☀ — and till the end you're my very best friend

//this sucks aSS bc i wrote it like 6 hours apart and finished at 1am but shhhhhh
if u dont wanna read the whole thing just skip to the last paragraph
feel free 2 reply if u want but no pressure :^) just wanted to write this tbh + mobile

Despite all that had happened and everything that had been occupying Pierce's mind lately, there was one memory from his old home that stood out in his mind, one that no matter what sort of amnesia hit him, he was sure he would never forget, though it was something he wished didn't linger in his memory.

He could still feel his ragged breathing, his pelt pressed against the younger feline’s as she tried to push him away. They were surrounded, five or six feral dogs and wolves who stood far taller than Pierce and his small friend- the only one that really stood a chance was the dragon, whose name Pierce couldn't remember now, either, but even still, their chances were slim. They were all experienced, had both fought countless battles, but this wasn't the same as her war, or all the raids they'd participated in. They were alone, outnumbered, and Pierce was already injured.  "No- no, we'll get out of here together," the tom could remember mumbling a promise to her as he whipped around to face one of the attacking canines, swiping at its muzzle in warning, which only seemed to piss it off, but the dragon jumped in. He couldn't leave - they'd made it this far, hadn't they? He couldn't flee now, not when he knew she would be dead without him. ”Please, Pierce!” she had begged, though it was more of a shout than anything and her words came slowly as she pushed a wolf away from her. He had a daughter and... good friend waiting for him at home, it was true. But the guilt of leaving her behind would weigh on his conscience forever. She knew that, too, but he knew if there were any other way, she wouldn’t push him away. She would rather him live than to watch him die, or for him to have to see her slaughtered before he was, himself. "I-I can’t," the boyish tom could still hear the cracking of his voice, some naïve part of him hopeful that  they could both make it out of this safe, but in order to get away, they needed a distraction. ”Just go home.” Tears clogged Pierce’s throat, blurring his vision, but he nodded. She had already hurled herself at a wolf, so although he wanted to tell her how much he loved her and that they’d be together again soon (a huge lie to make himself feel better), he just turned and ran while there was an opening for him. [/i]

Buried beneath all the worries that had been plaguing Pierce’s mind lately was just one more tragedy, one that, with everything that had - or, more accurately, hadn’t - happened lately, had been pushed aside, nearly forgotten, but as the days passed, and he’d calmed his concerns for Clem and Rid, a new sort of emptiness emerged, different from before. His loneliness regarding his family was accompanied by hope, as they had to arrive eventually. This one was far more terminal, and he knew exactly what had happened. She was dead. Gone. Riddler and Clem would be back someday, he had go believe. But this girl, this girl who he would do anything to have back, was never coming home. He’d left her. Not because she’d asked, because he was scared. Scared of facing what he’d already experienced in the past, of dying again, and maybe not coming back this time. He’d take it back in an instant, but he’d learned that there were no “redos” in life. One decision could change your whole world, and god, had it.

Pierce had been on a little walk in an attempt to clear his mind when it hit again, the smell of blood, the sounds of a nameless, cocoa-furred girl’s shouts of him to run. Her face was a blur in his mind, her name on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn’t say it. He’d taken a seat by a tree, where the snow was melting away a bit and revealing a bit of grass underneath. He wished she could be here- at least, then, he’d have someone to wait for his family with, and he’d have even just one more chance to pull her into a gentle embrace, or remind her how much she meant to him. But he would never get to do that again, and it was all his fault. Had he stayed and helped, maybe she would’ve made it out. Maybe, things would  be okay,  but his last memory of the girl he loved so much was her charging into battle against half a dozen feral wolves with her dragon. A few times, he’d even caught himself imagining the aftermath, a world where his friend really was gone.

He had done so many things wrong in his life, but this had been the worst, by far. How could he have an honest relationship with anyone, now, if he knew he was capable of just leaving them like that?

Pierce allowed his head to fall against the tree, his cheeks wet with tears. She was gone, and no matter what he did, there was nothing he could do to change that. The damage was done.

What he didn’t notice, however, were the flower stalks that were rising up around him, different colored petals brushing against his legs. It wasn’t until a sunflower grew tall enough to tickle his nose that he opened his eyes to find that a patch of flowers  had grown around him. Their colors vibrant against the dulled shades of the lingering winter. They were beautiful, and they were all different kinds, their colors and sizes varying. The slender serval blinked down at the flora around him, rising and taking a step forward, and, in response, more flowers sprung up, pushing from the soil and rising up into the crisp air. ”Holy shit," he murmured, picking a little white daisy from the ground. Pierce had known people who could do this before, but really, he’d never considered it a possibility for himself. Carefully, he reached another paw forward, placing it gently on the ground as a small smile found its way to his lips. At this point, he’d nearly created a garden, but he doubted it’d last very long in these temperatures.

"speech"

☀ — and till the end you're my very best friend

Considering everything, Pierce managed to maintain a pretty positive outlook on life, but he used to be far, far better at doing so. He had just been a naive little boy, with no idea what dangers he would have to face in the real world. It didn't cross his mind that he would meet bullies, or struggle with socialising, or deal with drama, and far, far worse. He'd developed tougher skin over the years, learned to expect betrayal and danger, to outwardly ignore those who were mean to him, and though he seemed unbothered outwardly, that didn't mean it manage to get under his skin. For, no matter how strong a shell he formed, something would always manage to break through it - that was just the way he was.

Having been distracted by his discovery, Pierce was reasonably startled by the sound of her voice. He jumped, dropping his daisy as his paw shot toward his face to wipe tears away from his cheeks. "Wh- yeah, yeah, I'm- I'm fine. They, uh, just kinda sprouted up here. Guess it's, like, some sorta power, or somethin'," he managed, forcing a surprisingly natural-looking smile onto his lips. The approach of another femme caught Pierce's attention, though he hopefully looked a little better than he had when Atbash showed up. God, this was so embarrassing! He didn't think he'd cried in public in months- though, this wasn't technically the public, he supposed. Whatever these girls were doing out here, he had no idea. "Hey, Nat. I'm- uh, I'm great! How are you doing?" At this point, lying had become second nature, and it sure did sound normal, though perhaps that dampness of his cheeks gave him away.

"speech"