Work Text:
"I'm going to kill BranzyCraft."
Wifies looked up from hoeing the soil, glanced around as if he was worried someone might hear, then redirected his attention to stare at his avian friend in shock. "What?"
Parrot met Wifies' dark gaze steadily. "You heard me the first time. I have to do it."
Wifies shifted uneasily on his feet, brushing a lock of hair from his face. "You don't have to do anything, Parrot. Think about it first, at least."
"I have," responded Parrot firmly. "And I've made up my mind. Don't you see it, Wifies? Didn't you hear him that day? ClownPierce said that he's never gonna stop hunting me until I'm dead at the point of his blade. And now I'm supposed to meet him at his castle soon and if I don't go he's gonna kill you as well. At least this gives me leverage."
"Yeah, but what makes you think he'd stop even after you… kill Branzy?"
"It's obvious, bro! Because the one person Clown cares about is Branzy. If we take away the only thing he truly holds dear, he'll stop hunting me."
"If we kill him, then we're no better than Clown." Wifies argued.
"Clown is inherently evil." Parrot blinked, surprised at his outburst. He really thought this was a good plan. "We're not on the same level to begin with."
Wifies shook his head slowly. "Yes, I know he's evil. But- why stoop down to join him? I'm sure there's another way. We can think of one, I'm sure of-"
"That's not the point, Wifies!" Parrot snapped, then he stopped and breathed in a couple times to calm himself. "The point is, we don't have that time! Clown's gonna come after me again, and I don't know how many more times we can hold him back."
Wifies slowly nodded, but it was clear he was unhappy. "Okay." He said. "Okay. I hope you know what you're doing, Parrot. Do- do you want me to follow you?"
"No, I'm going there by myself." Parrot said. "I'll be fine. You wait here. I'll meet you after a few hours."
Wifies looked pained. "Parrot, are you absolutely sure?"
"Yes." The avian responded firmly. "I'm going through this to the end."
"Fine." Wifies came forward to wrap his arms around Parrot. "Stay safe. Don't die out there."
Parrot melted into the hug, feeling his throat close over the rest of the words he wanted to say.
I don't want to do this.
I don't want you to die.
I don't want to die.
Instead, he buried his face into the side of Wifies' neck and closed his eyes, drawing in his friend's comforting scent, the steady warmth that rolled from his body like a second skin.
Wifies' hand drifted up, stroking through the feathers on the sides of his head, slowly, gently, like he always was with Parrot.
"I'll be back," Parrot whispered.
"Of course you will be." Wifies murmured back. "Good luck, bro."
He released him.
Parrot backed away and spread his wings. The dazzling coloured feathers reflected the sun beaming down from above. "Remember the backup plan," he said. "Just hide for now. I don't want Clown to have an upper hand against me."
Wifies nodded. "I know. I'll be careful."
"See you later, bro."
Wifies offered him a smile and a wave. "Yeah, see you."
And Parrot leaped into the air with a powerful downbeat of wings.
Before Parrot even went to where Branzy had his base, he made a quick stop to a nearby island in the middle of the ocean, sheltered by jungle oaks and, hidden deep within, a small oasis filled with crystal-clear water.
Upon landing, he tucked his wings close to his back and pulled out his netherite sword to cut down any stray vines that got into his way. Luckily, the island wasn't very big, and soon he got to where he was supposed to be.
There was a tall pale figure, standing by the oasis, hands folded behind his back as he stared deep into the pool. His hair was pitch black, save for a few streaks of white near his fringe, and he was dressed in a dark suit that was tailored and cut to imposing lines.
"Leowook." Parrot greeted, halting just a few paces away. "Is everything set to plan?"
"Parrot," the man's smooth voice did not shift as he turned his head slightly in acknowledgment. "You're here. You spoke with Wifies? I did not think he'd take too well to this."
"Well- he didn't like it." Parrot admitted. "But he didn't stop me either. I suppose that's a good thing?"
"It definitely is." Leowook said. "So. I did what you asked. Everything's set and ready. It's up to you now, Parrot."
