Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

They traveled for at least half the day before showing any signs of stopping. Tango spent his time watching the scenery pass by, seeing it go from the lush forests of the Avian Empire to the fog filled mangrove of the Evermoore.

Tango got his warning that they were almost at their destination when the forest around them began to slim down and become more barren. There was a slight smell of smoke in the air and the fog around them was fairly thin, lessening the likelihood of them getting lost within it.

Their small string of carriages came to a halt, and Tango’s door was opened. The blazeborn was reluctant to step out, but did so anyway. There wasn’t anything around them other than the thin fog and large mangrove trees. The group all seemed to be lining up and Tango was guided towards the front to stand by Empress Nora.

He had no idea what they were doing.

The portal was nowhere in sight, and yet they were exiting the carriages? They were stepping off the road and heading toward the Evermoore’s fog?

It didn’t make sense.

But Tango didn’t voice his confusion as he stood beside the Empress, instead he just followed along as they began to move forward. Surely they knew what they were doing. They wouldn't just walk into and get taken by the Evermoore's fog, there had to be more to it.

~*~

They walked for around an hour before the portal became visible. A light within the thin fog that guided their way.

Tango was shocked when it came into full view.

He’d seen plenty of illustrations and read many descriptions of it and its beauty. But that was nothing compared to the real sight of it.

The nether portal.

This one stood atop a platform that was about a foot off the ground. The platform was made with some sort of black brick and decorated with bits of gold. The portal itself was made of dark obsidian that shined with the light of the portal, odd particles wavered off its swirling surface. Both were a shade of an indescribable purple.

There were several netherborn guards surrounding it, as if they’d been waiting for them. They more than likely were. Once the group came into their view a set of the guards stepped into and stood in the portal till they disappeared from sight. They didn’t return until the group had reached the platform.

They nodded to their empress as she stepped up and walked forward, and she gave them a small nod in return. Empress Nora then turned her head as she noticed that Tango was no longer beside her.

Instead he was staring at the beauty that was before him, afraid to even step up onto the platform. Through that portal was a whole other world. He couldn’t even imagine what he was about to experience. Tango didn’t notice the small smile that appeared on Empress Nora’s face.

The Empress walked back towards him, Tango too distracted to properly notice. She stopped a few steps in front of him, blocking his view and separating his attention from the hypnotizing portal. The Empress gave him a gentle smile once his attention had shifted to her.

Tango turned his head away rather than return it. This didn’t seem to bother the Empress though, her smile remained as she made a guiding motion and began walking again. Tango only hesitated for a moment before following.

Now that his eyes were no longer stuck on the portal, he could easily see how the guards around it were giving him cautious looks, confused by the odd addition. And he was clearly an addition. His response to seeing the portal and his clothes made it obvious.

Tango did his best to ignore them as they watched him.

When they stepped closer Tango took a moment to take a deep breath. He watched as Empress Nora was offered a hand to step up into the portal, something she politely declined before stepping up on her own. Tango wasn’t far behind.

It was an odd feeling, standing there in the portal. He honestly felt sick, but he had no idea if it was from nerves or nausea as the world around him swirled in purple hues.

Tango probably would have stayed there too long if the Empress hadn't stood beside him, allowing him to notice the moment she stepped out. The blazeborn was quick to follow her, perhaps a bit too quick.

He stumbled out and nearly lost his balance, but was steadied by a hand on his shoulder. Tango hadn’t been sure whether he felt grateful that the Empress caught him or not. But before his mind could decide Tango became aware of the largest change to his environment.

It was so incredibly warm.

It was like being engulfed in the coziest of hugs and wrapped in the softest of blankets. Tango might even call it hot. He’d never felt hot before. The closest he’d ever been to feeling a warmth like this was the few times he’d been in Mezalea, and that didn’t even come close to the heat of the Nether.

The change made him realize just how cold he’d been before.

Tango remembered feeling cold in the beginning, when he’d woken up and the days that followed. But he’d gotten used to it. It had been so normal. But this, this was what he was supposed to be surrounded by. A non-stop warmth that left him feeling comfortable and safe.

It was only after he registered the temperature change that he actually started to take in the world around him.

He was inside of a room made of a sort of brick that Tango didn’t recognise. It was a much darker shade than what the blazeborn was used to seeing. Though to be fair, the only building related materials that he knew of from the Nether were crimson wood and warped wood.

The interior around them was beautiful, as if it was made specifically to impress. Everything seemed to have the smallest addition of gold to it. The room was illuminated by torches on the walls. Torches weren’t common to see in large buildings in the Overworld. The open flames were deemed too dangerous, and rightfully so. Instead many places were lit by magic or redstone, both much safer alternatives.

But of course that sort of thing wasn’t a worry in a place like the Nether.

There wasn’t much in the room, and it wasn’t that large either, but there were a few people within it. Netherborns who were clearly confused by the sight of Tango. A strange blazeborn that hadn’t been with the Empress when she left and that wore clothes that stood out when compared to what everyone else was wearing.

The rest of the entourage began to pass through, making the room grow crowded. Empress Nora turned to him swiftly and made a motion for him to follow, then she opened the door before them and stepped through. Tango looked around himself briefly before following the silent request. It wasn’t like there was much else for him to do.

The blazeborn scurried after her, staying just a few paces behind her once he caught up, his back straight and hands clasped behind him. The halls around them were made from the same dark bricks as the room before, but these halls were more decorated. There were banners hanging from the walls with intricate designs, telling stories that Tango had no hope of deciphering, and occasionally small accent tables that held sculptures or pots of odd plants.

They passed a few staff members in the halls, every single one looked at Tango with confusion and curiosity. But of course they did, how often does one see someone in clothes that are clearly from the Overworld in the Nether?

Not very often, Tango guessed.

So far, from what Tango could tell, clothes made in the Nether were dark shades of reds, yellows, oranges, and browns. And while Tango may have been in brown, he was in white and light blue as well, two colors he’d yet to see.

So if Tango started to walk a little closer to the Empress when he noticed the stares, well then it was for no one to notice but himself… and possibly Empress Nora. But if she did notice she didn’t seem to mind it. If anything she seemed pleased, as if she was just moments from letting out a rumbling purr.

She continued walking, with a soft smile on her face. Each step she took seemed to be made with a purpose. The Empress led him down many different halls that all looked exactly the same, except for small differences in the decorations. It reminded Tango of when he had first started to roam the halls of the castle of the Avian Empire, needing to be guided or he’d be lost at every turn.

But this place was worse in that sense. As if it had been designed to confuse one’s mind.

Eventually, the Empress stopped in front of a door and gently knocked before waiting for whoever might be on the other side. She didn’t have to wait long, as a ruckus emerged from the other side immediately after the sound.

The door then was quickly opened, revealing a demon on the other side. He was taller than Tango and had a large build. He’d be quite intimidating if it weren’t for the smile on his face. His skin had an almost yellow tint to it. It looked rough, like his skin was thicker and made to endure more. That belief was only strengthened by the large patches of black scales, like armor along his skin. He had a set of horns and wore a black shirt with golden accents on it. He had a pair of almost bat-like wings sprouting from his back and his eyes had the slightest yellow glow emitting from them. Swaying behind him was an almost dragon-like tail.

It took Tango a moment to process what he’d said when he greeted Empress Nora. He couldn’t have known for sure after not speaking Netherian in years, but he believed the demon before them had said ‘Your Majesty’ in a bright tone.

The Empress smiled before greeting the demon in return. Tango also thought that she had asked for something, but he couldn’t really tell. Her head tilted slightly to the side as she spoke.

The demon responded with enthusiasm and stepped to the side, holding the door open for her. Empress Nora then turned and nodded at Tango, encouraging him to go first. When he walked in he avoided the other’s eyes. The blazeborn’s body was full of nerves that couldn’t seem to settle.

Empress Nora walked in after him and the demon shut the door behind them. The room around them seemed to be a cluttered office of sorts. There were tall bookshelves that were filled to the brim and a desk covered with different papers that were either a pale crimson or a light blue in color.

The demon then asked the Empress something with a smile, Tango wasn’t sure exactly what. She looked at Tango, a twinkle in her eyes. The Empress gave a small gesture over to him as she spoke. Whatever it was she had said left the demon in shock. While Tango hardly knew Netherian anymore, he had a feeling that the word ‘son’ had just been said.

“Tango?” The demon asked in nearly a whisper, now looking at Tango with shock and awe, as if he’d never expected to see him again. That was very likely the case. And now Tango had to figure out how to communicate with him, a person who had clearly known him as a child that he had no memory of. Great.

“Oh, um, hi?” Tango said awkwardly as he tried to remember how to speak in Netherian. “I- uh, don’t know, the Nether. I- um, don’t know you? Sorry.” The demon looked a little confused by what Tango had said in his stumbled word. The Empress, though, looked pleased by his use of the language, even if it was more than likely butchered.

“I’m sorry,” The Demon apologized gently in Common. “I don’t fully understand.” Tango, while thankful for the switch, couldn’t help but feel more embarrassed.

“I don’t remember anything from when I was little,” Tango explained in an apologetic tone. “So, I don’t really remember the Nether, or the people I knew before. So I… I don’t know who you are.” The demon’s eyes grew disappointed, but his face was understanding.

"Oh, it’s fine. It was a very long time ago anyway. I’m Impulse,” The demon, Impulse, told him. “We used to be best friends before you disappeared,” He explained briefly, unknowingly making guilt grow within Tango.

Thankfully, the Empress moved along the conversation.

“Tango was found by the Avian Empire’s royal family and has been living with them ever since,” She began to explain. “But because of him being unable to remember anything about the Nether, I’d like to ask you to act as his guide of sorts. Take him from place to place so that he doesn’t get lost and act as his attendant.”

Tango felt like he should have been offended by the request, but he knew he’d probably need the help, both the guide and attendant. He wouldn’t be able to take a single step in this place without getting lost and he knew from experience just how important having an attendant to help out with the daily life of a prince was. Just this time he’d be the one being attended too. It was an odd turn around that he decided was better left unthought of for the moment.

The demon looked surprised at the mention of not remembering anything of the Nether and Tango had to fight the instinct to turn his head away in embarrassment. Impulse turned to look at Tango before speaking to him again.

“Really? I understand forgetting a person, but the entity of the Nether?” He asked with bewilderment. Tango just nodded his head as his arm reached up and he placed it on the back of his neck, his fingers finding the clasp of his new necklace unintentionally.

“Well then,” Impulse said, surprise in his voice. He shook his head a bit before a smile appeared on his face again. “I’d be glad to help, as long as Tango’s okay with it.”

The two’s eyes turned to Tango, who was still feeling embarrassed. He nodded in agreement instead of actually replying. Empress Nora gave them both a smile at their answers.

“Excellent, then I'll leave Tango in your care,” She told him before beginning to walk towards the door. Tango’s head shot over to her in shock.

“Tango, someone will get you when your room is prepared,” Empress Nora said as she began to close the door behind her. “Come find me after. You’ll know where I’ll be, Impulse, correct?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Impulse answered with a smile.

And with that the Empress was gone.

Tango was so out of his depth, completely lost. Sure, Tango had a strong dislike for the Empress, but that didn't mean he wanted her to leave. At least not while he was in the Nether and unfamiliar with his surroundings.

The blazeborn was so shocked at her leaving that he even noticed Impulse get closer.

“There, there, buddy,” The demon said as he patted Tango's shoulder. The blazeborn jumped in surprise at the action, nearly letting out a small yelp in surprise. Impulse chuckled softly at him, and Tango only slightly resisted the urge to join in.

Chapter Text

“So how much do you remember?” Impulse asked from where he was sitting at his desk, looking at Tango who was leaning against it.

“Uh, like she said, pretty much nothing,” Tango told him. Impulse looked so confused.

“I- how?” The demon asked. Tango laughed awkwardly at the question. His hand reached for the back of his neck, his fingers catching on the clasp of his necklace again, leading him to fiddle with that instead.

“Well the leading theory is that the snow got to my head,” the blazeborn joked lightly. Impulse looked at him with what Tango wrongfully assumed was just more confusion. Completely missing the shock and concern.

“When I was found, I was lying unconscious in the snow. No one’s quite sure how long I was there, but we're pretty sure it's the reason that any memories I do have are just pure fuzz,” Tango explained with a small shrug.

Impulse looked like he was going to be sick.

“The snow!?” The demon exclaimed.

It was then that Tango remembered that if a blazeborn was in temperatures that were too cold they would in fact die.

“I was fine!” Tango quickly reassured, “I was unconscious for a few weeks, but from what we know there weren't any lasting effects besides the lost memories.” Impulse let out a small sigh of relief, but gave Tango a somewhat hesitant look.

“Still, snow can be deadly to Overworlders, you shouldn’t have even survived,” Impulse told him, even though Tango had more experience with winter than he did. The blazeborn decidedly didn’t mention how he played in the snow too many times to count as a child and as an adult. “Does the Empress know about this?” Tango paused and thought about it for a moment before slowly nodding.

“I believe so? King Richard mentioned it in his speech at the ball and she didn’t seem to react, so someone must have told her.” Tango shrugged.

“Regardless, you should tell her,” The demon said. “She deserves to get that information straight from the source.” Tango couldn’t stop the displeased look that crossed his face at the idea of having a conversation like that with Empress Nora.

“Is there something wrong with telling her?” Impulse asked, tilting his head to the side. The blazeborn cringed internally at the question. He really didn’t want to tell someone that the Empress that they clearly cared for was someone that he practically despised.

“Not necessarily with telling her?” He tried, hoping that he could walk around the topic and move on. The unsatisfied look Impulse gave him told him that it wouldn’t be that easy. The blazeborn sighed quietly before turning his gaze away and glaring at nothing in particular.

“Let’s just say, she didn't exactly make a good first impression,” Tango told him stiffly. As he finished speaking, Tango could feel his tail flick behind him and his flames rise, if only slightly.

“What happened?” Impulse asked, only partially aware of the annoyance the topic was bringing him.

“It honestly was all a big misunderstanding,” Tango sighed, placing a hand on his temple. “She saw me working as an attendant for one of the princes and assumed the worst. Then asked me a few questions and somehow figured out I was her son. This enraged her because she thought I was being forced there against my will.” Impulse nodded his head along as Tango spoke.

“She confronted the King, but we were all too shocked by her saying I was her son to properly give her an answer. She took this as avoiding the question and started to go full flamification on the dining room,” Tango told him, waving his arms a tad as he spoke. The demon listened with undivided attention.

“Thankfully, because I've lived there for years, we have procedures in place for when I lose control that were easily applied to the situation. The real bad thing though is that Jimmy, the prince I was attending, was accidentally left in the room and became the main thing for her to throw her rage at.”

“And Jimmy is my closest friend. So seeing him in such danger triggered my protective instincts. And sure we have things all figured out now, but I’m not going to ignore the fact that she was going to kill him if I hadn’t intervened," Tango finished, a small growl following at the thought of the Empress’s intentions.

It was silent for a moment as the demon took in the story.

Tango’s attention had drifted to his face, which still seemed to be processing the information. It was when Tango was beginning to worry that explaining had been a bad idea that Impulse finally said something.

“That seriously could have gone better.” Tango could have laughed at how much of an understatement that was.

“You're telling me! I wouldn't be able to stand in the same room as her if I didn't go and cool down a few days later!” Tango said with a slight laugh to his voice.

“Cool down?” Impulse asked, clearly thinking of the snow again.

“Everything is pretty flammable in the Overworld, it's a safety hazard for me to just let my emotions go as they please. So I have a room that is absolutely decked out in fire resistance so I can just burn my anger off,” Tango explained gently. Impulse looked surprised, and a bit intrigued.

“Huh,” He responded vaguely before continuing on. “How do others tell you’re upset then?”

“Through other body language? I just don’t show it through my fire and stuff much.” Impulse looked uncomfortable at the explanation, as if the very thought of a blazeborn that was upset without any changes to their fire was something gross and unnatural.

“I think,” Impulse began, giving Tango an odd look. “There’s going to be a long adjustment period for everyone involved here.”

Tango, unfortunately, believed the demon to be right.

~*~

The two had been chatting away when there was a knock on the door. Impulse didn’t seem to be in a rush to answer it like he had when the Empress had knocked. Instead he smiled at Tango before walking over to the door and opening it.

There was a piglin staff member on the other side. She said something to Impulse, something Tango wasn’t even sure was Netherian, before walking off.

The demon turned to him with a smile and made a following motion before walking out, following the piglin. Tango wasn’t far behind. He assumed that they were heading off to the room that he would be staying in.

The walk wasn’t too far from Impulse’s office, though the twisting and the almost identical halls made it impossible to backtrack. The piglin stopped at a door before opening it, huffing, then walking off down the hall. Impulse turned and smiled at him again before stepping to the side of the door and motioning for Tango to go in.

The room was smaller than the one he had back home, but the room had a cozy feel to it. There was a desk pushed against the wall that had a few drawers. A bottle of ink and a quill were sitting on top, both clearly having come from the Overworld. But the paper was much like the ones that were on Impulse’s desk, just there was only the crimson variety.

There was a large bookshelf that took up most of another wall. It was filled with books that Tango had no idea how to read, their titles clearly Netherian. But surprisingly, a few titles appeared to be written in Common. Close to the bookshelf was a plush chair that sat near the corner.

Then, oddly enough, there was a nest, a side table sat beside it. The nest wasn’t like the ones in the Avian Empire that were much closer to that of beds. No, this was a traditional one. There were crimson sticks and what looked a lot like moss, but clearly wasn’t, weaved together. Inside there was more of the plush moss-like stuff, acting as a mattress. It looked incredibly comfortable, the only thing it lacked was a blanket.

Then there was a wardrobe made of crimson wood that stood between two tall windows with long red curtains. Lit on either wall was a set of torches, helping to light the room. Above the wardrobe was an old looking clock made out of crimson wood. It was so unlike the redstone ones that were common in the Overworld, even their way of tracking time was different. Clocks in the Overworld tracked and followed the sun as it would rise and fall, but in the Nether there was no sun to track. Instead this clock had numbers, tracking time in a completely different way.

Tango stepped closer to one of the windows until he was close enough to put his hands on the glass if he chose to. The glass itself was odd. It was much like a stained glass window, with a beautiful display of oranges, yellows, and reds. But every color was dark, in a way that the Overworld could never replicate. How exactly, Tango didn't know, but this glass before him was different then any he’d encountered before.

The view outside shone through brightly regardless of the dark tint.

Outside of the window was a massive lake. A lake like Tango had never seen. At least from what he could remember.

It wasn't filled with water, like one would expect. No, this lake was filled with lava. It was a beautiful sight. The lake glowed with a remarkable light, making it sparkle and shine in a way that water could never compare to.

“Is this the first time you’ve seen the Nether, since, ya know?” Impulse asked from behind him. Tango had forgotten that he was even there, his mind too distracted by the sight before him.

“Yeah,” Tango responded quietly, not once taking his eyes off it.

Tango’s stomach seemed to swirl at the view. He had no memory of what was before him, but somehow he knew that he recognized it.

Faintly.

Distantly.

So far away in his mind it felt like a forgotten dream.

The blazeborn could tell he was at least a few floors up, giving him a birds-eye view. It was so similar to looking out the large windows in Jimmy’s room, to the view from the rooms they’d stay in when visiting Rivendell, even to the view from the one time Tango had stayed in Mezalea.

