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A heavy sun shown down upon a whide plain. A slight breeze rustled the leaves in trees, making for a peaceful summer day. In the distance, along the edge of the meadow, the sound of blocks being placed ruined the calm environment. Two players were setting up a small cobblestone house, the clunk of stone on stone resounding around them, but even more so was the sound of laughter.
The first was tall, his tanned skin contrasted against the pale scars that were scattered across his arms. He wore a white button down and navy blue jeans, the sleaves of his shirt apparently ripped off. A black vest and red tie completed his look. The other player was shorter than the first, his brown hair was cut short in contrast to the floppy style his friend wore. He sported a black shirt with a yellow "i" and dark grey pants.
"Hey Impulse, I've got an idea. This season, we should aim to be the most decked out among the gang. Like, full diamond gear in the first week" The first spoke, his voice deep with a humerus tone that could make even the sternest of people smile. The second player, now know as Impulse turned quickly to face the speaker. "That's a good idea, Skizz! We could build a big base too, fitted with beacons on everyside! Filled with elaborate redstone farms to supply resources we'll need"
Now, a plan in place, the two continued working on the small base. They would need a temporary home to house their belongings as the gathered the necessary items for their adventures. The sun began setting soon, so the two headed underground in a cave to gather ores.
"Here" Impulse tossed a stack or torches to Skizz as they continued down the mine shaft they had stumbled upon. "Thanks, I say we head straight, finish this top layer then go down with the cave, I think I saw something glittering" Skizz finished with a wink. They had started a friendly competition to see who could gather the most diamonds before morning, so far Impulse was in the lead but with the new diamonds Skizz had spotted, surely he would be ahead.
After the top layer was searched, the two players decended deeper into the cave, following the glittering Skizz had seen. "Uh, hate to break it to ya Skizz, but I think you saw lapiz. Which means I am still winning!" Impulse said teasingly. "Well! That's because I was joking! They're actually hidden somewhere else.. I just forgot where" Skizz replied, laughing at his own unfortune.
As Impulse rounded a corner, a shreak filled the cave and a slash of steal hitting bone filled the cave. A skeleton had come out from behind some stone and shot an arrow towards Impulse, his quick reflexes allowed him to dodge unscathed and draw his own sword to slay the mob. Its form dissipated into a cloud of particles before fading from existence.
All was not over, for another scream followed shortly after, this time over where Skizz had been collecting his temu diamonds. Impulse rushed over to see Skizz battling zombies in a tight corner. The small area left little room for maneuvering, giving the zombies an advantage as they cornered him in. "Duck!" Impulse shouted as he lifted his bow and noched an arrow, ready to fire. "WHERE!? Skizz screamed as he lowered to the ground instinctively. Impulse let the string go and watched as the first zombie staggered and exploded to particles. Drawing his sword, Impulse slashed at the second, toppling it backwards and then finishing the attack with a stab through its middle.
"I don't think those diamonds were worth it dude, maybe lets head somewhere else" Impulse reached his hand out for Skizz to get up. "Yeah, maybe not hahaha" He grabbed Impulse's hand and rose. "But did you have to scare me with the duck thing? You know I'm still traumatized" "Oh yeahh, sorry. How else was I supposed to make sure you weren't hurt? Yell chicken? Actually that might be fitting" Impulse ran a head to avoid the slap Skizz tried to land.
The laughter and teasing continued until the two found themselves in a different part of the cave, this time a dusty red color, dripstone hanging from the ceiling and growing in large spikes along to floor. "Are you ready? First one to the far end wins!" Skizz challenged and began running through the darkness, weaving between the juts of stone. "Hey! Thats not fair!" Impulse cried after him. He jumped and started chasing Skizz through the narrow gaps between the dripstone pillars.
Skizz was tall, his long legs gave him an advantage when running. Impulse wasn't as fast as Skizz, but his body was quick at dodging around the spikes and through the tight stone corners, so he knew the race was gonna be close. The sound of his footsteps caused a sudden crack and a sharp spike came falling fast. His breath came short and fast as adrenaline starting kicking in, the energy boosted his legs and he sprinted the last few yards to safety. He reached the far wall just as the spikes crashed behind him.
Laughter began Skizz placed a hand on the smooth stone, signifying his victory. He turned to see how far Impulse was, only to be met with a hissssss. He had three seconds to react and jumped sideways trying to put block between himself and the creeper. The creator exploded and left a a hude crator, the shock sending Skizz against the rock wall. His head smacked the stone and the world faded and the edges. He heard footsteps approaching him quickly before the darkness claimed his consciousness.
Impulse leaped the hole the creeper left and knelt at his friends side. He gently tilted Skizz's head and felt for a wound, relief flooding him as he simply felt a bump and nothing more. Of course, Skizz would definitely awake with a headache. At least the damage was minimal. Impulse started to light the area up and within moments he heard a groan from his friend. "Easy, that was a pretty good blow you suffered. We should get you to the others so you can get checked out." Impulse sat down by Skizz and offered him some water.
