A long time ago, before the Order of the Stone was first founded by Soren, before the Old Builders constructed the Portal Hallway, even before Romeo covered the first world in bedrock...there was a mountain. The Mountain of Mojang. A mystical one that constantly changed locations and defied the very laws of science and physics. An eternal ring of thunderclouds hovered above it like a deadly omen. Despite the various rumors and superstitions surrounding it, few men dared to climb up it, and even fewer ever returned. As in, none at all. It was considered one of the most dangerous places in the world.
That made it the perfect location to explore for a certain group of heroes. No, not the Order of the Stone, but a group that existed countless years earlier, even before the Old Builders. On a day that will change the rest of history forever, three people climbed up the mountain. Their names were Fred, Romeo, and Xara, and they were completely, utterly, without a shadow of a doubt, human. And they were after the Old Man of the Sky.
When the three of them first heard about the ancient wish granter living on top of the mountain, they were ecstatic. The group of friends was still young, naive, and had a thirst for adventure. Despite the unnerving stories of people climbing the mountain and never coming back, it only served to fuel their ambitions of becoming the first to do so.
After thousands of years being an Admin, one can go through remarkable changes in their lives, to the point of becoming completely different people. This definitely showed in how drastically different they were when they were still humans, when the burden of limitless power was not even in their minds and plaguing their every thought and nightmare…
Fred went through the least amount of changes during his new life as an Admin. As a human, he was still just as kind and sentimental as ever, but more naive and optimistic. He was also surprisingly the most adventurous one in the entire group, always eager to get his blood and adrenaline pumping every chance he got. As a result, he had a fondness for swordfighting, scary campfire stories, and riding roller coasters, the more dangerous the better.
Both Romeo and Xara went through the most changes after becoming Admins, though not for the better. As a human, Romeo was far from the tyrannical, narcissistic dictator he had become. He was a shy and introverted man who preferred to read about adventures in books rather than participating in them himself. He was decent at hand to hand combat, but always used combat and violence as an absolute last resort. He was also gentle, soft spoken, and had a craving for sweet things. It was hard to imagine that in the span of a few thousand years, he would become one of the most dangerous and powerful beings the world had ever seen.
Xara was also incredibly different from his cold, cynical, and destructive future self. As a human, she was very outgoing and had more friends than she could count, though she hung out with Fred and Romeo the most. It wasn't hard for her to make so many friends since she was practically a ray of sunshine, always seeing the best in people and wanting to make them laugh and smile. Her prevalent sense of humor and goofy demeanor often led people to mistake her for being simpleminded, but she could also be very observant when she wanted to.
The three of them quickly became inseparable friends. They also became famous heroes and performed exploits all over the world. It seemed like they would be the best of friends for the rest of their lives, and sadly, they believed it too. Unfortunately, like how the Order of the Stone was torn apart by Soren's lies, the command block, and the vanishing of Ramus and Lucy, or how the Old Builders were torn apart by the Games, Hadrian's greed, and the Redstone Heart, there was bound to be some event that would destroy their friendship forever. When the three friends first set foot on that mountain, their fates had already been sealed.
"Welp, there it is," Fred announced, staring at the temple with his hands placed on his hips. "Think the Old Man of the Sky lives there?" Romeo and Xara quickly caught up with him. Romeo, the physically weakest member of the group, had to stop and rest for a while, taking in as much air into his lungs as possible. Xara, on the other hand, was a boundless source of energy. She immediately sprung up and stood alongside Fred, forming binoculars with her hands and squinting at the temple. "Probably," she said, then began hopping on the balls of her feet. "Oh man, this is exciting! What do you think he's gonna be like? Ooh, maybe a genie? Oh, or maybe he's a wizard with a staff and a pointy hat and everything! Or maybe-!"
