~~~~Jesse's POV~~~~

I blink, a slight headache humming inside me. I can't remember what happened, even though it happened only a moment ago. I was moving? But I felt really angry and confused just a moment ago, I think.

I push all that aside though when I see Lukas under me. I get off of him, my heart fluttering when I see he looks awful. His skin seems way paler, his hair duller than normal, and for some reason he's grinning like a madman.

"Lukas?"

And when he laughs I really panic. That's- he's laughing hysterically! What happened? I feel like I just went monster hunting or something, my body feels really taxed. Everything's so fuzzy, I don't what happened to Lukas or how to help him.

"Hey Lukas? Are you alright? What just happened?" I refrain from asking more questions, Lukas doesn't really look like he's in a very good state of mind to answer a whole lot questions right now.

"Never better."

Then he throws up over the side of the couch! At least he stopped laughing, although that crazy smile is still on his face. His eyes, an alarming lifeless blue, drowsily gaze over me. And for reasons that infuriatingly escape, that crazy smile just grows larger as he looks at me.

"Lukas? I'm serious, what..." I reach out to him but falter when I see my arm. I'm wearing the Star Shield. When did I put that on? I wasn't wearing this earlier, was I? I groan, a wave of exhaustion washing over me.

"Lukas!" I raise my head to Petra's snap, surprised she's glaring at me. "Why did you just run off like that? Was it Jesse?"

I'm completely stunned when she stares directly at ME when she says that. As if she was addressing ME even though she said Lukas's name to me and referred to ME as if she wasn't already talking to me.

"I-I-I don't know what you're, uhh, talking about?" Her eyebrows shoot up, and as if I said something irrational. "I think s-s-something's wrong with Lukas though. He's err, acting strange..."

"Petra!" Lukas, looking as if he was just spun a million times, sits up on the couch and looks at her. "Jesse's fine! And I'm in my own body again! I never knew I could miss myself so much!"

I look at Petra, expecting her to react to this... deliriousness the same way I did. But no! She just nods her head as if Lukas just said 2+2=4! I wildly snap my head to one from the other, trying to make any sense out of this situation. My groggy brain and aching body not helping whatsoever.

"Uhh guys? Did something happen I'm not aware of?" I nervously glance at the insanely smiling Lukas. "Like, something really important?"

"Wait..." Ivor, who I just notice was standing next to Petra, rubs his chin. I shake my head, totally and utterly bewildered. Since when was he in here? Since when was he even in Beacontown at all? I thought he was in the Underneath!

"Are you not aware you were just possessed?"

The words punch my chest, air flying out of me. I cough and regain my breath as my mind attempts to understand his words.

"Ivor!" Petra shoves Ivor. "That was clearly NOT the best way to tell him that!"

"Hey guys?" Lukas, who's thankfully recovered his sanity, finally sounds like the Lukas I know. "Can you leave so I can, uhh, explain what happened to Jesse?"

Ivor huffs, crossing his arms. "Why do we have-"

"No arguing. Out the door." Petra pushes him out the door, but before she leaves she turns to smile at Lukas. "Good luck with this one."

I turn to Lukas, now smiling nervously as he scratches neck. I'm just kinda starring at him, waiting for something that makes sense to pop out of his mouth. Everything's just such a jumble right now. It doesn't help that I feel like a sack of bricks have been dropped on me too.

Lukas points to his own throw up. "Can you, uhh, burn that? Before this whole room stinks."

I tilt my head, about to question him since my fire's been dead for awhile. But to my complete surprise, I feel it spark up. Springing to my hand, and in a daze, I push it out to burn Lukas's puke.

And when it's gone, I flop onto the couch and let out a big sigh. I get the sense I need to mentally prepare myself for whatever Lukas is about to say next. At the very least though, I fan my fire and restore some energy back into my body to wake me up.

"Okay, what's the last thing you remember?"

I sigh, trying to recall right before I saw Lukas. Colors and a pounding noise all fuzzy in my mind. But I remember being panicked and angry, and before that confused. A headache rises as I try to think farther back. Red, so much red.

