Chapter Text
Parrot didn't dare to move when Saparata's blade pressed slightly against his throat.
He was a mess. His armor was gone, shattered to pieces when Saps made it lose all its durability. His royal clothes underneath were filthy; the navy blue and white fabric was covered in dust, and the tears in it were stained with blood that was already starting to dry. His crown had fallen with a metallic clink to the ground, right next to his thighs, the moment Saparata knocked him down. He didn't try to recover it, nor his sword, which had been torn from his hand with a single blow. Despite the anger, his wings weren't flapping at his sides as they always did when he was agitated; they remained still and tucked away behind him.
Saps looked down at him with an arrogant smile on his face.
He had lost.
His armies had turned against him under the promise of being spared. He didn't blame them — if the roles were reversed, he himself wouldn't trust that he could win a war against Cindercrest after they had suffered too many losses to count. All the people he had trained, the generals of his royal army... everyone who was trying to kill him was now scattered across the hall, watching the downfall of the kingdom they saw him build.
He failed his kingdom the moment someone was killed by a bandit or starved to death. He failed Fymada when Capital City got destroyed. He failed all the cities under the protection of his crown: Highwater, Cyberpunk City, Merchant City, all of them. Wemmbu was against him, and he didn't even know why or how he had failed him too. And now, he was dragging Theo and Reina down with him.
His friends had been captured. Reina was being restrained; one guard was holding both of her arms while two others pointed diamond swords at her. She was still squirming, indifferent to the threats that they hurled at her. Theo was being forced to his knees, surrounded by four guards, while two others pinned him down to the ground to ensure he wouldn't stand up or try anything.
Reina was completely without armor, and Theo was using only the netherite boots he had stolen from a royal guard who had tried to kill Parrot — he recognized the gold trims. They had bound his golden wings behind his back as soon as they got the chance, in a way that made Parrot's own wings twitch uncomfortably at the sight.
He was still trying to reach for Parrot from the other side of the room.
"If you got any last words, Parrot," — Saparata hissed. "you should say them while you still have the chance."
The corners of his eyes began to burn. It shouldn't have ended like this. This was all his fault.
"I'm sorry, Reina," Parrot started. The lump in his throat made his voice sound small. "I promised you revenge for Skymore and Zoe... I promised I'd show you the beauty of the server once all of this was over."
She stopped squirming when she realized he was speaking directly to her. Her brown eyes, always indifferent, were now filled with a silent pain.
"I'm sorry that all you got to see of the server was your people getting killed and a war that never should've happened if I had been a better king."
Her face was slightly flushed, lips quivering, just as Parrot remembered from the last time she stood before him, trying to hold back tears the exact same way. 'I don't want to die!' she had said for the first time, and now they were all going to die.
"It's okay," she said softly. "The only reason I got so close to Zoe was because of you and Skymore. And even after everything, you and Theo are the reason I still have friends."
Despite the tears, she smiled at him. "Thank you for being my friend, King Parrot."
Parrot's eyes reluctantly turned to Theo. He didn't want to do this again; he hated having to say goodbye to the friends he had made — it had been way too many times now. And looking into the blond's eyes only made his heart ache more. Theo looked... terrified. Not for his own life — Parrot knew that —, but to face the scenario where Parrot dies, where he couldn't protect him.
He looked defeated. All of his armor had broken, except for the netherite boots; he had gone through about four different sets from the royal guard during the combat. His hair was messy, his single white strand falling over his face. There was a crack in the left lens of his sunglasses. He was unarmed, without his sword or axe, his minecarts had been ripped from him along with his crossbow when they subdued him.
"I'm sorry, Theo. For dragging you into this," Parrot said. "You would've left Capital City when you paid your debt. If it wasn't for me, you would probably be far away from here. I know you would've been happy somewhere now if you hadn't met me."
"Dude, don't. Don't even..." But his voice faded, becoming a low whisper until it disappeared completely. He lowered his head, unable to face Parrot's eyes.
"I never really got the opportunity to thank you after all these years. For being by my side. Even when you disagreed with me or my decisions, you helped me help others and kept me safe, way before you became my bodyguard. I'm grateful for that, even when I didn't show it or got mad at you."
"Stop," Theo tried to interrupt, but Parrot needed to continue. He needed Theo to know.
"Thank you for accompanying me on all those treasure hunts and helping me with the election. Thank you for trusting that I would do what's right and for believing in me to do things my way."
