hype hype hype hype hype afterlife smp afterlife smp
(yes i will still be writing empires because no i will not get over it (also i have like two empires longfics that aren't even halfway done))

TWS: Implied torture (same things as the first chapter), implied panic attack (not POV), mentioned suicide, suicide attempt (technically not directly stated but it's heavily

Scott was enduring torture.

Pix knew this because he could see every second of it. Such was his curse as the Keeper of the Vigil; able to sense death but never able to stop it. For centuries prior Pix had watched lives be lost and humans suffer, not daring to interfere.

But something about the lively, cunning elf whose spirit was broken by an afterlife of eternal suffering was different. For the first time in his long life, Pix refused to watch, unable to take any more. He didn't care about the consequences, he simply knew he could not stand by and let Scott be beaten down forever.

"Please, let me save him," Pix pleaded to the Vigil, kneeling down in the center of Pixandria and bowing his head. Candles flickered all around, every color save for cyan. "I can't watch this anymore."

The Vigil spoke to him in the way it always did; inside his mind. My champion, this is your burden to bear. You cannot change it.

"Why does he need to suffer!? I can't sit idle and wait for eternity!" Pix said. Tears slipped down his face against his will. Was he really just meant to let Scott endure torture forever when he could save him?

This is your curse, Keeper. You cannot interfere with this.

Pix shut his mouth instead of replying, standing up and turning his back on the Vigil. He began to walk away, not stopping when the Vigil spoke again.

Do not attempt to interfere.

Pix ignored its ever-increasing demands for him to stop, focusing his mind and mentally slamming a door in its face. The voice vanished from his mind and Pix strode purposefully up to the nearest cyan candle. It lay abandoned, its flame long dead, but Pix still handled it with care, the last thing he had of an old friend.

A breeze flickered into life as Pix focused his energy on the candle. Sand swirled around him and the fading daylight dimmed away, until Pix was in a dark void, the candle the only source of color.

Then slowly his vision changed, until he stood in a dimly-lit room, empty save for two figures. One lay curled trembling silently on the floor, while the other stood and watched, twirling a bloodstained knife in their hand.

Pix knelt down next to Scott, gathering his fragile form in his arms. Xornoth froze, standing unnaturally still. The knife stopped midair, as if time itself had frozen. The candle flickered suddenly, a tiny flame appearing out of nowhere. Pix once again focused his energy. This time, with Scott, it was much harder to pass through the boundaries between spirit and real life. But they made it, and soon enough there was light surrounding them from the little candle Pix carried.

Then the voice of the Vigil once again spoke in Pix's head. You have tampered with death. A price must be paid.

Anything. Anything would be better than sending Scott back to that hell. "Very well. What do you ask?"

Your immortality. Your life lost in exchange for his.

Why would he refuse? Eternal life was no blessing, it was a curse. He was doomed to watch his friends die, never able to be free himself. No matter what the Vigil asked in exchange for Scott's life, Pix would give it. "It is done."

Then you are a mortal, and he shall receive a second chance.

Pix nodded, despite the Vigil being a voice in his head. "Thank you."

I do not understand why you are thanking me, my champion, but if this is your wish I shall not deny it.

Pix smiled slightly. Of course the Vigil couldn't understand his choice; it was not the logical one. But Pix wasn't an ancient force; he was a human, and humans had something that the Vigil never could- emotion. Grief, love, friendship, compassion, empathy; the Vigil could never know them, but Pix could.

The world around them turned from a dark, featureless void into the familiar sandy buildings of Pixandria. Pix hurried inside one of them, his own house, and laid Scott down on the palm-leaf couch. He then scurried away, gathering anything he might need to treat Scott's many wounds. He came back as quickly as he could, setting the healing potions and bandages he'd retrieved on the side table.

Pix treated the wounds as thoroughly as he knew how. It was probably fairly well, given his long lifespan and therefore great knowledge, but Scott was still weak and even with Pix's own immortality being sacrificed and the countless health potions, there was no guarantee he would survive to the next sunrise.