"Hey, don't hurt yourself. Just breathe, really deep breaths."

I nod, and follow his advice. Giving up on that trail, since Lukas is suppose to tell me everything anyway, I go farther back. There isn't really any memory, but this cold prickling sensation. And before that, Nick and a blur of going to bed.

I sigh, and shake my head at Lukas. "Just blurs of feelings mainly. The last really coherent thing I remember is Nick."

"Wow, that feels like a long time ago. This is going to be real interesting." He settles in deeper into the couch, completely turned to me. "Get comfy, this might be awhile to wrap your head around."

Blinking, I distantly follow his advice again. This utter bewilderment is really numbing me, everything moving around me as if it were a dream.

"So when you woke up after going to bed, you were desperate for warmth. You didn't respond to me at all and tried to get in here to light a fire. I woke the others up, and we stopped you from doing that. Well actually, you became paralyzed in the cold or something. I don't really know."

My face scrunches up in thought. I definitely did not go to bed wearing this armor then. But why can't I just remember? It would make everything easier! This happened to me! I should-

"Don't beat yourself up over it, you-"

"Wait, the connection's back too?" I immediately scold myself. Of course it's back, if my fire's back then it only makes sense that it be back.

"Yes, but still, don't be mad at yourself. You nearly died when you went limp in here, it was certainly heart stopping. And after a few moments of panic exponentially growing, I attempted to give you energy."

I open my mouth, but Lukas expected it. "I didn't want my energy to kill you when you were already so close. We found a way for me to directly connect with you, I'll explain later, and that's when I felt you fading.

"It was awful, truly awful feeling you die. So I just started shoving my energy into you, and I... Well I, uhh..."

Lukas looks away from me, and I remember Ivor's words. "You possessed me!"

He nods and I just stare at him. It makes sense, in a heart numbing way, why Petra addressed me as Lukas. Why Lukas was acting so strange. Why I have blurs of a memory but not all of it. Why I'm wearing this armor. It all makes sense in a really sickening kind of way.

"I'm sorry!" Lukas nervously fiddles with his hands, still not looking at me. "I didn't mean to but you were dying and then it happened! I didn't want to leave since I wasn't sure if you would just continue to die or not! So we all to the kitchen to figure it out when Ivor came back with this book, which was kinda vague as you'll see soon enough probably. It said that you are technically a creature of the Nether so we went there and-"

"Lukas!" His eyes, still uncomfortably dull, snap to me. "Goodness slow down! Book? What book?"

He sighs, which turns into a yawn. I blink, peering at him closer. Now that he's calmed down, and so have I, Lukas looks incredibly tired. As if he's been up for days or something.

"A book that has a legend about you and I, when there was actually an entire species. I can show later. But after talking about it, we decide to go to the Nether to see if we could find anything that could help you. Which is when I, as you, and yes it's as weird as it sounds, put on that armor.

"In the Nether, I just got this insane need to start killing everything. It was weird, and overwhelming, but as I killed mobs I, well you actually, would absorb their energy. Which eventually gave you your fire back.

"And it was at this point when your soul or conscious decided to wake up. To which I panicked, a lot, and desperately ran as fast as possible to get here so I would be back in my body instead of you just kicking me out. I didn't really want to find out if my soul would die if it didn't have a body.

"Which," He smiles tiredly and awkwardly at me. "You'll die if I die apparently. So please don't try to kill me."

I recoil, the thought of death jolting me. "Die? Of course it would be awful if you died, but it would kill me too?"

"I suppose, I don't really want to test it though. It said that in the book Ivor found." He shrugs, becoming really disinterested really quickly. "So that's why I was acting pretty strange when you first saw me. Hearing your voice, and I wasn't the one trying to speak, was just overwhelmingly relieving."

Lukas sighs, drawing in another breath before I reach out and rub his shoulder. "Okay, I'm good. You don't have to tell me anymore, I know enough."

Lukas rolls his dull eyes over to me. "But it's still not everything."

"It's enough." I stand up and hold a hand out to him. "You need to sleep, you look completely exhausted."

