The Witherstorm, with its three heads, unleashed a roar as its indigo eyes came to life, glowing and shooting out its purple tractor beams. The narrator took over. "It is said that within every loss, every challenge..." The Witherstorm slowly turned to face the forest. The screen blacked out before coming back on to show Petra, Jesse, and Lukas at the temple. They all looked back to see Gabriel caught in a tractor beam.

"And every failure..." The group ran towards Gabriel, only for Petra to get caught in a tractor beam as well. "... there is a gift." Jesse leaped up and yanked Petra back down to the floor, the two of them tumbling harshly. "When revered heroes are lost..." Jesse was running towards Gabriel, who was still caught in the tractor beam.

It changed to show Petra drawing her sword in Ivor's library. "We find new ones in our friends." The screen changed to show Magnus at the levers of the skull-cannon-thing, eyes practically aflame. "When we're given grief..." Jesse drew back the string of her bow, the arrow's feathers resting at her cheek as her eyes narrowed in determination. She leapt into the air just as a floating block of pink wool beneath her was destroyed, firing the arrow. "We find a way to give it back."

The arrow went spinning into the mouth of the cannon, right past a lava fall. "And when our band of adventurers are tasked with saving the world from the oncoming storm," and the screen changed to show the group approaching the huge map in the temple, "they will bring together the bravest and the brightest to stop it."

"But finding the final and most elusive member of the Order of the Stone," the screen changed to show Jesse, Petra, and Reuben walking down a darkened hallway, the amulet glowing blue in Jesse's grip, before it changed again to Soren's library, as Petra slashed at Ivor. "Will prove their most perilous mission yet."

Ivor chucked a potion at Petra, Jesse moving in front of Petra with her eyes wide as her arms fiddled together and wove a web in midair. "For some would rather our heroes's story to end here," and it changed to show Ivor pulling out the Splash Potion of Slowness. Jesse's eyes widened right as Ivor smashed it at their feet. He walked right by, Jesse slowly turning to watch him go. "Shutting the door on their adventure forever."

The screen went black. "But, like all doors, when one closes, another one is bound to open."

It faded back in to show the group slowly turning around as Ivor casually strolled past them. He stepped outside the bookcase and turned back, meeting the rest of the group's glares with a small smirk. Then the bookcase slammed shut, closing off the gap which led back out of the library.

"Okay... well, it said another door is bound to open," Jesse spoke tentatively. "So... that's not too bad, right?"

Jesse slowly came to a stop right in front of the now-shut entrance, before turning slowly as Axel tripped, even falling unnaturally slowly. "Waaaaattttccccchhhh iiiit," Lukas said slowly, before suddenly everything returned to normal speed. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Axel's screaming became audible before he faceplanted only an inch from Jesse's feet, the girl pressing her back into the bookshelves with this shocked look. Axel had come rather dangerously close to flattening the much smaller girl.

There was a short silence, everyone panting quietly, Axel still lying flat on the floor.

"Everyone okay?" Jesse asked at last, her voice slightly shaky.

At her feet, Axel groaned, still not getting up off the floor. "I felt all of that," he moaned.

Olivia chuckled and winced a bit, rubbing the back of her head. "That was one heck of a landing, Axel."

"He mostly used his face," Lukas agreed, wincing sympathetically.

Olivia patted Real-Axel on the shoulder sympathetically as he winced.

Jesse reached out one of her lower hands to Axel, the burly boy taking it and using it to unsteadily lurch back to his feet. "We need to find Soren," Jesse said immediately, releasing his hand and looking around quickly. The group quickly split up, looking around the room, before Jesse's eyes lighted on Petra, who was a bit hunched over by a white table.

Jesse approached the redhead, who lifted her head a bit upon hearing Jesse's approach. Immediately, the girl let out an involuntary gasp onscreen, hands going up to her mouth.

The screen switched to show Petra. Many members of the audience gasped as well.

Petra had gotten worse. Her skin was tinged gray, and her eyes were turning dark gray as well, almost BLACK, a huge deviation from the gold tint it had been previously. Her arm was also held more stiffly. The bags forming under Petra's eyes were a darker shade of gray than her skin.

"Oh my Notch," Lizzie said quietly, looking at the redhead, whose arm had tightened around Jace and was nearly choking him by accident. He tapped her on the shoulder, which made her loosen her grip by an infinitesimal amount.

When Jesse spoke again onscreen, it was in a worried whisper. "Petra?"

Petra lifted her head even more at the sound of Jesse's concerned voice. "I'm fine," she insisted, before Jesse could even ask.

"You don't look fine," Jesse responded, crossing all six of her arms.

"Everything's fine, all of it," Petra responded argumentatively.

"Doesn't look it," and Jesse reached out and set her hand on Petra's shoulder.

It had barely made contact when Jesse flinched back with a soft gasp, frost having started to form on her fingers. It wasn't smoking yet, not like when she'd grabbed Petra's hand directly... but there was frost on her hands.

"And she could feel that through the cloak?" Sparklez asked, looking concerned.