But this was different.

The beautiful waters that Tango was used to seeing were a pristine and clear blue.

This lake was burning.

This lake could kill in an instant.

This lake was just a small fraction of the world that Tango was now forced to live in.

He closed the curtains as quickly as he could.

It was only after they were shut that Tango could feel how fast his heart was beating and how much the blaze rods above his head were spinning.

“Are you alright?” Impulse asked from behind him, sounding a bit closer.

“Yeah,” Tango told him, his voice hesitant. “Yeah. I’m fine.” The blazeborn couldn’t see it, but behind him Impulse was giving him a skeptical look.

“Do you need help unpacking?” The demon asked instead. Tango turned around, only then noticing the bags of his things on the floor beside the door.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Tango told him politely, doing his best to ignore his still pounding heart.

“I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t want to,” Impulse replied with a kind smile. The blazeborn laughed quietly before nodding and walking over to the group of bags and boxes.

But before doing that, he closed the other set of curtains.

Chapter Text

It didn’t take long for them to get all his things unpacked. Especially since Tango decided to leave the redstone stuff alone for the moment, telling Impulse to just leave the boxes where they were.

“We should probably go find your mother,” Impulse said once they were done. The blazeborn let out a sigh as he closed the door to his wardrobe, but agreed nonetheless.

The demon led the way as they went, offhandedly mentioning what some of the rooms were as they passed. But Tango was sure that even with the mini tour he’d be lost without someone else to lead the way. Impulse ended up leading them to a fancy looking door, giving it a knock once they’d stopped. Not even a moment after there was the muffled sound of the Empress inviting them in from the other side. The demon then opened the door and led the way in.

It seemed that they were once more in an office, but this one was much fancier and more organized than Impulse’s had been. It was clearly where Empress Nora did most of her work, especially with the fact that she was sitting at the desk with a quill in hand and a pair of glasses sat low on her face. She looked up from the small stack of papers before her and smiled at the sight of the two, peering at them from over her glasses.

“Hello, you two,” Empress Nora greeted politely. “What have you been up to?”

“We talked for a while before getting Tango’s room put together,” Impulse told her. The way the demon spoke to her was so much more casual then what Tango was used to seeing, he spoke to her like they were friends rather than an empress and staff member. “He should be all settled now!”

“Good,” Empress Nora said softly, before turning her eyes to Tango himself. “How are you feeling so far?”

“Fine,” Tango answered, somewhat avoiding her eyes. The Empress didn’t seem bothered by his lacking answer though, and nodded her head in understanding. Then she turned her gaze down to one of the papers on her desk again, pushing her glasses up a bit before speaking.

“I’ve found you some teachers for some of the necessary basics you’ll need to learn,” Empress Nora told him, her voice sounding more business-like and professional than before. “We’ll see about more if things go well and it fits for the time of your stay.”

Tango had known that he was there to learn, but he couldn’t help but be caught a bit off guard at the mention of having teachers. It hadn’t occurred to him that he’d need any. But looking at things now, it was obvious that he’d need at least one. He didn’t know a thing about the Nether’s people, history, culture, or anything else. He barely even knew anything about his own origin.

“I can show you where your classes will be,” Impulse offered, his tail swaying happily behind him. The blazeborn could only nod in response. So much had happened already, and Tango hadn’t even been there for a day. He was exhausted.

“How about we let Tango get some rest?” The Empress suggested instead. “He’s had a long day.” The demon’s eyes widened slightly, seeming to realize that this was the case.

“Of course, of course! It must be hard noticing the passage of time without a sky,” Impulse said, his eyes glancing at a clock that was quietly ticking away on the wall, before walking towards the door and holding it open for Tango. “But you’ll probably get used to it after a while.”

“Yeah, probably,” Tango responded with a half hearted laugh before walking out the door.

~*~

“Alright! I’ll come and get you, uh- in the morning?” Impulse asked as he opened the door to Tango’s room for him. The blazeborn nodded his head at the subtle question. “Right, I’ll get you in the morning for breakfast! You get some well deserved rest.”

“Will it be with the Empress?” Tango asked as he walked in. He already knew the answer, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t hope.

“Yes?” Tango let out a sigh at the response.

“I’ll starve,” Tango told the demon bluntly. Sure things had gotten… better between him and the Empress, but the thought of having to be around her in the early hours of the morning sounded both like torture and tempting fate.

Impulse stared at him for a moment, trying to see if the blazeborn was joking. The answer he found was not what he was hoping for.

“Maybe I’ll just bring you a plate when I come to get you up?” The demon suggested instead, a nervous laugh to his voice.

“Yeah, that’d be preferred,” Tango told him.

With that, the two bid each other goodnight, Tango blissfully unaware that the demon was heading right back to Empress Nora’s office to inform her of the change… as well as to mention a few of his concerns for the visiting blazeborn.

Tango took a deep breath as he looked around the room, his eyes falling on the nest that was now his place of rest. The sight of it brought an overwhelming sense of homesickness. Sure, the nests back home were different, more modern, but it still reminded him of the people he considered his family. It reminded him of nights spent tucked away in warm wings and caring arms. Nights spent giggling and throwing pillows at one another. Nights that held a special place in Tango’s heart.

Tango could feel tears attempting to well up in his eyes at the memories, but he didn’t allow them to fall. And even if he had they likely would have just started to turn to steam from the heat of the world the blazeborn was in. Tango was in the Nether for them. For Jimmy, Grian, Pearl, Skizz, and all his other friends. They wanted him to understand himself and at least see if this was someplace where he felt like he belonged.

Tango’s hand reached up to the charm of his necklace, holding it gently. He’d see them again, in just a few months.

Everything would be alright.

It was just going to take some time.

Tango made himself walk towards the nest. Then he crouched down and opened a bag that he’d left on the floor beside it. The blazeborn pulled out the only thing that was left within it, a large blue blanket. He had no idea when Jimmy put the blanket there, but he knew that the golden avian was the only one with an opportunity to do so.

He wasn’t sure when exactly Jimmy, Pearl, and Grian had gotten together with the blanket, perhaps it was when he’d found them all in his bed? But no, the blazeborn’s scent wasn’t there and the three’s was too strong to be that long ago.

But regardless of when, it was an incredibly sweet gesture.

Tango gently laid the blanket down in the nest before laying himself over top. He then brought the ends of the blanket around him, engulfing himself with it. As the blazeborn settled he found the nest to be just as comfortable as it had looked, maybe even more so.

He let out a peaceful sigh. Things were going to be hard for him, especially since he’d never been away from home for more than a week or two before, but he’d figure things out. For now he could at least allow himself the peace of sleep. So the blazeborn gently closed his eyes, letting his mind be carried off to sleep by the familiar scent of three of his favorite people.

Chapter Text

1 day out of 123 completed.

“Good morning!” The voice of Impulse said brightly, the sound of it waking Tango from his peaceful sleep.

The blazeborn’s eyes glared as he slowly blinked them open, showing him a world of soft blue fabric. He heard the sound of something being set down as he brought his head out of his blanket cocoon. Tango turned his tired glare to Impulse when he saw him, who let out a lighthearted laugh at the action.

Tango didn’t notice the small hint of nostalgia in the demon’s eyes.

“Come on now! It’s time to get up!” Impulse told him cheerfully. Tango let out a long groan in response before pulling the blanket over his head once again.

There was silence in the room after that. It was weird and confusing to the tired blazeborn, weird enough for him to peek his head out once again to see if Impulse was gone.

He was not.

Instead he was standing there near Tango’s nest with his arms crossed and a soft expression on his face. The blazeborn was too tired to unpack whatever meaning might be behind it, instead letting out a sigh before he sat up, the blanket still mostly wrapped around him.

The demon snickered at him and walked over to the desk, where a plate of food sat. At the sight of food Tango tiredly forced himself out of the comfort of the nest and walked over to the desk as well, the blanket wrapped around his shoulders and dragging on the floor behind him. Impulse leaned against the wall as Tango sat down in the chair with a yawn.

“Would you like me to step out while you eat or tell you the day's plans?” Impulse asked as the blazeborn rubbed his eye. Tango paused this action as the word processed. Normally it was him that was telling the day's plans, specifically to Jimmy. It was an odd thought to be on the other side of that.

“Go right ahead, I don’t mind listening while I eat,” Tango told him, reaching for the utensil before him and looking down at the plate of food.

It was oddly similar to the kind of breakfast that the blazeborn was used to, but at the same time so different. He clearly had eggs on his plate, but the yoke was a shade of dark red rather than the normal orange. Then there was something similar to bacon, but it was thicker, like the creature it was from was made of denser meat.

The blazeborn was having the Nether version of eggs and bacon apparently.

“What exactly is this made of?” Tango asked as he cut into the egg. Impulse gave an airy laugh at the immediate distraction, but answered anyway.

“Well, that’s a strider egg,” he said, pointing at the dish from where he stood. “And that’s bacon from a hoglin. Hoglin meat is very similar to the pig stuff you’re used to from what I’ve heard, just a bit meatier. The strider egg is as close as we can get to chicken eggs here, so that might taste a bit off. But we tried to keep it as similar to what you’re used to as we could.”

“Wow, um thanks?” Tango said, though he sounded unsure. This didn’t seem to bother Impulse though. He just motioned for him to take a bite, and so he did.

The demon was right, it did taste different from what Tango was used to, but that didn’t mean it was bad. It was pretty good actually.

Except for the small fact that it tasted like it was burning, of all things.

The blazeborn let out a pained cough and Impulse looked at him with surprise, not expecting the reaction. Tango put his fork down on the plate and continued to cough at the odd heat in his mouth.

“What- is in- this?” The blazeborn asked through his coughing fit. Impulse laid a gentle hand on his shoulder in concern, but Tango just waved him off. Trying to show he was fine, even if his lungs were acting otherwise.

“Uh, just strider eggs and a drop of molten?” Impulse told him, though he said it like it was more of a question than an answer.

“What’s molten?” Tango asked as he finally got ahold of himself. Impulse cringed a bit. It appeared he’d realized the culprit.

“purified lava?” He answered, with a nervous and somewhat guilty laugh and smile.

“Lava!?”

“Well it’s normal around here!” The demon quickly defended. “All netherborns use it! So none of us would have expected it to be a problem for you!”

“You’re telling me, that you all just- eat straight lava?” Tango asked, completely perplexed. Impulse gave him a disgusted look.

“What no, that’s gross,” he told him, only confusing the blazeborn more. “It’s purified,” Impulse said, as if that explained everything. The blazeborn’s face didn’t change from its confusion and the demon sighed.

“It gets cleaned and stuff, making it safe to add to food or to drink so you don’t get sick. It looks like water, just orange instead of blue,” he explained, pinching his nose between his fingers. “Overworlders can’t have it, it’s too hot for them. But netherborns can.”

“So why can’t I?” Tango asked, even though there was a good chance that the demon didn’t have an answer.

“Well, you can, overworlders would probably die if they have it, but why you had that reaction I have no clue,” Impulse told him. The blazeborn paused to think what the reason could be, but after a moment he quickly realized.

He’d always had an exceptional spice tolerance in the overworld. Spicy food didn’t bother him, it didn’t hurt in the way that others described, to Tango spice just gave food more flavor. But everyone had always said that spicy food was hot and that it burned their mouths. Tango had seen the possible reactions to it when Joel used to challenge their friends to see who had the better spice tolerance.

The reaction that Tango had just had to the molten thing, was the same kind of reaction that his friends would have to food that was too spicy for them to tolerate.

It wasn’t simply that the food was too hot, it was that Tango didn’t have the spice tolerance.

And as the winner of those challenges, and as the reason Joel stopped doing them, the blazeborn couldn’t help but be offended.

Chapter Text

After Tango explained what he’d realized to Impulse they moved along with going over the day's agenda. The blazeborn ignoring the eggs on his plate and instead focusing on the bacon as he listened. The bacon was still hotter than what Tango was used to, but it was at least more edible.

“Alright!” Impulse started, reading from a paper that had been folded up in his pocket, as the blazeborn munched away. “First, we’re going to meet a few of your teachers for some assessment tests. So that they can know where to start you off at.”

“Then we’ll meet with you mother so she can introduce you to some people and stuff," he continued, his dragon-like tail swaying behind him. Tango didn’t like that idea, he’d much prefer to never meet anyone that might be an important figure in the Nether. But he left his complaints unsaid.

“After that we’ll do a tour of the fortress, and maybe a tour of the grounds if we have time,” Impulse said as he finished, looking at the other with a smile. “Of course there’ll be meals in between, where you’ll be eating can be adjusted for your um, preference, and the food can be adjusted for you uh, tolerance?” Tango just nodded at the slight unsureness. Apparently, the Nether didn’t know that spice was even something that a person needed the tolerance for. Tango couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed for himself once the demon told him.

~*~

Impulse led the way as they walked through the confusing halls. It was like a labyrinth, Tango was sure that he’d even seen the same painting multiple times as they went. But, disregarding the repetitive decor choices, the two soon entered a room that had a clear ‘classroom’ vibe.

The room itself wasn’t very large, only big enough for a very small class. There were bookshelves that appeared to have textbooks and other related things. On the wall there was a blackboard with nothing written. There was a single table somewhat centered in the room, around the same size as the desk in the room Tango was staying in, with two chairs on either side. And in the corner was an even larger desk clearly meant to be used by the teachers.

The teachers that were also in the room.

There were three blazeborns chatting with three demons and a piglin. Their conversation immediately stopped when they heard Tango and Impulse walked in. All of them turned to face the blazeborn and gave him a small nod of their heads. It technically wasn’t all that unusual, but the way they did it made it seem more… formal, perhaps? As if it was meant for someone of high statues.

One of the demons took a few steps forward. They gave him a gentle smile, seeming to want to put him at ease.

“Hello, Prince Tango,” they greeted in Common. Tango had to do his best not to cringe at the title. It was something he was not at all used to, and probably wouldn’t be for a while. Though it did explain the formal nod they’d all given.

Maybe it was a show of respect in the Nether? But the Nether was said to not be as formal as the Overworld. Was this the exception? Or was this something they were doing in an attempt to make Tango feel more comfortable?

The blazeborn wasn’t really sure…

“Just Tango’s fine,” He told them. The demon smiled at the words, their tail giving a pleased flick behind them.

“Tango then,” They said, their voice kind. “I’ll be your Netherian teacher. Would you mind taking a seat and doing a few tests for us?”

“Oh, yeah. Of course,” Tango responded, moving to take a seat at the desk. The Netherian teacher took a seat at the other side.

They kindly explained each test and as they showed him the pieces of paper, giving him the choice of which one he’d like to do first. Impulse had walked over to the group of teachers that were now further in the room behind Tango and started whispering to them.

“I uh- won’t be able to do the Netherian one,” Tango reluctantly told the teacher. They didn’t seem to be surprised. “I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t taught to read and write before I um, left? So I have no idea what any of that says.”

“That's perfectly fine. We can just do the verbal portion,” They told him. “You’re not exactly wrong on that assumption. The records say that you’d just started your reading and writing before you disappeared.”

With that said, Tango began his tests.

~*~

There had been several different types of questions with the tests, multiple choice, written answers, true or false, all seeming to be fairly simple.

Tango was sure he’d done terribly with practically all of them.

He didn't know what the War of Fire Bridge or the Treaty of The Piglins were about. The only thing he knew in regards to Nether history was the closing of the portals, and that was only the Overworld side of things. Tango barely knew what pyres were, when asked about netherborn culture and instincts he was practically clueless. He barely knew what a warped forest was, and was clueless on what basalt deltas were.

Surprisingly, Netherian was the one thing he felt best about.

Tango knew a lot of the most basic of the basics when it came to the language, but anything further was completely up to chance. Often the blazeborn would stumble over his words or get confused during the Netherian assessment, leading to him to quickly apologize. But the demon teacher would just give him a kind smile and reassurance that it was perfectly alright to make mistakes. They were so kind when they spoke to him.

In the Overworld demons were thought to be cruel, heartless beings, and while Tango always took things he’d heard about the Nether from an overworlder with more than a pinch of salt, it was still shocking that Impulse and this teacher acted so kindly. It made the blazeborn realize that the Overworld’s thoughts and opinions might have had more of an influence on him than he’d originally thought.

Tango had been relieved when he’d finished the last test, the Netherian teacher putting them all in a nice pile before picking them up.

“Thank you, Tango. We’ll all go over these and figure out where we’ll need to start,” They said as they got up from their seat. Tango gave a slightly nervous laugh as he put a hand on the back of his neck, once again finding the chain of his necklace by accident. It was easy to start fidgeting with it between his fingers.

“I honestly don’t think I did that well on any of them,” Tango admitted, putting his hand down after a moment. They looked at Tango with a slight frown as they walked over to stand with the other teachers.

“This is just an assessment, Tango,” the demon said as he stood up from his chair. “It’s expected that there will be things you get wrong. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Tango didn’t know what to say to that. So instead he just nodded and caught a hold of his tail, fiddling with it in his hands.

It was then that the piglin spoke, or Tango assumed he did. He spoke with many pig-like sounds that were clearly not Netherian, but that Impulse and the others apparently understood. Nodding and speaking Netherian in response. It was a bit strange to witness.

Impulse and the piglin spoke for a bit before the teacher huffed and walked out of the room, one of the blazeborns following behind him. From what he could gather the piglin wanted Tango and Impulse to go somewhere, but the rest of the conversation was lost to him.

“Alright!” Impulse said cheerfully as he turned over to Tango, getting a small laugh from the Netherian teacher as the group of teachers seemed to be attempting to go over his tests.

“There’s two more tests you’ll need to do,” Impulse told him. Tango wanted to let out a defeated sigh, but held it back. “But these are much more on the physical side of things, so we have to go to a training room for it.”

The blazeborn was a little surprised by the news, he hadn’t expected that he’d be doing any physical related test, but it did make sense. Tango was a ‘prince’, and one that had been kidnapped no less. Of course they’d want to know how well he could defend himself.

So Tango nodded and allowed Impulse to lead the way. Leaving the room to the whispering teachers.

Chapter Text

The training room was fairly open and simple. There were mats on the ground and there was armor and weapons hanging on racks on the walls. The two teachers that had left before were already there, but there was also another blazeborn as well, who was holding a clipboard to their chest and a pencil in their hand.

“Just give me a moment to see what exactly they want you to do,” Impulse told Tango gently before walking towards the small group. Leaving the blazeborn to stand there awkwardly by the door.

Their words were more whispers than anything, except for the piglin, who seemed well aware that Tango couldn’t understand regardless of how loudly he spoke. Impulse cringed a bit at something that was said, but nodded his head. It wasn’t long after that that the demon walked back over to Tango, a slightly tense smile on his face.

“The first thing they’d like you to do,” Impulse began, twiddling his fingers and wings shifting somewhat nervously. “Is to give them a demonstration of how much firepower you have.”

Tango stared at him for a moment.

“You want me to intentionally use my fire?” Tango asked cautiously. The demon gave him a slight nod.

“You’re crazy.”

“I know you’re not that comfortable with your fire-” Impulse tried, but was quickly interrupted.

