HAIII GUYS! I've been in this huge SetoSolace mood for the last few days, but for some reason, I just don't feel like I'd be able to do the ship justice... Like, for most ships, all I have to do to get inspiration for a one-shot is read a bunch of other one-shots. BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO FOR SETOSOLACE. *cries* Seriously. I just, I can't. The Setosolace I write before was pretty good, but I just CAN'T write another. *cries harder*

Oh! Don't forget to send in Questions on either the comments section, my message board, or via pm for the #FiftyRulersQ&A. I've gotten... Well, I think three people have given me questions. I think I could make a small little thing out of just their questions, though, 'cause some of them asked a crap-ton of questions. *cough* ShiningOpal *cough* #StalkerishQuestions *cough*

*has intense, unplanned coughing fit*

ALSO, ALSO ALSO ALSO. … Darn it, what was I gonna say? Um... Uh...Well. I don't think this was what I was going to say, but I do want to tell you guys that I will be making a happy ALT ending for that Sparkant. ShiningOpal suggested it, and I went "ASLdfjslkfjdslkfjsdkh WHAT THIS IS BRILLIANT WHY DID I NOT DO THIS ALREADY!?" So yeah.

OH! That's what I was gonna talk about! Apparently I broke some feels with that SparkAnt. :b My bad. I honestly didn't expect your reactions at all, because I don't get a bit of feels when I read that one. *shrugs* Maybe I read it too much while proofreading, and I know the story too well now. I don't really know. But do you guys like that kind of one-shot better? The longer kind, with a bigger build-up? 'Cause I'd love to make more if it's going to send your feels to heck and back.

(EDIT: I LIED! I JUST RE-READ THE SPARKANT SO I COULD MAKE AND ALT ENDING, AND I NEARLY CRIED. I thought the end was sort of feelsy, but the rest of was kind of blech, but then I reread it, and alksdjf;aldsjf. I think I just needed time to sort of forget it after proofreading it a million times... *cries* Why did I even read that!?Anyways, I will probably be making many more like that one.

ANYWAYS, EN-JUH-HOY THIS BE-AY-YOO-TIFUL (sort of) ONE-SHOT, RULERS!

Pairing: Merome

Genre: I think this is Angst. And a tad of fluff at the end. But for the most part, it's angst, right? Geez, I really need to get off my lazy butt and google how to label one-shots...

Song: "The Last Time" by Taylor Swift and Gary Lighthouse

Suggested By: KKKstories

Original Prompt: "I have a prompt for MEROMEEEEE!
Anyway, it's where Jerome and Mitch where best friends, and a loud fight happened between them (For some stupid reason like Mitch almost broke Betty or Jerome "accidentally" bleached Mitch's checkered jacket) and Jerome stormed out. He wasn't paying attention (silly him) and was walking when he heard a loud CRACK. The ground underneath him collapsed and he fell, broke his legs, and was knocked unconscious. Mitch heard him yell, but still mad, muttered that he was just scared of something. When a loud CRASH reached his house, he went out running, (the wrong way) to find Jerome. He realizes that an old mine (they live in the middle of the woods) was often opening, and that he was going the wrong way. He would never forget that spot because that is where he met Jerome, his crush. He finds Jerome and barley makes it to the hospital before Jerome passes away. (I can't write "dies"...) Jerome wakes up, sees Mitch, blahblahblah, (This is getting too long...) and they kiss...
But...
BEEEEEP BEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEP.
Jerome is gone."

NOTES/APOLOGIES: I MADE AN ALTERNATE ENDING WHERE THEY BOTH LIVE. YA KNOW, FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE WITH HEARTS. It was Lucy's idea. You remember Lucy, right? The best friend of mine who decided, "Hey, why not turn this cutesy fluffy CraftBattleMariee into a horror story?" Yeah, that one. She pointed out to me that people respawn in Minecraft, and... We kind of just let our imaginations flow after that. :3

Warnings: The best freaking burn scene I have EVER written. AND I didn't even curse. I always have trouble with writing effective insults because I feel like they aren't that effective without curse words, but I don't like to curse, so... ANYWAYS. Also, there's character death, so yeah.

Word Count: 2487, ALT ending included

Jerome's POV

"Mitch!"

