A/N: (long and informative) Thank you, Dream, Red, Shiro and Fubuki, chiken, Lea, Mihakaku for reviewing chapter 22!
And of course, thank you Revu for all of the reviews you've put up and all the really good/interesting feedback you've given my story. I'm up at 4 am writing this right now, and while the chapter isn't close to being done yet and most of my mind is blank/tired, I really wanted to say my thanks. Your feedback really re-sparked where exactly I wanted to steer this story detail wise. I've been writing this thing for over a year now, I'm not sure when or if the story will be completed, but after a while, when your interests kind of shift gears or when you get busy with different things, you kind of forget how to write the way you've originally planned. And honestly, that's how I felt these past few chapters of writing. Sometimes I feel forced to write, I don't find the inspiration, just to keep the story alive.
So what would be the point of writing? I still have trouble with that, but your reviews helped me rethink (yet again) where this story was heading and how I personally feel about it. I'm really grateful, because now I'm kind of excited again. I'm excited to get this chapter done. I'm excited to get the future chapters done. What I also love is the fact that you've caught errors in the actual content. (and of course the million grammer/spelling errors that I create!) Mainly chapter 5 and some things in chapter 21, and while I usually have answers to everything I write, I honestly can't remember some of the reasons "why" I wrote those parts the way they are. I really should re-write my earlier chapters hence I had no idea I'd be working on it for this long back then. What's really great is that, I'm re-remembering how I wanted to write Pokey's diary entries.
Actually, Pokey's diary was one of the main problems of keeping this story alive. I was starting to find his entries boring to write about, I was having a hard time switching from Jeff's point of view to Pokey's. Realizing that the two of them are supposed to think differently, it's kind of difficult, especially in the earlier ones. He just acts like an ordinary kid with a boring life and parents that really don't care about him all that much. But of course, when Ness comes along, that all changes. If I really wanted to, Pokey's diary could be a totally different fanfiction all together. If it was a different story all together, its rating would be much higher. (evil smirk) Hell, I'd post it on if it was a separate project and go even darker. Which brings me to the conclusion that, yes, this story has to be brought up to the mature rating now, it's getting to that point. Just the diary entries alone, later is a reason why.
But yeah, thank you again. I'm sorry that this author's note is long as heck, but I really wanted to tell you how I felt. I found a new inspiration to write again and it's refreshing, daydreaming about my chapters C: I'm still not crystal clear on how these future chapters will pan out but I'll have an easier time now, figuring that out.
And just thanks everyone. C:
Thanks for reading. I never knew this story has hit some of you to a personal level like it does with me at times. It really makes me happy in a way x,D Also, this story is reaching the 10,000 hit/pageview mark. Thank you guys so much for enjoying my chapters C: And I'm really sorry you guys had to wait this long for the next one! xS
Also, I wanted to say or ask all of my readers that's been reading for a long time now, is it just me, or do my X's around the titles of my past chapters keep getting deleted/erased? I put them in every chapter, it's been a tradition since like chapter 3, and they've always shown up on in the past but now suddenly they're disappearing. O.o I hope it's just the website or my imagination and no one hacking into my account D: Because that would make me really worried ;v;
Anyways, you're probably wondering by looking at the scroll bar that, this chapter is much shorter compared to the ones I've been putting up. That's because this and the next part I'm currently working on were 'technically' going to be one chapter but I thought today while writing, this is waaaay too fucking long. I'm still trying to finish it, it's almost done but, it's already 21,429 words for the 2 combined, which is 48 pages according to Microsoft word. That's longer than chapter 22, and it's still not done! I really don't want to get longer than those ID So I might start posting up shorter chapters from now on, which in fact, might be good news for you guys, that could mean more frequent updates! Hopefully…
Anyways, this one ties into the next, takes place on the same day, etc. I'm really hoping to put the next one up tomorrow… Sorry this part is so short!
Anyways, I hope you enjoy this first part ID
XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxX
It was the strangest thing. As so I thought when I gazed out the window from my dark bedroom. The night time breeze was refreshing, as I now spent my summer nights looking out of the window. Up to the stars.
I was never fascinated with them before, but suddenly, it became a daily routine. An addiction. It made me happy. It made me sad. Scared. Mesmerized. Relaxed. Emotional.