"You couldn't be any less passionate." Parrot muttered softly.
Leowook shrugged. "It is what it is."
"Right. I… thanks." Parrot hesitated. "For this. It must have taken a ton of resources." He knew Leowook was relatively rich. One of the few well-off players still thriving on the server. But he still felt bad for asking for such a large request.
Leowook gave a soft huff. "I'm only helping you because I want ClownPierce dead. If it weren't for that I wouldn't bother with you, Parrot. I told you that before we agreed to help each other, and I'm telling you again now so neither of us forget. This is only a professional friendship."
"Of course," Parrot said eloquently. "I wouldn't dream of it to be anything else."
Leowook snorted. "You might as well have this as well." The man tossed an object in Parrot's direction.
Parrot caught it and examined it. It was a fishing rod with enough durability to last only one pull. "A stasis rod? Where does it lead to?"
"One of our bases a couple thousand blocks out from here." Leowook informed him. "Pull it and you'll be teleported there instantly. Jumper or Derapchu will be there in case of anything, so you needn't worry about it. All you have to do is kill Branzy, and try to kill Clown."
"Try to? You think I can't?" Parrot's head feathers twitched as he raised a brow.
"Yes," Leowook said bluntly. "I don't think you can. And it's not something personal, Parrot. It's just that I've been hunting him for ages with the best of PvPers at my side, and he still lives somehow. I wouldn't be surprised if you don't manage to kill him."
Parrot mused over this. "I see."
"Didn't bring Wifies with you?" Leowook tilted his head. "Now that's surprising. You two stick to each other like glue. He's always pressed to your side."
"I didn't want him involved in this." Parrot said. "He's already in it as it is. And besides, Clown wanted to meet me alone."
For the first time, Leowook looked doubtful. "You think he'll keep to his own word? Last time we went to the castle, Ferre was there as well."
"That was only because we kidnapped Branzy." Parrot didn't know why, but the words felt like poison on his tongue, bitter and vile. "This time that won't happen."
Leowook regarded him for a moment or two. Then he shrugged again. "Yeah, fine. Good luck out there, I guess."
The man then glanced up between the canopy. "You'd better go. It looks like it might storm."
Parrot dipped his head. "I appreciate the help, bro."
"Hmm." Leowook shifted to look at the oasis, but his gaze was trained on nothing.
Parrot turned away to walk back to the shore.
When he reached there, he stretched out his feathers and jumped, shooting up into the sky. The wind flowed around him in a comforting cocoon, and he tilted his wings in bliss, enjoying the cool air.
The enjoyment was soon fizzling out the nearer he flew towards the place where Branzy lived an hour or so later. A decent sized mooshroom island with a ton of - surprisingly - cranes of various sizes as well as dug out craters to form a sort of construction site.
The spotted red mushrooms stood out in stark contrast to the surrounding brown of the island, but when Parrot flew closer, the brown mushrooms became visible as well, casting deep shadows on the flat ground. Mooshroom cows roamed about, chewing the odd grass here and there.
Parrot landed on the top of a crane to catch his breath and survey the area. It was quiet, dead almost. He wondered if Branzy was home.
He hoped Branzy had gone off somewhere and never returned.
Parrot glanced up at the sky and shivered faintly. It did look dark.
He didn't want to kill Branzy He'd better get this over with quickly.
"It's just that." He chirruped to himself firmly, staring at his reflection in a metal part of the crane. "I have to do this. I have to."
Somehow, his reflection didn't look impressed.
Ignoring that, Parrot took out potions of speed, strength, and fire resistance and splashed them on himself. With the colourful motes swirling around his body, Parrot dropped down from the crane and glided silently to where the factory was, at the back of the island. Also where Branzy had made his base.
When his feet touched the ground, he stalked quietly to the entrance and peered in from the doorway.
Please not be there please not be there please not be there-
Branzy was in the middle of the floor, tying a lead around a mooshroom's neck and humming a jaunty tune to himself. His purple tipped white hair was messy and had bits of straw tangled in the strands.
Parrot didn't know how or why such a person could be someone like ClownPierce's closest friend.
