I'm very surprised how fast I got this chapter out. Two in one week? Unheard of!
After this chapter there will be four more in this "season" before I may or may not take another break. After that, though, the last "season" begins.
The only other thing I should note is that Chaos Theory, the prequel to this story detailing the whole ordeal with Herobrine and Chaos, is now up and running. Just thought I would remind you of its existence. It will be updated after each chapter of The Diamond Compass, so the third entry in that story won't be up before long.
If you enjoy what you read be sure to review and leave your thoughts. I do not own Minecraft.
For some time Sabre_Mace wished that he had remained in Rodney's little bunker instead of facing the dread of the cold again. It was so incredibly warm in the underground cave of the creeper lover that Sabre_Mace felt, for the first time, safe.
With the lack of light, however, he lost all trains of thought up to that point. Since they left Rodney and continued up the mountain to reach New Victoria they'd never found anything. Every now and then they would blindly rub against one another but that was it.
No mobs.
No lights.
Only each other.
SunRose enjoyed it for the most part, but Sabre_Mace was in a freezing hell.
"How much further?" Sabre_Mace asked, dropping to his knees.
Lloyd was holding Iris over his shoulder since he didn't find it wise to have her walking too much, "You've asked that too much now. It's really getting on my nerves."
"Wow, you alright?" SunRose asked, jokingly kicking Sabre_Mace in the ankle to get him back up, "At first you seemed nice but now you sound like you're losing your mind."
The father sighed, "I apologize then. We're close, that's all I know."
"Getting anxious?" SunRose asked.
"A little, I guess." Lloyd chuckled.
Sabre_Mace stood back up and continued walking, kicking the snow randomly. He could feel the freezing water soak the bottom of his pants, making him shiver constantly at the agonizing feeling, "We'd b-better be almost there. I can't stand this slush anymore."
Lloyd rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I know but-"
He suddenly stopped, stomping his feet on the ground.
"Slush!" He shouted, waking Iris.
"Yeah! Slush!" Sabre_Mace stomped, "It's annoying!"
"No, the slush," Lloyd began walking faster despite the powerful flurry of snow, "If there's slush then that means the snow must be melting. We're
almost there, I know for sure now!"
The trio (technically quartet) began running carefully as to not slip on the slush and make the rest of the trip worse for themselves. A massive mountain appeared in the horizon not too far from them. This was the last surge of hope they needed to continue onwards.
Sabre_Mace could see the colossal landmass as it pierced the clouds above magnificently, "Is that it? New Victoria?"
"Sort of," Lloyd was catching his breath, "New Victoria is on top of there."
SunRose nodded understandingly before gasping, "Wait, does that mean that we're at the top of Skyward Mountain now?"
Lloyd nodded.
"So that also means," Sabre_Mace smiled, "That we're at the top of the world?"
Lloyd thought for a second before nodding.
"Ha, take that, Obsidian666," Sabre_Mace said to himself, "Look who's been to the top of the world now. You think you've got me? Think again! I'm something you will never expect! You hear that? That's me running to the city of heaven! That's me-"
"Sabre_Mace!" SunRose shouted.
Sabre_Mace stopped, "Huh?"
"Shut it!"
Rolling his eyes, Sabre_Mace began running again, "You can't tell me what to do."
"Sabre_Mace." Lloyd said.
"Yeah?"
"Shut it."
Thus there was silence.
When the landscape began to ascend towards the clouds, the hopes of the trio (technically quartet) raised even higher. They felt the snow letting up and began to realize just how warm it was getting. The more they traveled up the last mountain the happier they got.
Sabre_Mace stayed closer to the inside of the path, stroking his hand on the dirt wall to keep himself oriented on where to go. Every now and then he would come across a large rock and stub his toe causing him to curse extensively before walking again and repeating the process.
"Sabre_Mace, I thought I told you to-" SunRose began.
"Yeah, I heard you. Don't preach it." Sabre_Mace pushed off the wall and got closer to SunRose and Lloyd who walked closer to the outside of the path.
Iris was still fast asleep on her father's shoulder, looking innocent and young as always.
Her eyelids began to shake, "…Mama…"
"Quiet, girl. Everything is gonna be okay." Lloyd whispered.
"Mama?" Iris awoke, looking around in a daze.
