Day 33
Sabre's P.O.V.
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"M? Why are you in the lab?" M looks startled at the question, like it's confusing.
"I was worried about you." he repeats. "You've been gone for so long, I wasn't sure what happened. You could have been killed, and we wouldn't know!" As he talks, his voice rises in pitch, tiny tendrils of smoke rising from his palms before he shakes out his hands. "Sorry, it's just-"
"Wait." I interrupt, holding up my hands. "What do you mean 'I've been gone for so long'?"
"I thought you were only going to be gone for the day!" M huffs. "I would've packed more stuff for you if I knew."
"I have only been gone for the day."
"Of course you haven't, moron." Assistant Steve rolls his eyes. "You've been missing for five days."
My blood runs cold.
"I've... what?"
"Didn't you know?" M asks, "That's why Assistant Steve let me down here. I had to take a different tunnel and avoid the lab at all costs, but you were freaking me out. If you disappeared, it would be bad for everyone."
"Because of the sickness." I finish. "Yeah." Five days. The sickness has been progressing for five days. "Wait, I need to see Green!" I hurry to my feet, ignoring the twinge of my leg. "He's still- He's still alive, right? He hasn't disappeared?" Even now, I have no idea how long a steve is sick before he disappears. Maybe it's different for everyone.
"Certainly not. There are a lot more vines, though." the robot grumbles.
"Are you sure you should go in there right now?" M questions, glancing at the tears in my jeans. "You're already injured, and according to Assistant Steve... well, the Red Leader's getting quite aggressive." His expression crumbles a little as he says it. It must be difficult for him to hear about his leader in such a state.
"I've got to try." I protest. "Um, you have machine stuff, right?" Assistant Steve crosses his arms.
"What do you think?"
"Right, well bring me what you can, please. I'm hoping you have a spare room somewhere?" I turn to my Red Steve friend. "You might want to get back to the leader's house. You know how your kingdom gets when you leave. Plus, I really don't want you getting infected." M sighs, but nods.
"Don't get more hurt." he says sternly, causing me to smile.
"I'll try not to, chief."
"Enough, you two. Your sappiness is disgusting." Assistant Steve grabs my uninjured arm and begins wheeling toward the quarantine room. I pry his fingers away, but keep walking after him. One hand keeps playing with the rainbow stone, and I watch the multicolored particles in fascination.
"Look who finally came back!" Assistant Steve announces, presenting me with an exaggerated flourish. Immediately, the two Red Steves jump to their feet, wearing opposite expressions.
"Ah, you're here! And it seems you've found the power source you needed." Professor Red's eyes gleam as they land on the rainbow stone. "How fascinating... I wish I could do a few experiments on it."
"You sure took your time." The Red Leader grouches. "I was starting to think you'd left us to die." His hand smokes angrily, only increasing as the Professor gives him a sharp jab in the ribs.
"I think I know how to heal Green now." I grin. Their expressions turn unreadable, and they glance at each other. "What? Why do you look like that?"
"I look perfectly normal!" Red Leader protests, while Professor Red just shifts around uncomfortably.
"Listen, Sabre." he starts. "Now really isn't a good time, if you couldn't tell." he gestures to the area behind him, which I realize with a start looks more like a jungle than a quarantine room. "Green's powers have been acting out more than ever."
"I still don't understand why you won't let me burn it down." Red Leader snarls.
"Don't be ridiculous. That's not an option."
Fire starts to burn in the Red Leader's hands, and I quickly enter the room, standing in his way.
"Calm down. You know getting aggressive isn't going to help."
"That's easy for you to say. You get to go outside every day. You get to see my apprentice!" His face contorts in pain and anger. "Let me out of this stupid room!"
"I can't." I repeat.
"But being uncooperative isn't going to get you out of here any faster." Professor hisses to him.
I turn to study the thick tangle of vines. Sharp thorns stud each plant, glittering wickedly in the firelight. Not great. I don't even have anything to cut them with.
"I'll need some shears." I approach a little closer, careful not to touch the plants. "Assi-" Suddenly, all the plants move at once, undulating in a wave that knocks me off my feet. To my relief, I'm not covered in thorns when I stand back up. But the plants have definitely grown more entwined, now enforced by a layer of saplings. Through the tiniest crack in the plant wall, I can see the bright green light growing stronger as Green's powers fluctuate. That's not good.
I take another step forward, only for the plants to lash out again, shoving me back. Professor Red catches me quickly, helping to keep me steady.
"Like I said, not a good time." he repeats. "Especially not with your injuries. Come back in the morning, when the sickness wanes. Bring whatever axes, pruners, and shears you need. If my notes on your healing speed are right, your wounds should be much better by then. Besides, your friends at the Rainbow Kingdom will be worried."
"I- guess you're right?" I don't want to leave, but I don't see what I can do. "Are you sure the two of you will be okay?"
"Of course not!" The Red Leader protests. "We'll be suffocated by those plants!"
"We'll be fine." The Professor assures me. "Go tell your pale-looking friend that you're okay."
I sigh, but obey the Red Steve's advice. With one final look at the messed-up quarantine room, I head up the secret tunnel to M.
"That was quick!" M seems delighted as he helps me up from the hole in the carpet. "So how did it go? Is Green cured?"
"I couldn't get to Green." I admit, feeling even worse. "His powers were acting up too much. Professor Red said I should wait until tomorrow morning. Is that okay?" I look up at him, cringing a little, and he quickly nods.
"Sure. I'll be there." he promises. "Then you and Green can tell me all about the other world, and the steves that live there! It'll be awesome!"
"Yeah, it will be." I relax a little. "You don't mind..."
