#never thought riv would be a whumper but well here we are

[den-of-the-jadewizard]

Whumptober: Day Four: I see the danger, it's written there in your eyes

A/N: YOU TAKE THE MOON AND YOU TAKE THE MOON AND YOU TAKE THE MOON AND YOU TAKE THE MOON AND YOU TAKE THE MOON AND YOU TAKE THE MOON AND YOU TAKE THE-

Or Moon gets some bad news and Rivulet has to do something they really don't want to do.

It was an average cycle...at least for Ruffles.

Water flooded into Moon's systems, willingly this time as her cooling system tried to keep up with the pure overwhelming anxiety she felt. It honestly felt like she was having the iterator equivalent of a panic attack right then. Her systems hitched, a low buzzing emanating from her puppet.

Something crawled into her lap, she flinched but quickly realized that it was Ruffles. She clung tightly to them as they made strange sounds of what could be attempts at comforting her. Eventually the panic subsided, and she lessened her grip.

Ruffles stayed on her lap for a while longer, looking up at her, they seemed a bit worried about her still. Clearly whatever that was could not have been good for her. A lot of things weren't.

"I'm fine, Ruffles," She lied, "You don't have to worry."

One of their brows raised, doubt on their face. Moon paused, anxiety biting her once more, but she buried it down. She couldn't tell them what she knew, what she just found out today. It would break their heart; she couldn't let it happen.

"It's okay," she said, attempting to more convince herself rather than them.

It would be fine. They would be long gone before it became an issue to her.

They still didn't seem to believe her, however they squirmed out of her grip, moving to the far side of the island, where they kept some left-over fruits for dinner. They slowly munched on the fruit, Ruffles doing anything slow was unusual, and Moon has never seen anyone eat so anxiously before.

Oh, Ruffles...

She froze, something catching her optics, hot pink lurking near her chamber, she silently alerted Ruffles to it as well in case of it being a predator. Both stared out of the chamber's damaged hull, waiting for it to show itself.

To their surprise, it was an overseer. However, it was one Moon had not recognized. It hadn't belonged to anyone of her local group, it was quite unusual to see an overseer so far from its iterator as well.

It was quite mysterious really.

"H-hello, I do not recognize who you are from, overseer," She stuttered a bit, "I suppose there is not much here for you or who is watching behind your lens. My coms have been down for quite some time as well."

The overseer took this information in, nodding strictly in affirmation, then it looked to Ruffles who was cocking their head to the side like a confused lizard pup. The overseer made a strange warbling noise, to which the slugcat perked up at, chirping at it.

It made sounds and they replied, it was clear they understood one another somehow. Moon watched them chatter with one another, musing that someone else from other far lands had somehow made a translator for these creatures. 

She had to admit that she was slightly jealous of its ability to communicate with slugcats. It would be practical if not at least recreative to understand them.

The overseer nudged itself towards Moon while warbling what sounded like a question. It took a moment for Ruffles to reply, but then they suddenly dropped to the floor making mock explosion noises.

Moon pondered this interaction for a whole minute, but then it clicked, it wondered what had happened to her.

"I've suffered a total structural collapse due to a... drought that had occurred some time ago," She rattled off numerous damages, as well as error codes they would find interesting if they could decode it.

The overseer nodded at her, seeming to understand the graveness of her state, then it looked to Ruffles again with a sound. They perked up at whatever it said to them, they gazed back and forth from Moon to it several times, before they warbled in awe and asked something.

It nodded at them, then it said something that made them flinch in response. The world itself seemed to slow as they stood there wide eyed, it seemed it wasn't anything good that was said.

It looked at Moon again almost morosely, then the overseer almost threw itself to the side to avoid a rock that was chucked at it. 

Both it and Moon stared as Ruffles heaved, their slick fur bristling and their body writhing in apparent agitation. Then they got in front of Moon; arms outstretched in defense of her.

The overseer made another sound, placating.

Ruffles snarled at it.

