Chapter eighteen: Red vs Green

Jesse, Magnus, Axel, and Reuben climbed the vines to the temple. The sun was rising in the east and a creeper sat on a hill nearby.

"Okay," said Jesse, as she and Reuben reached the top, turning around to look back at Axel and Magnus, "Just a little farther!"

Magnus finally reached the top as he looked at the temple and its new defenses by the entrance. "Wow," he said, walking to the edge and got a better look at the entryway of the temple. It was covered in redstone blocks, the gasping hole that was there was closed off by the blocks and had a iron door, "Blondie and Olivia really went bonkers with the defenses, huh?"

They all jumped down, jogging towards the entrance. But then a flashing creeper appeared right next to Jesse, who yelled in surprise; A few seconds later, multiple arrows hit the mob, killing it before it could explode.

"Who goes there?" Lukas yelled dramatically. They turned to see him, standing on a little platform above the door with a bow. Upon realizing who it was, Lukas' eyes widened, "Oh, Jesse? Is that you?"

"Hey, Lukas!" explained Jesse, as she waved at him, "We're back!"

Lukas waved back at them, "I'm so glad you're back!"

"And we brought Magnus!" said Jesse. Lukas' grin widen. "Fantastic!"

Lukas open the iron door, as the others made their way towards him, "Quick, come on. You guys are never going to believe who showed up while you were gone." As Jesse entered the building, she spotted Petra leaning against the wall.

Petra smiled and pushed herself off the wall, Jesse's face breaking out into a large smile. "Petra!"

"Hey, guys." said Petra, her voice sounded a little tired and exhausted, "How's it going?"

Reuben gave an excited oink, and started to run in circles around Petra, who grinned down at him. She knelt down as he stopped in front of her as she rubbed his head.

"Petra!" exclaimed Axel, running up to her as she got back to her feet, "You made it!" He pulled her into a huge hug, which she returned with a smile.

"And it's really good to see you too, big guy." Petra said to him as she looked over his shoulder and saw Jesse and Lukas with wide smiles, before Axel finally let the redhead go. She turned to Jesse, "It's good to see you too, Jesse." They hugged, Petra continued once they'd pulled apart.

"Back there in Gabriel's bunker... it got pretty dicey."

"It's such a relief to see you." said Jesse, "I'm glad you're okay."

"You pulled me out of that Witherstorm's clutches and I ran and ran and ran for the temple... If you hadn't saved me... well, I owe you everything, Jesse."

'If I hadn't save you, it would be the same with Gabriel. Only you would've gotten the Amnesia and he would've got your Withersickness.' Jesse thought as they walked in the halls, Petra continued talking.

"I'm just glad I heard Gabriel telling you where to go."

"Wow, did Gabriel get away too?" asked Jesse, even though she already knows what happened to him, "Did you see?"

"It's all a blur but... the Witherstorm left almost nothing behind. Everything… everyone… was just gone."

Petra slightly turned her head to face them as she said this, "It even got Gabriel."

Jesse looked over at Magnus, who's eyes were wide in shock and his mouth hanging open. He closed it, looking at the ground without saying a word, following the others into the temple. Even though he knows this would happen... it still hurts inside him that one of his closest friends has been trapped inside that monster.

Petra lead the others up the stairs to the room where the map was. "Wow." said Magnus, reaching the top of the stairs to stand next to Jesse, "Been a while since I've been here. It almost feels like forever. Whoa." He turned around, his eyes widened, "Wha- Jesse. Is t-that... her?" he asked, pointing at Ellegaard, who was standing next to Olivia as they were chatting about something. His cheeks turned pink as he stares at his lo- friend Ellie.

Jesse turned around and saw them too, and went back to Magnus. 'Oh boy. This. Is going. To be. Difficult.' she thought, he was very depressed and guilty after her death from the Witherstorm. And BOY was he depressed about it, he didn't even leaved his room.

"Call this a hunch," said Petra, "But... do you two not like each other?"

"Right," Lukas said, turning to Jesse, "Um, I forgot to mention... Olivia went on a little... expedition of her own, while you were gone."

Magnus frowned sadly, "And Olivia really came back w-with her?" he looked over at Ellegaard and Olivia, who hadn't seemed to realize anyone else was there yet. He looked at Jesse shyly, "Do you think that she won't remember about... being dead?"

Jesse stared at Magnus in silence as she try to think of a response, he continued on, "I mean.. I don't want to argue with her when I care too much about her."

Jesse shrugged and sighed, "I don't think so. I mean, Petra, Gabriel, and Lukas doesn't remember. So, there is a small chance that she'll remember."

Magnus gave a disappointed look and a small chuckle, "Ha... yeah, I guess it can't be."

"Jesse!" Olivia called, finally spotting them, "Jesse! Look- I brought Ellegaard!"

