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Nufuli roamed around his comfortable cabin.
His base in the sky, as much as it was comfortable, it was super easy to find, and he needed a more secluded spot to relax.
His cabin was warm, fire crackling on the first floor, a cozy rug laid in front of the fireplace. A couch faced the fire, kitchen next to the living area. The front door sat behind the couch a few feet away, and a wood ladder led to the partial second floor where the beds were. The entire cabin was open so you could see the gorgeous triangular roof with lights hanging from the wood beams. Aquariums stood by the doors, little goldfish swimming around in them.
It was peaceful, and he wasn't alone.
Doopter took up most of the couch snoring, Loonac stood in the kitchen trying to make cookies, HD hanging her legs on one of the second floor posts laughing, and Leo tended to the goldfish. Even Wyll was there, though he looked out of place.
Nufuli only invited him because of Slushly. He knew the man was apprehensive, worried about the man who killed Stormz. He was trying to find him, but was having trouble. Nufuli suggested he should relax, take a night to try and enjoy himself.
The green robotic android stood in the corner looking out one of the few windows, his plug he used to charge himself swung lightly from under his hair.
The leviathan turned on his record player near the second floor ladder and placed a vinyl record on the turntable. Familiar music filled his ears as he walked over to the android.
HD had hopped down and was now grabbing a marker to scribble on Doopter’s sleeping face. Leo finished feeding the fish and now watched and walked over to Loonac struggling to put the pan of cookies in the oven without melting.
“Hey.” Nufuli said, his shark-like tail swishing.
The android looked in his direction. “This place is nice.” He continued to look outside at the night sky. “We could go outside if you'd like.” Nufuli suggested.
They walked out the front door, leaving the laughter and music behind.
Nufuli’s tail felt the soft blades of grass as Wyll’s plug sparked. He stopped.
“What did you do to him.” Wyll asked.
Nufuli knew this question would pop up one day, but he still was nervous about answering. Deep down, he knew Slushly’s snapping was partially his fault.
“I-I worked with him to gather the keys for the City of Life. Then, maced him a few times… and took the keys. I told him he couldn't come with me.”
“Why did you do that..?”
“What?”
“You don't do things without reason, Nufuli. Why did you hurt him? Why did you push him away?”
“I-” Nufuli scratched the back of his neck and sighed. “I.. I was scared. Scared of losing him. I was starting to see him as a friend and I- I didn't want to lose.. him.” He uttered.
“I had grown attached, and I thought if I pushed him away, if I made him hate me… he wouldn't come with me. He wouldn't help me.
But I guess he also had his own agenda.”
Wyll examined him as if trying to see if he was lying. “Thank you for telling me.”
Nufuli stared at the stars. “Don't get me wrong, I care… a lot for my friends. For him. But, I know what having bonds can do for the worst.
I didn’t and still don't feel good about what I did to him.”
Wyll walked towards him as he lowered his gaze from the sky. “You need to get out of the mindset of only thinking about the bad things. Bonds.. yes they can be painful to break, but they lift you up. They help you when you are down. They support you. It is what makes you human, having feelings. Close friends that will help you through anything.” he looked back at the warm cabin.
“Thank you for sharing with me.” the android repeated. “He missed you, y'know. After the fact.”
That only shoved the knife of guilt deeper. “I promise.. I'll explain everything once I see him again.” He said firmly. He already planned to, but knowing someone else knew now, it lifted a little weight. “Come, let's go back inside, we can see if Loonac made some good cookies.” The android smiled.
They both walked towards the door, but something made Nufuli’s hair stand up. There was no light under the doorway. The music he couldn't hear anymore and the laughter was replaced with dead silence.
Wyll seemed to notice it as well, and pulled his katana-esque blade off his back. Nufuli put his hand on the doorknob, and swung it open.
Darkness.
Silence.
Nothing.
The lively cabin was reduced to an empty husk.
“Where's the breaker?” Wyll asked. “Down in the basement.” Nufuli pointed to the stairs beside the front door. Wyll went down the stairs as Nufuli searched the main area.
He entered the kitchen first, seeing the cookie tray on the counter.
Tip.
He could hear the lightest sound behind the counter.
He waited, then jumped out with his blade.
Nothing.
He continued his slow pace, walking behind the couch looking at the fireplace. That's when he caught a glimpse of..
Yellow.
The figure put their hand over his mouth, the other holding a sword stabbing through his gut. Nufuli let out a screech, but the hand muffled the pained call. They left the blade in his side, dragging him to the rug in front of the fireplace. He tried to call out to Wyll, but the hand was as if it was glued over his mouth.
He tried to scratch his attacker’s arm, hair, face. He couldn’t find anything. The sword hit the side of the couch, tearing through his skin more. He yelped again, this time a small sound escaping through the person's fingers.
Before he could scream out again, his attacker hit him hard in the neck, sending him into blackness.
—
A high pitch squeak. From upstairs.
Wyll’s lights flickered. He'd found the breaker, but it was fried. None of the switches were working. He uped the light capacity on his antenna and the lights on his arms.
Nufuli.
He made his way up the stairs, slower to make sure no one would jump him. When he reached the top, he saw a figure holding a sword above something behind the couch.
“STOP!” Wyll yelled. The figure turned, their yellow eyes glowing in the darkness. Yellow lightning crackled on their arms. “Slushly, what are you doing?!”
He saw the leviathan’s figure laying on the rug, blood pooling from his side. “Hello?!” He yelled, trying to take the sword from him. The human swung his sword against Wyll’s metal arm. His pain receptors went off and sent a yellow damage warning in front of his face. He ignored it.
“I have to do this.”