“Nonono, I don’t think you understand,” Tango told him, beginning to put more emphasis on his words. “I can’t use my fire. Like, I can’t use it at all without losing control.”

“Oh,” Impulse said simply. “Oh.”

“Yeah, so I don’t think-”

“Just- just give me a minute,” Impulse requested quickly, before turning back to the three.

Once again Tango was left to stand there awkwardly as he waited for them to figure out what to do. The blazeborns seemed surprised as Impulse explained Tango’s situation, glancing over at him every now and then. The piglin on the other hand, seemed to be slightly annoyed by it, but otherwise unbothered.

Tango himself couldn’t stop the nervousness in him that was making its presence known.

They didn’t speak for long thankfully, just a minute or two. Then Impulse walked towards Tango, this time with the piglin at his side. But Impulse stopped when he reached him, the piglin continued on and out the door.

“Okay, we figured out what to do!” Impulse told him, with a forced cheerfulness.

“Yeah?” Tango asked, caution in his voice. He didn’t like the idea of using his fire in any way. It was a danger even when he was at his calmest. Even if his fire didn’t end up spreading, that didn’t mean people couldn’t get hurt.

“So, the plan is to just make you angry. Kinda like your burninator or whatever, except there will be others with you!” Impulse explained, talking faster than normal.

“What?”

“Just the other blazeborns! Not even I'll be in here, and demons are nearly as fireproof as blazeborns!” Impulse told him. Tango wanted to argue against this, but the demon was quick to take his leave. “Anyway! Good luck!”

With that, Tango was left with the two blazeborns.

“You,” The blazeborn teacher said in Common, closer than he was before. “Get mad. Now.”

Tango hesitated for a moment. He didn’t do this sort of thing around people, there were too many risks. But these were blazeborns, they wouldn’t be hurt by his fire… but it wasn’t only fire, was it? Fire was just what caused the most damage. He had sharp teeth and claws, and acted like a wild animal when he lost control. Sure, one of these blazeborns was clearly trained in combat, but the other seemed to be there just to write things down, for whatever reason.

The teacher seemed to notice the reluctance on Tango’s face. His eyes sympathetic for a moment before hardening.

“Now,” He told him again. “We are safe.” The teacher seemed so confident, and the other blazeborn didn’t even seem fazed, if anything they were impatient.

He didn’t want to, he really didn’t. But… he was there to learn, right? This was part of the learning process, they needed to know, whatever they were looking for about his fire, to be able to properly teach him. Regardless of how sick the thought of willingly losing control in such a way made him, Tango had to do it.

Tango made himself take a deep breath before forcing himself to stop overthinking as much. Instead bringing the first thing to his mind that frustrated him.

It was easier to do than he would have thought honestly. Sure, things were better between him and the Empress, but that didn’t mean he forgave her. Not even close.

With all that had happened, of course she’d be the first thing he thought of.

She didn’t even give time for any questions to be answered before jumping to conclusions. She decided his family’s fate before they could even defend themselves. If the castle hadn’t been fireproofed years ago, then the entire thing could have gone down. Everyone inside could have died. Not just Jimmy, but everyone.

Then she tried to act like there had been no harm done. Sure there technically hadn’t, but that didn’t change the fact there would have. If it had been anywhere else, everyone would have died, or at the very least be injured.

Worse of all, the Empress decided that Tango had to go to the Nether. He never even wanted to be there. It never crossed his mind unless someone else said something about it. It was the same with thoughts of his past or family. He never thought about them. The Overworld was where he wanted to be, where he felt safest.

She just had to appear and change everything.

The memories and thoughts flooded Tango’s head. Frustration building as the world faded from his mind. The blazeborn allowed his anger to grow and run free, like it was just him in his burnificator. The presence of the other two did affect how long it took for him to get lost, but was pushed out of mind easily enough.

Tango could feel his fire rise and his blaze rods spin and his tail thrash as he allowed himself to get lost within the anger and flames.

~*~

Impulse and Cha, the piglin instructor, stood outside the door for a while, a long while. Impulse had tried to pass the time by talking, but the piglin quickly made it clear that he wasn’t interested in making conversation. So they stood in silence as they waited.

Well, almost silence.

There were plenty of sounds coming from the other side of the door. Crashes and snarls and the crackling of flames. There’d been the sound of claws scratching on the doors at times, as if something was trying to escape, before there were shouts ushering whatever it was away from the door.

Impulse didn’t know why he was acting like he didn’t know what it was.

Who it was.

It was Tango. Tango, who he hadn’t seen in years. Tango, who everyone thought was as good as dead. Tango, who was practically back from the grave.

And noticeably more miserable that he’d been before.

It hadn’t been long, just a day, but the demon could tell. Part of him wished that it was because of something the Overworld had done to him, and maybe some of it was, but it was clear that wasn’t the case. Every time the blazeborn mentioned the place, the people, his eyes would brighten.

It was the only time Tango seemed genuinely happy.

It hurt to think about…

But thinking was all the demon could really do while he waited. When people lost control, something that was honestly quite rare for a blazeborn of Tango’s age, they often burned until they’d exhausted most of their flames. There was no telling how long it would take.

Impulse would just have to try his best to think about other things as he waited.

~*~

After a while Impulse and Cha had both sat on the floor.

Even longer after the sounds behind the door stopped.

Only a few moments later did the door open.

The blazeborn instructor, Balboa, was panting as he held it open for the two, looking disheveled and exhausted.

“Take the boy,” he said to Cha. “Get him somewhere to properly rest and a doctor. Probably find the Empress as well.”

Normally, Impulse would have said something, offered to help in some way.

But the state the training room was now in shocked him into silence.

Anything and everything had been knocked down or destroyed. The nether brick walls now had many long and deep claw marks scratched into them. There were fires crackling on everything, not really spreading, but not dying down either. The other blazeborn, the royal analyst, slowly came out from behind a table that had been knocked over, leaning against the wall instead of resting on its feet. The analyst looked shocked and quite shaken, and the clipboard that they’d had before was missing from their hands, nowhere to be seen.

And in the center of it all was Tango, lying on the floor unconscious and visibly drained.

How had things gotten this bad? What had happened in the Overworld- no, what hadn’t happened, that made Tango’s fire and control into this?

Chapter Text

When Tango first started to wake up it was slow, almost peaceful. But that peacefulness that filled his tired mind was quick to fade, letting a pulsing headache make itself known. Tango slowly sat up from the nest he was in, holding his hands to his eyes momentarily, before letting out an uncomfortable groan. The blazeborn looked around weakly, squinting his eyes at the light that filled the room. From what little he could comprehend in this tired state it seemed like the room was just as he’d left it, nothing out of place.

“It’s good to see you awake.”

“GaH!”

Maybe there was something that was out of place.

Or rather someone.

Tango looked to his left, finding Empress Nora sitting in the plush chair that was in the corner by the bookshelves, but had been moved to be beside the nest. In her hands was a book, presumably from one of the bookshelves, and sat on her nose was the gold colored, or perhaps actual gold, glasses he’d seen her wear when she’d been in her office.

“Are you alright?” She asked with a breath of laughter.

“Fine,” Tango grumbled, rubbing his head. The pain had worsened from his surprised sound as well as her presents.

“How are you feeling?” The Empress asked gently. “You used a lot of fire power.”

“My head hurts, but that’s pretty much it,” He answered honestly, closing his eyes to try to dull the pain. It didn’t do nearly enough.

“Hmm, makes sense,” She said before placing her book down on the side table by Tango’s nest and exchanging it for a tea cup that he didn’t notice before. “Here, drink this. It’ll help.”

Tango took the cup from her, looking down in it to find an almost maroon looking tea. The blazeborn then took a slightly cautious sip. It was warmer than he was used to, like most things in the Nether, but thankfully not too hot for him to drink. The taste wasn’t too bad, having the slightest undertone of healing potion.

Healing was notorious for its horrible taste, the fact that this tea didn’t taste bad with it mixed in was impressive. It made Tango wonder how good this tea would taste without it.

The two blazeborns sat in an awkward silence as Tango drank it. Tango’s tail slightly twitched underneath his blanket as his nerves started to get a bit on edge. It’s not like he was comfortable with the Empress being in his space, even if the room wasn’t really considered that to his instincts yet.

“So, uh, what happened?” Tango asked, holding the cup in his lap. The pain in his head started to lessen, though only slightly.

“Oh,” Empress Nora said, slightly surprised by the question. She removed her glasses, placing them on top of her book as she answered. “Well, you finished most of your assessment tests. But with your physical one things got a bit… out of hand.”

She didn’t need to say anything more, those words being enough to fully pull the drowsiness from him and bring the memories to the front of his mind.

“Oh. Right.” was Tango’s only response.

“You did quite a number to the training room,” the Empress said with a gentle laugh. He didn’t know how she could find that funny. Even just imagining the state that the blazeborn must have left the room had bits of guilt seep through him.

“How long was I out for?” Tango asked, hoping to get away from the feeling.

“A few hours.” Tango let out a small hum of acknowledgment, the answer not being all that surprising.

“It’s quite impressive,” the Empress said.

“What?”

“With the amount of power that you used, it’s surprising that you weren’t out for longer,” She told him, sounding both a little worried and a little impressed. “Most blazeborns would be out for at least a day or two after something like that.”

“Oh.”

Tango wasn’t sure what to say to that, it’s not like his fire was something he was proud of. He turned his eyes down, finding the necklace around his neck. He started to fiddle with the charm, offering him a momentary distraction.

While Tango did this the silence between them grew. He chose not to look up at her face, not wanting to know what it looked like. He missed the considering look that she had.

“Tango?” Empress Nora questioned, getting a small hum in response. “Do you know how our fire works?”

“Probably not,” He answered with a simple shrug, still messing with the charm.

“You can either burn it at a constant state, going for a long amount of time, or burn through it at full blast. When a blazeborn loses control, we normally would go to full blast. But you didn’t, not fully,” She explained, something almost calculating in her voice, like she wanted to solve a puzzle, but lacked many of the pieces.

“You used a lot of fire at very high temperatures, but were able to hold it out for a remarkable amount of time.” Tango wasn’t sure how to respond to that information. It was probably supposed to be some sort of complement, but he just couldn’t take it that way.

All Tango could think of was how much damage he must have done. His tail wrapped around the upper part of his leg and his blaze rods spun a little bit faster at the thought.

Most people didn’t notice when the pace of his blaze rods spinning changed, most often it was too small to notice. The one who most often did was Jimmy, and even he missed it half the time.

But somehow Empress Nora noticed the change. Somehow she could tell he was growing nervous and uncomfortable.

“You should get some more rest,” the Empress told him with a gentle sigh, standing from the chair and walking towards the door. “Impulse will come check on you when it’s time for you to get up.”

With that she left, as if she’d never even been there.

Tango still wasn’t sure how to feel about Empress Nora. After losing control his anger towards her had lessened for now, but it would be back when his energy was more replenished and his mind was more clear.

She cared about him, that much was obvious. The Empress had stayed with him while he was unconscious and was there to help and explain things when he woke up. She noticed the small change of the pace of his blaze rods and then left so he’d be more comfortable.

A part of him felt like his skin crawled at the thought of Empress Nora, especially with her being there while he was defenseless. But now that he was calmer, now that he’d let out some of his bottled up emotions, another part of him appreciated that she cared for him so much.

It only made his resentment toward the Empress grow.

He didn’t want to appreciate anything that Empress Nora did, not after what she’d tried to do. She had tried to kill Jimmy, she had tried to kill his family. She had wanted to kill them.

Tango couldn’t let himself forget that.

Sure, she cared and took the time to learn his tells, but he had avoided her during her visit. The Empress hadn’t seen him face to face all that much.

But she had lurked. She had watched. She had snuck around and practically stalked him.

But then again, it wasn’t out of malice…

It was all so complicated.

Maybe it was best to ignore it for now. Tango still felt tired and his head still ached. He let out a sigh and placed the half empty cup on the side table, before curling himself within his blanket. Allowing himself to try to get more rest as the Empress had suggested.

~*~

The next time Tango woke up it was to a small clatter. Turning around, Tango found that one of the torches in the room had been put out at some point while he was sleeping, leaving the room in a softer lighting. Looking at the rest of the room the blazeborn saw Impulse standing by his desk, messing with whatever he had put down. The demon then turned, a bit of surprise appearing in his face at the sight of Tango being awake.

“Sorry about that,” Impulse said apologetically, raising a hand to the back of his neck. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s fine,” Tango told him with a yawn.

“I brought you something to eat,” the demon said, making a small gesture to the desk, where a plate of food and tea cup now sat. “Thought you might be hungry.”

Tango hummed in agreement before he sat up and prepared to get out of the nest. But the moment Impulse noticed a flash of worry shot across his face and he gestured for him to stop.

“How about we just do a breakfast in bed kind of thing?” The demon suggested when Tango gave him a confused look. The blazeborn sighed, but agreed.

Impulse smiled at him before picking up the plate and bringing it over to hand to him. Once Tango took it, the demon went back to the desk to grab the cup, then exchanged it for the half empty, and now cold, one that had been on the side table. As he did that Tango began to eat, finding the food to thankfully not be too much for him to handle.

“We should probably get a healer up here to make sure you’re doing alright,” Impulse muttered, more to himself than Tango. The blazeborn paused in his eating for a moment at what the other had said, but decided against voicing his thoughts on the matter and continued on.

Sure, he wasn’t the most fond of doctor-like figures, but he didn’t think that it would be something he could avoid.

“You know, you really did a number on the instructor and analyst,” Impulse mentioned with a laugh.

Tango nearly choked on his food.

“Are they- are they alright!?” Tango asked urgently between his coughs. “Did- Did I hurt them!?”

“Oh! No, no, no!” Impulse told him, his eyes wide and voice having the same amount of urgency as Tango’s. “They’re just fine!”

The blazeborn let out a sigh of relief.

“They were just really shocked,” the demon told him, hoping that the explanation would help. “Neither of them had ever seen someone lose control like that before.”

The explanation didn’t do much to help.

Not with how much Tango hated his inability to control his fire.

“What?” Impulse asked, clearly confused by Tango’s demeanor.

“I must have traumatized them,” Tango muttered. He forced himself to take another bite of his food, less out of hunger and more so he could avoid having to talk.

“More like awed them,” Impulse told him with a reassuring smile. “The amount of power that you have is beyond impressive, even if you lack proper control of it.”

Tango made himself keep eating, even though his stomach churned with all the feelings he had about what he was being told.

Impulse noticed that he had yet to get through to the blazeborn.

“Tango, you might be more powerful than anyone I’ve ever met, and that includes the Empress,” the demon told him sincerely, as if this information would help. “Imagine how strong you’d be once you learn to control it?”

But Tango didn’t want to imagine it. If he did all he’d see is the chaos and harm he could cause.

The blazeborn remained silent as he finished his plate, choosing to stare at his lap rather than look at the demon before him.

They didn’t say anything to each other for a moment.

Impulse sighed before taking the plate from Tango’s lap. The blazeborn didn’t look up as he heard the demon walk away and open the door.

“I’ll get the doctor to make sure you’re doing alright, okay?” Impulse asked. Tango didn’t speak, just nodded gently. “Try to drink that tea, alright? It’ll help.”

It was quiet for another moment. Then Tango heard Impulse walk off and the door shutting behind him.

With Impulse now gone Tango laid back down, ignoring the cup on the table beside him, and allowed himself to wallow.

Chapter Text

4 days out of 123 completed

After getting checked over by the healer it had been decided that Tango was on bedrest. The reasoning being something about how he needed rest after using so much fire power at once, especially in an uncontrolled state.

Tango didn’t really get why though. Almost his entire life he’d been back up on his feet not long after waking up from having lost control. The longest he’d rested after losing control and waking from it was a day.

So far it had been three.

At first it wasn't too difficult. He wrote some letters to his friends, decidingly not mentioning what had happened or that he was stuck on bedrest. He read a few of the books on the bookshelf, at least the ones in Common. He glared at the closed curtains for a while, as if they would open up and he’d somehow get a view of the outside world from where he was. Multiple times.

The normal things a person does when on bedrest.

But after a while it felt like there wasn’t much for him to do. He couldn’t write any more letters. There wasn’t anything interesting to tell, and he didn’t want to just write about how much he missed them, that wasn’t something he wanted his letters to be full of. There had to be more than just his whining.

He wasn’t interested in reading any more of the books at the moment, and he needed help to get them off his shelf since he wasn’t even allowed to get up on his own.

And glaring at the curtains was just getting boring.

The blazeborn would get into his redstone stuff, but he’d learned years ago that it was a bad idea to do redstone in bed. Even ignoring the fact that depending on what was being done there could be an explosion, the dust that got scattered and lost in the blankets was extremely uncomfortable to sleep on. And if the dust was activated then there’d also be dozens of tiny burns all over his skin.

He was bored though! He needed to get up and move. He wasn’t supposed to be cooped up all day, dang it! Tango was in the Nether to learn about himself and other junk like that! That’s what the avians had asked for him to do! How was the blazeborn going to do that if he wasn’t allowed to even stand?

He couldn’t even sneak out of the room. Not because it was guarded, though it might have been, he hadn’t been able to check yet, but because he didn’t know where anything was. He’d get lost in seconds.

Tango huffed out a breath.

Only to see a bit of smoke leaving him.

That must have been a good sign, right? The whole reason he was forced into bedrest was because they wanted him to replenish his internal fire, or something like that. So if his annoyance was naturally displaying heat then he must have been better?

The blazeborn smiled to himself and looked around for a moment, as if something in the room had changed. Impulse wasn’t around, and likely wouldn’t be for a while. There was no one to see what he was about to do.

Tango carefully maneuvered himself within the nest.

Nothing seemed off so far.

The blazeborn placed his hand on the wall and slowly stood up, waiting for a moment to see if he’d somehow collapse.

Nothing happened.

He took a few steps with his hand still on the wall.

Still nothing.

Tango removed his hand and stood without any aid. He was balanced. The blazeborn took a few more steps and smiled as he walked perfectly fine.

Tango was fine!

The blazeborn was beyond happy about the outcome. He walked around the room for a bit, glad to be moving again, then spun a little too, just for the fun of it. Tango’s eyes landed on the still packed boxes on the floor when he stopped and his smile widened, deciding to work on one of his projects. He couldn’t work on anything big, seeing as all he had was the desk, but at least he had something to do now.

Tango opened a few of the boxes, getting out all the components that he’d need, his gloves, and his goggles. He carefully placed them on the desk before having a seat.

Then he set out to work.

~*~

Tango was fully engrossed on his redstone. Too focused to hear the soft knock on his door or Impulse speaking on the other side of it.

What he did hear was the demon almost dropping the tray that he was holding.

“Tango!?” Impulse shouted, his wings spread out in surprise and his hold on the tray still unsteady. They’d started using a tray so that Tango would actually have a flat surface to eat at, it was also much easier for Impulse to carry. “What are you doing!?”

“I’m feeling better,” Tango told him with a shrug before turning attention back to the project in his hands.

He didn’t see it, but he knew that Impulse was looking at him like he was crazy.

He heard the door shut before Impulse walked further into the room.

“Tango! You can’t-” the demon started, but his eyes landed on what Tango had on his desk. “Wait, is that redstone?”

