[ONGOING]Crimson Heroes (Ikarishipping)

CHAPTER 16

Chapter 16

"Hey Kenny..."

"Kenny...."

Kenny was startled when she felt Dawn tightening her hold on his arm. She raised an eyebrow expressing concern. "Are you upset about Volkner?"

"Wait, what?" He asked, crashing back to reality. "Since when have I ever been upset about him?"

Dawn started fiddling with her fingers. They've been staying in the hospital for almost three weeks now. It was already late afternoon. After finishing their respective hourly check ups, they both decided to see each other and spend some time. Dawn straightened the sheets of her bed and raised the covers as the cold late afternoon breeze swept past the windows. Kenny sat on her bed spaced out. She was getting better day after day, she can now speak normally.

"You know.." She started. "He is so formal with me but he just calls you 'bud'."

Kenny was so caught off guard with what Dawn has said that he found himself in a sudden fit of laughter. "That has never crossed my mind. Not one single bi-"

"Then what's troubling you then?" Dawn cut him off. Kenny could sense the seriousness Dawn was pressing on.

'He killed my family and everyone in the village where I grew up.'

'I studied here in Hearthome and when I returned back to my home village near Sunnyshore City for a summer vacation, that was when that devil struck like an asteroid falling from the sky as he consumed all of us in a single explosion. It's a miracle I survived.'

'That's why I joined the GAS so I could avenge my family and everyone in my village. And of course to make sure it would never happen again. Not under my watch.'

Ever since Kenny had that talk with Volkner and Dr. Blaine last week, Volkner's story has never left his mind. Coming back home only to find everyone you love slaughtered and massacred, he sensed a deep nostalgic pain cutting him open from the inside.

'Kenny! Run! You're too slow! Keep on running! Don't turn back!'

'Here, take this. Use it to survive in the human world.'

'NOW! KENNY! RUN GODDAMIT!"

'Live, for me, no matter what. And I'll see you soon. Definitely.'

Kenny silently held onto his sapphire pendant. He somehow felt where Volkner was coming from. The scourging and reverse scourging he just heard messed him up. He knew he did not come from the same town Dawn lived. He knew he somehow scourged Dawn's bestfriend and became him in this world. It was starting to make sense to him. The scattered memories, waking up in the woods outside of Twinleaf, his eyes glowing red one time. He certainly must have scourged someone and that particular someone might have been Dawn's bestfriend. He did not know how but he must have. He gripped his sapphire pendant tighter.

Ever since he heard about scourging from Volkner, it all came down on him. But instead of fearing, cowering, crying and regretting; it only strengthened his resolve of wanting to be stronger to protect Dawn.

'I don't deserve her love. Until I can reverse the scourging I have done and bring her bestfriend back, I will become stronger and protect her with my life' He willed and cemented the thought to his heart. 'I will protect her as the real devil Kenny.'

"You have devil class right Dawn?" He asked the troubled bluenette.

"Uhh, yes. I think." She cupped her chin and stared at the ceiling trying to remember clearly. "Yeah, I think we did study about it."