Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"G-go after them... please... His fate is in your hands... please... find him..." And just like that, Player was thrust into the world as the unlikely hero-heroine(?) wielding a wooden sword and a god#### ball. They nearly resist the urge to scream, first they were witness to a kidnapping that sent them into the past and now this?!

If the admins at Roblox HQ themselves couldn’t solve the issue, HOW COULD THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?! They wouldn’t be able to do #### that’s what. Unfortunately, they were also filled with misplaced selflessness and a thirst for adventure, so they agreed.

And honestly, who would decline?

Even though they were never asked in the first place...

So, off to the meadows they went carrying responsibility and not much else in their inventory, actually... Player shuffled around their nearly empty messenger bag, muttering under their breath when they realized just how under prepared they were. Just their luck, they forgot to stock up on supplies before they went. That would've been a good idea–

"HEYYYYY!!!"

They swore they heard a noise and slowly peeked behind them, only to get barrelled into by a kid barely as tall as their torso.

[–5 HP]

"Oowie..." They went sprawling on the grass and Player felt their soul slowly leaving their body, feeling the pain and heavy weight on their abdomen.

Scratch saving the world, they don't think they'll last a day if absurd things like this keeps happening.

They had to slowly prop themselves up on their elbows. And sure enough, there lying on their chest, was a child with snow white hair, matching cape and a green shirt. He was very contently using them as a pillow, not even moving or anything.

"Kid... What the hell." They stopped themselves from shoving the infant off of them. That's morally wrong, dude.

"Ah! You're Player, right? My dad told me about you!" He stopped to get up mid-conversation and outstretched a hand, a not-so-innocent smile on his face. Player followed suit, taking the hand although he couldn't pull them up much. "You HAVE to let me come with!!"

Huh????

"You can't say no! I can fight! I can do... other stuff as well!" Player nearly choked on their words, they needed to save the world and now they're being forced to do the worst thing ever, babysitting. 

The kid was nearly beaming with excitement or well, something like that. Little did they know about just how maliciously annoying he would be.

"No. Absolutely not." The child froze for a second before he started pulling out the waterworks, sniffling and eyes starting to get glossy. Oh god no, they did not need to deal with a crying child on their hands. Although, it was obviously fake. "Who– who even are you, kid?"

"I'm 1x1x1x1..." Pft– Player fought against the urge to snicker and failed spectacularly. Suddenly, all the crocodile tears were gone and the kid was filled with the rage of a thousand suns. "WHATT?!"

"Wow, your dad sounds like he sucks, kid." Who would name their baby that? They tried to conjure up a picture of the guy, probably someone addicted to gamersupps. 

"You only say that cause you don't have a dad!"

They choked on their own spit, "####– Who taught you manners, HUH?"

"MY DAD DID!!" What a surprise, it was the father in this kid's life. If they were being hired as a babysitter, it was common courtesy to at least let them know first... Now they knew who he got it from. They already felt like an overworked worker.

Sweat dripped down from their temples, "Look, I can't just–" A loud stomping caught them off guard and they quickly turned around, hand already flying to their sword.

It was a helmet noob and a couple of winged ones as well, great...

"I GOT THIS!!" Before they could protest, the child pulled out a giant ####### sword the size of his ego. No wonder this kid was cocky, he had a weapon. What were his parents thinking?!

They stood frozen, mouth agape. He barely looked like he could hold the #### thing.

"You look really stupid right now." 1x —They could totally abbreviate it to that, right?— plainly stated before holding out his sword. "So? Are we gonna fight or not?!"

This will be a long day indeed.

Player heaved as they planted their feet and swiftly pulled the sword from the ground. They sighed inwardly, wondering how this kid even managed to get his weapon in the ground when the enemies were either taller than him or flying.

How the heck does someone deal with having children.

"C'mon, let's go already, SLOWPOKE." Their eye twitched at the voice coming from behind them. Just once, why can’t he be nice just this once? Because apparently, the little innocent kid thing was just an act, instead he was a little demon that wouldn't stop pestering them.

Suddenly, a light bulb lit up in their head as they stared at the black stained sword in their hands. Maybe they can mess with him a bit...

Little did they know how much of a bad idea this was.

"Y'know what?" They turned around to face 1x who had a bit of a scowl on his face. 

"If you're gonna be like that," Pausing for dramatic effect, they adjusted their grip and grinned. "I'm gonna keep your sword, kid." 

"SAY WHATT??!!" They nonchalantly lifted the blade above their head and he did exactly as they expect him to, jumping and trying to grab his sword back. Despite his small size, Player found themselves having to twist and turn to avoid the determined assault for his sword. When that didn’t work, 1x tried a barrage of punches, jabs, and grabs to physically wrench them down. “GIVE IT BACK!!”

[–1 HP] [–1 HP] [–1 HP]–

They tutted, pushing him away slightly. “Nuh-uh. You gotta learn your lesson first.”

“And you’re stealing MY sword!” The hits grew slightly weaker as he realized that it was ineffective. “I could get you banned!” They raised an eyebrow at that, giving him a rather unimpressed look. "I'm being serious! I know THE Builderman, y'know?!"

"Sure you do, kid."

They extracted themselves from the attack and quickly slipped the other sword halfway into their bag. 1x fumed and tried raising their first again but was quickly shut down by Player. Ouch, they were low enough as it is, thank you. 

Wait a minute... If they have his sword and he can't just leave without it... then he's going to have to come with them. They bit their lip, finally realizing the hole they just dug themselves into. And they decided to dig their grave while they're at it. They were not about to tell this smug kid that they ####ed up and now have to give back the sword that they already took.

And so the game of chicken started.

"So..." He followed along as they started moving, looking from the side with a devilish grin on his face. "Does this mean–"

"Not. A. Word."

And that's how Player found themselves in an unlikely adventure with 1x1x1x1, a kid who unbeknownst to them is actually Shedletsky's son. How long will it take for them to find out this crucial information? A while. How long will it take for them driven insane? Probably not that long.

Chapter Text

"DUDE." Once again, Player was interrupted this time by a semi-familiar blue penguin by the name of Terry. They spun around, being greeted by his adorably angry face. "Did you REALLY leave all this CRAP in my room???? What the heck is wrong with you bruh."

Since when did they leave anything back there?? They just woke up there after time travelling, god####it! 

They put their hands up, trying to appease him. "Hey now, I-"

"First you take my bed, now you're being a slob too???? Take this stupid thing back already." The strange card –which they've never seen before– was nearly thrust into their hands by his flippers, a grumble leaving his mouth? beak?? Wow, thanks for the confusion, Terry. "U know how CARDs work, right??"

“Who DOESN’T know how CARDs work?” 1x chose this exact time to pop in and state his unwarranted opinion. “You’ve gotta be an idiot to not know that.”

Terry grumbled, “Who’s this punk?”

“I'm 1x1x1x1! And I’m coming with Player to get the SFOTH swords!” The kid said proudly, puffing out his chest slightly in a way that reminded them of birds puffing up when they get cold. It was kinda cute if it wasn’t embarrassing as all ####.

“I don’t care bruh. I'm keeping an eye on you as well.” The penguin then regarded Player. “If you have any questions, just ask him.”

Just as quickly as he came, Terry was gone, leaving them alone to contemplate their life choices. And especially more now that they have a kid following their every step.

"Who even is that anyway?" 1x whispered conspiratorially once he was out of earshot.

"Just... Someone I know. Don't worry bout it."

Player sliced through the next enemy and stepped back, surprised when they ran away faster than they expected. A soft object collided with the back of their head and bounced off rather harmlessly. They almost instinctively slashed at whatever was behind them until they noticed it was actually a burger. Tracing the path of the object, they managed to connect it to 1x's outstretched hand.

He had been standing off to the side the entire time, just generally being useless. They were really starting to consider giving him back his #### sword if it meant he would do something other than be a nuisance. But still, did the kid really try to toss it to them mid-fight?

That thing was probably soggier than a fictional square sponge who lived under the sea...

"What? I said I could do other things as well." He looked so proud of himself, picking up the foodstuff and giving it back to them. This kid...

They sighed but quickly took notice of their health and tore into the cheezburger.

[+5 HP]

Phew... much better. 

Now that they weren't actively worrying about their life, it was a quick job. A slash there, a ball throw here and a couple of near misses. They were starting to get into a nice rhythm, that was until there was another shout.

