Author Note:

Well hello there, it's been a little while.

Having returned triumphantly to Endergirl and FanFiction after almost a year of abandonment, I decided the A Fool's Conviction also deserves a few more chapters. I'm looking to be a little more brutal in this story, so if you're not into that, this is your warning. Endergirl is a little soft at the moment, due to the attempted comedy. Anyway, I wrote this chapter with the intention of getting myself back into the swing of things, and this particular writing style. Sorry if it feels a little empty, but I feel like I'm more prepared for what's to come now. Hopefully it makes a difference. :)

So without further ado,

Here's the next instalment.

Matt Michelson, kisser extraordinaire.

Notch gave a hum of resignation as he glanced over the server stats.

As usual, he had warped himself out of the game for his daily afternoon break. It wasn't healthy to play games all day, after all. But now that he stood before the monitor, a bulky old thing that snaked cables from its rear, he was beginning to wish he had remained immersed.

Behind him were rows upon rows of server stacks, closed away behind crystal clear glass shelves. The icy coolness of the room was artificial, aided by gigantic fans whirring away on the roof. It was surprising how many of the game's features could be accomplished with existing technologies. Full dive virtual reality, storing of consciousness, lifelike rendering and physics calculations. Sometimes it made him laugh at how easy it all was. The memory was the bottleneck of the entire thing. It had quickly gathered far more than simple terabytes and petabytes, with all players installed, RAM needed to store zettabytes of information, with instant read and write capabilities.

But that was where the normal technology ended. The 'god' glanced across the room, observing a sealed glass cage. Inside, globs of ebbing creatures floated in a vacuum, much like a lava lamp. A vicious, man-eating lava lamp…

He returned his eyes to the screen, shooting the numbers a dirty look. "No helping it, I suppose."

For the brief moment that the closed network had branched out to the internet, it had managed to collect a vast amount of attention. It could usually operate on its own, separated from every other server out there, but when the players had logged in, they needed a connection.

And with such high specs, hackers were quick to follow.

A Trojan horse in an otherwise perfect system. When Notch tried to disconnect the entire thing from the world, a tiny little virus would switch parts of it back on. It began with little things, like his phone, or his DS, but from there it had pivoted around the network like a bad rash.

For people that don't understand all the technical jargon…

Bad man hides a trained monkey in Notch's house. Notch locks the door and goes to sleep. Monkey opens door, and the bad man comes in.

So how does one put a stop to a digital attack like this?

Shoot the monkey.

He needed to shut down the server, isolate the virus, and destroy it. Which meant releasing the players…

He glanced again at the container of organisms, his 'lava lamp'.

"Should've installed antivirus…" He muttered to himself.

For all the rush in its construction, the inner parapet was surprisingly comfortable. We sat side by side, admiring the deepening monochrome that swept across the landscape. Monochrome wasn't the right word really, things still held their colour, albeit in a darker shade. It was more as if a deep navy sheet had been draped across everything beyond the walls…

I shifted awkwardly, unable to remain focused on the view for long. Sure, I had been all suave and independent by bringing her aside, but that was where my social expertise came to a grinding halt. She was regretting something, which was obvious enough from her body language, but what was it? Maybe she didn't want to be here? Was suggesting a conversation a bad idea? Oh god, what did I d-

I plunged into a pool of relief as she began a mumble. "I- I'm sorry."

"S- Sorry? For what?"

Her eyes skipped up to me, hesitant. "I brought my nation here, armed."

"Oh," Understanding dawned in a moment, as her worries became clear. I gave a shrug. "Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Besides," surprise responded to my smile, "we got to see each other again, so that's a plus."

"Y- Yeah."

After letting the moment hang for a while, I changed topics. "So, how is your nation faring then?" As soon as the question left my mouth, I realised my mistake, a mistake I kept making. Asking for tactical information again? Really? I didn't mean anything malicious by it, but here, that didn't really matter.

Seeing my internal debate play on my features earnt a laugh. "It's good to see you haven't changed, even when everyone else has."

"Sometimes I wish that weren't the case."

