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Grian took a look at Scar, who was still sleeping soundly in his bed and snuck out of their base, sending a message to Jimmy in the process. Jimmy responded, telling Grian where he was, as Grian grinned at his phone.
Grian knew he could win this game on his own. He'd done it before, even if he was the only one to remember it. He didn't need Scar. Scar was more of a liability this time than he was in the first game. This time, Scar's mistakes impacted him as well, and that was a problem. He needed to team with someone who actually listened to him. Someone who could be bent to his will. He was determined to survive this thing, even if it meant breaking any ties he had to anyone.
Upon reaching where Jimmy was waiting for him, Grian walked over and pulled him into a hug. "You're still alive Timmy! You're doing amazing this season!" Grian whispered, pulling back to hold his face in his hands, looking him in the eyes. "I'm so proud of you."
Jimmy's face heated up as he tried to turn away to hide his blush. "I don’t know, it was really all Tango."
"That’s a full-on lie. You're more capable than that," Grian almost purred out. "Which is why I came to you. Scar is too focused on his Jellie sanctuary. I need a partner who will actually spend time with me. We've been through so much together, Timmy. Remember Evo? Games nights? With Uno? Scrabble? We've done so much together, more than you and Tango have. You two are practically strangers." Grian leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Come with me. I'll help keep you alive, we'll make it to the end. Can you really trust someone you don’t know outside of this game? What do you really know about Tango? These games are based on lies and betrayal. Do you really think he would actually care about you if you weren't bound together? That he'd care about you that much otherwise? He doesn’t know you, and you don’t know him."
Jimmy didn’t respond. Grian's words were like a maggot in his brain weaving thoughts of doubt and distrust in his mind. Even still, he remained silent.
Grian just smiled with a soft understanding, before pulling away. "I'll give you time to think it over. Let me know when you make a decision" And with one final hug and a soft kiss on Jimmy's hand, Grian walked away into the night, leaving Jimmy alone with a storm full of thoughts and eyes full of tears.
Jimmy headed home in silence, thinking over what Grian had said. He was right, he knew he was. Jimmy knew nothing of Tango. They had similar friend groups but had never really interacted past a polite greeting in passing. They only clung to each other here, because they were bound together.
They did discover they worked well together. Incredibly well together, but Jimmy really didn't know anything about the blaze-born man aside from him being a redstone genius and an incredible builder, despite what he might say, but that was it.
Tango knew Scar. They were friends. They already have a pre-existing trust. It meant neither of them would be alone.
Tango would have a chance. He wouldn't be tied to Jimmy, who always seemed to have a way of dying while also dragging other people down with him.
He kept creating this list in his head of all the pros of leaving. Even when the list showed clear signs joining Grian made sense, he was still filled with a certain dread of coming disaster.
It took 2 days.
Grian was gathering some supplies when he heard a knock on the door. "Scar, I'm not helping you carry excessive amounts of bamboo into the house again, figure it out yourself." He heard the door open and an awkward shuffle followed. Grian sighed, "Scar, what did you d-" Grian froze as he turned to face Scar, only to find Jimmy there instead, with tear-filled eyes.
"Sorry, I'm not Scar." Jimmy let out a small laugh. Grian broke out in a large grin.
"You, Timmy, are far better!" Grian beamed. "Have you made up your mind?"
Jimmy hesitated before nodding without a word.
Grian's smile dropped slightly. "Does Tango know?"
Jimmy once again nodded slowly.
Grian pulled him into a hug "I can't imagine how hard that was for you. Come on, I know a secret on how to break the bond and re-establish it with someone else. I'll be tied to you, and Scar and Tango will be free. They can bond together, or die alone."
Jimmy stopped. He didn't think this was *that* permanent, but it was too late now. Tango had been so heartbroken and understanding when Jimmy told him he was leaving. It almost made him change his mind, but he had done it, and now it was too late, so he may as well follow through with it fully. He started following Grian down the tunnel into the ground, pushing down his doubts as the light from the sky was replaced with the dangerous dark of the underground.
