Chapter twenty-one... Holy crap. Just... holy crap. This thing flies.
Review Replies:
DemonCatLady: Thank you! And Aiden will start redeeming himself after episode five.
MunchyxGames: Yes, I will be doing all the episodes. The only problem is that I only have up to episode five, and need to buy the other three. Since they're only 4.99 each or something, I'll probably get them sometime this winter. Assuming that it takes me a month at most to play them all, I'll be writing season two either the spring or summer of 2017.
Guest: It is actually pretty likely that I'll be bringing in new characters during season two. I don't know how, when or who exactly, and it's not entirely official, but it is likely.
TheBrazillianCanadian: While I agree that Jesse is a total bad ass, I don't think he'll be beating Aiden until he's immobile. Maybe they'll get into a fist fight again, but there won't be any major injuries. That doesn't mean Jesse won't get his point across, though.
Ariza Luca: I like Magnus and Ellie too. And I think Aiden would love to play Hide and Go Kill with you XD
TheLion: Of course there'll be more Magnugaard! It's one of my favorite ships, and MCSM has got to be one of the first fandoms were I ship anything that's not canon. It's starting to spread to my Harry Potter fandom as well, because now I ship Drarry and Jarius.
champofkalos1021: Thanks for holding back for me, I seriously don't want too much to be spoiled. Here's your new chapter!
Movie Mode
Episode Four: A Block And A Hard Place
Part Twenty-One: The Cave
It was snowy lightly, the Withestorms bulky figure in the distance, too far to be of much trouble. The screen went over some mountains, before coming to a ledge, where the gang were getting off their horses and fixing up a small cave.
"We made it." Jesse gave a disbelieving laugh, jogging after Lukas into the cave, "We actually freaking made it."
"But now what?" asked Axel, "How are we gonna defeat that thing now?"
Petra shook her head, looking at the screen grimly. "I don't know."
"Jesse," said Petra, coming up to him. She looked even worse than before, hunched over herself and looking like she'd just crawled from the grave. "I'm worried about Gabriel." They looked over to the warrior, who was leaning against the cave wall, staring at the floor with his discolored eyes. "If he was inside the Witherstorm... he could have Wither Sickness, like me."
"Amnesia and Wither Sickness?" Ellegaard sighed, "Things just keep getting worse and worse."
Jesse, however, looked unsure. "I don't know. You've never acted the way he's been acting."
He made his way over to Gabriel, giving him a small smile. "Hey, how are you feeling?""
"I... I'm afraid I don't feel much like myself at the moment." said Gabriel, pushing himself off the wall. Before Jesse could answer that, Soren's voice cut through the air.
"Gabriel!" Jesse and Gabriel turned to face Soren, who was smiling at him widely, "It really is you!"
Magnus appeared on Gabriel's other side, "They told us you'd kicked it!"
"In our defense," said Soren, before anyone could say anything, "We had no idea he had amnesia."
"Maybe he'll remember you two?" suggested Olivia.
Onscreen, Gabriel backed away from them, "Wha- Who are you people?"
"It's me, Magnus!" said Magnus, his smile falling when Gabriel continued to look confused.
"Old friend," Soren said quietly, "Don't you recognize us?"
"That must be horrible." said Lukas, "They've just lost Ellegaard and Gabriel doesn't even recognize them. I'm not sure which one's worse."
"It's Soren." Soren and Magnus were looking at him with sad eyes, desperate for something to go right. "We've known each other for... a very long time."
"Just give him some space, for now." said Jesse, "He may still come out of it."
Soren sighed, "What a terrible turn of events."
Gabriel was looking at the ground with a frown, before he raised his head, eyes landing on Jesse. "You. You're the one who rescued me." He walked passed Soren and Magnus to stand in front of the boy, looking at him desperately, "Tell me, please. What is going on?"
"He... he seriously doesn't know." muttered Magnus, "He's not snapping out of it?"
Ellegaard shook her head. "Amnesia is... a tricky thing, Magnus." Gabriel glanced at the ground grimly, before steeling himself and returning to his future.
Jesse looked at the warrior with grim eyes, scrambling his brain for a way to put it. Gabriel crossed his arms almost insecurely, his eyes solely on his rescuer.
"I remember only blackness. Then, suddenly, you were there. And then we were galloping..."
Magnus and Soren came up to stand on either side of Jesse, shoulders slumped, looking at Gabriel sadly. This was their friend, they'd gone on adventures together, laughed together, and he couldn't even remember his own name, let alone any of that stuff. They'd started out as five; now one was dead, one was the cause and one had no memory.
