Chapter Text
Voom.
As a new soul was getting ready to join them, the previous generations convened at the Island of time, once more.
Greeting each other lazily as they materialized for the first time since Legundo’s final Goodbye – no, even before then – they took stock of something… different.
It was thundering outside, the sky a dark gray. It was as they took shape, that the souls of once owners of this world truly realized how Loony had changed it.
The atmosphere was uncharacteristically heavy. The world itself was, in a different way than simple exploration could make it.
“Hey, over there!” Leon called their attention to a hill visible in the background. “...It reaches even here…” Black, pulsing sculk spread over the ground, stains of something darker.
Code Neon, or rather, Josh, the Historian, saw his forehead crease. He turned to Legundo. “Are you still sure about your choice?”
His successor returned his fiery gaze. “Of course. Loony didn’t do anything but add to the story.”
“Did the story, as you say, warrant such corruption?” Quillbee asked. He didn’t shout. His tone was numb, distant. He knew they would gain nothing through dispute.
And as always, Moai, the Founder, stayed silent.
“He proclaimed himself king!”
“And that was his right. Who is there to rule over, anyway?” Legundo mocked.
“Ha, what am I doing, you even helped him find the last key to your Legacy he needed.” Neon threw his arms up. Guilt chewed at him at the edge of his conscience, and it being so removed only made him feel more uneasy. He had been the one to invite Legundo onto the world, after all. Didn’t he hold some responsibility? But at the same time, he wasn’t supposed to get involved with the next generation’s actions. “Remind me what he did with your Vault of stars?”
“He found it. That’s all I could have asked for.” Legundo replied with a small smile. “Weren’t you happy he found your 'Vengeance of Generations' when I didn’t?”
Leon rose an eyebrow at his successor, and that turned him even more sheepish. “Yeah well, only to destroy it soon after.” Neon weakly protested. Everybody here knew he’d known it was far from perfect, for a legendary set. He even forged it so, expecting it to be surpassed. Just like Josh hadn’t protested the dissing of his ‘XP farm’ at the end of Legundo’s time, nor Leon the replacement of his furnace setup, it didn't make too much sense for him to be disappointed.
“Hum?” A timid voice caried in that moment of silence in the middle of the pointless debate. “Excuse me?” Immediately turning to the only living being in this assembly, all five generations shut their mouth in surprise.
“...Ehhhh, who are you?” Leon finally asked, taking one for the team.
“Oh, huh! I’m the seventh generation.” The newcomer proudly affirmed, all puffed chest and tentative confidence. Everybody looked at each other awkwardly, but none had seen any flash of this one’s adventures. Yet.
“Wait, does that mean Loony’s dead? How?” Legundo found himself asking.
“Ahem.” The owner of a somewhat familiar voice cleared his throat, not three blocks to the side of the new generation. There, none other than Loony waved a hand at them. “Hi.” Not waiting for a response, he moved to take his place on the last remaining chair of the hall, where he crossed his legs and arms petulantly.
He waved for his successor to come closer, and the sparkle in his gaze doing so made question marks rise above each of their heads. Except Moai’s, of course, Quillbee amended in his head.
“Uh, where do I sit?” The seventh asked sheepishly, seeing as Legundo had only built 6 chairs, chairs that were all taken at present.
“Well, in the middle, of course.” Loony answered. “You are the main character after all.” He looked so… at peace? It was kind of weird coming from the grindy guy who had been building megaprojects left and right for all of his time.
But as the last to arrive was gingerly preparing to jump onto the table with a “Oh, okay”, Legundo put up a hand as a barrier, even as his gaze was fixed on Loony and Loony alone. “… Can I not-”
“-No, of course you can.” The Beacon interrupted with a kind smile reminiscent of a grandpa's. “But I believe we have some words to exchange with your predecessor first.” Loony returned his gaze, his face of stone.
Wisely, the seventh generation chose to take a step back at that. Quillbee smirked a knowing smile. Yeah, they wanted to see this. Haa, if only they had popcorn.
The raindrops troubled the water at the center of the table, even as the stare off continued between the fifth generation and his successor. Until eventually Loony broke into a wide, cheeky smile. “What?”
The Beacon scoffed, looking down to try and stifle a laugh. He failed. “Ha ha ha! You’re a lost case, you know that?”
His successor’s smile turned cheekier. “Did you ever expect anything different?”
Legundo wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “No.” He laughed. “No, I didn’t, your Majesty.” He finished with a fancy curtsy.
Loony immediately scowled, before straining the corners of his mouth into a tense smile. “Do I look like I’m wearing a crown right now, Elgundo?” He very passive-aggressively responded. It only made the so-nicknamed man laugh harder.
“So, how was it?” He finally asked.
“Amazing, of course. I'm very grateful to have been invited. This is wholesome. The first linear SMP!” He exclaimed even as his expression remained frozen.
Straightening up while still holding his middle, Legundo continued to ask his questions. “I think you’re the first one to call it that. No, but what about playing the villain?”
“Well, I got to put red, white and grey, lava and sculk everywhere, so I’d say it was a success. Though I'm never farming that much pale wood again, if I can help it. Actively wanting world corruption is also a riveting experience. There’s so much cliff face to play with, now.”
“TOO MUCH cliff, in fact!” The seventh generation called from behind.
“Nah, you won’t be the only one adding to it, I’m sure!” Loony threw his head back to answer. “If there was one dark spot to my experience…” He continued, a shadow falling over his face as he stood up to face Legundo, who took a mild step back with a wobbly smile. “It was your damn flower!” Loony poked at his predecessor’s chest, slowly at first and then more and more quickly, as a tickly punishment. “You put it in the FIELDS!? Just like that!?”
“Ah, hey!”
“You plopped it in the middle of NOWHERE! Do you know how big this thing is??? 14 000 daisies!”
“More than fourteen thousand, actually.” Moai’s rumbly voice interrupted. It was so sudden everyone turned to him, but when he didn’t add anything, Loony soon focused back onto his victim.
“An entire plains biome!”
“Hey, I put it under a torch flower!” He tried to defend himself, still attempting to get away.
“Argument denied! Do you know how many hours I stayed up looking for this stupid thing!??”
“…Too many?” Legundo tested.
“Too many.” Loony confirmed, finally letting his hands fall along with his head with a defeated sigh. To Legundo’s relief, really.
“…You’re… different.” A voice suddenly interrupted. “From what I thought you would be like, I mean.” Leon suddenly spoke up.
Loony headed back to his chair. “What, did you think I’d be all gloomy and scary? Boo?” He said, moving his hands like one would when telling a horror story, only with all the sarcasm you could put in that gesture.
“...I mean, yes.”
“Then, am I not?” He asked in all seriousness.
“Huhhhhh…” Leon looked at his chair neighbors for support. Quillbee just really regretted there not being popcorn in Minecraft.
“I’d say I’m very evil. Look at all the destruction! The curses! The mobs in cages! The wardens massacred in my wake!”
“I confirm, he was very evil!” A small voice vouched from behind. “But he’s also very kind!”
Loony scowled. He turned to his successor. “Hey, I’m trying to do an evil speech over here!”
“I’m sorry! But you lost all credibility from the moment you saved happy ghasts!”
“Rhaaa.” Loony grumbled tiredly to the sky. No traces remained of the earlier thunderstorm, leaving nothing but the cubic sun in the middle of a blue sky. “...And why are you screaming from all the way back there!?”
“WHAT? I DON’T HEAR YOU!”
“AS IF!”