TAWOG: Instinct

The Apology

The Apology

As Penny proceeded to follow the morbid trail of massive footprints and wolf blood memories of what had just transpired replayed in her mind. After slaughtering a wolf several times his size Gumball had turned into...that thing! All the destruction and carnage that thing had caused in town, not to mention ruthlessly attacked her, it had been her boyfriend who had been responsible for it all? It was almost too much to comprehend. Gumball, her Gumball, doing all that. Why? Was he mad because everyone had believed Rob's ploy and had shunned him? But why had he fled here to the forest then if that was the case?

If Gumball did all that out of anger, wouldn't he have continued to rampage through town?

Penny then contemplated the overwhelming fact that Gumball had transformed into that "thing" in the first place. She had never seen Gumball do anything like that before and; if she was honest, she was pretty sure he wouldn't keep an ability like that to himself, especially not with the shenanigans he gets up to. After all, how many times could Gumball have been spared a bunch of turmoil through his chaotic life if he'd had the ability to transform on a whim all along? Especially with how often he drew Tina's ire (which this savage monster he'd become had already proven more than a match for). Was the transformation a new development? If that's the case maybe that's why he hadn't returned home? Maybe it was the same with him as when she'd first come out of her shell and feared herself a monster? Did her rejection awaken some dormant abilities in him and he fled because he thought he was a monster? Sounds likely. Only in his case, Gumball had had no one to pursue or persuade him. And that was on her. Penny had to find him. To assure him he wasn't a monster.

Same as he'd done for her.

However, Penny's thoughts of dedication were derailed when she tripped over something and fell face first onto the ground. Momentarily stunned, she looked behind her to see what she'd tripped over...and recoiled in shock and disgust. Her foot had caught on a bare ribcage lying on the ground. Looking around, Penny saw the entire area was strewn with bones. This wouldn't have been anything new for her; especially not after that derogatory message Gumball had written for her in the desert, but what really drew Penny's attention were the two familiar branches lying amongst the cluster of bones, splintered at both ends and covered in blood.

Penny thinks she might have just stumbled upon the remains of the wolf carcass Gumball had carried off earlier.

Despite only bones and the two branches remaining, the scene was still very gruesome. The bones had been entirely picked clean, some of them were even broken open. Penny had had her assumption earlier, but it was confirmed now and she was horrified. Gumball had eaten the wolf. Not just killed it for her sake, but had eaten it. Even when she had been determined to run away to the forest, Penny had never once considered eating wild animals and probably wouldn't ever have, even if Gumball hadn't convinced her to come back and she'd successfully fled to the forest.

Why was Gumball eating wild animals?

*WAIL!*

The sudden sound tore through the night like dull scissors through paper, and, turning to the source, Penny saw the beast she sought, standing on a cliff ledge in the distance. It continuously howled into the night with that same cry that had just drawn Penny's attention, and as she looked on, she noticed a subtle difference to this call that set it apart from any prior noise the massive feline had made. Before, the creature's calls had been of aggression and challenge and victory and supremacy, however, this sound was...almost mournful? And lonely?

Penny watched on as cry after cry echoed through the night, and with each mournful keen the beast would pause, as if waiting for a response, before calling out again when the night remained silent. The sounds tugged at Penny's heartstrings, for they instilled a sorrowful sensation within her. Unable to bear it any longer, Penny made the decision to seek out the beast and try to alleviate his suffering, though why he was suffering she didn't know. But it didn't matter. All that did matter was the beast needed help.