And... 

I don't know how to write this chapter! 

Woo! 

Somehow, of the several surprises that come when Tango and Skizz burst back in on the meeting, it's the fact that Skizz is awake and hasn't tried to kill me yet that shocks me most. 

Until they speak. 

'The- the other magic people- we know where they are!' Tango gasps out. 'They're- they're on this floor! Over... there.' I stand up as he points vaguely into the distance. 

'How do you know?' Joel asks.

'There's a whole wall of bedrock.'

'How are we going to break it? You can't break bedrock, that's like- the first lesson you learn.' 

'Impulse.' 

'What?' Everyone looks over at Skizz. 'What's Impulse got to do with this?'

'His- his invention for the redstone competition. It was something to break bedrock!' 

'Oh my goodness, we can save them!' Jimmy looks around at all of us, delighted. 'WE CAN SAVE OUR FRIENDS!'

'Shut up, there are other people nearby!' I snap, before regretting it at the sight of Jimmy's terror. 'How will we talk to Impulse though? And convince him?'

'He still wants to save everyone! He's not a bad person, Scott. He's been forced into making some horrible decisions due to stuff that wasn't even his fault to start with.' 

'We can figure out who's bedroom that place is below, and get Impulse up there to blow up the place from above.' Skeppy suggests. 'Then once they're out...'

'We start a revolution and kill the Principal.' Philza interrupts. 'Codename... L'manburg.' 

'But we can't fight him all on our own. We need help.' Joel snaps. 

'Then we tell everyone to help us.' I decides, glancing around at the others nodding and agreeing. 'I know a lot of people here.'

'Me too. And, we have magic powers. Me and Jimmy are... fish. Skizz, Mumbo and Ranboo are the Ender Trio... anyone else have magic powers?' Lizzie asks. Another thought comes to mind as Skeppy turns himself completely into diamond and Tango explains how he can blow stuff up with his eyes. 

'I can free Xornoth.' 

'What?' Jimmy looks at me. 'And give ourselves another enemy?!'

'Distract the Principal, and his guards. Hopefully he'd agree to help us.' It's unlikely. He wants me dead, but the others don't need to know that. 

'Xornoth isn't real.' Joel scoffs Joelishly. 

'He's my brother, of course he's real.'

'Dream would help too.' Ranboo realises. 

'With a codename of L'manburg?' Tubbo grimaces. 'That's a f***ing stupid idea.'

'No, but that's just in our game! He'd understand.' (Yes,  the entire DSMP is a game in this AU)

'Language!' Badboyhalo snaps back. 

'What about Martyn? If we're blowing up the school...'

'I can heal him.' Philza looks around for agreement. 'Bad, how badly is he hurt?'

'Not too badly... he's not as hurt as Grian was.' 

'When will we do this?'

'When Impulse saves our friends. We free them, and start rebelling, and then everyone else joins in.' 

'We need a signal. What should it be?' My mind goes blank

'Fire alarm. Like Joe.' My boyfriend instantly suggests. 'Except we don't end up dead.' 

'That would work. Everyone would hear it... how?'

'Set something on fire, or hit it really hard.' 

'Like Joe...' Lizzie echoes. 'They... Joe found out. And then the Principal knew.' 

'They're going to be sending people to find us.' Skizz realises.

'Oh f***, we need to get out of here.' Philza decided. 'Hide. Somewhere.' 

'Where?! There's nowhere to hide!' 

'Jump out a window and run. Someone find Impulse. We're doing the plan now.' I get to my feet as Tango and Skizz sprint for the exit, jumping down with no regards to safety. There's a scramble as others follow, hoods pulled up, masks returned to faces... Jimmy nods as he looks over at me. 

'We're really doing this.' He murmurs. 'We're... we're getting out of here. Stopping the Principal.' 

'Hopefully...' I look around, listening for anyone coming. A distance sound of feet, running, a voice.

'There's something over there!' 

'Go.' 

'Scott, what are you planning?' 

'Go! Now! I'll be fine!' The plan comes to mind as I speak. I need to hold the guards off. Stop them from getting any closer. How do I do that? How do I do that? How do I do that? 

'I'll fight with you.'

'No, you need to help the others. Fight with them. I'll be fine.' I put my hands on Jimmy's shoulders as he stares up at me, eyes wide.

'Scott, you can't.' 

'I need to.'

The footsteps are getting closer, and my heart races. There's a chest nearby. I know exactly what I hid in it. 

'Jimmy, just go!' I shout, shoving him away. 'Now!'

'Scott... Scott, I love you!' 

'I love you too, now run.' 

He does. I watch him until he's just out of sight before opening the chest and rummaging through the intentionally placed junk until I find two things: a glowing red crystal and a pair of golden antlers turned into a headpiece. They're both put in my pockets as I swagger - yes, swagger - towards the sound of voices. 

'Hey boys.' I grin as I step into view. 'Lovely evening, isn't it?'

'You know too, don't you?' There are two of them, one with short hair, the other's longer, but still not really long. They both wore the same white armour, though one had brown eyes and one had strangely familiar bright blue eyes. 

'We don't need to talk about that... can't we just enjoy each other's company and... get to know each other.' 

'Shut up, or I kill you slower.' 

'Yeah, dude. This is your choice.' 

And then... recognition. For both of them. I step away, another part of the puzzle I didn't know existed solved. 

'Ren? Stress?'

'I don't know who you're talking about.' Stress replied, stepping towards me. Ice formed at her hands. Ren seemed less sure? Frowning, as though trying to remember. 

'You used to be students here, and then they took you! I'm Scott! Remember?' Plan changed, get them on my side. 

'Scott?' 

'Don't listen to him, he's lying.' Stress responds automatically. Ice spreads across the ground towards me and I sidestep to avoid it.

'Remember... remember Iskall! And Martyn! And Mumbo and...' I struggle for any more of their friends. 'And...'

'LIAR!' Stress runs and I slip on the ice, crashing to the ground. One hand reaches into my pocket, pulling out the crystal. I hold it in the air.

'Don't make me do this!' I yell. Ren's still stuck, trying to think. Stress pauses for a moment. 

'Magic.' 

'That's right. Magic. A demon. A demon who'll help me.' 

'Guard 103, snap out of this!' Stress snaps, turning to Ren. He blinks. 

'You won MCC. With False and H-bomb and Fruitberries.'

'Blue... bats.' 

Stress stabs me and I scream as blood pours from my shoulder. 

'Stop this.'

'YOU LIKE STAR WARS! YOU USED TO MEET UP WITH OTHER MAGIC PEOPLE! YOU'RE A WEREWOLF! YOU WERE TAKE AT THE PROM! REMEMBER DOC, AND MARTYN, AND ISKALL AND FALSE AND... AND...' 

A sharp whine sounds from somewhere. The fire alarm. They rescued the others. 

'Please...' my vision blacks, and there's only one thing I can do. 'Aeor save me.' 

I throw the crystal on the ground and the sound of Xornoth waking is the last thing I hear before I die. 

The second half of this chapter was... not what I was originally planning.