Bullet POV
We had been steadily making our way deeper and deeper into the depths of the Stormy Sea. Other than the occasional distraction from the sounds of shifting ice flows, my attention had remained focused on picking out enemies hidden in the shadows. There were more enemies which were more violent than we had ever expected. My original plan to make conversation with B.B. as we went had quickly been derailed. Now, I was just biding my time, hoping that we would be able to safely make camp sometime soon, and be able to make casual conversation without risk of being attacked by one of the long range water attacks that had been plaguing us all day. It was all I could do to keep my fur lying flat with the frustration prickling over my skin like needles. As important as this exploration was for Team Sureshot, I was far more concerned with what was going on with B.B.. This delay was becoming more and more of an itch that I couldn't quite scratch. The need to once again be able to understand what was going through my best friend's head was growing more intense with every hour that passed with us wandering nearly blindly under so much ice and water, that if I stopped worrying long enough to think about it, I probably would have had a panic attack. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, my mind didn't seem to have enough room to worry about that. All that I could think about was B.B.. Why had he seemed so cold today? Was he really unhappy being a member of Team Sureshot? Was he unhappy… staying here with me?
"Bullet! Watch out!"
I turned quickly to see a blast of water flying at me from out of the darkness. I saw B.B. running at me from the opposite direction, fear clear on his face. Time seemed to slow down as I watched the attack collide with my pass scarf, bounce off, and hit B.B., sending him sliding across the wet ice floor, straight towards a gap in the frozen wall. I felt more than heard the scream tear from my throat as I watched B.B. fall through the gaping hole, into the raging currents wrapped around the dungeon. I felt frozen to the spot. No! It couldn't be true! B.B. couldn't be gone! I watched as Blade flew across the floor, diving through the gap in the wall after B.B.. I rushed forward towards the wall, blasting the seadra that had fired the hydro pump shot, as I skidded to a stop in front of the wall. My eyes fell immediately upon Blade's horn, driven into the side of the ice wall. I reached forward and grabbed hold, pulling Blade up out of the churning wall of water. As his head surfaced, he began clawing his way back into the dungeon with his hind claws, and I watched as he pulled B.B.'s limp form with him out of the black torrent.
"Oh Arceus! Are you guys okay? B.B.? B.B.?! B.B., can you hear me?"
"Calm down, Bullet," Blade managed to cough out, "B.B. is gonna be fine, but we need to find a safe place to make camp and get him warmed up. Right now."
I could feel myself shaking all over, but I managed to nod and help Blade get to his feet, and carry B.B. towards the center of the colossal iceberg. I searched the solid ice walls for a fissure big enough for us to use as a shelter. Finally, I found one, and pulled B.B. inside the small cave. I quickly lit a small fire, and laid B.B. down beside it, pressing up against his other side, laying my whole body against his, desperate to get his stiff body warm again. I looked across the fire to see Blade settling down to dry his fur beside the flames.
"Are you okay, Blade? That must have taken a huge toll on you, too."
"I'll be fine, Bullet. I'm far more used to the cold than B.B. is. I used to live in the mountains north of Frosty Forest, remember? I'm accustomed to harsh conditions and bitter cold."
"Thank you, Blade. I don't know what else I can say."
"Don't thank me, Bullet. B.B. is my teammate, too. He is also my friend, as well."
"Blade…"
"Before I met you and B.B., I was used to being looked at with respect, fear, mistrust, or a combination of the three. As an Absol, I had become accustomed to being looked upon with the superstitious eyes of others. I was always alone, and I never thought that I would need friends to make myself feel complete. Then, I joined forces with Team Sureshot, in order to save the world from Armageddon. I never thought about making friends, but eventually, the two of you became the first two friends I ever had. Even after time passed and I made more friends, you and B.B. have always remained my closest friends. …I would do anything for the two of you, because you are my friends."
I was in shock at the speech the normally quiet and stoic absol had just given. I had never realized just how much the team had come to mean to him. As tears welled up in my eyes, I said the only thing that I could think of in my frazzled state of mind, "You're our friend, too, ya know? That's why, we'd do the same thing for you."
Blade's perpetually blank expression lifted into a tiny semblance of a smile, "Try and get some sleep, Bullet. We can figure out what to do later, after a good rest."
"Right."
I watched as Blade settled down to sleep, before turning my attention back to the slowly warming body beside me. Thank Arceus, B.B. hadn't drowned, and he was going to be just fine. I couldn't stop myself as tears poured heavily down my face onto cool, green skin, as my emotions continued to whip about inside my head. Residual fear, relief, self-loathing at my own weakness, and something else, something unbearably warm wrapped themselves tightly around my heart, sitting heavily in my chest. This grovyle beside me was the most important thing in my life, and because of my own mistake, I had almost lost him for good. If I had thought before that the thought of B.B. leaving this world behind to become human again was the worst feeling in the world, I knew now that that was far from the truth. The thought of going on living while B.B. was dead, that was far worse. If he became human, then at least I would still know that he was alive somewhere, even if it was without me, but if he was dead, if he existed nowhere, then what purpose would life have if he didn't exist in it? Trembling from the depressing thoughts that were strangling me, I cuddled closer to B.B.'s side, clinging to him with all of my strength. I slowly cried myself to sleep, my head pillowed upon B.B.'s chest and my arms wrapped around his torso.
