Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Man needs no weapon of steel

Man needs no sword

The greatest weapon, though less appeal 

Would be the stab of a word

And if that word is “love”

It will serve as a curse

Confuse all your thoughts above

And make these feelings worse

And if that word is “hate”

It will be a poison 

Their rescue may be late

Or perhaps they just aren’t chosen

And as hope of help 

Slowly fades away,

Someone takes the step

But like this, will it stay?

You think we’ve told this tale,

But it is still not the end.

I have more to regale

So wait and see, my friend

When blazing lights turn green

And hints of purple are hiding

All will be seen

And shrouded in fighting

Loved ones are lost

And others, determined to find

But what is the cost?

Will they cross the line?

Secrets well kept

Will soon be revealed 

So they must ask themselves:

Can the victims be healed?

Now you know all you can know about this, 

Our story will continue

If you find the witch.

This prophecy has been around for hundreds of years now. Second still remembers the day it appeared, burned into a crystal in the Cave just as all the others were. But unlike previous prophecies, the crystal did not chime with delicate song as it was being written. This crystal screamed. It was a piercing shriek that rattled seabeds and shook the Nether. 

Ever since it came, Second’s father, Alan, has constantly been trying to figure out what it means, where it was from and why it was different. He searched for this “witch”, tried to find second meanings to the words, tried to track down where it came from or if someone sent it. But even the Creator himself can’t control the cryptic nature of prophecies. He is simply the messenger of them, the bearer, and this one weighed him down more than anything else.

After decades, he sent his four sons out to search as well. Second remembers looking for days at a time in swamps, in towns and in budding cities for this witch while in a human disguise. And while several days is nothing compared to the immortal lives of them and their brothers, even a god needs to rest. Maintaining a disguise with no breaks can be taxing to them, even if their magic and abilities goes far beyond that of mortals. 

They did appreciate the time they got to spend in those towns and cities, though. As the youngest, Second was always the most interested in the lives of mortals and tried sneaking down multiple times. Some tries were… more successful than others. But they relished in the time they spent there nonetheless.

As they were walking through the Crystal Cave today, they once again walked to this prophecy, or as they all dubbed it, the “screaming” prophecy. Every time they entered the Cave, they were drawn to it, even after hundreds of years of it being there. During that time, other screaming prophecies had come, in similar ways and with similar messages, but nothing else changed. 

That is, until the latest one. With that, only about 10 years ago, came monsters. They were huge beasts, with no real shape or form and always attacked whatever they saw. The jumbled messes were later called “Scribble monsters”, and their frequency and numbers have only grown.

Second still worried about this. Their second eldest brother, Chosen, was currently out on a mission hunting the monsters, as all the brothers have been doing as of late. It's been throwing the delicate balance they must maintain out the window, and Alan has been throwing fits over this. 

But they were trying their best, even if Second felt more tired than ever and Dark’s destructive tendencies were starting to get worse. Even if Victim had to create more and more clones of themself just to keep up with the fighting, draining him more by the day and Chosen barely had a second to stop fighting and rest with them all.

They just couldn't help but worry about all of them.

“Second?” a voice calls them. They turn around to see Dark standing at the entrance of the Crystal Cave. As the third child out of four, Dark doesn’t have as many responsibilities as the eldest two, but he’s a gifted fighter so recently he’s been working much more.

“Dark!” Second quickly got up to go hug their brother. 

“Hey there, Sec,” Dark said as he hugged them back. “I thought I would find you here.” He pulled away a bit to rub Second’s head and mess up their hair as he always does, much to Second’s annoyance.

“Mm, yeah. I was just looking around. I’m a bit lost on what to do sometimes when you and Chosen aren’t here.”

“Well, you don’t need to worry about that anymore! My patrol is all done, and Chosen should be back soon.” Triumphantly, Dark put his hands on his hips and flashed Second a smile, revealing his sharp teeth. That’s when Second saw it.

“DARK? Did you get stabbed?!” Second leaned down to Dark's side, where there was a deep gash. They mentally kicked themself for not noticing before- the golden blood was a stark contrast to Dark’s black and red attire. 

“Well, I didn’t really get stabbed…” Dark responded. When Second took a closer look, they saw something missing. Dark normally had six spider-like legs on his back: two on his shoulder blades, two smaller ones midway down his back, and two on his lower back. Instead of the normal six, the small middle one on his right side was entirely ripped out. 

Second’s eyes widened at the sight, and they looked wordlessly up at his brother. 

“Yeah, I know it’s bad,” his brother said while scratching his neck and looking away, almost nervously. 

Second did have a reputation of scolding their brothers when they’re careless and got hurt, so they understood why Dark might be nervous.

Right now though, they only sighed and stood up. Firmly taking Dark’s hand, they started pulling the older Hollow Head with them. 

“You’ll explain in a minute,” they said, leading him out of the cave. They heard their brother sigh, but he ultimately followed without complaints.

----------

Outside of the Crystal Cave, Dark had to blink rapidly to adjust to the new lighting. Their home was large and cavernous, with curtains of silk and beads separating smaller branches into individual rooms. Splashes of colour and warm lights made the caves homey and comfortable. Second brought him over to the same place they always healed one of their brothers. Dark let out a small chuckle, remembering just how many times they’ve had to do that.

“What’s so funny?” Second asked him. “You think getting a limb ripped out is a joke?”

They said it with a rather joking air, but Dark knew that they were worried, deep down. As he took a closer look at the eyebags under the youngest’s eyes, he realised maybe that worry wasn’t actually that far down. 

A small stab of guilt ran through Dark. He didn’t like the frequent hunts any more than the others, but he knew they were necessary. He still felt bad for his carelessness since it caused Second unneeded worry.

“No, just… a fond laugh. You’re a good brother, Sec.” Dark put his arm around Second and hugged him to his good side. He didn’t miss the way they melted into the side hug, seeming more tired than ever.

“Well, who else is gonna take care of you guys? I wouldn’t trust you to tend to a wound if my life depended on it,” Second teased with a smirk. 

Dark let out a false cry of offence in response. “Luckily, I don’t need to worry about that, cause you can do that for me!”

Second just rolled their eyes and sat Dark down on a cushioned bench. Kneeling to his injured side, they closed their eyes and began to concentrate. Dark would never grow tired of watching his little brother use his powers- it was always impressive to watch. Even under their closed eyes, Dark could see the bright green glow that mark his powers being activated. They brought glowing green hands to his side, where his spider limb normally was. 

Losing a limb sure as hell didn’t feel good, but Dark was accustomed to it. Victim was a planner, Second was a healer, and he and Chosen were the fighters, so needless to say, he's become used to these sorts of injuries. Increased pain tolerance also helps, of course.

After a few moments of work, Dark’s side was entirely healed and clean of blood. That just leaves… oh right, his missing limb. 

Dark turned away as Second’s eyes opened and, along with their hands, turned impossibly bright. They planted their hands on his side, before pulling away, as if they were pulling something out of Dark’s side. He felt a huge stab in his side, and couldn’t stop the cry of pain he felt. But once it subsided and he looked over, he saw a new spider limb where the pain once was. 

Second’s hands faded, and their eyes returned to their normal orange and green colours. They flashed him a smile and helped him up. 

“Damn Sec, that hurt like a bitch,” Dark told their brother while he rubbed his side. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it, of course, but… dang.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what it’s like to conjure another functioning limb out of nowhere.” Second said it with the same casual tone that one would say “I’m going outside for a bit”, but the smile they gave Dark was less than reassuring. That smile told him “try this stunt again, you little shit, I dare you. You’ll need even more healing once I’m through with you.” 

Alan damn, his little brother could be scary when they tried. And that’s coming from ME! Dark thought to himself.

“How did that even happen, Dark? Not many things can hurt you that badly.” Even the most serious injuries were barely a bother to Dark, it was just the nature of the gods. Something hurting him this badly was worrying.

“I think you can guess,” he said, looking away. “It was a Scribble. One of the biggest I’ve seen. It put up a hell of a fight.”

Second said nothing in response, choosing instead to lean against Dark’s shoulder and close their eyes. Dark could feel the unspoken “I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m worried about you.” in the air around his little brother. After a minute, Second let out a yawn and mumbled something about going to bed. Dark simply nodded and they both stood up and walked out of the room. Just as Second was out of sight, Dark saw the elder two brothers walk by. 

Chosen didn’t look the best; he was covered in scrapes and bruises. The natural regeneration they all had would take care of it soon enough, so there was no need for Second’s healing, but what worried Dark were the expressions that the brothers wore. They looked deeply concerned and worried and they were heading to their father’s office.

Well… that can’t be good.

Chapter Text

Chosen didn’t like the patrols. He didn’t like how much it worried Second, or how careless Dark would be. He mostly didn’t like how much this stupid prophecy was doing to their father. Second was the chronic worry-er out of all of them, but Chosen worried too, and a lot more as of late. 

When he got back from the last patrol, the eldest, Victim, was there to greet him. It was late enough that Second was probably asleep, so Chosen wasn’t expecting anyone there when he got back.

But leave it to Victim to defy expectations.

“Are you alright, Cho?” was the first thing Victim said. Quick and to the point, no time for pleasantries. How very Victim-y of you, Chosen thought, fondly. Even though he spent more time with the younger two, he still cared a lot for his older brother. It was just hard to see him as a brother at times, especially when Alan isolated himself in work and Victim had to be a parent to them. They were both trying to be better now though, it hasn’t been that bad in a long time.

“As alright as I can be,” he said to the eldest and he put a hand on his shoulder. “No bad injuries, just a few scrapes. And I didn’t see as many Scribbles this time, so that’s good.” 

“Indeed,” Victim replied. Then, to Chosen’s shock, Victim pulled him into a hug. Chosen was used to hugging Second, and sometimes Dark, but very rarely did Victim hug him. Most of Victim's physical affection - which isn’t very much - went to Second. They all had a huge soft spot for the youngest brother. Chosen also knew Victim also felt self-conscious of their arms; an injury of magical nature when they were young left their arms damaged beyond repair, leaving amputation as the only solution. To replace them, Alan had made Victim magical arms made of thin, shifting triangles with blobs of magic on the ends that could be morphed into hands. At any given moment, Victim’s arms were in some sort of movement, an entrancing sight.

It felt… nice, though. Chosen found himself melting into the embrace as he started to feel the exhaustion creep in.

“Don’t fall asleep on me yet, Cho,” Victim said, gently. “Alan wants to speak with us.”

That was strange. Alan normally just talked to him in the morning instead of when he got back. He knew how tired Chosen got. 

“Why did he ask for me?” 

“Actually, I’m the one who asked to talk. You need to tell him what you’ve been seeing. I know it's getting worse and he needs to know too.”

Chosen just sighed, but Victim was right. It was getting worse. “Alright, let’s go.”

As they were walking together to Alan’s office, Chosen locked eyes with Dark. Something about the look his brother gave him said, "I know you’re keeping something from me, and you’ll need to tell me eventually."

He and Dark were the closest in age and had always been close as brothers. Chosen always told Dark everything, even things he wasn’t supposed to. It drove Alan crazy when he was trying to surprise Dark with something and Chosen would just tell him, but that’s just how it was between the two brothers. And it certainly wasn’t different now.

Later, Dark, I promise, his returning glance (hopefully) said.

Victim walked up to the only actual doors in their entire home and knocked. The doors were two seashell-like plates that rolled back into the walls when they opened.

“Alan, I have Chosen here,” Victim said as they entered. 

Chosen always felt nervous going into their father’s office. To Chosen, his dad had always been just that - a dad. But in this office, with grand walls and high ceilings and an air of importance, he didn’t feel like his father. He truly felt like Alan, the powerful creator that had made him, his brothers, and the world out of only his imagination and his artifact. 

Each one of the gods had a special artifact that was connected to their very being. It held a part of them in it and it helped channel and amplify their powers. If a mortal was in possession of one, they would have a part of the god’s power. Alan’s artifact was like Second’s, a drawing tool of sorts. Even Chosen didn’t know all of its abilities.

“Ah, thank you, Victim.” Alan put down what he was holding and walked toward them. “Are you feeling alright, Chosen?”

“Tired, but alright,” he answered honestly. Alan studied him for a second, then held his arms out in a hug, which Chosen gladly accepted. His father's hugs were just as comforting as Second’s. 

“I’m sorry, Cho, I know these are hard on you guys,” Alan said into his hair. He then pulled away and walked over to his desk, where the map he was just writing on lay. “I just… I’m so sick of this. It infuriates me. I’ve been looking at every string of fate I could find that ties to the prophecy, and yet no luck on finding out who’s behind this.”

Chosen saw his father’s normally calm face twist into an angry scowl. His hands were in fists on the table and the air crackled with energy.

“Dad,” Victim said, walking closer to him. They placed a hand on Alan’s shoulder as he looked up to them, shock evident on his face. Out of the four of them, Victim called Alan “dad” or “father” the least.

A day for surprises, then, Chosen thought.

“You’re right,” Alan said without Victim needing to continue. “Victim says you have an update for me, Chosen.”

Chosen cleared his throat before starting, “they’re learning. And getting stronger. They’ve started to adapt to my attacks, especially if it’s the same Scribble, like they’re gaining an immunity to me.”

If Alan was trying to mask his face, he was doing a pretty bad job. The shock and horror was clear for all to see. Worried about this reaction, Chosen continued.

“Their numbers aren’t growing, in fact, I think there’s less, but it seems like they’re getting bigger. They’re also mostly found in pairs or more now, I haven’t seen many on their own.” 

Silence stretched on for a few moments before Alan finally moved. One of Alan’s four extra floating hands pinched his nose as another grabbed a quill from his desk. The hand floated over to Chosen who reluctantly took it. 

Although he himself had extra limbs as well, a pair of spectral arms that floated close to his body, he always found his father’s extra hands a bit creepy. Both Alan and Second had them, and they could move them far away from their bodies. On top of that, they were ONLY hands, nothing else! It was just a bit strange to him.

Alan gestured to the map with his second floating hand. “Can you mark down your latest encounters? Where the ones that were most concerning to you happened.”

Chosen nodded and stepped closer to the map, before marking down a few spots in the forest and near the cliff, and one near Victim’s pet project - a school that trains and teaches sticks of all sorts of races. Alan raised an eyebrow at that, and Victim also looked shocked.

“There are Scribbles that close to Mango’s school?” they asked, concern evident in their voice.

“Yeah, I’ve seen a few there. I’m not sure why they’re so close though.”

“Is that a problem, Victim?” Alan asked.

“Of course it is! They have young sticks there- so many of them! That’s the entire next generation, and that school is important to them. I don’t want them to get caught in the crossfire.” Chosen rarely saw Victim this attached to something, but he also knew how much the school meant to the oldest. When the Lava Walker - Mango, was it? - first started building it, Victim had helped provide sustainable resources for him to use to make it available to all sticks, no matter how rich or poor. Since then, they've watched over and protected it when they could and provided Mango consistent support and help.

Alan walked over to them and placed a hand on their shoulder. “We’ll keep an eye on it, don’t worry. You might want to talk to the stick who runs it though, maybe set up some defences in case of an attack.” Victim nodded, then Alan turned to Chosen. “Thanks for this, Chosen. This was… not pleasant, but it has to be known. I’ll let you know what we’ll do from here later, but for now, rest. You need it.”

“Alright,” Chosen said, and he walked towards Alan for another hug. Something must be up with him today, or maybe he just needed the comfort. 

“Sleep well, you two,” Alan called to them as the two brothers walked out of his office. They didn’t speak any words, but could both tell what the other was thinking.

We’re all scared.

Chapter Text

Healing is often a tiring task for Second, so after taking care of his (stupid) brother, he headed straight to bed. He lay gently on his left side to avoid the throbbing phantom pain on the right. Whenever he healed someone, a remnant of their pain was left, not nearly as bad as what it would’ve been, but still there.

How strong must those monsters be to hurt Dark like that? He’s probably the best fighter out of all of us- Dark can hold his own against Chosen and Alan- but he’s badly injured by these things?

Thoughts continued swirling in his mind as he slowly fell asleep, setting the tone for the dreams that followed.

----------

In the dark of the night, it was hard to see where he was walking in an already dark forest. Turning around, he saw five other sticks with him. On one side, a faint glow blue comes from what Second assumed was a Water Walker, and the glow illuminated the reflective scales of a Mer. The Mer was holding the hand of a winged Avian. On his other side, light came from the glowing eyes of a Seer who was next to what looked like a normal stick. But when a noise came from in front of them, the stick quickly snapped to attention and their arms changed into some animal’s with sharp claws. Ah. A Shift then.

The Shift’s eyes changed to large, glowing orange ones, presumably to see better in the dark. They let out a growl at whatever they saw, and it sent a shiver of worry down Second’s spine. When he looked up, it was suddenly bright enough to see what it was, and he immediately wished it was dark again. 

It was another Scribble, but much, much larger. It towered over the trees around them, its body swirling with dark patterns and bright red eyes looking down at him. 

In an instant, dark shadows flew at the group, washing over the others and blocking them from Second’s view. He shielded his face, expecting to be swept up as well, but he was only met with silence. When he looked up, it was only him and the monster, surrounded by darkness. It glared down at him.

“So you are the youngest,” a voice spoke into his mind. Second jumped back.

“Who… who are you?”

“...” 

“ANSWER ME,” Second yelled as his hands lit up with power. The green light reflected in the monster’s eyes. Something in it shifted.

“How interesting,” it mused. “You have promise, more than your three brothers.”

“...What?” Second’s voice was barely a whisper.

“No matter. Nothing I can do now, but this certainly will help me find you later. Until then, young god.” 

----------

Second woke up with a gasp, almost falling out of his bed. His head still rang with the words the monster spoke to him. Can he even say “spoke”? It was more like a voice in his head. 

He pushed himself up and got out of bed. He didn’t even feel like he slept- it felt like he just fell down a waterfall. But Second knew he wouldn’t be getting any more sleep. This dream would keep him from resting for a while. Then, a thought struck him.

Was that even a dream at all?

Second was the most prone to visions out of any of his brothers. Was this his imagination or fate? He could hardly tell. And who were those other sticks? I don’t know any mortals personally….

His head was so filled with thoughts that he didn’t even notice when he sat back down. Slowly opening his eyes, Second knew he had to leave for a bit. He was spiralling. 

Second walked over to the curtains that lined his doorway. He gently pushed them aside and stuck his head out to listen for any noise. The coast was clear- it seemed like everyone else was asleep. Second walked down the hall to the biggest room in their home, the one with the entrance outside. He walked past the comfortable chairs and tables to the mouth of their cave. After taking a deep breath, Second summoned a large pair of white and green wings and took a leap out of his home. 

The cold night air instantly hit his face, but he didn’t mind. It helped to slow his thoughts. His wings beat against the air and pushed him further away from his home. 

If Alan finds out about this, I’m so screwed. Second thought to himself with a grim smirk.

Regardless of Alan, he pushed forward. The nighttime flight was already helping him feel better, but he still couldn't let it go. Whoever those other sticks were, they were in danger. Second could only make out their vague species - though he had no clue if his guesses were right - but it was too dark to see their colours. Which is very unhelpful, to say the least. 

“Ok, Second, that’s ok,” he said to himself. “Just… go over what you know.”

There were three subspecies of Avians, and Second didn’t even know if the one in his dream was an Overworld, Nether or End Avian. 

“I’d probably guess Overworld since they’re the most common, but this Avian had wings and most don’t anymore. At least that would be easy to spot.

Now, about the Water Walker and the Mer (who could also be a Siren). Both were very common, and Mers and Sirens were hard to tell apart in their human forms. 

“And not to mention I only saw the Water Walker’s colours… blue. How helpful, MOST OF THEM are blue for Cursor’s sake!” Second ran a hand over his face.

In all honesty, his best shot at finding these sticks might be the Seer and Shift. Both were pretty rare compared to other races, so there were better chances of finding the sticks he was looking for. The downside was they blended in extremely well in normal stick cities. Seers had glow-in-the-dark eyes, pointed ears and either third eyes or a glowing orb on their foreheads, but those were all easy to hide, and a Shift could simply… not shift their form. 

“But I did see this Shift change form,” Second realised. “And they had lion arms, I think, and maybe bat eyes? I can narrow it down to an Overworld Shift, which does help, even though they’re harder to spot than the End or Nether ones.”

Second was silent for a while, simply flying for a bit before letting out a big sigh.

“Well, either way, it might not even be real. Like, I don’t even know any of these sticks! How would they get tangled up in the matters of gods?” 

It seemed like he had just jinxed himself because as soon as he said it, Second heard a scream from below him, quickly followed by the roar of a Scribble.

“Well fuck me gently with a chainsaw,” he muttered to himself, and flew in the direction of the noise.

----------

Red often questioned how he always found himself in these kinds of situations. If you asked his friends, they’d tell you it was because he had a tendency to be reckless and didn't think before he acted, but he thought plenty! For example, he really thought about how he didn't want to be in the forest in the middle of the night because he was tricked by some of his mean classmates to follow them here. He thought about how much he wanted to get out of the stupid ropes they tied him up in before walking away, laughing.

And he definitely thought about what he was gonna do to them once he got out. 

All jokes aside, Red does actually think about what he’s gonna do. He just thinks of them so fast that it seems like he isn’t thinking at all, and sometimes his plans are so absurd that it seems like there’s actually no plan at all. So Red doesn’t blame his friends for assuming that, but it’s really not true.

Red only followed his bullies because they told him Blue was in danger. Of course he would’ve gone to make sure she was ok! He should've looked harder at all the signs that were there and seen that it was a trap. All he got out of this was a good beating and getting stuck.

He’s already thought of a few plans to get out of this place. The rope was tied tightly around his legs, ankles and his middle, pinning his arms to his sides. He already tried shape-shifting, but the ropes were blocking his abilities, much to Red’s frustration. So his other option was cutting them. There were plenty of sharp branches and boulders around, so he slowly got to his knees before jumping to his feet and hopping his way over to one.

It’s important to note here, that nothing, nothing , ever seemed to go right for Red. As soon as he started cutting the rope, a huge rumble went through the ground. Then a roar. Then he saw it. 

“What the fuck…” he muttered. In front of Red was a giant monster, bigger than any mob he had ever seen. It was a mess of dark lines on a white body with no real shape to it. Its glowing yellow eyes were looking around, until they fell on him. Red shivered, feeling like Death themself was looking at him in that moment. 

Suddenly, the rope Red was cutting snapped. Oh, thank the gods. Red shook the rope off his arms and quickly began untying the ones around his legs. The monster in front of him started charging at him, pulling a scream from Red’s throat. The last ropes fell off as the monster roared at him, and in the blink of an eye Red became an ant, falling to the ground and avoiding the monster’s attack. 

He quickly shifted into a snake and moved through what seemed like the monster’s legs, then appeared behind it. He shifted back into a stick and got ready for a fight. The monster turned back to Red, eyes locking with his. His fear then turned into adrenaline, and he let it fuel and motivate him. Red always worked best under pressure, after all.

“Gimme your best shot,” Red muttered under his breath. 

The monster reared back, then charged at him, just as Red shifted into a large rhino and charged as well. They collided in the middle, and even though Red was much smaller, he hooked his horn under the monster and threw him to the side. It flipped onto its back and Red watched as the black lines simply moved around on the creature, creating new 'legs' under it, its face flipping without even turning over.

“What the hell is this thing?” Red asked as he shifted back into a stick. He wasn’t ready for how fast the creature moved this time and it pinned him painfully to the forest floor in only a few seconds. 

Red let out a gasp of pain as sharp parts of its body pressed into his stomach. His panicked mind told him to shift and get out, but before he could, a blast of green electricity hit the creature in the side, knocking it off of him. Its body was smoking.

“What the-” Red’s eyes widened with shock at what he saw. He’s seen enough murals and read enough old books to know who this was.

Is my day gonna get any fucking weirder ?? He thought as the god of Time and Life themselves landed on the ground in front of him. They were a tall, orange stick with a hollow head, as all gods had. Their white and green wings folded into their back and disappeared, but the long tail with what looked like green fire on the end stayed. Everything about this being just radiated danger and power.

“Stay back. These things are dangerous,” the god told him.

Now listen. Red’s brain was already in “panic overdrive” mode, so really, it wasn’t even his fault when he responded, completely deadpanned, with, “No, really? I couldn’t tell by the way it stabbed me.”

The god turned to him with a look of pure disappointed confusion on their face in response.

Woah. They’re really pretty. Red had never seen anything like them. Which made sense, considering they were a god, but regardless. Their eyes were a bright, glowing green- the same colour as their magic. Red couldn’t help but blush when those eyes were on him.

He was startled out of his thoughts by another roar from the creature, who had recovered. The god quickly whipped their head around to face it and prepared for a fight. Magic blasts were charged in their hands and the air crackled with electricity. Red couldn’t tell if the shaking in their hands was from the magic, or fear. 

The god quickly rushed to the beast and tossed their magic at it. Both blasts hit, but didn’t seem to affect it this time. It just… absorbed the hits instead. The god looked surprised by this as well, but that didn’t stop them. Instead, an extra set of floating hands appeared around them and continued to shoot magic while their actual hands looked for something on their person. They found it after a few moments and Red saw it was a… a pencil?

Red couldn’t hear what the god muttered to themself, and watched in awe as they moved faster than his eyes could track around the creature. They were drawing something, a cage, it looked like. Within a few moments, the drawing was complete and the empty space was filled in with white bars surrounding the creature. It let out a roar, but couldn’t seem to break free. The god moved to stand at the front and extended their hands, concentrating hard. A green glow began to surround the cage, and slowly but surely, it began to shrink, as did the monster. This continued for a few moments until Red couldn’t see it anymore, it was too small, and a small blast came from the point where it was, destroying it. 

The god then turned their attention to Red, who was sitting up where the monster had attacked him before, and walked over. 

“Are you alright?” they asked in a gentle voice. Their eyes were no longer glowing green, they were now mostly orange with flicks of green in them. Red really liked those eyes.

“I am, yeah. Thanks for the save,” he said. He then made a move to get up, but before he could even get to his feet, he doubled over in pain and grabbed his stomach. “Nope, wait, scratch that. Definitely not alright.”

Red squeezed his eyes shut as pain flooded through him and blurred his vision. For a moment, all he could hear was ringing, he completely missed what the god said. He felt a gentle hand be placed on his shoulder, and slowly started taking deeper breaths. 

“Sorry, um, you’re gonna have to repeat that,” Red said, finally opening his eyes. The god just looked at him with a kind smile. 

“Don’t be sorry, it’s ok,” they told him. “I was just offering to help heal you.”

“Oh.” Red wasn’t expecting that. Or maybe he just wasn’t thinking right now. “Well, yes please. I doubt I’d do a better job of fixing this.”

They let out a small chuckle, before quietly saying, “I’m Second, by the way.”

Second.

“Nice name. I’m Red.” He flashed Second a smile before it turned into a grimace of pain again. 

“Ok, um…” Second hesitated. “ I’m gonna need you to take off your shirt for this part, I need to see how bad it is.” Red prays that Second couldn’t see his blush in the dark.

He complies, though, and takes it off as smoothly as he can. Some parts are torn and sticking to his blood. Huh. Didn’t realise I was bleeding.

Second sits next to him, looking concerned.

“Is it that bad? Am I gonna die, doc?” Red asks jokingly, while actually fearing the answer. 

“No no, it’s not that. Just… how did you get these marks?” Second points to irritated skin on Red’s arms and front.

“Oh, I think from the ropes. I cut them off just before that thing attacked me”

“Why were-” Second cut themself off. They looked at Red, almost distressed by this, their eyes flared up with magic, before closing them for a moment and calming down. “N-nevermind. I can heal those for you too, if you’d like?”

“Yeah, that’d be cool. Thank you.”

Second looked back to Red’s torso, which held multiple puncture wounds. Thankfully, they weren't very big, but there were many and they hurt like hell. Even though Red was used to being hurt while training and sparring, this was a different kind of pain. Second’s eyes began to glow again and they brought their hand up to Red, almost touching him. They simply moved their hands over his wounds for a few moments before moving to his arms, his torso now completely healed and cleaned.

“Wow,” Red couldn’t help but let out a quiet gasp as he watched the god work. It was impressive to witness, even if it felt a bit strange.

Second finished and looked back up to Red. They looked slightly flushed, but there was a sparkle in their eye. This is what they’re meant to do. Their calling. They stood up and reached a hand out to Red. 

“Thanks again, for everything,” Red told them and he took their hand. They slipped their shirt back on despite the blood and patted himself off a bit. “My shifting wouldn’t have helped me very much in that fight.”

“...”

Silence. 

Red looked up at Second, wondering why they weren’t saying anything. The god in question looked like they had just seen a ghost, face pale and shocked. 

“Hey, uh, you ok?” Red asked. No response. He brought his hand under Second’s face and snapped his fingers a few times. 

They blinked.

“Huh?”

“You kinda zoned out on me there, bud,” Red said, lightly, giving a little chuckle. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I…I don’t know why I did that.” 

Red scowled a bit, but was mostly concerned. Second looked scared. 

“Hey, it’s ok dude. I get spacey a lot too, drives my friends absolutely insane though,” he laughed. He hoped he could cheer them up. 

Second did cracked a fond smile at this and their eyes cleared.

“Well, Red, I should be going. Do you need help getting out of here?” they softly asked.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I know my way around here well, but thanks.”

“Then goodbye, Red,” they gave a small bow, but never broke eye contact with him. “Get home safe. It’s been a pleasure to get to meet you.”

And gods be damned, especially this one, cause Red couldn’t stop the blush this time, and he’s sure that Second could tell. 

“Y-yeah, thank you, really. It was nice meeting you too.” Red bowed as well, taking Second’s hand in his as he did. He only held it up to his forehead and gave them a little nod before standing up and letting go. Second gave him a warm smile, then as soon as they showed up, their wings appeared and they flew away, leaving Red alone with his thoughts.

WAS THAT FLIRTING??! WAS I JUST FLIRTING WITH A GOD??!?

Chapter Text

Cursors, how had he already found one of the sticks from his vision - or dream, whichever it was? It hadn’t even been an hour. At least, he assumes this stick was the one he dreamed about. How many other Shifts were in a forest, fighting a Scribble? It can’t be a coincidence. 

Either way, Second, quite frankly, was done with this. Done with visions, done with prophecies, done with strange monsters. 

And speaking of monsters.

How was that Scribble able to resist his attack? He was so thrown off by it and he was just glad that the trapping method works. 

Are they becoming resistant or something? Learning along the way?

Second shuddered at the thought. There was clearly something more that he didn’t know, and he knew who he was going to go to for the answers. But for the time being, he still needed to clear his head. His magic was stirring restlessly under his skin and he was in no way ready for an emotional conversation. 

Funny, how he went on this flight to distract himself from his vision, but ended up getting more absorbed in it. Meeting the Shift - Red , Second reminded himself - had gotten him thinking about it even more. Red clearly had no idea what was happening, and Second would rather keep it that way. He’s done nothing wrong and doesn’t deserve being dragged into this. Not to mention the ropes that gave Red friction burns, which set off some deep anger in Second for some reason. Dark would probably laugh at him for being so worked up on someone’s behalf, especially a stick he just met, but what was he supposed to do with that? Surely the ropes had something to do with what Red was doing there in the first place, right?

Second spots a cliff below him, and dives towards it. As soon as he landed, magic charged the air as he let out a rope of electricity and flung it towards a nearby boulder. The rock was enveloped by green light and energy as he flung it as far as he could. The electrical rope went tight and the rock went flying. Second felt his anger subsided a little, but it was quickly replaced by something else - panic. Looking out to the horizon where he threw the boulder, he could see the sun beginning to rise. 

Shit. Alan would be awake by now which means he definitely knows I’m missing.

Accepting his doom, Second took to the skies once more, flying quickly in the direction of his home. 

----------

“Second, what the hell were you thinking?” Chosen asked without it being a question. The black stick greeted Second as soon as he landed. Chosen’s normal arms grabbed his face and was turning it around while his spectral hands gripped his shoulders. His brother normally wore a piece of cloth over his eyes, - something about having to be neutral when passing judgement to mortals - but now they were uncovered, letting Second see the panic in them. Bright red eyes darted around as he searched Second for any injuries. 

“I just needed to clear my head. Bad dream,” he explained as Chosen finally let him go.

“Bad dream?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry. I’m fine, I just needed to clear my head.” Second did his best to give Chosen a reassuring smile.

“Well your ‘clearing your head’ has sent dad into a frenzy! He’s been going crazy.” Chosen gave him a hard stare. “Get your ass over to his office now, Sec, and you better have a good excuse for this.” 

Dang it. He knew Alan would have noticed by now, but some delusional part of him was still hoping there wouldn’t be consequences. 

Second grumbled something along the lines of “alright, finnee, pray for me”, or “die in a hole, love you” to his brother and walked off, sulking, leaving Chosen to interpret what he said. He walked through the halls until he reached Alan’s shell doors and raised a hand to knock.

Please, to everything alive, let this be quick.

It was not quick.

----------

Alan’s days normally looked the same: work. He’d been trying to make more time for his sons, and he was doing well, but there was still a lot to get done. This is a two person job, after all, and his second person hasn’t been around for… so long. 

His sons moved on better than he did. It was hard to grieve when he knew what happened could’ve been avoided. As a result, he lost his partner, his friend, and was thrown into more work than anyone, even a God, could handle. More than anything, Alan regrets how he neglected his sons during that time. The loss wasn’t easy on any of them. 

At least now, as awful as things were getting, they were working together. A reality check from Victim had greatly helped, and the family was much better off now. Victim and Chosen would help with his work, and because of their similar domains, Second could watch over his domain when Alan couldn’t. His end of the bargain was that Alan had to care more for his kids, not just his duties and work. And he was doing much better! Even if he couldn’t show it, he had always cared deeping for his kids. That’s why waking up to find one, much less the youngest, missing was worrying. Scary too, but he can’t admit that.

Alan was startled out of his thoughts by a knock at his office doors. 

“Come in,” he called. The magical mechanism cranked and moved the two shell plates into the walls, revealing the youngest god Alan was just thinking about. “Second.”

“Father,” they replied, looking down. Alan sighed. It was like being mad at a kicked puppy.

“Sec, I’m not mad, perse, but what were you thinking just running away like that? And in the middle of the night no less. Don’t you know how dangerous it is right now?”

That seemed to spark something in his child, because their eyes snapped up and met his. They were glowing green, signalling their anger.

“No, Dad, I don’t know how dangerous it is. And I wonder if that’s just a coincidence or if I’m purposefully being kept in the dark,” they accused. Alan couldn’t say anything, he just turned around and sighed. If it was possible, Second’s eyes flared up even more.

“I knew it! You have been keeping things from me.”

“It was for the best, Second,” Alan said, turning back to face them. “It was only to protect you.”

“ Protect me? How does leaving me uninformed about what we’re facing protect me? A stick could’ve died to that monster today because I was ignorant!”

“What? You faced a Scribble?” Alan’s eyes widened, and he moved towards Second.

“Yeah, and it was pretty damn hard, might I add. I didn’t know they could block my abilities.” Second shot Alan a glare, but didn’t move away as he placed his two actual hands on their shoulders.

“N-no, no, you shouldn’t be fighting them… Chosen is having trouble against them, you shouldn’t be put at risk!”

“ What?! ” Now, Second did push Alan off of them and they took a few steps back. “Just how much are you not telling me? I need to know this stuff too!”

“Second-”

“No,” Second interrupted. “There’s nothing you can say that makes this right, Alan . You’re doing it again, where you think that just cause we’re your kids we shouldn’t know what’s going on. Just like what happened with Mom.” 

Alan flinched at the reminder. Have I really started treating them like that again?

Second continued, “Dark got badly hurt and I don’t even know what state Chosen is in.” They hesitated. “I’m scared,” they said in a small voice. “I’m scared, and you’re leaving me unprepared for what we’re facing. We. Not just you guys. I want to do something too, I want to help.”

Alan sighed. Second wouldn't budge on this, and they did have a point. They were his kid, yes, but they weren’t a kid. And yet Alan was treating them like one.

“Second, we’re in a dangerous situation right now.”

“Yeah, I know, no thanks to you.”

Ouch. But that was fair.

He didn’t let the comment deter him. “I don’t want you out there fighting Scribbles left and right. It’s true Chosen and Dark are struggling and that’s all the more reason to keep you away from it. But… you’re right. You can decide for yourself whether or not you want to help, so let’s make a deal.”

Oh, the gears were turning in his head now. Maybe there was a way for both of them to get what they wanted. 

Second raised an eyebrow and him and Alan simply walked over to his desk and motioned for Second to sit. He took a seat in his chair and once Second was seated as well, he started explaining his plan.

“This,” he gestured to a symbol on his map. It was near one of the spots Chosen had marked down a few hours before. “Is Mango’s Magic Academy. Bad name, I know, but that’s not the point. The point is, Victim helped Mango build this school for sticks, no matter their status, race or strength. An even playing field.”

Second looked down at the map, eyes literally glowing with interest. Alan took this as a good sign and continued talking.

“Scribbles are appearing more frequently and increasingly close to the school. We don’t know why, but Victim is worried about this. The school has become very important to the sticks there, and if anything happened to it, it’s a whole generation of multiple races that would be affected.

“So here’s my deal: if you want to help more, go to Mango’s Academy. Watch over the sticks there and keep them safe. At night, do patrols, and try to figure out where the Scribbles are coming from; we still haven’t been able to track them down.”

“Go to the school? Like, as a student?” Second looked up at him, confusion in their eyes mixed with hope.

“It might attract unwanted attention if you were there as a god, so yes. You’ll have to maintain a disguise while there.”

“I could ask Dark to enchant me something that would hold the disguise for me,” Second mused. “But it would have to be discreet, preferably wearable. And protected, so it can’t just fall off an break my disguise or-”

“Second,” Alan interrupted his son’s ramblings. Their eyes shot up to his, and they gave an embarrassed chuckle. “Just to be clear, this means you’ll be staying there most of the time instead of with us. You’ll have to leave during the nights to patrol and sometimes come back to give updates. It won’t be easy. Are you up for this?”

Alan could see in their eyes that there was a moment where Second hesitated. But like they said. They weren’t a kid, so when they looked back at Alan with a fire in their eyes, he would have to trust them to take care of themselves.

“I am.”

Chapter Text

A shuffle and creaking door woke Green up in the middle of the night. It wasn’t very bright out, but the sun was still rising early, so he could see Red walking into the room at fuck-all in the morning. He let out a small grumble, but Red didn’t seem to hear.

What the hell is he doing up this early? Green thought. It looked like Red didn’t sleep at all, what happened?

Green could already hear snores coming from his bed, so he just supposes he’ll ask Red later. He’ll have plenty of time during classes anyways.

Mango’s Magic Academy used to have pretty light hearted classes and such. Even Mango himself was kind and willing to goof off with them, but ever since the Academy was merged with Monster School, it was much more competitive. There was much more incentive to get good grades if it meant beating those Mob assholes.

None of Green’s friends liked the new additions, and it wasn’t from lack of trying. Red, especially, got the worst of it, and he still managed to make friends with some of them! The rest were just pure assholes, plain and simple. But even with the Mobs there, the Academy was great. It was a safe place for him to stay, he learnt a lot and he met his best friends here. So in the end, it was worth putting up with some bullies for all the other great things the Academy had. 

Turning around in his aquarium-like bed, Green realised he wasn’t gonna fall back asleep and might as well just get up now. He pushed himself up with his arms, and quickly changed into his human form. Keeping up this form gets pretty tiring, so Green prefers to sleep as a Siren instead. Much easier that way. 

He yawned and stretched for a minute, before silently leaving the room and walking out to the hall, thankful that changing forms also came with clothes. The rooms held up to six people in each, and while Green was watching Red enter, he noticed someone else was missing. 

So he set out in search of Purple.

----------

“I must say, we have a wide variety of students here, but not many of your race.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m used to it! I find it refreshing to be around different sticks, actually.”

Mango glanced down at the kid beside him as they moved through his school’s halls. He was at a bit of a loss of what to do or say, he’s never spoken to a Naga for so long, let alone housed one! 

The kid - his name is Second, Mango reminded himself - was kind and polite, and looked very unassuming. As long as you didn’t look too hard. Nagas had the bottom half of a snake, black sclera, like Avians, and fangs, so by default, they looked pretty intimidating. But Mango supposed he can’t talk; as a Lava Walker, he’s also been told he looks scary. He’s naturally much taller than most sticks, and the demon-like appearance doesn’t help much either. But despite what he looks like, Mango is a deeply caring stick, and just wants to watch over his students. 

Besides, looks weren’t the only thing that was scary about Nagas. They also had the abilities to back up their deadly reputation - they were the only races who could use free magic, or floating magic, as it was sometimes called.

Normally, each race is limited to their own abilities. They can’t use magic beyond that without lots of training or aid from enchanted objects. The few who could were called “witches” and they were extremely respected. So for an entire race to be able to freely use magic? No one wanted to cross a Naga.

“If I may ask, why did you choose this Academy? I’m sure the Naga colonies have schools that are better suited for your abilities.” Mango looked down at the kid, hoping he didn’t cross some line by accident. He opened the door to his office and held it for Second.

“I was always kind of secluded when I was young,” the Naga started. “It’s to be expected of my kind, but I was always so curious about the rest of the world. I’d rather learn more about the world and experience it than just improve my magic. To me, that’s more valuable.”

“That’s… very admirable of you, Second,” Mango couldn’t stop himself from placing a gentle hand on the kid’s head. He was a father at heart, after all. He then went to sit at his desk, with Second on the other side. “Well, I’m very happy to have you joining us. It is a bit late in the year, so I’ve assigned you a student to help you adjust and show you around. You’ll also be staying in a dorm room with them.” 

Just then, a knock was heard in the office. Mango called for them to enter and it was exactly who he was expecting. A young Avian walked in while tucking their unique wings behind them.

“Second, I’d like you to meet Purple.”

----------

Holy shit. That’s a goddamn Naga. Purple gave their best smile and a small wave when their mentor (or father? They couldn’t tell what their relationship was anymore) introduced them before sitting at the other spot in front of the large desk. They really didn’t mean to, but their wings raised slightly in alert when they moved closer. 

And of course they’re a Green Scale Naga, of all things , their mind continued. They just have to be the scariest sub species of them all, huh?

It was nothing against Second themselves, but Purple was on edge. Nagas had a reputation, especially Green Scales. Those ones had the strongest magic out of all of them and ancient texts sometimes described them as minions of the Gods, for better or for worse.

Some said Nagas also had a taste for Avians, so Purple was a bit freaked out.

“Purple, this is Second. He’ll be staying at the Academy full time and joining you and the others in your dorm.” Mango turned to them as he spoke. 

“Alright, Mango.” They nodded to Mango before turning to Second. Might as well try. It’s better than being on their bad side, at least. “You’ll love the others,” Purple said to them as they nudged the Naga with their elbow. “They’re a bit stupid and loud, but they’re really nice and make good friends.”

“I look forward to it,” Second responded in a gentle voice with a small smile and something inside Purple warmed at the sight. 

Maybe this won’t be so bad.

----------

Winged Avian winged Avian winged Avian winged Avian winged Avian winged Avian, their mind screamed. Could this be the one from my dream?

Second had been inside the Academy for less than 30 minutes, and they were already spiralling. Mango had been kind and welcoming, but the appearance of his student had been a shock. Avians had lost their main sets of wings thousands of years ago, so Second thought he was just seeing things when one had wings in his dream. But here one was, with wings, and Second was gonna be living with them. 

Maybe it wouldn’t be all that bad, though. Purple’s friends sounded nice, and they were excited to see other races. They chose the Naga disguise with Alan because it would cover up the biggest holes in their stories: places of origin, why they had magic, why it seemed like they were keeping secrets and why they knew close to nothing else about the customs of other races. If they had chosen something more common like a Lava Walker, someone would eventually notice how he had no clue what one acted like. That much was clear with Mango, who looked like a Waste-land subspecies of Lava Walker. 

The man in question was still talking about some logistics. Second didn’t need to pay for tuition as the Academy was free, so that was one bonus. A lot of the sticks attending the school were orphans or trying to make a life for themselves, so Mango had told interviewers in the past that he wanted to make it free for the students. The school was run off of donations and alleged “godly approval”, which Second could confirm. 

The Academy had caught Victim’s eye back when it had started, so their brother made a deal with Mango to help him. He provided a lot of supplies and protection to the school, and magical gardens to keep them fed. It was a lot of work at the start, but the Academy was doing well now. Victim would be proud. 

“Here’s your dorm key, Second, and your schedule. All of your classes are shared with at least one of your roommates, so if you can’t find a room, they’ll know where to go.” Mango handed him a lanyard with a key on it, along with a few sheets of paper, his schedule, and a thin, small cardboard copy of it, presumably to carry around.

“Thank you, sir,” they took the objects off the desk, putting some in his side bag and putting the lanyard around their neck.

Mango nodded to them before continuing, “You’ve picked a good day to move in, classes don’t continue until Monday, so you have two days to settle in. Fridays are half days, and once a month, there are two extra days off to visit home.” 

Second nodded in acknowledgement, so Mango turned to Purple next. “Please show him to your room and help him settle in. Most of his belongings are still in front and once you’re done, could you please get him a set of training clothes?”

“Of course.”

“Excellent! Thank you very much, Purple.” Mango clapped his hands together and stood. They all walked to his office door together. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Second. You know where to find me if you have any questions. I can’t wait to see you in class on Monday.”

“Same to you sir, thank you,” Second gave a small bow as Purple started walking in the direction of the front doors, so he hurried after. 

----------

“Dammit, Purple, where would you go this early in the stupid morning?”

Green had been looking all over the dorm room halls for his friend with no luck, so he decided to just go to the training grounds until breakfast. The sun was just starting to rise, and he made a bet with Yellow that he could beat Red in a 1v1, so he had to get working. He was walking down to the first floor and headed for the front doors when he finally saw Purple. 

“Purp!” he ran towards them, waving. They stopped talking to someone and turned to Green just as he ran into them with a hug. “I’ve been looking all over for you! Why were you up so early?”

“Da- Mango asked me to help our new student settle in,” they told him, pulling away. Purple gestured to the stick they were talking to before, who Green just noticed.

Woah, a Naga! The stick was orange with orange-y yellow underbelly scales running down their chest, eventually leading to a thick green tail where legs normally were. They gave him a little wave.

“Hey, I’m Green, nice to meet you!” he stuck out his hand to the new stick, and gave them his best smile.

“You too, I’m Second,” they replied, and shook his hand. 

“Second is gonna be joining us in our dorm, so don’t scare them away with your 3 am music sessions, ok?” Purple teased. Green’s eyes widened at the statement. 

“No way, you’re staying with us? That’s so cool! Oh heck, the others are gonna be so excited! And you’re, like, the only Naga here! We’ll have SUCH an advantage against those stupid Monster School assholes,” Green said with an evil grin. Purple just rolled their eyes.

“Ignore him, he gets excited easily,” Purple whispered to Second with a chuckle. Then, they turned to Green. “Wanna go back to the dorms with us? We’re bringing Second’s stuff there.” 

“Yeah, sure! I’ll introduce you to the others.” Unprompted, Green took one of the bags Purple had and swung it over his shoulder. “This way, new friend!”

Green looked over his shoulder and saw Purple laughing a bit and felt his cheeks warm. They should laugh more. It’s pretty. …I wanna make them laugh.

The three of them walked through the halls as more of the school started waking up. Green continued talking about what their classes were like and what he liked about the school. 

“This place is like a second home to me now, even if I miss my own. I actually knew a Naga back at home, y’know, but he’s a Blue Scale.” 

“Wait, you know a Naga?” Second looked at the stick with surprise. 

“Yeah, once when I was little, I swam too far and got lost. I stumbled upon his lair by accident and I’m just lucky he showed me back instead of killing me or something,” Green responded. “He was actually pretty nice though, and I talked to him more after that. He even introduced me to a Green Scale when we went on land once!” 

“Oh, wow,” Purple said. “You never told me this, Green.”

“Never really came up!” Green flashed them a grin, earning him a small blush.

“That explains why you weren't too surprised to see me then,” Second said. “Most people I’ve met haven’t seen Naga before. Are you a Mer then, Green? Blue Scales are the aquatic ones.”

“Close, but I’m actually a Siren! It’s easier to tell when I’m in the dorms. Blue’s a Water Walker, so half of our rooms are sort of like an aquarium. Sometimes Red shifts into a fish or something and joins us too!” 

“Ah, cool,” Second responded. Their smile seemed a bit strained, but Green decided not to comment on it.  They might just be overwhelmed. 

“Alrighty, here we are!” Purple unlocked the dorm room and walked in. The room was spacious, with three main areas in sight - a living room with a couch and TV, a small kitchen further in the dorm and the area where they all slept to the right. The sleeping area had two large bunk beds built into the wall and on the wall opposite to it was the aquarium-like area where Green and Blue slept. Two beds could be pulled out above it.

“Wow,” Second breathed as they entered. They did a full circle, just taking it all in. “This is so cool.” 

“There’s a table in the living room, and the couch is a pull out bed if you get sick of sleeping around us,” Purple joked. “The bathroom is at the end of the sleeping area, and the beds are tall and have lots of shelving space. We also have a wardrobe there,” they pointed next to the door. “Where we keep out hoodies and coats and stuff.” 

“This is amazing, thanks Purple!” Second told them. 

“Wazzgoin on…?” a voice muttered from the beds. Green turned to see Blue rolling in her makeshift bed that she sometimes pulled down to sleep. Her eyes widened at the sight of Second in their living room. “What THE-” 

Thump.

