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“Mapicc, I- I don’t know what to do.”
Spoke choked on the words as he tilted his body up as high as it could go without outright standing up, clinging to any semblance of time he had left. The void hummed beneath him, a low, dull throb that soaked through his skin and burrowed into his very atoms.
His gaze slowly drifted to the invisible diamond player in front of him, who was significantly lower, but not close enough for the void to claim them. He couldn’t see their expression, but he had no doubts their expression was a mix of things. Despair, maybe; that instinctive need to survive no matter what. Or maybe it was quiet acceptance; that realization that no matter what you do, you’re not making it out.
Spoke’s trembling hands tightened around the last firework he had with him, fingers tracing the little grooves and nicks in the red and white shell. He could use it right now, get a little more height, cling right to the top of the bedrock above him. But if he did, then if freedom did end up coming, he’d have no way of grabbing onto it without momentum to push him.
“Spoke, just- just stay calm, please,” Mapicc’s voice buzzed in his ear, cracking slightly, although he didn’t know if it was from the static of their communicators or something else. “I’m gonna get you out of there, just hold on for a bit longer. Don’t fall into the void, do what you need to to stay up.”
“Mapicc?” He whispered, afraid that if he spoke up, the void would shift closer to silence him. It swallowed everything into its eternal embrace of stillness, refusing to let anything out. It was like a black hole in a way, taking away everything and filing them into a single slot, unable to be differentiated from the atom next to it.
“Yeah, Spoke?”
“It’s so cold,” Spoke sucked in a breath. It wasn’t the kind of cold that made you shiver and wish for blankets, no, it sank deeper than any blizzard could reach. It pried through his skin and settled into his very soul, a single crystal of ice blossoming out across the viscera and gore of his life.
“I know, Spoke. Just hold out a little longer, we’re almost there,” Mapicc pleaded, and Spoke knew that this time, the crack in his words wasn’t from their communicators struggling against the silence of the void.
“Can you keep talking?” His nails scraped at a section of the red paint along the firework’s shell, chipping apart and staining his fingers with red. It was kinda like redstone dust, but more of a pastel red rather than the deep, bloodied look of redstone.
“Yeah, uh- what should I…”
“Just, anything. Please.” Spoke chewed on his lip, gaze flicking over to the diamond player again. Their invisibility still hadn’t worn out, and it dawned on him that he could no longer see their ankles. His breath hitched in his throat as he came to the sickening realization that in what may be his last moments, he wouldn’t even get to see a person’s face.
“Okay.” Mapicc’s voice cut through the static dripping into his mind, a leak that was splitting open further, becoming a steady rivulet of numbness. “I uh- I’m honestly surprised we figured this out. I mean, I know it’s always been just us two against the world, but I didn’t expect that to stick even now, y’know? I thought we’d at least have, y’know, an actual army to take down the mafia with. Not Parrot and Wemmbu and…”
“Minute?” Spoke’s voice came out hoarse as he choked back tears, vision blurry. “It’s okay, you can say his name. I… I’m not mad at him. I never was. I was just- god, I was being so stupid and petty and reckless, and he seemed so calm and logical and it just- it pissed me off, okay?”
“Spoke,” Mapicc interrupted and Spoke’s jaw clicked shut, gaze drifting back down to the invisible player. Their knees had been swallowed by the void now and their head hung in a quiet recognition of the situation they were in, unable to escape and knowing that fighting would make it worse.
“Yeah?”
“Minute isn’t upset.”
Spoke’s mind went blank. No witty quips came to mind, no heartfelt rants, not even a simple ‘really?’ came to mind. He just stared blankly at the darkness beneath him, a home that always dragged him back, like shackles tightening around his wrists and ankles. He made a weak noise, like a bird being strangled and letting out one last desperate song.
“I don’t think he could ever be upset at us, despite… everything. I mean, you were an ass, let’s be real,” Mapicc admitted, and Spoke could practically hear the sheepish shrug in his voice. He let out a startled laugh and closed his eyes, imagining Mapicc’s lips twitching into a faint smile. “But I think he would forgive you, no matter what.”
