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Jaden was dead.
And that was weird. No, that was wrong. Jaden couldn’t die. He’s JadenMAN. The same guy who saved Wemmbu so many times- the same guy who made people scream once rain started to fall.
But here he was. JadenMAN, dead. Completely and totally lifeless on the ground less than ten feet away from him.
Time seemed to be moving in slow motion. Wemmbu watched as he was maced from above- his body falling into a numb figure on the floor.
Even then- time didn’t really seem to continue. He stood there- watching Jaden lifeless. Watching him exhale once last time.
Wemmbu huffed, racing forward with his mace already swinging.
He wasn’t dead.
Please.
He begged silently in his mind, calling up to whatever gods could hear him. Whatever was up there, anyways.
He heard Spoke laughing somewhere near him, but he paid no attention to it. It didn’t mean Jaden was dead- it didn’t mean Jaden was dead, it didn’t—
Wemmbu was slammed to the ground, sword wrapping around his throat. He wheezed, kicking them off and swinging Gambit at their face.
They flew back, hitting the Null behind them.
Wemmbu stopped to look at Jaden. Time slowed again as he looked down at his friend— blood seeping into the blue grass.
Jaden’s hand was around his trident, his eyes still open, but dull. Wemmbu reached down and grabbed his trident.
He reached down ever so slightly- and all he wanted to do was collapse and string his arms around Jaden so tightly he’d have no choice but to come back.
But Wemmbu couldn’t do that. So, instead, he quickly but carefully flicked his eyes close, wanting his friend to die in peace.
Null soldiers were approaching. Wemmbu didn’t have time to stand around anymore.
He looked down at Jaden one last time. “I’m sorry.”
Then, Wemmbu took the trident- which was smeared with a bit of blood- in his hands, and let the rain take him.
Spoke was yelling below him. Thunder boomed into the distance.
Wemmbu kept climbing. He kept climbing, and climbing, and climbing in the air. He let the rain soak his already wet face- twist his purple hair into slight curls.
Only when he felt his throat tighten within, when he could no longer breath did he let go. Did he let the air take him down fast, wondering if he should stop it or not.
He felt the air dry not only his tears- but the blood on his fingers, too. Soon, he saw land, and prepared to take flight again.
The rain welcomed him warmly. It recognized his bloody trident- stained with the blood of its previous rider.
Wemmbu let out a pathetic noise- one that only weak players make. He immediately huffs- trying to stop his hands from shaking so hard.
He doesn’t even realize he’s going to hit a tree before he slams into the branch, the force sending him onto the ground.
Wemmbu coughs harshly, clutching his stomach while rolling onto his side. He stares at the ground, watching liquid fall onto the grass and telling himself it’s just water.
The sob that exits his mouth next makes it apparent it’s not.
Wemmbu cries. He cries loudly- yet the rain washes it out. It’s carried away somewhere, somewhere that nobody will hear it.
He lets out a whine through his teeth, trying to force himself to stop crying. He needs to stop- he has to find Egg and he has to get to the forge and he has to—
“Wemmbu!” Egg’s voice comes faintly from behind him, footsteps loud against the soft grass. “Wemmbu, dude, there you are, I—“
Wemmbu doesn’t move. If he wanted to, he can’t. His muscles are frozen- his body kidnapped by an unknown force. He wonders if this is what Jaden felt.
“Wemmbu, hey! Come on, dude- look at me!” Egg forces his head up, flinching back at his probably-tear stained face. “What- what happened?”
Wemmbu lets out another sob, letting his head fall back down. He feels so weak and helpless right now- and he hates it so much- but he can’t stop crying.
“Jaden.”
“Jaden? What happened to Jaden? Where is he, Wemmbu?”
He doesn’t reply. Wemmbu’s not quite sure how to reply.
“Wemmbu,” Egg repeats, voice hoarse with realization. “Wemmbu, where is Jaden? He’s- he’s coming, right?”
Wemmbu lets out a shaky breath in response.
Egg tightens his grip on his shoulder. “Right? Please dude, answer me!”
“I can’t,” he whispers, bringing his hands to Egg’s. “I can’t.”
“You can, okay? You can. Just tell me where he is. I can- I can try to go get him.”
“He’s dead, Egg.”
Egg immediately drops his hands, letting Wemmbu fall to the ground. “You- dude, don’t joke about that. You’re trolling, right?”
“He’s dead.” Wemmbu slides up onto his knees, staring at Egg with dull eyes.
“He can’t- he can’t be dead. He’s JadenMAN- surely he escaped—“
Wemmbu stands up, clenching his fists. “He’s dead, Egg!”
Egg stands there, eyes unfocused and brows knitted together. His mouth is slightly open, his hands shaking at his side.
Wemmbu pulls him in, lacing his arms around him. Egg, after a second, does the same, slowly sliding his hands to Wemmbu’s back.
He lets out a shaky breath, breathing harshly into Egg’s neck.
“It’s- it’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna- we—” He cuts himself off, exhaling once. “What are we going to do, dude?”
He sniffs, pulling away and wiping the tears away.
“We just have to follow the compass. That’s all.”
Egg looks at the ground, and then back at him. “Okay.”
His voice is small and quiet, his eyes unfocused whilst his wings flutter nervously at his side.
“You don’t have an elytra, right?”
He shakes his head. “No.”
Wemmbu takes a breath, looking down at Jaden’s trident. He stares at the blood on it- feeling another sob incoming before he forces himself to look away.
“Here,” he says, getting out his elytra. “Take my elytra. You got wind charges?”
He nods, taking the elytra and adjusting it onto his back.
