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

Snek Snek Then Attacc

(Maya concept art that I didn't draw; I make all these concepts with various character creators online)

Before I start this chapter, let me just say...

You guys are AMAZING. ALMOST 1.4K READS HOLY AETHER!?!?!? I HOPE THE REWRITE GETS THIS MANY.

So, in line with me talking about a rewrite, if I ever do find time to rewrite it, it would be a little... ok, more than a little different. A LOT different. New plot line, new events, etc. Completely separate from ATUS. How does that sound?

~

Grian stood in the town hall conference room, glancing at the papers spread before him. There were so many people in the small room, and if there had been more people he didn't know than others, his social anxiety would be through the roof-

"And my powers can block our presence from them," Herobrine concluded. "Any questions, nerds?"

The Hermits all responded with head shakes, nopes, and all goods. "Flawless. Shall we go now." And every hermit, elitist, and Herobrine filed out onto Main Street.

Herobrine glanced, steely-eyed, towards the nervous gremlin. "Work your magic."

"Why can't you?" he asked, instantly regretting his choice of words.

"Do. It."

Grian gulped nervously and summoned his powers, lilac flames dancing in his hands. If Joe had any remaining power left, it was too little to use; it seemed to just have faded with time and use, leaving the former Watcher to concentrate harder.

Slowly but surely, an unlit frame started to appear in the air, stairs forming to reach it. Grunting, he stretched his hands out further in front of him, a single bead of sweat rolling down his face.

With a gust of wind, Grian grunted, falling to his knees. Mumbo ran to his side, daring to glare at Herobrine.

With a smug look plastered on his face, Herobrine stepped up to the frame and snapped his fingers. A light violet swirling pattern flashed to life inside its borders.

Brad ran over to the small Hermit's side, clenching and unclenching his webbed hands, gils flaring. "Are you ok?" the fish hybrid asked.

"Yeah," the builder replied, struggling to his feet. Mumbo offered a hand which Grian gladly accepted.

"Magic is some powerful stuff." The fish boy shuddered at a memory.

Raising an eyebrow, Grian watched the young builder walk away slowly. Mumbo placed an arm around the winged Hermit, supporting him. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Grian smiled up at his long-time friend, the mustached man smiling back.

The duo walked side-by-side up the stairs and to the portal. Stepping through, they heard their feet land in the crumbly end stone dust, its pale. sickly yellow-green hue making up the entire landscape. "I hate this place."

~

They stood, side-by-side, stock still as statues. Frozen in time. One light, one dark, and one the embodiment off both. Together the stood, their capes blowing.

Two ruffled their wings, looking at each other then to the third. In unison, they uttered two words. "It's time."

~

Brad walked through the obsidian halls of the Watcher castle, his ears ringing with the only sound being silence. He'd been here only in his dreams, Maya explaining the cold that radiated from every corner of the fortress. The prison. Her prison. His small black eyes darted around the halls, looking for anything helpful.

That's when he heard a sound. A whispering in his ear, not quiet a voice, but not just a gust of air. He slowed down, hanging towards the back of the group, waiting for the final player to pass him before continuing.

As the group moved onwards, searching for Maya, a hallway opened up, and as Brad passed in front of it, the noise got louder. He paused, turning to face the dark passage. Looking back at the rescue group, he sighed and went down the hallway, leaving the group behind.

Slowly walking, his webbed hands tracing the walls, the noise growing louder. The more he listened to it, the more it sounded like a siren from where he used to live before... before he was changed...

The sound stopped, replaced with a singsong voice. "Oh dear Brad..." The voice kept falling in and out of Galactic. "Y𝙹u rᒷalꖎ|| ℸ ̣ ⍑o⚍g⍑t ℸ ̣ haℸ ̣  y𝙹⚍ ᓵo⚍ꖎd ⎓╎リ↸ mᒷ... ʖ∷iリg ᒲᒷ ʖaᓵꖌ... ∴ᒷꖎꖎ... ||𝙹⚍'∷ᒷ ∴∷𝙹リ⊣."

Seeing movement from down the hall, Brad dodged out of the way in time as a blast of magic zoomed past his head. "Maya..." But the girl didn't listen, her cracked mask pulsing with golden light. Sending another bolt of magic at the fish, he rolled away, panting. Maya readied a final blast of magic, casting her hands at the boy. "⊣𝙹𝙹↸ʖ||ᒷ, ʖ∷ᔑ↸."

~

Grian stumbled, Mumbo putting out an arm to catch him. "What's wrong G?"

"Back in that hallway we passed. We need to go back. There's something there." He turned and pointed at the dark hallway, a light flashing inside it. "That power... It's unlike anything I've ever felt."

"Maya..." Mumbo muttered.

Grian pushed himself to a standing position, running back the way they came. He ducked into the hallway, seeing Maya, cape blowing in the magical wave of air, mask cracked and glowing gold, pointing her hands at Brad.

Without hesitation, Grian dove in front of the fish hybrid, a beam of magic blasting from Maya's hands and meeting a magical wall of violet flame. Grian three all his strength into the shield, yelling at Brad to "run!" before turning back to the ferrel Higher Power.

"Maya!" he yelled over the roar of magic.

"╎'ᒲ リ𝙹ℸ ̣  ᒲᔑ||ᔑ."

And as his magical shield cracked, his world went dark.

~

Howdy y'all, Maya here, and welcome back to another episode of Procrastination Sucks.

CLIFFHANGERS ARE FUN!!!!!!!!

I cannot write fight scenes. I'm cringing at this one. Can someone teach me? Send me a DM if ya can <3

Also, if you noticed, about halfway through the chapter the writing style changed a bit. I'm gonna start typing it more like Banished where I show the story instead of tell it.

Maya <3