“Fuck, man,” Spoke choked out, opening his eyes again. It didn’t make much of a difference, though, vision blurry with tears that slipped down his cheeks. He brought his hand to his mouth to stifle the sob that clawed its way out of his throat, feeling the way his breath warmed his fingers, a sign that he was still alive.
“How are you holding up?” Mapicc continued, as if reading Spoke’s mind, sensing his need to shift the topic from the emotions that were spilling out of his mouth.
“I’m uh- nothing’s fading into the void for me yet,” he mumbled. “Diamond player isn’t so lucky, they’re now waist-deep in the void.”
Mapicc made a sympathetic noise and Spoke hummed in quiet agreement, watching them again. Their hands curled into fists and he could almost imagine their face twisting in agony as the stillness of the void settled over their organs, hitting nothing lethal quite yet. But even despite the pain, they didn’t scream, or even make a noise.
He wanted to whistle in appreciation for their sheer commitment and loyalty to Ash even in their dying moments, but his throat ran dry and no amount of swallowing saliva fixed it. So he simply watched them fade in silent, excruciating pain, upper torso being swallowed by the void now.
He jolted as his ankles prickled with numbness and it took every ounce of strength in him not to fire off the firework right then and there. His breath came out sharp, more like a gasp than anything, and he spared a desperate glance up at the roof of bedrock above him. “Mapicc? How’s my escape coming along?”
“Just a bit longer, Spoke. You’ll be out in no time, I promise. You’re not pulling some self-sacrificial bullshit after everything we’ve been through,” he laughed, but it was off, like it was pushed out of his mouth to stop himself from sobbing. It seemed that Mapicc was coming to the realization that his time was ticking, too.
“Mapicc?”
“Yeah, Spoke?”
Spoke took a deep breath, but it caught in his throat, uncomfortably pressing against his vocal cords and straining his voice. “I- I love you, man. You’re my best friend in the entire world, and I’m glad I met you. And I’m glad you stuck with me despite all that I did wrong, even when I tried to push you away-”
“Spoke, stop it,” Mapicc snapped. “Don’t you dare start talking like that. You’re making it out of this alive, and you’re gonna say those words to my face, and we’re gonna hug until our bones are fused and archaeologists can’t figure out where you start and I end, okay?”
“You’re insane,” Spoke laughed, the sound wet and strained with sobs. “You’re actually insane, saying stuff like that. If I get out of this-”
“When.”
“Okay, fine, when I get out of this, I’m never letting you live that down,” Spoke snorted, clenching the rocket between his fingers as his knees began to tickle and itch, like thousands of pins pricking under his skin and trying to pull him down to a board.
“Oh, screw you too, asshole. You can’t even judge me, you started getting all sappy and having this whole spiel about how much you love me ‘cause you think you’re gonna die. Which you aren’t, by the way,” Mapicc huffed.
“You’re insufferable, is that what you wanna hear in my final moments? You’re the worst friend a person could ask for.”
Silence stretched between them for a few moments, before they both burst into laughter, and Spoke felt his chest heave with the combined effort of sobbing, laughing, and trying to breathe what little air was left in the void. He squeezed his eyes shut, imagining the sting in his chest to be Mapicc shoving him back, laughing as his face twisted into one of mock annoyance.
The silence came again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable, rather the type of silence that came from recovering after a bout of laughter. Spoke’s grin slowly slipped and his eyes drifted to the void, gut coiling with nausea when he couldn’t find the invisible player any longer. Not a sound had come from them, they’d just endured silently until they slipped away.
“Spoke?” Mapicc’s voice cut through again, this time brimming with energy.
“What’s up?”
“Look- look up! Can you see the light?”
Spoke’s eyes narrowed and he scanned the bedrock ceiling for any differences. Then, he spotted it- a faint light, barely glimmering in the sheer darkness of the void, like it was being swallowed by the void itself. Spoke gasped softly and he glanced down at the firework in his hands, grip tightening as he braced himself. “I do. Do I fly over?”
