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“You’re back”
The purple glow illuminated his face in the darkness as Pix stood in front of the dimensional tear, an old leather book clutched in one hand, his sword in the other.
Magic hummed around him, what was supposed to be just purple glass swirling ever so slightly if you looked close enough, almost taunting him.
Yet the rift remained calm, nothing changed.
Pix scoffed, taking a step closer: “Didn’t think I’d see you again so soon”, he brought a hand up, placing it on the glowing glass.
It felt familiar.
He closed his eyes: “You’ve been causing a lot of chaos. I mean, the whole thing with Oli, really? And sending Sausage dimension hopping…Curious choice. I don’t think I even have to mention the hermits”, somehow, he managed to stifle a sigh, though his shoulders fell anyway, betraying the mix of emotions he was feeling.
“I will admit, it was a good plan. Showing up in the basement of the most curious watcher to exist, who’d clearly notice the magic, and also cannot stay away from a button to save his life”, he opened his eyes again, staring accusingly into the purple: “So I assume everything went according to plan. It was a big risk to take though…Just betting on him taking the others with him, and the right ones at that. Not all of them were part of…that”
Sheathing his sword, he opened his book, skimming over old, barely readable notes: “Dare I say, you have become quite reckless. I didn’t think you’d take the risk Xisuma poses to you…I assure you, he knows more than you think he does. Truly, I wonder what gave you the confidence to decide the power of a Voidwalker with administrative abilities wouldn’t be any problem whatsoever”
The rift didn’t answer, of course it didn’t.
“But, the thing I really don’t get is what made you think I wouldn’t cause any problems”, he grabbed a pen, starting to write notes on one of the few still empty – but equally as yellowed – pages: “I will let history play out, I made that clear to you long ago, but I won’t let you tear the fabric between the Universes and destroy time. My mission is to preserve the past, and therefore time has to exist, you know that as well”
Quickly, the page was filled with names, hermits and his fellow Emperors.
“You know, Tango remembers. Did you cause that? And just how much can he recall? Just the last one, or all three? I feel like he knows less than Jimmy. Oh, while we’re on the topic of memories, you did a better job at burying Scott’s this time, but I’ve seen the way he looks at poppies. The first one is still in his subconscious, though I wonder why it’s only that one. None of them fully remember anything, not even Joel or Grian, so your plan, no matter how well thought out, didn’t quite work. At least it hasn’t yet”, he gave the rift a quick glare, or rather, the things that lay beyond it, caused it in the first place: “And I’ll make sure it stays that way”
Should his friends ever become truly aware of the lives they had led in different times and dimensions, the fragile walls separating each of them would come crashing down, most likely erasing existence itself. Truth be told, he didn't know the exact outcome, should that happen, but he wasn't very keen on finding out. The only thing he was certain about was that it would be a catastrophy.
“Sausage’s dimension hopping may be destabilizing things”, he continued while putting notes next to each of the names, what they remembered, how safe he deemed them to be: “But it’s also inevitably bringing him closer to you. He’ll find you, especially now that he has his saint in his vicinity…It truly was a questionable decision to allow her to cross, and put her into the correct outfit as well…Was that your doing? Or were you simply unable to stop her and the Universe put her back into the correct place of the puzzle? Whichever it is, it won’t end well for you. Your best bet may be Gem and False, but the latter has complete amnesia regarding Hermitcraft and Gem, well, her paradoxical awareness of both worlds and everything that entails does pose a threat to the continuity of time and the fabric of the Universe, I’ll give you that”
The book was closed in one swift movement and he properly faced the rift again, looking sternly at it: “Fwhip and X are working on a way to stop you. I know Grian is, too. By doing all of this, you have mainly brought a lot of people against you…Perhaps they will put a permanent end to your access to these powerful forces nothing should be able to tap into. Only time will tell. However, I’m fairly certain that I will remain. You are getting greedy. As if taking a hold of Grian to enable your death games wasn’t dangerous enough”
While looking into the purple, it seemed to deepen, almost becoming an abyss of purple swirls, quickly rushing through the depths.
“You don’t like me stating the truth, do you?”, it seemed to be drawing him in, yet he didn’t move a single step, firmly anchored to the stone underneath his feet by nothing but experience and willpower.
He laughed breathlessly: “I’ll take that as a no”
“But I guess I should have seen it coming, after all you did with Martyn back then, giving him clues and abstract messages that had no sense just to see him scramble for answers that didn’t exist”, he paused: “You know, we’ve been aware of each other’s existence for eternities now, yet I still don’t know your motive for…everything. And I don’t necessarily need it to know I strongly oppose your methods and goal, but that doesn’t keep me from being curious”
In his vision, the swirls continued, drowning out everything else until the glass itself appeared like a fluid mass to him, like a portal. And its’ calls grew louder.
“Oh, I see”, Pix stared at it, the open invitation directly in front of him: “If I follow, will I see this place again?”
The portal started pulsating.
“Well, that doesn’t answer anything”, he sighed: “You know you cannot harm me…You better allow me passage back here”
He stepped forward, the pulses got quicker. It sounded like a heartbeat.
“I agree, we do need to talk”
And with that, Pix stepped through the rift.
Somewhere in the world, Grian was awoken by the hum of magic.
In the church of Sanctuary, Pearl stood on the altar, staring mindlessly at the empty seats as a purple light filled the building.
Under a magical tree, Bubbles barked as her owner’s trinkets from foreign dimensions glowed.
On a ranch, the smell of smoke filled the air as the red sand outside flickered.
On the deck of the Reginald, the Void called Xisuma’s name as his admin screens shut off.
And in each Empire, the rulers dreamed of lives long past.
And the Universe cracked.