Yaaayyyy more writing prompts! ^v^

This time I'm challenging myself; I'm gonna try not to make any new AUs with these prompts, only writing with already existing ones since the number I've made is already ridiculous. Let's see how that goes for me =v=

AU: Spirit Guide

Context: When going to help a spirit after the Guardian seemed worried about it, Sabre gets an... unexpected surprise.

TW: Talk of death, violence, and a swear (but it's not really in the context of swearing)

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[3rd Person POV]

Sabre teleported onto a terrain of cracked stone brick, the end of his staff helping him get his footing as he landed, wings folding behind his back.

The Spirit Guardian was worried about him visiting this lost soul, and he didn't know why. He's been doing this job for a good while now, and was doing very well at it. But as he looked around the room, he quickly realized something.

He recognized this place. He's stood in this same spot before.

Staring at the other end of a long abandoned meeting hall made of deepslate, with a matching long table, as behind him was a hallway. And at the head of that cracked and weathered table, covered in a layer of dust and soot that almost seemed to be trying to cover up the damage from his battle, was a large, dark throne.

And floating in front of that throne was the lost soul of a Blue Steve, wringing his hands, somehow looking more alive than how he did when Sabre saw his face unobscured by that dark yet prismatic cloak.

There was a long, long silence between them, both stopped in their tracks. Both with horror etched on their faces as they realized who was in front of them.

Sabre took deep, heavy breaths as he just stared back at him. His wings were slightly raised and feathers puffed up, his shaking hands holding his staff close, subconsciously blocking any direct hit to his body out of reflex. He thought he felt the scars he'd received from the fight held here begin to ache, just as they did when that dreadful scythe cut through him, wielded by Void.

He almost started running until the spirit started talking.

"I- B-Before you start, I'm- I'm not... Void." He says, his voice not as Sabre remembered it. It wasn't deep, threatening... it sounded normal. "I'm just whose body he was using... my name is Seer."

Sabre stopped, standing there for a moment, before his wings slowly lowered and folded back to their original position. He still held the staff close, but not in a stance for battle.

"...'Seer'?" He questioned.

"Ye- Yes, I'm Seer. The Darkness that Void was before you defeated him, it was using my body for itself after it killed me. A... a long time ago." Seer replies, his tone turning somber. "I... I'm so sorry, Sabre."

"You're... sorry?" Sabre asks. He was now thoroughly confused.

Seer nods.

"Yes. Hah, that's... probably super weird, hearing that from me." Seer says, letting out a sad laugh. He sighs. "But I'm... truly sorry. For all that you went through because of my mistakes... for what everyone went through. I had no control once Void took my body for himself, but... it was still my fault this all started in the first place."

Seer then looks around, an awkward expression on his ghostly face. Sabre observes his movements closely.

"I can explain everything to you, but uh... I'm sure you don't want to be in this room anymore. Would you like to move somewhere else that isn't... here?"

"We could go outside..." Sabre mumbles. Seer smiles.

"Outside will do."

Seer then floats across the room, phasing through the crumbling stone table. Sabre steps back a little as he stops next to him, which Seer notices, and he backs up a bit. He looks up at him as he stops.

Sabre stares for a moment, then does a small teleport, taking Seer with him.

They end up outside of the old lair, the volcano have been inactive for a long time. They're just on the outskirts of it, only seeing the scorched stone past the nearby trees. The surrounding meadow had healed exponentially since the last time Sabre was here.

Seer floats over to a nearby fallen log, covered in moss, and takes a seat. Sabre hesitantly follows, sitting on the opposite end. He stares at the spirit as Seer takes a deep breath.

"I... died a long time ago." Seer begins. "I know that. Ever since then I've been forced to watch everything that Void had done with my body, my soul being trapped inside it. Since only my mind was dead and not the body itself, I couldn't leave. And... I saw everything he did. To everyone. To you. And I always knew that it was my fault. I never wanted to cause suffering with what I did, but..."

Tears collect in his eyes as he stares at a poppy.

