Four o'clock came and Kettle was nowhere to be seen. Ceramica stood outside her favorite bar, tapping her foot impatiently. She looked up and down the street. It was dead. Not a soul wandered the dirt road. It was so quiet that one could've heard a single tumbleweed bouncing across the way if it had existed. Everyone was safe inside their house, awaiting the signal that it was safe to resume their normal lives. It seemed to her that even Kettle was taking the old rat seriously. She waited and waited, but there was still not a soul to be seen. If Kettle didn't want to help his friend, then it was up to her to talk some sense into the creature.
The pink kettle took off for the town's border. She cautiously looked around before ultimately making a dash for the exit. Just as she neared the boundary line, Chiron happened to be trotting into view. Ceramica gasped and came to a halt.
"Chiron! I was just-!"
"Going to look for David?" He finished her sentence. "I know."
"You're going to turn me in now, aren't you?" Her spout hung down towards the ground. She waited in silence for a moment, thinking that she had gotten into big trouble for sure this time.
"Send my apologies with you." The centaur finally said. "Please tell David that I never wanted to hurt him. That I was wrong to join the crowd and drive him out like that. Perhaps there is still hope to make a friend of him instead of an enemy. But it must be done quickly! He won't stay sane for much longer."
Ceramica couldn't believe what she was hearing. Chiron was actually going to let her go and leave the village. Surely he knew that he would directly be disobeying his leader? But it appeared that the gray centaur would be willing to risk it.
"Chiron....you...?" The pink kettle was at a loss for words at the hybrid's noble gesture.
"Go! Quickly! Before someone sees!" He hissed quietly and stepped out of the way.
"Thank you, friend!" She whispered back as her glass body took off as fast as it could.
Ceramica made for the last spot she knew she had seen him while he was still a faun. It was the very place where he completed his painful transformation. After a long and grueling hike, the pink kettle finally made it all the way up where she needed to be. Long breaths emitted from her spout that were so hot that steam formed inside. Her eyes quickly darted around for any signs of where David could have gone. Traveling even further into the mountain, she soon came upon the very cave that the faun had hidden all of his valuables. Her pink boots cautiously stepped inside the mouth of the cave. Pieces of armor were littered around the cave, prestigiously propped up on rocks. They looked horribly dented and rusted, but yet had been arranged so carefully. Even the golden trident leaned against the wall. Ceramica realized that this had to mean that someone had been here recently or perhaps was still here.
"Hello? Anyone home?" Her small voice echoed into the cave. No one answered. She looked around at the various armor pieces. Ceramica leaned down and picked up the helmet that scarcely resembled one anymore. Gloved hands felt it over and tried to rub some of the rust off it. And then an idea came to her; if she could bring back evidence that he had left quietly, then the village could be lifted from its lockdown.
"Where are you going with my helmet?" A voice immediately answered. The pink glassware's spout whipped up to see two glowing eyes just in front of her. Scarlet red rings had formed around his pupils. They glared at her with a clear passion of distrust. Ceramica gasped and started backing away from the furry creature. Without a thought, David followed her out into the light. He stalked toward her on all fours, lashing the spade of his tail back and forth. His shoulder height came up to the base of her spout, allowing him to get a good view of her startled reaction.
"I-I'm sorry for touching your helmet! I-I didn't know anyone was home!" The pink kettle stuttered, clearly afraid of what the creature could do to her. Her boot tripped on a small stone and sent her to her bottom. David kept coming toward her even though she had stopped. "Wait! Wait! I came to talk!" A gloved hand shot outward to keep him from coming closer. His round head stopped and loomed over her. A look of hate gleamed in his eyes.
"Why are you here?" The faun growled, tilting his head to the side.
"I am here to make peace." She steadied her voice and answered.
"Peace? Your people clearly do not want peace! Yet you out of all of them are here before me. I thought – I hoped – it would have been Kettle." His eyes shifted to stare off in the distance, a hint of mourning glistened them.
"Kettle was supposed to come!" Ceramica pointed out.
"Then why isn't he here?" The creature snarled, averting its attention back to the pink kettle that lay underneath him.
"I....I don't know." She said, sounding both confused and sad. "But I'm here to help you even if Kettle isn't."
"You help me? And how are you going to do that?"
"You're not a monster, David, and you know it." The kettle said calmly. "I believe it too." The red highlights in his eyes seemed to fade away. A fire of anger rumbling in his heart was immediately doused as the female's words reached him. Ceramica watched as he backed off a bit and offered a paw to help her up. After pulling the kettle to her feet, he walked back toward the cave. The creature hid just under the lip of its mouth. For David was still a bit self-conscious about his new appearance when he wasn't seething with rage.
"You really want to help?" He cast a cautious glance over his shoulder.
