Chapter 5

It was impossible to tell how long they had been on the water for. The worst part about being in a video-game setting is that there was no way to tell how much time had passed, other than the passing of the sun and moon. But since the sun was still in the same spot as it was when Kate first arrived, that was no help. Regardless, it felt like ages as she and Jenna rode their boat on the open waters in the direction of where the map was pointing them. After a grueling effort but pretty solid teamwork, the two had sailed to the other side of the body of water. The vehicle hit the shore, giving the two a break from rowing the oars. The moment they hit the land, the two jumped out and checked around to see if anything had changed. Right off the bat, Kate didn't notice too much of a difference on the land. The grass did seem a bit greener, but there was nothing visibly outstanding that caught her eyes.

"Nothing as far as I can see…" Kate noted as Jenna walked over to her.

"The place must be a bit more inward," the black-haired girl theorized. "Which means we need to walk a bit further."

Kate sighed. "I'm not against open world games, I just don't like traveling on foot."

"Yeah… it's one thing to move your character. But when you're the one doing the walking…" Jenna agreed. Regardless, the duo continued down their path in the hopes of making some progress. They were wondering if they were getting any closer to figuring out how to head back home, which they were beginning to miss. Kate especially was becoming anxious as she didn't know how long it was in the real world.

As they walked, Kate became deep in thought. "I wonder what time it is in the real world… what if it's already passed three?" She questioned, becoming worried. "I don't have any way to contact Dark or Anti, which means that eventually they will start to get nervous and question where I am. And considering how upset Anti was last time I didn't come home right away, he might go crazy if I am tardy again." She realized, thinking about what those Outcasts would do. "Dark doesn't really care too much about me, though I am still under Contract with him. So he would only want to keep me around so I can fulfill my end of the bargain. I can only imagine how he will react if he has to save me again." So far, Darkiplier has saved Kate from certain death twice now. The first was when he chased away that Scavenger that had crashed the fund-raiser event her sisters did for their non-profit. Leaving her sister in critical condition, but eventually became stable and was making a full recovery. The second time was when she was kidnapped by Anti and taken halfway across the world, luring Dark out by using Kate as bait. To Anti's credit, it did work. Now, Kate could only imagine how he would react if Dark had to save her a third time.

"Chances are, he might limit me to going outside or attempt to set a curfew for me." Just the idea annoyed the blond to an extent. "As if he could, I'm my own person! Just because we have a Contract, doesn't mean he owns me. And until he can kill that Scavenger, he doesn't have any control over me." Kate reminded herself, as she remembered everything Anti had told her. Still… a few things did weigh on her mind despite her moment of reassurance. "But what if he does start to see it becoming too risky to have me out on my own? Would he try to limit my freedom and my interactions with people? I know he is considered a manipulator amongst the Iplier community, but he wouldn't go as far as to threaten me or my loved ones… would he?" Kate began to spiral into doubt and anxiety, at the mere thought of Dark becoming possessive of her. Even if a part of her reassured Dark wouldn't go that far, with the way he acted in the past, who knows what he could be capable of. Her head gazed down as she couldn't look ahead, her mind became heavy with disturbing possibilities of what Dark would do if he had to save her again. Would he also hurt Jenna as well, considering she would know too much if she saw Dark!? The very notion of Kate being responsible for that Outcast killing someone who had gotten close to her, made her heart race. She thought back to what happened with Wilford in the Manor, and how brutal he could be with his kills. He truly was a devious, malicious entity now that the blond remembered their first meeting.

"Kate?" The woman found herself jumping off the ground, being taken out of her thoughts as she heard a voice nearby. She whipped her head around, seeing the concerned expression of Jenna. Her brain registered where she was in the moment, and it helped her to calm down a bit as she was safe for now. "Are you alright? You were really quiet and didn't hear me the first few times I called your name."

It was kind of Jenna to worry about her, even though Kate had only met her a few days ago. Still, she couldn't explain everything that was wrong with her. Either Jenna would think she was crazy, or worse, want to be involved which Kate did not want either. "I-I'm sorry… just, a lot on m-my mind…" She tried to be vague in her reasoning.

"Did you want to talk about it? I won't judge…" Jenna reassured her. Even though Kate was a bit skeptical of wanting to tell Jenna her problems, she thought back to her own times in therapy after the death of her folks. There was one thing that she took away from her sessions in relieving stress… that it was usually better to talk about the cause with someone so you could at least get it off your shoulders. Of course, the things she was stressed about she couldn't disclose to just anyone. But, maybe she could have tried to express some concerns connected to that?

With a heavy sigh, she rubbed the back of her head to speak. "I'm… worried about not getting back home at a certain time…" She tried to explain.

Jenna raised a brow as she wanted more information. "At a certain time? Do you have a curfew at home?"

"No!" Kate immediately responded. "I mean, not exactly…" She tried to think of how she could explain she had to be home at a reasonable time, without bringing in Dark or Anti. The only other person in the house was her and… a realization crossed her mind as she remembered someone else she was close to in her home. "I need to get home to my dog…"

"...Dog?" Jenna repeated.

