Chapter Text
It all started when Wemmbu was chasing JadenMAN.
He wasn’t thinking about abandoned civilizations.
He was thinking about blood.
About the way JadenMAN always ran—never fought fairly, always managed to slip out of his grasp. It was on that fateful day when Wemmbu tracked him through broken terrain, mountains, and demolished roads his worn down boots pounding across the gravel until the ground suddenly fell beneath him.
“—Shit.”
He dropped, stone rushing past, air tearing at his throat as he fumbled through his inventory, water bucket clutching in the nick of time. Dust clouded the air as he coughed, dusting off all the dirt that still clung to his arms. He scanned his surroundings in a sharp, practiced sweep, looking for any signs for that slippery bastard.
All he spotted were ruins. Once bustling with life from every corner, tall walls, cracked towers, and empty streets stretched as far as he could see. Chorus plants grew over stone brick walls, wrapping every structure in a terrifying web of vines.
Abandoned.
Wemmbu exhaled through his teeth. “Just my luck.”
He took stock of his resources.
Food : Almost gone.
Potions : Depleted.
Armor : About to shatter to pieces
He needed resources, fast.
Wemmbu was about to go climb one of the chorus trees when a slow, nauseating effect began to course its way down his veins.
Mining fatigue.
“What the fuck?” Wemmbu yelled, trying to punch the chorus fruit with heavy fists, “Why are there elder guardians in this place?”
He dropped down, and turned towards the nearest intact structure—
“Hey! Wait—don’t go in there!”
Wemmbu spun, readying Gambit as he crouched into a fighting stance.
“Oh good,” the man said brightly, hands full of supplies. “You didn’t fall into the collapse trap. That would have been a very awkward first meeting.”
Wemmbu stared at the beaming man, who was making his way towards him.
“...who are you?” he asked cautiously.
The man blinked, then smiled, like he was delighted to see another person.
“I’m Rejoice!” he said, dropping the supplies in front of Wemmbu’s feet. “Guard of this huge place. Only one left, actually. I haven’t seen anyone in ages, so I thought I might help you out a bit!”
Wemmbu glanced down at the supplies.
Golden apples, freshly brewed pots, and even a few totems.
Totems. Rumored to be completely extinct, and could defy the might of Death Himself.
Then back up.
“This place is abandoned.”
“Yep!” Rejoice said cheerfully, beckoning for Wemmbu to follow him.
“And you’re giving me your resources.”
“Also yep.”
“…why.”
Rejoice tilted his head, genuinely thoughtful. “You looked like you needed it. Plus, it’s not like I have a use for them anyways!”
“You shouldn’t trust strangers,” he muttered, as he tucked all the supplies into his shulker box.
Rejoice laughed. “Probably. But it’s nice to have someone around for once. And besides,” he added, “you fell in like you were chasing something important.”
Wemmbu’s grip tightened on his sword at the reminder.
“I am.”
Rejoice’s smile didn’t fade. “Cool. Want help? I think I know where they went!”
Wemmbu should’ve said no.
Instead, he sighed.
“Don’t get in my way.”
Rejoice beamed. “You got yourself a deal Mister!”
“... It’s Wemmbu.”
“Then you got yourself a deal Mister Wemmbu!”
The next day—or night (being trapped underground really messed with your perception of time) Wemmbu awoke to the sight of shapes moving in the dark.
“Ah,” Rejoice said mildly, like this was an everyday occurrence. “Mobs.”
Wemmbu readied Gambit and motioned Rejoice to stand back. “Get behind me so you don’t die.”
Rejoice nodded very seriously, then immediately darted towards the shapes.
“HEY—”
“They rely on their sense of smell!” Rejoice called, already vaulting over walls. “We need to go to the left alley, they don’t fit there!”
The mobs emerged from the dark, groaning, arms outstretched as they stepped towards Wemmbu on shaky legs. Wemmbu swore under his breath and took off after Rejoice, cutting through the mobs with his sword as he drew closer to Rejoice, who he expected would be panicking by now.
Instead, Rejoice giggled—fucking giggled—like this was a the highlight of his day. He swooped overhead with his elytra, raining arrows onto all the mobs below, while Wemmbu maced them, going from one mob to another. Rejoice glided around, shooting compliments at Wemmbu as he continued bowing down the monsters.
“OOH, behind you—never mind, you got it!"
“Wow, you’re really good at that!”
“Nice battle tactics!”
“I know,” Wemmbu snapped, slicing through another mob. When the last mob hit the ground, the silence afterward rang loud.
Wemmbu wiped his blade and turned.
Rejoice landed in front of him, wings folding neatly away, eyes shining.
“That,” Rejoice said, breathless, “was awesome.”
“You could’ve gotten yourself killed,” Wemmbu replied.
“But I didn’t,” Rejoice said, grinning. “And you didn’t either. Teamwork!”
Wemmbu stared at him for a long moment.
“...You’re such a weirdo.”
“You’re welcome!”
After that minor distraction, Rejoice insisted on giving him “the tour.”
He lead Wemmbu through sewage pipes, across fields overrun with chorus plants, and even brought him into the former ruler's home.
“This used to be storage!”
“That roof leaks when it rains.”
“Oh! This one’s important—don’t step onto that pressure plate, it drops you into water and I hate swimming.”
He handed Wemmbu supplies as they walked—more food, spare arrows, even a half-repaired shield.
“You’re giving me a lot,” Wemmbu noted.
Rejoice shrugged. “No one else needs it. Plus, I don’t believe in shields.”
They climbed a tower together, the tallest one still standing. From the top, the civilization spread out beneath them—empty streets, broken homes, memories carved into stone.
“I sleep up here sometimes,” Rejoice said. “Feels less lonely when I can see everything.”
Wemmbu didn’t respond. He just handed Rejoice a potion he’d scavenged earlier.
Rejoice blinked. “Oh.”
He smiled slower this time. Softer.
“Thanks.”