Keir Keta

“You sure you can ‘andle zis?”

I look down at the Alolan Golem fastening the band to my upper arm. Even through the dim lighting of the wooden room around us, his face is clearly visible. His iron beard quivers as he asks the question, his hands steady but his downwards gaze uncertain, a single lamp shining on us from above as he works away.

“I should be, yeah. I’m no explorer, but I can fight well enough.”

“Zat’s vhat I’m verried about. He vas a great explorer and vas lost to ze dungeon, and vhile I’m sure you are capable too since you are a great battler, you don’t have as much experience as he in dungeon-exploring.”

“Knowing my husband, I’m pretty sure it was less experience, and more carelessness. He’s always rushing into everything.”

“Hmm. Ve shall see. I trust you to battle vell, but Sheilah vas von of ze best.”

I raise my arm experimentally as he moves away. The red-orange fabric shines against the obsidian-black armor adorning my body, familiar purple and indigo hues dancing off its metallic surface as I examine my blades.

“Are zey sharp enough?”

“I triple-checked this morning. Should be.”

“Zen you should be ready.”

Stepping to the side, he gestured at the yawning cave entrance before me, an arch of stone welcoming me into the same yawning void that had stolen my partner. I spared not even a glance at the Golem, much less the exit behind me. I had to do this, there was no backing out now.

There was never a chance to back out to begin with. My mind was set.

A deep breath, and the flames adorning my helmet flared up, a deep fire burning in my chest. I was going to get him back.

“Best of luck,” I heard from behind me as I walked into the Mystery Dungeon. “Hopefully you’re not too late. He’s been in zere for days and you know how dungeon sickness comes on…”

All I gave in response were the fading sounds of my clacking footsteps, until the dungeon had swallowed me whole.

Don’t think about that possibility.

The moon’s slim beams of light leaked through the cracks in the dungeon’s walls, a flimsy stone membrane stretching over a distortion that had swallowed much of the portion of the land. Darkness trailed my every step, flinching away from the light of my smoldering blades yet all the same eagerly stalking me as I made my way deeper into the dungeon, hardly anything but the night sky outside and my own luminescence guiding me.

Sheilah you idiot, I cursed in my head for the hundredth time since I had left to come find him. You shouldn’t have gone on this expedition alone, I warned you. You shouldn’t have become an explorer, it’s too dangerous, I’ve told you this so many times. You should have gone into a more stable job, like performance battling, or office work or… or anything but this!

I turned my first corner, eyes wide, my every sense on edge. Devils danced in the corner of my vision, taunting me, jeering at me, echoing laughter bouncing around in my mind.

I can’t always be there. You know that.

I step over a small path of growing stalagmites, my focus constantly straying from the path as I nervously scanned the shadows for signs of unwelcome company.

I wasn’t there for you, and now you’re lost, and now it’s up to me yet again to bail you out.

How many goddamn times can you walk the fine line between being a hero and being a martyr before–

SHOOOM.

I reacted instantly to the sound, dropping to my stomach and accidentally slamming my jawbone painfully against the uneven stone in the process. I felt the pulse of energy blast through the space I had occupied a fraction of a second ago, ripping through the air above my huddled form.

As the heat faded, I opened my eyes, hastily struggling to a standing position just in time to see a small ape-like Pokémon sneering at me. A pink chain wrapped just above its teal faces dripped a foul purple ooze down its forehead, the mess dribbling through its slicked black fur and into its open, snarling mouth.

“What in the–” I whispered, eyes wide, but I didn’t have much opportunity to do much else as the feral creature let out an ear-splitting screech, throwing its palms forward and unleashing another pink beam of energy.

I quickly side-stepped the Psybeam, dashing forwards. Another snarl telegraphed another attack, and I leaped in the air as a pool of sludge rippled outwards from the beast’s feet, just barely clearing the toxic lake and closing the distance between it and myself.

Clearly surprised that I had dodged the Sludge Wave, the feral tried to retreat by dashing back, only for its neck to meet an ethereal slice. A loud gurgle escaped from its throat as I pushed my ghostly blade through its windpipe, slamming it into the ground before pulling out my arm, leaving its neck intact despite the slice, but visibly burnt and wounded.