"He can't remember Elelgaard." said Soren suddenly, gaining surprise looks. "He can't- He can't grieve for her. Not like Magnus and I. To Gabriel..." he looked over at the warrior and engineer, both who were returning his gaze with wide eyes. "To Gabriel, Ellegaard is just a name."
That seemed to be what really punched Gabriel in the gut. "I am... I am so sorry, Ellegaard."
Ellegaard shook her head. "It's not your fault, Gabriel."
"You were caught in the Witherstorm." Jesse finally answered, "Trapped."
"For how long?" asked Gabriel.
"Long enough that it did this to you."
Gabriel was silent for a moment, glancing down. "It felt like an eternity. It was dark... and foul... and I was sure I was a goner."
"Well, you aren't." said Soren, patting his friend on the shoulder and moving to stand in front of him, "You made it back alive. Which is... more than I can say for some of us."
"Oh, man. Ellie." Magnus turned away slightly, looking down at the floor, "For a second, I almost managed to forget."
Ellegaard blinked in surprise, glancing over to the real Magnus. The self-declared Boom Master was looking at her with sad eyes, before looking down at his lap, giving the engineer's hand a long squeeze.
A small smile tugged at her lips, and Ellegaard shifted slightly to lean against Magnus, her head not quite resting on his shoulder. Magnus blinked, glancing down at her, before his eyes met Gabriel and Soren, who were looking at him with raised eyebrows, their lips turning up in surprised smiles.
Magnus looked back at the screen, feeling rather hot all of a sudden, and forced himself to ignore the suppressed laughter from the other two.
Onscreen, Lukas glanced over at them from where he sat with Petra, Olivia, Axel and Reuben on the other side of the cave. "We talking about Ellegaard?"
"I just can't believe she's gone." said Olivia, shaking her head slowly, "Doesn't feel real."
The screen showed Soren's back, his hands on his hips. "How?" he asked, dropping his arms and turning to face them, "How could this have happened?" Soren looked around the cave, his eyes coming to rest on Gabriel and Magnus, the former who was leaning against the wall again. "To lose not just a friend... but a member of the Order of the Stone!"
"Guys... it was my fault." said Jesse.
"Oh, Jesse, no!" said Olivia.
"It wasn't your fault, Jesse." said Ellegaard firmly, "I knew the risks, and I gave you my armor anyway. The blast would have killed you if you didn't have any armor, and I don't think we'd be able to stop the Witherstorms without you."
Jesse was silent for a long moment, staring at his lap. He looked at the engineer out of the corner of his eye. "Thanks, Ellegaard."
"I'm the one who took Ellegaard's armor."
"But you couldn't have known what was going to happen." said Olivia, Jesse looking over his shoulder at her.
"She's right." Magnus cut in, putting his hand on his hips. "Don't blame yourself, kid. I, uh... never blame myself for anything."
Ellegaard rolled her eyes. "Don't we all know."
Jesse gave Magnus a weak smile, but then Soren let out a frustrated yell.
"Being emotional is getting us no where!" he turned around, walking away, "What I want to know is what happened out there today?" he turned back around, his hard gaze on Jesse, gesturing wildly with his hands, "Why is that thing still alive?!"
Soren walked over to Jesse, standing right in front of him. "My instructions were simple. You were the one in the middle of everything, what went wrong?!"
"You tell me!" said Jesse. Soren's eyebrows raised.
"Excuse me?"
"Well, you're the one that thought we could destroy the Command Block with a big old bomb!"
"So the Command Block is still out there?!"
"Of course it is!"
"Oh, great!" exclaimed Soren, "Now to make matters worse, we've gone from one Witherstorm to three!" He turned around, starting to pace in a small circle. "Our plan was a total failure! I should've cast that foul thing into the abyss! Why didn't I destroy that cursed block ages ago?"
"Wait, what?" said Petra, "Hold on, where did Ivor get the Command Block in the first place?"
"I had that thing locked away for years." explained Soren, "He must have broke in and stole it."
"So... it the Command Block controlling all three Witherstorms?" asked Jesse.
Soren twisted around to glare at him, "Oh, why are you asking me? Am I expected to know every last thing in the universe?" The builder let out a frustrated breath. "I need a moment to think." He turned around and made his way out the cave, the others watching him go.
Gabriel turned to Magnus with a raised eyebrow, "Is he always like this?"
"You have no idea."
"Hey!" said Soren, Magnus giving the glare directed at him a grin.
Gabriel looked back at the cave entrance Soren had disappeared, his eyes landing on the Ocelot on the back of Lukas' jacket. "That jacket. I recognize it!"
