Chapter 29
The Treehouse
"We build a bridge."
Petra looked sharply at him. The heat from the volcano left her sweaty, hair plastered to her face. Her hair hardly moved from her sudden movement, "How are we going to do that Aiden? The building works differently here. Any kind a bridge we make will collapse under its own weight without support."
Lukas stumbled as the ground shook, "These tremors won't help either! We'll fall before we can put a block down!" he cursed.
"Do you guys have stone?" Aiden asked.
"No,"
"What do you have?" he paused, "Do you have any wood?"
"I have some blocks," Petra said, "Not a lot."
"The rooms back in the dining hall had some wooden supports," Lukas said, "We can use those too."
"But even the wood might collapse, that and there is the lava." Petra cringes.
Aiden takes a deep breath, "Then we make sticks, and make a ladder instead."
"A ladder?!"
"It should be sturdy enough to hold us, and if we build it up and drop it across at the narrow part," He pointed towards the gap. Not far from where Jesse lay, the cavern was narrower there. Not small enough to jump across by far, but possibly small enough to go with the ladder plan. "Then we run across and get Jesse."
Petra and Lukas looked to the drop as well, just a massive geyser of lava spewed up.
Aiden swallowed thickly, "Look, unless either of you has another idea-"
Petra held up her hand, "We don't. And we don't have time to find another way around. We'll build that ladder, it's the best chance we have."
"We can't go all at once," Lukas said hastily, already moving towards the dining hall.
"If we go one at a time, we should be fine," Aiden said, "You guys go get more wood! I have enough on me to build a crafting table! Go!"
Lukas and Petra darted through the door, vanishing into the dark.
Aiden ducked out of instinct as another loud bang shook the city. He looked, watching cautiously as Steve and Alex blocked and parried to the best of their abilities. Herobrine's continuous onslaught giving the pair no quarter; no time to stop and help Jesse.
Aiden ran towards -what he hoped was a safer area - and closer to the gap and Jesse. His lungs burned, and he didn't even want to think about his other bodily pains. But he didn't have time to think anyway.
They were running out of time.
He quickly assembled the crafting table, praying it was in a place where it wouldn't -hopefully- be destroyed. But there were no limits to where the Immortals could go, there was no sign or warning.
Aiden flinched again at another explosive bang. Fire flew out of the canyon, slamming into a wall. He thought he hears Alex scream, but he couldn't figure if it was pain or rage.
Each hit the trio dealt, each blow, would have killed a normal person. But this was a battle of super humans. Aiden looked grimly out, seeing Steve's glowing form. Even Alex was willingly shifting into a more deity like state, her final card against Herobrine.
This was a battle of gods.
Just like in the journal described, all those ages ago.
"We got more blocks and sticks!" Lukas ran up panting, his knuckles are bloodied, he had been punching hard and fast.
Petra's knuckles are bloody too, "Notch be willing this is enough."
"No time to second guess!"
They built and assembled the pieces as fast as they could manage in the chaotic environment. The heavy thought that their friend was running out of time was a good motivator. Every second lost was another second Jesse might be gone.
At one point Steve crashed down on their side, right into the ancient palace. What windows remained shattered, scattering small shards of glass everywhere. The entire upper floor falling down upon the First. He shot out like a streak of light, he hit Herobrine dead on. The pair flew out of the mouth of the volcano only to come crashing back down moments later. An entire section of the canyon gave way to the inferno as a result.
The city was caving in on itself.
"Go hurry!"
"Steady! We can't let it break!"
The ladder tipped, and landed on the other side with about a foot to spare. It was long enough.
"Hurry!" Petra moved forward.
"Wait!" Aiden grabbed her shoulder, "I'll go first!"
"But-"
"This is my crazy idea, if it breaks with me on it; we know it was a bad one. Besides, I'm the heaviest out of the three of us; so if the ladder can hold me, it will hold you two."
Petra hesitated, then slowly nodded. She reluctantly backed away and off of the first rung. "Be careful." she whispered.