"Yes…" Kate answered as she tried to piece together her words. "See, he's a pug, and-and he has a few health issues that I have to keep up on. He also h-has separation anxiety, so if I am away from him for too long, he will go crazy in the house and act out. And no one else is in the house w-with him, so he gets very lonely and easily riled up…" To be fair, all of that was true. Oliver had a tendency of being clingy towards Kate since he saw her as his mother. And he did have trouble keeping his ears and face clean, which are issues all pugs have. So Kate wasn't lying that she needed to be there for Oliver. Yet the expression Jenna was giving Kate made the fairer one worry that it wasn't enough of an explanation. "I know it-it sounds silly to worry about a dog. But… Oliver means a lot to me. H-He was given to me when I started high school and has been with me since… And anytime I feel down or upset, he's there to cheer me up. So… I love him a lot…"

Kate expected Jenna to ridicule her for having such a familial connection with a mere animal, not that it wasn't the first time she heard it. Even though she truly cared for Oliver and enjoyed cuddling with him. He even helped her get through the death of her parents, reminding her that she wasn't alone. Eventually, Jenna put on a generous grin before replying. "I don't think that's silly…" She finally responded which did catch Kate off guard. "I don't have any pets myself, but I know that they should be viewed as part of a family. And it sounds like you are more worried of not just Oliver, but your family as well."

So, Jenna did realize what was really going on. Well, not the full picture but the general idea. Kate gave a nod. "I don't technically live with my parents or siblings, but they still try and watch over me. So if I don't come back home at a certain time, they know something is wrong and I don't want them to panic…"

The black-haired girl bobbed her head. "Yeah… I'm worried about that as well." Jenna admitted. "I got here last night, and since you came here recently that means that it's been over twelve hours since I was dragged here. And I haven't been able to contact any of my friends or family to let them know I'm okay."

Hearing that made Kate sympathize with Jenna, as she now realized that she wasn't the only one worried about wanting to get back to her home. "Do you live with your parents?" Kate asked, as they continued to walk to gain distance.

"No, I live with my aunt. Not because of anything bad, just my folks wanted to stay in our home state but I wanted to live up here while I was doing my school work and wanted to find a job. I was going to visit them over the summer to catch up though."

"Does your aunt worry about you coming home at a certain time?"

Jenna shrugged. "It depends on the weather or what's on the news. I have a lot of friends so chances are if I don't come home, I usually hang out with them. Of course, she wants me to text her when I go places so she can be up to date in case something happens."

That made sense to Kate, in this day and age you can never be too cautious. "Did you tell your aunt about you staying late at the college for your project?"

"Yeah, I realized how late it was getting so I told her I would most likely stay with a friend that was close-by. She told me that was alright, but I had to come back home right away and let her know when I would be coming back." Jenna looked down at the thought of that being the last message she sent to her guardian.

Kate tried to be the one to console Jenna now. "At least you told your aunt that you were alright, so that might take some stress off her plate. Better than her not having anything at all."

The other woman turned towards Kate, hearing her words which did make her feel better. Still, a bit of unease was written on her face. "I want to get back home as soon as possible.. Before my aunt and friends worry."

Kate moved a bit closer to Jenna, as their goals and reasons were the same. They both wanted to get back home but needed to find out how to do that. Still, at least they had each other to rely on, so they weren't facing this alone. And they were making progress, so long as they stuck to their roots. "I'm sure there's a way for us to get back to the real world. Hopefully that way is in that town on the map…" Kate tried to be positive. Though so far they had no clue if they were even going the right direction. That was until Jenna noticed a sign not too far from where they were. They headed over to the wooden board, with writing that stated: Lapiz Point: MyStreet 2 miles

A sign pointing them in the right direction, quite literally. Kate was relieved to finally have a clue on where they were heading. But… she had no idea what it meant. "Lapiz Point? MyStreet?" Kate repeated, confusion in her voice.

Jenna on the other hand beamed with glee as a smile spread on her face. "No way! It's the MyStreet!" Her voice pitched to a high tone, indicating her excitement which took Kate off guard.

The blond stared at the other girl, who seemed to know what she was talking about. "Do you know that name?"

Jenna turned towards the other classmate, explaining with merriment. "The MyStreet Diaries, they're a series of Minecraft roleplays from Aphmau."

Kate blinked, still baffled by the information. "Aphmau… wait, is she… a YouTuber?" Kate asked.

Jenna nodded. "She has her own channel that she does Minecraft videos on such as challenges, games but mostly they are usually role playing stories. The MyStreet series is her most popular. From her Phoenix Drop High school days, to going to FC University and then buying her house on MyStreet. She managed to capture the slice of life stories, but also adds in fantasy and adventure in there with hints of comedy and drama." Kate was taken aback by how much Jenna was praising that channel and YouTuber. She hadn't seen Jenna so excited about a topic until now. Based on her looks, Kate assumed Jenna was a more sophisticated woman who had more passion in her work than hobbies. "It's actually because of Aphmau that I got into Minecraft to begin with. I saw her videos back in high school and followed her. The way she made those structures and had fun with the people made me download the game and get invested into the challenges and crafting. It's also what inspired me to get into game development to create more 'sandbox' media for players to express their creativity."

Hearing this explanation made Kate curious as she had to ask, "Is that why you chose Minecraft to do those mods for your final project?"

Jenna nodded. "I know I seem a bit obsessive, but the game is a blast for me." The way she sounded made it seem she was bashful to admit it.

Kate didn't understand why she would be embarrassed though, if it was something she liked, why would she need to deny it. "I don't think you sound obsessive… you just have something that you enjoy doing. There's nothing wrong with that."

