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His kingdom was running out of money. He should have known that eventually all the Diamond put into his new empire would slowly fizzle out. Donations were at an all time low, his and Bdubs’s shops were not bringing enough money to sustain all the quests. His kingdom would fall before long if he did not do something.
He knew just mining for more diamonds would only prolong the inevitable but he had to do something. He had held another meeting telling only his most trusted friends the problems he was facing but still none but Tango and Bdubs were willing to help by donating more diamonds.
He had to mine, cave mining was doing almost nothing for him, three hours of constant mining and he only had a half a stack to his name. He had to branch mine no matter how dangerous it was.
He tried at the old coordinates first, creating a complex branch mine but still was coming back with little to no diamonds. He confided in one of his closest friends, Doc. “I don’t know what to do! Man my kingdom- it’s almost back to how it was before I became king I just- I expected people to put more back in and Grian- he’s been making ‘priority quests’ behind my back that only benefited him- he gave someone six Diamond blocks just to put half in his base!” Doc tilted his head “It sounds like he contributed the diamonds no?”
“No! That’s the thing! He fucking- he stole them from my statue!” Doc shook his head. “We’ll that’s not right. What about raising taxes?”
“Already tried. They were voted down. I just- I need to go to the bottom, and mine for diamonds myself. It’s the only way to bring more in. I’ll lower the money people are getting in quests. I have to”
Doc had him by the shoulder. “No. You heard X before. Anything in deepslate is unstable. Just cave mine. It’s slower but safer. Please” Ren shook him off, standing. “Maybe you don’t understand, you have an unlimited amount of wealth- you aren’t a king I am! You don’t have to worry about what I worry about on the daily! I’m just gonna go. Bye Doc.”
He spent the next week at the bottom. Just two feet above the bedrock. It was dangerous, he had uncovered dozens of lava piles and even caught himself right under one, due to falling gravel- leaving him with a hell of a burn he had to spend the rest of the night nursing.
His communicator had been out on silent the whole time he was down there but he decide to check it before he went to sleep.
Bdoubleo100: My king are you AFK?
ZombieCleo: his name is not grey I think he’s active
Bdoubleo100: has anyone seen the king? I’m worried
Grian: nope sorry
Goodtimeswithscar: was he out mining?
Goodtimeswithscar: I’d check with Doc.
*******
Bdoubleo100: my king I’m worried it’s been three days.
Iskall85 tried to swim in lava
TangoTek: lol
Bdoubleo100: GUYS IM SERIOUS
Bdoubleo100: I’m worried!
********
Docm77 whispers to RentheKing: Ren your second in command is losing it. He’s been all over the server looking for you. Even I’m worried. Please just leave me your cords I won’t share them. I’ll just keep them in care of emergencies
Docm77 whispers to RentheKing: Ren I’m worried. It’s been a few hours you’re not responding.
TangoTek: anyone seen Ren? We’re all worried.
Joehills: no I’m sorry
Iskall85: I swore I saw his name tag while I was mining. South of the permitter
Docm77:I’ll go look
Docm77 whispers to RentheKing: Ren. I’m coming to find you
Fuck he hadent realized it had been so many days since he left. He rushed to type back to Doc
RentheKing whispers to Docm77: Fuck man- I hadn’t realized it’s been so long. I’m sorry! Here’s my cords man. I’ve just been mining I’m fine. There’s no need to come. Just tell Bdubs I’m fine. I’m sorry for worrying everyone.
Docm77 whispers to RentheKing: Ren. what the fuck! It’s been a week since anyones seen you! Stop mining right now it’s dangerous! I’m coming to you right now!
Fuck! He did not want to see anyone. All he needed to do was mine. Figuring he only had a limited amount of time before Doc showed up and carried him out of the mine. He had been branch mining for days and it was easy to get lost in the maze like structure. He walked back as far as he could go and began mining again. In need of more diamonds.
It was about an hour later when he realized his communicator was going off again. This time a call- from Doc “What?” He sounded annoyed. “Updated cords on where you are, now Ren! I’m taking you back home- or at least to my home.” Ren begrudgingly gave up his exact location, but kept mining. Ignoring the rumbling noises he was hearing above him.
“Another vein of diamonds!” He exclaimed and began mining them out, “Ren- Rendog! Hurry!” It was Doc. “Dude leave me alone I just found more diamonds!”
“Your branch mine is unstable, you have to leave now!” Doc was at his side now, grabbing Ren around his waist and throwing him over his shoulder. “Wha- put me down you big cyborg!” Wait- “What is that?” Ren asked, his ears twitching trying to hear it better. “Your branch mine is collapsing. I tried to tell you how dangerous this was!”
“Dude it’s fine you’re being dramatic!” He thought he was until he was not. The quiet rumblings began to grow louder and the ground beneath them was even getting louder. Ren was put down behind Doc and he grabbed his hand. “Follow me Ren, you have to run we don’t have much time.” They ran and soon blocks began to fall, lava pools that were above them were exposed and began to pour around them; almost trapping them.
