Eeeeeeehhhhhh
Lame title, I know. I couldn't think of a better one, and Three years is kinda boring.
No five year gap because that doesn't fit in with this story's plot and ages and stuff :P
There'll kinda be a cliffhanger, but it won't be surprising. You know that it would happen. Though there might be one surprise in here...heh :)
Don't question the guys logic please. Them returning to the Empire is for plot purposes, and I do believe that if it was necessary they would return ( which they do here, since they need to talk to someone back there that Grayson believe is an ally over stuffs ) Also have some neutral Luke because I can totally see Luke being a double agent for the heroes XD
I'm having past events appear because I love doing that tbh
SHORTER CHAPTER FOR ONCE OH MY GOD ITS A MIRACLE )
Not my best chapter. Mainly filler, this one is. The next one will be back to my normal wiring; this ones just kinda weird for me to do, since I'm trying to switch from one period of time to another in this. Sorry about the worse writing quality here.
OH GOD I CALL THE GUYS MEN IN THIS. MY HEART IS BREAKING BECAUSE THEY AIN'T BOYS NO MORE DX
Also, trying to work on putting my dialogue correctly down. It's just practice, though, so don't expect me to do it kinda right forever...I forget to do it so much that I'd never stay consistent...
If you can't tell I just add stuff to this as I go along.
So, I finally watched Rise of the Guardians FOUR YEARS after it came out. Shaddup I know I'm late. But seriously, I love that movie. It's my new favorite. The family dynamics are just...aaaaaaaa :D it's what inspired a oneshot idea I have for my Beginning Bells story :P
Had to tell you guys that because, yknow, fandoms
Alright, here we gooo~!
Notes:
As I said earlier, there is only a three year age gap, not five.
Not really a note, but an announcement. GITS is getting a comic! Or, a spinoff comic. It's called One Little Detail, and it focuses completely on Amethyst life from when she escaped the nether up to when she fell into the portal. Really excited for it :)
Asterisked notes:
* Luke being the one who told about Grayson isn't canon. It's just what Grayson chooses to believe, because Luke was the first he told about what he did.
*A hinny is the offspring of a stallion ( male horse ) and a jenny ( A female donkey ), which Amethyst has ( on the game I made to design her home, her donkey was the one who had the child ( even though they called it a mule, which isn't what it should be called, but ehh ) She has two horses ( Oberon and Ameera ) and I haven't named her donkey yet ): it might be named by next chapter
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The evening was beautiful. Stratus clouds stretched across the sky, darkened from their usually pearly white to a dark blue and deep purple as the day ebbed away. The sky was alight with a natural fire from the setting sun. The warmth was fading as it sank, leaving the world in a gentle chill. Minecraftia was in a transition between fall and summer, leaving many of the trees gleaming of orange, red, yellow, and brown. They floated around in the golden sky, like oddly colored confetti.
A tiny infant battered at them with her little hands, giggling and squealing at the falling objects. A young woman, believed to be her mother, was sitting on the smooth, dark oak wood steps leading up to a porch, smiling down at her newborn from under the hood of her cloak. Usually, around this time, she'd be heading for her home, which was in the outskirts of the Empire. She, unlike everyone else, preferred complete isolation from everyone. Well, total isolation except for her daughter, of course.
" You should be getting home. "
The mother swung her head around to the top of the stairs, where a young purple haired man with a penguin hat pulled over the messy locks stood, giving her a gentle smile. She returned it and got to her feet. Her daughter whined as her fingers brushed against the brittle leaf falling before her, missing it. She began shushing her, bouncing her gently. She tickled her under her chin, making her giggle and cover her mouth with her hands.
" Think you can get there safely alone? " The man spoke again.
The woman raised a hidden eyebrow at him, quickly signing to him. ' Do you not trust me, Luke? ' " It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I want you safe. What if you get ambushed by mobs again? What if you get attacked by one of the crazier villagers? Too many of them seem obsessed with discovering your identity, you know... " She laughed. ' So? Luke, I'll be fine. I always am. ' He crossed his arms. " Can't blame me for being worried. " She sighed. ' No, I guess not. I'm heading off. Tell Sabria I said goodbye. " He nodded.