Parrot took a deep breath. I have to do this.
If he was so certain, why did he repeat himself so many times?
Shut up.
Exhaling, Parrot straightened and walked into the factory, letting his boots crunch the ground hard. "Hello, Branzy."
The white-haired man froze, fingers stilling on the lead. Slowly, he stood up and turned around, bright violet eyes widening in apprehension. He gave a strained laugh. "O-oh. Um, Parrot. H-hi! What- um… brings you here? So… far out from… Spawn?"
I don't know, Branzy. I don't know.
Parrot made his tone as flat and formal as possible. "BranzyCraft, I'm here to kill you."
For a long second, Branzy blinked rapidly like a lost owl. And when he finally spoke, his voice shook. "W-what does- why do you want t-to kill me? Have I done something to- to offend you?"
No, you haven't. You haven't.
"Yes," Parrot moved closer, drawing out his netherite sword with a ring of pure sharp metal. "You are affiliated with ClownPierce."
"O-oh." Branzy wasn't wearing any armour - why would he? He wasn't a fighter anyway - and he started to back away, releasing the mooshroom's lead. The red-and-white bovine ambled out of the factory, unaware of the situation. "B-but why? Can't we just talk this out? You want some mushroom stew? I-I just made some earlier. You could join me for lunch."
Parrot's heart physically hurt.
"No, Branzy." He said softly. "I'm not here for stew."
"Can't that be what you're here for?" Branzy's voice was small.
Claws clenched his chest so tight he had to draw in a breath sharply, and the movement made Branzy flinch back even further.
"Please-" the white-haired man whispered. "Parrot, please don't do this."
"I'm sorry, Branzy." Parrot said, taking another step forward.
"Why?" Branzy asked, sounding scared. "Parrot why are you doing this?"
"ClownPierce is trying to kill me." Parrot said. "I'm going to deter him from doing that."
"By killing me?!" Branzy burst out.
"He cares about you."
Parrot saw when the realisation dawned on Branzy's face. The dark truth. "…I-I see." Branzy murmured. Resignation flickered in his violet gaze. "I see."
"This is nothing personal, Branzy."
"That's what Clown would have said." Branzy's eyes narrowed.
Parrot closed the distance and grabbed the man's shoulder, wrapping his arm around him in an imitation of a hug. The sword slid home almost too easily.
Branzy stiffened, breath leaving his lungs in a sharp exhale. His limbs shook, and a soft, uncontrollable whimper left his lips.
Parrot hated himself. He hated himself so badly he wanted to tear his skin out and burn the marrow out of his bones.
Parrot felt the warm blood run rivers down his arm, and the stench of metal was close to overwhelming. It cloyed his senses, clouded his brain, knotted his veins together with layers and layers of spiderwebs.
The only sound was the steady drip drip of blood, and Branzy's laboured breathing.
Parrot closed his eyes, and pulled his sword out. The metal scraped against bone upon exit, and he shuddered at the feeling of it.
Branzy was gasping soundlessly, eyes blown wide and glazed. But then, slowly, the man slid forward and drooped against Parrot's shoulder, breath hitching once, again, and then was gone.
And the death message came :
{BranzyCraft was slain by ParrotX2}
{BranzyCraft left the game}
Parrot dropped the body and stumbled back, away, away. Away from the pooling red.
He recoiled in disgust at himself. What did he do?
What was necessary.
Was it?
The sting of tears threatened to fall. Parrot gasped in a breath, hand pressing to his chest. It was as if he'd stabbed himself as well as Branzy.
Necessary.
Necessary, necessary, necessary.
He wanted Wifies, god he wanted Wifies.
He had to go. He had to leave.
…he had to bury the body.
Numbly, Parrot went through the all too familiar ritual of digging, of covering, of patting the soil down like nothing ever happened. He was a zombie. He was dead.
His fault.
Necessary.
As he smoothed the last chunk of earth flat.
Necessary.
As he placed the sign down.
Necessary.
As he arranged flowers over the top in a fake, morbid attempt to beautify.
He couldn't look back. He flew away in the direction of ClownPierce's castle.
