Why in hell the gang decided a Minecraft overworld was a good place for a build battle, Mango would never know.
Not that he cared. While he was mainly there for Purple's sake(keeping them happy while Mango tried keeping them under a roof was his top priority), it was always kind of funny to watch their friends argue and bicker like toddlers.
And, if he were being honest, he did like the view the kids chose. Petals flew across the open world around them, and Mango had noticed immediately that Purple was happy there.
Whatever the reason, Mango had never asked, but Purple had always loved these kinds of places.
Even if it did currently house the six teenagers shouting at each other for a build battle.
"GREEN YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING EASY BECAUSE PURPLE WAS HERE!"
"NOT MY FAULT IM A GOOD BUILDER!"
"THEY BUILT AN ENTIRE PARKOUR COURSE THAT LITERALLY STAYED SO INNOCENT, WE WERE ALL CAUGHT EXTEREMELY OFF GUARD WHEN THEY TRAPPED US!"
Purple glanced at Blue. "Technically, that was Mango. I just took your pig friend and left."
Green blinked, whipping his head towards Purple. "THAT WAS MANGO WHO BUILT THAT?!"
"...Yeah?"
Yellow took the opportunity while Green was distracted to mine a couple of the blocks on his creation. Green glanced over, already realizing something was wrong.
"YELLOW!"
Yellow cackled, climbing higher on his creation. "Don't distract yourself!"
"OH FUCK YOU!"
Mango sighed, shaking his head fondly and turning his attention back to Purple. They did look genuinely happy for once. The stress from their current situation melting away as they spent time with their friends.
Even though it looked like Green was going to win.
"HAH! I win again!" Green shouted to the sky, throwing his trophy in the air.
Blue glared at him. "You promised you'd go easy this time!"
"When?"
"When Purple asked to join this build battle! You promised you'd go easy on them cause they're your "best friend"," Blue snapped. "And you said you'd let Purple win this one, and your the one holding this one's trophy!"
At this point, Purple spoke up. "Blue, it's not a big deal. I'm just focused on having fun. Why can't you guys just have fun with these?"
"Because SOMEONE likes to make our fun bonding time a competition every. Single. Time." Blue said, motioning to Green.
"Hey, you guys cheat every time and try to blow up my beautiful creations!" Green defended.
Second jumped down from his spot on a nearby tree, standing next to Mango. The two shared a glance.
"Your creations deserve to be blown to smithereens! You don't let us win at all, except for that one time!"
"Hey, you guys cheated on that one time!" Green snapped.
"Green, easy-" Red began.
"Shut it, Red!" Green snapped.
"Well, technically, we didn't cheat. You just used the wrong blocks!" Yellow countered.
"Can we not have a fight right now?" Purple asked meekly.
Blue and Green continued to bicker.
"Guys, stop it." Yellow said.
The statement fell on deaf ears.
"Guys-" Red tried again.
Still nothing.
"Guys, please-" Purple finally made an attempt to break up the fight.
"SHUT UP, PURPLE! God, your so annoying! No wonder nobody loves you!" Blue screamed.
The fight immediately broke up, and the group fell silent.
Mango and Second stared at each other.
Blue's adrenaline died down a little bit, and the realization of snapping at Purple became evident on his face.
"P-Purple, I didn't mean-"
"No, I think you knew and meant what you just said." Purple snapped. Their eyes with unshed tears did nothing to mask the anger and hurt.
"But, I-"
"Can you just shut up for once, Blue? Before you make everything worse?" They snapped again, already turning to leave.
Mango, ever the parent of the group, tried to intervene. "Purple, kid-"
Purple brushed past Mango, not even sparing him a second glance. Mango watched them leave.
Green, Yellow, and Red all turned on Blue, glaring at him. Second started his descent from the tree, and Mango stood there, still watching for Purple. As if they would want to return.
"Dude. GO APOLOGIZE!" Green screamed angrily.
"How?! I don't know how I'd be able to talk to them! Better yet, I hurt their feelings big time! They won't listen to me!"
"Yeah, cause you said nobody loves them and you know that's not true!" Second screamed, jumping down from the tree he was dozing in to join the group. "Mango is right fucking there!" He added.
"I know...I just let my anger get the better of me." Blue said softly.
"Yeah, and do you know how big the surrounding area is?! They have no elytra, and neither do any of us, and there's cave systems around us! It's going to take us even longer to find them! Thanks a lot, asshole!" Green shouted.
"Green, let's focus on the positive," Yellow said, guiding his hands back down. "It hasn't been very long, they couldn't have gotten very far. Let's just split up, cover more ground, find them, and we'll work this out. Okay?"
The others glanced at each other nervously. "...Okay."
Purple didn't really know how long they were walking away for.
They didn't know, and they didn't care.
They wanted to be away from Blue. From everyone.
They didn't want to be near someone who would say they were annoying and unloved when they were just trying to control a situation.
What kind of friend was he.
He knew what he was saying, and he didn't care.
He's right-
"No!"
They could say whatever they wanted to, they just couldn't say that.
Saying that was a dumb move.
But it's true.
Purple ignored it this time. Instead, they stopped and stared down into the pit in front of them.
A dark, damp, and deep pit.
It almost looked neverending.
Like they would fall for the rest of their young life if they fell.
Jump.
Nobody will notice your absence.