Purple whirled around at the sound, and was greeted with the sight of Blue lying pathetically on the floor, face down. Green couldn’t stop his laughter.

“Blue?! Are you ok?” Purple asked. 

“Yep. Just… gonna lie here for a bit. Die of shame, maybe.” Her voice was muffled by the carpet. After a few moments, she quickly sat up. “WAIT, RIGHT! New person!”

Blue jumped up, ran to Second and grabbed their hand, shaking aggressively excitedly.

“So sorry about that, I’m Blue! I just wasn’t expecting to see a NAGA of all things in my room first thing in the morning. I’m guessing you’re new here? OH WAIT! You’re gonna be sharing a room with us, right? Ooohh, you should teach me magic, mine is really weak right now and no one else is helping me and-”

“Blue?” a very sleepy Yellow called her from his bed.

“Yeah?” Blue whirled around with a bright smile, not even realising how fast she was talking.

“Shut up,” was all he said, before flopping his head back down.

“Alrighty!” 

Second just stared at her with a blank face, their scaled hand still in her webbed one. Green let out a little laugh.

“Second, this is Blue, our very own Water Walker, hyperactive overtalker, and witch,” Green patted their shoulder and jostled them out of their shocked state. Then, he lowered his voice and whispered, “she can be a bit dumb sometimes, but we all love her that.”

“Oi. I heard that.” Blue sent him a very fake threatening glare. “Don’t pretend like you’re any smarter than me. Remember that I’m the one who broke that obsidian, not you”

“OK BUT THAT WASN’T FAIR! You took a potion! It’s not allowed in Mango’s competitions, so it shouldn’t count if you were on drugs when you did it.”

“Potions aren’t drugs, what are you talking about?!”

“YES THEY ARE! Positive and negative effects, splash potions can give someone the potion equivalent of secondhand smoke, they can make you do crazy shit and some of them help you when you're sick. DRUGS.”

“WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT SHUTTING UP?” Yellow yelled at them from his bed. The orb on his forehead began glowing brightly and his curly hair started floating as if he were underwater. 

“Oops. Sorry Yellow,” Blue said, with a little laugh. She did not look sorry at all. 

“Ugh, I’m up now anyways. What time is it?” 

“I think breakfast is soon,” Purple told him. They grabbed something from a shelf and brought it up to Yellow in the top bunk. “Here are your glasses.”

Yellow took them with a small noise of thanks and put them on. Then he looked up and finally saw Second; Yellow was probably legally blind without his glasses.

“Woah! New person?” 

“Yep! This is Second! They’re gonna be staying with us,” Green said. “We should probably head down to eat soon, you hungry, Sec?” 

“Not really, I ate before getting here. If it’s alright, I’d rather just stay here and put my stuff away.” they responded in a quiet voice. 

“Of course it’s ok,” Purple told them as they packed a small bag. “Do you want one of us to stay with you?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it! I can handle it, thanks.”

“Alright. I think the rest of us should head down then, before all the good stuff gets taken. Where’s Red?”

“I think he went out to train a while ago, I heard him leave,” Yellow said as he got out of bed. He was carrying a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom to change.

“No hope of finding him, then,” Blue said. “We’ll just have to wait till he finds us.”

“Ok, let’s get going,” Yellow came out of the bathroom and tossed his pyjamas onto his bed. “Will you be ok in here, Second? Oh wait, can I have your number before we go? I’ll add you to our group chat and we can find you once we’re done.” 

“Yeah, here.” Second pulled out their phone to get it. 

The two exchanged numbers and after a minute, everyone else was outside waving to Second. Green closed the door behind him and turned to his friends. 

It should be illegal for mornings to be this eventful before breakfast.

Chapter Text

Duck. Hit, hit. Roundhouse kick, snap kick. Duck. Swerve. Double kick and push. Hit, hit. Kick, hit, slash. 

The training dummy would need to be replaced after this. Red only had about thirty minutes of sleep and the anger over what his classmates did last night had started. And whenever Red was angry, he took it out in the training area before he took it out on an actual person. 

He continued to throw punch after punch and after each hit, he pretended the training dummy was a different face of each Mob that tied him up. 

The Zombie. The Wither Skeleton. The Creeper. Hit faster. Be more accurate.

He really hadn’t been here for long, probably just under an hour. In that time, he had gone over every fighting routine Mango was teaching them, reviewed his weakest stances and was working on incorporating more of his shifting into his fights. It was a good use of his time and he was getting better, hopefully getting good enough to dish out some revenge.

Hit harder. The Silverfish. The Skeleton. That GODDAMN BLAZE-

CRACK .

Red was snapped out of his rage by the noise. His vision cleared, no longer focused on his anger, and he could see the training dummy in front of him, headless. 

Oh.

The head in question was rolling off to the side, dented and scratched. Red wiped his forehead in confusion and felt… fur? 

He looked down and saw his arms were shifted into a tiger’s. Probably why the head was all scratched then. A lot of Red’s shifting was done without thinking, especially during fighting. The movements and changes were so natural to him that his body just knew what to do without his brain needing to think it.

Red shifted back to normal and touched his forehead once more. He could feel the yellow team ribbon under his hair. All of a sudden, the exhaustion and hunger hit him. He wanted to go eat, but he didn’t want to risk seeing his bullies or having to explain everything to his friends in the cafeteria. So instead, he shifted into a bird and flew around the side of the school until he found an open window close to his dorm. Red quickly shifted into a small bug and flew through it, under the person’s door, and into the hall before shifting back to normal. From there, it was just a short walk back to his own room.

He let out a huge yawn as he was walking, revealing his sharp canine teeth. Maybe he should take a nap when he gets back. Red opened his dorm room and was greeted with a very strange sight.

A Naga was in his room.

A very familiar Naga. 

His jaw dropped open as he rubbed his eyes a few times, unsure if the lack of sleep was making him see things. When he opened his eyes again and Second was still in his room, he started freaking out.

“What are you doing here?” he basically shouted. Second turned around quickly and dropped what he was holding. A different form didn’t at all change how pretty he was. Wait… “Why are you even a Naga? I-”

“Let me explain.”

Red’s mouth simply hung open as Second moved forward a bit, his hands out in front of him.

“O…k. Explain then.”

“Remember the monster that attacked you yesterday?” Red nodded. “They’re appearing more and more, especially around here and we don’t know why. They’re not natural and we’re trying to stop them but they’re only growing stronger. It's my job to figure out what’s bringing them here and keep the school safe.”

“And you have to be a Naga to do that?” Red asked. He tried not to think about what Second was saying about those monsters and how scared it made him. Red started moving to his favourite resting spot, the smaller of two beds that could be pulled out above Green’s Glorified Fish Bowl, as Red liked to call it. He slept there instead of his normal bed sometimes, so he had moved plenty of cushions there a while ago. Red jumped in, trying to resist sleep and Second responded.

“Yeah, well, I can’t really be disguised as a god,” Second said. His eyes stayed on Red when he moved before sitting down himself. “It could put the school in an even more dangerous position.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Red looked away for a second, thinking. “So I’m guessing you don’t want me to say anything about last night or me knowing who you are?” 

“That would be preferred, yes,” Second said with a laugh. “But I’m not gonna smite you or anything if you tell someone by accident. Really, it’s just as long as the word doesn’t get out. I…I don’t mind you knowing, though.” 

Oh.

“Well, glad to know my life is safe! And don’t worry, your secret is safe too. My friends might disagree, but I’m actually really good with secrets. Oh, have you met them yet?”

“Yeah, they seemed cool! Pretty chaotic though, heh,” Second chuckled. 

“They are. They’re all dumbasses, but y’know, they’re my dumbasses, so it’s ok! I’d take them over some of the Mobs here any day.”

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask about that.”

“Ask about what?” Red turned back to face Second.

“The Mobs,” he clarified. “Green mentioned them too, but I thought this school was for sticks?”

“Oh. Well, it is for sticks, but a while ago Mango made an agreement with Herobrine and merged it with the Monster School. Now it’s like a two-in-one, both schools are here now.”

“I see.”

“And honestly! I’m not one to judge by looks or race, but they all suck! I don’t know what Mango was thinking when he merged the schools.” Red had jumped off his bed and was pacing around the room, hands waving around. He hadn’t even registered he was doing this until Second’s hand grasped his wrist, stopping his movements.

“Sorry,” he looked down, embarrassed. “I get worked up about this a lot. They’re just such bullies , and they’re relentless too.”

Second regarded him for a moment. His eyes were more green now than they were when he was a god, Red noted, but they still made him feel tingly and nervous.

The god-turned-Naga looked down for a moment, hesitating. Red was about to ask when his eyes snapped back up, looking into Red’s with a silent rage.

“Were they the reason you were in the forest last night?” he asked, voice quiet and angry.

Red gently pulled his hand away from Second’s, considering the question. While he didn’t have any good feelings for the Mobs that tied him up, he also didn’t want to unleash a freaking god on them, even if they deserved it.

“No,” he lied, surprising himself a bit. “It was just a prank with some friends, they weren’t involved with it.”

He did his best to keep his voice even and his eyes locked with the other’s so Second doesn’t notice how his hands were shaking. He dug them into his pockets before they gave him away.

Who knows what the punishment is for lying to a god. Are they even worth it?

Red doesn’t think he was convincing with his lie, to his friends, he’s famously bad at it, but if Second knew he was lying, he didn’t say anything about it. He just nodded and turned back to his things.

“You might want to be more careful about going out there at night, then. Things are getting really dangerous.” His voice was still soft, and Red would almost say concerned. He smiled a bit at the tone.

“Alright, I will. But in the meantime,” Red said, flopping onto Second’s bed. “Whacha doing, anyways?”

Not his most flawless topic change, but it worked. “I’m just unpacking right now.”

“You brought all your godly stuff here?” Red asked, confused. It was more or less a genuine question, and it managed to get a laugh out of Second.

He has a pretty laugh.

“No, not really. Most of this stuff was just conjured. I don’t typically own things a Naga would need,” he said, lightly. “Some stuff is mine, though.” Second held a black book to his chest. Clearly it was something that was important to him, and Red couldn’t help but ask. He was a curious being, after all.

“What is that?”

Second’s eyes followed Red as he lay down on the bed without realising it. “Um, it’s a sketchbook. I like drawing in my free time.”

Red let out a yawn. The little sleep and lots of training started catching up to him but he didn’t want to stop talking to Second. “You should show me sometime. Bet you’re good,” he mumbled.

The god looked down at him fondly. He ran a gentle hand through Red’s hair, causing the Shift to let out a content purr.

“I will then,” he said, quietly. “For now, maybe you should just rest.”

Hmm. Rest. That sounded nice.

Red thinks he let out some sort of mumble that hopefully conveyed “ok” before the ocean of sleep pulled him under its waves.

----------

What… the… HELL?!

Second sat, a little stunned, while Red slept away on his bed. Red, the Shift from the forest, who went to this school and who was almost certainly the Shift he saw in his vision. And if Red was the shift then…

He quickly reached over to grab his sketchbook, opened a new page and conjured a pencil. 

Ok, he thought. Five sticks in my vision, five sticks here. A Water Walker, a Seer, a Shift, a winged Avian and a Siren. The Mer I saw must’ve been Green. Holy shit…

Second paused his fast writing and looked up, thinking. His mind still couldn’t fully understand the situation he was in. Not one day since he had the vision, and he already found all five sticks.

He can’t tell if this is good luck or bad luck. 

“Oh Cursors,” he muttered. Carefully, as to not wake Red, he stood up and started pacing around the room. Little magic wisps began appearing, reacting to his distressed state. “Why do the fates hate me? Did I forget your birthday or something, Skim? Is that why you’re punishing me like this?”

Unsurprisingly, his father’s friend, Skim, the fate weaver, gave no answer. 

Red shifted around in his bed, muttering something in his sleep. A hand reached out and his brow furrowed, so Second took his hand and gently rubbed his thumb over the back of his palm to comfort the stick. Red settled and continued lightly purring and Second felt a wave of affection wash over him. His erratic thoughts were slowly calming, but one kept pushing through: what now ?

I need to protect them, Second decided. They’ve been kind and welcoming, and they don’t deserve the danger that’s coming.  

In that moment, his decision solidified. As long as he was there, he would do everything in his power to protect these sticks.

----------

“Why did you send him there?! You’re just putting him in danger!” Dark shouted across the table at their father, anger dancing in all eight of his eyes. His magic was charged and it felt like the entire room was going to blow up soon. 

Victim glanced over to Chosen, who was doing the same. Second hadn’t been gone for long, but he was about 80% of Dark’s anger management and they were already feeling the difference. 

“Dark, I had to. It’s what Second wanted to do and we all know he wouldn’t have taken no for an answer,” Alan responded. He didn’t move at all, but there was the slightest bit of anger in his eyes as well. 

Dark’s response was just a growl. He stood up and started pacing as his spider legs twitched. He stretched them out then held them close to his body and hugged himself. 

“How can you be sure he’s gonna be safe?” Dark’s voice was more quiet than Victim had ever heard. He’s… scared, Victim realised. They weren’t as close to Dark as Chosen or Second were, but they knew that even to their brothers, this side of Dark was a rare sight. He was always so confident and bold, almost to the point of appearing egotistical, but he was also optimistic and was always the first to jump in with loudly spoken kind words and a distraction when someone needed it. Seeing their brother so shaken was worrying. 

“I can’t be,” Alan replied, simply. “But that’s not my job right now. I trust Second so I have to trust that he can take care of himself. I don’t like it any more than you do, but he needs this and he needs to do this by himself.”

“I hate that you’re right,” Dark scowled. “So that’s it then? We aren’t gonna do anything ?”

“You and I will check in with him every now and then,” Victim told him. “Give him updates on the situation and whatever he needs to tell us as well.” Dark was silent for a moment.

“Ok, then. Cursors, I really hate that you guys are right.” His voice died out for a moment before it was quiet again. “I just don’t want anything to happen to Sec.”

“No one does, Dark,” Chosen placed a comforting hand on his brother’s shoulder. “But Sec can do this. He’s strong and like Alan said, we need to trust him to take care of himself.”

Victim walked around to Dark’s other side and mirrored Chosen, placing a hand on his opposite shoulder.

“What’s the plan then? He’s just staying there forever?” Dark asked Alan. Although the magic levels in the room had significantly lowered, Dark still looked pissed.

“Of course not,” Alan said, finally standing. “The plan is for him to track the Scribbles, something we haven’t managed yet, and report back to us. He’s not to fight them unless he has to to keep the school safe.”

“So he’s back up for the school? Can’t those sticks handle themselves?”

“Dark, if a Scribble managed to rip your arm out, what do you think would happen to regular sticks?” Victim asked, slightly peeved. Their brother at least had the decency to look a little embarrassed by Victim’s logic. “Besides, it’s a win-win. There are more Scribbles near the school, so Second has a better chance of finding out why, and the school is safer with him there.”

“And we’re checking in on him?” Dark crossed his arms and leveled his glare at Victim, who was undisturbed.

“You and I will, yes. …Actually, maybe it would be better if Chosen did,” Victim realised. “These disguises only work if our true form isn’t known, and Mango has seen me as a God before. If I’m recognised, it’ll put Second’s identity at risk.” 

“Good thinking, Victim,” Alan said. “Besides, I need you to keep in contact with Mango about the state of the school and its students unrelated to Second. We don’t want him connecting the dots.” Alan then turned to Chosen, who looked slightly bored. “Are you up for that Chosen?”

“Yes, Alan,” he responded without hesitation. “We’ll rock paper scissors for who gets to visit Second each time.”

“Hey, no fair! I know you read my mind to beat me!” Dark cried out.

“And yet, you have no proof.” Chosen shrugged and gave Dark a smirk. “Sounds like you’re just salty to me.”

“Why you fuckin-”

“Oi. Enough of that, you two.” Victim stepped between their siblings before Dark tackled the black hollow head. Although they couldn’t see Chosen stick his tongue out over their shoulder, they could see Dark’s answering single-fingered gesture. “Hey,” was all they said as they smacked his hand and glared at the younger brother. Dark only glared back.

Alan sighed and pinched his nose, a gesture he was doing a lot more as of late, Victim noted.

“Out of here, all of you,” he said, in mock annoyance at their bickering. Victim could hear the fondness in his voice and could see the faint smile he was trying to hide. “And try not to kill each other, alright?”

“Nope.”

“No promises!”

Victim sighed, feeling a lot like their father.

“I’ll keep an eye on them, Dad.”

Chapter Text

They say time goes by faster when you’re having fun, and Blue can certainly attest to that. The group had come back to their dorm to find Red napping and Second almost finished putting his things away. The rest of the weekend was spent showing Second around and helping him settle in. Blue really enjoyed getting to know the Naga better and Second had even promised he’d help Blue with their magic! They were so excited. 

But all good things come to an end, and before any of them knew it, it was Monday again - Second’s first day at the Academy. Needless to say, they were all brimming with excitement and dread at the same time.

“BLUE,” a voice yelled at them. They had decided to sleep in the water tank with Green last night, so the voice seemed muffled and they couldn’t tell who it was. 

“Hurmurmurg…?” they said from the water. Slowly, their eyes started to open and through the tank, they saw Yellow standing outside.

“You’re gonna be late, bud!” Red called to them as he walked by. Yellow flicked his forehead and Red scampered away.

“Red’s right, you should get ready. We wanted to be there early, remember?”

“OH YEAH!” They quickly jumped out of the water, making sure their tail didn’t splash water outside of the tank, and hugged Yellow, much to the others' protests. “You’re so smart Yellow!” 

“And you’re lucky that you instantly dry,” he said, with an unimpressed glare. But the smile that came a few moments later assured Blue that he wasn’t actually upset. “Now hurry, go get ready! Red made breakfast today since you slept in.” 

“Thanks, Red!” Blue called as they grabbed some clothes to wear. They heard Red call out a “No problem!” as they closed the bathroom door and got dressed. They could hear Yellow giving similar treatment to Second as Blue just received. After a few minutes, they walked out and saw the Naga leaving, grumbling. Blue glanced at his bed and saw an open sketchbook. Unable to contain their curiosity, Blue glanced around to make sure no one was watching then peeked at the book. To their surprise, this page contained mostly words. When Blue took a closer look, the words read: 

Overworld shift, Red - also met him in the forest where my vision was.

Water walker and seer as well

Winged avian - it must be them, what other winged avians are there?? how did they get them?

Mer - must be a siren, this isn’t just a coincidence anymore, so green must be the mer i saw. 

what connection do they all have to the prophecy???

green said blue is a witch, maybe she’s the one it talks about? Or would that be too good to be true

Needless to say, Blue was thoroughly confused. What is the prophecy? Better yet, what the heck is Second talking about in general?

“Blue?” Yellow called from the kitchen. Blue jumped back and almost hit the bed. Making sure no one saw them snooping, they tossed their pyjamas onto their bed then ran into the kitchen.

“Finally! I need you to see what a great job I did at making breakfast,” Red said, turning as they walked in. He had a plate in hand and immediately pushed it into Blue’s hands and moved them to a seat. “Hope you enjoy!”

The breakfast did look good. Perfectly fried eggs, some sausage and toast done exactly the way Blue liked it. Red even gave them their favourite seaweed snack on the side. Blue hadn’t realised how hungry they were until now, and ate quickly.

“Easy Blue, we don’t want you to choke!” Green joked as he walked by.

“Hurmurfugur! Murghumgurfur,” Blue very coherently responded. Green sent them a very “Blue, what the actual good hells was that??” look, and they quickly swallowed their food.

“I said ‘it’s not my fault it’s so good!’. Red should cook more.”

“HA. No,” Red said, from the kitchen sink, where he was cleaning some dishes. “That’s your job, Blue. I only cook when necessary, I’m the back up.”

Red then looked up to see a sleepy Purple and Second enter the kitchen as well. “Morning guys! I made you both some breakfast,” he said as he ran over to them with plates, similarly to what he did to Blue. Their two friends started eating and thanked Red. The Shift then turned to Purple with a grin.

“Sooooo,” he said. “You ready to start flight classes?” 

“Wait, that’s right! You two have different schedules now,” Blue pointed out. The Academy had specialised classes for certain races, like flight, swimming and even a magic class that Blue took. But there was trouble with getting a teacher for flight and Mango only recently found one.

“I mean, I’m kind of bummed out we aren’t gonna be with you guys anymore,” Purple said.

“You’ll still have me, don’t worry Purps!” Red said, swinging an arm over their shoulder. “And besides, flying is fun! You’ll get the hang of it.”

Purple just gave a shy smile and went back to eating. Flying could be a sensitive topic to Avians, as Purple’s explained before, and they themselves had trouble with it too. It’s not like they had someone to teach them how to fly before coming to the Academy, but beyond that, no one in their group knew how they were with flying other than Red. At the Avian’s request a few months ago, Red was teaching them what he knew and the two had grown closer as a result.

“What about you, Red?” Green asked, elbowing the Shift. Red swatted at him with a laugh before replying with a bright smile.

“I’m excited! I’ve been working on only shifting my arms and not my whole body, so I look kind of like a- a… Yellow what’s it called?” he turned to the Seer for help, who just shot him an amused, but unimpressed glare.

“Red, I have no clue what you’re talking about”

“That creature in the stories! The ones that look like Avians, but instead of having wings on their backs, their arms are the wings.”

“Oh, harpies?”

“YES! You’re the best Yellow!” Red pulled the Seer into a hug, practically jumping. He always had the most energy out of all of them. After letting her go, Red continued his ramble, “anyways, I’ve been shifting only my arms instead of my whole body, which is like, 1000 times harder, but it lets me do more fun things!”

“As long as you don’t practise in here and break something, it’s fine by me,” Green said with a shrug. “But good job with that, Red, I’m proud.”

“Ok, we should get going soon if we want to be early,” Purple said. Yellow, who was collecting the plates and stacked them in the sink, nodded.

“You’re so right, Purps,” Red said. “But before we go, GOOD LUCK GROUP HUG!”

He dramatically flung his arms out with a smile. Blue let out a little laugh and was the first one to join Red’s group hug. Green quickly followed, with Yellow after him. Purple turned to Second, who had been pretty quiet and gestured for him to join the rest. The last two sticks joined the hug, and Blue felt themselves melt with happiness.

----------

The first class she had, Yellow also had with Second and though she hates to admit it, Yellow didn’t like this at first. There was just something… off about Second. Something about him just radiated power, but not the same power that Nagas normally had. There was something under the surface that he was hiding, Yellow could tell. As a Seer, she was greatly in tune with others’ energies and feelings. They were like visible auras to her and although Second had the aura of a Naga, there was definitely something under it as well. Yellow could also feel Second being on edge about something, a secret he was hiding. That tenseness only seemed to ease around Red… Yellow would have to question him later. 

But for the time being, Yellow, Second and the rest of their group, minus Red and Purple, were heading to their first class of the day. The other two had some flight lessons right now and Green, Blue and Red would leave later for water-related classes, but otherwise, their group were in all the same classes. Right now, they had Intro to Potions, one of Blue’s favourite classes. Yellow liked it as well, but she did much better in their redstone lessons. 

“Come on, come on! You’ll love this class, it’s so fun!” Blue pulled Second along, excitedly chattering to him. He just followed the excited Water Walker with a smile. Yellow couldn’t help the small twinge of jealousy at that, and maybe deep down, that jealousy also played a part in her suspicions. 

“Blue just likes this class cause it’s the only one she’s best in,” Green teased from Second’s other side. 

“Just like how you like music class best cause you’re the best at that one?” Yellow called from behind. “It’s normal to like what you’re good at.”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t! It’s honestly freaky - in a cool way - how good Blue is with this stuff. I can’t tell Magma cream from slime balls.”

“Green, that’s just because you don’t pay attention,” Blue said. “Potions are easy! All the ingredients make sense for the effects they give. And it’s really fun getting to create new ones!”

“Like I said, Blue: freaky,” Green laughed as he ruffled Blue’s already frizzy, tangled hair. Blue swatted him off, and Yellow and Second laughed at the sight. They all acted like bickering siblings sometimes. 

When the group reached the class, Mango waved to them from the front of the class and called Second over as the rest went to one of the desks grouped around a brewing stand. Curious, Yellow pushed his magic’s reach over to Second and Mango. She didn’t have the mind and past reading abilities of a Third Eye Seer, but she did have telepathy, and it let her get snippets of someone’s thoughts. Their emotions were calm, friendly, but Second still had that underlying tense feeling. Based on their actions, Yellow assumed Mango was just asking Second how he was settling in or something.

“Alright class, listen up,” Mango said. The chatter of the classroom went silent as everyone looked to the front. “This is Second. He’s going to be joining us from here on out. Classes have already been going for a few weeks, so I trust you’ll be welcoming as he catches up.” 

A few people waved or greeted Second as they walked back to Yellow and their friends. She could see him blushing a bit, probably from embarrassment. He took a seat next to Green as Mango started talking about some new ingredients they were going to work with and sustainable ways to gather them. Yellow zoned out a bit, instead she just watched Blue eagerly take notes. Her eyes flicked up to what Mango was writing, then back down to her notebook as she wrote quickly. Then, her eyes flicked up to Yellow’s, catching her staring. A cheeky grin spread across Blue’s face.

“Focus, Yellow,” she admonished, lightly. “I’m not sharing my notes this time.”

“Oh yes you will, you just can’t resist my charm,” Yellow teased back.

Blue just let out a laugh before turning back to the front, cheeks flushed. Yellow couldn’t help but feel a little victorious at that.

Mango walked by and handed them all the new ingredients and sheets with a list of the new ingredients on one side, and blank boxes on the other. Blue quickly grabbed them all and wrote the names of their group on it before turning to the brewing stand. 

“Should we… help?” Second asked. Yellow let out a little laugh.

“Ohhh no, she’s got this. You might get snapped at if you help, so it’s better just to let Blue work away.” 

Second nodded and watched as Blue moved impossibly fast at adding ingredients and taking notes, occasionally passing a potion over for one of them to try. Green laughed a bit at Second’s look of concern when Blue passed a mystery potion to him.

“Don’t worry, we haven’t been poisoned by Blue yet,” Green said, knocking Second a bit with his elbow. “I think she’s too smart to let that happen to us.”

Yellow can’t help but think that even if there was a chance Blue didn’t know what she was doing or if there was any risk, she’d still do whatever Blue asked of her. 

Anything. 

----------

Red was disappointed not to have his first class with Second, Purple could tell. Their friend wore his heart on his sleeve, it was easy to tell what he was feeling. Right now, Red’s pointed ears were slightly down and his movements were less animated than they normally were. 

Purple poked his side with a grin. “Cheer up, Red, it’s not for long. Most of our classes will be with Second, Mango made sure of it.”

They felt some sort of satisfaction at Red’s surprised blush as he quickly turned to them.

“What do you mean? I’m already cheered up!” 

Red was also a pretty bad liar, unless it was something really important. Nothing important enough to lie about has come up yet. But ultimately, Purple decided not to push further, rather, they turned their attention to the day ahead.

Mango’s Magic Academy ran on a two day schedule. They had 8 classes split into two groups of four that switched each day. Some classes were optional, some they had to take, and the class Purple and Red were heading to was one of the required ones: flight classes. 

Purple wasn’t the best flier. Whenever Red helped them learn, he pointed out how they needed to be more confident and trust their wings, but Purple always found it difficult. They weren't supposed to have wings, it didn’t quite feel right. Since the race lost their wings, most Avians flew with their ability to morph the sky around them, essentially holding them in the air and gliding around. It was very taxing though, so most Avians didn’t fly much and a lot of their culture was lost along with their flight. So to Purple, flying with wings felt like they were doing something forbidden. They couldn’t help but feel like the curse that took away the Avians wings in the first place will find them again and take these ones.

“Purple! It’s an Avian!” Red called to them from ahead. Purple didn’t know why he was commenting on this, Avians were more common than Shifts, so it makes sense an Avian would teach the class. What was so notable about this one?

“Ah, I’m guessing you two are also students?” the teacher walked up to the two of them as they walked into the open courtyard. Then, Purple noticed it. 

This Avian also had wings. They weren't insect-like, like their own. These wings were large and feathery, like a bird’s. They looked up to the teacher in shock.

“Oh! I see I’m not the only Avian with wings,” she commented when she saw Purple. “Though yours are much cooler! I love how they look.” 

Purple shook themselves out of their shock to respond. “Um, yes, thank you. They were a gift. I thought I was the only one, how did you get your wings?” No Avians were born with them anymore, so wings were sometimes gifted to an Avian from a much stronger being. Witches, gods and Nagas were some of the only ones strong enough to do so, and not all of them could.

“I was very unlucky for a while, and I was stuck. Being trapped doesn’t sit well with the God of Freedom,” she said with a cryptic smile. 

Ah. Chosen, Purple thought. Their teacher was also an End Avian, so her wings were naturally a light creamy yellow, like her smaller set of wings, but the larger set had the occasional black and red feather. Magic influenced the way things looked, especially something permanent like this, so it made sense for the wing’s look to reflect how one got them - Purple’s own wings were a clear example of that. 

“Yours are fascinating, they aren’t feathered,” the teacher pointed out. “May I see them?” 

Normally Purple didn’t like showing off their wings, especially to other Avians. The ability of true flight sparked jealousy in others of Purple’s race, so they tried not to fly around other Avians, especially while in their homeland. But considering this teacher has likely been in the same boat as them, and has been kind and open so far, Purple found themselves more willing to comply. 

They opened their wings to their full wingspan, glittering, multicoloured insect wings that were wider than they were tall. The teacher let out a small gasp and had a small smile.

“They’re gorgeous,” she said in a small voice. “I’ve never seen anything like them.”

“They were made beforehand, not based on my own wings,” Purple explained. “ But I think I like them better like this.”

“I can see why. I’m excited to see them in action! What are your names?” She asked both of them.

“I’m Purple, and this is my friend, Red,” they said, while gesturing to the Shift next to them.

“I’m Indigo, it’s lovely to meet you both! And, um, I don’t mean this in the wrong way, Red, but you don’t exactly look like you should be in a flight class,” Indigo said.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m a Shift! I’m working on my Avian impression,” he said lightly, and gave a sharp toothed grin.

“I see! Well, I’m very excited to work with you both! Come and meet the rest of the class.”

The three of them walked to the middle of the courtyard, a flat empty space with some boxes littered around. Standing in a group were the other students, all talking to each other. Indigo was giving some introductions, but Purple wasn’t really listening. They could see different flying Mobs - bats, Phantoms, Blazes and a Wither, specifically - at least one other Shift, and four Avians. Two were Overworld Avians, one was an End Avian, like Purple and Indigo, and the other was a Nether Avian. None had wings, and an Overworld and End Avian were glaring directly at them. 

Purple quickly looked away, but not before Red caught on as well. He just glared right back at the two Avians, not breaking eye contact until they did first, then turned to Purple and gave a reassuring smile. They were glad to have him here.

“Alright everyone, welcome to your flying class! I’m Indigo, and I’m so excited to work with you all.” Indigo walked to the front of the group, next to one of the many boxes, and clasped her hands together. “Today will be a bit of a warm-up class, just to see where you all are in terms of skill levels and such. I’m gonna ask you all to separate into two groups: winged fliers on the left, and non-winged fliers on the right.”

Purple looked to the right to see the Nether Avian and a Blaze talking in low voices, with glances and points towards them. They felt their entire body go stiff, hardly even reacting when Red took their hand in his and led them to the left side of the courtyard. They felt unfocused, and squeezed Red’s hand to ground themselves, making him look at them with concern.

“You ok, Purps?” he whispered. They just nodded slowly in return.

“Just… just need a second.”

 “Ok! Now, I’m assuming you all know the differences between these two kinds of flight?” Indigo looked around for a response as both groups nodded their heads and mumbled confirmations. “Excellent! Sky fliers, would anyone like to demonstrate what your kind looks like for less experienced fliers?” She turned to the right group and the Blaze from before raised a glowing rod. She gave him a nod, and he took off.

They didn’t want to admit it, but Purple was quite impressed. The Blaze effortlessly moved through the air, rising in height before dropping down in a spiral and landing gracefully. It would’ve been enjoyable if not for the arrogant flick of his head in Purple’s direction, sparking a flare of anger in them, and clearly in Red as well. The Shift's hands were curled into fists and he let out a low growl while glaring at the Blaze’s smug smile.

Indigo and some other classmates were clapping. “How wonderful, thank you, Acer!” 

The Blaze - Acer - was grinning and high fiving his friends. Purple wasn’t typically violent, but in that moment, they really wanted to punch that stupid grin off his face.

“Now for my winged fliers! Would anyone like to demonstrate?” Indigo turned to Purple’s group. 

Purple immediately looked away, while Red did the exact opposite. He quickly raised his hand and took a step forward. 

“Red, go ahead.” 

Their friend walked to the middle of the courtyard and put his hands in front of him, as if he was going to fight, but palms wide open. Red then took a deep breath and flung his arms out as he shifted. There was an audible woosh and flashes of red as his arms grew longer and feathered and his legs stretched into the bird-like legs of an Avian. Red wasn’t joking when he said he was working on his Avian impression. 

Purple was always impressed by their friend’s abilities. Shifts could manipulate themselves to look like other races by shifting only select parts of themselves, like in this case, the arms and legs to mimic an Avian. The skill was incredibly difficult to master, but Red was always particularly skilled at it. 

He ducked low to the ground, wings high above his head, and took off with a jump. Large wings, almost twice the length his arms normally were, beat a quick rhythm to get him off the ground. Once in the air, Red a few flips before tucking his wings in and diving towards the ground. Purple flinched as they thought Red was going to crash, but at the last second, his wings shot out again and he landed without a problem. 

“Wow, great job, Red! I haven’t met many Shifts who can do that, you’re a natural,” Indigo praised as he walked back.

“Thank you, Miss!” He gave Indigo a genuine smile before turning to Acer and his friends, who were slack-jawed and in some sort of shock, and gave him a smug grin and a flick of his head, just as Acer had done before. 

And in that moment, a great injustice had been corrected, and Purple doesn’t remember a time where they’d felt more proud of their friend. 

Chapter Text

Blue was jumping with excitement next to Second. The Water Walker was explaining the nuances of her potion work and what experiments she was currently working on. Hands were flying everywhere and her large, eel-like tail was waving as she explained, eyes were almost glowing with excitement. 

Second had already started working on Blue’s magic with her a bit, and she has such an affinity towards it that Second is surprised she hasn’t been whisked away to a magic-specific school yet. 

“I never actually knew that potions were a different form of magic! Alchemy is so neat, it’s science and magic all in one!” Blue continued her ramble as she looked back at Second. “As much as I like magic, I think potions are my calling. They’re much easier than trying to get a spell to work how I want it to.”

“You might just be trying the wrong spells,” Second said, struggling to keep up. They weren’t used to the snake tail of a Naga. They were much slower than legs, but logically, a Naga wouldn’t transform just to walk somewhere, so they just had to deal with it.

“Huh? There aren’t any wrong spells. And I’m pretty sure I’ve been doing them right.” Blue looked at them, confused.

“Oh, no! I mean, in terms of your magic type, Second explained.

Blue didn’t look any less confused, in fact, she looked the opposite. “Magic types?” she questioned.

That sent Second for a bit of a loop. “You… you haven’t learnt about magic types? What are they teaching you in class?”

“Um, mostly the normal stuff? Y’know, like lighting candles, creating light, fireballs, shields. That sort of stuff.”

“Blue… that’s not ‘the normal stuff’. That’s just Fire magic.” Second could barely believe what they were hearing. “Not all witches have the same kind of magic.”

“…huh?”

“They- they didn’t teach you about this?” Second asked, baffled.

“Not really. The teacher is really old school and never answers my questions about stuff.”

“Ok, well, uh,” Second wasn’t sure where to start. “There are Elemental types of magic, right?” Blue nodded. “Well, there are also what we call ‘Being types’; Void, Life, Chaos and Celestial. Every race comes from one source, either Elemental or Being, and every magic user’s ability comes from the second source.

“Because you’re a Water Walker, you’re naturally an Elemental type, which means your magic is one of the Being types. Does that make sense?”

“So witches basically have magic from both types?”

“Yeah, basically!”

“Oh this is so cool!” Blue’s face seemed to be glowing with happiness. “I’m already learning more than with that old coot of a magic teacher.”

Maybe they should talk to Mango about finding another magic teacher…

“So what races have Being types of magic? And is it really different from the Elemental types?” Blue asked, clearly excited. 

“Um, I’m not super sure, but I know that Shifts are Chaos types and Seers are Celestial types. And while the abilities will be really different, Elemental and Being types are fundamentally the same. You can probably find better answers in the library.”

“That’s it, we’re skipping class to go read.” Blue suddenly grabbed Second’s hand and started in another direction.

“Blue-”

“Yes?” She flashed him an almost menacing smile.

“We can’t skip, Blue, Mango would kill me,” they said with a laugh. Blue stopped dragging them, but pouted. “How about we go after school, ok?”

“Fine, but I’m holding you to that!” 

Suddenly, a bell sound rang in the halls - class had started.

“Whoops. We’re late,” Blue said, looking at the bell on the wall.

“Yep.”

She glanced over to them. “... race you to class.” 

Second just stood for a moment, shocked, as Blue ran off.

“NO FAIR!” They shouted, and followed after her as fast as they could.

----------

They finally made it to class, albeit late, but that’s irrelevant. Nothing, not even Blue’s snotty magic teacher, could ruin his good mood. What Second was talking about was more interesting than anything the old teacher rambled about, and it gave him hope. Before, Blue thought he just wasn’t good at magic. Knowing that there were possibilities he just wasn’t trying made him think there was a chance.

“Alright everyone, settle down,” the old Seer spoke from the front of the class. Blue could never remember his name; he always just called the teacher “Mr. Facewipe”, but never to his face. “I’m going to give you all a list of the spells we’re going over today, and I want you all to listen to how to cast them and follow along.”

“See?” Blue whispered to Second. “This is basically all we do. And he always plays favourites. I think he doesn’t like me ‘cause I can never cast the spells he gives us.”

The teacher came by and dropped two sheets for Second and Blue before moving on. The Naga took one and read it over, brows furrowing. 

“Yeah, no, we’re not gonna do this,” they whispered back. “We’re at the back of the class and he’ll be paying attention to others, so we’ll be fine.”

“Fine for what?”

They grinned. “Fine for me to actually teach you magic.”

It took all of Blue’s willpower not to jump up in happiness. FINALLY, his mind screamed. After so long, I'll finally be able to use magic, my magic. 

Once the teacher walked back to the front and turned to the chalkboard, Second pulled out a notebook from his shoulder bag. 

“Ok, so like I mentioned, there are eight elements and two types of magic; four elements in each,” Second started. They drew little symbols in their notebook as they spoke, presumably one for each element, two groups of four. They then circled one, the symbol that was clearly for water. “This is your main element. Under normal circumstances, that would be your only element. You’ll be able to use water magic well with enough training.

“Because you’re a witch, you’re able to draw magic from one of the opposite sources, one of the Being types. The question is, which element is it?”

“How do we find that out?” Blue asked, eager to start using the magic.

“Well, you need to try using it. I think we should focus on Water magic for now, since that will be more natural. If you get used to how using magic feels, it’ll be easier to tap into your other element.”

Oh hell yes, now they were getting somewhere. 

“Ok, but I don’t know any water spells,” Blue realised. Second only grinned, confusing him a bit.

“Don’t worry about that. You may not know any, but I do - or, I can show you some.” and with that, they pulled out a comically large book from their bag. The cover was ornate, with many symbols on it much like the ones Second drew.

“WHE-” Blue clamped his hands over his mouth to stop his shocked yell. To his relief, Mr. Facewipe didn’t notice. 

“Where the fuck did you get that from?” he hissed, much quieter this time.

“Enchanted bag,” they said, holding the opening for Blue to see. There were faint, glowing symbols along the inside, and seemingly no bottom. “I can hold a lot more than it looks like. Really useful for travel.”

That made Blue think of something. “Can I… or, will I be able to enchant things?” he asked timidly. Enchantments were high level spells, and a witch either needed to be gifted at enchanting or very strong to do it. It wasn’t easy making a spell permanent on an object, but it was something Blue always dreamed about. Enchanted objects were a witch’s legacy. There was a famous old witch in Blue’s colony that was incredible at enchanting and Blue always wanted to get to that level.

“It’s hard, but I truly think you could. Your dedication alone is enough to get you there someday,” Second answered honestly.

Well damn, now he might cry. In a good way, of course. 

“Well then, what are we waiting for? Get teaching, teach!”

Second laughed then turned to open the large book. It’s a spell book, Blue realised.

“Alright, here are some simple Water spells we can try. All spells have incantations, and if you weren’t a witch, you would need to use them to even have a chance at casting. But since magic flows more freely through you, once you practise a bit, you’ll be able to do them at will.”

“But I should use them for now?” Blue asked, and Second nodded. 

“Try this one,” they said, pointing to a small paragraph. The top of it read ‘ Palms of Ice’ and underneath were détails about the spell and the words Blue would need to speak to cast it. As he read through the details, he started feeling more and more nervous. Sure, he had cast spells before, but they were never very successful and something about this one felt different. It felt like… like destiny.

(Ok, maybe that’s a corny thought, but it was true!)

Regardless, Blue pushed through his doubt and read the incantation in his mind before speaking the words. 

“ Cikkator du ciel, enruoter à moi”

And he felt the magic move through the air, guided by his words. He heard that magic had a different feeling or manifestation to each user, and to Blue, it felt like completion. Like when he adds something to a dish that he knows will make it perfect, or placing the final puzzle piece. Magic made him feel whole.

Blue could feel it swirling, moving towards his open palm. To his astonishment, he could see it. When it got closer to his hand, it started shimmering into existence, light blue strands forming around his palm. And it was cold .

It all happened so fast, and Blue was shocked; shocked that it had worked , because now his palm was completely covered in a thin layer of ice. He clenched his hand into a fist experimentally, and could find that he could still move it freely. Blue looked up to Second, eyes shining and grinning from ear to ear, happiness radiating from him.

“I did it! I can’t believe I did it!”

“I knew you could,” Second said, proud. They ripped out an empty page from their notebook and brought it above Blue’s hand. “Take this,” they said. 

Blue took the paper between two fingers, and was surprised to see ice move and cover it, spreading from his hand. Second chuckled at Blue’s expression and flicked the paper, shattering it and sending small flecks all over their desks. Blue could do nothing but stare in awe, still in shock over this, over what he did.

“Second…” he whispered. “I did it. And it came easily to me, it felt so… right.”

“That’s what magic is supposed to feel like, Blue,” they responded, pulling him into a side hug. Blue could feel tears forming in his eyes and almost went to rub them away before remembering his icy hand.

“Um, how do I get rid of this?”

Second couldn’t help but laugh, earning a light glare from Blue. 

“It’s simple, you can just will it away,” they explained. Blue tried that, just focusing on wanting it to leave, and to his billionth shock of the day, it did.

“Gods, magic is so cool, ” he said with a smile.

----------

“Where are the others?” Second asked as they walked up to the group. Blue was next to them, having come from the same class. Green and Purple were already at a table, waiting for the others to come to lunch.

“Yellow went off to get some food,” Green said. “And I’m not sure where Red is.”

“Said he had to ‘take care of something’. I’m not sure what though,” Purple cut in, then turned to Second and Blue. “Do you guys mind looking for him? It’s been a while and he isn’t answering my texts.”

“Yeah, where did he go?” Blue asked.

“I last saw him in the hallway when we came in from the courtyard.”

“Alrighty, let’s go Sec! We have a Shift to find.” Blue took Second by the hand and dragged them along out the cafeteria doors. 

“You know where we’re going, right?” Second asked, a bit nervously.

“Of course I do! I like to wander in my free time, so I know the layout like the back of my hand.” Blue replied with a cheerful smile.

Wander..? Second thought, confused. Blue was a bit of an odd stick.

“Ok,” Blue said, clapping his hands together. The hallway they were currently in opened to two more on the left and right, and large doors stood in front of the pair. “The courtyard’s out there, so Red probably went down one of these halls. Wanna split up?”

Seeing no better option, Second agreed and took the right while Blue took the left. They agreed to meet back after five minutes if they didn’t find Red and just head back.

For better or for worse, Second found Red quickly after.

----------

Red isn’t questioning how he got in this situation. He supposed he did provoke Acer in their flight class, but he didn’t know the Blaze’s ego was so fragile that he’d attack Red over it.

He let out a grunt as he was thrown against the wall, head ringing in pain. His vision swam and he couldn’t focus, and when Red couldn’t focus, he couldn’t shift. At least, not without hurting himself. Unfortunately for him, Acer knew this.

“Not so smug now, huh?” the Blaze said as he moved closer to Red. He hit him across the face with a glowing rod, both cutting and burning Red’s cheek. He hissed at the feeling and hand flew up to the growing pain. 

“All bark, no bite,” one of Acer’s friends said from the side. The Wither Skeleton. “You like to show off, but can you actually do anything, or is being flashy just compensation for being useless?” he taunted. The other Mobs around him laughed as he threw a punch straight into Red’s stomach. Gods, he felt like he was gonna throw up. Out of all of them, the Wither Skeleton - gods, what was his name? - packed the worst punch.

“Easy, Wilt. We don’t want to go too far right away. Let’s savour this a bit, right?” Acer stepped in front of the Wither Skeleton. I guess his name is Wilt, then.

“After all,” Acer continued, “where’s the fun in just a few hits?” he stabbed a rod into Red’s shoulder, digging into it as he cried out. “You need to learn.” Another rod sliced from his opposite shoulder to his chest. Red slumped forward, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of seeing him hurt, but a Zombie painfully grabbed him and pulled him up. 

“And learning,” Acer punctuated each word with a hit, first to his gut, “takes,” a hit across the face, just under his eye “ time. ” He hit Red sharply under the jaw, the uppercut flinging his head up, violently. Red could taste blood and a blooming pain on his cheek - he must’ve bit it. When the pain swelled down a bit, he turned back to meet Acer’s gaze straight on. Red filled his eyes with as much anger as he could muster and let out a low growl.

“You’re a coward,” he spat at the Blaze. “A coward who can’t fight me like a real Mob. Instead you hide behind your goons who have to hold me back.” A stunned pause. 

“Fuck. You.” 

That earned him another stomach hit by Wilt. Red grunted in pain and spat blood on the floor, right in front of Acer, even more livid now. 

“Let me go, you FUCKING COWARD,” he yelled, kicking against the Zombie. “Fight me for real and I’ll BEAT YOUR ASS. YOU KNOW I WILL.”

“Take care of him. I’m done with his blabbing,” Acer said to Wilt as he walked away, and the Wither Skeleton nodded. 

“HA! Babbling? I’m only telling the truth and you know it. You won’t fight me because you’re too FUCKING SCARED T-”

Thwack.

Red felt his body fall to the floor with the force of the hit, the Zombie no longer holding him. Wilt had raised the hilt of his stone sword and hit it on the side of Red’s head, causing his vision to go black for a few moments. Seeing that he was still awake, Wilt lifted his sword to hit him again when a voice was heard from across the hall.

“What do you think you’re doing.”

----------

Boy, was he glad he chose a Naga disguise, because Second couldn’t stop the flares of magic that reacted to his anger. The air cracked with energy as the group of Mobs turned to him. Red also looked up, but he looked close to passing out, bruises were forming under his eye. 

Second thinks back to their conversation in the dorms and mentally kicks himself for not picking up on the clues. It was clear Red was lying when he said the Mobs weren’t involved with the forest, but he didn’t press. 

But now? There was no way they were getting away with this.

“Acer, that’s a fucking Naga,” a Zombie whispered - rather loudly - to the Blaze, who swatted at him with a glowing rod. 

“I can see that, dumbass!” 

“Well?” Second asked, voice low and angry. He started moving slowly towards the group. Red pushed himself up and it looked like he was trying to say something, but the Wither Skeleton pressed a foot into his back, kicking him back to the floor. Electricity cracked in the air, causing the lights to flicker. 

“Get. Off of him,” Second hissed, advancing on the Wither Skeleton.

“Now now,” the Blaze, Acer, interjected. “This isn’t any of your business, Naga. This stick needs to learn a lesson, and we’re simply teaching him.”

“ None of my business? Oh, you’re wrong. It became my business when you hurt my friend. ” 

“Shit, Acer, what’re we gonna do? Can we take him on?” the Wither Skeleton said, almost mockingly. No, actually, it was definitely meant to be mocking.

“Hmm, not sure, Wilt,” Acer responded before turning to Second. “I’ll tell you what, Naga. Since you’re new here, we’ll give you a second chance. Get out of here and keep your nose out of our business, or get your ass kicked like this loser.” He kicked Red’s side for good measure, sparking anger in Second again.

Kill them kill them kill them kill them kill them kill them kill them kill them kill them-

No . Not now.

“Red was right, you guys are cowards. Can’t even face me in a real fight,” Second taunted as he raised his hands. They weren’t in fists, though. Instead, his palms were open and facing the Mobs, energy gathering between his fingers.

“Wrong choice, bud,” the Blaze growled. His eyes flared and his body glowed with charged fire. The Wither Skeleton stayed standing above Red, but the Zombie and Creeper started advancing.

“Sec, don’t,” Red rasped from the floor, so quiet that Second almost didn’t hear him. His eyes locked with Red’s, who looked at him, almost imploring him not to do this. The contact broke when Red winced in pain and Acer laughed. 

“Quiet,” Wilt pushed the hilt of his sword into Red’s neck and put his weight on it. “Nothing gonna happen that he doesn’t deserve.”

I don’t get why he didn’t just tell me, Second thought.

“Enough of this,” Acer interrupted his thoughts and launched himself with a cry. Second easily dodged the Blaze and caught the rod that was moving to hit him. He swung the Blaze as hard as he could across the hall and he hit the opposite wall and looked up with fury. 