"Jerome!"

"What'd you do to Betty!?"

"Um... Oops?" we say in unison.

"No, not oops! More than oops!" I shout, stomping down the stairs to meet Mitch in the living room. "You broke Betty! Seriously, what the heck!?"

"Well, you managed to bleach my checkered hoodie! It's pink and grey now! Ugh," he complains, looking down at the ruined hoodie he's wearing.

I chuckle nervously. "That was an accident. But how on earth does one snap a diamond axe in half?" I ask, holding out Betty for him to see.

He scratches the back of his neck, looking down at his feet. "I, uh, Ian wanted to test out his Ultimate Sword, and I couldn't find my sword, so I just used Betty, and... It was an accident, OK?" He looks back up at me. "Why can't you just make a new Betty?"

"What? I can't do that, it wouldn't be the same! What about all the memories that we have with Betty? I can't just make a new one, Mitch!" I yell. Honestly!

"Well, sorry!" he says sarcastically. "Come on, Jerome! It's an axe!"

"Come on, Mitch, it's a freaking hoodie!" I retort. A hoodie!

"Yeah, but it's special!"

"No, it's not! Go buy another!"

"I can't, you idiot, my late grandmother made it!" Oh. Well, now I feel bad, but I can't let him know that.

"Maybe after you die and go to the Nether, you can ask her to make you a new one," I sneer. (Well, that escalated quickly.) Okay, that might have been a bit much.

His face shows that he is angry, but his eyes show that he is hurt. Oh, boy, what have I done? I didn't actually mean to hurt him, I thought he'd just brush it off and reply with an equally mean comment. Then we'd realize how ridiculous the fight was and make up, like we always do. "Mitch..," I begin, dropping Betty and reaching toward him hesitantly.

He takes a step away from me. "No. Stay away from me, you filthy, stinking bacca," he hisses, only he's not joking like he usually is when he says those words. He means it, and that hurts.

"M-Mitch, I didn't really mean it-" I start. I can't lose my best friend over something this silly. "This, this whole fight is just stupid. Can we-"

"You're stupid," Mitch snarls. "A stupid, unwanted, sad excuse for a bacca. Geez, even the zombies have more class than you."

"Mitch..," I trail off as tears brim at my eyes. He doesn't really mean that... Does he?

"Ever consider taking a bath, Bacca?" he asks. "Actually, that's probably a bad idea. Your filth would turn the water brown." He pauses and looks me up and down. "But maybe a hair cut? Then again, it would suck if you messed up like the clumsy idiot you are. I wouldn't wanna be stuck constantly seeing the ugly monster beneath that fur." He steps toward me, pushing me up against the wall.

"M-Mitch?" I squeak. "I-"

"What? Too slow to understand?" he asks innocently. Tears stream down my face. "Let me sum it up for you: You are a dumb, ugly, worthless animal. Honestly, the only reason I'm your 'friend' is because no one else will have you."

The fur on my face is soaked by now. Why am I breaking down like this? People insult me like this all the time, they remind me constantly that I am nothing but a worthless animal. So why does it matter so much when Mitch tells me these things? I let out a choked sob and quickly look down, not wanting him to know how much of an effect his words are having on me. He notices anyway, though, and his eyes widen. "Oh, Jerome! Oh my Notch, Jerome, I didn't mean it at all! I'm so sorry, I just got mad, and-"

I zone out during the rest of his apology. His earlier words are still running on repeat in my head: Dumb, ugly, worthless animal. What? Too slow to understand? The only reason I'm your friend is because no one else will have you.

"Can you forgive me?" Mitch asks, and his eyes are filled with such sorrow that I almost say yes. But...

"Nah. Wouldn't wanna f-force you to deal with an ugly, w-worthl-less animal any longer than you h-have to," I choke out, ducking away from Mitch and darting towards the door. I get out into the front yard, glance in both directions, and then decide to go left. I can hear him calling after me, but I'm already too far away.

I storm to the top of a mountain that I often go to to calm down or think about life. I guess I'm a little too blinded by my anger and hurt, though.

What happens next... It isn't my fault.

Really, it isn't! When you're colorblind and your mind is clouded by emotional pain, it's easy to mix up gravel and dirt.