Ellegaard gasped, "Is his memory coming back?"
Onscreen, the warrior walked up to Lukas, Jesse joining him with a raised eyebrow. Blinking, Lukas turned to face them as Jesse spoke.
"Lukas always wears that jacket."
"No." Gabriel shook his head, "There were other people wearing that very same jacket when I was thrown from the monster!"
Multiple gasps erupted around the room, Lukas look from Maya to Gill and Aiden, all three of who were looking at the screen hopefully.
Lukas' eyes widened, as Gabriel backed away with a groan. "Ugh.. it hurts just to think about..."
Magnus came up behind him, eyes wide with concern as he took his friend by the arm and led him back to the corner, "Hey, hey, it's okay..."
Ellegaard gave Magnus a teasing smile, "You loooooove us."
"What? I've got no idea what you're talking about."
Gabriel grinned. "Hm. Sure you don't."
"I don't!" Magnus insisted, not meeting their eyes. Soren nodded slowly, giving a grin of his own.
"Uh huh."
"Jesse..." said Lukas, "If what Gabriel said is true... I mean... do you think? I thought for sure they were gone, but... if they were just trapped in the Witherstorm..."
"Lukas, your friends could still be out there!" exclaimed Jesse.
"I know!" said Lukas, sounding almost breathless, "That means I- I gotta got after them!" He turned around, walking towards a chest they'd sat up against the wall, "They might need me, Jesse!"
"Wait, you're leaving?" asked Petra.
"I've gotta find Aiden, Maya and Gill." said Lukas, "They might have Wither Sickness or amnesia as well and not be able to make a shelter in time."
"We can handle ourselves, Lukas." Gill said, "They might need your help in defeating that thing. If we were able to survive our first night, I'm sure we'll survive this, whether we have amnesia or Wither Sickness."
"Whoa..." said Petra, grimacing, "I suddenly feel really dizzy."
"Easy, easy." said Axel, helping her onto the floor, "It gotcha."
"That doesn't sound so good." muttered Olivia.
Jesse looked about the cave, his eyes settling on Reuben. He knelt in front of him. "Hey, buddy, you doing okay?"
Reuben gave a little oink, causing Jesse to smile and rub his head. "Of course you are." His smile fell as he stood up, glancing about at the others, "Wish I could say the same for everyone else."
He walked over to Petra, who sat in a corner with Axel kneeling next to her and Olivia standing behind him. "Petra, how are you doing? You feeling any better?"
"'Better' is relevant. If I just sit here and don't move... or breathe... it's almost bearable."
"Sooo not looking forward to that." said Petra, wincing. Lukas patted her shoulder sympathetically.
"Man, if it wasn't for Ivor," said Axel, looking about at his friends, "She wouldn't even be like this."
"No kidding." agreed Olivia.
"That's... not exactly true." Petra sighed, earning surprised looks. "Ivor built the Wither, sure... but he couldn't have done it without that skull I gave him."
"Oh, great, more self-blame." muttered Magnus, wincing when Ellegaard dug her elbow into his ribs.
"If I'd just taken a second to think about it..." Petra shook her head, "But all I cared about was getting that stupid diamond."
"This isn't your fault, Petra." said Real-Jesse. Petra didn't answer.
"This isn't all on you, and you know it." Jesse said, "I was in on the deal, too."
"But I brought that skull back solo. I was... Ivor's henchman."
"Well, that's one way to put it." muttered Ivor, earning a dirty look from Soren. No one else seemed to have heard.
"Well, I was your henchman." said Jesse, "So based on the transitive property of henchmen..."
"What does that even mean?" asked Axel.
"Just know," Petra cut in, "I'm gonna do everything I can to make this right."
"Petra..." said Olivia, kneeling besides Axel, "I know this isn't easy to hear, but... you're too sick to be going anywhere."
"I'm not that sick." Petra insisted.
"Maybe you should rest in this cave for a while." Axel said carefully, "I mean, it's safe... defensible..."
"I can't just let you guys face that thing alone!" exclaimed Petra.
"I hate to say it, but you would just slow them down." Maya pointed out, "You're only getting weaker, and they'd have to constantly protect you."
Petra glared at her, "I can handle myself."
"We know you can." said Lukas, "You're one of the best warriors in this room. But with your Wither Sickness getting worse every second? If we take you with us... Petra, you could be killed."
"If I say I'm fine, then I'm-" Petra coughed, "Fine!"
"If you try to keep going... I'm afraid you're not gonna make it." said Olivia softly, getting to her feet. Petra shook her head.
"No. No way. I'm not a quitter."
"We're not saying you are." Olivia said.
