The title should tell you what's gonna happen in this chapter... but the NEXT chapter is the one where things get sad.

~~~

"I present to you our new Grand Emperor," Sausage said grudgingly. "Jimmy Solidarity."

The gathered Emperors and Last Lifers muttered and whispered to each other in surprise and anger. Jimmy? How had Jimmy gotten it? It probably had something to do with how many Last Lifers were on his side; at least half of them were staying at the Cod Empire.

I picked my staff up from where I had dropped it when I died, brushing dirt off of the new crystal.

"Speech! Speech! Speech!" Someone, possibly Tango, chanted.

"I feel your pain," Scar winced.

"Scar for mayor!" Bdubs cheered. "Of Hermitcraft."

"We already had that," Impulse said. "Remember how that turned out?"

Bdubs did not respond, which I took to mean it had gone badly.

"And why are you trying to make me mayor again?" Scar asked. "You hate me."

"We are frenemies," Bdubs corrected. "Sometimes we're best friends, sometimes we're worst enemies. And right now we're the best friends in the world!"

"Hooray!" Scar cheered.

"Well, uh," Jimmy said. "I feel very, um, honored to have the Grand Crown and I couldn't have done it without a whole bunch of Last Lifers..."

"Good speech!" Sausage said, his tiny attention span timing out. "First rule!"

"Everyone has to have a cod sanctuary in their empire," Jimmy said, his voice a little stronger.

FWhip, always the salmon supporter, yelled a complaint.

"FWhip," I warned. "You made this thing. Anything that comes out of it that you don't like is your own fault."

Grumbling, FWhip turned around and started to head home. Most of the other Emperors and Last Lifers were close behind him.

I hesitated before following them. I would feel better after a good night's sleep.

What had happened to FWhip? He wasn't usually the one to introduce a way of controlling people. He just wanted to build up the Grimlands and cause chaos with the Cod Empire.

Something was wrong. And it had something to do with the Red Crown.

I found it on the desk in my study, exactly where I had left it. I put it in a more secure place before treating myself to an early bedtime.

When I woke up, the Listener still hadn't contacted me. So all I could do about the Red Crown was experiment to no avail and then lock it away in a vault.

No sooner had I done that then Pearl flew in. "Jimmy's dead," she said.

"What?" I said.

"Scott killed him. Scott has the crown now."

Scott was one of the most un-murdery people I knew, and he was very close allies with Jimmy.

FWhip wasn't the only one being affected.

"That crown needs to be destroyed," Pearl said. "Actually, both of them do. How's the Red Crown going?"

I glanced around. "The Listener hasn't contacted me since right after you all came from Last Life," I said. "I don't know what's going on, but there is something you should know. The Listener says that Grian and Blue are imprisoned in the Downside-Up. She said that unless Grian accepts his past, they won't be able to escape. I assume you know what that means, but you don't have to tell me. I just thought you should know."

Pearl bit her lip. "Oh no. Grian renounced his past. He's avoiding it. He's barely mentioned it to me in Hermitcraft."

"So they might not get out," I said, starting to hyperventilate a little.

"They won't. I mean, they will! I mean, anything's possible."

That was not very comforting, but I appreciated the effort.

"Scott decreed that nobody is allowed to fly," Pearl said. "But I had to tell you what happened. So yeah, I'm breaking the law and I'll probably be executed as soon as he finds out."

I raised my eyebrows. "Executed?"

"Yep. But I don't intend to be, which is why I came to you. I think we should move to Hermitcraft, at least until things calm down a little."

"That's probably a good idea," I said, but I glanced in the direction of the Grimlands. I knew FWhip couldn't come, but I still wanted to bring him.

"Let's go when we take everyone back," I said. "Go back to the Smallholding. I'll start bringing the non-Hermits home, and then you can join me for the trip to Hermitcraft."

Pearl nodded and took off.

I typed into my communicator, Any Last Lifers who would like to go home now, meet at Spawn.

Then I took off my elytra and walked all the way to the jungle, where Spawn was.

I was the first one there. But the area quickly filled up with homesick Last Lifers and their hosts.

I got up onto one of the stools that we often sat on in big group meetings of all of the empires. "Okay, so I don't know which worlds a few of you are from. So can you raise your hand if you're not from Hermitcraft?

Two people raised their hands: Bigb and Skizzle.

