~| Day 2A: Grove |~
AU: Smol Sky People
Context: Takes place before the book. After breaking free of the Darkness' control and having nowhere else to turn to, Sabre goes back to the one place he can think of; the hideout. Lots of feels ensue.
Heads up, this is angsty :>
With implied blob death-
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[Sabre's POV]
Please, please be okay... please still be here... I can't really be alone now, can I?
I've walked for so long. I've gone through so many forests seeing if I recognize them, and I only found the right one so many hours ago... was that yesterday or this morning? It was just after sunrise when I found it, and looking up I could see that it was dark now... but I looked up hours ago and it was dark then too. Had I walked through this forest all last night and today, or am I losing my sense of time? ...When's the last time I slept?
My surroundings get more and more familiar as I walk. I'm heading in the right direction. No time to think about that, I can't stop now. They might need me... no. That's not it. I need to know that they're okay. I need them.
The vines. The cave. I see it.
I hate this thing, but I use the Shadow Sword to slice through the vines and hurry inside. I can't have anything in my way right now, not when I'm so close. So close... I'm running again. Running through the small cave and into the hideaway that's their home. Past the tall trees and giant mushrooms and small hanging crystals. Through the overgrown bushes, pushing past branches and leaves just so I can reach it-
But when I finally get to the open clearing in the center of the grove, I freeze. It's so...
Empty.
The grass is dying and all of the small flowers that were dotted around have disappeared. The bigger flowers that were around are gone too. All of the trees and berry bushes in their little orchard are dead. The once colorful leaves of the trees towering above them, that used to turn the sunlight into rays of color like stained glass, have lost their hue. Most of the flowering vines have turned thin and brittle, no blooms remaining. Any of them still barely alive are clearly about to wilt like the rest.
But the worst part is the silence. No little voices talking to each other, no sounds of laughter as grown and young blobs alike play, no soft, sweet quiet voices singing melodies they made to the little ones. No playful arguments, no helpful commands as some worked, no positive encouragement to help another, nothing. It's all so quiet. Too quiet. It was never quiet around them, it can't be quiet now. It can't be.
I start searching for something, anything to show that they were still here. But everything was empty. Tiny homes and nooks covered in dust, untouched for so long. No one hiding in what's left of the orchard, or in a different tree. No one climbing up to high places or flying around. The nooks were empty. The material storage was empty. Their small playgrounds were empty. The spots around the river were empty. The garden was empty. The nursery was empty.
Only one place left to check. The flower field...
But stepping past the thick wall of dying vines, it feels as if my heart breaks inside my chest.
Most of the flowers are empty, already starting to wilt. Some are still in the bud phase and alive and well, but there's not that many of them... but that's not even the worst of it.
There's Darkness. Darkness covering a large space of the field. So many flowers... they're sick. Their white color has faded to several greys, some darker than others. They're almost falling over, their stems are having trouble supporting them. It looks like wilting, but they're still alive... they're even still moving... but they're in pain. And there's... no, no no no no.
Some of them are withered. And- and there's stems with no flower attached to them, they're torn up- the blooms are on the ground, they're- they're- the flowers are ripped apart on the ground... No...
They- they didn't- they didn't even get a chance to-!
Tears fall from my eyes, some landing on what's left of a flower that I didn't even realize I had picked up. It's lying stiff in my hands... it's dried. Meaning that this happened... a long time ago...
I get up and walk back to the main clearing. Before I know it, I've gone to the spot I'd always sit at to supervise the blobs, dropping the sword a few feet away. My legs give out and I crumple to the floor, laying on my side, my back against the tree I'd always lean on. I'm still crying. I'm so tired.
Closing my eyes, I continue to sob as I wish it could just go back. To how it used to be, before he took everything.
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I jolt as something nudges my hand, quickly opening my eyes. How long was-
Any questions that filled my mind vanished in an instant as I see a group of the blobs in front of me. They're curious and scared, but I recognize these ones in seconds. Tears fill my eyes once more as I slowly, shakily reached out a hand to pet the blob closest to me, the one that nudged me.
"Hi..."
It's all I can get out. Choked by my crying, my voice is quiet and raspy. I don't even care. I'm just so relieved to see them okay.
The blob stays in place, still as a statue. It begins to cry too as my hand gently pats its head, then in an instant it rushes to my face and starts nuzzling me. As my hand drops back to the ground, the rest hop over and do the same, but one hops away in a hurry. The blobs gather around me and squish their little faces into my hands, arms, chest, and face, chattering and crying. I can only cry as well as a wobbly smile crosses my face.
In a blink, it seems like the blob that ran off returned with all of the others. Big and small, younger and older, I'm soon surrounded by little creatures that all try to get closer to me to greet me. I've never been so happy to hear them. One of them, also teary-eyed, hops in front of my face and wipes a few tears away.
"We had to leave, but we always came back and waited for you." It says, the small voice just as shaky as mine. "Every day."
"I'm so glad you did..." I reply, just as quiet.
As the blobs surround me still, some of them hop over carrying a large blanket, and work with others to pull it over me. They all start to calm down, now just finding spots near me to sit down and cuddle against me.
"You've been through so much, Sabre. Please, rest for a little bit. You need to." Another one says in a worried tone.
I don't even say anything to argue. I can't; while the blobs settle down, some of them purring or humming, I feel my limbs grow heavy and it's hard to keep my eyes open. I don't even care that we're all just lying in dead grass and everything else has become unwelcoming to me. All that I care about now is that they're all here, and safe. They're okay.
As I drift off again, I just smile, glad that it's no longer quiet and empty.
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