chrysochroma - Tumblr blog

chrysochroma · 8 days

Text

kept out of sight, sinister and cowardly

Rating: Teen And Up

Words: 16.4k

Fandom: Double Life, S9 HC x S2 Empires crossover

Warnings: MAIN CHARACTER DEATH, Mild Gore, Possession, Corruption, Angst, Death, Blood, Violence, Horror, Crying, Arguments, Manipulation, Trauma

this is my gift for the @mcythorrorgiftexchange for the lovely @yeaveragenerd :DD

Read on Ao3

~ A canary flies up into the wide blue sky, finally free from the darkness. His coal mine waits underneath, patient and understanding. The canary is free, but empty. For what is he without his coal mine? ~

Tango swung his pickaxe, digging it into the stone wall in front of him. He was in a cave he had found a bit away from spawn, gathering basic resources for the coming week.

This was Tango’s third time participating in this tournament, so early game preparations were somewhat of a routine to him. He suspected that most of the other players were doing similar things, just getting geared up for later. These first few hours were usually pretty slow. Still, though, there was a bit of hesitance in the back of his mind. According to the overseers of the games, a new feature had been included for this series, and a few of the players had already found out about it.

Impulse had found his soulmate, Bdubs, first, barely 20 minutes into the game. Tango was there when they both realized that the other had been responsible for the random sparks of pain in the back of their mind. Still, both were grateful to have found each other.

A few minutes after that, though, Tango decided that he would really test how well the soulbonds worked, just for fun. It was a spontaneous decision, and in his defense, what else was he supposed to do with Etho standing so close to a cliff? It was barely a drop, only about 6 blocks, but it was still enough to induce a shriek from Etho and a punch to his arm from Joel, who had subsequently realized he and Etho were soulbound.

Tango could feel the echo of another life attached to his, however faint it was. He had no idea who his soulmate was, and honestly, he was a bit scared to find out. Most of the other players had found theirs already, and at this point, there weren’t many others he could be paired with. He almost felt as if he didn’t have a soulmate at all.

Tango sunk his pickaxe into the stone in front of him, slowly chipping out a tunnel deeper into the ground and filling his inventory with stone. About an hour had passed, and he was now comfortably kitted out with mostly iron, and even a couple diamonds, so he started to retrace his steps through the cave he was in. It was quiet underground as he walked, just the faint sounds of running water and his shoes tapping against the stone floor, but it still took him a minute to hear the other footsteps behind him.

Tango froze. The footsteps continued. Tango turned to look back at the path he had come from, and his eyes caught the faint gleam of a torch casting light on the cave walls. Then a voice echoed through the cavern.

“Hello?” It was Etho, presumably with Joel.

“Yeah? Over here,” he called back.

The torchlight got closer, lighting up what had previously been darkness due to Tango’s lack of supplies. Then Etho and Joel walked out from one of the tunnels leading into the cave, each of them decked out in iron armor.

“Tango, there you are,” Etho said.

“You find your soulmate yet?” Joel asked.

Tango shook his head. “Nope. At this point I’m starting to think I don’t have one,” he joked.

Etho shrugged. “You aren’t exactly out looking.”

“I’m sure I’ll find them eventually.”

“You could always die,” Joel commented. “Then you would definitely know.”

Tango laughed, although a bit hesitantly. “Yeah, that would work, huh? And it would be easy, too–don’t really have any armor. I feel so naked,” Tango said. “Like I feel like anyone could just come by and murder me-” He snapped. “Like that!”

“I miss being enchanted,” Joel commented.

“Yeah, it just makes things so much easier,” Tango agreed.

“But the only table is in the City,” Etho reminded them.

Joel shrugged. “I mean, eventually someone will steal it, and then we won’t have to go all the way down there just to enchant.”

“How much do you wanna bet it’ll be Scar?” Tango asked.

Etho scoffed. “It’s always Scar.”

“Exactly!”

Etho hummed in response.

Tango continued to mine, and the other two started to venture into a different section of the cave, informally ending their conversation. Tango could still faintly hear them though, breaking blocks and talking. For a minute, they went quiet, but Tango didn’t pay much mind. He stepped back out into the larger cavern, which was still shrouded in darkness.

From above him, he heard the swipe of a sword making contact with something, then a sizzle. Tango looked up just in time to see a creeper fall down on top of him, already flickering. A hiss filled his ears as his muscles tensed up, trying to save himself from the coming blast. He pulled up his shield, doing his best to hide behind it, to protect himself—to protect his soulmate—when an explosion rocked the cavern, roaring through his ears and flooding his vision with burning embers and a cloud of gunpowder. Fear surged through his heart, a mixture of his and his poor soulmate’s. There was fire all around him, burning white-hot, and then it was gone.

Tango gasped. The forest was strikingly quiet, aside from some faintly chirping birds. His breathing was shaky, but whether it was from what had just happened or what was going to happen, he didn’t know.

Another voice came from further in the trees. “Tango!” He recognized it a second after.

“Jimmy.” Tango’s voice was much quieter, barely audible.

He and Jimmy had only met once before, in the very first of these games, when he had died to Tango’s challenge/poorly disguised trap. And now they were soulmates. Not exactly a great first impression.

“Tango?” Jimmy yelled again, his voice getting closer.

“I’m over here,” Tango replied, loud enough for Jimmy to actually hear him.

Tango’s eyes caught the bright blond of Jimmy’s hair as he made it through the trees. Then they met each other’s canary yellow eyes. Tango froze. Jimmy strode towards him, closing the gap between them.

“What happened, Tango?” His voice was forceful, demanding, and it made Tango grimace.

“Uh- hi! Hi.” He paused for a split second. “I’m so sorry.”

Jimmy sighed, and Tango held his breath. “Take me through it,” Jimmy said.

A rush of air escaped Tango’s lips. “Etho and Joel, man, they’re insane. I was caving, and they were with me—I think they were mad because I almost killed them at the beginning, and they just-” Tango cut himself off with another exhale, then met his soulmate’s eyes. “God, I’m so sorry.” He was frozen in painful anticipation, waiting for any reaction that Jimmy cared to give, and hoped that he could at least salvage their relationship enough to keep himself alive.

Along with Tango, Jimmy had been a participant in every one of the past games, and every single time, he died first. First deaths were a big thing in these games, even more so when it was one person who died first consistently. To say that he garnered a reputation for it would be an understatement. It was almost expected at this point, for Jimmy to die first. He became the canary of the death games, forever fated to alert the rest of the players to the toxin that was this tournament, and whose warnings were mocked rather than heeded. And now Tango had been the one to doom him, like his own personal coal mine, with which he shared a soul. Jimmy couldn’t escape the dark, and Tango couldn’t pull him out of it, no matter how much either of them tried.

Jimmy kept his eyes locked on Tango’s. There was a hint of a solemn smile on his face. “It’s okay.”

Tango blinked.

“It’s okay,” Jimmy repeated. “We just need to pick ourselves up, get new gear, get some supplies, and we’ll be good.”

“Yeah.” Tango hesitated. “Yeah. We can do that. That’s a good idea. I’ll-“ He went to retrieve a pickaxe from his belt, then realized it was empty. “Right. Um…” He closed his fist, clutching the empty air, then took a breath and walked over to the nearest tree. “Guess we’ll just have to start over. I’ll go get us new stuff right away, and maybe you can get us some food?”

“Yeah, that works. Are you sure you don’t want help with getting gear, though?”

The thought of himself back underground, in the dark, alone, almost made Tango reconsider, but he still shook his head. “I’m fine. But thank you," he added.

Jimmy nodded. “Alright. I’ll go work on getting us stuff to eat, then.”

“I want to enchant today, too.” Tango said.

“Isn’t the table in the Ancient City?” His eyebrows furrowed.

“Yeah, but I think it’s worth it. I really want us to be enchanted as quickly as possible.”

“Okay, yeah, we can do that. That is probably a good idea,” Jimmy agreed.

Tango nodded, but didn’t say anything.

Jimmy paused for a second, took a step away, back towards the trees, then stopped. “Y’know, I was starting to think that I didn’t have a soulmate at all or something,”

“Yeah. Me too.”

He nodded. “Nice meeting you, Tango.”

Tango felt himself relax just a bit. “You too.”

“Meet back up here?”

“Yeah. In an hour, probably.”

“Okay.” He started to turn away.

“And Jimmy?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry. Again.”

Jimmy smiled. “Don’t be. It’s just life, and we’ll get through it together.”

Tango’s heartbeat was dull in his ears as he mined through dark gray stone, making a staircase down deep into the earth. Jimmy was following behind him, staying quiet, although he didn’t really have a reason to—not yet, anyway.

For hours before, Tango had spent his time mining similar tunnels through stone in an effort to restore at least some of the supplies he had before getting blown up, in addition to acquiring some new materials that would come in handy in about a few minutes. His inventory was filled with premade armor pieces, as well as weapons and tools to enchant, and a bit of an outlier among the rest of his items: some snowballs. He also had plenty of torches on hand, deciding that he would prefer to keep out of the dark if possible.

He broke a section of stone out from in front of him, revealing a huge cavern, covered in so much sculk that it looked like a night sky. Their tunnel had left them suspended well above the city, glowing dimly below. Tango could see the faint gleam of blue soulfire through the ruins of whatever structures had once been there, in addition to the ever-vast sea of stars.

Completely silently, Tango carved a staircase out of the wall, down to the city floor. Jimmy followed close behind him, not making a sound. The city was silent, too, like it was waiting for them.

Finally, Tango set his feet on the old stone tiles that made up the city streets, and stared out into the darkness before him. It was like there was nothing there, regardless of the dim light scattered throughout. It seemed cold, empty and completely abandoned, but he supposed it being abandoned was better than not.

Almost immediately after stepping off the staircase, Tango picked a torch from his inventory and held it up, letting its light drive away some of the darkness. It was much less effective than Tango would’ve liked, only lighting up a few feet in front of him, but it was better than nothing. He considered placing torches throughout the city as they went, but kept himself from doing so in fear of drawing something else towards the light.

