Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Life existed in flashes.

It was like they were watching through a red tainted window; a beautifully horrible stained glass that shattered his vision into shards. Trapped within their body as the haze of corruption controlled their actions; a puppet on strings being played by a higher being without their best interests at heart.

They’d been asleep for a long time, dormant, gaining enough power to wake. Then, like a switch had been flipped, they were active, alive, awake in a different world. Exor’s voice dominated their thoughts, a constant headache controlling their every coherent moment.

Players were here.

A group of twelve playing at emperors. Some easy to manipulate and control, others easy to scare into submission. Terrorizing them kept the headache at bay, Exor happy with his work for a time.

But it wasn’t enough. It was never enough.

Exor demanded more.

Corrupting the one called Sausage into doing their bidding wasn’t hard. Convincing the one called Joey that they cared about them was pleasingly easy. The dragon wouldn’t live long. The unexpectant assistance from the Cod boy and his allies, in a desperate attempt to get the ugly cod-head back was unexpected but gratifying.

They would be free.

Then through the red haze they saw him.

Cyan haired, giant snowy owl wings spread across his back, elf ears that matched his own. They couldn’t help but frown. For some reason the tense shoulders, stony gaze and warrior’s stance seemed wrong. They didn’t know what was different about this one, but whenever they focused on them, Exor’s shouts grew louder in his mind, deafening him more than normal.

He didn’t like to think about that little emperor, but they always found their mind drifting back to them. The others called him Smajor, the Elven King of Rivendell. A cold and hard elf, stubborn and seemingly without care for few not of his kingdom. 

The name Scott echoed in his mind along with childish giggles, and a warmth in his stomach different to the blazing heat that coursed through him constantly.

Rivendell also seemed familiar, though the one in his rare dreams had long fallen to time. This one was a mockery, built for a childhood long gone. Yet they couldn’t help but linger on the mountainous citadel and its ruler. The not-quite familiarity eery in a way that irked him yet continued to draw him in, desperate for answers to the questions plaguing his mind.

The dragon fight distracted him.

It took all his focus and limited power to ensure the little emperors went through with the plan. Defeating the dragon and freeing him from his limited power. He was finally at full power, unstoppable. Exor cheered excitedly in his head.

Scott called him brother.

He didn’t know what that word meant, but it felt right. He liked the way it sounded. Scott took his return as mocking.

Freedom meant more power. Corruption choked his lungs as it entangled the empires in its vines. Few could escape his reach; only the water keeping the Axolotl safe, and ignorance her husband. Sausage and Joey fell further into his control, puppets dancing on strings just as he danced to Exor’s tune.

The wizard had the egg.

The only chance to stop him. Exor screamed until he came up with a plan to kidnap her and get her to reveal its whereabouts. Sausage and Joey took Scott as well. His two biggest enemies, trapped in a dungeon in the depths of Mythland. He should be happy, Exor certainly was, but the warmth that Scott brought about in him was staring to burn in a different way to the lava he was used to.

Seeing Scott’s stubborn glare even amongst the bruises and broken feathers littering his body, hurt in a way he couldn’t explain.

They escaped.

He couldn’t decide if he was glad or not. Exor certainly wasn’t. He spent three days with a blinding migraine from all the screams and insults, unable to hear anything but the noise in his head let alone move or think.

The days moved on. Plans of destruction and domination continued.

Then they found a way to destroy his corruption.

Some combination of their magics and powers, keeping his power at bay in their empires. Their control was slipping. Joey remained loyal, but others interfered in his corruption of Sausage. His follower was lost to him.

They took a prisoner as a last-ditch attempt to regain their power and control. The scared little mushroom girl. Even her wolves couldn’t protect her as he snatched and caged her. She would only be freed if he got the egg. The plan was perfect.

He was tricked.

The wizard, the farmer, the pacifist, … and Scott. His minion Joey tried to protect him but failed when outnumbered. Even in his element, he lost. The mushroom girl went free and he was trapped in a circle of their design allowing the wizard to cast their spell.

The last thing he saw was Scott. Eyes sad as he watched their fall and imprisonment.

Then everything was different.

For the first time that he could remember he was alone in his head. Exor’s voice banished. He was trapped, in a crystal of all places and handed over to his brother at his request.

He knew what that word meant now. Flashes came back to him. A pair of happy young elves; the older with purple hair and the younger with cyan. Playing, learning, and living together. The happiness didn’t last. Red corruption took over everything as it always did.

They didn’t know how long they were in that crystal. The silence was deafening, only their sobs to fill the void he was in and soon he went deaf to even those. He didn’t know what was better; the endless noise of his master’s screams, or the maddening silence of his new prison.

Then things got cold.

The burning heat that normally consumed him petered out, replaced with a freezing cold. Something he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Shivers shook his warped form, frostbite nipping at his nose and fingers. The cold surrounded and encased him.

Eternal winter had arrived.  

He cried again when the cold stopped. The flashes of the outside world were brief and fractured, like looking through shards of broken glass. They put together enough of the pictures to work out the mushroom girl had stolen them.

They felt the world shake.

The crystal fractured, shattering into a thousand pieces and freeing him once again. Exor’s voice returned to blind his mind. Scream and shouts, cheers and cackles taking up their every thought. They’d been freed, they had a second chance to seek their victory.

Rivendell was the first to be choked in corruption. The protective crystals shattered and replaced with those of their own making. Ravines of lava splitting the mountains, vines of red curling into the sky and marking their territory.

The end was nigh.

They waited for the return of Scott. His brother… what did that word mean again? There was no doubt they’d return, then they’d get their revenge. Trap him in a crystal like he’d done to them. It would be poetic irony, and they were sure he’d make a lovely necklace. A prize to wear as he took over this world and killed the other emperors. 

Scott arrived as expected. Then trapped, just as planned. Helpless.

He hesitated even as he cackled in victory. Somewhere deep in the back of his head he thought he could hear a scream that didn’t come from Exor. Strange.

They were ready to perform the spell, trap Scott forever more. Take his victory as they deserved, as Exor demanded. Everything was going according to plan, he’d won.

Then Scott drew the sword.

He laughed. What good would the sword do? Scott was trapped and they were free. Exor cackled in tandem, exclaiming something about the pathetic-ness of champions. Scott remained stubborn; head held high in the face of their mocking.

He turned the sword on himself.

They were tied as champions … as brothers. If Scott died so did Xornoth. They screamed, reaching out in a feeble attempt to stop Scott.

They were too late.

The agony of the ghost wound cleared his mind for the first time since the crystal left him in silence.

The light went out of Scott’s eyes, which had never wavered in their determination, hand on the sword only shaking slightly. Blood dripped from his lips as he crumpled to the ground. Dead.

Xornoth followed him, screaming in time with Exor in his mind.

He’d lost.

Why was he so relieved by it?

He died with a smile on his warped face, reaching for his brother, ignoring Exor’s screams for the first time that he could remember.

Peace.

Chapter Text

Waking up was like a dream.

Was a dream.

At least that’s what he thought this place was. A dream world. Crafted by his brother while he remained dead. Their souls being joined worked in their favour for once, dragging him along for the ride when Scott used the Rune Blade to create the perfect dream world.

Together even in death, morbidly poetic.

Fate loved things that.

Their memories of before were hazy. The powerful magic of the Rune Blade worked hard to repress them, letting new fake memories lull him into happiness. He let himself fall. It was the most peace he’d felt in a long time. Why shouldn’t he believe these memories? A family that loved him? A kingdom at peace? The normal life he should have had?

The happy memories of a life he’d never had were a bandage to a gaping wound in his soul. It was so easy to believe them, to be the person he could have been. Should have been. Life was peaceful and simple. He had a home, a purpose, his brother, everything he could have wanted with none of the pain or worries.

Scott was troubled.

It wasn’t hard to see. Always looking at him wrong, avoiding his husband, forgetting simple things. He spent more time than normal in the library, and the one time he’d interrupted his reading, Scott had been deeply focused on boring history textbooks that no one ever read, not even Scott normally. Scott had been cagey the whole interaction too, acting weirder than normal, and that was saying something.

Plus, he wasn’t as good at masking his emotions as he thought he was, at least not to Xornoth. He couldn’t cope with the peace, couldn’t just be happy. Scott had always been like that. Stubborn. It ran in the family.

Eventually it got too hard to watch and they confronted him. He just wanted his brother to be happy, happy like him. Scott ran, or rather flew away, spouting words that made the fuzzy part of his brain tingle more than normal. The fake memories fighting to repress the real ones that haunted him.

He chased after his brother, knowing which way to go based off of surveillance he’d done before. They sat on that cliff, Scott playing the denial game until he pushed the right buttons. Then Scott spilled the whole, horrifying story.

He couldn’t ignore the flood of memories as Scott shared his secrets. Scott only told the abridged version but the things he described seemed so clear in his mind, pictures flashing in a haze of red, filling in the gaps. It all made sense, too much sense. Why did it make so much sense?

He couldn’t push down the real memories any longer.

The portal opened up as Scott cried for everything he’d lost. A swirling mess of white and cyan colours hovering just above the ground, it gave him a headache just looking at it. Scott’s family called him home. What could they do in the face of their brother’s happiness? So, they gave him a smile and a hug, wishing him well on his way home.

He just wanted his brother to be happy.

Why couldn’t they just be happy?