When they reached a dug-out room, Grian placed his torch into the bracket on the wall and turned to Jimmy, handing him both a golden apple and a god apple.
"Now this is how this works. The golden apple will break you and Tango apart. Only one of the partners needs to eat it for it to sever the bond. The god apple, on the other hand, will repair the bond with whoever eats it. So You and I BOTH have to take a bite out of the god apple. Only that will tie our lives to each other in the same way I was to scar and you were to tango."
"What about the life counter?" Jimmy asked. "I'm on red, and you're still green."
"THAT, is a 50/50 gamble. I could end up on red, or you can end up on green. No one knows how the god apple chooses or works, really."
Jimmy turned the fruit over in his hands. If he did this, there was no going back. Sure, he could break off from Grian, but god apples were rare, and highly sought after. He'd never be able to find another one. His mind flashed back to Tango's and his conversation before he left, and knew he couldn't go back as it was, so what did it matter, taking another step away? Jimmy brought the apple to his mouth, and took a bite, feeling the fresh juice drip out of the corners of his mouth. He collapsed to the ground as he felt a sharp pain start at his chest and travel through his whole body. His heart shattered when he realized Tango would have felt the same thing. He looked up as he heard Grian bite into his, and scrambled up to catch him as he too, collapsed from the pain. Jimmy soothingly ran a hand through Grian’s hair as he went through the pain himself.
Grian felt Jimmy try to help him, comfort him even, and just shrugged him off. "I'm fine, I'm fine." Grian staggered to his feet, leaned against the stone wall, and took a bite from the shimmering god apple, before passing it to Jimmy. "Here, take a bite, you should only need one."
Jimmy took the apple from Grian's outstretched hand and bit down. An intense warmth spread from his limbs to his chest, settling where his heart pounded. He looked to Grian who punched his shoulder and winced as they both noticeably reacted to the pain. It worked, they were linked.
The biggest physical difference, however, was that Grian's eyes had gone from green to red, to match Jimmy's.
Grian froze in disbelief, before just cackling. "It worked!! It actually worked! Oh, this is wonderful, I can't believe it. It's disappointing that I lost 2 lives, but it's worth it. I can get so much more done now!"
Jimmy offered a sad smile. "You always were clever, I expected nothing less from you."
"of course you would think that. You're so naïve, Timmy. Come on, it's been a busy and eventful day, let's get to bed. I have your room all ready made up for you." Grian started to head up the stairs, not even waiting for Jimmy.
"We're sleeping in different rooms?" Jimmy questioned. He always slept better with someone else there with him, tango cuddling him and running his fingers through his hair until he fell asleep, keeping a watch to make sure the nightmares didn't come back. It was a comfort he had grown accustomed to. He thought-well, he didn't really, did he? 'Stupid Jimmy, always jumping in headfirst anytime someone shows any amount of kindness. Stupid, stupid Jimmy.' He thought to himself as he followed Grian up.
Grian offered no answer.
Reaching the top of the stairs, they were confronted by Scar.
"Grian, what happened? What was that pain?? I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ANCIENT CITY WHEN THAT HAPPENED!!" Scar shouted at his partner.
Former partner. That Jimmy had just stolen from him. Jimmy couldn't help but blame himself as Grian and Scar spoke just out of hearing range. Jimmy almost cried for Scar as his face shattered at the prospect of not being wanted. Jimmy felt Scar's pain as if he was linked to him rather than Grian. He did this. To himself. To Scar. To Tango...
He shook his head and headed into the beautiful building that Grian had made. He needed to stop thinking like this. What's done was done.
It took almost an hour, but Grian finally came into the house looking annoyed. He was grumbling under his breath, words that Jimmy couldn't quite make out.
Grian looked over to Jimmy, who had started to stand up with the intent to comfort him. His only response was to glare at Jimmy, who opted to back down immediately. "Your room is through that door there" He stated bluntly, pointing to the door at the back of the room. "Just leave me be, I have things I need to do before the end of the day."
