Where No Cars Go

Things had been hard for the boy, emotionally, and mentally. After Ruina's disbandment, he had found his mother in a state he wished he could change. She was sick, and there was nothing anyone could do to save her. He made a promise to her. A promise to take care of his young siblings, though the only one that was with her had been Thora. He promised he wouldn't leave her behind. It was the only thing he could do for his dying mother. He didn't know how much time she had left in this shithole of a world, but he needed to go and clear his head. To try and learn to accept that his mother would pass soon, and he'd have to go on without her. He would find her after he came to terms with the thought of her illness, but for now...he left on his own while leaving Thora in a safe place.

He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't really care. He just kept running in one direction, crashing through bushes and barely avoiding trees. All he wanted to do was forget. Time and time again he had been disappointed by those around him, but sometimes...he felt like it was his fault. When his brother left Dauntless, Cloud felt like he could have stopped it. And when he joined Ruina, he thought maybe his father would be inclined to stay. But of course, his father didn't seem to care much about anything but his stupid religion, and failed to teach Cloud how to control the monster in his head. "You're weak, boy! Just give it up already. You're destined for failure. Nobody loves you, you know that. Even your own mother is choosing death over you. And your brother? Ha! He chose to go after some old man that's in the past now. And don't forget about your father, he abandoned you as soon as he laid eyes on you! Feeding you with lies! Face it, you're pathetic. A loser. Nobody gives a shit about y--"

"Shut up!" He roared, clenching his teeth and screwing his eyes shut. Paws pounded the ground faster as he seemed to try and run from the taunting voice in his head. He ran headlong into the trees and through bushes. Branches scraped him up and messed up his fur. He could feel cuts and nicks and debris clinging to his pelt. Leaves and grass, dirt and mud. But he didn't care. Was he being punished for abandoning his birth pack? He could only wonder. He felt like he could run forever. His charge fueled by the past he was so desperately trying to run from. He didn't know where he was, only that he needed to keep going.

"CLOUD!"

Ty? His eyes flew open. He skidded to an abrupt halt. Did he really hear that? Or was that his mind playing tricks again? His chest heaved with the effort of his running. He glanced around at the bone white trees that surrounded him. He had no idea where he was, and the only sound he could hear was that of his own heavy breathing. Was he imagining things? Nostrils flared, and he swore he detected his brothers unmistakeable scent. His brother was here? He decided then, to track him down. Cloud was an excellent hunter, so it was easy for him to quickly figure out where the scent was coming from. It wafted through the trees and across the ground, beckining him forward. It only took him a few, short minutes. And as he moved through the trees, he spotted his brother several yards ahead. Cloud wasn't quite sure what to do. He felt like his bond with his brother was weakening...but of course, it was probably his own dumb thoughts that made him feel that way. He felt like he had been distancing himself from everyone. But maybe that's the way it should be.

He stopped among the trees just a few yards short of his brother. He almost thought about turning around to disappear. But he couldn't. He wasn't the type to just up and disappear. Unlike most in his life that had done that to him. "Ty..? Is that you?" He was still somewhat skeptical that this was actually his brother. For all he knew, his mind could have been playing a cruel trick on him.

speech Thought You

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