Fall from Grace | Hermitcraft x Empires SMP AU

Lizzie: The Beginning of the End (or at least what felt like it)

Time in Animalia was progressing nicely, in Mayor Lizzie's opinion. 

Critter City was thriving, bustling with its different districts, and it gave the cat a sense of pride, when she looked out over her subjects. The sacrifices made had been worth it, and Lizzie thought that Animalia was a good place for her and her trusted assistant to stay safe.

Mumbo wasn't around right now, she noted. It was less and less surprising to see Mumbo go and visit Shelby of his own accord, and she had a hunch that he'd be back by night as usual. 

Her communicator buzzing with a couple of urgent messages from Mumbo made Lizzie think otherwise.

<Mumbo> lizzie come quick

<Mumbo> please
<Mumbo> the rift opened when shelby and i were visiting the festival grounds again and now theres too many people here and im being crowded and i cant breathe

<LDShadowLady> I'm on my way
<LDShadowLady> Just breathe, try get to Shelby

<Mumbo> ok
<Mumbo> thank you

---

She was very quick to get over to where the festival had been held, frowning slightly when she saw the situation. Mumbo was very clearly panicking, Shelby by his side. A handful of unfamiliar people were there, with an avian wearing a red sweater being the most notable. He was standing close to Mumbo. 

Too close to Mumbo, in Lizzie's opinion. And based on Mumbo's panic, he wasn't happy about it either. 

She darted between Mumbo and the unfamiliar avian, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You make sure he's okay." She said to Shelby, who nodded at her, eyes wide. Lizzie then turned to the avian. 

"State your business." She demanded. 

The avian looked baffled, confusion overtaking whatever he might have been feeling earlier. 

"I'm just... I was just saying hi?" The avian said, taking a step backwards. "Mumbo's my friend, and he's been gone from our server for so long, and I missed him." 

So this group must have been from Hermitcraft. Lizzie knew very little of that smp, only it's name and that Mumbo had originally lived there, prior to coming through the Rift. She didn't know exactly who each of them were, but it was a bit of a relief that they weren't entirely strangers. 

She could, at the very least, say they likely didn't mean her server any harm. But she still didn't trust them. Why was there such a big group of them? And why hadn't they come earlier, if they supposedly missed Mumbo so much? 

It felt off to Lizzie. 

"If you're supposedly friends and missed him so much, then why can't you recognise when to leave him alone?" She snapped. "He's clearly panicking." 

The avian focused on Mumbo again, a panicked look entering his eyes. Lizzie almost felt some weird sort of pride, before turning her back to the avian and the other strangers. 

"Just back off for a bit, let him calm down." She said, focusing on her friend. Lizzie placed a paw on Mumbo's back, his wing curling around her slightly as he pulled her closer to him. Mumbo wiped his eyes, looking between Shelby and Lizzie. 

"Who are they?" He whispered. Shelby didn't respond. 

"How about you ask them?" Lizzie suggested. She took his hand into her paw, squeezing it gently. "I'll be by your side, I promise."