"Dad! Stop it!"

"Navy, your going to hurt him!"

"SHUT UP, ORCHID! I DO WHAT I WANT!"

Purple was curled in the corner, tears and blood coating his face as his parents screamed at each other. It was really triggering for someone his age, especially when it happened again and again.

"Your trying to hurt him!"

"I'm teaching him how to be a man! How the real world works! Is that so much to-You know what? Forget this! You two can rot in here! I'm done!" Navy yelled, giving Purple one last hard kick to the stomach before marching out the door and slamming it shut.

It was quiet save for Orchid's sobbing.

There he went.

His only father figure.

Gone.

Forever.

"Dad...DAD! DAD, COME BACK! PLEASE! I PROMISE I'LL BE BETTER! PLEASE! COME BACK!"

Purple winced at the memory. He had just dreamed about that days prior, and seeing it again was for sure gonna mess with his head more than it already had.

Jesus, his dad hadn't been this bad before. He'd always yell at his mom and him, and at some points, he'd hit him, or her if Orchid ever got involved. Yet, after all that, he still came back for his son.

Did he even know his former wife was dead?

"Who's the best kid in the world?"

Purple turned to see him and his mom. He remembered that as one of the best days of his life. He and his father came up with a plan to celebrate Orchid's birthday, and that was probably the one time he saw his dad genuinely happy.

That was when he was only six.

How would his dad think of this memory now?

"Well, I'll give you a hint: He's right here!" Navy picked up Purple and swung him around in his arms, almost as if he was a ragdoll.

Purple couldn't help but smile. It really was one of the best days of his life.

And then his dad had to go and ruin his life.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU'VE GOT?!'

Oh no. Not this memory.

He hadn't really been there for it, but it definitely told him something: his parents were not going to last long. His parents were arguing in the dead of night in this memory, and although Purple wasn't in the same room as the memory, he heard every last word.

"WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT HE NEEDS TO LEARN TO FIGHT?! WHAT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO HURT HIM?! OR KILL HIM?!"

"Don't you see how he interacts with everyone?! Everyone around the neighborhood-hell, even his teachers-say he's a complete angel. Only a sadistic monster would want to hurt someone like my son!"

Orchid was right. Almost everyone in that part of town. knew who they were, and holy shit, they adored the hell out of him. Ever since his dad started arguing with his mom, he'd always be out of the house seeking comfort from people in town, especially the kids who didn't have any parents. He'd always make them feel better with fantasy stories and play with them at the park. It was almost like the people who worked at the main orphanage in that village were his parents. Because they sure as hell treated him like he was their son.

He may not have had great parents, but the kids out there with no parents were almost worse. They didn't have any, and it made him feel bad for them and not his own circumstances.

Then King came along, and for once in his life by that point, he felt like he had a real parent. King was old enough to be his dad, and before the Nether battle, was more kind to him than his dad used to be.

Even during the Nether battle, he could see it: King still cared, but he was too overcome with rage and grief and revenge that he didn't realize it.

He was treating Purple just like his dad did. And he didn't realize it until it was too late.

He almost hated to admit it then, but he'd gladly admit it now: He saw his dad in King. Before the marriage began to fall apart, he saw his dad's real personality: Strong, smart, caring, kind, and loving. He saw it, and was almost blinded by it, in King.

Even if King wasn't really his dad, he certainly saw it in him. Especially in that void.

King would never say it, but he saw Purple as family. And Purple felt the same.

All he wanted was to tell him that.

"We'll love you forever, Purple. Always remember that. We're not gonna leave you. We're gonna see you grow up into a loving person"

Well, that was one of the biggest lies Navy and Orchid ever told him. He was in this state cause of Navy, Orchid died long before Purple became the loving person he promised he'd become(though, he had technically become that person now even without his parents), and Navy left them all behind before Purple even reached thirteen.

They had lied to him.

His dad hated him. He'd always remember that.

His dad AND mom left him alone. He'd always remember that.

Neither one of them really saw the loving person Purple was destined to be. He'd always remember that.

They lied and broke their promise and now he was alone, hating himself for who he was back then, and wishing he had done something else, and if he did that, maybe both his parents would be there with him, and he wouldn't have to be in this situation.

Then again, if he did that one thing, his life would go down a completely different route:

He'd never go to the PC and meet the Color Gang.

He'd never meet King.

He wouldn't have the love, support, care, and family he had now.

"Since your faced with two paths," A sudden voice said. He turned to find two lights, a blue and a pink one, presumably his parents. "Your gonna have to choose: leave Green and the others behind and come with us..." The pink one said.

"...Or stay with those weaklings." The blue one finished. Yep, definitely his parents.

He took that statement into consideration: He could join the two lights, and possibly die, yet reverse whatever his dad has done and maybe King would be able to be with Gold and never learn who his friends were, or he could stay with King and be with the family he had dreamed of for years.

"A, they're not weaklings," Purple finally said, a devilish smirk crossing his face. "And B, I think I'll stay with my real family!" He finished, running towards his decided path. A flood of memories suddenly hit him. Green. Blue. Red. King. All his friends. He could almost hear them cheering for him.

"You guys are always there for me. Green accepts me for who I am. Yellow loves teaching me about Redstone. Red's animals adore me like those kids did. Second loves having me around whenever we're animating with Alan. Blue and I love making potions together. King sees his son in me. I can't leave you alone."

He remembered being with his friends.

Making music and hanging out with Green.

Him and Yellow making roller coasters and other Redstone elements together.

Playing with Red's animals.

Animating with Second and Alan.

Making potions with Blue.

Being with King at the playground. Just them talking and laughing, and being there for each other.

He saw a bright light at the end of the path. He was so close!

He'd see King again very soon. He could feel it.

Just hang on King. I'm coming.

I'm not leaving.

I promise.

He jumped into the light.