#—the pain in this post is 100% from Oblonger and his 999k IQ brain)

[sincerely-sofie]

Submission by @oblonger:

A short Mortality Exchange Au fic in which Twig leaves, and Celebi tries to convince her to stay. Written by that weird guy who really likes these blorbos for some reason.

Twig is walking on a rarely used trail in the forest. Arms folded across her chest. Celebi is flying close behind, as she has been all night. "We can figure this out Twig!" Celebi pleaded. Ever since she found out about Twig's plan, she stayed up all night, past when Twig was sure they would all be asleep, with every intention to convince her to stay. "I already told you! I can't, and I won't!" Twig spat. She was hoping that by playing into her evil nature that she would finally convince Celebi to leave her alone. Twig picked up her pace, going down each splitting path that was thinner than the last. "I've already hurt you guys enough! I don't need to keep doing it because I can't control these stupid powers!" Celebi flew up past Twig's shoulder to look at her directly. Twig kept her eyes locked to the ground. "From one legend to another Twig, I can tell you right now that it's going to take time to figure it out but I know you can! You've done hard things before, you can do this too!" Tears were beginning to form in Twig's eyes. "You don't give people nightmares just by being around them Celebi! You don't know what it's like!" Celebi steeled her expression "But I still had to practice with my powers! It didn't come as naturally as you assume it did!" Twig began to cry. Her arms tightened around her chest. "But you didn't hurt anyone without wanting to!" Celebi looked exasperated. "Twig, I looked into the future, I know for a fact that you can control your powers! all you have to do is trust me!" Trust her. A memory came flooding back.

(Twig found Kip writhing in pain as he slept. Another nightmare. Why was this happening? Darkrai was dead. This shouldn't be happening! Twig began to shake Kip. That worked before... Nothing. Tears silently began to run down Kip's cheeks. "No! Please!" Kip muttered. Twig shook him harder. Pleading for him to wake up. Calling out his name. The possibility that he would be in this nightmare forever crossed her mind. Twig began to cry. She began to beg for his awakening. "Please wake up!" Twig cried out. As though her plea was answered, Kip shot awake. Gasping for air. Twig gave him space to recuperate. Once Kip had finished, she pulled him into a hug. "Th-that nightmare was awful Twig. I-I thought I was dying." "I-I thought you wouldn't wake up." Kip and her cried on each other's shoulders. In that moment it all made sense. She knew why this was happening. This was her fault. This is happening to her friends as her punishment for killing Darkrai. This would keep happening to her friends if she stayed. She vowed then and there to leave that night, So this would never happen again.)

How could she trust Celebi if she couldn't even trust herself to not hurt them? She would never be able forgive herself if she let someone trust her again. It was too much for Twig to handle. Her tail flame was increasing in size. Tears of sorrow and terror and wrath were streaming down her face. Twig stopped walking and swung around face Celebi. "YOU'RE LYING!!!" Twig thundered with a force and volume previously unknown to her. No doubt a side effect of becoming a legend. The nearby branches shook as though blown by the wind, the sounds of the midnight forest went dead silent, and Celebi flew back a couple feet, with a look of abject horror across her face. "I Can't trust you Celebi!!" Twig yelled, the words felt vile. Like a deadly poison that kills everything it touches. She looked down at the ground. No longer able to look her friend in the eye. "You know what to say to get me to come back even though it's not true!" Twig gasped for air. It felt like she was being buried alive in sand. "I'm never coming back! And you better hope to Arceus it stays that way!" Twig hyperventilated for a some seconds before gathering the courage to finally look back up at Celebi. She hovered there. Speechless. She had an expression of pure heartache and fear,. Tears were rolling down her face. Twig regretted everything. She wanted to apologize. She wanted to take back all of her lies. She wanted to admit that Celebi was right, and that everything she said was true. She wanted to agree with her and go back home. With her friends. But those memories of seeing her friends in pain flashed in her mind. It was a miasma that haunted her. They suffered because of her, And they would continue suffering if she stayed. This is the only option. Twig wordlessly turned and began to run into the forest as fast as her legs could carry her. She couldn't stay here. Not anymore. Celebi's choked up voice projected into her mind "I know you don't mean it." Somehow, that hurt worse than any insult she could have ever said.

Twig didn't slow down. She didn't know how long she ran for. She continued running until her legs gave out from exhaustion. Twig sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes so she could see clearly. The sky was beginning to become brighter, she's in an unfamiliar part of the forest with no trail, And Celebi is nowhere to be found. Twig dragged herself under the nearest tree, curled up, and began weeping. She felt colder than usual.

—————