Acts of Redemption

Self Control

Yellow took the lead, his tracking device in one hand and sword on the other, his eyes darting from the device to the path in front of them.

Second Coming was right behind them, shaky hands around his sword as usual, but he kept himself alert at any movement, they couldn't afford to be attacked by any mobs now.

Purple was... Well, he was there... Physically, at least...

It was strange how much Purple's head wandered, and how easily a quiet stride would turn into a cacophony of thoughts in his messy brain.

"I'm doomed... " It repeated to him like a echo.

"At one point, the king or that monster will come and kill us all... He doesn't need me with that thing by his side ..." A shiver went through his spine at that thought. Purple shook his head to get rid of it, he doesn't want to think about it but it didn't work.

"When it's all over... if you survive... you will be alone again. " He shook his head once more.

"All alone... face it, king will be gone and the others would never give you a second chance! "

Purple was getting dizzy again, tears threatening to spill if he wasn't careful, Yellow and Orange can't see him cry.

But his head was right, when it was all over, if they won...

Purple would be all alone again.

"Maybe I can sleep in a Nether fortress... I heard the netherwart room was comfortable enough to sleep... " Purple hugged himself, he felt like he was drowning inside his own mind, freezing in in the deep end of a iceberg, but he couldn't help it, his brain couldn't stop it.

"Perhaps piglins wouldn't mind sharing the plac-"

Purple's line of thought was snapped when he hit Second Coming's back with a oof, making him take two steps back.

─ Second? ─ He asked confused, looking around him to see Yellow who also stopped.

In front of them there was a giant lake of lava, with a lavafall attached. They flew past it on the way there before.

─ How are we going to get across? ─ Yellow asked himself, Purple's heart got stabbed when he remembered about his broken Elytra.

─ Do you still have a Elytra? ─

Yellow turned to look at Purple, he was clutching the device in his hand way too hard.

─ My Elytra broke when Chosen attacked us... And even if I still had it there was no way I would he able to carry all of us across... It would take too long. ─ Purple tried to not comment on Second's weight.

Second looked around, until he stopped at the wall of netherrack behind the lavafall.

─ I think we can climb and get across...

Purple's stomach twisted at the idea of just walking above lava, but he just sighed and followed along. He was going to die anyway, he could at least pick the way it would happen.

─ boost? ─ The Yellow stick figure asked, and Second Coming was quick to put his hands as a boost for his friend.

Yellow stepped on his hand before jumping and grabbing on the edge of the wall, climbing to a small path like space on the irregular surface.

The stick figure took a moment to get his balance before  stretching his hand, Second got a grip on him and he was hoisted up.

─ Come on Purple. ─ The orange stick figure called, stretching his hand and waiting for the last member of the expedition to climb up.

Something inside Purple thought about running away to sulk somewhere, it felt easier than dealing with whatever was waiting for them on the other side, it hurt less than confronting everything.

He wanted to hide but want to press on, to run but to stay, to be hated... but...

But unfortunately, Purple couldn't make up his fucking mind, so his legs took the initiative and he ran to the wall and jumped, holding on to Second's hand while he pulled him up.

─ Oh... Oh holy shit... ─ Yellow mumbled they were not that high up, but one wrong step could potentially turn them into charcoal and Yellow's stomach made a nervous grumble, even his organs knew this was dangerous.

Second Coming put a hand on his friend's chest, holding him against the wall but also sending pressure and confort, and they slowly shuffled their way across.

Purple kept his eyes fixed on the floor below his feet and the bubbling noise of lava right under, it was barely enough space to stand in a straight line, the tips crumbling at the edge and falling into the scorching pit below.

Yellow managed to get across just fine, jumping off to the floor below him with a loud sigh of relief.

Purple tried to keep his breathing controlled, he was starting to feel very anxious.

And that's when the floor broke.

A chunk of netherrack crumbled below his feet, and Purple's heart skipped a beat when his feet slip, and he was falling.

He closed his eyes, not wanting to face his imminent death, when a tight grip held his hand.

The purple stick figure gasped when pain went through his body through his gripped wrist looking back up at the second coming, who was now the only thing stopping him from going for a swim.

Second grunted, it was hard to hold Purple weight while keeping his balance, and his eyes turned a bright green color for about a three seconds before going back to normal.

Purple bit his lip to not cry, it burn his skin like acid as Second Coming continued shuffling his way across.

Yellow was pacing back and forth while waiting for them, his heart beating so hard it could just jump out of his chest if it really wanted to at any moment.

But they made it. Second Coming just threw Purple across when he was close enough before jumping off too.

Purple stumbled to the floor when he was thrown, panting loudly and trying to erase the experience out of his brain, the pain fading into a numb feeling.

─ Are you OK? ─ He heard Yellow's muffled voice, he was probably asking Second.

He felt a slight tap on his arm, and when he opened his eyes again, Second Coming was staring at him, hand outstretched to help him get up.

For some reason Purple couldn't understand, he didn't hesitate to hold his hand again.

Yellow looked back the way they came before grabbing the tracking device. ─ There's one dot closer to us... It may take just another hour to get there..

─ Come one, it's going to take longer if we just wait here! ─ Second rushed, now taking the lead, Yellow chasing after.

Purple looked at the two stick figures, then at the weird green burnt marks in his wrist where Second held on.

It marked perfectly the shape of his fingers around his wrist.

He shook his head before running after them.