I could feel all of this, for no specific reason because of how I looked up at those stars.
All because of that silly boy next door.
And as soon as I thought of the boy, I started to feel all of those mixed feelings again. He was my first friend. He was happy, I was happy.
I never got along with most of the other kids. They didn't want to be my friend. And none of them interested me. It was the first time I felt optimistic about starting school next week.
And as I looked up into the sky, out of my daydream, I saw what seemed to be a comet.
Traveling closer and closer…
Until it transformed into a glittering butterfly…
The butterfly then landed peacefully on the window sill that belonged to my new friend.
And as soon as the butterfly fluttered away again, it disappeared into the night.
Like one fading off to sleep…
XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxXxxX
The Universe Will Die Without You
Chapter 23 The Uncontrollable Power
XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxX
This was the worst thing that could have happened at this time. And here it was, standing right in front of us.
Ness looked drunk and weary. His clothes and hatless hair were a mess, as well as mine. And it was either my own eyesight and blood draining head that made him sway or he actually was. I wasn't sure how long I could keep him focused in my eyesight. My head slowly lowered itself to the ground, but I kept my eyes open. Somehow the quiet awkward moment stiffened me the most. I couldn't move.
Ness seemed to stumble, keeping his now narrow eyes on the murderous man above me. I could hear the clank of the metal bar land besides me. I tried to look at the man, straining my eyes, to see him looking back to Ness with an emotionless face, all until I couldn't hold up my head any longer. Ness seemed to take a small step forward.
"Wh- what are you… what are you doing…" Ness spoke in a rasped voice. The man let off a small cough, but he didn't respond. Ness looked as if he was gritting his teeth.
"What- what are you doing to my friend?!" Ness sounded as if he was starting to go in tears. I closed my eyes, trying to breathe in, even though it hurt like hell.
"Answer me!" Ness's voice was shaken up. When he took in a big breath, I could hear the trembles as he inhaled and exhaled.
"Answer me before I lose my mind god damn it!"
"…" The man kept silent again. Ness panted.
"Ahaha… I know now… I get it. You're just like him. You're just like that disgusting fuck, aren't you?" Ness ranted, voice not sounding like him at all. I was starting to fear this moment even more as I felt my spine shiver. If I hadn't have been so weak, my jaw would have dropped.
"Ness…" The man spoke finally. My eyes slowly widened again after I heard the man speak his name, as if he was trying to remember something. I heard him take a step forward. I tried wrestling with my newly broken ribs as I tried forcing myself to at least a sitting position, supporting myself up by my trembling arms. I was about to attempt to say something, only for the both of us to be silent once more.
"Don't come near me!" Ness hissed at him angrily. The man did what he was told. I drifted my weak eyes towards Ness, whom looked as if he was trembling. Not with fear, but with rage.
"You… have some nerve showing up now… and here, out of all the places…" Ness finally drifted his eyes towards my own. He looked almost as if he winced. For some reason, it hurt. Ness hid his face in his palm as he shivered violently again, muttering something illegible.
"Ness…?" I barely muttered. Now breathing was even starting to hurt, and it was a mere struggle for me to keep myself up.
"How dare you…" Ness's voice cracked, all until he started to hold his forehead again.
"How dare you hurt him… hurt me-" Ness's voice cracked again as he violently shivered again, all the while digging his fingernails into his scalp. It was about then that my arms were running out of the strength to keep me up. I shivered violently, gulping as I could feel my breath hitch.
Of course, I wasn't the only one that had a hitched breath. Ness seemed to stagger forward as if he was about to collapse on the ground before wailing and groaning. My eyes widened. What the hell happening to him? I thought.
"Ness-" I said out loud as I tried forcing myself onto my feet, all until my ribs protested to the movement. I winced, hissing as I held that spot. This is bad… I thought to myself.
"… Get up, boy," The man grunted. My eyebrows furrowed. He was talking to me? I looked up to him, his form moving in and out of focus. His cold unfocused glare struck me through dirty long black locks of hair, but then flashed back to Ness.
Suddenly, I was forced onto my back again, by what felt almost like a strong gale of somewhat concentrated wind. My back almost felt like it could crack, but in reflex to the sudden force, I immediately struggled back up. Onto my feet if I could. But when my body positioned itself to a kneeling position, I looked up, only to find in distraught what happened just then.