Fred chuckled in amusement as he listened to Xara ramble on and on. Honestly, he could see why some people back home thought she was simpleminded, even though he didn't agree with them at all. Romeo finally finished catching his breath and stared at the temple, then looked up at the storm cloud swirling around above them. A shiver crept up his spine. Needless to say, a mountain that could move around on its own and a thundercloud that never went away just screamed, "Unnatural!" "Guys, I'm having second thoughts about this…," he said nervously. "Aw, don't be scared, you big fraidy cat!," Fred laughed, clapping Romeo on the back. "Besides, we already spent all that time climbing. Might as well see what this place has in store for us!" "Yeah, don't be such a downer, Romeo!," Xara giggled, barely able to contain her excitement. "I mean, we're gonna have our wishes granted! I'm gonna wish for a big mountain of candy! Ooh, or a big mountain of kittens!" She gasped dramatically. "Or even better...a big mountain of kittens that poop out candy! SQUEEEEE!" "Won't that taste gross?," asked Romeo.
Xara grabbed Romeo by the cheeks and pulled him towards her face. "It's candy...from a kitten's butt!," she said in a serious tone. "...that didn't really answer my question," said Romeo, slowly pulling Xara's hands away. Fred laughed and pulled them both in for a hug. "Guys, guys, knock it off," he said. "The point is, this is going to be our last adventure. We'll still be together after this, but there'll be no more treasure hunting, no more mob slaying, no more traveling across the globe. So let's make this one count!" "Aw, yeah!," cried Xara, pumping her fist in the air, then performed an imaginary guitar riff that made both Fred and Romeo laugh. "Come on, guys! Let's do this!" She quickly did a handstand, then began to cartwheel her way to the temple. Fred gave Romeo one last comforting look. "Don't worry, Romeo," he assured his friend. "We'll be there for you. There's nothing to be afraid of, okay?"
Romeo nodded hesitantly, though he still looked a little unsure. "Alright," he said, putting on a confident smile. "Let's do this." Fred and Romeo went to catch up with Xara, who was impatiently waiting for them at the temple's front door. "Come on, let's go already!," she whined. "Yeah, yeah, we're coming. Keep your hair on," Fred chuckled.
The three friends entered the temple and couldn't help but murmur in excitement at what they saw. Not only was the inside littered with numerous statues, but the walls also had ancient murals and writings carved onto them. Fred squinted at the writings in confusion. "I can't read any of that," he said. "Hey, Romeo. You're our translator. Can you read this for us?" Romeo walked closer to the writings and closely observed them. After a while, he squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead. "I can't understand any of it," he said. "This isn't like any other language I've ever seen. It hurts my eyes just to look at them."
"Guys…," said Xara, nervously staring at one of the statues. "Look at this." Fred and Romeo went over to the statue that Xara was observing. "Look at that face," said Romeo, staring at the statue's expression in awe and fear. "It's so realistic and lifelike…" Not only that, the statue's face was filled with sheer horror. Its mouth was twisted into a horrific scream and its eyes somehow conveyed so much emotion that none of them could even look into them for a few seconds. "Well...whoever carved THAT into stone deserves a reward," Fred joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Oh my god…," Romeo whispered, staring around the room. "It's not just this one. They're ALL like this." "Okay, I'm officially creeped out," Fred murmured.
"I don't like this," said Xara, her happiness completely evaporating. She sounded like a scared child. "This...this isn't right." "Come on, Xara," said Fred, trying to ease the tension with a smile that only remained on his face through sheer willpower. "They're just statues. So they're a little disturbing and whoever made them might not be...sane. But hey, we're still gonna get our wishes granted. Candy pooping kittens, am I right?" "Yeah...right," said Xara, her smile slowly returning. "R-right! I'm not gonna let some creepy statues ruin today! Let's find the old man and get our wishes granted!" "That's the spirit!," said Fred, grinning. "But where could he be?," asked Romeo. "I don't see the old man anywhere." "Perhaps you haven't looked hard enough," said a voice, causing the three friends to jump. "Who said that?," asked Fred.
"I did," the voice spoke. They turned towards the source and saw a man sitting on the floor with his back to them. He definitely wasn't sitting there a few seconds ago. The man sat up and turned around, revealing twinkling eyes, a black beard, and a smile that instantly erased the previous tension. "I am the Old Man of the Sky, but you may call me Notch. I presume that you're all here to have your wishes granted?" "We sure are!," said Fred, instantly being comfortable in the old man's presence, though he wasn't sure why. "I'm Fred, by the way. And these two scallywags with me are Xara and Romeo." "Pleasure to meet you, Notch," said Romeo, smiling shyly. "Wow," gasped Xara, her eyes sparkling. "Your beard...it's so cool. Can I touch it?" Fred barked out laughing while Romeo stared at her in mortification.
