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Spoke looked up, the world cracked around him as he peered through the cracks of the Farlands. The sky was a dark void. He couldn't even see the stars. It all felt so wrong. He let out a sigh and started building up. The motion hurt him, to be frank his entire body hurt. He was tired and hungry. The fight with Mapicc took too much out of him. Emotionally and physically. He felt betrayed but he couldn't bring himself to be mad at him. He could truly never be mad at Mapicc.
As he reached the top of the crack he found himself in a maze. Full of moss and stone, he looked around. “This has to be the way out right?” he whispered, walking around. The sound of his footsteps echoed throughout the hallways. It felt so surreal to be here, alone, walking a path that had no seeming end. This place was not meant to be explored alone. It felt like he was supposed to be here, with Mapicc, Jumper, even Planet. Running around, talking, having fun, maybe even cracking a few jokes.
Yet he was alone, with only himself to blame. The only things that were with him were broken armor, pickaxe and a few golden apples. He couldn't even eat the golden apples, who knew if he would need them for later. A familiar feeling weighed in his chest. He doesn’t know what to call it but he knows he's felt it before.
He continued walking. It felt like the only thing he could do. if he stopped he was afraid Null would catch him. “Is this what you wanted, Jamato?” He spoke aloud to himself for the sake of hearing something other than the silence. “To split me up from everyone I know and love. To separate me from Mapicc again, just so you can kill me?” He let out a bitter laugh. He couldn't believe he’d let himself be played so badly. He really couldn't believe any of this was happening. He really walked right into that trap, and now he had no way out of it.
“You can bring out your silly null guards.” He yelled. “You finally have a chance to do whatever!”
The only thing that responded was silence. “I don’t even know why you're doing this.” He whispered to himself as he continued on. He was so tired, so tired of being constantly hunted, losing friends, almost dying. He was tired of it all. He wanted to give up, but he couldn't give up. If he did, who would save Planet? Who would save the other players? He has to keep going, because if he doesn't, who will.
“Surely I could've done something to change how this went.” At this point he was just talking to talk. He needed to hear something other than the deafening silence of the maze.
“Maybe I could've dropped the book”
“I didn't even have to follow Mapicc, I could've gotten Parrot.”
We could've gotten an army here!”
“We could've saved everyone..”
“We could've brought everyone with us…Ally, Dev, Planet, Dylan, Emma..”
“We would've had an army..”
He was silent for a moment, He knew nothing he did would change the outcome, he was destined to fall into Jamato’s hands. He was destined to fail, this situation was hopeless from the very start. No matter what changed, no matter who he asked, no matter who he told, he was destined to be here. To be stuck here, in this endless maze.
He looked up to the dark endless void he called the sky. He used to stargaze with Mapicc in the good days. They used to sit together in the grass and talk about all sorts of things, their family, their friends, their enemies, their dreams, their hopes. It was nice, did you know Mapicc used to want to be a baker when he was younger? Spoke always thought that was really interesting, you really wouldn't expect it from the warrior honestly, but Spoke thought it was interesting. He thought everything Mapicc did was interesting. He always paid attention.
“Mapicc thinks it's all my fault..” His voice was barely audible.
“And Jumper…She's gonna know it's my fault too.” His voice wavered with every step he took forward. He hated this, he felt so pathetic honestly. He felt so hopeless. This entire situation was hopeless.
“Im going to be the last to remember these players. No one at spawn cares, they never did.”
“It's going to be all my fault.” His voice softened.
“That they are trapped here forever.”
Looking in his inventory for a second he starts building up again, hoping to get to the top of this maze. He climbed and climbed and climbed, after a while he reached the top. It was covered in skulk. As he jumped onto it a sensor went off and he immediately stilled. His body tensed up as he stood still. God he always hated the deep dark. They made exploring a pain sometimes, but at the same time it usually made things a little more interesting.
He stood for a second before slowly moving back to the edge. He knows if Mapicc or Jumper were here they'd be asking him what he’s doing. He looked at the vast area in front of him. In all directions it was just the same thing. An eerie feeling of emptiness creeped up on him. He looked over the edge, a thought came to the front of his mind. A train of thought he didn't want to dwell on, but it was becoming more prevalent the longer he was left alone.
As he stared down he realized if he fell he’d die from this height, or at the very least be seriously injured. If he just let himself fall, he could finally be free from this torment. The server would be free from null. Jumper would be free from null, Mapicc..would be free from him. It wasn't a bad idea, he just had to let himself fall and everything would be fixed right? The worst thing that could happen is that Null finds him injured and they take his life for him. Sure it'd be embarrassing but it’d still get the job done.
“I don't want to die.”
“I mean…”
God who was fooling, his voice shook with every word he said, he didn't sound convincing at all. He felt small and pathetic, everything in the world was against him and the only idea his brain could come up with was to kill himself. Mapicc would be disappointed if he heard how Spoke was talking right now. He’d tell Spoke that they will come up with something and that they shouldn’t give up. He looks down again and jumps. Barely hitting the water he placed he decided he had to do everything he could to get rid of null. For the players, For Mapicc.
“Ill find my way out.”
“Ill get everyone out.”