They were left behind, the distinct feeling of loss heavy in their stomach as they stood in the dirt a million miles from home and the easy life he’d given into. Waving at a tear in space, their brother long gone, back to where they truly belonged. Back to his family and a world that cared about him.

The memories they’d buried came back into order. They knew everything. Every horrible detail of what they’d done. What they’d done to those emperors, to strangers, to his brother during the long years possessed by Exor. Things that had been clouded by Exor’s influence became clearer. He held his head trying fruitlessly to ward off the painful memories as tears dripped down his face.

He felt the world start to crumble.

With its creator gone, there was no dream or wishes, no power to create the perfect dream world. No source of power meant no world. Cracks formed in the sky; crevices splintered ground, the world shook. Reality crumpled.

They panicked.

The swirling portal was still open in front of them.

Diving into the light felt right in a way few of their decisions had for a very long time. Their soul desperate to follow its brother wherever they may go, desperate to escape the self-destructing world of lies. Light consumed their senses. Blinded and deafened they stumbled around for an age, never getting anywhere yet unable to stop pushing through an invisible barrier.

Everything stopped.

The light dimmed. Their senses returned to normal slowly. Moving their hands from their ears allowed the gentle sound of mooing in the distance to sooth him. The grass was damp, morning dew seeping through their trousers as they kneeled on the ground. The taste of copper filled their mouth, tongue aching in a dull throb. The smell of flowers filled the air around them. Reluctantly they moved their hands from their eyes, allowing the sun to peak through them. 

Stumbling to unsteady feet he gazed across his new surroundings, still dazed from the portal, feeling like a new-born deer with shaky legs. Hands shaking as he stared wide eyed at the world which was distinctly not the one he’d just come from.

First thing he noticed – there was no Scott. Wherever the portal lead it wasn’t to his brother. There wasn’t anyone around in fact. He was alone once again.

The second was the landscape. He stood on the edge of a cliff, shrubs and trees around him, a circular crevasse filled with water situated below him. An eclectic mix of buildings surrounded the lake.

A dark mansion stood proud on one side of the lake. A small wooden hut modelled after a lantern hung over the lake below him. Small islands representing different seasons hovering high, simple wooden bridges spanning the gaps of some, a rainbow proudly dominating a central one. Below the tunnel stood another tunnel, weird aquatic life swimming past. In the distance was a thick forest, a pagoda, and a collection of other odd buildings.

It was like a collection of different creatures had settled in one place. Or a shapeshifter.

He took a step forward, only for his boot to hit something hard. Glancing down, they were met with a sword. A familiar one at that.

The Rune Blade.

He crouched down to inspect it, hand hovering over the handle before finally lifting it up. The metal was clear as a mirror, no sign of any blood ever touching it – a small mercy. He held it up to the light, the blue writing along the blade glowing in tandem with the gem in the hilt. His non-warped self-reflected back at him. Purple hair and eyes from so long ago returned, no signs of corruption or Exor’s influence left in the face frowning back at him.

Their confused gaze returning to his surroundings, the Rune Blade dropping to hang loosely in his hand. There was nobody in sight, no hint of other players outside of the buildings. He was alone. And for the first time since he was a child, truly free.

That only left one (immediate) issue.

Where was he?

Chapter Text

They roamed the strange world in search of answers. Or players. Whichever came first.

Neither appeared.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been wandering the paths and wildlands of the world, the Rune Blade attached to a belt he’d found in one of the chests in the weird area he’d started in. A meagre backpack with a few necessities scavenged from the same place. He had the strong feeling whoever had built the area wouldn’t be needing them anymore.

Occasionally he’d stumble across built up areas like the one he’d appeared in. All themed strangely, built with varying accommodations in mind. All clearly abandoned. For how long he couldn’t tell.

First had been a stone castle, far too big for a normal player. A set of four beds in the main room, cows wandering the corridors and towers. It didn’t seem finished. Everything in this world felt unfinished. They weren’t sure they wanted to know what had happened here.

He kept walking. They walked past several built up areas; a strange almost alien landscape of slime, a tall red pagoda-like building, an upgraded village surrounded by warning signs and pumpkins, a beautiful church near a darker themed village, a giant hedge sphere on a hill. The buildings went on and on. All abandoned.

He stole resources only when they were needed, scavenging through abandoned chests littered amongst the buildings. Some organised, others chaotic in nature. Some within dedicated buildings, others scattered outside. Building projects never to be completed.

It went on and on with seemingly no end in sight, and more importantly - no answers. They didn’t know where they were, why they were here or how to leave. Their wanderings were almost pointless in nature, the only idea they could come up with was to find the world spawn. The only problem with that was that they had no clue where it was, or what good it would do. Yet something pulled at him, so on he walked.

The whole land was strange; filled with creatures and biomes he’d never seen before. He’d had more than one bad encounter or dangerous moment with something new, but they kept marching on.

They weren’t sure how many days they’d spent exploring the ghost land before they found themselves on a cliff overlooking a valley. He paused, unsure why but getting the distinct feeling this place was significant.

A river ran around a small island at the base of the steep cliff, a few stray buildings had been constructed around the edge of the ring, and some lily pad stepping stones had been placed to help cross the river. 

In the middle of the island stood a cyan and white sort of bandstand-like structure. Nothing but four posts and a roof. He could vaguely see some labelled barrels and a small path beside it. Before he was even aware of what he was doing they were scrambling down the cliff, eyes locked on the island. 

That was a starting point if he’d ever seen one, and it was in Scott’s signature colours.

He crossed the lily pads, careful to keep his shoes dry and avoid the strange creatures he could see lurking on the water. He’d encountered them before and he didn’t want to repeat it. Safely making it across the water he followed the dirt path to the shelter.

They paused in front of it, reaching out to run a hand along one of the posts, overcome with emotions he couldn’t describe or give reason for. Bracing himself, they stepped forward bridging the last gap until they stood in the centre of the structure.

Nothing happened.

He wasn’t sure he’d been expecting something to but he still felt a swirl of disappointment. They were sure this was the world spawn and they didn’t know where else to go. They had no communicator, no way to contact people, no way to tell Scott they were alive. And that’s if they were alive. They still weren’t entirely convinced.

They ran a frustrated hand through their hair and over their face, tilting their head down. His eye caught a glimpse of light. Frowning he turned his attention down, pinpointing the source to the Rune Blade still hanging loyally at his side.

The gem and inscription were glowing brightly. They hadn’t done that since he’d arrived in this place, who knows how long ago. Releasing the sword from its stolen scabbard, he held it reverently in both hands, hopeful but unsure what exactly it meant.

He wasn’t left wondering long.

The glow grew and grew, to blinding levels, encasing first the entire sword then crawling over his hands and up his arms until it completely covered his body as he could only watch with increasing panic. Soon he couldn’t see for the light, a tingling feeling racing around his entire body.

He couldn’t breathe.

Then like it had never begun, it stopped. The glowing vanished all at once, he wrenched open his eyes unsure when he’d even closed them. Dropping the sword like it had burned him, they watched it bounce against the marble floor, a horrible clanging sound hitting his ears as it landed.

Swallowing, he stumbled a step back, quickly realising he was somewhere completely new. A blank beige corridor greeted him in both directions. An odd player shuffled past, several chatting on communication and others talking with friends, but none paying any attention to him or his sudden arrival. The familiar sight of portals littered the walls of the corridor, the only things breaking up the monotonous whiteness.

He had no idea where he was.

A reoccurring theme lately, but not one he felt he could ever get used to.

Spinning around he was greeted by a portal at his back. Stumbling back, nervous after his recent adventures with portals, he grunted as his boot hit the dropped Rune Blade. Scowling he poked the sword with a finger. Nothing happened. Giving it a suspicious glare, he reluctantly picked it up, replacing it in the scabbard. They weren’t sure why but they had the distinct feeling he should keep it; besides it had been his only true loyal companion during his time lost on that weird world he’d come from. Maybe he was feeling a bit sentimental, sue him.

Sword dealt with; he turned his attention back to the portal he’d apparently come through. It was a swirling grey portal, built into the walls with no defining feature separating it from any other along the corridor. The only way to identify it was the wooden sign hanging above.

Afterlife SMP

Admin: Scott Smajor

Inactive

Xornoth stood staring at that sign in silence for several moments, unable to really take in what they were seeing. His brother had played on the sever which would explain why they’d appeared there, but that didn’t explain its abandoned state. What did ‘inactive’ mean? Were the players okay? Had some disaster occurred or had they all simply moved on?

It also didn’t offer any answers as to where they were or where Scott was.

With no better choices presenting them, and the distinct lack of desire to re-enter the portal, they chose a random direction and started walking down the corridor.  They had no idea where they were going but they’d discovered it was much better to keep moving rather than let the memories that haunted him catch up.

As he marched down the corridor, he couldn’t help but inspect some of the portals as he passed, curious; vaguely taking in names and admins in hopes of spying something familiar. No such luck. He did, however, piece together a pattern. Portals labelled active all seemed to be white, those inactive like the Afterlife one he’d come through were grey, and he’d only seen one lacking a portal entirely but the sign labelled it dead and he got a very bad feeling from the area, so he’d hurried past quickly. 

Eventually the corridor opened up to a large circular room with a dramatic domed roof made of glass that allowed rays of light to peak through. It was a grand room, but rather empty in decorations outside of the centre piece – a gigantic tree reaching up to the glass roof. A few benches were placed strategically around the large tree, many of which were full with players of all shapes and sizes. Spinning around he spied corridors like the one he’d come out of going off in two other directions from the centre. On the last wall was a grand entrance way with closed doors.