The tone was not something Wyll expected to hear come out of his mouth. “No you don't.” the android tried to grab Slushly’s arm and drag him away, but the human shocked him. The lightning fried some of his circuits, forcing him to let go.
“Slushly, no.” Wyll said, his voice box glitching.
“You left me behind. Why do you only care about me now?” He demanded, holding his sword at his head. “I never left you behind! Slushly, I would never leave you behind.
Think about what you are doing!”
He looked down at the leviathan’s fading colour. “He-he tried to kill me. He deserves this.” Slushly said with a sliver of doubt in his tone. “He didn't do it out of malice, Slushly. He cares for you!”
“Then why did he crush my skull?! Why did he chase me, until I had nothing left?!” Slushly blurted, anger and hurt covering his previous doubt. “He-”
“Stop trying to defend him!” He swung again, cracking his screen. Yellow damage warnings came up again but the android ignored them.
“He– didn'..t do i..t the righ–t way I’ll ag..ree.” Wyll’s voice box crackled and sparked. “Just a..ask him. He w..oul-d’ve answer..ed you.
H..e does c–c-are.”
Slushly looked back at the android.
Wyll dropped his blade.
“I-I’m not fig..ht-ing you ok–kay.” He mustered. “K–ill me i..f you’d li–ike. But I pro–mise I'm te…lling the tru–uth.”
Lightning crackled at a minimum around his arms, as if unsure. He didn't know what to think.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nufuli sit up, scooting himself away.
“I… I don't know.” Slushly muttered. “He-he left me. I didn't… I didn't know if I had done something wrong, or if he just hated me.
You left, Aspen’s dead,” his voice cracked with sorrow. “I-I have to rely on myself. If no one cares for me, I'll care for myself.”
“He ca–res Slushly. So d..do I-”
“Shut up!” He swung his sword across his body, damaging his life systems, fluids and parts breaking. The yellow damage warning signs turned to red.
Wyll fell backwards, hitting the hardwood floor. “Y-you don't care! You… you’re just trying to spoon feed me lies.” Slushly justified himself, pointing his blade downwards. “N-no Slush..hly I'm no-t.” Wyll tried to convince him.
Slushly went silent. Tears welled up in his eyes, the lightning around his arms crackling. “No..no I'm doing this for me. For you.” He said. “Sl-ushly who a..re you ta–alking to?” Wyll asked.
“No, I didn't leave you to die. No I promise.” He muttered, grabbing the side of his face. “This-this is for me. They don't care.”
…
“Stop it! They left me, they don't care!” He exclaimed, shaking his head. Wyll didn't know what to do. He could barely work properly, and Slushly was in a psychotic break. He needed to get up.
He tried to move his legs, forcing himself to function. Red warnings covered his vision but he managed to stand.
He saw Nufuli crawling towards him, hiding behind the couch. He'd roughly patched his wound and was drinking a health potion. “What do we do?”
“He's… we nee..ed to brin-g him ba..ck to re-ality.” Wyll whispered. “Let me try.” Nufuli said. “I need to explain myself.”
“He's un-unstable right now. Be… care-ful.” Wyll whispered back. He moved his broken body behind the couch.
—
“Why are you here? You’re dead. You’re dead.” He repeated, his hands shaking.
“Slushly?” Nufuli said, wincing at the pain in his side. The mad man turned.
“A-arent you dead too? Why are you here.. why are you here.. can’t you just leave me alone?!” he exclaimed. “No, no I'm real.” Nufuli stepped closer.
Slushly looked from side to side, his iris’ small. “Are you sure? I st-stabbed you.” he looked at his side. “I patched it up, see?” He showed the man his sloppy bandages.
Thank the gods for healing potions.
Slushly stayed silent, staring at the bandage. “Why did you leave me? Why did you hurt me? I just-just wanted a friend. I had no one, and y-you hurt me! Left me…” He pointed the blade at him again, lightning enlarging around his arms.
“Slushly… I'm sorry.” The mad man froze, staring into Nufuli’s eyes.
“I-I never meant to hurt you, I promise. I-I was worried if you came with me to the City… you would die. I didn't want to lose another friend, and I thought the only way you wouldn't come was if… you hated me.”
Slushly stayed silent. “So I attacked you. Made it seem like I used you for my own personal gain.
But I promise, I didn't want to hurt you. I just..didn't want to lose a friend.”
Slushly’s hand shook. “Do you know how you made me feel..?” He stuttered.
Fuck.
“Do you know how it feels to be left in the trees, your head throbbing and bleeding from a mace, trying to piece together why you were the problem? Why everyone left… why you were left behind?”
“No, I don't. And I’ll understand if you never forgive me.” His own tears were falling now. “I still care. I've always cared. I.. I'm sorry Slushly. I truly am.”
The man trembled. His hands let go of his blade and fell into the leviathan. Nufuli winced as he fell to his knees, the man sobbing, gripping his jacket. Wyll came out from behind the couch and scooted his way over, joining the hug.
“I'm sorry, Slushly.” Nufuli whispered. Nufuli’s stomach turned from the pressure on his wound, but he kept hugging. They sat there for a few minutes, embracing each other, until Slushly adjusted his arm and hit the leviathan’s bandages.
He yelped, both of them removing themselves. “You did such a shitty job on these bandages.” Slushly commented. “I was kinda in a hurry. I didn't have time to make them look pretty.” Nufuli smiled, still gritting his teeth. “Let me fix them for you.” Slushly opened an ender chest.
“Where did everyone go? Leo, HD-”
“Oh uh… I kinda threatened them and tied them outside. I don't know–”
“NUFULI! WATCH OUT!” Doopter broke through the window. He stared at the three sitting on the floor: Slushly grabbing bandages, Nufuli wincing from movement and Wyll a heap of broken metal.
“What the fuck is happening.”