Blood Vines | (Skephalo)

"Dead or alive, I'm glad you're still by my side.

A few years ago, Bad said that it would be their vacation home. Several years later, now it's their permanent home. But he wasn't complaining. It gave a comforting feel that the castle island and mainland didn't.

It felt free from the lingering smell of blood and the freezing cold his curse caused when he was still alive.

For the first time in years, he felt, well, free.

Bad landed on top of the roof of their wooden vacation home, and carefully let Skeppy down from his back.

"Don't go to the water, I heard it's bad for ghosts." He pulled out a small knife. "I''l be right back. I just want to go and hunt."

Skeppy watched as his friend jumped down from the house and ran into the woods, disappearing behind the darker trees.

He faced the water. He didn't know if he could touch it or not. Like, he had ice powers, but would it cancel out the normal ghost melting?

If he fell in and melted, Bad wouldn't know where he went. And he didn't want Bad to be alone again, not after all of these years of being isolated.

Skeppy's eyes lit up as he jumped from the roof and landed on the patio, getting closer to the water level.

Using his darkened frostbite hands, he touched the water, flinching and taking his hand back as his hand stung.

He inspected it. Nothing much happened, but the water... The water had iced up with frost covering the columns of the patio.

Feeling nothing but curiosity in the moment, Skeppy stood on top of the columns of the patio. Unsure whether to watch or jump in, Skeppy looked at the night sky, stars and clouds scattered in it like spilled wine.

"It's now or never..."

Skeppy jumped away from the column, bracing himself as he landed inside the water. He feared he'd melt away in the water, but in fact, the opposite happened.

His hands stung a bit more than last time, and his breathing was hitched. Fearing for the worse, he hugged himself as a bunch of ice shot through the water, carrying him up the air.

His chest felt like someone stabbed it with several spears. Everything was going slow.

He opened his eyes and watched the world around him. Ice shards and water droplets shot through the air, the stars blurrily looking at his now pale white glowing eyes, and a glimpse of Bad looking at him in shock while holding a dead sheep.

Everything felt so lucid to him.

Skeppy blacked out for a second in tiredness and shock.

Did he return to the death realm?

Where was Bad?

Where was he?

Light blinded his eyes as he came to his senses and found himself in the arms of his friend.

Lanterns lit the room and in the corner, there were some plates of mutton on the table. He was wrapped around in wool blankets on the floor, a LOT of wool blankets, with Bad snuggling sleepily next to him

"You need to learn how to use your powers better..." Bad soothed his face. "You had a heart attack midair."

Skeppy rubbed his head and chest in pain. "My bad. I got curious and accidentally activated them."

"It's okay muffinhead, I'm just glad you're okay." He hugged him warmly, enjoying the quiet comfortable silence.

"Hey Bad..."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Just for being there. For me, even if you, y'know, weren't in the best state of mind." Skeppy fidgeted his fingers a bit nervously. "Dead or alive, I'm glad you're still by my side."

Bad looked at Skeppy before smiling warmly and nudging his shoulder. "It's no problem! I'm glad you're by my side as well, even if I, y'know..."

"Bad." He put his hand on his shoulders. "You and I both know it wasn't your fault. And it's been hundreds of years, no more grudges or bad blood! Got it?"

Bad relaxed and laid down beside Skeppy. "Yeah. I got it."

"So what are we gonna do for tomorrow? Mine, find food, try and open a nether portal?"

Bad wrapped his arms around Skeppy, cuddling him as he looked at the ceiling. "I dunno. Maybe we can go fishing and hunting? I'm not the best at ideas..."

Skeppy's eyes lit up in excitement. "And maybe you can fly us around and we can try to catch the biggest shark ever! Or maybe follow an enderman around the island and get lost! Or maybe-"

"Chill inside the house and oversleep by the standard time we're supposed to wake up?"

"That sounds better."

Bad got up and turned off the lights before getting back under the covers. The room sat in comforting silence with occasional snickering as they went to sleep.

The moonlight and stars shone on them through the window, the breeze cool but comfortable.

They had a lot to catch up on, with each other and the rest. Time is weird in the death realm and just merely walking felt like thousands of years went by. Despite their feuds and hardships throughout the beginning and end of the mainland's lifespan, they still had each other by their side.

And as much as Skeppy wanted everything to get back to normal, he preferred the calm, peaceful life out there without war and rivalries that the mainlands were infested with.

In a few hours he would have to get up and get his life and the island in order with his friend. Day by day. Baby steps. He didn't mind; he was just too tired to think about it clearly.

Cuddling his friend even harder than before, he closed his tired eyes, feeling a sense of comfort in his dreams and sleep for the first time in years.