So, I have removed the April Fools' Day/Easter chapter and replaced it with this one. I swear this is the real epilogue! I've loved the responses, by the way. Some were amused, some weren't, and one threatened to hit me with a stick. Ah, good times. Good times.
Of course the epilogue had to be the longest chapter. I had to finish the story, tie up loose ends, foreshadow a possible sequel…Oh, woe is me! Just kidding. This has been a blast. I've had a really fun time writing this, and I hope everyone who's read this has enjoyed it just as much!
Most people want a sequel to this story to be my next project, so that's what I'm planning on. It's going to be based on season two in general, not necessarily one episode. I do have the basic idea in my head. I just need to write the outline (yeah, I'm an outline person) and work on the details.
I'm still trying to figure out some logistical stuff, like what to do with Reuben (since he's not in season two and I refuse to kill him), whether Stella should end up a friend or foe, Xara's fate, just how far to go with Romeo's behavior, what other secondary characters to use, what the Warden's name should be, etc. and so on. I will post it at some point, but it may be some time while I hash all this stuff out.
In any case, here's the epilogue for Rebel of Sky City. Thank you all again for your views, kudos, reviews, and patience! They really make my day! Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-Five
"And done!" Jesse threw down her quill, leaned back in her chair, and ran her hands through her long black hair. "Man, I hate all this paperwork sometimes."
Isa glanced up from where she was working at her own desk and smiled. Despite being a co-leader of the now two-year-old Beacontown, Jesse always preferred working with people. She liked it much more than sitting in the office and filling out forms and bookkeeping. It was quite inspiring, if Isa was honest with herself.
Jesse never should have been kept alone, locked up in Sky City's palace. Isa saw that now, and she kicked herself every day for thinking it was ever good for her daughter. Jesse absolutely relished in being around the people and helping them out whenever she could. That was her place, and Isa was glad she had found it.
Benedict flew over to Jesse's desk, carrying a water bottle. She dropped it right in front of the exhausted young woman. Jesse grinned and took a substantial gulp, gasping when she ran out of water.
"Thanks, Benny."
Benedict clucked in response before flying over to the makeshift nest she had built out of Isa's discarded papers. She scratched at the bottom with her feet for a bit and then settled down for a small nap.
"Now I've got the rest of the day off!" Jesse proclaimed as she jumped up from her seat.
"It's good of you to get your work out of the way before relaxing, even on Founding Day." Isa glared at the catastrophe that was Milo's desk...or it would be Milo's desk, if he ever decided to excavate it from beneath all the unfinished paperwork he left there. "Unlike someone else I know."
Jesse couldn't hold in her laugh. Although their fights were fewer in number, it was still an uphill battle to get Isa and Milo to see eye to eye on anything. That's why Jesse was the appointed third party in the leadership position. When Milo and Isa couldn't agree, Jesse would help them compromise.
Part of the problem was that once Milo was sure the people had the freedom to build, he wasn't all that interested in directly leading them. This wasn't because he didn't care – far from it – but Milo was more interested in doing things with the people rather than telling them what to do.
"You know Milo's probably crazy busy with that restaurant of his," Jesse reminded her mother.
After settling down in Beacontown, Milo decided to expand his inn business into more of a restaurant. He still provided inn services, but people went there for food more than anything now. Without having to hide while crafting anymore, Milo quickly occupied his mind with creating different foods. From meats to produce to grains and everything in between, Milo had become the local expert in meals.
It was no surprise to anyone when he built a community garden for anyone to use right next door to his inn. Not only did he get many of his ingredients there, but also everyone else was free to take what they wanted. Lukas once told her it was Milo's way of honoring his late wife. After everything that had happened, it was nice to punctuate that part of his life with a positive note.
"I understand that," Isa conceded. "But is it too much to ask that he follow proper protocol for once?"
Jesse laughed again, but decided not to answer. Isa probably wasn't expecting a response to such a rhetorical question. She got up from her desk and looked down at Reuben, who was sleeping on his bed pressed up against her desk. She gently nudged him with her foot.
"Hey, sleepyhead!" she called to him. Reuben's ears twitched, making her think he wasn't actually asleep. "Time to get up! We got to go see Lukas!"
At the name, Reuben immediately perked up. He loved handing out with Lukas! He got to do that pretty often, considering Lukas' relationship with Jesse, but that didn't matter. Perhaps he would give Reuben one of the carrots from Milo's community garden!
"Have you had anything to eat?" Isa asked as Jesse did some final organizing before she left.
"I had lunch about an hour ago, so I'm good for now," Jesse explained. "Lukas and I are going to stop by Milo's place for dinner after his book signing's finished."