His chest ached. He let out a shaky breath and swallowed his tears; he refused to break down in front of Saparata and ShoeBilly.
"When you saved me at Spawn, I had nothing. I was scared and didn't know what to do... But all of the things that happened after — the shop, the treasure hunts, the election — I could go through all of that because you were by my side. So... Thank you for being my best friend until the end, Theo."
"Stop!" Theo bellowed, and the guards pulled him back forcefully when he moved sharply. A sword was placed close to his neck as a warning for him to stay on his knees. But Theo didn't care, his eyes were focused only on Parrot. "This isn't the end, man. You're not gonna die here, okay? I said I was gonna keep you safe. We're—we're gonna get out of this."
"That is cute, Theo," Saparata jeered. "but it's not gonna happen. All of you guys are gonna get executed."
He turned to face Parrot. His black, shining armor gleamed ominously under the fading light, reflecting the chaotic hall like a obsidian mirror, while the crimson gem of his crown shone in sharp contrast to his snow-white hair.
"If you recall, Parrot, I did make you an offer — that you and Theo would be spared... That is off the table now."
"You wanted me to leave Reina and the rest of my people to die so I could be spared," he said with deep disgust. "I'm not a coward."
"And look where that got you," he jeered and, to Parrot's surprise, lowered his sword. The former king finally managed to breathe more normally. "All that effort, just for you to die anyway."
"How should I kill him?" Billy asked, taking a step forward. Parrot hated the way his own body flinched when he realized that Saparata and ShoeBilly were surrounding him. "Should he have a slow death in front of his people, or... should he just have a pathetic death?"
In the brief second that Parrot's eyes darted to Saparata, claws closed around his throat. He was lifted into the air, his hollow bones making it surprisingly easy.
Parrot thrashed, his feet kicking at the empty air and his colorful wings flapping desperately behind him, but Billy didn't seem to make the slightest effort to keep him suspended with just one hand. The grip tightened around his throat, cutting off the air passage until his lungs burned. Clawing at the hand did nothing to loosen the fingers digging painfully into his skin.
"Stop!" Theo shouted. His wings tried to flap by instinct, only for pain to shoot through them when they struggled against the bindings that didn't budge. He didn't care about the feathers that got damaged. "Stop, stop, stop— Billy!"
Billy didn't turn towards his former apprentice; his yellowish eyes remained fixed on the former king as he writhed.
"Wait," Saparata ordered. As if his word were sacred, Billy abruptly let go of him.
Parrot collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud, coughing violently while his hands flew straight to the reddened marks around his throat.
"We can make this more fun." A wide smile spread across Saparata's face, accompanied by a malicious gleam in his red eyes. "We can take our time with him. Maybe cut off his limbs one by one. Make sure he's still alive to see his friends die."
"That would be. My. Pleasure," Billy hummed. With a fluid movement, a netherite axe appeared in his hand, the blade gleaming in shades of purple.
Parrot's eyes widened, and he kicked against the ground in a desperate attempt to pull away as Billy's taller figure towered over him, predatory and cold eyes staring down at him as Billy stepped forward, his gray wings covering Parrot's entire vision.
"Billy!" Theo shouted. The grip on his shoulders grew even tighter as he threw his body forward, desperate to get his attention. "If-if you ever had any consideration for me at all in your life... let Parrot go. He- he's harmless now. He's a chungis, bro. He doesn't even have an army anymore. He's not a threat."
Saparata let out a laugh at that, a laugh that had no right to sound as innocent as it did.
"That is true. He's absolutely nothing now. He lost the war, and his entire army turned against him." He looked down at Parrot, relishing the fear in his eyes and the humiliating way the former king had to look up at him. "But isn't that what will make Parrot's death more fun? Knowing he was in a better position than me, had all those advantages, and still lost."
Billy turned to face Theo. He tucked his wings against his back, took a step back, but kept a threatening grip on the axe.
"Theo, you must have known the moment you saw you were up against me that you wouldn't be able to protect Parrot. You're not fit to be a bodyguard. You should know that. This," he bent down to pick up Parrot's crown, its different gems still shining in contrast with the gold. "This is just the consequences."
He tossed the object across the room, and it slid until it stopped near Theo's knees.
"Deal with them."
Both Billy and Saparata turned their attention back to Parrot in a predatory manner.