" Will do. Be careful, Princess. "
She visibly flinched, but Luke didn't notice it. She hastily waved and began walking away, her cloak end billowing behind her. She tucked her daughter closer to her to chest, her head right over her heart. I will not let you get hurt like I have, Darling. I will make sure you never go through what I have had to this past year. No one deserves it, and especially not you. I swear that on my life.
January 13, 1768
I fear that we are no longer safe here. I heard the rumors of the man with one white eye who wreaked havoc on the Badlands, and the cities scattered about through it, but I believe they were only that. Talk spread through the merchants and the Empire citizens, to give us all a little scare. If only it was that, a way to frighten us.
As of now, only one city has been destroyed by him. They say that there were only two survivors, a pair of sisters. They believe that they won't survive a week out there. It's sad, if you think about it. They had their entire lives before them...and now it's been ripped away as if it was nothing.
I doubt an attack will be made on the Empire. No one, not even him, is stupid enough to try and destroy us. At least, I hope so. I only want my child safe. At the end of it all, that is my only wish.
Notch help us all.
The Journalist
Her laughter was light, a sound she'd almost forgotten she could make. She was leaned against the wooden walls of the little outdoors shop, having a conversation with Abram, the man she'd sell her -usually- yearly foal and hinny* and who'd help her out with caring for them if she required it, as it had been a few years since she'd had a horse or donkey in her care. Unlike Luke, she didn't ever say a word to Abram, and, unlike Luke, he didn't understand sign language. She used paper and ink to converse with him.
As she reached over to pick up her quill again, she was distracted by a sudden commotion farther down the road. She heard people yelling and the crowd beginning to part, civilians beginning to cry out in horror or panic.
She almost yelped herself as she heard the loud voice of Stephen, the head mercenary, shouting; " STOP HIM, YOU IDIOTS! " The people near her finally broke apart, showing what was going on. At that moment, her heart stopped.
Grayson...
Oh dear Notch, what have you done?
Before she could think anymore on it, Abram threw his arms around her, yanking her backwards and to his chest, shielding her from the blonde, and the highly angry mercenaries; Stephen, the one everyone in the empire was terrified of, Luke, her old friend, Tanner Reid, a relatively kind man whom she knew had lost his son in the major sickness that had swept through the Empire the previous year, and Cameron Marsh, whom had never said a word since she'd known him, and who no one knew a thing about, chasing after who she guessed was now their ex-coworker. She could see something shoved into his bag, but he moved too quickly to see what it was. He briefly looked back as he went past, and met the slight bit of her gaze visible from beneath her hood.
She gave him a nod. She hoped it would be enough to project the message that she was on his side.
Then they were gone. Abram held on for a few more seconds before letting go, putting a hand on her shoulder. " Sorry. Didn't want you getting trampled. " She nodded, indicating it was fine.
" You should be heading home. " She cocked her head to the side, confused. " Whatever's going down here, " He continued, " or what's going to go down, shouldn't be something to get caught up in. Go home. Stay safe. " She huffed, tired of people treating her like she was some fragile, defenseless child. She was raised a warrior, for Notch sake!
Abram noticed her anger and squeezed her shoulder to get her attention. " Hey. I'm going home too. I need to make sure that Jacey and the boys are alright, and in the house. I don't want they getting mixed up with the mercenaries business. What they do isn't going to end up on my list of problems. You should do the same. I'll see you tomorrow. "
He stepped away from her and began closing up his little area for the night. She watched him for a few seconds before spinning around on her heels and walking in the direction of her home. Maybe he was right. She didn't need to get mixed up in mercenary business; it didn't concern her, so why should she? But it concerned Grayson...
Her attention was caught by a new sight against the fiery light of the setting sun. Smoke, rising up from the wealthier side of Emerald City. She breathed in sharply and ducked into an alleyway. It couldn't be...
She managed to get a hold on the stone wall and began hauling herself up onto the roof. Once there, she got a full view of what was going on. She gasped, eyes wide as she took in the scene. Grayson's house was on fire. Completely engulfed. She doubted there was any chance of anything being saved from it. What had he done that had called for the burning of his home? She'd have to ask Luke tomorrow.
She prayed to Notch for the blondes safety as she slid off the roof, continuing on home. She had a daughter to pick up and animals to care for. She didn't have anymore time to waste tonight.
