I felt the air tussle my long hair as I fell. Everything blurred and moved so quickly that I couldn't comprehend anything. All I saw was the Witherstorm fall behind me as we both cascaded down toward the Earth. The roar of the storm assaulted my ears and rattled my armor to the core. The winds stung and tears threatened to spill out of my eyes as I was whipped back and forth. I could vaguely see my weapon, an enchanted shovel, falling directly above me. Something screeched and I saw a blur of pink rush toward the ground below. My mind reeled in horror as I digested the quickly moving scenery, my limbs spread out and flailing wildly. I spotted the wall of brown moving toward me and I winced, ready to strike the impenetrable barrier. However, as I grew closer, I felt myself grow to a stop. I hesitantly opened an eye and saw the ground inches in front of me, a charred blade of grass tickling my nose.
Suddenly, I felt a tugging sensation in my chest. I struggled to move, but I found that I could not. I was rooted inches away from the earth, unable to even twitch my fingers. The sensation grew stronger and I felt myself become severed in my body. I was tossed out of my physical form and into the air, pain spiking in my core. I shrieked and pawed at my chest only to find that my hands could go straight through me. I stared in astonishment at my translucent hands, wiggling my fingers and examining the dark blue lines that marked where the sky ended and I began. What perplexed me more was the tiny, dark blue heart floating in the center of my being, pulsing slightly. I touched in tentatively, flinching at the pain that immediately assaulted me. I pulled my hand out of my being and glanced around. I started as I turned around, meeting the gaze of a cloaked creature.
It floated a few feet away from me, its green eyes glittering with hostility. I grit my teeth and instinctively moved into a fighting position. However, instead of triggering a fight, the figure merely chuckled and waved its skeletal hand.
"I am not here to fight, Blue One. I merely want to assist you." I raised an eyebrow, cautiously returning back into a normal position. It was definitely a threat, that I was sure of. It held a menacing aurora. One that spelled out a thirst for violence, destruction. However, I smoothed over my unease and payed apt attention to it, biting my lip. It crossed its arms and stared straight into my soul.
"You have done a great service to the Underworld, Blue One," it rasped. "You have stopped the Witherstorm, a being that could have destroyed the universe itself. Without your... divine... intervention, it would have expanded and expanded until nothing but the storm remained. For that, we thank you."
"Then why did you, um, take me out of my body? What can you possibly help me with?" The being merely glanced to the side, looking pointedly at something. I followed its gaze and my eyes landed on the frozen, terrified form of my pig, Reuben. He was barely above a stone floor, a barrier that would definitely kill him upon impact. I froze and swallowed drily.
"You're willing to save Reuben?" I asked. It tilted its head, appearing amused.
"Why yes. Not only him, but everyone who was lost in the Witherstorm as well. Regular civilians, Reuben, Ellegard..." I winced at her name, remembering her gory end. Her death, her sacrifice had been ultimately useless in the end, and I could not help but blame it on me... I stared up at him cautiously.
"How... can you do that?" The figure's throat rumbled.
"Of course I can!" It barked. "However, I do require some assistance..." I blinked at him.
"Well, uh, what do you need?"
"Your soul," it replied bluntly. I raised an eyebrow. The figure sighed, rolling its eyes.
"The heart beating in your chest. It's the very essence of your being. It contains all of your thoughts, emotions, memories. With your amount of compassion, it should be able to reverse the effects of the Witherstorm."
"But won't it destroy me?" It gave a dry chuckle.
"Souls can never be destroyed. You may be confused afterward, but you'll be completely fine." The figure saw the look of hesitance gleaming in my eyes.
"You'll be saving the souls of countless organisms," it reminded me. "Strangers, friends, pigs, they'll all be returned to normal. It will even decimate Gabriel's Wither Sickness. Keep in mind that this is your only chance to save them all. If you refuse, time will go forward and I can do nothing to reverse time." I bit my lip, contemplating my choices. On one hand, I didn't know what would exactly happen if I handed the figure my "soul". But, on the other... getting a chance to save them all...
With a little hesitance, I stuck out my hand. "Deal." It gave me a small grin, grasping and shaking my smaller hand. Its hands were a bitter cold and I shivered. It nudged me toward my body and I felt myself get sucked in, time unfreezing and everything speeding up.