Jimmy was hurt. He understood. He did. He started thinking maybe he had a warped sense of what the concept of soulmates meant. Maybe he had looked too much into it. He went into his room to start setting up his things. It was a completely empty, 4x4 room. He mentally added making a bed to the….admittedly empty list of things to do today and started setting up chests and sorting his belongings by material and color. he was doing everything he could to keep himself busy and prevent his mind from falling into the downward spiral he knew he was on the edge of falling into.
Choosing to take a walk to try to clear his head, Jimmy headed out and found himself following the trail back to the Ranch. He froze when he heard the unmistakably sad voice. He hid behind the outer wall of the Ranch, peaking through one of the missing block openings. Scar was sitting next to Tango on a fallen log. They were holding each other in a sideways hug…with a bitten god apple laying on the ground between them. Jimmy stepped on a stick, not knowing it was there, and Tango’s head shot up making eye contact with the once hidden Jimmy. Sad green eyes met terrified red before Jimmy took off running down the cliff to the water. He took some damage on the way down, a part of the back of his mind knowing Grian would be bothered by that, but at that exact moment, he couldn’t care. He felt the tiniest tinge of happiness for the first time in what felt like ages. For the first time since he left Tango at the very least.
Tango wasn’t alone! Grian must have given Scar a god apple to use. Must have told him how to use it! And above all else, Tango won the gamble. He can live! He’s gained 2 more lives! Teaming with Scar was the right choice for Tango. It also reinforced Jimmy being the Canary. Teaming with Grian brought Grian’s lives down. Leaving Tango brought Tango’s lives up. All Jimmy wanted, he realized, was for Tango to be happy. This was for the best, he kept telling himself. Plus, he knew Tango and Scar were friends. They knew each other. This was fine. Great, even.
He went and gathered the materials to make his bed, Sneaking around to get the wood first. He didn’t want to deal with anyone at that moment, and he already knew he’d have to sneak back into the Ranch to steal some wool from the sheep he and Tango had been breeding up. He figured he would wait until nightfall to do so.
Until then, he figured he could go mining. Maybe he could bring home some diamonds to Grian to apologize for taking damage going down the cliff. (A small voice in the back of Jimmy’s mind reminded him that Tango would never expect an apology for getting hurt. Jimmy chose to ignore it)
After several hours of mining, he managed to come out of the underground with a few lava burns, a bunch of lapis and redstone, and about 20 diamonds. Cursing the deep slate, he sat in the moonlight and organized his inventory, before creeping over to the wall of the Ranch and looking in. Finding it empty, he walked over to where the sheep were and broke through the wall. Inside, around 30 sheep baa’d from inside their little hole. Crouching over the edge, he sheared 2 of them, when he heard the unfortunate hiss of a creeper. He dodged enough out of the way that the sheep didn’t get out, but not enough that he didn’t get singed from the explosion. Holding his burned arm he staggered to his feet, not noticing that the lights at the house had turned on and Tango and Scar were running towards him.
“Jimmy! Oh my god, are you ok?” Tango screamed in a panic. He took one look at the burns covering his left side and guided him back to the ground as Scar lit the place up to keep any other mobs back.
Jimmy held back sobs as Tango started looking over his burns and began treating them. His comm buzzed as Grian shouted his name angrily. A tear slipped out realizing how close to death he must have been just then. Jimmy made the mistake of making eye contact with Tango. Red meets green only to find pure, deep-rooted anger in them. Jimmy looked back down, fiddling with a blade of grass with his good hand. He feels Tango stop tending to his arm and a sob slips out.
“I’m sorry I’m such a hassle. Just leave me here, I can fix it myself.” He choked out. He felt Tango tilt his head up, forcing him to look his true other half in the eyes.
