Author's Note: Shorter chapter this time but still more climatic than the last couple :). This is the one I've been building up to for a while. Hope you all enjoy.
Thankfully for the trio, their friend was only travelling at a fast walk, meaning they were able to catch up with him fairly quickly.
Tristana was the first to reach him.
"Hey," she said quietly, as she matched pace beside the pale yordle, "you took off pretty quickly there. Are you okay?"
Despite how calm and steady he usually was, they all knew that Teemo's family was one of his few insecurities; one that was almost guaranteed to get him riled up. As such, this behaviour was unsurprising but still concerning.
The young scout seemed to realise what he was doing and slowed down just enough for the remaining two to catch up.
"They knew," he said, his expression conflicted. "They knew and they didn't tell me. I need to know why."
"Maybe they wanted to protect you," Ziggs suggested hopefully.
But all that did was aggravate the yordle further.
"Then why didn't my dad say anything at the hospital? He told me about the incident and his sister but he never mentioned that I-" Abruptly he cut off, his movements stopping as if he was physically unable to continue.
Then his expression became resolute and he started forward once more. "I have to know the truth."
Just like at the orphanage, Teemo paused when they reached his front door. But unlike last time, he pushed forward after a brief moment; his desire for the truth overriding his fear of what it might mean.
A small amount of the tension eased from the young yordle as the sound of the door opening brought his parents out. He hadn't been sure if his determination would have lasted had they been out.
Still, his heart remained hardened as he stood in the doorway, face unreadable despite the worried looks the two yordles who'd raised him wore.
"Teemo," relief filled Nina's face as his friends not-so-subtly pushed him further in so they could enter. "Where have you been? We were getting worried."
"I was at the orphanage." The response was quiet and carefully neutral. "There were some things bugging me so I went to ask Miss Whitmore about my past."
Both of his parents stiffened as he finally met their gazes, allowing him to easily reading the guilt and concern there.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
The couple exchanged a long look before Miles turned to his son. "We figured you'd come to us when you wanted to know."
"Maybe I would have if you didn't make it seem like you didn't know anything." His tone was way more accusing than he'd meant it to be but Teemo was so angry and so hurt he couldn't find it in himself to care. "You never said anything at the hospital. Even when you brought up the massacre itself. You didn't think I'd want to know that as how I ended up at the orphanage? You didn't think I'd figure out that my biological father killed my own mother."
Nina's eyes filled with tears and a sliver of shame curled in the young scout's heart. But he refused to take his eyes off the man who had raised him as he lowered his own gaze. That was all the confirmation Teemo needed.
With a sinking heart he verbalised the worry that had been eating away at him for days. "So it's true?"
Miles could only nod his head.
All of a sudden, Teemo felt like he couldn't breathe. Felt like the walls were closing in around him. He needed to get out. Before he knew what he was doing, he'd raced out the still open doorway.
"Teemo!" Someone shouted behind him but his pace never slowed.
Back at the house, Nina collapsed into her husband's arms. Her cry had done nothing.
The three friends however, were already moving for the door.
"Don't worry," Tristana said with unwavering resolve, "we'll find him."
They'd been travelling for days. How many he wasn't sure anymore (He'd lost track a while back; more focused on keeping sane and providing solace for those that remained than keeping track of the time). During that time, their numbers had slowly been whittled down.
Lieutenant Roxanne had been the first to go. As the highest ranking member left, she was far too dangerous to leave alive for long (not that she would have let the humans touch her charges while she was still breathing anyway).
Davis had also been killed early (the impulsive and heroic scout had caused a massive stir when the poachers had turned their eyes on the other recruits). His eyes had been fearful when he'd been pulled from his cage, but he'd given them a confident grin none-the-less, not wanting the others to remember him as anything but the bright-eyed and courageous yorlding they'd gotten to know.
Day after day they'd been taken (unable to do anything but watch as their companions had been slaughtered and extorted like unfeeling goods), until only he and Milli were left.
Their cages were close together, allowing the two of them to press close and share their warmth. Enjoying the comfort the other brought in knowing they weren't alone; yet ears on alert for the dreaded sound that would let them know that the hunters were coming back to pull someone away and leave the last, remaining yordle alone.
As if on cue, heavy footsteps approached.