April 3, 1771
It's time
The Journalist
The badlands lived up to their name. It was shown many times to be practically impossible to survive long out there alone. Though Ents would usually not cause you harm, unless you attacked them first, they still killed many foolish Minecraftians, who thought they could take them out, and went out with bones snapping and a harsh impact from the ground. Mobs wandered about, their population not under control like it is around villages, and the ever powerful Empire. Many died with arrows sticking from their bodies, their flesh torn away and their bodies half eaten, covered in webbing and bloodied from fang marks, or lacking a complete body at all. Below ground, nightcrawlers moved about, destroying the ones who stayed around too long, and the ones stupid enough to attack them.
Then there were the nightmares. Stolen souls of the ones killed off by the man with the white eye, dubbed ' Armenbrine, ' formed from his former name. They were aggressive, they stalked you, and alone you stood no chance against one. So far, unless you outran them, you died facing a nightmare. Most deaths came from them.
Yet some still fared the wilderness, and some came out of it alive.
" So, let me get this straight, Grayson. You're being hunted by the empire, because you stole their Dragon Egg, and you'll be killed if you go back, but yet here we are, heading back to the Empire. For what reason, exactly? " A young ender hybrid, in his very late twenties to early thirties, with his human side having a white eye, and standing at around 6' 6", glanced down at his shorter, yet older, companion. He was maybe around 5' 10", with tired green eyes and longer blonde hair. The shorter sighed.
" There's someone back there who I'm pretty sure is an ally to us. She didn't react the same way everyone else did when I was running from the mercenaries. From what I've seen, she's always been interested in history, and the whole Armen situation. She might know more about these journal pages than we do. "
Drake read over the torn out page again. It's time. What did that mean? Who was the Journalist? How did they seem to know so much about what was going on? From the few pages they had found, they'd come to gather that they must have more extensive knowledge on Minecraftia's gods that they hadn't thought important up till now. They looked far too into everything that happened, trying to figure out patterns, meanings behind attacks, and why some were spared and some weren't.
" You still thinking more into those journal pages? " Grayson's voice had softened, as if the papers were a forbidden topic to speak about. He hesitated a moment, but nodded.
" Yeah. Kinda hard not to... The writer is eerily knowledgable about...Him. Do you think that, maybe, it...could be her behind the journals? "
" I'd say it's possible. There's been no sign of her since Iron Myre...maybe she's been hiding out, writing these pages. Maybe we were meant to find them. We'll probably never know. But, there was a mention of a child in that one page... " He went quiet, seemingly trying to forgot he'd brought up that topic, till the soft tone he'd used earlier returned.
" During our three years apart, did you ever...hope you'd come across her? That she'd come running out, hands blazing and eyes glowing, ready to fight the good fight alongside you again? That Zayliee would be there, barking and pulling on your sleeves and pants, getting in the way of everything all over again? " The blondes eyes were dark. He sounded sad.
" Sometimes, yeah. I've always kinda wished we'd had the chance for a proper goodbye if we never got to see her again... " Drake rubbed the back of his neck.
During all these three years, he'd wished he'd kept her goodbye letter instead of Armen. When he'd fallen, he'd still had it, folded away in his pocket. He only guessed it burned when he fell in, or that it was now in the hands of Armenbrine. The only thing they had left of the demigoddess was the Aero Amulet, which he still wore, tucked under his shirt. He'd vowed never to lose it, something he hoped never to break. One day, he'd give it back to her. The one thing she seemed to hold dear to her when they'd last seen her. It belonged to her, not him.
" We should be setting up camp for the night. " Grayson announced as they came to a halt near a rather well concealed clearing. He was trying to get away from the depressing topic they'd went to. Drake took that time to survey the area. Spruce trees stretched up around it, letting on small patches of sky show through. The grass wasn't exactly the shortest, but it wasn't sharp, like some grass he'd come across was, so they wouldn't wake up covered in small scratches that burned and itched all day. A small area of dirt would make for a good area for a fire, since it would be less likely to catch fire.
" Looks like a good place. " Drake nodded.