Once Scott had been treated as best as possible, Pix sat down at his desk, which was conveniently in the same room as the bed- the houses's only room. Pix could have had a mansion, but he would rather not. He liked the coziness of a tiny home, no servants or riches.

With the cyan candle burning bright next to him, Pix began to write.

This message is an urgent summons to the rulers of all lands, from Wandering King Pixlriffs, authorized by Head Messenger of Pixandria Zloy H Recap.

A copy of this message has been sent to each of the following recipients:
Lady Katherine Elizabeth of House Blossom, Lord Joel Smallishbeans of Mezalea, Queen Lizzie Shadow of the Ocean Empire, Head Councilman Jimmy Solidarity of the Swamp Empire, Count F. Whip of the Grimlands, Wizard Gemini Tay of the Crystal Cliffs, Lord Mythical J. Sausage of Mythland, Queen Pearl Moon of Gilded Helanthia, King Joey Graceffa of the Lost Empire, Gnome Leader Shrub of the Undergrove.

My fellow rulers,
I send this message as a friend to friends. To begin I would like to say, my well wishes to you as you rebuild your empires and I am deeply thankful you all have survived. But Scott was not so lucky. When the end of the world occurred, Xornoth was set free. Scott tried to stop him at first, but the truth is that their souls are (were?) linked. If Scott dies, Xornoth does as well, and the other way around. Scott knew this, and I believe his death was assisted suicide, but I don't know for sure. Either way, he was killed by the hands of Xornoth (Xornoth died soon after) using a sword called the Rune Blade. This sword has the ability to send the victim to an afterlife of the wielder's choosing. Xornoth sent Scott to an afterlife where Xornoth tortured him for all eternity. I used my powers as Keeper of the Vigil and a master of death to bring Scott back, out of that place, but his injuries and memories of that time remain. I write to inform you of the situation, welcome you to visit Pixandria should you wish to see me or Scott (although I cannot promise he will be in any state to talk to you), and ask that you consider sending medical aid for him.

Thank you, my friends. Best wishes,

Pixlriffs, Wandering King

It took the Ocean Queen fourteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds to arrive after Pix sent the letters by roadrunner. She leaped out of the water, her massive form landing with an earth-shaking thud on the ground. Pix opened the door in confusion that quickly turned to surprise as he saw the ten-foot-tall humanoid blue axolotl thundered through Pixandria. She didn't stop until she reached Pix, crossing her arms and demanding, "Let me see him."

Now Pix may have been both older and more powerful than Lizzie, even despite her magical abilities, but he wasn't brave enough to deny her. It was incredibly hard not to be intimidated when she towered over you and glared with a stare that could kill gods (it had. Long story, one for much later)

So Pix let her in, letting her rush over to where Scott lay on the couch. Lizzie knelt down next to him, her tail sliding up to cover him like a blanket. Scott sat upright at the touch, staying quiet and waiting silently for something. Pix didn't like to think about why.

"Scott?" Lizzie asked gently, her voice soft like she was speaking to a wounded animal, which in a way she was. Scott froze at the sound of her voice, going completely still, staring at her confusedly.

"Hey-" Lizzie continued, holding up her hands in a show of peace, palms empty. She stopped when Scott shrank back, closing his eyes tightly in anticipation of an attack that would never come.

Lizzie's death stare once again turned to Pix. "Where is Xornoth, can you revive them, and how can I legally torture someone without it being considered a crime."

"Dead, no, and everything's legal in the Lost Empire," Pix replied unhesitatingly. Look, he might have been a centuries-old being, but that didn't mean he wasn't afraid of the giant sea goddess.

Scott then opened his eyes slightly and looked back at them after a little bit, mouth opening slightly as he seemed to remember where he was. Quietly, his voice scratchy from disuse, he asked, "Why?"

"Why what?" Lizzie turned to him and asked calmly.

Scott began to tremble. "Wh-why are you- why are you leaving me alone-"

"We would never hurt you," Lizzie told him, determined and strong. "Never."

