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Yellow’s hands twitched around the edge of his pickaxe, excitement buzzing through his fingertips. He had finally found the time and the resources to make another rollercoaster coaster. He remembered making the first, the bends and dips, the surprising twists and drops- he spent hours working on the redstone behind it- just to make sure it was perfect and it was.
Except for the very end.
But other than that, perfect coaster.
He had been itching to make another one since, half-baked ideas circulating in his mind like moths around light for months- how to make it bigger, better. He saved and gathered- and maybe snuck a few things from the other’s chests- until he finally had enough. He loaded all of his resources into a few bundles and his pack then started for his scouted spot.
He nearly ran all the way there, excited energy packed behind every step. Once he reached his pillar, marked with torches, he started digging.
Digging was much easier than expected as it had rained earlier, the dirt was soft and was cleared away quickly. Yellow could feel his heart dancing with exhilaration as he plotted out the path in his mind, chipping away at the stone with calculated swings.
Yellow tended to lose himself in his work, he wouldn’t call himself a perfectionist- it did not matter if the others did- he just couldn’t get an idea out of his head once he had a plan. The plan had to be perfect so he could execute it as such. He spent hours shuffling around his room, testing and scribbling out blueprints, his handwriting switching between its normal chicken scratch and forced smooth lines in a vain attempt for him to be able to read his notes. That did not account for the fact that most of them were not coherent so the readable handwriting did next to nothing.
More times than not, Yellow found himself jolting up from his desk as the sun rose, the slipping inky spiral of his thoughts clearing just enough for him to realize he needed to go to bed, before stumbling into the fluffy red covers.
He dug himself a little pocket to settle his things before he officially started, a little area for him to scatter his unneeded resources without having to carry them.
His supplies settled down into a nook, iron, and sticks clattering and clanking together in his pack, he started digging again, carving deeper into the stone. This time, he wanted the paths and archways to have more shape, more interest. He settled on an arching pattern, giving the paths next to the rails more space that he could fill with decor to hide any of his sneaky redstone.
Digging out the archway took longer than he intended, the strain on his arms and neck had developed into an ache. Yellow ground his teeth together and kept going, trying to brush the pain off.
Once he broke through into a small tunnel, probably connected to a bigger cave, he let himself stop and stretch, rolling his wrists and shoulders. The ache had grown, twisting and jamming into his muscles but he managed to distract himself as he darted back up to the nook to gather his rails and redstone, excitement overpowering any pain. Carefully and concisely placing the tracks together, he reran his plan through his mind- the others said he had a tendency for ‘tunnel vision’ and possibly ‘rumination’ but he was more focused on getting this project done than thinking about those words.
His first coaster was truly fine, the only issue really being the ending. He needed to do something new, add something more. The others knew him well enough that he couldn’t just put his old tricks in and expect the same amount of surprise, he needed to up his game.
The clatter and clank of the rails became background noise for his tumbling thoughts, all whisking and whirling around his brain. He wasn’t paying attention, he didn’t notice the slight tremors from the ceiling as he reached the tunnel, didn’t notice the way the rails' rough iron squeaked and screeched.
He reached the base of the tunnel and stopped to glance up at his work so far, for just the basics it wasn’t half bad. Yellow lit a torch and placed it at the edge of the rail line, he could hear various groans echoing throughout the tunnel and would rather not risk an interruption.
He scoped out the tunnel, listening to a pair of shambling feet stumble closer and closer. His sword was in his nook, he only had a pickaxe, and shovel but he wasn’t worried. He whipped around, pickaxe tight in his grip, and slammed it into the zombie’s skull, pinning it against the wall.
It groaned and grumbled before falling limp and Yellow grinned, plucking his pickaxe out of the wall and twirling it between his fingers. Before he could realize, the walls were quaking, the pebbles at his feet rattling across the floor and something cracked.
A storm of rock and rubble thundered down and he was barely able to throw up his hands to shield himself before being hit. Sharp, heavy pain rocked his body as he fell and cracked against the stone and the weight of the world crashed down on top of him.