She shook her head. "No, it's definitely a good thing. Trust me." A sigh shifted her expression. "Everyone else has forgotten kindness, except when it suits them."

I listened curiously to her report, but found it hard to relate. Sure, we had a few scared kids, and a bunch of oddballs, but around here, most people were decent. "Is it really that bad?"

"You guys seem to be faring better than us." She gave a half-hearted laugh. "We already have a dictatorship."

"How the hell did that happen?"

"I'm not too sure… I think a lot of people already knew each other when they spawned…"

I groaned. "So the people who trusted each other were able to gain power in numbers, while everyone else was out of their element."

"I guess so."

The implications ticked through my mind. Our nation was lucky, with everyone coming from completely different backgrounds and places. We simply didn't know each other well enough to split into internal factions. For now, we were all one big happy family.

But as people got to know one another better… It made me wonder how long the peace would last.

I set the thought aside. The people here were good by nature, there's no way something like that would happen.

Unless I just triggered a flag.

Swallowing, I returned my attention to the girl, who had been watching my reaction. Her lips were turned down with worry, prompting another smile on my part. "So," I nodded to the bow that lay on the deck, "have you made any progress?"

She welcomed the change of subject with a slight twitch of surprise. "You only gave it to me yesterday."

"I know, but it seems like it's been ages." I replied with a chuckle.

"Yeah… you're right." A long pause returned the mood to a darker climate. "Do you think we'll be enemies?"

"I don't know."

The sight before us was an unexpected one.

Jake sat amongst a tightknit circle of foreign soldiers on the trampled grass, telling jokes around several half-finished dishes of soup. When we had left, the atmosphere had been aggressive to say the least. But now, it felt almost friendly…

I sidled over to Florida, who oversaw the brewing of tonight's meal. Two self-proclaimed chefs, who were really just hospitality students, had been obsessing over ingredients and portion sizes for the better part of an hour, dishing their decisions into what appeared to be a large, rudimentary stone pot. I refrained from questioning the hygiene of the operation as she noticed my approach.

"Don't ask me what happened, I still have no idea."

I glanced back to our leader, socialising with delight amongst those he once treated as criminals. "What the hell did you put in that soup?"

She shrugged. "Food is a fearsome thing."

"Speaking of food…" I watched the bubbling substance, my stomach growling.

She smirked. "As long as you introduce me to your new girlfriend."

I glanced behind me, finding sixteen glancing around my shoulder. Her cheeks brightened a shade. Shooting the huntress a glare, I stepped aside, leaving my 'girlfriend' exposed as I gestured flamboyantly to the food keeper. "This is Flo, she's a pain, but good at fighting. She's also never had a boyfriend."

A quick jab to my gut sent me spooling, air rushing from my lungs. I gasped rapidly as Florida gave her own introduction.

"Florida," she held out a hand, "I've had plenty of boyfriends."

Unsure of how to handle the situation, the blonde foreigner gave a slow nod, ignoring the girl's outstretched greeting. "R- Right…"

An awkward silence descended as Florida slowly retracted the gesture, trying to decide if the girl before her was rude, or just clueless. I remembered having similar thoughts.

After a time of expectant stares, all of which went unregistered, the martial arts champion gave the girl a prompt. "Who are you?"

"Oh. My name's Alex."

So that's what it was…

"You mean crops grow quicker here too!" The snippet of information rang out from the closed circle behind us as Jake latched onto it.

"You bet. Wounds heal quicker, crops grow faster, it's brilliant!" Nation sixteen's leader exclaimed, throwing in a few hand gestures for dramatics.

I was beginning to wonder if Jake's sudden change in attitude was all a means for collecting information. It would seem sixteen's dictatorship, despite seeming immoral, had propelled their progress ahead of ours. This was a good opportunity to learn from them.

Still, the glint in Jake's eye was not one of newfound friendship…

"And these ruins that you've mentioned…" our leader began, "we've found a few of them, but they're only little things. They never go deeper than a few yards."

It was now that the foreign leader fell grave, his cheery demeanour vanishing in an instant. "They're not important."

The two held an icy glare.

"I see." Jake lit a smile. "More soup?"

The night passed uneventfully.