He grabs my hand and I pull him up. He instantly sways and leans onto me. Eyes drowsily close as he relaxes on me. Just when I think he's fallen asleep, Lukas blinks his eyes back open. He also groans softly, it probably took a lot of effort to wake himself back up.

"You have to sleep too..." A small smile rises as I hook an arm around Lukas waist, moving one of his over my shoulder. "I know you can use your fire as a substitute, but you need to sleep too."

We make our way out the library, and I nod. "Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll head to bed after I talk to Ivor about this new book."

"No!" Lukas stumbles after his sudden snap, vigorously rubbing the side of his face. "You might still be riding that high of adrenaline and power that happened... not very long from now, but your body's so weak."

I roll my eyes, practically hauling him up the stairs. "Thanks Lukas that makes me feel great. Exactly what I wanted to hear."

"Really?" I refrain from smiling at him when he tilts his head innocently, it seems like most of him is asleep. "It's been awhile since the connection's been working full time and I'm really tired and-"

"Lukas. Don't think about, please. You look almost dead." Lukas snorts, then momentarily loses balance. We stop, middle of the hallway, as Lukas pants while leaning on me for support.

"I...I-"

"Yeah, save it." Grabbing each of his arms, and ignoring his grumble, I hoist him onto my back. With the armor on, I can't exactly tell if he falling asleep. But I assume so, he's grumblings have faded away into peaceful breathing.

However he proves me wrong with babblings as we enter the bedroom hallway, to which I want to groan to. Lukas needs to sleep, he doesn't get some fancy fire powers that can keep him awake. He's only ruining his own body.

"Hey... I need to show ya something..." He mumbles that right next to my ear! Shivers erupt and spread down my neck, and I wish I could just itch the feeling away. Although I wonder-

I scowl at myself, this is so not the time! "Like, right now?"

"Well duh..." I start taking deep breaths, as my ear gets attacked some more. "Otherwise I wouldn't have said anything."

"Lukas!" My bedroom door opens and I turn to face Olivia, who's has her head tilt. "Is this really the right time to be carrying your body to your room?"

"No no, Olivia-"

"I'm me again!" I cringe as Lukas's, well it wasn't a shout, just normal volume of talking. But that's really loud when it's right next to your ear.

"Yeah, Lukas is him again and could barely walk anymore. Just please, keep doing whatever you were doing."

Olivia smiles, giggling at our apparently assuming situation. "Hey Jesse, you might also want to raise your self care standards. From the way Lukas was acting in you, he might be a tad bit more... motherly around you."

"Hey!" Lukas's sharp snap soon dwindles into mumblings. "You have thoroughly wrecked your body. You wouldn't be standing either if it... if it..."

Lukas then yawns, in my ear again! His warm breath blanketing around my ear in a very distracting manner, and I don't have the hand to itch the area. So trying to ignore it, and failing, I turn away from Olivia and continue to Lukas's room.

"Thanks for the advice!" Heat crawls into my face as Lukas's nonsense rolling out of his mouth continues to tickle me. I'm not awake enough to be dealing with this.

I very quickly walk into Lukas's room, the room well lit with sunlight. I pause, just wanting a moment where everything can calm down so I can think. Just one moment where I can actually comprehend the fact my best friend took over my body and-

Groaning, I set Lukas onto bed. The insanity of that last thought really kinda digging into me. I don't think anyone else who has ever lived can ever say that. So yay, I can now. That's just great.

ungrateful

Groaning louder, I rub my forehead. This is not the time, it's never the time for these thoughts. These stupid thoughts, I just can't seem cut them off of me. Wrapping around me relentless-

"Jesssssssssseeeeeee..." Shaking my head, I turn to Lukas, who's eyes are barely open at this point. "Whatever you're thinking, stop it. It's making me feel bad."

"Okay Mr. Sleepy Head, but why don't you just sleep and I'll-"

"No!" Lukas somehow digs up some more energy and his eyes, upsettingly hallow, open most of the way. "You have to sleep too and I want to show you something. So armor, off."

I roll my eyes at Mr. Bossy but I do start to take off the armor. "Why do even want to show me this thing so bad?"

