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Chapter 8: Reunions

Lukas was securing the defenses on the front of the building when he saw a piece of string fall from the ceiling. He looked up and saw Anna, balancing on the rafters, killing a few spiders. Lukas nearly dropped the string he was holding in shock. Anna looked down and saw him.

"Oh! Don't be so worried. I got this." Anna said.

Anna gently let herself down from the ceiling using her ropes she had made out of thickly woven string.

"I learned this when I was four!" she chirped. "My dad taught me. You know... before the order split up and my dad got super overprotective."

"I actually think you were lucky to have a dad that cares so much... mine never did." said Lukas. "It's just... he... could care less if I came home every day or if I died and never did... my mom always was... out." Lukas looked to the floor. "I guess that's why I hung out with the Blaze Rods so much... they were like family... that I never had."

"I- I can get it." Anna said. "My mom died giving birth to me. Or, at least that's what my dad says. My dad remarried when I was three, and then when I was eight my stepmom died in the mines where she worked. Then after that my dad would scarcely let me climb a tree. That's why I never made many friends. Then I met Petra at my stepmother's funeral, and she introduced me to Jesse, Ruben, Olivia, and Axel. And the rest is history."

Anna walked over to and looked out the base's window and looked out at the world, and then at the Witherstorm demolishing everything.

"It's a pretty big world out there." Lukas said. "Have you ever wondered what it's like? Or, just to run away and forget about everything? I'd love to do that. Just... forget the world and explore what you don't know."

"I always dreamed of meeting my birth mother someday. I make belive she's still alive sometimes. And she's just really far away. Like, in a fortress in the Nether, or in the far lands, or hiding out in the End. I wonder what she looks like, what she does for a job, if she knows I still exist, or if she's looking for me. I'm hopeful that, if she still is out there, she misses me, and wonders how I am or how I turned out." Anna said "I guess that's why I wanted to travel so bad. But my dad never let me leave town, and I never disobeyed him. But now, look at me... I went to the Nether and I have no idea where I am. I should be excited... but I'm not. I'm not happy. Because... I have everything I ever wanted... but my dad, and Petra, the Order, and maybe even Jesse and everyone... is in danger. And my dad, the last thing we did was fight, and I never apologized, and he still saved me- what if I'm not really the warrior everyone thinks I am?"

Lukas hugged Anna.

"I know. But you are one of the bravest people I know." he said. "And I completely understand. I wonder how the Blaze Rods are doing... I know that they're jerks, but I know that Aiden can be stubborn, and that he could have gotten all of them killed." said Lukas, shaking slightly out of sadness and fear. "They are the only family I have. And if I lose them-"

Anna pulled away and put her hands on his shoulders, wiping away a few tears streaming down his face.

"You'll still have me. And Jesse. And Ruben. And Petra. And Olivia. And... maybe Axel, I don't know." replied Anna. "But you will never, ever be alone. Ever. Got it?"

Lukas nodded and collected himself.

"Yeah." he said. "Thanks Anna... I needed that."

Anna hugged him again. Then, there was the sound of footprints.

Lukas pulled out a stick and held it menacingly. Anna walked to the sound, but Lukas held out his arm to keep her back and ran quietly to the noise. There was silence. Then the high pitched sound of Lukas screaming. Anna ran up to the noise, holding her bow like a sword and charging at the sound in the hallway. The hallway was still dimly lit, and Anna was swinging her bow, praying not to run into mobs. Then, she hit something.

"Ow!" exclaimed Lukas, rubbing the back of his head.

"Lukas! I am so sorry!" exclaimed Anna, helping him up. "I thought you-"

"Anna! Behind you!" Lukas exclaimed. Anna looked behind her and was tackled by someone. Anna and her attacker were left tumbling around on the floor, trying to gain a clear attack spot so they could finish off the other. Lukas was trying to break into the fight, but he couldn't find a clear spot to intervene without getting hit. Eventually, Anna and her attacker of them made it back to the main room, where it was brighter. Anna's attacker was about to stab her with her pickaxe and Anna trying to whack the attacker with her bow. Then, both females got a better look at each other now that it was brighter. The attacker was Petra.

"Anna!" exclaimed Petra.

"Petra!" exclaimed Anna.

The two helped each other up and hugged. Anna flicked Petra on the back of the head.

"Hey!" Petra exclaimed, breaking from the hug.

"You nearly killed me!" Anna scolded.

"Well you tried to kill me too! And with what, a bow without any arrows?" Petra added.

The two friends laughed and hugged each other.

"Petra!" exclaimed Lukas, joining in on the hug. "I'm glad you're okay!"

"You scared us!" exclaimed Anna. "Don't do that again!"

The group broke up the hug to hear the sound of footprints and talking.

"I'll go check that out." Luka told the two, walking to the window. "Wait here."

"How did you escape?" asked Anna to Petra.

"Well... it was hard, but I managed to break-" Petra started to say, but a sharp pain in her stomach caused her to wince.

"You okay?" asked Anna.

"I'm fine. Probably bruised a rib at worst." Petra responded. "See? I'm good."

"You should sit down." Anna told her, leading Petra to a stone bench. "Just stay there until you feel better."