Alex and her nation slept within the inner wall, one person always on watch. They tried to be polite about it, but mistrust was unavoidable.

Dawn had arrived slowly, and as I lounged against the parapets, I witnessed the consuming flames which swept the grassy plain clear of mobs. I had expected it to be disturbing, but as I watched, it didn't seem that way. It just seemed… natural.

Long tendrils of people began to congregate around the outer gate as it was heaved open. Small plums of dust accompanied the shift of wood, which rose silently into the air before dissipating. A few moments later, the builders, gatherers, and explorers separated into streams, all wandering in different directions.

And the morning was still quiet.

A pleasant voice broke that quiet. "Eli!"

Shifting, I peered over the ledge. Julia stared up at me, tired green eyes flicking away exhaustion. Her white hoodie was speckled with a few more drops of blood.

"Hey."

She smiled, "hey."

"I didn't see you at all last night."

"Well, not all of us are important enough to live in here." She glanced at the inner walls.

I felt my lips tug downwards. "I'll talk to Jake."

She didn't like the idea, her face told me that. But she didn't dispute it. At times like this, if you were offered more safety, you took it.

"Have you had anything to eat?"

"Yeah, Florida brought me some soup as an apology."

"Apology?"

The nurse gave a half-hearted smirk. "For injuring so many people."

Chuckling, I looked up to the sky.

The sun was rising. Rising quickly enough, that I doubted I'd be able to remain idle for much longer. No doubt Jake would find me soon enough… I returned my gaze to Julia, who had been watching me.

Her knowing smile gave me the energy I needed.

"Eli!" Jake's voice broke from across the wall. I heard him clear it before continuing. "I've got a job for you!"

Rolling my eyes earnt a giggle from Julia as I shouted back. "Yeah?"

"I'm… sending you on a diplomatic mission!"

Julia froze, her eyes widening. Realising this wasn't an average fetch-quest, I peered over the barricade at him, "where to?"

He shifted awkwardly, like a child wondering how much he could get away with. "Nation fourteen!"

Huh. "Why?"

"We need to make sure our neighbours are friendly!"

It made sense. At the moment, the largest human threat came from the nearby nations. As far as we could tell, nation sixteen was right next to us. By order of logic, nation fourteen should be on the other side…

"Which way am I going?"

Jake looked around, before pointing off into the forest, almost exactly opposite the direction of my first journey into its depths. "Take Florida with you, but make sure she doesn't offend anyone."

Like he could talk.

"I'm not making any promises."

"What about nation sixteen? Are any of them coming?"

"They're not interested. They were only concerned with us because we were immediate neighbours."

It made sense. I felt a speck of disappointment when I considered saying goodbye to Alex so soon. In this situation, it was impossible to know when our paths might cross again.

A moment later, I realised Jake had been waiting for an answer. "Yeah, I'll get moving."

"Great." And with that, our fearless leader wandered off.

After a moment of appreciation for the stark blue sky above, I heaved myself up, and stretched out my arms. My bare skin carried a chill, gifted by the gentle breeze that ran over the parapets. It was a few more silent moments before I descended the ladder, landing on the well-trod grass below.

Julia was still watching me, her big white hoodie wrapped around her waist, and her hair tied back in a makeshift bun. She looked tired, like always. "Be careful."

Not really thinking about it, I gently wrapped my arms around her, pulling her head into my chest. "There's nothing to worry about."

"There's everything to worry about."

The wooden gates lulled open behind us as a familiar face appeared. She was in the process of trying to secure her sword over her shoulder, a leather strap used as a rudimentary sheath.

I separated from Julia as she approached, helping Flo fiddle with the placement.

"Sorry for stealing him again." I heard her apologise.

The thick leather proved difficult to knot, but I soon managed to make something work. Flo gave it a test, before nodding.

"Just make sure you both make it back."

"We'll be fine." I chimed in.

She said nothing as Flo collected my staff, passing it to me. The huntress gave us a look before excusing herself. "I'll be outside."

I watched her leave before turning back to the medic.

"I'll make sure Jake keeps an eye on you."