He held his torch up a bit higher, then motioned for Jimmy to follow him into the depths of the city. He managed to guide the two of them towards the center, where he could see the faint shine of an enchanting table. He traced a winding path through the ruins, all of his movements silent and precise, desperate not to awaken what he knew lurked in the shadows. Then another light snagged his eyes. He turned to see where it was coming from and found it immediately after: Etho and Joel standing at the base of the staircase he had made.

Tango let out a slightly shaky breath, then looked back at Jimmy. “We might need to hurry up,” he said, his voice barely even loud enough to be a whisper.

Jimmy responded with a quizzical expression, and Tango gestured back to the staircase. Jimmy’s eyes darted over to where Tango had pointed and stayed there for a second, then back to him. His nod was a bit hesitant, but understanding.

They continued through the city, still silent as ever. He could hear Joel and Etho’s footsteps across the city, seeming to Tango like gunshots in the silence. There was a sense of panic deep seated in his heart, and a barrage of thoughts were cycling through his brain.

They’re so loud, it’ll hear them, we’re so close, can we make it, we need to be careful, it’s so dark here, we’re gonna die-

Something grabbed Tango’s shoulder from behind and he spun around, sword in hand, to see Jimmy. His soulmate jumped back, startled by the sudden movement, but his gaze was still focused on Tango. Tango could barely see Jimmy—he had traded his torch out for the sword, plunging them into darkness—but there was concern in his eyes and a hint of pity in his heart, he could feel it. Then he remembered the fear in his own mind and forced himself to relax, replacing some of the terror with a twinge of guilt.

“Sorry.” He only mouthed the word, still too scared to put any sound behind it.

Jimmy nodded and smiled, then responded by mouthing “It’s okay.”

Tango forced out a small nod, then turned back towards the enchanter and kept moving.

On the other side of the city, Etho and Joel were working their way towards the table, too, albeit a bit more quickly than Tango and Jimmy. They were louder, though, less careful, less protected, less mindful of the dangers that lie in the darkness.

An iron plated boot hit the hard stone tile, sending a crack echoing through the cavern. Tango froze. A second passed. A wave of light and spine-chilling clicks gleamed across the floor of the city as sensor after sensor lit up, all triggered by that one sound. Eventually, the wave subsided, but not before sending a shriek screaming into the air and drilling deep into Tango’s bones.

Tango’s eyes shot to where Etho and Joel were standing, giving them a wide-eyed glare, a mix of terror and fury. Joel shrugged in response, which made Tango cock his head to the side. Joel nudged Etho and whispered something, then took his bow off his back. Tango stepped back as his eyes got even bigger in disbelief. Next to him, a flicker of confusion passed through Jimmy’s face. Then the two of them watched as Joel nocked an arrow, then pulled back the string. Tango shook his head sharply and Joel let go of the string, sending it snapping back with a twang.

“No!” Tango shouted. He clamped his jaw shut just after the sound escaped his mouth, but it was too late.

Ripples of glowing cyan expanded from around each set of soulmates, bringing piercing shrieks and waves of midnight along with. The arrow Joel had fired landed just in front of Tango, sticking into the stone with a crack, but he barely noticed. Instead, his eyes were on the ground between the pairs, and what was climbing out of it.

Bone white claws were stabbed into the sculk-coated tile, piercing through the deepslate like it was gold. A pair of horns were reaching up into the air, dripping in fungi and shining almost like they were wet. It brought a frigid rush of air rushing through the cavern, icy enough to make even Tango feel as though it was ripping through his skin and tearing muscle from his bones. The ground was shaking, almost like it too was shivering from the cold. Worse, though, was the heartbeat. It pounded its way into Tango’s skull, drowning out all of his other thoughts and replacing them with nothing but dread. The wind had ripped the fire from his torch, leaving them in darkness again, but it seemed even more gloomy now. The shadows were creeping up on them, surrounding them from all sides. The dim light from the soul fire was gone now, too, leaving only the glowing, pulsing souls locked in the chest of the creature in front of them, and the luminous pages of the enchanting table’s tome.

It roared. The sound was deafening, leaving a ringing shock in Tango’s ears. He was frozen to the spot, staring at it in horror. The table was right there, but so was the creature. Jimmy grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back, away from both of them. They stumbled back into the pitch black ruins, filling the halls with their frantic footsteps.

Tango took a quick glance over his shoulder, back into the center of the city. It was still there, and it was looking right at them, staring right at Tango with the eyes it didn’t have. It opened its mouth. A growl echoed through the city. Then a sound like the ragged inhale of broken lungs came from behind, right before an ear-splitting shriek screamed through the air, driving itself like thunder into Tango’s brain.

His mind was pounding, his heart was racing, his lungs were screaming, maybe he was screaming, too. He was stuck. The boom echoed through his head, ricocheting in his mind and building in his ears. To him, there was nothing else. Nothing but the blasting roar, like an explosion.

There was something in the air all around him. Small particles that got sucked into his lungs as he heaved for breath, taking short inhales and even shorter exhales. He coughed, driving some of it out of his throat, but most of it was still stuck. His hack was echoed by another three from behind him. Jimmy’s coughs were sharper, though, as he tried to clear his throat of the spores.

Tango reached out into the dark, then latched onto Jimmy’s hand. He held it tight, trying to steady both of them. The fear was creeping back into his head, and he was painfully aware of the noise they were making. Jimmy was still coughing, and Tango was breathless, and it was getting closer. He squeezed Jimmy’s hand.

How could he fix it? How could he save them? They had to make it out. They couldn’t lose another life. But how?

He reached into his inventory and grabbed a snowball. He pulled his arm back and chucked it across the city, over the creature’s head, right at Joel and Etho. It hit the ground and sent snow scattering over the sculk coated tile. The Warden stopped. Tango threw another snowball. It turned away from Tango, then faced where the snowballs had hit. He threw another. It started to walk towards them. Etho and Joel both froze as another snowball hit the stone. It charged forward, and Tango ran, towing Jimmy behind him.

He was moving as quickly and as quietly as he could, retracing their path through the city. It was still dark, and he could feel his snare drum heartbeat on his ribcage, but he continued. His hand was still holding Jimmy’s and he could still hear him coughing. A millisecond of worry flashed across his mind but was quickly drowned out by the stress.

Even further behind them, he could hear Etho and Joel screaming. It was roaring, and shaking the ground, the sculk around it lighting up at its movements. He could hear the clangs of swords against something much too tough to be cut, and the thwacks of arrows hitting their target but doing nothing, and the creaking of the wood of a shield as it failed to protect from the dangers around them.

Still, they kept moving. They kept going, finally making it out of the darkness. To the tunnel. Out of the city. To the surface.

A message in bright, sunny yellow flashed across his vision.

Smallishbeans was obliterated by a sonically-charged shriek

Then right after it:

Etho died

They kept moving, and Jimmy kept coughing, and they kept their hands intertwined. The deepslate around them shifted into stone, then dirt, and then air. They were out. The sun was on their faces, and the breeze was in their hair, and their Ranch was on the horizon. And Jimmy was still coughing.

His mind finally clear of darkness and panic, Tango was finally able to help him. He rushed over to the nearby river, pulling his soulmate along with him, and leading his soulmate to take a drink. Jimmy cupped his hands under the water, collecting a little puddle of it before raising his hands to his mouth and taking a sip.

Tango could feel a bit of an itch in his throat, but nothing that could cause a cough like that. He figured that he could feel a bit of whatever Jimmy had through the soulbond, which worried him even more. Had he caused it? He could still feel some of those particles in the back of his throat.

Jimmy gulped down more water, his cough finally subsiding for a moment.

“Do you think you’re ready to get back to the Ranch?” Tango asked. “It’ll be easier to figure out what’s going on at home.”

He took another sip, then nodded. “Yeah.” He stood, and then the two started walking in the direction of their house.

The journey didn’t take long, but about halfway through it, Jimmy’s cough returned. He stopped and brought a hand up to his mouth to try and stifle it, but was unsuccessful. Tango stood next to him, his expression made of pure concern.

“What is this?” Tango muttered to himself.

Jimmy choked down a cough. “I’m fine,” he said. “Let’s just keep going.”

“Okay.” He didn’t know what else to say.

After another couple minutes, they reached the walls bordering their Ranch and made their way inside. Jimmy sat down on the bed as Tango went to get more water and some food from their storage. He returned with a few loaves of bread and some bottles of water, which he handed to his soulmate before sitting down next to him. A couple minutes passed in silence as Jimmy ate and drank, until Tango asked a question.

“Has something like this happened before?”

Jimmy hesitated for a second before shaking his head. “I mean, my lungs have always been kind of bad, but nothing like this.”

Tango nodded.

The pair fell back into quiet, both lost in their own heads.

At least they were alive. Whatever this was, they would figure it out together.

At least they made it out. They didn’t get what they came for, though.

“I’m gonna go back down.” Tango said.

Jimmy frowned. “I don’t think we should go right now, we should rest for a bit.”

He paused. “I think it’s better if I go alone.”

“What?” Jimmy turned to Tango, his eyebrows scrunched. “No, you aren’t, we go together-“

Tango shook his head once. “Whatever you have started down there. There is no way you’re going back, okay?”

“No,” Jimmy repeated. “I am not letting you go back down there alone, we barely made it out with both of us.”

“I’ll be fine,” Tango reassured him. “We need enchantments.”

“Do we? I mean, none of the other players have them," he argued.

“Yes, we do.” Tango’s voice was firm. “It never hurts to be prepared.”

“Yeah, I guess, but can you at least wait until there are other people?”

“I can handle it,” Tango said, ignoring his still-jittery heart.

Jimmy paused, looking at Tango. “Are you sure we need it?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Jimmy sighed. “Please be careful. Please don’t die-“

“I’m not going to get us killed again.”

“I- okay.”

There was a quick pause.

“Can I have your armor? And any tools you want enchanted.” Tango held out his hand, and Jimmy gave him his armor, along with a sword, bow, and pickaxe, however reluctantly. “Thank you.”

