Chapter Text
Sherbert POV
When Sherbert woke up it took them a moment to realize they were not in their bed or their house even. They were in the obsidian cell that haunted their nightmares. Nothing was talking to them either. Panic only took a moment to set it. They ran to the end of the cell and climbed the ladder hoping the door would be open, but it wasn't. They didn’t have any of their normal items, so no pickaxe.
"Rae?!" They shouted, "Rae help! Athena?! Anyone!?" They cried out.
But nobody came.
Sherbert stumbled back down the ladder and backed up against a wall. It started to feel like the walls were closing in, they couldn't get air into their lungs. They wished Everything would wake up or... Whatever they do to start talking, even if normally they make things worse Sherbert just really didn't know what to do and the things seem to know much more than what they said. The room was starting to spin, crap they can't pass out right now. They have to find a way out this isn't ok. Is it just a nightmare? The walls continued to close in and Sherbert still couldn't breathe and everything started going dark and-
The next time they woke up, Sherbert was still in the cell. It wasn't a nightmare.
Before they could process everything again someone came into view behind the bars.
"Athena?" Sherbert whispered.
"I'm only here bc someone needs to watch you for a bit so you don't hurt yourself," Athena snapped. They sat down against the wall across from the cell.
Sherbert stood up, their legs were trembling as they went over to the bars. Athena glared up at them.
"Athena, can- can you get Rae? Please?" They asked.
"No, I can't."
"Why?" Sherbert was careful not to touch the bar.
"He's busy!" Athena took out a notebook and started doodling.
"Please? I really need to talk to him!" Sherbert was desperate at this point.
"No! No Sherbert you can't talk to Rae! And stop pretending to be all upset, it's not gonna work! I already almost let you out once, that's not happening again," Athena yelled at them and Sherbert flinched back.
"...sorry" They mumbled and went to the corner of the room. They sunk down and pulled their knees to their chest.
Sherbert tried to keep their breathing under control but it was getting bad again. They were trembling violently, it began to feel like the room was spinning even worse this time. Everything was still quiet. They felt alone, they wanted their friends. Sherbert laced their hands through their hair and pulled slightly, "I wanna go home..." They said in barely a whisper.
They felt hot tears rolling down their cheeks. It was hard to breathe.
Athena POV
Athena just wanted their friend back. They didn't like this Sherbert. But Rae had to find a way to get them back soon! Rae was brilliant like that. She was doodling in their notebook, flowers, stars, etc when she heard a strangled sob come from inside the cell. She looked up just enough to see Sherbert curled into themself, tugging on their hair, head down. ' They're just pretending... They realized being nice wouldn't work so now they want pity' Athena thought to himself. But, the sob came louder the next time, it sounded like they were struggling to breathe.
Athena stood up quietly and peered into the cell. Would they go this far to get out? Surely, they wouldn’t, but there was a time when Athena didn’t think Sherbert would hurt him. Sherbert tugged on their hair harder. 'Ok, ok Rae said to go get someone if Sherbert started doing anything!' Athena thought, they put their notebook down on the chest and quickly went to find Rae.
They thought they heard something but... They needed to get Rae.
Sherbert POV
Sherbert looked up after hearing something, they were just in time to see Athena rushing away.
"W-Wait! Don't leave me alone! Please!..." They called. But Athena didn't respond. They were alone again.
They pulled on the collar of their shirt hoping that would make it easier to get air down. When did it get so hot in here? They took their jacket off and tossed it. Everything was too much. They let out another sob and just broke down. Of course, this is when Everything seemed to... Wake up? All the voices started panicking, yelling, comforting- but it all blurred into too much noise. It was too loud, Sherbert covered their ears to muffle the noise but it didn't do much. It felt like they're head was gonna explode. They just wanted to go home. See Melon and Pumpkin, Skittles and Escape Artist... Maybe even Charles…
No, not Charles.
They especially wanted to see Rae.
Something shook them suddenly.
Rae POV
After Athena had told him what was happening Rae ran to get to Sherbert.