Ness seemed to have punched the man in his lower left jaw, making his head turn slightly. The circulating air around them blew our hair in an unordinary fashion. In moment's the energy was hot and rapid, other times it would slow almost to a stop but the air would be as crisp as the air from Winters.
Ness gritted his teeth as his fist was still connected to the man's jaw; as I could see the tension between their glares. However, while the man's eyes were clearly focused at this moment, Ness's were not.
That was strange, I thought… when the man looked at me, his eyes were exactly like Ness's in a sense… raging, but unfocused. It chilled me to the bone. Ness's arms and shoulders started to shiver violently as he started to lower his head, letting his free hand grope his face in anguish. I forced myself onto my feet finally, trembling in the process.
"Ness, get away from him…" My voice trembled as my heart started beating faster. "This isn't right… something's not right…" As I said that however, the untamed energy increased as Ness's body jolted. It was the first time I had ever heard Ness wail out like this, in a sense of suffering. Was he in pain? I couldn't help but try walking up to him. Ness had finally started to slowly crouch down into a kneeling position, shivering again. Something welled up into my chest as I could feel my eyes watering up slightly.
"Ness, say something… get away from that man, please…" I almost felt as if I was going to panic. What would happen if Ness really wasn't ok? Why hasn't Paula said anything else to me? I squeezed my fists as I felt the pain in my ribs welling up again. I was shaken. Ness wasn't standing back, at least not on his own will. There was a moment of pause.
"His sanity isn't going to last much longer… he's mentally breaking down. You should run before it kills you," The man told me. A mental breakdown? It hurt to speak at the time, but I was able to choke out something.
"Just… who the fuck are you? And why should I listen… after you tried to kill me yourself?!" I rasped before choking on my hurting lungs. The man was silent. At this time, both of us looked back to Ness whom was now on all fours. I could see faintly, a small aura around him that shown a faint color of violet. He groaned.
"Mom… help me…" He whimpered. He was petrified now, breathing so loudly as if he was going to hurl up something nasty. My lip trembled.
"Ness, please!-" I darted forward, all until another rush of power dared to push me back. I used my arms in attempt to block myself. Squinting as I felt like falling back again, I saw the man kneel down to Ness's level. Something in my insides turned horribly…
It wasn't that man that made him act like this… was it? I could see the man, not phased; at all by Ness's out bursting PSI, as he went to reach out to him somehow. This alarmed me, as I really thought the man would do something horrible to him. I fought the power that tried pushing me away, all so I could try to stop him.
Then suddenly as the man touched the back of one of Ness's hands, the PSI suddenly died down. I had to react and think fast.
"Ness!" I yelled, running up to the both of them. And I did the dumbest thing possible.
Throwing my own punch at the man, I realized that it was a stupid mistake. I had managed to graze his nose as he managed to dodge my lame attempt of an attack. He looked at me, almost tilting his head. And although it didn't look emphasized, I took it as a taunt. My voice stuttered. I was disgusted.
"What did you do to him"- Suddenly, the man threw a hand down to the collar of my shirt and dragged me to his nose, snarling in my face.
"Don't go near him, boy. You'll only make it worse." He spat in my face. My breath was shaken up.
"And how could I make it worse, bud? I'm part of his permanent team, you had no right to touch him," I roared back. Ness's hoarse breathing could clearly be heard next to us. The man looked down to him, then back to my eyes. He shivered again, as he tried to focus on my eyes. In a sense, he still failed. And it boggled me to the core.
"Unless if you want to get yourself killed, then go ahead. Fine by me, but don't say I didn't warn you," He replied. I snarled, trying to fake a smile.
"But isn't that what you want? You really did seem determined to kill me just now," I chuckled darkly. I could tell that something clicked in his brain. Something that I was starting to fear. I gulped.
"I-I mean, since when do you have any part of our business at all? Are you out after us? I bet you're at least connected to Giygas… just like that bastard that tried harming Ness disgustingly all those years ago!" I growled.