The way Jenna looked at the blond caught Kate off guard. The black-haired one seemed stunned, which made Kate worried she might have offended her at first. The smile proved that Jenna seemed pleased to hear such words though. "Thanks… not all of my family and friends get my interest. I was kind of expecting you to judge me, since you yourself aren't fond of Minecraft… no offense."

"Just because I'm not interested in the game, doesn't mean I don't like it." Kate explained. "I just don't like to play it because I'm one who is more into story structure games, not really sand-box types. At least, to a certain degree. But playing those mods with you was fun, mainly because you helped me to see some challenges that I could take when it comes to Minecraft. I think that's what got me a bit invested."

Based on Jenna's sparkles in her eyes and the widened smile, Kate believed she was happy to hear that. "I'm glad you're honest, but appreciate you trying to get into it for my sake. Thanks for… not judging me."

Kate shrugged. "What you like and do in your spare time is your business. As long as it makes you happy. Besides, you didn't judge me for my interest in fanfictions."

"True… I still don't, by the way. Even if I don't understand them myself. Which… is probably how you feel about Minecraft." Kate gave a nod as both her and Jenna knew their mutual feelings. At least they were taking their mind off of the negative aspects of their situation, so that seemed to be worth it. However, as Jenna gazed back at the sign before her, her eyes mesmerized with wonder as she spoke up. "I can't believe this server belongs to Aphmau. I always wanted to meet her, either in person or in the game. In fact, my brother saw her last fall."

Hearing that caused Kate's brain to focus better, looking at Jenna as her curiosity was taking over. "What do you mean?" She asked, already having a slight feeling in her gut.

"The pax he went to, the one you talked about and wanted to learn more…" Jenna reminded Kate, realizing the reason she was here to begin with. "Aphmau was one of those YouTubers that was there because she was invited."

Upon hearing that, it only made the feeling in Kate's stomach confirmed, forming a pit that was growing. The Pax Convention… where Markiplier and Jacksepticeye went to where Darkiplier and Antisepticeye were born and possessed them. She knew that more people would have been there aside from those two, and could have been infected with such parasites… Outcasts is what they seem to be called. Now that she thought about it, Kate recalled being in that strange world Anti trapped her in, based around the Bendy and the Ink Machine game. The recording of Mark, Jack and other people from those tapes. Some she recognized as YouTubers, others she didn't know. But, there was a lot of evidence going through her head. "Aphmau… if she was at that Fall Pax… and if she is the one behind us being sent here…" Her mind continued to piece the puzzle together, only to come to a startling and unsettling conclusion. "Aphmau must be possessed by an Outcast! Which means, she got jewelry containing such a creature!" The educated guess made Kate even more disturbed and terrified. If Aphmau was being possessed by another Outcast, chances are they would be in grave danger. Based on how Dark and Anti acted towards her upon their first meeting, there was no telling what this demonic force would do. "Did this Outcast take control of that YouTuber to create this place? Did she want to lure me here?" Kate pondered.

It would explain why she was able to be summoned here. But… Why drag Jenna into this? "Maybe Jenna was just a victim in this… it could be this Outcast was trying to just get me through the computer, like how Anti did it. She must have grabbed Jenna by mistake…" She theorized. "But… What would this Outcast want from me? Does she want to use me to bring Anti and Dark here?" Considering the rivalry between Dark and Anti, and what happened because of it where she was kidnapped, it could happen again. But… neither Dark nor Anti mentioned any other Outcasts that were targeting them. If that were true, Kate would believe either of them would have informed her of other rivals they had in case such an event happened twice. "Anti or Dark would have at least warned me, given what happened… plus if this Outcast was after me based on my relationship with them, they would have already shown themselves…" Though to be fair, neither Dark nor Anti appeared right in front of Kate when they held her captive in their worlds. They toyed with her, but didn't come face to face with them until they had to. Yet there were other options to consider. "Then again, if they were after me, they would have used my computer instead of the school one to drag me. Would have been less work unless they wanted to be discrete. But… they also took Jenna and didn't release her… Honestly, it's hard to say if I'm involved in this or not." Her fear turned into bafflement as she wasn't even certain if this Outcast was actually after her or her roommates. Maybe she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time? It did happen when she first met Dark.

Kate had more questions and concerns, while Jenna felt her eyes lighting up and the smile drawing further up her face. "This is so cool! I mean, despite the circumstances, the fact that this is the server of Aphmau herself is exciting! I already know the map that she uses for her roleplays, so getting lost will not be an issue." Jenna reassured, which actually did give Kate some semblance of relief as well. If Jenna knew about this area created by the YouTuber herself, then they could manage to find their way around without much hassle. "Hey!" Jenna turned to face Kate with her giddy expression. "If Aphmau is here, maybe she can help us get back to our world! After all, it's her server, so she might realize what is wrong."

Kate was against the idea of meeting Aphmau, especially if she was being possessed by an Outcast that could potentially kill her and Jenna. Still, she couldn't tell her peer what was actually happening, in fear of Jenna learning too much. And she didn't want Jenna to worry about someone she idolized who was corrupted. Not to mention the fact that Aphmau (or at least her Outcast) was the most likely one to know how to get in and out of this place. As much as Kate feared to be anywhere near Aphmau, she was the only one who could help them for better or worse.

"...Y-Yeah…" Kate merely replied to Jenna, trying not to say too much. "Hopefully we get the answers on how to get back…" Jenna nodded towards her, as they both agreed to the idea. "So, you say you know how to get to that map?"

