Crack! Crack!

"...that the weary gets no rest?"

Two blocks of the Order Door break, allowing a restless crowd into the Treasure Hall. All of them clamoring like birds.

"I need..."

"...can't handle..."

"...unbearable!"

"...overdue.."

"...help with..."

"...no peace..."

"...privacy..."

"...me insane!"

"Why haven't..."

Lukas and I look at each other, briefly wondering what karma gave us this choas. I manage to quickly peek at the clock, learning it's slightly past noon. Daggers of frustration cutting into my peace.

I haven't even been gone for a whole day! Can't the people figure stuff out for themselves?!

Then I feel it: strength, power, resilience, energy flowing through me. It is exactly like right before I unleashed my fire in the woods, except I'm in complete control. This time, the energy isn't chaotic and, thanks to Lukas, my emotions aren't going to dictate what the flames do.

I open myself up, allowing the energy to grow and spread all throughout my body. Yet the incessant racket gets louder, charging the fire up to new heights, and presses on my nerves too much.

"Silence!"

The whole place freezes, stunned. I move away from a bewildered Lukas, and my clarity wavers, the powerful fire taking slight control. I stand in front of the crowd, glaring at the citizens who now nervously glance at each other.

"Why did you break down my door?" The people gasp and cower slightly. It seems they just now are thinking about the consequences their actions would force upon them. However I will not allow any emotion to be shown to them, and keep a hawk stare beaming down at them.

"Well..." I can hear a sharp inhale from Lukas, but I don't look at him. I must keep my focus on the crowd. Lukas can think what he wants, it isn't going to change my actions.

The mighty force of the fire rushes in my veins, sweeping away any fatigue, any burdens, any weakness.

The citizens remember they're in a group, and their confidence returns. "Jesse, you locked yourself away in here all day! Completely ignoring us!" Immediately everyone else yells and shouts their agreement.

Lukas gazes towards me and takes a small step before stopping. He tilts his head, wondering if I want him to continue. I shake my head, and turn back to the crowd.

The shouting now becomes an uproar. I allow it to increase some more, letting them think that they have a valid point. I draw in a deep breath, and lean back slightly...

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

That certainly did the trick. The ruckus halts at the unexpected sound. They look back at me like children, confused and yet poccessing an such innocent curiousity.

"First off, it is only a bit past noon. And did you all think I locked myself in here without a good reason?"

I raise an eyebrow, and despite the fact I just laughed, I remain colder than ice. They shuffle their feet, and look away. They're just a bunch of children getting caught behaving naughty, can fate at least allow me to deal with grown-ups?

"But Jesse," The citizen whines. "Beacontown is overcrowded, we're getting crammed." The fire blazes up, my anger being reignited.

"Oh really, I wasn't informed..."

I let that information settle, subtlety pushing realization and guilt into the crowd. They need to learn, and I'm done waiting for them to figure it themselves.

"Now that I am aware, I will make the necessary arrangements to extend the walls and implement new rules so space will be given out fairly. Anything ELSE that I need to know...?"

The crowd has finally grasped that what they've done was immature. They all shake their head, either over-eager, awkward, or nervous.

"Good, and now that we are all satisfied how about we go our separate ways? I still have necessary things I have to get done."

The citizens look back at the little hole in the door, all of their faces showing reluctance. I walk down the steps, into the crowd. They part perfectly, and I keep my head high. I open the Order Door, and now social etiquette demands that they leave.

They all shamble out, most of them in daze. Whether by my swift response or by the fact they acted like spoiled teenagers. I flick the lever down, and although the hole remains it will serve as a reminder of impulsive actions.

I walk over to the stairs, and see Lukas with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. The omnipresent strength falters and contracts. My excellent state whittles back down to a weary one.

"Jesse, while you did handle that really well, don't you think you should be a bit more careful?" The fire continues to dwindle and its energy fades. I smile though swing my arm around his shoulder, patting his arm.