Scott shook his head then stopped, eyes wide. "Of course Xornoth, only what's needed."

"What's... needed?" Lizzie seemed on the edge of killing someone again.

"You have to experiment, I don't mind, f-find out if there's a limit to the ice-" Scott replied. Pix's eyes widened in sudden realization and horror.

"Lizzie, he thinks we're a trick, that we're just Xornoth pretending to be his friends," Pix told her.

"I am murdering some people. People are dying," Lizzie informed them. She turned to Scott. "Not you."

"No, I can't die," Scott agreed, as if this were a simple fact.

Pix shuddered and began to explain. "He couldn't die. Anything that would kill him just turned the affected area to ice. He- he tried."

Lizzie was silent for a moment as she realized. "He tried to kill himself." Pix nodded solemnly. Scott said nothing. "How do we get him to realize this is real?"

"We could try doing something Xornoth would never do?" A new voice spoke from the doorway.

"Jimmy," Pix greeted. Jimmy gave him a little wave back. "That's not a bad idea."

"What would a demon brother absolutely never do? How about... water powers?" Jimmy suggested.

Lizzie nodded, a grin appearing on her face. She and Jimmy both turned to Scott and summoned jets of water. Scott yelped as the water hit him, absolutely shaking in terror. His breaths were short and clipped, his face pale. Jimmy matched his color soon, yelling. "Stop, stop! Stop!" He ran over to Scott and unhesitatingly leaped onto the bed, tail wrapping around Scott's waist. "Scott, Scott, Scott, are you okay, what's wrong-"

Pix didn't think letting Jimmy handle the situation was the best idea, but somehow it was, because Scott's wings fluffed up and wrapped around Jimmy, trapping him in a tangle of extra limbs.

Slowly, the elf's wings relaxed, letting Jimmy go free. Jimmy sat up, able to move again, and held Scott on his lap. Scott had fallen asleep, presumably out of stress, and was sleeping silently. He had never been one to snore or sleep restlessly, but now he seemed on edge, even as he slept, as if any moment he could be woken and in danger. The implications were not pleasant.

Scott knew it was a trick, he'd figured that out long ago. They liked to change the word around them in an attempt to manipulate Scott. But they didn't usually go for so long without causing him pain.

And they would never stop when Scott cried out. That would only mean more pain.

The minute a familiar tail wrapped protectively around him, he knew it was real. All of it. How? He was supposed to be dead! Should have been dead. Was dead! But there was no way they would be able to mimic the feeling of Jimmy's tail around him, softly soothing Scott with his voice. And why would they even attempt to? It gained them nothing.

The confusion of the day caught up to him then and he slipped into uneasy sleep.

Pix,
Thank you. Thank you for rescuing Scott, and for the sacrifices I know you must have had to make. As a friend to a friend, I'm incredibly worried about Scott. I wouldn't be surprised if he had been planning to "sacrifice himself" anyways (should Xornoth return). Included in the message I have sent are healing potions and several healing crystals- use them as you see fit.
Gem

Gem had been right.

Within three days of Pix reviving him (most of that spent trying to help Scott recover), Scott attempted to limp outside, find a sword, and "escape-" also known as stab himself again.

Pix found him with the sword in his hands and immediately knew something was off.

He called out, trying not to startle Scott too badly- the elf was extremely jumpy. "Scott?"

Scott turned around slowly, confusion and desperation in his eyes. "Why?" he asked. "Why try to give me hope?"

"You're not with them anymore, Scott," Pix carefully told him. You're safe here."

"There's only one difference between this world and any other," Scott told him defiantly and Pix's heart just about broke. What god had let such a proud, unbreakable elf be beaten down by the world until he didn't know what was real anymore?

"No, please, I promise we're real and we won't ever let you be hurt again," Pix begged, shuffling forward until he could nearly reach out and take the sword.

"Why?" Scott pleaded. "Why do you have to try?"

"Because I'm your friend," Pix answered automatically, only realizing afterwards that Scott still thought he was Xornoth.