“Yeah?” The blazeborn answered, somewhat confused at the question. It’s not like redstone was uncommon, why would the other sound so surprised at the sight of it?

But wait, redstone wasn’t common, not in the Nether. They didn’t understand it well and so netherborns didn’t bother to learn it. Of course Impulse would be surprised at the sight of it. The demon stared at the glowing dust, intrigue filling his eyes. It almost seemed like he’d let that interest distract him from the fact Tango had gotten out of the nest.

But unfortunately that was not the case.

Tango was lectured by the demon, telling him that even if he was feeling better that didn’t mean he was better. Tango removed his gloves and goggles before Impulse ‘helped’ him back to the nest, though, to the blazeborn, it was more like forcing him to with gentle guidance.

Tango thought something like this would happen, but that didn’t stop the slight pout from appearing as he was made to get comfortable underneath his blanket. The tray of food was placed before him and Tango was told to eat with a stern gaze. The blazeborn rolled his eyes but complyed.

“I’m going to get the healer,” Impulse told him, standing by the door. “You better not have moved from there when I come back.” The demon probably meant to seem stern, but it failed to come off that way.

The blazeborn rolled his eyes again, but nodded his head regardless.

~*~

When the demon came back, he didn't just have the healer in tow, Empress Nora was with him as well. She sat down in the chair that was still by his nest, barely even looking at Tango as she entered. Instead her eyes were trailing the healer.

Though, to be fair Tango was doing the exact same thing.

The check-up was different from what Overworld ones were like. Though that made sense, since the Nether must have had much better knowledge about netherborn health. The most notable of differences though was what they used as medicine. In the Overworld they were more likely to use potions or manmade medicines. In the Nether, from what little he’d seen at least, herbs and natural remedies were more often used.

Tango couldn’t help but find it odd, considering that a good portion of potion ingredients came from the Nether. Even the tea-potion mix that he’d been given was more tea than potion, hence it not having a terrible taste. It wasn’t even mixed with a health potion, but regen. Regen was still quite helpful with speeding up the healing process, but it didn’t work as quickly.

When Tango mentioned this, the others weren’t all that surprised.

“Is there anything else the Overworld does differently?” Impulse asked for the healer. They were a blazeborn and couldn’t speak Common, so the demon was acting as a translator.

“Well, they were only able to get their hands on like two books about netherborn health before the portals were closed. And none of them were just about blazeborns, they were basic overviews of netherborns as a whole,” Tango explained with a shrug. “So probably a lot.”

The healer let out a considering hum before taking a step back, done with the checkup. They turned to Impulse and the Empress and spoke for a moment, a small smile on their face. Tango saw Impulse start to relax a bit and a tiny smile grow on Empress Nora’s face.

“They say that you seem to be doing alright,” Impulse told him, his tail swaying gently behind him. “But that you should keep drinking that tea for about a week or two.” Tango couldn’t stop the cocky smirk that grew on his face.

“See? I told you I was feeling better,” the blazeborn teased. The look Impulse gave him wasn’t impressed.

“My point still stands, you should have waited for the healer to make that decision,” Impulse said, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Tango stuck his tongue out at him, getting a confused look from the demon. “I- what? Why? I don’t- you know what, nevermind.” the blazeborn snickered at the reaction.

“Well if that’s all settled then,” the Empress said, getting both their attention. She stood up and spoke to the healer again, who nodded before giving Tango and Impulse a small smile before leaving.

The healer had been nothing but kind, but Tango couldn’t help but feel relieved to see them go.

“Since you’re better I do believe that tomorrow you should start on your classes,” Empress Nora started, giving Tango a curious look. He didn’t see any reason to complain, so she continued. “After that I hope you’ll join me in the throne room. There are some people I’d like you to meet.”

Impulse had mentioned that before, right? Tango was supposed to meet some people after he’d finished his assessments, but that kind of hadn’t been possible once he’d lost control.

“Sure I guess, who-”

“Perfect,” the Empress interrupted, already heading to the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

She was gone before Tango could get another word in.

Chapter Text

5 days out of 123 completed

Tango woke similarly to how he had his first day, Impulse waking him up and offering him the same type of breakfast, though thankfully not as spicy, and as he was eating the demon went over the plans for the day.

The blazeborn would be properly attending his classes for the first time, then he would meet with Empress Nora and whoever it was she wanted to introduce him to, after that Tango would continue the physical assessment, doing what was apparently a combat assessment, lastly Impulse would give him a tour of the fortress, and if they had time, a tour of the gardens. It was mostly things that Tango had been supposed to do before he’d lost control.

~*~

The classes had been easy, mostly just introductory stuff with Impulse acting as a translator for most of the classes. Tango had been given a few simple assignments, but otherwise there wasn’t much asked of him. It was all very simple, and very quick surprisingly, and soon enough he and Impulse were walking down the halls to meet with the Empress and whoever else it was.

“So who exactly am I being introduced to?” Tango asked the demon walking beside him.

“Ohhh, you know,” Impulse started, his wings shuffling and tail giving a simple flick. “Someone or other. Got to introduce the newly found prince to all the important people.” The demon’s voice insinuated something different, that he knew exactly who it was Tango was going to meet.

Tango let out a small chuckle, but decided not to point it out. Besides, they reached the throne room not long after.

When the doors opened it revealed a large and grand room. The walls were made out of netherbrick, like the rest of the fortress, but had much more golden decorations. Like it was designed to both intimidate and impress. There was a long, deep burgundy runner that went from the entrance to the front of the room, going up the few steps that were there that lead up to an intricate throne. Scared throughout the room were staff members, moving around quietly. Impulse walked over to join them.

Sat upon the throne was Empress Nora, her hands placed on the armrests and one leg elegantly resting onto the other, hidden underneath her dress. She looked like she commanded respect when she sat there, much more than she did normally. But still the Empress smiled softly at Tango when she saw him.

“Hello Tango,” the Empress greeted, as if she was at the same level as Tango and not practically up on a pedestal.

“Empress,” Tango said in return, his voice lacking any enthusiasm. It was barely noticeable, but Empress Nora’s eyes dimmed at the title, as if she was still holding onto the hope that her son would recognize her as his mother.

As if that would ever happen.

“There are a few people that I’ve been hoping for you to meet,” She told him, a bit of hidden excitement in her eyes that Tango didn’t notice. “I’d wanted to do this closer to when you arrived, but… things came up.”

“Alright,” Tango responded, his tail giving a flick as he started wishing to be somewhere else.

He was likely meeting some sort of nobles or officials, nothing that exciting. There was a good chance the blazeborn wouldn’t even be able to talk to them properly, with the language barrier between them. Tango honestly didn’t really see the point in having this meeting.

But at least he won’t have to worry about how he should act. He’d been in the presence of important people practically his entire life. Sure, it was in the Overworld and he never interacted with them as anything more than Jimmy’s attendant, but it couldn’t be that different.

The Empress turned her head and nodded to one of the staff, who then proceeded to walk behind the throne. Tango heard the sound of a door opening a short moment after. Then three blazeborns walked out from behind the throne.

Like the Empress they were dressed in reds, organs, and yellows with golden accents and accessories. Two of them appeared to be older than Tango, but not by more than a few years. The other appeared to be younger by a good few years. The two older ones stood on the Empress’s right and the other stood on her left. All of them seemed confused, like they didn’t know what they were there for.

“Samba, Cariñosa,” Empress Nora began, getting the older two’s attention before speaking in Netherian. “Do you ~~~~~~~~ Tango?”

Tango sighed internally once he processed the words he did know, taking the context clues to guess what she’d meant. These were likely people he’d met before, but couldn’t remember, like with Impulse.

The reaction the two gave her only strengthened that theory.

The two were shocked by the question, neither speaking, as if they were at a loss for words. Tango could only guess that him being brought up wasn’t common. After a moment one of them seemed to be able to properly gather her thoughts enough to give a response. From what Tango could understand, she had told the Empress they did and then asked why. Instead of answering them, Empress Nora turned her head back towards Tango, her eyes gleaming.

“These,” she began, switching back to Common and confusing the group around her. “Are your siblings, Tango.” Tango could only stare at her in surprise as a silence took over the room.

Tango felt both shocked and perplexed. He never would have guessed that he had a sibling, let alone three.

But when the blazeborn actually thought about it, it made sense. There had to be an heir to the throne. No matter the circumstances, whether Tango was the oldest or youngest, he’d have to have siblings.

But regardless, Tango was speechless.

“Are you ~~~~?” Cariñosa, his, apparently, older sister asked the Empress. She wore an orange dress, the style of it looking very similar to her mother’s. She wore golden jewelry like the others, but not as much. Cariñosa seemed to dress very simple, but still had that royal elegance. Her face was shocked.

“Of course,” The Empress told her, her voice filled with sincerity.

“I wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t,” Tango muttered, unheard by any of the other blazeborns.

“How.” His older brother, Samba, narrowed his eyes with suspicion, his voice demanding. Samba’s clothes were a dark red, making the gold on his stand out so much more. His arms were crossed, trying to make him seem more intimidating, but his tail swayed around behind him with restlessness and his blaze rods seemed to stutter in their movements.

Before that question had been asked, the Empress had seemed excited, but now she looked… somewhat conflicted? Tango didn’t have a clue as to why though. After a moment of hesitation, she answered.

“Blue flames.” It took a second for her words to process, but once they did the three became completely baffled.

“What happened for there to be blue flames?!” The youngest one asked, looking at both Empress Nora and Tango. Surprisingly, they’d said it in Common. This blazeborn seemed to be the youngest, looking to be around 16. They were dressed similarly to Samba, but in more yellows and oranges than reds.

“She tried to set my family on fire,” Tango told them flatly, sending a slight glare to the Empress. He didn’t notice the shock that grew even more on the blazeborns’ faces.

“I did not try to set them all on fire,” Empress Nora said calmly. “Just one.”

The way she said it, it sounded like the attempt at Jimmy’s life didn’t even matter. As if it was just a simple mistake.

But it wasn’t just a simple mistake. It was his best friend’s life.

And things could have gone a lot worse.

“You were trying to set everything you could on fire!” Tango snapped, his tail swishing behind him in irritation. “If we hadn’t fire proofed most of the place years ago everything would have been up in flames! They wouldn’t have been able to escape!”

The three blazeborns stared at him, still trapped in shock, some seeming to grow confused. A small flash of guilt crossed the Empress’s face.

“I apologize,” Empress Nora told him gently. “I shouldn’t have responded like that.” Tango didn’t give her a response, instead giving her a small glare as he crossed his arms. A quiet growl tried to leave his chest, but he resisted it.

“Tango,” Cariñosa started, also switching to Common, her voice sounding hesitant but also desperate. “What happened? What happened to you? How did you escape?” The irritation the blazeborn felt melted away at the sound of her voice. The look Tango gave when he turned to her was filled with sympathy.

She wanted to know what happened to her little brother. She was desperate for answers to the mystery that had plagued her life for the past 20 years.

But Tango didn’t know.

He didn’t even know her.

“I don’t know,” he told her with a defeated sigh. Tango turned his gaze away from the blazeborns, his hand finding its way to the charm of his necklace as he broke the truth to her. “I can’t remember.”

“What?” His sister asked, confusion overflowing her voice.

“What do you mean you can’t remember?” Samba questioned, accusatory and angry. “And how could you replace us? How-”

“Because I can’t remember anything!” Tango exclaimed, getting everyone to pause. His voice quieted before he continued, holding a seriousness he didn’t normally have as he fiddled with the charm around his neck. “The farthest back my memory goes is waking up in a nice bed after being found unconscious in the snow.”

There was a brief silence as what he’d said was processed.

Then chaos erupted.

“What do you mean the snow!?”

“That’s impossible!”

“How are you alive?!”

More words were exclaimed, each one overlapping with another. But there was too much said at once to actually tell what was being asked. It was overwhelming.

“Enough!” The Empress shouted over them, the fire of her hair rising higher. The group quickly grew quiet. “I will explain everything to you all later.” There was more to what she’d said, but she switched to Netherian and spoke to many words for Tango to process. He’d heard his name, but otherwise he was lost on what the Empress had said.

The group of blazeborns didn’t protest once she’d finished, but their want for answers was still clear to see. They looked at Tango with so many mixed emotions, the only one being consistent was their confusion.

“Tango,” Empress Nora said, turning her attention back to him. “I believe there are other things you need to do today.”

It was a clear dismissal, and one that Tango was more than willing to take. He nodded his head stiffly, before turning around, and leaving the throne room. As he silently walked out he noticed Impulse trailing behind.

“...Are you alright?” The demon asked once they’d left the room.

Was he?

Tango had just learned that he had a family, one that he couldn’t remember yet existed nonetheless. He didn’t just have a mother, he had siblings too. He had a family.

A family who had lost one of their own, who’d lost Tango, and had seemed to have missed him dearly.

It was a lot to take in.

“Yeah,” the blazeborn said, his voice slightly far away. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I’m, uh-” Impulse started. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you who you were meeting. The Empress wanted it to be a surprise.”

“It’s alright, Impulse,” Tango told him, a tiny laugh to his voice at the other’s worry. “I’m not bothered by it.”

“But something is bothering you?” the demon asked, sounding a little unsure. Tango thought about his words before speaking.

“I never thought much about any family I could have had,” Tango admitted, guilt twisting in his stomach. “It barely ever crossed my mind. But now…”

“Now I’m being shown that they exist. That they knew me and have grown and changed over the years and that… that they’ve missed me,” Tango said, his voice a little broken. “And I’ve never once missed them.”

The demon tried to come up with a response to that, tried to find the right words to bring Tango some comfort, but he seemed to come up with none.

The rest of the walk was silent.

Chapter Text

The bit of guilt in Tango’s stomach still lingered as he and Impulse neared the training room. The guilt clogged the blazeborn’s thoughts. It would be a major distraction if he didn’t stop thinking about his… his family. So, at least for the time being, Tango tried to push those thoughts away.

Thankfully, the shock that he felt at the sight of the training room was a great distraction from those thoughts.

The walls were covered in claw marks and there was a noticeable rearrangement of the furniture. More noticeable was how much less furniture there was in the room. Tango could only wonder how much damage he must have caused for there to be so many changes.

“Don’t worry about the room,” Impulse told him as they walked in, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We were planning on doing some remodeling anyway.” With that the demon smiled before entering. Looking at the room again Tango saw the two instructors and the blazeborn from the last time he’d had been in the training room were there, watching him and Impulse expectantly as they both approached.

“Hello, Tango,” The blazeborn instructor said, giving him a nod. The other blazeborn nodded their head in greeting as well, and the piglin said… something. Tango could only guess that it was a greeting in whatever language it was he spoke.

“Hello,” Tango greeted in return. They’d gone over some basic phrases when Tango was in his Netherian class, the teacher recommended using them whenever possible. The blazeborn instructor then turned to Impulse and the two spoke for a moment, leaving Tango to stand there awkwardly as they went over whatever the plan for the assessment was.

“Alright!” The demon said as he turned back to Tango, his dragon-like tail swaying happily behind him. “All you need to do for now is copy what Balboa does to the best of your ability.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Tango said. The instructor, Balboa apparently, didn’t wait for any acknowledgement before moving to a clearer area, standing on mats that had been laid on the floor before waiting for the two to follow. Once they did the blazeborn got into a stance, but strangely didn’t wait for Tango to do the same. Instead he punched the air in quick succession.

That’s not the strangest thing in the world, fairly normal for an introduction to training. No, what was strange was the balls of fire that shot out of Balboa’s fist with each punch.

Tango could only stare at him, dumbfounded by the sight.

“Blazeborns can do that?!” Tango exclaimed to Impulse once he’d gotten over a bit of his shock.

“Um, yeah?” The demon answered, confused by the outburst.

“Since when?!”

“Always?”

“I only knew that we could set ourselves and other things on fire!” Tango exclaimed, perplexed. Tango didn’t even notice how quickly his blaze rods were spinning above him from his surprise. “I didn’t know we could make balls of it and throw it!”

Safe to say they quickly realized that Tango would not be able to participate in this portion of the testing, instead they decided it best to move along. With that Tango was told the analyst and instructors wanted to see his abilities in combat, starting with swords. It was the first assessment that he was actually excited for.

Sure, the blazeborn wasn’t the best when it came to combat, but it was the first thing from the assessment tests that he actually felt confident he’d be able to do.

They had him go to a different area of the room, where there were more mats on the floor and a fenced area with weapons hanging on the wall nearby, partially to be on display, but more so for easy access. The analyst stood off to the side, ready to write whatever they observed.

As Tango grabbed a sword off the wall he saw the piglin instructor do the same. Suddenly he felt his confidence lessen. But he wasn’t given much time to rethink, the piglin grabbed a sword and turned to the blazeborn, giving him an impatient seeming grunt.

With that they both got into the fenced area and the sparring began. It didn’t last long, barely even a few minutes. Tango was easily defeated, knocked to the ground, blade far from his reach, and a sword tip to his neck.

The piglin grunted shortly before he lowered his blade. The blazeborn took a few deep breaths as the instructor offered him a hand. When Tango grabbed it he was quickly brought up to his feet with so much force that it almost made him fall back down. The piglin then picked up the sword Tango had used and walked off to grab a different weapon for them to try.

“That was amazing!” Impulse told Tango from the other side of the fence, his wings giving a flutter. The blazeborn laughed at him softly.

“You know I lost, right?” The blazeborn asked, his tail gently swaying back and forth behind him.

“Well obviously,” Impulse said with a slight roll of his eyes. “Piglins are incredibly strong, Cha especially, you didn’t stand a chance.” Tango didn’t know if he should have been offended by the statement.

“But it’s that fact that you lasted as long as you did,” the demon continued. “I’ve never seen that fighting style before. And clearly Cha was impressed as well! He wouldn’t have helped you up otherwise.” It sounded like it was meant to be a compliment.

There was one question the blazeborn felt the need to ask though.

“He was going easy on me, wasn’t he?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

~*~

Tango and Cha sparred with many different weapons. Tango performed the best in sword combat, but that was mostly because he wasn’t well versed in many others, there just hadn’t been a need for him to be.

Once they’d finished sparring they moved on to more expected fitness tests, things like endurance and strength. Though Tango wasn’t sure how accurate the results ended up, seeing as he was already exhausted before they’d even been done sparring.

“You did good,” Balboa told Tango in Common once they were all finished with the assessment.

“Thank you,” Tango responded in Netherian with a polite, but tired smile. Cha walked over to Tango and gave him a pat on the back before walking out the door with a sort of grumbling sound.

“Well, who would have thought,” Impulse said, sounding somewhat amazed. “You got Cha to like you!”

“What?” Tango asked, confused.

“Piglins aren’t the friendless seeming people, at least not to Overworlders,” the demon said with a small chuckle. “So the fact that he’s being nice to you at all is surprising."

“What are you talking about?” Tango asked with a small laugh. “We barely interacted.”

“Tango, he told you bye,” Impulse pointed out, as if that cleared up everything. “Not anybody else here, just you.” Tango rolled his eyes, fondly.

“Sure,” the blazeborn said before heading to the door to leave. The demon followed after him, much happier about Tango supposedly getting the piglin to like him than the blazeborn himself was.

“Goodbye, ~~~ you ~~~~~~~~,” Balboa said. The analyst remained silent, completely focused on whatever they were doing with the papers on their clipboard.