Before I could even register the rushing wall of brown, I heard a reverberating thud and everything turned into a mixture of crimson and blue. My entire lower body became numb and tingles ran up and down my spine. Something wet splattered onto my armor, the liquid immediately seeping into my clothing. I choked, my mouth opening and closing in a desperate attempt to swallow down air. Pain bloomed in my chest and everything felt constricted, like a large python was smothering me.
I vaguely saw four figures run up to me, yelling something into my sore ears. I winced and reached a hand toward them, shrieking loudly when I realized that it god damn hurt to move any of my limbs. I couldn't see them, but they were covered in an oozing red. I tried to sit up, but that still caused indescribable agony to course through my entire body. I felt someone press a hand against my forehead, still screaming into my ear. I slapped their hand away, coughing up liquid. I concentrated all of my senses on the figures in front of me, trying to decipher what they were all saying. Slowly, one by one, I could understand and I felt horror seize me.
"Jesse! Don't die on me now! We still have so much TNT to use!"
"No, not now. Not one of my only friends. I'm so sorry... if only I had been able to build something for you..."
"Oink, oink."
"I don't understand," stated a faint voice. "The armor should have protected her. I took such care..."
But all of the words were becoming muddy and all I could see was the green figure in the background, sucking away the magic from the armor. A ball of magic appeared in its hands and I felt it grasp neatly at my soul, plucking it from my body with ease. I instantly felt numb and I soared above my body, staring down at my friends as they shook my bloody body. My eyes were blank and soulless and it terrified me beyond belief. However, I couldn't react as the figure took my soul and grasped at the tiny heart, making it glow ten times brighter. It gave me a look of pity.
"This is going to hurt."
And it did. It very much hurt. If it weren't for the fact that I was paralyzed, I would have thrashed, kicked, screamed my lungs out. I was in agony and everything was blanketed in a haze. Seconds were replaced by minutes and minutes were replaced by hours and time seemed to dig its heels. But then, it was finished, and my soul turned into a dark grey. I hovered in the air, dazed and still in pain, trembling above my friends. They couldn't see me, but we could all see the countless bodies appearing out of nowhere and standing up, rubbing their eyes, and approaching the heroes. The first one to reach them was Ellegard, and I was filled with a faint feeling of satisfaction. Magnus practically tackled her, barely keeping in the tears. In the corner of my eye, I saw the figure disappear in a wisp of green smoke. I merely floated, drained, beyond dead. However, despite my fate, a smile crossed my blue lips and I laughed.
Everyone is safe...
The ceremony was quickly set up after my grave had been built. I floated by quietly, smiling faintly. Even though I couldn't personally take a part in the ceremony, it was still heartwarming to see my friends walk onto the stage with proud smiles on their faces. A crowd cheered around them, their eyes glittering in excitement and adoration. I felt my soul ache and I glanced down at it. The tiny heart was splintering, thin slices of gray piercing through the revived blue. I shrugged it off, floating toward my friends.
It was Gabriel who started the speech. He spoke of my friends, praising them highly. The crowd cheered and my friends puffed out their chests. He praised me lightly and a thin layer of sadness blanketed my two best friends, Olivia and Axel. Their eyes clouded and I could see their red and green souls splinter. I quickly rushed over and spoke encouragingly to them. Even though they couldn't consciously hear me, their souls could and they healed in no time.
Gabriel continued his speech, talking about the Order and their accomplishments. Ivor gave the warrior a withered glare before turning to the side, refusing to acknowledge him anymore. I listened attentively, drinking up the speech. Then, the Order of the Stone walked off the stage and let the new Order speak. Of course, they all spoke together. I don't know why, but they were able to coordinate their speech as if they had rehearsed it beforehand. Somehow, I loved it, and I didn't bother to remain on the stage. After all, their souls didn't need any help. Instead, I floated next to Ivor, looking up at my former team.
Then, finally, it was time to fire the rainbow beacon.
Axel did the honors. He walked up the podium, holding the last piece tentatively in his hands. With a little hesitation, he placed the piece inside and what came out amazed all of us. The beams of light were amazing and the crowd began to cheer once again, clapping at the spectacle. Of course, I began to clap too. It wasn't until Ivor gasped that I realized that I was able to make physical contact with my hands and that I was suddenly visible. The old members of the Order of the Stone looked at me, gaping. I hovered there nervously, grinning and waving.
"Hey, uh..." I trailed off. I glanced at my friends. "Tell those guys I'll miss them, okay?" I could already feel myself fading away from sight. They said something, but I didn't listen and I disappeared. All that remained was my tiny blue soul. I felt my smile widen.
Everyone was saved.