Epidemic || BFB au

All Lost

Puffball's POV:

There was no point in calling myself a Free Food member anymore. I spent all of my time alone, away from them. I wasn't even sure if anything happened to them. Well...I'd like to hope that they'd tell me, but...I wouldn't blame them if they didn't. I hoped Bell was okay...but, something told me she was long dead by now. She was practically gone right from the start, and who knows how the others were doing?

I floated around the woods, dirt and leaves tangled into my fur. That's where I spent most of my time...it was quiet, peaceful. I tried not to think about everything, but...it was hard. Did I really do the right thing? I was protecting myself, but still...I betrayed my team. We were supposed to stick together to the end, but I ruined it. What would happen if I went back now? Would I be welcomed in with open arms? Probably not. They wouldn't forgive me so easily...not after leaving them alone like that. I just...I wish I did things differently. Maybe if I apologize, they'll take me back! I just have to show them how much I regret everything...show how much I still care...and that'll fix everything, right? It was worth a try.

I flied out of the woods, over to the spot where my team was. When I got there, everyone was asleep...strange. It was the middle of the afternoon. I spotted Fries moving, and my face lit up for a split second. But then I realized he wasn't moving normally...he was twitching, laying on his side, holding his knees. I rushed over to him, and nudged him so he rolled on his back. His face was pale, and dried blood stained his mouth. I nudged him again, and his sunken eyes opened. I was glad he was alive, but...he looked terrible.

"P...Puff...b-ball?" I jumped at the sound of his voice. It was croaky, and hoarse. The kind of voice that feels like sandpaper on the inside of your throat. I forced a smile, my eyes clouded with tears. "Yes, Fries...I'm here now..."

He shook his head slowly, clearly using all of his strength. "I...I knew you'd-" He interrupted himself by coughing violently to the side, blood splattering out of his mouth. "I...I knew you'd...be back..." I smiled through thick tears.

"D-Dead. All...dead..." He said in almost a whisper.

"W-What?" I said, looking around. Sure enough, the entire team was in the same state as him, only they weren't moving. Foldy's body was red and covered in scars...Stapy had his arms around her, blood surrounding the two of them. Bell had flies surrounding her, and she'd lost every bit of color in her face. Her string lay completely loose on the ground, no longer attatched to anything in the sky. Eraser. Yellow Face. Marker. All of them were dead. Out of their eyes pooled a strange blue liquid, like blood, but...thicker. I took a shaky breath, and suddenly inhaled the sick, rancid smell of rotting flesh. Tears fell from my eyes, as I looked back at Fries. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." I whispered. He didn't respond for almost an entire minute.

I frantically felt his chest, trying desparately to find a heart beat, but it never came. I sobbed against him, forgetting completely about catching the disease. At that point...I didn't care anymore. I just wanted my friends back.

Fries' POV:

"You need to stop, Fries. She isn't coming back." Eraser said, resting his hand on my shoulder. I shoved him off, "Yes, she is! She wouldn't leave us like that. She'll be back any second now." I replied, still looking around the field. He sighed, "Dude, you and I both know that's not true. I don't care how much you want her to come back, she isn't. Just let it go."

I didn't respond, still looking off into the distance. I heard his footsteps as he walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I hated how they were so quick to doubt her. Soon enough, she'd realize the mistake she made, and come back. She had to.

The days went by, soon turning into weeks...maybe months? I wasn't sure. The rest of the team went about their lives, helping Bell until the moment she passed. When that moment came, it was Stapy who told me. He dragged himself over, bringing me the sad and heavy news. I said nothing to him.

One by one, they all died. All of different causes, but still from the same source. It didn't take a genius to tell that it was the disease. The only strange aspect was... the symptoms. They were different every time. If it wasn't from Four, you'd think it was several different illnesses entirely. Bell was paralyzed until she rotted from the inside out. Foldy was covered in rashes and scratched herself until she bled to death. Stapy was covered in sores. Marker had muscle spasms. Yellow Face collapsed suddenly, dying instantaneously. Eraser stopped breathing. The only thing that remained the same was the liquid coming from their eyes.

Each and every one of my friends, all gone. And I said goodbye to none of them. The only thing I did was sit, and wait patiently for someone who wasn't going to come. I wanted to believe that she would, but there was a part of my mind that doubted her. The one ounce of sense I had left was screaming at me to stop, to go back and spend time with the others... but I ignored it. I ignored it until I had no one left.

Unsurprisingly, I became sick as well. My stomach ached and burned, and the pool of blood mixed with vomit around me grew every day. It got to the point where I could barely breathe. I lay on my side, waiting for the inevitable release of death.

And one day, all my waiting payed off.

I was right. She came back.

But she was too late.

a/n: wowee angst