Sighing, Jesse turned back to Magnus, "Just hang on a sec, okay? I'll go figure out if she does remember."

"Good." said Magnus, his voice sounded depressed as Jesse walked away, "You-you do that."

"Easy now, Olivia," Ellegaard was saying to her, "Let's try and play it cool, hm?" she turned to Jesse, her expression turning hard, "So who are you, now? And why did you bring him with you?"

'Nope, she doesn't.' Jesse thought to herself before talking to Ellegaard, "We're reuniting the Order of the Stone."

Olivia stepped forward, "It was kind of crazy, actually. I went to Redstonia and there were all these incredible engineers and inventors. It was a little intimidating, actually… But Ellegaard's made me her protege!"

"Well," Ellegaard cut in, "Assistant, for now. I mean, after what happened..."

"I know." Olivia sighed, as she lightly blush, "I'm sorry. So sorry."

"So, your now Ellegaard's what? Assistant? Protege?" Jesse smirked at her in a playful manner.

"Well, I tried to get in to Ellegaard's private chambers to talk to her and..." Olivia slightly winced at her memory, "Long story short, it didn't go very well."

"She might have, well," Ellegaard shrugged, "Embarrassed herself; A tiny bit."

"Yeah." said Olivia, flustered, "But after I pled my case she agreed to take me on as her assistant and come back to help." she grinned, "Not bad, right?"

Jesse smiled at her before Magnus came up to them, his expression was fear, hope, and nervousness. "Oh hooo-ray. I-it's E-E-Ellie. And... here I was just starting to enjoy myself." his voice was filled with embarrassment and sadness.

"Hello, Magnus," said Ellegaard, glaring at him, "Your voice is exactly as pleasant as I remember. Which is to say, not at all."

"Yeah.." Magnus said softly, "I know."

Jesse eyes widened as she looked at the depressed Magnus then at Ellegaard and back at Magnus, 'Oh it is going to be awkward... and cringing.' She thought.

Olivia cleared her throat as it broke the awkward silence, "So, how are we going to stop that thing? The Witherstorm is clearly unstoppable at the moment!"

"Yeah, I'll admit." Magnus nodded, "That thing looked reeaaalll nasty; And I've seen some nasty stuff in my time." He made his way down the steps, so that they were just a little ways away from the levers that activated the map.

"Too much for you, was it?" Ellegaard raised an eyebrow at him, following him. "Your usual brutish approach didn't cut it?!"

Magnus glared at her, "Hey! You weren't there, alright!" He hissed, "You didn't see how this thing tore everything apart! You haven't seen anything like this!"

"WOULD YOU TWO STOP FIGHTING!!" Jesse shouted angrily at them.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Magnus, taken back. Ellegaard blinked. "Yikes."

"Jesse's right," Petra spoke up from where she stood next to Lukas, "We need to find some way to stop that thing."

"I don't know if you've looked around yet," said Ellegaard, "But this place isn't nearly the stronghold it used to be. Most of our supplies are gone."

"It would take a mountain of TNT to kill that thing!" Magnus said.

"I hate to say it," Ellegaard sighed, "But you have a point."

"This is amazing." muttered Axel, who was standing behind the two heroes with Olivia, who whispered back to him, "I know."

"Are they… getting along?" asked Lukas, although Jesse wasn't sure if he was talking about Axel and Olivia or Magnus and Ellegaard. Maybe both.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Jesse asked the engineer, "How are we going to stop it?"

"Well let's not panic first of all. That's a good first step." Ellegaard told her. Magnus nodded, "But even if we had all the TNT from miles around, I don't know if it would be enough..."

"If only Soren were here." sighed Ellegaard, "He might have something we could use."

"Oh, Ellie." groaned Magnus, sounding way more bitter then before, "Not this again. You know I hate when you brag about you and Soren's little brainy club."

"I'm not bragging!" snapped Ellegaard, "I think I've got a legitimate idea here!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Jesse, "What did Soren have?"

"Soren had a kind of 'Super TNT'," Ellegarrd explained, "Stronger and more explosive than anything else in the world. The 'Formidi-Bomb'."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." said Magnus, "I've heard all about the 'F-Bomb' before." Axel looked over at Magnus and had to ask.

"'F-Bomb'?"

Magnus nodded, "Yeah. Soren claimed that dropping the F-Bomb could destroy anything. But, I haven't seen it before-"

"It's real," said Ellegaard, "I swear."

"This thing sounds... impossible!" Jesse explained in a slightly surprised manner, "How could it even exist?"

"Impossible objects, were Soren's specialty." Ellegaard told the raven-haired girl then looked at Magnus, "We don't know where Soren is." Jesse slightly frowned, "But you found us. Do you know where he is?"

