My apologies for missing a few days of Nano, guys. I went on a retreat thingy, it was really cool but I couldn't bring my laptop and I accidentally left my backpack (and notebook) at home. D:

Anywayssss, en-juh-hoy this fairly long chapter, my be-ay-yoo-tiful Rulers! Have a lovely night. :)

Believe Me

Ch 11: And Thus

Sky's POV

I shake my head as Tyler approaches. "Hey, Tyler, what's up?"

"Nothing, really, I just got back from hanging out with Jason. Notch, he's great, Sky. We used to be so close, but then I moved to a different city. A few years later, I moved back so I could... take care of something for my cousin, and now-" He lets out a squeal and then slaps his hand over his mouth. "I- um. Hmm."

"It's fine, jabber away," I laugh, but I'm losing him and I know it. Maybe I should have let him kiss me on that hike... "Ty will be here soon," I say to interrupt my own thoughts.

Tyler's eyebrows shoot up. "What?"

"Ty's coming."

"No dip, Sky, I heard you. But why is he coming?"

"Well, I thought we could all hang out together..."

"Notch, you're an idiot," Tyler grumbles.

"Be on your best behavior," I command, and he rolls his eyes.

"Yes, sir," he says, giving me a fake salute. I giggle.

"Hey, Sky, I got your text- ohhh, I'll just be going now..." Ty spins on his heels and runs the second he sees Tyler. Ahem, I think not.

"Ty, wait! Please?" I ask, pleading with my eyes for his cooperation. He stares at me for a few long moments, and then he sighs and walks back toward us.

"Fine. Just... Just for a bit, Sky. Got anything planned?"

"I- I thought maybe we could go with our classic parkour pastime?" I ask, voice going up a pitch or two at the end of my sentence.

"You..." Ty sighs again and looks down. "Sure. Sure, okay, I'm up for it. Uh, Tyler?"

"Why not?" Tyler shrugs, glancing warily at Ty. "Not a problem, right?"

"Not at all," Ty confirms, flicking his eyes up to meet mine and then looking straight back down at his feet. Ty..?

"All right!" I clap my hands together and grin. "Let's go."

☼☼☼

"Jump!" Ty calls, and I shriek as I jump off the boat and onto the platform.

"Ty, the squids! One of them touched me," I say dramatically, falling back into his arms.

"Wow, how tragic," he scoffs, but he holds me anyway. Why can't we just do this all the time?

"Hey, Sky," Tyler says, grabbing my hand and yanking me away from Ty. My eyes widen, and I stumble at first, but then I adjust and laugh as I run after him. Can't let them know how disappointed I am at the lack of contact with Ty. "Look at this section of the map! It's made purely of budder!"

Hmph. Not nearly as pleasing as Ty holding me.

"Yesss," I whisper, playing up my excitement to hide my disappointment. "Budder always..."

"Race you to the checkpoint!" Tyler calls, and I would love to wait for Ty, but Tyler's already sprinting off.

"Hey, no fair!" I shout, just like they both expected me to. I dart off after Tyler, determined to beat him.

"Muahaha, the budder is mine!" Tyler taunts me, slowly opening the chest. I wrinkle my nose as I catch up.

"Rude," I huff. "Sharing is caring!"

"But caring isn't sharing."

I glare at him and snatch half of the budder out of his hands. "Rawr. Mine."

"Fine, fine," he consents. "But we should ditch Ty."

I frown. "Why?"

"He's holding us back," Tyler replies, shrugging. "He's so slow-"

"AND THUS, THE AMAZING TY SPED PAST THE TWO SLOWPOKES," Ty announces, flying through the air and landing in a pool of water about fifty blocks ahead of us. He splutters in the water, and I try not to laugh as I raise an eyebrow at Tyler.

"Slow, huh?"

Tyler huffs and stomps forward, and I let loose that laugh. To be perfectly honest, I'd rather stay with a slow Ty than a fast Tyler, anyway.

"Ty, wait up!" I giggle, running to the water. "CANNON BALL!"