"Hey, watch out-!" That somehow did the exact opposite of what was intended, since Player whipped their head around to face the source of the sound. The enemy took advantage of the distraction and gave them the worse headache of their life.

[–2 HP]

Ow. Despite their dizziness, they could make out the kid staring with a look in his eyes, completely judgmental. "idiot..."

"What. The. F-Hell?!" They rubbed their head, thankful that they didn't feel a bump there. Maybe if 1x got off his ### and actually started to do something... THEN he could judge them, y'know? "At least I'm doing something-" He turned his back on them, "Why you little..."

Deep breaths, Player. Don't throttle the annoying child just because they were being a little crap. 

They pointedly ignored any of his shenanigans until the last enemy dispersed, letting them have some breathing room. Which they used to put the kid into a well deserved head lock and giving him a noogie, grinding their knuckles on his head. It was worth it to see him try to break out.

"OW! HEY! QUIT–" 1x trashed around, accidentally catching his fist on their back. They decided to just give him a soft slap on the back for that and call it a day, breaking the head lock. It was high time they made their way out of the meadows anyway, this should be the last area–

Why did the kid have wings?

They blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out if they were just seeing things. No, it was real alright, poking out of his cape were some small wings with white feathers. And oh, was he angry about it.

"Stop staringg!!!" He pulled them back and seemingly shrunk, clawing at the feathers on his head, face completely red. It was pretty funny seeing him try and fail to hide them. Was he embarrassed? "I know they're not big yet- It's just- UGH!!"

Again, they failed to contain their laughter. "Pftt..."

"DON'T LAUGH!" 

"No- sorry. I'm just... Why are you embarrassed because of that?" Eh, was that the best thing to say? Maybe not. But they've also never met any winged Robloxians before. Actually... scratch that, did the enemies count?? 

It seemed like their question made 1x stop dead in his tracks and actually think. Then finally he settled with, "They've just been like that for a while is all..." 

Player hummed in place of an answer. The shock must be getting to them, they don't even remember why they were angry in the first place. That was a dangerous ability, they should probably keep that one to themselves before 1x found out and used it to his advantage. 

Once Player found a healing pad, they quickly rearranged their items and sorted through their deck. These cards are getting to be much, how were they supposed to know which ones to equip? Luckily, 1x was there to help out, even though he insisted on using all attack cards because "they were so much better than the stupid defense ones". He also whined about his stolen sword again, as usual.

Finally, after some back and forth, they were ready. And... that's when someone managed to get in their way again.

"hold it right there, punk!" A man wearing a wrestling mask, jumped off from the high hills and straight onto their path. They would be impressed if it weren't for the fact they saw two very familiar faces- the ones who beat up Shedletsky. "so... this the dummy who gave you trouble, huh?"

Their mouth fell into a frown. Player? They were the ones giving them trouble? Okay, sure.

"WAHAHAHA!! You thought you could defeat US?" The red one laughed, all confident.

Followed quickly by his less sure companion, "Y-Yeah! You're in for it now! RED and BLUE, staying true!!"

"ˣsighˣ, anyways, looks like i'm taking you to pound town, kid." He cracked his knuckles and Player responded by pulling out their sword, before they noticed 1x trying to gain their attention. 

"What???" They whispered to him as discreetly as they could while the other kids finished their monologue. 1x pointed to his sword and they made a split second decision in finally handing the custody of it back, his eyes were practically glowing when he got it. They warned, "Just don't fight too roughly."

"Yes, sir ma'am." He saluted lazily.

...

One fight later and Player could admit that they regretted that decision. Well, at the very least it was an easy battle. The kids quickly ran away again, looney-toons style while Noobador just laid down in the dirt and all.

"That was..." 

"Fun?" 1x supplied, stretching out and doing quick tricks with his sword. His hair and feathers were all tousled up from the clash, sticking up in some parts.

"Exhausting..." They slumped against their sword, finding that the sky was already starting to turn dark. The clouds danced with red and orange patterns, mocking them from afar. Both of them looked like a mess. Where were they gonna find a place to sleep out here? 

Well, they saw a watermill house in the distance, maybe they could give them directions to the nearest place. Right, stay positive.  

The two of them made their way over to the man standing outside, talking to him proved a bit of a issue though since he wouldn't stop talking long enough for them to get a word in. Jabroingle, which they have to admit is an ### name, actually what's with these people and having weird names? This was starting to get ridiculous.

"My name's not that weird, right?" 1x whispered, hopefully not loud enough for the man to hear.

"...I even heard Roadtown got a ton of snow last night! Maybe you should head over a check it out?" Finally, something useful for once.

"Do you know how to get there?" They asked politely, trying to keep the conversation brief since it was still getting late.

"It would take ages to get there by foot... ...but I know a shortcut! If you go through the cave on your right, it's faster!" The cave in question was a rather dark, rather big part of the mountain. And they were supposed to get through there by nightfall.

With that social interaction done, they made their way towards the area where he pointed but not before dragging 1x along with them so that he doesn't get lost. And he had to make that hard as well.

"I don't want to go through thereee!"

"C'mon, it shouldn't be that bad." Right? ...Right?

Chapter Text

Player was at the end of their ropes.

"AAAAAAAAAA!!! THEY'RE AFTER ME! PLAYER HELPPP!!!" 1x was currently clinging onto one of the ladders within an inch of his life, all while a very angry swarm of ants was starting to crowd at the bottom. Player sighed, wondering if they should just leave the kid here.

It would be sooo.. easy.

And they definitely did not contemplate doing that multiple times and never followed up with it nooo... what are you talking about?

Hacking and slashing at the creepy crawlies proved to be much harder when they came at Player four at a time. They swore they blew a fuse at the third time this happened to them or maybe a blood vessels but who's keeping track? This cave was more confusing than the entire meadows.

Too many entrances and exits and...

[–1 HP]

####### ants.

"PLAYER!! DON'T JUST STAND THERE!!! HELP ME OUT!" Player gave him a stink eye before realizing just how bad of an idea that was when the other ants started biting them. They managed to dodge most of the blows, coming free with only a few minor itchy wounds.

"Would you help ME out already?!" Pulling out yet another card and watching it disintegrate in front of their eyes, they hoped their SP would hold out enough.

[–2 SP]

"Give- Gimme a second! Geez!" A few seconds of hesitation followed before 1x kicked off the ladder, making a cloud of dirt get dispersed next to them when he landed.

"Thanks, finally decided to be useful for once?"

1x scoffed, brandishing his sword in a way that felt more theatrical than practical. "I've BEEN useful! Unlike someone I know..." 

"Hardly, kid. Hardly." Player rolled their eyes and continued to stab at the critters until all of them stopped moving or ran away. The adrenaline quickly wore off, making the itchy red bumps on their skin that much worse.

1x took off his slip-on for a second, checking for any stowaways before putting it back on and then jumping as if he was burned. "UGHH, I think they were in my shoes!"

"Y'know what?" This time Player actually had an idea, something born out of exhaustion or by how fed up they were with babysitting this kid, they weren't sure. But it was... something, probably frustration. "I'm tired of this ####. If you want to keep this up, you can just find someone else to pester."

His expression flashed with fearful eyes for a moment before being replaced with his usual smug look. They almost felt bad for a second, key word almost.

"I- FINE THEN! I'm gonna go and get the swords myself!" He threw his head to the side and walked off to God knows where. They weren't actually expecting him to go through with it. That and maybe the little voice inside their head was screaming at them that this was a bad idea.

It did feel nice to explore around this time, much quieter. At the very least, Player could organize their mind and actually start to make their way around. The silence felt off after a while, so far on their quest even a quiet moment was hard to come by and now...

They were just alone with only their thoughts as company.

But of course, things couldn't be that easy and their first headache was quickly replaced with another one.

"Stupid tiny fins... do I have that card already?" Terry whirled around once he noticed Player, giving them a taste of his usual catchphrase. "I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

"It's just me, man..."

"Oh. Oh... I thought you were another ANT ARMY..." Without an apology or anything, he looked back towards the edge which they've noticed has a card on the other side. He muttered under his breath, "I HATE those things..."

Relatable but there were more pressing issues. "What're you doing?"