“Why are you just standing there?!” Acer yelled to the other Mobs who flinched at his voice. “Get him!”

The Creeper moved towards Second, trying to kick his legs out while the Zombie jumped on his back from behind. Sharp nails dug into his back and Second hissed before grabbing the Zombie’s shirt and flinging him over his shoulder onto the Creeper. He covered his hand with a layer of magic and caught the sword that Wilt had aimed at his head. He threw it across the hall and it clattered in front of Acer before dodging a hit from Wilt. He was fast, but predictable. The quick hits were easily blocked, but with all his focus on the Wither Skeleton, Second failed to notice the fireball Acer had launched his way.

He stumbled forwards with a grunt, and Wilt sent a fist directly into his stomach. Second was pushed back and clutched his hand to where he was hit.

Ok, no more messing around.

With his free hand, Second extended it and let the magic dance on his fingertips. Short, small blasts of electricity were sent towards each one of the Mobs, pushing them back at the same time that Second moved forwards, towards Red. Once he was standing over the Shift, making sure the others couldn’t reach him, he extended both hands and let out a pulse of energy that acted like a physical barrier, pushing the Mobs against the opposite wall. Satisfied that they were stuck, Second moved towards them and leaned in close to the Blaze.

“ Leave.” He used his intimidating Naga appearance to it’s full advantage, eyes glowing in anger. He moved back to Red and the magic let them go. They quickly ran off, sadly before they could notice Second’s less than polite hand gesture. He leaned down to Red who looked like he was fighting to stay awake.

“Are you ok?” Red asked, voice rough. Second let out a humourless chuckle.

“I think I should be asking you that, right now,” he responded. “I can’t heal you out in the open, it would be a dead giveaway, but I can teleport us back to the dorms and do it there?”

“C-can you just… spell me awake or something?” Red asked. 

“Huh? What do you mean?” 

“I mean I don’t want to pass out, and I don’t want to be slapped awake. I’ve been hit today a few times more than I would’ve liked,” Red said, almost jokingly. It seemed like being beat up removed his sense of what was appropriate for the situation, given how many times he made light of his injuries.

“Oh! Um, yeah, I can do that.” Second placed one hand on Red’s chest, over his heart and the other gently touched his forehead, between the eyes. He muttered a spell and his hands warmed. Once he was done, Red looked much more alert, and even more so when they both heard a shout from across the hall.

“RED?! What the hell happened to you?!” Blue ran towards them, dropping to his knees. “Oh crap, that doesn’t look good.”

“Are you sure, Blue? I thought I was ready for a photo shoot.”

Blue just looked at Red, slightly horrified by his nonchalance.

“I would hit you on the arm right now if you weren’t already so beat up, y’know.”

“No you wouldn’t, you love me too much,” Red said, flashing him a grin. Second couldn’t help but laugh at the banter. 

“Just… hold on,” Blue said, rummaging in his shoulder bag. “I have a healing potion in here somewhere.”

“I thought we weren’t allowed to carry them around school?” Second questioned. Blue just sent him a mischievous grin.

“We aren’t, but I like to carry a healing potion just in case. As you can see, with this stupid group, we often need them.”

Blue finally found the potion and opened the vial for Red to drink. He took in gratefully and once all the liquid was gone, a light pink glow covered his injuries and bruises and they all faded away once the glow left. Red got up with a groan, but looked much better now.

“Alright, I, for one, don’t want to stay here for a minute longer than I need to. Let’s go meet up with the others.”

----------

Upon Red’s request, Second and Blue didn’t say anything about what happened when they returned with the others, and lunch went on as normal. However, that didn’t stop them both from looking back at Red several times, as if to make sure he was still there. And he appreciates that they care, he really does, but there is a point where he wanted to flick them and say he was fine.

But deep down, was he fine? Their next class was training, meaning he’d have to face those Mobs again and he really wasn’t looking forward to that. Whenever his friends asked, he tried to play it off, but in reality, the bullying hit much deeper. It was relentless , and Red knew why they did it. 

Before the two schools were merged, only a few years ago, Red had accidentally gone to the Monster School. And it’s hardly his fault, he’s just bad with directions and the others weren’t there. But that day had been his worst one by far and it didn’t help that he was the only stick there. All the other Mobs ganged up on him, sabotaging his work and making fun of him. When he got home and told his mother, she just said it was because they were jealous of him - because they knew he would beat them and they didn’t want that. But it didn’t do much to comfort him. In the end, he just told his friends he was sick that day and tried to push it out of his mind. When the merge happened, it only brought a feeling of dread.

And now, here he was, freshly healed by Blue and saved by Second. As always, he tried to play it off, tried to make it seem light, like it didn’t affect him, but deep down he couldn’t stop thinking. 

What would they have done to me if Second didn’t arrive?

Red does his best to shake the thought away for now. He’s gonna need all his focus to get through the next class, but at least he’ll be with his friends this time. 

“So remember Palms of Ice ?” Red heard Second talking from behind him. A glance back showed he was talking to Blue, holding a notebook out for her to see. He couldn’t help the small spark of envy that ran through him. 

“We can take that concept and apply it in different ways, like shooting ice or making thicker ice in your hands. You just need to change the incantation a little bit. Here’s a list of some you can use in combat, you should practise during training.”

“Will it hurt if I use it on others?” Blue asked, a bit nervous.

“I mean, probably,” Second said. “But you can practise with me, or use one of the dummies.” 

“Guys, hurry up or we’re gonna be late,” Green called from the front. The two sticks looked up and rushed forward, joining the group again. 

Back here again, Red thought as they walked up to the training arena. But at least it isn’t in the courtyard again. If I had a third class there, I think I might scream. His geology class was normally inside, but today they went out to the courtyard to demonstrate some explosive minerals. And while he wasn't upset he had to watch sodium explode, he was also really tired from flight class all morning with Purple and just wanted to sit inside. It was just painfully on par with everything else that day going exactly how he didn’t want it to. 

As they all got closer to the other groups, especially the Mobs, Red instinctively shifted parts of himself into a cat’s - mainly the eyes and ears to stay alert. As an added bonus, Creepers tended to avoid him when he was partially shifted like this. 

The training class was typically pretty casual - they would choose partners to fight against, and later be switched around. Mango would give them areas to go over and their partner would also give tips. Red always enjoyed the rush that came with it and the feeling of improvement. 

Second walked up to Mango, who was at the front and asked him something Red couldn’t hear. They walked back to Blue, happy, and brought out the notebook for her to look at the spells.

Oh, Red thought. I guess I’ll ask if they want to train with me later.

“Hey.” A voice said behind him. Red turned around and he swore, his soul left his body. Standing ominously behind him was an Enderman - Endis, Red remembers. 

“Y-yeah?” 

“Train with me.” Not a question.

“Um, why? I was just gonna go with-”

“Your friends?” Endis interrupted. “They all have partners already.”

Red whipped his head around and saw that, indeed, all his friends were either with another stick or with a training dummy. Dammit.

“Why me though?” Red asked.

“My friends do not like training with me,” Endis explained. “Something about being able to kick their heads too well.”

“Ah, I-I see,” Red stuttered, a bit nervous. Endis certainly wasn’t the worst one out of his group of Mobs, but he was scary and wasn’t very nice either. “Well, uh, sure then.”

Not the worst situation I could be in.

As they walked over to a free space, Red noticed the look Purple sent him. He just looked back, hopefully conveying I know what I’m doing. I’ll be alright. It seemed to do the trick, as they turned back to Green and continued their own training. 

“Any rules, like banned moves or anything?” Red asked as he put his hair up. His dark red curls were short except for one patch that he grew out and kept in a long, thin braid. He didn’t mind it most of the time, but because it trailed down to his hips, it was better to tie it up while training. He learned that the hard way.

“No. Call out ‘stop’ if you are badly hurt.” Endis was not a Mob of many words, Red noted.

“Alrighty then,” he muttered. Endis walked over to the other side to face Red and put his fists up. Endermen had larger hands and feet than sticks, so if Endis got a good hit in, it would certainly hurt. I just need to be faster, then. Red finished putting on the fighting gloves and made sure to shift and give himself some whiskers. They would help if Endis teleported.

Without warning, the Endermen lunged towards Red, long legs letting him reach the stick in just a few moments. Shots flew over his head as Red ducked and wrapped his arms around Endis’s waist, pushing him down. He teleported mid tackle, causing Red to slam down on the pavement, cutting his palms and knees. He felt a woosh over him, and pain shot through him as Endis kicked down on his back. Red’s face was pushed to the pavement and he briefly met Endis’s eyes before shifting into a snake and winding up his leg. Shocked, Endis tried to shake him off, but Red simply moved along the Enderman’s body, moving up to his face. Endis managed to grab Red, holding the snake in his large hand, but Red felt a wave of laser focus and a plan came to mind.

If Endis thought a small snake was scary, he was sure in for a treat. His body started growing and his upper half shifted back into a stick so he resembled a Naga. Red’s tail shot around Endis’s legs, tripping him, before wrapping around him like a python. He didn’t try to suffocate the Enderman, but he pulled Endis to the same level and hit directly across his face. Clearly having enough, Endis teleported out of Red’s hold and moved to kick his head, but Red was able to dodge by shifting back into a stick and dropping to the ground. His legs shifted into a gorilla’s for support at the same time he grabbed Endis’s leg and spun him around, launching him to the other side of the area. 

Red quickly ran over before Endis could fully recover and threw hit after his to the arm’s blocking his face. Endis kicked Red’s legs out and managed to fully stand up while Red fell with an oof. Red felt himself be grabbed by his shirt and hit across the face, so he quickly shifted into a snake and back to escape the hold. From there, the two fighters went back and forth with close quarters fighting for a while. Red consistently dodged Endis’s kicked that probably would’ve knocked him out, but at the same time, couldn’t get any good hits in. They were stuck in a spell of dodging each other and hitting nothing until Red backed up and jumped towards Endis’s head, spinning his leg around with as much force as he could muster. The kick struck directly on the side of Endis’s head, making him stumble back a bit. 

Just as Endis got up to fight back, they were both interrupted by Mango calling them. 

“Red! I need you over here, please.”

The Shift looked back, confused. Mango didn’t normally pull them out of fights, he just let them run. He glanced back to Endis, who was equally confused, and just shrugged. 

“Pick this up later, then?” He asked. 

“Yes.” 

Not a Mob of many words, Red thought again. He held a hand out and Endis took it in a firm handshake before walking back to Acer and his group, who were sending Red dirty looks. 

Endis might not be the worst, but his friends certainly are. 

He turned around and used his teeth to pull at his glove strings as he walked towards Mango. The Lava Walker motioned for Red to follow as he walked along the edge of the training arena. Red knew this area well - it was mostly open, like the courtyard, but the middle dipped in, creating a fight pit of sorts. The walls were lined with supplies, tools and training dummies. Around the edge of the dip, there was a wide space where the training dummies could be put. 

“What did you need me for, sir?” Red asked as they walked.

Mango chuckled. “You know you don’t need to call me that, Red.” He looked at Red, almost fondly, and paused before continuing. “ I just wanted to check in with you. You seemed more… emotionally charged when fighting today.”

Sometimes it surprised Red how perceptive Mango was with his students. But like Purple said sometimes, he was a father, after all. 

“I’m alright,” Red said, only partially lying. “Just tired, I suppose. I let things get to me when I am.”

Mango didn’t seem to believe that, but maybe he knew better than to push more. Red wasn’t sure if he would be able to take that. He just nodded and put a hand on Red’s shoulder, not walking anymore.

“Red,” he started, meeting Red’s eyes. “You know you’re not alone, right? You have your friends, who I know care very much about you, and you have me as well. If anything is bothering you, you can come to me.” He spoke gently, almost as if he was scared Red would run away.

“Y-yes, Sir. Um, Mango,” Red said, voice slightly uneven. If he’s being honest, Red knew this was true - his friends were infinitely supportive and kind to him, but somehow, hearing the words felt different. It was… nice to hear them, especially from someone like Mango, whom he looked up to. 

Mango smiled at his response and gently patted his shoulder before turning. 

“Good. I’ll let you get back then, class won’t be over for a while still.”

The two walked back in a comfortable silence. Even though he didn’t actually tell Mango what was happening, he still felt better about it after their talk. In a way, he just needed that reminder. 

Once they were closer to the others, Green came up to him, looking worried. While Mango walked away, Red quickly glanced at the others. Purple was talking to Yellow, and Blue and Second were still working on spells.

“Red, you ok?” Green asked once he reached him. “What did Mango want?”

“I’m fine, Green, just tired, and Mango just wanted to check in with me.” This didn’t seem to convince Green; his frown just deepened. 

“Tired because you’ve been up late the last three nights?” he asked, voice slightly accusatory. 

What? Oh… oh wait. That sent Red for a bit of a loop. True he had been going out late to train, but the way Green was looking at him, Red realised he knew about… that night.

“Ah, you- you knew about that?” Red asked, nervous. 

“Heard you come back in. where were you?”

“I was just on a walk. Felt overwhelmed and had to cool down a bit,” he said. Gods, how many more times would he have to lie about this? Was it even worth it anymore?

Green seemed to accept this answer as his face softened. He nodded and seemed to think for a minute.

“Need to take your mind off stuff?” Green asked, smiling now.

“Um, sure. What are you thinking?”

“Help me train?” he asked. “I’m still having trouble with the forms. Not used to using legs for this, and all that. Plus, I normally just tell people to go away and it works.” 

That got a laugh out of Red. “Green, you can’t use your charm to get out of fights!”

“Why not? It works!” Green said, laughing too. 

Red scoffed. “Sure, but yes, I’ll help you. Even if your charm works, you should know how to fight just in case. Plus, I know what it’s like having to fight in new forms.”

“Exactly why I asked you ,” Green said, bumping Red’s arm with his fist in a friendly gesture. They started walking towards the training dummies and Red felt his tension melt a bit.

My friends are here, he reminded himself. And soon, I’ll tell them. Better than just keeping it to myself. 

I need to trust them.

Chapter Text

At some ungodly hour in the morning, Green woke up to the sounds of doors opening and light entering the room. He, Red and Blue had swimming as their first yesterday, and it was extremely tiring. He didn’t want to wake up, but a clang followed by a thump jolted him awake.

Blinking through the water’s haze, he did a quick head count to see who it was and quickly noticed Purple was missing. That caused a spike of worry to run though Green, and he quickly got up to check what was happening. His tail warped into human legs as he landed on the ground, searching for his winged friend. A sudden noise from the bathroom caught his attention. 

He rushed over to the closed door and gently knocked, not wanting to wake the others up. “Purps, are you in there?” he asked. The only answer he got were the sounds of retching and harsh coughing. 

“Purple?!” Green cried, distressed. He tried the doorknob, only to find out it was locked. He knocked again, but harder this time. The others started stirring in their beds.

“Green, what’s wrong?” a sleepy Blue asked. He whirled around to the witch and grabbed his hand, pulling Blue out of bed. “What the-”

“Open it.” Green demanded. “Purple’s in there and they don’t sound ok. Use your magic.” In all honesty, it might just be Green’s overthinking. He really hopes it’s just that. 

“O-oh, um, ok,” Blue seemed hesitant and Green wanted to scream. Their friend was in there! This was no time to hesitate.

Blue placed his hands around the doorknob and muttered a quick spell. A thin layer of ice spread from his palms to the metal, completely covering it. Satisfied, Blue took his hands off and raised a fist to snap the frozen metal. It took a few hits, but the doorknob broke off with a snap and clanged to the floor. Green wasted no time and pushed the door open.

He… wasn’t sure what he was looking at. Purple was crouched on the floor, clutching the toilet. Their face was pale and sunken and their hair was in a tangled bun. But most shocking were their natural wings - the normally clean, creamy yellow feathers were messed up and bloody. Feathers of varying sizes lay on the floor around the Avian, covered in small pools of dark blood. Blue looked in and let out a gasp.

“Purple?! What happened?” Green cried, dropping to the floor next to them. He put his hands on their shaking shoulders and they shook their head.

“N-no, don’t-” Purple clutched their mouth and turned back to the toilet, only dry heaving into it.

“... don’t look,” they said once they were done, their voice barely a whisper.

“What do you mean, ‘don’t look’? What’s wrong, Purple?”

“Happens every year,” they said weakly. “It’s the anniversary of the Avians getting cursed. Like a double curse.”

Seeing that Purple no longer looked like they were going to vomit, Green gently pushed them back to lean on the wall.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Blue asked quietly from behind them. Green could hear the others start to wake up. 

“Didn’t want to worry you guys,” Purple said simply.

“What’s going on?” Red called from outside the room. Blue rushed out to answer, giving Green and Purple space.

Green turned back to his sick friend, worried.

“What do you need, Purps?” he asked gently. They looked up, eyes slightly unfocused.

“Just… just a healing potion would be nice,” they said. “And could you get Mango? I should probably explain this to him too.”

“Alright.” Green stood up and held his hands out for Purple. “For now, let's get you out of here.” 

Realising they wouldn’t be able to stand without support, Green crouched back down and hooked one arm around their waist while using the other to hold Purple’s arm over his shoulders. He stood, steadying the taller stick and together they walked out of the bathroom and back to Purple’s bed. All the others were now awake and looked worried as the Avian lay down. 

“Blue, can you go get a healing potion for them and get Mango down here?” Green asked as he turned to the Water Walker who nodded. 

“I’ll go get Mango while Blue gets the healing potion,” Second volunteered. “Purple needs the potion soon, and I know the way to Mango’s rooms.”

“Alright, let's go,” Blue said, taking Second’s hand as they left the room.

Yellow and Red wandered into the kitchen to make some food and tea while they waited for the others to get back. Green just sat down next to Purple and pulled a blanket onto them. The panic was starting to die down, but he was still on edge. As he looked down at his friend who seemed close to sleep, his eyes drifted to their hair. It was long and straight, normally done into a loose braid that went over their left shoulder, but now it was in a tangled, hasty bun.

“Hey Purps?” he asked quietly. His answer was a sleepy “hm?”.

“Can I brush your hair?”

“Yeah, sure,” they said. Their voice sounded scratchy. Green reached over to one of the shelves that lined the walls around the beds and picked up Purple’s brush. They sat up a bit more so Green had better access. He carefully pulled it out of the hasty bun Purple had it in, but their hair was catching on the hair tie. After a few moments, he got it out and brought the brush to their long hair.

“Just tell me if I pull it too hard, ok?”

“I trust you.”

----------

Well… he was alone with Red in the kitchen. Could he ask now? 

Yellow knew that whatever-the-fuck in the morning and after waking up to see their friend in pain was not the best time to discuss something like this, but when else would he get the chance? Red clearly knew what Second was hiding, and it’s not like Yellow could ask what it was in front of the Naga in question.

Taking a breath, Yellow prepared himself to ask the question. Why was this so hard?

“Red, I need to talk to you about something,” he started. Red looked up from pouring cups of tea and coffee.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“I-”

A loud burst interrupted the conversation. 

“I’m back! Here’s the potion,” Blue said from the living room. That was fast. Red and Yellow rushed out of the kitchen to the beds where Green was giving Purple the healing potion. As soon as they drank it, their face regained colour and they didn’t look as ill. 

“Thanks Blue, that’s much better,” Purple said. Their voice sounded better too, not as raspy and weak as it was before.

The Water Walker simply gave a thumbs up and drowned the glass of water Red gave him. After catching his breath, Blue asked, “Is Second back with Mango yet?”

Red shook his head. “He might take a while, considering he has to wake Mango up and everything.”

“Actually, I need to talk to you guys about Second,” Yellow suddenly blurted. The others looked at him a bit surprised and in all honesty, he was surprised too. Yellow wasn’t expecting to just spill it like that.

His friends were looking at him expectantly, so he took a breath and hoped they wouldn’t think he was insane. 

“There’s something off about him,” he started, a bit hesitant. “Like… it feels like he’s hiding something, something big, I know it.”

“What makes you say that, Yells?” Blue asked. 

Yellow quickly glanced at Red, who seemed a bit uncomfortable. Interesting.

“Well, partially he seems pretty jumpy a lot, or like he doesn’t know what to do around others. But I can also see it. He’s almost always on edge and wary, his emotions show that, and he’s strangely good at shielding his thoughts.”

“Yells, we agreed you wouldn’t use your telepathy to read thoughts,” Green said, glaring. 

“I’m not!” Yellow insisted. “I’m not trying to read it exactly, just get a sense of it, an idea. And maybe it’s because he’s a Naga, but it's like a stone wall. The few times I’ve managed to get anything , it’s just a jumbled mess, like static interference.”

“Still, Yellow, you shouldn’t be messing around in people’s heads!” Green stood up, agitated. 

“Oh, because your mind control is any less invasive,” Yellow bit back, sarcastically.

The Siren moved towards Yellow with a growl, sclera turning black and eyes glowing. He jabbed a finger into Yellow’s chest. “My charm is not mind control ,” he said, voice low. “And I don’t use it on my friends.” 

“Guys, stop,” Purple said from the bed, sitting up. “We can talk about the morals of your abilities later. For now, Yellow was making a point, even if the means were questionable.”

Green backed away and his eyes returned to normal, though the glare didn’t cease. “Fine,” he bit out.

“ Thank you,” Purple said with a slight eye roll. “Now Yellow, what were you saying?”

“Right, um,” Yellow thought for a moment. “I think I said all I wanted to - Second’s acting weird and I’m pretty sure he’s hiding something.”

“And what would that something be?”

An idea suddenly came to Yellow. “I don’t know what it is,” he said, casually, before turning to face Red, who jumped. “But you know, don’t you, Red?”

There was a moment, such a brief one that Yellow almost didn’t notice, where Red hesitated, where he looked like a deer caught in the headlights. But that moment was quickly gone, replaced by a mask of confusion.

“I don’t know what you mean, Yellow. I’ve only talked to him in private, like, once or twice.”

“And what did he tell you during those times?” 

“Um,” Red paused, thinking. “Well, once we were talking about our favourite foods, and the other time he told me he liked to draw and-”

“WAIT,” Blue suddenly shouted. “His sketchbook!”

“What are you talking about, Blue?” Purple asked.

“I saw something in his sketchbook a while ago, some notes. It was really strange.”

“And what did it say?” Yellow asked, curious.

“Well, I don’t remember the exact words, but it seemed like he was making connections to something. He noted our races and talked about a prophecy, I think.”

Well. That certainly wasn’t what Yellow was expecting. Everyone was still for a moment, letting Blue’s words sink in before Yellow moved towards Second’s bed. 

“Yellow, don’t you DARE-” Green started moving after him.

The book was just sitting on his bed, out in the open, so Yellow quickly grabbed it before Green could stop him. He flipped through the most recent pages, past sketches of animals and sticks, and came across a page that was entirely words. He was so focused on the reading that he didn’t notice Blue was holding Green back, or the hushed whispers between the two aquatic sticks.

What…? What is this…

He slowly lowered the book and looked back to his friends. Purple, who was confused, Green, who was angry, Blue, who seemed apologetic and Red, who seemed… guilty.

Yellow dropped the book back on the bed, hardly aware of his movements, before advancing towards Red. The Shift took a step back, but Yellow grabbed his hand and pulled their faces close. He could see the light from his glowing eyes and Orb reflected on Red’s face.

“What happened in the forest?” he asked, voice low and threatening. “And don't try to lie this time, I can sense when you do.”

Green must’ve caved to his curiosity because he also walked over to read the book. He paused, before slowly looking up. “...Red?” he said, quietly. 

The stick in question was still pinned under Yellow’s glare. His eyes darted from Yellow to Green to Blue to looking at no one. He then took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“I’ve met him before,” he admitted. “On friday, I think, in the forest I assume he wrote about. I was trapped and attacked by… something . He saved me.”

“What?” Yellow said, shocked.

“Is that when you came back early in the morning?” Green asked.

“Yeah,” Red said. “I left again after a bit, though.”

“But what attacked you? And what does that have to do with this prophecy, or vision, or whatever it is,” Yellow asked.

“Look, Yellow, I hardly know what that thing was. All I know is that I wouldn’t want to come across one again. And I don’t know what the prophecy is, or the vision.”

“But what do you know?”

A pause. “... I can’t tell you.”

“ What ?” Yellow asked, slightly mad. “Why not?”

“Because this is so much bigger than us, Yellow!” Red almost shouted. “This whole situation with those monsters? It goes beyond why Second is here, beyond us, beyond this freaking Academy! And it’s too important, too risky, for me to say. It’s not my place.” 

“But I don’t get it! Why-”

The sudden bang of the door slamming open made them all jump. 

“Purple?!” Mango cried, rushing into the room, next to the Avian’s bed.

“I got him,” said Second, who came in after, clearly out of breath. He seemed to stiffen at the clear tension in the air as Yellow and Red broke apart. “...Did I miss something?”

“No, nothing,” Yellow said, shooting Red a glare. The Shift only returned a glare in kind. Both looks seemed to convey the same message: you won’t get away with this.

Chapter Text

Fate was a lonely thing. You are a slave to your knowledge.  You could not have worldly attachments. You could not have friends. 

Skim did not follow that last rule. Deep down, he thinks he’s only made it this far because of his friends. But that does not mean it’s easy. Quite the opposite, in fact. 

He wishes he had another duty. 

…

Actually, he wishes he had DJ’s duty. The other two weren’t much easier than fate. Being a god of all creation and magic? The other two could keep that job. Alan was doing well with it, and he was doing twice as much as he should be.

DJ was the watcher of the afterlife. There were three realms he watched over called the Death Lands. The Shadowlites were chaotic, evil spirits, and were really the only challenge. The other two types of residents, Whispers and Crestfallen, were well behaved and basically governed themselves. 

A much easier job than fate. 

With fate, he knows everything against his will. Many pray to him, asking him to change their paths but there is very little he can actually do. If Skim changes one small thing, it can change something else. The dominos that build up life are too fragile and there is too much risk that moving one will unravel everything around it. He is doing his best, he truly is, but he has much less control than most think.

Sometimes, he wants nothing more than to take that risk. To destroy the beautiful tapestry he is weaving with strings of fate simply to save someone the pain. That is why he isn’t supposed to have friends. They cloud his judgement, make him do foolish things. Or rather, they would. Skim knows the importance of his job and that he can’t, no matter how much he wants to, change things. 

But that doesn’t stop him from wishing. From hoping that against all odds, they will pull through. He knows that after all the pain and struggle, there is glory waiting for them. 

There is happiness.

There is peace.

There is love.

They just need to hold on. 

Skim tries to tell them to hold on, even when he wants to tell them to leave. That is why he isn’t supposed to have personal connections to others. 

But that doesn’t stop him. 

The worst case of this was with Alan’s children. Two powerful gods who created four equally powerful children. And fate had a lot planned for them all. 

Sometimes, he visited them. They always enjoyed his visits and it warmed Skim’s heart. But he couldn’t stop the images in his head that showed him their fates. 

As he shared a smile with Victim, he saw them losing control of their mind, ripping themselves apart. 

As he shook Chosen’s hand, he saw a sea of white and pain, and crushing betrayals.

As he ruffled Dark’s hair, he saw him consumed by the uncontrollable rage inside him and the regret and guilt that followed. 

As he embraced Second, he saw the journey and discovery, happiness that would be eclipsed by agony that threatened to tear their soul apart. 

Whenever Skim saw the four of them, he had to hold himself back. He had to stop himself from telling them, shouting, for them to run, run from the fates that awaited them. Run from the pain that they would have to endure. 

He often thinks about the prophecies. There was one, hundreds of years ago, that Alan still thinks about. There was one, hundreds of years before that, that broke Alan and his kids more than anything else. And Skim hated that. He hated how little control he had over the prophecies. He could only send them off, not explain them nor apologise for their consequences. 

Visions were similar in that sense. He could only give them out, and hope that they were understood. He sends out hundreds of visions to Seers all across the world, hinting at hundreds of events happening at once.  Every now and then, the gods get visions. Those ones have much larger consequences. 

Second had one recently. A vision that showed them the sticks they would meet, but not their fates. They met the sticks already, but still didn’t know. The first event of fate was coming up, and Skim could not warn them about the fire and pain and guilt that would soon reach the group. 

And what was all the pain that awaited them for? Why?

So many had asked him this. Skim never had an answer. 

For an all knowing god, Skim often felt like he didn’t actually know anything.

Chapter Text

Last night was a disaster. Yellow knew Red was hiding something, and now he was caught between telling his friends the truth and keeping his promise. Not an ideal situation. Not to mention he had woken up in the middle of the night to see Purple a bloody mess. It was scary to see his normally composed friend like that. They told everyone once Mango came that they normally found an excuse to leave every year when it happened, but they hadn’t realised the day was so soon. But they were ok now; Mango had given them and Green the day off, Purple so they could rest and Green so he could look after them. The rest of his friends had been pulled out of third period for some potions project. 

That left Red all alone in training today.

The day of the races.

Shit.

One of the big events at their school were the races that Herobrine held. It was normally for Mobs, but some sticks participated, including Red. The first time he did it, he had a mixed group. Last time, he joined because Yellow, Green and Blue wanted to, and the race needs groups of four. It was fun last time, but none of his friends were here now, which means he’d be teamed up with other Mobs instead.

“Fate must hate me,” Red muttered as he slowly walked towards the courtyard. There were a few teachers there, including Mango and Herobrine, and a large crowd of students - mostly Mobs, Red noted. As he got closer, a few noticed him.

“Red, what a pleasure to see you,” Acer said, with a false pleasantness in his voice. “I see you don’t have your friends with you, what a shame.” He moved towards Red, faces close and whispered, “ no one to come to your rescue now.”

“You must be pretty glad for that, huh?” Red said, anger sparking. “No one to drag your ass across the floor, right?”

Acer just sneered and walked away, whipping Red with a rope of fire as he did. Despite the stinging, Red let out a victorious smirk.

“Alright everyone, gather around!” Mango called from the front. The already tall stick was standing on a few boxes to get the crowd’s attention.

Gods, please just let me be with another stick - any one, I don’t care. At least not with Acer.

“Given our numbers, we're going to be holding two races: one with Mobs and another with sticks and Morphs. Some will be in groups with other races as groups are made according to power and how similar your abilities are.”

Minecraft entities could be split into a few categories, mainly Mobs, who were the hostile monsters, and Morphs, who were the passive animals. It made sense to separate the two, as Morphs weren’t really fighters, while Mobs, uh… certainly were.

“Herobrine will watch over the Mob’s race, and I will watch over the Morph’s and stick’s,” Mango continued. “As always, there will be four teams of four and the entire team must work together and cross the finish line to win. Teams are chosen randomly and may the best team win!”

“Gonna be us,” Red heard Acer mutter to his friends. They all high fived each other and Red rolled his eyes, wishing his friends were there with him. 

One by one in flashes of bright light, each Mob and stick in the arena was teleported off to the starting point of the races. Red shut his eyes as he too was covered in the light, and was shocked when he opened them.

Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?!

The Mobs. He was in a race with the Mobs. How great. 

As the feeling of doom set in, he pushed through the crowd to the front, where the teacher, Herobrine, was. 

“Um, s’cuse me, sir?” Red said, walking up to him. The entity lay soulless white eyes on him and he felt a chill run down his spine.

“Yes?” 

“I, uh, I think I’m in the wrong race - I’m a stick,” Red said, nervous. Herobrine simply raised an eyebrow, almost unimpressed with Red.

“And? Your race does not matter. Teams and races were chosen by strength and ability.” Herobrine said. “They are not changing, so I suggest you go find your team.”

“I-” realisation set in that he wasn’t going to get what he wanted out of this interaction, so he just accepted his fate. “Yes, sir.”

He sullenly walked back to the group of Mobs, looking to see if there were any other sticks, but no. He was the only one.

I guess the gods really hate me then, huh? I should ask Second what I should do to make his brothers like me more.

Hm. Which one of them controls fate? I would, like, carry their groceries in if it meant my luck stops being so shit.

Ever since the last race, he wore his yellow headband around. He hadn’t been with his friends that time, but he still had fun. And he had been with two Mobs. A Guardian and a Pillager. Their fourth teammate was a Crystalized, a race of sticks that had a certain mineral in large patches on their bodies and the ability to control it. They could be any kind of mineral, rock or gem, and this one was a Lapis Crystalized. Red was still friends with all of them. Hopefully, he can befriend this team as well.

A flash of yellow caught his eye and Red walked over to it to see his teammates. 

Fuck. Where’s that fate god? Screw being nice, I think I wanna beat them up.

Endis. Not the worst, but Red didn’t like him much and knew the feeling was mutual. 

Arachnus. Spider. Like Endis, she wasn’t the worst, but she enjoyed picking on Red a lot. She would often trip him with webs during physical tests. Frankly an asshole.

And Skor. The skeleton. The one who has no self-confidence and takes it out on others, Red specifically. Skor didn’t get along with Acer, but he wasn’t much better. 

They were all talking excitedly among themselves, clearly happy to be on the same team. Skor looked over and saw Red approaching, shock growing on his face when he saw the yellow ribbon in Red’s hair.

“Well guys, there goes our chance of winning,” he said with false enthusiasm in his voice before meeting Red’s eyes. “Why’d you have to be on our team out of all of them? Couldn’t you go ruin someone else’s day?”

Red only glared back at the Skeleton, annoyed already. “Trust me, I wouldn’t choose to be on a team with you, Skor. I like to actually have competent teammates.”

Skor only scoffed and turned away. “Rich coming from you,” he muttered. 

“Settle down everyone and get in your teams,” Herobrine’s magically amplified voice boomed around them all. Red glanced at the other Mobs gathered into their teams - Acer was with the Cave Spider, the Silverfish and the Creeper. Wilt was with the Magma Cube, Zombified Piglin and Wither. At least they weren’t together.

“You all know the drill,” Herobrine instructed. “There will be three scenarios for you to get past. The first team to reach me will win.” 

With that, their teacher flew up, flashes of light creating the obstacles. He pulled dozens of clones of himself out of his body that landed in different outposts along the race and flew a long distance over to a mountain, where he simply sat. 

The Mobs around him all crouched in anticipation as lights above the starting line began flashing. They all knew what was next.

“Don’t fuck this up for us,” Skor muttered to Red as he got ready, bow in hand.

All eyes were up on the screen as it flashed.

Red.

Red.

Green.

The Mobs ran forward as quickly as they could, pushing and fighting their way through the others. Teams broke off and ran to the first obstacle as fast as they could while Red simply stood there, thinking. 

He didn’t want to do this. Not even a little bit. If he went along with it, the others would only humiliate and pick on him. Why should he put up with that?

He watched as Skor got shoved out of the way and someone threw Arachnus to the back of the group. Endis got pushed over and the other two ran up to him as he recovered and continued on, far behind everyone else. Red just crossed his arms and turned around, resolute. If they didn’t want his help, then fine. 

Red heard the clatter of bones and a screech behind him. He looked back to see Skor and Arachnus get jumped by three of Herobrines clones. Endis came to help them but he only got pulled down by the waist, shoved onto the ground with the others. 

Welp, that’s their problem , Red bitterly thought as he crossed his arms. If they were soooo sure they didn’t want him on their team then they’d be fine without him.

But what if it were your friends? His mind asked him. It made him pause. He’s not being any better than the Mobs. He was just being petty. Red felt a flick against his neck as the wind rushed through his hair, moving the yellow ribbon in it. Well, if that’s not a sign, Red doesn’t know what is.

“Fine,” he muttered as he turned around while untying the ribbon. “Fine fine fine,” he muttered as he ran at full speed towards his team. “Fine fine fine fine fine. I guess we’re doing this,” he muttered as he reached them, just as a clone was readying a sword to plunge into Endis’s skull. 

Nope, none of that, Red thought. His ribbon had little beads on the ends, and the weight made it much easier to fling one end towards the sword, wrapping around the blade. He yanked it back, pulling the sword out of the clone’s hands and into his own before plunging it into its head. Thankfully, since the clones were effectively illusions, there was no blood, it only poofed out of existence a moment later. The other two clones launched at him, so Red used the ribbon to grab another sword and used it to pull the clone closer, stabbing this one as well. He then swung around, killing the third and final clone. Red dropped the sword and brought the ribbon back up to his head, tying it in place, then reached his hand down to the Mobs. 

“Tsk. We could’ve handled that,” Skor said, glaring at Red as Endis smacked his hand away. The three got up and continued on, leaving Red confused and frustrated. He quickly shook himself out of it and ran after them.

Don’t let it get to you. Be better than them. Prove them wrong, he thought. 

They got through the stronghold of clones without any problems - that is, until they walked outside of the building. In the sky were about a dozen clones with elytras and bows, waiting for them. 

“Why are you not shooting?” Endis said to Skor as he pushed the skeleton forwards. “Get them down.”

“C’mon, Skor, you got this!” Arachnus cheered.

“Uh, yeah, I got this,” Skor said, quietly. With shaky hands, he took his bow off his back and nocked an arrow, aiming for one of the flying clones. The arrow flew low, easily missing the clone, as did the second and the third arrow Skor shot.

“Dude, what the hell?” Arachnus complained. “Just hit them or else they’re gonna do it instead!”

“I’m trying!” Skor cried, clearly becoming desperate. The clones started readying their own bows, aiming them at the group. Red glanced at their bows, then to Skors.

They’re nocking the arrows on a wire for accuracy. Skor is using his hand and it’s slowing the arrows down and knocking them off course. So if I just…

Red snuck forward, next to Skor and tapped his shoulder to distract him. As Skor glanced back, Red had enough time to see a similar wire on his bow, just pushed up. He pulled it back down and moved Skor’s arrow onto it. The Skeleton looked back with a shrug and aimed back at the clones. Red held his breath as he let the arrow go, cheering when it landed solidly into the clone’s head.

“YEAH, LET’S FUCKING GO, SKOR!” Arachnus shouted from the side. Even Endis clapped his back. Skor looked surprised and proud, quickly shooting more arrows, all of which made it to their targets. They all cheered when the last clone fell. 

“Yes, finally!” Skor cried, high fiving Endis and Arachnus. Red raised a hand, but quickly regretted it when he saw Skor’s face. “Yeah, right, loser. Maybe we’ll celebrate together if you could actually be useful for once.” 

Red just rolled his eyes and gave Skor the finger once his back was turned. 

“If only you knew I was doing more than you are, shitbag,” he muttered before following after his team. 

“Shit…” he heard Endis say from up ahead. Red doesn’t remember Endis ever having more emotion in his voice than with that one word. 

“What is it?” Red asked once he caught up. He looked towards the final obstacle and felt his heart drop to his stomach. “Oh no…”

“Water.”

In front of them, at the bottom of the cliff, was a huge lake with the mountain where Herobrine was waiting at the other side. Each team was already flying across, far in front of them.

“How are we gonna catch up?” Skor cried. “We don’t have a flying Mob and they’re all way ahead!”

Red could feel the pieces falling into place in his mind. Even if he shifted into what he used in flight class, he isn’t strong enough to carry three other Mobs with him. But there was another solution…

The plan solidified in his mind, so he rushed over to Arachnus, who yelped when he grabbed her, and threw her off the edge of the cliff. 

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Skor yelled. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Calm down, she’ll be fine. I just-”

“No, maybe you don’t fucking get it, but we don’t throw each other off cliffs here, dickhead!” Skor and Endis looked visibly upset, and they both started advancing on Red. Endis, who looked angry, shoved Red, causing him to fall over, hitting the deck. Right before he was shoved off the side, Red heard a thwip! and felt a familiar web grab his leg. The other two Mobs looked back in shock and saw Arachnus seemingly floating in mid air. One web was attached to the Ghast above the lake, who was trying to get away, and the other to Red. Red could tell they were connecting the dots of his plan in their heads as they gave him one swift nod and held onto him.

Endis pushed off the edge of the cliff and they all swung through the air on Arachnus’s webs. They flew around to the front of the Ghast, who’s fireballs were deflected by Skor’s arrows. Red launched himself forwards, pushing off Endis, and landed on top of the Ghast. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Endis teleport to Skor and teleport onto the other side of the Ghast so they don’t fall. Red fought through the other teammates who were on the Ghast, pushing them off to the water below, before grabbing the last one and jumping off, towards the next team. When he started falling, he kicked off the Zombie Villager he grabbed to make it all the way. 

In front of him was Wilt and his team. Red felt determination run through him as he grabbed the Wither’s tail. The rest of the team noticed the commotion from behind them, so the Zombified Piglin quickly dropped down to chase Red off, but as soon as the Shift fell, Endis teleported and grabbed him. 

“YES, ENDIS!” Red cheered as the two were grabbed by Arachnus’s webs which were also connected to the Wither. Skor was falling, but was shooting Mobs off the Wither as he did. Endis teleported Red over to the next team before going back for Skor. Webs shot by him as Arachnus pulled herself closer, also grabbing Red. The final team was Acer’s team, and Red was so fucking ready to beat them. 

Fireballs were shot and deflected by Skor as he and Endis teleported over, so Red took the advantage of the opening to jump on top of Acer, kicking off the other Mobs. Acer tried to flip over to get Red off, so he quickly jumped off, towards the shore that was in sight.

“Arachnus!” he shouted. The Spider looked over and quickly understood what he was thinking. She launched two webs, one to Red and the other to the rocky shores, pulling them both in. Endis teleported there, Skor in his arms. He dropped the Skeleton and they both started running up the mountain, Arachnus close behind. Red landed and stumbled on the rocky edge, and heard a familiar thwip. His brain was slow and didn’t process the fact that Arachnus was in front of him when he got hit with a web on the back of his leg until it was too late. 

Cave spider. Shit. 

He only had a moment to brace himself before the web pulled his leg out from under him, causing him to fall forward. 

“Nice try, stick, but you won’t get away,” said a voice behind him. Red pushed himself up to see Acer closing in on him. The rest of the Mobs were also catching up to them. Red could feel the moment his brain switched into autopilot and adrenaline started rushing through him. He pulled out the sword he got from the clone and used it to cut the web on his leg then turned to run. The Zombie Pigman ran up to him and grabbed him by his waist before throwing him back to the ground. Red let out an oof at the impact and immediately rolled over to avoid being hit. He tried crawling out but a Silverfish jumped out of the ground at his face. Red couldn’t do anything but do his best to shield himself from the relentless hits all around his body and wait for it to be over. 

Where are the others? He thought as he was lifted from the ground. He looked up through the haze of pain to see Wilt in front of him, smiling. 

“Y’know, I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” he said as he readied his sword. “There’s no one here to help you this time.” 

Red shut his eyes and braced himself as Wilt drew his sword back. He waited for the pain to come, but only heard a thwap . Confused, Red looked up to see an arrow sticking out of Wilt’s forehead and the next thing he knew, whoever was holding him got thrown back and he was caught by Endis. The Enderman held him in his arms, Red’s legs dangling in the air, and Skor and Arachnus were on either side of them, ready to fight. 

“As always, Wilt, you’re wrong,” Skor said, glaring at the Wither Skeleton. “ We’re here to help him… however reluctantly.” 

Red felt his heart warm at the gesture, though it was short lived. Endis quickly kicked away the Mobs that were closing in on them and teleported away with Red. Red heard a web being launched and saw Arachnus flying up, Skor holding on. 

“Grab on!” he shouted down to Red and Endis, who quickly grabbed Skor’s leg as they flew by. The web was aimed near the top of the mountain so they easily flew up the side. 

“Is that-” Red started as he noticed forms alongside the mountain. 

“Acer.” Skor bit out, glaring at the Blaze up ahead. His team must’ve snuck away to get ahead. 

“Arachnus, aim for the Cave Spider,” Red said, determined. No matter what, he was not  letting those assholes win the race. Arachnus aimed another web towards the Cave Spider, tangling him up. Acer looked down in anger at them and shot multiple fireballs at them as they flew by. Skor anticipated this, and managed to block each one of them with arrows while Arachnus shot webs at the rest of Acer’s team, trapping them all. As they shot by Acer, Skor made sure to give him a head flick, just like he did to so many others. 

And with that, the trophy was theirs. 

----------

“HELL YEAH,” Skor cheered as Endis lifted Red, who was carrying the trophy, on his shoulder. “That’s how we do it!”

Red was revelling in the rush this was giving him, the joy of winning, the annoyed look Acer had that was just so satisfying and the pride he felt for his teammates. He and the rest of team yellow couldn’t stop grinning like idiots, and truthfully, Red didn’t care. Despite everything, they had won and he would even go so far as to say they could be friends now. 

Endis let him down and he handed the trophy to the others so they would get a chance with it. As he looked around from the podium, he saw Herobrine and Mango talking in hushed voices off to the side. Curious, he shifted into a mouse and jumped off the podium, moving towards them. He stilled when he got within earshot and the more he listened to the two teachers talk, the more Red’s shock grew. Before he knew it, he had shifted into a bird and was flying as fast as he could back to his dorm.

----------

“GUYS!” Red shouted and he slammed the dorm door open. His friends were sitting around the table in the living room or on their beds, and they all jumped and turned to Red as he shut the door behind himself, panting.

“Red? What is it?” Green asked from the beds. He was sitting across from Purple, playing cards. 

Red simply held a hand up, motioning for them all to wait as he caught his breath. Then, he straightened himself, expression a mix of worry, shock and excitement and told them the news he just heard.

“We’re going to the Nether.”

Chapter Text

Alan wasn’t lying when he said this would be difficult. Second often felt exhausted after looking for Scribbles at night then flying to their home and back. At least, it started like that. They were simply teleporting now, too tired to make the flight so often. 

But tonight was different. Tonight, they wanted to feel the air rushing around him. So on the way back, they flew.

They were free. 

They had always loved the air rushing through their hair, the endless sky. When they were younger, Chosen and Dark would tell them stories of flying - they were much too young to create their own wings, so they couldn’t fly themselves. Their brothers, however, flew using their powerful fire abilities. Chosen would talk about great chases through the sky and Dark would talk about dark tunnels being lit up with his flames as he flew through. That was the day they knew they wanted to fly. 

Second smiled fondly at the memory and felt a pang of sadness. They missed them. They missed being around their family. Dark’s chaoticness, Chosen’s care and Victim’s concern. None of them were perfect, but they were their brothers and they would love them regardless. It was strange to be away from them. They had been together their entire life, and now they weren’t even in the same home. They missed having a family.

Their thoughts started turning back to the sticks they met as they neared the Academy. While it wasn’t the same, maybe Second wasn’t as far from family as they thought. Their friends were kind and funny and they’ve never felt happier. They were like a new family.

Green is bright and outgoing, unafraid to try new things. He’s been so welcoming to Second and they’ve grown extremely close lately. Red is loud and energetic, a bit like Green, and while they didn’t notice it at first, he’s very perceptive and emotionally in tune with his friends. He’s often the first one to notice if someone isn’t feeling alright. Yellow is more reserved, but moments of fondness shine through, remind Second of Chosen or Victim. The Seer is smart beyond belief and is always willing to help when his friends need it. Blue, though she may appear shy, is bubbly and kind, so excited to learn about anything and everything. Her talent for magic is unmatched, only outshined by her eagerness to improve. Purple is also on the more quiet side of their friend group, but they’re extremely caring and funny once they open up. Though they’re typically soft spoken, they aren’t afraid to speak up and yell at the group if they’re being stupid - which is quite often. 

Second finds themselves warming up to them all more and more by the day. They’re all kind and goofy and unique, and they truly made them feel welcome. They made them feel at home. 

And speaking of their friends - as they got closer to the school, they could see blurs of red movement below, in the training arena. Second turned to fly down there, making sure to stay hidden just in case they were wrong. As they grew closer, however, their guess was confirmed. Red was alone in the dark arena, facing off against a training dummy. He was so focused that Second doubts he was aware of what was going on around him. They slowly approached, not wanting to be attacked by accident, and made sure they were in front of Red. Within six feet of Red, the Shift still didn’t notice them, eyes only on the dummy in front of him. 

“Red?” he called out quietly. That certainly worked as the Shifted suddenly looked up as he jumped back. 

“Holy crap, Sec! You scared me,” he said, a hand moving to his chest. Second couldn’t help but laugh a little, earning him a glare. 

“Sorry, sorry,” they said, hands raised in surrender. “I just saw you from above and wanted to drop in.”

“‘Above’?” Red questioned. 

Second flicked their wings out, showing Red. “I was just flying and saw you.”

“Right, I forgot you could do that,” he said, hand reaching out and hesitating. He seemed to think for a minute before looking back at Second. “Could I… could I touch your wings?” Red asked in a quiet voice. Second could only blink for a moment, processing the question. 

“Yeah, sure,” they finally said, holding a wing out towards Red who stepped forward with a smile. Gentle hands ran along the white and green feathers, sending a shiver down Second’s spine. They’ve had their wings preened by their brothers many times, but somehow this felt… different.

“They’re like an owl’s, interesting,” Red commented when he noticed the downy feathers on the wings. “But that’s smart since I guess you don’t want to be noticed while flying, being a god and all that. I normally default to hawk wings, or a falcon if I’m feeling ambitious. I like the rush it gives me.” 

Second could only mutter a small “yeah,” in response, eyes locked on Red as he felt the soft feathers. Suddenly, his face lit up, and he turned to meet Second’s eyes. 

“Do you want to go flying with me?” he asked. 

Warmth started blooming in their cheeks. “Like, now?”

“Yeah, why not?” Red said with a grin. “I go on night flights every now and then, they’re peaceful.”

“Let’s do it,” Second said, not even thinking about it. All they knew was this was making Red smile so brightly and they wanted him to keep doing that. 

Red’s smile widened as he grabbed Second’s hand and dragged them over to one of the many pillars along the edge of the training arena. He quickly shifted into a monkey - or raccoon, Second can’t quite tell - and climbed to the top, shifting back to normal. 

