Whatever It Takes

It was almost as if she could taste it the second the air shifted and changed and grew ever colder. The endless summer of a world without a leash had come to a close as a master of the world stepped forth to reclaim its ownership. Vanilla and lavender scent poisoned the breeze and her fur stood on end at the reminder of One-Who-Was turning Her face to the sunny day of the Overworld.

A tremor followed as the realm welcomed home something ancient it had lost only a few thousand years ago.

Queen knew this day would come, but it still felt too soon if Aeturnus’s old ramblings were to be believed, and never had the other been wrong before, if not a bit biased. It was far too soon. He was not ready.

But such is the way of goddesses that had no ruler and did as they pleased when they pleased. Not bound by fate, either entity acted out and the Players around must quickly adapt or be swept away by the tides. There was little room for thought that perhaps a piece in the game had acted out instead.

Standing abruptly, she pulled attention away from all attendees in her temple. Evoxe-lune, who had been inking a report to his newest fascination of a mad scientist, looked up at her and immediately straightened with a slight tilt of his head. Bells chiming with every step and every eye upon her, she grabbed his wrist in a tight grip and hauled him to her private chambers in a way most unbecoming and unexpected of her.

Shoving him down to his knees the second the door closed and locked, he looked up at her with the same unseeing, glossy red eyes ever charmed by such a display of power he’d had since the first day she laid eyes upon him. Ever obedient was the dog of the Sun. Like a puppy, he followed whatever creature was strong enough to lead his endless chaos.

“Is there something wrong, my Lady?” he teased without a care for her urgency. Like he had no care in the world that his fate had just been kickstarted.

Her boot met his cheek and he simply withstood the blow with no less gleam in his eyes. She grabbed his chin with a painful grip and forced him to look up at her again.

“You mean to tell me that you did not feel it? Destroyer of Moons?” she tossed his head away from her, stepping back with a disappointed sigh, “What’s the use of a broken toy?”

Queen paced in front of him and he watched attentively.

He was selected by Knowledge, herself… he was specifically Seen. There had been no mistake in that. Her eyes had been too truthful in their sorrow. The Admin had disappeared with her Mother after and Queen had taken every drop of her last vision and tried to spin the wheel with it. Vox had been such a vital piece in her plan despite his inadequacy. Players were what they always were, though. Their magic was never heightened to feel the higher beings shifting to and fro. For someone so important in the grand scheme, she’d just expected better of him. A mistake she’d never make again.

Composing herself, she restarted, “Your duty has an adjusted schedule. Whatever deal you have with Uriel must be put aside as this cannot be treated as anything less than vital. Everything I have trained you for will need to be enough even if you are as blind as the rest of them.”

Predictably, he squints at her with confusion and on the verge of talking back, she silences him by yanking him forward by his chin once more.

“The Moon, pet. She has cursed the Overworld with Her presence once again, but Her tank is near empty and even a lowly creature such as yourself could manage to tame such a beast. You will tame Her. There is no world where you fail because if you fail, you’ll be too evaporated to even notice you made a mistake to begin with.”

Vox’s eyes are wide as she softens her grip and her eyelids lower to pull him in.

“I don’t think I need to tell you why exercising caution is a must. Whatever form She has taken will be twisted to its limit and She will surely know Her reaper when She sees him. Feral creature that She is, you will have to win Her over even if it disgusts you to do so. Even if you must become something soft and malleable. Bend to Her to ensure She bends to you.”

Looking back and forth between both of his eyes she can tell something has finally clicked. He just needs something to chase. That was something she at least knew how to do.

“If you fail, She will kill you. You will never respawn and will have dishonored everything I’ve given you, all the time I spent wasted. It’s such a tall task, to tame a witch.” She rubs his cheek softly, “Poor puppy.”

Releasing him from her grasp, he falls more limply against his knees. She eyes the vex that has been keeping out of reach and watching silently. Her gaze is cold as ice. He flutters close and she grabs him with only a slight crunch to his smaller ribcage.

