One day earlier

Citrus's POV-

Citrus grinned coyly. "Memory is a powerful thing, Scar." And, without waiting for a reply from the wizard she had been fooling for a week, she turned around and ascended back into the hallway and up the steps from which she came, eventually emerging into a room. In it were a few chairs, a crafting bench, a furnace, all the essentials. "I'm finished," she declared to the form resting on one of the chairs. "This is fun."

Sage chuckled, standing up. "It sure is." His eyes glinted maliciously. "Thanks for giving them a nice introduction; I'll take it from here." He then walked around her, disappearing into the darkness that leas to the little trap room. She smiled after him, purring. She certainly hadn't been expecting two visitors quite so soon, but for once she was glad that Sage hadn't listened to her. She supposed he was the boss for a reason. 

But after a moment of standing, she got bored. There was no-one here, Void had gone somewhere or other, and the adrenaline was beginning to wear off, leaving Citrus unbearably bored out of her wits. But then, she remembered something. Well, not something, but someone. For the kitty had caught the little birdie Bee accompanying the two cheating Hermits. Perhaps she could pay her a little visit. 

She quickly exited the room using another door, pressing a handy button that had been installed to open the door-- and keep it open for a fair amount of time-- and ascending the steps. Her tail flicked mischievously as she emerged out the top where the outside was ready to greet her with warmth and sunlight. 

But enough time spent on that, she had a target. The cat wandered outside, scanning everywhere with her keen gaze to try and find that amber-eyed, traitorous, codfish-eating bird. And it didn't take too long, as Bee was simply hanging about the base, undoubtedly waiting for the Hermits to emerge. Citrus laughed to herself as she approached. "Hello, Honeybee," she greeted with a flick of her tail. She drew out each syllable dramatically, her high-pitched voice piercing the air like a knife. The cockatiel followed her every movement, visibly upset. Citrus circled the bird, keeping her eyes fixed on the other's the whole time. Oh, how she wished she could simply pounce on the bird and finish the job right here, but that might not be the best idea. "Fancy seeing you here."

The bird chirped, her beak snapping with every note. Citrus simply laughed. Bee wasn't saying anything nice; Citrus didn't have to understand her to know that. And that just made it all the funnier. "You know I don't, and frankly don't care to, understand you, birdie. Besides, why are you so mad? I just wanted to say 'hi'." She stepped forward suddenly, baring her teeth. Bee jumped back with a flutter of her wings. Her tiny chest started moving quicker, and she was almost quivering at this point. "Y'know, they say a criminal always returns to the scene of the crime, but I didn't think you'd bring two others with you. Was this really your plan all along? To bring the two most meddlesome Hermits straight to the root of the problem? I thought you were brighter than that."

This only got her more angry chattering. Bee stepped forward-- gutsy-- and narrowed her eyes. Citrus simply continued to circle the parrot, like a bird of prey, taunting the bird as she went. Perhaps this wasn't as fun as simply killing her, but it was entertaining nonetheless. After a few minutes, though, Citrus glanced away from her toy to see two figures emerging from the base. "Well, that's my cue to leave. Nice chat, Birdbrain." And with that, she dashed off around the side of the base to go back in.

---

Oh, no. This could not be happening. The cat bounded up the spiral staircase and out into the sunny outside. She shielded her eyes, her pupils dilating to adjust to the new natural light. This was really not good. As the floor closed beside her, she began to pace. Back and forth. Oh, Citrus, what now? Back and forth. What would you do now? Back and forth. What use were you now that your entire job was just voided?

The reality of what had just happened had finally set in. Sure, taunting the Hermits was fun and all, but now it had finally clicked that this was it. She had, up until now, spent her time spying on Scar and living with him during the day. But now that Scar knew about everything... well, maybe not everything, but the point still stood... she couldn't exactly continue that. You can't spy on someone who knows exactly what you're doing.

Citrus stopped her movement, turning to look outside of the base she had grown so familiar with. The sun shone through the huge open doorway. The air was silent, save for the soft hum of distant redstone and the woosh of the waterfalls still flowing off of the base. It seemed as though the sky knew nothing of her troubles and continued on as usual, while she was stuck here on the ground, wondering what she'd be doing next. 

'I've got to find a new Hermit to bother.'

That's what she had told the two others down there. Sage and XisumaVoid. She had grinned and smiled with her eyes, and her tone was light. But now that she was away from them, her feelings had settled, and she was left feeling a strange feeling she had never felt before. It wasn't happy, but it wasn't quite sad either. It was almost fear. Why did this have to happen? She had been feeling just fine. Just dandy. But now that the adrenaline had worn down, she was tired and upset. 

The cat melted to the floor, curling up in a tight ball. The sun warmed her fur, the warm breeze felt nice, in stark contrast to the stiff, heavy, unmoving air of the downstairs. It was always so crampy in there, she hated it. Out here, in the fresh air, was so much more enjoyable; she could actually feel alive... well, almost at least. She felt less like a walking pile of nothingness. There, that was better. And she could actually think now. She could just lay here and focus on what the heck she would do next. 

Also maybe take a little nap. She did feel really comfy, after all. 

She lay there for a few moments, her head becoming more at rest and clear with each passing second. Her thoughts became less focused, and her mind wandered. It wandered to Sage's words from before, that she didn't have to be a spy to be useful. But that wasn't right, was it? She couldn't be useful if she wasn't observing and reporting on the Hermits. No, because that was her purpose. If she didn't fulfill her purpose, then she was useless. And if her purpose was already fulfilled, and Sage and Void didn't need anything else from her, then she was even more worthless.