Tango put all of the armor pieces away, then put his hand in Jimmy’s. “I’ll be careful,” he said, looking into his soulmate’s eyes. His gaze darted away to look out one of the windows, then back to Jimmy just as quick. “I promise.”

“Okay.” There was some kind of reluctance on his face, so subtle Tango couldn’t place it.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked.

Jimmy frowned a bit. “I’ll be fine. Are you… Can you tell?”

“A little,” Tango admitted. “But not much. I’m feeling more… emotions.”

“Ah.”

The candlelight flame of fear in the back of Tango’s heart grew, then was snuffed out.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. I’ll get this stuff enchanted, and then I’ll come back home, and we’ll be safe.” He squeezed Jimmy’s hand.

He sighed, then nodded. “Yeah.”

Tango let go, and Jimmy watched as he walked back outside and started in the direction of the tunnel he had made. He was keeping his breathing steady as he descended into the earth, holding a torch out in front of him as he walked, regardless of the ones already placed on the tunnel walls. He ventured back into the darkness, into the city, so slow that he was barely moving. He crept through the ruins like the darkness itself was preying upon him. It felt as though he had to force his heart to keep beating, like it would suddenly stop just so he could be quieter. He could feel the extra weight of Jimmy’s armor in his inventory, and the extra fear from Jimmy’s mind in his heart. Both were ever-present, a reminder of what he was here for and why he needed to make it back.

He made his way to the center of the city, then stopped. In front of him, framed by an ancient portal covered in sculk, was a red-draped altar and a gleaming book floating atop it. He stepped up to the table and set down a chunk of lapis lazuli, then turned his gaze to the tome. His eyes were scanning for Protection and Unbreaking, Efficiency, Sharpness, Mending, anything that could help. He paused for a split second after seeing the enchantment for Blast Protection, but continued. He kept his mind alert as he read through the enchantments they required, blessing each of the objects in turn. He enchanted Jimmy’s gear first, then his own, slowly burning through the lapis he had brought.

He set his chest plate on the altar, then started to flip through the pages. Once again, his eyes caught on the enchantment for Blast Protection. It took just a second of hesitation before he read the enchantment, crushing a small chunk of lapis over the armor and imbuing it with magic. A gleam of iridescent purple slid across the iron, and something in Tango’s mind calmed.

A drop of something wet hit his forehead. It was dark turquoise and cold, leaving a trail of its path as it rolled down his face. He looked up to see where it had come from and another drop fell, coating the surface of his eye.

Tango gasped and stumbled back, blinking furiously. He rubbed his eye, pressing hard with his thumb—a bit too hard. The darkness spread, flooding across his other eye and blocking out his vision. His heart hammered in his chest and his movements grew panicked, frantically trying to get the substance out of his eyes so he could see again. Then he stilled. His mind calmed down, his heartbeat slowed, and he let his hands drop to his sides. Darkness still coated his eyes. He stood still for a second, before a shimmer of aqua flitted across them.

Tango grabbed the pickaxe from his belt and watched a wave of glowing purple slide across it. Then he swung the pickaxe, digging the tip of it into the base of the table. After a couple more strikes, the base of the altar was destroyed, leaving the tome sitting atop the rubble, its light now dimmed. Tango reached down and picked up the book, snapping it shut and tucking it into one of his pockets.

He blinked, and the darkness leaked out of his vision. He gasped and tried to steady himself, unsure of what had just happened. His eyes were darting around the city, looking for any sign of a threat, but found nothing. Then he looked back at his pickaxe, and the purple shine it had. He took a breath, then started back towards his tunnel in silence.

Tango stepped back onto grass, on the surface once again. The sun was starting to set, glowing orangey-red and painting the sky with tints of yellow and pink. The Ranch was casting a shadow on the ground in front of it, the torches mounted on its walls letting off pinpricks of light. Seeing it again made him smile, knowing that he had made it back okay. He could feel Jimmy’s mind fill with relief in response. Although Jimmy didn’t quite know what was happening, Tango smiling was enough for him to know that things were okay.

He stepped up to the doors to their house and reached down to open one when the handle moved away from his hand and the door swung open. He was met with Jimmy’s smile, gleaming like he knew everything was okay.

“Hi!” Jimmy exclaimed. He walked towards Tango, going to wrap his arms around him in a hug, but as he did so, he pulled his hand up to his mouth and coughed into it, half stumbling into him in the process.

“H- oh, are you okay?” Tango asked.

“Yeah, I’m just-” He coughed a couple more times. “It’s just a cough.”

“You weren’t this bad when I left,” Tango noticed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Tango led Jimmy into their house, both supporting him and pulling him towards the table in their kitchen. Jimmy pulled his arm out of Tango’s grasp and held his hand instead.

“I’m fine, really. Hey, and you’re fine too! Did you get everything that you wanted enchanted?” “Yeah, we’re all set!” Tango pulled all of Jimmy’s tools and armor out of his inventory and set them on the table. Each one had a rippling amethyst sheen to it, imbued with power and magic.

“Wow,” Jimmy said. He picked his sword up off the table and held it up, tilting the blade and watching a sparkle of light shine across it. Then he picked up the rest of his gear and stowed it away, admiring the luster to each of them before putting them away. “Y’know, I really do feel safer with all of these enchants.”

“Yeah, they’re definitely going to come in handy,” Tango responded, slipping his hand back into one of his pockets. Then his finger brushed against something unexpected: the leather cover of a book.

He ran his thumb across the material, feeling the details engraved into it. They were intricate and elegant, as far as Tango could tell. He grabbed onto the book and pulled it out of the pocket just enough to catch a glimpse of it. It had a brown leather cover with gold framing the edges and filling in the carvings. There was text carved into it too, but the words didn’t seem to have any meaning to them.

Snuff, galvanize, imbue, self, creature, fresh, ignite, free.

Tango let the book fall back into his pocket, electing to ignore it, then pulled out his own sword, its violet gleam reflecting in his eyes. “Now that we have this, we’ll be safe,” Tango said. “And we can figure out how to heal you.”

Jimmy nodded. “Yeah.” He paused for a moment. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Yeah, me too. I mean- I’m glad that you’re okay, not that I’m okay-” Tango grimaced. “Well I’m glad that I’m okay too but what’s more important is that you’re okay, which you are, and I’m glad.” He paused, took a breath, then looked at Jimmy. “I’m glad that you’re okay.”

Jimmy laughed, poorly disguising it as a cough, then actually coughed. Tango moved closer, concerned, but Jimmy recovered before he could do anything. Jimmy recognized the fear in his heart as not his own, then pursed his lips. “It’s fine, you said it yourself, we just need to figure this out, and then we’ll be okay, right?’

The reluctance on Tango’s face was clear. “Yeah.”

“We can do it.”

“Yeah. We’ll fix it.”

Rays of sunshine shone into the Ranch, marking the second day of the games. Jimmy could hear birds quietly chirping outside as he blinked himself awake. Tango was still asleep next to him, his expression more calm than Jimmy had seen. Something like sadness, or pity, or guilt flashed in his heart, which he solemnly acknowledged.

The blaring sound of a goat horn’s call trumpeted through the arena, and it was subsequently answered by two others right after.

Tango groaned, woken up by the noise. “Come on,” he muttered. “It’s too early.”

“We need to get some of those,” Jimmy decided. “I cannot stand them just sounding their horns all the time, and how they all respond to each other-” He cut himself off with an exasperated scoff. “We just need to get some.”

“Can’t it wait a few minutes?” Tango asked, half mumbling into his pillow. “And you’re supposed to be the sick one, how are you so energetic?” Jimmy waved him off. “I’m fine, see? It must’ve gone away already!” Then, almost as if on cue, a cough erupted from his throat, making him double over in pain as the hacks continued.

“Woah, hey,” Tango reached out a hand and put it on Jimmy’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

He nodded, his hand still up to his mouth. “Yeah.”

Tango raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. He climbed out of bed and walked over to a chest on the other side of the room, picked out some steak and more bottles of water, then walked back over to the bed and sat down next to his soulmate, handing him the items.

“Thanks,” he said, then took a long drink of water.

Tango gave a small smile in response. “If you really want to get some horns, I think I know where we could get a couple.”

Jimmy’s eyes lit up and Tango felt a surge of happiness in his heart. “Really?”

“Oh, yeah.” Tango smiled.

It took them a couple hours and some much needed help from Pearl, but they finally had their horns.

Tango was studying his, spinning it slowly in his hands, his eyes following its grooves.

“We should blow them at the same time!” Jimmy was practically jumping up and down holding his new goat horn.

There was a second of silence before Tango responded. His eyes darted away from the horn and up to Jimmy’s. “Huh?”

“Hey, you knew what I meant,” he complained, giving Tango a playful smack on the arm.

“Oh, right,” Tango forced out a quick laugh. “Yeah, let’s do it together. Ready?”

Jimmy nodded, and then the two of them each brought their horn up to their lips.

A pair of four quick notes sounded through the arena, ringing through the air like chiming bells. Jimmy squealed and Tango laughed, both followed by those same four notes once again.

Jimmy was grinning ear-to-ear. “Oh, I love it!”

“It’s amazing!” Tango agreed.

“And now, we can-” He cut himself off with another call of his horn, which was followed by a different call from across the map, answering his. “Yes! They’re answering!”

“And ours match, too, so we’ll always know that it’s us!” Tango beamed. “Oh, I am so glad we did this.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Hey, Scar,” Joel called. “Where are you?”

“Just over here,” he replied, coming from somewhere behind a wall of bamboo. “Would you like to come see the pandas?”

“Sure,” he replied, following Etho towards the Sanctuary.

The pair let themselves in through the gate and walked up to Scar, who was feeding one of the animals.

Scar turned to look at them, then smiled. “What can I do for you two gentlemen? There’s some bamboo in that chest over there if you’d like to feed the Jellies, no cost although donations are very much appreciated-”

“We came to ask about the enchanter,” Etho interjected.