"..."what am i doing?" Bruh. See that card over there?" Unprompted, Terry started to rant about it and then proceed to push them to the edge when he noticed they have a ball that was "bouncy enough to get the card". Which first of all, it wasn't like it was sticky, how the heck would that work–

They stared at the card in their hands, proven wrong once again.

"How the-"

"Duuuude... I already had that oneeeee.... ..Multiple copies actually. Whatever man, you can keep it." The card was quickly shuffled into their deck, along with all the other ones in their bag. That was when Terry noticed something. "Hey.. Where's that little punk??" They looked around for a second as if there were anyone else other than the two in the vicinity and then looked back at him. "I meant the white one with the green shirt."

Oh. Now that they thought about it, admitting they left the kid in this cave was probably a not good idea.

"It's.. I might've left him by himself-" Player coughed it out as fast as they could but they could tell they messed up by the blue penguin's reaction.

"DUDE." He somehow looked angrier than before and they had the distinct impression that they were gonna die tonight. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!!"

"He'll be fineee..." Probably.

"You seriously messed up bruh." Terry yanked on their bandanna with his flipper, bringing them down to eye-level as he spoke. And then started dragging them along with him. "You're coming to find him with me."

"Wha- HEY!" They tried to jerk out of his grasp only to find it holding strong.

The entire reason why Player was doing this in the first place was because they didn't want to deal with him! If it means being a bit of a jerk, then so be it!

It wasn't like he was gonna die. But... Well, they did kinda feel bad.

REALLY bad.

Hopefully 1x was okay.

The two of them ended up in a rather strange part of the cave, covered entirely by ice. It almost blinded them at first, finally seeing something light after what felt like hours in darkness. 

...And here Player was traversing a secret pathway in the thinnest part of the cave...

Just because Terry said he might've heard something and then ditched them completely afterwards to deal with their own mess. They're not getting paid enough for this, they're not getting paid AT ALL actually. The adrenaline was probably the only thing keeping them going at this point.

But still, it WAS a secret area... They would've never found this place without that. It should be no surprise that they loved to explore as much as the next adventurer.

"...It's kinda weird, huh?.." A sniffle reached their ear, something that put them on edge immediately. It was clear as day, echoing around the cave walls, that kid's voice. "I think dad was right.."

Player grew quiet, trying to hear more while shuffling forward. Who was he talking to?

"I'm not ready for this stupid stuff." Their question was answered when 1x's form appeared in their sight, sitting down and resting his head on his knees. A few tears clung to his eyelashes, giving them the impression that he was crying and... talking to some red ants?

"There, there, little guy.." And the ants were actually talking back. They rubbed their eyes, making sure they were not, in fact, losing it.

He threw his head back, groaning. "This suckss..."

Player stared for a second longer before steeling themselves. Something made them feel uneasy, they did just sorta abandon him and now they're coming to fetch him back. Well, here goes nothing.

"Hey, 1x-"

"AAAAAA!!! WHAT WAS THAT?!" He jumped back, arms held defensively in front of him. Imagine his surprise when it was Player instead of an enemy. "What the- What are you doing here?!"

"I... I just wanted to-" They scratched the back of their head, not quite being able to force out the words. "...Sorry for leaving you alone."

There was a moment of expectant pause when 1x was still processing the words that came out of their mouth, eyes wide. If Player didn't feel like an ###hole earlier, they sure do now. It was something in the moment and they couldn't believe that they just–

"Haha-!" The kid actually started laughing and suddenly they weren't sure where to put their hands. He rubbed at his eyes before getting up from his spot on the ground, embarrassment clinging to his features. "You- you better be sorry! You're a jerk..!" His hand jabbed at their arm, probably as payback for what they did. "...And you STILL look like an idiot!"

Player stayed silent while 1x faltered.

"Just... don't leave me alone, please." He dug his nails into his arm, leaving crescent shapes where he pressed.

"I- Let's just get out of here, okay?

Player had a lot of things to say but in the end, they swallowed down the words and left it for later. A habit they would probably need to learn to break soon.

"Y O U . YOU D A R E DISRESPECT THE SUPREME ANT?"  Player wanted to sleep, not have to deal with a boss fight.

"Do we have to fight her..?" 1x groaned and brandished his sword which was somehow glowing a green colour.

This was their first proper fight together after uh... all the other ones. Unfortunately, the kid didn't have any cards of his own so most of the time he just stood off to the side dealing damage. Player slipped their hand in their deck and pulled out the fireball card.

[-2 SP]

"You're nothing compared to me!!" If she wasn't angry before, she was really on fire now. Haha-

[-2 HP]

"Oof-!" They might've spoke too soon, it was high time they locked in.

In the midst of fighting, they noticed something. Even while he attacked the enemy, 1x never got targeted himself. They were entirely focused on Player, which would be fine in theory but in practice it just meant they had only one turn to themselves before the enemies started attacking. 

"Why aren't they attacking you..?" Player muttered under their breath.

1x suddenly threw his sword at the enemy, frustration coloring his face. "####, DIE ALREADY!" 

Much to everyone's surprise, the Supreme Ant exploded into a million pieces after the blade pierced her head. 1x and Player stood there, unsure whether to continue or not.

"I didn't mean to make her ACTUALLY die..."

Chapter Text

"Snow..." A snowflake landed on their hand, breaths starting to come in visible little wisps. The little white specks seemingly appeared from the black void of the sky. Finally, they were out of that wretched cave.

And it was really snowing.

"Oh, hey there! You look...new!" A stranger came closer to them, his expression wavering for a second when he got a look at them. They must've looked terrible. "And... dishevelled."

"What gave it away?" Player said, a laugh in their voice. They looked towards 1x, only to find him already half-asleep and using them as a crutch.

"Sorry! I just wanted to welcome you but... It is kinda late." He gave them a smile before gesturing for them to follow him which Player was ever grateful for. "I'll show you to Ye Olde Inn, the best and only inn in Roadtown! Oh, watch out for the ice though!"

They tugged the kid along, making sure he doesn't slip on the icy road. "...Hey, weird question but have you heard anything about the ~{[|S|W|O|R|D|]}~?"

"Hmm... I think I might've heard a couple of rumors. Ah, right! Like the one saying the snow clouds came out of BLACKROCK CASTLE, or that the ICE DAGGER was stolen by the king! Crazy, right??" The Inn was now right in front of them, it was hard to miss with the big sign in front of it. However, Player had some unfinished business.

"Righttt... I'm actually here to deal with that." The man standing in front of them looked like his eyeballs were gonna pop out of his head.

"Seriously, dude??? That's wild... I'm glad you're on the case though!" A few extra directions to go talk to the Mayor later... And Player was finally free from this conversation.

The quiet snoring that 1x was making was the only noise that filled the lobby when they went in, Player was half sure that the entire town was probably asleep at this point. They still talked in a low voice, trying to not wake the sleeping kid. Eventually after a bit of hassle, they managed to get a key and settled into the room, putting 1x on the only bed. Which left them with a new problem, where the heck were they supposed to sleep?

They should've packed a sleeping bag or something...

That's minus one for preparation.

Whatever, they'll deal with the back problems and possible contamination later. 

Player moved on auto-pilot, tossing their hat and bag on the ground to at least make it somewhat comfortable. If it wasn't so cold, they would've ditched their jacket too. But right now, all they needed was rest.

They tried to ignore how uncomfortable it was, they really did. But with just how cold and hard the floor was, it was a losing battle. They lamented over the fact they didn't bring a sleeping bag to sleep in. Once it was day out, they promised they were gonna try to get some gear fit for mountain trudging.

There was quiet shuffling near to their side before a whisper brought them out of their restless sleep. “Player… You awake?”

"Well, I am now..." Not that they were getting much anyway. "What do you want, kid..?"

They opened their eyes a crack, seeing 1x's bundled up form on the bed. In the dim light, they could barely make out his eyes practically glowing in the darkness. Maybe if they were more awake, they would've entertained him but right now they needed sleep. Player tossed over to the other side, ignoring his protests.

"HEY! C'mon, I'm being serious this time!" The sound of feet hitting the floor urged them enough to raise their head as 1x crouched down near their head, whisper-screaming into an ear. "Geez..! Don't ignore me! 'Cause I'm not gonna say this twice!"

After that bold declaration, the kid seemed to have lost his nerve. His hands fidgeted with the end of his cape, uncharacteristic nervousness on his face. It was somehow making the silence louder with each passing second. "...I wanna say sorry."  