"I can do this, guys!"
"You staying here is the right move." Jesse said, "You'll never get better if we keep pushing you."
"But I want to be there for you guys!" Petra insisted.
"You will not be of much use to them dead." Gabriel said gently.
Petra gave the carpet a nasty look, as if it had personally offended her. Reuben rubbed his head against her arm, causing Petra to sigh and rub the pigs head. "Maybe you guys are right."
"I know you do." said Jesse, "And you will."
Petra looked at him for a long moment, before her shoulders slumped and she sighed. "Maybe you're right."
Olivia nodded, "It's the right call, Jesse."
"I hope so."
"Gravel? No." said Lukas, gaining the groups attention, "Dirt? Don't think so..." He stood up and closed the chest with a sigh, before making his way over to the horses, which were behind a fence in the cave entrance.
Jesse frowned after him, before looking over at Gabriel and Magnus. He gave Lukas one last glance before going over to them, catching the last part of what Magnus was saying.
"I'm not gonna lie, man. But we've pulled through worse, right?"
Gabriel frowned. "Have we?"
"How's it going?" asked Jesse hesitantly.
"Tell me, Jesse." said Gabriel, pushing himself off the wall and gesturing to Magnus, "Who is this person? He keeps insulting me."
Real-Magnus winced, giving a small chuckle. "Whoops."
Ellegaard rolled her eyes, Gabriel shaking his head in amusement.
"One minute I think I'm talking to a friend... the next, I'm being made fun of."
"Yeah, that's Magnus for you." said Soren.
"That right there is Magnus! Everyone knows Magnus." said Jesse. Gabriel raised an eyebrow, looking at the King out of the corner of his eye, who was smiling.
"Magnus. Hmm... and how do I know him, exactly?" Magnus' smile fell.
"I sense we have a history, but..." Gabriel shook his head, "I feel I need a little reminder."
"He's your friend." said Jesse, "He's been your friend for a very long time."
"Really?" asked Gabriel, almost disbelievingly.
"Really. You go waa-haa-haaay back."
"It isn't working." said Magnus, "He doesn't remember."
Real-Gabriel sighed, "This is indeed very bad."
"Talk to him about your past." Jesse suggested, "Something only you would know about."
"Like what?" asked Magnus, looking at Gabriel with sad eyes, "It's been so long since we've seen each other... I'm not really sure what would be useful."
"What about that time you set his bed on fire?" suggested Soren.
"Which one?" grumbled Gabriel.
"That was an accident!"
"You do seem prone to setting his bed on fire, though." said Ellegaard, "He went through, what, twenty-two? Twenty-five?"
"I only set fire to six!"
"Ah, yes." Soren said, "You blew eighteen to smithereens and threw the last one off a cliff."
Petra raised an eyebrow, "Now I'm wondering how many of those were actually accidents."
"Talk a little about Ellegaard." said Jesse.
"Me?" asked Ellegaard, "How will talking about me bring his memory back?"
"He doesn't remember you." said Soren, "And unless he gets his memory back, you'll be nothing but a name, as I said before. I believe he would at least be interested in what you were like."
Gabriel nodded, "I think my future self would like that."
"Ellegaard. Yes." said Magnus, "She was...really something. Smart. Funny. Amazing with redstone."
Ellegaard smiled, kissing Magnus on the cheek. "Thank you."
Magnus went bright red, starting to stammer as Ellegaard settled back against his side. Petra whispered something in Lukas' ear and he nodded.
"You're on."
Onscreen, Magnuse gave a small laugh, "Heck, she was the one person among us who didn't even need the, uh... the..."
Gabriel gave him a confused look. "Didn't need the what?"
"Well, that wasn't suspicious." said Maya. Soren sent Magnus a look.
"Nevermind." said Magnus, patting Gabriel on the back, "Point is, you liked her. A lot. We all did."
"Thank you for sharing that with me." Gabriel said genuinely, "And Jesse, thank you, too. You've been a big help here. I... I need to repay your kindness. I'm not sure how, exactly... but I want to express my gratitude."
Jesse smiled at him, "It's no problem. I'd have done it for anyone."
"All the same. You have my thanks." Gabriel looked back to Magnus, "Now, tell me more about this 'Ellegaard.'" Magnus rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head.
"Man, I don't even know where to begin..."
Jesse left them to it, making his way over to the chest Lukas had been searching through earlier and rummaging through it. "Some leftover cobblestone. Might come in handy." he muttered, pocketing the rock. He glanced to the cave entrance, where Lukas was, standing in front of the horses.
"Lukas, what are you doing?" asked Jesse, the blond turning to face him.