Her eyes sunk to the ground, wanting to protest, but deciding against it.

"Hey," I placed a hand on her waist as she looked up at me, eyes big. It didn't take much courage… because as my lips connected with hers, it felt right. We stayed like that, time frozen, for what I wish had been longer… Partaking in something I never would have thought possible for someone like me. But this world was different, and so was she.

Eventually, we pulled away.

"Promise me you'll come back."

I gave a small smile, and nodded. "I promise."

We stood at the outer gate, sorting through our gear. Florida had brought along her sack of stolen items, and begrudgingly given me free reign of its contents. So far, I had a water skin, a couple of torches, and a stone hatchet which I fastened to my belt.

Flo stored the few fruits and nuts that had been gifted to us, as well as a short length of rope.

"So are you guys together now or what?"

I couldn't help the childish grin that appeared on my face, or the unrelenting need to blurt out what had transpired. "I kissed her."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah."

"Congrats."

"Thanks." I picked up a bundle of what appeared to be spider silk, and examined it. "I guess that puts me in front of you as far as relationships are concerned."

The girl brightened a shade as she snapped her gaze to mine. "I've kissed someone before."

"Oh yeah? What was their name?"

She paused. "Matt. Matt Michelson."

"That's the most made up name I've ever heard."

"Shut up."

Not seeing a use for it, I returned the silk to the bag as Jake approached. A ripple of relief accompanied the presence of Alex, who trailed behind him.

"We've come to see you off," Jake announced.

Florida continued packing, but spared time to be sarcastic. "How thoughtful."

"I…" Alex started. The sentence trailed off as my gaze turned to her, she gave a weird face, as if she had forgotten what she was planning to say. Her features lit up when she remembered. "I just wanted to say goodbye. We're leaving today as well…"

That confirmed it for me. She wasn't rude, or withdrawn, or anything like that. She was just a little… spacey. And a tad clueless. It made me wonder how high school had treated her…

I smiled. "Thanks Alex. Hopefully we'll run into each other again."

She gave a small nod. "Hopefully."

A strong gust of wind gave us reason to look towards the horizon. Briefly, the four of us admired the rolling blankets of grass and forest, a silence encapsulating the moment.

"Lights fading, Eli."

Snapping out of the trance, I rubbed my neck and gave a resigned groan. "Fine, let's go."

Alex laughed, light and joyful. "You could try to be a little excited, at least."

"I'd rather be at home playing Stardew Valley to be honest."

"Agreed," the three others spoke unanimously.

"Sometimes I forget everyone here is a complete nerd." I looked to our leader, taking on a serious tone. "Look after Julia."

He nodded.

I gave one last smile to Alex. "Catch you later?"

She smiled back, a little sadly. "Yeah."

And with that, I faced my next expedition, the forest canopy gleaming over the grass plains, beckoning me into their depths. Despite everything I'd said… a spark of excitement lit within me. I suppose no matter what happened, it still beat Judo club.

I had only made it a dozen or so yards before Jake called out to me, jogging over. "I almost forgot…"

I eyed him suspiciously, somehow doubting he had forgotten anything. I looked at where he had left Alex, the girl from sixteen. She was well out of earshot now. It was obvious he just didn't want her overhearing whatever crazy orders he was about to give me.

"If you come across any ruins…"

I ground my teeth softly, wondering how willing he was to risk our lives. "Sure." Sure, we'll jump headfirst into a cavernous hole in the ground in search of secrets and buried treasure. Monsters just bounce off me after all.

"Good man. I'll make sure Julia stays fed."

My brow stiffened slightly. "You better."

As we finally separated, and Florida and I were left alone, the incoming protection of the tree line sheltered her comment. "I don't trust that guy."

I kept my thoughts to myself.

Author Note:

Beginning to get a bit of a Downton Abbey vibe here. Not sure why...

Either way, let me know if the writing is up to par, and if not, what can I adjust to make it better? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, it eventually brought me back to doing what I love.

I got really drunk recently and balanced three fidget spinners on my finger. Somebody took a video and my friends won't stop sending it to me. ':I

Anyway, I'll post another chapter soon.

Ciao. :)