Grayson laughed. " That's why I picked it. Come one. Let's get started. I want it done before the sun sets. Things will just be harder then. " With that, the boys set into making camp. Grayson was gathering wood to start a fire, while Drake cleared the area out a little more. There was a nearby creek, so he used that to wash the dust and dirt off of his hands, cringing the whole time at the burning sensation, and to refill their bottles. The water, at the moment, had nothing wrong with it, so he wants that worried about using it. When he returned to their campsite, Grayson had coaxed a small fire to life, bathing the area in a soft glow. He placed the bottle by his friend's side, who gave him a tired, albeit grateful one. He uncorked it and took a drink, sighing.
" You ok? " Drake asked, sitting down cross-legged beside him, placing a hand on his back. Grayson shook his head. " Just...can't believe I'm going back. After what they did to me...I know that he have to, if we're ever going to have a chance at figuring out the journal pages, but... " He looked away, green eyes clouded.
" Grayson, what...did the Empire do to you? " Drake asked. " You never did tell me. " The blonde chuckled, a sad, pained noise that felt like a stab through Drake's heart. " Well, after I stole the egg, I got...I got ratted out by one of my friends. My fellow mercenary, Luke.* They followed me when I ran. I want going for my family, my wife, Mandy, and my infant son, Louis. I was going to escape with them, obviously. But, when I got there...everything was burning. Stephen, the head mercenary, had lit my house on fire...with both of them inside. My family burned to death in front of me. After that, I...just ran. Blindly, but I ran. Drake, my son was only five months old...and he was just killed with no second thought. He never did anything wrong, couldn't have, even if he wanted to...and they just killed him... " He trailed off, a choked sound rising from his throat. Drake wrapped his arms around him, shocked. " Oh, Grayson...I'm so sorry. " He murmured.
" Nothing you could have changed. " He shrugged. " Let's just go to bed... We'll need our energy for the journey. " Draek nodded and moved away from him. Grayson threw his sleeping bag over to him. He thanked him and spread it out on the ground, close to the fire. The blonde had already laid his down, and the hybrid guessed he was close to sleep. He smirked and got in his, closing his eyes.
They had about two days till they reached the Empire, and Emerald City. To get there, they would need good rest, which required a good place to sleep.
Hopefully, their trip wouldn't end in disaster.
" So this is Emerald City, " Drake breathed, gazing around at the city from their hiding place. It stretched out far into the distance, farther than he could currently see with his limited view. Elegant buildings gleamed in the light of the sun, overshadowing the smaller ones surrounding them. Small dots, the forms of people, moved about, looking like a larger any swarm." This is where you once lived? "
Grayson nodded. " Yep. Not to far from where my house was, either. But...let's not talk about that. We have more important things to focus on. Like, getting these papers to that merchant, avoiding mercenaries, trying not to die- "
Drake laughed. " OK, OK, I get it, Grayson. There's better things to be thinking about. " He rose from his crouched position and walked the few steps back to Grayson's side.
" Have any idea where we're headed? You said she prefers total separation from everyone, which means her home is probably not around people. "
" Actually, believe it or not, I do. I...may or may not have followed Luke to her place once. I never told him, or showed up there myself, but...I know where it is. Yeah, I know, I'm a terrible person, invading her privacy and all. But hey, it helps now. " Both men chuckled.
They left the path behind, instead taking to using the hills to hide as they moved along, skirting the outside of the massive city. Drake doubted that the mercenaries after Grayson would really find them here, but it was good to be cautious, just in case. He wanted this job done and over with, so they could focus on saving Armen; which was why the meaning behind the pages were essential right now. They might hold some sort of information on how to defeat Him.
Grayson eventually led them away from the safety of the hills, both now running to try and quickly reach their destination. The blonde threw out an arm when they reached the back area of Emerald city, pointing towards the distance.
" It's that way. Back in the trees. Practically impossible to get to, unless you're really determined to get there. " The Ender hybrid nodded, and they quickly slunk into the foliage, disappearing into the shadows. " Who would want to live back here? " Drake grumbled. " I mean, I guess it is a good place to hide if you're wanting to avoid people, but...it's so hard to get around. "
" Exactly why she must have chose it. Keeps people who might have followed her out. " Grayson called over his shoulder as he pushed low hanging limbs away from his face. Drake hissed in pain as one struck his chest. " Ow. " The blonde looked back at him and gave him an awkward grin.
" Ehh, sorry, Drake. " The hybrid rolled his eyes and cast him a good-natured smile, showing it was fine. The blonde focused on getting through to the house again, and keeping a clearer path for his taller friend once more.