Scar gave a quizzical expression. “Well what about it?” “Where is it?” Joel demanded, his voice blunt.

“It should be in the Deep Dark, is it not?”

“No. We went down there to enchant yesterday and got killed by the blummin’ Warden, and when we tried to go back today, the table was gone. So where is it?” He asked again.

“I don’t have it. I haven’t even been in the Deep Dark yet, Grian banned me from going,” he frowned.

“Are you sure about that?” Joel pressed.

Meanwhile, Etho had started to drift away from the other two and was studying the base of the Sanctuary’s walls, searching for any seemingly out of place dirt.

“Why, yes, I’m sure,” Scar huffed. “Does it look like I have the enchanter? If I did, I would be all shiny, which I am not. Sadly.”

Joel scowled. “Do you know who would have it, then?”

“No idea. Do you?” He paused for a second. “Well we did follow Tango and Jimmy down there, but they didn’t even get to enchant. And there’s no way they would steal the enchanter.”

Scar shrugged. “You never know. Maybe one of them decided to be a bit rebellious.”

“Yeah, no way,” Joel scoffed. “Not the Tango and Jim I know.”

“Hey, Jimmy?” Tango called from across the house.

“Yeah?”

“I have an idea of something I think we should do.”

“Alright,” Jimmy responded, walking towards the source of Tango’s voice. “What is it?”

Tango was leaning against their table, holding his pickaxe. “I think we should move underground, at least for a little bit.”

“What?” He looked a bit confused, caught off-guard by Tango’s idea.

“Just for a little,” he repeated. “I hate to leave our beautiful Ranch, but I think this is safest right now. I found a cave that we could use.”

Jimmy’s eyebrows scrunched up. “I thought you didn’t like caves.”

“Well it’s not that I don’t like them, I just don’t like when they’re not safe,” Tango said. “Besides, this will be better in the long run. As much as I love the Ranch, it’s a bit flammable.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “I mean, I guess if you think that’s best, then sure. You are sure though, right?”

“Yeah, of course,” Tango nodded.

“Alrighty, then.” Jimmy sighed. “It’s a shame we’re leaving the Ranch, though.”

“Yeah, it is. I’m gonna miss it.”

“Me too. But it’s just for a little while, we’ll be back,” Jimmy figured.

“Yes, we will,” Tango smiled.

Jimmy let the blade of his scythe rest on the ground among the wheat he had harvested and lifted his hand to wipe the sweat off his brow. The midday sun was beating down hard on him, but it seemed less harsh than normal.

He had been outside farming and tending to the animals for a few hours now, to Tango’s reluctance. According to him, it was a much better idea to stay inside and underground, but Jimmy would’ve been lying to his face if he’d said that he agreed. The darkness and the cold seemed so suffocating to him, he could barely stand being down there for long. He knew that he agreed to hide out more, but his lungs were aching just thinking about being underground. He hadn’t even coughed that much as he was outside, in the warmth of the sun’s rays. It was calm, and there was a light breeze. It was nice, which made him even more adverse to spending all his time in a cave.

Tango seemed to be doing the opposite, though. The last time they had even seen each other was when he said they should stay underground more. Since then, he had been dutifully sticking to his own direction. Jimmy doubted that Tango had seen the sun since it rose. He had no idea how he could tolerate the cold for so long.

Technically, Jimmy was only supposed to be “preparing” to stay in the cave Tango found, stocking up on bread and meat so they didn’t have to go outside as much. He knew that he promised Tango he would stay safe, but he could never bear to part with the sky above him.

A voice jolted him out of his thoughts. “Hey, Jim.”

Jimmy looked up to see Joel and Etho crossing through the gates into the Ranch, both holding swords. He instinctively stepped back, tightening his grip around the scythe. “What do you want?” Something scratched at the back of his throat and he coughed to try and stop it. Shortly after, though, the feeling returned.

“Woah, no need to be so aggressive,” Joel joked.

“We came to ask about the enchanter.” Etho said.

Jimmy hesitated. “Okay?”

“Where is it?”

He looked confused. “I don’t have it.”

“Well then who does?” Etho questioned.

“Isn’t it still in the Ancient City?”

“Nope. Someone stole it, and we’re trying to figure out who.”

“And you’re asking me?” Jimmy raised his eyebrows. “You really think I stole the enchanter?”

“You two are the only players with enchants,” Joel said, gesturing at his and Etho’s dull armor. “So, yeah.”

“Well, I don’t have it, so you’re gonna have to look elsewhere, mister.”

“What about Tango?” Etho interjected.

“Yeah, where is he, anyway?” Joel glanced around the Ranch. “You two are soulmates, shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, together?”

“He’s mining,” Jimmy shot back. “And he doesn’t have the enchanter, either.”

Joel just squinted at him.

“Oh, come on, do you really think either of us would steal it? That’s Scar’s job.”

The three of them stared at each other in suspenseful silence for a minute, before Joel finally spoke.

“I know when you’re lying, Jim, and you’re not.”

“See? I told you we don’t have it,” he smiled. “Now go away, I have some farming to do.”

The next day, Jimmy still found himself outside, farming wheat in silence. The afternoon sun was once again showering him with its warmth, and he found himself giving up on keeping the sweat off his brow as he swung the scythe back and forth, cutting down swaths of wheat in an arc. The day was different, though. It seemed a little bit darker and a little bit colder than the previous two, like the sun was trapped behind an ever-growing cloud, regardless of the fact that the sky was completely clear.

A chill ran down Jimmy’s spine. He paused for a second, still comprehending what he had just felt. He was cold. Not in the sense of a passing breeze that was stronger than you’d expect, moreso like the constant throbbing of frostbite on your hands and feet. But he was never cold, or at least Tango wasn’t. Usually, Tango had more than enough heat to keep both of them warm, but recently that hadn’t been happening. It almost felt as though he hadn’t felt warm in a while.

Jimmy was standing in front of a row of chests, stowing all of the wheat he had harvested when he heard footsteps coming up from underground. Tango joined him at the chests, putting away various stones and ores. Neither acknowledged the other for a second, until Jimmy paused.

“Hey, Tango?” He asked. “Are you... cold?”

Tango raised an eyebrow and repeated his question. “Am I cold?”

“I mean like when you’re mining.” Jimmy added.

“I mean, sometimes. Why?”

“Well, when I was farming earlier today,” he ignored Tango’s slight frown. “I felt this.. I don’t know, shiver, through our soulbond. And I know you don’t really get cold or anything, but I was just wondering if something was going on.”

“What? No, I’m fine, it just-” There was a split second of hesitation. “-gets a bit cold down there sometimes.”

Jimmy nodded, even though he didn’t understand. “I see. So everything’s alright, yeah?”

“Yeah, of course,” Tango said.

“That’s.. good.”

Tango nodded, then disappeared back down the tunnel into the mines.

Jimmy sat on their bed, still awake, lit only by the glow of a lantern. The moon was out, shining a subtle glow through the windows. As much as it was beautiful, though, Jimmy’s mind was in other places.

Tango never took this long to come back. Usually he would be back in the house by now, preferring to avoid any mob that spawned rather than fight them.

Then a blood red message flashed across his vision, disrupting his train of thought.

Smallishbeans died because of Enderman

Followed by:

Etho died

They died again. Jimmy nearly gasped at it, even before he realized. They were reds now, the first pair in the game, meaning they could kill whoever they wanted, and that was not good for the two of them.

Jimmy tried to see if he could feel any reaction to the death through the soulbond, but came up with nothing, surprising him a bit. He expected Tango to be a bit more panicked about it—or at least excited. Instead, their soulbond felt empty, with almost another tinge of that same cold.

Jimmy frowned, and he blinked. His eyelids were getting heavier as the moon made its way into the sky. There were dozens of questions in his mind, none of which he could answer.

He blinked again, then closed his eyes.

Jimmy groaned as he slowly woke and stretched out of the awkward position he fell asleep in. His muscles were aching, as if punishing him for his lack of caring, and the air was scratching at his lungs, making him cough a couple times. He looked around, but saw no sign that Tango had even been out of mines since he last saw him. He sighed, then laid back down and tried to make himself comfortable.

Something had to be going on, he thought. He started to search back through his memories, trying to identify anything that could’ve caused this. He remembered when they had first met, and the creeper explosion that caused it, and then the pair of them going into the Ancient City, and-

The shriek. It was dark when it happened, but he remembered feeling those particles in the air and in his throat, like dust kicked up from the explosion. It was probably the reason for his own cough, he realized. But whatever Tango had was worse somehow. He didn’t know why, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t figure it out. He was digging through his mind, seeking out every speck of information on the substance he could remember.

It was called sculk, and it was like a fungus, and it spread when things died around it. It thrived in places like the Ancient City—dark, cold, and far underground. There were shriekers, and sensors, and Wardens, all made of the stuff. And it could hear you. It was dangerous, and not good to be around.

Then something else popped into his mind. A while ago, outside of the games, someone he knew got… infected. Cub. Jimmy didn’t know exactly what happened, but he knew that, while he was infected, Cub was different, changed, like he was possessed. He was distant, and obsessive, and almost manipulative.

Then Jimmy started to get worried. He was pretty sure Tango had been infected, too. He could still feel the ever-present chill in their soulbond and the absence of his soulmate in the rest of his heart. As soon as he had thought of the idea, it was like a fuse had been lit in his brain, making it blow up into a million questions.

If that’s what happened to Tango, how would he fix it? What would he do? Could he ask anyone about it? Who could he ask? Who would know? Who would help him?

His mind was frantically searching through every possibility, and crossing each name off the list a second after he thought of them. Then he hesitated, caught on a name bright in his mind among hesitance, fear, and desperation: Scar.

Scar was Cub’s old business partner, and he was there when Cub was infected. Out of all of the players, he would be the best one to ask by far. Still, though, there was no way he would actually help him. He would want something in return, that something being the enchanter, which he didn’t have, and there wasn’t much else he could offer. So, practically all options were off the table. Unless…

“Scar?” Jimmy called.

“Yes?”

