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Gem pulled herself out of bed, dragging her tired body through the huge base she'd started on. Everything hurt, every muscle she had ached with the tiniest movements she made. Her head pounded even in the silence of her half-finished base. Her stomach did flips even when there were no smells for it to react to.
Her hair covered a part of her face but she couldn't care less. Once she'd tried to blow it out of the way, it had returned less than a second later. Brushing it might help, tying it down might help, turning it into a braid might help, but she didn't have the energy to do any of that.
From the top of her head to the bottom of her feet, everything hurt.
When she'd planned her mega base she hadn't known yet that at the same time she would be working on the nether. When she'd signed up to the nether she hadn't remembered the plans she had for her mega base. The realization hit her, but her being Gem, she was sure that she could do it.
She was Gem, she was great, she was God's favorite princess. But the combination of the two projects that she was working on soon turned out to take more than just luck and being great to accomplish. Day in and day out she flew around the two places, working every single day to build both of them.
It wasn't like she could just abandon either. The nether had to be built, the hermits relied on her to build it. They needed it, it was one of their main ways of transport. But her base- she couldn't leave it the way it was now either. Mobs kept spawning, rain kept falling and Gorgeous kept floating away.
Nothing was done, no matter how hard she'd pushed herself to finish it. Now her body felt broken and exhausted. The idea of building alone brought an ache to her limps, her poor limps which had helped her climb, place blocks, fly, run, jump and carry a thousand shulker boxes from one place to the next.
The hermits were amazing, they were helping her a great deal. But it wasn't enough. Gem met the outside, and looked over the water that she would have to cover in dirt. Another project she had to start working on one of these days. A sigh escaped her as she noticed her own reflection staring back at her.
Her hair was a complete mess, hanging everywhere and nowhere. It was a mess of curls with mud, dust and Void knew what more in it. Her eyes were decorated with big blue circles, showing only a small part of how tired she actually was. Her pale skin was a nice way to show the exhaustion though.
Then there were her clothes, the same ones she'd worn the day before and the day before that. They had cuts, rips and tears all over them and were covered in the same substances that covered her hair. She knew that she should change, but the energy to do so simply wasn't there.
A decision was made the second she woke up, she needed comfort, instant comfort. Thankfully she knew exactly where to get this comfort. Her journey started with the launch of a rocket, an action which usually came natural but brought pain with it today as her body was forced into motion.
Her eyes scanned the area around her as she searched for the fire tower. It should stand out, it was made to stand out after all. She'd used it a couple of times now, mainly to tease Impulse and Pearl. Summoning them in the middle of the night or early in the morning always brought her joy.
She couldn't help but smile at the memory of Impulse's early morning voice and the moon-covered pajama set Pearl had been wearing. She'd promised to stop summoning them unless there was an actual emergency and well, the total destruction of her body sounded like it qualified.
The journey took longer than it usually would but she eventually spotted the fire tower. It stood tall like it always did, ready to be used. She landed inside with a tumble to the floor which forced her to the ground. She lay there for a couple of seconds, contemplating if it was worth getting back up.
But then she remembered Pearl's soft eyes, Impulse's comforting words. She needed that right now. She pulled herself up and from where she was seated pulled the trapdoor down onto the ender pearls. A second passed before confused sounds and two bodies appeared in front of her.
"Fire! Where is the fire?" Impulse asked, immediately shooting into action as he realized what was going on. The man sounded and looked awake, aware, which was a change from the last time Gem had pulled the trap down. Which made sense since it wasn't six in the morning at the moment.
A bucket and potion of water appeared in his hands as he scanned the area before his eyes fell on Gem. It took Pearl a little longer to realize what was going on. She fell to the ground as more sounds of confusion left her. From the ground she looked around, her back towards Gem.
"Aw come on," she complained, pushing herself into a standing position. She found Impulse and followed his gaze, turning towards Gem. A scowl appeared on her face as her hands found her hips, it looked like she was about to give Gem a talking to until she noticed the state her friend was in.