"Hush," Lloyd whispered again, patting his daughter on the back, "Let dreams guide you home, my love. Let dreams guide you home."
Just like that, Iris drifted back into her slumber.
SunRose looked on in awe, "That was incredible!"
Lloyd nodded, "Yes, well… It's the only way to really calm her down. She isn't always the nicest girl, you know. When she wakes up she is stuck in her dream world where she still sees-"
"Her mother?" Sabre_Mace interrupted.
Everyone stopped and looked at each other in silence.
"Yes," Lloyd said solemnly, looking at the clouds above, "Her mother."
Sabre_Mace walked closer to the outer edge of the path, gazing off into the abyss below where he theorized the House of the Holy Sun to be, "Reminds me of dreams I've had before. Dreams where I would be back when everything was nice and happy. When I still knew my parents."
"Your parents?" SunRose looked over at him, "You remember now?"
"Not quite," Sabre_Mace sat down on the edge of the path, letting his legs dangle in the air, "When I was out back there I had a dream. At least I think it was a dream. I remember seeing both my mother and father and…" He recalled the doctor who explained his purpose in Anascentia, "And that's it, I think."
SunRose sat down beside Sabre_Mace, "What were they like?"
Sabre_Mace closed his eyes, "I don't really know."
A strong wind blew over the trio and up the path.
"We should get going," Sabre_Mace stood up and began walking up the mountain, "We're almost there. Let's not waste anymore time."
Lloyd and SunRose agreed, following distantly behind Sabre_Mace.
Iris opened her eyes slightly, "…Mama?"
Emerging out of the blizzard that covered Skyward Mountain was like getting a breath of fresh air after nearly drowning. Sabre_Mace was the first to step into New Victoria. The first thing he immediately did was look behind him at the sea of clouds that acted like an ocean to this island in the sky. The clouds stretched on for forever on all sides with the sun's great light shining upon the astounding buildings that filled the land.
Shortly after, SunRose and Lloyd stepped past the cobblestone gate and onto New Victoria land. Lloyd put the awoken Iris on her feet and looked around the city, noticing its unique atmosphere. There were no clouds above these buildings whatsoever, giving it a brighter feeling than the other cities of Anascentia. The tall, steel buildings rose high but empty with the lack of a real population. Smaller buildings for apartments and housing were stuck between the sky scrapers, just as abandoned as the rest of the city.
"Is this it?" Sabre_Mace remarked, "This is what I've been waiting for?"
"What exactly were you waiting for?" SunRose asked.
Sabre_Mace began to follow the main path made of stone brick slab, paying close attention to all the types of foliage placed on the living grass, "Life."
"Let's hope this isn't it," Lloyd said, leading Iris further into the city, "I came all this way to help my daughter, not to give up because no one was here. There must be a doctor somewhere!" With that, he ran ahead with Iris in his hand. Sabre_Mace and SunRose didn't even try to stop him.
The duo walked slowly down the primary street that ran straight through the majority of the buildings. They would stop every now and then and point out an interesting piece of architecture such as an arch or a design on a building. Other than that, they found nothing of interest in the abandoned city.
Until they began to hear the noises.
"Did you hear that?" SunRose asked.
Sabre_Mace shook his head, "Nope. Must be your mind. Or disappointment."
"That makes no sense."
Oink.
"Or maybe I just didn't hear it." Sabre_Mace responded, looking around curiously. The sound continued on from a non-specific direction. In fact, more sounds joined in from all around them, echoing off the buildings ominously. It sounded like a choir full of the ghosts of deceased animals.
SunRose looked down the path and noticed Lloyd looking around as if lost. Iris was still following him but at a great distance. He turned and noticed the two friends standing around, doing nothing but listening to the sweet animal sounds.
"Where the hell is the doctor?" Lloyd called out.
Both of them shrugged.
Lloyd rolled his eyes and began pacing around, "Well, some help you guys are."
"Just calm down, will you?" SunRose said as they approached the father, "It will only become more difficult if you act angrily like this. You don't want to set a bad example for Iris either, do you?"
"No, but-"
Oink.
"Okay, where are those sounds coming from?" Sabre_Mace was becoming more and more annoyed.
Moo.
Iris laughed, "Cows and pigs?"
"What's so funny?" Lloyd asked.
