Chapter Text
At the brink of the world's end, we need heroes. Though some can fight off the darkness without losing something special in them...
Sometimes a hero must lose their place in time... Sometimes a hero must erase themselves from anyone's mind... Sometimes a hero must lose their fire... Sometimes a hero must disappear for a life of another...
It's the same story, over and over. Looking back, I forgot exactly what led me here. To live through a life as a person who saves others? A person who decides to help anyone in exchange for theirselves? A person who, through thin and thick, never wanted anything more than living in this cruel world to slowly crumble through the cycle of living to make people around them happy despite being repeatedly tormented by the thought of "disappearing" inside? That itself, was quite ridiculous indeed.
The darkness can be lessen when some sacrifice their whole self to the darkness.
But it wasn't as pathetic as I thought. Because when I saw him do the same, I never thought that in order to be a real hero, you have to sacrifice everything you've got without even considering yourself a hero. It wasn't a simple good deed, but it was a choice that they oblidged to decide in order for no one else to get hurt. That idea fascinated me... didn't it fascinate you, Hugh?
A simple glow from this ring on my finger filled me with glee. But I wasn't completely happy. It would be better if he was here, like the old times. Talking about different matters that seemed too special for him. His constant joy when topics shift about family and friends. His support everytime I had trouble finding myself.
But Hugh wasn't just Hugh.
This timid, soft, and caring rabbit was a hero. The different matters were important to him because he cared. He's happy for everyone because he cares. He supports me because he cares.
"...I wish I had the time to tell him that there's so many people like me who cares about him before he forgot to care about himself."
A month ago...
I woke up from a loud crash. Opening my eyes, I saw Hugh hugging a small cat after a fall from the tree. Sarah ran to him. "M-mister Bunny! Are you alright?", she asked, almost tearing up. Hugh sat up, laughing uneasily as he patted Sarah on the head. "Of course!", he said, as he let go of the cat.
But was he really alright? An uneasy laugh and a quite painful wound with a question like that, yet he still said he was alright. At that moment, I never really asked him if he was alright inside. I can't seem to point out what was wrong, but I knew that there was something awfully wrong. I kept asking him again and again if he was alright, but he kept saying he was. Just how long was he planning to hide the truth?
Until he disappeared? Until he gets consumed by the darkness?
"Everyone gains a time, a chance to live in this world."
That's what he said to those around him. He was quite popular with those jokes about time. Who knew that when he said, he's pertaining to something. Everyone gains a time, a chance to live in this world. They why did that time run out so quickly before I could even figure the truth about what was going on?
As I closed my eyes, I got startled as a single tear of a familiar rabbit dropped on my face. Opening my eyes, I saw nothing. I looked around the scenario, a single tree in the middle of a field at midnight where stars seem to sparkle endlessly. What was that? Some sort of hallucination?
But the tear fell from my face, followed by more tears that didn't come from him. These tears were from my very eyes.
The ring glowed, as if it was telling me something. I couldn't hear it, though. But my thoughts difted to form words that I have always wanted to here. There I heard a voice:
"There's still time to go back."
I didn't think he would hear me anymore through this ring. I kept the ring closer to me. Maybe...
...I can hear his voice again.
Maybe I can see him again.
I ran to where the others were. The others who are my friends. My friends who are no longer complete.
They looked at me with these recent yet usual gloomy faces, no one bothered to discuss why. We all knew why. I gulped, as I showered my face with my own tears, much to their surprise. I was prepared for the risk, just like them.
I repeated the ring's words. My thoughts' words. Hugh's words.
We all wanted to get him back.
But who knew that he wasn't the only one who we will want to get back?