"Don't forget." Jesse raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, don't give me that look. Let me worry about you a little bit. I'm your mother."
"As you're always reminding me," Jesse said, rolling her eyes but smiling nonetheless. "Do you really think I'd let myself go hungry?"
"Well, I can't help but think about it." Isa signed a few more papers. "You're not only eating for yourself now, you know."
Jesse had already pulled the door leading out of the office open when her mother made this statement, and she paused. She turned around to look over at the older woman with furrowed eyebrows staring at her with a tilt to her head. Isa grinned and shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm a worrier, Jesse," she replied. "It's in my nature."
Jesse blinked but decided to let it go. "I'll see you for the speech tonight, okay?"
"Okay. Say hello to Lukas for me."
"Don't I always?"
With that, Jesse and Reuben headed out of the office, closing the door behind them so Isa wouldn't be disturbed.
Heading down the single hallway, the two made their way to the central chamber of the mansion. The building that housed the leaders had been Jesse's design, with Lukas' input. It was by his insistence that the hallways to all the rooms of the mansion not be labyrinthine, like the Sky City palace had been. An unintended consequence of this was that it made it easier for visitors to find their way. And boy, did they have a lot of visitors every day!
Today, the main hall was devoid of people. Rather, the entire population of Beacontown was busy celebrating Founding Day. As Jesse and Reuben walked through, their footsteps echoing off the stone blocks, they glanced around at the treasures on display. Jesse chuckled.
Along with the ground discovered beneath the island were several untouched biomes as well. The people of Beacontown wasted no time exploring their new surroundings. Some went to the plains biome. Some traversed to the jungle biome. Others braved the ice plains spikes biome, although they quickly learned what harsh terrain that was. To the shock of absolutely no one, Petra was one of the chief explorers of the new world. She led several expeditions with groups of warriors, but she often went off on her own to travel as well.
It took no time at all for the treasures to start pouring in. Jesse thought there was no better place to put them than on display where anyone could look at them when they pleased. As such, Jesse set up several stands where the treasures could stay. The major ones lined the back of the hall, but some of the more impressive ones also lined the red carpet leading in and out of the room.
"This place is getting full, isn't it?" Jesse said to Reuben as they passed the golden apple, spider eye, and Benedict's old Eversource crown. "We're going to need more stands if Petra comes back with some more stuff liked she keeps threatening to."
Reuben snorted in agreement. They were going to be completely overrun with treasure at this rate!
Exiting the grand hall through the giant doorway, Jesse and Reuben headed down a short flight of stairs and into Beacontown proper. Jesse glanced at the large mansion behind her, with its large columns and huge egg-shaped prominence at the front. Leave it to Isa to still honor Benedict with egg motifs. Thankfully, the chicken no longer had to donate her eggs for resources, and hadn't for two years now.
She turned her attention back to the town. Jesse's grin widened at the sight of the bright and cheerful city her people had built. At the very front, closest to the mansion, was a huge display of beacons in rainbow colors. The design had been Lukas', with a little bit of input from Ivor. It was from this that the town got its name.
The lake had become the center of the city, with the mansion sitting on the water's edge. They dug up the ground to form a little moat around it, and then drove the water through the city. The main street crossed over the river and went south. The road stopped at the large walls encircling the city for protection against nighttime monsters. The huge gates at the end of the street opened to anyone who wanted to head out into the world.
Pretty much everyone had a different idea of what kind of home they wanted to build. This resulted in a huge variety in the size, shape, color, and theme of their homes. Some were a bit more traditional, looking more like small cottages or villas. Others were strange and creative, such as the one fisherman who decided to make his house in the shape of an octopus. There were cathouses, towers, bridges connecting houses together, and even houses in the shapes of hamburgers and cow heads. And that was just to name a few!
Jesse glanced over at the dug up earth to the right, where a tall tower with a skull on the top stood. It had been Ivor's house (and still technically was), but it originally had been filled with flowing lava, creating a lava pool at the bottom. Jesse rolled her eyes as she recalled the day she had to ask Ivor to take the lava out in order to keep it from setting anything else on fire. Well, it had been less like Jesse asking Ivor to do so and more like she allowed the other citizens to do it. It had taken a good three days to remove all the lava. Ivor refused to speak to Jesse for a week.
As Jesse continued her trek, she looked around at the booths and displays everyone had out to celebrate Founding Day. It reminded her of the Spring Festival that Sky City used to hold. They still had festivities like that, but fewer than before. They were more about celebrating specific holidays rather than as recognition of the changing seasons. They got enough of that from the trees and other plant life that sprung up and down the various streets of Beacontown.
