Core Life

Chapter 9: Dissolution

I FORGOT ABOUT THIS AU FOR SUCH A LONG TIME BUT NOW IT'S BACK! My updates may be slow, but I'm hoping to write more of this story! It's been a while since I last wrote (we even had another life game-) so sorry if it's a bit rusty!
And thank you to everyone that stuck around!

Isn't it fun when everything goes wrong?

Grian had gone, Pearl was going after allies, Jimmy was badly wounded... and there wasn't much Scott could do. He hadn't felt this hopeless since he'd succumbed to the curse back in last life...

'Are you okay...?' Jimmy asked feebly.
'I'm the one that's supposed to ask you that...' Scott leaned against the wooden wall. Jimmy was in bed, still recovering.
'If you want, you can go after Grian and Pearl.'
'And leave you alone? When more killers could be about?'
Jimmy grinned. 'Don't worry about me! It takes a lot more to take me down!' Jimmy tried sitting up to prove his point, but he didn't get far before falling back down again. Scott rushed over to make sure he didn't harm himself.
'You know... you're a very protective person.' Jimmy pointed out, now successfully lying back down.
'I just don't want to lose my friends again...' Scott mumbled, sitting down at the side of the bed.
'So that's why you're so agitated...' Jimmy smiled a bit, looking down. 'You want to protect everyone?'
Scott simply nodded, biting his lip.
He practically jumped when the communicator buzzed.
<Skizzleman fell from a high place>
'...how did he die? That isn't one of the people in Fwhip's alliance...' Scott noticed, and paused for a moment. 'Ah. Second boogey probably.' He relaxed a little. If the curse affected the same amounts as it did in last life, then Pearl should be the only killer left... IF it followed the same pattern...
'Scott? There's another message, I think you should read it, it's from Grian...'

Grian was running through the woods towards where Fwhip's group was. He regretted going this way instead of through the mines, but it would be awkward for him to turn back after running off so abruptly.
Yet the woods were hindering him greatly. He'd almost tripped on fallen logs multiple times, and vines kept hitting his face. If only his wings hadn't become so damaged...
The avian didn't enjoy looking at his wings. To a normal person, they seemed just fine, but in reality, they had been damaged in a way that prevents flight. The inflictor didn't realise this though; all they wanted to do was to land a sneaky arrow shot on Grian back in Last Life...
Grian pressed on. He knew he was almost there.
That's when the communicator buzzed for him.
As he checked what had happened, he stopped checking where he was going, for only a moment. And that moment was long enough for Grian to notice that he'd lost his footing on the damp grass.
And he fell.
Down...
Down..
Down.
Splash.
Grian hit the ice-cold water basin which was poised just above a noise pillar cavern. He was very lucky to have fallen into the aquifier, but now... he had no way out. Well, no fast way.
And so he had no choice but to type in the communicator.

Scott carefully read out what Grian had said.
<Grian> I've fallen in a cave you'll have to go.
'That's not very discreet.' Scott commented under his breath, before turning to Jimmy.
Jimmy seemed to be pulling another tough act. 'Go. I'll be fine!' He said, smiling.
'...Okay. But please, promise that you won't die.'
'I promise.'
Scott got up and hesitantly went towards the mines, disappearing from Jimmy's view.

Scott was faced with a real dilemma. He didn't want anyone to get killed, but if Pearl didn't kill then she would die.
The Watchers were unfathomably cruel.
It didn't take long for him to reach Fwhip's house. It looked rather similar to his own house, but Fwhip had a few more chests, and only room for one to sleep.
While nobody was inside the house, there were 2 voices outside in a deep discussion. Well, judging by the raised voices, it seemed closer to an argument.
Scott slowly opened the door, only to be met with Fwhip and Ren. While Ren seemed a bit defensive, Fwhip seemed curious. 'What are you doing here Scott?'
'You've met this guy?' Ren asked Fwhip, who nodded in response. 'He's an ally.' Fwhip added.
'Pearl's coming to kill one of you.' Scott's expression was almost emotionless.
'What?' Ren seemed very confused. 'How? There's already been a cure!'
'Well Pearl has it. She almost killed Jimmy but apparently ran towards here. She could be hiding somewhere, either fighting the curse or waiting for a time to strike.'
'Well this isn't good. We gotta tell the others that we have another boogeyman in close proximity.' Fwhip glanced at Ren as he spoke.
'Oh, did you get it, Ren?' Scott realised a bit too late that Ren hadn't actually been introduced to him yet, but Ren didn't seem to react to his name being known.
'I'm afraid I did have it. Skizzle had come here last night... and he ended up being such an easy target...' Ren spoke, a tinge of sorrow in his words. 'That curse is terrible, man. It makes you want to do terrible, terrible things-'
'GET AWAY-'
The three turned to the sound of Joel shouting in the distance.
'We gotta go.' Fwhip said, suddenly running to the source of the noise. The other two quickly followed. They ran to a cliff, where below, they could see Joel... fighting Pearl.
They seemed equally matched, but Joel was definitely beginning to tire.
Almost on instinct, Scott ran down the cliff, as fast yet safe as possible. 'PEARL, STOP.' Scott shouted, temporarily pausing the fight.
'Scott...?' Pearl could barely speak before she clutched her head. The curse was hurting her, almost forcing her to attack out of desperation. She slashed at Joel when his guard was lowered, sending him tumbling. One more hit, and Joel would die. Yet Scott was frozen in place, out of fear.

An arrow hit Pearl right in the left eye. She was caught off balance as she saw Fwhip, bow in hand. Turned away from Joel, her lack of vision to her left meant that she didn't see Joel muster all the rest of his energy into a hit with his iron axe.
It cut into her chest, and the heart on her right shoulder faded to white.

<Pearlescentmoon was slain by Smallishbeans>

(1105 words! Neat!)