Tango can feel the tears welling up in his eyes. But right now. He can't be bothered to care.

Sitting on the floor of his base he chucks the sandle across the room. The Nether did help him and get his muscle memory back. Neither of them accounted for the fact that Tango's hands are just too small and lack the dexterity to do some things.

And one of those things happens to be shoes today.

So now there's a problem.

He's not asking for help. He can put his own shoes on. Normally.

And he really wants to avoid asking for help.

The effort he's put into not being babied, it will not be wasted over a pair of shoes.

Looking out the window into the spawn town Tango sighs.

He's bored.

And lonely...

Throwing himself down on the couch he whimpers and glares at the ceiling.

This was a stupid idea.

He knows what happens when he dies, but he keeps doing it. It's a way of communication sometimes. A dramatic flare. Scare your friends.

But now he just feels like crap. Yes it's his fault, but it's not his fault that he can't do anything.

Growling he Rips his claws down the fabric on the couch. Deep gashes are left in the fabric. Tail twitching Tango pokes his fangs over his lips. Pouncing he jumps on a pillow that had tumbled to the ground.

Feathers shoot up into the air. He bits down on the pillow and shakes it.

It feels good.

So he keeps going.

Ripping the furniture up and knocking over pots. Up turning his chests. Spilling their contents all over the floor.

Claw marks maul the walls and the floors. Feathers are everywhere.

Blood speckles the floor. He bit his lip and got his fingertips all torn up while attacking the floor.

A knock comes from the door. Tango scuries under the table.

"tango, you in here?" A minute later, "I'm coming in... TANGO!"

Tucking his head into his wings Tango hisses.

Impulse snaps his head over and looks under the table, "Are you ok?"

He doesn't react. He just sits there.

"Tango, buddy, can you come over here?" Impulse slowly sits down on the floor. The rock patches making it difficult for him to sit on the floor.

"Leave me alone." Tango thrashes his tail.

Impulse sighs, "I can't, you want to tell me why you trashed your place?"

"Can't."

"Don't know why you did it or don't want to talk?"

"I don't know why." Tango snaps looking over to his friend, his hair shimmering with heat, "I just did."

"Were you upset?"

"What do you think?"

Impulse frowns, "Want to tell me why?"

"No." Tango hisses, coiling his tail and fluffing his wings.

Standing up, Impulse shrugs, "Ok then."

Tango waits silently for him to leave, but he just stands at the table waiting.

"What do you want?"

"I'm not going to leave you alone..." Impulse sighs, "Here come help me with a redstone door."

Slowly Tango stands up and looks around his base, he really destroyed the place...

"Ok here's your shoes," Impulse tries to hand his shoes over.

Breath catching in his throat Tango freezes.

No.

Watching as Tango looks blankly at the shoes, Impulse frowns, "You ok?"

Lips curling up into a snarl Tango glares.

A moment later he's gone. Splashing down into the pond around his base he bolts for his nether portal.

ImpulseSV: Uh guys we have a problem

ImpulseSV: Tango respawned yesterday

ImpulseSV: he just ran off into the nether.

Xisuma: Oh dear.

Xisuma: He left his comm, I can't teleport him.

ImpulseSV: ok i'll go look for him, i'll let you know if i need help

ImpulseSV: he made a mess of his base

ImpulseSV: it might help if that's cleaned up before he gets home

Kerails1: I've got that.

Stressmonster: i can help

ImpulseSV: thanks

[Half and Hour Latter]

ImpulseSV: I need help looking

Tango pants slightly, he doesn't know how long he's been running for but he knows Impulse is still after him.

A large nether fortress looms in the distance rising out of the lava lake. A large entrance landing on the netherrack shoreline.

Darting inside Tango huffs and slides down the wall.

A piglin grunts softly at him then pats his head and wanders off hooves clicking softly on the ground.

Much heavier footsteps echo down the hall. A door swings shut.

Tango looks up and locks eyes with what looks like a living statue, cracked with lava like veins. Long hair made of fire. Warm eyes and a kind face.

"Hello Fledgling."

"Nether?"

The Nether lord grins, "It's me... Now what brings you here?"

Tango shrugs, "Didn't know I was here... I ran from Impulse..." He hides his face in his knees, "I don't know why I did that."

"You are unused to this form," Nether sighs, "your mind cannot accept the differences."

"I've been doing pretty good," Tango mumbles as he stands up.

"Yes, but you are meant to be human, no amount of magic could change that, and the mind is not easily changed. You could be changed beyond recognition, like your, what do you call him , your admin." Gently nudging Tango forwards they walk into nether's forge, "At your core you are human. If you had a choice, would you have wanted to turn into a Phoenix?"

Tango pauses, "I, I don't know. Before, this," He motions down at himself, "Maybe... the wings and tail were fun.... I could do without the constant cold."

"That part is due to the overworld. You are not meant to live there."

