Dear lORD THIS TOOK FOREVER.
I'M SORRY I HAD NO MOTIVATION UNTIL TODAY.
Warnings are in the comments.
WC: ~1500
Enjoy!
Xay was determined to escape.
Everything about "The Missing": the way they worked, the way that they stole people, the way that they were a whole organization, it was just wrong.
Downright wrong.
He was able to survive in the real world as a magic freak for years, why would that change now?
He didn't need to be stuffed away in the Nether where no one could find him.
And he certainly didn't need to be killed off-
Xay glanced at Impulse, Grian, and Iskall's forced smiles. They had hastily suggested that they go out and see the Warped Forests. They laughed nervously and joked about the trees, but Xay could tell that they were just trying to lighten the mood.
Frankly, he wasn't sure why what he had said was so wrong.
He was pretty sure asking them wasn't a good idea.
"You can climb up these vines," Iskall's voice snapped Xay out of his thoughts. "The 'warped vines'."
"Really?" Xay asked, staring up at the twisted blue plants. Iskall shrugged and gestured to the plant with a 'have at it' motion. Xay glanced around uncertaintly, then shook off his mild fear and started climbing.
One foot after another, Xay slowly made his way up the vine, which was surprisingly stable. Higher and higher he climbed, fueled by curiosity and an unreasonable, unexplainable, unneeded determination.
"Woah," Xay breathed, holding on in a way that allowed him to look out on the Nether. He extended a hand out, reaching out solely for the sake of the feeling.
"That's pretty good!" Impulse called from the base. Xay grinned. Impulse, Grian, and Iskall were like little specks, seemingly able to be swept away with just a flick of his wrist.
"XAY LOOK OUT!!!"
The scream was sudden and panicked.
Looking down, he saw a...
Bolt of electricity.
Zipping up towards him faster than he could comprehend.
"JUMP!"
Xay instinctively obeyed the command.
And he was falling.
Wind rushed by, the sound drowning out the screams.
He was only able to register one thing.
"GRIAN STOP! HE'S IMMUNE!!"
Xay plunged into the lava.
Swimming up and gasping for air, he was able to climb onto a netherrack island.
Only to see Grian dive into the lava right after him.
"GRIAN!!"
Silence.
"He- he was trying to save you-" Impulse stammered from up above. Xay closed the fist of the hand he had extended out to Grian, horrified.
And then Grian shot out of the lava.
"WHAT?!" Iskall shouted as Grian hovered mid-air.
"DOES ANYONE WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!"
Scud.
Why, why did Hels have to find us like this?!
"You four," Hels growled once they were all standing in the Warped Forest. "I- who's going to explain?!"
"I will," Xay sighed. "I climbed up the warped vines. Then-"
"I'm sorry!" Impulse cut in. "I grabbed the base of the vine, you know how I lose control, and... well..."
"There was a bolt of electricity that followed Xay up the vine," Iskall picked up the story. "I told him to jump because he'd land in the lava, which he's immune to."
"But then I was an idiot," Grian spat. "And thought that when Iskall said 'jump', he wanted me to catch Xay, like we've practiced a million times with the ice and Impulse."
"Xay was plummeting towards the lava," Impulse interjected. "And I was screaming because, like Grian, I forgot that he was immune."
"I survived and swam up to a lava island," Xay offered. "And I heard someone tell Grian that I was immune."
"That was me," Iskall explained.
"But by then, I had lost control," Grian sighed. "And I dove straight in the lava."
"I thought you were dead," Impulse shuddered. "Because of m-"
"It wasn't your fault," Iskall interrupted.
"That's not true," Impulse's voice was soft, soft enough for Xay to think that he wasn't supposed to hear it.
"Anyways," Grian awkwardly interjected. "I don't really know what happened next. I closed my eyes, expecting to die. But... I didn't. The lava, well, it uh-"
"Spit it out," Hels grumbled.
"It never touched me."
Shocked silence.
"That doesn't make sense," Hels pointed out. "The only thing I can think of is control, but no one can control the lava. Fire, yes. Lava, absolutely not. Being immune is one thing, but control is a whole other deal."