One new display caught Jesse's eye. To the uninitiated builder, it must have looked like a strange mishmash of wood and redstone, but Jesse knew better. Within the mixture of wood blocks were dispensers for fireworks, which were timed to go off in an alternative pattern. Olivia had designed it, with absolutely no help from Jesse at all. Olivia was really coming into her own when it came to redstone, leaving Jesse so impressed that she was now coming to Olivia in search of advice.
Speaking of Olivia, she was standing in front of the firework dispenser. She seemed to be having perhaps not a heated conversation with Axel, but the two of them did look like they were having a difference in opinion.
Jesse started to head over to them. "Come on, Reuben. Let's say hi."
Reuben actually reached the bickering pair before she did. He shoved his head between them in the obvious ploy of getting scratches. Both Olivia and Axel laughed as they petted him simultaneously.
"Hey guys," Jesse said with a wave.
"Hey Jesse!" Axel greeted. "How goes it?"
"Not bad," she replied. "What's going on?"
"Well, we just finished building the fireworks dispenser for the display tonight," Olivia explained. "And we think it needs something more. Something to make it more memorable, you know?"
"And we figured building some sort of statue in front of it would do the trick," Axel added.
"Makes sense," Jesse concurred, glancing up at the giant dispenser. "You've got something functional. Now you want something fun."
"Exactly!"
"So, what's the problem?"
"I was thinking that if we wanted to really get people's attention…" Axel continued. "…we'd build something scary."
"He wants to build a statue of a creeper," Olivia mentioned.
"And Olivia's got the idea in her head that we should build an Enderman instead," Axel complained.
"I'm more scared of Endermen than creepers," she argued.
"But creepers blow everything up," Axel debated. "They sure cause a lot of damage when one wanders into town."
"You've never had an Enderman pop into your house and screech into your face," Olivia reminded him. "Why do you think I keep my house surrounded by water?"
"I have always wondered about that." Axel scratched his chin. "But wouldn't Endermen just teleport over the water?"
"Oh thanks, Axel! Like I needed that in my head!"
"What about a zombie?" Jesse suggested, breaking into their quarrel. "I've always been frightened of those, ever since I was little."
"I guess that's kind of like a creeper," Axel conceded.
Olivia shrugged. "Eh, it's a monster. It's fine."
"And lots of people don't like zombies, not after Sky City's Last Day." Axel recalled the time everyone left the island in the clouds with a slight shiver. "Think you've got some time to help us build it?"
"Yeah!" Olivia agreed. "That'd be great!"
"Absolutely!" Jesse looked down as Rueben nudged her ankle. "Don't worry. Lukas will understand."
"We've got plenty colored wool over here," Olivia directed her to the pile of all colors of wool, including purple, green, and light blue blocks.
"This is going to be awesome!" Axel declared as he grabbed a bunch of blocks.
It didn't take the three of them very long to put together a two-dimensional statue in the form of a zombie. It definitely made the fireworks machine look much more menacing. The head of the zombie ended up quite a few blocks taller than the machine itself. Jesse figured that would help hide the intricacies of the redstone and dispensers. It made it seem more like the zombie was creating the fireworks.
Jesse finished off the statue by placing a simple lever on the side, making the statue ready to go with a single flip. She stepped back to look at the top, her neck craning awkwardly as she looked into the holes that represented its eyes. Olivia and Axel both smiled as they mimicked her.
"This is so cool!" Olivia declared. "Everyone's going to love this!"
"How could anyone not love a zombie?" said Axel. "Good call, Jesse."
"Thanks," she replied. "This turned out great. Great job, guys!"
"Going to stick around for a test run?" Olivia asked.
"Sorry, but I better get going," Jesse said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I promised Lukas I'd meet up with him at his book signing before dinner."
Olivia waved her away. "Better get going then."
"Yeah, don't want to keep the ball and chain waiting," Axel joked.
"You know he hates it when you call him that," Jesse reminded him with a shake of her head.
"Exactly."
"He's been hanging around Petra too much," Olivia teased, to which Axel raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'll definitely be around tonight for the display," Jesse informed them. "I'll see you guys then, okay?"
"See you later!"
Jesse and Reuben continued down Main Street towards the bookshop. Jesse passed several other people on the way, who either called out to her or waved. She loved seeing the people so free and content. In Sky City, she hadn't gotten a lot of exposure to the people on a day-to-day basis, but what she had seen was nothing like this. Beacontown was much more vibrant and cheerful than anything in Sky City.
It brought a warm feeling to her chest to see the people so happy.
