My Last Dive [Made in Abyss Fanfiction]

26| Wrath of the Abyss

Mere feet away from me, I launched myself backwards, dodging the hundreds of quills that drove down into the water at my feet. I stumbled but caught myself, straightening up as the Piercer lifted its head. When our "gazes" met, I sharply turned my head to the left, the opposite direction of where Melva was now running. The Piercer looked, and I wound up and smashed my pickaxe directly into its face.

The Piercer emitted a shrieking wail of a roar, throwing its head back and almost tearing my pick from my grasp. But I managed to rip it free. Once I did, I ran. I ran for my life, blitzing through the carnage and across the flat-creeper to the one we had come from originally. Even though I didn't hear any sounds of pursuit, I continued running, beginning my frenzied ascent up the flat-creepers. The curse meant nothing to me, I had to run.

It didn't take long for somebody to blindside me, but I knew it was Melva. She embraced me tightly, clutching me in a way I never thought she could.

"Ya damn idiot, what the hell were ya thinkin'?'' she cried angrily. I could feel her shaking violently against me, like a leaf about to be swept away from a branch. "Ya could've gotten yourself killed!"

"But I didn't!" I retorted, hugging her back. "I-I didn't!"

"Ya better have smashed that bastard in the face," she spat. She pulled away from me and looked at me sternly. "I saw Gwynden run when the Piercer burst in, but I didn't see the shrimp. Where the hell is he? He'd better not have have gotten 'imself lost."

At that, my heart wrenched, my teeth gritting as it all hit me again painfully. "V-Vio, he..." I couldn't bring myself to say it, even though I knew I had to. Melva grew confused, her brow furrowing. I could see her trying to figure out what I was trying to say, so I just burst out and said it. "He's dead!"

Melva stared at me blankly, like she hadn't heard what I said. "What did ya just say?"

I held up his whistle, and Melva looked at it. "He's dead!" I repeated. "He was killed by the Piercer, he died right in front of me! He pushed me out of the way, and he got skewered, j-just completely torn up!" I broke down into sobs again, clutching a hand to my side as each jerking sob made my wound flare with pain.

The blank look on Melva's began to shift into disbelief. "Shrimp? Th-the shrimp, he's..." She looked in the direction of the carnage we'd left behind. "Vio?"

"I had a chance to distract that thing, but I didn't!" I continued sobbing, unable to help myself. "I-I was too scared, I'm a damn coward!"

"No, don't ya start this!" Melva shouted, turning back to face me. Tears were welling in her eyes now as she waged a war of anger and sadness on her face.

"But it's true!" I shouted back. "I knew what I could've done, but I didn't!"

Melva threw herself at me again, clutching me so hard I thought my ribs would bruise. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" she hissed, struggling to keep her words from shaking through her own tears. "Don't ya fuckin' dare place any of this on yourself, 'cause it's not your fault! If anythin', it's my damn fault for wantin' to go back to that flower field. I-it's my fault..!"

"No, it's not!" I exclaimed. "We all agreed, it wasn't your decision alone!"

She shook her head. "But I proposed it! If ya wanna blame anyone, blame me!"

"No, stop it!" I cried, my voice cracking. We both broke then, falling against each other as we cried and sobbed. I never thought I'd see the day where Melva would cry, and I hoped I never would. But that day had come to pass.

I didn't know how long we stood there like that, but it must not have been very long. I then noticed that Melva was silent.

"Melva?" I asked, looking down at her. Her gaze was aimed at our feet, and she had gone completely rigid.