I nodded. "Okay. Bigb, you first. Where to?"

Bigb hesitated. "It might be kind of hard to get there, because it's kind of different from most worlds," he said. "But Roblox."

I handed him the crystal. "I have no idea what you're talking about. So you do it."

"Me?"

"You just think of where you want to go."

Bigb nodded and clutched the crystal. After a few seconds, a portal appeared, deep blue with streaks of gold and bronze.

Bigb took a step toward the portal, but then it flickered out. Everyone looked at where it had been with alarm.

"Why didn't it work?" Bigb asked fearfully.

I took the crystal back. Like that one time with Gandalf and the dream communicator, the words error: wrong universe appeared in the purple fog inside the crystal.

Bigb's face fell.

"Wrong universe?" Impulse asked, peering over my shoulder.

I didn't want to elaborate on that. "I'm sorry, Bigb, but you're going to have to stay here a little longer."

He backed up, giving me back the crystal, and sadly walked back in the direction of the Crystal Cliffs. I wanted to help him, but I had to keep my promise to the other Last Lifers."Skiz, where are you from?"

"Legacy," he replied.

"There, I can go," I said. "I've been there with Pearl."

With a thought, the portal appeared.

"See ya possibly never," Skiz said.

"Bye, Skiz," the Last Lifers said. He stepped through the portal.

The portal disappeared. "Okay, since there's so many of you Hermits, we might have to take two trips."

I paused to type a code phrase to Pearl, come trade when we're done. She was on her way.

I thought of the Spawn village, where Joe had built a giant egg that we respawned in when we died. In a flash, the portal appeared.

The eight Hermits hurried through the purple and silver portal, anxious to be home after months of being in Last Life and then the Empires.

Pearl suddenly swooped down and landed in front of the portal. "Sorry for the wait. I'm ready now. Jimmy, come on."

"Wait, what?" Jimmy asked. "And you're not supposed to fly."

"I'll explain later."

The portal appeared, and we went through it.

We landed at Spawn, where the Hermits immediately set off for their bases. Then Pearl waved Scar back over.

"What?" he said, anxious to revisit his crazy steampunk wagon train.

"We need to talk," I said. "About something that you spent all of Last Life doing."

"If it's the crystals, then I'm not going to be doing those anymore," Scar said nervously. "I've had my fun."

I shook my head. "It's about the Watchers. And the Listener."

Scar looked surprised. "Okay, then."

"Has she contacted either of you after the end of Last Life?" I asked.

They both nodded. "Once," Jimmy said. "She just said that Grian and Blue were trapped in the Downside-Up and Grian needed to accept his past to get out."

"Same," Scar said. "Except she also said that the three of us have to work together."

Jimmy nodded.

"She told me that, too," I said nervously.

Pearl, sensing a private conversation, flew off to her castle.

"I hope she doesn't blow it up," Scar said.

"She won't," I reassured him. "We were joking."

Scar looked relieved.

"Did the Listener tell you what we need to do?"

"Defeat the Watchers," Jimmy said.

"I am definitely up for that, after they dumped us into Third and Last Life," Scar said. "But she didn't say how."

"When she talked to me, she said that she was gathering back her power after Last Life," I said. "She hasn't contacted me since."

"Me, too," Jimmy said.

"Yeah," Scar said.

Suddenly, there was a ripple of energy, like what I felt when someone used the transport crystal. It felt wrong, illegal - like someone was tearing a rift between worlds.

Scar looked at me in alarm. "What was that?"

"What?" Jimmy asked.

"I don't know," I said. "It feels like when I use the transport crystal, but I have the transport crystal right here."

"I didn't feel anything," Jimmy said.

I clutched my staff. "I don't know what that was."

"What what was?" Jimmy asked.

"There was a disturbance," I explained. "It felt like when I use the transport crystal, but I don't know what would have caused it because the transport crystal is right here." I held it up.

"It could be Doc," Scar said.

I laughed. "It could always be Doc."

"Why did we have to come to Hermitcraft to talk about the Listener?" Jimmy said, looking around.

"Because the Empires aren't safe anymore," I said. "Scott and you are really close allies. And he just killed you, or you would still have the crown. Any world with a crown that makes people do that is not a world I want to be in. I can take you back if you want, Jimmy, but then I'm coming right back here until I can figure out what to do about it."