Player nearly choked on their own saliva, eyes growing wide. This kid... was saying sorry?! How? What?

Did they accidentally bring back the wrong kid from that cave?! 

"DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!! What's wrong with me saying sorry?!"

"Nothing, nothing..! You sure you didn't hit your head?" Player jokingly teased right after they propped themselves up from the ground. It was still a bit weird between them or maybe that was just in their head but it was reallyy awkward.

He pouted, wings batting at the air aggressively. "...Nevermind, you're still a jerk! I'm taking back my apology AND I still don't forgive you!"

In a quick flash, their mind recalled the words he said back in the cave, he seemed so... scared. They still felt the slightest bit of guilt. That kid... He was really annoying but also starting to grow on them, just a bit. After this, they should really find this kid's parents and give him back. And also ask for child support... or for emotional damages that could work as well.

"Yeah... Yeah. I know, squirt." Their hand reached up and patted the top of 1x's head which he immediately recoiled from, sticking his tongue out. 

"GROSS!!!" He shook his head as if that would get rid of their germs or something but stopped once he finally got his bearings back. "You're gross!"

They slowly wiped their eyes, chuckling at his reaction. The way his cheeks flushed as if he was caught with his hand half-way into the cookie jar. "...Let's get some hot chocolate, whaddya say?" 

"Fine... I guess. Since you're THAT bad at apologizing." There's the snark, not that they weren't expecting it. They sighed and tried to deal with it as silently as they could. There wasn't anything they could do about it anyway, so down they both went to get some warm drinks.

"Woah!! Oh, sorry darlin' I just wasn't expecting any faces so early" The lady at the Inn's cafeteria –Barley– was slightly spooked by their presence but quickly composed herself and gave them a warm smile. Player relaxed somewhat, thankful for her cheerful attitude. "What can I get for ya honey"

Pretending they didn't hear the part about being early, it couldn't possibly be that it was already morning right??? Player continued on their quest to get some hot chocolate, opening their wallet and sighing at the lack of TIX that was in it.

"Uhh.. Could I get some hot cocoa? Just two for me and him." They jammed a thumb somewhere behind them.

"Aw aren't ya two sweet together" She smiled at them again before picking up two cups, gesturing to the open seats. "Your order's comin' right up, go and take a seat I'm sure ya need it"

A thanks was muttered and they made their way to the long tables, 1x trailing behind them. It was time to rest and recoup Player's lost sanity however there was immediately a problem. The kid's hair looked like a ####### bird's nest with how messy it was, absolutely knotted together and frizzy.

There was no way they were letting him go around like THAT, even if it was technically their fault since they forgot to take off his hair tie before sleeping.

“Could you turn to your left?” 1x regarded them with a suspicious look and squinted his eyes. This kid… “I’m trying to fix your hair, not choke you when you’re not looking or something!”

“I don't wanna! It looks fine.” Player stared at him, completely dead-pan. The urge to actually choke him was there, this kid was going to be the end of them. Did he also lose his sight or something in that cave?

"Get over here already."

Thankfully, he listened this time, sitting sideways on the bench. Player sure as #### didn't bring a hair brush but dang if they're not going to try to fix this. Their hands worked slowly, combing out the mess and debris that somehow made it into his hair. Although, remembering all the cave hijinks that they got into, it made a little bit of sense.

"Don't move!" They tried to loosen his hair, only to lose their grip when he squirmed.

"But it hurtss! OW!" He batted their hand away, "You're pulling out my hair!! How BAD are you at doing this?!"

"I'm not trying to but YOU just keep-!" Their "productive conversation" was interrupted by Barley setting down the cups of hot chocolate, 1x mumbled a begrudging thanks after she ruffled his hair a bit.

"Ya need help over here" She questioned, smoothing down some of the hair strands that were astray. They wanted to say no, that they were doing just fine here on their own but truth be told, they were just tired and needed this to be done already. So, they swallowed down their pride and nodded their head silently. "Seems like you're havin' trouble"

This time 1x stayed still, although out of pettiness or just plain embarrassment, they didn't know. Barley made quick work of his hair despite having no tools to work with, putting it in the simple hair-do that they were trying to make. Meanwhile, Player stared openly or took sips out of their mug, still half-awake now that the exhaustion was kicking in. They were drained to the bone. Surely, it would be okay if they got some sleep after this...

"Aaand done"

1x felt around for a bit before sighing, "...It's not half bad, I guess. Thanks, miss." But she didn't miss the way 1x beamed.

"Oh I didn't do much Ya should thank them for getting those tangles out yer hair" Barley turned, surprise coloring her face when it was to a very fast asleep Player. With the way they were sleeping, it almost made 1x think twice. "Oop must've fallen asleep"

1x coughed, muttering out his appreciation to no one in particular. "Thankss... Player..."

Chapter Text

"Oh there's somethin here" Barley picked up a stray feather but not just any feather. This one wasn't white like the ones that 1x had, it was a nice ombre from brown to light cream. He flushed, immediately recognizing the object and patting down his hair. Only for his embarrassment to go nuclear when it wasn't there.

Wait, what the f-

"That's– J-just give it here!" 1x held out his hand, demanding tone in his voice despite the hesitation.

How did it even fall out?

The woman laughed before putting the delicate thing in his hand and he wasted no time in placing it where it belongs. The feather was moved to stick out of his ponytail. After shaking his head a few times, 1x deemed it satisfactory.

Now, to wait until Player woke up. 

"This is gonna take so longg..."

After a much needed nap, Player finally felt full of energy and ready to continue their adventure. It turned out that when they weren't busy with their own thoughts, they noticed certain things that didn't seem important at first.

Like how much it hurt to exist currently.

Very sloowly, they managed to drag themselves off of the table. ####, the hits they took yesterday were catching up to them.

"Hoho, it's been a bit since I last saw you in Roadtown, kiddo!" The sound managed to catch their attention to an old graying man with a rather impressive beard sitting next to 1x in the corner of the room. It immediately set off alarms in Player's head. Please don't tell them they were going to have to deal with him getting kidnapped...

"Hah, I'm not a kid anymore!" Was the stranger danger in the room with them right now? Why was he talking to this guy?! And what the hell is up with his beard?!

"Ah, everyone's young at heart..! Even I'm still bustlin' with energy for adventure!" The stranger put a hand to his chest, seemingly caught up in his own words. Player very subtly –that is to say not subtly at all– got closer to them to try and hear the conversation. "Your dad would agree!"

"Uncle said I'm not supposed to listen to anything dad said..." The man let out a deep rumbling chuckle before Player crept behind him.

"*Ahem*" 

"[ ! ] WHuzzu?!" He jolted in his seat, nearly tumbling into the table that the two were speaking around. "Oh! My goodness, you almost made me give ya a good smack 'cross the face!" 

"Uh.. sorry... Sir?" Player awkwardly shifted in their spot. Upon closer inspection and introspection, it didn't seem like he was a threat at all. 

The room was quiet for a second as the old man squinted at their face as if it was a puzzle that was severely bent out of shape and unrecognizable. 1x barely gave them a glance before turning around, dragging his chair in a deliberately loud way and making the darn thing scrape the floor.

Scrape...

Scrapeee....

SCRAPE.....

Thankfully, after a few more moments of staring and chair screeching, it was like a metaphorically lightbulb turned on in the man's head.

"Ah, right.. Your name was Player, wasn't it? The name's Monty, the mayor of Roadtown!" So, this was the dude that Player had to visit? He looked like he was a foot into the grave-! "I heard you were needin' one of those ADVENTURER'S I.D.s."

Okay, maybe he was more credible than they thought.

"Yeah, Shedletsky sent me." Player said before 1x cut them off, nearly slapping them in the face.

"Seriously? You forgot about me!" 

"Yeah yeah, whatever makes you happy..." Annoyingly, he stuck his tongue out again. But just at the right place so he doesn't get seen by the other man.

"Ah, to be young again... You know... I was an adventurer too! Of course then, I had'ta go breakin' my leg that one time... Even broke mah funny bone on th' way down!" A deep chuckle rumbled from the man's chest, quiet the opposite from Player's blank gaze and 1x's snort. Dad jokes were rather universal, it seems.

They still thought that it was #### though.

