Blood Vines | (Skephalo)

"See you when the sun rises."

He felt himself chilling up and coldening, the floor under him becoming ice and frozen as he looked up at the demon struggling to gain his composure.

He pulled out his ice blade from his bag as he watched Bad fly through looking for him. Hopefully he could neutralize him with it. Just a bit of prime water and ice would be all.

He didn't want to stab him though. It reminded him of his experience with the shapeshifter at sea, something he didn't want to see or go through again.

The disintegrating and decomposing skin, the stringy algae hair, the frozen blood, the dark waters, the cold... His biggest fear was waking up as a corpse in the deep blue sea.

A servant for the monsters that hide underneath. A memory and leftover of what and who he was.

It scared him. Each time he woke up after leaving there he had to touch his face and eye to make sure he wasn't decomposing or dead.

He wasn't ready for what was to come next when his neck warm and its hairs stood as a shadow of a familiar figure covered him.

He turned to face him. Everyone backed away from them, leaving Skeppy alone with the demon. He didn't blame them though; he was fucking terrifying.

Pupilless eyes stared into his frozen blue ones, as if caught in a trance. It felt like forever more than just a few seconds.

Bad observed his changes and figure, showing neither distaste nor interest as a creepy smile crept up onto his face. A familiar one that burnt in Skeppy's mind forever, never forgetting.

"Found you."

There was nowhere to run now. He'd lost his chance.

Grabbing him by his neck, he flew up to the open ceiling in speed, going through it into the sky.

He didn't fight it. Everything hurt and was cold anyway. His sweat and blood that was visible was frozen up anyway.

Skeppy looked around at their broken home and land. The prison was nowhere to be seen and was crumbled down to its last brick.

L'manburg's crater was burnt down and in flames. Vines either pulsated on buildings or were burnt down. A bit of the fire spread to other nearby structures.

The docks were in flames and he could make out a campfire in the nearby forest. The stars lit up the sky and a bit of crimson was still visible in the clouds.

The battle to end all battles was about to end. The fate of everyone he loved, both on and off of his side, depended on the very moments they shared.

Although his thoughts went on, he focused on trying to breathe through Bad's grasp a bit more than the fate of the world.

"I see you're on your last life." Bad broke the silence.

"Yeah, because your dumb ass influence made my friend kill me!" Skeppy spat.

"What?! I mean- well, that's interesting. Hope I don't have to be the one to take it."

That's when it hit him. They're both there. The Egg and Bad.

"I feel like it's not the prime water that matters, it's the connection you have with the person or thing you're attempting to cure. Or at least, having something connected to the person while trying to cure them."

"Sam you smart bastard." Skeppy whispered under his breath.

"Anyways, I think you know why we're here, or if I'm to say, why we're both here."

"To kill me and use my blood as a sacrifice to open the gates of whatever fucking hell you created?"

"Well I mean, yes, but besides that. Bad wanted to give you another chance."

Bad? What chance? A chance for what?

"A chance?"

"To redeem yourself. To switch sides. To end this war in favour of the demons."

"Are you fucking crazy?"

He shouldn't have said that, but the anger and riskiness he felt in the moment caused it.

"I wouldn't say crazy. More of us not being on the mental level most of you humans are."

"You're asking me, someone you try to kill for nearing a year and a half, to join the side who took everything I gave a fuck about away from me?!"

"I think you've heard of the eggpire enough for me not to say what I usually say sweetheart."

"Don't call me that. And no. I refuse."

"Hmm...? You said you refuse...?" Bad grabbed at his neck even harder and dove to the ground of the tower. Ranboo and Tommy were nearly given heart attacks as Skeppy appeared from the sky and looked at Bad in fear as his neck was inches away from being obliterated from the sheer force Bad could've used to kill him.

"Either you accept or you die."

Skeppy took a quick glance at his friends. Puffy looked at him with a worried expression. Ranboo glared at him with no emotion as Ant was slung over his shoulders. Tommy only gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Say your last goodbyes, ice boy."

"Run."

"What?" Tommy didn't hear him that well.

"Run as far away as you can from here. To the docks. To Sam. To wherever you can get away from this man."

"But Skeppy, we don't want to leave you here! We entered this together and we're leaving this together." Puffy crossed her arms.

Hasilly taking off his ragged prime cloak, he tossed it to Puffy, who caught it in a wisp of the wind.

"I don't want any of you to die! I don't want any of your bodies in my name! I want you safe and not ten feet under rubble from a nuke. Please, I'll try and catch up once I deal with this demon." He took a quick glance at his watch. "Please. We only have fourteen minutes left. I don't want to lose you."

Choked slides came from him as tears that froze upon hitting his cheek fell from his face. "I don't want to lose any of you."

He felt Puffy's warm fury hit him as Puffy hugged him. Tears fell down her face. He'd never seen her cry before, so this was a first.

"Just please, be quick about it," She wiped her tears. "We're counting on you."

"Okay, I think that's enough cheesy angst for a moment," Bad brought his body straight to his face, manhandling Skeppy as he hovered over the small crowd on the floor.

"See you soon." He waved at the others as he was pulled up. "See you when the sun rises."

He knew what was to come from the morning sunrise.