Chapter Text
𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟕𝐭𝐡
𝙳𝚘𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗..
The run started again. All the remaining toons immediately went to do their respective jobs, with the goal of getting out of there as quickly as possible.
Looey went to create a distraction.
Shelly began extracting quickly to help the others.
Sprout ran for tapes, along with Cosmo.
And the other toons rushed to help in any way they could.
__Big brother! May I extract?
Flutter asked politely, flying behind the other butterfly, waiting for it to give in to its demands.
__Okay, Flutter. Just be careful. I don't want any creeps to see us.
Flyte stepped away from the machine, giving way to his little sister, who started operating it with her feet. (I'm impressed by her ability to do everything with her feet.)
__Everyone to the elevator!
Tisha shouted from the other side of the map, drawing the attention of all the toons, followed by Brightney.
Flutter finished the machine, giving his brother a playful look.
__Race to the elevator!
Flyte paused for a moment, thinking. It wasn't such a bad idea; after all, they had to hurry.
__Okay.
With their similar abilities, they began to fly swiftly toward the elevator doors. Despite Flyte's attempts to get there faster, Flutter won the race. His flight gave him the advantage.
__I won! You should have used your wings, brother!
A soft laugh escaped the older butterfly; she liked how playful her younger sister could be.
__Yes, I think I'll definitely have to learn to use my wings more.
__Feet are boring!
the girl protested, circling him slightly as the elevator doors closed.
Dandy's shop opened, revealing a few useless items. Everyone gasped. If they couldn't get something good, they wouldn't make it to the 20th floor.
Shrimpo, who was there, started yelling at Dandy for the junk he was selling. Everyone was exhausted and hurt. And Dandy was paying them with three tiny stealth candies.
__IT'S NOT FAIR! SHRIMPO HATES YOU! I HATE THESE DAMN CANDY, I HATE YOU!
"Hey, be grateful I have something for you guys!" Dandy glared at the shrimp, who was pointing an accusing finger at him.
While the other toons watched the scene with curiosity and annoyance, Flyte approached Looey, who looked like he was on the verge of collapse.
__Looey? Are you alright?
Looey looked at the butterfly, his eyes showing clear exhaustion.
__No, not really. Pebble left me very tired; my legs can barely walk.
He muttered under his breath as Sprout and Cosmo tended to his wounds.
__Looey! I told you to tell me if you needed help!
Flyte felt a pang of guilt seeing his partner's condition.
__I'm sorry, I didn't think I'd need it. It's usually easy to distract that dog.
The butterfly sighed, shaking its head.
__I'll get distracted on the upper floors. You stay away,I don't want you to get hurt anymore.
Looey nodded, collapsing into Cosmo's exhausted arms.
𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟖𝐭𝐡
𝙳𝚘𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗..
__I'm sorry, sister. I'm going to be distracted. Please be very careful, I don't want anything to happen to you. I'll come check on you from time to time.
Flyte spoke to Flutter in a rather overprotective tone, as he quickly walked away, looking for a Twisted.
Astro, Yatta, Toodles, Cosmo, and Sprout dominated this floor. Flyte hurried to get their attention, using his ability to walk a little faster, giving him time to grab them all. It wasn't too distracting, to be honest; he preferred building machines or helping the others with the Twisted for a few seconds. Although, he didn't mind it either.
He started pacing back and forth, stopping in one spot so as not to draw the Twisted's attention to another Toon. It was difficult to dodge Sprout's attacks with Toodles and Astro behind him; their close proximity made him somewhat tense and nervous.
Half of the machines were completed almost instantly, thanks to the Veeremote and Shelly's ability. He quickly switched zones, checking that no one was there to collide with him, so the others could finish the machines on the other side of the map. His legs began to weaken, as his stamina was decreasing due to Astro. This allowed Toodles to catch up to him, but not enough to knock him to the ground.
He continued running and walking to different places, turning around or simply dodging them one by one, until the sound of the elevator doors echoed.
Along with Tisha's typical scream.
They all rushed to the elevator, waiting for the distraction. Flyte ran as fast as he could, but was stopped by the annoyed shouts of a certain slow shrimp.