"You may be two years younger than me, Anna." Petra sighed. "But you still act like my mother."


The noise was actually Ellegaard and Olivia returning.

"Aunt Ellie!" exclaimed Anna, running up and hugging Ellegaard.

"So you are here!" exclaimed Ellegaard, breaking from the hug. "Olivia- or should I say, my new protégé- was telling me about you... but I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth or not. I'm so glad you're okay! I can see you're no longer the little girl who used to play with the repeaters by clicking them back and forth. Look how big you are!"

"Well, hurry upstairs you guys. Wouldn't want anything getting you down here." Lukas told them.

"Protégé?" asked Anna to Olivia. "Nice! High five!"

"Yeah. It's really cool." Olivia responded nervously, ducking out of the high five and walking along with Lukas and Ellegaard.

Anna excitedly talked to Ellegaard about everything she had done (aside from the Witherstorm). Olivia chimed in, but didn't really say much. Anna was worried why her good friend was so quiet.

Suddenly, they heard more footsteps and someone talking.

"Queen." Lukas corrected. "Queen of Boomtown."

"Pretty sure it would be king." Magnus said.

"I reconize that voice anywhere..." Anna said to herself.

Magnus, along with Jesse and Axel, came walking down the hallway.

"Uncle Magnus!" exclaimed Anna, running to Magnus and hugging him.

"Ànna!" Magnus exclaimed, ruffling Anna's hair. "I haven't seen you since you were four! How's my favorite goddaughter doing?"

"You mean my goddaughter, right Magnus?" asked Ellegaard.

"Calm down guys. I'm a goddaughter to both of you." Anna said. "Remember?"

"Wait-" said Axel. "Where you two- ever- you know, um-"

There was an awkward silence.

"Did you guys happen to see my dad while you were walking?" asked Anna, trying to change the subject.

"Unfortunately- no." Petra said to Anna. "When I escaped the storm- I didn't see him follow me out."

"So my dad- could be-" stuttered Anna, a lump in her throat forming as tears filled her eyes.

"Anna- there's a chance he could be alive." Ellegaard told her. "I know Gabriel. He wouldn't let a Witherstorm destroy him just like that."

"I never got to say I love you..." Anna said quietly, "Or even say sorry about the fight we had this morning-"

Anna hugged Petra, trying to hold back tears.

"Anna-" Magnus told her. "If I could have just been there-"

"Would you have run in to save him?" asked Ellegaard. "It sounds unlike you."

"If you could have just let me finish-" Magnus started to argue back.

"Guys-" Petra said to them. "Not helping."

Anna let go of Petra and wiped her eyes quickly with her sweater sleeve.

"We need to focus on a plan. More people will get hurt if we don't act quickly." Anna quickly said.

"Which is why we should leave right now." Magnus finished. "Anna's right. We can't waste another second."

"I say we leave first thing tomorrow." Ellegaard said. "If we leave now all the monsters will be out and that will make it even more dangerous. I'm just thinking things through instead of acting on impulse-"

"I'm siding with our goddaughter-" Magnus argued back.

"I'm not siding with anyone-" exclaimed Anna.

"CALM DOWN!" Jesse snapped. "You're all just acting like crazy people!"

There was another awkward silence as everyone looked to Jesse, surprised at her for losing her temper so easily.

"Maybe this is a sign we should all just go to bed and continue in the morning." Anna suggested quickly. "Goodnight everyone."


The group headed out the next day. Anna looked over at Olivia as the group walked. She seemed... quiet. Too quiet. She actually looked a little sad and embarrassed. Anna walked towards her.

"Hey Liv." said Anna. Olivia gave a fake half smile and looked down.

"What's wrong?" asked Anna. "You aren't acting yourself. Are you sick? Did you get hurt? Are you scared?"

Olivia shook her head and kept walking.

"Come on Liv. We've been friends for years. You can tell me anything." Anna told her.

"I-I embarrassed myself at Redstonia." said Olivia quietly. "Ellegaard asked me to do something and in the heat of the moment and all the excitement- I fainted."

"You fainted?" asked Anna, trying to hide her smile. Olivia looked down, her cheeks reddening.

"I'm sorry." said Anna.

"I'm such a loser." groaned Olivia. "I bet Ellegaard thinks that."

Anna remembered her friend's already low self-esteem. But what could you tell someone who hit rock bottom and just kept digging deeper?

What would her father say?

"Olivia, you are only a loser if you decide you're going to be one." said Anna. "You're going to be something great. If Ellegaard thinks you're a loser, she's dead wrong. You are the sweetest, smartest person I know. And don't ever call yourself otherwise."

"Thanks Anna." replied Olivia relived.

Anna smiled back.

Maybe she was a warrior after all.

Man, I love that line from the video game that Jesse said. The first time I played level 2 I picked that phrase out and laughed.

Anyways, I am very sorry for the lack of updates. I have had school, other stories, drama plays, after school clubs, and in all have had to look to updates on Friday nights. But due to Christmas vacation I can have long, uninterrupted writing, so I will try to update as much as possible in this week.

As for Anna, I want to update her story as much as possible to prep for her season 2 story. Let's just say that she's going to learn more about her family- and it may surprise you.

This is Alice Foreshadow, heading back down the rabbit hole!