This time, he could see concern mixed in with the barely contained anger. “I’m not mad at you. Not now, not when you left, not ever. Confused? Hurt? Yes, but never mad. I’m angry at how Grian is treating you. You almost died. And his reaction is anger at you? Not making sure you’re ok? How is that fair?”
Scar slowly walked over to join them and chimed in. “I know Grian, and even I can’t figure out what he’s doing. I’ve never seen him like this.”
Tango nodded in agreement. “There’s something different about him. Please…just be careful around him. I care about you, Jimmy. That’s never changed.” He continued to treat his burns, even as rapid food regeneration started to cause them to fade from view. When he was finished, he briefly hesitated, before pulling Jimmy into a tight hug.
And Jimmy broke. He sobbed until he ran out of tears. At some point, Scar got down on the ground and joined in on their hug, and the three of them sat there until the sun was starting to peek over the horizon.
“I’m happy you get to live” Jimmy sleepily mumbled to Tango, his brain so exhausted he wasn’t able to take in what he was saying.
Tango motioned for Scar to give them a moment. Scar nodded, gave Jimmy one last squeeze, then headed to the house.
“What do you mean, Jim?”
“You aren’t stuck with me. Since I left, you have gained 2 lives. You can live. Like I said from day 1. I'm a curse. You're free. I only ever wanted you to be safe.”
“I never wanted to live if it wasn't with you.” Tango confessed quietly. “I understand why you left, you know Grian. You hardly know me, but…but I had hoped I’d be able to let you get to know me.” Tango fiddled with Jimmy’s hair anxiously. “I wanted you to be happy, so I didn’t push. I just hope he’s treating you better than he’s been showing tonight.”
All Jimmy could do was nod, and Tango just let out a soft laugh.
“Come on, you’re falling asleep. You came here for wool, right? Here;” Tango pulled out a pile of white wool and handed it to Jimmy, “Take this. It’s best you get home before Grian thinks you ran off. Just…stay safe.” Tango gave him one last hug, before walking towards the house.
Jimmy’s mind was in turmoil. He didn’t deserve any of whatever just happened. It made him feel like garbage. He hurt Tango. In what should have been an irreparable way. And not only had he helped bandage him up, but he also showed genuine concern. He showed kindness, where none was deserved. His mind swirled with dark thoughts. Tango deserved better than Jimmy. He knew that from the start.
He vowed to himself right then, that he would do whatever he could to never have to see Tango again.
“Timmy, where the heck are you?? I’ve been almost dying for the last day because of you, get back here.” Grian’s voice crackled through his comm.
Gulping down his panic, Jimmy hastily responded that he was on his way back, and took to running back to the cake-shaped fortress.
“Jimmy, where the hell have you been??” Jimmy flinched as Grian shouted at him. He tried to justify that it was because Grian also almost died, and maybe it was coming from a place of concern, but he had NEVER heard Grian swear before, or call him by his name and not Timmy.
“I-”
“No, never mind, I don't want to hear your excuses. Just, go to your room, I’ll deal with you later, and I’d like to not die today, I have plans involving TNT and the two Ranches. I have to gather supplies and I can't have you getting in the way.”
Jimmy stammered out apologies as Grian just walked out of the house without saying another word.
Sitting in the silence, Jimmy’s sleep-deprived brain started catching up to what Grian had said. Plans with TNT and…the ranches. Scott, Scar…and Tango. They were his next targets. He felt his body go cold with fear at the prospect of Tango being blown up. Again.
He frantically started messaging Grian
“Grian, where are you going??”
“Grian please, leave the ranch alone.”
“ANSWER ME, GRIAN”
All his messages remained unanswered. He panicked. He tried to think of every way he could try to stop Grian.
He hated himself. He hated what he did to Tango, he hated that he felt like Grian was the only one who treated him how he deserved. Maybe that's why he agreed to go with him in the first place, and now Tango and Scar were going to pay the price, because he, once again, failed. Tears slipped down his face as he caved to the sinking void in his chest, screaming that he wasn’t worth anyone's time. He cried, mourning for Scar, who he had kicked from his home, stolen his partner, and disrupted his whole life. And he mourned for Tango. Who treated him like he hung the stars in the sky, who he abandoned, thinking it was for the greater good, that he’d be better off without him.
