After getting back to the base and a long night of fixing Spike up from his injury he sustained in his chest, the morning came and we all were either standing or sitting around him and waited for him to arise from his long slumber. I just leaned against the wall and hung my head low and kicked the hard stone floor.
Me: Well, I'd want to say something about what happened, and I think I'm the one to blame for this.
Zero: Why say that, Travis? You did better than I thought you would.
Me: Well, he's one of you guys. I'm just not a part of the group here. I'm the odd one out. I just joined because you wanted me to join, and look where we are now. Spike is conked out on the bed, unconscious and blank. Completely Expressionless.
Zero: I wouldn't say it was your fault. I came up with the idea in the first place. I'm the one to blame. He's not just a Jackal in a squad. He's my friend. My closest friend, almost felt like a brother. Now, here he is. I came up with the idea to raid the bank, and I don't know how the cops found out about us in the first place, but I know it was somewhat their fault as well as mine.
Me: Zero. I don't care how much you blame yourself. At least you don't struggle with controlling your emotions and actions. I, however, cannot control much of myself anymore, especially when I use my crystal. My actions when I use it... I have no control over them. I'd kill many people if I let it go on for too long.
Zero: How about this? We all have some part to blame ourselves for it. What matters now is how we handle what happens next.
Me: I just want to be done with this shit. I can't do everything you ask me to do, or else there will be dire consequences for everything and everyone in my path.
Emma: Well, at least you didn't turn on us when you were using your Ruby.
Me: That's because I was given an order to strictly follow. I have to follow the orders I was given, or else... and I don't know what happens if I don't follow them, but I know it'll be bad.
Ivan: Something catastrophic will happen if we don't follow the orders were given. That's why we were made by the powers of what we have inside of us.
Me: That phrase makes absolutely zero sense worth of a braincell. I swear, that logic is like washing a paper plate.
Zero: How do you wash a paper plate?
Me: You don't. You just throw it in the trash after you use it. Why waste your time trying?
Ivan: I shouldn't have said anything. I might as well shut up.
Zero: Hey, Travis? You want to go back yet?
I barely looked up enough to look at him. He looked back at me and gestured to his own Phantom Ruby.
Me: Back, like, back to the others, or back to my true home?
Zero: Think about it. I think it's time you head back.
Me: I don't want to lose Emma. I don't. I love her more than Meggy. I'm being honest about it. I haven't thought of the squid the entire time I was here, and all I care about now is Emma. I just don't want to leave her behind.
Ivan: Well, can't we come with?
Me: I mean, it's not a bad idea.
Zero: While I appreciate your help and support here, and you as well, Ivan, I... I think it's better if he just goes back. That way, we can't affect him as he goes on.
Emma: I don't like that idea. I want to be with him.
Zero: I know you do, Emma. But either he tries keeping your relationship a secret, or he tells them and faces the wrath of a few angry squids.
Emma: I want to be with him. I really do. Zero, you know we love each other, and I want to stay with Travis.
Zero: And while I understand that, I don't think it's a good idea going with him. Travis, your friends back home can catch onto shit pretty fucking quickly. Now, it's best if you head back before everything gets out of hand.
Ivan: Can't we go with him, Zero?
Zero: No, and that's final. Just go, Travis. Hide everything from them, and you should be fine. Also, I think Emma wanted to hand something to you.
I looked over at her, and she handed me a small pen-shaped thing, which I quickly found out just by looking at it, it was a pregnancy test. I examined it, and saw the two small, black lines on the small box on it, a clear indication that Emma was, in fact, pregnant with my child. I started tearing up, and I smiled one of the widest smiles I could.
Ivan: Congratulations, Travis. You too, Emma.
Me: I... I can't believe this. I'm going to be a father. But...
My smile quickly faded into a frown.
Me: I won't be able to raise the kid if I'm away.
Zero: I'm sorry, Travis. Your friends worry about you, so I think it's time you head back. I know it's tough to love them and leave them, but I can't see any other way of this working.
Me: I want to raise my kid, Zero. It's my kid, but if I'm not there, who'll raise it for me?
Ivan: I've always been the more fatherly figure of the group, so I'll take care of Emma and your kid.
Me: But it's not your kid. I want to raise it, better than how I was raised. Better than how any of us were raised.
Zero: Look. I know it may seem like I'm pushing you two away from each other, but it's the only way to not get any sort of Hell from any of your friends or brothers. I'm being serious about this. They find out you cheated on Meggy, you're fucked.
Me: I know, Zero. But I want Emma in my world. I don't care much about Meggy anymore. Emma is the girl I need with me.
Zero: Just fucking go. I'm not sitting here for hours on end, arguing with you about this shit. I'm telling you, you'll catch Hell if you either bring it up, or they find out.
I growled softly, tucked the pregnancy test into my pocket, and grabbed my Phantom Ruby from my other one and opened a portal that was ten miles away from the city of Inkopolis. I shut my eyes tight and cried even harder. I didn't want to go, but I had to. I stepped over to Emma and hugged her as tight as I could, and she did the same and cried into my shoulder.
Me: I'm sorry, Emily. I really am. I hope we can see each other again.
Emma: Please come back to me. I don't want to see you go. Not now. Not again.
Me: I'm sorry. I have to.
I kissed her cheek and stepped away from her, glaring at Zero and growling.
Zero: Don't you growl at me. Just go.
I sighed and nodded, stepping through the portal and shutting it behind me. The night was as still and as pale as the burning fire inside of me. After leaving Emma behind me, the fire inside of me completely disappeared. I just hung my head low and walked the long, regrettable, lonely road back to the city, tapping the sides of the upper parts of my legs to the beat of a song I couldn't remember the name of.
YOU ARE READING
The Crystal Of Darkness
Adventure(Sequel to Once Human). It's been a year since Orange had taken his own life at his hands. Infinite had a crazy idea to try and bring our hero back to life again, and it works. It soon seems detrimentally clear that all all is not well. Orange has s...