It was busy in the room, which he could only assume to be the central part of whatever building he was in. Players rushed by, seemingly in a hurry or with purpose; a few hovered waiting for people; or sat on the benches chatting with others. They couldn’t remember seeing this many people ever before in their life.

Breathing got harder. The walls felt like they were closing in. Everything was too loud. They couldn’t think straight.

They rushed for the doors, unsure where they led but confident anything was better than this. He slammed the door open, ignoring some protests from other nearby players as he barged past, just glad for the fresh air that finally made it into his heaving lungs.

The blue sky above blinked, the sun shining happily down on him as he found himself in what amounted to a city square. Gardens taking up the rim, a fountain in the middle, and a wide path separating the space from a collection of bright shops. It was somehow busier than the building he’d just fled from.

Spying an empty bench, half hidden under a tree in a corner, he made a beeline for it. Practically collapsing in the shaded quiet space, he took several moments to get his breathing back under control. They were so out of their depth, in every regard.

“Are you okay?” A gentle voice startled them, eyes darting up to the culprit. A player with long pink hair, and a black hoodie was smiling down concerned at them.

“Niki, you can’t just talk to random people.” An exasperated man with short brown hair, white glasses with mix-matched coloured lenses, and stripped blue hoodie was watching his friend with arms crossed a few steps behind.

Niki, apparently, rolled her eyes at him and then persisted, taking a small step forward. “Ignore Jack. Are you doing, okay?”

Xornoth opened their mouth a few times trying to come up with an answer but finding themselves unable to vocalise anything. Niki just smiled sympathetically, waving to the bench beside him in question to which they nodded stiffly in reply.

“Great.” Niki took a seat, being careful to stay several inches apart to give him space. Her friend who had flung his arms up in frustration, shuffled closer but stayed far enough away to not be in their space. “I’m sorry if I’m disturbing you but you looked a bit overwhelmed over here.”

They nodded again, that was a strong understatement.

“Have you been to the hub before?” Niki prodded gently.

He shook his head, finally finding his voice. “No, I got here by … by accident.” Their voice wobbled, unsteady from disuse but it got the message across.

“What? You’ve never been to the hub before? How’s that possible?” Jack exclaimed stalking closer to end up next to Niki’s side of the bench, curiosity overtaking his initial apprehension.

“Jack, be nice!” Niki sighed, exasperated with her friend. “I’m sorry about him, but he does make a good point. Did you stay on a private server with family?”

“I was trapped for a while, then got lost.” Xornoth tried to summarise everything he’d been through without mentioning the whole possessed and evil part. “Ended up here somehow. Is this place called the hub?”

Niki nodded, shuffling ever so slightly closer on the bench, but still keeping enough distance to not overwhelm him. “It sounds like you’ve been through a lot.” She glanced at their surroundings and the busy square half hidden from sight. “Yes, this place is called the hub. It’s a central place where players can move between servers or pick up supplies. Some people even live here for a while between servers.”

They nodded along, eyes following Niki’s to the square. The crowd of busy players moving every which way made him swallow, how long could he hide here before he had to move on?

“You got a name?” Jack asked, getting more invested despite his initial protests.

Niki’s eyes widened at that, hand waving. “Oh Notch. I’m sorry, we didn’t introduce ourselves, did we? I’m Niki, and this insensitive lump is my friend Jack.”

“Xornoth.” They even managed to sound half confident about their own name. He counted that as a win. He’d take what he could get at the minute.

Niki gave him an earnest smile for that, “Is there anyone I can call for you?”

“I was looking for my brother.” They offered. Finding Scott was starting to look like a monumental task with all the people here and the seemingly endless corridors of server portals he could be on. That wasn’t even mentioning if Scott would want to see him - they just didn’t know what else they could do. 

“Have you tried calling him?” Jack tried, displaying his communicator which was decorated with half-peeling faded flame stickers.

They looked at the device, they’d seen them plenty of times before and knew vaguely what they were based on everything he’d seen but he had no idea how to use one. “I don’t have one.”

It was the wrong thing to say based on the look the two friends shared.

Niki’s smile flickered a bit before turning back to him. “Do you know any server they mentioned or anyway of finding them?” 

He had no idea what sever Scott would be on; Empires was gone, and Afterlife which he’d just come from was firmly abandoned. Actually, strike that, hadn’t Scott mentioned another sever he loved while confessing in the dream world?

“He mentioned a Nox? And MCC, I think it was.” They scrunched up their face in thought, that was right, right?

Niki and Jack shared another look, this time visibly surprised at his words. “Do they compete? Niki and I do.”

“But Jack’s never won.” She couldn’t help but tease her friend.

Jack immediately spluttered in protested against the slander. “Neither have you!”

“You’ve competed more than me.”

“Barely!”

Xornoth couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips at the friend’s playful argument. “He helps organise it I think.” They interrupted the argument; confident that the pair could go on for a while if left to it.

“Oh, they’re a part of Noxcrew?” Jack asked nodding along, “That’s cool. They’re a great bunch of people.”

Niki rolled her eyes at Jack, “What he means to say is, what’s his name? We should be able to contact someone who knows him and reunite you.”

Smiling thankfully at the pair, glad that something was going his way for once. He sat up a bit straighter on the bench as he answered, “Scott. Scott Smajor.”

This time the pair’s reaction was almost comedic, but he didn’t understand the joke. Jack visibly jolted, taking a step back with eyes wide. Niki let out a little shocked gasp, eyes equally wide as her friends.

“Blimey! I didn’t know Scott had a brother!” Jack exclaimed, still startled at the revelation.

It was Xornoth’s time to blink surprised, “You know him?”

Jack snorted, “Of course, everyone knows Scott.”

“We both play on a server with him, Origins SMP, and obviously we know him through MCC. He’s a good friend.” Niki expanded on Jack’s remark.

Their smile got stronger at that revelation, “That’s great news! Do you know where he is? I need to find him.”

The two went suspiciously quiet, exchanging a worried glance which turned into a silent argument as his excitement sank. What had they missed?

“There’s a slight issue with that, mate.” Jack tried to explain, grimacing as he cut himself off.

Niki took over, “Your brother’s currently missing, alongside another group of players.”

“What?” They shot up, had something bad happened to the group on the Afterlife sever after all? “Who else is missing?”

“The normal group.” Jack mentioned as if it explained anything, then he scrunched up his eyebrows in visible confusion. “This is like the third time it has happened, where’ve you been to miss it all?”

“Out of it.” Was the only explanation they could muster, mind reeling with the idea their brother was missing and this was apparently the third time it had happened.

“Don’t worry!” Niki leapt to comfort them as he visibly deflated on the bench. “They always come back … sooner or later.” He wasn’t sure he was supposed to have heard the last part.

Jack shared another knowing look with Niki, before turning back to Xornoth. “Anyone else we can take you to?”

Xornoth shook their head, hopelessly lost now with no clue what to do with Scott missing. Then an idea struck him, “What about this Nox? Scott kept mentioning him. Would he be able to help me?” They were his only option. He couldn’t exactly ask for any of the former emperors, first because he didn’t know their fate and second, because they’d know exactly who he was and what he’d done, even if he hadn’t been entirely in control.

Niki seemed to consider that, “That’s not actually a bad idea. Nox and Scott are good friends, and I’m sure they could help you get settled until Scott comes back.”

“We’d offer to let you come with us but Origins isn’t guaranteed to be active.” Jack snorted at himself, leaving Xornoth confused about what he meant but not bothered enough to question it.

“Noxite it is then.” Niki nodded, getting back to her feet, glad they had at least a vague plan. This was not what either of them expected when they came to the hub, but weirder things had happened to them then meeting Scott’s long-lost brother, apparently.

Chapter Text

Finding Noxite turned out to be easier than expected.

After a simple message from Niki, mentioning Scott, they had a confirmed meeting just outside the MCC and MCC test server portals. Niki and Jack led the way, walking on either side of Xornoth to buffer them from the busy crowds. They kept up a constant stream of conversation, sharing stories of the Origins server they shared with Scott, which he only half heard amongst the buzz of noise in his ears.

The bland corridors seemed to go on and on. They watched their feet, allowing the repetitive footsteps to distract them from wandering thoughts about what this Noxite would say or think about their appearance. That’s if they even knew anything about him. Jack and Niki who were apparently good friends with Scott hadn’t even known he’d existed; why would this Noxite be any different?

Sooner than he would have liked, yet after far too long, they arrived. Niki and Jack’s conversation petering out naturally as they spotted the adjacent swirling white portals labelled with the servers and owners.

Jack looked around their surroundings as the trio stood in front of the portals. “Well, we’re here. Where’s Noxite?”

Niki rolled her eyes, “Be patient Jack, we surprised him with those messages, he’s a busy man. Give him a moment.”

As if summoned by Jack’s impatience, Noxite emerged from the portal labelled ‘MCC’, eyes on the communicator in his hand. It took a moment for him to look up, eyes latching onto Niki and Jack as Xornoth shuffled to hide behind them.

“Ayup.” Jack nodded at the admin.

“Jack. Niki.” Nox nodded back in acknowledgement, communicator still in hand. “I got your message, what’s this all about?”

“Straight to business than huh, Nox.”