The sky was a sick, rolling sheet of undulating grey. Not a peek of blue could be seen, and the air had taken on a dark, humid feel as Parrot flew between the leafless branches of the tall trees dotting the even barer island.
ClownPierce's castle was still ruined from when Parrot and Leowook's team had destroyed it that one time with TNT. It seemed that the jester had not bothered to fix the damage done, and cracked shingles from the once-elegant roof were scattered on the crushed stone steps that led up to the main chamber.
The gaping hole in the hall's ceiling was still there. The blown-up floors. The charred, smoked carpets and sweeping curtains.
Parrot walked slowly into the castle, feeling his heart drop with each step.
ClownPierce was standing in the remains of his throne room. Just… standing there. Not moving, not shifting around.
"Still haven't fixed the damage to your castle yet, have you?" Parrot said, stopping a good few meters away.
"Hello, Parrot." ClownPierce's voice was low, sadistically amused. He spoke with his back turned to Parrot. "Oh, no. I didn't think it was important. At least not right now. Maybe once you're dead."
"Can you at least answer some questions before we do this?"
"Hmm. Can you really be asking of such things in your situation?" Clown said. "Seems a bit precarious. Shouldn't you be readying yourself for death?"
"Who sent you to kill me?"
"Does it matter? At the end of the day, that won't be the thing you'll be thinking about."
"That's why I want to know, bro." Parrot said lowly. "At least give me that."
"Have you come alone, Parrot?" Clown asked softly. "Isn't that dangerous to do?"
"You told me to come alone."
"Did I? Well, it doesn't matter either way." Clown turned to face Parrot. He stopped, head cocking. "…what do we have here? I see someone already has gotten to you."
The blood. All over the front of his chest plate.
Not his.
"Will you stop hunting me, Clown?" Parrot lifted his chin, wings spreading around him.
"I don't do that, unfortunately." Clown did not move. "And also, you have been rather annoying the past few weeks. Almost like a little fly. It will be good to finally flick you away once and for all."
The tinkling clatter of potions. Clown sprang deadly fast, sword flashing with a violet sheen.
Violet. Branzy.
Parrot pulled out his own sword and the metal clashed.
Quickly, he threw an ender pearl through the hole in the roof, and followed it up with another down to the courtyard. ClownPierce was right behind him, blade nicking his elbow as he ran.
Parrot bit back a wince as Clown's sword caught a couple of flight feathers and lopped off the tops. He turned back to stop a swing to his ankle before sprinting again.
"Where are you going, Parrot?" Clown mocked, his voice never raising in volume. "Running away already? That's your fastest record."
There was no point in flying. Clown had an elytra. He'd only just chase after him just as quickly. And Parrot didn't know if he could even fly properly with like half of his flight feathers chopped off.
But he had to lead Clown down to the shore.
Glancing in his inventory, he quickly restocked his pearls in the main slot and threw as far as he could. There was the familiar, dizzying jolt of his body being in two places at once, and then the landscape changed. He was on the bridge now. The sound of another pearl confirmed the fact that Clown had tracked the movements and was still on his tail.
Parrot whipped around and lunged, bringing his sword down on Clown's arm. But the jester slid away easily and returned the blow. Parrot felt his skin split with a rush of blood.
He pearled away again and swiftly ate a golden apple. The item healed his torn skin, knitting the two sides together.
Parrot met Clown's sword once more, and soon they were locked in a sort of dance, parrying, dodging, clashing.
They were gradually nearing the place where he'd gotten Leowook to place ten thousand blocks of TNT under the earth.
Parrot thought he was faring pretty well, until he realised his armour was on the brink of breaking, and there were no XP bottles to repair them.
Clown seemed to have caught on as well. "How's your armour looking, Parrot?" He purred, tilting his sword with a flourish.
"Better than your life." He said back when they stopped fighting for a moment.
"I'd say my life is pretty decent." Clown said conversationally, walking slowly closer.
Parrot backed off.
Same like Branzy had.
Ten blocks.
Five.
Same like Branzy.
