Maddest Kind of Love- A Hermitcraft Fanfiction (Book 1)

It Is What It Is

Scar's POV

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I hoped Jellie was having a fun time in the fantasy district and wasn't causing Tango too much trouble. I smiled to myself as I added on to my build, imagining Jellie chasing all of the small flying creatures clean out of the fantasy district. As well as Tango.

I got a message on my communicator a few hours after I had dropped Jellie off. 

A message from Tango. 

"Come to the fantasy district, Scar."

I didn't like the sound of that. What had Jellie done this time? She really had destroyed the place, hadn't she? 

"Whatever Jellie did, I apologize," I replied, flying back. 

I got no reply, and I arrived at Tango's base once again. 

"Cub?" I was surprised to see him here. He stood next to the pond, seemingly waiting for me. 

He nodded and smiled as if nothing was wrong, but I knew him well enough to recognize that the usual twinkle in his eye was gone. 

My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to work out what was going on. I looked over Cub's shoulder at Tango, who was having trouble meeting my eyes. 

Realization set in. 

"N-no," I said quietly, searching their faces for any sign that this was a joke. There was no way. Jellie couldn't be...

Dead?

Their faces remained expressionless, Cub's eyes burning into me with pure sadness. 

I ran around them and to my horror, I saw a bloodied towel on the ground placed under a willow tree. 

It couldn't be. 

Even so, I knew it was. I slowly pulled back the towel, my worst fears confirmed. 

"J-Jellie..." I managed to wimper through my sorrowful gasps. "Please don't leave me! You can't!" 

I felt a hand on my shoulder. Cub's. He knelt next to me and held me firmly with one arm. 

"Jellie..." I sobbed burying my face in Cub's chest, probably soaking his lab coat. I couldn't look at Jellie's lifeless limp body any longer. 

He wrapped his arms around me and stroked the back of my head, his fingers entangled in my hair. 

"It's okay, Scar," he tried to comfort me. 

"No it's not," I mumbled, not sure if he could hear me.

Apparently he could. "No, it's not," He admitted. "But it is what it is." 

He was right. Sadly. But why did it have to be what it was? Why couldn't Jellie happily pounce on things unseen by anyone and eat her favorite salmon wet food? Why couldn't I hold her in my arms as I showed her my finished builds? 

Why did she have to leave me?

It is what it is. Those words rang over and over in my head. 

I took a deep shaky breath and finally brought my head up, looking at the spot where Jellie was. To my relief, Tango had moved her so I wouldn't have to look at her anymore. 

Cub tilted his head to get a better look at my face, and wiped tears off my cheeks with his thumb. 

"Are you ready?" He asked softly, and I caught the familiar scent of spearmint on his breath. He always chewed gum when he was working on redstone as it helped him concentrate. It comforted me slightly. 

I nodded and looked down at his coat, which now had a wet spot on it. "Sorry about that," I said with a weak smile. 

He looked down and shrugged. "I don't mind," he replied as he stood up, helping me up as well. 

Tango was waiting for us at what I could only assume was the reason for Jellie's departure. A cage of iron bars, rigged with arrows. There was a sign saying, "Maybe you should mind your own business."

Something told me this trap wasn't aimed at Jellie. I looked at Tango. "What did you do?" I didn't know whether to be angry with him or not. I already was, considering Jellie was in his care when this had happened. I was prepared to be even angrier. 

Tango looked down, his tail between his legs. "I might have happened to fly over Mumbo's base as Doc and Ren were setting up a trap, and I told Mumbo about it. My guess is that Doc and Ren got angry, and did this in attempt to get me back."

"And it killed Jellie instead," I finished, trying not to burst into tears again. 

Tango nodded. "I'm really sorry, Scar."

Cub suddenly growled at him. "Apologies aren't going to cut it, Tango. You should have been looking more carefully after Jellie when Scar trusted you to care for her! He trusted you! And look what you've done!" His fists clenched and he stepped closer to Tango, his eyes burning fire. 

I put a hand on Cub's arm and looked at him as if to say, Stop. I don't need this.

He gave me a sideways glance and stepped back to his place next to me, putting his hand on my own. 

"I'm sorry," He muttered softly. 

I let go of his arm, only to take his hand instead. I led Cub toward the exit, glancing back once at Tango. He looked about as heartbroken as I felt, looking down at the floor. 

Cub and I left the fantasy district, heading back to my base.

It is what it is.