Aiden took an uneasy step onto the first bar over the fifteen story drop. Lukas and Petra held their end down to stabilize the build. But with nothing holding the other end, every shake, tremor, and shudder of the volcano had the ladder bouching and lurching.
Alex flew over it, the whole thing nearly flipped over by the wind that followed.
Aiden dropped on to his hands and knees. Walking across on two feet was a guaranteed death.
Fire and lava spewed up around him, the heat was unbearable. He refused to look down, he'd lose his nerve if he did, and they were already strained enough. He feared one wrong move from the Immortals would send the already weak ledge to the fire below; with the ladder and Aiden falling with-
No, don't think that. Don't even go there! Just...look up, keep looking up. You have to do this, just look up. He focused on Jesse. The male lay still on the stone, red in his own blood. With all the tremors it was hard to discern if he was still breathing. His head was turned away, entire body twisted in an awkward angle.
He had to live, he just had too.
"Hang in there Jesse, we're coming..."
The battle was violently escalating, even though Aiden felt it was bad enough it was certainly getting worse. Herobrine was stronger now with the power of the Witherstorm and he was using it to his advantage. Steve and Alex were now losing, even at their most powerful state, they couldn't hold him for long.
The ladder lurched and Aiden's grip slipped. He lost his footing sending his lower body through the ladder. He managed to stop himself before he fell any further, ribs slamming against the wooden poles.
"Aiden!" Lukas cried.
"I'm okay!" he yelled. I think, he added mentally.
Lava spewed up from below, and he swore he could feel the heat melting the rubber on is boots. Aiden pulled himself up, hastening his snail pace across the bridge.
Steve landed by the ladder, and the whole edge groaned under his impact.
Aiden froze, a gasp escaping his lips.
Steve's head turned quicker than a snap, his iris-less eyes burrowing into Aiden's soul. But just as quickly as he looked at Aiden, his god-like rage snuffed out, and Steve's eyes cleared. He looked at Aiden, precariously balanced on the home-made bridge. Then he looked to Jesse in distress, before looking back to Aiden. Steve's eyes widened in surprise, catching on to was the trio was doing. He gave Aiden a sharp quick nod in understanding. Steve then leapt away, careful not to damage the floor.
He was still in his deity state, but the blind rage that had guided him was gone. He quickly joined Alex, and almost immediately their stance changed from offensive to defensive. It was easier to hold off then to push forward. They were keeping Herobrine back Aiden realized, and away from Jesse.
Aiden began to move, when a large geyser shot up from below. It missed the ladder, but the heat wave and gust of air knocked Aiden clean off the wooden bridge.
"AIDEN!"
His bloody hands caught the side of the ladder, and his shoulders screamed in agony as his whole body jerked from the sudden stop. Aiden screamed in kind, more from fear and terror than anything.
Petra was already getting onto the ladder, "Hang on! I'm coming!"
"No! It'll break!"
"But you fall!" She yelled desperately.
Aiden cried, "Just wait! I'm okay!"
With shaking hands he tries to pull himself up. But the air currents buffeting him around make it impossible to do anything but just hold on. Even with Lukas and Petra's attempts to keep the ladder steady he couldn't get up. So Aiden moved his hands to the middle of the rungs. Then, one hand at a time, bar by bar, he keeps moving.
It kills his hands; the blood and sweat make it difficult to grip the ladder. It's like monkey bars, he has to tell himself. Granted, that was something he hadn't done since he was small. Down below the lava bubbled and boiled, like nature was whispering to him. Sending him a morbid invitation to just let go and join the inferno.
Monkey bars, it is just like monkey bars. But death is involved-
No! Just keep moving!
The ongoing battle makes it even more difficult to stay alive and focused. Everytime Herobrine, Alex and Steve meet, the entire city threatens to give out from the violent air currents of fire and air. Stone, iron, even obsidian gives out upon the violent impacts from the three warriors. How many hits were left till everything just gave up?
Aiden, by some miracle makes it to the edge, the currents of air are weaker against the rock face. His shoulders and hands are screaming, he's pretty sure they're about to give out any second now.
Just keep climbing.