“Goodbye!” Tango told him in return. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the blazeborn speaking Common for him, it was a sweet gesture, but Tango couldn’t help but feel like a bother because of it. The least he could do was try to speak Netherian in return.

“Do you think you’re still up for that tour?” Impulse asked once the door had closed behind them. The blazeborn took a second to think about it, his tail swaying behind him as he thought. Tango felt exhausted, but he did want to at least have a vague idea of where everything was.

“Yeah,” Tango said with a tired grin.

~*~

The tour wasn’t too long. They only went to the places that Tango was likely to visit and not much else, such as his classroom, the library, and the throne room. But even still, by the time they were finished it was getting late.

It wasn’t as hard to notice as one might think. Sure, it was impossible to tell time from the environment of the Nether, seeing as it didn’t have a day or night, but the netherborns seemed to make up for it in different ways. As time passed the curtains were closed a little more and less candles were lit, leaving the halls with only enough light to see comfortably in the dark. All of it gave the illusion of it being night.

What Tango wasn’t sure of was why they did this. It didn’t make sense, not for a place that didn’t like the Overworld. Tango knew that light didn’t bother their sleep from experience, he’d slept like a log in broad daylight too many times for that not to be the case. It couldn’t have been the Overworld simply influencing the Nether, at least it didn’t seem likely that it was.

“Why do you guys make it so dark?” Tango asked Impulse as they walked.

“Oh, that?” Impulse asked, seeming unsure of how to answer. “It’s ah, really not all that important.” The demon then kept walking, his pace just the smallest bit quicker.

It was an odd response.

“Hey,” Tango called, quickening his pace before stopping right in front of the other. “What’s the reason?” The blazeborn’s voice was a bit more stern, his arms crossed in front of him. Impulse stared at him blankly for a short moment before letting out a sigh.

“The Empress asked for it for your sake,” He answered, shoulders sagging a little.

Something rolled around in Tango’s stomach, something unhappy and unpleasant.

“Of course she did,” the blazeborn said, a small growl slipping from him as his tail flicked in annoyance. Then Tango let out a deep sigh. “Could you get her to stop?” He asked.

“Yeah,” Impulse told him, giving him a somewhat saddened look. “Yeah, I’ll ask.”

“Thank you.”

“You know why she-”

“Yeah, I know,” Tango interrupted tiredly. “She just wants me to be more comfortable or whatever.”

A silence fell between them after that. Impulse looked like he was considering something as they walked. Eventually, he spoke again.

“We can explore the grounds another time,” Impulse suggested with a small smile. “When you’re not so drained.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” Tango agreed, tired but thankful.

Chapter Text

9 days out of 123 completed

Tango was… adjusting. He’d grown into a routine, Impulse bringing him breakfast in the mornings, getting told the plans for the day, most of the time being classes. Occasionally he’d have to meet with his mother sometime in between. And so far any meals he’d had were eaten within his room, not in the dining room like was originally planned.

This time was a little different though.

“There isn’t much for today,” Impulse told the blazeborn as he ate breakfast at his desk. “We don’t want to overwhelm you with all the lessons and stuff, so you’ll be given no schedule every few days.”

“So, it’s a free day?” Tango asked, somewhat surprised. It hadn't occurred to him that he’d get those. In the Avian Empire free days were few and far between, the royals had duties that they needed to attend to regardless of how much they’d like to have a break.

“Yep!” Impulse told him cheerfully. “The only thing that’s on the schedule is for you to see the Empress! She wants to speak with you!” Tango rolled his eyes.

“When doesn’t she want to speak with me,” Tango mumbled sarcastically.

Tango’s mumbled annoyance went ignored.

~*~

They found the Empress in the library, sitting in a plush chair and reading peacefully. She looked up at them as they got closer and smiled. The Empress closed her book and set it at the side table that was beside her, then she removed the reading glasses that she was wearing and set them on top.

“Hello Tango,” She greeted him kindly, as she always did. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“I’m fine,” Tango told her. He wasn’t interested in doing small talk, especially with her in the morning, he’d rather get this done and over with then move on with his day.

Her eyes seemed to take note of his mood. They dimmed, but she sat a little straighter, her face growing more professional than casual.

“I have something for you,” She told him, getting to the point. “A gift.”

Tango, ever curious, was interested in what this ‘gift’ could possibly be.

“Follow me,” She said, getting up from the chair. She guided Tango out of the library and through the halls, Impulse silently walking beside him.

~*~

Empress Nora stopped in front of a door. If Tango remembered the halls correctly, they weren’t that far from his room. She smiled at him again before she opened the door and walked inside, Tango and Impulse following behind her.

Tango stopped in the doorway, shocked at the sight before him.

“I know it’s not as big or grand as what you have in the Overworld,” The Empress said, gesturing to the room around them. “But I hope it’ll do.”

Before them was a redstone workshop.

There were work benches ready to have components scattered around them and stools tucked nicely underneath them. Crates that were filled with redstone dust pushed to the far wall. Plenty of cabinets and shelves that could be used for storage or display. It was a fully functional redstone workshop, all that it was missing was the clutter that can with being in use.

“Y-yeah,” He said, distracted by everything around him. “It’ll work perfectly.”

“What is this for, Empress?” Impulse asked the Empress from behind him. This got Tango’s mind to finally catch up.

“It’s a redstone workshop,” Tango told him, a large smile beginning to stretch across his face. He turned to the Empress. “Can I start working in it now?” He asked her, more joy in his voice than he ever had when talking to her.

He would have pulled it back, but he was just too excited at the idea of having a proper space for him to tinker. His flames danced happily and his blaze rods bobbed with joy.

It was the first time he felt truly happy since before he’d arrived in the Nether.

“Of course,” Empress Nora told him with a small laugh, her own flames dancing delight. With that he rushed out of the room to get his things, most of which were still packed up.

~*~

Impulse helped Tango carry his things, meaning they only had to take two trips. The blazeborn immediately started to unpack once everything was brought to the room. The Empress had left at some point, being gone before the two had returned with the first trip. Where she had gone Tango wasn’t sure, but it didn’t bother him any.

“I’ve always been curious about redstone,” Impulse told him as he helped him unpack, looking at the components curiously. “But I’ve never got the chance to learn much about it.”

“Oh, it’s incredible!” Tango told him with excitement, his blaze rods spinning a little faster and bobbing even more. “There’s so many things you can do or create!”

“Really?” Impulse asked with a smile. “Like what?”

That was all it took to get Tango to start talking with little pause.

~*~

Hours passed with little notice before they realized they were both hungry, very hungry. As in ‘didn’t pay attention to time and missed lunch’ kind of hungry. Impulse had only just left to get them something to eat, leaving Tango there to tinker with their small creation. Their conversation about redstone had turned into teaching redstone, then turned into making the inside of a small contraption with the redstone together.

The demon had been very excited to find out how exactly redstone worked. Apparently some netherborns just believed it to be some kind of magic, even though redstone wasn’t magic at all. Magic was just easier for them to understand. So Impulse hadn’t been sure what was true.

But after having redstone explained the demon seemed to have a better understanding, and was entranced by the mineral.

Tango was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a soft knock on the door. He turned his head over just as the door was opening, revealing the Empress on the other side. She smiled sweetly at him as he pushed his goggles up and out of the way.

“Are you happy with your gift?” she asked, staying by the door. Even with how much Tango disliked her, he couldn’t stop the wide smile that spread across his face.

“Of course!” He said brightly, a slight laugh to his voice. “I’m probably going to spend most of my free time here!”

“I’m glad,” She told him with a smile. “What are you working on right now?”

Tango excitedly explained to her what he and Impulse were doing, waving her closer as he showed what parts did what. She listened with a gentle smile, asking questions every now and again. It was when he reached the end of his explanation that the subject shifted.

“Tango?” The Empress asked. He hummed in acknowledgement as he fiddled with a piece that was slightly out of place with the project. She was quiet for a moment as she thought over what she wanted to say.

“I want to hold a ball in honor of your return,” She told him. Tango paused before setting the project down and turning to her in his chair. ”Most of the public doesn’t know of your return, including most nobles, so it’ll be easier to introduce you and…”

“And we could celebrate the fact that you’re alive,” Empress Nora said, her blaze rods spinning slightly faster. “It could give hope to our people that the family they had lost might return to them too.”

She made good points. It would be easier and it could help keep public favor. Tango was sure that the portals being opened again, even just a little, wasn’t a well received decision. But if the netherborns had the hope of reuniting with the family they lost then they’d be less likely to stand against it.

Tango could see how a ball like this would be important.

He just wasn’t a big fan of balls. He felt out of place and ignored.

But that was because he was. The balls that he’d attend in the past weren’t like this one Empress Nora was suggesting. He’d been a simple attendant, only supposed to be there if Jimmy needed him, he wasn’t a guest. And of course he was ignored by people, they were there to talk to other nobles and royals, not the staff on hand.

This one could, would, be different, especially with the different standards that the Nether had.

“It… sounds like a good idea.” Tango said after a bit of thinking. He knew his tail was a little twitchy and that his blazerods were too.

“Are you sure?” Empress Nora asked. The blaze rods above her head were spinning faster than Tango had ever seen, but it’s not like he’d see many others. “I understand how that might be overwhelming. We could wait a while longer, or just not do it at all.” Tango could have laughed at how cautious she was being.

“Yes, I'm sure,” He told her with a slight shake to his head. “I hesitated because I was never a fan of them. But I’ve never been to a Nether ball before, might as well see what’s different.” He admitted, unable to remove the smile that was on his face.

The Empress let out a quiet sigh of relief. The only reason he knew she did, was the tiny bit of smoke that left her lips. She must have been truly worried about this.

Tango didn’t know exactly how he should feel about that.

“Then the arrangements shall be made,” She told him, her normal confidence returning to her, her blaze rods back to their normal pace. “It’ll be in a few days from now.”

That wasn’t very much time, not just to plan, but to invite guests as well. But maybe even that was different? Or maybe she’d already done the planning, and all that needed to be done was sending the invitations?

…

Yeah, the second one made more sense.

“What are you comfortable with others knowing?” She asked. “About what happened? About you?” Tango was a little surprised she was asking about that. Normally it was just an automatic tell everything that needs to be known. At least it was with King Richard.

As much as Tango loved the guy, as much as he saw him as a father figure, he was very unaware where that boundary line was when it came to personal and public life. Even with his children. It’s the reason he hadn’t even consulted Tango when it came to his speech at the ball.

“Uhh, the memory bit most definitely needs to be mentioned,” Tango told her as he thought. “The snow bit might cause a bit of a ruckus, so don’t add that unless you want the dramatic effect.”

“But what is it that you want?” She asked, interrupting slightly. Tango couldn’t help the slight chuckle that escaped him.

“I don’t know,” he admitted with a smile. “The story has been told so many times that I don’t really have anything to it that I consider private.” A small frown grew on her face at the answer.

“How about this?” He started to suggest. “You can talk about all the basics, but anything more detailed is for me to tell?”

“Yes, yes of course,” she said, with more joy in her voice than Tango had ever heard.

Not long after that she left, just moments before Impulse returned. Tango filled the demon in with what he had just missed as they ate. He was excited at the news, but more excited to finish up their little project.

Tango had to tell him to slow down with his eating more than once so that he wouldn’t choke.

Chapter Text

As the Empress had said, the preparations didn’t take long. Over the course of the next few days the fortress began to be bustling with energy and excitement, staff stopping and talking in the hallways or rushing to get things where they needed to be. Very quickly Tango learned the words for ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘excuse me’ due to how many times he’d been almost run into by the rushing staff. Of course, he learned how to tell them that it was alright or that they were fine. He could understand the need to rush or be excited, he’d been involved with helping in ball preparations too many times not to.

In just five days the ball was all prepared and underway.

~*~

14 Days out of 123 Completed

The ballroom was a large open space, the biggest in the entire fortress. The room was decorated for a celebration, with the kingdom’s colors in every nook and cranny. There were tables with simple foods and an area for the band to play with instruments that Tango had never seen before. The floor of the ballroom twinkled like gold, there was a good chance that the floor was actually made of gold. Tango could see all this from where he was standing, in a hallway hidden with a red curtain acting as a door, atop a grand staircase.

The blazeborn was dressed the exact same as he had been for the ball that the Avian Empire held in honor of the Nether. Wearing a light blue waistcoat with a black undershirt and black pants.

Tango wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. There were people in the ballroom, he could hear them, but they were much quieter than he was used to. Normally, there was chatter as guests waited for the hosts to show their faces. But there were barely even whispers here, just the sound of people walking in the room.

“This is completely normal,” Impulse whispered to him. Tango had forgotten the demon was even in the room with him.

Impulse was dressed for the formal occasion. He was still wearing yellow and black, like he would most days, but now had a tiny badge sort of thing, something that resembled a banner in the colors of red, yellow, and orange. It was something that all the working staff wore at the ball, from what Tango could see.

“Are you sure?” The blazeborn whispered back, his tail twitching with unease. “Because normally it’s never this quiet.” This seemed to make Impulse surprised.

“Huh,” Impulse whispered. “Normally it’s never this loud.” Tango could only stare at the demon in response.

Empress Nora then approached from down the hall, her gown even more stunning than ever before and sparkling with even more gold. She smiled reassuringly at Tango, but didn’t stop to greet him. Instead she moved forward and through the curtain, stepping onto the top of the stairs and greeted her guests.

Tango could hear her as she spoke to the crowd, her voice loud and reaching every part of the room with ease. The crowd below applauded her, but it didn’t last very long, more like their own kind of greeting to their empress before she started her speech. It was easy for Tango and Impulse to listen in from behind the curtain, even if the blazeborn didn’t understand the majority of it.

She opened her speech, her voice sounding regal, fit for an empress. But as the speech went on her voice changed many times, confident, determined, somber, thankful, awed, and many other emotions. The crowd reacted accordingly, whispering at certain parts, cheering at others, and going quiet whenever she paused. Tango could only wonder what the Empress was telling them.

From what he could guess she started talking about the alliance, seeing as she’d said King Richard’s name many times and the word ‘hope’. Then she likely moved on to talking about him, saying things about a child and the word ‘snow’ followed by the crowd gasping in shock and horror.

Then things got somber, the Empress’s voice bittersweet, before once again changing to be extremely grateful. She said King Richard’s name more, followed by the crowd below sounding awed. After that her voice became warm and loving, saying the word ‘child’ repeatedly, her voice then turned acknowledging, speaking about the snow once again.

“~~~~~~~ we will ~~~~~~~~~ the ~~~~~~ of my son, Tango!” The Empress said, voice filled with joy. Cheers from the crowd were quick to follow.

“That’s your cue,” Impulse said, giving Tango a light push. “I’ll come find you later.” With that the demon turned and went down the hall, leaving Tango to join Empress Nora.

The blazeborn hesitated for a second, his tail wrapping somewhat around his ankle, before he made himself walk out through the curtain. The moment he stepped through Tango was greeted with a sea of netherborns. Blazeborns, piglins, demons, zombie piglins and more. He didn’t even know that there were so many different netherborns. And they were all cheering and clapping as he came into view.

Empress Nora smiled at him, with what he had to admit was a loving gaze.

“Are you ready?” She asked him in a whisper.

“Yeah,” He answered, nodding a bit. He felt a bit nervous, but he chose to ignore it as best he could. The Empress nodded at him in return before turning back to the crowd below them.

She spoke to the crowd for a bit more, gesturing to Tango a little here and there, then she turned to him and gestured for him to follow before she started to walk down the stairs. Tango paused, looking at the crowd below.

So many looked genuinely happy to see him, like he was a beacon of hope.

It wasn’t his favorite thing in the world. Really, he hated it, being looked at in such a way. Being a beacon of hope, especially for something as big as this, meant he had a lot of expectations to keep up with. If he disappointed these people tonight he’d extinguish that hope.

Tango had to make sure that didn’t happen tonight.

Chapter Text

“Stay close, at least until Impulse finds us,” The Empress said as they walked down the steps. “There will be many people who’ll want to meet you and not all of them will speak Common.”

“Why is that exactly?” Tango couldn’t help but ask, curiosity getting the better of him. “In the Overworld almost everyone knows how to speak Common, even in places where it is not their native language. It’s just really strange to me for so few people to know it.”

“In the Nether, Netherian is our version of Common,” she explained as they reached the bottom. “It’s only people that plan to go to the Overworld or speak with Overworlders that ever learn. And in the past 20 years that number has dropped exponentially.”

“Those that knew it before haven't practiced it in years. It’s only the royal family, traders, and people in charge of Overworld relations that practice it anymore,” Empress Nora told him.

~*~

Music filled the room, soft and sweet. The band’s strange instruments playing songs Tango had never heard before.

Even if they, very distantly, seemed familiar.

No one was dancing though, but that was normal to the blazeborn. People didn’t dance till the hosts made it clear it was time to in the Overworld, it must have been the same in the Nether. Tango didn’t feel the need to question it.

He and Empress Nora traveled around the ballroom, greeting every guest that stopped to talk with them, which was most of them. Everyone was kind and polite from what Tango was told by the Empress, who was acting as a translator until Impulse came back from whatever it was he was doing.

Many of the guests congratulated them on their reunion. Tango didn’t really care for the congratulations, seeing as he didn’t want to be reunited in the first place, but he didn’t give any hint to that. Instead he would smile kindly and tell them a simple ‘thank you’ in Netherian. He knew there was a time and place to display his distaste to the Empress, and that this was neither.

This ball was about bringing hope to the people of the Nether and showing that the Overworlders did have room for kindness in their hearts. Tango’s behavior during this entire event would be the thing the netherborns based this off of.

If the blazeborn said anything about not wanting to be in the Nether or not liking the Empress, then the guests would think that the Overworld had brainwashed him and given him their views of the Nether. If Tango acted rude in any way, then they’d assume that this was a teaching from Overworlders, that it was how they acted regardless of setting.

Tango would be on his best behavior, just like how he had to be at Overworld balls.

He’d be the example that people are not the way you perceive them to be based on prejudice.

Not the example for why that prejudice was ‘justified’.

Some of the guests they talked to asked about his memories, if he could even speak Netherian. He answered this by doing so. He wouldn’t say much, he didn’t know enough or have enough confidence for that, but he’d answer their question. He’d tell them that he remembered a little, but was learning.

Some ask what he’s learned so far. What he likes best about the Nether. What the Overworld is like. People would get shocked at just how many places Tango had been to when he explained the difference between them. Some asked about snow, especially when the blazeborn would bring up Rivendell.

This led to some interesting conversations, especially the first time.

~*~

“What’s snow like?” Tango asked, reiterating the question. The Empress nodded her head, letting him know he was correct. He couldn’t help but smile as he began to explain it. “It’s beautiful.” The Empress translated his words as he spoke, just moments behind him.

“It's pure white, and sparkles so beautifully in the light. It looks the best when it’s a large fresh layer, completely untouched by people or animals,” He explained, more joy in his voice than there had been before. “It’ll fall from the sky and build up, it’s like the snowflakes are dancing as they slowly fall. They’ll build up on the trees and cover everything.”

“But it’s also so fun to play in,” he couldn’t help but add, not noticing how the Empress paused at that bit. “You can build things out of it like snowmen, snow angles, you can have snowball fights, and- What?” Empress Nora was staring at him with a concerned and shocked look, having fully stopped translating.