Where was I? What was this place? I was surrounded by a thick white fog, wandering through a strange scene of grimy, stone pathways and towering buildings. Harsh, blaring noises echoed out of the mist, and the bitter smells of acrid smoke and rotten fruit clogged my nose and made my eyes water. What kind of place was this? Surely nothing could really live here? The fog only grew thicker as I wandered through the cold labyrinth of towers, forcing me to resist the urge to vomit and scent my way forward. Wait, what was that? Beneath the overpowering reek that I had first noticed, there was a familiar and far more pleasant odor. B.B.? It was! It was B.B.'s scent! He had to be here somewhere.
I took off running blindly through the confusing maze, thinking of nothing but finding that face that went with that well-known aroma that was like a shining light in the befuddling darkness of this alien place. I whipped around corner after corner, speeding up as I heard the murmur of the unmistakable voice of my best friend up ahead. The twisting tunnels of stone and glass let out into a small park filled with comforting, sturdy trees. I followed that voice forward into the park, peeking around tree after tree, quickly growing frantic in my desire to see the yellow eyes that were filling my every thought. I finally reached the far end of the garden and stopped dead, not believing what I was seeing.
About ten feet away, resting peacefully at the base of the largest tree in the park, was a man with long red hair pulled back in a ponytail, and deep brown eyes. He was dressed in a faded green jacket and matching cargo pants, with red leather gloves and shoes. He was human, but that voice and that scent were undeniable. This man was B.B., and he wasn't alone. In his lap, sat a beautiful girl with shoulder-length black hair and sparkly green eyes, who was dressed in a yellow dress and leggings with shoes that matched the bright orange ribbon in her hair.
I watched in stunned silence as B.B. wrapped his arms around the girl and whispered in her ear, giving her a warm, loving smile as she responded with a fit of giggles. I could feel a lump forming in my throat, and my heart twisting violently inside my chest. B.B. had never looked at me like that… Wait, was I… jealous of that girl? As much as I wanted to argue against the insanity of that idea, I couldn't deny, in that moment, how much I wanted that to be me sitting in B.B.'s lap with him beaming at me with such affection in his eyes. I wanted it. I wanted it so badly, that I couldn't stand to stand here watching this anymore. I spun around and ran away from the unwanted sight. I could feel a flush spreading across my skin, and I was crying again. I couldn't stop myself from sobbing as I ran, not caring where I was going, overcome with such a feeling of yearning that I had never felt before.
I jolted awake, feeling the tears weighing heavily in my fur. I looked around quickly to find everything was just as it was supposed to be. The fire had shrunk down slightly, but it was still burning good and hot. Blade was sleeping peacefully, his fur now as dry as could be expected this far underwater. B.B. had warmed up, and sometime while I was asleep, his arm had come up to wrap around my shoulders, holding me to his chest.
I gazed at the serenely sleeping face that was so close to mine, and was once again hit by that same sense of yearning from my dream. I had always thought that B.B. was handsome, but I guess I had never gotten such a close look that really let me appreciate just how beautiful he was. His skin, smooth as satin, still managed to carry a soft glow, like sunlight passing through emeralds. The sloping angles of his face, the tight, lean muscles that covered his body, and the silky scales stretching across his stomach drew my eyes up and down over his form, and made me hyper conscious of how close our bodies were pressed together, from our entangled legs to my head pressed under his chin.
I felt so hot, I had to check myself again to see if I had lit my flame. I hadn't. It wasn't fire, but B.B. that was making me feel this way, and staring down at the perfect face of my sleeping friend, I couldn't contradict the quickly growing familiar feeling of warmth in my chest. Love. I didn't know how or why, but I had somehow fallen for my best friend. As my mind accepted the fact that my heart hand already declared as final, I once again felt a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach that just felt so wrong in such close capacity with the fire in my chest. The memory of my dream flooded back full force, the memory of the all-consuming grief I had felt seeing B.B. with someone else in his arms. That was right. B.B. already had someone who was precious to him. There was no way my feelings for my friend would ever be returned.
B.B. POV
"Bullet! Watch out!"
I had seen the bullet of water screaming out of the dark corners of the chamber towards Bullet, who remained blissfully unaware of the impending danger, and charged towards him as fast as my long strides could carry me through the shallow water. I had to protect him! Nothing else ran through my mind as panic drove me forward. It was too late for me to change course when the shot ricocheted off of the pass scarf that I had insisted Bullet wear, and came barreling straight for me. I nearly lost consciousness as all the air was knocked from my lungs as the water struck me hard on my chest, sending me flying. Next thing I knew, I felt the frigid grip of sea water closing over my head. My eyes flew open as I struggled to dig my claws into the ice wall and pull myself back into the chamber before the current could sweep me away. As I felt my need for air growing and my strength slipping away, I suddenly felt strong legs wrap around me and a strong body press me against the ice. Blade. My vision began fading to black as suddenly, I felt us lurch forward as Blade and I were slowly pulled from the violent water. Bullet, and here I thought that I was gonna be the one protecting him.