"I know how to navigate Lapiz Point, but we have to get there first." Jenna explained. That was fair, which meant they had a bit more walking to do.


The two Outcasts that brought themselves into this world were still wandering around. Neither one of them were pleased with the circumstances, but they had to do what they could to find their missing roommate. They had been walking for at least an hour now, but they didn't feel like they were getting any closer. Dark was the most impatient between the two, as he hated being in this blocky world any longer than he had to be. A scowl was frozen on his face, showing his distaste of this adventure.

Anti noticed his expression, tilting his head. "You've been quiet… not that I'm complaining." He smirked.

Dark grunted at Anti before glaring at him with his crimson irises. "I am not one to be chatty when in a situation where I am not pleased with the turn of events."

"I don't get why you're so grumpy. Aside from that one Enlightener, we haven't run into any other trouble."

"That's what worries me…" Dark admitted, which surprised even Anti. The black-haired Outcast continued his elaboration. "If it was any other Outcast, I could easily obliterate them with my abilities. But given our powers have a cap on them, we are already at a disadvantage. And Enlighteners are especially merciless when it comes to Outcasts."

Anti shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, Enlighteners are just fancier Outcasts. Besides, that one didn't seem much of a threat. Unless his power is talking someone's ears off." A chuckle escaped him during the last sentence.

Dark was still unamused by Anti's cockiness. "Regardless, we need to be vigilant and be weary. We know next to nothing about this world, so we are at a home field disadvantage."

"Relax, my host played Minecraft plenty of times. So there's nothing in this game that can surprise me."

"Even if that were true, we don't know what kind of areas this Domain has. For all we know, there could be traps that have been set up to ambush us." Dark pointed out.

"So what? I can just escape if that happens. I'm great at getting out of tight bonds. Besides, I escaped you."

Dark turned to face Anti at his remark. The gray-skinned Outcast suddenly changed his expression, twisting his lips into a cunning grin. "Funny… I remember that the method you used to escape me was begging for your life to my roommate. Who took pity on you and allowed you to live."

That soured Anti's own mood, glaring at Dark who was taking delight by basking in the features Anti was expressing. Clearly he hit a nerve, which helped to cheer him up. As much as Anti wanted to fight back on this argument, he knew that Dark would only continue to tease him.

With a pout, Anti marched forward with nothing else to say. Now, the black-haired guy was feeling better all of a sudden.

The two continued their search around Minecraft, searching for their blond room mate. At the moment, there was no sign of the woman. Though it seemed they were making some progress in their walk. Their feet continued to carry them across the land, heading forward while being on the lookout for Kate. At least there were no monsters or other threats currently before them, so a fight seemed to be the last thing they would get into. Even so, both kept their guard up just in case something or someone would get the drop on them. It didn't take too long for that to happen, as they were walking through a small thicket of bushes and trees. While they moved towards the edge of the area, Dark managed to pick up the subtle sounds of laughter nearby. He began to use his eyes to scan around, knowing full well they weren't alone now.

Anti noticed it as well, from the twitching of his ears to the stench in the air. The feral Outcast turned his gaze, seeing a figure tiptoeing around the bushes and trees, trying to hide. He kept giggling while he tried (but failed) to be sneaky. It didn't take long for the two of them to realize that it was Derp making those noises and stalking them. Anti was curious about the Enlightener being here, while Dark became annoyed once again. "Looks like he's found us." Anti noted.

Dark sighed. "So much for walking in peace."

Derp was behind a tree, giggling to himself with a toothy grin as he had a stick in his hand and a camera in the other. "Derp Ssundee's log, today I am going to be catching two Outcasts, who have trespassed onto my territory. And take them to the SkyFactory where they will be held until they receive punishment."

The feral Outcast became baffled by Derp's talking, many questions racing in his mind. Dark on the other hand couldn't care less about this man that was trying to be sneaky. He continued to walk, which made his companion curious. "You aren't going to attack him?"

"I'd rather focus on the task at hand. Just ignore him and maybe he'll go away." Dark advised, much to Anti's dismay.

Derp on the other hand had other plans. "Okay. So, you see those two right there?" He moved the camera so the lens could capture Dark and Anti as their backs were facing Derp. "I'm gonna poke one of them with my stick!" He declared. Dark continued to walk briskly while Anti was behind him, but they heard everything. Even so, they attempted to ignore the Enlightener regarding his silliness. Unfortunately, Derp was a lot more persistent than given credit, as he tip-toed quickly up behind the two Outcasts, laughing loudly as he managed to out pace them. Eventually, Derp was right behind Dark. Anti turned a bit so he could witness the Enlightener slowly sticking the twig into the gray Outcasts' head. "Hehehe… Poke!"

That sent Dark over the edge, feeling the stick in him made him snap. With sheer agility, he whipped his body around and threw a fist right at Derp. The hand collided with his face, sending Derp flying in the air as he was sent crashing against a tree. The Englightener gasped, having the wind knocked out of him from Dark's punch. "It was… just a prank… bro…" Derp wheezed as he fell to the ground, laying face first on the grass and no sign of movement from his limbs. Dark's eyes blazed with crimson and wrath, glaring at the man that assaulted him from behind. Anti stared at the scene, speechless with how much anger the other Outcast had built up and unleashed.

Once he collected himself, Dark huffed out the rest of his frustrations. His hand reached up and pulled the stick out from his head, thankfully he felt no pain other than mild annoyance. Tossing the twig away from him, he began to straighten his outfit before turning on his heels to face away from his victim. "Shall we continue?" He urged, walking and heading in the direction they were going.