Notch chuckled and waved his hands to show that there were no hard feelings. "Now before we start this wishing process, you need to tell me your reasons for them and I will judge them myself to see whether or not your wishes are deserving of being granted." "Wait, what?," asked Fred, looking at him in confusion. "What do you mean 'deserving of being granted?' You mean you don't grant EVERYONE'S wishes?" "Of course not," said Notch. "If I gave anyone who came here anything they wanted, I wouldn't have a moment's peace, would I?" "I guess not," said Romeo, seeing the logic in that. "So how are we gonna do this?," Xara asked excitedly. "Are you gonna read our minds?" Notch chuckled again and shook his head. "You three have to tell me your reasons first," he explained. "But I have to warn you, though. The consequences of coming here with unworthy wishes are nothing to be scoffed at."
"Consequences?," asked Fred. There was something about how Notch said it that made him uneasy. "Yes, consequences," said Notch, nodding. "In other words, you will become one with the mountain." "One with the mountain?," asked Romeo, slightly fidgeting. "What do you mean by that?" Notch sweeped his hand across the air. "Look around you," he said. "Tell me, what do you see?" The three friends looked around the room, but all they could see were the murals, the writings, and especially the statues. "A bunch of statues that I'll be seeing in my nightmares pretty soon," Fred quipped. "Are you telling us you made them?"
"...in a way," said Notch, stroking his beard. "You see, there is a line to be crossed when it comes to wishes. Plenty of people let their greed get the best of them. They wish for money, fame, and most of all, power. Now that alone isn't so bad, but their reasons for wanting such things are far from noble. Instead of using their newfound wealth to make positive changes in the world, they flaunt it in front of less fortunate people. Instead of using their fame to become great role models, they instead use it to gain influence and sway the public to side with them. And as for those who abuse power...well, the less said about that, the better."
Suddenly, the friendly aura around Notch dissipated in an instant. He no longer seemed like a kind, loving old man. The smile on his face was as kind as ever, but his eyes became cold, hateful, and something else that was too terrifying to be described with mere words. "And what do I do with the people who come to me with selfishness in their hearts? I punish them, of course." He leaned towards the three friends, who instinctively leaned back in fear. "Tell me, my friends," he said in a slightly mocking tone. "Have you just had an epiphany?"
An epiphany. A sudden realization. One would think having an epiphany would be a great thing, but not in some cases, and certainly not in this one. Like lightning, all three of them were struck with horror when the full scope of the situation dawned on them. Xara began to hyperventilate and Romeo let out a strangled gasp. Fred remained resolute on the outside, but on the inside, he was just as terrified, if not moreso. They finally realized why nobody ever climbed back down the mountain...why there were so many statues here...why they were so realistic and lifelike...and why they each had expressions of pure terror and grief.
This was no temple they had stepped into...it was a graveyard. And standing in front of them was not a benevolent wish granter, but the grim reaper in sheep's clothing.
"You see it now," said Notch, seeming to derive some sick amusement from their reactions. "Those poor, poor souls never leave this mountain...because they can't. They are one with the mountain now. And depending on your answers...you just might join them."
Thinking quickly, Fred grabbed Romeo and Xara by the arms, then pulled them back and stepped in front of them as a human shield. "What the hell is all this?," he growled, trying to mask his fear with anger. "Isn't it obvious?," asked Notch, slightly cocking his head. "People come here expecting to get what they want. Instead, they are faced with a test, and quite a deadly one too. And no one...absolutely no one had ever passed it before. But who knows? You just might be the first ones." Fred felt sick to his stomach, remembering his desire to be the first person to escape the mountain alive. Even worse, he had dragged Xara and Romeo into it. Poor Romeo, who didn't even want to come in the first place. Damn the Old Man of the Sky! Damn this mountain, and damn my own sense of adventure and recklessness!
