Sorry this one's a bit later! I've been posting these at 12-2 AM for way too long and it finally caught up to me lol.
AU: Permafrost (Claimed by TimelineStix13, unrelated to their book, I'm just going more into detail about something I wrote in the AU chapter)
Context: A better look at the story of how Sabre and Orange met :>
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[Sabre's POV]
It seems the Permafrost's blizzard has kicked up a bit. That means more chilled mobs than usual.
I pass by a few animals that have stayed in the Permafrost, becoming chilled like the monsters and undead creatures around here. I hold my staff close as I take my usual path for patrolling, already seeing a few zombies looking my way.
The layers of snow are already up to my knees, making it difficult to walk. The frozen creatures around me have no problem staying on top of the snow, but even though I've been living here for so long, I am not built for that and sink right through. Thankfully, the thicker layers of snow start to taper off as I get to a bit of higher ground, where there's an abundance in evergreen trees and bushes. They've been able to survive here because of their resistance to cold, and provide a welcome cover from the unyielding blizzard.
I was about to continue, but then I spot something brightly colored in one of the groups of bushes. I carefully make my way over, and when I brush off a bit of snow from the leaves, I see that there's an Orange Steve lying there inside the bushes. He's shivering, injured, and has quite a bit of ice forming on him, and it seems he's become unconscious.
...It's very rare that I come across a Steve that hasn't already fallen to the cold, and it looks like this one only recently started to freeze. He has a chance to survive. Not unscathed, yes, but he'll still be alive.
I carefully pick him up and lift him out of the bushes. Not wanting to risk him freezing to death on the way back, I gather my energy and teleport us back to my shelter.
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[Orange Steve's POV]
...
I slowly wake up to the sound of a crackling fire, and... warmth? But the last thing I remember is being stuck in that blizzard...
Sitting up, I see that I've been put in a bed next to a large fireplace, and there's a few layers of blankets over me. There's some hot water bottles laid around me too, still really warm. I notice that the injures I got from those... monsters have been treated and bandaged.
Looking around, I figure out that I'm in some sort of house... I think. The walls and floor are carved stone, with a rug in the middle of the sort of small room. There's a bucket of coal and a pile of firewood next to the fireplace. A chest with some medical supplies laid on top of it is on the opposite side of the room from the bed I'm in, with a wooden chair next to it. Across the room from the fireplace is an opening that looks like a doorway, leading to a hall that I can't see anything in from here.
Just as I finish looking around, a guy with a blindfold, weird brown hair and sand-colored skin, a fancy-looking golden staff with a glass orb holding something in it, and lots of winter clothes That are various colors of blue walks into the room. He looks surprised for a moment when he sees me.
"Oh, you're awake. That's good." He says, his voice oddly monotone.
"Uh... hi." I say awkwardly, not really knowing what to do. "Are... are you the one that saved me?"
"Yes, I found you unconscious and about to freeze to death." The guy says, walking to the fireplace and putting a log on the fire. "You're lucky that where you were was on my patrol route. No one usually survives getting lost out there."
"Well, thank you." I smile. "Pretty sure you saved my life."
He's quiet, and walks over to the chest across the room, putting some stuff in it. I shift to face him and sit criss-cross on the bed.
"What's your name?" I ask. "Mine is Orange Steve."
He takes a minute to reply.
"...Sabre." He says as he closes the chest and turns around. "My name is Sabre."
"Cool name!"
Sabre sits down in the wooden chair next to the chest and looks at me.
"What were you doing out in the Permafrost?" He asks. "It's very dangerous, and I thought that the numerous people that didn't come back from here would ward off any curious explorers."
"I was... looking for something." I reply. "There's a legend about something our people called the Glacier Star and how it was really powerful. The Darkness is starting to get more and more intense, so I thought I'd try to find it... looking back, it was a really stupid idea."
"Glacier Star...?" Sabre mumbles, then looks at his staff and raises it a little bit. "Do you mean the Heart of Winter?"
He points at an object inside the glass orb on his staff, and now I can see that there's a glimmering star inside, making a bit of frost form in the inside of the glass.
"Maybe. There wasn't really much of a description of it, just people saying it was a star and that it had a guardian." I shrug. "Are you the guardian?"
Sabre stops for a moment, not saying anything. He then snaps out of it and lowers the staff.
"Well, you're not taking it with you. I have it for a reason, and it's not a weapon of war." He says quickly.
"Yeah, I figured you wouldn't want to just give it to somebody." I say. "I just thought I'd try to ask for help, but uh... seems you're busy."
"Yes, I am. I'm the only person keeping the Permafrost from spreading across the Realm, after all."
"Wait, this apocalyptic blizzard could spread?!"
"If I don't keep it at bay, yes." Sabre answers, getting up.
He starts to walk to the hallway, but turns around to face me.
"You're going to have to stay here for a while until your injuries heal, then I can lead you out of the Permafrost so you can go home." He explains. "As you stay here, there are a few rules I want you to follow."
"Alright, fair enough." I reply. "What are they?"
"One, don't touch my staff. Ever." He says. "The power of the Heart of Winter can't be contained by just anyone, and you even just grabbing the staff could have major consequences."
He points down the hall at something I can't see.
"Two, don't try to go outside without me for any reason. You're obviously not well equipped to go out there and, based off your lack of preparation, you likely don't know how to survive in the cold."
He's right, I don't. The Orange Village or the area around my house doesn't get much snow.
Sabre then points down the opposite end of the hall.
"Three, if you see me working on something, do not bother me. Materials are precious here and the things I work on are often very fragile, so don't try any shenanigans."
I have to keep myself from laughing. I've only ever heard older Steves use the word 'shenanigans' seriously.
"And four, if you're not sure about something, ask me about it. I can't have you putting a hole in this place. It may be underground, but that doesn't mean it's indestructible. That also goes for exploring the shelter, there's openings to resources caves around and I'm very sure that you don't want to fall into a lava-filled cavity."
"Wait, we're underground?" I ask.
"Indeed, below the ground is the only place that holds warmth well enough to build a shelter in the Permafrost." Sabre answers. "Now, since you're alright, I'm going to go and continue my patrol. Don't mess with anything while I'm out and if you start exploring, stay in the main area. There's food in the chest over there if you need it."
"Alri-"
He leaves before I can answer. Bit rude, but he probably doesn't come into contact with people much out here, so I brush it off.
...Actually, now that I think about it, isn't it lonely? There's no other people except him here, and he said that nobody usually survives when they go here. And from the looks of things, that might have happened... a lot.
Wouldn't he be upset? Maybe he started getting defensive when I mentioned the Glacier Star and its guardian because it's all he has left?
...Maybe he just needs a friend. And I think I'm gonna try being that friend. After all, I'm stuck here for a while until I heal, so why not try to make him feel better?