“You ready?” He called down from the top. 

“Yep,” they replied as they ducked and jumped up, flying to Red’s level. He gave them one final grin before flicking his arms out, shifting them into wings as he did, and jumping off the pillar. He dropped for a moment before his wings caught the air and lifted him. Second went to glide alongside him as he pushed forward, trying to find his rhythm. After a few moments, Red steadied and could start to glide. He looked over to Second and smiled before flipping himself on his back, moving over Second, then turning back onto his front, now on Second’s right side instead of their left. 

“Soo,” Red started. “Are you excited to go to the Nether?”

Second paused for a moment. It’s been two days since Red brought the news to them, and yesterday in geography, Mango made an official announcement - their class would go to the Nether for a geography lesson on the different biomes. They have been there many times before, but each time still felt like the first. 

“I’m nervous,” they admitted. “The Nether makes me feel uneasy. I’m the god of life, after all, and that place can feel so… barren, sometimes.”

Red simply nodded in quiet acknowledgement. A gust of warm air lifted him in the sky, above Second. 

“What about you?” they asked him. Red seemed a bit shocked they did. 

“I’m not sure, really,” he said. “I’ve never been there before, but I know what to expect. Purple talks about it sometimes, since they’ve been there a lot with Mango. But… kinda like what you said, I suppose. The thought of that place makes me feel weird. Nothing is familiar, not the plants, not the creatures, not even the air we’ll be breathing.” Red paused for a moment, and laughed a bit. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to rant. It’s just the overthinking talking.”

Second smiled kindly. “Don’t be sorry, I get it. It’s hard to prepare yourself for something so unpredictable.”

“Yeah…”

They flew in peaceful silence for a while longer, and Second focused back onto the feeling of wind on their face and through their feathers. Their mind thought back to Red’s hands running through their feathers, and the tingly, peaceful feeling it brought them. Warmth started flooding through them again, heating their cheeks.

Cursors…

Second shook their head back and forth, trying to clear it. When they opened their eyes again, they saw something that gave them an idea. They flew up to Red and tapped the tip of his wing with their hand.

“Hm?” Red looked over to them, expression questioning. 

“Look down there,” they said. In front of them was a cliff pointing out of a forest behind it. Logs and stones were scattered across long grass, creating a beautifully peaceful place. Red’s face lit up when he saw it, and he turned that smile back onto Second. “Follow me.”

The two flew down and landed on the soft grass. Although it was fully nighttime now, they could clearly see; the sky was lit up by the moon and hundreds of stars, shining through the darkness. Red lay down on the grass, looking up to the sky, so Second sat down and joined him. They just stayed in silence for a while, admiring the sky and earth around them. 

“Y’know what would make this absolutely perfect?” Red suddenly said in a low voice. 

“What?” 

“Fireflies. Just a lot of them flying around.” Red waved a hand in the air, as if to emphasise his point. “I think that would make this moment perfect. ”

Second grinned. “I think I could help with that, actually.” They reached into their short cloak, which had many pockets on the inside. One of those pockets was made specially for - aha.

Red rolled over to Second, looking surprised. 

“What do you mean ‘you can help with that’?” he asked. 

“ This, ” Second said as they pulled a pencil out of their cloak, victorious. The pencil was translucent, various shades of deep green, with bright green highlights throughout it. The Emerald Pencil, as it was otherwise known as - Second’s artifact. The artifacts were objects the gods had enchanted to channel a part of their power through them. Second and each of their brothers had a major artifact and other minor artifacts as well. 

They held it in their left hand and drew little dots in the air. After a moment, the dots would expand and move, becoming small, white fireflies with a dim orange or green glow. They flew around the sky and some surrounded Red, who laughed with joy. 

“They’re amazing,” he gushed as he held a hand out for some fireflies to land on. Second felt the warmth return. “How did you make them?” Red asked. 

Second shook their head again, trying to clear their thoughts before holding up the pencil. “This is my artifact,” they explained. “It channels my powers and since I’m the god of life, the things I draw also come to life.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of those!” Red exclaimed. 

“You have? I wasn’t sure if you would’ve been taught about that stuff. It isn’t super common knowledge.”

“It isn’t, but I take history - and I enjoy it,” Red said, half-jokingly. “My memory is normally shit, but I remember yours is called the ‘Emerald Pencil’, Victim’s is the ‘Diamond Lasso’, Dark’s is the something-Blade, and I can never remember what Chosen’s is.”

Second couldn’t help but let out a laugh, feeling a growing fondness for the Shift. 

“Chosen’s artifact is the Ruby Gauntlet,” they said. “And Dark’s is the Onyx Blade.”

“See, exactly, what I said,” Red said, with false grandeur, getting Second to laugh again. He kept his straight face for only a few moments before laughing alongside the god. Second looked up through hazy eyes at Red, who was doubled over and holding his stomach. For the umpteenth time that evening, they felt a warmth rush through them before they joined the laughter again. 

And maybe it’s not such a bad thing…

----------

It was the Purge all over again. Magic was being siphoned out of the air, stolen. It felt like it was getting harder to breathe and move. 

Victim still remembers the Purge. Thousands of years ago, when magic was being stolen from the air, from creatures and from places rich with magical energy. Oases and shrines of certain elements were robbed of the mana that they were infused with, leaving areas barren and desolate. It was affecting the sticks and the world.

It ended, of course, but not without great sacrifice. Their family had never been the same after that loss, and the worst part is that they all knew it was necessary for the greater good. 

Victim was selfish, they knew this. They didn’t want to do what was for the ‘greater good’. They just wanted their family to heal, to be happy again. Alan had suffered after the loss and as a result, Victim was left to take care of their three little siblings while he isolated himself for months on end. Their relationship with Alan had never quite been the same after that. 

Things had been better, that’s for sure, but now something was happening again. Victim could feel their magic leaving them, slowly but surely. They were getting weaker. The magical pendant that creates and holds the spell for their arms has been losing energy faster. Every now and then, they have to recharge the pendant; the spell it casts is complicated and taxing. 

Victim isn’t sure what’s causing this. Their brothers seemed to be just fine. Chosen and Dark have still been going on their regular patrols without looking any worse than they were before.

So what is this?

----------

The Conduits will help you get what you want.

What are you talking about?

Don’t you want to see your son again?

Purple is with me, they’re at the Academy.

Gold.

…

You’re teasing me. You always do this. How many more times do you think I’ll fall for it?

I know you better than you think, Mango. I know you would do anything to get him back.

And why should I trust you? You’ve told me many times that you’d give him back if I did something. I brought you those Mercenaries you asked for - which is already very suspicious, by the way - and yet you didn’t fulfil your promise. 

You are in no place to question me. You do not know the dealings of the gods. 

And you do?

…more than you’d think.

Yeah, like I trust that. After the first failure, I’m done listening to you. You aren’t going to return him no matter what I do and at this point I have better chances hunting you down and finding Gold by myself. 

You will fail. You will fail at finding me and at finding your son. A mere mortal cannot tap into the plans of the divine beings. You will rescue him too late; he is not chosen.

Your words mean nothing now.

My words mean everything. There is no stronger magic or weapon than the stab of a word. You know that well, don’t you, Mango?

No, I won’t let your words hurt me anymore. You’ve been taunting me for years, ever since you took him away. I won’t give you more power by letting you affect me.

You cannot lie in your own mind. While you may try, you know that deep down, my words cut deeper than you can express. 

I hate you-

And for that, you are poisoned with it.

And I love my son-

And you are cursed with the burden of it.

And I would do anything to get him back, but listening to you isn’t doing that, so I will stop. I know you won’t, but I can’t control you any more than you can control me. I’m going to wake up, and you won’t be in my head when I do. 

Oh, Mango. It is sweet how you hope, but you have no power against a child of gods. I do whatever I wish, and when the time comes for you to be a puppet, there will be nothing you can do to stop me.

----------

Mango awoke with a start, breathing heavily into the early light of day. After a few moments, he wiped a hand across his face and muttered a quick “fuck…” as he got out of bed. His head was swimming with thoughts, none of which he could actually focus on, as he walked over to his mirror. Mango looked at his reflection, tired eyes staring back at him as he ran his hands over his brown, twisting horns. His long, muted orange hair has gained more and more grey streaks in recent years, a physical reminder of the passing time. 

There was no grey in his hair when he lost Gold.

No. not lost. He was stolen from me. By that thing.

His dreams were never on his side. Every now and then, the being that stole his son would pop into his mind, telling him things. 

Sometimes, it would say it would release Gold.

Sometimes, it would say it would kill him. 

Sometimes, it would bargain. 

Sometimes, it would threaten him.

Sometimes, it would show him Gold.

Those nights hurt the most. To see his young son, unaging, so close and yet so far. To know he was there, yet he couldn’t do anything. It burned him. It filled him with rage and pain and sadness and guilt. So much guilt. 

That guilt still affects him. It’s why he wanted to create a safe place for young sticks, no matter who they were. He was a father at heart, and even if they weren’t his own kids, he wanted to help them as best he could. That guilt is also the reason why he’s so watchful of Purple, worried something will happen to them. They haven’t spoken about it yet, but ever since Mango found Purple, they both know they’ve had a familial relationship. And he’s not letting anything happen to this child. 

He looked up into the mirror, meeting his own blazing yellow eyes, and forced himself to calm down. Today was important, and he couldn’t let this dream affect that. 

Today was the day of the Nether trip.

Chapter Text

“Alright everyone, stay together,” Mango called from the front of the class. Groups of friends were close together, talking excitedly. Very few have been to the Nether before, and most of those who have are native to it, like Mango, and excited to return home. As Second looked around the class, he could see sticks and Mobs of great variety, and a good part of them were Nether Mobs or Lava Walkers. Heads turned towards Mango, who stood tall even compared to other Lava Walkers. They were typically taller than most sticks, but Mango was closer to Enderman height. 

“You all have your designated group so stay in, and you’re not to leave it. Everyone needs to follow me, and don’t stray from the path. The Nether is dangerous, so we’re staying on the Lava Walker paths so see the different biomes, understood?”

A chatter of “yes”s and “understood, sir”s rose up in the crowd as they started to separate into their groups. Second walked over to his friends, who all looked equal parts excited and nervous. 

“You guys ready?” Purple asked, smiling wide. They had completely recovered now, and seemed brighter than usual. The Avian normally was quiet and tried not to draw attention, but today, they were positively beaming. 

“I’m not so sure,” Blue said, looking nervous. It was as if she and Purple had switched personalities. “Fire and I don’t exactly mix.” 

“Same here,” said Green, who looked less nervous than Blue, but still uneasy.

Purple moved towards the two aquatic sticks and threw an arm around each of their shoulders. “Trust me guys, you’ll be alright. I’ve been to the Nether a bunch with Mango, and like he says: we just need to stick to the paths and we’ll be ok.”

“Plus, you’ll have us!” Red said, trying to cheer them up.

“Red should just shift into one of those little red cube guys and carry us across the lava,” Yellow joked, to which Red pouted, as if he was annoyed with himself.

“Sorry, Yells, but no dice. I’m an Overworld Shift, I can't do the Nether creatures. And they’re called ‘Striders’, I’m pretty sure.”

“Dang it,” Yellow muttered as they all started walking towards the portal Mango set up earlier. Second looked up to the swirling purple patterns and felt a similar swirling in his stomach. 

Cursors, what am I so nervous for? I’ve been to the Nether before, this isn’t any different! …Right?

“Ok class, go in one group at a time when Indigo tells you to. I’ll be there on the other side,” Mango said before walking through the portal. A soft gasp rose when he disappeared. Indigo turned to the shocked face of the students with a bright smile.

“Who wants to go first?”

----------

The Nether always felt strange to Second. Hot and deadly and unnatural. It was reminiscent of one of the afterlife resting places Alan’s friend, DJ, watched over. The resting place of evil. The demons known as Shadowlites ran free throughout the land, causing chaos. If they were ever let back onto Earth, the consequences would be deadly. 

Ok, let’s stop thinking morbid thoughts right now. DJ has never failed to keep the Death Lands in check, and he won’t fail now. This isn’t even important right now.

The rest of the group walked over to Second, everyone except Purple marvelling at their surroundings. Despite the dangers of this world, it was undeniably stunning. Huge rock formations from the ground to as far up as you could see, making it feel as though you were in a cave. Lava lit up the land from the bottom, where huge oceans of it were, and glowing stone and spots around the air added to the ambiance. 

“Everyone through?” Mango asked Indigo. The two teachers were near enough that Second could hear them from where he was. 

“Yeah, they’re all here. Let’s get on with this, this place always makes me feel uneasy.” she responded. Mango gave her a comforting smile and put his hand on her shoulder. 

“Don’t worry, Indigo. I grew up here and the paths are safe. I’ll make sure nothing happens to us.” 

The two teachers then walked over to the group of students, asking them to listen. 

“Ok, everyone, I’m gonna need your attention once more,” Mango called to the group. “One last reminder to stay with your groups and stay on the path. I’ll be leading the way, and we’ll have breaks so you can all take notes. Remember this is for your upcoming geography project, so don’t just admire this place - remember it.”

The groups all got together and followed Mango as he led them to a well worn path near the portal. It was wide enough that they would walk next to each other comfortably and Second couldn’t see how far it went. 

They all began walking down the path, Mango in the front and Indigo at the back. Some students were chattering to each other; the Nether natives were talking to their friends about their homes, some were talking about times they had visited. Second looked over to where Purple was telling a story about their visits to Blue and Green when he noticed someone coming near them. 

“Purple! Mango!” a voice called. The two sticks in question looked over, similar smiles appearing on their faces when they saw who it was. A deep red stick with purple and brown accents along their horns and tail was running towards the group, waving. 

“Cherry!” Mango walked forward, arms open. The stick ran into them, spinning around as the two hugged and laughed. 

“She’s an old friend of Mango’s,” Purple quickly explained when they saw the confused faces of their friends. They walked up to the stick next, also receiving a hug. She was clearly another Lava Walker. Like the Naga, there were many sub-species of Lava Walkers depending on the biome they come from. Mango was a Waste-land Walker and Second assumes this one is a Crimson Walker based on her dark red colours and whip-like tail. 

“What are you both doing here? I know it isn’t visiting time yet,” the stick, Cherry, asked Mango. 

“No, not a visit. I’m here with my class,” Mango gestured to the students. “We’re just here on a short trip.”

“Ahh, ok, I get it,” Cherry said, nodding. “Well, y’all should be careful - there have been some weird sightings around as of late. Strange creatures are here.”

“What kind of creatures?” Purple questioned. Second heard a little voice in his head cry out a warning. Something was wrong. 

“Dunno, no one who’s seen has come back yet,” Cherry said, looking down. Mango placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and whispered something that Second couldn’t hear. They hugged once more before Cherry waved to Purple and went back in the direction she came from. Mango turned back to the class, most of whom hadn’t been listening and called them back to attention. Second could tell he was worried; Mango’s face was set, brows furrowed. As he started leading the group again, Second turned to Purple with a questioning look. They just shrugged back and followed after everyone else. 

“What was that about, Purps?” Green asked. 

“I don’t really know, but we should be careful,” they responded. Purple looked up to the front, watching Mango with a worried expression. 

Most of their trip went without any problems. The Wastelands gave way to Warped forests, Soul Sand desserts, then back to Wastelands. Second looked around the rocky plateau they were on. There seemed to be a Warped forest below them; if he dug down a bit he’d fall into it. Beyond in the distance, a lava ocean glowed brightly. 

The Nether may be scary, but it was also undeniably beautiful.

Mango stopped them to take notes on how the Nether sometimes generated in layers like the one they were on now when a roar was heard off in the distance. 

“Stay here,” Mango instructed. “I’m going to check what it is.”

Groups wandered around, glad for the break as Indigo flew around, watching them. Only a few minutes went by after Mango walked ahead when Yellow suddenly fell to the ground, holding her head with both hands.

“Yellow?! Are you ok?” Blue cried, dropping to the ground next to her. Yellow looked up, breathing heavily. Both her eyes and orb were glowing brightly, reflecting on Blue’s face. Her eyes were glazed over and unfocused, sweat covering her face. After a few moments, it cleared, and Yellow slumped forward, blinking rapidly. Her eyes were no longer solid white, but she didn’t look any less scared. 

“Guys, we-we have to go,” she said, voice shaking. That’s when Second put the pieces together. She had a vision.

“What do you mean? Why do we need to go?” Red asked, looking worried. 

“I can’t explain, th-there’s no time,” Yellow said, getting up. “We just have to g-”

Another roar interrupted her, but this time, it was much closer. Second felt a familiar feeling of dread wash over him, followed by magical energy that resembled…

Oh no.

Second felt time slow as he was split into two parts, one being his physical body and the other being his mind. He looked at his ghostly reflection, confused. It waved its hands then lit them up with magic and energy, fighting an invisible enemy. Similar apparitions appeared, taking the form of his friends. Second saw them be thrown to the side, hitting walls and floors. He saw Purple flying towards something, only to be hit out of the air. They all suddenly disappeared, leaving only Second. His mind returned to his body and time resumed as the dots connected in Second’s head. 

“Guys, run.” He said, helping Yellow stand. His eyes were locked in the direction of the roar as the over looked at him confused. Then, he saw it. 

A Scribble. Bigger than anything he’d seen before. It was five times the size of a Ghast, and it’s glowing red eyes were focused on their group with deadly intent. 

“RUN, NOW! ”

The monster let out a deafening roar, and everyone’s hands flew to their ears. They didn’t have much time to react before it started charging towards the class. Sticks and Mobs started screaming and running in all directions, trying to get out of the Scribble’s path. Second transformed his Naga tail into legs and jumped out of its way, tackling a frozen Green along with him. A ringing briefly filled his ears as he got off of Green and took the Siren’s hand before running to a hiding spot. The rest of his friends quickly joined them. 

“What the hell is that?” Green asked, voice shaky and eyes unfocused. 

“That’s the thing that attacked me in the forest,” Red said, as he peaked around the rock formation they were hiding behind. “But this one is much bigger.”

Yellow perked up at that. “If it’s the same kind of monster, does that mean you could kill it?” She asked hopefully, turning to Second. He felt like a stone fell into his stomach. 

“I-I don’t know,” he answered honestly, choosing to ignore how Yellow knew about the forest. “The normal sized ones were enough of a challenge.”

“Bue we have to do something !” Blue cried. 

“WELL DECIDE NOW,” Red yelled, panicked. “BECAUSE IT’S COMING, RUN! ” 

Not a moment after the words left Red’s mouth, the rocks crumbled around them as the Scribble bulldozed through with the spike-ish things along its body. Second could barely process what was happening as he was thrown to the side, tumbling along the netherrack. His vision went black for a while, though he couldn’t tell for how long. Once it cleared, he looked up to see Green standing in front of the monster, trying to use his charm on it while Red flew around in the form of a falcon, attacking its head. The Scribble only seemed annoyed by them, and reared its head to hit Red out of the sky before kicking Green off to one side. Then, it lay its red eyes onto Second. 

“Oh no you fucking don’t,” he muttered, standing up as rage filled him. In that moment, he decided his disguise could be damned - he would not let his friends be hurt by this thing. 

His hand went to the gold bracelet he had on his left hand. Dark had enchanted it with the disguise, along with a spell that would confuse anyone who got close to the truth. The downside was the spell blocked his full magical capabilities - or at least, it did. The moment Second snapped the metal and ripped the bracelet off, he could feel his magic return to full power. Small green whirls surrounded him for a moment as the disguise dropped, and a few moments later, he was back in what he normally wore as a god with his normal form as well. 

The Scribble turned to him, red eyes narrowing. Second raised his hands, palms open and magic charged. 

“Fight me.”

----------

Holy fuck , his head hurt. If you asked Green, getting thrown onto rocks by a giant, spikey blob monster gets a 0/10 review. He could hear Red be thrown near him, then quickly getting up and crouching near him.

“Green?” he asked, his fear evident in his voice. Green couldn’t properly answer, so he just mumbled noise to assure Red he was alive before trying to get up. Red held out a hand and helped him up, just in time for Green to see the most confusing thing in his entire life. 

It was… Second. At least, it looked like his friend. But one moment, he was a Naga and the next, Second was surrounded by green wisps. Once they cleared, Green saw he had normal legs, an orange tail with green fire on the end and a completely different outfit. It was like he was a whole different stick. 

“What the fuck…?”

Second let out a yell and ran towards the monster, hands alight with green electricity. Huge blasts of magic hit it, shaking the ground. The monster didn’t seem to be affected by this. It just reared back and let out a roar before charging at Second, who created a huge, glowing magic shield to block it. 

“What?” Green said again, still confused. He looked over to Yellow, who was thrown further than the rest of them. Her shocked face told Green he wasn’t imagining it. 

“What the fuck am I looking at?” Yellow asked, confused, as she ran towards them. For the moment, the monster was occupied with Second, so they all had a moment to catch their breath. It seems the rest of their class already got away. 

“I have absolutely no idea.” Green said. A little bell went off in his head, reminding him of the confrontation between Red and Yellow. He looked over to the Shift, who also seemed surprised, but not confused.  

“Red?” he asked. Red looked over to him, eyes wide. “Whatever you know, now would be a pretty damn good time to tell us.”

Red looked at Green and Yellow for a moment, then to Second who was still fighting the monster and took a deep breath, defeated.

“He’s a god.”

…

What.

What the fuck.

Green couldn’t do anything but stand there, shocked. Yellow also had a similar expression.

“That’s… not even close to any possibility I considered,” she said, voice shaky. Green only nodded in agreement and Red gave a grim smile, scratching his neck. 

“Yeah… I was shocked too. Even more so when I saw a god standing in my dorm room.” 

“So you knew the entire time?” Green asked, to which Red nodded. “Damn, now I get why you couldn’t tell us. But why’s he here in the first place?”

“Because of those things,” Red said, pointing over to the Scribble. “He’s hunting them or tracking them or something like that.”

Green looked over to the monster towering over Second. He just couldn’t wrap his head around this. His friend was a god battling giant monsters… so much for having a calm school year. 

He was shaken out of his thoughts when he felt something quickly fly by him. Fast multicoloured wings shot by him as Purple flew towards the monster. They looked angry and had… they had a sword…

“PURPLE!” he screamed, running after them. The Avian didn’t even react, eyes only focused on the monster who turned to them and roared.  Huge jagged spikes shot out at them, but they dodged easily. 

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?” they cried, eyes blazing and hurt. Their fast, insect-like wings helped them quickly maneuver around attacks, but it was relentless. Purple flew above the attacks and grasped the sword with both hands and flew downwards towards the monster. More spikes flew at them, but they spun around them and plunged the sword hilt-deep into the monster’s head, right above its eye. It reared its head back, roaring and thrashing. A stay spike flew out, hitting Second against the walls, but Purple still held onto the sword. Once the moving slowed, they leaned down, looking into its eye. 

“That’s for Mango,” they growled. The monster’s eye met Purple’s and narrowed. Movement caught Green’s eye and he looked over to Second. The god was just lying down, stunned, but in an instant, his eyes shot open and wings burst out of his back and he flew almost desperately towards Purple. Warning bells were going off in Green’s head, why did Second look scared?

The question was quickly answered when the monster shot a spike towards Purple, who didn’t notice it. 

“NO!” Second and Green both screamed at the same time as it collided with Purple. There was a sickening crunch and the Avian fell, unable to fly. Second shot towards them, catching them before they hit the ground. He flew towards the others, and landed hard on the rocky ground, carefully putting Purple down. Without even looking up, he created a large, glowing green dome around the five of them, shielding them from the raging monster outside. 

“Purple!” Green cried, running to them. They were shaking and crying, forehead pressed to the ground as they hunched over and gripped their shoulders. Green felt bile rise in his throat when he saw their wings. The bone was bent in many different angles, certainly broken and the thin paper-y wings were torn and cracked. Green heard Yellow gasp and Red’s hand smacked against his mouth from behind him. 

Numbly, he walked forwards and dropped to the ground next to them, gently pushing their hair out of their face. His heart screamed out seeing them like this and he turned to Second, asking a silent question. 

“Purple, I need you to brace yourself, this is gonna hurt,” Second said, placing his hands just above their wings, not touching them. In the back of his mind, Green noted the strange drawing gloves Second was wearing. Purple vaguely nodded in response and Green took their hand while locking eyes with Second and giving him a firm nod. 

Second took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them, Green let out a little gasp. They were now entirely green, matching the glow his hands started emitting. Purple let out a scream and surged up.

“Hold them down!” Second said through grit teeth. Green complied, pushing their shoulders to the ground. Purple was still moving, so Red and Yellow ran over and held their legs. 

I’m sorry Purple, I’m so sorry.

Green triangle patterns began appearing under Second’s eyes as he scowled. Through the growing green light, Green could see Purple’s wings moving and straightening, almost snapping back in place. Paper-y wings were mended and bones rebuilt themselves under the intensive magic. After a few moments, Second stopped and slumped forward. He was sweating and winced slightly as Red got up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Purple slowly sat up and wiped their face.

“Are you alright now, Purple?” Green asked in a soft voice. The Avian looked to him and flicked their wings out in response.

“Much, thank you, Second,” they replied as they turned to the god. And speaking of him…

“So uh, wanna explain this, Sec?” Green asked, trying to sound light about it. “What is that thing?”

Second scowled, though not at Green. “We call them ‘Scribbles’. Extremely dangerous creatures that have been appearing more and more in the last ten or so years. We don’t know where they’re coming from or anything about them except that they’re becoming resistant to our main attacks.”

“And whose ‘we’?” Yellow questioned, though Green knows she’s already connected the dots like he did. They just needed to hear it from Second himself. 

“Me and my brothers,” he said, then hesitated for a moment more. “The other gods.”

Purple let out a little squeak, and stared at Second, slack-jawed.

So that confirms it then… holy shit.

“Uh, surprise…?” Second said, with a weak smile and a shrug. A loud crash broke the tension and all eyes looked up to the now cracked magic shield. The Scribble continued bashing against it, widening the crack.

“Shit!” Second exclaimed. He jumped to his feet and pushed his hands in front of him, eyes glowing with magic. The crack sealed itself and as Second moved his hands around, large tendrils of magic grew outside the barrier, hitting the Scribble away. He dropped his hands and turned back to them. 

“So what do we do?” Yellow asked. “How do we even beat this thing?”

“I’m not sure, Chosen and Dark were the ones who fought them most of the time.”

“Could you do what you did last time?” Red asked. Second thought for a minute, eyes glazing over and unfocused. It was like he was looking at something that wasn’t there. After a moment, he shook his head and looked at them all. 

“I have a plan.”

----------

Being the god of time certainly had its perks. For example, little ghost Second. When he needed to, his mind would show him what was going to happen, or something going on in another place. In this case, he saw a plan forming and being acted out at the same time. 

He knew what to do. 

Second explained his plan to the others as quickly as he could then took out two pencils. They behaved very similarly to his artifact and with them, he drew three shoddy looking stick figures. He had created little helpers before. They behaved robotically and would instantly know what they needed to do, so he gave them all pencils before turning back to his friends. They all had their jobs, and gave him a swift nod. He gave one in return then turned to the Scribble, who was watching them with furious eyes. 

Second dropped the shield. 

Move your eyes, 

Keep them on mine

I am all you see.

Green went out first, in front of the Scribble, singing. Second felt the power of his charm wash over him, almost inclined to follow it and watch Green,  but since he wasn’t the target, it was much easier to shake it off. 

The Scribble tried to lunge forward at Green, but was stuck in place by Yellow’s telekinesis combined with part of Second’s power to make her stronger. 

Good, he thought. That’s phase one completed.

Second felt a woosh above him and looked up to see his friends flying towards the Scribble.

Close your heart

The world is dark

And you are getting sleepy

Red and Purple were both carrying one of Second’s drawings, each equipped with their own drawing pencil. The Scribble was becoming sluggish and slow, making it easy for them to fly above it and begin drawing. Lines fell into place as Red and Purple maneuvered around each other and the Scribble’s spikes. The third drawing was running around its legs, drawing similar shapes and patterns as Red and Purple. Second took to the skies and flew around the Scribble, starting at the bottom, then flying to the top, back down again and repeating that over and over. Thick black lines slowly started to fill with white.

You are unaware that life is still going

You are unaware, you are no longer knowing 

You are unaware of the cage that is forming

And true to Green’s song, a cage was indeed forming. As the two fliers drew the top, Second’s third drawing was creating the bottom and Second himself was creating the bars. With a resounding thud , the cage fully materialised around the Scribble, who woke up from the spell. 

“Move!” yelled Second, not a moment too soon; the Scribble let out a furious roar, shaking the cage and the very bedrock of the Nether. Hands were clamped over ears as his friends ran or flew away from the cage. 

Second did not run.

He stood tall in front of the Scribble, staring it down.

“It was you, wasn’t it.” Not a question, but a statement. “ You were the one in my dream.”

The Scribble gave no verbal answer, but its eyes narrowed and it huffed, as frustrated at being caught. Second grit his teeth, feeling anger bubble under his skin.

“Are you satisfied?!” He yelled up to it. “It came true. I found the sticks you showed me. Was this supposed to be your attempt at getting rid of them like you did in the forest?!”

The Scribble let out a roar, and Second's hands flew to his face in defence. He felt himself stumble with the force of it. The Scribble let out a huff as Second dropped his hands and glared back to it. 

Second moved his hands forwards, in a similar action to what he did in the forest. Magic began surrounding the Scribble as Second worked to remove the material, the very being of the cage and the Scribble, from this world, essentially deleting it. As it began to glow and shrink, Second heard the voice in his head again, the same voice from his vision. 

You think you have won?

He faltered. The magic paused, not moving but not relenting its hold on the cage. 

I think I have defeated you , he replied in his head. There was a chilling laugh that seemed to come from everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time. 

The only thing you have done is solidify your fate, and the fate of these sticks. You have played into my hands. 

Second grit his teeth, trying to focus back on the magic. Whatever your plan is, it won’t work. You’re trapped and about to die.

Another laugh.

Oh, little god, you don’t realise, do you? You are nowhere near defeating me. You can kill all the… what do you call them? Ah, yes, Scribbles. You can kill as many as you want, but you are not killing me.

Then I’ll find you. I’ll keep my friends safe and out of your reach.

It’s already too late for that. I wonder, where is your witch friend?

Second stopped. He felt his heart drop to his stomach as realisation set in. How could he have been so stupid? With a final push of energy, the cage disappeared and the Scribble no longer existed, but he felt no relief or victory. Second turned around to his friends, who all seemed relieved and happy, then confused at his expression. His eyes moved over the group, dread only growing as he only counted four sticks there.

“Guys…” he said, voice shaky. “Where’s Blue?”

Realisation dawned on their faces and panic set in soon after. Yellow stumbled back, eyes wide and face pale. 

“No…” she muttered. “Oh, no, no, nonono!”

Yellow’s eyes darted across the platform, searching for the Water Walker. She ran towards the rocks they were hiding behind that the Scribble destroyed. Red quickly followed. Together, they pushed rocks away, looking under the rubble while the others could only numbly watch. Suddenly, they stopped. 

“There's… a hole,” Red said, quietly. “It leads to a platform below us.”

“Oh no,” Purple whispered. “Did she… fall?” 

“Only one way to find out.” And with that, Red jumped down, arms quickly shifting into wings. Yellow just watched his descent with wet eyes.

They all held their breath and gathered around the hole as Red flew above Warped trees. He flew into the forest and was out of sight for a while. No words were spoken, it was as if there was nothing else in the world at that moment. 

Red flew back up, without a witch.

“Some Warped Walkers said they saw her,” he called as he landed. “But she left the forest. She could be anywhere by now.”

“At least we know she’s alive,” Green said, trying to stay positive. 

“So where should we start looking?” Purple asked, looking between the other sticks.

Yellow, who hadn’t been speaking and hardly even moving this whole time, suddenly spoke up. “We should split up and cover as much ground as possible. We should each have someone who can fly and search above the surrounding biomes as fast as we can.” She then turned to Second. “Is there any way your magic could track her? Help us narrow it down, anything ?”

An idea came to him. “I can look for her magic traces,” he started. “Kind of like picking up a scent trail.”

“Great, then what are you waiting for?!” Yellow said, bordering on hysterical.

Second let his magic seep into the rocks around them, trailing through the netherrack into the forest below. It spread to the surrounding biomes, through tree roots and under lava. Suddenly, he felt a sudden spike of magic in the air, on the same platform they were on. His head shot around, because that magic that felt very similar to-

“BLUE!”

The Water Walker was moving slowly, weakly, towards them. Second noticed with a shock that her legs, part of their tail and arms were covered in ice, and her hands were glowing with the Palms of Ice spell.

She limped forwards, and her mouth opened in one, nearly silent, word.

“…guys…”

She collapsed.

Chapter Text

Gods, why does this always happen to him? Blue doesn’t remember doing anything to deserve this, yet here he is, lost in the Nether. The last thing he remembers was that monster, Second telling them all to run, then being hit.

Oh right. And the falling. 

Blue isn’t sure where he was. He was caught in vines of Warped trees in the forest below where they were. He tried to wake up as quickly as he could, unsure if the eyes watching him were hallucinations or not. 

“A strange creature…” A voice said from above him. 

“It came in with Mango,” said another. 

“Through the portal. It was on the Waste-land Walker’s paths,” a third whispered. What the hell? 

“Where am I?” Blue rasped, sitting up. He heard a stirring above him as things moved in the trees.

“Our forest, strange one,” said the first voice. “What are you?”

Blue finally looked up and let out a gasp at the sight. Warped Walkers , he thought. Three sticks were above him, suspended in the vines. Two were dark teal shades and one was a brown-ish orange. Like all kinds of Lava Walkers, they had horns with glowing tips and long claws and tails, but only the Warped Walker sub-species had sentient vines along their backs, helping them move through the trees. All three pairs of eyes were on him, watching him curiously. 

“Um, I’m a Water Walker. I’m from the Overworld,” Blue said, unsure of how to proceed. Will they hurt me or let me go? He wondered. 

“The other world!” gasped the third voice. “How odd.” 

“You fell,” stated the second voice. “Why did you do that?” their head tilted to the side, like a curious animal.

“Well, I didn’t mean to. In fact, I need to get back up there, could you help me?” Blue figured he might as well try and see if this worked. 

The three Warped Walkers looked at each other, seemingly communicating with just looks, before turning back to Blue.

“We cannot bring you back up,” the second one said. “It is too high. What we can do is bring you to the edge of our forest. There are certainly other ways to get back up, and you will not have to worry about getting lost here.”

Well, it isn’t exactly what Blue was hoping for, but it’s better than nothing. 

“I’d appreciate any help you can give me,” he said. The Warped Walkers simply smiled to each other before the first one dropped suddenly to Blue. Vines on their back were still attached to the branches above them as they grabbed Blue’s waist and pulled him up with them. Blue let out a yelp when he was tossed onto the Warped Walker’s back, like a piggy back ride, and was held there with the vines that grew on them. The trio started gracefully jumping from branch to branch, sometimes using their vines to swing across. It reminded Blue a lot of monkeys, or squirrels, even. 

The ride was over before he knew it, and they reached the edge of the forest. 

“We do not travel beyond this point,” said the first one as they lowered to the ground to put Blue down. “But there are others who may help. Best of luck, Water Walker.”

“Thanks, really,” Blue said with a smile, then turned around, hearing the rustles of the Warped Walkers leaving. 

Now what?

----------

Blue didn’t know how much time passed, but it couldn’t have been very long; only a few minutes since he left the forest. He was now trekking through the wastelands, hoping to find his class. Most phones didn’t even work in the Nether, so he couldn’t call his friends either. 

Cursors , he just wanted to go home. 

A huge roar and rumble was heard from above Blue, from the platform where his friends were. Blue flinched at the sound and glared at the rocky ceiling, as if cursing it with only his eyes. How in the good seas would he get back up there? He couldn’t fly like Purple, or shift into something that could like Red. Hell, the spells he knew weren’t even useful here! Blue grumbled. Maybe if he had figured out his Being magic already, he’d have more options. Second said he was doing well, so why hadn’t he yet?!

Rustling behind him broke Blue out of his thoughts. He lightly smacked his cheeks with both hands.

C’mon Blue, stop that! You’re not gonna do perfectly right away. Just focus on using what you do know.

“Oof!” a little voice grunted as they ran into Blue’s leg. He has been so absorbed in thoughts that he didn’t see the little one running towards him. Blue knelt down to see who it was and saw a little Piglin child, about five years old, Blue would guess.

“Hey there,” he said in a gentle voice. “Are you ok?” 

“Run! There’s-there’s something coming,” he said, voice shaky and panicked. Blue didn’t even have a chance to ask what it was when a roar came from around the corner. It was another monster, like the one that attacked before, but much smaller. It was about as tall as Purple, with glowing yellow eyes that were locked onto the pair.

“Shit,” Blue muttered. “C’mon!” 

Blue quickly grabbed the Piglin child in his arms and ran as fast as he could away from the monster. Deep down, he knew he wouldn’t be able to outrun it and he was proven right when it quickly began chasing them. Blue ducked into a cave and hid, trying to catch his breath.

“Shit, what do we do?” he said, not really asking it. To his surprise though, the Piglin offered an answer. 

“We need to find my colony,” he said. “They can protect us.”

“That’s… actually a really good idea. Where are they?”

The little Piglin scowled. “I lost them. But they were by the… lava lake, near the fortress, I’m pretty sure.”

“Well, it’s a start and we don’t have a better plan. Now, we just need to lose this thing and get over there,” Blue said, mostly to himself.

A crash broke through his thoughts and Blue whipped his head around to see what caused it. The monster was slowly advancing, breaking through the tough Netherrack with its spikes. Blue let out a quick curse and picked the Piglin up in his arms again before standing and running further into the cave. Rock scraped his shoulders as he pushed through narrow paths then ran out into an open plateau, freeing him of the claustrophobic feeling of the cave.

Blue set down the Piglin as he breathed heavily and tried to get his bearings. Were there landmarks they should look for? Paths or signs maybe? Did the Piglin even know where to go?

Slowly, doubt began to creep in again. Blue literally felt like a fish out of water. He didn’t have useful abilities like Green or Yellow, he couldn’t make plans like Purple, and the few abilities he did have were only useful in certain situations, unlike Red, whose abilities were so versatile. 

And he couldn’t even use his magic right, unlike Second. Cursors, if it were anyone else who fell, they would’ve found their way back by now…

A sniffle interrupted Blue’s thoughts. His head whipped around to see the Piglin child crying. Oh no , he thought. The self-loathing could wait - right now, he had to get this kid home. 

“Hey, it’s alright, bud,” Blue said gently as he knelt down. He placed a hand on the Piglin’s shoulder. “That thing won’t be able to get through that cave. Let’s focus on finding your family now, ok?” 

In all honesty, he doubted they were safe. Who knows what that thing was capable of. But it seemed to work, because the child sniffled and nodded. Then, he pointed off to the distance, where Blue finally noticed the looming silhouette of a Nether Fortress.

“We have to go that way.”

----------

Blue never wanted to do that again. The hike to the Fortress was exhausting, especially while carrying something - or rather, someone - on your back. But regardless, they were here now, and that was all that mattered. 

As they entered, Blue was enthralled by it. Although the structure was simple, the looming pillars on the outside and maze-like inside made it endlessly interesting to the Water Walker. The Piglin child, however, wasted no time gawking and immediately began running around, trying to find his tribe.

“Hey, wait up!” Blue shouted. He shot after the Piglin, running down the dark hallways and tight turns only to fall on his face a few rooms later. He didn’t notice the floor lowered and came face to face with some strange red plants. 

“Huh…?” 

Blue reached forward, touching the fungus-like plants. They seemed to be growing on Soul Sand. Interesting… he’d never seen any plant like it. 

Curiosity was taking over him, so Blue broke off a small piece of it and without thinking, popped it in his mouth. It didn’t taste like much, but it wasn’t bad by any means. He seemed to feel… calmer. It was nice, and the feeling of chewing the strange thing brought him some comfort; it grounded him. So Blue quickly pulled his shoulder bag over and shoved some of the plants into it for later. His new discovery was suddenly interrupted by the Piglin crying out.

“Shit!” Blue exclaimed. He quickly got up and ran out of the garden, towards the voice. In his rush, he didn’t notice small sprouts of the fungus growing in his wake. 

Panic started bubbling through Blue as he ran through the thin halls and possible situations formed in his head.

Was it that monster again?

His worries quickly came to a halt when he saw the Piglin in the arms of who Blue assumed was his father. The two were hugging and a wide smile was painted across the young Piglin’s face. Blue felt his heart warm at the sight. After a moment of just watching their reunion, Blue was noticed by other members of the Piglin’s tribe. 

“Outsider!” one snarled, drawing her sword at Blue, who stumbled back and quickly raised his hands in surrender. The Piglin child quickly noticed what was happening and dropped out of his father’s arms. He ran towards Blue and put himself between the Water Walker and Piglin guards. 

“Don’t hurt him! He’s my friend,” he said in a small voice. The guards gave each other confused looks before the child continued. “He helped me find you guys, so if you hurt him, I’m gonna be really sad.” 

The father's hearty laugh started Blue and the guards. 

“You heard ‘im, lads,” he said in a deep voice as he walked up to them and picked up his son. “This one helped Pytrich and is a friend. We not hurt him.” Despite the heavy accent, deep voice and intimidating appearance, Blue could see how much the Piglin cared for his son - Pytrich, apparently. Why hadn’t Blue asked for his name before??

“Thank you, um,” Blue trailed off as he spoke to the father, who only laughed warmly again.

“Portirrus,” he said, extending a hand out to Blue. The Water Walker tried to hide his wince at the strong grip the Piglin had. “And thank you for helping my son. He is normally with his brother, Pyter, always, so it was not a good thing when Pyter was alone.”

Blue looked down at the little Piglin fondly. “He does seem like a bit of a trouble maker,” Blue said with a laugh. Clearly Portirrus agreed with him, since he let out another loud laugh and pat Blue on the back so forcefully that the Water Walker almost fell over. Regardless, he was glad for the friendly gesture; it helped calm him down and worry a bit less about everything.

Wait. Shit. There was still the matter of getting back, and the monster that was following them…

“Um, Portirrus,” Blue said, nervously reaching out a hand to the large Piglin. “I have to warn you, I don’t think we’re actually safe yet.”

“What do you mean, friend?” Portirrus replied, brows furrowed in confusion.

“Well, there was this… this thing , a monster, that was following us,” Blue started. “It’s really dangerous, and actually the reason why I’m lost in the first place. And we got away for a bit, but it’s still out there and-”

A huge crash and roar in the distance interrupted Blue mid-sentence. All heads whipped around to the direction of the sound, and Blue’s heart sank. It was exactly what he was trying to warn them all about.

The monster found them.

They were at the edge of the lava lake, at the base of the fortress. Across the glowing ocean on a ridge sticking out of the rocky Nether walls, was the monster glaring down at them.

“Oh no,” Blue muttered. The dread set in, but before he could accept his fate, the Piglins launched into action.

“Coray! Battim! Get the Striders, NOW!” Portirrus shouted, his powerful voice carrying across the whole area. Everyone was moving, and Blue was having a hard time keeping up in the chaos, but thankfully Portirrus grabbed him and pulled him out of the fray.

“You have helped us once before,” Portirrus said in a low voice, locking eyes with Blue. “Can I ask you to help us again?”

A surge of determination ran through the witch. A will to see this through and an urge to make sure the Piglin he found stayed safe.

“Of course.” 

Portirrus gave him a firm nod. “Stay with Pytrich and Pyter, make sure they are out of that monster’s way. When the Striders come, take them on one, and Coray will help you lead it.”

They both looked over when they heard rumbling from the monster on the ridge. It was pacing back and forth, as if trying to find a way over. That would give them some time to get away, but certainly not enough.

“Alright.” Blue took Pytrich from Portirrus’s arms, then ran to find his brother. Amidst the chaos, he could hardly tell one Piglin from another, but thankfully, Pyter found them. True to Portirrus’s word, a Strider soon came, along with many others led by two Piglins. A tall, buff Piglin handed Blue the reins of one Strider. 

“Take him down to the lava edge,” it was hard to tell through the thick accent of the Piglins, but Blue was shocked to hear she was, well, a “ she ”. All the Piglins looked the same to him…

Just as he was about to respond, a crack rang through the air. Heads turned to the noise and Blue felt his heart drop into his stomach.

The monster jumped onto the fortress.

It now had a clear path to them.

“HURRY!” Portirrus’s voice broke through his shock, and Blue ran down to the shore of the lava lake with the Strider and two young Piglins. A ringing ran through his ears and all sounds were muffled to him. The Piglin from before (who he assumes was Coray) was helping the Piglin brothers mount the Strider before holding out a hand to him.

He grabbed her hand. 

The monster roared. 

The Piglins yelled. 

Lava popped and glowed. 

He looked and saw the monster was even closer now.

Striders moved slowly onto the lava’s surface, before speeding up.

The monster landed on the Netherrack and ran towards them.

Blue closed his eyes.

And opened them to the sound of fire cracking and a monster’s cries. He could smell it burning, not quite the smell of flesh, but more like… paper?

He looked behind him just in time to see the last part of the monster submerge under the lava. Cheers erupted around him as the Piglins celebrated and Blue felt himself let out a laugh, almost in disbelief. 

We did it, he thought to himself. 

All around him, Piglins were cheering, raising their arms, and even the unoccupied Striders were jumping in joy.

That happiness was quickly interrupted by a blood-curdling scream from next to him - Pytrich.

Blue’s head whipped around to see the Piglin being torn off the Strider by a white tendril with a black outline.

“NO!”

Blue saw the head of the monster rise out of the lava, very damaged but still alive. And it had Pytrich. Coray had noticed as well, and turned the Strider around, but they wouldn’t get to them in time. Then, without even thinking about it, Blue jumped. There was a terrifying moment where he thought he wouldn't make the jump, but he landed where he intended - right on top of the monster. He grabbed Pyrtich and tried to pull him out of the monster’s grasp to no avail. It wasn’t letting him go. Blue hardly registered what was going on around him as he realised what he had to do. 

In all honesty, Blue didn’t know what he was doing. But in the heat of the moment, he didn’t need to, it just came naturally to him.

So he raised a hand and shouted:

“MIKREN TAIREN LYVAAN, JACRI!”

Bright sparks flew and condensed in Blue’s hand until it was a volatile orb of energy, almost like lightning. With a yell, he flung his hand down onto the monster’s tendril, bright energy arcing to form a blade and cutting it. Blue relished its scream of pain as it retreated and released Pytrich. Blue scooped him up and turned to Coray, running solely on adrenaline now.

He failed to notice how the monster was now fully dead, a mixed combination of the lava and his magic had done it.

He also failed to notice how its body was sinking. 

That is, until he felt a shooting pain run up his leg.

A horrible scream left his lips as his head shot back. He couldn’t even think, the pain was all he knew in that moment. At first, it was just one foot, then it was two, then his legs began sinking. And fast. It seeped through his bones, burning his core. After a moment under the lava, Blue couldn’t feel parts of his body anymore and was almost glad for it. At least that way he didn’t have to feel the pain. But of course, it just kept covering more and more of him in a never-ending cycle. He might’ve blacked out for a moment, but he couldn’t be sure. All he knew was the growing, consuming pain and fire. Cursors , when would it be over?

The breath was knocked out of him as Blue landed flat on his back, barely registering it through the wall of pain. Through teary eyes, he could make out the shapes of worried Piglins standing over him.

Right. He wasn’t dead yet. And… he should probably do something about the burning.

With great effort, he started to sit up, and was assisted by another Piglin. Blue looked down to his legs and almost passed out from the sight. It was awful. Blackened legs, his clothes were burnt as well, and his tail as well. The delicate webbing was torn and charred. He let out a choked cry, realising how bad his throat hurt. 

“Hey, look at me.” Portirrus kneeled down in front of Blue, fear written all over his face and bleeding into his voice. “We are almost at shore. We will find your friends. You will get help.”

The firm words sank into Blue, bringing him back to the world of the living. He nodded numbly, then remembered what he wanted to do. Weakly, he raised a hand over his lower body and although speaking hurt like hell, he muttered, “ Cikkator dac kriell. ”

It was slower than when he cast the spell in the overworld, but ice formed around Blue’s palm. He moved his hand down to his legs, touching the ice to the burnt limbs and almost sobbing in relief at the cool feeling. Distantly, he remembered learning in a first aid class that it was a bad idea to put ice on burns, but right now, he didn’t care. He just needed to stop feeling . 

Blue moved the ice over to his tail, then to his other arms, just noticing the slight burns there. Once he focused back on the world around him, he realised that Portirrus was right; they were now on the other side of the lava, and the Piglins were getting Hoglins ready to run. Portirrus took him in his arms and brought him to a Hoglin, then took off.

----------

“…guys…”

No. 

Second’s blood ran cold and their heart dropped, just as Blue did. They could feel themselves running towards him, but their mind was muddy and ringing with the memory of screaming as words blazed onto a crystal.

The lines of the screaming prophecy roared in their head.

Loves ones are lost

And others, determined to find, 

But what is the cost?

Will they cross the line?

“BLUE,” Yellow shouted from behind them, also running. 

Secrets well kept 

Will soon be revealed

So they must ask themselves:

Can the victims be healed?

Second dropped down next to Blue, scraping their knees, but ignoring the pain. There were more important things at hand. They hardly registered Blue’s shaky breathing or Yellow kneeling down, holding the witch’s head in her lap. 

They revealed a secret… so is this part of the prophecy? Second shook their head, trying to clear it. No. They will be able to heal Blue. They will make sure of it.