And she wouldn't stand for that. She wasn't useless. She wasn't wasted. She had to be enough, more than enough. She was important, and she had to stay that way. No matter what. 

And if she was going to find a new way to fulfill her purpose, she'd have to find a new Hermit to spy on. And that wouldn't happen if she just lay there in the sun. Standing up and shaking out her fur, the cat turned around. She nodded at her home and flicked her tail in a promise to return. She'd be back before sundown. She was sure of it. 

... or maybe she wouldn't be. Because by the time the sun had begun to set, Citrus was aimlessly wandering around the Shopping District, having made no progress in the slightest. There was the occasional meandering Hermit, but they rarely stayed long, just walking into a shop and back out again. Nothing interesting was happening, which was a first for the cat. Since when does nothing happen at all? Not a single argument, no odd behavior, nothing noteworthy in the slightest. What was up with that?

A little nagging in the back of her mind was insisting that she went back home, that she went back to Sage and Void and the others and give up on her mission. But there was no way she could do that. There was no way she would do that. She was staying away until she found a way to be useful. Even if it took days. Even if it was difficult. Even if it killed her. And that was a promise.

Even if she didn't have mobs to fear, the cat still didn't care for wandering around in the evening. There was something about the time that the sun disappeared below the horizon, and the reds and oranges of the sky faded to purples and blacks that messed with her mind. She didn't mind wandering around at night, no, that was fine. If she couldn't leave before sunset when she was with Scar, she would often leave in the early hours of the morning, where the only light was the stars and moon. She couldn't exactly explain it. It was like explaining the reason behind a phobia-- it was nearly impossible and attempting to do so only caused more confusion.

As the sun shined the last of its rays over the land, a chilly breeze swept through the buildings, making Citrus's coat fluff up. It was a bit cold, wasn't it? The evening harbored little warmth, and though she was used to it, Citrus didn't exactly care to be an icicle. The kitty glanced around to find a suitable place to take shelter in for the night. Hermits wouldn't be out and about this late, not if they wanted to avoid the bat-like phantoms that preyed on the skin of those who refused to rest. In a way, they were sort of heroic, forcing the players of their own game to take a break from time to time. It was as if they existed purely to add incentive to not working oneself to the brim of madness and sleep deprivation. Citrus quite liked the phantoms, especially since they didn't care much to go after her. 

Finding nowhere suitable to duck into, her eyes landed on a nice, large, willow tree. It was in the middle of a rather out of place clearing. The grass-- yes, grass, none of that disgusting, spongey mycelium-- was much softer than other places, the wildlife was seemingly quite tame for being 'wild', and things just seemed like organized chaos. Citrus smiled slightly. This was a nice place. She quickly climbed up the trunk of the tree and leaped onto a low-hanging branch. Her tail resting off the side of the wood, Citrus lay down, resting her head on her paws. She'd stay here until morning, then she'd resume her search.

...But she couldn't quite fall asleep.

No, there were no monsters nearby.

Yes, it was night.

And Citrus was admittedly quite tired.

But something somewhere was not allowing her to surrender to her dreams. And as she listened silently to the white noise of rustling leaves and distant bees, she realized what it was. She heard footsteps and soft humming. Instantly she perked up, her ears flicking as she listened. Was there actually someone out now? What were they doing? Who was it? The noise was getting closer and closer until it was seemingly right under Citrus's nose, blocked from her vision by the thick leaves.

The feline jumped down from the branch, quickly licking down some messed up fur that had brushed up against the leaves. She glanced around and immediately her gaze was drawn to the form of someone dressed in what seemed to be a magenta suit-- though she couldn't quite tell with how dark it was. Her hair was adorned with flowers, the stems of which tied to both each other and her hair, fixing it on her head perfectly. She was bent over a chest, humming to herself as she dug through it. After a moment, a name formed in Citrus's tired and foggy mind. This was StressMonster, she was sure of it. 

As she suddenly stood up and turned around, Citrus had no time to hide behind something, and she just stood there like a deer in headlights as Stress stared down at her, arms holding diamonds that glittered in the moonlight. She quickly deposited those in her inventorial pouch and walked over to Citrus, crouching down. "Oh, hello, love! How did you get here?" She stuck her hand out and started scratching Citrus's neck, causing the cat to flinch.

Stop. Stop. No. She hated this. Please stop. This is torture. This is so demeaning, please stop. Why did this have to happen to her. Why. 

After a few agonizing moments, Stress stood back up. "Are you lost? Why not come back with me for a bit, sound good?"

Oh. Oh, yes. Citrus's heart fluttered. Was this what she had been searching for all day? Would she finally get to spy on another Hermit? Citrus couldn't believe it. This had been worth it. She would hang about Stress and gather intel-- she was just another gray cat, after all, nothing special-- and then she'd go back to Sage and V. She'd be useful again. Citrus's eyes sparkled as she nodded, just slightly, and forced out a little, "Mew." 

She would never get used to that.

But it seemed that it was enough to convince Stress, as the next thing Citrus knew, she was being carried via elytra-- the worst way to travel by far-- back to her new home-away-from-home.

-(Author's Rambling)-

Guess who spent all her time drawing instead of actually writing. That would be me! It is currently far too late for me to be staying up, and yet I am doing so anyway because I have no regard for my mental health. 

It's time for Citrus to have the spotlight for a bit! 

Thanks for coming, and I'll see you in the next one, my little Readers!

Promise out!