Anti walked right beside him, surprised that Dark wasn't going to try and finish off Derp. After all, he wasn't one to just ignore loose ends, especially if they could come back to bite him. Though it seemed all Dark cared about was finding Kate and getting out of this place. And Anti, not wanting to face his anger, remained quiet and just merely kept pace.


Thankfully, there wasn't that much distance the two women needed to travel across to get to where they were. After a while of walking some more, Kate and Jenna managed to finally stumble upon some ground that no longer resembles grass. Instead of the green blades to represent nature, they saw the black asphalt of a road. Taking that as a sign, they continued to follow along the path in the hopes they would get somewhere. Meanwhile, Kate was preparing herself mentally as she felt they were closing in on Aphmau's area. "If Aphmau is possessed by an Outcast, then she might not be too friendly when we meet her. Considering how Dark and Anti acted when I first met them, they weren't exactly fond of me. And if this Outcast possessing the Minecraft YouTuber came from that same Pax where they got those jewelry pieces, then maybe they know Dark and Anti as well? Damn it! That means if they learn I have a connection with them and they aren't on good terms, I could be in the same situation I got out of days ago!"

Kate's mind became a jungle of intertwined thoughts that caused her to think negatively. She felt like she was doing gymnastics with how often she was going around to the same concept no matter where her brain took her. Even though she hadn't met Aphmau yet, that is if she really was here, part of her was dreading that meeting and what it would mean. The fear of confronting another hostile Outcast caused her to panic slightly, but she had to keep it under wraps so Jenna would not find it suspicious. "At this point, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Dark and Anti came here. At least if a fight ensued, they could handle it."

After some more walking, it felt like they had managed to get somewhere. The black paved road took them to a building that was entirely white. This surprised Kate at first, because when she looked at it, her brain couldn't help but make a conclusion. "Are… we at the white house?" The blonde went from anxious to confused upon gazing at the large building surrounded by other roads and shrubbery.

Jenna hummed as she looked around the area, before chiming in. "This must be the Capitol Gardens. I forgot about this place since it doesn't appear too often in the roleplays."

"So… it's not the White house?" Kate questioned.

Jenna turned to her class mate and elaborated. "No, but it is a landmark based on real life." That confused Kate even more, so Jenna continued as she chuckled. "See, Lapiz Point wasn't created by Aphmau. It was built in 2012 by the AlphaCraft Team, now known as Elite Realism. The map is a fictional Canadian city map. The project was started by a Minecraft user, Yazur Strovoz, who wanted to create the biggest city in Minecraft which was a big challenge at the time this project took place."

Admittedly, it was a fascinating detail that Jenna was sharing. "Woah, so this map is based on some parts of Canada?"

Jenna nodded. "Not just Canada, they also used references from all over there and the USA for inspiration for their map. Most areas are based off of Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, New York City and Chicago. A lot of those places influenced this map, so I can see why the White House stuck out."

"That's a lot of places… Do I want to know how long it took them to build the map?" Kate was hesitant to ask.

Jenna didn't hesitate to answer. "It took them a year,"

"Oh… that doesn't sound so-"

"And more than 15,000 hours of work to get the map built." Jenna added after interrupting Kate.

The blond felt her eyes go wide at the realization, making her jump even. "Seriously?"

"Well, they don't call it a challenge for nothing. After the map was completed, they moved on to making more maps that were bigger and realistic. Lapiz Point became available to download and I guess Aphmau thought it would be a good use for her roleplay."

"Considering how large this map sounds, makes sense." Kate admitted. Now, another pressing question began to dig into her mind. "How… big is this map exactly?"

"Well, I don't know the actual size of this map, but I know it has many suburbs and points of interest that reoccur in the role plays. We have the Capitol Gardens, which we are in now. Then there's the Cubic Fields, Desmond Park, Downtown, Dupont Grove, East Ender Island as well as Eastbank. Followed by Fontaine, Frankton, Fudge field, Hampton Meadows, The Lapiz Point International Airport. Then there is Little Montreal, Mid Island, New Brent, Northshore, Oreland, Port of Lapiz Point, Redstone Valley, Six Flags Emerest Valley, St. Laurence, West Ender Island and Westbank."

Kate merely stared at Jenna as she processed that information, reeling from all the locations that were listed. When the black-haired woman realized how disturbed Kate must have looked, she chuckled nervously. "Okay, I know it sounds like a lot but they don't use every single area for their role plays. The main areas they tend to use are the neighborhoods for Aphmau's house, the Phoenix Drop High school, Falcon Claw University and the Convention Building. So chances are Aphmau and her crew must be in any of those places." Jenna reassured.

At least that wasn't too bad, but the question remained; "So… where should we go to find Aphmau?"

Jenna rubbed her chin as she tried to think, while her eyes gazed around the area. "Well, the first season of her Mystreet series took place in one of the first suburbs. During the third season, there was an unfinished lot a couple blocks away from the first location that was used for the third season, called Lover's Lane. Then there was a newly designed suburb used during the Phoenix Drop High era…"

"Are you thinking of going to the neighborhoods and houses to find Aphmau?" Kate questioned.

"That sounds logical. But I don't know where to start. We could try season one of Mystreet when Aphmau just moved in with her friends, since that was the start of the role play. But if we go chronologically, we could end up going to the suburbs where the highschool is. The problem is, the timeline got a bit jumbled up because the Mystreet came first, then the school days, and then lovers lane…" Jenna admitted.

