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Three different books shimmering with magic, three different islanders. Each holds instructions to meet at a set of coordinates, each with their own lures. One is framed as the next step to rescuing two beloved family members. Another is directly from Dark Cucurucho with a new task. The last is a promise of answers to the questions that haunted him. All include demands to speak of this to no one.
Of course, impulsivity was never their strong suit. Fortunately or unfortunately for them, that was always the plan. Two islanders end up stumbling across each other at a shared waystone along the way, trying to skip some distance.
“Oh, hello!” Ewron called. “Fancy seeing you out here.”
Ashswag stared back at him, dumbfounded. “Uh. What are you doing here, exactly?”
He snickered, acting offended. “I could ask you the same.”
The glitches covering his face narrowed as if squinting. A moment of awkward silence later, Ash was holding up his shining book. “You got one too?”
Ewron barked out a laugh and revealed his own. “You’re really bad at lying.”
“Rich coming from you.”
So, the two set off together, making the rest of the journey in each other's company. They spent the roughly twenty minute travel discussing their books, occasionally distracted by a random tangent Ewron would go off on. They mutually landed on the understanding it seems a little fishy, specifically Ash’s. Ewron had good reason to believe his message is actually from DC, given it was surrounded by bedrock and lava. The agreed upon theory was that it would be related to Ash’s heart. This did not deter Ash, considering it a potential to get more information on why he was so important.
The location is found underground. It's a hollowed out foundry, devoid of all spawners and chests. The coordinates pinpoint the center of a platform surrounded by lava connecting four hallways, a sacrificial altar.
As they discussed possibilities, the ceiling above the altar cracked open. A picaxe broke through and out fell Katie, pulling out her glider just in time. She spun around hearing their confused noises and caught sight of the two boys.
“The fuck are y’all doing here?” Katie shouted, a little startlingly loud.
“What are you doing here?” Ash retorted.
Her kitten heels clacked against the nether brick floor, paraglider folding up. “I got a book?”
The boys shot each other a look. An unexpected variable throwing a wrench in all of their theories.
Ewron put on a smile. “What does yours say, bestie?”
“Uhh,” Katie flipped open her book. “Blah, blah, your soul grows restless, you have shown obedience- freaky ass book- it’s time you are rewarded, blah blah, coords, come before the tomato rots.”
“Oh, my God.” Ash groaned, planting his hand on his face.
“What?”
“Katie,” Ewron interrupted. “Get off the platform. Come here.”
She scoffed. “Like I would take orders from you.”
“Katie, kurwa, listen to me-“
“Can you believe this guy, Ash?” She mocked, pushing a thumb in his direction.
Her supreme leader straightened up, alarms ringing internally. “Wait- come here, come here!”
She wavered a bit, eyebrows furrowing upon noticing his unusual behavior. Taking a few steps towards them, Katie began to question him but was interrupted by lightning striking before her. A scream tore from her mouth, stamping the flame out with her shoe.
“Katie, get out of there-“
The room shook with thunder booms, pebbles and dust falling from the ceiling. Darkness encroached, stealing their attention and transforming it into paranoia. The clacking of heels erupted, then abruptly stopped, followed by increasingly startled shouts. Red text bloomed in their vision as the darkness faded.
SUCH SIMPLE MINDED CREATURES
WALTZED RIGHT INTO THE PALM OF MY HANDS
Hot pressure sank in Ashswag’s bones. Dangling above the altar was Katie, held in the air by soulfire encroaching upon her body.
“Guys?” Katie called, her little shoes kicking uselessly.
“Katie!” Ash shouted, stepping towards her. “We’ll get you out, hold on! Just… fuck.”
His voice fizzled out seeing the pitch black creature appear behind his sister. Piercing red eyes stared back at him.
Katie twisted herself around to catch a glimpse of her captor. “Oh-“ She cleared her throat, putting on a show. “Ohhh, no! What is this??” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Dude, why are they here? You’re gonna blow my cover!”
YOU STILL HAVE MY STOLEN PROPERTY
YOU HAVE YET TO RETURN IT AS YOU SWORE
Ewron played coy, eyes darting between Dark Cucurucho and Katie. “Hah, what property? We have never spoken before.”