“I’ve already sent word to Scar- and Bdubs! They’re the closest to here-“ Doc yelled as he took a sharp corner, pulling Ren along all the while. “Ren I swear! I told you how dangerous deepslate was!” Ren only hung his head as they ran. A pit of lava opened up above them and trapped them- “Fuck! We’re gonna die here! And for what-?” Ren cried and held his head in his hands. Doc was too preoccupied with lining the area above them with obsidian. “Ren listen to me- focus. Ren!” His head snapped up to look at the other man. “Do you still have your comm?” Ren touched his robes pocket and nodded. “You need to give this exact location to Bdubs. Now-“ he rushed to grab his comm and typed out the message:
RentheKing: Bdubs’s me and Doc need assistance, we’re at -2874 -54 3865 we need immediate help. My branch mine is falling. We don’t have much time.
Bdoubleo100: My king! I am on my way! Please hold on!
Xisumavoid: Ren! I’ve put out several things saying how dangerous deepslate is- what is so important that you’d risk your life?
Ren dropped his comm and slipped against the wall into a sitting position, his hands coming up to his face. “No one understands dude! I never- I just wanted people to clean up after themselves! I wanted the server to look good! I never- I never wanted this title!”He ripped off his crown and threw into one of the lava pools to his left.
“Ren…” Doc whispered and leaned down to his level. “Keep a level head please. It’s not safe to be down here- let alone down here when you’re this upset so just try to breathe. Do you have a water bucket to help with this lava?”
They spent the next hour keeping lava at bay- and only having three pieces of obsidian for protection over their heads. “The obsidian won’t hold out much longer. My comm is dead- yours was destroyed when you dropped it. We’re fucked Ren…” Doc said as he replaced blocks around them, keeping the lava at bay.
“We’ll… if we’re gonna die I might as well fucking say it.” Ren said and stood, standing on his tippy toes to reach the other- wrapping his arms around his neck he pulled him into a kiss. A kiss which Doc happily returned, reaching down he pulled on Rens hair making him gasp so he’d have free reign of his mouth. Doc’s tongue explored the new area, running his tongue over the others teeth as he deepened the kiss. When they pulled away they were panting.
“Was this a bad time to tell you I’m thinking of declaring independence from your kingdom?” Doc asked with a laugh. “Such a bad time dude” Ren returned the laugh and kept his arms around the others neck. “I’m sorry I got you stuck down here with me… it’s all my fault man.” Red hid his face in the others chest. “I would have found you wether you told me where you were or not. I would have turned over every piece of stone looking for you until you were found- and safe.” Ren hummed as the creeper hybrid pulled him into a hug.
They stood like that for a few minuets longer, until the sounds of blocks breaking from the lava could be heard again. “I’m out of blocks Ren! We need to patch that hole now-“ Doc said frantically. “A-all I have are Diamond ore blocks! Nothing else-“ Ren dug around his inventory. “Use them!”
Ren was torn, he needed these diamonds to help stabilize his kingdom. “I-I can’t dude! I need them!” Ren was shoved against the wall as Doc yanked a stack from him and began patching the holes. “You’re faced with death and you’re still worried about your fucking kingdom?” Doc was pissed. “When we get out of here Ren, you’re stepping down-“ Ren opened his mouth to argue. “No! No arguments Ren! This not an option!” The ground rumbled again, this time from above. This was it. They were going to die.
The middle block above them disappeared and Bdubs face popped in. “My king! Hurry! This whole chunk is falling apart!” Ren stopped and pushed Doc towards the rope. “No no- you’re going out first. You and Bdubs are light enough to be pulled together- my cybernetics? I’ll have to go alone, now hurry Rendog.” Before Ren grabbed the rope he turned and kissed Doc. “And I will Doc, I’m stepping down as soon as you’re out of here. I love you- don’t you fucking die on me okay?”
As he and Bdubs were pulled out the rumbling got worse, blocks around them were shaking, some falling into the hole that Bdubs had dug to get to them. “What did you mean by stepping down my King?” Bdubs asked looking down towards Ren. “Nothing. I don’t wanna talk about this right now. Let’s just hurry I want Doc safe.” The rope was dropped back into the hole but no one ever grabbed it, the rumbling seemed to have stopped too.
They deemed it safe enough to dig another tunnel down and looked into the hole Ren and Doc were trapped in. There laid a bloodied Doc under large pieces of obsidian from the ceiling. “Doc!” Ren screamed and tried to enter the hole, stopped by Bdubs. “It’s too late! It’s too dangerous- we have to go back up my king!” The rumbling mocked him as it started again, the ground under their feet shaking. Bdubs tied the end of the rope around rens waist and yanked, a sign for the people at the top to pull. “No! Doc! We need to save him! Doc!” Ren screamed and fought against the rope around his waist. The knot far too technical for him to undo. He and Bdubs were pulled back up to the surface as the whole area around them began to fall into one big sinkhole- at the middle even the bedrock was falling in. A glimpse of green and white falling into the void.
Never to return again.