5Light in the Dark
Warning: Spoilers for both endings
Gregg's head was spinning.
Those people killed Casey. They weren't even sorry. They said they'd done him a favor.
He'd made himself get over him leaving by believing he was happy somewhere. But instead he was in a mine. At the bottom of a hole. With numerous others. 39 they said? God…
Then they wanted them to continue this madness? They were insane.
Standing in front of the elevator he watched Mae sway on her paws, mumbling how sad everything was. Sad didn't even describe how he felt. Words couldn't describe his emotions. His ears perked at a sudden sound and he frowned as Bea shushed them, the light of her cigarette dancing across her jaws..
"What?" Angus hissed.
"I thought I heard..." Bea murmured. The blood red light shone around them from God knows where and suddenly a dark figure was in the elevator. The lights flickered and Mae gasped, falling to the floor as the figure lunged at her. Gregg moved without thinking, grabbing hold of her arm to yank her back. She screeched as Eide pulled on her leg while Gregg jerked on her arm. Her free boot smashed against his helmet as the lights continued to flicker madly. The two behind him had been pulling at him yet now they had scrambled over to the elevator's lever to try and send it back down.
I can't lose her! He thought wildly as he tightened his grip on her. He couldn't lose her down here like he had Casey! He couldn't lose anyone else to those monsters… He hadn't been able to save Casey, but he wouldn't lose Mae.
He heard the lever snap and from the corner of his eye saw Bea and Angus thrown by its force. The elevator creaked before it lowered, Eide's head caught between the rock and the metal. There was a sickly snap as Mae kicked him one last time and the whole elevator came crashing down, his arm holding onto the cat severing in the process. The fox immediately jerked her into his arms and toppled backwards at her weight. The cave around them shuddered and he lowered his head against Mae's as rocks rained down on them, one smacking him sharply on the shoulder.
Maybe it was better this way.
Angus and Bea had been thrown to a distance so if they were to keep moving they should be safe. Angus could finally find someone better than him. Bea would comfort him and encourage him, not like he didn't know she thought they wouldn't make it.
Mae and he could join Casey down in this hellhole. Legends in failure just like always.
The lights went out and he felt Mae tremble against him as he clung tighter to her form. The mine slowly stilled and he looked around only to see darkness.
"Holy God..." Bea's voice floated to him. He stiffened at her voice as Angus' followed. They were still down here? They… survived?
"Mae, Mae! Mae, say something!" He whispered to her.
"Heheh… hehehehe HA HA HA HA!" He blinked at her response before chuckling and finally joining her in hysterical laughter.
They were alive! He was still horrified about Casey, but there was a sudden joy that was filling him. He should be concerned about how easily his moods were switching but damn they'd been through a lot in only a few hours. He held Mae closer as her laughter dissolved into sobs, gently nuzzling his muzzle against her cheek.
"Shh, it's okay dude, it's okay…" He could hear the familiar breathing of Angus as Mae quieted and his muscles slowly loosened. "We messed that guy the hell up. He won't be the one walking out of this!"
"I feel air coming from somewhere sooo we shouldn't suffocate!" Angus continued talking about everything with his scout-y knowledge and his heart clenched. He had almost thought he'd never hear that voice again.
"Hey Angus…?"
"Yeah?" Came his gruff voice.
"I love you."
"D'awwww!" Gregg jerked away with a soft laugh as Beatrice sighed above them.
"Welcome back, Mae."
"How are you feeling?" He asked as he gently helped her to her paws, feeling Angus' firm grip on his shoulders.
"Better. Even though I just nearly got murdered for like… the third time in two days?"
He chuckled as he reached out to hold her paw tightly.
"Third time's the charm." She squeezed his fingers and a thousand unspoken messages were sent between them.
I'm glad you're okay.
I'm still scared.
We could have died.
Thank you.
Casey is gone.
"Are you okay to walk?" Bea asked.
"Yeah I think so," Mae responded as she moved away from the fox. "I can walk at least."
"There's an opening over here, but it's boarded up."
"Can we pry them loose?"
"One way to find out." Gregg sighed as they got to work and felt his boyfriend on one side and his best friend on the other.
They wouldn't be joining Casey today. One day, but not this night. He couldn't believe how incredibly happy that made him when he hadn't cared only moments ago.
But he promised himself no matter what happened tonight he wouldn't forget.
Which meant he couldn't die down here.
I'm sorry Casey, but I can't see you tonight.
The boards broke apart with their force and the way was cleared for them as a breeze blew by.
There was light at the end of all their tunnels eventually.
A/N: I don't know if someone did this before, but I wanted to walk through how Gregg maybe felt. He's my favorite of the foursome and I thought it was interesting how in both endings they bow their heads like they're giving up. Or okay with dying. So I wanted to explore that a little bit. It also has brief spoilers for Bea's ending, or at least some of her dialogue.
I adore this game so much and I've been playing it nonstop. Gotta get them achievements~
If you follow my other stories, I'm working on Fur and Scales. Gonna replay the chapter cause I can't remember the plot and it'll give me another reason to play video games instead of cleaning my house.
Until we meet again~
- Zehava