"Ah, I shouldn't talk 'bout that no more, my wife would scold me for scarin' the newbies." Monty righted himself on his chair before taking a good look at them both. "But the BLACKROCK MOUNTAINS are no laughing matter... You're goin' to need better gear to brave those heights, that's for sure!"

"I could lend you some of my old winter gear." That wasn't as helpful as Player was expecting, they were much more concerned about the kid- "Got some smaller ones for the lil' one too! They used to be Jim's..."

The mayor seemed to pause at that as if he had remembered something important, his smile became more tight-lipped. "...Actually, I'll make you a deal, kiddo."

Oh?

"I'm listening." They were not in fact, listening. Despite being the one who had to accept, Player wasn't actually paying much attention. It was easier to tune it out. The mayor had continued to talk about this Jim guy, something about him being missing. 

"Bruh." 1x was slightly more helpful, whispering just loud enough to wake up the man.

"WHuzzu?!" Mayor Monty finally regained his sense, slowly stroking his beard. "Oh... This old nut dozed off again, huh? That's just what happens nowadays, heheh! Anyhoo, where was I, young chap?"

"Uh..." 1x looked towards the ceiling, trying to recall. "Jim went missing or something after he went to BLACKROCK MOUNTAIN?"

"Right, Jim.. I'm worried 'bout him, he's not the type to put himself in harm's way.... So, here's my offer, I give you an ADVENTURER'S I.D and you check on him?"

"Really?" It was that easy?

"Really! On my honor!" Monty patted his chest like there was a badge of honor there.

...The offer was tempting. 1x spoke first, "Yeah! We can find him, no worries!"

"Hey! Where the #### did that 'we' come from?!"

And that's how Player got stuck buying supplies in a rather uncomfortable coat. It was surprisingly warm and snug, with how fit Mayor Monty was they were expecting him to be a lot bigger than they were. 1x also fit in the smaller clothes provided, granted it was baggy and made him look like a penguin.

This time, they left specific instructions for 1x. 

"Don't go into any weird places and I'll let you explore around the town."

Easy, right?

Apparently not because right now, he was no where to be found. Just when Player was ready to go as well, everything stored away in their messenger bag.

"Frick, don't be dead- don't be dead- don't be dead-" Player muttered as they looked through every nook and cranny in the place. You would think that for a kid who loved screaming, running, and picking fights, 1x would be a whole lot easier to find. Was it because of the snow? Maybe. He was the same color-

"HEY! GET OUT OF THE WAYYY!" That's-!

Player managed to grab him by the hood this time, holding him up like a wet cat. "Where the #### have you-"

Surprisingly, what interrupted them this time was a penguin waddling closer and squawking at... 1x? He scrambled upwards to get away from the bird, yanking at their hair for grip which HURT–

[-1 HP]

"OW! WHY ARE YOU-!?" 

"The stupid bird wants to kill me!" His wings pressed closer to his body as if he was threatened by this very fluffy looking penguin. "SCREW OFF!"

Player gaped, "Wha- It's an animal!"

"He tried to swing his sword on me!" The penguin huffed. It was pure luck that they somehow understood this bird and that they weren't opposed to letting kids taste the consequences of their actions. 

They let go, letting the bird peck 1x while he tried to kick it away.

"####! PLAYER, I'M GONNA GET YOU FOR THAT!!!"

They were finally out of Roadtown now and in the pleasantly cold atmosphere of the plains, the sun was still shining so it wasn't unbearable. Player watched the woods around them before landing onto 1x's crouched form.

"What the hell are you doing, kid?"

He sighed dramatically in return, packing more snow in between his gloves. "What does it look like I'm doing?" 

"I don't know–" Their next words were cut off by a snowball to the face, accidentally making them swallow some of it. It was surprisingly wet. They choked, "Why you LITTLE..."

1x giggled before running away to make more snowballs, Player grabbed a fistful before throwing and missing completely. More snowballs got thrown between them and it got a bit out of hand. 1x had the speed advantage but Player had longer range. They managed to construct a whole snowfort without getting interrupted.

"Get down from there, you coward!" 1x pointed at them accusingly from the ground, wings spreading out as if it was going to let him fly. "When I get my flight feathers, I'm gonna pelt you from the sky! We'll see who's laughing then!"

"Pft– sure, kid." They nearly panicked when someone from Roadtown ran into the area, seeing a full grown adult and a kid running around playing with snow. Player swore they were judging them, "Hey, mind your own business!"

1x snorted.

What a little punk.

Chapter Text

"Here, before you go, I managed to scrounge up something for you." The guard by the border threw a scroll of paper to them which Player easily caught in their hand. "It's a map of the area. Stay safe, adventurers!"

Huh, that's strangely useful.

Maybe a little too good to be true when thinking of everything that's gone wrong already.

"Alright then..." They were mindful of 1x's height and crouched down before opening the string tying it together. Somehow, it felt as if the map was mocking them. There was no way...

"This... IT JUST SAYS GOOD LUCK ON THIS SIDE?!?"

"Stay back, you little PEST–" Player swung their sword, catching the white fox by surprise and finally watching it skitter away. First thoughts of Blackrock Mountain? There were way too many animals.

1x squeaked when it ran past him, "Hah... I feel like my legs are gonna DIE!" 

"C'mon kid, we're not even half-way up the mountain yet! I thought you said you were good at everything?" The smack they got in their back told them that the kid didn't like that cheeky remark very much. Player stretched their arms out, trying to warm them up. "We're gonna have to go fast if we wanna get there before sundown."

"This is child labor!" He huffed and then tried to kick them in the shins.

"Says the one who wanted to come along!"

They both froze in the little argument when they heard a loud roar coming from the cave on their left, one distinctly like a bear's. ####, they did not think this through. Player immediately scooped the kid up and ran the heck out of dodge, hoisting him over their shoulder. There were a few complaints sent their way but they couldn't care less right now.

Player blew past the drawbridge that they already flipped the switch of, the wind whipping in their face before they reached the next area. The sight before them made them freeze.

"Hey..."

Their eyes raked across the imposing gates of the Blackrock Castle, the building itself towering above them. Like its namesake, it was made almost entirely of black walls with blue tinted windows. Unfortunately, the entrance was closed, leaving a giant trench. And just when they thought this would be fast too. "That map doesn't happen to say anything 'bout the giant castle, does it?"

There was no answer from the almost limp boy in Player's arms. It abruptly made them remember to put him down though.

"...It's not.. usually closed." A glint of familiarity appeared in 1x's squinted eyes as he stared at the gates as if it personally offended him. They glanced at the map still in his hands, groaning when it didn't hold any information after the castle entrance. "But maybe that's because dad was coming with..."

Was his dad that important that he could be asking a king to do something? The question that they asked in their mind was bit down to make room for a better explanation, remembering what the first piece of information they got about the sword was... "Hmm... I think I might've heard a couple of rumors. Ah, right! Like the one saying the snow clouds came out of BLACKROCK CASTLE, or that the ICE DAGGER was stolen by the king! Crazy, right??"

"The king stole the Ice dagger, right? " So, an evil king, huh? Typical.

"But–!" They waved off 1x when he was about to interrupt them.

"That means he's probably cowering in his throne room or planning something. We just need to get the stupid thing back." Out of the corner of their eye, they spied a few blurry knight-like figures moving through the windows. "Maybe fight him a bit."

"Are you slow or something?! That's not true!" 1x's grip tightened against the map in his grasp, threatening to tear it with the force. "He's supposed to be the keeper of the sword!"

Player shrugged, "Maybe he went rogue or something!"

He physically deflated from the accusation, grimace now on his face. 1x crumpled up the map and threw it somewhere behind him, not caring where it ended up. A grumble escaped his lips before falling completely silent. "Stupid, we can't just fight him..." 

Player froze, realizing they had never seen the kid genuinely upset before. Well, afraid maybe, back at the cave but never for someone else. It was out of the blue and they tried not to get whiplash from the way he constantly switched emotions. A hand made its way onto his shoulder, trying to comfort. It was quickly brushed off.

"I'm not saying we have to fight him." They weren't sure if they could uphold that but... small blessings. "But you never know."

"Whatever..."

Something shifted in the air after that, like a switch being flipped.

The two of them stopped when they saw a tent in the middle of a clearing. After seeing nothing but white for a while, the sudden red stood out like a sore thumb. They were just about to ignore it too...