"I'd rather go back," Jimmy said nervously. "But before you take me, could you make a communication device that works across worlds? Maybe I could keep an eye on the other Emperors and the Grand Crown for you."

"I could try. But communication uses the power of the moon. I'll have to wait until nightfall."

Scar looked fascinated.

Jimmy nodded. "That's fine. I'll think up an excuse for why I was gone."

Scar left for his base. Jimmy went to Pearl's. I put my elytra back on and flew the short distance to the Woodland Palace.

I landed in front of my palace and looked up at the soaring towers. It was good to be back here, after not getting a chance to since before I was captured by Sausage and Joey.

I spent the day doing what I did every day I was in Hermitcraft - I built more of my palace, planted trees, and hung out with my cat, Goose; my horse, Moose; and my semi-tame ravager, Cow.

At one point, False turned up and interrogated me about my absence. "You were gone for too long. Where were you? Ren said another world. He's back, by the way. I think everyone else is, too. Did you go where everyone else went?"

I shook my head. "Not really."

"Ren said another world," False repeated. "He said you told him to tell me never to expect to see you or your palace again, and I just came to say that if you blow up your castle, I will make you rebuild it because we can't afford to have an ugly swamp." She crossed her arms.

I burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh, he actually believed me?"

"What?"

"I was joking. I'm not going to blow up my palace. But it's time you know, because Ren exposed me in front of all the Last Lifers. I'm from a world called the Empires. I made a crystal that allows me to travel between worlds, and I came here temporarily. That's the short version."

"There's a long version?" False asked.

"A very long version. That you probably do not want to hear. And I do not want to tell you."

False shrugged. "True. But why did you leave for so long? And were the others with you?"

"I wasn't with them. It's their story to tell what they were up to. But I had a problem in my home world that I had to deal with."

I don't know why I didn't tell her about Xornoth. I should have told her. She and Stress were my closest friend here on Hermitcraft, other than Pearl. I guess I wanted a friend who still didn't know the Watchers existed. She didn't even know I was a wizard.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out and building a bunker, because there were some weird things happening in Hermitcraft. But she said they were sure to die down soon.

We still built a bunker, just in case.

We also planted some trees to go on top of the Shopping Lump in the center of the swamp. It looked pretty good when we were done, especially with the Nether portal that Stress had built as a centerpiece.

Speaking of Stress, she had gone on an exploring trip and had been gone for several weeks. False wasn't too worried about her, and neither was I. Stress could handle herself. Half of the time. The other half, she was screaming and hiding behind anything she could find.

As the sun started to sink in the sky and the first of the stars appeared, False said, "Don't freak out."

I was confused at first. "What do you... oh..."

The moon rose over the horizon.

And it was huge.

I had never seen it this big. Never. All the space it had ever taken up was an area of sky about the size of my fist.

Now it took up most of the sky, blotting out the stars and looming over the landscape. It gleamed in shades of grey, white and silver, beautiful but also absolutely terrifying.

"What... what is that?" I said in a small voice.

"That would be the moon," False said.

I knew that. I was just making sure, in case it was a ridiculously large, glow-in-the-dark build that only appeared at night.

OF COURSE IT WAS THE MOON, FALSE.

"When did this start?" I asked.

"I think Mumbo was the first person to notice, about two months ago."

"How did this start?"

"There are some theories, but nobody knows for sure. X.B. thinks it's the Bigeyes and their gigantic ridiculous cyclops, remember him? A bunch of people blame Doc. Some people think that it's going out of orbit and getting closer. Joe says the earth is getting smaller. I don't know why he thinks that."

"What do you think?" I asked unsteadily.

False squinted at the massive sphere in the sky. "I think that It's just a little bit off orbit and it'll go back to normal soon."

I didn't like the amount of uncertainty in her voice.

But if the moon was bigger, or closer, or we were smaller, then its power would be even greater. Now was as good a time as any to make a communication device that worked across worlds.

"I think I'm going to..." I said, backing away a little. "I'm going to go back to my base for a while."

False chuckled. "That's how we all feel."

I flew off, using a very normal elytra. My amethyst one was stored in a chest, where I could keep it hidden. I didn't want anyone who didn't already know to figure out that I was Realm hopping, and strange items like the elytra, my wizard hat, the dragon egg (which I kept with me at all times now), and my staff could give that away.

