[OLD] Blood On Fire (A Hermitcraft AU)

Chapter Twelve: Belief

"Do- erm- do you know Xay?" Xisuma blurted. Impulse smiled.

"Sort of," he offered. "We met recently."

"What?" was the only thing Xisuma could think to say.

"Let me ask you something," Impulse said casually, changing the subject. "Do you know how H- erm, all of the others just kind of vanished?"

"No," Xisuma replied. Impulse smiled again, a knowing smirk.

"Okay," his voice carried a meaning, a meaning that Xisuma didn't understand.

"Mind if I try something?"

Xisuma blinked at Impulse's question.

What is he thinking?!

Xisuma nodded, slowly, hesitantly,

"Go ahead..."

BANG!

A thunderclap-like-sound.

And suddenly,

The pair were standing outside the building.

"WHAT THE-" Xisuma shrieked before Impulse clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Shh!" the other exclaimed. "Are you insane?!"

"No, but you are!" Xisuma hissed. Impulse sighed, then grabbed Xisuma's hand, dashing into a small stretch of woodland.

"Please explain what just happened," Xisuma mumbled once they slowed to a stop. Impulse turned to him and grinned.

"You happened,"

Xisuma was silent.

"I... don't understand," he said after a moment. Impulse sighed.

"You have one of the rarest powers ever known," he murmured. "'Void'."

"That's my last name," Xisuma pointed out instinctively, the meaning of Impulse's statement still not clicking.

"Huh," Impulse said with a laugh. "Funny coincidence."

"But I'm still confused," Xisuma tried again. "How-"

"Your eyes," Impulse cut him off. "I got the briefest glance of your eyes before you dashed away. Indigo... and glowing. Not sure why they were glowing, but they were. I could sense the Void in you, I'm shocked Hels and the others didn't notice. Anyways, when the others vanished, I had sent out a shockwave that instinctively activated your powers. And because you've clearly never used them before, you had enough energy in your reserves to teleport them exactly where I wanted. And, just now, you didn't have as much stored energy, so you teleported us just a little outside."

"I..." Xisuma trailed off, still in shock.

"In summary, congrats! You're magic," Impulse said with a grin.

I... what?!

"How did I not know this?" Xisuma asked.

"I think you're a late manifester," Impulse said with a chuckle. "We'll have to ask Hels- the guy with silver-gray armor. The one your brother's hopelessly in love with." Xisuma practically choked at his remark.

"W-what?" Xisuma sputtered. Impulse smirked.

"Eh, don't worry about it," he advised.

"O-kay," Xisuma mumbled.

Add that to the list of things to worry about.

"We need to get to a dropspot," Impulse sighed. "Then, hopefully, this whole mess'll be resolved." Xisuma blinked.

"Dropspot?" he echoed.

"Explain on the way there," Impulse grumbled. "Let's cut through the forest, I can't be seen." Xisuma nodded, unsure of what else to do.

As they were walking, Xisuma was repeating everything that had happened in his head.

I think I really understand Xay now.

The idea of someone else utilizing my magic against my will is...

I don't like it.

Does that make me selfish?

I think so.

But I don't think that's so bad.

"Hey, do you see that?" Impulse jerked Xisuma out of his thoughts, and Xisuma noticed a patch of bright yellow where he was pointing.

"Wonder what that is," Xisuma murmured. Impulse nudged him jokingly.

"Only one way to find out! Race you!"

And before Xisuma could protest, Impulse had dashed off in the direction of the strange area. Xisuma felt a small grin creeping onto his face, and he bolted after Impulse, the small competitive part of him kicked into action.

When Xisuma arrived, a couple of seconds after Impulse, the other had stopped to catch his breath. Xisuma chuckled, then glanced at the thing that had caught their attention.

It was a patch of bright yellow flowers.

"Wh-" Impulse cut himself off with a small 'oh'.

Right in the center of the flower patch was a gravestone.

Marked with a name Xisuma now recognized,

Impulse S.V.

The boy next to him was staring at his own grave.

Can I just say... that'd be pretty horrifying, looking at your own grave when you're still alive... but there's someone out there that you care about who thinks you're dead.

-Storm