Niki sighed, “Hi Noxite, ignore this idiot. Thanks for coming so quickly.”

Nox managed a smile at the pair. “You had me curious when you mentioned Scott, of course I came. So, what did you need to show me?”

“Oh, yes, right. We found someone who you might be able to help.” Niki smiled, then glanced behind her to spot Xornoth doing their best to stay hidden. Shuffling to pull him back into sight she gestured to him, “This is-.”

“Xornoth.” Noxite cut her off, eyes locked onto him in shock. Xornoth made the mistake of meeting his eyes, getting trapped in a staring contest that he was distinctly losing.

Jack glanced between the two perplexed by this development, “Erh? You know them?”

Nox nodded slowly, eyes never leaving Xornoth. “Of them. I can take it from here, thanks you two.”

Niki moved closer to Xornoth, offering a comforting smile. “That okay with you?”

They nodded, taking a deep breath. Despite the staring, Noxite wasn’t aggressive or intimidating, more surprised by their appearance. The fact that Scott had even mentioned them, and well enough for Noxite to recognise him on sight, suggested that Nox was trustworthy.

“Okay, okay.” Niki offered a last smile, “Well it was nice meeting you. Come on Jack.”   

“What?” Jack questioned, spinning around as Niki went to walk away, grabbing him by the arm on her way. “We’re just going?”

“Yes.” Niki gave him a pointed look, taking no mercy as she dragged him away even as he continued to protest.

Both Xornoth and Nox watched the pair disappear into the crowd, before retuning their eyes onto each other. Another silent stare off ensued.

Nox broke it, giving him a considering look. “Come on. Let’s talk somewhere private.” He gestured to the portal he’d emerged from.

Xornoth only hesitated a second before following them back to the portal, watching as they vanished into the swirling portal first. They put a cautious hand into the gateway, unsure about what sensation to expect, their recent history with portals hadn’t exactly been positive.

Biting his lip, he took a leap of faith and stepped forward until the white consumed them. It felt like a blink and then they were stumbling forward on a platform with colour everywhere around them. A giant dome stood in the background, various trucks and other small buildings and decorations all across the place.

Their head was a bit fuzzy, but the sensation was nowhere near as bad as their recent experiences. Noxite stood patiently at his side, giving them a moment to orientate themselves. “You good?”

“Yeah, yeah.” They nodded slowly, blinking a few times to try and remove the spots in their vision.

Noxite gave him a sympathetic smile, “Inter-server travel is hard at first, it gets better with time. Come on, let’s head this way.” They gestured down a path that winded out of sight.

They trailed after Noxite who walked with confidence, waving at the stray passer-by as they went. The journey was spent in silence, neither wanting to start the conversation until they were somewhere more private.

Eventually the more scenic and showy sights stopped, being replaced by an eclectic mix of cottages, all built in various styles and sizes. They stared at each one they passed in curiosity, but Nox kept walking until the end of the path.

Nox gestured to the last cottage, “This is Scott’s but I’m sure he won’t mind us using it.” They just nodded in reply, slipping into the main room as Nox held open the door. Noxite took no time in practically collapsing in the armchair, looking very relaxed and familiar with the place. How much time did he and Scott spend together here?

Xornoth was more nervous as they settled on the sofa opposite the admin, shuffling a bit to try and get comfortable, very aware of Nox’s eyes on them.

“You know when I got that message from Niki, I wasn’t expecting you.” Nox started, casually but leading.

“I’m surprised you even know who I am.” They answered honestly. They wanted answers here and they figured the best way to do that was to give honest ones themself. 

Nox’s expression was hard to read, “Scott shared some stories.”

That made them curious, what exactly had Scott shared? When they had first confronted them in full demon form, Scott had seemed to not even know them. It wasn’t until far later that Scott even made the connection and started calling him brother.

Nox continued, “Though in all of them, you were the long-lost older brother, stolen and corrupted by an ancient god. Forever lost.”

“How long has it been?” Xornoth asked bluntly, the question having bugged them for a long time. “Since I was taken?”

“A very long time. Most servers weren’t connected to the hub back then. Scott and you are very old by modern standards, even with the long lives’ players live.” Nox sighed sympathetic, “Scott tends to keep that part quiet.”

How much of their brother’s life did they miss? So much history, and life that he’d spent corrupted with no idea of all the time passing. They’d missed so much. Been a prisoner in their own body for so long.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you become uncorrupted and find yourself here?” Nox asked, raising an eyebrow at Xornoth who was fidgeting on the sofa across from them. They observed Scott’s brother, comparing him to the stories that Scott had shared with him during hard nights. The purple hair and eyes, pale skin and pointed ears matched Scott’s descriptions of his uncorrupted brother. It certainly looked like Xornoth was back to their pre-corruption self.

They nodded, biting their lip as they tried to decide where to start. “How much do you know about the end of Empires?” That might give them something to go off.

Nox raised a more curious eyebrow but answered; “Scott killed himself with an ancient sword, to stop you. It landed him in a dream world which his friends freed him from before they all escaped.” At the mention of the sword, Xornoth’s hand unconsciously crept to the sword still hanging at his side. Nox followed his movement to the sword, eyes widening slightly.

“Is that it? The Rune Blade?” Nox leaned forward, pointing at the sword. “I thought it was destroyed with the server collapse?”

Xornoth nodded, finger resting on the gem on the hilt. “I ended up in the same dream world, freed from corruption and mind clear for the first time that I can remember. When Scott escaped, the dream world collapsed.”

“Because the person who created it, Scott, had left.” Nox nodded along, listening intensely.

“Yes. I managed to slip through before it was destroyed. Found myself on another server which was completely abandoned, only the sword for company.” Xornoth continued their story.

Nox seemed to consider that for a moment. “You were connected to Scott which is how you must have slipped through. Where did you end up?”

“A place called Afterlife? It was completely abandoned; I don’t know how long it took me to find spawn. Somehow, I ended up in the hub. Niki and Jack found me.” Xornoth finished the story, shrugging.

Nox had sat up a bit straighter in his seat. “Afterlife?”

Xornoth tilted their head curious, “You know it?” They knew it had Scott’s name on it, but that didn’t mean Noxite would know it.

“Yes.” Nox nodded, “It was Scott’s latest world. A modded server which changed their species upon death, with deaths limited to ten each. They’ve moved on already, Fwhip’s admin for their second try at Empires.”

Which explained how abandoned Afterlife had been, but it also brought back up another question. “Jack and Niki mentioned Scott was missing? And it isn’t the first time?”

That made Nox wince, “Ah, yes. That’s … a bit more of a complicated matter.”

“Is he okay?” They asked desperately, leaning forward.

That made Nox pause, giving Xornoth a considering look. “You really care about him, don’t you?”

Xornoth let out an offended noise; “Of course I do! Look I know I’ve done some terrible things, but he’s still my brother! My baby brother! I love him.”

Noxite visibly relaxed at that. Xornoth hadn’t even realised they’d been holding something back until then, but it seemed they’d passed some unknown test.

The admin hesitated for a second longer before getting up from his armchair. He moved out of sight, entering another room deeper in the little cottage leaving Xornoth behind confused. When Noxite returned a moment later, he was carrying a photo frame. Nox looked down at it with a soft smile before handing it over to Xornoth.

They took it, eyebrows crunched up in confusion, Nox just nodded at the picture within the frame. As he finally looked at the photo, he lost the ability to breath. It was clearly a well-loved photo, crumpled edges not hidden fully by the frame, a bit faded in places, but it was still very obvious what it showed. The picture featured a much younger Scott and him playing in the snow, smiling lovingly at each other, blind to the camera and to their future. It took a lot of effort for him to tear his eyes away from it, from the picture of a past he’d long thought lost.

Nox gave him a gentle smile, closing his eyes for a moment as Xornoth finally looked back up, “He grieved you; you know? He’d wake up from nightmares about the day you were lost and the childhood that he spent so much time trying to forget. He loved you... loves you.”

Xornoth let out a startled breath, not even aware he’d been holding it in at Nox’s words. They felt like a drowning man who’d finally reached the shore, the words a breath of air to them. They’d doubted Scott’s feelings after everything, they wouldn’t have blamed them after everything that happened. Yet Noxite was so confident in their declaration, never doubting any word they uttered. They hadn’t known how much they needed to hear them; the only thing better would be seeing Scott again. He glanced back down at the photo, the weight of the frame comforting in his hands. Solid proof of their existence.

“Thank you.” They breathed, taking a second before pushing on with the questions. They needed to know. “Where’s Scott?”

“I don’t know.” Noxite gave him the truth, “No one has been able to find them when they vanish like this, but I think Scott knows more than what he’s been telling people.”

“What do you mean?” Nothing was making much sense.

Noxite nodded, glancing to the window of the cottage as he tried to work out how to start the explanation. “The first time it happened was just before they started Empires. Fourteen players, Scott included, vanished with no trace or clues. Two months later they returned randomly, none of them had any memoires of their time missing.”

Xornoth frowned, taking in all the new information. “What has the power to do that?”

“We don’t know. If anyone does, they haven’t been talking.” Noxite shrugged, he certainly had his suspicions.

“And that was only the first time?” They wanted the full picture, no matter how confusing it was; they needed to know.

“Yes. The second occurred during Empires, I’m surprised you didn’t notice.” Nox commented. He distinctly remembers Scott having messaged him in a panic about Xornoth sometime before he disappeared.  