I realized I had left the Red Crown in the Empires. Oh, well. It was well hidden anyway. And I didn't want it in the same world as Ren.

I landed on the roof of the highest tower of my palace, cowering under the fierce gaze of the moon. I took out Jimmy's communication device, a simple blue armband, and put it and my own bracelet on the mossy shingles in the moonlight.

I quickly recited a spell that I had invented earlier that day, hoping it would work. The devices glowed briefly before returning to their ordinary-looking states. I picked them up.

They had the same feeling of wrongness to them that the transport crystal did, and that I had felt earlier. But it was more subtle, so it could be ignored. I took off and flew to the Boatem Pole.

Pearl and Jimmy were waiting there. Pearl had taken the same thought process as I had and taken off all her Empires clothing, and was back to her ordinary dark blue jacket and jeans that she had worn through X Life and always wore in Hermitcraft.

I gave Jimmy his wristband, which he examined and said, "I was expecting it to look more magical."

"Communication devices are different from crystals," I said.

I pulled out the transport crystal and summoned the portal to the Empires. Jimmy glanced back, said, "Bye," and stepped into the purple vortex, which disappeared after another moment.

Immediately, I typed, is this working?

Jimmy's response came seconds later. Yes!

I smiled. First try.

"Did it work?" Pearl asked, peering at my bracelet.

I nodded and showed her the message. She grinned.

"Now, we need to talk about that," I said, pointing up.

Pearl looked up. "Yeah, probably."

"False says that it'll go away soon, but I'm not so sure."

"All of us Boatem people were really confused. Mumbo just looked up at the sky and went, 'Is the moon big?' Then he started whining about how he needed a hug but Grian wasn't there to give him one. It was funny but also extremely terrifying."

"Did he go back to potato form?" I wondered. "He was human in the Empires."

"He started eating potatoes again, so yes," Pearl said.

I shook my head. "Why, Mumbo? Why?"

Pearl laughed. "It's good to be back here."

Then she looked sadly in the direction of the grey house that was Grian's starter base.

He was still missing.

And so was Blue.

And I guessed Martyn too, but nobody cared about him much anymore.

"When do you think they'll come back?" I asked, sitting on the emerald base of the beacon near the Boatem Pole.

" I don't know," Pearl said, looking disturbed. "I don't know if they will come back. We might have to do something ourselves."

"I don't know what we can do, though," I stressed. "The Listener hasn't contacted me at all. I haven't had any word from anyone. What if the Watchers killed them, Pearl?"

"They wouldn't kill them," Pearl said. "I know they wouldn't kill Grian. And Blue is too good of a fighter for them not to appreciate. They'll probably keep her around, at least for a while, in case they can turn her."

"That's not very comforting," I mumbled, images popping into my head of Blue helping the Watchers and me being forced to fight her.

"You have to believe in them," Pearl said. "They will get out, and until then, they'll hold on. I hope."

"I hope so, too," I said.

"Go to bed," Pearl advised. "Maybe the Listener will talk to you."

"But I want to do something," I protested. "I want to make a difference."

"I know you do," Pearl said. "But you can't until you have more information."

I pursed my lips and took off, heading home. I flew through the window into my bedroom and landed face first on the bed. I was glad nobody had been there to see that.

I got out of the bed and went downstairs. Even though Pearl had said that I needed to sleep and possibly get guidance from the Listener, I wasn't counting on it.

A message came in from Jimmy. Scott is still Grand Emperor, but he has weird ice powers. He came to me and asked if I knew where you were. I hope it's okay that I said you went to Hermitcraft. Nobody can follow you there.

I typed back, It's fine. As long as Scott didn't have a transport crystal, which he never would since Sausage wasn't a sorcerer anymore, Pearl and I were safe here.

Also he says that you're wanted not harboring a fugitive, namely Pearl.

I winced. So be it. He won't be Emperor for long.

Probably not.

Did you say 'weird ice powers?'

Yeah. He came and then accidentally froze one of my cod sanctuaries. I can't melt it. And he said Rivendell's frozen.

Oh no.

He was going to the Academy you're building so you could possibly help him learn to control his magic. But you weren't there.

I hope he gets by okay.

Me too.

I stared at the messages for a minute, then went to get something to eat. I had eaten with False, but it hadn't been much and I was still hungry.