"Because I don't want Ivor to explain it to you, I can foresee many undesirable comments arising. And can you hurry? I prefer to be awake when trying to show you something."

Putting my armor off to the side, I arch an eyebrow at Lukas. "Then show me."

"Uh well..." He gives a small grin as he suddenly needs to avoid eye contact with me. "You need to take off your shirt first."

I give him a 'have you gone insane!' gesture before crossing me arms, inclined to wait until Lukas falls asleep so I won't have to deal with his drowsy babblings. "Why in the Nether would I need to do that?"

Still not making eye contact he scratches his neck. "It's on your chest and please just let me show you. I grantee you won't regret it."

"Whatever..." Sighing, I begrudgingly take off my shirt. This better be good, although I could see how... undesirable it would be if Ivor needs to explain something that's on my chest. Knowing him, he'd make it as uncomfortable for me as possible without even trying.

"What the-" I distantly drop the shirt as I stare at the bright green fireball mark on my chest. Since when has that been there? Why didn't I know this was on my chest? I should've known this was on my chest!

"So that is the direct link I used to, uhh, possess you. And trust me. It looks a lot better green than gray and dying."

I snap my eyes at Lukas, who can maintain eye contact now, trying to find the right words that will properly demonstrate how freaky this is. But only finding this stupid sentence.

"Yeah, okay, I see why I wouldn't want Ivor to tell me about this." Lukas just chuckles, and tries to stand up before he immediately loses balance and sits back down.

"Okay, you sit down." Ignoring the mark for a moment, I peer closely at Lukas as I sit down. Even though he's woken himself enough to speak normally again, that doesn't mean he still isn't incredibly tired. Lukas can't stand up, that statement speaks for itself.

"Luk-ahh..." Pure pleasure erupts from my chest, soon engulfing my entire being. I didn't even realize how tense most of my muscles were until they finally relaxed. This is a soothing wave of complete bliss washing away any stress or thought inducing stress there is, amazing.

I sigh, letting any stress flow out with the breath. This is just incredible, purely wonderful. Almost as if I was in a sauna, but I don't have to worry about getting too hot or anything. No worries at all.

Humming in great satisfaction, I raise a hand to my chest, just to make to sure whatever's there doesn't move. I'm pretty sure I would be miserable if this sudden delight vanished, leaving me to wallow back in my now obviously worn out body.

When my hand clasps around another, a small jolt of reality forces me to shake my head. Blinking my eyes as I come back into the real world. And now do I see the smirking Lukas, who's arm is raised towards my chest.

"Y'know, I was expecting a reaction, but that was way stronger than what I thought."

Feeling a blush burst onto my face, I look away. I cannot however, stop myself from clutching onto Lukas's hand harder. It just feels so amazing, and even though it's pretty embarrassing, I do not want it to stop. Ever.

"Wow this is insane." Lukas's slightly less dull eyes glaze over. "Stubbornness, embarrassment, reluctance, a growing feeling of irritation and horrified realization, des-"

"Okay!" My face heats up twenty more degrees. "Please don't blurt out all of my emotions! Just- just don't!"

Lukas grins at me, before both his lips and eyelids droop down. I feel his hand go limp under mine, and my glorious bliss begin to fade away. His shoulders slump and some nonsense pours out of his mouth.

It only takes me a moment to figure out what I want to do. Wrapping my free arm around Lukas's shoulders, I drag both of us back onto the bed. Scrounging around for the blanket before draping it over us.

And I am well aware when Lukas falls complete asleep since my amazing bliss dips into more a relaxing pool. A very sleepy pool that's persuading my eyes to close.

I grunt and try to fan my flames up, so I could actually have a moment to think about everything. But they don't respond, and I'm getting too sleepy to feel alarmed at all. Too sleepy to wonder why they suddenly won't work.

So with a final yawn, I make a note to self to ask about the fire tomorrow... or whenever I wake up.

****

Well, another chapter where Jesse falls asleep in the end. I just love these scenes way too much. So good thing they only help to reinforce the plot, or are just fluff at the very least.

So yeah though, after the last huge chapter, this is what I got. And that's it. Bye now! Until next time!