Jesse's attention went up to the large map on the other side of the room, and she walked up towards it, the others slightly followed her. Ellegaard nodded. "Our map could locate him."

"Unless he's in the Nether." Ellegaard continued, confirming Lukas' previous theory, "Or the End. But it's worth a shot."

"I bet we can find him." said Jesse, who was still looking up at it. Ellegaard nodded and began studying the map, Petra sitting on the steps in front of it with Reuben. Axel and Magnus were talking a little ways away, Olivia was off to the side and Lukas was standing next to the amulet stand.

"Hey Magnus." Jesse greeted him as she walked by to him, "How are you holding up?"

"Umm.. could be worst." said Magnus, gesturing at Ellegaard, "Could be better. I'm still trying to get over Ellie's death from that Witherstorm but... I'm just not happy that she doesn't remember."

"Mag, even if she did remember about the Witherstorm. She would've still fight with you, if you didn't confess your depression to her quick enough." Jesse told the small possibility and truth to the rogue. He sighed and nodded sadly, "I-I get it... sort of."

Jesse smiled at him before glancing at the switches on the table.

"Hey, Axel, how are you doing?"

"I'm holding up good." Axel exclaimed, "Still, umm, trying to keep it cool with the others who haven't remembered yet."

Jesse smiled at her friend as he looked nervously at her, "Well, good luck with that. We really need to have a no spoiler alert when we're here."

Jesse turned to Petra and Reuben. "How are you, Petra?"

"Fine." she said shortly.

Jesse looked at Petra in concern, "Y-you okay?"

"We can talk about it later," said Petra, "Let's just do this map for now."

Jesse reluctantly left, walking towards Ellegaard, "Hello, Ellegaard."

"You said you knew how to activate the map?" she asked, "I'm very curious to see it- I've never actually seen it worked before." As Ellegaard returned to the map, she walked up to Lukas who was standing next to the amulet stand.

"How you holding up, Lukas?" she asked. Lukas took a moment to answer.

"I'm alright. This all has been pretty intense. I feel like if I think too much about what's going on… well, I'll just think I'm completely nuts."

"Well, just keep it together, okay?" Jesse asked him, "I can't afford having you cracking on me."

"Hey, I'll be okay," Lukas told her, "Don't worry about me."

Jesse smiled before saying, "Oh, right. Lukas? Thank you so much for all the help. I-I know we haven't always gotten along the best in the past, but you've been great."

Lukas' eyes widened in surprise, "Wow..." before giving her a smile, "That means a lot, Jesse. Thank you."

Jesse began walking around the stairs to Olivia and saw her obviously-sulking about the fainting incident, "Hey, Olivia, you okay?"

Olivia sighed, "I'm alright. I can't shake the feeling that I embarrassed myself back in Redstonia in front of Ellegaard. Again! I think she kind of judges me a bit. Also it hurts more when it's the past Ellegaard, the same one that died from the Witherstorm."

"Yeah, but it'll be okay." said Jesse. "You kinda did faint in front of Ellegaard as she assumed that you were her assistant. People do embarrassing things sometimes. I should know, I did that a couple times too."

Olivia slightly smiled, "I hope you're right- wait a minute. I didn't told you how I embarrassed myself, even that pacifically." she raised an eyebrow at her.

Jesse's eyes widened as she meekly answered, "I-I guess?"

Olivia looked at her deadpan before looking at the amulet stand, "Yeah, sure you did."

Jesse quickly continued past Olivia over to the levers, pulling the first one. The redstone block immediately let up, and the red and green lights from the amulet appeared on the map, right next to each other at the temple.

"Alright," said Magnus, standing next to Ellegaard, "There's your light, my light..." Abruptly, a white light flickered on near the top of the map.

"That's new." said Axel.

"There he is." Ellegaard said, as Jesse joined them. "Soren had his fortress deep inside the mountains. After the Order... broke up, that's where he went to keep doing his experiments."

"Look," said Magnus, "He invited me there a couple times but it always seemed a little..."

"Weird, right?" finished Ellegaard, "It always seemed a little weird."

"Glad we can agree on that at any rate." Magnus said.

"I mean, I never actually went there with him."

"That's probably the only time you made the right call."

Jesse walked up towards them, "So, why aren't we going? Is there some kind of problem?" she asked them.

Not shortly after, another light flickered on, this one was blue and emitting from the center of the amulet.

Everyone's eyes widen in shock and surprise.

"Whoa," Ellegaard said, a bit taken back. The blue light was slowly moving towards the white light.

Jesse's heart filled up with hope and happiness as she looked at the blue light on the map, she knows who that light belongs to. Someone that Jesse personally knows and cares deeply about.

It was Ivor.

Started:7/17/17 Finished: 8/9/17

(I'm back. Sorry for the long wait, but I'm here again. Hope you like it. See what happens in the next chapter, bye.)