*Quick Note* This is my take-on for a season 3. I would like to let you know that I will not take any requests for adding a ship in the story. Character interactions will be kept as platonic as possible. Creative feedback is greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy the story.
The Diamond Collection (Part 1)
"I have heard the saying 'expect the unexpected' once or twice somewhere. Through befriending longtime rivals, to battling wither storms, to facing the wrath of other worlds unknown, that was the saying that stuck to me the most. Who would've thought that that would be the way that I have to live my life by?" There is a brief chuckle.
"But when a powerful being, known as the admin, used his god-like powers to bury civilizations in bedrock, test the loyalties of followers and friends, and challenge heroes from the past and present, they had to figure out for themselves what to expect. It wasn't easy. Many of our heroes were at their wits end, but no matter what, they never stopped. In the end, the admin was defeated, and the world was saved. And even though peace was restored, our heroes are left to live their lives, waiting for the next call to adventure." A round of applause breaks out around the table. Lukas, with a leather-based book balanced in one hand, does a small bow.
"That was quite an entertaining story, Lukas," praised Gabriel.
"Yes. It certainly sounded like it was quite the adventure," said Ellegaard from the seat next to the male warrior's.
"It was a…" Lukas chuckles nervously, rubbing the side of his head, "an interesting time for all of us."
"'Interesting?'" Axel challenged.
"Well, what else can I say?"
"How about 'ambiguous?' 'Terrifying?" "Daunting?" answered Olivia, sharing a tone similar to that Axel's.
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Lukas, I'm not saying that your opinion is wrong, but in case you've forgotten, he destroyed Champion City," argued Olivia.
"Yeah, and our towns could've been next," added Axel.
"Yeah, but-"
"And don't forget how many other towns this guy has destroyed single-handedly. What does that say about him?" asks Olivia.
"Well…" The rest of the sentence dies out as the blonde man anxiously eyes the audience, hoping, begging, for someone to say something.
Jesse, watching the scene unfold, rises from her seat at the head of the table. All eyes are on her as she walks down to the front. "Hey, guys, look at it this way. If it weren't for the admin, Petra, Radar, Jack, and I wouldn't have made it out of the terminal. We can't say that his sacrifice was in vain then."
Mumbles of agreement and nods are exchanged among the table.
"I'll give him that," sighed Jack from the center of the table. Nurm speaks agreeably in his native language.
"I think all that Lukas is trying to say is that the admin didn't fail to make this adventure unforgettable," said Jesse. "We learned a lot of really important lessons because of him."
"Yeah, like never take your friends for granted," commented Petra.
Her eyes drift down to the dark oak table for a moment. She can't say that she's fond of the admin. She can say that it's because of the fact that she was alone in a void where the only norm is chaos. That's not far from the truth. She can also say that it's because of how he handled Beacon Town, while she and the others were fighting to stay alive. But she knows that deep down, it lies underneath the fact that he reminds her too much of herself.
In retrospect, she knew that she could've handled her existential crisis differently. Just like how he could've handled his emotions differently. They may have been under different situations, but in the end, they ended up pushing their friends away. Petra learned a lot from the admin. It was a thought that gave her relief and bitterness.
"I think it was more along the lines of don't take your reputation for granted. I mean, come on, I was the one being impersonated!" remarked Jesse with a tone that reminded Petra of an elder reminiscing over something amusing.
"What does reputation have to do with anything?" challenged Petra.
Jesse looks up at the ceiling with a playful smirk upon her face. She then props her chin with one hand, as she leans against the table. "Oh, Petra, darling, where do I start?"
They share a look before bursting out into a fit of laughter. With a wave of her hands, Petra dismisses the other female. Everybody else exchanged a confused look.
"What's so funny?" inquired Ellegaard. The laughter died down.
"It's just something that happened in one of the villages that we went to," explained Jesse, trying her best not to burst into another fit of laughter.
"You'd have to be there to understand," responded Petra. The older engineer can only nod and hum in response. She diverts her attention to the plate of bread in front of her.
"Thanks, Jesse, but Olivia's right about one thing. It would be good to put a broader perspective on the encounter with the admin," commented Lukas from behind, scribbling some notes in his book. "Thanks for letting me share my book."
"Thank you, Lukas." Once more, a round of applause bursts through the room. The blonde makes his way back to his seat. Once he was seated, Jesse clears her throat.
"On that note, I want to say thank you all for being here. I'm really glad you could make it tonight, with how busy we are with our lives: running towns, going on adventures, being heroes." The occupants of the dining table exchanged a few pleasant words and glances. "Now," continued Jesse, silencing the audience, "Ivor hasn't come back with Harper, Otto, Isa, and Milo yet, but we'll start dinner without them."