"Oh."

"Continue," Nether grins as he turns a furnace by pouring lava inside.

"It's weird, I don't think I would. So no."

"That is why this form will always feel wrong to you," Nether nods, "You hold no fault in this. You will need help from time to time. That is why you ran, is it not?"

Tango blushes, his face turning bright red, "Yeah, I know you fixed muscle memories... but my hands just aren't big enough, I couldn't get some of my shoes on... and," He shudders, "I snapped or something... I tore up my house."

Nether hums, "well, that could be my influence, not on you directly, but on my realm, if you haven't noticed, my subjects are getting more and more free will, becoming sentient again. The true form of my realm is returning. Wild and chaotic. The influence is more notable in the younger folk."

"Great." Tango groans.

Laughing Nether places a rod of pure netherite in the foundry, "Follow."

Trotting behind Tango follows Nether into a large atrium. A wave of humidity washes over them as Tango's eyes widen.

"This is what my realm should be."

The room is covered with plants, the ground is spongy soul sand with flowers and some sort of moss acting as grass.

"Whoa," Tango's wings flutter.

"Does that feel better, more comfortable?"

"Yeah, it does..." Tango grins, "I'm not cold."

After about half an hour Nether walks over to where Tango's petting a Ghast "I think you should return home, they have to be looking for you."

Tango pulls a face, "Oh yeah..."

"I have a few things for you," Nether explains as he guides tango for the door. "A few jackets, a cloak and a blanket, all enchanted to retain the heat of the nether."

Tango grins, "Thank you."

"It is not an issue, and the one you must thank is End. It made these for you."

Rubbing his hand onto the blanket Tango grins, "They're awesome."

"We all had a craft," Nether laughs, "I work with metal. End with fabrics and other textiles. Overall, Vex, she works with wood. Our crafts would bleed into each other. Each one makes the others better."

Tango nods.

"It is time for you to go home." Nether smiles, "Come, I will walk with you till we find one of your friends."

Tango nods and they start walking in the direction he came from. They talk and joke around. None of the creachers of the nether daring to attack with the Nether lord himself there.

After about half an hour they see movement in the distance.

"Cleo!" Tango shouts as he spots her.

Cleo whirls around and freezes as she spots Nether.

Coming closer she waves Tango over, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

"Good." She pulls her comm out to tell the others she found him, "And uh, who are you?" She fixes Nether with a glare.

Nether backs up slightly as one of the snakes coiled around Cleo's shoulder hisses, "I'm Nether."

"Oh," She backs up slightly, "That's uh cool... Hey, Uh, JOE!"

A plume of brightly colored smoke appears as Joe pops into existence.

"Is Tango- oh," He shifts into his true form, immediately shrinks down so he's shorter than Nether and sinks to the ground. " Good morrow my lord."

Nether laughs, "I haven't heard that in a while."

Joe stands up and uses his tails to dust himself off, "Thank you for keeping Tango safe."

Nodding slowly, Nether pats Tango's head, Tango ducks out of reach and grins, "It's my duty to keep my subjects safe."

Joe nods.

"I have something to ask of you." Nether grins slowly, "Keep the overall safe?"

Bowing Joe nods, "I have been doing my best."

"Good, I have one more requirement," Nether laughs, "keep him warm." And with that he vanishes, leaving only a small red flower crackling with fire.

"What did he mean by that?" Cleo asks, shaking herself out of shock.

Kicking the ground Tango groans, "I'm apparently made for the heat of the Nether now, so the over world is freezing."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Tango shrugs as he starts walking back.

"Take my hand," Joe instrukts,

"Why?"

"So we can teleport back," He grins.

Taking his hand Tango shrugs, Joe opens another hand and holds it out for Cleo. After she takes it, They reappear at the foot of Tango's base.

In the water.

Yelping Tango slips and falls on his but, "I should have stayed..."

"Sorry about that." Joe says pulling Tango out of the water and using a spell dries him off and warms him up.

Tango shrugs and flutters his wings, "Thanks for bringing me back." He starts climbing up the ladder to his base.

"Not a problem," Joe waves as Cleo kicks the back of his knee, sending him sprawling into the water.

"Revenge," She calls up Tango.

Tango laughs and opens the door. Resigning himself to cleaning for the rest of the day.

"Tango, let me see your claws." Stress calls, making Tango jump, he had no idea people were in his base, Stress laughs as he pats his wings down, "Sorry bout that. Com ere."

Slinking forwards Tango walks into his house, "You cleaned it?"

"Well yeah," Zedaph bleats, "Impulse didn't want you stressed out when you come back."

Stress walks over and takes Tango's hand, "Don't scratch the floors ok?"

Tango blushes, "Yeah, that was a mistake."

"You want us to leave you alone?" Zedaph asks.

"Yeah." Tango yawns.

And with that they leave. Respecting his boundaries and letting him go to sleep.