"Why worry about that Lukas? I've had to turn people's emotions around so many times I've lost count." I feel the fire die away completely, yet now that I'm touching Lukas, no pain inflincts my body. I'll never be able to thank him enough for being here.

"And how many times have we encountered strange objects with unknown powers and it turned out to be a good thing to be involved with?"

I open the door into the next hallway, sighing. "Lukas, what are you saying?"

"I felt that Jesse, your fire surge, I could feel that. And it really freaked me out."

Lukas shakes his head and tightens his lips. A twinge of guilt worms its way in my stomach, as Lukas sends the signals of having experienced something painful. Due to my actions.

What a great way to thank him...

"Obviously I had to use the fire, otherwise I wouldn't have been strong enough to address the crowd. And where would we be then?"

"I get that, it's just that... well, what if it got out of control? I know that wasn't entirely you, you aren't so brutal when you talk to people."

"I wouldn't have used it if I thought I was going to hurt them."

"Pft, you got lucky Jesse. I felt how your fire changed and how there wasn't much you could do about it. Sure, you directed it now but what if that isn't enough next time?"

"You... might be right. But I don't choose when my fire sparks up, it just comes."

"Then don't go out in public as much. Still do your job and everything, after you recover, but at least have me near you when you go out. Cool?"

I throw a smile at him, "Cool beans."

"Cool-a-rama."

We stop and briefly smile at each other before we burst into laughter. We stumble forward, clutching onto each other for support. We stagger into the kitchen, giggling like drunken idiots, and finally find balance gripping by onto the table.

We're both panting with huge smiles and bright red faces as we slowly recover. Eventually we quiet down, our explosive laughter reducing into small chuckles. Lukas turns to me, his eyes sparkling with pure happiness.

"Why in the Nether did I ever want a quiet life? It's not nearly as exciting."

"Don't ya know Lukas, we save the world before afternoon tea on a daily basis."

Lukas's chortles. "Hey, doesn't that just make the pie taste better?"

"Speaking of pie," I stroll over to the chest. "care to take out the eggs?"

I dig around in the chest, searching for pumpkins and sugar. Lukas doesn't say anything, but I can hear him opening up the fridge. My hands finally grasp the ingredients, pulling them out. I grab extra, since I'll need all the energy I can get for managing Beacontown.

"Pie? Are you sure that's what you should eat? Not exactly the healthiest."

"It's got eggs and pumpkins in it." Lukas chuckles, shaking his head regardless of the wide smile shinning on his face.

He hands me the eggs, "I guess I can't argue against that."

"Right," I smirk at him, arching a eyebrow. "besides they are just too good to resist." I walk over to the crafting, placing the ingredients in the correct placements.

"So when you're done eating all your pies, you ARE going to bed, right?" I briefly stop crafting to look at Lukas, seeing if he's serious. He is.

"Didn't you hear the people, I need to fix the population problem. They need me more than I need rest." I turn back to the workbench, creating more pies. The gnawing in my stomach encouraging me.

"Jesse you can't be serious! Look, I'll handle Beacontown, but you have to rest."

"Oh come on! I just need to know if Stella-"

The room suddenly spins and sways, scattering my thoughts like dust. I fumble around, desperate to regain my balance. My arms thrust out, wildly clawing out for anything to steady me. I dimly hear Lukas calling out, but he sounds too far away for me to understand him.

I resist as hard as possible. Trying to focus on one thing to ignore the nausea. Attempting to tense up everything to keep myself upright and still. But I'm failing as everything slowly still falls apart into chaos.

My noodle legs tremble and collapse, although I never feel the impact. Colors and shapes blurring together into one big mesh. My ability to think dies as my head starts to numb up. The numbness slowly infecting my senses, as I feel myself getting pulled farther and farther away from my body.