"I told you. I'm going after my friends." said Lukas, "I thought the other Ocelots were dead... but if they're not, I need to go find them."
Maya smiled. "Thanks, Lukas. Really. But you really need to stay with Jesse; who know's what'll happen."
Aiden glanced away from the screen, looking at the wall with an unreadable expression.
"Look, I am grateful to you guys for bringing me this far..." Lukas glanced over his shoulder at the exit, the sky streaked with purple from the tractor beams, "But I can't leave them alone out there. Not with three Witherstorms raging."
"You can't just up and leave, Lukas." said Jesse, "You're part of our team!"
"I appreciate that, Jesse." said Lukas, giving the other boy a small smile, "But I can't just leave them out there."
"You saying that just reminds me I left my team."
"Lukas..."
"Look, you and me," Lukas cut him off, "We've made a pretty good team so far. I'd even call us friends. So I know you'll understand why I need to help my old friends. They'd do it for me. Same way you'd go back for any of your friends."
"I'm asking you, as a friend, please stay, Lukas. We need you right now."
"He's right." Axel said, after a moment, "With three of those things... we're gonna need all the help we can get."
Lukas blinked at him in surprise, not knowing what to say to that. He looked back at the screen.
"You really mean that?" asked Lukas.
"Yes, we're in this together." said Jesse, "Whatever happens next, there's no way we can do it without you."
Lukas was silent for a long moment, before he finally sighed. "Okay. I'll stay. I just... really hope they're all right."
"We'll be fine." said Aiden, not meeting anyone's eyes when they all looked at him in surprise. He didn't say anything else, and one by one they all returned to the screen. Lukas gave his old friend a small nod before doing the same.
"Me too." said Jesse. Lukas gave him a smile, before he returned to the horses and Jesse made his way back into the cave.
The screen switched to show Reuben walking over to Petra, oinking in concern.
"Sorry, Reuben." said Petra, "I don't really feel like company."
Reuben oinked again, before turning around and running out of the cave. Jesse's eyes widened, "Reuben! Not again."
Petra winced, "Sorry, Jesse. I didn't mean to upset him." Reuben gave a small oink in her lap, and the girl started petting him, much to the pig's delight.
Onscreen, Jesse began making his way after Reuben, momentarily stopping to turn to Lukas. "How are the horse's looking?"
"Tired." answered Lukas, looking over his shoulder at him, "But they're okay. Same as the rest of us."
"Well... I'm glad you're staying with us, Lukas."
"Yeah." the blond said, turning back to the horses. "Me too."
Jesse made his way out onto the ledge, snow flakes still falling from the clouds. "Reuben!" He eyes landed on the massive black form in the distance, flanked by two smaller ones. They were getting closer.
"How's it moving so quickly?" asked Axel, "It's almost like it knows where we are."
Ivor shifted in his seat.
Jesse swallowed, and he made his way over to Reuben, who was standing near the edge, looking out towards the monsters. "Don't run off on me like that, okay?" said Jesse, kneeling down as Reuben turned to face him, giving a small oink.
Looking out towards the Witherstorms, Jesse got to his feet, joining his pig at the edge. He was silent for a long moment. "I don't want to lose you, you understand?" Reuben oinked something. "Yeah, I know you've run off before, but things are different now. We've lost too many people already."
"Do you speak pig or something?" asked Magnus, "'Cause I swear you know what that things saying."
"Reuben is not a 'thing.'" said Jesse, glaring at him.
The screen switched to show their backs, the Witherstorms clearly visible in the distance, as they stood in silence. "They world needs us, Reuben." said Jesse finally. Reuben turned to look at him as he continued.
"So much of it has already been reduced to bedrock... and it's up to us to save the rest of it." Reuben oinked.
"Yeah, so, ah... no pressure." said Petra. Jesse rolled his eyes.
"Well, maybe that is a lot pf pressure for just a person and a pig." said Jesse, rubbing the back of his neck, "But we have to find a way."
"You keep fighting, even when all hope seems lost." said Gabriel, "I have come to admire that about you, Jesse."
Abruptly, a voice cut through the air, and Jesse turned to where it came from with a raised eyebrow. "That's what I said, isn't it?"
"Who's that?" asked Olivia.
"Just as you 'helped' us once before." said another voice, this one sounding a lot like Soren. Jesse made his way passed some tree's towards a ladder, which led up to a small flat area on the mountain, which couldn't be seen from where he was standing.
"This isn't about the past!" shouted the first voice, "It's about the future!"
"There are three of those things now!" snapped Soren.
"Hold on a minute..." said Petra, leaning closer to the screen as if that would help her figure out who was talking, "Is that... ?"
