Not My Pyre (A Pearl-Centric Double Life FanFic)

Chapter Fifteen: Almost There

Once he got to the Ranch, it didn't take long for Scott to find the Ranchers. For the moment, they had Scar's horse, so they were caring for it in the stable.

"Knock, knock." Scott tapped on the door frame.

"What are you doing here?" Tango subtly stepped in front of Jimmy as if to protect him.

"What, I can't visit my competition?"

"No, 'cause you'll try to kill us or mess with us in some other way."

"I'm only yellow, I can't kill you."

"No, but you did change the 'R' to an 'L'."

"Yeah, I did. But that's not what I'm here for." Scott held out his wrist, which he had tied the armband from Pearl to. "Do you know what this is?"

"No." Tango crossed his arms.

"I've seen other players with those on," Jimmy said

Tango glanced at him. "Who?"

"Scar, Cleo, the Boat Boys, maybe some others. What are they?"

"Do you have anywhere without any cameras?"

~*~

"If I even just begin to suspect that you're going to kill either of us or anything bad at all, I will kill you, Scott." Tango had his sword out, so he would likely make good on the threat.

"I won't. Are your cameras off?" Scott asked.

"Yeah? You asked us to go somewhere without cameras. It wouldn't be without cameras if we brought our cameras in." They were in the tunnel that led towards the Deep Dark.

"Good. Pearl's started a revolution and I'm here to invite you to it. We're gonna take down the Lords. Our first step is to gather all the competitors. We'll be meeting at spawn and executing whatever plan Pearl is currently making. If you don't want to risk it, that's fine, stay back here."

"Pearl's started a revolution. Okay... Uh, it doesn't sound like you've got much of a plan there... Are you just not going to tell us until we've agreed so that we can't tell the Lords or...?" Tango asked.

"We don't have much of a plan. We're going to leave the Game, then turn the people against the Lords and storm their fortress. We don't even know how we're getting out, but Pearl says we'll get more details once we know who's on our side, so here's hoping."

"What about the boat trick?" Jimmy asked.

Scott blinked. "The what, now?"

"Boat trick. You get in a boat next to the world border and, for whatever reason, it lets you go through. We did it all the time in Last Life," Jimmy explained.

"Yeah, probably. It's quite a relief to know that there is a way to do it." Scott turned to Tango as a thought struck him. "Is it possible to put a Warden in a boat?"

"Oh, I see where you're going with this! I'm in on your revolution, and I'm gonna go figure this out!" Tango ran down the tunnel, towards the Ancient City.

"And you, Jimmy?" Scott asked. Jimmy's answer was the most important to him, so he was a little tense.

"Yeah, I'm in."

"Great."

There were a few seconds of tense silence before Jimmy spoke.

"What was I to you?"

"What do you mean?" Scott could guess, but it wouldn't hurt to ask, right?

"In Third Life. You- you literally said we were married, then abandoned me the moment the Game ended. Was I nothing? And I don't just want you to ask me what I think, I want your answer, how you would put it. I want you to say it. What. Am. I. To. You?"

"Everything." Scott whispered.

Jimmy blinked. "What?"

"You're everything to me, Jimmy. You're part of the reason I joined this revolution. The Lords- they've been threatening me. They told me that if I acted like past teams meant anything to me, even in between Games, or told anyone about the threats, they would kill whoever I had told or teamed up with, then you, then me, and I couldn't have that. It's why I've been pushing Pearl away. I think I've been able to get away with teaming with Cleo since our partners went to the Nether and we were left alone, but... I'm not entirely certain that if we go back like we normally would at the end of a Game the Lords wouldn't fulfil their threats. I don't want to risk that, so I need to end their rule now. I need to protect you..."

"So... You ignored me to protect me? And you've been suffering through dealing with this - knowing that one wrong move on your part could end up with three people dead - alone?"

Scott nodded.

Jimmy stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his husband.

~*~

Pearl placed a slab on the floor, with a trapdoor behind it, then flipped it up to make a chair. She moved two blocks over and repeated the process. She did this twelve more times, making a neat circle of chairs.

She turned to the chest of supplies that she had brought and pulled out four campfires and eight trapdoors to make a firepit.

"Need any help?"

Pearl turned around to see Grian standing with Scar at his side.

"With plans, yes. Did you two get the others to join us?" She asked.

"We got BigB and Ren. The Boat Boys said they'd get Impulse and Bdubs, Scott said he'd get the Ranchers, and Cleo said she'd get Martyn. Impulse and Bdubs are in the Nether, hoping to get Netherite," Scar explained.

"Oh, good thought. That'll be useful, and nearly impossible to get once we leave. Either of you figured out a way through the border?"

"Scott messaged me and reminded me of what we did in Last Life - you can get through the border with a boat. Tango was trying to figure out a way to get us a Warden, but the only way through the border is a boat and Wardens are too big for that." Grian snapped his fingers. "Oh! Uh, Pearl, after we get out of the border, I need to get to the other side of the Border Forest. I know some people who can help us with the Lords and reestablishing ourselves as a country afterwards. Or take us in if necessary."

"Alright, I'll work time into the plan for that. Either of you have a bunch of signs for me to lay it out on, or, like, a book and quill?"

"Uh... no," Grian said.

"I have a book, and it looks like I killed a squid and a chicken earlier and didn't get rid of the drops." Scar passed the supplies to Pearl.

"Thanks. I'm gonna start writing down ideas. You two go gather more supplies, wool for bandages, weaponry, arrows, food, the like. If you catch the others after they've gotten our allies, tell them to do the same thing unless they have important information for me, 'kay?"

"'Kay, we'll be back at sunrise. C'mon, Scar." Grian turned and headed off in the general direction of the Red Velvet Keep.

Pearl's heart warmed as she saw Grian take Scar's hand. She was glad the two had made up.

Who knew how much time they had left?