“What?” He asked again. When it first asked it had been from confusion, but now a little bit of worry had snuck its way into his voice.

“How are you even alive?” The Empress asked in a whisper, then appeared surprised by her own words. As if she hadn’t meant to say it, but it had just slipped out.

“Is snow really that deadly for netherborns?” Tango asked, even more confused about the situation, especially with himself. “I’ve always been thoroughly bundled up, especially in the first few years. Like, enchanted by witches bundled up, till we realized it was kind of overkill.”

“Yes,” Empress Nora answered, like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “To blazeborns, yes. We’ve tried enchantments like that and they do little to improve. It only allows us to be out for around 30 minutes before it starts to have negative effects.”

“Oh,” Tango said, for the first time truly understanding why netherborns would react the way they did when he’d explain how he was found.

How was he alive?

He should be dead hundreds of times over!

Tango was in the snow at every chance he got. It brought him joy and peace with its beauty. He’d stay out there as long as he could, even when it risked him getting sick. The blazeborn rarely went to Rivendell, but he was outside at every opportunity whenever he was there.

What had happened that made him so different?

The Empress took a deep breath, the sound bringing Tango somewhat out of his shock.

“This is a conversation for another time,” she told him. “We have guests to attend to.” Empress Nora turned to the guest they’d been talking with, who’d been left in the dark as the two spoke, and she politely apologized. Making up an excuse before translating what Tango had said.

It was clear to Tango that she had changed up a few of the words, likely to make it seem like a viewer's perspective rather than someone who'd experienced it before. Tango took note of this, and changed his answers accordingly whenever he was asked about the snow.

Apparently, they both knew the danger that him being different in that way could cause him.

Tango especially, since it had happened before.

Chapter Text

The song that had been playing ended, but instead of the next one starting the band stayed silent. Tango was confused, but everyone around them had smiles appearing on their faces, their heads turning towards the stairs again with excitement.

At the top was a demon. They were announcing something in Netherian, that much was clear. But the only thing Tango was sure of understanding was the word for dancing, which was said multiple times. Everything else Tango felt very uncertain of, even if he knew the smaller words.

Once the demon had stopped talking they took a step to the side. There was only a short moment where nothing happened before several blazeborns came out from the other side of the curtain. Their steps were swift and graceful as they came down the stairs, large smiles on their faces.

But it wasn’t their presence that surprised Tango the most. It was their clothes. Most of the clothing he’d seen were leather or dull in color. The most vibrant colors were the reds, yellows, and oranges that were easily found in the nether, and those were all dark and desaturated. But what these blazborns wore was a bright and vibrant blue that Tango had never seen in fabric before.

Even if the tiniest part of him gleamed with recognition.

The vibrant fabric was long and flowing, offering a beautiful contrast to their fiery appearances. Their arms were free of the material, but covered in jewelry. The jewelry they wore was gold, some being thin chains that acted as belts around their waists, the end just a bit shorter than the flowing fabric. A few of the blazeborns even had gold detailing painted onto the fabric in wondrous swirls. Each one’s tail was uncovered, allowing for better movement and balance.

Tango hadn’t even noticed that the crowd of guests had cleared a wide open space for them till the blazeborns reached the ballroom floor, his full attention too drawn to the group. When they reached the floor, their fast steps guided them around the edges of the crowd, ensuring that they had the space they needed and that it stayed in a circular form.

As they did this, Tango felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He finally looked away from the group and turned to see it was the Empress, a smile on her face. She gently guided him around the crowd, stopping in a place with a much better view of the blazeborn group.

The blazeborns had settled, forming an elaborate shape that one could only truly witness from above. They were still for a moment before they actually began, the music starting up with a fast and intricate melody.

They danced in quick and careful steps, the long flowing fabric adding to every movement they made. They twirled in hypnotizing motions that brought them both closer and farther apart. The gold they wore sparked in their light as they moved, reflecting onto the walls in short moments.

It was truly an impressive performance.

And it was only just beginning.

Their flames grew larger as they moved, but never out of control. Their fire was lighting the room in a way Tango didn’t know was possible. He didn’t even realize that the fire on their head was slowly spreading down the length of their arms till it had reached past their elbow. The bit of fire at the end of their tails did a similar thing, crawling its way up till it reached their back.

They danced together in an ever growing fire and Tango couldn’t help but be mesmerized.

When the fire eventually reached their palms, the dancers would throw it into the air. And as they threw it the fire that had crawled its way down them would flow back to the flames on their heads. Their tails flicked, sending the flames that had grown back to the tip before rolling them off into the air in their own little ball of fire.

Tango didn’t understand the timings. He only knew that each one's fire seemed to reach that point at a different time than the others, leading to many balls thrown at different intervals, but also so close together that it was like stars were being put up out of the sky.

The balls of fire would rise high into the air, staying there just a moment before falling back down, but never reaching the floor. It was as if they’d disappeared from existence, or never even existed at all, like they were some trick of the light that one's mind had made up as they were hypnotized by the wondrous dancers.

It was beyond beautiful.

It was beyond stunning.

It was beyond Tango’s capabilities to describe.

It seemed to end all too soon.

But even still, its ending was just as perfectly executed as everything else they did. A large display of fire rose into the air as each dancer came to a stop. The last dancer stopped moving the very moment that the music ended.

They ended in the exact same place they had started, as if the whole thing had never even happened. As if one’s imagination was going and setting up the dance before it had actually begun.

But it happened. It was a real performance. A real dance that Tango had witnessed.

He was awestruck.

This was blazeborn culture? This beautiful show of dancing flames?

The group turned their heads down for a moment before bringing them back up to gaze at the crowd, probably in some sort of bow. Then they went back to the stairs, this time at a much more relaxed pace, casually chatting with each other as they walked now that their performance was over.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Empress Nora asked. Tango hadn’t even noticed that her hand was still on his shoulder, that she was even still standing beside him, he was too engrossed by the dancers.

“Yeah,” Tango answered, the awe of it all had yet to leave him.

Once the dancers had disappeared behind the curtain, the guests around them started to take up the space they had left, beginning a dance of their own. It was quick paced and almost seemed wild. It was nothing like the ballroom dances in the Overworld.

“What was that?” Tango asked, turning to face Empress Nora. The curiosity was eating away at him already.

“It was a traditional dance,” she said with a smile, taking her hand off his shoulder as she looked at the dancing guests. “It marks the end of the more professional aspect of the ball and the beginning of the fun.” That much was obvious by all of the wide smiles and laughter that had already started up.

The atmosphere had clearly changed, it felt more like the town festivals that Joel would get Tango and the avians to sneak out to see, filled with cheer and laughter. It was nothing like the stuffy royal balls, where everyone was worried about things like status and expectations.

And for some reason that meant a lot to Tango, to see people dancing with so much joy.

“Much more fun than Overworld balls, correct?” The Empress asked, a proud smirk on her lips as she watched the crowd that was her people.

“Yeah,” Tango said, a little breathless and a smile on his face. The flames on his head rose a little with excitement as he watched the netherborns dance.

Never in his life would the blazeborn have thought that a royal ball could be so much fun, that it could be filled with loud joy and laughter, that the music would reach such an energetic and exciting tempo.

A Nether ball wasn’t just more fun than an Overworld one, it was better. Better in every sense of the word.

And in that moment, watching the joy that the netherborns shared as they danced together, Tango was actually happy he was there.

So this was what Jimmy had wanted for Tango when he’d asked him to leave.

Chapter Text

Once the dancing had begun it didn’t take long for guests to start asking the Empress if she would like to dance. The host of a ball being asked to dance wasn't all that surprising to Tango, but it was more than that. She was being asked by people of varying ranks in status, from high ranking nobles, to staff that didn’t have any work to do yet.

The Empress had the same answer for all of them though. Regardless of who asked, she would politely decline, telling anyone who asked that she’d be staying close to Tango for now.

That should have been the most surprising, the complete disregard of status, but somehow it wasn’t. What surprised Tango the most was the fact that guests were asking him to dance.

In the Overworld the blazeborn had never once been asked to dance at a ball. He was an attendant after all, to ask him could do terrible things to the oh-so important image of the nobles. Tango had danced plenty in private with his friends, just for the fun of it, but he’d never had to worry about much of an audience.

He’d never even attend any of the dance lessons that the avians went to. Not that he hadn’t wanted to, Tango loved joining them in their classes and learning alongside them. It was just because of the threat that the dance instructor had given him in private, it had made it clear the blazeborn wasn’t wanted.

It hadn’t even been much of a threat, Tango had heard much worse, even before the avians started their dance lessons. It just wasn’t important enough to bring to the avians’ attention, not in Tango’s opinion at least. The three had needed the lessons and Tango wasn’t going to interrupt that simply because the instructor had been rude to him.

It was one of the few things that Jimmy had learned and Tango hadn’t. Which normally wasn’t something the blazeborn felt embarrassed about, if anything he cherished those things because they made the avian feel useful.

But everyone at the ball seemed to know how to dance, even the staff.

All of a sudden Tango regretted not saying anything about what the instructor had said. Not because it had been a problem, but because Tango would know at least one dance. But no, Tango had never learned, and couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed about that when asked.

“Oh uh,” Tango started, stumbling his words the first time he was asked. “Can you uh, tell them I don’t know how? I never learn,” the blazeborn admitted as he asked Empress Nora to translate.

Tango hadn’t expected the look she gave him in response.

Her gaze was one of saddened sympathy, as if the information had broken a piece of her heart. The small smile she had on her face before was replaced by a frown. Despite all of this though, there was an understanding in her eyes.

After a short moment the Empress told the blazeborn that had asked him to dance his response. Once it was explained, they too got that expression on their face.

“I’m so sorry,” the blazeborn told him, before walking off quickly.

It was after a few more similar conversations that Tango finally asked what the reactions were about.

“Dance is something that is very important to blazeborns. It’s the reason you hear people describe flames as something that dances,” Empress Nora told him, her voice filled with the same sympathy as everyone who had asked him to dance. “The fact that you not only don’t know how, but you were never even taught… It's heartbreaking.”

“Oh…”

~*~

As they moved through the night Tango started to understand how piglins operated more and more. Piglins were rough around the edges and could very well come off as rude, but from what Tango learned in his classes he knew that it was just how the origins naturally were, that they were actually being quite nice by their standards.

The origin most often spoke Piglin, rather than Netherian. It was easier and more natural for them, and Netherian weren't kind to their throats. As a result, most netherborns learned to understand Piglin. Tango was exempted from this though, he was already learning one language and was only staying in the Nether for four months anyway.

The piglins voices were rough and held a rude sounding tone whenever they spoke to the Empress, but she treated them just as kindly as any other netherborn. Even when their gaze seemed stern and judging her politeness never wavered.

The only way to tell the difference between a piglin that was being polite and one that wasn’t was by encountering the latter.

It was safe to say that after the ball Tango understood the difference.

Tango and the Empress were talking with some of the other guests when he noticed the piglin approaching. His eyes were locked on Tango, and were glaring with anger. When Empress Nora noticed too she seemed to grow a little tenser, her blaze rods spinning a little slower and in a tighter circle. As he reached them she politely dismissed the guests they’d been talking to.

The two were silent for a moment. The Empress’s face was one of professionalism and perfectly neutral. The piglin on the other hand, was one of barely concealed anger, his eyes glancing from Tango to the Empress. Tango’s tail wrapped around his ankle as nervousness grew in him.

“Empress,” the piglin greeted in Common. Tango’s eyes widened in surprise, none of the guests he’d met so far had spoken Common.

“Hello, Duke,” Empress Nora greeted in return. Even though it was the Empress that had spoken to him, the Duke hadn’t looked at her. Instead his gaze was on Tango, disgust growing in his eyes.

“Are you certain that this is your lost child?” The Duke asked, gesturing to the blazeborn as he spoke. No one had questioned Tango’s legitimacy yet, they seemed to trust their empress’s word. This piglin wasn’t so trusting it appeared.

“There was a great deal of evidence,” the Empress stated, her voice growing just a bit colder. The lacking answer made the Duke’s eyes narrow.

“Are you sure you can even trust this- whatever he is?” He asked. The piglin’s voice was filled with venom at even the mention of the blazeborn.

Tango hardly reacted at the comment, it wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before. The Empress, on the other hand, did not share that sentiment. Her eyes widened with offence and her flames started to grow.

“Of course I am,” she told him, her voice filled with anger and blaze rods spinning faster above her head.

“The portals were closed for a reason! We don’t even allow netherborn through!” The piglin spat. His loudness got the attention of some of the guests, but they likely didn’t know what was being said. “This one could be planning on taking even more children to sell them off! His story is very likely to be full of lies!”

Tango’s flames grew a bit, his blaze rods spun a tiny bit faster, and his eyes narrowed at the actuation, but otherwise didn’t react.

He’d been accused of things equally as bad, perhaps even worse.

This didn’t mean anything to him.

To Empress Nora though, this meant much, much more. Her flames didn’t just grow, they shot up in size and strength, just like her anger. Her blaze rods spun almost too fast to see. Her eyes seemed to grow redder than Tango had ever seen.

The Empress looked more furious than she was after she learned who Tango was.

Fear nipped at Tango from the sight. The Empress was so enraged and had so much fire. How close was she to losing control?

The guests of the ball gasped and backed away, but the Duke did seem that surprised. He didn’t take a single step away from the Empress and her flames, a high risk in Tango’s eyes, seeing as piglins weren’t fire immune.

Tango didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know if it was appropriate to try and calm her or to try to deescalate the situation. Thankfully he didn’t have to make any sort of decision, instead a hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away from the two.

When the blazeborn turned his head he was met with the face of Impulse, whose eyes stayed locked onto the two. Tango decided to do the same.

“You think I don’t know the risks!?” The Empress asked, her tail making quick movements underneath her dress. “I know Every. Single. One!”

“Of course! But that doesn’t prove that this act-” the piglin started.

“You want to know why so badly?" She spat out rhetorically. Her voice was no longer a shout, but the heat and size of her flames remained the same. “Because he doesn’t even want to be my son.”

“He doesn’t want to be in the Nether. He wants nothing to do with me, and has good reason not to. He hates me and would much rather spend the rest of his life in the Overworld with no knowledge of the Nether or its people.” The Empress’s voice somehow managed to be both cold and fiery as she spoke.

The Duke was shocked by the answer he’d received.

Tango was shocked too.

The ballroom was quieter than before. The music had stopped at some point and the guests nearby had clearly noticed the state that their empress was in, how her flames were burning and how her blaze rods were spinning.

Tango couldn’t help but stare at the fire on her head, how big and bright it was. A little bit of him was terrified at the sight. How could a blazeborn become that angry and still have control over themself? It didn’t make sense, not to Tango at least.

A pair of guards shoved their way through the guests before stooping to stand on either side of their empress, awaiting her command.

“Please ~~~~~~ the Duke out,” She ordered, anger still clear in her voice. The two nodded their heads before grabbing the Duke with a harsh grip. Surprisingly, the piglin didn’t fight their hold of him, it seemed he was still processing the information that the Empress had given him.

As the guards escorted the Duke out, Empress Nora said something in Netherian to the crowd of nearby guests, before walking towards the staircase. Tango could only guess that she was excusing herself.

The blazeborn felt the need to go after her, but refrained. The Empress’s flames were still raging and her blaze rods were still spinning quicker than they normally would, Tango didn’t want to risk somehow making things worse. She needed time for her fire to calm.

Then maybe he could clear some things up…

Chapter Text

The ball was much quieter after the Empress’s had left, as if the joy and excitement was taken out of the room along with the Duke. Without Empress Nora there beside him the guests didn’t approach Tango, whether it was because it was them trying to be polite or if it was them being discouraged by the argument that had taken place before the blazeborn didn’t know.

Tango didn’t care about the reasoning, he didn’t want to talk to any of the guests at the moment anyway. The blazeborn didn’t have the energy to keep up the happy, perfect, lost prince act that they needed. Instead he’d found a somewhat secluded place near the back wall of the ballroom, where he could stand off to the side and watch the ball go on by himself.

Well, almost by himself.

Impulse was with him. Tango had told him that he was free to go, free to enjoy himself and the rest of the ball, but the demon chose to stay by his side, watching the guests that were still dancing and happily interacting.

At least there were still a few people trying to enjoy the ball. It was meant to be a celebration after all, even if the mood had shifted and slightly soured.

“Is uh-” Impulse started before growing quiet. Tango hummed, encouraging him to go on, his eyes still on the guests. “Is what she said true?” Tango turned his head to the demon quickly, surprise on his face.

“What? Of- it’s-” the blazeborn struggled to articulate his thoughts, before letting out a defeated sigh and looking away. “It’s more complicated than that.” Impulse nodded his head in understanding.

“But…” Tango began, his hand unconsciously reaching up to the charm of his necklace to fiddle with it. “It’s- it’s not as bad as she said. I- I don’t… I don’t feel that way, at least not as much…”

“It’s okay if you do,” the demon told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It’s understandable with everything that’s happened.” The blazeborn just hummed as he looked down at the floor.

“At least it was all said in Common,” Impulse added, as if it was a bright side. Tango couldn’t help but scoff.

“That doesn’t change anything,” Tango told him. “It’ll still be huge gossip. People who actually knew Common will translate, people will assume, people will outright lie. Just because they don’t understand the words doesn’t mean that they don’t understand the impact.”

“Oh,” the demon said. “...Has that happened before?”

“Not to me, but I’ve seen it,” Tango told him. The blazeborn hesitated for a moment before deciding to go on. “Besides, it likely wasn’t out of kindness.”

“What?”

“Having the discussion in Common,” Tango clarified. “He knows I don’t understand Netherian. He made sure I knew what he was saying.”

“I’m sure that wasn’t the intent,” Impulse told him, looking at him with sympathy.

There was a chance that was the case.

It just didn’t seem likely to Tango.

~*~

The ball didn’t last much longer, whatever joy that had shown itself before just wasn’t the same. The ball felt off, at least to Tango it did. Once a few of the guests began to trickle out, the rest seemed to follow. Occasionally, some of the guests would stop to tell Tango goodbye or once again congratulate him on the reunion and his return to the Nether.

When there were only a few guests left in the room, Impulse guided Tango back to the stairs. Now that the ballroom was clearing out, it was much easier to see who was there. The blazeborn couldn’t help but be a little surprised when he saw his siblings. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that they would be at the ball as well.

The three silently ascended the stairs together, turning to waving off the last remaining guests as they left when they reached the top. When Tango and Impulse caught up the blazeborn did the same, not knowing what else he might have been supposed to do.

Once the last few guests had left the blazeborns stood there in silence for an awkward moment. The three shoot glances over to Tango and Impulse, which the blazeborn chose to avoid. Tango felt the need to curl his tail around his leg out of nervousness, but refrained.

The silence between the group extended into something uncomfortable, making Tango think that it was an acceptable time to leave. But of course, just before the blazeborn was about to say goodbye and scurry away, someone had found something to say.

“I hope you’re happy,” Samba said sarcastically, glaring sharply as his tail flicked and fire let out a crackle.

“Samba, that’s not fair,” Cariñosa said in Tango’s defence. “Tango did nothing.”