"Wait, wait, wait— Billy, wait," Theo said, taking a deep breath when he realized that Billy and Saps had actually listened to him. They were both yappers who really liked the sound of their own voices, Theo knew that much. He could talk their way out of this, just like Parrot would. He had to. "I mean, Saparata, I... I have an offer."
Saps scoffed, letting out a short laugh as if Theo had just said the most absurd thing in the world.
"You have an offer? You?" He raised an eyebrow. "You guys lost everything. What could you possibly have to offer me in this situation, Theo?"
Theo fixed his gaze firmly on Saps — not on Billy, because he knew he wouldn't help him in that situation — and tried to sound as confident as possible when he declared:
"Me."
Parrot's eyes widened, raising his head sharply to meet Theo's gaze.
"What...?" His voice was nothing more than a faint whisper.
Theo glanced at him, a deep sadness flashing in his eyes for a mere few seconds before he turned back to face Saps, determination settling back onto his face.
"If you let him go... I'll join Cindercrest," he said. "He-He can't do anything now. He doesn't even have an army or any weapons. Just let him go—Reina too. Both of them."
Saps narrowed his eyes, finding the offer less and less attractive by the minute. Billy briefly looked at him from the corner of his eye, perhaps waiting to see how he would react to the proposal before voicing his own opinion.
"He could be useful," Billy said noncommittally.
Saps let out an amused huff. "Aww, you actually care about Theo, huh?"
"I don't care about him," Billy retorted. "Despite everything, he's a decent PVPer. And with Flame gone and Arachn1d hearing about you becoming king, you're gonna need another good fighter."
"That is... true. But still—"
"Theo, you can't do that!" Parrot tried to convince him, only for Saps's sword to slash through the air right in front of his face. He shut his eyes on instinct, certain Saparata was about to kill him right then and there, but all he felt was a sudden, hot sting across his right cheek. The blade left a shallow cut—nothing more than a silent warning not to interrupt again.
Theo's shoulders slumped heavily, his features tightening as he watched the blood begin to run down his best friend's cheek. Helplessness suffocated him; he knew he had no way to protect Parrot other than continuing to bargain with words. A painful knot formed in his throat. He desperately wanted to whisper 'I'm sorry' to Parrot— for failing as his bodyguard, for being unable to get him out of there, for being on the verge of betraying his kingdom, and for whatever mistakes that might have led them to this end.
But he didn't. He swallowed the apology along with the despair threatening to choke him and held himself together. He'd have plenty of time to hate himself later, once Parrot got out of there alive.
"Do we have a deal or not?"
"Parrot I can let slide. But her too?" Saps shot Reina a look of disgust, as if merely saying her name left a bitter taste in his mouth. "I'm open to negotiations if we take the new player off the table."
"You should accept that, Theo," Reina cut in, her eyes practically begging the other royal bodyguard. "If Parrot is safe—"
"The deal is Reina and Parrot for me," he cut her off, fixing a determined gaze on Saps. "Both of them."
"Theo, I don't think you understand." Saparata laughed, almost amused, as if talking to a terribly naive child. "You either accept me sparing only Parrot, or you die with the other two."
"Kill me then, I don't care," Theo shot back without hesitation, his voice steady and unwavering with determination. Under the golden light of the sunset pouring into the hall, his yellow eyes almost seemed to spark. "If I'm doing this, I want both of my friends to be let out of here safely."
Saparata's lips twisted in disapproval, his brows furrowing as he weighed the pros and cons. The entire hall fell into a suffocating silence, everyone waited for the new king's verdict.
Billy cast a sidelong glance at Parrot. The former king was in a pitiful state of distress: his face had gone completely pale, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, mixing with the dust, and his wide eyes remained fixed on the floor at the mere thought of Theo working for them.
"I'm not even saying you have to spare them and never go after them again, bro," Theo added hastily, panic creeping into his voice as he noticed Saps's expression souring, signaling that he had already made up his mind. "I'm... asking you to let them go just this once. And don't go after them until Arachn1d is dead, okay? Give them some time."
Saparata seemed to mull it over for a second.
"You know what? Sure," he relented with a casual shrug. "I'll let them live."
A smirk crossed his lips, and Theo didn't allow himself to relax. Not when Saparata had a wicked glint dancing in his crimson eyes. "But our terms don't say anything about letting him go unharmed."
Theo's heart dropped in his chest. "What—?"
"Don't worry, Theo," Saps said. "I'm a man of my word. I won't do anything that would get him killed—no cutting limbs, nothing that will cause him to bleed to death."