Glitching eyes snapped onto the priest, helplessly on edge. He prayed his partner in crime had any semblance of a plan.
DO NOT LIE TO ME, SERVANT
UNLESS YOU WANT THIS GIRL TO SUFFER
Ewron dropped to a cool, smooth tone. “I see, you do not care if they know. But I still don’t know what this ‘property’ is, tell me, what is it and I will gladly give it to you.”
YOU TEST ME
The floating woman began to spin in circles at an unsettling speed, thrown around like the average ragdoll. Sickening screams came from her, thickening as her body panicked. Bile rushed out of her mouth, splattering across the nether brick floor.
Both men’s eyes widened. Ashswag couldn’t decide whether to move towards Katie or Ewron, stuck in a frantic loop between them.
“Ewron!” Ash demanded.
“Stop, stop!” Ewron yelled, waving his hands in the air to get the god’s attention. “I understand, stop!”
He couldn’t stand around and wait. Ash stormed the altar, lunging past the lava and throwing himself at Katie. His scrambling awarded him a hold on her legs, trying to tear her down. Clinging to her like a snake coiling around its prey, he stuffed his totem of undying into her left hand and closed her fist around it.
A black paw reached around Katie to pierce Ash’s back with an axe. His pained gasp accompanied the loud, sharp sound of his armor shattering. Ash slumped to the floor, sprawled and bleeding out.
“Ash!” Katie screamed.
Ewron’s heart banged against his rib cage and he sprinted onto the platform, holding his hands up as a beg for mercy. His eyes shot between Dark Cucurucho and the body laying in a pool of blood, silently praying he wouldn't be punished for approaching. Ewron entangled his arms around Ashswag’s shaking body, sloppily carrying him to safety.
As he laid hands over Ash to guide him back to life, the red text returned.
IT IS TIME TO CHOOSE
SAVE KATIE BY RETURNING ASHSWAG’S HEART
Ash clawed back to his feet, huffing and staring daggers at Dark Cucurucho.
OR
LET KATIE DIE AND KEEP IT
Ash interrupted. “He’ll give it, let her go!”
Ewron hesitated, looking between the two. His tone was even.
“What do you want his heart for?”
“Ewron!” Ash spat.
YOU HAVE NO PLACE TO DEMAND ANYTHING.
Ash punched him insistingly, disbelief seeping into his yell. “Just do it!”
Ewron pushed him away. “Will giving you his heart kill Ash or corrupt him in any way?”
“Ewron!”
IS THAT A RISK YOU’RE WILLING TO TAKE?
“Let me discuss it, please.”
“Ewron.” Ash breathed.
MAKE IT QUICK.
The priest’s hand clasped around his arm, pulling him farther into the hall. Her voice calling out to them lured Ash’s attention back to her, swiftly recaptured by a firm squeeze.
“Ash,” Ewron whispered. “Lend me your gear. I have a plan, I need your OP stuff.”
He looked at him like he was insane. “What’s your plan?”
Ewron grit his teeth. “I can’t tell you when he’s right there, kurwa.”
“So, whisper it to me over text.”
“You think God can’t see our texts?”
Ash clenched his jaw, infuriated that he was right. There were no secrets he couldn’t know.
The grip on his arm softened to a comforting touch. “You trust me, do you not?”
All of the tension riddling his body melted away along with his tough-guy facade. Ash’s eyes fluttered down and he took a breath, removing his helmet.
“I do.”
One by one, his gear landed in Ewron’s inventory, equipped and ready. Ewron placed his hand back on Ashswag’s arm, getting the supreme leader to look back at him.
“Thank you, Ash. And I’m sorry.”
A look flashed in Ashswag’s eyes before being replaced by intense pain. His very own axe burrowed through his stomach, destroying his hearts back to back. All he could manage was to gasp the name that held him as he crumpled, gently cushioning his collapse to the floor. Neither registered the screaming woman’s voice coming from behind them. His bloodied hand grazed Ash’s twitching face as he left him there, an indescribable look in his eyes.
