Here's where the story really starts! The newcomer, Gibkids123, has been accepted into the "elitist" group, of the rulers of the largest empires in the realm of PE. There are bigger organizations, but they have the largest places ruled by a single person.
Note: all the names with numbers (except Bunnyluv16) have the numbers read separately, for example Gibkids one-two-three, not Gibkids one-hundred twenty-three.
I own all of the OCs and places, but anything you recognize from Minecraft or a Minecraft mod I don't own.
"Thanks for inviting me to the Emerald House, Horseluv!" Gibkids123 exclaimed. She smoothed her auburn hair and ninja suit hurriedly, and her emerald eyes glowed with excitement. After all this time, she had finally been invited to a private party with Horseluv386, the ruler of the Emerald Empire, and PandaGal5046, the ruler of the Amethyst Empire. Two months ago, she wouldn't have dreamed to even be in the same room as them. Now, after her many efforts to keep the five largest empires of PE peaceful and safe, she had been honored by the empress of the Emerald Empire both in and out of court. Her official reward was becoming a high-ranking adviser to the rulers. The unofficial reward was being invited to a private party, where Horseluv and PandaGal could let down their masks and be their true selves, if only for a little while.
In front of Gibkids was the Emerald House, Horseluv's private residence. True to its name, the whole structure was made out of the green stone, with a golden roof, diamond foundation, and a quartz deck, which the two girls were standing on now.
"Oh, it's nothing after those advanced weapons you gave us," Horseluv said modestly. Gibkids nodded, remembering how she had given each of the rulers of the five empires armor, a sword, and an extra weapon. These weapons gave them an unprecedented advantage in combat.
"Anyway, the fun hasn't even started yet," continued Horseluv. "PandaGal will be here any minute, and when she does… you will be surprised."
"Honestly, I'm already surprised how you are outside of court," Gibkids said tentatively, hoping not to offend the ruler of the largest of the empires. Horseluv, happily, understood this sentiment, and simply laughed. Instead of a fancy robe of state, she wore black leggings and a black top, with green armbands and a golden belt. Her long, golden-blond hair, instead of being bound up in an elaborate braid, hung halfway down Horseluv's back. The ruler's face was free of makeup, and her sapphire-blue eyes sparkled without any cosmetic aid.
Just as Horseluv was about to answer, they heard a ding, coming from a nearby elevator that led to an extensive rail system high in the clouds. The doors of the lift parted, and PandaGal5046 came out. This, however, was a PandaGal that Gibkids had never seen before. Her chocolate-brown hair was in a messy bun, and she wore none of the makeup she was so fond of. The funniest part of this, however, was her outfit. She wore blue overalls, which partially covered an orange-and-pink checkered shirt. Black, well-shined boots reached halfway up her calves. To top it all off (literally), she wore a brown hat with a pink hatband, which somehow only made the outfit more ridiculous.
While PandaGal was still out of earshot, Horseluv whispered, "Don't judge her fashion sense out loud. I have no idea why she thinks that this is a decent outfit to wear for a party, and I don't want to ask. You do not want to see her mad. Also, when she starts talking, don't judge her words. She makes up a lot of them, or hears them from her friend squad."
Gibkids nodded, keeping her opinions to herself. PandaGal, meanwhile, had come up to them. "Sup, Horseluv! Sup, Gibkids! This is going to be the best night ever! PAR-TEY!" she yelled.
'No kidding,' thought Gibkids to herself, 'she is definitely different now than in court.'
Horseluv smiled, looking a little embarrassed at her friend's antics. "Hey, PandaGal. How's that prank war with LeopardCool54 coming along?"
PandaGal looked… mischievous, to say the least. "When I execute my next move, he'll be blown out of the water! Like, literally. I'm thinking of taking a page out of your book, Horseluv. A fiery TNT cannon is always the way to go!"
Horseluv laughed nervously. "I had just learned how to build a TNT cannon, and I only wanted to blow up that pathetic house of mine. I didn't plan for it to go straight past and ram into LeopardCool's house!"
"Man, he was mad!" remembered PandaGal. "Teaches him not to build elaborate things out of wool! That was what drove him to rebuild not only the house, but his empire!" She seemed ready to launch into a building-your-all-powerful-empire montage, but Horseluv cut her off.
"Gibkids, did you think the Emerald House was impressive from the outside?" asked Horseluv, drawing near the double doors that served as the main entrance to the structure. "Well wait until you see…" She threw the doors open. "...the inside?"
Instead of seeing the interior of Horseluv's beloved Emerald House, the three were met with crafting tables, right in front of the door. Horseluv spluttered in anger before punching one out of existence. Behind it was yet another crafting table. Evidently, all of the empty space in the huge house was filled with crafting tables.
Before anyone could speak, a loud CRUNCH was heard in the woods surrounding the house.
