The Heartbreak

Chapter 2

Darwin ran and ran, not caring where he was going, tears filling his eyes.

Had Gumball really hated him this whole time?

What about all the adventures they'd had, everything they'd been through? Was that all a lie!? Was he just pretending to care about him the whole time!? He didn't know what to think!

He'd genuinely, truly believed Gumball loved him, cared about him as a brother. He'd never doubted it, not once. Had he really been that gullible? Had all the times he'd said 'I love you', all the hugs, all the laughs, just been a straight-up act!?

Had Gumball ever actually loved or even slightly cared about him? Had any part of their relationship ever been real? Had any of the hugs or smiles or laughs ever been genuine?

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An hour later Gumball had searched all across town for Darwin, in every one of Darwin's spots he could think of and found nothing, not a trace.

"Darwin! DARWIN!? BUDDY, PLEASE! WHERE ARE YOU!? PLEASE, COME BACK!!!"

He was tearing up and starting to get really worried. Darwin had never run away like this. What could possibly have upset him so much?

Eventually, he sat down on a bench in the park and sighed, starting to cry lightly.

He had been searching for over an hour and found nothing, not a trace. What if...what if something had happened to him? What if he'd gotten lost, o-or hurt, or-or-or worse what if he was...was...he couldn't even bring himself to think the last part...

He closed his eyes and began to cry harder, tears falling down his face as he thought back to when he'd first gotten Darwin. He remembered how excited and happy he was when he realised how special Darwin was. When Darwin came back to him and he realised he had a little brother, a best buddy, he was elated. It had been the best day of his life.

Although it turned out to be a blessing in the end, he deeply regretted causing Darwin to get flushed. It was his fault for asking Darwin to play dead, and, because of his stupidity, the poor guy had to go through a gruelling journey to get back to him. He was so determined, so dedicated to getting back, despite only knowing Gumball for less than a day. He'd never told him, but he admired how hard he'd fought to get back and was so, so proud of him and how far he'd come after only 8 years. He didn't deserve a friend as loyal and kind as Darwin.

He began sobbing. "Please, please.." his voice croaked and waivered as he cried. "I'm begging you... please be okay! I can't lose you! Not again!"

He sobbed into his paws.

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Darwin had slowed down and been walking for a while, only barely keeping it together again as negative thoughts continued to flood him.

How could Gumball have kept up this act of caring about him for so long? How hadn't he slipped up, even once?

He thought back to when he finally got back to Elmore after he got flushed. He'd followed the family's car all the way to the pet store where he had to watch as he was almost...almost...

He then realised Gumball had slipped up, right at the very start. He was going to...going to get a new fish, forget about Darwin, unaware Darwin was right there. It was then that he'd shown his true feelings about him. How he was just another fish that could be...replaced. How had he been so blind all these years? It should've been obvious!

Gumball had never genuinely cared about him. He was nothing more than a disposable pet, there for his entertainment. He wasn't even the first Darwin they'd had, why would Gumball be any more attached to him than any other fish he'd had?! If he...croaked...Gumball would just go and buy a new fish, just like he had every other time, and completely forget about him.

Another thought suddenly struck Darwin. How many Darwins had they bought before him? Gumball had always told him he was the third, but it had always felt like he was downplaying that number, and now he knew why. He was trying to make Darwin believe he cared about him more than the others, make him feel more important than them, and he'd fallen right into his trap! He'd blindly believed him without a second thought! So what was he really hiding? How many Darwins had there really been? 5? 10? 20? Had Gumball even cared enough to keep count?!

Eventually, he ended up in the forest. He sat down by a boulder and curled up, holding his fins around his legs and crying his eyes out. He wanted nothing more than to wake up and find out this was all a nightmare. Please god, just let him wake up!

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Gumball cried as he thought about all the fun memories he and Darwin had made, all the amazing adventures they'd been on. They'd always been by each other's side, no matter what.

They were as close as brothers could be.

He smiled. He and Darwin had always shared a special bond, from the very second they met. They could always sense if something was bothering the other. They always knew what the other was thinking, knew exactly what to say to annoy or humour or tease or comfort each other.

His eyes suddenly shot open and he sat up. Of course, that was it! Their connection had made him feel Darwin's presence before when he was about to buy the new fish. Maybe...maybe if he focused he could use it now, to work out where Darwin was!

He'd never tried to use it on command though. Would it work? He had to try!

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and focused on Darwin as hard as he could.

Initially, nothing happened and Gumball believed it hadn't worked but he let out a gasp as he suddenly felt a wave of intense grief and sadness fall over him, adding to his own, as he felt Darwin's emotions and heartache. He was in so much pain it was almost unbearable.

He was in tears as he spoke, his voice wavering heavily from the pain. "Oh my god...he's absolutely distraught...what...what could have possibly upset him so much!?"

As much as it hurt he continued to focus, crying in pain from the sadness and guilt he was feeling and saw a faint picture of Darwin crying to himself in front of a giant rock, in an area that had a bunch of trees all around him. Gumball gasped.

"The Forest of Doom!"

Gumball shot up and began running as fast as he could toward the forest, hoping to reach Darwin before anything happened to him.