[Eleven years post-arrival - The present.]
Red sunlight tore through a cloudy skyline, casting a radiant glow that shined down onto the broken landscape surrounding us.
Her small feet swung happily over the edge of our castle, treading the breathtakingly cold air so innocently I could almost forget what a sorry state I was in.
I trudged forwards, blackened blood trickling down from my freshly injured leg as it was forced into uncomfortable but compliant movement.
My strained shuffling must have alerted her; because she swung backwards and started hanging upside-down off the flimsy railing she had been sitting on. The flimsy railing that now separated her from a sixteen-story fall.
She gazed at me lovingly; pink eyes sparkling with excitement as her mouth opened, reaching out for me with fragile looking hands.
"Ori? You're here?" Her voice slurred out, eyelids flickering shut. "Haha."
She closed her eyes and smiled contentedly, motioning me forwards with outstretched fingers.
"C'mere, I've been waiting for you."
I sighed deeply, cold air worming its way through my gritted teeth; the exhalation caused by equal parts pain and relief. My leg hurt… but she was fine.
I walked forwards, taking her cold hands in my own, my warm fingers tracing the silver wedding band worn over her tattooed digits.
"What am I going to do with you?" I asked, slouching down against the rustic metal bars beside her.
She turned her head towards me, attempting a wink and withdrawing a hand to curl her dangling hair behind one ear. "Take me on a date tomorrow! I know a good cafe around here."
Her eyes were glazed over, and despite staring straight at me, I wasn't sure she could truly see me.
"Fuck…" I said, bringing up my free hand to knead my suddenly itchy eyes.
"Heyyyyy - That's not a very nice thing to say." She exclaimed, her tone sounding humorous, if a bit affronted. Her eyes opened and she began battering my large side with her small fists.
I sighed again, this wasn't going away was it?
"Yeah alright, I'll take you out wherever you like," I said softly, removing a stray hair from her pouting face before stroking her cheek kindly. "My treat."
Her expression slowly morphed into one of childish awe. "Really?" She asked me, "You promise?"
I smiled, my resolve cracking. "I promise."
"Yaaaaay." She laughed again, whooping with joy in a voice much quieter than it should've been; the raw happiness spreading across her face framed by the now pinkish sunlight.
She was beautiful.
"We're going to have so much fun! And cake - lots of cake."
There were no cafes anymore.
I started to cry.
Hot tears fuelled by years of struggle slid down my dirty cheeks. How many more times was I going to have to sit through this?
"Ohh, no? Wait why are you crying? Did I do something wrong?" She looked so distressed, which made me feel even worse as she started reaching out for me once again. "I'm sorry okay? Please stop crying."
Her voice was so simple, so slurred. So slow.
A confused yelp echoed from her lips as she fell forwards, her primitive mind unable to balance the complex action of hanging off the railing and reaching for me at the same time.
I caught her small frame before she reached halfway to the ground; despite the railing only being waist-height, even for her short stature.
"Umph." I struggled to keep her body aloft, my strength completely and utterly drained from the previous fight. The Rabid must've had a weak paralytic contained in its fangs, or a small bite like this wouldn't have been anywhere as close to dropping me like it was.
'Weak' was becoming a less apt term for description the more time passed however, as I was feeling more and more fatigued by the minute.
Her eyes closed again, snuggling into my chest; already managing to forget about her sudden distress within a moment of its passing.
"I can hear your heartbeats." She whispered, placing a delicate hand over my left heart. "Du-du-du-du, Du-du-du-du."
"Do you still have the gun I gave you?" I asked, my tone cracking; caressing her short black hair with one hand.
"Gun? Uhhh. Yeah! It's here." Her voice lit up; and she unintentionally positioned herself on top of the large set of bite marks on my leg, completely oblivious to the pain it was causing me.
I gritted my teeth, shifting her seated figure away from my wound. She was so happy over being able to do something so menial. I wanted to be able to feel that.
She fumbled with strings of a small pouch wrapped around her neck, loosening them and pulling out a dulled revolver.
Age had not been kind to the weapon, brownish rust began flaking from its surface as I gently took it from her hands and checked its current capacity.
"Three bullets left." I said, flicking the cartridge back into rest and cocking the hammer with my thumb. "We'll need to find a new one soon - I don't want to go back to killing you with my bare hands."
"Kill me? Why would you kill me?" She questioned, looking alarmed and closing the pouch before tilting her head to look up at me.
"..." I swallowed hard, looking away; feeling extremely uncomfortable at her unexpected ignorance.
"Just kidding." She mumbled, "Go ahead and do it Ori - it's fine."
That was cruel - even for her.
Her smiled faded, gently pulling the barrel of the gun towards her own forehead. "This'll fix me right?" She asked quietly, her hands trembling. "I can't even remember anymore."
"It will." I replied, steadying my own shaking grip.
No matter how many times I did this, it never got any easier.
"I don't wanna die."
"You won't. Don't worry."
I pulled the trigger, resulting in a deafeningly loud gunshot that echoed downwards across the abandoned city.