Book Three – Chapter Twelve – Part Six – The Fleeting Touch of a Friend

After a few minutes of walking on a gravel road, Servi and Momo came to a fork. Looking at the sign proudly displayed nearby, they continued their journey towards Arcton while ignoring the path of dirt that trailed off in the other direction. Trees of brown and grass and leaves of green filled their sights. It was oddly quiet. There were no birds chirping, and the lack of small animal-like creatures frolicking through the tree line proved eerie. The pair only heard the low breaths each one took as they traveled forward with each step.

Not too long after that, they encountered... it.

It happened when Momo noticed the area to her right was utterly devoid of trees. A closer examination made her realize that the trees weren’t just missing. There was no ground for them to grow and thrive in.

“A hole... It’s true…” Momo whispered. They stood on the outer cusp of a large pit, a horrible wound Servi inflicted on her planet when her Mad Dog persona reached a boiling point. While listening to Servi recount her life journey, Momo questioned some of the more outrageous bits, like her friend’s immortality. The Singi realized that was the truth not long after, but when it came to her tale of making a scar in the world 3,000-kilometers deep, she absolutely refused to believe it.

It was impossible, she thought. It was odd. Momo readily believed Servi’s inability to die when she came face-to-face to a whole horde of her friend’s heads, but she found it incredibly hard to recognize the physical truth in front of her when acknowledging Servi’s power.

She stared into the void from her position after coming to a sudden stop. Servi slowed down with her and stared. Her red eyes quivered with heavy tears. For some reason, they seemed to be transparent and more vivid than when she cried a few minutes beforehand. All the while, the void stared back at its creator. The anxiousness Servi felt proved her emotions were well on the healing track. The negative sensations a person needed to balance the positives allowed them to look at things from a more objective viewpoint.

Wordlessly, Momo pointed over to a strange sight. From the vast distance standing between her, she only saw small figures gathered around the hole. Servi followed Momo’s finger, and with her vastly enhanced eyesight she made out nearly every specific detail. It didn’t take long for her to realize the purpose of the gathering.

“They’re about to...to... jump,” Servi announced in a weak voice.

“Eh? But why? I—Nooo!!!” Right in front of the poor Singi, she saw four humanoid-shaped objects lean into the pit. Her breath became caught in her throat as tears spewed from her eyes. “Servy, why are they doing that?!”

“Arcton isn’t in the best of shape. But more than that, it’s an awful, terrible place to live in. With the shape I left it in, I imagine that pushed many people over the breaking point. I’d bet good money I destroyed their homes or killed their loved ones when I…" Servi lifted a hand, pointing it at the scar in the planet. "The point is, I’m the reason they’re killing themselves. I’m the hammer that struck the final nail in its coffin. It wouldn’t surprise me if Arcton as a whole ceased to exist as a city in a few weeks. That hole reaches 3,000 kilometers into the planet. It’s no consolation, but jumping into it is the most painless way to die…”

“IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD!!!!”

Servi and Momo turned to their left and saw a family emergency from the woods. It consisted of a man, the screamer, a woman who cried while holding a little baby close to her breast, and a small girl who couldn’t have been older than five. Momo didn’t know where they came from, but they must’ve been running hard because all of them were out of breath. Black dust covered their raggedy clothing and exposed skin. They all looked a bit thin in the jaw, meaning they were probably sick with some disease.

The man grabbed his daughter and struggled to pick her up. He grasped his wife’s hand, and they all ran towards the gaping void. Momo connected the two and shouted for them to stop. Her tender feelings went ignored. The man didn’t even spare her a single second. The two sets of trampling footsteps silently stomped against the ground while shortening the distance between them and their goal. The baby and little girl filled the stressed atmosphere with their fearful cries, but their piercing wails instantly diminished as gravity took hold, dragging them into the black void. After a few seconds, Momo’s incredible hearing stopped picking up anything, and that was when the tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Servy, what’s wrong?” Momo asked while wiping her eyes. The horror of seeing a family commit suicide would stick with her for a long time. She knew her dreams would be corrupted by nightmares because she only stood by and watched in shock.

Momo wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Servi did too, but she was affected far more drastically. She showed that by timidly attempting to pull away from Momo’s hand.

“Let me go. I… I could’ve stopped that family. Telekinesis… Why didn’t I use that to stop them? Why didn’t I use Earth Wall to make a blockade? Why didn’t I use Air Step to make them walk on top of the hole? Why didn’t I…do something...? Why did I...just stand by? WHY?!?!!! WWAAAHHHHH!!!” In a drastic turn, the Human exploded into an otherworldly wail of anguish. The tears gathering in her eyes flooded downward. Her seemingly unending cries illuminated her lung's lack of needing air, with it acting as a mournful noise to guide a family during their trip to the world beyond.

“H-Hey—Servi, stop that! You—”

“Let me go! If I jump now, I can still save them. Let me go, Momo! Let! Me! Go!!!” Servi, with how strong she was, lost the battle against a malnourished Singi. It was like watching a puppy tear away from a nadrium chain attached to a block of obsidian bolted into the ground.