His inventory panel flashed open for a brief second, his calm eyes scanning the slots before finding what he was looking for. A small dagger.
"Just something for him to remember me by until I find him again."
Swallowing the terror threatening to paralyze him, Parrot forced himself not to flinch when Saparata knelt down, bringing himself to eye level. He refused to tremble or look away, even when Saps reached out with his free hand and disdainfully touched a green strand of Parrot's hair, his fingers brushing against his left ear-wing. The sharp edge of the dagger passed mere inches from his cheek as he moved.
"Don't look so scared, King Parrot," Saps murmured. "This will be a whole lot easier if you don't fight back."
"What are you gonna—?" Parrot tried to ask, his voice reduced to a trembling, fragile whisper, but the question died in his throat.
Rough hands closed around his wrists and his arms were painfully pinned behind his back, his joints popping under the force. Billy yanked him violently before he could even react, pinning Parrot's wings against his own chest and immobilizing the former king against the hard floor.
"Don't worry, I won't make it too big," Saps said softly. "You won't even notice it."
Parrot felt a chilling shiver run down his spine. The calm tone of that sentence was terrifying. His eyes widened in panic, his chest rising and falling in a frantic rhythm.
"What do you mean?" Parrot insisted, desperately trying to hold onto some semblance of composure, but failing miserably when Saparata began unbuttoning his shirt. One by one, the golden buttons of his navy-blue tunic were torn open, exposing the white shirt underneath. Saps was even less careful with the second layer; his fingers tightly gripped the collar and pulled hard. The linen tore with an abrupty tearing sound, exposing the left side of Parrot's torso.
"What are you doing?" Theo bellowed.
The guards surrounding him had to threaten him with their diamond swords as he ignored every warning, thrashing with blind fury against the crushing grip that kept him on his knees, trying at all costs to stand up.
"Hold still, Parrot," Saps mocked coldly.
Parrot tried to writhe, every muscle tensing in panic as the blade hovered over his skin for several agonizing seconds while Saparata seemed to calculate the first stroke.
"Wait, wait—hold on. Saps—" Parrot pleaded weakly, but his plea instantly turned into a choked gasp when the sharp metal pierced the first layer of his skin. A violent, searing burn flared up his chest; he clamped his lips together tightly, closing his eyes to try and contain the first scream.
The cut wasn't quick, nor was it clean. It was slow and methodical, as though Saps were being careful not to smudge a brushstroke on a painting.
The blade remained buried in his flesh as he traced a semicircle with cruel, surgical precision. Upon reaching the end of the first stroke, without withdrawing the dagger, he twisted the edge of the dagger, forcing the metal to tear through the flesh downward before continuing its trail.
The blade churned inside his torso as it carved the shape he wanted, mutilating the tissues and causing blood to well up instantly, soaking the shredded remains of his red-stained shirt. It lasted for long, excruciating seconds, the steel tip sliding relentlessly through exposed nerves, dragging itself in brutal curves.
Parrot tried desperately to flap his colorful wings, but there was no room. They were completely crushed and pinned against Billy's back. The tips of his feathers remained uselessly splayed across the floor beside him, unable to close around his body to shield him from the violation.
Then, the contact finally ceased. The blade lifted, the gleaming steel now stained.
"There goes the S," Saps announced, sounding proud of himself. "I'm gonna be a good person and write only 'Saps' instead of 'Saparata.'"
Parrot felt sick.
His stomach churned violently, and an unbearable urge to vomit hit him as he realized the true extent of what was happening sunk in: Saparata was carving his own name into Parrot's chest, branding him like livestock—a possession whose life now belonged to him simply because he had allowed him to live.
"You cannot be serious." Theo let out a harsh, increduluos laugh, though his features brimmed with murderous rage. "Stop it."
"He's fine," Saps scoffed. "Just three more letters. He didn't even scream."
"Saparata, hold—hold on—we can talk about this." Parrot hated the sound of his own voice. He sounded like a wounded animal begging for mercy.
Trying to squirm against the floor was useless. His head was spinning and a burning agony consumed him, making him want to claw his own nails into his chest to rip the pain out.
Saparata didn't even bother listening. The dagger plunged into his raw flesh again without warning. Parrot bit down on his own tongue so hard to keep from screaming that the hot, metallic taste of blood flooded his throat.