Xornoth scowled, staring down at his hands, still unused to them being back to the pale skin they’d once been and not the corrupted black claws of his possessed self. “I wasn’t very aware of much while possessed. I wasn’t always active either, at least I don’t think. Things are fuzzy.” There were still large gaps in his memories that he wasn’t sure would ever be filled.

Nox nodded their understanding, a sympathetic grimace on their face. “Right. Well, the second time, seventeen of them went missing for three months. Once again, no traces, and when they came back, no memories.” 

“And this is the third time it’s happened?” Xornoth was nodding along, barely resisting the urge to hide his head in his hands out of frustration.

“Unfortunately.” Nox grimaced, “There’s another thirteen outside of Scott. They’ve only been gone for a week so far, and there’s no way of knowing how long it will be until they’re back.”

“And no one has any clue why or how it is happening?” Xornoth asked hopeful for actual answers. He’d travelled so far, gone through so much and he still couldn’t even be reunited with his brother.

Noxite sighed, “They don’t claim too, and we can’t find anything but like I said, I think Scott knows something, but whatever it is he hasn’t shared it with me.”

Xornoth nodded, “Who else is missing?” They were curious, even though they doubted they’d know much of the group. They didn’t exactly know many players.

“A few others from Empires; Jimmy and Joel.” Noxite raised an eyebrow as if to ask if he knew them, to which Xornoth nodded, those two he did know. Joel had been ignorant to his existence, but Codboy had been fun to terrorize and Scott had a version of him in the dream world. He wondered offhandedly if Scott ever did something about his feelings for him. “The others are mostly from a server called Hermitcraft, with a few other stray players. They’re all friends.”

They nodded, even though they didn’t recognise the name Hermitcraft. Their knowledge of other severs was limited purely to what they’d seen in the last day really, which wasn’t much. The pair sat in commiserating silence, neither sure what else to say.

Sitting on the sofa, Xornoth wiped at their eyes, suddenly aware of how exhausted they were. It had been a very long few days, and they still weren’t sure what they were going to do next.

Noxite watched them, eyes seeming to go straight to his soul. “I think you need a break; it sounds like you’ve been busy for the last few days, at least.”

“Where can I go?” Xornoth asked the question plaguing his mind, they didn’t know anyone outside of the former empires and he doubted they’d be happy to see him. “I don’t have anywhere or anyone with Scott missing.”

Noxite smiled softly, pulling himself to his feet. “Well, this is your brother’s cottage. I don’t think he’ll mind you staying here for a while, give you a chance to get back on to your feet.”

Xornoth followed them in standing, looking around the room in surprise at Noxite’s kindness. No one had been this kind to him for a long time; Jack and Niki had been the first time he’d experienced any kindness since his childhood. “Really?” They asked quietly.

“Yes.” Noxite smiled, moving towards the door to give Xornoth some peace to explore and then rest. He paused with a hand on the door, turning back to the purple haired elf. “And if you want, I’m sure we could find some space for you on the team while you figure out what you want to do.”

Everything was overwhelming, but for once it was in a good way. They couldn’t find the right words to express everything they wanted to say to Noxite for all they’d done. Thankfully Noxite seemed to understand, giving him a smile and nod before quietly closing the door and leaving him in peace to sort themself out.

Xornoth was left in his brother’s cottage, alone in blissful quiet. Maybe they actually had a chance to work out who they wanted to be without Exor hanging over him. Maybe they could try and be the elf they thought they could be before their childhood was ruined by spiteful gods. Maybe he could try living for the first time in a long time.

That night was the safest they’d ever felt.

Chapter Text

Working past a lifetime of possession had its ups and downs.

Noxite had kept good on his word. That was one up.

Xornoth stayed in his brother’s cottage, exploring every inch and cranny in peaceful moments to try and connect with the brother he’d lost to history. He’d read every book and journal he could find, gazed at countless photos of times long gone, piecing together the puzzle of Scott’s life since they’d been separated. The singular photo of himself and Scott remained his favourite, kept close as possible whenever he was in the cottage, easily distinguishable from the sea of strange faces and places that took up the rest.

Noxite had also provided some other books to catch him up on the history and current affairs he’d missed, sometimes even sitting with him and sharing stories; not just of Scott but of his own life and adventures, as well as general server news. He’d missed a lot in his time possessed, and the endless information often threatened to overwhelm him, but Noxite was nice enough to notice most of the time and do it in small doses.

It took them several days of hiding in the cottage before he felt brave enough to venture out, exploring the server his brother and Noxite loved so much. They saw plenty of people, some building away, others carrying papers and messages around, others just walking around the place, but none bothered him outside of a friendly wave and smile.

One day, a week or so into his time on the MCC sever, they found themself overlooking a room filled with platforms of varying heights and sizes. They’d seen it vaguely while exploring before, and they thought it was some kind of parkour challenge, but he’d never actually seen anyone in it. This time the sound of voices drew him in, curious where normally he did his best to avoid people. Maybe it was the tone, a friendly teasing, or the happy laughter, but they found themself peering down into the room gingerly.

Two players were in the room. One, a guy dressed in a white and orange hoodie with matching sneakers, stood higher on a platform laughing at his friend below, a woman dressed in a pale green stripped t-shirt, who was failing to make the jump up to join him. He watched quietly as the guy laughed happily as his friend shouted insults up at him. Even with the aggressive tones and distance, he could see the smile sneaking on her lips – she was having fun.

He snuck further into the room, doing his best to not catch their attention. Despite his best attempts, he didn’t succeed. One of his footsteps echoed loudly enough and the flash of movement was enough to catch the orange guy’s attention. He whipped round to stare at him, Xornoth automatically froze like a startled deer at the attention.

The distraction was all the orange guy’s friend needed, however, finally making the jump up to the higher platform and practically tackling her friend to the floor, dragging his eyes away from Xornoth.

“Aha! Got you. Take that!” She cheered very happy with herself, sitting up on the floor to laugh in her friend’s face.

Her friend rolled his eyes, also sitting up. “Took you long enough.”

“Meh, meh, meh. My name is OwengejuiceTV and I’m good at parkour, meh, meh, meh.” She mocked him jovially, poking a finger at his chest.

“We have a spectator, Eloise.” The guy pointed out, nodding in Xornoth’s direction. Eloise, apparently, made a confused expression but followed her friend’s nod to find Xornoth still frozen on the ledge above them.  

“Hey!” She shouted grinning, “You’re the new guy Nox said was going to be hanging around for a while!”

Her friend punched her in the shoulder, pulling himself to his feet while she whined. “Be nice, Nox said to give him space.” He turned back to Xornoth, “Sorry about her, do you want a go?”

Eloise joined her friend back on her feet, pouting. “What happened to giving them space?”

The guy ignored her, still smiling invitingly at Xornoth. They stood there, hands fidgeting, unsure what to do. “I don’t know how?” They asked, unconfident. It did look fun after all. He hadn’t had real fun in a long time.

The guy shrugged, waving him over. “Don’t worry, we’ll show you. You can’t be much worse than Eloise anyway.” He turned a teasing grin on his friend at the last comment.

Eloise retaliated by pushing him off the platform they were both stood on. “Hey! Who was the one that got you in here anyway!”

“I used to be a tester!” The guy argued playfully, mock offended face plastered on at Eloise’s reminder.

“And now you’re not!” Eloise countered, jeering down at him, “And you need me to sneak you in to play around.”

The guy scoffed, rolling her eyes at her, “We’re not exactly sneaky, I think that everyone knows you let me in.”

Eloise shrugged, “Nox doesn’t care and as long as no one openly admits it, no one really cares. They trust you.” She paused for a second, a wicked smirk taking over her face, “At least not after you redeemed yourself after trying to find every little bug during our first event.”

“Meh, meh, meh.” The guy rolled his eyes again, mocking her with his own playful smirk. Eloise jumped down to the slightly lower platform and pushed the gut off that platform. The player disappeared from Xornoth’s sight, with an aborted shriek of surprise.

 Xornoth scuttle closer to the edge to peer over, startled by the guy’s disappearance. They’d caught themself on a lower platform, completely unharmed and even still grinning, “That’s not very nice El! I was talking to our guest!”  

“Boo hoo!” Eloise grinned down at their friend, before turning to Xornoth, “Come on, it will be fun!”

“The game is better with more people too.” The guy added, jumping to a new platform.

Nodding a bit hesitantly, Xornoth glanced down trying how to actually get down into the room. Spying a ladder which seemed a bit out of place on one wall, they made their way over and climbed down onto a mid-height platform. Eloise and her friend had made their way over to be standing on platforms across from him, patiently waiting with matching grins.

“I’m Owen.” The orange guy finally introduced himself, “That’s Eloise.”

“Xornoth.” They introduced themself, shyly. Nerves biting away at him, this was more social interaction then he’d had to deal with in a long time.

“Hiya!” Eloise chimed in with a wave.

Owen gestured to the room around them, “This is parkour tag. Normally during tournaments one person is sent to try and tag three people from an opposing team, whose goal it is to avoid the tagger. The quicker you tag them, or longer you avoid getting tagged the more points you get.” He explained the game.

Xornoth nodded along, okay he could understand that. “So it’s a giant game of tag?” He was pretty sure he'd played tag with Scott back when they were little kids.

Owen grinned nodding, “Exactly.”