The earth pelted him with rubble, the stone quaking beneath him and the cave crying with rage, clattering rocks and screeching iron crescendoing loud enough that he swore his ears were going to bleed as he threw his arms over his head in a desperate attempt to protect himself. Stone tore at his shirt and skin as it continued to rain from above.
He didn’t know how long it lasted, how long it took for the dust to settle, how long it took for his ears to stop ringing but when he could finally peel open his eyes he could barely see, only the faint embers of a fallen torch flickered in the distance.
The weight on his back was suffocating, he tried to push himself up, foolishly hoping that he would be able to squirm out without any consequence.
Sharp burning pain shot through his leg like lightning, so strong it would’ve knocked him over if he weren’t already on the ground. He let out a strangled cry, blood trickling down to his leg, the stone roughing against his skin, gasping as the pain only flared.
He coughed, ribs rattling in his chest as he tried to prop himself up, “Hello-” He broke off into a coughing fit, dust-caked against his lungs, “Hello? Can- can anyone hear me?” He called feebly, desperately hoping that all the noise had managed to grab someone's attention.
He was met with cold silence, it seeped into his chest, swirling into panic.
Bloodied hands shot out and grasped onto the stone, he had to get out- he could handle a little pain- just get out and fix it- it wouldn’t be that hard. Against the pounding pain in his head, he wrenched himself forward-
And screamed .
Fire ripped up his leg- worse than before- hitting him like a wave, twisting and burning and he couldn’t get away. The cold stone burning against his chest fighting with the pain in his leg, he couldn’t get enough air to breathe through the pain, to fight against the cold. His chest heaved, trying to get through the impossible task.
Yellow gasped again, trying not to gag as his head pounded violently, his vision blurring against the gray, against the dust. His throat was dry as another dry cough was forced from his chest.
He couldn’t move, swallowing down the panic, swallowing down his thoughts, he forced himself to breathe. He would just have to wait, soon the pain would stop, soon someone would notice he was missing and come find him, and soon he would be out of there. It was fine, all he had to do was wait, and he was very patient.
.
It had been hours- it had to have been- and he couldn’t stop shaking. Panic gripped his chest like his ribs were its lifeline, blocking his throat as he tried to breathe. Nobody had come.
He almost tried to pull himself out again but flashes of stone thundering down, more weight pressing against his back, shrapnel piercing his body- he couldn’t do it.
Yellow screwed his eyes shut, trying to take deep breaths but his chest only shook with ragged air- he was going to die.
He could feel it, he knew- he knew- he was going to die, the pain in his chest, the tremors of the cave, the stabbing pain in his lower leg, the blood running down his leg- he was going to bleed to death.
He tried- he tried so hard- to think of something else- anything else. A way to escape, a way out, but came up short as his thoughts burned away. He tried to breathe again- thoughts shifting back to his friends, it had to be late by now- Orange was probably asleep and the others, well, it was different every night but someone had to notice he was missing. Red had probably already burst into his room at some point, scrounging and searching for something Yellow obviously wouldn’t have but Red would still check anyways because ‘Just in case!’.
Despite himself, he let a smile creep onto his face and he coughed, he could see the way Red’s lips curved, the playful flicker in his eyes. Other memories bubbled to the surface through his anxiety, curling around his shoulders, Orange hovering over him as he fiddled with redstone, asking question after question, automatically passing Yellow tools as he tried his best to explain. Orange would listen intently, his gaze sweeping across Yellow’s work, a mixture of awe and pride swelling in his eyes- he did always wear his feelings on his sleeve.
He thought back to Blue flinging dirt at him as he tried to show him an ‘automatic harvester that works much better than the last one- no really!’. Green racing up to him, well after midnight, with a new rhythm he had made with note blocks that Yellow needed to add to right that instant, and ‘It’ll only take 10 minutes!’, that slipped into the early hours of the morning.
It burned against the cold in his chest, someone would find him, he told himself. He never lied, he just needed to wait.
.