"Hey, what's that..?" 1x rushed forward, taking a book that Player hadn't even noticed.

"Lemme see-"

"Nah." The kid faced away from them, keeping the contents hidden using his back wings. "I wanna read it first."

The way Player sighed was probably telling enough, they thought that they were over the 'annoying each other' phase but whatever. It was subtle but they could see 1x's face slowly grow in confusion as he read.

"I don't get it–" He passed the book over to them.

It can't be that bad. 

...

Well, it was a bit upsetting for sure. Player sure hoped nothing bad happened to him since this was clearly Jim's journal, they still promised to Mayor Monty that they would check on him.

"Let's follow the footprints and see if we can find him."

Stepping into another clearing, their body froze in place. The snow was starting to pick up, they could barely see anything in front of them. They spied the crumbling stone in suspicion, taking a few cautious steps forward.

This spot gave them the creeps.

And when they got close enough, Player saw the silhouette of a knight standing in the middle of the storm.

"We're not alone." That whisper was enough to catch the knights attention onto them.

"So, there's retaliation already?" His voice came out echoey from the helmet on his head but he sounded determined, unsheathing his sword. "You know, I was once a trusted knight of THE KING!"

"..What?" 1x was unsteady on his feet, hand frozen half-way to the hilt of his sword. There was something else in his tone too, Player couldn't put their finger on it. "You're lying, you little ####! If you're a knight, why aren't you in the castle then?!"

He solemnly looked down, "...I had failed him once too many times... But, if I can stop you from interfering with him..."

They knew where this was going already.

"I shall re-earn his trust!" But what they weren't expecting was watching something in 1x crumble.

"For the Blackrock King, I will strike you both down!!"

Chapter Text

The indents in the snow were now the only sign that a battle took place, markings leaving the memory of a clash. Player breathed in as deep as they could, trying to calm the beating of their heart. The steady rhythm was thundering against their head.

1x lay in the snow beside them, completely quiet. Maybe he was still acting out again, it wouldn't be surprising.

Again, Player felt like hushed sounds were starting to become weird with the kid running around. This must be a sign of the apocalypse or worse.

"You alright, squirt?" They let themselves sit down next to his sprawled out state.

"..." There was a slight shift.

"You don't need to tell me what's going on but just say something." A grunt was their response as he rolled over to his side, snow tangling in his already white hair. "Did he hit you anywhere?"

"I'm fine. You don't have to sound like I'm gonna die." He grumbled but there was no real heat to the words.

Player sighed, "Wow, I'm surprised at how quiet you are right now."

After that, there was a hush that washed over the clearing, not awkward just comfortable. Player used the time to catch their breath and rearrange their cards, something that was starting to become a habit as of late. With their limited Build Points, they should probably be more careful about which ones they wanted to equip.

"...Player." That certain tone surfaced again, Player still wasn't sure what to think of- "Are we bad people?"

What was with the weird questions recently?

"'Course not." They decided to file that away to deal with later, patience was key when it came to dealing with this kid. As they have already found out the hard way.

He abruptly stood up, brushing off the snow on this pants. "I don't... Agh! Let's just go already! ####!" 

Player didn't question it, for now.

"Why's there another border gate in the middle of nowhere?" Player's hands rested on the red and white barrier, grateful for the gloves keeping them from freezing. The snow was starting to pick up as well, nipping at their exposed skin. It was an understatement considering how they could barely see their own feet under them.

"We're probably getting close."

"...I'll go check inside. Don't freeze to death before I'm done." Before they could respond with anything, the kid was already gone past the doorway. His tone was off, lacking the usual flair he had.

They shouted inside, "Kid, let's split up! I'm going to go in front!"

There was a slight beat of hesitation before 1x grunted something in agreement. After making sure no more animals would spawn before they got back, Player safely made their way to the gate, only to be startled when the barrier suddenly lifted. 

"Hey, hurry up and go already!" 

With the snow still in their face and hand on their sword, Player made their way past. Their feet carried them past the invisible border and into another similarly snowy area.

"What the..." How could they begin to explain what they were looking at? There was a spiky floating... thing in front of them and a guy with a stall of to the side. Certainly not the kind of sight they were expecting. It was unfortunately in the way though.

Player went ahead and charged at the thing without much thought.

Wait a god#### minute-

They finally realized their mistake, only after getting into the fight. That thing was spiky and flying, they didn't have anything that could damage it. Player kept their composure, definitely. Just kidding, they were panicking.

"Hey, dude! Have any bombs?" The man in charge of the stall beside them called out and instantly Player remembered all the useless stuff they had in their bag. They dumped all of the contents out onto the snow before finally finding a bomb. "Light it and chuck it at 'em!"

"Are you crazy?!" This thing was the size of Player's head!

"Nah, just kidding, dude. All you need to do is light it." They did as told, although they couldn't exactly run off without risking getting it too far. Their arms went up to brace themselves as it finally blew up, taking the killbot down with it.

[–2 HP]

Ouch, that bomb has some range.

"Noice. Wasn't that hard, was it?" Something about this seemed weird.

The storm was really picking up now, they fought to step forward against the building snow. Player tugged the jacket closer to their skin, watching the mountain cliff get closer and closer. Thank god they left 1x back there, they wouldn't know what to do if he was caught in this.

Their steps fell short when the cave in front of them got clearer. There was someone trapped in the boulders, covering his entire lower body.

Player cycled through a few questions before stepping closer.

"Help... someone... w-wait... i-is that...?" They jumped, not expecting the man to talk. With his face being in the snow and all.. Their footsteps must've given them away. "p-please... help me... i-I'm stuck under these boulders... I've been here for days..."

"..Are you okay?" They moved closer, recognizing the man as Jim. 

Their eyes trace the red silhouette of an explosive in the snow. "I can't.. feel my legs... H-help me please..."

A hand reached down to carelessly take the dynamite they needed to continue to the castle, It felt heavy in their hands for some reason they couldn't quite place. Player quickly crouched down to check on the damage. Their mind remembered the earlier incident with the bomb. ...This looked a little hard to be cleared with dynamite or at least exploded in a manner that wouldn't kill him.

They should probably call for help from the town. That was their best bet.

It wasn't like he was gonna die.

..right?

Oh, Player, are you thinking about something stupid again?

A silent shiver ran through the would-be hero, not from the cold but the feeling of something heavier. Their voice stuttered in their chest, as if it didn't want to be forced out. "I'm gonna call for help. Just hold on."

They didn't get a response back.

"Hey, dumb###!! What's takin-!" The small steps that was running after them suddenly slowed, crunches of snow going still. They turned and sure enough, 1x was standing there. "Is that..?"

They turned around, about to run back. "He's... We need help-" 

1x shoved against them on his way to Jim, losing balance and landing close nearby. The breaths Jim was taking were short, shallow. "Player! He's gonna die before any help gets here!"

...

Chapter Text

They didn't even consider that.

How obvious was it?

Stupid.

You almost killed someone.

Player wasn't sure what happened, their mind was moving on auto-pilot when they lit the explosive and threw it at the rocks. Their free hand moved to block 1x away from the site, tension wrung out from every muscle in their body. 

"Hey, wait-!" The seconds ticked by and the fuse grew shorter but it didn't stop 1x from trying to push back against their arm.

The dynamite exploded leaving a ringing sound in their ears. 

"I forgot how much I hate explosions..." The kid mumbled, suddenly ahead of them now and brushing debris away from Jim. They were careful not to disturb the weakened cave walls as they stepped close. And quickly threw the unconscious man's arm over their shoulders, lifting him up.

Not a word was said when 1x took the dynamite and cleared the rocks blocking the ski lift. 

And not a word was said when they made the long, long trek back to Roadtown. 

The ringing was getting worse.

"We need help! Right now!" 1x had run ahead, making some of the residents startle when he started knocking on doors in the middle of a snow storm. The next person that opened the door for him nearly got a fist to the face. "Help, there's someone passed out!"

The commotion attracted more people outside until there was a whole crowd helping them out. Player couldn't believe their eyes when nearly everyone had worked together to get Jim back under shelter. A nurse had instructed the few still left to warm him up slowly to avoid frostbite.

And the mayor...

Player had to pry him off of Jim to let the nurse wrap his hands and feet in gauze.

They just hoped nothing bad happened.