"You say that like it's my fault!"
"It is your fault!"
Lukas gasped, "What's he doing here?!"
"Oh, take responsibility for once, Soren!"
Jesse climbed up the ladder, revealing Ivor and Soren standing in front of each other. "Soren, you need to listen to me!"
"Have you been following us?" asked Petra, turning to the real Ivor with a nasty glare. Ivor forced himself not to flinch.
"How am I supposed to know?"
"Oh, what good has ever come of that?" asked Soren. Neither of them seemed to have spotted Jesse.
Frowning, Jesse walked towards them, Ivor's eyes widening once he spotted him. "Jesse? You shouldn't sneak up on people!"
"You know, you do that a lot with Ivor." said Lukas, "You did it in his creepy lair, then in Soren's library and now here."
Olivia chuckled, "I think it's revenge for when Ivor sneaked up on him back in that alley during Endercon."
"Ignore him, Jesse!" said Soren, "He's been following us!"
"It's not like that." Ivor insisted, "You need to hear me out!"
Jesse glared at him, watching as Ivor started pacing back and forth. "What you don't understand is that you are all in very grave danger." he turned around to face them again.
Soren made a strange noise, as if he didn't know what to say to that. "Obviously!"
"No, I mean specifically this group!" said Ivor, "The Witherstorm isn't acting randomly, it's following Gabriel!"
Gabriel blinked. "It's doing what now?"
"Gabriel?" echoed Jesse. Ivor rubbed the bacck of his head.
"You see, I may have... programmed it to follow his amulet."
"No wonder that thing keeps finding us so fast!" exclaimed Olivia, "It's been following us!"
"It tried to grab Gabriel back at his temple because he had the amulet," said Lukas with wide eyes, "Then it stuck its tentacle through the portal in an attempt to get Jesse after Gabriel gave it to him. It followed him and Axel to Boom Town, and then all the way over to Soren's Fortress. I didn't even realize that it was targeting us until now... how it- how it always seemed to be right behind us..."
"I apologize." said Gabriel, "I never should have given you the amulet."
"You didn't know the Witherstorm was following it." said Petra, shaking her head, "Besides, we never would have found the other Order members if you hadn't given it to us."
Onscreen, Soren and Jesse looked at each other with wide eyes.
"You mean the Order's amulet?" asked Soren.
"Yes, Soren. That amulet!" Ivor said.
Jesse's eyes hardened into a glare. "Did you also know I was the one he gave the amulet to?" He reached into his pocket and pulled the amulet it, all but the red gem glowing brightly. Ivor's eyes widened.
"What? I... I didn't know..."
"Argh, Ivor, you fool." said Soren, walking a little ways away, "You've created a monster that's following Jesse!" Jesse put the amulet away, watching Soren. "And it's only getting stronger!"
"You don't think I realize that? Nothing can stop those things!" exclaimed Ivor, "Nothing even hurts them!"
"Way to point out the obvious." muttered Petra, giving the man a glare.
"Well..." said Jesse, looking thoughtful, "Except Endermen."
Ivor looked at him as if he'd just grown a second head. "Endermen?"
"Endermen?" echoed Real-Soren. He gasped. "Endermen! That's it! They can tear the Witherstorm's apart!"
Soren turn around, his eyes widening. "Jesse's right! The Wither's gaze passed over them... and they went wild. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes..."
"Trouble is," said Jesse, "We've had a few run-ins with Endermen, and they're bad news."
Soren shook his head. "Hm, no necessarily."
Ivor was staring at them with confused eyes, as Soren continued. "Enough of them, working together, might ignore us and destroy a Witherstorm entirely!"
Lukas threw his hands into the air, "We're not officially doomed!"
"Yeah!" cheered Axel, Petra shaking her head with an amused smile.
Soren started pacing in a circle again. "It's a promising concept, at least in theory... if I'm seeing all the pieces correctly..."
"Could you coordinate the Endermen somehow?" asked Jesse, "Make them attack all at once?"
"If I know my Endermen," said Soren, still pacing in a circle, "All we need to do is get them into the Storm's vicinity. In fact, there's probably more than enough of them still in my fortress..." Jesse briefly met Ivor's eyes, before turning back to Soren as he stopped pacing to stand in front of him. "An unintended side effect of you flooding the End."
"But how do we bring the Endermen and the Storms together?" asked Petra.
"You could use the amulet." suggested Ellegaard, "Make them follow you to Soren's Fortress."
"That's it!" exclaimed Soren, "We take the Witherstorms to the Endermen! It's perfect!"
