[OLD] Blood On Fire (A Hermitcraft AU)

Chapter Fourteen: Mistaken

*chokes* A thousand reads?! Thank you all!

Warnings --->

WC: ~1000

Enjoy!

Xay dropped into the headquarters, feet thumping on the floor. Iskall and Grian were sitting together, clearly mid-conversation. The two heads turned towards him, tearstains on their cheeks. Guilt pooled in Xay's stomach, and he opened his mouth to apologize.

But before he could get any words out, Grian scooted closer to Iskall and patted the spot next to him, tilting his head in a 'come on' gesture. Xay's eyes widened, but he crossed over and sat with the other two nonetheless.

"I'm sorry," Xay mumbled after a beat of silence. "I'm so-"

"It's not your fault," Iskall murmured.

"I'm the reason you all had to go to the Overworld," Xay pointed out.

"When I first joined, if I had seen a portal, I would've bailed too," Grian argued. "If anything, it's my fault. I forgot how it felt to have such a strong urge to escape."

"And I'm the one who told you two to go," Iskall countered. "So technically you can trace this back to me."

"But I'm the reason we were in that forest in the first place," Xay felt a small smile creeping onto his face at the petty argument. "So it goes back to me."

"Oh for goodness sakes," Iskall replied with a small, pained laugh. Grian gave a half-smile.

And suddenly, there was a thump behind them.

And when Xay saw who had dropped into the headquarters.

It was like sunlight in a dark room.

Pure, blissful sunlight.

"IMPULSE!!"

Iskall and Grian had rushed over to him before Xay could comprehend what was happening. Impulse couldn't do anything except squeak when two pairs of arms (and a pair of wings) wrapped around him.

"You're alive," Grian breathed. "And okay!!"

"We were so worried," Iskall murmured.

"I'm sorry," Impulse said with a small laugh. They released him, and Impulse glanced around. His eyes met with Xay's, and Xay gave an awkward half-smile and wave.

He-

Xay's train of thought was cut off by the sound of feet landing on the floor, someone else having dropped into the headquarters.

He expected to see Hels.

The person standing there was not Hels.

Someone who he loved.

Someone who had betrayed him.

Someone who he had always known.

Someone who he didn't want to see.

That someone was... Xisuma.

And for a second, the world froze.

The world froze as the two brother's eyes met, one's full of regret, and the other's full of fury.

"Why is he here?" Xay spat, glaring at Xisuma, and shoving the knot of emotions away.

"Xay, I-" Xisuma tried, but then trailed off.

"Learned that apologizing won't do anything?" Xay snapped. "Decided to use that brain of yours and decided to stop giving me those worthless 'sorry's?!" Xay turned to Impulse, who flinched away from the raging fury in his eyes.

"Why is he even here?" he shrieked. Impulse seemed to shrink under his glare, but Xay was too blinded to care.

"He's a late manifester," Impulse mumbled. "And he has Void powers."

"'Oh, but he can't handle the power of the Void'!" Xay mocked Xisuma's previous words to him. "'It's too much!'" Xisuma winced, then opened his mouth to speak again.

"I was wrong," he said bluntly. "I made the wrong decision, I know."

"Bit of an understatement, eh?" Xay shouted, hating the tears brimming in his eyes.

He hated the fact that he was crying over something as stupid as this.

Is it really worth it trying to continue this argument?

Xay shoved away the doubtful thought, still seething.

He's endangered Impulse and the Missing as a whole.

...Although I'm the reason he even got the chance.

Xay tried to push away all the conflicting thoughts but they just kept coming, faster than the tears that he was sure were spilling down his cheeks. Xay took a breath and wiped them away, forcing himself to meet the gazes of everyone who was staring at him.

"I... need a minute," he applauded his voice for not trembling.

"Xay... we don't have a minute," Iskall's voice was gentle, but firm. "Because Hels is going back to the Overworld right now to 'rescue Impulse'."

The realization seemed to simultaneously slap itself across everyone's faces.

"I..." Impulse trailed off. "What do we do?"

"Get him," Xay interjected. "Get him back before he gets himself into trouble."

"Then let's go," Xisuma's voice cut through the air, surprising everyone. Xay's brother flushed under the sudden stares, and he followed up his previous command with a mumbled "I mean, maybe not me, but y'know..."

"No, all of us," Impulse argued, picking up on Xisuma's quiet words. "Well..."

Everyone looked at Xay.

A stare that conveyed one meaning,

'Are YOU okay with it?'

Xay sighed, then met Xisuma's gaze once again.

Those eyes conveyed more emotion than words could.

Regret, hope, fear, sorrow, wishing, wanting, needing-

Those eyes said a simple message, one that Xay had heard many times, but was so much more believable in this form.

'I'm sorry,'.

"We don't have time to lose," Xay's voice was commanding, taking on a tone he never thought he'd hear from himself. "Let's go. All of us."

And Xisuma's small smile was filled with gratitude.

And all those emotions almost made it all okay.

It was the promises that really sealed the divide.

Trust.

The word was a dare to use.

And Xay was ready to accept it.

"Hey," Xisuma murmured, swooping closer to Xay. They were flying through the Nether in a loose group. "I really am sorry."

"I know," Xay flashed a grin as he spoke, but the smile quickly fell as he continued. "I shouldn't have continued the argument."

"It's fine," Xisuma replied dismissively. "Let's just... move past it?" Xay nodded.

"I'd like that," he admitted, smiling softly, a small smile that Xisuma returned.

The group of five landed by the portal that Xay had fled through. After a moment of silence, it was Grian who spoke up.

"Well, let's just go," he said with a nervous laugh. "Impulse, care to lead?" The person in question looked taken aback for a second, then nodded.

"Alright," Impulse had a new confidence in his voice, an authority that made Xay grin.

"Let's go,"

NoW wE hAvE tO gO rEsCuE HeLlLlLsSsSsS

-Storm