Chapter Text
"WAIT!" Avery yelled out as D3rlord3 pushed him into the void, he slowly saw his figure grow further as he fell. The bottom of the cliff was far, tears slowly formed in his eyes while little droplets floated in the air,
"no..."
He then finally reached the bottom of the pit and met his end.
Avery woke up again in a grass field after respawning, slowly gaining his consciousness again. He sat up immediately when he did and broke down in tears while he clenched his fist on the grass, the other hand grabbing his slime-ish hair.
"...No.. *sniffle*"
He started crying uncontrollably and started wiping his tears with both hands, sobs filled the emptiness of this world.
"I'm sorry.. *sniffles* this is all my fault..."
He couldn't stop the sobs— He just can't. His heart ached violently, hoping that this was all fake, that this was just a bad dream, but it wasn't.
Avery was miserable and vulnerable, unaware of what he's able to do right now to just save D3rlord3 from all of this.
He stopped wiping his tears to look at his hand for a moment, he was trembling non-stop before clenching them again.
"I.. Please.. I'm sorry.. I can't do anything.."
Moments has passed, he stayed in the same position for a while, he just couldn't bare to move from the guilt and sadness. Before finally, he stood up from the grass and quickly ran to find that same "mysterious cave" That he did not build.
He passed through different trees, rivers and all sorts of stuff just to find it again, even tripping alot during the process, but it didn't matter. He continued running for a long time before he finally found the cave and the stairs that led to that same place.
"Please.. Be okay." He mutters to himself.
He carefully went down the stairs and used his fists to break the stone since he didn't bring any items. He kept digging and digging, just for it to be a dead end.
There was nothing, the place was just.. gone, He was just digging with his fists for nothing. Not long after, he started sobbing again and again.
"Derek.. Where are you..?"
"I.."
"I can't live without you."
He puts his head down and drops both of his hands, he didn't want to accept this, but he didn't want to give up. He turned around to leave the useless cave he had just made, before he suddenly spots something, a paper.
Without hesitation, he picks it up and it turns out to be a letter by.. Derek, his eyes widened and his mouth opened the slightest.
He started reading the letter in his mind, his tears starting to flow even more by it. His tears drops fell down to the paper, soaking it a little bit. He finished the whole letter before pressing it against his chest, he continued to sob once again.
"I wish things went differently."
Some time has passed, he ended up keeping the letter Derek had wrote, treasuring it and cherishing it with all his heart. Everyday at his base, he would reread it all over again and it would still bring him to tears.
"..."
He would just stare, blankly, clearly hadn't moved on over everything that had happened. He just say there on the edge of his bed, then he realized what he was doing and decided to stop.
He decided to go mining and search for supplies around the world since it has been a while since he had done that. He went to his chest to grab some items to carry with him and went outside, it was a pretty windy day today.
"I should probably craft some new armor and raid a village.. What else.."
He thought a bit before finally making his way out. He began doing lots of stuff such as making blocks to upgrade his base, made new armor, Etc.
He was just exploring a forest to farm more wood to make planks, when he suddenly saw something.. They were familiar. Golden armor, long red cape and a helmet.. Derek..?
"Wait-"
He had to focus twice to actually see who it was, and he was right, it was Derek. Avery was in disbelieve, almost dropping his diamond pickaxe.
"..Derek? Is that you..?"
He slowly approached the figure until it suddenly looked at their back, and.. It really was him.
"Avery.."
Avery couldn't believe his eyes that he zoned out, and was startled a bit when he called his name. He then carelessly dropped his pickaxe and lunged towards him.
"Avery, i-"
Without a word, Avery had put him into a tight hug. He was just shocked and relieved, his tears appear once again. He didn't know what to say, he was just grateful that he was okay.
Derek gently and slowly hugged him back, offering him some comfort after being separated for a long time.
"its okay, it's okay. I got you..."