"That must be whoever did this, no one is allowed around here!" yelled PandaGal as she ran to the edge of the porch. She leaned out over the fence. "Hello, anybody there?"
Suddenly, a loud SHING was heard. For an instant, an enchanted diamond sword could be seen through PandaGal's body. Then, with a loud POP, she despawned, leaving her items in a small pile. The culprit laughed in triumph. Gibkids pulled out her bow and nocked an arrow, but the intruder, knowing he had lost the element of surprise, dashed away into the trees before she could accurately aim. Sighing, Gibkids slung her bow over her shoulder and slipped the arrow back into her quiver. "Do you know who that was?" she quietly asked Horseluv.
Horseluv was steaming in anger. "That was Jon4541!" Gibkids jolted at the familiar name - the ruler of GP, the smallest empire, was a good friend of all the rulers, especially PandaGal. "He's had it in for PandaGal ever since she defeated him in that dueling tournament two weeks ago!" Horseluv continued as Gibkids grabbed all of PandaGal's supplies. "It's one thing to have a little grudge, it's another to deface a house and make an unprovoked kill! Let's get him!"
Before Horseluv could move, Gibkids stopped her. "If you do that, you'll be playing right into Jon's hands. He's expecting you to get fired up and attack, at which point he could activate a trap. PandaGal isn't the only one he's mad at." Horseluv nodded, remembering how they, along with Bunnyluv16 and LeopardCool54, had bet on PandaGal winning the dueling tournament, and how they had gotten a large profit.
"What should we do then?" asked Horseluv.
"We need to wait for PandaGal to respawn," replied Gibkids. "We need to plan on how we'll make our first offensive move against Jon. But we need to be prepared for more than that.
"The Crafting Wars have begun."
..::..::..::..::..::..
Late that night, Gibkids123 and Horseluv386 were gathered around a campfire, under an overhang by Seaport Village. After Jon's disappearance, they had hacked a path through the Emerald House to a secret basement entrance, hidden under yet another crafting table. Thankfully, the passage had remained undiscovered by Jon, meaning that it was easy for them to reach special vaults, reserved for the Empress and her friends. There, they grabbed their armor, their swords, and their special weapons, as well as PandaGal's extra gear and some food. Now, after closing up the passageway behind them, they were waiting in this spot. Horseluv revealed that she had determined a secret location with each of the rulers as a meeting place, in case anyone's realm had been compromised. Each ruler had been told a different location, solely so that if one of their friends betrayed them, there was no place that the betrayer knew was a foolproof location to find everyone. This location was where PandaGal was supposed to meet them. This policy confused Gibkids.
"So none of the other rulers know that this is a potential meeting place for you and PandaGal?" asked the ninja.
Horseluv confirmed this thought.
"Why do you feel like you can't trust the other kingdom's leaders?" asked Gibkids. To her, someone who you couldn't trust didn't deserve to be a friend.
Horseluv, for her part, didn't doubt that the other rulers were her friends, or that she could trust them. "It's just… all of the rulers, including me, have flaws. They could be exploited by enemies to be used against us. Jon, as you can see, holds grudges. Bunnyluv is always loud, and has no idea what the word 'secret' means. LeopardCool can never see the big picture, and he can't figure out a plan unless it's laid out in front of him. PandaGal will trust anyone with all of her secrets, no questions asked."
"And you?" asked Gibkids tentatively.
"I don't see anyone or anything as perfect," Horseluv replied without a hint of sarcasm. "I can never seem to trust people. I think no secret can be safe with something that is flawed. I don't indulge myself with my friends, I don't open up to them. I lock my secrets and pain in my brain, where no one can reach them or lift them off.
"Plus, I have a horrible singing voice," she joked, to lighten the mood. Gibkids laughed obligingly, but she knew that Horseluv, aside from being horribly paranoid, was right. No one was perfect. Through life, Horseluv had learned that, probably the hard way. She shook off the feelings as light from a torch streamed through the cave, followed by PandaGal's face.
"Guys?" she called out. "Hey, I'm back! Like, that's self-explanatory, but still! I was super stealthy and stuff, so I don't think Jon saw me, but he's patrolling the Emerald House and waiting for you to come back."
Horseluv scoffed at this. "Such an idiot. Doesn't he realize that I would expect that?" Gibkids agreed with this sentiment, as Horseluv was skilled in visualizing situations and outcomes. "Anyway, here's your sword, your armor, and some potions I snagged for you. I have a plan to get back at Jon.
"PandaGal, you'll go out there and distract him. Use potions, fireworks, narwhal songs, whatever you need, but don't injure him. Lead him away from the Housing District, preferably towards Villager Central. Gibkids, you and I will sneak through the Housing District to Jon's house, and fill it up with crafting tables and furnaces. We escape and find somewhere to hide before he blows up from anger."