Speaking must have not been the smartest thing for me to do there, since right after I spoke that, he punched me in the face once more, all the while kneeing me again in the gut and knocking me down onto the ground. Recoiling from the violent drop, I could taste the blood in my mouth again as I struggled getting up, squinting angrily at the man above me. Of course he glared down at me, and I wondered if he would just finish me off right then. Instead he looked back down at Ness, who seemed to quiet down again.
He started to turn and walk away.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing!
"Get… back here!" My voice was horribly hoarse and strangled as I pushed myself to get on my knees. When I looked over to the man again, he was stopped, back facing towards us.
"Let him abuse his power… let him use it all up. That's the only way he can be cured," Was the last thing he told me before walking away again. Ness's grunt was followed by more heavy breathing. I gritted my teeth in anger. I was starting to feel like how Ness felt just moments ago.
"Get back here now you bastard!" I hollered at him again. However, he was too far then, and he never looked back. I could feel another trickle of blood drool down my chin as I timidly looked over to Ness.
I just couldn't get over how Ness was acting. I had never seen Ness act this way before… I never thought I'd ever see him act this way…
Just what happened anyways? What happened that led up to this situation we were in now?
Suddenly, when my mind stopped questioning the situation and just focused on the present… I could feel it again.
Energy.
Energy flowing around in a strange and unusual pattern. And it was in this moment that Ness finally stood up silently, only to drop his arms to his side, head lowered and eyes closed calmly. I looked down to his feet as I could see the small pebbles and dirt start to gravitate away from him, just gradually. By this time, the pain in my ribs and everywhere else became a secondary afterthought. It was still there, and man did it hurt, but I found the energy. The energy I needed to gain myself onto my feet again.
Grasping my shoulder as it protested in agony, I managed to bring a finger to my nose to straighten my glasses. I took in a deep breath… the biggest I could handle.
"Ness…" I managed to mutter. Ness was unresponsive. I furrowed my eyebrows at this.
"Is this what you were talking about before? Why you were so uptight and you weren't feeling ok? Why didn't you tell any of us?" I realized on the back of my mind that I was more so talking to myself rather than to him. I put a hand on my forehead. Maybe if I let him stand there to cool his head off and let his energy go- steadily, everything would be ok. Was this all a matter of just having too much PSI that he couldn't handle it? How did that happen? I looked in the distance again, to see the man far off in the distance on the railroad track. The sky now was stormy and darkening.
I could hear Ness breathing again, though much calmer than before. I looked down again, as I watched the rocks travel past my feet. My eyes finally drifted over and spotted that peculiar rock.
The sound stone, trickled in blood, was starting to roll away as well. I bit my lip as I quickly snatched the small rock into my hand. I tried rubbing the blood off, even though some of it looked like it would be there to stay for good. From the sound stone, I looked back at Ness.
And realized a small detail.
I wasn't sure what would happen if I walked up to him, or if I tried to touch him myself. Limping now, I stumbled a little closer to him.
"Ness… this is yours…" I told him, trying to hold out the sound stone to him. Still, he seemed unresponsive. I finally shook in a fit of rage.
"Son of a bitch Ness, please say something! This is your sound stone, is it not? If it's yours, take it!" I semi-ordered him harshly. Finally, finally, his eyes opened, without raising his head. His eyes looked abnormal to me as they locked onto what was between my fingers.
Suddenly, Ness twitched and moaned again, grabbing his head. I gritted my teeth.
"Ness, I wish you could say something, just anything. What's happening to you?" I asked, finally standing right near him. Ness hissed again.
"Stop… please…" He hissed. I furrowed my eyebrows again as a couple more tears squeezed out of the corners of his eyes. I was getting really impatient about this.
I didn't care if anything bad happened to me if I reached out to touch his hand like I did, gently grabbing it, only to find that Ness literally squeezed my hand, painfully. I winced, bringing my other hand to slip the sound stone snuggly in between our grip. My heart started to brace for the worst as the energy around us seemed to react at a more alarming rate. It was then that Ness's eyes shot open, staring down at our clasped hands with this horrified look upon his face. My heart sank, thinking that I did something terribly wrong. Ness started to breath deeper and at a more rapid pace, as soon did I after as the energy around us grew and grew.
Until Ness started to take off, grasping onto my hand for dear life.
