Minecraft Story Mode Countdown – Day 5

Disclaimer: Minecraft? Nah, not mine!

Chapter: 1/?

Author's Notes: So, I'm joining in on the Countdown to 2 for Minecraft Story Mode. I didn't write anything for the first four days (I'm not so good at oneshots) but I absolutely had to do something for Episode 5. It's my favorite! This will be a somewhat longer story (not sure how long), so it will definitely go beyond the countdown. This is just the first chapter.

This is based on a Sky City AU by sky-city-princess, so who was so wonderfully kind to let me use this premise, and whose Tumblr can be found at .com. Definitely go check it out!

Chapter One

Jesse cringed as her stomach rumbled for the second time in half an hour. Her quill paused as she carefully glanced up at her tutor, wondering if he heard it this time. Ivor was busy messing with a few potion recipes, but his smirk told her that her stomach could be heard from multiple blocks away.

"Sounds like a little piggy's getting hungry."

Jesse glared up at him. "Are you calling me fat?"

"Not at all." Ivor still didn't look up from his work. "Finish your test and then we can have lunch."

"Tests suck," Jesse complained as she started working again. "It's not like I'm going to get to use these recipes anytime soon. Mother won't let me."

"Don't remind me," Ivor complained, his long nose crinkling in annoyance as he slapped the potion recipe onto the finished pile. "I still have to wait another week before The Founder will be available to supervise my brewing."

She chuckled. "Don't know why. It's not like you're going to blow anything up. You're too good at potions, Ivor."

The royal brewer let himself smile at that comment.

"Please no talking during tests, Young Miss." This lighter voice belonged to Reginald, the Captain of the Guard of Sky City. He stood behind Jesse by the door leading out of the classroom. "You need to focus."

"Sorry."

Jesse sighed, glancing up at the iron blocks on the ceiling before she went back to finish up the recipe for bread. She then moved on to the next, which was supposed to be mushroom soup. This test was really more of a review than anything. Jesse had most of these memorized ages ago and she was confident she could craft any of these blindfolded, if she were ever actually given the items to do so. But according to her mother, the future leader of Sky City was never to forget a recipe. The people were going to depend on her for both resources and already crafted items, so she needed to know these by heart.

She finished the mushroom soup recipe and continued on to the last one, which was for a pickaxe. This one was easy. Two sticks in the bottom middle and exact middle, and then three pieces of material along the top tow (in this case, she was using stone). She put the completed recipe in the pile with the rest and put down her quill.

"Done!" Jesse declared. "Finally."

Ivor looked at her and then up at the clock on the wall. "Well, that was faster than last time. You can probably have a longer lunch this time before the afternoon test. I'll grade these in the meantime, see if your speed compromised the quality of your recipes."

Jesse groaned, not only at the Ivor's comments, but at the fact that the practical exam would be that afternoon. She was expected to actually craft the items, but that wasn't so bad. What was annoying was that she was only allowed to craft under the direct supervision of her mother.

"Did I hear that right?" Speaking of whom, Jesse turned to see her mother, Isa, more commonly known as The Founder, stepping through the door into the classroom. "You finished in record time?"

"That's what I said, Founder," Ivor replied, picking up the pile of recipes. "Jesse's getting faster and faster all the time."

Isa smiled at her daughter. "That's good to hear. Perhaps you will have lunch with me before your practical?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," Jesse answered as she stood from her chair.

Jesse, Isa, and Reginald left Ivor to his own devices as they headed for the dining room in Sky City's palace. Jesse kept her pace behind her mother while Reginald walked behind both of them, always watching their backs. If Reginald wasn't on guard duty for The Founder, he was doing so for Jesse instead. Very rarely was a different guard assigned to her, much to her irritation. It wasn't as though Jesse didn't like Reginald—far from it—but it would be nice to talk to someone else for once.

As they passed by the windows, Jesse glanced out to look over Sky City proper. It was a sizable city on an even more sizable piece of floating land. According to her history books, her mother had built outwards to include several of the smaller islands into the city foundation, but that was many years ago, before Isa became too busy with citizens' requests to spend time expanding the city limits.