I was tired. Pearl had said to go to sleep. Sleeping would mean pretending that the scary moon wasn't there. The Listener and I could only have decent conversations at night. There were so many reasons why I should have been asleep by then.

Why was I still awake?

Maybe I was just stubborn. I wanted to help, so I stayed up, but Pearl was right. There was nothing I could do until I got word from the Listener.

Then I realized something.

I could figure out a way to destroy the Grand Crown.

I could overthrow the new government system in the Empires and go home.

From where? Hermitcraft? Where my only source of information was Jimmy?

Forget that idea.

I went through information in my head. The spellbook in the elven library was a hint that the Listener had given powers to people before. So how had they failed? How could I do better? How could I defeat the Watchers and live to tell the tale?

A small voice inside of me said that Jimmy and Scar were as much a part of this as I was. But I pushed that thought away. To put it nicely, they weren't the brightest. They were safer at home. I was going to rescue Blue alone, because according to all of the former Evolutionists, Grian wasn't going to be a reliable means of escape.

I spent the rest of the night practicing my magic. I imprisoned chickens in crystals, then released them to try again. I practiced healing spells on adorable little clumsy Goose when he tripped over his own feet. I was pretty sure that was why he had such squashed features. He was always falling on them.

I made two major goals: Destroy the Grand Crown, and rescue Blue, even if it meant facing the Watchers to do it.

Why was I suddenly becoming so determined? The answer is simple. I was sick of immortal beings messing with my family.

Dawn came, and I realized I was very, very tired. I laid on the couch for a minute, and before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

They're safe.

"Hello to you too."

Grian and Blue have escaped with the Lost Evolutionists. They also took Martyn with them, which is admirable, but not preferred.

"They're out?" Hope blossomed in my chest.

Yes. But Blue is injured. Grian is planning to leave the world where they landed in a few days. If she doesn't wake up before then, he will leave her with the Evolutionists and go back for her later.

"She's in another coma?"

No. Just unconscious.

"How was she injured?"

I don't know. I can't see into the Downside-Up. I only saw and heard what happened after they escaped.

"Did anyone say anything?"

Tomohawk was also injured. Once he was well enough to speak, he wouldn't stop talking about how close he had come to deletion. There's only two blades I can think of that can delete people, and one belongs to Watcher One. The other is... somewhere else. But that doesn't matter.

"Are you saying that Blue fought Watcher One?"

Yes. She bought time for Grian to realize what he could do and get them out.

"Who's Tomohawk?" The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had heard it.

One of the Evolutionists who Martyn was told was dead.

Then it clicked - Jimmy and Pearl had briefly mentioned Tomohawk at the Victory Feast That Then Turned Into A Massacre.

"So they're alive?"

Yes. Tell Pearl. Jimmy knows, and he messaged you, but you were already asleep by then. And I assume he told Bigb. I can't communicate with Blue right now. Her wounds are magical as well as physical.

"What does that mean? IS BLUE GOING TO DIE?"

No. At least, I don't think so.

I then found out that it was possible to cut off the connection.

I calmed down soon after I woke up. This was a good thing - Blue had escaped. She was somewhat safe, for now. And she would be back in a few days if she woke up in time.

But I was still scared.

I flew to Boatem, only pausing to check the time. It was past noon, so I flew even faster.

I landed on a balcony on Pearl's hilltop castle, calling her name. I wasn't worried when she didn't answer. It was a big island.

I soared around Boatem, waving to Impulse as I went over his factory, and when there was no sign of Pearl, I went home. I didn't feel like chasing her around the world. She would come back eventually.

I spent that day finishing the bunker with False, and then when it was done, planting more trees, growing more flowers, and generally making the area around the Woodland Palace more beautiful. As the sun started to set, I stepped back to see my progress. I was pretty satisfied with it.

I turned around and my heart jumped as I saw the moon. I would never get used to it.

I flew back over to Pearl's castle. This time, she was there.

I couldn't hide my grin as I thought of her face when I told her.

"Pearl Pearl Pearl Pearl hi, I have news," I said, landing a little roughly.

"Hi," Pearl laughed. "What happened?"

"The Listener contacted me last night."

"Don't tell me. Tell Scar."

"He probably already knows. But this is going to make you very happy. And it made me very happy. Blue and Grian escaped."