“Psychic type,” I grunted. My blows were not fatal, but were certainly more than enough to overload its bodily capabilities… whatever it was.

I leaned down, examining the pink chain around its forehead. Clearly this was of some importance–

FSSSHHHHH–!

I gasped, jumping back as it began hissing and smoking. A pop rang clear through the corridor as the chain melted into pink slime, forming a loose puddle around the feral’s head.

“…What in the–” I murmured, cautiously approaching the body once again and prodding it with a foot.

It did not move, but it seemed like it was still alive. The chain was almost entirely gone, the messy puddle having evaporated into thin air in seconds.

…

There’s something sinister about this place. Please be okay Sheilah.

No time to waste. Sparing not even a second glance at the unconscious Pokémon before me, I sprinted down the hall, the darkness swallowing the light of my flames as I turned corner after corner, slipped by room after room.

The way forward presented itself to me soon enough, and I bounded down the flight of stairs three steps at a time. More darkness greeted me as the moon continued to stare and watch through the cracks, the ceiling still teasing me with the fresh air of the outer world despite being deeper underground.

Why did you take this goddamn job, you should’ve followed me and become an arena fighter if you liked battling! Why why why why–

I rounded a corner, looking left and right–

“Woah!” I exclaimed, leaning back as a clump of venom shot just inches past my face. A bird creature was flying at me, a pink chain wrapped around its waist in a similar manner to the monkey from the floor above.

I jumped on the wall as it fired another Sludge Bomb at me, bouncing off the stone into a roll that carried me under another attack. I felt my right arm flare with power, and with the momentum of the roll, I whipped my arm out, slashing at the bird diagonally.

The feral flinched back, screeching in pain from the brand I had carved into its flesh, but it lunged forwards with a renewed vigor moments later. I leaned back, feeling the bird’s talon brush at the edge of my helmet, the dark energy searingly hot even without full contact.

“Lash Out,” I breathed, pivoting instantly and dashing back. I couldn’t risk getting hurt here, and I doubted I could simply flee from this foe. I dodged to the side as it angrily launched another Sludge Bomb before rushing forwards with talons outstretched, filled with dark energy.

Perfect.

I crouched low to the ground, letting the bird pass over me with its attack. Milliseconds after, I sprang from the ground, stabbing an ethereal blade into its back.

It screeched, but before I could even notice that its wing had begun to glow, I used my opposite foot to stomp down on the bird’s back, making it crash into the ground. I stabbed my other arm into its back, eliciting another screech, before finishing it with a jab of my heel at its nape, knocking it out cold.

I panted heavily, sliding my blades out of its body and letting myself collapse against the dungeon’s wall. I closed my eyes, heart alight with adrenaline. That was too close.

I reached up, using my wrist to feel at the chip in my helmet.

That would have been fatal.

I removed my limb, looking at the part where the flames of the blade gushed from the wrist. It was trembling.

I closed my eyes again, sighing as I slumped down onto the floor, putting my head between my knees.

This was nothing like the arena. This was not an average Tuesday match. No safety nets, no guarantees. I could die here.

I could die here.

And it has only been a quarter of an hour at most.

Sheilah’s been in here for days. I have to hurry.

I forced myself to a kneeling position, then stood up with an arm propped against the wall, stumbling away from the bird. I vaguely registered out of the corner of my eye that its pink chain had dissolved as well. Now it was evident that there was something bigger at play here.

I prayed that I would not run into something as dangerous, I took a deep breath, and marched onwards.

My arms were still shaking.

---

“LEAVE ME ALONE!”

All that I got in response was a thunderous roar and a faceful of stone shards as I dove out of the way of yet another devastating punch, each impact shattering the walls and floor of the dungeon.

“I don’t have time to waste on–”

“GROAAAAAAAAR–!” interrupted the bear-like dog creature as it swung a wild backfist in my direction. I leaned out of the way, before jumping back as it followed it up with a haymaker with its other arm.