“Yeah, we’re gonna grab you.”
Spoke’s brows furrowed at the ‘we’, but he scraped the firework’s fuse against his netherite chestplate, sparks flying and nearly hitting his face. Though, the fuse lit up and as it was chewed away by the bundle of sparks, he tucked it into a mini capsule along his boots, body tensing.
An explosion screamed behind him and he flew forward, elytra snapping open fully to catch the momentum. A grin split his face, nearly reaching his ears, and he stretched his arm up way above his head. As he passed under the gap that the light shimmered through, a hand curled around his wrist tightly, nearly bruising with their grip.
His body jolted at the sudden change in motion but he was quickly yanked up through the hole, and he instinctively held his breath as water splashed at his hair. His foot caught on the walls around him and he shoved himself up, finally reaching the surface. He gasped as cold air hit him, desperately gulping it down into his lungs.
He shook his head around, water spraying from his hair and face onto the surrounding floor, and he blinked away the droplets that clung stubbornly to his eyelashes. When he opened his eyes again, he glanced over, immediately spotting Mapicc. But his gaze drifted over to another figure, the dark hands that had curled around his arm and dragged him up from the void.
Minute stared at him, diamond trim glinting in the faint light of the castle, fingers twitching towards Spoke instinctively but curling into fists to stop himself. Nobody said anything for a few moments, and Spoke felt the silence stretch like a rubber band, straining and tightening until it snapped.
He barreled into Mapicc and Minute, nails digging into the back of their shirts as he sobbed. The side of his head collided with Mapicc’s chest and he heard the slight wheeze as Mapicc’s body took the impact, but his heartbeat rang steadily against his ears, a constant thump-thump-thump; I love you-I love you-I love you.
Then, Spoke buried his face in the crook between Minute’s shoulder and neck, where the chestplate had a small gap. He smelled like gapples and ozone, and it was nearly enough to have Spoke double over sobbing twice as hard. Though, he bit his lip until it bled, stifling down the sobs.
“Spoke- shit, man, you’re not looking good,” Mapicc hissed between his teeth. Spoke knew exactly what he meant, no doubt his body distorting with the pull of the void, wisps of himself snapping off from his body and floating into nothing. Still, he didn’t dare pull back, holding the both of them tighter to himself, like they could trap his body into one form.
“You’re crying,” Minute murmured softly, hands cupping around Spoke’s face, forcing his chin up. Minute brushed tears off of his cheeks with his thumbs, eyes scanning his face for any signs of injury besides the claim of the void.
“I’m fine,” he croaked out, even if everyone already knew it was a lie. Minute’s brows twitched with subtle worry and he shifted one hand to his belt, searching the various pouches and slots until he came across what he was after. A regen potion was brought to his lips, the grape liquid inside lightly sloshing around.
Spoke opened his mouth and swallowed it down despite how sickeningly sweet it was, knowing that Minute would be more upset with him if he denied it. Once it was emptied, he glanced down at himself, curious to see what injuries he’d tanked while being hunted in the void.
He winced as he spotted several slashes and bruises along his body, the trickle of blood having slowed down and beginning to clot instead. It was then that his adrenaline completely crashed and a dull ache washed over him. He groaned, slumping back against Mapicc, whose arms easily curled around him to support him up.
“Okay, maybe I’m not that fine,” he laughed weakly, watching with morbid curiosity as the worst of the wounds began to stitch shut. Gapples didn’t actually close wounds, but rather stopped them from bleeding, so they always needed to be tended to after a battle.
Minute’s hand curled into his own, gently squeezing and thumb tracing along the back of it, brushing over his veins and tendons so softly that Spoke almost choked on a sob. His eyes drifted shut as his head lolled to the side, exhausted from keeping himself upright and battle-ready.
“Minute?” He whispered.
“Yeah?”