Ye Olde Inn was uncharacteristically quiet tonight, Player would've enjoyed it under different circumstances. The pretend hero glanced over to the other side of the hall, ignoring the slight buzzing that still hadn't left their mind. That kid was still up, sketching in his notebook... and recalling the events from yesterday, it didn't seem like he had slept at all. 

How had he not passed out yet?

"Isn't it past your bed time?" Player teased and rested their head on the table, trying to keep the air as light as possible.

"I don't know, probably." 1x grumbled out a response, aggressively scratching out a part of his drawing. The way he did it reminded him of how he fought, always with frustration that's on the edge of breaking. It was concerning now that they thought about it. "Even if it was-"

"You need to sleep." There wasn't a punchline this time, they were dead serious.

He sputtered, "But I don't LIKE sleeping..!" 

"We can go get the swords later, right now you just need-"

"It's not THAT either!" The sound of his chair scraping the floor made Player look up straight at him, leaned over the table while towering over them for once. 1x yawned in the middle, his irritated eyes being filled with a couple tears. "It's... It's really stupid, okay?!"

They sighed, "C'mon, squirt... Help me understand then."

His wings tensed against his back for moment before slowly relaxing, letting them fall to his sides. Both of them stared at each other, Player taking in the way he somehow looked smaller despite looking down at them. Everything about him was a far cry from the hero persona they had. His face was still rounded by baby fat, his red eyes carried hesitance, not courage.

He really was just a kid.

"I don't fu- like talking about it. I don't-" He faltered, eyes softening. "..Don't even know if dad knows. He probably does..." 1x jumped over the bench, sitting in an uncomfortable position across from them. "When I sleep, I always get nightmares about... them. It doesn't matter what I do, it's just- it always ends the same. They would take me away again and I- I..."

Player blinked, trying to soak in the information. There was too much to consider. "..Who are they?"

His voice shook and the short laugh he choked out wasn't enough to cover it. "I don't.. know. I don't know! It's so stupid!"

"Hey..." A few stray tears slipped down his face, chest heaving. And Player didn't stop themselves from reaching out to him, tugging off the hands that curled into his hair and wings. A couple of feather were being pulled out already.

They quickly moved to the side, pulling him into a hug. "C'mere..."

1x clung onto them, muffling his voice in their embrace. "I hate you..! I hate you... I-I..." 

"Yeah..."

"Haha-!" Why was he laughing? It wasn't even funny. 

But 1x did anyway. He quickly rubbed at his eyes before Player could notice the tears, forcing himself to stand up. Maybe they didn't notice, hopefully they didn't. "You- you better be sorry! You're a jerk..!" His fist jabbed at their arm, he tried to ignore how bruised it was. "...And you STILL look like an idiot!"

1x faltered when Player stayed silent.

"Just... don't leave me alone, please." He dug his nails into his arm, leaving crescent shapes where he pressed.

Weak, he felt weaker than he ever had.

Please don't leave me alone, please. Don't leave me with them, please.

Please.

They're going to take me again and dad will-

"Player?" A recognizable voice dragged them out of thought, their hand pausing where it was brushing 1x's hair.

When they looked up, it was to Mayor Monty's now calm and collected face. It was a far cry from the last time they saw him but Player couldn't blame him either. "Sorry for being so sudden, I just wanted to thank you... for what you did today." 

"..." Their eyes were drawn back to 1x's sleeping form, his face was peaceful. "It's.. no problem."

Chapter Text

His mind felt empty, empty for the first time in a while.

1x jerked awake, suddenly aware of the sheets between his fingers. Quickly, he noticed that the room he was in was familiar, it was the inn room that he and Player slept in not too long ago. The patter of snow could still be heard outside of the walls, slow but steady.

It was quiet. Way too quiet, his ears were starting to hear things that weren't there. 

That wasn't good.

"Player...?" 1x cautiously peered over the edge and although he was unsurprised, he couldn't help the sense of dread that filled him when no one was on the floor this time. 

He was alone again.

His fingers tightened against the wooden frame of the bed, unconsciously tensing his wings. Don't panic, Player must just be downstairs or something. They wouldn't just leave him, right? The pounding of his own heart grew louder, drowning out any other noise.

His eyes first scanned the room, find five things. Five things he could barely see in the darkness.

Bed.

Wardrobe.

Lamp.

Rug.

Picture.

Note..? There was a note taped to the wardrobe, he didn't even see it before. 1x ripped it off faster than he could even process it, scanning the contents. 

"If you wake up before I come back,

don't worry I'm just going out for a sec.

I asked Bailey to check up on you.

There's food on the counter.

I'll be back before you know it! :)"

Somehow the innocent words did nothing to comfort him, it only made him feel worse as he connected the dots one by one. He knew Player mentioned the swords before he went to bed earlier, they even mentioned the Ice Dagger.

And that could only mean...

No.

NONONONONONONO–

He pushed himself off, grabbing his discarded Daemonshank. It immediately exploded into a wave of code before he managed to drag it out, running down the stairs and out into the unforgiving snow.

Stings.

The storm stung against his face, whipping his hair around when he wasn't paying attention.

His mind buzzed with thoughts that he couldn't quite keep down, restless. There were too many things that could've gone wrong and judging from the faded footsteps, it had been a while since Player let Roadtown. 1x swallowed, trying to stop the dizzy spell from affecting him too much. 

So cold.

His foot sank into the ground when he tried to walk further, a wet feeling starting to swallow his leg. He swore in his mind before tugging himself out of the snowdrift. Curse his small legs, maybe if he was as tall as everyone else, this trek wouldn't be so hard. Maybe if he could run or fly fast enough, he wouldn't even need to be here.

Maybe dad wouldn't even get hurt, if you just–

He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Anger was okay, anger was familiar. His eyes were starting to water and he was sure that it wasn't because of the debris this time. The cold was starting to hurt now.

He really wished he could wake up from this stupid nightmare soon.

It was so dumb.

His hand rubbed at his eyes but they were just as freezing as the air, succeeding in doing nothing but making him feel worse. In a fit of frustration, he grinded his palm into his eye socket until the pressure started to get unbearable. And it felt like he was drilling a hole into his own skull.

Please wake up.

Please.

...

He wasn't waking up.

"Ah–! Ow ow ow!" He hissed, before wiping his eyes again. It didn't sting from the cold anymore, it felt like it was burning.

Before he could spend anymore precious time, 1x finally straightened and looked around him. The world blurred before refocusing again, reminding him of what he was doing in the first place. Just a little more, he promised himself. The gates were just beyond here, if he remembered correctly.

He kept going, despite the heavy feeling in his stomach.

His thoughts wandered, trying to forget about the frost still nipping at his body.

C'mon, just a bit more. Keep walking and you'll be out of the snow soon, probably. Right? Who cares if he was lying to himself?! Certainly not him!

One foot over the other.

Stupid Player, making him go all this way by himself. They could have at least brought him along, instead of running away in the middle of the night like they were a teenager trying to go to a party.

Pft, what a loser.

He sighed to himself. It didn't do much.

What if... he didn't make it to the castle? Would he just freeze to death out here? 1x couldn't help but think of Jim who they both saved just hours before. Would someone be looking for him? At least someone cared enough to send people to search for the accountant, who could even find him?

Dad should still be in the hospital. Player... They only knew him for a few days, why would they go searching for a kid they didn't even know? They didn't even like him. Uncle Builder–

His breath hitched at the name, spilling a white cloud over his lips.

Stop thinking about him, idiot.

Stop thinking about it.

He tugged the jacket on him tighter.

...hopefully he was okay.

They didn't even know if he was dead or not.

1x held the Daemonshank closer but it was a struggle considering he couldn't feel his own hand anymore. At least a part of the man was still here, even if it was all glitched and messed up. If only it was him on this quest instead...

Builderman would know what to do in this situation, he always knew what to do.

And before 1x knew it, he was at the impossibly large doorway of Blackrock Castle. It was wide open, the courtyard on the other side of the chasm that separated it from the mountain. Eerie silence reigned, not a soul milling about near the frozen fountain.

The first step inside was met with nothing.

He really should've expected it, even if usually the king would be waiting outside to greet visitors. Except, 1x wasn't supposed to be here, wasn't he?

Today, he was an intruder, not a guest.

It repeated inside his head as he followed the last few snowy footsteps into a broken window on the side of the castle. The ledge was a bit too tall for him to jump into. He tried to flap his wings to get some lift but even that failed.

