The Past Ahead - an Empires SMP AU

Chapter 29 - Aftermath

           Scott of Chromia gasped and crumpled, eyes wild, but he was thankfully alive. "I felt that," He said hoarsely. "I felt that." Shelby just stared at the dead body, lying next to the sacrificial altar. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Did... that just happen? Scott said whoever was killed by that sword... would be dead forever. 

           Lizzie, still with red eyes, looked interestedly at the fallen elf. Joey, whose eyes were green, looked around wildly. "Xorny? Xornoth?! Where are you?!" He looked at Hermes, with black eyes, and then at Scott's dead body lying by his feet. And then it clicked. "No!" He screamed, falling to his knees. He gripped the handle of his sword. "Who's to blame for this?!"

           "Hit him!" Gem shrieked, and a blue splash potion flew through the air and splattered all over Joey. Lizzie hissed and leapt out of the way. Joey blinked several times, and his eyes so obviously green. He glanced at his bloody hands, then at Scott's dead body, and recoiled. "What happened? What just happened?!" 

           "Aw, you're no fun anymore," Lizzie pouted. "Just when I was starting to like you." Shelby shot a spell at her, and the cat instinctively dodged, laughing at how they thought they could get her, a cat.

           But that was what Shelby was counting on, and plants sprouted out of the spot that the spell hit and wrapped around Lizzie, who struggled and clawed at it in vain. The magic plants held her tight. She wasn't escaping anytime soon. Shelby approached her with the last Fae potion and forced it onto her, and soon Lizzie's eyes were blue again. She gasped and glanced frantically around. "What in the world is going on?!" 

           No one payed attention to her or Joey just yet. They were all still stupefied by Scott's sacrifice. Shelby got rid of the magic plants, sure that Lizzie wasn't a threat anymore now that she was uncorrupted, and everyone crowded around Scott's lifeless form. "What just happened?" Jimmy asked shakily, mirroring everyone's general sentiment.

           "Scott and Xornoth's souls were linked," False answered quietly. "When one of them dies, so does the other. He killed himself to stop Xornoth." "Xornoth's dead?" Joey wailed. "Joey! He was a toxic boyfriend!" Shrub scolded, but she too, was rattled by Scott's permanent death. 

           "Wait, did Scott just die right now?" Mayor Lizzie asked urgently. Everyone turned suspicious faces to her, but her widened eyes were clearly blue, so she was supplied her answer. Lizzie scrambled around in her pockets and took out a bit of chalk. "I know nekomancy," She said quickly. "Don't you mean necromancy?" Joel questioned, raising an eyebrow.

           "No, nekomancy is a special kind of dark magic practiced by cats," Shelby explained. "I learned about it in class, but it wasn't a brand of magic that was widely taught." "Well, I know how to do it. Now everyone who knows magic, please help me, for Scott's sake." Mayor Lizzie said, a d Wizard Gem, Sausage, and Shelby stepped forward. 

           Lizzie showed them particular diagrams to draw on the floor in chalk, and she cleaned up the patterns of sculk and blood and rearranged them. She took the Crown, which Joey was still wearing, and put it on. Then her eyes lolled over to the back of her head as she chanted, "Animam amici morte revoca." At first, nothing happened. Then, sedatedly, Scott twitched. And moved. Everyone gasped and stepped backward.

           Just then, near the elf, a ghostly figure seemed to slowly materialize before their eyes. A few emperors shrieked and drew their weapons. Mayor Lizzie stepped backward, uncertain. "That's not supposed to happen!" "Xorny?" Joey called. "Is that you?"

           "Lizzie!" Gem shot her an angry glance. Scott's eyelids fluttered and he and got up, holding his head. And the ghostly figure formed into a tangible being. He had magenta-colored hair, red earrings, a black suit with a fancy white sash, and pointed elf ears. He looked around confusedly, then moved closer to Scott.