I struggle against it, yet the instinct soon dies. It's impossible to swim up when an anchor is tied to your ankle, only falling deeper and deeper. To where everything just gets darker... and darker... and darker... until everything is pitch black and void empty. The tension of silence and the pressure of nothing. Or maybe a suffocating tumult and the burden of everything?

My head is TNT about to explode, yet never going off.Forest surrounding me, birds screaming as a ghost floats in front of me. An eerie glow fading into darkness, and the roar of a waterfall. Explosions rippling in front of me as I fall and fall, laying in a library. Melting into red full of incoherent grunts and lightning strikes on a green canopy.

I try to fight it off. Yet my head is a stretched and flimsy wire compared to the tornado around me, pounding in sync to the bombardment on my senses. Gathering the wisps of my soul, I curl into a tight ball and shut out the burning assault. The different environments hurtling past me, a flood of unique scenarios attempting to overwhelm me.

Part of me thinks my new fire is to blame, but most of me is just trying to survive. The whirlpool of pictures and sounds swirling faster and faster, spinning me along with it. I'm basically driftwood at this point, powerless and cracking under so much pressure.

Then... it stops. Replaced by a blinding white that stings, and a raging buzzing afflicting my ears. A frigid cold squeezing its icy fingers around my mind, the frost even creeping into my eyes. I blink rapidly, attempting to keep whatever heat is still left.

The white slowly fades and the buzzing diminishes, relieving my weary soul of at least one burden. A blurry black and white world appears, soft whispers smoothly gliding through my ears. I'm looking at... the floor? The cold plunges ice spikes further into me, my whole becoming frozen.

I try turning my head, desperate to find Lukas or a shred of familiarity. But I can't. I'm stuck. Totally and literally frozen in this one spot on the ceiling.

The clicking of heels floats up to my spot. I refocus on my surrounds, straining to make something out in a frigid colorless world. There are empty pedestals on the front wall, some more to the left with a door behind them, a big window behind me, and another door to the right.

Déjà vu rises at the sight of the room, although my condition isn't giving me any more hints to where I am. A sinking weight is thrown into my chilled mind, reducing my thoughts into that of a cowering animal in the winter.

"One day..."

A person is below me, staring at the empty pedestals and muttering to herself. Familiarity streaks through me at the sight and sound of her.

"Perhaps I can actually get some real treasure in here, like Jesse. How does he do it? Being a great leader of a town and still going on adventures, and even helping me. Did he have the greatest education of all time?"

This voice belongs to Stella! I'm in her Treasure Hall! And on the ceiling? Another figure walks up to her, fuzzy. The icy cobra injecting its frozen venom in my vision and squeezing the life out of my thoughts.

"Madam, uh your authorization on the new plaza is needed."

"Very well, but clear my schedule tomorrow. I'm going out with Luna, she appercates that... I think."

I can't pay attention anymore, I need warmth stat! I can't move though, my limbs nonexistent or just frozen. I try pushing myself, only for the cold to slightly ease up before ploughing into me again. I do it again and again, never ceasing or my will might shut down.

A sliver of heat is gained only for a fleeting moment before leaving me in the shivering cold again. I'm lost, I don't know what to do and a despair is sinking into me.

I force myself to relax, chiding myself that panic has never gotten me anywhere. Although it's trying to be calm in a hurricane, it's doing the exact opposite of what your instincts are screaming at you. Yet I focus, sending ripples of peace through my chaos state.

Soon it penetrates, and I finally relaxes. I try to push myself out again, my balloon mind expanding slowly. My treasure awaits me, as I feel myself getting closer to something radiating heat. I stop expanding, and just reach out towards it. My stiff and frigid mind longing for the warmth.

I clasp onto it tightly, expecting the warmth to heat the frozen wasteland inside of me. Instead, it yanks me out of that block. The heat throwing my battered mind back into a turmoil.

I can sense the different places around me, but none of them are affecting me. I'm an arrow, tearing through them and simply speeding to my destination.

