Work Text:
4 years ago
Renthedog was slain by InTheLittleWood using [Red Winter is Coming]
-
Ren sat up in his bed, the feeling of respawn flowing through his veins. He laughed. “Red Winter is coming, me laddie,” he whispered to himself. His skin was the pallor gray color of red names, something that comforted him.
He could finally get revenge on the desert people. He didn’t have to worry about breaking Grian’s rules, because his name was as red as his vision.
He climbed out of the castle, still grinning. Martyn stood on the alter, staring at his hands. The axe, dripping with Ren’s blood, was at his feet.
“You did well, me hand.” Ren stood next to him, glancing at his face.
“Me lord!” Martyn spun to face him, a wild look in his eyes. “Did I pass the test?”
Ren nodded. “Yes, hand. We shall confront those filthy desert people on the battlefield!” He raised his sword. He didn’t notice how Martyn looked after him with a longing look on his face.
-
He’d never bow down to the king.
The desert was full of the sounds of battle. Grian drew back arrow after arrow, aiming for King Ren.
Martyn was quick to defend his King, stabbing toward Grian with a sharp diamond sword. Despite the very real possibility of death, Grian wasn’t worried. He had all three lives left, and Dogwarts was right where he wanted them to be.
As Scott’s body slumped to the ground in front of him, inventory spilling open, he spun and yelled to Scar: “Pull the lever!”
Excitement and bloodlust that he really shouldn’t be having as a green life surged through his veins at the hiss that followed.
Distantly, he heard a yell and a cry of “Jimmy!” but it was overtaken by the loud explosions.
Grian laughed, even though it surprisingly hadn’t killed anyone. He ran for the bunker, not seeing or thinking clearly. The trap triggered from beneath him, and even as the burn of lava slid across his skin, he felt the high of chaos.
He fought to get away, of course, but a well placed arrow from the Hand sent him over the edge and he woke back in his bed, still giggling.
He’d never bow down to the king.
-
Scott knelt in front of the gravestone, tears dripping down his face. He dropped a poppy on the undisturbed dirt. It hurt that in this world not even their bodies were left behind when they died.
Scott couldn’t even bury his husband.
He let another poppy fall to the ground, let his tears drip over it.
He regretted getting involved in this war. If they had just stayed in the valley, living a life of peace, would Jimmy have died? Would he be first out?
It hurt that Scott didn’t know the answer.
-
Ren was too low on hearts. He wasn’t going to make it out of this alive.
He looked up and his eyes locked on Martyn’s. His hand was staring at him with a look of terror. Something deeper than loyalty resided in those eyes.
Ren felt Scar’s arrow drive into his stomach, felt the last little bit of hearts slip away.
As he died, all he could think about was the possibility that Martyn loved him. And he didn’t even have time to reciprocate.
-
“For Pizza.”
“For Pizza.”
They nodded at each other before leaping off the tower.
Grian shot arrows at the distant form of Etho below. This was it. The final battle.
They landed on shaky feet, but the clashing of swords, yelling, and general sounds of fighting grounded them quickly.
People were dying left and right.
“Oh no, BigB!” The King cried, fighting to get away. Martyn was attempting to defend him, but Scar broke through easily-
“Yes Scar!” Grian cried out when Ren fell still on the ground.
Scar grinned, but his red eyes focused on the Hand. His fingers drew back another arrow, and another- and Martyn fell as well.
Dogwarts was over. They’d won.
They’d won.
Present time
The last yellow falls… Red Winter is here.
-
The sky flashed red. Everyone cried in surprise, dropping their weapons and laughing nervously.
Ren glanced at Martyn. It would be all too easy to slip into the accent again. They were already wearing the outfits. But it wouldn’t be the same as it had been, back in Third Life.
Not after this many stolen kisses in the night. Not after being separated for far too long. Ren couldn’t do that to Martyn. He couldn’t do that to himself.
He got too carried away in the King role last time. It wouldn’t happen again.
-
Red Winter had been coming for years. And now, it was finally here. Martyn fully expected to be treated the same as he had back then.
He stood in a circle next to his King. Grian, once their enemy, proposed a plan. “One last night. And in the morning, we fight.”
Martyn reluctantly accepted. Another war? Had they not learned? But everyone else seemed okay with it, so he couldn’t be the only one opposing the idea. A coil of dread creeped up his spine as he raised his hand in agreement.
Whatever happened happened.
He wouldn’t hold it against Ren. He never had.
-
“I have a proposal,” Grian said once they were all in a circle. “One last night, one last Trivia Bot, and then in the morning, we fight.”
The players agreed, and split into factions.
Grian watched as the Red King took his place again, with Martyn by his side.
Scar was gone. Should he oppose them for old times sake, or make it interesting?
Tentatively, he walked over to Ren’s side. If Scar wasn’t here, why did it matter? It had been years since the First War, he could switch factions this time around.
They built snow forts, and as Ren went on and on in that exaggerated accent, being dramatic, Grian began to regret his choice.
He got the trivia question wrong, as did most everyone else, and then came morning.
The snow was multiple feet high, at this point. The leather boots were probably the only thing keeping them all from sinking down into the ground and freezing to death.
They snuck into the opposing team’s fort (He’d been allied with Scott and Jimmy once upon a time) and spawned some Evokers, although it quickly backfired as they were chased by Vex.
They ran, accidentally leaving Cleo behind to be slain.
They tried to stick together, but eventually Grian got separated from them.
“Hey wait, where’s my team?” He realized as he swiped his sword at Scott again.
Scott laughed and drove him further backwards. His foot slipped, and he landed on his back in a small hole.
Oh no no no-
Scott didn’t hesitate before slamming down the Piglin Brute egg and running.
Grian didn’t have a chance to breathe before the Brute’s axe sliced down, and everything went dark.
He shouldn’t have bowed down to the King.
-
They were in a war again.
Of course Jimmy and Scott were on the same side, of course they opposed the Red King. Nothing had changed there.
But this time, Grian was on the Red King’s side. It was only the nature of the game that Scott would kill him.
Jimmy died. Scott had watched him die so many times by now, and it wasn’t even first this time, so it hurt a bit less than it had all those years ago.
Or maybe that was just the snow numbing every bit of him.
He couldn’t tell.
-
Martyn was pleasantly surprised when Ren grabbed his hand. Scott and Joel were attacking each other relentlessly.
Martyn had tried to place cobwebs down, but had gotten stuck in them, allowing Scott to get a fatal blow on him. Ren hadn’t been spared either. They were both waiting to bleed out.
And Ren had grabbed his hand.
“I never told you this, back in Third Life.” The King whispered. “But I love you.” He closed his eyes. “I love you so much.”
Martyn smiled weakly. “I love you too.”
They died in each other’s arms.
-
Red Winter never seemed to end well.
Scott, Jimmy, Grian, Scar, Ren, Martyn, they all felt when it happened.
They watched each other die.
Grian was a bit tired of it. Maybe there wouldn’t be any more games for a while. The Watcher side of him had been satiated. The human side of him had been drained.
He needed a break.
After all, there were only so many times you could die before it became too much.