More and more Endermen appeared around them as they stared at the spot where the bridge had just been, Jesse shying back and Gabriel barely able to keep his horse steady.

"Jesse, look out!" Lukas shouted.

A tractor beam fell on the one Jesse was having a staring contest with, and its head snapped upward to look at the monster, screeching before it disappeared.

Jesse looked up, and her mouth fell open as the Enderman ripped off the Witherstorm's tentacle, making it screech in pain.

"The Endermen!" Soren exclaimed, astonished, "they're slowing it down!"

Olivia screeched at one of the Endermen, which looked at Olivia, nodded, and then let out a furious screech as it went up to attack the Witherstorm.

"What'd you just say?" Axel asked, curiously.

Olivia shot him a quick, worried smile. "Thank you," she told him.

"What for?"

Olivia rolled her eyes, looking faintly amused at that. "No, no, that's what I told the Endermen."

"Oh."

"Are we seeing Endermen attacking a Witherstorm?" Petra asked, slowly, staring up at the monsters in stunned shock.

"Endermen move blocks," Soren said slowly, gaping at the Witherstorms as they thrashed and roared in agony. "It's what they do.

Jesse shook her head. "What in the world are we waiting for?" She grumbled, darting forward. String fired from her hands, and they moved as fast as Jesse had ever made them go, as she lunged and darted back and forth. By the time the others had managed to tear their eyes from the Witherstorm, Jesse was weaving her makeshift rope bridge firmer and tighter than before, white silk pouring from her hands. Good thing most of it wasn't sticky.

Olivia tentatively tapped it with her toe. "Will it hold everyone?" she called down to Jesse, who was still weaving.

Jesse expertly swung herself up onto the other side, looking at it, scrutinizing her handiwork. For something that she'd rushed and managed to complete in a little over thirty seconds, it wasn't terribly bad. "It should serve our purposes," she said, finally. "But just in case, horses go first."

Gabriel was the first to gallop over, then Olivia teleported, and then the Order galloped over as well, thundering past Jesse, who stayed behind in case someone fell. Axel bolted over, still holding Reuben, and Lukas tore over the bridge like a lightning bolt, tail bushy with fear. The moment he was clear, Jesse turned and kept running as well.

The Witherstorm let out a frustrated roar as the Endermen kept trying to tear it apart, everyone fleeing out of reach of the storm.

For now, at least, they were all alive.


Snow was starting to rain down from the sky, but everyone had managed to find a small cave and was getting off, and for a moment, the only sound was panting.

"We made it," and Jesse let out a disbelieving laugh. "We actually... we actually MADE it."

"Jesse... I'm worried about Gabriel," Petra said, walking over to Jesse. Jesse actually turned to Petra, eyes widening. The redhead's hair was limp and dead-looking, as if it hadn't been washed for years. Her face was gray, her skin was gray, every part of her was gray except for the ever-spreading purple mark on her arm. "If he was inside the Witherstorm... he might have Wither Sickness, like me."

Jesse gave Gabriel a look, before frowning and shaking her head a little. "I'm not sure. You've never acted the way he's been acting. Vice versa."

Jesse turned and walked over to Gabriel, concern showing in her eyes as she gave him an encouraging little smile. "Hey, you okay?"

"I'm... afraid I don't feel much like myself at the moment," Gabriel said, looking at her with a puzzled look.

"I'm sure you don't," Jesse said, softly, feeling a strange pressure behind her eyes.

Before anything else could be said, a voice cut through the air. "Gabriel! It really is you!"

They turned to see Soren, Magnus, and Ellegaard walking towards them, Ellegaard supporting herself on Magnus to keep the weight off of her leg. Jesse sighed and knelt down, pulling out some silk and wrapping it around Ellegaard's ankle, making the brunette wince as the two of them paused where they were, the four Order members standing in a little triangle.

"They told us you'd kicked it!" Magnus added, grinning.

Gabriel stepped back a step, looking a bit frightened. "I... what... who are you people?"

"It's me, Magnus!" Magnus's grin faded when Gabriel continued looking bewildered.

"Don't..." Ellegaard's breath hitched, although whether it was from the pain of Jesse binding her ankle or the pain of Gabriel, one of her friends, not being able to recognize her, no one could tell. "Don't you recognize us?"

"It's Soren," Soren spoke softly, eyes flicking over Gabriel, who was standing a good distance away from them, looking wary, "we've..." He hesitated, as if he wanted to say something else, before saying, so softly that Jesse could barely hear it, "we've known each other for a very long time."

"He-" Jesse felt her breath catch, but she honestly hoped none of the others could tell, "he might still come out of it. Just give him time." She gave the silk one last tug, Ellegaard gave one last wince, before Jesse pushed herself to her feet.

Gabriel went over to her, eyes wide. "You. You're the one who rescued me."

Jesse blinked. "Y-yeah.."

"Please, tell me- what's going on?"

Jesse froze there, unsure how to put things. Gabriel continued, cupping his elbows in his hands. "I- there was only... darkness. And then... I saw you. I think I saved you. And then- and then we were galloping..."

The three Order members came up, flanking Jesse, staring at their friend with sad eyes.

Jesse felt as if someone had just punched her in the gut.

"... you were in the Witherstorm for..." Jesse had to think about that. "For a few days." It had only been two or three DAYS since Endercon. Days!

Jesse felt as though it had been centuries.

"Trapped," she finished.

"That was long enough to do this to me?" Gabriel asked, staring at Jesse puzzledly with blank red eyes.

Jesse swallowed again. "Yes."

Gabriel looked at the floor. "... it felt like an eternity. It was dark, it was foul, and I thought I was going to die," he said, not taking his eyes off the floor, as if it were the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen.

"Well, you're not," Soren said firmly, reaching out and squeezing his friend's shoulder.

Jesse stepped back as the Order of the Stone crowded together in a warm hug-like structure. They needed some time.

They all needed a little time. Especially the hybrids.

Hybrids.

Dazedly, Jesse made her way over to Petra and the others.

A/N: Uh oh. Group freak out next chapter, and then we're gonna have some emotional mess the chapter after that! ... yay?

And oh my god.

Oh my god.

FIFTY CHAPTERS.

FIFTY FLUFFIN' CHAPTERS.

(screams with joy)

TheRealRedGaming: Thank you! That means a lot to me, but holy freaking CRAP it's still amazing to me! And almost 200 reviews! Like- what- when- how? I don't know how I'm freaking out! It's awesome, though!

Kaos Ruin: Oh yeah, but they won't have much time to themselves right now. Everything's kind of a mess and a blur to all of them. Now that they have time, though, there's gonna be a group freak out. I felt pretty shocked, too. And confused.

x.X. A.L. X.x.