“Blue..?” Yellow asked with a shaky voice. Blue looked up slowly, and a small smile crossed his lips. 

“You’re… beautiful,” he whispered. Second winced at how painful his voice sounded. “You should… know. Lovely… ness. Of you.” 

Yellow let out a small laugh. “Y-you’re not making any sense Blue, just- stop talking for now, you’ll be ok.”

“N-no,” Blue shook his head. “You… tell you. This- can’t if too… late.” he paused, as if to catch his breath, then slowly moved an ice covered arm up to Yellow’s face. “Just… beautiful… outille ahva.”

Yellow’s eyes filled with tears, and Second knew why as well: Blue was talking as if he wasn’t going to make it out of this. Like this was his last message to the Seer.

“Hold his head still, Yellow,” Second said as they positioned themselves behind Blue. Yellow nodded and did as Second asked. They then looked down to the Water Walker. “Blue, can you end the spell?” He nodded and whispered, “nimri”. The glowing ceased and the ice disappeared. Second took a deep breath and looked down at the damage. Most of Blue’s legs were red and charred, wil blisters all over. Part of that extended to the base of his tail and  forearms. Gods, it was awful.

They couldn’t wait any longer. Second held their hands out over Blue and whispered the command, “baitihme.”

Just like the other times they healed, a bright green glow surrounded their hands and Blue’s body, but this time, nothing changed. Panic set it.

“Why isn’t it working?” Yellow asked, voice shaky. She turned her face to Second as she asked, but never took her eyes off Blue.

“I-I don’t know!” Second said as they ran a hand through their hair, trying to refocus. “Just HEAL!” they yelled as their hands glowed brightly. Fear bled into their voice and their eyes started to fill with tears. “Why won’t you hea-”

Second looked up from their hurt friend and were interrupted by the sight of another god - Skim. The Fate Weaver’s many eyes all looked down at them crouched over Blue, his expression sad and remorseful. Second couldn’t find their voice to say anything, they were stuck only staring at Skim as he shook his head, sadly. 

“N-no… please… ” Second whispered, beginning to understand. They should’ve been able to heal Blue, but if Skim was here, it meant they weren’t supposed to. The forces of fate were stopping them. Their eyes were locked with Skim’s, and tears began flowing freely down their cheeks.

“PLEASE!” They cried to the other god, desperate. “Just let me help him!”

“Who are you talking to?” Yellow asked. The poor Seer was clearly distressed and confused, but Second was focused solely on the other god. 

They quickly got up, despite Yellow’s protests and walked over to Skim. 

“Skim, if I don’t help him, he’ll die, or at least get close to it,” their pain bled into their voice. “ Please, at least let me do something.”

Skim looked from Second, to the Water Walker, then back to Second. The Cursor gods have a less humanoid appearance than Second and their brothers, especially Skim. He looked down at Second with nine eyes that formed a circle, all pointing towards a center gem on his face. After a few moments, he began walking to where Blue lay. Second felt a slight shift in the air, given Yellow’s reaction, they assumed it was Skim lifting the spell that kept him hidden.

“Who… are you?” Yellow asked with a fearful voice. Skim simply gave her a sombre smile, and realisation dawned on Yellow’s face. “Wait, you’re-”

“My, how you’ve grown,” Skim commented as he knelt down in front of Yellow. “The one who will see and be seen. You are destined for great things, my child.” Skim looked down to Blue, to Second, then to the rest of their friends, who were watching with wide eyes. “You all are. It is all so shrouded in fog, but even the unclear parts of a puzzle are necessary.”

Skim reached one of his six hands out, and brought it above Blue, who had lost consciousness a while ago. There was a dim blue glow which quickly faded, and Skim stood up. 

“I cannot change his fate,” Skim said, looking at Second, “but I do not need to. It is not his fate to die today. The Water Walker will live.” 

Second had so many questions, but all of them could wait. Right now, they had to help Blue. The young god dropped to their knees and felt the familiar healing magic run through him as they spoke the magic. Green light surrounded Blue, and when it faded, Second felt their heart drop for a moment. It didn’t look like anything changed; dark burn scars still covered Blue’s arms and legs, and the base of his tail was still damaged. But when Second looked closer, they realised it had worked. The burns weren’t fresh anymore, and wouldn’t hurt as badly. Any bleeding was gone, and all that remained were the scars. They should’ve been able to heal those too, but it doesn’t matter right now.

He was breathing.

Second let out a dry laugh of relief as they watched Blue’s chest rise and fall. Life ran through his body with each breath, and Second’s heart sang. 

Alive alive alive alive alive alive.

Yellow was crying, but more of happiness now, as she pulled Blue's body closer to hers in a hug. In the distance, Second noticed Green, Red and Purple sag with relief against each other. They then turned to Skim, who watched them with the same eyes that watched their futures play out. What a strange thought. 

“Thank you, Skim,” Second whispered to the other god. 

“Do not thank me yet,” he said, almost sadly. “There is still much ahead of you all. But for the time being, I think you have other friends waiting for you.”

“What do you mean,” Second asked, confused.

Skim looked out into the distance. “The Lava Walker returns, as do the others from your class. You may want to resume your disguise, and quickly.”

“Ah, shit!” Second scrambled up, looking around them for… fuck. The magical bracelet that they broke.

Skim chuckled as he watched, amused by the young god and earning a glare from them in return. “Here,” he said, holding an arm out. A light blue glow surrounded Second, and after, their disguise was back. “It will only hold for a few hours, so you should go visit your brother again and get a new enchantment.”

“I will, thanks.”

And not a moment too soon, they thought, as they saw groups of sticks and Mobs rushing towards them all. In the front of the group, easily standing out, was Mango. Purple let out a sob at the sight and flew towards him, tackling the Lava Walker in a hug. The head of the Academy was normally stoic and cold, but the facade melted around Purple. Mango gratefully returned the hug and held them close, staying like that for a minute or two before walking to the others.

Second whirled around, realising Mango would see Skim, only to find the god had already left. 

“Are you kids alright?” Mango asked, concerned. “That thing was strong, it threw me into the lava lake!” 

“We’re ok, for the most part,” Green quickly interjected. “We managed to chase that thing into the lava and got rid of it, but Blue got hurt. Second healed him.”

Mango gasped when he saw the Water Walker on the ground.

“He’ll be ok, just needs to rest and recover,” Second explained. Mango just nodded solemnly and took a deep breath. 

“I’ll need you all to take him to the healers later, alright?” they all nodded. “Good. For now then, let’s go. I think we’ve had enough of the Nether for the entire year.”

Chapter Text

Yellow doesn’t think he’ll ever be normal again. It’s amazing how in only a few hours - not even hours, but less than that - everything can go so wrong. Like discovering one of your friends is a god. The same friend you were doubting. And how another one of your friends, your best friend, in fact, goes missing and returns severely injured. 

It was terrifying. 

For a horrible moment, when Second was talking to the invisible god, pleading and begging, Yellow thought Blue was going to die. And he thinks if that happened, he wouldn’t make it out either. 

It was a scary thought, but he knew it was true. Yellow didn’t feel like anything without Blue, who was a pillar of support and kindness when Yellow needed it. She was always there for him, and he would do the same. That’s how it’s been since they met years ago, and Yellow can’t go back to how it was before. 

He can’t go back to when he was alone.

Numbly, he watched as his friends stood while Mango made sure other students were safe. He doesn’t know where they went during the fight, but it was probably for the best that they left. There was a shift under him and when he looked down, Blue was shifting in his arms. She still slept.

With a shaky hand, Yellow traced the new scars along her arm. It would never heal, but maybe he could try to make something that would help. Blue was the best alchemist, but Yellow had a knack for solving problems, and this was just another problem he could solve… right…?

Yellow could hear muted voices calling him, as if his ears were underwater. He moved his head, hardly realising what he was doing, and saw Red walking towards him. The Shift kneeled in front of him and gently put a hand on Yellow’s shoulder, breaking the little bubble it felt he was trapped in.

“You back with me now, Yells?” he asked in a soft voice. Yellow could only blink a few times, not trusting his voice, and Red just smiled patiently. “A lot happened today, and it’ll take a bit to process. But we’re all here for you, ok? And we’ll be here for Blue too.”

No words came out, only a choked sob as the events of the day caught up with him. Red gently pulled him into a hug as tears started flowing, no matter how much Yellow wanted them to stop. He didn’t even really know why he was crying - it’s not like he was at the forefront of the fighting, like Second, or badly hurt like Blue. What right did he have to feel like this?

Red held him closely, rubbing a hand along his back and gently humming a tune Yellow didn’t recognize. He heard footsteps that he later realised were Green and Purple, followed soon after by Second. Shuffling could be heard as Second used his magic to move Blue into a more comfortable position, then sitting down himself. Green and Purple did the same. 

Then all moved around a bit, so that Yellow was holding Blue in his arms, and the rest of their friends were sitting around him, all leaning on each other. It was so comforting, to feel them there against him, their presences and warmth helping to calm him down. Unlike Yellow, Green apparently knew what song Red had been humming before, and joined in. The gentle notes rang in the air like a blanket over them, separating their group from the rest of the world, at least for that moment.

----------

None of them wanted to move, but they all knew it needed to happen. The exhaustion felt heavy on their shoulders as they all rested against each other. Green had heard a song, a lullaby he recognised from the days when he would stay with Red’s family, and saw the Shift holding Yellow, who was clearly crying. So he nudged Purple, taking them out of their own little world, and joined the others in their little cuddle pile of sorts. 

After a few minutes, he and Red looped the lullaby and Yellow had calmed down. They all stayed there for a while, just letting everything that happened catch up to them. And it was a lot, it was overwhelming. Green didn’t blame Yellow for breaking down - he wanted nothing more than to just get to his bed and cry himself. But the thought of having to move was unappealing. 

Purple was the first one to say something. “We might want to get going now,” they pointed out, voice barely louder than a whisper. “People are starting to go back to the portal.”

Red groaned, but started to get up as well. “Alright, fineee. But I expect to sleep for 15 hours once we get back, and no one can interrupt me.”

“How are you even gonna sleep for that long?” Yellow asked with a small laugh. The sound was like music to Green’s ears.

“Easy, I’ll just shift into a cat. Those guys can sleep forever, and that sounds like a dream right now.”

“Well, as long as you don’t fall asleep on the way back.”

“And if you do, I’m not carrying you,” Green teased. “I’ll just leave you here.”

Red let out a scandalised, dramatic gasp in false offence. “How… dare you?? I thought we were friends!” Next to Green, Purple couldn’t hold in their laugh anymore.

“We are friends, Red, but carrying you through the Nether wasn’t a part of that deal.”

“I’m offended,” Red grumbled with a fake pout on his face, crossing his arms. “Y’know what, no. I think you’re just a meanie, Green. Do you even love me anymore?”

The last part was said as a joke of course, but Green could practically hear the sly grin Red was hiding as he said the words. The Shift knew what he was doing.

“Hey. I thought we agreed not to bring that up anymore, because if you need a reminder, it was an embarrassing time for both of us, Red.” He pointed an accusatory finger at Red, who just erupted into giggles as Green rolled his eyes.

“ What?? ” Purple asked. Their expression could only be described as flabbergasted. Green groaned and pinched his nose as Red just laughed even harder. 

“It’s a long story,” he said through gritted teeth. “One we don’t have time for right now, but I’ll explain when we get back.”

“Yeah, well there’s still the problem of you being… un… un-gentleman… y.” Red stammered, pretending to act haughty. Green just rolled his eyes at the antics again.

“No problem here, since I wasn’t gonna do that to begin with.”

Red grumbled as they all started standing up. “Chivalry is dead.”

“I’ll carry you if you fall over, how about that, Red?” Second offered with a smile as he helped Purple stand. Red’s face lit up.

“ See , Green? Second is willing to be a good friend, unlike you.” Red stuck his tongue out at the Siren.

“Yeah,” Green smirked, “a friend, right, Red?” he whispered to the Shift, knowingly. Green relished in the way Red’s face and cheeks darkened and eyes widened in shock. He looked away for a moment, as if processing, then turned back and swatted at Green’s arm.

“ Shut up ,” he hissed.

Green could only laugh with his friend, and feel a nice warmth grow through his chest. Exhaustion lay deep in his bones, and he couldn’t chase the fear and worry he felt for his friends, Blue particularly, but one thought rang clear in his head despite all that.

At least we’re all together.

----------

It was dark. And blurry. And bright.

It was scorching. It felt ice cold after a moment, so hot that his nerves couldn’t process it right away

It was torture. It was endless.

He wanted it to stop.

How was he still alive? Why was he still alive? He should be dead right now.

Deep down, he wishes he was dead. The embrace of the afterlife would mean an end. It would mean he didn’t have to feel this anymore. It would be over. 

So why wasn’t he? He waited and waited but he was still painfully alive. He hated it. He never particularly hated his life until now. He wanted nothing more than the kiss of death.

And it came.

He thinks.

There was a figure who approached him from behind. Whoever it was lay a hand on his shoulder, a glorious respite to the pain he was feeling.

He turned around and saw someone who was clearly a god. Multiple eyes all pointed towards a gem on the centre of his face, and six arms lay at the sides of his body, minus the one on his shoulder.

Was this Death?

“Not quite, young Water Walker,” a calming voice said to him. The god looked at him with a gentle smile, as if he understood all he was going through and feeling. Maybe he did.

“Your story doesn’t end here. Your strength will pull you through. Your magic will protect you, should you learn just how powerful you are. Your kindness will be the final piece of this puzzle. Do not let yourself fall. Do not let the scales tip towards his side. Hold your head up high, for you are loved and cared for. You are not alone, young stick. You are needed for this story to reach its ending.”

He didn’t know what any of this meant. All that he could hear was that he was alive, despite everything. He couldn’t help but feel disappointed. 

The god smiled again, as if he could his thoughts. His vision started blurring and his body went numb. It felt like he was falling. Before his vision went entirely black, he saw the god open his mouth and quietly whisper one last thing.

“Wake up.”

----------

Blue never understood how people could forget who or where they were until he woke up. It felt like he had been crushed by a mountain and pushed through a meat grinder. Or in other words, he felt fucking awful.

Blue could feel his mind gradually return to his body. He slowly blinked his eyes open, only to get blinded by the bright morning light.

“fuCK,” he bit out, moving a hand to his eyes only to realise that hurt even more. “SHIT!”

Distantly, he heard footsteps running around. When he looked up to see what was happening, his eyes met the bright, pale eyes of a Seer hidden behind square glasses.

“BLUE!” Yellow yelled, face lighting up and tears forming in his eyes. He rushed over to Blue’s bedside and gently placed a hand on his cheek, as if Blue would fall apart with the slightest breeze. “Guys, Blue’s awake!”

“BLUE?!” Green and Red both yelled at the same time as they rounded the corner to the beds so quickly they fell over. Blue looked over and saw Second and Purple looking up from their beds and jumping off to gather around him.

“Oh my gods, you’re ok,” Purple whispered, putting their hands over their mouth. Blue slowly sat up, wincing at the pain. He was a bit confused as to why Purple sounded so shocked and relieved. 

Wait…

Oh. Right.

The Nether… and the lava…

Oh gods. The memories started coming back. He remembered the pain and fire he felt. How he desperately cast the Palms of Ice spell in hopes that it would help. He remembered riding the Hoglin with Portirrus. Then, the Piglin dropped him off near where he thought his friends were, and he went back to his tribe. He found Yellow, and then…

Nothing.

Blue rubbed his face a bit, careful not to move too much because of how much it hurt. When he looked back up, he was shocked to see Yellow crying.

“Y-Yellow?” he cried. “Are you ok?!”

“Cursors, Blue- I-I should be the one asking you that…” Yellow stuttered as he lifted his glasses to wipe his eyes. Blue gently reached a hand over and brushed it along Yellow’s cheek, wiping away the tears there. The way the Seer smiled at him made his stomach do flips.

…

Wait, no. 

That wasn’t because of Yellow.

He was gonna throw up.

Blue quickly clamped a hand over his mouth and heaved forward. His friends all screeched and scrambled to help, but Second thought the fastest - they quickly conjured a hole in the air to catch the vomit, but nothing came out anyways. Blue just leaned forward for a minute, dry heaving since there was nothing in his stomach to expel.

“Fuck,” he muttered, leaning back.

“You ok now, Blue?” Green gently asked. He just gave a little nod. Gods, his throat hurt. And his head. And his everything, if he was being honest.

“Alright, clear out a bit, guys. I need to check him,” Second said as they shooed everyone but Yellow away. Green, Purple and Red all grumbled, but complied. As Blue lay back on the bed to let Second do their check up, he noticed something was… different about the Naga. 

Maybe it was the fact that Second wasn’t even a Naga right now. Their eyes were more orange than they normally were, with less green in them. There weren’t any scales running up their exposed forearms, no black sclera and, most obviously, no snake tail. They were standing on two legs that… didn’t have any feet, for some reason. In their place were little nubs, kind of like hooves. Was Blue just hallucinating??

“Uhh, Sec? What’s up with… you?” he hesitantly asked.

“What do you mean?” They looked up from where they were replacing Blue’s bandages.

“I mean, you’re not a Naga…”

Second froze, and Blue could see the realization set in on their face. Yellow also looked a bit panicked.

“Guys…? What am I missing?”

“It was gonna come out anyways, Sec,” Yellow muttered.

“Yeah- Yeah, I know. I’m just not used to talking about it, I guess.” Second sat back, blowing a part of their bangs out of their face.

“Talking about what?” Blue questioned. Second looked down for a moment, looking sort of conflicted, as if they weren’t sure how to go on.

“Blue, what I’m about to tell you can’t leave this room, ok?” They looked up to him, dead serious. Their now mostly orange eyes had a chilling glint in them. 

He nodded, and Second took a deep breath before starting.

“I look different right now because I’m not actually a Naga. That was just a disguise. This is what I actually look like.”

They trailed off for a moment, and Blue just waited. He was confused and wanted to know more, but Second was clearly having trouble forming the words, so he’d wait for them to be ready.

“I… I had to hide what I looked like because um…” Second buried their face in their hands and grumbled for a moment, muttering a small curse. “I’m, uh. I’m a god.”

Silence.

“Ha. I’m still delirious, aren’t I?” Blue muttered, frozen in shock. Second and Yellow just shared an awkward glance, and the words really began sinking in. “Wait, WHAT? You’re a what?!”

“Yeah, I reacted the same way,” Yellow said as he scratched his neck awkwardly. It was a tic he did whenever he was nervous or uncomfortable. Blue saw him doing it pretty often.

“I- I think I need a bit more of an explanation, please??”

Second hesitated for a moment before continuing. 

“That monster in the Nether is called a Scribble - or at least, that’s what we call them.”

“‘Them?’” Blue questioned. “There’s more of them?”

Second nodded. “There’s lots of them, all over. They started appearing around ten years ago, and since then it’s been up to my brothers to hunt them down and stop them. Lately, especially around the Academy, there have been more sightings of Scribbles, so I was sent undercover to figure out why and make sure the Academy is safe.”

Blue sat back, letting the words sink in. He couldn’t completely wrap his head around what he had been told, but maybe the extreme pounding in his head had a part to play in that. 

“So…” he slowly spoke, unsure of exactly what he was going to say. “How long are you going to stay here for?”

“I’m not sure, really. As long as it takes, or until the problem is solved.” Second scowled. “But considering how long we’ve been trying to stop it, I don’t think it’ll happen very soon.”

Blue yawned as he nodded. He could feel exhaustion start to creep in. “well, y’know, I’m glad you’re here. You’re a good friend, Sec.”

Second smiled, a warm, genuine smile that creased their eyes. 

“Thanks, Blue,” they whispered. They turned back to Yellow and whispered something Blue couldn’t quite catch. “I’m gonna put you to sleep so you can’t feel me taking off the bandages and stuff, ok Blue?”

“Yeah, sure… sounds good,” he muttered, already falling asleep. Second might not even have to use their magic to do it. 

It all faded into muffled voices and faint sensations.

His eyes slowly opened to see Yellow sitting on the floor next to his bed, reading a book. It was dark out, and Blue could see everyone else sleeping in their beds except for Second.

“H-hey, Yellow, where’s Second?” he asked, voice rough and scratchy. The Seer’s had quickly whipped around at the sound.

“They said they had to go home for a bit, to talk to their brothers about what happened in the Nether.” 

“Ah, ok then.” Blue’s head went back to the pillow, he could already feel sleep coming back to him. Yellow gently smiled as fondness filled his eyes.

“Rest, Blue. I’ll be here.”

Through the haze of sleep, Blue could feel a hand gently run across his face, pushing his long, wild curls back.

And maybe it was just his imagination, but Blue could feel a gentle press against his forehead before his drifted out of consciousness again.

Chapter Text

“Second!” Dark ran up to Second as soon as he landed in the cave. Glowstone kept the rooms well lit, even at night, so Second saw his brother’s silhouette pacing in the main room as he approached. Dark pulled him into a hug and his spider legs flicked behind him, showing his happiness. 

“Hey, Dark,” Second said with a laugh as he returned the hug. Movement in the side of his vision alerted him of Chosen coming near the two. Second pulled away from the hug to go embrace Chosen next. 

“Tsk, you stole him from me,” Dark lamented, pouting. Chosen just stuck out his tongue at him and Second only rolled his eyes at their antics.

Cursors , he had missed them. 

“Have you been ok, Sec? You’re not hurt?” Chosen asked, inspecting his face. Second let out a little chuckle. He was very familiar with Chosen’s worrying and it actually felt nice to feel it again. 

Then, the question sunk in, and he remembered the news he was bringing tonight. 

“Well, I’m not hurt and I’m doing just fine,” Second started. “But I do have some pretty bad news.”

Chosen’s expression darkened. 

“Well, that’s not ominous in the least,” Dark said, sarcastically. The spider brother typically had four eyes, and he rolled all four of them at once. 

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound too good.” If Chosen was trying to hide his worry, he was doing a bad job. “But we can deal with that in a bit. Alan is still working on something right now, so you’re with us until he’s done.”

Second lit up. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to his brothers much, even when he gave his reports. It was normally an in-and-out, so he was glad to have a chance to just be around them again. 

“C’mon, you can tell us all about what you’ve been doing at that school,” Dark said, waving the other two over to some cushions with a fond smile. 

----------

Cursors , their head. It was getting worse. Victim’s magic was weakening by the day and now they could hardly stay awake for more than a few hours at a time. But they had to, sleeping wasn’t an option right now.

When Victim slept, the voice came to them, taunting them and reminding them of things they’d much rather have forgotten. 

It told them that it was the reason for the Purge, and it sparked their rage. They had to find this voice. This was the being to blame for losing her, and it would pay. Victim wanted to be the one to kill it, to watch the light fade from its eyes, to feel its soul depart to the eternal punishment DJ would give it-

“… and they have an art class, Cho! It’s so much fun!” 

Second.

The voice of their youngest brother cut through their thoughts, bringing Victim back to the present. 

Second is back?

Something inside them softened as they walked to the main area of the cave, listening to Second’s rambles. Second sat on one side of the cavern, leaning against Dark, and Chosen sat across from the two. He was talking animatedly about his lessons and teachers. The constant noise in Victim’s head quieted as they walked into the room with their brothers. It was one of the larger caverns, decorated with floating orbs of lights and pillows and cushions scattered around the floor. When they were all younger, they’d often make little forts to hide in or sleep in. Sometimes, Alan would pretend to be a monster, stomping around the room while Victim and their brothers hid in a fort. They would throw pillows at Alan in order to ‘defeat’ him. The memory brought a warmth to Victim that they hadn’t felt in a long while. 

“Vic!”

The youngest sibling’s voice snapped them out of their daze. Victim looked up and saw Second waving them over as Chosen glanced back at them.

“Hey, Sec,” they said quietly as they walked around the room to him. “How’s the Academy been?”

His face lit up. “It’s awesome, Vic! I’m learning so much there, and the other sticks are really fun too.” 

“That’s great Sec,” they smiled at him and ruffled his hair. He grumbled and swatted them away, but the smile on his face never wavered. “I’m glad you like it.”

The four siblings fell into gentle conversation as they all sat around the pillows and cushions. Dark and Second spoke loudly and their voices cut through the ambient noise of the cave while Chosen and Victim sat back, only occasionally commenting. Victim let themself relax a bit, and just enjoy the presence of their brothers. 

But don’t you remember what happened last time you let yourself enjoy another’s presence? Don’t you remember how lost and cold you felt when they were unfairly ripped away from you?

Victim jolted and their head whipped around, looking for the voice. 

“Vic?” Chosen whispered, nudging them. Dark and Second were caught up in some sort of debate and hadn’t noticed, but Chosen certainly did. “You ok?”

Victim could feel their chest move with each heavy breath they took. Something was wrong, they knew it and could feel it, but the source was just beyond their reach. They just stared for a moment, not trusting their voice to be even. Chosen looked back with his red eyes. Many sticks thought they were scary or a bad omen, but those eyes could see more than anyone else. They could read souls and intentions and know the innermost turmoils of whoever he looked at. It didn’t work on Victim, since they were a god as well, but Chosen still knew how to read people and their movements, and since he’s known Victim for his entire life, he could read them pretty damn well.

Normally, their brothers helped them, helped to calm their anger and mask their pain. But not today. Today, all he could think about was her , how they lost her in a mess of fire and tears and betrayal. And looking at Chosen, they could only think about how she was gone now, forever - not even existing in the afterlife. 

And it was because of him .

What? No, it wasn’t. Chosen would never do that.

Oh, but he would. That time was different, we both know that. And you have an eyewitness.

He must’ve seen it wrong. There’s more to this story.

I’m afraid it really is that simple, little god. 

Why the hell would I trust you? You already admitted to being the cause of the worst event in history. You’re the reason our family was so broken in the first place. Nothing you say can make me believe you.

Well luckily for me, I don’t have to worry about that. Do not worry, though. I’m only helping you get what you want.

What does that mea-

Suddenly, the presence disappeared, and Victim felt like they were standing alone in a dark room, like someone had just left. Their vision slowly returned, and Victim could see the colourful pillows around them and feel a hand on their shoulder.

“Victim!” Chosen shouted from next to them. They snapped out of their daze and faced him, meeting the worried red eyes of their brother. Second and Dark were also nearby, equally worried.

“Huh?”

Chosen glanced at Dark, brows furrowed. “Vic, you looked like you were possessed or something! You weren’t responding or moving, and you were kind of muttering to yourself.”

Victim just stared at Chosen, processing his words. They opened their mouth to explain what had happened, the voice they heard, but nothing came out. They paused. It was like half of them wanted to say it, but the other half was stopping them. Did they want to tell Chosen what happened? Why were they hesitating?

“Sorry, I’m… not sure what that was,” is the answer they went with. If telling the truth was so difficult apparently, they’ll just lie a little. It was easier that way, no second guessing themself.

“You feeling ok, Vic?” Dark asked them from the side.

“Yeah, just a headache. It’s been here for a while and hasn’t gone away yet. Maybe that’s why I’m zoning out.”

“… ok then. Maybe you should rest for a bit,” he suggested. Victim nodded and sat up.

“I think I will. Sorry I wasn’t here long, Sec,” Victim said to the youngest. They walked over to him and pulled him into a hug, which Second gladly returned. 

“Don’t worry about it Vic. We can catch up more next time!”

“Yeah, for sure,” they agreed, pulling back. 

Victim heard shuffling in another room, and turned towards the sound. Was that the voice they heard? Would they see who it was?

“Second?” A voice called out. Alan came around a corner and entered the room. Victim let out a breath they didn’t know they were holding when they saw who it was. 

No secret person here.

Alan waved Second over to have their talk and before he left, Second turned back and gave Victim one last smile. 

“Feel better soon, Vic!” he said, waving. Victim chuckled as they waved back before retreating to their room.

It was colder than normal. Their room was minimally decorated and they never liked spending time in it, so it always felt a bit unwelcoming, but this time was different. Victim was sitting at the foot of their bed on the floor, clutching their head. It felt like it was being ripped in two.

What was happening to them?

How much time had passed since they came here? It felt like years, sitting on cold stone in agony. When would it end? Would it ever end? Or would they be forced to endure this forever?

Their thoughts moved quickly, swirling in never-ending circles in their head. Victim’s magical hands moved up to grab at their hair, trying to ground themself, but to no avail. The grip of their hair was so strong they thought they were going to rip it out. 

In the midst of all the chaos in their head, one thought consistently shone through: they couldn’t stay here. They had to go somewhere else before they lost it. They couldn’t be around their brothers when they inevitably snapped. 

They have to go.

Victim felt something brush along their face and they snapped their eyes open. Why was their vision blurry? A hand slowly moved to their cheek and brushed away a tear. They hadn’t even realised they were crying. What were they crying for?

A knock on the door interrupted their thoughts, and Victim’s head whirled around to it.

“C- Come in…” they choked out, voice unsteady. Dark opened the door, letting in a stream of light. Victim could only pray he couldn’t see their tears. 

“Sec’s gone now,” he announced. “Left a few minutes ago. You feeling ok?”

Victim rubbed their eyes. “Yeah, just the headache. Thanks for letting me know.”

Dark nodded, understanding the silent request to leave. He turned around and gently closed the door, barely making a sound.

Second isn’t here anymore.

Alan is probably back to work now.

Chosen will be on a patrol soon.

It’s time to go. 

----------

Mango enjoyed watching his students train. He normally instructed the training class, but today, Indigo took over for him. There was a lot of paperwork that he needed to catch up on, many parents concerned about their kids after the trip that he needed to respond to.

Gods , it was a lot of work sometimes. But looking down into the arena, he was reminded of what it was all for.

His students. 

In a way, his kids. 

He could see how much they’ve improved and it warmed his heart to watch them all grow. Especially Purple. By the gods, he was proud of that kid. They had been so kind to Second and were really helping him fit in. The young Naga had come out of his shell recently, and was very close with his roommates.

After what had happened in the Nether, Mango was worried about him, but it appears it was for nothing. He’s glad the kid is doing well. A week has gone by now, and nothing new or unexpected has happened. 

Maybe Mango needs to properly learn what “jinxing” is. 

The bell rang through the halls and training gear was put away down in the arena. Students waved to Indigo as they hurried off to their next class, the next shift in the ever-turning gear that was this school. Mango turned back to his desk, finally facing the neglected paperwork with a sour expression. 

The Gods must fucking hate me with the amount of forms I need to sign right now, Mango thought with a sigh. He walked over with heavy feet and began working, hardly at it for ten minutes before someone knocked at his door.

“One moment!” he called out. Mango quickly put down his pencil and went to the door. He didn’t remember preparing any meetings with anyone today? Ah, if only he was prepared for what waited for him.

When he opened the door, Mango was greeted by who he would probably consider the most stunning stick ever. He was a Naga with wild, bright red hair that had two small braids woven in the back and deep green scales that shined a vibrant red in the light. He’s probably related to Second, then. His eyes were dark red and piercing. Mango felt like they were staring into his soul.

“Hey there, you’re Mango, right?” the stick asked, with a sharp grin that bordered on slightly evil. Oh gods, he even has a beautiful voice. 

Mango cleared his throat.

“Yes, I am,” he said, impressed by how even his voice sounded. If only he felt that calm inside. “Why don’t you come inside, we shouldn’t talk in the doorway.”

The Naga said a quick thanks and moved inside. His deep green scales flashed red for a moment as the bright afternoon light passed over him. 

“Take a seat,” Mango said, gesturing to the chair across from his desk while sitting down himself. The stick did the same then levelled that piercing gaze back at Mango. He could feel himself heat up. 

“So,” Mango said, trying to ease the atmosphere. “What brings you here? And I’m sorry, I don’t think I got your name…?”

“Ah, of course. My name is Dark,” he started, flashing Mango another sharp-toothed grin. “As you might’ve guessed, I’m Second’s older brother. I’m just here to check up on how he’s doing and I need some help finding him - I have to give him something.” 

So I was right then, Mango thought. “I see. Well, I have Second’s files and reports here if you’d like to take a look?”

Dark hummed a confirmation as Mango opened his drawer to pull out some stacks of papers. He explained each of Second’s classes, and how he was doing in each one. He also talked a bit about Second’s roommates and how he was adjusting with his peers. 

“Second is doing especially well in his magic class. He’s even been helping Blue, the witch he’s roommates with,” Mango praised. Not long ago, he talked with the young Naga about the magic classes. Second had politely but firmly explained that the current magic teacher was… basically useless. He was in the process of looking for a new one now. In truth, that teacher annoyed him quite a bit, and Mango was very glad for the opportunity to find someone new.

He continued to ramble, and Dark nodded along, occasionally adding his own comments as well. Mango isn’t sure exactly when it happened, but their conversation slowly drifted away from Second’s performance in school to other topics as well. Dark was talking about his life with Second and his other brothers, with Mango jumping in with his own stories. Although he didn’t have any blood siblings, Lava Walker groups are tight knit communities and often operated like large families, so the other kids his age were basically his siblings.

Mango was so engrossed in a story Dark was telling that he almost jumped to the ceiling when the bell rang, signalling it lunch time. 

“Holy shit-” Dark bit out, his hand flying to his chest in shock. Mango was bent forward, one hand grasping the desk and the other one on his heaving chest as well. He took a few deep breaths to try and calm his heart, which was pounding from the scare.

“You can say that again,” Mango shakily laughed. He looked up to the clock to check the time. The period had just about started when Dark first came, so over an hour had passed while they were talking.

It had only felt like minutes. 

“It’s lunch now, so you should be able to find Second in the cafeteria,” Mango turned to Dark as he spoke. “I could also ask Purple where Second is, if you have trouble finding him.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll have no problem finding him.” Dark grinned. “Perks of being magical siblings - we have a bond that guides me to where they are.”

“That’s… actually very interesting. Is it limited to siblings, or other family t- wait. Why did you need me to help you find Second then? You could’ve just found him yourself and asked him about his performance personally.”

Dark smirked, flashing his sharp teeth. “Maybe I just wanted to talk to the pretty Lava Walker running this place.”

The Naga swiftly turned around and opened the door. Before Mango even had the time to react, he turned back and winked. “Thanks for the chat, Mango. Hope to see you again.”

And just like that, Dark was gone, leaving Mango staring at the empty space he left behind. Mango could feel the heat grow in his face and the growing feeling in his chest. 

What… the fuck?

----------

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT, DARK??! THAT’S NOT HOW YOU FUCKING PLAY IT COOL, YOU DUMBASS.

Oh, shit shit shit. He was an idiot. If Chosen were here - actually, if any of his siblings were here - he would be making fun of him. Despite his nonchalant exterior, the spider sibling was actually comically bad at any sort of romantic relationships, and had an embarrassing track record to show for it. Try as he might, all his past attempts had just ended in disaster.

It only ends in disaster, Dark, he reminded himself as he walked down the Academy’s long halls. He felt a familiar feeling, like a stone in his stomach, setting in. Everything you touch ends in disaster… don’t ruin this place too.

I should just… stay away from it. From him. Don’t start anything you’ll regret.

Dark was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn’t see the stick in front of him until they collided. He felt to the ground with a grunt and heard the other stick thump down as well.

“Shit, sorry, I didn’t see you there,” the stick said, scrambling up.

Clearly, Dark quipped back in his head, but the words he said out loud here: “don’t worry about it, I wasn’t looking either.”

He pushed himself up on his hands and noticed the stick above him, offering a hand to help him up. Dark finally got a good look at who it was: a yellow Seer with short, curly hair and rectangular glasses. A thick book was tucked under his other arm, presumably the reason he didn’t see Dark. 

Dark gave him a wry grin and took his hand. The stick pulled him up and watched him for a moment, brows furrowed. Realisation then set in, and his face almost literally lit up.

“You’re related to Second, aren’t you?” he asked, smiling.

“Uh, yeah, I am. I’m guessing your Yellow, then?” Dark remembered Second telling him about the friends he made at the Academy - specificallyhis roommates. Amongst the group was a Seer that fit what this stick looked like. 

Yellow nodded. “You want me to bring you to him? We were just eating lunch together.”

“Sure, that’d be nice.” It wouldn’t hurt to go with this stick. If he was just with Second, then it would be faster than looking by himself.

Yellow grinned and waved for Dark to follow him back in the direction he originally came from. As Dark walked - or slithered? - next to him, he noticed how much the Seer was fiddling and twitching nervously. Hands picked at the cover of his book and played with his curls. 

Why would he be so nervous? Dark wondered. Oh, wait. Right. He knows.

Second explained what happened to the Nether to Alan, and after to him and Chosen as well, and in that story, he also mentioned how he revealed his true nature to his friends in order to kill the Scribble.

Ah. So… should he… mention that? Or would that make it awkward? Fuck, why was talking to damn teenager so hard for him?

Oh, fuck it.

“So,” he started, keeping his gaze ahead of him. In the corner of his eyes, he could see Yellow jump and turn to him. “You know about it, huh?”

Though it was technically a question, both of them knew Dark wasn’t asking. He was stating a fact.

Yellow looked down, fidgeting. “Y-yeah, I do.”

Dark couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He was so over tiptoeing around the topic.

“Well you don’t have to be so nervous, I’m not gonna smite you down or anything. Just keep your mouth shut and we won’t have a problem.”

Yellow suddenly stopped walking and Dark looked back in confusion. The Seer was chewing on his bottom lip and it looked like he was trying to say something.

“What?” Dark pressed. 

“While I appreciate the reassurance, that’s not why I’m nervous,” Yellow said, voice quiet. Now Dark’s interest has peaked. Yellow wouldn’t look at him, instead finding the floor much more interesting.

“Well then, what is it, little Seer?” he asked, teasing a bit. “Don’t leave me wondering.”

Yellow visibly swallowed and steeled himself before the words came tumbling out.

“Well, I just- it’s- you’re… you ,” he stammered, hands waving around. “God of invention! The- the things you come up with and create are… incredible! It’s amazing how you come up with these things and just know how to make them work, and frankly, I aspire to be able to work like that too. And I- I guess I just… didn’t think I’d be meeting you in person.”

Dark was stunned, to say the least. It’s not like he hadn’t heard these words before - especially in the early days of civilization, his work was praised and honoured. But something felt different about it this time. Here he was in front of this young stick, not as a god, but as a brother, as a mortal. And this stick, with his genuine words and ambitions, reminded him so much of himself. 

These weren’t the words of someone who saw what he did and thought it was a miracle, thought he was doing the impossible. They were the words of someone who understood his work and what he did to get to that point. Someone who knew it wasn’t magic, but science and hard work. To have that recognised and acknowledged by this stick in such earnesty… it was new to him, but it warmed him to his core. 

Yellow was still fiddling, probably wondering why Dark hadn’t said anything yet. Dark let out a small laugh that was more like a sigh and gently grabbed Yellow’s shoulder. The Seer jumped, and for the first time in a while he looked at Dark, who was smiling. Not his usual smirk or mischievous grin. No, this was a warm, genuine smile that normally only his brothers would see.

“You’re smart, Yellow, I can see that in you,” Dark said, voice quiet. “Keep those aspirations and keep trying. You’ll do great things. And get Second to call me - I’d love to stop by and see what you’re working on.”

“R-really?” Yellow asked, shocked.

Dark chuckled. “Of course! There’s nothing quite like seeing what’s going on in another inventor’s head. If it’s anything like what Second’s told me about, there’s a lot of potential in you.”

“Oh, wow, t-thank you!” Yellow stuttered. “That’s… I-... that means a lot to me.”

Just as Dark was about to respond, he heard a familiar voice from down the hall.

“Dark??”

He quickly turned around, feeling a smile forming as he came face to face with his little brother.

“Second!” Dark rushed over to his stunned brother and quickly pulled him into a hug. 

“Wh-what are you doing here??” Second spluttered as he hesitantly hugged Dark back. Dark pulled away a bit, trying to keep the grin on his face. 

“What do you mean, Sec? I told you I was coming over a while ago.” He then dropped his voice down to a whisper, careful that Yellow and anyone else around couldn’t hear him. “Go with it.”

Second scowled, but he knew better than to ask questions right now. “Right… I… must’ve forgotten.”

“No worries, it happens to everyone. How about you show me your dorm as we can catch up some more?”

“I- yeah, sounds good.”

Second turned, leading Dark to his dorm, and before he walked away, Dark made sure to turn back and give Yellow a wave.

“Nice chatting with you, Yellow! I look forward to seeing what you’re working on.”

Yellow timidly waved back with a small grin. “You too, thanks.”

Dark gave him a quick wink before going to catch up with Second. Once they were alone, they both agreed to just teleport to the room to save time.

It was quite impressive how nice the dorms were - they were well furnished and spacious, which is probably why they could fit more people per room.

“So,” Second began, walking around the kitchen. “Why are you here?”

“Can’t I just want to visit my little brother?” Dark joked, trying to hide his hesitation. He isn’t quite sure why he’s dancing around the topic.

Second just glared at him. “We both know that’s bullshit, Dark. If you wanted to visit, there are other ways to do that. No reason why you should come to me during the day, exposing yourself to other people here too.”

Dark heaved a sigh and leaned against the counter. Second could see through his masks too easily - it was disarming.

“Fine. I have news for you.”

“News so urgent that you couldn’t have waited for a few days until my updates?”

“Exactly.” Dark met Second’s gaze, dead serious. His chest tightened at the brief fear that passed over Second’s face.

“Second… Victim is missing.”

Chapter Text

They are flying, far away from their home and all they know. They want to do this. They know it is to get back the one they miss most. Home had never been the same since she left. They blamed their father for it. They blamed themselves for it. They blamed the world for it. 

And now, the world will pay.

How exactly, they weren’t entirely sure yet. They were still working it out, molding the plan over in their head. Yes, their plan indeed. Pieces fell together, forming, and ideas solidified. They knew this would work. They knew this had to be done. 

Didn’t they?

Of course they did. For it was necessary. Their anger and pain boiled and someone must pay for the loss.

But what if they did not think there was anyone to blame?

Of course they thought there was someone to blame. The world was to blame. If it was not the world, they would blame their father for letting it happen. They would blame their brother for the second loss, so close after. They would blame themselves for not being strong enough to do anything. They would not be weak again. That mistake will not be repeated. 

Finally, they arrive at their destination: a cave. This one is not like their home. Their home is blocked off from mortals, only reachable with the divine powers of gods. This cave, however, is in the Overworld itself, hidden away in a forest. They ducked under the vines covering the entrance - how did they know where the entrance was? - and walked in, taking in their surroundings.

On one side of the cave were desks and shelves, covered with blueprints and papers. On the other, was a workbench with scattered metal parts lying around. There was a glow coming from the back of the cave, white and unnatural. Curious, they walked deeper into the cave to investigate. The light around them slowly changed from the warm glow of the evening to the harsh glare of fluorescent lights. 

They were… confused. They didn’t know what they were looking at. It was only a cube. Actually, it was more of a rectangular prism. It was 3D, that was for sure. They couldn’t see anything inside, or maybe they just couldn’t see inside. In front of it was a control panel, and they walked up to it. Looking around the smooth screen, they saw a button - presumably the power button. They pressed it. 

The screen came to life, displaying a loading screen.

THE BOX

It read. They looked up from the glowing words to the shape, or The Box, as it was apparently called. The Box was making a consistent hum and illuminated everything in this area of the cave with its light.

What is its purpose?

They know its purpose. They know what they must do. They must have the strength to do it. Otherwise, they will be just as weak as when they first lost her. 

----------

“You sure this is the right place?” 

“For the last damn time, Ballista, yes, I am sure.”

Primal nudged Hazard and rolled her eyes once they looked at her. Agent and Ballista often bickered and butted heads, leaving Primal and Hazard to deal with their antics. But neither one of them minded. They were all friends and they acted like family, no matter how annoying they were.

“Just checking, Agent,” Ballista said, nonchalantly. “We don’t want another repeat of the Tiger Lair mission, do we?”

“You promised not to bring that up anymore,” Agent grit out. Even though he always wore dark sunglasses, the team could all tell he was glaring at Ballista, who just let out a cackle. Primal rolled her eyes again and Hazard only chuckled. 

Agent sighed before turning to the others, suddenly serious. “Remember guys,” he started. “This mission is important. That Lava Walker said we’re meeting with the one who’ll give us our task. We can’t mess this up. They’re a powerful stick, and even more importantly, they’re paying us well. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!” came their responses in unison. Primal and Hazard both gave a quick salute, and from behind Agent, Ballista did as well. Even though Agent was the only one out of the four without powers, they all agreed he was their leader and respected him. For all their teasing and banter, they would always listen to him. 

Agent turned back around, and continued to push through the dense forest. Their group left yesterday afternoon and had to spend the night in the forest because of how long this was taking. It was now midday, and they still hadn’t found their destination. Ballista was getting restless - even though he was a normal stick by birth like Agent, he was touched by magic, giving him strange abilities. He was extremely quick and could change his form in a few different ways. His favourite form was changing parts of his body into weapons, namely guns or cannons. That’s how he got his nickname, Ballista. Unfortunately, the abilities also made him extremely hyper and unable to focus or sit still. Not very fun when they were on body guarding missions. 

But if what the orange stick said was true, this would be nothing like their normal missions.

“Agent, I think I found something!” Ballista called from up ahead. Agent perked up, and hurried over to his friend. True to what he said, Ballista was standing by the mouth of a cave that was mostly hidden by vines. 

“ Finally, ” Agent sighed. “We’re here.”

The others looked up to the cave with quizzical looks. It didn’t look like the homebase of a powerful stick. It looked… rather pathetic. Unassuming. 

“So, do we know what - or who - is waiting for us in there?” Primal asked as unease washed over her. Something isn’t right.

“It wasn’t mentioned,” Agent mused. “I don’t even know if the Lava Walker knew. He just told us to come here and someone would be waiting.”

There was a beat where nothing was said and no one moved.

“... are we stupid?” Hazard asked. “Did we really not bother to ask who we’re gonna work for?”

“Is it a trap?” Primal suggested. “If it’s a ‘powerful stick’, we could be ambushed or captured. Maybe there’s not even a job.”

“Well, only one way to find out,” Agent said, turning back to the entrance. Nervousness started running through him and lay heavy in the pit of his stomach. “Be ready for anything, ok? We don’t know what’s in there.”

His team nodded as they prepared. Agent took out his weapon and took the back of the group while Primal, their heaviest hitter, took the front. As a Stone sub-species of Lava Walker, her physical strength was unmatched and she could tank heavy hits as well. Ballista took his place slightly in front of Agent as his pixelated head opened through the middle and a gun nozzle came out the front. It was always strange to see him like that, but he was a good gunman, so Agent doesn’t complain. Hazard positioned themselves across from Ballista, hands held in fists. Out of all of them, Hazard’s abilities were the most unknown to Agent, but that’s to be expected. They were a Shadowlite, a strange creature that originated from the afterlife domains. Finding one in the Overworld didn’t happen too often, but Agent was glad for it. Hazard had saved their group from close calls countless times.

Now in a diamond-shaped position, the four sticks slowly advanced into the cave, alert and ready. Despite the mess inside, it didn’t seem like anyone was living there; there was no clear bed or resting place, no food, used or otherwise. Nothing. Just desks and workbenches and shelves. Maybe the stick they were meeting didn’t actually live here?

Before they could investigate further, they heard footsteps and all jumped and turned to the sound. Primal let out a low growl as her dark eyes flared with yellow light. They all waited in anticipation for who awaited them.

“You’re here, how wonderful!” a voice said as the figure came around a corner.

Oh. Oh shit. We’re fucked.

Agent felt his heart turn to stone as he saw who it was. If this was an attempt to kill or trap them, it would work. Him and his team stood no chance against this stick. 

It was a god. Something about them felt… familiar to Agent. They had a cold smile on their face and stared at them with dead, white eyes. 

“Welcome, mercenaries! It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” they said, with false pleasantness in their voice. A chill went down Agent’s spine. Something was off. 

“Who are you?” Primal demanded, not dropping her defensive stance. None of them did.

The god’s smile only widened in an unnerving way at the question.

“I am Victim.”

----------

They were here. Perfect. They would be crucial to their plan. 

How did they get here so fast? They didn’t come up with this plan until last night. And they don’t remember hiring them nor talking to them prior to this.

…

Don’t worry about it. It is all going according to plan. The plan they must follow. It will help them. There is no room to doubt. 

The mercenaries were still tense. That wasn’t good. They would have to trust them in order for this to work. They spoke gentle words, hoping to calm them down. 

Explain you won’t hurt them, that is not your intention. In fact, while they are working for you, you will protect them. 

What are you? Why, you are a god, of course. But the one in the glasses knew this already, didn’t you? He was startled as they addressed him. They laugh a bit, to which he only glares back. They can’t see his eyes, but they can feel the glare. 

More questions came. What are they god of? How strong are they? Why were they here? Why do they need them? What is their job?

They only say there will be time for questions later. Right now, only one will be answered - their job. They motion for the group to follow them as they move deeper into the cave. Hestitanly, they do. 

They go back to the room with The Box. They walked over to boxes - they didn’t know those were even in here - and opened one. Looking back to the group, they noted their weapons and races, along with their potential abilities. They called the one with the glasses over and asked him if they had any abilities. He answered no, he was just a normal stick. Not anymore, was their response as they turned to him with a black rectangle in hand. At least, that’s what it looked like. The long, thin rectangle was actually a tool, a weapon like none other, they explained. Upon their request, the stick held his left arm out to them and they strapped the rectangle on. When it was secure, it whirred to life. Several glowing images appeared. It’s like an artist toolbar and works like one too, they explained as they saw the confused looks. It has the ability to draw right in the air and it can manipulate any real life objects - even people. 