The wind blows, gently blowing out Avery's green hair as the knight carefully hugged him back. Avery couldn't stop sobbing, he couldn't believe it, he cried away sobs. Derek didn't mind it, not one bit.
They slowly pulled away from the hug fully, then Derek took one of Avery's hand, Avery looked at him with the same kind look in his eyes, the same look he had when they first met face to face. Dereks posture was a bit slouched from exhaustion while he had a bit of a tired look.
"..we meet again, Avery..."
His voice was somewhat hoarse.
Avery could only look at him, not saying a word, his eyes puffy from crying all of the time. He just looked at him with a slightly widened mouth, still shocked from everything.
"*sniffles* I.. Derek.. Are you okay..?"
"..i-im fine.."
"Good, I'm just glad you're-" Avery was suddenly cut off.
Suddenly, Derek passed out but Avery managed to catch him just in time, holding him in place while their faces were mere inches close to each other.
"W-woah- not a perfect time to pass out now-"
Avery awkwardly smiled while still trying to hold him back, putting an arm over his shoulder while the other held his hand. Derek was a pretty tall guy which made it even harder to balance him out.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you..."
Derek tried to keep his consciousness but it was pretty difficult for him, so Avery had to help him out to walk to a safer place the entire time, but he couldn't care less.
Once they arrived, Avery gently laid Derek down beneath a tree and sat down next to him. They both laid their backs on the tree. Derek closes his eyes as he rested against the tree. Avery was wondering if he was allowed to take off his helmet for him since it isn't really comfortable to wear it at the current situation, so he decided to ask him about it.
"Hey.. Do you want me to take that off for you? The helmet."
Derek slowly opened his eyes and responded to him, he didn't really seem to mind at all.
"Go ahead."
Avery was a bit hesitant at first, but he ends up doing it. He gently grabs his helmet and slowly takes it off. Inside, it reveals his pure black skin and black messy short hair, with one of his spiky long curtain bangs almost covering one of his eyes.
Outside, Avery didn't really have that much of a reaction nor say anything about it. But inside, he was genuinely mesmerized, but of course he wouldn't just say it right in front of his face.
He just stared at Derek's facial features as he slept, not even realizing that he was zoning out. Derek realized and opened an eye without Avery noticing it yet, he noticed what he was doing but didn't bother him.
Instead, he just stared at him too, letting out a really subtle smile that Avery couldn't even notice. He closed his eyes again, pretending as if he didn't see anything.
"Derek? Can I ask you something?"
Avery suddenly called out. D3rlord3 opened his eyes to look at him.
"..yes?"
There was a bit of silence before Avery spoke again.
"What.. happened when you merged with The King?"
"..."
D3lord3 stared at the sky as he answered his question.
"...well, I did merge with him. Because I did, I was able to handle all this knowledge." "Sometimes, he.. speaks to me, inside my head, muttering filthy and ruthless words. I ignore him, but it doesn't stop."
D3rlord3 answers his question with a quiet and precise voice.
"Everytime he does, my head starts to ache violently, the reason why I passed out today. I'm sorry about that."
"..you don't need to apologize, I completely understand."
Derek's coughs a bit before responding
"..appreciate it, Aves."
the shadows of the leaves blocking the sunlight falls onto them both, leaves gently falling down from the branches, some of them accidentally getting onto Avery's slime hair. A moment of silence occurred again before D3rlord3 spoke.
"You sure do say my name alot, don't you?"
"Huh, wait what?"
Avery was a bit caught off guard and embarassed, he let out an awkward smile and giggle
"No I don't.." He said while giggling
D3rlord3 looked at him softly as he giggled, as if he's the most precious thing in the world, he wasn't, but he was the most precious thing in his world.
"I'm kidding.." He smiled.
"Alright seriously, do I really do that??" He asks him mid chuckling
"Well, if I had to he honest, yes.."
"Oh come on, Dere-"
"You just did it again"
"Alright, alright, I guess I'll stop for now.."
"No need, I don't mind.." "Dalright then!"