Deviation Actions
Literature Text
“So you remember…” The scream that went across the horizon silenced Goliath in the middle of a question and made him go white. He jumped up and looked toward his father, who was just as pale. Keesha wasn’t sure what was going on, but by the look of the two of her friends’ faces, she knew something wasn’t right.
“Windburn! Find Rue and Molly! Now!” Lance said strictly as he called the Pidgeotto out.
Windburn flew ahead without question and Lance and Goliath were running quicker than ever before and Keesha had a hard time keeping up.
“Find Mom, Pidgeon!” Keesha called her own Pidgeotto out.
Pidgeon was surprisingly faster than Windburn and was out of sight in no time.
They got closer to the cliffs around Blackthorn City.
The scream rung out again. This time more clear than last time and echoed against the mountains.
“LANCE!” The scream was loud and cried out for help.
“Rue!” Lance called back.
“Oh my Arceus!” Goliath cried. “Dad! The cliff!”
“I see her!” Lance cried frantically as Windburn and Pidgeon came back.
Keesha saw her too. She was dangling over a cliff, trying to hang on to Rapidash by the reins, who was dangling as well. Her mom was desperately holding on to Ponyta’s reins as she attempted to keep her from falling. Crap. She just remembered she’d left all her flying-types except Pidgeon in the PC to rest for a while. She didn’t even have Flower with her.
“Hang on! We’re coming!” Keesha cried.
Her mother began slipping as Rapidash kicked at the air frantically.
They ran up to the top of the cliff and Lance instantly grabbed Rue’s wrist in attempt to help.
“Keesha! Get into my bag and get Flower!” Molly cried.
Keesha nodded and got into the bag on Ponyta’s back and grabbed the old, beat up poke ball. She threw the poke ball and Flower came out.
“Flower, Vine Whip! Grab Rapidash!” Her mother commanded.
Flower sent her vines out and grabbed Rapidash down below.
“We’ve got her now! You can let go of Rapidash.” Lance told Rue.
“I can’t!” Rue cried.
“It’s okay! Flower has her! She won’t let go!” Molly reassured.
“What if she’s not strong enough?” Rue asked.
“Rue, listen to me!” Lance pleaded. “You have to let go! You’ll fall if you don’t! Flower’s strong enough!” When she didn’t respond, he went on. “Rue, look at me!” He cried.
She looked up at him, her eyes pleading for help.
“Do you trust me?” He asked. She hesitated. “Do you?” He pleaded.
He barely heard her say the one word he hoped she wouldn’t. No. [i]Ouch[/i].
“Listen to me. I’m not going to let you fall. Just let Rapidash go. She’ll be fine! You can trust me. I’m not the guy I was before and I sure in the hell ain’t turning back. Please. Just let go of her. She’s fine. I promise.” He reattempted to reproach the situation.
“Lance…” Rue responded, looking half-terrified.
“It’s okay.” Lance told her. “Let us help.”
Rue hesitated as she glanced down at Rapidash, then back up at Lance.
“I hope you’re right…” Was all she said, then closed her eyes and let go of Rapidash’s reins.
Flower struggled to hold her footing for a moment, but then caught herself and held Rapidash steadily in her vines.
Lance let go of her wrist and held out his hand for her other.
“Take my hand.” He told her; relieved she had a chance of getting back up. “I swear I won’t let you fall.” He promised.
She barely had the strength to swing her free hand up to his hand and he grabbed it and together, he and Molly pulled her up.
But, as soon as she was pulled up, the ground broke underneath their feet and Lance just missed Rue but a centimeter as Molly just caught him by the wrist. He watched in horror as she fell. He barely choked her name and couldn’t watch as he heard the thud. He had a sense of giving in right then. He thought about letting Molly’s hand go and meeting the same fate. Tears fell. He knew she was done for. Nothing could save her. Another failed attempt. Another mistake. Another failure to save the ones he loved. Molly pulled him up and they immediately took off to the bottom of the cliff in vain after Flower pulled Rapidash up.
The sight of Rue lying in the middle of the rubble almost stopped his heart. He thought he was going to faint. Everything in the world was crashing down on him.
Keesha looked to her fiancé, knowing those tears were already coming down out of his eyes as well. She urged him to leave the scene. She knew how it felt to lose a parent and watch as it happened. She went through it with her father.
“Get Goliath out of here…” Lance demanded through a shattered voice as he kneeled beside his wife. He took her in his arms and the tears started as she coughed up a long trail of blood.
“But Dad…” Goliath protested.
“No! GET OUT OF HERE NOW! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO WATCH!” Lance snapped.
It was the first time Keesha ever saw that look in his eye. That look that said ‘get out of here before I kill you’. He meant it. She remembered the memory of him complaining about her being out there as she watched her father die.
“Why the hell is your daughter out here?!” The memory snapped. She understood why he was so upset now. She pulled at Goliath’s hand and he followed her as she led him away from the scene. Obviously, her mother couldn’t stand to relive the memory either because she followed them as well.
Lance sat there with Rue in his arms. She was somehow still conscious and alive. Blood trailed from her lip from internal injuries.
"Lance... you came for me." She said, realizing he was there.
"Course I did... I wasn't about to let you die alone... I did it again... I let you down again. I'm so sorry..." Lance told her, tears just running down his face like a waterfall.
"You did your best... you couldn't have helped it..." She protested in a whisper.
"If it weren't for me... we wouldn't be here. You'd still be at home..." He told her.
"No. Just be quiet." Rue told him.
He did what he was told in between sobs.
It didn't take long for her to give her last breath, right there in his arms. He kissed her forehead and began walking toward the police station in Blackthorn City.
