Amethyst?

Mhm?

How do you feel? The Voice asks her, concerned.

Not that good… I’m sick with something right?

I… think so.

It hurts everywhere, even my thoughts seem a little hazy.

Almost if I was back under his control again...

But that’s not possible, is it?

…

Listen…

I…

I... gotta tell you something…

What is it?

Umm…

I...

...

N-never mind… it’s nothing…

Just try to hang in there okay?

I’m rooting for you.

You even got that nice man to help you now, you’ll be fine.

Do you think I can trust him?

I’m positive you can, he seems like a genuine, good willed man.

...

I don’t think so… he’s just trying to build trust before he betrays me...

He’s a human after all.

I mean, I’m human, I’ve never betrayed you right? Just trust him, he only wants to help.

What do you mean, how could you be a human, Voice?

What are you even?

…

The Voice does not answer, but Amethyst still continues giving it a piece of her mind.

I don’t even know you.

You are just a voice in my head.

...

Chiming in even when I'm awake, without asking.

Nesting in my head uninvited....

Obscuring and taking over my thoughts...

…

I’m sorry…

The Voice apologizes.

…

Amethyst wakes up.

It’s morning and the sun has risen, the dawn’s rays casting long shadows through the trees and foliage.

She feels much better and sits up, but as she does, her head throbs with immense pain, she almost passes out on the spot.

Ahh what… why? I feel fine now… I think the fever passed… but why…

What is this splitting pain?

My back still burns and aches, but that’s to be expected...

Why my head?

Amethyst just staggers and sways even while sitting up, without meaning to, she just cannot hold still.

A burned out campfire is before him, on the other side, Frank still sleeps on his side, laying on the grass, Pineapple curled up against his stomach.

His nostrils contract and subtract as he breaths, her long blond hair disheveled and full of grass, a silly smile on his lips.

Frank…

He’s still sleeping...

Amethyst slowly stretches her legs and balances herself with her blades as she manages to stand up.

After some trembling, her legs steady and she takes an unsure step, repeating the motion with each of her legs one after the other.

She manages to keep her balance, but it’s slow going.

“MEAOOW!” A booming yawn sounds as Pineapple wakes and stretches its legs.

Frank shoots up to a sitting position, instantly woken up.

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“Wha-!?” He glances around getting his bearings before realizing the source of the sound.

“Oh Pineapple…”

Frank spots the sneaking Amethyst, trying to slip away along the river's bank unnoticed, though not hidden at all.

“Where are you going?”

Amethyst stops walking and looks back his way.

“Away”

“Is that wise?”

…

“How are you feeling?” Frank asks another question as his previous one was left without an answer.

“Good, I’m fine” Amethyst buzzes quickly.

“You don’t look too good. You are practically shaking non-stop”

“It’ll pass. I’ll be fine” Amethyst dismisses him.

Frank stands up.

“You think so? I wouldn't be so sure.

You aren’t flushed anymore, but you are even paler than yesterday when I saw you for the first time, and that’s saying a lot”

“I’m always pale”

“Do you look like you're always in constant pain too?”

“So what? Are you going to stop me from leaving? Fight me over it?” Amethyst raises her hand blades up and in front of her body.

“Whoa there, I’m not going to fight you” Frank holds his open hands before him as if to calm her.

Though in your weakened state I think I might have a pretty good shot” He can't help but add.

Amethyst turns her whole body around and steps towards Frank, he retreats a step in response.

She almost falls after the step, having to take support with her blades to not to.

“I wasn’t trying to provoke you, it’s just a fact. Look, this forest is quite safe, but not that safe.

Plus you did let out some apex predators out yesterday, and who knows what else has taken residence here over the years with all the escaped animals”

Well I do, most of them don’t live so near to the facility, but it’s still a chance.

“…” Amethyst does not say anything.

“What would you achieve with just wandering around aimlessly?”

“…”

“What do you want to do?”

“...”

“There must be something right?”

“...”

“Do you want to go home?”

“!”

Amethyst wakes up as if she was in a trance before.

“Yes…

I… want to know what happened to mother too…”

“You know that she’s... dead… right?”

“Yes…” Amethyst affirms forlorn.

“I’m not sure what they did with your mother, but I can try to find out.

I live here in the forest, come with me to my house, you can eat and rest there while you wait”

“Oh! That reminds me” He shoves his hand to his right pocket and takes out the cyan berries, most had survived the night unsquashed.

“I gathered these for you, they’re safe to eat and nutritious, albeit taste a bit bad”

He slowly walks towards Amethyst with his hand bearing berries extended before him.

Amethyst lets him get close without showing resistance.

Frank is right there, before her, looking up at this two meter insect.

“Uhh, how do we do this? I… can’t just give these to you… can I?”

Franks heart races in his chest, frantically pumping blood through his stiff body, in full alert mode.

Amethyst's many blades being intimidating enough from afar, not comparing to the terror of being within in their slashing range.

Amethyst is eyeing the berries on Frank's palm intently.

I’m still so hungry…

Without saying anything, Amethyst lowers her posture and leans forward.

Her mouth growing closer to Frank’s open hand.

Amethyst opens her mouth, the mandibles wriggle out.

Oh god. Frank steels himself and looks through squinted eyes.

As she lowers her head, the purple flocks of hair fill his view, her two long bangs hanging in the air and shake, as she still trembles.

Ascending even lower, her head now right above his open palm, the mandibles start plucking the berries from Frank’s hand.

It tickles as the small blade like appendages poke at the berries and gently brush against his hand in the process, reminding him of the sensation of feeding fish, when they try to nibble your fingers and feet.

He holds back laughter, fearing for his life if he lets it out.

She swallows the berries whole, barely tasting them at all, only a faint bitterness spreading from the few punctured berries.

Finally Amethyst raises her head and it’s over.

Frank’s eyes water from holding in the laughter caused by this stimulation, he finally breaths out and quickly wipes his eyes clean with his left hand.

“S-shall we get going then?” Frank asks still a little shaken.

Pineapple appears from somewhere and brushes itself against Amethyst’s left front leg.

“Can you get me back home?” She asks with judging eyes.

“I… don’t know, you will need a spaceship to get there, you come from Midnight Iris, right?”

Amethyst tilts her head quizzically.

“I don’t know”

“I suppose you might not know what name we have given your planet...

Well, that’s where your file said you were from, so it must be true”

Frank pauses for a while to think before continuing:

“Anyway, I’ll try to find you a way home when I investigate what happened to your mother too, how about it?”

“Why?” Amethyst bluntly asks.

“I want to help you”

“Why?”

“I was sent to capture you, yes, with orders from above... but I want to learn from you, get to know you, you know?”

“No I don’t know…” She admits.

“Oh, well, you are just so extraordinary, so different, I want to… well I don’t want to obey them anymore, I won’t turn you in, if that’s what you are worried about”

Amethyst remains silent, looking unconvinced, so Frank continues:

“I think I’ve had enough of the broader life for now, maybe it’s time I made a change, stay in the straight and narrow, I haven’t exactly been true to myself since...

“Well, anyway, thanks for the uhh- wake up call” He finishes awkwardly and timidly holds his arm.

“You’re… welcome?” Amethyst says, confused, answering like the feeling in the back of her aching head compelled her to.

“So are you ready to go now? Don’t worry it’s not too far, though we will probably have to take it quite slow”

“Okay… let’s go” Amethyst finally relents, having a good feeling about the first real choice she has got to make herself.

Never again would she be made to submit to anyone against her will.