"This is just like the old days, Soren." said Ivor, "You and your crazy ideas-"
"Hush, Ivor, for once!" snapped Soren, getting in the others face. Ivor stared at him with a startled expression, as Soren turned around and made his way back to Jesse, letting out an annoyed breath.
"Well," said Lukas, "You've certainly annoyed him."
"The question is," Soren continued, "How do we bring the Storms and the Endermen together? Endermen aren't pets; they don't follow orders. At least, not from mere mortals..."
Gill blinked, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"We know for a fact that the Witherstorms will follow the amulet." said Jesse, "So if we take it the amulet back to your fortress where the Endermen are..."
"Yes." breathed Soren, "Yes, that's it! We'll lead them straight into a massive trap!"
"If we can't bring the Endermen to the Witherstorms," said Jesse, walking forwards, "Then we take the Witherstorms to the Endermen!"
"We've got a new plan!" said Olivia, "There's no way we'll mess us this time!"
"Just one problem." said Ivor, gaining their attention, "You're forgetting about the Command Block."
Soren groaned, "Oh, yes. It's clear now that no weapon can destroy it, not even a Formidi-Bomb."
Ivor stroked his beard, starting to walk. "Actually, I... may have a solution to that." Jesse's eyes widened, and he turned to face him, "You see, when I first took possession of the Command Block-"
"You mean stole it." cut in Soren.
"Yes, well, I created a failsafe." he came to a stop in front of them, "A backup plan, for just in case."
"How could you not tell us that?" snapped Petra, "Or done it yourself? What's wrong with you?!"
"It didn't think it would be necessary!" Ivor said, "I had the potion, which would have worked just fine if you five hadn't stolen it!"
"Actually," Lukas cut in, "Axel stole it. We had nothing to do with that."
"Well, I'd say 'just in case' is here!" said Soren.
Ivor nodded, "And I'm inclined to agree."
"What kind of 'failsafe,' exactly?" asked Jesse, as Soren came up to stand beside him.
"An enchanting book." explained Ivor, "One that contains the power of the Command Block itself." Soren and Jesse's eyes widened, and they looked at each other in shock. Ivor turned to face the distance. "Use it to enchant a weapon... and you'll be able to smash the Command Block to bits. Forever."
"Yes..." said Soren, putting his hands on his hips and looking at the ground with wide eyes, "Yes, that's it!" He looked at Jesse, grinning, "It could very well solve all our problems!"
"What are we waiting for? Let's go get that super weapon!" exclaimed Axel. Ivor shook his head.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple."
Olivia sighed. "It never is, is it?"
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get that book!" said Jesse.
"Hey, you two nearly said the same thing!" Petra pointed out, causing Jesse and Axel to grin at each other and high five.
"Just one problem." said Ivor, turning to face them. "It's at my secret lab... which is... sort of far away."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "'Sort of'?"
Ivor shrugged. "Well, very far away, actually. Incredibly, impossibly far away."
Groans erupted around the room.
"How far could it possible be?" asked Jesse.
"Let's just say it's the farthest place a person can travel before being utterly-" A roar cut him off, accompanied by the sky flashing purple behind them.
"Uh... what was that?" asked Maya.
"Nothing good." said Jesse.
"Oh dear." said Soren, the three of them looking in the direction of the roar. "What was that?" He ran to investigate, Ivor quick to follow him. The screen switched to show the top of Ivor's head as he went down the ladder, Jesse coming up and following them.
It changed again to show the three Witherstorms, the giant one flanked by it's smaller counterparts. They were far too close to comfort, and it was obvious they knew just where they were going.
"It's gotten so much bigger." muttered Ellegaard, "How can it be that big?"
It zoomed out a little to show Jesse making his way onto the ledge he and Reuben had stood on earlier with Ivor and Soren, Olivia, Reuben, Magnus, Axel, Petra, Lukas and Gabriel coming out of the cave to join them.
"I can't believe it found us so quickly." said Petra, still hunched over herself.
"We're not safe anywhere, are we?" asked Lukas.
"You're safe from it in the Nether and the End." tried Maya. Lukas shook his head.
"There's a reason no one lives in either the Neither or the End. Well... except for Soren. But we saw what that did to him."
Soren blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Oh, nothing."
"Well, we can't just stand around and wait for it." said Olivia.
"So what do we do?" Axel asked. Jesse stepped forwards.
"Guys, there's a reason it's been following us! Ivor says it's because of the amulet that Gabriel-"
"Ivor!" exclaimed Magnus, cutting Jesse off and walking towards them, "It is you!"