"Is that really the best idea?" asked Gibkids. She did not want Horseluv to be mad at her, but wouldn't Jon expect them to counterattack, and be prepared for it? "Wouldn't it be better to garner support from the other citizens of the Emerald and Amethyst empires?"
"Is this plan thought out?" asked Horseluv. "No. Am I childishly bent on getting revenge? Yes. Is Jon going to fall for our trick? Probably not. He's seriously on a whole other level of stupid. All he does all day is melt his brain playing video games. If you don't believe it, consider the fact that he thought provoking the most powerful empress in PE was a good idea. Plus, we don't have time to garner support. We have an opportunity to get back at Jon. Let's take it."
Gibkids privately thought that Horseluv was underestimating Jon, and that she was letting her emotions cloud her better judgement. Still, she could not argue with Horseluv's reasoning that it would take too long to rally citizens. Jon had attacked the most powerful rulers of the realm on a personal level, so they were apparently getting back at him on a personal level. "Sometimes, I wonder if we're really children under all of our experience and knowledge," she muttered.
Finally, the trio started to prepare for the raid. Horseluv slid into her gleaming sapphire armor, which matched her eyes and was stronger than even diamond. Like all of the rulers and Gibkids, her armor covered her feet, her torso, her upper arms, and her head. She hooked several canisters of high-power dynamite to her belt, and polished her emerald sword. PandaGal likewise put on her pink tourmaline armor, which was as clear as glass with glittering pink edges. She prepared several potions, stuffing them into her overalls. These potions were mysterious, and each had a different purpose, so no one was ever sure what the troller would do next with them. The ruler of the Amethyst Empire held out her self-proclaimed amethyst sword-knife-wand-thing. Gibkids, although the original owner of all of the ruler's specialized gear, had no idea what the enchantment on that thing was, only that it was one-of-a-kind and especially powerful. The ninja herself wore tiger's-eye armor, which was similar to PandaGal's armor except that the border was colored gold instead of pink. She wielded a specialized bow, made of a birch limb and cave-spider string, as well as a bedrock sword she had found long ago, in a place that she had almost forgotten…
Anyway, the three heroes were geared up and ready to execute their plan. At a silent hand signal from Horseluv, PandaGal started running towards the trees ringing the Emerald House, which was where Jon was hidden. She hurled a potion up into the air, where it released a bright pink light. She next threw down several fireworks, which exploded in huge, multi-colored bursts. Jon's head peeked out of one of the trees, which was just what PandaGal was waiting for.
"DANG, HOMIE!" the empress of the Amethyst Empire taunted. "You thought you could kill me? Whelp, you're an idiot, then! Bet you can't catch me twice!" She took off running, throwing glowing potions at Jon every few steps. Grumbling, Jon sprinted after her.
"It's all going according to plan!" exclaimed Horseluv quietly. "Objective: Grief Jon's House. Start in T minus 5, 4, 3, 2… 1."
She and Gibkids took off, running past the Emerald House, the Pandicorn HQ (PandaGal's personal house in the Emerald Empire), and several houses for LeopardCool54, Bunnyluv16, and visiting heads of state. Finally, they reached Jon's house, an impressive cube of diamond and quartz pillars. Horseluv handed Gibkids a stack of furnaces, and the two got to work. Horseluv coated the walls of the house's interior with crafting tables, while Gibkids covered the floor and staircase with furnaces. In the end, it wasn't as impressive as Jon's prank, but it would take longer to get rid of the furnaces than the crafting tables, annoying the griefer for longer.
"Mission success! Report back to Emerald House!" whispered Horseluv. "We're home clear!"
"Is that so?" drawled a voice from behind them. The duo whirled around to see Jon, in his black-iron armor, twirling his two enchanted diamond swords. "You must have miscalculated on that part, 'Luv. I wouldn't keep chasing that panda lover, not when doing so left my house undefended. As it is, I will have taken revenge on all three of you tonight! Then, maybe I'll make a distress call to the Iron Empire and the Fluffy Empire, lure them right out into the open…"
"You don't have to do this, Jon!" exclaimed Gibkids.
"I don't have to? Maybe," answered Jon. "But I want to. I have every right to, after you prospered from my failure! No one will ridicule me ever again after tonight!"
"You won't get away with this!" growled Horseluv, interrupting his classic villain monologue.
"Oh," drawled the estranged ruler. "I already have."
"That's what YOU think!" shouted PandaGal from behind a nearby hill. "Pigs to the rescue!"
PandaGal came over the hill, but not alone. She was leading Horseluv and Gibkid's horses, Bellagio and Hotfoot. PandaGal herself was atop her pig, Phil something-or-other, and urging him forward with a golden carrot on a stick. Thoughtfully, PandaGal had provided the horses with armor. Gio's coppery fur and black mane-and-tail were covered by bright-green leather armor, and Hotfoot's rose-gold coat and creamy mane-and-tail were enveloped by a vivid red. PandaGal threw a ice-blue potion towards Jon, who froze in place, about one hundred meters away from the victorious panda fanatic.