Ewron walked back to the altar, eyeing Katie’s horrified face. He planted an ender chest on the floor and picked up Ash’s heart, feeling its weak beat. The slightly oily feel made him wrap his whole hand around it, afraid of it slipping from his hold.
“What are you doing?!” Katie screamed. “Pick him up!”
He held up his heart. “Is this what you wanted?”
“Ewron!”
THERE IS NO NEED TO PRETEND, SERVANT.
Ewron glared.
Katie’s mind overloaded with a million thoughts. Every millisecond she flipped between self sacrifice and savior. The sickening blue glow of the soulfire highlighted the tears staining her cheeks. She had stopped wanting to die a long time ago. She didn’t want Ash to die either. Katie couldn’t bring herself to any decision.
Ash dragged his heavy body to the center, one liquid cement limb at a time. Ewron kept track of his pained grunts, setting the way he choked out his pleas on a mental back burner.
Fire burst across the altar, growing together like a beast reaching towards Katie.
Ash grabbed onto Ewron’s pants, putting his little remaining strength into clawing at him. Ewron glanced down at him, seeing his one visible eye burdened by tears. It was an expression he had never seen. The way he looked when he killed Ghosty right in front of him couldn't stack up halfway. Pain rooted through his heart, growing thorny vines like a wilted rose.
“Ewron,” he strained. “please.”
Time ticked down in his vision- 13, 12, 11, 10, 9. Ewron kneeled and laid hands on him, picking him up and holding his weak body close only to strike him down again. Ash’s aching cry, muddied by blood seeping through his throat, overshadowed the screaming of his name from Katie.
Ash lay sprawled out on the ground, gurgling on his own blood to beg and yell for him to save Katie.
“Why should I?” Ewron drawled.
“What?!” Katie shouted.
“What are you saying?“ Ash struggled.
He scowled, struggling a shoulder. “I mean, she didn’t care when I told her I was dying. When I begged her for help.”
“You’re still on that? I thought we moved on!” Katie squawked.
Ewron stared at her with weeks of pent up betrayal. “I lied.”
Ash groaned softly, some from pain, some from anger. “That doesn’t matter now, Ewron, give him my h-“
“Doesn’t matter?!” Ewron's head snapped to Ash.
“This- this isn’t about that. Please, don’t do this, man, don’t let her die!” Ash cried.
Ewron turned to Katie. “What’s in it for me?”
Her own words shut her up.
“Ewron, please, please just listen to me. Give him my heart, it’s okay. Please, man.”
He looked down at his closest friend, his only friend, his blade.
“Her life is more important than mine, I promise. I’m not worth it.”
His heart was set. Ewron frowned at Ashswag and whispered: “You have no idea how wrong you are.”
Ewron looked away and placed his heart into his ender chest, safe and sound. He tuned out the heartsick gasping cries coming from below.
“I am sorry, Katie. I would say it isn’t personal but that would be a lie. And I promised I wouldn’t lie to you again.”
Katie just stared at him like a deer caught in headlights.
BETRAYALS DO NOT GO UNPUNISHED
Ash cried out desperately. “Ewron!”
A HEART FOR A HEART
THE FIRES OF MINE WILL FEAST TONIGHT
Ewron turned away.
Screaming pierced Ash’s throat as he dragged his dying body towards her. “No!”
The second Dark Cucurucho disappeared, the soulfire encircling Katie went with it, sending her crashing to the flame-riddled floor below. Her hidden armor clanked heavily and shielded her from the heat for only a moment before a small tap from the god shattered them entirely. The totem held in her hand burst into glowing green sparks, sending a flood of regeneration through her body.
Ash screamed her name as he watched the flames engulf her. His heavy body clawed towards her in a stupid, last ditch attempt of saving her. The way her screams echoed off the walls and amplified her voice was like a thousand swords piercing his very existence. Flames encroached on every inch of her, smoke choking her lungs to death.
“Ash!” Katie screamed, seeing his ruined body struggling to get to her. Her hearts ticked down bit by bit as she fell into a crawl.
“Hold- hold on…!” Ash choked out, just making it to the outskirts of the platform.