"Gem," she said, sounding a little shocked before concern appeared on her face. She knelt next to Gem, "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes scanning over Gem's whole body, probably in a search for whatever could be wrong. But nothing was wrong, physically at least.
There was no blood, there were no wounds. All there was was her tired body, her aching head and a stomach that threatened to give the little food she'd eaten the day before a tour back to the outside. "I need comfort, give me comfort." Gem asked, her arms out as an invitation for a hug.
Impulse knelt next to her too, the water bottle and potion now gone. He and Pearl shared a look before accepting the hug, pulling Gem close between the two of them. Their warmth felt magical, their touch felt healing. "What's wrong Gem?" Impulse asked, running a hand through her tangled her.
"Just a little tired." she replied with a small smile.
This, these two people in front of her, they were her safe space. Just being close to them made her feel better. Her headache didn't care for their voices, her stomach seemed to settle as if it knew that she was safe, even her muscles seemed to ache a little less when she was in their arms.
"A little tired? Sweetheart, you look dead on your feet." Pearl said, pulling away slightly, Impulse followed her lead but the two remained knelt, remained close. "When was the last time you got any sleep?" Pearl asked, from the look on her face she already knew that it wasn't a high number.
"I slept last night, a couple of hours." Two hours, it had been two. "I've just been a bit busy with making my base and the nether hub. It's not leaving me with a lot of time to rest, but it's fine." she said, she had chosen to build the nether hub, she couldn't go back on her promise now.
It was done for the most part anyway. All that needed to happen now was for the tunnels to be connected together. And the walls of the tunnels needed to be extended. And some portals needed to be lowered. Not to mention the work that was left on her base. The walls, the interior, the decorations, the landscaping that needed to be done outside.
A sigh escaped her, one that seemed to take all her energy. "We went home at the same time together Gem, did you go to bed right when you came home?" Impulse asked. It took a few seconds for Gem to realize that she'd been building with him the day before. It took longer for her to remember what she had done when she'd gotten home.
Her realization must have been obvious on her face as Impulse and Pearl made disapproving sounds. She skipped past telling them what she'd done and went straight to defending herself. "But I just needed to get the walls done, and the archway for the door. And some pillars."
"Okay, we're getting you to bed." Impulse announced, taking her by her arms and pulling her to her feet. The second he wasn't there to stabilize her, she fell. Her legs shook beneath her and she had no motivation to keep herself upright. So she fell.
Her eyes shut as she prepared for the pain that would come with hitting the floor, but this pain never came. Strong arms caught her and pulled her towards a warm chest before scooping her up completely. Her head found a shoulder, one that she used as a pillow.
Another hand ran through her hand, this one came from the opposite side of the body she rested against. The hand found its way to her forehead, it stayed there for a couple of seconds. "Is there something else you're not telling us Gem, something about that fever you've got for example." Pearl started.
Gem opened one of her eyes, "I might not be feeling the best either."
"Oh Gem, why didn't you just tell us that immediately?" Impulse asked, pulling her even closer to him. She opened her mouth to answer but found that she had no idea why she hadn't mentioned this. While she couldn't think of a reason, she still stood behind the decision to keep it quiet.
Maybe it felt like complaining. She had taken the responsibility of building the nether hub this season, something that had been done countless times before. And now here she was, unable to do it by herself. She hated that she couldn't do this, hated herself for being incapable of something so simple.
"Where are we going?" Impulse asked, the question wasn't aimed at Gem though. Pearl hummed, stepping onto the railing around their fire tower. She looked over the land around it as she searched for something. "Mine I guess, neither of yours is probably gonna be very warm." she said.
Impulse seemed to agree, his hold on Gem tightened as he leaned down and said, "Hold on," before jumping off the tower. The two of them gracefully glided through the air as Impulse's elytra caught him, Pearl wasn't far behind, staring at Gem where she was looking over Impulse's shoulder.
The cold air that came with an early morning cooled Gem's already freezing body. She tried to steal Impulse's warmth from him, but with the wind that attacked her it felt useless. She squeezed her eyes shut as her teeth started chattering, which in return worsened her headache.
