Chromatober 2023

Day 27 - Abyss

Series: Rainbow Quest (Part 5 of Flower)

--- Happy Orange Steve P.O.V. ---

Dark's eyes fluttered close, leaving the world to go dark, an endless abyss of darkness.  A deep, rhythmic breathing played in the background as his thoughts became muddled, then quieted completely.  He was asleep.

"The lake was a good call."  I told Assistant.  He was sitting on his own, a bright splash of yellow in the black terrain.  "I would have taken him out of there myself, except..."  Except I wasn't facing the sight of my village very well.  It had been torn apart after the attack, a set of craters burned into the ground.

"I get it."  Assistant assured me quietly.  "I couldn't see him like that either.  Nightmare was just cruel to him."

"He's cruel to everyone."  I agreed.  "I've seen some of your memories."

"I've fallen asleep here once, too.  After he threw that Yellow Steve off the bridge."  I felt my blood run cold.  Nightmare had done what?

"You... don't think he'll do that to Dark, do you?"

"If Dark doesn't follow his orders?"  Assistant said.  "I don't doubt it.  That's why I didn't try to fight him the way you did.  Otherwise, we would both die.  And Dark's just a kid.  He doesn't deserve that, even if he wasn't a good person at first."

"At first?"  I murmured.  Was it true that he had changed?  I thought about all the sad, guilty thoughts that had raced through his head.  He might have been doing bad things... but he wasn't a bad person.  "I guess you're right."

"Do you think we can get him out?"  Assistant asked tentatively.

"Out?"

"Out from under Nightmare.  In with the good guys, if we can."

"You want... you don't really think we can convince them to take him in?"  My voice broke a little.  "They haven't seen the things we have, Assistant.  All they know is that he is a steve made of darkness and that you and I are trapped here."

"Maybe not the steves..."  Assistant agreed.  "But there is someone who will give him a second chance."

"Sabre."  I realized.

"Exactly."

Together, we listened to the soft sound of Dark's snoring.  He couldn't hear us while he was asleep like this.  It was the only time he had any rest.  Resolve overcame me.

"We'll figure something out.  We're going to help him, okay?"

Assistant smiled back at me.  All around us, the dark abyss seemed suddenly lighter.

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Word Count: 382

Time to catch up.