They gave other, simpler tools to the others. Stun guns, mainly. They told the group that the use of those weapons would be required on their mission. Nods and quiet sounds of acknowledgement were given as they all took the weapons in their hands. They hoisted the guns experimentally, testing the weight and relishing in the high quality of the material. As the mercenaries talked excitedly, they quietly left the scene, going back to the front of the cave. Doubt shone through again, so it was quickly stamped out. That would not do. They had to do this. They wanted to do this. 

`````

Dearest friends, I have something I must confess. You see, I have not been entirely honest with you. 

They do not want to do this. Deep down, they do, but they would never act on that desire. I am simply helping them, you see. Victim would let the world fall if it came to it, and I am giving them the chance to do just that.

But even now, the will of this god is fighting me. They are trying to escape, to regain control. But I cannot let them. Victim is a part of my plan, a key component. If I have Victim here, their brothers will follow. They’ll try to rescue them. And I need them to try that. I need them to come. 

Maybe I am doing this for Victim. They only want her to come back. Losing her was unfair. Losing her could’ve been avoided. It could’ve been avoided if they had just found me sooner, but oh, how… unfortunate…

Oh, who am I kidding. I couldn’t care less about what happened to them. That’s why I’m glad she’s gone now. It makes Victim a perfect puppet for me.

So much unnecessary loss. From their perspective, of course. To me, it is all meaningless, unimportant in the grand scheme of things. In fact, it helps me. The loss and pain gives me leverage. It gives me something to hold onto and use. With Victim, I can use their anger and want for revenge in my favour. Now, they are getting revenge, just not on the sticks they want to get revenge on. They’re doing my bidding now. 

The same goes for that pathetic Lava Walker. So much guilt in him. So much anger. Mostly towards me, but a good amount of anger at himself. There is so much I can use to control him as well. I can hardly wait. 

Victim is trying to fight me. They are stuck in their mind, a prisoner in their head. They wonder why they are moving and speaking when they aren’t telling their body to. They are yelling and confused. Oh, how nice it is to hear their shouts. They did not listen to mine. None of them did. So now, I will make them listen. I will make them all beg for mercy and give them none. 

`````

The mercenaries came back to the front, looking for them. When they asked what they needed, the grey one said they still hadn’t explained what their job was. Ah, of course. They stood up and felt a grin grow on their face. 

Oh, I am looking forward to this. 

“I want you to capture and bring me my brother, The Chosen One.”

Chapter Text

Yellow loved his redstone class. The tools to create and program were given to him and the possibilities were endless. Of course, some inventions were more successful than others, but he never let that deter him. For example, there was that axe he tried to make. That one ended with Blue bonking him on the head and many healing potions handed out to his friends. 

But sometimes, he really did well with what he made. Right now he was working on something for Green, an apology of sorts. Out of all their friends, he and Green butted heads the most, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t like each other. It was actually quite the opposite - Yellow considered Green one of his closest friends. The Siren was constantly pushing him to be better and would support Yellow’s endeavours without question. Well, with some questions, which was fair. Following Yellow’s ideas wasn’t always the wisest move.

That night when Purple was sick was something that weighed heavy on Yellow’s mind. The guilt of his actions ate at him at night and made a cloud in the back of his head during the day. He lashed out at Green because he was right; Yellow was trying to learn something that wasn’t his business, and in his quest for that, he had invaded Second’s privacy, hurt Green and probably hurt Red too. His friends didn’t show any sign of holding that against him, but Yellow still couldn’t shake the feeling. He had to do something to make it up to them. That’s just how he works. Yellow solves problems. And in the cases where he causes them, he’ll solve another problem to make up for it. 

And that’s what he was currently working on. Yellow took some materials from his redstone class (hoping that he wouldn’t get caught and get in trouble) and was working on his apology for Green - a magical pendant. During their fight in the Nether, Yellow noted how much using his charm had exhausted Green. Once they were back home, he couldn’t talk for almost a whole week. Yellow hoped that the pendant would change that. 

Ever since Blue started learning more about her powers, there had been more late night trips to the library. Yellow often got dragged along and although he leaned more towards the sciences and logical explanations, he couldn’t deny the wonders of magic. But like machines, it had limitations. Sticks were able to use magic because of their mana, a special kind of energy that came from their source element. Witches could use free magic because they were connected to two sources, and therefore had more mana. But when that metaphorical well of energy gets too low, a stick can’t use their abilities anymore. 

The idea was very interesting to Yellow. The more he thought about it, the more he realised he experienced this himself; emotion and mind reading were easy to him, so easy that he could do it almost subconsciously and keep it around him at all times, like a shield. But telekinesis was a different story. He tried to avoid using it, because any time he did, he was lightheaded and sick afterwards. When they all got back from the Nether, Yellow had spent almost an hour dry heaving in the bathroom and another six hours just lying in his bed. Not very fun, but it gives him answers - the emotion reading uses very little mana while telekinesis takes up a lot.

Yellow thought about it some more, wondering how it affected different races. Some sticks had more outward magic while others simply had different forms. It’s not like simply being a Lava Walker uses mana because they have a non-human form. Only abilities require mana to use and maintain. So what about his friends?

Red’s shifting was natural and fluid. He could do it all the time and hold the different forms for hours at a time if he had to, so shifting either didn’t use much mana or Red just trained harder to achieve that. Probably a mix of the two.

Purple didn’t have any abilities per se - their magic manifested in their physical form and stayed that way. Because they were able to fly with actual wings, they had no reason to use their Avian ability to mold the sky and bend the air. Maybe Yellow should ask Purple to use their abilities, just to compare the mana use to other races.

Second, obviously, was an anomaly in this puzzle. As a god, he didn’t have all the limits that a stick would and his abilities far surpass those of mortals. From what Yellow has seen, Second has way more mana than even the most powerful witches, but he can still be overextended. After the Nether, he couldn't hold his Naga disguise for long; the moment they were all safe in their dorm room, the illusion dropped along with Second dropping to the ground in exhaustion.

Blue was still learning, and because of that, she had a habit of overexerting herself. She could take a lot, but sometimes she doesn't realise how hard a spell is and the next minute she's collapsed over her desk, giving Yellow a heart attack. As scary as it was at first, it's such a Blue thing to do and sometimes Yellow couldn’t do anything but let out a small, fond laugh at her antics. 

Green actually has to use a surprising amount of mana daily because he has to keep up a human form. Yellow hadn’t actually considered this before, but it makes sense. If he stayed as a Siren all day, he wouldn’t exert himself, but it’s not exactly an option for him. Some races, like Avians and Nagas, have the ability to take a human form, but simply don’t and others, like some Lava Walkers, Seers and Water Walkers, just don’t have an alternate form at all. But Mers and Sirens were different, so if Green wanted to be able to get around in this dry world, he’d have to constantly use mana to do so. For Mers, this is probably the only thing they’d use mana for, but Sirens also have their charm, the Siren’s Voice. Their alluring, magical songs that can convince sticks to do their bidding. Like any ability, some have an easier time or need less mana to use it, but regardless, it’s a very taxing ability, especially when you’re already using mana to keep a human form.

Green is strong and prideful, and unfortunately, he’s very good at hiding his struggles. But gods , did that day in the Nether change everything. They all went home exhausted and pushed to their limits, and for probably the first time, Yellow could see the toll that using his charm had on Green. It was hard to process, because Yellow knows how much Green loves who he is  and all that comes with it, even his ability. Not being able to use it is hard, not because he has to or wants to use it, but because he doesn’t even have the option anymore. It was taken from him.

So what is Yellow doing about this? 

Hopefully, solving the problem.

The Seer pushed away from his desk, sighing and rubbing his face with his palms. His hair was tied back in a bun, but because of how short it was, it was common for little strands to pop out and bother him. That’s why he liked his goggles; they keep the stray curls out of his eyes as he works.

Sirens have a crystal embedded between their collarbones which is the source of their charm’s magic - a direct gateway to their mana. It’s both their greatest weapon and their greatest weakness. If a Siren’s crystal was shattered, there would be a very small chance they would survive. And even if they did, a life without their magic, their charm, essentially their whole identity, would hardly be worth living.

So as Yellow looked back down to the pendant, examining the light metal, he hoped his plan would work. It was a diamond shape with adjustable leather bands on either side. The diamond itself was made out of a light, but strong metal, and it was concave so it would fit around Green’s crystal, protecting it from harm. There was also intricate, tiny machinery inside the diamond, designed to amplify both the volume and power of Green’s charm, so hopefully, he wouldn’t need to use as much mana anymore.

Yellow gently tapped his welder on the side of his workspace as he turned his creation around under the light. He knows he isn’t always the most successful in his creations, but he’s rather proud of this one. A lot of research and care went into it, and he hoped Green would appreciate it.

Now there was just one more thing to do: enchant it. Magical tools need a small part of magic to power them, nothing like true, high level enchantments, though. If any stick had enough connection with their mana, they could possibly enchant something like this too. That’s what Yellow’s redstone teacher told him, at least. That lesson tied into a project for the class, but Yellow was hardly focused on that right now. 

He didn’t trust himself enough to do the enchantment himself, but luckily, he had a volunteer. Blue had been wanting to learn enchantments for ages , and now, she had something to practise with. Ever since Yellow proposed the idea to her, she had been diligently reading up on enchantments, how they worked and how to cast them. It warmed Yellow to see her so happy about something. She deserved that happiness.

And speaking of the Water Walker, all of a sudden she was there, standing next to Yellow and tapping his shoulder. 

“HOLY FUCK-” he screamed, actually jumping out of his chair. He silently thanked the gods that he put down the pendant, because if he had still been holding it, it would’ve flown to the other side of the room. 

“Sorry, sorry!” Blue cried. Her hands flew up in a gesture of surrender. “I knocked and I tried calling your name, but you were just in your own world again.”

Yellow hoped Blue didn’t notice the way he hesitated and froze as his eyes landed on the long sweater she was wearing on top of her archery bands. Because of her webbed fingers, Blue couldn’t actually wear archery gloves, so the golden leather was used in its place. 

The bands were normal, but the long sleeves were not. Those only started appearing after Blue’s scars healed but didn’t go away.

“No no, it’s ok, you just scared me,” Yellow muttered as he sat back down. He picked the pendant back up and turned it under the light, thinking. Blue walked around so she was standing behind Yellow’s chair, leaning over his shoulder.

“That’s the thing for Green, right?” she quietly asked. Yellow nodded. “Want me to enchant it now?”

“It’s not quite ready yet, I still have to tweak it a bit. Plus, we aren’t even sure what spell we need to put on it.”

“I’ve actually been going over them with Second,” Blue said, standing up. Yellow tried his very best to ignore the flash of jealousy because he knew it was unreasonable. Second was helping Blue with magic, plus, it’s not like Blue owed Yellow all her time or attention. 

So stop being so stupid about it, Yellow , he thought to himself. 

Blue was still talking, and Yellow just realised he zoned out.

“Sorry, can you say that again?” Yellow interrupted. He turned around in his chair so he was no longer facing the desk, but Blue instead.

“I was just saying that Second and I were looking at amplifying spells, and I think I found one that can work.” Yellow cherished the way Blue’s face lit up in pride as she spoke. 

“Do you think you’re able to do it then?” Yellow inquired. “It doesn’t have to be right now, of course.”

“Well, because enchantment spells aren’t connected to an element like most others are, they’re way harder. And amplifiers are pretty complicated, so I’ll need to practise some more before I can.”

Blue’s face fell, and Yellow could practically hear her thoughts, telling herself that she wasn’t doing enough, that she should try more, be more, or else saving her from her injuries had just been a waste.

Ok, maybe he was actually hearing her thoughts, though it wasn’t intentional! Yellow always had that ability active, just in case. It was a leftover habit from his childhood, when adults and kids alike would get mad and upset at him when he didn’t understand the hidden meaning of their words or didn’t know he was supposed to act a certain way when they never told him that. His life had always been second meanings and deciphering strange cues and expectations. He had never understood how and he had never been the best at empathising or understanding others emotions, so he used his ability to learn what people were feeling and what they expected of him.

That fear of not knowing what to do still followed him, but right now, he didn’t give it a second thought as he jumped into action. Blue doubted herself, thought she wasn’t worth it, and Yellow had never heard anything more incorrect in his damn life.

“Hey,” he whispered as he stood up. Blue looked down, one hand picking at the frayed edge of her archery bands, occasionally catching on her skin. 

“Blue,” he gently pressed. One hand went down to catch hers, stopping the picking, and the other cupped her cheek, so lightly that it was only a whisper over her skin. “Look at me.”

Seeing how broken and tired her eyes were broke Yellow.

He didn’t speak for a moment, unsure of what to say. Yellow was never the best at comforting words or gestures. Whenever he tried to reassure someone, the words felt stiff and strange on his tongue, like he was just reading off a script of what he was supposed to say, but no matter how much he didn’t like it, right now saying nothing was even worse to him.

“We have time. The pendant isn’t ready yet. And even so, if you need more time to get it right, I can wait.”

“But I just-” Blue cut herself off, looking at the ground instead of at Yellow. “I’ve had time, I should be ready by now! It’s just… so frustrating that I can’t do anything right.”

“Hey, stop that.” Yellow’s voice was dead serious, no longer trying to be soft words of comfort. “That’s not fair to yourself, Blue.”

“Huh?”

“There’s no time limit on this, you can take as long as you need. Who cares if it’s tomorrow or a week from now? As long as you’re ready, that’s all that matters.

“And don’t you dare tell yourself you can’t do anything. Blue, you’re smart and ambitious and determined, and you can truly do anything when you set your messy, chaotic, amazing mind to it. I’m serious.”

At some point during his rant, Yellow had moved one hand onto Blue’s shoulder while the other was holding the side of her face to keep their gazes locked. Her bright eyes scrunched up, and suddenly Blue buried her face into Yellow’s shoulder and pulled him into a hug as tears fell. The position was a little awkward since Blue was the taller one, but Yellow didn’t mind one bit. His arms moved to wrap around her shoulders, and his hands gently rubbed circles into her back.

Yellow could feel his heart break a little each time he heard a sob that Blue didn’t manage to smother, or when her shoulders shook harder, but he didn’t dare move a muscle. He would stay here until Blue was ok.

“S-sorry,” came a muffled voice. Blue’s arms tightened a bit around his waist as she spoke. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I just… I needed this, thank you.”

“Hey, don’t be sorry,” Yellow murmured in reply. “You haven’t done anything wrong, ok? It’s ok to be upset, especially considering everything that’s happened.”

“I know, I just feel like it’s been taking me too long to move on from that.” Blue gently pulled back from the hug so she could once again look at Yellow. Yellow moved his hands from Blue’s back to her arms. “I’m tired of doing nothing.”

“Then come here,” Yellow flicked his head towards the back of the room, behind his desk, then walked over. It wasn’t as well lit as the rest of the room so he had to dig around for a minute, but eventually found what he was looking for. Triumphantly, Yellow raised a pale, rosy pink rod out.

“You can help me with this! It’s almost due anyways.”

Because they were nearing the family visit week, lots of big projects were due for their classes, including one in Yellow’s redstone class, where they had to build and possibly enchant something, if they’re able to. Yellow and Blue’s project is what inspired the gift for Green - they wanted to make a staff that could harness the energy and abilities of other enchanted objects. 

After everything that happened in the Nether, the project was pushed to the side for a while, but maybe building this could be a good distraction for Blue.

The Water Walker in questioned smiled, which felt like the heavens opening to Yellow.

“Sounds like a plan. What should I do?”

They fell into a rhythm after that, working side by side in mostly silence and communicating without words. Yellow would think about a tool he needed to weld a part of the staff on, and when he turned, Blue would already have that tool in hand. It’s like they were made to do this, to help and work with each other. 

Yellow inwardly laughed a bit. What a strange duo they made; a stick of science and a stick of magic, complimenting each other instead of repelling. Science and magic, two of the most difficult things to coexist, working flawlessly in these two. What a strange duo, indeed.

But Yellow wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s no one who pushes and encourages him more than Blue. No one makes him feel safer or warmer or happier. He hopes he does the same for Blue. And this isn’t a new realisation to him, but suddenly Yellow can’t stop thinking about it. Maybe it’s because the Nether made him realise what he could lose, showing him a glimpse of a Blue-less world. Nothing scared him more, and now more than ever, he feels the need to do something about it.

“Alright, how does this look?” Blue chirped, grinning. She held up the finished staff, a thin metal pole with half a square frame on the end, to hold the enchanted objects.

“Perfect, Blue!” Yellow praised. Blue’s face simultaneously lit up and darkened with a faint blush as she set the staff down, still smiling. 

“Now we just need to set the metal so the enchantment will stick. I think…”

She continued talking, but the words were lost to Yellow. All he could focus on was the sure feeling setting in that this was the right choice.

He hoped he wouldn’t regret it.

Blue looked up when Yellow didn’t respond, confusion painting her face. 

“Yells? You ok?” 

“I- uh- yeah.” Yellow blinked out of his daze, focusing again on the stick in front of him. He took a hesitant step forward to the desk where Blue was and took the hand that she was holding out to him. “...Do you trust me, Blue?”

She cocked her head to the side a bit, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Of course I do, Yells.”

“Ok, then just- trust me on this, ok?” he whispered. Her eyes were so bright and intense, but Yellow couldn’t look away. He never wanted to. 

Blue gave him a little nod, and that was all Yellow needed. He gently tugged her forward with one hand and the other flew up to cup her face as he pulled them into a kiss. 

There was a brief moment where Yellow could feel Blue startle against him before quickly pressing back. She took her hand out of his and moved both up to the sides of Yellow’s face, mirroring him. Yellow’s now empty hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her in. 

It was everything Yellow hoped for and more. Blue was warm and her lips were chapped and rough, but there was no better feeling to Yellow than her lips against his. 

After a minute, they pulled away, flushed and a bit stunned. Blue looked like she was being lit up as she laughed.

“Yells, you-” she was interrupted by giggles. “You’re glowing.”

“Huh?”  

Blue’s hand moved up to his forehead, where she tapped at his Seer Orb, which was indeed glowing. Rather brightly, in fact. 

“OH, heck-” Yellow quickly moved his hand to cover it, face flushing in embarrassment now as well. “I-I don’t know- why would that…”

He tried backing up, too embarrassed to look at Blue, but he was quickly stopped by the Water Walker grabbing his wrist and pulling his hand down. 

“Hey, hey, it’s ok,” she said gently. “It’s not a bad thing, y’know. I think it’s cute…”

“You… do?” Yellow questioned. 

A smile broke out on Blue’s face. “Yeah,” she murmured before pulling him into another kiss. 

Yellow gratefully leaned into it, cherishing the feeling. Gods , he was so lucky to have this  wonderful stick in his life. 

It felt like time had stopped and nothing mattered except for the stick in front of Yellow. They were lost in their own little bubble. The entire world could go up in flames right now, but Yellow wouldn’t care. 

A little nagging feeling was tugging on the edge of Yellow’s consciousness, prompting him to pull away from the embrace. 

“What is it?” Blue asked in confusion as she leaned back to look at him. They were still holding each other, faces only inches apart. 

“I’m… not sure,” he muttered. “Just a strange feeling, like something is coming.”

Blue’s brows furrowed. “Good or bad?”

“I think… good? Not a threat at least.” Yellow gently moved out of Blue’s arms and leaned back on the desk. Blue crossed her arms and moved one hand up to her chin in thought. 

Just as she opened her mouth to ask something else, a new voice interrupted them. 

“My, my, what have we here?” 

Yellow jumped, hitting his hip painfully on the desk and whirled around to the voice. 

“Dark?!”

The god was holding the staff in his hands, then looked up to Yellow and grinned. He was no longer disguised as a Naga, so he looked much more like the intimidating deity he was - six spider-like arms came out of his back, sharp fangs showed when he smiled and an extra set of smaller eyes rested under his main ones. 

“Hey, Yellow.”

“I- wh… what are you doing here??” Oh Cursors, did I fuck something up?

Dark chuckled. “Calm down, you’re not in trouble.” He gently placed the staff back down and ran his fingers down the metal. “I told you I’d come to see what you’re working on, so here I am.”

Yellow glanced over to Blue, who had confusion painted all over her face, but Yellow could tell she was quickly piecing things together in her head.

“I must say,” Dark continued. “I’m quite impressed. An amplification staff, what a great idea. It’s very well built, and I think it’ll work well, if you guys don’t get distracted and actually finish it, that is.” He glanced up with a teasing smirk and Yellow could feel himself turn red from embarrassment. 

The god’s eyes moved off him and over to Blue, who jumped a little under his gaze. “And you’re Blue, I’m guessing?”

She visibly swallowed. “Yes, I am. Who exactly are you?”

“I’m Dark, Second’s brother,” he held out a hand to Blue, the grin never leaving his face. Hesitantly, Blue accepted his hand and shook it. “So you’re the witch he told me about then. You should be quite proud of yourself, y’know.”

“What?”

“Second told us about how quickly you picked up magic and learnt spells. That’s quite the feat, Blue, especially for someone with so little training in so little time.”

Blue scowled. “It’s still taking too long, though. I’m nowhere near where I have to be. I’m supposed to enchant this staff with the amplifier spell, but I can barely hold it for long enough.”

Dark’s face melted into something closer to genuine care and sympathy. 

“I’m guessing Yellow here has already told you you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself, right?” Blue nodded, and Dark continued, “Then you won’t like it any more coming from me, but he has a point. Time is the greatest power in the world, and you’ve accomplished so much in so little.”

Yellow could tell Blue didn’t believe him, or at least, wasn’t listening to his words. Dark sighed and walked around the desk to the side Yellow and Blue were on.

“You wanna know a secret about the gods, Blue?” he asked, leaning his hip on the desk. The Water Walker startled a bit and nodded. 

“We aren’t born with better or stronger magic. At our cores, we aren’t very different from the rest of stick kind. Immortality is what gives us that advantage; we have the gift of time to learn and perfect our skills. But it’s never an easy road, in fact, it takes us gods way longer to get control over our magic - I was barely stronger than a witch after three damn centuries. I think if I was as skilled as you are, I would’ve been able to overthrow the world ages ago.”

Dark pushed himself off the desk, towards Blue and gently rested a hand on her shoulder. “Our biggest secret of all is actually quite obvious - we are imperfect beings. Everyone is, Blue, even gods. And it took me a long time to learn this, but it’s ok to have setbacks and need help. It’s all part of the process.”

Yellow saw it again, that brief moment where Dark’s smile changed into something a bit more genuine, not just the constant grin he wore like a mask. He saw it first when they met in the Academy, the second time after he met up with Second, and now with Blue.

“So,” Dark continued. There was a glint in his eye that made Yellow feel like he had a plan forming in his head. “If you’d let me, I could help you enchant this staff this very minute.”

“What?!” Blue snapped out of her unresponsive daze and looked at Dark with wide eyes. “You can do that?”

Dark laughed. “You’re making an amplifying staff right now! Any spell that could be used as an enchantment can also be wielded by sticks. If you practised hard enough, I’m sure you could learn amplifying spells yourself.”

Blue let the words sink in for a moment then turned to Yellow, expression questioning.

“It’s up to you, Blue,” Yellow shrugged. Truthfully, if they were able to finish the staff today, that would give Yellow more time to focus on Green’s pendant. But he didn’t want to push Blue any further than she was comfortable. 

After a moment of thought, Blue nodded, a determined gleam in her eyes.

“Let’s do it.”

Dark grinned. “Alright, come here, and Yellow, you bring the staff.”

Yellow complied and took the staff off the table. Blue walked over to Dark, who turned her around and put one hand on top of her unruly curls and the other between her shoulder blades. She took the staff from Yellow and held it in her open palms.

“How is this going to work exactly?” Yellow asked as he stepped back.

“Well, Blue, you’ll have to start casting the spell first. Then I’m gonna open a channel between us so I can give my energy to power the spell.”

“Is that safe?” There was a slight waver in Blue’s voice as she asked.

Dark gave her shoulder a few pats. “Of course it is. If I were a normal stick, we’d have to be more careful so we don’t completely drain me, but thankfully I’m not. Gods have way bigger energy reservoirs, it’s basically impossible to drain them, so it’s all good.”

Blue looked uncertain, but relaxed slightly when Yellow gave her a reassuring smile. When she signaled she was ready to Dark, he told her to begin casting the spell. Her voice rang out low and calm, resonating powerful words throughout the room.

“Mikren tairen wicran, cahrai ollovet. Mikren tairen ollovet, dolcan. Mir orim virabei, mir orim vaporei. Pirtag.”

With these hands, give power. With this power, expand. Let it outlast, let it surpass. Amplify.

Blue’s eyes ignited with a greenish-blue glow. Behind her, Dark muttered a few words with closed eyes. A light began forming under his hands where he was touching Blue. If Yellow looked closely, he could see the light moving through Dark’s body into Blue’s, like little rivers. The light traveled out of Blue’s hands and surrounded the staff as it began to lift into the air. 

It looked like little shards of glass were slowly fusing with the metal of the staff. The magic ingrained itself between the bonds in the metal, breaking them and putting them back together. For a moment, it seemed like all the air left the room before it suddenly returned with a slight pop . The staff fell back into Blue’s hands, who in turn fell backwards, clearly exhausted. Dark caught her easily with a small laugh.

“Easy there, witch, we don’t wanna break the staff right after you enchanted it,” he teased as Blue steadied herself. “It’ll be a bit fragile for a few hours, but after that you can go hitting whatever you want with it.”

Blue gave him a shaky smile as Yellow took the staff from her and gently put it on the table. The minute it was out of his hands, Blue flung her arms around Yellow’s shoulders, giddy laugher falling from her lips.

“Yellow, I just enchanted something!” She cried breathlessly, pulling back a bit. Overwhelming joy was written into every part of her face despite exhaustion that was also evident.

“You did!” Yellow pulled her close again, reveling in the excitement. Blue was practically vibrating with happiness and they both entered their own little world again.

Unbeknownst to Yellow, Dark smiled fondly at the sight of the two sticks. 

Second is in good hands.

A small note was conjured and slid onto the table before Dark turned and left the others to their moment.

Finally, Blue pulled away from the hug. Her face was still bright with happiness, but the dark circles under her eyes were even more prominent.

“Alright, I think that’s enough magic for one day. You need some rest,” Yellow pointed out. Blue only nodded with a silent yawn, the lack of fighting it or complaining truly being a testament to how tired she was. 

Blue went to get her bag from the corner of the room while Yellow looked around for Dark, wanting to thank him. Instead, his eyes landed on a paper that was laid by the staff on the table. It wasn’t a very long note, just explaining that Dark had left but would check back again soon. There was also a doodle of what Yellow could only assume to be a poorly drawn spider. Second was the artist of the family for a reason, it appeared.

“Go get your stuff, I’ll put the staff away,” Blue offered as she walked up to the table. Yellow nodded and handed her the keys to the closet where the staff was being stored before turning to gather his own stuff. Tools were placed in his bag and he could faintly hear the turning of locks as Blue closed the closet door. Yellow cast a quick glance at Green’s pendant before carefully putting it in a drawer to finish later. He turned to Blue, who was waiting by the door, and took her hand. The two of them were pretty close in height, but when they were close like this, it was more noticeable that Blue was slightly taller. 

Blue yawned again and Yellow couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped him.

“C’mon, let’s get you to bed sleepyhead,” he murmured, voice warm with fondness.

He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and gave her hand a squeeze before opening the door and leading them out.

Chapter Text

A shot. A blast. A falling training dummy. Its outline sparked and glitched. 

“So cool!” Ballista exclaimed from the other end of the shooting range. The four of them had been training around the cave for a few days now, working to get used to the strange weapons before they had to leave on their mission.

And speaking of their mission… 

Something didn’t sit right with Agent. There was something up with that god, Victim, but he couldn’t place it. Their mere presence was unnerving and every fibre of Agent’s being told him to get his team and run. But another part of Agent felt the opposite - like he knew Victim, or did at some point. Which doesn’t make any sense - if Agent had met a god before, he’s pretty damn sure that he would’ve remembered it.

But you don’t remember everything, it seems… a voice inside him whispered. He hated that voice - reason. Reason reminded him of things that he doesn’t want to consider, like the strange dreams of people he’s never met before. Or dreams that seem so real that they feel more like memories. Or knowledge about certain places or subjects that he’s never learnt. It felt like someone else was living alongside him, knowing and experiencing these things that he’s now seeing and feeling. It was infuriating.

Agent groaned and sat down, leaning against the cold wall of the cave. Although they were outside and under the sun to practise with the weapons, the stone felt like ice. It felt nice though. The cold helped anchor Agent in the present instead of getting lost in unfamiliar memories and familiar feelings. Sometimes he just needed something like that cold to help him.

Sometimes, that cold came in the form of his teammate, Hazard. The Shadowlite had silently walked over to him and placed a large hand on his shoulder. Hazard was always cold, which was strange because his abilities were heat and electricity based, but Agent chalked it up to being a creature of the afterlife. Hazard technically wasn’t dead (as far as Agent knew, at least) but surely originating from the afterlife would reflect in a stick like how Overworld, Nether and End sticks are different, right?

“You’re thinking too hard,” Hazard mumbled, surprising Agent. Whenever Hazard was with him during one of these moments, they typically sat in silence until Agent initiated something. 

His friend turned to face him, watching him closely. Hazard’s eyes were bright yellow with dark sclera. 

“Yeah?” Agent mumbled, giving Hazard a small smile that turned out more like a grimace. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head on them, looking sideways at Hazard. “What do you suggest I do instead, hm?”

“Talk.” Hazard nudged his shoulder with their own, pushing them a little. 

Agent sighed and pushed his glasses up to rub his eyes. He didn’t miss the way Hazard stiffened slightly and looked away. His whole team knew he rarely took his glasses off and respected that fact. It was a show of trust to him, and it really only ever happened around his team, if at all. 

“Something about this isn’t right,” Agent started, putting his glasses back. “Think about it for a moment; a god has come to us and provided us with tools more advanced than anything we’ve ever seen, then tells us we have to hunt down another god? What’s going on here?”

His eyes drifted back to the other members of the team, where Primal was testing out if her new gun interfered with her melee weapons. Ballista came up and snatched an arrow from her, and the two proceeded to run around the clearing. Primal shouted curses at him as Ballista just barely managed to duck away from her grasp.

Hazard let out a small sigh, pushed themselves up and held out a hand to Agent, who took it and let Hazard pull him up. 

“You know what you always tell us on missions?” Hazard asked him. Agent gave them a confused look. He said a lot of things to his team on missions, it could honestly be anything.

“You say it isn’t our job to ask questions. It’s our job to do as we’re told and watch out for each other.” Hazard put a firm hand on Agent’s shoulder and levelled him with a hard, though not unkind glare. “So do your job and trust us to do ours. If you think something is wrong, make sure you keep an eye on it and us. Give us a warning and don’t let this affect your performance. We need you at your best.”

Agent simply looked at Hazard for a minute, eyes tracing the features of their face. He did this often, to all members of his team, like he was trying to commit every detail of their faces to memory. The fragmented thoughts in his head made him never want to forget a face ever again, especially not those closest to him.

Finally, Agent gave them a single nod. “Understood.” 

“Good,” Hazard replied, a rare, small smile making its way onto his face. “Now stop moping and come look at the cool weapons we’ve got.”

Agent grinned and let Hazard pull him over to the rest of their team. Primal stopped chasing Ballista in favour of turning to the other members of her team, waving them over. 

“Agent, come check this stuff out!” she called. Ballista took advantage of her distraction to steal another arrow, but this time Primal was fast enough to backhand him as he tried to escape.

“Ballista, cut it out,” Agent scolded, despite the grin he held back. He would never admit it outloud, but he’s grown rather fond of their antics, annoying as they may be.

“Why’re you taking her side,” Ballista cried, offended. 

“Because you threw the first metaphorical blow. Plus, I don’t want her to hit me too.”

“Damn right you don’t.” Primal gave him a wicked grin. Although he said it lightly, Agent’s words were honest. As a Stone Walker, Primal was easily physically the strongest on their team. Agent has seen great fighters fall after just one blow from her, and he doesn’t want to be added on that list. 

A tapping on his shoulder made Agent turn to face Hazard, who was holding out one of the stun guns to him.

“Try it out.”

Agent took the weapon, careful not to shoot it by accident and turned to the training dummies. Primal and Ballista moved out of the way for him as he aimed the scope at the dummy’s head.

A shot. A blast. Another falling training dummy.

“Damn, this thing is strong,” Agent muttured, looking at the weapon in awe. It was about the length of a shotgun and about the same weight, despite being much wider. It felt like it was tailored for him to use it.

“Of course it is, I designed them myself,” a chilling voice called. Agent tried to hide his flinch as the god approached his team.

“Victim. To what do we owe the pleasure?” Agent was quite proud of how even his voice was.

The smile they gave him had no warmth in it. “I’m just here to check on the progress. While I may have all the time in the world, I know very well that you and your team don’t . Any idea on when you’ll begin your mission?”

Agent could feel his team bristle and stiffen next to him, unsure of if the god’s words were a threat or not. He swallowed heavily.

“We’re planning on leaving in the morning,” he explained. “We’ll gather our supplies tonight and head in the direction you told us.”

“Very good,” Victim said, still smiling. The expression was unnerving with their blank eyes. “And before you go, I have one final gift for you, Agent.”

Agent raised a brow, watching as Victim pulled a thin, rectangular sheet of metal out.

Where the fuck did they get that from?

The metal was held in front of Victim, who hesitated. Their face went blank, as if they weren’t really in their body and their lips moved soundlessly. Agent turned to his team, silently asking if they were seeing this too, or was he just crazy? Similar expressions of confusion were worn on their faces and Ballista met his eyes, shrugging. 

“…no…” Victim whispered, so silently that Agent wasn’t sure if they actually said something or not. For the briefest moment, their eyes changed; dark irises with electric blue flecks appeared and met Agent’s gaze. There was fear in those eyes, but it quickly disappeared, replaced again by the blank white. 

Victim blinked rapidly before looking down at the metal in front of them. A spell was muttured in a low voice, a language that Agent didn’t recognize nor speak. Electric blue wisps started forming and swirling around the metal, the same colour that Victim’s eyes were for a minute. The same colour of the shifting magic that made up their arms. The magic covered the metal, glowing brightly for a few moments before fading. The final product was darker than before and had shapes and symbols drawn in boxes on the metal.

Victim held it out to Agent, who hesitantly accepted it. He turned it over in his hands, trying to understand what he was just given. The metal was light, but didn’t bend easily. Agent tapped on one of the symbols and fell back with a yell when a large, black rod grew from it. The rod fell to the ground with a metallic clang. Victim was wearing a smug grin as they held out a hand to help Agent up. He almost didn’t accept it, but when the alternative was pissing off a god, he could shove his pettiness down. Victim’s hand was frighteningly cold when he took it, eerily similar to the few times Agent held a dead body. But that didn’t make sense; the gods were immortal, but still alive, right? Were they immortal because they couldn’t die, or because they were already dead?

“Apologies, I should’ve explained the toolbar before giving it to you.” Victim didn’t sound apologetic at all. 

“‘Toolbar?’” Agent echoed in favour of insulting them. He would have to be more careful with his words, lest one of his scathing comments about the god actually make themselves known.

Victim held a hand out to take the metal back and Agent complied. 

“Yes, a toolbar. It’s reminiscent of what my father uses to fight,” they explained as they placed the metal with the symbols facing up on their forearm - or what Agent assumes to be their forearm. The god didn’t actually have arms. In their place were floating triangles that shifted and changed size with every movement or bend, and blue magic that looked like floating lava in place of their hands. The magic was always shifting, but sometimes it took the shape of hands when they needed.

 Victim tapped one of the symbols, spawning a small, white rectangle in their hand. When they leaned down to the black rod and touched it with the smaller object, it disappeared. Victim held up the white rectangle to Agent.

“An eraser,” they said, pressing it back into the symbol it came from, making it vanish. “It will delete whatever you create with the toolbar, but not any already existing objects. To dispel it, you simply put it back into the toolbar.”

Victim continued to demonstrate the other symbols on the toolbar. There was a lasso tool, a shape tool, a select tool, and a line tool, which is what created the black rod. 

With a dangerous glint in their eye, Victim moved to the last symbol. “A personal favourite of mine,” they commented, picking up a stick from the ground. With muttured words, a spell was cast, causing the end of the stick to catch fire. The stick was then thrown high in the air and the mercenaries took a cautious step back.

Victim tapped the last symbol, spawning a translucent circle in their hand. 

“The pause button.”

They flung the circle at the fiery stick. When they made contact, the stick froze in the air, no longer falling and no longer burning. Agent felt a mix of awe and dread settle in his stomach.

“You simply tap the symbol here to unpause the object,” Victim explained, gesturing to the circle hovering in front of the stick. When they touched it, the stick unpaused and fell to the ground, burning once again.

The toolbar was removed from Victim’s forearms and held out to Agent. He couldn’t help but feel more hesitant to accept it this time.

“A powerful artifact for hopefully an equally powerful wielder.”

“Wait, what?” Agent felt himself freeze. An artifact?  

The chilling grin returned to Victim’s face. “For a mission as important as this, do you really think I would hold back?” they asked. Sensing their patience was wearing thin, Agent took the toolbar and fastened it on his forearm, feeling like he was carrying boulders instead of light metal. 

Victim nodded in satisfaction and moved back. “I must tend to matters elsewhere for a few days, but you can contact me through the toolbar should you need it.” Without waiting for an answer, they left just as silently as when they first arrived. The four sticks stood in silence for a minute, still processing the interaction.

“Why would they make us an artifact?” Primal wondered aloud, finally breaking the silence. “If they really had to, they could’ve just given us one that already existed right?”

Agent was thinking the same thing. Artifacts were powerful enchanted objects that were infused with a part of a god’s power. Only a god could make them, and they were typically given as gifts to a mortal the god wants to thank or protect. Several artifacts existed, but they were either hidden to all except those it was gifted to, or under heavy protection. There was a block of creation that was hidden and a pearl prison that was guarded. Beyond those, Agent doesn’t know of any other artifacts.

“Maybe it’s a gift?” Ballista suggested, but his voice was laced with doubt. “I mean, they want us to succeed on this mission, so why not go all out?”

“No, it’s not a gift,” Agent cut in. His eyes were locked on the toolbar with dread sitting heavily in his stomach. “It’s a debt. A shackle. Something that will keep us tied to and reliant on this god.” 

His team exchanged weary glances, understanding what he meant by that. By giving them something of this much power, Victim was ensuring the mercenaries were indebted to them. Even if they wanted to back out or leave, they couldn’t anymore.

----------

It was a child. A young girl, who couldn’t be more than ten by the sounds of it, was crossing into the afterlife. Her cries rang out into the empty space of the in-between, breaking Chosen’s heart. 

It was times like these when he doubted fate’s plan. Death was cruel, but unavoidable, yet he often finds himself wishing he could change something. What could fate gain by killing a soul so young?

Regardless of what Chosen thought, this girl was dead now. There was nothing he could do to change that. The only thing he could do for her now was to ease her transition to the afterlife. He slowly approached her, listening to her cries to know where she was, since a cloth covered his eyes and blocked his vision. When he leads souls to the afterlife, he cannot see them in order to pass judgement on their souls. That way, it was easier to find their true intentions and judge them accordingly. It was one of many things Chosen has learnt since guiding hundreds of souls. Many died at once, and while he can’t be physically present, there are mirrors of himself, projected clones, that have the same duty. Second often said it was like a pre-recorded message when calling customer service. Chosen wasn’t sure how to feel about that analogy.

Sometimes, he showed up personally to guide a soul. Times like this one, when they were restless or needed comfort or explanations. Given the fact that they just died, Chosen was happy to provide them with whatever comforts he could during their final journey. The in-between was a strange place afterall; it was an endless space of light blues and greens and white, with no floor or ceiling. It was unnerving to any who came across it, including Chosen himself.

But Chosen had to push that discomfort away, for there was a child here that needed him. Her cries quieted as he approached, replaced with a silent fear.

“Who are you…?” She asked, voice shaky. Chosen sank to his knees so they were at the same level. 

“I’m here to help you,” he said, as gently as he could. “My name is Chosen. What’s yours?”

She sniffed. “Ruby.”

Chosen smiled. “That’s a beautiful name, Ruby. Do you know why you’re here?”

Ruby thought for a moment, before whispering, “I was sick. Mommy said I would get better, but… I didn’t, did I?”

“No, I’m sorry, Ruby,” he said, genuinely meaning the apology. “But your pain and worries are over now. You’re safe here, I promise you.”

“I didn’t want it to be over,” she sobbed. Chosen felt his resolve crack and he opened his arms to her should she choose it. Just a moment later, a small body ran into his, and he gently wrapped his arms around her, lightly stroking her hair.

“I know, I know, little gem,” he murmured. “It’s hard to let go of what you’ve known. But you aren’t alone, you have family who are so excited to see you, and you’ll see your mother and everyone else one day too.”

They stayed there for a few minutes, until Chosen’s repetitive movements soothed Ruby and quieted her cries. She gently pulled away, wiping her nose.

“Are you ready to see them?”

He waited for an answer, but got none, so he continued, “If you nodded or shook your head, I can’t really see it.”

“Oh! Sorry. I am.”

Chosen held out a hand to her, and when he felt a small one join his, he began walking. The journey to the afterlife varied in how long it took. This was the time for Chosen to judge souls, and certain times were faster than others. It all depended on the spirit, how cooperative they were and how complex their past was. 

“You know, it’s funny your name is ‘Ruby’,” Chosen began, breaking the silence. 

“Huh? Why?”

“My main tool is called ‘the Ruby Gauntlet’. It’s called that because my eyes are red,” he explained.

Ruby chuckled. “My mommy named me Ruby cuz of my hair,” she said, voice tinged with sadness. 

“Is your hair long?” Chosen asked, wanting to keep the conversation going. It would serve to keep Ruby’s mind distracted while also finding out what kind of a stick she is and where she’ll spend the afterlife. Rarely do children end up condemned to punishment, but he has to check anyway.

“Mhm. My daddy also has long hair, so he would braid it for me, but mommy keeps her hair short.”

Chosen nodded along. “One of my brothers has long hair as well, so they would often braid it for me.”

“But wouldn’t that hurt them? Mommy always says I need to keep my hands away from fire cause it’ll burn me.”

“Your mommy is right, but my hair is different from normal fire; it doesn’t burn unless I’m really angry.”

Though Chosen couldn’t see it, Ruby’s face lit up with a smile. “Does that mean I could braid your hair too?” She asked excitedly. Chosen couldn’t help but laugh fondly, reminded of his youngest brother.

“Maybe one day. I’ll visit you and you can braid it then, how about that?”

“Yay!”

Their conversation continued, both pleasant and revealing. Chosen learned that Ruby was a Shift, but she was still coming into her powers. She always dreamed of being like her cousin, who was a fluid shifter and a proficient fighter. She told stories of how he would protect her from bullies and even teach her a few moves and tricks, though not without making her promise only to use them when she had to.

Sometimes, Ruby felt like she wasn’t enough. She came from a long line of powerful Shifts, so it was a blow to her confidence that she was already ten but couldn’t hold a transformation for more than 15 minutes at a time. But once again, her cousin was there to comfort her, and tell her to keep her head up high. Since she had no older siblings of her own, her cousins often took up that role, this one especially.

In the end, Chosen knew there was no other place for this young girl than the land of the Crestfallen. That land was the place for souls to be rewarded, and it went by many names, yet was defined by none. Good, kind souls resided in this land, the ones that tried their best with the cards given to them. The two other lands were the neutral lands and lands of punishment respectively. They were no place for young Ruby, who did what she could to be kind and courageous, and was not afraid to ask for help when she couldn’t be.

Now she only needed her courage one last time.

The pair approached a stone arch with pale crystals of various colours growing out of the cracks. Much like a Nether portal, a swirling light filled the arch. Ruby’s hand tightened its hold on Chosen’s and he gave a comforting squeeze back before kneeling down to her level.

“Well, Ruby, this is your stop,” he told her. Chosen could practically feel her hesitation.

“Do I have to go?” she asked timidly, her voice trembling.

Chosen nodded. “Yes, but it’s ok. This is just a new beginning for you.”

Slowly, gently, Chosen reached up and removed his blindfold. Now that the soul was judged, he didn’t need it, and he wanted Ruby to be able to see his honesty and hopefully provide some comfort. If Ruby was shocked by the bright red of his eyes and the markings around them, she didn’t show it. 

Chosen can understand why Ruby’s mother named her after her hair - it was a deep pinkish red and fell down to her lower back. Ruby was small, but her dark eyes held a fierce determination. 

“Could I braid your hair for you?” Chosen asked as he kneeled down. Ruby lit up and nodded excitedly, turning around for him. He gently took some hair from her temple and braided it before repeating it on the other side. He then brought both braids around to the crown of her head and pinned them together with a ruby clip he conjured. When he was done, she turned back around to face him.

Ruby silently reached out to him, question unspoken, and Chosen resigned himself to his fate. He leaned down a bit more so she could reach his hair and pulled it out of the loose ponytail he kept it in. Ruby began braiding by his temple, like he did for her. She clearly didn’t know what to do when she reached the fire part of his hair, so Chosen handed her an elastic so she could just tie it off. Once she was done, he put the rest of his hair back in the ponytail, but kept the braid out. 

Ruby beamed up at him, admiring her work, and Chosen gently patted her head. 

“Are you ready to go now?” he asked.

Ruby nodded, albeit hesitantly, and tackled him into a hug. Chosen was shocked at first, but quickly shook it off and hugged her back.

“I’m scared,” Ruby whispered into his shoulder. Chosen stroked her hair again, like he did when they first met.

“That’s alright. You’re allowed to be scared, it means you’re wise,” he murmured. “Only fools aren’t scared when facing something like this.”

Chosen pulled back and met her eyes. “Remember that your courage isn’t an absence of fear; it’s your ability to overcome it.”

They waited like that for a minute before Ruby took a deep breath and nodded. She was still scared, Chosen could tell, but her determination shone through more than her fear.

“I’m ready now,” she said.

Chosen rose and led her to the portal. After he gave her a reassuring smile and nod, she slowly stepped through, disappearing into the swirling colours and leaving Chosen alone once again. He sighed deeply, his breath being the only sound in the now empty space surrounding him, and he turned around. He’s spent enough time here. He needed to do something else before he started losing it.

As Chosen left the cold unforgiving of the in-between, he quickly wiped the tears off his cheek.

----------

Cursors, the Scribbles really were getting stronger. 

Each time Chosen fought them, he had to find a new way to beat them. They adapted to his techniques and developed resistances and it was starting to really piss him off. 

The Scribble he was currently following was the biggest one he’d found in a while. It was hard to know the exact size, since it’s body was constantly shifting and changing shape, but it was at least four meters tall by Chosen’s estimate. He originally chased it away from the city and led it into the forest, where he didn’t have to worry about hurting any innocents.

But Chosen was beginning to regret that decision. The part of the forest they were in now held too many painful memories for him. The further they went, the more Chosen recognised the surroundings and wanted to turn around. But he was so close now, he knew the Scribble was coming up to a dead end. Only a little longer, then he could turn around and forget this place again.

True to Chosen’s memory, a steep hill covered in trees blocked the Scribble’s path on both sides and a cliff blocked it from the front. But the Scribble didn’t try to run or turn to fight. It continued forward to the cluster of crystals that lay at the base of the cliff.

The crystals were shades of green and sparkled in the light. Even to the untrained eye, it was easy to tell that they were magical.

The Earth Conduit, Chosen thought, dread resting heavily in his stomach. The large crystal clusters made up one of the four Conduits, powerful sources of elemental magic that were created thousands of years ago. The areas near a Conduit became an oasis of magic and prosperity, but they left a sour taste in Chosen’s mouth. To him, they were just a reminder of what his family lost and what nearly tore them all apart.

But why did the Scribble seem… interested in the Conduit? Chosen quietly approached, watching it carefully. It sniffed around the base for a minute before biting at one of the smaller clusters, causing small chunks to fall off. Chosen snapped back to reality, panic setting in. Crystals broken off of the Conduits could be used as magic sources, so anyone in possession of a piece could use that element’s magic freely. Normally this wasn’t a problem, since only a god’s magic or something similar could break them, but Chosen knew the Scribbles could rival the power of the gods and there was no damn way he would let it get its hands - claws? Whatever it has - on a magic source. 

Fire shot from his hands as he hurled himself towards the creature, slamming his body against it with enough force to send it flying into the cliffside. Chosen hovered by the Conduit, glaring at the Scribble as it shook dirt and rocks off its back. It reared its head and roared so loudly that Chosen almost fell, but he steeled himself and met the Scribble’s glowing eyes. It charged and he rushed to meet it, fire flying through the air as he hit the Scribble with blazing fists. It worked for a minute until the Scribble had enough and knocked him over with its large body. 

Chosen fell, hitting the dirt hard. His vision went black for a minute, but the sounds of the Scribble breaking the Conduit brought him back. He pushed himself up with shaking arms and his eyes started heating up. He shot red-hot lasers at the Scribble, careful not to hit the Conduit, and it screeched. When it met his eyes and charged, Chosen only braced himself, knowing he didn’t have the strength to move in time. He waited but the impact never came, so he slowly opened his eyes.

What..? 

The Scribble was… frozen. It was mid run, jaw open, but it wasn’t moving. Chosen cautiously got up and moved towards it, trying to figure out what happened. That’s when he saw it - a strange floating circle on the side of the Scribble. It had a pause sign on it. Chosen’s hand hovered over it, questioning.

“What the…?”

Suddenly, his head snapped up and he whirled around. Someone was here. He could feel them. And a familiar magic accompanied them…

A shot rang out, but Chosen was ready. He flew up to dodge the shot, landing gracefully on the Conduit to see his attackers.