---
"Hey Pork chops, hurry up, your friend is waiting for you at the front door," Dad spoke, knocking on my door as I put my notebook in my bag and lazily slipped my beaten shoe on my foot without tying it. Opening the door, about to run down the stair to meet my friend at the door, a strong hand halted me. Dad cleared his throat, dressed up as he was about to head off out to work.
"Six o' clock. Don't be late for dinner," He told me. I nodded, as I grabbed my lunch as I rushed out to the porch.
Ness was just leaning on our porch watching the cars pass by and my dad driving off. When he turned around to see me, he smiled.
"You always wear that," Ness said, gesturing to my overgrown tattered white shirt and beaten up overalls. I cocked my head.
"They're the only clothes I have though," I replied. Ness frown slightly.
"You don't have any more clothes?" He asked. I actually lied to him, but in all honesty, these were the only clothes I chose to wear at the time. I shook my head. Ness didn't seem to know how to handle the small sad bit of information but his eyes felt bad. I shrugged.
"I don't mind," I said as we started walking to school.
"Ness, you forgot your hat!" Ness's mother shouted out at us as we had just passed Ness's house. Ness bit his lip and rushed back.
"That's right, I forgot!" Ness said. I watched as he rushed up on his porch, immediately embracing his mom, pressing his cheek against her tummy as she hugged him back, placing the cap on his head sloppily. As they tore apart, she planted a kiss on his forehead. In response, Ness wrinkled his nose before hugging what seemed to be Tracy holding their mother's hand. After Ness planted his own kiss on her forehead, he took off again, jumping over the porch steps and out to greet me.
"Invite Pokey over and I can make the two of you sandwiches after school," She smiled. Ness's face lit up.
"Oh boy, I can't wait! Mom makes the beeeest food ever…" Ness said, smiling.
"Really?" I asked. Ness's nod was fast, as he placed his hat on his head to keep it from falling off.
"She makes the best steak ever! You will never taste steak as good as my mom's steak!" Ness went on.
"Well my mom makes the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches… even if I have those every day," My voice trailed off. We became quiet again, which happened a lot when we had nothing interesting to say to each other.
"Pokey?" Ness asked.
"Yeah?"
"Umm… do you get nice things from your parents?" I cocked my head.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked. When Ness looked at me, he seemed uncomfortable with the question. I didn't get it at the time though, or so, I had never really thought about it. I took it as a joke though.
"Well I get dessert if I do my homework," I replied. When I said that, Ness seemed to drop his jaw.
"Lucky… my mom will only let me have dessert on Fridays…" He frowned. I teased him by laughing at him.
"Sometimes if I'm really lucky, I'll have seconds," He smiled. Ness's frown deepened, in a humorous kind of way.
"Do we have the same teacher?" Ness asked. "I hope so," He smiled.
"What grade are you in?" I asked him.
"I'm starting first grade!" Ness said.
"Nah, I'm in third grade. We have different teachers," I said. Ness looked to the ground.
"Oh yeah… you're two years older than me," He said. "We can still meet at recess though!" I smiled inwardly at the thought of that.
Recess with Ness.
Finally, a recess where I'm not walking around in endless circles, I thought. Before the both of us knew it, when we approached the school, the bell rang as we saw all the kids on the playground run back to class. We looked at each other in panic.
"Uh oh, better not be late! See you at recess!" Ness told me as he ran off. I would have ran myself, but I chose to walk.
And I thought about how Ness's mom hugged him. How happy the both of them looked.
---
In a matter of seconds we were charging through the city, across waters, avoiding trees, and then a small pause as we flew above the stormy clouds, a place that was still lit up by the golden sun. And then everything rushed again, as I felt my skin steadily slipping from my body.
My arm gave a violent jolt as our arms slipped from each other. I stumbled onto the ground, feeling my head swim in circles from the intoxicating teleportation. Ness screamed as I felt myself slip from the pavement again. I was surprised that my glasses were still plastered on my face, it was amazing. I quickly tried standing up, feeling myself stumble again. We were in the desert that was before Fourside. Thankfully. I started worrying if there was going to be more teleporting. If he really had such little control over where we'd end up…
I panicked as soon as I realized that the sound stone was missing once more. However, I widened my eyes further at the PSI ability, stronger than ever, hurling right at me. Running the quickest pace I could possibly imagine, I jumped out of the attack's way, seeing the load of energy being taken out onto a dead tree, which broke in pieces and started to fly away. I gasped again, as a weaker power, right after a flash hurled at me just then. Rolling out of the way, and looking on the pavement again, I found the small rock I had looked out for. I was starting to wonder why this simple looking rock was becoming easier and easier to spot. Picking it up, I held my ribs as I tried rushing up to the drunk-like powerful Ness, wailing again.