Yellow was never an optimist, he generally tried to be positive but it was waning. He couldn’t force back his fear, couldn’t not focus on the pulsing in his leg that had only grown worse with every hour. He had slipped in and out of consciousness but he knew it had been close to a day since he had left the house. It didn’t matter if the others were looking for him, they wouldn’t be able to find him- he was too far, too deep in the earth, wrapped in too much stone.
A mixture of panic and sorrow racked his sore body and he couldn’t stop the tears that burned behind his eyes.
“Hello?” His voice rough and scratchy, “Hello!”
His call echoed faintly into nothing. Desperation gripped him like a vice as he all but screamed, “Please!”
His face burned with shame, the pathetic feeling growing in his chest, making his leg ache even more but he couldn’t stop, he wanted to go home, “Red! Green, Orange! Blue! Come on! Someone, please!”
He held his breath, all of his hope teetering on the possibility of a faint sound. Yellow could feel his heartbeat in his throat, his muscles turning to lead. The silence was deafening, crushing, pressing the air out of his lungs.
Yellow let his head fall against the stone, and though he tried to fight it, hot tears burned down his face. He didn’t want to die, he wanted to go home, to see his family.
The day was bearing down on him, his chest tight and throat thick, the dust that caked his face and the blood dried to his hands was heavy, he could feel every part of it against his skin. He couldn’t breathe, his leg was throbbing, and he couldn’t stop his tears.
He screamed, so loud and so long that he thought his vocal cords would snap- he needed to get out- he had to get out- he needed someone to hear him. He screamed until he was positive his throat was as raw and bloodied as his hands and he couldn’t hold his head up anymore, letting it fall against the stone once again.
He couldn’t sleep- he couldn’t- he would just let his eyes rest while he listened and hoped.
It was cold and quiet.
.
Yellow was awake- sort of- his head was surrounded by fog, blocking any sound, any light. After a moment of fighting with himself, he managed to lift his head and brush away the fog, distantly, it sounded like someone was yelling.
His heart leaped into his throat as he strained to hear, it was faint yet Yellow could still hear the warmth of it, how the curve of his mouth dipped, the gleam in his eyes.
Red.
Red was calling for him.
His voice was shot, scratchy and raw but he still called out, “Red? Red are you there?”
Red yelled back, Yellow couldn’t understand a single word but he knew it was him. He reached out into nothing as rapid footsteps cracked against the stone, coming closer and closer, yelling for him.
He closed his eyes for just a second and when he opened them Red was there, skidding to a halt on his knees.
“Oh my god, oh my god, what happened?” Frantic, shaky hands hovering over him.
“Cave fell on me,” Yellow mumbled, “Can you believe that?”
Red’s hand gently came to cup Yellow’s face, slowly thumbing away dust, he shook his head, with a weak smile crossing his face.
“I’m so glad I found you.”
Yellow could only nod, leaning closer, the warmth in his touch was safe and soothing, his entire body holding the weight of the world.
Red’s eyes glistened as they darted between Yellow and the rubble, “Don’t worry, I’ll get you outta here.”
Red grabbed his arms and before Yellow could protest, yanked.
Fire shot up his leg, hot white pain flooded his eyes, his body, and he screamed- it was too much, the pain in his leg, the weight on his back, the touch on his cheek, the rapid heartbeat in his chest.
His ears were ringing, vaguely, he could hear Red panicking, frantically movements with shaky hands ghosting over him as he gasped, trying to catch his breath.
“Shit, shit, shit- I’m sorry, I’m so sorry- I-I didn’t realize and I thought- I thought I could-” Red was kneeling by him again, eyes fully taking in the stone and he paused. He swallowed and took Yellow’s hand, clutching it tightly between both of his.
“I’ll be right back.” His voice was hopeful and he started to pull away, panic shot through the pain, “I’m going to get the others-” Yellow’s hand darted out and grabbed Red’s like a lifeline.
“Please, please don’t go.” His eyes felt so heavy as he clung tighter to Red’s hand- he couldn’t be alone, not down here.