“I have to ask you about something.”

“I see.” Scar set something in a chest and closed it, then turned to Jimmy. “Well, I’m happy to answer any question you have to the best of my abilities, but I’m afraid I’ll need something in exchange.”

“Yeah. See, I know you want the enchanter, but I don’t have it. I swear. I…” Jimmy hesitated, and his eyes darted to the side for a second. “I do know where it is. And I’ll tell you, if you can help me.”

Scar smiled. “Fantastic, I am very glad to hear that. Now, good sir, what can I help you with?”

“You know Cub, right? And you were there when he got infected with that stuff a while ago? Out of the games,” Jimmy asked.

“Ah.” Scar paused. “Yes, why do you ask?”

“I-“ He started, then cut himself off. “That’s not important. What can you- What happened?”

“Enchanter first.”

Jimmy frowned, then exhaled. He grabbed a piece of paper, jotted a series of random numbers down on it and handed it to Scar. “There’s the first coordinate, I’ll give you the other after.”

Scar tucked the paper in his pocket, then thought for a second before starting to speak. “Honestly, I don’t really know,” Scar shrugged. “I think he went to help Shubble with something at her swamp and got infected there. The infection itself only lasted a few days, but a lot happened. He went around spreading sculk everywhere, and got, like, possessed and stuff. Eventually, Shelby and a few others were able to get rid of it, though.”

“How did they cure him?” Jimmy spat out the question like it was freezing on his tongue.

“Potions, I think?”

Jimmy’s heart sank into his stomach. Potions, of course. The one thing he couldn’t make. “Are you sure?” He pressed.

“Yes, I am. Now, if that’s all you wanted, I believe I’m missing a coordinate,” he reminded.

Jimmy huffed impatiently and looked for another piece of paper to write on. When he couldn’t find one, let out a short groan and held out his hand. “Give me it back.”

Scar hesitated for a moment before complying. Jimmy snatched the paper out of Scar’s hand, scribbled the other coordinate next to the first, then shoved it back at him. He opened his mouth to give a quick ‘thank you,’ but was cut off by another voice.

“Hey there, Jim.”

Joel and Etho were walking out from under the cover of the forest towards them, their eyes shining blood red.

“Ah, gentlemen, nice to see you again,” Scar smiled.

Immediately after, Jimmy spun on his heel, his boots digging into the soft ground as he sprinted away, bushing through branches and leaves. He could hear the pair give chase, their footsteps pounding. The creak of a bowstring cut through the monotony, followed by the thwack of an arrow burying itself in the trunk of a tree next to him. Two more arrows followed it, each getting closer and closer to him, but never quite hitting their target. Then the forest gave way to the desert, open and plain. He kept running, pushing himself through the sand as arrows whizzed past him on either side.

“C’mon, Jim, die already!” Joel yelled.

Etho stopped and drew his bow back once more, carefully took aim, then let the arrow fly. This time, it sailed through the air in a perfect arc and landed in the meat of Jimmy’s shoulder. Jimmy gasped as he felt piercing metal dig deep into his muscle, the arrowhead planting itself right next to his bone. He stumbled but kept running, slowly making his way across the field of sand. He could feel Etho’s eyes following him as he ran, watching him before lining up a second shot, but another never came. Their footsteps faded from view as he finally left the desert, clinging onto the life that remained.

Jimmy pushed through the front door into the Ranch, breathing quickly. There was blood soaking his shirt now, draining out of the puncture wound left by the arrow, which was still stuck in his shoulder. He could feel his heart shaking and his shoulder throbbing as he pulled the arrow out. After he got it unstuck, he set it on the table next to him and began to clean the wound. As he did, he searched through the deeper parts in his heart, looking for anything through the soulbond, but found nothing. No panic, no worry, not even pain. There was no evidence of Tango even noticing he had been shot.

For a split second, Jimmy wondered if something had broken, if the game had glitched or something. Because what else would it be? There’s no way Tango wouldn’t at least be able to feel the arrow. He had lost nearly 5 hearts after all, and that was hard to ignore. Still, though, there was nothing.

Jimmy tied the ends of the bandage around his shoulder, then stood. He walked over towards the bank of chests on the wall, but paused at the entrance to the mine. What was he doing down there? There was no way he was still actually mining. If he was, he would’ve gone through dozens of pickaxes at this point, and for what? It’s not like they needed that much. Gods, it seemed like forever since he had last seen him. He could barely feel him, either. Another couple of coughs escaped his lungs.

He was staring down the tunnel into Tango’s mineshaft, blood now soaking through his bandages, nothing but confusion in his eyes and a lump in his throat.

Jimmy was sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall, almost completely unmoving. He was seated right next to the entrance to the strip mine, just sitting there, thinking. Originally, it had been a decision of whether he should be worried, but now it was more along the lines of whether he should go look for Tango or just leave him alone. He was worried, there was no debate about that, but deciding what he would do about it was what troubled him.

He was thinking about what Scar had said, too. They used potions to cure him, which was impossible here. So that wasn’t it. Whatever Tango had was different, he told himself. Something else. Maybe he didn’t even have anything at all, who knows? Besides, Scar said that Cub got sick from Shubble’s swamp, which Tango definitely didn’t go into. So that wasn’t it. Maybe it was just the games. They changed people, he knew that. After all, it’s kind of hard to kill your friends in cold blood for sport one day, then go back to being buddies the next. To avoid that, most players acted differently in the games, like they were playing a character instead of being themselves. For all he knew, that was all that was going on. Everyone was fine, including Tango, and so was he.

Something hard struck the wood of their front door–the pommel of a sword. The sound it made was sharp and deliberate, with an air of impatience to it. It was a knock, but not a question: a demand.

Jimmy pushed himself off the floor, grabbed his sword from his belt and walked over to the door. One hand clenched the grip of his sword and the other reached out for the doorknob, the rest of his muscles tense.

He opened the door. Standing behind it, as he expected, was Scar, Etho and Joel on either side of him.

“Hi,” Jimmy started.

“Hi Jimmy,” Etho replied, his face blank.

“I assume you know why we’re here,” Scar said, holding the piece of paper Jimmy gave him between his fingertips.

“Okay, yeah, look, I don’t know where it is. I just needed some info, that’s all. And it didn’t even affect you!” Jimmy defended.

“Well, you did lie to me. And after I placed my trust in you, Jimmy,” Scar tutted. “I can’t believe it.” He closed his fist around the paper, crushing it into a tight ball before dropping it.

“Hey-!” Jimmy took a step back and scowled at Scar. “Okay, I might’ve lied to you then, but I’m not lying when I say that I don’t have it. Neither of us do.”

“Then I guess it’s magically disappeared, huh, Jimmy?” Joel interjected. “You’re the only people that could have it.”

“No-“

“Speaking of, where is your soulmate?”

“He’s mining.” Jimmy said sharply.

“Still?” Etho laughed.

Joel smiled. “Trouble in paradise, huh, Jim?”

“No, hey-“ Jimmy stopped himself, then sighed. “Look, how do you know someone else doesn’t have it?”

“You’re the only players with enchanted gear.” Scar shrugged, tapping his knuckle against Jimmy’s chestplate. “It’s simple, Jimmy.”

“Yeah, look at you, all shiny,” Etho added.

“Well they could be framing us!”

Scar raised an eyebrow. “Do you really think that, Jimmy?” His voice was full of venom, so much so that it almost surprised him.

“Yeah, well,” He trailed off.

“Just tell us where it is and we’ll leave you alone,” Etho offered.

Joel grinned unsympathetically. “Yeah, and we won’t even kill you.”

“Great, thanks.” Jimmy replied dryly. In his head, though, sirens were blaring loud and clear.

Gods, where was Tango? He needed someone to back him up on this, there was no way he could just get them to leave by himself. If Tango were there, maybe he could convince them that they didn’t have the enchanter, because they didn’t! The situation was infuriating, but that didn’t stop him from being terrified.

“Hey guys, how about we settle this later, alright?” He started to pull the door closed when Scar stepped forward and braced his arm against the door, keeping it open.

“Well, actually, my friend, I think I’m gonna need something in exchange for my troubles. How about that shiny armor of yours?” Keeping one hand on the door, he held out his other expectantly.

Jimmy shook his head and stepped back. “Uh, yeah, no, you can go get your own armor.”

Scar paused, silent. Jimmy could tell that the gears in his mind were turning, but he couldn’t tell why.

“Okay, fine.” He stepped back and took his hand off the door, which Jimmy immediately slammed in his face.

His heart was racing, pounding against his chest as he retreated back, farther into his home. They left. Never in a million years did he think they would actually leave. But they did, and it was going to be okay. He felt as though the sun was actually warm again, beaming in through the windows and freeing him from that cold in his heart. It was finally warmer, he could feel it. Everything was back to normal, and it would be okay.

Then the scent of smoke caught his nose. He heard laughing from outside. Jimmy froze. He looked out one of the windows. The light seemed… red. Then the first plank gave away. Flames were burning bright, licking along the edge of the wood, and smoke poured in through the hole as more and more of the wood gave away to the blaze.

The Ranch was on fire.

Jimmy was breathing quickly, inhaling what seemed like equal parts smoke and air as he rushed to the mineshaft entrance and screamed for Tango to come up, both for help and to make sure he was okay. He waited, but there was no response. He started to call out again but was overcome with a fit of coughs as pain wracked his lungs. The room was filled with dark gray smoke now, making it impossible to even see how bad the damage was getting. He choked out another cough, then inhaled more smoke, then coughed again. He shut his watering eyes tight and turned back to where the door had been, then stumbled towards it. He pushed himself through the doorway and onto the grass, into open air. He fell to his knees on the still dewy grass and forced himself to breathe, pumping oxygen into his lungs and pushing the smoke out. His mouth was dry like it was coated in sand and his throat was raw like he had swallowed those same particles.

As his lungs were still recovering, he turned back to the Ranch—or what remained. The fire had traveled fast, completely coating the entire structure and engulfing it in flame until there was nothing left to burn. Now, charred wooden boards were scattered across the ground among shattered glass and cracked fence posts, leaving the stone entrance to the tunnel that led deep down below almost completely unharmed.