"That does make things complicated…" Kate agreed. Thinking it over herself. "If only we knew where Aphmau was, it would make finding out where to go easier…" Kate tried to think of another idea, until her brain wrapped around a possibility. "You said that Aphmau had some friends that she role plays with, right?"

"Yeah, they use the map even when they aren't roleplaying. Since she allowed them to use the map for their own minecraft stuff." Jenna answered.

"Then that means some of her friends could be here. If we find them, we can find Aphmau." Kate suggested.

Jenna smiled after hearing that. "Good idea! I'm sure some of them should be around here and they could tell us where Aphmau is. Hopefully they shouldn't be too far away. Come on!" Jenna already picked up her feet and was heading down the path. Kate started to follow, keeping up with her as she didn't want to be left behind. They continued to walk down the road, much to Kate's annoyance. All they have done since coming to this land was run around, and her feet were getting tired. At least they had some idea of what to do, and they were in a more civilized area rather than just some random grasslands.

"So, where should we head to first?" Kate asked Jenna as she was right behind her.

"Well, I figured we just walk around. Since there are a number of areas that Aphmau and her friends hang around, we're bound to run into one eventually."

"And how do we know who is a friend of Aphmau?" Kate had to question.

Jenna spoke confidently when she answered. "I know all of Aphmau's acquaintances and crew. So if I see one, I'll let you know."

Kate wasn't sure how to respond to that at first. Still, she had to trust Jenna since she knew more about this place and the inhabitants than she did. With any luck, Jenna and Kate could hopefully find some friends of Aphmau or the woman herself, and figure out how to get back home. They walked down the road of the Capitol Gardens, taking a path through a thicket of trees. Once on the other side, they were at a water fountain and road, leading them to a parking lot with many blocky cars parked in the spots.

"You can have cars in Minecraft?" Kate stared at the vehicles with bewilderment.

Jenna mused. "If you can make one, that is. Though I think you need certain parts to make a car operational. I forgot how to properly make one though, since most of the mods I use never include machines."

"Even if we could make a car, I don't feel safe driving one here." Kate admitted.

"Yeah, even though I can drive, I barely managed to steer that boat so a car is out of the question at this point." Jenna agreed as they kept walking down the path, passing by more cars and street lamps. It was refreshing to be in a more modern setting than out in the wilderness, the blond had to admit. So far, no sign of anyone, but there were plenty of areas around so they were bound to run into someone eventually. Hopefully they weren't hostile. They kept heading down the road, going straight from a four way stop, and over a bridge that was above a highway.

"Man, this map really is big…" Kate realized as she spoke out loud.

"Yeah, that team knew how to put their effort and heart into this place…" Jenna admitted. "It can seem overwhelming at first, but I know this map well so we won't get lost. Once you know the landmarks, walking around is easy."

Kate looked around, taking in the landmarks and scenery as she couldn't help but admire the beauty in this place. "I have to admit, it's a pretty area…"

"It is… but some areas seem pretty empty." Jenna stated with a hint of confusion. "I'm wondering if this is an older map, before they updated it."

Kate didn't know too well about Minecraft maps, but she was worried about something. "Does that mean all of the locations from Aphmau's roleplays may not be here?"

"I'm sure they are, they were included even in the older maps, though some of the newer seasons may not be modeled yet. We'll know for sure once we keep going." Jenna promised, trying to stay calm. Kate attempted to do the same, but she felt her stomach turn at the many ways this could all go wrong. Once they crossed the bridge, they had to go past a track with a train on it. Thankfully, it wasn't moving so they could just go around it. They were taken to the other side and met with houses that surrounded them. They weren't colorful like the ones they saw in the title screen, but the fact there were such buildings here proved they were on the right path. Before them they noticed a gray patch with a few structures, and a field with grass and trees.

"Alright, so far so good." Jenna sighed, looking around with a smile. "We're at the skate park and the baseball field, so we should be getting closer to the more populated areas."

As they gazed at the location they were in, it became obvious how barren the world was. One would believe that a Minecraft map would have many visitors walking around, or even an animal or insect that was minding its own business. Yet, there wasn't a single soul aside from the two in sight. "Is it just me… or does this place feel like a ghost town?"

Her peer bit her lip as she took a double take of the suburb they were in. "Now that you mention it, it is a bit eerie that we haven't seen anyone else. Then again, just because someone downloads the map, doesn't mean that everyone is gonna be on the same server."

Despite how true that was, it still baffled Kate that she and Jenna hadn't run into anyone else aside from some npc's in the village. Before the blond was about to speak up with more concerns, her voice was interrupted upon hearing the cries of a meow. This caught both women off guard, as they believed it was their imagination at first. Yet the voice of the animal continued to echo around them. "Do you… hear that?" Kate questioned Jenna, making sure it wasn't just her.

"That sounded like a cat…"

The two decided to investigate, heading to the source. Passing the skate park, they were taken to a playground. Many trees were decorated around the attractions, with blocks made out of leaves. The sounds of the feline were around here, searching the area as the girls tried to find the animal who sounded in distress. Kate looked at the trees, but could hardly make out much as the green covered more than she thought. Her eyes did land on something in one of the saplings. A long, black cat tail was poking out from the green blocks, with a pink bow near the end. It was a long tail, but Kate didn't think too much at first.

