Twisted Lives - SEQUEL TO TWISTED MEMORIES - an MCYT fanfiction

Chapter 4: Scar

...it's going to be a while until Skizz accepts he can't get to Impulse.

'You don't choose the vex...'

'...the vex chooses you. Yeah, I know that bit buddy.' He snaps back after the 100,000th conversation he's forced me into. 'Why do I even need to have stupid magic to see him?!'

'Because they don't let random people in their special magic land. Or it wouldn't be special.'

'And why can't he stay in Hermitcraft?'

'I don't know. Maybe they need him to fight in their war. Or train with them without abandoning them.' I try to walk away, but he catches up. Again.

'Firstly, I'm not letting my best friend fight in a magical war against the Watchers. Secondly, why can't I just pretend to have magic?'

'You can't just pretend you have magic,' I explain for the 50th time. 'They can tell. Even I can tell if someone has magic... I'm sorry, Skizz. If I could do something I would.'

'He's my best friend!'

'I know!'

'Do you even know what it's like to lose-'

'Yes. Yes, I DO know. I know it hurts. But there's nothing I can do,' I interrupt, unable to get Cub dying out of my head, Bdubs dead, NPG being stolen by the Watchers...

'How did you and Cub end up both being vexlings?' Asks Skizz instead, pacing. 'Why were you two allowed to stay together?' The memories don't fade. All the pranks. All the hours. All the guilt. And the unending fact that it's over. He's gone. He's dead.

'Because we pranked well together or something. They've already said you can't...'

'Can't we just TRY?!'

'NO! Vexes are stupid! They won't allow you to just do what you want! The vex chooses you! You don't choose the vex and you don't want to!' Skizz's furious face blurs in front of me. I wipe the tears away. 'Go back to Impulse's base and sulk!'

'Impulse is my BEST FRIEND!'

'AND CUB WAS MINE! F*** OFF!' 

Neither of us move. I can't fight the tears anymore. A sob breaks free, and then I can't stop crying. Skizz just stares at me before stepping back.

'Fine. Yeah. I'll go. I'm sorry you don't care about me.'

'You- you don't know what they're like,' I mumble through the tears. 'You can't fight them.'

'HEY! VEX! LET ME SEE IMPULSE!' Skizz screams, ignoring me again

'YOU CAN'T FIGHT THEM!' 

A flash of blue and the Vex leader appears, wings wide behind, clearly annoyed beneath their mask.

'I'm confused. Do you or do you not want to see Impulse?' They snap, sarcastic. I run to Skizz's side.

'Take me to him. Let me be a vex. If there's some kind of test...' He insists. A shrug back from the leader.

'If you are happy dying if it doesn't work, sure.'

'Really?! Then let's go!'

'No!' I pull Skizz away. 'Skizz, you can't do this. It's not worth it. It is a trick.'

'Scar, you know us very, very well. But for once you are wrong. There is a fair way to let the Vex decide. They will either accept you, or kill you. Or accept you and you die from bloodloss anyway. Come.'

'Skizz...'

'Let's go.'

'NO!'

They disappear. Without hesitating, I follow, travelling through into the Vexling world. 

'Skizz, please.' I insist again, ignoring the constant hum of magic, the whisper of vexes. He turns, eyes narrowed. 'This will KILL YOU if you fail!'

'I need to be with Impulse.'

'He's coming. I sent some vexes to find him... ah, welcome.'

We turn to the entrance behind us. Impulse freezes. I do too.

His eyes are bright blue, vex wings behind... clawed blue hands, pointed ears... every vexish trait, every bit of the power they forced upon me and Cub. 

'Skizz? No... no, no, no... I TOLD YOU TO STAY IN HERMITCRAFT!' He yells, a flare of magic. He can't control it. I know he can't control it. He's still getting used to the magic, hasn't even been given the necklace all vexlings get when their powers fully develop. 

'He was... insistent. He knows the risks of what he's doing. If you wish to assist him, follow me.'

'Skizz... don't do this.' Impulse sprints to catch up.

'Why? Because I'm not letting you suffer this alone, Dippledop.'

'And I don't want you to die failing to help me!' Snaps back Impulse. 'I'll be back to Hermitcraft in no time! They promised!'

'They don't keep their promises.' I mutter. 'They never keep their promises.'

'Scar's right. I'm not letting you go and fight Watchers alone, homey buddy.'

'Was anyone listening when I said 'follow me' or do I really have to say everything twice?' The leader interrupts. Skizz breaks into a run. Me and Impulse pursue to an area I've never seen before under the vast cathedral. The walls turn from silver to black, running with veins of blue, leading us towards...

'Skizz back away now.' I demand at the sight of a huge pit of vexes. He doesn't appear to have heard. 

'Only a true vex can survive. And even then, only if they're lucky.' The leader, still annoyingly calm, explains. 'They will decide if you're worthy. Or if you deserve to be brutally slaughtered by a million tiny vex-daggers.'

'Ok. I can do this.' Mutters Skizz. I grab his hand. Impulse already has his other one.

'You can't.' I try to look into his eyes but he's focussed on what has to be his death. 

'He's agreed to it. Come on, jump in.' 

'Don't.' I insist, gripping his hand tighter.

'Skizz... buddy... you don't have to... to prove you're a good friend. Or... or to seem brave...'

'I want to be with you. This... this is how I do it.'

'Do a front flip.' The leader continued nonchalantly, just a wave of their hand summoning a chaos of vexes to try and pull Skizz into the pit. 'Do anything except looking sad and slightly pathetic.'

'Fine!'

'SKIZZ!' 

I have to hold Impulse back as Skizz breaks free, jumping into the pit. For a moment, nothing. Then...

A scream. 

The vexes swarm on Skizz, attacking. A moment is all it takes to need to look away, pulling Impulse into a hug as he sobs and sobs. Another scream. 

Silence. 

'It's done.'

Impulse stops sobbing, shoving out of the hug, running for the edge of the pit as the vexes disperse... Skizz is lying there, covered in blood, clothes torn.

Unmoving.

But I can see his chest rise and fall.

He survived.

Skizz is a vexling.