"Good to see you too, Magnus." said Ivor, as the other man came to a stop in front of him. Gabriel walked up to them, extending a hand to Ivor.
"Hello. My name is Gabriel."
Real-Magnus blinked. "Welp. At least he's not asking who Gabriel is anymore."
Onscreen, Ivor stared at the warrior for a long moment, before looking towards the others. "Somebody pinch me."
"Anyway." continued Jesse, pulling out the amulet and walking to the ledge, "Ivor's figure out that the Witherstorms are drawn to the amulet. So we're gonna lure them back to Soren's fortress and destroy the Command Block with an enchanted super weapon!"
"That's one way to tell them." muttered Ellegaard, giving an amused smile.
Olivia came up behind him. "You figured all that out just now?"
"The point is," said Ivor, walking forwards, "We're need to get moving. We aren't safe. Not as long as we have that amulet."
Jesse held out the amulet, the screen zooming in on it. Then another, larger hand appeared and took the other end. "I'll take it." Jesse looked up at Axel in shock, not letting go.
"You can't!" said Olivia.
"I can." Axel stated firmly, "And I have to."
"Axel, you could be killed!" exclaimed Jesse.
"And so could you." Axel pointed out, "I'm sure Future-Me knows what I'm doing."
"But you be killed!" Olivia exclaimed.
"We all could, Olivia."
"Axel, are you sure?" asked Jesse hesitantly.
"Of course not." admitted Axel, giving him a nervous smile.
"But you'll have three Witherstorm's chasing you wherever you go!" said Olivia.
"If things get too intense," said Axel, as Jesse hesitantly let go of the amulet, "I'll duck into the Nether or something." Axel pocketed it, not saying anything for a moment. "I'm tired of always being the selfish one."
"You're... you're really going to do this?" asked Jesse. Axel gave a determined nod.
"Yeah, Future-Me's right. It's about time I stopped being so selfish."
"You aren't selfish, per say." said Lukas, "But you're not really that selfless either."
Axel gave a small shrug. "I suppose it's about time I change that."
Onscreen, Jesse looked at him with startled eyes, still seeming hesitant. Axel continued, crossing his arms. "You just go make that super weapon. I'll meet you back at Soren's fortress."
"Well, Axel shouldn't have to do this alone." declared Magnus, stepping forwards, "I'm coming with you, man!"
"You really gonna do that?" asked Ellegaard quietly, shifting slightly to look up at Magnus. The king shrugged slightly, which was a bit difficult with the engineer's head on his shoulder.
"You got to be a hero. Now it's my turn."
Axel grinned. "Nice!"
"Well," said Gabriel, "I'm going with Jesse. I pledged to help, and that's what I must do."
"My friends are still out there somewhere." Lukas said, looking towards the Witherstorms.
"Then you must do this." said Soren gently, "For them."
Jesse gave a single nod, looking about at the group. "Everyone, take good care of yourselves."
"You too." said Axel.
The screen changed to show Lukas leading a horse out of the cave, Jesse leading his own horse behind him.
"Hey, Jesse." Axel said, walking towards him, "Let's try our handshake again. Just once, for the road."
"The Builder Bump?" said Jesse, as Olivia got on a horse behind him, "You got it."
Axel fist pumped Jesse's left hand with his right, then the same with his left and Jesse's right, then the first way again and then the second, before they jumped up and bumped chests. They laughed as they finished, grinning at each other.
Grinning, the real Jesse and Axel high fived. Soren shrugged behind them.
"It was better than the first one, I suppose."
Jesse climbed onto his white horse, Reuben sitting behind him, before looking down at Axel. "I'll see you at Soren's, all right?"
"Not if I see you first." the larger boy said.
And with that, Jesse followed after Soren, who had Ivor on the back of his horse, Lukas and Olivia, the latter who had Gabriel behind her. They made their way down the mountain, leaving Petra sitting in a cave all by herself, and Axel and Magnus to head back to Soren's Endermen-filled fortress with three Witherstorms right on their heels. The screen went dark.
"Do you think Petra's gonna be all right?" asked Lukas.
"I'll be fine, now that I'm resting." said Petra, "I'm more worried about you guys."
"We'll be fine." Jesse said. "At least... I hope so."
Did you convince Lukas to stay or did he go after his friends? Let me know in the reviews!
Guys! Guys! I've got enough money for episode six! I just have to wait for my dad to get paid next Wednesday so he can buy it online! Okay, here's what I want you guys to do: list characters that you think should be brought in during season two and say what episode they appear in, but don't say what their role is or anything. Just names and episodes, and if they're a bad guy or not (I already know that they've put in YouTubers). Thank you!