Work Text:
The Beginning of the End
It was all going so well up to this point.
Everyone was just enjoying the party, there was nothing else that could have gone wrong! We were all happy... We were finally a community again..! I went to have a talk with the Journalist, my Buddy up at the balcony of Liz and Eggabell's hut...
Then... The earthquakes happened...
Everything was being disrupted, the party was put at a halt... E-Everyone was panicking... I-I had to calm them down..! Thank Grump Eggabell showed to help... But we then had to move to see the cause of it... I never thought things would go so downhill from here... I-I hate reminiscing of that day... B-Because that's where I lost someone I loved dearly to me...
"Can you tell me how it all went down?"
"... W-Well... You were there, weren't you Shelda..?"
Filbo Fiddlepie said to Shellsy Woolbag with a bit nervousness in their voice as they got comfortable on the sofa. Both grumpuses sat in a room, a makeshift therapy room somewhat, Filbo thought, but in reality it was Shelda's living room. Filbo had sought out help as they were gaining nightmares from their experience back in Snaktooth, and given no other person was really... "Qualified" for it, as the island was to be kept a top secret, so the remaining option was, well, Shelda, who's full name was revealed to be Shellsy Woolbag. She was already the type to offer advice back in Snaktooth, and given her previous positions prior to heading to Snaktooth, she was willing to assist in the problems Filbo was facing, specially since she was the only one who could REALLY help, anyway.
"Filbo, you must understand that healing from such an event will not occur if you come to terms with it. Although hurtful, it is wise to look back into the mirror known as the past, and accept it's shape as it is, and not twist it's vision into a distorted reflection of the reality of the situation."
"Ah... C-Can you simplify that..?"
Shelda let out a sigh as she rephrased her previous message. "What I meant to say Filbo, is that we need to accept the past as it is, and not make up lies of what it is. Face it directly instead of avoid it for your own good! That being said, reflecting on it is wise, as it will help you accept it with a better understanding of it."
"I.. Guess that makes sense... B-But alright... How it all went down... I guess... We start at the beginning..."
Me, Buddy and Eggabell went to the stone entrance in Frosted Peak, t-to inside of the mountain itself... This was after the initial earthquake, you know..? We didn't know what we would find down there.... A-And we had the others behind at the town preparing for the worst..! T-Thank Grump Buddy was careful despite it all, they stayed close to me to ensure I wasn't hurt on the way there! We didn't expect the floor would collapse on us on the entrance though, heheh... But from there we were separated, all three of us! I fell down and surrounding me, there were these walls of... Food..? I think?? It was weird.... Gooey... I wanted to eat it too, d-despite everything... B-But still, I had to carry on, o-or well, find the others first, I would probably die if I went alone... S-So I went down the tunnels looking for the others..! B-But as I was doing so, this... Weird snax monstrosity showed up and scared half my soul out..! I couldn't move, a-and all I could do was yell for help..! Thank Grump Buddy fell from the roof to scare it off! I-It was certainly quite the sight, eheheh....
"Focus Filbo..."
R-Right, sorry..! As I reunited with Buddy, I asked if they had found Eggabell, b-but they hadn't... But I was sure we'd find her soon! We went further down, a-and we found this huge opening! There was some snax, a-and the monster snax again..! But I heard a voice, it spoke to let us through... A-And wouldn't you know it, it was Liz..! She was okay! W-Well, okay-ish, heheh... She had changed into this giant bugsnax thing..! B-But point is, we found her after all this time! We talked, I really wanted to bring her with us but she couldn't come with; a-and Buddy got the interview they were looking for, e-even if Liz was a bit upset... But in the interview, we figured out the truth of the Bugsnax... A-And their... Well, being parasites all along thing..?? A-And the monster snax were actually Liz's creation..! A-And Liz being the only reason we were able to really stand right then and there... B-But I didn't want her to leave behind..! I couldn't do anything without her..! B-But we couldn't convince her otherwise... I tried to seek other ways b-but she was stubborn, and she needed to stay behind to keep the snax behind! Then Eggabell showed up and became one with Liz..! T-Then I had to leave both of them behind too... I just had to leave them both behind, and wished them luck, hoping I would see them again! Then they picked us both and launched us up into the sky!
Ironically, they tossed us when I first met Buddy, a-and I was a bit dizzy, but I quickly snapped out of it! Buddy wasn't doing the best though, I think they hit their head again... B-But they stayed strong..! We both quickly rushed out of Flavor Falls and through Garden Grove! I was panicking throughout the whole walk! B-But Buddy calmed me down, a-at least enough to not break down... A-And we reached Snaxburg, a-and it was all a mess..! Everyone was fighting off the bugsnax, the town was all a mess, and Snorpy was fueling Buddy's ship so that we could all escape! B-But the ship wasn't fully fueled and we had to fuel it still, s-so I stayed behind to do that! Buddy was seriously against it at first, b-but I convinced them I would be fine! They had to go ahead and save the rest, and I stayed back to make sure the Bugsnax didn't breakdown the ship... And actually fuel it proper too..! I had to watch as Buddy went down there and help everyone else as I stayed at the ship... They looked so.... Scared... So fearful of the entire situation, they probably needed some words of their own too...