He got down the ladder as fast as he could and check what was happening on the other side, when he saw them having a full-blown panic attack he got to the other side immediately.
"Sherbert?!" He shook them lightly.
Sherbert jerked back hitting their head against the obsidian wall, their eyes wide open.
"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you!" Rae held his hands up, palms facing out. "I'm sorry I startled you."
They slowly removed their hands from their ears, "R-Rae?.."
"Yeah, it's Rae, can you do me a favor?" He asked. They nodded.
"Try to breathe with me"
Sherbert followed Rae's breathing and eventually, their breathing evened out.
"Feel any better?" He smiled a little.
"A little." They didn't make eye contact, only looked at the ground.
Sherbert POV
Rae sat down next to Sherbert, not too close.
"What uhm... What happened?" He asked hesitantly.
"You won't believe me."
"Sherbert, we want to help you! Athena said something seemed different so maybe that's a good thing! Maybe you're starting to get better," Rae turned to face them more.
They sighed. "I'm gonna sound insane."
"I'm pretty sure you thought I was crazy before you believed in the End," Rae nudged them.
"I'm from a different reset," Sherbert moved to a cross-legged sitting position and started fidgeting with their gloves.
"A what?" Rae questioned
"A different version of the world? I don't know, you're the scientist! I remember everything that happened here, then everything started over again."
"Like you're from a different world?"
"Not exactly?" Sherbert wasn't entirely sure how to explain this without Rae thinking they were either out of their mind or just completely lying to him.
"Are you from the future or something?" Athena- when had Athena come back?- asked from the other side of the bars.
"Yeah! The future!" They looked at Rae hoping he'd believe them.
Their hope was abandoned when Rae stood up and shook his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose, "I really hoped you were getting better. But, the future? Seriously, Sherb?"
"If you're from the future what's gonna happen tomorrow?" Athena asked.
"Uhm, Athena you said that you've already visited me right? And uhm..." Sherbert trailed off at the end, not wanting to say what their corrupted counterpart had done.
"And you tried to convince me to let you out by pretending you were ok? Then when that failed you decided to have a tantrum instead?" Athena said dryly.
"Y-Yeah that..." Sherbert stood up and stumbled a little, they used the wall to steady themselves. "Either tomorrow or the next day Centross is gonna find me here, he'll open the door but not enough for me to get out." They walked to the ladder but Rae stepped in front of them.
"Athena, make sure the door is closed first please," Rae said.
"It is, I made sure it was."
Rae let Sherbert continue, "We're going to get into an argument, he's gonna leave me here and close the door on my head. It leaves a scar," they show Rae the scar above their eye.
"And- And how could I have changed my clothes? I'm not in the same stuff as before, am I?" Sherbert gestured to themselves.
"What? Yes, you are?" Rae sighed, "But, you have the scar which is strange."
"Exactly! Wait- huh?" Sherbert took out their sword and Rae quickly pulled out his axe, he was already in all his Netherite armor besides his helmet.
"Sherbert. Put the sword down."
They looked at themself in the reflection of the sword. Their face had purple veins unnaturally creeping from their eyes down their face and neck. The blood endlessly dripping from their eye was a horrible shade of purple. Sherbert dropped the sword with shaky hands. They look at their hands, to them, they look how they normally do. No purple, no ripped clothing. But, in the reflection of their sword they… weren’t normal.
“I- …It’s fine, this is fine. I have the scar still at least, I didn’t have that last time you saw me so that has to mean something! Right?” Sherbert hated how desperate they sounded
"Yes, it does. But-" Rae continued, "This doesn't mean we can let you out."
"I-I know, I just..." Sherbert started pacing back and forth.
Athena clenched their jaw. Rae looked at them and they exchanged glances. Athena walked out of view, probably going back up.
"I'll be right back Sherbert." Rae started back to the ladder.
"Wait!-" Sherbert hesitated. Rae looked back at them.
"Yes?"
"Are... Are you going to come back?" They stuttered.
"We'll just be up in the base," Rae left.
Sherbert watched Rae climb the ladder, “You didn’t answer my question…” They heard the door close.