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"Ahaaaa..."
The sound of metal followed by a thud of a body. But this sickly crash didn't belong to one of the rebellion they have slaughtered countless times. No, it belonged to an ally, a friend, a loved one. The only person that Texas could never truly leave.
"Shit." Texas whispered out watching the mess of white, red and black fall into the rubble. The sight already scarring Texas's mind forever as the worst thoughts hit her. She quickly gave off orders that allowed her to move back and aid the struggling mess on the floor. But, this was out of her control.
Any of her help would be useless, a waste of precious time because...
The crystals. The infection.
They've developed over most of her body, engulfing her white flesh with a void of endless black. Lappland shouldn't be on this battlefield, but from unforseen circumstances the Doctor let her on Texas's team to much of Amiya's vocal disapproval. Texas felt the same as Amiya, even worse, but she had trust in the Doctor's judgment if this was what they wanted, she had no reason to object. But, these unwanted emotions...
"Tex." Lappland wheezed out. Her voice that was booming only seconds ago sounded so small.
"This is not a request, this is a command." Lappland stared up at her, "I've enjoyed playing with you again. Seeing all these new Texas has been so much fun, I know you thought I said I hated it, but I've grown to love you even more as the true you." She smiled, but the heavy crystals plastered on her cheeks pullled those muscles down and caused the Lupo to whimper in pain — forcing her smile to fade.
But, the pain took her away her smile yet allowed her mouth to curl with coughs and wheezes that fizzled out into sickly pops. It sounded like a tortuous firework show coming out of Lappland's bloody mouth.
This sorry sight made Texas's heart snap into millions of pieces again as the bandages of the past were ripped from her mind.
She hasn't heard those sounds of pure pain from Lappland in years. She hadn't heard Lappland wheeze out genuine words for her to accept in years. The pureness, the honesty that held onto no pain or regret, it sounded familiar. Texas felt like she was looking down at a child. She was looking at her childhood friend. She was once again staring at the past, but with new feelings of pain catching the Lupo and pulling her back in to the bitter darkness.
The whimpers sounding exactly like when she found her for the first time when they were children. Lappland curled up into a shivering ball down an alleyway in this run down city Texas's father let her play around while he did his so-called work. Slowly, her playing became visits to the abandoned Lupo on the street side. Sneaking her food, sneaking her water, sneaking her new clothes, but each time she visited her whimpers of pain become more clearer just like now with each moment that passed. Just like then and now, this was the sound of death.
It was like Texas's kindness was suffocating her all over again — what Texas feared that she was killing Lappland herself.
"I've enjoyed chasing you, but I can't run anymore."
Texas knew what was coming.
Lappland has been asking this for years.
The reason Lappland kept searching.
The reason Texas kept running.
"All I ask of you, as my final wish, is to kill me."
She can't.
She can't bring herself to do it now or ever. She tried to push Lappland away, but everything is just coming out. The emotions, the thoughts, the tears she repressed and sealed under this aloof persona.
This was real. All too real that the final person of her past was going. Did she truly want it to be this way? Why was she thinking that now, why was she regretting it right now? This is someone she fought so valiantly to cut-off but...
Texas fell to her knees, cradling Lappland into her arms. The feeling of brittle bones, sharp stone and thin muscles making her want to clutch tighter. She couldn't let Lappland fade away now. She never wanted it in the first place. She couldn't let Lappland fade away from her past, her present and her future regardless. Regret and longing blended together, the chanting in her mind that things should've ended differently — their lives should've ended differently. New memories should've over lapped the old, she should've...
"That's the look I wanted before I got to know the true you. Don't back down now with this look of complete and utter despair." Lappland picked up Texas's sword and placed it in her hands.
Together. Their fingers intertwined with one another for one final time as together they pressed the blade to Lappland's chest. The only place that had no crystals covering it — how cruel.
"Now, please. Kill me."
And this time, she finally listened to Lappland's words — she would no longer refuse Lappland anymore. And on that day the old Texas returned on the battlefield. Holding Lappland's memories heavy in her heart to unleash havoc once more.