Jimmy just stared at that arch, unmoving as wisps of smoke continued to rise. His throat was dry, and his lungs were dry, but his cheeks were wet. He hacked out another quick cough then pushed himself off the ground, staggering for a couple steps before he caught his balance. He strode through the broken framework of their house and stormed down the stairs. His boots were catching on loose stone, but he continued unbothered. It got colder and colder as he descended into the earth, and the walls around him changed from stone to deepslate, driving the world into shadow. There were much less torches on the walls as he went further down, so much so that when he reached the bottom, he could barely see. He could tell Tango was there, though.

“Tango!” His voice was cracked and hoarse, and it hurt, but he yelled a second time anyway. “Tango!”

He stepped out of the darkness, holding a pickaxe in one hand and a sword in the other. “Ye-“

Jimmy grabbed Tango’s arm and pulled, ignoring his protests, and dragged him up through the tunnel. His grip was unrelenting, forcing Tango to follow him. Finally, they made their way all the way out of the mines and into the sunlight.

It seemed to take him a second to notice the absence of their house. “Um.” Tango said.

“Um? That’s it? Our house has been burned to the ground, and that’s all you have to say?” Jimmy’s voice cracked.

“What else do you want me to say?”

“Uh, I don’t know, maybe be a little sad about it? C’mon, we made this house together, and now it’s burned to ash, and you’re not even sad? What’s happened to you?”

There was a shift in Tango’s tone. “What happened to me?”

“Yeah- back when we first met, the Tango I knew would’ve killed anyone who did this, and now, all you say is um.” He put an emphasis on the final word, distaste in his voice.

Tango sneered. “Yeah, well, it’s not like you haven’t changed too.”

“Yeah? How have I changed, huh?”

“You don’t trust me.”

“I don’t-“ Jimmy gaped. “I don’t trust you? When have I ever not trusted you? This whole time, I’ve been willing to follow what you say, I’ve agreed, I’ve helped you- I forgave you, and you’re saying I don’t trust you?” He gestured wildly as he defended himself, red-hot anger flaring up in his heart.

Tango stared at him, his face set. “Yeah. You have agreed, but you haven’t actually followed through. Every time I say we should do something, you go along with it at the start, then leave and ignore me.”

“I- yeah, okay, fine, maybe I do, but that’s not because I don’t trust you.”

“Are you sure about that?” He tilted his head to the side. “We’re supposed to be soulmates, Jimmy, and you act like I don’t exist.”

“No. I look out for you, I defend you, I’m trying to help you, and where were you when Scar burnt our house down?” Jimmy threw his arms out to his sides like he was reveling in the ruins around him.

“I was mining,” Tango shot back. “Gathering resources for us, so we don’t die.”

He scoffed. “Oh yeah? And what do you have to show for it?”

Still holding eye contact with Jimmy, Tango reached out to a chest next to him, grabbed its latch and pulled. The chest tipped from its shelf and fell open, scattering its contents on the floor. A wave of diamonds and iron and gold swept over the tiles, surrounding the two of them in a puddle of riches. The sunlight from above reflected off the shining metals and gems, covering both of them in specks of light.

Jimmy froze, staring down at the sparkling gemstones covering the floor. Tango stayed silent, too, in satisfaction.

Then Jimmy looked up at him, into his dark eyes. “Fine. If you wanna keep mining, do it. Just don’t expect anything out of me.”

“Sounds fantastic.”

Jimmy barely spared him a second glance before spinning on his heel, sending a few of the gems skittering across the floor, and walking out through the remains of the doorway.

Jimmy’s jaw was clenched as he swung his scythe through the new growth of his fields, accidentally clawing a gash in the dirt and uprooting some of the plants. He stopped himself from taking another swing and frowned at the exposed roots, then squatted down, sighing. He let his scythe rest on the ground next to him as he pushed the roots of the crop back into the ground and patted some dirt into place on top of it, then worked on filling in the rest of the divot.

Around him, night was falling. The sun had dipped behind the treeline minutes ago, so there was no point to him still standing amongst the wheat, but that didn’t stop him. He might as well—what else would he do?

He closed his eyes and bowed his head like he was praying to the dirt, silent and thinking. The argument still rang in his mind, even as he tried to push it out. He couldn’t tell if he regretted anything, though. He could still barely feel their soulbond, which was now just a faint echo of what it had been at the start of the game.

He didn’t regret anything. He was right to be mad. When nothing was left, when they were supposed to still have each other, Tango left. Well, they had both left.

Jimmy stood, grabbing his scythe, and walked over to the oak tree towering over what would’ve been their front lawn. He leaned the tool against the trunk of the tree, then sat down beneath it, tipping his head back until it rested on the tree’s bark. The air still stunk of smoke, and it reeked on Jimmy’s clothes and in his hair. He did his best to ignore it. Jimmy folded his hands in his lap, intertwining his fingers together and holding on tight, then closed his eyes as the moon rose high into the sky.

The shining white sun peeked through the trees once more, bringing about the fifth day of the games. The players were starting to get tired now, which pushed them further into desperation. The games were starting to weigh down on them as their lives were ripped away one by one.

Etho and Joel, of course, were red—the first to turn. Ren and BigB had died to an enderman first, then a creeper, both mistakes but they were on their final life nonetheless. Scott and Pearl were the other two reds, their demise brought about by their own disagreement. Grian and Scar, and Martyn and Cleo were both yellow, in addition to Tango and Jimmy. Most of them had died to mobs of some kind, bringing them into the danger zone between safety and freedom. Bdubs and Impulse were the only two who hadn’t lost any of their lives, the bright, healthy green still shining in their eyes. And unfortunately for them, the reds wanted nothing more for that life to be gone.

Between the reds, there was talk of a hunt to knock Bdubs and Impulse down to their second life. It was supposed to be a secret, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the pair of them knew already. That meant time for them to prepare, which meant a more entertaining fight, which was always welcomed.

The battle cry of a chorus of horns rang through the arena, announcing that the hunt for the greens’ heads had begun. Jimmy winced sympathetically. He did not envy the position the two of them were in. It wasn’t his business, though, so he continued about his day, preparing for when he and Tango would be the target of their swords.

He still couldn’t tell if he regretted what he’d said. If he was honest, it didn’t even matter to him anymore. If they couldn’t agree on anything, there’s no way they would make it in these games. He tried to see if their soulbond held any hints of what Tango was feeling, but there wasn’t much. Not like yesterday, when both of their hearts were teeming with anger. Now, there was much more… nothing. But nothingness was better than anger, right? He had been less cold throughout the morning too, he realized. And he was coughing less. Both good signs. It was like, as Tango calmed, Jimmy got better. He hoped that’s what was happening.

So they were okay—or at least better—and that was good enough.

The two of them met, once again, at the rows of chests against their wall. They were starting to run out of space to store things.

As Jimmy was filling yet another chest with bundles of wheat, a string of yellow text appeared in his eyes.

Bdubs fell from a high place

Followed by:

Impulse died

Jimmy took a pause as he acknowledged what he had just seen. “They got them,” he muttered. He closed the chest and turned his head towards Tango. “You know they’re gonna go for the yellows next, right? And Etho and Joel already don’t like us. They and Scar think we have the enchanter for some reason, and they think I’m lying to them, so-“

“Oh, yeah, the enchanter? About that…” Tango’s sentence trailed off as he stopped what he was doing and reached into one of his pockets, then pulled the book out for Jimmy to see.

“You- what?” He shouted in disbelief, snatching the book out of Tango’s hands to inspect it. He ran his fingertips over the gilded detailing, tracing the engraved lines and text. He ripped it open, then flipped through the blank pages, his mouth still hanging open in shock. “It’s real. You really-” He looked back up at Tango, a glower on his face. “You actually stole it, and you never thought to tell me?” He paused for a second, as if waiting for him to say something, but continued before he could.

“Y’know, to know that everyone was actually right to harass me all the time would’ve been great to know,” He seethed, then snapped the book shut and thrust it back at Tango. Before he was able to grab it, though, Jimmy let go and it fell to the floor with a smack. Jimmy took a second’s glance at it before scoffing and walking in the other direction. Tango stared at him for a second, then at the book before bending down and picking it up. He tucked it back into his pocket, then returned his gaze to Jimmy, expressionless.

“Right, we’re gonna need to deal with them at some point,” Jimmy huffed.

“Don’t worry about that. I have the perfect idea.” Tango promised. The shadow of a smile spread across his face.

A shiver ran through Jimmy’s bones. He was perched up high on a ledge, watching all that happened below.

Tango was sneaking through the ruins of the City much faster than Jimmy could have ever bared to imagine. He could barely spot him moving so quickly in the dark, like a predator on the hunt. It was like he belonged there.

He was working his way towards the City’s center, occasionally pausing to set something on the ground behind him, sometimes even chipping into the stone tiles to hide it.

When Jimmy first saw the shiny purple glint of his pickaxe swinging through the air, his heart seized up. He was going to die, there was no doubt about it. Then he watched the tip of Tango’s pickaxe crack the stone. An audible, heart-wrenching snap sounded throughout the city. Nothing happened. Tango placed a small red bundle in the hole, then placed a fragment of stone on top to conceal it.

Jimmy let out a shaky exhale, equal parts confused and relieved. How? As much as he was afraid to admit it, Tango shouldn’t be alive right now. And yet, he continued through the city, completely unbothered.

When he finally reached the center, Tango took a quick pause to look out on the City, his face solemn like he was the one who built it and was now regrettably putting it to waste. Then he pulled out his communicator.

<TangoTek> scar, etho, joel, i think theres something you’re gonna want to see

He looked up at Jimmy and nodded. Jimmy nodded back, then turned around.

Behind him was an incomplete altar, missing just one thing. He took the book out of his pocket, along with a chunk of lapis, and set both on the table. He pulled his scythe off his belt, flipping through the book’s pages and eventually landing on the incantation for Efficiency. He gave a little shrug to no one but himself, then whispered the enchantment and crushed the lapis over the blade, his hands shaking.

