This is Why We Left Tumble Town

"And so after the fae took over, we had to leave." Jimmy took another sip of his drink that was definitely just apple juice and not anything alcoholic at all. He would never. "You're lookin' at the Sheriff of Weekend Town now."

"Fascinating," Scar hummed. "How long ago was this?"

"Um... coming up to a year ago, but it doesn't feel that long." He traced the rim of his glass with his finger. "Don't get me wrong, Weekend Town is lovely, but I miss Tumble Town as well, man."

Scar leaned his elbow on the table. "Why don't you just go back?"

Jimmy looked at him as if he had grown an extra arm. "Did you not hear what I said about the fae? I'm not going back there, not a chance."

"Well..." Scar pulled out something that looked like a wand from the inside of his coat and twirled it. "I've been brushing up on my magic more recently, I think I could do a little exorcism and make that problem go away. Of course, you don't have to go back to being the Sheriff, but just for old times' sake, you know?"

The sheriff blinked.

Scar blinked back.

"What do you mean 'magic?'"

~✭~

So apparently Scar was like a wizard or something this whole time and never told him?! What the heck!! That could've come in handy a bunch of times when Scar came in through the rift!

Well, whatever. Grian opened a new portal for them, so they wouldn't have to take the ridiculously long journey back.

In the blink of an eye, they were at spawn. Jimmy took a deep breath of Empires air. It was exactly the same as any other air, but it was the thought that counted. "Oh, the memories!"

"Yeah. It's like we're all back in Hermageddon, trying to clean up Cub's sculk." He sighed happily. "Let's get going to Trouble Town!"

"It's Tumble Town!"

Jimmy at first wasn't sure if he would remember how to get to his former empire, but one look at the nether hub and he instantly knew where to go. The familiarity, the instinct was so strong it felt as if he was operating on autopilot.

It wasn't long before they reached the portal and already the sheriff was getting overwhelmingly nostalgic. Without hesitation, he stepped through, Scar following not far behind. Purple-coloured mist swirled all around him before his vision went dark for a split second. When it came back, there he was. Standing on a plateau of terracotta in a million warm colours. A dry breeze brushed against his skin, welcoming him home.

"Whew boy, when you said 'the fae took over' I did not think it was this much!" Scar exclaimed, staring down at the empire coated in plantlike blue-green. He took out his wand, the tip glowing. "Well, I guess I better get to work."

Jimmy looked down into the bowl. "Oh, yeah. It wasn't this much when we left, actually. It was just that, uh," he pointed in the general direction, "that little bit down there. It's a good thing I left then, innit?"

"Yeah. Is it safe to touch?"

"Um..." Jimmy walked over to a section of fae and gently poked it with his foot. "Probably."

"I'll take that as a yes," he said, putting on his elytra. "I'm going to start over there, okay?" He pointed across the bowl. "It's like brushing hair, you gotta start at the ends. I don't get it either." With a wave, he glided down.

"Scar, wait up!" Jimmy took off after him.

It had been so long since he had flown above Tumble Town. It wasn't the same, but he could still make out the saloon, the lock-up, the church, the storage building, the ranch. He was home again. Man, he missed this.