"Aiden hang on!" Lukas cries, "You're almost there!"
Aiden doesn't respond, he fighting for friction with his boots, pushing off the rock -anything- to help him up. Aiden claws at the stone, finally able to pull himself up and over. He collapses on the ground, his already hurting lungs heaving for air. He felt like he could sleep for eternity, like he had trekked a mountain and not crossed a gap.
No time to rest though!
Aiden sits up, and repositioned himself over the ladder's end. His weight making it significantly more stable.
"GO!"
Petra doesn't waste a second, crawling across as fast as she can. "Jesse?" she calls fear etching her face.
Aiden looks back over his shoulder, now closer, he can clearly see Jesse's weak but still there breathing. "He doesn't have a lot of time Petra! Hurry!"
She does hurry, "I'm coming!" she crosses faster than he does, the stability of the ladder helping her greatly.
"Help Jesse," Aiden says as she steps onto more solid ground. "I got the ladder!"
"Got it!"
Aiden looks across the chasm once more, "You're turn man!"
Lukas climbs up, gripping tight as the ladder now loses some of its craved stability. Lukas is more nimble than Aiden however, and his archer fingers are used to gripping tight.
Suddenly-
"I don't think so!" Herobrine roars.
He'd seen them.
"Nooo!" Alex cries.
Aiden watches in horror as Herobrine kicks Steve hard, sending the man flying across the gap. He hit the other side, sending a great length of ravine edge crumbling under impact. Steve falls with the rest of the debris, the ladder losing is ground as well and falling along with everything else.
"Lukas!" Petra cries out.
"Shit! NO!" Aiden holds on tightly as he can as the other end plummets, "Lukas!" he screams.
Lukas was screaming as the ladder drops, but by some miracle he manages to hang on as it smashed into the fall. His head hits the rock, but he still holds on, "Augh!" blood immediately began to run down the right side of his face. It moved quickly, mixing with the sweat on his skin.
"Lukas!" Aiden cries again, by some greater miracle he has managed to keep his own grip. Barely holding both the former bridge and Lukas from plummeting below, "Lukas hang on!"
Lukas made the mistake of looking down at the inferno, "Oh Notch! Don't let go!"
"Climb Lukas! Climb!"
Lukas scrambles up, threatening to fall everytime the ladder bangs against the rock face. The stone smashes against his fingers making the youth cry out in pain. The much stronger stone is cracking the wood with each hit, it's going to break.
"You're almost to the top!" Aiden urges, "Just a little-"
The ladder shatters in Aiden's hands.
"LUKAS!"
Lukas jumps before his bar breaks, and Aiden lunges his upper body over the edge, arm reaching out. Their hands locked together just as the ladder tumbles into the lava rivers below. The shattered wood hits the fire, some of them shooting back up with a geyser, flying like large arrows through the air.
"I gotcha! Don't let do!" He begs. Their blood and sweat mix together and Aiden can feel Lukas struggling for grip, "Don't let go!"
Lukas grabs on with both hands, and manages to pull himself closer. Aiden grabs onto the blond's shirt, yanking hard. The other manages to get over without pulling Aiden off the cliff and they both collapse onto the ground wheezing.
"Jesse!"
They sat up, looking towards Petra. She urgently shook the still brunet. "Jesse come on man!" Tears peaked from the corner of her eyes, "Guys! Guys! He's not breathing!"
The boys scramble over, "Anyone know CPR?" Aiden asks.
"I do," Petra chokes out.
"Then do it! Lukas hold his head! I'm going to try and bind his wound!"
They took position, Aiden was opposite of Petra, careful to stay out of her way. Lukas settled at the top, resting Jesse's head onto his knees. Aiden looked down at Jesse's stomach, his own twisting in pain.
He needed to bind it and fast.
He looked at his sleeve, but hesitated at the sight of all the blood and sweat staining his clothes.
Aiden heard the tearing of fabric and he looks up. Lukas has taken off his coat and was tearing at his shirt. His long sleeves much cleaner and less sweaty then Aidens. He just finished tearing off the second sleeve, "Here," he shoves the fabric to Aiden with shaking hands.