“Tell Nacho Mama loves him,” Katie cried.
“Don’t-“ he begged. “Don’t say that-“
“Tell Multi to take care of him extra good for me.”
Ash pulled himself into the flames, reaching for his one and only. “Stop!”
“Tell Mike the KFC and my headquarter is all his now,”
Fire singed at their skins, useless against Ash’s fire resistant backpack. Katie splayed onto the ground, that horrifying message popping up in chat. She used the last of her strength to outstretch her hand for him.
“Please,” Ash breathed.
“Tell Don not to blame himself.”
Their hands clasped together. All that came out of him was a whispered cry.
“And Ash?” Katie smiled through a sniffle. “You were always my favorite brother.”
That low, echoing boom echoed through the dungeon.
Her hand went limp.
The expression that was left on her face was almost blissful.
That haunting red text filled their eyes.
Katie has died. RIP.
Tears flowed to the edges of his eyelids, building up as he watched her helplessly. All words from all languages were torn from his mind, leaving him with empty rooms of a childhood home long left behind. Twinges pulled at the corners of his lips, warm heat crowding around his sinuses. Something solid welled up in the bottom of his throat, aching to burst.
It was nothing like what he felt losing his precious daughter. This was infinitely expansive.
He couldn’t breathe. It felt like frost grew across his lungs inside and out. It left him gasping.
He could hear someone approaching.
“Ash,” Ewron muttered.
Before he could reach him, Ashswag forced the death timer to speed up. Just before the sound, shaking boom of his death, he heard one last call of his name.
Ash found himself standing besides his lonely, purple bed. Not a window to the outside world to alleviate this isolation growing over him. Like some cruel fate, he had respawned facing the wall. Forced to see the photo the dead had taken of him weeks ago, naively hopeful.
Somehow, his broken mind found the strength within itself to be insecure about the sound of his own hyperventilating breaths. He clawed himself atop his mattress, pushing himself to his unsteady feet. He couldn’t help but be glued to the photo of his first therapy appointment. His eyes tumbled over those words he couldn’t bear to believe. Tears stung at the inner corners of his eyes.
Panting deepened into heaves, desperate for air that seemed to run from him. Shaking hands tore the frame from its place, pulling it closer as if that would make it any more true. It was then that he regretted ever letting himself be this stupid. Grief gave up on keeping him upright. Ashswag sank to his knees and curled in on himself. A migraine grew in the forefront of his skull from the way his muscles contorted in ruin.
Ewron slammed down a waystone, scribbling gibberish as its temporary name and fled to the Regime. He spun around frantically, hoping Ash had set his respawn point there somewhere. A quick glance at his map showed a little white dot right where his bedroom would be. Ewron slapped his hand to the waystone to shortcut directly to the pantheon, already hearing his wounded sounds from outside.
His legs carried him as fast as they could. He found Ash wrecked, crumpled on his bed.
The second his hand touched his back, Ashswag lashed out. He swung his entire body around like some honing missile, thrashing his arms at him, pushing all of his grief into hits upon Ewron's body. He yelled and wailed all the emotions left from months of anxious thoughts he had tried so hard to push down, ensure never come to fruition. Everything he was afraid of came crashing down on the both of them.
“I told you to leave me!”
“You could have saved her,”
“I wanted to save her,”
“She’s my sister,”
Ewron took the hits. “Katie was not your sister, Ash.”
“You never cared about her, did you?!” Ash yelled.
“Don’t say that.”
“Shut up!”
“You don’t deserve to speak,”
“That air was supposed to be hers,”
Something he’d rather ignore ticked at Ewron’s brain. That, and Ash’s knuckles against his skull. “What was I supposed to do?”
“I told you to save her!”
That something snapped.
“Why would I sacrifice the only person I love for someone that didn’t care if I died??”
“That wasn’t your choice to make!”
Of course, he took offense.
“Choice?! I didn’t have a choice!”
“It’s my heart, Ewron,” Ash cried. “Not yours,”
“You don't get to decide what to do with it!”
“I begged you to listen but you’re too selfish to and now she’s gone!”
“Yes, I am selfish! Why wouldn’t I when it's you?”