For anyone who didn't know where the bookshop was, they only need to look for the huge line for Lukas' book signing. Jesse didn't count, but she wouldn't be surprised if there were over a hundred people standing in wait. That didn't include the people who were leaving the area after having their book signed, or the people who were joining the end of the line.
Jesse was able to pick out a few familiar faces as she bypassed the line to head for the table in front of the bookstore. She nodded respectfully to Otto and shook Ivy's hands. They both had been good friends since the Spring Festival two years ago. After all, they were some of the first people she interacted with after her initial escape from the palace.
Another woman with brown hair screeched as she saw Jesse. She abandoned her spot in the line and ran up to her, to Jesse and Reuben's shock.
"Jesse! Jesse! Gimme five!" she shrieked, and held her right hand up.
Jesse giggled, reminded of the time Lukas first taught her what a high-five was in the first place. Not wanting to leave the woman hanging, Jesse gave her the desired high-five.
The woman shrieked in joy again and turned to her friends.
"See that?! Jesse high-fived me! Me!" She hopped up and down for a moment and waved as Jesse passed her. She then shook out her hand with a small grimace. "…It actually hurt a little bit. Wow."
And with that, the woman promptly fainted.
Neither Jesse nor Reuben noticed this. They had already reached the front of the line where Lukas sat at a small table with a huge stack of books. He held a quill in his right hand and passed out books from the stack as he signed them. Most people brought their own copies, which meant that there were still plenty to be passed out for those who didn't have them yet.
Once he spotted Jesse, Lukas immediately dropped the quill and stood so he could give her a hug.
"There's my wonderful wife," he said, pecking her on the cheek. "Finished your work already?"
"I did it as quickly as I could," Jesse replied when they pulled apart. "Didn't want to keep you waiting."
"I'd wait forever for you, Jesse."
"Oh, now you're just being a sap."
They kissed on the lips this time. The women around them let out "Aww!" while a few of the men wolf-whistled. When they finally broke apart again, Reuben gave Lukas an annoyed prod with his snout.
"Now how could I forget you, Reuben?" Lukas laughed. He pulled something out of his pocket and held it out to the pig. "You want a carrot, buddy?"
Reuben oinked as he munched on the carrot. He rubbed his nose into Lukas' palm in thanks before heading over to a shady spot next to the book table. Lukas glanced with wide eyes at the long line waiting for him.
"I think I'm still going to be here for a while," he said, returning to his seat. "These books won't sign themselves."
"That's what you get for writing a bestseller," Jesse teased. She took the seat next to him. "I'm just here to keep you company."
And so, she did. Reuben climbed onto the table and started playing around with the ink for Lukas' quill. He made some pretty interested artwork with his hoof-painting on some of the unused parchment. Jesse shook her head at the little pig's behavior. At least he wasn't trying to sign any of the books with a hoofprint.
The excitement about Jesse's appearance died down quickly, and the crowd soon turned their attention back to Lukas and his novel. It was a sort of a speculative fiction, using all the people he knew as the characters.
In the book, Jesse and Reuben live in a treehouse with their friends Axel and Olivia. They have a sort of small rivalry with Lukas and his friends. Petra is the loner mercenary type who would get resources for people for payment. During a special celebration of heroes, they get roped into an adventure fighting a giant monster called the Witherstorm. Over the course of the adventure, the team overcomes obstacles, makes friends, fight monsters, and travel to amazing places. At the climax, Jesse ends up slaying the Witherstorm.
The Witherstorm was not completely out of reality. Lukas based this fictional creature on a monster that the real-world Ivor accidentally created. He was messing around with soul sand and some wither skulls Petra had brought back from this place she explored and dubbed the Nether. The monster he crafted had caused some pretty serious damage. Houses were burned down and roads were destroyed, but Jesse, Isa and Reginald managed to subdue it. It had given Jesse nightmares for weeks. To her annoyance, it was the perfect inspiration for the main foe in Lukas' novel.
It was a couple of hours before the line disappeared and the book fans scattered. Lukas finally put down his quill and shook out his hand.
"Man, the things I do for the fans," he joked, nursing his wrist. "I've got a cramp."
"Let me see."
Jesse took his right hand into hers, opening his finger to get access to his palm. She carefully kneaded her thumbs into his palm and wrist, massaging smoothly but firmly any knots she came across. Lukas sighed as the soreness and tightness faded away. He couldn't help but grin at the sight of her left hand, and the ring that sparkled on her ring finger.
"What are you smiling at?" she asked.
"Just thinking about how fortunate I am."
Jesse rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh. Sure you are."
"Seriously, my book's done great and I get to be married to you," he said. "How did I get so lucky?"