SolidarityGaming has made the advancement [Enchanter]

<GoodTimeWithScar> I KNEW IT

<Smallishbeans> jim you dirty little liar

<Etho> hey jimmy where are you?

<SolidarityGaming> nowhere

<Smallishbeans> yeah uhuh

Now all they had to do was wait.

Soon enough, Jimmy spotted a light at the base of the staircase, signaling that someone was here. He looked at Tango, who had noticed the same thing as him and was pulling out his sword.

Even though Jimmy was safe high above the City, well out of blast range and almost completely hidden, he couldn’t stop a bit of fear from bubbling up in his heart. He trusted Tango, enough anyway, but this was still going to be a three-on-one if everything went to plan, and Tango had never prided himself on his fighting skills. He’d known that since the very first day.

Maybe he had been practicing or something. A bit unusual for him, but he figured that Tango hadn’t been usual at all recently. Did he even know what ‘usual’ for him was? They had never really gotten to know each other since the games started, with him farming and Tango in the mines all day. Not like all the other soulmates, who relied on each other, and knew each other, and helped each other. Maybe Tango was right about staying underground more. He’d hate it, but he and Tango would be working together much more. He decided that, if they made it out of this, that’s what he would do.

An explosion rang through the cavern. An explosion? Had they brought firework rockets or something?

Another explosion. He paid more attention this time. A cloud of white smoke and dust covered one of the paths, but there was no sign of any firework stars in the air. So what was it? Had they- no, Tango did. That’s what he was doing. Planting TNT.

Jimmy’s eyes widened. There was no way. He would never. He never wanted to do anything with TNT or explosions, and now here he was, laying dozens of TNT powered traps, in an Ancient City, no less? He was out of his mind.

Tango cocked his head to the side, watching the events in front of him unfold. Explosions continued to rock the City from below, blowing craters into the paths that led to the center. He still simply stood inside the portal frame, sword in hand but completely at ease. Around him, the sculk was screaming, singing, calling forth a Warden to solve the problems the City faced. Shrieker after shrieker went off and waves of darkness pounded across the ruins, which made Tango do little more than change his stance.

Joel and Etho and Scar were scared, Tango could tell. They were panicking, a completely reasonable reaction to the events taking place, but nonetheless entertaining. And he could use it to his advantage.

Tango stepped off the platform in the center of the City, heading straight towards the unlucky three. He moved effortlessly through the cratered ruins, not at all acknowledging the darkness all around them. Waves of aqua light from the sculk rolled past him as he walked, almost like they were showing him the way towards his prize. A Warden was on the surface now, several actually. He didn’t know exactly where, but he could hear their screams echo through the City towards him. He continued, paying them no mind.

A bolt of lightning struck the ground, shooting through the layers upon layers of stone between them and the surface, bright white light flaring across the area.

Etho blew up

Smallishbeans died

They were out. Gone completely. Finally. One less problem he had to deal with. He continued, though, still on the hunt for his final target.

He could hear Scar’s frantic breathing as he rushed back towards the exit as fast as he could, fumbling in the dark. He wasn’t moving fast, though, and he couldn’t tell Tango was behind him. Tango doubted that was one of Scars priorities at the moment. Oh well.

The heartbeat booming strongly in Tango’s ears was like a war drum pushing him forwards and the chittering of the sculk was like the snare that accompanied it, together making a battlefield’s symphony.

He was right behind him now. Tango raised his sword without even a second of pause, then brought it swinging down.

GoodTimeWithScar was slain by TangoTek

Grian died

Jimmy breathed out a shaky sigh, partly of relief and partly of morbid amazement. He did it, and he managed to not die. Not like Jimmy didn’t have any faith in him. Just slightly unexpected, that’s all.

Jimmy slowly climbed down from his little cutout high in the cave wall to meet Tango, who was making his way towards the exit. He kept his head on a swivel, constantly looking out for the Wardens that had spawned during the fight, but there didn’t seem to be any around. Weird.

“Tango!” Jimmy whispered as enthusiastically as he could. “You did it!”

“Yeah,” Tango smiled, talking at a normal volume.

A speck of concern passed through Jimmy’s mind. “Hey, quiet down a bit, we’re still in the Deep Dark.”

Tango waved him off. “We’ll be fine. Can I have the book back?”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Jimmy nodded, speaking slightly louder. He retrieved the book and handed it back to Tango, who quickly stowed it away.

“Hey, you know he’s gonna come after us again, right?” Jimmy asked.

“Who, Scar?”

He nodded. “And now that he’s red and knows we have the enchanter, there’s no way he’ll stop.”

Tango tilted his head to the side. “Not unless we kill him first.”

Jimmy scrunched his eyebrows in surprise. “Woah, hey, we might want to lay low for a bit first.”

“Why? What’s the point? We know that he wants the enchanter and that he’s not gonna stop trying to get it, which will be a pain, so might as well get rid of the problem.”

“I mean, yeah, but don’t you want to relax a bit or something. Killing a guy two times in a row seems a bit hard,” he laughed awkwardly.

“Does it, though?”

“Uh, yeah. C’mon man, we aren’t even red yet,” Jimmy reminded him. He was a bit concerned about Tango killing someone else as a yellow, but Tango didn’t seem to notice the issue at all. “Let’s get back up to the surface, it’s cold down here.”

A couple seconds passed before Tango responded. “Alright.”

Jimmy gave a small smile, then started up the staircase out of the City.

Now comfortably in the sunlight once again, Jimmy was free to simply watch as more and more deaths happened.

After the double kill down in the City, the rest of the players had been understandably confused about what had taken place, but neither him nor Tango offered any explanations. Eventually, people stopped asking. Now, it was almost like they were avoiding him. Still, though, the games continued.

Following what she said was a betrayal on Martyn’s part, Pearl decided that she was due her revenge.

ZombieCleo was doomed to fall by PearlescentMoon

InTheLittleWood died

Just hours later, a second bolt of white-hot fire struck as Ren and BigB were ripped out of the games by Grian.

Rendog was skewered by a falling stalactite

Bigbst4tz2 died

And apparently Martyn also felt as though Pearl’s killing Cleo was somewhat of a betrayal. A third bolt of lightning crashed towards the ground.

PearlescentMoon blew up

Smajor1995 died

Too bad he got caught in the blast. Lightning strike number four.

InTheLittleWood blew up

ZombieCleo died

There were just three pairs of soulmates left now: Jimmy and Tango, Impulse and Bdubs, and Grian and Scar. Grian and Scar were the only reds left in the game, and unfortunately for the yellows, they were out for blood. Unfortunately for Grian and Scar, Tango was, too.

“Timmy!” A voice yelled.

Jimmy wasn’t at all surprised to hear it. Both he and Tango knew that this would happen the moment Tango had said anything about his idea. Still, though, that didn’t mean he was entirely prepared.

“Yes?” He called back.

He turned and Tango did the same, both now looking towards Grian and Scar. They stood in front of the others, their gleaming armor somehow giving them an air of power.

“We know you know why we’re here, so let’s just make this quick, yeah?” Grian stepped forward. “Give us the enchanter.”

This was going exactly how the two of them thought it would. They had expected this, and had planned for it, so Jimmy knew what would happen next.

“No.” Tango said.

“What?” Jimmy’s eyes widened. That wasn’t a part of the plan. What was he doing?

Scar took a quick step forward, too fast for either of them to react, and brought his sword up to Jimmy’s throat. “What about now?”

Jimmy’s muscles tensed up, his mind filling with fear. “Tango, what are you doing? Just give it to them!”

“Why should I?” He shot back.

“Because this is what we agreed on!”

“Since when do you follow agreements? Why should I have to?”

“Because my life, and therefore your life, is at stake here,” Jimmy gestured at Scar, who was sharing a quizzical look with Grian.

Tango barely acknowledged Jimmy’s words before looking back at Grian. “I’m not giving it to you.”

“Tango, just do it! Please!” The edge of the blade was cutting into his throat now, drawing blood.

“No.”

“Fine,” Grian said, and Scar swung his sword clean through Jimmy’s neck. Almost ten seconds later, Tango dropped to the ground beside him.

Jimmy gasped. His heart was racing in his chest, and his neck was aching sharply. He was in the center of where their house used to be, sitting on the ground.

“Tango-” he started, then looked to the side of him. Tango wasn’t there. “Tango? Where-”

Tango shot awake next to him, breathing quickly. He was clutching his chest like he was scared, or missing something. He turned and saw Jimmy next to him, a weird expression on his face.

“What happened?” Tango asked.

“What do you mean ‘what happened,’ you got me killed! Again.” He added, spite in his voice.

“Wait, I what?” Dread filled Tango’s eyes.

Jimmy scoffed in disbelief. “I can’t believe you. After all of that crap that happened earlier, and you literally not caring whether I died or not, and you’re trying to act like it never happened? What’s wrong with you?”

“No, wait, what?” Tango was fumbling through his words, overwhelmed by Jimmy’s reaction.

“I cannot believe I ever trusted you.” Jimmy sneered. “Something’s always been going on, hasn’t it? What is it?”

“I- I don’t know. I’m sorry,” Tango tried. He was confused and he was hurting but he tried.

Jimmy paused, looking at him. “No you aren’t. I’ve learned that well enough already.”

He pushed himself up and walked through the still standing doorway into their garden. A message popped up, written in red.

BdoubleO100 was killed by Grian

ImpulseSV died

Jimmy didn’t even flinch at the words, but Tango made an audible gasp as he followed Jimmy.

“Bdubs died! And they’re red, too? Already?”

“What do you mean ‘already’? The game’s nearly over,” Jimmy responded, annoyance in his voice. “It’s just us, Bdubs and Impulse, and Grian and Scar left.”

“What? What do you mean it’s only the six of us? Did something happen?” Tango sounded genuinely concerned, and that only made Jimmy more irritated.