"Notch, Sky," he snorts, shaking his head and climbing out of the water. He holds out a hand for me to grab, and I grin. Except then Tyler jumps in next to me and splashes me and Ty, causing Ty to wrinkle his nose and back away from us.

Sigh.

"Sky, c'mere," Tyler says excitedly. I look over at him, and he nods and waves his hands down at the water. "It's a secret passage!"

My eyes widen. "Ooh," I say as I swim over to him. "Where?"

"Below the water," he responds. "Let's go down it!"

I shrug my agreement and dive under the water with him. Let's see, where is it? What does it even look like, just a hole in the bottom of the pool? Hmm, I'm running out of time air-wise. I start to push up above the water and ask Tyler where he saw it, but then something tugs down on my ankle. Woah, what? One of my hearts disappears from lack of air as I look down and find some kind of plant wrapped around my foot.

Oh.

Crap.

I reach down to try to untangle it all, but I'm already at half-hearts. Crap, crap, crap, stop burning, chest, I'm trying to do something! Dang, Ty was beyond right, dying sucks.

"Notch," I breathe as I respawn at the checkpoint. "I'll never get used to the Respawn Machine actually working."

Tyler's eyebrows furrow. "Right. Thank Notch for that Respawn Machine."

"Sky," Ty says, voice shaking as he wraps his arms around me. "You freaking idiot, Notch." Oh. Dear.

"I, uh... Yeah. Sorry, Ty." Please don't let go.

Tyler clears his throat. Ty lets go.

Frickin' Tyler.

"So, Tyler. Where was that secret passage you were talking about?" Ty asks, his voice tense now.

"Uh, I'm not sure. I don't think it even exists, actually - I must have mistaken that seaweed for a hole in the bottom of the pool," Tyler replies, equally tense.

"Ah, the seaweed. Wonder how it got so tangled on Sky's foot..."

Tyler bristles. "I don't know, Ty. Good thing the Respawn Machine is on. Sometimes it breaks, just... out of the blue."

Ty grits his teeth and grabs my hand. "Come on, Sky, let's move on."

"I... okay." I blink a few times and run after him.

No use getting left behind in the conversation and the map.

Ty's POV

A few hours later, and I'm fuming. Freaking Tyler, trying to murder freaking SkyDoesMinecraft, trying to freaking threaten me for wanting my freaking best friend to be freaking safe-

"All right, there, Ty?" Seto asks as I stomp into his lab.

"Yes. Fine." I take a deep breath, let it out slowly. "I'm fine."

Seto raises an eyebrow. "Sky?"

"Close."

"Ah, Tyler."

"Spot on. Notch, why does Sky like him?"

"He's you."

"Way to be offensive, Seto. I didn't want to kill Sky at the squid base!"

"How does that even- that's not what I meant."

"Can we just- What are your plans for today?"

Seto glares at me and then sighs. "Fine, we won't talk about it. I'm going to the city soon, going to try out a mass healing spell of sorts. Wanna come?"

"Sure, where's Brice?"

"Not here. I asked him to come - I could use his extra bit of magic for such a big spell, and I... kinda just wanted him to be there." He blushes and looks down, and I sigh. Looks like we're both having boy troubles. "But he said he had better things to do than constantly tag along as my 'little apprentice pet.' So... yeah." He sees my expression and waves his hands in a placating manner. "It's okay! I mean, I can do it on my own, it'll just be a bit more of a strain. And he does have better stuff to do." I open my mouth, but he glares at me again and cuts me off. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. Are we flying, or..?"

"Oh, yes, and I should probably get you a jetpack in case my magic gives out while we're in the air."

"Wait- what? Your magic could actually give out?" I ask, eyes wide.

"Well- yes. But it's highly unlikely, and the jetpack is just a precaution," he assures me.

"Notch. I, um- all right. How do I turn it on?"

"This button in the corner- no, don't turn it on yet. I'll fly you up with my magic, the jetpack is only for emergencies. All right, now are we ready?"

"Yessir!" I reply, mock-saluting him. He rolls his eyes and casts a spell on me, sending me hurtling out the door. "Seto!" I screech, and he laughs.