"Look, we don't want any trouble," said Romeo. "We'll just leave. You don't have to grant any of our wishes. In fact, you can forget seeing us at all!" Notch sighed and shook his head in amusement. "I'm afraid that's not how things work around here, Romeo," he said. "You can try climbing down if you want to. The problem is, why should I let you?" The old man was completely relaxed, knowing that there was nothing they could do other than play along. "I am far more powerful than you could ever imagine," he continued. "The old man you're seeing right now is just an avatar. My true form exists in an entirely different plane of existence from this one. I am all powerful, all knowing, and everlasting. This body, as well as this mountain, is just an extension of myself. I could strike you with lightning, send some mobs after you, maybe an avalanche if I'm in the mood. I could just kill you right here, right now."
"S-so why don't you?," asked Xara. Romeo looked mortified, but Notch was unbothered by her question. "Because I haven't heard your reasons yet, OR your wishes," he answered. "All you have to do is state a wish, then tell me why you chose it. Depending on my answer, you will either join the rest of them, or escape this mountain unscathed. There's no other way." Fred was furious by what he heard and was about to retort, but quickly changed his mind. Insulting someone who could kill you and your friends in an instant was NOT a smart thing to do, and besides, Fred felt that he could salvage something from this whole mess.
"Alright," he said, nodding firmly. "We'll play along. But if we tell you our wishes, and if you approve of them, will you promise to let us go?" "Even better," said Notch, smiling. "I'll let all three of you go AND grant your wishes, as long as you give me a good reason." With a wave of his hand, the old man conjured up a large cloud of sand, which solidified into a solid chair made out of sandstone. Then, he sat in the chair and leaned back in relaxation. "Just remember that once you tell me your reason, there is no going back. Do you understand?"
"Yeah...I understand," said Fred. Suddenly, Romeo roughly grabbed him by the arm and spun him around so that they faced each other. "Fred, what the hell are you doing?!," he whispered fiercely. Romeo rarely cursed before, if at all, which showed just how angry and stressed he was at the moment. "You heard the old man, Romeo!," Fred argued. "This is the only way for us to get out of here alive. We have to play along with his games."
"But Fred, what if he's lying?," Xara whispered fearfully. "What if he'll never set us free?" Fred sighed heavily. "That's a possibility," he admitted. "But there's no other choice. He's too powerful. We won't be able to fight him. We just have to hope he'll keep his end of the bargain." "That's a wise way of seeing things, Fred," Notch spoke up, having heard their whispered conversation. "Now I hope you know what your answer is going to be, because the last thing I need is for my time to be wasted." Fred nodded. "Alright, here's my answer."
He took a deep breath. "I wish to become an Admin." At first, there was only silence inside the temple. Then, Notch's eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. "That's a pretty big order for me to fill, Fred," he said, a slight tone of warning in his voice. "I hope, for your sake, that you have a very good reason for this one." "I do," said Fred, ignoring the terrified and confused expressions on his friends' faces. "I want to become an Admin...because I'm tired." Notch raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. "I'm tired of all the corruption that exists in the world. I'm tired of people cheating and backstabbing each other for personal gain. But most of all, I'm tired of being powerless. If I could fix everything wrong with the world, I would, but I'm only a human. No matter how hard I try, I know I won't be able to make a dent. But if I have the power of an Admin, I know I could do great things, things I never would have dreamed of. That's my wish, Notch, and my reason. You can judge for yourself if it's up to your standards."
Romeo and Xara stared at their beloved friend, awestruck by his speech. Xara was especially affected by it. Fred wanted near infinite power, not to rule the world or get anything he wanted, but to help people, just like how he's always done. It made Xara's wish for candy pooping kittens seem so...childish. Notch hummed and nodded, seeming deep in thought. "You know that's a fruitless endeavor," he said musingly. "Even if there were a million Admins who tried to fix the world, it could never be done. The world is just too corrupt." "Maybe," said Fred, nodding. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try." Notch chuckled and quietly applauded. "What an answer," he said, his smile slightly growing. "I've never heard anything like it. Very well, Fred, you've convinced me. Your wish is granted." Notch raised his hands, and suddenly, two lasers shot out of them and struck Fred. "FRED!," Xara and Romeo screamed.