Four sticks emerged from the forest. A tall, burly Stone Walker came out first, followed by a short stick with pistols on his side. A Shadowlite came next, glowing yellow eyes never leaving Chosen. The final stick was tall with dark sunglasses covering his eyes. The other sticks cleared the way for him as he lowered his smoking gun.

Something was wrong with this stick. A stranger should not have such a familiar feeling.

“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded, glaring down at the sticks. They looked to the one with glasses, who didn't turn away from Chosen.

“I'm sorry, Justice. We’re only following orders.” The gun was aimed back at Chosen’s head with a steady hand. 

The title was odd. To most sticks, Chosen was known as Freedom. Justice was the role he played to the dead, so why did this stick address him like that? If anything, Chosen would've expected the Shadowlite to use that name, as they are creatures of the afterlife.

Chosen snapped out of his thoughts as another shot was fired. He dodged similarly to before, but this time, he fired back. Literally.

Bright flames shot out of his hands as he spun through the air. The smallest stick was fast enough to dodge, and the Stone Walker protected the other two with her body. Damn the fire-proof Lava Walker.

The smallest stick darted around to where Chosen landed and pulled the pistols out of his belt. Bullets rained down, some too fast for Chosen to deflect. Three hit their mark before he conjured a shield, holding it with one arm and holding his wounds with the other. No matter. He healed quickly and, most of the time, painlessly. One of the perks of being a god.

Just as he was about to advance on the small stick, Chosen heard the Stone Walker approaching. Her heavy footsteps thundered behind him and when he turned to face her, he saw the large bow she was drawing back.

Chosen dodged the arrow the same way he dodged the gunshots and rushed towards her, not wanting to give her another chance to use the bow. To his surprise, as he approached, the weapon shifted into a long spear which the Stone Walker promptly swung at him. Chosen raised his arms to block it, pain shooting through them at the impact. He stumbled and recovered as quickly as he could, but not before another bullet embedded itself into his leg. Chosen cried out and waved a hand backwards, sending strong winds to distract the small stick.

“Ballista!” The Stone Walker shouted as the small stick was slammed against the ground. She turned back to Chosen and grit her teeth, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

The spear continued to be swung at him at terrifying speeds and it took all of Chosen’s focus to dodge them. Maybe that was why he failed to notice the Shadowlite behind him.

Electricity surged through him, causing every part of him to stiffen in agony. With great effort, Chosen looked over his shoulder at the Shadowlite, whose hands were firmly on the ground, channeling the electricity towards him.

“Two… can play this game,” Chosen grit out, magic humming under his skin. In a flash, he teleported out of the Shadowlite’s power and reappeared behind them. Lightning gathered around Chosen’s fist as he pulled back and hit them square in the jaw. The impact sent the Shadowlite tumbling back, small sparks travelling along their body. The small stick and Stone Walker rushed over to them.

From behind him, Chosen heard the woosh of a weapon cutting through the air. But… the Stone Walker was in front of him, so who-

Whack

Chosen was thrown across the clearing. He groaned as he got up and turned to the stick with glasses. He was holding a large black rod that felt like…

“Victim,” Chosen breathed. The realisation hit him harder than any of these sticks could - they must know where Victim is.

“How did you get that?” Chosen demanded, all his pain forgotten and replaced by anger. The stick with glasses glanced down at the rod and shrugged.

“It was a gift,” he said. Chosen glared.

“Bullshit. That’s made from Victim’s magic, and they’ve gone missing. So I’ll ask you one more time: how did you get that and where is my brother?”

“That is unimportant, Justice,” the stick said, calm and unbothered. The other three sticks had moved and were now standing on either side of who Chosen now assumes is their leader. Chosen felt the anger bubbling under his skin. “Besides, you don't need to worry about where they are; you'll be seeing them soon enough.”

Was it a threat? A warning? Chosen didn't know or care. All he knew was that those words were his breaking point. A primal shout escaped him as his restraint snapped and his magic was unleashed. It rushed out of him in waves, fire blazing as hot and bright as his anger, eyes glowing with red lasers. Chosen crouched and launched himself towards the sticks, so fast that he looked like a comet on Earth. 

It was right there. His targets were right there. He was so close.

But the world froze.

Chapter Text

Death was a natural part of life. It was sad and upsetting, yes, but it was necessary. DJ, despite popular belief, was not the one collecting the souls nor causing their deaths. He worked very closely with Chosen, who was the judge of spirits and the decider of their final resting place, and Skim, who controlled fate and therefore, knew when the end of someone’s story was near. 

DJ was the one who watched over the spirits. He made sure they didn’t leave their lands or escape back to the world of the living. Some of the sticks under his protection were dead spirits, some were living ones. All were cared for and taken care of accordingly. 

Truthfully, he enjoyed his job, but some aspects were less than pleasant. He hated being a bystander in the events of fate and mortal lives. If Dj is being honest, he feels some small bit of envy for Alan’s kids, who worked closely with the mortals for their safety and well-being. DJ didn’t like having to watch from above - or below - and simply see things unfold. Often, he thought of solutions or plans, but couldn’t actually do anything about it. He could only witness the outcome. 

DJ could only watch as his best friend’s children, ones who he considered his own kids as well, struggled. DJ watched as Victim slowly lost themselves, falling under the pull of evil and as Chosen lost the fight against the mercenaries. It hurt him. 

Sometimes, he couldn’t tell who had it better: the Cursor gods or the Hollowhead gods. Cursed to spectate or cursed to experience. All were cursed to live forever. 

For better or worse, he would never find one of Alan’s kids in the afterlife, unless it was Chosen leading souls. …What would Chosen do now? Two gods were out of commission, not doing their duties. 

Oh man, oh man.

Alan was losing it. DJ visited a while ago and found his friend in shambles. He couldn’t find Victim. Chosen was gone for too long. Second’s reports were worrying and without the youngest there to help him, he was more busy than ever. 

DJ sighed. He wished he could help Alan, or at least tell him what he knew. He and Skim could see outcomes, while Alan was a god of the world, like a bridge between the Cursor gods and Hollowhead gods. Already, Alan was doing twice as much as he was supposed to, and there was nothing they could do about it. She was gone.

DJ looked down from his home, watching the fields below him. His residence was placed above the realms of death so he could easily oversee them. A railing ran along the edge of the area, though it was unnecessary. 

“You really can’t change it?” he asked his friend, just to be sure.

“I can’t,” Skim confirmed. “There are so many strings I have to pull that I often end up tangled with my hands tied.”

DJ looked over to him, puzzled. Skim often spoke in metaphors and sayings, and didn’t make sense sometimes. But Skim’s words did ring true with him. He knew that once it was someone’s time to go, there wasn’t anything he could do to change it. Death was only a different kind of fate, after all. 

Like Skim, that didn’t stop him from wishing, against all odds, that it would be ok in the end. That the dead’s loved ones would hold on despite their grief. 

Grief was dangerous. DJ has seen it many times before, and he will continue to until there is nothing left in this world to die. He knew what it can do, how it can destroy someone from the inside out and turn them into someone they won’t recognise. The things people do in grief are unpredictable and sometimes monstrous. No one is free of grief, for everyone has something to lose. He knew this all too well.

“Will they find each other again?” DJ couldn’t help but ask. Alan was his best friend after all. He cares about him.

“I can’t say,” Skim responded. “It’s very… complicated.”

DJ just stood there for a moment. He knows that what happens isn’t Skim’s fault and that he doesn’t want it any more than the others, but it was still hard to hear.

“He misses her, y’know,” he said, quietly. 

“I know. We all do,” Skim responded. DJ could hear the remorse in his voice as he spoke. 

Skin didn’t have it easy. DJ could see it in his friend’s eyes, how heavily the responsibility of fate weighed on him, how each plea for change he couldn’t give haunted him. Skim was stronger than he gave himself credit for. DJ would’ve crumbled under it.

He still remembered Victim coming to him, begging to see a spirit, a mortal so dear to them. Normally, the gods tried their best not to get close to mortals due to their short lives, but this one had snuck into Victim’s. She was a Crystalized. When she died, it shattered Victim and they couldn’t let it go. They waited at the gates of the afterlife for DJ and pleaded on their knees to just get a chance to talk to her, even just to see her , if only for a minute.

But there was nothing DJ could do. Her spirit wasn’t in the afterlife. While most souls slowly traveled down, guided by Chosen, her’s had been destroyed when she died. It was shattered and lost to the world, now returning to the magic in the air that had created her to begin with. DJ could not reach her, and neither could Victim. They would never be able to.

Grief had touched the Hollowhead god, for even the deities are not exempt from it. They raged and cried and bargained, so painfully similar to when Alan had lost someone centuries before. The cries of the creation god and his child alike still haunted DJ.

“Does it ever bother you,” DJ began, still replaying the memory in his head. “That we have this nigh infinite power and yet are so powerless to the world?”

Skim was silent for a minute, his many eyes not revealing even a hint of what he was thinking about. Then, he responded, “It kills me more than any weapon ever could. I am eternally bound to witness and the cruelty of the world knows no limits, since I cannot even witness in ignorance, nor will I ever know an end to this.”

Skim rested one of his three pairs of arms on the railing, gripping it so tight his knuckles went white. He looked out to the realms of the underworld for a minute before sighing and running a hand over his face.

“Sometimes I want to resign myself to fate,” he admitted. “I wish I were able to look at an outcome and accept that I cannot change it. Often, mortals are able to do it, and I find myself jealous of that. But that would be selfish of me, since I am not only accepting my fate, but the fate of every being, dead and alive, if I do that. So I have to continue carrying the burden.”

DJ looked away as the words settled over him. Over many millennia, similar thoughts have passed through his head many times before, but never has he heard it come from his friend. Skim was always the most composed out of all of them, always the one who knew his place. It was both scary and comforting to find that Skim is not as untouchable as he thought.

“The world is changing,” Skim suddenly said. DJ cast him a confused look, which Skim returned with one of concern. 

“It is moving and becoming uncertain,” he continued. “Down here, maybe things will remain untouched, but at the top of the world? Things are waking up, things that will shake magic to its very core and leave a scar in reality.”

“What’s coming? What do you see?”

A pause. “Nothing,” Skim said simply.

“ What ? How could there be nothing?” In all his years of living, DJ had never heard of anything like this.

“There is… a blank area, a gap in fate. It’ll be up to those whose destinies will lead them there to fill that void.”

Skim’s eyes locked with DJ’s, and for a brief moment, DJ could see the normally hidden iris in them. They were wide with fear.

“The time of the prophecy is here.”

Chapter Text

“Nngh.”

Cursors, my head. What the hell is going on?

Chosen slowly started to open his eyes, feeling like he had to fight to keep them open. He winced at the harsh light that blinded him for a minute and blinked through tears. There wasn’t much in the room he was in - if it could even be called that. It looked like he was just in an endless white void.

Where was he?

Chosen stood up and walked forward, trying to find something, anything , that could ground him. He just felt like he was floating in nothing. Eventually, he hit a wall, or rather, he walked straight into one.

“Damnit,” he muttered, rubbing his head. Hesitantly, Chosen reached out to feel the wall. It was so strange . He could feel it, but there was no sign that it was actually there. No shadow in the corner where the wall meets the floor. After a moment of thinking, Chosen lit his hand on fire to fly up along the wall. Just as he predicted, he soon hit his head on a ceiling. As he landed, he could feel panic bubbling under his skin. 

Blank. 

Endless. 

Suffocating.

Chosen stumbled forwards, landing on his knees as his breath started to quicken.

“No, no, no,” he muttered, hands grasping his chest. Chosen’s hair, which was normal at the roots but slowly changed into flames at the ends, began to grow. Normally, his hair was a calm fire, unable to burn him and others, but when his emotions started to rise, so did the flames. 

All he could think about was that time after the Purge. The worst time he and his family went through. Dark had to step up for Second, who was really only a child at the time, Victim wasn’t even around and Chosen- 

Well, he was trapped. Forced into an endless cycle of exhaustion and work and pain. Never-ending. Now, he can’t even remember how long he was stuck like that for. The years all blurred together. He no longer noticed what he was doing, instead he would retreat into his own mind for hours, possibly days on end. Chosen was a husk during that time, not eating, not sleeping, not stopping. Not that he actually could do any of that, though not from lack of trying. 

And now, it was the same. An endless void, a prison and a cage even though nothing was actually there. He couldn’t bear it. He wanted it to be over, to end, to stop stop stop STOP-

Wind. 

…

There was air. 

A way out. 

He ran towards it.

He felt it was getting further away.

He reached it.

It was a lie.

----------

A cold laugh came from behind Agent, scaring him. He whirled around to see the unnervingly empty eyes of the Hollowhead god watching the box. They were smiling, but there was no joy or warmth behind it. A slight shiver ran up Agent’s spine at the sight. 

Victim was holding something made of black metal in their hands. It looked like some sort of glove.

“The Ruby Gauntlet,” Hazard whispered, fear and reverence lacing their voice. Victim looked up at Hazard, pinning them under that unnatural stare.

“Correct, Shadowlite,” they said, running a hand along the metal. “My brother’s artifact. How lucky we were that it was with him when you captured him. Well done.” The hit of approval in their voice did nothing to reassure Agent.

“Why is that lucky?” Ballista ventured to ask. He was a braver stick than Agent for that.

Victim shot him a cold glare. “That is none of your concern. I only need it to-” Victim cut themselves off, brows furrowing. “No, that won’t work. You’re missing-” a hand clamped over their mouth and for a second, their eyes widened in fear. Then, Victim swiftly turned around and walked out of the room without another word.

Agent’s team looked at him in confusion, though he was equally lost. But they were in a precarious situation and had to keep an eye on both gods now.

“You guys follow them,” Agent instructed. “I’ll stay here and watch over the box.” 

His team nodded without hesitation and quickly trailed Victim. Agent turned his attention back to the control panel in front of him and the ominous glowing box.

Inside the box, he could see the thrashing silhouette of The Chosen One. Fire burst from tightly clenched fists as he hit and kicked and did anything he could to try and break out. The sight made Agent’s stomach churn. What kind of being was powerful enough to make something that could contain a god? It scared him.

A hand tapped his shoulder, making Agent jump so hard it felt like he would hit the ceiling. He whirled around to see Hazard standing behind him, looking almost sheepish.

“What the fuck, Hazard,” Agent panted, clutching his chest.

“Sorry,” Hazard mumbled, not meeting Agent’s eyes. “I was going to follow the others, but I just- I couldn’t…” Hazard trailed off, brows furrowing. “I couldn’t leave him.”

Agent followed Hazard’s gaze back to the box, where the blurry figure of The Chosen One had gone still. Realisation dawned on him.

“That’s your god,” Agent breathed. Hazard nodded.

Agent was at a loss for words. He was only human after all; he didn’t understand the deeper connection other races had with their patron gods. For Shadowlites like Hazard, those gods were The Chosen One and DJ, the god of Void magic and the afterlife respectively.

“I… I’m sorry, Hazard,” Agent’s voice was quiet as he rested a hand on their shoulder. “I can only imagine how hard the confrontation was for you.”

Hazard took a shaky breath. “I know I had to do it and I was willing to, for the mission and for you guys, but… Cursors, Agent, his face. I had to attack him. I did attack him. And when he found out we knew Victim?” They went quiet for a minute, but Agent didn’t dare say anything. “There’s something wrong here. Something is very, very wrong.”

Agent nodded. “I can’t say I disagree, but it’s safer for us if we don’t face it yet. I hate to ask you to ignore this, given you have the strongest connection to the gods out of all of us, but I’m afraid it’s necessary.” 

Hazard gave him a funny look.

“What is it?”

“What do you mean by that, Agent?”

“Well, you’re very connected to your culture and you have two parton gods as well, so-”

“Agent,” Hazard interrupted. “I saw you during that fight. You looked exactly how I felt: hesitant, like you were second guessing yourself, like you were going against everything you believed.”

Agent just stared, mouth agape and eyes wide. Hazard wasn’t wrong, but there was nothing he could say to that. He didn’t know why he felt like that, so there was no way to explain it to Hazard. He didn’t know what to say.

Hazard sighed. “I’m not trying to accuse you of hiding anything from us,” they reassured. “I’m not sure what’s going on in that head of yours, but I have a feeling that… you don’t know either.”

Hazard put their hands on Agent’s shoulders and gave him a level stare.

“Just know, Agent, that when push comes to shove-”

“Shit, shit, shit-”

Primal and Ballista chose that very inconvenient moment to come rushing back in, practically falling over each other in their haste. The other two whirled around at their noisy entry.

“What the hell are you two doing?” Agent hissed.

“They’re coming back,” Ballista whispered frantically. “Act normal!”

Well Agent doesn’t know how he’s supposed to act normal after that, but luckily for him, Hazard thought quickly. The Shadowlite picked Ballista up by the back of his vest and lifted him in the air.

“WHAT THE HELL, HAZARD?!” Ballista shouted as he flailed his arms and legs. Primal didn’t even try to hide her laugh and even Hazard chuckled. Agent rolled his eyes at their antics, but a grin grew across his face.

The sharp footsteps of a Hollowhead were getting closer, reminding Agent why Hazard made this distraction in the first place.

“You heard him, Hazard, put ‘em down,” he ordered as Victim walked into the room. They raised an unimpressed eyebrow in their direction but ultimately didn’t question anything. Good.

All sounds from the fours sticks quieted as Victim crossed the room towards the Box. They were holding a coiled rope with a faint blue glow in their hand. Even Agent, who had no magic, could feel the power rolling off this object. It was an artifact, Victim’s artifact. 

“What’s that for?” Ballista had the audacity to ask. Agent didn’t know whether to thank him for asking or to hit him over the head.

“Well, stick of Chaos,” Victim murmured as they ran their free hand along the wall of the Box. They pressed down on what Agent assumed to be an invisible button of sorts, and a small compartment opened. They placed the rope into it and it closed once again. “My Lasso will ensure the Box has enough power. That's all you need to know.” 

Victim turned back and looked at Agent, who felt uneasy, as he always did when the god’s attention was on him.

“I trust that you remember what I taught you?” they asked. Agent nodded. Leading up to the mission, while his team was training outside, Agent was often at the Box with Victim, learning how to control and operate it. “Good. Then you know what to do.”

Agent ignored the confused looks from his team and the voices in his head telling him this was wrong as he walked behind the control panel. He hit the power button and both the control panel and the Box lit up and whirred with energy. The Chosen One’s head shot up from inside the Box.

“Agent, what’s going on?” Primal whispered as she watched Victim walk up to the Box. Agent didn’t answer. 

Victim gave him a nod, so he hit another button and waited. The Box door opened and for a brief moment, the eyes of the trapped god met Agent’s. They widened in shock, and perhaps recognition, before the door closed again.

That’s why you were familiar , a voice spoke in Agent’s head. He jumped when he heard it, but made sure not to show any other reaction. He had to assess the situation before alerting his team to try and minimise the potential damage this could cause.

What do you mean? He asked the voice.

I apologise, Agent. I thought it was because Victim’s magic followed you, so I didn’t realise who you were. I must admit, this only makes me more confused as to why you’ve brought me here.

You’re… The Chosen One? 

Yes. I swear, I don’t speak in people’s minds very often, but there’s not really any other way for me to speak to you at the moment.

Where do you recognize me from? Confusion stirred in Agent. He’s never seen this god before, but that doesn’t mean the god couldn’t have seen him. But the question now is where?

Agent never got his answer, because Victim decided it was time to strike.

----------

Chosen’s concentration was broken when Victim struck him across the face. He fell back and glared up at his brother, now a person he could barely even recognise. 

“What happened to you, Victim?” Chosen bit out as he struggled to get up. Cursors, the Box was really draining his power. Victim looked at him with expressionless eyes and a cruel grin that Chosen had never seen on them before.

“I’m simply doing what I should’ve done years ago.”

Victim held a hand out and their Lasso materialised in it. Chosen took a wary step back. He knew how much power the artifacts hold.

“Fight me,” Victim growled as they advanced. The Lasso was held tight between their hands. Chosen shook his head.

“I won’t.”

Victim scoffed. “Then you’re just as weak as you were all those millenia ago.”

Before Chosen had a moment to think, Victim struck again. The Lasso was swung toward Chosen, the weighted end catching and wrapping around his neck. Chosen choked and crawled at the rope, but it only tightened. He couldn’t breathe, but not because of the Lasso. When he looked at Victim, there was a deep rooted hatred in their eyes that knocked the air out of him.

Victim pulled the Lasso towards them, causing Chosen to fall over. He hit the floor of the Box hard, but didn’t have any time to dwell on it. He heard the crack of Victim’s Lasso dangerously close to him. Victim had used their Lasso like a whip before and Chosen knew how much damage it could cause. He didn’t want to be next.

Flames burst from his hands as he flung himself off the ground, aiming for Victim. Their white eyes widened and they ducked just in time. In the corner of his eye, Chosen could see the other end of the Lasso coming near him, so he shot up to the ceiling of the Box. Victim ground their teeth and braced themselves before yanking the Lasso and pulling Chosen down. He fell with a yelp and before he could react, a large ninja star flew by his face.

“Did you really think it’d be that easy?” Victim taunted. Or rather, one of the Victims taunted. There were now four clones, each holding a different weapon.

Shit.

“FIGHT BACK!” Victim yelled, anger filling their voice. “Show me you aren’t the same!”

“Same as what?” Chosen yelled back as he dodged the hammer of one of the clones. The limited space of the Box was driving him insane - there was nowhere for him to go! He could fly up, but Victim would drag him back down into the clutches of the clones.

“The same as when you failed me!” 

Talking while fighting was a bad idea. Chosen was so distracted by those words that he didn’t see the hammer coming his way. It hit his stomach hard . Chosen was flung into the wall by the force of it and his vision momentarily went black. Sweat trailed down his brow as he watched the clones slowly approach him.

In a desperate last attempt, he thrust his hands in front of him and let ice spread across his body, freezing himself in place. Through the haze of cold, he could see the clones looking at each other in confusion. Perfect. When none of them were looking at him, fire grew from his hands to melt the ice. Chosen burst out and immediately flew to the nearest clone, tackling it to the ground. It struggled for a minute until Chosen slammed a burning fist to its face, destroying it with a few scattered blue particles. Newfound confidence filled him. If he could destroy the clones, maybe he had a chance!

Oh, how that feeling was short-lived.

Victim’s face hardened with determination. They made some sort of signal with their hand and suddenly, Chosen’s fire started going out. He fell to the ground with an oomph! Immediately he tried to get back up, but it felt like the room was crushing him. He couldn’t move.

A chair materialized in the corner and the clones pinned him down. Chosen struggled, but he was no match for four beings with his brother’s power, even if they were just clones. They pulled him towards it and Victim used their Lasso to tie him in place.

“Now,” Victim said as they walked around the chair. “I already have one thing I need from you. There’s just one other thing to get out of the way: where is the Prophet of the Afterlife?”

“What the hell makes you think I’ll tell you that?” Chosen bit out. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but you’re not Victim. I’m not telling you shit.”

“Hm. Not even to finally right your wrong?”

“What wrong are you even talking about?!”

“YOU KNOW WHAT,” they roared, slamming Chosen’s chair over. His back hit the ground painfully. “You failed me! You let her die!”

“Oh,” Chosen breathed. That’s what they were talking about. “Victim, I told you. I did everything I could. I kept an eye out for her soul for years , until, well…”

Victim scoffed. “Right, until you had no other choice but to stay there. Until you retreated into your mind and couldn’t see anything outside the in-between. You didn’t have to feel the consequences of your inaction. You didn’t see what you caused.”

Victim grabbed the front of Chosen’s shirt and harshly pulled him back up.

“ I didn’t kill her, Victim!”

“You might as well have! I trusted you! I trusted you with her life and you FAILED.”

Chosen ignored the tear running down his face. “I’m sorry, Victim, I tried. There was nothing I could do.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Chosen knew it was the wrong thing to say. 

“YOU KNOW WHAT?” Victim cried, their voice echoing through the Box. Their eyes shifted from the blank whites to the electric blue they normally were. They were filled with pain and anger. “MAYBE YOU DESERVED THAT MILLENIA TRAPPED IN THE IN-BETWEEN FOR THE ETERNAL HELL YOU’VE CONDEMNED HER TO!”

Silence rang between the two gods. Chosen could do nothing but listen to the words as they repeated in his head and feel the crushing tightness of his chest. Tears ran out of Victim’s blue eyes before they turned back into that unnatural white and the emotion left their face. Victim steeled themselves and glared down at Chosen. Chosen could feel his resolve harden as well and he vehemently ignored the tears on his face. He could talk to Victim about this later, but at the moment, this wasn’t his brother and he had to stop them.

Chosen took a few deep breaths and readied himself before letting the power explode from him.

----------

Watching this was hard. Agent had to constantly remind himself why he was doing this - it was his job and if he disobeyed, it would put him and his team in huge danger. Out of the corner of his eye, Agent could see Hazard struggling as well. The Shadowlite’s hands kept on clenching into fists and unclenching, as if they were debating whether or not they should strangle Agent to end this, or break down the Box with their bare hands. 

Agent didn’t have the luxury of stopping. Each time Victim signaled him, he had to swallow his conflicts and spawn in  a new weapon or clone. Each time The Chosen One was pulled back to the ground, he felt his heart fall with the god.

“This isn’t right,” Primal mumbled. Her arms were folded over her chest and she was giving the Box one hell of a death glare.

“Agreed. They can’t hear us out here, right Agent?” Ballista asked.

“Don’t think so, but I doubt they could hear over the fighting anyways.”

“Then this is the perfect time to figure out how to get out of here!”

“What? We still have our job,” Primal protested, though it sounded weak.

“Primal, none of us want to finish this. We’re in way over our heads and it’s getting dangerous. This is worse than the Tiger Lair mission.”

Primal nodded in agreement. She then walked over to the control panel and leaned over Agent’s shoulder.

“Can one of your fancy pants buttons do something that could help us?” she asked.

“I doubt it, they only affect what’s inside the Box.”

“Damnit.”

“Maybe I could rewire it,” Hazard suggested, walking over. They came up on the other side of Agent and began inspecting the Box. Agent’s attention drifted back to the fight, realising that Victim was giving him another signal. He hurried over to the right button and spawned a chair for them.

“Ok, who the fuck made this thing?” Hazard muttered, frustrated. “The wires are all messed up and nothing makes sense!” 

“Let me see,” Agent offered, joining the Shadowlite. He joined them in inspecting the wiring only to find his luck with it wouldn’t be any better than Hazard’s. He was just about to call Primal over to try and break it when something akin to an explosion came from the Box.

Agent was almost crushed by Primal and Hazard when they fell onto him, pushed by the force coming from the Box. Agent quickly scrambled up to regain control only to be frozen in shock by what he saw. 

Power radiated from the figures in waves, so potent that Agent could visibly see them. Fire burned around the head of the standing figure, who loomed over the fallen one. It was The Chosen One, free from the confines of the Lasso. Victim was on the ground, frozen in place by the magic, though Agent knew it wouldn’t last long. 

GO! The Chosen One shouted in Agent’s head. Through the clear walls of the Box, Agent could see the strain it was taking for him to send this message. His eyes looked like they held the fire of stars and the amount of magic he was using was making the air feel thick and heavy. 

CLOSE THE BOX AND TRAP VICTIM HERE, I CAN HOLD THEM.

The wall of the Box cracked with the force of The Chosen One’s power. Agent and his team all took a step back in shock.

GET THE LASSO AND RUN. FIND MY BROTHERS. FIND MI-

Another explosion rang through the cave. When the dust cleared, Agent saw both gods lying unmoving on the floor of the Box.

“Get up,” Agent muttured. He was still in shock, but the orders of The Chosen One overrode it.

“Huh…?” Ballista mumbled as he rubbed his head. “What happened?”

“Get up!” Agent repeated, more urgent this time. We don’t have very long . He jumped over the control panel and ran to the side of the Box. Frantically, he felt around for the button Victim pressed. Hazard realised what he was doing and ran over to help.

Finally, they found it. The compartment opened up to reveal the Lasso, exactly as Victim had left it.

“…Agent?” Primal questioned in a small voice. He turned to the other members of his team. They looked hesitant and confused, but… determined. Their loyalty would not waver.

“This is our only chance. We’re leaving, now .”

Primal and Ballista nodded and ran off to gather whatever weapons and supplies they could get in two minutes. Hazard watched Agent with something akin to pride in their eyes.

From inside the Box, The Chosen One stirred. He sat up and looked directly at Agent. 

Go.

Agent took the Lasso out of the compartment and grabbed Hazard’s hand. 

“Shit!” 

“What is it, Hazard?”

Gods, Agent wished he didn’t look back. Victim was standing now, absolutely livid as their eyes locked.

You will regret this, Untethered Soul, their cold voice rang in Agent’s head. You may have resisted your end before, but I will personally oversee your death for this betrayal.

A shiver ran down Agent’s spine. Before Victim could break out of the Box and attack him, they were tackled by The Chosen One. The two gods struggled, shaking the cave with the force of their power. Hazard grabbed Agent’s hand, pulling him out of his daze, and ran towards the exit.

“Ballista!” Agent called when he saw the other half of his team up ahead. “Think you can use that ‘blessing of Chaos’ to get us out of here?”

“On it, Boss!” 

Agent once again thanked whoever decided to weave these sticks into his fate. The skill diversity of his team was something that saved them many times before. Although Ballista was a human, like Agent, he had been blessed by the god of Chaos years ago, granting him strange, versatile powers that even Ballista himself didn’t know the full extent of.

Ballista moved into a wide stance, bracing himself, and held his hands in front of him in a prayer position. Agent watched in curiosity as his hands began to shake and a bright light leaked out. Suddenly, Ballista’s eyes shot open and his hands flew apart, a glowing orb of white magic held in the air between them.

“Get close!” he shouted. Between the power coming from Ballista and the fighting gods behind them, it made it quite difficult to hear.

The three other sticks quickly moved around Ballista, bracing themselves as he flung the orb onto the ground. It shattered like glass and the last thing Agent remembered was endless white filling his vision.

Chapter Text

“Wait, Blue, what did you say this week was again?” Second questioned, trying to catch up to the Water Walker ahead of them.

“Family week,” Blue called back as she walked through the halls to their dorm room. “As you could guess from the name, we get the week off to go visit our families, or to whoever we want to visit.”

“Ah, right. So who are you gonna see?”

“I’m going back to my hometown to see my family with Green and Purple.”

“They’re gonna see your family too?”

Blue chuckled. “Not exactly. Water Walker towns are built entirely on the water, and mine is built in the same area of the ocean that Green grew up in. Purple is coming to spend some time with us and ‘cause they’re curious about what Water Walker towns look like.”

“Oh, I see,” Second nodded. “What about Yellow?”

“I-” Blue stopped walking. “I’m actually not sure. She’s always spent Family Week or other holidays with one of us, or just not mentioned it. Now that I think about it, she doesn’t really talk about her family much.”

“Hm.” Second continued walking and Blue followed. “Then maybe we just leave it for now. If she wants to say something, she will, right?”

“Yeah. Besides, she’s not the type to open up when she’s being pushed.”

Second nodded in agreement as they approached their dorm. Blue took out her keys to unlock the door, pushed it open, and was promptly hit in the face with a pillow.

“Whoops! Sorry Blue,” Red called from inside the dorm. Blue glared and chucked it back at him, but Red dodged. Second watched from the doorway, trying to hide their laugh.

“I told you to stop throwing pillows around,” Yellow scolded lightly from the kitchen. She was sitting on the stools by the counter typing something on her laptop. 

“You just hate fun,” Green laughed, throwing a pillow at the Seer. Yellow let out a sound somewhere between a cry and a squawk as she fell off the chair. “Whoops.”

“Oh, you damn little-” Yellow muttered under her breath as she grabbed the pillow and flung it back at Green. He dodged, but Yellow eyes started glowing and the pillow flew back into his head.

“What?! I thought you couldn’t use telekinesis!” Green cried.

“I’ve been practicing,” Yellow replied smugly, crossing her arms over her chest and smirking.

“Why are you guys even throwing pillows around?” Second questioned. 

“Green and Red,” Yellow grumbled as she got up. “It’s their ‘warm up’ for their fight later today.”

“Fight?”

“We made a bet a while ago, before you came here,” Green explained. “Just a friendly match to see who would win, no abilities allowed, but we’re allowed one tool each. We were supposed to have it a while ago, but, well, things got thrown out of whack with the Nether and all that.”

“I’m not sure why you’re complaining though, Yellow,” Red cut in, a teasing tone to his voice. “You’re the one who made a bet with Green that he couldn’t beat me, so this is really all your fault.”

“I didn’t realise it would lead to getting assaulted by pillows.”

“A mistake on your part, really. You know how immature we are.”

Yellow rolled her eyes but the fond grin on her face betrayed her. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. You should save your energy for the real fight, though.”

“She’s got a point, we have the arena booked for 3:00, it’s only an hour away,” Blue remarked.

“OH SHIT, an hour?” Green jumped up. He turned to Red. “Maybe we really should get ready.”

Red shrugged and threw another pillow at the Siren. Second watched, not bothering to hide their laugh as pillows started flying again and laughter filled the dorm.

It was another thirty minutes before they made their way down to the arena.

----------

Green felt a strange mix of nervousness and excitement bubble up inside him as he stretched, waiting in the arena for his friends to arrive. His chosen tool was already set out, his trusty fishing rod. Maybe it was ironic, given how much Sirens and Mers got hurt by fishing equipment, but Green found he was pretty handy with it. And if it could give him an advantage today, he would need it.

Even if they weren’t using abilities, Red was one hell of an opponent. He was fast with his movements and his mind, and fought with a vicious drive. Green considered himself thankful that this was only a friendly match, but he would still try his best to win. Not for the first time, Green found himself wishing the fight was in water; he was much more accustomed to fighting in that environment than on land. Instead, he would just have to hope that his training would be enough.

“Green!” Purple called as they landed on the other side of the arena. “You ready?”

“I hope so,” he replied, flashing them a sharp-toothed grin.

Purple walked down the steps that outline the arena’s boundaries and approached him. Their eyes flicked from Green’s face to the fishing rod nearby.

“I thought you were gonna go with a sword or something,” they commented, a teasing smile on their face.

“It’s just a friendly match, Purps, we aren’t looking to actually hurt each other. Plus, this thing has a good range.”

Purple nodded and turned their head to look across the arena. Green heard the telltale sounds of his friends approaching and before he could call out to them, Purple grabbed his hand.

“You’ve got this,” they assured him with a quiet voice. “I believe in you.”

A bright smile grew on Green’s face and he felt confidence fill him at those words.

“Hey guys!” Blue called, walking around the arena. Yellow, Second, and Red followed behind her, carrying some towels and water bottles. Green waved at her and turned to grab the fishing rod. Red bounded down the steps towards him and Purple and tossed a water bottle at Green.

“Thanks,” he said, opening it. The days were getting hotter again, and though today wasn’t particularly bad, Green has always been rather sensitive to heat. The cool water helped slow his swirling thoughts.

“‘Course,” Red said with a smile, before moving to the other side of the arena.

Purple gave him one last smile, then joined the rest of their group at the edge of the arena, where the benches were. Once they were all in their positions, Yellow stood.

“Just to go over the rules,” she started, voice echoing around them. “The fight ends when one person either yields or is knocked out of bounds. No outside help, no interference, and no abilities are allowed, and please, try not to hurt each other too badly. Now, what is your chosen tool?”

Green held up the fishing rod and Yellow nodded. Across the arena, Red tied his braid back in a bun and removed his headband swinging it around his knuckles. Green found it to be a bit of an odd choice, when it wasn’t really a tool by most standards. But he was using a damn fishing rod, what right did he have to judge?

“Alright, then if both parties are ready?” Yellow held a hand over her head and waited. Green and Red both crouched down, eyes locked with each other. The hand flew down and Yellow’s voice rang out: “FIGHT!”

Without missing a beat, Red rushed forward with a slightly manic grin. Green’s leg moved back, ready to brace himself and his grip tightened on the fishing rod. When Red was close enough, he swung it around, catching the hook on Red’s loose pants and pulling back. The Shift lost his balance, but only for a minute. Thankfully, that was all the time Green needed.

He closed in on Red, using his leg to knock him on his back. Red fell with a grunt, stunned. Green moved over him to get a hit in, but Red grabbed him by his shoulders and kicked his legs into Green’s stomach, launching him backwards. Green managed to orient himself mid flight, but the landing still sent shots of pain through his scraped knees. Red scrambled up, holding his headband by one of the beaded ends. A memory sparked in Green’s mind, and he was suddenly very glad that Red decided to use the headband.

They both moved at the same time, clashing in the middle of the arena. It was a flurry of moving fists and legs that Green couldn’t fully keep track of, focusing instead on the pattern of the attacks. It didn’t matter how he dodged, it mattered what he was dodging. Green had finally figured out his advantage of this fight: Red fought a lot, against many different opponents. And Green had watched those fights. He knew when and how Red moved, he knew what worked and what didn't, and he knew when the Shift’s mind went from planning each move carefully, to moving on instinct.

When Red’s leg swung around and missed his head, he stepped back, and Green knew what would come next. Red would use his headband to pull Green in and throw him off kilter. So when the beaded fabric came, Green was already moving. Instead of giving Red the distance he wanted to pull off the move, Green ran in, fishing hook already caught in the fabric of his shirt and wrapping around his body, pinning Red’s arms in place. Before Red could react, Green’s knee was slammed into his stomach, throwing him back. He made a mistake though, because when Red fell back, the fishing rod went with him, flying out of Green’s hands.

Red got to his knees, coughing. The fall ripped his braid out of its bun and it now hung loose, trailing down his back. He glared up at Green and immediately noticed his empty hands. Red moved his gaze off his friend, down to the string still wrapped around him and the fishing rod lying nearby. A wicked grin spread over his face.

The string was detangled and Red picked up the fishing rod, expression taunting. “I bet you want this back, don’t you?”

Green didn’t respond, eyes flicking between Red’s face and the fishing rod in his hand. His body was crouched in ready position and he raised his fists. 

Red gave a short laugh and threw the rod behind him. “Come and get it, then,” he said, voice low as he mimicked Green’s stance. 

Green rushed forward, fist pulling back, but Red was prepared for that. The headband wrapped around his wrist and a sharp tug pulled him around. Instead of fighting it, Green leaned into the force and used it to drive his shoulder into Red. They both fell down into a scrambling pile of limbs. Green tried to kick himself away and grab the fishing rod, but Red pulled him back by the ankle. His desperate scuffling only ended up with him on his back and Red’s knee digging into his shoulder. Green could see the plan quickly forming in Red’s head and knew he had to be faster, so he shoved himself up with his free arm and yanked his trapped shoulder out, flinging Red off. In the brief moment of freedom, he was able to grab the fishing rod and wasted no time in swinging it towards Red. 

The Shift managed to catch the string and yanked it, causing Green to stumble towards him. Red pulled back to hit him, but Green tucked his head and fell into a half-somersault, emerging behind Red. The hook spun around Red’s legs and when Green pulled, the force brought him crashing down. He waited a beat too long to get up and rush him, because Red was already on his knees, bracing himself. As soon as Green was close enough, Red pushed forward, wrapping his arms around Green’s middle and tackling him. They rolled around for a minute before Green found himself once again pinned under Red. There wasn’t enough room for Green to dodge, so Red managed to get a good hit in, just above his jaw. He ignored the pain and the incoherent shouts from his friends and focused on jamming the handle on his fishing rod into Red’s shoulder. Red hissed at the impact, but just pressed harder, so Green tried something else. The fishing hook tangled in Red’s braid and a sharp yank was all it took for the Shift to go stumbling back, freeing Green.

This time Green didn’t hesitate, and as Red was grabbing at his hair, string wrapped around him and trapped his arms. Green ran in and slammed into Red’s back with as much force as he could, knocking him to the ground. Red kicked and struggled, but the string held, and Green pressed his weight down. One knee was on the ground and an arm was by Red’s head, with his braid wrapped tightly in a closed fist. The other knee was holding Red’s hips down and his arm was pressed across Red’s shoulders. Green leaned down, careful not to be hit by Red’s thrashing head, and asked: “Do you yield?”

Red snarled, eyes wild, but after another minute of struggling to no avail, he relented.

“Alright, fine, I yield,” he sighed, resting his head on the ground. Green felt a grin break across his face and he moved off Red, untangling the string and helping him up. Green held out his hand and Red took it to pull him into a hug. It was sweaty and uncomfortably warm, but for once, Green didn’t mind.

The two parted, both breathing heavily but wearing smiles on their faces. Green heard his friends cheering from the sides. He turned, breathless, as he caught Purple's eyes, bright with pride and excitement. He stayed there for a minute, smile growing as he and Purple simply stared at each other.

Red moved towards the group, snapping Green out of his daze.

“C’mon, you gotta greet your fans,” Red teased, walking up the arena steps. Green rolled his eyes as he followed.

His friends all clapped as they approached and Blue handed him some water. Green took it gratefully, drinking half and pouring the other half over his head, relishing the cold that covered him.

Green pulled a towel over his shoulders to wipe away the sweat and tossed one to Red, who caught it with a ‘thanks’. The two of them sat on a bench, catching their breaths and letting Second inspect their injuries. Blue stood with them, listening to them explain each injury and what spell would heal it. 

“Wanna try it on me?” Green offered, as Second healed the bruise forming on Red’s shoulder. Blue’s face lit up.

“Really?” she asked excitedly. Green let out a fond chuckle at her enthusiasm and shuffled over to give her room to work.

Gentle hands lifted his shirt to look at the growing bruise across his ribs from when Red kicked him. Blue started by running her hands along the edges, eliciting a hiss of pain from Green. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled, not looking up. “I gotta make sure nothing is broken or out of place first. Luckily it’s just a bruise.” 

Blue moved her hands to the centre, where the bruise was darkest. Soft words Green didn’t understand left her mouth and a pale blue glow began growing between her hands and his ribs. It stayed there for a minute, and Green could feel his body changning, each blood cell moving back into place, and his veins repairing themselves. When Blue moved her hands there was hardly any indication that he had been hurt in the first place other than some light swelling and a few dark patches on his already dark skin.

“Wow,” he breathed, running his hand along his skin, marvelling at the difference. Even if he still looked hurt, there wasn't any pain. “That’s amazing, Blue.”

Blue gave a shy smile in response, but her eyes lit up with pride. “Thanks,” she mumbled, unable to wipe the smile off her face. Instead, she motioned for Green to turn around so she could heal his other injuries. It was a quick process and once she was done, Blue stood up, taking Green and Red’s towels with her.

“Congrats on the win, Green,” she told him as she walked off. Red gave him a little nudge with his shoulder.

“She’s right,” he said, grinning. “You did great. I’m not taking ‘I can’t fight with legs’ as an excuse not to spar anymore.”

Green barked a laugh, he knew that was gonna be the cost of winning. Before he could reply, Yellow walked up to them, an odd look on her face. She turned to Red.

“You kept on getting texts during the fight,” Yellow explained, holding Red’s phone out to him. “It seemed urgent.”

Red took it with a slight frown and unlocked it, reading the messages. “It's my mom,” he murmured. Green's brows furrowed in confusion. He knew Red's mom pretty well, and she rarely bothered him during school hours when she knew he was busy. 

“Is everything ok?” Green couldn't shake the dread beginning to grow in his stomach. Red shrugged, still looking at his phone.

“I'm… not sure. I should call her back, one sec.” Red walked off, holding his phone up to his ear as he waited for an answer.

Green tried to shrug it off and listen to his friend's chatter, but the longer Red was gone, the more he worried. He kept glancing in the direction Red went, waiting for him to return. A hand tapping his back nearly made him jump out of his skin.

“Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to scare you.” Purple apologised, jumping back with their hands in the air.

“Don't worry,” Green responded breathlessly, hand on his chest. “I just wasn't paying attention.”

Purple's brows furrowed. “Yeah, I noticed. You ok, Green?”

“I… yeah.” He hesitated, not really knowing what to say. How could he tell Purple what was wrong when he didn't know himself? “I'm just worried about Red, I guess.”

Purple hummed, nodding their head. “You should go check on him,” they suggested. “He's been gone for a while.”

“Yeah, I'll… I should go do that. Yeah,” Green murmured as he turned around, not really paying attention. He could only feel the dread inside him, impossible to ignore now.

He followed the direction Red went in, keeping an eye out for the Shift. After a minute, he heard muffled sounds nearby and got closer.

That was how he found Red, pressed against the Academy wall, knees to his chest, one hand covering his mouth so tightly the knuckles were white and the other gripping his hair. His phone lay in front of him, turned off, and sobs wracked his body.

“Red?! Are you ok?” Green asked frantically, falling to his knees in front of his friend. Red shook his head and moved his hand, trying desperately to take gulps of air.

“She- I- she's gone Green. She didn't make it.” A broken cry left Red as he wrapped his arms around himself, holding tightly.

Green felt his throat close up. He was close with Red's family, so he was always up to date about what was happening with them. He instantly knew who Red was talking about and felt his heart break for his friend.

“Oh, Red,” he whispered as he moved closer, wrapping his arms around the shaking Shift. Red moved to hold Green back, hands gripping the back of his shirt and crying into his shoulder. Green's hand made its way into Red's hair, gently combing through the messy curls. All of his understanding, pain, and sorrow was pushed into his voice. His words were more genuine than they've ever been when he whispered, “Oh, Red, I'm so, so sorry.”

----------

Red wanted to question how he got in this situation, but the facts were laid out pretty clearly to him: his cousin had been sick for a while. The doctors said she was doing better, and for a time she was. Then, she wasn’t.

There was nothing for Red to question. Ruby was dead. He didn’t even get the chance to see her during family week.

It was funny how one phone call changed so much. Just minutes ago, he had been laughing with his friends, and now? He was furiously wiping dried tears from his face as he rushed back to his dorm.

The halls were quiet and not many lights were on. Most students were downstairs in the cafeteria for dinner, which was good news for Red. He really didn’t want to talk to anyone at the moment.

The second he thought it, Red knew he jinxed himself and he was proven right not even a minute later, when he ran into the worst group he could’ve.

Fuck.

Acer was talking to a Zombie with his back facing Red. Any other day, he would’ve just turned around, but this was the only way to his dorm. So Red steeled himself and walked forwards, not looking at any of the Mobs as he passed. Unfortunately, Acer didn’t want to avoid a confrontation as much as Red did.

“Well, well, well, look who’s decided to show his face,” the Blaze commented. “Y’know, I think we still have unfinished business from the race. There’s still the matter of you cheating, ‘cause let’s be honest here; there’s no way you could’ve beaten us in a fair game.”

Red bit his cheek to avoid retaliating. As much as he enjoyed punching Acer’s stupid face, he really wasn’t in the right headspace to deal with him. Red’s sharp teeth dug into his cheek and he started to taste blood as he walked faster.

“Aw, what’s the matter little Shift? All bark no bite?”

He hated how much Acer used that saying towards him. It’s as if it was the only phrase the Blaze knew.

“All bark ‘cause he’s always acting like a bitch,” Red heard a Mob mutter behind him. Snickers followed.

Anger sparked inside him, but Red kept walking.

“Wait, I see what’s going on here,” Acer called out. “He’s too scared to face us without his Naga friend here to save him. Can’t fight his own battles like a coward.”

Red stopped. Every voice inside his mind screamed for him to continue walking, but the emotions bubbling inside him needed a way out. 

“A coward?” He quietly echoed. Without turning his body, Red looked over his shoulder at the group of Mobs gathered. “You would know a lot about being a coward, wouldn’t you Acer?”

The Blaze looked like he was about to speak, but Red cut him off as he took a step towards them.

“But we’ve been over this before, and maybe ‘coward’ is too kind a word for you.” There was no stopping Red now as anger burst through every part of him. His lips were pulled back in a snarl, revealing his sharp teeth and he kept his voice low and laced with warning. “You’re a bully who thinks everyone is below you and you think they owe you respect when you’ve done nothing to earn it. You think pushing people around will hide your insecurities and make you look tough, but here’s some news for you, Acer: it doesn’t. It only makes you an asshole who can only deal with his problems by taking them out on others.”

By now, Red and Acer were face to face. Red leaned in and met Acer’s livid eyes with a calm, cold glare. 

“You’re not even a coward at this point. You’re pathetic.”

A growl ripped through Acer’s throat and a glowing rod was swung at Red, but the Shift anticipated that. He easily dodged and quickly shifted his arm into a gorilla’s before slamming it into Acer’s body. The Blaze was flung back and hit the wall, the other Mobs watching in shock. None of them moved. Acer slowly got up, coughing up gold blood as he did. 

“What are you waiting for, idiots?” Acer snapped at the frozen Mobs. “Fucking, do something!”

That seemed to wake them up, as five pairs of eyes were now trained on Red. He only snarled and moved one leg back, ready to fight. 

Wilt was the first one to attack, the stone sword moving quickly through the air. Red jumped back to avoid it, but it caught on his leg, ripping his pants and making a long scratch along his shin. Red barely registered the pain as he moved to fight back. Gorilla arms changed into tiger paws as he swiped at Wilt, claws catching the Wither Skeleton and throwing him at the other advancing Mobs. Acer was up now, more angry than ever as he shouted orders to get Red.

From there, it was all a blur to Red. Constant shifting, into a bird to avoid fireballs, into a squirrel to jump onto a Zombie, making Wilt hit her by accident, into half a python to pull a Skeleton’s arms behind her back as he used his arms to fight a Piglin. He could only think about the rage filling him, barely aware of his movement or shifting as instinct took over.