Back to what I was doing. I walk up to the top of the mountain and out onto a small dirt outcropping.

Only it's not dirt.

It's gravel.

So I fall.

Mitch's POV

Oh my freaking Notch, oh my flipping goodness, oh... What have I done?

I just- he insulted my grandmother, someone who I care deeply about, and I immediately went into defensive mode. Ironically, before today I'd only ever shot insults like that at people who had insulted Jerome. But today...

OH MY FREAKING NOTCH.

WHAT.

HAVE.

I.

DONE.

I want so badly to run after him, but I don't think he'd want to talk to me right now. Ugh, what do I do?

Someone screams.

THAT IS JEROME'S VOICE, THAT IS JEROME'S SCREAM, JEROME IS IN TROUBLE, I HAVE TO HELP HIM-

Oh, wait. He's probably just mad. He needs space. Or maybe time. Wait, that's pretty much the same thing- ugh, I'm gonna go mental not having Jerome by my side.

Then I hear a loud crash.

SCREW THIS, I'M FINDING JEROME.

I throw open the door and look quickly in both directions before deciding to go right. Jerome's old tree house is this way. Maybe he went there.

It only takes two minutes for me to sprint to the tree house, but I'm surprised to see it standing upright. Hmm... I thought that crash had been the tree house falling down... "JEROME!" I yell. "Jerome, where are you!?" I climb the ladder into the tree house and peek into the different rooms. He's... not here.

Where is he!?

Okay, Mitch, calm down, you'll find him. Just think. Alright, where would Jerome go to think? Uh...

THE MOUNTAIN!

But what would have 'crashed' at the mountain..?

O.O

SNAP.

Jerome's an idiot. He tried to sit on the gravel at the top of the mountain, didn't he? Oh, please, no. That idiot- WAIT. What if... What if he did it on purpose? What if he tried to kill himself because of what I said?

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE PLEASE NO

I practically fall out of the tree house. Then I scramble to my feet and race toward the mountain. It takes me two minutes just to make it back to the house, and four more to get to the mountain. When I finally arrive, I see something horrific:

Jerome's red tie, torn and tattered, resting on a large pile of gravel.

I rush forward and start digging up the gravel, praying that Jerome is somehow okay. "Jerome!" I shriek, carelessly tossing aside large rocks and clawing gravel out of the way. "Jerome, please be okay!" I shove aside more gravel and gasp when I spot a furry paw sticking out of the rubble. My eyes widen, and I push more gravel away before gently tugging Jerome's mangled body out of the rubble. He groans and shivers, which is definitely bad, considering it's, like, a million degrees out here. "Jerome! Come on, Buddy, please be alright, please wake up!"

He doesn't.

I carefully pick him up before running in the direction of the nearest hospital, whispering comforting words to Jerome all the while. I swear, if these doctors try to tell me they don't allow 'animals,' I will freaking stab each and every one of them.

I burst through the hospital doors and immediately scream, "Help! He needs help, NOW!"

Several people dart over to me. One of them tries to take Jerome away from me, but I shake my head and tell them that where he goes, I go. The doctor gives me a sympathetic look and nods her approval. "Follow us," she instructs, walking briskly toward a long hallway on the left. I carry Jerome down the hall and into a room on the right, and the doctors hook him up to several complicated-looking machines. "I'm sorry, kid, you'll have to leave the room for this bit," the sympathetic doctor from before tells me. I don't argue with her, simply because if I did she'd be focused on me and not Jerome. I want all their attention on Jerome.

The sympathetic doctor open the door a little, slips out into the hallway, and gently closes the door again. She sighs as she turns to face me. "Kid..."

Too slow, she's talking too slowly. "What? What happened? Is Jerome okay? Tell me he's okay!" I demand.

She refuses to make eye contact with me as she says quietly, "He's not okay..."

"But he's going to be okay, right?" I ask desperately. She doesn't reply. "Right!?"

"He'll be waking up soon, but only for a short time," she tells me sadly. "You'd better go say your goodbyes."

A tear slides down my face, and I forcefully wipe it away with my pink and grey sleeve. "O-Okay," I whisper, standing up and opening the door. "Thank you." She nods and walks off down the hallway, and I step into Jerome's room. I sit in a chair and drag it closer to his bed, staring at his relaxed face and willing him to wake up.

