Work Text:
Ron watched as destruction rained on the island. The only thought that occupied his mind was Toto.
"No...No, nononononononononononono-" Ron muttered, his breath picking up pace as he trembled. He stood helplessly as he saw the last look Toto gave him replay in his mind. His big and warm eyes, full of determination, and his smile that reassured Ron of his safety as he went to look for Alice. It all flashed before his mind. The memories, the moments of seriousness to silliness, repeated over and over as he felt his vision start to blur. This couldn't be real. After all they had been through, this couldn't be the end. No, it couldn't be. Toto wasn't that naive; he wasn't ignorant- he would've found a safe spot to take cover, with or without Alice. But what if...
Ron couldn't stand the what-if situation. No, he couldn't accept it. He won't. He trusts his partner, and he believes that his partner will get through this. It's just another road bump, just another challenge, just another problem to solve-
"Ron..." The skeptical voice of Winter cut through Ron's racing thoughts.
"Isshiki... I'm sorry-"
"NO! Shut up! He-He's alive! He has to be! He probably found a cave or-or bunker of sorts!" Ron snapped, shoving Winter's hand off his shoulder. As his mind raced with thousands of solutions to this new problem, Winter's expression hardened.
"It's going to be impossible for survival for either Isshiki or Alice to survive. It's better to just accept-" A crisp slap cut Winter off. Everybody looked at Ron, stunned by his sudden outburst.
"I said shut up," Ron said coldly, his eyes sharp as he bore holes into Winter's face.
"He's alive. No one else is going to convince me otherwise," Ron said with an odd sense of determination. He turned back as the island was turned into rubble, determination still present in his eyes. Before he knew it, he bolted towards the island, hopping over any debris or avoiding falling objects. He didn't hear his name being yelled as he ran with all his might. He was going to find Toto and he was going to be alive.
Ron kept running as asteroids continued to rain down; he barely avoided the ones smashing down near him, though it didn't discourage him in any way. He tried to find the last place he had seen Toto. He approached a rubble of stones, and with the help of a few familiar objects, he found it and sprinted in the way Toto had gone to get Alice. As he searched, he felt his determination dwindle further as he couldn't spot Toto anywhere. More and more asteroids collided with the island as Ron felt his body become fatigued and his determination started to turn into doubt and fear. Tears filled his eyes as he kept running, trying to spot Toto through his blurry eyes. He ran for a few more minutes, growing more and more hopeless as Toto was nowhere to be found.
Ron slowed down as he tried to catch his breath. If running was going to be useless, he'll just use his voice.
"TOTO!" Ron yelled with all his might.
"TOTO WHERE ARE YOU!?" Ron sputtered as more tears gathered in his eyes. Was Toto really alive? What if he couldn't find him? What if he was actually dead...? A new sense of determination flowed through Ron. He didn't care if Toto was dead or alive. He just needed to find him. With all the strength left in his body, he started to run again, yelling Toto's name over and over. He ran like a maniac, yelling as if his life depended on it. Because it did.
"Ron!?" A sudden, faint voice yelled. Ron's eyes widened.
"TOTO?! TOTO! KEEP SPEAKING I'LL-I'LL FIND YOU!" Ron yelled, smiling ear to ear as relief flooded him, tears slipping from his eyes. Toto was alive.
"I told you to stay with the others!" Toto scolded, his voice filled with agitation. Ron ran in the direction of the voice.
"I'M NOT LEAVING YOU, TOTO! HOW COULD YOU EVER THINK I COULD LEAVE YOU!?" Ron replied.
"I can manage myself, you know!? And its dangerous right now, what were you thinking?!"
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! RUNNING TO GO AFTER ALICE LIKE THAT WHILE YOU WERE AWARE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING!? IT'S NOT FAIR TOTO, YOU CAN'T PUT YOURSELF IN DANGER LIKE THAT!" Ron yelled back. A sudden silence made him panic.
"TOTO!?"
"I-I'm here, Ron! I'm sorry I made you worry, but I couldn't leave Alice alone to kill herself!"
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT ALICE! YOU CAN'T JUST RUN OFF LIKE THAT INTO DANGER! YOU CAN'T RISK YOUR LIFE FOR 1 MEASLY PERSON! DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT YOUR WELLBEING?! HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU BEING ON DEATH'S DOOR EVERY DAY!?Ron's eyes filled with more tears.
"I-I..."
"I SAID TO KEEP SPEAKING TOTO!"
"R-Right! SORRY!"
Toto's voice had gotten louder, signaling that he was near.
"TOTO!"
"RON!"
At that, Ron had grasped Toto's location. He picked up the pace before spotting Toto's dirtied face and Alice's body under a cave that was yet to be hit by an asteroid. Toto's expression filled with relief as Ron ran to him, giving him a bruising hug as soon as Ron reached Toto.
"You idiot!" Ron yelled, squeezing Toto tightly.
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I got lazy 😭