"We got a few diamonds, and enough coal to get a start for us. In a week or so, you should be well on your feet and we can come back and continue our gathering!" Impulse looked excited. The delay didn’t seem to bother him. But it frustrated Skizz deeply.
"No, you don't understand! We had a plan. We are to be the richest hermits, the best ones. We can't lose a weeks time.. that's gonna mean others will get gear before us, and we will have lost!" Skizz was angered. He knew Impulse was onky trying to look out for his friend. But it bothered him that he would be willing to cancel their whole mission.
"Skizz," Impulse said calmly, "We can go again once your better. And then we'll be rich, maybe not the best, but we will be up there! And if not, there's always next season!" Impulse stood and reached out to help Skizz up, but he smacked his hand away.
"You don't understand. None of you will! You always have it so easy. You are good at everything! The redstone comes naturally to you, and you build like some of the best!" Skizz struggled to his feet, wobbling a bit and steadying himself on the wall. "There has to be something me, something Skizzleman does! I have to work for my reputation. It doesn't just come easy for everyone. All day you've been showing off, and I finally had the chance to win, and I lost." He looked down and slammed his fist into the cold stone, a dripstone cracked along the ceiling, but it wasn't enough to make it fall.
"Skizz, if I had known, I could help! I can teach you stuff! I know you're an amazing person, and you're one of the funniest people I know! Let's get out of this mine. Its probably morning now and we can discuss this further there" Impulse was pleading with Skizz, he could tell his friend was in an emotional state, but the cave was dangerous and he could see mobs in the darkness where he had not lit the area well.
"No, it's not gonna work! I said, this is my thing! I create challenges and I win them. I am gonna be the first to be geared in diamonds! And I'll build a base so big that every hermit knows I mean business!" Skizz was getting more frustrated as the argument went on. His voice booming in the dripstone cavern, more cracks spread across the ceiling, threatening to drop deadly spikes on the two at any second.
"Okay, you've made your point. We gotta go now though. Please Skizz." Panic was in Impulse's voice now, and when he saw the hoard of creatures approaching them he made a decision and grabbed Skizz's arm, pulling him back tbe way they came.
"Hey! What are you-" Skizz cut off as an arrow wizzed past his head and hit a drip stone. The force caused it to fall and the ones around it began cracking and falling down.
"RUN" Impulse shouted and dragged Skizz behind him. He led them down and around into another cave tunnel to avoid the falling spikes. They fumbled in the darkness until they were a distance away and could catch their breath in safety. "Sorry, I never realized you saw it that way" Impulse gasped a few more breaths before continuing. "You know, it was hard when I first joined too. I also compared myself to the others, especially the redstoners. I was just beginning myself and I felt if I wanted to stay I had to earn my place."
"Seriously? But you're so good at it! How did you ever doubt yourself?" Skizz was shocked. Impulse was his best friend, and to think he had been comparing himself too was crazy.
"Yeah, but I talked with them about it. Turns out, lots of the hermits struggled, and some still do. Practice always helps, so is guidance from others, but what is important is to have fun! Comparison is the thief of joy"
Skizz looked at Impulse and really focused on what he said, "Yeah, you're right.. I have been comparing myself to you guys pretty hard. I wanted so badly to fit in, I never realized how much pressure I was putting on myself." He looked down and felt his cheeks turn hot. He never meant to argue with Impulse. To his surprise, he felt arms around him and Impulsegave him a hug.
"I'm glad you finally told me about it. I will do everything I can to help you feel like you belong. We really love your company, you don't have to do anything to achieve it" Impulse's hug tightened then he stepped back, but kept his hands on Skizz's shoulders. "Your safety is important now, but I guess we can get a few more diamonds before we head up"
Skizz smiled and nodded, words not forming properly in his mouth. The two wandered in tbe cave, looking for a way out, but also looking for diamonds. The bump on the back of his head was starting to ache slightly, so Skizz knew Impulse was right. Just as they found an exit, Skizz spotted something sparkling in the corned of his eye. "Hey Impulse! Over here!" Skizz yelled as he jogged to the patch of glittering light.
"What's up? Oh wow! How many is that!" Impulse exclaimed has he watched Skizz mine the diamonds. When the vein was completed. Skizz had not only enough for armor, but also for tools! They head out of the cave exhausted from their long adventures.
"I knew you could do it." Impulse said. They had made it back to their humble house just as the sun began dipping into the ground once more. The hermits had seen Skizzes new shiny armor and tools, and congratulated him on his hard work.
"I couldn't have done it without your help Dippledop. Thank you for always having faith in me." Skizz smiled and rested on his bed. He knew there would still be times when he found himself comparing his skills to others. But from now on, he would do his best to focus on what he could do and what it really meant to be a part of the hermitcraft team. Hopefully one day, he'd never find himself lost in the cave of comparison again.