When the Universe Smiles (abandoned) ((go read the Trilogy))

Maya's the Least of Our Worries

The rising sun was hidden behind the clouds, some rain still drizzling, the last of the storm blowing through the server. Xisuma sat on top of the Town Hall, watching the still figure laying among the popularity counters. The voting day for the mayoral race was coming soon.

He cursed himself for having fallen asleep the previous night. This is WHY I never sleep, he kept thinking over and over again. This like this could happen. Oh Doc, why did I listen to you-

Why was Xisuma so paranoid, you should ask?

Well, his evil older brother had infiltrated Hermitcraft.
~
Maya had felt a foreign presence enter the server, yet it wasn't a Watcher. She sighed deeply in relief.

Pulling her jacket over her shoulders and zipping it up, she strapped her elytra to her body and rocketed through the Nether hub to spawn.

Coming out in front of the town hall, she almost tripped over someone laying in the middle of the street: a man wearing red armor and a helmet. "Hello?" she asked, nudging him with her foot. "Are you alright!?"
~
Xisuma cursed mentally as Maya stumbled into EX. "リ𝙹ℸ ̣ ᓵ⍑ ᓭᒷリ↸ ᒲᒷ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ リᒷℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷." He shifted himself behind a roof tile, hoping he would not be seen.
~
EX groaned, slowly opening his eyes. "H-Hello?"

A girl stood in front of him, reaching out her hand. He could see her lips moving, but with his ears ringing as loudly as they were, he could not hear her. He closed his eyes again, recalling his instructions to the forefront of his mind.
~
"We need your help," one of them said boldly.

"And if I say no?"

The other responded, "You would be unwise to do so, especially when there are... others, more capable to complete this task-"

"Fine," he replied, annoyed. "What will you have me do, 'Oh Great Watchers?'" He spat out the title defiantly.

"Find the one they call 'Maya,' and bring her to us."
~
"Can you hear me? Sir?" Maya reached to pull off his helmet, but the man's hands reached out and grabbed her wrists. "Oh, sorry. I just thought you couldn't hear me through the helmet."

"I can hear you fine." His voice was deep and echoy, and reminded her of someone else.

"Well, I was asking, are you alright?"

The man released her wrists. "I'm fine." He stood up slowly, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Is this Hermitcraft?"

"W-why are you asking? And I should ask, who is asking?"

"The Hermits could call me an old... friend." Maya could see his cold smile through the visor of his helmet.

"What's your name? I'm Maya."

For a brief moment, the man's eyes flashed purple, returning in milliseconds to their original red color. They heard the sound of rockets coming from the roof of the town hall and glanced up to see the server admin gliding down to them. "His name is EX, and he was just leaving."
~
Xisuma stood on the stairs, hands on hips, his bee wings fluttering behind him. EX smiled evilly. "Was I now... what gave you that impression?"

"X, who is he-"

"Who sent you, EX." It was a command, rather than a question.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Xisuma turned to Maya and said sharply, "Whatever you do, stay away from him."

"Why," she asked, concerned.

Xisuma spoke again. "My 'brother' has some explaining to do."
~
"I'm not here to destroy Hermitcraft. リ𝙹∴ ⊣ᒷℸ ̣  ᒲᒷ 𝙹⚍ℸ ̣  𝙹⎓ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷᓭᒷ ⎓∷╎ᓵꖌ╎リ ᓵ⍑ᔑ╎リᓭ-"

"Then why are you here!?" Doc questioned forcefully.

"Doc, let me handle this." X stepped in front of his brother. "Tell us, EX, and I'll tell you what Maya is proposing."

"I'm not fully aware as to how or why I'm here. Happy now?! And stop calling me that!!!!"

"What?"

"You know my name, ̇/╎ᓭ⚍ᒲᔑ ⍊𝙹╎↸."

"What if I forgot on purpose." Xisuma stood up from his kneeling position. He pressed a few buttons on his admin screen and EX's restraints disappeared. "Maya has offered to be your 'guardian' whilst you are in MY server. Listen to her, you hear me?"

EX nodded. "Then I shall leave you, Suma."

He started to walk out of the room, but X grabbed his arm. "̇/ᔑリℸ ̣ ⍑⚍ᓭ ∷╎ᔑꖎ↸𝙹 ⍊𝙹╎↸, ↸𝙹 リ𝙹ℸ ̣  ᒲᔑꖌᒷ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ ᓭᔑᒲᒷ ᒲ╎ᓭℸ ̣ ᔑꖌᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ᒲᔑ↸ᒷ ℸ ̣ ⍑𝙹ᓭᒷ ᒲᔑリ|| ||ᒷᔑ∷ᓭ ᔑ⊣𝙹."

"So you do remember. ̇/╎ᓭ⚍ᒲᔑ ᒷリ||ᔑꖎ ⍊𝙹╎↸... ||𝙹⚍ リᒷ⍊ᒷ∷ ᓵ⍑ᔑリ⊣ᒷ↸." And EX walked away from his only family.

"⋮ᒷ∷ꖌ," X muttered.

"And you're just letting him go!? LIKE THAT!?" Doc's skin was starting to sizzle, the creeper hybrid growing closer to exploding.

"Easy, Doc. I bet Maya knows something we don't. And that's why I agreed to her plan."

"But what if it was Maya who brought HIM HERE!?"
~
Iskall was wandering the shopping district, hoping to find the admin wandering around. Luckily for him, Xisuma was restocking his bee-themed shop. "Hey X," Iskall called as he ran over to the admin.

"Hello there, Iskall. What brings you by? Here for some honey?" Xisuma chuckled.

"How can you laugh right now when a crazy man is lose on the server and a mysterious girl is untrustworthy. I came to tell you that... a few of us hermits have gathered together and formed a team... and, we believe there is more to Maya than it seems."
~
He smiled. Another one bites the dust, he thought. He watched as the wither skeleton guards dragged the unfortunate player away.

Then, a chill ran down his spine. Unusual, particularly counting the fact that he lived in the Nether. But the shiver he felt was not cold-induced. It came upon him through magical means. Specifically, the Ones who had tried to take him down.

He opened his eyes, their glow piercing the darkness in his throne room. Grasping his bedrock sword, Herobrine uttered one word: "⎓∷╎ᓵꖌ."
~
Howdy y'all! Had a small bout with writer's block, but it's smashin' now (Mumbo's really rubbing of on me).

I'm absolutely chuffed to bits with this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed!

It you really liked it, a follow and a vote would make my day!

Maya <3