With the Eversource providing anything the city could need, most of the buildings were made of iron blocks and stone, with the occasional wood to make up entrances, borders and stairs. It was a sparkling, clean city, and Jesse's eyes were nearly blinded by the reflected luster from the sun. She couldn't help but chuckle at the various egg motifs scattered around the city, from banners to the buildings themselves.

Leave it to Mother to honor Benedict even if she has to stay in the basement, Jesse thought. Mother can be so silly.

The citizens almost looked like dots from so high in the palace. People were busy either talking with each other or working on booths under the supervision of Reginald's men, and there were a lot of booths to be built. The guards were relaxed but vigilant as they watched over their charges. The laws were strict in Sky City, and they were confident no one would dare cause trouble.

Jesse couldn't help but smile as she saw the number of booths. It was time for the Spring Festival, and the celebration would take place in a few days. It was in celebration of the days getting longer and the weather getting warmer. It was a time of dance and revelry. It was one of the rare times the citizens of Sky City were allowed to participate in such merriment. Despite this, Isa still insisted on all building and crafting to be strictly monitored, regardless of what the end result was used for.

Sky City can sure be short on fun sometimes, Jesse thought sadly.

Even so, it was really nice to see children run around and play, mostly tag and hide and seek. A few of children had the rare ball or other toy to play with, which no doubt came from a petition to The Founder from the children' parents. Most of them played together though, and Jesse felt a pang of jealousy.

Must be nice to have friends to play with, she thought morosely. You don't need to craft anything to have fun then.

The Grand Garden was in the center of the city, well guarded by six of Reginald's men. A long line of citizens stood on one side of the fence, waiting for their daily ration of food. The people were well fed; it wasn't as though anyone went hungry. However, Isa's imposed limits on crafting and building make it so that most people were only allowed to eat when they were given food. If a person was hungry before their designated ration time, they would just have to deal with it.

There were some people who had their own personal gardens, and sometimes they would be willing to share their crops. This was before someone dropped a block of dirt into the Void some years ago, however, and The Founder was more and more stern about approving those kinds of petitions so resources wouldn't be wasted in such a way ever again. And so, waiting in line for food was the more common practice these days.

Jesse's stomach clenched, her appetite escaping her.

"Mother, why can't the people craft their own food again?" she asked her mother, for about the billionth time in her life. "Or grow their own food? Or raise their own animals?"

"Jesse, we've been through this many times now," Isa said. "Building is dangerous, and crafting is dangerous. It's better for the people to have someone watching over them so they remain unharmed. It's for the good of the people."

Jesse let the topic drop. Yes, mother and daughter had their fair share of arguments over the rights to build being restricted.

The trio arrived in the dining room to see their lunch already waiting for them. Isa sat at the head of the table and Jesse sat to her right. Reginald took his place to The Founder's left, although he remained standing.

"What's for lunch today?" Jesse asked as she looked over the table. "There's a lot here."

"Beetroot soup, bread, and pumpkin pie," Isa replied, taking some of the soup for herself.

"Pumpkin pie? Isn't that supposed to be for dessert after dinner?"

"I thought I'd give you a little reward for finishing your morning exams."

Isa gave her daughter a smile, clearly trying to be encouraging. Jesse smiled back. Her mother might be strict, but she did have her own little ways of showing her love. Nevertheless, the thought that Jesse could so easily receive a special treat just reminded her how the citizens had to wait for their food.

Regardless, Jesse was hungry and she did have the practical exam that afternoon, so she dug into the beetroot soup and bread with ferocity. Reginald smiled as he watched the two women eat, happy to see the two of them enjoy a meal together. It was always nice to see the two of them spend time with each other, something that was becoming more and more rare as Jesse was growing older and Isa was more occupied.

The peace, sadly, was short-lived. After finishing her soup and receiving a plate of pumpkin pie, Jesse simply stared at the food. Reginald could see her biting the inside of her cheek, and he sighed to himself. Over the years, Reginald had plenty of time to learn Jesse's quirks and behaviors, and he knew this was a sure sign that she wanted to say something Isa wouldn't like.

"Do you have a lot of things to craft for the festival, Mother?"