"Way ahead of you there," Axel resounded. In a blink of an eye, his plate was filled with every single dish that he could get his hands on: chicken, cake, stew, bread, potatoes, and much more. "Come to papa!" the griefer exulted, shoving a potato in his mouth. A few members of the table chuckled, while others grimaced.
"Oh, Axel," sighed Olivia, shaking her heard.
"Speaking of going on adventures, Jesse and I got back from our adventure a few days ago," reminded Petra.
"Oh yeah. How was that?" queries Axel, with his mouth full.
"What kind of cool places did you go to?" queried Binta from across Petra.
"Oh you know, desert temples, villages, abandoned mineshafts; the usual," answered Petra, shrugging her shoulders. Binta giggles in confusion at the bored expression plastered on the redhead's face.
"You make it sound like it's a bad thing."
"Okay, don't get me wrong, Binta. I like adventuring as much as the next person, but if I never see another one of those places again, it'll be too soon," deflected Petra.
A contemplative hum is heard from the other female. Judging from the warrior's face alone, she was expecting a bigger reaction. Coming from a place where "the usual" does not apply, Binta's curiosity about the world outside of her own only grew. It would seem a given that she would beg Petra to describe the places to the utmost detail. But there was only silence.
"We did come across a woodland mansion," said Jesse, in hopes of steering the direction of the conversation.
"Yeah? How was that?" wondered Jack.
"The mansion was kind of creepy, but really cool!" answered Jesse.
"We had to fight all of these weird looking villagers-"
She stopped as soon as her gaze landed on Nurm. The villager's glare illuminated a mixed feeling of displeasure and shock. The embarrassment dawned on her like a creeper sneaking up on her. "Err… No offense, Nurm."
The villager responded in an unamused tone.
"Anyway, we had to fight all these villagers with axes, and then there were villagers with powers that summoned these ghost-like beasts that were swarming us, and-"
In the midst of the growing excitement, the redhead began stumbling with her words. She tried find the right words, but to no avail. She shouted in defeat, and plopped down on her chair. The excitement never ceased.
"Show them what we got, Jesse!" she effused.
Digging into her inventory, Jesse pulls out what looks like a small totem. It is bigger than Jesse's hand, but not by much. Its golden figure shined from the glow stone chandelier. Emerald eyes twinkle from every angle, and even though it has eyes, it doesn't have a face. There were two arms that are bended in the way that wings would be bent in a sculpture. Everyone stared at the artifact in awe.
"Whoa," gasped Axel.
"What is it?" wondered Olivia, leaning closer to get a better view.
"We don't know," said Jesse with a shake of her head. "We were hoping that Ivor or Jack would tell us."
Jack inhales sharply, and shakes his head. "I've been to a few woodland mansions, but I've never seen anything like this. Nurm?" The villager responded with denial.
"Well whatever it is, maybe Ivor could tell us once he comes back," said Jesse. She places the emerald-eyed totem back in her inventory. All of a sudden, there was a loud knock.
"Perfect timing," remarked Ellegaard.
"I'll get it!" exulted Radar. The young intern jumped from his seat and dashed out of the room before anyone could take another bite out of their food. For the umpteenth time, everyone exchanged a look. The room filled with brief laughter.
"He's pretty excited," comments Ellegaard.
"Can you blame him?" began Jesse. "It's not every day that someone goes on a crazy adventure, comes back as a hero, and then the next thing you know, they're spending time with other heroes."
There is a gleam of pride in the way that the woman smiles at the entryway where her intern just exited. Radar has come a long way since the day that he began working with her. More confident. More outspoken. Granted, he's still prone to episodes of unrestrained anxiety, and babbling sessions. Nevertheless, Jesse can't help but feel proud.
"I guess," said the engineer, breaking Jesse out of her thoughts. "Reminds me of someone else I know." She smirks at Olivia. The poor young engineer's eyes dart around the room. The room was silent. Never once glancing at her idol, regaining her composure, Olivia takes a bite from her cake.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Uh-huh."
"So, Binta, correct?" queried Gabriel.
"Yes, that's me," replied Binta with a sense of refinement.
"I have heard some extraordinary stories about you and your people."
"Oh, have you?"
Gabriel nods. "I don't wish to pry, but I would love to hear more."
Binta lets out a bashful giggle. "I'm flattered, really, but Lukas has told you everything you need to know about the faithful friends of Fred." She sighs, and her eyes went downcast. "I'll admit, though, there were times when it seemed like all hope was lost."
"I can only imagine," agreed the older male.
"But," Binta began, "I'm just grateful that now we have the chance to live out in the open, thanks to Jesse and her friends." The warrior opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Radar appears from the entrance. His demeanor, compared to before, looks anxious.
"Uh… Jesse? There's a hooded man outside who wants to see you. He says it's urgent business. He doesn't look like he's armed or anything. Should I bring him up here, or do you want to go down to see him?"