamond on its head."
"That's okay, then."
Eli, meanwhile, was doing his best to avoid eye contact with Owen, who was staring at him calmly. He finally met his gaze and cleared his throat hesitantly.
"So-"
"She told me."
"Oh."
"And it's fine."
Eli sighed with relief.
"You know, I should have trusted you not to overreact. Not gonna lie, though, I thought you might tear me to shreds."
Owen changed back into a human and stood beside me, putting his hand on my back.
"Naw, I've had enough action for one day. Did anyone manage to get the flower?"
We all shook our heads, but suddenly, a shape appeared in the sky, and I braced for another attack. The new arrival was the yellow dragon whom I had met when I first arrived at the new world, however, and she promptly dropped a white flower in Moonwatcher's hands.
"You guys suck at this. I'm here to bail you out of the plot. I've brought a couple of friends to fly you to Franklin."
She nodded to the sky, where a strange hybrid dinosaur with wings and a helicopter rotor was now hovering. He waved at me with excitement.
"Hello!"
The dragon pinched her forehead with two claws.
"I'm sure you already know that we have limited audio available."
"What?"
She waved her paw.
"Anyway, I also brought a couple of wyverns to carry the rest of you."
She pointed to a flock of flying reptiles.
"Are those more dragons?" I asked.
"I literally just said wyverns."
She spread her wings.
"Anyway, I'll help you break into the secret base where they're keeping your friend. They'll be armed with explosives, but I survived the Blitz, so I can probably survive this too."
"Wait, you survived the Blitz? As in, the Blitz?"
"Yep. I made it out okay, and I even landed my plane with minimal damage."
"Uh . . ."
"Anyway, you're holding up the plot. Let's wrap this puppy up!"
The flying creatures grabbed us one by one (I hopped onto the skids of the helicopter-dinosaur, not wanting to be squeezed by talons), and we flew into the clouds. Owen sat beside me, holding me close. I looked down at him, biting my lower beak.
"Owen, I-"
"I know. But we survived. And now everything's out in the open."
"But-"
"What's important right now is that we find Franklin. Then, we'll go home, have a good night's sleep, and talk about it tomorrow."
"Can I at least apologize?"
"Sure."
"I'm sorry."
He gave me a hug.
"I know, and it's going to be okay."
***TSJWFKFEW***
When we arrived at the facility, we were surprised to find that no one was present. We at first suspected a trap, so half of us stayed outside while the other half ventured into the compound, but when we finally figured out where Franklin was being held, we saw him tied to a chair in the middle of the room, surrounded by what appeared to have formerly been people, but were now piles of mush. Franklin turned to look at us with haunted eyes.
"So it turns out that if I scream loud enough, I can make people explode. I didn't know that I could do that, but it happened."
Zia ran over to untie him, but halfway through, flicked her arm, wincing.
"Claire, a little help? The snake bite is bugging me."
I went over and untied Franklin, who didn't move. Zia picked him up and draped him over Gunnar's back.
"You okay, Franklin?" I asked.
"I accidentally killed about a dozen people. I'm not okay."
"Was Rand Magnus among them?"
"No, but a guy named Dr. Snare was."
The dragon snapped her claws.
"Shit, he would have made a good recurring villain."
Moonwatcher rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, if he had been mentioned up until this point, maybe."
"Well, that's your fault, isn't it? Amateur!"
Franklin covered his eyes.
"I'm never going to be okay again . . ."
I put my front horn up to his.
"Even if you won't, we'll be here for you."
***TSJWFKFEW***
We got Franklin settled in with a bit of difficulty. Gunnar decided to spend the night on his couch, just to make sure that he was safe. Zia went to the hospital for her snake bite. I wasn't feeling very good myself, so I walked home with Owen to rest. On the way back, I ran into that same brunette woman again. This time, she had a small bird with massive eyes and no beak strapped to her chest in a babybjörn.
"Hi! Good to see you again! We found a compromise. It's hard to be afraid of someone when they're a cute little animal, right?"
I gave a hesitant thumbs up. If there was one thing that I hated about this place- aside from most of it- it was that I could never quite figure out what was going on. Judging by her tone, everything was okay, and that was enough for me.
At the entrance to the hotel, Owen paused.
"Claire, I would feel a lot better if I knew that you were going to be okay."
"Even I don't know for sure . . ."
"But can you promise me that tonight, you'll stay by my side? I don't think I could handle it if you ran away again."
"I have no intention of leaving."
He nodded.
"And . . . about the baby . . ."
"It's not a baby yet. And I don't think I want it to be."
He seemed surprised by this.
"Oh. Well, if you're sure, that's fine. Don't do it on my behalf, though, because I'd be more than willing-"
"I know, but I was sure that this was what I wanted from the start. I just can't handle another child, especially under these circumstances."
"Yeah. I understand."
"You don't think less of me, do you?"
"Never. No one deserves to be born into a family that can't take care of them. My life is fine now, but Claire, you wouldn't believe the things I went through as a child. I don't talk about it much, but . . . Well, I wouldn't want someone else to go through that, so it's best to put an end to it before it actually starts being a person."
"Yeah. Can we look into doctors tomorrow? Moonwatcher offered, but-"
"Oh, geez."
"Yeah, she brought up the fact that she has access to a chainsaw, so that's a 'no' from me."
Owen winced, then knelt in front of me and put his hand on my cheek.
"Claire, I'm here for you. You know that, right?"
"You saved my life today. I think I'd have to be in severe denial to not believe you."
"Maybe. I know it's not easy, trusting people when everyone seems to constantly let you down."
"Have I let you down?"
He shook his head.
"You're one of the best parts of my life right now."
"I find that hard to believe."
He smiled sadly.
"Then I'll just have to prove it to you. Can you stick around, until then?"
I wrapped my arms around him.
"Always and forever."