I felt my back slam into the still, thin layer of water and then the hard ice floor. My breath came in a series of gulps and gasps, and my awareness was shaky at best. Sounding like it was coming from somewhere far away, I heard Bullet's voice calling my name.
"B.B.? B.B.?! B.B., can you hear me?"
Yes. I tried to respond, to comfort the frantic, terror-filled voice, but I couldn't get my body to respond. My eyes wouldn't open and my mouth wouldn't move. All I could do was lie there and shake as the bone-deep cold ripped through my tired body.
"Calm down, Bullet. B.B. is gonna be fine, but we need to find a safe place to make camp and get him warmed up. Right now."
That voice was a relief. Not only was Blade okay after diving in after me, but he was still calm enough to look after Bullet while I was incapacitated. My limited awareness faded out for awhile, and when it focused back in, I could feel the warmth of a fire nearby and the even greater warmth of a body pressed up against me.
"Thank you, Blade. I don't know what else I can say."
I seemed to have woken up in the middle of a conversation between my two teammates. Since I still couldn't find the strength to join in, I simply focused on listening attentively… or attentively as was possible while the ones talking thought I was asleep.
"Don't thank me, Bullet. B.B. is my teammate, too. He is also my friend, as well."
"Blade…"
"Before I met you and B.B., I was used to being looked at with respect, fear, mistrust, or a combination of the three. As an Absol, I had become accustomed to being looked upon with the superstitious eyes of others. I was always alone, and I never thought that I would need friends to make myself feel complete. Then, I joined forces with Team Sureshot, in order to save the world from Armageddon. I never thought about making friends, but eventually, the two of you became the first two friends I ever had. Even after time passed and I made more friends, you and B.B. have always remained my closest friends. …I would do anything for the two of you, because you are my friends."
I felt choked up at hearing such a speech from Blade. Then, I felt a stab as I remembered how I had blown him off earlier that same day that he had risked his life to save mine. I was determined to make it up to him somehow, once I could stand up on my own again.
"You're our friend, too, ya know? That's why, we'd do the same thing for you."
Glad that Bullet had responded for both of us, I drifted off to sleep again with peace of mind. Bullet was safe, and so was Blade, and I would be okay, too, after a good, long rest.
I was sitting at the base of my favorite tree in the park that I would sleep in after my parents threw me out. I was human. I was lonely. I was sad. Why was I here again? The reeking city was just as I had remembered it, noisy and bitter. There had never been any sense of love or happiness in this place, and now was no exception.
Suddenly, I heard a sniffling sound and looked up. I saw a boy standing about ten feet with tears running down his cheeks. He had tousled black hair that hung down over top of his massive glasses. He wore a navy blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show off his lean, muscled arms; black jeans that clung flatteringly to his legs; and a black tie and dress shoes. I already had a gut feeling, but it was confirmed for certain when the boy lifted his head from staring at his feet to look at me with his big, wet, red eyes.
"Bullet."
The boy wiped his eyes and spoke with a wavering voice, "Why, B.B.? I don't understand. Why her? Why couldn't I be the one to make you happy?"
I stared at him, shocked and confused. Then, I looked down to see a strange girl with black hair sleeping with her head in my lap. What was going on?
"I know you only see me as a friend, but I can't stand it! Seeing you… with her! It's too much! It's…"
I threw the nameless stranger off of my lap, dashed forward, and threw my arms around Bullet, pulling him tight against me. The boy crumpled into my shoulder, weeping into my neck. I rubbed his back and ran my fingers through his silky hair, trying to soothe the distraught angel.
"You damn fool. Don't you know that there is no one else in my eyes other than you?"
"…Really?"
"'Really,' he says! Obviously! I can hardly stand it, how much I love you, and don't you forget it!"
Bullet laughed happily, hugging me tight, before pulling back to smile at me with red eyes that absolutely shone with the love and joy in them.
"I love you, too, B.B.."
I blinked awake to find myself inside a small ice cave, lying next to a small campfire. I glanced down to see Bullet, clinging to me for dear life with his head pillowed on my chest. I smiled warmly down at the sleeping seraph, wrapping my arm gently around his shoulders. He nuzzled into my neck, mumbling in his sleep. Arceus, that was cute! I couldn't stop the smile from splitting my face as my eyes wandered over the most beautiful creature my eyes had ever seen. I could feel my mind slipping back to sleep again, so I let my head fall back and my mind wander. My gaze traced across the seaweed trapped inside the walls and ceiling of the cavern as I daydreamed. I couldn't help but think about how great it would have been if that dream had been real, if Bullet and I could have lied here cuddling like this, both us feeling the same love for each other. Don't be silly; there is no way Bullet could ever feel that way towards me. I drifted off to sleep, the memory of Bullet's voice being the last thing I heard.
"I love you, too, B.B.."