Red looked torn, his shoulders tense and tight as he froze like a deer in headlights, “I’ll be right back.” He promised, his voice breaking, “I- I can’t get you out myself-”
“Please, don’t go, please.” His vision blurred, everything sounded so loud yet so quiet, “I don’t want to die alone.” His face burned as he held on tighter. He didn’t care how pathetic he sounded, he was too tired to care- he just couldn’t be alone.
“Hey.” Red’s voice was strong and shaky at once, kneeling down again and clasping Yellow’s hand in both of his own, “You are not going to die, understand me?”
He could barely keep his eyes open, “Please don’t go.”
“Stay with me-” Red shook his hand lightly, growing more frantic as Yellow’s eyes slipped closed. Red was shaking him harder, panicked yells filled the cavern but fell on muffled ears. Part of him wanted to stay awake but he was so tired and this was enough for him. Someone was here, someone had found him- at least he wasn’t going to die alone.
.
Yellow couldn’t see, he could not even fathom the thought of opening his eyes but his curiosity won over his tiredness. The weight against his back was gone, the rough stone replaced by the softness of sheets, and the air was clean and fresh, not chalky, with a tint of honey.
Against the rest of his better judgment, he peeled his eyes open and was immediately greeted with a bright blinding light. He snapped his eyes closed, pressing them tightly together, someone shifted next to him.
“Sorry, sorry.” They spoke softly, a familiar rush of flowers and fire, “Are you awake?”
Blue .
Yellow slowly opened his eyes and the world was much softer, with Blue at his bedside, a hand gently resting over his, thumb stroking the back of his hand. His body felt like it had been replaced by the world's heaviest cotton as he tried to speak but Blue pressed a bottle of water into his palm and realizing his thirst, he took it gratefully.
He let his gaze wander as he sipped at the water, trying not to make himself sick. He quickly realized he was in Orange’s room, potted tulips carefully placed around the mantel of the fireplace, paintings plastered along the walls, his desk with his art supplies left askew, almost like he rushed away mid-project-
Oh .
In the corner, on chairs pulled in from the main room, Orange and Green were passed out, leaning on each other, soft snores slipping from their lips. He looked away guiltily, he didn’t mean to take Orange’s bed.
Blue took the empty bottle from his hands and set it on the desk side table, along with other empty and half-full bottles. The pinkish hues swirling with Blue’s special brand of care.
“Thank you.” He murmured, suddenly very aware of the sickly sweet and salty taste lingering on his tongue, “Oh,” He grimaced against the taste, “Regen.”
Blue rolled his eyes affectionately, “Yeah yeah, I wasn’t gonna let ya bleed out so don’t whine about it.”
Yellow tried his best to give him a pointed look, “I do not whine.”
Blue returned the look.
He glanced down at his lap, messing with the red covers between his fingers, “What…what happened?”
Blue sighed, “Well, we were all lookin’ for you when Red finally came running out and told us where you were. We all ran down there and between us were able to dig out enough of the rocks, to get in there and pull you out. You were pretty messed up.”
Yellow glanced at him, his leg was starting to ache again, “What do you mean?”
“Besides looking like you were put through a paper shredder, you had a jagged piece of iron lodged in your leg. You might be feeling a bit funny, I ended up using a lot of potions to get you stable.”
Yellow listened intently, gaze slowly shifting over to the others, asleep in the corner. Guilt gnawing at his fingertips.
“They were really worried about you.” Blue said softly, noticing his attention of the others, “We all were.”
“I’m sorry.” His face was hot, burning to his ears, and he rubbed at the bandages along his arms.
“What?” Blue looked taken aback, his eyes flashing with concern, “What are you talking about?”
“I…I didn’t want to worry you guys- I don’t want you to have to do this for me.” He vaguely gestured to the room with a flick of his hands, “I’ve kept you guys up, took over Orange’s room and a million other things-” Yellow fidgeted with the blanket, “I was just doing something stupid and then messed up everybody else-”
“He insisted.” Blue interrupted, “Orange insisted that we come in here since his room is on the ground level and so we wouldn’t risk hurting you more by tryin’ to get you up the stairs.”
Yellow opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t get any words to form. Blue leaned closer and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight.