“Exactly,” He said as his eyes narrowed and arms crossed. The way that Samba looked at him, it was with anger and disdain.

A wave of tiredness hit Tango, and he let out a sigh. He was so ready for this day to be over.

“Samba-” Cariñosa began.

“You want to know why I did nothing?” Tango asked, his voice flat.

“Tango-” Impulse started, but was quickly interrupted.

“Yes,” Samba said, his voice filled with venom. The rest of the group grew silent as they watched.

“I’ve been called a lot of different things by a lot of different people,” Tango told him, his eyes dull. “Today I was accused of being a trafficker by a piglin three times my size.” Cariñosa and the youngest blazeborn looked at Tango with surprise, not having known that bit apparently.

“And the thing is.” Tango couldn’t help but let out a dejected laugh. “I've been called so many bad things that that’s probably not even the worst one. I’ve just come to learn that it’s easier to just say nothing in response.” Samba looked a little caught off guard.

“I think it’s about time we leave,” Impulse said to the others as he gently grabbed Tango’s shoulder, before guiding him towards the curtain. Tango refused to meet the blazeborns eyes, but kept his head up.

“Like what?” Samba challenged. Tango and Impulse paused. When no one answered Samba said it again. “Like. What.”

“Samba-” the youngest one began.

Tango let out a deep sigh. Normally he wouldn’t even consider telling someone, especially someone he barely knew, about how some overworlders treated him, all the things they’d done and said to or about him. But this felt different somehow, like it needed to be said.

“Well, sometimes it’s just simple insults, ranging from ‘vermin’ or ‘firestarter’ to ‘arsonist’ or ‘monster’,” the blazeborn started, his hand fiddling with his necklace as he spoke. “Then there’s things like the rumors. People would say I’d kill my friends in their sleep, burning them to death, doing it slowly just so I could watch them suffer.” There were other things Tango could have said, worse things. But he didn’t want to think of those. They were best left to be forgotten.

“Tango,” Cariñosa started, but was quickly interrupted by Samba moving to stand in front of her.

“You see how terrible they are, don’t you?” He asked. His eyes were pleading in a way, like Samba wanted to sympathize with Tango, but he wouldn’t do so unless he got what he believed to be the correct answer.

“Not everyone is like that,” Tango told him, shaking his head. This apparently wasn’t what Samba wanted to hear.

He let out a growl at the answer and his fire crackled. The pleading left his eyes and turned to something more like hatred. Then Samba turned around and stormed back down the stairs. Cariñosa and the younger blazeborn watched him go for a moment. The youngest of them, who Tango had yet to learn the name of, seemed like they were going to say something, but Cariñosa placed his hands on their shoulders, before muttering a quick goodbye for the both of them, and making them walk through the curtain.

Tango just sighed again and turned to Impulse. The demon gave him a sympathetic look before leading the way.

~*~

Tango didn’t expect to see the Empress again that night, but somehow they managed to cross paths on the way to Tango’s room. She’d just come out of one of the rooms in the hall when she noticed the two walking towards her.

“Oh,” Empress Nora said. “Hello you two.” she greeted, avoiding Tango’s eyes.

She took a few steps to the side, giving them more room to pass by, even though the large halls gave plenty. Impulse gave her a quick nod of the head in greeting, before he resumed walking, not wanting to get in her way in any form.

But Tango stayed right where he was.

“May I talk to you?” Tango asked her, unsure. “Please?”

The Empress seemed to be a bit surprised by the request. It wasn’t like it was a common thing for Tango to want to speak to her. But after getting over her initial surprise she nodded her head and gestured to the room she’d just walked out of.

“I’ll wait out here.” Impulse said to them as she opened the door. Tango nodded to him in understanding before following her through.

Inside was a room filled with instruments, most were ones that were played at the ball, but there were also a few that Tango knew from the Overworld. Pushed off to the side of the room was a soft and comfy looking couch.

The Empress walked towards it without pause, Tango trailing behind. She sat at one end and Tango sat at the other, a decent amount of space between them. The Empress faced him, but didn’t utter a word, waiting for him to start the conversation.

Tango was silent as he deliberated his words for a moment.

“I- I don’t-” Tango started, staring down at his hands resting in his lap. “I don’t hate you.” He finally managed to say.

The Empress was silent.

“Dislike? Yeah, probably. Not a big fan? Sure, but- but hate? No,” Tango said, rambling just a bit.

She was still silent.

Tango reluctantly looked up.

Empress Nora looked a little shocked, like she hadn’t even considered that this would be what he wanted to talk to her about.

“I see,” She said in a simple, quiet voice.

“That’s… all I really wanted to say,” Tango told her, putting a hand on the back of his neck. They sat there awkwardly for a moment before Tango decided to get up, he’d rather leave than sit in the uncomfortable silence.

“Tango?” She said, making the blazeborn pause. There was a fragile smile on the Empress’s face. “...Thank you.”

Chapter Text

16 days out of 123 completed

One of the few things that Tango had worried about when he first started his classes was that they would treat him like a child. He knew practically nothing, he could see why they might. But somewhat surprisingly, they hadn’t.

They were kind and answered his questions and they never spoke to him in a demeaning way, things that the blazeborn wasn’t entirely used to with teachers. The worst thing that the teachers had done was look at Tango with intense amounts of sympathy or pity whenever there was something that was considered basic knowledge or instinct, that he didn’t know or understand.

But everyone did that.

But Tango chose not to focus on that. Instead giving his full attention to the lessons.

In the blazeborn’s history class the teacher had decided to start as far back as the Nether had records for, teaching Tango things that were more so legends and speculations than fact. She explained it thoroughly, but made it entertaining as well. She’d told him that he was on track to have all the basic history down by the time his four months were up.

As for learning Netherian, Tango had already started to show improvement with his writing abilities. Even if it was just the basics, things that children going to school for the first time would be learning. But regardless of how easy the lessons would be considered, his teacher made it clear that they were proud of his progress.

It was when he was learning about culture that the blazeborn received the most sympathetic looks. Everytime Tango admitted he didn’t know something, it seemed to break a little bit of his teacher’s soul. But even with the ever present sadness from his teacher, it was the class that Tango enjoyed the most. It wasn’t just him sitting around listening to Impulse translate the teacher, there were activities and a lot more hands-on things than the blazeborn had expected.

After the teacher had learned Tango’s lack of dancing knowledge she had immediately set aside the original class plan for the day to teach him that instead. None of the dances she taught him were like he’d seen at the ball, but dances that were much more beginner friendly. Tango enjoyed it far more than he thought he would.

Things in his defence and physical training class were going well enough. It had been a long time since Tango had put in so much physical effort in a single class, but there was something about it that was more fun than he’d expected. The blazeborn wasn’t weak necessarily, his origin was more durable that one might think and Tango regularly would carry heavy things for his redstone projects or as Jimmy’s attendant, but the class was just more than he was used to.

Cha, the piglin teacher, specifically taught Tango things in defence. He was a strict teacher and very thorough. Cha planned to teach the blazeborn about every weapon and technique that the Nether had.

Balboa, the blazeborn, was more focused on physical strength and fire. Things on the physical side of things were going well, Tango had been learning what blazeborns specifically excelled at and where they lacked when it came to strength and endurance. But when it came to the fire aspect of the class…

~*~

Tango, Impulse, and the Balboa were all sitting on a mat in the training room. The room felt calmer than it normally did, the only sounds were the blazeborn giving instructions that Impulse translated, their voices calm and quiet.

The goal was to put themselves, Tango, into a peaceful state before trying anything with his flames.

Safe to say it wasn’t an easy task.

Not with the knowledge that Tango’s fire was involved.

But once Tango, at least appeared calm enough, they moved on. The blazeborn before him told him to raise his flames, without any emotional interference. It was a small start, so that things would be less likely to get out of hand.

“How?” Tango asked with an awkward laugh, his eyes on both the instructor and Impulse.

Balboa looked surprised, then hesitated, mulling over how he’d explain. He turned to Impulse, telling him something, but the blazeborn appeared unsure, occasionally pausing and raising his own flames to get a feel for the action.

“Alright,” Impulse started, turning to Tango once Balboa had stopped. “So, it’s a little hard to explain, but think of it… Kinda like breathing? Pulling it in before pushing it out?”

That explained why the blazeborn was so surprised by the question. When controlling fire to such a small degree felt as easy as breathing, who would stop and think that it must be explained?

The explanation didn’t help much, if anything it made Tango feel a sense of shame in himself, but the least he could do was try.

So he did. Tango closed his eyes and tried.

Except, he didn’t know what he was doing. Sure, the blazeborn could sense his fire, it was how he knew whether or not it was getting too large or too hot, but he never controlled it through that. His fire was controlled by his emotions, not his will. But now Tango had to do it like that, it was the proper, normal, way, and he just couldn’t. It was like there was some sort of wall that he just couldn’t pass.

It didn’t help that he wasn’t confident in his abilities.

It was frustrating. And frustration did raise his flames, but that wasn’t how he was supposed to do it. He needed to raise them without his emotion if he wanted to learn to control them, but for him that was nearly impossible!

Why couldn’t he do it? It was supposed to be simple! It was natural to blazeborns, why was Tango struggling? Other blazeborns could control their fire with so much accuracy that they could do intricate dances with it. Other blazeborns had been able to control their flames since they were young children. Tango couldn’t even make his flicker!

“Hey, hey!” The Impulse said, placing a hand on Tango’s shoulder. The blazeborn blinked open his eyes, looking at Impulse with a bit of surprise. Tango had just been trying to focus, but had he really gotten that deep? The demon’s face looked concerned and Balboa looked baffled.

Balboa said something, and Impulse nodded his head without looking away from Tango, his hand still on the blazeborn’s shoulder. Once the blazeborn stopped talking, he gave a little shake of his head, before getting up and walking away.

“What he say?” Tango asked, one of his hands going up to fiddle with the necklace around his neck. Impulse let out a slight sigh before speaking.

“He said that the only way you can learn to use your fire, is to get over whatever it is that’s stopping you,” the demon told him. Tango gave him a confused look.

“Whatever’s stopping me?” Tango asked, getting a slight nod in response. “What is that even supposed to mean?” Impulse looked away from Tango for a moment, thinking over his words before speaking again.

“Well, you don’t really seem to like fire?” Impulse said, looking at Tango curiously. “Maybe that’s what’s stopping you?” The blazeborn turned away a little, a weird mix of shame and guilt filling him.

It wasn’t just that he didn’t like fire, it had to be more than that.

And he knew what that was. He just didn’t want to admit it.

Tango was a blazeborn afraid of his own fire. Of course he wouldn’t be able to control it.

Chapter Text

20 days out of 123 completed

Tango’s workshop was quiet, with only the sounds of his tinkering to be heard. It was strange for the workshop to be so quiet, but he tried not to let it bother him.

Really, the blazeborn should have been used to working in a quiet room, that’s how it often was in his other workshop, the one in the Overworld. In the Overworld it was rare for someone to visit his workshop, on occasion Mumbo would stop by, but other than him people stayed away. Which was fair, it wasn’t exactly the safest of places.

But things were different now, there wasn’t as much dangerous equipment or chances of explosions, and there was Impulse. Tango hadn’t had the workshop for very long, yet somehow he’d grown so used to the demon being there by his side, asking questions or making a creation of his own.

But Impulse wasn’t joining him in the workshop today. The demon had said he had something to do, something related to his position in the fortress, but hadn’t explained much further. Tango hadn’t even known that Impulse had a proper job in the fortress, he only knew Impulse was to be his guide.

The only other thing the demon had said before he left was that he'd be back in time for dinner.

So Tango was a tad bit confused when there was a knock at the door.

It couldn’t have been Impulse, a quick glance at the clock told Tango that there were still a few hours until he’d be back, and even if that wasn’t the case the knock was not Impulse’s. Impulse knocked, but he knew he was welcome and would open the door without prompting.

It didn’t seem likely that it was the Empress either. She hadn’t been to the workshop since the day she’d given it to him and the knock wasn’t as soft or delicate as Tango had noticed hers to be.

Whoever it could have been was a complete mystery to the blazeborn.

Tango stood up from the stool he’d been using and began to walk over, taking his gloves off his hands and putting them in the pocket of the apron that he wore. He didn’t often wear the apron, just didn’t care for the extra step, but he’d been working with a lot of loose dust and didn’t want to risk ending up covered in burns. Tango pushed his goggles up a moment before he reached the door, pausing for just a second before opening it.

Perhaps it was just a lost staff member or something? Those had been common in the Avian Empire.

But the person he found on the other side was much more of a surprise.

Standing there, slightly turned, as if they’d given up and were about to walk off, was a young blazeborn. A blazeborn that Tango recognized to be the one sibling he’d yet to learn the name of. Their eyes widened when they saw him open the door and their blaze rods started to spin a bit quicker in anxiousness.

“Oh,” Tango said, sounding just as surprised as he felt. ”Hello.” There wasn’t much else he could think of to say in greeting.

“Hello,” they greeted in return, their tail sneaking its way to wrap around their leg.

There was an awkward pause between them, both unsure of what to do.

Tango felt his blaze rods spin a tad bit quicker and his tail flicked a bit behind him.

“Do you, uh, want to come inside?” Tango asked, stepping back and opening the door more so they could come in. He wasn’t completely confident in his words, but the other blazeborn did step inside, so he at least got his point across.

The younger blazeborn looked around at the room as they entered. There really wasn’t much there yet, probably wouldn’t ever be, but there was enough to surprise the kid. At least, they seemed to be a kid from what Tango knew, looking only around the age of 16.

“What’s all this?” They asked, curiosity and even a bit of wonder in their voice. Tango couldn’t help but smile a bit at the younger blazeborn’s intrigue.

“Some redstone projects I brought with me. Nothing big or fancy, but enough to keep me busy,” Tango said, switching to Common, not nearly fluent enough in Netherian to properly explain.

“Redstone can do that?” They asked, pointing to a music box that was on the workbench. There wasn’t any music playing yet, Tango still needed to add that, but it was moving. There were two people on the top of it, frozen in place in a dancing position, it was where they were connected to the bottom that made them move. It was a beautiful ballroom dance.

Tango didn’t even remember having that out, let alone leaving it running.

He must have gotten distracted at some point.

“It can do a lot more than that,” Tango told them with a short laugh. “But yeah.”

The kid walked further into the room, admiring all the bits and bobs. Tango walked beside them, feeling a bit of excitement at how his little creations left the kid in wonder. The young blazeborn stopped at the workbench that Tango had been working at when they had knocked. They seemed mesmerized by the shiny red dust that he’d been working with.

Tango barely noticed when they began to reach out to touch the active dust, a bit too focused on how awed they were.

He was almost too late to stop them when he realized. His eyes widened before he quickly grabbed their hand, pulling it away just before it made contact. The kid had gotten close, too close. Tango’s hand scraped the active pile as he pulled their hand away. None of the dust spread enough to cause more trouble, but that didn’t make the burn hurt any less.

Tango let out a small hiss at the sting, but didn’t bother looking at it yet. He was more concerned about the kid beside him.

“You alright?” Tango asked, gently inspecting the blazeborn’s hand for any sort of burns. He didn’t see them looking at his own hand with wide and slightly scared eyes.

“I’m- I’m fine,” They stuttered out, their voice timid. “I’m sorry. I- I didn’t mean to.” Tango let out a sigh of relief.

With the knowledge that they were alright Tango allowed himself to take a look at his own hand. It wasn’t bad, especially compared to redstone burns he’d gotten in the past. He’d only scrapped it a bit, the burn wouldn’t even leave a scar.

“Na, you’re fine buddy. It’s not like you could have known,” He told them, brushing off the apology.

Tango walked over to a cabinet and took out his first aid kit. There were the basics, things that were in most fit aid kits, but there were also things that were more tailored to redstone related injuries. He placed it on the bench with the music box and pulled over two stools, offering the kid a seat. They sat beside him wordlessly.

“It’s just a simple redstone burn,” Tango said as he began to clean the small wound.

“I didn’t know blazeborns could be burned,” they said quietly. Tango hissed lightly as he cleaned over the burn. He didn’t like doing this part, but he’d rather have to deal with the short sting rather than the injury getting worse from dust fragments he hadn’t noticed.

“We can, but I can see why you wouldn’t know. It’s just stuff native to the Overworld,” Tango explained, applying a burn ointment to his hand. “Redstone, well active redstone, can burn anybody. That’s why I got the apron and goggles and gloves.” He gestured to the pair of gloves that were sticking out a bit from his apron with his head as he wrapped his hand with a bandage. Once it was on he held it up for the kid to see.

“All better!” Tango told them with a wide smile. It took a moment, but a small smile soon appeared on their face too.

“What else can burn blazeborns?” They asked curiously, their tail swaying softly behind them.

“Water,” Tango said, making a slightly soured face. “Water is almost everywhere in the Overworld, kinda like how lava is here. But blazeborns are very easily burned by it, only time it’s safe is when it’s boilfacated.”

“Boilfacated?” They asked, giving the blazeborn a confused look. Tango laughed slightly.

“I like to use made up words, sorry. I mean boiled,” Tango apologies gently. “But yeah, water kinda sucks for us. Have to be really careful not to get caught out in the rain.”

“What’s rain?”

This was when Tango learned that, while the royals were required to learn Common,wasn’t much else they were required to learn about the Overworld itself outside of its kingdoms and empires. It led the two through a winding conversation where Tango went from explaining rain, to weather, to seasons, and more.

They were both so focused on their conversation that neither of them had noticed how much time had passed until they were slightly startled by a knock at the door.

The door ended up opening before either of them could properly react, with Impulse coming in holding a tray of food. A look of surprise crossed the demon’s face at the sight of the two blazborns.

“Kuratsa, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Impulse said, walking over to place the tray down by Tango. The young blazeborn, Kuratsa, looked up at the clock, their eyes widening when they saw the time.

“It’s dinner time already?” They asked, surprise in their voice as they got up.

“It seems it is,” Tango commented, a tad surprised as well. Though, it was normal for him to lose track of time when he was focused on something.

“I need to go, I’m late,” Kuratsa said, quickly scurrying to the door. When they opened it though, they paused, turning to look back at Tango.

“Is it alright if I come back after dinner?” They asked, their previous nervousness returning.

“Of course!” Tango told them, a kind smile on his face. “You’re welcome anytime.” Kuratsa smiled back at him with a nod before leaving, shutting the door behind them.

Chapter Text

23 days out of 123 completed

“I heard that you and Kuratsa are getting along,” Empress Nora said to Tango.

Him and the Empress were in the library for one of her ‘check-ins’. It was basically just a meeting to go over Tango’s progress in his classes and to see if he needed anything. Though Tango was fairly certain that it was just the Empress’s excuse to see him and have a conversation.

They were both sitting down in the plush chairs that the library had, facing each other. In Empress Nora’s lap was a book that she’d been reading before Tango had joined her, her glasses resting down on top of it. Tango was just waiting for the moment he could leave, they’d already gone over everything they needed to, but her comment did intrigue him.

“Uh, yeah. They stopped by my workshop a few days ago,” Tango told her, hand fiddling with the charm on his necklace.

“They’ve been talking about you at dinner quite a bit since then,” she said with a hopeful smile. Tango wasn’t really sure what the smile meant. “They seem to really enjoy your company.”