Reuben oinked from their feet, clearly in a tone that said he agreed that Lukas was a lucky man. Jesse's cheeks pinked.
"Actually, I do need to tell you something…"
There was a cough that interrupted their mooning over each other. Jesse glanced up to see Ivor standing there, a potion bottle in his hand. The liquid inside was a deep red color. He smirked at their flirting and raised an eyebrow.
"I can come back tomorrow if it's too much trouble," he offered.
"No, no. It's fine," Jesse responded, dropping Lukas' hand. "What's up, Ivor?"
"Your mother asked me to deliver this to you." He sat the potion on the table.
Jesse didn't hesitate in grabbing the potion and taking it. She was a bit perplexed by the familiar taste of fiery spice she knew came from blaze powder.
"Potion of Strength?" She tilted her head. "Mother thought I'd need this?"
"She said you might need the energy."
"Strength? Energy?" Lukas echoed, looking at Jesse with a furrowed brow. "Are you sick?"
"No, I'm fine. Don't worry." She gave him a few pats on his shoulder. "You know Mother is always concerned about me."
He snickered. "Some things never change, huh?"
There was another cough from Ivor. This time, when the pair looked at him, he slid a copy of Lukas' novel towards the writer. By the looks of the cover and the yellowing pages, it was well worn.
"This is a book signing, isn't it?" Ivor asked.
"You actually have a copy of his book?" Jesse asked with a wide smile. Lukas took the book and picked up his quill again. Reuben let out a string of snorts that was his version of a laugh.
"Don't go getting any funny ideas, blonde guy," Ivor sneered as Lukas scribbled his signature on the inside of the book cover. "This isn't because I like you or anything."
By this point in his life, Lukas was quite used to Ivor's strange way of expressing his fondness for someone. In response, all Lukas did was smirk as he closed the book and slid it back to Ivor.
"No. Of course not."
Ivor did nothing but humph as he picked up his book and headed his own way. Lukas turned back to Jesse with worried eyes.
"Are you sure you're all right?" He looked pointedly at the empty potion bottle. "You don't normally need a potion."
"Seriously, Lukas. I'm fine!" Jesse insisted. She jumped up and grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet. "What I am is hungry!"
Reuben gave a loud oink in agreement.
Lukas laughed. "I guess I better feed you then."
Milo's restaurant/inn wasn't far from the bookshop. It wasn't on the main street of Beacontown, but it was on one of the more popular offshoot roads. The building itself, for some reason, always made Jesse feel right at home. Why? It was built exactly like his old inn had been back in Sky City. It wasn't as run down, but the basic shape, number of floors, and decorations were basically the same. The only exceptions were more space was for tables and there was a slightly larger kitchen.
For all of Milo's good points, he wasn't very creative when it came to building design. He was a great builder and a great crafter, but he wasn't someone Jesse would go to for floor plans for a new house. Jesse didn't mind this though. It was actually nice to see something that still reminded her of her old home, even though she relished in the Beacontown's newer architecture.
Jesse took a deep breath when she walked into the restaurant. She let out a sigh as she relished in the smell that emanated from the kitchen. Mushroom stew, potatoes, cake…even the meat-based foodstuffs like rabbit stew and cooked salmon, which Jesse wouldn't touch, smelled wonderful! It was like walking straight into a home kitchen, but with a lot more people.
Speaking of which, it came as no surprise to Jesse that Milo's restaurant was packed that day. It was one of the most popular places to eat in Beacontown after all. Some people would even forgo cooking for themselves in favor of eating only Milo's cuisine. The furnace stations around Beacontown Jesse had insisted on building were still used, but not as much as she expected.
Jesse wasn't about to complain though. The smell alone was enough to make people hungry.
"Lukas! Jesse!" Philippe called as he ran over from the ordering counter. "We were hoping you would come today!"
"Come on, Philippe!" Lukas said. "I told you we'd stop by."
"Yeah," Jesse agreed. "Where else would we get the best food in town on Founding Day?"
Philippe nodded with a grin. "Your dad saved your usual table."
"I keep telling Dad he doesn't need to do that if someone else wants that table," Lukas muttered. He and Jesse followed Philippe anyway.
"Their table" was right next to the fireplace, in the corresponding spot where Jesse had first met Milo. It also allowed for a great view of the rest of the dining room, right up to the windows that allowed everyone to see outside. The crackles of the fire were always a comfort to Jesse. There had never been fireplaces in Sky City's palace, and she enjoyed the warmth and light it provided.
Jesse and Lukas had barely sat down before Milo bounced over to them. He still wore his trademark suspenders and beret when he was out. Once he was in the kitchen, Milo would trade them out for an apron and a white chef's hat. Jesse always thought he looked adorable in that getup. When she told him so, Milo simply blushed.
