Chapter Text
You're standing by the ocean, listening to the waves. They remind you of home, but you think about Nille more than anything.
Your reh-min-i-sing is interrupted by Frin. How dare they stop you from feeling no- nostal- that one sad happy feeling when you look at something from the past!
"...heyfrin."
Woah, did they look like that before? He looks... Weird. They always look weird, but something feels different. They look scary and sad and tired.
...
"...Frin?"
...
"... What's wrong? You look..."
Frin's face stays the same. It's like he doesn't even hear you.
"You don't look good..."
Their face looks like a mask. Do people usually smile like that? Maybe it isn't a smile. You wish Frin would talk more. Nille said to not judge a book by it's cover, but Frin is so quiet. You don't have anything other than the cover.
"I was thinking... How about I teach you how to fight today?"
WOAH, HOW'D HE KNOW!! You've always wanted to help in the fighting, but the grown-ups always say it isn't safe! Like you're some sort of baby! Maybe if you can prove to Frin that you can fight, they'll tell everyone! And everyone will say 'Bonnie knows how to fight, just like a grown-up!'
And- and maybe you can prove to Frin that you don't need protecting! You can protect him too! Just like he did when-- no, don't go off topic! Your eyes go wide and shiny.
"R-Really?"
You look away making your ex-press-shin calmer. Only babies get excited so easily.
"I, I, um..."
No, no! If you don't show enough in-thu-zi-ah-zum they'll get all quiet and say 'if you don't want to blah blah blah'! So you smile, but not too much.
"I would really like that! Would you really?"
Their smile still looks weird, but that's okay. They're being nice to you, so maybe they're happy! When Nille was sad or sick she would be a super-duper mean crab, and he's not being mean.
"Of course!"
"Oh!! Then yeah!!! Let's go!"
You guys are walking towards a field of grass. Frin is being really weird... They aren't talking. They're just staring at the ground. You wave at their eyes, but they don't even blink. That weird mask smile thing is gone. It's kinda scary, but you can't be scared! You're gonna fight! Only babies get scared!
After a whole of walking, you and Frin find a sadness. They don't seem to notice at first.
"Hey Frin! There's a sadness there!"
They look up, but don't respond. Frin's being really weird. Oh well. You run up, your fists up in that position that those boxers are in.
"L-Look! I'm not scared! COME ON!!"
You start the battle. You're gonna kick that sadness in it's stupid crabbing butt!
It is kinda scary though... It's bigger than you and has the weird scary sick look, kinda like Frin. Wait, you can't be scared! You're not a baby! You can't be scared of a stupid crab like this! You look back at Frin.
"I'm not scared, I'm not scared! I can do this, I can--"
You look back at Frin. They look angry. Why would he be angry? Nothing happened yet! They look around and--
They fall to the ground with a loud thud.
You... What did he even trip on?
"Wha-what? did you..."
!!!
The monster looks at Frin.
No, no! You- they're gonna get hurt! Again! Why do they always get hurt around you? Why can't they just let you-
"!!! FRIN!!! NO!!!!!!!"
There's no time to think! You run towards the sadness with your frying pan and strike. You keep hitting it until you're super sure it's dead.
"Aaah... Ahh.."
You look back towards Frin. They get up and dust themselves off like nothing happened.
"Frin!! Why did you fall!!? What did you trip on?!? You almost got hurt!!! You..."
"You..."
.
.
.
The way they looked around, annoyed. And then dusted themselves off like nothing happened? They-they weren't even moving when they tripped! They had to...
"You... Didn't trip on anything. It's like you just... Fell? You... You feel on nothing... And you didn't look scared..."
They don't respond. You hate it when they don't respond. It feels like they don't even care.
"...Frin, you... let yourself get attached on purpose?"
WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT? THEY- THEY WANTED TO GET HURT? You- they-
You're breathing heavily
That stupid crab! They already got hurt once because of you! Why would they do it again?
"I saw it! I saw you! You-- you looked around, and the sadness was about to attack! And you, you just fell... And, and you didn't even look surprised, Frin!!!"
They still don't respond.
"But why would you do that!? I don't get it!!!!! You fell, and I... I didn't think you could've moved fast enough, so I... attacked the sadness... On my own..."
They back at you and then they crabbing. smile.
"Yeah!! And you beat it on your own too!!"
No but- they shouldn't be happy about this.
"Wh... What."
"I did that so you would be stronger! More confident!"
...
What? He was going to get himself hurt again, for such a stupid reason like that? He could've lost his other eye! He could've-
"If I get hurt, you protect me. If you get hurt, I protect you!"
They look... Scared. They're smiling, but it's scared.
"That's how it is with us! Isn't it? We promised!!!"
They're scaring you. When did-
"I-I just wanted you to be stronger!"
...
He tried to get hurt. For you. Again. He didn't even have to- you know what. You're done. You're done with his stupid crabbing face and voice and presence! Why does he want to get hurt for you so bad? He still thinks you're a baby. You're just another chore for him. And they'll get hurt over and over and over until they lose their eye, their arms, their legs...
Your throat gets that weird lump in it. You want to scream. And you will. They deserve it.
"What is WRONG WITH YOU?"
They jump. You keep going.
"YOU GOT HURT ON PURPOSE? SO I WOULD SAVE YOU? WHY WOULD YOU THINK I WANTED THIS, FRIN!! I DON'T WANT THIS!!! I NEVER WANTED THIS!!!
Your legs feel like jelly, but you stand straight. You can't even control your fists. You've never been so crabbing angry.
"I DON'T WANNA BE STRONG IF IT MEANS YOU HAVE TO GET HURT!!"
You can barely breathe.
"NO! NO! NO! NO!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! FRIN, YOU STUPID IDIOT!!!"
They look shocked. What did they expect? Nille told you. Action and consequence. He deserves this.
"I..."
...
"I thought it would help..."
"NO!!! IT DIDN'T HELP!!! IT REALLY. DIDN'T. HELP!!! I HATE YOU, FRIN!!!!!"
You take a second to catch your breath.
"I HATE YOU!!!!!"
You cry, and cry, and cry.
"...I... I can't..." You try to say
...
You run away.