Pearl's face lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah. With a bunch of other people who were imprisoned in the Downside-Up for a while. You might know them. You lived with them, after all."

Her eyes widened. "Is it really... they're alive?"

I nodded, smiling

A huge grin split across her face. "Where are they?"

"In another world. But Grian's coming soon, and probably Blue too, if she wakes up in time. The others aren't, but Grian can probably take you there with my transport crystal if you want."

Pearl was practically jumping up and down with excitement. "They're alive," she said. "Martyn said they were dead, but they're not and they're alive and Grian and Blue are free and I am VERY happy right now and bye!"

She plunged off the edge of the balcony.

"Aww, I was going to tell her," Scar said, landing next to me.

I laughed. Then I took off and went home to go to bed.

The next two days went by much the same as the last two: planting trees, watering gardens, practicing magic, laughing at Goose. Despite the problems back at home, I was happy through it all, even when a pillager patrol turned up and started a raid on my main area. Again.

I will say no more.

But my good mood was shattered when the Listener contacted me on my fourth night back in Hermitcraft, with more panic in her voice than I had ever heard, or I guess felt.

Gem, get whatever you can hold and get into the Nether.

The moon is coming. It's going to crash.

Run.

-----

He couldn't believe Evil X had betrayed him.

Well, actually he could.

Xisuma stood on the front steps of the Evil Emporium, watching the last of the diamonds disappear into the sky.

Xisuma wasn't the kind of person to wish death on anyone. So he just hoped that his former business partner would get stranded on an island somewhere.

In the meantime, however, he had a problem that quite literally loomed overhead.

There was a lot wrong with the world right now. Xisuma's shape shifting abilities were going away. Grian was still missing. And the biggest problem of all: Moon Big.

Because of the distraction Evil X had provided, Xisuma had no way off of this planet. He had no rocket, no bunker, no Boatem Hole.

Forget Evil X, he had to strand himself.

Hoping that nobody else received his same fate, Xisuma stepped into the Nether portal.

-----

Pearl stared up at the looming threat above them.

Scar had promised a way out. And he had built one, in the form of a very haphazard rocket. But where was he?

And where was Grian? Gem had said he was coming.

It was all happening too fast.

Scar finally arrived with their space suits. The Boatem Crew put them on and boarded the rocket.

"Everyone stand on a trapdoor," Scar ordered.

Impulse, Mumbo, and Pearl did as he said.

"So obviously the rocket is too big to fit in the Boatem Hole," Scar said. "So what we're going to do is... this!"

He pulled a lever, the trapdoors opened, and the four Hermits fell into the void.

Boatem had always been an upside-down place, quite literally for Pearl. So instead of flying into space, they fell into space.

She wanted to go back, find Gem, and go home to the Empires. But she was stuck unless Gem somehow came back for them. And even if Gem did come back, Pearl didn't know if she had the strength to go back to the Empires.

Or did she?

Could Pearl save Boatem?

-----

Tango filled the crystal valley with TNT.

He dusted gunpowder off his hands. "Adequate," he said into the mic. "I think we're ready. But don't step on it until I'm up there."

Adequate, the first horse in space, neighed in response.

Tango started to climb out of the crater. He hadn't thought saving the world would be so tiring.

Then he heard a familiar, terrifying sound - TNT igniting.

"Adequate!" He yelled, but it wasn't Adequate on the pressure plate - it was one of the carnivorous moon bunnies. Tango watched with horror as the first explosive blew up, starting a chain reaction. He scrambled to get out of the crater before something terrible happened.

He was too late.

-----

Cleo needed a way out, fast. Joe had left her using his elytra. She had let him go. She hoped he was aware that the wings would wear out and he would die.

She tried to think that he had brought this upon himself.

Cleo stood in the stronghold that Jevin had built, appreciating the beauty of the Eighth World for the last time. She gazed into the portal, a starry vortex. She wasn't sure she had the courage to do this.

But it was the only way. The people in bunkers - Gem, False, XB - they were fools. They would never survive.

Cleo remembered the disaster at the Victory Feast, when the Emperors had told her about an Ender Dragon fight in their home world. The Dragon was dangerous, but it had been killed within a week of arriving on the Eighth World. And the Tegg was going to be destroyed in about half an hour.

It had taken twelve Emperors to defeat the Dragon there. Here, it had taken one person in iron armor. Cleo smirked. It was clear which world was superior.

