Cylus 30 720
Darkness had become an unrelenting eternity for him now, every waking moment a reality he could no longer control. Because of this he shunned them; the Immortals, his 'friends' that pleaded to him so... It felt as though the entire world had been against him, from the very moment he'd been brought into this world. Why? As he sat on the bed in his cell against the wall Patrick slowly twiddled his thumbs around, their constant brushing against one another the only small solace he found in all this uncertainty. What could he do now? He was filled with seething hatred that couldn't be directed towards anything, and even worse his time in this state was about to be determined by the morning sun.
"Patrick?!" Something faintly echoed beyond the window outside, the name just a whisper in his mind as he remained focus on just his thumbs. "Patrick?!" It seemed a little closer now and with another pause to follow, until once more it's annoying tone called out yet again. "Patrick?!"
That time she sounded a little more distant and for that better, for Patrick hoped she would give up and just go away. What was that damnable insect doing anyways? Sure only Patrick could hear her when they exchanged thoughts, but that didn't mean she wasn't still visible to the world. Whatever Ri'ku's angle now was he didn't care, he wanted nothing to do with them or the rest of the world; just to rot in his cell until his dying day. "Patrick! There you are!"
"Oh for fuck's sake."
"It took forever! Why wouldn't you answer me?!" Her thoughts declared as Patrick heard the sounds of fluttering before him. Out of spite the Rharnian leaned forward, grabbing at the very air in hopes to seize her. "Patrick!" She called out alarmed as he swiped and clawed at the air, before he had to press his hands on the mattress to keep from falling forward. He blamed her and Lush for this, for this damnable affliction brought upon him; hence why he swat at the air like a madman just a moment ago.
"It's all your fault!" He couldn't help but innately growl at the creature, eyes searching the darkness within that forever darkened cell. "If I hadn't given in and tried to do what you and that overgrown cat wanted, then I'd still be able to see and-"
"OUR FAULT?!" The glittering insect squeaked from afar now, Patrick tightened his hands into fists as he debated getting up to corner the thing. "Excuse me, but we were doing what we thought would help YOU! Sure we're at fault since we played a part in that dream, but you need to remember that it's YOU who's in prison. It's YOUR fault you sacrificed your light that night, just like it's YOUR fault you did nothing to stop what followed after."
"And just like that everything is MY fault." He humored the annoying creature, his fists tucked under each bicep as he leaned back into the wall. "I go to try and be the hero and this is all I get for my effort. Never should've joined the war, never should've helped fix Emea either. Oh while I'm at it, might as well never met Syroa or any other Immortal in this wretched world. Oh even better! Never should've listened to a stupid fairy and her whimsical ideas either!"
"Oh MY GODDESS, are you done? Ever since you dug your own grave, you've done nothing but sit in it and wait to die. Is that what you want Patrick?!" She argued which made him scowled and nearly scoffed at the implication, but regrettably what Ri'ku had to say wasn't exactly false either. "Is it?"
"...It used to be." Ri'ku's breathing must've quaked for she sounded like she needed a second breath. Was she shocked to hear him admitting it? Or was it the fact she had such hopes for him even now? "Until you and the lion gave me false hope. Made me think I could be a hero again, led me to think that the kid would be my saving grace."
"It isn't wrong to want to be there for him Patrick," The fairy's assurance merited an exhausted sigh out of Patrick, "If being someone important to Daxter is what you really want, then by all means fight for that with all you have! Don't let all this keep you from giving up!"
Now came the moment Patrick had to scoff at her. "And why should I? I can't delay the inevitable any longer, so I can't rot in this prison like I deserve to." Ri'ku's thoughts nearly interjected, however Patrick wouldn't allow it. "For all I know Qylios has likely forsaken me now, I don't even know what to expect when morning comes Ri'ku."
"Huh?" The direction this turned threw the little fairy off, but for Patrick in his current state it was long to be expected. "Wait, what do you-"
"For what it's worth we had a good run, but now it's time to face reality. I'm probably not coming out of this alive, if I ever do then I'll owe a drink to whoever the fuck the Immortal of Fate is. Point being I don't know what the future holds for me, and I'm getting quite tired of running from it."
"Then don't," She added without a second thought, "Face it and if you have to; fight it. Fight for what you used to believe in, if not that then please try and fight for the future you could still have!" Patrick couldn't help but chuckle at that, knowing what Ri'ku fed him was pointless and helpless to the cause.
"I would've fought so much harder for that boy, even against all the odds stacked against me. But I'm calling it like I see it, and unless 'good old me' comes back on the morrow... I don't have even the slightest chance." Ri'ku groaned a little in obvious aggravation. "So do me a favor Ri... one last favor before I have to welcome the coming storm."
"What? No?!"
"Promise me you'll look after the kid for me? Be the one to steer him right if he starts acting out, and watch over him once all this blows over."
"Patrick I'm not ever giving up-"
"I need you to Ri'ku." The bitter Rharnian felt everything buried within churn, making it hard to quell the small doses of compassion he felt just then. "I need the ones that are left to stop caring about me, and focus on caring on what's gonna be my legacy."
"L... Legacy?! Patrick what are you saying?!"
"That boy and his mother are the only two things left for me in this world... Once I'm gone they'll need you and Lush to look after them." A silence then developed between them, lasting quite a few moments before he pleaded from her once more. "Promise me."
"I..." Ri'ku's sigh through their thoughts implied the concern she still felt for him. "I promise." She actually stated however, understanding the small amount of solace Patrick would find in knowing this. "Do me a favor in return then; come sunrise you won't fight it anymore?"
Patrick's eyebrows creased a little at the request she made. "It?"
"You've fought against even your own humanity for a while now, but in those final moments of the dream you were onto something."
He could see where Ri'ku was going with this now, and couldn't help but lowly laugh at it in turn. "You mean trusting my instincts?"
"Instincts are a part of your humanity Patrick. If you're truly lost like you believe, then don't fight all those bottled up feelings. Embrace them. Reflect on them until the very end... Promise me you'll do this?"
Patrick loosened up the tension in his shoulders as he debated it, considering it would only lead him to further regret his previous choices. Then again he could see where Ri'ku went with this, seeing as how he'd be dying with unresolved emotions and feelings; ultimately paying for his crimes with a heart hung on unfinished business. If he awoke in the morning and still felt forsaken by Qylios, then the worse he could do was at least entertain such a notion; that way come his time to finally die he'd be ready to accept it. But what if the light returned when so too did the dawn? "Patrick?"
"Promise." He finally came to agree with her, seeing as how it'd be her final wish as well. "Now get out of here. Go take care of him for me." Ri'ku's thoughts became the sound of her increased breathing, before they too faded from his mind as he lingered there presumably alone now. It was likely she'd flown out on the verge of tears, which was to be expected after all their time and adventures together. Now that Patrick was alone however, all that remained was seeing if he could actually uphold his end of the bargain. Come the morning sun he would either awaken different or the same, but regardless of the state he found himself in he wouldn't fight the humanity buried within him so.
"Patrick", "Ri"