Fear skyrocketed in the pair as they clung to one another, watching as Sven approached.
The hulking Freljordian surveyed the pair with detached eyes before walking up to Milli's cage and shooting her with a paralysis dart.
The soft-spoken girl screamed as the giant's hand closed around her body, trying to tug her out of her enclosure. However, Teemo refused to let go. He refused to do nothing as the last member of his party was taken (not when her eyes pleaded with him as tears rolled down her face). But it had been a futile endeavour from the start. As the poison set in, the large human's superior strength pulled them apart, sending the pale scout colliding back into the bars of his cage with such force that several items rattled and fell from the Yakashire.
Frustrated and reeling in pain, he could do nothing but watch as his friend slowly lost consciousness as she was carried to her death.
The grief, pain and anger he'd been holding back surged to the surface. He would not let it end like this.
He looked around frantically for something – anything – to use. He refused to go down without a fight. He would avenge his comrades, even if it killed him!
"Teemo!" Tristana called out as the three yordles trudged through the jungle south of Bandle. They'd been able to follow his trail in the city, but once their friend had reached the outer limits he'd quickly evaded them. Still, they weren't about to give up.
For the next hour, the trio covered the nearby area in a grid-like pattern, trying to efficiently find the young scout. However, the longer they searched, the more they realised just how impossible it might be to find their friend if he didn't want to be found.
It was this thought that caused Rumble to stop in frustration. "This is getting us nowhere."
With hesitance, Ziggs paused as well, worry and despair warring on his face. Tristana however ploughed forward. "I'm not giving up."
"I'm not either," he snapped back. "But if we continue this way, we're never going to find him. We need a new plan."
Rounding back around, the blue girl shot him a frustrated look. "If you have a better idea then let's hear it."
"Uh hey guys?" Ziggs tried to get their attention, but the tension that had been growing between the friends had finally broken.
"Well not yet," the short teen's eyes narrowed as he met her glare head on. "But since our current plan isn't getting us anywhere, we're better off coming up with a new one instead of obstinately pursuing this one."
"Oh really? And here I thought we were just doing this for fun. There is no better way Rumble!" Tristana fumed. She was already turning back to their search when Rumble's next words stopped her in her tracks.
"I'm just trying to help. You don't need to bite my head off for it."
"Guys."
Ignoring Ziggs, the girl levelled her already deadly glare back on the boy. "Oh I'm sorry, am I not allowed to be concerned about my missing friend?"
Rumble, however, never backed down. "He's my friend too! You think you're the only one worried?"
"Guys."
"You," Tristana closed the gap between them, "didn't see how upset he was last night! He was terrified that he was going to hurt us. What if he never comes back?"
"Guys!"
"If Teemo doesn't want to be found, we're never going to find him! He knows these woods better than any of us. He spent hours out here training with his Pa, as well as with us at the…"
"The clubhouse!" they exclaimed together, argument forgotten.
"It's not that far from here," Tristana continued excitedly. "We could-"
"Look out!" All of a sudden, Ziggs tackled the two to the ground as a large, furry beast sailed over their heads.
The three teens gasped at the massive, wolf-like creature turning back towards them.
"Dire-wolf!" Rumble gulped. "It must have gotten over the mountain range."
Due to its secluded nature, the jungle inside the Sablestone mountains was usually clear of larger predators, and those that did make it over were usually dealt with by the Scouts before they got close enough to do any damage. However, with their current crisis it seemed one had slipped through the cracks.
"That's great," Ziggs commented sarcastically, "but what do we do?!"
"Split up!" Tristana took over. "Then get as high as you can. Dire-wolves can't climb."
Immediately the trio shot off in different directions, confusing the Dire-wolf long enough to put some distance between them. Then it charged.
Seeing a low hanging branch, Tristana leapt and, in one fluid movement, swung herself up. The girl turned, gaze quickly zeroing in on the beast as it gained on Ziggs. She called out to him, even as she hooked her legs over the branch and let go.
The lanky yordle swerved towards her, catching the outstretched hands and allowing the blue teen to pull him up moments before the Dire-wolf lunged for his back.
The two weren't allowed much of a breather as it immediately turned back towards them, and while it may not be able to climb, it could most certainly jump.