The next cut was the diagonal stroke of the letter A, drawn slowly and painfully. The dagger, sunk a few millimeters deeper into his skin than the first time, made a sharp, agonizing curve downward—and this time, Parrot screamed. A raw, animalistic scream tore from his throat and echoed through the hall.
"I'm gonna fucking kill you!" Theo roared.
The explosion of adrenaline in his veins shattered every last trace of self-control. He lunged forward with blind fury against the hands gripping his shoulders, completely disregarding the sharpened diamond swords aimed at his chest. His golden wings flared and twisted violently against the ropes binding them. The bones in his back protested with a sickening internal crack as the strain crushed his joints under the effort. Yellow feathers were torn away amid stabbing jolts of pain, but the physical agony was completely numbed by the pure hatred consuming his mind.
"I'm gonna kill all of you, you hear me?!" Theo growled, his voice coming out completely raw and ragged with rage, teeth clenched as veins bulged along his neck. "You guys are fucking dead men walking!"
One of the guards watching Reina rushed forward to reinforce the other two who were trying to restrain Theo's furious thrashing. The man sheathed his sword so he could use both hands to pin him down, but he never even managed to touch the blond.
He saw only a flash of yellow before a blow slammed into his stomach.
The impact knocked the air from his lungs instantly and throw him backward, sliding heavily across the stone floor. Theo's left wing gave an audible snap with the violence of the movement, the thinner bones of the membrane fracturing under the brutality with which he snapped the bindings by force, but he kept going.
The two nearest guards barely had time to react when he used the momentum of his remaining wing and the sudden rush of air to hurl his body backward. He broke free from the first guard, who lost his balance, then swept the second one off his feet with a leg sweep. As he spun, he used both wings to disorient the four other guards surrounding him.
In one swift motion, he snatched up the diamond sword that had clattered to the floor when the soldier fell and launched himself forward, using the beat of his wings to gain speed.
His eyes were bloodshot with rage, locked onto Saparata with predatory focus, oblivious to everything else in the hall. With his blade already raised, he was ready to cut the leader of Cindercrest's head off the moment he crossed the distance between them. He didn't give a damn if the other guards kill him on the spot. Nothing else in the world mattered except tearing apart the bastard hurting his little brother.
However, he had underestimated the damage to his wings. With several bones in his left wing fractured and dislocated, his speed faltered for a fraction of a second. It was enough for two royal guards to throw themselves between him and his target.
Theo didn't even blink. His sword cut through the air in a perfect arc, tearing through the exposed flesh between the helmet and chestplate of the first opponent with a clean, brutal slash, causing the body to collapse to the floor before the man could even swing at him.
The second guard was struck dead-on by a violent hit from his right wing—it wasn't a lethal, but it knocked him far enough away to clear his path.
Theo couldn't even feel the agonizing burn radiating from his mangled left wing or the way his right one was stinging in several places where feathers had been torn out. His mind was completely shielded by adrenaline, fixed only on Saparata's silhouette.
But those brief seconds spent on the first two soldiers were enough for the remaining six guards in the hall to corner him. Several rough hands seized his limbs all at once, dragging him down with crushing weight and pinning him against the cold floor. Heavy knees slammed were pressed against his ribs, knocking the wind from his lungs, and the diamond sword was ripped from his fingers immediately after.
Two of the guards threw themselves onto his wings, using their entire body weight to contain the violent spasms of the membranes that still thrashed vehemently in a desperate attempt to throw them off.
Saparata was so close. Less than two meters away. If only he had been a fraction of a second faster... If only he wasn't so tired and could keep the grip on his sword, or had any carts or decent armor, he could've killed all of them in a blink of an eye.
The leader of Cindercrest had the audacity to pause his carving for a moment to flash a cynical, victorious smirk over his shoulder, looking at Theo only when the latter was completely subjugated, as if wanting to show he knew the bodyguard would never be able to touch him.
"You're fucking dead," Theo hissed. With his glasses lost in the scuffle, Saps could see the full extent of the desperate hatred darkening his eyes.
As Theo thrashed, the sound of glass shattering echoed beside his head. A dark, dense mist instantly rose in the air. Theo felt his strength drain away in an instant. His vision spun violently, the ceiling of the hall distorting before his eyes. His wings lost all strength, falling limp and lifeless at his sides, and he could barely keep his head up. His fingers trembled, and he tried to ball them into fists to fight off the overwhelming weakness spreading like poison through his muscles. Keep your eyes open, keep your eyes open, get up, his mind hammered desperately. But his head slumped to the side, resting against the cold stone floor. His eyelids felt impossibly heavy, demanding tremendous effort to keep open every time he blinked.