“But you’ll get hurt! You’ll die! What if you don't come back to me this time?! I don't want to lose you again!!!!” Momo argued back. She grappled Servi’s struggling arm with her other hand. Her eyes became cloudy and wet with water, blurring her vision.

“I don’t care! Let me die if it means I can save them! I’m nothing but a—”

“DON’T SAY IT!!! DON’T YOU DARE SAY IT!!!!” shouted Momo. She held her emotional ground and spoke her true thoughts without any sort of filter. She determinedly stared right into her best friend’s eyes. “DON’T EVER SAY IT EVER AGAIN!!!!!!” She jerked her arm towards her, bring Servi along for the ride. In another bold move, Momo embraced the girl in a hug and a squeeze.

The Singi became a physical seal meant to prevent Servi from sacrificing herself to save a family that was already dead. Even if the parents were rescued, there wasn’t anything suggesting their way of thinking would change. Once they were that far gone, in both mind and body, it was nearly impossible to alter their perception on life and its value. In that regard, one might argue that Servi could've saved the two children. But that would mean she had to potentially kill herself, and Momo would not stand for that. As harsh as it was, she didn't want to lose Servi again. In a way, Momo was just as much of a monster as Servi was, yet her concern came from her friend's wellbeing. She just couldn't watch her friend die again. Even if she had True Immortality, what if it failed to activate?

Servi broke down again and cried into Momo’s pink hair. She ran her hands down Servi’s trembling back, tilted her head up, and whispered. “You’re not a monster. I know that was what you were going to say, but I’ll say it as many times as I need to. I’m not gonna sugar-coat it, Servi. You killed a lot of people this past week. You killed fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, grandpas, and grandmas...

“But that was my fault. If only I would’ve listened to your story-- If I had taken a moment to stay calm and think about things, this wouldn't have happened. But it did happen, and I feel just as guilty because I had a hand in that family jumping over the edge.

“But I think guilt can be a good thing in moderation. As long as you feel that emotion—that sadness and sorrow— you’re no monster. A monster would kill and kill and kill without remorse and even enjoy it without stopping. But I know you’re not like that. I’ve seen and experienced your guilt first hand… Just have that be enough of a punishment for yourself. You saved hundreds of lives two months ago, you rescued me, and you saved the lives of everyone living in Canary. To those slaves, you’re a hero, through and through. And to me, you’re my savior, too. We’re only here, alive and able to breathe the air and drink the water because of you.

“I haven’t had a chance to properly thank you, so I’ll do it now. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for granting me a second chance at life. I know that for as long as I wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night, thanking you will be the first and last thing I do. And I know those slaves are grateful to you as well.”

Momo wanted her words to bring peace, but they only served the opposite. And after a few seconds of staring at Servi’s crying face, Momo knew she had made a mistake. Yet, she didn’t even think about taking them back because the blood of everyone who had died was on her hands. The knife wasn't in her hand, but her actions had been the catalyst to set forth the motions that led to her and Servi’s current situations.

As Momo waited for Servi to settle down, they witnessed and endured more than fifteen families jumping to their deaths, but that only accounted for the ones near them. It was far more likely that tens or even hundreds of people felt like the horrible and cataclysmic events hey suffered through meant the world wasn’t worth living in.

The Singi embracing the quivering Human knew that very well. It took all she had, and then more, to not break down from the insanity of the situation surrounding her. Only the hope and trust of her best friend kept her wavering soul together, but she didn’t know how long that would last. It probably wouldn’t be long until Momo needed her own crying session. But her own needs could wait, she thought. Servy comes first. She’ll always come first. We need to go to Arcton and leave as soon as we can. The quicker we get to Canary, the more prepared I can be for the second part of Servi’s healing. Itarr did say it’ll take a while. I need to do all I can.

“Servy, come on. It’s not good for you if we stay here,” Momo said. She backed up a few steps and gently took hold of Servi’s shaky hand. She held it with far more grace, treating it like a fragile object meant to be loved. Yet again, the friends found themselves connected to each other. Servi's face immediately showed signs of relief.

I don’t know how, but it’s like I don’t have a lot of time left. It feels like Servi is slowly slipping away. How will I know she moved on to the second stage of healing? Bah! No questions, Momo. Thinking only wastes time! You have gotta get a move on!

Momo looked up at Servi and closely observed her facial expressions. Before, she had tears spewing down her cheeks, but those had dried up like she was in the process of forgetting how to cry. Was that the telltale sign of when the healing would resume? If it really did reset Servi to a blank emotional state, then it would obviously mean she wouldn't know how to cry. Momo didn’t know, but she also took it to mean she had to get a move on.

She turned to the road and away from the hole, becoming a leader rather than a follower. She trekked on ahead with her best friend in tow while simply whispering words of encouragement.

“You’re doing good, Servy,” she said. “We’re almost there. Keep it up. Just focus on my voice and not the things you see.” Before long, Servi had ceased her whimpering for good, and Momo was afraid it had begun. But a few seconds later, Servi’s wailing returned. And then after that, she suddenly started talking, babbling about the nature she saw.