Like its brethren, the feral had a pink chain wrapped around it, the scarf-like accessory dripping slim down its oily black-and-green fur as it occasionally flicked it back over its shoulder.

“Tch–!” I grimaced, before diving to my right out of the way of a double overhead hammerfist.

Seeing my chance, I sprang from the floor onto its enormous paws, my left sword darkening as I slashed the creature’s face, leaving trails of blood splattered across my breastplate.

Unfortunately, it did little more than upset it, and I made a hasty retreat as it attempted to grab me, just narrowly missing me.

I have to lose it–

Turning my back on it, I sprinted for the nearest corridor I could find. Its heavy footsteps and reverberating bellows nipped at my heels as I ran, but with each narrow turn around every corner, I could hear it growing fainter and fainter.

I just had to–

There, the stairs!

I skidded to a stop, pivoting on a dime and dashing for the pearly white steps leading deeper into the cavern’s depths. I did not stop running until I was well through the next floor, and the sounds of roaring faded to nothingness.

My mind raced as I struggled to calm myself, my sprint slowing to a stride. I don’t know if I can handle something like that… dog thing again.

It was the truth. I was no explorer, only an arena fighter. All of my experience had no use against opponents who were barely conscious, and my tactics relied on the fact that I would always be able to get healed afterwards. My skills were for short-term efficiency, not long-term endurance.

This was all the more clear as I rounded a corner and stood still for a moment to listen for possible threats nearby. My breath permeated the air, a heaving rasp drawing strength from my chest with each inhale and exhale.

How did Sheilah get stuck in here, they’re actually trained for this–!

…

…

…No, don’t think it. It has to be a coincidence.

Yet in my heart, the suspicion only grew. Sheilah was reckless but I had been able to clear the first few floors with great speed even with my inexperience. I was certain a less-qualified team, if there had been any available to take this mission in my stead, would have been able to plow through with only a slight amount of effort. And Sheilah was anything but less-qualified.

But the pink chains…

“No–!” I found myself audibly growling to the air, to the darkness, to the dungeon, to myself.

To fate itself, perhaps.

I could only deny my gut feelings for so long.

---

“You sure you don’t want to take an easier mission?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Nobody’s taken this one in weeks, and every team that’s tried a month ago came back saying it was too hard.”

“And you think you can do it solo?”

“No, but someone has to–”

“That someone doesn’t have to be you, Sheilah!”

“Then who?”

“I–I dunno, but–”

“Exactly!”

The sounds of shuffling items in a leather bag stopped abruptly. The heavy sounds of panting filled the tense air as the dim glow of a light bounced off his shining armor. I stared at them, but they would not make eye contact with me, a hand frozen over the bag, an Oran Berry held in it, halfway through the motion of putting it inside.

“Sheilah. Please. At least try and find teammates–”

“Tzeuha, you know I did. Nobody wants to come, or is too busy.”

“Th–then wait for–”

“I’ve waited on this mission for weeks. You know about this.”

“Just…”

“I even asked you, but–”

He went silent. Neither of us needed a reminder of my increasingly busy schedule. Abandoning my post now would be tantamount to forfeiting my entire profession. At this stage of the tournament, a huge star like me dropping out would cause huge upsets.

“…You can’t even wait for me to–”

“The tournament doesn’t end until a week later. This mission post has been up for two months now. Whoever is in there needs help, and they need it now.”

I could not think of anything to say, a lump clogging up my throat and blocking the words from wafting out on my thin breath, the emotions from spilling out of my heart.

The sound of shifting cloth and clicking continued. “We don’t have much of a choice here, Tzeuha.”

I remained silent.

“I don’t want to say now or never, but you know how bad dungeon sickness can get in just a week. Pokémon can go feral in days, much less two months. The fact that they’re not dead yet even now is a miracle.”

“It’s suspicious, that’s what it is,” I mumbled, finally able to force my lips to move. “Nobody can normally survive in a dungeon that long. Plus it’s an uncharted dungeon. We have no idea what’s inside, how they’re still alive–”

“I know what you’re going to say, you’re gonna say that plenty of explorers have been ambushed by bandits this same way–”

“Exactly, and you’re still doing it–!”