“And as for the ‘stupid shit’, the only stupid thing you did was not have your communicator physically on you.”
His mind flickered to his communicator, tucked in the front pouch of his backpack, he grimaced as Blue continued.
“You didn’t make that shit fall on top of you, you didn’t intentionally hurt yourself- it isn’t your fault that shit happened.”
Yellow chewed the inside of his cheek, mulling it over in his head, his head still ached too much for him to get very far in his thoughts as they shifted to an easier topic.
“Where’s Red?”
Blue glanced at his potions, “He was nervous and tired, he hasn’t slept much so I told him to go rest.” He shrugged, “He probably didn’t, knowing him, he was-”
The door flung open so fast Yellow was surprised it didn’t crack against the wall as Red entered. Blue spun around to glare at him and Red only rolled his eyes, “Sorry, I lost track of time and wanted to check on-” His face lit up when he met eyes with Yellow, “You’re awake!”
He rushed over, hands shuffling nervously along the bedside, “How are you feeling? Do you need anything, water or another blanket or-”
“God,” Yellow leaned back into his pillow, his tone light, “You’re worse than Blue.”
Blue snorted as Red sputtered, “You scared the shit out of me! I wanted to make sure you’re alright!”
“I told you he was gonna be fine,” Blue said, “He just needed rest.”
“I wanted to be here for when he woke up!”
“So you could play 20 questions while he was barely conscious?” Blue leaned closer to Red, “And completely overwhelm him?”
“I wouldn’t have done that!” Red crossed his arms, “Besides, you were just looking for a reason to get me out of here.”
“I absolutely was.” Blue deadpanned, “You were driving me crazy with your pacing.”
“You would’ve been pacing too if I was taking the only bedside seat!”
“Oh shut up.”
“You know you would’ve!” Red shot back, “If anyone else was trying to heal him and you couldn’t do anything you would’ve been pacing nonstop.”
“And you were doing it, that's why I sent you out.” Blue said, his tone turned lighter, “It was your turn to go out anyways.”
“Huh?” Yellow knew it wasn’t just the headache that was making his head hurt now.
“It was my turn to get sent out,” Red echoed.
“I sent them out first.” Blue clarified, ducking his head towards Orange and Green as Yellow gave him a bewildered look, “Both of them were freaking out too much and trying to yank the iron out of your leg before I was ready so I made them both leave- Red was the main one helping me.” He elbowed Red lightly, “Until he wasn’t.”
Red shoved a hand against Blue's face and pushed him away, “I’ve about had it with his ass.” He said, Yellow laughed, as Red hauled Blue to his feet.
“Your turn, get out.” He herded him towards the door, “You haven’t slept either so you need to get out.”
“Stop trying to kick me out-”
“Doesn’t feel so good, does it?” Red said teasingly, “Anyways, night night buddy, go to sleep.” His voice turned sickly sweet. Blue rolled his eyes, the bags under them even more evident.
“Alright, come get me if he starts having any trouble-”
“Will do, night night.” Red waved as he closed the door then crossed the room and flopped into the chair. He rested his elbows on the bed and leaned close, he smelled like grass and sugar, “So, how are you feeling?”
“Tired.” Yellow answered truthfully, the dull throbbing in his leg was back and he shifted to try and get comfortable.
“Go to sleep then,” Red’s voice was soft and gentle as he let his hand rest on top of Yellow’s, “I won’t leave.”
Yellow’s chest tightened, his thoughts were scattered and he wanted to say a hundred different things, mostly along the lines of ‘I’m sorry.’ but couldn’t get the words out, they were lodged in his throat.
“Tell me about something?” He asked instead, “Anything?”
Surprise flashed across Red’s face, he nodded slowly, “Yeah-uh, yeah, hmmm.” Yellow smiled at the way his eyebrows crinkled as he thought.
“I’m only getting facts about pigs,” Red said finally and Yellow felt his chest warm.
“I want to know everything.”
Red grinned as he started, slowly getting lost in his rambling as Yellow let himself be lulled to sleep by the soft sound.
He was so glad he wasn’t alone.