"Come on Jesse, come on!" Petra kept doing CPR, but her demeanor was beginning to crumble, "COME ON!"
Aiden looked at the wound in despair, then took a deep breath and started working. "Wake up you idiot," he choked out, hastening to stop the blood.
Jesse didn't stir.
He was starting to cry, he tried hard not to, but he began crying anyway. Aiden found he was crying over the most annoying person in his entire life. The one person who had been the target of almost every cruel thing he ever did or said...
Aiden was crying over the first person to have given him a chance.
Aiden swallowed hard and squeezed a limp hand, "I did not kick you off a damn floating city for you to die this way. If I can't kill you doing that...Then- then you are not allowed to die here! Please, Jesse! Please wake up!"
"Please wake up!"
For a moment, there seemed to be a thousand voices, echoes of a thousand worlds.
Then there was nothing...
But only for a moment.
"He's drooling..."
"He's tired, give him a break."
"Someone give me a marker."
"Shhh! No, let Jesse sleep."
Jesse shifted.
"See? You're too noisy! Come on, let's leave him be!"
Jesse unwillingly let his eyes flutter open, a soft sigh escaping his lips. As his vision came into focus a white pillow greeted him. He could feel the soft and cozy cotton sheets covering his body. He didn't have his armor on, not even his suspenders, Jesse's shirt just loosely and casually hung on his shoulders and he was strangely okay with that. He was in the most comfortable bed ever and he didn't want to leave.
"When do you think he'll get up?"
"Shhh! Just hand me the cards!"
He was groggy, and tired, not yet bothered by the strange whispers. Not getting off the pillow, Jesse began to slowly take the time to inspect his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was the room was made of wood. It was entirely open, it seemed to be just a one roomed house.
There was bookcase, a trunk, an empty armor rack. There were even posters on the wall.
Like home, Jesse thought amused, this looks like home."
A cool breeze cut through the room, a perfect sensation to match the comfort of the bed. Then the smell of oak and pine trees drifted into the room.
Jesse looked over his shoulder at a window by the bed. The bright sunlight made it impossible to see outside, but he could hear the branches brushing against the walls.
Just like the treehouse.
His looked back forward, his eyes drifting downard. He eyed a patch of scuff marks scarring the wooden floor. It made Jesse smile. That's funny, Rueben did the exact same thing to the floor when I-
Jesse's smile drops.
The perfect bed, his bed. The one room house, his home.
He's wide awake now and trying to move. His body is covered in a aching pain, but he manages to gingerly sit up. Once upright he takes a good look to confirm...He's home.
The treehouse?!
"Hey! He's up! Morning zombie head!"
Jesse sharply turns his head and his heart stops.
Axel is sitting at the table, the one built into the wall - just like home. He wave, smiling broadly at Jesse. Olivia is on the opposite side, shaking her head in disapproval, "I told you we were being too noisy. Now we've gone and woke him up." She gives him an apologetic look. Then she shuffles the deck of cards in her hands and smiles at Jesse, "Sorry Jesse. Did you have a nice nap?"
Jesse is speechless.
Aiden leans over to Olivia, "He's slow to wake up remember? Talk slowly."
Olivia snorts and gently smacks Axel's arms, "Stop that."
"Do you think if I put on my creeper costume he'll wake up faster?"
"Axel! Shh!"
Jesse swallows, then he does it again, then a third time. His throat his thick and tight, and his mouth is dry, "G-guys?" his voice was hoarse, the sound made him cringe.
Axel grins wider, "There he goes."
"Axel? Olivia?"
"That's our names dude, don't wear it out."
"I-I'm- we- the treehouse?"
Olivia looks around, "I know it's been awhile since we hung out here, but yeah...the treehouse." she tilts her head, a little worried, "Are you okay? You seem a little out of it right now."
Jesse looked down at the sheets, the fabric is bunching in his shaking hands. He tries to remember how he got here, how he got home, but..."I'm dead."