"Jenna, I found the cat!" Kate called as she moved closer to the appendage. "Hey kitty… it's okay." Kate spoke gently as she reached up at the tail to gently hold it. "Are you stuck?" She questioned as her fingers brushed the black fur. She had expected the animal to be scared, as the tail wagged around. What she didn't expect was to hear a squeak and the snapping of twigs. The blond didn't have enough time to react, before a large mass fell from the tree and landed on top of her. Kate screamed and winced from pain, as she felt someone laying on her back.

Jenna had just arrived at where Kate was, seeing that she had been crushed by what fell from the tree. "Kate, are you okay?!"

The blond couldn't respond with words, instead she tried to crawl out from what had fallen on her. Thankfully, it wasn't too heavy so she managed to get out. Jenna went over to help pick Kate back up, as the blond groaned. "I-I'm fine… a bit sore but I don't feel any broken bones…" She tried to be positive.

"Owwww…." A new voice cried out, which caught the attention of the other two. The women looked down to see not a cat, but a person who had been pulled from the tree. She had fair skin and wore pink… lots of pink from her hair to her outfit and the bow on her… tail? Now that they got a better look, this woman had cat years on her head and a tail at her butt. She too began to get onto her feet, and rubbed her back. "That was a nasty fall… good thing I landed on something soft." She spoke in a high-pitched voice. Kate and Jenna stared at the person, while the darker haired one was awing at the newcomer, the blond one was just confused as she tilted her head at the pink girl. "Oh! Hello there!" She greeted them with a warm smile.

"Uh… hi?" Kate was unsure about this situation, processing what had happened. She seemed to be doing that a lot today. One would think she'd be used to it by now. Still, they had managed to finally meet with someone around Lapiz Point, and hopefully they could bring them in the right direction. "I… was the one you fell on…" Kate hesitantly stated.

The one in pink suddenly gasped as she stared at the one wearing green. "Oh! Kawaii-chan is soooo sorry! Kawaii-chan felt something pull on her tail, so it made her lose her balance up in the tree and that's how Kawaii-chan ended up down here." She explained, referring to herself in third person.

"Sorry… I thought you were a cat. We heard meowing and when I saw your tail, I was worried you had gotten stuck in the tree." Kate tried to explain, ignoring the information she was given at first to address the issue.

"Oh, that makes sense." The cat-lady realized as she didn't seem upset. "Kawaii-chan must have fallen asleep in the tree branches, so you must have heard her meowing in her slumber. Kawaii-chan has told herself time and time again to stop doing that, but some habits are hard to break…" She giggled towards the end.

"Well, at least no one is hurt…" Kate stated. So far, this lady didn't seem aggressive or upset, despite what happened. At least there were no hard feelings, so that was one less stress taken from her. Now that Kate was hearing her voice, she couldn't help but think back to something from the recent days. "Weird… her voice sounds familiar but this is the first time I'm meeting this woman. Where do I know her from?" Kate questioned in her mind, trying to figure out why her brain was having a sense of deja vu.

While Kate was still confused, Jenna approached as her eyes beamed with glee. "No way! You're Kawaii-Chan!"

The pink cat giggled at Jenna's comment. "Yep! That's me!"

Jenna kept gushing at the one before the two college kids, it was like watching someone who had made their dreams come true. Kate on the other hand felt she was left in the dark, as she had no idea who this person was, aside from being called Kawaii-Chan. Though based on Jenna's expression, the blond concluded that she must have been involved with Aphmau and Lapiz Point. The programmer noticed her classmate's reaction when she turned to face her. "Kate, this is Kawaii-Chan. Also known as Megamoeka on YouTube. She's part of Aphmau's Mystreet series." Jenna explained.

"Or as some might call us, The Mystreet Crew." Kawaii-Chan giggled.

Between her voice and the reference of 'Mystreet Crew', it finally all came flooding back to Kate why this sounded so familiar. This woman was in one of the recordings within that mindspace Anti had locked her away in, talking about being at a Pax with her friends. She didn't know who it was at the time, but now that she had listened to her and compared it with that tape, it was a match. Despite the amount of questions and connections going through her mind, Kate knew it would not be ideal to probe for any answers with this woman. Especially if it meant she would grow suspicious of Kate. For now, she had to keep it all in the back of her mind, and try and play along without acting like she knew too much.

"N-Nice to meet you, Kawaii-Chan. I'm Kate."

"And I'm Jenna." The other added in.

"Nice to meet you Jenna and Kate." The cat lady looked between the younger women, examining their faces as she seemed intrigued by their appearance. "I don't think I've seen you two around here before, are you new?"

"Oh! No, we're not part of the MyStreet series… though I wish I was." Jenna admitted.

"Wait… you aren't here because of the Program then?" She asked, sounding more confused as her high pitched voice lowered slightly, but not too noticeably.

Kate took a step closer, hearing something that caught her attention. "Program? What program?"

"Oh, well… a while ago, Aphmau wanted to try and gather everyone else here after the Pax. But we didn't have the means to contact everyone and it was hard to get the ones we did know how to connect with. So, we sent out invites to everyone who has been playing Minecraft lately since that was how we all talk with each other. But those invites were only meant to be sent out to those who share our powers. So I'm not sure why you two got it…" She sounded as baffled about the situation as they were.