Momo joined in, complementing the beautiful trees and luscious green grass and leaves while creating new topics they could talk about.

“Yep, they sure are pretty. Hey, how about we have a picnic when you’re all healed? We could have a nice lunch and watch the clouds. That sounds fun, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah…” Servi said. With that single word, she closed her mouth and refused to speak for another forty minutes. Her eyes wandered up and down and all around, just taking in the sights. The world had never looked so beautiful.

When she did speak again, it was only when Servi and Momo ran into what could only be described as a mass exodus. Hundreds of people were walking away from Arcton, whose entrance the pair could see from their current location. The people leaving were grouped in moderately awkward caravans. Some used wagons and horses, but they were far and few. The vast majority of the refugees only carried what little water and food they could. The scraps of clothing clothed across their bodies meant they were from the more impoverished regions of Arcton. As to where and how some found a horse and wagon? That answer probably laid in the deceased corpse of some noble who foolishly didn’t want to leave anything behind.

Even if that un-named noble had the correct foresight to escape from a town with no future, they probably believed they could convince the squatters and less-desirables to help carry their stuff for a trivial reward. Most likely, that noble promised them a slice of the cake when they wanted the whole thing.

When left with nothing, why not risk it all? That was the thought that ran through their heads. Would they eventually meet the same fate a few hours into their travel by someone else with nothing to lose? That was entirely possible, but Servi wasn’t focused on them or that. She only had eyes for a particular wagon surrounded by armed guards. It was the only one of its kind, and Servi only saw it when they were only a few meters from Arcton’s gates.

“It’s them…” she whispered, locking eyes with a family of three sitting in the driver’s seat. It consisted of a mother and two daughters, and Servi recognized all three of them. “Lori… Leigh… Emi…” The two girls had their arms wrapped around their mother, who held a specific valuable box in one hand. The other hand gripped the leathery reins to a very familiar horse.

Its fur was brown, and its large eyes happened to look at Momo. She instantly recognized the familiar creature as the friend she had made a few short days ago. The horse slowed to a stop and softly neighed.

"Lemonade?” Momo whispered. The pair of friends froze in their tracks, staring at two different things. The armed guards keeping pace with the wagon instantly drew their weapons, which sparsely dripped with the crimson lifeblood of some foolish foe who dared to get close, and formed a defensive line. The tallest and biggest one, a Human with red hair and a nasty scar down his left eye, commanded Servi and Momo to back up. Emi looked down at Servi, and she somehow knew who she was. It seemed her children had made the connection as well, going off the sad look Servi gave them. Leigh wanted to say something, but her sister and mother prevented that.

“I have to look out for my children. Please, keep moving. Don’t make my guards kill you,” Emi said. Lori leaned her head around her mother’s back and did the best she could to calm Leigh. They all wore destroyed scraps and rags, but they were purposely trashed to blend in. That was evident by the near-flawlessness of their brown hair. Though they weren’t styled in any particular way, one would be hard-pressed to find any dirt or grime stowed away within them.

“Listen to her,” spoke the red-haired man. He retrieved a set of dog tags from his neck and proudly showed it off. We’re Rank 5! We may be middle of the pack, but we won’t hesitate to protect our clients!” He pulled a shield from his back and held it up.

“Come on, Servy. We gotta move,” Momo murmured. Truthfully, she was happy Lemonade seemed to be in good health. She was partly worried after Servi explained the truth about Old Man and his steed. Her feelings were mixed and muddy when it came to the horse’s previous owner, but she wanted nothing more than the best for her equestrian friend.

But Momo was also sharply observant of the expression on Servi’s face. She saw a mother and two daughters, and she cross-referenced that with Servi’s story. And as if that wasn’t enough, her furry ears heard Servi whispered their names.

Servi slowly nodded, and Emi whipped the reins. Lemonade resumed moving, trotting on the path ahead while neighing in annoyance. The armed guards returned to their posts, but the red-haired man remained alone until the wagon was fifteen meters away. Only then did he jog backwards, returning his shield to his back and rejoining the single-wagon convoy.

Momo also continued walking after saying a silent goodbye to Lemonade, and Servi followed as well, but she kept her head turned to the wagon. The back had a large, beige tarp covering the sides, yet the rear entrance was uncovered. It was mostly empty except for a few hastily packed boxes, cases of clothing, and a few sealed jugs of water.

“…protect them…” Servi whispered. She took out the nadrium dagger used to channel lightning and subtly used Telekinesis to fly it to Emi’s wagon. It soared close to the ground, weaving between the moving forests of legs and using the dirt kicked up by the refugees to hide its signature glow. In no time at all, it landed softly behind a box without anyone noticing. Servi wished the blade would be used to provide protection for a family that desperately needed it. And for the first time in what felt like forever, she smiled. However, her curled lips only lasted for a single second, vanishing when they properly crossed into Arcton.