"Mmmm, don't think so," Axel replies, "Cause if you're dead, we shouldn't be here. Rueben would be though and that would be awesome!" he brings his hands to his chin, "Unless we're all dead, I guess that means we have more time to hang out."
"Axel..." Olivia sighs.
"Then-then I'm dreaming," Jesse mumbles.
"But what if we're the ones who are dreaming and you are the dream?"
"Axel cut it out, can't you see he's tired?" Oliva turns to Jesses, "How about a nice game of cards to wake you up? Crazy Eights is your favorite right?" she shuffled the cards, "Here, I'll deal you in."
Jesse stared across the room, his two friends chatting merrily away as the cards were dealt across the table.
He was here, he was home. This was his house, his table, his best friends were right there. They were right-
A wet drop splashed on the back of his hand, then another.
Olivia finished dealing, "Alright which pile do you - Jesse?!"
His friends stared in alarm as Jesse began to openly cry.
"Dude what's wrong?!"
"You can't be here," Jesse choked on his own words, "I can't be home. This isn't - this isn't-" he couldn't look at them; he buried his face into his knees. He wanted so badly to curl up and die.
They left the table - cards forgotten - and scrambled onto the bed. Olivia got there first, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Jesse, Shhh, it's okay."
"It's not, you're not real!"
"Whatever you think this is," she soothed, "We're still here for you. Tell us what's wrong."
"I can't get to you," Jesse sobbed, his tears soaking the fabric, "I'm trying but I can't!"
"We know you are," Axel replied, unnaturally quiet.
"No, you don't!" Jesse lifted his head, "I left, I didn't tell you where I was going and- and - Now I can't get back! I just left you - I wish - I just wish you knew!"
"We might not know where you are Jesse," Olivia admitted. "But we know you. We know you're trying."
Jesse didn't respond , he just shook his head. Weeks, months, of pent up emotion, and he can't keep it in any longer. His mind is broken.
"If anyone can make it back, you can man." Axel said.
"I can't I can't keep going."
"Dude, you are a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for."
"I can't..."
They weren't real, they were not here. But Jesse wanted so badly-
"I miss you guys so much!"
"We miss you too," Olivia replied softly.
"We miss you bad." Axel added.
"But Jesse? We need to talk." Olivia rubbed his back, "You can let Petra, Ivor and Lukas help you know. They're good friends, they can be there for you just as much as we were for each other."
"What?"
"Jesse," Axel elbowed him gently, "We know you, and well, ever since you lost Rueben you've been pulling a lot on your own. Wherever you guys are right now, you've probably clammed up and you're carrying all the weight. Let them help man."
Jesse rubbed his eyes, sniffing, "I want to. I just- People get hurt and -" He rubbed his eyes harder, "And what if you guys feel-"
Axel lifted an eyebrow, "Feel what? Feel replaced?" he scoffed, "Not gonna happen. No offense to Lukas, but pretty boy has got nothin on me."
Jesse let out a choked laugh, Notch that sounded so much like Axel.
Olivia smiled, "Will you let them help? It'll get you home faster."
"I'll...try."
"Good!" Axel patted him on the back, "You'll be back in no time. Now come 'er! Group hug!"
Axel pulls the others into one of his lung crushing hugs. Olivia laughs as she tumbles into Jesse. She wraps around him with her warm arms. It's smothering, and tight, and even breathing is hard.
It's perfect.
Jesse laughs, or maybe he's just crying harder. But he revels in the embrace, clinging to his friends, his family. He savors the warmth, because it feels so real, it feels so much like them.
He doesn't want to let go.
"It's not working!"
Petra's composure has crumbled, Aiden's never seen her cry. She's trying, but her sobs make her efforts to revive Jesse difficult.
"Keep trying!" Lukas begs, "Petra, keep trying!"
"I am!"
"Come on Jesse! Please! Wake up!"
Aiden has never prayed to Notch before, but he is now. Hoping the deity that meant so much to this world was listening. Just once, please just once.
Notch help him please!
Jesse remains unresponsive and Aiden tries not to scream.
"Wake up!"
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