There is still a frozen snake curled around my mind, but in this case it's a good thing. The suffering distracting me from the whirlpool of information surrounding me.

The persistent torment finally dissipates, leaving only a final place left. I'm hesitant to move into it, it could be another wintry trap for all I know. Yet seeing how I have no choice, I accept the final destination.

It takes me a moment to adapt, having to adjust to a single concrete source of information. Thankfully, this place isn't cold, just a bruised and weary body. My body to be exact. For a moment, I relax. Relishing in once again having body heat and movable limbs.

There is also an outside source of heat, its beautiful warmth seeping into my frozen soul. I selfishly just absorb it, wanting to indulge myself in this bliss. Not at all caring what this could be coming or from who...

"Lukas!" I snap my eyes open, and sure enough, I have the eagle vision only Lukas can give me. A sharp inhale comes from the right, and looking reveals a shocked Lukas staggering back.

"J-Jesse? You're awake?"

"At the moment." He sighs, his relief pouring off of him. Contagious too, as glee springs up now that I'm home.

"I'm so glad you're okay. When you just fell like that, I completely panicked. In hindsight now, it's kinda amusing."

"You find you're own panic amusing?" I arch an eyebrow at him while sitting up. It turns out that Lukas got me to bed... again.

"I generally don't act so flustered, not even when I saw a giant prismarine colossus walking straight towards Beacontown." He sits down next to me, a relaxed smile etched onto his han... face. His face.

"You said that earlier, that you've been really flustered since coming here?" A queasiness claims a home in my stomach, I don't know what invited it there, but I don't intend to let it spoil my happiness.

"Yeah... I guess. I haven't thought about too much though. I get the feeling if I do, I... well I won't be the same."

I smirk at him, seeing straight through the lie. "Spill it."

Lukas's eyes dart away. "What? I swear Jesse I really don't know!"

"Yeah right. You're Lukas, the guy who figures everything out first. So you know, and you're telling me." Making my friends awkward and nervous just always somehow fills me up with so much joy.

"Fine," Lukas narrows his eyes, silently declaring war. "I'm getting flustered over you. Happy?"

My smirk turns into an evil chuckle, "I want to know why I bestow upon you, great calm one, flusterations."

"Is that even word?" Exasperation dripping venom in his words.

"If it's not, it is now. And don't change the subject."

"I-" Lukas must have seen the truth flutter before his eyes right then, since his defensive face turns into a sheepish blushing one. "I'm blaming your fire, none of it ever became a big deal until I got magically tied to you."

"Oh come on, is it THAT bad?"

"Pft, reasonable doesn't even come close. You only got one weird feeling, I've had several."

I roll eyes, returning exaggeration with drama. "And here I thought I only cause happiness. Ah Lukas, you have crushed my poor and weary soul." I fall back onto the bed, feigning pain. Lukas swats at me, only earning my bubbly laughter.

"You crushed mine first, by an emotional wrecking ball."

"An emotional wrecking ball? Wow haven't heard that one before." I raise back up, noticing a slight glare from Lukas. "In all seriousness, what IS happening to you?"

"Well, there's definitely a higher connection between us. There are things I never thought to consider that I now realize are important. I can also figure out what you're feeling much faster than before."

"Like with the fire thing earlier?"

"Yep, even though I wasn't touching you, I just knew what was happening to you. Even though there was no logical way to get that conclusion." Worry flaps in my skull, causing panic to flutter too.

"Do you think anything else will happen to you? Or are you just emotionally attached?"

Please, please, please this be all Lukas gets. It's one thing to plague my life with stress, but please don't do that to my friends.

"Don't be worried Jesse." I straighten my back, very self-conscious of how easily he read me. "And don't be so uptight too. Just relax."

"Sure Lukas." I roll my eyes, irritated that a poker face won't work on him anymore. "I only spend most of my life worried about the world ending, the well being of my friends, or Beacontown. No big deal."