"Of course, David!" She then gave a sigh of regret. "If only we had just told you the truth about the dragon, none of this would have happened..."
Yes! Shame on them! A voice in David's head hissed at him. The round head winced and turned away from the female.
"Chiron wanted to tell you that he's sorry that he helped chase you out. Sir Tiberius has put the whole town on lockdown and no one can go anywhere until he says so. We need a way to help you and the town that doesn't involve direct contact with you and them...."
"How do you propose we do that?" The black creature asked, laying down with his paws crossed. He had pushed that voice away for now and was still calm. His heart was hopeful that they could find a solution in which he could live peacefully.
"Well....first of all we need a place for you to live. It needs to be far enough away that Sir Tiberius can't detect you." Ceramica described as she began to pace back and forth with the helmet still in her hands. "Got any thoughts?"
"I suppose I could go back to the Alps. The yetis seemed to like me enough." His imp ears twitched in delight as he thought about being among those that respected him.
"Good! Second, I'm going to need you to promise not to come near the town. Anywhere else is fine, just not within a thirty-mile radius of the town. Sir Tiberius can't see much farther than that."
"Okay, I'm fine with that." So far everything the female said was doable.
"Lastly...." The kettle stopped pacing and looked down at the dented helmet. She cringed at suggesting this part. For Ceramica did not know how he would react to this request. A heavy sigh emitted from her spout. "I'm going to need proof that you've given me your word. If I could just borrow your helmet to show them your peace offering-"
"Borrow my helmet?" The creature questioned with a snarl rising in his throat. The pink kettle flinched at the raised tone. She immediately became nervous again. And the furry creature could sense it. Her fear fueled the voice in his head to take over the furry body's actions.
"I-it's only borrowing it. I promise to bring it back as soon as I can!" Ceramica stuttered out, almost shaking in her boots.
Why are you letting her touch your property? Get it back! The voice egged him on. Once again, David attempted to fight the dark voice that tried to take him over. He could feel his muscles tighten and try to stand up. His eyes squeezed shut as he turned his head back and forth, trying to resist what his body was attempting to do.
"S-stop! It's not a big deal!"
"David! Are you okay?" Ceramica started to come closer as she watched him paw at his head as if he were in pain.
"I'm fine!" He snapped, trying to keep her at a distance. Her boots stood still as she stared at the shadowed creature.
"So you agree to the terms?"
"Yes!" Said David in a strained voice. A gray paw was pressed to his forehead. He felt a bad headache pulse at his skull. Ceramica gave a sigh of relief.
"This is great!" She beamed. "And I'll make a promise to you: I promise that both Kettle and I will come visit you wherever you end up. We'll still be your friends no matter what!"
She lies! They won't be there for you! Once they get what they want, they'll forget about you! No one will ever want to be around you ever again!
"No! No, you're wrong!" His body got up and began to thrash around.
"David!" Cried Ceramica.
"I thank you for your help, Ceramica, but you have to go! Now! Before something bad happens!" The black creature yelped as he continued to seize and throw himself around. His furry body wanted to go forward and tear the female apart. David could feel that desire burning underneath his skin and did everything he could to prevent it. He then purposefully jumped himself high, hitting his head against the stone ceiling. A loud thunk echoed throughout the cave as the pink kettle watched as the creature collapsed to the ground. Everything went quiet as Ceramica stared on. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that she should be heeding his warning. The female glassware turned around and made for home. She had not made it even a quarter of a mile away when something grabbed her arm and yanked her to a stop. The pink kettle turned around to see that a gray paw held firm on her appendage. Her eyes then moved upward as she realized the creature was now standing on its hind legs. Its tall, lanky figure loomed over her with a growl in its throat. The red rings around his pupils had returned, and they were burning with a vengeance.
"Give it to me!" It sneered with a voice a bit raspier than David's usual tone. The second gray paw snatched the dented metal from her grip.
"David, wait! Snap out of it! Remember our deal!" She said, groping to get the item back. Her panicked behavior ceased as she looked into his eyes. "Please calm down." Ceramica added softly.
"Snap, huh? Not a bad idea." The sinister voice said. A toothy smile came to his face as his paw tightened its grip on the female's arm as he began to twist it. Her pained screams only pushed the smile wider.
"David, stop! Let her go!" Came Kettle's voice as he finally clamored over to the girl. He put himself between her and the black creature. David immediately let go of the pink kettle when a sword was pointed in his direction. But he was not at all panicked by this. He merely dropped down to all fours and stared on with the same look of hate in his eyes, dented helmet under his paw.
"Well, well, look who finally decided to show up." The faun announced in an annoyed fashion.
"Are you okay?" Kettle quietly whispered to the trembling female behind him.
"I'm fine." She said, still feeling like the creature's grip remained tightly on her arm. Ceramica rubbed the spot tenderly as she cradled it close to her torso.
