The Frozen Empire - An Empires SMP AU

9 - The Gem, and the Crystal

An ice spike pierced through the Mezalean Matral palace, the grand building shattering like glass. Joel teared up, all that hard work wasted and undone in one second. Shielding himself from the debris, he filled with a raging fire; his hand balled up into a fist. Joel had to blame someone other than himself; he couldn't rebuild, not this time. It wasn't his fault; he knew that much. It was the man who caused this.

"Scott is the cause of all of our problems..." Joel paced the fireside, talking indirectly to FWhip, who bobbed his head in agreement. "He started all this with his 'Magic'." Joel put heavy air quotes over the Magic, his voice bounced with disbelieve.

"You still don't believe in it all?" FWhip interrupted, cradling a recolored amethyst shard in his gloved hands. "Even after all that's happened to your Empi-" Joel froze solid, his body started twitching like a gradient from his chest. 

"As I was saying..." He breathed, his voice shaking like a zombie villager being cured. "Scott started all this with his 'Magic', and just as things were getting better!"  FWhip rolled his eyes, mouthing what Joel was saying. 

"I was married! I had a house! I had time to kill horses!" He vented. "Now I spend my time alone, sleeping infront of furnaces, constantly trying to survive!" FWhip tucked the crystal into his pocket. The pair were disheveled, they dressed in their traditional attire, plus fur drapes and wool-knitted-hats. 

Joel took a seat by FWhip, he burrowed his face in his knees. FWhip brought his hand around and clamped on his back reassuringly. He scrunched up his face with empathy, then brought his hand back around to stuff into his pockets.

Joel stared over at the direction of his empire. The grand Mezalean palace lay in ruins, the top ceiling caved in and the floods of cod sanctuary water tricked down the side. His balloons sunk to the earth, the car crashed into his house. He faintly saw a deceased Jeremy lying in the ruins, a curious Buttie prodding his fluff.

"Joel," FWhip started. "Don't you think it's time we left this server? You know?... move on to newer things." Joel turned to FWhip with a face of disgust.

"Like what Scott did? I'd die before I end up like him." Joel stated defiantly. "He left us all for dead!" FWhip pouted.

"I mean, we're still standing... right?" FWhip bargained, trying to look on the bright side.

"My Wife, Lizzie, killed herself to escape this world." Joel spat, his voice cracking mid-way through. "We can't leave, not now, not yet. Not until we've put an end to this." FWhip looked aghast, his face wrinkled with forced stress.

"So what, we kill Scott, then what, how do you insist end this?" 

"I don't know, how 'bout you ask your 'Magic Boyfriend'." Joel reached into FWhips pocket and took out his crystal. 

"Joel!" FWhip warned, snagging the gem from his hands. "You can't just talk to him! Heaven forbid I've tried..."

"Well what have you tried saying to it?" Joel laughed judgingly.

"I've tried asking HIM where my sister is, Gem." 

"Wow," Joel snorted, his voice riddled with mocking. "I completely forgot about her..."

FWhip winced. He opened his mouth speak, when a frame of obsidian formed at the other side of the fire. It pulled rock from the ground, forming a lop-sided rectangle that lit after a shrapnel of flint scraped against an iron nugget.

The Nether portal brightened a regal purple, it shimmered in the red fire that died as a gust of wind blew onto FWhip and Joel.

FWhip broke into hysterical laughter, he got up and marveled the portal with open arms.

"XORNOTH!" He yelled. "I knew it, I knew you'd be loyal!!" Joel got up to, he crept towards the portal. 

"What in the name of Notch is that..." Joel said, pointing to a figure growing from the nether wastes.

FWhip came round to stand by Joel, the figure had long hair, they were around FWhips height. They wore a golden helmet and black leather clothes that were buckled together by linings of gold. She had a tightly woven plaster wrapped around her arm, in her hand was large staff that was sealed together with clumps of Magma Cream. An army of piglin followed her with such tentativeness, that Joel felt inferior - something he rarely felt.

Gem stood at the lining between the overworld and the nether, a shocked and sad expression on her face. 

"FWhip?"