It said another word before it turned and left them both.

They panted for a moment, lingering for a bit longer before trudging back to Moon and laying against her side. Ruffles sighed grumpily.

What could've possibly gotten into them? Moon pondered. What did it say that incurred such wrath in them? Maybe she would never know, but it was clear it was not good, and it had upset them greatly. She placed comforting hand against their back.

"Ruffles... The cycle is almost over. It's not safe here, you should take shelter."

They only huffed in response.

Moon hummed. They could stay a few minutes more she supposed.

...

Her systems shuttered, metaphorical heart dropping when she got the news from her status report. No... this couldn't be happing, and so soon? Now? Was this some sick joke the ancients were playing on her?

She thought she had more time, but she didn't.

It was too late now.

Moon sat there on her little island. On the outside she seemed calm, but she was screaming on the inside. She was almost as terrified as the time she was when she collapsed. It should've been expected really at some point, it was a long time coming for her.

She just couldn't believe after all this time, and after everything that this would happen.

The sound of something splashing into the water broke her out of her stupor. Ruffles approached her island, carrying a pearl for her to read.

Moon tried to ignore how she felt as she automatically rattled on what was written on the pearl. It almost worked, she could almost forget, almost pretend that she wouldn't-

She screeched in pain as her sight flashed red with errors, her puppet convulsing on the floor in a seizure, pearl left forgotten on the ground. Ruffles rushed towards her, franticly whining in concern. Moon just laid there even after gaining reason back, she numbly gazed at them for long while. Eventually she sat up, gazing down at her island.

"I'm not okay," She admits finally, dragging circles in the sand with her digits. "I didn't want to tell you...that everything you did was for nothing and I..."

She sighed, resting her hands on her knees.

"I'm dying, Ruffles."

The admission went through them like bolt of lightning, the whole world stopped and seemed to spin at the same time, their heart had clearly shattered, like a cyan lizard smashing through a glass pane.

Ruffles cocked their head to the side, wabbling franticly like a drowning creature, a question she knew without words.

Why!?

Moon was reluctant to say, avoiding their gaze. She didn't want to, but she knew they wouldn't just let this go. Finally, she relented.

"You know how Pebbles is sick?" She started, "And how you gave me that power orb from him? Some of his sickness snuck onto it before you got there..." She trailed off.

Ruffles paused, thinking in concentration as they mulled over her words, trying to understand what she meant.

Their legs bucked underneath themselves sending them onto their haunches, horror washed over all of their features as they stared at nothing, chest rising and falling rapidly in apparent hyperventilation, the realization had stuck them with an unrelenting terror.

Ruffles had killed Moon.

Inadvertently.

"It's not your fault, Ruffles!" Moon pleaded, "It's not your fault."

They slowly moved their gaze up to stare at her, horror still etched onto their face.

"I didn't want you to know...to grieve me and morn. I simply thought...I thought I had more time."

Ruffles limbs grew slack, shoulders slumping as their expression grew grave. They then did a gesture with their hands, small fingers flexing back and forth.

How long do you have left?

"I feel the strain in my systems is a more aggressive and faster growing version of Pebble's rot. Perhaps it had adapted to his attempts to rid himself of it..." She cut her musings off with a sigh, an estimate coming to her in quick fashion, "Five cycles at most."

For the third time this cycle another shock smashed into them. That was not very long at all, considering how quick cycles seemed to be now a days.

"I- it's not safe here, Ruffles...you should leave-"

The slugcat lunged and buried themselves into her arms. They made heart wrenching whines as they held on tight to the iterator. Moon couldn't help but break down as well holding on to them just as tightly and for the first time in a long while...

She cried over the tragedy of it all.

...

The next few cycles were spent awkwardly.

Ruffles refused to leave Moon's side till the rain came once again and they had to part. Moon reasoned that even when she died, that they still wouldn't leave till the rot had consumed every inch of her and leave nothing left to morn.

The thought was heartbreaking enough on its own.