"Gosh, and you tell me I worry too much. Maybe stop seeing my situation as something bad, and count it as a good thing."

"You were at your cabin yesterday, peaceful and happily writing your book. Now you're stuck here and tied to me, which will cause much more stress to enter your life."

I sigh and look down. I hate how I did that to Lukas, he shouldn't have to suffer because of me. He has his life with his own problems and now he also got sucked into mine too all because I couldn't deal with them myself.

"Jesse you have it all wrong! Did you ever consider why I came here?" I shake my head, I haven't thought about it once. Some friend I am.

"It was actually because I got lonely. I stopped writing since it got depressing writing about our adventures when I wanted to be on another one with everyone. I didn't want to write about Axel's jokes anymore, I wanted to hear them. I started to miss Petra the more I wrote about her tough attitude. I was even missing the excitement Ivor's... uhh... unique qualities... brings."

My eyebrows shoot up, and I stare at him. "Really? You missed our adventures?"

"Why are you surprised? I made the best friendships of my life through them. Our greatest memories come from them. I should know, I've written about all of them."

"I just always thought you found your place in writing, didn't you enjoy that?" I tilt my head, considering that if half my friends are out adventuring or want to, then we might all be able to go on epic adventures again!

"I did! It was practically reliving the whole thing over again. But..." Lukas gazes to the ground below him, and lets out a huge sigh. "I wanted new memories, I wanted to really live along side my friends instead of writing about them when they're hundred of thousands of blocks away."

"Why don't you leave then? You can go with Petra and adventure with her."

"Petra does mercenary stuff... and she has to be kinda cold and ruthless to pull that stuff off. I am... I can't do that. I figure the best place to go was here."

"Why's that? Olivia could use your help in Redstonia." Lukas raises his head to turn back to me, looking me straight in the eyes.

"Because I saw how much it tore you up when Petra left, and I also knew you had a habit of constantly running around helping people." I turn away from Lukas, not wanting him to see my face. What he's saying is basically pity delivered in pretty box and a cute bow.

"I also meant what I said." I look back to see a caring smile and soft eyes. A face of a true friend. "You are my greatest friend, and I will always come back to you. I never even considered Redstonia, because I knew I would be happiest with you. Plus, if I wanted excitement, I know you're generally in over your head."

"Thanks Lukas, it really does mean a lot."

"I'm glad I could ease your conscious." Lukas nudges me with his arm and narrows his eyes playfully.

"Yes, you did completely erase my worries about you. I'm also really glad that you missed me, or I would be much more stressed and not as happy."

"Great, so now that we got all that stuff out of the way, you need rest and all those pies you made."

"I didn't make that many!"

"You made seven! Who needs seven pies?"

"Me." After a huge eye roll, Lukas stands up.

"Lukas, will you be watching over Beacontown while I sleep?"

"No actually. I do know that the town is doing fine, and can survive a bit longer without you. I'll do some of your paperwork in here, but I told you that I'm not leaving your side."

"Thanks, although I don't think you'll be so eager to help after you see what paperwork is like. Especially trading with other towns." Lukas quickly inhales, his spine becoming a steel rod and his face hardening.

"Jesse, what exactly happen to you when you fainted?" His icy-blue eyes now lock onto me, sending a chill running down my back.

The tortuous experience tries to rise in my head, a frozen feather tickling my memory. "It's... complicated and I don't really understand it."

"Was it... d-did it have to do with seeing someone far away?" I whip my head up in shock as Lukas perfectly hit the bull's eye.

"Ya-yes! It-it was, I saw Stella talking about her day off tomorrow... How did you know that?"

"Because it's related to your fire, and I felt what was happening to you." His frozen face turning into a sour one.

"You should get some rest Jesse. I got another feeling that this fire thing is more complicated than either of us suspect."

Rest? No, I still have a couple things to do. Getting out of these rotten clothes for one. Then I have to make sure I won't forget anything...