"Nothing," Iris continued laughing, "How did they get here though?"
SunRose looked at Sabre_Mace, "She raises a good point. What are animals doing here when there is no one else?"
The noises suddenly stopped.
No one spoke a word.
"Someone is here." Iris said, hugging onto her father.
Lloyd turned around and saw a tall, bald man in a black suit with a long, gray beard. He wore a black fedora and black leather gloves. His face screamed isolation and loneliness as he looked incredibly depressed. He approached the group slowly, taking his time. Perhaps there was something wrong with his legs?
The man stopped a meter away from Lloyd and took out a pair of round glasses from his suit. He put them on and looked at Iris with a smile, "Blind, are ya? Came here to fix that, huh?"
Iris nodded, looking in the completely wrong direction.
"Magnificent," The man clapped, "I haven't had a patient in so long."
"I wonder why," Sabre_Mace sarcastically said, stepping beside Lloyd and crossing his arms, "What are you doing up here when there is nobody else?"
Woof!
"I've always been a part of New Victoria. Ever since it was first established I've been working here as a man of many medical talents. Any operation that needs to be done," He grinned, "I can accomplish such."
All four of them felt uneasy facing this stranger.
"Tell me your name, darling." The man kneeled down to Iris.
Iris waved her hand around in the air, eventually smacking the man's fedora off his head, "Iris."
The man laughed, putting the hat back on and shaking Lloyd's hand, "My name is Victor Blanc. If you are here to adjust your child's sight malfunctions, I'd be more than glad to lead you to my office. That is what you're here to do, right?"
Lloyd nodded, "How much is the operation going to cost?"
Victor smiled, "Nothing."
The mysterious animal noises from around the city slowly died down as the group followed Dr. Blanc to his office. Where he worked was the tallest building in the city towards the back. It was built over the edge of the mountain with a long bridge made of wooden planks leading to its entrance. The tower rose sixty six stories into the sky and was fittingly called "Heaven's Gate" by Victor himself.
Everything about the building screamed odd, though. Only a few torches were placed in each hall of the building and there weren't enough windows to properly light the place. Looking at it from the front, it looked like a solid block of wood with a few panes of glass sporadically placed all over the place.
Victor explained to the groups ("tourists" as he called them) that each building was once his office until everyone left and everything became unstable. This led to him building Heaven's Gate and ultimately claiming it as "the castle in the sky that watches over the ghosts of New Victoria."
When they reached the top floor, which is where Victor said his office was, they were seated in a waiting room with no chairs. The walls were completely white with a gray floor and strange, exotic paintings on the wall. Dr. Blanc walked behind a door in the corner and didn't come out for quite a while.
"Can we trust him?" SunRose bluntly asked, taking a seat in the middle of the bare room. Sabre_Mace sat down beside her while Iris fell asleep on her father's lap.
Lloyd looked down at his daughter, "He's our only chance."
"How did you hear about this dude?" Sabre_Mace asked.
"Everyone spoke of New Victoria as the place to go to for medical needs since, well, that's what it was rumored to have been built for," Lloyd looked straight at the door, waiting for Victor to come back out, "New Victoria was established as a heaven where anyone in sickness could be cured. I guess it was abandoned and forsaken because of its location."
SunRose slowly caressed Iris' small hand in hers, "I think Roth came from this place, actually."
"Really?" Sabre_Mace was surprised.
"Who?" Lloyd asked.
The glowstone lights on the ceiling went out for a second before coming back on. SunRose leaned back on her arms, "He's a friend who works as a knight in Imperial City. I remember him always talking about this place and such. It's a shame, though. Imagine how he will react when we tell him it's practically died off."
Lloyd nodded, stroking his daughter's hair, "Sounds nice."
There was an odd, ambient silence.
"I don't remember the last friend I actually had. I've only had Iris."
Sabre_Mace looked at Iris' eyelids as they trembled, "We're your friends."
"Barely," Lloyd stopped and looked at the door, "You guys are leaving as soon as this is all over. Once Iris is able to see the beautiful world again you won't be here anymore. You'll only be left in my memory."
"Well, how about this then?" Sabre_Mace began, "When the world is saved and there is no more danger, we'll come back to see you. Iris will be able to see everything and we'll all get together and have a day of fun."