"Don't worry, I've got control," he giggles, slowing me down and moving me closer to him. "So, why'd you come to the lab?"

"Mad at Tyler, and since my other two best friends certainly won't listen to me rant, I came to you," I reply, shrugging slightly.

"Hmm, all right. Why do you dislike Tyler so much?"

I furrow my eyebrows. What's safe enough to voice? "I just... I don't approve of him."

"I thought you did approve of him."

"Hmph."

"So you're jealous."

"Stop, I'm not-"

"Oh, come, now, Ty. I already know how you feel about Sky - you can talk to me."

"I - fine, whatever, I'm a little bit jealous. But, Seto, it's more than that! I don't - I don't trust him, and - I'm afraid, Seto. I'm so afraid he'll hurt Sky."

"Hey, Sky will be fine, okay? First of all, he's got close friends left and right. We'll protect him. Second, Tyler really doesn't seem like the type to want to end someone's life," Seto says, and I frown. "Regardless, the Respawn Machine is up and running as smoothly as ever."

"Yes, I- Yeah. I guess. Um... Thanks, Seto."

"Not a problem, Ty. You... You should tell him."

"Sky?"

"Who else?"

"I... I can't. Definitely not. He doesn't want that, it would be so awkward." I pause, thinking of a way to change the subject. "What exactly happened with Brice?" Smooth.

"Oh. I, um... I'm not sure, if we're being honest. I- He doesn't really want to, um, talk to me anymore."

"Woah, what?"

"He... Brice thinks that I don't care about him, and... I don't even know what I did, but I sure do wish I hadn't done it. Ty, he... Brice is my best friend, I don't-"

"Woah, hey, Seto, you're okay, it's okay!" He's not crying, he doesn't usually show that much emotion, but he's gasping for air and wiping his sweater paws across his eyes and so obviously trying to stay strong, and this is pitiful. Next time I see Brice, I'm punching him in the face. How could he think Seto doesn't even care? How could anyone?

"Can we- do you mind if we talk about something else?" he asks, and he sounds so fragile that I feel like I have to hug him again, just to hold together the pieces of a breaking Seto.

"Not at all. What kind of spell are you about to cast, and why does it have to be cast from this far above the city?"

He looks horribly relieved as he answers. "Oh, um, it's... it's sort of a suction spell - a mix between that and a mass healing spell. It pulls the disease out of the people and the environment."

"And where does it put it?" I ask, eyes wide. "Don't tell me it puts the disease into you."

"Only if I do the spell wrong or my magic is too strained to handle it." He sees my expression and rolls his eyes. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Regardless, you've got the jetpack if my magic fails and we fall."

"That- That's not the issue, here, Seto!" I protest, throwing my hands up helplessly. "What will happen if you take in all the crap from the spell?"

"I won't, Ty."

"Seto, you said earlier that your magic would already be a bit strained!"

"So what? It happens! This isn't meant to be cast on more than one person at a time, I'm taking a necessary risk by bumping up the power and trying to sprinkle it over the entire city. It can't be prevented, Ty, people are dying!"

"And what good will it do if you start dying, too? Let me call Brice, he'll come and help and you won't be so strained."

"He doesn't want to help me," Seto growls, and my eyes widen. Notch, scary Seto is scary.

"But, Seto- look, I'm sure he didn't mean whatever he said. He cares about you."

Seto flicks his wrist, and then his own voice fills the air, though his mouth doesn't move. "Brice! Mind coming with me to cast a spell on the city?"

"No, I've got a thing planned with Annie," Brice's voice replies.

"Ah, all right. Free afterwards?"

"Seto, I've got better things to do then follow you around being your little apprentice pet."

"I- Sorry, I-"

"Hmm, sorry. Sorry. As if. You don't care, Seto. You never care, at least not about anything other than your potions and spells!"

"Woah. Brice, I-"

"Only want me to tag along because I've got some of your stupid magic in me? I know, don't worry."

"I just want-"

"To get your magic back and be done with it. Notch, sorcerers are heartless. Listen, don't try to talk to me anymore. I'd love it if I could avoid hearing from you ever again."