Jimmy spun on his heel to face Tango. “Right, cut it out with this not remembering crap, will you? It’s getting annoying.”

“Wha- oh, I, uh, I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I just-“

“What is going on with you?” Jimmy pressed. “Did you hit your head or something?” He let out a dry laugh.

“I don’t… know.”

Jimmy scoffed.

“Did something happen?” He asked.

“You tell me,” he replied in mock confusion.

Another message, this time gray.

ImpulseSV tried to swim in lava

BdoubleO100 died

“And there goes those two,” Jimmy commented absentmindedly.

Tango blinked at the words in shock, gaping at Jimmy. “How are you being so casual about this? They just died- like died died, and you don’t even care!”

“You get used to it.”

“No, you don’t,” Tango argued. “It’s only been a day and you’re saying that us, Grian and Scar are the only people left alive?”

“Are you joking?” The fire in Jimmy’s eyes and the anger in his voice shocked Tango into silence. “You must be joking. Because we both know you aren’t telling the truth.”

“I am,” Tango protested.

“And you think I’m gonna believe you? Now? After you betrayed my trust I don’t even know how many times?”

“Look, I’m sorry for whatever I did, but I really don’t know what’s going on.”

Jimmy just rolled his eyes pointedly, his nostrils slightly flared. “Very funny.”

“Jimmy, humor me. Tell me what I did, or at least what happened to everyone.”

“They died,” He deadpanned. “What else could it have been?”

“Okay, yeah, I guess, that would make sense, but how?”

Jimmy let out a sharp exhale. “Look, if you’re gonna be a pain, at least be helpful for once.”

“I-“ he started, then stopped. “For once?”

“Yeah. Make us some new armor or something. Use some of those diamonds. I’m sure there’s plenty, seeing as you never touched them after you put them away.”

“Some of those…?” His eyebrows furrowed as he walked over to the chests and opened one. Piles of sparkling ores and gems filled the chest to the brim so much so that it was almost overflowing. “Wha…” Tango stuck his arm into the chest, digging through the pile of minerals. “I found all these?” He seemed amazed at himself.

“Yeah, and it was all for nothing since but we died anyway. They have the enchanter now, too. And our armor, and our tools, because you just couldn’t bear to give up your precious book.” He turned to Tango. “It was all a waste. All of your paranoia, all of your mining, even the enchanter was pretty much useless, you know that right?”

“Wh- I, uh…” Tango stammered, caught completely off guard by his soulmate’s bluntness. He could feel a lump forming inside his throat, clawing at his flesh. “I-” Something was welling up in his eyes, and before he could notice, a drop of it rolled down his cheek and fell onto his arm. It was dark turquoise, almost black, and it seemed to dry out instantly, leaving behind small black particles. He stared down at it, confused. Then memories came rushing back to him. Not all of them, but just enough.

“No.” He said, but he wasn’t talking to Jimmy. “No, no, no no no-“

“What?” He snapped. “What is that?” Jimmy strode back into the ruins of the Ranch, towards Tango.

Tango held his hands up defensively, gesturing for Jimmy to stay away. “Hold on, just wait a second, okay?”

“And why should I?” He stepped forward again. “Tango, what’s going on?”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what caused it, but I am so sorry.” There was something in his eyes that Jimmy had seen before, the very first time they’d met. That same expectant, apprehensive guilt as the first time he had gotten the two of them killed. He was breathing quickly, too, his hands still held out as if he was trying to protect Jimmy from himself.

Jimmy stepped back.

An arrow stuck into the ground between them. Jimmy’s head shot to where it had come from, his eyes scanning the trees for signs of the only other two players left alive: Grian and Scar. Reflexively, he pulled up his arm to take cover behind a shield, only to realize that he didn’t have one. No sword, ethier. He rushed over to a chest and fished out one of his old, chipped swords from the beginning, as well as an equally beat up shield. He raised the shield just in time for another arrow to pierce the wood, the tip of the arrowhead making its way completely through before getting stuck. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tango rifling through chests too, presumably looking for more old weaponry that he could grab.

Scar and Grian moved in closer, out of the cover of the forest towards their targets. Their armor was shining purple, the same sets Tango and Jimmy had been wearing earlier that same day. Jimmy scowled at the sight, holding his sword up higher. Behind him, Tango was also holding a sword and shield, both rather damaged. His hands were shaking, though, and those spore-laden tear tracks still coated his cheeks.

A flash of violet swung through Jimmy’s vision as Grian closed in on him. The sound of iron clashing rang through their ears as swipes and cuts were exchanged between the pair.

Next to him, Tango was backing up, out of their house as Scar pursued. A crossbow appeared in Scar’s hand just a split second before it fired, shooting a rocket straight at Tango. He froze when he saw it but managed to duck out of the way just in time. It hit a tree behind him, exploding on impact and showering him with burning yellow sparkles.

Tango’s muscles seized up. The boom from the rocket still echoed in his ears. He was breathing hard again, and his sword was loose in his grip.

Grian’s eyes locked onto Tango and a hungry smile passed across his face. He dove towards Tango, eager to take him out of the game for good. Jimmy followed Grian, launching himself through the air and just managing to block Grian’s strike before it hit Tango. He hit the ground hard, open and vulnerable, almost ready for a final blow to finish him off.

Tango’s eyes shot to Grian as he pushed himself forward and thrust his sword forward into Grian’s chest. Lightning seared through the air right in front of him, burning a mark in the grass.

Grian was slain by TangoTek

GoodTimeWithScar died

Jimmy still lay on the ground, breathless. A smile was creeping across his face as he stood, slowly but surely. Tango had stumbled over to the tree that remained on their property and was leaning against it before he sunk down to the ground. His hand was on his stomach, clutching it. It took Jimmy a few seconds to realize that something was wrong, though.

“We actually did it,” he laughed, the quarrels of their past forgotten. “We- Tango?”

Jimmy moved closer to the other, kneeling down in front of him. He dropped his sword next to him and leaned forward to inspect the wound.

Tango’s blood was flowing out onto his hands, which were wrapped around a small dagger embedded in his stomach.

“No,” he whispered, staring at the blood coated blade. Then he looked back at his soulmate. “Hey, we did it. We made it. We can die now, it’s okay,” he promised.

Jimmy reached up to Tango’s shoulders, his hands resting there for a second. The sculk still covered his cheeks. Jimmy cupped Tango’s face in his hands, then brushed some of the particles off.

Darkness flooded Tango’s eyes and a ripple of bright aqua pulsed through them, flowing out from the center like a bullseye. Jimmy flinched back, snatching up his sword and holding it at the ready, even though there was no intention behind it. He backed further away as the shadows seemed to leak into Tango’s blood, the red covering his stomach turning a deep, star-speckled turquoise. The substance seemed to eat away at his blood and flesh, transforming it into something new.

Tango seemed frozen in place for a second, his muscles clenched like he was trying to restrain himself. Then, unblinking, unflinching, unmoving, Tango pulled the dagger from his stomach with a squelch. The blade dripped with sculk instead of the blood that should’ve coated it, forming a small puddle on the ground before he dropped it, uninterested. Tango stood, the sculk now completely coating his hands and stomach, creeping its way up his neck and down his arms. Behind him, the ground where he stood turned almost black as well, like he had coated it with ink, and the pulsing stars were climbing up through the bark of the tree he had been leaning on.

“Tango?” Jimmy called. He got no response, not even a blink or a mere twitch to signal that Tango had heard what he said. “Tango, buddy, are you alright?” He tried again. The tip of his sword was slowly falling from a defensive guard—Jimmy was letting it.

Tango was simply standing in front of him. Around him, pure black night started to fill the air, blocking out the sun.

Jimmy kept backing away, his face filled with concern. After a second’s thought, he tossed his sword and shield away, not wanting to seem like a threat. “Tango?” He repeated, a bit more forcefully this time.

The darkness flashed into full opacity around the pair, enveloping them in a blank void. It held steady, unwilling to let him leave. Jimmy stumbled back, but the blackness was unrelenting.

His mind froze. So much darkness. An inescapable void where he could do nothing but hide in vain as his flesh, and his mind, and the world around him were ripped away into nothingness. Endless seas of sparkling stars blinked at him like glowing eyes in a forever dark forest. They creeped up onto his arms and legs, dragging him down deeper and deeper. It had stolen his voice from his throat, but he wasn't going to use it anyway. The nothingness was all around him, in the distance yet so close, leaving him waiting in the darkness, in the decay, in cold and clammy suspense, in silent, petrifying fear. Alone.

Tango locked eyes with him—or what used to be Tango, with what used to be his eyes. There was nothing there, the space where they were now barely existent. Jimmy’s mind was frozen, by his eyes or his lack thereof he couldn’t tell.

“Tango.” He shouted once again, running out of ideas. His thoughts were racing through his brain but none of them helped, instead just proving to be a distraction. What could he do? How could he help him?

In a last-ditch effort, he darted forward and brushed the fungus on Tango’s arm, hoping that it could change something like earlier, but to no avail. Tango swiped at him, a newly formed claw tearing through Jimmy’s arm. He let out a cry of pain, which only made the sculk light up aqua once more.

Jimmy jumped back clutching his arm, eager to avoid another hit that he knew he couldn’t take, and as he did so, his heel hit something on the ground. He looked to see what it was, quickly realizing that it was the handle to his scythe. He paused, his foot still touching the wood, then looked back at Tango.

There was nothing. Nothing there, nothing to suggest that he was even alive. Tango was gone, he told himself. There was no getting him back. Even through all of their disagreements, Tango would never hurt him, he was sure of it. He was gone for good.

Tango charged forward with a deep, guttural snarl. Jimmy pulled his scythe into the air with the toe of his boot, then grabbed it and swung. Shining violet glinted through the air is the iron of the scythe shot through the air with an almost unnatural efficiency. The blade cut clean through Tango’s neck. One final lightning strike.

TangoTek was slain by SolidarityGaming

#mcythorrorgiftexchange #horror #writing #creative writing #double life #rancher duo #tangotek #jimmy solidarity

7 notes · View notes