Lloyd chuckled before stopping abruptly and looking at SunRose, "Actually, there was something that I kind of wanted to ask you two."
SunRose leaned forward, "What?"
"Could you possibly," Lloyd looked back down at Iris, "Be Iris' godparents?"
"Excuse me?" Sabre_Mace was shocked at such an odd and random question, "We're a bit young for that task. Plus, we're not, you know…" He looked over at SunRose awkwardly who looked away.
"No, no, don't worry about it. If you don't want to then-"
SunRose patted Lloyd's knee, "We'd love to."
The door opened and Victor Blanc walked out.
"Iris, I will be happy to see you now." Victor smiled wickedly.
Lloyd picked up Iris and carried her into the back.
Before closing the door, Victor looked at Sabre_Mace and SunRose with a strange and sudden grim expression, "The back is off limits." He shut the door instantly.
Sabre_Mace and SunRose sat there, alone but not in silence.
Moo.
The duo had already decided it all.
They could wait no longer.
The Diamond Compass was waiting for them. They had to retrieve it.
They left the empty room and began to slowly walk down the dark hallway, the sound of animals following them everywhere they went. SunRose kept close to Sabre_Mace as she felt a strange presence following her. It wasn't real, though – she just got scared often, "What is with all these noises? It's really starting to get to me."
"Yeah, 'cause other things haven't." Sabre_Mace joked before being slapped.
"I'm serious," SunRose stopped and grabbed one of the few torches on the walls, "Those noises… The odd lighting… That doctor… What gives? This place isn't normal."
"Sometimes you just have to shut the outside world out. Otherwise you'll be terrified of every little thing that you hear or see. It's how I've been surviving so long without losing my mind." Sabre_Mace said, stroking his right hand along the wall as they continued walking.
Then he nearly fell over.
Not because of his stupidity but because of a random hole in the wall. It looked to be where a door once was but was removed. Sabre_Mace slowly regained his posture and looked down the unforeseen hall with a staircase at the end. A bright light shone from the top of the stairs.
"Well, we can't let this go," Sabre_Mace said and began to approach the staircase, "Let's check it out."
"Nope, we have to find The Diamond Compass, remember?" SunRose stayed behind, "Just shut out anything else we find. It'll make this whole thing a lot easier."
"You know what?" Sabre_Mace shouted as he began to ascend the steps, "I don't care anymore. I'm gonna see what is at the top of these stairs and I guess you won't be there to find out with me."
SunRose didn't try to argue. She just didn't want to be alone. She followed.
The stairs were long, tiring, and just as dark as the rest of the building. The light at the top got bright and brighter the higher up they went until they seemed to have been completely consumed by it. They shut their eyes and looked away, continuing onwards until they found even ground.
Slowly did they open their eyes and see a cow staring right at them.
"Moo." It spoke.
"I'll be damned," Sabre_Mace laughed and pat the cow, "The sounds were coming from up here!"
The two looked around at the roof of the building and the strange animal farm that was left there. Pigs, wolves, cows, chickens, every type of animal was located there and looked happy.
That was it, though. They looked happy.
Were they really happy?
"What is this place?" SunRose noticed the animals all grouping around them, staring with empty eyes, "Does Victor just have a random farm on his roof like this? The dude's messed up."
Sabre_Mace looked directly into the cow's eyes, "The animals look deprived, too."
"Of what?"
"Attention, love, the basics," Sabre_Mace noted before becoming disturbed by his next thought, "Innocence."
"What?" SunRose was lost now.
Sabre_Mace stroked the cow's next, feeling a collar jingle. He crouched down and looked at a card attached to the collar. It had a picture of a random male user, looking straight at the camera with no emotion. Beside the picture was a name, age, and list of family members.
"Who are these people?" SunRose wondered aloud, investigating each of the animal's collars and cards. Every single one of them had a picture along with a bunch of random information.
Including a date on the back.
"These dates," Sabre_Mace noticed, "What are they for?"
SunRose shrugged, moving onto the next animal.
After looking over the majority of the animals and their identities, the two of them stopped and sat down on the grass while the animals continued staring at them. They would rub their heads on Sabre_Mace and SunRose, wanting their attention. The two users learned to just ignore it.
"Hey, Sabre_Mace," SunRose began, "Can I ask again?"
