How Did We Get Here?

0. The Fool, I. The Magician

Scar awoke with a gasp. The area around him was a light blue desert. Some sort of soft wind flowed through the world, kicking up nothing. As a precaution, Scar made sure to check his pulse. It was hard to find and faint when he did find it. It felt too slow. He had just woken up with a start and his lungs weren't pumping...? There was barely movement in his chest. And why did his body glow some weird blue? How did he get here?

Beside him, Scar found a curled-up Jellie. She was still breathing, evident from the slow rise and fall of her chest. Her fur also had the weird glow. With a gentle hand, Scar gently shook the cat. She slowly blinked her eyes open, yawned, and stretched. Jellie stared at Scar for a moment, before looking away and sneezing.

"Gesundheit!" Scar laughed, his voice slightly hoarse.

Jellie picked up a paw and ran it across her face, "Thanks." Her voice was monotone, and a midpoint between deep and high-pitched. Both of them froze in place.

"Have you always been able to do that?"

"No, I don't think so. It doesn't feel right at all. But I can't seem to clearly remember." Her tail flicked in annoyance. "In fact, do you remember anything at all? I barely can."

Scar pondered for a moment, "No memories. All I got is that I'm Scar and that I'm a vex."

A strong wind blew through the blue landscape, wiping away all its color. The only thing left was an object neither had seen before. In the distance, a glowing card floated with a blue aura surrounding it. Scar stood and started to walk towards the card. He assumed Jellie was behind him, but couldn't tell.

The card was right at Scar's eye level. It depicted him, Scar, nearing a crosswalk. He carried a backpack as he looked up into the clear sky. The top of the card had a 0, the bottom read 'THE FOOL'.

A sudden weight landed on Scar's shoulder, Jellie. "A card of you?"

"I know, odd," Scar reached out for the card. His fingers barely brushed it before it faded away and another wind blew across the void. Scar shielded his eyes from nothing as the colors in his eyelids turned a bright red.

When he opened them, he found himself in an apartment. It was an empty thing and not very big. Jellie jumped off Scar's shoulder and wandered through the space.

"This place is nice!" It was Scar's voice, but he hadn't said anything. Two people phased through Scar, like he was a ghost. One of them was himself, but in different clothes. And the other was a taller male with purple-tinted glasses he didn't recognize.

The other man chuckled, "Thank you. So, what's your decision?"

"I'll take it." The Other Scar twirled around the empty room, a bright smile on his face.

"Great! Well, if you will follow me downstairs, let's sign a few things and I'll get you some keys." Glasses started to walk towards the door and Other Scar followed right behind.

Scar and Jellie shared a look. Neither of them understood what to think of the situation. With a small 'follow', Jellie jumped off a counter and went to follow the other two. All four of them passed many multicolored doors. Some had stickers or painted drawings of many landscapes or buildings. Glasses was in front as they went down stairs and into a little office. He motioned for Other Scar to sit as he opened a drawer and pulled out papers.

There was no conversation as Glasses set the papers and a pen out, with Other Scar skimming them over. Other Scar signed the papers and passed them back over to Glasses.

Glasses smiled and held out some keys. "Welcome to Hermitcraft, Scar." Other Scar took the keys and both people faded away, leaving another card. He's standing in the empty apartment, with one arm raised as he holds the keys. At the top is an 'I' and the bottom has 'THE MAGICIAN'.

"The magician?" Scar questions, keeping his hands away from the card. "And why does it say 'I'?"

"It's not a letter, per say," Jellie circles the card. "Roman numeral for 'one'. We went from card zero to one."

"Interesting. Hey, do you think we can find a way into those other rooms? We can't phase through things but-"

"Scar! Take this seriously!"

"Take what seriously? Do you know what's going on?" Scar put his hands on his hips, trying to get higher ground. But arguing with a cat was already low.

"No, but these cards are guiding us. We don't have time to wander."

"But that's not fun. C'mon, live a little."

Jellie growled and flicked the card with her tail. "No," she said over the wind that passed through the world once again. It turned the walls and floor into dust as a new landscape settled in its place.

(OG post date - 5/28/23)