Exhaustion won, his body stopped responding, and darkness finally took over.
As if nothing had happened, Saparata simply turned away from Theo's unconscious body and returned to his meticulous work. Having finished the letter A, he positioned the bloodied tip of the dagger to carve the P. Blood was already flowing heavily from the previous wounds. This time, the blade sank even deeper into the vulnerable flesh of Parrot's chest.
When the metal twisted brutally to carve the upper curve of the letter, tearing through tissue, Parrot let out a sharp, wrenching groan. His legs kicked against the floor in an instinctive, futile attempt to pull away, but Billy's grip remained unyielding as a rock on his wrists. His chest throbbed violently, every inch of torn flesh burning as if held over live coals, the air leaving his lungs in desperate, broken sobs.
"Saps, stop—stop, stop, stop, argh—" he screamed against his will, the sound echoing off the walls as the blade dragged inside the cut itself before being abruptly pulled away.
Parrot could barely draw air into his lungs. His vision was faded and blurred with the agonizing pain. Each letter being carved dragged on like an eternity. He no longer knew which character Saps was working on, his collapsing mind could only form silent pleas for the pain to end.
Even some of the royal guards visibly flinched at his screams, their expressions betraying a flicker of pity in the face of such cruelty. Reina was forced to look away, staring down at the floor, but Parrot's roars of pain echoed cruelly in her ears, making her whole body tremble as she fought back tears.
"Look at that," Saps exclaimed cheerfully, as if proud of his work. "I thought you were gonna cry like a baby."
Parrot had no idea how much time had passed by the time the blade finally left his skin and didn't return. He drew in air through his teeth one last time, in a sharp, choked gasp. His throat burned as if it were raw skin. His entire torso radiated with agonizing, unbearable pain. He could no longer feel his arms, and his wrists were probably bruised from how tightly Billy had needed to hold him down when he started thrashing.
His head sagged to the side, facing the hall still filled with guards and Cindercrest members watching the three of them. Reina and Theo had been taken away at some point during the carving on his chest; he hadn't even heard them leave. In his mind, he desperately hoped Saps hadn't ordered their execution.
Fingers snapped right in front of his eyes, pulling him out of his torpor.
"C'mon, Parrot, we're not done yet," Saparata said. He was no longer holding the dagger, but Billy still had Parrot pinned down, and Saps remained crouched by his side.
"Saps..." Parrot whispered through the thick haze clouding his mind.
He was exhausted. He couldn't even remember what he'd meant to say when he opened his mouth, and nothing else came out besides that weak plea.
"I need you awake for this next part, okay?" Saps continued, his voice calm and gentle, as though he was instructing a child.
Parrot didn't like that. His eyes darted across Saps' face, searching for any clue as to what he was talking about. His vision blurred for a second, the world seeming too slow between each blink, but when Saparata's figure came back into focus, Parrot caught the metallic glint of shears.
Saparata's free hand grabbed the upper part of his right wing, forcefully spreading it out and flattening the feathers against the rough ground. Every nerve in Parrot's body lit up at once, and any lingering drowsiness was instantly swallowed by the pure terror that flooded his veins.
He was going to clip his wings. He was going to clip his wings and Parrot couldn't do a single thing to stop him.
"No..." was all he managed to articulate amidst the rising panic.
His feet kicked at the floor again in a desperate attempt to pull away, his body twisting violently, but he couldn't break free. The bruises on his wrists throbbed painfully with every struggle. He tried to pull his wings closer to his body, but Saps' fingers only dug deeper between the thinner bones to keep them still.
"No, no, no, no, no—Saparata, please," he begged, the corners of his eyes burning with the desperation of helplessness as he watched the blades align with his flight feathers. "You don't have to do this, you—you already got what you wanted. You won the war. Just—please."
Saparata's smile actually widened at that.
"Oh, Parrot. Now you're begging, huh? This won't even hurt." He had the audacity to slide the fingers holding the shears through the feathers, and Parrot felt a wave of nausea at the touch. "This is just a safety measure."
"No no no- don't-"
Snip.
A few green and blue feathers fell with the first cut. Even without nerve endings there, Parrot watched the loose feathers scatter, and that single image overshadowed even the agonizing pain in his chest.