“Except with parkour platforms and obstacles to run around.” Eloise added in.

“Do you and Eloise want to run, and I’ll try and catch you?” Owen suggested, “I promise I’ll go slow ‘cause it’s your first time.”

“Let’s go.” Eloise cheered excitedly, jumping on the spot ready. Xornoth nodded, excitement building in their limbs, it had been a long time since they’d just had fun.

“Go!” Owen cheered, watching the pair sprint off as he counted down from five to give them a slight head start.

Eloise was giggling uncontrollably as she leapt across platforms and over obstacles only stumbling a few times, trying to keep a distance between her and Owen. Xornoth couldn’t help the few laughs that escaped him, even as he stumbled and barely made jumps, nowhere near as graceful or practised as the other two.

The three played for an hour, Xornoth growing more and more comfortable with the pair the longer the game went on. They switched tagger several times, and showed Xornoth cool jumps and tricks until they were all exhausted.

Laughing, and lighter than they’d felt in an age, Xornoth was all too happy to follow the two back to the main hub of the server, outside the circular building he’d come to know was called the Decision Dome. They collapsed onto a set of chairs around a table beside a closed burger van, still laughing, and happily exhausted.

“So, Xornoth.” Eloise leaned forward over the table, “What brings you to MCC if you don’t mind me asking? Noxite didn’t say much outside of you were staying at least for a while.”  Owen, who was leaning back in his chair, feet on the table and hands behind his head, tilted his head clearly listening in.

Offering a shy smile, they answered. “It’s a bit of a long story but basically I was trying to find my brother, and Noxite was kind enough to allow me to stay for a while because they’re friends.”

“Is your brother a competitor?” Owen asked curious, trying to piece together the reason Nox would allow someone looking for their brother to stay on the MCC server even if they were friends.

Xornoth nodded, “Apparently. I’ve been … away for a long time, but people say he is.” 

“Who is he then? Maybe Owen and I know him?” Eloise perked up, they both knew a lot of competitors, especially her with her role as part of the Noxcrew.

They hesitated for a second, before thinking back to all the fun they’d just had with the pair. What was wrong with giving people his brother’s name? Noxite had said that Scott didn’t share much of his past, the only people that likely knew about the demon thing were likely Noxite himself and the former Emperors.

Turning to the patiently waiting pair they shrugged, “Scott Smajor?”

The pair’s reaction was nothing less than comedic. Owen jolted, almost falling off his chair, legs falling to the ground as he sat up properly. Eloise’s eyes had widened dramatically, making a spluttering noise.

“Scott’s your brother?” Owen managed to get the words out, startled.

“I didn’t even know Scott had a brother.” Eloise finished spluttering, mouth gaping.

Xornoth nodded, glancing between the pair a bit startled by the drastic reaction. This was starting to become a pattern, was everyone going to react this way when they told him about Scott? Just how well known was his brother? “You know him then?”

“Who doesn’t know Scott?!” Eloise snorted.

Owen rolled his eyes at her, “Yes, we know Scott. He’s a good friend of ours. Met him through MCC actually.”

“No, sorry.” Eloise pressed brain still trying to register this revelation, “You’re really his brother?”

They nodded, “My little brother. We were separated when we were younger, and I only managed to get back recently.” He managed a small smile at the eagerly watching pair, joking. “I’m guessing he never mentioned me?”

Owen and Eloise shared a look before turning back to Xornoth with matching expressions, neither needing to answer. Eloise grinned suddenly, “Bek’s going to be sad she missed all this.” Owen laughed at that comment, though Xornoth was left confused by the remark.

“Wow.” Owen nodded, “This is mind-boggling information. Can’t believe Scott never told us.”

“If it makes you feel better, I think he only ever told Noxite.” Xornoth shrugged, “A lot happened when we were kids.” That was putting it lightly, but he really wasn’t wanting to get into all the details.

“I’m getting that feeling.” Eloise said. “So, what’s your plans? Ya know, with Scott being … gone at the minute?” They were skating over the disappearance though the pair shared a grimace at the reminder of their missing friend.

Xornoth shrugged, that was a loaded question. “I don’t really know. I’m just trying to work out who I am at the minute.”

Owen nodded in some sympathy, “A hard thing to do. You thought about starting your own world, getting some peace and just being creative? It can be very therapeutic.”

“If you want, we’re happy to give you some tips.” Eloise added cheerfully, “Meet up and chat, that kind of thing. What’s your communicator number?” She brought out her own communicator, typing away already.

“I … I don’t have one.” Xornoth admitted with a glance at the device. He’d never had the opportunity to get one or reason.

Owen and Eloise shared a startled look, everyone had a communicator. A silent conversation went between them and Xornoth was suddenly wary when they turned back to him with matching grins.

“Would you like one?” Owen asked excitedly. Bouncing a bit in his seat as El matched his energy.

Looking between his new friends, Xornoth had the impression that they weren’t getting a choice.

“I don’t have any money?” He tried to protest but it sounded weak even to his ears.

“That’s not an issue.” Eloise waved him off, already leaping to her feet, communicator in hand. “I’m going to tell Bek to meet us there.”

“Bek?” Xornoth asked, confused and more than a bit startled by the turn of events. Owen patted him comfortingly on the shoulder even as he helped Eloise drag him towards spawn.

“Another friend.” Owen answered, “She’ll want to meet you.”

Xornoth blinked, allowing himself to be dragged along only slightly reluctantly. “Where are we going?”

“Shopping!” The grin in Eloise’s eye scared him far more than he wanted to admit. Glancing between the pair again, who wore matching grins, he swallowed. What had they gotten themself into?

They couldn’t find it in themself to regret it.

Chapter Text

About a month later, Xornoth was on a private world of his own making.

The server whitelist was exceptionally small; consisting purely of Noxite and his new, mildly forced friends Owen, Eloise and their third friend Bek that they’d introduced during their communicator shopping trip. He spent most of the time on his own, farming, building and just generally surviving with no pressures or expectations. It was relaxing in a strange way.

They’d get the occasional visitor, which usually ended with chaos and zero work getting done, but it always brought a smile to their face. Apart from that, they spent the time enjoying the peace in his head. He was enjoying life for the first time he could remember since childhood, maybe even more than when he was a child, but there was still something missing.   

Noxite arriving on the world, near the admittedly shabbily built house at spawn, wasn’t unusual so he didn’t think anything of it at first. Not until he went to greet him and saw the expression on his face.

“What is it?” They may not have been the best at reading expressions because of the lack of human contact, but anyone could tell Noxite had serious news.

Noxite sighed, “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

Xornoth raised an eyebrow, “There’s not exactly anyone around to overhear anything.” They gestured to the natural surroundings and significant lack of people. A cow mooed faintly in the distance as if to emphasise his point, “Just tell me.”

“Okay.” Noxite accepted, taking a deep breath before making his announcement. “Scott’s back.”

Their eyes widened, rocking back on his heels at the sudden news. “What? When? How?”

“They all retuned yesterday, and it sounds like something has happened. Something different from the other times.” Nox explained gently.

“Have you seen him?” Xornoth moved closer, desperate for answers. 

Nox shook his head. “I’ve not seen them, and I’ve only been told the vague story. I just thought you should know.”

Xornoth nodded thoughtfully. “Can I … can I see him?”

Noxite hesitated, leaving a sinking feeling in Xornoth’s stomach. “I … I don’t think so. Not yet. I want to see what the situation is first, and then I’ll set up a meeting.”

“You swear?” Xornoth pressed urgently. They could understand Noxite’s logic and the fear of how the reunion with Scott would actually go was pressing but the desperate need to see his brother was clawing at him far worse than anything else.

“As soon as I can, I promise I’ll organise a meeting.” Noxite assured, “That I swear to you.”

Xornoth bit their lip, nodding. He glanced around at the little world he’d created. “Are you staying?”

Noxite sighed shaking his head. “I can’t, I’m sorry. But I’ll visit soon. With news hopefully.” 

“I appreciate that.” With a last smile, Noxite disappeared leaving Xornoth once again alone with his thoughts. The quiet and peace of the world that he’d enjoyed so much, now only served to let stray thoughts and worries plague him at every moment. He was beginning to hate waiting.

It was almost a month later that Xornoth got a new message from Noxite about Scott.

Noxite: About to attend a meeting where Scott and others are going to explain their disappearance, will update you when I can

While they appreciated the updates, it made it very hard to forget everything. To keep up the pretence that everything was okay. Tasks he’d once enjoyed doing because he didn’t have to think were spent wondering about Scott. Why had they vanished? Where had he been? What would he think of Xornoth’s survival? Was he okay?

Any spare moment in a day he was left with spiralling thoughts. It felt like they’d taken two giant steps back in all the progress they’d made while Scott had been away.

They had to wait another day for the message he’d been both eager for and dreading.

Noxite: Talked Scott into a meeting. Where do you want to do this?

Noxite’s question surprised him, but the more he thought about it the more grateful they were that Noxite had asked it. They could have the meeting on his world, show Scott all the progress he’d made but it was also harder to get Scott to go if things went wrong. They doubted he’d be allowed on the newest Empires server after everything that happened last time, so that was immediately ruled out.

Noxite: If you want, we could do it at MCC?

A second ping on his communicator distracted him from his troubled thoughts, and offered an alternative solution. If they had it on MCC they would be able to leave if things got out of hand, and while there may be others around to witness it, they knew people would leave them alone if warned to. It was the best solution. The only good solution really.