"I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me." David said in his evil voice. For it did not sound even remotely sad about what it had just said. "This one wanted to take my property.... And I don't take kindly to that." His yellow eyes shifted to Ceramica as he began to move toward them.
"Stand down, David! She doesn't mean any harm!" The brown kettle ordered as the sword aimed for his shoulder.
"Do I look like David to you?" It answered back and kept coming forward. "No, I am much more. From now on, I will be called the Devil! And I will answer to no other name!"
Kettle held fast and let the sword touch his friend's shoulder. But the furry creature took no notice and kept moving. The blade pressed against the skin and ultimately broke it. A trickle of blood oozed down from the shoulder and dripped to the ground. David still seemed to feel no pain even though there was a visible wound on him. The two kettles stared in horror at his tolerance, or even lack of feeling, to pain.
"Okay, okay! Just please calm down!" Kettle stuttered.
"No one wants to hurt you, David." Ceramica said calmly. The faun eventually stopped moving into the dagger and stood still for a moment. Red rings in his eyes began to fade as David regained control of himself for a little while. His glowing eyes blinked rapidly and then ultimately looked down at the sword piercing his hide. David panicked at the sight of this. His furry body crumpled up and fell backwards. Pain began to feel very real to him again. Sprawling on his back, two gray fingers tenderly inspected the bleeding area. His breathing was very uneasy as he looked from himself to the two kettles standing before him. The dented helmet lay by his side instead of in the female's hands.
"Why are you still here? Take it and go! Quickly!" His paw swiped the item back toward the pink glassware.
"Thank you, David! I'll be back as soon as I can!" Ceramica then grabbed the brown kettle by the arm. "Let's go!" Kettle dragged his feet and hesitated to leave the creature while he seemed like himself.
"Please come see me tomorrow, Kettle!" Said the faun desperately as his friend was dragged away. For Kettle realized it had only been a day and David was so very lonely already. He was desperate to have friends, but he also realized that having others around was a risk. There was no telling when that voice would talk to him and make him do things he didn't want to do. He knew that he needed time to learn control of it before he had visitors again.
Meanwhile, Ceramica dragged the male down the mountain at an accelerating pace. She finally jerked him to a halt before they entered the town.
"Why didn't you come?" The pink kettle huffed as she stood in front of him. It was clear that she was mad that he didn't make an effort to show up on time.
"I-I couldn't!" Kettle answered, huffing even harder than the female. "Sir Tiberius called me in for a talk and I couldn't just leave. It was as if he knew what we were trying to do. That's why he purposefully separated us. I bet he thought that you wouldn't go if I wasn't there. But he seemed to know just when you did leave, because he sent me after you immediately."
"Okay, so you're not to blame." She sighed in relief. "Are you coming with me to talk to him now?"
"Of course." He replied. They then headed off for Tiberius' place.
After a grueling hour of trying to convince the hairless rat that David had made a promise to leave them alone and find a place of his own, Tiberius finally believed his pupil that had become almost as stubborn as her mentor. When there was something that Ceramica believed in, there was no convincing her otherwise. For she would fight for it until the other person finally agreed or left. The town was lifted from lockdown and the pink kettle meant to go return the helmet first thing in the morning. However, someone knew that she would be going and did not want her to be there by herself again.
"I'll go." Kettle said. "I can't risk you getting hurt again."
"Stop treating me like a child, Kettle!" She pouted. "I can take care of myself!"
"I know that. But I can't have you putting yourself in danger when he should be my responsibility."
Ceramica reluctantly stayed in the village. She felt some responsibility to the faun as well. A promise had been made to him that she would come visit him and return the helmet. How would he react when someone else returned it? Hopefully all would be fine. Kettle was David's friend after all. And if he was going to listen to anyone, it would be Kettle, right?
Before the brown kettle could even reach the mountain, the black creature came bounding down toward him, golden trident in hand. He looked spooked.
"I've brought your helmet back, friend." Kettle said as David skidded to a halt in front of him. But the creature seemed to take no notice of the object in the person's hand. He breathed erratically as tears streamed down his furry cheeks. "What's wrong, David?"
"Oh, Kettle! I've done something terrible!" The faun bawled.
"Calm down and tell me what happened." Kettle replied, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.
"I don't know what came over me, but I killed someone for no reason! It-it was a poor turtle! And I.... I ripped its shell right off its back! It was so awful! The poor thing was still alive for a minute after I did that! I don't know why I didn't run for help.... I just stared at it until it finally did die." Gray paws covered his face as he sobbed into them. "It was an accident.... I didn't mean to...."
Are you sure about that? The voice probed. You know you enjoyed it.
"Just...just go away! Stop talking to me!"
Does it bother you, David? Am I getting under your skin? Don't bother fighting it. No one can resist my will.