His wings were being clipped, his wings...— No, no, no, no...—
"S-SAPS!" Parrot screamed, but despite his ragged, frantic breathing, he forced himself to stay calm. There had to be something he could say, some bargain, anything. "Saps—I know there must be something you want. Anything, I'll give it to you. Just please don't. Please, I'm begging you."
"Parrot," he laughed, a patronizing smile tugging at his lips. "I already have everything I want."
He moved the shears toward the next feathers.
"No—DON'T! SAPS, PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T—PLEASE!"
Snip. Parrot let out a gut-wrenching scream and thrashed violently. His entire body felt like it was on fire.
Snip. He begged Saparata to stop, begged Billy, begged anyone who might listen.
Snip. A mix of green, blue, and red scattered across the floor. A few feathers drifted away as Saps took a handful of them and tossed them away with indifference. Parrot felt sick at the sight.
Tears streamed freely down his face. He couldn't take it anymore.
Snip.
He felt like garbage. Everything hurt. He just wanted it to stop.
Snip.
Why was this happening to him? Had he really been such a terrible king and such a terrible person that he deserved this punishment?
Snip.
He just wanted it all to end.
By the time Saparata had finished both of his wings, Parrot was completely despondent. There was only the dry trail of tears left on his cheeks. His blue eyes could barely stay open, staring blankly at the empty space ahead of him, unseeing. The only indication that he was still alive was the slow, painful rise and fall of his exposed chest.
His next memories became a blurred mess.
He didn't remember getting up—whether he had done so on his own or Billy and the guards had forced him to. He didn't remember walking through the corridors of his former castle, nor passing through Spawn. He couldn't hear anything; every sound around him seemed muffled and distant. No matter how far he was forced to walk, he couldn't even feel the pain in his feet.
Until someone grabbed his jaw in a violent, painful grip. The shock finally snapped him back to the reality and the danger of the situation as he found himself staring into Saparata's eyes.
"Listen, Parrot. Listen very carefully, okay?" he warned. "I'm not sparing you. I'm letting you live this time."
Everything hit him all at once. The excruciating pain throughout his body. The raw flesh still throbbing in his chest. His lost kingdom. The hundreds of new players who had been killed. The ranks of Cindercrest members marching in a perfectly organized army behind Saparata and Billy. His wings.
Theo.
"Run as far away from Spawn as you can, Parrot. Hide somewhere you think I won't even look, because I'm not letting you live twice." The grip on his jaw tightened for a second before Saps shoved him away roughly. "Remember that."
He was somewhere between Steampunk City and Newtopia, far east of Spawn and Capital City, if he wasn't mistaken. It was already night.
Everything was too overwhelming, all of his senses felt on the verge of exploding. It felt as though the entire army was closing in around him. Saparata was too close. He needed to run. He needed to get out of there.
A deep, deafening sound nearly burst his eardrums when Saparata blew his characteristic goat horn, and Parrot instinctively flinched at the noise.
Saps flashed him one last cynical smile before turning his back and walking away. The entire army followed in his footsteps, marching behind the new leader until their silhouettes vanished completely from his sight.
Parrot remained motionless for a long time, his eyes fixed on the horizon where the new king of Unstable had disappeared — towards his old kingdom, towards Theo.
Then he lifted his head toward the night sky and screamed with every ounce of strength left in his lungs. He screamed until his voice gave out completely, until his throat felt like it was tearing apart, until the sound dissolved into a tangled mess of sobs and tears.
He collapsed to his knees on the grass, his limp, battered limbs and wings slumped by his side. He stayed there in a deathly silence for several minutes—perhaps hours—even after he no longer had the strength to scream or cry.
He was so tired.
Why did this have to happen to him?
He just wanted it all to end.
He wanted to go home, back to when his only real concern had been stopping the stupid Wonders from being blown up — something no one else seemed to care about just a few weeks later. He misses the old scavager hunt with Wifies for some stupid, supposedly life-changing secret that didn't exist. He even misses building stupid orbital strike cannons for Wemmbu and the laughs they have while doing it 'cause he sucked at redstone. He misses the first sucessful tresure hunt with Theo. He misses just sitting on the swing for hours on end, staring at the void in the End and pretending they were seeing stars in the flashes of purple, while a familiar, soothing voice was telling him interesting and obscure facts about everything.
He misses his best friend.
It's not fair.
.
.
.
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