“I suspect you’ll do well on following the energy signature.” It wasn’t a question nor was there any room for a refusal. For all she has done for the abomination, he was in no position to deny her anything. Only nodding once with a gritted smile, she released the fairy and let him take refuge on the shoulder of his keeper.

With a wave of her hand, Vox is on his feet and on his way out of the temple, his pet vex leading the way with low chimes.

Taking the moment out of sight to breathe in deeply, she smooths any loose hairs back into place. While ahead of schedule, nothing was going to change. She had thought every mishap through and knew what to do should anything go awry.

Movement outside the window to her chamber caught her attention and she watched as Vox climbed atop his mare and started on his long journey. He seemed focused enough, and he paid none of the passersby any attention.

But Kamiko couldn’t ignore it when a small figure weaved under the hooves of his horse and had even the ex-warhorse spook. It looked up at him and then back at her through the window. Smiling smugly at the beast and turning away to continue her duties, the cat simply blinked before moving on.

-

It was meant to be one of many celebrations from the Players to win her favor. Dressed in her finest silks and clearest ribbons, she was meant to be soaking in the attention while delegating what little she had left from Knowledge’s absence.

Enchanted gear of any kind was out of the question. It was a tough spot to be put in with the demands of thousands for that very kind of gift, but she managed it as she managed all the rest of the Admins’ neglect.

Taking control with a twinkle in her eye and the bat of her lashes, she could write poems of mazes around their every request and make them believe she had already given them all that they required. What she hadn’t taken account of was being in the presence of something unholy and brutally fractured.

Poised perfectly and seemingly unbothered, the only tell of her panic was that of the thinning of her pupils and the rabbit beating of her heart. Stood in front of her holding the hand of her pet was the Adversary in all Her mangled glory.

Her eyes could see things Players never could, and they took in the behemoth of an aura that spilled from the bastardized enderman puppet. It took up the entire town and then some, the soul of Moon pouring out from the pours of Her prison. A thousand eyes bore down onto Her, all-knowing and filled with unbridled hatred. It was white and blinding, unlike the Moon’s usual gentle glow. It was that of a beacon and it burned with ire that a million-plus years of betrayal granted.

Just as she thought she had seen all the biblical horror of such a scorned Goddess, the second one reared Its head around. A thousand faces with none to host such a vast and unknowable source. It was older than the Moon and Sun combined and had Seen more than the universe had to give.

Host of both Moon and Void.

Things had gone from controlled to catastrophic in one glance. Nothing Queen could’ve planned for would ever taken such a drastic change into account. Every piece on the board was null and void. It was over, the game…

Their eyes, though, were carefully blank and dopey as they smiled down at their captor. Ever appeased by his babbling, there was no malice or manipulation hidden. Just a simple kindness and curiosity like a baby blinking first look into the world.

Held tightly in their other hand was a leash to a tamed cat that looked mildly miffed to be there.

The curtain fell and the aura sunk back into its shell like a prisoner unable to even try to escape. Her mask tightened on her face as her cheeks hurt at the force of her lips pulling up. Her throat hurt as she began to laugh. Full-on belly laughing.

It was so much worse than she’d expected, but it was in her favor instead of the future she’d expected.

Whatever deviated had messed up badly enough and had completely broken this vessel to pieces. Vox would have a new pet soon enough and the other would be none the wiser to what trap they fell so easily into.

While they had arrived ahead of schedule, they had also damaged the goods far beyond repair. The end of the Moon had come ahead of schedule as well.

She had time to think about how to deal with the Void later.

Wiping away her tears, she offers a hand out to the stunned hybrid and her smile turns malicious as they fall perfectly into place, enamored by her.

Now, all she needed to do was find where Ae was hiding the door. Glancing down at the cat, it seemed to step back in fear. It could pass a message to its keeper and she would finally begin marching to the final days toward her freedom