Owen Changes His Mind

6. Violence 4/4

tw: violence, image of violence (no blood)

Apo didn't see Rasbi for the next five days. They didn't see much of anyone for the next five days, because Graecie asked them to stay indoors. Red had offered his place to stay. Apo had received visitors of course, and they had been out a few times, but only to check in with Guts or Graecie about Owen's safety. Each time, Apo felt compelled to plead for Owen's life, even though they knew Owen wouldn't do the same. Apo had forgiven Owen for his past and they knew Owen wasn't the same person as he had been. He couldn't be, because Apo needed him. "He's still in there," he swore to Graecie, "my best friend is somewhere in there. Please don't let Rasbi kill him, or Guts. I just don't want anyone to die." But Graecie never had an answer for them. It seemed she was at a loss, because the only thing she said to them was that people die. Apo stubbornly refused this.

Apo was getting worried because they'd heard that Rasbi had taken to attacking anyone near the prison, and Guts hadn't been able to get food or water to Owen in about two days. So Apo quietly prepared. It wasn't difficult to conceal their preparations from Red, who was drunk half the time and despondent the rest of the time. They made a shield, found a knife, and stuffed a backpack with all the food and water they could find. Then they snuck out. They didn't have to sneak, they weren't under house arrest, but they didn't want to have a drawn out conversation with Red about how much Red appreciated their friendship and did they care about Red and what did it feel like to lose their horns? Apo shook their head to clear it. Red was alright, but he wasn't okay.

Apo rounded a bend and saw it. There it was, the outside of the prison. He glanced around for Rasbi. She wasn't there, but neither was anyone else. Apo wondered if they would regret this later. They pulled the shield on and took out the knife, then quietly slipped inside. There she was- a flash of white, disappearing down the hatch to the prison cell. Apo sucked in a breath and sprinted after.

"-it feel, to be so weak and helpless?" Rasbi taunted. She was pacing in front of the cell, her focus a laser on Owen's limp form. Rasbi laughed and shivers erupted down Apo's spine. They raced towards their one-time friends. Everything about this was wrong, so wrong.

Apo watched in slow motion as Rasbi pulled back her arm. "Rasbi!" Apo screamed. Then everything happened.

"Better make it quick," Owen croaked.

Apo lunged between them, their shield arm extended, over extended, Rasbi's dagger hit their shoulder and sank in. They felt nothing. Apo saw movement in the cell. White hot pain seared into their shoulder. They screamed again. Owen chuckled. Rasbi screamed, "Apo!?" And darted away. They fell. Crumpled on the ground. Their vision blurred, flashed to black once.

"Rasbi," Apo gasped from the floor. "You're not a murderer. You're not like him."

Apo watched as Rasbi looked at the blood on their shoulder, transfixed. Adrenaline flooded them when her gaze switched to Owen, growing cold and distant. Apo scrambled to stand. "No," they gasped, pulling the knife out and dropping it to the floor. They staggered back, and the bars of the cell hit their back as if they'd been shoved there. They watched Rasbi's expression turn from cold anger to panic as a strong arm snaked across their neck. "Owe-hrkk." Owen was strangling them. Apo would have laughed at the hopelessness if they could have- both their closest friends, trying to kill them and each other.

"Lying demon-" Owen growled.

"Apo!" Rasbi screamed again. She picked up the dagger and plunged it into Owen's arm, then ripped both the dagger and Apo out of Owen's grasp. Owen's scream was full of pain and rage. It echoed for a long time as Rasbi dragged Apo out of the prison.