He wakes up.

"Jerome!" I sob, throwing my arms around his neck.

"M-Mitch?" he croaks. I cry harder when I hear how weak he sounds, hugging him as tightly as I can without hurting him. "I'm sorry about your hoodie."

"No! No, no, no, don't be sorry, Biggums! I'm sorry, about everything! You're a smart, beautiful Bac and I wouldn't trade you for the world!"

Jerome frowns slightly. "But... But you said-"

"I know what I said, Jerome. I said nothing but a bunch of ridiculous lies. Everything I said back at the house was a lie. You are perfection, Jerome."

He smiles a little. Then his smile droops. "I think I'm going to die..."

"Don't even speak of it-"

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"U-Uhm... Sure."

"Mitch, I love you."

Silence for a few seconds. Then Jerome asks worriedly, "Mitch?"

"Th-This isn't a joke, right? Some last minute p-p-prank before you go?" I ask, fully expecting him to laugh and tell me he was just kidding.

He shakes his head, though. "No joke."

I grin and lean closer to him. "Can I tell you a secret?" He nods. "I love you, too."

He raises his head up just the smallest bit and collides his lips with mine, and I smile into the kiss and hold him tighter, and for a split second, for just that one moment, everything is perfect.

But then a loud noise interrupts our brilliant silence:

Be-Beep, Be-Beep, Be-Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep-

The heart monitor. It's gone flat.

Jerome is dead.

I hug his limp body as tight as I can, bawling my eyes out because I lost him, I lost him. I lost my Biggums.

He's gone.

-ALTERNATE ENDING-

Be-Beep, Be-Beep, Be-Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep-

The heart monitor. It's gone flat.

Jerome is dead.

I hug his limp body as tight as I can, bawling my eyes out because I lost him, I lost him. I lost my Biggums.

He's gone.

Suddenly, Jerome's body disintegrates, just disappears from my arms, and I hear a loud pop. I spin around and-

"Hey, Biggums," Jerome greets me, smiling widely.

"WHAT."

"There's a Respawn Machine, Buddy. Remember?"

"W-Well, I do n-now!" I stutter. "Why didn't you tell me that you were going to respawn!?"

He shrugs. "You should have already known, but you didn't, and it was funny."

"Funny!?" I screech. "It wasn't funny! It thought you were dying, Jerome! I thought I'd lost you forever!" I cry. He shrugs again and gives me an apologetic look. "W-What about the doctors? How come they didn't tell me? Why do we even have a hospital if everyone's just going to respawn, anyways?"

"The doctors thought it was funny, too. I'm pretty sure a few of the doctors took stupid selfies of themselves with my almost-dead body when you left the room. As for the hospital – I guess it's just used for pranks like this."

"Wh- B-But you said it wasn't a prank!" I shout, tears gathering in my eyes. "Y-You said it was real!" He just tilts his head to the right a little, looking confused. What!? How can he not remember!? HOW!? Was it really that unimportant to him? I collapse in a heap on the floor, crying with my head in my hands.

"Oh!" Jerome exclaims, running over and sitting down by me. "Biggums, I- No! That, it wasn't- That last part wasn't a prank, it- It was one hundred percent real! I love you, Mitch, so much!" He wraps me in his arms, kissing my forehead gently. I bury my head in his furry chest as tears continue to leak from my eyes. "Oh, and Mitch?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"About your 'late' grandmother-"

"Wh- Hey! OH! EVERYONE RESPAWNS! THAT MEANS-" I jump up out of Jerome's hold, realizing what he means. Forgetting completely about Jerome, I race toward the front doors, yelling, "I'LL FIND YOU, GRANNY!"

And Jerome was offended for a second, but then he just went "lolololololololololol"

And the doctors saw Mitch running wildly through the front doors, flailing his arms stupidly, and they all went "lolololololololololololololool"

And the Rulers all realized that Hghrules randomly switched POVs and they all went "lololololololololololo"

And then they realized that major Fourth Wall Breakage had just occurred, and they went "LOLOLOLOLOLOOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!"

THE END

:b Well. That ended differently than I thought it would.