When one of the tremors shook the earth, Cleo was forced back to reality. She glanced around one last time before jumping into the portal.

There was no turning back now.

-----

Doc had done it - he had broken the laws of the Minecraft universe once again. He had made a portal to the Ninth World.

Okay so the whole Hermatrix thing would make it too confusing so I'ma just leave that part out

At least, that was what he and Ren were naming it. He had no idea if the rest of the Hermits would find a new world and live there, forever wondering where Ren and Doc had gone.

Ren stood next to him, placing the last head. They looked at the portal frame as a hole of black void opened up in it.

"So this is it, then?" Ren said wistfully, looking around at all they had built. The Octaspawner, the town of Octa, the Odditorium, Power Node One, and their masterpiece: the Octagon Megashop. In the distance, Gem's woodland palace stood over the birch forest, and in the other direction, the tall Boatem Mountains guarded the village they were named for. The moon loomed over it all.

"This is it," Doc confirmed.

Doc shook off his worries about the new world, which they were going into completely blind. They had no idea what was waiting for them. But they had to go.

Doc took a breath and looked into the portal. "Planet HC-9, here we come."

-----

Bdubs laughed with delight.

It was all his.

This entire world was his. If everyone was leaving, why wouldn't it be?

He had the world record on the Horse Course. Not even Adequate could beat Lulu, because he was on the moon with Tango.

The moon wasn't going to destroy this world. Bdubs had complete faith in Tango's ability to save it. Then the Bigeyes would be able to rule the world. And the Time King would truly be king.

He heard a rumbling as the literal gravity of the situation caused a tremor in the earth. But he didn't worry about it.

Instead, Bdubs went on a self-guided tour of the Eighth World, thinking about all the things that would be his, and he guessed Tango's as well. He was pretty sure that Keralis was trying to leave, which he was sad, but, well, more for him, right?

He found out how wrong he was when the moon crashed.

-----

I exited the portal in the Nether. As soon as I landed, it flickered out.

The dimension was completely normal. No flying blocks. No random tremors. And of course, no sky, so no gigantic scary moon thing.

I felt another disturbance in the magic, but ignored it. There was no time to investigate whatever it was.

I needed to find someone in here, anyone. I had to know that someone had had the same idea as me so that I could save at least one person from being stranded. I wandered around the Nether hub with Goose at my heels.

"Hello?" I called. There was no reply from False or Stress. Or Boatem (what had happened to Pearl?) Or my sus neighbors, the Octagon. Or the Bigeyes.

I got to the Evil Emporium.

"Is anyone here?" I yelled. At first, there was only the sound of ghast crying and ash shifting in the sulfurous air, but then I heard another voice.

"Gem?"

Xisuma was here as well. Nothing held back the relief I felt at the fact that one of my Admins was still alive.

He wasn't an axolotl anymore, though. He was back to his normal human form, but of course it was covered by his helmet.

"Oh, I'm so glad someone else is here," Xisuma said. "I've lost my shapeshifting abilities. You know magic. Maybe you could help?"

I could have helped. But he didn't know that the Watchers existed, and I didn't want to be the one to tell him.

I looked around to see if he had maybe brought anyone with him to the Nether. Seeing no one, I said, "I can get you out."

I didn't see him frown, but I could hear it in his voice as he said, "But the Nether is the only place that's safe. I know we can leave, but we'd be leaving into a shattered world."

"No," I said. "I can get us out of this world. Out of this Realm, in fact."

The offer tempted him. Please accept, I thought. I want to have done at least something.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I can't leave the rest of the Hermits," he said. "There could be more people here in the Nether."

I shook my head. "I've checked."

"Where would we go?"

I took a breath, trying to decide how much to tell him. "I'm actually from a world called the Empires," I said. "I've been traveling back and forth between the two, and I could go back right now if I wanted to, but I wanted to see who I could save first."

"I can't just leave here. This is my home."

"Your home is destroyed," I said darkly. "This is the Nether."

That sold it.

"Get me out of here for now," Xisuma said. "We can come back for the others later. Meaning, as soon as possible so they don't starve to death."

I pulled the crystal out of my pocket and held it out, ready to make a portal.

But just as I was about to teleport, someone else did.

And in a flash of light, I saw the two people who had been missing for days.