The Past Ahead - an Empires SMP AU

Prologue

           Gem didn't know what to think. The meeting at spawn about fWhip's explosion had been about an hour ago, but her mind was replaying the events in front of her like a broken record, like it was still happening. 

           "Smithereens. He's gone. He blew up."

           "So you're both to blame for this."

           "Should we check on our empires?"

           "So nothing else has happened to any of you guys?"

           "Yeah, I need to go check, I'll be right back."

           "You'd better watch your back, because I'm coming for you."

           "Gem?"

           Gem's head snapped up, back to attention as her twin brother gazed anxiously at her. Her baby ender dragon, Violet, did a few concerned loops around her hat. "You all right?"

           "Yeah, I'm all right, fWhip." fWhip sighed quietly, from relief or exhaustion, Gem couldn't tell. In just a span of seconds, his empire and Joey's empire had been destroyed, debris was falling in Crystal Cliffs, and everyone had scattered to check on their empires. More damage was likely to follow soon, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for more bad news. fWhip had already talked her into escaping with him on one of her dragons, even though the decision still didn't sit right with her. After all the friendships and hardships she and all the other emperors had gone through, just one little explosion happened and she was just going to leave just like that? Then again, it wasn't exactly a little explosion, but still. The point still stood. 

           "Gem." Now fWhip sounded impatient. Violet tugged on her sleeve and Gem, still hesitant, walked over to where her brother was already mounting the dragon with his dogs. He held out his hand to help her up, but suddenly it clicked in her mind. She didn't want to go on that dragon and just abandon everyone without doing anything. Gem turned and ran in the opposite direction, heading toward her wizard tower. "Gem, where are you going? Wait up!" fWhip leapt off the dragon and ran after her, Violet and his dogs chasing eagerly. Gem ran up the steps of her tower two at a time before bursting into the library. She grabbed a book off the shelf and immediately started flipping through it. Come on, it has to be here...

           "Gem, what are you-" "I'm looking for a spell, fWhip, one of these has to get all of us somewhere safe." Gem knew she was rambling, but something about the destruction of at least two whole empires had caught her severely off-guard and rattled her quite a bit. She saw in her mind all the other empires in danger, any sort of danger whatsoever, and she couldn't stand for it. Not when she had magic that could help. Now where was that spell- aha! "Wait, Gem, all of us? All the other emperors? How- why-" But fWhip never got to finish whatever he was going to say. Gem held out her staff and began to recite. This was old magic she was delving into, magic she hadn't necessarily studied, let alone practiced, but what could go wrong? 

           "Reperire animas. Ad salutem adduc."

           And just like that, they were gone.