She was happy that she didn't have to move, pretty sure that she wouldn't have been able to. Only when they landed did she feel a little better, but the cold didn't just disappear. It lingered, kept her teeth chattering, kept the airs on her body up and kept the shivers coming.
A warm hand was placed on her shoulder, one that could only belong to Pearl. "Follow me, I have the perfect spot for her." the woman announced, her touch left Gem, a loss that left greater than it should have. Impulse started moving, probably following Pearl as he was instructed.
They walked into a building, something Gem only realized when she noticed the lack of wind in her ears. It was warmer wherever they were, finally warming her to a point where her teeth didn't feel the need to attack each other. "I can't believe that this is here." Impulse mumbled.
Gem was placed onto a comfortable surface, but had to leave Impulse's arms to get there which she wasn't happy with. A groan escaped her, her own way of protesting this outrageous change. A chuckle left Impulse as he patted her on her shoulder, "Don't worry Gem, you'll be back in our arms in no-time." he assured her.
It was silent for a few seconds apart from footsteps that seemed to leave and enter the room. Gem wondered what was going on, she wanted to ask but was too busy drawing on the soft surface beneath her. Her own bed was probably just as comfortable, but it never felt that way.
The places of other people always felt more comfortable than her own.
When footsteps returned they stopped right by her side before a blanket came to cover her. "I got some clothes for you too, but you have to be sitting up to put them on." Pearl said, the surface beneath Gem deepened as the woman took a seat next to her. A couch, she was probably on a couch she realized.
A groan seemed to sum up perfectly what she thought of that idea. "I know, I know, but you can't stay in the uncomfortable clothes that you're wearing now. Come on, I'll help you and you can keep your eyes closed if that makes you feel better." Pearl tried, her reasoning weak. "For me?" she asked.
And that was all the convincing Gem needed to start pushing herself up. She would do anything for Pearl. Pearl hands came to help her, catching her and stirring her into the correct position. "Impulse could you-" she started but no more words were needed before footsteps sounded again, these leaving.
"I know, I'm gone already," he said.
"Thank you!" Pearl called after him, a smile audible in her words. She helped Gem out of her shirt a second later, quickly covering her back up with a new one. This one was soft, comfortable, warm. She moved to the pants next and eventually even switched Gem's shoes out for some fuzzy socks.
When she was done she helped Gem back into a laying position, covering her back up with the blanket from before. She tried to stand, probably to get something else, but Gem had a steady hold on her. A warm chuckle left Pearl, "Hey, I kind of need that arm Gem."
"Mine,"
The singular word brought another laugh from Pearl. "I'm kinda attached to it though, literally and figuratively." she replied, attempting to pull it out of Gem's grip without actual force. After a few more tugs she seemed to give in. "Fine, scoot over."
Gem did, creating space next to her for the woman. A smile fell over her face as she draped her body over Pearl's. Pearl's arms were around her a second later, holding her as if she was planning on leaving. "Impulse! You can come back in." she shouted, the volume of her words causing Gem to flinch as a spike of pain shot through her body.
A hand started brushing through her hair, a simple touch filled with care. "Sorry, do you have a headache?" Pearl asked, Gem wordlessly nodded, crawling closer to Pearl, using her chest as a pillow for her aching head, trying to soften the pounding.
"Hmm, we'll be quiet." she assured Gem, just then a set of footsteps reentered the room. "Impulse, come join us." Pearl said, keeping her voice low. The cushion beneath them deepened again as Impulse joined them. The man lay next to Pearl, moving carefully and slowly.
With the warmth of these two Gem soon fell asleep.
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Gem had no idea how much time had passed before she woke up. All she knew was that when she did, Impulse and Pearl were still there. She opened her eyes, finding the room around them lit only by a dim light, one that allowed her eyes to stay open without worsening her headache.
