The Hermits were talking about… something. Maybe going to the hub? Yeah, that sounded right. Etho was describing his specific brand of allergy medication, if that meant anything. Zed honestly couldn’t keep track of what was going on through the throbbing ache behind his eyes, casting the room between harsh too-brights and threatening too-darks.
He was going to open his mouth to ask someone if they could get him something for his headache when the first of the thoughts emerged, digging its claws into his mind. Don’t bother them, it whispered, You’re not worth it. Zed hissed a breath between his teeth, trying to dispel it, but his tongue remained leaden in his mouth, barring him from asking for help. Where had that come from? Zed was happy, he had no reason to distrust the Hermits, why was he suddenly doubting that? Because you know, deep down, it’s true.
“Zed?” Impulse leaned over, whispering, “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Zed lied, choking back the distress that was starting to blossom in his chest. Look what you’ve done, you’ve annoyed him! whispered the thoughts. Zed winced. Impulse gave him a worried look, but returned his attention to the meeting. If he really cared about you, he would’ve kept pushing. Zed stifled a whimper.
The moment the meeting was over, Zed ran out the door. He had to get away from everyone, before something bad happened to him. He didn’t have the energy to make it to his main base, but managed to get himself to the entrance to his boulder from the start of the season before his headache overwhelmed him and he crumpled to the ground. Hands over his ears, he let out a quiet whine.
He didn’t know how long he remained like that, curled up on the ground, ice-cold tears slipping from the corners of his eyes. Eventually, however, he became aware of another presence, gently resting a hand on his shoulder. He wanted to lean into the touch, he really did, but part of him was afraid it was some kind of cruel trick, and he couldn’t tell whether it was the intrusive thoughts or simply his own.
“Zed? You with us?” Impulse’s voice whispered, calm and gentle.
“Mnh,” Zed grunted. Words were hard to get out, through the fear and the headache and everything. He sat himself up, and leaned against Impulse. Impulse pulled him in closer, gently running a soothing hand through his hair. “Migraine,” Zed managed to say, eventually. Impulse didn’t need to know about the rest of it. “And—and…”
“And?”
“...Nevermind.” Zed shook his head. Telling Impulse would be a bad idea. It would just cause him unnecessary worry.
“If you’re sure.”
———
As Impulse brewed up a regen potion to help with Zed’s headache, he found himself staring into the bubbling potion bottle. The pattern was soothing, calming, almost hypnotic. It was almost enough to distract him from the worry that had nestled into the nooks and crannies of his mind. First Tango had straight-up vanished off the face of the earth, and now Zed had something that he was too nervous to tell Impulse, despite the fact that that had literally never happened before.
Maybe the two events were connected somehow, Impulse realised. Maybe whatever was hurting Zed had something to do with Tango’s disappearance. Well, only one way to find out.
“Have you seen Tango, by the way?” he asked, trying to start off gently, as he took the potion off the brewing stand. Zed regarded the potion, a wince crossing his face, before he desperately downed it, his expression almost seeming to betray some kind of spite. Impulse couldn’t help but notice Zed’s closed stance and conflicted fidgeting as he considered the question.
“...Yeah?” Zed said, eventually, “He’s not… he wasn’t…” he dug his fingers into his arm “It wasn’t great.”
“Is—are you okay?” Impulse asked. Zed flinched.
“No,” he admitted, the word rushed as if he was forcing it out. “There’s—there’s something wrong with Tango, he—he was yelling stuff about being king, and he shot ice magic into my face, and—and—and—” Zed heaved in a breath, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. “Sorry.” He looked away.
“Oh, Zed.” Impulse offered Zed a hug, which the other man accepted, crying into his shoulder. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”
They remained like that for some time, and a part of Impulse, a part that knew that something was about to go wrong, wished it would go on forever. However, all good things must come to an end, and eventually, Zed broke the hug.
“Will—will you go talk to him with me?” Zed asked, nervous. “I wanted to—to figure out what’s going on with him, but… I’m scared.”