He continued walking forward. Taking a few turns here and there, he will save everyone. He will fix this mess. It won't be his fault anymore. Suddenly he hears a sound from behind him. He knows that sound all too well. His blood turns cold as he peers over his shoulder. The purple swirling of a portal is there. He runs, or well tries to run. He doesn't really have enough energy to run. But he ducks behind a corner and runs down a hall. He hears the sound of foodsteps catching up to him as he pushes himself to run.
“No no no no nonono..” He whispers to himself as he runs, trying to dodge the Null players trying to catch him. His heart is beating out of his chest. He’s never been so scared. He doesn't want it to end like this. He doesn't want them to catch him. Every corridor he turns there's another portal waiting for him. No matter where he runs they are everywhere.
He can't escape him. He's stuck here. The null isn’t even trying to hurt him, they just keep trying to surround him. Push him into a corner. Make him feel small. He won't let it happen. He can't. He has to get out of here. For everyone who needs him still.
“Please please please please please.” He whispered to himself, as he started digging into a wall. Null was right there, they were trying to grab him and pull him out of his little hole he mined but he refused. He wouldn't let them take him. Not like this. Hands surrounded him. It felt suffocating. He kicked them away from him and he desperately covered himself up, mining through the wall and running again.
He ran and fought, he really did, he tried his best. No matter how far he desperately crawled away, they dragged him back. Grabbing at every part of him. Until he was cornered. Surrounded by null. They weren't even advancing towards him anymore. They just stared. He can imagine if they had faces they'd be giving him a look of disgust. Suddenly a portal appeared behind them. He knew who was coming. He couldn’t run anymore.
“Are you even surprised?”
Jamato's voice had a sliver of amusement. As he walked out the portal. The soldiers parted the way for their leader. He walked up to Spoke, getting face to face with the voidling. The white mask hid any emotion the man could be feeling. “It was always going to end like this, Spoke.” He could tell he was smirking underneath that stupid mask. God Spoke always hated that mask. Fear started to weigh heavy in his chest. “Why did you do this?” He cut Jamato off, He was tired of these games he wanted answers he wanted to know why he would do this to everyone. He needed to figure out how to fix this. He needed information now.
“How many people are going to take the fall for you, Spoke?”
“W-woah what—”
He wasn't done, Jamato always had a lot to say. “I have tried to reason, ive tried to remove you, ive even tried killing you.” His voice held so much venom in it. This was built up rage from what seemed like years. Spoke felt disgusted having to listen to this. He didn't want to listen to this.
“It was never enough.”
Spoke froze at his words, he felt like a child getting scolded by a parent. “But why do this, why make null?” Spokes' voice raised a bit, he was getting desperate for an answer at this point. “Why steal so many innocent players?" His tail trashed angrily behind him. It wasn't fair, not to his friends, not to the innocent players. Not to him. None of this was fair. The odds were always stacked against him.
“Because everyone deserves a chance to make their own choices, their own mistakes.” He explained, waving his hand around as he talked. “But somehow, SOMEHOW, it always ends with you, Spoke.” He pointed a finger directly at Spoke’s chest. Directly over where his heart would be. “You're always at the heart of it all.” He said it like a simple fact, something that could be proven with a wave of a hand. Like nothing could ever disprove that fact. “All the pain, the destruction, the death.” He was tired of being treated like a destructive child. He wasn't a destructive child. He was just trying to survive. Why couldn’t anyone understand that?
He started circling Spoke slowly. “And that's why null was created. To bring all the trappers, griefers, scammers, thieves, to bring YOU to justice.” This was getting hypocritical at this point. Didn't he just do the exact same things to capture Spoke? Sure Spoke has done the same things and probably even more, but Jamato has too.
“Look at everything you've done Jamato. This isn't justice—” He was cut off again, he didn't deserve to get a word in. Not with the things he's done, apparently.
Jamato stood right in front of spoke again, a bit closer than before. He stood completely still this time. “Ill admit capturing you was hard, I spent months training everyone and myself for this mission.” His voice started to shake, Spoke could tell he was holding in his anger. “But even with everything I've done, you've stayed fighting, and I resent that.” His fists were balled tightly, shaking a bit. Spoke felt another weight get added to his chest. He was scared.
“You took Mapicc, you didn't think I'd fight back against that? And I was successful. I killed them, I killed your leader.” Spoke tried to remain confident, tried to show he wasn't someone to be messed with. If he could kill that many Null, then he could kill more.
Jamato stood in silence for a moment. Most likely contemplating what to reply back with. Spoke was forced to stare into his mask. His mask was empty where his eyes would've been. Spoke realizes he's never seen Jamato without his mask on. It's so strange, for a man he thought he knew so well, a man he used to call a friend. He really doesn't know anything about him. It’s honestly terrifying. Spoke knows so little about Jamato, yet Jamato knows so much about Spoke.
“I realized something, after you killed my soldiers,” He paused for a moment. “That it was pointless to capture you myself, so I got someone else too.” Suddenly Spoke put it together.
“Youre…Youre talking about Mapicc? He was in on this?”
“No, of course not, he assumed I was dead.”