"Brice," Seto whimpers, voice cracking as the sound of a door slamming fills the air. The audio ends, and real Seto closes his eyes.

"Yeah, Ty. He totally cares about me. He totally cares about a heartless- h-heartless sorcerer." He bites his lip, hard, and I'm afraid he'll draw blood.

"Seto," I whisper, putting my hand on his shoulder. "Seto, you are not heartless, and we all know it, including- especially Brice."

"Then why- why would he-" A sob escapes his throat, and he yelps and slaps a hand over his mouth for a moment. "C-Crap. I..." He swallows.

"Do you remember when..." He blinks a few times, taps his fingers against his leg. "Do you remember when, several, several years ago, the city used to see me as... as an antagonistic wizard who was incapable of experiencing emotion? And it was... bad. It was really, really bad."

"Of course I remember," I say, and he's right, it was bad. The citizens - excluding Team Crafted, that is - would avoid him at all costs and sneer at or cower away from him whenever he passed by and they would even try to blow up his slowly developing lab. It was ridiculous, because he'd never done anything to hurt them. But one day he had fallen off a building in the city, and it looked and sounded horrible, but he just gritted his teeth and chanted something, and he was fine. The citizens, on the other hand, were horrified. Thought he was a necromancer or something, which hardly even makes sense since the Respawn Machine never broke back then. Anyways, that's what started it, and not even a recognition from Sky could end it.

"But then Brice got hurt, and he was terrified of respawning 'cause he'd watched some dumb horror movie the night before, and so he called me to come get him. I flew into the city, found him, and gave him a band-aid, and then I held him while he cried. Notch, he was terrified. And he sniffed and said, 'Thank you, Seto,' in this adorable but broken voice, and... and the citizens noticed." Seto wipes his face again. "And it just got better from there. Brice... Brice saved me, Ty, and he knows how hard it was for me before he did that, and yet... Why- Why would he say that to me unless he completely believed it?" He sniffles and looks up at me, begging with his eyes for a reason, an explanation.

"I'm going to punch him," is all I manage to say.

Seto bursts into tears.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm- crap, I'm not supposed to cry this much, I-" He cuts himself off with another sob.

"Woah, hey, it's fine!"

"No, it's not, too much emotion, I-" Part of my jetpack explodes, and my eyes go wide. "Crap, I'm sorry, that was me, I'll fix it..." He waves a hand toward me. "Fixed. I-" Sniff, swallow, deep breath. "Sorry. I'm fine. Under control."

"Are you sure?" I ask, concerned. He looks down for a moment and then back up at me, smiling weakly.

"Absolutely. Ready for the spell?"

"Seto, I don't think you should attempt this immediately after having a breakdown like that-"

"It wasn't a breakdown, I'm fine. I don't need Brice, okay?"

"O-Okay..." Yeah, right. Those two depend on each other for everything. Why would Brice even think...

I can't wait to punch him.

"All right," Seto breathes, glancing down at the city below us. "I can do this."

"I know you can," I whisper, and he flashes a smile at me.

"Movere morbo ad nubes. Occidere dolor. Subito fructus." He exhales slowly, sneaks a worried glance at me. Then he flicks his wrists at the city below.

Purple light bursts forth from his hands, mouth, and eyes, and I gasp. "S-Seto..?" The purple rains down on the city and fizzes on contact as it slowly turns to a disgusting shade of green. Then it floats back up, slowly, slowly, painstakingly slowly, past Seto, towards the clouds above us...

But Seto is trembling and letting out a pained yelp and then the green specks are zooming towards Seto and he's crying out and purple light is exploding from around him but the scary green specks of light are too much and he's not okay, he can't handle this, it's too much-

"SETO!" I shout as the green pierces through his skin and we both begin to fall. "Crap." I hit the button on my jetpack, but I'm not the only one who needs to keep from falling. Seto's body falls fast toward the city, so I aim for his direction and up the power, causing my jetpack to shoot me down towards Seto. Oh, but he's falling fast, too fast.

"Seto!" I yell again, and that's the end of that.