When I grabbed Ness's arm again, he seemed to take quicker notice, trying to fight my grip as a gleam of light flickered into the distance behind me. I was starting to sense more of his sanity, especially when it seemed as if he finally reacted and spoke to me.
"What are you doing?!" Ness questioned as I grasped his hand with the hand that held the sound stone. Ness grunted again.
"I'm trying to help you," I told him. He replied with more wails of agony as he tried stumbling again. Keeping a firmer grip on him this time, I used my other hand to slip around his back.
But it was in a matter of moments before we started to rush again. This time, I'd make sure I wouldn't lose that damn stone again.
This time, we ended up on the shore of Summers, as we let go again, feeling the sound stone roll off, but quickly gripping it again between my fingers. Ness seemed to run fast along the shore and I was afraid then that he would try taking off with me. But he seemed to stop himself, digging his heels into the sand. I was sure that the people on the beach looked at us like we were insane but I didn't care at all then. Ness seemed to stagger, as it looked like his wild and panicked eyes were looking out for something. I could hear him, almost laughing, but in a scared fashion.
For me and the sound stone? Was my plan really working after all? I paced towards him as when he spotted me again, he wanted to unleash more PSI. I pointed towards the ocean.
"That way!" I told him, as he quickly obeyed, grunting as he used another strong PSI ability, at nothing. I finally reached out to him, as he soon did himself as we grabbed hands again. Soon were dashing across water.
When we slowed down again, we were standing in a strange location that reeked of sludge and smelly mud and possibly poisonous substances. This time, the sound stone slipped out of my hand, but it looked as if Ness was holding it. His fist shook, forcing his body to not let go, it seemed. His body jolted again, but as I tried moving towards him again, the sludge we were standing in kept my feet planted. I covered my nose.
"Ness! Keep calm, I'm coming to get you!" I told him as I struggled with little effort as I tried moving out of my spot. My body was becoming too weak for all of this, as I shivered. I looked up to Ness, whom was walking up to me instead.
"Hand…" He grunted before he made a sound as if he wanted to throw up. As soon as he was close to me again, he grabbed it. We darted off once again.
When we rushed above the clouds again, the sun had started to fade and the sky was a mixture of purple and blues. In a matter of seconds, we were rushing back down to earth once more.
We landed into what seemed to be another desert. A very vast and gigantic desert. And just for the slightest moment I was mesmerized by what seemed to be a giant sculpture in the distance.
"Jeff!" Ness managed to say in a strangled sounding voice as he let off another lash of energy again. It was subtle but his random attacks were getting weaker and weaker. But just where were we now?
"The sound stone… the sound stone… I need it…" He croaked. I again searched the cracked sand again frantically for any signs of the stone. It was then that something unneeded happened.
A flying saucer, similar to the ones in the other desert spotted us and decided to try and ambush us. I shook my fists as it charged a laser.
"Ness, try focusing an attack on it, now!" I told him, looking around the ground madly for the stone. Ness struggled slightly as I was sure he managed to unleash another attack, at something rather than myself. When I finally spotted the stone, I stepped back suddenly from the beam of light that dented the ground before me. I gasped but kept my eye on my goal as I snatched the stone right up.
When I looked up, my eyes widened again.
Somehow Ness was knocked down to the ground as the saucer was about to plan another attack on him. Charging its laser again, I dashed.
"Ness!" I shouted; jumping right in front of him as the laser launched.
"Jeff!" Ness screamed as I was struck by one of the saucer's beams. I hissed, grabbing my now burning shoulder wincing, but keeping my hand squeezed tightly around the stone. I looked up to the saucer again as it wanted to strike me again. As my eyes hallucinated, I started to view the saucer in a different way. My heart stopped as my eyes played more tricks on me, making the flying saucer take on more of a humanly figure. Time froze, just for a moment.