“It’s been two months. No bandit is patient enough to stake out for that long.”

“How do you know?”

“Never happened before. And even if that’s true, teams have gone in there before. Bandits weren’t the reason for the previous five failures on this mission.”

“Team Windblade was sent in there and they failed, what makes you think–”

“I already said. I don’t. But I have to try.”

Under my mouthplate, I bit my lip, looking down at my lap. Sparks trickled off my extinguished wrist, the blades retracted so as not to set the soft sofa cushions below me alight.

“It’s… it’s not–”

A gentle hand on my chin. I looked up, and came face-to-face with Sheilah, my husband. My soulmate. My everything.

I had not even noticed them move from the counter to stand in front of me.

I questioned if I even knew them at all, despite years of being together, if I could not even understand his choices, convince him to make wiser ones. Did something change? What did I miss? What did I do wrong?

“Tzeuha.” His voice flowed through my ears, caressing my heart. The sound of my name on his tongue never got old.

I stared into his face as he did into mine. His helmet was not yet aflame, but the passion in his warm amber eyes told me everything that I had missed all those weeks prior. His hand reached up to caress my cheek, a warm, gentle touch that I savored.

“We can’t always just wait. The perfect opportunity isn’t always a thing that comes. We have to stop reacting, and start acting. We need to start saving lives, not planning how to save them while they keep suffering.”

“…”

“I’m an explorer. This is my duty. I chose this life for myself, because this is what I want to do. I want to help others. I want to do more than just think and perform. I want to act, and I want those actions to help.”

His hand brushed my chin guard, a soft clack echoing through the yellow living room as his wrist plate clicked against it. He stood up straight, looking down at me. I made eye contact with him, and he smiled.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Turning, he reached over to the counter and grabbed his bag of items. He walked into the hallways, the sound of distant footsteps fading until, with a whoosh and a click, he closed the front door.

I simply sat on the sofa for a while.

_{“…I just want you.”}

---

“GASP–!”

My eyes fly open as I jolt awake, muscles bursting into action and launching my body into a sitting position. Shudders wracked my body as I panted, a cold shiver slithering down my boiling spine.

My head swam as I tried to get my breathing under control, eyes swimming in and out of blurry vision, all the blood in my head rushing out from having sat up too quickly.

What was–

…Right, I was in a dungeon… Ran away from that bear-dog thing… And then–

Just then, an uncomfortable wet sensation pooled around my thighs. I blinked, looking down.

A pool of the same pink substance that had claimed the three Pokémon before dripped from my legs, forming a sloppy puddle of sludge in my lap. Remnants of what appeared to be a chain just like the ones I saw before could still be seen, half-melted, wrapped around my torso.

“EUGH–!” I screamed, jumping to my feet and slicing off the chain, which landed on the cave floor with a splat before dissolving into the air. My heart pounded through my chest as I stared at my surroundings.

Something almost got me. There’s no other explanation. What–

A brief, subtle movement in the corner of my eye.

“HRAH–!” I roared, blades flaring up as I slashed wildly at the air beside me. But air was all I cut, the flames illuminating a dark, entirely empty corridor.

My eyes shook as I stared into the darkness.

I could’ve sworn I saw some… little pink thing…

…

…

…Guess it was just my imagination…

Just to be safe, I stared into the abyss just a little longer, hoping yet dreading that something would stare back. And when nothing came, I turned back around, and continued walking down the hall, as I did before my… “nap.” This was the last floor, and Sheilah would surely be near…

I made sure to constantly glance over my shoulder though.

What even happened–?

That dream I had… it couldn’t have been a coincidence. The last time I saw Sheilah right before he left… Everything in that memory went exactly like how it actually did…

But I definitely didn’t say those words. Not out-loud. Not to his face.

I encouraged him, I was sure he would have been able to handle this mission…

The tunnel twisted and turned, opening up to a massive expansive cavern. A natural skylight filtered in moonlight from above, the hole breathing fresh air into the cold, moist air below. Stalagmites were arranged in a circular pattern on the edge of the circle, like an audience waiting, watching.