“Of course,” Impulse answered. Zed subtly released a sigh of relief.
“Let’s go now,” Zed suggested, “Before—before I lose the nerve.”
———
The two of them set down at the entrance of the Deep Frost Citadel. It certainly looked a lot more grandiose than it had when Zed had been here last. Landing had been somewhat difficult, thanks to the raging blizzard, but both of them had managed to touch down safely. Zed and Impulse exchanged a brief look, before stepping into the citadel, hand in hand.
“Tango?” Zed called out into the echoing entryway. “I’m—I’m back! Are you—are you—are…” his voice trailed off as Tango walked out on the balcony above them. Other than his face, he was barely recognisable. He wore a suit of regal armour, cast in netherite and gold and ice, with a long, flowing, ice-blue cape hanging from his shoulders and a dark, wrought metal crown twisting across his forehead. Even the tips of his hair had begun to take on an icy sheen.
“What do you want?” Tango asked, harsh and condescending.
“Well—uh…” Impulse stammered. He suddenly understood some of Zed’s nerves. “I—we wanted to check on you. You’ve been… weird.”
Tango barked out a harsh laugh, and jumped off the balcony, landing gracefully in a pile of powder snow he’d summoned at his feet at the last moment.
“I’ve been weird?” he repeated, laughing. “I’ve been weird!?” He abruptly stopped laughing. “You should learn to keep your nose out of other people’s business, Impulse,” he cautioned, his voice carrying a dangerous edge.
With that, Tango moved his arm in a wide sweeping motion, and Impulse barely managed to dodge the shards of ice hurled at him. He scrambled away, hiding behind a pillar. After a second or two, he risked a peek out to the rest of the room.
In all the chaos, Zed had fallen to the ground, and Tango had clearly noticed, as he began making his way over to the other man.
“So…” Impulse couldn’t do anything but watch as Tango prowled closer to where Zedaph lay. “You decided to come back to me after all.” Tango crouched down, and cupped Zed’s face, forcing the other man to look him in the eyes.
“Mngh,” Zed tried to speak, Tango’s hand stopping his jaw from moving with almost-unnatural strength. “MNGH!” With a grunt of effort, he pushed Tango away, and clambered to his feet. Tango watched Zed as he did so, his expression a mixture of pity and disdain.
“Maybe you’ll do, though,” Tango remarked.
“For what—wait, no,” Zed interrupted himself, shaking his head as if to clear something from it. “Tango, you’re not… you’re not yourself. Your behaviour’s been all weird! Crazy!”
“Has it, now?” Tango asked, unphased.
“Wha—of course it has!”
“Hm, I dunno.” Tango shrugged. “I feel more me than ever. Stop slouching.”
Zed’s posture instantly straightened, almost like he was suspended from a wire that had just been pulled.
“Hey!” Zed protested, “You can’t just—you can’t just do that!”
“That was all you,” Tango told Zed, slowly beginning to walk circles around him. Zed flinched at something unheard.
“It—it wasn’t.” Zed shook his head again. “It wasn’t me. It wasn’t me, and this isn’t you, Tango.”
Tango scoffed.
“Who died and made you king? You don’t get to challenge me.”
“Sorry, my liege.” The words practically tumbled out of Zed’s mouth. He gasped, and clamped his jaw shut, covering his mouth with one hand.
“See?” Tango whispered in Zed’s ear, “You’re waking up.”
“I’m not!” Zed yelled, hand slipping from his face. “I’m not, I’m not, I’m not, I’m not—” he covered his ears, squeezing his eyes shut.
“It’ll be easier if you give in.”
“I’m not… I’m—I’m not…” Zed’s speech slowed, weighed down by some unseen force. In the effort to keep repeating, tears slipped out of the corners of his eyes, freezing in fractal patterns on his cheeks.
“Shhhhhh…” Tango gently cupped Zed’s face. “It’s okay.”
“I’m—I’m—” Zed gasped, his hands falling from his ears and his eyes opening to reveal the same solid, icy blue as Tango. “I am.”