"Jeff!" Ness got up again, grabbing the hand that was holding the stone. And then suddenly it was as if time was rushing at its rapid pace once more as I was dragged away from that enemy.
Finally, we landed where I really didn't want to land or somewhere around there. The bitter cold crept up on my body as it both bit and soothed my sores. However, Ness was still groaning again, letting off another powerful lash of energy. He then clumsily turned towards me as another attack flew at me. I stumbled out of the way, my face planting down into the snow. It was then that I took a moment to pause for a moment.
My body was never in as much pain as it was now, and it proved to me that I wasn't ordinary, because if I was, I would have died much quicker. Though on the back of my thoughts I really did think I was dying. I looked blankly in the distance, letting my weak wobbly sights onto the stone once more, sitting snugly in the snow while listening to the sounds of Ness's struggles.
It was then that I finally realized.
Ness was crying, wasn't he?
He was crying. He was just as lost as I was. I could feel a tear trickle down the side of my cheek as the sound stone wobbled in my watery view. I shivered violently, forcing myself up to grab the stone and end this.
I used the nearest tree to support myself up onto my feet again, wanting to lean on the tree forever, I looked over to Ness again, who shot off another good round of attacks into the trees, which in return knocked down a good amount of snow from each of em. I felt a snowflake touch my cheek as I struggled walking towards him once more, this time doing it slowly. I prayed, even though I didn't believe in any savior, that he was sane enough to not go off without me. It was starting to feel like this slow pace of walking was as straining as running itself, after a long while you just get tired, and you want to collapse. I couldn't do that, just no.
Ness looked tired himself, as if he wanted to collapse too, in a sense. I exhaled, realizing that the cold air made it nearly impossible for me to breathe anymore.
"Ness…" I muttered silently, reaching out for him. Ness let off another roar, as I felt more energy pass me. It was getting to the point where I could barely feel it. Ness was now facing me, with wide, crying eyes as his breaths were still labored. I smiled faintly.
"Ness… c'mere…" I mumbled to him staggering another step. Ness once more accidentally let off another wave of hot then cold energy.
Feeling my eyes becoming too heavy, I could feel his presence close to me. So I reached out to him. He seemed frozen still as his PSI circulated around him, around us.
"Ness… its ok, let it go… let it… go…" I could barely vocalize that bit, but I felt as if he heard me crystal clear then. Looking at Ness's half surprised, half zoned-out expression made me chuckle on the inside as my hand finally found his.
And as our fingers intertwined after putting the sound stone into his palm, we put our connected hands against his heart. And with my other arm, I weakly slung it around his waist. And as I put my chin on his shoulder, I finally closed my eyes, feeling a still warm beating heart against my own weak one.
And I held him like this, letting him use up whatever energy he had left around us. It was in a matter of moments that Ness responded with his own arm, embracing me back. I could feel his face slightly nuzzled into my nearly destroyed right shoulder.
We stayed like this, for quite some time.
It figured that I was about to lose all my strength then, as I could feel Ness's warm tears on the side of my neck. My fingers tightened around his back.
"Ness… I can't stand much longer… this is killing me," I mumbled into his ear. Ness shivered as well as I could feel his embrace tighten. And while I didn't mean to, my embrace kept loosing. I finally shivered myself as well. It was getting really cold, and my once wet and now laser-damaged jacket wasn't doing me any good. But I figured that Ness's light-weighted stripped t-shirt wasn't doing him any good either.
I finally put my hands on his shoulders in attempt to bring ourselves apart, only to find myself lose the strength to stand on my own. I squeezed his shoulders to keep myself from falling, even though my head had already tried sinking to the snow beneath us. Ness was taken aback of this, gasping as he propped my shoulders with his hands as well. I shivered violently, feeling my body go into pain once more.
"It… it really hurts right now…" My voice shook, not sounding myself. "You're better though… right? Don't go senile on me now, haha…" I chuckled at the last bit, looking at Ness's worried eyes. For a moment, I studied how his exhaled breath formed a cloud of steam, all before my ribs and shoulders screamed again; feeling myself lose control as I finally lost the strength to stay up. I could feel myself fall to my knees as Ness gasped.
"Jeff!" Ness exclaimed nervously before I felt myself slowly lay on the snow to black out.