With a pair of shrieks, the two teens scrambled up into the higher branches, the creature's teeth missing their feet by inches.
Before it could jump again however, its attention was pulled by a shrill whistle.
"Hey!" Rumble shouted as its attention swung in his direction. "Leave them alone!"
The beast eyed the small yordle still on the forest floor before it. Then it raced towards him.
To his credit, Rumble held his ground, even as his friends screamed at him and the massive creature drew closer at a frightening speed.
Just as the Dire-wolf was almost on top of him, the steel-blue teen dove under its legs. He dashed to his feet on the other side but wasn't ready for the creature's quick reaction. He wasn't able to do anything as its tight turn sent him flying away, landing with a heavy bang that knocked the wind out of him.
Before the large wolf could locate its prey, a high-speed cone hit its ear. "Hey ugly! Pick on someone your own size!"
With a growl, it turned towards the hazel yordle.
Ziggs' ears dropped as it immediately charged him. "Ah maybe that was a bad idea!"
Scrambling away, the teen tripped on an exposed root and, serendipitously, the beast went flying over his head.
He looked up in surprise, just in time to see Tristana fly kick the creature in the muzzle. While it was still recovering, the blue girl dragged Ziggs to his feet and over towards where Rumble had fallen.
The Dire-wolf shook off it dizziness, as it growled at the trio. It's ire had been steadily growing by how tenacious the little creatures were being. Carefully this time, it stalked towards them; its eyes remained fully focused on the three so to not be tricked again.
Therefore, it didn't see the dart until it had pierced its eye, releasing a cloudy powder that clogged the other with guck. The beast's howl of pain warbled off into another deep growl as it twisted its head around to find the new threat. It may not be able to see, but it had other ways of sensing its prey.
A light chuckle sounded from the forestry and the wolf's head immediately turned in that direction. At the exact same moment, a blade came slicing out of the undergrowth and slit its throat.
With one last gurgling noise, the Dire-wolf collapsed with a resounding thud and moved no more.
The three shell-shocked teens stared at the downed beast before their gazes were drawn to the pale yordle emerging from the foliage.
"Teemo?" Ziggs questioned, even though the figure before them was unmistakable.
He smiled at them, but it was an unsettling thing, never reaching his ice-cold eyes. "Not quite," the cream coloured yordle said.
In response, Tristana sent the newcomer a biting glare, "What'd you do to our friend?"
The yordle just scoffed, "Oh relax, the wimp's fine. He's just hiding while I do the dirty work."
"You're the reason Teemo's been having memory lapses isn't it?" Rumble's eyes narrowed as the gears turned in his head.
The figure shrugged, "I suppose you could say that."
"But you used your own team? You haven't shown care towards anyone?" Ziggs rambled in confusion. "Why suddenly save us?"
Blue eyes rolled, "Geeze you don't listen, do you? I told you, I'm here to protect your friend, not hurt him. I handle the things he can't so he can switch off and not let his mind shatter under the weight of it – or at least doesn't shatter more." He smirked at his own joke before his expression became hardened once more. "So while I don't give a shit about you, he's based his entire emotional stability on you and his family. That means to protect him, I have to protect you – so long as your not a threat." The chilling smile was back. "Get it now?"
Before the trio could ask anything else, the young scout's face filled with confusion.
"Guys?" Teemo asked perplexed. "What are you doing here?"
The others exchanged a long look before Ziggs threw an arm around the confused teen. "Come on, we've got a lot to explain."
And there you have it. Teemo has dissociate identity disorder now (also known as split personality).
I'll admit, I was both really excited and really nervous about this chapter for that exact reason. I did do a fair amount of research before this story to try and do it justice but I'm not an expert. Not to mention, even by mental health standards it seems to be a bit of a weird and mysterious disorder, nor has it been represented all that well in media to date.
Since yordles aren't humans its not exactly the same either. For instance, while dissociate identity disorder is usually caused by traumatic incidents in young children as a way for them to cope with it (instead of PTSD which usually occurs in adults), Teemo is older than when it usually occurs. I've put that down to the fact that yordles are already susceptible to mental health issues (since they have a large social requirement to stay healthy) and thus he's still young enough for his mind to spit instead of going Insane.
Umm, so yeah, let me know what you guys think. I'd love to get some feedback on this development.