When they finally got past the thick plants, they were slightly shocked by what they saw. A rather large, two story home, made up of oak and spruce, was tucked away in the clearing, trees hanging over and shielding it from view. The windows had the curtains drawn, blocking any view inside. There where the sound of animals behind the building, which, when Drake looked around, he could see was cleared out, and held both an animal farm and a garden. It was quiet, almost eerily so. " Should we...knock? " Drake asked.
" Nah. She's probably out right now. She usually was during this time of day. Anyways, we don't want to frighten her. If she is home, she'll panic over how we found her. " Grayson told him. " If it's unlocked, we'll go inside, quietly, leave the papers, and a note asking for her help. If it's locked, we'll leave it here, outside, with the note. We'll tell her where to go if she will help. It'll all be fine. " Drake nodded. " If you're sure... "
They walked up and tried the door handle. Grayson was slightly shocked when it turned. " It's unlocked. " He told Drake. " Let's get inside, get the papers in place, and get going. Don't want to spend any longer here than I have to. " He pushed open the door and they stepped inside. There was another door, attaching the small entrance hall to to actual house. That, to, was unlocked. They went inside, and Drake closed it behind him.
Drake was surprised by the inside of the home. It looked very well lived in, and well taken care of for someone he expected was gone all day. A red couch and love seat were in one corner of the open area. An oak table was placed in the center of the two, on top of an orange and brown carpet with an odd pattern on it. The kitchen was clean, with nothing left out on the counters that wasn't supposed to be. Not to mention, there was a fully stocked cookie jar. He slapped Grayson over the head when he saw his eyes on it. Two glass doors led to the back that he'd saw earlier, where he now could tell she was growing berries as one of her plants, and had horses at the back, which he hadn't seen.
Something brushed against his foot as he took a step, and he looked down in confusion. A yellowed paper was slightly crumpled at his feet, showing a sliver of writing. His eyes widened and he picked it up, instantly recognizing what it is. " Grayson. It's a- "
He cut off at the sound of Grayson shrieking, which was met with loud snarling and growling. He spun around on his heels to see a very large white and black wolf crouched in front of them, yellow eyes gleaming dangerously. Her lips were curled back, revealing sharp, shining fangs. Behind the creature was a small toddler, around three years old, with short, curly black hair, a dusting of freckles, and wide blue eyes, which gleamed with unshed tears. A stuffed horse was clutched in her small fingers, practically being crushed to her chest. She let out a small whine, staring at them with eyes filled with fear.
Grayson, seeing her about to cry, took a step towards them. " Hey, hey, sweetheart, it's ok, don't cr- " The wolf gave a vicious bark, moving forward. He stepped back, raising his hands up. " Ok, ok, I'll get back, I'll get back. " The wolf looked like they were about to attack, until she whined, straightening up and staring at them, eyes holding a strange sort of recognition. Drake studied the beast for a few more seconds, until the same feeling met him. " Wait, that's- "
The door attached to the house slammed open, and a cry of " MARRION! " rang through the house. The wolf started howling again, the little girl broke into tears, and both boys spun around to see a young woman, wearing a cloak, with chin- length brown hair, and a scar in the center of her face staring at them, just as shocked as they were.
The most noticeable feature? Her eyes. One white, one gold. Neither having a pupil.
Grayson whispered, " Amethyst? "
June 3, 1770
The Puppet met me in my dreams tonight. He was terrified, struggling to even keep the dream up, and completely upset. He warned me about the danger I and my daughter would be in. He was angry, at me, and at the others. The boy believed he would hesitate to harm us, but we need to be careful. He couldn't confirm it. He wanted me to not tel her about him, not to let her know the monster he's become; but how can I deny my child the right to know about her father?
I will begin keeping a better watch when I go out. He is nowhere close to the Empire yet, but I cannot be too sure. Hopefully, it will not come down to us having to run. I cannot be out there again, not after so long of being in a community...
The Journalist
Bet none of you guessed my plot twist (: ( no, it wasn't Amethyst being the mysterious merchant. That was expected. You know which one I was talking about -coughmarrioncough- )
Hmm, this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be...
( also Thyst is totally the one who uses the whole The Mage, The Commander, The Puppet, ect names in her journals. That is so her thing )
Keep on mining, my mineshafters!
-CaptainBat