Wemmbu looks back. He looks back at where Jaden lies. Where Minute possibly lies. His hands tighten around the trident, and then he looks away.
“Follow me.”
And he lets the rain take him again.
…
Jaden feels warmth.
Not the warmth of his blood he felt seconds ago.
A nice, comforting warmth, that comes with a blinding yet calm light.
Jaden looks around. He’s in- he’s in a sunflower field that looks to extend forever.
“Jaden!”
Jaden freezes, eyes widening at that voice. His hands shake as he turns around.
And there he is.
“Rejoice,” he whispers, wind tugging his blue curls around.
The sunflower boy smiles, yellow hair waving in the wind. “It’s good to see you, Jaden.”
“I—”
Jaden doesn’t finish.
Rejoice waits anyways.
He looks around, then back at him. “Care to walk with me, friend?”
“Yes,” he replies quickly, breath coming out unevenly.
Rejoice holds out a hand, waving it towards him.
Jaden watches him walk a few steps before dashing after him, pausing next to him then continuing.
At first, they don’t speak.
They just walk. Jaden just lets the grass tickle his feet, which he just realized are bare.
Suddenly, Rejoice stops. He leans down, and effortlessly plucks off a sunflower from the ground.
Then, he turns to Jaden, moving his head slightly and sticking the flower in his blue locks. He freezes, blinking at him.
“Better. Helps you blend in.”
Rejoice turns around, and starts to walk away. He makes it a few steps before he realizes Jaden’s not following, and looks back.
The breath seems to leave Jaden’s lungs all at once. “Why- why are you being so nice to me?”
He laughs, like Jaden said the funniest joke in the world. “Because we’re friends, silly.”
He blinks. “I killed you.”
Rejoice gets a sort of sad look in his eyes, before it’s replaced with a smile. “I know. I already forgave you.”
“But—” he stops, taking a breath. “I didn’t even apologize.”
“Real friends don’t need to. Sometimes they just know.”
At that, Rejoice turns around and continues walking.
“I’m sorry,” he bursts out, making him stop in his tracks.
“I know, silly. Now, come on- I have to show you something.”
Rejoice continues to walk, so Jaden follows. They walk for a while, before the sunflowers start to slow, and the terrain goes uphill.
Soon enough, they’re at a cliff. A few stray sunflowers lie on the stone, contrasting completely against the grey block.
Jaden looks off the cliff. A village is in the distance, surrounded by hundreds of plants- some of them being sunflowers, too.
Rejoice smiles, sighing. “Home,” he mutters, turning to Jaden. “Yours now too.”
His eyebrows knit together, taking in the realization.
He’s dead.
He’s dead, and he left Wemmbu there by himself.
Jaden faintly remembers Wemmbu calling his name, and then perhaps an apology drifted through the rain.
Rejoice slides a hand on his shoulder. “Wemmbu’s going to be fine. He’s a tough guy- or- at least that’s what he claims.”
Rejoice giggles, so Jaden has no choice but to laugh softly, too. That was Wemmbu for you. Always the nonchalant guy.
“Yeah. He’s strong.”
Rejoice nods, taking his hand off. “Now, come on. They’re waiting for you- don’t make them wait any longer!”
He smiles slightly, nodding as he watches Rejoice takes a step back, and then dashes off the edge.
Jaden yells, trying to stop him, but it’s too late. The air leaves his lungs as his heart starts to race.
He carefully looks over the edge, breathing a sigh of relief when Rejoice sits on an edge not even that far down.
“Hah- gotcha, didn’t I?”
He rubs his forehead, jumping down as well. “Not funny, dude.”
But he laughs anyways.
Rejoice smiles. “Now, this one’s actually a long fall. Don’t let it fool you- just let the wind take you.”
Jaden looks down, stomach dropping at the height. “Wow. That is- that’s a bit down, dude.”
“That’s what I just said.”
Jaden looks at him with a deadpan stare, rolling his eyes.
“So, you wanna go first?” Jaden asks, tilting his head.
Rejoice smirks evilly. “Nah, I think you should.”
Jaden doesn’t have a second to argue before he’s pushed off the ledge- a scream halfway in his throat.
But he stops himself as the wind wraps around him, hugging him in a tight embrace. It’s cool on his feet, wind whipping his cape around.
Jaden looks at the sky, and he feels alive one last time. He feels as if it’s a normal day- one where he’s whipping in the rain with his trident.
But this is different. It’s like he’s truly free. Free of the universe he once called home.
Jaden doesn’t have any more time to think as he slams into a tree, painfully slipping down to the bottom and hitting a thousand leaves.
“Ow.”
Rejoice lands gracefully next to him, laughing. “Bro, you use a trident. Thought you’d be a pro at this.”
“Dude, you pushed me off! How was I supposed to know what to do?”
He shrugs. “Just thought you had some skill.”
Jaden huffs, getting off the ground. “I have skill! Just not with getting pushed off cliffs.”
Rejoice laughs, covering his mouth with his hand. “Hah. Come on, slowpoke. You’re making everyone wait for you.”
Rejoice disappears into the forest of plants, laughter carrying in the wind. Jaden smiles, looking back at the cliff.
The sun has started to set now. It warps into a soft pink, and then into a vibrant purple.
Wemmbu.
Jaden takes a breath.
“I believe in you, Wemmbu,” he whispers to the wind, hoping it’ll carry it where it needs to be.
Then, Jaden turns, and walks into the forest. “Wait up, Rejoice!”
The sun sets in the distance. The flowers bloom, shaking in the wind. A bunny hops through the forest.
Somewhere along the way, a lake forms. A vibrant blue lake with hundreds of fish inside.
One made especially for a blue-haired pirate.