“This must be the pillar room,” I muttered. I had already searched the entire dungeon. Hours had gone by, and the night had gone far past midnight by now. So why hadn’t I found him?

Despite the situation at hand, my mind continued to wander, thinking back to the dream I had.

What had actually happened… I told him he would be fine, despite his doubts…

I swallowed.

I wish I hadn’t said that. It’s my fault he’s in here…

It’s my fault if I never get to see the face I love so much again.

And I never had the chance to give him that kis–

Clack.

I dropped to a crouching stance, blades held up in a guarded position near my face. My eyes narrowed, squinting to see through the shadows.

A flare of light. A suit of armor across from me blazed to life, large pauldrons on either side of a helmet, a flame trailing from the top, lighting a torch of hope in my heart.

“Shei–”

He stepped forwards.

My eyes widened.

The torch went out.

Where should have been his ever-familiar smile and bright eyes was now a perpendicular pink, round bulb with two bulbs on its end. The chain pierced his face, leaving a gaping hole where his features should have gone, going directly through the back of his head. All but his mouth was gone, the one remaining fraction of his visage twisted into a pained neutral expression. The flaming feather atop his head wafted about in the midnight breeze, the sparks bouncing off the back of the chain protruding from the back of his head.

I blinked, hoping it was some distorted Mawile standing before me, or a Zoroark, or a–a–

“…Gueeeggghhhh…”

Its breath was like a ragged gasp, a humid, struggled pant, the chain stabbed through his face just above the mouth dripping pink slime onto the ground. It raised his arms. It clenched his fists.

It stepped forward with his feet.

I took a step backwards. Out of fear, shock, surprise, horror…

I could not kno–

In the blink of an eye, it launched itself towards me.

My eyes widened.

---

“Hey, Sheilah?”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“What are ferals like?”

---

BANG.

I dove out of the way as Sheliah’s fist collided with the floor where I stood, breaking through the stone with ease and sending dust and shards flying up from the crater.

I gasped, scrambling to my feet, blades flaring up.

Its head whipped around to stare at me sightlessly.

My breath failed me.

---

“Well, they’re just like regular Pokémon… but kinda… mindless. They can use moves and all, but they’re all instinct. No thoughts. Just violence.”

“So… they just attack anything they see?”

“Yeah, forever and ever.”

---

I dashed backwards until my foot hit a stalagmite. In front of me, Sheilah threw out his hands, clasping them. The pauldrons on his shoulders clicked, sliding forwards and fusing together around his fists, the muzzle of the cannon beginning to glow hot red.

---

“Eugh. Creepy. How do they even form?”

“Sometimes they’re born naturally like that, from ferals mating with other ferals. But if a normal Pokémon gets caught in a dungeon for too long or dies in one, they become a feral too.”

---

A thunderous boom echoed across the chamber as the molten blast zoomed towards my stunned figure. It slammed into my chest before exploding, collapsing my internals as the blast of light and smoke threw me violently backwards. I collided with the back wall with a pained scream, bouncing off like a ragdoll and sliding across the rough floor, rolling to a stop just a short distance away from the creature standing before me.

My vision flashed and my head spun as I gritted my teeth, using a blade to prop myself on my knees.

“Sheilah, what are you–” I blurted out, but I hardly had time to finish the sentence before the Armarouge was suddenly on top of me once again, both hands raised above its head, casting its shadow over me.

---

“Is there… any way to save them? Once they’re–?”

---

I leaped out of the way as it slammed its fists into the ground, a deafening smash that sent shards of rock and gravel flying everywhere. I crashed to the ground, scratching my armor on the rough terrain before hurriedly flipping onto my back, crawling away desperately on my hands and rear.

I got to my feet in a panicked state as its head snapped towards me once again.

There was no life in that faceless stare, not even anger or hate in the grim frown etched into its lips.

---

“…No. There’s no coming back.”

---

“SHELIAH–!” I shouted, but my call fell on deaf ears. A hollow moan escaped its mouth as its pauldrons formed a cannon once again.

I sprinted to my left as it rained shots upon me, the explosions lighting up the back wall as I ran in a semicircle around it, before jumping into the air.