"Ah, yes. I remember that well. Floofty wasn't the best with aiming the tool Snorpy had given us, so them arriving at the time was most certainly fortunate for us. But I know what you mean, the journalist was not doing well in the mental department, or physical department for that matter... When some Bugsnax would attempt to sneakily get to us, the Journalist was the one to take them on, and eat them, despite their allergy... Their strength was shining brighter more than ever that moment..."
"W-Well... You know how the end went, c-can I stop talking now..?"
"Filbo, dear... We already went this far... We shouldn't stop... As painful as it may be, I need you to finish."
"...D-Darn... A-Alright..."
T-The end was... Not the best... I-I hate this part the most... All of the grumpuses had made it safely to the ship, b-but it needed a few more minutes to fuel up properly! B-Buddy was a bit behind, we all kept yelling for them to hurry up, a-and I couldn't keep myself still, I jumped out and grabbed their paw, rushing them onto the ship myself! A-And as I got onto the ship to help Buddy up... A-A grumping Mamamewon suddenly jumped onto the scene..! It sent everything shaking, me and Buddy included..! We were so close to being able to fly off, b-but before they could get on and we started up the ship... T-The Mamamewon tried to grab me, a-and they pushed me inside, y-yelling my name..! The Mamamewon grabbed them instead! Buddy was already exhausted, t-there wasn't much they could do! T-They tried to struggle, using the gadgets Snorpy had created, a-and that upset the Bugsnax even more! T-The Mamamewon flinged them away from the ship, t-they slammed onto a wall, a-and I think their fur was beginning to get matted with all the sweat, a-and now the blood pouring down their head because of the impact...
Filbo was beginning to tear up as they balled up their paws into fists, as they placed them on their thighs as they continued to speak, Shellsy couldn't help but feel bad about it, but it was a necessary evil... If Filbo hadn't faced head to head with his emotions... They would all pour out later down the line, it was not wise to keep them bottled... But such scenes are never pleasant sights... They were always painful to observe, and far worse so for those re-telling their past painful experiences...
I-I almost jumped out if it weren't for Wambus and Chandlo holding me back..! I-I couldn't let them get hurt so badly, n-not when I could do something..! I-I already had to leave two grumpuses important to me behind, I couldn't let it be three! B-But then a Mothza Supreme showed up! W-We couldn't stay anymore, S-Snorpy had to get the ship up in the air, a-and then Liz and Eggabell came to stop the Mothza from crashing the ship down... I-I yelled at them to get Buddy, a-and they quickly tried to, b-but bugsnax were beginning to retaliate..! S-So many gathered around Liz and Eggabell, t-they would have probably gotten them to f-fall if it weren't for Buddy... D-Despite them being injured, a-and already dealing with the bugsnax, a-a green substance drooling down their face, t-their eyes were so... Exhausted, b-but determined... After having received such a blow to the head t-twice in a day... They didn't give up, t-they aimed the gadgets to the bugsnax overtaking Liz and Egg a-and even used Wambus' special sauce to get some distracted and away outright... B-But that wasn't enough, t-the Mamamewon was still at full strenght, s-she charged towards the Journalist, b-but they weren't quick enough...
The Journalist was thrown into the air by the tackling Mamamewon... I-I saw their body fly through the air, a-and their eyes... O-Oh god... T-Their eyes...
T-They haunt me in my sleep... B-Before they fell back to the ground, they looked back to the ship, their eyes locked with mine... T-They smiled lightly, a-and I think I saw them mouth the words "Thank you. For everything FIlbo." *hic* T-Those eyes had lost all of their light right after, t-they were dead before they even hit the ground... A-And when they did... O-Oh god, the sound of it, t-the *hic* mere SIGHT of it..! I couldn't even hear everyone's screams, e-everything suddenly became quiet... T-Too quiet.! A-All I could hear was my quick breathing a-as I couldn't even stand... A-All my eyes were focused on was on Buddy's body, l-lifeless as bugsnax began to swarm it a-and *hic* feed themselves onto their lifeless body... A-All it did was fill up their belly a-and I don't remember the rest of it... I-I passed out... T-The only sounds I-I heard as I lost consciousness w-was everyone's panic.... A-And then I woke up on the beach, b-back at the main island...
Filbo couldn't hold back his tears, the light blue grumpus was now covering their face with their hands, in a shallow attempt at blocking out their crying for naught. Shellsy quickly stood up and went to Filbo's side, pulling the smaller grumpus into her embrace into a hug, Filbo quickly wrapped their arms around Shellda as no more words were spoken, only Filbo crying out his soul at the lost of three grumpuses that mattered to him most than anything else. He couldn't even hold it back anymore; prior to this meeting, it had been a year since the return to the main island. Everyone had drifted off to attempt to continue their lives, but many had proven to not be capable of such. As Shellda embraced Filbo as he wept, she knew that this wouldn't be the only visit from the Krew... They all had their emotions to speak out, and despite everyone's efforts to move on... They simply couldn't. Shelda was no exception, but as the listening ear, her time to talk was not now...
She would hold Filbo tightly until it was time for them to part ways once again... Filbo still needed to continue his campaign for Mayor after all, time, being the cruel mistress she was, would not wait all day.