"Well, if it isn't two of my favorite people," Milo declared. He immediately gave his son a hug before pulling Jesse tightly to him to do the same. At Reuben's slighted oink, Milo bend down and gave the little pig scratches behind both ears. "And my favorite pig, of course. It's great to see you all."
"Hi, Dad." Lukas glanced around the restaurant. "What was that about not needing my help today?"
Milo shrugged. "And have you miss your own book signing? What kind of father would I be if I did that?"
"It was a very successful book signing, by the way," Jesse informed him, making her husband flush. "I think I counted four hundred people in the few hours I was there."
"Four hundred? Really?" Milo smiled at his son. "That's pretty impressive."
Lukas rubbed the back of his head and kept his gaze to the ground, but Jesse could see he was pleased.
"Well, it is certainly appropriate that I have these for your meal." Milo reached into his inventory and pulled out two items. "Enjoy!"
"Dad! We haven't even ordered yet! How do you know what we…" Lukas trailed off as he saw what was his father was holding. "Dad, is that a golden apple?"
Jesse laughed as Milo placed the item on the plates sitting on the table. "And I take it the baked potato is for me?"
"You guess correctly, Jesse," Milo said, putting his hands on his hips and straighten his back. "Only the best for my boy and his lady."
Milo glanced down at Reuben with a grin. The pig raised his eyebrows in anticipation.
"Don't worry. I haven't forgotten about you." Milo pulled out a large bowl full of carrots. Reuben's jaw dropped and he stared as the human placed the bowl on the ground for him. It was almost as if he couldn't believe that many carrots were for him! "These are from the garden, Reuben. Hope you enjoy!"
"Dad, how much gold did you use to make this?" Lukas didn't sit. He just kept shaking his head at his father. "How much did this cost?"
"It's Founding Day, Lukas." Lukas put both hands on Lukas' shoulders. "It's a special occasion. The town's doing great, the people are happy, and my son is a successful writer. Why shouldn't I spoil you a little bit?"
It went unsaid that Milo wished he could have spoiled Lukas more when he was younger.
"Come on, Lukas," Jesse said as she took her seat. "Let's eat before it gets cold."
Lukas shrugged in surrender, but the grin didn't fall from his face as he sat to eat as well. Milo and Philippe went off to attend to the other customers. Lukas and Jesse enjoyed their meal, talking about everything and nothing at all in between bites. Lukas finished his meal first, since it was smaller and he was always the faster eater of the two. He decided on cracking jokes to make Jesse laugh, which only slowed her eating further.
"Lukas, you're going to make me spout water from my nose!" she chortled when she finally finished the last of her baked potato.
"Can I help it if I'm a funny guy?" he asked. He wiped Jesse's face with a napkin. "Or maybe I just like your laugh."
"You're making me blush."
"I like that too."
Jesse cleared her throat and glanced at the clock on the wall. "We better get going. I told Mother we'd be at the beacon in time for her speech."
"And Olivia and Axel's fireworks display," Lukas reminded her. "I'm looking forward to that."
They said their goodbyes to Milo and Philippe before leaving the restaurant and heading for the main square. More people were gathering in the area, leaving the streets relatively bare. There were still citizens around, enjoying the different booths and food, but they were much fewer than when Jesse first left the mansion. This gave Jesse a little more breathing room during the walk.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Lukas asked, still worried by her behavior.
"You're starting to sound like my mother, Lukas." Jesse shook her head in amusement. "I've just got something on my mind."
"What?" He took her hands in his. "Is something wrong? Can I help?"
"You're so sweet, Lukas." She paused to take a deep breath. "I do need to tell you something. I…"
She trailed off as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Pulling her hands out of Lukas' grasp, she grabbed her diamond sword out of her inventory and spun around. She parried the sword coming down on her just in time, stopping it mere inches from her face. Reuben let out a loud squeal in surprise and jumped back. Jesse pushed on the other sword wielder to force them away. Lukas let out a shout before freezing.
"Petra?!" he yelled.
The redhead in question simply laughed as she sheathed her blade. "Glad to see you remember how to use your sword. I was worried all that paperwork was making you rusty."
"Don't scare me like that!" Jesse went and gave her friend a hug anyway.
"I thought you were out on your latest exploration?" Lukas said, taking his turn to hug Petra after Jesse released her.
"Yeah, you said you weren't going to be back for a while," Jesse recalled.
"I did promise to do my best to be back in time for Founding Day," Petra reminded them as Reuben began prancing around her. "And here I am. It's great to see you too."