They grieved of course until they're tears were spent, then they sat in the silence trying to enjoy what was left of their time together. There were moments where they could just pretend everything was fine, that they would always see each other on the next cycle. Joy was had rarely as the thought of it all ending soon always damped it, snuffing it out quick as it happened.

There were times where Moon caught Ruffles staring at her strangely, as if they were pondering about something.

Then on the last cycle it happened again, this time very early as well. They stared at Moon again, but this time it was different, she could tell. That look unnerved her greatly, she couldn't place why. As the gaze continued to bore down on her, her biological side screamed at her that this wasn't right, her logical side concluded her feelings however.

Ruffles was staring at her like a predator, her body treating them like they were a threat to her wellbeing.

They started to breath heavily all of sudden, their tiny fists balling as they glared at the ground. It was all concerning.

"R-Ruffles...?" She stuttered out, nervousness clear on her tone.

They sighed hard, body unclenching and after a moment they suddenly looked up at her again, this time their expression was determined anger, as if they had steeled themselves for a hard task that had to be done.

As they slowly approached her, Moon writhed backing as far away from them as arm would let her, soon her legs futilely kicked across the sand unable to gain more ground from them.

"Ruffles, you're scaring me!" She claimed, "What are you-!"

They went around her till they stood behind her, staring at her back where her wires were.

"No! You shouldn't go back there it's-"

Ruffles grabbed one of her wires and yanked as hard as they could.

Moon screamed, warnings flashed into her mind, the pain overwhelmed all and any senses, it was one of the worst pains she had ever felt, and she had suffered much agony before.

When she came back from the blinding pain, she found herself on the floor, tears blurring her optics. Ruffles stood there next to her, one of her cords dislodged entirely in their hands, they let it drop to the floor and gave her a sympathetic glance before getting behind her again and grabbing another wire.

"Don't-!"

They yanked another out sending her back into the agony again.

In a pain induced panic, she lunged at the slugcat, intending to stop them at all costs, but it was clear Ruffles was far stronger than her and after a quick struggle she found herself pinned to the ground.

They laid on her back, their hands and feet pinning her limbs down, tail slapped upon her head, preventing all and any movement.

As she felt their teeth sink into the next wire, the horrible realization that there was nothing she could do washed over Moon like the rain. She could do nothing but scream and writhe under the torment her friend was causing to her.

She felt utterly helpless.

"W-hy...doing-doing this-s-s?" She stuttered out, voice horse and glitching out, "Ru-ru-ffles...please-se-se..."

The pain was started to fade, dulling as the errors quickly became less frequent as well, eventually stopping altogether, she would've found it strange if the pain and grief didn't eat her alive.

The last thing Moon felt was Ruffles sinking their teeth into the final cord on her back, then nothing.

...

The first thought that came to Moon was that she did not expect to ever wake again after all of that...

All of that?

She stilled when the memories came flooding back, the sight of Ruffles standing on the far side of the island filling her with anger.

"YOU!!!"

Moon pointed an accusatory finger at them, they flinched under her gaze, almost shrinking. Despite the lingering ache of her body, she furiously made her way towards them to give them a piece of her mind.

"HOW COULD YOU!?" She demanded.

With every step she took, Ruffles took another one back, till eventually they slipped and fell backwards into the water. They quickly rightened themselves to glance guiltily at Moon and then avoid her gaze.

She continued to approach them, screaming.

"I TRUSTED YOU! AND-"

She could feel as if she were about to cry but her mood snapped, mild surprise overcoming her as she noticed the feeling of cool water up to her neck. She glanced down, she was in the water.

What...?

But how? Her arm couldn't reach that far...unless.

Moon looked behind her and everything that happened became clear to her.

Her umbilical cord lay on the island barren and empty. She wasn't attached to it anymore.

How could this be?

Ruffles warbled next to her worriedly.

"...That's what they suggested, wasn't it?"

The lack of answer said everything she needed to know.