"Why are you looking at me?" Xay asked, meeting Grian's gaze.
"You were there," Grian offered. "Did you do anything?"
"N-no?" Xay stammered.
"It's not possible," Hels shut down their idea. "Lava and fire are two different things."
"Then what happened to Grian?" Iskall asked.
"I don't know," Hels sighed. "But I'm just happy that you all didn't get yourselves killed."
"Aw, Helsie cares!" Iskall cooed, earning a giggle from Grian.
"Because if you did die, I'd get in trouble," Hels finished with a glare.
"Don't listen to him," Grian whispered in Xay's ear. "He cares about us, he just doesn't like to admit it."
"Hels, can I talk to you alone?" Impulse suddenly asked. Hels blinked.
"What for?" he wondered.
"I- I'll tell you," Impulse mumbled.
Hels sighed, then took off using his elytra in the same direction he came from, Impulse following.
"I hope Impulse doesn't say something stupid," Iskall mumbled.
"He won't," Grian replied, although his confident tone felt... fake.
"Oh, Hels told me the other day that next time we go out, he wanted me to grab some mushrooms," Iskall remembered suddenly, changing the solem topic.
"Warped or Crimson?" Grian asked, clearly happy with the subject change.
"Uhm..." Iskall furrowed his brow. "I have no clue."
"We should get a bit of both just in case," Xay suggested, earning nods from Iskall and Grian.
"You two can go and get the crimson ones," Iskall instructed. "And I'll stay back here and get the warped."
Nods from all around.
Grian smiled and extended a hand to Xay, spreading his wings, and Xay took it, grinning back. The pair took off, Xay following the graceful bird hybrid.
"Thank you for trying to save me," Xay murmured after a moment of silent flight. "It didn't really work, but I appreciate it nonetheless."
"Of course!" Grian replied, glancing back at Xay to flash another smile. "It's what friends are for."
'Friends'.
I haven't heard that word in a while.
And I never thought I'd hear it from someone I met less than two hours ago.
"Can I ask..." Xay started, the curiosity getting the better of him. "Why did you want to risk your life for me?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Grian's response was quick, but almost sounded worried. There was a flash of a different emotion in his violet eyes, something deeper.
"Because you just met me," Xay offered. "Because you don't know me at all. Becaus-"
"I know all I need to," Grian promised. "I think the reason you don't like 'The Missing'- don't deny it- is because you don't really understand how we work."
"Come again?" Xay muttered.
"I think of us like... a flock," Grian began. "Probably because I can relate to birds. But the reason I chose a flock is because we stick together. We're a group of magic weirdos that don't fit in, and the fact that we're divided from everyone else, well, unites us!"
"What does that have to do with birds?!" Xay protested, although he was really starting to understand.
"Birds stick together in a flock," Grian pointed out. "They help each other out. Hels, Iskall, Impulse and I certainly do that. Whenever we lose control, the others will help us regain. Even Hels has had to rely on us occasionally. Impulse often needs help because his power is the hardest to manage, but that also means he gives great advice."
"I... I get that," Xay admitted. "I really do."
But that doesn't mean I like it.
"Oh, here we are!" Grian pointed to the Crimson Forest they were approaching. "This one divides into two landmasses. I'll take the one on the top, because if I fall I can fly, and you take the one on the bottom, because if you fall you'll land in lava. Okay?"
"Okay," Xay agreed, angling his elytra downwards. I'm really starting to get the hang of this, he thought, right before crashing into a tree.
Mild situation aside, a couple minutes later Xay was gathering mushrooms when he glanced up,
And saw the Nether Portal.
Sitting on a nearby overhang.
What if I...
Xay glanced around cautiously. This was his chance, his opportunity, his... hope.
He could leave.
Get out of there.
A part of him felt guilty, but...
Firing a rocket, Xay glided through the air and landed by the portal.
I have to do it.
Maybe I'll come back.
But... I'd rather live in the Overworld with Xisuma than here.
Goodbye, Nether.
And with that and a deep breath,
Xay stepped into the portal.
And let the magic whisk him away.
ThAt DoESn'T sOUnD goOd-
-Storm