Spoke peeked open an eye to glance at Minute, who perked up. His gaze drifted down as his stomach curled, heart squeezing in his chest. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for yelling at you. You were right, I was being a complete idiot and irrational, and I should’ve- I should’ve listened to you.”
“Spoke, don’t say that about yourself.” Minute reached his hands up to cup Spoke’s face, forcing him to look into his eyes. His brows were furrowed slightly, not out of anger, but rather concern. “You weren’t in a good spot and lashed out, but I understand. You’re not an idiot, you’re just… you’re just young and tryna fix the world on your own.”
Spoke hiccuped, leaning into Minute’s hands and pressing his own hands against the back of Minute’s, like he could hold him in place. He knew Minute wouldn’t move away, but his heart rose into his throat at the mere thought of it. “But I said-”
“I know,” Minute shushed him gently. “I know what you said, but I forgive you. Just don’t do it again, okay? Don’t let yourself boil over like that. We’re by your side for a reason.”
Mapicc nodded, lightly squeezing Spoke’s shoulders. “Yeah, I knew you were being stupid, but I also knew that leaving you on your own would make it ten times worse. We’re sticking together through thick and thin, okay?”
“Okay.” His throat was achingly dry no matter how much he swallowed, but at least his body was buzzing with chaotic but familiar energy. He’d gotten so close to returning to the void, to no longer being a person but just a memory.
“We should get out of here, whatever diamonds are left will definitely realise what’s going on and be on their way,” Minute sighed, standing up and offering his hand out. Mapicc took it, wrapping his arm around Spoke somewhat tightly to pull him up with himself. Spoke stumbled briefly, legs trembling underneath him.
“You good to fly, Spoke?” Mapicc murmured, eyes large with concern and care. Spoke nodded, not wanting to choke on his words. He smoothed out his elytra, making sure there weren’t any major tears or creases in it, before nodding and trailing after Minute.
Mapicc stayed by his side the entire time, letting Spoke lean against him like a support column. Their boots scuffed against the ground as they crept up the stairs leading outside of the foreboding castle. Spoke peeked over his shoulder at the thousands of empty stasis chambers, a small smile twitching at his lips.
“We actually did it.” He wasn’t sure if his words were clear or loud enough, but Mapicc nodded, a grin slowly spreading across his face. He bumped his shoulder against Spoke’s gently.
“We did it! The mafia’s defeated, all thanks to us,” he cheered.
Minute hummed, “and I know where Ash’s stasis chamber is, thanks to a little clue I found.”
Both Mapicc and Spoke perked up at that, Mapicc’s tail twitching in excitement. Spoke was only able to straighten his posture ever so slightly, as he didn’t exactly have any energy to burn freely to display his excitement. But, he did beam at Minute, holding his hand out expectantly.
Minute tucked a book into his hands and he instinctively flipped through the pages, but found nothing written inside. Minute chuckled, “check the front.”
Spoke nodded and closed the book again, instead searching the cover. It was scuffed and covered in dust, but if he squinted, he could make out a series of numbers scratched into the cover. “Coordinates.”
“They’re not that far from here, either. But I’m sure you want a quick rest stop and the chance to re-gear yourself-”
“No,” Spoke interrupted, shocked at the finality in his voice. “The longer we leave Ash alone, the more likely he is to escape somehow.”
“Are you sure you’re up for that…?” Mapicc glanced over Spoke, who was still leaning against him for support. Spoke shrugged and reached out to Minute, gesturing for the fireworks tucked away into his belt. Minute sighed but halved his stack and offered them to Spoke.
“I just want it out of the way, man. This has gone on for far too long,” he groaned. “As soon as Ash is out of the picture, then we can go have a massive nap together.”
“We’re totally dragging Minute into it, right?” Mapicc grinned, glancing at Minute, who raised his hands in mock surrender.
“Of course, it’s been too long since we’ve seen him,” Spoke chuckled. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”
Spoke shoved the rockets into the capsule of his netherite boots and struck the fuse against it, launching up into the air.
Together, they soared through the air, reunited after everything.