1x cursed them out under his breath as he scrambled up the walls and fell right into the other side.

Ow.

Broken glass..?

Right... He forgot.

He glanced up–

And nearly shrieked at the sight in front of him. He put a hand over his mouth, hoping that no one could hear him.

...What happened here?

Red stained the black walls and floor, there was blood splattered everywhere. The chandelier sat broken on top of a few guards, a few candles still lit and burning the bodies or the ones unfortunate enough to be alive but trapped under the heavy metal. It wasn't silent anymore, crackling fire and groans of pain echoing in the hall.

Despite all the cold still gripping onto him like a vice, the warmth was too much. 1x exhaled shakily a few times before getting up, unable to feel the pain from the glass anymore. 

This has to be some sick joke.

It has to be.

He needed to find Player–The king–anyone right now, they would be able to help. They have to.

Hastily, 1x got himself together and ran to the first place he could think of. The throne room always had people inside of it, right? Surely, there would be someone who could help.

If he could get there first...

His overworked muscles were screaming at him to stop, every step upwards felt like torture. He panted, trying to get his breathing in order and when he did, the air turned into mist with every breath.

Why was it... getting colder somehow?

Another swing, another miss.

Crack.

The ground split open once again by a sloppy strike of their sword, imbedding itself deep into the ice. They tried to pull it out but no luck, it was stuck this time.

Adrenaline was the only thing keeping them going at this point, barely hearing the footsteps growing closer over the beating of their own heart. They twisted fast enough to see his scepter looming above them, threatening to split their head open. Their hands came up to seize the weapon, locking them both in place. Player stared at the other man with wide eyes, pretending they couldn't feel the ice inching up their foot.

Death was glaring at them.

And it was in the form of this man.

They chuckled, though it was without any humor. "All out of steam, old man?"

"You–you're sick if you think I will hesitate to stop this prophecy, hero." The man spat out the last work like a curse, expelling more mist into the cold air. And yet his strength was barely present, pressing the scepter only to match Player. "You have chosen yourself over the many. That.. that is no hero."

He was lying, he was hesitant.

"I'm just following orders." They disengaged, picking up their sword with a quick yank. Half of their leg was encased now, having already stood too long on the icy floor of the throne room. "But I guess you're not up for a conversation–!"

The Ice Dagger cut through the space between them, nearly nicking them. And with it, a shout rang out.

"What the hell are you doing?!" They would recognize that voice anywhere. 1x clutched at the entrance to the throne room, physically shaking. "Why's it so cold..."

"1x..?"

Cruel King froze in place and dagger held loosely in his hand. His mouth moved to speak but no words came out, forgetting for a crucial second about who was standing right beside him. Player threw a glance to 1x, thankfully catching his eyes and putting a finger to their lips.

There it was, the opening they needed.

Chapter Text

"WAIT!" Too little, too late.

A hand reached out.

Their footfalls came quick.

His blade moved to block but it wasn't fast enough.

The second their sword made contact, Player realized their mistake. There was a sickening crunch and something akin to a thump, the dagger that started it all skidded against their foot. Blood sprayed in thick spurts, the king knocked off balance onto the floor. Their arm came up to wipe the crimson liquid from their eyes, tingling despite the fact they have lost all feeling in their limbs.

When they looked up, it was to the fallen man attempting to get up. Now crownless, it was hard not to see him as just that, a man.

He shook as he tried to balance himself but couldn't quite reach it, kneeling rigidly against his scepter. The kid had managed to close the distance in the few moments, crouching next to the other and muttering something Player couldn't hear over the rush in their ears. 

That was when they noticed the frost starting to take hold of his body, little by little. 

".....it happened...I failed them." Player didn't dare interrupt, standing over the man they were supposed to stop with a sword that was still stained with blood. Something about this was wrong, their chest felt heavy as if every breath was a fight they were losing.

"W-wait...! I told you to wait, stupid!" 1x sobbed, seemingly unable to decide between anger and fear. "Get up! Just get up, please..!"

"I didn't mean to–!" The lie came out of their mouth easily, words turning into panic.

He smiled bitterly, one eye fixed on the ice inching up his torso now, blood dripping onto the other. It sent the message that even if he tried to, he wasn't sure he could. "...I-I'm sorry."

"I-I was selfish to think I could wish... for this moment to be frozen in time forever..." There was only the sound of his breaths stuttering while Cruel King hugged himself. From the cold or for comfort that could never be given, they weren't sure. It was up to his neck at this point, Player still hadn't moved a muscle. "They still need me..."

...

"...I-I feel... cold..." He closed his eyes, their hand hesitantly landed on his shoulder-

Crack.

His body shattered into a million small pieces under their touch, leaving only air where a man should've been.

Player flinched backwards, losing balance and slipping onto the icy ground.

The Ice Dagger was right in front of them, taunting.

The ice crystals that was left of his body gleamed in the dim light, an ironically beautiful end for such a man.

Their hands trembled, smearing red over the slick floor.

It was starting to thaw now.

They sat there, trying to process what just happened.

"Yoooo, dude. This hat is sick." Terry suddenly appeared in front of them, on the vacant throne. Their jaw almost dropped, the change in tone nearly giving them whiplash. "Yo bruh, whatup-"

"NOT THE TIME, TERRY!!" Player was secretly glad for the distraction, managing to get up relatively okay. No time for dwelling, they wiped the blood on their jacket and quickly stashed the discarded dagger in their bag.

This was fine, everything was okay if they just kept moving and ignore it.

"...Can't you see what I'm in the middle of doing?!"

"DUDE." He looked disgusted when they wiped their hands, "Clean that up dude, this isn't the hotel anymore.. you might wanna hurry, the castle is on fire."

"The castle is WHAT now?!" Fire licked at the doors of the throne room, threatening to catch fire. It suddenly became very clear why the ice was turning into water.

1x hadn't moved from his position on the floor, shoulders shaking from the force of his sobbing. The next epiphany that they had was realizing that they may need to soften the impact a bit, they winced at the idea, brushing some of the sweat from their brow.

"Hey, kid." A slight contact to his body made him jump, facing Player with eyes full of anguish and tears. "Squirt, let's go home, okay?"

Terry waddled up to both of them, still in that stupid wizard hat. His tone wasn't as harsh as it was with Player when he talked to 1x but he was still stiff in his delivery. "He's in a better place, kiddo. We can't always have what we want, that's just life."

So he did see all of that.

"B-but..." His lip quivered.

Player quietly scooped him up into hug, letting him pull away if he wanted to. But instead of that, he clung onto them as if they were going to disappear the moment he stopped, burying his head into their chest. It wasn't that different to the one they shared at the inn just hours ago.

"How the hell are we going to get out..?" The entrance was blocked by increasingly ravenous fire and they don't exactly see a second one anywhere. "You don't think that hat can teleport us outta here?"

"Fine, don't say I never did anything for you." Terry grumbled but took their hand in his flippers and in the blink of an eye, they were back in the bitter cold.

Oh god.

What have they done?

Distantly, they knew Terry spoke but couldn't hear it as they stared at Blackrock Castle. The building in front of them was engulfed in flames, from the tallest tower to the courtyard, everything was ablaze. It wasn't a warmth as Player had felt it in the throne room but a burning heat that shocked their body into awareness.

Player wasn't sure which one was better, the cold or the heat.

"Are you even listening, bruh?" The penguin beside them jabbed them in the leg, "This is KINDA your fault, you know?"

"...You didn't need to rub more salt into the wound." Most of the things that were exiting their mouth was just pure adrenaline-filled stupidity at this point, just trying to get them by without collapsing.

They tugged 1x closer, hoping that he couldn't see what was going on.

Small sparks flicked here and there and now that they were focusing, they could hear the sounds of panic ring out across the castle. It was eerie to hear them echo across the mountains, as if it's farther away than it actually was. The flecks of snow that caught the fire light looked like it was almost glowing, blindingly so in the darkness of the night. 

Player exhaled a heavy breath, finally free from the confines of the castle.

That day, they left Blackrock Kingdom in ruin, not knowing of the consequences. They would look back at this time later and ache with the knowledge of what they've done. But right now, they were safe, they came back to Roadtown relatively unharmed.

And that's all that mattered.

A new assignment and a new sword awaited them.