"So what did you bring back this time?" Lukas inquired.
Petra shrugged. "What makes you think I've brought anything?"
"Because you always do," Jesse proclaimed, hands on her hips. "Come on! Spill!"
The redhead smirked. She reached into her inventory and pulled out a strange, round ball. It was similar to a slime ball, only it swirled with a strange red and yellow powder, almost like a snow globe. Even from a distance, Jesse could feel heat emanating from the sphere. She also noticed that Petra was careful to only hold the ball with a gloved hand.
"What in the world is that?" Lukas asked, tilting his head as he watched the orange colors churn around the green.
"It's a magma cream," Jesse informed him.
"Fresh from the Nether," Petra explained. Reuben hopped onto his haunches so he was tall enough to give the ball a sniff. "I found this new monster. Big, dark cube thing with red eyes. It dropped this when I killed it."
"Magma cube. Benedict didn't lay many of those spawn eggs," Jesse commented. "Be careful with it. It'll burn you if it touches your skin."
Reuben dropped back to the ground at that.
"Oh, I'm careful with it all right." Petra quickly put the magma cream back in her inventory, where it was safe. "Thought Ivor could probably use it."
"It's good for Potion of Fire Resistance," Jesse explained. "That'll be nice the next time you go to the Nether, with all that lava."
"So you went to the Nether again?" Lukas slumped his shoulders. "I can't believe you go down there all the time. That place is awful."
True enough, Lukas never set foot through one of the portals into the Nether that Petra had found. Not after the first time he went down there anyway. After that single journey, he swore he would never go to the Nether again.
"It's not that bad if you're prepared to go down there, Lukas," Petra debated. "I can take you sometime and show you—"
"No."
"But it's not—"
"No!"
Petra rolled her eyes. "Okay. Chicken."
"Petra!" Axel voice boomed through the crowd as the large man sprinted over and grabbed her around the waist. He lifted her up and off her feet in a tight hug, forcing a yelp of surprise out of her. "You're back!"
"Good to see you too, big guy." Petra had to wait another minute before Axel released her. When he did, she let out a sigh before giving him a peck on his cheek. "Miss me much?"
"Very much," Olivia commented, having joined the group. "He wouldn't shut up about you."
"I can't help it," Axel admitted. "You're off doing awesome stuff in the world, discovering all sorts of new things."
"You got to admit," Jesse added. "It's pretty sweet being you, Petra."
Reuben oinked in concurrence, giving the redhead a nod.
Petra paused before speaking again. "You know, you guys could come with me."
Axel's eyes went wide. "Seriously?!"
"Seriously," Petra repeated. "It'd be fun to explore with you guys. All of you."
"It would be nice change of pace," said Olivia.
"I haven't been on an adventure in ages!" Jesse declared. "And you're right. I don't want to get rusty with my sword skills."
"Then it's a plan!" Lukas concurred. "As long as it doesn't involve going to the Nether?"
Petra chuckled. "No, Lukas. We don't have to go to the Nether."
"Attention, everyone! Attention!" Reginald announced from atop the beacon. He waved his arms to get everyone's attention. "May I have your attention please! Isa has a few words for you tonight!"
"I really like that your mom doesn't call herself The Founder anymore," Lukas commented. "Makes her more personable."
"Yeah." Jesse grinned and put her hands on her hips. "That was my idea."
"I also really like that she listens to you more and more," he continued.
"Good evening, people of Beacontown! Happy Founding Day!" Isa announced, having taken Reginald's place on the beacon to address the crowd. "Today marks the second year since our fall from Sky City and the founding of Beacontown!"
There was a swell of applause at this simple statement. Isa went on to discuss some of their successes over the past year. This included how many buildings they had created and all the new things they had discovered about the new world. A lot of this Jesse was already familiar with, being part of the trio of leaders for Beacontown. She didn't mean to tune out her mother, but she didn't need to hear this again.
During her mother's speech, Reuben gave out a low snort. Following the pig's gaze, Jesse found herself eyeing Aiden in the crowd a few meters away. He jumped and immediately ducked out of sight. Jesse shook her head at his behavior, while Reuben dug his hooves into the ground. At the feeling of someone taking her hand, she glanced away from Aiden's previous spot to look at Lukas.
"You've seen him around too, huh?" he asked.
Jesse didn't need to ask whom he was referring to. "He never comes up to me, but I've spotted him a few times."
Following his disastrous attempt at a coup two years ago, Aiden and his supporters were promptly put in jail…after a jail had been built. They spent over a year-and-a-half in prison. Some of the ones who displayed good behavior, like Gill and Maya were released earlier with the promise of community service. Even with this, a few of the former prisoners broke their oath and left Beacontown immediately, community service orders or not. Hadrian and Mevia hadn't been seen in over a year.