Branzy, Branzy, Branzy.
There.
Parrot stopped. Clown stopped.
They stared at each other, not moving. As if even shifting would send the fragile peace spiraling into deeper chaos.
"Are you giving up?" Clown said softly.
"No."
"You should. I'll make it quick."
"If you kill me right now, you won't know where I buried Branzy." Parrot hated it. He despised himself.
But it was necessary.
Everything he did was necessary.
Clown chuckled, clearly not buying it. "That's cute. Are you really threatening me?"
Parrot took something out of his inventory and threw it on the ground. A brown mushroom.
Clown froze, the laugh fading from his lips. "What is that?" He asked quietly.
"You know what that is, Clown." Parrot said. "I'm sure you can figure it out."
"What did you do to him?" Clown whispered, a dangerous intonation leaking into his voice.
"I told you what I did to him."
"You're bluffing. You wouldn't-"
"I'm not bluffing."
"Tell me where you put him, and let's continue fighting."
"I told you."
"You wouldn't do that Parrot."
"I did!" Parrot shouted. "And I have. I've done it, okay? He's gone. He's dead. The blood you saw on my armour- that's not mine."
A strange stillness had taken over Clown. It was eerie. Parrot couldn't even see his chest rising and falling. He was like a statue, frozen, unmoving.
"I hope you're joking, Parrot." Clown spoke in a gentle way, but it was far from that. Parrot didn't need to look past the jester's mask to see the murder in his eyes.
"I told you to stop hunting me."
Clown shook his head, laughing again. This time however, it sounded manic. "You killed an innocent player because of what? That he was my friend? That I had something remotely close to being human?"
"The same as how you always do it," Parrot said. "It was necessary."
Clown's head snapped to face him. "We are not the same," he hissed, sudden venom in his words. "Do not lump us into the same group."
"Hypocrite." Parrot growled. "You would have killed Wifies."
"Because you kidnapped Branzy! It was a bargaining tactic." ClownPierce fell silent after that but his shoulders shook slightly.
Parrot felt so bad. He was covered in Branzy's blood, and he wanted nothing else but to sink to the floor and scream.
"He's dead. I'm sorry." Parrot said.
"I'm going to fucking murder you." Clown whispered.
He lunged.
Parrot grabbed a totem of undying in his left hand and placed down a lever with his right.
Click.
He threw the stasis rod as white exploded around him in a single bright eruption of light and sound.
"Parrot!"
Parrot opened his eyes and drew in a deep breath, choking on air. He felt hands circle around his arms, dragging him free of the stasis.
A young woman with brown hair and floppy, fawn-coloured ears peered down at him worriedly. "You're back. Leowook told me what you were gonna do. Did it work?"
They were in a sort of cave, with the entrance a few hundred blocks away, and a jagged shaped pool in the middle. Stalagmites poked up from the dark water.
Tears swam in his eyes. He staggered away, gasping. "W-which way is Spawn?"
JumperWho frowned. "Parrot, what's wrong? Did ClownPierce hurt you?"
"Just- please. Tell me. Where's Spawn?"
Jumper looked hesitant, then she saw Parrot's expression, wild, tearful. "It's back north." She said reluctantly. "Fly out of the cave and then double back over it."
"You sure you're okay?" She added as he spread his wings shakily.
"No. I never said I was." Parrot quickly took flight. He'd say sorry to Jumper later.
He couldn't even apologise to Branzy.
Parrot flew mindlessly, not even stopping when his wings began to ache. He just kept flying and flying and flying until he saw a familiar house, sitting among patches of wheat farm. It was untouched. Threads of bluish smoke coiled from the chimney.
Relief speared him like a harsh slap as he tilted his feathers and half-lowered half-collapsed onto the ground.
"Wifies!" He called, chest sucking in nothing and exhaling too much. "Wifies please-"
A familiar head of dark hair appeared at the corner of his blurred vision, and soon warm arms were wrapping around him, pulling him into that circle of comfort.
"Parrot?" God he missed Wifies' voice. "Void, what happened?"
