Everything ached.
His arms. They were limp at his side, practically deadweight. His legs. They barely carried him at this point. His chest. Oh how it burned. His face. He couldn't even form an expression anymore, every muscle hurt. His heart. It was beating slower and slower as he walked, and Colle knew he didn't have much longer.
It was only a few more moments, Colle told himself. Then he could rest.
Colle had previously thought that crystals being taken from him would only hurt in the second. Maybe sting a bit afterwards. But this...he knew he was dying. His very spirit was flickering out. It baffled him that he was still able to move.
The only thing keeping him afloat now was the Heart of Genesis, and the Red Crystal. Of course, if everything went according to plan, he wouldn't have the Red Crystal much longer.
He just had to make a few more trips... two more visits. A final goodbye to the people he owed to. Then he'd be able to go.
As if on cue, he spotted him in the rubble of the Red Kingdom, glancing around absentmindedly. Colle grinned, but the action caused him to double over into a flurry of coughs. If even just moving his face did this to him, he'd be dead in no time.
"Goggles!" He called out, his voice hoarse and almost muted. Still, he caught his friend's attention. Colle forced himself to walk a few more feet, meeting Goggles halfway as he ran up to him.
"Colle!!" Goggles was seconds away from embracing him, but saw the state he was in. Physically, nothing looked out of place, but Colle knew his friend knew him better than that. Goggles saw the tired in his eyes, the exhaustion and pain ready to throw him overboard. "Colle...?"
"Hi." Colle mumbled. He could've collapsed into his friend's arms then and there, but he feared that if he stopped moving and relaxed now, he'd never be able to move again. And he still had a few more places to visit, a few more teleports to force out of himself.
"Colle, you look terrible. Did...did you give up the crystals?" Goggles placed a hand on his cheek, and for a second, maybe Colle saw the Goggles he was used to. Calmer, caring.
He forced himself to nod, the action painful on his neck. "The leaders...wanted them back. But I'm...dying without them."
Goggles flinched at the word 'dying'. Whatever was left of the crazy seemed to melt away, if only for a moment. "I...we can get you to back to the Red Kingdom then, we can...I'm a bit more familiar with redstone, I can build you a machine..."
Colle shook his head. "No. There's no healing this. I need the crystals, and I can't get them back. It'd be selfish of me to ask for them back." Colle paused for a second. "Actually, speaking of the crystals..."
He pulled the Red Crystal out of his pocket, breathing in the energy that flooded his senses. If he let go of this, he'd certainly be doomed. But he couldn't bring it with him, not where he was going. He held it out to Goggles. "Bring this to the Leader."
Goggles took it very carefully, watching Colle with a solemn expression. The moment it left his hand, Colle felt the energy subside. He fell forward.
Goggles gasped and caught him, holding him up. He helped Colle to his feet, and with all his willpower, Colle was able to stand shakily. Goggles seemed to notice his need for the crystal. "Colle...you need this. You need the energy."
Colle shook his head, his lips trembling. "No." He couldn't say anything else.
With a heavy sigh, Goggles placed the crystal in his coat pocket. "Then let me build you a machine. I can help you. I...I can try.."
"You can't." Colle croaked. "...But I do need you to build me a machine."
— — —
"Can you do it?" Colle muttered. He didn't even feel conscious at this point, like he was floating around and observing the world through eyes that weren't his.
Goggles frowned, looking hesitant to say anything. "It's...possible. It won't work exactly the way you want it to, appearance and personality may be off, but..."
"That's fine." Colle said. "If it works, I'm fine with the small things not working. All they need is my experience, anyway."
"Colle...listen to me. I don't think you shouldn't do this. I know that you're not going to go there, but...you're not dead yet. You don't have to give up like this. Let me save you." Goggles looked at him with pleading eyes that were only a bit too wide, hands only a bit too fidgety, feet tapping against stone only a bit too much—just enough to remind Colle that his friend wasn't the same, and never would be the same.
"You can't save me." Colle said plainly. He forced himself to smile, even if it pained him. "If I stay here, I'll die. I have a plan. I'm not going to die yet. I have a plan."
Goggles didn't seem to believe him. Colle wouldn't either, if the roles were swapped. And worst of all, he said he wasn't going to die yet, but Colle didn't feel like it was true. Would he even make it to be able to use the machine, if it was made?
Goggles sighed. "I'll make it for you."
Colle didn't know why that made him feel dread rather than relief. (Just at the thought of dread, he felt that small voice creeping in. He ignored it.)
"Thank you." Colle mumbled. He didn't bother to smile, his body hurt too much for that.
With a sad, long look at Colle, Goggles got to work.
— — —
Colle wanted to watch him work, but he couldn't keep his eyes open. He'd seen Goggles work before, anyway. He could close his eyes for a second. A voice in the back of his head—the one that didn't sound like Dread, the one that sounded like him—shouted desperately at him to stay awake, to not close his eyes. But they were already shut by the time he heard the voice.
He was only vaguely aware of his body collapsing against stone. And even if he was aware of it, that small voice in his head was reduced to a mumble, and all Colle could think about were good long naps after a hard day of work. Void and pain and fatigue all burned away, like they never existed in the first place. Like it was all a dream a small 7 year old thought up when he begged to become an elite.
Just before he slipped away into nothingness, he was being shaken determinedly. "Colle!! Colle, wake up! COLLE!!"
His eyes opened, but he couldn't see much. Most of his eyesight was reduced to black spots, dancing around playfully. He caught onto bright red hair and black and orange goggles, but he didn't register it. He just felt a bit frustrated. He wanted to sleep.
Arms wrapped around him and pulled him close to another body. He felt a soft hand on his neck, checking for a pulse desperately. "Please don't go...Colle, please.."
He heard the shuffle of clothing, and suddenly, the warmth of something small and smooth up against his chest. Looking down, he saw the faint red glow of a crystal, pressed up against his dying heart.
He felt his chest being wrapped, the crystal tightly pressing into him, snug and not moving. Colle gasped a bit as he was lifted off the ground, held close to a white coat smelling of sheep and familiarity. Someone Colle knew. Goggles?
The Red Crystal stayed pressed against his chest, and Colle was able to breathe better. He wasn't healing, but he wasn't rapidly dying. Which was probably a good thing.
"It's gonna be okay, Colle..." the voice above him muttered shakily. Painless lightning struck the two of them, and everything went dark.
(More or less important notes!)
Just wanna say this isn't gonna be a big book. I was considering putting this in the oneshot book, but it is gonna have more than 2 parts, so I decided against it. It's not supposed to be long, I'm just kinda exploring the possibility of Colle's survival. It'll probably only have 3-4 chapters lol. I've been procrastinating on other, bigger works and I promise I'll try to get to those, I just haven't had motivation to write those yet. I do want them to be completed, trust me, I'll get to it one day. Anyway thanks for reading my silly stuff!