Suddenly, he was thrown against the wall, snapping him out of the daze. Red groaned as he got up coughing, finally aware of the dull ache all throughout his body. Blood coloured the floor and when Red wiped a hand across his mouth, he realised he had coughed it up. He looked up to the other Mobs, seeing they were in a similar state to him; deep scratches ran along all of their bodies, and bruises were forming in many spots.

Acer grabbed Red harshly by the front on his shirt, pulling their faces close together. “You think you’re so damn smart for this little stunt, huh? You suddenly think all this is over ‘cause you got a few hits in? Well, you’re fucking wrong.”

“I don’t care what you say right now Acer,” Red bit back through heavy breaths. “This is over.” He kicked out of the Blaze’s grasp and pushed him away before moving in the opposite direction.

“Like hell it isn’t!” Acer lunged at Red, glowing rod ready to hit him, but Red whirled around and grabbed it instead. He ignored the second rod that jammed into his stomach to try and get away, instead holding tighter and pulling it towards him.

“It. Is. Over,” he growled. He felt blood trickle down his side from where the rod was pushing into him. In one swift movement, Red swung his free arm down onto the rod he was holding, snapping it easily. Acer fell back with a cry, rod ripping out of his stomach, and Red threw down the piece he was holding at the Blaze. Without another word, he turned around, leaving the other Mobs to crowd around Acer. 

As he sluggishly walked back to the dorm room, he considered feeling guilty for his actions, but couldn’t find it in him. He only felt numb. Besides, those rods broke all the time and grew back easily. And Acer had it coming, Red reasoned with himself. 

He leaned against the wall as he got closer to his dorm. The pain was really catching up to him now that the adrenaline was wearing off. Cuts from Wilt’s sword, the Skeleton’s arrows, and Acer’s sharp limbs stung all across his body, and dull aches from the Zombie and Piglin hits were basically constant. His left arm crossed over his body to hug the gaping wound Acer left on his right side.

Red pushed through, gritting his teeth and trying to ignore everything he was feeling; anger at the Mobs, pain in his body, and the still-present grief from the news earlier. Finally, he made it to his dorm and pushed the door open. 

The main lights weren’t on, probably because his friends were at dinner downstairs right now, but a small light came from the bed area. Red stumbled as he moved inside, falling against the wall that separated the beds from the living room.

“Who’s there?” A voice called. Second. 

Red couldn’t stop the sob that tore through him at the sound of the god’s voice. He heard shuffling and in a flash, Second was in front of him, orange eyes wide with concern and fear.

“Red?! What happened?” they asked as they kneeled in front of him, one hand moving to gently cup Red’s face while the other rested over his hand on the wound. They slowly pulled it back, gasping when they saw the blood on his hand. Their eyes drifted over the rest of his body, taking in the damage. “What happened?” they asked again, meeting Red’s eyes.

Red found he was only capable of making vague noises and sobs at the moment. He shook his head and mumbled incoherent sounds as tears began to run freely down his face. Second just watched him with a patient, concerned look as they let him babble for a minute. The only thing Red managed to bite out was, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok, Red.” Why did Second have to say it with so much kindness and understanding that Red didn’t deserve? 

He shook his head more. “I-I’m sorry,” he cried, words mixing with his sobs. Through the violent shaking of his cries, Red could feel Second’s arms wrap around him and pull him in. Red immediately responded, arms wrapping around the god and face burying in their shoulder as apologies continued to tumble from his lips. The warmth of the god and the gentle circles they rubbed into his back helped calm him down, and soon the air came easier to Red’s lungs. After a few minutes, Second spoke again.

“I’m gonna take you to my bed so I can help you, ok?”

Red gave a small nod, not trusting his voice to speak. His head lifted a bit and through his teary eyes, he could see ribbons of green magic growing around him, moving him around so Second could carry him. One of Second’s arms moved under his legs and the other wrapped around his waist, holding the uninjured side. They carried him over to their bed and gently set him down so he was leaning against the wall. Second sat down next to him and used their magic to carry over a first aid kit and a rag.

“I’m gonna need you to take off your shirt for this part, it’s pretty scratched up anyways,” Second spoke gently as they sprayed the rag with something.

Red complied, feeling a nostalgic sort of warmth grow through him. The god’s words echoed those they spoke when they first met, when they fought the Scribble in the forest. It was strange how time passed. It felt like Red has known Second for a lifetime when it hasn’t even been two months.

With his ruined shirt out of the way, Second began to inspect the wound. It was eerily similar to the puncture wounds the Scribble gave him in the forest, but they both knew this was caused by something else. Second’s face hardened as they got to work cleaning it and they mumbled, “Acer?”

Red nodded in confirmation and a brief flash of anger passed over Second’s face. They quickly focused back on their task, hands steady and purposeful.

“That damn Blaze,” they muttered as their hands lifted to rest over the wound. Green magic filled the room and Red could feel his body stitching itself back together. Only a faint scar was left on his dusky skin when their hands lowered. Other cuts still littered his body, but the pain was more manageable without a gaping hole in his stomach.

“Do you wanna get changed so I can heal your leg?” Second offered. Red glanced down, having forgotten about the gashes from Wilt’s sword.

“Yeah, sure,” he replied hoarsely. His throat was still thick from crying.

Red pushed himself off the bed and walked into the closet to grab some shorts and a new shirt. After getting changed, he looked down at his pants with a pout. Those were his favourite pants. He’d have to ask Blue or Purple to repair them now; gods knew he was useless with a needle and thread.

Neither of them spoke as Red sat back down and moved his legs onto the bed so Second could inspect them. The god gently moved the rag over the cuts and scrapes, murmuring apologies when Red hissed from the sting of the disinfectant. 

“Do you want me to heal the small ones too?” Second asked as they focused on the large cut the sword left on Red’s left leg. Red hadn’t noticed just how large it was until now. It started just above the center of his knee and curved all the way down to his ankle.

“No, don’t worry about those ones,” he responded as green light flashed again. “I heal pretty fast, so they aren’t a problem.”

Second nodded and moved to his right leg. “I’m still gonna clean them at least.”

Red gave a hum in response and the room drifted into silence. Unspoken thoughts rested heavily between them. Finally, Second spoke without looking up from their task.

“Are you alright? I mean, besides the obvious.” When Red didn’t answer, they continued. “It’s just… you haven’t joked or made a silly comment about anything and every other time I’ve seen you hurt, you have. It’s like it’s some sort of… emergency defense mechanism of yours, and it’s weird that you aren’t doing it now so I’m a bit worried.”

Red looked up when he noticed the rag had stopped moving and found Second was now looking at him. A slight scowl was written into their face but their eyes held only concern. Red felt his throat start to tighten again and a quiet sob left him. He wondered, for what must be the tenth time that night, what he had done to earn this god’s kindness. He felt so unworthy of it.

Now that Second was done with his legs, he curled back and Red hugged his knees to his chest. “She’s gone,” he choked out between his sobs. Tears fell onto his knees. “My little cousin, Ruby. She died today, and I just knew something was wrong when I woke up this morning. I felt it, and now she’s dead . She shouldn’t be dead!” Red was getting more and more agitated as he spoke, arms flying around his head to demonstrate his point. His voice was shaky and his body shook with the force of his cries as he continued, “She was only nine , Second, she had a whole life ahead of her! She was the kindest, sweetest, bravest little girl ever and now she’s gone. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

All the fight left him as he spoke those words. Saying it out loud made it feel more real. His head fell into his hands, guilt nearly crushing him. He couldn’t stop thinking about what he should’ve done differently. He should’ve called her and told her about how the race went, like he’d promised the last time they spoke. He was supposed to call her after the Nether, but with Second being revealed and Blue getting hurt, his mind was just too cluttered for anything else. And now, Red wanted to take his past self and shake him by the neck for his stupidity. He should’ve made the time for her. He should've tried harder. He should’ve cared more.

Gentle hands wrapped around the fists Red held against his face. As Second pulled his hands down, Red realised he was clenching his fists so tightly he had drawn blood. Second looked down at them with a small smile as they lifted their hand to heal it.

“I’m sorry,” Red mumbled. Whether he was apologising to Second for needing so much help, or to Ruby for all his shortcomings, he didn’t know.

“Don’t be,” Second whispered, holding Red’s now healed hands in their own. They gave Red a hard, though not unkind, look, one filled with determination and surety. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Red, I promise you.”

Red pulled one of his hands away to wipe at his eyes. He was no longer sobbing like he was before, but tears still fell down his face. Second leaned back on the pillows at the head of their bed and opened their arms, a silent invitation. Red took it gratefully, leaning onto their chest and letting their steady heartbeat calm him. One of Second’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and the other rested lightly in his hair.

“Tell me about her,” they offered.

And so, he did. Red talked for what felt like hours, telling stories, explaining adventures, and whispering about the quiet, happy moments with his cousin that he missed so much. The repetitive, rhythmic movements of Second’s thumb on his shoulder and the rise and fall of their chest eventually lulled Red into a much needed sleep. Mercifully, it was dreamless and peaceful, the first time he’d felt like that in days.

If his friends came home after dinner to see him, puffy-eyed and covered in bruises and cuts, curled into Second’s chest, asleep, they never mentioned it.

----------

The next morning, Red found himself on the train, heading back home. He barely remembered going to the station or getting on; everything felt like a dream, like he was in a bubble and nothing could truly reach him.

His friends had asked him if he wanted to join them later in the week, but he didn’t have the heart to accept just then. This week wasn’t going to be the relaxing, joyous time he thought it would be; instead, he was going to his favourite cousin’s funeral.

At least he’ll make it back in time for that, he thought bitterly. By the time Red arrives home, two days would’ve passed since Ruby’s death and the funeral was set for that day. Red’s first day back home will be spent in a depressing, Ruby-less building. Well, would it really be Ruby-less? Technically, she will be there, since her… body is…

Nope. Red was not going down that path right now. He couldn’t start crying on the train… again. Instead, he took out his headphones and listened to the song Green made for him and Ruby years ago to drown out any thoughts.

----------

The funeral was a small affair, only close family and friends. Upon Red’s request, Green was allowed to come. The Siren had spent a lot of time with Red’s family after all, practically growing up with him, and he knew Ruby well. He knew how much she meant to Red.

The day felt like some twisted nightmare. Red hardly felt present for most of it, drifting in and out of his mind throughout the day. One of the only times he felt like he was a real person was when he was shown Ruby’s casket.

He placed the bracelet he made for her on her wrist and bit back a cry. The grief inside him twisted into a mix of fear and anger and sorrow.

No person should ever feel that cold.

----------

Before he knew it, they were outside, a hole already waiting for Ruby. Along with his aunt, uncle, and mother, Red was one of the sticks carrying the casket. As he walked closer, he considered what felt heavier: the weight of his cousin or the weight of his sunken heart.

Ropes were placed to lower the casket with some sort of pulley mechanism Red didn’t bother to understand. As soon as he let go, he stepped back, unable to bear another moment. He stumbled through lines of sticks before crashing into Green. The Siren said nothing, instead just holding Red in his arms tightly as they both cried.

----------

Green stayed the night but had to leave first thing in the morning to catch the early train home. Red apologised for throwing his week off schedule, but Green wasn’t having it. He insisted it wasn’t Red’s fault, that he wanted to be there, and his other plans would be fine. Green hugged Red again, both of them ignoring the silent tears that wouldn’t stop falling, before saying goodbye to his family.

In all honesty, Red was glad Green came. It felt like the world wasn’t so crushing when his friend was here, like he would make it through.

Then, the door closed and Green was gone.

Then, Red walked up the stairs to his room, resolutely ignoring the extra bed he had in the corner.

Then, Red was swallowed by the overwhelming silence.

----------

They really shouldn’t be doing this. It was unconventional and not technically allowed. It was an abuse of their power for personal reasons. But Second knew that DJ liked them and he would help if they asked. 

There was no harm in asking, right?

Second continued flying, slowly gaining speed. The way to the afterlife was weird if it wasn’t through death. They just had to fly as fast as they could in order to open the gateway. It took a while, but eventually they were going fast enough and the world around them shifted and cracked. It was like ripples of disturbance were tearing through reality. Second blinked, and suddenly they were in the afterlife. They slowed down and circled around the top of the cave-like area. It reminded them of the roof of the Nether. They turned to fly to the other side of the cavern where there was a cliff that Second knew DJ’s home was built into. 

The sound of their landing footsteps was the only one in the afterlife and it echoed across the walls. Second pushed away the unease they felt and knocked on DJ’s door.

“Second?” Hardly a few seconds after they knocked, DJ answered. “What brings you down here?”

“I… I have to ask you a favour…”

----------

“I remember this one,” DJ murmured as he led Second to the land of the Crestfallen. “Chosen met her personally.”

Second gave a hum in response, too lost in their own head to reply with words. They had been to the afterlife before, but never for a reason like this. 

Colours blurred their vision as they flew down. The Crestfallen’s realm was a place of beauty; distant mountain ranges cut through a light blue sky and a forest of green, blue, and purple trees grew along the steep slopes. The colours of the sky and ground were always changing between light blues and purples. It reminded Second of an opal.

Along with the natural environment, buildings littered the landscape. Small clusters that looked like cities or small towns could be spotted from above. Some were made of a blue crystal that looked like ice, belonging to the Crestfallen population, and others looked like modern buildings, where the souls stayed. Second knew not every soul stayed in these cities, however. The afterlife was unique to each soul, so they could build their own life (so to speak) down here if they chose to. Pocket dimensions that held special would existed, and suddenly the task of finding one soul where billions lay seemed impossible. But Second was with the Lord of the Dead, and if DJ wanted to find someone, he damn well could.

It took a while and by the end of it, Second’s wings were falling off, but eventually DJ signalled for them to land. There were clusters of houses in this area, all surrounding what looked like a donut-shaped stage. The centre of the stage was filled with burnt logs and charcoal and various instruments were scattered around the edge.

A few sticks walking by noticed them and DJ and gave polite bows. None of them approached, but even from a distance, Second could see the pointed ears that suggested this was a town of Shifts.

“The one you’re looking for is here,” DJ told them. “Now, I can’t leave the other realms alone for long, so I have to go. I trust you won’t release any souls or do anything else that would make my job way harder than it has to be, right?”

Second chuckled. “I won’t, DJ.”

“Good.” DJ ruffled their hair and Second squawked, swatting him away. Humour sparked in DJ’s eyes before his smile changed from mischievous to something more genuine. “I hope you find what you’re looking for, Second.”

“I thought you said the soul was here?” Second asked, confused. 

DJ gave them a cryptic smile. “I’m not just talking about the soul.”

Before Second could ask him to clarify, DJ snapped his fingers and disappeared in a whirl of magic, leaving them to puzzle over his words. Second huffed and turned towards the houses. The Cursors were all the same, it appeared. They all felt the need to be cryptic and mysterious all the time, much to Second’s annoyance.

Their eyes scanned the houses, trying to figure out where to start. How did one find a small Shift in a whole town of them?

Start by asking, Second supposed.

“Um, excuse me,” they called, walking up to the first Shift they saw. She was dark grey-ish blue. “Do you know where I could find someone named Ruby? She’s nine years old.”

The Shift thought for a minute before shaking her head. “No, I’m sorry,” she replied. “Is she a new arrival?” Second nodded. “Then your best bet is that big building over there. All the new souls stay there until their family finds them and gives them a home.” 

Second looked over to the building the Shift was pointing at and thanked her before taking off in its direction. It was easily the largest building in the area, with a blue dome roof and grey-ish white walls. There was no way Second could miss it.

They landed in front of the large dark oak doors and took a minute to compose themselves. There was a chance she wouldn’t be here, so they couldn’t get their hopes up. They walked in and were immediately taken away by its beauty. 

Exposed wooden beams ran along the walls and ceiling, a stark contrast to the light walls. The dome roof was painted with more constellations than Second could name, making it look like a piece of the night sky was held here. In the middle of the room was a large desk where a single stick sat behind stacks of papers. There were hallways behind the desk and to either side of Second, though they had no idea where they led.

After taking a moment to look around, Second approached the desk. Their sharp footsteps were the only sounds in the building. 

“Um, excuse me?” Second asked nervously. The stick at the desk jumped slightly and adjusted their glasses.

“Ah, my apologies, I didn't hear you come in,” they explained. They had dark sclera, like an Avian, and talon-like, blackened hands and forearms, like a Lava Walker. A Nether Shift then, Second thought. Those are quite rare.

“I'm Copper,” they told them, holding out a hand. Second shook it.

“Second,” they replied. Surprise passed over Copper's face, but they didn't question why a god was at their metaphorical doorstep. “I came by to ask about a soul.”

Copper shook themselves out of their shock and fixed their glasses. “Right. And what is the soul's name?” 

“Ruby.”

“Ruby, Ruby.” Copper muttered the name as they opened drawer after drawer, pulling out bunches of papers and moving them around. Finally, they pulled one out and showed it to Second. 

“Here we go,” they announced. “Ruby, nine year old Overworld Shift and daughter of Bronze and Rose.”

Second nodded. “That's her.”

“Well according to her document, her grandmother, Maroon, claimed her yesterday.”

“Do you know where I could find her?” Second pressed. They were so close!

Copper hesitated for a moment before pointing to another line on the paper. “This is the address she was taken to, it's where the rest of her family lives. That's where you can find her.”

Second leaned over and committed the address to memory. They felt hope budding inside them.

“Perfect, thank you!”

Just before they ran out to find Ruby, Copper stopped them with a hand around their wrist.

“If I could be so bold as to ask…” they started, not meeting Second's eyes. “Why are you looking for her? N-not that you can or anything, it's just, well, I'm a Keeper, and it's my job to record these things.”

Second gave them what they hoped was a reassuring smile. “I have a message for her,” they said simply.

“Right, thank you,” Copper nodded and let go of Second's hand. “Good luck then, young god.”

Second thanked them again and hurried out. Finally, they knew where she was! As soon as they left the building, their wings sprouted out of their back and they took to the skies. Buildings blurred their vision as they shot by, only slowing when they needed to check a street name. After only a few minutes, Second found themselves at the door of Ruby’s home. They took a quick breath to brace themselves and knocked on the door.

“Coming, coming,” a voice called from inside. A few seconds later, an old stick with kind eyes opened the door. “Hello there, how could I help you?”

Those eyes were so familiar, so Second took a guess. “You’re Maroon, right?” This stick had to be related to Red, the resemblance was undeniable. 

“That I am,” she said, nodding. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I was told you claimed a soul named Ruby. I’m looking for her.”

Maroon’s eyes hardened, the same way Red’s did when he thought something was wrong. “What for? I was told she was personally escorted down by Justice, there couldn’t have been a mistake with her judgement.”

“No, no, nothing like that,” Second reassured her, arms waving in front of them. “I…” They hesitated. This was Red and Ruby’s grandmother, if anyone deserved to know the truth about their visit, it was her. “I’m bending the rules a bit. I know Red, and he was crushed by Ruby’s death, so I want to give him a chance to put his mind at ease.”

“Ah, I see,” Maroon muttered, face softening. “Goodness, those two were always so close when they were little. Ruby would follow him around like a duckling would follow its mother.” Sadness passed over her face. “I can see why her death would affect him so much.” A pause. “Alright, come inside, Ruby’s in the living room.”

Second had to stop themselves from shouting with relief that their plan worked. Instead, they hastily followed Maroon inside her home; she was surprisingly fast for an old Shift. She led them through the hall to the living room and gestured for Second to go in.

It was a nice room, cluttered, but in a way that made it feel loved. Mementos lined shelves, photos, artwork, and other little kick knacks that Second couldn’t name. Sitting on the soft carpet was Ruby, looking out the window. She had dark red hair with two braids that started at her temples and were pinned together at the crown of her head. Like Red, the rest of her hair was very wavy, though not coiled, and rested halfway down her back. She had a distant look in her eyes and didn’t notice Second’s presence until they walked over and joined her on the floor.

“Hi there, Ruby,” they said softly to announce themselves. Ruby turned quickly but didn’t flinch.

“Who are you?” she asked, voice hesitant but strong. Second smiled fondly; those eyes must be a family trait.

“My name is Second, you met my brother Chosen when he brought you here.”

Ruby looked at them skeptically. “But he said he would braid his brother’s hair, and you don’t have long hair.”

Laughter bubbled out of Second’s throat. “He was talking about a different brother,” they explained. “There’s actually four of us, and I’m the youngest.”

Ruby let out an “ohhhh” and nodded. 

“I’m here to ask you something,” they started. “See, I go to the same school as your cousin, Red.”

“REALLY?” Ruby shot up, alert. “You know him?”

Second nodded. “He’s my friend, and he was devastated when he heard you died. He regrets that he wasn’t able to say goodbye.”

Ruby sat back down, bringing her knees to her chest. “I miss him,” she whispered. “He always told me to be brave, but I’m scared. I don’t want to let him down.”

Second thought, trying to figure out how to comfort her. “You wanna know what he told me?” When Ruby looked at them curiously, they continued. “He told me you’re the bravest stick he knows and that he’s so proud of you. You don’t have to be fearless to be brave, and I know Red would understand either way.”

Ruby wiped away the tears that trailed down her face and an arm out to her. She leaned into their side, sniffling.

“He misses you too,” Second whispered. “That’s why I’m here, actually.”

Ruby looked up at them, her question written into her face. Second grinned.

“Would you like to see him?”

----------

Red woke up to a buzzing sound nearby. He grumbled, feeling around for his phone and peeling open his eyes. It was the middle of the day, but Red felt perpetually exhausted right now. The light of his phone blinded him for a moment when looking for the source of the buzzing. Ah. A text from Second.

Reluctantly, Red sat up and opened his phone. Second was asking him to… meet up? It was a bit out of the blue.

can it wait? Red texted back. Not even a minute later, the reply came.

Trust me

Red chewed on his bottom lip as he thought. On one hand, he really didn’t want to go anywhere right now. He just wanted to sleep through this living nightmare and let his mind turn to mush. But on the other hand, Second probably knew this and wouldn’t have bothered him unless it was important. Curiosity rose inside him and after another moment of contemplation, Red decided he could use the distraction.

alright. where should i meet you?

Instead of a response, Red heard a tapping on his window, causing him to fall off his bed and throw his phone across the room in surprise. When he got up, he was greeted with Second’s laughing face through the window.

“Did you have to scare the living daylights outta me, Second?!” Red demanded as he opened the window. Second leaned in and grinned.

“Not really, but you have to admit, it was pretty funny.”

Instead of agreeing, Red rolled his eyes, but they both knew Second was right.

“How’d you even get here?” Red asked, eager to change the subject.

“Teleportation,” Second said with a shrug. “So, you ready to go?”

“Where are we even going?”

“You’ll see.” They smirked. Despite his confusion, Red was glad to see it. “Just come with me, we’re flying there.”

“One sec.” Red had been crying almost all night, and he had a pretty brutal headache as a result. He quickly scrambled around for his bottle of acetaminophen and swallowed a pill with a gulp of water that was on his bedside table. 

“Alright, let’s go,” Red said, perching on his windowsill. Second grinned and flew off, taking the lead. Red pushed away from his house and his arms shifted into wings as he fell, red hawk wings, because he liked the irony of it. With a few large pulls, he was right behind Second. 

The air was cold and stung his face, but the feeling was bliss. Any feeling that wasn’t guilt or numbness was welcome right now. Despite Red’s burning curiosity, he didn’t ask Second about their destination.

“Alright, Red, I need you to listen closely,” Second called over their shoulder. “You have to start flying as fast as you can, ok? It’s gonna get a bit weird, but just keep flying.”

A weird request, but nevertheless, Red responded: “Got it, just lemme shift into something faster.”

It’s hard to shift while moving, especially while flying, but luckily Red had practice. He squeezed his eyes shut and felt his shirt be replaced by the sleek feathers of an eagle. The feathers grew across his shoulders and back to make him more aerodynamic, but he stayed mostly human since the size helped him go faster. Red opened his eyes and pumped his wings, keeping pace with Second. Just like he was told, sparks and flares of magic appeared around them as they flew, so he grit his teeth and went faster. The magic grew and grew until it flashed and Red’s vision went white.

When his eyes cleared, Red wasn’t in the sky anymore. Instead, he was flying in a large cavern made of dark stone. It looked like the Nether, minus the fires. Second turned and flew towards a cliff with railings along the edge, so Red followed. A door, and supposedly a home behind it, was built into the cliffside.

“What is this place?” Red asked as they landed. 

“Just a quick stop,” Second replied. They opened the door and spoke to a figure inside that Red couldn’t see. He was close enough to hear, but their words were jumbled and strange, as if they were speaking another language. The figure handed something to Second and closed the door.

“Should I even ask, or is it mysterious god stuff I can’t know about?” Red joked.

“Something like that.” Second smiled and held their hands out to him, showing him what they were given. “You’ll have to wear this for the next part.”

A blindfold. Red hesitantly took it. “Why?”

Second looked uncomfortable, which only made Red more confused. “Because I’m kind of breaking some rules here, and you’re not allowed to see where we’re going. You can take it off once we get there.”

Red looked between the blindfold in his hands and the god in front of him. The whole situation was weird, but Second had never let him down or deceived him. There wasn’t any reason for him to doubt them, so Red lifted the blindfold over his eyes and tied it.

“You’re my eyes now, Sec.” Red held out his hand. “Please don’t lead me into a wall.”

Second laughed and took his hand. “I’ll lift you with my magic so you don’t need to fly.”

The feeling of flying without wings was definitely weird, but Red did not scream when he started floating. What a ridiculous idea. Without his sight, it was hard to tell how far they were going and how much time had passed, so Red closed his eyes and waited. The air felt different down… wherever they were. It didn't feel like the rushing breeze of flying that Red loved. Instead, it was like the cold of the breeze seeped into his skin and settled on his bones without moving around him. It was… still.

After a few more minutes (according to Red's best guess), Second called out, “We're landing now.”

Red felt the magic holding him loosen and his feet touched the ground again. He reached up to take off the blindfold, but was stopped by Second's hands grabbing his.

“Not yet.”

Second led him along, still holding his hand, and knocked on a door. It opened and Red heard a muffled gasp (or maybe it was a sob?) and the two of them walked inside. Red felt the hardwood under his feet change to soft carpet as he was led into another room. 

“Stay here for a minute, I need to get something. You can take the blindfold off,” Second told him.

As the god’s footsteps left the room, Red untied the blindfold and blinked rapidly, not used to the light. He turned in a circle, taking in the room around him. It seemed oddly familiar. One wall had large windows that reached almost from ceiling to floor. Cluttered shelves rested on the left side, and a couch sat across from them. Traditional art and instruments lined the walls, telling Red that this home belonged to a Shift. The carpet Red was standing on had detailed patterns, ones that Red recognized. As he looked closer, he realized it was depicting the story of Father Future, a common Shift legend. Red looked down to the edge he was standing on, the edge that showed the first question Shifts asked Father Future:

Father Future,

Tell me where I'll be

If I nurture 

This anger inside me?

Red walked along the edge to the next question: 

Father Future, 

Where will I go

If I chase all

That I don't know?

The third question was:

Father Future, 

What will I hear

If I listen

To all of my fears?

The last edge of the square carpet asked:

Father Future

How will I see

If my dearest

Is truly right for me?

The answers were written under the drawings, but something was still missing; in the story, Father Future was asked five questions. Red turned, looking for the last one, and he finally found it in the middle of the carpet where he was standing.

Father Future

When will I die?

When will my loved ones

Have to close my glassy eyes?

Images of greyish skin and a blank expression rushed back into Red's mind. He fell to his knees so hard that he was sure they would bruise. All he could do was stare at one of the verses of Father Future’s response:

Cherish what time you have

And let your loved ones know

How much they mean to you

Before it’s time to go

The song flew around in his head, mixing with the thought I failed. I failed her. I failed her.

Red was curled so tightly into himself that he didn't notice Second had returned.

That is until a small voice called out.

“Red?”

His head shot up. It can't be…

“…Ruby?”

Lo and behold, there she was, standing in the doorway with her hand loosely wrapped around Second's. She was a bit paler than the last time Red saw her, but it was still Ruby.

A sob tore through Red's throat as he surged forwards. Ruby moved at the same time and they met in the middle, a tangled mess of searching arms and teary eyes. For a long time, Red couldn't find any words to say. All he could do was hold onto Ruby like his life depended on it out of fear that if he let go, she would disappear. Broken, jumbled noises left him instead of actual words he should say. Words like ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I miss you’ and ‘I love you’.

He was finally broken out of his mind when he heard a quiet: “I'm sorry.”

Red pulled back only enough to see Ruby's face clearly. He cupped his hands around her face, wiping away her tears. 

“Ruby, why the hell are you sorry? You haven't done anything wrong.”

Ruby moved forwards to hug him again, burying her face into Red's chest as she hiccuped and cried. Red tightly held her shaking shoulders. 

“I wasn’t strong enough,” she choked out. “I was supposed to be, but I couldn’t and I let down you, and mama, and papa.”

“That doesn’t matter, Ruby, not one bit,” Red whispered, running a hand through her hair. “The only thing that matters right now is that you’re here and you’re ok. Everything else can wait.”

Ruby sniffled. “S-so you’re not upset at me?”

“Gods, no! I could never be mad at you. How could I? You’re Ruby; you’re sweet, and determined, and bright. Even if you can’t be those all the time, you’re still Ruby, and I love Ruby no matter who she is or what she can do. I love you.”

The world around them faded into insignificance and Red’s sole focus was on the shaking girl in his arms. They muttered short sentences to each other between their crying, the most coherent ones being ‘I love you, too’ and ‘you’re ok, I’m here’. Red didn’t know how much time had passed before the shaking stopped and his eyes got heavy. All he cared about was the warm body next to him, soothing the memory of cold skin in a casket. 

----------

Somehow, leaving the Afterlife was easier than entering it, at least when it’s done through magic instead of death. The magic that created the realm was much more willing to let the living leave than it was to let the living enter. Second was able to teleport them back with a minute of concentration, although it did take a lot of energy out of them. Thankfully, Red didn’t seem too keen on doing anything either.

Neither of them spoke when they arrived in Red’s room with a flash of green light. Thinking Red would want some time to process everything, Second made for the room to give him room only to be stopped by a light tug on their wrist.

“Can… can you stay?” Red wouldn’t meet their eyes as he asked the question.  The tears along his cheeks hadn’t quite dried yet.

Second nodded and moved so their hand was properly holding Red’s. “Of course. Anything you need.”

Red sniffled and wiped his eyes with his free hand. He gently pulled Second across his room and sat at the foot of his bed. Second settled down on the ground and looked up at him. Their thumb traced idle patterns on the back of Red’s hand.

“S-sorry, I… I don’t know why I’m still crying,” he mumbled. He let out a laugh, though it sounded more like a gasp. 

“That’s ok,” Second responded gently, using their free hand to brush Red’s cheek and wipe away the tears. “You’re allowed to cry.”

“I know, I know, but… I shouldn’t be sad right now. I got to see Ruby again and tell her everything, why am I still sad?”

Second moved their hand down to Red’s knee. “Because it’s still a sad situation. You got to see her again, but Ruby- she’s still dead, and that was still a goodbye. It makes sense to mourn, even if you got a second chance.”

Red didn’t answer on account of his cries. Instead, he leaned his arms on his knees and buried his face in them. He was quiet, but his shoulders still shook with the weight of his sobs. Second silently moved closer, pressing their side against Red’s legs and running a hand through his hair. Time and reality faded away and the only thing that existed in that moment were the two of them in silent comfort. Second closed their eyes and their mind drifted. It felt like they were melting into the environment; they didn’t know where their body ended and Red’s began. Maybe they were one and the same.

After a while, minutes or maybe hours, Second realised it was quiet. Red was no longer shaking or crying. Slowly, they moved away, only enough to check Red’s face. His sleeping form looked more peaceful than he had since he left the Academy.

A small grin found its way onto Second’s face as they brushed Red’s bangs away. The Shift didn’t react to the touch and continued breathing evenly, so Second took it as a sign to move. After they stood up, a green light covered Red and moved him further down the bed so he could properly lie down. Second pulled the covers up and kneeled down next to him. Their thumb gently ran across his cheek, wiping away the tear stains, and they pressed a light, fleeting kiss to his forehead before standing and quietly closing the door behind them.

It was only the afternoon, so Second expected the house to be fairly empty, since both of Red’s parents worked, but those expectations were quickly broken when they heard the front door closing and footsteps around the front hall. Second scrambled for their enchanted bracelet in their pockets. They got it on just in time, because not long after, a stick that had to be Red’s mother came walking up the stairs. She froze when she saw Second, which was a reasonable reaction when a strange, young stick is in your home.

“Um, hello…” she said hesitantly. 

“Hi,” Second awkwardly waved. “S-sorry about this, I was keeping Red company but, uh, he’s asleep now.” Her face softened at the mention of her son. “I was just about to leave, so I can-”

“Why don’t you come with me to the kitchen, I can fix you a snack.”

Maroon must be Red’s maternal grandmother, because his mother had the same eyes she did and the same eyes Red himself inherited. No matter who had them, they were very hard to say no to.

The kitchen was lit by the windows that took up most of the far wall. The warm afternoon light gave the room a cozy, comfortable feeling. Red’s mother gestured to the stools by the island for Second to sit at. She then went to the fridge and began pulling a few containers out.

“So, what’s your name?” She asked as she moved to the counter.

“Second.”

“Second,” she repeated. “It’s nice to finally have a face to put to the name.”

“O-oh, you’ve… heard of me?” The disguise spell was also meant to distract people from Second’s true nature- even if someone knew a god was named Second, they weren’t supposed to put the pieces together.

Second was snapped out of their thoughts by a chuckle. “Well yes, Red mentions you often. I’m Naphthol, by the way, but I go by Naph.” She held out a hand and they took it in a firm handshake.

“Pleasure to meet you, Naph.”

Naph smiled and turned back to the food she was preparing. “So, you go to the Academy with Red.” It wasn’t a question, more like a gateway into the conversation. 

Second nodded. “I started there a few months ago. I was put in a room with the headmaster’s kid so they could help me adjust and Red was also in that room.”

“Are you enjoying it there?”

The answer came to them without needing to think it over. “Yes, I am. The school itself is great, but Red and the rest of our friends make it even better.”

Second could see the relief in Naph’s profile as she smiled to herself. “That’s good to hear. I was so worried about sending Red away, but I knew he had Green and now he has friends like you to help him through this. It’s more than any mother could ask for.”

Naph walked over to Second, plate in hand, and put it down in front of them. It had some fried rice with cuts of meat. She had a plate for herself as well and sighed as she sat across from Second. They ate in comfortable silence before Second’s curiosity got the best of them. 

“So, you know Green already?”

“Oh, of course,” Naph chuckled. “He actually lived with us for a long time before going to the Academy with Red.”

“Wait, really?” 

She nodded. “Sometimes a Mer or Siren will send their kids to families on land to help them adjust to life here. Green was one of those kids, and he’s been living with us since… probably since he was seven.”

“Ah, well that explains somethings,” Second mused. “They have that sort of banter and teasing that comes with years of friendship.”

Naph hummed in agreement. “He came to the funeral,” she murmured, mostly to herself. Honestly, I think that’s the only reason Red made it through the day.”

Second stayed silent, unsure of what to say. After a pause, Naph sighed and looked up, meeting their eyes.

“And now you’re here,” she continued, “making sure he’s ok and keeping him company. I don’t need to know you for long to know you’re a good kid, Second. Thank you.”

They nodded numbly. “You’re welcome.”

The two of them ate in silence after that, only interrupted by Second’s occasional yawn. Once they were finished, Nahp gathered the plates.

“Do you want to stay here for a bit?” She asked as she put them in the sink. “We have an extra room you could sleep in.”

Second hesitated. “I don’t want to impose.”

Naph waved them off, already guiding them towards the room with a hand to their back. “Nonsense, nonsense. You’re welcome here anytime, and besides, you look dead on your feet right now. Just get some rest and you can head home after.”

Second was about to decline, but another yawn cut them off so they accepted their fate. The room Naph showed them to was simple; a twin bed tucked into the corner with a desk across from it. They sat down on the bed and thanked Naph as she closed the door.

Now that Second was alone, it was much harder to ignore how tired they were. With a wave of their hand, their clothes changed into something more comfortable to sleep in. The covers were pulled back and Second settled into the soft bed, a sigh escaping their lips. A small voice in their head said they should just teleport home, but they were asleep before they could even consider the idea.

----------

According to the clock on the wall, Second woke up a bit over two hours later feeling well rested and reenergised. It was only late afternoon, but using up so much magic really drained them, and the nap did them well.

Second rolled out of bed and quickly changed their clothes back to normal. When they wandered out to the living room, they saw Red sitting on the couch with his mother, talking. He perked up when he saw Second, smiling lightly.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” he joked. Second rolled his eyes, but their grin betrayed them.

“You have no right to talk, you were out longer than me,” they complained as they joined Red by the couch, leaning on the arm rest. “You feeling ok?”

Red nodded. “Yeah, you?”

“Much better. I think I’m gonna head back now, actually.”

“Wait!” Red grabbed their hand. “Could you… stay a bit longer? There’s a festival today, and I wanna show you around.”

“Are you sure you feel up to it?” Second asked, concerned.

Red nodded. “It’s better than sitting around in my room all day. At least I’ll be doing something.”

Second shot a glance to Naph, who nodded in approval. “You two should go, the festivals are always worth a visit.”

“Alright then,” Second said with a shrug. “Let’s check it out.”

Red beamed and immediately got up, rushing over to the door to pull on his shoes. Second followed and in a flash of green light, their Naga tail was replaced by a pair of legs (though Second would never get used to the feeling of feet).

Red led them by the hand through crowded streets that were brimming with life. Everywhere they turned, Second saw something new; groups gathered around instruments playing music or dancing, pop-up stands with jewellery, fans, masks, and other trinkets, and shows being performed in colour costumes or puppets. It was lively and exciting.

“What’s all this for?” Second asked in wonder as they looked at the handing decorations above the streets.

“The New Moon Festival,” Red explained. “Ancient stories depict the moon as a warden, like the watcher of Earth. So when the moon is gone from the sky, we have a night of freedom to revel in Chaos without restraint. Really, it just means a bunch of fun shows and great food.”

Second nodded along, though their eyes never left the festivities going on around them. Something caught their attention, something that seemed familiar, and they grabbed Red’s arm.

“Red, what is that?” they asked, pointing. Red looked over and spotted it.

“Oh, that’s a stage. Stories are performed there and anyone can join in.”

It was exactly like the stage they saw in the afterlife, they realised. A stone circle with instruments laid out. The only differences was the fire that grew in the centre and the people gathering around. Second’s eyes lit up and their grip on Red’s arm tightened subconsciously. 

“Do you wanna check it out?” Red asked. Second nodded, eyes still glued to the stage, and Red laughed as he pulled them along. They gathered with the rest of the crowd just as the song was finishing. Applause erupted around them and the sticks on stage left, replaced by new ones from the crowd. The three performers carried a hand drum, a wooden flute, and a tambourine. When the beat started, the crowd gasped and spread out.

“What’s going on?” Second was pulled along by Red, away from the people around them.

“You dance to this song while you sing it, so we’ll need some space.”

“But I- I don’t know what to do.”

Red took Second’s hands and looked at them determinedly. “It’s ok, I’ll show you.”

All the nerves melted out of their body when Red looked at them like that. The drumming and cheering faded into white noise, and all Second could see was the small, constant smile on Red’s face as he looked down and started swaying to the rhythm of the music. 

“Alright, so,” Red began, letting go of Second’s hands to demonstrate the dance. “You’re gonna stick one leg out and tap my foot in the middle, switch, then do the first foot twice. One, two, one, one. Then forearms in the middle, we turn, and repeat starting from the other foot. Arms and turn again, and you basically just repeat that. Simple!” Red looked up as he finished, grinning wildly. “Got that?”

Second nodded and the flute began playing, signalling the start of the song. A quick melody flew through the air and voices all throughout the crowd started singing along. Amidst all the sounds and chaos, Red was the only voice Second could hear. They followed the beats, their ankles tapping Red’s, and laughed along for the energy was contagious. Colours whirled around them as they spun, and after the melody repeated three times, the singing paused. The song hit a part for solos, so each one of the performers on stage sang or played a short part before the original melody started again. Red continued singing, smiling as he did. Second joined in for the parts they could remember, but they were more focused on the fast-moving stick in front of them.

The song ended and the crowd burst into applause, the two of them included. Red’s laughter rang out and Second joined in. His hair was a mess and he was covered in sweat, but when Red took their hand and smiled wider than he had in days, he still managed to make Second feel more breathless than the dancing did. 

More songs played, and though these didn’t have dances, they were just as enjoyable. Second cheered along with the crowd until their voice was hoarse. Red sang, uncaring of who was watching him, which was good for Second because they were unable to take their eyes off him the whole time.

“See, I knew you could do it! Dancing is fun if you just try it,” Red laughed as they wandered away from the stage. Second couldn’t help but smile back.

“Yeah, you were right. You’ll have to show me more dances sometime.”

Red beamed. “Of course! We have so many different songs, so we’ll definitely be able to find something you’ll like. Oh, and I have to play you ‘Braveheart’ later, it’s my absolute favourite story.”

He continued explaining other stories that took song form as the two of them walked back to his house hand in hand. Second did their best to listen closely, but their mind was still abuzz with the excitement of the night. 

They arrived at Red’s house quickly - the benefits of living in a smaller town - and Second waited in the living room when Red offered to get some water. They looked around and noticed a drum leaning against the wall, similar to the one the performers used. Second got up to get a closer look. Their hand lightly brushed against the painted figures on the side.

“It’s called a Dolca,” Red said, walking in with two cups of water. Second jumped back, worried they would get in trouble for touching it, but Red just laughed and handed them one of the cups. He sat down next to them and took a sip from his own cup before continuing. “It’s like a drum, but it has a lot of meaning to us. Shifts can only use Dolcas made by family members, and each one is unique. Most of them also have one of our stories painted on the side. My great-grandmother made this one and it depicts the story of Braveheart, my favourite one, actually.”

“Why is it only used by the Shift’s family?” Second questioned.

“Because our hair is used in some parts of the design, and it holds a lot of meaning.” Red pointed to the braid that ran along the rim of the Dolca. The colour reminded Second of Red’s hair. “Because we're shapeshifters, our natural form is very important to us. Many Shifts choose not to cut their hair and others keep only one or two different styles their whole lives. Generally, we only cut our hair for important events, or… or to grieve.”

The Dolca was set on the ground as Red trailed off and his eyes glazed over, becoming distant. Second was about to speak, not wanting Red to fall into his mind again, but he beat them to it.

“I don’t know if I’ll cut my hair,” he admitted quietly. “Does… that make me a bad person?”

Although the question was rhetorical, Second answered without hesitation. “It doesn’t.”

A rueful smile grew across Red’s face. “I think she would’ve preferred I keep it anyways. She always liked braiding it. But I still feel like I should do something. ” Red trailed off for a moment, face tight with concentration. Then, he moved towards the stairs, gesturing for Second to follow. “Come with me, I have an idea.”

Red led them up the stairs and flicked the light of the bathroom on. He started looking through drawers and cabinets while Second stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do. 

“Aha! I knew we had it somewhere,” Red announced as he pulled out a box. He opened it to reveal scissors, combs, and other hair cutting equipment. “I want to keep my braid, ‘cause I feel like that’s keeping Ruby close to me. But I think I’ll cut around it, undercut style, y’know?”

Red pulled an electric razor out of the box and turned to Second. His voice was quiet when he asked, “Could you cut it for me?”

“Of course,” Second answered. The importance of what Red was asking didn’t escape them and it made them slightly nervous. Second tried to steady their shaking hands as they took the razor. Red got a stool out and sat in the middle of the bathroom, giving Second room to work. 

They took a deep breath to calm their nerves. This was important to Red and they had to focus. There was no room to screw up.

“Where do you want me to cut from?” they asked. 

Red thought for a minute before replying, “I think starting from my ear down to the braid.” His hand came up to show Second and they nodded in understanding.

Before using the razor, they took the scissors to trim the area they were going to shave, just to be sure they didn’t shave something else by accident. When they were satisfied, Second brought the razor up and began to work. They didn't miss the way Red tensed at the sound before forcing himself to relax.

The minutes passed by quickly and silently, and before Second knew it, they were finished. They pulled back and brushed the stray clumps of hair off Red’s shoulder.

“There we go, all done,” they announced.

Red looked in the mirror and gingerly brushed a hand along his freshly cut hair.

“Wow,” he breathed. “You did a great job. Thank you, Second.”

Second smiled. “There's still one more thing I have to do.”

“What do you mean?” Red asked, confused. Instead of answering, Second took the scissors again and held them up to one of the many little braids and twists in their hair. “Wait, Sec, what-”

Snip . Snip.

Red stared, frozen, as Second cut off two braids and gently lay them on the counter. They undid the woven strands to retrieve the bead that was tied at the end.

“This is something I do with my brothers,” Second explained as they held the beads. “We make beads and either weave them into our hair, or wear them as a necklace. Each one has a different meaning.” Second reached for Red's headband. “May I?”

Red nodded and handed them the ribbon. There were already beads tied at the ends, so Seconds figured the new additions would fit right in. 

“This one,” they started, holding up a translucent golden bead with black wisps inside, “means perseverance and strength. It will remind you that you have survived before, and you're capable of surviving again.”

Second tied the bead into one end of the headband, then took the other one. It was a simple, clear, round bead, but they held it tightly in one hand and whispered a few words. When they opened their hand, the bead had orange whorls inside it and a green sheen. 

“We each have a symbol that gives an object a part of our power, like a physical blessing that we can give others. My symbol means protection. No matter where you are or what you're going through, I'll be with you, in more ways than one. You won't have to face things alone anymore, and if it's urgent, I can use this to find you.”

Before adding the bead, Second paused and looked up to meet Red's eyes. “I know this might be a lot, so you don't have to accept it right now, or ever really.” They hoped this wasn't a mistake. They didn't want Red to feel pressured to accept. “It's up to you and if you don't want it, I can-”

Rec tackled Second into a crushing hug, cutting them off. Through their shock, Second returned it.

“Thank you.”

Second's throat felt thick, so they squeezed Red instead of speaking. They could practically feel the tension and stress melting out of Red's body as he relaxed into the hug. Despite being a Hollowhead, Second was shorter than most sticks they met but still a bit taller than Red, so they could comfortably rest their head on his shoulder. 

Eventually, Red pulled back, quickly wiping his eyes. Without speaking, he took Second's hand, picked up the headband and bead that Second left on the counter, and pressed them into their hand. Second got the message and tied the bead of protection onto Red’s headband. When they were done, they reached up to put it back on Red, who leaned forward for them. Second fumbled with it, their hands shaking lightly, just enough to make it a struggle to tie the ribbon. Red chuckled and reached up to help them. When he secured the ribbon, he took Second’s hands and brought them down, holding them in his own. A light smile rested in Red's face and time seemed to slow down. In that moment, nothing mattered more to Second than the stick in front of them and the little bubble they found themselves in. 

That is, until a buzzing from the counter broke the moment and nearly made Second jump to the ceiling. 

Red, who was much more composed at the moment, grabbed Second's phone and handed it to them. Still startled and slightly annoyed at the disturbance, Second looked for the source of the buzzing.

“It’s Purple. Something’s happened and they need me back at the Academy,” they explained, brows pinching in concern. What was going on?

Red looked confused, but nodded. “You should probably check that out. Thanks for staying with me.” His voice grew quiet and a small but genuine smile rested on his face. “It really means a lot, and I’m feeling much better now.”

“Of course, Red.” Second placed a hand on Red’s forearm, in what they hoped was a comforting gesture. “I’m here if you need anything, ok? We all are.”

Red nodded and mumbled another thanks. The two stood up, Second slipping their hand into Red’s as they did, and Red led them downstairs to the front door. Before Second could leave, they were stopped by Red’s hand holding them back.

His eyes wouldn’t meet Second’s and he seemed hesitant. They was about to ask what was wrong when they were pulled by the front of their shirt. Despite the force Red used, whether intentional or not, the kiss he planted on Second’s lips was gentle and soft. Through their shock, Second briefly considered using their magic to slow time and make the moment last longer, but decided to appreciate the time they had instead. The hand that pulled them down had flattened against the base of their neck and Second could feel the warmth coming from it. Much too soon, Red pulled back and Second followed without thinking, earning a small chuckle from the Shift. He gave them a gentle smirk and a light blush dusted his cheeks. It might’ve been the most beautiful thing Second had ever seen.

“Thank you,” Red whispered again, hand moving from Second’s neck to their cheek.

Without meaning to, Second moved their hand to gently wrap around Red’s wrist and they leaned into his touch. Red gave a small laugh, and the smile that played on his lips looked so much like the happy, mischievous Red that Second knew. They couldn’t stop the smile that made its way onto their face. Red seemed to melt at the sight and he leaned in again to kiss it. This time, Second wasn’t taken by surprise and had time to react. Their free hand moved up to cup Red’s face as their eyes closed. When Red moved away, Second mourned the loss of his warmth.

“Alright, now go see what Purple wants. Shoo.” Red playfully swatted at Second’s shoulder before turning back to his house. He paused in the doorway and gave Second one last glance. “I’ll see you soon,” he promised.

A mumbled “yeah” was all Second could manage as Red smirked again and closed the door behind him. They stood there, staring at the empty space where Red was only moments ago, a dopey smile on their face and a hand brushing their lips. The memory of Red’s gentle smile made them feel warm all over. After another minute or so, Second shook themselves out of their head and remembered their whole reason for leaving. After sparing another moment to soak up the happiness and warmth they were feeling, Second turned and let their wings spring from their back, shooting into the sky and back to the Academy.