I felt a shot graze my leg as I just barely cleared it from above, tucking my body into a roll before diving forwards and tackling Sheilah. It fell to the ground with nothing more than a clack of armor against rock.

“SHEILAH, SNAP OUT OF IT–” I shrieked, pinning its arms to the ground with my sheathed blade hands, heart pounding as it struggled against my hold, groaning and snarling like a wild animal. I used my knees to clasp its thighs together, but before I could do anything further, it tore its right arm out of my grip, knocking me back with a powerful haymaker.

Stars flew past my eyes as I fell backwards, but I rolled to my right on instinct, just as an explosion warmed my side. A quick glance told me it had shot at me while I was on the floor, and, scrambling to my feet to keep running, the sound of blasts raining on my tail told me it was still firing.

“STOP, I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE, PLEASE–!” I yelled, skidding to a stop and flaring my blades to life.

With the practice of hundreds of cage matches, I slapped a ball of energy to the side, the deflection sending it crashing into the wall behind me with a great explosion.

The creature stood there with a wide stance, cannon pointed at me with all the killing intent its stolen face could no longer show.

“PLEASE! PLEASE SHEILAH PLEASE!” I begged.

Another blast, one I bisected with a downwards slice, the halves passing me on either side and shattering stalactites behind me.

“PLEASE–! COME ON!”

An upwards cut deflected another blast, which flew into the ceiling above with a loud bang, chunks of pebbles raining on my head and shoulders, though I cared not.

“SHEILAH!”

I parried yet another and sent it careening up and out of the cavern skylight, a distant explosion just barely registering in my head as it detonated outside the dungeon. 

“PLEASE! I LOVE YOU! DON’T–”

“GROOOOAAAAHHHH–!” it roared in response, a barrage of smaller but faster blasts flying out of its cannon at me.

I sliced them in a frenzy, peppering the wall behind me with a volley of firecrackers.

“NO NO NO NO NO–!” I shouted, both to Sheilah and myself. There had to be a way out of this.

There had to be a way out of this.

I ducked, a shot brushing the side of my helmet.

There had to be a way out of this.

I knocked a blast out of the way, the explosion lighting up the cave from behind him.

There had to be a way out of this.

I blocked another with crossed blades, squeezing my eyes shut as the flames licked my armor and forced me backwards, my feet carving skid marks into the ground.

There has to be a way out of this.

I jumped over another shot.

There has to be a way out of this.

I ducked another.

There has to be a way to fix this.

It charged forwards, its fist colliding with my blades with a ringing clang.

There has to be a way to fix him.

I gritted my teeth as it railed on my defense, landing blow after blow on my blades.

There has to be a way to bring him back–

CRUNCH.

I cried out in pain, blood and spit staining my tongue as I coughed up bile. It pulled his fist back, pieces of broken armor cutting into his knuckles from where it punched and destroyed my abdominal plating.

It reared its other hand back.

There has to be a way to–

SLAM.

The cave wall flew by in a blur.

WHUMP.

_…

_…

_…

_…

_…

…I opened my eyes.

Pain.

Pain coursed through my veins, and stabbed into my soul. It poisoned my muscles, and broke my will. My mind.

My heart.

I laid there for a moment, the sounds of the world grinding to a halt as I felt my singular breath slow. The clacking of approaching footsteps slowed, time itself dilating around me.

Muffled clattering as I propped myself onto an elbow, displacing some scattered pebbles below me.

The whoosh of air as a fist was pulled back.

The hollow moan, a dead breath.

The flare of light, the billowing of flame.

A whirl of yellow, pink and red.

A flash of indigo blue and somber violet.

CHUNK.

…

…

…

…A tear fell down my face as I stared into the empty face of my love. His outstretched arm lay on my shoulder, fist still clenched and arm quivering. His mouth was agape, almost like it was surprised. It coughed into my face, pink vomit and red blood splashing across my armor, though I did not flinch.

I twisted my arm, and both of us whimpered as the flaming blade sliced through and cut into his guts. His lower lip quivered, almost as though it could feel pain. It was nothing compared to my own.