__DAMN BUTTERFLY! ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE ME HERE?
Shrimpo yelled, exhausted from running. Seeing how close he was, he made a sharp turn backward, bumping into Astro and Yatta, who didn't hesitate to grab him. Luckily, he managed to escape quickly, though not without getting hurt in the attempt.
The countdown soon began. The other toons managed to get Shrimpo into the elevator, but not Flyte. In the final seconds, he ran toward the doors, oblivious to the tendril in front of him.
__FLYTE!
Flutter's voice echoed through the crowd as she watched her brother fall to the ground.
ᶻ 𝘇 𐰁
𝐅𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐞'𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐰
I woke up with a splitting headache; I felt like my head was going to explode any second. My eyes adjusted to the soft light of the room, and I started to analyze where I was.
__My room..how did I get here if I was in the middle of a really important run?
A thought crossed his mind; the mere thought of what had happened earlier made him shudder. He turned his head slowly, bumping into a certain gentleman. He jumped in fright, trying to shout, but nothing came out of his mouth, not a single word, which frightened him. Moreover, the strain on his throat caused it to harden, and some of the remaining air began to escape.
Soulvester quickly noticed this, immediately stood up, and tried to calm Flyte so he could regulate his breathing. Otherwise, they would call again.
__Calm down, Flyte, stay calm. Don't strain yourself.
Seeing that the butterfly couldn't control its body, the knight decided to call the healing toons.
__COSMO, SPROUT!
Soulvester's desperate voice echoed through the room. His hands clutched Flyte's body as he slowly lost consciousness.
The two toons arrived immediately, ready to help the boy in any way they could.
__Again?..
Sprout asked, watching Flyte convulse.
__Shut up and do his job!
ᶻ 𝘇 𐰁
Everything returned to "normal," Flyte began to breathe again, and the knight's composure returned.
__I'm sorry, my prince. I didn't mean to frighten you like that.
Soulvester didn't wait for a response; after all, it had been confirmed that Flyte wouldn't be able to speak again for some time.
__Cosmo recommended that you not strain your voice. Your vocal cords were severely injured, and I don't want you to exert yourself at all.
Flyte looked at the knight in confusion. Just moments before, he had been on a run, as he always did. And in the blink of an eye, he was in his bed, being medicated.
__I... I'm sorry. I could have prevented it.
The other remained in shock, staring at a fixed point, unable to believe what was happening. With the tip of its wing, it touched its neck; its scarf had disappeared, and there were some bands scattered across its light blue skin, next to a damp cloth, which probably must have been warm.
He was about to protest Soulvester's words, but he remembered what had happened before. It was best to remain silent.
With almost automatic gestures, he raised his wings and frowned, incredulous.
Soulvester immediately understood his subtle hints and unspoken words.
"Yes, I could have avoided all this. Even though I knew I was going to be alone, I decided not to accompany you."
Flyte glared at the ghost, even more annoyed, wanting to hit him, if only he could move. His wings flapped from side to side, mimicking words or actions, which the knight ignored.
"!!!"
Flutter pounded on the door, calling out to his brother repeatedly.
Flyte tried to get up, but the knight quickly stopped him.
The moment the door opened, Flutter lunged at his older brother, rubbing his head against Flyte's.
__!!!
Despite knowing about his condition, he continued speaking somehow, while apologizing for not having intervened.
Flyte shook his head repeatedly as he returned the gentle rubbing of their heads, it was an affectionate gesture between them, simulating a hug, due to his lack of arms.
The younger butterfly's moist eyes focused on the older one's, who quickly, with a single glance and a head rub, managed to calm the girl somewhat.
Soulvester watched all this calmly, hiding his true emotions behind his armor, as always.
__!!
Flutter snuggled against her brother's chest, still feeling guilty and remorseful for what had happened.
The news of the accident spread to the other toons, quickly becoming the talk of the week.
____
"What are you saying? Flyte hurt himself in a run?"
Glisten asked, surprised, trying to hear Gigi better.
____"Poor Boy, what bad luck,"
Tisha said worriedly, covering her face upon hearing the news.
____
"From what I heard, he won't be able to speak for a long time."
Squirm trembled, thinking about how sore and tired Flyte must be right now.
____
"But he'll be alright!"
Gourdy said, his eyes wide and sparkling, waiting for Soulvester's approval.