Spoke felt relieved that Mapicc wasn't in on it, that Mapicc didn't purposefully lead him to this. “But I let Mapicc escape and from there he brought you right back to me.” Spokes’ blood ran cold. It all made sense now.
Spoke ran a hand through his hair. “I don't.. I Don’t get it—” Spoke was in disbelief, This entire thing was part of Jamato’s plan, all of this went exactly how he wanted it to from the very start? He backed away from Jamato a little.
“But in this mission you've successfully led my army to the rebel camps and because of you I was able to capture them again.”
His heart was racing, he felt his breathing pick up a bit. The world started feeling blurry. The distress of this realization started to become more clear. His tail was swinging back and forth quickly. He didn't mean to lead Null, it was his fault though, every time he had led them to the rebel camps. It was all his fault they got caught. He never meant for this to happen. The voidling was starting to push himself further into the corner, trying to make as much distance from Jamato as he could.
“What was I meant to do, you blackmailed me, infiltrated my team, what was I meant to do? it was ALWAYS going to end like this!” Spoke was visibly shaking at this point. His vision was blurry at this point as he stared directly at Jamato. “You're right it was gonna end this way, because I own the truth.” Jamato moved closer to Spoke, getting right into his face. His tone was demeaning, it grated on Spoke’s ears.
“But frankly Spoke, nothing I could ever fabricate is better than the disaster you've created for yourself.”
Jamato suddenly backed away, just a little, just enough room to give Spoke a second to breathe. One by one the Null slowly started going back through the portal. Their footsteps heavy on the ground. Until it was just him and Jamato. The two stared at each other for a moment. Before Jamato spoke once more.
“Youve ruined your life better than I could have.”
He sounded way too happy to say that, but he's not wrong. Spoke has ruined his life. His life will never be the same after this. He pretty much just lost everyone he could've lost. He's completely alone 12 million blocks away from home, and any allies he may have left will never trust him again. Jamato turned around and started walking to the portal himself.
“Wait” Spoke reached out instinctively to him. His voice is quiet, small, and weak. “Im done here.” Jamato stepped into the portal. Pulling up his communicator, he was most likely messaging Null agents on what to do next. His voice was stern like a parent who just got done punishing their child.
“Wait Jamato.”
“A-are you going to tell them what I've done?”
Jamato turned to look at Spoke. His body gave no clues on what he was feeling. His voice was flat.
“The better question is how long you can hide the truth.”
Spoke stood there as he watched Jamato leave through the portal. He stared at the purple swirls. What was he meant to do now? How was he meant to move on? He has no one, Jamato just won this game. In a second he pulled out his water and broke the portal. Spoke stood there for a moment staring at the broken portal, like he was expecting it to reignite all on its own. What was he meant to do now? He was completely alone. In a prison of his own making. Funny isn't it? He thought he was ready, that he could outsmart Jamato, but in reality he never could. God he was so stupid. He was never going to win this game. Spoke turns away. If he stares at that stupid portal for any longer he might lose his mind, which is something he can't afford to lose right now.
He started to walk deeper into the maze. He didn't know what it would accomplish at this point but he felt the need to just walk. To wander. If he stays still he might just die and he can't do that right now. Maybe he’ll get an idea from it. Probably not but it doesn’t hurt to wish right? It's all one can do in a hopeless situation. His footsteps were loud in the silence. It was so loud, god he hated it. He hated the silence. It felt mocking. He hasn't had silence in so long, there was always some kind of noise, whether it was Jumper or Mapicc, or the sound of a campfire but now it's just silence. Suddenly an idea struck him. He pulled out a flint and steel and lit the ground on fire.
The sound of a crackling fire filled the maze. It helped a little. It made the silence go away. He walked forward occasionally lighting the ground on fire. He felt like his head was spinning, the rush of adrenaline slowly fading off. He felt so tired. This maze had to be a form of self harm at this point. No matter where he went there was just dead end, after dead end. This cycle would never end would it? He felt like he was just going to be stuck wandering for hours. He was probably going to starve at this point. He turned down a few more halls. One hallway felt strange. He stared down at it for a second. Why did it feel so strange? It felt so inviting. He shook it off and continued forward. Suddenly he had found something he wasn't expecting.
A white archway.
Decorated with quartz and flowers, the ground seemed to change from basalt to moss and grass. The inside of the archway was decorated with rose bushes and peonies, a dim light seemed to invite him inside. At the other end of the hallway there was a white staircase leading up. Was this it? Was this his exit? It felt enchanting, so welcoming, so kind. It felt like freedom, like a new beginning would be on the other side, maybe he could run from it all and be free, change his volatile ways and be better. He felt like he should move forward. Like he could be free for once and all if he walked up those stairs. This was his way home. A new start.
Something was wrong. There's no way it’d be that easy. No, it's never that easy. The cycle is never that easy to break. He couldn’t leave everything behind like that. Spoke backed away from the entrance, turned and walked away. This felt all wrong. He was afraid—Afraid that whatever was on the other side of that archway would hurt him. Would make him worse than he already was.
He doesn't know what's on the other side but he doesn't want to take a chance to find out. Not now. Not ever.