"Come on, he'll only stay like that for ten seconds, max!" she cried. "On, on, on!" She swung off of Phil and aided Horseluv and Gibkids in mounting their steeds, as their heavy armor made it difficult to climb higher than pig-level. As she made sure that her friends had their weapons ready, she made to get back on Phil, only to realize that he had disappeared. She soon saw the pink form in a nearby carrot field—Jon's carrot field, right next to where the griefer himself was stuck.
"PHIL! Come back here right now!" she screeched. "I have a golden carrot for you, don't worry about Jon's carrots!" The pig ignored its owner, which gave the suddenly unfrozen Jon an opportunity. Sheathing one of his swords, Jon pulled out his special fire charges that Gibkids had gifted him. He threw the balls at Phil, and the weapons caught fire in mid-air. When the missiles hit the poor pig, he disintegrated in a poof of smoke.
"NO! Phil the Seventh!" cried PandaGal. She was noticeably upset, as animals were different from people in that they could not respawn.
"Wait. Wasn't that Phil the Sixth?" asked Horseluv, confused.
"Nah, he fell off a cliff," said PandaGal dismissively. "Come on, Shadowfax!" She stuck her sword-knife-wand-thing into the ground, and it summoned PandaGal's gray horse, Shadowfax. She mounted and looked at the others worriedly. "We need to leave NOW!"
The trio galloped off, just as Jon got in firing range. He tried to keep up, but even at his fastest sprint he couldn't even attempt to match the horses' speed. Although Horseluv tried to steer the group back towards the meeting point, PandaGal soon took the lead and steered them across a wide, grassy plain. Gibkids thought that this was a good idea, as the meeting point had been a little too close for comfort in relation to Jon's house.
After about an hour had passed, and the horses had long since slowed to a canter, Horseluv turned to PandaGal. "We aren't in the Emerald Empire anymore, we're in the Amethyst Empire. Where are we going?" Her tone, although friendly on the outside, had twinges of suspicion hidden inside.
PandaGal either didn't hear this suspicion or didn't want to deal with it. "I have a secret base on the borders of the Amethyst Empire, that I use either when I can't get to my empire in one night, or when it's unsafe to be in one of my public houses."
"And this is a complete secret from every single person in the whole world because?" asked Horseluv, not bothering to hide her suspicion this time.
"I didn't know who I could trust," answered PandaGal coolly. "Isn't that exactly what you would do?"
Horseluv was silent as the trio approached a low hill. They had been passing these formations constantly, but PandaGal stopped at this one. Dismounting, she led her two friends through a seemingly normal cave. Soon, they came to a small hidden alcove, prepared as a small bank of stalls. The three untacked, brushed, and fed their tired horses, making sure they were comfortable. Then, PandaGal led them up to the other side of the hill, where she broke a seemingly random dirt block. This revealed a narrow ladder, leading down, which PandaGal hopped onto with no hesitation. The two others followed her down, soon coming into a large, airy room, with purple walls, a black ceiling with lava-lamps hanging down, and an oak wood floor. PandaGal spread her arms. "Here's the interior you wanted to see, Gibkids!"
Gibkids and Horseluv looked around in awe as they followed PandaGal to a small table. "I have some maps of the empires, as well as each empire individually," the ruler of the Amethyst Empire told them. "You can look at them, use them to make a plan to beat Jon once and for all. While you do that, though, I need to change!"
"No you DON'T!" yelled Horseluv. "We don't have time for this!"
"I'm the worst planner!" countered PandaGal. "You smart people make the plans, while I put on something that I can actually run in, and doesn't have pig slobber on it!"
Horseluv seemed prepared to further protest this, but PandaGal flounced into an adjoining room, which Gibkids saw was a bedroom. Horseluv sighed, and opened a nearby chest, pulling out some old maps. "Let's make a game plan."
Some things to clear up:
PandaGal is not an animal abuser, her pigs are just idiots and put themselves in deadly situations.
Even though Jon betrayed them, he's still their friend in a sense; once a side wins the war, they'll be back to friends. Maybe a little estranged, but the relationship will heal in time.
All the OCs except for Gibkids123 are based on real people, but have other character traits that I added on to make them their own characters.
Gibkids' statement that "I wonder if we're really all kids" is factually based.
Horseluv386 is based on me! Just a darker version of me, really.
This is part 1 of a 2-part series, the next part will be up tomorrow or Sunday. Next part will introduce Bunnyluv16 and LeopardCool54 officially, as well as reveal where I got the idea for this story from.
See you soon!
~Horseluv