He sobbed until he had nothing left in him and continued to lay on the ground in a numb void. His racing brain tried to think of any plan to save them. It's his fault they’re in this position in the first place. Thought after thought passed through his head;
Until one struck.
It was effective.
It would work…
Suddenly filled with courage and hope in a plan, he pulled himself off the floor and headed out to the gorge. He reached the edge and looked into the water, before reaching for his comm.
“Hello? Jimmy? Are you ok?”
“Tango, I need you to listen to me and let me finish speaking before you say anything, ok? Promise me?”
“O…ok? What's going on?”
Jimmy took a deep, shaky breath, before continuing “First, I have a request, can you get Scar to listen in on this first part?”
Tango agreed and Jimmy could hear him call Scar over who questioned what was going on, before greeting Jimmy to confirm he was there.
“Scar, I am so sorry. I should never have taken Grian up on his offer. You lost so much because of me, and I never wanted that to happen. That’s on me and I never meant to hurt you.” He choked out.
Scar took Tango’s comm from him, “Jimmy, Grian is very persuasive. Don’t stress about it, ok? It’s fine.”
Jimmy just nodded, despite knowing neither could see him. “That was all I wanted to say, Scar, thank you. Truly, I am sorry. Tango, I was wrong. I was so so wrong. I'm sorry for leaving you, I'm sorry for causing you pain, for not giving you a chance, for everything. You mean the world to me and in some warped way, I convinced myself I was doing it to protect you. I'm bad luck, I always have been, it doesn’t change or excuse what I've done, but I think this time I can be a little bit of good luck.” He took a deep breath, letting out a sob. “Grian’s targeting you two. He’s gathering supplies for TNT, and then he’s planning to rig something up at the Ranch. I have a way to stop him, but I wanted to apologize to you both…and have a chance to say goodbye.”
“Goodbye?? What are you saying, Jim?” Tango asked, panic rising in his chest.
“You made me feel loved! I haven’t felt that in so long. You made me feel worthwhile, worthy, useful, and smart. You gave me everything good in life, I never thought I deserved. I will forever be grateful for that, thank you. I love you, my flame. Goodbye” Jimmy hung up his comm and threw it into the gorge.
Steeling his nerves, with tears free falling, he muttered out the last words no one would hear. “I am the canary in the coalmine. I am the harbinger of death. I will make us the birds that fall.” And with that, He leaped off the edge of the cliff. As he fell, he thought of Tango, and all the times he’s made him feel loved.
It was that feeling of love he felt when he hit the rocks and closed his eyes for the last time.
Tango and Scar were tearing down the path along the edge of the cliff, looking for Jimmy. They had to find him before he did whatever he had planned. They needed to talk about it, needed to stop him and figure out a plan that would keep the three of them safe.
They were too late.
Tango screamed, tearing his throat as he watched Jimmy take that fatal step. He ran forward to try to grab him, knowing it was too late before he even tried. He and Scar skidded down the cliff side, rushing as safely to the bottom as they could manage when the messages appeared on their comms.
SolidarityGaming fell from a high place
Grian died
Tango reached Jimmy’s body and clung to it, sobbing into his chest.
He had done it. He saved them, at the cost of his own life. A hero in his own right.
And if Tango and Scar stayed there long after his body faded to nothing, that was no one's business but their own.
Months later, after the chaos of the games had ended, and a winner had been crowned, Jimmy was standing in the main shopping district waiting for Grian to come with him for a games night when Tango walked passed. As always, they exchanged a brief greeting when both felt a tug at their chests. Tango stopped and looked back at Jimmy, confused by the feeling of longing, before shaking his head and continuing to head to Scar's shop.
It must have been nothing, right?