He cracked at last, and the tears came unrelenting. "I fucked up, Wifies. I fucked up so bad."
"You can't say that." Wifies murmured, stroking his hair, his cheek, his head feathers.
"But I did." Parrot sobbed. "I can't do this, Wifies. I can't. I shouldn't have done it. I should have listened to you."
"What happened?" Wifies' quiet words drifted into his ear. His thumb wiped away the tears falling with a gentleness that bordered on tender. "Tell me, Parrot. Everything's okay now, alright? I'm here."
Parrot pressed his face into Wifies' shoulder, closing himself into darkness. "I killed him." He whispered, voice cracking. "I killed Branzy."
Wifies was silent, but his fingers rubbed circles into Parrot's shoulder, just listening to him speak.
"You were right." Parrot said wretchedly. "You're always right, Wifies."
"It was necessary," Wifies reminded gently.
"No." Parrot said. "No, it wasn't. It never was."
"Okay," Wifies said. "So it wasn't necessary. But it's done. And you're safe, Parrot. That's all that counts now."
"But what if it had been you? What if ClownPierce had decided to kill you to get at me?" Parrot was gasping, curls of his feathers drifting from his shaking wings.
"But he didn't. And I'm here." Wifies murmured. "You're safe. I'm safe, Parrot. Okay? You're safe."
Parrot had the inexplicable urge to look at Wifies, and he shifted back, sniffing. Wifies loosened his grip, but didn't pull away fully. His expression was gentle, calm, soft. He didn't look disgusted or angry, or worse still, scared of Parrot.
"You're safe." Wifies repeated, brushing away sweaty, blood-flecked locks of his hair.
"Branzy isn't." Parrot whispered.
"No," Wifies said quietly. "But you did what you had to, Parrot."
"He didn't deserve it. He should have lived."
Wifies only pulled him closer, cupping the back of his head. He hummed a tuneless beat, whispered soft words into his hair.
For a long time Parrot stayed, curled in Wifies' embrace, tears sliding unwillingly from his eyes, just breathing in his scent, listening to his friend's heartbeat.
Once Parrot had cried until he couldn't anymore, Wifies shifted the avian fully into his arms. "Let's head inside," he said. "I'll make some tea."
He carried Parrot into the house and set him down on the couch. "Stay there." He said.
Parrot closed his eyes, breathing still hitching every now and again. But soon Wifies was back with a mug of steaming chamomile tea. He put it down beside Parrot, then sat next to him, wrapping an arm around the avian's shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Wifies." Parrot said. "I should have listened to you."
"I'm sorry too," Wifies murmured. "I should have tried harder to persuade you not to."
"It's not your fault." Parrot argued. "It's mine. And if you're mad at me, just- don't hide it. Please. I deserve your anger."
Wifies considered. "I'm not mad at you," he said at last. "I'm just… I just feel sad. That I can't protect you from any of this. That you have to be thrown into these situations all the time."
Wifies stroked his head again and Parrot made a soft churring sound, one wing thrown across them both.
"I care about you, Parrot." Wifies said softly. "I feel you. Everything you go through, I want to take it from you as well and ease it."
"I care about you as well," Parrot sniffed. "But I feel I just keep getting into danger. I keep putting you into danger."
"You think I care about that?" Wifies hummed. "We're friends. What you experience, I do too. And I'm still here, aren't I?"
"I suppose," Parrot gave a choked laugh.
"Yeah exactly. So stop hating on yourself. We're all surviving on this server anyway. You did what you had to." Wifies repeated. "Understood?"
"Yeah, bro." Parrot closed his eyes, head resting on Wifies' chest.
"Great. Now that we-"
Knock knock.
Wifies trailed off, limbs freezing. "Parrot-"
Parrot also stiffened, sitting up quickly. His entire body grew cold.
The front door was open.
ClownPierce stood at the open doorway, strength motes drifting around his boots. The enchanted sheen of his netherite sword cast a pale violet glow over the dim room. He was entirely still.
His voice was quietly amused. He was anything but. "Hello, Parrot."
Clown was back.
He wasn't going to let Parrot escape this time.