"Are you o-" Petra was cut off by a harsh cough. "-wait, are you-" Another cough. "- are you-" The Blaze hybrid went into a full-blown coughing fit, shaking violently with each cough. Jesse reached out automatically and set her hands on Petra's hands, seemingly ignoring the frost that was beginning to form on her hands, steadying the Blaze hybrid.

The audience's eyes widened.

"That's not good," Jace said, putting his own arm around Petra, "that- that is so not good."

Petra was silent for a moment, not even bothering to finish the question, before rolling up her left sleeve a bit again. "Look at this," she said, quietly. The purple was spreading, and fast. The veins that weren't dull gray were turning purplish-black. "I'm not trying to freak you out... but I'm a little freaked out right now." She pulled the sleeve back down and hugged her arm to her chest, the right arm cradling the left and her head lowering again, nestling deeper into the cloak with a harsh shiver. "And my vision's all jittery."

"We need to tell the others," Jesse said immediately, seriously.

"This isn't a 'we' thing," Petra argued back, shooting Jesse a glare that wasn't at all frightening because of how much energy it lacked. But this seemed to frighten Jesse in a different way, because she reached out and set her hand back on Petra's shoulder, making the redhead look up at her.

"Hey. We're all a team, okay? We're friends. And our friends deserve to know," and she smiled at Petra slightly.

Petra didn't seem too encouraged, as Jesse finally pulled her hand away and rubbed them together furiously to try to get rid of the frost, "Maybe. Look, I- I'll tell them. Eventually." Her head lowered again. It was almost as though lifting her head took too much energy right now.

"At least you're trying to convince her," Lukas said, looking relieved.

"I can't sit here and do nothing while my friend is dying of Wither Sickness," Jesse said quietly, absentmindedly fingering her cheek and then wincing sharply when her fingers made contact with her bruise.

Jace's arm tightened around Petra worriedly.

"You have to," Jesse insisted.

"It's just gonna cause panic. And we can't afford that right now. I'll tell everyone, I swear. But... let me do it. Please... please don't tell anyone, not even if they ask," Petra was practically begging now. This made onscreen Jesse stare at her friend with a worried look. "Swear it?" When Petra got no reply, she reached out and clutched Jesse by the shoulder, dulling gray eyes pleading. "Please?"

Jesse leaned forward, dragging Lukas with her, her eyes filled with concern. Petra could feel the worried looks of everyone in the audience on her, even maybe Ivor. She chose to ignore it, staring worriedly at the screen.

Jesse stared at Petra for a moment longer, before letting out a soft sigh. "... okay." She did her signature 'oath' thing, where she crossed her heart and then covered her eye, but didn't actually say the oath.

Petra smiled and let go of Jesse, seemingly satisfied by this, before heading over to the others again.

Jesse watched her for a moment, before speaking quietly enough that Lukas, Axel, Olivia, and Petra couldn't hear, "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye, we were friends then, we're friends now, I'll stay your friend, even as I break my vow."

Lukas leaned forward now, almost making Jesse's head thunk against the coffee table. "Does... that mean she's going to tell us?"

"I hope so," Petra sighed, her lips pressing together. Jace squeezed her shoulders comfortingly, making the redhead smile at the mocha-haired boy.


A/N: Short, I know, but the actual chapter in Hybrid is also shorter x3

Okay, this is the last time I'm going to say this, and because I don't think people really read the A/N I'm going to put it in all caps, italics, bold, and underline so you can't possibly miss it.

ALL OTHER STORIES BESIDES THIS ONE ARE ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

Do not ask me to update Recode Reality or other stories; while I'm very glad you like it, I've already mentioned three or four times now that every other story except for this one are on hiatus until I either get bored of this one or until this one is finished and I don't like repeating myself if unnecessary. If anyone asks me again, I'm not even going to explain, I'm just going to tell you to go back to Chapter 35 and read the A/N. This is the fourth or fifth time I've had to address this and I don't wish to do so again.

RQTC: LITERALLY THREE CHAPTERS AGO I HAD 5000 VIEWS, WHEN THE HECK DID I GET 6000?!

MissyMattingly: Cool :3

RapidSammi: Yes, I think Aiden would LOVE to play Hide and Go Kill with you :3

Kaos Ruin: Lol xD

LunarStarsMoon: Lol neither have I xD I've only played part of the way through the train one, and I have no idea what that one was called xD

Darkbeast Dend: One or two reviews a chapter, please; you're going on four right now. But haha xD I'm pretty sure you just broke his nose three times.

AquaK13: I know enough about the game to know that Link is not Zelda. xD And lol xD

LittleAngelbun: Hehe xD

SofiaTheWriter88: Yep xD. Yeah, the F-Bomb moment is always funny x3 And lol, that's true! (cracks up) Um, maybe? x3 And read the above A/N please, if you haven't done so already x3

Emily The Avenger: Never mess with Jace. xD

pensuka: I'm not taking that bet... xD

DynamiteHunter6: (laughs)

EthanDaCabbage: It was one of the first things I noticed, actually xD

sailor. mikuchan: Nice :3

rebekahtpe: x3 Um, I would fight the aggressive tree as well... I'd just set it on fire, lol xD

Rabbits rule: Above A/N, please! But, glad to hear you like it :3

x.X. A.L. X.x