Sabre_Mace looked up from the grass, "What?"
"What were your parents like?"
The user sighed, unsheathing his diamond sword and setting it on the grass beside him, "Just like any other parents would be, I'm guessing. I don't really know what you want me to say. They were what they were supposed to be. You know, loving, caring, and always looking out for me."
"And this was a dream?"
Sabre_Mace nodded.
"So you actually remember your parents?"
Sabre_Mace was reminded of Echo suddenly.
"And everything? You know, your past and all?"
"SunRose, it's time I tell you," Sabre_Mace could take it no longer, "It's time I tell you what Echo told me."
SunRose lay down on the grass, "What's with you and Echo also? You always talk to him like he's this god or something. It's kind of creepy."
"Echo was a man that never deserved to die," Sabre_Mace was becoming rather emotional the more he spoke, "He was the only person I could really call a friend. No one was as normal and loving as him. He was what every user should want to be."
Oink.
"So," SunRose nodded, not really caring, "What did you want to tell me?"
"I'm not from this world and neither are you."
Moo.
"Uh-huh," SunRose stood up, "Anyway, we should probably get-"
"Let me explain!" Sabre_Mace grabbed SunRose's arm, "Anascentia isn't our world! We were only put here because it was safer than where we came from. I was destined to fix everything because I survived. When I was in the real world, which was no dream, I met my parents and… I found the real you."
SunRose backed away, "Sabre_Mace, let's get going already. You can talk all this randomness all you want but at least let's make some distance."
Just as SunRose began down the steps, Sabre_Mace grabbed his sword and shouted down the narrow stairwell:
"Ella!"
A strange surge of emotion shook SunRose's body. She nearly fell as she felt sad for no reason. She leaned against the wall, breathing heavily in and out until tears began to roll. She sat down, going insane from confusion. Why was she crying? What was wrong?
"What is happening?" SunRose cried.
Sabre_Mace began walking down the stairs, "Ella!"
She continued to cry even more, unable to stop herself.
"Sabre_Mace, what is wrong with me?" SunRose didn't understand.
"Ella!"
"Sabre_Mace, why do you-"
"Ella!" Sabre_Mace continued to repeat, "Ella!"
SunRose was becoming more and more scared of herself with every time Sabre_Mace repeated that name.
"Sabre_Mace…" She cried and threw her arms around him.
Sabre_Mace sighed and hugged her back, "SunRose."
To be honest, they did not want to stay in New Victoria any longer. Sabre_Mace and SunRose both felt worried about Lloyd and Iris being taken care of by Victor Blanc but knew nothing could change. If Iris really wanted to see, he would be the one to go to.
Finally, they could find the Diamond Compass.
As they stepped out onto the path winding down the mountain and under the sea of clouds, SunRose wrapped herself around Sabre_Mace's right arm. She had finally stopped crying and was surprised how calm Sabre_Mace was in reaction to her sudden emotional outbreak.
"Ella," SunRose said to herself quietly as they descended Skyward Mountain and said farewell to the city at the top of the world, "Who is Ella and why did it emotionally destroy me?"
Sabre_Mace remember clearer his own reaction when he found SunRose's real body – the body of Ella, "Ella is who you are. The person you are in Anascentia… The being you are being right now… It's merely a character. It's not you. You're Ella, not SunRose."
SunRose's eyes shot open.
"And then," SunRose let go, "You're Isaac?"
Sabre_Mace nodded, "I'm surprised you remembered."
"Of course," SunRose followed Sabre_Mace down the path, "Back in Fontaine you repeatedly called yourself Isaac. It wasn't just a random name, though. It was your actual name."
"Ismy actual name."
SunRose was confused.
"Our bodies remain," Sabre_Mace said as the snow began to fall, "Although we continue to exist in Anascentia our lives in the real world are merely idle. The mission I've been given by the people of the real world – my parents – would restore all the damage that's been done. It would bring Eligos to an end."
"Who?"
Sabre_Mace chuckled, "I'll explain later."
SunRose nodded.
"But this isn't the end," Sabre_Mace began to say optimistically, "When Eligos is defeated and the world is saved, we'll be restored. We'll be back in our old skin and can live happily forever."
SunRose smiled.
"This isn't the end, Ella." Sabre_Mace promised.