"Then why would you torture me?" Scott asked.

"I don't know how to prove to you that I'm not them. But why would they heal you?" Pix offered.

There was a long, terrifying silence. Then, "Pix..?"

"I'm real, I'm real, I'm here, Scott," Pix replied, grabbing the sword hilt and beginning to slowly pull it away from Scott. He didn't protest, standing and watching as Pix threw the sword far away.

Scott didn't say another word as Pix led him back inside.

Gem,
You were right. I don't know what to do. How do I help him? I can heal wounds and offer comfort, but even my long life hasn't taught me how to help Scott. I don't think healing potions and bandages will be enough, Gem- I'm scared. What if he tries it again and I'm not there? How do I convince him I'm real? Everything is so confusing and I just want him to be happy again.
-Pix

"Who are you writing to?"

Pix turned slowly, startled but careful not to scare Scott. "Gem." Scott contemplated this for a moment, then nodded. "Do you want to write to anyone?"

"Who would I write to?" Scott shrugged. Pix didn't push him. Scott turned, wandering off into another area. He could walk on his own again, but his broken wings still hung limp behind him and dragged as he did. He didn't seem to care, but it pained Pix every time he saw them. He didn't know how to fix broken wings, and he didn't know anyone that did.

Pix continued to write until he heard a lack of sound. He'd learned quickly that silence was far worse than noise- it meant Scott was being completely noiseless because he was scared of Xornoth hearing him.
He turned to see Scott sitting with his hands wrapped around his knees in a corner of the room and cautiously made his way over, sitting down slowly next to him. He didn't really know how to help, but eventually Scott looked over at him, icy eyes chilling him. He shook off the effect, knowing Scott would only panic more if he thought he was hurting anyone else.

"Why did you wait so long?" Scott whispered to him. Pix thought it over, new guilt rushing over him. Why had he waited so long? It had only taken him a few weeks to decide to go against the Vigil, but in that time Scott had been through very literal hell.

"I'm sorry," Pix began slowly. "I- I thought the Vigil was right, that I shouldn't interfere with death, and I should never have hesitated."

"I would have listened to Aeor," Scott agreed, anger rising like a storm in him. "Aeor," he spat. "Aeor never brought me anything but pain."

"Didn't Aeor give you anything good?" Pix asked. He'd never heard that Scott was unhappy with the god before.

"All Aeor ever did was force me to do what they wanted," Scott replied bitterly. "I didn't-" he broke down again, his anger dissipated like mist blown away in the wind. "I never wanted ice powers, I never wanted- to hurt anybody-"

Pix put an arm around Scott and paused in fear when Scott froze, worried he'd caused another flashback, but Scott sighed and leaned into the contact.

"Thank you," Scott whispered, and everything was worth it.

Pix,
You're a very good friend. You've done everything you can for him physically now, and all you can do is your best. It will take a long time for Scott to recover from his afterlife, and he probably won't ever fully recover. But if you keep trying to help him I promise it will improve. No matter how hopeless things seem, it can get better. Plus, you have all of us as a support group, and you can always reach out! I know that with your empathy and support Scott will be just as happy as he was before... everything. Best wishes to you and Scott.
Gem

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bonus:

Hi Pearl,
It's Lizzie. I know we haven't talked in a while, but I still consider you my friend- I have a request. I know your relation to Xornoth is unique, but he has done truly awful things to Scott and I need a murder buddy. Lord Sausage is still corrupted and I intend to attack him since I can't kill Xornoth themself (they're already dead).
-The Ocean Queen

Ocean Queen Lizzie,
Formally, I don't think it would be wise to attack Lord Sausage. It's a stressful enough time; tension between empires would only add to that. Also, Scott would benefit from the lands being in peace. Besides, it was not Sausage's fault that Xornoth killed Scott. Informally- murder sounds great, just not Sausage.
-Queen Pearl of Gilded Helanthia

_
i could have written like 2000 more words of this but i need to work on other fics so im forcing myself not to
maybe later who knows