"The Darkness... had other plans. And I had to watch as it made my friends suffer... everyone else suffer... and you. 'Horrible' doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about Void using my face to lure you to that tomb, make you part of his false prophecy, just to make you suffer the worst out of everyone by pulling the world you knew out from under your feet and making it turn on you. And I was only released from my decaying body once you took him down in that... place. You freed me from my personal hell just to continue suffering in yours. And I'm..."

Seer shudders for a moment as he goes silent, but steels his nerves and turns towards Sabre, looking him in the eyes.

"I'm... so sorry. For all I've caused for you. I know that is nothing compared to what you had to fight because of my mistakes, what you had to go through... but it's all I have now. I know it's too late for me to try to make up for what I've caused, it's been too late for a long, long time. But I still want to at least try. Because you didn't deserve what I put you through, all because I made horrible mistakes and lost control of myself. And you deserve so much more from me than just an apology..."

Sabre can only stare as Seer begins to cry, turning away from him. He stares at the grass as phantom tears roll down and off of his face, disappearing in the air as they fall.

As he stares, Sabre isn't afraid anymore. He isn't even upset. His expression softens and his grip on his staff is relaxed, no longer holding it like a weapon. He feels... sympathetic.

As he reaches out and places a hand on Seer's shoulder, making him look up, he says why.

"You were a victim of war too... I know how it... all of it feels." He says softly.

Seer wipes his face and places his hands in his lap.

"...I know. And I'm sorry I'm the reason why."

"I forgive you."

"What-?" Seer looks up, confused, seeing Sabre's gentle smile.

"There's no use in trying to heal if you still make yourself suffer over what happened." Sabre replies. "I know full well that apologies won't fix everything that happened back then. But honestly? I'm just glad to hear that you're remorseful about it. There have been plenty of other people that have hurt me, and I know that they didn't feel a bit of remorse. But you're... genuinely apologizing. And I forgive you."

There's a moment of shaky silence as Seer stares, then he breaks into a tearful smile.

"Thank you..."

Lightning then erupts nearby, and Sabre and Seer turn their heads to see the Guardian teleporting in nearby, visibly frantic.

"Sabre-!" He shouts, quickly looking around.

"Over here, boss."

The Guardian snaps his gaze to Sabre, who's waving at him casually as he sits on the log with Seer. The Spirit Guardian sprints over before stopping in front of his protege.

"What did I say?! You can't just go off to a spirit when I'm not looking!" He says in a worried tone.

"It's alright, I handled it." Sabre replies.

The Guardian stops before he can say anything else, looking at the two. His eyes switch between looking at Sabre or Seer for a minute, then he looks down at Sabre.

"You... you did?"

"Yep. We're all good."

The Guardian then stares at Seer for a moment. Seer nervously stares back, giving an awkward wave. After a moment, the Guardian sighs and steps to move in from of both of them, helping them both stand up.

"Well... I guess all there is to do now is help this soul to the afterlife then, hm?" He says.

"B-But- Where will I go? I know I'm not going to the World Beyond... am I going to join my body in the Below?" Seer asks, getting up, still floating as he 'stood'.

"No, no, you're not going there. I'm sure you've had quite enough of him." The Guardian chuckles. "Don't worry, I have a place for you. It's not the Beyond, sure, but... you'll have that chance to atone you wanted."

Seer's expression turns to awe. Then, the Guardian turns to Sabre.

"As for you, you're getting sent home. You're both in trouble, and... I'm sure you have some things you need to process."

"That's... fair." Sabre chuckles awkwardly. "Just uh- don't tell Time Steve?"

"No promises. But if he asks why you're home early, just tell him I had something I needed to take care of today. Now then..."

As the Guardian prepares two separate teleports, Sabre and Seer turn to each other one last time.

"Thank you, Sabre. I... don't think I'd be able to move on if it weren't for you."

"Thank you for your apology. You'd be surprised how little I get those. I guess I'll see you around... Seer."

In a flash of lightning, the three were gone. All that was left there was the healing meadow, where grass and flowers were beginning to grow overtop the charred landscape.