Adrenaline coursed through me as I wrapped my other arm around his neck, caressing his head with an extinguished arm. Rain poured onto my face, but I knew the night sky was cloudless.

I leaned forwards, closing my eyes.

And I planted my lips onto his as he went limp, the pink chain melting from his body, leaving only memories behind.

---

“…Aaaaand… there!”

The Charcadet stood up from his kneeling position, powdered snow falling off his shins like fine mist. The evening sun sparkled in the cool, crisp air, drifting snowflakes lazily riding gentle zephyrs through the open skies. Not a single cloud blocked the magnificent view, a brilliant gradient of crystalline blue melting into a vivid pink, a hot orange, framed with the golden yellow horizon that the sun had already partially sunk beneath.

Clutched in his palm was a mound of packed snow, glistening pink-red. With his free hand he cupped it, rubbing it and squeezing until, finally, he opened up his hands to reveal a snowball, mostly round, somewhat misshapen, but something he was wholly proud of.

He grinned, admiring his handiwork for a moment before rearing his arm back and tossing the snowball as far as he could. He watched as it sailed up, over, and back down, landing with a soft plop on the fresh snowfall a short distance away.

For a moment, he simply stood, taking in the sight of the wintery landscape illuminated beneath the dusk sunlight.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Raising an eyebrow, he turned around, and saw another Charcadet approaching him, one with a more somber expression and an armor with a darker hue.

His smile widened. “Tzeuha!” he greeted cheerfully, tromping towards his friend through the snow.

Tzeuha, however, didn’t seem to say anything. Rather, his eyes widened, almost stunned.

The Charcadet paused. “…What?” He looked around, thinking Tzeuha had simply been looking at something else, not him. “Is it the weather? I mean, yeah, this is the first time we’ve gotten snow in a long while, according to mama at least, but it’s not THAT crazy.”

Tzeuha’s eyes remained wide, and his mouth opened slightly. “Sheilah–?”

Sheilah tilted his head, the small puffy flame atop his head flickering ever so slightly. “What? Is my helmet not on straight or something?”

Sheilah continued to stare at Tzeuha’s shocked expression. The awkwardness was palpable, seeping into the air and making his skin tingle uncomfortably.

“Uh…” Sheilah began, opening his mouth once again, before noticing a bit of snow in Tzeuha’s hand. “Oh, you wanna have a snowball fight, eh? Is that it?”

Tzeuha did not answer.

But then again, Sheilah thought, Tzeuha was never all that talkative was he?

“Alright then, the loser has to do what the winner wants!” Sheilah exclaimed, leaning down and grabbing a handful of snow before running through the slush, taking huge strides to half-wade, half-hop through the thick, pillowy terrain.

Tzeuha’s gasped and dove to the side as Sheilah crouching and leapt into the air, slamming the snowball he had made into the ground where Tzeuha had stood a moment before. He smirked, turning to the side.

Sheilah quickly knelt as Tzeuha recovered, packing another snowball into his palm and winding back to score a direct hit on his friend. Winded, Tzeuha stumbled backwards, tripping on his own feet and falling onto his back.

“Tsk tsk tsk,” Sheilah sneered, scooping up another handful of slush and trudging towards Tzeuha. The downed Charcadet blinked his eyes open drearily. Immediately upon seeing Sheilah standing over him, however, he gasped, rolling to the side just as Sheilah threw the snowball down at his feet again.

With a frown, Sheilah turned sideways. “Man, you keep dodging the point-blank ones–”

He was undeterred, however, and crouched once again, cupping his hand together and forming a pile of ammunition that he could use. By the time Tzeuha recovered, scrambling to his feet, Sheilah already had four prepared.

“Ready or not, here they come!”

As Sheilah wound back his right arm to begin launching his barrage, Tzeuha began to sprint to his left, running in a semi-circle arc as snowballs peppered the ground. An eager smile took over Sheilah’s face,  the Charcadet digging his heels in and increasing the pace at which he was firing them off.