"Ah, look who's awake. How are you feeling?" Impulse asked from beside her as she took in the room. It was small with white walls and carpeted floor. She was pretty sure she hadn't been there before. The surface she was laying on was a couch, one simply created for comfort.
It was long and wide, wide enough for three people to fit next to each other, long enough for those people to stretch their legs. Even Pearl's feet weren't hanging off the edge. It looked more like a bed, but the place they were at didn't look like a bedroom.
A tv was placed at the footend, a small kitchen was placed to the side with an eating table in front of it. If anything this looked like a small apartment. "I- I'm fine, or well not fine but… better than earlier." she replied, her voice a little hoarse from the couple of hours she hadn't used it.
"You're in the fire station. I built a little area meant for relaxing in the back, I figured it would be perfect to use today. It usually is only for other fire fighters but I think nobody is gonna make a big deal about the architect of the nether hub spending some time here." Pearl explained.
Gem nodded along, worrying about the time she'd already spent there when she should have been working on the nether hub. Her body felt exhausted but the constant ache was gone. Her head was slightly pounding, but the ache had moved to the back of her head.
It seemed like a stomach had settled, the nausea replaced by hunger. "I uhm should really get back to the nether hub." she declared, attempting to push herself up but quickly finding that she couldn't. She stared at Pearl, waiting for the woman to release her.
"You really think we're gonna let you go back out there. You're gonna be stuck in bed for at least a couple more days. You need to rest Gem, and not just a couple of hours, you need to allow your body to heal." Pearl said in a soft tone. Her words sounded condescending, but they weren't.
Gem shook her head, an action she regretted seconds later. "No, no, Pearl I don't have time to rest. I need to finish the nether hub. You saw the state it's in. People can't get to their portals, they keep getting lost, it needs to be fixed sooner rather than later." she said, trying to push herself up once more.
"Is that what this is about, Gem the nether up can wait, the hermits can wait. We've all seen the progress you've already made, you've been working so hard. Allow yourself a break." he said, as if that was so easy to do. She was about to shake her head again, but stopped herself just in time.
"I can't, I can rest once this is done. Nobody has- nobody else has struggled making the nether hub, people have been making them for so long. And- and now I'm trying and I'm failing, I can't do it. But I have to, because it's what I signed up for. So I gotta do it now." she protested, her tired brain rattling on.
Impulse blocked her from getting up this time. "What? You actually believe that?" The lack of answer seemed enough for Impulse. "Bdubs took months to even get started, Tango passed out from sleep deprivation halfway through, X actually managed to starve himself." the man started to list.
It sounded like he could go on for hours but Pearl stopped him before he could actually do this. "The point is that building a nether hub isn't nothing, especially when you're also working on your own base. Whatever it is you do, place your own needs first. No hermit is gonna get angry at you for that."
Their words sounded so easy, so believable that Gem genuinely started wondering why she's ever worried about someone getting angry. These were the hermits that they were talking about. They would never get angry at her. "Now that that's settled, let me up, it's time for some soup." Pearl declared.
After a little fight, and a bribe from Impulse telling her that he would cuddle with her, she let go of the woman. Pearl walked towards the small kitchen and started working there while Gem crawled into the space in between Impulse's legs, resting the back of her head against his chest.
She didn't really want to fall asleep again, so they had moved into a seated position. The television was turned on and some silly movie was turned on. Pearl disappeared at one point, returning with a hair brush and some hair ties as Impulse helped Gem braid her hair.
The man started by simply removing the nods with his fingers before he used the brush. Then he separated the hair in three sections before skillfully braiding her hair. Gem knew that he was able to do a simple braid, but she'd never appreciated it more than at that moment.
When he was done, so was the soup.
Pearl joined the group back on the couch, now with three steaming bowls of soup in her hands. She shared them with the others, warning them of the heat. Gem sat between Pearl and Impulse, arms dragged around her shoulders and a warm bowl of soup on her lap.
When the fire tower had been built she knew that she was gonna use it one day for comfort. She'd just never imagined that this was the situation she would find herself in. She never realized just how useful the fire tower actually was.