Corrupted - A Hermitcraft (and Empires) Fanfiction

36: Impulse

I wait in the hidden healing base for news of Tango and Zedaph. Gem promised she'd tell me the moment she saw anything. Keralis and Bdubs know nothing when they appear carrying the unconscious form of Etho. I'm left waiting even longer until something even bigger appears. 

Xisuma.

'HELP!' Yells EX. I glance out of my hiding place as he staggers into view. Xisuma lies unconscious in his arms, bleeding badly. Stress is there in seconds with potions. And with EX and X is Scar, seeming nearly as bad as X himself.

'What happened?' I question. Keralis is just as quick over, falling next to him.

'He- he- we stopped the sculk and then... then he started bleeding and it hasn't stopped... we tried to cover it...' His hands shake as he tries to pull off X's armour. Keralis helps. I stand back, memories rising of him possessed, imprisoning me, threatening to kill me, Tango and Zedaph and Skizz... they get off his armour. EX wrestles the helmet off his head as Stress starts stemming the blood flow. I back away even further, just watching. He's pale, the ghost of the sculk in white lines tangling up his arms and the face I'm in too much numb shock to realise I've never seem before.

'We did everything we could...' Murmurs Scar, collapsing onto his knees. 'Everything...'

'Scar, rest. Seriously. Stress, we need healing supplies for Scar too... someone... Apron guy! With the beard! Healing stuff for Scar!'

I listen as much as I can until...

Buzz.

Communicator.

Geminitay: TANGO UNSCULK

Geminitay: ZED HRUT COME BOW

Geminitay: POTIONS NOW

'I need to go.' I mutter, grabbing a shulker box of potions and bandages before shooting off towards Decked Out. Despite Xisuma and Tango out the way, the battle is still going strong. Iskall, Mumbo and False are pushing Grian closer and closer towards being trapped. Pearl's not fighting herself, but calling forth an endless hoard of sculk wolves nearly everyone else is trying to stop. I spot Tango at the side crouching, unsculked, still conscious, next to who takes too long to realise is Zedaph.

I land.

'Zed... Zed I'm sorry. I'm so- I'm so sorry- ' Tango's sobbing over and over. Gem and False are either side of him, arms around his shoulder. I can't focus on him. All I can focus on is Zed - the cuts, the blood, barely moving, just letting out a constant quiet whimpering.

'I- I have stuff.' Is all I can say, dumping the supplies on the ground. Gem grabs bandages.

'Zed, we're just going to cover-'

'No- no more...' He interrupts.

'They're bandages, Zed. To stop the bleeding.'

'Please...' He shuffles away from Gem, eyes wide, noticing and turning to me. 'Please... please Impy no... don't- don't- let him hurt me..' A glance at Tango. Then back at me. 

'Zed, we're trying to help...' Insists Gem again.

'I don't want- I can't- please...' I'm in tears at the pain in his gaze alone. Tango's sobbing, hugging False and repeating over and over that it's his fault, his fault, his fault... I can't speak. Gem's still failing to calm Zedaph down. 

'Zedaph...' She takes his hand.

'NO!' Zedaph falls away, screaming, gasping, crying, broken, choking, his struggles only growing weaker.

'Please it's going to save you! I just want to save you!'

'ZED I'M SORRY!' Tango's howls are almost as unbearable as Zed's. I want to hug him. But all that goes through my mind is what he did. What the sculk made him do. To me, Zed, Skizz... 

'Zedaph just hold on... we'll find another solution...' Gem changes tact. Tears stream down her face. 'We- we'll save you. We're going to save you...'

'I don't- I don't want to...' Zed barely manages to say, eyes closing 'I don't want to live...'

He falls still.

Everything stops.

'...Zedaph?' Gem's first to speak, shifting closer. Tango's sobs have faded to hoarse gasps of breath, still holding onto False. 'Zed...?' She searches for a pulse. 'Zed... Zed wake up...'

'Zedaph...' I push her out the way to try myself, 'Zedaph it's ok... it's- it's all ok... It's just Impulse...' I can't feel anything. I can't find the right place. My hands shake, fingers resting where I swear the heartbeat should be.

Nothing. 

'No...' I mumble. 'No...'

He's not breathing. 

'H- he's dead.'

'ZEDAPH!' 

Tango's screams breaking the silence. I crumble into despair, hug the broken form of my friend. He's dead.

Zedaph's dead.

'WE- WE'RE STILL WINNING!' Grian's yell falls into the distance. 'WE'RE STILL WINNING! THE SCULK'S WINNING! WELL DONE, TANGO!'

'NO! I DIDN'T WANT TO! I DIDN'T WANT TO- ZEDAPH I'M SORRY!'

'Tango... Tango it- it'll all be ok...' 

'GET AWAY FROM ME!' 

A squeal.

I look up. Gem lies on the ground. Tango's standing. Eyes wild. Like the sculk. He's going to hurt Gem. He's going to kill Gem. Do what he did to Zedaph- no not Zedaph I can't- I can't think about... Tango's gaze shifts to me. Bright blue eyes. Insanity. Danger. Lies. Sculk. Murderer. I'm sobbing again. 

'Tango calm down.' False insists. 'Tango, it'll all be ok...'

'He's DEAD.' 

'T... Tango...'

'DEAD! AND I DID IT!' He turns on her too. False steps back, one hand itching for a sword.

'Tango, you're exhausted. You've just been possessed by sculk.'

'I KILLED MY BEST FRIEND! AND- AND IMPULSE WON'T EVEN LOOK AT ME. I HURT HIM! I KNOW- I KNOW I...' A sob. 'I know I...'

False is there as he collapses, crying. I'm not. Gem crawls closer to me and pulls me into a hug, comforting us both. I can't look at Tango without the memories rising. I can't look at Zedaph. So I focus on Grian instead, barely fighting still, just goading Mumbo and Iskall on as he stumbles away. I watch a potion smash the wall just behind him the final straw. 

I just sit and listen as Mumbo yells for help. See the sculk protecting Grian shrivels and die, leaving a broken figure, smaller than he's ever looked before, unconscious. 

I feel nothing as I realise it's just Pearl left.

Just Pearl and her army of wolves until the sculk is gone. 

And Zedaph and Skizz are still gone.

And nothing will ever be the same.

:)

And a place for ZITS support hugs ————>