"Many things, but they are all manageable," Isa replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering..." Now Jesse was biting her bottom lip. "Well, if you weren't too busy, maybe we could go enjoy the festival together? Just for a little while?"

Isa sighed loud enough that the guards on the other side of the palace probably heard her.

"Jesse, we've been over this," she answered. "It's dangerous out there. You could be hurt by someone who doesn't agree with the necessity of our laws."

"I know, I know. There are plenty of people who want to be able to craft whatever they want without your permission, and will do everything they can to make that happen." Jesse had heard this explanation so many times she could recite it herself. "Even do something like hurt me. But not everyone's like that, right? Most people are nice."

"I'm not willing to take that chance," Isa disputed. "You're safer in the palace."

"What if Reginald went with us?" Jesse offered, waving her hand at the Captain. "He could protect us from anyone dangerous."

Reginald barely kept his face from flushing. "I'm honored by your confidence in me, Young Miss."

"That would simply inform them that you are my daughter, and that would cause more problems," The Founder debated back. "I'm not about to let that happen."

"Well, you have to tell the people about me eventually! Now's as good a time as any."

"Jesse—"

"I've lived in the palace all my life, Mother!" Jesse argued, her pie forgotten. "You're always telling me that I'll need to serve the people when you step down. How can I do that if the people don't even know who I am? And I don't know them?"

"You will learn soon enough," Isa said, her tone serious and final. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood, Jesse following suit. "My decision is final, Jesse. Put it out of your mind."

The Founder was on her way out of the dining room when Jesse spoke up again.

"What if I don't want to?"

Isa paused but remained silent, and a moment later she left the room without giving her child an answer. Jesse sat down again and put a hand to her forehead. Reginald tried to give her an encouraging smile, but Jesse wasn't even looking at him.

"Young Miss, you don't need to worry so much," he said finally after minutes of stillness between them. "Your mother is simply thinking about what's best for me."

"What she thinks is best for me might not be what I need. Did anyone ever think of that?" Jesse let out a long groan of annoyance. "Mother never lets me do anything. Nothing helpful anyway. I learn how to build, how to craft and all this stuff, but I can't even go talk to the someone on the street?"

Reginald put a hand on her shoulder. "She's just trying to keep you safe."

"I guess so." She started poking at her pumpkin pie, which by this point had lost all its heat and had become a crumbly mess. "But what does that have to do with me not meeting the people? Does anyone even know I exist? That The Founder has a daughter?"

The Captain of the Guard sighed. "I know it's frustrating, but-"

"And what about when Mother has an audience with someone?" Jesse interrupted. "People come into the palace all the time to petition for resources, but I'm never allowed to be there. I'm always stuck in my room! As if anyone would try anything in the palace when they're surrounded by guards."

Reginald didn't have a response to that. Truly, it would be helpful both to the people and to Jesse herself if she could be involved in the petitioning process, at the very least. It was one of the most common thing Isa did these days, and it would give Jesse experience she would no doubt need when she became leader.

"I'm not even allowed to visit Benedict anymore!" she ranted on, throwing her arms in the air. "She's stuck down there in that basement all by herself! She's probably just as lonely as I am!"

"Yes, being the Eversource might be just as tedious as being the Founder's daughter," Ivor's voice called out as he entered the room. "Sometimes I think you should team up with that chicken and run away."

"Ivor, please don't start that again," Reginald begged. "It's hard enough to convince Jesse not to do anything rash-"

"I'm not being rash!" the young woman debated. The two men stared at her following her outburst, and Jesse immediately deflated. She crossed her arms on the table and hid her face in them. "It's just…I'm tired of being by myself all the time. Mother never lets me hang out with anyone other than you two. I don't have anyone to talk to or anything. I...I'm really tired of being so alone."

Reginald lowered his gaze for a moment before giving her a pleading expression. "Your mother loves you and she doesn't want anything to happen to you. None of us do. You know that, right?"

"I know," she said, her tone much more quiet and respectful this time as she lifted her gaze to him. "Sorry for biting your heads off."

Ivor let out a groan. "You two can be sentimental later. It's almost time for your practical exam, Princess."

"Don't call me that, Ivor!"

That put a smile back on Jesse's face, and Reginald was happy to see it.