“Huh,” the blazeborn responded shortly. He still didn’t know where this was going.

“Well, they wanted me to ask,” The Empress began, her words more delayed, as if cautious. “If you’d join us at dinner.”

“Oh, um,” Tango started, unsure on what to respond with.

It had been fun talking to the young blazeborn, but having dinner with all three of his siblings and the Empress sounded… tense to say the least.

“You don’t have to, but it would please both me and Kuratsa if you joined us,” Empress Nora said, pushing the topic aside at Tango’s hesitation. “Just have Impulse give me and the staff a bit of warning if you decide to.”

With that the topic was over.

Tango left not long after to go to his classes.

The thought stayed in his mind.

~*~

“Hey Impulse?” Tango asked as they left his history class, done with all his classes and heading back to his room for the day.

“Yes?”

“When exactly is dinner?” Tango asked, avoiding the other’s eyes as his claws dance across the charm at his neck.

“What do you mean?” The blazeborn sighed at the question. He didn’t want to actually say it, but apparently he had to.

“The royal family dinner thing,” Tango mumbled, ducking his head a bit and crossing his arms.

“Huh? Oh!” The demon exclaimed, taking a short moment to finally understand. The smile that grew on his face was big and excited as he realized what the blazeborn was asking. “I can inform them of you wanting to attend tonight!” He suggested.

The blazeborn hesitated, then sighed.

“Alright,” Tango answered quietly.

Impulse was practically vibrating in enthusiasm, his tail waving around behind him happily. Why this excited the demon so much Tango didn’t know, but his joy was practically contagious. Tango couldn’t stop the small smile that began to grow on his face.

“Will you be able to get back on your own?” Impulse asked, talking a little faster than normal. “So I can tell them that you’ll need a place at the table.”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Tango told him with a small laugh. By now the blazeborn had the path from his room to his classes memoized, there was no need to worry.

With that settled the demon excitedly ran off in the opposite direction. Tango let out another gentle laugh at the action, before he continued his way down the hall.

~*~

Impulse walked with Tango as they made their way to the family dining room. The demon had spent the entire walk from Tango’s room reassuring the blazeborn that Impulse would be with him the entire time and that Tango could leave whenever he wanted.

The blazeborn didn’t know why Impulse was making such a big deal about him going to dinner, it wasn’t some grand event. It was just a simple dinner, like the ones he’d have with the avians back in the Overworld.

Tango ignored the fact that he couldn’t stop messing with his necklace and that his tail was wrapped around his leg as he walked.

When they reached the door to the dining room, Impulse paused for a moment, giving the blazeborn a small smile, before opening it. On the other side was a nicely sized room, its walls the same as the rest of the fortress, made of darkly colored bricks. Decorating the walls were detailed tapestries, telling stories Tango didn’t know. In the center of the room sat a rectangular table, somewhat similar to the one that Tango would eat at in the Overworld, and made out of crimson stem. With the table there were matching seats, ten by the looks of it.

Something about the room made the blazeborn’s mind itch with familiarity.

He ignored it.

Only a few of the seats had people sitting in them. Empress Nora was sitting at the head, smiling at Tango when she saw him. To the left of the Empress was Kuratsa and to her right was her two oldest children, with Samba sitting closest to her.

The three blazeborns were surprised when the door opened, but each had different reactions at the sight of Tango. Cariñosa appeared hesitant, like he was unsure how to feel. Samba gave Tango a sharp glare and began to stand up, but the hand that Empress Nora gently placed on his shoulder stopped him and he remained seated.

Kuratsa’s face erupted with a smile at the sight of Tango.

“Tango!” They exclaimed, getting out of their seat and heading towards him. They stopped just a few steps away from him. “You’re here!”

“Hey there, buddy,” Tango greeted with a light laugh. At least one of his mysterious siblings was happy to see him.

“Tango, it’s good to see you,” Empress Nora said, taking note of Tango’s use of Netherian. She gestured to the empty seat that was beside Kuratsa’s with a gentle smile.

Tango didn’t answer, but he walked to the seat with the young blazeborn beside him, before they both sat down. Tango noticed that Impulse quietly walked to be somewhere behind his seat, the blazeborn could only think about how it was something that he was used to doing whenever Jimmy had to attend an important dinner.

Tango still felt somewhat reluctant about joining them. There were so many potential cons to it, with the Empress and Samba being two major ones. But Kuratsa had been nice to talk to before, and was excited that he was there.

He just hoped that the excitement of the younger blazeborn would be enough for the dinner to be a good experience.

Not long after Tango sat down the food was served, the filled plates getting placed before them. The meal wasn’t all that grand, it was something simple like most of the food the blazeborn had come across. One thing he noticed though, was the slight differences in his food from the other. Most notably was the lack of molten.

The table was silent as they started eating, but only for a moment.

“Tango, I’d like to apologize for Samba’s behavior at the ball,” Cariñosa said, with an urgency in his eyes. Samba glared at her and looked like he was about to say something, but Tango spoke first.

“Don’t,” Tango told him with a soft smile. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” Cariñosa paused for a moment, but clearly noticed that he had specified her not doing anything.

“What happened?” Empress Nora asked, giving Samba a skeptical look. Samba didn’t meet her gaze, instead glaring at his plate.

“Nothing,” Tango told her before silently going back to his food.

~*~

The silence that grew as they ate was an uncomfortable one. Tango didn’t dare to break it though, he felt unwelcome to.

But it appeared that not everyone felt unwelcome to break it.

“Tango, what are you going to work on next?” Kuratsa asked, ignoring the sharp look that Samba gave them.

“Oh, I plan on remodeling my toastifacator,” Tango told them with a smile, his tail beginning to sway happily below him. He ignored the pleased look that crossed the Empress’s face as she silently continued to eat, not joining in the conversation. “I made it a few years ago and wanted to see how I could improve it.”

“What is a toastifacator?” The other young blazeborn asked, a bewildered look on his face. Samba continued to grow annoyed, but Tango didn’t give him any mind.

“It’s a redstone machine that can make toast,” Tango explained, he couldn’t help but smile at how silly it was that he was working on a machine that he wouldn’t even be able to use until he got back home.

“What’s toast?” Tango’s older sister asked, saying ‘toast’ slower to get a feel for the word.

“Ah, it takes bread-” Tango paused, noticing Cariñosa and Kuratsa’s confused faces. “This food thing in the Overworld, and heats it up, changing the taste and making it kinda crunchy depending on how long you do it.”

“Redstone can do that?” Cariñosa asked, surprised.

“Redstone can do a bunch of cool things,” Tango happily informed, his two siblings seeming to lean in a little closer. Samba continued to glare as the blazeborn spoke. “I’ve heard that at the Labs up in Dogwarts they’ve been working on a communication device.”

“How would that work?” Kuratsa asked, their voice filled with wonder.

“Well I can’t say for sure, but I’d guess-”

“Why are you ~~~~~~~ like that?” Samba asked in a rude tone, his flames flickering quickly with his annoyance. Tango and the others looked at him with surprise at the sudden question.

“I’m afraid I haven’t moved that far in my lessons,” Tango responded, feeling a little embarrassed by his lack of understanding. “What was it that you asked?”

Samba’s face scrunched with disapproval, but otherwise didn’t seem to be too upset at Tango for not understanding him.

“Why do you dress in those clothes?” The blazeborn asked with a huff. “From the Overworld. It’s all I’ve ever seen you in.” His eyes glared at Tango’s shirt.

A tick of nervousness went through Tango, realizing where this question would lead him. He didn’t want to have this conversation, things had been going so well. But his clothes were something that were important, at least to him, they were his quiet way of making a statement.

“...Because the Avian Empire, the Overworld, is my home,” Tango told the blazeborn, not letting the nervousness be audible in his voice.

Samba let out a loud and angry growl as the words processed. Their other siblings' faces were different mixes of confusion, shock, and sadness. The Empress glanced up from her plate to the maddened blazeborn, her eyes sharp.

“How can you say that!?” Samba shouted, standing up from his chair and throwing his hands onto the table, his plate and silverware clattering with the impact.

The blazeborn’s flames were a mirror of his outrage, burning brightly. The blaze rods above his head spun in a fast and angry dance and his tail was whipping around behind him.

Tango felt a flicker of panic at the sight.

“Samba!” Empress Nora shouted, giving him a disapproving look. The children not involved shrank into their seats.

Tango couldn’t stop staring at the fire above the blazeborn’s head, at its size and rage. Tango couldn’t help but think about if it was him, if it was his flames. He'd be so close to losing control.

Tango had to remind himself that this was the Nether, that things were different. This sort of outburst wasn’t going to the destruction of the fortress or the deaths of everyone inside.

The blazeborns here weren’t like him.

So Tango hid his fear and did his best to remain calm.

Samba ignored his mother and continued on.

“No! They treated you horribly! How can you say that!?” The blaze born spat, his fire crackling with fury. “Those stupid overworlders are monsters!”

And just like that, with that single word, Tango’s fear was gone.

It was replaced with a burning rage.

“Those ‘monsters’ are the only reason I’m alive!” Tango snapped back, shooting up from his chair, his fire flaring within an instant. Everyone at the table jumped back with surprise, not expecting such a reaction.

Tango was used to people insulting him. It barely affected him anymore, he rarely heard anything new.

But people insulting his family was something he wouldn’t let stand.

Samba seemed to be speechless at the suddenness of Tango’s outburst, staring at him and unable to come up with a response. Cariñosa seemed to be concerned, but about what Tango wasn’t sure. Empress Nora appeared to be seconds from intervening.

But it was the way that Kuratsa was looking at him, the way they were leaning away from him, as if worried the intense flames would turn on them too, that really bothered Tango.

Tango didn’t want them to be afraid, especially of him.

He needed to calm down.

Normally he’d have Jimmy with him to help calm him down, but the avian wasn’t there, he was in the Overworld. Tango didn’t get to have his help, or anyone else’s, he had to reel his rage in all on his own.

Thankfully he hadn’t gotten so angry that doing so would be an impossible task.

The blazeborn made a sound of frustration, practically a growl, as he squeezed his eyes shut, making himself take a deep breath. He forced his tail, which had been twitching angrily behind him, to come to his hand. He held on to it tightly, his claws pricking at his skin. Then the blazeborn counted down in his head, feeling the way his body gradually calmed as he reached zero.

When Tango opened his eyes the first thing he saw was Samba’s shocked face, looking slightly paler than he had before. The others were in similar states, Cariñosa looked like he was about to be sick. Even the Empress, who had seen Tango do this before, looked unsettled.

“There may be overworlders that are sick and cruel, but I was raised there with people that love me as I am. They were the only family I had for a long time and I will not allow you to even suggest that they were anything but kind,” Tango told them, his words strong and stern.

He should have known that having dinner with them would end in disaster.

The blazeborn didn’t bother to stay after that. Tango walked away from his seat and headed to the door, his tail still held tightly in his hand. It was only once he was out of the room he heard the sound of footsteps hurrying after him.

Looking behind him Tango saw Impulse, whose face was filled with shock. The demon’s mouth was open to say something, but he was at a loss for words.

In the end they quietly walked back to Tango’s room.

By the time he was alone, buried in the blanket in his nest, all Tango could think about was how much he wished to be home.

Chapter Text

24 days out of 123 completed

Tango woke to the feeling of a person’s hand lightly shaking his shoulder and the sound of Impulse’s voice.

“Tango? Tango it’s time to get up,” the demon said, his smile audible. The blazeborn let out a tired sound as Impulse continued to lightly shake him.

“I’m awake,” Tango mumbled, slowly sitting up. He heard a quiet chuckle as he rubbed at his eyes.

It took him a few moments to actually get out of his nest, but eventually Tango made his way to his desk to eat. The blazeborn let out a tired yawn before looking down at his plate. It was the same as it normally was, the same breakfast every morning, but… the sight of it brought the memories of the night before, of the argument that had happened, to the front of his mind.

Suddenly Tango didn’t feel so hungry.

“There’s nothing planned for today,” Impulse said, leaning against the wall by the deck. The smile he gave him was just slightly too strained. “You’re free to do whatever!” Tango glazed up at the demon as he picked at his food, looking at him a little suspiciously.

The blazeborn couldn’t help but think that the only reason his schedule was clear was because of what happened last night, like it was the Empress’s attempt at apologizing. He should have been happy to be given a break, but all Tango could feel about the thought was annoyance.

He didn’t need a break. He was fine.

He chose to ignore the fact that his flames felt pent up, how it was a sign that he should go to his burnificator.

“Are you feeling alright?” Impulse asked, see how the blazeborn was actually eating his food. The end of Tango’s tail curled up tightly, before going back to how it normally was.

“I’m alright," Tango told him, not looking up from his plate. “Just tired.” Impulse looked at him for a moment, before slowly nodding his head in understanding.

In reality, Tango didn’t like how the argument from the day before left him feeling. He felt like he’d been left to simmer, his anger still within him but pushed back, leaving him feeling… dull.

Whenever Tango got like this in the Overworld he’d go to his burnificator or find Jimmy, depending on how strong the feeling of his flames was. Jimmy always knew what to do to make that dull feeling go away, but without him or his burnificator Tango couldn’t help but feel lost. He didn’t have a way to settle the pent-up anger that was in him.

And the blazeborn didn’t have anyone that could help him either.

“Well,” Impulse started, bringing Tango’s attention away from his thoughts. “Since there’s nothing for you to do, you could go back to sleep?” Tango considered the suggestion, before giving him a simple shrug. The demon looked at him with a soft and understanding gaze, before pushing off the wall and picking up Tango’s plate, the food barely eaten.

“I’ll come back in an hour or two, you get yourself all curled up and comfy in whatever that blue thing you got is.” Impulse gestured with his head towards Tango’s nest, where the blue blanket was slightly hanging off the side.

“Do you- do you not know what a blanket is?” Tango asked, feeling a little disoriented and perplexed at the need to ask such a question. But the demon was out the door before he could answer, leaving the blazeborn baffled.

He was too tired for this.

After a moment of sitting there, shocked and confused, Tango eventually decided it was best to do as the demon had suggested. He wrapped himself up in his blanket, bringing a piece of it to his nose.

The scent of the avians had faded.

Tango felt the sadness pooling in him at the realization. The blanket had been the only thing that made him feel like his friends weren’t so far away, like he could still reach them. Sure he’d written letters and got letters in return, but mail to and from the Overworld took so long, nothing about the letters felt present.

Maybe he should have listened to Jimmy and brought his flock feathers, at least then he’d have a piece of the avians with him.

~*~

It didn’t feel like Tango slept at all, more like time had passed around him. He closed his eyes for what felt like barely a moment, and when he opened them again it was to the sound of Impulse opening his door. The blazeborn felt groggy as he sat up, it was like the extra sleep had only made him more tired.

“You doing alright there?” Impulse asked with a slight laugh. The blazeborn could only let out a tired groan, making the demon chuckle. “Come on, you can’t sleep all day.”

“Watch me,” Tango grumbled, practically plopping back down before quickly pulling the blanket over his head. The blazeborn had a moment in his peaceful darkness before he felt his blanket being pulled away from his head.

“Come on, there has to be something you’d like to do other than sleeping?” The demon said jokingly. Tango let out a long sigh before offering up an answer.

“Probably.” Impulse rolled his eyes at the lacking response.

“How about going to your workshop?” Impulse suggested. The blazeborn considered it, but let out a negative hum. He didn’t feel like he had the focus for redstone yet. “What about taking a walk through the garden?” The blazeborn scrunched his nose at the thought, which Impulse correctly took as a no.

The demon looked around the room for a moment, searching for potential things to do. His eyes landed on the papers on Tango’s desk.

“You could write a letter to your… pyre?” When Impulse said the word ‘pyre’ there was unsureness and a slight sadness to it, like he could barely stand the thought of it.

“I don’t have a pyre,” Tango tiredly grumbled. The demon shot him a look, one that was both surprised and offended.

“Of course you do!”

“The closest thing that I have to a pyre is a flock,” the blazeborn told him. Impulse looked at a loss for words, like he couldn’t comprehend the idea that Tango didn’t think he had a pyre or like he couldn’t understand how the two were different.

Tango didn’t actually have a good word for what to call the people he cared about back home. He didn’t feel like he had the right to call them his flock, since he wasn’t an avian, and family had always felt a little off. He’d used both before when talking about them, but they never truly felt right.

Perhaps they were his pyre, like the Empress had told him when they’d been in the Avian Empire, but he still wasn’t sure of the word. The way she’d described it didn’t make it seem like it fit either.

“How would you describe a pyre, Impulse?” Tango asked. The demon hadn’t even found a response to what Tango had told him before the question was asked, still staring at him with bewilderment.

It took a moment for him to process, but eventually the demon took a deep breath and prepared to explain, choosing to sit down in the plush chair that was still by Tango’s nest, even though many days had passed since was moved. The blazeborn hadn’t cared to put it back to be by the bookshelf, the most he’d done with it was move it away from his nest to have enough space to get in and out of it.

“Well, that really depends on the type of pyre,” Impulse mumbled, more to himself than Tango, holding his chin in his hand as he thought.

“There’s types?” Tango asked, perplexed. He hadn’t noticed how much his tiredness had worn off already.

“Yeah, but I don’t think you’re asking about the more complicated ones,” the demon brushed off, waving one hand as if he was waving the idea away. He paused for a moment, still thinking, before settling on something to say. “The simplest way to explain it would probably be, the group of people you know you can rely on and that can rely on you in turn.”

The blazeborn considered the answer for a second, letting his perplexedness wash away to something a bit more skeptical.

“Yeah, how so?” Tango asked, crossing his arms over his chest. The demon let out a small chuckle at the questioning tone of his voice.

“Well, you take care of each other,” Impulse said, his voice softer than it normally was. “You put time and effort into making sure they're okay, you pay attention to their tells and learn their preferences, you protect each other when you can and do what you can to make them feel better when you can’t.” The gentle way that he said the words, with so much care to his voice, was almost like an embodiment of what he was saying.

“Oh,” the blazeborn said softly, his eyes a little wider than they had been before.

When the Empress had explained what a pyre was she made it seem a lot more, well, like a tribe, the exact word she’d used for it. But the way that Impulse was describing it… It felt much more similar to how Tango was with his friends.

“So,” Impulse said, putting the same amount of emphasis on the word that a teacher would when they had to explain something that the students should already know. “The way that you reacted when Sumba insulted overworlders, that was you reacting to the need to protect your pyre.”

“It- it was?” Tango asked, surprised. The demon let out a positive hum. “I hadn’t realized. I thought that- the Empress made pyres sound so much more, I don't know, professional?”

“Well, they can be,” the demon said, starting to mumble. “I should probably tell you about that too, since you are- well, you at least were a part of the fortress’s pyre… but…” Impulse let out a sad sigh. “It’s fine, you’ve moved on, it’s something you can learn about in your classes probably.”

Tango didn’t like the way that Impulse brushed off the topic, nor the bits of sorrow that crossed his face.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” The blazeborn asked, leaning closer to the demon.

“Well, you can only be in one pyre,” Impulse said with a sad smile. “When we were kids we were both part of the fortress’s pyre. I still am, but you…” The demon didn’t finish the sentence, he didn’t need to.

“It just hurts a little, to have lost that bond, that’s all.”