Chapter Text
Season 7 was in full swing, 1.16 had just hit, and everyone was scrambling to get netherite and new gear and new materials… except for Zedaph.
Save for Impulse and Tango, who visited the sheep ever so often, no one had seen or heard from Zedaph in months. Tango had been inside the hermit’s cave once or twice, noting no odd behavior from the other. Zedaph swore up and down that he was fine, perfectly fine! Despite his shopping trips being done in bulk and for one day every other month. Tango was sure that Zedaph was guarded about something, not like the cardigan hermit would tell, but something nonetheless.
Zedaph was just being eccentric again, right?
Right.
It had been a week since 1.16 before anyone noticed anything unusual. Zedaph hadn’t come from his cave for his usual shopping trip. Tango stood before the now piston door, thick iron holding anyone back from entering unless Zed let them in. Tango sighed, knocking on the door gently.
“What is it?”
Tango rubbed his nose bridge, red eyes glinting off the sleek iron, “It’s Tango, let me in? I want to talk.”
The door began to lower, lights turning off as if Zedaph was living his life in total darkness. Tango began to step in before Zed shouted, scrambling in front of him and holding him back from the entrance. His purple eyes were wilder than usual, he paused before speaking.
“Wait for the lights to turn on first, please.”
“Uh… okay…”
Tango was finally let in, following Zedaph closely behind as he practically pulled him into the center of the base. The base was bright- blinding almost- everywhere lit up with lanterns, lamps and torches. Tango’s eyes dilated, the slits growing thin as he looked around, the fake sun even more blinding that he last thought.
“Hey Zed, I-”
Zed turned to him, pushing his hair out of his face, “Can I ask you a favour?”
Tango paused, mouth open before shaking his head and nodding, “Yeah, yeah sure, bro, what’s up?”
Zedaph ran to his ender chest and pulled out several blocks of diamonds, which was… strange, considering he wasn’t known to go mining, right? Right. Tango watched him grab a book and scribble instructions into it before handing all of it to Tango, grunting as the heavy blocks landed in his arms.
“I heard Impy had a bedrock breaking service in the shopping district, can you get this to him for me and have him come over?”
Tango paused, and stared… How did Zedaph know. Zedaph hadn’t left this cave, he never left the cave, he shouldn’t know, he never-… he shook his head, sighing gently.
“Yeah. of course.”
--
Tango flew into the wide doors of Impulse’s base, the message he received early saying the imp should be in the greenhouse. He shook himself out, the water drying as he approached his friend.
Impulse sneezed as he finished placing some bushes in the rings of his base. He turned to Tango waving and jogging over, sniffling before smiling back.
“Hey bud! What’s up, you said you wanted to talk about Zedaph-”
Tango plopped down, leaning against one of the ledges, mumbling under his breath.
“Something’s wrong with Zedaph. Like… he’s acting weird, super weird.”
Impulse shrugged, “It’s Zedaph, he’s always odd-”
“No man, like… weirder than usually. He kept all the lights off until I came over. How does he live in the dark? That makes no sense… and his base is stupid bright too when he turned on all the lights, and he wanted me to- I dunno!”
Impulse sat down besides him, watching the blonde kick some stray pebbles, before perking up.
“Oh yeah, and he’s like wicked rich now, and oh-”
Tango pulled out the few diamond blocks and book, handing it to Impulse, the imp opening the book to… not Zed’s handwriting. This handwriting was inordinately clean and spaced evenly, a complete 180 from Zedaph’s scribbly, half-cursive handwriting. Impulse’s eyes scanned the pages, leaning on the cool grass of his greenhouse.
Hey Impulse!
Sorry, I can’t leave the Cave, but I need your help! Can you come and break some bedrock for me in the bottom of my base? The Cave needs room for a new contraption, of course.
Just stop by whenever okay? :)
See ya!!
Zed.
Impulse scanned the note once, then twice before sighing and standing up. Tango looked at him with a tilt in his head.
“I’ll go tomorrow, don’t worry, I’ll check on him while I’m at it.”
Tango nodded, standing and shaking out his wings.
“Be careful, Impulse?”
“Yeah, of course.”