Being the leader of the coup, Aiden was denied this offer, and had only been released from prison a few months ago. It had been Lukas who asked for a shorter sentence for him, even after everything Aiden had done. Lukas claimed he didn't want to put his former friend through what his father had gone through, even for a much greater crime. Aiden took this act of mercy with a bowed head. Even after he was finally freed, he went out of his way to never cross paths with anyone in a position of power. Especially Lukas and Jesse.
"Do you ever miss him?" Jesse asked.
Lukas scratched his chin, where a small patch of stubble had started to grow. He seemed to contemplate this as Isa's voice continued to broadcast statistics and encouragement in the background.
"I think I miss the friendship we once had," he confessed. "I don't know if I miss him in particular."
"Yeah," she sighed. "I know what you mean."
"…And so, I wish to congratulate you all on work well done, and I hope the next year is as wonderful!" Isa finished her speech. Jesse jumped a little. She completely missed it. "Now, as the sun has finally set, it's time for our newest display of innovation!"
"That's our cue!" Olivia declared. She waved to Axel. "Come on! We're supposed to start the fireworks display!"
With a beaming smile, Axel grabbed Petra's hand. "You've got to see what Jesse, Olivia and I made!"
"Okay! Okay! Slow down!" Petra demanded, but with jest in her tone. "I'm right behind you! You don't have to drag me!"
Jesse and Lukas laughed as they moved through the crowd to get a closer look at the statue. Lukas whistled.
"You guys built this zombie?"
"Before I met up with you today, yeah," Jesse confirmed. "The best part's coming."
There was a small pause as everyone waited for the show to begin. Jesse could hear many of the citizens complimenting the build and the accuracy of the zombie. It was certainly getting attention, which is what the three of them had been shooting for. The oohs and ahhs that followed the first fireworks were more than Jesse could have hoped for. The applause that followed as the show continued was a bit of a surprise, but a welcome one.
Jesse spotted Olivia grinning wildly, throwing her hands up in the air in triumph. Petra and Axel were kissing underneath the flashing lights, ignoring everyone around them. Reuben sat up so he could watch the fireworks at a better angle, and the sparkles reflected in his happy eyes. Ivor was standing a little ways off, next to one of the darker alleys, but if she looked hard enough, Jesse could see the amusement in his face. Milo and Philippe joined the crowd and were applauding at the display as well. Isa had hopped down from the beacon to stand next to Reginald, who took her hand in his with a firm grip. Jesse smiled at them.
Lukas folded his arms around Jesse's waist, pulling her against him so her back pressed against his chest. Jesse sighed lightly and leaned into the embrace. She reached up to run a hand over his blonde hair, and she felt a ripple of movement as he snickered.
"You always like playing with my hair, don't you?"
"I can't help it. You have excellent hair." She paused for effect. "I really hope my baby has your hair."
There was a pause as he took in this information. "Your what?"
Jesse turned around in his arms so she could look straight into his bright blue eyes. She took his hand and placed it against her stomach.
"Our baby."
Lukas stared at her with a slack jaw for several seconds before it slowly morphed into a huge smile. She could see his eyes shining with joy as the news finally began to sink in.
"You're pregnant?"
"I found out yesterday," she admitted. "I've been trying to figure out how to tell you."
He stared back and forth between her eyes, letting out small guffaws as he tried to catch his breath.
"You're really…we're having a baby?" Lukas covered his mouth with a hand when Jesse nodded. He sputtered as he tried to formulate words. "Have you told anyone else?"
"No, I wanted to tell you first." Jesse smirked. "Although, I think Mother's figured it out. She made a comment earlier kind of about how I'm eating for two now."
"So, that's what the Potion of Strength was for." Lukas' face jerked. "Did you get enough at dinner?"
"Lukas."
"Okay, okay. Sorry." His smile remained on his face. Lukas placed both of his palms on her cheeks, holding her face and rubbing her nose with his thumb. "I just…I can't believe it."
Jesse laughed. "That's kind of how I felt when I first found out."
"I'm going to be a dad! We're having a baby!" He couldn't stop himself. Lukas lifted Jesse up by her waist and spun her around. Once he placed her back on her feet, Lukas pulled her face towards his and gave Jesse a deep kiss. "Our baby. I really like the sound of that."
Jesse shared his smile. "I do too."
"Best Founding Day ever!"
She gave him another kiss. "Happy Founding Day, Lukas."
"Happy Founding Day, Jesse."