____
Here's the thing. Flyte had hit his neck, causing a serious injury. Unfortunately, his vocal cords weren't spared, which made things worse.
__You won't be able to speak, sing, shout, or whisper for a few weeks. Your vocal cords are definitely injured, but not completely. Something positive, right?
Cosmo chuckled softly, seeing Flyte's tired and embarrassed expression.
__I'm sorry, Flyte. But we hope you can recover. For now, you just need to stay quiet and not put too much pressure on your neck.
Flyte nodded, settling into the pillows on his bed.
The two healing toons left, chatting about their shared interests. Soulvester soon appeared, concerned about Flyte's well-being.
_Are you feeling alright? Are you sure?
Flyte nodded, his face showing approval, he was fine.
Although somewhat annoyed at not being able to speak.
__Doesn't it hurt?
The knight sat close to the butterfly, carefully examining his counterpart's neck. He never had it like this. So exposed.
Flyte shook his head, raising an eyebrow at Soulvester's concern.
__What's wrong?
The butterfly picked up a small journal and a pencil, clumsily writing something for the ghost. His handwriting wasn't the best, but one could say that Gourdy's writing was better and more legible compared to his.
When I finished, I carefully handed him the small notebook.
"I know how paranoid you became before I woke up."
That was the first thing he read, before awkwardly closing his helmet.
Flyte tilted his eyes, slowly approaching the other. One of his wings moved across his helmet, lifting it, and his gaze met the other's. He tilted his head and looked at him with patience and concern before handing him the notebook again.
"I didn't think you'd become so paranoid. I'd seen you before, how scared and worried you could get when Gourdy got hurt." "IT'S NOT YOUR FAIL."
Soulvester's blush deepened. Flyte's eyes crinkled, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Seeing that he had finished reading what he had written, he wasted no time. His two wings removed Soulvester's helmet, revealing his embarrassed and ashamed face.
He rubbed his head repeatedly, showing affection and comfort.
__It's my fault, Flyte.
Flyte shook his head, leaving a few "kisses" on his face.
__Flyte, I could have gone with you. But I didn't—
Flyte's soft "kisses" continued, one kiss for every word. This left the knight quite satisfied.
__My fau— Flyte interrupted, covering his face with kisses. Soulvester didn't complain.
__Can you repeat that?
he murmured shyly. Flyte cupped Soulvester's cheeks and kissed him, somehow. Script magic.
When they separated, Soulvester looked at Flyte with a hint of sadness. Flyte immediately noticed.
He tilted his head, gesturing, "What's wrong?"
__I'm a little sad.
Flyte looked at him doubtfully, waiting for him to continue.
__I won't be able to hear my prince's sweet voice.
Flyte's face reacted quickly, a light blush spreading across his face. He pulled away abruptly and gently punched Soulvester's shoulder.
__I'm sorry, I can't help saying it. Your voice is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.
Flyte's blush spread across his entire face.
ᶻ 𝘇 𐰁
Weeks passed, and Flyte continued her recovery.
During that time, she tried to improve her handwriting, though she didn't make much progress.
She also learned to communicate with gestures and actions. Her wings were her greatest resource during these weeks.
Soulvester, for his part, still carried the guilt in his chest. But little by little, he suppressed it, comforted by his partner. Although, in a way, he missed her voice a lot. How gentle it could be sometimes, her jokes, and how sarcastic she could be at times.
The time was long. But finally, it ended.
__Flyte, are you alright?
Soulvester entered her room, carrying some flowers behind his back. He knew how much she liked them.
__I'm fine.
Soulvester nodded, still not fully processing what he had just heard.
__I'm glad to hear that.
__I'm glad to hear that.
He responded automatically.
He placed the bouquet of flowers on his nightstand. His body tensed suddenly; he had processed Flyte's words.
__Flyte?!
The butterfly laughed, though his voice was somewhat soft and low.
__It's still a little difficult for me, but I wanted to surprise you first.
The knight smiled from beneath his armor, quickly going to hug him carefully. He didn't want to hurt him.
__I missed this part of you so much.
__I missed talking to you too. It's exhausting trying to communicate with clumsy gestures.
Soulvester chuckled softly before rubbing his head against Flyte's.
__Your silence was the most efficient torture.
..
__I'm happy you're recovering.
...
__Please promise me you won't go on another run without me.