Xornoth: That would be great. Thanks

Xornoth: Does he know?

How much exactly had Noxite said about this meeting? Did Scott know what he’d agreed to or was he coming in blind?

Noxite: Just that there is someone he needs to talk to

A breath of relief escaped Xornoth, the idea that Scott didn’t know anything reassuring for reasons he couldn’t explain. He glanced at his communicator, memorising the time and date of the meeting Noxite had sent him and mentally tried to work out what tasks would be best to occupy his thoughts until then.

Two days later, Xornoth was nervously making his way through the hub. The combined anxieties of all the players in the corridor with the daunting meeting ahead created an awful combination.

It had been, by his best estimates, over two and a half months since he’d last seen his brother, since their time together in the dream world, since Scott had killed them both. The Rune Blade still hung at his side, a constant companion for better or worse. It had become a comfort despite knowing the blood that stained it. Maybe bringing it to the meeting wasn’t the best idea but they couldn’t bring themself to leave it behind.

Far too quickly, Xornoth found themself in front of the MCC portal that had been his home for a time. The portal was daunting, swirling almost hypnotically in his face. Bracing himself and taking a deep breath he stepped through. He couldn’t put this off any longer.

The familiar feeling of dizziness the portals always gave was expected but no less unpleasant. They grimaced; infinitely thankful the sensation was nowhere as bad as the first times they’d experienced it. He gave himself a second to regain their senses, glancing around the colourful world spawn with a fond smile.

Then he turned his mind back to the business at hand. Noxite was standing a few feet in front of him, waiting patiently with a sympathetic expression. Nodding in acknowledgement he closed the gap between them while Xornoth found themselves scanning the area for the familiar cyan hair of their brother.

“He’s not here.” Noxite said, knowing immediately what Xornoth had been doing. “He’s waiting at his house. Thought I’d come greet you.”

Xornoth just nodded at that, thoughts already running away from them. Had Scott arrived early? Or had Noxite told them different times to avoid a confrontation outside in the open? Either way they found themselves thankful for the extra few minutes to prepare themselves, and the more private location for the mess he could predict ahead.

Noxite just gave him a smile and started off down the familiar path to Scott’s little cottage on the outskirts of the server. The admin didn’t try to fill the silence, but his presence alongside them was comforting in itself.

It was far too soon that the pair arrived at the cottage. Hesitating outside the door, Xornoth glanced at Nox who just nodded in reassurance. Swallowing down the ball of anxiety, he tensed his shoulders and opened the door. It was now or never, and as tempting as never seemed right now he’d waited and worked too hard to get there to back down now.

Scott was lounging on the sofa in an odd position, likely to accommodate the giant owl wings attached to his back. Xornoth wanted to ask about those, he distinctly remembered Scott not having those as a child, the closest he’d come was a fascination and mutual love with the messenger owls that Rivendell used. His brother didn’t even look up from the sketchbook he was drawing in at the sound of the door creaking open.

He took a moment to just take in his little brother. It was the first proper look he’d gotten when they weren’t trapped in a dream world or on opposing sides of their godly patron’s war. Unlike back then, Scott’s wings were pristine and shiny. His hair was its usually cyan mess and the worry lines on his forehead had receded allowing him to see the laughter lines beside his mouth. He seemed happier.

“Hey Nox.” Scott called, giving his page a thoughtful look. “What is it you wanted to talk about?”

Xornoth moved into the room, allowing Nox to do the same after closing the door behind them. He didn’t miss the fond roll of the eyes from Noxite at Scott’s behaviour.

Nox crossed his arms, “If you actually put your sketchbook down you might have already figured that out.”

Scott paused in his sketching, but still didn’t look up. “I’m trying to design the latest build for Chromia.” He waved a hand offhandedly at them before sighing and putting the pencil behind his ear. “Fine, what is -.”

Xornoth could tell the exact moment that Scott registered his presence. His words faltered, hand dropping to his lap, pencil dropping and rolling out of sight, as he sat up properly eyes widening dramatically. A second later, he tensed, hands darting to his waist for a weapon he didn’t have. Xornoth held their hands up in surrender, trying to appear harmless.

“It’s okay Scott.” Nox spoke up, warily watching the brothers stuck in a staring contest.

“Nox.” Scott protested, not breaking eye contact.

“I’m not here to hurt you.” Xornoth finally found their words, speaking up quietly but firm. “Or anyone else. I swear Scott.”

Scott hesitated at that, finally breaking eye contact in favour of glancing between Nox and Xornoth who just watched the way thoughts were visibly racing across his mind.

“You’re really here?” Scott asked, voice breaking. He shook his head and pressed on firmly before Xornoth could actually answer. “How are you here? Why are you here?”

Nox gave the pair a final look before nodding to himself satisfied. “Right, I’ll leave you two to it. No hurting each other please.” With a final wave, Noxite completely ignored the matching betrayed expressions from the brothers as he happily departed the little cottage.

The sound of the door swinging firmly shut echoed loudly in the silent room. The brothers both turning their attention away from the door and back to each other.

“Well?” Scott asked, eyebrow raised and on the defensive.

Xornoth frowned, but gestured to the armchair opposite Scott. Scott seemed wary but gave a little nod, so Xornoth sat down back straight and very aware of the tension still suffocating the room. “Scott-.”

“Why are you here, Xornoth?” Scott cut him off, tone angry and eyes alight in righteous fury. “Whatever your planning won’t work, I swear if you try to hurt anyone-.”

“Scott.” Xornoth cut off the rant. “I’m not possessed anymore.” 

Like the wind had been taking out of his sails, Scott slumped back. “You mean?” He asked quietly but hopeful.

Xornoth nodded, “It’s me, Scott. Really me. No Exor or anything.”

Scott bit his lip, tilting his head thoughtfully, still not quite trusting but desperately wanting to. “How?”

They smiled softly at their little brother, the moment they’d been waiting for suddenly here and the words he’d been preparing for so long didn’t seem like enough. “I think a mix of the Rune Blade and our souls being intertwined. When you … when you left the dream world it collapsed. I jumped through the portal just in time and ended up on your old server Afterlife. Eventually made it to the hub and Nox.” They shrugged as they tried to summarise the last three months. It felt like so long ago that he’d been possessed but compared to how long he’d spent under Exor’s control it was a blink of an eye.

“That was really you in that dream world?” Scott sat up straighter; eyes wide and never drifting from him.

Xornoth nodded, “I wasn’t aware of it at first, the memories fuzzy, but when you told me what happened it all came flooding back.”

Scott just nodded along, thoughtful and clearly a bit overwhelmed by the situation. That was understandable, they were throwing a lot at Scott who’d already been going through a lot. To distract himself, Scott’s eyes were drawn to the Rune Blade still hanging at his side, frowning. “That’s a dangerous weapon.”

Xornoth grimaced, “I’m aware.” They both knew how it felt for that sword to kill them after all, Scott a bit more directly than him.

Scott hesitated, a troubled expression on his face. “Keep a close eye on it, and maybe limit the people that know of its continued existence.”

They kept their eyes on their brother rather than the sword, watching every micro-expression that flickered across his face, documenting them and trying to match them to the child he’d once known. They gave a simple nod in response, understanding Scott’s worries and vaguely thankful to keep the sword at his side after everything he’d been through with it (and because of it).

“What … what have you been doing?” Scott asked quietly, gaze locked on a point above Xornoth’s head. “Since you escaped, I mean.”

Xornoth smiled softly at Scott, “I stayed here for a while, Noxite explained some things.” They shrugged, “Then met some friends of yours, and they advised me to start my own world. I’ve been working away there ever since, trying to work out who I am without an evil god using me as a puppet.” Scott managed a small flick of the lips upwards at Xornoth’s attempt at humour but it didn’t last. “If you want … you could come visit sometime?”

Scott finally met his gaze, a thousand emotions in his eyes. Biting his lip he gave a small nod, “I think I’d like that.” His grin was wobbly but earnest. “We can see who is the better builder.”  

They snorted, “I think you have a few years of experience on me.” The pair shared a small smile, atmosphere becoming more comfortable in the room. “Seriously Scott, I’d like to try and get to know you, be the brothers we once were … If you’re okay with that, that is.”

Scott’s expression turned wistful, “I would be. I’ve … I’ve missed you. This you.”

“I’ve missed you too.” Xornoth shuffled closer to the edge of the seat, almost in touching distance. “Even if you were an annoying little brat at times.”

His words startled a quick laugh out of Scott, smile strengthening. “I think your memories are still a bit wonky.” Xornoth grinned but didn’t dispute it, just enjoying being with their little brother again. They were quick to notice when Scott’s smile dipped again, “Xornoth, there’s … there’s some things I should probably tell you.”

“About our age?” Xornoth asked, visibly startling Scott who blinked up at him like a confused baby bird, a fitting analogy with his wings. “Noxite mentioned you had a few secrets, didn’t tell me any details though, said that was up to you.”

Scott let out a long breath, nodding with a tight expression. “Yeah, Nox is the only one that knows most of it really, but … you should know.”

Xornoth nodded gently, “Whenever you’re ready Scott.”

“When you … when you … left. I was suddenly alone with our parents, and well … you know what they were like.” Xornoth grimaced in commiseration, there was a reason the brothers had been close before everything, he hated to think what had happened in his absence. “Anyway, a few years later they went on a trip and never returned.”

