*Someone requested a Rythna, and someone else recommended a Honeyphos Yogslab, and I got this great idea during school. . .So I hope you enjoy this angsty Rythna/Honeyphos*

It's been a week since we froze Simon. A week since I froze my best friend, the love of my life. The new Simon is almost identical, but he isn't my Simon. He isn't the dwarf I've spent years with. He isn't the man who taught me that bugs aren't food, what love is. What it is like to love. He helped me get over the pain of missing my home planet. 

We have master clones of everyone except for myself, Duncan, and Rythian. But Duncan is bringing Rythian to Yogslab today to be cloned. 

"Follow me," I say to them. Duncan is in tears, Rythian trying to be the strong one. I lead them up one hall and down another, until we reach the large room filled with our friends. Simon is in here, right next to where Rythian is going. There is only one tube left. 

"Please step into the tube." Duncan clings to Rythian like a small child to their mother. "It's time, Duncan. He will be back soon." 

"You know better than anyone else that isn't true!" Duncan screams at me, eyes puffy. I look at Rythian and try to put on a brave face. 

"We can freeze you as well, Duncan. I will need to make another tube, but it can be done." I can't freeze myself though. One of us needs to be the real person, and Duncan and I decided that neither of us would freeze ourselves, feeling that it would be unfair to the other. I couldn't bear the thought of Duncan being alone in a world full of clones. 

"I just want my Rythian!" 

"Duncan, it is time to say goodbye." Rythian has started crying as well, pulling Duncan in for one last kiss. 

"Let go, Duncan. Honey, you need to let go." Rythian tries to keep his voice as level as he can for Duncan. 

"I- I love you. I love you so much, Rythian." 

I watch as he steps into the tube, and I quickly shut the glass door behind him. Duncan presses himself against the glass. "Ready?" I ask. 

Rythian nods, a singe tear running down his cheek. "Would you like to do the honors, Duncan?" He curls up in a ball at the base of the tube. "Duncan, is this how you want Rythian to remember you? Curled up in a ball on the floor?"

While I've done this many times, it never gets any easier. Duncan stands up and tries to smile. I press the button and then Rythian is frozen forever. 

"It's done." Duncan collapses on the stairs. I pick him up and hold him in my lap. I rock him back and forth like a small child who had a bad dream until he falls asleep. 

I stand up and carry him into one of the bedrooms scattered about Yogslab. After tucking him in and making sure he wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, I go back into the Master Clone room. I press a few buttons, and then head into a side room where the first Rythian clone will appear in. 

I step inside and find Rythian staring back at me. "Please follow me." Like all the other clones, they don't say anything until they see their friend/lover. 

"He is asleep, please don't wake him up." I say, before opening the door. We step inside and wait patiently for him to wake up. He does soon after. 

He sits up with a start, looking from myself to Rythian. "Is this. . ." 

"Yes. This is his clone. Would you two like to be alone?" I hate how formal I sound.

"Rythian?" Duncan asks hesitantly, reaching a hand out. 

Rythian backs away from Duncan's outstretched hand. "What are you doing?" 

"What is the last thing you remember?" This isn't the first time a clone hasn't remembered. It happened to Alex Smith of the Hatfilms when I cloned them. I had to clone another one. Duncan wasn't here when that happened, so that is why he is now starting to cry again. 

"Duncan blew up my base." I groan. Of all things to remember. . .

"Duncan, we can fix this." He bolts past me and heads for the clone room. I place my hands on either side of Rythian's face and before he can do anything I twist his head. There is a large crack then he falls over, dead. 

I quickly make my way to where Duncan is. He is currently walking around, looking at the people frozen forever. He stops in front of Kim.

"She was a great apprentice. It's a shame she is infected with taint now." Something happened with Kim, and while her Master Clone isn't tainted, every time we clone her she comes out tainted. 

"She went willingly. Ran up the steps like she was getting a reward for something." Kim is frozen forever with a smile on her face. 

 "I know this is for the better, but is it the right thing?" I look over at Duncan to find his eyes glistening. I feel a tear run down my cheek.

"We don't have to worry anymore. It's fine if we die." The line is forced, that's what I am obligated to say.

"I know you miss him, Duncan. I've been living with a cloned Simon for a week now. It only gets worse. It may hurt us, but it is for their benefit. You know dwarfs, they are always digging too deep. Rythian doens't know when to stop with the potions and magic. It is better to have a clone of them then no one at all." 

The tears are coming at a steady pace. We are now outside Simon's prison. Duncan walks over and stands in front of Rythian. 

"Will it ever get easier?" I raise my hand to the glass.

"I would like to think so." I lean my forehead against the cool tomb. I think of all the wonderful memories. First meeting Simon, our first kiss, how he was always there for me. 

"Duncan?"

"Yea?"

"Do you want to be cloned? I could freeze you. You wouldn't have to deal with the pain anymore." He walks over to me and pulls me into a hug. I rest my head on his shoulder.

"I could never leave you, Lewis. I couldn't leave you to deal with the pain alone." I look up at Simon, at his smiling face. 

"They did. Without realizing, they did. They made the choice to give up their lives for us. They sacrificed everything. For two blubbering idiots."

"Do you think they can see us?" We step back and stand side by side, hand in hand. 

"I don't know. At times I would like to think so, but I don't want them to see us crying over them. They shouldn't know how much pain we are in. I like to think they remember us, all the good things. They just sit there, reliving the good old days."

"Like saving Daisy."

"Fighting Israphel."

"Building the Jaffa Factory."

"Pig Island."

"Baked Bean Fort."

"Baked Bean Fart."

"Moon Base."

"Ham Base."

"Lovely Island."

"Craggy Island."

"Someday this will all end. We will end. We can't live forever, nobody can. If a creeper doesn't get us, old age will. While they aren't the real Simon and Rythian, they are what we have. And they wouldn't want us to be sad. We will grieve, but we will move on."

We turn and start walking away. With one last look at the clones, I turn the lights off and shut the door. 

I wish I would have seen the tear run down Simon's cheek.