However, instead of being harmed by the lasers, Fred's appearance began to change. His skin became blue, the color of lapis, and his hair grew into a dark blue shade. Once the light from the lasers had dissipated, Fred, in his new Admin form, was floating in the air, staring down at his body in awe. "Whoa," he whispered. "This...is...awesome."
"Fred, you look so cool now!," Xara gushed, jumping up and down. "Notch turned you into an Admin! How do you feel?" "Honestly...not so different from how I used to feel," said Fred, checking his hands. "This is amazing," said Romeo, staring at Fred's new form. "It's like one of those stories I read about in my books." Notch chuckled and turned his attention to the two remaining humans left. "And what will your wishes be?," he asked. "The two of you don't have to worry about having selfish reasons. I did promise Fred to let all three of you go."
Xara was deep in thought once the threat of being turned into one of Notch's statues was no longer present. She initially wanted a mountain of candy pooping kittens as her wish - because seriously, who hasn't wished for something like that - but something stopped her. She glanced at Fred, who was still admiring his new Admin form. That speech he gave about wanting to use his newfound powers to help people really struck a chord inside of her. Did she really want to waste her wish on something that only benefitted herself?
With her mind made up, Xara turned to Notch with a determined expression on her face. "I want to become an Admin too!," she said, ignoring how Fred and Romeo stared at her in confusion. "I want to make the world a better place, just like Fred!" "Me too," said Romeo, though he looked slightly uncomfortable while saying it. He obviously wanted to become an Admin from fear of being abandoned by his only two friends, though Fred and Xara weren't actually aware of his inner turmoil. Notch noticed, of course, but he made no mention of it. "Why not?," asked Fred, grinning at Notch. "You told us that even a million Admins couldn't completely fix the world. So what could hurt in creating two more of them?" "Yes, Fred," said Notch, smiling enigmatically. "Why not?" Those poor, naive fools, he thought, shooting two more lasers out of his hands, each one traveling towards and hitting Xara and Romeo.
Xara's skin became yellow, the color of gold, and her hair turned a violet color. The colors really complimented her bubbly and energetic personality. Romeo, on the other hand, had skin the color of charcoal, and hair that glowed an ominous red. It was honestly jarring to see the shyest member of their group look like a literal demon. "Whoa!," cried Fred, staring at Romeo's new form. "No offense dude, but you look like some kind of interdimensional tyrannical overlord!" "Speak for yourself," said Xara, admiring Romeo. "I think he looks cool!"
"Well, off you go then," said Notch, waving them away. "Enjoy your new powers." "We sure will!," Fred exclaimed. As he and Xara were about to fly out of the temple, Romeo suddenly grabbed Fred's arm. "Fred, wait!," he said. "What about the statues?" And just like that, their good mood had evaporated. "Oh...the statues," said Xara, sadly looking at them. "I forgot about them." Fred glanced at Notch, wondering if he could free them before Notch stopped him. The old man smiled at him, but the message was clear. I gave you the powers of an Admin, and I can take them away just as easily. Don't try anything that will make me...unpleasant.
With the message received, Fred sighed sadly. "It's too late for them," he said. He hated himself for giving up on the victims so easily, but knew that there was nothing he could do. Not if Notch had anything to say about it. "Come on, guys," he continued. "Let's get out of here." "But…," Xara whimpered, staring at the statues anxiously. "But they need our help.." "I already told you, there's nothing we can do about them!," Fred snapped angrily, causing Xara to wilt. Fred immediately felt guilty for scaring her like that and mentally reminded himself to apologize later on. He turned to Romeo and was surprised when he saw the normally calm and quiet man glaring at him. It wasn't just a glare from someone who was disappointed in you, but a glare from someone who hated your guts. Romeo's glare vanished so quickly that Fred wasn't sure if he had imagined that or not. "I'm sorry, guys," he murmured. "Come on. Let's go home."
As the three Admins flew out of the temple and away from the mountain, Notch stared at them until they vanished into the distance. Afterwards, he leaned back in his sandstone chair and sent out a telepathic message to an old friend. Herobrine, are you here?...Yes, it's me, Notch...I don't want to impose, but I have a surprise for you...well, three to be exact.