“You became King.” Xornoth filled in the gap.

Scott nodded, continuing. “It was … a lot. I was never supposed to be king.” The fact that Xornoth had been crown prince went unsaid. “We were attacked, the whole kingdom fell and soon after the sever itself collapsed.”

Xornoth listened on intensely, patient as Scott took a moment to collect himself. “I don’t know how I got out; I don’t know how I survived. The next thing I remember is waking up in the void.”

Scott shook his head to himself, “There was nothingness all around, just the darkness of the void. Normally any player that falls in dies, but … I didn’t. The void was warm … comforting even. I’m not sure how long I spent just floating through the void before a voice spoke to me.”

“They told me that I was safe, that I had been chosen. For what they never explained.” Scott frowned, eyes glazed over and lost in memories. “After a while, I figured out I could world hop. Jump between worlds using the void, regardless of whitelists and server protections. I ended up on a small server, very confused and alone.”

He offered Xoroth a smile that felt more like a grimace, they matched Scott’s expression, the situation they were describing hauntingly familiar. Scott sighed as he continued his story. “I wandered lost for ages, never saw anyone. I did, however, discover my world hoping abilities weren’t my only gifts.”

“The ice.” Xornoth recalled the ability Scott had demonstrated in the dream world. 

Scott nodded, “Alongside others. Once I mastered my world hopping, I eventually managed to find a world with players. They were … different to people at home … and me. I spent some time there but I didn’t fit in. I moved worlds for years, never stopping, never looking back. Tried to hold most of my powers back so they didn’t take over me.”

“After a while, rumours started to crop up, I ignored them at first. I was too busy searching for answers about what was wrong with me.” Scott shook his head with a grimace, “I found them after a while, I wasn’t a player.”

“What … what were you?” Xornoth swallowed, “What are you?”

“A deity.” Scott admitted, “I don’t know the exact details but the gist of it is an old god chose me to be their successor before they faded. Then during my travels and adventures I picked up a few extra domains.”

They let out a bitter laugh, “I hadn’t been a player in a long time, no wonder I didn’t ever quite fit in. Still, I kept travelling, for years that turned into decades which turned into centuries, hating myself more and more. Occasionally I would find someone and spend time with them for a while but they would all die in the end. Then … then I found a new group of players. They were different from others I met, accepting and not questioning of the odd. Crazy and long-lived, special in their own ways.”

Scott shrugged nonchalantly, but a fond smile was tugging at his lips. “I stuck around, moved between servers with them, made lasting friends. As far as they knew I was just Scott, an admin. I liked it that way.”

“The other emperors?” Xornoth spoke up quietly.

“Friends. Alongside others.” Scott confirmed. “I’d played on servers with them before. Then we decided to have a go at building up empires and … well you know how that went.”

Xornoth grimaced, yes, he did. “Are there many …?” Xornoth trailed off not sure how to ask what he was trying to ask.

Scott smiled sadly, quickly catching what Xornoth was trying to say and taking mercy on him, “There aren’t many like me these days, all gone or forgotten besides a few. Most of us stay hidden, stick to the shadows.” He shrugged, “I keep in contact with two or three occasionally. One is married to another friend even, though I’m not sure how many details he knows about her.”

“Anyone I know?” Xornoth raised an eyebrow

“No.” Scott laughed, smiling at the thought of his mysterious friend.

Xornoth smiled, nodding as another question started tugging at his mind. “How did you meet Nox?”   

That earned a real smile from Scott. “He was planning some kind of event, and had heard rumours of a god of champions. He chased rumours and fairy tales for years, eventually managed to find me somehow.” He shrugged, “What can I say? He was convincing. Along the way MCC came out of it and we became friends.”

“How … how does that work with Aeor and …” Xornoth trailed off, but Scott knew what he meant based on the sad look his brother was giving him.

“That’s complicated.” Scott hesitated, sighing. “Technically I was still Aeor’s champion as I am a younger deity than him and he already had a claim on me. Order of stuff and all that. It just meant I wasn’t necessarily the most traditional champion, but because I was pretending to be a player-.”

“It worked out.” Scott nodded as Xornoth finished his sentence, expression conflicted as they tried to understand everything.

“More or less.” Scott turned a wobbly smile on his brother, “Any other questions?”

Xornoth snored, “A million but I think I need some time to take this all in first. Just, Scott … are you okay?”

“That’s a … loaded question.” Scott admitted, not outright denying things like they had on the dream world. “But I think I will be, eventually.”

Xornoth nodded, “Good, good.”

“What about you?” Scott asked, “You’ve been through a lot too, how are you coping?”

“Better now, quiet time with only my own thoughts in my head and no one controlling me has helped.” Xornoth admitted, eyes drifting from Scott for the first time, a soft smile on his face. Another thought suddenly came to him, “Scott, what happened when you were missing?”

Scott sighed, grimacing. “Ah, that.”

“Yes, that.” Xornoth pressed, raising an eyebrow.

Scott considered his words for several minutes, trying to work out where to start. “Do you remember the old stories about those void beings, the Watchers?”

“Be wary of those that watch for they may see your misdeeds and punish thee.” Xornoth quoted with a grimace, tilting his head in question. “Of course, I do, why?”

“They’re the ones that took us.” Scott declared bluntly.

Xornoth blinked, taken aback, “I thought they were just -.”

“Just stories?” Xornoth nodded as Scott finished his sentence. “I wish. No, they are very real and very annoying. Eldritch beings on a power trip. They kidnapped one of my friends a long time ago, made him one of them. Then years after he escaped, we got dragged into these death games.”

“Death games?!” Xornoth sat up straighter, visibly alarmed by how casual his brother was being about everything.

Scott just nodded, “Yes. People lost their memories, and eventually their sanity. All we knew was that we needed to be the last one standing. The Watchers have sick fun observing their games, they feed off of them.”

“Is there anything you can do to stop them?” Xornoth asked almost frantically. “Wait, how do you compare … you know power wise?”

“We’ve come up with a vague plan, got some new sever protections.” Scott shrugged, “We’ll work it out. As for power levels … its complicated. We’re in different categories technically but in a straight up fight nothing barred … I’d likely win. Not that I’d ever want to test it. Our powers aren’t really compatible so when they messed with everyone’s memories, it didn’t work on me... Don’t worry about it, it’s under control.” Scott added the last part upon seeing Xornoth’s concerned expression (or what he thought was concern, it was hard to read his brother sometimes and that was before the long gap since they’d seen each other).

Xornoth nodded, visibly overwhelmed but relieved to have the confirmation that Scott could defend himself. Not that that was news, but it was always reassuring to have it repeated. The sound of rustling feathers brough his attention back to another question that had been bugging him. “And the wings?” He gestured to the ones gracing his brother’s back.

Scott turned to follow his gaze, smiling fondly at them. “A part of being a deity means I’m a shapeshifter technically. I like them so I keep them sometimes. Most people assume I’m some kind of avian hybrid.” He shrugged.

They nodded, accepting Scott’s explanation. “They’re beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Scott preened under the attention, then hesitated. “Who … who knows you’re here?”

“Noxite obviously.” Xornoth answered noting his brother’s change in tone as they got back to the business at hand. “And three of your friends; Owen, Bek and El?”

Scott startled at their names, fond smile twitching at his lips. “How did you meet those three?”

“Played Parkour tag with Owen and El, then when they found out I was your brother and I didn’t have a communicator they took me shopping.” Xornoth allowed his own fond smile. “That reminds me.” He pulled out his own communicator, which already had a few scratches despite not having had it long.

He chucked it to Scott who caught it confused. “Put your number in, that way we’ll be able to talk.” Xornoth clarified. Scott nodded and immediately started typing away, once done he threw it carefully back to its owner. Xornoth didn’t even bother to check it, trusting his brother.

Scott chuckled to himself fondly, “I bet those three are going to have words with me about not mentioning you. That’ll be fun.” He shook his head then focussed back on the main conversation at hand, “Anyone else?”

Xornoth thought for a second before remembering, “I met Niki and Jack briefly. They introduced me to Nox.”

Scott nodded, “And they know you are my brother?”

“Yes.” Xornoth nodded, pausing to think for a second. “That’s everyone I think.”

“Okay, okay. Six people is manageable.” Scott muttered mostly to himself. Xornoth could see his brother’s mind whirling away, plans forming.

“Manageable?” Xornoth pressed, curious what was going through his brother’s mind.

Scott hummed, considering his words carefully before he spoke (for once). “I think … I think it might be best if we limit who knows about you.” He finally admitted.

Xoroth sighed but took a second to think about it, Scott may have a point. He wasn’t exactly eager to explain himself to the former emperors either anyway.

“Just for now!” Scott continued hurriedly, “While everything is going on with the Watchers. It might be best if people don’t know we’re related and that those that knew you continue to think you’re dead.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Scott blinked, shocked at Xornoth’s easy acceptance of his idea.

Xornoth nodded, “If you think its best Scott. You know what’s going on better than I do, and I trust you.”

“Oh.” Scott let out still startled at Xornoth’s trust. “Alright. Great. Thank you.” Xornoth nodded again.

The pair were left watching each other in silence, just taking in the others presence. “So, what now?” Xornoth asked the question they were both thinking.

Scott smiled softly, “Now we live and grow. Move on with our lives. Try and catch up on everything we missed.”

“Together?”

“Together.”