By the time Dark caught off with the boat, Orchid had long since arrived, and Purple was frozen mid-air, holding the crown shard in his hand.
"Shit. Sec! You alright?!" Dark flew down to Second.
"Yeah, I'm okay. We beat her here, but now we have to keep the crown and the shard from her!"
"And Purple! Don't forget her main plan for him!"
"Right," Second said. "But for now, let's just try and protect Purple for now so he can get the crown fixed so we can get this over with! God knows how many guards are gonna come after Chosen and the others!"
"Right!" Dark flew up towards Orchid.
"There's an easy way to do this, kid," Orchid said. "Hand over the shard and this'll all be over!"
"Why should I trust you?!" Purple snapped. "Why should I, the kid who could eventually become your puppet if I give up the shard, trust the person who put me in this mess in the first place!"
"Well, still! Just give up the shard and the crown and I'll let you go!"
Purple spawned an energy ball in his free hand, "In your dreams!"
Orchid smirked. "So be it." And with great speed, she sped towards Purple.
Purple tossed the energy ball at her and jumped onto the black dirt lining the rock formation. He ran towards the center of the area, where the crown was.
Orchid flew in front of him and blasted him with an energy ball, tossing him into the water.
Purple scrambled to keep the shard in his hands, and flew back up to Orchid, catching her with a surprise energy blast.
Purple dove down towards the crown, and got close to putting the shard back but didn't reach it in time before Orchid regained her senses and attacked him.
"Just give me the shard!" She snapped.
"LIKE HELL HE WILL!" Dark screamed, launching a fireball at her.
The entire ordeal sent Purple crashing back onto the boat with Second.
"Purple! Are you alright?!"
"Augh…yeah, I'm…I'm fine."
"We've gotta get close to the crown if we're even going to have a chance at stopping Orchid!" Purple said.
Second glanced at the center of the formation, where the crown was, then at the darkening sky above. "What if I get you behind the formation and you can fix the crown without her seeing?"
"What?! How?!"
"Me and Dark distract her while you get behind the formation and fix the crown!"
"How would we do that?!"
Second kicked the boat back into movement and flew towards an opening that lead straight behind the formation. "This is how!"
"Second, wait!" Purple tried reasoning with him. "We won't make it, and Dark can't hold her off!"
"I'll help him, but I've gotta get you to do this!"
"But-"
"This is the only way you'll save us without dying by your mother!" Second snapped. "I'm making sure King doesn't lose you!"
"Second, there's tons of other ways we can do this!"
"No, there really isn't-SHIT!" Second pulled Purple down as an energy blast cut him off.
"This is what I was afraid of! We're not going to make it in time!" Purple shouted in fear.
"Yes. We. Are!" Second kicked the boat into going faster, willing it to go faster.
They're gonna make it they're gonna make it they're gonna make it!
"We're gonna make it. We're going to make it!" Second snapped. "Go faster, stupid boat! God damn it!"
Orchid blasted another energy blast at them, but Dark countered it. The grey spots on his body grew larger.
"Get to the crown! I'll hold her off!"
"Thanks for the reminder!" Second snapped. "Go faster, damn it!"
Dark was suddenly flung into Second.
Purple took what could be their last chance and flew up past Orchid and towards the crown.
"Purple!" Dark shouted.
"Purple, please! It's hopeless!" Second added.
"Second, we can't lose hope now," Dark said. "Maybe we can-"
"Dark, it's useless. We failed."
The look in Darks eyes hurt Second, but it was true for them.
They had failed.
Orchid blasted Purple with another energy ball, sending him flying into the water.
Purple kept the shard close to him, remembering why he did this in the first place.
King.
King had faith in him.
He's always had faith in him even over all the numerous times Purple's failed him.
Failed them.
He believed in Purple.
King believed in Purple's abilities, and knew that somehow, one way or another, he'd defeat Orchid.
Purple shot out of the water, hitting Orchid with another energy blast before running like hell to the crown.
King believed in you King believed in you King believed in you.
King believes in you and your not taking that and throwing it all away.
King loves you.
King needs you.
Purple can see the crown shimmering in the little sun the storm clouds let in.
The small ray of hope in the sea of despair.
Maybe they could win.
Maybe they could save the world!
"You're almost there."
Purple remembers King running after him that fateful day in the Nether.
The hope that he had.
The literal hope he carried that he could save Purple.
That hope helped.
"I love you, Purple. I'm so proud of you and I'm so sorry!"
He launches himself into the sky, diving for the crown one last time before Orchid jumps between him and the crown in a giant explosion.
Purple crashes back into the water, losing his grip on the shard, but he's too weak to try and grab it.
Dark and Second grab him and pull him back onto the boat and back into fresh air.
"You alright, kid?" Dark asks in worry as Purple coughs out water.
"I…I think…" Purple is near passing out.
"Where's the shard?!" Dark asked frantically. "W-We can still fix this!"
Dark stares down into the water, trying to find the tiniest shimmer of golden yellow in the sea of dark blue water.
"Dark, please," Second said, the hope he had earlier dashed into a million little pieces. "It's hopeless."
"No! We could still have a chance! We have to do something!"
"Dark! It's hopeless. We failed."
"You can't say that, Sec! Did you give up when I killed your friends?! When Purple betrayed you? When King was minutes, or even seconds, away from destroying all of Minecraft?!"
"Those times were easy!" Second snapped. "We've been fighting these guys for months! And now…it's all over. We failed. She's too strong, we can't stop her. It's over."
"Sec…"
"Guys! Look out!" Purple screamed.
As the others readied themselves to attack, Purple jumped forwards and launched an energy blast at Orchid. Orchid countered it with her own, but Purple still wouldn't back down.
King believes in you King believes in you King believes in you!
"Awww, is Minecraft's little prince giving up already?" Orchid smirked.
"I'm not a prince, Orchid! Now give up!"
"Why would I?"
"Because I'm not going to let you take over the world or hurt anyone else!" Purple snapped. "I almost lost my friends and family forever because of you, and I'm not going to lose them again!"
"Well, there's an easy way for you to keep them safe, now is there?"
"And what is that?!"
"Give up your magic. Dark doesn't have to. Just you."
Purple lost focus on the energy beam, seemingly shocked by the offer. "What?!"
"Give up your magic, and I'll spare you and your friends."
"Purple, don't!" Dark pleaded.
"Purple, it's a trap!" Second added. "Please!"
Purple stared at Orchid for a brief moment, thinking about the decision. Giving up his powers would mean King and the others would be safe, but also a major disadvantage if it was a trap, and the others were put in danger.
Was giving up his magic really worth it?
"What do you say, little flower?"
Purple sighed. "Fine. You spare my friends, and you get my power."
"Purple, no!"
"YES!" Orchid blasted him with another energy blast, before throwing him into the boat and blasting the entire boat with a shockwave.
Dark and Second braced themselves for the impact, holding the unconscious Purple and bracing for an attack.
The boat was sent flying by the shockwave, sending them all flying into the water.
Dark didn't remember much else before it all went dark afterwards.
King felt a shockwave from somewhere across the ocean, and it settled with a familiar feeling in his gut.
Something was wrong.
"What the hell was that?!" Green shouted, seemingly surprised at the shockwave and knowing Night Shade might've potentially had something to do with it.
King knew exactly what was wrong. And it didn't feel good, knowing the circumstances of their current situation.
"Purple and the others. They're in danger."