"Not at all." M already knows what I'm going to ask. He reaches a hand out to hold my uninjured shoulder, and quietly teleports me back to the Rainbow Kingdom.
"Sabre! We thought you were dead!" Indigo barrels into me immediately, and I flinch as his hug sends a ripple of pain through my shoulder.
"You look like you're dead!" The Green Leader adds, clearly horrified. I pout a little at the remark, but my heart's not in it. He's kind of right. I feel like I could sleep for a week and still be tired. "Indigo, let me check on him."
"No." Indigo refutes, hugging me tighter. I would laughed at the leader's childish behavior if my wounds weren't on fire.
"Agreed!" Yellow Leader nods emphatically, racing over to stand by the Indigo Steve. "This way, at least he can't leave."
"Indigo Leader, you can't stay stuck to me." As funny as it is, I don't want him to be serious. Sometimes steves seem to have no concept of personal space.
"You kind of deserve it." Violet Leader, ironically, maintains his distance. "I mean, what were you thinking, disappearing like that? Light's been turning the Rainbow Kingdom upside down, trying to look for you. Orange Leader's spent all day trying to help him calm down."
"Don't be so hard on him." Green Leader takes my side. "Look, he's clearly injured." The others frown, their eyes trailing to the rip in my shirt that reveals my shoulder bandages.
"What happened?" Yellow Leader yelps.
"Are you okay?" Indigo adds, readjusting so he doesn't touch the injury.
"Why in Origin's name were you gone so long?"
"Do you need more bandages? I've got more bandages!"
"Guys!" I don't have the energy for all of them at once, particularly not the Yellow Leader, who can worry at twice the speed of the others. They don't seem to listen, however.
"You should heal him." Yellow Leader turn to Green Leader.
"I can't. Green Steve healing doesn't work on him. I can sense his injuries, but I can only offer potions and such to help."
"What? That's stupid!"
"I can't help it!"
"What kind of healer can't heal?"
"Guys, stop it!" Everyone ignores the Violet Leader.
"I can heal just fine!"
"YELLOW!" Everyone freezes. Violet Leader jabs a finger toward the kingdom gates. "Go give Light the update. Indigo, for Origin's sake, let go of him and spread the news to the kingdom. Green, go home, get whatever supplies you need, and come straight to Sabre's house. Got it?"
For once, everyone listens. In a flurry of motion, it's just me and the Violet Leader. He waves me forward, striding purposefully toward my house.
"That was... different." I mutter, glancing back to where the argument happened.
"They've been acting like children." Violet Leader grumbles in response. "And it doesn't help when you put the whole kingdom into a panic." I gulp as we approach my house, and I notice the massive increase in guards.
"So... I guess the recruitment already happened?"
"Hm? Oh no, Light just seems to think that you're the priority." Violet Leader's tone suggests that he doesn't agree. "The recruitment was a bust. Nobody showed up after the incident."
Oh. So this is seriously a third of the Colorless Guard.
"I've got to talk to Light about this." I complain. "I don't want this much security."
"I wouldn't recommend it. Light's not very pleased with you. He's liable to turn you into an ice cube. I know I'm not going anywhere near him." I wait for Violet Leader to leave as we reach the porch, but he doesn't.
"Uh, Violet Leader? Personal space?" I coax. He raises an eyebrow.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is the only personal space you're getting. I'll trade off with Green once he gets his healing supplies."
Cue me awkwardly trying to make small talk with the grumpy leader.
"Um, you look kind of stressed out."
"You're the one with the scratched-up leg."
"Still" Violet Leader groans, burying his face in his hands.
"I hope you realize that every time you mysteriously vanish, the others run around like chickens with their heads cut off. And who does that leave to make sure the actual kingdom is running smoothly? Me." I flinch a little at the words. The sharp tone isn't exactly directed toward me, but I'm not used to the Violet Leader of all steves venting.
"I've tried to tell them not to worry-"
"That does not help."
"Well, I don't know what else you want me to do."
"I don't want you to-" he breaks off as a knock sounds at the door. "Forget it, Sabre. It's fine, okay? Just listen to the doctor for once." His posture straightens up as he reaches the door. "Go on in, Green. Yep, he's there." Before I can say another word, the leaders switch out, leaving me face-to-face with a concerned Green Steve.
"Alright, let's get you treated." Green Leader starts to pull vials and gauze out of his inventory, quickly covering the entire table in healing supplies. He glances up and frowns at my expression. "What? Did Violet Leader say something?" I shrug. "Sorry, he's been kind of bossy lately. Ignore him. He doesn't mean it." I wince at the advice, but stay silent as Green Leader carefully looks at my injuries, adding a few potions to the long scratches.
While the doctor does his work, I let my mind wander to the rainbow stone in my inventory. If I have to wait until morning to get back to the Red Kingdom, I might as well have a blueprint at the ready for the machine I'll need to make.
"-can catch you up on everything." Green Leader finishes. I blink, jolting up a little.
"Hm?"
"I said, we should call a meeting at dawn tomorrow to catch you up on everything." he repeats. "It won't take long."
I want to refuse. I'm busy tomorrow morning. But I know that after everything that just happened, saying no isn't an option. So I nod. I'll probably have plenty of time to get back to the abandoned library and meet up with M. Green smiles in response.
"Well," he straightens up. "That's about as much as I can do. Try not to put too much-""-got that?"
"Yeah." I rub at my eyes. "See you tomorrow, I guess."
I trudge up to my attic, pulling out my notebook and a pencil. I take a piece of rainbow stone and examine it, starting to sketch out ideas for the machine I'll need.
I smile tiredly. By this time tomorrow, I'm sure Green will be healed.
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Word Count: 2,148