Suddenly, Tzeuha skidded to a stop just a meter away before leaping forwards and tackling his friend to the ground. Sheilah grunted in surprise, losing his grip on a snowball and falling under Tzeuha. He made to move, but his arms were suddenly pinned by Tzeuha’s own, his legs jammed together at the knees by a lock.

“H–hey, not fair–!” Sheilah wriggled and struggled against his captor, before finally managing to get one of his hands free. Grabbing a chunk of snow beside him, he roughly slapped Tzeuha in the face, which seemed to stun him enough for Sheilah to crawl out from the loosened grip and put some distance between them once again.

“You almost got me there–” Sheilah grinned, a mask of manic excitement covering his face. As Tzeuha scrambled to his feet, giving him another bizarrely distant stare, Sheilah once again began to hurl snowballs his way, the missiles falling just short of Tzeuha’s ankles, each sinking below the white surface with a soft plop.

Tzeuha dove forwards just as Sheilah threw his latest icy clump, rolling into a standing position and taking up a wide stance. Sheilah blinked, but continued to grab, mold, and throw.

He watched as one soared over in a gentle arc, slamming into Tzeuha’s head with considerable force. Most of it bounced off the Charcadet’s helmet, with a round spot of snow lingering and sizzling where it hit.

Sheilah grinned, throwing another. Tzeuha made no move, standing still once again as the snowball hit his arm, knocking it backwards. It fell limply to his side, as if injured.

The next grazed Tzeuha’s side, just below the rib. The Charcadet recoiled backwards from the hit, inhaling sharply and bowing his head. A shadow covered his eyes as he doubled over.

Sheilah paused. Tzeuha still made no move, standing still.

“…Tzeuha?”

Hesitantly, he looked at the snowball in his raised hand, before throwing it half-heartedly. It struck Tzeuha directly on the temple. The Charcadet gasped, their head whiplashing back with more force than Sheilah had put into his throw.

“Tzeuha–!” he shrieked.

He started forwards with an outstretched hand, but stopped just out of reach as his friend’s head suddenly snapped forwards.

Half-melted snow dribbling down his forehead like blood. The shadow withdrew from his eyes, revealing a hollow, almost emotionless stare.

Sheilah stopped in his tracks. “…Tzeuha?”

“…”

“…I’m…” Sheilah swallowed. “I’m sorry Tzeuha, I didn’t mean–”

Tzeuha stared blankly at him, still unmoving. Fists half-clenched, stance unfamiliar and unwelcoming.

Sheilah quivered, not knowing what he did wrong. He did not say anything, for fear of what the consequences might be. He waited for his friend to say something. Anything. Anything at all.

But Tzeuha said nothing. His face melted into a whirl of emotion. Sadness, regret, guilt, despair, longing, love, and so much more that Sheilah could not describe.

“…Tzeuha…?”

Snowflakes crumpled beneath his feet as Sheilah stood in the middle of the battlefield, a wasted mix of dirt, disturbed snow, and bits of dead grass. The sun’s final rays began to fall, and the wispy flame atop his head dimmed, fading darker and faster than the sky above.

Tzeuha turned around, a sparkle of light reflecting off a single shed tear. He turned his back on Sheilah, hiding his face.

“Tzeuha, I’m sorry, what did I do–?”

Tzeuha began to walk away, the crunch of snow beneath his feet a deafening rhythm in the silent evening.

“T–Tzeuha, wait–!”

Sheilah started forwards, running through the ice and sleet with an outstretched hand, reaching for his friend, for his companion, for the one he cared about most.

He reached, and Tzeuha grew farther and farther away. Sheilah could not see his face, and the more desperately he tried to approach, the farther Tzeuha seemed to get.

“Tzeuha–!”

Farther.

“TZEUHA–!”

^Farther.

“TZEUHAAA–!”

_^Farther.

“TZEUHA!”

“TZEUHAAAAAAA!”

^“Tzeu-”

^“…”

^{“Tzeu…”}

Before he even realized it, Tzeuha was lost to the dark of night, and he was alone.

A single pink tear fell down his cheek as he stood, hand still outstretched, facing down the empty abyss.

_“…”

_“…”

_{“…I never got that kiss…”}