Just. Jump.
"No, no, no!"
Stop thinking!
Blue was wrong.
Your not annoying, your loved, you have people who care about you, you can't give into those thoughts!
Just think happy! Think positive!
Focus on the positive-
Someone crashes into them, and Purple on instinct braces for a fall.
It does come, but it's abruptly cut short when someone grabs their wrist, and then their rescuer begins screaming.
Purple recognizes the tone. It's Blue.
They don't necessarily want to see Blue right now, but they're glad someone prevented them from an early demise.
Voices chime from around them, and Purple recognizes all of them.
"Blue!"
"Hang on, kids!"
"Just hold on a little longer, we're coming!"
They're all panicking. Purple can only focus on Mango's and Green's. Both filled with pure terror.
Was Mango that scared?
No. He couldn't be.
The last time he'd been scared was when he let a Brute handle his staff, and it had given Purple a concussion.
Why was he so scared now?
Purple faintly hears the crack of stone, and their heart drops.
No, no, no!
Mango and Yellow both call out to them, but it's too late.
"Blue!"
"Purple!"
The stone breaks underneath Blue's weight, doubled with keeping Purple from falling, and the two are lost to the blackness below.
Mango doesn't think he's felt real fear until now.
Until having to see Purple fall into the blackness of a cave as the stone crumbles.
His heart is racing, and he knows that if he even tries to speak, he's going to have a breakdown.
He tries not to speak. He knows he will break down crying.
Purple...
Please be alright...
He can't cry in front of them. Not the kids.
They're all scared, terrified, and Mango having a meltdown in front of them will only cause lost hope.
They need that hope.
To keep them optimistic.
Because Blue and Purple are down there.
They're both alive.
And Mango is going to make sure of that.
He's going to make sure Purple gets out of that pit alive.
No matter the problem.
Purple, thank the heavens, is still alive.
And surprisingly unharmed.
The damned cobwebs of a spider broke their fall.
And Blue's, although he's farther down.
"Blue!"
Blue jumps, startled, before glancing up and realizing it's just Purple. "Ohmygodweactuallyfoundyouthankgodiamsofuckingsorry-"
"Hey, Blue, save the apologies and panicked checkups for when we get down from here, Kay?" Purple double checks their inventory for a sword strong enough to break through the cobwebs. Finally getting their hands on the sword they'd stashed away, they slashed through the cobwebs before carefully slashing Blue out as well. Pulling them both up to their feet, Purple glances above them. A long way up.
"Thank Becker for the cobwebs, I guess," Putting their sword away, Purple starts looking down the corridors. They landed in a mineshaft.
"Welp. This is lovely." Blue grumbled.
Purple jumped onto one of the lamp posts, their hand grasping onto a batch of stone. It would be a long climb up, but it was one Purple was willing to take.
"What are you..."
"It's either we walk aimlessly in what may be the wrong direction, or we climb. Take your pick, Blue." Purple snapped, still slightly adgitated at him, but ignoring it. They wanted out of there so Mango didn't have to worry about them.
"Purple-"
"What?!"
Purple realized too late why Blue had shouted
The stone fell on them far too fast for them to realize, and just as they hit the ground, the stone came down on them.
The ground rumbles again, and Mango's heart sinks.
"Shit, shit, shit!"
Green hooks a fishing rod to the ground and starts diving down, screaming for Purple the whole way down. The others follow his motions, all moving down with him.
Mango stands there like an idiot, watching as kids dive down into what was once a rockslide to save their friends.
And Mango doesn't do anything. He can't cry, he can't go down there and help, he can't do anything.
He's frozen.
Until he hears Blue shouting.
"Green!"
"Blue! Hang on, we're gonna get you guys out, I promise!"
Mango notices Green's fishing rod start to slide, and realizes it must be coming loose. If it goes any farther...
No.
He can't think out that.
As soon as Green makes a move, the rod slides down, but doesn't make it very far. Mango catches it before it gets a chance to get anywhere.
"I need the rest of you to climb up here and pull them up!" He shouts. The others comply, climbing as fast as they can and grabbing the rope to assist Mango.
They all know it won't last forever. However much weight is being pulled up is going to snap.
But, by some miracle, it holds up long enough for Mango to grab Green's wrist and pull him up. Second, Red, and Yellow all pitch in to grab Purple and Blue before the two of them can fall.
Yellow immediately pulls Blue into his arms, while Mango grabs Purple away from the group.
"What happened?!"
"They-They tried to climb up the wall to get out, b-but it-it fell on them and they-" Blue tries to calm his shaking voice. "They won't wake up."
Mango's heart sinks.
"No, no, nononono-Purple, wake up! Please!"
Mango doesn't care what's wrong anymore. He just wanted Purple to wake up.
He needed Purple to wake up.
Purple stirs slightly, but they don't wake up.
"Please, kid! Wake up!"
Purple's hand tightens around his own, and Purple gives a small whine. Probably from whatever pain they're feeling.
"Hey, it's okay. Your okay. Just hang on for a little bit, okay? I'm gonna get you some help, okay? I promise."
Purple doesn't let him leave. Mango barely has the child in his lap, but Purple still refuses to let him go.
"Red, go get Regen and healing potions." Green orders, still crowded around Blue and Yellow.
Mango just sits there, off to the side, holding onto Purple for dear life.
And he doesn't let go.