Kate noted this, as she figured they were talking about the rest of the MyStreet crew, not just Aphmau. It made sense the invites Kawaii-Chan was talking about went into the game of Minecraft, since that was how they all talked with one another during the role plays. "Guess Aphmau must have been sending them to those that were part of her role plays… on the chance they got possessed by Outcasts themselves. But… what does she mean by power?" Kate questioned. Could it have something to do with interference or traces of using abilities Outcasts have?

"Powers?" Jenna repeated with a perplexed expression. Kate panicked a bit, realizing that Jenna might ask more questions which could get her more into this mess.

"Kawaii-Chan!?" A new voice called out. Kate jumped, both relieved that they might not have to explain to Jenna about the Outcasts, but also nervous about another newcomer. The person approached from behind the cat lady, her appearance was much more tamed compared to the bright pink of Kawaii-Chan. This woman wore shades of blue which complimented her pale skin. From turquoise eyes to pastel hair that flowed over her right shoulder. She had a combination of white, beige and gray in her outfit, which was easy on the eyes. She also was taller than the cat girl based on her model.

"Oh! Katelyn-san!" Kawaii-chan greeted the new person, who was referred to by that name.

"Katelyn? She has the same name as me!" Kate was surprised by that.

"Kawaii-chan… what have I told you about stalking Aphmau when she is out with Arron?" Katelyn questioned, sounding stern but not in a scolding way.

The pink cat jumped as she looked away from her friend. "W-W-what!? K-Kawaii-chan wasn't doing anything like that… She was just taking a nice walk in the park…" Her voice had clear signs of denial, while avoiding eye contact.

Clearly the blue one was not buying it, based on her glaring at Kawaii-Chan. "Really? Because out of all the parks you could have gone to, I find it officially suspicious that you come to the one where Aphmau and Arron were planning on being at today… around this time…" She added, becoming closer to her as she presented the facts.

"W-Well… Kawaii-Chan didn't know Aphmau and Arron would be here… She just came here to get some fresh air. Besides, neither of them are here."

Just when the pink one thought she was in the clear, a smirk played on the newcomer. "That's because they canceled their date today, so that's why they aren't here."

"What?!" The cat-lady jumped in surprise. "But Kawaii-Chan made sure to mark it on the calendar and headed here early so she wouldn't miss them!" A sudden squeak escaped her as the woman in rose-colors realized her mistake. She turned to her friend, who didn't say anything. Yet the look in her eyes was enough to show how disappointed she was. "...Sorry…" She muttered with sincerity.

Despite the confusion the golden-haired girl was feeling as she watched this scene, Jenna was still looking giddy as she couldn't tear her eyes away from the two from the MyStreet crew. Kawaii-Chan had gone silent after being exposed, so now it was Katelyn's turn to talk to the other girls. "Sorry you two had to see this… Kawaii-chan is a bit of-"

"A shipper between Aphmau and Arron." Jenna cut off the blue one. She gave a shrug with a smile. "Yeah, I was aware of that."

"You… know about that… how?" Katelyn questioned, becoming suspicious.

Thankfully Jenna was quick to deescalate the situation by elaborating. "I'm a fan of the MyStreet series created by Aphmau. My name is Jenna, and this is Kate."

Katelyn seemed to have accepted that answer, as her demeanor changed into a calmer one. "Oh. Well, it's nice to meet some fans. But… Why are some admirers here on our server? This place is reserved only for those in our Crew. How did you manage to get here?"

Kate stepped forward and was next to talk. "Well, it's a bit hard to explain… and I can't wrap my head around it. But, we came here from a school computer that Jenna was using to do some mods in Minecraft. Somehow, your server must have connected to that computer and we ended up here. It wasn't on purpose, we got sucked in before we could even process what was happening."

Katelyn hummed as she listened to their story. "Yeah, that checks out." She admitted. "We were trying to gather the rest of our allies but didn't know how to communicate with them. We had the idea to create this Domain, and send out invites through a Minecraft server request for them to click. I'm not sure why it got sent to your school computer, we only send them out to those we specifically deemed. And even then we check up on the ones that come here to make sure they are one of us."

Kawaii-Chan spoke up to be part of the conversation. "I wonder if the border patrol had slacked off…"

Hearing that made Katelyn grunt in annoyance. "It better not have been Dante or Ein… they're on thin ice as is…"

Kate stared at the two Minecrafters as she heard their opinions on the matter. "I dunno who this Dante and Ein are, but they sure sound like slackers… and not on good terms with this woman either." The blonde noted mentally before using her outside voice. "We were actually hoping to find Aphmau so she could send us back. Since this is her server, we thought she would be able to bring us home."

Jenna nodded. "If it isn't too much trouble, could we see her?"

Katelyn looked between the two college students, they seemed desperate. And considering they wandered in here accidentally with no one to help them up to this point, the least she and Kawaii-Chan could do was give them the answer they needed and a ticket home. "Sure, she might be a bit busy but considering this predicament, I'm sure she'll make time for this and help you both out." Hearing that made both Kate and Jenna ecstatic. One was excited for the possibility of meeting her favorite content creator, and the other was just happy that they could be going back to the real world soon. "She isn't too far from here, but you can just follow us. Try and keep up." Katelyn urged, as she began to walk away from the park and further down the street. The pink lady followed behind her, while Jenna and Kate brought up the rear. They continued down the neighborhood, while Kate was relieved as she believed that she could possibly be freed from here. So long as she didn't do anything to upset Aphmau or make her cautious of her, the blond was confident that she would be back home before Anti or Dark noticed she was gone for too long.