Kettle saw that the black creature was talking to himself. Perhaps he heard a voice, he thought. It must be the one telling him to do these things. Kettle knew he had to help his friend if he could.
"Is there anything I can do to help you, David?"
"Yes! I need you to do me a favor!" The faun said, immediately thinking of the only way out. His paw knocked the helmet out of the kettle's hand. He then shoved the trident there in its place. Aiming the prongs for his heart, he looked to Kettle with his eyes pleading for mercy. "I need you to kill me." The brown kettle looked stunned. David realized this look meant he didn't want to. "It doesn't work if I do it to myself. Believe me, I've already tried. That's why it has to be you."
The air hung still between the two creatures. They stood silently, staring at each other intently.
"Please! I'm begging you! If there was ever something I needed from you, this is it!" David sobbed and helped the weapon to touch his fur. "Just one swift push! Please!" But Kettle turned completely pale and stood there in silence. Even the air hung still around them. The atmosphere was completely noiseless. Not even any birds or insects could be heard chirping in the distance. David began to sob and breath audibly in his utter desperation to be liberated from his new position. Thick streams of water ran down his furry cheeks. The brown kettle felt a knot in his throat begin to grow. It kept him from talking. He felt terrible about his friend's predicament. But what could he do? He certainly didn't want to kill his oldest friend. David was beginning to understand what the dragon meant by the fact that he would be no better than it if he continued on his quest to slay the beast. The faun now realized that Kettle would only be showing him mercy if he actually killed him. Letting him live would be a sentence to lifelong torture, and not just for him either.
Kettle finally shoved the knot down to his stomach and uttered the only words he could.
"I can't."
"What do you mean you can't? Please! You're my friend, my brother!" The black creature only sobbed harder.
He can't or he won't? Taunted the voice inside his head. And for once, David actually agreed with it.
"You can't or you won't?" He repeated.
"I can't, David. I just can't." With that, the glass person tossed the trident to the ground, freeing himself from any responsibility tied to it.
"You're supposed to help me! That's what friends do!" The furry body fell to its knees and groveled at its former traveling partner's feet.
Isn't it obvious? He doesn't care about you anymore! Only that female and that infernal town!
"This is because of her, isn't it? You don't want to leave her!" David's tone started to change from his sad and desperate one to anger. It fueled him to stand up tall on his hind legs and tower over the other being. "And now you're picking someone you just met over your best friend?" Imp ears twitched as his anger escalated. "You'd rather protect that good for nothing town than give the only favor your lifelong friend is asking for!"
Kettle became nervous of the creature's body language and rising tone of voice. His brown shoes started to back away from it.
"You betrayed me, Kettle! You cast me aside when I needed you most!" The red highlights returned to his eyes. A gray foot nearly stepped on his helmet as he began to follow the shivering mortal. The sleek black tail slid under the weapon and flicked it up to his clawed hand. "Did you ever ask what I wanted? No! You just continued with your own selfish desires without giving me a thought!"
The brown kettle tripped over his own feet and landed on his bottom just like the female had done the day before. Kettle continued to scrabble himself backwards. He was scared and at a loss for words.
Look! He is scared! The voice jeered. You are certainly no longer a sidekick. In fact, you can do anything you want now! It's time to show the world what you can do!
David let the rage consume him. A dark electricity ruffled throughout his fur and only excited him even more. The kettle blocked his face with glass limbs from the stray sparks that shot off like tiny bullets.
Killing him would be mercy. Instead, you should let him live to remember the evil act he has committed against you... The dark spirit conspired. See how he likes it! He will watch as we take over the world! No longer will you be second fiddle to anyone! They will all answer to you now!
A wicked smile came across David's face.
"The next time you see me, I will be the superior species! And there's nothing you can do to stop me...."
Kettle watched as the glowing creature began to walk off. He struggled to get himself upright to see where it was going.
"David, wait! Please! We can figure this out!" Called the brown kettle. David, however, whipped back around in an insulted fashion. Piercing yellow eyes stared into his soul.
"I told you... my name is not David anymore! It's Devil!" The sparks flew off the furry body in such a fury. He almost looked like a living sparkler from the fourth of July. "And it's because of you that this world will burn! I'll make all of you suffer!"
And just like that, the creature that called himself Devil disappeared in a flash of lightning. For it was so bright that it could be seen from a couple miles away. Kettle uncurled himself from a tight ball of glass to find that he was alone. Only the crumpled helmet still lay at his feet. A gloved hand slowly reached down for it. The kettle could barely see his own reflection in the metal as he lifted it spout level. His stomach churned as he realized that David would be coming for the town sooner or later. The reality of it all crushed down on his heart like a giant hammer. He had to protect Ceramica and everyone else from the monster that rose from the ashes of the old one.