Ewron blocked a punch to his jaw.
“Don’t pretend like you care about me now!”
“You took my sister away from me.”
“I’m already losing everyone else!”
He had to interrupt. “It’s not my fault that you’re losing everyone else!”
“Why won’t you listen?!” Ashswag screamed.
“Haiper is dying and I can’t save him,”
“I can’t keep Tubbo from going to the reactor,”
“Juan is dead,”
“Yang-dding never came back,”
“Fit wasn’t really Fit,”
Every recounted failure weakened his fight.
“You still have me.” Ewron interjected uselessly.
“Pac chose The North,”
“Ghosty is gone again.”
“I couldn’t save any of them.”
“I could have saved Katie.”
“You have me!”
Ashswag screamed. “Why the fuck would I want you?!”
That violent shake took over his body again.
“You took away the only chance I had of saving anyone!”
His voice weakened with anguish. “What am I supposed to tell Don?”
“How am I supposed to tell him that the guy he’s been wary of since day one killed our sister?”
“I didn’t kill her, kurwa!” Ewron spat.
“I defended you to him!”
“I promised I’d keep her safe, Ewron!”
“Why did I trust you?!”
Ewron was frozen in time. He just stared at Ashswag, mouth parted in a type of shock that felt numbing. The abandoned leader stood hunched and stiff as if to form a metaphorical cage around his heart. That small understanding crept up his spine and curled around his ribs.
“It’s not your fault, Ash.”
Ash huffed and heaved. His hand outstretched to Ewron, palm open to the ceiling.
“Give me my heart.”
Ewron’s manner reinforced.
“I can’t do that.”
“Give me my heart.”
“I know you’re going to do something stupid.”
“It’s not your choice.”
“It’s not. But it’s my responsibility.”
“Now you want to take responsibility?”
“I am not going to argue about this, Ash.”
“Give me my fucking heart!”
His head shook solemnly. “I am sorry for this, Ash.”
A glass bottle smashed at the supreme leader’s feet, vapors seeping through his skin and turning his muscles to mush. His knees automatically start to buckle before snapping back into place despite the ache. Ewron lunged, wedging his arm around his back and pulling him close. He struggled with Ash, a weakened lump of flesh against a soft, heavy body.
Ewron hauled him into a boat, disregarding the labored breaths clawing out of his friend. Ash’s fists attempted to break skin, barely managing more than a graze. His arm kept him in place while another dragged across his warpstone. The world around them flashed white then gradually chunked into existence, teleporting the both of them to Prawdziwa Polska 2.
The priest swung around and blocked him from the waystone, breaking it before he could flee. Ewron fought to gain control over him, grabbing at his arms and holding them steady. He leaned his full weight into Ash, forcing him to stumble along with his movement. Breathless protests fell on ears that heard far too well but refused to oblige. They fell into each other, buried in the lavender field. He fully covered Ash, wrapping around him like a blanket tucking a tired child into bed.
Ashswag yelled and fought under his engulfing embrace. Infuriation and betrayal glared in his mind, but something else sparked kindling in his heart. His strength seeped out of him much quicker than he could be proud of. Gasps hurled from his chest, trapped beneath another. It ate away at his guards. It hurts to keep it in any longer.
“I hate you,” Ashswag sobbed. “I hate you!”
“I know,” Ewron whispered. “I know.”
“I hate you so much. I hate you.”
A hand pushed into Ash’s tangled hair, massaging care into his scalp.
“I can’t, I can’t,” he wept. “I don’t want to be alive. I don’t want to be alive.“
Ewron just laid all his weight into him, like a service animal doing deep pressure therapy.
“I can’t keep doing this, Ewron. I cant keep losing everyone. Please, just let me die. I want to die.“
He kept his voice at a whisper. “That’s why I brought you here. Here, it is just us.”
“Stop,” Ash cried.
“There is nothing you can do here. Nothing tall enough to jump from, no knives to use, no silverfish to eat you, no ocean to drown in.”
“I hate you,”
“And I love you,” Ewron promised. “So, I’d rather you hate me alive than love me dead.”
Ash could only whisper, “I do, I do.”